Chapter 13: 带刀老魁，背匣老黄

To say Xu Fengnian was not afraid at all would be deceiving himself. However, Xu Fengnian trusted his intuition. The old monster trapped at the bottom of the lake for over a decade would not be overly hostile towards him. After all, they had maintained an odd, albeit casual, relationship for years. Xu Fengnian had thrown countless chicken legs and roasted meats down, and in spring and summer, he would dive down every few days to show his face. They certainly had some rapport.

Xu Fengnian had never mentioned this to his father, Xu Xiao, though he believed both of them implicitly knew about it. Xu Fengnian's primary motivation was gratitude for his life being saved years ago. Even if releasing this lake monster from its confines angered Grand Pillar Xu, at worst, he would receive a whipping. Moreover, Xu Fengnian was curious about the true strength of the extraordinary individuals within the Beiliang King's Residence. He also wanted to know if an old monster capable of holding its breath for over a decade was on par with the world's top ten masters.

Feigning composure, Xu Fengnian said, "Old Huang, do you know what I'm going to do? Why are you following me? Can you swim? Don't drown!"

The old servant smiled shyly without speaking. Appearing to find his travel bag heavy, he shook his small frame and lifted the wooden box a few inches higher.

Upon reaching the center of the lake, Xu Fengnian drew his purple Spring Thunder sword from its simple sheath, far less ornate than Embroidery Winter's. Taking a deep breath, he pointed the tip downwards and threw it with all his might.

After a long while, there was no movement.

Xu Fengnian almost cursed out loud, wondering if this was another futile effort and if he would have to jump in himself to retrieve the sword.

Old Huang slowly moved to the bow of the boat, remaining perfectly still.

Helplessly, Xu Fengnian said, "Old Huang, don't pretend to be a master with me. Don't I know your true abilities?"

Old Huang turned and chuckled.

Xu Fengnian glared, "What are you laughing at? Is having no front teeth something to be proud of?!"

In an instant, the lake's surface churned more violently and terrifyingly than ever before, as if it intended to turn the world upside down.

Xu Fengnian, hiding inside the boat, first thought to shout for Old Huang to flee, and then, of course, to have his father's subordinates clean up the mess. As a prince who could wield Spring Thunder with such force that it could sweep away armies, he certainly would not foolishly contend with the old monster.

But Xu Fengnian quickly noticed something strange about the canopy boat. The tempest on the lake was terrifying, yet the old stableman, who had always slipped away at the first sign of danger during their three years of travels, merely stomped his foot. The rocking boat instantly became as steady as a rock, unmoving.

Old Huang even turned and grinned, then gestured with his hand to a height roughly equal to Xu Fengnian's, likely implying, "I am a master of this caliber." Xu Fengnian didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Goodness, Old Huang," he thought, "you still have the leisure for this now? Don't get beaten so badly by the old monster that you're looking for teeth all over the ground – you don't even have any to begin with!"

From the third-floor corridor of Listening Tide Pavilion, a grey figure leaped down, landing on one foot, bouncing once, and then gracefully and swiftly soared towards the lake.

Xu Fengnian instinctively raised his hand, only then realizing he had no cucumber to munch on. He felt a slight regret. "The show is about to begin," he thought.

Listening Tide Pavilion, known among martial artists as the "Martial Arts Treasury," housed five pavilion guardians. Xu Fengnian had known them since childhood, having grown up climbing and playing inside the pavilion, even sometimes relieving himself in corners when he couldn't wait. He would diligently call them "uncle" or "grandpa."

The third-floor guardian who now darted out of Listening Tide Pavilion was a Taoist master, a patriarch of the Nine-Peck Rice Taoism, one of the three great Taoist traditions. According to his master, Li Yishan, he was skilled in Qimen Dunjia and possessed genuine second-rank Profound Attainment strength. He had willingly become a servant in the pavilion solely for a rare copy of the *Cantong Qi*. As a child, Xu Fengnian, finding climbing stairs tiresome, had often been carried by the old man.

The old Taoist of Nine-Peck Rice, clad in a grey, wide-sleeved robe, bounced onto the lake surface like a dragonfly touching water. He glided forward, sweeping his sleeves to conjure two columns of water that shot directly towards the center of the lake.

Seeing that the small boat would not capsize, Xu Fengnian felt much relieved. He marveled, "So Grandpa Wei is this formidable! I should have brought him along on my travels back then. Those bandits and thugs would have been beaten senseless!"

Old Huang heard the Prince's words, turned, and his old face showed a look of profound bitterness and grievance.

Not wanting to upset Old Huang, who had toiled with him for three years, Xu Fengnian laughed, "No matter how formidable Grandpa Wei is, he's not as thoughtful as you, Old Huang, when it comes to robbing bird nests or catching fish! There are always plenty of masters in this world, but only one Old Huang who can weave straw sandals!"

The old servant smiled "tenderly" and "affectionately," giving Xu Fengnian goosebumps. He quickly urged, "Watch the show, watch the show, don't miss it."

Both master and servant looked towards the lake.

Two pitch-black chains burst from the water, like flood dragons emerging from the sea, radiating immense power. At the end of the chains were two hiltless blades: one as clear and bright as snow, the other as vivid red as blood. In the Prince's words, they were incredibly impressive and exuded the aura of a true master. Xu Fengnian only wished he had a stack of silver notes on hand, or he would have surely shouted, "Reward them!"

The twin blades shattered the two water dragons conjured by the old Nine-Peck Rice Taoist, slicing them apart instantly!

A towering, ten-foot-tall, majestic figure burst from the lake. Freed from the thousand-pound copper balls tied to his feet at the lake's bottom, the white-haired old monster, having just appeared, let out a wild, piercing laugh that almost deafened Xu Fengnian.

With a swing of the chains, a scarlet greatsword arced through the air, cleaving towards the old Taoist. Its blade force was utterly tyrannical, tearing through the sky with a whistling rush of wind.

The old Taoist surnamed Wei let out a soft cry, stomped on the water with one foot, raising a thousand layers of waves that shot diagonally towards the long sword. The waves were split in half as the greatsword, unstoppable, continued its advance. The old Taoist flicked his sleeve, attempting to block this fierce strike, a blow he had almost never witnessed in his life.

It was futile. The wide sleeves of his Taoist robe instantly shredded. He was defeated in a single move. His figure flew backward, tumbling into the lake, his fate unknown.

It turned out the old monster in the lake also wielded blades. Both he and "White Fox Face" used twin blades; one summoned snowstorms, the other stirred up waves. Xu Fengnian wondered who was more formidable.

With dazed eyes, Xu Fengnian clicked his tongue and muttered, "Could this old monster be invincible? If I'd known masters were this magnificent, I would have listened to Xu Xiao's advice and practiced martial arts diligently back then."

Old Huang, not wanting to be left out, turned his head and chuckled foolishly, shaking his head, "Not invincible, not invincible."

Xu Fengnian intently watched. He discerned that the chains on the old monster's hands were rooted in his bones, an integral part of him, rather than merely wrapped or bound. This was truly terrifying. Who would be so obsessed with martial arts, or so arrogant, as to achieve such complete integration with a blade? If someone controlled the blade, wouldn't it be an agonizing disaster for him?

The old monster with twin chains and twin blades leaped into a pavilion. With a gentle wave, the costly pavilion collapsed in a roar, almost turning to dust. The old monster threw his head back and laughed wildly, his white hair streaming around him, appearing like a Yama King.

The remaining four pavilion guardians of Listening Tide Pavilion moved out together, forming a strategic formation, standing solemnly at a distance.

On the peak of Qingliang Mountain in the Prince's Estate, Grand Pillar Xu Xiao sat on a wooden bench, overlooking the lake on the mountainside with an unobstructed view. He held a red clay teapot crafted by a renowned artisan, though it contained "Green Ant" wine. Beside him stood his adopted son, Yuan Zuozong, known as "Left Bear," whose phoenix eyes were narrowed.

Xu Xiao chuckled softly, "How many moves can he block?"

Yuan Zuozong, who had cut down foes and standards on the battlefield with his white horse and silver spear as if entering an uninhabited land, quietly said, "Adopted Father, Left Bear wishes to try."

The Grand Pillar shook his head. "Never mind. Someone below will handle that monster. Fengnian won't be harmed."

In the second-floor corridor of Listening Tide Pavilion, a figure in a white robe stood by the railing, a Winter Embroidery blade at his waist. He watched for a moment, his fingers on the sword hilt. He drew Winter Embroidery an inch, then sheathed it back, caressing it once more before turning to re-enter the building.

Not only that, but even Li Yishan, the most prominent scholar and advisor in the Prince's Estate, emerged from his dim room. With hands clasped behind his back, he quietly observed the rare spectacle, seen perhaps once in a decade. The sunlight seemed harsh, and he raised a hand to shield his eyes, muttering to himself, "Sword Nine Huang, Chu Kuangnu… will countless pavilions have to be dismantled again?"

The old monster, it seemed, completely ignored the pavilion guardians. Apparently, in the entire world, few opponents warranted his attention. He simply roared, "Old Nine Huang, come out and face your death!"

Xu Fengnian exclaimed in astonishment, "Old Nine Huang? Old Huang, is he calling you? Don't tell me you have a grudge with this old monster!"

Old Huang reached out and tore away a tattered cloth strip, revealing the long, rectangular rosewood box that always made Xu Fengnian feel a lingering dread. He turned and smiled, still with the same gap-toothed grin. Every time Xu Fengnian saw this, he wondered if the old servant could still leak wine into his mouth even with his remaining teeth clenched when drinking rice wine.

The old monster clearly saw the old stableman standing at the boat's bow with the box on his back, his white hair wildly disheveled, and his face contorted into a hideous grin.

In the tense moment when Xu Fengnian barely dared to breathe, Old Huang extended a withered, yellowish hand and stroked the wooden box, still not forgetting to turn back and grin foolishly. He then tilted his head back, made a crude gesture of pouring wine into his mouth, and asked, "Young Master, how about that?"

Xu Fengnian laughed in exasperation, "Look at you! Can't you show a bit of a master's demeanor? If you actually win this by sheer dumb luck, I'll treat you to a hundred jars of Longyan Chengang rice wine."

The stableman, cursed as "Old Nine Huang" by the old monster and called "Sword Nine Huang" by Li Yishan, offered a faint smile. In that instant, Xu Fengnian's eyes seemed to be dazzled. Old Huang was no longer bumbling or foolish; instead, he exuded an indescribable presence. He felt that this old servant, as unmoving as a mountain, was even more impressive than the old monster wielding blades.

Among the three large plaques in Listening Tide Pavilion, one read "Qi Rushes to the Dipper," referring to the supreme sword energy that existed only in ancient texts and was, in reality, purely ethereal. Xu Fengnian thought, if Old Huang truly knew how to wield a sword, it would be worth toasting him once, twice, a thousand times over!

That sly old fox!

Without seeing any discernible movement from Old Huang, the wooden box vibrated with a sound like a dragon's roar, humming intensely. It was not piercing, but it was soul-stirring.

Xu Fengnian was stunned. Was Old Huang, who had spent three years with him stealing chickens and dogs and getting hit by hoes, truly a master?

"Sword One."

Old Huang, silently uttering those two words, took a light step on the bow. Xu Fengnian's canopy boat smoothly retreated towards the shore, an extraordinary sight. The small boat glided backward, leaving ripples in its wake.

Xu Fengnian gazed from afar at Old Huang's gaunt figure, walking upon the waves. The upper end of the rosewood box sprang open, and a long sword shot out.

Grand Pillar Xu Xiao, who had stood up on the mountaintop, and Li Yishan, inside Listening Tide Pavilion, both simultaneously said, "Sword One, Dragon Serpent."

The old monster with the blades laughed unrestrainedly, "Excellent, excellent! Old Nine Huang, I've waited for you for so many years! Today, I shall break your nine swords and make you carry one less!"

Xu Fengnian, an untrained layman, was so frustrated he could have killed someone. Although he knew it was a peak showdown between some of the martial world's top masters, to him, it simply looked like one blade against one sword. He couldn't discern any subtleties, and it was far less exciting than the initial duel between the twin-bladed old monster and Grandpa Wei.

The only thing he did notice was another sword flying out from the rosewood sword box. How could Xu Fengnian know that the most advanced techniques ultimately return to simplicity?

The Grand Pillar forgot to drink, holding his cup as he softly sighed, "Sword Two."

Inside Listening Tide Pavilion, Li Yishan slowly uttered two words: "Twin Lotuses."

The two men, one on the mountaintop and one on the mountainside, clearly shared a profound understanding.

One sword became two, and two swords became three.

"Sword Three."

"Three Jin."

With three swords, the sky was already filled with sword light, enveloping heaven and earth.

The twin-bladed old monster, and Old Huang with three swords. They were practically demigods.

Xu Fengnian plopped down onto the boat, grinning foolishly, "They deserve a reward! This is damn high-level skill!"