The old moth, witnessing the spectacle of a willow branch being torn apart by the ruthless hands of the warrior known as Yi Jie Liu, was left speechless. Li Mibi, the chief of the Spiderweb sect, had personally decreed that the three of them should operate as a team—a decision rooted in wisdom. Princess Murong Longshui possessed an unyielding physique, excelling in close combat, and when paired with Yi Jie Liu, a master of assassination techniques, their synergy was near flawless. The old moth, one of the two cocoons, was a seasoned veteran whose experience could only enhance their efforts—filling in gaps or adding finishing touches where needed. Even against two Master of the Liyang Finger Sky realm, this trio could hold their ground.
Even though Yi Jie Liu had suffered two sword wounds, significantly diminishing his combat prowess, the old moth still could not fathom how the situation could unravel so quickly within the span of an incense stick’s burning. In a deadly duel between experts, it was not just a contest of strength but also of wits. The old moth had sensed something amiss during the fight. At the time, as Yi Jie Liu and he worked in tandem, a storm of sword qi rained down from the heavens. Xu Fengnian had lifted the ground to form a shield, deliberately leaving a fatal gap at the handle of the shield—an obvious trap. Yi Jie Liu had initially suspected it, even hesitating mid-strike, but something compelled him to change his mind. With his famed ability to seize the moment of death, he had struck decisively at Xu Fengnian’s forehead. In fact, he had nearly succeeded—his blade piercing through the skull. Had Yi Jie Liu managed to pull off the kill and retreat safely, not only would the Spiderweb sect earn great merit, but even the Empress might have bestowed a few princesses or duchesses as rewards. Moreover, the delicate balance of power between the Northern Desert, Liyang, and Beiliang might have been shaken—a case of planting willows without intent and finding them flourish. Yet how could the old moth have foreseen that a young man, the hereditary prince of Beiliang, would risk his own life to allow Yi Jie Liu to strike him in the forehead, only to unleash a fatal counterattack at the very moment of life and death? The old moth’s failure to anticipate this was not so grave, but Yi Jie Liu, who was highly valued by Li Mibi, could only meet his end in a foreign land.
The old moth had faced many tight corners before—like the time he and the other cocoon had hunted down a Finger Sky expert who refused to be pacified by the Northern Desert. That had been a near-fatal struggle as well. In youth, one fears nothing; in middle age, the fear of death creeps in. For someone like the old moth, who had spent his life on the edge of a blade, the longing for the comforts of home grew stronger—especially for the golden songbird he kept in his private estate, a young maiden delicate and soft, barely old enough to be his granddaughter. He took pleasure in leaving bruises on her tender skin.
Murong Longshui sat cross-legged, her injuries not immediately apparent, and smiled at Xu Fengnian. “I once heard how you encountered Tuoba Chunhan on the grasslands, surrounded by him, Lei Mao Duan Bo Hui Hui, and the colorful serpent-sleeved man. At that time, you had barely entered the Diamond realm, yet you still managed to kill one of them. I believed the story, but I always wondered how you pulled it off. Now I understand. My journey to Liyang was not in vain.”
Xu Fengnian strolled slowly toward the old moth but replied to Murong. “Back then, I was chased like a dog, and one of Duan Bo Hui Hui’s thunder spears even pierced me. It was pretty brutal. But to be honest, after killing the demon Xie Ling at the Yantou Green Inn, I’ve never really feared the so-called First-Rank experts. After all, I’ve fought against the Fifth He of Luoyang. So, whether I’m in a false Sky realm or not, I don’t expect to take you both down in one go. But if we drag this out, the one who will suffer more is you—strangers in a strange land.”
Murong Longshui stood up, smirking. “There’s a saying about the wells not interfering with each other when it comes to absorbing power. Regarding the death of the Fifth He, I once asked the Qilin Taoist about it. The National Teacher said your inner well had dried up completely, allowing the dark energies of the Princess Tomb to pour in. For anyone else, their meridians would have shattered. But I wonder—was it my poor eyesight, or were you playing another trick? It seems your well is no longer dry. If you let the Crimson Robe ghost pour in more energy now, there could be irreversible consequences. Playing such dangerous games repeatedly is not the proper way to wage war. Today Yi Jie Liu stumbled, but tomorrow it might be you, the young prince with a bright future in Beiliang.”
Xu Fengnian paused, smiling. “You could actually see that?”
Murong Longshui’s expression shifted slightly, as if annoyed. She pointed at his hair. “Are you being deliberately obtuse? Your frosty hair is turning black again. Even a blind man can see the signs of renewal.”
Xu Fengnian nodded, then shook his head, speaking in fluent Northern Desert dialect. “You’re not wrong. After losing the Great Huang Ting, I’ve finally begun to regain my vitality. Normally, this wouldn’t be the time to stir up trouble. But you, Murong Longshui—daughter of the great Northern Desert’s Jie Shi Ling Murong Baoding—have come to Liyang to assassinate me. Alongside you are Huang Qing, Yi Jie Liu, and this old Spiderweb master. I don’t know why you didn’t strike in Taian and Shenwu, but I assume you didn’t want to leave empty-handed. You’ll probably keep hounding me. Since I’ve finally gained the upper hand, even if it costs me a thousand to kill a hundred, I still come out two hundred ahead. When I return to Beiliang, whether I’m a Second-Rank or First-Rank martial artist won’t matter much. Why not finish you off cleanly and decisively?”
Murong Longshui smiled sincerely. “To be honest, this time the Spiderweb sent out two cocoons and several rods with the sole purpose of assassinating you. But in Taian, someone interfered, and we dared not act rashly. I personally had no intention of joining this mission—I came south to track down Luoyang, to confirm whether Duanmao Dengmao and Yelü Dongchuang followed him in rebelling against the Northern Desert. After Han Diaosi was killed by you outside Shenwu City, the Spiderweb abandoned any idea of stirring up trouble and instead focused on uncovering Luoyang’s plans. But the young girl behind you and Xu Longxiang kept interfering, causing us endless headaches. These two confrontations have left the Northern Desert in a state of helpless amusement. By now, Luoyang must have sensed our movements. How the Spiderweb extricates itself and returns safely to the Northern Desert will be a major concern for Grandfather Li. If you’re willing to sit back and watch the tigers fight, I’ll consider it a favor owed.”
Xu Fengnian was surprised. “Isn’t Yelü Dongchuang a member of your Northern Desert royal family? How did he end up with Luoyang? And Duanmao Dengmao was ranked even higher than the Human Cat in the martial rankings. Why would he serve as Luoyang’s henchman? Don’t these top-tier martial experts have any pride?”
Murong Longshui sighed. “That’s exactly what I came to Liyang to find out.”
Xu Fengnian narrowed his eyes, teasing. “Murong Longshui, our statuses are roughly equal. You see how I went to the Northern Desert and killed two top-ten demons, plus the leader of the Army Mountain. Aren’t you envious?”
Murong Longshui, tall and imposing, smiled. “You’re a man, I’m a woman. What’s there to compete? One day I’ll marry and raise a family. If there’s any rivalry, it’s for Yelü Dongchuang, that quiet, short gourd of a man.”
Xu Fengnian laughed. “Straightforward—I like that. Then go. Don’t forget—you owe me a favor.”
Murong Longshui smiled. “Really?”
Xu Fengnian waved his hand.
The old moth, who had been ignored for so long, finally exhaled in relief. He truly had no desire to fight a false Sky realm expert who didn’t fear death. In the Northern Desert, no one would show any respect for Xu Xiao, the Beiliang King. That this white-haired youth had survived and returned with two heads was something the old moth grudgingly admired. He couldn’t help but marvel at how each generation produced its own heroes. Even with Hong Jingyan, who had already established his dominance, and the ever-resilient Tuoba Chunhan, and Murong the Princess and Yelü the Young Prince, when faced with the Liyang martial world firsthand, one could truly appreciate its depth.
The Qijian Le Fu’s Huang Qing, originally named Sun Shaopu, had been joked about by the Taiping Order, who said the Northern Desert’s sword arts were like rice in a barren field—always between harvests. Hence, Sun Shaopu changed his name to Huang Qing. But in Liyang, sword masters were as common as weeds—cut one down, another sprouted. The locals paid no heed, but the Northern Desert neighbors were terrified. When the land is fertile, it breeds heroes—this is the rule of history.
The Empress could no longer contain her impatience, unwilling to let the Zhao family of Liyang grow stronger at their leisure, absorbing the power of the Eight Spring and Autumn States. Unfortunately, human plans often fail against fate. The military god Tuoba Boshi was outmaneuvered by Luoyang in the far north, setting off a chain reaction. Even the Taiping Order, now the Emperor’s advisor, was caught off guard. The Empress was furious. Yet within a year, thousands of elite cavalry were led by the White RobeLuoyang like a puppet on a string, suffering heavy losses before she fled to Liyang. If Luoyang were to pledge allegiance to the Zhao family of Liyang, the morale of the Northern Desert’s troops, already shaken by Beiliang’s cavalry raids on border strongholds, would plummet to its lowest point.
Murong Longshui turned and left with her usual bravado, while the old moth was more cautious, retreating slowly.
Xu Fengnian fixed his gaze on the old moth, smiling softly. “I said the Princess could go, but I didn’t say you could. Last time, a group of Northern Desert assassins tried to infiltrate the border and kill Beiliang officials. If I recall correctly, that was your Li Mibi’s scheme, with six Spiderweb rods leading the charge. That debt must be settled.”
Murong Longshui turned angrily. “Is that how you want to play it?”
Xu Fengnian smiled. “The Princess showed Sincerity, but this old Spiderweb man wasn’t so honorable. Slipping out a small bee—probably sending a secret message to the Spiderweb. It’s clear the Thief heart hasn’t died, hoping to seize the chance when I’m alone to accomplish what couldn’t be done in Taian and Shenwu.”
Xu Fengnian flicked his sleeve, and eight flying swords hovered before him. Since you send bees to deliver messages, don’t blame me for using the most reliable sword from the Sword Grave to kill butterflies and spiders.
Murong Longshui and the old moth exchanged glances and fled in unison. Xu Fengnian, without hesitation, pursued relentlessly, keeping them in his sights.
The young girl carrying a withered sunflower silently followed behind Xu Fengnian.
Far ahead, Murong Longshui subtly slowed her pace, secretly probing the flow of energy. Xu Fengnian suddenly surged forward, closing the distance from forty zhang to thirty in an instant. Murong Longshui sighed, realizing this was a test of Xu Fengnian’s strength. If he faltered, she would not hesitate to trade her life for his. But if he was feigning weakness again, she and the old moth would be in grave danger. The old moth could call upon hidden Spiderweb forces, but Xu Fengnian might have reinforcements of his own. The outcome remained uncertain.
Xu Fengnian flew through the sky, chasing the two fugitives, while the girl assassin known as the “Haha Girl” trailed him closely.
Xu Fengnian wiped his face, his hand smeared with blood. After a moment’s hesitation, he whispered, “That Princess is full of tricks. I had to pretend to be stronger than I am. If she weren’t so determined to kill me, I’d have run off with you already. I fought Zhao Ningshen on the Spring God Lake and can’t afford to let her continue transferring energy into me. It’s good for me—my internal energy is growing rapidly—but it won’t help in this situation. In a day or two, even if my power grows by leaps and bounds, I won’t reach the First-Rank. And she was badly injured fighting the Human Cat in Shenwu. Killing Yi Jie Liu was mostly a bluff. If Yi Jie Liu had been more cautious and drawn it out longer, we would have been exposed. But don’t worry—no one can kill you, and even if they try to kill me while I stand still, it won’t be easy. We’re practically invincible. The only question is how much profit we make.”
The girl snorted.
Xu Fengnian looked into the distance. “Best case, we capture the Princess and the old man—then I’ll be rich. Later, we’ll split the loot. With our friendship, I won’t cheat you.”
The girl kicked Xu Fengnian in the butt. The agile prince flipped gracefully in midair and continued forward, chuckling. “Even if the Spiderweb has hidden reinforcements, they won’t dare to charge in recklessly. Besides, I have my own tricks. Let’s play cat and mouse with these Northern Desert VIPs. I can use this opportunity to recover my strength through combat. You’re good at finding the right moment to strike. And Xu Ying beside me is an expert at sensing energy flows. They’re in for a rough time!”
For an entire day, the deadly game of cat and mouse continued. Murong Longshui and the old moth were furious and frustrated. Xu Fengnian kept them within half a mile, never letting them rest. When they stopped, he stopped. When they moved, he followed. Twice, he even launched surprise attacks, striking and retreating before they could react. Murong Longshui tried to turn the tables, but Xu Fengnian denied her every chance. His pursuit was relentless, his escape swift—no trace of a martial expert’s dignity. If Yi Jie Liu had been there, the odds might have shifted, but such was the cruelty of fate.
At night, Murong Longshui knelt by a stream in the deep forest, washing her face. Xu Fengnian crouched on a rock a dozen zhang away, still finding time to tease the Northern Desert princess, suggesting she abandon her title and marry a scholarly man in Beiliang, which made her furious. The old moth tried to sneak behind and attack, only to be blocked by the Crimson Robe girl.
Three days later, they entered a town. Murong Longshui, supported by her Diamond body, still looked strong. The old moth, however, was visibly exhausted.
At the market, Xu Fengnian casually took two fur hats of different sizes. He put one on himself and forced the other onto the young girl’s head without a word.
The fluffy fur hat covered her forehead. If it weren’t for the sunflower on her shoulder, she might have looked like an ordinary girl.
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