Chapter 242: Give or Not

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The heavens finally ceased their sullen frown, slowly clearing up. After days of wind and rain, the sky parted its clouds, casting down the first ray of sunlight. A buxom woman, her forehead adorned with mink fur and her waist cinched with a jade belt in Xianbei style, held a satin parasol, swinging it as she watched the slender man exiting the city with the Fish Dragon Gang below. After making that bloody gesture, she seemed amused by herself, laughing heartily. A richly dressed old man beside her, unsure of his mistress's thoughts, softly asked, “Princess, why are you contending with this commoner from Beiliang? Does this old servant need to intervene?”

Princess Hongyan, who just two days prior had personally delivered an eight-character prophetic message to Tao Qianzhi at the City Governor's Manor, slightly shook her head, reined in her smile, and said playfully, “Old Dragon King, I'm just having fun. I don't know why, but whenever I see this fellow, I just can't help but want to tease and scare him a bit. Though it's strange, even knowing it's impossible, I still feel he's connected to Tao Qianzhi's death. Our female intuition is something even we can't fathom.”

The richly dressed old man chuckled, “How could I ever deserve to be called Dragon King by Your Highness?”

The woman, already immensely wealthy in the Beiliang Imperial Dynasty, smiled noncommittally, gently twirling the satin parasol with its rosewood handle. She had loved rainy weather since childhood, enjoying spinning the parasol in the rain, making raindrops spray. The Beiliang Empress, over fifty, had always been cold towards the sprawling royal relatives, but showed exceptional fondness for this young princess. When Princess Hongyan was a young child, she often accompanied her father to the palace to meet the Emperor. His Majesty would personally hold her on his lap, watching her play – a rare heartwarming scene of doting on a grandchild within the imperial palace. Unfortunately, after she grew into a young woman and moved away from the imperial city, her affectionate relationship with the Emperor inevitably grew distant. Especially after Princess Hongyan's father committed the grave crime of misspoken words, she hadn't seen the iron-blooded Empress, who had even executed empresses, emperors, princes, and imperial grandchildren, for some years.

She sighed, shaking her head to dispel some gloomy emotions, her eyes sharpening. She said, “Tao Qianzhi was truly incorrigible, and his death is no great loss. What kind of grown man, who wants a place at the heart of the royal court, would hold a grudge against a princess like me and insist on leaving the city during the Qingming Festival? Well, look what happened, he got butchered. According to the guards' description, Helian Jieyuan, the painter who claimed he would never fail his art in this life, also drew a portrait. Hundreds of light cavalry, armed only with crude knives, are searching inside and outside the city like headless flies – it's like looking for a needle in a haystack. With Tao's death so unclear, won't scoundrels like Murong Zhangtai, who had old and new grudges with Tao Qianzhi, be completely toyed with and tormented by powerful young military figures like Fatso Dong? They're bound to make a mountain out of a molehill. After all, Murong Zhangtai and I are cousins.”

The richly dressed old man, whose hands were habitually tucked into his sleeves, chuckled, “If Your Highness were to feel such sympathy for Murong Zhangtai and the others, you'd be giving them too much credit.”

The woman's expression changed like a summer sky. She laughed playfully, “You're right. Though those little rascals always had snot hanging from their noses and followed me around like little shadows when they were kids, they became less endearing as they grew older. I couldn't care less about their lives.”

The richly dressed old man, who certainly hadn't become a top-ranked advisor in Yuchan Prefecture by flattery alone, narrowed his eyes and said, “Tao Qianzhi was skilled in both cavalry and infantry combat. After honing his blade for a decade or so, he might have had a chance to reach a higher level, much like Gu Jiantang from the south, who became a Grandmaster through killing. There are many hidden agents in Liuxia City, meaning that any stir in Beiliang won't escape our notice. Therefore, the assassin, who most likely crossed the border alone, was able to easily kill ten elite iron cavalry and then quickly dispatch Tao Qianzhi, a minor second-rank official, leaving reinforcements to arrive too late. It's clear that this was no weak opponent. The crucial point is whether the assassin drew a blade to kill Tao Qianzhi. If not, then it's quite an exaggeration, and I estimate that not only will Liuxia City be in an uproar, but many regional governors in important cities and towns throughout Longyao Prefecture will also be on edge.”

The woman with the mink forehead laughed carelessly, “Longyao Prefecture is nowhere near as war-hardened as Gusaizhou. The gentlemen here are used to living in luxury, each of them having grown a layer of fat. If they look down, ‘Oh, they can't even see their little bird!’ It would be better if a few more such Beiliang officials died.”

The richly dressed old man burst into hearty laughter. His young mistress's tongue was as venomous as ever. Although he had followed her for years and traveled all eight prefectures of Beiliang, he was still occasionally surprised.

Princess Hongyan whispered, “Liyang has Zhao Gou, but don't we also have a spiderweb in Beiliang? I want to see when this assassin will fall into the net. Two Cocoons, six Pole-Holders, three hundred Dragonfly Catchers, and eighty Butterfly Catchers – all of them are like mad dogs.”

Hearing this series of obscure terms that would mean nothing to ordinary people, the richly dressed old man cautiously glanced around. Seeing no one nearby, he remained silent.

The woman with the mink forehead smiled charmingly, “Old Dragon King, what are you afraid of? Weren't you once a big figure in this very spiderweb? Now, a good portion of those six arrogant Pole-Holders have to call you martial uncle.”

The old man sighed and said, “Without that layer of identity, even a newly appointed Dragonfly Catcher wouldn't put this old servant in their eyes.”

She chuckled, “They say the Old Dragon King has one foot in the Vajra realm and one foot in the ZhiXuan realm, ranked ninth among our Beiliang's Ten Great Demon Heads. How terrifying that sounds! It's no worse than any Pole-Holder.”

The richly dressed old man looked slightly lost in thought, then shook his head and said, “Compared to Tuoba Pusa, Hong Jingyan, and Luoyang, this old servant is far inferior, both in cultivation and in the ability to kill.”

The woman touched the mink fur on her forehead, her face a seemingly innocent, alluring beauty, and said delicately, “You're slightly less than the best, but far more than the worst. I'm completely envious.”

The Old Dragon King smiled knowingly.

Outside the city, Wang Dashi, a young member of the Fish Dragon Gang, walked beside Young Master Xu, who was slowly leading his horse. The youth had previously glanced back and was startled when he saw the woman with the mink forehead on the city wall. Not every novice martial artist has the courage and confidence to face a tiger. Wang Dashi was truly afraid of this alluring woman, who seemed to collude with officials at Daoma Pass. He genuinely felt she was both dangerous and too improper, a far cry from the girl he secretly admired in his heart.

Xu Fengnian swung onto his horse and rode up to Liu Nirong, who was leading the group. He stated directly, “I will accompany the Fish Dragon Gang to YanHui Pass, and then we will part ways. I have some private matters from the General's Residence to attend to. In the carriage, there's a small box of fire starters I obtained from the Wei Residence, specially for military camps, along with a few calligraphies and paintings gifted by Old Master Wei. Consider these additional compensation from the General's Residence to the Fish Dragon Gang. Miss Liu, it's up to you whether to accept them or not. To add a word of advice here, when martial arts gangs cultivate relations with officials, offering gold and silver is inappropriate and easily taboo. It's better to present elegant curios that appeal to their tastes. Moreover, when entering a temple to burn incense, simply bowing to the Bodhisattva may not be enough; the monks guarding the gate also need to be appeased. The Fish Dragon Gang's approach in this regard has truly been, well, terrible. The more you've lost the initiative and want to mend the fold, the less you should rush. In fact, Old Gang Leader Liu has a good reputation in Lingzhou. As long as you're willing to humble yourselves, breaking the deadlock won't be difficult. Ultimately, don't just look at the glamorous officials who bow and offer smiles; they too have their embarrassing moments of bowing and scraping. From another perspective, unless it's Yama sending the Black and White Impermanence to claim a life, there's actually no obstacle in this world that cannot be overcome.”

Liu Nirong cast a cold glance at Xu Fengnian, pressing her lips together, her sharpness evident. This intelligent woman was like an unpolished jade, becoming even more brilliant after being shaped by life.

Xu Fengnian was unconcerned by her deliberate coldness and continued, “I say all this merely to ensure a civil parting, for appearances' sake.”

Liu Nirong turned and calmly looked at Xu Fengnian, saying, “I won't discard the items, nor will I find them dirty. They are what the Fish Dragon Gang deserves.”

Xu Fengnian smiled, then turned and pointed to the youth running with his head down on the muddy official road, whispering, “Liu Nirong, do you know he likes you?”

Liu Nirong followed his gesture and saw the unassuming youth from the Fish Dragon Gang, pausing in surprise.

Xu Fengnian looked straight ahead and slowly said, “Don't misunderstand, I'm just telling you a fact. Otherwise, you might never know that such a foolish person is secretly in love with you.”

Liu Nirong frowned. “I actually know.”

Xu Fengnian didn't linger to annoy her further. He pulled on his reins, slowing his horse. Although two vastly different yet equally remarkable journeys had tempered him from the cynical young lord he once was, and his temper was better, his personality refined to be more amenable, he was not so thick-skinned as to enjoy inviting insults or glares. As for why he had taken all the blame for Xiao Qiang's death at the Wei Residence and not explained, firstly, Liu Nirong was furious at the time and in a rage; an explanation would have only seemed like a cover-up, so what was the point? Furthermore, if she wanted to hate, it was better to let her hate completely. The Young Master had come this far, step by step over the years, and had become almost numb to such misunderstandings. Was this not also the Young Master's ineffable guilt over forcing Gongsun Yang to his death?

Returning to the youth's side, Xu Fengnian quietly chuckled, “Wang Dashi, I just told Miss Liu that you like her.”

Wang Dashi was first stunned, then scared, then filled with dread, before his face flushed crimson and he nearly burst into tears. Yet, Young Master Xu was already the person he most respected and was grateful for in his life, so how could he dare to blame him? He could only lower his head, his shoulders trembling, clearly so aggrieved that he was choking up.

Xu Fengnian laughed comfortingly, “I was just teasing you.”

Wang Dashi looked up, speechless, feeling bewildered and dejected.

Xu Fengnian smiled faintly, “Wang Dashi, I'll teach you a good way to pursue a girl. Want to hear it? It's a true story.”

Wang Dashi quickly wiped his eyes and whispered, “Please tell me, Young Master Xu.”

Xu Fengnian gazed at the bright sky where the dark clouds had dispersed and said softly, “You walk up to her and tell her: ‘If you want the jianghu, I'll give you a whole one. If you want the world, I'll give you an entire one. As for me, I just want a son. Will you give me one?’”

Wang Dashi was dumbfounded. He stammered, “I wouldn't dare say that.”

Xu Fengnian's lips curved, his smile gentle.

Wang Dashi belatedly became curious and asked, “Young Master Xu, who was it who had such courage? In our Lingzhou dialect, that's what we call 'truly domineering'!”

Xu Fengnian softly said, “My father.”