Chapter 36: North Xienan Li

A young girl, who had likely lived in a temple since childhood, felt a great sense of relief after hearing Xu Fengnian's praise. As she started to smile, the makeup on her face began to flake off, much to her dismay. She quickly adopted a serious expression again, standing timidly by the swing. The young monk stood transfixed, likely not recognizing the "demoness" before him as the girl he most admired. Hong Shu, as a head maid of Wutongyuan, was an expert at applying makeup. Seeing the girl's ruined face and the young lord's apparent complicity, she desperately wanted to laugh but dared not. She discreetly moved further and further away. Although the girl's appearance, demeanor, and conduct were ordinary, she was still a guest invited by the young lord to the manor, and disrespect was out of the question. Xu Fengnian still needed to go to the Listening Tide Pavilion, so he asked Hong Shu to "gently" correct the girl's makeup. A few boxes of rouge were a small price to pay; she couldn't possibly go out looking like that. It was daytime now, but what about at night?

Before heading to the top of the pavilion to see his master Li Yishan, Xu Fengnian first went to the second floor and found Baihu'erlian. He was standing on a ladder, browsing secret manuals on the upper shelves. His Spring Thunder blade was strapped to his waist, a red string tied to its hilt. All the books Xu Fengnian brought from the martial arts library to Wudang had been selected by Baihu'erlian. Although both practiced with blades, Baihu'erlian significantly surpassed Xu Fengnian in both blade technique and mastery. Their difference in cultivation was evident at that moment: one stood at the bottom of the ladder, the other at the top. Baihu'erlian was extremely focused and thorough in everything he did, always striving for complete understanding. Xu Fengnian waited patiently for him to finish reading the manual.

Baihu'erlian descended the ladder and observed "Xu Caobao," whom he hadn't seen in a year, his gaze finally settling on the young lord's brow. Xu Fengnian's appearance was undeniably striking: classic phoenix eyes with prominent lower eyelids, and a rakish charm when he smirked. However, when he first met Baihu'erlian during his travels, he was at his lowest point. Yet, even then, occasionally washing the mud from his face in a stream, he surprised Baihu'erlian with his undeniable good looks. His temperament, however, didn't quite match, appearing carefree and undisciplined. Now, with his relentless blade practice, something seemed different. Without asking what had changed, Baihu'erlian simply drew his Spring Thunder blade, launching a powerful and imposing attack.

Xu Fengnian's Embroidered Winter, born from the same lineage, descended in response.

Baihu'erlian, whose attack was like an exploding spring thunder, saw it yield no results and let out a surprised "Eh?" He then asked, "Have you learned advanced sword arts at Wudang?"

Xu Fengnian, whose right hand was numb from gripping the blade, slowly returned Embroidered Winter to its sheath. He chuckled, "No, I didn't. The old Taoist just gave me a copy of *Greenwater Pavilion's Sixty-Year Sword Practice Record*. When I had nothing to do, I'd apply the sword moves to my blade techniques. Are you interested? It's a secret Wudang sword manual that can't be taken off the mountain, but I've memorized its contents. Shall I transcribe a copy for you?"

Baihu'erlian accepted without ceremony, nodding as he led the way to the second-floor outer corridor, with Xu Fengnian following. Baihu'erlian spoke softly, "The world of the Central Plains' old Nine Kingdoms was almost entirely ruled by powerful aristocratic clans. Noble families were abundant: the Wang of Langya, the Xie of Jiayang, the Yao of Wukang, the Cui of Boling, and the He of Lujiang—all immensely wealthy. If the Grand Pillar State had merely conquered cities, massacred hundreds of thousands of surrendered soldiers, or assassinated or hanged enemy emperors, some wouldn't have batted an eye. But Xu Xiao managed to do something akin to carrying Mount Tai across the North Sea: he destroyed nearly half of those ten aristocratic clans. The entire Yao clan of Wukang in Southern Tang, old and young alike, was wiped out. Of the He clan of Lujiang in Eastern Yue, only twenty or so orphans and widows remained. This is what the Liyang Dynasty truly wanted to see."

Xu Fengnian wondered why Baihu'erlian was talking about this. "I already know all this; Master has mentioned it before," he said.

Baihu'erlian smiled, "Don't worry, I come from the Nangong clan of Northern Mang, and I bear you no ill will. I bring this up because I want to talk about the Grand First-Grade Nine-Rank System, which has been maintained by these aristocratic clans for two hundred years."

Xu Fengnian nodded, "It seems that the martial arts experts of today are ranked according to this system, which certainly saves effort."

Baihu'erlian softly said, "Similar to how the title of 'Number One Under Heaven' remains vacant, the Grand First-Grade Nine-Rank System typically does not rank individuals as 'Upper First Grade'—what the world calls the 'Saint Grade.' Only true saints are deemed worthy."

Xu Fengnian laughed, "Right. But I heard that decades ago, a brilliant and exceptional scholar from the Xie family emerged. His martial arts achievements reached a saintly level. He and my master, Li Yishan, together critiqued the world. Li Yishan produced the 'General and Prime Minister Review' and 'Rouge Review,' while the Xie family's pillar compiled the 'Martial Review,' which carried significant weight among martial artists. As for the 'Literary Review,' he only completed half of it before he died? My second sister seems to have ambitions to continue it, but she also admits she's currently not capable and is still far from the Xie family's great talent."

The fame of "Xie of the North, Li of the South" had once captivated the entire world.

Baihu'erlian stated blandly, "That person was my father. Those listed in his Martial Review wanted to kill him, and those not listed wanted to kill him too. There was no reason for him to survive."

Xu Fengnian's face registered shock, and he gave a wry smile. "No wonder you want to be the Number One Under Heaven," he said.

Baihu'erlian glanced at Xu Fengnian and slowly said, "Your techniques are currently middle-to-lower tier, your blade force middle-to-upper tier, and your internal energy upper-to-lower tier. Catching up to me isn't impossible."

Xu Fengnian paused, "Really?"

Baihu'erlian's lips curved slightly. "If I stagnate after I turn forty, then you might have a chance."

Xu Fengnian leaned on the railing and softly said, "You're as honest as ever, just like Old Huang."

Baihu'erlian glanced at the untarnished Embroidered Winter blade. The last trace of subtle regret in his heart vanished. He softly said, "How many more years can you fool the world?"

Xu Fengnian sighed, "At least I need to fully take control of Beiliang's 300,000 Iron Cavalry before my deception is revealed. If I weren't a wasteful, dissolute young master, how could the Emperor in the capital sleep soundly? If he couldn't sleep soundly, how could he allow my Xu family to live comfortably? After all, he still rules this entire world. Xu Xiao accumulated this vast legacy, but he antagonized scholars across the land, made enemies in the martial world, and had few reliable allies in the imperial court. Over the years, Beiliang has been continuously fractured. Yan Chiji's father, who rushed to the capital upon receiving an imperial decree, was not the first, and certainly won't be the last. Li Yishan told me that if I'm too clever, I won't live long, or at least not happily. The best outcome would be to become a hostage in the capital. But if I'm too foolish, and overdo the act, the Beiliang Iron Cavalry would disperse even before Xu Xiao's death. To put it simply, even the eight hundred elite cavalry of my Phoenix Battalion only know Chen Zhibao; they don't care about the young lord."

Baihu'erlian chuckled, "Every family has its own troubles; it seems to be especially true for royal and aristocratic families."

Xu Fengnian subconsciously rubbed the hilt of the Embroidered Winter blade with his thumb. "It's fine. I still have two years to wander around. Maybe I'll even venture into the martial world soon. Once I've had enough fun, I'll take back everything that rightfully belongs to me."

Baihu'erlian frowned.

Xu Fengnian keenly noticed this detail and asked, "What's wrong?"

Baihu'erlian, his face cold, returned inside the pavilion.

Xu Fengnian watched Baihu'erlian's graceful retreating figure, then looked down at Embroidered Winter. He seemed to understand slightly: was Baihu'erlian annoyed that he was too intimate with Embroidered Winter? The young lord laughed wryly to himself, "Embroidered Winter is a killing blade, not some item from a lady's boudoir. Am I not allowed to touch it often? Besides, it was given to me. It's perfectly reasonable for me to sleep with it or even take it to the latrine!"

A cold snort came from inside the pavilion, followed by the sound of a bookshelf collapsing, apparently split by Spring Thunder.

Xu Fengnian hurried upstairs and saw Li Yishan, who was growing increasingly thin and whose face was as pale as snow. The sight filled Xu Fengnian with dread.

The national scholar, a master recluse within the Beiliang King's Manor, chuckled faintly, "If I had known, I wouldn't have let Wei Beishan leave Beiliang. He would have been perfect for you to practice your blade with."

Xu Fengnian asked, "I heard Old Gui defeated Wei Beishan?"

Li Yishan coughed a few times, picked up a green gourd wine pot, and took a sip of strong liquor. His breathing steadied, and he said, "Wei Beishan is merely a middle-grade martial artist. It's not surprising he suffered a crushing defeat against Chu Kuangnu, who is only a step away from the Upper First Grade."

Xu Fengnian asked curiously, "Are there truly only ten 'Upper First Grade' experts in the world?"

Li Yishan did not answer directly, merely scoffing slightly, "So-called 'Upper First Grade' in martial arts cannot compare to the 'Upper First Grade' of scholars back then. It's worthless."

Xu Fengnian hesitated, then whispered, "Nangong Puye said he was that Xie family genius, the one who was as renowned as you, Master..."

Li Yishan burst into laughter. "Does he need to say it? I knew the answer with just one glance. That child you call Baihu'erlian not only resembles Xie Guanying but also shares his spirit. If I couldn't recognize him, I'd be blind. I'm currently curious if this little one is male or female. According to prognostication, Xie Shuyang should indeed have a son, but Baihu'erlian truly doesn't look like a man."

Li Yishan quite approved of the nickname "Baihu'erlian" and used it casually, not finding it absurd.

Xu Fengnian agreed profoundly, "Exactly. I refused to believe it at first too. If he were a man, it would be such a waste."

Li Yishan nodded, then shook his head, clucking twice. A rare, almost lively smile appeared on his face, dispelling his usual lifelessness.

These master and disciple were truly a pair.

Xu Fengnian straightened his posture and said gravely, "Today, on my way back to the city, I met a monk who claimed to be from Nalanda Monastery. He said he wants to take me to the Western Regions."

Li Yishan took a sip of wine and said, "This Monk Longshou has quite a reputation in the Western Regions. He studied the *Vajrasana Sutra* under a Vajrayana Tantric master and translated over sixty Tantric scriptures, comprising one hundred and ten scrolls. His lineage from Nalanda Monastery is formidable; the generation before him produced a great accomplished master who achieved the immortal rainbow body."

Xu Fengnian said helplessly, "What does his power have to do with me? Is he just going to brandish his sect's name and demand I become a monk?"

Li Yishan chuckled, "Whether it has anything to do with you, you'll only find out if you go."

Xu Fengnian gave a wry smile, "Master, please don't mock me. That Tantric cultivation is comparable to the Wu Family Sword Tomb: four temple sessions daily, the earliest starting in the middle of the night. During sessions, you're forbidden to wear boots, regardless of hot or cold weather, only bare feet. You sleep less than four hours a day. Sometimes, when practicing in the Dharma garden, you have to sit on stone-paved seats, winter and summer alike. If you asked me to train with my blade there for a year or two, enduring such hardships, I would accept it. But asking me to spend all day reciting scriptures? You might as well kill me."

Li Yishan smiled faintly, "Do you know who this Longshou's master is?"

Xu Fengnian was bewildered.

Li Yishan laughed heartily, "This person is Nalanda Monastery's only female Tantric master. It's said she not only possesses boundless Buddhist Dharma but is also exceptionally beautiful and captivating, hailed as Guanyin on Earth. She only needs to complete dual cultivation to achieve enlightenment."

After his initial shock, Xu Fengnian grinned slyly. "In that case," he said, "it's best if it *does* have something to do with me."

Li Yishan's smile was peculiar.

Xu Fengnian cautiously asked, "What's wrong? Is this Guanyin Bodhisattva from Nalanda Monastery a merciless killer?"

Li Yishan shook his head. "She's compassionate," he said.

Xu Fengnian grew more curious.

Li Yishan burst into laughter, which turned into a cough. "This Bodhisattva," he said, "is forty-two years old this year. Exactly twice your age. What a coincidence."

Xu Fengnian instantly stood up, ready to grab his blade and go fight that dead monk from Nalanda Monastery to the death.

My QT room has been opened. The official QT room number for Fenghuo Xizhuhou is [1655].

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