Chapter 91

Update Time: August 26, 2012

Xu Fengnian saw Wang Chudong's cheeks puff up and turn red as she blew, but she didn't stop, looking adorable. He stood on the lakeside cliff, the cool breeze brushing his face, giving him a feeling of floating and ascending to immortality. He was wearing a loose white robe with wide sleeves, and his hair was tied with a purple sandalwood hairpin. Standing with his sword, he looked even more graceful and handsome. Wang Chudong cautiously stole a few glances, always feeling that she couldn't get enough of him.

This girl was probably starting to fall in love. Born into a wealthy family where pearls were as common as soil and gold as iron, she had been pampered like a star since childhood. High-ranking sages predicted that the little girl would have an extremely noble and prestigious future. Wang Linquan, who was strict in managing his household, indulged this daughter in everything. Her older brothers and sisters also doted on her. With all this affection, Wang Chudong wrote "The Spring God Tea" at the age of six, and at fourteen, she wrote "The First Snow in the East Wing," which made countless noble ladies and young misses shed tears. Scholars praised this tragic novel as the "First in the World," especially the ending where a woman expressed the wish for all lovers to be together, a single phrase surpassing a thousand books.

Though criticized by scholars in Jiangnan for being immoral and misleading, and some suspected that the novel was ghostwritten by Wang Linquan, the ten-year-old girl who never left Spring God Lake remained unique and independent. She was always fond of sleeping and playing. After playing蹴鞠 (cuju) and swinging on the swing, she would write a few hundred words of the "East Wing" afterword if she was in a good mood, each word worth a thousand gold. It was said that as soon as Wang Chuxue started writing, no matter how many words she wrote, they would be quickly sent to the imperial palace to be delivered to the ladies who were obsessed with "The East Wing." There was even a secret rumor that after Wang Dongxiang wrote the death of the woman who said the famous line, a lady in the palace wrote to her in tears, begging her to show mercy and not be so heartless. However, the young Wang Dongxiang did not soften and insisted on not changing a single word.

"The East Wing" was published at the end of the year during the Spring Festival, causing the young ladies and madams in Qingzhou to have no smiles that year. Many scholars who had studied for decades but never gained fame called it a bizarre event in the literary world. A scholar skilled in writing about women's affairs even claimed to be half a descendant of Wang Dongxiang, praising "The East Wing" as a book that exhaustively described the affairs of men and women, leaving no room for future generations. The scholar, in his fifties, was so humble to a girl under eighteen that he received both praise and criticism. However, this incident indeed made his previously average reputation grow larger thanks to Wang Dongxiang's influence.

Xu Fengnian was unaware of this, or he wouldn't have underestimated the seemingly innocent and playful little girl beside him. If he had known she was a renowned female literary figure, he would have asked for some good poems, and since they were acquainted, he could have asked for a friend's price.

Seeing that Wang Chuxue finally ran out of breath and was patting her cheeks, seemingly preparing to continue, Xu Fengnian couldn't help but joke, "Is your friend in the water?"

Wang Chudong nodded seriously, "On the day I was born, it woke up from the bottom of the lake and crawled to our doorstep. Father said it was my lucky charm. When I grow up, around the Qingming Festival, I go to play with it."

Xu Fengnian asked curiously, "A turtle or a dragon?"

Wang Chudong blushed, "A dragon wouldn't crawl to our house. It's a large turtle with a blank stone tablet on its back. It's very clumsy. Sages say it's a sea-taming divine beast from the time of Yu the Great. When I was a child, I rode on its back to tour Spring God Lake. It was so happy it dove underwater, almost drowning me. After that, Father didn't allow me to secretly go out to find it."

Xu Fengnian was shocked, "Wang Chuxue, you're quite talented. I once met a Taoist on Wudang Mountain who rode a blue ox. You're even more impressive, riding a large turtle."

Wang Chudong smiled, showing her little tiger teeth, clearly very proud but pretending to be modest, "Just so-so."

Suddenly, the water splashed, and a massive creature surfaced on the lake, its shell spanning two zhang (about 6.6 meters) and carrying a large stone tablet.

In "Shuowen Jiezi," it is recorded that among shell creatures, the turtle is the largest. The turtle, pronounced "yuan," means "great." Xu Fengnian, due to his white spear falcon, had carefully read "Shenzhou Jingwu Lue" and "Tianlu Shiyu." The latter's "Dragon Species Chapter" detailed the turtle, which is known for its sleepiness, especially the giant turtle, which only emerges during times of great peace or turmoil. Including the giant turtle before him, Xu Fengnian himself had a six-year-old phoenix and a pair of young dragons. As for the divine creatures he had heard of, the top one was the red-crowned crane left by the Immortal Lu on Wudang Mountain and the black tiger that listened to sermons for over a decade under the seat of the patriarch of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

Xu Fengnian wrapped his arms around Wang Chuxue's slender waist and floated down the cliff to the turtle's back. The little girl could swing on a swing to the height of a third-story building, and no one watching was not amazed. She was naturally fearless. Xu Fengnian stood on the turtle's back, finding it absurd, but upon closer inspection, the stone tablet was indeed blank. The turtle was so large that it was like a small boat, and Xu Fengnian estimated that a dozen strong men could stand on it without any problem. "Tianlu Shiyu" hinted that riding a turtle carrying a stone tablet could lead to the immortal mountains at sea. Emperors of various dynasties had spared no effort to find its traces in large rivers and lakes. The leader of the ten thousand eunuchs, Han Miaosi, who went to sea to buy sandalwood, might also have had the intention of seeking immortal mountains and divine beings.

Wang Chuxue squatted at the front of the turtle's back, affectionately patting its head, "Big Black, let's go to the center of the lake to play, remember not to let anyone see us."

The turtle slowly swam, as stable as a mountain.

Xu Fengnian whispered, "Chuxue, you shouldn't let outsiders know you can summon a turtle carrying a stone tablet, or it might bring you trouble."

Wang Chuxue, who was patting the turtle's head, turned her head, "You're not an outsider."

Xu Fengnian smiled, "We just met today, and you're already not considering me an outsider? I really wonder how you haven't been kidnapped yet."

Wang Chuxue made a face, "I know you're Prince Xu Fengnian, the one who can make my father kneel. Besides heaven, earth, and ancestors, only the Grand Marshal and you can do that. I'm not stupid."

Xu Fengnian was relieved. It was always unsettling when someone was overly friendly for no reason. No matter how outstanding he looked, it was unlikely to make a young girl fall in love at first sight. If it was due to Wang Linquan's subtle hints over the years, it made sense. Knowing Xu Fengnian's character, sitting on the turtle and leaving Ning Emei and others behind was a significant decision. Xu Fengnian, with a headache, said, "Then why did you dress like that at the ferry this morning, trying to confirm if the notorious prince really lusts after plump women?"

Wang Chuxue didn't hide it, laughing and nodding, "Fortunately, your eyes were just a bit strange, not like the many frivolous young men who come to Grandma Mountain. Those thin silk dresses and brocade undergarments were borrowed from my older sister. I thought I looked quite good in them, sigh."

Xu Fengnian bent down and rubbed the little girl's head, comforting her, "They were a bit unattractive, but when you grow up, you'll look good in them."

Wang Chuxue, who was squatting, made a sad face, "I won't grow taller."

Xu Fengnian laughed heartily, took two steps back, and leaned against the stone tablet. The back of his shirt felt damp and cool. He placed Xiu Dong and Chun Lei on his knees and gazed at the night view of the lake. The 800-mile Spring God Lake now seemed peaceful and tranquil, but it was hard to imagine the smoke and fire of battles in the past, with ships burning fiercely. Some were heroic and dashing, while others were defeated and miserable. The lake led to the ghost city of Xiangfan, where a grand ceremony of 36,500 days was held. For whom? The court only heard the laughter of the victors, not the cries of the defeated. Like Wang Linquan, if not for his treasure trove, who would have bothered to trace his past of leading horses for Xu Xiao? It was interesting that in the Northern Liang army, those who carried the banner rarely had a good end, while those who led horses for the Butcher were mostly powerful and prominent.

While Xu Fengnian was lost in thought, Wang Chuxue, after playing with the turtle, sat facing him, lost in thought. They sat opposite each other, with his knees resting on the two swords, and her hand holding the pen that wrote "The First Snow in the East Wing." Xu Fengnian, who had never heard of "The East Wing" or Little Wang Dongxiang in Northern Liang, naturally didn't know that the tragic woman in the book was the little girl before him.

Xu Fengnian suddenly asked, "Wang Chuxue, since you're friends with the turtle, why didn't you show any restraint when eating the black chicken and turtle soup at dinner? I saw you eating the most enthusiastically."

Wang Chuxue pretended to be confused, looking to the side, blushing and not daring to look at Xu Fengnian directly, looking incredibly cute.

Generally, turtles are best in winter, second in spring and autumn, and worst in summer, being called "mosquito-skin turtles" by gourmets. However, the turtles in Spring God Lake were an exception, becoming more refined with age. The skirt of a 200-year-old turtle was considered the best. Wang Chuxue, the greedy little girl, didn't hesitate, eating quickly. Wang Linquan signaled several times, but she ignored him. Xu Fengnian found it amusing. Initially, he was repulsed by her attire, but after the meal, he felt more fond of her. A woman's natural and innocent beauty was precious. No matter how beautiful a woman was, if she was pretentious, Xu Fengnian considered it a capital offense.

Wang Chuxue seemed to want to change the topic and used her ultimate move, whispering, "The stone tablet on Big Black's back actually has many ancient small seal script characters, but I can't understand them. I looked up many ancient books and could barely recognize a few sentences. It seems to say that beyond the East Sea, there are immortal mountains. Someone who learns this art will be immortal. It also mentions something about fate and divination, carrying the heavenly book, revered by gods and feared by ghosts. The rest, I'm completely clueless."

Xu Fengnian hummed in response.

Wang Chuxue leaned closer and asked, "Don't you want to see?"

Xu Fengnian, not following her expectations, held back his laughter, "I'm putting on an act, pretending I don't want to see."

Wang Chuxue smiled, turned around, and patted the turtle's large head. The turtle seemed reluctant, but she kept patting, probably because it couldn't resist her relentless and unreasonable persistence. It roared, and the blank stone tablet creaked, the front side sinking in, revealing a wall of inscriptions. Xu Fengnian stood up, squinted his phoenix eyes, and quickly glanced at the inscriptions, memorizing them. He didn't recognize the ancient seal script, but he remembered the shapes of the characters. No wonder Xu Fengnian was so opportunistic; this heavenly book might be a golden ticket to survival one day. After memorizing everything, Xu Fengnian pointed to his forehead and confessed, "I've seen it all and stored it here."

The little girl, completely unaware of the dangers of human nature, didn't seem to mind, just admiring him, "You really have a photographic memory? My father wasn't lying to me."

Xu Fengnian smiled, "How about we write something on the stone tablet for future generations to guess?"

Wang Chuxue was taken aback, clapped her hands, and said, "Good idea!"

Xu Fengnian drew out Chun Lei and walked with Wang Chuxue to the back of the stone tablet, asking, "What should we write?"

This pair of troublemakers, one bold and the other rebellious, dared to do such absurd things only when together.

Wang Chuxue thought for a moment and laughed, "How about 'Xu Fengnian and Wang Chuxue visited here'?"

Xu Fengnian gave a thumbs up, nodding in approval, "Why not add the date?"

Wang Chuxue laughed happily, showing her little tiger teeth again.

Xu Fengnian had excellent handwriting, and even when carving with a knife, the characters flowed like dragons. After practicing the sword, his style was even more impressive. The little girl watched, captivated.

Xu Fengnian looked at his masterpiece and laughed heartily, "This is probably a feat no one has achieved in a thousand years, right?"

Xu Fengnian leaned back against the stone tablet and motioned for Wang Chuxue to sit closer. They sat almost shoulder to shoulder.

The little girl murmured, "It would be great if you could go to the Northern Barbarians alone with your sword."

Xu Fengnian asked in confusion, "Why?"

Wang Chuxue blushed, "In a novel, a man did just that, using the head of the Northern Barbarian emperor as a dowry."

Xu Fengnian thought for a moment, "It's feasible."

Wang Chuxue lowered her head and whispered, "If you do that, I'll write you three hundred poems."

Xu Fengnian didn't think much about it, just smiling, "Then I'd be at a loss. It should be one poem for one Northern Barbarian's head."

Wang Chuxue still kept her head down, her side profile delicate, and in the moonlight, her delicate ear hairs were faintly visible.

Xu Fengnian extended a finger, gently lifting her soft chin, seeing her cheeks flushed and her eyelashes trembling.

Xu Fengnian's finger traced her lips, teasingly smiling, "Grow up quickly, and I'll pick you."

She was pulled into his embrace by Xu Fengnian.

Xu Fengnian whispered, "Why did you fall for me? Little girl, you're really unlucky."

Wang Chuxue counted on her fingers, her eyes distant, "I've known about you since I can remember. Father said you would become the most extraordinary man in the world. I've been listening and watching on Grandma Mountain, and I'll continue to do so. When I grow up, will you really come back to see me? How old is old enough? I'm sixteen this year, is seventeen enough?"

Xu Fengnian rubbed her tender face with his stubbly chin, smiling without a word.

Her breath was as fragrant as orchids, even more so than the Spring God Tea.

Xu Fengnian thought of her tongue, feeling a surge of heat.

I can endure!

A true man can endure what others cannot.

Wang Chuxue, emboldened, reached out to touch the red mark on Xu Fengnian's forehead, her fingertips gently rubbing.

Xu Fengnian