Chapter 362: Little Girl Knows No Shame

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《》Zongheng, Author: Fenghuo Xihou

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It was barely dawn. The carriage arrived at Daomaguan Pass, a fortress built into the mountains. Xu Fengnian and his entourage presented their travel documents. Perhaps due to the impending war between Liang and Mang, border inspections were much stricter than when Xu Fengnian first passed through with the Fish Dragon Gang. A guard used his spear to lift the carriage curtain, scrutinizing every face. When he saw Xu Fengnian, he was clearly taken aback, but the documents were genuine and flawless, leaving no room for complaint. However, the subsequent discovery of several weapons became a tricky obstacle for both sides. Their luggage had to be thoroughly inspected; a sword case, Spring and Autumn Sword, and Spring Thunder Blade were all unearthed, putting the Daomaguan armored soldiers on high alert. With a few unspoken glances, a cavalry troop galloped over. With tensions rising between Liang and Mang and smoke signals appearing everywhere, smart martial artists dared not cross the pass at such a time. Many border tea and horse trades had also ceased, waiting for the conflict to subside before making plans. Xu Fengnian's group looked neither like merchants nor noble descendants, and carrying so many swords and blades, how could the already wary Daomaguan city guards let their guard down?

In addition to a watchful cavalry squad, covert scouts rapidly relayed the military intelligence upwards. Soon after Xu Fengnian stepped out of the carriage, a second cavalry troop arrived with a rumble. Leading them was the handsome and valiant knight, Zhou Ziru, the top young master of Daomaguan Pass, who had almost captured the Fish Dragon Gang, including their women and goods. He had a good memory and frowned upon seeing this familiar face that had once been mixed among that small gang. Over the past six months, the Fish Dragon Gang had passed through Daomaguan several times without incident, and Zhou Ziru had suppressed his anger and refrained from acting impulsively. He still remembered how his father, the deputy commander, and his sworn enemy, Han Tao, the Imperial Guard Captain, had groveled before Inspector-General Huangfu Ping. Afterwards, Huangfu Ping had personally descended from the city walls and ridden alone to a village not far from Daomaguan. Zhou Ziru dared not delve into the details of what transpired, but he no longer dared to make trouble for the Fish Dragon Gang. Now, seeing this inexplicably white-haired young member of the Fish Dragon Gang, Zhou Ziru was in a dilemma. Letting him pass would violate Beiliang military law, but not letting him pass, should he accidentally offend someone powerful, might lead to both father and son being utterly at the mercy of the now-influential Inspector-General.

Xu Fengnian glanced at Zhou Ziru's entourage and equipment, realizing he was now a proper Vice-Commander, holding a bronze military token allowing him to command a hundred men — a significant step up. He smiled and said, "Vice-Commander Zhou, aside from our personal sabers and swords, the three swords in the sword case can, by regulation, be deposited here at Daomaguan. Once I obtain the official endorsement from the prefectural yamen, I'll send someone back to retrieve the sword case."

Zhou Ziru nodded with a stern expression, then stylishly raised his spear, slapped his horse, and rode off.

As Xu Fengnian sat in the carriage, Xu Beizhi quietly remarked, "The Beiliang Iron Cavalry indeed has reason to be the strongest in the world."

The carriage moved slowly. Xu Fengnian lifted the curtain and pointed outside, smiling, "On that dilapidated platform, foreign martial artists used to frequently hold sparring matches to earn some rewards and reputation, but you certainly won't see that now. Generally, martial artists who only know a few simple tricks don't show off in their hometowns, as locals know their roots and it's harder to swindle money. Those who dare to open martial arts schools or establish sects in their hometowns, unless the place is too small and people are unsophisticated, are usually quite skilled. The local martial arts sects in Beiliang have always had a tough time, living cautiously, mostly needing to rely on the government to get things done. When I traveled before, I was with a declining small gang from Lingzhou. Every family has its own difficulties, but it also gave me a rough idea: perhaps we could establish two sects similar to Qi Jian Le Fu, one within Beiliang and one outside? One overt, one covert. It would be interesting to have puppets under my command vie for titles like 'Martial Arts Alliance Leader'."

Xu Beizhi, however, pondered seriously before replying, "The imperial court has its national laws, and the martial arts world has its own rules; they don't necessarily align. Regardless of how much money you spend, without personally investing a great deal of effort and energy, can you truly make it work?"

Since Xu Beizhi was being serious, Xu Fengnian felt it improper to continue speaking carelessly. Following his topic, he said, "As the saying goes, 'Stone from other mountains can polish jade.' We can first adopt the methods of the Northern Mang Empress. As for whether they'll be suitable, we'll only know after trying. You also know that the King's Mansion has an armory that attracts many martial artists who, though not particularly skilled, are extremely devoted to martial arts. Previously, they were turned away. If I proactively open a path for them, the situation might be different. You might not know, but I have a bit of a connection with the Xuanyuan family of Huishan to the south. The newly appointed Xuanyuan family head is alarmingly ambitious; I estimate even the largest family fortune couldn't withstand her extravagance. I'll first try to gauge her intentions and see if she takes the bait."

Xu Beizhi glanced at Xu Fengnian and asked, "Is His Highness testing me with this matter?"

Xu Fengnian waved his hand with a smile. "Don't be so suspicious. Your overly pedantic nature and insufferable bookishness aren't suited for this kind of brokering business. I'll find someone else."

Xu Beizhi sneered, "Is that a provocation?"

Xu Fengnian shook his head and sighed. "It's a good thing you're volunteering to be a petty official; otherwise, I'd really be annoyed by you. I'm just lucky I met you now. A few years ago, if I had encountered a scholar like you—highly talented, full of knowledge, and even good-looking—I could have knocked out seventeen or eighteen of them in one go, of course, with my malicious servants and vicious dogs by my side."

Xu Beizhi's mind seemed to wander far away as he inexplicably remarked, "I have a feeling that the future King of Shu will advance further. Although Western Shu has historically been a conservative region, isolated in a corner, Zhao Kai himself remotely commands influence in the Western Regions. If he could truly kill two birds with one stone, severing the ties between Beiliang and Shu simultaneously, the Zhao family's move would be ruthless. If Zhao Kai, who has always been seen as illegitimate in court and country, can truly establish himself as the King of Shu, and with the Crown Prince's position remaining vacant, I believe this would truly not be a favorable situation for Beiliang."

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "Zhao Kai has traveled far to the Western Regions; whether he lives or dies, succeeds or fails, remains to be seen."

Xu Beizhi frowned. "You could leave Beiliang, but he couldn't leave the Western Regions?! If there's truly a concept of a Mandate of Heaven, then Zhao Kai, as a prince, would fit it much better than you."

Xu Fengnian nodded. "You have a point. Then I'll go intercept and kill Zhao Kai; I'll make him pay in kind."

Xu Beizhi asked in surprise, "Are you serious?"

Xu Fengnian calmly replied, "I will personally lead the men."

Xu Beizhi began calculating in his mind. Xu Fengnian had already noticed a detail: when Xu Beizhi was deep in thought, his fingers would subconsciously trace horizontal and vertical lines in the air. Xu Fengnian inexplicably thought of a somewhat ominous four-character idiom: 'Extreme intelligence leads to self-harm.' So, Xu Fengnian asked Qingniao to stop the carriage and buy a basket of meat buns to treat 'Little Orange' Xu. He had personally tasted the meat buns sold at the small shops in Daomaguan, which were excellent and affordable. As he waited for Qingniao to return, Xu Fengnian looked through the curtain and saw a group of children skipping towards a private school. Among them was Zhao Yousong. Xu Fengnian smiled knowingly, took out a shoddy secret manual, 'Wu Family Nine Swords,' which he had bought at an ancient site, from his satchel, and quietly called Qingniao, asking her to give it to the well-behaved, filial, and unfortunate child.

Yousong, who was quietly reciting poetry, was unexpectedly called out by a lady in green. This beautiful lady then handed him a book. Its cover bore the intimidating characters 'Bull God Skill.' Since it was a 'God Skill,' could it be anything less than a peerless secret manual? However, the child was more shocked than delighted. Besides, though young, the child was very clever and knew the dangers of the martial world. His mother always told him not to take advantage of others, so Yousong refused to reach out for the manual. Instead, some innocent children nearby began to clamor, almost clinging to the lady in green, begging her to take them as disciples, imagining they could become supreme masters in one day and invincible in three. Yousong refused to accept the manual, even when Qingniao, giving up, said it was a fake manual not worth much. He still wouldn't take it. Qingniao, lacking experience in hawking secret manuals, could only look to her young master for help. At her glance, Yousong became overjoyed: he had spotted Brother Xu!

He scurried to the side of the carriage, looked up at Brother Xu, the great hero whose face was largely obscured by the curtain, his smile radiant. Just as he was about to speak, he slapped his head, carefully pulled out a few well-hidden coins, bought two large meat buns from the bun shop, and returned to the carriage. Not minding the hot buns, he stood on his tiptoes and offered them to Xu Fengnian.

Xu Fengnian held the curtain with one hand and took the meat buns wrapped in lotus leaves with the other, smiling. "Is this the money your mother gave you for books? Aren't you afraid of getting scolded when you go back?"

The child vigorously shook his head, grinning. "How could that be? If my mother knew Brother Xu was back, she'd be even more generous than me! Our family isn't poor anymore; my mother is excellent at embroidery and earns a lot of money each month. And my mother also said that the government has a place called the 'Weaving Bureau' that wants to invite her to work there and earn money!"

Xu Fengnian understood perfectly that Huangfu Ping must have given subtle hints to certain individuals, handled with just the right touch—neither mistreating the mother and child nor disturbing their peaceful life. Xu Fengnian took a bite of the meat bun, pointed to Qingniao, and chuckled, "This lady is my friend. I don't know if that manual is real or fake, but I don't need it anyway, so it's yours."

If one were to actually practice from such a manual, even with a hundred copies, they wouldn't achieve anything significant in ten lifetimes. However, it wouldn't harm their body; these were merely the cheapest introductory formulas of various martial arts sects, outlining some common, muddled techniques, offering only a slight benefit for basic physical fitness.

"Alrighty!" The child happily took the manual, then solemnly bowed to Qingniao, formally saying, "Thank you, Immortal Sister, for gifting this book to Yousong." This even amused the usually reserved Qingniao, who offered a faint smile.

Having received a favor, the well-mannered child naturally thought of returning the gesture. With eyes full of anticipation, he asked, "Brother Xu, you're not in a hurry to leave, are you? How about having lunch at my house? My mother would definitely be happy; she always tells me that when I grow up, I must repay your kindness! Heh, but my mother calls you Young Master Xu, not Brother Xu."

Xu Fengnian shook his head. "It's no trouble, but you still have to go to your private school, and it's the busy farming season, so your mother will surely be working in the fields. Besides, I'm in a hurry to leave Daomaguan and won't be staying."

The child's face showed unconcealable disappointment, but he didn't foolishly insist.

Xu Fengnian waved his hand with a smile.

The carriage continued south along the road.

On this journey south, the rice fields of Daomaguan, once green and yellow at the southern foot of the Rouran Mountains, had already transformed into a golden expanse.

Amidst the vast golden expanse beside the post road, a young woman, simply dressed but unable to conceal her graceful figure, was bending over to cut rice. She hadn't initially been allocated much farmland in the village, but after her finances improved, she couldn't stand being idle. So, she bought a plot of land there. The land deed transfer was originally a very complicated procedure, and she thought it would be impossible to arrange through the village. To her surprise, the government officials were remarkably accommodating, as if afraid she wouldn't buy the land. This made her uneasy for a long time after receiving the deed, fearing there was a hidden trap she hadn't noticed. She had painstakingly saved some silver, and if it were to be swindled away again, she would slap herself several times and curse herself for being greedy and deserving of hardship. Fortunately, the autumn harvest was underway, and bundles of glistening golden rice stalks were piled high behind her, all becoming her family's food supply. The young woman felt a quiet joy she couldn't easily share.

She hailed from Mizhi, a place famed for its beauties, and she was the most outstanding among them for hundreds of miles around. Many women less attractive than her had become concubines for officials and generals, or were kept as 'canaries in a cage' in large private mansions. She felt no envy, only that staying here, by Yousong's side, was good enough.

She straightened her back and wiped away sweat.

She just wondered how Young Master Xu, their benefactor, was doing.

Her pretty face flushed, and she softly chided herself for being shameless.

Collapse RepliesI'll take this floor.Reply to Shift Worker Bored: *wipes*Reply to Shift Worker Bored: How did you do that?Reply to Sutra Devil: The user on the 3rd floor below is the real master.6 more replies,Page 1 of 1Replies: 1

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