Chapter 813: Silent as a Cicada (Part 2)

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**0 Contending for Supremacy**Updated: 2015-07-30 12:20:06 | Word Count: 3745

The small street leading to Xiamawei Guesthouse was neither wide nor long, and not particularly crowded.

However, when scattered figures stood on the street, directly facing the guesthouse, even the most uninitiated onlooker would sense that something was amiss. In other words, the young vassal king's situation was far from ideal.

Xu Yanbing chuckled, "Quite a display."

Xu Fengnian, recounting them as if he knew every detail, said, "The three standing shoulder to shoulder appear to be old acquaintances who've dealt with Fushui Manor for many years. Besides Yuan Benxi, who personally orchestrated Zhao Gou, there are five others who truly get things done. One of them, from Guangling Dao, died before Yuan Benxi, personally slain by Cao Changqing. The limping old man currently there is the secondary attendant of the Ministry of Justice's hidden section, meant to operate in the shadows. He is only known by the surname Yao and, like Liu Haoshi, serves as a gatekeeper for Taian City, making him a relatively visible leader of Zhao Gou. The one who looks like a young adult, possessing methods to maintain youth, made a few deliberate, concealed appearances in earlier years, which were all just smoke and mirrors. This person never appeared in the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, leading Fushui Manor's secret files to mistakenly identify him as a minor figure. Unexpectedly, he is the Zhao Gou leader in charge of all northern qi practitioners. However, since he dared to show himself this time, it's certain he is one of the Zhao Gou leaders. The 'youth' with a short blade slung across his back is likely similar to Zhao Xuansu of Longhu Mountain, who was impaled by Deng Tai'a's flying sword. He used a secret technique for rejuvenation, which explains why Fushui Manor couldn't track his whereabouts; who would expect someone to live backward, growing younger and even saving the need for disguises? However, since he's still a youth and hasn't regressed to a child, it indicates his cultivation is actually ordinary."

Compared to his casual demeanor toward these three, Xu Fengnian clearly regarded the man with the green-clad girl on his shoulders and the distinguished young Daoist, both further away, with greater seriousness. "Yu Xinlang and Qi Xianxia," he murmured, "are two unexpected figures."

Xu Yanbing asked, "What do you mean?"

Xu Fengnian blinked and whispered, "As a dignified vassal king, wouldn't it be improper for me to engage in a brawl with a large group of self-proclaimed martial artists? If I win, I'd still just be one of the Four Grandmasters, not the foremost figure in the world above the other three. If it's a draw, even if I take on their whole group, I'd still lose face."

Xu Yanbing seemed a bit helpless. "My Lord, wouldn't it be simpler to just honestly admit that you have internal injuries, making it inconvenient to act, and that you might lose if ganged up on?"

Xu Fengnian suddenly said earnestly, "The problem is, I intend to fight them."

Xu Yanbing looked at Xu Fengnian with surprise and seriousness, awaiting his answer.

Xu Fengnian nodded.

Xu Yanbing smiled, turned, and walked back into the guesthouse without any hesitation.

At the end of the street, the green-clad girl sitting on Yu Xinlang's shoulders gently asked, "Little Yu, little Yu, why did the uncle with the best spear skills in the world leave? Isn't he going to care whether that guy lives or dies? Didn't you just say that guy seemed strange, as if his internal qi was quite chaotic? Like multiple flood dragons churning rivers and seas, causing floods?"

Yu Xinlang softly replied, "I'm not entirely sure, but don't you think he suddenly resembles two people at this moment?"

The girl strained her eyes, looking, and said with frustration, "Like who? I can't tell."

Yu Xinlang's expression was complex, tinged with bitterness, longing, and a rare hint of bewilderment.

Li Chungang, unrivaled in the world sixty years ago, and Wang Xianzhi, unrivaled in the world for sixty years.

Yu Xinlang sighed, "Let's go, let's see if there are any candied haws for sale nearby."

The green-clad girl hummed in agreement.

Yu Xinlang walked towards Qi Xianxia, the young Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain, who had traveled the martial world for years. Glancing at the peach wood sword at the young Daoist's waist, he asked, "Daoist Qi, are you going to exchange a few sword stances with the King of Northern Liang?"

Qi Xianxia, once known for his aloof nature, first smiled at the green-clad child, then calmly said to Yu Xinlang, "I will not ask about swords; I will only ask about the Dao."

Yu Xinlang continued, "I hear Daoist Qi journeyed a thousand miles alongside Daoist Li, the Wudang sect leader, along the Guangling River. May I ask, the Dao you wish to inquire about today, is it the Dao of principle, or the Dao of Heaven? Is it ascending Longhu Mountain, or descending Wudang Mountain?"

The little girl sighed sagely, saying mournfully, "Little Yu, I don't quite understand."

Qi Xianxia seemed struck by lightning; his face turned pale. He then closed his eyes, his lips moving slightly, continuously muttering, "The Great Dao does not grant immortality, the Great Dao does not grant immortality..."

Yu Xinlang turned his head to glance at the vassal king in the python robe standing at the guesthouse entrance in the distance, then looked back at the Longhu Mountain Daoist standing so close.

The little girl tapped Yu Xinlang's head with her chin and asked wonderingly, "Little Yu, if he's a Daoist and cultivates diligently not for immortality, then what's he striving for?"

Yu Xinlang brushed past Qi Xianxia and, after walking a distance, said, "It's hard to say, but I think this Daoist from the Celestial Master's Residence is about to descend Longhu Mountain and ascend Wudang Mountain."

Unbeknownst to the world, on this day, the mystical purple-gold lotus of Longhu Mountain unexpectedly "sprouted branches" and blossomed with as many as six purple-gold lotus flowers.

Meanwhile, Qi Xianxia, who was originally only half a step away from attaining immortality, instantly lost all his cultivation. As he departed Taian City, he simply looked down at the road, filled with joy, and softly uttered three words: "The Great Dao!"

The heavens lost an immortal, and the human world gained a true person.

Almost simultaneously, a master and disciple, Li Yufu and his student, who had reached Spring God Lake along the Guangling River, solemnly bowed towards Taian City.

The first to notice the subtle signs was not Xu Yanbing, who was at the peak of martial arts, but Xu Fengnian, whose body still contained rampant, sharp sword qi. He merely chose to observe from the sidelines.

The rough-looking northern qi practitioner grandmaster noticed the anomaly immediately afterward. He turned and stared intently at the Longhu Mountain Daoist, as if engaged in an inner conflict, hesitating whether to intervene and stop Qi Xianxia's transgressive act. Ultimately, he sighed deeply, his face filled with sorrow, and abandoned the thought of intervening.

Regardless of whether Qi Xianxia attained the Dao, from that moment on, the Zhao Gou leader who chose to follow his true heart by supporting the 'dragon' (the emperor) instead of mending the flaws in the Heavenly Dao knew that achieving the 'unity of heaven and man' was no longer a hope for him in this life.

Regret flashed and vanished. He threw his head back and laughed heartily, "A Land Immortal! What a 'Land' Immortal!"

In an instant, the qi practitioner, who had appeared to be a middle-aged man, aged into a decrepit, senile elder.

However, after aging at a visibly rapid pace, the martial arts realm of the foremost northern qi practitioner also advanced rapidly, climbing from between the Profound Insight and Celestial Phenomenon realms until it stabilized at the Grand Celestial Phenomenon realm.

Nevertheless, most of the onlookers lining the street, let alone being at the First-Rank realm, didn't even possess the Minor Grandmaster realm, and thus couldn't perceive that immense aura. They simply felt as if they were seeing a ghost in broad daylight. Filled with trepidation, they exchanged bewildered glances, each seeing the same incomprehension in the other's eyes.

The limping old man said gravely, "What happened?"

The qi practitioner smiled faintly, "It's half good, half bad. Given time, it might not be impossible to enter the ranks of Land Immortals."

The 'youth' with the horizontal blade behind his back felt both relief and jealousy. He snapped, "Does that mean our previous plan is null and void? Shall we make a big gamble?"

The limping old man shook his head.

Their purpose in coming today, as clearly conveyed by the imperial palace, was not to kill. Injuring him would be ideal, but if not, they shouldn't lose too badly. All they needed was to let Taian City know that one of the so-called Four Grandmasters was nothing special, easily challenged even by a few 'unknown nobodies.'

Of course, the three of them knew full well that even if they truly wanted to kill him, it would be a fool's dream.

How could they kill Xu Fengnian, let alone with Xu Yanbing by his side?

However, the situation was now vastly different, for there was a Grand Celestial Phenomenon realm grandmaster present, merely a step away from becoming a Land Immortal.

That was why the youth with the horizontal blade made this suggestion.

The limping old man lowered his voice, "Master is dead, but don't forget Master's child is still alive."

The youth's eyes darkened. "We are truly pathetic!"

The qi practitioner, whose cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds, frowned. "Something's not right. Qi Xianxia and Yu Xinlang have left, but as for me right now..."

The 'youth' sneered, "It's obvious, isn't it? In Xu Yanbing's eyes, you, as you are now, still can't compare to Yu Xinlang and Qi Xianxia combined."

The qi practitioner wasn't annoyed by his colleague's taunt. He said with a heavy heart, "I'm afraid it's not that simple."

Li Haoran, standing between the three and Xu Fengnian, was furious.

The young vassal king's absentmindedness wounded Li Haoran, a disciple from a renowned school, the most.

Xu Fengnian frowned, but his brow soon smoothed out. Finally, he took a step forward.

Inside a wine house near the end of the street, the windows were already crowded with people eager to catch a glimpse.

A scholar in a green robe with frosted temples, for some reason, did not join the once-in-a-lifetime excitement. After ordering a pot of wine from the waiter, he sat alone in a corner, drinking by himself.

In the wine house opposite, there was also a solitary drinker in white. If not for the King of Northern Liang's immense reputation and the commotion in the street, many would likely have taken more than a few glances at this handsome man with a cold expression.

The man in white ordered a pot of 'Green Ant Wine.' He raised his cup infrequently, but each time he did, he emptied it.

In a building adjacent to the green-robed scholar's, Li Yibai of Dongyue Sword Pond was recognized and had to return to his seat. At his table were an old man and a pair of youths: Chai Qingshan, Song Tinglu, and Shan Er'yi.

In a guesthouse room adjacent to the white-clad man, a weathered old man, whose name sounded like 'No Sword,' stood by the window.

At the gate of Taian City, a dashing, spirited 'young master' entered, accompanied by a woman in a vermilion robe wearing a veiled hat.

No sooner had the two entered the city than a middle-aged man leading a donkey followed them in.

On a section of the city wall, a purple-clad woman, whose skirt was tied in a knot, stood alone against the wind.

In the second year of Xiangfu, in the deep autumn when cicada songs had faded, after Xu Fengnian, the King of Northern Liang, entered the city:

Within Taian City,

Xu Yanbing, Yu Xinlang, Qi Xianxia, Jia Jiajia,Cao Changqing, Chen Zhibao, Wu Jian, Chai Qingshan, Luoyang, Xu Ying, Deng Tai'a, Xuanyuan Qingfeng—

All had arrived.

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