Xu Fengnian wished he could tell the wide-eyed young man, just stepping into the martial world, that even those noble swordsmen who floated in white robes and roamed the land with swords had to worry about meals for the day. Those seemingly ethereal beauties, who appeared untouched by worldly matters, also harbored petty jealousies. And those proud warlords who strutted with might and authority had endured countless silent humiliations, swallowing their blood and broken teeth. Yet, he decided against it. Letting the young man indulge in his dream of martial chivalry for a little longer was better. Xu Fengnian bent down and stroked the soft mane of his chestnut horse. His father, who had ranted about his future bride the moment they met, unsurprisingly ended up beaten. Yet the world was astonished when this young soldier from Liaodong, time and again, escaped death and gradually climbed to the pinnacle of power. Besides the armor worn by any ordinary general, he wore the blue satin robe with dragon embroidery, known throughout the empire.
But in the eyes of the young prince, titles like Prince of Beiliang, Grand Guardian of the Pillar State, and Supreme General were like shadows under a lamp—too close to see clearly. He rarely pondered their weight. What lingered most in his memory was how Xu Xiao sewed shoes year after year. As a boy, he thought Xu Xiao was unbearably dull. Now, he still thought so.
Dull, dull, dull—how many words of Xu Xiao, the Butcher of Men, were left unheard? Zhao Changling was dead. So many old comrades who had survived countless battles together had perished. He never remarried after the death of his queen. His children were married off, studying abroad, or traveling far away. Who was left for him to talk to?
Xu Fengnian exhaled deeply, suddenly realizing he himself was quite dull too. At the very least, this journey north was. The young prince recalled Wen Hua’s catchphrase: “I’m feeling quite melancholy today.”
The Yu Long Gang reached the vicinity of Yanhui Pass without incident, and Xu Fengnian turned northward. He had not ventured into Liuxia City directly toward the heart of Longyao Prefecture, fearing that Old Fox Wei might detect something amiss. After already arousing suspicion by refusing to accept Spring Play and Autumn Waters, Xu Fengnian had no desire to stir further trouble over trivialities. His parting from the Yu Long Gang was neither sorrowful nor joyous—it was as plain as water. The gang dared not enter the city and instead camped on a high loess hill. The discomfort of sleeping under the sky and on the earth was unbearable, only becoming nostalgic material for future glory. At that moment, few truly relished the hardship.
As expected, only the young boy from Yu Long Gang came to see Xu Fengnian off. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Xu Fengnian paused before mounting his horse and smiled: “The martial arts techniques I taught you aren’t secret manuals of divine skills. They rely on persistence, like water wearing away stone. Treat them as exercises to strengthen your body. As for that sword move called ‘Three Jin,’ you may never get the chance to use it. If you knew the swordsman who created it was a toothless blacksmith from West Shu, you’d surely feel disappointed. His name was Huang, from Xishu. He lived a life of poverty, without a wife or a disciple. I’ll consider him as having taken you as his apprentice. You two are both fools—foolish masters don’t mind foolish apprentices. There are too many sly people in the martial world, all wanting to become fox spirits. I’m one of them. Honest people have become rare, and you are one. So don’t imitate me. If I fail to return to Beiliang, at least one sword move from him will remain.”
After mounting his horse, Xu Fengnian rode alone, with only his steed and the Spring Thunder sword, heading north into the Beiman lands.
Wang Dashi stood watching until Xu Fengnian’s figure disappeared. Then he clenched his fist, urging himself not to slack off. As he turned, he saw Liu Niroong standing not far away, and the courage he had just gathered vanished. Liu Niroong smiled faintly, and they walked back to the hill together. Even Wang Dashi, despite his slowness, could sense the tense relationship between her and Xu Fengnian. He carefully said, “Xu Gongzi is truly a good person.”
Liu Niroong replied gently, “For you, of course he is. I won’t deny that.”
Wang Dashi’s face flushed red. His nature was honest, and his tongue was clumsy, not knowing where to begin.
Xu Fengnian rode north alone, reciting Daoist foundational mantras—inhaling once and exhaling six times—to cultivate his internal energy. He moved in perfect harmony with the rhythm of the horse’s gait. Blowing to dispel heat and calm the mind, calling to stabilize the eight winds, exhaling to grow green lotuses, and sighing to nourish dragons and tigers. He constantly tapped his teeth like striking metal and jade, creating a resonance in his mind. His internal energy had become so refined that over time, it felt as if his body was performing the movements of a crane or a bear, naturally forming the Three Pure Heavens. The Great Huangting had reached the Celestial Pavilion. Most notably, he could feel six streams of energy joyfully circling his heart, like dragons holding pearls, offering protection and strengthening his heart. However, Xu Fengnian had not yet reached the stage of projecting his spirit and exploring the world internally. Yet, through his relentless cultivation of the Great Huangting, he had developed a vague sense of drawing from celestial forces and connecting with the earth. Though he had not yet pierced the final veil to reach the Diamond State, Xu Fengnian felt confident that his state was closer to the Heavenly King Form of the The White-robed Monkren (White-robed Monk) from Liangchan Temple, differing from ordinary top martial artists. Otherwise, he would have died under the knife of the girl known as Hehe Girl. The Great Huangting’s profound energy flowed through the Three Pure Heavens. Simply put, even if his limbs were severed, his combat effectiveness would not be severely affected before his heart and energy were exhausted. This was far more valuable than the priceless silk armor he wore.
Thus, the attainments of the Three Teachings’ sages were far easier to approach the realm of earthly immortals than the path of martial prowess. However, high cultivation did not necessarily mean superior killing techniques. Though Buddhism spoke of the The Vajra’s Fierce Gaze (Vajra wrathful gaze) to subdue demons, it ultimately emphasized the compassion of a Bodhisattva. This was why the Northern March martial rankings placed the National Master Qilin Zhenren and the abbot of Liangchan Temple outside the martial rankings. As for Qingyi Cao Changqing, who was once a legendary general known for stirring the heavens and raising dragons and snakes from the earth, he was the most extraordinary figure among the millions of scholars in the two great dynasties of Dayang and Beiman. As Xu Fengnian’s cultivation deepened, his perception of the world sharpened. Reflecting on his encounter on the Jiangnan road, he increasingly felt the depth of Cao Guanzi’s hidden mastery.
With the Yu Long Gang no longer needing his protection, Xu Fengnian rode alone. By day, he faced the scorching sun; by night, he traveled under the stars. In half a month, he reached the heart of Longyao Prefecture. In another day’s journey, he would enter Feihu City. His mount was an ordinary, tired horse, already exhausted. Xu Fengnian, covered in dust and sweat, had become a disheveled, unkempt man. In fact, without the face-covering mask, no one would recognize this sword-wielding wanderer as the refined young prince of the royal court. The desert sands and blazing sun made the road shimmer with heat. Xu Fengnian slowed his horse’s pace, reminiscing about the misty rain and small bridges of Jiangnan. Even the village girls in the countryside exuded a natural freshness. When thirsty, one could simply bend down and drink from a stream. In this desolate wilderness, even relieving oneself felt like a waste of precious water, as if losing a few taels of silver.
Lonely Xu Fengnian reached behind his horse and took out the last of his water, drinking the hot liquid with a wry smile. There were advantages to being in a place where no one lived for a hundred miles. When the mood struck, he could freely cultivate his sword energy, unleashing the Dragon Wall Sword Formation without restraint. In this vast land teeming with scorpions and venomous creatures, he could attempt to strike them down with his clumsy flying swords. Ten attempts usually resulted in eight misses due to incorrect angles. Occasionally, he might hit, but the energy flow was often obstructed, and the force was too weak to be effective. However, in rare cases of sheer luck, Xu Fengnian would erupt into wild laughter like a madman. Indeed, only a complete madman would bring twelve flying swords into the Beiman lands.
Amid the vast solitude, the bored young prince, free from attachments and support, achieved true single-mindedness. He refined the Great Huangting toward perfection and studied the sword manual, selecting complex diagrams to guide his energy through the meridians. His cultivation silently surged forward.
The final veil grew increasingly thin. Xu Fengnian was not in a hurry. His hungry, emaciated horse had begun to slack off, its head drooping, its hooves heavy and sluggish, refusing to move forward. It snorted weakly. Xu Fengnian gently squeezed the horse’s belly, leaned forward, and stroked its dry, sandy mane. He chuckled, “Most of the water from those water bags went into your mouth. Don’t try to act cute with me. Walk a few more miles. I can already see smoke rising in the distance. It might be an inn. Good buddy, I won’t let you down when we get there.”
Although he could indeed see signs of human habitation, the distance was deceptive. Xu Fengnian knew his loyal, tired horse was at its limit. He dismounted, loosened the reins, and let the horse follow him. Relieved of the burden of 140 or 150 jin, the bony, lazy creature finally caught its breath and began to move more briskly, even nudging its master with its neck. Xu Fengnian watched the horse’s antics with a mix of laughter and tears. Its legs might be weak, but it wasn’t stupid. Slowly, the two made their way toward the rising smoke. As Xu Fengnian looked ahead, he was surprised. The inn was unexpectedly large, with a courtyard layout and a three-story main building that could accommodate over a hundred travelers when full. Besides five or six carriages, there was a simple stable outside the inn, filled with more than thirty horses. Most had shiny coats and were tall and strong. Several stallions neighed proudly, enough to make the young prince feel inferior. Outside the inn, a dark-skinned servant boy was dozing on a dry tree stump. Beside him was a well emitting cool, moist air. In a desert where travelers’ throats burned with thirst, such a well was more desirable than a beautiful woman in bed at night.
Xu Fengnian saw the servant boy sleeping soundly, drooling, smiling with a meaningful expression. Men understood. He was probably dreaming of a beautiful woman who had once passed through the inn. In a place where not even a bird would drop its droppings, the dream was inevitably of a woman with fair skin, large breasts, and a shapely posterior. Xu Fengnian did not wake him. He quietly walked over, pulled the scorching wooden lever, lifted a bucket of water, and took a spoonful to drink. He was about to wash the nose of his loyal, thin horse when the dark-skinned, muscular servant boy suddenly woke up. Seeing the man stealing water, he jumped off the tree stump and kicked fiercely without saying a word. Xu Fengnian was neither startled nor angry, his expression calm. He sucked in his abdomen, absorbing the kick that could send an ordinary man to bed for half a year. Seeing the young servant’s arrogant expression, he could not pull his foot back and was about to spin around for another kick. Xu Fengnian quickly smiled and said, “I didn’t mean to drink the water for free. Young man, just charge me the regular price. I want to stay at the inn. Could you help me arrange a room?”
People judge by appearance, and the Buddha is judged by gold. The servant boy, who couldn’t move, did not lose his spirit and still glared furiously, cursing, “If I hadn’t woken up, you would have drunk the water for free! Stay at the inn? Look at you and that animal’s poor appearance. It’s strange if you have money in your pocket! If you don’t leave, I’ll use my ultimate skill, and I won’t be responsible for the consequences!”
Xu Fengnian looked helpless and was about to retreat a few steps to avoid trouble. Unexpectedly, a middle-aged woman appeared at the inn’s entrance. She had both hands on her hips, which were as wide as a water bucket. Her cheeks were heavily painted with thick rouge, which had clumped together, clearly indicating her lack of makeup skills. She shouted like a lioness, “Qin Wuzu, with your three-legged cat skills, you call that an ultimate move? If you lose the inn’s business, I’ll make sure you have no descendants!”
The dark-skinned young man, whose name was surprisingly impressive, stood in silence, forcing a smile. His eyes still glared at Xu Fengnian unfriendlyly. He pulled back his foot and snorted, “You’re just lucky, kid.”
“Qin Wuzu, carefully brush and wash this gentleman’s precious horse and feed it the best hay. If you try any tricks, I’ll skin you alive!”
The woman, whose makeup was as bold as her “slim waist,” faced Xu Fengnian with a much warmer and sincere smile. She extended her hand to welcome him, saying, “Young master, please come in quickly. Our Youtoulu Inn offers food, drink, and lodging. The prices are fair, and we never cheat our guests. In this area of Longyao Prefecture, we are a well-known brand. Once you stay here, you’ll know how honest we are.”
Xu Fengnian patted his finally relieved thin horse and walked alone into the quite spacious courtyard. However, as soon as he entered, he felt the gaze of countless eyes shooting from all directions, as if they had killed his ancestors eighteen generations. Compared to that, the servant boy seemed extremely affectionate. The woman with the water bucket waist smiled and softly explained, “Young master, don’t take it to heart. These rough men haven’t tasted a woman’s touch for ten days or half a month. They look at everyone with such a devouring gaze. Our Youtoulu Inn has a total of sixteen girls to serve guests. The one with the highest price gets the night. These poor guys are afraid that the heroes and valiant men with even heavier money bags will come.”
Xu Fengnian couldn’t help but laugh. It turned out he had entered a brothel?
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