Chapter 345: Book Scholar Flying Sword Heroic Journey

Over fifty camels trudged in a line across the Gobi Desert. The caravan members, most leading their camels, had their faces veiled with silk cloth. Only one slender figure rode a young adult camel. The camel was led by an elderly but still sturdy man, simply and neatly dressed, clearly the caravan leader. A large waterskin made of lambskin hung from his waist. The figure, perched on a delicate, soft silk saddle between the camel's two humps, constantly posed all sorts of whimsical questions that often caught the experienced old traveler off guard, leaving him unsure how to answer.

Along their journey, they had miraculously encountered two mirages, phenomena most people rarely see in a lifetime. Both desert mirages depicted rare scenes of isolated islands and fairylands, perhaps comparable only to the legendary Floating Mountain of the Daoist Sect. The rider asked about the authenticity and origin of the mirages, and the proud old man could only stammer. When pressed with no escape, he had to change the subject, recounting hearsay anecdotes about mischievous fox spirits.

The rider spoke softly, "Grandpa Hong, once we cross this Gobi Desert, will we reach the big city up north?"

The old man chuckled, "Miss, we still have a long way to go across this Gobi. Remember the last time at Mount Flame? It looked close, but we walked for more than half a day. The ancients said 'looking at a mountain can make a horse run to its death'—that's the meaning."

The figure on the camel's back was indeed a woman. She reached up to pull back a corner of the silk scarf that kept the sand out of her mouth, revealing a pair of clear, refreshing eyes. "Grandpa Hong," she asked curiously, "we don't have much water ourselves, so why did you give a waterskin to that traveling scholar? He offered silver, but you wouldn't take it."

The sturdy old man named Hong spoke softly, "When you're out and about, forming good connections, no matter how small, is always a good thing. Years ago, when I was in trouble in the desert, it was your grandfather who generously saved me. Otherwise, Hong Bai would be just bones under the sand today. Besides, while we don't have many waterskins, if we truly get into a tight spot, we can always kill a camel for water. At most, we'd lose one camel's worth of goods. Money, in the end, is just dead currency; it's not comparable to a living person."

The young woman nodded and smiled.

The old man praised her sincerely, "Miss, you've had a bodhisattva's heart since you were little. Good deeds are always rewarded. In the future, you'll certainly find a good family to marry into, one that matches your status."

The young woman, who had secretly joined the caravan on this journey, asked again, "Grandpa Hong, but when I read those scholar-and-beauty novels printed in Jiangnan, the noble young ladies always fall in love at first sight with impoverished scholars. I haven't seen any woman looking for a husband who matches her status. Why is that?"

The old man got a headache and, after a long pause, said, "Miss, look, most of those scholars also pass the imperial examinations, return home in glory, and then live happily ever after with the women. When you read this kind of story, you can't just see the 'absurdity' of the noble young ladies. Those girls' discernment isn't bad at all. Tens of thousands of scholars go to the capital for the exams, like carp leaping over the dragon gate. Only a few manage to leap over, and those are precisely the ones these girls fall for. This means the young ladies in the books have even sharper eyes than us businesspeople who've been trading for half our lives, isn't that right? If a girl unfortunately misjudged, getting into the wrong sedan chair and marrying the wrong man, the author wouldn't bother writing about it."

The young woman suddenly understood, and with a slightly embarrassed smile, said, "In the past, when I secretly read them from my brothers, I only paid attention to the romantic scenes under the moon and flowers, blushing and then forgetting about it. I truly hadn't understood this principle until Grandpa Hong explained it so clearly."

The old man laughed heartily, "If scholars and beauties don't have a happy reunion, what kind of scholars and beauties would they be? Miss, when you marry, you must live well. If anyone dares to bully you, Grandpa Hong will even risk being driven out by the old master to deal with him."

She shook her head and said, "I don't want to get married. My parents and brothers are so good to me; that's enough. If my future husband has three wives and four concubines and spends his days carousing, I'd cry myself to death."

Besides the official Tea Horse Road, there were also several unofficial silk routes between Liang and Mang, operating under various trade pretexts. These routes were primarily used by border merchants to purchase silk from regions like Jiangnan Road and Old Xishu in the Liyang Dynasty, selling it to the nobles of the Beimang royal court. The empress, though strict in governance, showed some leniency, turning a blind eye and not abolishing these routes. As long as one had connections, it was a highly profitable business. However, despite the immense profits, the thousands of miles of travel meant the earnings were hard-earned. Many early silk road merchants perished along the way. It was only in recent years, with the stability between the Liyang and Beimang states and the cessation of wars, that the Silk Road entered its golden age. Because silk was mostly transported by camels, Jiangnan Road has numerous place names like Camel Post and White Camel Bridge.

This camel caravan belonged to a minor branch of the Tantais, a prominent clan in the Southern Dynasty. The Tantais, being a great family, naturally possessed a grand demeanor, but this prestige was ultimately sustained by various profitable ventures. The main lineage always considered themselves a scholarly family, adhering to the principle of "a gentleman keeps his distance from the kitchen" and being scrupulously clean-handed, let alone dealing with money. Thus, all the arduous and "dirty" work fell to the less favored minor branches. The Tantais were a flourishing family, with the old master having numerous descendants, perhaps not even remembering half their names and faces. Hong Bai's branch was just a small offshoot; otherwise, the young lady would never have dared to sneak into the caravan. In aristocratic families, rules were strict; no one would allow their daughters to expose themselves publicly. This pampered young woman was named Tantai Changle, and she longed for Xishu, the ancestral land of the Tantai family. Coincidentally, the caravan owned a thousand acres of Shu mulberry trees in Old Xishu. When she entered Shu, the scenery was beautiful with lush green mulberries everywhere, and she almost didn't want to return home. After crossing the Liang-Mang border and heading north along the Silk Road, the journey became increasingly desolate and difficult. Fortunately, she was resilient and always found joy in hardship, significantly easing Hong Bai's burden.

This Miss Tantai, raised within crimson gates and lofty mansions, always had peculiar questions. Hong Bai, having traveled south to Old Shu and north to the royal court on this trip, had practically exhausted his knowledge trying to answer her. In less than half a fortnight, they would cross the Gobi Desert and reach the edge of the imperial territory. By then, when returning home, the young lady probably wouldn't bother asking 'why' anymore. At this moment, Hong Bai began telling her about the origins of the Silk Road and then about Beiliang. Sticking to his trade, he mentioned the official rank badges of the Liyang Dynasty's civil uniforms, and then the badges of imperial decree ladies. Speaking of this, the old man, who had endured many hardships, was deeply moved: "Our Southern Dynasty's official uniforms evolved from those in the Central Plains during the Spring and Autumn period. For example, the embroidered rank badge worn by a lady at a celebratory court assembly, if it's fourth-rank, exemplifies the saying that 'a woman's status is elevated by her husband.' Of course, many women also gain wealth and status through their children, especially the imperial concubines in the Spring and Autumn palace."

She tilted her head and asked, "But my father is a military general, so why does my mother's rank badge have a bird pattern?"

Hong Bai chuckled, "Miss, there's a reason for that. Feminine grace is valued, favoring literary accomplishments over martial prowess. However, there truly is one female official uniform in the world that may be unprecedented and never to be seen again."

She widened her eyes and asked, "Whose?"

Hong Bai, leading the camel across the scorching salt and alkali Gobi, smiled and said, "It's the Beiliang King's Consort's ceremonial robe. Its beast-patterned badge is said to be of the first rank, depicting a lion. It is rumored to be extraordinarily beautiful, truly flawless. Even when hung alongside the Beiliang King's python robe, it loses none of its splendor."

Tantai Changle, having lived a secluded life, merely admired poetic and picturesque women. She never inquired about dynastic changes and only knew that the Beiliang King's Consort had died young, not enjoying many years of happiness. Hong Bai, however, came from humble origins, having traveled extensively across the land. He had experienced several fortunate encounters that would make ordinary people envious, and in his prime, he had made a name for himself in the Central Plains martial arts world. As for why he was caught up in the northward exodus of scholars or why he was now dependent on a minor branch of the Tantai family, it was likely due to some bitter experiences he couldn't share lightheartedly. After reaching sixty, he rarely wielded weapons, instead picking up books he had detested in his youth, cultivating his character. When the old man mentioned the King's Consort, he spontaneously showed profound respect, softly saying, "This King's Consort was the only female Sword Immortal in three hundred years."

She naturally asked, "What is a Sword Immortal? Can they fly around on a sword?"

How could Hong Bai, who had not even reached the second rank, know the profound depths of the land immortal realm? His straightforward nature also prevented him from casually fabricating stories, so he could only sheepishly reply, "Probably so."

She turned her head, covering her mouth with a smile, kindly not exposing his lack of knowledge. Hong Bai, being a seasoned old fox, blushed.

Tantai Changle suppressed her faint smile and asked, "Do we have any potential Sword Immortals in our Southern Dynasty?"

Hong Bai shook his head and said, "I hear there are more in the Liyang Dynasty. In the path of the sword, one must admit that Central Plains swordsmen have always been more distinguished since ancient times. In my generation, there was Li Chungang, a martial arts paragon, and now there's Deng Tai'a, the Peach Blossom Sword God. I believe future sword masters will also certainly be from Liyang; it won't be Beimang's turn to be the leader of the sword path."

The young woman's face showed longing as she said, "A Sword Immortal! I truly wish to see one with my own eyes."

Hong Bai, not wanting to openly contradict her, only chuckled softly, "One sword stroke can cleave a river, or shake mountains and shatter cities. For us ordinary folks, it's probably better not to see such a sight."

Suddenly, an anomaly arose between heaven and earth. It was as if the unpredictable heavens had lost their temper, abruptly turning violent. Those who made a living from the land, like tenant farmers tilling fields or herders driving sheep, feared this most. Tantai Changle didn't grasp the gravity of the situation, but Hong Bai's face had already turned pale and despondent. The old merchants in the caravan, who had long traveled the Silk Road, looked equally distressed. Tantai Changle gazed into the distance; the horizon seemed filled with black smoke, obscuring the sky and sun. At midday, the sky gradually darkened as if it were twilight. Traveling across thousands of miles of sand, one feared two things: 'land dragons drawing water' (rare) and sandstorms (usually in spring). But now it was late summer turning to autumn, so why had such a catastrophic disaster inexplicably befallen them? The crucial point was that this sandstorm was especially fierce. Gazing at the terrifying spectacle of sand engulfing the distant horizon, Hong Bai had never anticipated encountering a sandstorm of this magnitude on this particular Gobi. Acting decisively, with no retreat possible on the Gobi, he ordered the caravan to begin slaughtering camels, skinning them, removing their internal organs, and clearing out the camel skeletons. This was so the Tantai merchants could crawl inside. Over fifty camels were gathered into a pile, then covered with camel hides to seal the gaps. Perhaps this way, they could escape the calamity. Normally, during smaller sandstorms, they could hide near kneeling camels, but today's massive sandstorm was far too great to take such risks. Fortunately, the camels raised by the Tantai family had large skeletons, allowing two people to fit inside one. As for whether this desperate, all-out measure would allow them to escape the sandstorm, that was up to fate.

Hearing that camels had to be killed to shelter from the wind, the young woman couldn't bear to part with the white camel she had grown fond of under her. Her eyes red with tears, she refused to draw her knife to slaughter and skin it. Hong Bai and the nimble caravan members, disregarding the precious cargo worth its weight in gold, quickly killed their companion camels, then busied themselves removing internal organs and stomachs. The sandstorm was already upon them; looking up, a wall of black sand as high as a city wall could be seen advancing from the northwest, churning up countless flying stones and sand, its roar like thunder. Turning back, the old man saw the young lady still gazing at the white camel. His eyes turned red with anxiety. Disregarding whether she would hold a grudge against him, he raised his knife to kill the camel for her shelter. As the old man had said, the caravan's cargo was valuable, but human lives were more so. The members of this trade group were all elites of the Tantai silk trade; anyone's death would be an irreplaceable loss to the family in a short time, not to mention that Tantai Changle was the old master's most beloved granddaughter, even the Grand Patriarch cherished her. If she perished in this sandstorm, Hong Bai would not have the face to return alive.

Hong Bai shouted loudly, "Miss, we can't delay any longer!"

Her face full of grievance, her eyes swollen and red from crying, she looked utterly pathetic. Hong Bai sighed internally, then raised his knife and walked towards the most beautiful small white camel in the caravan.

Tantai Changle turned her head. Although her heart ached, she wasn't so unreasonable as to interfere.

As she turned her head, her clear, sparkling eyes widened suddenly. She saw a scholar, wearing a black robe with a white lining and carrying a satchel, drifting gracefully towards them. She thought her eyes were playing tricks on her and blinked hard. In just a blink, he brushed past her, reaching Hong Bai, who was holding the knife, and pressed the old man's arm. Hong Bai looked up, bewildered. The scholar, who had once borrowed a waterskin from the caravan, shook his head, seemingly indicating to Hong Bai not to use the knife. While Hong Bai hesitated, the scholar—who should have been a young man of capping age on a study tour—unwisely continued to glide forward. Each glide covered five or six *zhang*, displaying an indescribable elegance and grace. Tantai Changle watched, dumbfounded. Wasn't he just a weak scholar? Back then, when she saw him pay for water, she had privately scoffed at his naiveté, venturing alone into the sandy desert without knowing its perils.

At that time, a private feminine thought had crossed her mind: she felt that a handsome scholar like him should be studying late into the night by lamplight in a dilapidated ancient temple or isolated shrine in the wilderness. Perhaps a fox spirit would even offer herself to him. Fortunately, her face was veiled with a silk scarf then, so no one saw the blush on her pretty cheeks.

The scholar glided forward alone, now only about three *li* from the black wall of sand.

A sword emerged from his satchel.

A red-robed figure materialized beside the scholar.

It was Xu Fengnian as the scholar. Besides the Spring Autumn sword hovering half a *li* away in the air, he also summoned twelve flying swords that rapidly spun around him and the red-robed yin entity.

A complete, perfectly circular sword formation spontaneously appeared.

The sword formation wove together like green silk threads. The twelve flying swords, forged for this purpose, naturally included half yin swords. However, several swords, like the 'Morning Dew' and 'Golden Thread', were yang swords. To make the formation rotate smoothly and effectively, they needed the assistance of the yin entity's 'elixir infant'.

The merchants only heard the scholar utter a single word, like a Daoist immortal speaking truth or a Buddhist Buddha chanting.

"Rise!"

Where the torrent of sand reached, it was blocked by the sword formation, surging past on both sides. Only the sand directly in front of the formation was forced upwards, forming a black rainbow suspended above their heads, drawing an arc, and then falling several *li* behind them.

The Tantai caravan was entirely enveloped by this phenomenon, and Hong Bai was utterly overwhelmed with shock.

He had truly witnessed a swordsman resist the might of nature with human power!

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the black rainbow and sand continued to move away behind them, and the sky and land where they stood returned to peace.

The scholar with the satchel was long gone.

The surviving merchants and the camel caravan looked at each other in stunned silence.

The young woman stared blankly ahead.

In Hong Bai's eyes, he vaguely remembered the martial arts world fifty years ago, where many women would similarly gaze entranced at a figure in green, wielding a sword.

With a sword unsheathed, there would be no more injustices under heaven.

Hong Bai murmured with emotion, "He truly resembles Li Chungang."