Chapter 517: The Scholar, the Wanderer, and the Beauty

Chapter 517: The Scholar, the Wanderer, and the Beauty

The air was damp and heavy, the stone pillars at the base sweating, the world like a steaming pot, making one's mood inevitably gloomy.

On an abandoned Tea-Horse Ancient Road in the Wuling Kingdom, five riders moved slowly.

Suddenly, a downpour struck. Even wearing straw cloaks, the raindrops, as large as soybeans, pelted their faces painfully. They all raised their whips and urged their horses on, searching for shelter. Finally, they spotted a rest pavilion halfway up the mountain and dismounted.

Inside, they saw a young man in a green robe sitting cross-legged on the long bench of the pavilion. A large bamboo box sat by his feet, and on the bench before him was a Go board with two small celadon bowls of stones. Over twenty black and white stones were already placed. Seeing them, he showed no fear, simply smiled faintly, then picked up another stone and placed it on the board.

A swordsman with a blade at his waist glanced at the man's green robe and the soles of his shoes—both were dry. He must have arrived early to rest here, avoiding the storm, and was biding his time, playing a solo game.

An old man of dignified bearing stood at the pavilion's entrance. Seeing that the rain wouldn't stop anytime soon, he turned and asked with a smile, "Bored as I am, young master, would you mind a game of go?"

The green-robed young man thought for a moment, then swept the black and white stones from the board into a pile between himself and the board, not returning them to the bowls. He nodded and smiled. "Alright."

A teenage boy and girl exchanged glances and smiled.

A woman in a veiled hat sat on the opposite bench, placing a kerchief down before sitting.

The old man grabbed a handful of white stones and said with a smile, "Since I'm a bit older, young master, you can take the first move."

Chen Ping'an picked out a single black stone. The old man placed his white stones on the board—seven of them—and said gently, "Young master, you go first."

Unnoticed, Chen Ping'an had shifted his posture. No longer sitting cross-legged, he mirrored the old man, sitting sideways, one hand supporting his sleeve as he placed a stone on the board with the other.

The boy whispered in the girl's ear, "Judging by his bearing, he seems like a go expert."

The girl smiled faintly. "Even if he is, can he compare to Grandfather?"

The boy, who liked to argue with her, retorted, "I think this one won't be easy. Grandfather himself said that go masters who learned as children, not counting mountain immortals, are at their peak around twenty. After thirty, the older you get, the more of a burden it becomes."

The girl snorted, "Grandfather was talking about those destined to become Go Attendants—child prodigies. Ordinary people don't count."

The old man pondered for a moment. Even with his own considerable skill, renowned throughout the kingdom, he was not eager to place a stone quickly. Playing against a stranger, one feared the unfamiliar and the unexpected. He looked up at his two grandchildren and frowned.

The boy smiled knowingly. "We know, we know. Don't talk during a game."

On the board, after less than thirty moves, the boy and girl exchanged stunned glances.

So he was just a lousy player who had memorized a few opening sequences!

Even if it weren't their grandfather, a grandmaster, but the two of them, and they gave him a two or three-stone handicap, they could still crush him.

The old man stifled a laugh. He didn't really care about the opponent's skill level. He was patient, continuing the game with the green-robed young man.

During the rainy season, on a journey in a foreign land, meeting a fellow go enthusiast was already a blessing.

The young man looked up at the rain outside the pavilion, then resigned by placing his stones.

The old man nodded and began reviewing the game. This foreign traveler with his book box had actually shown some skill in the opening, even earning a bit of the old man's respect. He almost mistook him for a true recluse. But then his strength faltered quickly, and his position crumbled. It was a pity. As they reviewed, they chatted. The young man said his surname was Chen, from the south. His trip north was to visit Green Oriole Kingdom at the eastern mouth of the Great River, then head upstream to see its source. The old man, surnamed Sui, had retired from officialdom and was heading to the Great Seal capital. The Great Seal Zhou Emperor was hosting the once-a-decade Herb and Wood Gathering. Go masters from over a dozen kingdoms, including Wuling and Golden Gate, could try their luck in the capital. Besides a priceless set of nine treasures from a one-hundred-treasure inlaid scholarly studio, to be given to nine people, there was also a coveted go manual, the highest prize.

Chen Ping'an asked, "When does the Herb and Wood Gathering start and end?"

The old man's grandson, the handsome boy, answered eagerly, "It starts at the Beginning of Autumn. Then, all the kingdom's Go Attendants and established masters will gather in the capital. They'll be sorted under the Great Seal Go Sage and his three disciples. The top three seeds are given byes. The rest draw lots and fight it out, selecting a hundred. Then, the twenty seeds who had byes join. The real contest starts at the Beginning of Winter. The Great Seal capital always gets its first snow during the heavy snow season. By then, only ten will be left. The Zhou Emperor's set of one-hundred-treasure inlaid items and the go manual will belong to them. But they still need to be ranked. The top five get to play a game with Go Sage Wei. If they're extremely lucky, they not only get to play the Sage, but even if they lose, they advance to the next round."

Chen Ping'an asked, "Is Go Sage Wei's skill far above everyone else's?"

The boy nodded. "Of course! Go Sage Wei is the Great Seal Dynasty's Guardian True Man. His go skill is unmatched. My grandfather was lucky enough to play a game with him twenty years ago, but then he lost to one of Wei's young disciples and couldn't make it into the top three. It wasn't that Grandfather was weak, but that young disciple was incredibly strong. At thirteen or fourteen, he had already mastered seventy percent of the Sage's skill. Ten years ago, at the Great Seal Herb and Wood Gathering, if that disciple hadn't been in seclusion, he wouldn't have let Chu Yao of Orchid House Kingdom take first place. That gathering was the most boring. Many top Go Attendants didn't go. My grandfather didn't participate."

Chen Ping'an asked, "Can cultivators from the mountains also participate?"

The art of go.

Between the mountains and the mundane world, it was like the difference between heaven and earth.

The so-called national masters and Go Attendants of mortal dynasties almost never won against cultivators truly skilled in the game. The most terrifying part was that many exquisite sequences used in the mortal world were never recognized by mountain cultivators. And the life-and-death problems mountain cultivators set often seemed utterly incomprehensible.

The old man, Sui, smiled. "Firstly, mountain immortals are beings of the clouds and mist. To us ordinary mortals, they are extremely rare. Secondly, cultivators who enjoy go are even rarer. So in past Great Seal Herb and Wood Gatherings, cultivators have been few. And Go Sage Wei's prized disciple, though a cultivator, places stones very quickly during games, as if unwilling to take too much advantage. I was once lucky enough to play against him. Almost as soon as I placed a stone, the young man would follow with his own, very decisive. Even so, I lost willingly and with respect."

Chen Ping'an asked, "Senior Sui, have you heard of anything unusual happening in the Great Seal capital lately?"

The old man looked puzzled and shook his head. "Please, enlighten me."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Just some rumors from the jianghu. They say there's a big river outside the Great Seal capital with constant floods."

The boy looked dismissive. "Are you talking about the Jade Seal River? What's there to worry about? With Go Sage Wei, the Guardian True Man, in charge, some strange floods can't possibly drown the capital! Even if some water spirit is causing trouble, I think the Sage wouldn't even need to act. That sword-god-like Grandmaster could just take a trip to the Jade Seal River, and all would be well."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Still, one should be careful. Senior Sui, are you aiming for a specific treasure from that one-hundred-treasure set?"

The old man shook his head. "This gathering has gathered many masters, unlike the previous two. Although I have some fame in my own kingdom, I know I won't make the top ten. So my trip is just to meet old friends over tea and maybe buy some newly printed game manuals. That will be enough."

The veiled-hat woman, who had been silent, spoke softly, "Father, I think this young master is right. The floods on the Jade Seal River are strange. If Go Sage Wei and the Female Martial God could have easily dealt with it, right under the capital's nose, it wouldn't have dragged on like this. I'm afraid the Jade Seal River trouble is serious, but the Zhou Emperor doesn't want to cancel the gathering because of face. If something else happens then..."

She didn't finish. If her father insisted on going, her words would just be gloomy omens.

In truth, from the start, she hadn't agreed to this trip to the Great Seal Dynasty for the gathering. The old man naturally didn't want to miss the event. To ease his family's worries, he had compromised. He invited a jianghu grandmaster, a close friend despite their age difference, to escort them. This grandmaster, a famous martial hero in Wuling Kingdom, had been looking after them along the way. The swordsman's name was Hu Xinfeng. He planned to escort them to the Great Seal capital, then visit some friends in Golden Gate Kingdom during the gathering.

The Herb and Wood Gathering in the Great Seal capital was a once-a-decade event. Not only were the national masters' matches captivating, but the city was also swept up in a gambling frenzy over go. Dukes, ministers, and nobles liked to bet on the gathering's top players. The wealthy but not noble of Great Seal bet on wild games outside the gathering, with substantial sums. It was said that each gathering saw tens of millions of silver taels change hands. The commoners, following their superiors' lead, also liked to gamble lightly for fun, tossing a few taels in the streets. Well-off families might bet tens or hundreds of taels. The capital's many temples and monasteries often had traveling nobles and literati from vassal states, who, not wanting to directly wager money, would use elegant objects as bets, which they would later sell for a tidy sum.

The girl complained, "Auntie, if we don't go to the Great Seal capital, we've come all this way for nothing! Over a thousand miles!"

The girl had a selfish motive. She wanted to see the youngest disciple of the Great Seal National Teacher, who had once beaten her grandfather. This disciple, now just over twenty, was also a woman. She was said to be stunningly beautiful, so much so that two Zhou princes had vied for her favor. Some of her female friends who loved go hoped she could get a glimpse of this young immortal and see if she truly was as beautiful and graceful as the rumors said. She had already boasted that once at the gathering, she would find a way to exchange a few words with that young fairy.

The swordsman had been standing guard at the pavilion entrance. A jianghu grandmaster willingly serving as a retainer to a retired official for a round trip that took half a year—that was no ordinary act. Hu Xinfeng turned and said, "The Jade Seal River outside the capital does have some supernatural tales that have been circulating in the jianghu lately. Though hard to confirm, Miss Sui has a point. Brother Sui, we really should be careful on this trip."

The old man was troubled.

Even a jianghu hero like Hu Xinfeng said this, so the old man couldn't help but feel uneasy. But to turn back now? He was reluctant.

The woman with the veiled hat and married woman's hair bun sighed softly. She had been feeling unsettled. About this trip with her father, nephew, and niece, she had privately divined the hexagrams several times. Each time, the signs were strange—great danger intertwined with fortune. It was impossible to discern the deep meaning. Logically, the Great Seal Dynasty was peaceful and prosperous, on par with the southern Grand View Dynasty. The royal families were connected by marriage. The Great Seal Zhou had the Female Martial God and the Guardian True Man in the capital. Even if the Jade Seal River had strange tales, even if they were true, it shouldn't cause big trouble. She believed that the river, which had never been granted a water god or built a shrine, might indeed hide a black flood dragon. But she didn't believe one water dragon could trouble the Great Seal capital.

At the root of it, she regretted that for so many years, she had only a small manual left by a mysterious person. She had been muddling through, practicing some immortal techniques on her own, never able to find a proper teacher or become a registered immortal master. If she had, she would have known whether to go to the Great Seal capital or not.

The boy grinned.

His aunt was a peculiar person. It was said that after his grandmother's ten-month pregnancy, she had a dream. A divine being carried a baby into the ancestral hall and handed it to her. Then she gave birth to Auntie. But Auntie was born with a hard fate. She was proficient in everything—music, chess, calligraphy, painting—from a young age. Once, a wandering immortal passed by and gave her three golden hairpins and a plain silk garment called "Bamboo Robe," saying it was a karmic connection to the Dao. After the immortal left, as Auntie grew more beautiful, her fame in Wuling's court and literary circles grew. But in marriage, her fate was too harsh. Grandfather found her two fiancés. The first was a well-matched young scholar, the Wuling Tanhua, full of ambition and famous throughout the capital. He was soon embroiled in an examination scandal. After that, Grandfather dared not choose scholars. He found a tougher, more jianghu-style youth. Still, just before the wedding, the man's family suffered misfortune. The young wanderer fell from grace and traveled far. It was said he went to Orchid House and Green Shrine Kingdoms and became a local hero. He still hadn't married and still thought of Auntie.

Auntie was over thirty but still breathtakingly beautiful, like a fairy from a mural.

If it weren't for her years of reclusion, never showing her face, and only occasionally visiting temples on off-peak days, and only exchanging poems and songs with a few literati, or playing go with familiar guests, the boy believed that even as an "old maiden," suitors would have worn down her doorstep.

The handsome boy had different dreams for the Great Seal capital than his sister. Besides the Zhou Emperor's Herb and Wood Gathering, the Great Seal Dynasty was also announcing its top ten jianghu masters and four great beauties. Anyone on those lists who was present in the capital would be received by the Zhou Emperor and given a heavy gift. It was possible that many newly listed young grandmasters were already gathered in the capital. The jianghu rankings, done every ten years—who would be ousted, who would be new—also involved huge bets in the capital.

Although this Wuling boy, Sui Wenfa, was from a scholarly family and destined to follow his grandfather, father, and elder brother's path to becoming a Wuling civil official, deep down, he longed for the chivalrous wanderers of the jianghu. He had dozens of martial arts novels hidden in his study, each read to tatters and memorized. He worshipped Uncle Hu, who had made a name for himself, to the point where, if Hu weren't already married with children, the boy would have matched him with Auntie.

Chen Ping'an saw the old man's expression—he still seemed inclined to go to the Great Seal capital—so he didn't say more.

As the game review ended, the rain stopped.

But the road was muddy. Besides Chen Ping'an, the others in the pavilion had their own concerns, so they didn't hurry off.

Chen Ping'an packed his board and bowls into the bamboo box, took his walking staff, donned his bamboo hat, and took his leave.

He had glanced at the rain, resigned, reviewed the game, and just as he finished, the heavy rain stopped and the sky cleared. This was another of Chen Ping'an's silent hints. Whether the veiled-hat woman caught the clue was up to her.

The swordsman was a fifth-rank martial artist, a grandmaster in Wuling Kingdom.

The veiled-hat woman seemed to be a half-baked qi refiner, not high in rank—maybe second or third level.

As Chen Ping'an stepped out of the pavilion, he frowned.

What a coincidence?

On this desolate mountain path, why was a Golden Body Realm martial artist rushing over on horseback? For someone of Sui's status, this shouldn't be a mortal enemy or a jianghu grudge.

In the vast territories of the Great Seal Dynasty and over a dozen other kingdoms, places like Orchid House and Wuling might not even have a single Golden Body Realm martial artist to guard their martial fortune. It was like how, in central Bottle Gourd Continent's Colorful Garment Kingdom and Comb Water Kingdom, old-timer Song, a sixth-rank peak martial artist, was the top in the entire kingdom's jianghu. Sub-mountain people didn't see immortals; mountain people saw cultivators more easily. It was precisely because Chen Ping'an's cultivation had improved, his eyesight sharpened, that he saw more cultivators, pure martial artists, mountain spirits, and market ghosts. Otherwise, back in his hometown, when he was still a Dragon Kiln apprentice, he only saw people in terms of rich or poor.

But in all his years of travel, apart from places like Inverted Mountain and ferries, he still saw more ordinary people. There were just fewer stories.

Then that martial artist stopped his horse far off, as if waiting for someone.

He should have had another rider with him, a cultivator.

From the other direction on the Tea-Horse Ancient Road came the sound of messy footsteps. About a dozen people. Their steps were uneven in depth, their cultivations naturally varied.

Chen Ping'an hesitated, put one foot in the mud, pulled his boot out, scraped the sole on the stone steps, sighed, and walked back into the pavilion. "I'll sit a while longer. Let the sun dry the road a bit. Otherwise, walking in this mud is just miserable."

The boy, unrestrained by nature, cheerful and a first-time traveler, spoke without thought, "Smart move!"

Chen Ping'an smiled.

Hu Xinfeng was a bit annoyed. He would have to talk to the boy later about not being so reckless in the jianghu.

But the veiled-hat woman was already scolding, "As a scholar, don't be so rude. Apologize to Master Chen!"

The boy quickly looked at his grandfather, who said with a smile, "Is it hard for a scholar to apologize? Is the sage's wisdom in the books more precious, or is your pride worth more?"

The boy was thick-skinned. He smiled brightly and made a bow of apology to the bamboo-hatted traveler in green. The traveler didn't say anything about an apology not being needed. He just stood there, smiling.

The girl covered her mouth and giggled. It was fun to watch her mischievous brother get put in his place.

Old Sui smiled. "Young master, we'll be on our way now."

Chen Ping'an nodded with a smile. "Fate willing, we'll meet again."

But as they were about to leave the pavilion and get their horses, they saw a crowd of jianghu people rushing over, stomping through the mud.

Hu Xinfeng stood by the doorway, holding his sword, not mounting his horse. He quietly made a hand signal, telling the other four not to mount yet, lest they seem to be looking down on others.

Half the crowd passed the pavilion, continuing on. Then a burly man with an open collar, eyes bright, stopped. "Brothers, let's rest here!"

The veiled-hat woman frowned.

Hu Xinfeng said quietly, "Just make way for them. Try not to cause trouble."

Old Sui nodded. The boy and girl stayed close to him.

The bamboo-hatted traveler seemed to have the same idea. He didn't dare stay in the pavilion. He moved to the other side of the steps, turning sideways, about to cede the pavilion to this clearly rough crowd.

But even though this lousy go player carrying a box was cautious enough, the men entering the pavilion deliberately bumped into him. One of them purposely swayed and nudged his shoulder.

The green-robed young man stumbled back and apologized. The sturdy young man rubbed his shoulder and growled, "The road's wide enough for twenty people to walk side by side! You blind or something, bumping into me? Or do you think I'm easy prey, and with a woman here, you want to play the hero?"

The book box on the young traveler's back clanked against the board and bowls. His face pale, he kept apologizing, backing up further out of the pavilion's entrance.

The thuggish young man followed, reached out, and pushed the scholar's shoulder, making him fall onto the muddy ground outside the pavilion steps.

The young scholar looked terrified. He glanced at the group on the pavilion steps. Old Sui sighed but looked away. The boy and girl were pale. Hu Xinfeng just frowned. Only the veiled-hat woman seemed about to speak, but Old Sui gave her a look, telling her not to meddle. Hu Xinfeng had worked hard over the years to attach himself to a government official, building a lucrative legitimate business. If he got involved in a life-and-death case for no reason, it would be very troublesome. This rowdy bunch, by their accent, weren't from Wuling. Hu Xinfeng's reputation in both legal and underworld circles in Wuling might not mean much here.

In fact, Hu Xinfeng was more anxious than his calm face let on.

Because this group, though they looked like a noisy bunch of low-level martial artists, was actually using a trick to fool novices. If you got entangled, you'd be skinned alive. One of them, an old man with a scarred face, might not know Hu Xinfeng, but Hu Xinfeng remembered him well. A heretical grandmaster named Yang Yuan, nicknamed Muddy River Dragon, who had committed several major crimes in Golden Gate Kingdom. He was a master of external skills, with incredibly fierce fists. Once among the top villains in Golden Gate's underworld, he had been on the run for over a decade. It was said he was hiding near the border of Green Shrine and Orchid House Kingdoms, gathering a large gang of vicious criminals. From a lone jianghu demon, he had founded a heretical sect with a lot of people. Lin Shu, the leader of Zhengrong Sect, one of Golden Gate's four righteous masters, had once taken over a dozen righteous fighters to kill him, but he still escaped, wounded.

If it really was the old demon Yang Yuan, even if his old injuries and age had made his qi and blood decline, and his martial arts retrogressed, so he might not be a match for Hu Xinfeng, he still had numbers. But if Yang Yuan had been recovering and improving over the years, Hu Xinfeng would be in even deeper trouble. This Tea-Horse Ancient Road was usually deserted. Hu Xinfeng felt that this simple escort mission might require him to risk his life for the Sui family.

Hu Xinfeng had worried that Old Sui, with his scholarly spirit, would insist on intervening. It seemed he had worried for nothing. Even without revealing Yang Yuan's dangerous identity, Old Sui didn't seem inclined to get involved.

It was indeed Muddy River Dragon Yang Yuan!

The lean old man looked at Hu Xinfeng. Hu Xinfeng hesitated, then cupped his fists. "Hu Xinfeng, leader of the Wuling Crossings Gang. Greetings to my fellow jianghu friends."

Yang Yuan thought for a moment, then said hoarsely, "Never heard of you."

The others burst into laughter.

Yang Yuan glanced at the veiled-hat woman. His usually murky eyes flashed with brilliance, then dimmed. He turned to the thuggish young man and said, "We don't need to fight and kill every time we travel. A little bump—let him pay up and be done."

The burly man was startled. A young man with a sword on his back, holding a folding fan, smiled. "Fifty or sixty taels is enough. Don't gouge him. He's just a poor scholar."

The young scholar sat on the ground, looking panicked. "Where would I get so much silver? My bamboo box only has a Go board and some bowls. Worth maybe a dozen taels."

The young swordsman flicked his folding fan. "That's a bit difficult."

The handsome boy wanted to speak, but Old Sui grabbed his arm and glared.

The boy was frightened by his grandfather's unfamiliar look and fell silent.

Old Sui quickly glanced at the pitiful scholar. Luckily, he didn't seem to be begging for a loan. If he had, trouble would flow this way. He would have had to curse and distance himself, which would be disgraceful and damage the kindly image he had in front of his grandchildren.

The old demon Yang Yuan, for some reason resurfacing in the jianghu, waved his hand. His voice was still rough, like sharpening a blade. "Forget it. We've scared him enough. Let the scholar be on his way. This kid has some spirit, some backbone. Better than those scholars who stand by and do nothing. Never mind speaking up for justice—they're afraid of getting burned. If they didn't have a knife and there were outsiders around, they'd probably kill the young scholar first to be safe."

The thuggish man looked disappointed and made as if to kick. The young scholar scrambled to his feet, dodging the crowd, and ran down the path, splashing mud everywhere.

Old Sui acted as if nothing had happened.

The handsome boy, however, blushed crimson. He caught the implication in the old man's words and felt deeply ashamed.

The veiled-hat woman saw that at the end of the path, the green-robed young man had stopped and turned to look. Then he revealed an expression she might have misread as amused, and strode away.

At the pavilion entrance, Yang Yuan pointed at the fan-wielding young man and addressed the veiled-hat woman. "This is my beloved disciple. He's still unmarried. You're hiding your face under that hat and wearing a married woman's bun, but that doesn't matter. My disciple doesn't care. Why don't we make a match of it? Today's as good as any. Old sir, rest assured. We're jianghu folk, but we have a good background. The betrothal gifts will be more generous than any prime minister or noble's son's. If you don't believe me, ask this swordsman of yours. He's skilled. He should recognize who I am."

Old Sui's face turned ashen.

Hu Xinfeng looked awkward. After composing himself, he said to the old man, "Brother Sui, this is Senior Yang Yuan, also known as Muddy River Dragon, a martial arts master from Golden Gate Kingdom years ago."

The boy, trembling, said in a barely audible whisper, "Muddy River Dragon Yang Yuan? Didn't Zhengrong Sect Leader Lin Shu, Great Hero Lin, kill him?"

The boy thought his voice was too soft for anyone else to hear, but to martial artists like Hu Xinfeng and Yang Yuan, it was clearly a "loud remark."

Hu Xinfeng turned and snapped, "Sui Wenfa! Don't talk nonsense! Apologize to Senior Yang immediately!"

The handsome boy bowed in apology again.

This was his second apology of the day.

Yang Yuan extended a hand. "Let's talk inside. I hope you'll give me this much face, former Vice Minister Sui of Wuling."

Old Sui breathed a slight sigh of relief. As long as no one started killing immediately, it was fine. Bloody scenes were common in books, but the old man had never seen one.

Since the other recognized him and called him "Vice Minister Sui," maybe there was a way out.

The two sat down on the benches against the pavilion walls. Only old man Yang Yuan and his sword-carrying disciple sat on the bench facing the entrance. The old man leaned forward, hands clasped, without a trace of the ferocity of a jianghu demon. He smiled at the veiled-hat woman, who remained silent, and her niece. "If Vice Minister Sui doesn't mind, we could also become closer. I have a grandson at home, just turned sixteen. He didn't come with me on this trip, but he's well-read. A true scholar, I'm not lying. In this year's imperial exams in Orchid House Kingdom, my grandson placed in the second-tier. His name is Yang Rui. Vice Minister Sui might have heard of him."

Then the old man turned to his disciple with a smile. "I wonder which woman my Rui'er will choose. Fu Zhen, who do you think he'll pick? Think there'll be a conflict with you?"

The sword-carrying disciple quickly said, "Maybe one takes the older one as a wife, the younger as a concubine."

The old man frowned. "That wouldn't be proper."

The disciple smiled. "We're jianghu folk. We don't need to be so particular. If it's really a problem, these two young ladies can make a small sacrifice and change their names. Marrying Yang Rui—he's talented, handsome, with good family. If Orchid House princesses or countesses were available and of age, he'd already be a royal consort. For these two young ladies, marrying our Yang Rui is a great fortune. They should be satisfied."

Hu Xinfeng suppressed his rage. "Senior Yang, don't forget, this is Wuling Kingdom!"

Yang Yuan smiled. "If Wang Dun, the number one master of Wuling, were sitting here, I wouldn't have entered this pavilion. But Wang Dun should be in the Great Seal capital right now. Of course, with our group passing through in such a grand manner, if someone dies, the experienced constables of Wuling will find clues. But that's fine. Vice Minister Sui will help clean up the mess. Scholars value their reputation. Domestic scandals shouldn't be made public."

Hu Xinfeng sighed and turned to Old Sui. "Brother Sui, what say you?"

Old Sui looked at the lean old man and sneered. "I don't believe you, Yang Yuan, can truly run wild in Wuling Kingdom."

Yang Yuan just smiled and asked Hu Xinfeng, "What does Master Hu say? Will you risk your life, your sect, and your family to protect these two women and stop our marriage ties? Or will you be sensible and, on the day my Rui'er marries, come as the guest of honor with gifts and receive a generous return?"

The sword-carrying disciple snickered. "Once the rice is cooked, the women will be much more obedient."

Yang Yuan nodded with a smile. "Crude, but true."

Old Sui pleaded, "Master Hu! In a time of crisis, you cannot abandon us!"

Hu Xinfeng's expression was complicated, a battle raging within him.

Yang Yuan smiled. "Pity that young scholar isn't here. He would have cursed you out, as you scholars do. But good thing he's not, or I wouldn't have let my old in-law lose face. I would have killed him. My temper is much better than years ago. Especially since Rui'er came along, I respect you scholars, no matter how many sages' books you've actually read."

The veiled-hat woman suddenly spoke, "I can stay. Let them go. I'll head straight to Orchid House Kingdom. Even if someone reports to the authorities, once we cross the border into Golden Gate, it's meaningless."

Yang Yuan shook his head. "That's the problem. Our coming to Wuling was partly to find a wife for my Rui'er, but we have other business. So, Master Hu's decision is crucial."

Hu Xinfeng suddenly asked, "Even if I agree here and now, will you truly trust me?"

Yang Yuan smiled. "Of course not."

Hu Xinfeng took a deep breath, twisted his body, and punched directly at Old Sui's head.

This was no match for a frail old man. Even a skilled jianghu fighter couldn't withstand Hu Xinfeng's full-powered blow.

But in the next instant, a flash of sword light blocked the punch. Hu Xinfeng abruptly withdrew his hand.

A sword was now lying horizontally in front of Old Sui.

The one who had drawn it was the prized disciple of Muddy River Dragon Yang Yuan. The young swordsman stood with one hand behind his back, holding the sword in the other, a smile on his face. "So, the so-called masters of Wuling are disappointing. Only Wang Dun stands out, making the latest Great Seal top ten. Even if he's at the bottom, he's far above the rest of Wuling's martial artists."

Yang Yuan frowned. "Less chatter."

The young man knew he had misspoken. A flicker of malice crossed his face. He took a step forward. A flash of sword light. The summer heat, already lessened after the rain, grew even cooler as the young swordsman struck.

Hu Xinfeng stepped back, shouting, "Senior Yang, why?!"

Facing the dazzling, crisscrossing sword light that lit up the pavilion, Hu Xinfeng could still speak. He was clearly a cut above Yang Yuan's disciple.

The young swordsman, having lost a beauty whose face he hadn't even seen but whose figure and voice made him feel weak, was already boiling with resentment. When Hu Xinfeng dared to speak with such distraction, his attacks grew even more vicious and swift.

The handsome boy, Sui Wenfa, hid beside Old Sui. The girl, Sui Wenyi, clung to her aunt, trembling.

The veiled-hat woman whispered, "Don't be afraid."

Yang Yuan moved like an ape, bending low, then darted forward. Seizing an opening, he brought both fists down like hammers on Hu Xinfeng's chest, just as the latter dodged a sword stroke. The blow sent Hu Xinfeng flying backward out of the pavilion. He crashed heavily to the ground, coughed up blood, and struggled to get up.

Yang Yuan sneered inwardly. Twenty years ago, it was the same. Twenty years later, nothing had changed. Damn these fame-seeking righteous jianghu heroes—each one more clever than the last. Back then, he was too foolish, which was why, despite his skills, he had no footing in Golden Gate's jianghu. But that misfortune had turned to fortune. He had not only founded a thriving new sect on the border of two kingdoms but had also wormed his way into the Orchid House court and the Green Shrine mountains, making connections with two true masters.

The young swordsman was about to leap out and finish Hu Xinfeng off with a few thrusts to the heart and head.

But Yang Yuan stopped him. As Hu Xinfeng wiped blood from his mouth, his lips moved slightly. Yang Yuan's did the same.

At that moment, two riders came slowly down the path. They encountered this "jianghu dispute" but didn't slow their pace at all.

One was an old man in black with a sword. The other was a man in his thirties.

They passed the pavilion. The old man didn't look at anyone. He just rode on.

Old Sui shouted, "Heroes, save us! I am Sui Xinyu, former Vice Minister of Works of Wuling! These villains are trying to kill us!"

The younger man suddenly reined in and turned his horse, asking in surprise, "Is this Uncle Sui?"

Sui Xinyu, better known in Wuling for his scholarship and go skill than his official career, was stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously.

Yang Yuan laughed. "Old in-law, you really aren't afraid of dragging innocent people into this. I'm starting to regret these marriages. Who knows if you'll sell me out one day."

The young man dismounted, bowed, and said tearfully, "Your nephew, Cao Fu, pays respects to Uncle Sui! Years ago, I had to flee to avoid trouble. I feared implicating you, so I left without a word. I have wronged Miss Sui after all."

Everyone except Yang Yuan, including the disciple Fu Zhen, turned pale with fear.

Cao Fu was a famous figure in Orchid House and Green Shrine Kingdoms. He had gone from a down-and-out martial artist in Orchid House to the prized disciple of an old mountain immortal. On the map of over a dozen kingdoms, cultivators' names weren't always intimidating—common folk might not even hear of them. But well-founded jianghu sects knew that cultivators who could stand firm in these lands, especially those with immortal residences and ancestral halls, were never easy to deal with.

In the past ten-plus years, Cao Fu had descended the mountain several times, always accompanied by a legendary guardian. Cao Fu almost never acted, but his fame had spread throughout Orchid House and Green Shrine. It was said that the famously beautiful Orchid House queen was his martial sister from earlier days.

Now, among the Great Seal Dynasty's newly selected top ten grandmasters and four beauties, two were connected to Cao Fu. One was the "Orchid Beauty," his martial sister, one of the four. The other three included two already famous beauties, plus the Great Seal National Teacher's disciple in seclusion, and a girl from a northern Green Willow Kingdom market origin, kept as a hidden beauty by a border general. Neighboring kingdoms had even started border skirmishes, allegedly to kidnap her.

Also connected to Cao Fu, this luck-blessed darling of fortune, was the top ten grandmaster ranked above Wang Dun, the guardian swordsman Xiao Shuye. He was a legendary master who had reached the Divine Refining Realm and had learned powerful thunder magic from Cao Fu's master for vanquishing demons. His waist sword, "Mist Night," was an immortal blade that could cut through iron and suppress ghosts.

Without a doubt, the black-clad old man who had stopped his horse with Cao Fu was Xiao Shuye.

The girl lifted her head, hugging her aunt's arm, and exclaimed joyfully, "Auntie, is this really Uncle Cao Fu that Wenfa often talks about?"

The handsome boy, Sui Wenfa, was even more misty-eyed. He had long yearned for this Uncle Cao's jianghu tales but had never been sure if it was the same man who had almost married his aunt. But the boy dreamed that the banished immortal Cao Fu from Orchid House was the same jianghu youth who had almost become his uncle.

Cao Fu stood upright, then went to help the hero Hu Xinfeng to his feet.

Hu Xinfeng smiled bitterly. "Young Master Cao, blame me. If you hadn't arrived, even giving my life couldn't have protected Brother Sui. If disaster had struck, a hundred deaths wouldn't be enough to atone."

Cao Fu stepped back and bowed again. "Master Hu, your noble character is admirable. Your junior, Cao Fu, bows in respect."

Sui Xinyu snorted and waved his sleeve. "Cao Fu, appearances can be deceiving. Master Hu was just sparring with someone and almost accidentally killed your Uncle Sui."

Cao Fu was taken aback.

Sui Xinyu sighed. "Cao Fu, you're still too kind-hearted. You don't know the dangers of the jianghu. It's fine. Adversity reveals true friendship. Let's just say I was blind before, making a friend like Master Hu. Hu Xinfeng, go. I can no longer afford your friendship. Let there be no more contact between us."

Hu Xinfeng turned and spat blood onto the ground. He cupped his fists and lowered his head. "I will visit your residence to apologize, Brother Sui."

The swordsman, clutching his chest with one hand and his sword with the other, stumbled away, a forlorn figure.

Yang Yuan stood at the pavilion entrance, his face dark. He said grimly, "Cao Fu, don't think your sect can do whatever it wants here. This is Wuling, not Orchid House or Green Shrine."

Sui Xinyu stroked his beard and smiled. "That sounds familiar somehow."

Muddy River Dragon Yang Yuan's face was cold and hard, as if he were holding in anger. But he didn't dare make a move. This made the retired Wuling vice minister feel even more triumphant. How unpredictable life was! A twist of fate!

The girl Sui Wenyi snuggled in her aunt's arms, covering her mouth and giggling. Her eyes narrowed into crescent moons as she looked at the man named Cao Fu. Her heart fluttered. Then her expression darkened.

Sui Wenfa's eyes were wide, staring intently at the man who was practically his uncle. The boy felt he had to take a good look at this jianghu hero, as if he had stepped right out of a book. It was a pity Uncle Cao didn't carry a sword or a sabre—that would have been perfect.

Cao Fu stood on the path, one hand behind his back, the other fist held at his navel, the epitome of a scholarly hero. Old Sui nodded inwardly. This was the man he had chosen for his daughter. Truly a dragon among men.

Cao Fu first glanced at the veiled-hat woman, his eyes soft with an indescribable tenderness and longing. Then he turned to Yang Yuan, his expression shifting to the dashing boldness forged in the jianghu. He stepped back, bent his knees slightly, extended one hand, and smiled. "Yang Yuan, I haven't been able to find you all these years. Since we've met, how about a few rounds?"

Yang Yuan sneered. "Generations apart. Let my disciple Fu Zhen spar with you. Win or lose, life or death, no involving our elders. What do you say?"

Fu Zhen's lips twitched.

Yang Yuan said firmly, "Fu Zhen, win or lose, just three strikes."

Fu Zhen breathed a sigh of relief. At least his master wasn't sending him to his death.

Fu Zhen took a deep breath and said with a smile, "Then I'll ask for three pointers from Immortal Cao."

After a moment's thought, Fu Zhen thrust his sword straight forward, stepping lightly like a dragonfly skimming water.

This strike looked powerful but was actually held back.

He planned to take a little punishment and keep his life.

But Fu Zhen soon regretted it bitterly.

Cao Fu took a step forward, his head tilting. As Fu Zhen hesitated, wondering if he should make a symbolic horizontal slash, Cao Fu had already appeared directly in front of him. One palm pressed against Fu Zhen's face. "Five Thunder True Seal, emerge from the Crimson Palace!"

A loud bang.

It was as if thunder magic had exploded on Fu Zhen's face.

Blood flowed from his seven orifices. He died instantly. His body flew backward, smashing through the wall facing the entrance, and vanished.

The sword he had dropped was caught by Cao Fu, who casually flicked it. It embedded itself in a large tree.

The handsome boy, Sui Wenfa, watched, his heart surging. He wiped his face—he was truly crying. No longer "half an uncle"—this was the uncle of his dreams! He had to learn a few moves from this uncle. Then, when he traveled with his book box, he wouldn't end up as pathetic as that green-robed lousy go player! Bumped, apologized, pushed into the mud without a harsh word, and he sure ran fast, with that big green bamboo box on his back. How ridiculous.

Muddy River Dragon Yang Yuan led his men swiftly away from the pavilion. Cao Fu asked with a smile, "Uncle Sui, need me to stop them?"

Behind the thin gauze of her veiled hat, the woman's face showed little expression.

Old Sui thought for a moment. Better not to stir up more trouble. He shook his head and smiled. "No. They've been taught a lesson. Let's leave quickly. There's a corpse behind the pavilion."

As for those dangerous men who had fled, whether they would harm anyone else...

The two parties, almost father- and son-in-law years ago, perhaps had an unspoken agreement, or perhaps neither of them thought of it. They simply let it go.

After some conversation, it turned out that Cao Fu had rushed all the way from Orchid House, Green Shrine, and Golden Gate Kingdoms. He had already visited the Sui residence in Wuling. Hearing that Vice Minister Sui had left for the Great Seal Dynasty, he had traveled day and night, asking for directions, and finally found them at this pavilion on the Tea-Horse Ancient Road. Cao Fu said, relieved, that he had nearly arrived too late. Old Sui laughed heartily, saying that arriving early wasn't as good as arriving at just the right time. It wasn't too late at all. As he spoke, the refined old man glanced at his daughter. But the veiled-hat woman said nothing. The old man's smile deepened. She was probably just shy. Cao Fu was a son-in-law like no other. Missing him once was already a great pity. Now Cao Fu had obviously returned in triumph, and he hadn't forgotten the old betrothal. That was even rarer. They absolutely could not miss this chance again. The Great Seal's Herb and Wood Gathering could be skipped. Returning home to settle this marriage was the top priority.

That word from the wicked chief Yang Yuan's disciple— "Immortal Cao Fu"—

Sui Xinyu had memorized it.

Cao Fu had originally offered to escort the old man to the Great Seal capital, saying he would follow. But when he heard that the old man wanted to return home, and that the gathering was far away and might be too bumpy for his old bones, Cao Fu changed his mind. He also said that with the water dragon trouble in the capital, it was better not to go.

The group left the pavilion, mounted their horses, and slowly descended the mountain along the ancient road, heading back to the Sui family's prefectural city in Wuling. It was still a long journey, and they would pass through the capital region. This pleased Sui Xinyu. He thought about taking a slight detour to visit some old friends in the capital.

As the veiled-hat woman mounted her horse, she glanced out of the corner of her eye down the path, lost in thought.

Yang Yuan's group had either turned back down the original road, taken a side path to escape, or fled on foot. If they continued toward the Great Seal capital, they might meet again.

On the way down the mountain.

Earlier, after stepping out of everyone's sight, Hu Xinfeng had started running. He saw the bamboo-hatted young man in the green robe. Hu Xinfeng was furious at this useless creature. He felt that all this bad luck was because of him. If he hadn't been in that pavilion, playing go and wasting time with that Sui fellow, they would have left earlier or later. Maybe things wouldn't have turned out this way. He could have kept a good relationship with the Sui family and even attached himself to the lofty Cao Fu. Now, not only had he angered Sui Xinyu, but he had also lost the chance to even get acquainted with Cao Fu. That woman, whom even he didn't dare to think about wrongly, might whisper in the ear of her long-lost half-husband Cao Fu. Hu Xinfeng feared that he might find his home destroyed one day for no reason.

The loss was immeasurable.

Thinking of this, Hu Xinfeng lashed out with a kick. His whip-leg hit the bookish young man's head, sending him tumbling off the path into the dense woods, instantly vanishing from sight.

Hu Xinfeng felt a little better.

His mood considerably lightened, he spat out a glob of bloody saliva. The blow from Yang Yuan's fists to his chest had looked bad, but it wasn't serious.

But after walking half a li, Hu Xinfeng's eyes bulged. Why was that young scholar with the walking stick ahead of him again?

Was he seeing ghosts in broad daylight?

Hu Xinfeng carefully picked up a pebble and lightly tossed it.

It hit the man on the back of the head. The man covered his head, turned around with an exasperated look, and cursed, "Haven't you had enough?!"

Hu Xinfeng almost laughed, then thought better of it.

His heart tightened. He was about to bolt from this Tea-Horse Ancient Road, which was suddenly feeling sinister. But the man simply limped toward him. This bizarre scene left Hu Xinfeng momentarily frozen.

His face stiff.

The man adjusted his bamboo hat and asked with a grin, "What's wrong? A big road is right here, and you won't take it? Not afraid of getting ghost-blocked?"

Hu Xinfeng swallowed his saliva and nodded. "Big road. I'll take the big road."

The two walked slowly together.

Hu Xinfeng sized up the man. He seemed unsteady, his face pale, with sweat on his forehead. After a moment's hesitation, Hu Xinfeng gathered his qi, sank it into his dantian, and delivered a swift, powerful punch to the man's temple.

A loud thud.

The man flew off the path again.

Hu Xinfeng rubbed his fist with his palm. It hurt. That should have been the end of him.

But after walking another li, the green-robed man appeared again in his sight.

Now Hu Xinfeng was drenched in sweat, his spine chilling.

Luckily, the man walked toward him again and fell into step beside him, heading slowly down the mountain.

Hu Xinfeng was sweating like rain.

Then, the sound of hooves came from behind.

Hu Xinfeng suddenly backpedaled and shouted, "Brother Sui, Young Master Cao! This man is an accomplice of Yang Yuan!"

But the riders simply passed him by. None turned their heads to look.

Hu Xinfeng felt as if he'd been struck by lightning.

The young scholar smiled faintly. "Awkward."

But then the scholar frowned.

Within the passing cavalcade, the veiled-hat woman's mind-voice came urgently to him, "Master Chen, save me!"

Chen Ping'an ignored it, slowing his pace. As he slowed, Hu Xinfeng slowed too.

But the woman's rider stubbornly wouldn't give up. As if mad, she suddenly turned her horse, alone, galloping away from the others, straight toward the green-robed figure with the bamboo hat.

Even Chen Ping'an was dumbfounded. He had seen many shameless people, but never anyone this shameless. The veiled-hat woman dismounted in one leap, landing beside him, then hid behind him and his book box. "Master Chen, I know you are a cultivator. Save me."

Chen Ping'an turned his head. "Am I your father or your grandfather?"

The woman whipped off her veiled hat, revealing her face, and said pitifully, "If you save me, I will be eternally grateful. I would even give myself to you..."

Before she could finish, the man slapped her, spinning her around several times before she fell to the ground, leaving her stunned and sitting there.

The man said, "I've put up with your whole family for too long."

But in the next instant, he sighed. Facing her and Hu Xinfeng, a jade and bamboo folding fan suddenly appeared in the bookish young man's hand. He smiled. "Forgive my rudeness to a beauty. Forgive my rudeness."