Chapter 351: A Box of Marvels

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The girl, who had just finished singing the "Zhi Fou Zhi Liao" rhyme, lay on the long bench. She turned her head and caught sight of the person entering the pavilion. After an initial moment of surprise, her small face lit up like sunshine after a gloomy rain, filled with immense joy. Xu Fengnian helped the woman in green put on her embroidered blue shoes. Then, he turned to the little girl and placed an index finger to his lips, making a "hush" gesture. The child immediately covered her mouth tightly with both hands, afraid of revealing a secret. Then, seemingly realizing her action was too abrupt, she sat up straight with a demure demeanor. However, upon noticing her bare feet and the pair of brocade shoes with peacock satin still lying on the ground, she blushed slightly.

Outside the pavilion, the bodyguards from Tibing Mountain seemed to be on high alert. One could roughly gauge a martial artist's skill level from a single move, and this scholar-like young man had effortlessly entered the pavilion. Firstly, the young girl inside was an honored guest of Tibing Mountain, the apple of the eye of Dong Pangzi, the mountain lord's son-in-law, who had left her on the mountain. When he went down the mountain, he had even threatened that if the little girl was hungry even for a bit, he would beat gongs and drums every night from his father-in-law Fifth He's courtyard to every single household. Secondly, the woman in green with the spear had come to challenge the mountain lord, and though she lost, she did so gloriously. The martial artists of Northern Mang deeply revered martial prowess and respected all truly formidable experts. Even if she was a young woman of unknown origin, she was not treated with hostility; everyone on Tibing Mountain considered her half a guest. Finally, there was the shock at the unknown man's strength. Combining these three factors, the guest-retainers from Tibing Mountain, who served as bodyguards, were filled with an unparalleled sense of dread. When he entered the pavilion, a guest-retainer with a second-rank cultivation had managed to touch a small part of his sleeve with two fingers. However, before this minor grandmaster could exert force to grip, he was repelled by a technique similar to the "sleeve flicking water shock" in the martial world, leaving his two fingers still sore and tingling.

The atmosphere inside and outside the pavilion was subtle. It was the little girl who broke the stalemate, calling out "Uncle" to each person in turn, then unequivocally asking them to go up the mountain first. This smooth, diplomatic approach, which outwardly caused no offense, was clearly learned from her Uncle Dong. Over time, Tibing Mountain had grown accustomed to the little girl's mature ways, and she was spoiled to no end by the son-in-law of Tibing Mountain, who commanded 60,000 "wolf cavalry." After some deliberation, the bodyguards assigned by Fifth He for her personal protection quietly departed. However, they did not go far, simply waiting out of sight of the pavilion, while one person went to report the news to the mountain lord. Xu Beizhi, no matter how hard he thought, could not have predicted such an effortlessly resolved outcome. He decided not to overthink it, as it would be self-inflicted trouble, and instead admired the magnificent scenery outside the pavilion. His grandfather used to say that the delicate customs and people of Jiangnan were far superior to anything in Northern Mang. The women there were truly "made of water," unlike the women of Northern Mang, who seemed to have sand mixed in and often became rough and coarse after thirty.

Xu Fengnian sat shoulder to shoulder with the woman in green. He reached out and removed the slender spear sheath, revealing the true form of the Instant Spear, and asked, "How did you end up in Northern Mang too? Did you beg Xu Xiao for this?"

She leaned one cheek against the slightly cool pillar and said softly, "I didn't want to lose to Hong Shu."

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "That's a pointless rivalry."

She remained silent.

Xu Fengnian glanced at her left arm. "Couldn't you pick on an easier target? Coming to Tibing Mountain to provoke Fifth He, aren't you just asking for trouble? I heard he even showed you a lot of respect and personally engaged you?"

She nodded.

Xu Fengnian smiled slightly, "Otherwise, I'll fight this round for you later. Your young master has endured many hardships, experienced continuous fortunate encounters, and mastered divine martial arts. Forget Fifth He, even Tuoba Pusa would dare to scold him a few times."

She, who couldn't be described as entirely obedient to the young master even before leaving Wutong Courtyard, shook her head and said softly, "No more fighting. I'll accompany the young master back to Beiliang."

In the courtyard, there were only two top-tier maids: she and Hong Shu, each with their own unique merits.

The little girl, who had been ignored in the corner, coughed a few times. She secretly put on her embroidered shoes and stared with wide eyes at the "heartless man" who showed no emotion about their long-awaited reunion. This left her, who had been full of joyful anticipation, feeling deeply disappointed. She could only kindly remind him that she was still standing there. Xu Fengnian could understand why Dong Zhuo had placed her on Tibing Mountain, but he hadn't expected to truly encounter her halfway. It was not surprising that she recognized him at a glance, as she possessed an innate talent for "observing qi and seeing through hearts." Fortunately, she hadn't given anything away; otherwise, if Tibing Mountain knew her true background, it would inevitably lead to a tiresome hunt and escape. The slightly taller girl held a small lacquered box in her hand, a novelty Xu Fengnian had bought for her at the Feihu City market. However, the spider stored inside had long since died. This outcome could not be changed by any amount of careful nurturing; the lacquered box itself was cheap, and the spider species used for "Qiqiao" (a traditional craft) was common. Now, only a sparse, broken web remained inside the box. When Dong Zhuo left the mountain, he had originally intended to secretly hide this unsightly novelty box, claiming a servant had lost it while cleaning the room. But he couldn't withstand his daughter's resentful gaze, so he had to shamelessly pull it out from his sleeve, saying "Uncle Dong searched through boxes and dug through the courtyard to finally find it." Xu Fengnian looked at the little girl, who had once shared hardships with him, and was filled with mixed emotions. The fact that the big and small of them could meet again felt like an eternity had passed.

The little girl, Tao Manwu, glanced at Xu Beizhi, who had a heavy satchel on his back, outside the pavilion. Remembering how this fellow had once blackmailed her with food to carry that large bag of money, she felt a bit indignant on behalf of that rough-looking uncle. She then sighed inwardly, thinking that this miser, who was so stingy he even coveted the porcelain pillow Aunt Xiyi had given her, never forgot to exploit others for labor wherever he went. And here she had been worrying all this time if he had enough silver to eat!

Xu Fengnian asked with a smile, "Did you keep up with the qi cultivation technique I taught you?"

Tao Manwu immediately performed all the exercises she had been taught—"tapping the golden beam," "beating the sky drum," "washing the face," and so on—without a single flaw. Xu Fengnian took the small wooden lacquered box from her hand and teased, "You still haven't thrown away this useless thing? Your Uncle Dong has mountains of gold and silver; it wouldn't be hard for you to ask him for a novelty bigger than yourself. I'll help you throw it away."

Xu Fengnian made to throw it out of the pavilion. Tao Manwu vigorously jumped up, clasping his arm tightly with both hands, comically dangling there.

Qingniao's eyes softened, and she affectionately stroked Tao Manwu's head. She wasn't sure why the little girl felt such an affinity for her; after Qingniao was severely injured, Tao Manwu had stuck by her side. During her recovery at the foot of Tibing Mountain, Qingniao had heard some rumors: that Tao Manwu's father, the city governor of Liuxia City on the Northern Mang border, had been inexplicably assassinated, rumored to be the work of two royal clan families, though the perpetrators' whereabouts remained unknown. Furthermore, the military general Tao Qianzhi, who came from a military background, was like a brother to Dong Zhuo, and the little girl's mother had unfortunately died while rushing to the funeral. Thus, Tao Manwu was naturally taken in by Dong Zhuo, the influential military magnate of the Southern Dynasty. Some time ago, a war between Liang and Mang broke out without warning. Qingniao heard that Dong Zhuo had led troops to relieve Ligumao Long, and Tao Manwu was left behind at Tibing Mountain, where she had distant relatives.

The young master ventured north alone. Tao Qianzhi, who enjoyed killing Beiliang soldiers daily, died on Qingming Festival. The young master coincidentally became acquainted with Tao Manwu.

Qingniao's eyes widened as she looked at the young master.

The little girl unintentionally glanced at the woman in green, whom she had only recently met.

Xu Fengnian, knowing her extraordinary talent, did not stop her.

Qingniao noticed that after the little girl let go and landed, her face was streaming with tears. Her gaze held a profound and complex contradiction, like a dense, seamless spiderweb within an expensive novelty box, a look that should not have appeared in the eyes of an innocent and kind little girl.

Tao Manwu merely cried, without making a sound. Finally, she furiously threw the small lacquered box at Xu Fengnian and ran out of the pavilion.

Qingniao looked blankly at the young master.

Xu Fengnian gave a wry smile, "She has the ability to see through people's hearts."

Qingniao, realizing she had inadvertently caused a great mistake, looked regretful. Just as she was about to speak, Xu Fengnian waved his hand, re-sheathed the Instant Spear into its cloth bag, and said calmly, "I never intended to deceive her for a lifetime. The sooner she knows the truth, the sooner she'll be at ease. Besides, it would have been difficult for me to say it myself. It's just as well that she found out on her own."

Although he didn't fully understand the situation, Xu Beizhi knew they were in deep trouble and was about to suggest fleeing for their lives. However, Xu Fengnian had already stood up, returned the Instant Spear to Qingniao, and chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Let's go, let's go. The three of us are just waiting to be hunted down by Tibing Mountain."

Xu Fengnian gripped Xu Beizhi's arm and, with Qingniao, who raised no objections, swiftly darted down the mountain.

Xu Beizhi felt as if he were soaring through clouds.

However, instead of fleeing directly south, the three secretly doubled back into the Rouran Mountains. Xu Beizhi couldn't help but inwardly marvel at their daring and skill. The self-reflective Xu Beizhi felt somewhat wavering while resting by a stream in the mountains. Among the many things scholars brought north, Chinese chess was one; it was even more popular than Go in Northern Mang. In the past, the King of Beiyuan, who held immense power in Northern Mang, was a truly terrible Go player but an absolute master of Chinese chess. Xu Beizhi had been influenced by his grandfather's constant practice over the years. Although he was also well-versed and proficient in Go (nineteen vertical and horizontal lines), his personal preference leaned towards Chinese chess, where the pieces have clear roles. He often played draws with his grandfather, Xu Huainan. He remembered the first time the old man brought out a Chinese chess board and told young Xu Beizhi that only when he could play a game where he could force a draw whenever he wished, would he truly be considered to have mastered the game. However, in Xu Beizhi's eyes, his grandfather, in political struggles, always rooted out his enemies, a method entirely opposite to playing chess. It wasn't until this journey to his presumed death that Xu Beizhi realized the immense cost of this "draw" between Liang and Mang—the Xu family's pieces were all dead, leaving only him. As a scholar, Xu Beizhi naturally saw himself as the "Advisor" piece, which cannot leave its nine-square palace. Because of this, he looked down on reckless martial artists from the jianghu. Why should an advisor, who assists the emperor and devises strategies, personally engage in combat? No matter how strong a jianghu master might be, there would always be another master to defeat them. It was rumored that Huang Longshi, the supposed creator of Chinese chess, perfectly embodied the role of the "Advisor" to its fullest extent. And Huang Sanjia, the "Poison Scholar" who, in his youth, claimed he would bring eternal peace to the world, essentially poisoned the entire Spring and Autumn period. Such individuals, whose calculations transcended mere human strategy and reached divine foresight, were the ones Xu Beizhi most admired.

However, all of this applied only when the situation on the chessboard was favorable, allowing Xu Beizhi to act freely. In a disadvantaged position, with the enemy having reached the monarch's side, Xu Beizhi questioned whether he could turn the tide.

Xu Beizhi suddenly began to understand why Cao Changqing, a great official who had achieved scholarly enlightenment, became a Celestial Phenomenon martial artist, and why he entered the imperial palace three times.

When one reached a dead end, with no chess pieces left to maneuver, ultimately, one still had to step out of the nine-square palace oneself.

The chess game Xu Beizhi intended to enter was that of Beiliang, a cornered and disadvantaged region, not the already dominant Northern Mang or Liyang.

This was probably also the key to his grandfather's teachings on how to achieve a draw.

To seek victory, first consider defeat.

Xu Beizhi couldn't help but look up at the young man sitting leisurely on a rock, enjoying the cool air. Could it be that this person had already considered the worst-case scenario: the complete annihilation of Beiliang, forcing him to kill enemies and seek revenge alone?

Was it possible?

Xu Beizhi didn't believe it.

Qingniao leapt down from a large tree, looking somewhat perplexed. "Young Master, Tibing Mountain shows no signs of activity."

Xu Fengnian frowned, picked up a pebble, and dropped it into the stream, lost in thought for a moment. He murmured to himself, "It seems this account can't be settled clearly."

Over at Tibing Mountain, the little girl ran off crying. The bodyguards, who hadn't dared to stray far from the pavilion, instinctively moved to rush down the mountain upon seeing this. However, she forced a smile and explained that her Qingyi sister had gone down the mountain with an acquaintance and she was simply reluctant to see her go. Everyone was skeptical but found it awkward to ask more questions. In any case, it would be a good thing if that woman didn't blindly throw herself into danger, as ultimately, it wouldn't sound good if the mountain lord, renowned in the Northern Mang martial world, was simply said to have defeated a young woman. After walking a short distance, Tao Manwu stopped the bodyguards from following her, turned, and ran back to the pavilion. Seeing the lacquered box, she bent down to pick it up, intending to hurl it down the mountain.

But she raised her hand, held it there for a long time, and still couldn't summon the courage to throw it away. Then, as if frustrated by her own weakness, she started crying again, ran outside the pavilion, squatted down, dug a hole with her small hands, and buried the box in the earth.

Wiping away her tears, she returned to the quiet little courtyard on the mountain, climbed into bed, hugged the porcelain pillow, curled up in a corner, and hid herself under the quilt.

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