Chapter 952: Between Life and Death, See Life and Death

Heaven's Gate opened wide! Faintly, celestial maidens could be seen scattering flowers, and indistinctly, the lingering sound of Buddhist chants and the prolonged ringing of immortal bells could be heard.

Naturally, the intention was to forcibly "co-opt" the old man surnamed Zhang, the first patriarch of Confucianism. This grand display was akin to a wealthy household's ceremonial gates opening wide to welcome a distinguished guest.

At this critical juncture, the old man, his sleeves billowing, still found the composure to turn to the young Prince and chuckle, "This old body of mine, buried for hundreds of years, can't endure such abuse from you!"

Then the old man shifted his gaze eastward and burst into laughter, "You, this 'Peach Bluff God,' are truly scheming. As a junior in the martial world, you show no respect for elders. There's truly no overnight grudge for you; you want to exact your revenge tonight, don't you?"

Xu Fengnian's expression was solemn. Deng Tai'a commanded over 200,000 flying swords from the Wu Family Sword Mound, rushing together in a mighty torrent towards Beiliang. The swords even needed to precede the person. Compared to Qi Jiajie's escape near Shushu Town, where the person arrived before the swords, the spiritual energy and mental effort Deng Tai'a needed to expend were immeasurable!

Even though Deng Tai'a was considered the foremost killer in the martial world at the time, the leading master of the Zhixuan realm, and hailed as the greatest swordsman of the past millennium, Xu Fengnian knew full well the immense difficulty Deng Tai'a faced by simultaneously wielding all the ancient swords from the Sword Mound. The more this was the case, the greater Xu Fengnian's burden became. Especially since the old man before him appeared so calm and composed, hardly like someone struggling for his life?

The Zhang family sage slowly shifted his gaze back to Xu Fengnian and, with a relaxed air, said, "Young man, I'll give you a saying: 'Deep affection shortens life, extreme intelligence invites harm.' You, you possess both, so it will be difficult for you to have a peaceful end. To live, it's best to take things as they come, to be occasionally muddled; that's how you can find ease."

The wave of flying swords originating from the Sword Mound was so dense it left almost no gaps. Wherever they passed, they were like steel mountains in the sky, obscuring the moonlight. Xu Fengnian no longer concealed the rapid flow of his spiritual energy; his divine intent instantly surged to its peak. He used this as a beacon, like a lone candle burning in an eternal night, drawing the flying swords to him like moths to a flame.

Facing Xu Fengnian's resolute determination, a complex emotion flashed in the old man's eyes. He no longer had any thought of mocking the young Prince, nor did he look at the Celestial Gate, which for him was no different from a dragon's pool or a tiger's den. Instead, he turned and looked down at where he stood; the bluestone ground beneath his feet was shattered like a spiderweb.

After the old man raised his head, he turned his back to Xu Fengnian and calmly said, "They say scholars know everything under heaven without leaving their homes. I had long heard of your battle with Wang Xianzhi. How could that woman named Jiang, who opened the Celestial Gate with her sword to force Wang Xianzhi away, possibly compel me to visit the Heavenly Court? Besides—"

The old man, his hair at the temples fluttering, suddenly turned, his gaze sharp, and emphasized, "Besides, if Lu Dongxuan could pass through the Celestial Gate and return, why couldn't I? It's not that I can't; it's that I won't!"

The old man's body turned, eventually facing the young man with his back to the Celestial Gate. "Trees have their day to wither, and men have their decreed hour! Today, I will let you know that even if you, Xu Fengnian, command an invincible cavalry, even if you are a Grandmaster of the martial rankings, there will come a time when you must accept your fate!"

A strong gust of wind swept across them. Xu Fengnian laughed unconcernedly, "Do you know that later generations have scoffed at you as 'one who knows something cannot be done yet still does it'?"

Xu Fengnian continued, "And do you know that a Sub-Sage of Confucianism, whose status is second only to yours, once said, 'Though there be tens of thousands, I shall go forth'?"

The old man's expression was indifferent as he said, "Those are all good words, much better than your 'stray dog' remark."

Xu Fengnian met the Zhang family sage's gaze, "It's something one yearns for, even if unattainable, but it ultimately draws one's heart and mind towards it. Xu Xiao, in his old age, once told me privately that he never really warmed to scholars worldwide, but he remembered how many times in his early years he saw scholars entering the imperial court together, each brimming with spirit, their jade pendants jingling at their waists—truly an enviable and melodious sight."

Finally, the old man asked, "All things, when they are not at peace, will cry out—this saying encompasses all truth. Given this, Xu Fengnian, do you have any last words for this world?"

The Mountain Sealing Talisman on the Liang Saber had already dissipated. Xu Fengnian re-hung the sixth-generation new Liang Saber of the Xu family. "Countless heroes of Beiliang have died in battle; every household wears mourning clothes. Most of them left no last words, so mine is hardly necessary."

The old man chuckled lightly, "That's because you haven't truly despaired yet."

Xu Fengnian, unperturbed, raised a hand as if to grasp something.

The Zhang family sage scoffed, "Deng Tai'a's flying swords are extraordinary, but they still need to reach Wudang Mountain first!"

The old man also raised his arm, then pressed it down, "Fall, swords!"

The first wave of flying swords, which had already neared Youzhou in Beiliang, plunged diagonally into the earth like spent arrows. The magnificent scene at the border of Youzhou and Hezhou saw wind-swept, slanting rain, and flying swords arcing downwards like locusts, plunging into the ground. They fell on mountains, on rivers, on fields, on yellow sand, like a heavy snowfall covering uninhabited places.

A trickle of crimson blood seeped from the young man's brow, as he continuously guided the flying swords towards Liang. Nevertheless, this constant flurry of swords, the latest of which fell, was ultimately getting closer and closer to Wudang Mountain. A layer of them, descending diagonally like a warning, surrounded the Great Lotus Peak, now less than a hundred *li* away. Meanwhile, blood began to flow from the young Prince's ears, nose, and mouth.

After the Zhang family sage pressed down with his palm, his previously unmoving, mountain-like figure slid back a step, bringing him a step closer to the Celestial Gate. When the remaining twenty-odd flying swords continued to land on Qingzhu Peak, to the right of the Great Lotus Peak, blood began to seep from the young man's eyes. His face was already covered in bruised blood.

When a certain flying sword fell into the deep ravine outside the Great Lotus Peak, Xu Fengnian's face was already indistinct. But that one rusty, unknown ancient sword was already the very last of the 200,000 flying swords from the Wu Family Sword Mound.

However, that Zhang family sage, though he appeared to be leaning against the Celestial Gate, his feet were, in fact, still standing outside its threshold. A single step, yet a world apart: Heavenly Court, Mortal Realm.

The old man lowered his head, glancing sideways at the three-foot sword named 'Man Jiaxue,' and gently pressed it with his free left hand. The young man, his face covered in blood, twitched the corner of his mouth slightly.

The old man, clearly not looking at the young Prince, seemed to possess divine insight. "I know you have one last sword, but no matter how much you calculate, you wouldn't have foreseen this: out of all four prefectures of Beiliang, you could borrow that sword in any other place, but not here on Wudang Mountain. Wudang Mountain is, after all, a Taoist sanctuary, the ancestral home of Northern Taoism since ancient times. From the Great Qin Dynasty to the Great Feng Dynasty, and now to Liyang, this place has almost never been affected by war. Therefore, your Xu family's affinity with the divine is weakest here. If this were outside Liangzhou Pass, or at Youzhou Gourd Pass, not only would I be unable to prevent you from borrowing Deng Tai'a's last sword, but it would probably have already sent you through the Celestial Gate by now."

The old man bent slightly and gently patted the sword's hilt, "You and that Tai'a sword, you're truly brothers in misfortune."

A streak of rainbow light, like a comet in the sky, shot from west to east, crashing straight into the Great Lotus Peak. But it was as if it had struck an invisible city wall, giving rise to blinding sparks and flashes of lightning, unparalleled in their brilliance. The ancient blade was forced forward an inch, wailing incessantly.

The old man closed his eyes, as if listening intently to the sound, and murmured, "Essays emphasize sorrow without being hurtful, yet the battlefield proclaims that a grieving army is sure to triumph. Which is truly correct?"

The old man answered his own question, "Scholars exhaust their minds writing essays, but how many truly pour their heart and soul into it? War, however, is about dying; it would be strange if no one died."

This Confucian patriarch finally looked at the young man. He slowly closed his eyes. Blood obscured his face, making his expression indiscernible; it was impossible to tell if he felt pain, sorrow, regret, relief, or something else entirely. Draining Beiliang's destiny might save him, but the war against Beimang would then surely be lost.

So, he was truly unwilling? Was it also a case of "not that he couldn't, but that he wouldn't"?

The Zhang family sage, who had suppressed two Grandmasters of the martial rankings on Wudang Mountain that night, burst into loud laughter, laughing up at the sky. Desolate, mournful, joyful, a confluence of mixed emotions.

The old man suddenly cursed at the sky, "We scholars, from my own humble self, Zhang Fuyin, though skilled in cultivating noble spirit, never sought immortality! To hell with your cycles of the Heavenly Dao! I have guarded the mortal realm for eight hundred years, watching you immortals point fingers and dictate for eight hundred years. Now you even want to push your luck?!"

That Celestial Gate burst open with a bang!

Ignoring the tremendous commotion behind him, the old man stepped forward, fixing his gaze on the young Prince, and sternly asked, "Xu Fengnian, I ask you: Have you seen all the myriad facets of life—grain drying in the valley sun, well-sweeps hanging high, fishermen draped in straw cloaks, old farmers shouldering hoes, women gathering mulberry leaves, children herding cattle, old women pounding clothes? Have you seen the clamor of war—armor clanging, sword qi like frost, drums thundering, iron cavalry charging forth, arrows raining down, wolf smoke rising everywhere, and corpses strewn across the fields?!"

The young man, covered in blood, remained motionless. In the face of life and death, one truly comprehends life and death. When there's no way out, one's true nature and character are most revealed.

But this fellow named Xu, he couldn't actually be dead, could he? Logically speaking, it shouldn't be so!

For the first time ever, the old man showed a hint of panic. He shot forward, swiftly reaching the young Prince, and with his thumb, pressed the Prince's philtrum, wondering, "His internal energy is clearly quite abundant, so why is he unresponsive?"

The next moment, this earthly sage was kicked flying by the young man. The old man fell heavily to the ground and didn't get up, simply sitting there as if he hadn't fully recovered his senses. The young man also plopped down on the ground, propped his hands on his knees, opened his eyes, and weakly said, "Damn you!"

The old man burst into hearty laughter.

Xu Fengnian had no idea what this crazy old man was thinking, or what he truly intended to do. He continued to gasp for breath, and of course, he was also spitting up blood. Yet for some reason, amidst the searing pain, there was also a strange sense of clarity and refreshment, as if a great weight had been lifted. Especially that kick—it had been incredibly satisfying.

The Zhang family sage raised a hand, brushed off some dust, pointed to his nose, and asked, "Are scholars formidable or not?"

The young Prince was already speechless, merely moving his lips. It seemed, it must have been the word 'Scram!'

The old man scoffed, "What about Lu Dongxuan? Didn't he come to me for scholarly advice in his early years!"

The young man also pointed to his own nose, then with difficulty raised a hand and made a dismissive waving gesture.

The old man's expression immediately became awkward. Before the Great Qin unified the realm, the Zhang family sage had once led his disciples and students on journeys through various states, but was uniquely barred by Great Qin.

The old man scoffed at himself, "'A gentleman's revenge, though delayed ten years, is not too late'—but eight hundred years, that's a bit late."

Xu Fengnian, utterly disheveled, slightly recovered his spiritual energy and weakly asked, "Besides settling a personal grudge, what else is there?"

The old man sat up straight and said gravely, "Before you and Li Yufu sever the divide between heaven and man, I will bear the pressure from the Heavenly Dao for both of you. Li Yufu, who is in secluded cultivation, will be fine, but you, Xu Fengnian, can forget about peacefully dealing with Beimang. Do you truly believe the immortals will simply stand by and watch you defy heavenly principles? Those fellows might very well let the Beimang barbarians take over the Central Plains!"

Xu Fengnian cast a sidelong glance at the old man, then lowered his eyelids.

The old man fumed, "You rascal, don't play innocent after getting a good deal! I've already helped you clear your blocked acupoints and meridians. Others might not know the difficulty of that, but you, Xu Fengnian, wouldn't? It's just like how Zhang Julu rectified the Liyang Grand Canal!"

Xu Fengnian ignored the old man.

The old man took a deep breath, "Xu Fengnian, let's not be so mundane, alright? What was originally a grand and stirring feat, you've twisted into a mere business transaction, losing all its prestige, haven't you?"

Xu Fengnian simply closed his eyes. The old man, genuinely unaccustomed to such "negotiations," found it difficult to employ his extensive strategies, despite possessing them. Yet the fate of the mortal realm was precisely the old man's only weakness, the Achilles' heel of this Confucian sage.

A long silence ensued.

Xu Fengnian finally opened his eyes and cupped his hands in a respectful salute. The old man accepted it calmly.

Xu Fengnian swayed as he stood up and quietly asked, "How about a bonus, by resolving the issue of grain transport to Liang?"

The old man was about to flatly refuse, but then suddenly remembered something and said with a smile, "This matter isn't easy, but as long as you make sure that fellow surnamed Deng speaks nicely later, I'll give it a try. I can't guarantee success, though."

Xu Fengnian waved his hand, "No one in this world can stop Deng Tai'a when he's wielding the Tai'a sword, not even I."

The old man stomped his foot and hastily exclaimed, "Quick, stop that Tai'a sword!"

As he spoke, the Tai'a sword had already shot back.

Xu Fengnian, a little gleeful, slowly walked towards the old man. The old man smiled and turned to look down the mountain. Xu Fengnian stood side-by-side with the old man.

The old man pointed into the distance, "I once heard Huang Longshi idly chatter about the peculiar circumstances a millennium from now. It both brought me peace of mind and caused me worry, always leaving me in indecision."

Xu Fengnian softly said, "Sir, why not consider it from a different perspective? Looking at today from eight hundred years ago, this world has generally improved, hasn't it?"

The old man nodded, "Some things have improved, some have worsened, but on the whole, things are indeed better now."

Then a mutual silence fell between them.

The old man suddenly said, "I probably won't live to see Deng Tai'a return to Wudang Mountain. Please convey a message to him for me: If one only considers the skill level of swordsmanship and not the profundity of the sword dao, he is the foremost swordsman of all time."

Xu Fengnian replied, "Alright."

The old man gazed wide-eyed into the distance, his form appearing ethereal and indistinct, and murmured with emotion, "Then let me take one last look at this mortal realm."

Xu Fengnian quietly asked, "Sir, do you have any last words?"

The old man pondered for a moment, "Yes!"

Xu Fengnian said gravely, "Please speak, Sir!"

The old man calmly said, "Shut up!"