Chapter 256: Furrowed Brows

Leveraging the prevalence of brothels, Fenghu City enjoyed a relaxed nightlife. Even at this late hour, numerous street vendors with their carrying poles and trays still roamed the streets, hawking their wares. Tao Manwu was a little foodie; she couldn't sleep soundly on an empty stomach, which ultimately caused Xu Fengnian trouble. So, he pulled out a small piece of silver, bought two bowls of 'golden rice' – a stew made from purple-necked chrysanthemum petals – and several pastries in one go. Upon arriving at the inn, Li Liu was on night duty. Usually, he would be dozing off by this time, but perhaps a trip back and forth from Pingzi Lane had left him unusually excited. Xu Fengnian requested a table and invited him to eat together. The sturdy, good-natured young man readily agreed, not standing on ceremony with Young Master Xu. He noticed the little girl, nicknamed Taozi, holding a delicate porcelain pillow but couldn't discern its origin and didn't inquire further. Xu Fengnian pointed upstairs, and Tao Manwu stopped eating, quickly wiped her mouth, and got up. Xu Fengnian then gave the remaining pastries to Li Liu.

Inside the room, with his back to Tao Manwu, Xu Fengnian summoned the flying sword, Pifu, which had assassinated the gate guard. He pricked his palm with a fingernail and smeared the blood onto the hovering sword. What seemed like a casual gesture was in fact profoundly intricate. The twelve flying sword blanks, each forged at a different time, had vastly different textures. The process of 'blood-feeding the embryo' was meticulous and slow; a single drop too much would overfill and damage the sword's patterns, while a drop too little would weaken its sword energy. The patterns were like the mouth of a sentient flying sword, allowing for no oversight. Xu Fengnian did not rush to sheath Pifu, gazing instead at the subtle, wind-on-water ripple before him, and sighed softly. What truly moved him at Guanghan Tower was not the courtesan's voice or appearance, but the small, scholarly decorations within the room, reminiscent of refined literati from the Liyang Dynasty dabbling in calligraphy: a beauty couch, a black-glazed cup, a three-legged toad ink dropper. The gloom that had clouded Xu Fengnian's heart since entering Longyao Prefecture finally lifted a little. If even a brothel courtesan held such affection for elegant Central Plains artifacts, then surely the impoverished scholars who had fled into Beiman must, despite their exile, still largely cling to the rich lifestyle they knew from their former lands of hundreds of acres. These refined habits, which invariably resurfaced during times of peace, would eventually, subtly and slowly, influence Beiman's aristocratic class. It was akin to a prince nurturing swords, gradually permeating this martial and belligerent barbarian dynasty. Beiman's empress had welcomed the Qiuyimin refugees with great magnanimity, extensively promoting scholars and literati. The benefits were evident, yet the drawbacks remained hidden. Tantai Chang'an, whose elegance was no less than any southern noble scion, served as an excellent example. How many warhorses, how much armor, how many weapons could one cage of dragon-tongue larks buy?

Xu Fengnian quietly sheathed Pifu and let out a long breath. He turned to look at Tao Manwu, who was lying down, resting her chin on her hands and gazing at the porcelain pillow. He smiled and playfully asked, "Little money-lover, if we travel far out of the city someday, will you bring your porcelain pillow then too? Aren't you afraid of getting tired?"

Tao Manwu replied with determination, "I can carry the money pouch and hold the porcelain pillow!"

Xu Fengnian nodded and said, "Very good. If I run out of silver, I can just sell the porcelain pillow for wine."

Tao Manwu grew extremely tense, then glanced at Xu Fengnian, relieved, and broke into a grin. Ever since she could remember, the little girl had instinctively felt uneasy about her psychic talent, but at this moment, she was filled with an unprecedented sense of smugness. Xu Fengnian asked curiously, "When you can see through people's hearts, do you know their exact thoughts, or do you only discern the good or bad of their intentions and how their minds shift?"

Tao Manwu hesitated, then clamped her mouth shut tightly.

Xu Fengnian smiled and said, "I hear Fenghu City has Cao family peony buns, Granny Xue's pancakes, the stew from Jiaqing Pingzi Lane, Mei family roasted goose and duck, and Duan family lamb rice – lots of delicious food. And at the Suguan Lane market fair, there's sheepskin shadow puppetry, various storytellers, performances with warriors on horseback, golden drums, and iron cavalry, as well as Buddhist scripture readings. There's wrestling at Rongguo Temple, bamboo pole skipping, hidden illusions, and even bird trainers teaching old crows to play chess. With so many fascinating things, would you like to eat while you watch?"

Tao Manwu just grunted.

With a look of regret, Xu Fengnian said, "Alright, then I'll go explore by myself tomorrow. You can just stay at the inn, hug your porcelain pillow, and count your silver bits."

The little girl, who could neither be subdued by power nor swayed by poverty, grumbled twice.

Xu Fengnian stifled a laugh, extinguished the oil lamp on the table, and sat cross-legged on the bed against the wall. He smiled and said, "Go to sleep."

The little girl rolled over and took the opportunity to lightly kick him. Xu Fengnian ignored it and entered a state of focused meditation. In another hour, he would need to nurture the flying sword, Huangtong. Fortunately, the Great Yellow Court allowed him to be in a state akin to neither sleep nor wakefulness. Nurturing the twelve swords was a strenuous task required every hour, but it didn't leave him overly fatigued. In fact, even if he hadn't been burdened with nurturing the swords, Xu Fengnian wouldn't have dared to fall into a deep sleep. After a while, the little girl, accustomed to falling asleep in Xu Fengnian's embrace, released her cold porcelain pillow. She fumbled her way into his warm arms and was soon softly snoring, sleeping soundly. Xu Fengnian nurtured three swords in succession. As the sky began to turn a fish-belly white, he wrapped Tao Manwu snugly in her quilt and picked up the Thunder Blade, which had been by his head. He walked to the window and stretched, feeling refreshed. He had a premonition of 'a storm brewing, wind filling the tower' – a sense of significant events approaching. He didn't consider it good or bad and thus didn't trouble himself with it. After the satisfying kill of Xie Ling, and putting aside the benefits of enlightenment, his entire mindset and demeanor had completely transformed.

Outside the window, a light, grey drizzle began to fall, soft and delicate, while a gentle breeze silently moistened everything. Tao Manwu slowly awoke, gazing blankly at the back of the young man. In her eyes, the world was naturally different from how ordinary people perceived it. To the little girl, everyone was enveloped in an aura of light. Most people's auras were greyish-white, like those of common city folk. Occasionally, someone would radiate varying degrees of blue or purple, like her father, who was like a verdant mountain, or Uncle Dong, who was wreathed in purple energy. Those on the verge of death appeared as inky black. When wicked individuals unleashed their murderous intent, their aura would turn a piercing scarlet. A kind woman like Aunt Xiyi, whose words and actions were consistent, had a warm yellow glow both inside and out. In Tao Manwu's eyes, everything in the world was exceptionally vibrant, and as she grew older, it became even clearer. The young man before her, however, was a deep purple imbued with golden yellow—a sight she had never witnessed in her life.

Tao Manwu had no idea that if she were discovered by someone with ulterior motives, she would be regarded as a living Buddha reincarnate in Buddhism or a celestial being descended from the heavens in Daoism. It was a pity that Xie Ling, for some unknown reason, failed to recognize her true value. If he had focused his attention on her seven-colored glazed heart instead of the prince, he might have been able to leverage her power to instantly return to his peak Zhixuan realm. As for any karmic backlash afterwards, given the demon Xie Ling's obsession with killing Luoyang, it was certain he wouldn't have cared.

Xu Fengnian did not interrupt the little girl's scrutiny. Only when she withdrew her gaze did he turn and smile, "After breakfast, I'll take you to the temple fair."

Tao Manwu looked perplexed, seemingly unable to understand his sudden display of benevolence. In her eyes, this 'bad guy' who never showed his true face was shrewd and mercenary, having made her suffer considerably. How could he have changed his tune overnight?

Xu Fengnian chuckled lightly. "I've already decided that when I leave Fenghu City, I won't take you, this burden, with me. Don't worry, you'll still be well-fed and clothed, certainly more comfortable and at ease than with me. So, while we're still together, I'll pretend to be a good person for a few days, just so you don't resent me. I've heard that for people like you, who can see through hearts, every persistent thought gets an echo from Heaven. I still want to live a good life, and constantly living in fear isn't enjoyable."

The little girl bit her lip, staring intently at him. She likely concluded that he wasn't lying and genuinely intended to leave her in Fenghu City. The young girl, who should have been relieved to escape her predicament, didn't understand pretense or concealment, and her face fell with dejection.

Xu Fengnian didn't add fuel to the fire. He led her downstairs, and after they had a warming breakfast, they walked together towards Suguan Lane in the west of the city. Along the way, the little girl kept her face cold, not giving Xu Fengnian, who she now perceived as indifferent and unremarkable, a single pleasant look. However, a child's fleeting emotions of sorrow and joy were like a fresh pot of wine, with all the flavor floating on top. Unlike an adult's aged liquor, whose rich taste has settled at the bottom of the jar and is impossible to fully appreciate without draining it. Xu Fengnian used a string of candied hawthorn and a small lacquered box containing a web-spinning spider to quickly lift Tao Manwu's spirits. The box, named 'Qiqiao' (Ingenious Device), was an exquisite novelty introduced to Beiman from the Central Plains. By keeping a small spider inside, one could observe the density of its web on subsequent days. Originally, it was a small token of affection commonly purchased by women in the Southern nations for the Qixi Festival. They would place a small piece of paper with the name of a desired man inside the box, as the spider silk symbolized the Matchmaker's red thread, a prayer for a good omen. If the web was spun densely and prosperously, the woman would naturally be secretly pleased and rejoice.

Xu Fengnian took large strides. After two extensive travels, he was well accustomed to the various performances and wares found at such temple fairs. Disliking the slow pace of the wide-eyed little girl, who kept looking around, he simply let her ride on his neck. Tao Manwu, still sulking at him, didn't care about ladylike propriety and unhesitatingly climbed up. Her small head rested on his large one, and she refused to give him even a single candied hawthorn, wishing he would just die of craving.

They watched a crude shadow play made from simple paper sculptures, which depicted the border conflicts between Liang and Man. Generals from Beiman, including Huang Songpu, were naturally portrayed with dignified and impressive appearances, while Beiliang King Xu Xiao and the 'Little Human Butcher' Chen Zhibao were carved into grotesque, ugly figures. This portrayal was highly popular with the residents of Fenghu City. Xu Fengnian merely smiled it off, feeling that Xu Xiao wasn't misrepresented. However, to depict Chen Zhibao, that exceedingly elegant 'White-clothed Soldier Immortal,' as such an unsightly clown was rather unfair. The puppeteer doubled as a storyteller, and since the paper figures represented the foremost military dignitaries from both border dynasties, the narrative was inevitably filled with fierce warfare. This differed slightly from the historical tales recounted in taverns and teahouses before conflicts began. When the deliberately exaggerated battles were described, the audience watched intently, holding their breath, completely engrossed in the performance.

No sooner had Xu Fengnian walked away than he spotted Tantai Chang'an and his sister Tantai Konghou, accompanied by several escorts, walking through the bustling crowd. Tantai Konghou was also carrying a 'Qiqiao' spider box, but hers was made of rosewood, its cost far exceeding that of the wooden box in Tao Manwu's hands. The web-spinning spiders inside also differed; presumably, the spider belonging to the City Governor's Third Young Master would, as expected, spin a denser web. It seemed that with more money, the 'ingenious device' became even more ingenious. After their eyes met, Tantai Chang'an approached with a radiant smile, turning to his sister and saying proudly, "See? I told you so, Xu Qi would definitely come to the temple fair."

Tantai Konghou shot a glare at Xu Qi, sighing helplessly, "It's only losing a tael of silver in a bet, what's there to be so proud of?"

Tantai Chang'an burst into laughter. "Your second brother might not be particularly happy about earning a hundred taels of gold from others – perhaps they're secretly enjoying it more – but earning even a single copper coin from you is cause for joy!"

Xu Fengnian was even more exasperated than Tantai Konghou. This second young master, the foremost fop of Fenghu City, truly had uncanny foresight. For some reason, Xu Fengnian genuinely believed that Tantai Chang'an was simply waiting there for him, rather than having him followed. Firstly, with Xu Fengnian's current mystic five senses, he could easily detect any unusual gazes around him. Secondly, he held no ill will towards this 'unscrupulous' young man whose ambition was to become a rural teacher. This couldn't be called mutual respect between heroes, but perhaps mutual appreciation between fops. Xu Fengnian was especially relieved after Tao Manwu showed no signs of distress. Tantai Chang'an was a straightforward person. Seeing that Tao Manwu was cute, he reached out to pinch her cheek. When she dodged, he didn't mind, and instead began to tease his own sister: "This sister of mine keeps saying she wants to marry me, but secretly she's deeply infatuated with a handsome young man from the Helian family. Didn't she just buy a Qiqiao? She's definitely going to secretly write that handsome young man's name like a thief later. If she hadn't seen Brother Xu Qi today, I wouldn't have exposed her secret. At most, I would have climbed the wall in the dead of night to steal that paper slip and throw it away, making her cry herself to death over the spiderweb the next day."

A red-faced Tantai Konghou stomped hard on Tantai Chang'an's foot. He winced in pain and gasped, but toward his habitually spoiled younger sister, he could only be silently enraged.

After strolling together for half an hour, Tantai Chang'an was pulled away by the impatient Tantai Konghou. The second young master had arranged to drink with Xu Fengnian at Guanghan Tower that evening, but his sister forcibly dragged him away. Watching the harmonious siblings, Xu Fengnian remained rooted to the spot, not moving for a long time.

Tao Manwu reached out a small hand and gently rubbed his brow.