Chapter 189: Departure

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Before His Royal Highness, the Prince, left Longhu Mountain, he bestowed his calligraphy upon the Taoist temple. There were three plaques in total—one main and two auxiliary—made from old peach wood cut from the mountain. Old Celestial Master Zhao Xituo chuckled and rubbed his hands with delight, standing at the entrance for a long time. The main plaque read "Dao Qi Kunlun," the auxiliary plaque to the east read "Immortal's Abode," and the one to the west read "Na Jia Zhou Cheng." In terms of brushwork strength, they might not compare to the finest works of the most exceptional literati and renowned scholars from various dynasties in the Celestial Master's Mansion, but their grandeur was no less. To be honest, the small Xiaoyao Temple was originally not worthy of displaying these three plaques. However, the person wielding the large brush for the first time found it satisfying to write, and the Old Celestial Master found them pleasing, so he paid no mind to whether the Celestial Master's Mansion secretly grumbled. Zhao Xituo grinned, flattering him, and said, "Our patriarch said that plaques are the essence of a family. If the writing is good but lacks spirit, it's merely a facade decoration. Only when they convey profound meaning can they be said to 'guide the nation.' Your Highness, this grand gift is truly exceptional. This humble Taoist will certainly go to Dragon Pool tonight to steal a water dragon and send it to Huishan. Oh, by the way, Your Highness, are you really not going to the Celestial Master's Mansion for a cup of tea and a vegetarian meal? Passing by without entering—how rude would that sound? It’s not our Longhu Mountain's way of hospitality."

Xu Fengnian was about to take a boat from Qinglong Creek to leave the ancestral Taoist ground. Standing beside him was his younger brother, Huang Man'er, tightly clutching his sleeves. Xu Fengnian patted Xu Longxiang's head and shook his own, saying, "No, I won't go. I heard that Grand Celestial Master Zhao Danping rushed back to Longhu Mountain specifically. I'm afraid that if a disagreement escalates into a fight, it would make things difficult for you, caught between both sides."

The Old Celestial Master sighed with emotion, "Your Highness is truly a considerate person. Our fourth-generation patriarch once planted a chestnut grove on the mountain. This humble Taoist didn't expect Your Highness to depart so hastily; otherwise, I would have roasted some chestnuts for you to take and taste."

Xu Fengnian shook a satchel of hawthorns picked by Huang Man'er and laughed, "These are enough. Besides, I heard that chestnut grove is only a few acres, and every year the Celestial Master's Mansion distributes most of them to influential pilgrims and high-ranking officials. Your Zhao family barely gets any to eat, so I won't be a nuisance."

The Old Celestial Master said self-deprecatingly, "When you are poor in a bustling city, no one asks about you; when you are rich in the deep mountains, distant relatives appear. It's always this way. Longhu Mountain sees people coming and going all year round, mostly those trying to ingratiate themselves. To put it nicely, only cultured people visit. To put it bluntly, it's just mutual flattery. That's why this humble Taoist prefers to stay in this small Taoist temple, where peace is a rare commodity. The younger generations in the Celestial Master's Mansion are all adorned in colorful, new robes. As beautiful as those robes are, in this humble Taoist's eyes, they look like sheets of human skin. Ah, let's not talk about that; it's bad luck. Your Highness, let's go. I'll see you off to the boat. Rest assured, Huang Man'er will be safe with this humble Taoist; I will certainly not let anyone bully this disciple. The day Huang Man'er wins a fight against that sentient beast on the Demon-Slaying Platform, this humble Taoist will personally escort him back to Beiliang. However, there's something I must explain to Your Highness: Huang Man'er was born a Vajra. He can no longer be described as merely exceptionally gifted. Both he and the new sect leader of Wudang possess innate celestial talent. It's no hindrance for that young sect leader to enter the Heavenly Phenomenon realm; he has diligently cultivated the Dao on Wudang Mountain for over twenty years, ultimately acting in accordance with the grand trend of the heavenly Dao. Huang Man'er, however, is different; he is prone to heavenly jealousy. Therefore, when this humble Taoist sends Huang Man'er down the mountain, I can only guarantee that this boy will reach the Zhi Xuan realm. Of the four realms of the first rank, excluding Earthly Immortals, cultivation levels appear to increase sequentially, but that is only common sense. For Huang Man'er, merely reaching Zhi Xuan will be enough to manifest the majesty of the reincarnated True Martial Emperor."

Xu Fengnian chuckled lightly, "On the Great Snow Plateau, Xuanyuan Jingcheng said the same thing."

Zhao Xituo felt a great weight lifted, having worried earlier that the Prince might misunderstand and think he, an old Taoist, harbored the selfish intention of "teaching an apprentice everything and then starving the master." Xu Fengnian glanced at his retinue. Only Great Halberd Ning Emei from the Phoenix Camp was present. This elite light cavalry unit would temporarily be stationed in Huishan. One reason was to inventory the valuable items in the Guniu Jiang treasury, as Xuanyuan Jingcheng had mentioned several good things in his brocade pouch, and Xu Fengnian had no reason to refuse. Another reason was to transport the copied manuals from Wending Pavilion to replenish Tingchao Pavilion of the Beiliang King's Mansion. With this replenishment, Tingchao Pavilion's reputation as a martial arts library would be even more fitting. While martial arts classics from the martial world were vast as the sea, Tingchao Pavilion had already collected most of them. After Wending Pavilion was emptied, only the Wu Family Sword Tomb and the East Yue Sword Pool remained, still held as cherished possessions. As for the other layer of meaning, Xu Fengnian and Xuanyuan Qingfeng had an unspoken understanding. After the collapse of the Guniu Jiang situation, she became the mistress of Huishan as a woman, which was largely illegitimate. There were not a few die-hard loyalists among the second and third branches of the family who swore allegiance to the brothers Xuanyuan Jingyi and Xuanyuan Jingxuan. Xuanyuan Qingfeng had only a handful of trusted confidantes. Giving her a hundred Beiliang light cavalry to serve as a tiger-skin banner was akin to "sending charcoal in snowy weather." Xu Fengnian hesitated for a moment, then smiled at Ning Emei and said, "Any Phoenix Camp members with martial talent who are willing to practice martial arts can stay in Huishan instead of escorting the books down the mountain. I have already arranged with Xuanyuan Qingfeng that the Wending Pavilion manuals can be read freely, provided they are not leaked to the martial world. Remember, you are at Guniu Ridge not living under someone else's roof. There's no need to be meek or constantly watch others' moods. However, you must also not be overly overbearing or tyrannical. We are, after all, occupying another's nest, and are not entirely in the right. It's best to know when to quit while you're ahead. In short, General Ning, you are to handle all important and minor matters in Huishan as you see fit, without needing to report to me."

Great Halberd Ning Emei cupped his fist and said gravely, "Understood, my lord. Your humble general will certainly not disappoint Your Highness!"

Xu Fengnian saw that this burly general, who had a naturally soft voice, seemed to hesitate to speak, and laughed, "Say what you have to say, don't hold back. There's no need to be so formal."

The general, who never flinched in battle, blushed slightly. He turned to the Old Sword God and said respectfully, "Over these past few days, this senior has instructed me on halberd techniques, and Ning Emei has benefited immensely. I will never forget it as long as I live!"

The old man in sheepskin impatiently said, "Thanks for nothing. How could your petty skills ever repay my kindness? If that's the case, it's better to simply remember it."

Ning Emei immediately flushed red, at a loss. He clearly did not possess the same thick skin as His Royal Highness. Xu Fengnian ignored that and looked around at his companions. Aside from Qingniao, who was genuinely one of his own, Yu Youwei, who was teasing the white cat Wu Meiniang with her slender fingers, could be considered half. Murong Wuzhu and Murong Tonghuang had special identities. These siblings, prophesied to bring ruin upon cities and nations, were now rid of a great burden. With the death of that old scoundrel Xuanyuan Dapan, the great mountain of Huishan no longer pressed down on them, and the spirits of the siblings had completely changed. Not to mention Murong Wuzhu, who was always indecisive and just went with the flow, even the gloomy Murong Tonghuang had a relaxed expression, a leisurely attitude as if embarking on a journey. He felt that even if the sky were to fall in the future, the Prince would hold it up, and he just needed to watch the show. As for Princess Pei Nanwei of Jing'an, it was said that after the great battle on the Great Snow Plateau, she seemed to have completely accepted her fate. Of the four Liangzhou escorts brought from the King's Mansion, Lu Qiantang had died in battle, and Old Taoist Wei Shuyang of the Nine-Dou Rice sect was to stay on the mountain to sort the manuals. Now, only Shuxiu and Yang Qingfeng remained to follow him to Martial Emperor City.

Xu Fengnian boarded the boat and sailed out of Qinglong Creek. Huang Man'er and the Old Celestial Master poled a raft to see him off to Longwang River before turning back. Xu Fengnian had given a Tiger-Kirin Vajra to his younger brother. After waving goodbye, he sat on the boat's deck, daring not to look at his brother's retreating figure.

The female Tiger-Kirin, Pusa, crouched by the Prince's feet, whimpering softly. Xu Fengnian leaned against the ship's railing and placed a handful of hawthorns in the space formed by his robes over his knees. He popped one into his mouth; it was slightly sour.

The four siblings of the Beiliang King's Mansion. The eldest sister, Xu Zihuo, married into Jiangnan. Their mother had died young, and Xu Zihuo treated the Prince with nothing but doting affection. In such a manner that even if she later met a man she truly loved, and had to choose between her brother Xu Fengnian and her husband, she would undoubtedly protect her brother without hesitation. The second sister, Xu Weixiong, was of astonishing talent and brilliance. Not only Xu Fengnian, but even Xu Xiao was somewhat wary of her ability to convince people with reason. Yet, her relationship with Xu Fengnian had always been very good, though her way of showing it was different from the inseparable bond between Xu Fengnian and his eldest sister. The more Xu Weixiong cared for him, the more demanding she became, as if setting an example herself, doing everything to the best of her ability, and only resting when Xu Fengnian did even better. Among the four, Xu Weixiong was the most stubborn, and undoubtedly achieved the most and had the greatest reputation. Perhaps no one in the world could imagine that a woman who outshone everyone at Shangyin Academy was once just a girl who would pout and act spoiled with her younger brother. And his younger brother, Xu Longxiang? Xu Fengnian recalled a childhood hunting trip where the two brothers separated from the riding party and encountered a bear as massive as a small hill. It was Huang Man'er, only ten years old, who stood in front of him and ripped that beast apart with his bare hands. Every winter, Xu Fengnian's favorite thing to do was hold Huang Man'er by his feet, upside down, and write words in the snow. Usually, it was second sister Xu Weixiong who improvised poems, while the eldest sister applauded and cheered. How could anyone in the world know that the widely spread and popular poem, "Sword-Poem in Liangzhou Snow," was not written by Xu Weixiong with her sword, but was, in fact, written by the Prince using the Little Prince's head? And at that time, the happiest person was none other than Xu Longxiang.

The four siblings, once carefree, had unknowingly drifted apart.

A multi-decked boat from Longwang River approached, interrupting the Prince's melancholic thoughts of parting.

Xuanyuan Qingfeng boarded alone and walked toward Xu Fengnian.

Xu Fengnian, biting into a hawthorn, asked expressionlessly, "I heard your mother jumped off a cliff."

She replied calmly, "I forced her to her death."

Xu Fengnian frowned and said, "Since the person in question is already dead, could you, Miss, provide a definitive conclusion and resolve this confusion for me?"

How heartless Xuanyuan Qingfeng must have been. She showed no hint of wanting to avoid speaking ill of a deceased elder. It seemed she had suppressed it for over ten years, and if she didn't speak now, she would go mad from holding it in. She forced a smile that was impossible to discern whether it was relief or desolation, and slowly said, "My father loved her, but he never sought anything in return from her. And my mother, perhaps until her death, never knew whether she hated him or loved him. As long as my father remained at Guniu Ridge, she had a reason to live, whether by deceiving herself or others, she could barely cling to life. When my father died and I took power, she no longer had any reason to live. Since that was the case, it was better for me, her daughter, to pierce the final layer of paper."

Xu Fengnian shook his head, "I don't understand you people."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng gazed at the Prince, who was different from the rumors, and calmly said, "Qingfeng doesn't understand you either."

Xu Fengnian saw Li Chungang emerge from the ship's cabin and suddenly said, "Hehe, young lady, don't hide anymore."

A girl clinging with all four limbs to the outside of the bow jumped into the river, vanishing in a flash, and said with a laugh, "Oh, how impressive an Earthly Immortal is!"