Chapter 786: The Whole World Watches One Person

Mr. Bailian, renowned throughout the land, was still engrossed in his book. To an observer, the scholar appeared almost to bury his head in the pages, a rather comical sight.

In the battle at Spring God Lake years ago, Zhao Ningshen's golden body was shattered despite his invocation of the Longhu Mountain patriarch. Following this setback, Zhao Ningshen resolutely entered life-and-death seclusion to cultivate the Jade Emperor Tower Daoist technique, which was as renowned as Wudang's Great Huangting. He eventually broke through, re-condensing his destiny, and a fated bud bloomed on the purple-gold lotus in the Dragon Pond. Given time and diligent nurturing, Zhao Ningshen might ascend to immortality like his grandfather Zhao Xiyi and father Zhao Danxia, and perhaps even achieve a higher rank, completing the magnificent feat of ascending on a dragon. Thus, by destroying his fated purple-gold lotus this time to draw forth that "thousand-mile sword" and shatter Xu Fengnian's destiny, Zhao Ningshen was making a complete self-sacrifice. Without this, Qi Jiajie's swordsmanship alone would not have sufficed to wield a sword continuously from Dongyue Sword Pond all the way to Northwest Wudang Mountain.

Zhao Ningshen stumbled, weakened, and collapsed to the ground, murmuring, "All this time, I kept telling myself that what I was doing was for the spiritual lineage of Central Plains Daoism, for the common people of Liyang, or at the very least, for the thousand-year heritage of my Longhu Mountain Heavenly Master's Residence. But in the end, it was merely for my own selfish desire to overcome the inner demon of my defeat at Spring God Lake."

Bai Yu, at some point, walked over to the young Daoist, a book in hand, and softly said, "Common people deceive others; true men deceive heaven and earth—which is not always difficult. But self-deception is always spoken of as easy, effortless, yet when it's truly hard, it's as difficult as ascending to heaven."

He bent down, placed a hand on the young Daoist's shoulder, and gently said, "Ningshen, don't blame yourself anymore. Since you have overcome this obstacle, you should cherish it even more. As for me, Bai Yu, I will never get past this in my life. I don't want to be like Xuanyuan Jingcheng, drawing a circle as a prison for myself, never leaving that Huishan Mountain. From now on, you and I, as fellow disciples—you can cultivate purity on the mountain, and I, whether I become a powerful minister like Zhang Julu down below, or a strategist like Xun Ping who died before achieving success—it will no longer matter."

This outsider to the Heavenly Master's Residence, who had been personally granted the title "Mr. Bailian" by the former Liyang emperor, squinted hard as he gazed into the distance. "My eyesight isn't good," he said, "it's a pity I can't see how magnificent that sword was."

Zhao Ningshen looked into the distance and said with a bitter smile, "Then let me see it for you, Master."

At Qingluo Ferry on the western end of Bailu Lake, 100,000 elite troops from the Southern Border began to systematically cross the river, strictly escorted by the Qingzhou navy's numerous multi-decked warships. This was undoubtedly a massive undertaking. The Qingzhou navy, nominally under the temporary command of Prince Jing'an, Zhao Xun, diligently performed its duties, earning the approval of Southern Border General Wu Zhongxuan and other military commanders. The poor impression of the Qingzhou navy as "embroidered pillows" (ornamental but useless) was significantly altered. The young prince assisting the Southern Border army in crossing the river had little interaction with General Wu; they had only met at a welcoming banquet for the Southern Border generals. That night, however, almost all the renowned courtesans in Xiangfan City and throughout Qingzhou were invited aboard the Qingzhou navy's warships. Consequently, Prince Jing'an, Zhao Xun, also earned the elegant moniker "Rouge Prince" in Qingzhou literary circles.

On the multi-decked warship, from which all Qingzhou navy soldiers had been quietly withdrawn, a man and a woman stood at the cabin entrance. They watched the middle-aged scholar who had been sitting cross-legged for some time, recalling how he had earlier inexplicably placed a white bowl and then dropped a pebble into it. The young man was dressed in brocade robes with a jade belt, looking dashing and elegant. The graceful and captivating woman, upon boarding, removed her veil, revealing a face that could stun even the most powerful figures of the old Qing faction. She bore an striking resemblance—eight parts in form and seven parts in spirit—to Princess Pei Nanwei, who had accompanied the old prince to the underworld.

The woman frowned and asked, "My Lord, was that flash of light just now... sword energy?"

Prince Jing'an, Zhao Xun, replied helplessly, "You ask me? Alas, I only possess meager skills."

She offered neither the affected charm of a mature woman nor the coy shyness of a young girl, not even a faint smile. Her lips simply curved subtly upwards.

No matter how many times Zhao Xun had seen her cool, detached expression, his heart would still stir. The rising young prince of the Liyang Dynasty took her hand, and they stood in silence.

A man in white robes emerged from the cabin, brushed past the couple, and approached the gray-templed scholar, casting a quick glance downwards.

Inside the white bowl, a delicate white line swiftly cut across the water's surface.

The middle-aged scholar waved his hand, and the water bowl vanished. He slowly rose and walked with the white-robed man to the railing. Looking around, he mused, "The 800-li Spring God Lake, besides the vast Guangling River, has four other rivers flowing into it. What a magnificent and boundless sight, truly 'like the sun and moon rising and setting within it.' Even villagers who live by its shores their whole lives wouldn't know that Spring God Lake is actually withering away like an old man in his twilight years. Yet, Bailu Lake beneath our feet is like a youth growing into adulthood, destined to become increasingly vast and misty, eventually replacing it to become the largest lake in the world. Huang Longshi once said, 'The world's destiny has a fixed measure, but it operates ceaselessly. The field is the master, the water is the guest; if you do not retain it, you will not possess it.'"

The imposing man, dressed in simple elegant white robes, remained noncommittal.

The scholar laughed, "Because of the waxing and waning fortunes of Liyang and Beiliang, Qi Jiajie had to abandon his lifelong ambition, give up his long sword, and seek a new one from Dongyue Sword Pond. After Daojia Qi Lianhua caused a ruckus at the Imperial Astronomy Bureau in Taian City, Liyang was forced to gather all its remaining northern 'Dragon-Aiding Faction' qi practitioners at Sword Pond, where, at the cost of their lives, they infused the sword forge with their vital blood and spiritual essence. Such a grand undertaking was merely a desperate hope to shatter that person's newly acquired destiny. When one considers it, the Zhao imperial family of Liyang is indeed vexed. Thousands of scholars have gone to Beiliang, and vagrants from the jianghu have constantly poured in. Then came the Lotus Peak debate, and even renowned scholars from Huainan and Jiangnan flocked there. This truly suggests 'all under heaven returning to one heart.' Seeing Beiliang acting so unconventionally, the one on the dragon throne in Taian City truly has no effective solution. To be honest, if I, Xie Guanying, hadn't fanned the flames, Qi Jiajie and the others would not have succeeded."

Xie Guanying, ranked first on the Terrestrial Immortal Chart, and Chen Zhibao, the prince of a different surname, who had departed his territory even before the 10,000 Shu soldiers summoned to suppress the rebellion!

Xie Guanying did not turn to look at Prince Jing'an, who, like Xu Fengnian, had successfully inherited his title. He chuckled softly, "Without Lu Xu's assistance, he's actually thriving."

Xie Guanying teased, "My Lord, give him a bit of a kind look; he admires you greatly. Besides, in the future, we will need to rely on this 'Ten-Day Emperor.' Without him, matters would be much trickier."

Chen Zhibao gazed northwestward; the aura of that brilliant white rainbow grew increasingly majestic.

So powerful was it that even the transcendent King of Shu instinctively narrowed his eyes.

Before Xie Guanying noticed the anomaly and dropped a stone into the bowl, a small boat floated amidst a vast expanse of reeds at the eastern end of Bailu Lake, bobbing with the waves. On the bow deck, a vibrant scarlet robe spun rapidly, blooming like a dazzling peony.

The scarlet robe abruptly ceased its spin, and the joyful face looked up at the sky.

Just as she was about to leap into the sky, the woman lying on the boat, with her eyes closed in repose, calmly stated, "This is men's business; women shouldn't meddle."

In the Western Chu capital, Cao Changqing, who had hastened back from Bailu Lake to preside over military and political affairs at court, arrived at the spacious white jade plaza outside the grand hall. The Grand Official's gaze followed the sword light slowly from east to west. He sighed, "Duke Yansheng, this sword—it was originally meant to be waiting for me outside Taian City, wasn't it?"

Cao Changqing proclaimed loudly, "Xu Fengnian! I ask you to teach those in the imperial court what the jianghu truly is, on behalf of Li Chungang, Wang Xianzhi, Jian Jiuhuang, and all the jianghu figures who have died!"

Three Daoists traveled eastward along the Guangling River. When the outline of Xiangfan City could faintly be seen, the young Daoist in Wudang robes stopped.

The young Daoist, with spiritual energy flowing all around him, asked curiously, "Master, why have we stopped?"

The sword-wielding man, dressed in Longhu Mountain robes but currently alongside the Wudang Daoists, frowned and said, "This sword is heading from Dongyue Sword Pond towards your Wudang Mountain."

Li Yufu, the current Wudang Sect Master who was accompanying that carp "transforming into a dragon by traversing the river and entering the sea," nodded gently, remaining silent. Yet, a rare hint of anger subtly flickered between his brows.

Qi Xianxia, the Longhu Mountain Daoist who had sought out the Wudang master and disciple, exclaimed, "This sword has no sheath; heaven and earth are its scabbard! If this humble Daoist could face this sword head-on in this life, I would die without regret!"

The young Daoist, Yu Fu, softly said, "Life and death are such profound matters; let us not speak so lightly of death."

Qi Xianxia was momentarily speechless. He turned to gaze at the young Daoist and smiled knowingly, "You are very much like someone. When you are timid, you are not even as brave as a woman. But when you are bold..."

Qi Xianxia did not complete the sentence.

When you are bold...

Even heavenly immortals tremble.

The middle-aged man riding a donkey, who had already passed Jian Ge and entered the Western Shu Dao territory, suddenly exclaimed in annoyance, "Liyang, oh Liyang, how can you wield a sword like this! Isn't this forcing me, Deng Tai'a, to make a trip to Beiliang's border?!"

The boy leading the donkey, which carried a pannier, complained with a long face, "Master, can we not act impulsively? We just barely made it from there to this Western Shu Dao; my calves have gotten thinner, and I haven't seen any scenery. Now we have to go to Beiliang's frontier?"

The Peach Blossom Sword God, who never involved himself with the Liyang imperial court, rubbed his chin. "Liyang has gone too far with this; it's no longer just a simple act of backstabbing. It's like going into someone's house and openly digging at their foundations. As that saying we heard the other day goes, if an uncle can bear it, then an aunt..."

The boy quickly interjected, "An aunt can bear it too!"

Deng Tai'a bent down and stroked the back of his old companion, the donkey. After a long pause, he said, "No hurry. I'll first take you to see the scenery of Western Shu. I have a feeling that nowhere else in the world will be peaceful later; only here will be more tranquil. If you can find a wife here, that would be ideal. Then I, your master, will have no worries and can leave Western Shu Dao alone."

The boy chuckled artlessly, "That's so improper."

Deng Tai'a rolled his eyes and said, "Just be secretly pleased about it!"

The boy suddenly said indignantly, "Although I don't know what happened, if I were the King of Beiliang, a dignified Grandmaster, I would have long since marched to Taian City and beaten up that Liyang emperor."

Deng Tai'a sighed, "That's why Xu Fengnian is the King of Beiliang, and you can only be my good-for-nothing disciple."

The boy, mortified and angry, retorted, "I really will find a wife in Western Shu Dao, and then I won't care about you anymore."

Deng Tai'a turned his head to glance north. "Then get to it."

At the border between Beiliang's Liuzhou and Beimang's Gusei Province, Tuoba Pusa, who was meeting with Liu Gui and other military commanders, suddenly strode out of the military tent. A complex expression was etched on the face of this Northern Court King.

If he had known this, would Xu Fengnian have stayed in Hutou City to fight him again?

If he had died like this, future historical records would have honored him as a dignified Northwestern Prince who fell honorably in battle on the frontier, rather than his current inexplicable death which leaves the Central Plains' gates wide open.

The Imperial Astronomy Bureau in Taian City, now devoid of its qi practitioners, was truly deserted.

A young man in a bright yellow dragon robe and a teenager in the official robes of the Director walked side by side.

The Emperor asked, striving to keep his tone calm, "Little Bookshelf, how confident are you?"

Under the sunlight, the teenager raised a hand to shield his forehead, looked up at the sky, and smiled, "I don't know about anything else, but someone is certainly an affront to heaven's principles."

The young Emperor also smiled, "I am clearly a schemer, yet my son insists on being a hero; how amusing."

The teenager suddenly looked worried. "Emperor Brother, aren't you afraid he will completely defect to Beimang?"

The Emperor retorted, "His father, Xu Xiao, did only two things in his life: spent twenty years conquering the Central Plains, and another twenty years resisting Beimang's cavalry. Do you think he dares to defect to Beimang? Does he dare to let his father's half-lifetime of effort go to waste?"

The teenager simply murmured, "Oh."

The Emperor was utterly delighted, smiling as he said, "Isn't that right, Xu Fengnian, who refuses to be a loyal minister but only a filial son?"