Xu Fengnian and Gao Shulu, one was in ecstasy while the other returned to senses, speaking of celestial secrets known only to Luoyang. Zhong Gucheng and other experts were helpless, lacking the courage to fight to the death. A single white-robed woman was already nearly invincible; how could they face a Taoist immortal who could travel beyond his physical form? Gao Shulu, with only two talismans left binding him, looked around and took a deep breath, his face filled with delight. He said to Xu Fengnian, whose figure was ethereal and shifting, “You return your soul to Kunlun first, and watch the Eastern Sea once more. I shall follow shortly… to Beiliang?”
Xu Fengnian smiled slightly, nodded, but did not immediately return thousands of miles away through spiritual projection. Instead, he turned Luoyang’s horse around and slowly walked along the Posthouseroad, gradually fading into the distance, leaving Gao Shulu and a group of elite experts. Xu Fengnian softly said, “I know who you truly care for; I won’t force you. If it were me, and the woman I loved lost her memory, she would no longer be herself. Although my situation is somewhat different—I haven’t lost memories, but gained many. Perhaps in your eyes, this Xu Fengnian has become too much like that man. This muddled account you’ve been calculating for eight hundred years, in the end, you only have yourself to blame. Back then, when the Qin Dynasty’s Taoist alchemists sailed overseas seeking the elixir of life, we obtained two immortality pills in the Eastern Sea. You thought I intended to secretly share one with her behind your back, so you deliberately told me there was only one, destroyed one in front of me, but secretly hid the other in Lianzhu, gaining immortality alone and poisoning her to death. But you were wrong…”
Luoyang sneered, “So what if I was wrong? Even if I could return to eight hundred years ago, I would still poison that woman, still deny you immortality, still personally destroy your Qin Dynasty’s dream of eternal rule!”
Xu Fengnian first turned his head and told the carriage to take the old eunuch back to Beiliang with them, then turned to gaze into the distance, smiling, “You’re still you after all.”
Luoyang sat high on her horse, calmly letting him lead it, not forgetting to mock, “Pity she’s no longer herself.”
Xu Fengnian calmly replied, “Yuan Qingshan said that Wu Dang’s Li Yufu will ensure earthly matters are resolved on earth, and celestial beings roam freely in the heavens. I think that’s good. After my battle with Wang Xianzhi, you and I must settle things between us.”
Luoyang sneered, “You want to sever heaven and earth at the waist? Then become an ordinary man? Wasn’t the you from eight hundred years ago most disgusted by those mediocre commoners?”
Xu Fengnian looked up at the white-robed woman and smiled, dismissing the words. Behind them came wails of grief, but both Xu Fengnian and Luoyang ignored them. After walking some distance, Xu Fengnian released the reins and vanished with a hazy farewell, “Don’t forget our three-year pact.”
Luoyang snorted, “Win against Gao Shulu first.”
Yelü Dongchuang, holding two bloody heads under his arms, jogged over curiously, asking, “Luoyang, that guy looked pretty imposing. Who was he? Seems so young, yet capable of spiritual projection? Could he be a Taoist grandmaster with eternal youth, a senior like our Qilin National Teacher?”
Luoyang replied calmly, “He’s younger than you.”
Yelü Dongchuang was stunned, “Nonsense! There’s no martial artist more gifted than me in the entire world! You’re lying to me, Luoyang!”
Luoyang smiled, “His name is Xu Fengnian. Tell me, how old do you think he is?”
Yelü Dongchuang gasped, thought for a moment seriously, then flattered, “Well then, I won’t return to Beiman just yet. Let Dong Fatso face the misfortune first. Luoyang, I’ll stay with you for another couple of years. I haven’t finished admiring the beautiful landscapes of Liyang. Don’t misunderstand—I’m not scared of this new Prince of Liang.”
Deng Mao also noticed the unusual events and soon joined Luoyang and Yelü Dongchuang, heading back to Zhulu Mountain. By the time the remaining sixteen hundred riders from the Dufengkou Garrison reached the battlefield, many soldiers dismounted and vomited uncontrollably. The road was filled with gruesome sights, few intact corpses remaining. The commanding officer hurriedly checked the safety of the carriage, only to find it empty inside, which shocked him further. Soon, dozens of white-robed cultivators with yellow jade belts arrived gracefully, looking at each other in despair. Seeing the panic among these immortal-like figures, the officer realized he wouldn’t escape punishment this time. After hesitation, he looked northward toward Tai’an City, then turned to look westward toward the former Chu territory in Guangling Circuit, his expression fluctuating. He ordered his elite cavalry to return to Dufengkou Garrison. On the way back, he and a few trusted subordinates decided to kill two loyal commanders to the Zhao family. The rest of the officers and their families and loyal soldiers quickly left the garrison, fleeing into the Guangling Circuit.
As Gao Shulu leisurely rode alongside the old eunuch Zhao Sikku toward Beiliang, on a hill several miles south of the tragic Posthouseroad, a middle-aged man in green robes frowned. Beside him, an old man who once stirred the waters of the Spring and Autumn Period sneered, “Under my guidance, the nation’s fortune shifted from the imperial court into the martial world, but it can only support single-digit terrestrial immortals. Thus, the positions for eight or nine are the maximum. Whoever wishes to take a seat must vacate one first. When Li Chungan left, Deng Tai’a succeeded him as the sword immortal; when the monk Longshu of Liuchansi departed, Chen Zhibao seized the opportunity; Hong Xixiang entrusted Wu Dang’s current abbot Li Yufu, who will eventually pass it back to that child. This is what makes Wu Dang admirable—they truly achieved generational succession without interruption, leaving no room for Unconvinced. As for Zhao Xuansu of Longhu Mountain, who exchanged one seal for another with Zhao Huangchao, failing to ascend and perishing instead, this allowed the little girl you protected to become the master of all famous swords under heaven. Now Gao Shulu has emerged forcefully, originally you, Cao Changqing, the Confucian Sage, should step down…”
Cao Changqing shook his head, “I have my own way to compete with Gao Shulu.”
The old man who dared to speak so boldly near Cao Changqing could only be Huang Sanjia. The old man thought for a moment, “I roughly guess your plan, but I’ve always wondered why you clever people can’t see through the word ’emotion.’ It’s not hard to write, just a few strokes. Why could Wang Xianzhi look down upon you, Cao Changqing? Because you fools, whose talents rival his, are trapped by emotions—you, Li Chungan, whom I truly admire among the few in this world, and Huishan Xuan Yuan Jingcheng, all your lives confined for a woman? Was it worth it?”
Cao Changqing’s expression was calm as he smiled, “If you start calculating worth, then it’s no longer emotion. The word ’emotion’ is easy to write but hard to let go. you mock us for being foolish, but we also mock you for being smart all your life yet gaining nothing. Being free is good, but having attachments isn’t bad either.”
Huang Longshi sneered, “When clever men fall ill to the bone, even immortals can’t cure them.”
Cao Changqing turned and asked, “You, Huang Longshi, claim to be the top three under heaven. What have you done besides accelerating the growth of this world and pushing the situation forward?”
Huang Longshi exclaimed, “You figured it out?”
Cao Changqing smiled, “Unfortunately, neither of us has much time left. Otherwise, I would love to chat with you properly.”
Huang Longshan chuckled, changing the subject, “That Gao Shulu really Strike, killing two hundred people at once. Moreover, this way, although the Zhao family hasn’t suffered a major blow, there are now cracks, which benefits your Xichu greatly.”
Cao Changqing shook his head, “Martial artists caught on the battlefield are nothing special; they’ve never been able to influence the outcome of wars. Since the Spring and Autumn Wars began, the military has already mastered how to stop single experts from breaking through enemy lines. Two hundred experts, if only half were truly loyal to the Zhao family and willing to fight in Xichu territory, throwing a hundred men into the upcoming battles involving tens of thousands would be like a drop in the ocean. Moreover, Zhulu Mountain will also get involved. For that small group of experts, it’s hard to predict who will win from the start. Oh, what you, Huang Sanjia, really meant was the rebellion of the Dufengkou Garrison officer? That is indeed good news, a small event triggering a chain reaction. Nearly twenty years without the smell of gunpowder, the southern regions near the capital have become so soft and effeminate that even the emperor and his ministers can’t imagine. Zhang Julu, the top civil minister, recognized this and spoke out, but no one believed him. The most influential military figures, Chen Zhibao and Gu Jiantang, chose not to speak, while Lu Shengxiang knew speaking would be useless. This is the opportunity.”
Huang Longshi also shook his head, seemingly not optimistic about Xichu’s ultimate outcome.
Cao Changqing was not bothered, smiling softly, “So you plan to hand the Rivers and mountainsover to the Crown Prince of Yan’e, Zhao Zhu. Then who will take charge of the jianghu? Could it be that purple-robed woman, Xuan Yuan Qingfeng?”
The old man neither confirmed nor denied, softly saying, “You said I, Huang Longshi, can only accelerate the growth of crops, but the harvest remains predetermined. You’re wrong.”
Cao Changqing looked up, catching sight of a figure suspended in the clouds by sword.
Huang Longshi smiled, “It’s thundering and raining. Countless people will start dying soon.”
Cao Changqing sighed, “Decades of chaos for a hundred years of peace? Impossible.”
The old man clasped his hands, exhaling a puff of mist, “To carry Mount Tai across the North Sea, the ancients dared not, nor could the descendants. I will do it.”
Cao Changqing was silent for a long time before slowly saying, “Madman.”
Huang Longshi laughed freely, “Pleased to meet you all.”
Cao Deyi, one of the most renowned men of the age, suddenly asked, “Cao Changqing has always been curious about your vision of a peaceful and prosperous era.”
The old man hummed, vaguely replying, “A peaceful and prosperous era isn’t about the ruler and people being close, but the state and people forgetting each other, yet each retaining their true nature.”
Cao Changqing closed his eyes, lost in thought.
Huang Longshi laughed, “Don’t think too much. Be careful not to get stuck and unable to come out. Even if you, Cao Qingyi, the Confucian Sage, become entangled, you’ll only be troubling yourself unnecessarily. I have plenty of thoughts that don’t fit the times or the world, and drinking alone to relieve my worries is enough.”
Cao Changqing opened his eyes, rubbed his frosty temples, and asked, “Can he really pass both Gao Shulu and Wang Xianzhi?”
Huang Longshi calmly replied, “Actually, passing Gao Shulu is enough. Because in the end, it’s just one gate. Wang Xianzhi is slightly stronger than Gao Shulu, but it’s a difference in strength, not cultivation realm.”
Cao Changqing said bitterly, “It’s said to be just one gate, but it’s like fighting Wang Xianzhi ahead of time, still risking nine out of ten chances of death?”
Huang Longshi rolled his eyes, “That kid brought it upon himself. What’s it got to do with me?”
Cao Changqing smiled and asked, “You really left no backup plan?”
The old man looked up, firmly saying, “None!”
Cao Changqing’s question was on behalf of someone else, while Huang Sanjia’s answer was clearly directed at someone in the heavens.
The young woman snorted, broke through the clouds, and vanished on her sword.
In a secluded forest in Youzhou, Beiliang, a thick aura like a giant serpent coiled around the carriage. Xu Yanbing watched the serpent’s aura gradually fade, finally feeling relieved.
Xu Fengnian stepped out of the carriage, sighing, “Gao Shulu will soon arrive in Beiliang. The seventh spiritual projection clarified the gathering and dispersing of the world’s fortune. The last projection recalled the bet of drawing talismans by the Eastern Sea. This time, sitting in Kunlun in projection, I was originally watching Deng Tai’a’s return after seeking immortals, but Gao Shulu stumbled upon me accidentally, forcing me to appear.”
Xu Yanbing asked, “Do you need my help?”
Xu Fengnian shook his head, “No use. I must settle this karma myself.”
Xu Yanbing, unusually showing a smirk of schadenfreude, said, “I have a suggestion. Since that woman from Landuo Mountain, the Bodhisattva, tied her hair, perhaps one knot can undo another. It’s not a clever method, but it’s a method.”
Xu Fengnian hurriedly said, “No way. If Luoyang finds out, she’ll run from Zhulu Mountain to Beiliang to confront me. That woman really will kill me.”
A soft laugh.
A sneer.
Simultaneously from two women’s mouths, clearly filled with contempt.
The girl known as Haha Girl, needless to say, had been wandering in the distance with a dry stick on her shoulder for these days.
As for the other, it’s said that when you speak of Bodhisattva, the Bodhisattva arrives.
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