Lin Hongyuan’s sharp eyes needed no explanation; no matter how much the woman wanted to witness a grand spectacle, she still quickly pulled Yu Youwei away from the outer corridor, heading straight for the latter’s boudoir. On the lake, Zhao Ningshen, and beneath the corridor, Xu Fengnian stood silently facing each other. Seemingly calm and composed, no one would know their feud stretched back to their forebears—Xu Xiao had nearly crushed the Longhu Mountain’s leadership at the end of his campaign across the martial world. Xu Fengnian stared at the young Daoist before him with a cold smirk, his hands crossed before his chest, crimson threads crawling across his fingers.
All spoke of this young Celestial Master having once blocked Deng Tai’a’s ascent up the mountain with a single sword strike. Initially, many had thought it mere boasting from Longhu Mountain. But later, when Zhao Ningshen intercepted a mad monk from the Western Regions and walked beside him for several miles before halting, no one doubted it anymore—even beginning to regard him as a master of the Fingers’ Mystical Art. Standing at the prow of the boat, Zhao Ningshen’s smile was warm. “This humble Daoist calculated that the Prince would come to Kuaisnow Villa today to enjoy the snow, that you would go to Chunshen Lake to meet Wang Dongxiang, and then proceed to meet Lu Feichi. But I never anticipated you would kill Yanbao’s Li Huoli and Caotang’s Xie Lingzhen in succession. Are you not afraid that if this leaks out, before you even inherit your father’s title and become King, you will already become the enemy of the entire martial world?”
Xu Fengnian stepped closer to the railing. “Li Huoli had Zhao Gou to guard him, imperial backing, and Xie Lingzhen’s Caotang to promote his cause. The seat of the Martial Alliance Leader was practically his already. Did he really need your Longhu Mountain to add further legitimacy? Oh right, your Longhu Mountain specializes only in writing Qingci prayers to prolong the lives of emperors. It’s a tradition passed down through generations. There’s a rumor you are the reincarnation of Longhu’s first patriarch. Have you awakened your spiritual insight? I suspect not, or else the Dragon Pool would already be brimming with blooming fortune lotuses. With the temperament of your Celestial Master’s Mansion, you’d probably dig the dead out of their coffins just to inform them of such good news. Enjoying happiness alone, hoarding good fortune for yourselves, while sharing your joy with everyone else is merely a way to let others know of your achievements. Either way, you benefit.”
Zhao Ningshen shook his head and smiled. “The Prince holds too deep a grudge against Longhu Mountain. When paths differ, cooperation is impossible.”
Xu Fengnian had barely separated his entwined fingers by an inch when Zhao Ningshen said, “Wait.”
Zhao Ningshen smiled. “This humble Daoist came to Kuaisnow Villa today with no intention of meddling in the contest for the Martial Alliance Leader. The upheaval of Caotang and Yanbao holds no interest for me, neither in my eyes nor in my heart. I only wished to see the Prince once. Now that I have, I shall leave as joyfully as I came. The debt of a sword owed at Daxueping is repaid by Longhu Mountain’s gift—no need for Beiliang to return it. I only hope Beiliang will not oppose Longhu Mountain, that we may remain separate, like well water and river water.”
Xu Fengnian laughed. “What, have you foreseen that before returning to Beili, I intend to kill every Daoist who dares to leave Longhu Mountain? Have you divined that I will offer a bounty across the martial world—100 taels of gold and a volume of secret techniques for every member of the Celestial Master’s Mansion, with Beili promising protection in exchange? That way, your once-mighty Longhu Daoists will live in fear. So you use the bloodshed at Kuaisnow Villa as leverage, and we each take a step back, celebrating the New Year in peace?”
Zhao Ningshen’s gaze was clear and calm. “Your Highness guards the northwest for the Central Plains people, and this humble Daoist truly admires you for it. If I were a carefree cloud or wild crane, I would raise a toast in your honor. But alas, as one who holds a position, I must act accordingly. Since I was born into the Zhao family, I must do things that violate my own tranquil nature. I ask only for your understanding. Fighting to mutual destruction benefits neither Longhu Mountain nor Beiliang. Long ago, when Longhu Mountain forbade the Great Princess from ascending the mountain to burn incense, it was the fault of the Celestial Master’s Mansion. Thus, when Master Hong destroyed nine fortune lotuses with a single sword strike, we remained silent. When Elder Ancestor Zhao Xuan Su emerged from retreat and descended the mountain, deliberately opposing you outside the Eastern Sea’s Martial Emperor City, it was ultimately a matter of karmic retribution, ending in his death and dissolution. He had cultivated for one hundred and forty years, striving for immortality, yet in the end, he could not attain it. One reaps what one sows, and Longhu Mountain had no words to say.”
Xu Fengnian tapped his chin with his crimson-threaded fingers. “With your insight, you must have noticed—it’s the living weapon left behind by Han Diaosi outside Shenwu City. Originally, after being severed, with Han’s death, it should have quickly withered. But Han Shengxuan forgot the ability of the shadowy entity by my side. His severed head is a rare treasure under heaven, teaching me many things. Han once said something interesting: if someone respects me by a foot, I will repay them with a yard; if someone wrongs me momentarily, I will retaliate for lifetimes. The feud between Beiliang and Longhu Mountain—whether it’s against Xu Xiao or the old Emperor—you and I both know the truth. How did Longhu Mountain come to be known as the ‘Feathered Ministers’ and ‘Qingci Chancellor’? It was only after the old turtle Zhao Huangchao accidentally nurtured a dragon that brought calamity to Difei Mountain, unable to suppress it, that the court changed its policy from suppression to appeasement, realizing the usefulness of your Longhu Mountain. When Zhao Huangchao traveled spiritually to the capital, demanding an imperial edict from the old Emperor—who should have addressed him as ‘Great-Grandfather’—and then rushing it back eight hundred miles in eight days, that’s how the legend of the immortal holding the decree and descending upon Longhu Mountain came to be. Borrowing a sword at Daxueping, using flying swords to suppress Longhu Mountain—would you dare even fart? And now, you come to me thinking I’m just a fame-seeking feudal prince’s heir, and you can sit here preaching Daoism like some lofty sage?”
Zhao Ningshen smiled. “I once heard Master Bailian say the Prince excels in making deals and conducting business. Today, I see it is truly so. Tell me, Prince, has the shadowy entity beneath the lake, always swimming thirty zhang away, already prepared itself? Do you truly intend to fight to the death? Your Highness’s life seems far more valuable than this humble Daoist’s. If, heaven forbid, we both perish, how would the Prince judge the loss? Would the jade suffer more, or the stone?”
Xu Fengnian’s expression remained calm. “It doesn’t necessarily have to come to that. Even if I truly wanted to kill you, I might not succeed. After all, Xie Lingzhen’s cultivation was like a castle in the air—like a scholar theorizing about swordplay, only able to spar with words, ultimately far inferior to warriors who have risen from the corpses of the dead. Despite his lofty realm, his combat skills were exposed when he fought. Moreover, he mistakenly believed I could only rely on my King Kong physique to wrestle with him, dying in frustration. Longhu Mountain has long been wary of me, almost seeing through me like a mirror. I suspect we’ll have to clash head-on, so I can properly experience your step into the Fingers’ Mystical Art. In the end, I will fight until you can no longer smile, until you are half-dead.”
Zhao Ningshen smiled and asked, “Is the Prince truly determined to oppose this humble Daoist?”
Xu Fengnian coldly exposed the truth. “Do you expect me to wait until Longhu Mountain concentrates all its efforts to help you awaken?”
Zhao Ningshen closed his eyes, calming his breath, trying to suppress the flicker of anger in his gaze.
Xu Fengnian mocked, “Even a clay statue has caught fire?”
Zhao Ningshen opened his eyes but said nothing, simply extending one hand forward.
Since you claim I seek death, then come and kill me.
This confidence did not come from being a reincarnation of the Zhao family’s ancestor, but from the fact that this often-distracted young Daoist had, upon his debut, actually blocked Deng Tai’a’s sword strike, and more recently, had resisted the half-Buddha, half-demon Liu Songtao.
Xu Fengnian placed one hand on the railing, his body leaping upward, ready to pounce on this flute-carrying Daoist who bore Longhu Mountain’s great expectations.
Given Xu Fengnian’s borrowed spiritual realm through the shadowy entity, he should have surged forward in one breath toward Zhao Ningshen. But Zhao Ningshen clearly sensed the brief hesitation in Xu Fengnian’s movement as he pushed off the railing. This caused Zhao, who had not yet fully grasped the prophetic insight, to pause as well. Normally, the boat would need to slide back a full zhang before Zhao could fully neutralize Xu’s strike. This time, however, he halved the distance awkwardly, stopping half a zhang away. Without warning, Xu Fengnian, who had suddenly stilled, burst into motion again, rushing forward. As he released the railing, the railing behind him shattered into pieces. Zhao Ningshen frowned slightly, his body unmoving. The boat slid backward one and a half zhang without wind, and as Xu Fengnian lunged forward with his arm outstretched, Zhao Ningshen placed one hand behind his back and swept the other across his chest. Like a silent bell suddenly struck, a thunderous boom erupted. Seemingly a gentle sweep, yet it summoned clouds and thunder around his knees, with purple qi swirling, making Zhao appear even more like a celestial being.
Unlike when he had killed Li Huoli and Xie Lingzhen, relying purely on the King Kong physique forged through external forces, Xu Fengnian did not charge recklessly this time. His hands moved in a blur, tearing through Zhao Ningshen’s swirling purple qi and thunderclouds. Zhao Ningshen lightly lifted his foot, kicking Xu Fengnian in the abdomen, while Xu Fengnian simultaneously placed his palm on Zhao’s forehead. Both exerted force at the same moment. The boat shot backward like an arrow into the mist, and Xu Fengnian swiftly leapt back onto the outer corridor. Bending his knees, he dashed forward like thunder, his feet shattering the wall with each step. In the mist, Zhao Ningshen removed the dark green bamboo flute from his waist, twirled it between two fingers, and like a dragonfly, stirred up the lake’s fog. With a splash, the flute flew toward Xu Fengnian.
Xu Fengnian’s five fingers formed a hook, attempting to crush the bitter green bamboo flute, but he underestimated the immense energy stored within. Upon contact, he released it, his body flung sideways onto the lake’s surface, his feet creating countless splashes before he landed. Zhao Ningshen shouted, “Rise!” The boat lifted several zhang from the water, narrowly avoiding a stealthy attack from a crimson-robed figure beneath the lake, who vanished in an instant. As the small boat descended, Xu Fengnian lightly kicked off its hull, delivering a downward palm strike toward Zhao Ningshen. The bitter green bamboo flute, like a trapped beast, was met with a counterattack from the flying swords of the Thunder Pond Formation. Now both fighting barehanded, Zhao Ningshen stomped hard on the boat’s bow, his body plunging like a thousand catties into the lake, flipping the entire boat to crash toward Xu Fengnian.
Xu Fengnian transformed his palm strike into a sweeping motion, instantly shattering the boat into splinters, his downward pressure unrelenting. Yet Zhao Ningshen, half his body still submerged in the lake, did not dodge. He allowed Xu Fengnian’s palm to strike his head directly.
The lake water violently surged, creating towering waves that crashed against the outer corridor, flooding thousands of jin of water into the courtyard behind them.
Xu Fengnian slowly descended onto a piece of broken boat floating on the lake’s surface. In truth, his palm had never touched Zhao Ningshen’s head—the young Daoist’s spiritual energy was unexpectedly strong.
Zhao Ningshen surfaced, finally seeing the true form of the shadowy entity behind Xu Fengnian—a crimson-robed, five-armed figure with a sorrowful expression.
Zhao Ningshen’s voice was grave. “Defilements have brought chaos since ancient times. This humble Daoist may tolerate the Prince’s arrogance, but I cannot allow this evil entity to wreak havoc. Even if it costs me all my cultivation, I shall uphold the will of heaven!”
This time, it was Xu Fengnian’s turn to extend a hand, his expression dark, his eyes brimming with hatred, signaling Zhao Ningshen to proceed with his heavenly justice.
Indeed, “upholding the will of heaven.”
At the summit of Mount Kuanglu, a celestial being emerged from its body, a Heavenly King with furrowed brows, exhaling purple qi.
This was precisely what “upholding the will of heaven” meant.
Zhao Ningshen dared not dwell on thoughts, deeply inhaling, his hands overlapping left over right, facing east toward the Daoist ancestral home of Longhu Mountain, “Request!”
One word carried three petitions.
Requesting Longhu Mountain’s approval.
Requesting celestial beings to descend from heaven.
Requesting the ancestral master to manifest.
Within the Celestial Master’s Mansion, the portrait of the first patriarch fell to the ground.
A bolt of purple lightning, as thick as a pillar, struck down from the clouds.
In an instant, Zhao Ningshen’s face blurred, his entire body glowing with purple-gold light.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage