Chapter 17: Speaking to the Mountain Spirit

The next day, everything became clear. The woman, whose real name was Fan Chai, was from a ruined aristocratic family whose fortunes had declined due to the Grand Pillar State’s methods. She was a pawn destined for death, regardless of whether the mission succeeded or failed. Her purpose was to create an opportunity, gain access, and gather information.

The second son of the Lin family was merely a foolish pawn, barely alive. This *Tanhua* (third-place scholar in the imperial examination) knew nothing, only coveting Miss Fan's charming demeanor and painted lips. Blinded by his studies, he was unaware that the more alluring a woman, the more trouble she brings. A clumsy arranged "chance encounter" left him utterly infatuated, and he foolishly brought her into the Northern Liang Prince's Residence. Heaven knows how heartbroken the Lin family from Hedong Qiaoguo must have been upon learning of this disaster. Last night's assassination was not subtle; it was crude, betraying a sense of desperate urgency. Miss Fan, once inside, used the pretense of sightseeing to draw a map of the residence and a portrait of the Crown Prince, Xu Fengnian, then sought an opportunity to assassinate him. However, their calculations were far inferior to those of the Northern Liang Prince's Residence, and they all suffered dire consequences. As for the masterminds behind the woman named Fan and the fate of the Qiaoguo Lin family, Xu Fengnian, who was currently warming wine in the Tingchao Pavilion, couldn't be bothered with them. He only wondered if Fan Chai regretted dying for a man she had never met.

Xu Fengnian felt no pity for these people's suicidal actions. Beautiful women in the world were like bamboo shoots after rain or night grass on the prairie; cut one season, and a new batch would emerge the next, inexhaustible and impossible to burn away. If he were to pity every single one, wouldn't he exhaust himself to death? Xu Fengnian simply didn't have the leisure for that. Moreover, his three years of arduous travels, like a stray dog, had taught him much about common worldly wisdom. He recalled meeting a like-minded, unremarkable young swordsman during his journey. That fellow always spouted grand theories, like showing mercy to enemies was being cruel to oneself. He claimed to have learned all this from frustrated, unrecognized senior swordsmen. Every time he spoke, saliva would fly, inevitably splattering Xu Fengnian's face.

Xu Fengnian still remembered the man who couldn't afford an iron sword and had to carry a wooden one. The way he looked at sword-wielding wandering knights on the street was exactly like a philanderer spotting a beautiful woman. What would that fellow think if he knew that Old Huang, whom he constantly forced to listen to his boasting about how "Great Vehicle Swordsmanship" should be, was actually Jianjiu Huang, capable of fighting even the old monster Wang from Wudi City? And that the old man's sword case on his back contained five of the world's most renowned swords? Was that fellow, whose mind was filled with desires to find a famous master to learn from, doing well now? Had he achieved mastery in swordsmanship?

When they parted at the southern Yan border, that man grandly told Xu Fengnian: "One day, when this brother makes a fortune, I'll treat you to the best braised beef – if one *jin* isn't enough, then three *jin* (approx. 1.5 kg), until you're full!"

Three *jin* of beef seemed to be the limit of his imagination.

The true martial world, after all, rarely had peerless masters who could cleave rivers with a single sword or uproot mountains. More often, it was nameless individuals like that fellow, dreaming unattainable and comical martial arts dreams. Xu Fengnian rubbed his cheeks vigorously and saw Yuan Zuozong standing quietly nearby, waiting for him. Xu Fengnian quickly got up and moved an embroidered stool for General Longwu of the third rank. A flicker of surprise crossed Yuan Zuozong's eyes. He sat with the solemnity of a great bell and said gravely, "Your Highness, the Prince has asked me how to deal with the woman named Fan."

Xu Fengnian smiled and said, "Handle it as it should be handled."

Yuan Zuozong nodded slightly. Receiving the unexpected reply, he immediately rose, preparing to take his leave.

Xu Fengnian did not stop him. He sat down briefly, then stood up again and said, "Third Brother Yuan, let's drink together when you have time, and not stop until we're drunk."

Yuan Zuozong showed a rare smile and said, "Very well."

Xu Fengnian picked up a pre-prepared pot of wine from the tea table and carried it towards the Tingchao Pavilion, going directly to the eighth floor. There, he found his master, Li Yishan, courtesy name Yuanying, engrossed in copying books. This disheveled, emaciated man was not well-known in either the martial world or the imperial court. Yet, in the Northern Liang Prince's Residence, no one dared show the slightest disrespect to this, the Prince's foremost retainer. Xu Fengnian sat down beside him, familiar with the routine, picked up the green gourd from the zitan table, and poured the wine into it. The aroma of wine immediately filled the air, and only then did the man stop writing, chuckling softly, "The scent of rouge and powder has finally faded a bit. Three years of wandering still proved somewhat beneficial."

Xu Fengnian chuckled, then asked worriedly, "Master, Old Huang went to Wudi City. Can he retrieve the Huanglu Sword from the city wall?"

Li Yishan took a gulp of wine and gently shook his head.

Xu Fengnian was shocked. "The Old Monster from the Lake Bottom is already incredibly powerful, and Old Huang is clearly a cut above him. Does this mean Wang Xianzhi, who proclaimed himself lord of the East Sea City, is truly invincible?"

Li Yishan held the green gourd, no longer drinking, but merely sniffing it. He slowly said, "Invincible? There is still a handful of people above the first rank. Wang Xianzhi has immersed himself in martial arts his entire life, almost reaching profound enlightenment, but he cannot be called invincible. The current martial world is one of warring heroes, each with their own strengths; the sight of a single supreme master, as in the past, will not appear now, nor will it be possible in the future. Moreover, the peak of martial arts merely touches the threshold of the Heavenly Dao. Furthermore, the influence of martial artists outside the court on the world's grand affairs is very limited; otherwise, the entire martial world would not have been trampled underfoot by the Northern Liang iron cavalry back then. If you don't wish to learn martial arts, the Grand Pillar State won't force you, and I don't care either; that's simply how it is. A million brave soldiers can still be subdued, but a formidable national traitor is worse. Civil officials might disrupt governance, but a mere commoner will certainly not destabilize the nation."

Xu Fengnian gave a wry smile. For the past decade or so, the Liyang Dynasty had tirelessly spread this "heart-killing" phrase that shed no blood: "A million brave soldiers can be subdued, but a formidable national traitor is worse." The first part was a grudging compliment to the Grand Pillar State's military achievements, with a hint of "praise to kill" (setting someone up by praising them excessively); the second part was a blatant bludgeoning, revealing the true intention. This saying was quite learned, and even Xu Xiao clapped his hands and laughed heartily upon hearing it. However, after laughing, he cursed, "Those idle, pretentious scholars from Shangyin Academy deserve to be killed."

Li Yishan, holding his wine pot, made space, allowing Xu Fengnian to copy rare texts for him. Xu Fengnian was long accustomed to this; his calligraphy skills were not weak, but he had never managed to cultivate any "grand righteousness." Whenever he saw Xu Fengnian make an improper stroke, he would tap him with the green gourd. Li Yishan had the Crown Prince copy for the duration of a lamp's burning, then sat down again. Xu Fengnian lay beside him, watching his master from the side. His master, with his aged face and white hair, was in a state of decline; the yellow scroll and green lamp symbolized an empty heart. He heard that the bitterest experience in the world was decline, and the hardest cultivation was an empty heart. What kind of experiences would make his master's heart as calm as still water? Without looking up, Li Yishan softly said, "Go, see the guests invited into Tingchao Pavilion; they're almost on the third floor."

Xu Fengnian acknowledged with an "Oh" and quietly went downstairs.

On the second floor, beneath the ancient bookshelves piled high to form an entire wall of books, stood the enigmatic "White Fox Face." In his left hand, he held a yellowed secret martial arts manual, and his right index finger tapped rhythmically on his smooth forehead. The sheathed Xiudong saber was inserted into the bookshelf as a marker.

White Fox Face merely glanced at Xu Fengnian, then lowered his head again.

Finding himself ignored, Xu Fengnian had no choice but to withdraw.

In the vast Northern Liang Prince's Residence, it seemed that only the Crown Prince was such a leisurely idler, to the point of being utterly useless.

In the middle of the year, the Grand Pillar State chose an auspicious day to hold his son's coming-of-age ceremony at the ancestral temple. What was highly unusual was that the coming-of-age ceremony for the esteemed eldest son of the Northern Liang Prince was less grand than that of an ordinary wealthy family. Not only were the invited guests remarkably few, but even the Crown Prince's two elder sisters and younger brother were absent. Xu Fengnian, dressed in clean attire, was led into the Grand Ancestral Temple by Xu Xiao. He offered sacrifices to heaven, earth, and ancestors, and was crowned three times: first with a black hemp cap, then a white deer hide cap, and finally a red and black plain cap. The three crowns on Xu Fengnian's head drew too much attention and focus. The first crown was significant to all high-ranking officials of the Liyang Dynasty's court, as it symbolized the Crown Prince's eligibility to enter politics. The second crown held more practical and lasting significance, as the 300,000 iron cavalry of Northern Liang were eagerly awaiting its meaning. As for the third crown, it merely held symbolic meaning and was comparatively less regarded.

The Crown Prince, who had undergone the hair-binding and capping ceremony, was busy all day, his face stiff with exhaustion. After bowing to each of the Northern Liang border officials who had come to the residence, he could finally relax. He enjoyed the personal maids of Wutongyuan bringing him tea and water, massaging his shoulders, tapping his back, and kneading his legs. After a sufficient rest, Xu Fengnian personally adjusted his cap and attire. Finally, he went with Xu Xiao to the Princess's tomb. A pair of tall, vivid green and white jade lions, both in the lively form of a lioness with cubs, stood guard. The lioness on the right protected three cubs, symbolizing the Princess and her three biological children: eldest daughter Xu Zhihu, second daughter Xu Weixiong, and youngest son Xu Longxiang. The lioness on the left, however, merely lowered her head to kiss a single cub. The Princess's doting favoritism towards her eldest son, Xu Fengnian, knew no bounds, both in life and in death! Xu Fengnian stood before the stone lions, his eyes red. The Grand Pillar State, Xu Xiao, sighed softly. Whenever young Fengnian felt wronged, he would secretly run here and stay for the entire night, never falling ill, regardless of the weather.

The Princess's tomb was surrounded by two white jade walls, creating a magnificent "city within a city" appearance. The main sacred path extended for sixty *zhang* (approx. 180 meters). According to imperial regulations, the sacred path of an emperor's tomb should have no more than nine types of stone beasts on its sides, but here there were a full fourteen!

Nearly a hundred stone carvings, full of spirit and vitality, flowed with a single powerful aura, majestic as a rainbow. Furthermore, the height of the tomb's apex and the scale of the underground palace far surpassed that of any prince in the dynasty. It also featured an ingeniously crafted dressing table and two maid's graves, unprecedented in their design. When the Princess's tomb was first completed, it was criticized by countless people. The Emperor's study was filled with impeachment memorials almost overnight, but they were all suppressed and ignored.

The hunchbacked, limping Grand Pillar State stood silently before the grave.

After completing his offerings, Xu Fengnian crouched before the tomb and softly said, "Father, I'll stay a bit longer."

The Grand Pillar State said gently, "Don't catch a cold; your mother would be heartbroken."

Xu Fengnian hummed in affirmation.

The Butcher, the Northern Liang Prince, walked along the main sacred path, silently counting his steps—exactly three hundred sixty-five.

This sole Grand Pillar State, whose power permeated the court, clearly remembered his first time entering the imperial court for his enfeoffment. From that red lacquered gate to the entrance of Kunji Palace, he walked two hundred eighty-four steps, full of youthful vigor. Later, as he aged and his leg became lame, he walked more steps, slower and longer, but never exceeding three hundred sixty-five.

Forty years of military life had brought him to his current position. Xu Xiao had a clear conscience, fearing neither heaven nor earth, nor ghosts nor gods.

The Grand Pillar State walked out of the main sacred path, turned his head, and looked back. That child must be humming that tune, "Ode to the Spring God," which his mother had taught him.

Xu Xiao thought of a secret letter that had been urgently delivered to his desk around midnight last night, and he hesitated whether to hand it over or not. It was Xu Fengnian's joyous coming-of-age day, and this letter arrived at a most inconvenient time.

The Northern Liang Prince walked along the path to the summit of Qingliang Mountain. Though seemingly alone, countless hidden sentries were along the way. Not only were there elite soldiers carefully selected from the army, but also three close attendants who were first-rank masters, just two steps away from the Grandmaster realm. Xu Xiao believed his head was still worth some gold. In his youth, he thought dying on the battlefield and having his head taken by the enemy was fine, and being wrapped in horse hide after death was a joyful thing. The higher his rank, the more he inevitably cherished his life, and this wasn't merely out of fear of death. It was just that Xu Xiao always maintained that his current glory was forged by countless brothers who had sacrificed their lives. Going to the underworld too soon would be a disservice to the heroic souls hastily buried across the land. Especially since most of these men had families and clans, he felt reassured only if he could look after them. A big tree attracts strong winds, and when it falls, the winds are even stronger. Aristocratic families are no different from dynasties; both offense and defense are difficult. Xu Xiao had seen too many family heads who died young from exhaustion.

He entered the Yellow Crane Tower, which was somewhat desolate and eerie. He climbed to the mountaintop, then to the top of the tower itself. Just like this king of a different surname's illustrious and glorious life, he stood with his hands behind his back. He didn't idly tap the railings like a scholar reciting poetry without purpose; instead, he simply gazed at the city's night view. Currently, he had two sons and two daughters, commanded 300,000 iron cavalry, had six adopted sons, and his residence was filled with masters and countless retainers and strategists. His disciples and former subordinates were spread throughout the court and across society. His hidden chess pieces were planted and taking root in all directions. What was called "gold and jade filling the hall, rich enough to rival a nation" was nothing more than this. Of course, his political enemies and adversaries were equally countless. Wasn't that girl named Fan just a blind sparrow that had flown into a snare? However, Xu Xiao generally couldn't be bothered with such characters. Northern Liang's military affairs were already busy enough. Every few years, smoke signals would rise along the border, though most of them were lit by his own hands. He also had to deal with every stir in the imperial city, and he had long ceased to pay attention to martial world affairs. Xu Xiao rubbed his hands, involuntarily recalling a poem he had heard in his youth. Unfortunately, he could only remember fragments; what was seen in the imperial city was vague, but Xu Xiao always remembered the final line: "Fifty years of grand endeavor, listened to by mountain spirits."

Xu Xiao, standing in the empty corridor of the Yellow Crane Tower, waited until the eastern sky showed the first hint of dawn before softly saying, "Yin, deliver the letter to Fengnian. He has, after all, undergone his capping ceremony."

There was no overt response.

Xu Xiao patiently waited for the sun to rise.

The Grand Pillar State had twelve elite death-sworn warriors, codenamed after the Twelve Earthly Branches. When his eldest son, Xu Fengnian, was born, he began training another group of death-sworn warriors for his descendants, named after the Ten Heavenly Stems. Unfortunately, he had only trained four so far, and during his son's travels, two more had died, making the prospect of gathering all ten (Jia, Yi, Bing, Ding, Wu, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren, Gui) increasingly distant. Fortunately, two special "chess pieces" outside the Heavenly Stem death-sworn warriors made the Grand Pillar State very satisfied. The oldest of these individuals were no more than twenty-five, and the youngest was only twelve. These hidden operatives, cultivated with vast financial and material resources, might not temporarily match first-rank masters in martial arts, but their killing methods were by no means inferior. Only by being able to kill can one save, and Xu Xiao was more convinced of this than anyone.

As Xu Xiao went downstairs, he asked, "Chou. Yuan Zuozong can convince my son, but what about Chen Zhibao?"

From the shadows, a hoarse voice, like a blunt knife grinding on stone, replied, "Reporting to Master, he cannot."

Xu Xiao rubbed his temples and smiled, "If this Prince remembers correctly, Chen Zhibao saved a life in the battle at Princess Luoyang's tomb. With such a connection, he doesn't understand how to smooth things over for him? Is he not afraid of suddenly dying today?"

Silence.

Loyalty, filial piety, righteousness.

In Northern Liang, this order could not be disrupted. For "Chou," destined to forever remain in the shadows, to mediate for Chen Zhibao would simply mean sacrificing another life.

Xu Xiao's thoughts were unfathomable. He murmured to himself, "The Butcher."