Chapter 931: Unwilling to Grow Old in This Jianghu

"Jointly Pursuing the Deer"

Looking at the leader of the Fish Dragon Gang, Xu Fengnian said softly, "Please sit."

Liu Nirong hummed in acknowledgment and sat across from him.

Xu Fengnian smiled and asked, "Are you feeling very tired?"

Liu Nirong smiled, her expression weary but her eyes bright. "Probably a bit more relaxed than you."

Xu Fengnian poured Liu Nirong a cup of wine and joked, "I won't press you to drink. You're truly free to choose. It's not appropriate for a single man and woman to both get drunk."

Liu Nirong dismissed it with a smile, not feigning boldness by gulping it down. She just took a small sip, letting the gesture convey the meaning.

Xu Fengnian didn't drink. With his hands tucked into his sleeves, he slowly said, "Heat and coolness reside only in the mind; hence, there are no seasons in the Buddha-land, and the Immortal City is like eternal spring. But we are mortals after all, and it's hard to achieve such a state. Even if we do, it may not last. In the end, there are two types of people who live the most easily in this world. One is genuinely magnanimous: if someone scolds the old fool, the old fool only says 'good'; if someone hits the old fool, the old fool simply lies down and sleeps. The other type is genuinely petty: they seek revenge for every grievance, demanding repayment for kindness and retaliation for enmity, even comfortably repaying kindness with malice. The former only retreats, while the latter only climbs upward."

"So, which one are you?" Liu Nirong asked.

Xu Fengnian grinned. "Of course, I'm the former within the latter. I'm not important enough to be a true villain, nor can I play the hypocrite well. I'm stuck in the middle. So, I'm quite melancholic right now."

Liu Nirong wasn't amused. Instead, she lowered her head and said in a low voice, "The Fish Dragon Gang..."

Xu Fengnian interrupted her. "Do you know why I wanted you to be the leader of the Fish Dragon Gang? You might think I needed an additional source of troops, or that I've been coveting your beauty for a while now."

Liu Nirong looked up, caught between laughter and tears, only to find his expression utterly serious.

Xu Fengnian said calmly, "Neither. My initial thought was very simple: I felt that the martial arts world of Beiliang needed one or two of those female martial artists I admired in my youth. It wasn't important how skilled she was, but that she was filled with integrity, radiant, spirited, and capable of influencing great matters. She naturally possessed a chivalrous heart, willing to draw her sword to help when she saw injustice. I searched and searched, and I only found that woman named Liu Nirong in a small gang. She just happened to love the martial arts world and had once shared hardships with me. See? It was that simple."

Liu Nirong suddenly smiled. "I believe you."

Xu Fengnian teased, "Because you're foolish, that's why you believe whatever anyone tells you."

Liu Nirong gave a self-deprecating smile and didn't deny it.

It was at this moment that Xu Fengnian realized she was truly exhausted.

If it had been the Liu Nirong who escorted escorts through Beimang back then, she would have argued back immediately, even if she felt guilty.

Xu Fengnian said, "I will find someone to replace you as the leader of the Fish Dragon Gang. I'll also have to trouble you to apologize to the old gang leader on my behalf. After all, the name 'Fish Dragon Gang' represents his lifelong effort."

Liu Nirong nodded.

As if finally unburdened, she seemed like a different person and curiously asked, "What exactly happened tonight? Can you tell me? The 'Cross-River Dragon,' 'Great Lake Jiao,' 'Mountain Wild Python,' 'Cave Entrance Snake,' 'Pond Carp'—it feels like they all gathered here."

Xu Fengnian smiled. "There's nothing I can't tell you. In the later period when I was still the Crown Prince of Beiliang, before my succession was set, there were actually very few fools willing to deliberately seek trouble at Qingliang Mountain. After I became this Prince and also a Grandmaster of Martial Arts Rankings, a large number of Spring-Autumn remnants who harbored a desire for death and were hidden in Beiliang had nearly given up hope. Since they couldn't assassinate me at Qingliang Mountain, and it was even less possible to die in vain under the watchful eyes of the frontier cavalry, what could they do? They could probably only wait for death, full of resentment. Then, the Fish Dragon Gang rapidly rose, and there were rumors at the time that my relationship with you was unclear. Of course, many people treated a dead horse as if it were alive, infiltrating the Fish Dragon Gang to await their opportunity. Guo Xuan, the second manager of this very wine shop, was one of them. His real name is Guo Xuanxiang, a descendant of a loyal and distinguished family from the old Northern Han. His father and Fan Xiaochai's grandfather were both pillars of their nation, one renowned in literature and the other in martial arts during the Spring and Autumn period. However, Fushui Manor never expected that the youngest son of the Guo family, whose death had been confirmed back then, was actually still alive, and right under our noses."

"As for that Fish Dragon Gang enshrouded master who tried to smash the Seal Supervisory Office's chief eunuch's head with a single palm strike, he was even more deeply hidden. Even the death warrior from the Hawk-Rearing Chamber who was by your side, posing as Qi Hanshi, couldn't uncover his true origins until today. Now that he's dead, it's difficult to follow the trail."

"The middle-aged man who claimed to be from the Chongshan Song family was from a renowned aristocratic family of the old Southern Tang. Although the fall of Southern Tang was Gu Jiantang's doing, there must be their Song family's reasons for why they eventually laid the blame on me."

"Those four assassins must have come from a sect called the Gelou Pavilion. Their style is distinct and not to be underestimated. I believe those Spring-Autumn remnants could hire ordinary killers from Gelou Pavilion, but definitely not elite death warriors of that caliber. So, the depth of the inner workings here is hard to say, but certainly not shallow."

At this point, Xu Fengnian smiled slightly, as if seeing some peanuts left on the plate. He pulled his hands from his sleeves, picked up a single peanut, and tossed it into his mouth. "Others aside for now, but since this Gelou Pavilion dares to establish a sect in the martial arts world and openly comes to Beiliang to challenge me, then I'll consider it a battle challenge where they assume full responsibility for their lives and deaths."

Liu Nirong asked in surprise, "Are you going there yourself?"

Xu Fengnian gave a wry smile. "With the war between Beiliang and Beimang imminent, why would I go to the Central Plains? However, back then, the Wu Family Sword Mound dispatched a hundred cavalry and a hundred swordsmen to Beiliang, all under my command. Not all swordsmen are willing to die beyond the pass, and many also wish to return to their homeland. There are about twenty cavalry remaining. Originally, I wanted them to symbolically fight one or two battles outside Youzhou Hulu Pass, killing a hundred enemies each, as a way for both sides to save face. Now..."

Liu Nirong also bent down, reached out, picked up a peanut, and put it into her mouth. "You're sending those twenty Wu family cavalry directly to cause trouble for Gelou Pavilion?"

Xu Fengnian raised an eyebrow. "Of course not. They still have to kill a hundred Beimang barbarians each, and *then* they can go to the Central Plains to flatten Gelou Pavilion!"

Liu Nirong rolled her eyes. "You're quite the shrewd businessman."

Xu Fengnian hummed, "This is called 'like a swallow building its nest,' good household management!"

After smugly finishing this sentence, the dignified Prince of Beiliang tossed a peanut high into the air, tilted his head back, and caught it in his mouth.

Liu Nirong was truly speechless.

The small plate of remaining peanuts was quickly divided between the two of them. Liu Nirong pondered for a long time and finally couldn't help but ask, "Those people clearly no longer had any thought of assassinating you. Why were they still so unscrupulous? Didn't they know that if Beiliang and Liyang fell out over this, the ones truly suffering wouldn't just be the Beiliang cavalry, but even the people of the Central Plains..."

Xu Fengnian waved his hand repeatedly and said casually, "Didn't I tell Guo Xuanxiang upstairs earlier? Some things, each side has their own reasons, and these reasons can't be reasoned with."

Liu Nirong's face darkened. She wanted to speak but stopped, letting out only a sigh.

Xu Fengnian thought for a moment and slowly said, "Some people truly have nothing left. They are merely hanging on by a thread of life. To make them swallow that last breath would be more unbearable than killing them. So what can you say? You haven't truly experienced the Spring and Autumn Wars; some things are harder to comprehend. As for me, I only understand a bit more than you because I am my father's son. Regardless, the grievances of our fathers' generation are right there; a son pays his father's debts, it is only right and proper. However, if anyone truly has the ability to kill me, I accept it. But if they seek me out without the ability, then don't blame me for killing quickly. Thinking deeply about principles is always good, but solving problems simply isn't necessarily a bad thing either."

Liu Nirong asked, "You're talking about these things so calmly?"

Xu Fengnian retorted indignantly, "What else can I do? If someone is coming at me with a knife, should I ask those chivalrous heroes to put down their knives first and explain that it's better to resolve enmity than to foster it? It's clearly a waste of effort, and it tires the heart. Why bother? I figured this out a long time ago. Getting angry over such things isn't worth it. Otherwise, with my petty and bad temper, I would have been driven mad long ago by those scoundrels, rascals, and old bastards who died feeling more righteous than the last!"

Liu Nirong's expression was odd.

Xu Fengnian felt a bit abashed, then suddenly winked and patted the Beiliang saber at his waist. "Xu Xiao left this for me. Who am I afraid of? Even if I were to die of anger someday, I'd definitely die after those people, at least a hundred years later!"

Liu Nirong yawned.

Xu Fengnian stood up and said with concern, "Go to bed early, or you'll get more wrinkles around your eyes."

Liu Nirong smiled sweetly. "Please! Get! Lost!"

Xu Fengnian gave a thumbs-up. "This female warrior is truly a person of character..."

Before Xu Fengnian could finish his flattery, Liu Nirong had already stood up, clasped her hands behind her back, and turned to leave with light steps.

She was still the same as back then, wearing a ponytail.

It swayed gently.

Like the slightly rippling martial arts world.

Xu Fengnian left the wine shop and walked down the street. The further he got from the wine shops and brothels, the more desolate and quiet it became.

Then Xu Fengnian saw that figure.

He knew she would be waiting for him, yet he least wanted her to appear.

His previously relaxed mood gradually grew heavy.

However, when Lin Hongyuan saw the young Prince, he was still the same person who had brought her countless nightmares by Spring God Lake back then—seemingly carefree, but in reality, extremely shrewd and cunning.

The two walked together. Though it was a casual chat, given their respective statuses, it couldn't be about trivial domestic matters. Instead, it involved recent trends in conflicts like the Guangling Dao war, Liyang's Zhao Gou's strong infiltration of the current martial arts world, and the latest deployment of the Liangliao border army under Gu Jiantang.

Ultimately, it wasn't a perfectly happy parting, nor was it an unhappy one.

In short, it was lukewarm.

Xu Fengnian was to leave Beian Town that night, while Lin Hongyuan was to return to the inn in town, later to participate in the Wudang Martial Arts Discussion as the Dragon Palace Master.

So, for the first time, Xu Fengnian personally escorted Lin Hongyuan to the inn entrance. The latter was flattered, but her beautiful face also bore a resentful expression that seemed to say, "You, Xu Fengnian, aren't trying to get me to warm your bed, are you?"

Of course, Xu Fengnian had no such idle intentions.

He turned and left.

Lin Hongyuan had thought about calling out to him but ultimately didn't speak.

She watched his tall, receding back.

He walked leisurely, hands clasped behind his head.

Earlier at the wine shop, Xu Fengnian had been candid with Liu Nirong about many things.

But some things, Xu Fengnian didn't say.

For example, why Lin Hongyuan and the other three suddenly decided to choose Beian Town as the meeting place with him, why it just happened to be when the Seal Supervisory Office's eunuch was staying at Green Horse Post Station, and why Liu Nirong just happened to be delayed by a day on her journey.

"Little beggar, you want to be emperor, I know.

So why don't you come to Beiliang yourself, come here and invite me for a drink, and then directly tell me: 'Brother, that dragon throne is mine, Zhao Zhu's, for certain, how about it?!'

But he didn't bring wine.

Instead, Lin Hongyuan came to Beiliang.

There are no banquets that do not end.

After leaving Beian Town, Xu Fengnian swept westward.

Xu Ying and Hehe Girl only followed from afar.

He headed for a deserted area. Xu Fengnian, who had been soaring through the air like a rainbow, suddenly landed, raised his arm high, brought two fingers together like a sword, and roared, "Two Sleeves Green Snake!"

A streak of brilliant sword qi rolled like a green dragon, particularly stunning and magnificent in the deep night sky.

Xu Fengnian repeated the four words "Two Sleeves Green Snake" again and again.

And so, between Beian Town and Liangzhou City, between heaven and earth, continuous green rainbows stretched out.

Sword qi soared into the sky.

I have a sword that breathes light like the sun and swallows rivers and washes the moon!I have a sword whose qi shakes the earth and whose sound moves the heavens!I have a sword that shatters mountains and rocks cities, making thousands of troops scatter!

As Xu Fengnian approached Liangzhou City, the young Prince, drenched in sweat, lay on his back on the ground, gasping for breath.

Xu Fengnian strained to look at the sky and grinned. "Without fine wine and beautiful women, I wouldn't wish to come to this human world. Without swift swords and close friends, I wouldn't wish to grow old in this martial arts world. Old man in the sheepskin robe, you said it so well."