Chapter 840: 侠客行 (Middle)

Xu Fengnian and Xu Yanbing quietly departed from the main group early, riding together. Guided by a senior intelligence agent from Fushui House, they arrived at a dirt slope located seven or eight li northwest of Xincheng.

Occasionally, a squad or troop of mounted archers would gallop past in the distance. The scout teams now included one or two additional riders wearing light armor but without the typical Liangdao sabers or light crossbows. These individuals were martial artists, meticulously vetted by the Liangzhou border army and Fushui House. According to classified military archives from the Huaiyang Pass Protectorate, over two hundred martial arts masters from the Central Plains had been secretly integrated into the border army’s scout units. For border rangers, whose encounters often resulted in immediate death, this was undoubtedly a vital reinforcement, akin to a timely rain, especially considering the significant casualties sustained by Beiliang scouts during the first Liang-Mang war.

Upon seeing a figure with two horses atop the slope, Xu Fengnian instructed Xu Yanbing not to follow him. He dismounted alone and led his horse forward. The burly figure, sitting on the ground and still exuding a powerful aura, did not rise to greet the young prince. He merely looked up, his eyes narrowed, at the young man now regarded as Beimang’s most formidable adversary.

Xu Fengnian loosened the reins and gently patted his warhorse’s back. The magnificent Type A horse, from Beiliang’s Xianli pasture, seemed to understand him perfectly, quietly trotting off on its own to graze.

Xu Fengnian asked with a smile, “Senior, what brings you back to Beiliang this time?”

The elder, cloaked in a heavy marten fur coat, stood up with a clanking sound, revealing two thick iron chains. Two imposing, hiltless horse-chopping sabers hung from his waist. He stretched out a palm the size of a cushion, patted his backside, and sent dust scattering. Grinning, he said, “Kid Xu, I heard that after you returned from Beimang, your martial arts cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds. Did you even kill Wang Xianzhi? And then you fought the other three Grandmasters on the martial rankings—Tuoba Pusa, Deng Tai’a, and Cao Changqing? You’re quite the sensation now! But I, your grandpa, am not entirely convinced. I made a special trip from Hexi Province in Beimang to spar with you. How about it?”

Xu Fengnian looked around, then suddenly rushed to the tall elder’s side, fawning, and began massaging his shoulders. “Senior Chu, Old Immortal Chu, Master Chu… Aren’t you tired from your journey through mountains and rivers? Would you like some wine and meat?”

Perhaps because one doesn’t hit a smiling face, the old man surnamed Chu calmly accepted the mighty Beiliang King’s flattery, shedding his earlier arrogant demeanor. He smiled as he looked at the young man, whom he had practically watched grow up. “It seems you were indeed seriously injured in Tai’an City. Otherwise, with your usual cocky attitude, you would have long since turned hostile and fought me, your grandpa, for hundreds of rounds without a word.”

Xu Fengnian retorted exasperatedly, “A lean camel is still bigger than a horse, senior. Don’t push your luck. If I accidentally knock you down, and then you angrily run back to Beimang without looking back, delaying the important matter Helian Wuwei entrusted you with, who would I complain to?”

The elder bristled and glared, hands on his sabers, ready to fight. But the young man simply looked shamelessly resilient, as if inviting a beating. The white-haired elder sighed, shrugged his shoulders, and pulled away from the young man’s half-hearted massage. “You sly fox! You’re right, Helian Wuwei asked me to come to Beiliang. I have two things for you: one good news, one bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?”

Xu Fengnian smiled, “Let’s hear the bad news first. You only get the sweetness by chewing sugarcane from the top down.”

The elder, who had been trapped at the bottom of Tingchao Lake for many years, spoke in a deep voice, “Old Helian and I are both guest retainers from the ‘Grand Notion’ lineage of the Beimang Princess Tomb. I didn’t hide that from you last time. But after all these years, my feelings about the Princess Tomb have faded. Even Luoyang has gone to Mount Zhulu, and it’s said that the ‘Little Notion’ with the half-mask was killed by Huoyan Daguan’s palm. So, whether it’s me or Helian Wuwei, we’re here to settle old debts. Once this matter is done, the old accounts will be cleared, and from now on, we’ll go our separate ways…”

Xu Fengnian rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright, get to the point. This king is busy with myriad affairs, focusing on the grand trends of the world…”

Consequently, Xu Fengnian took a slap from the old man but didn't retaliate, seemingly without any intention to do so. He merely adjusted his hair, though it did little to restore his dashing appearance, instead feeling quite a bit of fine sand. In the vast northwestern desert, riding against the yellow sand, such a bleak scene was commonplace.

After a smiling curse, the elder’s smile faded, and he spoke with rare solemnity and a grave tone: “This bad news is truly significant. Have you heard of Princess Qingluan of Beimang? Her public identity is Fan Bainu, the top horse drummer. When you were still the Crown Prince of Beiliang, this woman had been flirting with Chen Zhibao for a long time. In fact, her true name should be Yelü Bainu. She is a genuine member of the Beimang imperial family and harbors a blood feud against the old woman surnamed Murong, who killed her father. She used to have to endure humiliation to survive, but it’s different now. After such a major defeat, the two confidantes the old woman heavily relied on—Taiping Ling and Dong Zhuo—are now each having a difficult time in Beiting and the Southern Dynasty, respectively.”

Xu Fengnian nodded. “That’s understandable. At the time, the choice was whether to attack Beiliang or Liang-Liao, and most were inclined to pick the softer target, Gu Jiantang. Otherwise, the old woman wouldn’t have had Tuoba Pusa lead hundreds of thousands of elite cavalry to patrol various regions on the Beiting grasslands before the Liang-Mang war. Ultimately, it was to suppress those ‘Prince Yelüs’ and the Great Xiti of the grasslands. If they had successfully taken Beiliang this time, it would have been acceptable; conquering the Central Plains would have been imminent, and even if it was painful, they could still endure it. But since they didn't even breach Beiliang Pass, it's a different story. No one is happy about casualties without gains, especially those Beimang barbarians who, for centuries, have grown accustomed to plundering the border and returning with great spoils.”

The elder glanced at the calm and collected young man, then, biting back an aside, he pursed his lips. He abandoned the tangent that had almost slipped out and continued with the previous topic. “The ambitious Yelü Dongchuang has returned to Beimang. This kid wouldn’t normally cause much trouble, but he has a powerful grandfather: Yelü Hongcai, who served as a regent for three Beimang dynasties. This ‘old immortal’ truly lives up to his name. When Emperor Shengzong Yelü Wenshunu died, Yelü Hongcai was one of the six people at the emperor’s bedside, but he was ranked last, not considered a great figure. When Emperor Shenzong died, there were five people, and he was ranked third. When Beimang’s previous emperor was tortured to death by the old woman, there were again five trusted regents in Beimang. Kid Xu, do you know who they all were?”

Xu Fengnian smiled, “Grand General Yelü Shulie, Central Plains remnant Xu Huainan, Tuoba Pusa, and Murong Baoding. It’s clear that Yelü Shulie was already old at the time, only barely holding a seat as an elder leader in the Beimang army. Xu Huainan and Tuoba Pusa, one civil and one military, were both confidantes personally promoted by the old woman. Murong Baoding, needless to say, just by his surname, you know. So, Yelü Hongcai, who was among them—the only trusted confidant of Beimang’s old emperor—needed to protect the entire Yelü clan by himself. However, for over ten years, aside from bickering with Dong Zhuo during ‘ash-drawing’ discussions, the elder was almost never heard from in Beiting. The Yelü princes and the Great Xiti of the grasslands, lacking a central figure, were naturally greatly disappointed in this old man.”

The elder sighed, “Helian Wuwei privately told me that this time, the Yelü clan in Beimang has finally united. They quietly sent Princess Qingluan into the Liyang Central Plains, and they must have drawn a huge, enormous ‘pie’ for Chen Zhibao!”

Xu Fengnian frowned. “Would Chen Zhibao agree?”

The elder sneered, “I don’t understand the intricacies of court politics and battlefields, but old Helian said that in the Guangling Dao campaign, Liyang treated Chen Zhibao, the King of Shu, with a ‘use but not trust’ attitude, clearly harboring suspicions. After conquering Western Chu, when assessing military merits, Wu Zhongxuan and Lu Shengxiang would likely contend for first place, followed by young generals like Song Li dividing the military achievements. Chen Zhibao, at best, would rank ahead of King Zhao Yi of Guangling and King Zhao Bing of Yanfu, and might not even compare to King Zhao Xun of Jing’an. Do you think a proud man like Chen Zhibao, whom even Liyang’s former Emperor Zhao Dun regarded as the White-Clad Military Saint, wouldn’t harbor resentment? Even I, an outsider, feel that Chen Zhibao would feel aggrieved. He had no part in the Liang-Mang war, and even less in the Liang-Liao war. After finally leaving Western Shu, he could only get some leftovers in Guangling Dao. His so-called title of Military Saint? Isn’t that just a joke?”

Xu Fengnian murmured to himself, “If Xie Guanying hadn’t suffered that devastating defeat in the capital, this idea wouldn’t be feasible. But now… Fan Bainu, Yelü Bainu, Yelü Dongchuang, Yelü Hongcai… are they promising Chen Zhibao that he can be the Xu Xiao of a new Beimang dynasty? They are all ‘scheming with tigers’ (playing a dangerous game). Will Chen Zhibao agree to Beimang because he dreams of one day ruling both north and south, achieving what Xu Xiao couldn’t back then?”

The elder did not disturb Xu Fengnian’s deep contemplation.

Xu Fengnian suddenly turned and asked, “What about Gu Jiantang? I don’t think this Grand Pillar will be swayed by Beimang. Even with Wang Sui leading the eastern front, the odds of victory are still fifty-fifty. Has Beimang not considered how to deal with this formidable last famous general of the Spring and Autumn period?”

The elder chuckled, “You two truly are an old fox and a young fox! Helian Wuwei anticipated this point. The old man smiled and told me to let you guess, because it seems he only vaguely received some inside information and couldn’t jump to conclusions.”

Xu Fengnian squatted down, unconsciously grabbing a handful of hot yellow sand, and pondered for a long time. “Although King Zhao Wu of Liao is a hindrance, Liang-Liao is still a solid territory. Therefore, the breakthrough can only shift westward. Between Liaodong and Beiliang, there aren’t many significant figures. Jiedushi Cai Nan, Jinglueshi Han Lin, and the deputy general of Hezhou are all puppets who were scared witless by our Beiliang cavalry early on, so there’s no need to say much about them. However, Jizhou… King Zhao Xiong of Han, I can’t see through this prince. When Fengzi Camp and I passed through Jizhou, this ‘One-Character Parallel King’ dared to come alone on horseback into my army and chat with me. He’s absolutely incomparable to Zhao Wu. Next, Yuan Tingshan, Yang Huchen, and Han Fang are three powerful military generals in Jizhou… Yuan Tingshan has his father-in-law Gu Jiantang and the Li family’s Yanbao as his backing, which is both a reliance and a restraint. Yang Huchen went to Jizhou to atone for his sins, so there’s no reason for him to act as an inside agent for Beimang’s southern invasion. Han Fang, to be honest, is a pawn I placed years ago. Even if he’s not completely loyal to Liyang, at the very least, he won’t betray Liyang for Beimang. The loyal and valiant Han family has fought against northern nomadic tribes for three or four hundred years; hundreds of people named Han alone have died. Anyone can defect to Beimang, but Han Fang won’t.”

The elder stood beside Xu Fengnian, gazing into the distance, his eyes filled with yellow sand and desolation. “The bad news is out. Next, some good news, though I’m not sure if it truly counts as good news.”

Xu Fengnian, squatting with his back to the wind, opened his palm, letting the sand blow away. He said softly, “Senior, tell me.”

The elder emphasized, “Xu Fengnian, you should know that Helian Wuwei in Beimang is one of the old woman’s steadfast ‘token holders.’ The fact that I, Chu Kuangnu, could pass through the Southern Dynasty’s border, which is rife with spy networks and checkpoints, and smoothly arrive in your Beiliang without a sound, is certainly not due to my own great ability. It’s because Helian Wuwei and the old woman had an extremely covert secret talk, with no one else present except Taiping Ling. The old woman told Helian Wuwei that if the Yelü clan of Beimang dares to go all out and cooperate with Chen Zhibao, then she also has the courage to form an alliance with you, Xu Fengnian! And her commitment will only be greater! As long as you agree to rebel against Liyang, even if you can’t bring a single soldier from Beiliang, she will elevate you to a position you cannot imagine!”

Xu Fengnian shook his head and laughed. “That old hag, she’s gone mad.”

The elder sighed with emotion, “Those who are about to die are all pretty much the same.”

Xu Fengnian paused. “That’s actually good news.”

The elder sighed. “Wrong, completely wrong. Helian Wuwei’s last message for you is this: if you ultimately refuse the Beimang Empress’s goodwill, then Beimang’s next southern campaign will be a fight to the death, a ‘fish dies, net breaks’ scenario!”

Xu Fengnian said calmly, “Regardless of whether I agree or not, twenty years outside Beiliang Pass, with so many lives lost in battle, the answer has long been given.”

The elder smiled. “Whether you agree or not is your business, Xu Fengnian. I’ve just delivered the message. From now on, whether Liang-Mang lives or dies, it has nothing to do with me.”

Xu Fengnian slowly stood up, clapped his hands, and laughed, “How about a fight then? For all these years, I’ve always remembered one of your sayings, senior: ‘No matter if you can win or not, fight first and talk later!’”

The elder said earnestly, “No fighting, no fighting. A senior must maintain their decorum. Besides, you’re injured, so even if I win, it would still seem like taking advantage of someone’s weakness.”

Xu Fengnian smiled without speaking.

The elder’s old face flushed, and he glared, “Brat! Don’t push your luck!”

Xu Fengnian burst out laughing.

The elder reached out and patted the young prince’s shoulder, a wistful expression on his face. “From the first time you almost drowned at the bottom of Tingchao Lake, saved by me, to later when you’d periodically dive down to hold your breath, or bring me things to eat… truthfully, I watched you grow from a child into the current King of Beiliang…”

Xu Fengnian felt a bit awkward and said embarrassedly, “In my younger days, when I was in a bad mood, I often brought things to the bottom of the lake to tease you, senior. I hope you don’t take it to heart.”

The elder was instantly exasperated.

Xu Fengnian wisely kept quiet, no longer rubbing salt in the elder’s wounds.

The elder laughed heartily, “On my way here, I heard that in the Liyang Jianghu, people no longer really mention your top fourteen martial arts masters; you’re simply too out of reach. To be honest, I, your grandpa, also know my limits, having fought some of you monsters. But those ‘Four Saints’ and ‘Ten Great Masters’ ranked by Daxueping, and the ‘Xiangfu Fourteen Prodigies’ copied from the Spring and Autumn Thirteen Jia, I’d really like to meet them!”

Xu Fengnian hummed in acknowledgment and reminded him, “Although many of them are masters and grandmasters merely seeking fame, senior, it’s best not to provoke some of the ranked masters. For instance, Sui Xiegu and Yu Xinlang within our Beiliang territory, Wulin Alliance Leader Xuanyuan Qingfeng, Dongyue Sword Pool’s Chai Qingshan, Nanzhao’s top master Wei Miao, the saber master Mao Shulang from Southern Xinjiang, and Chengbaishuang of Dragon Palace…”

The elder’s face grew uglier the more he listened, and he angrily said, “You brat, just tell me directly: who can I, your grandpa, beat up?!”

Xu Fengnian rubbed his chin. “That’s something I’ll have to think carefully about.”

The elder, not in the mood to listen to Xu Fengnian’s nonsense, strode away. He mounted his horse, with a second horse alongside him, preparing to head south to the Central Plains to roam the Jianghu.

Xu Fengnian said with a smile, “Don’t let me hear that you, senior, got beaten down as soon as you re-entered the Jianghu.”

The burly elder sat high on his horse, furiously saying, “You brat, just wait until I, your grandpa, wreak havoc across the Central Plains Jianghu!”

The elder rode his horse down the slope.

Xu Fengnian suddenly looked at the elder’s retreating back and called out, “Old man, the reason I could firmly believe in my youthful aspiration to go to Wudang and practice martial arts with a saber in this life is because seeing you at the bottom of the lake made me believe that this world truly has masters.”

In the Jianghu, there are masters, even god-like figures. Only when one person can truly contend with ten thousand can they truly seek revenge by their own power.

Therefore, Xu Fengnian was incredibly grateful to this elder whose *pipa* bone (shoulder blade) was pierced by iron chains—this martial arts senior who inspired him to grit his teeth and persevere in his martial arts journey.

The elder did not turn back, yelling loudly, “Sentimental! If you have the guts…”

The elder suddenly found he couldn’t find anything to say to disparage the brat. Have the guts to become the world’s number one? This guy didn’t die at Wang Xianzhi’s hands, fought Tuoba Pusa across a thousand li, and even fought two people alone in Tai’an City.

The Jianghu is like this, and in the court and battlefield, when has he ever lost?

Finally, the elder, who was almost at the bottom of the slope, roared, “Xu Fengnian, if you have the guts, die after me! You brat, remember, don’t forget to get your grandpa some good wine and meat when that time comes!”