Chapter 28

Xu Fengnian made Niu Qi shut up. He was about to ask this guy to go to the thatched cottage to fetch some paper when he remembered the experience on the mountain. He needed to write a letter to Xu Xiao. If the young and capricious Princess Sui Zhu came to the Northern Liang Wudang just for a whim, there was no need to worry too much. It was just an old grudge with a new twist. Xu Fengnian, who had been through much, wasn't bothered by such trifles. He probably wouldn't go to that majestic capital city in his lifetime. But if someone or a small group of people had incited her, then he couldn't be too careless. Despite Xu Xiao's high status and glory, who knew when dark clouds might gather and a storm would break? When dealing with people, there were two types to fear: the extremely intelligent and the self-important fools. And there, these two types were the most common.

Just as Xu Fengnian was about to order this senior disciple, something strange happened.

A massive waterfall cascading down suddenly exploded!

The water surged like wild horses, drenching both Xu Fengnian and Hong Xiuxiang. Xu Fengnian wasn't bothered by the water but focused on the scene on the central rock in the White Elephant Pool. In the fleeting moment, he could vaguely see the sword enthusiast Wang Xiaoping, who held the same rank as the Wudang Sect leader, standing proudly with his peachwood sword Shentu pointing into the cave. This sword was overwhelmingly powerful, giving the young lord a stern warning. Wang Xiaoping, who hadn't spoken for over a decade, didn't say a word, but left gracefully, just as Xu Fengnian had seen young martial artists in his wanderings, their noses in the air, full of arrogance. They would cross rivers without using boats, preferring to glide over the water, but the problem was that when they glided, they splashed water, drenching the common people on the boats. If this happened in Liang and the young lord saw it, he wouldn't just applaud; he would drag these guys out and beat them, soaking them in the water for months to see if they would still show off.

Xu Fengnian glared at Hong Xiuxiang, who was also drenched. The latter looked innocent and said, "Little Wang Senior Brother is like an ox, so he has this stubborn temper. He practiced his sword here before, and he must be a bit annoyed. Young Lord, you are magnanimous, don't take it to heart. He practices his sword, and he might become the new Sword God. Young Lord, you can become the first in the world with your knife, and it will be a beautiful story for Wudang."

Xu Fengnian grumbled, "Go to the thatched cottage and fetch me some paper and ink."

Hong Xiuxiang ran off to get the items.

Xu Fengnian opened the food box, picked up a bowl, and was about to use his chopsticks to pick up some dried bamboo shoots when he spat a mouthful of blood into the bowl. The red and white mixed together. Xu Fengnian took a deep breath. The Wudang medicinal pills were indeed extraordinary. After spitting out the blood, his qi and blood flow improved significantly. Xu Fengnian, expressionless, swallowed a bowl of rice, chewing slowly. After finishing the bowl, it wasn't Hong Xiuxiang who brought the items but Jiang Ni, who had never set foot on Xuanxian Cliff. She held an ancient inkstone and a few sheets of Qingtan paper. The ancient inkstone had a terrifying origin. In Western Chu, there was a royal uncle, Jiang Taiya, who loved calligraphy more than his kingdom and beauty. This ancient inkstone was ranked second in the world's ancient inkstone list, a supreme fire clay inkstone, with outstanding quality, warm in winter and cool in summer, capable of storing ink for years without rotting. Despite being a royal uncle, Jiang Taiya was too precious to use it, but it ended up in Xu Fengnian's hands, who used it every ten days, with Jiang Ni grinding the ink by hand. Because Jiang Ni hated him to the bone, it was understandable.

Seeing Jiang Ni, Xu Fengnian still asked her to grind the ink. He chose the best Guandong Liaowei brush and patiently waited for the ink to become uniform under the delicate hands of the Princess of Peace, showing the unique red hue of the fire clay. Then he began to write, detailing everything that happened after meeting Princess Sui Zhu. Xu Fengnian's small regular script was particularly outstanding. The ancients said that one should learn regular script first, then large characters, using the methods of Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan, then copying Ouyang Xun's medium regular script, and finally refining it into small regular script, learning from Zhong Yao and Wang Xizhi. This was the ancient teaching, and most scholars followed it step by step. However, under Li Yishan's guidance, Xu Fengnian did the opposite, starting with small regular script, following the ancient rules of small seal and clerical script, and not allowed to touch anything else until he mastered it. If he was caught, he would be beaten with a green gourd wine pot. Among the current calligraphy masters, only a wine-loving old monk from Two Zen Temples met Li Yishan's standards, described as "this monk, when drunk, only shows the wrath of the Buddha, never the gentleness of the Bodhisattva." Therefore, the young lord's calligraphy lacked flattery and was full of martial spirit.

Speaking of which, among Xu Xiao's two daughters and two sons, only Xu Fengnian's calligraphy was decent. Xu Longxiang couldn't read a single character, Xu Zihu was mediocre, and even the brilliant Xu Weixiong was pitiful in this regard. His poetry was unparalleled, but his calligraphy was so bad that even Xu Xiao couldn't praise it. Xu Weixiong's letters to the Northern Liang were few, possibly for this reason.

Xu Fengnian blew dry the last few drops of ink, folded the letter, and faced a dilemma: who would deliver it? He didn't want to entrust this secret letter to a Wudang Daoist, but the people from the Northern Liang Mansion, especially this last imperial bloodline of Western Chu, were far from trusted. His frail body wasn't suitable for delivering the letter, and there were likely fanatical assassins waiting around Wudang. The Northern Liang soldiers at the foot of the mountain had already "escorted" Princess Sui Zhu and her two companions away. Should he call a few Wudang experts to accompany him? Xu Fengnian sighed, decided to use his last trump card, and cut a small section of green bamboo with his sword Xiudong. He stuffed the letter inside, whistled, and summoned the white and green phoenix from the sky above Wudang. He tied the letter to its claws, and it flew away instantly.

Xu Fengnian came to the edge of the White Elephant Pool, looking at the shimmering deep pond and the giant rock that emerged like a dragon's horn.

Jiang Ni, who had been standing behind Xu Fengnian, said firmly, "I want to go down the mountain."

Xu Fengnian frowned, "You won't even tend to the vegetable garden? Let it go to waste?"

She repeated stubbornly, "I want to go down the mountain!"

Xu Fengnian was annoyed, "Fine, you go down the mountain, and I'll flatten it."

Jiang Ni was unmoved, "Do as you please."

Xu Fengnian was at a loss, then smiled, "If you want to go down the mountain, go. Your feet are your own. I can't tie you up. But before you go, do one thing for me. In return, I'll give you this fire clay inkstone. How about it?"

Jiang Ni threw the ancient inkstone into the White Elephant Pool without a word.

She didn't want this ancient inkstone to be desecrated by the person in front of her. She cared for it deeply, almost like a demon, not only because it was a relic of Western Chu's former glory but also because of a deeply hidden secret. In the Northern Liang Mansion, the only two men she dared to show her hatred for were Xu Fengnian and Xu Weixiong. When she failed to assassinate the young lord in bed, Xu Fengnian only slapped her and said a few harsh words. Xu Weixiong, however, traveled a thousand miles from the Shangyin Academy to throw her into a well. The water wasn't deep enough to drown her, but it was dark and suffocating. The most vicious woman in the world added a stone slab to make it worse, and Jiang Ni stayed in the well for three days and three nights. After being rescued, she learned that Xu Weixiong's calligraphy was terrible, so she began to practice on her own. Without a brush or inkstone, she used branches as brushes and rainwater or snow as ink. Her early practice was vague, but later, she focused on expressing her emotions, writing several characters in one stroke, often resulting in bizarre and unconventional calligraphy, completely different from the mainstream.

Xu Fengnian looked at the sky and said, "I'll call you tonight."

Jiang Ni didn't ask anything and went to the thatched cottage to look at the vegetable garden one last time, showing that she was still somewhat attached despite her tough words.

Xu Fengnian called out, "Ride the ox, get out here."

The young senior disciple indeed appeared.

Xu Fengnian, used to his sudden appearances, said, "Prepare some wine, meat, a large brush for writing banners, or a broom if necessary, and a bucket of ink. Go now."

Hong Xiuxiang was puzzled, "What is Young Lord going to do?"

Xu Fengnian smiled, "Practice calligraphy."

Hong Xiuxiang was alarmed, "Not on the walls of Ziyang Temple, right?"

Xu Fengnian reassured him, "I wouldn't do such a tasteless thing."

Hong Xiuxiang was unsure, "Really?"

Xu Fengnian dismissed him with a word.

Hong Xiuxiang prayed for his own and Ziyang Temple's safety. The young lord shouldn't cause any trouble. The hundred or so Daoists at Ziyang Temple were all on edge, with the abbot complaining to the eldest disciple every day, begging to move the troublemaker elsewhere. Xu Fengnian waited for half an hour until Hong Xiuxiang brought the items: a pot of fragrant rice wine, two pounds of cooked beef, a huge brush, and a bucket of ink.

Xu Fengnian wondered what this ox-rider did all day. He either ran errands, delivered food, or stared at the water, or tended to the ox. How did he cultivate the Way of Heaven? If cultivating the Way of Heaven was so easy, Xu Fengnian would have done it too.

The moon was full and bright, illuminating the night path. Xu Fengnian originally wanted to use a night pearl but decided against it. He called Jiang Ni, who had been standing in the vegetable garden, to walk to the mountain top.

Ziyang Temple was safe, but the first palace of Wudang, Taixu Palace, was about to suffer.

"The night is like a tiny insect, the mountain like a lying ox. The moon is like a cocoon, wrapping Jiang Ni and me."

Xu Fengnian, inspired, composed a clumsy five-character poem, proudly saying, "This poem is brilliant. Little Mud Figure, how does it compare to the moaning poems of Liang's scholars?"

Jiang Ni, carrying all the heavy items, showed no expression.

Xu Fengnian and Jiang Ni climbed the steps to the top of Daliu Peak, heading to Taixu Palace. There was a white jade square, perfect for calligraphy.

Who would dare to write large characters with a huge brush in front of Wudang's Taixu Palace? Only the young lord.

This was the true definition of a spoiled brat.

Bullying the locals and peeping at women was too petty.

At the entrance of Taixu Palace, the mountain breeze was refreshing. Xu Fengnian asked Jiang Ni to put the items on the steps, tore off a piece of beef, and sat down, pondering whether to write in regular script, running script, or the cursive script he practiced in secret. Should he write "The Stele of Futo Temple," "The Cold Food Festival in Huangzhou," or "The Urgent Cursive Script"?

Compared to the strict regular script, Xu Fengnian preferred the free and unrestrained cursive script, but Li Yishan said he wasn't skilled enough and forbade him from touching it, which was a regret.

The main hall of Taixu Palace had peacock blue glazed tiles, with the main eaves decorated in yellow and green, creating a grand and majestic appearance.

The large eaves were famous as the "Dageng Angle Eaves."

Xu Fengnian stood up, dipped the large brush in the water bucket, and still couldn't decide what to write. "When you need to write, you regret not having practiced enough." The ancients were right. Xu Fengnian sighed, decided to drink some wine, and hoped the inspiration would come.

He turned around and was surprised to see Jiang Ni already drinking a large mouthful of wine. Her cheeks turned red, like peach blossoms in the Western Chu palace. It was said that the Western Chu emperor loved the Princess of Peace so much that when she asked how much the peach blossoms in the garden weighed, he had them all picked and weighed one by one.

Xu Fengnian sighed, dipped the brush in the ink, and today, he wanted to see her calligraphy.

The current cursive script, though no longer in the style of clerical cursive, was still what Li Yishan called "chapter cursive," far from the realm of "no rules, unrecognizable at the end." Only a few people in the world, like the strange monk from Two Zen Temples, could achieve what Li Yishan described as "emotions of joy, sorrow, parting, reunion, wealth, poverty, longing, drunkenness, injustice, and resentment, moving the heart and forming the characters, harmonizing with heaven and earth."

Jiang Ni wobbled toward the water bucket, picked up the large brush, and walked to the center of the square, beginning to write.

At that moment, Xu Fengnian realized that her smile was beautiful, but her sorrow, when she wanted to cry but didn't, was even more moving.

Her brush moved like a dragon.

It was as if there were spirits guiding the tip.

Two hundred and forty-five characters in large cursive, with five or six characters in one stroke.

Starting with "In the moon of Western Shu, the mountains and rivers are lost. In the moon of Eastern Yue, the mountains and rivers are lost. At the head of the great river, the people suffer. At the tail of the great river, the people suffer."

Ending with "Jiang Ni swears to kill Xu Fengnian."

She sat near the character "year," covered in ink, lost in thought, tears streaming down her face.

Xu Fengnian sat on the highest step, murmuring, "What a wonderful 'Moonlit Dageng Angle Vow to Kill'."