From start to finish, Xu Fengnian never caught sight of the commander of the Yanjia Lake naval forces. After disembarking, he entered a carriage belonging to the Arrow Ridge garrison of Longyao Prefecture. Xu Fengnian lifted the curtain and only then saw a sturdy officer of uncertain identity standing at the bow of the ship. Xu Beizhi, riding alongside him in the same carriage, followed his gaze and softly said, “A unit of cavalry from Yanjia Lake will escort us to Lurong City, north of Maolong, traveling openly along the official roads.”
Leaning against the side of the carriage, Xu Fengnian had the short sword Chunlei resting on his knees, a weapon whose sheath had not been drawn in who-knows-how-long. Qing Niao, carrying the blade Chasna, had already donned armor and joined the cavalry ranks.
Xu Beizhi slowly continued, “Maolong has become a new dividing line in the north-south standoff between Liang and Mang. After Duan Zhuo withdrew from the Hulu Pass, no one was eager to throw their lives away, so only Huang Songpu dared to send an urgent request to Empress Murong, asking for reinforcements. Generals Liu Gui and Yang Yuanzan are still hesitating. Huang Songpu’s power has long since waned. Though he is nominally the Grand Commander of the Southern Court, overseeing 400,000 troops, even generals like Liu and Yang no longer feel the need to heed his commands. Even Duan Zhuo’s personal army of 60,000 refuses to obey him outright. This time, Huang Songpu had to swallow his pride and spend many precious favors he had hoarded over the years just to mobilize 90,000 elite cavalry. That’s how difficult it is to be a general in the Southern Court—when you don’t command troops, everyone treats you with respect, like a revered Bodhisattva. But once you hold real power, people stab you in the back, hoping you’ll suffer defeat and lose everything. This rotten mindset was inherited from the remnants of the Spring and Autumn Warring States era.
“In recent years, the Northern Court’s imperial court has even begun enforcing a policy that forbids southerners from becoming generals. If not for Empress Murong’s firm intervention and the secret memorials submitted by Liu and Yang, who also oppose northern interference in southern affairs, the Southern Court would have faced even more setbacks. Otherwise, Huang Songpu wouldn’t even have had the chance to confront your Northern Liang iron cavalry.”
Xu Fengnian noticed a scroll in Xu Beizhi’s hand and took it, his expression turning strange. Xu Beizhi smiled knowingly and explained, “This is a fabricated text called *The Classic of Laozi’s Transformation into the Buddha*, written by a young Taoist priest from the Celestial Masters’ Temple on Longhu Mountain. It claims that when the Taoist Patriarch rode westward on an ox, leaving behind only the 3,000 words of the Dao De Jing for his disciples, he crossed the desert and became the Buddha himself. The idea is clever, and the writing is quite good. It might even have been polished by the emperor’s own hand, the one who bestowed the title ‘White Lotus Scholar’ upon himself. Now that the revered monk Longshu has passed away and the White Robe monk has not spoken out, the Two Chan Temples are in chaos. Meanwhile, the ‘Green Verse Immortals’ in the palace are far more adept at mutual support than the monks. With the ailing Tiger Yang the Hermit having not appeared publicly in a long time, I suspect this anti-Buddhist movement that began in Northern Mang will end up being even more severe in the Liyang Dynasty.
“Take, for example, the policy limiting each province and prefecture to only one temple. This alone will spark fierce infighting among the famous temples in the same regions.”
Xu Fengnian said flatly, “After all, Buddhism doesn’t share the same surname as the emperor like Longhu Mountain does. And during the Spring and Autumn Wars, countless scholars fled into monastic life, far more than those who embraced Daoism. The Liyang Dynasty has already consolidated its power and is now ready to root out opposition completely. Besides, this gives the Esoteric Buddhist sects of the Western Regions hope of infiltrating the Central Plains. Prince Zhao Kai, carrying his alms bowl through the Jian’ge Pass into the highlands, was able to return unscathed and achieve great success. In this way, Northern Liang faces pressure from the north by Northern Mang, resistance on the eastern and southern fronts from Gu Jiantang’s old forces, and now the Western Regions, cozying up to the imperial court, has truly surrounded us on all sides. They’re striking right at our most vulnerable spot. Northern Liang has suffered a huge setback, and many of my master’s carefully laid plans may now come to nothing.”
Xu Beizhi did not pry into Northern Liang’s contingency plans but simply smiled and asked, “Will Northern Liang become a Western Paradise?”
Xu Fengnian shook his head quietly. “This is too sensitive an issue. Xu Xiao would never openly oppose the court. At most, he might turn a blind eye to fugitive monks seeking refuge, which is already the greatest protection he can offer. Moreover, one mountain cannot hold two tigers. Even the grandest temple in Northern Liang cannot accommodate two monks chanting their separate sutras. The Buddhist forces of the Western Regions have completely severed ties with Northern Liang. Perhaps this is why Zhang Julu pretended not to hear about the anti-Buddhist campaign. He didn’t want to bear the blame, but he certainly wanted to reap the benefits. Anything that makes Northern Liang uncomfortable, that cunning fox will do. You didn’t ask, but I’ll tell you this: the Western Regions and Shuzhao were the two safe havens we painstakingly built up, like the two burrows of a clever hare. Now one of them is gone.”
Xu Beizhi frowned. “Whether Zhao Kai, the bastard son, can succeed is still uncertain.”
Xu Fengnian shook his head again. “The second time I traveled, I encountered him. I nearly died by his hand. He’s devious and cunning. With him stationed in the Western Regions, it’s like having a new feudal lord there. He’ll certainly make Northern Liang very uncomfortable.”
Xu Beizhi’s smile turned wry. “What about Jin Lanting, the high-ranking Northern Liang official from the Great Yellow Gate? Wasn’t he personally promoted by your father to serve in the capital? How could he turn against you? His resignation and final letter of protest addressed seemingly trivial matters, but in my eyes, they were far more ruthless than the tearful appeals of past ministers. Though he has lost his official post, he has gained immense fame in the court and among the people, even being hailed as ‘Jin the Upright.’ It seems even Zhang Julu has plans to cultivate him. The Yan family came first, becoming imperial in-laws, and now the Jin family follows, poised to establish themselves in the capital within a few years. Northern Liang is full of ungrateful traitors, yet they all seem to fare quite well.”
Xu Fengnian glanced at Xu Beizhi and sneered, “Scholars always want to serve the court. Have you ever heard of any old Northern Liang soldiers turning against Xu Xiao?”
Xu Beizhi had no reply.
Xu Fengnian bent down, pulling a lacquered box from a satchel at his feet. Inside was a skull coated in lime. Xu Beizhi instinctively scooted away, shrinking into the corner of the carriage.
“I once heard the old man in the sheepskin coat say that entering the Heavenly Gate to become a terrestrial immortal is a long climb if it’s not genuine. Fortunately, the old man Li didn’t deceive me.”
“There are very few martial artists who have reached the pinnacle of the Fingers’ Realm. Those like you who have mastered it are even rarer. And those who die as miserably as you must be one in a thousand.”
“I wonder if I’ll ever get to use that one strike again in my lifetime. If I did, even if I reached the true Fingers’ Realm, I might not be able to pull it off. You really had bad luck. Xu Xiao once said that luck is also a form of strength. No wonder Deng Mao, your old rival, became one of the Ten Under Heaven, while you remained stuck in the Fingers’ Realm for over a decade.”
As Xu Fengnian muttered to the skull, Xu Beizhi finally couldn’t take it anymore. Pale-faced and covering his nose, he pleaded, “Can’t you close the box?”
Xu Fengnian lifted the box and shoved it toward Xu Beizhi, making him slam into the carriage wall in fright.
Xu Beizhi, furious, snapped, “The dead deserve respect. Fifth He, at least, was a renowned martial elder. Can’t you show some decency?”
Xu Fengnian, his hair completely white, placed the box down and continued talking to the skull with its eyes still wide open. “Though your Mountain of Soldiers controls so many Rouran cavalry and will surely become Northern Liang’s enemy, for now, we could have coexisted peacefully. I could have taken my maid and left, and you could have remained a general and mountain lord. But no, you chose to pursue us relentlessly. If that’s the case, who else but me should kill you?”
“This trip to train my sword in Northern Mang, every bit of spiritual intent I painstakingly cultivated was destroyed by you. Why don’t you come back to life so I can strike you again?”
“Hey, are you a real man or not? If you are, open your eyes and give me a clear answer.”
Xu Beizhi could no longer stand this annoying Xu Shizi’s rambling and shouted, “Can’t you just shut up for a moment?!”
Xu Fengnian bent down, picked up the box again, and shoved it toward Xu Beizhi. “Come on, Xu Juzi, say your goodbyes to Fifth He.”
Xu Beizhi turned his head and accidentally hit the carriage wall, nearly wanting to kill him on the spot.
Xu Fengnian closed the box and returned it to the satchel, laughing heartily.
Xu Beizhi, furious, spat, “You think this is funny?”
Xu Fengnian smirked. “Not funny?”
Xu Beizhi lowered his voice, exasperated. “How do you plan to inherit the Northern Liang throne and contend with so many powerful enemies?”
Xu Fengnian stretched out in the spacious carriage, legs crossed, and said softly, “One step at a time. What else can I do?”
Xu Beizhi wished he could smash the book in his hand over this annoying Xu Shizi, but when he caught sight of his snow-white hair, he silently held back.
Xu Fengnian sat up, lifted the curtain, and waved to Qing Niao, who was armored and holding a spear.
When Qing Niao approached, puzzled and emotional, Xu Fengnian glared fiercely. “If it weren’t for the fact that I think you’re pretty, have a great figure, know how to manage a household, and are an exceptional martial artist, I would’ve ditched you back in the Rouran Mountains long ago! Once we return to Northern Liang, work hard on mastering the Four-Word Secret Technique. Then, kill a few Fingers’ Realm experts properly. And before you kill them, don’t forget to mention that you’re my most trusted maid. Got it!”
Qing Niao nodded gently, smiling sweetly.
The carriage returned to silence.
Xu Beizhi flipped through a few pages of the anti-Buddhist text, then couldn’t help but look up and ask, “Is this how you treat all your servants?”
Xu Fengnian countered, “Are you a master?”
Xu Beizhi smiled. “I’m just a refugee, not a master. But you are.”
Xu Fengnian lay back down, staring at the ceiling. “That’s why you’ll never understand how Northern Liang’s 300,000 iron cavalry became what they are today.”
Ignoring Xu Beizhi, Xu Fengnian hummed a vulgar mountain patrol tune, then switched to a nameless little ditty: “What is a hero? One who cuts off heads and makes piss pots! What is a great swordsman? Does he know the Monkey Plucking Peach technique? What is a true hero? Can he conjure a big pancake when he’s broke?”
Xu Beizhi, interrupting the mood, asked, “May I ask a question?”
Xu Fengnian stopped humming and nodded.
Xu Beizhi asked curiously, “Do you still possess the strength of the First-Rank martial realm?”
Xu Fengnian chuckled. “Hard to say. I have a sword manual. Normally, I’d learn one move at a time, flipping a page after mastering each. But recently, I accidentally jumped straight to the last page. Oddly, though it’s a sword manual, the final page, titled ‘Spiritual Insight,’ actually discusses the sword Dao. Coincidentally, I’ve cultivated twelve flying swords. Within a range of three to ten meters, unless it’s another Fingers’ Realm expert, I can kill one opponent after another. One hundred opponents? Still one hundred kills.”
Xu Beizhi said calmly, “Impressive.”
Xu Fengnian turned his head, puzzled. “Are you praising me or mocking me?”
Xu Beizhi lowered his head to read again.
When he looked up suddenly, Xu Fengnian had somehow taken out the box again, displaying the dusty skull.
The refined scholar Xu Beizhi, forgetting all decorum, grabbed the book and smacked Xu Fengnian repeatedly.
Xu Fengnian laughed, put the box away, and lay down, hands behind his head as a pillow. “Xu Juzi, what do you think of this new nickname I gave you?”
Xu Beizhi shot back one word: “Roll.”
Xu Fengnian turned to rummage through the satchel.
Xu Beizhi quickly sat up straight and nodded solemnly. “This nickname is excellent!”
Xu Fengnian gave a thumbs-up. “You understand the big picture and know when to advance or retreat. Truly a top-tier strategist. Xu Juzi, in the future, you’ll be the one to uphold Northern Liang’s dignity. I’m counting on you!”
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