Chapter 75

At the side of the stone steps stood a hundred White Horse Riders, silent and still, their Northern Liang sabers emitting a cold and fierce aura in the twilight. The leading general, Ning Emei, was clad in pitch-black heavy armor, gripping a nearly hundred-pound black iron halberd, forming a stark contrast with the hundred white horse light cavalry, creating a suffocating atmosphere. In front of the Qingyang Palace, there was a formation of thirty-six divine swords, the people and swords as one, thirty-six swords pointing at the crowd, shining brilliantly. Among them were Lu Shuyang and two others, surrounded by the bodies of fallen Taoist priests. A drop of warm blood fell from the tip of Lu Qiantang’s red-dawn sword, Shu Xiu was adjusting her breathing, enduring the pressure from both the sword formation and the light cavalry. Yang Qingfeng wiped the crimson blood from his left cheek with his snow-white fingers, standing intentionally or unintentionally where the bodies were most densely packed.

Wu Shizhen was stunned. With the Divine Lightning Sword Formation to deal with the three who had broken through the Jade Sky Formation, he still had a good chance of victory. The young Northern Liang nobleman, who had insulted the King of Qingcheng and disrespected the Qingyang Palace, did not deserve the death penalty for his words alone. However, ignoring the stone tablet that required dismounting for nobles and riding into the square was a capital offense. Killing eighteen registered Taoist priests in one breath, in a dynasty that valued the Daoist tradition over Buddhist teachings, was also a capital offense. Therefore, even if the Jade Sky Formation was almost completely destroyed, he did not hesitate to set up the Divine Lightning Formation, determined to capture this audacious descendant of a Northern Liang general, executing first and reporting later. The officials of Yongzhou would certainly approve, and he would not fear any trouble reaching the capital. Perhaps even the scholars of Yongzhou, who harbored grudges against the Qingyang Palace, would applaud, who would care if Wu Shizhen had privately taken possession of a few women?

But the scene before him exceeded Wu Shizhen’s imagination. A hundred cavalrymen, exuding a fierce aura, had charged into the Qingyang Palace. Was this a major military action aimed at the Qingyang Palace? This was no longer a simple capital offense;擅自调动军队，妄动军伍，分明是要灭九族的大罪！

Putting aside this near-rebellion, if the Divine Lightning Sword Formation could not withstand the assault of over a hundred light cavalry, the general with the great halberd, and the three martial experts in the courtyard, Wu Shizhen wondered what he could do. His father, Wu Lingsu, practiced alchemy but not martial arts, always advocating that using martial power to prove the Dao was the lowest form of heresy. On Dragon Tiger Mountain, it was said that Qi Xuanzhen's hands possessed the power of immortals, but had he ever claimed to be the best in the world? If the sword formation was unfortunately broken again, his father, who was merely a great alchemist in terms of eloquence, would be of no help. Would he have to rely on the true immortal of the Qingyang Palace? His nominal mother? But would the ugly woman be willing to act? The young Northern Liang nobleman had disrespected Mount Qingcheng, but she was a madwoman who often beat and kicked him and his father. Wu Shizhen wondered how he had managed to survive until today. The Divine Lightning Sword Formation was her creation during her seclusion, and more than half of the "Lingbao Scripture," which made the Qingyang Palace famous, was written by her.

Behind the main hall, there was only a solitary bell tower, without a drum tower to balance it, which seemed to violate the Daoist principle of yin and yang harmony. The bell tower was tall but did not hang a large bell; the top floor was filled with miscellaneous items. At this moment, a Taoist priest of about thirty stood at the window, wearing a purple robe, standing tall and slender like a green pine, with a faint layer of green qi flowing on his face, exuding a transcendent aura of a Daoist immortal, clear and lofty, making people forget the mundane. He was watching the dangerous standoff in the square, his eyes cold and calculating, in stark contrast to his carefree demeanor. He chuckled, "It would be best if that damn Divine Lightning Sword Formation was completely destroyed. It would save my Qingyang Palace some food. With the incense offerings so meager, raising a pig would at least provide meat. These guys are living gluttons, only taking and never giving, riding on my head and defecating, thinking they are the masters!"

*Slap!*

A white horse-tail duster left a red mark on his face.

A cold voice sounded in his ear, "Wu Lingsu, don't forget who gave you the title of King of Qingcheng. It wasn't the emperor with his golden mouth, it was me."

The Palace Master of Qingyang Palace, Wu Lingsu?

The King of Qingcheng, who had been slapped by the duster, did not turn his head or change his expression, and coldly laughed, "Zhao Yutai, if I had known I would meet you when I was younger, I would have learned swordsmanship instead of alchemy. With my talent and insight, you wouldn't stand a chance against me."

The voice beside Wu Lingsu remained cold, "You're only good with your mouth. What else do you have to offer? A coward who fears death and pain, and does everything half-heartedly, could endure the hardships of sword practice? I'd believe you had an affair with Empress Zheng before I believe that."

Wu Lingsu said calmly, "People can hit each other, but words shouldn't be spoken lightly."

The spirited horse-tail duster struck Wu Lingsu again, this time on the other cheek, making it fair. No one could mock the other.

A snow-white spear falcon from Liaodong swooped down, heading straight for Xu Fengnian, but it was not the six-year-old falcon nicknamed Xiaobai. Though slightly less elegant, it was still a rare treasure among the Qingbai Luans. Xu Fengnian used the sheath of his Xiudong saber as a perch, and the large falcon landed without making the saber tremble, surprising Wu Shizhen, who had seen many sword formations but never practiced swordsmanship. Xu Fengnian stroked the falcon's head and removed a small bamboo tube tied to its claw. It was a personal note from the national scholar Li Yishan. After reading it, Xu Fengnian's expression remained calm. He raised the Xiudong, and the falcon took off. Xu Fengnian put away the Xiudong, turned his horse, and slowly rode towards Ning Emei, softly saying, "Retreat below the steps."

The great halberd general Ning Emei, whose face was hidden by black armor, did not question the order, making a gesture to sheath the sabers. The hundred light cavalrymen sheathed their standard Northern Liang sabers, turned, and left the square, their hooves light but synchronized. Although the hundred White Horse Riders had not truly drawn their sabers, their presence had already given them the upper hand over the sword formation.

This was the benefit of the Great Pillar of the State's arbitrary trampling of the martial world. Whether they were lone wanderers or members of sects, all martial artists had a natural reverence for the Northern Liang cavalry, who were equally fierce and ruthless on foot.

Wu Shizhen felt a great weight lifted from his heart but did not dare to easily withdraw the Divine Lightning Sword Formation. Who knew if it was a trick by the Northern Liang madman? Xu Fengnian dismounted and walked towards the sword formation in front of the main hall. Lu Shuyang and the others immediately protected him, ignoring the thirty-six green qi swords, and moved forward. The sword-wielding Taoist priests were at a loss, looking back at Wu Shizhen, their temporary leader. Wu Shizhen was in a difficult position, both inside and out. When Lu Qiantang was only ten steps away from the sword formation, he gritted his teeth and said, "Withdraw the formation!"

On the bell tower, the woman with the horse-tail duster, whom the King of Qingcheng called Zhao Yutai, sighed, "What a pity."

Wu Lingsu frowned, "If you don't act, this sword formation is bound to fail. What's there to pity?"

The woman with the duster turned and left. Wu Lingsu had been in a nominal marriage with her for over a decade, rarely seeing her hideous and fierce face, but occasionally glimpsing her strong back, which was no less impressive than his own. Most of his achievements today were due to her. His entry into the palace and his ennoblement were all her doing. Wu Lingsu had never understood her thoughts, only knowing that she used a sword and was a female Daoist who had transitioned from the secular world to the spiritual. She usually used a white horse-tail duster as a sword. She had saved him several times when he was in danger. The Divine Lightning Sword Formation was her creation. Once, on a Mid-Autumn night, he saw her practicing swordsmanship on the iron bridge between the two peaks of the Qingyang Celestial Venerable, a single ancient sword startling ghosts and gods, even splitting the fierce mountain winds with each strike. Wu Lingsu, a well-informed Taoist, had never seen such a powerful sword intent in a woman, though he had heard of one: the Northern Liang King's consort, a mysterious woman surnamed Wu, who had a secret connection to the Wu family sword tomb.

Being able to share the same surname as her, the King of Qingcheng, Wu Lingsu, felt it was truly a good thing. Though beaten and scolded by the woman with the horse-tail duster for over a decade, he was not afraid of her, nor did he have any respect for her. They were in the same boat. Unfortunately, Wu Lingsu still did not understand what she wanted, but he was certain that without him, she could not achieve her grand plans. In his earlier years, he had tried to search for clues, but later gave up. At his age, he needed to find a unique path to achieve the Dao through alchemy and dual cultivation. How could he embarrass the Immortal Capital of Dragon Tiger Mountain? Since she was beneficial to him, Wu Lingsu was not a foolish man. On the contrary, if he were not so smart, how would he have been favored by the old Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain? In his life, Wu Lingsu only feared one woman, the Empress Zhao Zhi in the capital, and only admired one woman, the Northern Liang King's consort, who shared his surname.

It was said that she had broken ties with the Wu family sword tomb for Xu Xiao, a minor officer in Jincheng, and ridden a white horse alone to Liaodong. For the great general Xu Xiao, she had worn white and beaten the war drum. On the Blue Ox Path to Northern Liang, she had devoted herself to her husband and children, moving further away from the supreme sword path that should have been hers.

Wu Lingsu finally came to his senses, spat, and said resentfully, "The capital sent me to watch the Butcher, but what can I see? My hands and feet are tied by Zhao Yutai, and I can't even leave the mountain. Compared to Xu Xiao, I'm nothing! Zhao Yutai, if you push me too far, I'll go to the palace and report you!"

After saying this, the King of Qingcheng shivered and laughed, "Just a joke, a day's marriage is a hundred days' kindness. I'll be the King of Qingcheng, practicing dual cultivation and enjoying life, and won't care about the世俗事. Zhao Yutai, you can do as you please, as long as you ensure the prosperity of my family for a hundred years."

The tall and not feminine-looking Zhao Yutai, holding a white horse-tail duster, descended the bell tower, passed through the gates and halls. The female Daoists and Taoist priests who encountered her were as silent as cicadas, standing aside and bowing their heads, not daring to speak. She walked as if no one else was there, left the Qingyang Palace, and came to a place called the Vengeance Sword Pavilion, her true residence on Mount Qingcheng. She did not enter the pavilion but walked to the tomb behind it, where a sword stood. The pavilion and tomb were forbidden areas of the Qingyang Palace; even approaching them slightly would result in decapitation by her horse-tail duster. Zhao Yutai stood there for a long time, then turned and entered the pavilion, put down the duster, ground ink, and wrote, "After this incident, the capital's suspicions about Wu Lingsu can be dispelled. The King of Qingcheng is already a dead mountain, with six thousand armored troops stationed there, unknown to anyone."

Zhao Yutai put down the brush and sighed, "It's a pity the Divine Lightning Sword Formation wasn't broken, otherwise it would have been foolproof."

At the Three Pure Halls, Xu Fengnian saw the sword formation withdraw and stepped over the threshold into the hall, turning to look at the sweating Wu Shizhen with a smile, "What about the promised immortality technique? My hundred light cavalry are waiting outside. Without a satisfactory answer, eighteen more lives plus thirty-six, how many is that?"

Wu Shizhen, no longer able to maintain his composure, forced a dry laugh, "This humble Taoist will go and ask my father to welcome the guests."

Xu Fengnian said with a light and mocking tone, "The King of Qingcheng has a lot of pride!"

Wu Shizhen said with a smile, "The Prince has a commanding presence, this humble Taoist recognized you at first sight."

Xu Fengnian, having the upper hand, said teasingly, "Don't take to heart the commotion outside the hall."

Wu Lingsu's eyes sparkled, and he said casually, "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding."

Xu Fengnian was surprised but kept his expression unchanged, "Spending a night here, will it disturb the King of Qingcheng's cultivation?"

Wu Lingsu shook his head and smiled, "Not at all, my humble abode will be honored by your presence."

Xu Fengnian looked around the hall and laughed, "What a grand humble abode."

Wu Lingsu smiled and turned to say, "Wu Shizhen, greet the Prince!"

Wu Shizhen, with a grim expression, bowed deeply, "This humble Taoist greets the Prince."

Xu Fengnian mocked, "You can't afford to bow. One bow at the Crane Pavilion brought out the Jade Sky Formation, and now you're doing this again. Are you planning to secretly set up the Divine Lightning Formation tonight?"

Wu Shizhen remained bowed, his expression hidden.

The King of Qingcheng, Wu Lingsu, quickly intervened, "Your Highness, you are too harsh. This humble Taoist will take you to your quarters."

The rear hall of the Qingyang Palace was a series of exquisite buildings in the style of southern Jiangnan, richly decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, depicting countless dragons, jade rabbits, auspicious beasts, and birds, vivid and lifelike. Little Shan Zha was amazed and wide-eyed. Wu Lingsu led Xu Fengnian to a Lingzhi Garden, with four rooms on each side of the garden, a well in the center, and a thousand-year-old osmanthus tree beside it, its branches spreading gracefully. Seeing the Prince's satisfaction, Wu Lingsu said, "This humble Taoist will have someone prepare a vegetarian meal."

Xu Fengnian waved his hand, "After the meal, don't come to bother us. Just bring a few decent secret manuals before we leave tomorrow, and I won't hold a grudge against the Qingyang Palace for today's lack of respect."

Jiang Ni saw the King of Qingcheng still smiling as he left and was puzzled, "Can't this Qingcheng Mountain immortal summon lightning? Why didn't he strike Xu Fengnian dead?"

The old sword god laughed, "This King of Qingcheng, Wu Lingsu, is not worth it. Qi Xuanzhen would be more suitable. I have some acquaintance with him. Unfortunately, this Taoist has already ascended to immortality. Otherwise, if I went to Dragon Tiger Mountain, I could spar with him, and you would see the rolling thunder and the purple qi from the east."