Chapter 1.1, Bai Fengxi

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Though autumn had just begun, the weather was still extremely warm, and noon was precisely the hottest time of the day, when the shining white glow of the sun made people dizzy. Those that could remained in their homes to bask in the cool air, while those who couldn’t searched for shade to hide away under.

“Yan Yingzhou, hand over the Xuanzun Seal!”

At the foot of the Bai Kingdom’s West Jingxuan Mountain, a sudden burst of shouting erupted from the thick forests. The voices were exceptionally rough and unpleasant, and if there were any sleeping in the forest, they must certainly have been woken up by this noise. In the forest there stood ten or so large men, all of whom differed in occupation and dress. Some looked to be scholars, others merchants, and others still peasants. Their only similarity was that they all carried weapons in their hands.

They surrounded a black-robed man of about twenty seven or twenty eight, who held a green steel blade about three chi tall. He stood with his back straight and his head high, and faced this crowd expressionlessly. He was injured in many places, and the gra.s.s at his feet was already stained red with the blood from those wounds.

Yet the vast majority of the crowd concentrated their gaze on the bundle the man carried on his back. From its shape, it likely held a box of some kind.

“Yan Yingzhou, if you hand over that satchel, you can keep your life!” The man who spoke was clothed in armour, and looked to be a general of some kind. He pointed at the black-robed man – at Yan Yingzhou.

A cold smile emerged on the face of the one called Yan Yingzhou, and he sneered, “I’ve long heard that General Zeng Fu of the Hua Kingdom always engages in three days of ma.s.sacre after he overruns a city. Who knows how many died unjustly on your spear. How could it be that today you’ve decided to be so benevolent to one such as I?”

General Zeng Fu’s face turned red, and he looked as if he would have contested this statement, except that it was the truth.

At this time, the blue-robed Confucian scholar by his side snapped his fan shut and spoke: “Yan Yingzhou, it’s not likely you’ll leave here today with your life. You know this, I know this, but if you were to hand the satchel over, I could make your death easier for you to bear!”

“Of course I knew that it would be hard for me to escape with my life today, but Gong Wudu, you killed twenty of my warriors with the poison in your fan. But even if I were to die, you’re going with me!” He lowered the spear in his hand a fraction to point it at Gong Wudu, his gaze poisonous.

And though Gong Wudu’s fan had slain so many, his heart could not help but to tremble when confronted with such a look. And the crowd around them involuntarily grasped their weapons that much tighter, standing ready. After all, the Generals “Wind Frost Snow Rain” of the Huang Kingdom have shaken the world, and the leader of the four, the General hailed as “Fierce Wind,” Yan Yingzhou, is even more to be feared in his peerlessness. Once, in the battle for Qingcheng, he alone slew three hundred of his enemies.

“Yan Yingzhou, I admit that you are unrivaled in your prowess, but today, you’re injured and you’re outnumbered. Everyone already knows who will win this round.” The speaker, a peasant farmer, unsheathed his broadsword. “What need is there to fear him? Let’s attack him together; that way, we can each bring a part of him back to our kings so we can be recognised for our efforts!”

“Yes! Lin-daxia’s words make sense. If we kill Yan Yingzhou, the Xuanzun Seal will be ours!” The merchant detached a whip from his waist and, with a flick of his wrist, sent the length of it flying. The whip was not directed towards any person, but to the satchel on Yan Yingzhou’s back.

“Attack! Everyone, this is not the time to be concerned about acting n.o.bly!” General Zeng brandished his weapon, aiming it directly for Yan Yingzhou’s heart.

“Yes!” Each person rushed towards him, knives and swords in hand.

Though Yan Yingzhou was wounded, he was still nimble. With his left arm raised, he caught the whip in his hands and jerked the merchant towards him to block the thrust of General Zeng’s blade. With his right, he used his Qinggang Sword to block the blades that came cutting down at him. With a shout, he flung his energy into his arm. Those whose blades were in contact with his felt a tremor through their weapons, and an acute pain between their thumbs and forefingers and had no choice but to withdraw.

All this Yan Yingzhou did in the blink of an eye, his movements straightforward and agile.

“Kill!”

Before Yan Yingzhou could so much gasp for breath, a white-robed general of about twenty three or twenty four, who had previously hung back from the crowd, commanded five imperial bodyguards to attack. They forced their way to Yan Yingzhou. Though they were not close to his body, he could feel the blazing air of their sabres pierce into skin, enough to see that these five guards were immensely skilled in martial arts.

“Let’s go!” Gong Wudu flourished his fan, and slashed his way into the fray. Those who had been hanging back before each began to hack and slash their way towards Yan Yingzhou. Only the little white-robed general stayed in place, staring unblinkingly into the circle.

Surrounded by a mob of more than ten people, Yan Yingzhou’s sword turned this way and that, thrusting towards his enemies. Wherever the sword went, howls of grief and a rain of blood followed.

Looking at the melee, the white-robed general nodded, and whispered, “Yan Yingzhou, you’re not undeserving of the name ‘General Fierce Wind.’ Your martial abilities are indeed impressive, but today, I cannot tolerate you to leave. Xuanzun Seal belongs to my Kingdom of Feng!”

“Aiyo…aiyo…”

“d.a.m.n it! Yan Yingzhou, are you looking to die?”

From the clearing one could only hear wailing and cursing; many those whose martial abilities were not up to par had already fallen, and the ground was a field of red. Yan Yingzhou knew that it would be hard for him to survive today, and as a result didn’t bother to use defensive tactics. attacking with all his might. But he had already been injured, and as a result, those wounds had re-opened; wherever his feet fell, the gra.s.s was stained with his blood, and he became gradually less and less able to defend himself, such that he was now bleeding from several more places.

“Yan Yingzhou, die!”

With this shout, Gong Wudu took the opportunity to lunge at the man, aiming for his chest with his iron fan. Yan Yingzhou moved slightly to one side, as if he were going to duck away from the blow, but he was a second too slow, and the weapon lodged itself in his ribs.

In this second of triumph, Gong Wudu felt a sharp pain in his chest. He lowered his head to see Yan Yingzhou’s Qinggang Sword buried deeply within his own chest.

“I said that I would take your worthless life!” Yan Yingzhou snarled. At the risk of his own life, he would take that of Gong Wudu.

“You…”

Before Gong Wudu had the chance to utter another word, Yan Yingzhou ripped the sword from his body, and he collapsed.

Yan Yingzhou swung the sword behind him, but he was a second too late; he felt a stabbing pain in his left shoulder, the result of General Zeng’s sabre. It had been embedded deeply in his shoulder from behind him.

“Attacking from behind, and you still have the gall to call yourself a general?” Yan Yingzhou glowered at General Zeng and sucked in a shaky breath.

“Heng! Who can call themselves n.o.ble at such a time as this?” General Zeng snorted, without a trace of shame upon his face. His left hand extended, the general reached for the satchel that was still slung across Yan Yingzhou’s shoulders, satisfied to see his enemy so heavily injured. “You’re still…you…ah–!”

He had not finished speaking before a flash of green wind elicited a wretched howl from his mouth. His hands were severed at the wrists. He slumped into a dead faint.

With a flick of his hand, Yan Yingzhou pulled the blade from his shoulder and flung it to the ground alongside the hands that were previously attached to General Zeng. Those watching could not help but to shiver. Their blades halted, and they couldn’t but to back away from Yan Yingzhou.

Yan Yingzhou, on the other hand, had exhausted all his energy and had sunk down to one knee. Yet he still supported himself on his sword and raised his head to look around at all those who were his enemies. That bloodthirsty gaze, both sharp and vicious, smothered the courage of those surrounding him, who didn’t dare attack.

Finally, he pushed himself back to his feet, sword in hand, and those people could not help but to back away once more.

“Come! To have met you heroes today is a blessing from three lifetimes! To have you as company, walking on the Yellow Springs Road will not be lonely!” Yan Yingzhou jeered to see how pale their faces turned, and he lifted his sword to point at Lin-daxia, who stood straight before him. The hero called Lin could not keep himself from backing away from Yan Yingzhou, unable to muster up the nerve to cross swords withhim.

From the forest there came a sudden burst of applause.

Even Yan Yingzhou stared towards the direction of the clapper.

They could only see a white-robed general, standing thirty feet away from the crowd. It was just this person who had been clapping. With the attention of all towards him, he stopped clapping, his daze directed straight at Yan Yingzhou.

“Yan Yingzhou, you are indeed a hero worthy of praise! Instead of dying at the hands of these incompetent fools, why don’t I help make your name legendary instead? Come receive my Cloud-Piercing Silver Spear!”

Just as he finished speaking, he rose up into the air and rushed at Yan Yingzhou, the spear in his hand like a flash of lightning, so fast as to actually break through the clouds.

Yan Yingzhou stood his ground, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly in his hands, awaiting that spear. He did not avoid it, nor could he avoid it. He could only stand and wait, wait for the spear to make its way through his heart. But his sword would surely strike true as well.

The spear flashed towards him, but just as it was about to pierce Yan Yingzhou’s body, a white light flashed by, gone before it could be seen with any clarity, and Yan Yingzhou disappeared, the spear piercing only empty air.

Before it could be registered, the event had pa.s.sed, leaving people staring blankly. And that white-robed young general remained standing, spear outstretched as if it had really hit its mark, when in reality all it had it was empty air. His eyes were glued to the tip of the spear, as if unable to believe that though he had used all his energy to attack, he came up empty, and to not even know who it was that stole his victory! This was a defeat he had never suffered the likes of before.

Chapter 1.2: Bai Fengxi

While the crowd was still stunned into stillness and silence, from the stuffy and musty forest rose a spell of laughter that was as light and pleasant as the tinkling of silver bells. For a moment, it was as if a refreshing breeze had swept over the clearing, diluting the raw smell of blood, bringing with it a trace of mild fragrance. It rushed by like an icy brook, pushing away the oppressive heat, and those in the clearing felt as if they were soaking up its cold waters. A slight chill rose from the bottoms of their hearts.

“How fascinating! To see so many stupid geese flocking about just as I woke from my nap!”

A clear voice rang through the forest, but from where, the men could not tell. They could only see a white-robed maiden of about twenty or so perched atop a tall tree three chi from where they stood, her black hair hanging long and straight, a moon-shaped pendant of pure white held to the middle of her forehead by a string of black pearls. Her face was unusually handsome, her mouth held the traces of a mocking smile, her eyes were half-closed, and the whole of her person looked down at the crowd, still half-lazing in the realm of sleep.

“What sort of personage are you?” Lin-daxia raised his voice to ask.

“Lin Yinan from Nanguo? You’re so brave and willing to step forward now, but why did you back away from Yan Yingzhou’s sword just then?” The white-robed maiden returned his question with a question, and, with a wave of her hand, summoned something towards her.

It was just then that the crowd could clearly see that the ‘thing’ that she had summoned was indeed Yan Yingzhou, who was in a death-like faint, a skein of white silk wrapped around his waist. Then it must have been the white-robed maiden who used the flash of white silk to rescue him!

“You?” Lin Yinan asked, his face red with shame.

“Tsk, tsk. Though Yan Yingzhou is a hero to be reckoned with, it’s such a shame that you lot of cowards drove him to this state!” That white-robed maiden held Yan Yingzhou up with a single hand, lightly measuring him up, shaking her head while sighing elegantly. In her hands, a large man weighing well over a hundred catties* seemed to be as easy to carry as an infant.

“You stinking b.i.t.c.h, do you not want to live anymore?” a crude voice shouted out. One man, big and solid, with a red face and a thick neck, detached himself from the crowd. Considering that they were each men of resounding reputations within their countries, how could he not be angry when called a coward?

“Stink –”

Before the words were out of his mouth, a flash of green shot by. With a pa! sound, his mouth was sealed firmly by a single green leaf.

“The way you speak is too unpleasant; I don’t want to hear it.” With a flick of her hand, the white-robed maiden placed Yan Yingzhou gently down, and then waving her hand, said, “Your tone was so nasty, it’s better to keep your mouth shut.”

“Pfft!”

There were some who could not hold back their laughter, but immediately restrained themselves when they saw the ferociousness on the face of the man.

By this time the man’s face was so bloated as to resemble a pig’s liver. He reached a hand up to rip the leaf off of his mouth, and when he did, he felt a numbing sort of pain. His heart was full of both fury and surprise, but he didn’t dare open his mouth. The white-robed maiden could seal his his mouth so tightly at a whim, which was enough to show him that her skill was such that, in her hands, even a flower, a leaf, might become a lethal weapon. Yet he did could not even even see how it was that she was attacked. If it weren’t for the fact that she was merciful, perhaps he would have shared the fate of Gong Wudu. As he could not defeat her, and to make more noise would be looking for trouble, he decided not to act until he a.s.sessed the situation further.

“This young lady, those who are gathered here today are not without solid reputations. Though your martial skills are very good, two fists cannot easily defeat four hands. So what reason have you for meddling in the affairs of others? It’s better for you to walk your own path, and at the same time leave a friendly impression on all of us, so that it’s easier for us to meet again in some other, pleasanter, place,” the man who looked like a merchant advised politely.

“He Xun, you certainly know how to do business. Your words can certainly be counted as being reasonable and fair; it’s hard for people not to be moved by them. No wonder why your Heavenly Merit Protection Agency is doing so well,” the white-robed maiden nodded her head at He Xun.

Hearing this, He Xun released the breath he was holding. He had been in jianghu his entire life, and he could just about a.s.sess the extent of others’ skills. Against so large a crowd, the white-robed maiden was still at ease, and just from the way she attacked, she was certainly not ordinary. Thus one less incident was better than one more, and the task at hand was still the Xuanzong Seal.

“Only…” Just when the crowd had released their collective breaths, the white-robed maiden spoke again.

“Only what?” He Xun asked. Though his manner was still pleasant, his heart began to beat harder.

“So long as you’re willing to pay me reparations, I will naturally leave.” The white-robed maiden smiled lazily.

“That’s a simple matter; how much do you want, young lady?” He Xun smiled to himself. So she was one of those who liked money.

“I don’t ask for much.” The white-robed maiden extended a single finger.

“One hundred taels?” He Xun asked.

The white-haired maiden shook her head.

“One thousand taels?” He Xun asked again.

The white-haired maiden shook her head again.

“Young lady, could it be you’re asking for ten thousand taels?” He Xun sucked in his breath. Wasn’t this like ‘the lion opening its mouth?’

“Not so, not so.” The white-haired maiden sighed and shook her head.

“Then young lady…” He Xun could not guess how much she wanted. It couldn’t possibly a million taels, could it?”

“Master He, you really are a businessman. Can you think of nothing aside from money?” The white silk in her hands twined around this and snaked around that.

“I’m afraid I must ask you to enlighten me.”

“My original intention was to take a noon nap, but just when my dream started to turn sweet, I was wakened by your rowdiness. But really, when a dream is interrupted it isn’t so big a deal, isn’t that right, Master He?”

He Xun nodded his head, but he could not tell what she was talking about.

“But the problem lies in the fact that this dream was a once-in-a-lifetime sort of dream.” The smile vanished suddenly from her face, and said with a serious face, “You must know, I dreamt that I was that I was invited to go up Mount Kunlun of the Immortals by the Queen Mother of the West herself, in order to taste the jeweled nectar of the G.o.ds, to be given a dance and a song by the immortals, and it really was very satisfying. She also bestowed upon me one of the peaches of immortality from Yaochi, but just when I was about to receive it, I was woken from my beautiful dream by you people. What do you say, Master He? Don’t you think it’s a serious matter?”

“What? You wretched woman, are you toying with us?” Lin Yinan yelled angrily.

“Tsk, tsk,” the white-robed maiden said, shaking her head while looking at Lin Yinan, a hint of a smile still on her face. “How could I toy with you? I’m being very serious, you know, and the heavenly peaches on the sh.o.r.es of Yaochi are not the same as common peaches. They can grant you immortality and admit you into the ranks of heaven, which is something so many people can only hope to dream of; yet you interrupted my eating of them. Think of what you have deprived me of! So of course you must compensate me!”

“Could it be that you want us to replace your lost peach with a new one?” He Xun’s face changed from a look of amicability to one of gloom.

“Of course!” The white-robed maiden waved her hand, the white silk forming itself into a peach shape in midair. “So long as you replace my peach of immortality, I’ll leave at once, and wash my hands of this whole Yan Yingzhou, Xuanzun-whatever matter.”

“It looks like you’ve decided to meddle, young lady!” He Xun’s face grew cold, and secretly he grasped a pair of hidden weapons. “If I may be so bold as to offer you one last bit of advice, all of us here today are heroes of the six kingdoms, and by meddling, you are offending all six of these kingdoms. No matter how big the heavens may be, come time for it, there may be no place for you to hide!”

“I am truly honoured to have met the heroes of the six kingdoms gathered here today!” the white-robed maiden laughed. “But I’m a person who wouldn’t know Mount Tai if I stood before it, so I really can’t see very many heroes here about.”

He Xun had originally thought that once he’d said what he needed to say, the chit would have at least a few misgivings, no matter how lofty her martial prowess may be. But who would have thought that she’d face him with a countenance full of interest, not minding the reputations of these heroes, and speak to them with a voice full of ridicule?

“Might I ask if you’re the hero called Feng?” The white-robed general standing behind the maiden suddenly asked.

“Yi? You know of me?” The white-robed maiden shifted her eyes to look at him, a recognition, however vague, that she was the ‘hero called Feng’ he spoke of.

The white-robed general suddenly laid down his silver spear and gave her proper salutations. “Everyone knows of the silken-robed snow-mooned White Fengxi, to say nothing of so lowly a person as myself.”

Once these words were spoken, the crowd was shocked. He Xun, especially, was pleased that he had not attacked her with his hidden weapons, or else…he would have likely had a taste of his own medicine!

To speak of the knight-errants with the most formidable martial abilities of present was to speak of Fengxi* and Fengxi*, but because their names were h.o.m.ophones, it was easy to confuse them, so those in wulin knew them in accordance with their manner of dress as ‘Black Fengxi’ and ‘White Fengxi,’ known together as ‘White Feng and Black Xi.’ They’ve been well-known for ten years already, and are considered to be some of the best martial artists, so it was a.s.sumed that they were already approaching old age. Who would have thought that White Fengxi was actually a young girl?

“You needn’t be so courteous. If I find your compensation lacking, I can’t say that my white silk won’t find its way around your necks,” Fengxi giggled. She sat upon the tree branches, swinging her legs to and fro, long black locks swinging lightly to the rhythm of her body. “From the looks of the silver spear in your hands, you must be the ‘Cloud Piercing’ General of the Feng Kingdom, Ren Chuanyun.”

“I am Chuanyun.” The white-robed general Ren Chuanyun replied, still careful and respectful. He then asked, “Are you interested in the Xuanzun Seal as well, Feng-nvxia?*”

“I have no interest at all in the Xuanzun Seal, but this Yan Yingzhou is exactly my type, and letting him die here is really such a pity, so I want to take him away,” Fengxi said lightly.

“Rubbish! You say say you’re interested in Yan Yingzhou, but you’re just interested in the Xuanzun Seal on his body! This sort of bulls.h.i.t excuse is enough to fool of three-year-old, but you’d better save it in front of me!” a bearded man could not help but to respond.

Everyone here was in search of the Xuanzun Seal. Some were seeking it for themselves, others were hired for a large price, and others still were under the command of their respective kings. “The one who has the seal has the world,” what a tempting prospect! Even if they could not use it themselves, to sell or give it to any one of the six possible rulers of these ten thousand lis of rivers and mountains would bring them riches and status.

“What ugly words!”

They heard Fengxi say this indifferently, and then a flash of green swept past, right towards the bearded man. The bearded man saw the leaf flying at him and had the intuition to leap out of its way, but before he could move, the leaf plastered itself to his lips with a loud ‘bang!’ and he could only feel his the pain of his lips and teeth. The pain was to the point that he wanted to cry for his father, his mother, but there was no way for him to vocalise.

“The prince of my country wants the Xuanzun Seal; I wonder if Feng-nvxia would allow me to take it from Yan Yingzhou’s body?” Ren Chuanyun directed this at Fengxi as if he didn’t see anything.

“Xuanzun Seal? Does Prince Lanxi also want to be the ruler of the world?” Fengxi asked, head tilted, with a smile that was not quite a smile on her face. Without waiting for his reply, she spoke again: “Only, this Xuanzun Seal is something that Yan Yingzhou protected at the risk of losing his life. I think it’s better to let him keep it.”

“According to this, then, Feng-nvxia is unwilling to let Chuanyun take it from him?” Ren Chuanyun’s eyes narrowed a sliver, and unconsciously, he gripped the silver spear in his hands tighter.

“What? Would you try and take it by force?” Fengxi had just spoken when, without seeing her person move, the white silk in her hands started fluttering in the wind, as if in possession of a life of its own.

The white silk swung savagely in the air like a dragon, and those present suddenly felt an imposing presence pushing down at them with a force that would topple mountains and overturn seas, forcing them into a circle, unable to move. They tried to move their qi and resist, but with each oscillation of the silk, the presence increased, and those who were weaker than the others had already started to sweat with exertion. Others had their eyes open wide and their faces swollen red in colour, or ground their teeth tightly together, desperately trying to maintain their composure, but each knew in their hearts that if the presence were to continue pressing down upon them, they’d be left with half a life at best.

Ren Chuanyun had his spear gripped tightly before him, its tip pointing straight at the head of the white dragon, his eyes staring unblinkingly at the white silk, all the energy in his body directed into his two arms, resisting with all his might. But the pressure increased, and his chest grew tighter and tighter, and the tip of the spear was quivering. The fingers in his hands hurt to the point of numbness, and his eyes had started to tremble. He could not resist for much longer, and felt himself being driven into the ground…

Chapter 1.3: Bai Fengxi

Suddenly, the crowd could feel the pressure on their bodies ease, the breath that had been stifled in their lungs could finally be breathed, but immediately following this they felt a flood of energy through their bodies, and became exceptionally tired, and many collapsed, only thinking of being able to sleep once they hit the ground.

But when the pressure lifted from Ren Chuanyun, he could only feel a sweetness in his throat, and he could not help but to swallow, already understanding in his heart of hearts that he had sustained internal injuries. It was really very hard to believe that someone as young as Bai Fengxi could have such strong internal energy! Without having even properly engaged, she was able to suppress everyone present! The only thing worth celebrating was that she had at least been merciful, and did not take any lives.

“Does anyone take any issue with my bringing Yan Yingzhou when I go?” they could hear Bai Fengxi’s soft voice ask.

Though no one wanted to let him go, but the crowd of people stood so in fear of her martial prowess that no one dared to speak.

“Please, do as you wish.” Ren Chuanyun adjusted his breathing, withdrawing his silver spear, and then waving his hand, called those five people who followed him away from the group and into position behind him.

“What? You don’t want to take the Xuanzun Seal?” Fengxi looked at him with a smile, her two eyes so bright they seemed to penetrate his very soul and see clearly all his thoughts.

But Ren Chuanyun also smiled casually and said, “My prince had previously stated, if I were to meet Bai Feng or Hei Xi, Master Yu Wuyuan, Prince Huang Chao of Huang Kingdom, or Princess Xiyun of Feng Country, no matter what, I was to back down.”

“Is that so?” Fengxi waved a hand, and the long white silk retreated back into her sleeve. “Does Prince Lanxi truly look so favourably upon us?”

“My prince once said that only these five are fit to become either his friends or his enemies.” Ren Chuanyun glanced at Fengxi, and then smiled inscrutably and said, “If Miss Feng is fated to come to Feng Kingdom some other day, my prince will certainly welcome you with ten li of embroidered tapestries.”

In the Eastern Realm, to spread ten li of embroidered tapestries was, among the va.s.sals, considered to be the grandest of all courtesies. No matter how well-known and powerful Fengxi was, she was still a commoner; no matter what, she could never reach a position where the Crown Prince of a va.s.sal state would welcome her with such ceremony, so Ren Chuanyun’s words were no more than an exaggeration.

“Ten li of embroidered tapestries? I fear that will become ten li of armed soldiers.” Even hearing that she was held in such high esteem by Ren Chuanyun, Fengxi remained unmoved, and her expression, on the contrary, was mild. “And as for you, if you hadn’t come at me before, I fear you wouldn’t ‘back down’ now, would you?”

Hearing this, Ren Chuanyun’s expression shifted imperceptibly, but then immediately resumed all semblance of normalcy. “Chuanyun has frequently heard my prince saying that the five of you were peerless masters, but before now I have never been fated to meet any of you. To have the luck to have seen Miss Feng today, I would of course be tempted to seek your instruction on a few of my martial tricks. If I have offended, I pray you will forgive me.”

“Is that so?” Fengxi asked mildly, and leapt very lightly onto a branch. Seeing this, the people below her could not but be on their guard.

Fengxi swept her eyes over the crowd, and a light smile floated upon her lips, and then, looking at Chuanyun, she said, “If you had treated Yan Yingzhou with a sliver of the respect due to a hero just then, according to your intention of reaping the benefits of the situation, I certainly wouldn’t have restrained myself to giving you instruction on just “a few” things.”

“Chuanyun gives many thanks to Miss Feng for her mercy,” Ren Chuanyun said with his head lowered, but his hand grasped his silver spear ever tighter.

“Haha…to have subordinates such as you is enough to see how powerful Prince Lanxi truly is! If we are fated to meet some other day, I, Fengxi, will most certainly personally ask Prince Lanxi for his guidance.” Fengxi suddenly lifted Yan Yingzhou and with him turned and went, and in the blink of an eye they lost all trace of her, but for her voice, which came from far away. “I won’t stay long with you today, but if there are any among you who seek the Xuanzun Seal, then you’re free to follow!”

Seeing that Fengxi had gone far away, the few subordinates behind Chuanyun asked, ““General, are we just going to leave it here?”

Ren Chuanyun raised a hand to stop them and said, “Bai Fengxi isn’t someone you or I can deal with. We’ll leave it until after we ask for instructions from His Highness.”

“Understood.” The five of them bowed.

“Let’s go.” Ren Chuanyun did not say anything to the others, but turned and led his subordinates quickly away.

After Ren Chuanyun left, those left in the forest looked upon each other in dismay, for the moment unable to decide if they should disperse or if they should chase after her.

At last, Ren Xun motioned with his hands and said, “My friends, I will first leave you; whether or not any of us are able to take the Xuanzun Seal from Bai Fengxi will depend on each of our lucks.”

After this, he turned and walked away, and those people, seeing that he, too, had left, quickly made like birds and beasts and scattered in all four directions, leaving but a few corpses and the slumped body of the fainted, handless Zeng Fu in the forest.

Bai Kingdom, Mount Xuan.

The colour of the sky had just began to show traces of dawn, and on the curtain of the sky there remained the faint sliver of a crescent moon, holding back all of its brilliance. In the soft of dawn, a layer of fog embraced the towering summit of Mount Xuan. At this time, Mount Xuan seemed quiet as a painting, though occasionally the songs of those early-rising birds rang out.

On the north peak of Mount Xuan there was a cave from which came an exceptionally soft and m.u.f.fled moan, which came from the man who lay within it. After the man made the sound, he finally opened his eyes, first quickly taking in his surroundings, and then rising, but when he had just lifted his two arms, he let out a cry of pain.

“You’re awake.” A voice, light, but holding a thread of indolence, reverberated.

The man followed to the voice to gaze at the maiden sitting at the mouth of the cavern, facing away from him while brushing a head full of long black hair, and though the lighting dark, he could see the glint of blue light emitted by her black hair as the comb slipped past.

“Who are you?” the man asked, but once he opened his mouth he found his throat to be dry, and his voice to be hoa.r.s.e and unpleasant.

“Yan Yingzhou, shouldn’t you be a little more courteous towards the person who saved your life?” The maiden at the mouth of the cave stood and turned to walk towards him, a wooden comb grasped in one hand, a lock of hair in the other, brushing intermittently.

“You saved me?” Yan Yingzhou answered her question with a question, and then remembered the sky-cutting Cloud-Piercing Silver Spear of Ren Chuanyun’s rushing towards him before he pa.s.sed out, and then suddenly recalled a matter of greater import, and could not help grasping at his back in a fl.u.s.ter, but could not find anything there but his wound, leading to a rush of pain. And only now did he discover that the upper half of his body was unexpectedly bare and unclothed, and on his lower half there was only a pair of underclothes.

“Are you looking for that?”

The maiden’s hand pointed to his left, and there was a pile of torn cloth, upon which there were traces of dried blood, and by the shreds of cloth there was a parcel.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t throw it away, nor did I touch it,” the maiden said, as if seeing through his worries.

Yan Yingzhou raised his head to look at her, just now realising that the girl had a pure, smart face, a hint of a blithe character between her brows, a snow-white jade crescent dangling upon her forehead, and was clothed in robes of loose white silk, while her long black hair was not tied back in anyway, but was let to drape vertically behind her, carrying about her entire person an indescribable air of leisure and ease.

“Bai Fengxi?” asked Yan Yingzhou, looking at the snow-white jade moon ornament upon her forehead.

“Well, I’m not Hei Fengxi.” Fengxi smiled carelessly, and then said, “Are the four generals of the Huang Kingdom as unafraid of death as you are? Last night I did a little counting, and aside from the old scars, there are a total of thirty-eight wounds on your body, but not only did you not die, but you were only unconscious for a single night before waking, and your situation doesn’t look to bad. If you were any normal person, even if you didn’t die you’d be out for at least three, five days.”

“You counted my injuries?” Yan Yingzhou asked with a strange expression on his face, thinking about the clothes currently on his body…

“Why yes! I counted up and down your entire body.” Fengxi stepped closer, putting away the comb in her hand, and then looked with some amus.e.m.e.nt at the expression on his face. “To find out how many external injuries you’d accrued, I had to staunch your bleeding and administer medicine, and in that way I saw your scars; I only counted them by the bye, and nothing more. And what’s more, the clothes on your body were already reduced to rags, which is why I peeled them off of my own accord, so as to avoid them interfering with my administering medicine for you.“

She had not finished speaking before Yan Yingzhou felt the blood rush upwards and his face grow hot.

“Ya! Why is your face so red? Could it be you’re feverish?” Fengxi exclaimed suddenly, and then reached out a hand to press against his forehead.

The cool hands had only just touched his forehead when Yan Yingzhou immediately scampered backwards as if in fear. “Don’t touch me!”

“Why not?” Fengxi asked, tilting her head, and then smiled at him with some mischievousness. “Could it be you’re not feverish but blushing? And you’re blushing because you’re embarra.s.sed? And you’re embarra.s.sed because I’ve seen your whole body and touched your whole body? Is that why?”

Hearing this, Yan Yingzhou felt as if all the blood in his body had rushed to his face, and looking at Fengxi’s face full of that radiant smile, and, after some time, shouted resentfully, “Are you a woman or not?”

“Haha!” Fengxi suddenly guffawed, without any of the gentleness or refinement that a woman should have, though her smile was yet so natural and pleasant.

“Of course I’m a woman, but you’ve definitely never seen a woman like me before, right?” Fengxi finally replied.

“If all the women in the world were like you were…” Yan Yingzhou had just opened his mouth when he suddenly stopped himself. He was never good with words, and he owed Fengxi his life, so it seemed inappropriate to say anything unpleasant.

“If all the women in the world were like me, then what?” Fengxi’s eyes held barely-contained laughter while looking at him, while her face held traces of rumination. “Actually, I haven’t seen many men like you either; what have you lost in being looked at and touched by me? It’s not as if I looked at you on purpose, you must know that I was one who rescued you, okay?”

The blood had only just begun to flow from Yan Yingzhou’s face when it rushed back up again.

“Ya, ya, you’re blushing again!” Fengxi shouted, as if she’d discovered something exceptionally amusing. “Could it be…could it be you’ve never been touched or looked at by a woman? Ya, your face is even redder! I really amright! It’s really quite hard to believe. Ah, to think that this “Fierce Wind” General is a hero with an impressive reputation, and you’ve been famous for so long, and you must be around thirty! Yet you’ve never touched a woman before? Oh, this is a thing unheard of!”

“So this is what Bai Fengxi is like?” Yan Yingzhou’s face was red enough to rival the morning clouds, and the words he had held back for so long now erupted from his mouth.

“That’s right, this is exactly what I’m like.” Fengxi nodded, and then approached him and said, “Did I disappoint you?”

Upon seeing her approach, Yan Yingzhou sat up immediately and scurried backwards, but who knew that this movement would irritate the injuries that covered his entire body.

“Aiyo!” he groaned involuntarily.

Some of the wounds on his body had split, and blood began again to trickle down from them.

“Stay still!” Fengxi extended a hand to restrain him, so that he could not move away even if he wanted to. “I used up all the medicine I had on me in order to staunch your bleeding, and now look, they’ve opened again; what a waste!”

Her gaze swept over his whole body, and stopped suddenly below his ribs, where Gong Wudu’s steel fan had left a particularly deep cut. The blood flowing from it now was black.

“There is poison on Gong Wudu’s fan, and though I helped you suck a lot of the poison from your own yesterday, it seems like it still hasn’t been cleared out of your system, and neither of us has any antidotes on us; what are we going to do now?” Fengxi frowned, looking at the black blood trickling from his body.

“You helped me suck poison from my wound?” Yan Yingzhou froze at this, his eyes sweeping over her captivatingly red lips, and then felt the wound below his ribs flare up with heat as if on fire.

“If I hadn’t, I’m afraid you’d have died yesterday.” Fengxi didn’t take any note of his expression, and turned to walk to the mouth of the cave, and when she returned she carried in her hand some water and wild fruit. “You must be starved, why don’t you eat a few of these fruits to alleviate some of your hunger? I’ll go down the mountain and find you some medicine and get you some clothes along the way.”

Fengxi handed the water and the fruit over to him, and then spoke again: “Those people from yesterday won’t have given up on the Xuanzun Seal, and they’re definitely still searching for you, so don’t go wandering about, or else if they come, you should hide yourself away; I’ll be able to find you.”

After this, she turned to leave. Yan Yingzhou looked at her retreating figure and then suddenly shouted, “Wait a moment!”

Fengxi stopped to turn and look at him. “Did you want to say something else?”

“You…you…I…um…this…” Yan Yingzhou stuttered for quite a while, but was unable to say anything, though his entire face was turning red with the exertion.

“You want to thank me? Tell me to be careful?” Fengxi guessed, only thinking how funny it was that he was like this. “Yan Yingzhou, how did you become the “Fierce Wind” General with such an awkward personality? Hey, I rescued you, and I’ve seen your entire body; is it that you want me to take responsibility for your purity? Did you want to marry yourself to me in grat.i.tude?”

“You!” Yang Yingzhou glared at Fengxi, but did not know how to respond.

To think that he made his name so young, was by nature reticent, solemn, and honourable, was the leader of the Four Generals of Huang Kingdom and looked upon favourably by the Crown Prince, was respected by his peers and obeyed by his subordinates. When had he ever met anyone as unreserved as Fengxi?

“Haha… so this is the mighty General Fierce Wind…how funny!” Fengxi laughed loudly and so unrestrainedly that she couldn’t even stand upright. “Are the Generals Wind, Frost, Snow, and Rain just amusing as you? If so, I’ll definitely go to Huang Kingdom to play!”

She laughed while walking towards the entrance of the cave, but at the mouth of the cave she suddenly turned at looked at him, the laugh on her face even more brilliant and resplendent than the morning sun, set against the light that pierced through the red clouds, she made Yan Yingzhou feel so suddenly dizzy and rattled.

“Yan Yingzhou, I wanted to tell you one last thing before I go, and that is…your body may have many scars, but your figure is still very worth looking at!”

Saying this, she left with a guffaw, leaving behind a red-eared Yan Yingzhou, who wished he could dig a hole and bury himself inside.

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