After exiting Mount Qingcheng, Xu Fengnian hired four large boats and began his journey downstream along the Yanzi River.
The river here rushed violently, with steep mountains standing on both banks, forming steep cliffs and narrow gorges. At its narrowest point, the river spanned merely fifty zhang across. This perilous passage ranked second only to the Kuimen Pass, where legends told of a Taoist sage riding a black ox backward. This winding route contained smaller gorges within larger ones and rapids within larger rapids.
Dressed in white robes, Xu Fengnian stood at the bow of the lead boat, turning to Yu Youwei, who clutched Wu Meiniang in her arms, and said with a smile, “What we just passed were the Shutan and Jiantan—the places where the Wudang Sect’s patriarch, Lv Dongxuan, hid sacred scriptures and ancient swords. Don’t think that was the most treacherous part. The coming Tongling Gorge will be truly dangerous. These four large boats we have are already at the limit; any larger, and even the most seasoned rivermen would be forced to run aground. Back then, I and Lao Huang were scared half to death—I even got seasick and threw up all over him. That’s why local fishermen say Shutan and Jiantan are not truly treacherous; only at Tongling Gorge does one truly face the gates of hell. When the boat starts rocking hard, don’t stand here anymore.”
As Yu Youwei gazed ahead, her face turned pale. Just as she turned to move away, her eyes widened in shock. A small boat seemed to be sailing against the current, heading straight toward the flagship where Ning Emei, wielding a large halberd, was stationed.
A young man dressed in a green robe held a long bamboo pole.
With both hands gripping the pole, he thrust it deep into the river. The back end of his boat tilted upward as he pressed down hard.
At the same moment, the pole beneath the large boat was suddenly lifted by this refined young man.
The dark green bamboo pole bent into a crescent arc.
On one end, the small boat remained steady.
On the other, the great ship was overturned, capsizing with a crash!
Was this green-robed traveler the Dragon King himself?
The boatmen on the remaining three ships were so terrified that their courage shattered entirely.
A single pole on the river startled the heavens and moved even the ghosts and spirits.
His small boat slammed back onto the surface and swiftly drifted downstream, vanishing into the distance like a drifting feather.
With wide eyes, Xu Fengnian muttered to himself, “That technique sure was something extraordinary.”
※※※
Upon reaching Xiongzhou, the capital was no longer far away.
In the current dynasty, six royal princes held fiefs. Except for Prince Huainan, Zhao Ying, who had always held disdain for military force and warfare, the other five wielded varying degrees of military power. The minimum was control of a single province, such as Jing’an King Zhao Heng, Jiaodong King Zhao Sui, and Langya King Zhao Ao. There were two even more powerful princes: Guangling King, stationed in the former capital of Xichu, Da Huang City, controlled half of the vast territory of the previous dynasty and was notorious for ruthlessly suppressing frequent rebellions. The other was Prince Yanla, whose troops were stationed along the old borders of the former Southern Tang. There was no need for further elaboration—he commanded an army of elite warriors and fierce generals, constantly competing with Northern Liang’s iron cavalry for the title of supreme martial power under heaven. After General Gu Jiantang was summoned to the capital, he had effectively laid down his arms and entered the capital alone, disbanding most of his former forces under these two powerful princes.
Though the smoke of the Spring and Autumn War had yet to fully dissipate, the realm was newly stabilized. It was deemed wise to station royal princes along the frontiers to guard the realm, a view that gained universal approval across the empire. However, Xu Shao, an Different Surname king—meaning not of royal blood—drew criticism from both court and commoners alike. At one point, aside from General Gu Jiantang’s potential for border defense, many officials had suggested that Prince Yanla, whose martial prowess rivaled Xu Shao’s, be stationed at Northern Liang. In the end, neither General Gu Jiantang nor Prince Yanla ended up leading forces northward.
Though the regional princes held great power, their authority was tightly restricted by the “Imperial Clan Statute.” The closer a prince was to the capital, the stricter the limitations imposed. For example, Prince Huainan Zhao Ying in Xiongzhou and Prince Jiaodong Zhao Sui in the Twin Liaos region were subject to constant scrutiny; their royal descendants often faced harsh punishment and demotion to commoners. According to regulations, Prince Yanla was forbidden from entering the capital without permission. Even during the passing of the late emperor, the present monarch had refused his request to attend the funeral citing ancestral edicts. It was said that the prince, in grief, stood facing north to pay respects from afar and ended up vomiting blood, bedridden for months. This sincere filial devotion moved many northern scholars, who had previously held him in low regard for his fierce and rebellious nature.
In Magu City of Xiongzhou, the governor and several civil and military officials had traveled thirty miles outside the city walls to prepare an elaborate reception for a passing figure.
Prince Huainan Liu Ying did not personally leave the city. According to the “Imperial Clan Statute,” royal princes were forbidden from leaving their fiefdoms without permission. Even for purposes like visiting tombs or going on a spring outing, they had to submit requests through the local governor to the capital and await imperial approval. Violations would result in severe punishment for local officials. Prince Jiaodong had once tested the law, resulting in the dismissal of the governor of Jinzhou and the demotion and reassignment of several generals in the Twin Liaos region to the southern frontier under Prince Yanla’s command. The very first article of the “Imperial Clan Statute” was, “No two princes shall meet.” Liu Ying, always known for his strict adherence to the rules, never dared to transgress the boundaries of royal decorum. Even when his descendants broke the law, he would not protest, maintaining a courteous silence. This cautious approach earned him the privilege of being summoned to the capital more often than any other prince, and he received generous imperial rewards.
Over a dozen individuals who once held legendary status in the martial world—loyal hounds of Northern Liang—accompanied a single carriage. Among them was Fan Zhenhai, who had once cleaved the head of the Zijin Manor’s lord in a single stroke. There was also Han Laoshan, the junior martial brother of the late spear master, “Spear Immortal” Wang Xiu. Also present was Yang Chunting, the one-eyed swordsman who carried toxins capable of defeating even experts at the “Diamond Level.”
Three hundred heavily armored cavalry followed, their hooves thundering like storm drums.
Governor Yao Baifeng of Xiongzhou, leader of northern scholars, bowed along with all others in reverence.
The curtain of the carriage did not lift, and no one stepped out. A gravelly voice simply said, “Enter the city.”
Not a single person dared show even a trace of discontent!
Remember, Governor Yao Baifeng was the leading figure among scholars of the northern three provinces. As the head of the prestigious Yao clan of Magu City, he maintained a strong academic legacy. When Prime Minister Zhang Julu was still a junior official, he had frequently sought guidance from Governor Yao. For five generations, the Yao family were renowned Confucian scholars known as the Five Great Yaos. They pioneered concepts from perception to virtue, from observation to knowledge, and from principles to ultimate truths—parallel only to the Zhu family’s Neo-Confucian school of the Shangyin Academy in the south. Both schools were regarded as pillars of imperial scholarship, flourishing in north and south alike, and cherished by successive emperors. Despite his lofty standing, even Yao Baifeng now humbly bowed before a mere martial brute who did not even deign to show his face.
It’s no wonder Confucian scholars were seen as spineless—half of the top ten noble families across the land had been obliterated by this butcher.
Moreover, at the age of sixty, his taking a concubine was seen by upright scholars as a charming episode in pursuit of beauty through moral cultivation. But the “Butcher” openly criticized him, calling him a lecherous old fool. When Yao heard this, he was so furious that he locked himself away for half a year, only returning to teaching after his disciples calmed him down.
Inside Magu City, Prince Huainan Liu Ying stood alone on a pavilion by the river, barefoot and unkempt, his hair in disarray as he drank himself into a drunken blur, muttering to himself with a touch of madness.
Approaching the city gate, the Northern Liang King—who had been called an old brute—slightly hunched over as he lifted the curtain, glancing sideways at the aged Yao Baifeng and asking, “That old lecher Yao, where’s Liu Ying?”
Yao Baifeng, who had little flesh on his bony body and suffered aching pain after long rides, answered with a sigh, “Your Highness, according to the ancestral decree, Prince Huainan must not meet you.”
Xu Shao, the Northern Liang King, merely narrowed his eyes and uttered a soft “Hmm.”
As the procession advanced along Magu City’s central thoroughfare, everyone along the street knelt to the ground, too afraid to raise their heads.
Yet every few moments, a booming voice rang out.
Again and again, echoing unceasingly, making Governor Yao and the officials shudder.
“Private Zhu Zhen of the Qingshan Camp of the Jinzhou Eighteen Veteran Battalions pays homage to the Great General!”
“Rider Song Gong of the Tianguan Camp in Western Liaoxi pays homage to the Great General!”
“Archer Gong Duankang of the Pipa Camp pays homage to the Great General!”
…
At that moment, Governor Yao and his peers couldn’t help but recall the last lines of the martial anthem of Northern Liang—its words carried an awe-inspiring ferocity.
“If Xu Shao lives, he is a hero among men.
If he dies, he reigns as a mighty ghost.
He would laugh as he enters Fengdu to summon his old troops,
With banners a million strong, to slay the King of Hell himself!”
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