Lv Qiantang and Yang Qingfeng, regardless of whether they were broad-minded or underhanded in their past, had endured many years within the rigid hierarchy of the Beiliang Mansion, as strict as an emperor’s palace. Under such pressure, they were forced to adopt cautious and meticulous personalities. As the Crown Prince conversed with General Ning Emei, the pair listened with one ear and let it out the other, too fearful to dwell on the words.
Among the three, only Shu Xiu, taking advantage of being a woman, willingly paid close attention to expressions and demeanor. Though unfamiliar with the inner workings of the Beiliang military, she could sense the Crown Prince had, with seeming casual words, subtly won the sincere favor of the martial general. As the general drank six large bowls of wine, she felt a hearty male camaraderie in the air. If she were the Crown Prince, she would have seized the moment—perhaps by inviting General Ning to sit and drink, or at least offering some comforting words regarding the tragic losses suffered by Fengzi Camp. However, after offering drinks, the Crown Prince merely turned to play with a white kitten, insisting on getting his pet, whom he affectionately nicknamed Wu Meiniang, drunk too. He claimed that while a drunk mouse could dare to wield a knife and slash at a cat, a drunk cat could dare to draw a sword and slay a tiger, which caused the beauty, a former courtesan, to dodge off with the cat in her arms.
Indeed, as the old man, a swordsman of a realm akin to a terrestrial swordsman immortal had once said, the Crown Prince was certainly fond of trivial flirtations and small indulgences, yet he somehow restrained himself from partaking in carnal pleasures. This left Shu Xiu feeling frustrated, her mastery of intimate techniques and thirty-six seductive poses quite useless. How could the young prince be so oblivious to romance?
After drinking and feasting, Xu Fengnian felt warm and full, longing for some entertainment, when two young swordsmen appeared on the wide, tree-lined official road. Holding swords, they stood opposite one another, their manner and aura rarely seen among common folk. Even more remarkable, the two young swordsmen, looking as if they had arranged it beforehand, one wore flowing white robes while the other was wrapped tightly in striking black, standing at the roadside in a visually dramatic contrast. Even before drawing their swords to spar, the scene was quite captivating.
Besides Xu Fengnian’s generously ordered table, the roadside wine stall had about four or five other tables with travelers pausing for rest. Though these guests were not rich, they were keenly interested in the spectacle, their enthusiasm unmatched since their younger days. With eyes wide, they were ready to be amazed by the two knights-errant showcasing some dazzling sword techniques, so they could later boast about what they saw to relatives and friends. Unlike Beiliang, known for its fierce culture and numerous knights, the new and former governors of Yanzhou had fiercely forbidden martial arts within the province. The current governor of Yanzhou, Tian Zong, was a former favored disciple of General Gu, having led the first successful crossing of the river during the conquest of Southern Han. Governor Tian, despite his martial prowess, dealt harshly with the younger generation, employing a unit of three hundred light cavalry specifically to rein in those who wielded weapons and caused trouble. Those captured were severely punished, thrown into prison and beaten until their skin split and flesh peeled. If they were disciples of martial arts sects, the penalties were even more severe. Thus, compared to twenty years prior, the martial arts scene in Yanzhou had become extremely rare.
The two swordsmen fought with intensity, their sword techniques impressing the spectators who marveled at their seamless coordination. Soon, the once bored travelers cheered loudly, the road filled with flying dust as several passing carriages stopped to enjoy the dazzling swordplay.
Xu Fengnian turned his head to watch this carefully staged performance. In Beiliang, he had once only enjoyed the spectacle for the spectacle’s sake, willing to reward the swordsmen generously with silver. But now, having trained in the art of blade, and having witnessed the fierce blade skills of the fox-faced youth and the white-haired old master, having even blocked countless sword strikes from Wang Xiaoping, the sword-obsessed disciple of Wudang, not to mention the Daoist magic sword strikes from the old swordsman Li Chungan, Xu Fengnian quickly found the two swordsmen’s weak sword energies and crude techniques unimpressive, and he smiled as he asked, “Lv Qiantang, how many strikes do you think these two together can withstand from you?”
Lv Qiantang, who practiced the great sword and cultivated a powerful sword aura, honestly replied, “They couldn’t withstand even one strike.”
Xu Fengnian looked toward Yu Youwei and teased, “These two have been lying in wait here, determined to trick some silver out of me—praiseworthy, if nothing else. Look at them in their brand-new clothes. They might have even gone hungry to save the silver. And in Yanzhou, where martial arts are severely forbidden, to dare to fight on the public road requires real courage. You have to admire that. You, Yu Youwei, tell me, should we reward them or not?”
Yu Youwei was the daughter of the chief sword bearer to the former emperor of Xichu. While she had only learned a few fragments of the dazzling sword dance, she had captured much of its essence. Naturally, she had no interest in the two pretentious swordsmen who were all flash and no substance. She shook her head and said, “Their sword skills are mediocre; they shouldn’t be rewarded.”
Xu Fengnian did not respond immediately. He raised his wine bowl and took a sip, lost in thought, which was somewhat out of character. The two swordsmen on the road, seeing no reaction from the group, were becoming somewhat anxious. They had rehearsed hard after hearing that the Crown Prince was traveling through Liangzhou, but were running out of forms to perform. White-robed swordsman’s thoughts wandered, and he carelessly deviated from the rehearsed choreography, ending up cutting his opponent. The black-robed swordsman, in turn, became enraged, and started fighting with all his might. This unexpected turn thrilled the uninitiated spectators, who thought the battle was now genuinely exciting, especially since it had turned bloody. Such a thrilling display of martial prowess was incomparable to the sight of commoners wielding cleavers or hoes.
The spectators, who had to count their copper coins carefully when buying drinks, were all too willing to order a few more bowls of apricot flower wine.
Rather than focusing on the clumsy battle between the two impoverished swordsmen, Xu Fengnian found himself reminiscing about a friend he had encountered years ago during his travels. Over six thousand miles in three years—pitiful indeed, apart from the generous and familiar young girl with whom he had shared some memorable moments, only one companion had willingly journeyed alongside him: a fellow named Wen Hua. It appeared that Wen Hua had tragically lost his parents at an early age and had lived with his elder brother and shrewish sister-in-law for a few years. Unable to bear their contemptuous scolding any longer, he took it upon himself to venture out into the martial world alone. Saying he was a solo traveler wasn’t quite right though, for this impoverished fellow was so broke, he only owned a wooden sword carved by himself and strapped to his waist. He couldn’t even afford a horse. Though destitute, Wen Hua’s ambitions knew no bounds. He was determined to seek out renowned masters and learn distinguished sword techniques, vowing not to return home until he had carved out a great reputation and brought honor to his family by brandishing an expensive blade with a decorated hilt. Xu Fengnian once asked him how he planned to deal with his sister-in-law should he ever rise to fame and see her again. The youth, however, said that a sister-in-law remained a sister-in-law, and no matter how narrow-minded she had been, he couldn’t bring himself to harm her. However, if he did achieve success, he could help his elder brother stand tall and no longer live under the shadow of his sister-in-law’s abuse. Every time Wen Hua saw Old Huang leading his bony red horse by the reins, it was as if he were looking at a fine sword. Still, Xu Fengnian was always anxious, fearing that the swords-obsessed boy might one day steal the horse to sell for money. Fortunately, such a disaster never occurred before their parting, just as Wen Hua himself had said: the sword must be bought with his own money to truly be his. But the boy often had some peculiar ideas too—like the martial arts competitions seeking a spouse by combat, where he would, time after time, brazenly and recklessly step onto the stage despite being hopelessly outmatched. Didn’t he get beaten so badly he spat blood every time? Sometimes he was even thrown off the stage altogether—going up like a fighter, flying down like a battered ragdoll. Watching from the audience, Xu Fengnian would break into a cold sweat, only to laboriously carry him away from the scene. Thankfully, after every time he was half-dead and weak, Wen Hua would recover and resume his search for another stage to challenge and humiliate himself, while also boosting his opponents’ confidence.
Was this fellow, who once loudly declared he would treat his good buddy to several jin of boiled beef, still doing well? Had he earned enough to buy his sword? Had he found the ideal young lady of his dreams?
He had said that a good girl didn’t necessarily need to be beautiful—she just needed to be kind, the foolish girl willing to wait for him while he honed his sword skills to build a glorious future.
Suddenly snapping back to reality, Xu Fengnian declared, “They should be rewarded!”
Yu Youwei was puzzled but did not voice any objection. Raised amidst wealth and unafraid of depleting it, how could she possibly object to the Crown Prince’s decision to reward them? Besides, what reason would she have to stop him? Even back when she was the premier courtesan of Liangzhou, she had heard from the wise and refined courtesans around her that many young noblemen seemed incredibly generous with money at pleasure houses, each trying to outdo the other as if they were members of illustrious clans. Yet, when they returned home, they were severely punished by their elders and often treated their servants with coldness and stinginess. In comparison, Yu Youwei found herself much more endeared to the young prince beside her, who freely spent his wealth for everyone. The merciless servants of the mansion fought fiercely for the Crown Prince, eager to wreak havoc and destruction for his benefit. Yet, Yu Youwei had once secretly heard a rumour: on several occasions when Xu Fengnian had faced danger and assassination, a handful of those brutal servants had sacrificed themselves without hesitation, each dying one after another to protect their young master. Pondering the deep cause behind such loyalty, Yu Youwei dared not delve into it.
As Xu Fengnian reached for his wine bowl to take another drink, he paused mid-motion, holding the large white bowl aloft, asking Jiang Ni, “What do you think? How much should we reward them?”
Jiang Ni scoffed, “It’s not my money, so do as you like. Go ahead and reward them; a thousand taels of gold works.”
Xu Fengnian said with self-mockery, “I don’t have that much, nor would I spend it so easily. While traveling, we must manage our expenses frugally. Alright, to make it even, a thousand taels of silver will suffice.”
Xu Fengnian snapped his fingers. Qingniao, who shared the strongest sense of intuition with the Crown Prince, immediately turned to fetch the silver notes from the carriage. A thousand taels of actual silver would have left the two wounded swordsmen too exhausted to carry it all, and openly flaunting their wealth on the road would have been tantamount to begging for trouble. Who in their right mind would assume the roads were so peaceful and honest these days?
Jiang Ni, her face showing indifference, secretly turned her head aside. A poor little girl not skilled in calculations extended her fingers to count. Her first hand was not enough, so she used the other hand, whose palm bore the calluses of much practice. Finally figuring out the result, her face fell. A thousand taels of silver! At a rate of one character per coin, there were a thousand coins to a tael. Did this mean she had to read a million characters’ worth of secret manuals?
Reading through every single book in that chest might not even earn her a thousand taels of silver!
Taking up sword training might seem quite promising. Look how the two knights had managed to earn a thousand taels in only a few bowls of wine!
While secretly calculating with a mental abacus, Jiang Ni sighed softly, murmuring, “But training in sword is truly harsh.”
Looking up at the old swordsman, who once ruled the sword world and was now left with only one arm, Jiang Ni decided otherwise. Being well-read and earning money with her pen would suffice.
The two swordsmen, not hearing the Prince’s rumored words about it being “skilled work, and thus deserving of a reward,” were extremely disappointed. The fierce fight they had exerted all their might in left them visibly weakened, with the spectacle gradually losing intensity, giving the impression of a grand beginning followed by a feeble ending. The spectators, who needed only to cheer and drink without participating in the fight, might not have recognized the techniques, but they could still tell whether the show was good or bad. Observing the two knights’ deteriorating performance, they began to jeer and boo, provoking both swordsmen with the urge to charge forward and beat the hell out of the heckling spectators. However, with the ever-noble Crown Prince still present, they had to swallow their anger in silence. As Xu Fengnian had correctly guessed, even their entire outfit had been newly purchased on credit, and their valuable swords, which were worth something, originally belonged to them. Otherwise, they’d be facing total loss and wouldn’t dare to show their faces to their anxious and waiting sweethearts expecting them to return with cosmetics and powder.
Lo and behold, Heaven opened its eyes!
Qingniao approached leisurely and handed each young swordsman a bundle of five hundred taels of silver notes. One of the swordsmen, upon receiving the silver notes, couldn’t help but glance at the beauty before him. But with a sudden blur, he was sent flying backward, heavily landing in the dirt. The other swordsman, terrified, no longer concerned about revealing their scheme, hastily rushed to support his companion and fled down a side path as fast as he could.
Yu Youwei, witnessing the comical scene, stifled a laughter and smiled slightly.
Yet, Xu Fengnian’s face remained devoid of any joy. He quietly drank some wine and murmured to himself, “Wen Hua, not having money and being unable to afford a good sword is nothing to worry about. I hope you, my lad, can continue wielding your broken wooden sword and make a name for yourself across the land. Then, as brothers, you will treat me to beef, and I will cheer you on.”
Old swordsman Li Chungang’s expression subtly changed.
Gazing at the Crown Prince, whose behavior seemed a bit odd today, the old man habitually tugged at his sheepskin robe and softly said, “Young man, find a time to spar with that swording amateur, Lü Qiantang. Old man will enjoy the show. At least it will be more entertaining than watching two bumbling fools making a mockery of swordplay.”
Preoccupied with his thoughts of the old promise, Xu Fengnian didn’t hear the old man clearly and looked up in surprise. “What?”
The old man, who had always spoken with bitterness towards the Crown Prince, said something unexpected, like the sun rising from the west. “I said, have a match with Lü Qiantang. Let old man have a look.”
Xu Fengnian said seriously, “Fine!”
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