Still, stones kept flying from outside the fence into the yard, growing steadily in size. Some tall and burly youths from the Northern Wilderness joined in, their strength far surpassing the children’s. This was no longer mere play, but a serious provocation. The soldiers serving at the residence of Gu Dacheng, the Assistant Transport Commissioner, still dared not retaliate, merely glaring in fury. Of course, they were not afraid of the children or the strong youths, but rather the looming shadow of Beiliang behind them. Moreover, the Commissioner had repeatedly warned all personnel at the residence: no provocation of local citizens was permitted, and violators would be stripped of their armor and official status.
A petty officer resembling a commander, seeing his men being pelted with stones that struck their armor and sparked, finally lost his temper. He secretly used his spear to flick a stone back toward the fence. Whether by accident or intent, the stone flew through a gap and struck a youth in a green cotton robe. The boy, unable to dodge, instinctively closed his eyes, bracing for a bloody wound. But at that moment, a young nobleman with twin swords at his waist reached out and caught the stone mid-air. The boy opened his eyes, his face flushed with gratitude as he smiled shyly. The petty officer, seeing the young aristocrat, dismissed him as a common rich kid. However, when his gaze shifted and lingered on the waist of a short man beside the nobleman, his scalp tingled. There, unmistakably, was a genuine Beiliang saber! In present-day Beiliang, regardless of past merits, only military personnel were allowed to carry such blades. Even if your family had several generals or officials serving as governors or magistrates, anyone found carrying a saber illegally would be immediately arrested by the Patrol Cavalry Guard (patrol cavalry), punished with fifty lashes, and imprisoned for three to six months. Thus, in the spring of Xiangfu Year One, the prisons across Lanzhou were unusually crowded, filled with sons of noble families, all bruised and bloodied. These young men, who had run afoul of the newly appointed governor Xu Beizhi, were not only caught carrying sabers but also riding recklessly through the streets. Yet, in prison, these unfortunate fellows still managed to drink and feast together, forging closer bonds than ever before.
The petty officer under Gu Dacheng didn’t care whether the situation in Beiliang was improving or worsening, but if he had unknowingly angered a noble heir who could ignore the rules in Beiliang, Gu Dacheng would surely flay him alive. And if his actions brought disaster upon the Assistant Transport Commissioner’s residence, provoking the wrath of the Beiliang cavalry, how could a lowly officer serving the Liyang court survive?
Still, the petty officer was puzzled. Given the temperament of the Beiliang barbarians, why hadn’t they made a big deal out of this? The gray-haired young nobleman simply turned and left, and the short man brazenly carrying the saber didn’t press the issue either. The officer, feeling lucky to have escaped unscathed, hesitated for a moment, then decided to inform Gu Dacheng, to avoid being held accountable later.
Gu Dacheng was an official easy to remember—no matter how much he indulged in feasts, he remained thin and bony. He styled himself “Master One-Bag-of-Rice,” always carrying a red silk pouch filled with rice at his waist. It was said that before the Gu family rose to prominence, Gu Zhui had survived only because someone had given him a bag of rice. The entire Gu family had been deeply scarred by the chaos of war, and even after achieving success, father and son retained the habit of carrying rice pouches. This quirk became a source of amusement among the many officials along the Liyang granary transport line. There were even rumors that last year, when Gu Zhui visited the capital, he paid a special visit to Tantai Weng, a senior official in the Zhongshu Province. Everyone assumed that a third-grade official with such a dubious reputation would never be allowed past the doorstep of the venerable old man, Huan Laoye. But to everyone’s surprise, Tantai Weng not only welcomed the “rice-carrying tiger” into his home but also kept the bag of rice, joking that his household had just run out of rice.
Since then, the number of officials mocking Gu Zhui, who had just been appointed as the Minister of Revenue, had noticeably decreased, and the jokes had gradually turned into respectful admiration.
As the petty officer reported the situation outside the fence, Gu Dacheng was sitting alone, sipping tea. At first, he didn’t seem particularly concerned, listening indifferently to the detailed report from his trusted aide. Suddenly, a thought struck him. He asked in detail about the appearance of the young nobleman with twin swords, not even sparing the carriage driver. The petty officer described the young man’s grayish-white hair, tall and slender build, and delicate, feminine eyebrows. As for the carriage driver, he couldn’t recall clearly, only that he seemed about eight chi tall.
Gu Dacheng’s face twisted as if in toothache. He pointed a trembling finger at the petty officer and scolded him as a good-for-nothing, then leapt from his embroidered couch, forgetting to put on his shoes, and dashed out of the residence. He chased after the group lingering at the dock, but suddenly stopped in his tracks, hesitated, and finally decided not to approach the new Beiliang King. Silently, he turned back and summoned two elderly advisors. He ordered them to immediately draft a sealed letter to all granary transport officials from Feishou to Xiangfan, instructing them to mobilize quietly—not a large-scale operation, but using the excuse of blocked river channels to “vigorously” organize a small number of transport ships to deliver only thirty percent of the usual grain shipments to Beiliang.
The two advisors were puzzled, but Gu Dacheng had no mood to explain. Returning to his tea room, he found the tea already cold. Sighing, he muttered, “Every family has its own troubles.” He knew his own abilities as an official—good at making money, but not much else. In the past two years, with all the dramatic political shifts in the imperial court, he and his father could only watch helplessly. Fortunately, his father had managed to attach himself to Huan Laoye during his last trip to the capital, and with Tantai Weng’s guidance, Gu Dacheng had successfully inherited the position of Assistant Transport Commissioner. His father had been promoted to a high-ranking official, while he remained in the provinces to manage finances. Thus, the Gu family had resolved to serve the imperial court as villains and confront Beiliang head-on. Gu Dacheng was essentially holding his ground in Feishou City, ready to sacrifice himself to repay Tantai Weng’s kindness. However, Huan Laoye was still Huan Laoye. He had personally instructed Gu Dacheng and given the Gu family a charm for survival: as long as Xu Fengnian himself didn’t fly into a rage, everything should be held back, and the grain shipments should not be moved. Only when the young prince finally lost his temper and took action would Gu Dacheng have a plan. Huan Laoye had already arranged with the authorities in Xiangfan, promising to send thirty percent of the grain shipments to Beiliang if that day ever came.
Although Gu Dacheng followed Huan Laoye’s instructions and played this charm card, he still felt uncertain about how Beiliang would respond. In fact, his previous move against Chen Xiliang had already made him uneasy. Few people knew how much Beiliang valued that scholar, and during their meeting at Huan’s residence, Tantai Weng had mentioned several times that the man was not to be underestimated—any delay in his rise was a good thing.
Thinking of the hardships he had endured in Feishou over the past half year, the aging Gu Dacheng, despite his youth, patted the rice pouch at his waist and smiled bitterly: “Old buddy, fortune favors the bold. The Gu family has already gained wealth. Once this mission is complete, I’ll settle down and seek honor instead. I’ll never deal with those Beiliang barbarians again. These days, even the least famous courtesans in Feishou won’t take my silver. It’s truly a miserable existence.”
A young girl stood by the riverbank, leaning on a dry wooden pole, chuckling softly before turning her back to the murky waters in silence. Beiliang women were often tall and imposing, but Cao Wei had finally found a girl shorter than himself. Noticing her connection to the Xu family, he wanted to approach and strike up a conversation. Xu Fengnian, for both personal and official reasons, had no intention of stopping him. But despite his martial prowess, Cao Wei was swiftly slapped into the river by the girl with a single, decisive strike. He didn’t even have time to draw his sword, nor did he sense any danger at all.
Yang Guangdou, the Juzi (head of a faction), was stunned. Xu Fengnian quietly explained, “During the Reed Marsh battle, Wang Yin, the eleventh-ranked martial artist in the Liyang martial world, was killed with a single blow by her. Later, when Liu Haoshi fled from Shenwu City, he was likely assassinated by her as well.”
Yang Guangdou was both horrified and enlightened. It was only natural that Cao Wei, whose martial cultivation was scattered and shallow, would be defeated by her. Xu Fengnian approached her and asked, “Why are you here in Beiliang now? If I remember correctly, it’s not yet the time we agreed upon with Huang Sanjia.”
The girl remained silent. Xu Fengnian, unsure of how to make small talk, smiled and said, “Then how about you come with me? Right now, there aren’t many martial experts in Beiliang worth killing. Otherwise, I wouldn’t dare make such a suggestion—it would seem like I’m using you as a weapon. I’m planning to travel around Beiliang anyway. Before I met you, I had already wandered around Lanzhou for a month. These past two years, I’ve often thought of your braised beef.”
The girl, whether she should be called Jia Jiajia or Jia Jiajia, chuckled softly. Xu Fengnian glanced at the dry sunflower stalk she held, then at her pale complexion. He reached out, grasped her arm, and examined the flow of her internal energy, speaking softly, “Whether it was a coincidence or a brilliant strategy by Huang Sanjia, I have good news for you. I now have a 60% certainty that I can resolve the calamity you took upon yourself from the old turtle Zhao. Of course, I must admit, it also greatly benefits me. At present, besides slowly cultivating the red silk left behind by Han Shengxuan, I also possess dozens of purple thunderbolts carefully cultivated by Liu Haoshi over half his life. Additionally, I gained a bun from my transaction with Yuan Qingshan, the Northern Barbarian State Teacher. I’m just one step away from merging Confucian and Daoist cultivation. If I can absorb the purple-gold aura of Longhu Mountain left by Zhao Xuansu and make it my own, I will be complete. After that, it’s all about opportunity—whether I can absorb the essence of Buddhism. Once I achieve the unification of the Three Teachings and form my own small universe, it would be unthinkable for me not to become a Land Immortal. I might even rival the Heavenly Immortal realm of Gaoshulu from four hundred years ago, or the current Martial Emperor City’s Wang Xianzhi, who achieved enlightenment through sheer force. But to reach that stage, who knows how many years it will take? Anyway, I won’t hide anything from you—I’ll speak plainly. If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as your agreement.”
Yang Guangdou was somewhat taken aback. The Beiliang King truly didn’t treat this killer girl as an outsider. These secrets were completely new to the old man, and if they were revealed, they would surely cause a massive uproar in the martial world.
The Three Revered Great Evils of the Spring and Autumn Era—Xu Xiao, the “Human Butcher,” had died peacefully, while Han Diaosi, the “Human Cat,” had met his end in the imperial palace. Two of the three were gone. Huang Longshi, the third, remained elusive, likely lurking behind the scenes, stirring the pot. Could it be that this young prince, who already wielded the power of Beiliang’s cavalry and hawks, was also destined to become the next great terror of the martial world after Han Diaosi? Previously, Beiliang had relied on its cavalry and birds of prey to keep the martial world in check. Now, it seemed that the new Beiliang King alone would be enough to make the martial world around Beiliang bow in submission.
The girl, known as “Hehe Girl,” pulled her arm back and pointed at her stomach. Xu Fengnian smiled gently and said, “Fine, I’m hungry too. Let’s go into the city and find some braised beef. If it doesn’t taste good, we won’t pay!”
Cao Wei, soaked and bedraggled, leaped out of the river and shouted furiously, “Didn’t we agree not to stay in Feishou City? I want to go to Huangnan Prefecture, where there are countless brothels and courtesan houses! Xu, if you dare to forget your friends for a pretty face, I swear I’ll cut you down with my sword!”
Xu Fengnian lifted his leg as if to kick the short Cao Wei back into the river for a second dunking. Sensing danger, Cao Wei, cursing all the way, ran toward the carriage. The carriage was small and already filled with maps and geographical records. With the addition of the girl, it became even more cramped. Fortunately, Cao Wei knew his place and sat beside Xu Yanbing, wringing the water from his sleeves.
Throughout the journey, Xu Fengnian had been discussing military strategies with Yang Guangdou inside the carriage, analyzing the battle lines. There were two key points on the western front between Liangzhou and Gushe Prefecture, and one at the Hulu Pass outside Daoguan in Youzhou. Outside the carriage, Xu Fengnian had spent a month wandering through Lanzhou, making stops here and there. He did not meet with every official, following the nineteen-tier classification system devised by Xu Beizhi. The Wutong Academy had compiled a preliminary ranking of Beiliang officials, focusing on performance rather than scholarly reputation or family background. Xu Fengnian only met secretly with those who had earned recognition in this ranking. Of the seven or eight officials he had met so far, half had been promising, and half disappointing. In every officialdom, like a sieve in someone’s hands, the person holding it determined the filtering process. The Zhao emperor had sifted the entire realm under the guidance of Zhang Julu and Zhao Youling. Xu Fengnian was now sifting Beiliang, with more urgency and pragmatism than the Liyang court. Xu Beizhi was sifting Lanzhou, and so on, layer by layer. In the end, only those who were not fools could rise and hold their positions firmly.
Once Xu Fengnian finished touring Lanzhou, he would head to Youzhou. If Liangzhou was the eldest son of Beiliang Dao, and Lanzhou was the well-raised stepson, then Youzhou, which had less military power than Liangzhou and was poorer than Lanzhou, was awkwardly positioned between the two. But Youzhou was the true focus of Xu Fengnian’s secret journey. In fact, Youzhou harbored the greatest resentment toward Xu Fengnian, the Beiliang King, especially after he accepted the title of Shangzhuguo and did not refuse the imperial decree as he had once rejected the posthumous title for Xu Xiao. Many military officials in Youzhou were making noise, echoing the imprisoned noble families in Lanzhou. Xu Fengnian had been a general in Lanzhou and had broken the pattern of bloodshed, getting along well with everyone, making many think he was soft-hearted. But now, heading to Youzhou, where Yan Wenyuan held sway, Xu Fengnian felt it was time to take some heads.
The girl assassin suddenly asked, “Do you know someone named Zhao Zhu?”
Xu Fengnian hesitated for a moment, then said, “Of course. I know him well. He’s the heir of the Yanxi King, and he likes to build towers of skulls. We met briefly on the Spring Spirit Lake.”
The girl, holding the sunflower stalk upright, said casually, “There’s also someone named Nalan. I’ve seen him too.”
Yang Guangdou’s hands trembled uncontrollably as he stared at Xu Fengnian.
Xu Fengnian simply nodded, saying nothing more.
She had seen them, which naturally meant that Huang Sanjia had secretly met with Zhao Zhu and Nalan Youci.
Earlier, Xu Fengnian had joked with Yang Guangdou and Cao Wei about Cao Changqing possibly marching north to Tai’an City. But Nalan Youci secretly hiding among the thousands of light cavalry under Prince Zhao Zhu and secretly meeting with Huang Longshi was an even more silent and shocking form of “marching north.”
The girl, never one to speak without shocking, lazily said, “Old Huang got drunk and said that the current Zhao emperor is not bad, but his son is no good—arrogant and ambitious. Also… hehe, I forgot…”
Yang Guangdou’s lips twitched.
Xu Fengnian’s heart churned. Why had Yuan Qingshan demanded a copper coin in exchange for the most expensive bun in the world? Because while the Land Immortal roamed freely in Liyang, his secluded disciple was none other than Zhao Zhu!
Now, Zhao Zhu not only had the support of his father, the Yanxi King Zhao Bing, with hundreds of thousands of troops, and the full support of Nalan Youci, but also the “one-coin agreement” with Beiliang. Moreover, Huang Longshi had most likely already placed a huge bet on this young man!
Xu Fengnian smiled and said, “Nalan Youci has painstakingly built up the Yanxi Dao, giving Zhao Zhu the advantage of location and people. He has been waiting for the right timing. Now, finally, the mandate of heaven has come to him.”
Then, Xu Fengnian asked himself and answered, “But would Yuan Benxi sit idly by and wait for his fate? Impossible.”
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