Xu Beizhi once said at Tingma Temple, “Ordinary men fear the consequences, while Bodhisattvas fear the causes.” Xu Fengnian had also spoken of a decline in one’s inner peace when facing Yang Taishui, likening it to a grass seed sprouting in the crevice of a mountain rock, or a round mirror developing the slightest crack that grows worse over time, making it extremely difficult to mend again. These two phrases from two men surnamed Xu were both ominous prophecies in two languages.
Xu Fengnian withdrew his gaze without looking at the six-pearl master who had grown three thousand strands of black hair. The eight hundred White Horse Righteous Cavalry (Baima Yicong) warhorses had all been carefully selected, their Northern Liang military insignias removed before the raid, so they now departed without hesitation, unafraid of leaving behind incriminating evidence. Even if some experts followed the trail, Xu Fengnian could easily claim it was a frame-up by Western Region monks. The key to deciding the outcome of such disputes was not morality or truth, but the military might behind the players in the game. From Qing Niao’s hands, Xu Fengnian accepted a silver bottle taken from a brocade box in the carriage, his expression half-smiling, half-serious.
Yuan Zuozong rode slightly half a horse length behind Xu Fengnian, spear in hand, his expression solemn. According to normal reasoning, the young prince who had slain the old monk Yang Taishui should be in a weakened mental state, perhaps even unconscious. Yet Xu Fengnian now rode furiously, full of energy, showing no sign of fatigue, his aura growing sharper and fiercer. Especially the Spring and Autumn Sword, forged with the spirit of ancient scholars, which radiated a powerful sword qi that had not even been drawn yet, but already produced faint dragon-like roars, as if nine evil dragons were stirring the seas. Yuan Zuozong sighed inwardly; this ambush had been a victory indeed, but a bitter one. Moreover, there were still many undercurrents hidden beneath the surface. With Yang Taishui dead and Prince Zhao Kai committing suicide, the fragile relationship between Northern Liang and the imperial court had been completely severed.
Yuan Zuozong smiled slightly, gazing at Xu Fengnian’s back. Next time, if war broke out again, it would be him leading the old soldiers of Northern Liang across the four directions.
The endless yellow sands, when viewed for too long, were naturally a dull sight, but to the group, it was an unusually desolate and shocking landscape. It was truly a scene of heaven and earth overturned—within a radius of thirty miles, countless gullies of different sizes had been torn open. Earlier, thunder had rumbled in a cloudless sky, and only now was the sound gradually fading. Fortunately, the earlier display of Xu Fengnian’s Thunder Pool Sword Formation against the old monk had prepared the White Horse Righteous Cavalry (Baima Yicong), so they were not overly shocked, merely tightening their grips on lances and Liang-style sabers. With Xu Fengnian, Yuan Zuozong, Xu Longxiang, the six-armed Yin creature, and Qing Niao, this cavalry force could only be described as nearly invincible. Traversing the winding gullies, they finally arrived at the edge of a deep, twenty-zhang-wide chasm, where a middle-aged scholar in green robes stood with his hands behind his back, his temples streaked with white, exuding a peerless elegance.
It was none other than Cao Changqing.
The fallen kingdom’s Confucian sage, who had become a terrestrial immortal at Xilei Wall, laughed aloud, “They’ve all gone.”
Xu Fengnian raised his arm slightly. Except for the Yin creature with its newly grown arms, the others followed Yuan Zuozong’s lead in circling around the chasm. Xu Fengnian tossed the silver bottle—once priceless but now worth only its weight—to the Yin creature. As it leapt across the chasm, the Yin creature held the silver bottle in one hand and used both arms to help the horse leap across. After all, it had plenty of hands. It’s said that even fists can’t match four hands. Against a creature with six arms, anyone would feel uncertain. Even Cao Changqing, who had read ten thousand scrolls and traveled ten thousand miles, couldn’t help but glance a few times. The Grand Scholar Cao Qingyi saw Xu Fengnian’s sidelong glance and smiled, “Your second sister, Xu Wei Xiong, has been seriously injured and was taken to the Northern Liang Prince’s Mansion (Northern Liang Mansion) by the princess’s sword. As for that man, whose name I do not know—Chen Zhibao—he has already left alone for Western Shu. Soon enough, the entire Liyang court will know of the second non-royal king, though his rank will be lower than the original six feudal princes, only a prince of Shu.”
Xu Fengnian nodded slightly.
Cao Changqing sighed, stepped forward, and flicked his finger against Xu Fengnian’s forehead. “Your false mastery of the Dao, self-realized and cutting through immortality—it cuts others’ immortality, but also your own. This kind of reckless rebound effect—do you really want to die before Xu Wei Xiong?”
The imposing aura Xu Fengnian had been forcing up immediately collapsed like a waterfall. His handsome face contorted in pain. Cao Changqing smiled at the Yin creature, “Please hold his heart pulse until you reach the Northern Liang Prince’s Mansion. Later, I will pass you a mantra to help guide his qi slowly down the Kunlun. Don’t let go—remember that.”
Upon hearing this, the Yin creature gently extended one arm and pressed it against Xu Fengnian’s heart.
Xu Fengnian murmured hoarsely, “My sister?”
Cao Changqing replied calmly, “She was pierced through the chest by Chen Zhibao, and her body’s energy turned from green to purple, teetering on the edge of life. Whether she survives depends on her own will to live.”
Xu Fengnian spat out a mouthful of black-purple blood and fell backward, but was caught by the Yin creature’s arms.
Cao Changqing, rather than alarmed, was pleased and smiled, “Spitting it out is good. Don’t worry—so long as you live, Xu Wei Xiong will most likely survive as well. They say that whenever there is injustice in the world, it must cry out. Scholars like me cry out through poetry and prose from atop high places. In the end, the Dao of immortality still emphasizes that one must not harbor excessive resentment. You’ve endured and hidden your feelings for far too many years. Do you know why old Master Li Chungan always said your talent was inferior to the princess? Because she is naturally more transparent than you, of course—and that also has to do with her being a woman.”
Xu Fengnian’s vision blurred, barely making out Cao Qingyi’s torn green robe and blood-stained body. He endured the bone-deep pain and gritted his teeth to ask, “Did Chen Zhibao becoming King of Shu come from the emperor’s sudden decision as a contingency plan? If I dared to ambush Zhao Kai, would he then allow Chen Zhibao to become King of Western Shu? Or had they already made some prior promise?”
Cao Changqing tapped his finger again, continuing to guide the qi down the Kunlun. Xu Fengnian’s soles began to bleed like a spring, soaking into the yellow sands as he slowly replied, “Zhao Kai is a pawn, but not originally a sacrificial one meant to lure you into a trap. That emperor doesn’t have the boldness to risk everything, unless it was his grandfather—that old man was somewhat different. He was slightly inferior, a ruler who maintained the status quo, as most are. Zhao Kai is a living piece meant to eventually slay the dragon, but he can also be discarded, depending on how Northern Liang responds. Without this ambush, given Zhao Kai ten years to establish himself in Western Shu and the Western Regions, cutting off Northern Liang’s retreat, he might actually ascend the throne. But if Zhao Kai is blocked in the Western Regions, especially by you, the capital will have a backup plan, because Chen Zhibao must also be sent out. As long as you recover, Chen Zhibao has no reason to remain in Northern Liang. Chen Zhibao and your father are the same—they still cherish their old loyalty. Even when the old emperor pressured Xu Shao so harshly, the general never rebelled. That’s the reason. As long as neither side dies, they will never cross that line—rebellion. It has nothing to do with right or wrong. A man lives by a breath of spirit. Without that breath sustained throughout life, one cannot achieve greatness. I, Cao Changqing, am no different. Xu Fengnian, if you don’t mind my lack of a master’s decorum, shall we sit and talk?”
Xu Fengnian nodded with a smile, though it looked more painful than joyful.
The Yin creature helped him slowly sit cross-legged, and Cao Changqing sat down calmly as well.
Cao Changqing smiled and asked, “Not only this ambush, but the larger situation between Liyang and Northern Liang is also a chain of events, one linking to the next. In this game, you are in the middle of the board, seeing ten out of eight or nine, which is already quite rare. If I had told you earlier that the strategist Huang Longshi, who killed three million with his tongue, and the number one strategist of the Spring and Autumn Period were involved, would you still have rushed into Iron Gate Pass?”
Xu Fengnian nodded without hesitation.
Cao Changqing was not surprised. He gazed at the chasm carved by Mei Zi Jiu’s sword, sighing softly, “To be honest, Chen Zhibao nearly left half my cultivation here. If we had fought without any concerns, I would have survived and he would have died, but all my cultivation would have been destroyed, leaving me a useless scholar unable to even tie a chicken.”
Xu Fengnian, weakened by his injuries, spoke unclearly, “Even if he reaches the level of a terrestrial immortal, I wouldn’t be surprised.”
Cao Changqing was slightly surprised, smiling curiously, “You really think so highly of Chen Zhibao?”
Xu Fengnian placed his hands on his knees, speaking calmly, “Chen Zhibao sees me as a weed and a fool, but I have always seen him as a peerless warrior and scholar.”
Cao Changqing shook his head, “Chen Zhibao values you more than anyone. Before he left, he said he would one day fight you fairly. He said he had been holding that sentence in his belly for twenty years.”
Xu Fengnian said bitterly, “Should I be happy?”
Cao Changqing enjoyed seeing the young man at a loss and laughed heartily, then calmed his laughter, “The two dynasties’ suppression of Buddhism led to the passing of Master Longshu. With that saint of Buddhism gone, Chen Zhibao gained an advantage, otherwise he wouldn’t have advanced so quickly.”
Xu Fengnian smiled genuinely, “Father doesn’t often talk about big truths, but one phrase I remember clearly is: endure your own suffering, enjoy your own blessings, and recognize others’ merits. That’s why I’ve always believed that so many good things in the world can’t all be hoarded by one person—it’s just not realistic. Just like there are so many beauties in the world, you can only marry a few, right, Uncle Cao?”
Cao Changqing’s eyes sparkled with pleasure, but he flicked his finger again, “Don’t call me Uncle Cao. Our friendship isn’t that close.”
Xu Fengnian nodded, “Indeed, otherwise you wouldn’t have let Chen Zhibao go to Western Shu. After all, for the sake of our shallow friendship, stopping Chen Zhibao at Iron Gate Pass was already extremely generous. Sending Chen Zhibao to Western Shu is a move that harms both sides—hurting Northern Liang while also weakening Liyang. Since you want to restore the fallen Western Chu, it’s certainly a great thing.”
Cao Changqing smiled freely, not denying it, “I don’t want him to rule Northern Liang, but I do want Chen Zhibao to become King of Western Shu, because for Western Chu to rise again, it must seize the chestnuts from the fire, profiting from chaos. The more chaotic the game, the better. One Northern Liang is far from enough.”
Xu Fengnian clicked his tongue, “I’m afraid of you scholars.”
Cao Changqing hesitated slightly before saying, “Xu Fengnian, there’s one more thing I must remind you: when in a position, you must act accordingly. Being the Prince of Northern Liang is completely different from being its ruler. Before, you relied on unconventional tactics, winning narrowly each time, but from now on, you must balance the orthodox and the unexpected. Just like this ambush that affects the entire situation—many things were not only known to the emperor of the Zhao family but also understood by old foxes like Zhang Julu and Gu Jiantang of Liyang. However, under the guidance of Li Yishan, Xu Shao focused more on open strategies in recent years, leaving nothing to criticize, which is why Northern Liang has achieved its current foundation. Don’t disappoint the hopes of the older generation of Northern Liang people. Zhao Kai didn’t lose due to bad luck but because he tried to gain big rewards with small stakes. However, he forgot one thing—he is a prince, a contender for the throne. In a peaceful era, those who gradually approach the throne often emphasize the art of hiding their potential like a dragon in the depths. On the capital side, the eldest prince displays his might openly, while the fourth prince hides his strength. You must be careful of both.”
Xu Fengnian bowed slightly, “I sincerely accept your advice.”
Cao Changqing gently folded his sleeve over his knee, “To be honest, I didn’t like you before—you were emotional yet fickle. But after seeing some things with my own eyes, I’ve begun to respect you a little. Last time I went to Beimang’s Gusai and Longyao, I passed through Northern Liang and had a secret conversation with the general. This time, following our agreement, I stopped Chen Zhibao, repaying an old debt from Western Chu to your Xu family. From now on, we are even. If the time comes, I will not hesitate to kill you.”
Xu Fengnian smiled, “Won’t your princess scold you?”
Cao Changqing paused, then flicked his finger against Xu Fengnian’s forehead, making the latter inhale sharply.
The Yin creature, with its joyful expression, actually smiled sincerely.
Xu Fengnian muttered to himself, “Winter is coming soon. She’ll get chilblains again.”
Cao Changqing was momentarily speechless, then laughed, “Yes, she’ll make straw figures to curse you again.”
Helped by the Yin creature, Xu Fengnian stood up, “I need to hurry back to see my sister. Your princess certainly won’t want to see me. Uncle Cao, shall we part ways or walk together for a while?”
Cao Changqing stood up and brushed off the dust, “Each goes his own way. Don’t try to get too close to me, kid.”
Xu Fengnian was lifted onto his horse by the Yin creature. He bowed to the Confucian sage Cao Qingyi and rode off.
A single rider vanished into the dust.
Cao Changqing remained standing in place.
This time, Xu Shao appeared at the border wearing general’s armor instead of the Northern Liang king’s dragon robe.
Thus, Cao Changqing was now watching the young Northern Liang king ride away.
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