Chapter 602: The Man in the Book, When He Must Die, Dies

The carriage carried the most sought-after and voluptuous courtesan in the city at the time. A single meeting with her required five hundred taels of silver as a threshold fee; even for the son of the Prince of Northern Liang, merely listening to her recount tales of the jianghu meant paying the same price.

Though Xu Fengnian possessed a photographic memory for books, this particular scene remained hazy in his mind. That was why, in his "future," despite repeatedly accepting braised beef from the young girl and later being pursued by a female assassin, he never recognized her as the child to whom he had casually gifted a pearl-studded hairpin all those years ago.

In chaotic times, human lives were as cheap as grass, experiencing cycles of flourishing and decay year after year. Who would pay close attention to a casual act of kindness performed in their youth?

At that time, the young Prince was more preoccupied with guarding against assassinations both inside and outside his mansion, figuring out how to cultivate martial arts for revenge, and tackling the demanding lessons from his master, Li Yishan. He had too many responsibilities to manage. While many sons of prominent families might have found leisure and feigned sorrow to compose new verses, even without experiencing true grief, his entire youth was shrouded in a dim, misty impression. He harbored grudges yet was naive and ignorant, even childishly resentful and angry at Xu Xiao, who, despite holding the grand titles of Prince of Northern Liang and Grand Pillar, remained inactive and refused to seek revenge. Thus, Xu Fengnian intensely disliked his princely status. If Xu Xiao, a feudal lord with three hundred thousand cavalry, couldn't avenge himself, what could Xu Fengnian do, even if he inherited the title of Prince of Northern Liang? The young man yearned only to practice martial arts, wield a saber, become a peerless master, and then seek out the emperor on the dragon throne in Tai'an City.

Xu Fengnian arrived at a new grave. After the Xu family retainers, who had been secretly escorting the young girl, departed, he saw a middle-aged man, an encounter both unexpected and perfectly reasonable.

It was Huang Sanjia.

Huang Longshi, the leader of the Three Great Evils of the Spring and Autumn period.

The man who had traveled through Northern Liang to plant long-term spies had been meticulously observing the young prince during this period. He appeared beside the little girl who knelt unmoving before the grave. Squatting down, he picked up a piece of yellow clay and quickly, with practiced ease, molded a small clay figure. Handing it to the girl, he asked, "Does it look like her?"

The girl, startled by the voice, did not take the clay figure. Instead, she slid back a few steps on her knees, her eyes icy.

He pinched the clay figure with two fingers, raised his arm slightly, and repeated, "Does it look like her?"

The little girl, wearing worn straw sandals and tattered thin clothes, her hands and feet covered in chilblains cracked to the bone, froze for a moment. Her eyes widened as she stared at the clay figure. Then, she snatched it, carefully cradled it in her arms with both hands, and finally burst into heart-wrenching sobs.

The middle-aged man sat down on the ground and said with a gentle smile, "The clay figure looks like your mother, but you, you look like my daughter. I’m so glad to meet you; it makes me happier than finding anyone else written about in these annals of the Spring and Autumn period."

The little girl continued to cry uncontrollably.

He didn't mind, his gaze exceptionally tender, like a nearly despairing father who had found his long-lost daughter in a distant land, thousands of miles away. He continued, "My name is Huang Longshi. Here, I monopolize the 'Three Jia' of the Spring and Autumn. From now on, you shall be called Jia Jiajia. Since you were born in the Spring and Autumn period, you will share a surname with the Thirteen Jia of the Spring and Autumn, but you will share a given name with her, someone from a very, very, very long time ago."

The little girl stopped crying, but still dared not approach this strange man.

Yet, she knew he likely held no ill will.

Because, from the bottom of her heart, she didn't dislike him.

Huang Longshi sat in the mud before the grave. "I will teach you martial arts in the future. That young man you need to repay is also a fated figure, but he will die before he turns thirty. Official histories and unofficial accounts record many strange ways he died, all of them with infamy. The best and also the worst of these says he died under the iron hooves of Beiliang, leaving no intact corpse. I think it would be a good repayment if he were to die by your hand in the future."

Huang Longshi looked at her innocent, sorrowful face, which understood little of what he said. His heart softened instantly, and he said softly, "Since the one who turned the pages unexpectedly found himself within the book, and wasn't crushed by its leaves, then perhaps future events might change."

Huang Longshi stood up, smiling as he extended his hand to her.

The little girl was led by him to stand, then gazed in a daze at a distant field of golden sunflowers.

Huang Longshi turned to glance at the small mound of fresh earth that was the new grave. He sighed, knowing without a doubt that the grave would be dug up again and again by greedy individuals who disrespected spirits, all for that pearl-studded gold hairpin. But he did not tell her this.

The little girl suddenly ran to the golden sunflower field, picked two stalks, and placed one before the grave. Then, after a moment of thought, she put down the other stalk, which she had intended to carry on her shoulder, and placed it by her feet.

She knelt in the mud, facing the distance, and deeply kowtowed three times.

Xu Fengnian, who happened to be standing in the direction the little girl was bowing, subtly shifted his body.

The "Thousand Character Classic," one of the elementary primers, opens with the majestic eight characters "Heaven and Earth, dark and yellow; the universe, vast and boundless," with the universe further interpreted by the eight characters "Up, down, four directions; past and present."

The Great Dream of Spring and Autumn, learned by the old Taoist master Zhao Xituan, ultimately originated from the concept of "no origin in going out, no aperture in coming in" by an ancient enlightened person.

This was the essence of later celestial beings leaving their bodies for carefree wandering.

At this moment, Xu Fengnian raised his head and gazed into the distance alongside Huang Longshi, who was now forty years old.

Atop Lesser Lotus Peak, the new Prince of Northern Liang, who could previously undertake ten spiritual journeys without impeding his outward movements or thoughts, now lay like a half-dead man in a deep slumber.

The three old Taoist masters of Wudang—Song Zhiming, Chen Yao, and Yu Xingrui—who shared the same generation as Wang Xiaoping, the Sword Obsessive, took turns "guarding the pass" for Xu Fengnian.

Magnificent peregrine falcons constantly landed on the tortoise-backed stone, delivering intelligence reports. The second report arrived late because Song Zhiming, who was on guard at the time, already knew the outcome after the peach wood sword flew up the mountain. Chen Yao and Yu Xingrui rushed to the scene upon hearing the news, both remaining silent.

Among his martial brothers, Yu Xingrui, apart from his youngest brother Hong Xixiang, was the one whose emotions flowed most naturally, clearly expressing both joy and sorrow. The old man leaned against the giant foot of the stone tortoise, looking up, not daring to gaze at the hovering flying sword.

Chen Yao, who was older than the master of this generation's Wudang sect, sat beside his junior martial brother and softly said, "This can be considered a joyous funeral. Don't let Junior Brother Wang depart with an uneasy mind."

Yu Xingrui nodded numbly and said, "Senior Brother Sect Leader is gone, Junior Brother is gone, Senior Brother Wang is also gone, and Senior Brother Song says he's leaving soon too. In just a few years, all six of us martial brothers..."

Chen Yao smiled and said, "But they left without regret, didn't they? And if you think back, Jade Axe was brought up the mountain, and so many younger generations have come up the mountain too. There will be new generations coming up in the future. Sometimes, looking at those young faces, even a rigid old fossil like me can't help but smile."

Yu Xingrui sighed and mumbled, "I'm not as open-minded as you are."

Chen Yao teased, "Your disciple is stronger than you."

Yu Xingrui said gravely, "If he dares not bring Junior Brother back, he can continue to be the sect leader, but I won't acknowledge him as my disciple."

Chen Yao huffily retorted, "Are you being reasonable or not? As your senior brother, I'm in charge of discipline. Do you want to be caned at your age?"

Yu Xingrui suddenly smiled, rubbed his cheeks, and said with emotion, "When we were young, Senior Martial Uncle Peng was in charge of discipline on the mountain. I always liked to go against him. When he got angry, he would always say that if I had the ability to become sect leader, he wouldn't bother with me. I never thought that child Jade Axe actually became sect leader. Well, I have no regrets now."

Chen Yao said with concern, "Blocking them one by one like this isn't sustainable."

Yu Xingrui, who had spent the most time in the jianghu, shook his head and said, "There's no other way. Among the top ten martial experts throughout history, besides that recent ambush on Gao Shulu where the demon Luo Yang and Broken Spear Deng Mao teamed up, have you ever heard of any other two working together? Besides, Deng Tai'a is biased towards Wang Xianzhi this time, and even if Cao Changqing wanted to intervene, Great Chu has been restored, so he won't leave Guangling Dao. Stepping back, even if someone were willing to team up with Xiaoping to face the enemy, would our junior brother be willing? Stepping back further, even if he were willing, he probably wouldn't be able to unleash that ultimate, perfected sword strike. And stepping back even further, blocking Wang Xianzhi was never about delaying time. Wang Xianzhi isn't slow, but he's certainly not fast. Those who block his path are merely using their own methods to find weaknesses."

Chen Yao said helplessly, "If only Junior Brother were still here. In this kind of battle, one person is more useful than three hundred thousand cavalry."

Yu Xingrui thought for a moment and said, "It's better to rely on oneself than on others. Blessings only come if one cherishes them."

Chen Yao said nothing more.

The two sat on the other side of the tortoise-backed stone when they suddenly heard their senior martial brother Song Zhiming exclaim in surprise.

The two old men rose to look, finally relieved, and exchanged smiles.

One "Xu Fengnian" regained consciousness, but his spirit did not return to his body. He stood near the peach wood sword and bowed slightly to the three Wudang masters.

A month later, with the bright moon shining overhead on the peak, Chen Yao awaited the return of the second Xu Fengnian.

Before him, a vibrant purple-gold aura elegantly flowed and swirled around this Xu Fengnian.

Xu Fengnian lay sideways on the cliff edge, propping his head with one hand, facing away from the mountain.

Sleeping through the ages, sleeping through the ages, I lie high on the rock, forgetting my years. No felt mat, no blanket, heaven and earth for my bed, clothed in moonlight. Thunder rumbles, lightning flashes, Mount Tai crumbles, ten thousand fathoms of seawater fall from the sky, dragons roar, ghosts and spirits are startled, yet at that very moment, I sleep soundly…

With eyes aligned with nose, nose aligned with the gate of life, the mind observes within. Breathing continuously, practicing silently, achieving ultimate emptiness and stillness. True qi floats in the elixir field, spiritual water surrounds the five viscera. Calling Jia Ding, summoning a hundred spirits, my spirit emerges from the Nine Palaces, freely roaming the azure. Watching the vast sea in dreams, grasping yin and yang in mist, unaware how many years have passed beyond spring and autumn…

This was the one who had forgotten worries.

Truly, he rested easy, free from care.

There were already three Xu Fengnians on the mountain, either sitting, lying, or standing.

Only the last one remained.

On a radiant morning, the seated Xu Fengnian was struck as if by lightning, seemingly struggling to awaken.

Chen Yao was shocked. Even if the old man did not understand the profound mysteries of the Spring and Autumn Dream, he knew this was not good news.

Logically, the latest intelligence reported that Wang Xianzhi was still in Hezhou and had not yet entered Northern Liang territory. Even if Xu Fengnian had foreseen or calculated something, at the very least, Xu Yanbing could hold them off for a while. The new Prince of Northern Liang should not have been so impatient. Had he encountered an insurmountable setback during his spiritual journey in sleep?

Chen Yao dared not speak, leaving it to fate.

Finally, Xu Fengnian opened his eyes. After a moment of contemplation, he murmured, "I can't wait any longer."

Xu Fengnian, who temporarily possessed Gao Shulu's physique but not a complete soul, turned to Chen Yao and said apologetically, "Over the years, I have owed Wudang too much."

Chen Yao took a deep breath and slowly said, "Without True Martial, there would be no Wudang."

Then Chen Yao couldn't help but quietly ask, "Why did you awaken so early?"

Xu Fengnian simply smiled, shaking his head, and offered no answer.

Xu Fengnian walked dozens of feet into the cliff, then turned and began to run and sprint.

The other two Xu Fengnians cleared a path on the mountaintop.

Xu Fengnian leaped out from Lotus Peak.

He plunged into the sea of clouds.

Falling towards the foot of the mountain.

A colossal boom echoed from afar, like a great mountain striking a heavenly bell. Even Chen Yao, standing atop the peak, felt the entire mountain tremble.

Chen Yao suddenly felt uneasy.

That bell sound was like a death knell.

Xu Fengnian landed with bent knees, creating a pit several times a person's height at the foot of the mountain. Leaping out of the pit, he continued to race wildly towards the border of Northern Liang.

In one's lifetime, there is always a moment that defies reason, a moment that gives birth to a single thought:

When it's time to die, then die!