A lone rider made his way towards the Kua Xue Manor, his horse’s hooves light and nimble. The young knight, wearing a red fox fur hat, had strands of black and white hair falling from his temples. A black-sheathed short sword hung at his waist. Neither man nor horse hurried to enter the manor but instead dismounted and walked along the bluestone path beside the Spring God Lake.
It was high noon, the sun warm, the winter snow melting, and the lake clear as a mirror. Strollers admiring the scenery were unceasing in their numbers. The upheaval at the Kua Xue Manor had left people astounded, with rumors spreading like wildfire. After the manifestation of the Martial Emperor Zhenwu’s divine form by the lake, the young master of the Yan Fortress, Li Huoli, had first departed with a top-priority military order, leading his elite riders back to the border. Then Xie Lingzhen of the Spring Post Thatched Hall had also left the manor. Yu Chilang said the elder of the Thatched Hall had gained insight by the lake and now intended to retreat to Sichuan for secluded cultivation, with hopes of reaching the Heaven’s Image Realm in this lifetime. Li Yibai of the Dongyue Sword Pond had also departed, claiming he needed to meet his master Song Nianqing. The Kua Xue Manor had hoped to elevate its status through the grand event of electing a martial arts alliance leader, but with the three main candidates gone, it seemed destined to become the laughingstock of the martial world. However, the sudden appearance of the young woman in purple from Huishan Mountain changed everything. In a single day, she had defeated sixteen renowned martial experts, becoming the talk of the town and a rising star with the momentum to seize the championship. Many martial artists who had already left the manor and were on their way home turned their horses and carriages back toward Kua Xue Manor, undoubtedly rescuing the manor from its dire predicament.
If one didn’t look closely, the sword-bearing wanderer leading his horse would hardly stand out in this crowd. In an era where appearances mattered and wealth was flaunted, those arriving at Kua Xue Manor were mostly Gallant Hero, many of whom had strong martial sect backgrounds or personal reputations. They were wealthy enough to afford luxurious clothing and fox furs. Along the lakeside path, one could see nothing but fine silks and valuable sable hats—those without such hats felt embarrassed to greet others. Many beautiful women clung to the arms of these martial heroes, their eyes darting as they silently compared their wealth and status. Other martial artists brought their families along, exuding confidence as they were often direct lineage from first or second-tier martial sects. The children, unafraid and playful, ignored their parents’ warnings, running about like butterflies flitting through flowers. These children might not even realize that in the imperial court, there were terms like “noble offspring” and “general’s descendants,” but they were essentially the martial world’s aristocrats. When they inherited their fathers’ legacies and roamed the martial world, they would naturally find themselves more favorably positioned than others.
On the bustling bluestone path, the air was filled with polite greetings from those who had only heard of each other’s names, and warm reunions between old acquaintances. A few children, whose parents were old friends, quickly became familiar with each other, running about noisily and laughing joyfully. Occasionally, they would bump into martial artists, but even those with normally volatile tempers merely smiled broadly, ruffling the children’s heads in a friendly manner. The children, quick on their feet, would duck and run past, while their parents, behind them, would smile and bow apologetically to the men. Some would exchange names and a few words, spending not even a copper coin but forming a slight bond of goodwill—something everyone was happy to do.
A group of children darted through the crowd like playful fish, growing more exuberant by the moment. With some basic martial arts skills, they began to use their family techniques instinctively as they played. Unfortunately, someone had stopped by the lakeside with his horse. As the leading child was about to collide with the horse’s belly, he grabbed the saddle and flipped over it with ease, continuing his run in a fluid motion that drew admiration. A little girl with braids followed suit, mimicking the action. The last child, however, lacked the skill. Yet unwilling to go around, he attempted to leap but failed, crashing into the horse’s belly and falling to the ground. Whether from pain or embarrassment in front of his childhood friends, he burst into loud, heart-wrenching sobs.
The young man in the red fox fur hat turned at the sound, released the reins, and smiled as he reached out to help the child up. The child looked up at the stranger, perhaps thinking his smile was mocking, and cried even harder.
The young nobleman, perhaps wearing a cheap hat and riding an unremarkable horse, lacked the air of wealth and power, hence his gentle and slightly apologetic smile. Facing a child nearly rolling on the ground in a tantrum, he was at a loss. The two older children who had already jumped over the horse returned, glaring at the young man. The boy who had jumped first wore a look of anger, his youthful face already showing a fierce and commanding presence. The little girl with braids was a budding beauty, her temperament gentler. Seeing that the culprit didn’t seem like a bad person, she merely gave him a stern look before helping her muddy companion up. The child, who had been crying loudly, had actually been watching everything closely. When his older siblings and parents approached, his courage surged. He ran over and kicked the man holding the horse hard on the shin. The young man merely smiled, brushing off the dirt.
But the child wasn’t done yet. He slapped the man’s head, knocking off his clearly cheap fox fur hat, and grinned triumphantly. The young man in his twenties, now hatless, revealed hair matching the strands at his temples—gray and aged, bearing the lifeless appearance of a man past his prime.
Shaking his head, the young man chose not to quarrel with the mischievous child. He took a few steps forward, bent down to retrieve his cherished fox fur hat, but unexpectedly, a soft whip, like a snake flicking its tongue, hooked the cheap hat. The whip coiled like a serpent, then snapped upward, sending the hat high into the air. The whip, known in the martial world as the Tiger Tail Vine, coiled like a snake and struck itself with a sound like firecrackers. After the explosive crack, it straightened suddenly and Bullet in the hat, forcing it to fall back onto the young man’s head. This scene truly embodied the old saying: “The gentle are often taken advantage of.” The young man must have been intimidated by the adult’s display, and amidst the onlookers’ delighted cheers, he quietly stood up, adjusted his fox fur hat, and didn’t even glance at the muscular man who had shown off his whip skills.
Seeing the young man back down again and again after the incident, the man from the family that had long been powerful in Liaodong didn’t bother to press the advantage further. He was short in stature, but his wife was tall and alluring, with long legs that reached nearly to his ribs. Such a tall woman was rare even in the north, and her well-proportioned figure, with her ample curves barely restrained by her thick fur coat, drew envious glances. Accompanying them were two other couples, equally well-matched and of noble martial backgrounds. They exchanged knowing smiles at the scene, somewhat disapproving but offering no defense for the stranger. In the martial world, one tends to side with family, not with reason.
Almost everyone failed to notice that before adjusting his fox fur hat, the seemingly spineless young man had subtly gestured with his hand, a motion so slight it was nearly imperceptible. Only Zhou Qinghu, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines, noticed. This woman had kept her gaze fixed on Xu Qi, the man she had first seen at the foot of Longwei Slope. She couldn’t understand how a man who had made dozens of powerful villains from Zhu Lu Mountain retreat, a man whom the Cult had invited to climb a mountain and receive a noble title, could now appear so destitute.
Zhou Qinghu hesitated, then approached the young nobleman who was still holding his horse and gazing at the desolate winter scenery of the Spring Shen Lake. Xu Zhan, who had been staying close to her these days, followed closely behind. Carrying a family heirloom staff, Xu Zhan had barely taken a few steps when sharp-eyed onlookers recognized him. In recent days, Kua Xue Manor had set up several costly arenas on Spring God Lake. Aside from the main arena, where the young woman in purple from Huishan Mountain had dominated, there were several smaller arenas where many experts had emerged. Xu Zhan had made a name for himself in one of these arenas, engaging in a fierce four-hundred-move duel with an elderly but formidable swordsman from the northwest, emerging victorious. He had successfully defended his position in four subsequent matches before finally being defeated by Xie Hua Bai, a renowned swordsman from the southeast whose reputation far surpassed his own. It was then that people remembered that Xu Zhan’s father, Xu Daqiu, had authored the “Compendium of Observing Techniques” and was once one of the rarest staff masters in the world. With Xu Zhan’s remarkable performance, the Xu family, which had fallen on hard times, was now seen by many martial elders—especially those from the Huai region—as having the potential for a revival.
The Liaodong martial artist, who stood shorter than his wife, retracted his whip. Seeing Xu Zhan’s sudden appearance, he gave it a moment’s thought before laughing heartily and stepping forward. “Are you the young master Xu Zhan, who has brought the family teachings of the ‘Compendium of Observing Techniques’ to new heights?”
Xu Zhan, who usually had little regard for arrogant martial artists, still turned and bowed politely upon being recognized. “This humble one is Xu Zhan. I have heard from my elders of the Feng family of Liaodong, renowned for their martial prowess. Your whip technique can fell a tiger with a single strike, and your archery is so precise that even birds fall from the sky at the sound of your bowstring.”
The words of praise from Xu Zhan, a young man with both martial skill and scholarly heritage, struck Feng Maolin just right, like a gentle scratch on an itchy spot. Feng Maolin was a Bastard of the Feng family, known for his whip techniques and exceptional archery. If not for the Feng family’s longstanding disfavor with Prince Zhao Sui of Jiaodong, Feng Maolin could have easily secured a position as a high-ranking officer. This trip south to Kua Xue Manor had been undertaken cautiously, without his prized ox-horn bow, a decision he now regretted. With only his whip, and not having fully mastered the Feng family’s whip techniques, he knew his chances of dominating the arena like Xu Zhan were slim. In the martial world, it was difficult for someone like Feng Maolin, a Bastard, to rise above the Legitimate heir. Martial cultivation was an endless drain on resources. A family with ambitions in the martial world could not afford to nurture every child equally. If even someone like Feng Maolin, from a prominent family, faced such limitations, then those from lesser families could only imagine the hardships they endured—herbal medicines for physical training, the costs of acquiring or borrowing martial manuals, and the expenses of hiring renowned masters to teach within the family. Thus, it was truly said that the poor study literature while the rich study martial arts.
Feng Maolin, now engaged in conversation with Xu Zhan, introduced the two couples beside him—each pair of spouses being of comparable status to the Feng family of Liaodong. The conversation flowed smoothly and warmly.
Zhou Qinghu approached the young nobleman who was still holding his horse, gathering her courage to ask, “Why have you changed? Why are you so calm and gentle now?”
Xu Fengnian turned to look at this rare old acquaintance within Kua Xue Manor and smiled, but said nothing. Zhou Qinghu recalled the many dangers they had faced together and realized that this young man, whose background was shrouded in mystery, had never truly been a hot-tempered or domineering figure. No matter how HuChunyu had glared or provoked him, he had never shown the slightest sign of anger. Zhou Qinghu glanced at his profile, momentarily lost in thought. Was it because he simply didn’t care about the ups and downs of people like her? Did he view the rise and fall of others as mere children’s games? Thinking this, Zhou Qinghu felt a strange sense of detachment. She turned her gaze to see Xu Zhan chatting and laughing with the others, as if they were old friends meeting for the first time. During her time at Kua Xue Manor, Zhou Qinghu had seen many changes in people’s attitudes. With Xu Zhan’s rising fame, they had even been granted a private courtyard within the manor. All sorts of people came to visit, seeking connections, leaving them with no peace. Xu Zhan had subtly hinted at his feelings for her during a drinking session, but she had always deflected the conversation. Zhou Qinghu held great affection for Xu Zhan, having shared life-and-death experiences with him, but it was not the kind of love between a man and a woman. She simply wanted to travel the martial world while she was still young, to witness more strange and wondrous stories. Whether she was alone or accompanied made little difference to her. Perhaps one day, she would meet a man who would make her heart race at first sight—that would be the day she left the martial world behind.
Xu Fengnian had returned to Kua Xue Manor under the secret protection of the assassin Yin for three reasons. The first was to settle matters with Lin Hongyuan of the Dragon Palace, who still owed him a move from the Finger Zen technique called “Stone Tablet.” The second was to see if he could meet the young sect leader Li Yufu, to pour a cup of wine at the grave of the wandering swordsman He Zhu on behalf of He He Girl, and to inform Li Yufu of the young child’s first awakening by the stream. The third was based on secret intelligence indicating that Xuan Yuan Qingfeng was dominating the main arena and seemed poised to win the championship. Xu Fengnian had previously promised to help her ascend to the position of martial arts alliance leader, and if the opportunity arose, he would lend her his support.
As for Xu Fengnian himself, he had little left to desire from this martial world. Only the old tortoise of the Zhao family, still hiding in Longhu Mountain, and the uncertain battle in the East remained. Deep in his heart, he still thought of the two women from Zhu Lu Mountain. Beyond that, there was little else to stir his interest.
Whether willing or not, unfinished matters must still be seen through.
Fortunately, this time, he would be returning to Northern Liang together with Xu Xiao, who had been waiting for him in Xiangfan.
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