Chapter 71: Seeing Immortals at Qingyang Palace

Xu Fengnian walked away, holding Xiao Shanzha's hand in one and Que'er's in the other. Old Meng Tou, who had been a down-on-his-luck mountain bandit for over twenty years, was filled with mixed emotions. He recalled how, years ago, he and his old brothers had encountered the master and servant pair touring Qingcheng. Even a blind man could tell they were a wealthy target. A dozen or so men rushed forward and surrounded them. Old Meng Tou had just stated they only wanted money and wouldn't harm anyone, when the timid young master bolted on his horse. If he hadn't been unluckily knocked off his horse by a tree branch, he truly might have gotten away. Both he and his horse were tied up and taken to the Taoist temple that served as their hideout. Their original intention was to search them, take their money, and release them; Old Meng Tou wasn't one to rob and murder, which was considered immoral. Unexpectedly, they accidentally found several stacks of banknotes and some strange books on this "fat sheep." All the old comrades were dumbfounded, realizing this "fat sheep" must have an extraordinary background. Without Xu Fengnian even needing to beg for mercy, Old Meng Tou proactively took only one hundred-tael banknote and returned the rest. It wasn't that Old Meng Tou regarded gold and silver as dirt; rather, several other groups of bandits on Qingcheng Mountain had previously robbed wealthy and influential families, attracting over a hundred armored soldiers from the county military offices. Those with bad luck had their strongholds destroyed, while the lucky ones lived in constant fear and couldn't sleep soundly. Old Meng Tou certainly didn't want to lead his brothers to public beheadings in the marketplace.

Gradually, after gathering at the Taoist temple and eating some roasted wild game, the "fat sheep" and the "bandits" surprisingly became acquainted. This young man wasn't very brave, but his skin was as thick as a city wall. He shamelessly stayed with them for about five days, becoming addicted to freeloading. Every day he would spin tall tales about being a great young master from Beiliang. Who would believe that carrying a few thousand taels made him a prince's son? Old Meng Tou had seen the world. Later, Old Meng Tou kicked him down the mountain, thinking, "We live a dangerous life. What if we implicate these two innocent people?" The young man wasn't bad-hearted; before leaving the mountain, he extra gave them one hundred taels, saying it was for Que'er to buy clothes and rouge when she grew up. However, over the past three years, business had been slow. A large portion of it was extorted by a few "little immortals" from Qingyang Palace, and then several groups of friendly but broke fellow bandits borrowed from them without repayment. There was barely anything left. Six months ago, they were forced to borrow thirty taels from Yingxuan Peak, and that's when trouble came knocking.

Liu, thin as a reed, ran over, his lips pale and trembling, sweat pouring down his face. "Old Meng Tou," he stammered, "those bastards from Yingxuan Peak are all dead! That guy with the big sword cut them all down!" Old Meng Tou jumped up in fright, startled, "What?!" Liu was as thin as a reed, yet he had managed to marry a wife who weighed twice as much as him, and together they had a beautiful little daughter whose fate was hard to predict. Liu wiped his sweat and plopped down on the ground, gasping for breath, then whispered, "This swordsman is too overbearing. One swing of his sword takes several lives. How many could stand against him? They're all dead! Not a single complete body. Old Meng Tou, you're the smartest among us. Think, are we lucky or are we doomed? If we had faced those guys from Yingxuan Peak, at worst, we'd have fought for our lives. But Xu Fengnian, that guy, he hides his true abilities. If he still holds a grudge from back then, tormenting us would be like child's play to him." Old Meng Tou thought for a moment, steeling himself, "It must be a good thing. Xu Fengnian doesn't seem like the kind of official's son who kills indiscriminately. He genuinely likes Xiao Shanzha and Que'er; we can all see that. He can't be that bad, otherwise, how would we still be alive?" Liu, thin as a reed, quietly asked, "What exactly is Xu Fengnian's background?" Old Meng Tou reached back, felt his damp back, and shook his head, "How would I know?" Liu, thin as a reed, asked in surprise, "Oh, where's that servant, Old Huang?" Old Meng Tou seemed lost in thought, "Have you ever seen a servant who can run as fast as a galloping horse? That's why I didn't dare ask for more silver back then." Liu, thin as a reed, suddenly understood. He slapped his already bony thigh, accidentally hitting it too hard, and gasped in pain.

Kong Bozi, the limping bandit who usually lagged behind and made excuses about his legs during robberies, was running like a streak of lightning today, or rather, he was scared witless. This limping man used to love joking around with Xu Fengnian, boasting about how handsome and dashing he was in his youth compared to Xu Fengnian. Now, his face drained of color, he shouted, "There are government officials! I just glanced, but there are at least a hundred of them, all mounted, armed with swords and crossbows. They're a world apart from those county soldiers who came to encircle us on the mountain!" Old Kong, having served in the military before, recognized the famous Beiliang sabers. "Beiliang sabers! A hundred of these men could flatten the entire Qingcheng Mountain, let alone us!" Old Meng Tou and Liu, thin as a reed, exchanged bewildered glances. "Damn it all, we can only wait for death," they thought. Fortunately, Xiao Shanzha and Que'er weren't there, so their deaths wouldn't be too pathetic.

Unexpectedly, the hundred elite light cavalry, leading their horses, arrived at the stream. The general, clad in heavy armor and wielding a halberd, removed his helmet. Smiling, he looked at Old Meng Tou and his group of surprisingly kindhearted bandits, and spoke as softly as possible, "I am Ning Emei, your humble subordinate. His Highness... Young Master Xu said not to disturb Mr. Meng. However, our cavalry always regards our warhorses as comrades, and we couldn't find water on our way up the mountain, so we had no choice but to trespass and bother you. Please don't blame us, Mr. Meng." Old Meng Tou, speaking in his thick, authentic Yongzhou accent, asked, completely baffled, "What did the general say?" Ning Emei, the general with the halberd, patted his beloved horse, which was as black as ink, and smiled, "The horses need to drink, and we'll rest for a moment." A huge weight lifted from Old Meng Tou's heart, and he heartily said, "General, don't be polite! Drink as much as you like, even if you drain the stream dry, it's no problem!" Ning Emei clasped his hands in a respectful salute, then instinctively turned back and shouted sternly, "One stick of incense, be quick!" The hundred Fengzi Battalion light cavalry made no noisy sounds, only the snorting and drinking sounds of the horses.

The Liyang Dynasty had always been recognized for having the strongest warhorses, with an unparalleled flourishing equestrian system that the imperial court paid particular attention to. Military texts stated that horses were the foundation of armed forces and of great use to the nation. The other Spring and Autumn states were either inattentive, or, like the great state of Western Chu, simply lacked large pastures, putting them at a natural disadvantage. Beiliang, renowned for its three hundred thousand iron cavalry, meticulously recorded every warhorse from birth, enforcing almost cumbersome and strict military laws. Those who reduced horse feed were subject to the same severe punishment as those who reduced soldiers' rations – immediate beheading. Outside of wartime, riding horses for pleasure or hunting was forbidden; lending a horse for riding resulted in one hundred lashes. Discarding a stirrup or saddle also incurred one hundred lashes. Ning Emei, leading his hundred light cavalry, also strictly adhered to the most basic marching regulations: resting every ten li, cleaning the horses' muzzles, and watering and feeding them every thirty li. In Beiliang, anyone who lost their horse in battle was beheaded. Those whose horses were injured due to courageous and desperate fighting were rewarded.

The Beiliang Iron Cavalry's reputation as the best under heaven wasn't proclaimed by scholars, but forged by their iron hooves trampling six states and half the martial arts world, one step at a time!

Kong Bozi, who had once worked odd jobs at a training ground in Yongzhou and claimed to have joined the army, timidly raised his voice and carefully asked, "Esteemed General, are you from Beiliang?" Ning Emei smiled, "I am not a great general, but we are indeed from the Beiliang army." Kong Bozi gave a thumbs up, "The Beiliang Iron Cavalry, unparalleled! When I was in the Yongzhou military, I heard countless tales of the thirty thousand Beiliang Iron Cavalry's glorious achievements. Today, I finally got to see them with my own eyes." Ning Emei simply smiled without speaking. Kong Bozi squatted to one side, observing carefully. These hundred Beiliang cavalrymen were more than just a little bit more formidable than the Yongzhou soldiers! He estimated that it would be precarious for even three Yongzhou soldiers to take on one Beiliang cavalryman. Once the warhorses finished drinking, Ning Emei put his helmet back on and shouted, "Mount up!" The hundred-plus light cavalry mounted their horses with identical, fluid movements. Old Meng Tou and his group watched, dumbfounded, feeling that even the simple act of mounting their horses conveyed a strong aura of lethality from these Beiliang cavalrymen. If they charged, who would dare to stand in their way?

Liu, thin as a reed, watched the Beiliang light cavalry depart in an orderly procession, clicking his tongue. "Old Meng Tou," he said, "I'm convinced. You were right! That Xu Fengnian is indeed a young master whose father is an official. He might even be from a military family." Old Meng Tou sighed, his gaze complex. "Military family? You're underestimating it! Old Liu, we're in Yongzhou. Could ordinary Beiliang cavalry just swagger into Qingcheng Mountain? Wouldn't the prefectures and counties along the way have already started a fight?" Kong Bozi nodded, "That makes sense." Liu, thin as a reed, chuckled, "Even bigger? Old Meng Tou, then you might as well say Xu Fengnian is the son of the Grand Chancellor! There's no one bigger than that, right? Huh? Xu Fengnian? Isn't that the same surname as the Grand Chancellor and King of Beiliang?!" The three men stared at each other. Old Meng Tou, who had been holding his breath and nearly suffocating, finally remembered to exhale and whispered, "He doesn't seem like it." Kong Bozi nodded, "He doesn't!" Liu, thin as a reed, echoed, "Not at all!"

Qingyang Peak was steep and perilous, appearing like a sword piercing the sky. It was said that "looking at the mountain could exhaust a horse," and indeed, there was still a long way to go to reach Qingyang Palace at its summit; they might barely make it to the top by evening. Fortunately, the scenery along the way was picturesque: ancient trees towered, streams flowed through deep, secluded valleys, and cliff carvings depicted monkeys leaping about, making it far from boring. Many elderly adherents of the Nine-Dou Rice Dao, eager to burn incense at Qingyang Peak's summit and witness the wondrous sight of countless holy lamps ascending to the celestial court, would trek tirelessly for ten full days after entering the mountain, carrying their own provisions.

Xu Fengnian and Xiao Shanzha rode on one horse, while Que'er was held by Yu Youwei. The little girl adored the white cat Wu Meiniang, who was nestled comfortably in her arms. Xu Fengnian looked up through the lush ancient trees at the evening clouds, which were as vibrant and vast as an ocean. Xiao Shanzha, holding the Xiudong saber he'd borrowed from Xu Fengnian with greedy eyes and a cheeky grin, said, "Just a bit further up is Crane-Resting Pavilion. They say it takes several more hours to walk to the summit from there, but only about an hour by horse at most. Que'er and I used to only dare go as far as the pavilion because the immortal aunties there have bad tempers and scold people." Xu Fengnian asked, "Are there many female Taoist priests on the mountain?" Xiao Shanzha was confused, "What?" Xu Fengnian smiled and explained, "They are female Taoist priests." Xiao Shanzha nodded, made a funny face at Que'er beside him, and cheekily said, "Lots of them, and they're all prettier than Que'er, but none are as pretty as the older sisters you brought." Xu Fengnian playfully tapped the boy's head and said with a laugh, "Let me teach you a lesson I spent countless taels to learn: when you see a beautiful girl, you must praise her extravagantly, saying she's stunning enough to make fish sink and wild geese fall, or bring down a city. If she's not so pretty, you still say she's extremely lovely. And if she's truly plain, then at least say she's delicate and graceful." Xiao Shanzha looked troubled and honestly replied, "I can't learn that. Look at Que'er; she's dark-skinned, so I always tell her she's as white as a piece of charcoal." Xu Fengnian burst out laughing, "Aren't you just asking for a beating?" Yu Youwei's lips curled into a smile as she stroked the little girl's pigtails in her arms. Que'er also giggled. She didn't care who Xu Fengnian was; she only remembered Xu Fengnian, who taught her how to blow whistles with leaves. He said he would visit her and take her to Qingyang Palace to see the immortals.