Chapter 71

Xu Fengnian held the hands of Little Hawthorn and Que'er as they walked away. Old Meng, who had been a bandit on the mountain for over twenty years, felt a mix of emotions. When he and his old brothers saw the master and servant touring Qingcheng, even a blind man could tell they were a fat sheep ripe for the picking. So, a dozen or so men rushed forward to block them from all sides. Old Meng said that as long as they handed over the money, no one would be hurt. This young master, who was timid, immediately fled on horseback. If not for being knocked off his horse by a branch, he might have escaped. They tied him and his horse and took them to the Taoist temple that served as their base. Their original intention was to search the young master for money and then let him go. Old Meng didn't want to do the immoral act of robbing and killing. Unexpectedly, they found several large stacks of silver bills and some peculiar books on the young master, which left all the old partners stunned. It turned out this fat sheep had quite a background. Without Xu Fengnian begging for mercy, Old Meng took one hundred silver bills and returned the rest. It wasn't that Old Meng treated gold and silver like dirt; it was just that several groups of bandits on Qingcheng Mountain had been raided by a hundred armored soldiers from the county, and those who were unlucky had their nests destroyed, while those who were lucky still lived in constant fear. Old Meng didn't want to drag his brothers into a public execution.

After a few back-and-forth interactions, the group gathered in the temple and ate some roasted wild game. The fat sheep and the bandits became quite familiar. This boy, though timid, had a face as thick as a city wall, and shamelessly stayed with them for half a month, freeloaded, and every day told lies about being a young master from the north. Who would believe that a few thousand silver bills made him a noble's son? Old Meng had seen the world. Later, he kicked the boy down the mountain. They were in a dangerous business, and if they implicated the two civilians, what would happen? The boy had a good heart and gave an extra hundred silver bills before leaving, saying to keep it for buying clothes and makeup for Que'er when she grew up. However, business had been slow for the past three years, and most of the money had been extorted by the young immortals of Qingyang Palace, and borrowed by a few fellow bandits who never returned it. Half a year ago, they had to borrow thirty silver bills from Yingxuan Peak, and then disaster struck.

Liu Luweigan, sweating profusely, ran over, his lips pale and trembling. "Old Meng, the bastards from Yingxuan Peak are all dead, all killed by a guy with a big sword!"

Old Meng jumped up in shock. "What?!"

Liu Luweigan, thin as a reed, had a wife twice his weight and a daughter who grew more beautiful every day. His life was unpredictable. He wiped the sweat and sat down, panting. "This swordsman is too ruthless. One sword, and several lives are gone. How can anyone withstand him? They're all dead, not a single one left intact. Old Meng, you're the smartest among us. Think, are we lucky or doomed? If we meet the people from Yingxuan Peak, we can fight to the death, but Xu Fengnian is not what he seems. If he holds a grudge from the past, he could toy with us like playthings."

Old Meng thought for a moment, trying to boost his own courage. "It's a good thing. Xu Fengnian doesn't seem like a noble's son who kills without mercy. He genuinely likes Little Hawthorn and Que'er, and we can all see that. He's not that bad, or we wouldn't still be alive."

Liu Luweigan asked softly, "What's Xu Fengnian's background?"

Old Meng touched his back, which was wet with sweat, and shook his head. "I don't know."

Liu Luweigan asked in surprise, "Where's the servant, Old Huang?"

Old Meng said, "Have you ever seen a servant who can run faster than a galloping horse? That's why I didn't ask for more silver back then."

Liu Luweigan nodded in understanding, but accidentally hit his thigh hard and gasped in pain.

Kong Bizi, who usually lagged behind during raids, was running with great momentum today, or rather, in a panic. He used to joke with Xu Fengnian, boasting about how he was more handsome and dashing in his youth. Now, his face was pale as he shouted, "There are people from the government! I saw at least a hundred, all on horseback, armed with swords and crossbows. They're not like the soldiers who came to raid the mountain before. Old Kong served in the army and recognizes the famous Northern Liang swords. These hundred men could flatten the entire Qingcheng Mountain!"

Old Meng and Liu Luweigan looked at each other in shock.

The heavens were cruel, and they could only wait to die. Fortunately, Little Hawthorn and Que'er were not there, so their deaths wouldn't be too miserable.

Unexpectedly, the hundred light cavalry dismounted at the stream. The leading heavily armored general removed his helmet and smiled at the group of unusually kind bandits. He spoke as softly as possible, "I am General Ning Emei. Sir... Mr. Xu said not to disturb Mr. Meng. Our cavalry always treats horses like brothers. On the way up the mountain, we couldn't find water, so we had to come here. Please don't be angry, Mr. Meng."

Old Meng, with his thick accent from Yongzhou, asked, confused, "What did the general say?"

General Ning Emei patted his beloved black horse and smiled. "The horses need to drink water and rest for a moment."

Old Meng felt a great weight lifted from his heart and said, "General, don't be polite. Drink as much as you want. Even if you drink the stream dry, it's no problem!"

Ning Emei lightly bowed and turned to his men, shouting, "One incense stick, hurry up!"

The hundred light cavalry of the Phoenix Camp made no noise, only the sound of horses drinking and snorting.

The Liyang Dynasty was known for having the best warhorses in the world, with a thriving horse policy. The government paid special attention to it, and military books stated that horses were the foundation of the army and the country. The other states either didn't care or, like the Western Chu, lacked large pastures and were at a disadvantage. Northern Liang was known for its 300,000 iron cavalry, and every horse was meticulously recorded from birth, with strict military laws. Reducing horse feed was treated the same as reducing soldiers' rations, punishable by immediate execution. Horses could not be used for hunting during peacetime, and lending them to others was punishable by 100 lashes. Losing a stirrup or saddle was also punishable by 100 lashes.

Ning Emei, leading the hundred light cavalry, strictly followed the basic marching rules: a rest every ten miles to brush the horses' noses, and a drink and feed every thirty miles.

In Northern Liang, anyone who lost their horse in battle was executed. Those who fought to the death and injured their horse were rewarded.

The Northern Liang iron cavalry was the best in the world, not because of the words of scholars, but because they had trampled six countries and half the martial world with their iron hooves!

Kong Bizi, who had worked in a training ground in Yongzhou and claimed to have served in the army, timidly raised his voice and asked, "General, are you from Northern Liang?"

Ning Emei smiled. "I'm not a general, but we are indeed from the Northern Liang army."

Kong Bizi gave a thumbs up. "The Northern Liang iron cavalry, no doubt about it! When I was in the Yongzhou army, I heard many stories about the 300,000 iron cavalry of Northern Liang. Today, I finally saw them with my own eyes."

Ning Emei smiled but said nothing.

Kong Bizi squatted down and observed. These Northern Liang cavalry were not just a little more impressive than the Yongzhou soldiers! He estimated that three Yongzhou soldiers would struggle to match one Northern Liang soldier!

After the horses finished drinking, Ning Emei put his helmet back on and shouted, "Mount up!"

The hundred light cavalry mounted their horses in perfect unison, like a flowing stream.

Old Meng and his group were dumbfounded, feeling that these Northern Liang cavalry exuded a heavy aura of killing even just by mounting their horses. If they charged, who could stand in their way?

Liu Luweigan watched the Northern Liang cavalry leave in perfect order and said, "Old Meng, I'm convinced. You were right. Xu Fengnian is probably from a family of officials, maybe even a military family."

Old Meng sighed, his eyes complex. "A military family? That's an understatement! Liu, we're in Yongzhou. Ordinary Northern Liang cavalry can't just waltz into Qingcheng Mountain. The state and county would have intervened long ago."

Kong Bizi nodded. "That's true."

Liu Luweigan smiled. "Even bigger, Old Meng. Why don't you just say Xu Fengnian is the son of the Grand Pillar, the King of Northern Liang? There's no one bigger than that. Oh, Xu Fengnian? Isn't he the same surname as the Grand Pillar, the King of Northern Liang?!"

The three men stared at each other.

Old Meng, who had almost suffocated from holding his breath, finally exhaled and said softly, "It doesn't seem like it."

Kong Bizi nodded. "It doesn't seem like it!"

Liu Luweigan agreed. "Not at all!"

Qingyang Peak was steep and rugged, like a sword piercing the sky. It would take a long time to reach the top, possibly until nightfall. Fortunately, the scenery along the way was picturesque, with ancient trees, deep ravines, and cliff carvings, making the journey interesting. Many elderly believers in the Nine Dippers Daoism would bring their own food and walk for ten days to reach the top of Qingyang Peak to burn incense and see the holy lights.

Xu Fengnian rode with Little Hawthorn, while Que'er was held by Yu Youwei. The little girl liked the white cat Wu Meiniang, who was in her arms.

Xu Fengnian looked up through the dense ancient trees at the evening clouds, which were as brilliant as an ocean.

Little Hawthorn held the borrowed sword Xiudong in both hands and said, "We're almost at the Crane Pavilion. It's still a few hours' walk to the top, but on horseback, it's just an hour. I've only ever dared to go as far as the pavilion with Que'er. The immortal ladies have bad tempers and scold people."

Xu Fengnian asked, "Are there many female Daoists on the mountain?"

Little Hawthorn was confused. "What?"

Xu Fengnian smiled and explained, "Female Daoists."

Little Hawthorn nodded and made a face at Que'er, grinning. "There are many, all prettier than Que'er, but not as pretty as the sisters you brought."

Xu Fengnian tapped the boy's head and smiled, "I'll teach you a lesson I paid a lot of silver for. When you see a beautiful girl, praise her beauty and say she can make fish