Xu Fengnian helplessly cast a glance at the spear master who had likely dug a trap for him to fall into. At this moment, his internal energy was in a state of extreme turbulence, making his perception of the surroundings far from sharp. As the most formidable expert in Northern Liang, Xu Yanbing could easily sense the arrival of the female Bodhisattva from the Western Regions, but Xu Fengnian could not. Hearing her mocking laughter filled with sarcasm, he did not feel embarrassed. Leaning against the outer wall of the carriage, he made no effort to stand and greet her. Instead, he clasped his hands in a respectful gesture toward the Six-Pearl Guru from Lantuo Mountain and then motioned for her to join him inside the carriage. Sensing the situation, Xu Yanbing tactfully walked away, while the girl known as Xie Xie squatted at a distance, idly drawing in the sand with a sunflower stalk.
The female Bodhisattva did not enter the carriage but stood beside it, her expression serene as she met Xu Fengnian’s gaze. Xu Fengnian felt a sense of nostalgia. Back when he first arrived at Xiangfan, seated calmly at the Spring and Autumn Fishing Platform, this woman had led ten thousand ghosts through the night streets, nearly making him mistake her for the White-Robed Guanyin. At that time, he had deeply respected this woman who had even drawn the old man in sheepskin to action. Later, when Prince Zhao Kai carried a silver bottle to the Western Regions, they had become mortal enemies on opposing sides. Yet soon after, circumstances shifted dramatically, and the two became lovers entangled in secret glances. Northern Liang secretly used its iron cavalry to help her eliminate rivals and ascend to the peak of Lantuo Mountain, while she used Tantric monks to assist Northern Liang in infiltrating the refugee territories.
Looking at the woman before him, whose black hair was indeed as lustrous as any mortal woman’s, Xu Fengnian noted that she still bore a celestial aura. Her hair was simply tied with a white hemp cord, draped around her neck, exuding an air of transcendence. Now, their relationship had evolved from allies of roughly equal standing to something more complex. In fact, Xu Fengnian now held a position of superiority. Not only was Lantuo Mountain subordinate to Qingliang Mountain, but even in terms of martial prowess, he was confident he could kill her at a manageable cost, even though she possessed the Six Auspicious Marks. Remaining calm and composed, Xu Fengnian smiled and asked, “Why have you come to Youzhou in person, Guru?”
This Six-Pearl Bodhisattva, who was rising to prominence in the Western Regions, seemed to possess a presence that brought warmth and joy, like the celestial beings depicted in murals. Her smile was serene, though her tone carried a slight distance as she asked, “The Dragon and Elephant Army has been hastily expanded from ten thousand to thirty thousand. Can you truly ensure the Western Regions remain free from Northern Mang’s cavalry invasions?”
Xu Fengnian smirked slightly. “A horde of twenty thousand bandits besieged Qingcang City for ten days but failed to breach its walls, leaving behind two thousand corpses. Then, in just three days, six thousand elite Dragon and Elephant cavalry slaughtered twelve thousand bandits, their swords so dulled from cutting heads that they had to be replaced. In the end, only a few hundred managed to escape. We now know that the so-called twenty thousand were no more than fourteen thousand bandits. You might say these bandits are nothing compared to a real army, lacking discipline and capable only of skirmishes involving no more than seven or eight hundred men, relying on brute courage to win. When numbers swell, their lack of battlefield experience becomes a fatal flaw. Yet according to Northern Liang’s intelligence, among these fourteen thousand bandits, the core force of two thousand was equipped with the finest horses, bows, arrows, swords, and armor, led by a seasoned officer from the Southern Court of Northern Mang. The reason these bandits were easily defeated was that they were personally crushed by Huang Man’er. Guru, would you like to guess how many Dragon and Elephant soldiers were with Huang Man’er at that time?”
The Six-Pearl Bodhisattva remained expressionless.
Xu Fengnian was unfazed. He raised one hand and answered his own question, “Only five hundred cavalry. Of course, I won’t deny that the Dragon and Elephant Army is already Northern Liang’s elite cavalry, and these five hundred were the elite among elites. Guru, you asked if I can guarantee the Western Regions’ safety under Northern Liang’s protection. The answer is obvious: yes. However, the refugee territories are the true focal point of the Liang-Mang front. The Western Regions, far from the main battlefield, are at most a hidden force of surprise troops, whose usefulness is uncertain. They may even become a burden rather than a boon. Besides, our original arrangement was a one-time deal: I supported your control over the Western Regions, and you helped me contain the ancient Fengxiang Garrison. Both sides offered fair terms, so our cooperation has been pleasant. Why should I go out of my way to protect the Western Regions?”
The Six-Pearl Bodhisattva smiled and asked, “How did you attain such great freedom?”
Xu Fengnian looked puzzled. “Dual cultivation?”
An ordinary woman might have blushed, but the Tantric Guru remained composed, nodding as if she had spoken a profound Buddhist truth.
Xu Fengnian immediately waved his hand. “I wasn’t joking. I dare to provoke anyone except that woman.”
The Six-Pearl Bodhisattva smiled. “I can wait.”
Xu Fengnian smiled in return. “As you wish.”
The Six-Pearl Bodhisattva boarded the carriage and sat on the opposite side, speaking softly, “Strategy emphasizes the balance of the orthodox and the unexpected. Once the Liang-Mang conflict begins, Youzhou and Liangzhou will be the orthodox front, the refugee territories the unexpected, and the Western Regions the unexpected within the unexpected. It’s not as simple as the Prince of Northern Liang claims. If any other noble of Liyang dismissed the Western Regions as a mere sideshow, I might believe it. But Northern Liang? When has Northern Liang ever had the habit of fearing defeat before the battle even begins?”
Xu Fengnian, who had secretly promised to send ten thousand light cavalry under Cao Wei to the Western Regions, felt somewhat embarrassed at being caught in the act. After the embarrassment came a sense of weight. If she could see through it, wouldn’t the Southern Court of Northern Mang, filled with experts, have already prepared countermeasures? Xu Fengnian looked up at the sky. Though it’s said that without foresight, there will be near worries, having foresight brings even more pressing concerns. Now, the tides of the world, from the imperial court to the martial realm, were all stirring with hidden currents. And he, Xu Fengnian, and Northern Liang stood at the very forefront of what would soon become a storm.
Xie Xie jumped onto the carriage, sitting between Xu Fengnian and the Six-Pearl Bodhisattva. Somehow, she now held a yellow four-legged lizard she had caught, known in Northern Liang as a “Stone Yellow Dragon.” The girl held the little creature by its tail, spinning it around joyfully.
Suddenly, the girl stopped. Holding the exhausted lizard, she dangled it in front of the Six-Pearl Bodhisattva and chuckled, “Old auntie, wanna play?”
A killing aura filled the air.
Xu Yanbing, driving the carriage, coughed lightly. Xu Fengnian, eyes lowered, tried to remain indifferent, seeking inner peace.
※※※
The group slowly entered the heart of Youzhou. Because Xu Fengnian’s nine instances of spiritual transcendence had all come without warning, he had to remain fully focused, leaving him unable to attend to military or administrative matters in Youzhou, delaying many important affairs. As the carriage entered Baiquan City, the seat of Youzhou’s military governor, the city was famous for its hundred springs, said to have been caused by the legendary swordsman Lüzu’s sword qi reaching the ninth spring below the earth. Xu Fengnian naturally had a household register, though no one would connect the name on it with the Prince of Northern Liang.
After entering the city, they randomly chose a teahouse in a bustling market. Despite not being mealtime, the place was packed. Xu Fengnian had noticed the teahouse’s eye-catching sign advertising storytelling performances. Since becoming the Prince of Northern Liang, many of his exploits had surfaced, making him a favorite subject for storytellers—not only in Northern Liang but also in the Central Plains of Liyang. Whether the stories were good or bad depended on the audience’s preferences, as the storytellers tailored their tales to please the crowd. The teahouse was unusually busy, and Xu Fengnian had to pay extra silver to secure a decent seat—not so much for entertainment, but more to feed Xie Xie. Before the storyteller’s performance began, the girl devoured her food with her usual wolfish appetite. Xu Fengnian remained deep in thought, pondering how to deal with the entrenched power factions in Youzhou under General Huangfu Ping. He paid little attention to the whispers around him or the lustful glances cast toward the Six-Pearl Bodhisattva. Once Xie Xie was full, he paid and left. Soon after, several groups of people began fiercely arguing over the vacated table, nearly coming to blows. Xu Fengnian, already near the door through the crowded crowd, suddenly heard a slightly familiar pipa melody. He turned around, looked twice, and froze.
A year ago during the Lantern Festival in Liangzhou City, there had been a grandfather and granddaughter. The blind old man drank and told stories of the young prince’s first journey through the martial world, while the thin, pale girl clutched a low-quality pipa made of white wood. Later in Northern Mang, Xu Fengnian had seen the girl handing out thin advertisements while playing the pipa to accompany her grandfather’s storytelling. The first string was already fraying, nearly broken. At that time, Xu Fengnian, wearing a disguise, had been accompanied by the tag-along Tao Manwu. He had invited the pair for a meal and even taught the girl the nearly lost martial pipa techniques of the Cao family, a rare encounter in a foreign land that ended with laughter and joy. Xu Fengnian had listened to many stories of Northern Liang’s past from the blind old man, seen the old soldier’s scars, and met the girl called “Eryu,” who cherished her cheap pipa with unwavering devotion.
Now, the girl held her pipa and took the stage—but this time, the blind old man was absent.
She sat down, lifted a pot of wine from a small stool before her, and drank it in one gulp. Around her, the crowd roared with jeers and mockery, cursing her as a “used shoe” from Northern Mang who had disgraced Northern Liang, claiming she should have died beyond the pass and not returned to Youzhou to chase money.
The woman remained unmoved, gently stroking the nearly broken string of her withered pipa.
Several tables deliberately occupied by armored soldiers, their legs crossed, threw copper coins at her every time she played and told stories, clearly accustomed to treating this as a game of amusement.
Then, everyone saw a young nobleman approach the stage and squat in front of the girl.
In an instant, coins rained down like hail.
Xu Fengnian softly asked, “Eryu?”
The girl’s eyes remained cold, and she continued playing the pipa without acknowledging him.
Xu Fengnian forced a smile and slowly repeated the words he had once spoken, “As far as white-wood pipas go, this one’s sound quality is quite good. If you have the money, a little glue can help. The old man’s stories especially require the pipa’s crispness and vibrancy. The first string is nearly broken, but in my opinion, since you’re playing for the audience, breaking a string can be a delightful spectacle everyone enjoys. There’s no need to rush to replace it. Let me share some techniques of the southern Cao family’s grandmasters. Remember as much as you can…”
Still, the girl did not look up, continuing to play the pipa.
She seemed afraid to meet the eyes of the man who had once kindly taught her to play the pipa during their chance encounter in Northern Mang.
Xu Fengnian knelt beside her, his eyes red. “I’m sorry. Last time, I forgot to tell your grandfather that not only am I from Northern Liang, but I am the very person he always spoke of. My name is Xu Fengnian. I am now the Prince of Northern Liang.”
The girl, sitting on a small bamboo chair at the same height as the man before her, suddenly looked up.
Xu Fengnian gently pulled her head to his shoulder. A man who had never said “I’m sorry” to anyone before now choked back tears and repeated, “I’m sorry.”
The first time, it was Xu Fengnian who had wronged her.
The second time, it was Northern Liang.
The girl, holding back her tears, whispered, “It’s okay.”
Xu Fengnian turned his back to the crowd and slowly stood.
Xu Yanbing and the Six-Pearl Bodhisattva stepped forward simultaneously, their expressions unusually grave, as if the figure before them had transformed into Wang Xianzhi or the newly emerged Gao Shulou.
From a tower nine stories high, a higher realm could be claimed, calling itself the Realm of CarefreeHeavenly Beings.
Xu Yanbing roared, “Xu Fengnian! Do not forcefully transcend for the tenth time and rush to Northern Mang!”
The Six-Pearl Bodhisattva clasped her hands, and outside the teahouse, six Dharma forms emerged, displaying a mighty presence to suppress the building. She solemnly intoned, “All, rejoice.”
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