Chapter 486: Heroes Must Eventually Fade

Search within this forum

Search by tags

1 page total

Replies: 1

He Xinliang

While checking for updates, don't forget to click "sign in" on the top right.

"Zongheng," Author: Fenghuo Xizhu Hou

PC Reading Address:

Address:

Chapter Serialization Main Post:

Before the main text is posted, do not interrupt the thread. Please wait patiently.

Xueba Forum Admin Log Link:

Those who interrupt the thread before the update is complete will be confined to the "little black room" for one day.

He Xinliang

Fenghuo Xizhu Hou

On the Yellow Dragon Battleship, there was no sign of gleaming armor. At the bow, besides a slightly stooped old man, there was only a magnificent man with naturally prominent brow bones, whose narrowed eyes always gave the impression of a dozing tiger. A middle-aged man holding a spear stood a short distance behind him. After Xu Fengnian lightly descended, he exchanged glances with the old man, then greeted Yuan Zuozong. He also didn't forget to nod in respect to the attendant in the distance named Liu Yanbing. As Wang Xiu's junior martial brother, Liu Yanbing had always lived in the shadow of the Spear Immortal, his reputation never fully recognized. He had never accomplished anything earth-shattering, leaving his cultivation level profound and unfathomable.

Xu Xiao, who traveled lightly out of Beiliang, led Xu Fengnian to the railing and smiled, "I remember the last time on this Spring God Lake, it was a death match with Wang Mingyang from Xiangfan City. This time, I took the opportunity to take a few glances. The lake is still the same lake, but compared to the scene back then with floating corpses and starving people everywhere, it's much livelier and more vibrant now. Having seen it firsthand along the way, I now realize that Zhao Heng and Zhao Xun, this father and son, are indeed meticulous in governing the affairs of their domain, both great and small. Just casually drinking tea or wine in the city, you can hear the common people praising the King of Jing'an. I've always believed that if an official in court is criticized and impeached by censors, they aren't necessarily corrupt. But if the common people in their jurisdiction speak well of them, then they are most likely truly good."

Mentioning the young prince he once kicked into Spring God Lake, Xu Fengnian sneered, "It's only thanks to a first-rate strategist by his side; otherwise, Zhao Xun would have been completely devoured by the Green Faction. The Green Faction, which relied on forming alliances to achieve things, was shattered by Zhang Julu in just a few moves, now completely unable to contend with the Zhang Faction or Gu Faction. But dealing with a Zhao Xun whose prestige is insufficient to suppress Qingzhou? That's child's play. The Liyang Dynasty is surnamed Zhao, but who cares if Xiangfan City and Qingzhou are surnamed Zhao or not? Someone helped him sort out connections and manage relationships, explaining the stakes to those old foxes, throwing out several baits including marrying a concubine, and then deliberately acting nonchalantly to help a son of a Green Faction bigwig secure a real power position in Tai'an City. Only afterward was the truth revealed through others' mouths. Without these tangible inducements and favors, Zhao Xun would merely have ended up like the King of Huainan."

Xu Xiao gripped the railing with both hands and smiled, "That must be Lu Xu, the blind man who gambled chess with you in Yongzi Alley. The 'Two Shu Fourteen Strategies' came from his hand. I've read it too; it's quite something, even I, a coarse man, could understand it. That woman Zhao Heng made continuous mistakes on major issues her entire life, but only this act of entrusting her son was beautifully done, as Yishan would say, without any forced effort, naturally coming to fruition. So, one shouldn't have it too easy in life; if things are too smooth, when they truly face a desperate situation where they can only rely on themselves, they'll still insist on saving face and be unwilling to fight like a cornered dog."

Xu Fengnian asked, "What made you think of leaving Beiliang? Yuan Erge and Lu Qiuer, these new recruits replacing old generals—in anyone's eyes, Beiliang seems unstable. Plus, riding on the momentum of the Beiliang Iron Cavalry breaking through the border last time, Dong Zhuo and Hong Jingyan in Beimang are no longer restrained as before. Aren't you afraid Beimang will retaliate and catch us off guard? What if someone within Beiliang..."

Xu Fengnian stopped there, and Xu Xiao waved his hand, laughing, "Inside and out cooperation? I'd rather those rotten sores and festering pus leak out on their own; keeping them hidden is what's truly disgusting. Some people, after all, have a lifetime of shared life-and-death bonds, and I can only turn a blind eye. Years ago, I promised them that as long as they didn't die on the battlefield, they would get their fill of women, money, and official positions. I owe a lot to the dead in this life, but among the living, I truly believe I owe very few. Take Zhong Hongwu, for example. The first time I met him, he was just a corporal. Back then, I jokingly asked him how big of an official he wanted to be. Zhong Hongwu said he'd be content as a cavalry commander, with seven or eight hundred sturdy brothers under his command, able to hack down anyone he didn't like—that would make his life worthwhile. And Yan Wenluan, what an interesting young man he was back then. He always used to tell me he wanted to be a horse dealer, so even if he died, he could die on horseback. If he became a peace official with no worries, he said he wouldn't enjoy riding horses in his old age, and would probably die on some woman's belly. Sometimes, looking at those old fellows who gradually got fat from high positions and generous salaries, I suddenly feel like I don't know any of them anymore. Back then, there were brothers who dared to curse me to my face, saying 'If I were a great general, I'd do better than you, Xu Xiao.' There were also old brothers who would go crazy in the middle of the night, carrying a jar of wine to my tent, demanding to play finger-guessing games and drink. And there were old brothers who would jokingly threaten me, saying if I didn't arrange a child marriage, we wouldn't be brothers anymore. At that time, Li Yishan and Zhao Changling were still alive, and a large group of people like Zhong Hongwu and Yan Wenluan hadn't aged yet. As for children like Chen Zhibao and Yuan Zuozong, there's even less to say. Back then, I loved fighting battles and was never afraid of casualties. I wasn't afraid myself, so who among you dared to be afraid? If you didn't have the guts, you'd better go back early and hug your wives on a warm kang. So, as long as there was a battle, I'd go crazy. If there wasn't a battle, I'd shamelessly beg those high officials for one. You want silver? I don't care for it; I'll give you as much as there is, all of it. Too little? Then put it on credit; once I win the battle, you can have people haul it away in carts, chest by chest! Want military merits? That's fine too. Just give me a little bit of the leftovers, don't shortchange the brothers who fought desperately. Your descendants just need to show up for a formality; they can be ten thousand miles away from the battlefield during the fight and still be fine. Afterward, they'll receive plenty of military merits for free. With this, who wouldn't want to do business with me? A huge profit with minimal investment; only a fool wouldn't. Then the imperial court began to know of a young barbarian named Xu, from a poor background in Liaodong. After he fortunately rose to prominence, he wasn't greedy for money or military honors; he just wanted to die on the battlefield. So, in the end, court officials who had good relations with me were very willing to provide men and weapons, hoping to use my military achievements to gain influence in the imperial court. As for my enemies who had poor relations with me, they were even more willing. 'You, Xu Xiao, are tired of living, aren't you? Then go chew on the hardest bones, fight the toughest, unwinnable battles.' And so, I fought my way south. Those high-ranking pillars of the imperial court, the aristocratic families who always looked down on me, finally deigned to cast a glance and became a little afraid. Unbeknownst to them, how did this barbarian Xu suddenly amass such a powerful army?"

Xu Xiao grinned, extending a palm. "Fifty thousand iron cavalry. I used fifty thousand iron cavalry to destroy Northern Han. The young emperor of Northern Han back then provoked your mother, saying a man named Xu didn't deserve her, Wu Su, and that she was blind, completely unfit to practice swordsmanship. I didn't argue with him. Instead, I led six hundred elite iron cavalry, charged directly through the main gate of the imperial city, and burst into the Golden Luan Hall. That fellow was sprawled on the dragon throne, scared senseless and having wet his pants."

Xu Fengnian smiled warmly, his eyes gentle. This anecdote was already deeply ingrained in his mind, something he had heard countless times until his ears were calloused. But unlike his usual impatience, now, as long as Xu Xiao was willing to speak, he was willing to listen.

Xu Xiao suddenly gave an awkward smile, clearly thirsty, and waved to Yuan Zuozong, who had deliberately stood far away. "Go get two pots of white liquor. No need to warm it; the more it burns, the better."

Yuan Zuozong quickly brought two pots of wine. Xu Xiao and Xu Fengnian each took one. After this pause, Xu Xiao stopped talking about his past, saying softly, "Han Shengxuan is dead, and Liu Haoshi is dead too. All that's left are Half-Tongue Yuan Benxi and Zhao Huangchao. Things I couldn't achieve, my son did, and that makes me even happier. My departure from Beiliang this time, besides giving Yan Wenluan and others one last chance, was mainly to retrace the path you once walked. On the way, I visited the Jin family's residence, not intending to cause them any trouble. However, I heard that Old Master Jin Lanting, Jin You Jijiu, was scared to death on the very day he learned I had passed by without entering."

Xu Fengnian said resignedly, "You couldn't even let them have a peaceful New Year."

Xu Xiao merely smiled, looking towards the northwest, and slowly said, "For the past two years, I've been thinking about one thing: if Beimang truly makes up its mind to disregard the overall situation and insists on moving south, then how much of our family's foundation will I leave in your hands? I've fought so many battles in my life, with wins and losses. More wins than losses, but when I lost, it was truly devastating, a complete rout. Twice, it was almost total annihilation, so terrible that no one thought I could rise again. After a defeat, seeing those young faces blackened by gunpowder smoke, still able to smile when they saw me, not feeling they had followed the wrong person, I felt a terrible frustration. At that moment, I swore that even if I was lucky enough to become a high official and had a son, I would make sure that boy personally experienced the battlefield in the future! Only then would I feel I had done right by those soldiers, and my heart would feel a little better. But when I truly had a son, like when the Zhao family wanted to recruit you to the capital to be a royal son-in-law, I actually did consider agreeing. At that time, I thought, if someone had to feel guilty, it should be me alone. When I went underground later, I'd apologize to my old brothers. Deep down, I was still selfishly thinking about protecting my son from that suffering. So I took some wine to the Tide-Listening Pavilion to drink with Yishan. You know, Yishan just threw the wine out of the house. It was only later, when he heard you had gone off to roam the jianghu, and I went to find him again for a solitary drink, that Yishan finally smiled. He drank until I couldn't stop him at all. So over the years, after many old generals took root in Beiliang, many heroes had worthless sons. These sons caused a lot of trouble, and their fathers had to clean up their messes. Some, who still had some decency, would come directly to Qingliang Mountain to beg for my leniency. Others thought I wouldn't see them, furtively doing even worse things, killing people to silence them and eradicating roots, using methods no less brutal than during the Spring and Autumn Wars. Some were even more direct, believing that since they had risked their lives with Xu Xiao to build today's military merits and family fortune, their children killing a few people or bullying a few women was no big deal. Murder and arson became justified. They never stopped to think why they were willing to put their lives on the line with someone named Xu back then, or why they killed officials so unhesitatingly."

Xu Xiao took a large swig of wine and asked with a smile, "I originally wanted Yishan to do some things, but Yishan said you absolutely wouldn't allow it. What are your thoughts?"

Xu Fengnian calmly replied, "You've been infamous your whole life. Aren't there enough curses already? The only good reputation you have left is among the old Beiliang generals and soldiers. You don't fear people calling you ungrateful and burning bridges after crossing, but I do. That imperial tactic of former emperors quickly removing meritorious old officials before new emperors ascended—don't use it on Beiliang. If I do it, you'll feel more at ease, and I'll have even less of a burden. Zhong Hongwu was just an example to warn others. In Beiliang from now on, favors are favors, and rules are rules. Anyone who tries to use favors to break rules with me, I'll make them pack up and leave. This time returning to Beiliang, after I first go to the western desert to win over those hundreds of thousands of battle-ready convicts, I will then travel throughout Beiliang's jurisdiction. I don't believe that having walked through Liyang's jianghu and Beimang, I can't establish my own Beiliang."

Xu Xiao nodded with satisfaction, simply drinking his wine.

Xu Xiao swallowed the last sip of strong liquor, shook the empty flask, and softly said, "When you get to Beiliang, don't rush to gather the convict forces Yishan helped establish. First, accompany me to see the Beiliang Iron Cavalry, alright?"

Xu Fengnian bit his lip and smiled, "What kind of father always asks his son if he's capable?"

Xu Xiao tossed his wine flask into the lake and also smiled, "What kind of father repeatedly sends his son into danger?"

Xu Xiao clasped his hands in his sleeves, looked up at the sky, and squinted. "Last time, I was probably too busy killing along the way to notice, but this time I realize how bone-chillingly cold it is in the south. I'm getting old."

Xu Fengnian silently took off his red fox fur hat, placed it on Xu Xiao's head, and gently pulled it down snugly, covering the old man's ears.

The old man moved his lips, then suddenly turned around.

It seemed he didn't want his son to see his tear-streaked face, his hero in decline.

Collapse Replies: Too long, oh, haha. (December 4, 2013, 23:11)Reply to Zidileler: Back row. (December 4, 2013, 23:11)Every click, every red ticket, every favorite, and every book review is a show of support for Fenghuo. Red tickets and favorites are the most direct affirmation for a book. We hope everyone will collect and vote. (December 4, 2013, 23:11)Every click, every red ticket, every favorite, and every book review is a show of support for Fenghuo. Red tickets and favorites are the most direct affirmation for a book. We hope everyone will collect and vote. (December 4, 2013, 23:11)(December 4, 2013, 23:11)Every click, every red ticket, every favorite, and every book review is a show of support for Fenghuo. Red tickets and favorites are the most direct affirmation for a book. We hope everyone will collect and vote. (December 4, 2013, 23:11)Reply to Zidileler: Holy cow, I knew you'd be like this, and I'm still satisfied. (December 4, 2013, 23:11)

16 more replies,1 page total

Replies: 1

Don't have a Baidu account yet? Top trending games among forum users:

Popularity: 628254Popularity: 418572Type: Simulation ManagementPopularity: 324438Popularity: 244992Popularity: 181762Popularity: 66136Popularity: 55448Popularity: 53188Type: Simulation ManagementPopularity: 45198Popularity: 32422