Chapter 69

Xu Fengnian looked at Shu Dama, who was trying to suppress her murderous intent and feigned coquettish panic. She was a woman in her thirties, and calling her "Dama" wasn't an exaggeration, was it? Xu Fengnian didn't follow her wishes and start a fight; instead, he still held Yu Youwei's slender waist, feeling the smoothness. If one were to talk about a slim waist, Jiang Ni wasn't inferior to Yu Youwei in his arms, but Xu Fengnian had been fortunate enough to witness the undulating charm of Yu Youwei's chest in bed. In comparison, it made her slim waist seem even more delicate. Xu Fengnian just pointed at Shu Xiu and said teasingly, "Gentlemen, if I hand over this beauty for you to cherish, will you let us go?"

The leader, wearing a tiger skin cloak and holding two Xuanhua flower axes, glanced at Shu Xiu. Normally, such a rare beauty would be easy to deal with, but human greed is like a snake swallowing an elephant. The other two women in the courtyard were clearly more appetizing than this one. Even the most arrogant and beautiful nuns in Qingyang Palace couldn't compare to them. The leader had been on the mountain for two months, and his anger was almost causing internal injuries. He was so desperate that he almost found a female monkey to satisfy himself. The county magistrate's repeated attempts to raid the mountain had all been in vain, but the wanted posters in the county town included the portraits of the bandits from Qingcheng Mountain, including him. So he had to risk his life and occasionally disguise himself as a villager to go to the city to release his frustration, and each time he needed to call five or six people to share a large bed to be satisfied. Therefore, the leader, who was eager to tear off the clothes of the few women and expose their white, smooth skin, spat and glared at the woman holding the white cat, whom he favored the most. Although the female servant roasting meat had a more delicate face, women needed more flesh to withstand the leader's "big axe" in bed. The leader pointed at Yu Youwei with his axe and turned to smile, "This one is mine, no one can touch her. The rest, you can decide for yourselves, but remember not to kill them. Clean them up and send them to my room."

The third leader was a fallen scholar, full of wickedness. He had once tricked a girl into going to Qingcheng Mountain under the pretense of burning incense, intending to force himself on her in a sparsely populated area. However, he was caught by the bandits. He immediately handed over the girl and joined them, offering strategies to the two leaders. Later, the girl, unable to bear the repeated abuse, hanged herself. He was so angry that he didn't even let her body go, and took advantage of her while she was still warm, spending a whole incense stick's time. The two leaders were so impressed that they made him the third leader. A scholar was useless and couldn't usurp the throne. The third leader stared at Jiang Ni and said with a sinister smile, "This little sister is mine. I'll take her back and teach her well. Don't be afraid, I'm a cultured man and know how to be gentle."

The second leader, a thin and sour man, interrupted, "The woman you tricked up the mountain was thrown off a cliff to feed wild dogs after she died."

Xu Fengnian snapped his fingers and asked, "I remember this place used to belong to Old Meng. How did it become yours?"

The leader sneered, "That coward who couldn't even kill a person was driven away long ago. No more nonsense, come out and die. It's just one axe from me!"

Xu Fengnian released Yu Youwei and picked up his sword, standing up. The leader, seeing this, was stunned for a moment, then laughed wildly, "You still dare to wield a sword in front of me?!"

Xu Fengnian lightly jumped down the steps, his movements graceful and free of any烟火气 (smoke and fire, metaphorically meaning any sign of struggle or effort), clearly indicating his profound inner strength. The leader, holding the Xuanhua flower axes, was taken aback and kindly reminded, "Look behind you?"

The leader didn't dare turn around, fearing an ambush, but quickly glanced back. What? Apart from the second and third leaders, there was only a strange-looking young woman in a green robe standing there. Where were the other brothers? The elegant young woman in green was holding a brother by the neck, lifting him into the air. These brothers were all killed this way? The expressionless young woman in green released her grip, and the dead brother fell to the ground silently. Shu Xiu, who had been waiting for this moment for a long time, kicked out with a bow leg. She didn't hit the thin second leader directly, but it was as if a powerful force struck him, bending his body like a bow, and then he was thrown back and embedded in the wall, blood spreading evenly on the wall like a mosquito being slapped.

Shu Xiu smoothed her hair by her ear and said coldly, "I'm even dirty touching you."

The leader's Xuanhua flower axes trembled violently. He couldn't retreat, as the young woman in green looked like a merciless female Yama. The one who killed the second leader had a terrifying inner strength that didn't even touch the body. He couldn't advance either, as the old Taoist, who had been calm all along, now seemed like an old immortal from Qingcheng Mountain. As for the handsome young man with the sword, his graceful demeanor suggested he was also a formidable opponent. Was he going to die here today?

With a thud, the third leader, who was best at assessing the situation, knelt down, crying and begging for mercy.

Xu Fengnian asked a confusing question, "Old Meng and his gang are dead?"

The leader, whose life was on the line, quickly bent over and said, "No, no, I've been friends with Old Meng for over ten years. We just swapped territories."

Xu Fengnian said, "Oh," and seemed relieved, then ordered, "Lü Qiantang, take these two out. Be quick, it's like a ghostly howl in the middle of the night. And Yang Qingfeng, you know a lot of tricks. Handle these bodies, and remember to move them far away. I don't want someone to be scared all night and not have the energy to study and earn money the next day."

Seeing the pale-faced Jiang Ni, who had already hidden behind the old sword god, and not daring to argue, Yu Youwei, who had seen life and death many times and was naturally more composed, Xu Fengnian didn't look at Lü Qiantang as he left the courtyard with one person in each hand. He just said to Qingniao, "Get some ink and brush, then come with me. I have something to draw. Grandpa Wei, please accompany us to the Yin-Yang Pavilion with a good view."

The old Taoist Wei Shuyang stroked his beard and smiled, "Your Highness is too polite. I also have some nostalgia for that pavilion. When I was young, I followed my master into Qingcheng Mountain to practice Taoism, and we rested there."

Qingniao and the old Taoist each held a torch to lead the way. Xu Fengnian carried a stack of high-quality Xuan paper he had obtained from Jin Sanlang, and Qingniao held a different brush, a small white Liaotail with the hardest bristles. As they watched the three figures walk away, Jiang Ni saw Yang Qingfeng digging out the dead man from the wall and dragging him outside. The two bandits who were carried away by Lü Qiantang like chickens or ducks were probably also doomed. Jiang Ni, hiding behind Li Chungen, was lost in thought. The old sword god, who had seen much of life and had once been young and reckless, understood women's thoughts and said with a laugh, "Jiang girl, I have to say a few good words for Xu. You think he acts recklessly in Beiliang, but outside Beiliang, some of his methods can't be called cruel. Today, whether to kill these thirty people or not was up to Xu. He finally decided to kill them, not because he thought their gazes on you girls were despicable, but because of that little bandit, Old Meng, who hasn't shown up yet."

Jiang Ni responded coldly, "Oh."

The old sword god, with a thick face, smiled, "Jiang girl, do you want to know what the boy is doing with the ink and brush? If you roast another white fruit chicken for me, I'll tell you."

Jiang Ni said irritably, "I don't want to know."

The old man, who couldn't keep secrets, had to swallow his words, and said, "I won't say it, so you won't be scared by the boy's depth and avoid practicing swordsmanship."

The Yin-Yang Pavilion.

This place marked the boundary between the human world below and the netherworld above. It made sense; the bandits who invaded the courtyard had become ghosts of the netherworld.

Xu Fengnian took a wooden board made by Qingniao, sat cross-legged, and laid the Xuan paper on it. Qingniao was about to grind the ink, and Wei Shuyang held the two torches to light the way, looking at the distant Qingcheng Mountain under the moonlight. Qingcheng Mountain had a prominent place in Taoist history, being the fifth of the Ten Great Caves. It was even more prestigious than the two major ancestral temples, Longhu Mountain and Wudang Mountain. The Taoist temples were nestled among the green mountains and clear waters, perfectly harmonizing with the Tao. A immortal once wrote, "I love the peaks of Mount Qingyang, the steps of the Dan ladder leading to a secluded realm." The main peak, Qingyang Peak, and the secondary peak, Tianzun Peak, stood opposite each other, connected by an iron chain bridge. Cranes soared and called, and the sea of clouds surged, creating a rare and beautiful scene. Wei Shuyang had once bravely crossed the iron chain bridge, taking half an hour to reach Tianzun Peak, where his legs were weak and his clothes were drenched in sweat.

Wei Shuyang looked down and sincerely praised, "Your Highness has a good memory."

Xu Fengnian focused intently, meticulously drawing the terrain and mountains beyond Beiliang, more accurately and in finer detail than the experienced officials of the Geography Bureau. Even an old man like Wei Shuyang, who had practiced Taoism on Qingcheng Mountain for nearly ten years, was amazed. The World Prince drew for an hour, changing the Xuan paper several times, and finally drew Qingcheng Mountain. He had only ridden through the area without paying much attention to the scenery, yet the mountains and valleys in his drawing were clearer than those seen by the old Taoist. Using the fine Liaotail brush, it was particularly suitable. Wei Shuyang had seen Xu Fengnian grow up and knew his character better than anyone else. He was mischievous and naughty, often riding on his back and urinating, and as a child, he would defecate in the Tingchao Pavilion and use secret manuals to wipe his bottom. But once he was serious, he had a stubborn determination. Once, he was punished by Li Yishan on the top floor for copying scriptures. He didn't admit his mistake but still copied the books, and in a fit of pique, he copied nearly 300,000 words. In the end, even the Grand Marshal had to intervene to plead for him, and Li Yishan finally gave in, laughing and crying.

Xu Fengnian put down his brush, waiting for the ink to dry, and looked up at Qingniao with a smile, "Take these Xuan papers back to the carriage and sleep. Otherwise, that girl won't dare to close her eyes."

When the ink was dry, Qingniao took the papers and left quietly.

The torches had been replaced several times.

Xu Fengnian shook his wrist and said softly, "Grandpa Wei, don't let anyone know about this."

The old Taoist nodded, "Of course, Your Highness has great ambitions, and I will keep it in my heart and not speak a word."

Xu Fengnian looked at the highest peak of Qingcheng Mountain and said to himself, "A prince with a golden exterior and a rotten interior, what great ambitions do I have?"

Wei Shuyang laughed, "Your Highness is too modest."

Xu Fengnian closed his eyes, facing the beautiful mountains, with a knife on his knees and his fingers in the Huangting position, quietly meditating.

Wei Shuyang stayed up all night, just sitting and observing the mysterious aura of the World Prince, who seemed to be in a state between sleep and wakefulness.

A faint purple aura seemed to emanate from his forehead.

As dawn approached and the sun rose, the red mark on Xu Fengnian's forehead turned light purple.

When the first ray of morning light touched him, Xu Fengnian slowly opened his eyes, turned to look at Wei Shuyang, and felt a bit apologetic.

Wei Shuyang stroked his white beard and smiled, "I am even more eager to see Your Highness go to Longhu."

{Piaotian Literature}