Chapter 222: Shaojiangnan Old Cool and Rough

Xu Fengnian walked out of the village and looked back, recalling a passage from his master Li Yishan’s ‘Chapter on the Soul of the Sword’ that depicted various aspects of everyday life. The gist was that while traveling and staying in humble abodes, he would occasionally spot a few specks of light, and upon closer reflection, he’d realize they were from a weaver embroidering by lamplight. Thinking of this, the Prince smiled. In his youth, he would readily spend hundreds of taels of silver on poems, but what he bought was often sentimental and melodramatic verses about romance and nature. Looking back now, it was Li Yishan’s verses, like the simple gruel, vinegar, and cabbage at young Miss Xu Qing’s home, that truly felt comforting and heartwarming.

Seeing no one around, the Prince’s internal energy surged, and he moved like a soaring wild goose leaving faint prints in the snow, shooting towards Daoma Pass. Huangfu Ping certainly possessed genuine talent and knowledge, but the key was his ruthlessness. With his family in ruins, he could disown all relatives, which qualified him to be a crucial, overt piece to break a deadlock. However, what truly moved the Prince was Huangfu Ping’s substitution scheme. Perhaps he had concluded that his son, with his simple and honest nature, could not shoulder the future burden of the Huangfu family, or he felt guilty towards his elder brother. He decisively chose to let his only son die in place of his nephew, Huangfu Qingfeng. Such a ruthless jianghu figure, whose actions would chill one to the bone, could thrive even in the corrupt world of officialdom.

A Commandant of the Valiant Cavalry, holding a general’s title of the fourth rank, was neither grand nor insignificant. If the title were too high, for example, a General Huaixun who commanded half of Youzhou’s military power with a tiger tally, it would likely provoke fierce and unreserved resistance from Youzhou’s military. If it were too low, like a fifth-rank Langjiang, he would be ostracized and isolated, and no one would listen to him, even if he talked till foam came from his mouth. Therefore, after careful consideration, the Prince of Beiliang bestowed the title of Commandant of the Valiant Cavalry. Whether Huangfu Ping was a thousand-li steed or a stubborn donkey would become clear once he was put to the test. Xu Xiao’s expression was visibly relieved upon hearing this. For Youzhou, every position was fiercely contested, a "one spot, one person" situation. But for the father and son in the Beiliang Prince’s Manor, who had always observed with cold detachment, who rose and who fell was not as simple as honest officials staying and corrupt officials getting out.

If an honest official was incompetent, and a corrupt official was competent, which one would be more beneficial to Beiliang’s foundation? Everything required careful calculation. Just like the incident at Daoma Pass, Xu Fengnian, in his position as Prince, appreciated the methods of Zhou Ziru and his son more than Han Tao, who saved the Fish-Dragon Gang. But if so, should the former be retained? If this Lieutenant of the Vanguard had intricate ties with the man surnamed Chen, which benefited Daoma Pass but posed a festering hidden danger to the Xu family of Beiliang, how should he be handled? Every matter was interconnected, everyone had patronage, background, and social connections. The entire Beiliang was tangled into a mess; how could Xu Fengnian clean it up with just a few cuts?

Sage Master Zhang famously said that governing a large nation is like cooking small fish. For those in power, it was merely easy talk, like shouting from the sidelines with no effort.

As Xu Fengnian approached Daoma Pass, he slowed his pace. Only upon reaching the inn did he learn that the Fish-Dragon Gang had already headed to the pass. He quickly jogged after them. Seeing the annoyed gang members who had been waiting for a long time, Xu Fengnian offered an apologetic smile, took the reins of a fine horse from Wang Dashi, and the group smoothly passed through the checkpoint without incident that day. What made the Fish-Dragon Gang feel uneasy was that not only Zhou Ziru, who had led troops to kill people just last night, but also Lieutenant of the Vanguard Zhou Xian, had personally come to see them off, while Captain Han, who should have been the Fish-Dragon Gang's biggest protector, was nowhere to be seen. Xiao Qiang continued walking alongside Liu Nirong, observing the expression of his favorite disciple. He glanced at Xu Fengnian behind them and whispered, “Last night, the man surnamed Xu secretly killed the Daoma Pass soldiers. It might seem like I let him take the fall, but I actually wanted Daoma Pass to test the true depth of this attached military family from Lingzhou. To undertake such a major business deal that we couldn’t afford to lose, it wouldn’t be stable if we didn't even know the other party’s background and resources. Nirong, you must understand my painstaking efforts.”

Liu Nirong replied expressionlessly, “Second Leader, you speak too highly. Liu Nirong naturally understands such thoughts.”

Hearing the cold and distant address “Second Leader,” a hint of displeasure flickered in Xiao Qiang’s eyes. But seeing that she didn’t dwell on his desertion, he forced himself to endure it. If he lacked even this much self-control, how could he have held the position of Second Leader for the past twenty years? Xiao Qiang considered himself a grasshopper on the same string as the Fish-Dragon Gang. If he wanted to live a comfortable life with his family in the future, he would inevitably have to deal with Liu Nirong. Enduring a little grievance now was worth it. It didn’t matter whether she acknowledged their master-disciple relationship or not; Xiao Qiang was an accurate judge of character. He knew Liu Nirong, like the old leader, had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. When a major crisis arose, she couldn’t harden her heart. Her action of disregarding everything and blocking the way during last night’s incident clearly showed this. Besides, could this business, which concerned the Fish-Dragon Gang's rise or fall for the next ten years, succeed without his guidance? Relying on that useless blockhead, Gongsun Yang?

Wang Dashi felt fortunate to have gone through hardship with Young Master Xu. Today, he no longer cared about his senior brothers’ expressions and boldly trotted along beside Xu Fengnian’s horse. He said awkwardly in a low voice, “Young Master Xu, I painstakingly memorized four or five hundred characters, but as I recited, I forgot some again.”

Seeing the guilt and frustration in the young man's eyes, Xu Fengnian smiled and comforted him, “It’s fine, just let nature take its course. If you worry too much about memorization, it’s counterproductive and you’ll forget more easily. Take your time, there’s still some time until we reach Liuxia City in Beimang. But to warn you beforehand, even if these incantations aren’t valuable, they are still a relatively complete set of martial arts techniques. Remember not to let anyone overhear them, or you wouldn’t be able to clear your name even if you jumped into a river. If you have a habit of talking in your sleep, I advise you to seal your mouth before bed.”

Wang Dashi secretly congratulated himself, “Luckily, I sleep like a log; even thunder wouldn’t wake me. I snore loudly, though, but at least I don’t talk in my sleep.”

Half an hour after leaving Daoma Pass, the thunder of hooves echoed from behind. This made the already edgy Fish-Dragon Gang members exchange glances and hastily form a line. When they saw the figure of Zhou Ziru, the number-one young master of Daoma Pass, even a seasoned veteran like Xiao Qiang felt his scalp tingle.

However, realizing that Little King Yama Zhou had only brought two personal cavalry guards, they felt slightly relieved; it didn’t look like he was coming for retribution. After Zhou Ziru stopped his horse, he raised an arm, fully displaying the demeanor of a noble scion, envied by the younger members of the Fish-Dragon Gang. A robust cavalry guard unfastened two boxes slung over his horse’s back and placed them before Liu Nirong and Xiao Qiang. Zhou Ziru looked directly at Liu Nirong and smiled calmly, “This is a small compensation from me for last night’s misunderstanding. I hope Miss Liu will accept it. In the future, if the Fish-Dragon Gang passes through Daoma Pass again, I guarantee no travel permits or official documents will be required; the city gates will be wide open, with no obstructions.”

Liu Nirong’s eyes reddened, and she clenched the reins tightly, but she ultimately forced a stiff smile, speaking word by word through clenched teeth, slowly saying, “Liu Nirong thanks Young Master Zhou on behalf of the Fish-Dragon Gang for not holding past grievances.”

Zhou Ziru sniffed lightly, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and then he slowly patted his horse and turned to leave.

Liu Nirong looked at the gang members, who only showed fear, with little hatred, in their eyes. Her gaze dimmed, and she said in a deep voice, “Take the boxes; let’s continue on our way.”

They said jianghu disputes were settled within the jianghu, but the world was unpredictable. Once entangled with officialdom, how many jianghu sects could avoid bowing their heads? If they didn't, they’d lose them. This was especially true after the King of Beiliang marched through the jianghu, establishing the bloody rule of parading severed heads. Nowadays, apart from sects with transcendent status like Longhu Mountain, the Wu Family Sword Tomb, and the East Yue Sword Pool, everyone in the other large and small factions had their household registration recorded, and their lives were far from comfortable. Decades ago, the wild bravado of “You’re an official, I couldn’t care less; speak too much and I’ll chop you up before disappearing without a trace” had long vanished like smoke. All gallantry was swept away by wind and rain, and all heroic spirit was trampled flat by iron cavalry hooves. If even the Ten Great Noble Families were scattered and broken by Beiliang’s iron cavalry, what was a jianghu that spent all its time fighting amongst itself?

Wang Dashi quietly asked, “Young Master Xu, what do Northern barbarians look like? Are their eyes like copper bells and their hands like palm fans, each a zhang tall, strong as an ox?”

Xu Fengnian shook his head and laughed, “They are not much different; they don’t have an extra arm or leg. In another five days, you’ll see Northern barbarians everywhere on the streets, and you’ll find that the young women there are just as delicate and graceful. It’s a pity you don’t have any spare money, otherwise you could go to a brothel in Liuxia City and find a girl for a fresh experience. That would be like fighting for our Liyang Dynasty on another battlefield, on horseback, killing enemies.”

Wang Dashi’s young, unweathered face flushed crimson, and he mumbled and stammered.

As luck would have it, Liu Nirong came over to discuss some official matters with Xu Fengnian. Hearing his words, she angrily slapped her horse and rode away.

Further on, there was no official road, only a path trampled by merchants traveling between the two dynasties. Still, it was relatively flat and wide enough for two horses to ride abreast.

At noon, the Fish-Dragon Gang stopped to rest on a lofty yellow earth slope. For larger groups traveling, it was common sense to stop on high ground, not low. Otherwise, on the Beiliang-Beimang border, where horse bandits ran rampant, a charge from a dozen fierce bandits from above would cause countless casualties. As for small groups, if you lacked great skill, it was meaningless even if you stood on a mountaintop when you encountered them; you’d still be robbed of wealth and life. Xu Fengnian maintained his solitary nature. After suffering heavy losses at Daoma Pass, the Fish-Dragon Gang detested and despised him even more as the culprit behind this trip to Beimang. Liu Nirong and Xiao Qiang, who had some insight into the inside story, naturally held no good feelings for him. Xu Fengnian was happy to be undisturbed. He gnawed on a wrinkled dry饼, squatting on the edge of the slope, gazing into the distance. The landscape was desolate. He murmured, “Young men should avoid Jiangnan, old men should avoid Liangmang.”

Wang Dashi came and squatted beside Xu Fengnian, asking curiously, “Young Master Xu, I haven’t read much. What does that mean?”

Xu Fengnian smiled and explained, “It’s from a romance novel called ‘First Snow.’ It says that the scenery in Jiangnan is beautiful, but a land of gentle pleasures is a hero’s tomb. Young men, with their wavering dispositions, who too early experience alluring charms, find it hard to harbor grand ambitions for achievement. The Liangmang border is desolate and decaying; older people are easily moved to sentimentality about the world, their hearts filled with sorrow and grief. Heroes in their twilight years will become deeply saddened.”

“Oh,” said Wang Dashi, scratching his head. “Now that Young Master Xu puts it that way, I barely understand it.”

Xu Fengnian joked, “Miss Liu must be fond of ‘First Snow.’ If you get a chance, go to a tavern and listen to the storytellers; you’ll get some insight into women’s temperaments.”

Wang Dashi nearly choked on a mouthful of meat pie he was swallowing. He coughed, a look of embarrassment on his face, and said, “I can’t drink alcohol.”

Xu Fengnian smiled, picked up his waterskin, took a sip, and cleared his throat. He didn’t tease the young man any further, who would likely never have a chance to visit Jiangnan in his lifetime.

Wang Dashi always felt inferior in the presence of Young Master Xu. He didn’t linger; after a moment of silence, he discreetly left. Xu Fengnian put away his dry饼 and waterskin. He turned to see the Fish-Dragon Gang still resting and chatting. Without any discernible movement, a miniature short sword flew out from his sleeve.

He pricked his finger with the short sword, allowing blood drops to soak into the sword’s blade.

If it were an ordinary short sword, the blood drops would have slid off, but this two-inch, wholly emerald-green small sword seemed like a living, mystical entity, absorbing the blood into its blade.

Deng Tai’a had twelve flying swords; this one was Qingmei.

Xu Fengnian dropped three drops before retracting the short sword Qingmei.

Nourishing the sword.

If one wanted to one day wield a sword to kill, it would require at least a thousand days of diligent practice.