Chapter 324: Fishing Up a Lake

Far from home, surrounded by danger, there was nothing more comforting than seeing an old friend remain unchanged. This was true for Hong Shu, and it was also true for the white-haired old man. Unfortunately, Xu Fengnian barely had time to rejoice before the old man, whom he had released from the bottom of Listening Tide Lake, went berserk. Two gleaming broadswords, impaled in his shoulder blades, whirled wildly, flying towards Xu Fengnian. While Liu Daogu, the calligrapher from the Chong family, had a delicate hand like a woman embroidering, the old man's movements were like a splash-ink painting. Instantly, a whirlwind erupted by the lakeside of the Marshal's Residence. The fish that the melon-selling old farmer was about to bait sensed the ripples and swam away.

Xu Fengnian offered no explanation, feigning weakness before suddenly unleashing his power. Combining the 'Swimming Fish' technique he had learned among a herd of bison with the 'Hu Jia Beat' he had secretly picked up, he scattered a series of fierce blade strikes. Then, he leaped up, delivering a 'Celestial Stroke' that slammed the white-haired old man, who had been holding back some strength, into the ground. The old man stood on his knees in the pit, not angered but delighted, his old face beaming with joy. Being an old fox, he naturally knew the situation and refrained from a boisterous display, merely clicking his tongue and remarking, "Well done, Your Highness! Even without drawing your blade, you already possess two or three tenths of my skill."

Xu Fengnian gave a wry smile. "Grandpa Chu, you flatter me."

The old man leaped out of the muddy pit and threw an arm around Xu Fengnian's neck, completely at ease. "Not at all, you've made great strides, lad! I consider myself half your master, and it's a pleasure to watch."

Xu Fengnian grimaced but didn't retort. The fishing old man, left ignored, remained composed and didn't even look their way, showing surprising discretion, yet it seemed illogical.

The white-haired old man couldn't hold back his words. He pulled Xu Fengnian to sit by the lake and, like pouring beans from a bamboo tube, rattled off a string of shocking revelations. "This old fellow is Helian Weiwu, the Marshal of Xihe Province. Like me, he's a retainer of Princess Tomb. But we have different paths; he favors scholarly pursuits while I favor martial arts, so it's clear I'm more formidable. I know you're full of schemes, lad, and your mind twists and turns, so I won't beat around the bush. Just listen, whether you believe it or not is up to you. Back then, when Xu Xiao marched here with over two hundred thousand troops, Helian Weiwu's martial arts were poor, and his military tactics were sloppy. He almost got slaughtered by a fat pig named Chu. It was Xu Xiao who spared his life, effectively saving him. So, even if old Helian knows your identity, he won't make things difficult for you. You can eat, drink, and sleep well here. However, the maids and servant girls in the residence are of average appearance and mostly older. If you're truly desperate, you can make do after dark. As for why I went to fight Jian Jiu Huang and ended up imprisoned at the bottom of the lake, it's not a glorious story, so let's not mention it. And how I became a retainer of Princess Tomb? There are rules; I can't say."

Helian Weiwu finally interjected, first giving Xu Fengnian a warm smile, then casting a disdainful glance at his old friend of half a lifetime, mockingly saying, "What's there to hide? Isn't it just that you lecherous fool had no discernment? You saw a girl from Princess Tomb, coveted her full-moon-like backside, but couldn't force yourself upon her. Instead, you were soundly beaten down by a woman and became her prisoner. The title 'retainer' is just something you shamelessly gave yourself. Princess Tomb has only had six retainers in three hundred years, and the first five are all dead."

Helian Weiwu put his fishing rod aside without pretense and waved his hand. "No need for formalities. We met outside the city, and our words clicked, our temperaments are similar. It would be good if we could be friends despite our age difference. If you're still uncomfortable, we can simply address each other as uncle and nephew."

The old man said, surprised, "Old Helian, I've never seen you so agreeable towards any young man before. What is it, because this lad is Xu Xiao's eldest son, you're paving the way for treason?"

Helian Weiwu cursed, "What nonsense are you spouting!"

A figure in white came walking across the lake, making Xu Fengnian's head spin. However, when he saw the demeanor of the two old men beside him, he was completely bewildered. Helian Weiwu, the venerable Marshal of Beiman's Xihe Province, second only to a few individuals, patted his sleeves, stood up from his small bamboo stool, and clasped his hands over his abdomen, adopting the posture of respectfully welcoming an esteemed guest. Though the old man was somewhat unwilling, he still knelt down, hands on the ground, and said in a muffled voice, "This humble slave of Princess Tomb greets the Grand Master."

Princess Tomb was a top-five sect in Beiman, on par with formidable powers like Mount Tibing and Qijian Yuefu. It was exceptionally mysterious, with an eight-hundred-year lineage that rarely interacted with the outside world. In the secret scrolls of Listening Tide Pavilion, Xu Fengnian only knew there were distinctions between 'Grand Masters' and 'Lesser Masters' within Princess Tomb, each with their own divisions of power. The Dunhuang Flying Immortal Dance, personally taught by Hong Shu, originated from Princess Tomb's 'Colorful Robe Ascension Painting' and was a quintessential fruit of the Lesser Master lineage. Xu Fengnian would never have linked the demoness Luoyang with Princess Tomb, let alone as a Grand Master of the sect. In Xu Fengnian's original impression, Luoyang was a celestial being who emerged out of nowhere, solitary, riding alone into the dust, living a lonely life until old age, with no grave or memorial after her death.

After Luoyang arrived, the atmosphere became eerie. She bent down, picked up Helian Weiwu's fishing rod, changed the bait, and cast her line into the lake. The melon-selling old farmer, whose hidden identity was a retainer of Princess Tomb, was respectful but unafraid. He sat back on his stool, turned his head, and smiled, "Fengnian, let me ask you: Why is Princess Tomb called Princess Tomb?"

Xu Fengnian shook his head, admitting he didn't know.

Helian Weiwu slowly explained, "Princess Tomb is the mausoleum of the beloved youngest daughter of the founding emperor of Great Qin. Father and daughter were buried together, in the same tomb but different burial chambers. All subsequent women of Princess Tomb are tomb guardians."

Xu Fengnian asked, puzzled, "But wasn't the Great Qin Empress's tomb in Longyao Province?"

Helian Weiwu turned his head to glance at Luoyang, then chuckled lightly. "Those are some unspeakable palace secrets of emperors. Do you want to hear them?"

Xu Fengnian didn't treat himself as an outsider. "Just now, in the neighboring residence, I accidentally became an assassin targeting Minister Lu and the Chong family's eldest son. I smelled Uncle's secret Yellow River Drunken Crabs. Perhaps we could have some with wine?"

Helian Weiwu kicked the old man. "You old rascal, you've stolen and hidden the last few jars of drunken crabs! Go on, bring them here!"

The old man scratched his head of white hair, then rose with a boom, his two broadswords and iron chains clanking. Soon after, he returned with several jars, tossing one each to Helian Weiwu and Xu Fengnian. However, the jar meant for Xu Fengnian was intercepted mid-air by the woman in white, who tore off its paper seal. Without even tearing apart the crabs, she simply tilted her head back and wastefully gulped down the wine. When men talk about women, especially those with a history, they always become particularly effusive. Three grown men—a high-ranking Marshal, a bewildered Prince of Beiliang, and a wandering swordsman—chatted about trivial family gossip like old gossipy women, losing all dignity. Helian Weiwu spoke indistinctly, "I heard my elders mention that the woman the Qin Emperor favored was poisoned by the jealous Great Qin Empress. This was because the emperor privately took the woman to the Lishan lookout and said, 'Now that I have unified the world, I can finally love beauty more than the empire.' Somehow, that declaration of love reached the Empress's ears." He did not elaborate further, leaving it as an intriguing blank.

He changed the subject, explaining, "Several years ago, the Chong family bought a thousand li of land a little distance from the Yellow River. This time, they used the excuse of diverting the river. On the surface, their intention was to turn the Chong family's barren land into fertile fields. If I weren't a retainer of Princess Tomb, I would have been deceived. Chong Shentong promised to transport two hundred thousand catties of iron into Xihe Province within five years, selling it cheaply to the Kongbi Army. For me, this was bait I absolutely had to seize. And since we're airing dirty laundry, the demon Chong Liang is the concubine of Princess Tomb's Lesser Master. Not only that, but Hong Jingyan's shadow is also behind this river diversion and tomb raiding. This man is deeply cunning, and his ambition is so vast that the entire martial world of Beiman probably couldn't satisfy his appetite. The reason the Grand Master was able to swallow the pearl back then was due to Hong Jingyan's malicious intent to have the Grand Master cultivate the pearl. Fortunately, no one under heaven can devise an infallible plan. Hong Jingyan miscalculated the Grand Master's rise in cultivation; when the pearl matured, not only did he fail to take the Grand Master's cultivation, but he was defeated and almost suffered qi deviation."

Xu Fengnian mused, "From what I hear, Hong Jingyan sounds even more terrifying than Tuoba Pusa."

Helian Weiwu nodded. "Tuoba Pusa and Xu Xiao are similar types of people; even if you lose to them, you'd be convinced. Hong Jingyan, however, is different. His nature is very sinister, and one must be wary of him. Some time ago, he went to the Liangmang border with the Brazier-Holding Bronze Man. On the surface, he fought a battle with Chen Zhibao, but what truly happened inside, only heaven knows."

Xu Fengnian gazed at the lake, which was gradually calming to a mirror-like stillness, and felt a suffocating sense of an impending storm.

The old man suddenly said, "Lad, do you know that Monk Longshu of Liangchan Temple went to Daode Sect and sat before its Heaven Gate for three days and three nights? It's pitiful; he was beaten by the Qilin True Man for three days."

Xu Fengnian asked worriedly, "Is the old abbot dead?"

The old man shook his head. "Not yet. The Buddha's Vajra Body is indeed formidable. But he probably won't last much longer. In this clash between the Daoist leader and the Buddhist head, I think the old monk is in a precarious position."

Xu Fengnian understood clearly: what appeared to be the Daoist leader killing the Buddhist head was, in essence, Daoism eradicating Buddhism.

Helian Weiwu laughed, "We've seen the old monk's 'Bodhisattva's Gentle Gaze,' but I wonder if we'll get to see the 'Vajra's Furious Glare' of the white-robed monk next."

Xu Fengnian thought of Miss Dongxi and the young monk Nanbei.