Chapter 427: Cup Tornado

Xu Fengnian, having finished his yellow wine, walked out of the courtyard towards the Wohu Mountain pavilion. As he walked, heavy goose-feather snow dusted his clothes and shoulders. It seemed Zhang Dongling had put on a stern face and issued an order, ensuring no idlers approached to curry favor. A woman in purple leaned against a pillar of the pavilion, her legs stretched out, facing the lake, with a guqin resting on her lap. When Xu Fengnian entered the pavilion, she showed no change in expression. Xu Fengnian got straight to the point: "Han Diaosi will appear within three hundred li. How much effort do you intend to contribute? Let's be clear upfront; I'll act according to my capabilities."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng frowned, "That 'human-cat' is only at the Finger-Profound realm. Is he worth such a grand mobilization?"

After sitting down, Xu Fengnian calmly replied, "Firstly, Han Diaosi is widely recognized as the second-best Finger-Profound master after Deng Tai'a. His technique of wrapping red silk around his arm and snapping longevity with a flick of his finger is certainly far superior to mine. Secondly, I'm afraid he might unexpectedly reach the Heavenly Phenomenon realm, in which case it wouldn't be as simple as a Finger-Profound master killing a Heavenly Phenomenon master. If that happens, we'd truly be in deep trouble. With Prince Zhao Kai dead, Han Shengxuan, whose hopes of backing a dragon have vanished, now has little left to live for. He hates me to the bone; if he could kill me ten times, he definitely wouldn't stop at nine. Xu Ying is a Heavenly Phenomenon master, unsuitable for this fight. My current concern is that Han Shengxuan remains unscathed before Wang Xiaoping can draw his sword."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng placed her hands on the guqin strings. "Do you know about the last encirclement of Han Diaosi in the Western Regions?"

Xu Fengnian nodded. "White Fox Face didn't say a word; I only heard some fragmented details from Wu. The three of you, with sixteen hundred elite Northern Liang cavalry, encountered Han Diaosi a total of three times, and each time he escaped the encirclement. In one instance, he killed four hundred cavalrymen and directly withstood one of Wu's iron arrows. White Fox Face's life-risking strike still couldn't sever his arm, only cutting off a cluster of red silk. In the other two instances, Wu said your injuries were severe. One time, if you hadn't encountered several experienced old monks from the Western Regions' Esoteric Buddhism sect, absorbing their internal energy and leaving them shriveled, your heartstrings would have been completely snapped by that 'human-cat'."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng nodded. "During those three encirclements, 'White Fox Face,' as you call him, risked his life in battle. If it weren't for his disregard for his own safety, the Northern Liang light cavalry would have long been ambushed and slowly whittled away by Han Diaosi. How could Wu and I, as mere death warriors, withstand repeated targeting from that old eunuch? Ultimately, he was still conserving strength to assassinate you, the main target; he didn't consider me a serious threat. Otherwise, he could have easily exchanged lives with the three of us and the thousand-plus cavalry in the last encirclement. Before descending Huishan, I was incredibly arrogant, thinking I could easily secure a spot among the top ten martial artists in the world, even displacing Deng Mao. Only after facing Han Diaosi, who was merely ranked tenth, did I realize how ignorant I had been. After miraculously returning to Northern Liang alive, I told myself that, in this life, until I become a Land Immortal, I would never foolishly seek trouble with Han Diaosi."

Xu Fengnian said softly, "I understand."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng still didn't turn her head, asking softly, "Are you very disappointed?"

Xu Fengnian clasped his hands behind his head. "No."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng smiled and asked, "You went through all that trouble on the lake just now, fighting those qi practitioners tooth and nail. Were you worried that if you died, you'd be forgotten by the jianghu, just like Li Chungang?"

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "You still understand me best."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng glanced at the Liangdao at Xu Fengnian's waist and asked curiously, "How do you plan to deal with that 'human-cat' who, at his peak, could tear apart the Talisman General Red Armor with his bare hands?"

Either Xu Fengnian felt uncertain, or he wasn't being entirely forthright, for he vaguely replied, "I can only take it one step at a time."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng didn't press further. She watched Xu Fengnian gently sway his outstretched hand, as snowflakes drifted past. After a moment of idleness, he stood up and left. Xuanyuan Qingfeng leaned back against the pillar, her head gently knocking against it with a soft thud. After an unknown period, she looked down, hesitated, then bent over to tie up a fold in her skirt.

That evening, Youyan Manor assembled two large chests of famous swords, treasured by the estate for many years, and carefully transported them to Chixue Courtyard. For some reason, even after receiving "Dragon's Whisker," Wang Xiaoping still requested two more: a short sword named "Xiao Fei" (Little Bark) and a broadsword named "Ge Lutou" (Deer-Head Slayer). These were considered only superior good swords at Youyan Manor, still a considerable distance from truly famous blades. Xu Fengnian paid no mind to this. Before Hong Xixiang descended the mountain, the Sword Obsessive Wang Xiaoping was undoubtedly the foremost expert in Wudang swordsmanship. His skill in slaying enemies and vanquishing demons even surpassed that of his two senior brothers, Wang Chonglou and Yu Xingrui. The purity of his sword intent was unequivocally among the best in the world. With Wang Xiaoping taking three swords, Xu Fengnian could roughly deduce some clues: three swords in hand against Han Diaosi meant a matter of three strikes—success or martyrdom.

At dinner time, Xu Fengnian attended alone. Aside from Zhang Dongling, Zhang Chunlin, and the manor mistress, there were two close friends Zhang Dongling had known for half a lifetime. One was Cao Yu, who wielded a pair of dragon-tendon whips. After entering the Second-Rank Lesser Grandmaster realm at forty, his progress had stalled for a full decade. Not only did he show no signs of breaking into the First-Rank, but he even exhibited alarming signs of regressing, like a boat moving upstream. Over the years, he had traveled widely, seeking out masters and exchanging martial arts pointers, but without any benefit. The other was a renowned swordsman named Duan Mao. His "renowned" status, however, only meant he was rarely matched within a single province. He followed an unorthodox path, cultivating technique over intent, and was considered a disciple-of-a-disciple of Deng Tai'a. Such was the jianghu: countless ambitious youngsters would fix their gaze on how the leading figures achieved enlightenment, then single-mindedly imitate them. Duan Mao's proudest accomplishment was never reaching the Second-Rank, yet he managed to defeat two Lesser Grandmasters with his unorthodox sword techniques. Cao Yu and Duan Mao were, in the local jianghu, practically influential figures whose very sneeze could shake their respective prefectures. Countless jianghu youths painstakingly schemed to become their disciples. After all, most people would never encounter the flying divine immortals throughout their lives; being able to barely control a sword a few feet away was almost equivalent to being an invincible sword immortal. As for tales like the child of the Wu Family Sword Mound controlling a sword to shatter butterflies, such stories were merely heard, and no one took them seriously.

Cao Yu and Duan Mao were seasoned jianghu veterans. They knew to avoid taboo subjects and did not awkwardly press Xu Fengnian about his hidden identity. However, the fervent desire in their eyes was undeniable. One was eager to stabilize his realm, not aspiring to the legendary First-Rank, but merely hoping not to fall out of the Second. The other, a swordsman, had suddenly encountered Xu Fengnian, a formidable hidden immortal who could manipulate hundreds or thousands of swords at will. He eagerly hoped to receive a pearl of wisdom or two from the white-haired sword immortal, which might cause his swordsmanship to advance by leaps and bounds. Unfortunately, the Land Immortal, whose true age was unknown, never spoke words of wisdom. Thankfully, Cao Yu and Duan Mao's expectations were not high; just sharing a meal at the same table felt like a great honor. Later, when they left Youyan Manor and spoke to their peers and juniors, it would be an astonishing and fascinating tale. You may have heard of Li Chungang's "Sword Come!" at Guniu Ridge, but have you ever seen someone manipulate hundreds of swords to cleave a lake and slay an immortal?

After eating and drinking their fill, Duan Mao probed, "Senior Xu, were those dozen or so white-robed immortals on the lake truly qi practitioners from the Nanhai Guanyin Sect? Given your ability to fight more than ten at once, at the very least, you must be in the Finger-Profound realm, right?"

Xu Fengnian, who had unexpectedly acquired the title "Senior," inwardly found it amusing. He remained expressionless, seemingly savoring the memory of the peak battle on the lake. To Cao and Duan, this was naturally not arrogance, but the dignified restraint befitting a true master. After dinner, everyone moved to an elegant garden within Youyan Manor, filled with purple bamboo. The heavy snow weighed down the bamboo leaves, and occasionally, the snapping sound of breaking bamboo echoed through the air. On this snowy night, by a small red clay stove, the manor's most graceful maid warmed wine with her delicate hands. With the white-haired sword immortal presiding and sharing drinks, Cao and Duan, who had never experienced such a moment, felt somewhat intoxicated even before drinking. If this were to spread, how could it not become a celebrated tale in the martial arts world?

Duan Mao exclaimed, "Senior's feat of transforming snow into countless swords was truly a divine act that astounded heaven and earth! Duan Mao will engrave it in his heart for the rest of his life, his spirit yearning for such mastery."

Cao Yu was not to be outdone, clapping his hands in praise: "Although I, Cao, do not practice swordsmanship, having personally witnessed Senior's battle on the lake, I have no regrets in this life! My only regret is not having ventured into the jianghu with a sword back then!"

For a moment, Xu Fengnian felt as if he had returned to his days as a profligate young lord, surrounded by fawning sycophants, and he drifted into a daze.

Just then, a striking figure in intensely colored purple robes entered their view. Her purple attire harmonized perfectly with the purple bamboo grove illuminated by the lanterns. The gathered knot in her skirt made her figure appear even more graceful. She did not sit down, merely uttering a superfluous remark to Xu Fengnian: "I still won't intervene."

Xu Fengnian said, surprised, "I know that."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng silently turned and left.

Zhang Chunlin stared intently, his mind swaying, no less captivated than when he witnessed the battle on the lake. *Could there be such a captivating and alluring woman in the world?*

Xu Fengnian leaned slightly, resting his elbow on the edge of the couch, a corner of his mouth curving upward. *This woman actually feels uneasy about her conscience?*

Zhang Chunlin cautiously asked, "Benefactor, who is this young lady?"

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "Just a chance encounter."

Cao Yu and Duan Mao simultaneously swallowed, their expressions somewhat unnatural. They both recalled a rising figure in the jianghu: a woman who frequently wore purple and hailed from Huishan Daxueping. Outsiders only knew about the calamity at Guniu Ridge, where a mountain-sized purple lightning bolt descended, nearly wiping out all the top experts capable of leading the Xuanyuan family. They presumed that with the demise of the Xuanyuan men, the clan would decline. No one expected Xuanyuan Qingfeng to suddenly emerge. Rumors spread like wildfire, all claiming she was a demonic woman who enjoyed cooking and eating human hearts and and livers, and was adept at 'gathering yang to supplement yin,' making her utterly malicious. Such a ruthless woman, harming the martial arts world, was someone everyone wished to eliminate. The crucial point was her intricate connection to the Northern Liang Young Lord, which deterred even righteous individuals from the white path from easily making a move against her.

Xu Fengnian suddenly closed his eyes and vigorously rubbed his forehead with his finger. He lowered his head, feigning to raise his cup for a drink, but clenched his jaw tightly. The porcelain cup remained perfectly still, while the wine inside swirled like a tornado.