Chapter 65: Three Bowls and Then Three More Bowls

Fish Youwei did not get along with the eccentric old sword god. She preferred to ride with the cat and enjoy the scenery along Heyang County. She glanced at Xu Fengnian, who was constantly whispering with the old Taoist priest of Nine Dou Rice, and couldn't help but lean closer, asking, "Isn't His Royal Highness disappointed that you couldn't teach the elegant Madam Xu to write that 'Goose Cooking Calligraphy'?"

Xu Fengnian was asking Grandpa Wei about the mysteries of the Malao Pass and other Taoist passes, hoping to use the wisdom from elsewhere to make the invisible Great Yellow Court his own. Upon hearing Fish Youwei's sarcasm, he indifferently said, "Do you believe me? If I return to Yingchuan County, Jin Sanlang would willingly offer Madam Xu to warm my bed? He would even smile more broadly than usual, knowing that Madam Xu and I were in bed together."

Fish Youwei ignored the vulgar talk of warming the bed. Looking disbelieving, she asked, "Is he crazy?"

Xu Fengnian smiled, feigning profundity, and said, "He's not crazy. Jin Sanlang can't wield a sword, but he excelled not by becoming a sage through studying the classics, but by understanding human relations and worldly affairs. So he's a smart man."

Fish Youwei only felt dread. She had once been a daughter of an official family in Western Chu, so she was no stranger to gifting female servants to build connections. But giving one's wife to an outsider was too shocking for her. The most surprising thing was that Xu Fengnian had only caused trouble in the Yingchuan manor. She heard that Jin Lanting had been driven mad and fainted several times. Could he truly have gone insane from anger? Fish Youwei rubbed the soft, round fur of Wu Meiniang. She remained silent. Three years of travel, one year of saber training, plus more than a year of interaction with Xu Fengnian before his travels—thinking carefully, they had known each other for five years. Yet, Fish Youwei found herself understanding less and less about this His Royal Highness. He was as absurd as ever, but his past antics—buying poetry to feign refinement, using ruffians to snatch young women, giving large sums to wandering knights—were simply absurd. Now, there seemed to be something hidden behind the absurdity, something Fish Youwei didn't comprehend.

Xu Fengnian did not reveal the mystery. When they encountered the red-armored Taoist talisman general, and old man Li Chungang repelled the enemy with two sword strikes, he used a white falcon to send a secret letter to Lu Qiu'er, who was observing from a distance. After causing trouble for Jin Sanlang at the Jin mansion in Yingchuan until he was completely exasperated, he sent another letter. The matter of promoting Jin Lanting was his own decision; there was no personal recommendation from the Grand Marshal. In the Liyang Dynasty, Xu Xiao, who nominally led both civil and military officials, held a thousand, even ten thousand times more sway than Xu Fengnian. However, within the Xu family, Xu Fengnian's words were a hundred times more effective than Xu Xiao's. If Xu Fengnian said he wanted Jin Lanting to become a Huangmen Attendant, a position even higher than a Minor Palace Attendant, how could Xu Xiao disagree? Lu Qiu'er, deeply aware of the dynamic within the Xu family where one thing subjugates another, merely went with the flow. The fact that the great halberd-wielding Ning Emei encountered Lu Qiu'er on his return to Beiliang and was immediately reinforced with over forty light cavalry was unexpected for Xu Fengnian.

Inside the carriage, Jiang Ni received an extra hundred coppers to manage the processed Xuan paper Xu Fengnian had collected. These Xuan papers, copied with red-armored talismans and Sanskrit script, were also organized and stored by her in a book box. She was currently holding a sheet of undecipherable "heavenly script" and staring intently at it, but couldn't make any sense of it. Old Li in the sheepskin robe, while scratching his feet, watched Jiang Ni frown. He couldn't bear to see such a clever and perceptive young girl ruined by that "Xu boy." He kindly advised, "Jiang girl, stop looking. That boy is just being mysterious. He didn't have good intentions giving it to you to keep. In my opinion, you shouldn't even read books. He's not afraid of you memorizing all these secret manuals. Even if you memorize them all, what then? Reading benefits him because he has already mastered martial arts; the more he hears, the deeper his understanding. But for you, the more you read, the more confused you'll become, and the harder it will be to start. My words remain: as long as you focus on sword practice, let alone that Xu boy who practices the saber, even Deng Ta'a wouldn't dare to look down on you."

Jiang Ni didn't look up and said, "Don't bother me. If I don't read, will you give me money?"

The old sword god said dejectedly, "That boy was right, girl; you've really fallen for money."

Jiang Ni, who was feeling frustrated from looking at the Xuan paper drawings, looked up and glared, "Mind your own business!"

The eccentric Li Chungang loved the sight of the young girl getting angry. He pointed his finger upwards and smiled, "Be careful, or I won't give you back this divine talisman."

Jiang Ni put away the Xuan paper, picked up the "Thousand Swords Compendium" that the old man deemed vulgar, and silently recited it. She had a poor memory, couldn't remember even after reading something three times, let alone recite it backward from memory like Xu Fengnian. As for the moves and principles described in the manual, she only vaguely understood them, feeling confused and having a headache. The carriage suddenly stopped. Jiang Ni's heart leaped with joy. The first time they stopped, they saw Chen Zhibao in white seeing them off. The second time, they even saw strange red-armored men blocking their way to assassinate Xu Fengnian. This time? Jiang Ni lifted the curtain, feeling a little disappointed. It was just that the drink-loving His Royal Highness saw a wine stall by the road and went to drink with the old Taoist priest, Uncle Wei Yang.

The wine stall had a dusty apricot blossom wine flag hanging. After Xu Fengnian, Grandpa Wei, and Fish Youwei were seated, Xu Fengnian began to speak slowly: "The apricot blossom wine sold by the roadside in Liangzhou is either heavily diluted or completely fake, not authentic. Don't let this small stall fool you; the wine here is genuine, especially since we're sitting very close to the 'Drooling Well' near the Immortal Crane Pavilion. The well water is excellent, and it's the perfect match for brewing wine. The weight per jin is uniquely heavy. The 'Double Steamed' brewing method that only became popular in our area in recent years actually originated from the nearby villages. The wine has a rich aroma and a wonderful taste when you drink it. Tsk, tsk, it's delicious! Waiter, bring two jin of apricot blossom wine first, and as much beef as you have."

The wine stall owner and his assistant had already noticed that this handsome and distinguished young master was not short of money. Hearing so much praise for his apricot blossom wine made him beam even more. For a wine seller, this wine was like his child; what parent doesn't like others praising their children? Moreover, everything this young master said was well-reasoned. The Immortal Crane Pavilion and the Drooling Well were old local landmarks. Scholars from Yong and Quan prefectures often came here with their beautiful companions to compose poetry. However, these noble scholars looked down on roadside stalls. Even if the wine was authentic, it simply wasn't suitable for their status. The wine stall owner wasn't disheartened. Today was like a blessing from his ancestors; a connoisseur from a wealthy family had arrived. Judging by his accent, he was from Liangzhou? The wine stall owner cautiously glanced at the three attendants who were not qualified to be seated. The woman was truly enchanting; her buttocks were countless times larger than his own old hag's. The brawny man with the great sword was terrifying. As for the pale, sickly-looking fellow, the shop owner ignored him, only confirming that he was a human shadow, not a ghost. What was there to fear in broad daylight?

While diligently serving wine, the owner glared at the young assistant who was staring spellbound at the voluptuous woman holding the white cat. He was furious. Even he didn't dare to look directly at that lady. This scoundrel had eaten a leopard's gall! Was he still doing business or not? The owner kicked the assistant's leg, which brought him back to his senses. The owner had heard that the various young scions from Beiliang were indeed generous spenders, but every time they caused trouble across the borders, weren't the young masters from Yong and Quan prefectures the ones who suffered? The local bigwigs of Yongzhou truly couldn't contend with the "crossing river dragons" from Beiliang. Especially the number one notorious young scion of Beiliang, His Royal Highness; his arrogance and tyranny were unparalleled in the world. Fortunately, they were common folk, so they would never have to encounter such a person in their lifetime.

The owner, who had never studied but had heard many apricot blossom poems, smiled with a mix of pride and flattery: "This young master is clearly an expert. My grandfather used to say that our apricot blossom wine is mentioned in the 'Yongzhou Geography'."

Xu Fengnian poured a cup of clear apricot blossom wine for Fish Youwei and smiled: "Yes, 'New well outside Immortal Crane Pavilion, its heavy water subtly like crab roe.' It praises this wine."

The owner was truly impressed this time and praised sincerely: "Young master, your knowledge is vast!"

Xu Fengnian laughed heartily: "Then how about a discount for us?"

The owner immediately withered, looking troubled. Flattery didn't cost a single copper coin, but lowering prices for a small business meant losing hard-earned money, bit by bit. How heartbreaking that would be. Fortunately, the young master was just joking and considerately said, "I was just jesting. I'm already quite grateful to be able to drink apricot blossom wine."

Shu Xiu, who was increasingly curious about this His Royal Highness, was even more puzzled when she saw Xu Fengnian drinking inferior wine from a poor, remote area out of a dirty bowl. Although she came from the wild south, she had been a witch since childhood, revered as a goddess. When it came to food, clothing, housing, and transportation, she couldn't compare to His Royal Highness's lavish lifestyle, but after defecting from her sect and traveling the jianghu alone, she was followed by a continuous stream of admirers. So, Shu Xiu had never lived frugally. Seeing Xu Fengnian so uninhibited made her utterly bewildered.

Jiang Ni followed the wine-loving old sword god off the carriage and sat on the bench opposite Xu Fengnian.

Fish Youwei took a sip of the warm apricot blossom wine. The taste was excellent, distinct from the refreshing Green Ant Wine of Beiliang. She softly asked, "What's the story behind the 'Drooling Well'?"

Xu Fengnian was narrowing his eyes, savoring the lingering sweetness and potency of the wine on his tongue. Hearing the question, he smiled and said, "Legend has it that an immortal on Mount Wudang was resting with his crane in the pavilion. Seeing the simple customs of the people, he couldn't bear to see them thirsty, so he spat a mouthful of saliva into the well. From then on, the well water became sweeter than even the famous springs in the mountains."

Fish Youwei looked unnatural, "Saliva?"

Xu Fengnian laughed heartily: "Perhaps some people's saliva is sweet. I'd like to taste it, but I haven't been able to confirm it yet."

Fish Youwei's cheeks flushed, whether from the apricot blossom wine in her hand or someone's drunken words.

Old Li rolled his eyes and muttered, "Jiang girl, we'll give up the carriage later. Seeing these two flirting all day without doing anything proper, I'm getting sick of it."

Jiang Ni, who wasn't drinking, said indignantly, "One string of coins! No, ten strings!"

Xu Fengnian was about to counter the little mud figure who was demanding such an exorbitant sum, but he caught sight of Ning Emei riding alone. This brave general of Beiliang, with his meticulous mind, had left his halberd unused. After dismounting, he was about to call out "Your Royal Highness," but Xu Fengnian waved his hand and said, "Come, drink. Waiter, another two jin of wine."

Ning Emei didn't stand on ceremony. He stood and drank three large bowls, his expression unchanged, likely a thousand-cup drinker. This was not surprising; military discipline in the Beiliang Iron Cavalry was strict, but after every victory and city massacre, they were allowed to drink their fill. Few generals or soldiers from Beiliang had poor alcohol tolerance.

Ning Emei omitted the intimidating title "Your Royal Highness." Ever since Chen Zhibao personally led three hundred iron cavalry to see them off, he had inadvertently been put on the same side as Beiliang's Twin Fangs, Dian Xiongchu and Wei Fucheng. His Royal Highness had not given him a good look since, causing him to have no chance to speak after their reunion in Yingchuan. Ning Emei's official rank was not high, and he didn't care whether he could use this opportunity to befriend His Royal Highness. However, at the Yingchuan city gate, he had humiliated those who were former subordinates of the Grand Marshal and General Wuyang, Gu Jiantang. It was hard to guarantee that the Eastern Deputy Commandant wouldn't jointly memorialize the court, accusing him of reckless action. As a Beiliang general, Ning Emei didn't need to concern himself with such minor annoyances. But if His Royal Highness were to perceive his actions as reckless again, it would truly be unfair to the forty-plus fallen comrades in the Phoenix Regiment. So, hearing that the horse team ahead had stopped, he rode alone, wanting to say a few honest, heartfelt words without shame, hoping only that His Royal Highness would not implicate the excellent men of the Phoenix Regiment, who had done nothing to tarnish Beiliang's military prestige.

The wine-selling owner, assistant, and waiter all sensibly kept their distance. This man was burly, with a broad back and strong shoulders, wearing heavy armor, and possessing an imposing aura. He didn't look like an ordinary soldier. Could he be a general from Heyang County?

Ning Emei lowered his voice and said, "At the Yingchuan city gate, Ning Emei took action to teach those who closed the gate a lesson..."

Xu Fengnian interrupted the great halberd-wielding Ning Emei, chuckling softly: "General Ning, you flipped that Eastern Deputy Commandant with one halberd strike, and that's enough to vent your anger? If I had been there, I would have had you strip off his armor and hang him from the city gate! If you think you went too far and are afraid of causing me trouble, then I regret inviting you for those three bowls of wine. But if you still feel unsatisfied, how about I invite you for three more bowls?"

A surge of heroic spirit suddenly swelled within Ning Emei, his demeanor brightened, making this second "fang" of Beiliang appear even more extraordinarily magnificent. "Then Ning Emei will gladly drink three more bowls!"