Chapter 18

Xu Fengnian woke up in the early morning, feeling the comfort of the silk quilt even with his eyes closed, which made him very content. Having never gone hungry or suffered from the cold, it was hard for him to truly appreciate the immense happiness of being well-fed and warm. The saying that "hunger cures all ills" was something his elders could explain with genuine emotion, but they could never convey the true meaning. When he talked about his three-year journey with Li Hanlin and Yan Chijie, two wealthy young men, they were only curious about the interesting stories and martial arts anecdotes, and had no real understanding of hunger and cold. Therefore, Xu Fengnian, whose hands and feet were still calloused from his travels, was grateful to be alive and back in Liangzhou. As soon as he sat up, the young maid Sweet Potato, who slept on a small bed in the next room, came in to help him dress and put on his hat. Xu Fengnian did not refuse, knowing that understanding the hardships of the common people was a good thing, but overdoing it was not.

While Sweet Potato's delicate hands were busy, she softly reminded him that there was an additional sealed letter on the table. Xu Fengnian responded with a nod. In the households of the nobility, overstepping boundaries was a major taboo, and even the most favored maids and concubines did not dare to be careless. After washing his face and rinsing his mouth, Xu Fengnian gently opened the letter. Such occurrences were rare, as the Wutong Courtyard was not a place just anyone could enter. The envelope was marked with a small seal script character: Yin.

Xu Fengnian was not surprised by this. It was a well-known secret that his father had twelve elite guards, each like a shadowy demon, skilled in the art of invisibility and capable of killing without a trace. Xu Fengnian found that the letter contained a detailed account of Old Huang's journey to the East Sea. The text was straightforward, recording every detail of Old Huang's travels, from trivial matters to significant events. Initially, the entries were mundane, and Xu Fengnian found them amusing, realizing that his own embarrassing moments during the journey were all known to his father. When he read that Old Huang had entered the territory of the Wu Emperor City, which overlooked the East Sea, the "Yin" character added some secret information about other events. For example, several renowned swordsmen had already entered the Wu Emperor City, including the head of the Yue King Sword Pool and two rare figures from the Wu Family Sword Tomb who had emerged from seclusion to witness the battle on the city walls. The next entry mentioned that the famous First-Rank expert Cao Guanzi had rented an entire building in the Wu Emperor City to watch the battle.

Although Xu Fengnian had not personally experienced these events, he could clearly feel the suffocating tension, as if dark clouds were gathering and a storm was about to break. The second-to-last entry described Old Huang taking a brief rest at a wine shop near the main city gate, ordering two ounces of wine, half a pound of meat, and a plate of peanuts.

This Old Huang was still the same calm and good-natured man.

The "Yin" report had only one more entry left.

Xu Fengnian did not rush to read it, but instead recalled many events from the past three years. The biggest incident was encountering bandits, while smaller ones were countless. They ranged from solving the basic needs of food and shelter, using every trick in the book to survive, to often ending up with nothing and even getting chased and beaten. At first, he would boldly approach beautiful women, but later, he would avoid any woman with a decent appearance. From being picky about the quality of meat and the taste of wine, to being grateful for a warm cup of tea and a bit of meat, the difference was stark. He had borrowed two tattered Taoist robes to pretend to be a poor Taoist and tell fortunes. He had set up a Go board in an alley, but made no money and even lost a few copper coins to some skilled locals. He had sold calligraphy and paintings and written letters for villagers. He had stolen chickens and dogs, rarely escaping without being chased and beaten.

---

Young Master, this cucumber is from the village's vegetable garden, and it can be eaten raw.

Ew, ew, ew, can this thing be eaten?

The young prince, covered in dirt, sat on a small hill, threw the half-eaten cucumber far away, and after a while, weakly waved to Old Huang, who was squatting nearby and eating cucumbers: Hey, Old Huang, pick up that cucumber for me, I really don't have the strength to get up.

Young Master, this is a roasted corn cob, much better than raw cucumber.

No more talk, eat!

---

Old Huang, what did you dig up from the ground?

Sweet potato.

Can it be eaten raw?

Yes!

It's really crisp and sweet.

Young Master, can I say something?

Say it!

Actually, it's even more fragrant when roasted.

Damn! Why didn't you say so earlier?!

---

Old Huang, even though stealing that chicken almost cost me my life, it was worth it. It's no worse than the tender deer meat.

It's fragrant.

Old Huang, when we first entered the village, why did you keep looking at that flirtatious woman's butt? And last time, you stared at a village girl feeding her baby. What, can you make a baby just by looking?

I don't dare touch, only look.

Impressive!

---

Old Huang, am I going to die? I shouldn't have touched that box in your luggage.

No way! Young Master, don't think too much. People scare themselves. I always think positively. Think about good wine, good meat, and beautiful women. Think about them, and you'll get through this.

The more I think, the more I want to die.

No, no, no. Young Master still owes me several jugs of yellow wine. A man's word is as good as gold. In our hometown, even a loud fart can make a hole.

Old Huang, that's not funny at all.

Shall I tell you another joke?

No, your old, worn-out dirty jokes have been repeated countless times. My ears are calloused. Don't talk, I'll sleep for a while. Don't worry, I won't die.

Alright.

---

Old Huang, have you ever had a wife?

No, when I was young, I only knew how to do hard labor, like blacksmithing, and couldn't save any money. Later, when I was older, no girl would look at me.

What a life, so empty and full of regrets.

It's okay, it's okay. Just like I've never tasted bird's nest or bear paws, I don't yearn for them. If I get a chance to see them, that's enough. Young Master, isn't that the way?

You seem to understand some things, Old Huang.

Heh, just thinking out loud.

---

Old Huang, what do you think of Wen Hua? He always talks about practicing swordsmanship, but he doesn't seem to have any talent for it.

Young Master, I think you can't judge by just looking. It's like when I was a child, chopping wood on the mountain. The strong ones would stop after two hours, but I, being clumsy, would sharpen my axe and keep chopping for six or seven hours, always bringing more wood down the mountain. And staying on the mountain longer, you might find better wood, which could sell for more money.

That's a very slow method.

A slow person has to use slow methods, or they won't survive. It's a rare chance to be born into this world, so I think we shouldn't do nothing.

Sigh, I can't stand your wisdom. By the way, Old Huang, if I learn swordsmanship, do I have a future?

A future? It would be incredible!

Old Huang, your praise means nothing. Hey, hey, hey, how many times have I told you not to look at me like that!

---

The young maid Sweet Potato, seeing the prince's expression, smiled slightly.

Xu Fengnian gathered his thoughts and finally opened the last entry.

"Jian Jiu Huang leaped onto the wall, standing twenty paces from Wang Xianzhi. All five swords in the box emerged, and all eight sword techniques were used. Wang Xianzhi responded with one hand. A total of sixty-eight moves. In the end, the ninth sword emerged. Wang Xianzhi moved his right hand. The ninth sword, like a river of silver pouring a thousand miles, destroyed Wang Xianzhi's right sleeve. Wang Xianzhi fought with all his might, and Jian Jiu Huang, using one hand and one sword, broke through forty-nine moves before dying. Additional note: Jian Jiu Huang's meridians were severed, and he sat on the city wall, facing north, dead but not fallen. Additional note: After this battle, no one dared to say Jian Jiu Huang was far inferior to the sword god Deng Tai'a. In the Guanhai Building, Cao Guanzi praised the ninth sword's technique as majestic, unmatched in the world. Additional note: The ninth sword's name, 'Six Thousand Li,' was personally stated by Jian Jiu Huang. Additional note: Before dying, Jian Jiu Huang seemed to have left a message, heard only by Wang Xianzhi."

Xu Fengnian kept his head down, looking at the letter. From the side, he showed no unusual expression, and after a long silence, he finally said softly, "Sweet Potato, boil some yellow wine."

It wasn't the right season to boil yellow wine, as the crabs and fish in the lake were still small. The young maid gently said, "Your Highness, are you going to drink now?"

Xu Fengnian nodded, "I want to drink."

Sweet Potato, understanding his mood, did not ask more questions. She went to the cellar in the Wutong Courtyard, which contained all kinds of treasures, and brought a bottle of Huizhou Mountain old yellow wine. She boiled it and served it to the prince on a small table by the window on the second floor of the Wutong Courtyard. Xu Fengnian asked for two cups, waved away the maids, including Sweet Potato and Green Ant, and the second floor, filled with priceless antiques and paintings, became even more peaceful. Xu Fengnian poured two cups of yellow wine and sat quietly all day, showing no signs of joy or sorrow. As dusk approached, he noticed the Xiu Dong knife, which had been hanging on the wall as a decoration for a long time.

Xu Fengnian got off the bamboo bed, took down the Xiu Dong knife, which was more beautiful in name than in appearance, and drew it from its sheath. The coldness of the blade seeped into his skin. He had once foolishly stolen Old Huang's sword box and nearly died that day, showing how heavy the sword qi inside was. The Xiu Dong knife and those swords were all excellent weapons for beheading, far superior to the gilded and jade-encrusted trinkets worn by the wealthy young men of Liangzhou.

The later servants and managers of the household might not have imagined that this prince, who seemed to only know how to seek pleasure, had first touched a knife at the age of six.

Xu Fengnian carried the knife downstairs and saw a group of maids gathered in the courtyard, looking worried. He smiled and said, "Go about your business, even if it's just for show. Otherwise, if Chief Manager Shen sees, he'll complain that we in the Wutong Courtyard have no discipline."

Xu Fengnian quickly entered his bedroom, moved a box from under the bed, and found a stack of silk paintings depicting sword techniques, which, like the box, had become relics.

Not wanting to be disturbed, Xu Fengnian focused on the paintings all night. He put the simple sword manual back in the box and looked up to see his father, Xu Xiao, sitting beside him.

Xu Xiao asked, "Do you understand?"

Xu Fengnian shook his head, "No, Old Huang's drawing skills were poor, and my comprehension is even worse."

Xu Xiao smiled, "Do you want to learn swordsmanship?"

Xu Fengnian nodded, "Yes."

A father knows his son best. Xu Xiao asked, "Do you want to go to the Wu Emperor City to retrieve the six swords from the sword box?"

Xu Fengnian calmly replied, "There's no reason to leave them there for people to mock Old Huang."

Xu Xiao said casually, "Can you retrieve them before you turn fifty?"

Xu Fengnian sighed, "Who knows."

Xu Xiao did not offer any comfort, just stood up and left, saying indifferently, "Think it over before you tell me."

Xu Fengnian watched his father's back and asked, "What did Old Huang say in the end?"

Xu Xiao stopped but did not turn around, saying, "When you've learned, then we'll talk."

Actually, what Old Huang said wasn't important.

He was gone.

Six thousand miles of风云, the sword box stood on the city wall.

But the dozens of jars of yellow wine were still kept.

{Piaotian Literature}