Chapter 177: Watching the Tigers Fight

Alliances and Strife: A Beacon Fire Game for the Lords

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Ox-Ridge Mountain, which stands opposite the Celestial Master's Residence, is truly a complex and volatile place.

To enjoy terrestrial bliss alone?

Xu Fengnian sat back on the hillside, using his Spring Thunder (sword) to write a few names on the ground. He casually asked Murong Tonghuang, who was beside him, "How much do you believe what Xuanyuan Jingcheng said?"

Murong Tonghuang sneered openly. "Even if Xuanyuan Jingcheng genuinely endured hardship and meticulously plotted for twenty years, there's no guarantee this madman won't attack His Highness. If he were to kill Xuanyuan Dapan and Xuanyuan Jingxuan, he would face certain death; there's no escaping it alive. But with Sword Grandmaster Xuanyuan Guoqi overseeing Huishan, a foundation built over centuries, how could His Highness's hundred cavalry easily subdue it? It's better for two tigers to fight than for us to use one tiger to drive another. I refuse to believe that Xuanyuan Jingcheng, as the direct descendant of the Xuanyuan Grandmaster, hasn't made some unknown preparations over the past twenty years. Once His Highness meets with an accident and dies on Ox-Ridge Mountain, Beiliang will only vent its anger on Huishan. Then, that mother and daughter could take advantage of the chaos to enter the jianghu, truly free to roam wherever they please. If Xuanyuan Jingcheng is truly sincere, what do three bows to His Highness and exposing his own scandal count for? Having Xuanyuan Qingfeng as a hostage would barely be acceptable."

Xu Fengnian nodded. "It's probably true that Xuanyuan Jingcheng wants to turn against his family."

Xu Fengnian lamented, "Achieving unorthodox immortality in twenty years and overturning centuries of legacy single-handedly... how chilling that sounds."

Murong Tonghuang had a pair of 'sleeping silkworm' eyebrows, which usually conveyed more charm than heroism. Now, as they lifted, his smile revealed more schadenfreude. He said, "The Xuanyuan family should have fallen apart ages ago! It would be best if they all died off!"

Xu Fengnian took the hawthorn handed to him by Huang Man'er, sat cross-legged, gathered the hawthorn in his robe, picked one, and popped it into his mouth. He waved his hand at Murong Tonghuang, saying, "Don't rush to speak emotionally. Outsiders see more clearly than those involved. You're half an outsider. We're not in a hurry to go up the mountain. Just speak freely and see if you can pick out any clues. No matter how inexplicable or shrouded in mystery it seems, it ultimately boils down to two paths: go up the mountain, or don't."

Murong Tonghuang nodded. "If His Highness goes up the mountain, he'll have to bear considerable risk. This is probably Xuanyuan Jingcheng's original intention for enduring until now. He might not have been willing to openly break with his family without the opportunity to rely on a powerful external force. Otherwise, with Huishan's resources, only a Land Immortal like Qi Xuanzhen could move freely there. Xuanyuan Jingcheng is clearly not that powerful. When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman profits. That mother and daughter would reap the benefits. For His Highness, Huishan is ultimately just a 'chicken rib'—little gain for much effort. Actually, it would be better if His Highness didn't go up the mountain, or at least delayed going up. Let Xuanyuan Jingcheng use all his strength, revealing all his overt and covert plans. I believe Huishan would then be severely weakened. However, trying to 'fish in troubled waters' at that point would yield far less profit than risking going up the mountain now to support Xuanyuan Jingcheng."

Xu Fengnian always struggled to finish his hawthorn; Huang Man'er would carefully wipe a handful clean with his sleeve almost as soon as Xu Fengnian finished one. Xu Fengnian used Spring Thunder to erase the random characters he had written on the ground, tossed some hawthorn to the siblings, and chuckled, "To the mountain, we must go up the mountain, and early at that!"

Murong Tonghuang frowned. "Why?"

Xu Fengnian stood up, looking towards Ox-Ridge Mountain, and softly said, "To watch a fight."

Murong Tonghuang cautiously and tentatively asked, "Does His Highness have a fondness for martial arts?"

Xu Fengnian self-mockingly replied, "Just afraid of death. Of course, there's also the notion, since childhood, of playing the hero and rescuing damsels in distress that haunts me."

Murong Tonghuang turned his head, struggling to suppress a laugh. Anyone could speak of 'chivalry and heroism,' but for it to come from the eldest son of the Human Butcher, who made the entire jianghu tremble under the sound of hooves, it was particularly absurd. Xu Fengnian laughed, "Go ahead and laugh if you want to."

Although Murong Tonghuang had let down some of his guard, he still didn't dare to be presumptuous in front of the Crown Prince, so he naturally didn't laugh aloud. Xu Fengnian patted Huang Man'er's head, "Let's go, to Huishan. If anyone blocks our way, just tear them apart!"

Huang Man'er's previously dull eyes instantly lit up.

Xu Fengnian turned to Qingniao and said, "Go to Free and Easy Temple and tell the Old Sword God and the Phoenix Camp. Also, you'd best bring the Momentary Spear. We'll meet at Qinglong Stream. This time, we're going for something big. While you're at it, remind Old Celestial Master Zhao Xituo that Dragon Tiger Mountain had better not get involved. You can explain to him that Xuanyuan Jingcheng invited us up the mountain, letting him know this is a family matter for Huishan, not this prince trying to cause trouble or give the Xuanyuan family a warning."

Qingniao, holding a bamboo basket, nodded. "Understood."

On the mud wall of Free and Easy Temple, Old Taoist Zhao craned his neck, marveling at the middle-aged scholar who was walking across the river. Li Chungang, in his sheepskin robe, sneered, "This old man truly can't understand this world anymore. Back then, not even considering the Celestial Phenomenon realm, merely reaching the 'Finger Profound' realm was enough to secure a spot in the top ten throughout the land. Now, it's as if the Finger Profound realm is as worthless as roadside cabbage. Does it mean that to walk the jianghu now, you'd be too embarrassed to greet someone if you haven't reached the 'Vajra' realm?"

Zhao Xituo, who had barely touched the threshold of the Finger Profound realm, said sheepishly, "Old Brother Li, you're joking. This past thirty years of jianghu has indeed been different from the previous thirty. Many geniuses and oddities have emerged. But it's not as if Vajra experts are common as dogs and Finger Profound practitioners walk everywhere. It's just that when His Royal Highness the Crown Prince travels, it's naturally different from ordinary people venturing into the jianghu. If Xu Fengnian weren't the son of the King of Beiliang, a Crown Prince who can inherit without change, how could he have encountered Wu Liuding blocking the river? How would he have met Wang Mingyin, the eleventh-ranked? And he certainly wouldn't have been sought out by the long-suffering Xuanyuan Jingcheng immediately upon arriving at Dragon Tiger Mountain. It's not that the jianghu is changing too fast; rather, it's that this young man you're following, Old Brother Li, is too eye-catching. Which jianghu figures without significant skill would dare to humiliate themselves in front of the Beiliang Crown Prince? Not to mention you, Old Brother Li, just these hundred elite Phoenix Camp soldiers are enough to handle a great deal. Small fry would have been slapped dead long ago."

Li Chungang snorted. "What's the deal with this Xuanyuan Jingcheng who floated down from Ox-Ridge Mountain? And what's this 'Immortal True Man' realm you're talking about?"

The Old Celestial Master stroked the beard beneath his chin and squinted. "This young man, ah, has had a hard life. He's very talented, but as the eldest grandson of the Xuanyuan main branch, he chose not to pursue martial arts. When he went down the mountain to seek officialdom, he fell in love with a jianghu woman who didn't know gratitude. That woman was of humble origin but stubborn. She probably didn't want to be brought to Huishan. Xuanyuan Dapan seized the opportunity, using both coercion and persuasion to engage in 'dual cultivation' with her. As for whether Xuanyuan Dapan intended to force his grandson to work hard at martial arts through this, Heaven knows.

"For the past twenty or thirty years, Xuanyuan Dapan has devoted himself to cultivating 'Joyful Zen' and 'bedroom arts,' showing absolutely no restraint. Several 'Yellow Cap' Taoists from Dragon Tiger Mountain here suffered at his hands. But those Taoist nuns were also strange; they said nothing afterward, and instead voluntarily settled down at Ox-Ridge Mountain to serve as 'cauldrons' (partners in cultivation). One might say Xuanyuan Dapan's ability to control people is truly remarkable. Heh, that old scoundrel was popular with women even when he was young, and his manipulative skills only grew sharper with age.

"I heard that in the past two years, he took an interest in Xuanyuan Jingcheng's daughter, Xuanyuan Qingfeng. I guess this finally crossed Xuanyuan Jingcheng's bottom line, and he's no longer suppressing his anger. But how Xuanyuan Jingcheng became an 'Immortal True Man,' I'm not sure. I only know that this young man has often come to the Celestial Master's Residence to borrow books for the past twenty years, always returning them. His relationship with my proud nephew Zhao Danping has always been good. Could it be that one can become a 'True Man' just by reading books? How peculiar. I'll have to ask Zhao Danping about it later."

The Old Sword God sneered, "Looking at the turbulence in his 'qi sea,' it's a self-destructive path, not worth mentioning."

The Old Celestial Master regretfully said, "If this young man hadn't been so eager for quick success, the 'terrestrial bliss' carved on that stone tablet would have truly been deserved."

The Old Sword God spat, saying, "If he doesn't embrace a path that risks death, using his life to gain power, should he just watch his daughter fall into the clutches of that old beast Xuanyuan Dapan?"

Zhao Xituo, with his hands in his sleeves, sighed repeatedly and, with a worried expression, asked, "Old Brother Li, do you think His Royal Highness will take on this 'hot potato'?"

Li Chungang replied without hesitation, "Nonsense. At the very least, it'll be a life-and-death duel between two Finger Profound masters, and perhaps even a peak battle between Celestial Phenomenon experts. Would that young man miss it?"

Zhao Xituo still sighed, "In that case, Jiangdong Xuanyuan will truly be unable to recover for at least thirty years."

Li Chungang sneered, "The Xuanyuan and Sword Pond families were originally several levels below the Wu Family Sword Tomb in terms of foundation and skill. Back then, when the Wu Family Sword Masters all emerged, nine swords broke ten thousand cavalry—now *that* was true grandeur! What are Xuanyuan and Sword Pond? Can they stand shoulder to shoulder with the Wu Family Sword Tomb? Those are just fabrications hyped up by sycophantic scoundrels in the jianghu!"

Seeing Qingniao approaching Free and Easy Temple with a bamboo basket of hawthorn, the Old Sword God asked, "Are you going to Huishan later?"

The Old Celestial Master, with a pained expression, dodged the question, saying, "This old Taoist isn't feeling too well."

Li Chungang floated down from the wall, scoffing, "You old hag, do you still have your period?"

Zhao Xituo glared, but dared not retort.

Li Chungang twisted the knife, saying, "Aren't you afraid your disciple will suffer?"

The old Taoist's spirits immediately lifted, and he said with a beaming smile, "My disciple won't suffer any losses. It's not this old Taoist bragging, but to harm Huang Man'er... if you combine the Celestial Master's Residence and Ox-Ridge Mountain, you could count the people capable of it on one hand. But if you're talking about killing my disciple, heh, Dragon Tiger Mountain might have one or two, but over at Huishan? None!"