Tang Zi Yi raised his cool saber, and the armored soldiers behind him lifted their spears and advanced.
Tang Zi Yi sneered at the ragtag crowd before him. In Longjing Commandery, there was nothing he, as a senior officer, dared not do. Especially after he had exhausted his efforts to obtain the hundred-and-eight-dragon inkstone for Zhong Chengxin, he now held a golden ticket of immunity. This life-saving talisman granted by the Zhong family was far more effective than any charm drawn by a Wudang Taoist priest. It had long been a tradition for commandery officers to target gangs for military merit, far from the border conflicts. To advance quickly, blood on one’s hands was an absolute necessity. Tang Zi Yi’s reasons for attacking the Yulong Gang were not solely because of Liu Niroong; rather, it was because the Yulong Gang’s hundred or so able-bodied men had committed treasonous crimes warranting execution. This would be a substantial achievement to delight the next commandery governor of Longjing, Zhong Chengxin. Since an unknown military clerk had foolishly ridden headlong into his trap, Tang Zi Yi had no qualms about killing an extra man. As long as General Zhong, the pillar of stability, remained in Longjing Commandery, not even the commandery itself, let alone Lanzhou, could be turned upside down.
What Xu Beizhi was concerned about was the deep-rooted intermarriages and collusion behind Tang Zi Yi. On his journey to Longjing Commandery, he had already obtained a detailed genealogy of the region. Originally, in his eyes, the senior officer Tang Zi Yi was merely a small fish, not worth mobilizing significant forces. Xu Beizhi wanted to capture the old and new commandery governors of Longjing, to drag them out and place them on the chopping block. As for how they would be cooked—steamed or braised—there were others to decide. At this moment, he was more concerned about the combat effectiveness of the local armored soldiers, which would directly determine the depth of the Northern Liang cavalry’s strength. If the twenty thousand cavalry along the border were to retreat in defeat, how long could the narrow, vulnerable Northern Liang hold out?
Behind Xu Beizhi, Chen Xiliang stood silently, his hands gently tapping his fingers together. This poor scholar had a completely different approach from Xu Beizhi. While Xu Beizhi worked upward, Chen Xiliang worked downward. The Northern Liang commoners were divided into five classes based on the amount and quality of their farmland. The people living under the oppression of men like the senior officer Tang Zi Yi, such as the Yulong Gang, had accumulated twenty years of grievances. Everyone knew that Northern Liang was sustained by Xu Xiao alone, supporting thirty thousand elite cavalry and a million households of hardship and poverty. If the northwest gate of this empire was inevitably destined for change, what different benefits could the second King of Northern Liang bring to the people?
Tang Zi Yi, of course, had no idea that those two scholars did not even consider him worth their attention. He lightly lifted his Northern Liang saber and commanded sternly, “Seize them all! Those who resist shall be beheaded!”
Xu Fengnian looked up at the sky. A black speck grew increasingly visible, piercing through the clouds and diving straight down. The Qingbailuan, the most majestic of all feathered creatures, hooked onto Xu Fengnian’s arm with its talons. Its snowy white wings flapped, and it turned its eyes toward the crowd, cold and sharp. Although Xu Fengnian’s cultivation had declined significantly, he was still more than capable of supporting a bird. He reached out and gently stroked the Qingbailuan’s head, affectionately nicknamed Xiao Bai. Xiao Bai pecked at the horsewhip in its master’s hand, appearing affectionate and tame. Training hawks and falcons was no difficult feat for wealthy young men. However, just as horses varied in quality, so too did hawks. Tang Zi Yi, born into a traditional aristocratic family and the descendant of a military household, had keen eyesight. He was somewhat suspicious but had already shot his arrow and had no reason to retrieve it immediately. As he considered whether to spare the life of the military clerk for now, the entire street behind him seemed to explode, as if a giant stone mill were rolling ceaselessly. This sound was not unfamiliar to Tang Zi Yi, who had fought along the border. When more than five hundred riders of the Youzhou cavalry charged through a city, they produced such a Astonishing sound.
If even Tang Zi Yi was so apprehensive, how much more so were the other soldiers behind him, most of whom had never experienced border warfare? Without needing their commander to speak, they instinctively turned their heads. Though Northern Liang’s military orders were strict, their movements slowed somewhat.
Wang Zhi, an obscure officer in the Northern Liang army, entered the Yulong Gang’s martial arts hall wearing armor and carrying a saber. Once a valiant general who led three thousand riders to ambush the tenth strongest man in the world, Han Diaosi, outside the Jiange Pass, he had not received the promotion he had expected after his great feat. Instead, he had been granted a conversation with the Supreme Commander, and his elite force had been reduced to just a thousand men. He had no official title of general, yet he was as delighted as a child. After facing Han Diaosi, his demeanor had transformed, becoming more steady, like a sword sheathed, less rough, more refined. He might even rival General Zhong Hongwu himself. As he entered the hall, aside from Xu Fengnian and a few others with birds perched on their arms, everyone else was overshadowed. Even Tang Zi Yi quickly sheathed his saber, dismounted, and bowed respectfully, saying, “Lieutenant Tang Zi Yi greets General Wang!”
Wang Zhi merely glanced intentionally or unintentionally toward Xu Beizhi, and after their eyes met, he subtly shifted his gaze. The old men like Old Master Liu, who had floated in the martial world for half their lives, felt a chill of fear. This general was not someone Tang Zi Yi could possibly rival.
The martial world of Northern Liang had never been strong or unified, not because the people lacked bravery or unity, but because the Northern Liang tiger and wolf soldiers were simply too fierce and formidable. Wang Zhi did not recognize the white-haired Xu Fengnian, who held a whip and wore a mask, nor did he recognize the poor scholar Chen Xiliang. He only recognized Xu Beizhi. Because, as the Marquis of Men had said, if he and his deputy general Hong Shuwen, along with a thousand riders, were all to die, this scholar must not die. Before leaving Liangzhou, the Marquis had promised that within three years, if everything went smoothly, one of the four deputy commanders of the Northern Liang cavalry would be Wang Zhi himself! Thus, it was easy to see how important this clerk, Xu Beizhi, was to the entire Northern Liang. If he had not known Xu Beizhi’s shocking true identity, Wang Zhi would have almost thought the young man was the Marquis’s illegitimate son. Damn it, dare you kill Xu Beizhi, who is tied to my future? Not only you, a mere junior officer, but even if the fading Zhong Hongwu himself drew his sword, Wang Zhi would fight him to the death!
After Hong Shuwen left the Fengzi Battalion, he rose rapidly in rank. In the Iron Gate Pass battle, he had beheaded six members of the Imperial Guard and one Golden Knife Guard with his twin blades. Although two of those kills were opportunistic, surviving in a sudden close-quarters battle was itself a skill, and opportunistic kills were no exception. Hong Shuwen’s brilliant record almost overshadowed the achievements of Officer Yuan Meng, making him one of the most outstanding warriors among those below the top-tier masters. Besides Hong Shuwen, more than forty light cavalry from the Fengzi Battalion had infiltrated other military units and all became officers of the rank of junior officer, rapidly promoted but still relatively unknown. Their past as White Horse Righteous Cavalry had also been quietly concealed.
Hong Shuwen, his twin blades hanging at his waist, followed General Wang Zhi, his usual lethargic demeanor like a tiger dozing off.
Without hesitation, Wang Zhi ordered coldly, “Surrender your swords!”
Forced to surrender one’s sword in the Northern Liang army was an immense humiliation, equivalent to a court official being stripped of his official cap.
Tang Zi Yi’s face darkened as he slowly removed his sword. Though he deeply feared this foreign general, whose background and records were a mystery, he still gritted his teeth and asked, “With all due respect, General, why must we surrender our swords?!”
Wang Zhi replied icily, “Don’t talk nonsense to me. If I tell you to surrender your sword, then surrender it. If you’re Unconvinced, go find your patron and complain. If you can bring help to make me retract my order, then that’s your skill. From now on, whenever Wang Zhi sees you again, I’ll give you a wide berth and go around the street! Let me tell you frankly, I’ve long looked down on you, this greedy senior officer. You earn more in a day than I do in half a year, and I wonder how much of that you’ve shared with others? Today, I’m taking your sword away! Xu Beizhi is my fellow clansman, and these days you bastards have been pushing him around. Don’t underestimate the clerk. Tomorrow, he’ll replace you as the senior officer. You’re full of crap, and anyone would be more deserving of the position than you. Surrender your swords, take your rabble, and get out of here immediately!”
Tang Zi Yi was furious beyond words. This outsider’s greed was so blatant that even a small share of the spoils wasn’t enough for him—he had to take everything for himself! Tang Zi Yi’s face twisted into a cold, angry sneer. If you do something wrong, don’t blame me for doing worse! He threw his sword to the ground. As he did, the soldiers inside the martial arts hall dropped their Northern Liang swords and spears, their anger and resentment evident. A higher rank could crush a lower one. They could act freely against a gang like Yulong, which had no backing, but against a general commanding a thousand riders, they had no courage. When gods fought and the heavens raged, it was up to the heavenly beings to use their secret techniques and treasures. They wouldn’t throw their lives away. They truly believed Tang, the senior officer, wouldn’t fall on his own turf. This senior officer was a big shot who often visited the Zhong family’s mansion. In Longjing Commandery, your status was determined by whether you had received beautiful concubines from the Zhong family’s eldest son. How high your status was could be simply calculated by how many such concubines you had received. Tang’s household had two concubines, refined beauties trained by the Zhong family.
Suffering such humiliation, Tang Zi Yi didn’t care who was behind Wang Zhi. There were countless generals with noble titles in the Northern Liang army, but how many could rival the cavalry commander Zhong Hongwu? Yan Wenluan was one, but his roots were in Youzhou. If Wang Zhi had the ability to ally with such a powerful figure, why would he come to Longjing Commandery and live under someone else’s roof? Following protocol, Tang Zi Yi sheathed his sword, bowed, and took his leave. As he turned to go, he smiled coldly and whispered, “General Wang, acting against Northern Liang’s military laws like this, aren’t you afraid of immediate retribution?”
Wang Zhi, like an ignorant brute, grinned and said, “Get out quickly. I don’t like being someone’s tail-wagging dog like you do. I’ve earned every bit of my military achievements, and I don’t believe in backgrounds or connections. I only believe in the Northern Liang saber in my hand! Zhong Hongwu, that old bird, isn’t even the Huaihua General anymore. Without feathers, an old bird can only flap around uselessly!”
Tang Zi Yi’s mood suddenly lightened, and he didn’t bother to say anything harsh, just brushing past him.
Old Master Liu felt a chill in his heart. They always said the martial world was full of black-eat-black violence. This kind of officialdom black-eat-black was bloodless but even more ruthless and shameless. It was truly an eye-opening experience. However, since there was a general supporting them, even if the Yulong Gang was in grave danger, they now had a precious buffer period. The Honghumen, which relied on others’ power, would surely dare not act rashly. It was enough time for him to evacuate some members, to let as many escape as possible. If Northern Liang was not peaceful, temporarily leaving the Northern Liang Circuit was also an option. It was better to leave home than to be sent to the deadly border without reason. Old Master Liu sighed with relief, forced a smile, and prepared to invite the formidable general into the hall for tea. Wang Zhi did not refuse. With a wave of his big hand, the five hundred cavalry he had brought dispersed to guard the Yulong Gang’s mansion. Only Old Master Liu and his granddaughter Liu Niroong remained in the hall, while the rest of his confidants went to arrange for escape, praying in their hearts that the city gates had not yet been closed due to martial law.
Wang Zhi sat down with a bold posture and drank a cup of tea in one gulp. Hong Shuwen originally wanted to stand beside Xu Fengnian, but Xu Fengnian gently signaled him to sit. Thus, Hong Shuwen leisurely began drinking tea. He was a genuine brute who didn’t understand elegance and chewed the tea leaves along with the water.
Liu Niroong saw Wang Dashi still foolishly standing beside Xu Fengnian and approached to scold him softly, “Why haven’t you left yet? Don’t you want to live?”
Over the past year, Wang Dashi’s treatment in the Yulong Gang had improved, with stewed meat and rice, and his height had grown rapidly. He was finally no longer shorter than Liu Niroong, roughly equal. However, years of accumulated inferiority and shyness still made the increasingly strong young man habitually blush with embarrassment. He stammered up his courage and said, “Miss, I have some martial skills and am not afraid to die.”
Liu Niroong was both amused and exasperated, “What can you do with your little skills? Don’t be impulsive. No one should be so reckless with their life. Hurry and go!”
When she glared at him, Wang Dashi was completely at a loss. He was not the kind of person who could speak bravely and shamelessly. The young man, anxious and blushing, could only seek help by looking pleadingly at the smiling, amused Great Benefactor, Master Xu, beside him. In the simple young man’s heart, only Master Xu, who could reason with Miss, and who was a great hero skilled in both literature and martial arts, was worthy of Miss. The boy did not hope to perform any heroic deeds to save a beauty, only believing that being able to face hardships together was enough to justify walking the martial world together.
Xu Fengnian, one hand stroking the Qingbailuan’s feathers, said casually, “Alright, it’s fine for Dashi to stay.”
Liu Niroong shook her head and said, “No!”
Xu Fengnian, half-angry and half-amused, said, “Can you really take charge? If you could, the Yulong Gang could fight the senior officer Tang Zi Yi and the upcoming commandery governor of Longjing by yourselves.”
Liu Niroong’s chest heaved violently, rising and falling like hills and mountains, creating a beautiful and enchanting view. Fortunately, Xu Fengnian had his own thoughts to ponder and did not take advantage of the situation. Otherwise, an internal conflict might have erupted first.
Soon after, a scholar-like envoy from the Zhong family’s mansion arrived as a mediator. Though his official rank was not high, only a mid-level official of the seventh grade in Longjing Commandery, he held the honorary title of Xuande Lang. He carried himself with great arrogance, showing no fear of General Wang Zhi. His manner was imperious, reminding Wang Zhi that he should not overstep his bounds, suggesting that Wang should consider who truly held power here. Wang Zhi, tired of listening to this, immediately ordered his soldiers to seize the envoy and beat him severely, thus completely tearing apart relations with both the military and political factions of Longjing Commandery. Xu Beizhi, sitting beside Xu Fengnian, watched coldly, drank some tea, and sighed softly, “These things should have happened a year or two later.”
Xu Fengnian shook his head and said, “We lack time. Some chronic problems can be solved by cutting away the rot, without needing slow treatment.”
“Can’t you let me be a military clerk for a few more days? Must you go so soon to become the commandery governor roasting over a fire?”
“Those who can do more should take on more.”
“The Longjing Commandery soldiers will be coming next. Are you really going to stage a full-scale battle?”
“The Huaihua General has eight hundred elite guards by military law. That’s the real challenge.”
“I only fear those eight hundred elite troops won’t come.”
Liu Niroong listened to the two men’s cryptic conversation, completely confused, and gave up trying to understand. As for the words about commandery governors and generals? She was absent-minded and didn’t pay attention.
Including Tang Zi Yi’s troops, a total of more than a thousand commandery soldiers surrounded the Yulong Gang’s martial arts hall.
A young aristocrat from a wealthy family, holding a purple clay teapot and accompanied by only a few confidants, elegantly walked into the martial arts hall. If not for his slightly light footsteps, he might have even earned applause from ordinary scholars for his refined demeanor.
Before he could speak of Confucian principles, he was seized and bound tightly.
The young aristocrat shouted, “I am Zhong Chengxin, the eldest son of the Zhong family!” He paid no heed to the shattered teapot, worth a hundred taels of silver, lying on the ground.
The Yulong Gang inside and outside the hall was in an uproar.
They waited.
Finally, the sound of horse hooves rang out, far more powerful than the uneven footsteps of the commandery soldiers.
An old general, strong and vigorous despite his age, charged into the hall with a spear in one hand. His hair was completely white as he roared angrily, “Which young rascal dares to cause trouble in my jurisdiction?!”
Xu Fengnian put down his whip, waved away the Qingbailuan, and slowly stood up. He smiled slightly, his fingers reaching toward his temple, slowly tearing off the mask, “My surname is Xu, the Xu of Xu Xiao. My name is Fengnian.”
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