Chapter 528: Northbound and Southbound

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He Xinliang

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He XinliangFenghuo Xizhuhou

As Jiang Fuding departed, so too did the peregrine falcons in the sky and the scouts and spies on the ground. Huang Xiaokuai led the Pearl Cavalry eastward in pursuit, with Han Laomountain accompanying them to oversee the operation. Military orders were swiftly relayed to Ren Chunyun, the Northern Commander, and Zhu Boyu, the Wind Fur Commander. Xu Fengnian, in passing, entrusted Yue Zhang's remains and bones to several retainers to be sent to Fengxi City, the easternmost point of Beiliang Dao.

As he slowly ascended to the mountain peak, Ma Jinchai, the Frosty Wild Commander, passed by the Pearl Cavalry. He was rushing towards the peak with a few personal guards and retainers, arriving breathless. Seeing His Royal Highness, who had one saber at his waist and another in hand, about to enter his carriage, Ma Jinchai immediately dismounted and knelt, begging for forgiveness. Given Commander Ma's usual character, had His Royal Highness not slain one person and driven off another, but instead allowed that master and servant pair to run rampant in Beiliang, he would have been too lazy to step forward and face a scolding. He would have simply left the mess for his elders to handle. From his grandfather's generation to his father's, the Ma family had a history of military achievements and were esteemed veteran generals who had served the Xu family well. Ma Jinchai refused to believe the Prince would truly strip him of his command entirely. Even if His Royal Highness were so unfeeling, with Ma Jinchai's marital ties to Yan Wenluan, a Beiliang military leader, would he truly fear not being able to make a comeback?

However, Ma Jinchai knew that his Frosty Wild Cavalry's operation had started poorly. Initially, he had hoped to claim credit, but his attempt backfired, exposing his incompetence completely to the Prince and the two Lingzhou deputy generals. So, he thought coming to the mountain peak to endure a few curses from the Prince would allow him to vent the immediate anger, thus securing his position as commander. While Ma Jinchai, a scion of a general's family, was lax in military discipline, he at least understood some of the unspoken rules of officialdom.

Just as Xu Fengnian was lifting his leg to enter the carriage, he heard the Frosty Wild Commander behind him feigning distress with choked sobs. He turned and walked towards Ma Jinchai. Ma Jinchai, hearing the footsteps, quickly glanced up, noticing the Prince's calm expression. Having heard many rumors about the Prince, he couldn't quite ascertain his true nature. Fortunately, there was no direct display of anger, which somewhat put Ma Jinchai at ease. He thought, 'Our Ma family still holds some reputation after all; even the Prince must show some deference and can't vent his anger on me too harshly.'

Just as Ma Jinchai congratulated himself on escaping unscathed, Xu Fengnian stomped his foot squarely on Ma Jinchai's large, fleshy head. A significant portion of his head was driven directly into the mud, and he instantly fainted. The three retainers who had knelt with their commander were utterly terrified, staring blankly. They immediately lowered their gaze, fixed on the ground, their hearts in turmoil. Soon after, they heard His Royal Highness, whose actions were ruthless, declare coldly: "Take this useless man away. When he wakes, tell him that the entire Frosty Wild Cavalry, including you three—all six hundred men—are to be recorded and will never be employed in the Beiliang army again! If you wish to rejoin the military, you must offset it with your fathers' military achievements. If not, then spend your lives as respectable Lingzhou wastrels. Should you commit any offenses in the future, you will all be severely punished. Don't say I didn't warn you; Ma Jinchai, who is now a commoner, is your fate."

Wei Shaqing and Xin Yinma, who remained on the mountain peak, exchanged glances, both finding themselves unable to smile. Previously, all the high-ranking and minor generals in Lingzhou had been scoffing at the civil officials, including Governor Li Gongde. Now, the tables had turned, and it seemed the civil officials would have a chance to gloat over the military. Fortunately, the two commanders of Tongmen Pass had always remained aloof from Lingzhou's official circles, consistently regarded by Beiliang as vital confidants. Otherwise, they too would likely have been forced to 'drink a pot of strong liquor' this time.

Military officials within the same province were having a tough time, and Wei Shaqing and Xin Yinma, commanding elite troops, couldn't help but feel a sense of shared misfortune. After Xu Fengnian had knocked Ma Jinchai unconscious with a kick, he turned to Wei and Xin, cupping his hands and smiling. "Tongmen Pass will be in your capable hands to guard. In the future, with Beiliang's reforms, the titles of Commander Wei and Commander Xin might be slightly altered, but your ranks will remain unchanged. Furthermore, given Tongmen Pass's strategic importance, the salaries of your officers and soldiers will be relatively increased. Should you require superior warhorses or weaponry, you may address your requests directly to me, the Prince."

The two commanders immediately knelt in gratitude. Not lowering their ranks meant that Tongmen Pass would not be fundamentally affected. Moreover, the Prince's verbal promises were tangible benefits. In previous years, Lingzhou's military officials couldn't even dream of competing with Youzhou and Liangzhou on the border for warhorses and weapons; they would only get the scraps. Take Wei Shaqing and Xin Yinma, for example: when they occasionally gathered for drinks with colleagues returning from the border on leave, they still felt inferior, even to those of lower rank like captains.

Judging by the situation, His Royal Highness had recently promoted a new Prefect and Assistant Prefect for Lingzhou, clearly signaling to Beiliang Dao his strong displeasure with Lingzhou's civil officialdom. However, he seemed to place even greater importance on Lingzhou's military garrisons and passes. This naturally delighted military officials like Wei Shaqing and Xin Yinma, who harbored hopes of climbing further up the ranks.

Xu Fengnian deliberately left his words open-ended, allowing the two commanders to ponder the implications. He then got into the carriage, with Xu Yanbing still serving as the driver. For the pursuit of Jiang Fuding, having Han Laomountain, a master of the Finger Profound realm, as the 'stabilizing force' was sufficient. It wasn't as if a master of the caliber of Han Shengxuan, the 'Man-Cat,' was at large in Beiliang, so there was no need to deploy Xu Yanbing—who could frankly claim a chance against Hong Jingyan—to 'kill a chicken with an ox-slaughtering knife.'

He was to head north to the border and then rendezvous with Xu Xiao.

Pei Nanwei noticed an extra long saber with a white scabbard in Xu Fengnian's hand, and felt a touch of curiosity. Earlier, she hadn't been able to clearly observe the situation on the post road from outside. Through the rough conversation between the two Lingzhou deputy generals and two commanders beside her, she learned that he had killed the seemingly unstoppable First-Grade Vajra Realm master after descending the mountain. Pei Nanwei wasn't particularly surprised by this; after all, this young man had once confronted Old Jing'an King Zhao Heng's thousand cavalry with just two hundred riders, even daring to kill someone with a spear right before the battle line.

Pei Nanwei shifted her position, sitting in a corner, with the saber across her lap. Blood oozed from her seven orifices, indicating that the earlier killing had not been easy, and only now, when alone, did her fatigue become apparent. Pei Nanwei smiled, in fact, laughing at herself—'Am I not human too?'—but Xu Fengnian misinterpreted it as her mocking him, and cast a cold glance at her. Pei Nanwei, unfazed, asked, "Why didn't you go kick a man when he's down?"

Xu Fengnian drew the 'River-Crossing Rook' a mere two inches from its scabbard, and a 'radiant splendor' seemed to fill the carriage. Even Pei Nanwei couldn't help but steal several more glances. When Xu Fengnian fully unsheathed the River-Crossing Rook, Pei Nanwei felt a chill penetrate her skin, causing her instinctively to cross her arms against the cold.

Perhaps having noticed his own disheveled state reflected in the clear, mirror-like blade, Xu Fengnian used his sleeve to wipe the blood from his face. He then tapped a finger on the middle of the blade. Unexpectedly, the River-Crossing Rook's tip did not spring up like other heavy sabers; instead, ripples shimmered along its surface, subtly absorbing the vibrations from Xu Fengnian's tap. To an outsider, the River-Crossing Rook appeared like a supremely aloof and arrogant beautiful woman, utterly unmoved by any man's flattery. Xu Fengnian lifted the River-Crossing Rook almost to his eyes, only then noticing the intricate and obscure runic cloud patterns engraved on its blade, swirling like clouds unfurling and gathering, full of vitality.

Greatly enlightened, Xu Fengnian couldn't help but exclaim, "This saber is alive."

This time, Pei Nanwei was genuinely sarcastic, asking with a smile, "Is there anything else in this world that could still move Your Royal Highness?"

Xu Fengnian didn't turn his head, his gaze fixed on the captivating patterns shimmering on the blade. He stated calmly, "There are two things right here in the carriage."

The River-Crossing Rook was one; the other, of course, was Pei Nanwei.

Pei Nanwei sneered, "This humble woman is truly honored."

Xu Fengnian sheathed the saber and chuckled, "Still calling yourself 'humble woman'? You're a woman in her early thirties. If you had married and had children early in a rural village, you might already be a grandmother by now."

In the contentious world of martial arts, where men and women often clashed, this remark was as devastating as a sword immortal's strike. Pei Nanwei's chest indeed trembled with anger. She pressed one hand tightly against her heart and clenched her other hand into a fist on her thigh, trying desperately to calm herself.

She smiled sweetly, "Look at how much blood you've shed. If we weighed it, it must be several liang, right? Does it hurt?"

Leaning against the carriage, Xu Fengnian said nothing. He extended two fingers, pinching her thigh and twisting with considerable force. Pei Nanwei's brows knitted together, but she stoically uttered no sound. Xu Fengnian released his fingers, and Pei Nanwei exhaled heavily. Unexpectedly, Xu Fengnian repeated the trick, causing Pei Nanwei to gasp in a sharp breath. Her face, which had earned the Jing'an Princess a place on the 'Rouge Beauty List' for its dignified grace and gentle charm, now showed profound pain.

Xu Fengnian seemed to grow addicted, repeating the action multiple times. Eventually, Pei Nanwei, no longer protesting aloud, grew numb, her hatred for him intensified beyond measure. To this young man whom she wished to slice into a thousand pieces, she, Pei Nanwei, was indeed no different from that renowned white-scabbard saber snatched from someone else's hands—both were mere objects taken on a whim, 'played with' when he was bored, and sheathed and ignored, left to gather dust, when he was busy.

Xu Fengnian finally stopped deliberately inflicting this physical pain upon Pei Nanwei. Without needing to look, her slender thigh was surely covered in bruises. Xu Fengnian then placed his palm on her leg and gently stroked it. Pei Nanwei's pain melted away like snow in a spring breeze, yet this only deepened her humiliation at being treated as a 'plaything.' She bit her lip, drawing a trace of blood.

Xu Fengnian chuckled softly, "The first time hurts a lot, but after a while, it's nothing more than that. You ask if my seven orifices bleeding hurts; it's actually the same principle. I could tell you this, but you probably wouldn't listen, so I had to let you experience it yourself. How about it? Do you realize now that not feeling pain is already a form of happiness? So, you see, we are all ungrateful, speaking from a position of ease without knowing the blessings of not experiencing hardship. I once heard a joke about poor commoners wondering if the old emperor ate scallions with flatbreads for every meal, which they found amusing. The first time I traveled the martial world, when I gnawed on steamed buns and roasted sweet potatoes, I realized that just being able to fill my stomach was satisfying, even making me so happy that I didn't even think about delicacies. A person's happiness and suffering differ depending on their circumstances, but their depth is generally comparable. So, no one should look down on anyone else, and no one should ridicule anyone else. Everything can be strived for, except where one is born; that is something you can never achieve, no matter how hard you try in this life. When faced with injustice, accepting one's fate is a skill; fighting against it with all your might is even more remarkable. However, those who refuse to accept fate but are willing to fight desperately aren't necessarily good, because they often have no bottom line and enjoy harming others. Yuan Tingshan, who rose rapidly in Jizhou, is an example. I have seen all sorts of people in the lower echelons of the martial world, and also met various high-ranking and influential figures on Qingliang Mountain. I have always disliked associating with those who have no bottom line."

Pei Nanwei scoffed, "If you weren't the hereditary Prince of Beiliang, who would bother with pleasantries with you? Let alone flattering you! You were simply born into a good family, which is the only reason you have the right to preach these philosophies."

For once, Xu Fengnian didn't retort, simply acknowledging her with a hum.

However, Pei Nanwei didn't feel victorious at all; instead, she felt somewhat flat. Zhao Xun, the Crown Prince of Jing'an, was undoubtedly another who was born into a good family, but what had that led to?

Xu Fengnian suddenly asked, "I'm going to the Youliang border, which adjoins Beimang. Would you like to see the desert scenery? I've been to Beimang before and personally witnessed the clouds descending, looking like a single line connecting heaven and earth—it's truly magnificent. Seeing such sights can broaden one's perspective. In the northernmost part of Youzhou, there's also Jiming Mountain, where the sand sings like a rooster's crow at dawn and dusk."

Pei Nanwei didn't answer directly, instead asking casually, "Are you going to the border for a military parade? What, has the Grand General already begun preparations for you to inherit his title as Prince of Beiliang? Is he afraid you won't command respect, so he's personally going to bolster your position among the Beiliang border troops?"

As soon as these words left her mouth, Pei Nanwei fell silent, struck by a sudden chill. It wasn't this young man beside her, whom she still felt confident enough to treat as an equal, that she feared. Rather, it was the old man—hunched and smiling, whom she had encountered several times in the Prince of Beiliang's manor—that she genuinely dreaded from the bottom of her heart.

That old man was indeed old, but Pei Nanwei could never imagine on what day or where he would eventually die.

If the old man finally died, would the eight fallen Spring and Autumn states truly rest in peace?

Xu Fengnian silently left the carriage, requested a Tongmen Pass warhorse, and rode off alone.

Without Xu Xiao, would Beiliang still be Beiliang?

At this moment, a simple carriage quietly entered the southern border of Beimang's Southern Dynasty, a land left scarred and desolate by the trampling of Beiliang's iron cavalry.

The driver was none other than the second most powerful person in the world, Tuoba Pusa.

Collapse replies: Whoa! 2014-12-10 0:43: Darn again! 2014-12-10 0:43: Keep dabbing! 2014-12-10 0:43: May I interject? 2014-12-10 0:45: Damn, who else? 2014-12-10 0:46: Interject! 2014-12-10 0:56: Oh. 2014-12-10 0:59

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