Chapter 195: Lost Dogs Also Have Homesickness

Across the Lands: Beacon Fires for the Lords

Computer Reading Link:Link:Full Chapter Series Post:

Please wait patiently and refrain from commenting before the main text is released.

Attached: Baidu Tieba QQ Group Arbitration Team: 11043035 / Prodigy Club YY: 1655

**A White Horse Departs Liangzhou**

Xu Weixiong showed no unusual reaction to Li Chungang's praise. She looked at Xu Fengnian and asked, "Is there any food on the boat? I rushed a bit to intercept you on the road and missed lunch. By my reckoning, you owe that group a meal."

Xu Fengnian nodded. "No problem at all. The boat is stocked with plenty of freshly caught river delicacies."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qingniao went to instruct the cooks and kitchen staff to get to work. Xu Weixiong turned and disembarked, bringing about twenty Jixia scholars onto the deck. These scholars, varying in age, seemed somewhat reserved; only a few military strategists among them proactively came forward to greet the Young Master. The golden age of diverse philosophies had long passed. Although the empire was currently prosperous, many schools of thought could not hide their decline, a silence among a thousand horses. Only Shangyin Academy struggled to sustain itself, providing refuge for scholars from humble backgrounds across the land and preserving the seeds of learning for future generations. Unfortunately, as a private academy, its financial resources were far inferior to the Imperial Academy (Guozijian), which received lavish donations from emperors and nobles. During the Spring and Autumn period, the academy was still funded by influential clans and noble families, but now their grand gates and high walls had become crumbling ruins, making it increasingly impoverished and destitute. Therefore, apart from the military strategists who deeply studied the wars of past dynasties, most Jishang teachers and Jixia scholars naturally held ill will towards the Liangbei Xu family.

During lunch, Xu Fengnian and his second sister, Xu Weixiong, deliberately avoided the others and had a private meal. Xu Fengnian wolfed down his food, while Xu Weixiong chewed slowly and meticulously; their two personalities were distinctly different. Knowing that she disliked talking while eating, Xu Fengnian opened his book box on his own. He saw several bags of soil, reached in to feel and sniff them, then frowned. He carefully put a bit into his mouth to taste and asked in surprise, "Is this dragon sand dug from Dipu Mountain, that Taoist grotto-heaven and blessed land? It is indeed dragon sand, but the taste is quite different from what Old Brother Yao Jian described. Why does it feel a bit off?"

As a youth, the Young Master often accompanied his second sister and geomancer Yao Jian to the Liangbei Mountains to identify geomantic ley lines and auspicious spots. Through constant exposure, he also knew a bit about geomancy. The saying goes, "three years to seek a dragon, ten years to pinpoint an acupuncture point," and Xu Fengnian didn't possess the skill that takes decades of painstaking effort to hone. However, he could somewhat manage to identify the general direction of dragon veins. He could roughly recognize how a dragon (vein) originates, transforms, travels, spreads out, crosses valleys, gathers energy, and finally forms a 'point' where positive energy collects. Digging for dragon sand is actually similar to a farmer digging for winter bamboo shoots; it simply tests experience and knack. Xu Weixiong was an expert in this field, so Xu Fengnian only had success by chance. However, he still had some discernment regarding the quality and appearance of the dragon sand once obtained. Inside the box were six or seven bags of dragon sand, of varying sizes; most had already been sealed with talismans and ritually burned. Xu Fengnian picked up the bag he had tasted; it was sealed with three talismans bearing yellow characters: "Three Pure Ones' Command," "Eight-Fold Ice Plum," and "Cloud-Exiting Horse and Saddle." It was undoubtedly from his second sister, Xu Weixiong, because the sealing talismans were highly specific; the rules for the cinnabar talismans required them to match the eight characters (birth data) of the person who unearthed them. Furthermore, the unearthing of any quantity of dragon sand was no small matter; neither Taoist geomancers nor feng shui masters were permitted to take dragon sand without authorization. Especially after the unification of the empire, the court explicitly decreed that any unearthing of dragon sand required authorization from both the Bureau of Taoist Affairs and the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. However, there had been no approved precedents in the past twenty years. Xu Weixiong's action was undoubtedly contrary to imperial law. However, Xu Fengnian couldn't be bothered with such minor details; he was merely curious how Mount Dipu, which had been the premier grotto-heaven for accumulating fortune since ancient times, could produce an "evil dragon." It should be noted that in the ranking of grotto-heavens and blessed lands, even Dragon Tiger Mountain of the Taoist Court was countless ranks below Mount Dipu. However, for hundreds of years, Mount Dipu had been a desolate place where no grand Taoist masters had built huts to cultivate the Way. Counting on his fingers, it had been five hundred years since the mountain was sealed off by the previous dynasty.

Xu Weixiong put down her chopsticks and sighed softly. "This trip to assess the Jixia scholars' aura-reading skills is merely a pretense. Mount Dipu recently produced an evil dragon. Minister Wang calculated it to be related to Dragon Tiger Mountain, which is connected to Mount Dipu, but Celestial Master Zhao Danping suppressed the information, so the Imperial Astronomical Bureau didn't report it to the court."

Upon hearing this, Xu Fengnian's expression shifted uncertainly. He gritted his teeth and said, "It must be Zhao Huangchao's nefarious scheme of grand deception! Sister, if my guess is right, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau wouldn't dare to get involved at all!"

Xu Weixiong looked puzzled.

Xu Fengnian smiled, stood up, and said, "Come, come, sister, let me wash your hair for you. We can talk while I do it."

Xu Weixiong didn't refuse, so Xu Fengnian had Qingniao bring a basin of hot water and a piece of jade soap from outside the door. Poor families used cheap, coarse soapberries for washing hair, while wealthy families were much more particular; soap with ground pearl powder was called 'jade soap.' Xu Fengnian held his second sister's soft, dark hair, his eyes warm, and said gently, "One night on Kuanglu Mountain, I was in a dreamlike state and saw Mother. Mother came with a white python, protecting her good-for-nothing son. That Zhao Huangchao, who looked like just a middle-aged Taoist, claimed to be cultivating on Dragon Tiger Mountain. He's most likely that ancestor from the capital, riding a black dragon in an out-of-body spiritual journey, making an unrestrained display of power, claiming to act on behalf of Heaven. Coincidentally, a few days ago, on the Great Snow Peak of Huishan, a scholar named Xuanyuan Jingcheng entered the realm of a Confucian Saint. So I subtly asked the Old Sword God about the rules for 'Heavenly Beings.' I learned that the immortal Grand True Men of Taoism cultivate their own fortune and should not easily descend to interfere with the workings of the mortal world. Zhao Huangchao's move was somewhat contrary to Taoist principles. This Taoist must have transferred the after-effects of his 'out-of-body' experience as a 'Heavenly Being' to Mount Dipu, an ownerless mountain; otherwise, it would mean falling out with the Celestial Master's Residence at Longhu Mountain. Moreover, the commotion would be too great, which wouldn't align with his usual style of being a reclusive coward. I just don't understand, it's clear that our Liangbei isn't going to rebel out of idleness. What is this Zhao Huangchao worried about?"

Xu Weixiong calmly said, "Of course, they're worried their Zhao family won't be able to secure the empire forever."

Xu Fengnian scoffed, "Which dynasty can endure for tens of thousands of generations? They constantly shout 'Long live the Emperor, long live the Empress,' but who truly lives for tens of thousands of years? It's just worrying about the wrong things!"

Xu Fengnian said grimly, "Given that Taoist's realm, if he doesn't ascend, isn't he just idly occupying his position? If this were Liangbei instead of Dragon Tiger Mountain, I'd have ten thousand iron cavalry crush that old bastard into dust."

Xu Weixiong tilted her head, a smile playing on her lips, and with one eye open and one closed, she laughed, "Such big words! Leaving aside whether a Taoist of the Heavenly Being realm can be killed, can you even command ten thousand iron cavalry right now? Forget ten thousand, can you even command one thousand?"

After washing her hair, Xu Fengnian took a silk scarf and gently dried Xu Weixiong's hair. The two sat down, and the Young Master, ever helpful, proceeded to comb her long, dark hair. Regarding his second sister's sarcasm and mockery, he displayed a shameless demeanor, taking pride where others would feel shame. He chuckled, "Borrowing troops from heroes like Chen Zhibao and Dian Xiong would of course be asking for trouble, but isn't there still Fat Chu? If all else fails, I can borrow from Yuan Zuozong or Old Brother Yao."

Xu Weixiong asked with a half-smile, "Are you sure Yuan Zuozong and Yao Jian would lend you troops? Aren't you afraid of Xu Xiao's military law? You know, in Liangbei, regardless of kinship or closeness, anyone who violates military regulations must be dealt with according to the law; those who deserve death shall be killed, and those who deserve punishment shall be punished."

Xu Fengnian still maintained his nonchalant demeanor. "Old Brother Yao is stubbornly principled, so it's hard to say. But with Yuan Zuozong, if there's a real emergency, with a thousand or two thousand soldiers, and a bit of persuasion, I might actually be able to get them."

Xu Weixiong asked, "Are you sure?"

Xu Fengnian nodded. "Certain."

Xu Weixiong took the sandalwood comb and chuckled softly, "You've only had a few drinks with Yuan Zuozong, and you think your friendship is that good? You should know that Yuan Zuozong cannot tolerate a single grain of sand in his eye. You can see this from how he and Chu Lushan, both adopted sons of Xu Xiao, are like fire and water. Do you, with your arrogant demeanor of a rich young lord, confidently believe you can gain favor in Yuan Baixiong's eyes?"

Xu Fengnian pouted. "Believe it or not, it's up to you."

Xu Weixiong clucked her tongue and said sarcastically, "It's truly disappointing that you didn't get into a big fight on Dragon Tiger Mountain."

Xu Fengnian shook his head. "The commotion wasn't small already. Oh, that Xuanyuan Jingcheng, who cultivated himself into an Earthly Immortal through diligent study, has some insights on self-cultivation. They aren't very useful to me right now; reading them was like not reading them at all. You can take them later. Also, I secretly got hold of a copy of 'Moral Thunder-Suppressing Incantation.' You should take it and study it too. Damn it, Xuanyuan Jingcheng summoned countless heavenly thunders on the Great Snow Peak. That display was no less impressive than a general leading thousands of iron cavalry. Along the way, I researched many Taoist qi-refining classics, and I feel none of them are as practical as this 'Moral Thunder-Suppressing Incantation.' 'Fengdu Exorcism Incantation' and 'Dongyuan Divine Spell Scripture' from the twenty-four grades of talismans of Dragon Tiger Mountain seem too mystical and superstitious, not very practical. I studied for half a month and couldn't figure out how to curse mountains to collapse or waters to part. This Thunder-Suppressing Incantation, however, truly seems to describe cultivation to the extreme, allowing one to summon heavenly power through celestial phenomena, just like Xuanyuan Jingcheng did. Unfortunately, I practice blade arts, so this path isn't for me. Sister, you're skilled in everything anyway, so why don't you take this Thunder-Suppressing Incantation? Oh, when I was researching cloud-pattern talismans for red-armored talisman generals with Old Celestial Master Zhao Xibo on Dragon Tiger Mountain, I looked into it, and refining qi into incantations seems to have originated from that ancient barbarian land where Shangyin Academy is located. Perhaps the academy will have the rare ancient texts you need. Furthermore, following the principles of the Thunder-Suppressing Incantation, I managed to get you a few secret thunder department talismans from Dragon Tiger Mountain—basically incantations for summoning thunder deities and their divine might. According to the Old Celestial Master, all past ascended True Men of Dragon Tiger Mountain leave behind essential incantations that manifest in the Dragon Pond, but unfortunately, I don't have the ability to steal those treasures for you. Also, the female Huxi, nicknamed Pusa (Bodhisattva), I've already given the one named Jingang (Vajra) to Huang Man'er; Pusa is for you. Otherwise, you'll be stuck in that academy, where everyone constantly preaches benevolence and morality, and it'll be utterly boring..."

The Young Master rambled on endlessly.

Xu Weixiong interrupted Xu Fengnian's rambling and laughed, "You've given all the good stuff to me, what about yourself?"

Xu Fengnian paused, then smiled and pointed to the twin blades at his waist, saying matter-of-factly, "What use are those external possessions to me? Having Chunlei and Xiudong is enough."

Seeing his second sister remain silent, Xu Fengnian knew she disliked him practicing blade arts and becoming a reckless martial artist. So he changed the subject and asked, "Today, seeing the famous Jixia scholars of Shangyin Academy with my own eyes, I realized there seem to be many paupers among them, too?"

Xu Weixiong smiled. "Scholars traveling with their satchels for study and wandering knights traveling with their swords are the two prevailing trends nowadays. The former began with Old Master Zhang (Confucius) traveling among various states. However, it's difficult for those impoverished scholar-gentry families whose fortunes have clearly declined. For the sake of face, they are still very particular about their heirs traveling with satchels after coming of age, sparing no effort to scramble together the necessary funds. Think about it, for a frail scholar to travel, at the very least it's hundreds of miles. They need a bookboy to attend to their clothing, food, and lodging, plus an old servant familiar with worldly affairs and human nature. Wouldn't the expenses for these three make a small family rack their brains? So, for some scholar-gentry families who are actually no different from commoners, their so-called 'study travels' don't dare to dream of traveling ten thousand miles; it's merely visiting a few more prefectures within one province, trying to meet some renowned scholars and eminent figures, having tea and discussing philosophy with them, and that's it. Many families of scholars would squander their family fortunes just to get into Shangyin Academy. On this trip to Mount Dipu, there was a Jixia scholar in our group who had spent eighteen years outside the academy before finally passing the assessment. He was already over fifty years old, and most of the Jishang teachers who taught him were younger than him. To save money to buy more classical texts, he would eat only steamed buns and pickles all year round. So Shangyin Academy isn't as useless as you originally imagined. To be able to enter Shangyin Academy, regardless of morality, purely based on talent, they are all excellent."

Xu Weixiong reached out and pinched Xu Fengnian's cheeks, tugging them gently. She laughed, "It seems both your travels have benefited you greatly. I'm wondering if I should persuade you to make another trip to Beimang."

Xu Fengnian said blankly, "Sister, are you really thinking that?"

Xu Weixiong tightened her grip and said, "Since I can't stop you from practicing blade arts, and it seems your practice isn't just making you brawny, it wouldn't make sense for me to stop you anymore. But let's be clear beforehand: since you want to practice blade arts, at the very least you'll have to cultivate into an Earthly Immortal, right? No one has achieved that level for hundreds of years."

Xu Fengnian pulled a bitter face and muttered indistinctly, "Sister, why don't you cultivate into a Sword Immortal?"

Xu Weixiong released her grip, narrowed her eyes, and smiled, "I'm a woman, you know. Fighting and killing—that's not ladylike."

Xu Fengnian said helplessly, "Sister, you're really reasonable."

Xu Weixiong stood up. "Let's go. Since I've decided not to stop you from practicing blade arts, I won't stop you from going to Wudi City either. Just be careful yourself."

Xu Fengnian and his second sister walked out of the ship's cabin. Coincidentally, an impoverished old scholar was leaning on the railing nearby, gazing at the river, muttering to himself, "Even a stray dog like me feels homesick."