Before the Six Princes and several new kings departed the capital, two carriages had already quietly left Tai’an City.
The coachmen were Qing Niao and the young warrior Wu. Liu Wenbao had finally achieved his goal after enduring many days of bitter cold as an old scholar, he was now able to sit inside the carriage. Opposite him sat the sword-obsessed Wang Xiaoping. Liu had originally intended to ask Wang, reputed as the finest swordsman on Wudang Mountain, about some health cultivation techniques. However, upon seeing Wang’s gloomy and lifeless expression, Liu decided against it, not wanting to provoke the immortal and risk being misunderstood by the heir of Beiliang as someone trying to climb the social ladder. In the realm of politics, having too great an appetite and being insatiable were grave mistakes. Liu had spent most of his life in poverty and hardship, never having tasted pork but having seen pigs walk. After finally achieving success, rather than becoming conceited, he remained humble and grateful.
As the carriage passed through the city gates of Tai’an, Liu lifted the curtain, peeked out, and looked back with a complex expression. Not having become an official of the imperial court was a regret he couldn’t deny. Yet, his mastery of the art of strategy could now be applied in Beiliang, the northwestern gateway of the empire, making his slight regret insignificant. Lowering the curtain, Liu’s aged face broke into a bright smile. He vigorously rubbed his cheeks until they stung, then leaned against the carriage wall, muttering to himself, “Before spring blossoms in Beiliang, will I be able to own my own carriage? Heh, that’s all I can hope for. I won’t even think about the size of my official hat or whether it’s of high rank. Just being an official is enough.”
Inside the front carriage, Xu Fengnian and Xuan Yuan Qingfeng sat cross-legged facing each other, with a newly purchased catalpa wood Go board placed between them, courtesy of Tong Ziliang. The board was fresh and new, and in an era that revered antiquity and disdained the present, refined scholars and gentlemen would not dare to entertain guests without using Go boards once used by masters of the game. Thus, even though this board was of fine material and craftsmanship, it was not particularly valuable. Xuan Yuan Qingfeng was no expert in Go, but Xu Fengnian played haphazardly as well, making them evenly matched. Otherwise, given Xuan Yuan’s stubborn and competitive nature, she would have long since lost interest in playing with Xu. Though Xuan Yuan’s skill was mediocre, she was clever and meticulous, calculating every move with great care. Now at a difficult juncture, she did not rush to place her stone. Holding a smooth black piece between her fingers, she gazed at the board and asked, “If one day Mount Hui is deemed a threat by the court and is targeted for elimination, will you abandon me?”
Leaning against the carriage wall, Xu let one hand rest on the cool box of Go stones. “If I say I won’t, you wouldn’t believe me anyway.”
Xuan Yuan’s thoughts were as elusive as a gazelle hanging its horns. “You truly care for that girl Li. It’s the first time I’ve seen you treat an outsider this way.”
Xu teased, “Jealous?”
Xuan Yuan lifted her eyes and gave him a cold glare. Truly a woman too sharp-tongued to be liked by anyone. Xu waited quietly for her to place her stone, then said slowly, “Have you ever wondered why Xu Xiao managed to rise to where he is today? His martial prowess was barely at the second rank. Among the Four Great Generals of the Spring and Autumn Period, he was the weakest. Not only was his combat ability the least impressive, but he also suffered more defeats than the others. His family background was nothing special—not from a powerful aristocratic clan, not even a minor gentry family, just an ordinary commoner. Xu Xiao enlisted in the army in the Liaodong region out of necessity. Yet, this commoner, who tied his life to his waist and fought his way through countless battles, eventually carved out his own success. My master once said that when Xu Xiao was a minor officer commanding fewer than a thousand men, he fought the hardest but received the least credit, most of which was taken by his superiors without lifting a finger. For years, he did only one thing: fight relentlessly and scrape together whatever little credit he could from the scraps left by others. His horse, armor, and weapons were the same as his soldiers’. From a minor officer to a minor general, and finally to an officially recognized general, he gradually built up his strength like a snowball rolling downhill, eventually standing out during the Spring and Autumn Wars. At the beginning, his luck was poor. The first three major battles nearly wiped out his entire force, and nearly all the old comrades who had joined him from Liaodong were killed. Xu Xiao once said that in his youth, he didn’t know the tricks of being an official—only that he was willing to crawl through dog holes and spend money, giving every copper he had to the officials in charge of provisions, horses, and weapons. Once, even after giving away all his gold and silver, he failed to secure what he needed. On a snowy day, he stood like a snowman until a general finally lent him a thousand elite soldiers. He gambled and won, seizing a piece of land that no one else believed could be taken. A few years ago, I asked him if he would have knelt if standing hadn’t worked. He said he wouldn’t. When I asked why, he didn’t answer. As he grew older, Xu Xiao liked to reminisce about old times, boasting about how dashing he was in his youth, how he charmed women, and how he shot tigers with a large bow. I didn’t believe most of that. But I did believe him when he said he was used to washing his face with snow and could taste fish meat from roots and tree bark, and that when he woke up, he always saw the ghosts of those who had died by his sword. In the past, I often used the saying ‘a true hero does not speak of past exploits’ to tease him, but now, for some reason, I truly wish to hear those old stories again.”
Xuan Yuan had already figured out where to place her stone, yet her arm remained suspended.
Xu Fengnian joked, “Now everyone in Beiliang knows I once went alone to the north of the Great River and accomplished several great feats. In truth, many times I was so terrified I thought I would die. When I encountered Toba Chun Sun, who was guarded by two great demons, I nearly thought I was done for. When I met Luo Yang, who was nearly among the top three in the world, I thought I would die in the tomb of the Qin Emperor. The battle against Di Wuhe in the Rouran Mountains went slightly better. I used to doubt how Xu Xiao could become the King of Beiliang. Only after three journeys did I begin to understand that perhaps being a person is simply about walking with your head down, and one day, you might just lift it and touch the sky.”
Xu Fengnian gestured with his hand, indicating the confident mountain master of Mount Hui to make her move. “I’m too embarrassed to share these thoughts with others, but you’re different. After all, we’re cut from the same cloth. So I know you’ll just let them go in one ear and out the other.”
After placing her stone, Xuan Yuan looked at the board and immediately regretted her move. Xu Fengnian chuckled, “If you want to take it back, just do it. My father, that terrible Go player, would often take back twenty or thirty moves without hesitation. That’s not even playing Go.”
Without hesitation, Xuan Yuan picked up the white stone and even removed a few black ones. The previously tense game immediately tilted in one direction. Xu Fengnian laughed in disbelief. Xuan Yuan asked, “What are you laughing at?”
Xu Fengnian smiled broadly, “I was just thinking, when you become the unprecedented and unmatched female martial arts leader in the future, there will surely be several young and talented martial artists who will fall deeply in love with you, willing to die for you. And then I thought, even though I’m not a martial artist, I’ve managed to ride in the same carriage as you and play Go, and you even rudely took back your move. It’s quite amusing.”
Xuan Yuan sneered, “How boring!”
Xu Fengnian shook his head, “You’re mistaken.”
Xuan Yuan’s expression changed in an instant, and without warning, she asked angrily, “Do you mean the word ‘yan’ in ‘mistake,’ or the ‘yan’ in ‘appearance’?”
Xu Fengnian burst into laughter, “So you finally remembered how I once subtly mocked you?”
Back then, during their first meeting, Xu Fengnian had used the phrase “ci yan cha yi” to comment on Xuan Yuan Qingfeng’s appearance.
Xuan Yuan raised her fingers, holding a Go stone, and looked ready to strike Xu Fengnian with a finger-snap technique.
Xu Fengnian remained calm, “To be honest, if you had even half of your current grace and demeanor back then, I definitely wouldn’t have said those four words. When I first wandered the world in poverty, I dreamed of a beautiful female warrior falling in love with me at first sight, and traveling the martial world together. I thought that would be the most glorious thing, making all those young martial heroes envious. Now, thanks to you, I’ve fulfilled one of my wishes.”
Xuan Yuan’s expression was strange. “How can someone like you reach the realms of pseudo-finger-snap and heavenly phenomena?”
Xu Fengnian placed a stone, slightly improving his position, and muttered, “Don’t remind me of my wounds.”
Before placing her next stone, Xuan Yuan removed several black ones. Xu Fengnian looked up and glared. “Xuan Yuan Qingfeng, aren’t you being ridiculous?”
Xuan Yuan wore an expression of complete self-righteousness, making Xu Fengnian, who knew arguing with her was pointless, feel extremely frustrated.
Then came a continuous exchange of moves and retractions.
After leaving the Xiama Wei Inn, Xuan Yuan Qingfeng, who had hung the Chu dynasty’s imperial jade seal on her wrist when she entered the carriage, suddenly radiated a chilling aura.
Xu Fengnian, fully aware of the situation, turned and lifted the curtain. Far down the quiet road stood a scholar in green robes.
Shifting his gaze slightly, he saw a vast expanse of snow.
A woman crouched in the snow, apparently in a playful mood, building a snowman.
Xu Fengnian did not get out of the carriage but took the jade seal from Xuan Yuan and gently tossed it back to its rightful owner.
As the carriage passed the Confucian sage,
Cao Changqing’s warm and gentle voice, carefully placing the seal into his sleeve, reached their ears, “Han Diaosi has declared he will meet you between five hundred and a thousand miles away, and that one of us will not leave alive.”
Xuan Yuan Qingfeng looked at the unexpected figure who did not get out of the carriage. “Won’t you even say goodbye? So, as Li Yufu said, we are to forget each other on the martial path.”
Xu Fengnian remained silent.
Xuan Yuan Qingfeng made a few sarcastic sounds. “That exiled princess still harbors killing intent. Some of it is for you, but I suspect most is for me.”
Xu Fengnian tidied up the remaining pieces, placing the more than ninety black and white Go stones back into the box one by one.
Xuan Yuan Qingfeng smiled and asked, “Have you ever thought about what you would do if Chu were to be restored one day, and she, like your black stone, suffered a crushing defeat? Would you watch helplessly as she met the same fate as the sword emperor of Shu, her sword broken and her life lost? And then, in your spare time, would you think of her in silence, unable to speak of it to anyone?”
Xu Fengnian lifted his head and looked at the female demon.
She shot back, “Can’t bear to think about it?”
Xu Fengnian smiled.
He quietly put away the remaining pieces and placed the Go board upright, sitting properly. “If that day truly comes, I will ensure that the Beiliang cavalry cannot be stopped by the northern barbarians, and I will personally lead every available Beiliang soldier to Chu, so that the entire world will know: I may have wronged Jiang Ni, but no one else is allowed to harm her. That is my promise, and I, Xu Fengnian, will keep it!”
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