Lu Haiya left the monotonous banquet filled with excessive food and drink, finding no novelty in it. The so-called grand feast at Fulu Mountain was nothing but a display of brutal tortures—like slicing the victim into fish-scale pieces or inflicting the cruel sandalwood punishment—to accompany the wine. At first, these spectacles startled and intrigued Lu Haiya, but over time, they became less appealing. He found more enduring pleasure in the simple tea and light refreshments shared among refined gentlemen. The executioner at the banquet was Shen Li, who had recently returned to the martial world, performing the same brutal techniques as those young swordsmen who once trained under the famed monkey-riding masters—only differing in whether they used their hands or blades.
No one at Fulu Mountain harbored any concerns about the prison break, and the obscure magistrate of Bi Shan County was hardly worth mentioning. Lu Haiya could do little about it; after all, Fulu Mountain and Xianguan Ku were equal in strength, neither subordinate to the other. Their top-tier martial experts were evenly matched, and overall, their forces were comparable. Over a decade of peace between the two factions was largely due to the balanced leadership of Master Mi Fengjie and Zhang Juxian. Lu Haiya neither particularly liked nor disliked Zhang Juxian’s only daughter, Zhang Shangshan. If he could marry her without complications, he wouldn’t mind having such a clever woman to warm his bed. Yet, as Zhang Juxian’s beloved daughter, she was a source of political entanglements. Devoted to his martial cultivation and aiming to become the greatest swordsman in the realm, Lu Haiya had little time to navigate the treacherous social landscape of Fulu Mountain. The top seats at Fulu Mountain were all occupied by cunning individuals—marrying her would be like embracing a hornet’s nest, possibly undoing all his hard-earned influence in Xianguan Ku.
Lu Haiya walked down a narrow alley, wide enough for only two people to walk side by side. Sunlight poured from above, casting a sharp dividing line across the alley walls. Behind him, at a distance, followed a woman with an unusual name. As expected, someone else’s lonely gaze followed her from even further behind. Thinking of his own situation, Lu Haiya gave a self-mocking smile. Was he not also entangled in his own delusions? Even though Fan Xiaochai’s beauty was indeed exceptional, he shouldn’t be so infatuated. Yet, every time he saw her slender waist adorned with twin blades, he couldn’t help but imagine removing her extra blade, then her clothes, leaving only that smooth, curved waistline. Under the moonlight’s glow, it would be breathtaking. If she were to strip bare, leaving only a pair of embroidered shoes, would that be even more alluring? Lu Haiya narrowed his eyes, his breath quickening involuntarily. He clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms, forcing himself to regain some clarity. As he left the banquet, a steward mentioned that Miss Cai had already moved into Lürui Courtyard. Lu Haiya wondered why she had changed her mind, not waiting for Wei Jin to bring the Quewei blade and Tongxiu sword to the Dianshui Well duel. Was she afraid? He didn’t believe so. If she feared death, she wouldn’t have ventured alone into Xianguan Ku, engaging in a life-or-death duel with the Sword Keeper for over sixty exchanges, each move risking her life. Lu Haiya had never seen his sword-obsessed master so excited—like an old jade craftsman discovering the most flawless gemstone, waiting for Master Mi Fengjie to carve it.
Lu Haiya vaguely recalled an elder martial uncle mentioning this woman—she must be the legendary natural sword prodigy, one of the rarest in the world.
Lu Haiya arrived at Lürui Courtyard, pushed open the gate, and knocked on the door. A cold voice came from inside, “What do you want?”
Lu Haiya replied softly, “Nothing.”
No further sound came from inside.
Lu Haiya silently turned and left.
Inside, long before dusk, Fan Xiaochai waited until she was certain Lu Haiya had left the courtyard. Then she lit a candle. She released her martial aura, rolled up her sleeve, and placed her snow-white arm on the table. With her other hand, she held the candle, letting the molten wax drip slowly onto her pale skin, where faint “blue threads” were visible. One red droplet after another fell, cooling and solidifying. Temporarily suppressing her martial energy, Fan Xiaochai was even weaker than an ordinary woman, her skin more sensitive and fragile. Yet she endured the burning sensation without flinching, even craving more. She tore open her collar, raised the candle, and let wax drip onto the inner curve of her breast. Only then did she let out a soft, lingering moan. Leaning back against the chair, she stretched her neck instinctively, turning her head. In a daze, she saw the figure she had dreamed of killing a thousand times. Half-closing her eyes, as a new droplet struck the full curve, and as she turned her head to gaze at that hazy face, she suddenly felt an unfamiliar, intense pleasure—like the first time she had been pierced through the palm by a sword, a pain so deep it left an indelible mark. Now, it was a strange, profound thrill. At that moment, she wasn’t thinking of life or death—only of this figure watching her degrade herself. Fan Xiaochai’s body shuddered violently. Her long legs beneath the table straightened abruptly, and the figure in her vision grew increasingly blurred.
Fan Xiaochai closed her eyes, panting heavily, the half-burned candle slipping from her hand and crashing to the floor.
She thought that when she opened her eyes, that figure would be gone.
But a voice thundered in her ear, “Since you can’t even decide whether you want to live or die, why not just give up and go mad?”
Fan Xiaochai jolted upright, instantly restoring her martial aura, quickly smoothing her sleeves, covering her collar, and hiding the exposed skin. She stood up, stumbling backward several steps. Once she had steadied her breath, she was struck with a new shock, her wide, misty eyes staring, “You really can project your soul?”
“Xu Fengnian” sat leisurely on a chair, smirking, “You find it strange that I can project my soul? Or is it stranger that you’re still flaunting that seductive act, even though you know I’m watching?”
Fan Xiaochai turned her head slightly, averting her gaze.
Xu Fengnian, having truly attained the Daoist realm of “Heaven and Man in Harmony,” continued with a grin, “Go ahead, give it another round. They say only oxen die from overwork, but the fields never wear out.”
Fan Xiaochai trembled with fury.
Xu Fengnian added fuel to the fire, “Already done so soon?”
Fan Xiaochai’s face turned from pale to deep green, like a piece of jade with a white base and green veins.
Xu Fengnian suddenly raised a finger to his lips.
Fan Xiaochai, being a top-tier spy of the Fushui Agency, quickly focused her attention on the door.
A woman entered the courtyard and left again. From the footsteps alone, Fan Xiaochai knew it was the reckless Zhang Shangshan.
Once Fan Xiaochai turned her attention back, the soul projection had already returned.
※※※
About half an hour before dawn, Fan Xiaochai, who hadn’t slept all night, reached under her pillow and gripped her twin blades. As footsteps approached the courtyard, she heard a knock and asked in a calm tone, “What do you want?”
The uninvited guest knocked and then fell silent.
Fan Xiaochai got up, put on her boots, fastened her twin blades, and opened the door. She was puzzled to see a figure crouched on the steps.
Xu Fengnian spoke softly, “Come with me.”
Fan Xiaochai raised no objections.
The two began ascending the mountain, one after the other.
Perhaps the dawn came earlier than expected, or perhaps Xu Fengnian was unfamiliar with the terrain, taking unnecessary detours. In any case, they failed to reach the summit of Fulu Mountain in time to witness the most magnificent sunrise from the best vantage point.
Fan Xiaochai wanted to laugh but couldn’t, so she simply followed silently behind.
Xu Fengnian stopped midway, still half a mile from the summit, gazing at the distant horizon. In his eyes, it was as if a colossal golden carp had leapt from the heavens, resting on a jade-white plate.
Fan Xiaochai stood beside him, gazing eastward, but found the sight unremarkable.
Xu Fengnian said calmly, “I had planned to reach the summit, watch the sunrise, and then share some fitting words of wisdom with you. But since we missed it, I suppose it’s not worth saying.”
For the first time, Fan Xiaochai spoke to the Northern Liang King with calmness, “My entire family perished because of the General. Justice has its reasons. I should have sought vengeance against the General, not you, Xu Fengnian. But back then, I had no reason to choose—I simply acted on instinct. I never stopped to question whether it was right or wrong. People fight for a breath of pride. Without that breath, I would have died long ago in the medicinal pool of the Fushui Agency. Out of ten women who jumped into that pool, nine and a half died, at most leaving half a life. And that was only the first trial. Of the ten half-alive survivors, they fought among themselves, and only one or two remained. I don’t even know how I survived these past two years.”
Fan Xiaochai chuckled bitterly, “I know I can’t kill you. I haven’t given up yet—I still imagine carving your bones and flesh, seasoning them with salt and vinegar, and having them with rice. I’m sure I could eat several bowls in one sitting.”
She gently stamped her foot on the ground, sighing, “Sometimes I think foolish thoughts. Standing, you only need two feet of space. Lying down, you take up more room. Add a coffin, and it’s even more. Heaven sends us into this world for a brief journey, yet we die so easily. Before death, we curse Heaven for being blind—don’t we fear being reborn into a worse fate? With this life having no hope, how can I dare to ruin the next?”
Fan Xiaochai turned and asked, “Have I spoken too much? Probably an old habit from reading too many books. No wonder I always like to torture people while talking when I kill.”
Xu Fengnian was silent for a moment, then said matter-of-factly, “I still have quite a few candles left in my room.”
Fan Xiaochai’s cheeks flushed red and hot, just like the dripping wax from yesterday.
※※※
Soon, the entire Fulu Mountain knew of a young official who feared neither death nor danger, idly wandering up and down the mountain every day. Some bandits tried to ambush him in an alley, intending to kill him with a single slash. But the first man who attempted it mysteriously lost his head. As the magistrate stepped out of the alley, the severed head rolled down the slightly sloped ground and bumped into his heels. Hearing the news, several men rushed in, enraged. Two of them were instantly cut in half by an outsider woman’s blade. Eventually, Zhang Juxian, Wei Jin, and other senior figures arrived, offering no explanation. Outsiders only knew that Master Wei, furious, had challenged the demonic woman to a life-or-death duel in half a month, forbidding any attacks on the magistrate until then.
Rumors spread like wildfire. Some claimed the young official was the woman’s lover, sacrificing his career for her sake, determined to flee into the mountains with her. Others insisted they were childhood sweethearts, disciples of a top Northern Liang sect, and that he had come to rescue her after she was abducted. There were even rumors they were long-lost siblings. In short, the tales were wild and varied, each more absurd than the last.
As the duel approached, the people of Fulu Mountain began to look upon the young magistrate as a dead man.
At dawn, Xu Fengnian stood alone at the summit, the sky dark and stormy, no morning glow in sight.
Xu Fengnian had been deeply disappointed by the failed ambush on Jiang Fuding by several cavalry units. He wondered if this time would bring any surprises.
Unconsciously, he recalled Fan Xiaochai’s small foot-stomping gesture from their mountain climb and mimicked it.
Fulu Mountain was destined to have no future in Northern Liang.
But could Northern Liang itself still claim a place in the coming world?
Xu Fengnian stretched his arms wide, embracing the heavens and earth.
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