Chapter 988: Heavenly Being Blocks the Immortal

As night fell, thick candles, each as stout as a baby's arm, were lit in the Prince's Manor Council Hall, illuminating the spacious hall as brightly as day. Generals gathered within the hall, possessing an invisible radiance that intertwined with the brilliant light filling the room.

Present were Yuan Zuozong, commander of the Northern Liang cavalry; Gu Dazo and Chen Yunchui, the two infantry deputy commanders whose main army bases were in Liangzhou; Yang Shenxing, a Deputy Military Commissioner truly integrated into the Northern Liang border army; and Luo Dian, who had previously served as a Deputy General in Youzhou before being transferred to the Great Snow Dragon Riders as Deputy General, and now also commanded a heavy cavalry unit. Also in attendance were Cao Xiaojiao, Hong Xinjia, and others who had traveled specifically from Youzhou, as well as a large contingent of powerful regional generals and commanders temporarily summoned to Jubai City. These included Wang Zhi and Huang Xiaokuai, Deputy Generals of Lingzhou; Xin Yinma and Wei Shaqing, the two Tongguan Commanders guarding Liangzhou's eastern gate; Zhu Boyu, Fengqiu Commander of Lingzhou; Ren Chunyun, Beiguo Commander; and Jiao Wuyi, who had replaced Huang Xiaokuai as Pearl Commander. Numerous military officers gathered to discuss how to defend Jubai City.

Among them, Hong Xinjia, who had single-handedly developed the Gourd Pass Fortress and Beacon Tower system, did not hold a particularly high rank. However, at this moment, everyone, including the young Prince and the two border army deputy commanders, was intently listening to him elaborate on the details of the city's defense.

A large number of azure-robed advisors were present to observe.

The 'Madman' Hong Shuweng was undoubtedly a legendary figure, having risen the fastest and highest in rank among the White Horse Righteous Guard. Despite his young age, he already served as the main commander of the cavalry in Lingzhou under General Han Laishan. This time, he accompanied two deputy generals to Jubai City beyond the pass. This formidable martial artist, who had once roamed the Central Plains martial arts world with the Crown Prince and traveled to the Iron Gate Pass in the Western Regions to intercept and kill Prince Zhao Kai of Liyang, was not inside the hall but stood at the main entrance, holding his saber, eyes closed in meditation. His demeanor was cold and austere, like an unforgiving door god, ready to draw his blade at any disagreement.

Bai Yu, the Prefect of Liangzhou, Wang Jijiu of the Ministry of Rites, and Cheng Baishuang, a Grandmaster from the Southern Frontier, walked together. Upon meeting, they found kindred spirits and conversed happily. Wang Jijiu secretly took out several pots of his long-cherished 'Green Ant' wine and invited the two scholars for a small drink. Half an hour earlier, an advisor had announced that there would be a council meeting in the main hall that night, which made the already tipsy Wang Jijiu a little awkward. To stumble drunkenly into that heavily guarded hall would be inappropriate, and Wang Jijiu lacked the courage to face it. The piercing gazes of those rough-and-tumble martial generals were something he, at his advanced age, simply couldn't endure, no matter how thick-skinned he was. Wang Jijiu clearly understood who the 'soft persimmon' was in this Prince's Manor in Jubai City. It wasn't old foxes like Li Gongde or Yang Shenxing, nor was it the jade-like, humble, and modest Bai Yu, nor even the passionate and spirited military advisors. It was clearly the young Prince! Even if the old man accidentally spilled the beans about the anecdote of him 'stumbling out' (presumably drunk and needing to lean on a wall), it was a lot of thunder with little rain; he was merely defeated utterly by the enraged young Prince on the chessboard.

Furthermore, Wang Jijiu dared not display any of the eccentric and unrestrained demeanor typical of renowned scholarly figures of the 'pure stream' faction. The reason was simple: the old man knew that the civil and military magnates of Northern Liang never fell for such posturing, and he himself was not adept at it. So, after vigorously fanning himself to dispel most of the alcohol fumes, Wang Jijiu finally dared to lead the two men to the entrance of the council hall.

As a result, the 'door god' at the entrance did not stop the elegant and dashing Mr. Bailian (Bai Yu), but instead blocked both Wang Jijiu and Cheng Baishuang. Bai Yu, formerly a junior Celestial Master from the Celestial Master's Residence at Longhu Mountain, the ancestral home of Taoism, thoroughly embodied the principle of 'let a friend die, not me'. He turned a deaf ear to the old man's pleas for help behind him, and after striding over the threshold, merely cast a helpless glance back. Wang Jijiu had originally sworn to Cheng Baishuang that they could enter the council hall together, but his old face instantly contorted with bitterness and hardship. He first put on a brave, hearty smile for Cheng Baishuang, gesturing for him to 'rest assured, I've got this', then turned and whispered persuasively to the young military officer, arguing that the Prince trusted this Southern Frontier Grandmaster immensely, that Cheng Baishuang was a man of integrity, and would absolutely not cause trouble or leak military secrets. Hong Shuweng stood with his saber clasped in his hands, his face stern and unresponsive. No matter how the old man lowered himself and flattered, Hong Shuweng simply blocked the entrance, refusing to nod and let them pass.

The eloquent Wang Jijiu, having talked himself hoarse, could only resort to throwing a tantrum and acting like a rascal, abandoning all scholarly decorum. He glared and said, "Hong Shuweng! Do you believe I'll stand here and loudly declare injustice? Do you think the Prince will then let me enter the council hall?"

The 'Madman' Hong, impervious to persuasion, remained unmoved. He sneered, "Old man, go ahead and shout. If the Prince personally agrees, I'll let you pass. Otherwise, with that outrageous smell of alcohol on you, I'm really going to give you a hard time today!"

The old man's eyes widened like ox-eyes. Hong Shuweng lazily retorted, "What's wrong? Unconvinced? Is Wang Jijiu trying to bully me for having less martial arts experience, simply because you're older?"

The old man almost spat out a mouthful of old blood at this shameless young general. True to his reputation as a scholar of profound knowledge, he lowered his voice and extended one finger.

Hong Shuweng squinted at him, his face full of disdain.

As if in great pain from letting go of something precious, the old man tremblingly extended two fingers.

Hong Shuweng muttered to himself, "Scholars are just so indecisive."

The old man took a deep breath, extended a palm, and slapped the young man's arm hard. With a bitter expression, he said, "This is all I have left! Killing someone only takes a nod of the head! Hong Shuweng, give me a straight answer!"

Hong Shuweng raised an eyebrow, shuffled his feet, and moved aside. He said with a smile, "When the meeting ends, I'll personally come to your place for the wine. Five pots of Green Ant wine. If even one is missing, I'll dismantle your Ministry of Rites annex; it's only a few steps away anyway. And remember, don't get too close. Standing at the edge with the other advisors will be fine."

The distraught old man didn't even try to haggle. He hastily stepped over the threshold, not forgetting to turn and whisper to Cheng Baishuang, "Old Cheng, the breeze and moonlight outside are pleasant, and the scenery is beautiful, so I won't keep you company."

After Wang Jijiu had walked seven or eight steps away from the main entrance of the council hall, he suddenly turned and pointed at Hong Shuweng. His face displayed the smug expression of a petty victor, complete with eye-rolls and head shakes.

Hong Shuweng instantly realized that the five pots of Green Ant wine he had been promised beforehand were certainly gone. He raised his foot, making a kicking motion.

Wang Jijiu crooked his finger, making a 'come hit me' gesture, inviting a beating. However, when the old man saw Hong Shuweng coldly sneering and about to barge into the council hall, he immediately agilely darted away.

Hong Shuweng was accustomed to such antics. He turned around and resumed standing with his eyes closed, holding his saber.

Cheng Baishuang was greatly astonished.

Mr. Bailian, a man of refined and elegant speech and demeanor, and Wang Jijiu, who had nearly dominated the literary world in his youth as the Right Libationer of Shangyin Academy—how had they become so brazen and shameless upon arriving in Northern Liang?

Cheng Baishuang, who was proficient in both scholarly and martial arts with deep and far-reaching attainments, was somewhat amused and bewildered. He wasn't angered, nor did he leave in shame. Instead, he stood outside the council hall, looking in, and quietly asked, "May I ask, General, if I may stand here and listen to the discussions inside?"

Hong Shuweng did not open his eyes and grumpily said, "Since the Prince previously permitted you, Cheng Baishuang, to move freely within the manor, then tonight, as long as you don't overstep by crossing the threshold, it doesn't matter if you stand or lie down outside the door to listen. Even if you stand on your head, I won't stop you."

Cheng Baishuang, who almost possessed the demeanor of a Confucian Saint, simply smiled.

Earlier, while drinking and chatting with Bai Yu and Wang Jijiu, Cheng Baishuang had heard many amusing anecdotes that served as conversation starters. The speakers had no particular intention, but the listener paid close attention.

Bai Yu said that the young Prince would occasionally leave his study, located to the right of the signing room in the second hall, and go to a room on the left of the signing room that Jubai City jokingly called the 'Vegetable Garden'. This was where the military advisors' 'headquarters' were located. These young men, from various backgrounds, held no official ranks but wore scholarly azure robes. At a glance, they appeared lush green, and when gathered, resembled a vibrant vegetable patch. Moreover, these individuals were the scholarly seeds of Northern Liang; whether native to the Northern Liang Dao or scholars from other regions who had come to Liang, they all eventually took root and thrived in Jubai City. Xu Fengnian would occasionally go there to sit, at no fixed time, day or night. He never engaged in lengthy discussions but simply chatted with these azure-robed scholars, most of whom were his peers. Their conversations mostly revolved around trivial matters, at most discussions about writing essays or refining one's character through study. Grand military and state affairs were rarely mentioned; the matters of 'governing and pacifying the world' and border conflicts were seldom discussed. One time, when Mr. Bailian had nothing to do, he happened to join them. That night, a Northern Liang Prince and a Liangzhou Prefect were surrounded by dozens of azure-robed scholars, chatting and laughing incessantly.

When one military advisor declared his willingness to go into battle and absolutely fight to the death, the young Prince neither refused nor affirmed his statement. After glancing around and surveying the youthful, spirited faces of the scholars, he then told the impassioned scholar from out of town that scholars, by strategizing behind the scenes, offering counsel for border affairs, speaking out for national matters, and advocating for the border army fighting to the death, had already fulfilled a monumental duty and earned an indispensable merit. Beyond this, if you scholars are willing to sacrifice your lives, that is certainly a good thing, but I, Xu Fengnian, will never advocate for it. From Xu Xiao to myself, we have always believed that for the Northern Liang cavalry defending the border, being beyond the pass, wearing their Liang blades at their waists, and riding their warhorses, to fight to the death with no retreat is only right and proper. As for scholars who are not skilled in archery or combat, having the will is enough; Northern Liang is unwilling, and should not, demand that you sacrifice your lives. Furthermore, it is understandable for scholars who have never experienced the smoke of battlefields to fear death and cherish their lives. Scholars in their studies and warriors on the battlefield each have their own duties. The former expresses righteousness and their true feelings through writing, while the latter dons armor and wields weapons to defend the pass and repel the enemy. If you do your part well and I do mine, then our consciences are clear. As for ordinary folks living in towns and alleys, there should be even less expectation for them to come to the border to fight; they should live well, peacefully, for their entire lives.

Cheng Baishuang clasped his hands behind his back, turned his back to the council hall, looked towards the archway, and fell into deep thought.

As emergency strategies were formally finalized one by one, military generals continuously departed the council hall in hurried groups. Finally, when even Gu Dazo and Chen Yunchui, the two senior border army commanders stationed in Jubai City, stepped out, the young Prince and Wang Jijiu finally walked out side-by-side, approaching Cheng Baishuang, who had been standing motionlessly at the entrance for nearly two hours. Bai Yu had already left earlier for a meeting in the Ministry of Revenue, destined to burn the midnight oil until dawn, and thus had no time to greet Cheng Baishuang. The young Prince saw the Southern Frontier Grandmaster, who had achieved the Grand Celestial Phenomenon realm on Wudang Mountain, seizing the opportunity granted by the Confucian Sage's grace upon the world. Xu Fengnian smiled softly and said, "After Cao Changqing and Xuanyuan Jingcheng, it seems another Confucian Saint is finally about to appear to oversee the realm's destiny."

The three walked down the steps together. Cheng Baishuang shook his head and said, "Due to my limited scope, I cannot reach the realm of a Confucian Saint."

Xu Fengnian asked, puzzled, "What do you mean by that?"

Cheng Baishuang smiled and replied, "Even now, I still do not possess the mindset of establishing a heart for Heaven and Earth, preserving the lost teachings of past sages, or bringing peace to all generations."

Xu Fengnian nodded, but did not, on account of this, look down upon the aged scholar from a fallen kingdom.

Cheng Baishuang suddenly asked, "Prince, what do you consider a scholar to be?"

Xu Fengnian thought for a moment and replied, "Scholars govern the nation, leading to an era of great peace."

Cheng Baishuang then asked, "In times of chaos, when the nation faces dire peril, what should a scholar do?"

Xu Fengnian replied without hesitation, "One should not demand too much of them."

Cheng Baishuang smiled and asked, "Shouldn't they bravely rise up, scholars saving the nation?"

Xu Fengnian merely smiled. "That's beyond my concern. The responsibilities of scholars are for scholars to choose for themselves. Whether they are willing, whether they dare, whether they are able—these are all matters for scholars themselves."

Cheng Baishuang seemed somewhat surprised by this statement. He remained silent for a long time, then smiled and said, "Indeed."

At daybreak, outside Jubai City, a rider galloped rapidly eastward from Old Woman Mountain in Liuzhou towards Jubai City. Just before reaching the city gate, Lou Huang abruptly reined in his horse.

He turned his head to look, seeing a man who, despite being far from the battlefield, was still clad in iron armor and wore two sabers at his waist. The man was looking up and smiling at him.

Lou Huang dismounted. Feeling an extremely unfamiliar, intense murderous aura from his senior martial brother, he couldn't help but ask, "How is that fellow named Xie?"

Yu Xinlang sighed softly, "He's only barely alive. Xie Xichui is severely wounded."

Lou Huang said nothing further.

Yu Xinlang hesitated for a moment. "Junior Brother Lou, I have something to ask of you."

Lou Huang replied without hesitation, "Just say it."

Yu Xinlang said sadly, "I might have to trouble you to take Little Green Robe back to the Central Plains. I've traveled many roads with her. I originally thought she could live carefree at Listening Tide Lake in Qingliang Mountain, spending her days climbing trees and catching fish with her peers, and then slowly grow up... It seems that will be difficult now."

Lou Huang shook his head. "For this matter, you'll have to ask Xu Fengnian to find someone else. I can't help."

Yu Xinlang frowned. "You're staying too?"

Lou Huang snorted coldly, "Are you saying only Yu Xinlang is allowed to act heroically, but I, Lou Huang, am not allowed a moment of audacity?"

Yu Xinlang was speechless.

Lou Huang said regretfully, "It's a pity, neither of us has a good, handy sword for now."

Yu Xinlang patted the Liang saber at his waist and smiled, "After using it, I found it's very effective. Bodies don't even need to be carried away after a swing of the blade; it's quite satisfying."

Lou Huang quipped, "How about you lend me one?"

Yu Xinlang flatly refused, "Dream on."

Lou Huang tutted, "I also want you to agree to something."

Yu Xinlang said with a smile, "You'll have to tell me first. Whether I agree or not depends on that."

Lou Huang grinned, "If I kill more people than you in the upcoming battlefield beyond the pass, how about you call me Senior Brother from now on?"

Yu Xinlang patted his junior brother's shoulder and said earnestly, "While it's true that a junior brother who doesn't want to be a senior isn't a good junior brother, and as your senior, I can understand that feeling, I'm afraid I still won't agree to it."

Lou Huang was not surprised. He led his horse forward, a slight smile on his lips.

For all those years in the Martial Emperor City of the East Sea, the two martial brothers had almost no interactions, let alone such casual conversations.

Yu Xinlang, who seemed easy to talk to but was actually the most difficult, possessed incredibly high talent, excellent innate constitution, profound cultivation, and deep understanding of the sword. Thus, even though he had the best temper among all of Wang Xianzhi's disciples, he inadvertently gave off an impression of looking down on others.

Lou Huang truly couldn't bring himself to like that version of Yu Xinlang.

The current Yu Xinlang, however, was someone his fiercely competitive junior brother, Lou Huang, couldn't quite dislike.

Yu Xinlang suddenly said, "If I can survive and leave the Northern Liang border, I'll find a gentle and charming woman, settle in a peaceful little village, and spend the rest of my life there."

Lou Huang nodded. "That's not bad."

Yu Xinlang sighed, "It is very good. But I'm also quite worried now. With my looks, finding a beautiful maiden from Yanzhi County in Northern Liang would be effortless for me. But what about your appearance, Junior Brother? What if I see a very good woman whom I don't like myself and want to introduce to you, but she only likes me? That would put me in a very awkward position."

Lou Huang took a deep breath.

Then another.

Only then did he manage to resist the urge to hit someone.

Around noon, in a quiet courtyard of the Prince's Manor, a white-haired, white-robed, one-armed old man raised a cup of wine, looking at ease.

This old man, who had a peculiar fondness for devouring famous swords from around the world, was not only of the same generation as Liu Songtao and had contended with Li Chungang in swordsmanship, but was also the common master of the Sword Emperor of Western Shu and Sword Nine Huang of Qingliang Mountain.

Across the stone table sat Chai Qingshan, the current sect master of the Eastern Yue Sword Pond. Although in terms of martial arts status and Central Plains reputation, Chai Qingshan was far superior to the reclusive Sword-Eating Ancestor, in terms of martial arts generation, Chai Qingshan, nearing seventy, was still a generation, or even two, junior to Sui Xiegu. Sui Xiegu had once visited the Sword Pond in his thirties and defeated an elder of the Song family, a prominent lineage within the Sword Pond. This elder was already sixty at the time; although defeated and his treasured sword became 'food' for Sui Xiegu, the elder, before his death, still highly praised the rising talent Sui Xiegu, viewing him as a fellow traveler on the path of swordsmanship. When the young Chai Qingshan, an outsider, entered the Eastern Yue Sword Pond, he became a martial brother to the previous sect master, Song Nianqing. Both had received guidance from that martial grand-uncle, who taught them everything he knew. Thus, upon finally seeing the true face of Sui Xiegu today, Chai Qingshan respectfully performed the junior's salute from the bottom of his heart.

Recalling those old events, Sui Xiegu slowly said, "Back then, every time Li Chungang defeated a long-renowned sword master in the martial arts world, I would follow closely behind to join the fun. However, some swordsmen, after being defeated by Li Chungang, had their sword hearts clouded and their sword intent shattered. It wouldn't have been honorable for me to defeat them."

At this point, Sui Xiegu glanced at Chai Qingshan and sneered, "Song Nianqing's father, who was your master, was one such person; he simply couldn't handle defeat. After being humiliated, he died of depression. In contrast, your martial grand-uncle, although his swordsmanship was not as profound as his nephew who became sect master, clearly had a more resilient character. After losing to me, he trained diligently for twenty years, and then, when he fought me again, he still lost. But do you know what that centenarian said, laughing, when he personally watched me break his treasured sword?"

Chai Qingshan shook his head.

Sui Xiegu narrowed his eyes and sighed, "That old fellow laughed heartily and said, 'Damn it, a human life is only a hundred years! How can I hold a three-foot blade long enough? Not satisfying, not satisfying enough! In my next life, in the next hundred years, I'll still practice swordsmanship!'"

Chai Qingshan remained silent, but his heart yearned for such spirit.

Sui Xiegu said indifferently, "Coming back to it, your master's swordsmanship being ruined cannot be entirely blamed on his weak character. After all, as the sect master, especially in a long-standing sword-cultivating family like the Eastern Yue Sword Pond, he probably had to bear the rise and fall, honor and disgrace of his family from birth, making it naturally harder to let go."

Chai Qingshan, still a sect master to this day, sighed from the heart, "Indeed, it is truly not easy."

Sui Xiegu said inexplicably, "Even harder."

Chai Qingshan was slightly startled, then realized.

Just then, Hong Shuweng, who had not left Jubai City