Chapter 898: A Jar of Plum Wine, White Clothes Return to Beiliang

Xu Fengnian suddenly stood up. Chu Lushan noticed something was amiss a moment later. Xu Fengnian said softly, "It's fine, don't worry. Even if it comes to the worst, where we completely fall out, I can still handle it for now."

A graceful figure suddenly swept into the courtyard. The woman, with her bodhisattva-like appearance and black hair, was none other than Grand Master Liuzhu of Landa Mountain, the very female immortal master who had guided one hundred thousand lonely souls out of Xiangfan City years ago.

However, the sight was now somewhat shocking. The Western Regions Grand Master's robe was stained with blood, and her face was pale. Seeing Xu Fengnian and Chu Lushan, she said mournfully, "A man named Zhong Tan ascended Landa Mountain with an imperial decree from the Northern Mang Emperor. With traitors inside and enemies outside, I only managed to escape because two other Grand Masters sacrificed their lives. I believe an edict will soon be issued to the thousands of monk soldiers in Liuzhou, ordering them to return to Landa Mountain. Xu Fengnian, you should prepare early, because even if your Liuzhou successfully forces the monk soldiers to stay, it will likely only leave behind a hidden danger."

Xu Fengnian and Chu Lushan exchanged a look, their expressions grim. The momentum gained from the victory at Longyan'er Plain was being lost so quickly at Landa Mountain in the Western Regions. Landa Mountain's total force of twenty thousand monk soldiers, while not decisive in the Liang-Mang conflict, represented a difference of almost forty thousand men when considering the defection. Northern Mang, already militarily strong, could absorb Landa Mountain siding with Beiliang. What's more, the sudden addition of twenty thousand men to restrain the Limyao and Fengxiang garrisons, combined with Huang Songpu's army, formed a pincer movement against Liuzhou. For Beiliang, which was already at a significant numerical disadvantage, this was adding insult to injury.

Xu Fengnian stood up and asked, "What was the general process? Could Zhong Tan convince those dozen or so enlightened monks of Landa Mountain with just one imperial decree from Northern Mang? Even if there were already inside connections, Landa Mountain should have continued to waver and observe for a while longer."

Grand Master Liuzhu clutched her chest. "That imperial decree not only explicitly conferred the title of Northern Mang Imperial Preceptor upon several Grand Masters but also promised that Northern Mang would consider Landa Mountain's heritage as a national foundation, help promote Buddhism, and grant it equal standing with the Daode Sect, sharing influence over Buddhist and Daoist forces in the Central Plains in the future. At the same time, Zhong Tan ascended Landa Mountain alone, but one must remember that ten thousand Northern Mang elite cavalry had rapidly arrived at the foot of the mountain. If Landa Mountain agreed, host and guests would be pleased. If not, after that madman Zhong Tan died, both sides would be utterly destroyed. Xu Fengnian, do you think Landa Mountain would agree or not? I originally intended to kill Zhong Tan to cut off their retreat, but unexpectedly, two monks who had long been Northern Mang's inside agents risked their lives to stop me. Now, the only Landa Mountain Grand Master who still leans towards Beiliang..."

She gave a bitter smile and pointed to herself, "is only me."

Xu Fengnian pondered for a moment, first ensuring the thousand-mile-fleeing Grand Master Liuzhu could rest peacefully. Then he turned to Chu Lushan and said, "Cai Anshan, the prefect of Limyao City, and Ma Liuke, the Liuzhou deputy general stationed in Fengxiang Military Town, can no longer be trusted. Neither of them is content with mere comfort. Send an urgent secret letter via 600-li express post to the Liuzhou Provincial Governor's residence, instructing Xie Xichui to replace Cai Anshan as the head of Limyao Military Town. Although Ma Liuke has been sidelined, his prestige among his old subordinates remains. Have Qingcang City send troops to 'escort' him to our Qingyuan Military Town in Liangzhou. At the same time, grant Xie Xichui and Kou Jianghuai the authority to act as they see fit in the Western Regions and Liuzhou, respectively!"

Chu Lushan nodded. "In addition, General Yu Luandao's ten thousand Ghost Cavalry rushing to Liuzhou won't be enough, even with Ning Emei's replenished four thousand Iron Buddha Cavalry. It seems we'll need to send Shi Fu, the new Liangzhou General."

Xu Fengnian said with a hint of helplessness, "In that case, Xie Xichui's suggestion will temporarily become a major strategy for our Beiliang."

Chu Lushan laughed, "Battles on the battlefield aren't like scholarly examinations; last-minute efforts often prove quite useful."

Grand Master Liuzhu did not rush to leave the small courtyard. Listening to their unconcealed conversation, she still felt as if she were hearing an incomprehensible divine text.

Xu Fengnian told Chu Lushan to take Grand Master Liuzhu to a quiet place to recuperate, while he remained alone in the small courtyard.

Then, a familiar white robe appeared at the entrance.

It was Bai Hu'erlian, who had left and returned. His hands rested on the Embroidered Winter and Spring Thunder blades at his waist. Although his expression was indifferent, the palpable aura of facing a formidable enemy was unmistakable.

This martial arts grandmaster, who had no peer among heavenly beings after the Eighteen Stops, was treating someone with such solemn caution. Naturally, it wasn't Xu Fengnian, with whom he had a relatively good relationship.

Xu Fengnian took a deep breath, turned around, and saw a slender back standing silently beside the coffin.

The man, also dressed in white like Bai Hu'erlian, casually carried two cloth bags of different sizes on his back: one for a spear shaft, the other for a spearhead.

The spear's name was Plum Wine.

The white-clad man reached out and placed his hand on the coffin, as if speaking to himself. "Before Qi Dangguo led his troops to war, he once wrote me a letter, saying that if he ever died in battle, I should make time to return to Beiliang to see it. In the letter, he foolishly hoped I could serve Beiliang, saying that as brothers, there are no thresholds we cannot cross. When I received the letter, I knew Qi Dangguo's 'if' would most likely come true. So, I made an exception and came back here, hoping to prevent his death. I never thought that after all these years of biding your time, Xu Fengnian, you would finally become a grandmaster of martial arts, only for it to be completely useless, unable to save even a single person on the battlefield."

Whether in the Xu family army during the Spring and Autumn Wars, or during his decade-plus tenure as Protector-General in Beiliang Dao, or when he was granted a fief as a king in Xishu Dao, the usually taciturn white-clad man spoke an unprecedented amount today.

Bai Hu'erlian's thumbs pushed the Embroidered Winter and Spring Thunder blades about an inch out of their scabbards.

Xu Fengnian stood at the doorway between the two white-clad figures.

At the same time, Grand Master Liuzhu stood outside the courtyard, and the entire Huaiyang Pass began to stir, with the clanking of armor echoing through the streets.

Chen Zhibao, who had returned to Beiliang with Plum Wine, turned around and asked directly, "Who killed Qi Dangguo?"

Xu Fengnian replied, "Hong Jingyan."

Chen Zhibao retorted, "Did Tuoba Pusa attack Qi Dangguo?"

Xu Fengnian did not continue to answer.

There was truly little to say between him and the White-Clad Martial Saint, who had submitted to the Liyang court. It had been like this when the white-clad figure saw the Crown Prince off from Liangzhou, and it was the same during their last encounter and battle on the Guangling River.

Chu Lushan, surrounded by a dense crowd of armored soldiers, strode alone into the small courtyard. He walked up to Xu Fengnian, tossed the wine pot he held high, and said irritably, "Chen, stop spouting cynical remarks here. Pour a libation for Old Qi, and then get the hell out!"

Chen Zhibao raised his hand to catch the pot of Green Ant Wine, then squatted in front of the coffin. He opened the pot and slowly poured the wine onto the ground.

No one knew that Chen Zhibao, for all his aloofness and pride, truly regarded as friends and brothers not Yuan Zuozong, who was also an adopted son of Xu Xiao and renowned throughout the Central Plains, nor Chu Lushan, who was wicked yet brilliant, nor even Shi Fu, the current Liangzhou General who once greatly admired him.

Instead, it was Qi Dangguo, the man lying in the coffin, a man whose name was not prominent in Beiliang, Liyang, or Northern Mang.

Previously in Beiliang, Chen Zhibao only had that remote residence far out in the yellow sands of the desert beyond the pass. Only Qi Dangguo visited him there multiple times. The two never had particularly lively conversations; they simply drank in silence. Qi Dangguo would drink pot after pot with gusto, while Chen Zhibao, who never particularly liked drinking, would accompany him with a few sips. Whenever Chen Zhibao returned to Liangzhou's provincial capital, he almost never stayed at the Qingliang Mountain Royal Residence. Instead, he would always lodge at Qi Dangguo's house, something even the earnest invitations of Yao Jian and Ye Xizhen could not achieve. Wei Fucheng, the former master of the White Feather Light Cavalry, and Dian Xiongchu, the former commander of the Iron Buddha Cavalry, simply couldn't understand why General Chen, whom they wholeheartedly revered as a god, would be willing to associate with a mere Lieutenant Colonel who only knew how to charge into battle. Even during private drinking sessions at the Qi family residence, General Chen would receive "lectures" from that rough fellow, emboldened by alcohol, yet he never got angry, only showing a hint of helpless amusement. Those two direct generals who followed the White-Clad Martial Saint from Liang to Shu clearly remembered that one New Year's morning, General Chen, staying at the Qi family home, was woken up early by Qi Dangguo, who insisted on dragging him along to put up spring couplets and fortune characters. General Chen had no choice but to follow him around the various courtyards, nearly causing Wei Fucheng and Dian Xiongchu to immediately turn hostile towards the oblivious Qi Dangguo. In their view, General Chen agreeing to stay at Qi's home was already a tremendous honor; to dare to take advantage of it further was simply asking for trouble. But for some reason, General Chen never showed any sign of displeasure when Qi Dangguo, with tireless enthusiasm, would utter "good" after every couplet or fortune character was pasted, only offering a reminder if something was crooked. Dian Xiongchu, who later racked his brain but still couldn't understand, bravely asked General Chen if Qi Dangguo had saved him on the Spring and Autumn battlefield years ago, which was why he cherished their old bond so much. Chen Zhibao then smiled and shook his head, saying that during his campaigns with the Grand General, conquering six kingdoms, he was always the one saving others, just like he saved Yuan Zuozong in the Princess's Tomb battle. He had saved Qi Dangguo a remarkable six times, three of which were during the Battle of Xileibi alone. Dian Xiongchu found this even more perplexing, but no matter how much he pressed, General Chen never offered a reason.

Chen Zhibao poured the wine extremely slowly.

After pouring out the pot of wine, he gently placed the pot at his feet. He looked up at the brand-new coffin containing his old friend, his lips pressed together.

When the Xu family army was gaining prominence in the Liyang court but had not yet truly established its power, it fought too many difficult battles. Whenever there was a defeat and someone was needed to cover the retreat, a simple, taciturn young man would always be the first to step forward, declaring, "I'll do it!"

He would get agitated with anyone who tried to take his place.

His reasoning was that his life was worthless; merely surviving the chaos of war years ago was already a bonus, so dying didn't matter!

During the Spring and Autumn Wars, as conflict raged, emperors and nobles died, commoners died, and martial artists on the battlefield naturally died even more easily. So at that time, life and death were minor, commonplace matters. However, there weren't many like that young man, who seemed almost afraid of *not* dying in battle.

Back then, the young man named Qi, who chose to join the army only because he couldn't survive the chaotic times, steadily rose to become a minor leader in Xu Xiao's personal guard, thanks to his outstanding physical strength and fearless courage. After repeatedly escaping the jaws of death, he finally became the standard-bearer he had always dreamed of being.

When Liyang stabilized the realm, the generals of the Xu family army made a grand entry into Tai'an City. At the time, rumors swirled throughout the city that Chen Zhibao would be granted a different surname and enfeoffed as a king in Southern Xinjiang or Liangliao. Then, the young man named Qi, who had just become the Grand General's adopted son, found him with a pot of wine, slammed it forcefully on the table, and declared menacingly, "Chen Zhibao, if you dare to leave the Xu family army, I won't consider you my brother anymore!"

Chen Zhibao, whose presence at the time was akin to the white-robed monk Li Dangxin in Tai'an City years ago, found himself both amused and helpless, yet also felt an inexplicable pang of sadness.

This fellow, who actually looked rather fierce but was weak inside, implicitly meant by his harsh words: "I, Qi Dangguo, know I'm not worthy of you treating me as a brother, but that's your business, Chen Zhibao. I, for one, will still treat you as a brother."

At the time, Chen Zhibao irritably told him, "Leave the wine, and get out."

Qi Dangguo instinctively uttered "oh," and then, just as he reached the door, he had a delayed realization and ran back to Chen Zhibao. He opened the wine and said very seriously, ""

Before Chen Zhibao decided to leave Beiliang, he also brought a pot of wine to Qi Dangguo. The latter seemed to sense something, and his smile turned bitter, perhaps recalling the scene from years ago. Qi Dangguo asked, "Leave the wine, but... can you not leave either?"

Chen Zhibao shook his head.

Qi Dangguo silently drank the wine in a huff, and finally said, "As long as you don't become an enemy of Beiliang in the future, we'll still be brothers. But if you can't manage that, then the first Beiliang person you kill with Plum Wine will definitely be me, Qi Dangguo. This isn't just drunken rambling."

Chen Zhibao took out the letter from his pocket, crumpled it in his palm, then released his hand, letting it turn into dust and scatter. "I received the letter, but some things you wrote in it, I cannot do."

That tall, simple young man, regardless of how many people he had killed or how many military achievements he had amassed on the battlefield, lacked Chu Lushan's villainous ambition, Yuan Zuozong's heroic spirit, Yao Jian's scholarly air, or Ye Xizhen's pedantic nature. He always carried an earthy, rustic air about him.

Even his cypress coffin, after his death, seemed as plain as the man lying within it.

Chen Zhibao stood up without turning around and sneered, "Three hundred thousand Beiliang Iron Cavalry died completely, only to ensure the safety of the Liyang Zhao imperial family in the end? Xu Fengnian, you are truly something!"

Xu Fengnian seemed about to speak but ultimately did not retort.

As Chen Zhibao turned around, he removed the long, narrow bag from his back, revealing the true form of the Plum Wine spear shaft.

A chill filled the room.

"If I were in charge of Beiliang, one day..."

A sarcastic smile played on Chen Zhibao's lips. His gaze shifted slightly towards Chu Lushan, and he said blandly, "Don't you, Chu Lushan, wish to be a leader among civil officials and be posthumously honored with the title 'Wenzhen'? I'll grant it to you."

Chen Zhibao's gaze swept past Chu Lushan and Xu Fengnian, past the courtyard gate, where the Beiliang Iron Cavalry could faintly be seen. "Yan Wenluan, Yuan Zuozong, He Zhonghu, Chen Yunchui—these old veterans of the Beiliang Xu family, every single one of them would be ennobled as kings."

"Shi Fu, Hu Kui, Han Laozan, Ning Emei, Dian Xiongchu, Wei Fucheng—these Beiliang generals, every single one would become dukes or marquises."

"Even if they died on the battlefield before peace was established across the land, every one of them would receive a glorious posthumous title."

Chen Zhibao retracted his gaze, finally looking directly at Xu Fengnian. "And you? What have you brought to the Beiliang Iron Cavalry? Only three hundred thousand stone tablets?"

Chen Zhibao casually wiped away the cloth bag, holding the shaft of the Plum Wine spear.

Chen Zhibao then removed the smaller cloth bag and attached the spearhead. "Although you killed Hong Jingyan, you and I both know that Qi Dangguo died because of you. I don't care how many of the three hundred thousand Beiliang Iron Cavalry die, but since Qi Dangguo died, I need to settle accounts with you, the rightful King of Beiliang."

Xu Fengnian looked at the White-Clad Martial Saint, who had come to demand accountability. "Chu Lushan, take everyone and leave Huaiyang Pass. Take Grand Master Liuzhu with you."

Grand Master Liuzhu hesitated for a moment but did not insist on staying.

Bai Hu'erlian, standing at the courtyard entrance, frowned. "I'll stay, but I won't interfere."

Xu Fengnian shook his head. "You leave too. There's no room for discussion."

The King of Shu, holding Plum Wine, remained indifferent, allowing Chu Lushan to leave the courtyard with a grim face, followed by Grand Master Liuzhu, and finally Bai Hu'erlian, who cast a deep glance at Chen Zhibao before departing.

Chen Zhibao, who did not immediately make a move, seemed to be waiting for Chu Lushan to lead his troops out of Huaiyang Pass. He casually smiled and asked, "In about half an hour, you'll be dead. Do you have any last words?"

Xu Fengnian began to close his eyes and compose himself, waiting for the last Beiliang border soldier to leave Huaiyang Pass.

Chen Zhibao also fell silent, allowing the princely lord before him to compose his qi. He narrowed his eyes, his thoughts drifting far away.

The young King of Liang still wore the boots with severely worn soles.

The King of Shu, who had traveled tirelessly from Guangling Dao to outside Liangzhou Pass, was in no better condition.

A prophecy once circulated throughout the court and the public: "Western Shu and Beiliang, like rats eating grain; the flood dragon and white-clad figure shall be cut down together."