The small and remote village of Wuduhe sat on the border between the Kingdom of Qing and Northern Qi. Because it was not an area of territory that armies cared to fight over, it had not seen any sort of serious battle for many years. But each side had their own guard encampments, and so small skirmishes were naturally inevitable. After the various va.s.sal states had become the center for trade and war between the two nations, the village had found itself becoming quieter and gloomier.

Fan Xian knew that 20 years ago, this village had belonged to Northern Wei. Now it was part of the national territory of the Kingdom of Qing.

And so the villagers had no particular feelings of closeness regarding the diplomatic mission. It seemed that it would take a number of years for the people of one nation to get used to a change of ruler.

The village"s gla.s.s tiles dully reflected the sunlight. Sat in his carriage on the road, Fan Xian narrowed his eyes, unceasingly trying to plan for what he would do once they crossed into Northern Qi territory.

Fan Xian wanted to get Xiao En"s secret out of him. This was more important to him than the interests and orders of the whole Qing court! That was because the temple was connected to Wu Zhu, and the message that his mother had left him in the box showed that she had once sneaked into the temple and stolen things from inside it.

A slight smile floated across the corners of Fan Xian"s lips. He had never laid eyes on his mother Ye Qingmei, and yet remarkably, he truly loved her. When he thought of how many years ago, that young woman had secretly infiltrated the Temple of the Void - located in a place no one knew of - he sighed in admiration of his mother"s bravery, her audacity, her cunning.

Fan Xian knew he was not the same as his mother; it was a fact that did not make him feel discouraged in the slightest. Instead, it made him feel all the more positive in the face of this seemingly charmed and yet truly dangerous second life of his.

So he needed to know just where the temple was. Then he could go and experience the place where his mother had once tread, and the breath she had left behind.

There was a small brook that surrounded the village of Wuduhe. This was the stream that formed the border between Northern Qi and the Kingdom of Qing. There was a strip of temporarily-built platforms along the stream, enough to carry a single carriage across at a time.

The officials from Northern Qi and the Honglu Temple official from within the diplomatic mission were all awaiting their arrival on the other side of the bridge. On that side of the river, listless and malnourished-looking local garrison troops stood guard. But looking at the way they clutched their spears, it was unclear whether they were attempting to make a dignified display or had fallen asleep while clutching their spear shafts.

The first carriage made its way across the bridge. The wheels rumbled on the uneven surface. It looked as if it could give way at any moment, and those watching could not help but feel rather nervous.

Fan Xian had already dismounted the carriage, and walked along the bridge, calling out to the awaiting officials, then turning his head to look at the carriage making its slow and unsteady crossing. The bridge seemed increasingly unstable, and the creaking sound got louder.

Seemingly catching sight of the worry lines in Fan Xian"s brow, a Northern Qi official surnamed Hou hurried to rea.s.sure him. "We"ve tested it," he explained. "There are no problems."

Fan Xian nodded. He knew that in dealings between the two countries, everything came down to power. There was no need for him to be too cordial toward this low-level official. His attention was focused mainly on the diplomatic convoy. If Haitang truly wanted to kill Xiao En to keep him silent, then right here and now on the bridge would be her final chance.

As the disciple of grandmaster Ku He, she was responsible for her master"s reputation, and responsible for the safety of the citizens of Northern Qi, so she could not make her move within the borders of the nation.

Suddenly, Fan Xian"s heart skipped a beat. He slowly turned around, but saw only a stretch of poplar trees on the side of the stream to the southeast. The trees were slim but pointed straight upward toward the sky, as rigid as the soldiers" pikes.

Wearing flower-patterned clothes and carrying a basket, a young woman watched the convoy cross the bridge. The wind breezed along the side of the bank, blowing at the cloth tied around her head, revealing her ordinary-looking face and her bright eyes.

Fan Xian smiled at Haitang and nodded his head ever so lightly, expressing his grat.i.tude and perhaps a certain amount of goodwill. He knew that once they reached Shangjing in Northern Qi, he would undoubtedly see her again. And Chen Pingping had ordered him to think of a way to get closer to Ku He.

Haitang was nothing like Fan Xian had imagined her to be when he was in the capital. She was not as beautiful as Shi Feixuan [1]. But Shi Feixuan"s beauty was external. Haitang possessed beauty of character.

Fan Xian never thought that fairies could exist, and if they did, they were no doubt she-devils in disguise.

Although Haitang had come to a.s.sa.s.sinate Xiao En and had wanted at one point to murder Fan Xian, he still quite admired her. One aspect of his admiration was her natural strength. Another aspect was the way she had planted her hands on her hips and wagged her finger at him like some kind of vixen while they were on the meadow. Her country-girl air had left Fan Xian quite enamored.

The carriage stopped next to Fan Xian, and he drew back the curtain and entered, no longer looking to the side of the stream. Pa.s.sing the stream and going through a forest, the diplomatic convoy, under the protection of the standing army of Northern Qi, reached a main road. Fan Xian sniffed the air and looked at the blooming green trees along the side of the main road, and noticed a strange feeling: had they really left the country? Why didn"t he feel any different?

The soldiers on the main road were much more inspiring. There were two cohorts, one on each side of the road. On one side was a line of women. There were delicate, young girls; agile, middle-aged servant women; and old, treacherous ladies. On the other side of the road was a line of men, gloomier-looking than the women, covered in brocaded clothing, with curved blades at their waists and a sinister air about them.

At least half of the people in the diplomatic mission were personnel of the Overwatch Council of the Kingdom of Qing. As the convoy joined the main road, as soon as they saw the guards with their curved blades, a powerful feeling of hostility began to brew between them. Each hand subconsciously rested on the blades in their scabbards.

The Overwatch Council of the Kingdom of Qing and the Brocade Guard of Northern Qi were the two most secretive and dangerous spy organizations in all the land. Over the past decades, the two sides had made secret contact with each other countless times. Their espionage and counter-espionage struggle was cruel and ruthless, and each side had hands covered with the blood of the other.

With their sudden meeting on the main road that day, each side began to rankle at the presence of the other.

A Northern Qi official hurried up to Fan Xian to explain things. Fan Xian, unconcerned, waved his hand dismissively, and allowed the subordinates to stand down somewhat. After all, this was a friendly meeting between two countries separated by a strip of water, not a clashing of swords on the battlefield. But the seven Tiger Gards behind him remained stone-faced.

In truth, feelings between these two countries separated by a river – in particular by the border village of Wuduhe – were clearer than ever.

Taking no time to rest, Fan Xian quickly ordered his subordinates to begin making arrangements for an official meeting ceremony with their counterparts. w.a.n.g Qinian was somewhat puzzled. "Why not continue with our escort of Xiao En? Perhaps on the road to Shangjing we can ask questions." He did not know what secret Xiao En was hiding, but as Commissioner Fan"s trusted aide, he knew what Fan Xian wanted.

Fan Xian shook his head. "That won"t do. There will be Northern Qi spies all along the road, so it won"t be that easy. It would be better to just hand him over. We can worry a little less. If anything happens to Xiao En on the road, then it will be Northern Qi"s responsibility. Do you think they wouldn"t dare give us back Yan Bingyun?"

Though that was what he said, Fan Xian felt a certain amount of gloom. If they were to enter Shangjing, it wasn"t clear if Xiao En would be safe from Ku He. Given that Xiao En"s strength came from his connection to Shang Shanhu, he had no better way to pry the secret from the old man"s withered lips.

The iron chains clanked along the ground. Fan Xian glared coldly at the old man as attendants helped him from the carriage. Xiao En"s legs were broken, so getting off the carriage was particularly difficult. There was a sweet, faint smell of blood from the garments covering his knees.

Many of the Northern Qi Brocade Guard were young men who had no idea what Xiao En looked like, but from the stories told by the commoners and the chatter of the old men at the barracks, they knew that the current spy structures of Northern Qi had all been singlehandedly created by the work of this pitiful old man, unable to stand up by himself. In other words, this white-haired old man could be considered their forefather.

A strange atmosphere descended upon the scene. The Northern Qi Brocade Guard did not know how they were meant to treat Xiao En. Was he a hero of the nation? Or the dregs of the former regime? Was he their forebear, or a criminal to be strictly guarded?

After a moment of silence, the emotion that had been flowing in their blood finally took over. In their fine uniforms, the Brocade Guard dismounted their horses and stepped onto the main road, kneeling to the ground and making a show of subordinate salute to the old man. "Praise be to Master Xiao!" they echoed in unison.

At the sound of their salute, a powerful and familiar strength seemed to return to Xiao En"s body. He looked at his disciples, kneeling in the road, and narrowed his eyes. His silvery-white, messy hair fluttered in the wind, and he opened his parched lips to speak. Ultimately, he could not say a word, and merely waved a hand.

It was the wave of his hand that made Fan Xian, standing and observing behind him, feel shocked.

Xiao En straightened his body, his shoulders like iron, seemingly strong enough once more to carry Heaven upon them.

Nearby, the servant girls from Shangjing had already entered Si Lili"s carriage, carrying with them countless ornaments and utensils. Inside the carriage, they bathed Si Lili in fragrant perfumes. Some time later, the carriage door opened, and Si Lili left, stepping softly down onto a stepping stool.

Under everyone"s gaze, she shone. After a moment of surprise, Fan Xian"s gaze returned to normal.

A pair of lily-white hands extended from her wide, light-green sleeves. Her smooth curves were accentuated by her gorgeous clothing, and her black hair was lightly tied up with a simple ebony hairpin. Her lips were vermilion, and her eyes looked around gently, her brow neatly painted. She was a beautiful painting from every angle.

This was Si Lili: the belle of Liujing River, the beauty who had captured the heart of the Emperor.

[1] Shi Feixuan is a character in Huang Yi"s wuxia novel Legend of the Two Dragons of Tang. She is both beautiful and extremely powerful.