Chapter 456: Rising Fog

Snow Mountain Manor is situated on the southern bank of the 800-li Spring God Lake. Facing the lake, the vast river surface presents a majestic and imposing view. After a heavy snowfall, the magnificent spectacle of a snowy river and sky at dusk is truly splendid. The manor is built with unique craftsmanship, with a large portion extending over the lake. Dragon Palace is as renowned as Snow Mountain Manor in the martial arts world. Its residence is located further north, offering better views of the lake. That serene courtyard is elegantly simple and captivating, with pink walls and blue tiles, and painters were commissioned to create freehand murals on the interior and exterior walls of the dwelling. As Lin Hongyuan passed through the corridors and buildings, she even spotted a small, charming "Butterflies Loving Flowers" mural on the ceiling of a courtyard corridor, which gave her a pleasant surprise. The floor of the main hall is paved with translucent glazed tiles, through which one can faintly see lake fish, either solitary or in schools, swimming and flicking their tails. Even the well-traveled Xu Fengnian admired Snow Mountain Manor for getting its money's worth, despite spending lavishly. Many gentry families that rose to prominence after the Spring and Autumn period were not short on money, but they absolutely lacked this kind of heritage. Many of their buildings were patched together haphazardly, making it clear to any expert the difference between a newly rich gentry family and an established aristocratic clan.

Lin Hongyuan, who had been thoroughly humiliated, went to compose herself, changed into clean clothes, and then arrived gracefully. Xu Fengnian, who was squatting on the glazed floor counting fish, looked up and was momentarily stunned: it was a young woman with thick eyebrows and large eyes. She wasn't stunningly beautiful, but her rare features made her unforgettable. Xu Fengnian had no goodwill towards Dragon Palace; it was merely a household of maids kept by Nalan Youci, the "Foremost in Jiangzuo." This was also the root cause of why those two women dared to fight to the death on the eight-bearer palanquin. After "accidentally killing" the Crown Prince of Beiliang, they would surely go back and try to curry favor with their master. Among the vassal kings of Liyang, King Yanchu, Zhao Bing, was the only Zhao imperial clan member who earned Xu Xiao's approval. His cavalry and infantry were the closest in combat power to Beiliang's. Nanyang, a region long considered barbarian, now had the highest number of academies in the dynasty. Zhao Bing's reputation was far better than that of King Guangling, Zhao Yi. Even with the emperor far away, there were no rumors of him overstepping his bounds. The imperial court adopted Xun Ping's posthumous strategy, sparing no effort in reducing the power of the vassal states, yet placed very few restrictions on King Yanchu. Several major factions in the imperial court, including Zhang Gu, unanimously praised Nanyang's governance, which was likely due to Nalan Youci's adeptness at handling all kinds of situations. Huang Sanjia once commented on strategists across the land, saying that Nalan of Jiangzuo, in governing small states, truly understood the art of "cooking small fish." This statement was met with mixed reviews, implying that Nalan Youci was not capable of handling major responsibilities. However, apart from someone like Huang Longshi, no one dared to show disrespect towards this "Foremost in Jiangzuo."

Lin Hongyuan watched the white-haired man, who had glanced at her and then lowered his head again to lightly tap the glazed floor with his finger. If she could, she wouldn't hesitate for a moment. She would cut off his limbs, gouge out his eyes, deafen him, and then force-feed him a silencing drug, placing him in a large vat to suffer a fate worse than death for decades. The problem was, Lin Hongyuan had no chance of winning at all. She had inherited her mother's knack for cunning and malicious schemes from a young age, but one trait passed down from her useless father was the willingness to accept defeat.

Xu Fengnian suddenly said, "When you return to Dragon Palace, either Nalan Youci will subtly probe you, or King Yanchu himself will question you about every detail of our time together. If you want to live a more comfortable life in the future, you'd do well to be more cautious now."

Lin Hongyuan moved a chair to the edge of the glazed floor, raised her arm, pressed two fingers together, and slowly traced them across her eyebrow, smiling. "Young Master Xu is truly a good person, repaying evil with kindness," she said.

Xu Fengnian said plainly, "I know a few things about Xie Lingzhen of Caotang. As for Li Yibai of Dongyue Sword Pool and Li Huoli of Jizhou Yanbao, these two young talents, I haven't heard much about them. Could you tell me about them?"

Lin Hongyuan took off her boots, sat cross-legged on the chair, casually kneaded the soles of her feet with both hands, and after a moment of thought, said carefully and deliberately: "I know Li Yibai quite well. Back then, he wandered thousands of li with his sword, even visiting Dragon Palace. I once accompanied him on a trip to Nanyang, almost reaching the South Sea. His swordsmanship is exceptional, and his understanding of the sword dao is naturally insightful, given his origin from a sacred land of swordsmen. Each time he honed his sword techniques, he went straight to the core, grasping the essentials, gradually acquiring the genuine reclusive aura of an ancient sword immortal. If not for his truly ordinary appearance, I might have fallen for him. However, Li Yibai has a weakness: he cultivates the sword dao of transcendence, but practices sword techniques for worldly engagement. Because Dongyue Sword Pool, along with the Dongyue imperial family, is allied with the imperial court, there's an urgent need for someone to solidify the alliance between the Sword Pool and Liyang through marriage. This has created an intractable knot in Li Yibai's heart. When he returned from the deep mountains of Lingnan back then, Li Yibai stumbled upon a Great Qin Sword Manual. It's unknown how much he's practiced it over the years. Young Master Xu should also be well aware that martial artists of the jianghu, besides fearing the Three Religions monopolizing opportunities and often fighting in vexing situations, also fear swordmasters who stand on the shoulders of their predecessors, taking a further step forward to create an unconstrained 'sword.' Once encountered, one is bound to suffer a loss. Young Master Xu, even if you possess great divine abilities and several Lin Hongyuans are no match for you, that's just because Lin Hongyuan happens to be susceptible to a particular counter. Li Yibai is different. Be careful not to inadvertently become the whetstone for his stunning debut."

At this point, Lin Hongyuan paused deliberately, originally expecting the man to be arrogant and dismissive. Unexpectedly, he actually nodded, a slight curve at the corner of his mouth, as if to say he understood. Lin Hongyuan suppressed the gloom in her heart and continued: "As for Li Huoli, Jizhou Yanbao has never had any connection with Dragon Palace. I only know that back then, the entire Han family of Jizhou, renowned for their loyalty, was abandoned and eliminated by the imperial court after serving their purpose. Yanbao, as one of Jizhou's crucial border strongholds, was once a trusted direct lineage of the Han family, and its lord, Li Jinjiang, was suspected of betrayal. Hence, Yanbao's reputation in the jianghu has never been good. However, this Li Huoli, who gained considerable military achievements on the frontier, has no notorious deeds reported in the martial arts world. He enlisted at fourteen or fifteen and, having just come of age last year, already holds the influential position of a commandant commanding six thousand men—a rank beyond the reach of ten ordinary generals. It's likely Li Huoli possesses extraordinary abilities that cannot be simply explained by him being a young lord of Yanbao."

Lin Hongyuan seemed amused by herself, smiling as she said, "To praise Li Huoli's deep cunning and youthful fame in front of Young Master Xu, I truly find myself amusing."

Xu Fengnian shook his head. "Achieving fame and success on the frontier is not easy, even for the descendants of generals protected by patronage. Compared to the self-absorbed Li Yibai, I am more interested in Li Huoli."

Lin Hongyuan sighed inwardly. She disliked, even loathed, such an opponent. The more Xu Fengnian diverged from the image of the debauched young master rumored throughout society, the more apprehensive she became. Lin Hongyuan possessed an endless array of profound secret techniques and was skilled in conspiracy; she even dared to duel a First-Rank Vajra Realm master. The Four Ranks of the First Grade each had thresholds as high as the Dragon Gate. Progressing gradually, leaving aside those from the Three Religions, the Vajra Realm was already considered the pinnacle. The Zhi Xuan (Finger Profound) realm was mostly unattainable, but if a martial artist steadily ascended to the Tian Xiang (Heavenly Phenomenon) realm, they would dare to challenge even the saints of the Three Religions. In simpler terms, they would be willing to risk everything to bring down an emperor.

Xu Fengnian stood up and asked, "Snow Mountain Manor is scheduled to elect the Martial Arts Alliance Leader the day after tomorrow. In your estimation, how many people will come to join the festivities?"

Lin Hongyuan blurted out without hesitation: "At least four or five thousand people, but the manor itself can only accommodate just over two hundred. Fortunately, there are many private estates, inns, and taverns already lining the southern bank of Spring God Lake, which can likely accommodate over a thousand people. The remaining martial artists will have to stay in the towns and cities fifty li away for the next two days, where various types of people mingle. The truly influential ones are actually the two to three hundred guests staying in Snow Mountain Manor. Presumably, the manor feels both pain and pleasure. The pleasure comes from Snow Mountain Manor never having received such public attention before, welcoming guests from all directions, which greatly elevates its status in the jianghu. The pain, however, lies in these two to three hundred masters of various backgrounds, who are not easy to serve. Should any mishap occur, a joyous event could turn into a funeral. Who gets a better courtyard, who gets a worse one; whose courtyard has more charming maids; who was personally received by the manor lord—these people are all making calculations in their minds. For prominent groups like Dragon Palace, it's easier; they are treated with the respect they command. But for some middling gang leaders, who lack great power but are full of petty demands and schemes, it will truly test Snow Mountain Manor's ability to host guests."

Xu Fengnian glanced at Lin Hongyuan, who had answered so readily, and inwardly compared her to the Purple-Clad Woman of Huishan—truly a world of difference. He smiled warmly and said, "I didn't realize you also understood human relations and worldly affairs. Have you been managing Dragon Palace's affairs all these years?"

Lin Hongyuan said mockingly, "If I hadn't been held back by such delays, always having to flatter people, I would have been a true First-Rank master long ago."

The hall door was open. The bearded man, Zhao Weiping, stood at the entrance and still symbolically knocked on the door. Lin Hongyuan calmly said, "Speak."

The blade master, who had risked his life for Dragon Palace for many years, said in a deep voice, "Everyone outside is saying that a young Heavenly Master from Longhu Mountain has arrived—it's Zhao Ningshen, who previously intercepted the Crazy Monk of the Western Regions. Wu Shizhen, the only son of King Qingcheng, has also arrived at Snow Mountain Manor, accompanied by Qiu Mian."

Xu Fengnian was no stranger to Zhao Ningshen, who had once blocked Deng Taia's sword on the mountain. As for Wu Shizhen, there was no need to elaborate. Back when Xu Fengnian rode his horse into Qingyang Palace, he had dealt with this father and son, and Wu Shizhen had been thoroughly subdued. Wu Lingfu, though nominally a king of a different surname in Liyang, was a King Qingcheng who only knew how to use unorthodox bedroom arts to ingratiate himself with emperors and high officials, making him utterly insignificant compared to a vassal king like Xu Xiao. Furthermore, Auntie Fu Jia and the thousands of armored soldiers in Qingcheng Mountain were originally secret maneuvers orchestrated by his master, Li Yishan. It was Qiu Mian whom Xu Fengnian had not heard of. Lin Hongyuan waved Zhao Weiping away, then ran her slender hand over her white socks on the sole of her foot, and proactively said, "Qiu Mian is a renowned female knight-errant in the jianghu in recent years. Countless men have pledged allegiance to her, and she is said to be stunningly beautiful, capable of making fish sink and geese fall. The clothes and jewelry she wears quickly become popular throughout the north and south of the great river. Qiu Mian's fame is easily imaginable. However, as for this fairy's swordsmanship, she's not even fit to carry Young Master Xu's shoes."

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "Whether her swordsmanship is good enough to carry my shoes is one thing. Perhaps even if I were willing to prostrate myself at her feet and queue up with those jianghu talents to declare allegiance, Fairy Qiu might not even deign to give me a proper look."

Lin Hongyuan covered her mouth and giggled daintily.

Xu Fengnian teased, "You just kneaded the soles of your feet. Aren't you bothered by the dirt?"

After Lin Hongyuan laughed, her eyes curved into crescent moons. She extended a hand and asked, "Want a sniff?" Seeing Xu Fengnian's lack of reaction, she put her finger in her mouth and licked it, her eyes challenging. Xu Fengnian, still unfazed, chuckled, "You're comparing yourself in terms of grossness to someone who often talks to skulls filled with lime? That's too much self-humiliation."

Lin Hongyuan's eyes suddenly lit up. She straightened her slender waist, which could be spanned by one hand, and with her hands resting on her thighs, asked curiously: "I heard you've been familiar with Hong Xixiang, the head of Wudang, for many years, and even fought the Soldier Saint, who was said to be an unparalleled opponent with a plum wine spear? Tell me all about it. As long as you're willing, I'll agree to anything. As for giving myself to you, forget it; you'd probably feel like you got the short end of the stick. In my life, I've only admired these two extraordinary men. If I could share my life with one of them and let the other fade into obscurity in the jianghu, tsk-tsk, even if I were offered divinity, I wouldn't be content."

Xu Fengnian merely smiled and said nothing. He simply left the hall and went to the waterside corridor. Mist permeated the lake, growing denser, turning the world a hazy white. Xu Fengnian leaned on the railing. Lin Hongyuan hurriedly put on her shoes and followed him, still unwilling to give up. Outsiders seeing this scene would most likely mistake them for a tender and affectionate pair of jianghu companions.

Xu Fengnian said softly, "Do you think it would be interesting if I killed Xie Lingzhen, Li Yibai, and Li Huoli all at once?"

Lin Hongyuan's expression was complex. She quietly asked, "Can you kill them?"

Xu Fengnian smiled, "Only one way to find out."