Yang Qianhuan said slowly, “After reflecting for some time, I have finally understood the difference between myself and Xu Qi’an.”
“What’s the difference?”
Zhong Li played the part of a perfect sidekick.
Yang Qianhuan did not answer, but instead asked, “Junior Sister Zhong, do you remember when Xu Qi’an first became beloved by the people?”
Zhong Li tilted her head, her hair falling as her bright eyes were revealed. Her voice was soft, “He solved a string of major cases during the capital evaluation?”
At that time, Zhong Li had been a pitiful little thing “suppressed” at the bottom of the tower, not yet acquainted with Xu Qi’an. Only later did she gradually learn of his past.
“No, although he made a big splash during the capital evaluation, his reputation only spread among government officials. Common folk in the markets had only vaguely heard of him, and far from any talk of admiration.”
Yang Qianhuan’s voice was low as he spoke at length:
“What truly made the people of the capital remember him were the Buddhist contest and his journey to Yunzhou, and later, beheading the two Dukes at the market square, which saw his fame reach its peak. Be it these events, or the legend of Yuyang Pass afterwards, even slaying the emperor, all of these were essentially the same in nature.”
He paused, then, in a tone as if unveiling the truth behind a veil of mist, he said,
“It’s because he constantly built up the image of ‘serving the country and the people’ for himself. The people naturally came to admire him. He killed Yuanjing, so it was the slaying of a tyrant. But if I were to kill Yongxing, I would be a traitor.”
Zhong Li was deeply moved by this. Senior Brother Yang had finally seen things clearly.
Yang Qianhuan continued, “That’s why I must begin working for the welfare of the people, so that all the people in the capital will be deeply grateful to me.”
“So, what does Senior Brother Yang plan to do?” Zhong Li asked softly.
“I plan to open several shops in the capital to help the city folk free of charge. In time, I will surpass Xu Qi’an and become the great hero in the hearts of the capital’s people,” Yang Qianhuan said resolutely.
“Senior Brother Yang is amazing to have come up with such a method.” Zhong Li was genuinely happy for him.
With Junior Sister Zhong’s recognition and praise, Yang Qianhuan left, strutting with great ambition.
…
The cold wind howled and the wild grass rippled.
In the distance, thick dark clouds were massing at the horizon, swept swiftly by the gale. A group walked along a narrow mountain path. On horseback, Mu Nanzhi wrapped her fox-fur coat tightly around herself.
She frowned, turned her head to Xu Qi’an, and said, “I’m a bit cold.”
This winter was especially bitter. Winter had only just begun, yet frost was already hanging from the eaves.
Xu Qi’an nodded, pressed his palm to the mare’s belly, and steadily channelled his qi. Now, he could refine vitality into qi, generating quite a bit of it, equivalent to eighth rank, Refining Qi.
Sensing the warmth from her master, the mare neighed happily, turned her head, and nuzzled Xu Qi’an’s face.
“You Xu bastard!”
Mu Nanzhi clenched her teeth in vexation. Was she really less important than a horse?
“For you, enduring a bit of cold is actually a good experience. A relaxed life on the road makes it boring.”
Even so, Xu Qi’an took her small hand and channelled his qi into her.
Li Lingsu watched the two interacting, thinking, The Lady is not particularly beautiful, which is why old Xu Qian is so dismissive.
He thought of his own circle of female friends, each one charming and exceptional. As the Holy Son, he could not help but feel a sense of superiority. He wondered if Xu Qian was simply not interested in beauty, or just bad at getting along with women.
Otherwise, with his status and cultivation, what kind of beauty could he not obtain?
Still, while Madam Xu may be plain in looks, she is surprisingly pleasant to spend time with. The more I’m around her, the more I find she’s unlike ordinary women. That’s probably why Xu Qian married her… Li Lingsu thought to himself.
After several cycles of qi, warmth spread through Mu Nanzhi’s body, making her feel almost sleepy with comfort. Forcing herself to stay awake, she put the little fox on the horse’s back, then took out the “Geographical Records of Great Feng” from her bag. After reading for a bit, her face suddenly changed.
She swallowed nervously and said in a low voice, “The book says Xiangzhou has two main features: water ghosts and corpse driving.”
They were currently in Xiangzhou, under the jurisdiction of Zhangzhou Province.
The little white fox, on hearing this, shrank its head in fright, and, just like Mu Nanzhi, stammered pathetically, “W-what? Loads of water ghosts…?”
Xu Qi’an said irritably, “You’re a Yao, and yet you fear water ghosts?”
The little white fox shrank even further, whispering, “I-I’m scared of ghosts.”
Li Lingsu explained, “There are many rivers in Xiangzhou, criss-crossing the land in a dense network. Every year, countless people drown, so it’s only natural there are many water ghosts. As for corpse driving, that’s a longer story.”
Seeing the two humans and a fox looking at him, Li Lingsu went on to explain:
“Legend has it that about one hundred and eighty years ago, a strange man suddenly appeared in western Xiangzhou. His corpse-controlling skills were unrivalled, and he became invincible in Xiangzhou with his thirteen iron corpses. He then founded a sect there.
“Since then, many of the jianghu factions in Xiangzhou have developed at least some techniques of corpse control. Of these, the largest is the Chai family, whose main business is corpse driving, delivering the bodies of those who die far from home back to their native place.
“Any corpse the Chai family takes care of does not rot or smell.”
Xu Qi’an, leading the mare, asked, “Are those techniques of the Church of the Warlock God, or are they from the Shaman Corpse Gu trive?”
Li Lingsu smiled,
“Corpse Gu. That strange man was from Xiangzhou, and in his youth, his whole family was killed in revenge. For some reason, he survived and was sold to the Southern Marches as a slave. There, among the shaman clans, he learned impressive corpse-controlling techniques.
“After his cultivation reached fruition, he escaped the Southern Marches, returned to Xiangzhou for revenge, and started his sect. His name was Chai Siming, the ancestor of the Chai family. However, his technique had a flaw, and could only reach fifth rank.
“Later, the Chai family developed martial arts, and their members were usually dual cultivators of martial and shaman arts. The present head of the Chai family is only fifth rank, but there have been several fourth-rank heads in their history.”
Xu Qi’an asked in surprise, “You’ve travelled in Xiangzhou before?”
“No.”
“Then how do you know all this?”
“Because one of my female confidantes happens to be from the Chai family.” Li Lingsu wore the smile of a man on top of the world.
Fuck! Slipped up and gave you another chance to show off… Xu Qi’an lampooned inwardly. He nodded, his tone calm:
“We should reach Xiangzhou city by tomorrow. We might as well pay a visit to the Chai family.”
Li Lingsu’s face changed slightly, and he quietly put his hands over his waist.
The wind grew stronger, dark clouds pressed heavily above their heads, and it looked as though a torrential downpour was imminent. The group quickened their pace, and after another quarter of an hour, Mu Nanzhi, still seated on horseback, pointed into the distance and said cheerfully,
“There’s a ruined temple over there.”
The little white fox echoed her delight, “There’s a ruined temple.”
The temple stood by the roadside. Drawing closer, they realised it was a Mountain God Temple, quite large. One could imagine that it was once quite a grand sight.
Its gates were decayed and half open, as though a light push would send them toppling.
Xu Qi’an helped Mu Nanzhi dismount. The three people and their horse entered the temple, stepping over the threshold to find the courtyard littered with fallen branches and dead leaves, a faint musty scent hanging in the air.
The statue of the Mountain God within had toppled over, covered in cracks and webbed with cobwebs. Xu Qi’an surveyed the place, the temple seemed to have been abandoned for at least a decade.
There were patches of charcoal ash on the ground, as if left behind by previous travellers who had made camp here.
“Ah!”
Mu Nanzhi suddenly cried out in alarm, pointing at the southern corner of the wall and stammering, “A c-c-coffin…”
By the southern wall rested an ebony coffin, its surface dulled with age, clearly not new.
A ruined temple, an old coffin, the approach of dusk, dark clouds and howling winds, all combined to create an especially eerie atmosphere.
Mu Nanzhi, timid by nature, was truly frightened.
Even Baiji, obviously a fox Yao, seemed affected, and scrambled into Mu Nanzhi’s chest. The pair huddled together for comfort.
Xu Qi’an glanced at the coffin, then turned his attention back to Li Lingsu and said, “Go outside and gather some firewood. We’ll have to make do here tonight.”
Li Lingsu had only just left when the rain began, wind-driven and miserable.
Xu Qi’an took out two robes from his storage pouch and laid them on the ground for Mu Nanzhi to sit comfortably. In a short while, Li Lingsu returned with a huge bundle of firewood, sufficient for the night.
They soon had a campfire roaring in the temple, forcing off the chill. Xu Qi’an set up a pot and cooked a broth.
Before long, the rich aroma of meat filled the air. Mu Nanzhi was soon over her fright, cupping a porcelain bowl and enjoying the broth.
The little white fox had her own bowl too, merrily licking it clean.
Just then, Xu Qi’an caught the sound of hurried footsteps.
At the temple door, two figures rushed in, two men and a woman. Among them, one man wore a confucian robe and cap, carrying a book box on his back, clearly a scholar.
The other wore black martial attire, sabre at his waist, a martial artist by appearance.
The woman was fair and neatly dressed in travel-worn clothes, her long hair tied high in a man’s fashion, but with her neck and shoulders bare of decoration, she looked even slimmer and more fragile.
“That smells wonderful!”
The young man in martial attire entered the temple, his gaze fixed unblinking on the iron pot.
The scholar cupped his hands and bowed, “Gentlemen, the mountain roads are treacherous, and we were caught by this cold rain. Might we trouble you for your hospitality?”
Li Lingsu replied with a smiling squint, “Help yourselves.”
The trio immediately settled down nearby, choosing a spot not far from the coffin.
Drenched from the rain, the man in black martial dress unbuckled his sabre, glanced at the old coffin in the corner, and asked in puzzlement,
“There’s a coffin in this temple? Just as well, let’s break it up for firewood.”
The young scholar’s expression changed, “That won’t do, Brother Wang, it’s inauspicious. The dead should be respected. Best not to disturb them.”
Mu Nanzhi’s hand trembled as she spoke up, “Exactly, why would you chop up a coffin? That’s just begging for trouble.”
Night had fully fallen by now. The rain drummed steadily outside. In the ruined temple, the fire flickered in the draughts, casting twisted shadows of the people onto the walls.
The young man in black martial attire frowned and retorted, “What’s it to you?!”
He then muttered to his companion, “There may not even be a corpse inside, for all we know.”
At this moment, the attractive young woman said,
“It’s unlucky either way, corpse or not. Brother Wang, as martial artists, our vitality is strong, the cold doesn’t bother us. But Brother Lyu…”
The scholar quickly waved her off, “It’s of no consequence, no consequence.”
The young woman shook her head, then walked over to Xu Qi’an and the others, cupped her fist, and said, “Gentlemen, could we join you by the fire?”
“Sit!”
Xu Qi’an, under Mu Nanzhi’s sidelong gaze, kept an aloof air and did not let himself show a gentle smile.
So the three sat by the fire. Xu Qi’an noticed their eyes fixed with longing on the iron pot and the meat broth inside.
“If you don’t mind, you can use our bowls.”
Xu Qi’an did not wish to reveal in front of them that he had a storage artefact.
“Thank you, thank you!” the scholar said cheerfully, bowing repeatedly.
Even the ill-tempered young man in black softened at this.
The striking young woman took a long draught of broth, wiped her lips with her sleeve, and said, “I am Feng Xiu, a disciple of the Plum Blossom Sword Sect.”
She looked at the man in black martial attire, “He’s called Wang Jun, a disciple of the Songyun Sect. Our two sects have always been close. As for Brother Lyu, he is a friend we met in the mountains.”
The scholar picked up the thread. “I am Lyu Wei of Qingshan Commandery. With the new emperor’s accession, next year’s special examinations are to be held. I mean to travel and expand my knowledge before the capital.”
The crown prince has ascended the throne… Xu Qi’an paused.
For the Great Feng, this was a good thing.
The only benefit of Yuanjing practising Daoism was that he had few heirs; otherwise, if the princes had vied for succession, it would only have plunged the court into further chaos.
Li Lingsu asked, “Are the two of you travelling the jianghu together?”
Feng Xiu’s gaze lingered on his face a moment, then she answered softly, “We are answering Aunt Chai’s call, coming to Xiangzhou to take part in the Demon-Slaying Assembly.”
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