Chapter 70: Still Robbing

Xu Fengnian took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, feeling refreshed and content. He joked, "Grandpa Wei, are there really immortals who feed on mist and dew? Do you think there's a Grand True Man in Qingyang Palace who subsists on the essence of the sun and moon?"

The old Taoist priest chuckled, "I've never heard of such a Grand True Man. My master back then only knew some fasting and essence-preserving techniques, which are far from the realm of ascension to immortality."

Xu Fengnian left the pavilion and looked up at the Twin Peaks of Qingyang Heavenly Venerate, which stood like a pair of confronting bull horns. He muttered to himself, "The King of Qingcheng, that sounds quite impressive. The Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain was only designated as the Imperial Preceptor overseeing Taoism throughout the land. Wudang Mountain is rather pathetic; its abbot is nothing special. But here, there's someone who's made himself a king of the mountain. Should we go take a look?"

Wei Shuyang smiled without speaking. Given his status and his decade-long friendship with the Crown Prince, he had learned about the farce of "two geese for a chamberlain" during their horseback journey. Now, seeing the Crown Prince mapping out the mountains and rivers, likely drawing wherever he went, it seemed he intended to map out three thousand li of splendid landscapes in a single line. Could this path hold some hidden mystery? The old Taoist, from the Nine Dou Rice sect, dared not delve deeper; he simply kept it in mind. "Loose lips sink ships." Most of Beiliang's scholars and recluses had been silenced by the Grand Pillar State as if their tongues had been pulled like chickens. No one dared to discuss border military and political affairs, only composing poetry. However, several brave frontier poets who had joined the army had, over the years, produced many bold and magnificent verses, attracting a steady stream of wandering knights aspiring to fame to enlist in the border army. Interestingly, many fops, after being tormented by the Crown Prince locally and feeling unable to succeed, would, in a fit of pique, go to the border to earn military merits. At least at the border, the Crown Prince wasn't there to suppress them, right?

Seeing Jiang Ni in the Taoist temple, looking haggard with swollen eyes, Xu Fengnian couldn't help but smile slightly. This girl's courage was truly negligible; was her only grand feat in life an attempt to kill him? Yu Youwei, on the other hand, slept much more soundly, her features clear and refreshed, as if she had comprehended things she previously couldn't understand. Her gaze towards the Crown Prince was now clearer, with less of the murky gloom stemming from self-pity. Xu Fengnian didn't bother to dwell on these minor details. After a quick breakfast, he found the Old Sword God standing with his hands behind his back, staring at an old, faded couplet. Xu Fengnian lowered his voice and said, "There are some things in the book-box in the carriage. In case we ever need to flee for our lives, please, Elder, besides bringing Jiang Ni, take the box with you as well."

The Old Sword God lazily replied, "It depends on my mood."

Xu Fengnian secretly bared his teeth. Considering that this elder Sword God was going to observe his sparring with Lu Qiantang, he refrained from inwardly criticizing the old man for being past his prime. Suddenly, he saw the old man, who was once one of the top figures in the martial arts world, extend his single arm to scratch his crotch. Xu Fengnian couldn't help but grin widely. "Old Sword God Li," he thought, "Grandpa Wei said that back then, you were an unparalleled swordsman in a green robe, a dashing bachelor, and countless outstanding women pined for you. But with your current demeanor, are you truly not just a product of exaggerated praise? It was indeed incredibly wise not to tell Grandpa Wei that this old man was Li Chungang." The sheepskin-clad old man, having just scratched his crotch, then reached up to brush his yellow teeth, flicking away numerous meat fibers stuck from last night's meal. Xu Fengnian, who witnessed everything, quietly walked away, cursing inwardly, "To hell with this Land Sword Immortal..."

They rode around the mountain along the path, passing the two peaks of Qingcheng's front gate, and reached the halfway point of Huagai Peak. A chaotic noise, a mix of pushing, shoving, and shouting, came from the dense woods. The well-built Lu Qiantang stopped his horse and squinted into the distance. This formidable man, wearing the great sword Chixia, sat astride a tall, sturdy horse. To an outsider observing the Crown Prince's entourage, swordsman Lu Qiantang's presence might only be slightly less imposing than that of Ning Emei with his great halberd. This burly swordsman from Dongyue undoubtedly intimidated petty rogues. In Lu Qiantang's view, a gaunt, skinny boy with a sallow complexion was pushed out of the woods, stumbling and falling face-first onto the road. Instead of facing Lu Qiantang's group and speaking the typical jargon of highwaymen, the boy turned back and cursed, "Liu Rush-Reed, I'm going to have words with your wife tonight! Why did you push me? You don't even have this much strength climbing walls to see your wife! Of all people to push, why me? Watch me expose that rotten thing you did last month, groping a young lady's breast at the market in town!"

Lu Qiantang watched coldly, slowly drawing his great sword.

A hoarse voice from the dense woods called out, "You little brat, are you looking to die? Hurry up and run, the wind's tight!"

It seemed this group of highwaymen was much weaker than those from last night, but their eyesight was much better. What was most amusing was that the boy, wide-eyed and staring at Yu Youwei, Shu Xiu, and Qing Niao, shouted at the top of his lungs before running off: "Sisters, you're even prettier than the immortal aunts at Qingyang Palace!"

Yu Youwei's lips curled into a smile; this little rascal was much cuter than those unfortunate villains from yesterday.

Unbeknownst to them, the Crown Prince rode forward, using his Xiudong saber to lightly slap Lu Qiantang's hand, which was drawing Chixia. On his face was an expression of surprise and delight that was entirely unfamiliar to Yu Youwei—a genuine, heartfelt joy. The Crown Prince, with his Xiudong saber resting on both shoulders, laughed heartily, "Little Hawthorn?"

The boy, who was about to dart into the dense woods, suddenly froze. He turned back to look at the unfamiliar young master on horseback, finding him somewhat familiar. But how could he recognize such a distinguished, wealthy young man? "Oh, dear," he thought, "Could it be that I'm on the city's bandit list? No, our group is the least significant among the dozen or so mountain bandits on Qingcheng Mountain. Even Old Meng, our leader, isn't important enough to have his portrait posted on the city walls by the authorities. For that, Old Meng is always extremely furious, constantly yelling and spitting about how he's the oldest mountain king on Qingcheng Mountain, so why isn't he on the list? Old Meng here has also kidnapped several county officials' wives and daughters before. We just took their money and let them go, didn't we? Are they looking down on us?"

The gaunt, immature boy, whom the Crown Prince nicknamed "Little Hawthorn," paused, staring intently for a few moments before hesitantly asking, "Xu Fengnian?"

The Crown Prince narrowed his phoenix-like eyes and pressed his lips together, captivating even the discerning Shu Xiu, who was momentarily entranced. Such a Crown Prince was truly charming; not only mature women like herself in their thirties, but arguably women from ten to eighty years old would be moved. Xu Fengnian dismounted and smiled, "Indeed. You don't recognize me after only three years?"

The boy, truly a naive, newborn calf unaware of worldly ways, paid no mind to anything else. He let out a joyful shriek and ran towards Xu Fengnian, circling him twice with an excited look. He reached out to touch Xu Fengnian's saber, then tugged at the sleeve of his splendid silk robe, marveling. He looked up and asked, "Xu Fengnian, you're even more impressive than last time! Are you going to give Old Meng money again this time?"

Xu Fengnian didn't mind his clothes getting dusty or soiled from the touching. He just lightly tapped the boy's head with Xiudong and playfully scolded him, "Go on, go on. Last time, you robbed me. This time, it'd be more like me robbing you!"

About a dozen ragged highwaymen emerged from the dense woods. Not one of them weighed more than 150 catties; they were all utterly destitute, old and young. Most wore self-made straw sandals, and the few with weapons carried only flimsy wooden spears or clubs. Compared to the group that raided the Taoist temple last night, they were worlds apart. Their leader, Old Meng, was a scrawny old man weighing around a hundred catties. He rubbed his eyes, finally recognizing the young master as Xu Fengnian, the one he had once chased halfway up the mountain. Then, with trepidation, he glanced at the imposing retinue on horseback. He cautiously stepped forward two paces and asked from a distance, "Xu Fengnian, let's get one thing straight. A few years ago, you spent all your money. Old Meng only has one life; take it if you want. If I so much as frown, Old Meng will take your surname."

Xu Fengnian looked out at them: Little Hawthorn, the timid Old Meng, Liu Rush-Reed who doted on his wife the most, Crippled Kong, and so on. All the familiar faces were still there, all alive.

Xu Fengnian's smile was captivating. He put his arm around Little Hawthorn's small frame and loudly declared, "Old Meng, look at you! You've lost your stronghold, and you're still trying to act like a hero to me! Damn it, don't play dumb with me. Go, find a place by the water, and I'll treat you all to a full meal!"

Old Meng timidly asked, "Xu Fengnian, you haven't become a constable in the yamen, have you? Are you here to round us all up?"

Xu Fengnian glared and cursed, "Nonsense! I'm here to enjoy the scenery, and coincidentally, to see if I'd run into you. Before coming up the mountain, I was wondering if you'd starved to death. Now that I see you, you're not far from it! The way you're leading, I'm ashamed for you!"

Liu Rush-Reed and the other highwaymen under Old Meng burst into laughter, leaving their already undignified leader deeply embarrassed. Old Meng chuckled awkwardly, "Heh, it's hard for a true hero to make a name for himself in this world! You, kid, your mouth is still merciless. Alright, let's go."

Yu Youwei's clear eyes widened, and Shu Xiu's alluring face became rigid.

Jiang Ni's small head peeked out from behind the curtain, finding everything incomprehensible.

Old Meng led them to a scenic spot by the water, where there were a few pitiful, crudely built thatched huts. Some tattered clothes were hung on bamboo poles. If this was considered "ruling the mountain," who else in the world would be willing to become a bandit?

The elusive Yang Qingfeng inexplicably appeared, carrying countless wild game, making the mountain bandits, who could barely catch a single wild rabbit or pheasant even with ten traps, salivate uncontrollably.

Xu Fengnian sat on a stone by the stream, while Little Hawthorn leaned on his back, embracing Xu Fengnian's neck, completely ignoring Old Meng's persistent eye-rolling. Xu Fengnian teased, "Alright, Old Meng, you, a top hero of Qingcheng Mountain, are afraid of nothing! Little Hawthorn is braver than you."

Little Hawthorn chuckled gleefully, "I told Old Meng to let me be the leader, but he just can't bear to! He insists I wait a few more years."

Xu Fengnian hummed, then smiled, "He's just tricking you. You actually believed him? Why don't you come down the mountain with me? I'll treat you to big meals every day."

Little Hawthorn secretly turned to glance at the "immortal sisters" nearby and chuckled, "Forget it, I grew up on this mountain. If I leave, Old Meng would be heartbroken to death. But Xu Fengnian, who are those sisters to you? They're really beautiful, much prettier than Liu Rush-Reed's little Sparrow!"

A twelve or thirteen-year-old girl put her hands on her hips and angrily exclaimed, "You rotten Hawthorn, what did you say?"

Xu Fengnian turned to look, surprised. "Little Sparrow, you're a big girl now! Come closer, let Big Brother Xu get a good look."

Little Hawthorn secretly whispered, "Xu Fengnian, Sparrow really likes you. I've heard her say it in her sleep several times!"

The little girl, whose skin was tanned dark by the sun, blushed. She likely felt a bit inferior and timid after inadvertently seeing the captivating beauty of Yu Youwei and the other women. She stood far away, not daring to approach Xu Fengnian. When she was younger, Big Brother Xu had taught her to play a little tune on a leaf. She practiced for a long time and had now mastered it, often secretly playing it a few times when no one was around.

He had once made a pinky promise that he would come see her when she grew up.

It took some effort for Xu Fengnian to coax the shy Little Sparrow to sit beside him. They ate Old Meng's specialty smoked wild game together. The little girl had truly grown up; she even knew to chew slowly and not show her teeth. Xu Fengnian noticed Old Meng's somewhat vacant, terrified expression and frowned, asking, "Something on your mind, Old Meng? Tell me about it."

Old Meng forced a smile and shook his head.

Little Hawthorn, gnawing on a wild muntjac leg, couldn't keep quiet. His eyes immediately reddened, and he spoke mournfully, "Xu Fengnian, we owe money and can't pay it back. They're going to take Sparrow away. Last time, they tore down our house and said that if we don't pay up in the next two days, they'll make Sparrow their maid."

Xu Fengnian smiled faintly, "It's alright, I'll help you pay it back. You used to rob me, saying I was one of the richest young masters in the world, and that wasn't a lie, was it?"

Old Meng softly said, "It's no use. We owe them over twenty taels of silver, but they aren't after the money; they just want to abduct Sparrow. You know, on the mountain, a girl is rarer than anything. Liu Rush-Reed and I have discussed it; at worst, we'll fight to the death. When the time comes, Little Hawthorn will take Sparrow and flee down the mountain. We old bones can't move anymore, and we don't want to leave anyway. We've been here for over twenty years; we can't bear to leave. We're just waiting to die on this mountain someday, and we've even found a good spot for our graves. Xu Fengnian, Old Meng knows you have some money, and I appreciate your kindness, but those people are not good news. They kill and set fires without batting an eye; who knows how many girls they've ruined. After you finish eating, you should leave quickly, and it's best not to stay on Qingcheng Mountain at all; it's not safe."

Xu Fengnian asked, "The ones you owe money to, is their leader the one who wields a pair of large axes?"

Old Meng said with lingering fear, "Not them. If it were that gang, we'd have been dead long ago. Old Meng wouldn't dare borrow money from them even if he starved to death. Alas, a brave man takes responsibility for his actions. Old Meng has been down and out his whole life, but at least I still have these old brothers. Xu Fengnian, Old Meng dares to ask you to take care of Little Hawthorn and Sparrow. Poor children are easy to raise, but I only ask that you don't let them become slaves. When we came up the mountain back then, we still had some integrity, 'a man's knees are worth gold.' We can't live to become worse than we were. Just don't let them starve to death. If you're willing, Old Meng will kowtow to you. For such a great kindness, I wouldn't mind kneeling once."

Xu Fengnian's face was expressionless.

Old Meng's face showed a bitter expression.

Lu Qiantang bowed and said, "About a dozen people have arrived."

Xu Fengnian made a chilling throat-slitting gesture.

Old Meng stared, dumbfounded.

Xu Fengnian frowned and asked, "Qingcheng Mountain is so chaotic. Doesn't the King of Qingcheng know to manage it?"

Old Meng said bitterly, "How could he care? Those immortal figures in Qingyang Palace don't care about the lives of ordinary folk."

Xu Fengnian stood up, patted Little Hawthorn's head, and then took Sparrow's small, not-so-delicate hand. He smiled, "I used to be able to carry you, but you're a young lady now, so I can't carry you anymore. Otherwise, your dad would come after me with a hoe! Come on, let's take Sparrow to Qingyang Palace to see the immortals."

My QT room is now open. Feng Huo Xi Zhu Hou Official QT Room Number: [1655]

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