Chapter 742: Beaded Curtain, Iron Armor (Part 1)

After dawn, Yu Dilong and Lu Yunchang left the small inn on Gululu Street and squatted by the courtyard gate, one on each side, like two door gods.

Waiting was truly a tedious affair. Lu Yun yawned, casually patting his mouth, and asked, "Yu Earthworm, do you know what the most important event is this spring?"

Yu Dilong was thinking about whether his junior sister, Wang Sheng, was getting used to being with that White Fox-face, whether she had found any new famous swords in Beiliang, and if she had gotten into any fights. He didn't hear what Lu Yunchang, who often touted himself as a "jianghu little loudspeaker," was saying. Anyway, "Lu Yunchang's dog mouth can't spit out ivory"—a phrase Wang Sheng often used, the meaning of which Yu Dilong had never quite grasped. Lu Yunchang was accustomed to Yu Dilong's absentmindedness and continued, "Before, the Literary, Martial, and General-Chancellor Rankings, along with the Beauty Ranking, were part of the seven rankings. The Martial Ranking was always saved for last as the grand finale, with the Beauty Ranking used first to pique people's interest. But this time, the 'Xiangfu Grand Ranking,' jointly assessed by Nalan Youci and Xie Guanying, is different. It seems to place particular emphasis on the Literary, Martial, and General-Chancellor Rankings, so much so that the Martial Ranking has been put first."

Yu Dilong merely grunted in acknowledgment.

Lu Yunchang curiously asked, "Aren't you curious about our master's ranking in the Martial Arts review?"

Yu Dilong replied indifferently, "Whoever is behind this isn't being fair, doing it while Master is severely injured. If Master's ranking isn't good, then after Beiliang defeats the Northern Barbarians and I've mastered my martial arts, I'll go find trouble with them."

Lu Yunchang rolled his eyes. "This year's martial arts ranking lists fourteen individuals. It reintroduces the concept of the Four Grandmasters, along with the Ten Great Experts. Master, along with Tuoba Pusa, Deng Taia, and Cao Changqing, are honored as the Four Grandmasters of the world. Following them are the Ten Great Experts, reportedly without any particular order of precedence. From Liyang, there are Chen Zhibao, Xu Yanbing, Gu Jiantang, Xuanyuan Qingfeng of Huishan, and the head of the Wu Family Sword Tomb. From Beiliang, there are Huyan Daguan, Luoyang, Hong Jingyan, Murong Baoding, and Deng Mao."

Yu Dilong frowned. "How come that White Fox-face, the tall Guanyin Sect Master, and the white-browed old man who likes to eat swords aren't on the list? I thought they were all quite powerful."

Lu Yunchang quipped, "When you find Xie Guanying and Nalan Youci, ask them yourself. How would I know why?"

Yu Dilong nodded very seriously.

Lu Yunchang exclaimed in surprise, "Are you really going to?"

Yu Dilong turned to look at him and asked, "Do you know what a 'siheyuan' Aunt Pei mentioned is?"

Lu Yunchang nodded. "There are many such courtyards in the Central Plains, divided into multiple sections. Many large mansions belonging to wealthy families are siheyuan."

Yu Dilong whispered, "That must cost a lot of money, right?"

Lu Yunchang pouted. "In this entire county, with only one Gululu Street in Bishan, how much money could it cost? At most, forty or fifty taels would be enough to buy it."

Yu Dilong retorted angrily, "Forty-five taels is still little?!"

Lu Yunchang, who had the Great Frost long blade strapped across his back, dug at his ear. "It's just you being narrow-minded. As our master's disciple, getting a courtyard at Qingliang Mountain Prince's Residence is just a word away, isn't it? That place is truly valuable; ten thousand taels of gold wouldn't buy it! Look at how many officials and generals there are in Beiliang; isn't it only Deputy Military Commissioner Song Dongming who has a residence on Qingliang Mountain?"

Yu Dilong scoffed, "You don't know a thing!"

Lu Yunchang shot back, "You don't even know what a 'thing' is."

Yu Dilong reached for the hilt of his chilled blade. Lu Yunchang also abruptly stood up, "Yu Dilong, do you really think I'm afraid of you? My Great Frost long blade has been eager for action for a long time!"

Just then, Xu Fengnian, with one hand on his waist, opened the wattle gate. Seeing his two disciples at loggerheads, he snapped, "If you're going to fight, take it somewhere far away."

Yu Dilong looked at his master's complexion, feeling both guilty and alarmed. "Master, how did you get injured again? Were there assassins from Beiliang last night?"

Xu Fengnian's expression was odd, and Lu Yunchang's smile was even stranger. The latter solicitously flattered, "Master, your disciple will help you mount your horse later. Don't strain your back again."

Xu Fengnian kicked Lu Yunchang, sending him flying off the doorstep. "Saddle the horses. We're heading to Liangzhou Protectorate."

Yu Dilong cautiously asked, "Master, are you really alright?"

Xu Fengnian straightened his face and solemnly said, "Some battles, once lost, can never be redeemed. This is especially true for men as they grow older."

Yu Dilong thought hard. "Master is already one of the Four Grandmasters, so the enemy must be very powerful. By the way, Master, is Aunt Pei alright?"

Xu Fengnian was about to speak when Lu Yunchang bellowed, "Aunt Pei, we're leaving with Master! Master's back isn't doing well! It's even hard for him to get on his horse!"

Lu Yunchang swiftly mounted his horse and galloped away.

Xu Fengnian and Yu Dilong mounted their horses in succession. Xu Fengnian said with a forced smile, "Yu Dilong, go beat up your junior brother."

Yu Dilong clenched his right fist with his left hand, rubbing it hard, a look of "killer intent" on his face. Then the boy asked, "Master, what's the reason?"

Xu Fengnian retorted, "Does a senior brother need a reason to beat up a junior brother?"

Yu Dilong spurred his horse into a gallop, chasing after Lu Yunchang.

Xu Fengnian watched the boy's receding figure and chuckled softly, "Just like your concern for Wang Sheng, it doesn't need any reason."

Xu Fengnian took a deep breath, glanced back at the small courtyard, and said, "Let's go."

The word 'love' — one knows not where it begins, nor where it rests. One knows not how it binds, nor how it is undone. One knows not where it goes, nor where it ends.

From a family of prominent wealth, to Xiangfan City in Qingzhou, then to Beiliang, a land loftier than the Central Plains, residing by the Tide-Listening Lake on Qingliang Mountain, and finally arriving in this impoverished small county in Rouge Prefecture.

Like a rootless, drifting, frail reed, she went from being a Liyang Princess in the Beauty Ranking to a woman whose life grew increasingly difficult after her "good-for-nothing" husband lost his minor official post. Daily, she dealt with the essentials of life, yet Pei Nanwei had never felt such peace of mind.

After waking up leisurely, she prepared breakfast as usual. For the last New Year's Eve dinner, she had busied herself for an entire afternoon, preparing a table full of dishes, then set out two sets of chopsticks and bowls. Sitting at the table, she thought about when the small vegetable patch by the wall and the slightly larger garden behind the courtyard would yield a harvest. After eating, she planned to open the chicken coop, wondering if there would be any surprises. She thought about the twenty-odd taels of silver she had retrieved from the county yamen last night, combined with the thirty-odd taels she had saved previously. According to the prices of bricklayers and carpenters in Bishan County, she could certainly build a decent small siheyuan. Unfortunately, times were not peaceful in Youzhou now; last year, she could have saved a lot more money. Pei Nanwei looked around. At the end of last year, when buying New Year's goods, she had added many items to the house. Afterwards, she had regretted it, secretly complaining about her extravagance, but now that prices had risen, she felt more and more that she was actually quite good at managing the household.

Pei Nanwei cleared the dishes and muttered to herself, "It doesn't matter if he doesn't come often, as long as he comes. So, don't die."

Her pretty face suddenly flushed slightly, and she murmured softly, "What 'world's number one'? He still walked out rubbing his back..."

In the heartland of Baoping Prefecture, Beiliang, ice and snow melted, all things sprouted, and greenery flourished. A lone rider galloped along the ridge of a mountain slope to the summit. Behind the horse and rider followed a running girl. Besides carrying a massive sword case, she also had many swords tied to her back with hemp ropes, looking like a charlatan selling swords to swindle people in the martial world.

The figure high on horseback was an extraordinarily captivating "woman"—none other than Nangong Pushe, the top-ranked beauty in the previous Beauty Ranking. Chen Yu, the runner-up, had only received the four-character evaluation: "No less than Nangong." In the new Xiangfu Year 2 rankings, compared to the fourteen individuals on the martial arts list, the Beauty Ranking had a mere four people. This individual, who had once been nicknamed "White Fox-face" by His Royal Highness, was still on the list. The other three were Chen Yu, who was about to be decreed by the emperor to marry Zhao Wu, the new vassal king of Liaodong; Jiang Ni of Western Chu; and a woman named Huyan Guanyin, raised in seclusion and unknown to the public. As vaguely implied by the Beauty Ranking, she was originally a woman from the Beiliang grasslands, later abducted by Xu Fengnian, the Prince of Beiliang, and kept as his hidden beauty.

After Wang Sheng entered Beiliang, she had been running behind Master Nangong. Often, even when they stopped, she was required to keep her internal energy circulating without pause, and the girl had fainted seven or eight times mid-journey. It was like an intelligent child encountering the most demanding private tutor, who seemed to wish the child would recite classics even in their sleep, completely disregarding whether it might be counterproductive. One should know that besides the purple sandalwood sword case, which contained sword energy, only the scabbards of Wang Sheng's other famous swords could slightly conceal their sword qi. Whenever the girl was exhausted and her internal energy was in disarray, those unruly ancient famous swords would emerge, adding fuel to the fire: the slender sword "Moth," the three-inch blade "Cornel" forged by a Confucian sage of the old Northern Han, the Daoist talisman sword "Yellow Crane," "Pearl Holder" which once pierced the abdomen of the Eastern Yue Emperor, "Little Halo" whose tip exhaled air like blossoming spring thunder, "Youthful Wanderer" which most clashed with the sword qi of other famous swords, and "Goose Yellow" whose temperament was like a lively maiden in love. The sword case plus these seven swords made the girl Wang Sheng look like a comical hedgehog. As she and Master Nangong journeyed northward, there were many discerning Beiliang experts who sought to kill them and seize their treasures. Master Nangong never concerned himself with whether the girl could handle them, always standing by with folded arms. Only if Wang Sheng was injured by sword qi, like a breaching flood, during a fight would he rescue her. Then, he would follow the unlucky Beiliang martial artists, maintaining a moderate distance. Each time the girl slowly awoke, Master Nangong would throw her back into the battle, repeating this until Wang Sheng successfully killed her opponents. Before this, within Dongjin Prefecture, the two even encountered a Beiliang cavalry unit of over a thousand men. Master Nangong directly threw her into the fray. Wang Sheng, who had previously only managed to wield three or four swords at most against enemies, eventually fought with bloodshot eyes, unleashing all seven swords and killing over three hundred cavalrymen. At the brink of life and death, just as she was about to unleash the swords from within her sword case, Master Nangong entered the battle, knocked her unconscious. When Wang Sheng awoke, she found all the Beiliang barbarians dead, and Master Nangong, whose clothes were still as clean as new, standing amidst the corpses.

On the mountaintop, White Fox-face, holding the horse's reins, gazed into the distance and asked, "Do you know why, among the world's experts, blades are always considered inferior to swords?"

Wang Sheng shook her head. If Master wanted her to practice swords, she would practice swords. Master had once said she was a top-tier "sword prodigy" and it would be a pity not to train with a sword. In truth, Wang Sheng felt a slight regret. Although Master often used a sword, his martial path had begun with blade practice, so Wang Sheng occasionally envied the glib Lu Yunchang. Especially after hearing that Master Nangong, who wore the dual blades Spring Thunder and Embroidered Winter at his waist, had once given and lent blades to her Master during his two journeys through the martial world, the young girl harbored a few unspoken thoughts.

White Fox-face patted Wang Sheng's head and said softly, "People fear seriousness, and matters fear thoroughness. Wang Sheng, if you don't want to be a dispensable disciple to him your whole life, then think carefully about this question."

Although Wang Sheng didn't understand, she instinctively nodded vigorously.

White Fox-face smiled faintly. "Among the million swords in the world, there is a co-sovereign. If you can defeat her in the future, your master will look at you with new eyes. There has never been a woman who became the world's number one."

Wang Sheng gasped in surprise and timidly asked, "Is Master Nangong referring to that Western Chu princess named Jiang? But she could fly with her sword very early on. I probably can't beat her, can I? And... and I heard she's really beautiful..."

White Fox-face sighed, "You silly girl."

Wang Sheng slightly stood on her tiptoes, tightened the famous swords that had loosened, then looked up at Master Nangong and said with a smile, "Master, if my master isn't the world's number one anymore, you can just take his place."

White Fox-face patted the girl's head and said helplessly, "You really are silly."

Wang Sheng hesitated for a moment, then finally mustered the courage to ask, "Master, may I ask a question?"

White Fox-face said gently, "Do you want to ask why we came to Beiliang?"

Wang Sheng nodded softly.

The world's most beautiful woman tilted her head slightly, her laughter clear and bright. "Wang Sheng, do you know what realm I'm in? I'm still just at the Zhixuan realm. When I left Tide-Listening Pavilion back then, it wasn't that I couldn't reach the Tianxiang realm, nor that I couldn't rank among the next martial arts experts. It's just that for me, as long as I'm not the world's number one, it has no meaning at all!"

White Fox-face released the reins, gently placed both hands on the hilts of the Spring Thunder and Embroidered Winter blades, and stepped forward, "Just one step away."

This was the first time the young Wang Sheng had seen Master Nangong's unrestrained spirit and vigor.

How beautiful it was.

At the Eastern Yue Sword Pond, countless cliff carvings have been passed down through generations. Among them, the ancient Qin seal script characters "Sword Pond" and the seven characters "Deep water, high mountains, long sword energy" written by the Cursive Sage of the Great Feng Dynasty after getting drunk are the most inspired and spirited.

By the Sword Pond, jagged rocks rise, and the pond water is a deep, serene green. The water level fluctuates, varying throughout the seasons. However, the peculiarity of the Sword Pond is that during the rainy spring and summer, its water level actually recedes and drops. Of the seven cursive characters "Deep water, high mountains, long sword energy," only the character for "sword" is visible from top to bottom. Conversely, in the latter half of the year, during the dry autumn and winter when there is less "rootless heavenly water," the high water submerges the character for "deep," leaving only the solitary character for "water" visible. The Song family of Sword Pond has existed for over six hundred years, far outlasting the Eastern Yue Kingdom itself. However, since the emergence of the Wu Family Sword Tomb, Sword Pond, this renowned sacred land of swordsmanship, has often evoked the lament "Why was Wu born when Song already existed?" in the eyes of many. Unlike the Wu Family Sword Tomb, which reveres ancient swordsmen and ancient swords, the Song family, especially under the previous grandmaster Song Nianqing in the last hundred years, has consistently adhered to the principle of "people are better when old, but swords are better when new." Every Song family swordsman who has mastered their art must cast their old sword into the Sword Pond and personally forge a new one in the sword furnace before leaving the Sword Pond to venture into the martial world. Outsiders have always found this puzzling, perhaps believing it symbolizes the aspiration for a "grand new beginning for old masters with new swords."

After Song Nianqing's death, Chai Qingshan, who had once served as guest elder to Prince Zhao Yi of Guangling and was expelled that year, returned to the Sword Pond. This grandmaster of swordsmanship, who had never taken disciples, finally "belatedly" accepted two: a young man, a remarkably gifted Song family descendant, and a young girl, an outsider disciple like an unpolished jade. The three—master and two disciples—stood on a massive rock by the Sword Pond, a boulder from Spring God Lake inscribed with the three regular script characters "Enemy of Ten Thousand." The large stone was like a small mountain, square and imposing, exuding immense majesty. The old man, who wore no sword, looked down at the deep, ancient spring water in the pond, and his voice hoarsely said, "My senior brother, when he was defeated by Li Chungang, did not commit suicide; he died from his injuries. Patriarch Song Nianqing, who died last year in the martial world outside the Sword Pond, did not die of old age. Rather, after unleashing all fourteen new swords, he even sacrificed his life to unleash a sword strike of the Land Immortal realm, yet he was still honorably killed. I tell you these two things in the hope that you will understand a truth: aside from the Wu Family Sword Tomb, whose family's learning is the world's swordsmanship, there are many sword wielders in this world who do not hold Sword Pond in their regard, far more than you can imagine."

Chai Qingshan probably felt that such truth was still too cruel for the two children. He smiled, self-deprecatingly, "Aside from this old man clinging on at Sword Pond, there's Li Yibai, a well-known figure in the martial world, whom you should also call Senior Brother. He has no hope of reaching the pinnacle of swordsmanship in this lifetime. Compared to his peers like Wu Liuding of the Sword Tomb, Cuihua the Sword Servant, and Qi Xianxia of Dragon Tiger Mountain, the gap isn't just in their sword arts and techniques; his vision and breadth of mind are also far inferior. Therefore, you two are the last seeds of Sword Pond. Tell me, in your sword practice, is there anyone you absolutely must surpass?"

The young man, whose face was as flawless as jade, was lively by nature. He smiled brightly, "First, Senior Brother Li Yibai, then you, Master, then a trip to the Wu Family Sword Tomb, and then to find Deng Taia. If I can't find him, I'll go to Beiliang..."

At this point, the young man pointed at the girl beside him and "reported," "Master, Master, Junior Sister is just like many, many other girls in our Sword Pond; secretly, they all adore Xu Fengnian, the Prince of Beiliang. Every time they gather and talk about that fellow, oh, they sigh and their eyes glitter like the green, shimmering water in the pond beneath our feet! Master, isn't this outrageous? That man named Xu is a sworn enemy of our Sword Pond. Anyway, there's no man in Sword Pond who doesn't want to hack Xu Fengnian to death with a sword."

The girl's delicate face flushed crimson with mortification and anger. She snapped, "Song Tinglu, shut your foul mouth! Nobody thinks you're mute!"

Then, feeling guilty, the girl glanced at her master, fearing she might have displeased him.

Chai Qingshan dismissed it with a smile, remarking with emotion, "Longing hearts and lengthy sword energy are not bad things. Has Xu Fengnian now become the Li Chungang of my generation's minds?"

At this moment, a white-haired, weathered old woman approached with faltering steps.

Chai Qingshan and the young man and girl descended from the massive "Enemy of Ten Thousand" rock. The young man ran over to support the elderly woman, calling out with a cheerful smile, "Great-grandma, enjoying the scenery while the sun is out?"

The old woman, with kindly eyes, gently patted the young man's head. "Tinglu, remember to diligently learn swordsmanship from your master. Be focused, but as for whether you succeed, you can let fate decide. Just remember, if you ever venture into the martial world, make sure to come home."

Chai Qingshan nodded in greeting, and the old woman smiled and nodded back.

After the master and disciples departed, the old woman sat by the pond, her demeanor serene, and smiled faintly. "Nianqing, I always waited for you before, waited for many years, many times. No matter how long it took, I always managed to wait for you to come home."

She placed her withered hands, once adorned in bridal red, now white with age, on her knees. Throughout her life, she had been accustomed to gazing at his back. The words exchanged between husband and wife might not have been as many as those he spoke when imparting swordsmanship to his disciples.

Every time he left Sword Pond and returned to Sword Pond.

She would stand at the Sword Pond entrance.

And he never once looked at her.

She had no regrets.

The old woman closed her eyes and murmured, "Nianqing, now it's your turn to wait for me."

In the water towns of Jiangnan, there are many small bridges, flowing streams, and residential homes.

After loafing around the town streets all day, the young man nicknamed "Bamboo" returned home at dusk. His mother had also closed her cloth shop and prepared dinner at home. The young man buried his head in his food. His mother, who had moved to this town with her son the year before last, said softly, "Eat slowly, no one's going to snatch it from you."

The young man just continued to wolf down his food.

The woman smiled, "Your Big Brother Wen has gotten married. I don't expect you to find a good girl like Miss Liu; just bringing any girl back will do."

With his mouth full of food, the young man mumbled indistinctly, "I know, I know."

She sighed, "Don't just idle around outside all day. It's not that I insist you earn money, but it's not good for a man to always be doing nothing. When women marry, they generally prefer men who have a trade or skill to rely on. Even if they're poor at first, they'll have peace of mind and hope for the future, and life will be more comfortable..."

The young man suddenly slammed his rice bowl onto the table and shouted angrily, his face red with fury, "Yes, I am idle! But what good would it do even if I were like my father?! My father was known as an honest man throughout the ten-mile radius, wasn't he? Everyone gave him a thumbs up for his farm work, right? And what happened?! He still left us for all these years, and we don't even know if he's dead or alive! If he ever comes back, I won't acknowledge him as my father! The bastard!"

Her eyes red, the woman, originally the gentlest of dispositions, said with an undeniable tone, though her voice trembled, "You are not to speak of your father that way!"

The young man got up from his stool and squatted by the doorway, sulking.

The woman turned her head, secretly wiping away tears with her sleeve. After clearing the dishes, she carried a small stool to the doorway and said softly, "I've kept your food warm in the pot. Just tell me whenever you want to eat."

The young man lowered his head and choked out, "Mom, I didn't mean to get angry with you. I'm just complaining about my father; he let you down..."

The woman smiled faintly. "How did your father let me down? Your father, since the day he met me, never said a harsh word, nor lost his temper once. For all those years, he managed the fields all by himself, never letting me step foot in them, not even once. Every time he went to the market in town, he never forgot to bring back little trinkets like hairpins or rouge. I used to complain that he was wasting money, and your father would always say, 'I know, I know,' but every single time after that, he'd still buy them. I may complain about your father, but deep down, I loved it. Among the villagers, which woman didn't envy your mother for marrying into such a good family?"

The young man indignantly said, "It was his good fortune to be able to marry you, so he should naturally dote on you, Mom."

The woman smiled and patted her son's head. "When you find a wife someday, you must be just as good to her."

The young man still harbored resentment, "Anyway, he definitely won't be like my father, who left for years without a word, not even sending a single letter home."

The woman smiled gently without speaking.

The young man suddenly said, "Mom, Big Brother Wen Hua told me that I shouldn't try my hand in the martial world. He said that once he saves enough money, probably by this autumn, he'll credit a bit more from the shop owner and take over the inn. He wants me to help him with odd jobs there, and I agreed."

The woman said happily, "That's good news. You have so many friends, but only your Big Brother Wen Hua truly wishes you well. In the future, when you help him, put in more effort. Don't be too focused on money. Your father used to say that if people fall into the trap of greed, they can never climb out. That's truly a life of endless toil; they might appear well-off, but they're never truly comfortable."

The young man smiled. "Heh, my dad could say something like that?"

The woman made a gesture as if to hit him.

The young man suddenly asked, "Is my father named Wang Mingyin?"

The woman, who had only pretended to give her son a rap on the head, now truly tapped his forehead, laughing exasperatedly, "What kind of son calls his father by his given name!"

The young man chuckled, "Mom, let me tell you, there was once a man in the martial world also named Wang Mingyin, and he was quite incredible. His brother was Wang Mingyang, who defended Xiangfan City for ten years, the only high official at the time that even the Prince of Beiliang couldn't handle. As for Wang Mingyin himself, he was also formidable, ranked eleventh among the world's martial arts masters. Their Wang family was even more astounding; I heard a scholarly phrase, 'generations of official caps and tassels,' which probably means their family had many generations of high-ranking officials. Mom, do you want to hear the tales of that man from the martial world who shared our father's name?"

The woman shook her head, smiling, "No, I don't."

The young man glanced at the sky and stood up. "Big Brother Wen said yesterday that I should go find him for a drink when I'm free. It seems he heard some good news. I'm off then."

The woman quickly stood up. "Take a few pieces of cloth with you."

The young man rolled his eyes. "Big Brother Wen doesn't care about that."

The woman glared. "Just because he doesn't care, that's his generosity. Our Wang family should reciprocate."

The young man made a face. "My dad said that too, right?"

The woman went to the inner room, brought out two pieces of cloth, and handed them to her son. "Walk slowly on your way home after drinking."

The young man took the cloth, muttering "I know, I know," and swiftly left the house.

The woman watched her son leave the courtyard gate open, then shook her head helplessly. She walked over to close it. Just as she was about to slide the bolt, she paused, and ultimately did not close the door completely tight. Turning towards the house, she softly chuckled, "Mingyin, our son has grown up. He's just like you."

At Daxueping in Huishan, the Xuanyuan family's prestige, which even under the formidable Xuan Yuan Dapan of his generation couldn't reach the pinnacle of the martial world, now surprisingly overshadowed not only Dragon Tiger Mountain's Celestial Master Manor but also disregarded the Eastern Yue Sword Pond. Looking across the entire realm, perhaps only the Wu Family Sword Tomb could rival it. All of this was thanks to the purple-clad woman residing in Queyue Tower. Innumerable martial heroes willingly prostrated themselves before her. After she secured a place in the martial arts ranking, Daxueping, as the newest sacred land of the martial world, became bustling with people. Mountain climbers and tourists were so numerous that one could hardly imagine descending. When her name surprisingly didn't appear in the Beauty Ranking, countless young chivalrous admirers of the purple-clad woman cried foul, openly vowing to make Nalan Youci and Xie Guanying see some color.

The former Fourth Prince, now His Imperial Majesty, once visited and attempted to climb the mountain but was turned away. Coupled with the Prince of Beiliang entrusting the Fish-Dragon Gang to escort the martial arts texts from Tide-Listening Pavilion to Huishan, these two incidents undoubtedly possessed immense evocative power for martial artists, who were fond of rumor and speculation. Many deduced from this that the current Emperor's apparent disfavor towards Xu Fengnian of Beiliang wasn't merely due to old grievances between previous emperors and vassal princes, but definitely included new animosity stemming from romantic rivalry. This wild speculation, initially scoffed at by Liyang's officialdom, began to gain traction after His Imperial Majesty personally sent a plaque with his own calligraphy, bearing the inscription "Unrivaled in the World," to Queyue Tower in Huishan. Consequently, the martial world's perception of the new Emperor, renowned for various civilian governance measures since his ascension, also grew increasingly positive. After all, the two preceding Liyang Emperors were iron-fisted monarchs who enjoyed "beheading martial artists publicly," whereas the current Emperor, even if he didn't exactly treat the martial commoners well, at least didn't harbor deep hatred for them, which was cause for celebration, even if it wasn't New Year's.

Xuanyuan Qingfeng stood beneath an old osmanthus tree. After Hong Biao descended the mountain, and the purple-clad woman, as the Huishan Mountain Lord and Martial Alliance Leader, became further engrossed in martial arts, Huang Fangfo, the chief guest elder of Huishan who had already reached the Zhixuan realm, increasingly wielded sole power.

However, even though he was second only to one person and above ten thousand in Huishan, Huang Fangfo was even more cautious than before, daring not to overstep his bounds in the slightest. Back then, to advance his realm, he had absorbed the internal energy of countless martial experts, employing methods more ruthless than those of so-called martial demons. While the latter at least observed the principle of "a rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow," he had begun by killing the cultivated scholars within Huishan itself, until no one caught his eye, only then turning his attention to experts outside the mountain. Now, after his battle against Wang Xianzhi at the river, his martial prowess and realm had advanced by leaps and bounds, and certain secret manuals sent from Tide-Listening Pavilion had further empowered him.

Xuanyuan Qingfeng calmly asked, "How many second-rank minor grandmasters are permanently stationed on the mountain now?"

Huang Fangfo respectfully replied, "Six are willing to serve Huishan, and eleven are merely willing to add icing to the cake."

Xuanyuan Qingfeng sneered, "Icing on the cake."

Huang Fangfo immediately felt a chill run through his body.

Xuanyuan Qingfeng kept her hands clasped behind her back, gazing up at the branches and leaves of the Tang osmanthus tree. Her tone softened, "Icing on the cake, charcoal in the snow, frost on the snow, adding oil to fire, fluff in the wind, a knife to the heart."

Then she self-deprecatingly asked, "Among the women of this world, which kind do you think I am?"

Huang Fangfo, of course, wouldn't naively assume she was talking to him, and silently departed.

Once Huang Fangfo was far away, she said, "Back then, you used the imperial seal's power to help me stabilize my realm. I didn't accompany you to Shenwu City to deal with Han Shengxuan, but later Wang Xianzhi came to trouble you... You and I are now even. Now that I have the martial arts insights of both Zhao Huangchao and the Useless Monk, I absolutely don't need those boxes of secret manuals you sent! Are you trying to make another big deal with me?"

Xuanyuan Qingfeng paused. "Or rather, do you also think we're even now?"

Dunhuang City.

In a secluded, "unvisited" residence, a plump woman bent down, shielding a toddler who had just learned to walk. The wobbly child reached out to grasp the bead curtain hanging in the doorway.

As the child's mother, her eyes at that moment held indulgence, affection, guilt, and regret.

She knelt down and embraced the child.

The adult's cheek pressed against the child's.

She said softly, "Xu Nianliang, my little sweet potato, when you grow up, you must go find your father."