Zhang Juxian had already descended the mountain, personally overseeing the second wave of guardians, the largest in number. Master Wei Jin was in charge of the rearguard, and still stood at the mountain gate gazing into the distance. It was already past noon. By the old man’s side stood Zhang Shangshan, the most cherished young woman of Fu Lushan. Zhang Shangshan had never understood why her father had given her such a vulgar name. As for her mother, whom she had never seen and thus knew nothing of her appearance or manner, she was merely a spirit tablet in the mountain shrine.
When Mi Fengjie returned to the Immortal Coffin Cave with a trusted aide, Zhang Shangshan sensed that the situation was beginning to spiral beyond expectation. Even Master Wei Jin, always composed and unflappable in the face of danger, began to show signs of deep unease. The old man, now missing the copper-rusted sparrow-tail fan, leaned his hand against the white jade archway at the mountain gate. After a moment’s hesitation, he softly asked, “Shangshan, do you know who named you back then?”
Zhang Shangshan looked puzzled. “Wasn’t it my late mother?”
Wei Jin shook his head and sighed. “Certainly not. Everyone on Fu Lushan knows I once served as a trusted lieutenant under General Gu. Over the years, I’ve often joked with you all that stepping back from the limelight was a wise move to preserve my safety. But that’s not the truth. When General Gu disbanded his personal troops, he was still appointed Minister of War in Tai’an City. The court never harbored any intention of discarding him like a worn-out tool. Therefore, most of General Gu’s former officers have lived comfortably, whether in or out of government service. There was no need to hide or flee—they were too busy enjoying their good fortune.
But there were few elders on the mountain to begin with, and they gradually scattered. The younger generation lacked experience, so they believed whatever I told them. In truth, the imperial court carefully weighed its options and ultimately chose Xu Xiao, rather than General Gu, to be enfeoffed as King of Beiliang. They left contingencies in place. Had General Gu become King of Beiliang and Xu Xiao become Minister of War, this mountain—once known as Jinji Mountain—would have been occupied by Xu Xiao’s old subordinates instead.”
Zhang Shangshan was stunned. Her voice trembled as she asked, “Then what about my father?”
Wei Jin’s voice suddenly rang out with boldness. “Your father, originally named Zhang Gonglian, was one of the six personal guards to General Gu. He was a man who personally slew several great feudal lords during the Spring and Autumn era. Girl, you’ve always thought your father wasn’t heroic enough, that being a mere bandit doesn’t make a true hero. But your father carried a deep sense of injustice he could never express. This secret was meant to be buried with me.”
The old man muttered to himself, “Jinji Mountain was a death trap in military strategy. There were other locations along the Beiliang route that should have been more defensible and maneuverable. Yet without exception, all were easily eliminated by Xu Xiao, the cripple. Each time he eradicated one, he would send word to the court demanding horses, grain, and silver. The emperor of the Zhao family had no choice but to comply. That was the confidence of that butcher of men. Under his very nose, he could play the game however he pleased. On the front mountain, many people must have already died. Such events have happened many times before. Many of us, like your father and me, have been hidden agents for years, forced to endure until death. These palace intrigues plotted behind closed doors by the great ministers are ultimately paid for with our lives. I’ve watched helplessly as young men, still unaware of the truth, went to their deaths. Far away in Tai’an, high officials in robes of the first and second rank watched your father and me coldly, waiting for news of our deaths. Only General Gu would have wrinkled his brow at such news.”
The old man withdrew his hand and gently ruffled the girl’s hair, his voice tinged with sorrow. “That’s why I never wanted you to know these unhappy truths of the older generation. The General once praised your father’s talent for command, even considering bringing him into the Ministry of War. Whether it was to pursue ambitions in the capital or simply to live out his years in peace, it would have been a fortune envied by many. But your father was stubborn. He resented the court for not granting the General a royal title, giving him only the meaningless post of Minister of War. Was the promise of enfeoffing eight men together in the capital not an even greater insult to the General? Angered, he ran off here with me. Even after the General left the capital to oversee military and administrative affairs in the north, he sent a secret message asking your father to accompany him to the Two Liao regions. But your father refused. He disliked the fact that it was the birthplace of Xu Xiao, the cripple, and more importantly, feared you wouldn’t be able to endure the bitter cold there, even worse than Beiliang. No matter how much I tried to persuade him, he wouldn’t go.”
A scout came rushing from the back of Fu Lushan, bringing a message that could only be described as a catastrophe. Wei Jin merely nodded, showing little surprise, and sighed, “Girl, you probably already know the answer. Your name was given by the General himself. Originally, there was even a plan for you to marry his youngest son and become a daughter-in-law of the Gu family.”
Still dazed, Zhang Shangshan asked, “Master, what did the scout just say?”
Wei Jin replied bitterly, “I knew something was wrong the moment Mi Fengjie left. As expected, the soldiers on the front mountain were just a distraction. The real threat came from the back. General Huangfu Ping himself has led the charge, bringing over a hundred border scouts. These are not the kind of scouts that the local garrison can match. They’ve already entered the mountain.”
Zhang Shangshan’s face turned pale.
Wei Jin wore a resigned expression. “I’ve been wondering too. This mountain may seem like a death trap, but strategically it’s not that important to Youzhou. The General’s decision to send your father here was clearly a personal favor. Why would Huangfu Ping, that madman, take interest in this place?”
Zhang Shangshan asked in anguish, “Master, could there be a traitor on the mountain?”
The old man smiled bitterly. “It doesn’t matter anymore. There will always be cowards wherever you go.”
Zhang Shangshan asked in a daze, “Master, what if we let my father surrender? If there’s no war, no one will die.”
The old man was neither angry nor disappointed. He shook his head calmly. “Foolish girl, people die even without war. The Han family of Jizhou, known for their loyalty, was wiped out completely. Many in the Xu family of Beiliang also died outside the battlefield, including the former crown prince, who nearly lost his life. To be honest, I’ve been watching that cripple Xu Xiao of Beiliang for nearly twenty years, and now I realize that even if our General had become King of Beiliang, it might not have been a blessing.”
As Zhang Shangshan was about to speak, Wei Jin flicked his finger against her forehead, and she immediately fainted. A young man with a baby golden monkey perched on his shoulder caught her. Wei Jin said calmly, “Take the young lady to the secret chamber first. Hou Xiashan, even if you die, you must die before delivering her to the Two Liao. Your life and your name were both given by Fu Lushan. It’s time to repay the debt.”
The young man’s eyes burned with determination. He nodded, lifted the woman he loved onto his back, and passed through the mountain gate archway, heading toward the secret path known only to three people on the entire Fu Lushan. He had only become the third person to know of it yesterday, but he had not expected to use this escape route so soon.
Suddenly, Hou Xiashan stopped in his tracks, sensing a grave threat. Wei Jin also furrowed his brow, instinctively stroking his beard, and fixed his gaze on the young man blocking their path—a young clerk from Bishan County, seemingly just a pretty boy from a military family. Wei Jin stepped forward to stand beside Hou Xiashan and smiled lightly. “I suspected something was off about you, but I must admit, my old eyes have grown dim. I didn’t realize that Master Xu was a hidden master of unfathomable depth. Truly, only those who conceal their power completely can be considered true masters. My apologies for my poor judgment.”
Xu Fengnian had already regained his composure. Earlier, Fan Xiaochai’s assassination attempt was like an egg striking a stone. She was still lucid enough to realize her strike had failed, so she dropped her weapons and knelt in the room, adopting a posture of waiting for death. Wang Shiwei, hearing the sound of the wall cracking, had kicked open the door, only to witness this bizarre scene. The man had overheard a maid in the courtyard chatting about how the beautiful and deadly neighbor, who lived next door, had taken a liking to Xu Qi. She had even challenged Master Wei to a life-or-death duel, declaring herself an enemy of the entire Fu Lushan to protect his life. But now, she had crashed through the wall and knelt in silence—what was this nonsense? Wang Shiwei couldn’t wrap his head around it. Had he simply grown too old to understand the young generation’s romantic entanglements? Or was it that female villains in the martial world always pursued handsome young men in such dramatic and passionate ways? Wang Shiwei dared not act rashly. Fan Xiaochai knelt silently, and Xu Qi closed his eyes in meditation. With nothing better to do, Wang Shiwei simply squatted by the door and poured himself some wine, sipping occasionally. When Xu Fengnian first regained consciousness, he got out of bed and smiled at Wang Shiwei without offering any explanation. Wang, to his credit, was wise enough not to ask, assuming that this Xu brother must have a face so handsome that it drove women to madness.
Xu Fengnian had observed the ebb and flow of Fu Lushan’s spiritual energy and used the opportunity to subtly strengthen his own aura, compensating for the damage caused by his tenth forced soul projection into the Northern Desert. At his level, the depth of spiritual energy in his reservoir was no longer the most critical factor. Like a wealthy merchant who no longer needs to worry about increasing his fortune through frugality, but instead focuses on acquiring wealth beyond his established domain, Xu Fengnian was now working to untangle the intricate threads of his cultivation, removing the constraints that bound him, so he could achieve true freedom. This was the key point behind Second Sister Xu Weixiong’s decision to let Xu Fengnian take this trip to the Rouge County to “laze around.” She deliberately kept him from thinking about military and state affairs, encouraging him instead to observe the hardships of ordinary people, to understand the daily struggles of Beiliang’s common folk, so he could solidify his understanding of what and who he was protecting, and realize that his role as King of Beiliang was not for the Xu family, nor even for Xu Xiao.
In life, people always dream of reaching the highest peak to look down upon the smaller mountains, yet few ever turn around to look back at the foot of the mountain, let alone return there. Hong Xixiang of Wudang was different. He took one step into the Heavens, then another into immortality.
Xu Fengnian had his sixth soul projection, during which he visited the Xiao Lianhua Peak, sitting on the back of a turtle-camel, leaning against a stone tablet and gazing at the sky. But no matter how hard he tried to glimpse the secrets of fate, his efforts yielded little.
“Though confined to a narrow space, the spirit can travel thousands of miles. Do not ask where I come from or in which age I lived, but think instead of where I must go and whom I must see.”
Xu Fengnian only fully understood these words much later. They were the last words carved by Hong Xixiang before his soul’s liberation.
At the mountain gate of Fu Lushan, Xu Fengnian turned sideways, allowing Hou Xiashan, who had not yet descended the mountain, to carry Zhang Shangshan up the mountain.
Wei Jin was deeply troubled. As Xu Fengnian stepped beneath the archway, standing beside Wei Jin, he spoke. “Wang Shiwei is the chief constable of Qing’an County. Master Wei may not know that. As for Shen Li, the heart-ripper, he is a spy bought by General Huangfu for a high price. I only recently found out that Huangfu’s intention to move against Fu Lushan and the Immortal Coffin Cave was originally meant to consolidate and discipline the martial world of Youzhou, as a way to flatter the King of Beiliang. My ascent of the mountain was an unexpected event. As for Master Wei and Master Zhang’s hidden identities, that was an unexpected bonus. To be honest, my arrival has indeed hastened the downfall of both mountains. Originally, Huangfu wouldn’t have acted for another half a year.”
Wei Jin, who had been holding back due to lack of certainty, narrowed his eyes and smiled. “Hmph, I told you your bones were extraordinary. You really are a big fish! Are you Li Hanlin, the son of the governor Li Degong? If not, I can’t think of any other young man in Beiliang who would warrant the personal attention of the General of Youzhou.”
Xu Fengnian smiled. “Not far off.”
Wei Jin frowned. “Then are you Xu Beizhi, the grandson of the Northern Court Chancellor?”
Xu Fengnian laughed. “Xu Cishi can even point his finger at me and curse. Master Wei, stop guessing. Why don’t you accompany me to the Immortal Coffin Cave? Along the way, I have some old stories from the Spring and Autumn era to ask you about.”
Wei Jin glanced sideways at the relaxed young man, his heart churning. He was well-versed in Daoist secrets and had a natural ability to sense spiritual energy, yet he still couldn’t determine the young man’s cultivation level. If it weren’t for his reluctance to act rashly, he wouldn’t have the patience to exchange such idle words.
Xu Fengnian glanced at several hawks circling in the distant sky and said, “If we don’t go soon, we might miss the final moments of Mi Fengjie, the newly ascended Finger Heaven Sword.”
This shocking revelation finally stirred the old man’s long-repressed martial ferocity, honed through years of battlefield experience.
But before Wei Jin could act, everything was over.
A woman, her face filled with compassion and exuding an aura of both celestial and Buddhist grace, slowly ascended the mountain. She looked at Xu Fengnian and said softly, “Mi Fengjie escaped.”
Xu Fengnian scoffed, “He was the big fish chosen by our General of Youzhou. Why don’t you go catch him?”
The woman tied her long black hair with a red silk thread, letting it hang loosely down her neck. She gently ran her fingers through the soft strands, her eyes calm.
Xu Fengnian didn’t dare to treat this female bodhisattva like a servant. As for her passive stance, he could only smile and vanish in a flash.
Wei Jin, an old fox who had seen it all, was older than even Zhang Gonglian, who went by the alias Zhang Juxian. Yet the young man beside him vanished without a trace, without the slightest warning or residual spiritual energy. It was even more unbelievable than hearing that Mi Fengjie had silently ascended to the Finger Heaven realm!
The Master of the Hidden Sword Cave didn’t hesitate. He abandoned his stronghold, carrying thirty-six swords on his back, and fled for his life.
Trees die when they stay rooted; people survive when they move.
He had lingered at the threshold of the First Rank for sixteen years, creating what he considered twenty-four bold sword techniques before crossing into the realm. Yet in just two years after that, he had risen to the Finger Heaven level, gaining twelve new sword techniques in the process!
He had no desire to fight the Northern Liang cavalry like the Sword Emperor of Xishu, nor did he want to be led around like a dog by the young king of Liang.
Then he was intercepted by a young man he had seen once before on Fu Lushan. The youth said a strange sentence: “Your current fate, Mi Fengjie, was never meant to be yours. Like the Qingcheng King, it was all borrowed from Northern Liang.”
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