Chapter 16

Xu Fengnian, seated high on his steed, saw the familiar figure lurking furtively at the corner of the Jade Purity Palace, peering out with a head peeking out. The moment this person saw the young lord, he shrank back. Xu Fengnian raised his riding crop and roared, "Rider of the ox! If you keep hiding, I'll lead my men to trample the Grand Purity Palace and throw you and the Turtle-Carrying Stele down Little Lotus Peak!"

The young Taoist, the most promising disciple on Wudang Mountain in a hundred years, appeared timidly in the crowd, stopping far from the iron cavalry of Liang. He bowed and said with a smile, "This humble Taoist greets the young lord."

This granduncle disciple performed a polite bow to Xu Fengnian, but his eyes remained fixed on the old man with white hair and black robes, Lao Kui. Wudang Mountain was renowned for its internal cultivation, and it was said that half of the internal cultivation in the world came from the Jade Pillar. Besides its famous sword techniques, Wudang placed great emphasis on internal strength, making it a model of both internal and external cultivation.

The Taoist had seen many peers on Great Lotus Peak, experiencing the aura of those whose internal strength had reached the pinnacle. The old man with the strange knife technique before him clearly possessed such strength, with an unbroken flow of energy, clearly a formidable opponent.

The granduncle disciple, not yet thirty, subconsciously took two steps back, giving the young lord a look that said, "You know, I know, but heaven and earth do not know." Xu Fengnian returned the look, and the granduncle disciple responded with another, and so on, leaving the onlookers bewildered, unsure of what was going on.

In the eyes of the Taoists of the Jade Purity Palace, the granduncle disciple undoubtedly won, displaying the grandmaster's demeanor of subduing the enemy without a fight. Everyone saw him turn and walk away gracefully, exuding a transcendent aura, while the detestable young lord merely followed Lao Kui up the steps of Wudang Mountain.

The Taoists heaved a sigh of relief. The granduncle disciple was indeed a granduncle disciple, having made the frivolous Xu compromise without uttering a word. However, the Taoists did not know that when the three reached a secluded place, the granduncle disciple, whom they revered as second only to the immortal who split the river with a finger, was punched and kicked by Xu Fengnian for a full incense stick's time, only to hear the plea, "Don't hit the face, don't kick the crotch."

After finishing, Xu Fengnian performed a qi circulation, feeling refreshed, and threw a book of erotic tales, striding away. However, he did not go down the mountain but led Lao Kui along a narrow path of green stone slabs carved into the cliff, ascending to the Pure Joy Palace hanging on the precipice.

The most remarkable feature of this palace was a rain-praying altar built out over the cliff, arranged in the pattern of the Big Dipper. According to Taoist texts, the Purple Cloud Immortal of Wudang Mountain had ascended to heaven from this spot. The Pure Joy Palace was usually not open to the public, and even literati seeking seclusion could only return empty-handed from outside the palace. However, thanks to his father, the Grand Marshal, Xu Fengnian could bring Lao Kui to the Big Dipper Altar.

The mountain wind was fierce, and Lao Kui sat cross-legged, his robes fluttering, his eyes squinted, gazing at the distant peaks and clouds. Xu Fengnian, standing behind Lao Kui with a light step, finally steadied himself, almost unable to open his eyes, and sat down, hiding in Lao Kui's shadow.

Xu Fengnian strained to shout, "Old man, how is the little Taoist's skill?"

Lao Kui seemed puzzled and said, "His martial arts are mediocre, much like you, a lazy good-for-nothing. It's a pity his parents gave him such a fine physique. As for his Taoist arts, there's no way to test them. I don't know, I don't know. I suppose they won't be too bad, nor too good. Great things in the world generally follow the principle that if you don't advance, you retreat. Without hard work, how can one achieve greatness? It's strange that Wudang Mountain chose this material. Is it like the Zen lineage? I can't understand, I can't understand."

Xu Fengnian was even more puzzled and asked, "Can these Taoist arts and mystic techniques be used for food or to kill?"

Lao Kui thought for a moment and laughed, "Kid, you're asking the wrong person."

"He can't kill," the Taoist with a transcendent name said, still with his hands in his sleeves, unmoved by the eight winds, and chuckled, "There are many firsts in the world, like eating the most or reading the most. Your master didn't say it had to be martial arts. There will be a day when I can leave."

Xu Fengnian struggled to stand, his gaze directed towards the south, and softly said, "But by then, people will be old. Meeting again, white hair meeting white hair, what's the point?"

Hong Xiang closed his eyes and said nothing.

Xu Fengnian exhaled deeply, snorted, and walked out of the altar, pausing slightly as he passed the Taoist, and asked, "What do you think of my sister?"

The Taoist, who had been in this crystal world since he could remember, holding the Yellow Court and riding the ox to watch the clouds, softly said, "The best."

Xu Fengnian walked out of the Pure Joy Palace with a blank face, and Lao Kui looked thoughtful.

After the young lord had walked far enough, Hong Xiang squatted awkwardly, hands supporting his cheeks, lost in thought, muttering, "Red beans grow in the south, sprouting in spring and withering in winter. Missing someone is worse than not missing at all."

Above his head, a dozen or so red-capped cranes, full of spiritual energy, circled and called, making him look like a celestial being.

He suddenly clutched his stomach and frowned, "I'm hungry again."

...

On the way down the mountain, Lao Kui suddenly said, "Interesting, that little Taoist has some cultivation."

Xu Fengnian was not particularly interested and asked casually, "How so?"

Lao Kui was uncertain and said, "That kid is cultivating the Supreme Heavenly Dao."

Xu Fengnian's head ached at the mention of Dao and other nonsense, and he frowned, "Is there really someone who drills into such abstract and empty things? Aren't they afraid of finding out it's all for nothing in the end?"

Lao Kui laughed out loud, "I don't like these incomprehensible things either."

Xu Fengnian reached the foot of the mountain and the archway, ignoring the obsequious Taoists, and looked back up the mountain, cursing, "This turtle hiding in its shell!"

The two hundred cavalrymen, standing in formation on the steps, remounted their horses, their movements precise and efficient, without any excess.

The Liang cavalry, all mounted on fierce horses and clad in bright armor, were trained in border combat every year by the Grand Marshal, and the local people were known for their fierce and martial spirit, with many women skilled in archery and horsemanship. This was a unique advantage.

For example, Xu Fengnian's sister, Xu Zihu, was skilled in archery from a young age, and his second sister, Xu Weixiong, was not only an excellent horsewoman but also a master swordsman, agile as a monkey and praised as a mountain goat. She killed her first person at thirteen and had since taken over a hundred heads. The people of Liang were warlike, and in the eyes of experts, the Liang cavalry far surpassed the troops under the command of the Prince of Yan and the Duke of Jiaodong, being a true lion of a hundred battles.

Lao Kui waited for Xu Fengnian to mount his horse and said with a smile, "Kid, I won't return to the mansion. It's no fun without Old Huang."

Xu Fengnian blinked and said, "Why don't you wait until I come of age? If it weren't for you, Old Man, Fengnian would have died at the bottom of the lake. It's about half a year away. I'll prepare some good food and drink for you, and I'll repay your life-saving grace as much as I can. How about it?"

Lao Kui thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

It was clear that the mighty Lao Kui did not dislike the most pampered young master of Liang.

They galloped back to the mansion. As they entered the city, it started snowing heavily again, and Xu Fengnian shivered. As soon as he reached the gate, the gatekeeper, who had been eagerly waiting, handed him a fine fox fur cloak and carefully draped it over him, serving him more diligently than his own parents.

Xu Fengnian muttered, wondering if Old Huang had enough clothes.

After bidding farewell to Lao Kui, he walked alone to the courtyard where Yu Youwei lived. It was a waste for a beautiful woman to be neglected and to admire herself in solitude. Xu Fengnian, who enjoyed nurturing flowers, found this unacceptable.

On the way, he passed by the humble abode of Jiang Ni, where he saw the exiled princess, thinly dressed, half-squatting to build a snowman. The snowman was about half her height, and after completing it, she did not look happy but stared at it with anger, then pulled out her cherished talisman and chopped off the snowman's head, making Xu Fengnian shudder. Could this crazy girl be taking out her frustrations on the snowman?

Xu Fengnian coughed a few times and walked over. Jiang Ni, initially flustered, relaxed upon seeing the young lord and slowly put away her weapon. Xu Fengnian approached and saw her red, chapped hands, like a poor servant in the laundry, and sighed. He squatted down and rebuilt the snowman's head, which Jiang Ni saw as a pretense, finding it detestable.

Xu Fengnian clapped his hands and stood up, asking gently, "Do you need some warm clothes?"

Jiang Ni replied coldly, "I don't want dirty things."

Xu Fengnian laughed, "I was just asking. I've already done my good deed, and whether you appreciate it or not is none of my business. I like you this way, always letting me have the upper hand. It's a good deal."

Before leaving, Xu Fengnian taunted, "No matter how shabby your clothes are, they're still mine. If you have the nerve, take them off and be a true heroine."

Jiang Ni pretended not to hear. In their verbal sparring, she often lost, and upon reflection, she might have never won.

Xu Fengnian's mood improved when he saw Yu Youwei, and it got even better. His mother had said that no matter if a beautiful girl had a kind heart or a venomous one, she should be cherished. In nearly twenty years, Xu Fengnian had never done anything to harm a flower, but had directly and indirectly saved the lives of over a dozen lowly maids.

Yu Youwei lay lazily in her warm bedroom, playing with the plump, snow-white Wu Meiniang. Every time it snowed, Xu Fengnian wanted to throw Wu Meiniang into the snow to see if she could distinguish between a white cat and snow, but he always held back, thinking he would try it when Yu Youwei and Wu Meiniang were apart.

Xu Fengnian took off his boots and lay next to Yu Youwei, leaning against her warm, supple body, and closed his eyes, saying softly, "I went to Wudang Mountain and beat up a Taoist of the same generation as the patriarch. Was that impressive?"

Yu Youwei smiled faintly, "It was the Grand Marshal who was impressive."

Xu Fengnian opened his eyes, turned her around, and slapped her round, peach-shaped buttocks, scolding, "I'll teach you how to flatter me!"

Yu Youwei's face turned slightly red, and just as Xu Fengnian was about to press his advantage, the light voice of Green Ant, a second-tier maid of the Wutong Garden, called out that a letter from Dragon Tiger Mountain had arrived. Xu Fengnian, unable to take advantage of Yu Youwei, put on his boots hastily, ran out of the house, and took the letter, seeing Green Ant's slender shoulders covered in snow, he smiled and gently brushed it off, then walked with her.

In the Wutong Garden, the best-heated place in the mansion, Xu Fengnian enjoyed the massage from the head maid, Sweet Potato, and took out the letter. The old Taoist from Dragon Tiger Mountain had excellent handwriting.

Upon closer inspection, his brother's cultivation on Dragon Tiger Mountain was described as "diligent and rapid, advancing a thousand miles a day." Even with half the exaggeration, it was still impressive. It seemed Huang Man'er had not gone in vain. The letter mentioned at the end that Xu Longxiang missed home, so the old Taoist asked the young lord to write a letter home to reassure his disciple. Xu Fengnian put down the letter and waved his hand, "Grind the ink."

The room immediately bustled with activity, with delicate hands grinding the ink and adding fragrance. Xu Fengnian picked up the brush but hesitated, unsure how to start, almost scratching his head. As the saying goes, "When you need knowledge, you regret not having read more; when you face a task, you realize its difficulty."

Xu Fengnian put down the brush and nuzzled the head maid's fragrant, plump chest, asking, "Did the Lin family's rouge-eater see Xu Xiao?"

Sweet Potato replied softly, "He saw her but didn't leave."

Xu Fengnian laughed, "Does this rogue still want to eat your rouge?"

Green Ant said with disdain, "That tattered embroidery pillow is not to the sisters' liking."

Xu Fengnian rolled his eyes, "So I'm not an embroidery pillow?"

Sweet Potato gently wrapped her arms around the young lord, her firm chest pressed against him, and said seductively, "The young lord is not a pillow; the maid is."

Xu Fengnian laughed, "What a sweet mouth."

Green Ant sat a bit away, picking up and putting down a chess piece, bored. Xu Fengnian sat up straight and looked outside. As expected, the aloof Qingniao was lost in thought. The Wutong Garden, though small, had everything, including fourth-tier maids and various servants. Due to the young lord, it held a very high status in the Liang mansion.

Not to mention the head maid, even the second-tier ma