Chapter 651: Wu Family's Hundred Riders Head to Liangzhou

Volume Three: He Xinliang

One astonishing piece of news overshadowed another that was already quite shocking. The latter was a memorial personally drafted by Song Dongming, the Deputy Strategic Commissioner whom those outside Beiliang referred to as "unjustified and illegitimate." This memorial was submitted to Tai'an City, causing a stir in the Liyang court. It stated that Xu Fengnian, the Prince of Beiliang, at a critical juncture when Beiman's vast army was clearly pressing on his borders, had maliciously and proactively requested to dispatch troops to suppress the rebellion in Guangling Dao. Many speculated with ill intent that Beiliang was finally planning a rebellion, perhaps having even received the personal promise of the Beiman Empress. They argued that the so-called "suppression" was merely a grand excuse to invite trouble, and that the intentions of Xu Fengnian, the new Lord of Beiliang, were truly despicable! However, another piece of news, unrelated to the political situation but far more intriguing to both officials and common folk, quickly began to spread widely. It soon circulated throughout the land, from north to south, and particularly sparked fervent discussion across the capital. Its intensity rivaled the buzz when Wang Xianzhi left Wudi City and, later, when Qi Yanglong entered Tai'an City.

The Wu Family Sword Mound, a place dedicated to swordsmanship where its inhabitants lived as if they were withered trees awaiting death, saw not only individuals openly depart from what was, for centuries, both a death ground and a sacred place for countless exceptional swordsmen, but also an entire contingent of nearly a hundred people setting out all at once!

The Wu Family Sword Mound was considered a death ground because, for any swordsman in the world to truly make a name for themselves, they had to pass the Wu family's test. They needed to compete against a member of the Wu family or a Wu family sword-servant. Only those who could emerge from the Sword Mound, carrying a renowned sword taken from its sword-graves, were considered masters of the sword. Even Song Nianqing, the former sect leader of the Dongyue Sword Pool, whose sect's reputation plummeted after he was defeated by Wang Xianzhi in his youth, found the true opportunity for the Dongyue Sword Pool to return to its martial arts peak when he safely returned from the Sword Mound in his prime. Even though he did not draw a famous weapon from the Sword Mound, his return still helped the Dongyue Sword Pool recover. Although some busybodies close to the Sword Pool often claimed that Song Nianqing's return meant his swordsmanship surpassed that of the Wu family, most people regarded this as mere talk, and Song Nianqing himself never made such statements in his later life.

The Wu family has been famous for eight hundred years, traceable back to the Great Qin Dynasty. Several powerful dynasties that later vied for control of the Central Plains followed. Now, temporary markets had sprung up everywhere, restaurants and teahouses were packed with no seats to be found, and inns were completely overflowing. Many guests had eagerly traveled from Liangzhou and Lingzhou to join the excitement, as exhilarating news had arrived from neighboring Hezhou: the Wu family swordsmen were expected to cross the border soon! As for which specific county or district they would enter, or who would be lucky enough to encounter them, everyone simply awaited their fortune.

In an obscure small inn in Yunxia Town, a young man and woman, appearing to be master and servant, were rather unremarkable. The man's appearance was decent, but he didn't look like someone from a wealthy family; otherwise, his maid wouldn't be a blind woman with closed eyes, nor would she lack charm. She carried a sword, seemingly to put on airs, but it looked like a worthless piece of junk forged by a clumsy blacksmith. From the innkeeper to the waiters, no one paid them much attention. They were all busy eyeing the well-heeled young masters and ladies, the wealthy and influential guests who could afford to spend lavishly. Normally, who would willingly stay in an inn that offered nothing special, if not for the excitement caused by those old fellows from the Wu Family Sword Mound? If it weren't for the young man's persistent persuasion, the innkeeper would have already kicked the master and servant, who had paid a deposit, out of the establishment. The inn had only a dozen rooms, barely twenty even with the hastily cleared storage rooms. Deciding who got a room was a big deal. The innkeeper, being somewhat honest, grudgingly allowed the two poor-looking individuals to stay, though he didn't like to look at them. Every glance felt like watching several taels of silver slip through his fingers, which was infuriating.

That day, the young master and servant again arrived early to occupy the window-side table on the inn's first floor. To put it bluntly, they were like someone occupying a latrine without actually using it – they didn't order any wine, just a pot of hot tea, the cheapest item. The waiter, with a cold expression, slammed a plate of accompanying snacks onto their table, muttering audibly to himself, "Tea, tea, always just tea! We truly have a unique customer who only drinks tea and never wine!"

The young man in green feigned ignorance and smiled, while the maid, carrying the worn-out sword, seemed to be both blind and deaf, showing no reaction to anything said or done.

Once the waiter had moved away to diligently serve a table of wealthy patrons as if they were his ancestors, the young man from out of town pouted. "After seeing all sorts of people, I still think Wen Busheng is the most agreeable. This world, sigh, it's truly bewildering."

The woman sitting quietly across from him remained silent. If a beautiful woman were this quiet, men might see her as serene as a lotus flower. Unfortunately, her plain appearance made her seem dull and uninteresting to others.

The young man at the table with her never seemed to find her dull. He continued speaking to himself, "Cuihua, we've traveled over ten thousand li since we left home, from north to south, then from southeast to this northwest. But I've been eating your pickled cabbage every single day. I really, truly have a tiny desire to try something different, just a tiny thought."

The woman, whose name was terribly common, seriously suggested, "How about pickled cabbage with pointed peppers?"

The young man grimaced. "But that's still pickled cabbage, and I can't eat spicy food."

The woman thought carefully for a moment and asked, "Pickled cabbage stewed with meat?"

The young man swallowed, looking conflicted. "That would be good, but we can't afford meat."

The woman simply murmured a faint "Oh," and offered nothing further.

This was not a problem she cared to think about, so she didn't. That was simply her way.

The young man didn't dwell on the issue either; it had become a habit. In truth, he wasn't tired of pickled cabbage; he just wanted an excuse for her to talk to him.

Wu Liuding felt he would never grow tired of pickled cabbage in his life. Even if figures like Tangxi Sword Immortal Lu Baijie and Longhu Mountain's Qi Xianxia, forming a group of nine, surpassed the cultivation levels of the Wu family's nine ancestors, their destructive power against tens of thousands of cavalry might not exceed them by much.

Wu Liuding hadn't actually been paying close attention, but he was pleasantly surprised that Cuihua had spoken so much in one go.

Cuihua had clearly seen through his thoughts and quickly reverted to her usual silence, as if resuming her meditation.

Wu Liuding sighed, rubbing the stubble on his chin. "Forget being the world's greatest swordsman; at this point, I probably can't even claim to be in the top five, and the top ten might be a stretch. But with the Ancestors making such a grand display, I'd be too embarrassed to drag you along. Cuihua, I'm quite melancholic right now."

The last phrase was something Wen Busheng, who brazenly sponged off them for food, drink, and lodging in their small Tai'an City residence back then, often said. Wu Liuding had actually omitted the word "crotch" from the original phrase. After he once tried to imitate it, he couldn't eat pickled cabbage for two or three months, so from then on, he only dared to say "right now" and not "crotch now."

Cuihua was unwilling to speak, and Wu Liuding felt a strange sadness. For a moment, both he, the Wu family's Sword Crown without a sword, and the female sword attendant across the table, who carried the "Plain King" sword, fell silent.

The ten or so tables on the first floor were occupied by brightly dressed, ostentatious guests. Everyone said Beiliang was poor, but in truth, there were just as many wealthy people as anywhere else in Liyang. Most of the inn's guests engaged in boisterous conversations, spouting sensational opinions, or offered seemingly expert, mysterious pronouncements. They'd claim someone they knew knew someone else, who in turn was a grand swordsman who had entered the Sword Mound and emerged unscathed. Yet, amidst all the clamor and exaggerated claims, everyone secretly knew that if someone truly came from a prestigious family that knew such top martial artists, they wouldn't choose to stay and drink in an inn like this.

No one could have imagined that nearby sat the Wu family's Sword Crown, who had gained fame across the land shortly after leaving his clan, and a female sword attendant carrying the world's second most renowned sword and having mastered Li Chungang's "Two Sleeves Green Snake" technique. It was likely that even if Wu Liuding revealed his true identity and background, no one would believe him, nor would they dare to.

In the eyes of those present, if you were truly Wu Liuding, how could you dare to travel the jianghu without a dozen or so grand masters accompanying you, serving you tea and water, and massaging your shoulders and back? How could you brazenly claim to be the unique and unparalleled Sword Crown of the world? So, he must be a fake!

About an hour later, the entire Yunxia Town erupted in a commotion.

The hundred cavalry from the Wu Family Sword Mound were actually passing through here!

Cuihua stood up, reached behind her, and gently pressed her hand on the ancient "Plain King" sword.

The hundred Wu family cavalry, who were originally supposed to bypass the town according to custom, changed their minds at the last minute under the leadership of a man named Wu, and exceptionally passed directly through it.

The hundred riders entered the streets of Yunxia Town.

Only the sound of hooves was heard, with not a single extraneous noise.

Every face bore the same gaunt expression.

The older ones had heads full of frost-white hair, and even the youngest were men and women in their forties.

Each of them carried a single sword on their back, without exception. None wore a sword at their hip or had a sword hidden in a scabbard.

"If one trespasses into my Wu family and their skill is inferior to mine, they shall become a Wu family sword-servant for this life and the next, and shall not call themselves a swordsman."

This was the rule established by Wu Qiong, who became the world's foremost swordsman at the age of thirty-one. For centuries, the rules of the Wu clan had virtually become the rules for all swordsmen in the world.

In the shops along both sides of Yunxia Town's main street, no one dared to step out onto the road. They only dared to peer out from windows and doorways, their eyes filled with wonder and awe, and almost everyone had sweat on their foreheads and palms.

Even the waiter couldn't bother to lust after the curvaceous figures of the wealthy young women. Lacking the ability and status to push his way to the doorway, he could only move a chair inside the door, stand on it, and crane his neck to watch.

But this was not the most exaggerated sight. The most extraordinary were those nimble individuals who had climbed onto trees and rooftops.

As they witnessed the Wu family's hundred cavalry ride past right before their eyes, there were gasps of awe from those intimidated by the Sword Mound's reputation, cheers for them coming to aid Beiliang, but mostly, there was a dazed bewilderment.

When the horsemen, each with a man, a sword, and a horse, inexplicably halted in a straight line on the street, stopping in front of that unremarkable inn, the crowd at the entrance immediately recoiled in fright. Many tripped and fell, scrambling back into the inn on all fours.

This finally cleared a path for Wu Liuding and his sword attendant, Cuihua.

When the innkeeper and the waiter saw the second and third riders of the Wu family cavalry dismount, yielding their positions to the young, poor-looking master and servant, their minds went blank; they were utterly terrified.

The waiter, who had given the master and servant so much grief over the past few days, fell flat on his backside, smelling strongly of urine.

Wu Liuding mounted the horse that Helian, one of the Wu family sword-servants, an old man, had dismounted for him. Cuihua, meanwhile, mounted the horse of an old woman who had long been forgotten by the jianghu.

The two sword-servants showed no resentment. As the cavalry continued forward, they silently followed alongside the two horses, their steps swift as if walking on wind.

Such were the rules of the Wu family.

No matter how powerful or renowned a swordsman you were before entering the Wu Family Sword Mound, if your sword was inferior to ours, whether you could ever wield a sword again in this life would be decided by a member of the Wu family.

The middle-aged man leading the cavalry, after encountering Wu Liuding and Cuihua, did not utter a single word. He turned his horse around and returned to the Wu family alone.

Wu Liuding turned to glance at the lonely back of his paternal uncle, Wu Wuxuan, then bit his lip, slowly turned his head away, and also said nothing.

Among the descendants of the Wu family, regardless of gender, only the sword was permitted. In each generation, one "Sword Crown" would travel the jianghu. Once they emerged, they had to achieve mastery in swordsmanship; otherwise, they were forbidden from returning to the Wu family in life or being buried with them in death.

This was a family rule established by another ancestor, Wu He.

In the two centuries since the Wu family's Nine Swords broke the Ten Thousand Cavalry, almost every Wu family descendant eligible to have a numeral from one to nine in their name displayed astonishing talent for the sword from a young age. All eight numbers (one to eight) had been used without exception, though the number nine had never been taken. Yet, strangely, only Wu Liuding, who had the number six in his name, ultimately succeeded in becoming the Sword Crown. For instance, his uncle, Wu Wuxuan, was defeated by Wu Su, who later became the Princess of Beiliang. Consequently, the renowned sword he carried, which should have been famous throughout the world, was destined to remain obscure, just like its owner, for his entire life. The Wu Family Sword Mound's dispatch of over a hundred cavalry on this trip was also to ensure that his nephew, who represented the Wu family in the jianghu, served as the sole leader. Regardless of how extraordinary Wu Wuxuan's swordsmanship might be, he was destined to be but a fleeting presence in the jianghu, living out his days and dying within the clan.

The Wu family was not only ruthless towards those who challenged them in the Sword Mound, but even more so towards their own kin.

Over the past two centuries, countless Wu family descendants who merely wished to glimpse the jianghu died by their fathers' swords. Many men and women secretly took their own lives, and countless others went mad their entire lives after succumbing to qi deviation while practicing swordsmanship.

Wu Liuding felt fortunate to be born into the Wu family, a family that lived and died for the sword, and he had no complaints. But he was even more grateful to have Cuihua accompany him on his journey through the jianghu.

A jianghu without Cuihua and pickled cabbage was no jianghu at all.

Just as a certain fool stubbornly believed until the end: as long as his brother Xiaonian was still in the jianghu, then he, too, was still there.

Wu Liuding only ever considered that fool a friend. He cared nothing for any so-called Prince or King. Even when that man became the Prince of Beiliang and the world's foremost figure, Wu Liuding never thought it made any difference.

On this trip to Beiliang, Wu Liuding wanted to ask one thing personally:

"Xu, do you still remember that wanderer who only ever carried a wooden sword in his life?"

"If you dare to forget, yes, you Xu Fengnian are indeed formidable, even Wang Xianzhi was no match for you. I, Wu Liuding, don't have the immense power to chop you to death, but I can still take it upon myself to lead a hundred cavalry away from Beiliang."

However, lost in his impulsive thoughts as he rode through Yunxia Town, Wu Liuding felt a touch of helplessness. Even as the Sword Crown, he likely wouldn't be able to take these Wu family sword-servants with him.

Apart from their own Old Ancestor, no one in the world possessed that kind of ability.

Not long after.

At a fork in the post road, where You and Liang prefectures bordered each other, stood a roadside tavern. The middle-aged proprietress, who had typically been eyed by lustful passing drinkers, found the tables turned this time. Now, she was intensely staring at an extraordinarily handsome young man. He sat there alone, ordered a pot of wine, but requested two cups. She told him she had no wine cups, that her establishment only used large bowls. He smiled and said using bowls was fine.

The woman leaned on a neighboring table, watching the handsome young man who was lost in thought. She mused that he was probably remembering someone he dearly wished to share a drink with.