Chapter 724: Full Garden of Wind and Thunder

Xu Fengnian did not know who the person in front of the stele was referring to with "returning home on a snowy night," but with his excellent memory, he instantly recognized the old man. It was Wu Jiang, the ginger-loving old servant from Qingliang Mountain who had temporarily worked as a stonemason. When they first met, the old man stood among the artisans, hunched, with a weathered face, and seemed unremarkable. If Xu Fengnian hadn't suffered a significant drop in his cultivation, he might have noticed some clues back then. Instead of retreating, Xu Fengnian slowly moved forward. Only then did he notice the old man, no longer hunched or feigning timidity, standing tall with exceptional grace. He exuded the powerful aura of an elder statesman from a central council.

In Xu Fengnian's impression, most elderly masters of the jianghu, apart from Han Shengxuan and Sui Xiegu (who were intimidating at first glance), such as Old Huang, the old man in the sheepskin coat, and the old Daoist Zhao Xituan from Longhu Mountain, didn't initially seem to be aloof martial arts grandmasters. This confirmed Xu Fengnian's earlier suspicion: even if the old man, whose alias was Wu Jiang, wasn't Qi Lianhua, the "Calligraphy Sage" from the Western Chu Dynasty — renowned as the "Millennial Second Best" in all five script styles (seal, clerical, cursive, running, and regular) — he was certainly deeply connected to him. It was easy for someone to conceal their true abilities, but difficult to hide their calligraphic skill. Qi Lianhua, from a prominent aristocratic family, was universally acknowledged as an exceptionally gifted titan in the calligraphy world. Yet, in the Great Chu dynasty, he only held the position of Hanlin Compiler, performing minor duties like drafting imperial edicts and inscriptions for monuments and sacrificial texts for the Jiang clan emperor. He also began compiling a history of the previous dynasty, which was never finished, earning him the nicknames "Qi Half-Book" and "Flower-Adorner." The latter implicitly mocked him for only being able to "add flowers to embroidery" (i.e., contribute to existing glory) rather than "sending charcoal in the snow" (i.e., providing help in dire times). After the fall of Western Chu, the Guangling Qi clan declined, and Qi Lianhua disappeared, further solidifying the "Qi Flower-Adorner" moniker. At that time, there was also a widely debated public case concerning the "Thirteen Jia of Spring and Autumn." Qi Lianhua was originally Western Chu's strongly endorsed "Calligraphy Jia," particularly skilled in running script. His mere fourteen-character *Warring States Post* was acclaimed as the second-best running script in the world upon its emergence. Later, Nalan Youci, officially designated by Liyang as the "Dual Jia of Calligraphy and Painting" for Spring and Autumn, had his *Ascension View Post* contending for the title of the best running script of that era. However, the world was largely unwilling to accept this, not acknowledging Nalan Youci's "Dual Jia" status. They only recognized Qi Lianhua's calligraphic mastery as being comparable to ancient sages, but as for the true "Calligraphy Jia" of Spring and Autumn, it was widely agreed to be Huang Longshi, whose cursive script was "unrivaled and peerless." Later, Liyang eagerly put forward Old Master Song as the "Literature Jia," but he was similarly scorned by contemporaries. "You, Old Master Song, might be content to be a literary figurehead for the Liyang Zhao family, but with Qi Yanglong, the head of Shangyin Academy, setting such a high bar, how could you possibly claim the title of Spring and Autumn's 'Literature Jia,' especially since ancient wisdom states there is no 'first' in literature?" The Liyang court was unwilling to give up. Since there was no "first" in literature, they thought there might be a "second to none" in martial arts. So they tried to promote Wang Xianzhi of Wudi City as the "Martial Arts Jia," but the eccentric old man, who proclaimed himself "second under heaven," outright refused. Consequently, many dazzling versions of the "Thirteen Jia of Spring and Autumn" emerged, including one mentioning a certain Jia from the Zhao Daoist of Longhu Mountain. However, the most widely circulated and convincing version remained the original one. Although many people narrowly missed their chance at becoming part of the "Thirteen Jia of Spring and Autumn," regardless, anyone mentioned or nominated was undoubtedly an exceptional talent. Xu Fengnian's master, Li Yishan, had highly praised Qi Lianhua's calligraphy, calling his running script the best of all time. Naturally, Xu Fengnian was indirectly affected; as a youth, when practicing running and regular script, he had to copy the few surviving "Qi Posts" (true works of Qi Lianhua), and he had cursed Qi Lianhua countless times.

Xu Fengnian was very curious: if the old man was indeed Qi Lianhua, how did he become a Western Chu loyalist who had evaded capture and detection in Qingliang Mountain? To deceive the countless masters in the Prince of Beiliang's mansion, mere patience wouldn't be enough; formidable power would certainly be needed as support. Xu Fengnian was not surprised by the old man's long-term hidden presence within the Xu family. As the sole bloodline of the Western Chu imperial family, Jiang Ni naturally inspired Western Chu scholars — who believed "the nation nurtured its scholars for two hundred years; dying for it is the only way to repay royal grace" — to step forward one after another. However, what truly made Xu Fengnian wary was the highly confidential nature of Xu Xiao bringing the exiled Princess Jiang Si back to Beiliang. Otherwise, Cao Changqing wouldn't have spent years covertly investigating in Liyang without success. How, then, did this old man know?

Xu Fengnian not immediately retreating from the mausoleum and instead confronting an old Western Chu loyalist was, in fact, a great risk. Although Xu Xiao had taken it upon himself to preserve a precious "remnant" of the Jiang clan for Western Chu, he had personally conquered Xileibi, led his troops to breach the Western Chu palace gates, and witnessed the deaths of the emperor and empress. Thus, Xu Xiao could be said to have held private compassion for Western Chu but also a national grievance. Moreover, with strife escalating in Guangling Dao and Liyang suffering military setbacks, it seemed to the world that even if Beiliang's iron cavalry couldn't withstand the northern barbarians' million-strong invasion from the south, they would certainly be more than capable of a large-scale withdrawal from the barren northwest to the Central Plains to suppress the Western Chu rebels. Many in the current court and public believed this was undoubtedly a viable retreat option for Xu Fengnian, the Prince of Beiliang. Liyang could achieve this without losing a single soldier, and Beiliang would gain enough military merit to secure futures for its generals, a win-win situation. As for the 300,000 border troops, they could simply be disbanded if necessary, as Grand Pillar Gu Jiantang's Two Liaos border could absorb over a hundred thousand troops at once. Consequently, the Western Chu court was extremely vigilant about the movements of the Beiliang border army, especially Xu Fengnian, fearing that the young vassal prince might one day impulsively lead his army deep into the Central Plains, using their Great Chu as a "pledge of allegiance" to present to the new Liyang emperor.

At this moment, the only skilled fighters Xu Fengnian had nearby were Mi Fengjie and Fan Xiaochai, both of whom were outside the mausoleum and forbidden from entering the restricted area without permission. Ancestor Sui Xiegu, the Sword-Eater, and the Wu Family's Hundred Riders were all on the northern front of Liangzhou, guarding against the northern barbarians' desperate attempts to assassinate Chu Lushan within the Beiliang Protectorate. Xu Yanbing was still single-handedly pursuing the group of top Northern Barbarian experts who had infiltrated Youzhou together. Tantai Pingjing and disciples of the Guanyin Sect were also assisting Xu Yanbing, determined to keep Little Thought and Grand Music Bureau confined to Youzhou.

In the past, was there anywhere in this world Xu Fengnian could not go?

The old man meticulously observed the somewhat dazed young man, his gaze complex. Perhaps his very presence added a tense, confrontational edge to the atmosphere, yet for some unknown reason, the elderly man appeared to harbor no hostility. Xu Fengnian's peak cultivation was temporarily gone, but his keen intuition remained. So when Mi Fengjie and Fan Xiaochai, realizing a change within the mausoleum, rushed into the garden, Xu Fengnian simply raised his hand, signaling them to retreat. Mi Fengjie quietly departed. Fan Xiaochai hesitated but remained standing at a distance. Xu Fengnian did not object to the female loyalist's presumptuous act.

The simply dressed old man, hands clasped behind his back, smiled faintly: "Xu Xiao never did anything I liked in his life, but he did father a good son."

Hearing this incredibly audacious and disrespectful remark, Xu Fengnian couldn't help but frown, though he quickly relaxed. Elder scholars naturally prized integrity and character; otherwise, how could they have the confidence to govern the realm alongside the monarch? Moreover, this person was very likely a Western Chu loyalist living incognito, so it was reasonable for him to harbor deep-seated resentment towards Beiliang and Xu Xiao. Xu Fengnian asked with a smile, "May I ask if you are the Calligraphy Sage Qi from Western Chu, venerable sir?"

The old man's expression was peculiar; he neither denied nor confirmed, simply gazing directly at Xu Fengnian. If Xu Fengnian, whose appearance resembled his mother, Princess Wu Su, was considered dashing and graceful, a charismatic young scion in the eyes of women, then the old man, whose superb youthful demeanor was still faintly discernible, could at the very least be described as an "old jade tree." Xu Fengnian felt somewhat uncomfortable under this scrutiny. The way people looked at him used to be, in Beiliang, mostly that of "this prince wastes his good looks," and later, in Tai'an City, it was scorn for the "Butcher's Son." After the outcome of his battle with Wang Xianzhi became clear, there was a drastic change: even the notoriously arrogant Beiliang border generals, like Li Mofan and Wang Lingbao, regarded him with heartfelt awe and admiration. Only the old man before him had this unfathomable gaze.

The old man spoke softly, "I saw you etching on the stele earlier; it's clear you put in a lot of hard work. Your fierce progress in martial arts, ever since you started practicing sabermanship at Wudang, should be credited to Li Yishan. Both calligraphy and chess, once mastered to a certain level, grant an understanding of all disciplines through one. While not every calligraphic master or national chess player can become a capable minister governing the world, or a martial arts grandmaster like Li Mi's disciples, these activities greatly benefit the shaping of one's character. Xu Xiao, who had a restless temperament, changed greatly after becoming a prince and taking up his fiefdom. This was significantly influenced by his decision to take up chess in his later years."

Xu Fengnian remained silent. When Xu Xiao rose to prominence in Liaodong's Jinzhou, he was merely an illiterate vagabond. One could say Xu Fengnian's ancestors had no connection whatsoever to scholarly families or traditions of farming and scholarship. There was a reason why Xu Xiao became such a dreadful chess player after arriving in Beiliang, yet could engage in fierce, protracted games with his second sister Xu Weixiong's master, Dean Wang – two truly terrible players. Initially, Xu Fengnian's mother wanted Xu Xiao to play more chess, to temper his impatient nature, as it was time for him to cultivate inner peace in his later years. At first, Xu Xiao would often play irregularly, skipping whenever he could. Over time, the Princess Consort stopped pressing him. Later, Xu Fengnian developed a fondness for chess. Perhaps after the Princess Consort's death, as the eldest legitimate son, young Xu Fengnian's relationship with Xu Xiao became strained, and Xu Xiao likely thought of spending more time with his son. He finally began to seriously learn chess, but was quickly outmatched by the exceptionally talented Prince, who outpaced him by a vast margin. After that, neither Xu Fengnian nor Li Yishan enjoyed playing chess with Xu Xiao. Even with significant handicaps, they could still thoroughly defeat him. Even if Xu Xiao wanted to seek humiliation, it depended on whether the only two people in the world who dared to disregard his feelings – the master and disciple – were inclined to play. Xu Weixiong, however, always patiently played chess with Xu Xiao. Yet, perhaps in Xu Xiao's heart, who never concealed his preference for sons, playing with his son was still more interesting. Even if Xu Fengnian utterly defeated him on the chessboard, leaving only a few pieces, the old King of Liang, who had swept through the Spring and Autumn era with illustrious military achievements, and was widely known as "Lame Xu," the most competitive person in the Liyang dynasty, would still feel very happy.

Xu Xiao's unparalleled achievement of pacifying the realm during the Spring and Autumn period allowed him to meet as equals with the late Emperor Zhaodun's father, and later, even enter the court with his sword. However, in Qingliang Mountain, many scenes often struck people, especially outsiders, as absurd: Xu Xiao being chased frantically in the Wutong Courtyard, and the young Prince actually occupying the host's seat at princely banquets. Such behavior would be unimaginable not just in the households of dukes, marquises, generals, or ministers, but even in ordinary families, where a father should not spoil his son to such an extent, nor should a son be so disobedient. Ultimately, Liyang found an unassailable reason to attack Beiliang: "If the upper beam is not straight, the lower ones will be crooked."

Xu Fengnian gently shook his head, urging himself to refocus after his mind had wandered. Although the old man before him showed no trace of murderous intent, he was, after all, a master of concealed power. The great war between Liang and Beimang was imminent. If he were to die here, the location might have been fitting, but the timing would have been catastrophic. Not to mention anything else, Beimang would likely suffer at least one hundred thousand fewer casualties.

The old man smiled and asked, "Do you think I am Qi Lianhua from Western Chu?"

Xu Fengnian nodded.

The old man slowly extended a palm. "When taking up the brush, one must concentrate fully, as if a hundred calligraphy sages and immortals from bygone dynasties were seated together. Only with a righteous heart and harmonious spirit can one grasp the profound and approach the Grand Dao. Its way is like a precious national treasure: if empty, it topples; if full, it spills. Only when balanced is it stable."

With a change in his hand gesture, the old man continued, "The ancients said, 'demons lurk in the wrist,' and 'the brush stroke is divinely aided.' Therefore, if the tip is straight, the four sides are complete. Next, apply pressure with a firm finger; a firm finger ensures even distribution of strength. Finally, relax the palm; a relaxed palm allows for effortless execution..."

"'Hèlè chù lè' — that is the character '士' (shì, referring to a scholar or warrior). Great Chu nurtured its scholars for two hundred years; twenty years after its fall, there remains a spirit that cannot be disgraced."

"To form a circle, it must coil; to form a wave, it must expand."

"The final stroke must be an outward fighting stroke, proudly executed and gradually extended."

As the old man spoke, a tempest raged through the garden!

Outside the mausoleum, Mi Fengjie's face was pale. The sword in the scabbard on his back trembled incessantly, as if struck by lightning, whimpering and crying out.

In the garden, Fan Xiaochai's face was bloodless, and she swayed unsteadily, yet she stubbornly gritted her teeth, refusing to retreat a single step.

The old man's palm slowly turned over, seemingly just picking up a brush to slowly sketch, like an old pedant teaching primary school children how to write stroke by stroke. But in Xu Fengnian's eyes, it was a raging storm, even reminding him of Gu Jiantang's technique outside the Tai'an City main hall, where he used the "Nanhua," the world's foremost talismans-infused blade, to return Cao Changqing's salute with a single "Square Inch Thunder" move. Both techniques, though different in path, achieved the same destination, transforming decay into wonder, achieving absolute mastery. Amidst the swirling snow, Xu Fengnian's expression was grave. Earlier, both he and the sword master Mi Fengjie had believed the remaining marks on the stele were sword energy carved by fingers. Now, it seemed they were wildly off the mark.

This old man used a saber.

Xu Fengnian did not look at the chaotic, swirling snow, which seemed to be cut by blades. He asked, "So, venerable Mr. Qi, were you in fact the 'Blade Jia' among the Thirteen Jia of Spring and Autumn?"

The old man did not answer the question. Instead, he slightly bent his five fingers into a closing gesture and retorted, "'Hécè chù cè'?"

Xu Fengnian, around whom no snowflake fell for several yards, replied with a hint of helplessness, "That's the character '年' (nián, year)."

After retracting his hand, the old man sighed reflectively, "Yes, the character for 'year.' Xu Fengnian." The swirling snow in the garden finally returned to normal, and snowflakes softly settled on Xu Fengnian's head and shoulders.