Chapter 83

In the midst of cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

As the green-robed Dragon King blocked the river with a bamboo pole, causing the boats to capsize and people to fall into the water, the surface of the river became extraordinarily noisy. Many of the soldiers from the Phoenix Camp were not familiar with water, and with the sudden appearance of the reefs, several of them were about to drown. Ning Emei lifted one armored soldier with one hand and dragged his mount, a tall black horse, with the other. The martial general, who wielded a large halberd, forcefully lifted the horse onto the deck, saving both the man and the horse. He immediately jumped into the water, as his iron halberd, a legacy from his adoptive father, was something he would retrieve even if he drowned. At that moment, a young man in a green robe arrived on a small boat, using a bamboo pole to create waves. If not for the fact that he did not have his halberd at the time, he might not have been outmaneuvered by the strange assassin.

When Ning Emei broke through the water, Xu Fengnian drew the Sword Xiu Dong and split the large ship's railing into dozens of pieces, kicking them into the Yanzi River. He gracefully descended, stepped on a piece of the railing, bent down to grab a Beiliang armored soldier, and threw him back onto the ship. At the same time, Lu Yang, Shu, and Qingniao dove into the water like birds, each rescuing people and horses. The crew and helpers of the remaining three ships watched in amazement as figures darted across the water, rescuing the fallen. They had thought the crossing soldiers were merely fierce, but they did not expect to find so many divine experts among them. Especially the handsome young man in a white robe with a double sword at his waist, who was not just for show. If the green-robed man who arrived on a small boat and left gracefully was the human form of the Yanzi River Dragon King, then this young man was a white dragon crossing the river, exuding an ethereal charm.

Xu Fengnian made four or five trips, breathing in and out, his breath steady and not tiring. He stepped on a piece of the railing he had cut with Xiu Dong, looking towards the approaching Ghost Gate of Tongling, feeling a bit of a headache. Most of the people and horses that had fallen into the river had been rescued, but two were about to collide with the reef at the Ghost Gate, and he did not have time to save them. Navigating the river, they were always wary of the reefs. Two Beiliang warhorses crashed into the hidden reefs, making a loud noise and splattering blood, which was immediately washed away. Xu Fengnian's foot touched the railing, and he flew towards a reef. Just as one person was about to collide with the reef, Xu Fengnian looked back to see Ning Emei, who had just saved a comrade, holding his large halberd, his eyes full of worry.

Xu Fengnian had a sudden idea and shouted loudly, "Ning Emei, throw the halberd to help me!"

Ning Emei took a step back with his right foot, roared, and threw the eighty-pound iron halberd, which pierced straight towards the soldier about to hit the reef. Xu Fengnian caught the halberd and flew forward, grabbing the light cavalryman from the Phoenix Camp at the last moment. The halberd slammed into the reef, and Xu Fengnian placed the light cavalryman on the reef, then flew again, finally rescuing the last drowning light cavalryman. They both sat on the reef, the river water roaring and splashing. Xu Fengnian's expensive clothes were soaked, and the red mark on his forehead shone brightly. The light cavalryman, who had narrowly escaped death, coughed hard, looked up at the expressionless young lord, and felt a bit dazed. Had he been saved by the young lord, who was rumored to treat human lives lightly in Beiliang?

The large ship drifted down, and Ning Emei pulled the halberd out of the reef, pulling the Beiliang comrades aboard. Xu Fengnian helped the dazed light cavalryman onto the ship's bow. The Phoenix Camp's deputy captain, Yuan Meng, had a complex expression, as did many of the light cavalrymen, who were stunned. Xu Fengnian ignored them and ordered, "General Ning, count the number of people and horses. Those who lost their horses will be recorded as having a crime and must make up for it later."

Ning Emei saluted and said solemnly, "Understood!"

Even Yuan Meng bowed and said, "This subordinate obeys the order!"

The wet Xu Fengnian entered the cabin, where Qingniao helped him change into a new set of clothes. Xu Fengnian frowned and said, "Fortunately, the Book and Sword Beach is mostly clear of hidden reefs. If we reach the Ghost Gate below, the hidden reefs are like a forest of stones, and the waterway is narrow. It will likely result in casualties for every person who falls into the water. Who is that green-robed man? He can capsize a large ship with a bamboo pole, which is not just about brute strength. His skill is even more terrifying, clearly hiding superior sword techniques. Aunt gave me a book on how to counter the Wu family's withered sword techniques on Qingcheng Mountain. The man with the bamboo pole's move seems similar to the 'Mountain Picking' technique from the Wu family's sword tomb. Could he be the current sword champion, Wu Liuding?"

Qingniao, holding Xu Fengnian's hair with one hand and a ivory comb with the other, carefully combed his hair and said softly, "Regardless of whether he is Wu Liuding, the way you saved people was very impressive. Even Ning Emei and Yuan Meng on the ship were cheering for you, especially that trip with the halberd, which even I found impressive."

Xu Fengnian looked at his red palms and said sarcastically, "Compared to capsizing a ship with a bamboo pole, my skills are far inferior. Unless the old sword god Li Chunjiang is willing to help, no one can stop that man, who might be Wu Liuding. I can only watch him leave in frustration. But to be honest, whether or not that move is from the sword tomb, thanks to Aunt's forty years of sword practice insights and the boxing techniques taught by the ox-riding man on Wudang Mountain, which include the phrase 'mountains are heavy, but I move them with a light touch,' I found it quite enlightening. This is a good thing. I must hurry and practice my sword with Lu Qiantang."

After the ordeal, the Tongling Gorge became even more rugged and rocky, with a narrow and winding river, creating a breathtaking scene. The remaining three ships navigated through, narrowly avoiding the reefs, in a heart-stopping journey.

Xu Fengnian stood on the ship's bow again, with two young kylin cubs playing at his feet. The old man in the sheepskin coat appeared behind Xu Fengnian and chuckled, "Boy, you have a knack for manipulating people. If not for the fact that I know that green-robed swordsman is not one of yours, I might have suspected this was a deliberate arrangement."

Xu Fengnian said irritably, "I don't have that kind of grand plan."

Xu Fengnian asked, "He really uses a sword?"

The old sword god nodded, "Whether he uses a sword or not, would I not know? He comes from the Wu family's sword tomb and has a unique aura of withered swords. However, this young swordsman has taken a path that the Wu family's sword tomb does not favor, and his future achievements will surpass those of the previous sword champions, provided he can pass the tests of the Dongyue Sword Pool and Deng Tai'a. If he passes, advancing from the Finger Reality to the Celestial Phenomenon will not be difficult. If he fails, the withered sword will truly be a withered sword. What about that 'Mountain Picking' move? Were you scared? How about I teach you a move called 'Inverting the Sea'? Your two swords must be heavy, right? Why don't you lend me one? If you do, I'll show you the sight of a sword reversing the river."

Xu Fengnian sneered, "No way."

The old man scratched his ear and pouted, "So timid, how can you achieve great things?"

Xu Fengnian said to himself, "What does Wu Liuding want with that bamboo pole?"

Li Chunjiang, impatient, said, "Are you stupid or just slow? In the world, isn't it all about gaining a reputation? Otherwise, why would Wang Xianzhi call himself the second best in the world? Why would Deng Tai'a wield a peach branch in a bizarre manner? With a reputation, when you face others, it is justified. Otherwise, who would pay attention to an unknown nobody? When I was young, I would fight anyone, just to vent my anger and compete. Later, as I grew older, I lost the desire to compete. Qi Xuanzhen, that Taoist, was truly despicable. Discussing swords with him disrupted my state of mind, preventing me from reaching the Land of Immortals. I was even cut off one arm and sealed under the Tiding Pavilion, but I turned this misfortune into a blessing and returned to the Celestial Phenomenon. Boy, be more respectful to me. There are only about ten Celestial Phenomenon experts in the world, just a handful."

Xu Fengnian extended his arm, and a white falcon landed on it. He took a small bamboo tube and pulled out a secret letter, looking surprised.

The old man, who had just claimed to be one of the few Celestial Phenomenon experts, now leaned his head to peek. Xu Fengnian did not mind, and Li Chunjiang was also taken aback, then said, "Wang Zhonglou giving you the Great Yellow Court is a losing proposition, which I had anticipated. But this new leader, Hong Xiangxiang, who doesn't even care about the Four Realms of Vajra and Finger Reality, and directly reaches the Celestial Phenomenon? Boy, don't try to fool me. Tell me the truth, is this credible?"

Xu Fengnian sighed, "If it were anyone else, I wouldn't believe it. But the ox-riding man, I do believe."

Li Chunjiang looked at the river, his expression distant, "Isn't this what Qi Xuanzhen did twenty years ago? He made no progress for twenty years, but once he understood, he reached the Celestial Phenomenon. Another ten years, and he would have reached the Land of Immortals."

Xu Fengnian threw the secret letter into the river and smiled, "Regardless of what the Celestial Phenomenon or the Land of Immortals are, I will practice my sword."

{Piao Tian Literature}