Chapter 126: Receiving the Blade

The young lord, in brocade robes, riding a white horse with a red spear, killed a man on the battlefield and then conversed as if nothing had happened. This sight made all six hundred Qingzhou heavy cavalrymen tremble.

It was well known that the general struck down from his horse was one of Xiangfan's top three strongest warriors. Yet, unexpectedly, he was killed instantly with a single spear thrust upon their first encounter. What's more, seated on the horse in front of him was the esteemed Prince of Jing'an, who, among the Six Feudal Princes, was ranked only behind the Prince of Yan Chi and the Prince of Guangling. This young lord from Beiliang, despite his illustrious family background, was still a junior and not even on Beiliang territory. How dare he be so presumptuous? How dare he openly defy the Prince of Jing'an, whom the people of Xiangfan revered as a deity?

Immediately, the six hundred elite armored cavalrymen were incensed. They were ready to charge and crush the opponent with just one command from their master in the dragon robe. "Forget being the Young Lord of Beiliang, what if the King of Beiliang himself were here?" they thought. "Do you really think all the cavalry in the world are mere decorations?! Beiliang boasts thirty thousand iron cavalry, unparalleled in the world, but Qingzhou is the first to disagree!"

The Prince of Jing'an wore a yellow dragon robe adorned with five-clawed sitting dragons over a pattern of waves and rocks. Its color was noble, surpassing both blue and white, and the dragon-and-water pattern was of the highest rank. In terms of the robe itself, it was indeed half a rank higher than that of the Prince of Guangling, demonstrating the exceptional favor and even irregular treatment the Emperor showed his brother, who had once contended for the throne with him. For this appearance, the Prince of Jing'an finally did not wear prayer beads. Unlike the Prince of Guangling, who had grown older and fatter, making his dragon robe appear slightly bloated, Zhao Heng's robe fit him perfectly.

He slowly raised a hand and waved it backward. The six hundred heavy cavalrymen immediately retreated in perfect order, their formation fluid and practiced. Once they had withdrawn fifty paces, Zhao Heng gently nudged the flank of his Ferghana horse, a treasure from the Western Regions, and slowly rode forward, ignoring the corpse and the newly blood-stained red spear. He calmly stated, "No matter how brave and skilled in battle eighty light cavalrymen are, they cannot withstand six hundred Qingzhou iron cavalry."

"Indeed, they can't stop them, but eighty cavalrymen can still exchange for two hundred lives," Xu Fengnian replied indifferently, squinting as he stared at the Prince of Jing'an, his uncle, who had meticulously plotted his demise.

Within Xiangfan City, they had engaged in mutual probing, conversing pleasantly. But here, their pretense was shattered. Xu Fengnian was in a desperate situation, filled with intense hostility. Especially after suddenly absorbing a large amount of the Great Yellow Court energy, the suppressed hostility within him amplified countless times, leading to the ruthlessness with which he wielded the Momentary Spear to kill the Qingzhou general.

However, Xu Fengnian was not entirely ignorant of military matters, nor was he so arrogant and foolish as to believe that eighty cavalrymen fighting to the death could defeat six hundred Qingzhou armored troops. He simply believed in not losing face even when losing a battle. Furthermore, in today's battle outside the Reed Marsh, military armor was merely an embellishment, destined not to significantly affect the overall outcome. Therefore, the Prince of Jing'an leading his troops here was tantamount to offering Xu Fengnian a grand gift that could win the hearts of his light cavalry. Xu Fengnian was happy to accept it. He had long told Yu Youwei that to win people's hearts, small favors and courtesies were simply ineffective. Thus, even after saving people from Wu Liuding's capsized boat on the river, Xu Fengnian never truly believed he had successfully captured the loyalty of Ning Emei and the hundred cavalrymen with the great halberd.

Beiliang claimed to have three hundred thousand iron cavalry, but naturally, not all three hundred thousand soldiers were skilled horsemen and archers. Only one-third were true cavalry, and of those, only one-third were elite iron cavalry. The Phoenix Camp's eight hundred White Horse Volunteers were undoubtedly the finest among them. The more outstanding a soldier's martial prowess, the harder they were to be subdued by mediocre generals. Xu Xiao's "rebellious" act of assigning one hundred cavalry to accompany his son, aside from the obvious display of prestige and escort, likely contained an element of testing. If he couldn't even control these hundred cavalry, how would he face three hundred thousand new and veteran fierce soldiers in the future? It wasn't just Xu Xiao; any large, flourishing family continuously scrutinized and weighed their heirs. Not to mention the imperial nobility born in the palace; even if they eventually became the Crown Prince, it wasn't a matter of resting on their laurels.

Zhao Heng chuckled softly, noncommittally. The feigned friendliness and pleasant expression vanished from his face, and the imperious aura of this feudal prince was finally revealed in its entirety.

Imperial clan members inherently bear a greater share of the nation's destiny. What the wise men of the world call "transforming into a dragon upon encountering a storm" is not empty talk. Confucianism emphasizes cultivating qi, and Daoist masters possess the ability to find dragon veins and observe qi. However, those born with innate dragon energy from dragon veins do not necessarily rise with the times; most are constrained by various acquired circumstances, leading to their obscurity and decline. "Success depends on Heaven, but planning depends on man" encapsulates the subtle meaning of the two paths of Heaven and humanity. As for the ancient saying that "man can conquer nature," it is often misinterpreted; its original meaning should actually be "the collective power of humanity can surpass nature."

On the battlefield, Zhao Heng asked calmly, "Wang Mingyin is dead?"

Xu Fengnian nodded, smiling, "The eleventh greatest expert in the world lives up to his reputation. Fortunately, your nephew has Li Chungang, the man with two sleeves of green snakes, by his side."

He subtly reminded the Prince that while eighty Beiliang light cavalry might not be enough to stop him, there was also an old sword master whose abilities defied common sense.

Zhao Heng seemed unsurprised by this. Wang Mingyin was a sworn mercenary; even if he had successfully escaped, Zhao Heng would not have allowed him to leave the board. From the moment Wang Mingyin agreed to come to Xiangfan, his fate was sealed. This was also why Jianghu (martial world) masters typically refrained from involving themselves in court struggles; ultimately, they could not withstand the vast net of swords and halberds wielded by armies. What good was it to be an enemy of a hundred or a thousand men? That imperial uncle from Western Shu, lauded as the Sword Saint of his era, still perished with a broken sword under the iron hooves of Beiliang, overwhelmed by countless soldiers until he was exhausted to death. His corpse was trampled by horses, reduced to a pulp, an ignominious end. Rather than being treated as a mercenary risking his life for wealth, it was far more carefree to be a free-roaming fish in the martial world.

Xu Fengnian smiled, "Wang Mingyin coming to Xiangfan isn't surprising. But a little girl riding a large cat, that was a pleasant surprise for your nephew! Meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land, I really must thank you, Royal Uncle, for your grand gesture of a thousand taels of gold. If you hadn't spent so generously, how could your nephew have seen her true face? Heh heh."

He couldn't help but let out a "heh heh" laugh, mimicking the girl assassin.

Hearing this, Zhao Heng finally sighed softly, yet his expression didn't cloud over; instead, it seemed to clear up. If he, Zhao Heng, were someone who couldn't bear to lose, how could he have survived until today? Besides, although he lost the battle at Reed Marsh this time, the covert struggle in the imperial court was not a loss but a victory. Was it only this junior in front of him who was allowed to conceal his true abilities in this world? Zhao Heng chuckled freely, "Fengnian, will you resent your Royal Uncle from now on?"

Xu Fengnian hadn't expected Zhao Heng to ask such a direct question and remained silent for a moment. The figure on horseback before him was a prominent figure of Xu Xiao's generation, who had contended for the throne with the current Emperor and lost initially, and then was outmaneuvered by Xu Xiao in the Spring and Autumn War, losing later. But when it came to schemes and stratagems, Xu Fengnian was not so arrogant as to believe he could stand shoulder to shoulder with him. If not for that, Xu Fengnian wouldn't have had his back drenched in sweat during their conversation at the inn by Thin Sheep Lake that day. Today, Zhao Heng's poisonous schemes came one after another, especially his audacity to abandon even his beloved wife, the Princess Consort, which was simply terrifying! Xu Fengnian remained silent, and Zhao Heng didn't mind, maintaining a composed and unruffled demeanor. Xu Fengnian, half-sincerely, half-facetiously, chuckled softly, "If Royal Uncle has no more parting gifts, your nephew certainly wouldn't dare to resent an elder. I'll simply consider it a priceless lesson learned, and in the future, I'll never again underestimate the heroes and valiant men outside of Beiliang."

Zhao Heng, holding the reins, unconsciously rubbed and twisted them between his thumb and forefinger. He said blandly, "As it happens, I do have two small gifts."

Xu Fengnian's heart skipped a beat, and a surge of ferocity erupted in his narrow, phoenix-like eyes. He sneered, "Since Royal Uncle wishes to give them, there's no reason for your nephew not to accept!"

What arrogance!

Zhao Heng couldn't help but sigh, for some reason thinking of his own eldest son, Zhao Xun. In terms of strategy, intelligence, and meticulousness, the two young lords, similar in age, showed no obvious difference in superiority. However, when it came to spirit and courage, Zhao Xun fell far short. But one couldn't blame Xun'er; he had grown up in the Prince of Jing'an's residence, confined by the intricate regulations for feudal princes, with few opportunities for true experience. While he himself had spent over two decades cooped up in Xiangfan City, many principles were better learned through personal experience than through mere words. Thus, Xun'er had only inherited the softer, more Yin side, lacking the fierce, masculine intensity that came from battlefield slaughter. Such an imposing demeanor was certainly not cultivated by merely killing a few servants. This Xu Fengnian, though not resembling Xu Que in appearance, possessed exactly his father's cunning and disposition. If it were someone else's son, who would dare to openly commit murder on the battlefield? Zhao Heng clearly perceived Xu Fengnian's intense killing intent, a willingness to perish together, yet he merely smiled it off. He bent down and unfastened a long, brocade-wrapped package from his horse's back. It felt cool to the touch, the chill piercing his skin. Zhao Heng smiled faintly, "Inside this sword box is half of an ancient sword and a saber manual, both acquired by this prince from Wudi City. Fengnian, you practice with a saber, so the manual will be useful. As for the ancient sword, to be frank, my original intention was to give it to the old Sword God Li, after seeing you off."

Xu Fengnian asked in shock, "Half a Mu Man Niu sword?"

The Prince of Jing'an laughed, looking up at the sky, "Exactly."

Zhao Heng then looked directly at Xu Fengnian, for the first time not concealing his killing intent. He said coldly, "Do you believe that I am the only person in the world today who can invite that Land Immortal to leave Wudi City?"

The tip of the Momentary Spear in Xu Fengnian's hand, which had been pointing downwards, subtly lifted a few inches. He smiled, "I do!"

Zhao Heng's killing intent vanished in an instant, his expression returning to calm and serene, with even a touch of the melancholy of a hero at the end of his path. He swung the sword box, throwing it to Xu Fengnian, then turned his horse around and said without a change in tone, "That saber manual is the only surviving secret scripture of that person. The scripture is unnamed, but that person defeated countless top swordsmen in his life, so the significance of this saber manual can be imagined. Xu Fengnian, if Zhao Xun ever has the opportunity to leave Qingzhou in the future, whether to go to Beiliang or back to that city, I hope you won't forget today's small gift. Whether it's me or Xu Xiao, we are old men now. In the future, it will surely be up to you to stir up the winds and waves. The grievances between your father and me are settled completely as of today. You must know that acting against the current is like drinking wine, but going with the flow is like pouring tea, isn't that right?"

Xu Fengnian reached out and took the sword box containing half of the Mu Man Niu, holding it to his chest without a word.

The Prince of Jing'an, in his grand yellow dragon robe, rode off, leaving a trail of dust.

Xu Fengnian silently turned his horse around, holding his spear and the box, and rode back.

Each of the eighty cavalrymen had fervent eyes. Their formation immediately opened up a narrow path in the center.

As he rode through, Xu Fengnian said softly, "Retract your sabers."