Chapter 12: Lake Holds an Old Leader

The Awakening of Insects arrived.

Spring thunder rumbled, everything awakened, and hibernating insects were startled, breaking through the earth and emerging from their burrows. The Northern Liang Royal Residence, beautiful in its silvery cloak of snow, was equally enchanting in spring when flowers bloomed, with thousands of pink peach and white pear trees, brimming with vibrant spring energy.

At noon, Xu Fengnian went alone to the lakeside, rowed to the center of the lake, took off his outer garment, took a deep breath, and leaped into the deep green lake.

This lake has flowing water, far clearer than ordinary lakes. Xu Fengnian held his breath and dived into the lake, but was still some distance from the bottom. He surfaced, then dived again, repeating three or four times until he was confident he could reach the bottom, then plunged straight down.

The lake was quite deep. Logically, the bottom of any slightly deep lake should be pitch black, with nothing visible. But the mysterious thing about this lake, which was regularly cleared of silt, was that at its center, there was a gigantic luminous pearl on the bottom, illuminating the area as if it were daytime.

A "Water Colossus," roughly over ten feet tall, sat cross-legged in the silt. Its white hair, like water weeds, swayed gently. The Water Colossus, deep in meditation with closed eyes, possessed a robust physique. By the light emitted from the pebble-sized luminous pearl, one could vaguely discern that its left hand and both feet were shackled by three iron chains as thick as arms, the ends of which were cast into three iron spheres, each weighing thousands of catties.

Could there be a more bizarre and simultaneously cruel prison in this world?

The Water Colossus opened its eyes, devoid of any emotion, and looked at the only living person it had seen in over a decade.

Xu Fengnian made a gesture, roughly indicating that he would throw cooked meat down later.

The enormous monster opened its mouth and sucked in a carp, tearing it apart directly. Blood from the carp seeped from its mouth. In a few moments, the entire fat red carp was swallowed whole.

Xu Fengnian's face turned from red to pale green; he couldn't hold out much longer. After a moment of hesitation, he made another series of gestures that only he and the Lake Colossus understood.

The old Colossus, more like a demon than a human, widened its eyes, its gaze sharp as a blade, staring intently at Xu Fengnian, seemingly in doubt and assessment.

Due to long years of isolation, the old Colossus's thoughts seemed quite slow, but Xu Fengnian couldn't wait. He shot upwards, or he would have died prematurely and floated as a corpse on the lake.

Climbing onto the boat, he realized the water wasn't cold; the coldest moment was surfacing. Xu Fengnian wiped his body, put on his clothes. There was a stove in the boat, making it quite warm.

Xu Fengnian waited for a moment. The lake surface was calm as a mirror. Feeling a bit disappointed, he withdrew his gaze, glanced at the Spring Thunder short sword gifted by Baihuerlian, placed it across his lap, stroked its sheath, and sighed: "Spring Thunder, my girl, it seems you won't be needed. That old ghost is content to stay down there like a reclusive turtle. We'll see if I bother giving him meat anymore."

When he was young, Xu Fengnian had cramps while playing in the water and almost drowned. The old Colossus, who had lived at the bottom of the lake day after day, year after year, feeding on live fish, did not swallow Xu Fengnian. Instead, it used its powers to lift the Princely Heir from the lake bottom.

After this, Xu Fengnian formed the habit of throwing cooked meat into the lake as a form of gratitude. When he was in a bad mood, he would also dive to the lake bottom and look at the old Colossus sitting there, which would make him feel that life was actually quite good.

Initially, he thought the old Colossus was a demon cursed by heaven, but as he grew up, he learned it was a human who also needed to eat. However, Xu Fengnian could never understand how he breathed at the bottom of the lake for over a decade without suffocating. To what terrifying extent had his internal energy reached?

To figure this out, Xu Fengnian specifically went to the Listening Tide Pavilion and scoured ancient martial arts texts about breath retention. He only found the phrase "fetal breathing" in Taoist secret scriptures to be somewhat fitting. Yet, Xu Fengnian was familiar with Wudang Mountain and had never heard of any contemporary master there who could achieve such a marvelous "Xuanwu Meditation."

In the eyes of the Princely Heir, who had no fondness for Taoists, the Taoist canon's phrases like "when pulse stops and breath ceases, the fetal breath forms" and "if you desire eternal life, spirit and qi must merge" were merely borrowed from immortals' words to deceive mortals. His master, Li Yishan, had even explicitly stated that there were no ghosts or gods in the world, and Taoist Heavenly Masters fasting for three years was already the extreme, with no possibility of riding dragons and cranes or ascending to immortality.

The Princely Heir, who had gone with high hopes and returned disappointed, took the Spring Thunder sword ashore. He drew the sword and cut off four or five willow branches full of yellow buds, wove them into a circle, put it on his head, and casually swung the sheathed Spring Thunder, strolling leisurely.

Outside the Royal Residence, a handsome young man with a face like peach blossoms presented his calling card. The gatekeeper, long trained with sharp discerning eyes, immediately weighed the significance of the exquisite Lantian jade card in his hand. He peered closely and saw it was the young master of the Lin family from Qiaoguo, Hedong.

This family was not a top-tier noble clan within the dynasty, but it had some ties with the residence. The Lin family's eldest son had once had the opportunity to marry the Eldest Princess, so the gatekeeper dared not be negligent. He shed his initial coldness, smiled slightly, and asked the young master to wait, promising to inform someone immediately.

The message passed up through various levels, finally reaching the second steward, Song Yu. After a brief consideration, he decided on a reception protocol equivalent to that for a governor.

Soon, someone courteously led the Lin family's young master and a delicate young lady into the residence. Along the way, the girl unconsciously became a scenic highlight. Her delicate build was not exceptionally beautiful, but her bearing possessed a rare grace in the rough and robust land of Liang.

Perhaps due to her frail health or the guide walking too fast, delicate beads of sweat appeared on her smooth forehead. Young Master Lin felt a pang of heartache but lacked the courage to mention it to the steward of the residence.

The Lin family of Qiaoguo, Hedong, could barely stand out in their own prefecture, and compared to a colossal entity like the Northern Liang Royal Residence, they were insignificant. As the saying goes, "a doorman to a prime minister is equivalent to a third-rank official; an aide at a royal residence can outrank a governor." Even though he had passed the imperial examination last year as the third-place scholar (探花), and had ridden horses with the top scholar and second-place scholar to "see all the flowers in the capital in one day," he dared not presume or act rashly at the Northern Liang Royal Residence.

The second-tier steward led them towards the Fengyi Pavilion, walking along the lakeside path. There, the Third Scholar encountered someone he absolutely did not wish to see.

That person slowly approached, dressed in luxurious brocade and fox fur, radiating wealth, yet wore a willow wreath on his head, appearing disheveled, and casually twirling an ancient short sword.

The one who could stroll so leisurely in the highly hierarchical Northern Liang Royal Residence was, of course, the Princely Heir, known for spending his days playing with falcons, dog fighting, and reading. As soon as Xu Fengnian saw the Third Scholar he had once thrown into a latrine pit, he shot the steward a silencing look, quickened his pace, and said with a smile, "Third Scholar, come to the residence to frequent pleasure houses? Weren't you full on Lantern Festival?"

The Third Scholar, unaware of Xu Fengnian's true identity, stammered, "You are...?"

Xu Fengnian deliberately put on an arrogant, obnoxious facade, pretending ignorantly, "I am the Princely Heir's personal attendant!"

The Third Scholar, who had initially thought he'd encountered a local scion during the Lantern Festival, exhaled then tensed up. His expression was awkward. Although this rascal in front of him wasn't a descendant of a powerful family with deep roots, his proximity to the Princely Heir meant certain advantages and disadvantages that the Third Scholar, despite his lack of worldly wisdom, understood.

Before he could react, the "personal attendant," who was using someone else's power to intimidate, had already taken a few steps forward. He approached and stared directly at Miss Fan, completely ignoring Young Master Lin. He said softly, "Miss Fan, what a coincidence! Allow me, your elder brother, to show you around the Royal Residence. Over at the Listening Tide Pavilion, you can see tens of thousands of carp leaping through the 'Dragon Gate'."

After saying these polite words, Xu Fengnian reached out to take Miss Fan's small hand. Young Master Lin, filled with a protective chivalry, quickly stepped between them, glaring angrily.

Xu Fengnian smiled and quietly threatened, "You who frequent pleasure houses, don't be ungrateful! Since I am the Princely Heir's personal attendant, feeding you six or seven boxes of rouge is no difficult task. Or, if I exert a little more effort, it's possible you'll be turned away at the gates. You weigh your options!"

The Third Scholar's face turned pale, but for once, he showed some backbone and refused to move, which made Xu Fengnian regard him with a new light.

The graceful Miss Fan sighed softly and forced a smile, consoling him, "Brother Lin, it's alright. I've long wanted to see the scenery at Listening Tide Pavilion."

Before Xu Fengnian walked off with the beautiful lady, he quietly crooked a finger, beckoned the second-tier steward over, and instructed, "Tell Xu Xiao not to show his face. Let him wait three or four days before making an appearance."

The steward, with his back to the young master and lady, obsequiously whispered, "Understood, understood. I won't delay His Princely Highness's important matters."

Xu Fengnian said softly, "I'll reward you later."

The steward beamed, "Thank you, Your Highness, for the reward."

Xu Fengnian patted his shoulder and then, taking Miss Fan—the lamb entering the tiger's den—by himself, walked onto the dike that crossed the lake. He even presumptuously placed the willow wreath on her head, casting a defiant look at the heartbroken Third Scholar.

On the dike, named "Chazhi" (Purple), many beautiful women brushed past Xu Fengnian. Like the steward, their minds were quick; one look from Xu Fengnian and they knew the Princely Heir was up to his old tricks, teasing a fresh young lady.

The Northern Liang Royal Residence not only had numerous servants, but also a considerable number of guest scholars and eminent figures who received favors from the Grand Marshal, each working tirelessly in their respective courtyards to advise the Prince of Northern Liang.

Xu Fengnian's Wutong Courtyard alone had four grades of maids. There were two first-grade head maids: one had a natural body fragrance and was specifically for warming the Princely Heir's bed; the other raised snow-white gyrfalcons for Xu Fengnian.

There were four second-grade maids: one was skilled in poetry, calligraphy, and painting, especially excelling in writing beautiful characters, and was responsible for serving as a scholarly companion for the Princely Heir. The other three had also received strict training in music, dance, and song from a young age.

Third-grade maids performed elegant tasks like watering flowers and tending tea stoves, while fourth-grade maids did rougher chores like cleaning the courtyard. Among these women, except for the bed-warming head maid who was exceptionally alluring and charming, their looks were also valued around seventy coins. If Xu Fengnian wished to frequent pleasure houses, he could be satiated at any time.

Seeming to find the atmosphere dull, Miss Fan gently asked, "Does Young Master use a saber?"

Xu Fengnian unashamedly replied, "I've diligently practiced saber techniques for ten years; I've only achieved minor mastery."

To prove his years of practice, Xu Fengnian performed a mighty "sweeping away a thousand armies" stance, but accidentally tossed the Spring Thunder, almost dropping it into the lake.

She smiled, understandingly tilting her head to gaze into the distance. Xu Fengnian picked up the unfortunate yet excellent saber, chuckled awkwardly, not feeling embarrassed, and explained it was a "slip of the hand."

Upon reaching the platform of the Listening Tide Pavilion, Miss Fan looked at the three plaques beneath the eaves. One was the Nine Dragons plaque inscribed by the late Emperor, reading "Magnificent and Peerless." Another, from a renowned master, read "A Phoenix Arrives, Soaring to the Dipper." She, however, was not particularly moved by the vibrant scene of carp flipping as bait was tossed, which was unlike the young ladies Xu Fengnian had previously lured with both soft and hard tactics.

Xu Fengnian thought, "It's good that she's different. Always having shark fin and swallow's nest can be tiring; sometimes you need autumn perch and winter bamboo shoots to whet your appetite."

Just as Xu Fengnian was secretly enjoying the serene beauty of the girl beside him, a sudden phenomenon occurred: the lake water boiled and churned, just like it had during the heavy snow season. Xu Fengnian was pleasantly surprised. He waved a hand, instructing his servants to lead the terrified Miss Fan to the Fengyi Pavilion, and ordered everyone around the lake to withdraw.

Having done this, Xu Fengnian rushed to the small ferry where a covered boat was docked, grabbed the Spring Thunder saber (which cut iron like mud), and jumped onto the boat. Just as he was about to take up the oar to row, he saw old Huang, shaking his emaciated, bamboo-like elderly body, rush over. He was even carrying the long cloth bag that had once caused Xu Fengnian much trouble, which contained a nearly four-foot-long red sandalwood box.

Xu Fengnian rolled his eyes. "Why is old Huang joining the fun? What if the old Colossus at the bottom of the lake turns hostile? Will master and servant have to compete again to see who can escape faster?"

Once old Huang got onto the small boat, Xu Fengnian rowed towards the center of the lake, his palms sweating.

The Princely Heir's gambling spirit had always been good; this time, he was making a big gamble!