Chapter 401: A Blessing Character, Three Interpretations of Xu Fengnian

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In a secluded courtyard, the sword-attendant Cuihua, who liked to keep her eyes closed when not pickling sauerkraut, stood under the eaves, "admiring" the snow. The blue-robed swordsman Wu Liuding squatted on the steps, waiting for that scoundrel to return from his sword fight. Amidst the swirling snow, the wandering swordsman, who had used Wu Liuding's money to buy a clean set of clothes, pushed open the door. He was a lazy, carefree type, and upon entering, he brushed the accumulated snow from his shoulders. Wu Liuding, ever so tactless, asked, "Wen Busheng, did you lose again?"

Wen Hua, who now had a treasured sword (the "Baxiu") hanging from his waist, glared and said, "How dare you speak like that, Six Jars! You're just a moocher living off women. If it weren't for Cuihua and her pickled cabbage, I'd carve you up."

The current Sword Master of the Wu family, who had no objection to this, smiled and said, "Oh, where did you pick up that sword? It looks quite impressive. Let me have a look."

Wen Hua said casually, "My sword is like my little wife. Do you just touch it freely?"

Cuihua's lips curled up. Wu Liuding, who was inherently cynical, clicked his tongue and said, "So you brought a new wife home this time. Aren't you afraid of getting bored with the old and liking the new, or that your old wife will get jealous?"

Wen Hua slapped his wooden sword. "Nonsense! I always like the new without disliking the old. No, wait, I like the old and don't care for the new. This new sword has a grand name, so grand it would probably scare you to death if I told you. Still, it's a good sword. But compared to this wooden sword that has been with me for over ten years, it's far inferior."

Wen Busheng ultimately lived up to expectations by *not* winning a single sword fight. However, this time, compared to his previous three defeats, he at least managed a draw. Afterwards, the Tangxi Sword Immortal even gifted him the ancient sword "Baxiu." That fellow didn't hesitate; he accepted it without a word and hung it at his waist. The capital had grown accustomed to his vulgar habit of rummaging in his crotch before a sword fight, and his behavior was even more disgraceful when he fought Qi Jiajie. He challenged Qi Jiajie, who had been the capital's top swordsman for years. After Wen Busheng delivered two strokes, just as Qi Jiajie was about to retaliate, Wen Busheng started yelling that he surrendered and wouldn't fight. Then, he didn't say a single polite word or even pass gas, simply running off without a trace. Not only were the martial artists watching dumbfounded, but even Qi Jiajie himself didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He had broken out in a cold sweat from the two masterful sword techniques and had painstakingly endured the exceptional sword force and intent. Then, he watched the young man simply run off without a word. The common folk watching burst into laughter and booed him mercilessly.

Wu Liuding glanced at Wen Hua's Baxiu sword and laughed, "Tens of thousands of wooden swords couldn't buy a single blade forged by the Tangxi Sword Forge. For it to fall into your hands... it truly found the wrong master. It's wasted on you."

Wen Hua was in a good mood today, so he didn't bother arguing with Six Jars. He scurried under the eaves to avoid the snow and shook his sleeves. Then he turned to look at the female sword-attendant, who was clearly not blind but pretended to be, and asked, "Cuihua, why haven't you served a bowl of pickled cabbage noodles to your Brother Wen, your Great Hero Wen? You're too impolite! Later, when I become famous, even if you beg me to eat your pickled cabbage noodles or pickled cabbage fish, it'll depend on my mood."

The woman, who usually kept her eyes closed but had learned six-tenths of Li Chungang's "Two Sleeves Green Snakes" divine intent just by opening her eyes during the Battle of Reed Marsh, twitched her lips and turned to go cook the noodles. Wen Hua squatted next to Wu Liuding and whispered, "Six Jars, I'm telling you this from my heart because I consider you a quasi-friend. Cuihua's looks are just average, far from comparable to Miss Li, whom I like. But Cuihua has a good temper, and you never get tired of pickled cabbage. Anyway, you're not going to amount to much in your life, so if you two get together, consider it a huge bargain for you."

Wu Liuding laughed, "So you, Wen Busheng, are allowed to achieve something, but I, Wu Liuding, am not?"

Wen Hua, who never shied away from hurtful words, said, "You won't do. You're far worse than Cuihua. My judgment of people and swords, Wen Hua's judgment, is incredibly accurate."

Wu Liuding chuckled angrily, "How about we have a match?"

Wen Hua bristled like a wildcat. "Oh, so Cuihua's backing you up, giving you courage, huh? Fine, let's fight. But let's be clear beforehand: if I easily beat you in one move, don't get angry and make me move out of the courtyard. You're also not allowed to bring up immediately repaying you for the clothes. And you'll have to let me live in your big room. I, Wen Hua, am now a great swordsman whose name echoes throughout the capital, so my food, clothing, housing, and travel must all keep up..."

Wu Liuding was so annoyed by Wen Hua's nagging that he completely lost his temper. His nascent desire to compete, which was just beginning to sprout, quickly vanished. He said helplessly, "Fight for what? No fighting. There's no benefit for me even if I beat you, Wen Busheng. If I lose, that would be truly shameful."

Wen Hua burst into laughter and slapped the Sword Master's shoulder. "Scared, aren't you? It's alright, no shame in that!"

Wu Liuding couldn't be bothered with this guy's nonsense. He remained silent and appreciated the continuous fall of the goose-feather snow in the courtyard.

Wen Hua suddenly remembered something. He took off his wooden sword, bent down, and meticulously carved a character into the accumulated snow. He turned and asked, "Six Jars, do you recognize this?"

On the snow was the character "福" (fú), meaning "fortune" or "blessing."

Wu Liuding rolled his eyes.

Wen Hua chuckled to himself, "Back when my brother and I were wandering the martial world together, after stealing sweet potatoes, roasting them, and having a good feast, we comfortably relieved ourselves in the wilderness. When we had nothing else to do, he picked up a branch and wrote this character. Do you know what he said about it?"

Wu Liuding smiled faintly, "There's a saying even about the character 'Fu'?"

Wen Hua said with a look of disdain, "The character 'Fu' is composed of 'clothing' (衣) and 'one mouth, one field' (一口田). Do you understand what that means? It means freedom from worry about food and clothing is a great blessing! The meaning behind it is profound, but you, Six Jars, naturally wouldn't understand. My brother, among other things, is quite sly. And his appearance... unfairly, he's even more handsome than I am. But he also has a lot of unusual knowledge. Give him a ragged Taoist robe, and he can pretend to be a god or ghost to trick people out of money. He can also gamble at chess in alleyways, or write family letters for people—his calligraphy is exceptionally beautiful. I'm not exaggerating, but every time we needed to relieve ourselves, that kid, who understood feng shui, would point out an auspicious spot before we even unbuckled our belts. Don't you think traveling the martial world with someone like him, even if we were a bit poor, was impressive?"

Wu Liuding watched as the falling snow threatened to cover the "Fu" character, but the wandering swordsman next to him waved his sword, as if severing the primordial energy connecting heaven and earth. He chuckled softly, "These past few days, besides listening to you brag about how amazing your swordplay is, all I've heard is talk about this young master named Xiaonian. My ears are calloused."

For once, Wen Hua spoke seriously. "Six Jars, remember two things: don't touch my wooden sword, and don't speak ill of my brother. When I speak highly of him, listen if you like, and cover your ears if you don't."

Wu Liuding smiled gently, "I'd love to hear it. Go on."

Cuihua brought a bowl of perfectly chewy pickled cabbage noodles. Wen Hua retrieved his wooden sword, took the bowl and chopsticks, finished the entire bowl in a few mouthfuls, returned it to the sword-attendant, and said with a cheeky grin, "Another bowl, another bowl! Cuihua, your cooking skill is wasted on sword training. You should open a small restaurant with Six Jars later. I'll support your business every day. Just think, by then I'll definitely be one of the most renowned sword masters in the world. With me promoting your place, your business is guaranteed to flourish. You two will be counting heaps of silver in bed every night!"

Wu Liuding rubbed his forehead, truly wanting to kick this scoundrel to death. He had just eaten her pickled cabbage noodles, yet he was still trying to persuade Cuihua to stop practicing swordsmanship, all to not overshadow his own glory. Cuihua, however, merely smiled faintly and turned to cook more noodles for Wen Hua.

Gazing at the "Fu" character slowly disappearing in the heavy snow, Wen Hua wiped his mouth and sighed with emotion. "I promised Old Huang, the man who taught me swordsmanship, that I would kill one person for him, and then I wouldn't associate with him anymore and would live a good life with Miss Li. She said she would marry me once I become the most renowned swordsman under heaven. I thought, since I've already fought Cuihua, Qi Jiajie, and Bai Changjiang, haven't I become the most famous sword master in the capital? It's not too difficult, actually. I'll just train for a few more years, leave the capital, find sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, or a hundred sword masters and renowned swordsmen, finish fighting all of them, and then I'll have the nerve to propose to her. Besides my brother Xiaonian, I don't really have any friends. So, if you're willing, come for the wedding banquet. If not, never mind, I don't care for your small wedding gift anyway."

Wu Liuding nodded calmly. "I once flipped a boat with a pole on the river, intercepting a young man. Later, in Xiangfan City, I almost clashed with him again. Coincidentally, he is also named Xu Fengnian, and he is the Crown Prince of Beiliang."

Wen Hua laughed heartily, "The Crown Prince of Beiliang? Then my Xiaonian can't compare. My brother is just a young master from an ordinary well-off family, traveling for studies, and he's doing just as poorly as I am."

Wu Liuding squinted and smiled, "What if he's the same person?"

Wen Hua waved his hand dismissively and said without hesitation, "Impossible!"

After a pause, the Wooden Sword Wandering Swordsman laughed, "So what if he is? Does that make him not my brother?"

Wen Hua's mood turned a bit gloomy. He reached down and fumbled, then sighed, "What if, what if he really is? Then I won't be able to show him my erotic paintings."

Outside the small courtyard, in the alley, the snow was deep, crunching with a creaking sound with every step.

An ordinarily decorated carriage stopped. A corner of the curtain was lifted, revealing an old man and a stunningly beautiful woman, renowned for both her voice and appearance.

The woman, who was listed on the Rouge Ranking (a beauty list), smiled faintly. "You want him to kill Xu Fengnian?"

The old man, none other than Old Huang, nodded with a calm expression.

The beautiful woman, who had a white jade sachet featuring a lion playing with an embroidered ball hanging from her waist, sighed softly after receiving the answer.

The old man's surname was Huang, given name Longshi, and he called himself Huang Sanjia.

He said expressionlessly, "After you meet Wen Hua, try to appear virtuous and gentle. You will cook dinner for him yourself. When he sees you off, casually 'let slip' that your enemy is in Beiliang. But don't say who it is specifically yet, so as not to mess things up and ruin my plan."

The "White Jade Lion," who was the top courtesan in the world, smiled charmingly. "And regarding the Crown Prince of Beiliang, what should I do?"

Huang Sanjia laughed, "I will arrange for you to meet him at the right time and place. By then, even if Xu Fengnian doesn't want your purity, you won't be able to keep it."

Li Baishi sobered her smile and said plainly, "My life was given by you, my mentor. What does a bit of purity matter?"

The old man sat cross-legged on the ground and said, "Wen Hua doesn't value righteousness; he only values affection. But 'affection' in this world is divided into romantic love and brotherly affection. I want to see if this boy is willing to sacrifice the sword that could lead him to become a Land Immortal, and sacrifice the woman he loves, all for a brotherhood forged in just one short year."

After she got out of the carriage, she adjusted the snow-white fox fur draped over her shoulders and murmured, "How pitiful."

The "Fu" character in the courtyard was gone.

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