When he first began training with the saber at Wudang, the young prince regretted why he hadn’t done this earlier. He thought he should have let those loyal retainers in his mansion fight to the death to witness true killing techniques, rather than watching superficial displays of dazzling swordplay. Letting Song Diao’er, the bandit chief, and Xiao Qiang fight to the death was not only meant to ensure the latter’s demise in confusion, but also to observe the subtleties of swordplay that could strike from afar. Back then on the official road in Xiangfan, the sword mastery of the Wu family’s prodigy had left the prince in awe. To deny envy would have been self-deception. At that time, Song Diao’er, wielding a sinister soft blade at nearly the Second Tier level, forced Xiao Qiang to reveal all his skills. Later, when the prince used a flying sword to intimidate Song Diao’er, it had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, driven by a little itch to try it himself. Fortunately, he successfully pretended to be stronger than he was, without losing face. Regarding Song Diao’er, a bandit leader originally a scholar, the prince held a fairly positive impression—he was cunning, patient, and knew when to advance or retreat. What impressed the prince most was Song’s final speech before his death. Perhaps it was because a dying man speaks kindly, but precisely because of that, the prince truly began to respect Song Diao’er. Song had said his younger brother was a rare honest man on the border—wasn’t Song himself no less admirable?
After Prince Xu Fengnian had walked a distance away, he spat out a mouthful of blood, quickly covering it with his palm. From his sleeve flew a tiny sword named Pifu, which he carefully nourished before quietly retrieving it. Feeding blood into the sword embryo, allowing it to grow from spiritual energy into a root of spirit—only after this process was a flying sword considered successfully forged. A good sword embryo, refined nurturing, and strong control—only with all three could one send a sword flying to kill. At present, Xu Fengnian could only wield swords at a distance to scare people, not to kill.
Xu Fengnian arrived hastily but departed leisurely, recalling how he had once ridden through a snowy night with Yan Chiji’s daughter, Yan Dongwu, killing those saber-training dummies and later giving her that grotesque mask. If one thought he had deliberately shown off in front of that cold beauty, then one had truly misunderstood the prince. If not for him revealing this to Xu Xiao in this manner, considering Xu Xiao’s tight grip over Beiliang, Yan Chiji would not only have been unable to go to the capital to serve as a loyal and upright official, but would not even have been able to leave Beiliang, relying on his daughter Yan Dongwu’s royal marriage.
Of the four childhood friends who had grown up together, aside from Li Hanlin, who had turned his life around through hard-fought military achievements in the Beiliang army, the other two had already gone to the capital, unavoidably aligning themselves with their families against Beiliang. It was indeed a great irony.
Returning to the Yu Long gang’s encampment, Xu Fengnian found Liu Niran standing at a distance, her face cold as ice. Earlier, when Xu had gone to follow Xiao Qiang, he noticed this woman trailing behind, though she eventually lost him and had to turn back. After waiting for so long, Liu Niran finally saw this young aristocrat, who had brought so many mysteries, approaching. She sneered, “So it turns out Master Xu’s martial arts are truly top-notch. I suppose it’s in your family tradition, with expert guidance.”
Xu Fengnian smiled, “So-so.”
Liu Niran had no intention of beating around the bush and came straight to the point, “Haven’t seen Master Xiao?”
Xu Fengnian replied bluntly, “If I told you I happened to catch Master Xiao practicing swordplay, got a little itchy to try my hand, we exchanged a few moves, and I accidentally killed him. Or perhaps Master Xiao wanted his son Xiao Ling to inherit the Yu Long gang, so he conspired with four bands of horse bandits, planning to seize the goods and hand you over to a bandit leader. Which would you prefer to believe?”
Liu Niran scoffed, “I only want to know how you managed to come back alive!”
Xu Fengnian slowly explained, “Among the four bandit groups, one was called Li Heita, wielding a pair of Xu Hua broadaxes and Jin Que cleavers. Another was Lao Tongqian, using a pu dao. There was also a scar-faced swordsman, and the last bandit’s nickname is unknown. Xiao Qiang had a prior connection with one of them. After leaving the Guan Pass, they joined forces, forming a band of about a hundred riders. Before reaching Liuxia City, they used scattered cavalry tactics to harass the Yu Long gang daily, and on the final day, they coordinated from within and without. If Xiao Qiang couldn’t drug the guards, he was to kill Gongsun Yang directly, and afterward, they would split the loot—4,000 taels in silver. But now they’re all dead. I advise you not to dig too deeply into this matter—it won’t benefit the Yu Long gang. Just tell Xiao Ling that his father died bravely fighting the bandits.”
Liu Niran stared fiercely at Xu Fengnian, “Do you really think I’d trust someone whose surname I just learned?”
Xu Fengnian countered, “Even if you know Xiao Qiang’s ancestors for eighteen generations, would that make him trustworthy?”
Liu Niran was momentarily speechless. The atmosphere grew tense, until Gongsun Yang limped out from the shadows, breaking the silence with a smile, “Miss, I trust Master Xu.”
Liu Niran huffed coldly and stepped aside. Xu Fengnian walked up the hill, and Liu Niran gazed at his annoying back, finally her chest heaving violently, revealing her inner turmoil. She turned slightly and softly asked, “Uncle Gongsun, was it really like that?”
Gongsun Yang smiled bitterly, “The truth doesn’t matter as much as the outcome. Since Master Xu has returned safely, perhaps we should accept that Master Xiao died bravely fighting the bandits. That explanation works for Xiao Qiang, for you, and for the Yu Long gang. Your suspicions about Master Xu’s identity are understandable, but regardless of who he is in that general’s mansion, consider the current state of the Yu Long gang—it’s not worth a general’s household going to such lengths to scheme and plot. That alone should suffice. Since the Yu Long gang and the general’s mansion are still cooperating, what harm is there in Xu Fengnian acting a little strangely? In the martial world, who doesn’t have their own secrets?”
Liu Niran nodded slightly.
Gongsun Yang hesitated, then added, “Miss, please don’t pay too much attention to Master Xu.”
Liu Niran lifted her head with a calm smile, “Uncle Gongsun, you worry too much. How could I be so foolish as to let personal feelings cloud my judgment? Besides, I only feel resentment toward that man.”
Gongsun Yang chuckled. Seeing Liu Niran’s clear gaze, he asked, “So, did Xiao Qiang really die? Was it a fight among the bandits, and did this Xu fellow just happen to benefit?”
Gongsun Yang sighed, “Hard to understand, hard to guess.”
Liu Niran smiled, “Then I won’t think about it anymore.”
Gongsun Yang joked, “That’s the easiest way.”
Returning to the campfire, Xu Fengnian found the flames still burning brightly—probably the young Wang Dashi had added more branches while he was away. There were still many twigs and grasses around the fire. Spending the night on the hilltop wasn’t pleasant, with the sharp temperature swings between day and night. Unlike seasoned bodyguards, the Yu Long gang was already grumbling. However, the occasional appearance of scouting bandits had kept them on edge, taking turns to keep watch, and even a brief nap was considered a luxury. Xu Fengnian silently entered meditation. The human body has 361 acupoints, like a series of stations, while the twelve main meridians and eight extraordinary meridians are the primary roads. The flow of internal energy follows a gradual, orderly path. Learning swordplay or saber techniques is something most people can grasp, but why does the same sword or saber wield such different results in different hands? Ordinary martial artists wield weapons according to routines passed down by their masters. Occasionally, with some secret manuals, they might open a few acupoints, but the energy cultivated remains limited, and its application is always insufficient.
Daoist Huangting cultivation aims to open all 361 sacred sites within the body, drawing vast energy from the heavens and earth, gathering it without leaking. Back then, Wang Chonglou had poured the Huangting technique into Xu Fengnian using supreme skill, but it was an act against nature. He lost a quarter of the Huangting, and even with careful cultivation afterward, Xu Fengnian still lost another fifth, leaving only half of the Huangting truly usable. Yet even this half brought him close to the Realm of the Diamond. The benefits of Huangting are thus evident. Now, Xu Fengnian still had six major acupoints sealed shut. No matter how he followed the unique breathing techniques, balancing yin and yang to nourish his tendons and bones, he could not break through that final barrier. This was the best result he could achieve even after the old man Yangpi’s hundreds of sessions of “Qing She” training.
Wang Xianzhi’s saber manual contained little on techniques, mostly listing many obscure and even illogical energy pathways. Most of them defied conventional understanding, but after Xu Fengnian secretly tested them, they made sense in light of Old Master Li’s explanation of sword intent and techniques aboard the boat, where he used the Xiudong saber to tap walnuts. He suddenly understood: the more refined the sword techniques, the more intricate and precise the energy flow required. People only see a master’s effortless moves, capable of toppling cities and shaking mountains, but they don’t realize the immense hardship behind it. Li Chungan once claimed that at his peak, a single sword strike could send energy spiraling through his body for three hundred miles. Hence the saying, “A swordsman’s heart roams ten thousand miles, his spirit soaring beyond the eight directions.” What an awe-inspiring concept of “forgetting oneself”!
Xu Fengnian opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air, smirking self-deprecatingly, “Looks like without truly extraordinary talent, one can’t become a martial arts giant.”
The young prince gazed upward at the dazzling, low-hanging stars and solemnly declared, “Kill six Second Tier experts, two King Kong, and one Mystic Revelation. Can you do it?”
He glanced down at the unassuming Chunlei saber and chuckled, “That’s probably easier than capturing all ten of the realm’s most beautiful women and making them decorative vases at home.”
The prince leaned back, lying on the ground, making a face at the stars before closing his eyes and murmuring, “Is it nice up there?”
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