Xie Guanying showed neither fear nor idleness. He remained composed and eloquent, leisurely commenting on the distinguished figures one by one. Finally, he turned his gaze sideways to the withered scholar seated beside him, raised his teacup, and laughed, “When we parted ways in Jiangnan, neither of us had silver strands in our hair. You said you would lead hundreds of aged soldiers to observe the Xu Barbariczi army from Liaodong. At that time, how spirited and full of vigor you, Li Yishan, were! Yet after all these years, you ended up in such a wretched state, neither man nor ghost, and even in death you could not find peace. What did you hope for? Did you truly believe that defending the northern frontier of Beiliang would bring about an everlasting peace for Huanglong Mountain? You must know that a dynasty lasting four or five hundred years is already extremely rare.”
Xie Guanying seemed to imbibe tea as if it were wine, exuding boldness and intoxication. He raised his voice and laughed heartily, “Li Yishan, Li Yishan, I told you long ago—if you truly joined the Xu family’s army, the ruler you would serve in your twilight years would be nothing more than a prematurely deceased prince of the northwest, destined to be cursed in official histories after his death in battle. He would drag you down too, leaving you at the very bottom of the rankings of strategists in the eyes of future admirers. You wouldn’t even surpass Nalan Youci, who once traveled the vast lands of Jianghu with you. Alas, you never believed in omens or spirits. Even after I predicted early on that Xun Ping would die, you still refused to believe me. You said it was simply because Xun Ping had mishandled his statecraft, that his death was man-made, not ordained by heaven. Ah, you always had a stubborn streak, which is why your life became increasingly unsatisfying as you grew older.”
Xie Guanying shifted his gaze back to Xu Fengnian across from him and sneered, “What’s the matter? Are you so proud of your numbers? Have you forgotten the scroll of Immortal Sages on land, one of the treasures of the Guanyin Sect, and who exactly stands above you on it? You have summoned these figures from past lives by embracing the fusion of the Three Teachings under Lüzu’s doctrine, using Buddhist principles to create grand illusions. It is indeed a magnificent sight. But are you not afraid that in the end, all this effort might amount to nothing more than lambs falling into the jaws of tigers?”
Xu Fengnian sat upright and calmly replied, “Among these elders, some were scholars, some were not. Some are long dead, others still live. Some who have died could have lived again, but they chose death. The way they appear today reflects how I, Xu Fengnian, truly see them in my heart—their true elegance and brilliance. To you, Xie Guanying, perhaps I seem like a man without ambition, trapped in my own self-made prison by defending Beiliang. Perhaps you think my teacher Li Yishan wasted twenty years in Tingchao Pavilion, and that Xu Xiao was a fool for possessing thirty thousand border troops yet never seizing the imperial throne. I do not find it strange that you think this way. People have different aspirations, different desires, different dreams. I only wish to tell you one truth: everyone has their own way of living. Not everything must be done simply because you, Xie Guanying, find it appealing. Life in this world is often filled with disappointments, rarely satisfying to oneself, and even more rarely pleasing to others. If you wish to strike a deal with me, Xu Fengnian, and with Beiliang, at least first understand who I truly am. Since our positions are not vastly different, how can there be any forced trade in this world?”
Xu Fengnian suddenly smiled, “Mr. Xie, you have lived such a lofty and carefree life that you probably don’t understand what it feels like to trudge through mud with both feet.”
He had recently teased Xie with the question of whether she understood or not, and now this remark carried an especially sharp edge of menace.
Xie Guanying swept his gaze around the room, his expression icy.
Xu Fengnian narrowed his already long eyes, “If Mr. Xie feels that all these ‘people in the courtyard’ are merely showpieces I’ve arranged, by all means, test them. See whether they will become nourishment for the Shu King’s ascension into the realm of immortality.”
Chen Zhibao, who had been slowly sipping his spring tea, suddenly set down his cup, the porcelain making a faint clink against the table.
Xie Guanying snorted coldly, “According to the prince’s habits, should I now say that business may fail, but friendship remains?”
Xu Fengnian smiled in return, “You really won’t fight? Then you’ll leave having come with high hopes but departed empty-handed?”
Xie Guanying turned to look at the man in white, who shook his head.
Xie Guanying sighed slightly, though he did not show any sign of yielding, “Water without a source will eventually dry up no matter how much there is. Let me offer one piece of advice: Prince, save this grand display for Tuoba Pusa.”
The spirits of the past surrounding Xu Fengnian gradually faded away as he stood up with a smile and asked, “Then shall we end it here?”
Xie Guanying remained seated, his face cold, “I won’t see you off.”
From beginning to end, Chen Zhibao had not spoken a single word.
※※※
Outside the door, as Xu Fengnian was about to pass by Xie Xie, who wore a look of curiosity, he paused and smiled, “Auntie Xie, I suppose you never wish to return to Beiliang again? That’s understandable. This place has little water, strong winds, and too much sand—it’s bad for the skin. You were never on the The Rouge Ranking anyway. If you were to lose the title of the most beautiful woman in Shu to some young girl, I’d be truly remorseful.”
Xie Xie sneered, “The mighty Prince of Beiliang, quarreling with a mere woman—what a broad heart you have!”
Xu Fengnian smiled warmly, “My apologies. Let me say one last sincere thing: Auntie Xie, your tea-brewing skills are truly unmatched under heaven. It’s a rare and precious art, one I cannot properly appreciate.”
At that moment, Xie Xie herself could no longer tell whether these were truly heartfelt words or a smile concealing a dagger. Yet deep within her heart, she could not help but feel a flicker of pride she was unwilling to admit.
The five of them mounted their horses and rode away.
Tan Tai Jing looked at Xu Fengnian’s pale face and glanced at Hu Yan Daguan, frowning, “Why did you insist on showing off your strength? In terms of combat power and cultivation, Xie Guanying is far superior to me. If a real fight had broken out, it would have been a battle of realms, and that is precisely where Xie Guanying excels the most.”
Xu Fengnian waved his hand, interrupting Tan Tai Jing’s words with a cheerful smile, “Consider it warming up my hands. It’ll save me from being flustered the next time I face Tuoba Pusa. Also, though the fight with Xie Guanying didn’t happen, I still gained something. My originally fragmented illusions have been greatly refined.”
After speaking, Xu Fengnian turned to Xu Yanbing and said with a Bittersmile, “Uncle Xu, I’m afraid I must trouble you to take a detour and deliver a message to Deputy General Han. Tell him not to blame himself.”
Xu Yanbing was puzzled but asked no further questions. His fellow disciple, Han Laoshan, now served as the deputy general of Lanzhou, officially tasked with guarding the southernmost gateway of Beiliang. Everyone knew, however, that his true duty was to monitor any movements from Shu, preventing the Shu army from taking advantage of the conflict between Beiliang and the Northern Wilderness.
Before leaving the city, the five riders split into three different directions. Xu Fengnian and Tan Tai Jing rode north into Liangzhou, Xu Yanbing rode south to deliver the message to Han Laoshan, while Hu Yan Daguan and Tie Mu Die’er could wander freely in Lanzhou. Since the two of them had little connection to Beiliang, Xu Fengnian had no intention of truly commanding them.
As the two riders left the city, Xu Fengnian mused, “Putting aside combat strength and focusing solely on cultivation realms, Tuoba Pusa, as the second strongest in the world, has always been clearly outmatched by Wang Xianzhi.”
Tan Tai Jing nodded, “Regarding this, although Hu Yan Daguan has now surpassed Tuoba Pusa in strength, his cultivation realm is still higher. This is due to talent and fortune. After Wang Xianzhi’s death, the gap among the Fourteen of the Martial Rankings is not as wide as before, both in terms of realm and actual combat ability. Currently, Tuoba Pusa is the deadliest. But Xie Guanying, who has long been weaving robes for others in the shadows, possesses the highest realm. You and Hu Yan Daguan follow closely behind.”
At this point, Tan Tai Jing paused, as if hesitating whether to reveal a secret of heaven.
Xu Fengnian smiled, “You’re thinking of Cao Changqing’s fleeting brilliance and Chen Zhibao’s eventual rise, aren’t you?”
Tan Tai Jing, for reasons unknown, gazed at this young man whose once frost-covered hair had turned black again, and felt increasingly that he resembled someone from a distant past.
Xu Fengnian’s lips curved upward. Without holding the reins, he habitually folded his hands into his sleeves and gazed into the distance, “Don’t look at me with that pitying gaze. Xie Guanying already did that for quite a while.”
Tan Tai Jing blurted out, “If you really find it annoying, why not just beat Xie Guanying up in one go?”
Xu Fengnian could only laugh helplessly. Women, even celestial ones, could still be unreasonable and stubborn.
Tan Tai Jing herself laughed, apparently realizing the absurdity of her own words.
After riding thirty miles beyond the city, Xu Fengnian dismounted and fed his warhorse.
During this brief stop on his return to Liangzhou, Tan Tai Jing asked, “Why did you have Xu Yanbing tell Han Laoshan not to blame himself? Did something go wrong with the Lanzhou military?”
Xu Fengnian’s expression grew complex, “I only had this suspicion after meeting him and Xie Guanying. If I’m not mistaken, the one hundred thousand troops officially stationed in Shu have not left, but secretly, there may already be more than one hundred thousand soldiers who have departed from western Shu. This move might have been planned by Chen Zhibao even before he rode alone into Shu. Moving ten thousand or twenty thousand troops and maximizing their combat effectiveness would trouble even seasoned generals, but for Chen Zhibao, it’s like playing a game. Besides, for now, it’s just relocating them to another place.”
Once he started speaking, Xu Fengnian began muttering to himself, “Wait and see. These Shu soldiers, who have not fought outside their borders for four hundred years, will soon shock the entire Liyang Dynasty in the battles of Guangling. Back then, Xu Xiao, famed for his cavalry, conquered Shu with infantry, giving the court and the Central Plains the mistaken impression that Shu’s troops were weak. But the secret records preserved in the Tingchao Pavilion clearly show how fiercely the Shu generals and soldiers fought, how they bled and died for their homeland. With its natural defensive advantages, Shu had only twelve thousand troops, but do you know how many Shu soldiers died? As many as ninety thousand—ninety thousand! The ferocity of those battles ranks highest among all the Spring and Autumn Wars!”
At this point, Xu Fengnian clenched his teeth in fury, “Damn it! If Beiliang had Shu as a strategic depth and source of troops, would I still have to endure the court’s disdain? Would I have had to personally ride to the outside of the Hulu Pass, leading ten thousand cavalry of Youzhou to certain death? I could have sat on a small stool in Huaiyang Pass, sunning myself and cracking sunflower seeds, waiting for those Northern Wilderness barbarians to come attack Beiliang! Would they dare? If only Zhao Dun hadn’t sent the Minister of War to establish a fief in Shu, today it would be Gu Jiantang’s defense line in the Two Liao regions facing that million-strong army.”
Seeing the young prince lose his composure, Tan Tai Jing smiled with understanding. She softly said, “You really don’t want to be emperor? I think you would make a good one.”
Xu Fengnian, who had been muttering to himself, calmed down and asked, “Why?”
Tan Tai Jing replied, “The Zhao family cannot tolerate Beiliang, but you can tolerate the Central Plains.”
Xu Fengnian lazily replied, “As for sitting on the dragon throne, there are certainly people who could do better than me. But as the Prince of Beiliang, I am the only one in this world who can fulfill that role. It has something to do with my martial prowess and scholarly knowledge, but not the most important thing. Nor does it depend on whether I can perform well as the Prince of Beiliang.”
Tan Tai Jing asked, “Not even Chen Zhibao?”
Xu Fengnian gently replied, “Perhaps not. But Chen Zhibao’s inability is not due to his lack of skill as the White-Clothed Master of War, but rather because of my own selfishness. I don’t care who sits on the throne, but the position of Prince of Beiliang must be mine.”
Tan Tai Jing, understanding his meaning, said, “To live for oneself is only natural. A person who does not live for himself deserves heaven’s wrath and earth’s condemnation.”
Xu Fengnian couldn’t help but laugh, “My esteemed Master Tan Tai, I can tolerate others saying such nonsense, but how could you, of all people, misinterpret Buddhist scriptures?”
As one of the few master cultivators in the world, a guardian of heaven’s laws who caught the escaped fish in the net, Tan Tai Jing surely knew the true meaning of this often-misquoted Buddhist saying. She countered, “Have I truly misinterpreted it?”
Xu Fengnian softly sighed, “You overestimate me.”
After remounting their horses, Xu Fengnian suddenly smiled brightly, “You asked whether I want to be emperor. Well, why don’t you guess?”
Tan Tai Jing was suddenly filled with frustration.
Thus, the two rode north in silence.
But when they were less than a hundred miles from Liangzhou, Xu Fengnian stopped at a Posthouse and suddenly told her they needed to head west. Tan Tai Jing asked which west—hundreds or thousands of miles?
Xu Fengnian smiled and said he needed to borrow troops, and no one else could negotiate it.
He added that he alone needed to go, otherwise it would seem like he was coming to cause trouble.
Tan Tai Jing said, “The person most likely to kill you alone in this world happens to be right along the path to Lantuo Mountain in the west.”
Xu Fengnian simply replied, “Yes,” and said nothing more.
Tan Tai Jing suddenly erupted in fury, “Even if Xu Longxiang is your younger brother, he has his own fate. Do you intend to protect him forever? You’ve already suffered enough in Liuzhou. Do you really want to go and crash headlong into danger again?”
Xu Fengnian smiled, “I didn’t even fight Xie Guanying, and I certainly won’t fight Tuoba Pusa for now. Besides, I’ll take a detour. Only a fool would go looking for Tuoba Pusa.”
Tan Tai Jing suppressed her anger with great effort, “I’ll accompany you as far as Qingcang City. One last warning: don’t engage in any major battles at Lantuo Mountain! Otherwise, even if I foresee Tuoba Pusa’s ambush, I will have no choice but to let him strike.”
Xu Fengnian winked, “Actually, I was just waiting for you to say that.”
Tan Tai Jing’s face darkened, revealing the depth of her fury as a master cultivator of the heavens.
Xu Fengnian mounted his horse again, smiling faintly as he asked, “Have you figured out the question yet?”
Tan Tai Pingjing’s usually calm demeanor finally erupted as she snapped angrily, “Figure out what big ghost head of yours!”
Xu Fengnian slightly moved his lips, muttering something softly.
Tan Tai Pingjing instantly regained the dignified bearing of a master cultivator.
In the second year of Xiangfu era, on the day of Guyu, spring had nearly passed.
Households wrote talismans with cinnabar to ward off scorpions and insects.
After parting ways south of Qingcang City, Xu Fengnian journeyed alone into the heart of the Western Regions.
At last, he saw that unremarkable mountain.
At this moment, a monk nicknamed Wuyong descended from Guangling on a single leaf, seeking Cao Changqing aboard the Western Chu’s grand warship. The monk stood on a floating reed leaf on the river’s surface, clasped his palms, and looked up at the figure in green robes, saying he had come to ask Cao Changqing to set down one thing and pick up another.
Cao Changqing said nothing, merely shaking his head.
Great Chu—he could not set it down. The Central Plains—he could not pick it up.
Liu Songtao, the monk from Landuo Mountain, asked, “If even this humble monk can let go, why can’t you?”
Cao Changqing smiled, “What I cannot let go of, you have never held. How can you speak of letting go or not?”
Monk Wuyong bowed his head silently, reciting a Buddhist chant.
Cao Changqing lifted his gaze toward the distant capital of Great Chu.
He said he could not let go of Great Chu.
He could not let go of the capital, the palace, the pavilion, or the chess game.
In truth, he could not let go of her—the one who had stood smiling beside the king, watching the game.
On this day, Monk Wuyong perished in battle upon the Guangling River.
On this day, seawater surged backward into the Guangling River.
The overwhelming might of Confucian Saint Cao Changqing was known throughout the court and country.
As Xu Fengnian climbed the mountain, suddenly, bells rang out across the entire mountain.
Amid the lingering chime, Xu Fengnian felt a resonance, pausing halfway up Landuo Mountain to gaze eastward, lost in thought.
Xu Fengnian slowly closed his eyes, gently bowing his head with palms joined.
May Beiliang never know sorrow.
※※※
At the time, after Xu Fengnian’s group had departed, Chen Zhibao quietly picked up his teacup, still silent.
Xie Guanying stood up, unable to help but softly curse with a smile, “That fellow truly deserves to be Li Yishan’s disciple—so stubborn. He even turned around and lectured me. I wonder whether he actually listened. His cultivation has become like water without a source. Besides the western front, from today onward, Beiliang has made enemies on three sides—it’s even more so now.”
Chen Zhibao smiled, “Anyway, neither of us came to Lingshou expecting anything. I just wanted one last look at a relatively peaceful Beiliang. As for you… is it like an old man gritting his teeth in irritation, enduring his son-in-law, growing more and more annoying with each glance?”
Xie Guanying chuckled bitterly, “I only have a son—how could I have a son-in-law?”
Chen Zhibao’s smile deepened, making a rare joke, “Could it be that you’re treating me like a mother-in-law eyeing an unwed daughter-in-law?”
Sighing, Xie Guanying changed the subject, his expression gloomy, “If only time would grant me half a year more—just half a year. Then, you…”
Chen Zhibao shook his head, “On the battlefield, don’t speak of half a year. Even half an hour or a quarter of an hour can decide the outcome.”
Xie Guanying sat back down, curious, “Is there truly nothing you wish to say to Xu Fengnian?”
Chen Zhibao replied calmly, “There is something I want to say. But I just don’t wish to.”
Xie Guanying understood this White Robeman’s seemingly contradictory words.
Leaning on the table with his elbow, Xie Guanying’s posture became more relaxed, “That fellow did say something right—nothing in the world is as difficult as getting exactly what you want. For instance, if Xu Fengnian had remained the same as before, a mere figurehead, Beiliang would now be yours, and he could obediently play the part of a puppet prince enjoying his comforts, avoiding all these troubles. But if Xu Fengnian not only became the greatest martial artist in the world but also possessed your military strategies, becoming the finest general in existence, then I would have headed straight for Qingliang Mountain instead of going to Shu.”
Chen Zhibao’s relationship with the Xu family of Beiliang was like an unbreakable knot.
The higher Xu Fengnian rose, the harder it became to untie.
A gleam of schadenfreude flickered across Xie Guanying’s face, “What are your thoughts on the current Crown Prince and new King of Beiliang, Xu Fengnian?”
Xie Guanying expected no answer to this question, but Chen Zhibao replied without hesitation, “When he was still a child, perhaps I felt jealousy. But after he became King of Beiliang, I felt little.”
Xie Guanying was surprised, “Jealousy? You, a master strategist who defeated Ye Baikui, who could have become a king of another surname at your coming-of-age ceremony—how could you envy a prince forced to hide his talents, suffering disgrace and infamy?”
Chen Zhibao smiled, “Xu Fengnian was right about something. There are some small things you truly don’t understand, Master Xie.”
Xie Guanying fell into thought, “Huang Sanjia prided himself on never missing a calculation, yet later he amused himself by studying human hearts. He miscalculated that young wandering swordsman wielding a wooden sword in the capital.”
Chen Zhibao slowly stood, “When I was young, a man and a woman once argued.”
This time, Xie Guanying was genuinely curious. The identities of the man and woman weren’t hard to guess—only Beiliang King Xu Xiao and his consort Wu Su could leave such a lasting impression on the White Robe Strategist. But the content of their argument was something he could never guess.
A faint smile touched Chen Zhibao’s lips, unhidden, “The man said that men should wear armor and ride into battle. Even when off their horses, they should still wear black iron armor, looking handsome and mighty. The woman said plain white robes were more beautiful, giving a scholarly air. Later in Beiliang, besides the initial great war caused by Zhao Dun, which was somewhat interesting, during my time as Beiliang’s commander, there were few major battles—only scattered skirmishes. More often than not, I was reading in that place where opening the door revealed only endless yellow sands. My father died young, but I have some memories of him. My mother died even earlier, and my recollections of her are hazy. So in this life, I regarded that man as my adoptive father, but always saw that woman as my true mother.”
Then Chen Zhibao’s smile faded, “As long as my adoptive father lived, I would never harm Xu Fengnian. But if he were to die on the Jianghu of Liyang or the grasslands of Beiman, I wouldn’t care. This was my original intention, and my adoptive father believed it. But many others did not—not even Yao Jian and Ye Xi believed it. So they secretly approached the Beiman assassin Xue Songguan, paying him to kill Xu Fengnian. Huang Sanjia once made a prophecy about slaying both dragon and snake in white robes—a trap not only for the Xu family of Beiliang but also a shackle placed upon me, Chen Zhibao. So during that ambush at Tiemenguan, she believed I had come to kill him. I could endure many things, but not toward her. Back then, I personally killed her parents at Xilei Wall, sparing only her…”
Chen Zhibao fell silent for a moment before continuing gravely, “My father faced death calmly. I only hated the world, never any individual. I accepted my adoptive father, and I did so sincerely. That’s why I preferred to follow him to the northwestern frontier rather than becoming a southern prince. But tell me, should I, Chen Zhibao, serve loyally under someone I’ve always seen as a naive child? Just because he shares the surname Xu with my adoptive father? Just because one day he might inherit the title?”
Xie Xie happened to cross the courtyard threshold just then, hearing these words. Her eyes sparkled, captivated.
This was the man she adored.
To the eyes of the world, even the highest princely rank was too small—only the entire world would suffice.
Xie Xie began brewing tea again. This time, compared to the previous undercurrents of tension, the atmosphere was naturally more relaxed and pleasant.
Xie Guanying flicked his sleeve and sat back down, “As for what Xu Fengnian has done these years, no one knows better than me. Back then in Taian City, I specifically kept watch on him. But when he left the capital, I could only feel disappointment.”
Xie Xie couldn’t help asking, “Why were you disappointed, Master? Although I dislike Xu Fengnian too, to be fair, he does have some… methods.”
Xie Xie suppressed her aversion with effort, managing a “to be fair” with difficulty. This showed that Xu Fengnian, the new King of Beiliang, had indeed changed in the eyes of the world, no longer as despicable as before.
Chen Zhibao smiled, “Master Xie was disappointed because he found him lacking ambition, unable to even conceive of sitting on the dragon throne—or rather, suppressing that ambition very well.”
Xie Xie widened her eyes, “Are there actually men in this world worthy of being called heroes who don’t wish to become emperor?”
She lifted her sleeve, covering her mouth, her beautiful eyes narrowing as she scoffed, “Is Xu Fengnian even a man?”
On the stone table, steam curled upward.
The aroma of tea filled the air.
During this time, Xie Xie, perceptive and clever, noticed Xie Guanying’s willingness to talk and asked some questions she had long kept inside.
Why did the current era produce so many martial experts, surpassing previous generations of Jianghu?
Master Xie smiled and told her that the spring of Yonghui was not only a bountiful year for the Liyang bureaucracy but also an illusion of a “Golden Age” created by Huang Longshi at the cost of exhausting the martial world’s vitality for centuries to come. It was like a wastrel squandering the future’s harvests, consuming all the grain of the years to come until nothing remained. There would be no more Golden Ages, only lean years, growing leaner with each generation. Martial artists would no longer walk the land as immortals, no longer resonate with heaven and earth, no longer tap their fingers to question longevity. There would be no masters of the four great realms of cultivation, and eventually, even second-tier experts, now considered minor masters, would become the great sages of future generations. All the martial world’s splendor of today would become doubtful legends of the future.
“One emperor, one generation of ministers; one generation’s grudges end with that generation. Why does the new emperor Zhao Zhuan still seem to hold the new King of Beiliang as if he had killed his father?”
Master Xie’s expression turned playful. There was no actual patricidal hatred, but there was a touch of resentment over a stolen lover.
Hearing this, Xie Xie’s mouth fell open. Could that Xu fellow really have such audacious skill? Could it be that he truly had some secret relationship with the current Empress Zhao Zhi, who hailed from Beiliang?
Xie Guanying, deeply familiar with the Zhao family’s secrets, revealed the truth: The late emperor Zhao Dun at least understood that Empress Zhao Zhi’s rivalry was merely a contest of pride with Beiliang’s princess Wu Su, not an actual affair with Xu Xiao. Yet the current emperor truly bore a hidden thorn in his heart. Crucially, this deeply buried thorn could not even be removed by the new empress Yan Dongwu, let alone anyone else. Perhaps touching it would mean death.
Pointing at Chen Zhibao, Xie Guanying half-jokingly said, “In the new emperor’s heart, our Prince of Shu is another thorn, just like the late emperor Zhao Dun’s complex feelings toward Xu Xiao—exactly the same.”
Chen Zhibao’s expression remained calm as he patiently waited for his new cup of tea.
As Chen Zhibao accepted the teacup from Xie Xie’s hands, he looked at Xie Guanying and asked, “Xu Fengnian spoke so much today. Do you know what he truly wanted to do?”
Xie Guanying nodded, his tone tinged with emotion, “In this aspect, Xu Fengnian is worlds apart from Li Yishan.”
Chen Zhibao spoke bluntly, “That’s why only people like Song Dongming would have a place in Qingliang Mountain. You, Xie Guanying, would never go there.”
Xie Guanying smiled, glancing at Xie Xie’s thoughtful expression before teasing, “Well then, since I’ve already shared so many interesting secrets with you, I might as well share this one too. Since childhood, Xu Fengnian has believed in Buddhism and in future lives. As his loved ones passed away one by one, he increasingly feared that he had taken all the family’s fortune for himself, causing his loved ones to miss out on blessings. So as the one remaining in the world of the living, he is determined to sacrifice himself to accumulate merit for the Xu family, repaying the debts his father Xu Xiao incurred from killing so many during the Spring and Autumn period.”
Xie Guanying laughed loudly, “What a fine example of a son repaying his father’s debts! So, whether or not he wants to be emperor, he simply dares not. Truly pitiful!”
After a moment of shock, Xie Xie whispered softly, “Truly pitiful.”
Chen Zhibao murmured, “Pitiful?”
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