Chapter 73

Wu Shizhen, despite straining his ears, still failed to hear Xu Fengnian’s mutterings. Seeing a large number of Taoist priests surge out of the Qingyang Palace like a tide, he instantly felt a surge of valor and quickened his steps away from Xu Fengnian, who carried a pair of sabers. Then, he pointed to a stone stele outside the hall and chuckled lightly, “It says ‘Dismount, Nobles and Princes’ in four characters, bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor.”

Xu Fengnian glanced sideways, recognizing the characters, which were indeed written by the emperor. They were as regular and proper as the plaque on the Tingchao Pavilion, but lacked any semblance of vigor or spirit. Xu Fengnian paid no heed, whipping his horse to gallop up the steps. The hooves struck the white marble steps, producing an exceptionally clear and crisp sound. Wei Shuyang followed closely behind, and Lü Shuyang and the others mimicked his actions, especially Lü Qiantang, who felt an intense sense of satisfaction. "Dismount, Nobles and Princes"? I, Lü Qiantang, a commoner from a fallen nation, can ignore it. Shushou, who had almost been handed over to the Qingyang Palace by the young prince, looked grim, and the hoofbeats of his horse seemed especially heavy.

Wu Shizhen did not obstruct them at all. This son of the Qingcheng King, who valued grace above all, adjusted his headband and Taoist robe, then ascended the steps with a leisurely and elegant pace. No fewer than fifty experts from the Qingyang Palace surged out. His father, Wu Lingsu, had established the Shengxiao Sect, a grand and brilliant move, and had been enfeoffed as a king. Although the Nine Dipper Taoists had been driven away, many skilled and unusual individuals had been attracted to the Qingyang Palace over time. Eventually, thirty-six of them formed the Shengxiao Sword Array, which, once activated, produced a thunderous roar with its thirty-six swords.

In his youth, Wu Shizhen had seen countless Nine Dipper Taoists from Qingcheng Mountain come to the Qingyang Palace to argue, only to be beaten to the ground by the eighteen-person Yuxiao Sword Array. Now, the Qingyang Palace was overwhelmingly powerful on Qingcheng Mountain. The Yuxiao Sword Array was said to be invincible against opponents below the Second Rank, and the Shengxiao Sword Array could even contend with First Rank experts. Wu Shizhen, who was not one to be narrow-minded, knew that these two sword arrays still had some gaps compared to the three most famous sword arrays in the world. But could the people in front of him withstand them?

The large sword-wielding man was a bit troublesome, and the guard with snow-white hands might have some peculiar skills. As for the Nine Dipper Taoist closest to the young master, Wu Shizhen had never taken him seriously.

Wu Shizhen, feeling confident of victory, now found himself in a dilemma. The Qingyang Palace excelled in the art of dual cultivation, and over the years, he had engaged in some less-than-honorable activities. However, he adhered to the principle that "rabbits don't eat the grass near their burrows." Even if there were female pilgrims with good looks and potential among the mountain visitors, he dared not act too recklessly under his father's strict orders. He would only make a move if he encountered an exceptional cauldron, and the two most favored female Taoists in the palace were captured last year. All the servants were killed and their bodies dumped in the wilderness, and the blame was shifted to a band of mountain bandits. It was a simple matter; otherwise, what were the mountain bandits for? Would Wu Shizhen care about the few hundred taels of silver in annual offerings? These two female Taoists were a pair of aunt and niece. Initially, they resisted fiercely, but after experiencing the dual cultivation of the Qingyang Palace, they became obedient and lived like immortals, far more pleasant and relaxed than the mundane life of a commoner. Which secular woman wouldn't yearn for eternal youth and beauty? His father had said that even the ladies of the imperial palace couldn't avoid this!

There was the art of horse appraisal, and there was also the art of human appraisal. Wu Shizhen was only interested in one type: how to identify a suitable cauldron for dual cultivation. At the Zhughe Pavilion, he had immediately recognized the exceptional qualities of the women among the pilgrims, which he had never seen before. The woman mocked as "Shu Da Niang" was of superior quality, the green-robed maid driving the carriage and the stunningly beautiful maid who had only shown her face once were of the highest quality, and the woman on the horse holding a black-skinned girl was of divine quality, nearly reaching the second rank of immortals, the "Lotus-Sitting Bodhisattva"!

Wu Shizhen was moved. His dilemma was not due to the robustness of the young master's entourage. Regardless of which general's descendant he was, could he bring thousands of cavalry to Qingcheng Mountain? Would the Iron Bucket of Yongzhou, shaped by General Gu Jian tang, allow the Northern Liang soldiers to cross half the province? Wu Shizhen did not believe that General Gu Jian tang would be magnanimous enough to let it go. Over the past decade, the military leaders of Yongzhou had been frequently replaced, and one-third of General Gu Jian tang's former subordinates had been intentionally or unintentionally placed there. His father had privately said at the beginning of the year, "Gu Jian tang is at odds with Xu Cuo. In terms of strategy and strength, Gu Jian tang is slightly inferior to the Butcher, but he is only forty-three years old, which is enough." Xu Cuo was in such an awkward position, let alone the generals of Northern Liang. Why would Wu Shizhen be afraid? Moreover, the thirty thousand Northern Liang cavalry were under the command of the six young adopted sons, and there were no reports of a young master of this age.

Therefore, Wu Shizhen's dilemma was how to distribute the women. How many should he give to his father? Should he hand over the white cat girl with the "Lotus-Sitting Bodhisattva" quality and keep the others for himself, or should he only take the one he wanted? Would his father, who was determined to achieve the Dao through dual cultivation, agree?

On Qingcheng Mountain, Wu Lingsu, the Qingcheng King, was like the sky, and Wu Shizhen was undoubtedly the "Son of Heaven." Whenever Wu Shizhen was troubled, he would habitually curl the two fluttering sword ribbons of his Xianyao headband with his index fingers, a sight that left the dozens of female Taoists who had run out of the hall to join the commotion dazzled. The female Taoists were most captivated by Wu Shizhen's small gestures, and in bed, they preferred his bold and unrestrained style. Compared to the strict and rigid dual cultivation with his father, where every move had to follow the book, they all preferred the passionate and tender lovemaking with Wu Shizhen. He could play the peach blossom fan, blow the white jade flute, and play the ancient zither to attract a hundred birds, making even the captured pair of beauties willing to stay, let alone the young female Taoists who had been brought up the mountain as children?

Wu Shizhen looked up at Xu Fengnian, who was seated on a chestnut horse, and smiled, "This horse is mine now."

Xu Fengnian glanced at the eighteen people who had instantly formed a sword array and turned to ask Wei Shuyang, "Grandpa Wei, is this array special?"

The composed Wei Shuyang stroked his beard and said, "If this old Taoist is not mistaken, it is the Yuxiao Sword Array, which Wu Lingsu learned secretly from the Laojun Pavilion of Dragon Tiger Mountain. It surpasses its origin. Wu Lingsu has extraordinary talent and can deduce much from little, as even the old Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain acknowledged. Unfortunately, his heart is not upright, and he is unwilling to endure hardship, always seeking shortcuts and refusing to follow the righteous path. The old Heavenly Master deliberately scolded Wu Lingsu and left him isolated on the alchemy rock, hoping to temper his spirit. However, Wu Lingsu left Dragon Tiger Mountain in a fit of pique. Although he seemed to be living a glamorous life, he was actually being clever to his own detriment. Otherwise, he might have become an external Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain."

Xu Fengnian laughed and asked, "Leaving aside the Qingcheng King, if these eighteen people form a sword array, are the other forty sword-wielding Taoists just standing by?"

Wei Shuyang's expression turned solemn, and he shook his head, "This is the Qingyang Palace's guardian sword array. Wu Lingsu, who calls himself the Shengxiao Celestial Lord, has his own confidence. He has devised a thirty-six Tian Gang Shengxiao Sword Array, which is not to be underestimated. Even this old Taoist would not dare to easily challenge it, and I would likely be defeated, possibly even killed. This is one of the most famous sword arrays today. Enthusiasts close to the Qingyang Palace have been promoting it in the court and the country, claiming that it can summon heavenly thunder and is on par with the three great sword arrays. Three years ago, when Wu Lingsu entered the imperial palace again, he brought the thirty-six sword array Taoists with him. It is said that outside the Yinghua Hall, the sword light was dazzling, and on a clear day, the sky suddenly filled with thunder, rivaling the sun and moon. Some even say that the Heavenly Master Zhao, who was present in the capital, lost his composure."

Xu Fengnian sneered, "I believe the Shengxiao Sword Array is strong, but to say that the Second Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain was frightened, I don't believe it. Old Huang once told me about the three great sword arrays. He said he hadn't been to the Wu family's sword tomb, so he wouldn't comment, but the Dragon Tiger Mountain's sword array is undoubtedly the best in the world. The Second Heavenly Master is a gourmet who has tasted the finest delicacies; he wouldn't be shocked by small fish and shrimp. At most, he would say they taste good. This is just Wu Lingsu trying to embellish his reputation."

The Dragon Tiger Mountain's "Hundred Sword Army Slaughters Fengdu" sword array, with a hundred swords forming an army, guards the斩魔台 (Demon-Slaying Platform).

The Wudang Mountain's Taiji Sword Array, with eighty-one peach wood swordsmen, is said to be inexhaustible, with the sword momentum rolling like clouds. As long as the central swordsmen are not killed, the array can continue indefinitely, and it has never been defeated.

The Wu family's sword tomb boasts that nine withered swords can break ten thousand cavalry, but this is just a baseless legend. Two hundred years ago, nine Wu family swordsmen, the most skilled in swordsmanship, left the tomb to save one person. They rode nine horses and wielded nine swords to the Northern Barbarians, and the nine of them fought to the death against the most elite ghost-back heavy cavalry of the Northern Barbarians. Whether this is true or not is unknown, but it is a fact that only three of the nine returned to the Wu family, leaving the tomb severely weakened and in decline for nearly two centuries.

The carriage stopped at the bottom of the steps, and Jiang Ni and the old sword god got out. Jiang Ni, who feared ghosts and spirits, was extremely cautious, afraid that a bolt of lightning might strike from the sky. Xu Fengnian was a great sinner, and she feared that the anger of the immortals on Qingcheng Mountain might be provoked. Books say that the more famous the mountain, the more one should not speak loudly for fear of startling the immortals. If she were to be caught in the crossfire because of Xu Fengnian, Jiang Ni felt it would be a terrible death. She was a good person who would leave food for hungry mice in the leaky hut in Northern Liang and would endure mosquito bites in the summer without killing them, wrapping herself tightly in a blanket.

The one-armed old sword god, seeing Jiang Ni frequently looking up and becoming anxious at the sight of passing clouds, couldn't help but tease her, "Jiang girl, what are you afraid of? I told you that even if lightning strikes, I can break it with a single sword, and it won't hurt you in the slightest. So you can pray for a storm, with rolling clouds and thunder, and hope it strikes Xu Fengnian, that great sinner."

Jiang Ni stood on the stone steps, choosing the spot farthest from Xu Fengnian, and dared not approach, feeling depressed, "But you don't even have a sword."

The old sword god, the former leader of the sword world, chuckled confidently, "On that muddy path, I used a small umbrella to perform the 'One Sword, Immortal Kneels.' To me, anything in the world can be a sword. However, as long as I don't truly hold a sword, I won't have the heart to wield even half a wooden horse. I won't regain the peak sword intent of my youth. This is the agreement I made with the Butcher before leaving the Tingchao Pavilion, which I cannot easily break. Little girl, do you know the origin of the move 'One Sword, Immortal Kneels'?"

Jiang Ni, always on guard against the sky, glanced at the tense scene in the square and said, "I don't want to know."

The old sword god rolled his eyes.

Xu Fengnian had spoken loudly to Wei Shuyang, and Wu Shizhen heard clearly. He crossed the stone square, retreated to the entrance of the hall, and smiled, "Whether the two great sword arrays of the Qingyang Palace are as good as they claim, you will know once you try."

Xu Fengnian laughed, "No, I brought few people this time. The Qingyang Palace is a place of immortals, so let's not fight and hurt the harmony. I came here to seek immortality. If you can teach me the art of immortality, I will give you a thousand pounds of gold. If not, then a high-level dual cultivation technique will do. What's the harm in giving me Shu Da Niang? I have countless such women in my mansion. If the Qingyang Palace can form a bond with me, I will send you offerings every year."

Wu Shizhen, whose patience had its limits, finally showed his true colors, his expression darkening, "Did you see the four characters 'Dismount, Nobles and Princes'? I warned you. You riding up here is a capital offense!"

Xu Fengnian asked in a puzzled tone, "Oh?"

Wu Shizhen pointed at Shu Xiu, Yu Youwei, Qingniao, and Jiang Ni, who was farthest away, "If you hand over these four, I will not only forgive you for riding up here, but I will also give you several dual cultivation manuals, and even have my father personally teach you the art of immortality. What do you say?"

Xu Fengnian smiled, "Lü Qiantang, go break the array."