Chapter 176: People on the Mountain Climb the Mountain

Zongheng, Beacon Fires Amuse the Nobles

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(Chapter Three)

“Your Royal Highness’s discourse on fame and fortune is quite insightful. If a scholar seeks fame and personal gain, appearing to disdain profit but in reality no different from a merchant.”

“Pure and renowned scholars who engage in empty talk harm the nation; such a person is no true scholar. Holding scriptures at home and laughing at the frozen corpses outside the gate—this kind of ‘reading’ is not true reading at all, but merely reading a wordless scripture of discourtesy, inhumanity, and injustice.”

“Xuanyuan Jingcheng of Huishan offers a bow to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in memory of Zhizhang Xunping, who was both his teacher and friend, visiting his grave with wine.”

“Xuanyuan Jingcheng, on behalf of Wang Yangming, a scholar from Xiangfan, bows again to the King of Northern Liang for helping him eliminate corrupt officials.”

“Finally, Xuanyuan Jingcheng bows to the King of Northern Liang on behalf of all impoverished scholars across the land!”

Xu Fengnian's eyes widened as he watched the green-robed scholar approach, completely unaware that the man had been eavesdropping, nor could he detect any fluctuation in his qi. When they were thirty paces apart, the man who called himself Xuanyuan Jingcheng bowed deeply three times in succession, then straightened up and stopped walking. Murong Wuzhu, who was squatting beside the Crown Prince, picking hawthorn berries, dropped them all when she heard the name "Xuanyuan." Murong Tonghuang appeared slightly more composed, but her knuckles turned pale, betraying her inner panic. To the siblings, the Xuanyuan clan members on Guniu Dagan Ridge were not just carefree recluses of the martial world, but rather demons who held Jianzhou in their grasp. Yet, Murong Tonghuang still roughly pulled his sister away as she tried to grasp Xu Fengnian's sleeve, practically helping her to her feet and leading her to a distance. Ostensibly, they wished to avoid being caught in the crossfire, but a subtle smirk appeared on the lips of both Xu Fengnian and Murong Tonghuang almost simultaneously after they separated, clearly indicating a shared understanding.

Since someone from the Xuanyuan family had chosen to be the first to act, launching an offense rather than defending, and daring to descend from Huishan to Lónghǔ Mountain despite knowing Xu Fengnian's identity—even if it was the notorious Xuanyuan Jingcheng—Xu Fengnian dared not relax his guard. This man's three respectful bows seemed out of place, suggesting something sinister was afoot. After gripping his twin blades and standing up, he noticed Huang Man'er and Qingniao had both moved closer, forming a pincer-like formation. Xu Fengnian then asked with a smile, “Sir, these three bows of yours are truly earth-shattering and ghost-wailing. I am unworthy to receive them. I only wonder if you would dare to perform such an act on Guniu Dagan Ridge?”

Xuanyuan Jingcheng calmly replied, “If I say there is nothing I would not dare, Your Royal Highness would likely not believe it. If I say I would not dare, would Your Royal Highness then draw your blade on the spot?”

Xu Fengnian stared at this eldest legitimate grandson, who had become a laughingstock of the Xuanyuan family, thinking, “A weasel paying respects to a chicken!” Unwilling to let him continue with his charade, he said impatiently, “Speak. What exactly do you want with me? If it weren't for your connection with Master Xun, why would I waste words on you?”

Xuanyuan Jingcheng went straight to the point, calmly asking, “Does Your Highness know why my daughter, Xuanyuan Qingfeng, previously had a quarrel with you in Wuzhou?”

Xu Fengnian gripped Spring Thunder in his left hand. He aimed to kill with a single strike of his left-hand blade. *I didn't go to Huishan to seek trouble with your snake-and-rat-infested Xuanyuan clan, yet you dare to come down the mountain to provoke me, the Crown Prince? When did the Xuanyuan family produce a scholar who worries about the nation and its people?*

Xuanyuan Jingcheng exhaled softly, his internal qi surging like a great river. With a faint smile, he said, “Please speak, Sir.”

Xuanyuan Jingcheng continued in a calm tone, “You bear a strong resemblance to someone. Physically, perhaps four or five parts, but spiritually, eight or nine...”

Xu Fengnian's Spring Thunder exploded forth, reaching Xuanyuan Jingcheng in an instant. Derived from Spear Immortal Wang Xiu's renowned technique 'Overlord Unarms,' Spring Thunder sliced down, aiming to enter Xuanyuan Jingcheng's neck and exit his waist, intending to diagonally cleave him in half with a single successful strike.

Xuanyuan Jingcheng frowned slightly. With his left foot stationary, his right toes spun, drawing a semicircle on the ground. His left hand held a book behind his back, while his right hand extended two pallid fingers to pinch Spring Thunder, smoothly deflecting the force of Xu Fengnian's fierce blade downwards. The middle-aged scholar let out a soft "Hmm," a hint of surprise in his voice. The sleeve of the scholar's hand holding the blade fluttered without any wind.

Xu Fengnian twisted his blade, and Xuanyuan Jingcheng released his grip, retreating backward. His toes lightly tapped the ground in a crossing pattern, his movements indescribably light and graceful as he continued, “And this person is the man Qingfeng's mother could never forget. Had he not died of illness, she would never have married into Huishan. Qingfeng learned her calligraphy and painting from her mother. There is a portrait that has hung for twenty years. After Qingfeng saw you at the Lantern Market, it was inevitable that she would act impolitely and lose her composure. I hope Your Highness can forgive her.”

Xu Fengnian strode forward, thrusting Spring Thunder straight out like a harpoon. Xuanyuan Jingcheng used the book in his left hand to tap Spring Thunder, deflecting it. Just as Xu Fengnian's right hand was about to draw his Embroidered Winter saber, Xuanyuan Jingcheng, who had been enduring repeatedly, snorted coldly. His body suddenly darted forward, and he placed a hand on Xu Fengnian's shoulder, giving a gentle push. Xu Fengnian was forced to turn, but his Embroidered Winter saber was still drawn, slashing diagonally upward. It was the 'Mountain-Uprooting' stance!

Xuanyuan Jingcheng sneered, “You do not know when to advance or retreat, what an arrogant Crown Prince!”

Xu Fengnian inexplicably sheathed his blades, both Spring Thunder and Embroidered Winter returning to their scabbards. Huang Man'er then smiled and said, “Last time, when I visited Zhizhang's grave outside the city, I saw a few wine cups. Were they all yours, Sir?”

Xuanyuan Jingcheng nodded forlornly and asked, “Why did you suddenly sheath your blade?”

Xu Fengnian pointed at Huang Man'er, who was squatting in the distance, and chuckled, “My brother knows whether others harbor ill intent.”

With mixed emotions, Xuanyuan Jingcheng said, “Born into the Vajra realm.”

Xu Fengnian asked in confusion, “Forgive my presumption, but you are clearly a martial arts master. Why then have you fallen into such a state on Guniu Dagan Ridge?”

Xuanyuan Jingcheng calmly revealed a shocking truth: “Qingfeng's mother engaged in dual cultivation with Xuanyuan Dapan as a way to get revenge on me. Now, that old ancestor wants Qingfeng to enter Guniu Jiang again.”

Xuanyuan Jingcheng's voice remained steady, not lowered to conceal anything shameful. Murong Tonghuang and Murong Wuzhu exchanged bewildered glances. Even Xu Fengnian, thick-skinned as he was, was utterly dumbfounded and profoundly shocked. *Is there really such an shameless old man in this world who preys on those close to him?* he thought. *That's the eldest legitimate grandson's wife, and in the end, he won't even spare his great-granddaughter? Would he rather kill the innocent than let a potential victim go?* Compared to this sensational revelation, the attempt to abduct the Murong twins was truly insignificant.

Xuanyuan Jingcheng said bitterly, “That old ancestor isn't merely indulging in lust; he wishes to achieve the Immortal True Being realm, and has taken a heterodox path to do so.”

Xu Fengnian cursed, “Bullshit! Whether it's Daoist chamber arts or Tantric joyous dual cultivation, Xuanyuan Jingcheng, are you still a man?”

Xuanyuan Jingcheng calmly stated, “For twenty years, I have mastered all the secret manuals and cultivation methods of Huishan's Wending Pavilion. I took a divergent path with no turning back. I do not fear death, but I only seek the safety of the mother and daughter.”

Xuanyuan Jingcheng spoke slowly, then coughed several times, covering his mouth. Crimson bloodstains were visible, a shocking sight. Xu Fengnian couldn't follow the sporadic, elusive thoughts of this sickly scholar. He asked, “Can you fight Xuanyuan Dapan to the death? I heard that old monster is incredibly formidable.”

The Daoist scripture in Xuanyuan Jingcheng's hand was already stained red. He placed it behind his back, looking at Xu Fengnian with a faint smile, and said, “Yes, I can. He seeks to achieve Great Immortality; I shall let him witness it. However, the Immortal True Being realm I've attained is not true immortality, so the outcome is fifty-fifty. But what will become of the mother and daughter after I die? I've been pondering this question, which is why I've been waiting for Your Royal Highness. I came to see Your Highness today. Your first strike was excellent; not only is your saber art accomplished, but your attack was also utterly ruthless. Xuanyuan Jingcheng humbly requests Your Highness's assistance. Only Your Highness in this world can save the mother and daughter.”

Xu Fengnian was startled again and again.

Xuanyuan Jingcheng continued speaking to himself, “Once Xuanyuan Dapan is dead, the only remaining troubles in Huishan will be my father, Xuanyuan Guoqi, and my younger brother, Xuanyuan Jingxuan. If those two also die, Your Highness only needs to ensure Qingfeng's life, and you can easily use her as a puppet to control Guniu Dagan Ridge.”

Xu Fengnian asked, “Isn't this just your Xuanyuan family setting a trap for me?”

Xuanyuan Jingcheng shook his head, “No.”

Xu Fengnian, feeling helpless, shook his head and said, “If it's truly as you say, it wouldn't be difficult for me to act. But you must help eliminate either Xuanyuan Guoqi or Xuanyuan Jingxuan. Otherwise, relying on only a helpless Xuanyuan Qingfeng to swallow an elephant—it would be too arduous.”

Xuanyuan Jingcheng replied without hesitation, “Very well. I will go up the mountain and kill Xuanyuan Jingxuan first.”

Xu Fengnian was speechless. *This man, has he gone completely mad?*

Xuanyuan Jingcheng gazed into the distance at the dark blue Guniu Dagan Ridge and murmured, “I am coming.”

This man of the mountain had gone up the mountain to kill.