The sky was just beginning to lighten. The carriage arrived at Daoma Pass, a city built against the mountains. Xu Fengnian and his party presented their travel documents at the checkpoint. With the outbreak of war between Liang and Mang, border inspections had become much stricter than when Xu Fengnian had first left the pass with the Yulong Gang. A border soldier used his spear to lift the carriage curtain, scrutinizing every face. When he saw Xu Fengnian, he hesitated slightly, but since the documents were genuine and without flaw, there was nothing to question. However, the next issue became a point of contention—their weapons. Their belongings were thoroughly searched, and the sword case, Spring and Autumn Sword, and the Spring Thunder Blade were all brought out. This alarmed the soldiers of Daoma Pass. With a few silent signals exchanged, a cavalry unit rode up swiftly. With the war between Liang and Mang having just begun, the roads were dangerous, and any sensible martial artists would avoid crossing the border at such a time. Many border trade activities had also ceased, as merchants sought to avoid the chaos. Xu Fengnian’s group looked neither like merchants nor noble offspring, yet they carried many weapons. How could the city guards possibly be careless?
In addition to the watchful cavalry, secret scouts quickly relayed the news up the chain of command. Not long after Xu Fengnian stepped out of the carriage, a second cavalry unit arrived in a thunderous gallop. At the head was a dashing and valiant rider—Zhou Ziru, the top young nobleman of Daoma Pass, who had once nearly seized the Yulong Gang’s beauties and goods in one fell swoop. His memory was sharp; upon seeing the familiar face from that small martial gang, he frowned. In the past half year, the Yulong Gang had passed through Daoma Pass a few times without incident, and Zhou had restrained his temper each time. He still remembered how his father, a former Zhechong Deputy Commander, and his nemesis, the Chui’gong Officer Han Tao, had groveled before Huangfu Ping, the current Guoyi Captain. Later, Huangfu Ping had descended the city wall alone, riding to a village not far from Daoma Pass. The details of that incident remained unclear, but Zhou Ziru had since dared not provoke the Yulong Gang unnecessarily. Now, seeing this strange white-haired youth from the Yulong Gang, Zhou Ziru was in a difficult position. Letting them pass would violate the military laws of Northern Liang; yet refusing might anger someone powerful, and both he and his father could suffer under Huangfu Ping’s influence.
Xu Fengnian glanced at Zhou Ziru’s attire and realized he had been promoted to a proper junior officer, bearing a bronze military token allowing him to command a hundred soldiers—a significant promotion. Xu smiled and said, “Deputy Commander Zhou, aside from our personal swords and blades, the three swords in the case can be left here as per regulation. I’ll retrieve them once I obtain the official documents from the prefectural office.”
Zhou Ziru nodded sternly, then elegantly spurred his horse and rode off.
Xu Fengnian returned to the carriage. Xu Beizhi murmured, “The Northern Liang cavalry truly deserves its reputation as the mightiest in the land.”
As the carriage moved slowly forward, Xu Fengnian lifted the curtain and pointed outside, smiling. “In the past, there were often martial artists from other regions performing demonstrations on that ruined platform, seeking fame and rewards. But now, of course, such sights are gone. Usually, martial artists with even a little skill wouldn’t dare to show off in their hometowns, where everyone knows each other well. It’s hard to swindle money here. Those who dare to open martial arts schools or establish sects in their hometowns must either come from remote places where no one has seen the outside world, or they must possess considerable skill. The martial sects of Northern Liang have always been in a difficult position, forced to live cautiously and often relying on government support to survive. I traveled with a small, declining martial gang from Lingzhou, and every family has its own troubles. But this experience gave me an idea—what if we establish two sects, one openly and one secretly, similar to the Chess and Sword Bureau, one in Northern Liang and one beyond it? Let our puppets become martial kings. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?”
Xu Fengnian might have been joking, but Xu Beizhi took it seriously, weighing the idea carefully. “The court has its laws, and the martial world has its own rules. They don’t always align. How much money you spend isn’t the issue, but without investing significant effort and energy, can you really make it work?”
Since Xu Beizhi was serious, Xu Fengnian didn’t continue joking. He followed the topic and said, “We can learn from the Empress of Northern Mang. Whether it will adapt well or not, we’ll have to try. You know there’s a martial arts treasury in the Prince’s Mansion. Many martial artists who are not particularly skilled but deeply passionate would flock there. Previously, it was off-limits, but if I open a path, things might change. You might not know, but I have some connection with the Xuanyuan family of Huishan in the south. The new head of the Xuanyuan family is extremely ambitious. I suspect even the largest fortune wouldn’t be enough for her to squander. I’ll try to sound her out and see if she’ll take the bait.”
Xu Beizhi glanced at Xu Fengnian and asked, “Are you testing me with this?”
Xu Fengnian waved his hand with a smile, “Don’t be suspicious. Your stubbornness and unbearable bookishness make you unsuitable for such shady dealings. I’ll find someone else.”
Xu Beizhi sneered, “Are you trying to provoke me?”
Xu Fengnian sighed, shaking his head. “You’re lucky you met me now. If we had met a few years ago, I’d have beaten seventeen or eighteen of you, with my hounds and servants.”
Xu Beizhi’s mind wandered, then he suddenly said, “I feel like the future King of Shu might rise further. Although Shu has always been a remote, defensive stronghold, Zhao Kai already controls the western territories. If he can achieve two goals at once—cutting off Northern Liang’s connection with Shu and Zhao—he will have made a ruthless move. If Zhao Kai can truly establish himself as the King of Shu, especially if the crown prince position remains vacant, I think it will be a bad situation for Northern Liang.”
Xu Fengnian smiled, “Zhao Kai’s journey to the Western Regions is still uncertain in terms of life and death.”
Xu Beizhi frowned, “Can’t he leave the Western Regions if you can leave Northern Mang? If there really is such a thing as a true emperor, Zhao Kai, as a royal prince, fits the description much better than you.”
Xu Fengnian nodded, “That makes sense. Then I’ll go intercept Zhao Kai, repay him in kind.”
Xu Beizhi was surprised, “Are you serious?”
Xu Fengnian said calmly, “I’ll go in person with a team.”
Xu Beizhi began calculating in his mind. Xu Fengnian had noticed a small detail—when Xu Beizhi was thinking deeply, his fingers would unconsciously trace invisible strokes in the air. Suddenly, Xu Fengnian thought of an ominous phrase—“Wisdom to the extreme brings harm.” So he had Qingniao stop the carriage and buy some meat buns to reward Xu Juzi. He had personally tasted the buns from the small shops at Daoma Pass—they were truly delicious and affordable.
While waiting for Qingniao’s return, Xu Fengnian saw a group of children hopping along to their private school through the curtain. Among them was Zhao Yousong. Xu Fengnian smiled, recalling the boy’s kindness and filial devotion. He took out a counterfeit martial arts manual he had bought at the Jiujian Site of the Wu family, and quietly called Qingniao over, instructing her to give it to the kind-hearted child.
Zhao Yousong, who had been silently reciting poetry, was suddenly called by a lady in green robes. The lady handed him a book with an intimidating title on its cover: “The Divine Bull Technique.” If it was called a “technique,” surely it must be a rare martial secret! But the child was more shocked than excited. Though young, he was clever. He knew the dangers of the martial world, and his mother always told him not to take advantage of others. Yousong refused to accept the book. The other children around him, however, were cheering and even trying to grab the lady’s robes, begging her to take them as disciples so they could become invincible in just a few days. Yousong’s refusal frustrated Qingniao, who finally said, “It’s a fake anyway, not worth much,” but he still refused. Without experience in selling fake manuals, Qingniao had no choice but to seek help from her master. When she looked toward him, Yousong was delighted—he saw Xu Fengnian!
He ran up to the carriage in a flash, looked up at the half-covered face of his hero, Xu Fengnian, and smiled brightly. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly remembered something. He carefully took out a few coins from a hidden pocket and ran to the bun shop to buy two big meat buns. Then he returned to the carriage, not minding the heat, and stood on tiptoe to hand them to Xu Fengnian.
Xu Fengnian held the curtain with one hand and took the buns wrapped in lotus leaves with the other, smiling. “These are your mother’s money for books, right? Aren’t you afraid she’ll scold you?”
The child shook his head vigorously, grinning. “No way! If my mom knew Xu Fengnian was back, she’d be even more generous than me. We’re not poor anymore. My mom is really good at embroidery and earns a lot of silver every month. Plus, she said the government has a place called Weaving Office, and they want to hire her there.”
Xu Fengnian knew exactly who must have arranged it—Huangfu Ping. The help was just enough, neither neglecting the mother and son nor disturbing their peaceful life. Biting into a meat bun, Xu Fengnian pointed at Qingniao and said with a smile, “This lady is my friend. I don’t know if the manual is real or not, but I don’t need it anymore. It’s yours.”
Such manuals, even if practiced diligently for a lifetime, would yield nothing but basic techniques—cheap, common martial arts that could barely strengthen the body.
“All right!” The child took the book with a smile, then solemnly bowed to Qingniao, saying clearly, “Thank you, Lady Immortal, for giving this book to Yousong.” His formality even brought a smile to the reserved Qingniao’s face.
Having received a gift, the well-mannered child naturally wanted to reciprocate. With shining eyes, he asked, “Xu Fengnian, you’re not in a hurry to leave, right? Come have lunch at my home! My mom would be so happy. She always tells me to repay your kindness when I grow up. Oh, but she calls you ‘Master Xu’.”
Xu Fengnian shook his head. “No need. You still have school to attend, and it’s harvest season. Your mother must be busy working in the fields. I need to leave Daoma Pass quickly, so I won’t stay.”
The child’s face showed obvious disappointment, but he didn’t insist.
Xu Fengnian smiled and waved his hand.
The carriage continued southward.
As they journeyed south, the rice fields of Daoma Pass had turned from green to golden yellow.
Along the roadside, a young woman in simple clothes, whose graceful figure was hard to hide, was bending to harvest rice. She hadn’t originally been allocated much land in the village, but after gaining some financial stability, she bought a plot. The process of transferring land deeds had been expected to be complicated, but surprisingly, the local officials were unusually accommodating, almost eager for her to buy. She had been suspicious, fearing hidden traps, but now, with the rice harvested and stacked behind her, she felt a quiet joy she couldn’t share with others.
She came from Mizhi, a place known for its beautiful women, and was the fairest among them. Many women less beautiful than her had become concubines or kept in luxurious mansions by officials and soldiers. She didn’t envy them. She felt it was best to stay here, by Yousong’s side.
She stood up straight, wiping the sweat from her brow.
She wondered how their benefactor, Master Xu, was doing.
Her face flushed red, and she softly scolded herself for being shameless.
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