Chapter 414: Great Rivers and Mountains Viewed on Donkeyback

Chapter 415: Old Friends Come and Go

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"A Will to Dominate" on Zongheng, Author: Feng Huo Xi Zhu Hou

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Xu Fengnian walked alone towards the carriage, which had veered off the central imperial path. The coachman was, of course, Qingniao, dressed in green with green embroidered shoes. Xuanyuan Qingfeng, who carried the Imperial Seal, was dressed in purple, sitting sideways behind Qingniao with her feet dangling outside the carriage. Although she was puzzled by Xu Fengnian's early departure from court, Xuanyuan Qingfeng did not ask any questions. They both got into the carriage. After sitting down, Xu Fengnian smiled faintly, "Western Chu repaid me with a sword strike. We'll leave the capital a few days later, making Mr. Cao wait a bit longer, and also scare that Eunuch Han, who's waiting somewhere like a rabbit in a snare. That Confucian Saint won't retrieve the Yang Seal in the capital, so you should seize these next few days to absorb more fortune."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng frowned and said, "I've only absorbed about forty to fifty percent."

Xu Fengnian laughed, "One should be content. Getting fifty or sixty percent is enough; too much is as bad as too little. Fortune is unpredictable. If anything goes wrong, you'll be the one to suffer, not me. Come, take it out and let me have a look, so I can help you check it."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng hesitated, then let out a cold snort, but ultimately made no move. Xu Fengnian was bewildered and said helplessly, "Do you really think this Imperial Seal is your exclusive possession? Repaying what's borrowed is only right. In the past, you were rude and unreasonable with me, but I was lenient and didn't bother with you. These past few years, I've been holding back; Chen Zhibao is even more ruthless than me, having already quietly attained sainthood. During the Battle of Iron Gate Pass, Chen Zhibao was at his martial arts peak and still couldn't defeat Cao Qingyi. If you anger this Chess Attendant from Western Chu and delay his great cause of restoring the kingdom, you're bound to face serious consequences. Besides, when it comes to the fortune and omens associated with the Imperial Seal, you're miles behind your father—a complete layman, far inferior to me. I'm helping you to check for omissions and fill gaps, and you're still not satisfied?"

Xuanyuan Qingfeng hesitated repeatedly, staring intently at Xu Fengnian. Finally, she slowly extended two slender fingers, tilted her head, and gently pulled a red string from her neck that held the Imperial Seal. Judging by the sight of her chest, she had pulled the Imperial Seal from between her jade-like breasts. Xu Fengnian didn't know whether to laugh or cry, thinking, "No wonder she's so coy; she's simply not thick-skinned enough for matters like this." Xu Fengnian immediately put on a serious, stern expression to prevent her from becoming angry out of embarrassment. Calmly, he took the red string, which still retained a trace of her body heat, and lowered his head to gaze at the Western Chu Imperial Seal. Xuanyuan Qingfeng turned her head away, covering her chest, making it impossible to tell if her expression was one of anger or shyness.

The Imperial Seal, hanging from the string, appeared translucent and perfectly rounded, with yellow and purple energy rapidly flowing within it. Like rivers in summer floods or fledgling birds leaving their nest, the energy's inclination was still towards Xuanyuan Qingfeng. The fortune, externally manifested in the Imperial Seal, drifted and permeated into Xuanyuan Qingfeng's seven orifices and three Dantians. Xu Fengnian was caught between laughter and tears. He looked up at the woman who was still sulking at him and chided, "This isn't forty or fifty percent; you've clearly stolen sixty or seventy percent! I used to say you only knew how to squander family wealth, but I truly wronged you."

As Xu Fengnian said, Xuanyuan Qingfeng was indeed a genuine novice. After obtaining the Imperial Seal, she had only focused on absorbing the fortune it contained. Upon hearing the truth, she was also somewhat delighted and surprised, "Is it really sixty or seventy percent?"

Xu Fengnian nodded and said, "Try to unleash all of your qi."

In the blink of an eye, the carriage was filled with surging spiritual energy, and the two horses suddenly stopped in their tracks, as if rooted to the spot. Xu Fengnian's hair fluttered wildly. He made a sound of awe, narrowing his eyes as he remarked, "As a Daoist Qi cultivator would say, this is qi steaming the Yunmeng Marsh, waves shaking the Jade Emperor Tower, and rocking Mount Kunlun. It's not much different from the Grand Huangting of the old Wudang Sect leader."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng closed her eyes and spread her arms. In the area of Tai'an City near the palace, unseen qi converged rapidly with the carriage as its center. Her face showed a look of natural ecstasy.

The Imperial Seal in Xu Fengnian's hand swayed, with its amplitude growing larger and larger. He said in a deep voice, "Stop! That's enough!"

Xuanyuan Qingfeng quickly came back to her senses and reined in her qi. Seemingly realizing her behavior had been too docile, she glared fiercely at Xu Fengnian, who had given the order. Xu Fengnian didn't mind her inherent arrogance and stubbornness, nor did he intend to suppress or tame her. If all women were to have their edges smoothed away, becoming as slick and worldly as Lu Chengyan from Qingzhou, how dull and uninteresting would both the martial world and the gentry mansions be? He handed her back the red string and Imperial Seal. "Take advantage of these few days to absorb another ten or twenty percent. Don't be too greedy; it's not good to try to get fat in one bite, especially for women, being too fat isn't attractive."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng quietly stared at him, unappreciatively saying, "That's not funny at all."

Xu Fengnian put his hands in his sleeves and smiled. "It really is cold."

Indeed, Tai'an City had been exceptionally cold since winter began this year.

Xu Fengnian waited for Xuanyuan Qingfeng to turn around and tuck the Imperial Seal back into the hollow between her breasts. Then he suddenly asked, "Xuanyuan Qingfeng, have you ever noticed that you actually have a talent for strategy? While others rely on solid academic accumulation and bureaucratic experience, you rely on intuition?"

Xuanyuan Qingfeng said with a look of disdain, "Don't even think about me becoming your hawk or hound for Beiliang. My dealings with you are strictly business, one transaction at a time!"

Xu Fengnian shook his head. "Don't be nervous. I'm not desperate enough to eat anything. I'm just in a rare good mood, so I'm giving you a verbal commendation."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng hit the nail on the head, "Have you made things clear with Master Liu Haoshi regarding the White Robe Case in the capital? Set up the challenge? And this departure from the capital, have you completely settled accounts with the Zhao imperial family? From now on, everyone will rely on their own abilities, and the lines will be openly drawn?"

Xu Fengnian smiled and nodded.

Many matters at court, the elaborate schemes behind countless curtains, are carried out meticulously and with great precision. Yet, when they are brought to the surface and seen by court officials, they often appear rather ordinary, making it hard to discern their brilliance at a glance. Xu Fengnian came to the capital as a princely heir to attend the ceremony; ostensibly, he was allowed to enter the hall with his saber and without kneeling, which undoubtedly gave immense face to the Zhao Emperor. However, besides this sweet gesture, several major blows were dealt squarely against Beiliang: Jin Lanting was exceptionally promoted to Right Libationer of the Imperial Academy, the Neo-Confucian master Yao Baifeng was "enticed" to take up office in the capital, Chen Zhibao, Protector of Beiliang, was promoted to Minister of War, and Yan Jiexi, Governor of Lingzhou, became one of the most distinguished imperial relatives of the current dynasty. These four overt blows were all struck against Xu Fengnian in front of the entire court. How could Xu Fengnian not seize the opportunity to cause a stir? What appeared to be a tantrum was, in fact, Xu Fengnian's way of doing his utmost to stabilize the morale of Beiliang's Iron Cavalry.

The carriage slowly returned to the Xiamawei Post Station. The decrepit scholar Liu Wenbao, now indistinguishable from an old beggar, was still waiting patiently under the Dragon Claw Locust tree, hoping for an opportunity from the Beiliang heir to realize his ambitions. At that moment, he was squatting, gnawing on a cold, hard steamed bun. Although he had suffered greatly in terms of food, clothing, and shelter, his spirit seemed quite good. Most people in his position are like this: as long as there's even a glimmer of hope to look forward to, they can display astonishing resilience, which is related to their inner drive. Liu Wenbao was undoubtedly the type of person who spoke with great ambition and possessed even greater determination.

After Xu Fengnian got out of the carriage, he still didn't give Liu Wenbao a direct look, not even a sidelong glance. Ordinary scholars who prided themselves on their knowledge and strategy, believing themselves no less capable than others, would have long since sought out other enlightened patrons. However, Liu Wenbao's life had been full of hardships, yet his integrity remained. The arrogance born from years of diligent study of the sages' texts had almost entirely dissipated. Naturally, he possessed great perseverance, like "biting onto the green mountains and not letting go." More accurately, "biting onto the Xu family's locust tree beside him and not letting go" seemed more fitting.

Seeing Xu Fengnian about to walk straight into the post station, Liu Wenbao scurried over and said softly, "Young Master Xu, someone is looking for you. It's a young lady named Li. She didn't come into the post station but just chatted with me. She waited for a long time, but couldn't endure the hunger, so she's gone to buy food now."

Xu Fengnian was startled, then chuckled, "Did she say her family lives in a temple, and the temple is hers?"

Liu Wenbao nodded vigorously, smiling, "Yes, exactly! The young lady is quite interesting. I was just wondering, 'Are there really women living in temples?'"

This time, Xu Fengnian was genuinely in a good mood. He said to Liu Wenbao, "Go find a warm place in the post station. If Tong Ziliang asks, just tell him I told you to stay." Unexpectedly, the old scholar didn't appreciate the offer, shaking his head and saying, "I don't mind a day or two. Liu Wenbao can endure hardship; I've persevered all these years. The true reward will come when the bitterness turns to sweetness."

Xu Fengnian didn't bother being overly polite with the old scholar, who was in his fifties and had never established a family or career. Xuanyuan Qingfeng had already gone straight into the post station, so he let Qingniao go in first, leaving himself alone to greet Miss Li at the entrance.

Liu Wenbao cautiously and curiously asked, "Why did Young Master leave court so early?"

Xu Fengnian replied half-truthfully, "I nearly came to blows with Gu Jiantang and was sent back."

Liu Wenbao gasped, not daring to ask further.

In the distance, the young girl, who aspired to be a chivalrous martial artist, was hopping along, playing hopscotch towards the Xiamawei Post Station. It wasn't easy for her to find out that Xu Fengnian was staying at Xiamawei, and she felt she had overcome countless difficulties and traveled across mountains to get there. Such a bond, only found among martial artists, was truly beyond words! She had indeed brought a few silver notes on this trip, but she had instructed "Stupid Nanbei" to give gifts to everyone they met, without thinking about buying clothes or cosmetics for herself. She only had a few paltry silver shards and copper coins on her. Today, for the first time ever, she woke up exceptionally early and rushed to the outskirts of Xiamawei. She had forgotten to fill her stomach in the early morning and was shivering from the cold. Finally, unable to bear her rumbling stomach, she bought a basket of white steamed buns. Because of these eight or nine buns, her impression of Tai'an City was utterly terrible: it was too expensive! If she and Xu Fengnian had tried to roam the martial world in the capital back then, they would most likely have starved to death. Biting fiercely into an expensive steamed bun, of which she could buy several back home at the foot of the mountain, she hopped slowly towards the post station.

From afar, she saw a familiar figure, but the person was dressed all in white — white hair, white clothes, white shoes — looking like a snowman. She felt a bit uncertain, thinking, "Could that really be Xu Fengnian?" They say travelers feel a certain shyness when approaching their hometown, but Xiamawei wasn't her hometown. It was just because of him that she stopped hopping and slowly shuffled towards the old Dragon Claw Locust tree.

As she got closer and recognized the face she had longed for, the young girl froze on the spot, a mouthful of bun still in her mouth. She stared blankly at the familiar yet unfamiliar man, forgetting her chivalrous demeanor and ladylike etiquette. She turned and ran, dropping the steamed bun all over the ground.

Liu Wenbao looked utterly bewildered. Had this young girl been scared silly by the heir beside him?

Xu Fengnian couldn't help but laugh. He walked over, picked up the not-too-dirty buns, and held them in his arms.

The young girl ran a short distance, then ran back, her face tear-stained, "Xu Fengnian, are you going to die? My father is very capable, I'll go back and tell him! You wait for me, you must wait for me!" Then she turned again, intending to run away.

Xu Fengnian freed one hand, pressed it on her small head, and turned her around. "I'm not going to die. I just felt that when traveling, to attract attention, one must take an unconventional path, so I dyed my hair white."

The young girl was innocent and naive, but not foolish. She became angry, "You're lying to me!"

Xu Fengnian put a bun into her mouth, then bit into one himself, mumbling, "Where's your family's Nanbei monk?"

Miss Li took out the bun and sobbed, "Stupid Nanbei went to the palace to wait for an imperial audience and is going to argue with that Prime Minister of Qingci and Mr. Bailian again."

Xu Fengnian reached out and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Her small face was frozen and bright red in two spots, looking very amusing and cute. Xu Fengnian had no younger sister and had always treated her like his own. He smiled gently, "You cry so much as soon as we meet after all this time? Aren't you afraid Nanbei will laugh at you?"

Miss Li pouted unhappily, "He's so stupid, I don't even laugh at him."

Xu Fengnian took her cold small hand and walked towards Xiamawei.

One of life's great joys: meeting an old friend in a foreign land.

Xu Fengnian turned his head up and looked gently.

When some people arrive, they enter the martial world full of vigor. When they leave, they depart the martial world with a clear conscience.

Xu Fengnian turned his head back, looked down at the young girl, and said calmly, "It's a pity Wen Hua won't have the chance to roam the martial world with us anymore."

"Why? Is he still so useless at sword practice? Or is he still carrying a wooden sword?"

"He has achieved great things, but he doesn't practice swordsmanship anymore."

"Is he not in the capital? Where did he go?"

"I'm looking for him."

"Hmph, Wen Hua didn't even wait for me! That's disloyal! If I see him later, I'll scold him to death!"

"Alright, if I find that kid first, I'll scold him for both of us."

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