Chapter 314: Buy Secret Manual, Get Yellow Wine Free

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《Zongheng》 by Fenghuo XizhuhouPC Reading Address:Address:Main Thread for Serialized Chapters:

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After Xu Fengnian burst out of the massive vortex of the land cyclone, he shouted, "Sword Soars to Heaven!" His body, propelled by the centrifugal force, continued to ascend into the sky. At the highest point, he sat cross-legged, like a celestial being calmly seated at the Heavenly Gate, watching the clouds rise and fall. This could perhaps be described as the most carefree scene in the human world. (June 1st, 7:30 PM: Snow Million Word Celebration 3rd Anniversary Theme Celebration with Fenghuo live on YY Channel: 1655)

Xu Fengnian looked up, and the sea of clouds stretched endlessly, vast and boundless.

After his burst of youthful spirit, his body plummeted straight down, piercing through the golden-yellow clouds bathed in Buddha's light. In just a few breaths, the land cyclone had moved half a *li* away. Xu Fengnian finally stopped posing as a Buddha. With his mind focused, the Morning Dew sword flew out of his sleeve. Xu Fengnian stretched his limbs and lightly touched the flying sword with his toes. (June 1st, 7:30 PM: Snow Million Word Celebration 3rd Anniversary Theme Celebration with Fenghuo live on YY Channel: 1655)

This slightly slowed his descent. If he had first deployed the other flying swords, which still required spiritual energy to control, they would have instantly shattered, and his fall would have become unstoppable. So, he repeatedly paused and restarted, gradually slowing his descent. When he was about a hundred *zhang* from the ground, Xu Fengnian, who had been falling from the sea of clouds, suddenly drew his Spring and Autumn sword. With each swing, the "Soaring to Heaven" technique stirred up wind. Fifty *zhang* later, eleven flying swords simultaneously emerged, forming a slanted heavenly ladder in the air. He stepped on each sword hilt, while the abundant spiritual energy of his Great Yellow Court surged throughout his body. His headscarf and both sleeves fluttered, truly giving him an ethereal appearance.

The subtlety of the Great Yellow Court lies in its ability to instantly generate new spiritual energy after a momentary pause, like sowing a single grain that fills a granary. This allowed him to wield his Spring and Autumn sword. An ordinary Vajra Realm master falling like this would likely create a large crater in the ground and suffer severe internal injuries, even if they didn't die. Within ten *zhang*, Xu Fengnian had exhausted his options. He tried his best to gather his energy and almost immediately landed, bending his legs to absorb the impact. Dust flew up from the ground, and Xu Fengnian, still carrying his book-box, rolled out of the dust cloud, looking somewhat disheveled.

He looked up at the sea of clouds in the sky, a scene of heaven on earth.

After a few breaths, his spiritual energy was replenished. Xu Fengnian then ran and charged towards the land waterspout that connected heaven and earth. Again, he split a gap in its wall with his Spring and Autumn sword. After entering, he once again cut countless large rocks with his sword, stepping on stones to rise and floating on air. In one swift move, he rushed out of the dark and gloomy mouth of the land cyclone. This time, Xu Fengnian did not hover above the sea of clouds to gaze like an immortal. Instead, he deliberately took a breath, allowing his body to be drawn into the cyclonic vortex. His Spring and Autumn sword continuously struck with the "Soaring to Heaven" technique. This journey was a reverse descent. The Demoness Luoyang would kill immortals and Buddhas if she encountered them, and Deng Tai'a once said that Li Chungang's swordsmanship could part mountains and waters. Xu Fengnian didn't believe he couldn't cut through a rootless land cyclone. Going upwards was with the current; although there were spinning boulders like locust arrows, most were predictable. Going downwards, however, the large stones, moving like rolling jade plates, became countless sharp projectiles. Fortunately, Xu Fengnian had personally experienced the dense onslaught created by the blind girl Xue Songguan's zither-controlled raindrops. He struggled to reach the middle of the land cyclone, and after several breaths, he still felt he couldn't quite bear it. He gritted his teeth and held on for a moment longer, finally deciding not to gamble with his life. He turned back and ascended with the current, leaping out of the spout, only to fall back in again, as if he were once again facing the repeated charges of five hundred cavalry outside the gates of Dunhuang City. During this time, he was covered in bloodstains from being scraped by debris. It was a miracle that he could still "nurture his sword" when he was thrown out of the large spout for the third time. In any case, he bled a lot, so he might as well make the best of it. His ability to find joy in suffering was truly admirable and moving.

Thus, Xu Fengnian traveled northward with the land cyclone. (June 1st, 7:30 PM: Snow Million Word Celebration 3rd Anniversary Theme Celebration with Fenghuo live on YY Channel: 1655)

People usually travel by horse or boat. Drifting along with a cyclone, he wondered if he could be considered unique, having no predecessors or successors. However, after entering Beiman, he had heard in Feihu City that the Qilin Immortal of the Daoist Sect once crossed thirteen peaks on a single reed, and Tuoba Pusa, who used the extreme northern ice plains for body and soul tempering, had also achieved the feat of standing on a whale and floating across the sea. Compared to these two, Xu Fengnian was not far behind. All things have life and death. After "nurturing" six swords, the ragged Xu Fengnian noticed that the cyclone was starting to weaken, far less powerful than when it first burst forth. He then began to continuously strike the air wall with "Sword Soars to Heaven," accelerating the cyclone's dissipation. The last time he was thrown out of the cyclone, Xu Fengnian suddenly gathered his energy, elevating his body to stand on the sea of clouds. He glanced at the setting sun in the west, whose light permeated the purple mist, creating a beautiful scene of swirling purple haze. Xu Fengnian was mesmerized. In that moment, a thought flashed through his mind: "Has *she*, who rides swords, ever witnessed such a scene?"

Falling back to the human world, his Spring and Autumn sword, using the "Soaring to Heaven" technique, cut through the now diminished land cyclone, which no longer possessed its initial power and grandeur. His landing should have been uneventful, but Xu Fengnian was still lost in thought when he was kicked, sprawling face-first onto the ground. Although he had a momentary warning, he couldn't dodge the surprise attack. Fortunately, that kick wasn't meant to kill. Xu Fengnian slid a considerable distance across the ground, his clothes completely torn. When he stood up, he saw the person he least wanted to encounter in his life: another Huang Baozhuang, Luoyang! In the twilight, on the yellow sands, she stood in flowing white robes. Xu Fengnian felt his head swell. Even encountering powerful adversaries like Tuoba Chunxun and the blind female zither player hadn't felt this tricky. He forced himself to suppress the chill in his heart. He didn't retreat or run, not because he had gained the courage to face death after mastering the "Soaring to Heaven" technique, but because the message conveyed by that kick prevented him from turning to flee. Sure enough, the demoness Luoyang spoke directly: "Come with me to the ice plains. I'll kill Tuoba Pusa, and the treasures will be yours."

Xu Fengnian nodded without hesitation: "Alright!"

Refusing would be certain death. The situation was stronger than any individual, and Xu Fengnian couldn't afford to stubbornly play the hero. As long as this female Yama wasn't asking him to slit his own throat with his Spring and Autumn sword, he would readily agree. Luoyang seemed somewhat pleased with Xu Fengnian's straightforward attitude. She turned and walked ahead, with Xu Fengnian following behind, consistently maintaining a distance of ten *zhang*. This ensured that if she suddenly decided to kill him for no reason, he wouldn't be instantly struck down, and could at least put up a desperate fight for a few moves. He intently observed her slender back. She wore a white robe that largely obscured her gender, with her hair fastened by a wooden hairpin. When he first saw her in Dunhuang City, if he hadn't seen the face of Huang Baozhuang, a woman from the Chess, Sword, and Music Pavilion, up close, Xu Fengnian would not have taken her for a woman either. Her killing aura was simply too overwhelming, and her martial prowess extraordinary. At best, she might have been mistaken for a man with a feminine appearance, often described by fortune-tellers as "born into wealth and nobility."

During his travels, when Xu Fengnian pretended to be a fortune-teller to swindle money, he would often smile at men with unpleasant features and say, "Young master, your appearance is exceptional; a southerner with a northern look, you are destined for great wealth and nobility." But there would always be a "however" or "but" added, because without such a turn, it wouldn't be easy to trick copper coins out of their pockets. In the three years Xu Fengnian suffered greatly, he summarized two major difficulties: one, making another man's wife climb into his bed; and two, getting copper coins from others' pockets into his own. Unluckily encountering Luoyang after her Dragon Pearl was shattered by Deng Tai'a, Xu Fengnian didn't harbor the slightest thought of taking advantage of her.

Luoyang slightly slowed her pace, and the ten-zhang distance shortened to nine *zhang*. Xu Fengnian quietly moved back to ten *zhang*. When it became nine *zhang* again, Xu Fengnian stopped bothering and allowed her to slowly close the distance to three *zhang*. This woman, after a series of battles in Beiman, finally broke into the top ten of the martial arts rankings. After winning another battle against Hong Jingyan, she became the fourth strongest in the world. Although she lost her third battle to Deng Tai'a and remained at fourth, given her determination to challenge Tuoba Pusa, it's likely that her city-destroying battle with Deng Tai'a wasn't fought with her full strength. This is because she consistently used her "Rain Sword" against Deng Tai'a's sword, and before that battle, the world knew the demoness Luoyang killed people like cutting grass, yet no one had ever seen her use a sword. It's clear that Luoyang's most terrifying aspect isn't her high rank, but her young age and the speed of her progress. She clearly follows the same path as Wang Xianzhi and Tuoba Pusa: using battle to cultivate her strength.

Luoyang, her back to Xu Fengnian, said flatly, "Are you going to the burial site of the Wu family swordsmen?"

Xu Fengnian softly replied, "Yes."

Luoyang calmly stated, "Then let's meet in Da'e City, Baoping Prefecture, in twenty days."

After speaking, she vanished in a flash.

Having met Luoyang and made a pact, Xu Fengnian felt a heavy weight on his heart. He stood rooted, watching her graceful figure disappear, his face grim. He sighed. On his way to the site where the Wu Family's Nine Swords broke ten thousand cavalry, he had already encountered a demoness—terrible luck indeed. He just hoped that misfortunes wouldn't come in pairs. No sooner had this thought arisen than Xu Fengnian, who had once "jinxed" himself in Dunhuang City, slapped himself hard. He took off his book-box, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and continued his journey on foot towards Xihe Prefecture. In Dunhuang City, Hong Shu had mentioned the state of the ruins: two hundred years ago, after the elite of the Wu Family Sword Mound went all out and achieved that almost suicidal feat, Beiman did not, in a fit of rage, desecrate the bodies of the Wu family swordsmen. On the contrary, they gave them proper burials. Each fallen swordsman received a grave, a monument, and a preserved sword. Several sword-attendants who had not accompanied them at the time later journeyed to Beiman, built huts, and guarded the tombs until their old age. Beiman, which even stationed a team of armored cavalry specifically at the battlefield, never harmed these sword-attendants. After the attendants died, descendants of the Wu family continued to maintain the graves, generation after generation. This stood in stark contrast to the Central Plains' practice of frequently digging up graves and whipping the corpses of enemies. When scholars and celebrities in the Central Plains discussed the customs of the two dynasties, they would only say that the northern barbarians drank blood and ate raw meat and were culturally crude, often deliberately avoiding this particular custom.

Xu Fengnian counted on his fingers, calculating the distance. When he arrived at his destination in Xihe Prefecture, he discovered the ruins were located within a small basin, about three to four *li* in circumference. To his amusement and frustration, perhaps too many sword practitioners, drawn by the site's fame, flocked there in an endless stream. Around the sunken basin, stall after stall sold wine, tea, and fruits. Without exception, no matter their main business, every stall had stacks of martial arts manuals piled up. Manuals related to Wu Family swordsmanship were the most abundant, with intimidating titles like "Wu Family Immortal Nine Swords," "Sword Mound Ten Great Sword Moves," and so on, plus other "ultimate technique" manuals, many with subtitles like "Wang Xianzhi's Eighteen Ultimate Techniques." They were designed to impress, but most were crudely made, with poorly written characters. Xu Fengnian spent some small silver coins on a bag of Xihe's specialty green fruit and dried dates. From a nearby stall, he picked up a book titled "Ox God Skill," with a crooked inscription on its cover that read, "Miss this book and regret it for life." The vendor was a short, shifty-eyed middle-aged man. Seeing a customer, he immediately began to speak, spitting saliva everywhere: "Young hero, this manual is incredible! Read this book, practice diligently for a few years, and I guarantee you'll become a Third-Grade master. Don't look at those shoddy Wu Family sword technique books sold at the neighboring stalls; they exaggerate shamelessly and deceive people without conscience. How could there be such a good thing as becoming a sword immortal just by reading a few pages? Here, you get what you pay for. This 'Ox God Skill' is an ultimate technique from the Xuanyuan family in the Liyang Dynasty. Its reputation might not be grand, but it's a genuine article, worth real silver. I see, young hero, that your bones are extraordinary, clearly indicating a martial arts prodigy with outstanding talent. This treasure manual originally costs six *liang* of silver, but I'll consider it a good deed to you, young hero, and sell it to you at half price: three *liang* of silver! Only three *liang*!"

Xu Fengnian ate his green fruit dates, watching the vendor with three fingers extended, and simply smiled. (June 1st, 7:30 PM: Snow Million Word Celebration 3rd Anniversary Theme Celebration with Fenghuo live on YY Channel: 1655)

Soon, the burly man from the adjacent stall started to disrupt the sale. He sat on a long bench, legs crossed, cracking melon seeds, and sneered, "'Ox God Skill,' is it? I've got a whole stack of those here, none of them sold. Forget three *liang* of silver, they're thirty *wen* each, buy one get one free. Young master, want some? At that price, it's not expensive even for wiping your backside."

The short man selling dates and manuals turned and yelled, stamping his foot, "Zhang Dapeng, are you asking for a beating?!"

The brawny man threw a handful of melon seeds at him, stood up, flexed his arms, showing off his solid, blocky muscles, and roared, "San Laoshu, who's going to beat whom?!"

The vendor called San Laoshu recoiled, grumbling under his breath. The burly man, seeing Xu Fengnian put down the useless, unsellable junk book, immediately put on a bright smile and began soliciting business: "Young master, please come this way! I, Zhang Dapeng, am known here as an honest man. In business, it's about goodwill even if a deal doesn't go through. Feel free to choose any of these manuals. If you like one, I'll sell it to you at a discount. If you don't master the divine skill within three years, come back and I'll compensate you double the price! Come, take a look at this 'Sword Opening Heavenly Gate.' It records the famous ultimate technique of the old Sword God Li Chungang. Look at this exquisite binding, this paper quality, and this handwriting—it's clearly genuine! If you find an identical one anywhere nearby, I'll twist off my head and let you use it as a chamber pot!"

Xu Fengnian walked over and picked up the manual. It was clearly much more thoughtfully made than the typical dense treasure manuals sold by ordinary vendors. After some thought, he asked about the price: "How many *wen*?"

The man, who had been about to ask for one *liang* of silver, swallowed his words. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of San Laoshu next door about to retaliate. He glared, scaring the scoundrel into silence. Only then, after a moment of hesitation, did he force out a sincere smile and firmly state, "Ninety *wen*. I never haggle here!"

Xu Fengnian reached into his shriveled money pouch at his waist, rummaged around, and pulled out about thirty copper coins. He said expressionlessly, "That's all I have."

The burly man quickly half-received, half-snatched the copper coins. "Friendship is important, friendship is important! As long as you have the intention, young master, thirty *wen* it is. Zhang Dapeng is not the kind of person to be blinded by money!"

Xu Fengnian placed the manual into the book-box on his back. The vendor Zhang Dapeng didn't forget to flatter the young customer, who carried a long sword on his back: "One look at you, young master, and I know you're a master swordsman. Your future achievements are immeasurable! If you ever make a name for yourself, don't forget to mention the greatness of Zhang Dapeng's 'Sword Opening Heavenly Gate'!"

Xu Fengnian nodded and smiled, "Absolutely."

Collapse repliesReply to Zidiri_ler: castSomeone's speculating on Fenghuo's books.Reply to Xinghe Jumi: Yes... Qidian Mang QinMmm, squeeze.Can I interject?3 more replies,

Seeing him turn to leave, Zhang Dapeng quickly scooped a handful of melon seeds from a bowl and smiled, "Young master, don't mind these. They can help pass the time; you can munch on them slowly as you walk. Maybe you'll even stumble upon some priceless ultimate manuals."

The ruins were separated by a fence, and the stalls were set up along its perimeter. Xu Fengnian slowly walked half a circle, encountering no extraordinary individuals radiating divine light. He saw a scruffy old man wedged between two stalls, with only a cotton cloth in front of him, on which a few manuals were sparsely laid out. His business had probably been slow for many years. The shabby old man squatted, dozing. His two neighbors, one selling wine and the other tea, were doing decent business, each with three or four tables occupied by customers. Xu Fengnian noticed a young couple, whose demeanor was quite exceptional for this basin, sitting at one of the wine tables. He walked over and smilingly asked if he could share a seat. The man in satin clothes frowned, about to refuse, but the refined woman with a golden hairpin gently pressed his hand and softly said, "Please, young master, make yourself at home."

Xu Fengnian beckoned to the wine shop owner and casually asked for the price of drinks. Here, wine was rarely sold by the full jar; it was mostly sold by the *jin* or by the bowl. Naturally, these were all rough, undistinguished wines, barely good enough to quench thirst, and hard to get drunk on. Xu Fengnian ordered a bowl of white wine, advertised as "Apricot Blossom Village" brand. With his back to the young couple, he bent down to look at the few books the impoverished old man had laid out on his tattered cotton cloth. There was nothing remarkable about them; they were just uninspired, trend-following martial arts manuals. The man at the opposite table, with an arrogant look in his eyes, saw this scene and his gaze filled with even more disdain, a sneer playing on his lips. The wine shop owner brought over a bowl of cheap wine dregs, and kindly gave his old neighbor a gentle kick, grumbling, "Keep an eye on your business."

The squatting old man was startled awake by the kick. His eyes were cloudy. Seeing a customer bending down to look at the manuals, he quickly gave an embarrassed smile. This smile, however, comically revealed his missing front teeth.

The drinking man scoffed, while the refined woman chuckled, pressing her lips together. (June 1st, 7:30 PM: Snow Million Word Celebration 3rd Anniversary Theme Celebration with Fenghuo live on YY Channel: 1655)

Xu Fengnian, holding a bowl of wine, left the long bench and squatted in front of the cotton cloth that barely qualified as a stall. He smiled and asked, "How much are these books?"

The old man scratched his graying hair and chuckled naively, "Young master, you decide. A few *wen* is fine; they're all fake anyway."

Xu Fengnian pulled out his last six or seven copper coins from his money pouch and handed them to the toothless old man. The old man, not minding the low price, smiled as he took them, neatly stacked four or five manuals, and handed them with both hands to the young master in front of him.

The man at the same table saw his stinginess and his eyes filled with even greater contempt. The woman also seemed to find the young scholar's appearance a bit vulgar, a waste of his elegant good looks. Halfway through their drink, she and her companion left the wine shop.

Unmoved by this, Xu Fengnian sat back at the wine table, opened his book-box, and put the manuals inside. After a bit of fiddling, seemingly delighted at having found a treasure, he waved at the wine shop owner and smiled, "Boss, do you have any better yellow wine? Price doesn't matter; bring two bowls."

The owner's face lit up with a smile, and he became even more attentive. "Yes, yes, coming right up with two bowls for you, young master!"

Xu Fengnian waited for a moment, then took two bowls of yellow wine from the owner. He squatted back down in front of the toothless old man, handed him one bowl, and with a genuine Dongyue accent, smiled and asked, "From your accent, elder brother, were you also from Dongyue before?"

The old man had initially hesitated to take the wine bowl, but upon hearing the familiar accent, he finally took it, surprised and delighted, "Indeed I was!"

Xu Fengnian put down his wine bowl, went to his book-box, and took out a manual with a fifty-liang silver note discreetly tucked inside. He sat cross-legged facing the old man and smiled, "Elder brother, keep one for yourself."

The old man didn't stand on ceremony. He accepted it with a smile, thinking to himself, "This handsome young master is truly a good person!"

People came and went, bustling and lively.

An old man and a young man sat facing each other, not saying much, just slowly holding their bowls and drinking wine.

After finishing their wine, Xu Fengnian paid the owner for the drinks, picked up his book-box, and left.

The old man selling books was in high spirits. With nothing else to do, he moistened his finger, hummed a little tune, and began flipping through a book. Suddenly, his eyes widened: A silver note?

The toothless old man's mouth hung open. He stared blankly at the receding figure of the young man carrying a sword and book-box on his back. He quickly closed the manual, which was not discreet at all. Besides being shocked, he just felt utterly bewildered.

That day, Xu Fengnian neared the Wu family swordsmen's cemetery, just a stone's throw away, but did not enter.

Collapse repliesDid someone get "dark roomed"?Squeezing won't make you pregnant~Miss Old Huang so much.Fenghuo's Jianghu, with its desolation, holds grandeur. A picturesque Jianghu, utterly beautiful.8 more replies,Total 1 pageReplies: 2Don't have a Baidu account yet?Today's Top 10 Hot Posts in the forum