Chapter 778: South and North Divide the World Together

The martial arts world of Beiliang had never been this bustling. Fueled by Xuanyuan Qingfeng, many spirited heroes had already begun their journey north towards the border. At this very moment, news spread from Wudang Mountain that a new Buddhist-Taoist debate would be held. This offered a graceful exit for many martial artists who were initially reluctant to get involved in the Liang-Mang War. "We won't stir up trouble," they reasoned, "we'll just take a slight detour to Wudang Mountain to witness the spectacle. Surely, that won't upset the Liyang court, right?" Everyone knew the scenery of the eighty-one peaks surrounding the main peak was magnificent, and furthermore, Patriarch Lü and the immortal Hong Xixiang, who famously rode a crane to Jiangnan, both cultivated there. It would be a chance to absorb some immortal aura. For a time, outsiders poured into You and Liang provinces like a surging river.

As the local power, the Fish Dragon Gang, under the personal leadership of Chief Liu Nirong, saw its members not only actively guide martial arts friends but also cover all their expenses for food, lodging, and travel. Moreover, if anyone found traveling with others inconvenient, they could simply register their travel permit at any Fish Dragon Gang branch in the counties and receive a substantial travel allowance. As for whether they actually went to Wudang Mountain, or spent the money on prostitutes and getting drunk, or on lavish meals halfway, the wealthy Fish Dragon Gang wouldn't truly care. This subtly raised the Fish Dragon Gang's status in the Central Plains martial arts world. It was true that the Fish Dragon Gang didn't boast many top-tier masters, but they were rich enough to rival a nation. To live comfortably in the martial arts world, wasn't it all about strong fists and a fat purse? Otherwise, one might think they were the handsome Prince of Beiliang. It was said that before he even practiced martial arts, he could make at least ten vengeful female knights who had sought revenge at Qingliang Mountain fall in love at first sight, simply with his face, and they willingly became his concubines, kept hidden away in the royal manor's Wutong Courtyard... As for martial arts grandmasters, there were only a handful: Peach Blossom Sword God Deng Tai'a was elusive, Grand Official Cao Changqing was getting old, and Tuoba Pusa was naturally an unlikable Northern Mang barbarian. Therefore, Xu Fengnian, in his prime and constantly achieving great feats, became the most popular topic of conversation among Liyang martial artists after meals. Many martial arts heroes and outlaws newly arrived in Beiliang had their eyes opened. Every courtesan in every brothel, large or small, claimed to have warmed Xu Fengnian's bed. Any fortune-teller by the roadside in Liang Province dared to claim they had once told the Prince's fortune or divined for him. Taverns and teahouses also loudly boasted that the Prince of Beiliang had highly praised their signature dishes. Especially shops selling rouge and cosmetics, they swore Xu Fengnian had bought items there for his female confidantes. What truly angered the young heroes and noble sons was that these were clearly deceptive lies from the shopkeepers, yet the accompanying female knights and celestial maidens seemed to be enchanted, buying a plethora of exorbitantly priced bottles and jars from these shops. The crucial point was that the real big spenders, flowing with money, were these very gentlemen who were "protecting the flowers."

Amidst the bustle of the Beiliang martial arts world, it coincided with the peak of the Beiliang "Zha Liu" custom. Wealthy Beiliang youths would ride horses and practice archery in the countryside or training grounds, hanging an object from a tree branch and shooting it down with a bow, which was called "Zha Liu." When these outsiders from the martial arts world saw many Beiliang women also adept at archery and riding, they couldn't help but be startled. They had only heard that Beiliang's customs were fierce; now they confirmed it was true. Most of these "Zha Liu" participants, male and female, also wore white hemp threads on their arms. Upon asking, they learned that it was a Beiliang custom for people to wear hemp as mourning for deceased relatives within a month of shedding their formal mourning clothes. This was somewhat similar to Central Plains families tying colorful silk threads on their arms during midsummer to ward off ghosts and illness. This also startled people: could it be true that so many had died in battle at Hutou City on the Liang Province border and Hulu Pass in You Province? Why had they only heard back home in the Central Plains that the Beiliang border army either retreated without a fight or collapsed at the first contact when faced with a million Northern Mang troops? On the other hand, they heard continuous victories reported from Liangliao, where Grand Marshal Gu Jiantang was stationed, and from Jibei, the defense line of his son-in-law Yuan Tingshan. After entering Beiliang, what they witnessed firsthand, aside from the Beiliang youths practicing "Zha Liu" who made them feel inferior, was that the patrolling cavalry drawn from Beiliang's internal garrisons filled them with awe. These internal cavalry units, whose combat strength was said to be far inferior to the border iron cavalry, if truly sent to fight against the so-called elite troops from people's hometowns, wouldn't it be like a top-tier master of the first rank crushing a minor grandmaster of the second rank?

As most of the outsiders from the martial arts world began ascending or approached Wudang, they heard two new, highly legendary pieces of news. Following his previous feat of leading ten thousand You Province cavalry to battle outside Hulu Pass, the Prince of Beiliang, Xu Fengnian, this time single-handedly entered the fray outside Hutou City, forcing Northern Mang's Southern Court King Dong Zhuo to retreat repeatedly. Meanwhile, the infamous Beiliang Protector Chu Lushan personally led eight thousand cavalry from Huaiyang Pass to the northeastern border of Liu Province, decisively defeating thirty thousand of the Dong family's private army. Everyone disliked great villains, but if such a villain was "one of your own," it was actually quite reassuring to consider. Chu Lushan, this devil who could stop children from crying, was perfectly suited for the Beiliang border, as he wouldn't harm the Central Plains and could vex the Northern Mang barbarians. From this perspective, Xu Fengnian becoming the Prince of Beiliang—leaving aside his other achievements—simply being able to subdue "Fatty Chu" and make him stay honestly outside Liang Province Pass was already a tremendous accomplishment.

For this Buddhist-Taoist debate, which was originally supposed to be held two years ago at Dragon Tiger Mountain's Demon Slaying Platform, Xu Fengnian, after seeing Chu Lushan and his severely depleted Iron-Blooded Cavalry, specifically rushed from Huaiyang Pass to this border between Liang and You Provinces. He certainly wasn't here to show off at Wudang Mountain, but because the Fushui Chamber's intelligence reported that two groups of people were coming to join the excitement. One group consisted of Broken Spear Deng Mao and Yelü Dongchuang, who had entered Liyang with Luoyang; they seemed to have stopped deliberately hiding their whereabouts after entering You Province. The other group was even stranger: a couple truly unique in the world, more important to Xu Fengnian than the pair of Huyan Daguan, because the man was the White-Robed Monk Li Dangxin, the nominal abbot of the Two Zen Temple, which was now sealed off, and also the biological father of a certain little girl who had long aspired to become a female knight.

The arrival of the White-Robed Monk largely legitimized the Buddhist-Taoist debate on Little Lotus Peak. Otherwise, since Wudang's Chief Li Yufu was not on the mountain, the Taoist who would debate with the Buddhists was a Taoist whom many Beiliang people had never even heard of—a disciple of Song Zhiming. Rumor had it that this person had just built a temple and was cultivating on Little Pillar Peak. Among Wudang's eighty-one peaks, not every peak had a Taoist and a temple; most peaks were like hidden beauties, unknown to the world. Wudang Mountain currently had only about twelve opened peaks in total, with Big and Little Lotus Peaks being the most famous. Jade Pillar Peak, known for producing the world's best internal martial arts, was also quite renowned. From this, it was clear that the Taoist named Han Gui, who opened a peak, could be considered capable enough to stand on his own, suggesting he likely possessed some genuine spiritual attainment. Furthermore, with Qing Shan Temple being funded by Qingliang Mountain for its construction, and later the Prince of Beiliang gifting it treasured classics, the status of Little Pillar Peak naturally rose. Wudang Mountain, as one of the Taoist ancestral grounds that had remotely contended with Dragon Tiger Mountain for hundreds of years, had seen its highest-ranking immortals pass on: Wang Chonglou was the first to ascend, Hong Xixiang, whose cultivation reached profound levels, for some unknown reason chose to self-disintegrate and reincarnate, Sword Fanatic Wang Xiaoping blocked Wang Xianzhi and died valiantly by the Guangling River, and Song Zhiming, who lived for over two cycles of sixty years, also passed away. Now, only the Law-Enforcing Master Chen Yao remained, along with Yu Xingrui, who self-mockingly said, "If I cannot cultivate immortality, I must cultivate strength." The latter was also the one who, with keen insight, brought Li Yufu from the East Sea to Wudang years ago. There were about twenty-plus Wudang Taoists of Li Yufu's and Han Gui's generation. The next four generations of Taoists—Qing, Ning, Ling, and Zhen—were much more numerous, especially the Ling and Zhen generations. Unlike Dragon Tiger Mountain's decline, the long-dormant Wudang Mountain was experiencing a resurgence in popularity. The Zhen generation Taoists now numbered over six hundred, and this was under the premise that Wudang Mountain was unwilling to indiscriminately accept disciples.

For burning incense and ascending the mountain, typically both the relatively wealthy people of Ling Province and pilgrims from Jihe's two provinces would take the Southern Divine Path, which was the most scenic and easiest route. Xu Fengnian chose to ascend via the Northern Divine Path. He hadn't expected to still underestimate the immense appeal of the Buddhist-Taoist debate. Besides the seven to eight hundred martial artists, most wealthy people from Beiliang's three provinces arrived by carriage or on horseback, and even many people from Huainan Dao and Jiangnan Dao came, burning incense and watching the debate simultaneously. Wudang's Northern Divine Path was already narrow, and unluckily, a drizzling rain had been falling since early morning. The rainy weather wouldn't block the path, but the muddy roads made it difficult. Coupled with the constant treading of those ahead, the nearly twenty li of rugged mountain road was more tiring than walking fifty li on a main road or postal route.

This time, Xu Fengnian came to Wudang Mountain without escorts. To save time, he didn't even ride a horse, choosing instead quiet paths and moving swiftly like a bird. So he appeared relatively unwearied by travel, dressed in a green robe, with two knives hanging from his waist: one was the "Over-River Pawn," which he had taken from Jiang Fuding, and the other a common standard Liang knife. Around noon, Xu Fengnian stopped to rest briefly at a simple tavern at the entrance of the Northern Divine Path. The tavern's name was also interesting: "Past the Village Inn," probably to remind distant pilgrims that once they passed this village, there wouldn't be another inn like it. The tavern was already packed, full of tourists hoping to ascend the mountain early and reach Wudang's main peak quickly. Xu Fengnian could only sit with over ten others on small bamboo stools under the eaves to shelter from the rain. To get a hot meal or hot wine, one had to obediently wait in line. Xu Fengnian ordered a pot of tea. The tea, advertised as Wudang's "Dao Tea," was sold at an exorbitant price: a palm-sized pot cost twenty-five copper coins! Xu Fengnian held the pot in one hand and the cup in the other, emptying it in a few sips. To get a refill from the waiter, he had to pay another five copper coins. Clearly, not only Xu Fengnian felt ripped off, but the pilgrims around him also complained a lot. Some younger, hot-tempered ones even developed a dislike for Wudang. They said, "A single leaf falling portends autumn" (meaning, one small observation reveals a larger truth); if it's like this down the mountain, the Wudang Taoists up there must also be money-grubbing and worldly. Hearing their accents, they were all outsiders. Some local Beiliang pilgrims who frequently went up the mountain to burn incense frowned. An old man kindly smiled and advised them, saying that when burning incense on the mountain, even the incense sticks and candles were given by Wudang for free, without charging pilgrims a single copper coin. Of course, how much offering money they were willing to give afterward—whether a few coppers or a few taels—was merely according to their means. The old man added that he had come here to burn incense three or four times every year since his youth, and had never encountered a single Wudang Taoist who actively asked him for money.

As the old man spoke, many curious outsiders became interested in Wudang Mountain. One of them asked if the old man had seen Wudang's Chief Li Yufu. The old man laughed heartily, "Of course, I've seen him! Not just Chief Li, but from the old Chief Wang who cut off a river with a finger, to Chief Hong who rode a crane to Jiangnan, I've seen them all. Especially Chief Hong, he even interpreted a divination for me back then! I'm not bragging. In fact, many pilgrims have seen these esteemed figures. When you go up the mountain today, you might even encounter Master Chen or Master Yu interpreting divinations for you. It's a pity, though, that Chief Li is said to have gone on a distant journey down the mountain."

"So, is it also true that your Prince of Beiliang once practiced martial arts on Wudang Mountain?"

"Of course! I, this old man, personally asked two Masters of the 'Qing' generation whom I've known for years, and it's absolutely true. They all say our Prince had an unbreakable bond with Chief Hong very early on; one practiced martial arts and the other cultivated Taoism on the mountain, sharpening each other's skills. Their relationship was truly top-notch."

A young woman from out of town shyly asked, "Elder, is your Prince of Beiliang really as dashing and romantic as rumored?"

"How could that be false?! The son of the Great General and the Princess Consort, his appearance is beyond doubt! Haha, little girl, you don't need to be shy. There are countless women in Beiliang who want to marry our Prince."

At this point, the old man pointed to Xu Fengnian, who was sitting nearby drinking tea, and playfully told the young woman, "Look, our Prince is guaranteed to be as handsome as this young gentleman."

Xu Fengnian turned his head and offered a helpless smile.

The young woman's face turned beet red.

Xu Fengnian took a sip of tea and quietly gazed into the distance. Just like the Taoist temple where Han Gui resided on Little Pillar Peak, viewing the green mountains, a person's state of mind would differ depending on their location. In the battlefield, with countless corpses, one couldn't help but feel sorrow. But if one were in the mountains and forests, it was inevitable to develop a somewhat wild and free spirit. Having personally experienced the siege of Hutou City, and then greeting Chu Lushan and his three thousand cavalry returning from Liu Province's border, along with five thousand corpses, Xu Fengnian, even though he was far from Hutou City and Huaiyang Pass, completely away from the sound of war drums and hooves, still seemed to hear the sounds of battle in his ears. The more he was in a place of peace and tranquility, the harder it was for Xu Fengnian to let go. A scene played in his mind: Beiliang horses' heads facing north! Spearheads facing north! Blade tips facing north! Three hundred thousand border soldiers, to protect the barren land behind them, did not hesitate to die blocking Northern Mang's iron hooves.

Liu Jinu, when they parted, said there was no need for guilt; the sixty thousand-plus people at Hutou City did not fight for Xu Fengnian, but died for Beiliang. It was just that Xu Fengnian was someone they could trust with their lives, allowing them to know their deaths were worthwhile!

But could Xu Fengnian truly not feel guilty?

He couldn't.

Those under the eaves saw two men approaching from a distance—one sturdily built, the other short. As they weren't striking, people merely glanced and paid them no mind. Xu Fengnian slowly stood up, called the waiter to return the teapot and cups, then stood at the edge of the steps, precisely on the line where the rain began or ended above his head. After he made this seemingly unintentional move, the two distant guests also slowed their pace. However, for the pilgrims waiting to eat under the tavern's eaves, this peak confrontation, whose profoundness could only be understood by those of the first rank or higher, was utterly imperceptible.

Behind Xu Fengnian, people were drinking tea, chatting, or resting, completely unaware of the surging tide of danger approaching, like waves crashing against city walls.

Although the two had slowed their pace, they still walked towards the tavern. Their steps appeared normal, but in reality, one of them did not touch the ground at all, avoiding any mud, while the younger one seemed to carry a thousand pounds, his foot sinking so deep that his entire shoetop disappeared into the yellow mud with each step.

Seeing that they had no intention of stopping, Xu Fengnian narrowed his eyes, his right hand resting on the hilt of the "Over-River Pawn" knife, preparing to step off the platform.

The middle-aged man was the first to stop. The younger man beside him intended to continue but was suddenly stopped by his companion's outstretched hand.

The young man looked resentful, staring intently at the figure, and muttered in slightly clumsy and unpolished Central Plains Mandarin, "Just because he's fought Old Man Wang and Tuoba Pusa, he thinks he's hot stuff?"

Immediately afterward, the haughty-looking young man sighed, "Fine, he *is* pretty impressive."

He then raised his voice and shouted, "Hey! You clearly know we're not here to fight. Is this your idea of hospitality?"

Xu Fengnian looked at this young man, who was short even compared to men south of the Guangling River in Liyang, let alone the tall men of the North. His true identity was Yelü Dongchuang, a genuine Northern Mang imperial noble. Simply put, if the puppet prince were to die one day, this guy, like Murong Longshui, would be among the most promising imperial family members to become the next Northern Mang emperor. Back then, because of Jia Jiaga, Xu Fengnian had played a cat-and-mouse game with Murong Longshui and the Spiderweb leader, Old Moth. She was quite an interesting woman. Yelü Dongchuang, for some unknown reason, had brazenly followed Luoyang to Zhulu Mountain. As for Broken Spear Deng Mao, a Northern Mang master whose ranking was similar to Hong Jingyan's, he was likely this Northern Mang emperor's grandnephew's personal escort. To be precise, this was Xu Fengnian's second meeting with Yelü Dongchuang. The first was when Gao Shulu awoke after "sealing the mountain" for four hundred years, and Xu Fengnian's spirit traveled out of his body to meet him. At that time, Yelü Dongchuang, who was running errands for Luoyang, had a brief, coincidental encounter with Xu Fengnian.

Xu Fengnian smiled, retracted his steps, and sat back on the small stool. Only then could Deng Mao and Yelü Dongchuang step onto the platform and come under the eaves. It wasn't that Deng Mao lacked the ability; it was simply that since he had no intention of fighting to the death, Deng Mao wasn't the kind of person to stir up trouble unnecessarily. As for Yelü Dongchuang, against the current Xu Fengnian, if the latter wanted to prevent him from even approaching the tavern, this Northern Mang royal descendant truly didn't have the capability. Yelü Dongchuang rubbed the sole of his shoe fiercely against the corner of the step, scraping off a thick layer of mud, before plunking down beside Xu Fengnian. Deng Mao did not sit, as the tavern only had one spare stool available.

Yelü Dongchuang lowered his voice and asked, "Did you really have a big fight with Tuoba Pusa? How did it go? I want the truth."

Xu Fengnian said to this overly familiar fellow, "How is Xu Ying?"

Yelü Dongchuang paused, "Xu Ying? Who's that?"

Xu Fengnian finally showed a hint of a smile, whispering, "The woman next to Luoyang who likes to wear a large red robe."

Yelü Dongchuang uttered an "Oh," "Her? She's just like that. She used to be neither human nor ghost, then went crazy and self-mutilated one side. Now she looks more like an ordinary woman, but for no reason, she still likes to wander around aimlessly, spinning and spinning in that big red robe for almost half an hour straight. Anyway, it makes my eyes dizzy and my heart tired."

Xu Fengnian said nothing.

Yelü Dongchuang exclaimed in surprise, "What, you actually like that kind of thing?!"

Xu Fengnian did not turn to look at the outspoken young man, but simply asked calmly, "Are you not afraid of dying here?"

Yelü Dongchuang rolled his eyes.

The next moment, Yelü Dongchuang didn't dare to breathe.

No one under the eaves realized that in that instant, the handsome young gentleman with two knives had swayed slightly on his small stool, and the plain-looking middle-aged man had left the shelter of the eaves, been rained on, and then returned to stand there, only wondering how the man, who had been facing away from the tavern, was now facing them without them noticing.

Xu Fengnian said softly, "There won't be a next time."

Yelü Dongchuang forced a smile, "I used to only hear that you were quite humorous, not someone who couldn't take a joke. It seems once a person becomes a master, they get a bigger ego."

Xu Fengnian shook his head, "If one day you travel with a different identity, you'll understand why."

Yelü Dongchuang, not knowing if he truly understood or was just pretending to, said, "Understood."

Xu Fengnian waved to the waiter and asked for a pot of tea and three cups. The sharp waiter glanced at the short man, who seemed to be just idling, and refused with a straight face, saying they had to buy two pots of tea, though he could lend them an extra small stool. Xu Fengnian smiled and agreed, pulling a piece of broken silver from his money pouch, worth about sixty copper coins. Moreover, in this world, silver was always worth more than copper. Only then did the waiter grin, "This guy's sensible!" Later, when Deng Mao finally got a chance to sit down, if this truth spread in the martial arts world, this waiter would probably be considered the most impressive man in the world: haggling with the Prince of Beiliang, giving Yelü Dongchuang a side-eye, and giving Deng Mao a stool as a favor! Xu Fengnian poured a cup of tea for each of the Northern Mang men on his left and right, and asked, "Is there something you need in Beiliang?"

Yelü Dongchuang didn't keep him in suspense. "Luoyang wants me to tell you that, besides Cao Changqing and the Duke Yansheng who advocated for the Liyang Emperor failing to reach an agreement, there's also the 'three-year pact' that's been called off."

Yelü Dongchuang took a sip of the bland tea and continued, "And then there's me. I wanted to meet you and see if there's a possibility for us to work together."

Xu Fengnian seemed lost in thought, gazing at the faint curtain of rain outside the eaves. After taking a deep breath, he calmly said, "Tell me."

Yelü Dongchuang self-mockingly said, "In my family, quite a few relatives around my age have died over the years. Of course, most share my surname, and those... well, those who share my aunt's surname are mostly women, like that plump girl Murong Longshui. So, to be honest, I still have a chance, even if it's small, it's still there. The reason I secretly ran away, to be frank, is to avoid the resurgent leader of the Chess Sword Music House. There's nothing I can do; that old man was actually driven to your Liyang by my grandfather back then. This time, he's back with a vengeance, and he certainly won't just be giving me dirty looks. That old man values my brother more. The reason, well, you look for a dog to guard your home, not a wolf cub. I know that the current unending confrontation between Liang and Mang ultimately stems from the ideas of two people—that old man and Fatty Dong. Not everyone believes this, though."

Xu Fengnian said with a half-smile, "How about showing some sincerity?"

Yelü Dongchuang let out a dry laugh, his voice softer, and slowly said, "At the very least, I know that among the eight Banner Bearers and twelve Great Generals, six are firmly opposed to the war. As for Helian Wuwei and a few others, they consider the Liang-Mang War optional – it's hard to call them fence-sitters, but they generally follow the majority. Of course, my parents died young, but my grandfather is still alive. Although he's not a Great General or a Banner Bearer, his old man is at least worth one Great General plus one Banner Bearer, wouldn't you say?"

Xu Fengnian, well-versed in the Northern Mang royal court's inner workings, shook his head, "More than that."

Yelü Dongchuang turned to gaze at the young princely ruler's profile and asked, "So, are we doing this deal or not?"

Xu Fengnian countered, "Besides wanting Beiliang to crush the momentum of Dong Zhuo and the Commander of Peace, what else do you need?"

Yelü Dongchuang chuckled foolishly, "First, Tuoba Pusa must be killed by you. Second, you must try your best to preserve the main force of Hong Jingyan's Rouran Iron Cavalry on the battlefield."

Xu Fengnian sneered, "You should really go see a battlefield. Then you wouldn't speak so lightly, as if it were a game."

Yelü Dongchuang laughed, "If it were anyone else, I wouldn't even mention it. But you, you can do it. That's why I'm sitting here today, drinking this twenty-copper-coin-a-pot... fine tea."

Xu Fengnian asked, "You want to be emperor that badly?"

Yelü Dongchuang retorted, "Don't you?"

Xu Fengnian merely smiled.

Yelü Dongchuang quietly waited for a response.

Xu Fengnian finally just said, "I can only promise you we'll take it one step at a time."

Yelü Dongchuang slapped his thigh. "That's enough!"

Yelü Dongchuang placed his teacup by his feet and, bending to stand up, quietly said, "If both of us can reach that point, I can also promise you something: half of the Southern Dynasty, consider it Yelü Dongchuang paying you back for the tea. And once things are settled between Liang and Mang, if you still intend to head south into the Central Plains in the future, I can even lend you the entire eastern front for three years, helping you suppress Liyang's Liangliao border army for three years."

Xu Fengnian watched the two men walk away into the distance.

The tea grew cold as the people departed.

After Yelü Dongchuang and Deng Mao had walked for more than ten li, Yelü Dongchuang asked, "Do you think he'll agree?"

Deng Mao replied expressionlessly, "Why wouldn't he? Besides the matter of Hong Jingyan's Rouran Iron Cavalry, everything else is what Xu Fengnian wants to do and should do. As long as Dong Zhuo and the Commander of Peace jointly control the government, the Liang-Mang situation is a dead end, and Xu Fengnian's Beiliang has too small a chance of winning."

Yelü Dongchuang clasped his hands behind his head, sighing, "Yes, it seems he can only gamble with me and help me. Rather than fighting to the death against my million-strong army with no chance of victory, it's better to do his utmost to discredit Dong Zhuo and the Commander of Peace. That would at least be relatively easier. As long as he forces those two to lose momentum after their initial drive—they don't even need to be exhausted on the third try—it would be like winning an opportunity for me. Then, it will be up to my own ability and destiny as Yelü Dongchuang."

Deng Mao hesitated for a moment and asked, "If you truly succeed...?"

...Will North and South divide the world?

The short man smiled silently, revealing a ferocious and bloody ambition that the Yelü surname hadn't shown in twenty years.

Meanwhile, under the eaves of that tavern, Xu Fengnian tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Xu Fengnian rose, stepped down from the platform, and began walking along Wudang Mountain's Northern Divine Path.

What would happen if such a person became the Emperor of Northern Mang?