Chapter 17

On the second day, everything came to light. The woman named Fan Xiaochai was from a once-prosperous family that had fallen into ruin due to the Grand Marshal's machinations. She was a dead pawn, destined to die regardless of the outcome, but she had her uses—serving as a decoy, occupying positions, and gathering intelligence.

Lin Jia's second young master was merely a fool being used, yet he was half-dead and half-alive. This探huayé (探花爷, third-place laureate) was completely in the dark, only lusting after Fan Xiaochai's charm. He was so infatuated by a clumsy arranged encounter that he brought her into the Northern Liang王府 (princely residence) without a care for his own life. Heaven only knows how the Lin family of Hedong felt when they learned of this disaster. Last night's assassination attempt was crude, revealing a sense of desperation. Fan Xiaichai, under the pretense of sightseeing, had sketched a map of the princely residence and a portrait of the Crown Prince Xu Fengnian, then sought an opportunity to carry out the assassination. However, their plans were far inferior to those of the Northern Liang王府, and they all met with disaster. As for the mastermind behind Fan Xiaichai and the fate of the Lin family of Hedong, Xu Fengnian, who was sitting in the Tingchao Pavilion warming his wine, didn't care. He only wondered if Fan Xiaochai regretted dying for a man she had never met.

Xu Fengnian had no pity for these people who rushed to their doom like moths to a flame. Beautiful women were like bamboo shoots after a spring rain or grass on a prairie at night—once one batch was gone, another would sprout. It was endless, and showing sympathy for each one would be exhausting. Xu Fengnian had no such leisure. Moreover, after three years of wandering in poverty, he had learned much about the world. He remembered a fellow traveler, a low-ranking young swordsman who could only afford a wooden sword. This man always talked about the importance of not showing mercy to enemies, as it would only harm oneself. He claimed to have learned this from frustrated and unknown senior swordsmen, and he would always spout these ideas, spraying Xu Fengnian with saliva.

Xu Fengnian still remembered the man who would look at swordsmen on the street with the same eyes a thief would look at a beautiful woman. If this man knew that the old man, Huang, who he forced to listen to his grandiose talk about swordsmanship, was actually the famous Ninth Yellow, who could fight the old monster Wang Lao in Wuding City, and that the old man's back scabbard contained five of the most famous swords in the world, what would he think? The man, who dreamed of finding a master to learn from, was he still well? Had he made any progress in swordsmanship?

When they parted ways at the border of Southern Yan, the man had said to Xu Fengnian with great enthusiasm, "When I make it big, I'll treat you to the best beef, a pound if not enough, then three pounds, enough to fill your belly!"

Three pounds of beef seemed to be the limit of his imagination.

The real world of martial arts had few top-tier experts who could split rivers or move mountains. Most were nameless pawns like this man, chasing after distant and ridiculous dreams. Xu Fengnian rubbed his cheeks hard, seeing Yuan Zuozong standing by, quietly waiting for him. Xu Fengnian quickly got up and moved the embroidered stool for the Third Rank General Longwu. Yuan Zuozong's eyes flickered with surprise, then he sat down like a great bell, and said seriously, "Your Highness, the Prince has asked how to deal with the Fan woman."

Xu Fengnian smiled, "Deal with her as you see fit."

Yuan Zuozong nodded slightly, surprised by the unexpected answer, and immediately got up to leave.

Xu Fengnian didn't stop him. He sat down again but soon got up and said, "Third Brother Yuan, let's have a drink sometime, until we're both drunk."

Yuan Zuozong showed a rare smile, "Sure."

Xu Fengnian took a bottle of wine from the tea table, already prepared, and walked to the Tingchao Pavilion, going straight to the eighth floor. There, he saw his teacher, Li Yishan, whose real name was Li Yuanying, a man with disheveled hair and a gaunt appearance, unknown in both the martial world and the imperial court. In the Northern Liang王府, no one dared to show any disrespect to this first guest of the residence. Xu Fengnian sat down and, familiar with the routine, picked up the purple sandalwood table and poured the wine, filling the air with its fragrance. The man stopped writing and smiled lightly, "Now the scent of powder on you has faded somewhat. Three years of wandering have been beneficial."

Xu Fengnian laughed, then asked worriedly, "Teacher, can Old Huang retrieve the Huanglu Sword from the city wall of Wuding City?"

Li Yishan took a sip of wine and shook his head.

Xu Fengnian was shocked, "The old monster at the bottom of the lake is already incredibly powerful. If Old Huang is even stronger, isn't Wang Xianzhi truly invincible?"

Li Yishan held the green gourd, not drinking but sniffing it, and said slowly, "Invincible? There are still a few people above the First Rank. Wang Xianzhi has devoted his life to martial arts, nearly reaching the divine, but he is not invincible. The current martial world is divided, each with its own strengths. The days of a single supreme expert are long gone and will never return. Moreover, reaching the pinnacle of martial arts is just touching the threshold of the Way. The influence of martial experts on the world is minimal. Otherwise, your Northern Liang iron cavalry wouldn't have trampled the entire martial world. You don't want to learn martial arts, and the Grand Marshal doesn't force you, nor do I care. Even a million soldiers bow their heads, but a single traitor is more feared. Scholars may interfere in politics, but a commoner will never cause chaos in the country."

Xu Fengnian laughed in surprise. The Liang Dynasty had been spreading this bloodless but deadly phrase for years: "A million soldiers can be subdued, but a single traitor is to be feared." The first part praised the Grand Marshal's military achievements, but the second part was a thinly veiled insult. This phrase was so well-crafted that even Xu Xiao laughed when he heard it, though he cursed the scholars of Shangyang Academy afterward.

Li Yishan made room for Xu Fengnian to copy rare books, a task Xu Fengnian was used to. His calligraphy was quite good, but he lacked the grandeur of a true scholar. Whenever Xu Fengnian made a mistake, Li Yishan would tap him with the green gourd. After copying for an hour, Xu Fengnian sat down again, lying beside his teacher. The teacher, with his aged face and white hair, seemed to have reached a state of emptiness. It was said that the most bitter state in life was decay, and the hardest to achieve was emptiness. What experiences had led his teacher to such a state of calm? Li Yishan said softly, "Go, see the guest you invited to the Tingchao Pavilion. They are almost on the third floor."

Xu Fengnian said, "Oh," and quietly went downstairs.

On the second floor, Xu Fengnian saw the mysterious White Fox Face standing in front of a wall of ancient bookshelves, holding a yellowed martial arts manual in his left hand and tapping his forehead with his right index finger. The sheathed Xiudong saber was inserted into the bookshelf as a bookmark.

White Fox Face glanced at Xu Fengnian and then lowered his head again.

Feeling out of place, Xu Fengnian retreated.

In the vast Northern Liang王府, it seemed only the Crown Prince was idle, so idle that it was almost absurd.

In the middle of the year, the Grand Marshal chose an auspicious day to hold the coming-of-age ceremony for his son in the ancestral temple. Strangely, the ceremony for the eldest son of the Northern Liang Prince was less grand than those of ordinary wealthy families. Few guests were invited, and even the Crown Prince's two sisters and one brother were not present. Xu Fengnian, dressed in clean clothes, was led into the temple by Xu Xiao. He paid respects to the heavens and ancestors and received three crowns: a black hemp cap, a white deer skin cap, and a red and black plain cap. The three crowns on Xu Fengnian's head attracted much attention. The first crown was important to all the officials of the Liang Dynasty, as it meant the Crown Prince could enter the court. The second crown had more practical and lasting significance, as the 300,000 Northern Liang iron cavalry were watching. The third crown was more symbolic and less important.

The newly crowned Crown Prince was busy all day, his face stiff from bowing to the high officials of Northern Liang. Finally, he could relax, enjoying the tea and massages from the maids of the Wutong Garden. After resting, Xu Fengnian straightened his crown and clothes and went with Xu Xiao to the tomb of the Princess. Two large white jade lions, one on each side, were carved in lively detail. The right lion protected three cubs, symbolizing the Princess and her three children: the eldest daughter Xu Zhihu, the second daughter Xu Weixiong, and the youngest son Xu Longxiang. The left lion was only kissing one cub, symbolizing the Princess's endless doting on her eldest son Xu Fengnian. Xu Fengnian stood before the stone lions, his eyes red. The Grand Marshal Xu Xiao sighed softly. Whenever young Fengnian felt wronged, he would sneak here and stay all night, regardless of the weather, without ever falling ill.

The tomb was surrounded by two walls of white jade, creating a grand city within a city. The main path was sixty zhang long, and according to tradition, the imperial path had only nine stone beasts, but here there were fourteen! Nearly a hundred stone carvings, full of vitality, lined the path, creating a majestic atmosphere. The height of the tomb and the size of the underground palace far exceeded those of any other prince in the dynasty. Additionally, a unique makeup table and two maids' graves were constructed, which were unprecedented. When the tomb was first built, it was criticized by many, and the emperor's study was filled with impeachment memorials, but they were all ignored.

The Grand Marshal, hunched and limping, stood before the tomb in silence.

After the ceremony, Xu Fengnian knelt before the tomb and said softly, "Father, I'll stay a bit longer."

The Grand Marshal said gently, "Don't catch a cold; your mother would be heartbroken."

Xu Fengnian nodded.

The Butcher of Northern Liang walked down the main path, counting 365 steps in his heart.

The Grand Marshal remembered his first trip to the capital to receive his title. From the red-painted gate to the Kunji Hall, he had taken 284 steps, young and full of vigor. Later, with age and his limp, the steps became more numerous and slower, but never exceeded 365.

After forty years of military service, Xu Xiao had reached this position, and he had no regrets, fearing neither heaven nor earth, nor ghosts nor gods.

Walking out of the main path, he turned to look. The child was humming a little tune, "The Spring God Ballad," which his mother had taught him.

Xu Xiao thought of a secret letter that had been delivered to his desk at the third watch of the night. He hesitated about whether to hand it over. It was a bad time for such a letter on the day of Fengnian's coming-of-age ceremony.

The Prince of Northern Liang walked to the top of Qingliang Mountain, seemingly alone but with many hidden guards. Not just the elite soldiers from the army, but also three First Rank experts were close by. Xu Xiao, once a man who thought nothing of dying on the battlefield, now valued his life more, not out of fear but because he believed his current glory was the result of countless brothers' sacrifices. He couldn't let them down by dying too soon, especially since many of them had families and clans that needed his care. The bigger the tree, the stronger the wind, and the same was true for powerful families and the dynasty. Xu Xiao had seen many family heads die young from overwork.

He entered the Yellow Crane Tower, which was cold and eerie. Climbing to the top, he stood with his hands behind his back, not reciting poetry but looking at the city's night view. With two sons, two daughters, 300,000 iron cavalry, six adopted sons, and countless skilled experts and wise advisors, his influence extended throughout the court and the country. His strategic moves were like a chess game, with pieces planted everywhere. This was what it meant to be rich and powerful. Of course, he had many enemies and rivals, like the Fan girl, who was like a blind bird flying into a net. Xu Xiao usually didn't bother with such small fry. The Northern Liang military was already busy, with wars breaking out every few years, most of which he started himself. He also had to deal with the political winds from the capital and had long stopped paying attention to the martial world. Xu Xiao rubbed his hands, remembering a poem he had heard in his youth, but only the last line was clear: "Fifty years of great achievements, told to the mountain spirits."

Xu Xiao stayed in the empty corridor of the Yellow Crane Tower until dawn, then said softly, "Yin, give the letter to Fengnian. He has already come of age."

There was no visible response.

Xu Xiao waited patiently for the sunrise.

The Grand Marshal had twelve elite assassins, each named after the twelve Earthly Branches. When his eldest son Xu Fengnian was born, he began training another group of assassins, named after the ten Heavenly Stems. Unfortunately, only four had been trained so far, and two had died during Fengnian's travels. Completing the set of ten seemed increasingly unlikely. Fortunately, two special pieces outside the Heavenly Stems were highly satisfactory. These young men, the oldest being twenty-five and the youngest twelve, were cultivated with great resources. While their martial skills might not match the First Rank experts, their killing techniques were equally deadly. Xu Xiao believed that the ability to kill was also the ability to save.

As Xu Xiao went downstairs, he asked, "Chou, can Yuan Zuozong control my son, Chen Zhileo?"

From the darkness, a hoarse voice replied, "No, my lord."

Xu Xiao rubbed his temples and smiled, "If I remember correctly, Chen Zhileo saved your life at the Princess Luoyang's tomb. Such a friendship, you don't understand how to smooth things over? Aren't you afraid he will die today?"

Silence.

Loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness.

In Northern Liang, this order could not be violated. Whoever violated it would die. For "Chou" to smooth things over for Chen Zhileo would be a small matter, costing only one life.

Xu Xiao's thoughts were inscrutable. He muttered to himself, "Little Butcher."

{Piaotian Literature}