At dawn, a carriage rolled out of the city of Huangnan Prefecture. Hong Shuwen rode beside it, lazily guarding the vehicle, flanked by two other White Horse Righteous Cavalry (White Horse Retinue). Inside the carriage, Xu Fengnian sat while Huyan Guanyin, drowsy-eyed, curled in a corner wrapped in Xu Fengnian’s fur cloak. The night before, when the carriage paused before the Wang residence, she had sat alone, lifting the curtain several times in vain, unable to spot him hidden behind stone lions, only seeing the taciturn tall coachman. Later, when she settled into a side room of their courtyard lodging, she likely did not sleep well the entire night. In contrast, she had slept soundly inside the carriage. If she was indeed a servant girl, it was unclear who was actually serving whom.
Huyan Guanyin opened her hazy eyes, struggling to keep them open, peering through a narrow gap at the man who had turned the city upside and down in a single night. On the journey to Huangnan, she had noticed him compulsively lifting the curtain every few hours, as if gripped by some obsessive habit. She could not fathom what he was looking for. To her, the roadside scenery offered nothing new—only identical locust and willow trees—but he never seemed to tire of it. Occasionally, when distant hoofbeats passed by, he would grow even more attentive—or perhaps lost in thought. Could it be that he saw flowers blooming from the faces of strangers?
As the carriage neared the border of Huangnan, a lone rider suddenly approached. It was Song Gu, the junior leader of the Youyun agents who had infiltrated the Chai Fei Courtyard. Xu Yanbing heard the order from behind the curtain and gave a low whistle, bringing the horses to a gradual halt. Song Gu dismounted and knelt beside the carriage, his gaze fixed on the curtain. Hong Shuwen turned his horse and slowly circled around Song Gu, smirking down at him.
“Chief Song,” Hong teased, “are you here to collect your silver?”
Song Gu occupied a mid-tier position among the Northern Liang Youyun agents. Leaving aside the “turtles” and other civilian spies, the martial spies—those willing to die for their missions—seldom saw changes in rank within Youyun. Martial cultivation could not be mastered overnight, and within Youyun, strength determined status. The strong rose, the weak fell. Song Gu possessed the strength of a third-tier cultivator. Originally a commoner from Li Cang County in Northern Liang, the county was renowned for its martial culture, home to seven prominent families, each guarding their own secret techniques. Wang Xiu, the spear immortal, had married into one of these families—the Qi clan.
Song Gu’s martial journey was a tale often whispered in the streets. As a youth, he had encountered a wandering spear master who came to Li Cang for a duel. The master had been targeted by bounty hunters, and a deadly ambush ensued. Not only were professional killers hired, but two of Li Cang’s prominent families joined the hunt. The master, nearing Realm of the Indestructible (Diamond Realm), fought off wave after wave of attackers, killing many before finally falling. Before his death, he fled to an abandoned house where he encountered Song Gu, a teenager cooking dog meat. The dying master passed on all his knowledge, but Song Gu barely grasped half of it. Later, in a moment of recklessness, Song Gu revealed a technique, drawing the attention of his master’s enemies. Forced into hiding, he joined the Youyun agents of Northern Liang. After nearly a decade of struggle, he finally rose to prominence.
This time, with the division of the Youyun agents, the number of first-tier cultivators remained unclear to all but Zhu Lushan and Xu Wei Xiong. However, the second-tier minor grandmasters numbered fourteen, a fact known to all. Two years ago, the number had reached twenty, but since then, Lü Qiantang had died in the Reed Marsh (Reed Marsh), Shu Xiu had retired, one perished at the border, one vanished, another died on the road when Chen Zhibao left Liang for Shu, and one, having achieved his goal, was granted a minor general’s title and founded a sect in the southeast of Lingzhou, surviving through the Water Transport (grain transport system), essentially a world of ruthless predation—big fish eating small, small fish eating shrimp. Whoever survived the longest would claim the lucrative grain transport monopoly.
With no outsiders nearby, Song Gu knelt and spoke in a low voice: “Song Gu of the second division of the Fushui Society risks death to report to the Your Highness (Prince).”
The curtain remained still.
Song Gu clenched his teeth. “Regarding the Chai Fei Courtyard matter, Song Gu deviated from the original plan and bears the blame. I do not deny this. But I beg the Your Highness to hear my explanation. Among the Locust nymph (locusts) recorded in the second division of the Fushui Society, infiltrators within the Chai Fei Courtyard included Wang Huanru, a courtesan from Guse Province in the Southern Dynasties, Qu Ruo, a madam from Kunzhou, and several disciples from Guse Province who had joined the courtyard as guards. At the time, I believed that since Hong Shuwen had been temporarily assigned to the Fushui Society’s military affairs, he must possess considerable skill. Assigning him to deal with Qu Ruo seemed more promising than sending the third-tier agent, Ren Shanyu…”
A cold voice emerged from behind the curtain: “Leave.”
Song Gu felt as if struck by lightning, his hands pressing into the ground. Though he tried to keep his tone steady, his voice betrayed despair: “ Your Highness! This mission was not undertaken with negligence on my part!”
Xu Yanbing, of course, paid no heed to a mere Youyun agent from the second division. He simply drove the carriage forward.
Hong Shuwen, reins in hand, sat lazily atop his horse, leaning back and casting a cold glance at Song Gu.
As dusk approached, the carriage neared Lingzhou’s city. The dark stone walls loomed higher, and as they passed through the gates, red lanterns already hung in abundance—unusual for this time of year. In fact, not only here but across the city, lanterns had appeared overnight on nearly every high branch lining the streets. It was said to be the doing of Li Gongde, the governor. Rumor had it that the clerks and lowly officials grumbled bitterly, muttering that even as governor, he still sought to flatter the beleaguered Lingzhou General. Yet, the townsfolk, stepping outside, bore smiles of joy.
Xu Fengnian stopped the carriage at a bustling crossroads and chose a tavern, suggesting they all dine out. The tavern was packed, and they managed to secure two adjacent tables downstairs. Xu Fengnian sent Hong Shuwen to the counter to select bamboo slips listing the dishes.
No sooner had they sat than a cacophony erupted. Huyan Guanyin turned toward the noise and saw a wiry-faced young man, after which she lost interest. Xu Fengnian, however, turned on the bench, smiling as he watched.
The skinny youth had one leg propped on the bench, picking his teeth as he ranted: “If I were the Prince of Northern Liang with a general for a father, I’d have the entire Tide-listening Pavilion (Tide Listening Pavilion) filled with martial arts manuals, plus countless masters. I’d have mastered a supreme technique by now. Not top three in the world, but definitely top ten. As for leading an army, I’d take a dozen thousand iron cavalry and, without boasting, I’d wipe out the northern barbarians. The southern provinces of Guse and Long Yao in the Northern Mang wouldn’t even have grass left!”
Another voice chimed in, half-skeptical, half-jealous: “You think the thirty or forty thousand troops on the border between Liang and Mang are made of paper? Only Northern Liang can hold them back. And there’s always Toba Pusa, the war god. Conquering the southern provinces wouldn’t matter if he’s still alive. He’s a monster in battle. If he gets bloodthirsty and decides he wants your head, what then? He’s the only one who can rival the old man of Wudi City. Taking a general’s head from a million soldiers? That’s like reaching into a bag.”
At the mention of Toba Pusa, the wiry youth visibly shrank: “Then forget the Northern Mang. I’d take all the Northern Liang cavalry and ride eastward for two or three thousand miles. Except for General Gu Jian Tang on the eastern front, the elite forces of Prince Yan Chi Zhao Bing and Prince Guangling Zhao Yi are far away and can’t intervene. Gu the old man was crushed under our general before, and he still wouldn’t stand a chance now. I’d storm the imperial palace, sit on the dragon throne, and see who dares challenge me! As for that The purple-bearded, green-eyed fellow (Purple-bearded, green-eyed) Zhang Julu, no matter how clever his mind, he’s just a scholar too timid to even kill a chicken. If he stood before me, I’d slap him so hard he’d forget which way is north!”
Another voice chimed in, sarcastic and indignant: “It’s just that our Prince is a coward with no guts. He went to the capital and came back with nothing to show for it. At least he could’ve harassed a few courtesans! Who knows how many silver taels he wasted bribing the capital officials? I heard he brought dozens of chests filled with gold, silver, and treasures on his journey. That spineless punk must’ve been humiliated in the capital and now he’s back home to lord over his own territory!”
The wiry youth lowered his voice conspiratorially: “Have you heard? The Prince was supposed to return in disgrace, but the general couldn’t bear to watch and personally intervened. That’s how he got two daughters-in-law from Qingzhou. What rotten luck for the general to have such a useless heir! It’d be a blessing for the realm if the Young Prince became the next ruler of Northern Liang.”
A scholar-like youth with a heavy Jizhou accent smiled: “The eldest legitimate son must inherit, not a younger or concubine-born one.”
An old man at the neighboring table sighed: “Indeed, the Young Prince was born too late.”
Since Xu Shao had only one wife, there was no issue of Legitimate and Illegitimate (legitimate vs. concubine-born) among the aristocracy. Before, people thought the Prince, though reckless, was still the eldest son, and the second son, Xu Long Xiang, was simple-minded. There had been no dispute over succession. But now, the Young Prince had led the Dragon and Elephant Cavalry to break through the border, earning great glory. He charged into battle himself, leading the charge, and no one doubted his valor. It was said that veteran generals like Yan Wenluan and Zhong Hongwu praised him endlessly.
An undercurrent stirred.
This undercurrent had undoubtedly merged with the unrest in Lingzhou.
Xu Yanbing naturally dined at the same table as Xu Fengnian, eating heartily without pretense. Since joining Xu Fengnian’s side, he had never shown flattery. He ignored the tavern’s noise. Huyan Guanyin had little interest in the dishes before her. Yet when she heard words about the man beside her, she strained to listen, then cautiously leaned forward, checking if Xu Fengnian was angered. But all she saw was a calm, smiling face.
Xu Fengnian turned around, devoured his meal, and after finishing, glanced at Huyan Guanyin. She nodded, indicating she had eaten enough.
After paying, they left the tavern. Xu Fengnian gazed at the setting sun, silent as he walked toward the carriage.
Xu Yanbing sighed inwardly.
Only he could understand the young man’s complex thoughts.
If the day ever came when Northern Mang’s cavalry finally breached the northwest gates of Northern Liang, then having more people like those in the tavern—those who blamed the Prince for his failures—might ease the young King of Liang’s guilt, if only slightly.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage