Chapter 21: Big Power Tactics

From inside Tide-Listening Pavilion, the Grand Pillar State saw two riders leave his manor. Smiling, he returned to his seat opposite Li Yishan, his chief strategist, and quietly asked, "Brother Yuanying, do you think that scoundrel is more interested in deceiving the young lady of the Yan family, or in saving the sixty-nine members of that bookworm Yan Chiji's household?"

Li Yishan calmly replied, "Both."

Xu Xiao chuckled, "Is the position of Lingzhou Governor really so worthless? That old fool Yan Jiexu is too theoretical. He thinks that by cozying up to Grand Tutor Wang, and even if his daughter miraculously becomes an imperial concubine, he can escape my grasp? That by grumbling about me a few times under the Emperor's nose, he can overthrow me? He never considers who is responsible for the immense wealth he's accumulated in Liangzhou over the years. Without that gold and silver, how would he curry favor with Grand Tutor Wang or become sworn brothers with Han Diaosi in the imperial palace? On this point, Li Gongde is much wiser; he always remembers who his true benefactors are. Only people like him can endure."

Li Yishan calmly stated, "Where would you find so many docile agents at your disposal? Isn't it precisely to your liking when a few 'mad dogs' occasionally jump the wall? If Liangzhou were peaceful every year, without constant border preparations and without ambitious 'pure' loyal officials like Yan Jiexu, wouldn't your position be precarious? Haven't there been enough famous ministers and generals who spent the latter half of their lives disgracing themselves and their reputations? You've done exceptionally well; you even managed to refuse a marriage proposal from a princess, and scholars across the land have cursed you for fifteen or twenty years without breaking your spirit. That alone is something to be proud of."

The Grand Pillar State remained unperturbed, offering no comment.

Li Yishan chuckled in self-deprecation, "That boy's effeminate air has faded; his roguish charm, however, is quite prominent."

Not long after Xu Fengnian first returned to the manor, he came upstairs to deliver wine and was immediately pulled into a few games of Go, much to Li Yishan's considerable frustration.

For Li Yishan, Go, no matter how its nineteen lines transformed horizontally and vertically, was ultimately a static, lifeless thing. Even the grandest formations were but "ghost arrays," never truly ascending to the highest path. Li Yishan never liked it. However, young Xu Fengnian was mischievous and restless, and the only way they found to keep him seated was through this game of 'seated seclusion'.

Li Yishan privately admired the boy's innate, extraordinary memory. When they played, they initially used a board and pieces, but eventually removed them entirely, simply simulating moves in the air. For the nineteen lines, they would agree on the initial placement beforehand, with no takebacks. Over the years, Li Yishan had won nine out of ten games.

Unexpectedly, upon his return from his travels, Xu Fengnian had learned an endless stream of unconventional moves from who knows where. Especially during the endgame, his chaotic style often bewildered the master, effectively "beating the teacher with random punches." Li Yishan found himself quite discomfited on several occasions, almost throwing his wine flask at the reckless brat.

Sitting cross-legged, Li Yishan seemed slightly helpless as he chuckled softly, "It appears our ten games at Tide-Listening Pavilion are heading for a four-four tie. As I wished, this boy has taken up martial arts, but he's also managed to defeat me at Go."

Xu Xiao heartily laughed, "There are still two games left, no need to rush."

Li Yishan picked up his brush, but held it suspended in the air, asking, "Is that Libationer from Shangyin Academy coming to play Go with you?"

Xu Xiao chuckled, "Precisely."

Li Yishan sneered, "Back then, they used nine kingdoms as pieces and half the world as a chessboard. Such grand ambition! Yet, I never saw them make any brilliant moves. They were overconfident and lacked practical skill; their grand discussions were utterly shattered by your actions. All their elaborate strategies and positions simply vanished."

Xu Xiao replied, "Weixiong is still studying there, so I must show some respect. Otherwise, you know my temper: scholarly arrogance and righteous indignation, to me, are utterly detestable."

Li Yishan smiled, but said nothing.

Xu Xiao suddenly asked, "Do you think Mount Wudang should prosper, or not?"

Li Yishan countered, "Wang Chonglou essentially wasted his profound Daoist cultivation on the 'Great Huangting Pass.' Aren't you afraid Mount Wudang will turn against you?"

Xu Xiao merely smiled in response.

In a secluded courtyard of the Prince's manor,

Xu Fengnian sat cross-legged with the old master in the courtyard's covered walkway, slowly recounting every detail of the snowy battle. If his blade strikes weren't decisive enough, if he prioritized speed over power, or if he wasted even a trace of energy due to an improper reaction, the old master would strike him sharply with the back of his blade. After each lesson, he would add a few concise remarks.

The old master, after all, was a supreme expert with a blade. Even without witnessing it directly, Xu Fengnian's descriptions were as vivid as if he had seen the events himself. Xu Fengnian didn't ask for any advanced techniques, and the old master didn't volunteer his secret skills. The old and the young were like two people playing a guessing game, each testing the other's patience.

The white-haired old master leaned against a vermillion-lacquered pillar and asked with a smile, "Little one, since you're going to retrieve the sword casket from atop the city wall, why don't you learn the sword? Wouldn't that be more efficient? Besides, don't young people in the martial world all love to carry swords? Phrases like 'a sword to the east, a sword to the west' sound much more elegant and powerful than using a blade. Oh, what was that phrase, 'Yangchun something'? I've forgotten it for a moment."

Xu Fengnian sat upright, his Embroidered Winter blade lying across his lap, and chuckled softly, "Yangchun Baixue."

"They call you 'Xu the Blockhead' all over Liangzhou; what an injustice!" The old master slapped his thigh with one hand and clapped the Prince's shoulder with the other. The Prince nearly toppled forward, barely managing to steady himself with a shake.

Xu Fengnian scoffed at himself, "Old grandpa, your judgment is truly unremarkable; it's light-years behind your blade skills."

The old master chuckled freely, "Once I've fought Wei Beishan, the one with the horse-chopping saber, I'll truly be leaving this place. Lad, have you thought about your path forward?"

Xu Fengnian placed his hand on the sheath of his Embroidered Winter blade and smiled wryly, "What else can I do? First, I'll find a complete internal cultivation manual in the pavilion, and then leave it to fate. If that truly doesn't work, I'll just haphazardly memorize all the different martial arts from various schools. When facing enemies in battle later, I might at least gain some small advantage. My natural aptitude seems quite ordinary; it's unlikely I can rely on sheer force to overpower many, like you, old grandpa. If I don't resort to some less refined tricks, when will I ever reach Martial Emperor City? Oh, speaking of which, did Wang Xianzhi truly snap the 'Wooden Ox' of the elder Sword God Li Chungang with two fingers back then?"

The old master nodded, a sense of melancholy in his heart. For the world's most elite martial artists, the old monster Wang Xianzhi remained an insurmountable peak. So formidable was he that merely achieving a draw against him, let alone a victory, would secure a place among the top ten masters. This spoke volumes about the centenarian's unparalleled might.

Xu Fengnian slowly rose; he had an early start tomorrow.

Tonight, the future imperial concubine's manor is probably in utter chaos.

The next day, a distinguished guest arrived at the Northern Liang Prince's manor: a scholar from Shangyin Academy. His status was reportedly second only to the academy's Grand Libationer, making him one of the three libationers. These three were generally revered as Masters of Jixia, teaching not ordinary scriptures but the Great Dao of Sages.

Scholars at Shangyin Academy hailed from all corners of the land, regardless of region, social status, or wealth. As long as they passed the academy's triennial examination, they could enroll and become Shangyin scholars. These students, likened to carp leaping over the dragon gate, were also known as Jixia scholars.

Currently, the academy's Grand Libationer, Qi Yanglong, served as the Imperial Preceptor, a position of supreme importance, and was rarely seen. The visiting libationer was known to the world only by his surname, Wang. At Shangyin Academy, he specialized in teaching diplomatic strategy and the Way of the Hegemon. He had once participated in two renowned national debates, winning the 'name and reality' debate but losing the 'heaven and man' debate, after which he rarely appeared in public.

His criteria for accepting disciples were stringent; in the past decade, he had only accepted Xu Weixiong, the second daughter of Xu Xiao, the Human Butcher. He even declared that she would be his closed-door disciple, through whom his legacy could be passed, stating that this would suffice for his lifetime.

In the few letters exchanged with his second sister, Xu Weixiong, Xu Fengnian vaguely learned that this Master Jixia was a Go enthusiast who loved to observe games and comment voluminously. As for the depth of his scholarship, Xu Fengnian had no doubts; if he could be his second sister's teacher, he couldn't be too incompetent.

A game of Go was set up below White Crane Tower.

His adopted son, Yuan Zuozong, stood at a distance, leaving only the Grand Pillar State Xu Xiao and the visiting Master Jixia to enjoy their game.

Xu Fengnian climbed to the mountaintop and only saw Master Wang's profile: a gaunt face, a simple blue gown, a pair of hemp sandals, and a piece of mutton-fat jade hanging from his waist.

As he faced Xu Xiao across the Go board, his expression was one of complete confidence. His demeanor was exceptionally refined, and his aura utterly ethereal.

The Prince thought to himself, 'This Libationer from Shangyin Academy truly has profound confidence. Even the most eminent of ordinary masters wouldn't dare breathe freely when facing Xu Xiao. How can this man be so calm and detached?'

An otherworldly master, indeed.

Xu Fengnian composed himself and respectfully approached. Both the Grand Pillar State and Master Jixia were deeply engrossed in their game, a fierce battle unfolding on the board, neither looking up.

Xu Fengnian, who had approached with reverence, took a closer look and nearly spat out blood.

Grandmasters, skilled in the nineteen horizontal and vertical lines, would either play with the profound depth of a vast ocean, commanding from above, or with exquisite precision and meticulous rigor, each move a potential killing blow.

But these two, before his eyes?

Xu Xiao was undeniably a terrible Go player, a fact Xu Fengnian knew well. Initially, seeing them play, he thought Master Wang was gracefully countering Xu Xiao's crude style. But he never imagined... Good heavens, the game looked like a complete mess! It resembled two children squabbling in the mud, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to the skill of a national master.

From the looks of it, Master Jixia's Go skill was entirely on par with Xu Xiao's, which explained why their game was so fiercely contested.

What Xu Fengnian found most intolerable was that Master Wang, whenever he believed he had made a strong move, would follow it with a self-congratulatory remark, such as, "No wasted moves, no clashing with spirit; play solid, grand moves, build great dragons and slaughter great dragons!" or "When the game gets tough, a small 'tip' is key; a 'point' solidifies a position better than a 'push.' Heh, but I won't point; this 'push' is truly ingenious, it could ascend to the heavens!"

Xu Fengnian's eyes widened. He couldn't discern any brilliance at all, only a continuous stream of terrible blunders, a truly unbearable sight.

Master Jixia proudly gazed at the evenly balanced game and declared, "Among the three Go schools, there are eighteen national masters in total. Only Zhao Ding'an and Chen Xiping are beyond my match; I can contend with all the rest."

Xu Fengnian's face twitched involuntarily.

Xu Xiao remained expressionless, holding a piece but unwilling to play it.

Master Jixia finally looked up, finding a moment, and amiably asked, "Prince, do you think the Grand Pillar State's light piece should be sacrificed, or not?"

Xu Fengnian slowly drew a breath, then smiled and said, "It's hard to say. Master Jixia's strategy is meticulous and profoundly subtle. I think White is likely to lose."

Unexpectedly, Xu Xiao, in a fit of pique, inadvertently stumbled upon a good move. Master Jixia finally felt a sense of crisis, but instead of calmly responding, he immediately reached out to pick up Xu Xiao's played piece and shamelessly laughed, "Grand Pillar State, allow me to retract that move."

Xu Xiao seemed accustomed to this, pursing his lips and gesturing for the Libationer to make the correction himself.

Xu Fengnian was somewhat dumbfounded.

The game finally ended with Master Jixia narrowly winning after retracting his moves over a dozen times. After witnessing this, Xu Fengnian felt no reverence or aspiration for Shangyin Academy whatsoever.

Master Wang slapped his bottom, stood up, and declared with refreshing confidence, "I've played countless games in my life, and to this day, I have yet to suffer a single defeat."

Xu Fengnian offered a polite smile, "Master Jixia is indeed the foremost national master."

After the game, the grand master took his leave and descended the mountain. When not playing Go, his demeanor was indeed impeccable, exuding an air of complete immortal grace.

Xu Fengnian stood in a daze, muttering, "How could he have never suffered a defeat?"

Xu Xiao chuckled, "Never suffered a defeat? That's actually true. But only because he plays against those with weaker Go skills than his own. If he's not confident, he's clever enough to just observe from the sidelines."

Xu Fengnian said dejectedly, "Second Sister is learning strategy from a Master Jixia like this?"

After Xu Xiao stood up, he gazed towards the foot of the mountain and chuckled, "Isn't being able to stand undefeated the mark of a national master?"