Chapter 565: Looking Back and Coming to One's Senses

Mount Hui and Mount Longhu stood opposite each other. If not for the slow sword stroke from Martial Emperor City drawing away some attention, these two mountains would have almost captivated the entire martial arts world for the past six months. First, the Purple-Clad Lady of Mount Hui dominated Chun Shen Lake, triumphing to become the only female Martial Arts Alliance Leader in centuries. However, the Great Snow Peak of Mount Hui's Guniujiang was subsequently demolished and rebuilt. Looking from afar at the mountain peak, one could see the magnificent framework of the structure, and discerning individuals could spot the hint of usurpation in its design. Then came the two Perfected Immortals, father and son, from Mount Longhu, who ascended together, shaking the world. Immediately after, it was rumored that Zhang Yide, the 82nd direct lineal descendant of the Zhang family's sage and the current Duke Yansheng, personally inscribed the plaque for Mount Hui's gatehouse. Some said it was only with the imperial court's tacit approval that the Duke Yansheng's esteemed presence could be secured. Unfortunately, Mount Hui was closed for half a year, preventing outsiders from closely observing the grand sight of that tall building.

After the Qingming Festival, Mount Hui finally reopened. Martial artists with reputations and renown streamed into the mountain, eager to catch a glimpse of the "face" of the world's tallest building. Mount Hui witnessed an unprecedented spectacle, with heroes gathering to promote and build momentum for the young woman. Visitors descending the mountain lavishly praised the unnamed tall building's imperial aura: eighteen stories high, soaring into the clouds, with its summit feeling like a descent into a sea of clouds during misty times. This tower majestically stood atop the gigantic rock of Guniujiang, adorned with golden glazed tiles, vermilion-lacquered grand pillars, and white marble railings, enough to overshadow the many halls and pavilions of the Wuying Hall in Tai'an City. Thus, fueled by hearsay and distorted rumors, two things, in particular, most captivated the martial arts world: beautiful women and supreme masters. The Purple-Clad Lady of Mount Hui, Xuanyuan Qingfeng, happened to embody both. The young talents below the mountain, as numerous as fish in a river, could, with a mere thought, conjure up an image of an unparalleled beauty in purple, possessing the Celestial Phenomenon realm, standing at the highest point in the human world, gazing down upon all beneath the heavens. Moreover, she was still single, implying they might have a chance to become her subjects.

Men from the martial arts world flocked to the mountain as if possessed, and some women of beauty and good family background were no exception. They wanted to see for themselves if the woman was truly as aloof and captivating as the legends claimed. However, many only learned after ascending that Mount Hui was divided into inner and outer mountains, demarcated by the archway below Great Snow Peak. As for seeing the Martial Arts Alliance Leader, that was even more of a fantasy. Nevertheless, Mount Hui, adjacent to the Taoist ancestral home of Mount Longhu, was itself a picturesque place, and with heroes from all directions gathered on the mountain, no one felt particularly disheartened.

On this stormy and dim evening, the mists hung heavily on Mount Hui, as a group of people ascended the stone steps. After the Xuanyuan clan of Mount Hui suffered the heavenly thunder catastrophe at Great Snow Peak, Xuanyuan Qingfeng single-handedly turned the tide and elevated Mount Hui's prestige to its peak. The Xuanyuan disciples had also grown more arrogant; there was no talk of welcoming or seeing off guests on the mountain, whether they were officials or martial artists. They adopted an attitude of "come if you wish, leave if you please." This group of five or six people wasn't too conspicuous among the throngs of tourists, protecting a handsome young master adorned in brocade and jade ahead of them. Two individuals of slightly higher status followed closely on his left and right: a taciturn scholar and a "refined" elderly man. From the details of their attire to their glances and demeanor, they exuded a subtle, refined nobility that came from long-held high positions. Three people, positioned at a distance behind them, wore swords at their waists, though covered by silk.

The leading young master stopped, looked back at the vast river surface at the foot of the mountain, lightly gasped for breath, and waved his hand. The old man, understanding instinctively, quickly retreated a few steps, and the other attendants tacitly formed a fan-shaped barrier. Only the scholar, around thirty years old, stepped forward a few paces but still dared not stand side-by-side with him. The young master smiled slightly, not explicitly motioning him closer. He reached out, gently clutching a bright red fish-dragon jade pendant hanging from his waist, and softly chuckled, "Last year was the triennial Imperial Review. Zhao Youling and Yin Maochun, one as principal and one as assistant, had such prominent reputations that no one paid attention to you, the Imperial Diarist who merely assisted. But this year is the six-yearly Grand Evaluation, which the whole world watches. Zhao Youling, as the head of the Ministry of Personnel, went to oversee the imperial examinations, creating vacancies in succession. You, the newly appointed Director of the Bureau of Merit Evaluation, will most likely be pushed forward by our Crown Prince's Prime Minister, Yin, to be the villain who takes the blame. Generally, the Imperial Review years are for everyone to chat and drink tea amicably, with few high-ranking officials being dismissed. But the Grand Evaluation, which includes all lower-ranking officials, even local prefects, is different. It wouldn't make sense if seven or eight prefects aren't dismissed. You should be aware of this."

The scholar respectfully replied, "When the cart reaches the mountain, there will surely be a road."

The handsome young master, who had casually mentioned Zhao Youling and Yin Maochun, glanced at the mountain path beneath his feet, nodded, and chuckled, "That's a clever double entendre and quite fitting. No wonder my Imperial Father always views you differently."

At the age of around thirty, except for those artistic prodigies who achieved early success, ordinary scholars, even with profound learning, were still eagerly hoping to successfully pass the provincial examinations to qualify for the palace examination. The scholar, who held the less common title of Director of the Bureau of Merit Evaluation, remained silent. The common people, however, all knew that prefects were high officials, and governors were even greater provincial leaders. As for the ministers of the Six Ministries, holding a rank of second grade, they were incredibly high officials. But what were a Director of the Bureau of Merit Evaluation and an Imperial Diarist? They had never heard of such positions. The young master, who was casually chatting with this person, naturally knew everything clearly. He rubbed his hands together, breathed out a puff of air, and gazed at the great river that flowed eastward into the sea year after year, lamenting, "Everyone who should know, knows you come from a humble family in Beiliang. Back then, to afford the journey to the capital for the imperial examinations, you earned your travel expenses by selling your poems and essays to the Crown Prince of Beiliang for three hundred taels of silver. Your palace examination results were unremarkable, yet for some inexplicable reason, you were placed in the Eastern Palace to lecture, and then, by some strange twist of fate, you became an Imperial Diarist, a close attendant to the Emperor. Unfortunately, my intelligent and inwardly refined wife has always disliked you, even warning me that getting close to you is playing with fire. In truth, you and I both know that you are certainly not a spy meticulously planted by Beiliang in the imperial court. But I am very curious and have always wanted to ask you: what do you think of that young man, the hereditary King of Beiliang? Scholars from Beiliang, whether old or young, all relentlessly curse Xu Fengnian's absurdities as if they bear an irreconcilable grudge against him. I'm truly tired of hearing it. You are different; your lips have been sealed all these years; you haven't said a thing. Why don't you speak some honest words to me today?"

The scholar smiled calmly and said, "That former Crown Prince, actually, wasn't unpleasant to be around. Back then, I was just a poor, struggling scholar with an empty purse. Sixty-seven poems and essays, totaling one thousand two hundred twenty-six characters. I boldly quoted sixty taels. He immediately flared up, saying that was insulting him. After a cursory glance at that pile of 'waste paper' poetry, he extended a palm towards me and said it was worth this much, then simply handed me five hundred taels of silver, not the three hundred taels His Royal Highness mentioned. Though the cash was indeed three hundred taels, there were also four silver notes, which I have always treasured, kept tucked inside a book. Whenever I felt tired from my studies over the years, I would flip through that book. If you're asking if I speak well of the Crown Prince, it's not quite that. Back then, it was a fair transaction, a willing exchange, and largely, neither of us owed the other anything. In fact, if Xu Fengnian were merely a local official, I wouldn't mind helping him out in this Grand Evaluation, bending the rules to give him an 'excellent' rating. But since he is the feudatory prince of Beiliang and a Grand Pillar of the State to the imperial court, it's not my place to curry favor. However, to ask me to go against my conscience and join others in ridiculing him, that would be too difficult for me. Being an official is indeed not easy. Although being a person is relatively easier, one cannot be too careless."

The scholar referred to the young man as "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince," and in the entire Liyang dynasty, there was no one else but Zhao Zhuan who held that title. While there were many feudatory princes and crown princes, there was only one Crown Prince. It was just unknown why Zhao Zhuan, after having previously enjoyed the Perfected Immortals' ascension ceremony at the nearby Mount Longhu, had returned from Jiangnan Province, coming back after having left.

Crown Prince Zhao Zhuan pointed a finger at this scholar who refused to be careless in life, and laughed heartily, "You're indirectly criticizing, even scolding Jin Sanlang along with me. But honesty is more important than anything. You were also the only anomaly who raised many objections when Zhao Xun submitted his memorial back then. At that time, everyone in the capital was full of praise for Zhao Xun, who was still a crown prince. Only you were straightforward, pointing out what needed to be corrected, what needed to be strongly criticized, and doing what was necessary. Later, when the two masters of the Song family passed away one after another, regarding the bestowal of posthumous titles, you again spoke out against the grain, incurring my Imperial Father's private wrath. That's why he threw you to those two old foxes, Zhao Youling and Yin Maochun, to suppress. Otherwise, by now, you would have already been in charge of half of the Hanlin Academy."

The scholar said bitterly, "How could I not know Your Royal Highness's intentions? It's just that I aspire to be an unaligned official. After this southern Grand Evaluation, I can forget about it."

Zhao Zhuan gave a sly smile, pulled off the priceless jade pendant from his waist, and thrust it into the scholar's hand, "I just praised your honesty, and you're already showing your fox's tail, aren't you?"

Zhao Zhuan slightly curbed his smile and said gravely, "I know what you truly desire: to command troops on the battlefield, for a scholar to be granted a marquisate! As long as you are willing to wait with me, I, Zhao Zhuan, will surely not disappoint you!"

The scholar froze on the spot, somewhat at a loss.

Zhao Zhuan acted as if nothing had been said or happened, turned and continued ascending the mountain, smiling and muttering to himself, "It was truly agonizing not being able to meet that purple-clad woman named Xuanyuan last time. This time, I shamelessly helped her get a plaque inscribed by the Duke Yansheng and single-handedly fended off the furious impeachments from the Jianzhou censors. She should at least grant me an audience, right?"

As a result, outside the gatehouse, Zhao Zhuan and his entourage, accompanied by an old palace eunuch, were still predictably stopped. Their fabricated identity as relatives of the Jianzhou Governor proved entirely useless. The grand eunuch, possessing formidable martial arts, was enraged and about to strike with lethal intent. Zhao Zhuan, smiling, stopped him, then claimed to be the star pupil of Yan Jiexuan, a Grand Academician of the Imperial Academy. He still received a series of disdainful glares. Zhao Zhuan, still unoffended and unangered, shamelessly stated his identity as a member of the imperial Zhao clan, claiming close friendship with the son of the "Feather-Clad Prime Minister" of the Northern Lands, the King of Qingcheng, and Jin Lanting.

There were four Zhao clans in the capital: the Emperor's Zhao family, naturally the foremost in the realm; next, the family of Zhao Youling, Minister of Personnel; then General Zhao Kui, who held the same seniority as Yang Shenxing; and the last Zhao family was comparatively poorer, with only a capital official (a Vice Minister) and a border official (a Governor) as notable members. However, in the provinces, this would still be a first-class influential and powerful clan. Yet, the attendant guarding the gatehouse frowned in cold defiance, telling Zhao Zhuan to scram, stating that Mount Hui had a grudge against anyone named Zhao, then pointed his nostrils skyward towards the neighboring Mount Longhu, asking Zhao Zhuan if he understood. The old eunuch, whose sneeze could make all of Jianzhou tremble, was now utterly expressionless. The Crown Prince, however, maintained his usual good temper and was actually amused, laughing uncontrollably and repeatedly saying, "I understand, I understand." The attendant with minor authority at the gatehouse was so rude, but luckily, a Mount Hui retainer, who happened to pass by and understood the gravity of the situation, quickly offered apologies and hurried to the tall building to deliver the message. Not long after, he returned to the gatehouse with a stiff expression, hesitant to speak. Zhao Zhuan, understanding, asked, "So, your mountain master wants me to get lost?" The retainer gave an awkward smile, not denying it. Zhao Zhuan politely chuckled, "No worries, no worries. Please, my good sir, go back into the tower once more and inform your mountain master that Zhao Zhuan from the capital has come to visit and humbly begs her esteemed self for some food."

The retainer, unfamiliar with Liyang's imperial politics, didn't think too deeply and ran back to report. This time, Zhao Zhuan waited for a long time, but the man's figure simply did not reappear. The old eunuch said sinisterly, "Your Highness, everyone on this Mount Hui truly deserves to die." Zhao Zhuan waved his hand, then smiled, "It seems we'll have to resort to the drastic measure of forcing our way in, otherwise, we likely won't get to meet that woman." Just then, Zhao Zhuan suddenly looked up and, from afar, saw at the summit of Great Snow Peak, on top of the tall building, a figure vaguely discernible in purple robes, standing with hands behind her back, facing the surging great river. Zhao Zhuan pondered for a moment, then murmured, "This moment, this scene, it's worth it." The scholar asked with a smile, "Are we descending now?" Zhao Zhuan turned and said, "Descend."

At the top of the tower on Great Snow Peak, the woman who had parted ways with Beiliang, after successfully entering the Celestial Phenomenon realm, increasingly exuded an aura capable of devouring mountains and rivers. She stood until the last trace of the setting sun faded in the west. After sitting on the ground, she lowered her head to tie a knot in her skirt hem. Perhaps finding the knot unattractive, she untied it and tied it again, tying and untying it repeatedly. She suddenly stopped her idle movements and turned to look northwest, feeling a desire for a drink.

The Land of the Refugees, indeed, was no easy opponent and certainly caused Beiliang no peace of mind. The vast bandit force that had declared themselves kings outside the three cities had completely discarded any pretense, rising in rebellion. Even knowing that the 30,000 Dragon Elephant Army had formed a menacing encirclement, they were still willing to fight like cornered beasts. They bypassed the ancient military town of Linyao and charged directly towards Qingcang. However, since the Dragon Elephant cavalry had spread their forces too thin, this bandit force of over 20,000 men could not be described as "hitting a stone with an egg" in the short term. In fact, in terms of military strength, Qingcang, which had only recently been incorporated into Beiliang's jurisdiction, had a total of merely 8,000 men. Its only advantage was probably possession of the city. Chen Xiliang stubbornly held his ground, defending Qingcang. This desperate "dog-jumping-over-the-wall" move by the fierce bandits was within the calculations of Wutong Academy. However, Chen Xiliang had created a considerable problem for Xu Fengnian. Originally, Qingcang City was dispensable; what Xu Fengnian wanted was for the bandits to move from the shadows into the open, giving them a dilapidated city that was far from impregnable. Moreover, Beiliang's armored cavalry and infantry were both experts in their respective fields. Furious at Chen Xiliang's reckless and unconventional actions, Xu Fengnian could only hastily dispatch Yang Guangdou and Cao Wei, who were supposed to have completed their tour of Youzhou, to assume their nominal posts as officials of Liuzhou, Beiliang's fourth province. In addition, Qi Dangguo, Xu Xiao's adopted son, who commanded 6,000 Iron Pagoda heavy cavalry, was sent, ostensibly to protect Governor Yang Guangdou, but naturally, to engage in a massacre. Since they had decided to fight, there would be no more pleasantries with the Land of the Refugees. Furthermore, if the bandits dared to rebel, they must have the backing of Beimang's Southern Dynasty. It was uncertain if major, fierce battles lay ahead; 20,000 bandits were probably just an appetizer. Xu Fengnian was also worried that a powerful military general from the Southern Dynasty, perhaps one whose head had been "caught in a door panel," might suddenly appear to "feast" in the Land of the Refugees. If Beimang were to truly punch a hole in the Liuzhou front, creating a complete southward passage and supply line, the wavering Linyao and Fengxiang might immediately defect to the Southern Dynasty. In that case, the war between Liang and Mang would be forced to ignite prematurely. Beiliang, with its not-so-vast east-west territory, was indeed unsuitable for separate battlefields in Youzhou, Liangzhou, and Liuzhou. Xu Fengnian was not afraid of Beimang's iron cavalry advancing south, but he did not wish to hear the loud, barbaric shouts of those charging barbarians so early.

After Yang and Cao departed, Xu Fengnian was once again left with only Xu Yanbing, the carriage driver, by his side. Having delved deep into Youzhou, Xu Fengnian leaned out of the carriage for a breath of fresh air, then sat beside Xu Yanbing, self-deprecatingly saying, "It seems the old men in the Southern Dynasty, who are eager to return home and worship their ancestors, can't sit still either. They're probably stimulated by the restoration of Western Chu. While they still have the strength to wield swords and ride horses, they're determined to coordinate with Western Chu from within and without. My current worry isn't the bandits; they are not to be feared. My fear is that if Qingcang City falls, and the refugees get a taste of success, they'll seize the opportunity to rise in rebellion. All my efforts on that trip to Qingcang and 'sending the Buddha to the West' will have been for naught. If that stubborn Chen Xiliang isn't a corpse the next time I see him, and he's lucky enough to survive, I'll still beat him half to death!"

Xu Yanbing calmly replied, "With eight hundred 'Phoenix' Battalion soldiers forming the backbone of the city's defense, Qingcang should be able to hold out for a while, though certainly not many will survive. Now, it remains to be seen if any Beimang masters are hidden among the bandits."

Xu Fengnian's expression was grim. Leaning against the carriage's outer wall, he calmly said, "Right now, I still feel pained by the casualties of the 'Phoenix' Battalion. But when the real fighting begins later, I probably won't even have time to feel pain. In the end, I'll become completely numb. How many people die will just be a rough figure in military intelligence reports."

Xu Yanbing said indifferently, "Isn't that how war always is? Among the old veterans who came with the General to settle in Beiliang, who hasn't seen people around them die one after another? Don't feel you've let them down. They've been nurtured for a full twenty years; to put it harshly, even a dog, when it's time to bite, must bite hard, mustn't it?"

Xu Fengnian shook his head and said, "After all, they are not dogs."

Xu Yanbing chuckled, "Since they are human, then the notions of 'dying when one should' and 'dying for a worthy cause' become even more relevant. The Xu family now only has you two brothers, two men. One has already personally entered the fray, and the other hasn't hidden away. What more could be asked? Should the Second Princess also go fight on the battlefield? There's no such logic. Anyone who dares to tell me such logic, I, Xu Yanbing, regardless of who they are, will explain my logic to them. Hmm, my logic is: I will use an iron spear, and you can use anything you want, even bringing out catapults and such grand arrays, it doesn't matter."

Xu Yanbing, a man of rigid principles, told a rather amusing anecdote, yet Xu Fengnian, who was facing pressing concerns, could not bring himself to laugh. The sudden change in the Land of the Refugees meant that Beiliang's established plans would be completely disrupted. Although it seemed the initiative was still in his hands, Xu Fengnian's intuition told him that a certain very ambitious fat man from Beimang was highly likely to interfere. The crucial point was that even a slight intervention would make Beiliang quite uncomfortable. This inherent constraint was not something human effort could contend with; they could only take one step at a time.

Adding fuel to the fire, misfortunes struck Qingliang Mountain one after another. Wutong Academy, similar to Guangling's Chunxue Building, after losing Green Ant and White Wine, also saw two second-tier maids voluntarily resign from their positions as female Hanlin scholars. Whether due to despair or empathy for others' plight, they resolutely left Wutong Academy to become ordinary maids in other residences. Fortunately, Lu Chengyan, who had endured hardships on her journey to Liang, resolutely entered Wutong Academy to fill the vacancies, barely managing to keep its operations from ceasing. As for her elder relatives and other members of the Lu clan, they clearly found it difficult to adapt to the local customs and were unable to quickly integrate into Beiliang's officialdom despite their status as imperial relatives. One of Lu Chengyan's cousins, simply after a few sarcastic remarks from a young general from Liangzhou, immediately involved his elders and made a big fuss, almost running to Qingliang Mountain to complain and cry injustice. In Qingzhou, Lu Dongjiang, the new head of the Lu clan, who had taken the bamboo lantern from Grand Pillar of the State Lu Feichi that night, also failed to make a decisive decision. Instead, he simply equivocated and played the peacemaker. In Xu Fengnian's cold view, this was undoubtedly the worst decision; even if he had unhesitatingly supported the Lu family, Xu Fengnian would have still thought more highly of him. However, Lu Chengyan, still dressed in mourning attire, descended the mountain that very night from the princely mansion, found the famous sword her ancestor Lu Feichi had carried during his travels, and in front of her father, forced that younger brother to kneel outside the ancestral hall. Although the sword was not drawn, it still left the young man, who was said to have just passed the provincial examination in Qingzhou, with a bloody, mangled mouth and several lost teeth. This woman even sharply demanded if he dared to wag his tongue again. Perhaps the old and young of the Lu clan mistakenly believed this was Xu Fengnian's intention, and each of them became silent as cicadas in winter, able only to harbor their resentment within. This also led to Lu Chengyan becoming viewed by her kinsmen as "spilled water," a married woman who was no longer part of their family.

If these were mere trivial squabbles, internal family friction that wouldn't affect the big picture once the door was closed, Xu Fengnian could treat them as jokes. But the situation in Youzhou made him dare not take it lightly at all. The exceptional promotion of Huangfu Ping to Youzhou General was undoubtedly more beneficial than detrimental. However, once the drawbacks surfaced, it was like adding insult to injury. That is, with the deliberate instigation of certain individuals, while the self-contained border armies were fine, the various military units within Youzhou began to show signs of unrest. According to current intelligence, Zhong Hongwu, unwilling to retire and die in Longqing County, had certainly played a part. Xu Fengnian wanted to know if Yan Wenluan, the "King of Youzhou," had played a dishonorable role. Whether or not Yan Wenluan was involved would directly determine whether Xu Fengnian would "overturn" the Beiliang infantry. The problem was that even if the Beiliang infantry could successfully revert from the Yan Family Army to the Xu Family Army, losing the skilled and battle-hardened veteran General Yan Wenluan would still be a tremendous loss that Beiliang could hardly afford. Even if there was Gu Dazuo, the former Tang's foremost general, who could replace Yan Wenluan, it was undeniable that with war imminent, Beiliang desperately needed Yan Wenluan to stabilize the morale of the border army, and even more, needed this elder's unwavering loyalty and his vow to defend Youzhou to the death.

But was this possible? Yan Wenluan was originally a key member of the faction led by Zhao Changling, the "Yang talent." He deeply hoped that Xu Xiao would declare himself emperor so that they could naturally become founding merits who helped establish the dynasty. Xu Fengnian knew better than anyone about this "supporting the dragon" faction. A large group of Beiliang elites, including Yan Wenluan, had been "sidelined" by Xu Xiao. For instance, Yan Wenluan was transferred from the familiar cavalry to the unfamiliar infantry, ostensibly a promotion but actually a demotion. And Xu Fengnian's maternal uncle, whom he had sought in Beimang back then, was also firmly suppressed. That turmoil was a watershed; from then on, Zhao Changling and Li Yishan, the "Yin talent" who had originally been on good terms, became estranged. The cavalry and infantry within the Beiliang army grew increasingly distinct over time. However, Zhao Changling died thirty li outside the Western Shu Imperial City. With this "Yang talent" absent from leading the faction that advocated for emperorship, Beiliang did not devolve into a worst-case scenario where cavalry and infantry were at loggerheads. Factionalism is difficult to manage, a timeless truth, especially with military commanders who hold power. Treat them lightly, and they're thick-skinned and fearless of reprimand; treat them harshly, and they might simply quit; a more ruthless one might even declare open rebellion out of spite. Beiliang with Xu Xiao was vastly different from Beiliang without him. Even if Xu Xiao was so old he could only lie in bed, as long as the Butcher did not close his eyes, the chaotic undercurrents in Beiliang, though present, would not surface as open rebellion, because no one was willing or dared to.

If problems could be solved by simply killing a few people, how easy and pleasant that would be.

Xu Fengnian leaned against the carriage wall, closed his eyes, concentrated his mind, and clenched his jaw. Within his body, his *qi* surged and boiled like a pot of water over countless burning logs, so much so that it splashed outside the pot. The carriage curtains were torn and dilapidated by the tangible tendrils of *qi*. The horse pulling the carriage also began to bleed from various spots, whinnying and restless. Xu Yanbing simply stopped the carriage.

After a full hour and a half, the purple and yellow glow on Xu Fengnian's face slowly receded. He was drenched in sweat, his expression dejected, and he asked with a bitter smile, "Uncle Xu, how many times has this been?"

Xu Yanbing calmly replied, "This is the sixth time. The 'reversal' is taking longer and longer. There are three more times, and each will be more perilous; you might not be able to endure them. The latent problems caused by this pseudo-realm could originally be ignored, even entering the Zhihuan realm would be fine. But after gaining Master Liu Hao's purple lightning and Yuan Qingshan's baozi, fortune and misfortune became greatly intertwined."

Xu Fengnian smiled, "I hope I can last until the ninth 'reversal.' Only then will the last brocade pouch Chen Xiliang inadvertently found in the attic become meaningful."

Xu Yanbing nodded, sighing, "This might be the last time Li Yishan and Zhao Changling collaborate on a scheme."

Xu Fengnian exhaled a difficult breath. His internal deviation, perhaps unprecedented and never to be repeated, originated from three consecutive pseudo-realms. He successively entered the Zhihuan and Celestial Phenomenon realms twice with the help of the Infant. After his battle with Wang Xianzhi, the "Carefree Wanderer" that swept away all things in heaven and earth occurred. It was only after this, with some enlightenment, that he belatedly realized he had once stepped one foot into the threshold of a land immortal's out-of-body spiritual travel. The pond created by the Great Huangting now boiled periodically like surging water. In Xu Fengnian's own words, this was "soul dissipation," and what he needed to do was the corresponding "soul retrieval," to pacify the myriad chaotic streams of *qi* one by one. Since the Great Huangting had nine levels, Xu Fengnian guessed there would be nine "soul dissipations" and "soul retrievals." Only then would his cultivation be complete. However, even with such completion, he would only have the strength to fight against a Celestial Phenomenon expert, and still no chance against Wang Xianzhi. Currently, the only person Xu Fengnian had his eyes on in the martial arts world was Wang Xianzhi; otherwise, it would be meaningless.

Zhao Changling once had pawns in the imperial palace. When Xu Fengnian was young and abandoned his sword, Li Yishan took over the chess pieces that Zhao Changling had originally placed, which had lost their vitality, and continued to lay out the scheme.

There was only one target: Gao Shulu, the person of "no worries" who, four hundred years ago, single-handedly killed all the top masters in the world.