Chapter 584: People Who Seek Death Kill Those Waiting for Death

The aged master finished playing the guqin with a deep sense of contentment, then abruptly rose. His hands slowly descended, and he exhaled a long, turbid breath, once again fully displaying the demeanor of a true master. The white-haired, youthful-faced old man slowly descended the bluestone slab, which resembled a giant turtle's back, and asked with eyes full of benevolent smiles, "Disciple, has your master's guqin skill improved a bit more?"

The woman with the saber nodded earnestly and gave a thumbs-up. "Master has advanced even further; it's astonishing!"

Even Xu Fengnian, who considered himself profoundly thick-skinned, found the brazen shamelessness of this master and disciple pair a bit hard to bear. However, if Mount Fulu had a few more such "men of character," he wouldn't have instantly torn up that ghost talisman from Youzhou; instead, it would have been an opportunity to broaden his horizons. Of course, whether it was the old man with "transcendent" guqin skills or the seemingly naive woman with the saber, they were both cunning and shrewd at heart. After all, they were not like the petty bandits he encountered years ago on the front mountain of Qingcheng, who couldn't bring themselves to completely empty someone's pockets and would even leave some money for the journey home. Though both were bandits, those men were nowhere near as ruthless as the people of Mount Fulu, who killed without compunction. Old Man Meng, Little Hawthorn, Little Sparrow – after all these years, their faces remained vivid in his memory. Five years had passed; he wondered if Little Hawthorn had taken over as the leader and if Little Sparrow had grown into a graceful young woman. Xu Fengnian's moment of distraction lasted only an instant. Moreover, what he called distraction now did not impede his ability to detect the flow of energy around him. To put it simply, even if Xu Fengnian were to fall completely unconscious and allow a second-rank Lesser Grandmaster to attack him with all their might, the latter would still end up dead on the spot. The scenery above the Ninth Floor was not just unimaginable for the Lesser Grandmasters whom ordinary people in the *jianghu* already considered god-like figures, but even for those in the first two stages of the First Rank, such as Vajra and Zhi Xuan, it was impossible to conceive the magnificent martial arts landscape that fully unfolded. Xu Fengnian sometimes wondered what the situation would be like if his current self were to face Han Shengxuan, the "Human Cat," outside Shenwu City, who was then known as "Invincible below Terrestrial Immortals."

"Young man, I observe that your bone structure is extraordinary."

The old man gazed at Xu Fengnian, paused slightly after saying that, then spoke earnestly, "How about you learn to play the guqin with me?"

Xu Fengnian chuckled.

Two figures approached from a distance, a man and a woman, a truly handsome couple. The man, in his thirties, wore a tall hat and scholarly robes, exuding an elegant demeanor. The woman's face was especially captivating, evoking pity, yet she had a strikingly slender waist from which hung a pair of long and short knives. Her brow also carried an air of fierce heroism. Her appearance was quite peculiar, seeming not entirely natural but rather like an unpolished jade that had been meticulously sculpted by a master craftsman. Regardless, she was the type of woman one would remember at first glance and find it difficult to forget. Xu Fengnian turned his head to look. He recognized one of them: the handsome young man from the neighboring Immortal Coffin Cave, surnamed Lu. But when he recognized the other, he couldn't help but feel a genuine surprise. It was the seemingly delicate woman who had been beside the *Tanhualang* from Kejia Alley years ago. At the time, she was called Fan Xiaochai. Later, she had used her very tenuous connection to the Xu family through Lin Yulin Tan to enter the Prince's Mansion in Qingliang Mountain, where she scouted the terrain, hoping for an opportunity to assassinate him, the Prince of Wutong Courtyard. Predictably, her actions were exposed, and Second Brother Yuan handed her over to the spy chief, Lu Qiu'er. Xu Fengnian hadn't paid her much mind afterward, only hearing that her real name was Fan Xiaochai, the granddaughter of Fan Baoshan, the Great General who defended the state of Northern Han. It was typical of a woman who would foolishly come all the way to Liangzhou to try and kill him, Xu Fengnian, to even choose such a thoughtless alias. However, later, during the "netting and fishing" operation at Qingrong Temple in Huangnan Commandery, she was precisely the masked soldier who, with a single strike, pinned the old Daoist Master Qinghuai, the temple's abbot, to the wall. Meeting an old acquaintance, Xu Fengnian remained impassive, as did Fan Xiaochai. Her gaze merely flickered and passed, complex and somber, yet surprisingly devoid of the hatred one might expect, which further astonished Xu Fengnian.

Their gazes subtly passed each other, and the elegant scholar had already respectfully addressed the old man. "Lu Haiya, a disciple of Immortal Coffin Cave, greets Immortal Master Wei."

The old man nodded, his attention lingering more on Fan Xiaochai, and asked straightforwardly, "Lu Haiya, is this the remarkable woman your Sword-Sinking Cave Master has so favored, that he's thrown all caution to the wind in his old age, begging her to abandon her saber for a sword, and insisting on taking her as a closed-door disciple?"

Lu Haiya smiled gently, "How my master chooses to act, Lu Haiya dares not comment. However, Immortal Master Wei may not know that Miss Fan is actually the granddaughter of General Fan, Northern Han's foremost commander. She fell into distress among the common people and, by chance, was recognized by a reclusive martial arts elder for her innate talent and bone structure, who then taught her everything he knew about saber techniques..."

The old man impatiently waved his hand. "All this nonsense means nothing to me. I was Gu Jiantang's vanguard back then, not an old subordinate of Beiliang. Northern Han was annihilated by Xu Rentu. If you want revenge, don't come looking for me."

Lu Haiya smiled without speaking.

The woman, who had not been in Immortal Coffin Cave for long, narrowed her eyes, radiating intense killing intent. Despite her youth, she clearly possessed the formidable aura of a Lesser Grandmaster, her vital energy surging outwards.

The old man gave a self-deprecating, awkward laugh. "If you came to ask me for a suitable weapon, that would be somewhat understandable. After all, the saber and sword I possess have some connection to the Fan family of Northern Han. By chance, both are on the new martial arts weapons ranking: the Sparrow Tail Saber, ranked sixteenth among famous sabers, renowned for its unmatched sharpness; and the Bronze Rust Sword, ranked twelfth among famous swords, known for its unconventional approach, achieving extraordinary results through dullness."

The daughter of Mount Fulu's master lightly tapped the hilt of her golden-threaded saber with her index finger and smiled brightly. "Oh, so you're coming to make a ruckus on someone else's territory? How is it that I clearly remember the Sword-Sinking Cave Master didn't have such prowess? When his thirty-six sword-wielders from Sword-Sinking Cave came to fight on Mount Fulu back then, wasn't it an evenly matched battle? The master doesn't show his face, but his disciple is quite the jumper, isn't he?"

Fan Xiaochai calmly stated, "Is Mi Fengjie even worthy of being my master?"

The woman with the golden saber, encountering her romantic rival on her own territory, suddenly gripped her hilt, as if about to draw her saber and engage in a fierce fight, as if whoever won would get to take young Master Lu home.

Lu Haiya, the disciple of Mi Fengjie, the Sword-Sinking Cave Master, was clearly a bit embarrassed and coughed a few times.

The old man, whom Shen Li called Wei Jin, smiled playfully. "Little girl from the Fan family, you've just managed to reach the second-rank realm. Since it's not yet stable, don't rush into a life-or-death battle with others. As the saying goes, 'Those who don't listen to old people's advice often suffer immediate losses.'"

Fan Xiaochai said with an indifferent expression, "Can realms be eaten for food?"

Xu Fengnian looked at her with new respect. From his superior position in terms of cultivation, he could tell that Fan Xiaochai's vital energy foundation was still inferior to that of the elder Wei Jin. However, her sheer courage, her willingness to face death to find life, made many masters who treasured their lives more as their realms ascended feel ashamed of themselves. Xu Fengnian's life-and-death battles were neither few nor many. He fought the Princess of Sui Pearl's attendants on Mount Wudang, the Red-Armored Talisman General in the Reed Marshes, the Northern Mang demon Xie Ling at Duck Head Green Inn, Tuoba Chunzhun, the old man with colorful sleeves, and Duan Bo'er Huihui—three opponents on the grasslands; he fought Fifth He below Mount Tibing, Yang Taisui outside Iron Gate Pass, the Human Cat Han Shengxuan outside Shenwu City, and the Great Heavenly Phenomenon Liu Haoshi. There were wins and losses, but each opponent's realm was undoubtedly superior to Xu Fengnian's at the time. That Xu Fengnian survived was partly due to good luck, of course, but never shying from battle and always striving to outwit his opponents were equally crucial. The sect master of Chuntie Grass Hall, who died by Xu Fengnian's hand by Spring God Lake, was an excellent counter-example: too insular, indulged in harmless scholarly duels, possessing only realm without the ability to kill across realms, and utterly vulnerable when facing a life-or-death struggle against an opponent of the same realm. Xu Fengnian glanced at Fan Xiaochai's remarkably slender waist, feeling a touch of melancholy. This woman, who had been so extremely delicate back then, had now astonishingly become a martial arts Lesser Grandmaster capable of challenging Wei Jin. Indeed, the world was full of uncertainties.

An idle Xu Fengnian turned his head to look at the waterfall cascading down the cliff, then looked again at Fan Xiaochai's waist, repeating this action. In just a few moments, he utterly dismantled the tense, charged atmosphere on the scene. Fan Xiaochai finally looked directly at him, her sworn enemy, and then did not avert her gaze. Meanwhile, Lu Haiya looked perplexedly at the woman he was smitten with at first sight, while the young lady of Mount Fulu puffed her cheeks, glaring at the scholar from the neighboring mountain, leaving the second master of Mount Fulu unsure who to look at. Xu Fengnian was the first to realize something was amiss. True to his outsider nature, he lightheartedly asked, "What are you all doing? Not fighting anymore? Is it over? Aren't you all masters who can fly around leaving no trace? Even if you're not fighting, a war of words would be good too!"

The woman with the golden-threaded short saber was the first to break character, loosening her grip on the hilt and struggling to suppress a laugh. She feigned anger and glared, saying, "You're the one who talks the most without doing anything! If you've got the guts, you come!"

Xu Fengnian chuckled, "Me? When it comes to verbal sparring, defeating all of you is simply effortless."

Fan Xiaochai, usually aloof to everyone, broke character to reveal a rare smile and asked, "Is that all?"

Xu Fengnian put his hands in his sleeves and smiled. In the eyes of everyone except Fan Xiaochai, he was naturally nothing more than a rogue, a useless pretty face.

A young boy in white robes jogged over, announcing that the master of the mountain was hosting a banquet and wished for the master, young lady, young Master Lu, and Miss Fan to attend.

Fan Xiaochai said coldly, "I will wait here, Wei Jin, for you to bring the Sparrow Tail Saber and the Bronze Rust Sword. Then, we shall have a life-or-death duel."

Immortal Master Wei chuckled, noncommittal. Lu Haiya, knowing the woman's temperament, had no choice but to go to the mountaintop with Wei Jin and the difficult woman from Mount Fulu.

Thus, by the Waterfall Well, only the man and woman remained, each tacitly aware of the other's hidden identity.

Xu Fengnian approached the well, squatted, and extended his hand to cup the water. Mist permeated the air, yet he couldn't get close; his palm was still a few feet from the well's edge. However, a wisp of the waterfall was obliquely drawn away and poured into Xu Fengnian's palm, unfurling like a white lotus.

Fan Xiaochai remained silent for a long time before finally walking behind him. Her tone and emotions completely flat, she said, "Fan Xiaochai, First-Rank Agent of Fushui Society, greets the Prince of Beiliang!"

Xu Fengnian, his back still to the woman, asked, "Did the Fushui Society previously plant death-sworn spies here?"

Fan Xiaochai replied, "No. My presence on this mountain this time is for both public and private matters. The public matter is that these two mountains contain a considerable amount of gold and silver, which, if acquired, could alleviate Youzhou's urgent military supply needs. As for my private matter, the Prince of Beiliang already knows: I am here to retrieve my family's ancestral saber and sword."

Xu Fengnian asked with a smile, "Ancestral? What, once you retrieve your renowned saber and sword, you'll seek revenge on me?"

Fan Xiaochai replied, "I wouldn't dare."

Xu Fengnian withdrew his hand, stood up, wiped his palm on his sleeve, and chuckled, "'Wouldn't dare,' you say? Your treacherous heart never truly dies."

Fan Xiaochai stared fixedly at Xu Fengnian, thinking of the sight of his hand unfurling a lotus, and gritted her teeth as she asked, "Is the Prince of Beiliang truly the sixth-ranked martial artist in the world according to the contemporary martial arts evaluation?"

Xu Fengnian, his vast vital energy having dissipated once more, said, "It's a wonder you held back and didn't draw your saber against me the moment they left. It seems these past few years of enduring humiliation as a Fushui Society spy haven't been in vain."

The woman gently bit her lip and closed her eyes.

Xu Fengnian bent down and took a slightly longer saber from her waist. He held it horizontally above his head, drew it halfway from its sheath, and gazed at the gleaming blade, asking with a smile, "Fan Xiaochai, don't you think we're like a lone duckweed returning to the vast sea? Where in life do we not meet again?"

Fan Xiaochai suddenly drew her saber. Her grip was incredibly steady, her draw exceptionally swift, and the tip of the short saber in her hand plunged fiercely into Xu Fengnian's back.

An inch from his heart, the short saber directly pierced the Prince of Beiliang's chest.

Xu Fengnian's expression remained unchanged. With his right hand, he returned the long saber to its sheath. He then extended his left hand, and with two fingers, snapped off the tip of the short saber. With a light flick, the short saber and the trembling Fan Xiaochai, still gripping it, were sent flying backward. Fan Xiaochai's entire arm hung limply, yet she still did not abandon her saber.

Xu Fengnian did not turn around. He casually tossed the long saber to the daring assassin, Fan Xiaochai, then reached out and, using his vital energy, pulled a stream of clear water from the waterfall, thick as a wrist, to wash away the two bloodstains on the front and back of his clothes. Meanwhile, his wounds "slowly" healed.

Only after doing all this did Xu Fengnian turn around and ask with a smile, "That feeling isn't pleasant, is it? You finally gathered your courage, harboring thoughts of mutual destruction, yet you still couldn't personally kill your enemy. I've had that experience too, back when I faced someone surnamed Liu. But your luck is definitely better than mine; you'll have plenty more opportunities like this in the future. Every time you advance in realm, you can come and try against me. However, before you make your move, continue to diligently serve as a death-sworn agent of the Fushui Society. Consider it a transaction between us."

Fan Xiaochai asked a question that seemed utterly nonsensical, "Have you gone mad with cultivation?"

Xu Fengnian ignored her, laughing, "The first time I saw you back then, I thought your waist couldn't possibly be any thinner. At that time, I even worried you might twist your waist just by walking."

Fan Xiaochai gave a charming smile and said, "It seems you haven't gone mad; you've just transformed from Prince to Prince of Beiliang."

Xu Fengnian suddenly extended a palm and pressed it downwards.

Fan Xiaochai felt as if a mountain were pressing down on her; going from kneeling on both knees to lying prone on the ground was instantaneous.

The vital energy stored in all her meridians abruptly ceased to flow. This kind of bone-piercing pain was something an ordinary person would never have the chance to experience in their lifetime.

The woman struggled to lift her head, her eyes dark and obscure. They revealed not only an intense hatred but also something more: a complex smile played on her lips, seemingly a mix of extreme agony and peak pleasure.

Xu Fengnian said softly, "You, on the other hand, have gone mad."

Fan Xiaochai crawled forward, foot by foot.

How strikingly similar, almost identical.

Xu Fengnian stared blankly, lost in thought.

He sat on the edge of the bluestone, quietly waiting for the woman to crawl to his feet, and said, "Inform the spy outside the mountain who is your contact to have Huangfu Ping mobilize a hundred ranger archers and a thousand armored soldiers to follow the troops dispatched by Song Yubai Shang Que. If there's no movement in Bishan County within five days, they are to enter the mountain on their own."

Fan Xiaochai, looking as if she were simultaneously crying and laughing, her internal organs churning in misery, struggled to extend a hand and tightly gripped one of his boots. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth as she hoarsely said, "Xu Fengnian, kill me! I beg you!"

Xu Fengnian bent down and took her hand. Her withered, sickly complexion instantly became rosy and natural. Xu Fengnian's eyes were captivating as he said with a soft laugh, "Fan Xiaochai, what's so hard about wanting to die? Living well is what's difficult. Don't look at me, living a glorious and carefree life, an alien king and the sixth greatest in the world. But if my good luck has already run out, then in truth, I am merely waiting to die alongside Beiliang. Of course, you wouldn't understand even if I told you."