Chapter 609: Wu Wu Second

On the secluded yellow sand at the border of Youhe provinces, some unexpected figures had appeared. A young child, wearing a tattered fur coat and a white headscarf, was busy shouting and herding his flock of sheep. The borderland was barren, but fortunately, the spring grass was relatively lush. Even so, the seven old goats were thin and dirty, looking like a group of listless centenarians. The child's waist was tightly bound with a grass rope, his cheeks were dark and thin, a heavy wooden pole was tucked under his armpit, and an old sheep whip was in his hand. He walked and stopped with the grazing sheep, and when he paused, he would hold the whip in his mouth, grasp the pole with both hands, and swing it wildly, occasionally mimicking the pole-wielding stances of the adults in his village. Beiliang was a martial land with fierce customs, and many places were hotbeds for formidable martial artists. Because often, when a master appeared in the eyes of the common folk, they came in droves; even women and children knew some moves. In Youzhou, a proverb was popular: "Among ten sheep herders, one knows boxing." That was the first half. The second half was: "Among ten boxers, only one can master the spear," meaning it was easy to learn boxing but difficult to master the spear. However, poverty and wealth have always dictated martial pursuits, and this child, from a poor family, would undoubtedly never touch the threshold of spear techniques in his lifetime.

Later, the child witnessed a terrifying sight some tens of miles to the south. The earth shook violently, yellow sand rose into the air, lightning flashed and thunder roared, and then the sky became clear and serene. Overcome by curiosity and trusting that his sheep knew their way and wouldn't get lost, the child grabbed his whip and pole and ran south. Though pale and thin, his legs were not weak. Beiliang's harsh cold meant that children from impoverished families with weak constitutions would not survive the winter, nor could they afford to be lazy. Thus, children raised in the sandy regions of the northwest, no matter how short or thin, would certainly win a fierce fight against their seemingly taller peers from the fertile Jiangnan region.

The child ran south, hunched forward and pushing ahead, moving with surprising speed. During his run and several breathing breaks, there were inexplicable explosions not far away. The human instinct is to seek advantage and avoid harm, and the child did consider turning back. Yet, each time, his stubbornness surged, overcoming his fear, and with a grit of his teeth, he continued south.

Thus, the young shepherd boy, bewildered, gradually approached the battlefield.

Xu Fengnian's soul drifted forth, finding Huang Longshi and Hehe Girl.

When Huang Sanjia, who had calculated everything under heaven, saw this sight, even the old man holding Hehe Girl could not help but be shocked and dismayed. Was the most powerful vassal king of Liyang truly about to die like this? He had only been the "local emperor" of the Northwest for a few days!

His death was spectacular, battling Wang Xianzhi. However, while people admired the phrase "glorious in defeat," they did not wish for themselves to be "glorious in death."

Huang Longshi sat cross-legged, gently holding his naive daughter in his arms, a sigh in his heart. In Tai'an City, he had failed to foresee the wooden sword swordsman's choice, and this time, he had again failed to predict another young man's life-or-death decision. But no matter what, the young man surnamed Xu had arrived as promised. The two Xu Fengnian souls each held Jia Jiajia's hand, transferring their last "vitality" to her, striving to cleanse and wash away the calamity planted by the old Daoist of Longhu Mountain. The girl's complexion gradually improved, becoming rosy.

Huang Longshi had traveled a long path in his life and witnessed countless human affairs and worldly conditions—emperors, generals, peddlers, and commoners, a mix of all social strata and schools of thought. The old man had secretly entered Beiliang numerous times, not only favoring Chen Zhipao far more than Xu Fengnian but also admiring Yuan Zuozong more than the Crown Prince who seemed outwardly ordinary but was truly exceptional. In the old man's eyes, the trick of feigning incompetence or tainting one's reputation was not a sophisticated means worthy of admiration. This young man was born into nobility; what was a little infamy? Being constantly assassinated was simply his destined fate. Speaking of tragic endings, were the people in Xiangfan City, cooked and eaten by their own relatives, not tragic? Were those children, sold by their ruthless parents for their weight during their flight from a ruined nation, not tragic? More recently, the little girl in his arms also had a tragic past. All beings suffer, most unable to voice their pain. Even when Huang Longshi saw Xu Fengnian resolutely descend the mountain to intercept Wang Xianzhi without a complete plan, he was only slightly surprised, mostly viewing it as a matter of course; this was what he owed the girl in his arms. He had even thought that this young man was deeply cunning, hoping to compel Huang Longshi's assistance. Yet, only now, with the situation settled, did Huang Longshi truly feel moved, softly asking, "No regrets?"

Xu Fengnian smiled and shook his head. Though he spoke no sound, it was enough for Huang Longshi to understand his general meaning: "The reason I rushed here is partly because of a promise, and partly because I knew that even with all my effort, I couldn't beat that old fella. Since I'm going to die anyway, it's better for one more person to live. Senior, there's no need to overcomplicate things."

The two exchanged questions and answers.

"Why didn't you hide among the border army, avoiding battle? No matter how formidable Old Monster Wang is, he'd have to kill until his hands went numb to reach you."

"I did consider that. But if I did, the army's morale, which we worked so hard to build, would collapse. And if Wang Xianzhi, in his rage, chose assassination, I still couldn't escape him. Furthermore, if I harbored fear of battle, the spiritual power within Gao Shulu's physique would reject me even more. Then, if Wang Xianzhi caught me, even if my third soul returned from its distant journey, without a foundation, I'd be destined to die upon meeting him. Rather than die ignobly, it's better to fight honorably. It's best if I survive, but even if I die, I believe given Wang Xianzhi's magnanimity, he wouldn't personally declare that the new King of Liang died by his hand. At that point, a 'fake King of Liang' who resembles me would have a purpose."

"You're a dying man, yet you're still thinking of the Xu family guarding the Northwest gate for the imperial court? The words of a dying man are true. It seems I've always judged a gentleman's heart with my petty mind."

"Naturally, not to guard the nation for the Zhao imperial family, nor even for the common people. It's simply the family legacy Xu Xiao passed down, and I promised him I'd carry it. It's that simple. Beyond that, if the people in the south can suffer less and fewer die, it's always a good thing."

"First Chen Zhipao, then Wang Xianzhi. These two great mountains are not much lower than the two faced by Emperor Zhao: Xu Xiao and Zhang Julu. Do you understand the grievances involved?"

"Weakening the feudal lords is the general trend. It's just that the Xu and Zhao families found themselves on opposing sides. I never denied that the emperor in Tai'an City is a wise ruler. On the contrary, he could found a dynasty like his ancestors, and also make it prosper. Even at the end of a dynasty, he might be able to turn the tide and prolong its existence. But that doesn't stop him and me from being mortal enemies. However, his desire for Zhang Julu to have a tragic end should be seen as going against the tide. The commoners from the countryside, continuously entering the court and displacing the aristocratic families, is not something he can resist alone. Senior, you spent twenty years overturning the Spring and Autumn lands, and my master Li Yishan praised you highly for it. In the last years of Yonghui, when you, Senior, secretly entered Beiliang for the third time and met Chen Zhipao, Xu Xiao secretly mobilized most of the Fushui Society's elite and seven hundred Qiushui light cavalry, personally led by Lu Qiuer and Xu Yanbing, determined to keep you. But Master Li Yishan resolutely intervened, and they were not deployed."

"There was such a thing?"

"Yes."

"Many people privately praise me, but only Li Yishan's comment, 'A lofty ambition that transcends the age, and a talent that surpasses the world,' truly hits the mark. Do you know why?"

"I don't know."

During their conversation, one "Xu Fengnian" absorbed the calamity from Hehe Girl like a whale swallowing, while the other infused and replenished her with divine essence.

Huang Longshi smiled: "It's fine not to know. In another book, an ancient person named Kong Zhi Kui wrote an ancient text called 'Bei Shan Yi.' Eight characters from it resonate deeply with me: 'The wind embraces the sun, frost permeates autumn.' Later, Huang Tingjian extended it, writing a line: 'Young talent connects with the noble, old age sees loyalty and righteousness permeate autumn.'"

Both Xu Fengnians were somewhat puzzled but didn't ponder it deeply.

Huang Longshi thought for a moment, smoothed the yellow sand at his feet with his hand, and wrote fourteen characters with his finger: "Lamps in noble houses, moon in poor homes, two ways to see the same Lantern Festival."The old man then murmured, "Truly profound and insightful into human affairs."

Xu Fengnian's soul, a carefree person, nodded.

Huang Longshi continued to use his finger as a pen and the sand as paper, writing the second couplet: "Few things one can share with others, fish know if water is cold or warm; many things often go awry, spring cares not if flowers bloom or fall."

Xu Fengnian's soul, who had borrowed a sword from Wang Xiaoping, simply smiled it off.

Huang Longshi quickly wrote the third line: "Numbers have no end, human woes have no end." The old man then looked up at Xu Fengnian.

Xu Fengnian nodded, then shook his head.

Huang Longshi looked down at the little girl in his arms, who had turned back from the gates of hell, and said softly, "I once used Wen Hua to scheme against you. Do you not bear a grudge?"

"How could I not bear a grudge? But grudges differ in size, and vengeance has its priorities. I simply haven't had time to exact revenge."

"That makes sense."

Huang Longshi nodded: "Earlier, speaking of poems from a certain book, for that old fella Wang Xianzhi, he's already at the pinnacle of his age, dominating the autumn sky. But at a hundred years old, and being the world's foremost martial artist, bullying a junior who hasn't even reached thirty is ultimately not a kind act."

The Xu Fengnian who wielded the "Instant Spear" and rushed to the battlefield gently gazed at Hehe Girl. "Everyone has their own way of living, but some fundamental truths are shared. It's just that Wang Xianzhi's words shut down all arguments: because his fist is hard, he doesn't have to listen to others' reasons. Since I lost, I have no right to reason with him."

At this point, Hehe Girl was about to wake. The two Xu Fengnians, having done their part, stood up and left decisively.

Seeing the two depart, Huang Longshi's expression grew serious. He glanced at the sky, gently placed down his daughter, who had now opened her eyes, stood up, and muttered to himself: "I don't trust anyone, and I'm accustomed to suspecting others with the worst intentions. Yet, you, Xu Fengnian, in a situation with no retreat, still acted in a way that satisfies me. It seems I truly misjudged you before."

Huang Longshi smiled and turned, seemingly answering himself, "Xu Fengnian, you certainly don't know that the last person who 'roamed the Spring and Autumn' could not leave the 'Spring and Autumn' because I intentionally closed that book, preventing them from stepping out of that page. Now that it has come to this, I can no longer hide it. This is both helping you and helping myself."

The old man sighed, "Who first awakened from the great dream? One knows it oneself throughout life."

Huang Longshi took a deep breath. "I could have achieved the realm of a Confucian Saint long ago; I've simply been deliberately suppressing it. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been only a fleeting Xuanyuan Jingcheng after the Spring and Autumn period. I shall bestow upon you a truly boundless journey."

Huang Longshi raised his arm, his fingers making strokes and gestures.

He wrote four characters.

"I write Spring and Autumn to revere Heaven and Earth!"

Flipping a book open as if opening a door.

Behind Huang Longshi, as if a great door had opened, a person stepped out and softly replied, "Heaven and Earth naturally revere me."

"Departing Baidi in the morning amidst colorful clouds."

Baidi, in ancient texts, is one of the Five Heavenly Emperors, governing all Western deities.

Wang Xianzhi watched the colorful clouds gather and disperse overhead, gaining some sudden insight. He roughly understood his own origins. No wonder, in the unseen realm, he was at odds with the True Martial Great Emperor, the Northern God. Wang Xianzhi, from Wudi City, had deeply detested the True Martial Dharma Idol's descent into Spring God Lake back then.

Wang Xianzhi did not stop Xu Fengnian's souls from fleeing afar, nor did he prevent their return.

Feeling the faint breath of Xu Fengnian lying in the pool of blood, Wang Xianzhi looked towards the northern sky and asked loudly, "Shall we fight again in the heavens?"

The heavens did not respond to Wang Xianzhi's question.

But someone on earth replied with two words: "No need."

A massive, luminous streak of light plunged into Xu Fengnian's body, which lay in the blood.

Wang Xianzhi frowned and turned to look.

Xu Fengnian knelt on one knee, pressing a hand to the ground, and softly said, "No need to fight again in the heavens."

Wang Xianzhi narrowed his eyes, staring at the young man whose divine essence was now complete, a sight he had never witnessed before. He was somewhat puzzled: not completely dead yet?

The old man glanced at Huang Longshi's situation and quickly understood. This young king had taken a path somewhat different from Yuan Qingshan of Beimang, intending to merge the three doctrines of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Unfortunately, it lacked the crucial Confucian aspect. Wang Xianzhi didn't believe anyone in the world could guide Xu Fengnian to fully grasp this realm. If Cao Changqing were to abandon his cultivation, there might be a fifty percent chance, but that Green-Clad Official wanted to restore his nation, and even if he held Xu Fengnian in high regard, he would never act impulsively and assist someone else when the restoration of Western Chu was imminent. However, Wang Xianzhi had never expected the cold-hearted and detached Huang Sanjia to act in such a way, and truly allow the last Spring and Autumn wanderer to gain such profound insight. This kind of inherited bestowal isn't something that can simply be received by one person just because another gives it. Just like when Xu Fengnian first went to Wudang Mountain to practice his blade techniques, Wang Chonglou spared no effort to bestow his Great Huangting cultivation, but in the end, only seven-tenths was transferred, incurring heavy losses and falling far short of allowing the young prince to achieve immortality in a single step. Huang Longshi's actions were no different from a reckless gamble. If he bestowed the realm but "Xu Fengnian" couldn't fully accept it, achieving only a partial Confucian Saint that did nothing to change the outcome, then it would truly be a failure in his twilight years, becoming the greatest joke under heaven.

At present, Wang Xianzhi's injuries were not fatal, but not light either.

Especially that Instant Spear; it was the most vulnerable he had been since reaching the pinnacle of martial arts. It bothered the old man greatly, not just the severity of the injury, but that no matter how Wang Xianzhi replayed it afterwards, he couldn't have avoided it.

Xu Fengnian grabbed a handful of sand, stood up, and opened his palm. The yellow sand was scattered by the wind, thrown high into the sky, traveling afar, seeping into the colorful clouds like dirt spilled on silk, instantly dispersing their elegance.

All three of Xu Fengnian's souls had returned to his body. Although the face that Wang Xianzhi had torn apart was not healed and remained shocking, his aura was majestic and unparalleled.

Wang Xianzhi's expression was calm, but his heart stirred faintly.

His will to fight had never been stronger than it was now.

It was like a person standing alone on the highest tower, finally seeing a second person reach the top.

There is no first, so they disdain each other.

In martial arts, there is no second, so they kill each other!

Wang Xianzhi, who had always allowed juniors to display their brilliant opening moves while remaining unmoving, took one step back, then one step forward, initiating a starting stance for the first time.

Xu Fengnian darted forward, and a short blade, Spring Thunder, appeared in his hand, held in a reverse grip.

With his second long stride, another, slightly longer famous blade, Embroidered Winter, appeared, held in a forward grip.

The two blades, either gifted or borrowed from White Fox-faced, accompanied him through the martial world of Liyang and Beimang.

Spring Thunder in his left hand, Embroidered Winter in his right.

With both blades in hand, Xu Fengnian instantly charged to Wang Xianzhi's front, bringing Embroidered Winter down on his head.

Wang Xianzhi raised a hand and gripped the blade of Embroidered Winter, which showed no trace of a blade aura.

His right hand was about to strike out, attempting to smash Xu Fengnian's chest in one blow.

The young man's divine essence had indeed reached its peak, but Gao Shulu's physique was still on the verge of collapsing.

But before Wang Xianzhi could strike, the short blade Spring Thunder, held in a reverse grip, swept horizontally. It was surprisingly a fraction of a second faster than Wang Xianzhi, who was using immense power.

Both blades appeared effortless, as if their only secret was speed, with no other profound mystery.

Yet, after Wang Xianzhi blocked the short blade with his elbow, he actually retreated.

Xu Fengnian shadowed him closely, maintaining a distance of one blade's length from Wang Xianzhi. Embroidered Winter thrust directly at the wound on Wang Xianzhi's body, which had been pierced by the Instant Spear.

Wang Xianzhi stood fearless, allowing the perilous strike to come, but simultaneously punched at Xu Fengnian's neck.

Xu Fengnian's body swayed upward, Embroidered Winter leaving his hand, barely dodging Wang Xianzhi's heavy punch. He drifted past Wang Xianzhi sideways, then gripped the Embroidered Winter blade again from behind Wang Xianzhi, where it had passed through his body.

It was truly an effortless movement.

Because he hadn't managed to plant any subsequent energy into the Embroidered Winter blade, this strike, while seemingly heavily injuring Wang Xianzhi, carried more of a humiliating intent.

Wang Xianzhi was finally forced into a meticulous situation. Instead of turning to pursue, he tapped his toe and crashed his back into Xu Fengnian.

He decided it was fine to take one or several blade strikes, as long as he thoroughly shattered Xu Fengnian's physique, then the overall situation would be decided.

Xu Fengnian, with his back to Wang Xianzhi, shifted a few steps horizontally, again brushing past Wang Xianzhi. Just as their gazes met, Xu Fengnian swiped his blade across Wang Xianzhi's neck.

Wang Xianzhi suddenly accelerated, not only ducking his head to avoid the glinting blade but also stumbling slightly as he crashed into Xu Fengnian's side, pushing out a palm towards Xu Fengnian's shoulder.

Xu Fengnian twisted his foot, turning half a circle, perfectly using the inverted Spring Thunder blade edge to block Wang Xianzhi's palm.

Wang Xianzhi changed his palm into a grip, his tiger's mouth clamping the blade edge, just about to snap the short blade.

Unexpectedly, Xu Fengnian, with extreme nonchalance, horizontally swung Embroidered Winter. The tip of the blade brushed the hilt of Spring Thunder, causing the latter to spin endlessly. Not only did it evade Wang Xianzhi's grip and subsequent intention to destroy the blade, but the short blade actually rotated rapidly around the old man once, finally returning to Xu Fengnian's hand.

Wang Xianzhi kicked out a foot, Xu Fengnian leaped high. Wang Xianzhi threw a punch, no longer hoping for direct impact, but exploding with pure fist energy.

Wang Xianzhi seemed to be in a predicament, but the power of this punch's fist energy was clearly superior to all his previous moves.

It was evident the old man still held reserves of strength.

Xu Fengnian's figure suddenly flickered and vanished.

He reappeared several yards away, holding both blades, his sleeves fluttering.

This too contained a hidden mystery.

As Wang Xianzhi rushed forward, he laughed loudly, "So indirect?"

Xu Fengnian did not speak.

Just as Wang Xianzhi was about to charge in front of him, Xu Fengnian casually tossed Spring Thunder into the air. He switched from gripping Embroidered Winter with his right hand to gripping it with both hands, and with a burst of energy, crashed into Wang Xianzhi.

Wang Xianzhi and Xu Fengnian almost simultaneously paused slightly.

Then, on the battlefield, wherever Wang Xianzhi had stepped, a figure appeared.

And together, they lunged at Xu Fengnian!

But Xu Fengnian continued to charge forward without hesitation, slicing Embroidered Winter towards an empty spot where there was no Wang Xianzhi.

In an instant, one Wang Xianzhi slid backward several yards, a thin line of blood appearing on his forehead, slowly seeping out.

Simultaneously, hundreds of Wang Xianzhi figures vanished.

The world would certainly not imagine that even the formidable Wang Xianzhi would experience a moment where one force overcomes many.

Xu Fengnian continued to close in, using Embroidered Winter to make pinpoint strikes on Wang Xianzhi's body.

Every strike stopped just short of its full power.

Countless tiny wounds appeared on Wang Xianzhi's body.

Xu Fengnian neither allowed Wang Xianzhi to successfully close in nor failed to leave a mark with every strike.

The Spring Thunder blade, thrown into the air, reached its apex and began to fall.

Wang Xianzhi was probably exhausted of patience by such relentlessly precise calculations. In the ensuing close-quarters combat, which was extremely fast for both sides, the wounds inflicted by Embroidered Winter became deeper, but Wang Xianzhi also drew closer to Xu Fengnian.

The most dangerous moment was when Wang Xianzhi's palm almost crushed Xu Fengnian's neck, and Xu Fengnian's Embroidered Winter almost cut Wang Xianzhi in half at the waist.

However, both abandoned this opportunity to potentially exchange lives.

The falling Spring Thunder blade drew closer to the battlefield on the ground.

The ground beneath their feet was shattered and scarred, a terrible sight.

But no matter how fiercely and rapidly their attacks came, the yellow sand remained still, not a single grain moving, beyond a yard from where they stood.

Victory and defeat hung by a thread.

Wang Xianzhi exerted twelve parts of his strength.

Still, he was trapped in a predicament of slow, gradual cutting.

With or without intent, Spring Thunder had now fallen to about a yard above Xu Fengnian's head.

Xu Fengnian, naturally a left-handed swordsman, experienced a surge in power.

His space for maneuvering had been compressed to the extreme by Wang Xianzhi.

Without a new move, he would be doomed.

But if he could grasp that short blade,

A shift in the situation could occur.

Because Wang Xianzhi's "One Qi Flowing a Thousand Li," though becoming stronger and more vigorous with each exchange, was also nearing its end.

Both knew this clearly.

Wang Xianzhi's "unspirited" comment was both a jest at Xu Fengnian and self-mockery. Therefore, from the beginning, Wang Xianzhi had intended to settle their life-or-death outcome with a single sustained effort.

In the final moment, Xu Fengnian risked taking a punch just to catch the Spring Thunder blade.

If he could grip the blade,

He could then turn the tide of the battle.

But Wang Xianzhi surprisingly stopped his movement after half a punch.

With his "One Qi" almost exhausted, he unexpectedly reversed its flow a thousand li once more.

About to form a new, immense surge of energy.

In a contest between those of similar realms, the "flow" of energy comes first, and the "turn" or "reversal" comes after. The speed of the flow can determine who has the upper hand, but a sudden reversal can determine life or death.

Wang Xianzhi's final battle in the human realm, and his ultimate concluding move, lay in this unprecedented back-and-forth, with the key being the word "reverse."

Wang Xianzhi's sudden retraction of half a punch was deliberate, allowing Xu Fengnian to grasp the blade so he could complete his energy reversal first. Then, with one step ahead, then a second, he would deliver a killing blow!

Suddenly,

The old man showed a peculiar expression.

Xu Fengnian did not reach for the Spring Thunder blade, which was within arm's reach.

Wang Xianzhi had pulled back his hand to change his energy, while Xu Fengnian pulled back his hand to continue attacking.

Instead, Xu Fengnian seized the initiative.

Even more unexpectedly for Wang Xianzhi, Xu Fengnian's Embroidered Winter blade precisely struck the juncture between Wang Xianzhi's old and new energy flows. It wasn't the heart or the neck, but a seemingly insignificant acupuncture point.

Xu Fengnian "collided with the blade" and rushed forward.

He even pressed his left hand on the back of the blade.

Wang Xianzhi was thus carried backward for dozens of yards.

No matter how imposing and seasoned, he ultimately couldn't stop the arrival of the new winter.

Wang Xianzhi's energy rapidly dissipated, his white hair wildly fluttering.

Xu Fengnian raised his blade diagonally, giving an eye for an eye, lifting Wang Xianzhi's massive body off the ground. He didn't pull out Embroidered Winter, which was suppressing the energy flow. Releasing his right hand, his left hand gripped Spring Thunder, which had been trailing behind him.

Before Wang Xianzhi could pull out Embroidered Winter with both hands, Xu Fengnian's Spring Thunder blade passed clean through Wang Xianzhi's head.

Embroidered Winter was not pulled out.

Neither was Spring Thunder.

The Spring Thunder blade, having pierced through his skull, remained suspended.

And so, Wang Xianzhi was left hanging in mid-air.