《Simply Trading》


 1 How to get started 1

    The City of Changqing was filled with laughter and joy, as everyone from the Marquis in charge to the common people in the streets, enjoyed the warmth and the riches of the Summer. After all, this was the best time for trade, and there was a great amount of coin and good changing hands, given the prosperity that was inherent in the region.


    After all, the Kingdom had been peaceful for almost two hundred years, ever since the Old Marquis and his sons had rode out to war under the Duke''s Banner. And won the Westlands from the Barbarian Territories. Ever since then, there had been no instances of violence, there in the Wild Southwest.


    Of course, the Old Marquis had long since retired from an active role in the fief, and was content to play with his grandchildren. The New Marquis, as that was how the people in the fief referred to him, had taken over close to seventy years ago, and his laws had also been rather fair, and his magistrates just. So it was reasonable for the whole region to turn out prosperous.


    And it was in the middle of such a happy mood, that a late middle-aged man, clad in the simple robe of moderately good cotton, in a greenish color, strode into the Changqing City, carrying a rather large cloth and leather pack on his back. The Guards at the Main Gate, which faced the Forest to the South, eyed him cautiously as he stepped up to the line. But their demeanor soon relaxed, when they saw him produce a simple bronze tag, which marked him as a trader associated with the Fu Lai Yao Tang, which had inscribed its famous name onto the same.


    Which, of course, accounted fro the strong smell of medicine coming from the pack that he was carrying. And the tired-looking expression that was on his face, when he removed the straw hat that had hidden his craggy but clean-shaven features, to submit to the check.


    Then, convinced that he was not one of the sixteen criminals that they were looking out for, based on the drawings of the same that were placed next to every guard point, the Main Gate Guards swiftly let him inside.


    The man, who looked between forty to sixty years old, made a point of hiding his features again under his wide-brimmed straw hat again, before he stepped away from the Gate. That had piqued some of the Guards'' attention. But there were many who did not like being identified, especially among the self-employed traders and herb-gatherers of the three Medicine Halls. So his actions did not draw too much notice.


    He walked neither too quick not too slow, keeping pace with largely the rest of the people that had just entered Changqing City through the Main Gate. And slowly made his way towards the Main Road that led to the Southern Market Square, which was where the Horse Market, the Vegetable Market, and the Peddler''s Market were all located. Those were what the South Market was famous for, after all.


    But he stepped past the same, and made his way slightly to the West, where some of the more prosperous shops were located. And true enough, he didn''t hesitate to enter into the same Fortune Arrives Medicine Hall that had issued him that bronze tag that he had shown off earlier.


    Assistant Manager Luo was grinning from ear to ear, as he looked at the large crowd that was cluttering all of his counters in the Main Hall of the Medicine Shop. It looked like everyone was buying up the stocks that had arrived from the Southern Forest, where adventurers and herbalists had gone to pick or steal the wondrous herbal medicines that could be found there.


    Which meant, of course, that Fu Lai Medicine Hall was going to dominate a good part of the market once again!


    That had happened for the past six years, and Luo Junyuan was more than pleased to be part of the same Medicine Hall, especially since its clout had gotten bigger. Even a few of the New Marquis'' children had come to Fu Lai Medicine Hall, to purchase some to the special medicines for improving the state of their meridians and such. All to improve their bodies, so that they could show greater improvements in their cultivation of the martial arts.


    Yet, there was one fly in Fu Lai Medicine Hall''s ointment, and that was the lack of a proper alchemist, who can convert these medicinal herbs and spices into true alchemical pills, that would make it far simpler for these same people to succeed. But those pills were insanely expensive, and the ones who could concoct them were harder to find than a kirin-scale or a phoenix down-feather!


    The best that they could hope for was to get their hands on some of the rarer herbs that could boost their chances of making a greater achievement. But even those are rather hard to get a hold of. Which was probably why Fu Lai Medicine Hall had been offering such sky-high prices whenever they heard even the slightest news of one.


    "Sir. Assistant Manager Luo, sir. He is here again. The man who brought in the Golden-veined Lotus Root a moon ago! He''s back!"


    Luo Junyuan froze, with the smile dropping from his lips immediately. "He ... He''s back? He''s coming back now?" his voice stammered, as he turned back to the pretty shop-greeter, who had just alerted him.


    "Did he bring any herbs with him? Did you see? Did you smell any on him?"


    The girl was looking flustered already, and from the way that she shook her head, it was clear that she had not noticed. So Luo Junyuan began to wave her aside, before stopping himself, and pointing upstairs. He had just remembered what he had planned to do, almost a moon ago!


    "Bring him upstairs. To the third floor! I will let the Hall Manager know about this myself!"


    Then he scurried off, to find the Hall Manager at once!


    He had been scolded by the venerable Hall Manager almost a moon ago, for letting such a good opportunity slip away. Well, he would now toss this hot potato into the old man''s lap right now! Let''s see how he deals with this fellow himself!


    * * *

 2 How to Get Started 2

    Qin Feng scowled as soon as the shop girl returned to his side alone, without the Assistant Shop Manager that she had gone off to look for at her side. Were they going to be idiots again? This was not the first time that he had been there, to Fu Lai Medicine Hall, so why were they still acting so foolishly? Did they really believe that he wouldn''t just walk away? It was not like they were the only Medicine Hall in the City, after all.


    But the timid girl''s invitation to head upstairs restored his moderately tolerant mood once again, and he started up the stairs without the frown that had appeared on his brow earlier. He did give out a soft sigh, at having to waste his time like this. Something that made the teenage girl give him a stricken look, as if she had just been terribly wronged.


    It seemed the ones running the shop had already left word with her to see to his well-being. Well, that was good to know, he decided. Not that he could be bothered. This place was far too busy, despite the season. And he wouldn''t have bothered to come again, if he had a choice.


    But it would start to get cold soon, and he didn''t wish to delay his plans, just because of the cold Winter season. Which was why he decided to try his luck again, while he still could. And there was no point waiting for the Autumn Harvest, since most of the farmers and such would be busy with their fields. So he could only hope to settle this before then.


    She did not stop on the Second Floor either, and he found himself raising his eyebrows in surprise. That was where the more expensive and prized herbs were stored and sold, after all. Not to mention, a place where most welcome guests were invited to wait and be served with tea, while the Medicine Hall dealt with their business.


    Not that he had been there himself, of course. It was only what he had heard, from the descriptions of the way that Fu Lai Medicine Hall did their business. And he wasn''t going to be led there? To be dealt with by the ranking Elders of the place? Where was she leading him then?


    It seemed not, as the girl was still continuing to ascend the stairs in the wide stairwell. Clearly, they were still going up. And that meant that he was being brought to the highest level of the building. Into truly rarefied territory! That was where the most powerful members of Fu Lai Medicine Hall held court!


    So it seemed these idiots had learned their lesson from his last visit! Qin Feng made a point of controlling his expressions then, so that he did not give away the sense of glee that he was feeling at the moment. Finally! It looked like they had truly learned their lesson!


    Then a shadow fell over the last stretch of the stairwell when they were just about to reach the top. Looking up, Qin Feng saw four figures, standing to the side of the entrance of the same, at the top of the stairs. Two of them were dressed like soldiers too, which made him frown again, momentarily.


    What were soldiers doing in a Medicine Hall? And from the quality of their uniforms, neither of them were particularly high-ranked either. Indeed, the proud look that he had always associated with the military was not present at all. So, they were some sort of bodyguard, perhaps? For that scrumptiously dressed fellow? Who was speaking to the old man in the blue over-robe?


    The last had just clasped his hands in a rather blatant gesture that indicated that he was sending off a welcome guest, just as Qin Feng was about to pull his eyes away.


    "Second Ducal Prince is being too courteous. This old man does not dare. I shall send word to the Palace, once we have any word of the medicines that you are looking for," the wizen old man with the white-hair and beard said with obvious dignity that somehow, did not look too out of place, given that he was dealing with Royalty.


    The young man that was framed on either side with the big burly men in armor smiled back with a similarly dignified air, as he clasped his hands in an obvious farewell. Then he turned, and started down the stairs at once, without a second look at the old man or Qin Feng and the girl leading him.


    But he froze just as he was about to take his fifth step down the stairwell, as he was passing Qin Feng by. Or rather, passing the bundle that the man was carrying on his back. His nose twitched then, and he turned to give the man in the faded cotton robe and the straw hat a second look.


    Qin Feng, on the other hand, simply ignored him. He was already immune to these so-called Royals, who were scrounging around for medicines like hungry goats. They were none of them worth his time. After all, what could they offer in exchange for the medicinal herbs? How was mere money going to help him with his problems?


    So he simply ascended, following the girl who was already showing signs of being under great stress. She was clearly sweating although the weather was not warm in the slightest. Especially when the interior of the Medicine Hall seemed to be amply ventilated and somewhat cool, given the seasonality.


    The two burly guards were also careful to give way, although they remained close to the principal charge that they were protecting, and had their hands on their weapons. Neither of them made a move, although their eyes warned that they were watching his every move, even as they descended.


    But it was the Second Ducal Prince who spoke then, much to everyone''s surprise. And his feet had clear come to a stop, there on the fourth step of the stairs. And his next words, apparently, were directed at the middle-aged man in the faded blue robe, that was passing him by on the stairs!


    "A moment, please, venerable sir. I seem to have detected an unusual medicinal smell from your body. It is possible for venerable sir to show me what you have brought into this place? If it suits my purpose, I might be willing to purchase the same from you, at a price that would certainly meet your satisfaction."


    * * *

 3 How to Get Started 3

    The grey-haired Luo Junyuan froze when he heard the Second Ducal Prince speak to the man in the straw hat. This was not what he had expected to happen! Why did he have to be sending off their esteemed guest at that very moment?


    Wasn''t this just asking for a face-smacking?


    To tell the truth, he had forgotten that Hall Manger Zheng Zhanqi was meeting with the Second Ducal Prince that day. It was written down in the list of appointments that Fu Lai Medicine Hall used, to keep track of the famous, or infamous, people that visited their Hall. So that they would be able to keep track of the services that they have provided, to the major characters and such, in the Kingdom.


    And the Second Ducal Prince was one of the personal guests of the Old Marquis! And the only son of his only daughter! In fact, it was no secret that he had been specifically invited to Changqing City by the same, so that his maternal grandfather could guide him on the martial arts that he was practicing. Apparently, both of them belonged to the same Martial Arts School, albeit different branches. So the Old Marquis was doing his best to ensure that the Second Ducal Prince would not let down its good name.


    Of course, to ensure that he did not let down his Senior, the Second Ducal Prince had been scouring the City and all of its shops, in hopes of finding some miraculous medicinal herb that could be used to enhance his gains. After all, it was only three more years until the Martial Arts Competition was to be held in the Capital, and everybody knew that he could not afford to waste any time.


    Which was probably why he had taken the initiative to speak out to this seemingly unassuming itinerant harvester of herbs, simply because of the unusual medicinal smell that was issuing from the bundle on his back.


    The same herbs, it appeared, that had caused Luo Junyuan to send him up to the third floor earlier, so that the Hall Manager could deal with the sale of the same. After all, Assistant Hall Manager Luo had already suffered a loss at the hands of the same fellow, a short while back.


    The Hall Manager glanced at him then, probably to bring to mind the humiliating experience that Assistant Hall Manager Luo had gone through back then, when the whole thing came to light at the Medicine Hall''s official staff meeting. And that brief gaze was enough to promise him a lifetime''s worth of pain, if the situation got any worse than it did.


    Luo Junyuan felt as though there was a huge hand, squeezing at his urinary bladder! For a brief moment, he could feel as though he was about to let go, and leak all over the place. And on the Medicine Hall''s third floor, at that!


    Then he got himself back under control. And waited anxiously for the man in the straw hat to make his answer.


    And from the intent looks on Hall Manager Zheng, and the Second Ducal Prince, so were they! Which meant that all three of them, who were perhaps, the most important people on the third floor of Fu Lai Medicine Hall at the moment, were waiting for the man in the straw hat!


    "Oh? You can smell it already? That is a fine nose that you have on you! And good sense as well, to make me an offer like that! It might save you a bit of money!" laughed the man in the faded green robe. His straw hat dipped, as though he was nodding in acknowledgement of the Second Ducal Prince''s greeting.


    Which was enough to warm Luo Junyuan''s heart. There! I didn''t lie about that man''s hubris, at least, he thought, as he shot a glance at the Hall Manager beside him. That had been one of the things that he had been taken to task for, during the monthly meeting. That he had allowed a simple itinerant martial artist to mock the good name of the Medicine Hall.


    Well, they couldn''t blame him for that now, could they? Especially since he was doing the same thing to the Second Ducal Prince. And right before your eyes at that!


    Then the man in the straw hat gestured, as if he was the host! And even the Second Ducal Prince seemed a little surprised at the way how this one had taken over the whole proceedings! He was inviting the Second Ducal Prince back upstairs! To talk about the herbs in his possession! On the sacred third floor of Fu Lai Medicine Hall, no less!


    Hall Manager Zheng''s face darkened briefly as soon as he saw that. But the old man whose hair and beard had all turned white was not incapable of following the flow when there was no other choice. So he gestured too, and led the pair to back to the place where the Second Ducal Prince had been entertained earlier.


    In the brief time that the Hall Manager and the Second Ducal Prince had left their seats, the highly efficient maids on the third floor had already cleared up the tea cups and other signs of their earlier meeting. Which allowed for the trio to take up their places freely, there at the open-styled meeting zone.


    There was a long bench-like chair, that was covered with elaborate, red-threaded upholstery, much like a couch, at one end of the meeting space. That was clearly where the head of the meeting was supposed to be seated. And soft, square pillows that were covered in a cloth that matched the design of the seat cushions, were left on either side of where the host would sit.


    As for the other chairs, they were obviously smaller in size, although similarly upholstered. Next to them were side-tables of a dark red Rosewood. And there was a small incense-burner in the corner of the whole arrangement, throwing a soft, subtle, soothing scent over the whole area.


    And much to the surprise of everyone else present, the stranger in the faded green robe strode directly towards the longest bench, without any hesitation whatsoever. And promptly sank his bottom down on the same!


    Heavens! Luo Junyuan almost fell to his knees at once, when he saw that.


    Was this fellow not giving the Medicine Hall, or Hall Manager Zheng, any face at all?


    * * *

 4 How to Get Started 4

    Qin Feng had already sat down, and was turning around to look at the terribly well-dressed fellow with the embroidered coat when he realized the white-haired, white-bearded fellow standing next to the same had a terrible look on his face. In fact, it was so black that everyone would agree, if someone claimed that his ancestral graveyard had been desecrated by hooligans.


    And the old man was glaring at him as if he was the said hooligan!


    Qin Feng wondered about that. Did it have anything to do with how he had taken over the whole proceedings just now? When the rich-looking fellow - who was he again? The Second Ducal Prince? Was that what he was called?


    Well, he was the one who had made the offer, wasn''t he? And since your Fu Lai Medicine Hall wasn''t going to make a competing offer, why were you showing such a horrible face? Qin Feng didn''t understand and he didn''t care. All he was concerned about was how much he was able to get for the medicinal herbs that he had managed to harvest off the mountain! And what he could get in exchange for them!


    After all, if you weren''t going to be buying, you can just stand to the side and watch!


    Qin Feng decided not to waste any time, and began to remove the six items, still wrapped in simple white muslin cloth, that he had decided to bring to the City. After going through what he had available back at the mountain, he had come to the conclusion that these six were in excess of what he really needed, and could be traded away. And, of course, he was hoping to get his hands on what he really required.


    Although it might take a good bit of work, and time, to get them, he reminded himself in his head. Still, he was rather hopeful about his chances. From the looks of things, Changqing City was a haven for those who practiced martial arts, and that meant there would be people who could get their hands on the sort of medicines that he was in need of.


    And so long as it was an equitable exchange, he would be not be losing out!


    But back to the business at hand! Qin Feng turned his attention to the herbs. And to the two men seated to either side of him, as he brought out the items. He unwrapped them one at a time, and held them out for inspection in turn:


    "Thousand year old ginseng. The smell gives it away.


    "Thousand year old lingzi. You should be able to tell its age from its rings.


    "Five hundred year old Dragon Beard Grass. With its flower, mind you! That makes it far rarer, since it requires a lot more care, to harvest it while it is flowering.


    "Eight-leaf Savoury Burdock Root. At least seven hundred years old. If you look at the size of the root, you can tell that I am not lying. You should be able to tell from the flavour too.


    "Silver-threaded Red Osmanthus Flower. Not very old, but very rare in itself.


    "And of course, Long Jade-hued Laughing Buddha Leaf, at least a hundred years old," he finished with a flourish, putting the last item down beside him, on top of the seat cushion. Before he looked up with a smile.


    And was surprised the see the looks of astonishment, and horror, on the faces of the men in front of him. In fact, the white-bearded fellow''s face was twisted up as though he was looking at a ruined masterpiece of art! What was going on? Were they not happy to see what he had just shown them? Or were they too worried about whether they were able to pay for the items?


    Then the grey-haired fellow with the stringy moustache standing behind the white-haired, white-bearded fellow made a hasty gesture, and six girls dressed in Medicine Hall maid outfits quickly stepped up in front of Qin Feng''s long bench. And cautiously transferred each and every one of the items that he had brought out onto individual trays.


    And from the way that their hands were trembling as they did so, as if they were handling prizes that were worth far more than their pitiful lives, he suddenly understood what was going on. Or at least, at where he had gone wrong!


    They didn''t like the way that I had dumped them onto the chair, no doubt, he decided. Maybe because they don''t like the idea of their medicines being in contact with someplace which had just been in contact with their bottoms? Well, that was something that he would have to watch out for, the next time that he showed up at this place.


    The girls were also clearly much more anxious than he had expected them to be, judging from the beads of perspiration that were showing on their brows. And from the heavy breaths that they were taking in. As if they were trying to draw in the scent of the medicines, so that they could recognize them in the future.


    That was almost enough to make him smile. Did they really think that they had a chance to see these things again? Unless it came from him, it was unlikely that there was anything similar within a thousand miles of Changqing City. He was certain about that!


    Of course, that could simply be because they were just nervous to be coming into contact with the medicines. Still, he was certain that none of them were poisonous. And these herbs wouldn''t cause any ill effects so long as they were not consumed injudiciously!


    But in the meantime, he had a deal, or six separate ones, to conclude!


    So, as soon as the girls were done, and regained enough of their composure to stand to the side of the chairs, he slowly removed the grass hat on his head, setting down next to him. On the other side of where he had placed the medicine earlier.


    "Now, I am not interested in money, and will only accept similar rare items and medicines in trade. I am rather certain that I had made that clear earlier. The last time that I visited your Medicine Hall?


    "So, shall we begin? What can you offer in exchange for these items?"


    * * *

 5 Making an Offer 1

    The Second Ducal Prince, of course, was the first to make a clarification regarding the issue. As well as to state his own particular preference:


    "I will not bother to hide the fact that I have been searching for a Thousand Year Old Ginseng Root, so I will certainly be seeking to buy that off your hands. But ... I am uncertain with regards to what you would consider a ... item worthy of exchange? I have a number of weapons and armor that might ..."


    Qin Feng, however, shook his head at the moment that the apparently younger man mentioned weapons and armor. "I am not the sort of person who uses brute force to achieve my aims, although I have a few tricks, as they say, when it comes to combat. However, items like swords and sabers, breastplates and helmets ... None of them appeal to me.


    "So I would suggest that you refrain from mentioning these things. They are useless to me, and I shall not even bother to consider them."


    The Second Ducal Prince nodded gravely, as soon as he heard that. And his mouth curled in a slight smile as soon as he did so. "In that case, what of other interesting treasures? My family is in possession of an unusual musical instrument, as you might have heard. Would you consider that? Or items of a similar nature?" he asked immediately.


    "Perhaps. They may be considered, if I consider them interesting. You would do better to offer ... unusual medicinal herbs of your own. Or perhaps, cultivation tools and resources. Those would prove to be a little more useful, I think. Especially to ... younger members of my particular group."


    This time, the Second Ducal Prince was not the only one who had a glint in his eye. The Hall Manager, who had been drooling over some of the other items, absent-mindedly nodded as soon as he heard that last qualifier.


    As did Assistant Hall Manager Luo. Although he was in not position to participate, he did have a few suggestions, it seemed. Especially when he bent over to whisper something into Hall Manager Zheng''s ear.


    Who looked up at him with a look of surprise, before he turned back to face Qin Fang. Their antics had not failed to attract the attention of the man in the faded green robe. But he simply looked at the pair from Fu Lai Medicine Hall calmly, as though waiting for them to make an offer.


    "I believe that we might have something to interest you, since you mentioned medicinal herbs earlier. From the records of our dealings in the past, you had purchased several stalks of Purple Blood Ginger. Well, we so happen to have about six stalks of the same right now, in our store. Of a similar quality to that you bought the last time you were here.


    "And you had also asked if we could get our hands on some Crystal Ice Swallow Birds'' Nest. Well, as it so happens, we have just managed to locate two of them. Whole nests, I mean. Would either of these two items be of interest to you?"


    Hall Manager Zheng Zhanqi looked at him expectantly, and was gratified to see a spark in the green-robed man''s eyes. There was no hiding the fact that he had managed to interest their unusual visitor!


    And true enough, the man made no issue of telling him what he thought of the generous offer:


    "The six stalks are barely able to meet the value of the Burdock Root. But the Crystal Ice Swallow Nests can be exchanged for either the Lingzhi mushroom or the Dragon Beard Grass. Or you could take both the Osmanthus Flower and the Laughing Buddha Leaf.


    "That is, if you are not going to compete for the ginseng root, that the Second Ducal Prince is interested in?"


    Hall Manager Zheng was naturally smiling as he agreed with the stranger''s last statement. "You are correct in that. We shall definitely not interfere with the Second Ducal Prince''s interest in the ginseng root. After all, we are here to supply our customers, not to make things more difficult for them," he said, with a nod in the Ducal Prince''s direction.


    "On that same note, we shall pick last, after he is done. So that no conflict arises."


    The Second Ducal Prince, of course, bowed his head gravely, to thank the Hall Manager for his consideration. Then he turned back to the green-robed man.


    "Well, since Hall Manager Zheng has already blazed the trail so clearly for me, I would be utterly blind if I cannot follow the road. Would you be willing to accept ... three drops of Golden Summer Eagle Blood Essence in return for your Thousand Year Old Ginseng and your Dragon Beard Grass?"


    "Golden Summer Eagle ... Blood Essence? You managed to get your hands on that?"


    Qin Feng could hardly control himself, blurting the question out as he did. But he couldn''t be bothered to care how he looked. This was Golden Summer Eagle Blood! How did anyone get their hands on that? Those birds were almost impossible to find! And even if one did so, it was almost impossible to coax them to give up their Blood Essence!


    "I have had the ... good fortune to ... form companionship with such an Eagle. Hence I am about to get my hands on the Blood Essence of the same, as you mentioned," the Second Ducal Prince declared, with a somewhat humble smile.


    But Qin Feng was beyond caring. This was better luck than he had imagined! And he was already considering what he could do with the Blood Essence. It would certainly cut short the amount of time that he needed, to finish off the projects that he had on hand!


    "Done! I agree to that trade! The ginseng root and the Dragon Beard Grass is yours!"


    Then he turned to Hall Manager Zheng, who was still staring at the Second Ducal Prince in shock. Clearly, he had not been expecting the Ducal Prince to offer such a price. And from the look on the other fellow behind him, it seemed the whole of Fu Lai Medicine Hall had been surprised by the offer!


    But Qin Feng was suddenly anxious to be gone, and wanted nothing better than to take hold of his newfound prizes immediately.


    "As for the Medicine Hall, I presume you will take the Lingzhi mushroom and the Burdock Root then?" he asked quickly, as if he wanted to be done with the trade as quickly as he could.


    But another unfamiliar voice suddenly called out, from the direction of the stairs, just at this moment:


    "Wait a moment! Is that a Thousand Year Old Ginseng that I smell?"


    * * *

 6 Making an Offer 2

    Assistant Hall Manager Luo Junyuan scowled as he whirled to face the source of the voice. Who was that to dare to intrude onto the third floor of the Medicine Hall? Without his specific instructions, or Hall Manager Zheng''s, no one was allowed to ascend to that level! So who would have the gall to do so now? Especially when they were just breaths away from concluding one of the biggest trades that he had the pleasure of witnessing?


    But Zheng Zhanqi''s hand suddenly gripped his forearm with an almost painful grasp, making the Assistant Hall Manager gasp instead of calling out. And from the look of surprise and consternation on the Hall Manager''s face, Luo Junyuan realized that the older man probably had a very good reason for interrupting him the way that he did.


    And the Second Ducal Prince''s greeting, called out from where he was seated, made everything clear at once:


    "Cousin? What are you doing here?"


    Cousin? The Second Ducal Prince called him cousin?


    Assistant Hall Manager Luo felt a wave of cold sweat suddenly break out on his back, even as Hall Manager Zheng patted him on his aching forearm and motioned for him to stand back once again. Something that he did at once, gratefully.


    After all, there was only one person in the whole world whom the Second Ducal Prince would call his cousin. Especially there in Changqing City. Royal Prince Zhuo Lingming! Or to use the more formal address, Prince of Stormy Sea!


    "Why are you asking me that, cousin? Can''t I walk around the City like everyone else? And Fu Lai Medicine Hall is well-known as one of the most popular places in Changqing City, where one can get their hands on just about anything that they require.


    "So how could I miss a chance to visit such a famous place like this?"


    The Royal Prince was dressed in a deep red robe of silk that was embroidered with threads of silver and gold at the collar and the shoulders, marking out a lovely pattern of peony flowers. If it was worn by another man, the use of such a pattern may have made him look a little effeminate.


    But the Royal Prince was tall and broad-shouldered, with a handsome face that exuded masculinity. And the air of sophistication about him only added to his flair.


    How could anyone present compare to him in terms of looks?


    Even the Second Ducal Prince, in the blue-grey garment of fine silk, and his belt of beaten gold links, could not begin to match his magnificence!


    Of course, just his Royal rank alone would have given the Hall Manager pause, if he had chosen to evict this outrageous Royal Prince. After all, this was the sacred third floor of his Fu Lai Medicine Hall, where all the serious deals of the same were conducted. How could just anyone, Royal or otherwise, simply intrude into the same, without so much as an apology?


    But the Prince of the Stormy Seas was accompanied by a pair of unusual characters, and Assistant Hall Manager Luo had already noted the faint scent of blood, that was even now, starting to drift up from the second floor. Who were these two men, who were able to handle all of the Medicine Hall''s Protectors in such a short time?


    One of the Prince''s companions looked like a eunuch who was trained in the secret martial arts of the Royal Palace, judging from the thick calluses on his knuckles. But it was the other, a man with grey-hair and a grey beard, who was dressed in a grey robe that was flecked with specks of blood. He was probably the one who had been responsible for dealing with the Protectors, the Assistant Hall Manager realized with a scowl on his face.


    However, as ugly as his mood may be, Luo Junyuan was not a fool. Anyone who could defeat those same guards were clearly a threat to the Medicine Hall itself. Thus he was unwilling to make a move. And Hall Manager Zheng Zhanqi himself had taken steps, hadn''t he, to prevent Assistant Hall Manager Luo from making any overt moves?


    For now, all they could do was to watch. And see how things developed.


    The agitation of the middle-aged man''s face, however, was evident to Assistant Hall Manager Luo''s keen eyes. That bothered Luo Junyuan more than a little too. The man in green was clearly irritated to have his trading session interrupted, to say nothing more about the delay that he was experiencing at the moment. All at once, Luo Junyuan remembered what had happened, the last time that the green-robed fellow had lost his temper.


    And that was enough to start him shuddering, and step a little further back. Well away from where any argument between the Second Ducal Prince and the Royal-born Prince of the Stormy Sea might erupt, there on the third floor!


    Nor was his movement something that Hall Manager Zheng would miss! And from the way that the blood drained away from his face, it was clear that he remembered reading all of the reports about what had happened back then too. Although he had not witnessed it himself, he had seen the aftermath of the flare-up, as well as dealt with the damage that it had caused!


    So he was quick to step between the two noblemen, before things could get any further out of hand! This Medicine Hall was directly under his charge, after all. And he didn''t want to have it damaged beyond all recognition!


    His words, of course, were courteous. And they were directed at the Royal Prince:


    "We welcome other bids, naturally, for the items that are displayed. I trust our guest would not be offended, if someone else makes a more ... generous offer for the prizes so presented. Of course, the final decision of who is to receive the items will remain completely in his hands. And in his hands alone."


    That was the only way that he knew, that he could push all of the responsibility for making the choice of offending the Royal Prince entirely onto the head of the man in the faded green robe. Something that did not deter the fellow at all, Luo Junyuan observed, from the scowl that persisted on his face.


    A scowl, that from all appearances, did not seem to affect the hubris of the Royal Prince in the slightest. His face was still adorned with his haughty, nonchalant smile, as he turned to face who he regarded as a simple trader who did not deserve the treasures that he had in his possession.


    Suddenly, Assistant Hall Manager Luo Junyuan had a terrible premonition of blood and suffering, there on the third floor of the Fu Lai Medicine Hall!


    "Of course, my offer is clearly higher than my cousin''s. So you would definitely suffer no loss at all," the Royal Prince declared with his usual enchanting smile.


    "Hand the ginseng root to me, and you shall have my eternal gratitude. Surely the gratitude of a Royal Prince is worth more than whatever price my cousin has offered for that same item. Don''t you agree?"


    * * *

 7 Making an Offer 3

    "What sort of sh*t are you spewing from your mouth?"


    The green-robed man shouted at the Royal Prince with a bright-red face, clearly angered to the point that he had used his qi without realising it. The Prince of the Stormy Sea staggered back immediately, with blood spurting from his mouth as he took the full brunt of the qi-augmented shout in the face.


    "Get lost! And don''t ever show your face in front of me again! A penniless beggar trying to get his hands on my medicinal herbs? What a useless piece of sh*t!"


    The surprise that Hall Manager Zheng Zhanqi felt was far greater than the petty injury that he suffered, from that same shout that had shaken all of the Royal Prince''s innards. To think that the fellow was so bold that he was continuing to insult the King''s only son after injuring him! It seemed Luo Junyuan did not lie about the way this fellow did things after all!


    Although ... calling the Prince of the Stormy Sea a penniless beggar was a little ... out of the ordinary, Zheng Zhanqi said to himself, as he turned his head to look at the pair of old men behind the Royal Prince.


    This was certainly going to be a lot more trouble than he had expected, back when he realised that the two noble cousins were cross paths in the middle of his Medicine Hall. And all at once, he regretted not sending his serving girls away with the medicines at once, before things got out of hand. It would be a terrible shame, if any of those precious herbs got damaged.


    Zheng Zhanqi had been Hall Manager of this highly respected, and terribly profitable, Medicine Hall for almost twenty years. Which meant that he had seen just about everything that anyone could mention, there in Changqing City. He had even hosted the Old Marquis and New Marquis before, when they were seeking out new medicines, close to five and three years back.


    But he had never come across anyone who dared to smack a Royal Prince in the face like that! Even if it was only with a burst of qi!


    And judging from the strength of the cultivation that he had just displayed, the man was at least at the peak of the Initial Realm!


    All at once, Hall Manager Zheng was glad that he had not made a move against the unnamed guest in the green robe, earlier when he so openly trod on the prestige of the Medicine Hall. And his status as the Hall Manager. He certainly could not afford to offend such a man!


    No! He quickly corrected himself. This green-robed fellow was not a man, but a monster!


    He did notice at first, because he had been too distracted by the fact that the stranger would dare insult the Prince of the Stormy Seas so openly. But that shout of his was not simple at all! The level of qi that had been imbued into that little outburst was easily at the peak of the Initiate level! That was already far beyond anything that Zheng Zhanqi himself was capable of!


    Unfortunately, it seemed it was still not sufficient to make the pair accompanying the Royal Prince hold themselves back:


    The brawny fellow with the smooth complexionand the scarred knuckles stepped behind the Royal Prince at once with an almost disdainful huffing sound. And he stopped the Prince of the Stormy Sea''s unsteady retreat with a simple hand on his shoulder. The blood seemed to return to the young Royal''s face as soon as he did that. Which was enough to indicate that this eunuch was no ordinary practitioner of the Secret Royal Palace Martial Arts.


    As for the other companion that had accompanied the Royal Prince to Fu Lai Medicine Hall, he took a step forward instead, unleashing a storm of powerful qi that washed over everyone like a veritable tidal wave, as though seeking to smash everyone present to their knees at once.


    Hall Manager Zheng barely had time to mutter a curse in his heart before he began to raise his own internal strength to shield himself from the hammer-like blow. As did the others that were present there, in the meeting chamber. The pair of uniformed soldiers behind the Second Ducal Prince were the most badly affected by the waves of qi, and had already fallen on the hardwood floor.


    And if it had not been for Hall Manager Zheng''s intervention, the maids from the Medicine Hall would have suffered the same fate!


    As it stood, all six of them had taken mild internal injuries, and were bleeding from the corners of their mouths!


    The Royal Prince''s grey-haired companion, however, ignored all of that, as he continued to advance on the green-robed stranger, unleashing his qi as he did so.


    "You dare to injure the Royal Prince? You deserve death!"


    But the green-robed fellow merely flicked his sleeves in front of himself, as he sneered at the grey-haired, grey-bearded person who had been advancing from his original position behind the Royal Prince. He had stepped forward at once, while his beardless companion was tending to the Prince''s injuries. And he did not disguise the fact that he was calling up his power, about to unleash the same on the middle-aged man in the green-robe.


    That is, until the green-robed man''s flick of a sleeve sent a wave of qi his way.


    Then, all at once, Hall Manager Zheng felt the pressure on his body alleviate. As though some peak Completion grade Martial Artist had just unveiled his aura! An aura that was far beyond the first! So far that it completely wiped away any force that the Royal Prince''s Protector had been wreaking on everyone else on the third floor!


    The same force had flashed out to smash directly into the grey-haired Protector''s body like a hammer, causing his head to jerk back in surprise. Then the part of his robe. just in front of his chest, tore into shreds between the two opposing waves of qi, even as he forced back!


    And the look in his eyes were wild with panic, as a stream of blood began to pour from his mouth, which was already slack-jawed in abject terror as he stared at the green-robed stranger.


    "What? Some stupid punk with a barely acceptable level of cultivation dares to show off in front of me? How would you like it if I tore off both your arms right now? And stick your own fists up your a**hole? And I mean both of them!"


    * * *

 8 Making an Offer 4

    Second Ducal Prince Li Changhai, or Li Sanlang, to use the name that his close friends and family called him by, stepped up before any further outbreaks of violence took place. And judging from the looks on the faces of his cousin and his two Protectors, any attempt of the same would definitely not be coming from any of them.


    After all, it was clear from their pale faces and from the lavish amounts of blood that they were spitting out of their mouths, that all three of them had suffered enough internal injuries that would confine them to their beds for at least a season!


    None of them would dare to go up against this green-robed man now! Not when he had already revealed his Peak Completion level cultivation!


    "Li Changhai begs Senior to go easy on his cousin. The Royal Prince has spent most of his days at the Royal Palace in the Capital City, and has little experience in the outside world. If he has given offence, let Li Changhai offer his apologies on his behalf."


    It was not something that he enjoyed doing, to tell the truth. But he would certainly be in trouble, if the Prince was killed and the King learned that he was present and did nothing to prevent it. Of course, he could always protest that he was injured as well, and so were his men. But that would not be enough to quell the monarch''s anger, if things turned out as bad as he thought they might.


    However, the green-robed fellow seemed to ignore him, as he continued to stare at the trio who were sprawled, or kneeling, on the hardwood floor. And a single sniff from him was enough to send the Royal Prince, and both his Protectors, scuttling back!


    "Get lost! And don''t come here again! You lot are a shame that should be banned from all places of business, coming up with a bullsh*t scam like that! Didn''t your parents teach you how to behave?" he growled, before sitting down once again.


    The trio did not hesitate, and fled the third floor at once. Which was enough to make Li Sanlang''s lips twitch as he watched his cousin stumble down the steps. Who would have thought that he would see such a sight today? To think that he had almost missed it!


    Li Changhai was the Second Ducal Prince, and he had a habit of visiting the Changqing City every Summer, to visit his maternal uncle the Old Marquis. And to make a little trouble for his eldest cousin, who had already taken over his father''s fief. But the New Marquis would avoid him every year, so he was left to wander about the streets along, to pass his time.


    That had gone on for a good number of years now, and he had picked up quite a bit about medicines and alchemy, while he was there. Enough to prompt him to look for some magical and semi-magical plants and herbs, that would help him with his martial arts.


    After all, his father was the Duke of the Westlands, and he would have to lead the armies against the Barbarians, sooner or later. Besides, getting a good foundation for his martial arts would only help him, when it came to joining one of the great martial art communities later on in his life. His father''s own experiences had shown him that.


    And he had picked up quite a few pointers himself, when interacting with his father''s friends and fellow disciples. Of course, Li Changhai was nowhere near the stage where the Sects or the Schools would offer him membership. But he was hopeful that he would be invited, somewhere in the future.


    Which was why he was doing his best to lay a proper foundation for himself, by interacting with other powerful practitioners. Like Hall Manager Zheng Zhanqi, from the Fu Lai Medicine Hall.


    But even that remarkable personage paled before this unnamed stranger in the faded green cotton robe, who had chased away two Completion-grade martial artists with a single flick of his sleeve!


    If he could get this man to join his father''s faction ...


    Ah! But no. He bit down on that thought ruthlessly, as he remembered what the man had said earlier. And how he had even disparaged the King himself! Clearly, this was not someone who cared about status and secular power. So what was he able to offer to a man like that?


    No. It would be far more practical to interact with him politely, and build up a relationship of his own, rather than try to tempt him with material things. Even if he did have something that might tempt him, it is quite possible that this green-robed stranger may just steal it away, without making payment for it. So wouldn''t he be simply inviting a loss on himself?


    Then he heard the coughing at his back, and remembered that he had yet to deal with his own guards. The pressure from the Royal Prince''s Protector earlier had been enough to toss them onto the ground. So he was rather sure that they would have suffered some internal injuries.


    Hence, he quickly pulled out a couple of Intestinal Fortitude Pills from his coat, and handed them over to the same. It would not heal them immediately or completely, but it would allow them to recover, if they took the time to properly rest, over the next ten days or so.


    Hall Manager Zheng had already dealt with his own people, especially the girls who were holding onto the medicinal herbs. None of them were seriously injured, of course. He was bowing to the stranger when Li Changhai turned back to the pair.


    And it was rather clear that he was making his apologies, for the Medicine Hall''s inability to keep them from being interrupted earlier.


    The green-robed man merely waved his hand, as if dismissing all of the apologies and promises as though they were worthless to him. "I am a ... gatherer of herbs and I am merely here to exchange them for things that would be useful to me. I don''t care about politics and I don''t care about idiots who think too highly of themselves.


    "Now, are we going to trade? At the prices that we had agreed upon earlier?"


    * * *

 9 Making Plans 1

    Hall Manager Zheng Zhanqi agreed to the terms set earlier at once, as though afraid that the stranger in the green robe would simply change his mind and leave. And Luo Junyuan was the one who was sent to go and gather the items that they had agreed upon.


    It also gave him the opportunity to head down to the second floor, where he could take a quick look at the Medicine Hall''s group of Protectors, and to make some quick decisions with regards to the treatment of their injuries.


    Fortunately, the Royal Prince and his people weren''t too hard on that lot. And their wounds would heal in about a moon or so. So he simply put them out of his head, and hurried off to get his hands on the Crystal Ice Swallow Nests and the Purple Blood Ginger.


    Those were both rather rare ingredients, of course.


    But how could they compare to the Eight-leaf Savoury Burdock Root and the Thousand Year Old Lingzhi? Those two were infinitely rarer, there in the Southlands. And if the Medicine Hall were to transport them to the East, to the Capital City ...


    Luo Junyuan allowed himself a grin. This trade itself was going to attract the attention of the Elders in the Fu Lai Medicine Group, and that was certainly going to do wonders for his future career! To think that he had almost gotten himself suspended, the last time that he dealt with that green-robed fellow!


    Assistant Hall Manager Luo Junyuan sighed, and remembered what he had to go through, when he was questioned by the representatives from the Main Store. They were certainly going to regret their attitude back then, when they got the news of what happened here in the near future. And he certainly had plenty of eye-witnesses to support his story now.


    Especially that bit about the stranger''s remarkable level of cultivation and inner strength. He beat two of the Royal Prince''s Protectors! What the hell was that? To think that the ones questioning him almost a moon back had made those remarks about his being unable to tell real gold from dross!


    Well, he would have no problem now, with Hall Manager Zheng Zhanqi to support his story. And the reactions of the two Protectors accompanying the Royal Prince should be evidence enough to satisfy all those idiot Elders hiding at the Main Store!


    Let''s see if they dare to question the Prince himself, if they have any questions about the cultivation level of that stranger!


    Then he reminded himself that he still had a job to do, and that same stranger was waiting for him upstairs. So he hurried to gather the two items, mark their movement carefully in the storage room records, and scurry back up the stairs to the meeting room. With all the notations done according to specifications, there would be no loopholes this time, for the Main Store to pick at him!


    By the time he got back to where the others were, there were smiles on all three of their faces. And Hall Manager Zheng was quick to give him instructions regarding a few lesser known herbs that they were still holding in their store. Apparently, he had made a deal with the fellow for the Silver-threaded Red Osmanthus Flower and the Long Jade-hued Laughing Buddha Leaf.


    And the smile on the Hall Manager''s face was enough to tell him that he had done far better than Zheng Zhanqi had expected of him, with regards to the deal. Which had him skipping happily back down the stairs to get the other ingredients prepared.


    It looked like this unusual meeting was going to make his name for him at last!


    *


    Back on the third floor, Hall Manager Zheng Zhanqi was considering the deals that he had made, and the medicines that he had managed to secure. But he was not thinking about their prices or what sort of reaction they would arouse, when they were sent to the Capital or the other major Cities that where they would be in greater demand.


    Nor was he too concerned about the reaction of the King, or the Royal Court regarding what had happened to the Royal Prince. After all, the King had plenty of sons, and the Prince of the Stormy Seas was hardly one of the more important heirs that were running things in the Kingdom.


    Instead, he was considering the fellow in the faded green robe, and what sort of power was lurking behind him. Zheng Zhanqi had been practicing internal martial arts for almost six decades, and he thought he knew about most of the Sects and Martial Arts Schools in the region. How was it then, that he had never heard of a person with this sort of power?


    Could it be that he was a stranger from some other region, simply wandering? Or was he a sign that the Southern Reaches was going to see trouble in the near future?


    Given his reaction to the Royal Prince, this green-robed man was clearly not someone that the Royal Court could provoke. And there weren''t that many Sects and Martial Arts Schools that dared to tell a Royal to p*ss off the way that he did.


    Which was probably why Hall Manager Zheng had gone through so much trouble, to make sure that this fellow continued to view Fu Lai Medicine Hall with a modicum of friendliness. And hopefully, continue to come in with more treasures like what he had offered today.


    After all, the more business that they did with each other, the more likely that they would get more comfortable with each other.


    That, in turn, might allow Zheng Zhanqi to find out more about this stranger''s antecedents.


    And in the martial world, in Jianghu, this sort of information was easily worth ten times its weight in gold! So long as he could lay his hands on it, it should see him rising up through the ranks quickly, to become a full-fledged Elder in the Main Store!


    Which was enough to motivate him to put in even more effort, to make this stranger more comfortable, and more inclined to come back to Fu Lai Medicine Hall in the future!


    * * *

 10 Making Plans 2

    Qin Feng left Fu Lai Medicine Hall in high spirits. The episode with that idiot of a Prince had upset him a little, that was true. But the mere thought of his gains from trading with that Second Ducal Prince - what was his name again? Li something-something? Well, that fellow''s Eagle Blood Essence was almost enough to make up for all of it!


    To tell the truth, he had not known that there would be such a thing available, there in Changqing City. He had thought to get away with a few unusual medicines for his own use, but the quality of his gains this time had certainly made his trip more than a little worthwhile!


    The Crystal Bird''s Nest, for instance. That was going to cut down the time that he needed, to get his body into shape! Which meant that he could probably be able to leave the mountain by Spring next year! And that was certainly enough to put him in a good mood!


    Of course, he had not forgotten about the Purple Blood Ginger. That was the reason why he was down there in the first place. He would have to deal with that, once he got back. Luckily, he didn''t have to worry about its somewhat obvious smell any longer.


    The Medicine Hall had even given him nice boxes to hold these precious medicinal herbs, when it was clear that he was simply going to wrap them up in his old muslin cloth, and tuck them away in his satchel. Apparently, this had so horrified the Hall Manager that he had dug out a few empty boxes that he had lying around, that were able to seal the potency, as well as the smell, of the medicines that were stored within.


    And since they were generously given to him at no cost, Qin Feng had naturally accepted the gift with a smile. It would also make it easier for him to hide those items, once he got back to the Heaven Sword Martial Arts School.


    After all, he was only supposed to be an Outer School disciple, who was assigned to handle the medicine gardens, to grow simple and regularly used herbal remedies and such, for the said Martial Arts School.


    And Purple Blood Ginger was a restricted herb, back at the School itself!


    Hence, he had to take extra care, when he was back there. Especially with all of the other herbs in his possession. It would be a complete farce, if everyone found out what he was doing.


    Selling all of those restricted herbs was certainly something that was not part of his job description, and likely to get him kicked out of the Heaven Sword School! And that would be the lightest of punishments listed in the School Regulations!


    Why else would he bother to go through all this trouble in the first place?


    The sound of a horse neighing drew him back to the streets of Changqing City, and he heaved a sigh as he started for the hawkers that had set up shop along the road that led to the Southern Gate. He might as well pick up half-a-dozen mantou for the road, since he didn''t have the time to stop for a proper lunch again.


    That was another thing that he would have to blame the Royal Prince for. But making him miss a chance at a proper meal was rather inconsequential, compared to trying to make off with his medicines for nothing. He was tempted to rob that trio clean, because of that!


    Unfortunately, they were already long gone by the time that he left Fu Lai Medicine Hall. And he wasn''t about to go hunt them down. Especially since he had already given them a warning, with that display of his. It would not be so easy to make them lower their guard against him now.


    Besides, he didn''t have the leisure, and would have to rush, if he wanted to make it back to the School in time!


    So he concentrated on getting his food, and hurried out the City Gate. He took care to make sure that he was wearing that large straw hat once more, before vanishing into the crowd shortly afterwards. And he didn''t even bother to hide the fact that he was walking a lot faster than everyone else, using his Lightness of Body technique.


    And he kept it up too, all the way back towards the mountains to the South.


    That helped a little, to make up for the time that he had wasted, dealing with the idiot Prince. But the distance was still much too far, and it had cost him a good bit of strength, not to mention time. Even at his best speed, the sun was already beginning to set by the time that he got back to the nameless mountain that stood just outside the Heaven Sword Martial Arts School grounds.


    Given the season, the moon had already risen and rather high in the sky when he started up the mountain. Which was good for him, since it made it easier for him to get to the secret trail. And take the narrow trail from that to the hidden cave, about a third of the way up the mountain.


    Getting through the dark and hidden passage took him a little longer than usual, thanks to the unreliable light. Otherwise, he would be a lot quicker, despite having to clamber over the obstructions along his path. Still, he was back in his little hut back at the medicine fields, there on the nameless mountain, by the time true night fell.


    Fortunately, he had already made a bit of a name for himself, as a rather responsible gardener, down at the medicine fields. And one who had followed all the unusual practices described in the obscure texts that lay in the Heaven Sword Library. Including the ones that required the gardener to water certain herbs by moonlight. And to use human waste as a fertilizer.


    And since the crops that were under his control usually produced exceptional yields, the rest of the School had long since given up on trying to stop him from his irregular hours. And his midnight visits to the medicine gardens.


    That reputation was enough to grant him the use of a rather reasonable excuse, if he could not be found at the cave where he was supposed to have made his home. So he was not particularly worried.


    Yet, even with that in place, Qin Feng still had a rather crucial element to take care of, before he was completely safe from having his little excursion out of the School discovered:


    He had to change out of the puppet that he was using, and get back into his real body!


    * * *

 11 Making Plans 3

    Qin Feng was not afraid that it would run out of energy before he could reach his cave, although it was clear that it was running a little low. After all, he had used a good bit of it earlier, before he started his run, to awe the trio of idiots earlier at the Medicine Hall.


    He would have set the puppet aside, he decided, once he was back in the formation. That should allow it to absorb the power that it needed to function from the same. Of course, if anyone from the School realized that he was draining one of the School''s alarm systems for his own benefit ...


    Qin Feng snorted to himself, as he pulled out the talisman that he had gotten from Elder Ming. And quietly triggered it, even as he walked into his little hut in the medicine fields. The old man would think that he was the one making the arrangements, to let Qin Feng slip in and out of the School grounds. Which would be enough to make him keep an eye out for the younger man.


    Surely that would be enough to keep anyone from finding out what he was really doing, when he was shut inside his little hut. Of course, that meant that he had very little time, to do what he had to do!


    He hurried into the back of the simple little room where he slept, and pulled the bed aside, revealing the hole in the wall behind it. Slipping inside it, he carefully stepped over the lines of the formation that took up almost every inch of space within the little hidden room, and sat the puppet down in the middle of it. After he had taken off his pack, and left it in a corner of the same, of course. He didn''t forget about that!


    Then he began the ritual - just twelve lines that he had memorized by heart. It was an old spell, and he doubted that there was anyone in all of the Southlands who would recognize it. What it did was to separate his consciousness from the puppet that he was wearing, and cast his ... What was the best term to call it? He had considered Soul and Spirit, but still haven''t decided how he wanted to name that part of him.


    It was no more than a shred of his consciousness, but it was the part of him that allowed him to understand, and interact with other people. Without it ...


    The puppet fell lifeless at once, as Qin Feng''s consciousness flowed back into his true body. The same one that he had hidden deeper inside a storage cave that lay behind the hut. One that was surrounded by all the medicines that he had harvested from the medicine fields.


    Which should be enough to mask the scent of the herbs that he had just brought back.


    Well, it would have, if he didn''t have those special cases that he received from Fu Lai Medicine Hall, he reminded himself, as he blinked his eyes open. And took a deep breath. He still knew what was going on with his true body, of course, while he was in the puppet. So it had been a simple thing, to pretend to be doing his Breathing Exercises, while he was away.


    Although it was a bit of a lie, to call it a pretense. The body was doing that, and consuming its energy while it did that. Even though his consciousness was not altogether present. So it did get tired. Which was probably why he yawned, the moment that he was back inside it.


    Qin Feng grinned as he looked down at himself, even before he started to rise from his cross-legged, lotus position. This was much better than the old body that looked and felt like a pickled prune! His younger body was much, much better!


    The face of the same was rather handsome, although there was something about the set of the eyes and the natural curl of the lips that gave it a certain devious air. And his skin was as fair and as smooth as a woman''s too. Something that he had taken pains to work at, with the medicines under his hand.


    But it simply would not tan, so he had given up a short while back, and accepted the fact that he would always look like a pretty-boy.


    Still, the body was tall for his somewhat tender age of sixteen, and the frame was respectably robust, for all that it was rather slim. Nothing that would give anyone the impression that he was effeminate. And his hands were suitably toughened, to lend credence to the story that he was working hard in the medicine fields.


    All in all, he was content with a body like that.


    He shook his head then, and reminded himself that he had other things to do, other than admiring or feeling sorry for himself. And quickly stepped out of his so-called Secret Cultivation Spot, to retrieve the goods that he had brought back from the City, as well as cover-up the other secret that he had in the house.


    He returned to his little hidden room, and quickly checked up on the puppet. But it looked none the worse for wear, and was sitting down quietly in the heart of the lines etched into the ground. A soft chant triggered the formation, feeding the same with the energies that he had stolen from the talismanic barrier.


    Content that he had done everything that he should, he pushed his flimsy-looking bed back into position after he picked up his pack again. Then he reached into the same, to take out a single stalk of the Purple Blood Grass that he had prepared earlier, and put the rest away in another hole, under another corner of the hut.


    Only then did he tidy up his clothes, and changed his shoes to a pair that carried the dust from the medicine gardens. If anyone caught him with the single stalk of Purple Blood Leaf that he was carrying then, they would just believe that he had stolen the same from that restricted area. As for the rest of the goods from the City, they could wait until he had more leisure to deal with them.


    Once he was content that they were unlikely to be discovered, he checked his somewhat pungent robe again, and left for the Elders'' Residence. It wouldn''t do to smell to fresh, since he was supposed to have been working in the fields all day.


    It was time to deal with Elder Ming Guanhe!


    * * *

 12 Making Plans 4

    Elder Ming Guanhe was not a popular Teaching Elder, or one of those who dealt with the medicine garden apprentices on a frequent basis. From his face, which was was covered with a number of small scars, and so sour-looking that most people would avoid looking at him, he was hardly someone that one would go out of his way to meet.


    Which was probably why everyone at the School had been rather sympathetic towards Qin Feng, who had somehow drawn that rake-thin old fellow as his immediate supervisor. Well, sympathetic enough that they didn''t try to make any trouble for him.


    Or was it simply because they didn''t wish to have to face Elder Ming, should Qin Feng end up complaining about how he was treated by his Seniors?


    Not that it mattered, since it gave him a perfectly good reason to visit the grey-haired fellow''s house now and again. Although not so frequently that it would lead to any suspicions among the other Elders in their Residence.


    The Elders'' Residence was set just behind the Grand Hall, where the Grandmaster and the Administrators of the School held sway. Only the most Senior Inner School disciples were allowed to visit the Grand Hall. And there were several members of the School Guards on duty close by, to make sure that no one broke the rules.


    Not that they gave Qin Feng any trouble, of course, despite the hour. Dressed in his somewhat filthy Outer School disciple uniform, and reeking of medicinal plant juices and such, it was clear to all present that he was reporting to one of the Elders who were in charge of the medicine gardens.


    So the tough School Guards simply stood aside, and watched him, to make sure that he did not try to step into the Grand Hall. The Elders'' Residence was, however, none of the their concern. And they soon turned their attention to other matters, ignoring the late night visit.


    Elder Ming Guanhe, on the other hand, was waiting for him at the entrance of the same. And he gestured at a rather deserted little pavilion, set a short distance away from the buildings around it, as soon as he saw Qin Feng. It was clear that he had been waiting for the young man to show up for a little while now.


    But he walked over to the pavilion, sitting himself down to wait patiently, as the youth clambered up the short hill towards him, panting softly as he did so. That was, unfortunately, not an act. Qin Feng had spent almost all of his internal strength earlier, coaxing more speed out of his puppet. And his physical body was very tired as well, after almost the whole day in his hidden training room.


    "You called for this ... unusual meeting, so I presume you have something urgent to report?" the old man asked at once, when he saw that Qin Feng had more or less recovered.


    "You might say that, Elder Ming. I happened to chance upon something that would greatly interest you," he replied with a grin, as he pulled out one of the boxes that he had received from the Medicine Hall.


    And slid its cover open slightly, so that the Elder seated across from him could taste the unique aroma that both of them knew so well. After all, it was something that Elder Ming Guanhe had asked him to retrieve for him, from the restricted medicinal fields, close to where he worked.


    "You have found another one?"


    Qin Feng held up the stalk of Purple Blood Ginger as his smile widened, and handed it over quietly. "I believe that Elder Ming only needs ... another three to four of those, in order to ... settle your upset stomach? That is, if I have not lost count? I am rather certain that I can get my hands on that amount, before the year''s end."


    The old man''s face seemed to light up, the moment that he saw the tiny leaf that smelled so heavily of blood in his own hand. And grinned wildly as he looked up at Qin Feng again, when the words finally penetrated:


    "You can get your hands on ... more of these?"


    "A possibility, sir. No more than a possibility. But I think that I have ... discovered a spot in the Forest where some of these may have been ... planted? A good while back? Perhaps someone was trying to hide his gains from the others in the School, but did not live long enough to ... enjoy the harvest?


    "Well, all of his hard work may end up ... in the Elder''s hands, if you know what I mean."


    That was the story that they had cooked up together, to cover both of them, if this particular trade ever came to light. Elder Ming would claim that he gave Qin Feng permission to search the Forest, and the latter would say that he was looking for that particular herb, which the Elder needs to settle his upset belly.


    Which should be enough to keep them both out of trouble. If they were ever discovered.


    Elder Ming looked perfectly ecstatic for a moment, before he recovered, and turned his sour-looking eyes on Qin Feng again. "You wouldn''t be telling me this if you don''t have something that you want from me. And probably something that is going to cost me dearly. Hurry up then! Tell me what you want!"


    "Elder Ming is more understanding than I had hoped. Well, I do have a small request, to tell the truth. I have been concentrating my efforts in the medicinal gardens for almost three years now, and I am already close to eighteen. That means I should have been tossed out of the School earlier this Spring, according to the usual customs.


    "However, Elder Ping seems to have ignored the usual rules and have tied me to this year-long gardening project of his. The one that requires one to ... utilize his own Blood Essence? That is a little ... overdoing it, don''t you agree? Elder Ming?"


    The bald old man sniffed, and made a face at him. "You are just trying to get out of more work, aren''t you? But Ping Jiexian is trying to poach one of mine? How brave of him! Don''t you worry about that! I''ll soon settle this!"


    Then he paused, and shot Qin Feng a strange look. "But ... Have you made a decision about joining the School as a custodian? Unless you miraculously demonstrate an aptitude for alchemy or formation building, you are seriously going to be tossed out next Spring for certain. We might be able to avoid it this year, but I doubt that we can play that trick over and over again.


    "You will have to leave next year if nothing changes over the next two seasons."


    * * *

 13 Consolidating Gains 1

    He didn''t waste any time, once he got back to his pathetic little hut. And quickly retrieved the Golden Summer Eagle Blood Essence from his cache. It was rather clear, after Elder Ming''s little warning with regards to his age, he didn''t have too much time left. So he certainly couldn''t afford to waste what little he had!


    Besides, that rumor that he had passed on, about Elder Ping trying to snatch him over, was not some spurious invention of his. Which was why he had taken such pains, to cling onto Elder Ming''s thigh, to escape such a move.


    After all, everyone in the Outer School knew about what sort of experiments Elder Ping was doing. Even if they didn''t have all the details, the fact that none of the six Outer School disciples that he had transferred in had survived more than six months was a little glaring.


    However, Ping Jiexian was a little too junior, in rank and in his martial arts, to contend against the obnoxious Elder Ming Guanhe. And Qin Feng was listed as one of the latter''s helpers. It was unlikely that they would break out into fisticuffs because of him, but it was unlikely that Elder Ming would let the younger Elder get away with it.


    Not if he still wanted to get his hands on Qin Feng''s Purple Blood Ginger leaves!


    Whatever would happen after he handed all of it over was still uncertain. But he was certainly not going to sit around, and wait for it. He was just a small step away from entering the Lower Initial Realm, and once he did ...


    He was already overdue, in leaving the School. Qin Feng had quietly kept his head down, so that everyone would think that he was afraid to venture out of Heaven Sword School on his own. And that he would accept just about any post that was thrown at him, just so that he could stay.


    Well, they could not be more wrong!


    Most disciples would do their best to get themselves up to the Basic Qi Accumulation Realm as quickly as they can, so that they can start building up the reserves in their body. The same reserves, the qi, that everyone needs to actualize the martial arts moves that they use.


    But that is actually not the most basic, the bottom-most layer in the cultivation world!


    There is actually another layer - the Foundation Layer, which every martial artist would have to start from. It was not very difficult to get through, to be honest. If the Basic Qi Accumulation Realm is as thick as a slice of bread, the Foundation Layer is only as thick as a piece of paper.


    Or a layer of butter that is spread onto the same slice of bread.


    Well, the bread would taste largely the same, no matter how carefully the butter had been spread, but it did make a difference, once the slice was in one''s mouth.


    And Qin Feng has been diligently working on that, making sure that every inch of butter had been carefully spread out, so that he would have as perfect a Foundation as he could manage.


    And it had taken him all of two years to do it!


    That was something that he had learned from the Old Man, before he began walking down this road. And since Qin Feng had gotten onto the track because of him, it was only reasonable to pay attention to every little lesson that he felt he had to teach.


    Which included understanding every idiosyncrasy of his own body:


    Qin Feng smiled as he examined his own body. His true body, and not a puppet like the one that he wore, whenever he left the mountain. He had painstakingly put this one together, using all of the tricks that he had learned. So it was clearly the most advanced body that he could create, using the methods that he knew.


    It had been a bit of joke, at first, when he first began the project to creating a body of his own. The one that he had taken over was clearly not to his taste, and he had almost puked the moment that he realized that Old Man Snow Mountain had simply picked up a more or less intact body from the remnants of a war that had taken place between two Sects.


    And, of course, given his practical bent, the Old Man had chosen the most powerful one that was lying around after the battle. And the most intact one. It would give him less to do, no doubt. And he had been hoping that Qin Feng would be so grateful to be alive again that he would not mind the fact that it was blind in one eye, and had half of his teeth missing!


    Not to mention the fact that it was close to seventy years old!


    Why would a teenage boy be content with a body like that? It was too ridiculous to even begin to imagine!


    So naturally, Qin Feng had protested the moment that he found out what had happened. And griped ceaselessly at the fellow responsible making that stupid choice for him. How was he to know that the Old Man had no real choice? But he persisted until the Old Man finally gave in, and came up with a somewhat questionable solution for him:


    He would teach Qin Feng how to refine his own replacement body, and give him the resources that he needed to do that!


    Unfortunately, it would result in Qin Feng having to grow up all over again, from infancy. And he would have to take care of himself until he was old enough to start training himself. That was why he ended up convincing the Old Man to help him turn that new seventy-year-old body of his into a puppet!


    That should be enough to keep him safe enough, he decided, until he was ready to make his move, and claim what the Old Man had promised him.


    But now, with all that was going on, it seemed like he couldn''t afford to wait any longer. Not with what was going on in the School, and in the lands around it. He would have to try to get that inheritance into his hands straightaway!


    So he slipped the first drop of the Golden Summer Eagle Blood Essence onto his tongue and swallowed. It burned all of the way down his throat, and he felt the warmth spreading through his body immediately. Was it as effective as that?


    Then he turned his head back to his cultivation, and began to Breathe.


    He was not going to waste a moment of what time he had left!


    * * *

 14 Consolidating Gains 2

    Changqing City.


    Second Ducal Prince Li Changhai Breathed out a mouthful of turbid air, as he rose from the tub of water that he had been sitting in for the last half-an-hour. He had just finished absorbing the medicinal essence of the Dragon Beard Grass from the same, after it had been properly ground up and mixed with a variety of other medicines.


    He had been preparing for this medicinal bath for close to five hours, starting from after his dinner, up till close to midnight. Then he had sat himself down, to clear the unnecessary thoughts from his head until close to dawn, before he jumped into the same.


    This was one of the crucial steps of the martial arts that he was practicing, and he could not have been happier to get his hands on that unusual Dragon Beard Grass at the moment. It was five hundred years old, just as the man in the green robe had claimed. And its effects were evident from the sudden burst in his inner strength!


    He had gone from the Basic Qi Condensation Realm to the Lower Initial Realm just like that! In a little over half-an-hour! How miraculous!


    Li Sanlang held out his hand, and compressed it into a simple fist. There was a low cracking sound from his fingers as he did so, and with just a touch of his will, he sent a stream of energy into his knuckles, making the air around them dance and crackle with an almost electric fervor! To think that he was now capable of generating a visible and audible signature!


    "Blue Lightning Fist? You have succeed in attaining Lower Initial Realm then? Good, good! I had hopes for you to break through next Summer, but I had not expected you to do this right now! Very good. Very good."


    The voice that praised the Second Ducal Prince was somewhat hoarse, which could be expected from a man in his late middle years or older. Li Sanlang quickly snatched up a towel that he had behind him, and wrapped it around his waist, just in time to hide his most private parts as his visitor stepped in from the corridor outside, without so much as a by-your-leave.


    Of course, he didn''t need to. After all, the Old Marquis was the Patriarch of the Marquis'' Mansion, and he could walk wherever he chose. Who was going to stop him? The whole City of Changqing was no more than his playground, wasn''t it? And for a very good reason:


    He was the most powerful martial artist in the whole of the City!


    Which meant that everyone in the whole of Changqing City had to give way where he walked. And breathe lightly when he made an angry grunt. No one dared to point it out, if he chose to break any protocol, or ignore any custom there!


    Like ignoring the common courtesy, to crash into his adult grandson''s room while he was bathing!


    "Grandfather! What ... What brings you here this morning?"


    The white-haired, white-bearded old fellow snorted at his nephew, and waved a hand to dismiss the six red-faced young maids that he had following after him. Then, as soon as they were gone, he cackled almost gleefully at the younger man:


    "What is this? So shy now? I remember when you used to run around in my garden, without your trousers on, back in the day! And do I have to remind you that there''s nothing that you have that I haven''t seen? Or that I do not have? Why are you even bothering to hide yourself now?


    "Or were you just trying to save my maids from dying from embarrassment?"


    "Grandfather!"


    "Hmmm. Although given your age, and the fact that you aren''t married, it is more likely that they would strip off their dresses and throw themselves at you with reckless abandon, you know? After all, you are already twenty-two and you still haven''t sired an heir yet."


    "Grandfather!!"


    The old man laughed. "Alright, alright. I''ll stop pestering you about siring an heir. And I trust that you will let your mother, and your grandmother, know that I have tried, in my own way, if they should bring up the topic. Still, I do have a few friends with grand-daughters of their own, and ..."


    "Grandfather!!!"


    The Old Marquis chuckled again, but he stopped harping on the subject, and simply sat himself down on one of the chairs that was close at hand. And on the other side of a light-colored wooden screen, adorned with a rather scandalous depiction of men and women.


    Unfortunately, the Second Ducal Prince had his clothes draped over the same, and thus blocked the carvings from sight. Or at least, from his own sight.


    The Old Marquis seemed to be studying it intently, from the other side.


    "Since you have managed this sort of achievement in such a short time, I presume that you have found some medicine that suits your martial arts? Perhaps from the same place where you got your hands on that ... other medicine? The one that you had handed over to me?"


    The Second Ducal Prince, who was still in the midst of pulling up his underpants, grinned at that old man''s questions. It seemed the old man was more interested in the ginseng root than he had expected! To think that he had come over this early in the morning, to discuss this with him!


    Actually, the Old Marquis had been showing restraint already. He was close to barging in on his grandson the night before! But he held himself back, when he realized that the latter was doing.


    Li Sanlang did not know if his maternal grandfather had realized that he was in the midst of preparing a medicine bath, and decided not to disturb him. Nor was he aware of the twelve secret guards that the Old Marquis had set around the perimeter of his guest house, to make sure that the younger man was not disturbed.


    Li Changhai was his young daughter''s son, after all!


    * * *

 15 Consolidating Gains 3

    "I got the ginseng root from Fu Lai Medicine Hall, as you might have heard. Together with the Dragon Beard Grass that I had just used. They were older than any of the medicinal herbs that I had come across before, so I had to get them."


    His explanation was, as usual, calm and collected. Which was rather rare, especially for a man in his early thirties, and still shrugging into his undershirt after being surprised in his bath.


    Then again, he was the Second Ducal Prince, and he had more experience with such reports than ordinary young men. Besides, this was his mother''s father, and her closest kin. So how could he not be completely open about the whole thing.


    "I have heard. And I also heard that you traded Goldfeather''s Essence Blood for these two items. A heavy price to pay."


    Li Sanlang smiled as he finally stepped out from behind the screen, draping a long blue robe over his shoulders as he did so. From the look on the old man''s face, it was clear that he was not blaming the Second Ducal Prince for making such an exchange.


    "Goldfeather will recover his essence blood in another two, three years. And I had extracted it from my precious ride five years ago, after he had burst through to his present rank. Besides, it is well-worth the price. The ginseng root, I mean. Cousin Meng tried to strong-arm the one who was selling, and got his face smacked for his troubles.


    "So it was almost worth that price, to be able to have been a witness to that! The price of a grandstand view, you might say!"


    The Old Marquis had a slight smile on his face then, as he turned to look at his grandson. "I have heard ... an abridged version of the tale. But I think I would prefer an eyewitness account. Especially the part about how he sent that young fool''s bodyguards flying. I trust there is some truth in what I have heard?"


    "If what you heard had Protector Quan Wanli forced back, and the front of his robe torn to shreds, then there is truth in it. Eunuch Yi from the Osmanthus Palace didn''t dare to make a move, after he saw that."


    The Old Marquis sucked in a breath, the smile that had been on his face fading away at once. It was clear just what he thought about that singular ... demonstration. "So, it was not an exaggeration then? The two of them were ... at least a little injured?"


    Li Sanlang could sense the agitation in his uncle, and nodded back gravely. "All three of them were injured. Including Cousin Meng. And not ... just a little either. Protector Quan was spitting out blood as he fled down the stairs," he pointed out carefully.


    "That powerful?"


    Li Sanlang shrugged. "I don''t know the exact level of his cultivation, since I have just touched the Initial Realm myself. Just now, in fact. But I think it must be at least around the Completion Realm."


    "At least. If he is able to make Quan Wanli spit out blood, he must be at least Middle Completion! Quan Wanli is already Lower Completion Realm himself!"


    "What?! Then ... No wonder they backed away quickly! Middle Completion Realm? What a monster!" Li Sanlang cried out, half in shock already.


    But the Old Marquis shook his head at him. Which was enough to make Li Sanlang begin to feel his knees going soft. "What do you mean? You don''t think he is just Middle Completion Realm? This stranger in the green robe, I mean."


    "To make him and Eunuch Yi run like they did? I am thinking that it is likely that he is of the Higher Completion Realm. Or Peak Completion Realm. Otherwise, why would those two have given up like they did? Eunuch Yi concentrates on the physical body, while Quan Wanli deals mainly with qi and internal strength. If they combined their abilities ..."


    Li Sanlang understood what his maternal uncle was trying to say. Which was enough to make him gulp in fear. To think that he had been so pleased with himself early, for simply breaking through to the Initial Realm. What a joke! That was nothing compared to these Completion Realm bastards.


    And to think that the stranger in green had been a Peak Completion Realm expert!


    Little wonder then, that both of them scurried off like they did!


    However, it did give him an uneasy feeling. Just who was that stranger in the green robe? And was he really there for nothing more than those precious herbs that he wanted? Or did he have another purpose in mind?


    "My only worry is that we don''t know anything about this stranger, or what his true purpose was, coming to Changqing City. I doubt that he wishes to cause any trouble. Not with the Heaven Sword Martial Arts School so close at hand. But ... it is troubling, all the same."


    Li Sanlang had to agree with that. Another powerful martial artist this close by was a cause for concern. Especially since no one has any inkling who he was, or which organisation he belonged to. If indeed he belonged to one at all!


    Then another thought arose in the Second Ducal Prince''s head. "Do you think that Cousin Meng would be ... so stupid as to provoke him further? I mean, Protector Quan is one of the more powerful Protectors he has under his command, but he is not the most powerful. What if he sends ... that one here, to cause trouble?"


    "Situ Baiming? Is that who you are afraid of? Let him come if he dares! I haven''t fought that cursed bastard for more than ten years! Who is afraid of him?"


    Second Ducal Prince Li Changhai reached out his hand to pat his maternal grandfather on the arm. "There, there, grandfather. No need to get so agitated. I am just pointing out a possibility. Besides, he might not dare to come this way. Not when he knows that you are here.


    "But if he does, I think we can wait to watch a remarkable show. After all, that person is at least a peak Completion grade expert himself!


    "So Situ Baiming may end up being the one who gets his face smacked instead!"


    * * *

 16 Consolidating Gains 4

    "Well, Situ Baiming may not have a chance to show his support for the Royal Prince, unless I am gravely mistaken. But neither will we be at leisure."


    The Second Ducal Prince turned to stare at the Old Marquis. Who simply shrugged when he saw the question in the younger man''s gaze. He had no intention of hiding it, or in making the young man wait:


    "Your Eldest Uncle has reported an increase in activity, among the Barbarians to the Southwest. It seems they are gathering to launch yet another attack on the Kingdom. And it is likely to be in next Spring or Summer. We had best be ready for it."


    "The Barbarians are going to attack? Are you sure?"


    The Old Marquis shrugged again. "Who can be certain about things like this? But my eldest son, your uncle, has seen all of the signs of another intrusion, so we should prepare for the worse. Your father has already been notified by the way. He and your older brother are already on their way to the Western Border."


    Li Changhai nodded absently at his maternal grandfather, as his brain struggled to grasp the ramifications of what he had just heard. The King, and the rest of the Kingdom for that matter, was not going to move until there was confirmation of a real intrusion. But by the time that the Barbarians did launch an attack, it would take close to three months for the reinforcements to arrive at the Western Border.


    Which meant that the army led by his father and his older half-brother would have to face close to three times their number of Barbarians on their own, until the reinforcements could arrive. That was, after all, his father''s responsibility, as Duke of the Westlands.


    And he was rather certain that there would be a few nobles from the High Council who would take this chance to pursue some of their private agenda, while pretending to gather up their own forces. And who knows what sort of tricks they would play then!


    His face turned black without his noticing, before a snort from the Old Marquis suddenly broke him free of his revelry. And the Old Marquis seemed more than a little annoyed, as he smacked the Second Ducal Prince on the back of his head.


    "What are you worried about? Did you think that your father lasted this long without having a few plans in place? Besides, aren''t I still here? I have already gotten Laixue to mobilize half of the standing army, and to bring them out for exercises at the Southern Woods. It would only take them three days to get from there to the Black Dragon Forts at the Border.


    "So what are you making that face for? Just concentrate on what you are supposed to be doing and leave the fighting to those of us who really know War."


    "You are sending Eldest Uncle Laixue out there already? Isn''t that going to make the King ... a little more cautious?"


    The Old Marquis smiled. And patted his grandson Li Sanlang on the shoulder. "Your uncle Feng Laixue is the Marquis now, remember? And it is entirely up to him where he wishes to hold his military exercises on his own fief. So if he decides to play at the Southwestern edges of his field, who is going to stop him?


    "And it is a good thing for the King to pay a little more attention in this direction too. That way, he wouldn''t be caught by surprise, when the Barbarians come raiding across the Border," he sniggered.


    Li Sanlang nodded back at his maternal grandfather, and shrugged his shoulders at the older man. No matter how much he thought he had learned, he was still no match for the Old Marquis. Or his uncle, the new one.


    "So what do you want me to do then? Head back to Yanyun City? To tell my father and brother about this? So that they can ... adjust their plans?"


    The Old Marquis laughed, and threw his arm around his grandson''s shoulders. "No need for that! I''ve sent him six messenger pigeons already, from six different sites. So he should know all that he needs to know."


    "Then what do I do?"


    "Well, I was about to suggest that you stay here, so that I can guide you on your martial arts. It makes for a good excuse, and you can send word to your father about reaching the Initial Realm. That should make him happy enough not to ask too many questions.


    "And it should keep you from having to avoid that stupid cousin of yours, after he completely embarrassed himself in the Medicine Hall down in the City! If I didn''t know any better, I would have thought that he was just looking to have his face smacked!"


    Li Sanlang grinned as he remembered that. "Well, I wish you had been there, to see just how green his face was, when he realized that his precious Protectors weren''t able to do a single thing to help him. I think he was really afraid that he was going to end up a corpse, the way that the stranger was looking at him.


    The white-haired old man laughed, as he shook his head. "Oh no. If I was there, I would have had to do something, wouldn''t I? What would be the fun in that? This way, I can poke fun at the Zhou Family''s woes, if the King dares to invite me to the Capital City for the New Year!"


    "I think it''s highly unlikely that he would do that. Especially when Uncle Laixue has already taken over all of your duties. It means you can face-smack all of those high-ranked civilian officials who insult you with impunity, doesn''t it? Without worrying about the ramifications? I don''t think the King would like that very much."


    Both of them shared a laugh at that, but the Old Marquis suddenly caught him by the shoulder again. "You might not like what I have in mind for you though, if we are going to be staying here for a while. After all, you can''t be cooped up in here, doing nothing but practice your martial arts," he declared in a serious tone.


    "What do you mean?"


    "Of course, it means you''ll need to get out of my Palace now and again, so that I can have a chance to introduce some of my friends'' granddaughters to you. What do you say?"


    Then the Old Marquis grinned at him. "Interested in giving me a great-grandson?"


    * * *

 17 Bleak Winter Season 1

    The City of Changqing was getting ready to weather yet another bleak Winter. And from what the larger Sects who had some understanding of the climate and the weather conditions, it was definitely going to be a colder and harsher Winter than the preceding year. As well as the last few that the City had gone through, in the recent past.


    That was not particularly good news, especially for Feng Laixue, the Marquis of the Southlands. A few of the braver souls, or drunker ones, had commented that it was apt for the weather to turn out so bad, with him at the helm of the fief, rather than his aged father.


    After all, wasn''t his name indicative of that? Laixue, as in Coming Snow?


    Of course, as popular as he was among the local populace, none of those who gave voice to that opinion managed to get away unscathed. But the New Marquis did not seem overly concerned by that. And simply prepared for the worst in his usual quiet manner.


    In many ways, Feng Laixue was the antithesis of his father, when it came to governance and war. He was cool and calm under even the most extreme conditions, and he relied on his calculations and his wits, over his emotions and his martial skills, to secure his victories in every campaign that he had been in.


    Something that made some of the braver souls wonder if indeed he was his father''s son!


    Of course, no one dared to whisper that where there was a chance that the Old Marquis, Feng Haojiao, could overhear. After all, he was not known as the Fire Mountain of the South for no reason. And he was said to be just as fit as he was, before he gave up his position and stepped aside for his son.


    Even though the younger man seemed nothing like his father at all!


    But there was something about Marquis and his family that most people did not realize. Or rather, it had been kept so close that hardly anyone realized the significance of the same. And that was probably why they were making such guesses with regards to Feng Laixue''s parentage.


    After all, how many could still remember the Old Marquis'' young wife? And which Sect she belonged to, before she married the old soldier, close to twenty-five years ago?


    Then again, Xie Nianxue was not a native of the Southlands, and had from the far North, before her wanderings brought her to Changqing City, to fight in one of the many wars against the Barbarians. That was how she met the Old Marquis, back in the day.


    Who knew that he would have to court her for close to thirty years, before she would agree to marry him? Or that she did not seem to age at all, in all of those three decades? But she was what inspired the Old Marquis to name his son thus, when Laixue was born.


    To give her something else to long for, other than the snow-covered peaks of her homeland, far to the North.


    Those in the know were adamant that she had laughed when she heard her husband''s decision. And that she had promised to give him other sons, for the sake of his consideration. Regardless if it was true or not, Feng Laixue was swiftly joined by his younger sister, Feng Xueli, within ten years.


    And Feng Xueli, once she turned sixteen, was so beautiful that the aged Duke of the South, Li Guoyang, asked for her hand in marriage, as his second wife. And Li Changhai was born shortly afterwards.


    About the same time that Feng Laixue''s his younger brother, Feng Sixue, was born as well.


    With the two newborn children so close in age, and so closely related, it wasn''t much of a surprise when the two of them turned out to be almost inseparable when they were children. So much so that they would study, and practice martial arts together, uncle and nephew getting into so many pranks and escapades that they seemed almost joined at the hip!


    That is, until circumstances finally forced Feng Sixue away, on his sixteenth birthday, to join his mother''s secretive Sect. Something that had been agreed upon, shortly after he was born.


    And that, in turn, caused Li Changhai to turn up at Changqing City more frequently, to keep his grandmother, who obviously missed her young son, company more often.


    Which was why Li Changhai was the only one with a different surname sitting with the rest of the Feng Family, during one of the secret planning meetings that was being held, to discuss the development of the Barbarian situation:


    "I suppose the situation could be worse. They have started to dig in, and to hold their ground. So it is unlikely that they would try anything during the Winter. I have gotten our people to prepare the signal fires already, all the same. So we are unlikely to be surprised, even if they do try anything stupid."


    The New Marquis was not at all shy, when he spoke to his father and mother. And it was rather clear that he had a good idea of what to expect, if the Barbarians really started attacking once Spring arrived.


    "Not to worry about the City''s defenses here. The Guards have been training hard, and they have all the procedures in place. We are, however, short of capable commanders. Probably because you stole every good one away to your Black Saber Troop, the moment that they showed up," his mother sniffed as she looked his way.


    "You can''t blame me for that, Mother. Who knew that the Barbarians would be coming so soon. I thought I might as well build up our personal army a little. Besides, they would be wasted in the City Guard if there wasn''t going to be any action."


    The Old Marquis chuckled then, drawing the eyes of both his wife and his son. "Better set that aside now, or you''ll be arguing until dinner time, and we won''t get any work done," he warned with a broad smile on his lips.


    Then he sighed, and nodded at Li Changhai.


    "You know what? There are times when I wonder if we had made a mistake, allowing the Royal Prince to flee Changqing City when he did, all those moons ago. It is possible that the King had sent him here, to gather more information about the Barbarian Invasion.


    "And to keep an eye on what we are going to do about that."


    * * *

 18 Bleak Winter Season 2

    "As if he could give an accurate account of the situation."


    His wife made an ugly sound in her throat as soon as she said that. "That boy is useless, just like his mother. How could the King have let him leave the Capital like that? He should have been sent off into the Royal Army, like our Laixue here."


    "Well, not everyone would have done as well as our Laixue," the Old Marquis laughed, as he waved a hand at the New Marquis, who was already rolling his eyes. Obviously, he had heard all of this before.


    "He is not our problem now, since he scurried off with his tail between his legs long before the Winter came around. So we should concentrate on what we are going to do instead, to deal with those bloodthirsty brutes from the Southwest," the New Marquis said.


    The Old Marquis agreed, and the conversation turned back to the Barbarians, and what preparations they were making to face them, if they came against the City.


    And Li Sanlang had an idea to offer, which he had gotten out of some of the history texts that he had studied, back at his father''s library:


    "We should try to keep track of all the itinerant martial artists and the disciples of the visiting Martial Schools and Sects, so that we might seek their help, when the attack comes our way. That is, if they are still around."


    Lady Xie nodded at his suggestion with a smile. "I am not sure if we have the clout to get them all on our side, but I doubt that the ones from Heaven Sword School would refuse, seeing as to how close their School is to our City. I might as well send word to them about this immediately."


    The Old Marquis sighed as he reached out to grasp his wife''s hand. "Not personally, I hope? The weather is getting colder, and the roads are harsh. This Winter is a little colder than most, and I wouldn''t want you to catch a cold."


    "More like you don''t want to lose your favorite bed-warmer, if I am not around," came her reply, although she was displaying a broad grin on her face, rather than irritation.


    "Don''t worry about it. I will be there and back within three days at most. I think you can live without me for that long, hmmm?"


    *


    That night, under the full moon, another conversation was taking place at Heaven Sword School, just as the Marquis and his family were discussing their plans. It was at the same place where Qin Feng had met Elder Ming previously, on another night in question. But this time, the younger of the two was bidding the Elder farewell:


    "Well, that is the last of the Purple Blood Ginger that I have managed to find in the Southern Forest, Elder Ming. As you already know, I had spent a good part of the late Autumn scouring all of the places that I could think of. But there wasn''t a single trace of any more of them. So I suppose I should just say goodbye, and take my leave."


    Elder Ming Guanhe nodded at the younger man''s words, but it was clear that his attention was completely held by the two stalks of the Purple Blood Ginger grass that he was caressing with his fingertips. Then he seemed to recover, and managed to put on what could pass for a smile.


    "Then ... you do not intend to remain until Spring? There is still more than half a season of Winter to go. And I am sure that any allies that Ping Jiexian left behind wouldn''t dare to try anything during this period."


    Qin Feng smiled. That had been nothing more than an excuse, when he mentioned it back in Summer. But Elder Ming had decided to take Ping Jiexian to task anyway. Which resulted in a rather discreet investigation that uncovered the fact that Elder Ping Jiexian - No. Former Elder Ping Jiexian!


    He had been stripped of his rank and imprisoned by the Sect for the conduct of forbidden experiments. And all of those who had been linked to him, in one way or another, had been thoroughly investigated by the Left Guardian''s office.


    The same Left Guardian that had been so pleased with Elder Ming Guanhe''s information, that the Elder Ming was now a Big Red Person at the Residence!


    And that, of course, had resulted in a small trickle of the rewards flowing down to land on Qin Feng''s lap! Which showed him that Elder Ming was not forgetful of those who had done himfavors in the past. Some of the goodies had even flowed onto Chen Xing''s lap!


    Not to mention, it was a rather good way to make certain that Qin Feng kept his mouth shut regarding other ... more sensitive information that might bring his popularity crashing down!


    Of course, if Elder Ming was the more ruthless sort, he would have even considered getting rid of this particular supplier of his. That would be the simplest way to make sure that he wouldn''t talk. He had more to lose now, after he had come to the attention of the Grandmaster''s Left Hand!


    Which was why Qin Feng was so eager to get away. And he wasn''t going to bother waiting until Spring before he did so! After all, the longer that he remained there, within arms'' reach of Ming Guanhe, the more danger he would be in. Hence, he had decided to leave, even though it was the middle of one of the coldest Winters that the School had ever experienced.


    "I am not too worried about the former Elder, to be honest. But I would like to go before someone brings up the fact that I have already overstayed for about half a year. And try to get me to pay some fees for my accommodation and food!" he laughed.


    "I think that I should go before that happens."


    "Well, so long as you are prepared. This Winter is uncommonly cold," Elder Ming warned, "Do you need help, to send your things down from the Mountain?"


    "Oh, no need! My family has sent ... someone to help me with my belongings, so I should not be needing any help. Besides, after so long on the mountain, I think it is about time that I paid a visit to Changqing City. After all, it is so close by, and I have never had a chance to see the sights there."


    Elder Ming Guanhe merely nodded, as Qin Feng bid him farewell once again, and left with an alluring smile on his lips. Yes, he would spend the rest of his Winter in Changqing City!


    * * *

 19 Bleak Winter Season 3

    The Main Gate of Changqing City was only open during daylight hours, which meant that it was shut for most of the day. And given that it was Winter, that meant that the actual number of hours were very small. Not that it caused much inconvenience to the populace. After all, even when it was open, there were merely a handful of travelers, if any, who bothered to leave the place.


    As for those that were waiting to come inside, there were only two of them that morning. By the time the Gate was open, it was already close to the early lunch hour. And the Guards working at the South-facing Main Gate had already spent a good period of time studying the pair.


    They had appeared on the road slightly more than an hour ago; in the dim light, it was hard to see that far. But it was clear from the fact that they were approaching on foot, that they must have started their journey to Changqing City since daybreak or so.


    Which made it almost unthinkable, the way that the pair was able to cover the distance.


    The snow was thick on the ground, after all. At some spots on the road, it was almost the height of a man! An ordinary traveler would have sunk down in the same, up to his chest or his neck, in some stretches along that road. Yet, these two were able to walk on the snow without any problems at all!


    That alone was enough to make the Guards at the Gate decide that they had to behave respectfully towards the two men, long before they arrived at the same. And for news of the pair''s approach to reach the ears of the three men that the Old Marquis had thereabouts.


    Who hurried to send word to the Old Marquis'' Residence at once!


    No one wished to take any chances, when faced with a superior martial artist, who was able to walk on the soft snow like that. And for as far as the eye could see, even in Wintertime!


    And all eyes watched the pair carefully, as they approached the Gate.


    By the time that they finally arrived at the South Gate of Changqing City, the Guards there had already recovered their composure, and behaved as though they were simply conducting their daily, highly routine check on the same.


    But the bronze tag that the younger of the two produced was enough to make them freeze where they stood for a moment. One of them even stumbled, then quickly curse the ice on the ground for making him slip. His bright red face, however, was enough to make his Commanding Officer roll his eyes at him.


    Still, it had offered the whole contingent an excuse for their unusual behavior. So he said nothing, and continued with his pretense.


    Fu Lai Medicine Hall!


    How could these two be associated with Fu Lai Medicine Hall? With the weather being what it was, how could there be any medicinal herbs or plants being harvested in the Forests or the Hills? And if they were there to make purchases, shouldn''t they have sent word ahead?


    But there were no indicators that there was anyone from the Medicine Hall present there, at the moment.


    Then one of the Guards made a face, and his eyes signaled the Commander to take a look at the companion of the youth who had produced the tag:


    That one was much older than the young fellow, looking as if he was somewhere around half-a-century old. And his face was somewhat familiar to the Commander, as though the latter had seen it before in some place, or read a description of his features somewhere. But he couldn''t quite understand why his man would draw his attention to the fellow.


    Then he remembered. And almost dropped the bronze tag that he was holding.


    There were sharp sounds of inhalation from the other men with him at about the same time, which told him that he was not the only one who realized who this was; that was the old man that the Marquis was looking for! This was the one who had smacked the Royal Prince and sent his Protector away puking blood!


    But wasn''t he supposed to be ...


    The Guard Commander managed to rein in the expressions that were trying to reveal themselves on his face, and handed back the tag, before waving for the rest of the Guards to let the pair through. He could not prevent his fingers from trembling though, as he did it. Nor was he able to stop himself from giving the boy a welcoming nod.


    He was lucky that he could stop himself from bowing!


    But the youth smiled as he nodded back, as though he could not be bothered with formalities. Then again, given the fact that he was a disciple of the Heaven Sword School, no one was about to point out his lack of manners. After all, regardless of his level of cultivation, that old man at his side had been recognized.


    Which left everyone wondering just what sort of family did this young man come from? To have someone at the Peak of the Completion Realm as his bodyservant?


    Qin Feng, on the other hand, didn''t really care about the attention that he was drawing from the crowd, which he thought to be because of his Heaven Sword School uniform. He was using that to ease his way into the City, and was intending to take it off later, when he got to his new house.


    And as for his puppet ... There weren''t many that would recognize it, in his mind. After all, how many people had he interacted with the few times that he had been in the City?


    Of course, he had not counted on the Marquis'' spies that had been following it, the last two, three times that it visited Changqing City. The same spies that were anxiously rushing to forward their latest report to the Old Marquis'' residence!


    Wasn''t Lady Xie, the Old Marquis'' wife, scheduled to depart for the Heaven Sword School that very day? Perhaps she might wish to question this fellow?


    * * *

 20 Bleak Winter Season 4

    "He''s a bodyservant of a boy? A boy who''s an mere outer disciple of the Heaven Sword School? Are you certain?"


    The one who was asking was the Old Marquis, who was alerted to the arrival of the middle-aged fellow and his apparent master. That was a development that he had not expected. However, if the boy was a disciple of the famous Heaven Sword School, it would make a little more sense.


    Still, only an outer disciple? If an outer disciple could get a Completion Realm master to serve as his bodyservant ... Just what sort of background would someone like that have?


    "You have checked with everyone that he has every dealt with then? That man who likes to show up in that faded green robe? And with our own people at South Gate? He is the same man?"


    He was seated in the highest seat in his Audience Hall, in the middle of his Residence, as he listened to the report. And beside him was his wife, who seemed to remain calm throughout the whole of it. Indeed, she was simply taking a sip of tea, as her husband made his query.


    One that made the spy who had been making the report lower his head once more.


    "Yes, Master. We have done so. He was the person who had sold the ginseng root and the Dragon Beard Grass to the Second Ducal Prince back then. And we have already reported his purchase of that town-house to the East, just after the Harvest. From the look of things, he and that youth are moving in there now."


    The Old Marquis nodded while Lady Xie merely looked curious. "A town-house, in the quietest and the poorest part of the City? That is a little unusual," the old man confessed, as he looked at his wife, "Not the sort of behavior that one would associate with the disciples of Heaven Sword School, if we were to look at their recent history."


    "Not even after I arrived here? Forty-three years ago?"


    The Old Marquis smiled at his wife''s reminder. "They were more unbridled back then. But between my army and your martial arts cultivation, they had learned to pretend at being civil. We have not had a clash with them for about half a century, remember? Ever since our eldest was born.


    "Which makes me wonder what they are thinking now. Why are they sending one of their outer school disciples here at this time? And what is his relationship with that quiet old expert? I cannot believe that they are master and servant!


    "At least, not an ordinary master and servant!"


    Lady Xie smiled. "You are being too restrictive, in the way that you view the world. There are some experts who are willing to serve, even if it means looking after their Master''s wastrel children. So why can''t that be the case here?


    "Although I am a little concerned about the young man. Why would he choose to leave the School at such at time? This is the worse time of the year to shift to a new environment. And the School hasn''t even bothered to send him off properly."


    The Old Marquis had a thoughtful look on his face as soon as he heard his wife''s words. And he turned to look at the spy at once, before he realized that the man would not have any answers. It was not something that they could find out, without interacting with the two that they were watching.


    Or with the Heaven Sword School.


    And he was not ready to take things that far. At least, not yet.


    So, he could only speculate. "He looks old enough to be past sixteen, they said. So it is possible that he has ... failed to reach the required Initial Realm? That would be enough of a reason for them to throw him out of the School."


    But that drew a snort from his wife. And she waved a hand at the guards that were lining the walls inside their Audience Hall. "Would you throw out your guards just like that, if they failed one of the training exercises that you prepared for them? Or would you try to use them in some other way? Perhaps, one that would make better use of their inborn talents?


    "As a spy perhaps?"


    The Old Marquis laughed, as soon as he heard that. "So, you think they would play the same game that we are playing now? That he is here to judge our reaction to the news of the Barbarian Horde? The Heaven Sword School is not known to be so subtle, you know?"


    "Perhaps not. But there''s no other explanation why they would bother to send someone to us now. And such a low-leveled disciple at that," the Lady sniffed again, "But if you consider the Completion level expert next to him, it makes for a more interesting tale."


    "In that case, why not send for him, and share what we know about the situation? It would save you from having to make the trip, and we could try to find out if there''s a chance that the School would consent to taking a more active role."


    Lady Xie sighed, and shook her head at her husband. "No, that won''t do. We do not know who sent this boy, or what is their objective for making such a move now. If we rely on him to pass the word and it doesn''t reach the ears of the ones making the decisions ..."


    The old man seemed to understand her point immediately. And his manner grew a lot sterner, as he turned to look at the spy standing before them. There was no change of expression on the man''s face of course. Then again, he had not expected there to be one.


    "Then what shall we do?"


    The Lady waved a hand at the spy then, as if to include him in her planning. Although that was merely for show. She would not deign to ask the opinion of her tools. "We should carry out our plans, while we try to find out why he has been sent here. It is what they would expect us to do, anyway. So it would not surprise them."


    "So ... you are still going to the Heaven Sword School?" he asked quietly, "To speak to the Grandmaster there?"


    "I see no point in delaying. And it doesn''t matter if this boy is one of their agents or not. We still need to secure their aid, or a promise of the same, before the Barbarians come at us. So there''s no point in postponing my trip to the Martial Arts School.


    "And you can get our grandson to ... pay him a courtesy call, to thank him for the help rendered by his bodyservant. That should seem innocent enough," she added, after a moment''s thought.


    "Then ,,, you do not intend to meet with this fellow yourself?"


    "No. Even if he is a spy for the School, it only goes to prove that they are interested in what happens. And that they are aware of the threat the Barbarians pose to all of us. If he is not ..."


    She shrugged her shoulders again, and cocked her head at the Old Marquis. Who sighed as he agreed with her reading of the situation.


    "If he is not, there would be no point in speaking to him at all."


    * * *

 21 Return to the Medicine Hall 1

    The house was barely adequate, but Qin Feng knew that when he purchased it. It didn''t have to be luxurious but he preferred it to be comfortable, at least. After all, he had to stay there for the next four to six moons.


    And it had to be big enough to accommodate all of the loot that he was making away with, when he left the Heaven Sword School. After all, he was certainly not going to leave anything behind, after he takes his leave.


    The puppet attracted a little more attention than he would have preferred. With his training, there was no way that he could miss the way that the Guards were reacting, when they realized that it was acting like a porter. And he didn''t miss the fact that there were two others who hurriedly left the scene, after he had passed through.


    Who they were working for, however, he had no idea. But he was certain that it wasn''t the Heaven Sword School. The ones who spied for that organisation were probably still huddled in their homes, and unwilling to venture out into the cold weather!


    Then he decided that he didn''t care!


    Those idiots would do their jobs and he would concentrate on getting his temporary home ready for habitation! And start working on raising his cultivation! That was more important. Especially with what was on the way.


    He was just about to head back to the secret storeroom and do that, when he remembered that he had not properly arranged things in there yet. Well, he had been a little short of time. And digging out the storage chamber had taken up a good bit of that.


    So it looked like he had no choice but to do it now!


    Or rather, get his puppet to handle it for him! It would take a far shorter time, if he did that! Far better if he let someone else, or something else, do all of the heavy work for him!


    Close to two hours later, he was finally done with the task.


    Qin Feng waved his hand one last time, directing the puppet to shift the boxes so that there was a suitably large empty space in the center of the storeroom. That would make a tolerable training area, if circumstances forced him to come underground, and to hide with the gains that he had made from the Heaven Sword Martial Arts School.


    Then he made a rude noise in his throat, and waved his hand at the puppet, sending it back into the corner of the room. He might as well get started then, while the sun was still moderately warm enough to dispel some of the bleak weather.


    It would be an invigorating walk, at least, from this new hovel to the Fu Lai Medicine Hall.


    Qin Feng did have a few more medicinal herbs that he was certain would be in demand at the moment. Especially if the Marquis'' forces had already realized that things were not at all as peaceful as they should be, over in the West.


    And his army should be stocking up on every medicine that would be of any use, if War really broke out between them and the intruding Barbarians. Perhaps even at prices beyond what they would normally pay!


    If that was so, it would be the perfect time for him to make his first major killing!


    *


    Ling Jing''er inspected the herbs in front of her carefully, before nodding her head at the younger woman standing to her left with a slight smile. Which widened as she noted how the other woman''s shoulders seem to loosen a fraction, when she approved the assessment that the latter had just made.


    It seemed the other girls there at Fu Lai Medicine Hall were more than conscious of the reason for her promotion, to Assistant Hall Manager. Well, it was no secret how she got the job, after her predecessor had gotten himself an upgrade to Deputy Hall Manager. A post that had been vacant before, she reminded himself.


    Yet, who could say anything about the Main Store''s decision? Or the fact that they were keeping Hall Manager Zheng in the East, where the climate was warmer, and much more comfortable, compared to Changqing City. A reward for what he had done perhaps?


    Given the way the story had spread, and grown in the telling, the new Assistant Hall Manager, Ling Jing''er, was not so sure what to believe. But she did not doubt that there was an appearance by an unprecedented expert there, in Changqing. And that he had effectively face-smacked the Royal Prince with his actions!


    Now, wasn''t that reason enough why Hall Manager Zheng was enjoying himself in the East, where he could share that slightly embellished tale with all the friends of the Main Store?


    Well, regardless of what had really happened, she was glad that it did. After all, she wouldn''t be the new Assistant Hall Manager now if it hadn''t, would she? Ling Jing''er waved her hand at the girl in front of her then, and stepped away from the counter.


    Although she had still more to do, to make that particular post hers in truth.


    She was a trained assessor of herbs, and the top of her field among all of the employees in the Medicine Hall. And she had paid careful attention to the fluctuations of prices of the same, with more attention to detail than the others of her rank. Hence, she had been picked, out of the eleven who had been considered, to take over this role.


    Unfortunately, Deputy Hall Manager Luo Junyuan was still around, and learning his own job. Which left her largely on the ground floor of the Medicine Hall, looking over the sales. And checking on other people''s work. When was she going to be allowed up onto the second floor?


    Then she heard the ruckus. What was going on? And at the front of the Hall at that?


    It didn''t take long before the matter was finally brought to her attention, along with the so-called perpetrator behind the same. And she thought that she had a good grasp of the situation too, after the briefing that she had received.


    "This was not issued to you, was it?" she asked at once, when she was finally brought face to face with the one involved.


    He was rather young - no more than sixteen or seventeen, and he was dressed like a rich merchant''s brat, in fine cotton cloth that had been dyed a pale blue color. A strange smile lingered on his lips as he nodded back at her. As though he could not be bothered to speak.


    Which was enough to bring Assistant Hall Manager Ling Jing''er to the boiling point at once! Curse it! Didn''t he know who she was? The sales personnel had clearly introduced her just now, when she entered the room!


    "This is not some game, sir. The use of a regular''s tag is associated to the good name of the Medicine Hall! We cannot allow it to be carelessly transferred without authorization! And shall have to be reported upwards. Perhaps to the Marquis'' Manor!


    "In fact, doing so without informing us, without good cause, would definitely result in the same being banned from Fu Lai Medicine Hall in the future!"


    * * *

 22 Return to the Medicine Hall 2

    "Banned from trading here?"


    The youth then smiled, as he waved a hand at the bronze tag in the Assistant Hall Manager''s grasp. "I am not particularly worried about that. Feel free to take that back, if you are that concerned about the rules. I am certain that neither me nor my manservant would mind if I switched to another buyer," he said almost nonchalantly.


    "I hear that the Red Fish Medicine Hall is rather popular at the moment, over at the West side of Changqing City. Perhaps they would be interested in what I have to offer."


    The woman''s eyes bulged, as her face began to turn a bright crimson at his unadorned threat. And her voice was clearly much louder than it had been before:


    "You dare ...!"


    Qin Feng snorted as he shrugged at her. "I dare? What do you mean by that? You are the one tossing me out, aren''t you? I am not the one who is making things difficult, am I? It seems Fu Lai Medicine Hall has forgotten all about the lesson my manservant taught you, just last year! To think that your former Assistant Hall Manager Luo would have let you take over without telling you all about that!"


    He laughed then, as the new Assistant Hall Manager sputtered. It was clear that she had heard about what happened to Assistant Hall Manager Luo, just last Spring, when Qin Feng sent his puppet in for the first time.


    Well, if he did that once, he could do it again. Besides, since the conflict with the Barbarians was inevitable, the City would be in need of a great deal of curatives. So he was not too concerned that he would find no buyer for his Yellow Spotted Lotus Roots. It was the primary ingredient in more than three types of blood-staunching medicine, after all.


    He had only come to Fu Lai Medicine Hall because he thought it would be easier to deal with that group, with their shared history and all. Since that wasn''t the case, he didn''t mind smacking this idiot woman in the face, and heading off to Red Fish Medicine Hall instead.


    "Ahem."


    The cough was as fake as it could possibly get, but Qin Feng turned towards the source of that noise all the same. It would be interesting to see who was intruding on this unusual conversation. After all, this woman in front of him was supposed to be the new Assistant Hall Manager of Fu Lai Medicine Hall, and there were only two that he knew of, who outranked her in that place.


    Then his smile grew a little wider, as he recognized the man with the thin moustaches stepping into the private alcove. "You are being a little noisy here, Assistant Hall Manager Ling. What is the problem here, that has you so flustered?" he asked, closing the door behind him as soon as he had entered.


    The woman certainly did not miss her chance to point her finger at Qin Feng. "This young man came here using another''s identification tag, sir. I was questioning him about it and he threatened to leave Fu Lai Medicine Hall hereonafter, and do his trading with Red Fish Medicine Hall instead. Hence, my ... outburst earlier," she explained quickly.


    "Oh?"


    Former Assistant Hall Manager Luo Junyuan turned to him then, and he could see that there was a thread of caution in the older man''s eyes. It seems he had not forgotten another episode, and what had happened to him, after he confronted another over-proud and cantankerous customer.


    But what caught his attention most was how his words had made the younger woman half-a-step to his rear twitch the corners of her lips as she eyed the new Deputy Hall Manager. Was that a mocking smile? Did she think that he was throwing away his face?


    That was how it looked, to Qin Fang''s eyes.


    "I must apologize, sir, if Assistant Hall Manager Ling had failed to make our Fu Lai Medicine Hall''s stand clear. We cannot allow to let our tags be ... handed from person to person without some checks being done. After all, it would be ... irresponsible to the person that we had issued the tag to, if the one using it had obtained it ... through dubious methods."


    The man reached out and plucked the said tag from the woman''s hand as he spoke, and he casually glanced at it, even as he continued:


    "I shall have to ask you where you ..."


    Then his voice choked off, as his eyes grew wider than teacups, as he devoted his entire attention on the bronze tag before him. Nor did he recover, until Assistant Hall Manager Ling nudged him with her elbow.


    Only then did the new Deputy Hall Manager look up at Qin Feng, and swallowed twice before he continued his line of questioning:


    "Apologies for that. I suddenly felt a ... discomfort in my throat. As I was saying, I shall have to ask you where you had obtained this particular tag?"


    His voice, however, now held more than the trace of politeness that he had been using before. And his manner too, suddenly had become a lot more obsequious.


    Which was enough to make Qin Feng break out into a wide grin.


    "Why, that belonged to my manservant, of course. Who did you think was growing those herbs that he had been selling, all this time?"


    Standing behind Luo Junyuan, Assistant Hall Manager Ling Jing''er was finding it harder to keep the smile on her face any longer. Why hadn''t he told her that earlier?


    Of course, given the state of her temper at the moment, how was she able to remember that she had not given him a chance to do so? Didn''t she tear into him at once, the moment that she saw him? He barely had the opportunity to admit that he wasn''t the one who was issued with the shop tag!


    "I believe that you should know the rules of the Heavenly Sword School, regarding the management of their medicine gardens? So long as one can satisfy the basic requirements - offering up the stated, base-line herbs harvested from the same, the rest would become his property? Including those that he harvests from the Forest?


    "This is said to be the School''s method to ... encourage their more outstanding Outer Circle disciples to pay more attention to their tasks. According to the Elders that I have questioned, at least," Qin Feng chuckled softly, as he shook his head.


    Deputy Hall Manager Luo Junyuan, on the other hand, seemed lost in his own thoughts, as was the woman at his back, the moment that he mentioned his relationship with the man in green who had visited the Medicine Hall previously.


    Both of them, however, held a different view towards the now-absent subject of his conversation. After all, just who was his manservant?


    So it was rather unlikely that they had heard anything else after that.


    * * *

 23 Return to the Medicine Hall 3

    "Your ... manservant?"


    "Oh yes. Taller than you, with a rather disreputable looking face and very proud. Likes to wear that dirty, old green robe of his whenever he comes out to the City. He is back at our new townhouse. Or old townhouse, to be more accurate."


    The young man sighed and shook his head. He seemed to have come to the conclusion that the new Deputy Hall Manager might remember the details of the trades that took place, rather than the individual himself.


    "I think he was boasting about ... a Thousand Year Old Ginseng root, and a Thousand Year Old Lingzhi mushroom, that he traded away the last time that he came here. Does that ring any bells for you?"


    "Ah! Young Master must be joking! How could I forget such a memorable exchange. Especially when your servant had ... Ah! But that is not important now! Here! Let me return this tag to you first!"


    Luo Junyuan''s hands shook as he handed the tag back to the young man. And from his body language, the woman standing behind him was already shocked speechless. How could she not understand the references that had been given?


    A Thousand Year Old Ginseng, and a Thousand Year Old Lingzhi?


    If his manservant was the one who traded them away, in the presence of Deputy Hall Manager Luo ...


    What had she done?


    The new Assistant Hall Manager broke out into cold sweat immediately, as she realized just who she was dealing with here! And what her Deputy Hall Manager was really doing, when he stepped in to handle the youth himself!


    And her eyes had grown just as wide as her superior''s were before, when she finally realized why he had suddenly put in so much effort in dealing with this bothersome youth. Or why he was speaking so politely.


    Luo Junyuan had been trying to haul her a** out of the raging fire ever since the moment that he arrived! At the risk of getting his fingers burnt!


    All at once, she felt a warmth towards the newly promoted Deputy Hall Manager that she had not felt ever before. To think that she had always considered him so far beneath Hall Manager Zheng, and that he would never amount to much. And to think that she had even considered climbing over him! With her better looks and her tight adherence to the rules of the Medicine Hall, she had thought that it would just be a matter of time.


    It was only then that she realized that she had so much more to learn! Oh, how had she let down this skinny fellow! To think that he had thrown himself down in front of a stampede for her!


    How was she ever going to repay him?


    No. That was not the question now!


    To her, the more critical question would be, was she going to able to remain as Assistant Hall Manager now? After all of the harsh words she had been throwing his way?


    What was Hall Manager Zheng Zhanqi going to think?


    *


    "Ah! Then the one who had ... traded that Thousand Year Ginseng and the Dragon Beard Grass to me in Summer was your man? And the latter was cultivated by your hand? Then I must thank you personally! I would not have been able to make it through to the next Cultivation Realm without the help of that Dragon Beard Grass!"


    The trio turned to look over to the scrumptiously dressed man who was standing just a short distance away from them. Judging from the distance, there was no way that he could have avoided hearing what had just been said between them.


    His two bodyguards, on the other hand, were a short distance behind him, and seemed to have managed to keep the three of them well isolated in that corner of the shop. Which seemed to indicate that he had been taking pains to ensure that no one else could eavesdrop onto their conversation.


    Which was entirely Li Changhai''s intent!


    His grandparents did not hide the news from him, when their spies informed that they had seen the youth that was accompanying the old man emerging from their house that morning. And that he was headed towards Fu Lai Medicine Hall. Which had Li Changhai dashing out of the Manor at once.


    After all, he had a better idea of what to expect, given the changes there for the last two, three moons. That new Assistant Hall Manager, Ling Jing''er, was a little inflexible, and he had decided that he had better be there, to prevent any misunderstandings from arising.


    Who was know that Deputy Hall Manager Luo Junyuan had already shown himself, by the time that he arrived?


    All that he could do was to station his guards in an appropriate fashion, to keep their discussion - which was more suited to be conducted on the second or third floor, in his opinion! Well, so long as no one heard the content of the same, like he did, Li Sanlang was content.


    Then he was considering how he was going to help to settle the matter. And at the same time, introduce himself, and make the acquaintance of this young man. If the man in the signature green robe was really his bodyservant, then it was clear that his status was not ordinary. He might not be willing to befriend someone like a mere Second Ducal Prince, after all.


    Yet, how could he not at least make the attempt? Even if he got his face smacked as badly as how his cousin, the Royal Prince, had fared, it would be nothing compared to if he succeeded, wasn''t it? Besides, he had already seen how the boy was remaining so calm, so collected, despite the provocation that he had suffered, before Li Sanlang arrived there.


    Didn''t that show that he had a better temper than that old man in green, with his monstrous cultivation?


    So when he saw the opportunity that presented himself, he decided to jump in anyway!


    * * *

 24 Return to the Medicine Hall 4

    "Ah! Then you must be ... the Second Ducal Prince? If you were the one who purchased the Dragon Beard Grass ..."


    Li Sanlang smiled broadly as he bowed again. This young man was a little more polite than the older fellow in the green robe. But his somewhat lacking bow seemed to indicate that he didn''t care too much about manners and such. Either that, or he had never been taught to do it properly. But that could hardly be the case, could it?


    "This one is surnamed Qin, with a single word Feng as his given name. Feng, as in Wind. I am pleased to meet someone who had made use of one of the medicinal herbs that I had grown. I trust the Dragon Beard Grass has ... performed up to your satisfaction?"


    "Indeed! You can tell that ... I have broken through to the Initial Realm?"


    The youth grinned back and waved a hand in the vague direction to the Southwest. Where Heaven Sword School was located, Li Sanlang realized.


    "I have seen that happen often enough, back when I was at the School. A cause for a small celebration at least. Please let me know if you are in need of more herbs and medicines. I have suddenly gained ... a sizable amount of the same, when I left the School. So I will be more than pleased to let them go.


    "At reasonable prices, of course."


    The Second Ducal Prince suddenly had the impression that he was being frontally assaulted by a particularly tenacious merchant, who was unwilling to let his prey get away. But ... this young man could not be someone like that, could he? Perhaps he was just anxious? And did not wish to lose a chance to gain access to someone who would be able to feed him the information that he needed?


    "Er ... I shall admit that I am a little embarrassed at the moment, because I have not brought along ... suitably rare and useful items along, in anticipation of making such a trade here today. To be honest, I was just ... walking around and seeing the sights this morning."


    Li Sanlang knew just how flimsy the excuse was, of course. But what could he do? He couldn''t come right out and say that he was there to counter-spy on the young fellow, could he?


    To his surprise, the youth - No! Young Master Qin Feng! He had better start using that name in his head, and fix it there so that he didn''t forget!


    Qin Feng, however, merely grinned at him as he nodded. "Ah! I understand completely! It was the same for me! This Winter season is always hard on us, who tend to be a little more active than the other people. It is far too boring, to be cooped up all this time. That was why I decided to pay the Medicine Hall a visit this morning, to tell the truth!"


    The Second Ducal Prince blinked. He was ... actually accepting such a poor excuse? And using it to explain his own presence out on the streets? Was that even possible? Li Changhai suddenly had a bad feeling about all of this:


    Either this Young Master Qin Feng was as ignorant of society and its ways as he appeared, or he was some sort of Grandmaster at the spying game! And merely using the Second Ducal Prince''s words to mask his own intentions!


    And since his grandmother had already alerted him with regards to why the boy had come to Changqing City, he had a rough idea of what to expect! This young fellow here, this Qin Feng, must be a spy sent by the Heaven Sword School!


    And he was taking this opportunity to get closer to Li Sanlang, and the Marquis'' Manor behind him! Oh, how shrewd of him! To think that he would seize an opportunity like this!


    *


    Honestly, Qin Feng was feeling luckier than he had thought he would be. Not only had Deputy Hall Manager Luo Junyuan showed himself, the Second Ducal Prince Li Changhai had also made an appearance! This was perfect!


    After all, he was hoping to find out more about the Marquis'' plans to deal with the Barbarians, as well as the rumors that he had heard about the Marquis'' Army. And Luo Junyuan would be able to confirm some of the details of the items that were being sought by the same. If he was correct, he would be able to make a huge profit from them with what he had managed to bring down, off Heaven Sword School''s mountain!


    But how could he be willing to let a former customer get away from him. It was clear from the two herbs that the Second Ducal Prince had purchased from him that he was someone who was focused on the early stages of cultivation. Which meant that he had the potential to be a return customer!


    Especially when he had all those other materials in hand, which he certainly didn''t need to keep around, and so clutter up his hidden training space. So he pulled out one of the lists that he had prepared, and pushed it into the Ducal Prince''s hands.


    "Why not take a look at this list then, to see if any of these herbs appeal to you? I have decided that I was wasting my time in Heavenly Sword School, and that their devotion to the sword doesn''t altogether suit me. Hence I have cleared up the yard in which I was ... growing my supplements. I have a little too much in hand, so I am considering selling off the excess."


    Then he turned to the Assistant ... No, he was the Deputy Hall Manager now! "Here is your copy, Hall Manager. I think you will not be too disappointed with me. Although I have to warn you that some of these herbs have been dried and stored for almost a season now," he added, as Luo Junyuan stepped forward to receive the same.


    Qin Feng handed that Luo Junyuan fellow another piece of paper that he had prepared, so that he could have a look as well. After all, he was hoping to make a small killing, wasn''t he? And how was he going to do that, if his buyers did not compete?


    "For a season? Then ... Young Master Qin had already made up his mind to leave Heaven Sword School since Autumn? But why delay your journey here until after the Winter had arrived? Surely the School would not have insisted that you leave before Spring?"


    Luo Junyuan''s words were well-intentioned, Qin Feng supposed. But he was certainly not going to tell them that he was out to make a huge sum of money out of the incoming waves of Barbarians, expected as soon as Spring came about. At least, he couldn''t do so without giving up his sources in the Outer School.


    So he had to come up with another excuse, and quickly. Fortunately, there were a few standards that he could use. "Ai! I had little choice but to leave! It was a bit of a surprise to me, but the ... female companion that I had been pursuing all this while had suddenly decided to break up with me, to throw herself into the embrace of another disciple. An Inner School disciple.


    "So what could I do, except to leave the School?"


    * * *

 25 A visit to the Southern Army 1

    Both the Deputy Hall Manager and the Second Ducal Prince made sympathetic noises as soon as they heard that. But it was a rather common tale, and not merely confined to Heaven Sword School either.


    And if they should go through the trouble of checking with the School itself, they would certainly hear all those rumors about him and his close relationship with several female disciples. Repeat customers of his, to tell the truth, who had been relying on him to supply ... somewhat restricted herbs to prevent pregnancies.


    That should be enough to give him a less pristine reputation, and a reasonable excuse to leave Heaven Sword School. Qin Feng hid a smile as soon as he thought about it. After all, he didn''t really care about leaving a good reputation behind him.


    After all, what was a reputation worth?


    "Now that you have left the Heaven Sword School, what do you intend to do? Do you intend to joining another Martial Arts School? There are quite a few, further East, inside the Kingdom that you could consider. If you have need of a recommendation from someone, I could always speak to my grandfather, the Marquis."


    Oh? That was more than a little friendly, wasn''t it? Qin Feng could barely contain himself, and was glad that he was pretending to look sad, and not facing the richly dressed Ducal Prince. Then he reminded himself that it would be only be polite to answer the question:


    "No, no. I have no intention of heading to the East. At least, not at the moment. I have decided to wander the Kingdom a little, before I make my decision. Unfortunately, it is the middle of Winter, so I am constrained to stay here for a while."


    "Ah. I see."


    The Second Ducal Prince''s reply was polite as well, but Qin Feng was more concerned about what he was doing in the meantime. He was holding the list in his left hand moments ago, and now it had all but vanished before Qin Feng''s eyes! And he thought he saw the ring on his finger give off a mild flash too!


    Did that mean that he had one of those storage rings that Qin Feng had been lusting for, all this time? Perhaps this Ducal Prince might even know where he could get his hands on one of them? He decided not to hesitate, and to make his interest known at once:


    "Oh, is that one of those rings that can open up a small dimensional space? What they call a storage ring or spatial ring? I have heard about them at the School but I have never seen one," Qin Feng asked, pointing at the white-gold signet on the Second Ducal Prince''s finger.


    Li Sanlang did not try to hide it either, and held out his hand towards the younger man, so that he could have a closer look. "You have a good eye," he chuckled, as he did so, "This was a present from my father, so it is a little unusual. Most would craft these rings with Bright Silver or Dark Gold, but my parents decided those didn''t really suit me. So I ended up with this."


    "Ah, it is a beautiful thing. And I suppose it is very convenient to have something like that on you. It would make it much easier for you to carry things around, after all. Unfortunately, the best that the Heavenly Sword School has to offer us Outer Circle disciples is a Thousand Catty Pouch! Those things are far too small!"


    This Li Changhai fellow seemed to understand his pain, and nodded in sympathy. "They are more useful for merchants to carry their coin about, since it would take roughly a hundred and sixty thousand silver coins to fill up one of those Thousand Catty Pouches completely. It would certainly not be enough for any major buying and selling."


    "Exactly! I had not thought that the Second Ducal Prince would be so well-versed with regards to the trading practices hereabouts, down to such details. Qin Feng is greatly impressed."


    "Oh? If that is so, perhaps Second Ducal Prince Li could enlighten our Young Master Qin here, and advise him on where he could get hold of one? Your grandfather has a small cache of these useful things, doesn''t he?"


    Luo Junyuan''s interruption had come as a bit of surprise to Qin Feng. But he could only grin his thanks at the Deputy Hall Manager. This was exactly what he had wanted!


    Then he turned back to look expectantly at the Second Ducal Prince.


    *


    "Well, there is a way that you might be able to get your hands on one of those rings," the Second Ducal Prince began, in a soft voice that hinted at how much of a secret this was. Hopefully, it would be enough to make Qin Feng more inclined to help out the Marquis'' Manor. Which would allow the same to feed some information to the Heaven Sword School.


    "Oh?"


    "My uncle - the New Marquis, that is. Well, he has instituted a recruitment plan for would-be suppliers of his army camps. And is issuing such storage rings to those who manage to handle the larger volumes that are needed to run the same. Needless to say, if you are intending to go into trade, and are in need of such storage rings ..."


    Qin Feng seemed to understand immediately. Or he had been waiting for just such an opportunity! "Ah! I think I understand! If I were to ... apply for such a task, and succeed in carrying out the same, I would be paid in kind? With a storage ring of my own?"


    He was hooked!


    The Second Ducal Prince who had been wondering how he was going to arrange things, was more than pleased to see that. Now, he could toss this problem into the hands of those who knew how to handle such matters! Let his grandfather''s people make the arrangements, so that they could keep an eye on him themselves!


    "That was my understanding of how they intended to do this. But I am not that certain, if you are asking for the details. Why don''t I bring you to my uncles Adjutant General? He should be in Changqing City now, dealing with the Winter supplies for his training camps.


    "Let me arrange matters for tomorrow? I should be able to bring you into the camp then, so that you can ask him all of the questions," Li Sanlang laughed amicably.


    "In that case, Qin Feng thanks the Second Ducal Prince for this favor!"


    * * *

 26 A visit to the Southern Army 2

    Visiting the Army Adjutant was a little more complicated that what Qin Feng had imagined. Apparently there were a good number of security checkpoints along the way, and he was scrutinized at every one of them. If not for the fact that he had Li Changhai at his side he would have been flustered to the point of losing his temper.


    Fortunately, the Second Ducal Prince was more than aware of what it involved, and shielded him from some of the harsher questions quickly. And he was quick to display the military version of the Fu Lai Medicine Hall bronze tag to these idiot military men. Which was enough to silence most of them at once.


    But the episode was enough to cement Qin Feng''s decision not to become part of the military, regardless of the benefits involved. It was certainly going to take more patience than he had, to deal with these brainless dolts.


    And he was rather certain that he would lose his temper if he had to repeat himself so often. It was a wonder, he realized, how this Second Ducal Prince could manage to keep himself from blowing his top himself.


    After all, this Second Ducal Prince had been more than a little accommodating so far. And he had warned Qin Feng about the tight security around the camps already, hadn''t he? Just that morning, after he had boarded the Ducal Prince''s enclosed carriage?


    "These camps are where my uncle''s most senior generals are training up their crack troops, so it is rather out of the way, and hidden from the sight of the City proper. It wouldn''t do to let everyone see how terrible the soldiers are at what they are supposed to be doing, after all. And it usually takes about three to six moons of making mistakes before they start to get better."


    Qin Feng had nodded sagely when he heard that. It wasn''t any different for him, when he was at the Heaven Sword School. Although there were more exceptional disciples, who managed to ascend to the Heavens in one single step. He was not one of those, however. Besides, he didn''t really care.


    "So the camps are all hidden in the Southern Forest? To ensure that the new soldiers learn how to live off the land there? And to get used to fighting in the same?"


    "Yes! I am surprised that you know of this. Have you some experience with the military?"


    Qin Feng shook his head and gestured in the direction of the mountains. "The Heaven Sword School has a similar system, that forces its disciples to learn a few tricks while inside the woods below its peaks. So ... you could say that I am not completely ignorant of what needs to be done."


    "That is good! You will stand a better chance of getting a spot as a courier then."


    The Second Ducal Prince looked as though he was about to share more, but they had already arrived at the main training camp. So they simply held their tongues, and allowed their armed and armoured guides to lead them in, and show them into a rather small but somewhat comfortable tent in the middle of the grounds.


    A tall man with a bushy beard, wearing a rather beat-up suit of armor was waiting for the pair within. And he didn''t waste any time, after they had introduced themselves.


    "I am Yuan Kaixing , and I am Adjutant to General Ling Yongjian, the General handling the Logistics of the Third Army. And I am already aware of why you two are here," he said, after waving the pair of them to a simple table.


    "As you can guess, we often use people who look nothing like our own officers or troopers, to serve as couriers for our forces. And equip them with spatial rings to allow them to transport the items that we need.


    "Most of this occurs behind enemy lines, or at the front where the fighting is hottest. Hence, the rings are often offered as rewards for the first three missions. Complete three of them, and the ring is yours."


    The Adjutant certainly did not waste any time, and stuck to the salient points. Qin Feng could appreciate that, and simply acknowledged what he had heard with a nod.


    "There are essentially, two positions that are up for consideration now: The first is to be a supplier to the Army Cookhouse. That requires you to convey sufficient fresh meat and vegetables to the front-line troops, regardless of the state of the battle. This is somewhat dangerous, since some of these units would be fighting against the enemy. Hence, we have rather few applicants for this particular job.


    "The other would be to take charge of supplying medicines and such to our field hospitals. That is even worse than the first, since these are places that are situated very close to the actual fighting. The ones who are injured cannot be conveyed too far, so they are usually treated in makeshift hospitals made from tents and such. That is, unless we can find some sort of building to house them in."


    The Adjutant sighed then, and ran a finger down the length of his bushy beard. He had been doing that for a while now, and it seemed to be an nervous habit of his, Qin Feng thought. Perhaps he was more anxious about this than everyone thinks?


    Yuan Kaixing looked up then, turning to the Second Ducal Prince, and his eyes held a bit of an apology. But Qin Feng decided to ignore that. No doubt, he was worried what the nobleman would think, since he was only putting the most difficult, and probably the most undesired, jobs onto the table. After all, Li Changhai might complain to the Old Marquis about this!


    "Regardless of which of these I choose, I will end up taking the same test? Is that correct?"


    Qin Feng decided to ask about the procedure of the test itself. Regardless of the situation, he would have to pass that first, before he took up the position. And get his hands on one of those precious rings!


    If he could get one, his future as a proper merchant of medicinal herbs would be secure! And that would lead to more lucrative trades falling into his lap!


    "The tests are all the same. It basically makes sure that you are able to use the rings, and are able to hide from the scouts who would be searching for you in a specific environment. That may change from time to time, depending on where we might be called upon to fight."


    The Adjutant seemed a little more agitated as soon as he said that, then recovered and waved a hand at the Forest to the South of their camp. "Since we are here, we shall be conducting the test in the Woods there. You just need to wear a ring marked with the insignia of our forces, and go through the Woods to one of our auxiliary training camps to the West.


    Of course, there will be scouts from this camp out to stop you from reaching your target. And they will pretend that you are an enemy scout, if you are caught. So you will be dragged back here for interrogation. If that happens, you are considered to have failed."


    Sneaking about? And in the Forest at that? Qin Feng felt a lot more confident already!


    "In that case, why not begin now? I am eager to get my hands on one of those rings!"


    * * *

 27 Memories of Heaven Sword School 1

    Two hours later, Qin Feng had already been briefed and was given a suit of clothing that would make him less visible in the forested area they were in. And he had already memorized the map of the terrain where he was going to be tested in.


    Accompanying him as he did all of this was the Second Ducal Prince, who looked more anxious about the whole thing than he was!


    "This is not an easy test, Young Master Qin. And there is a risk of injury, even if you are not caught. Not to mention the dangerous wild beasts that are in this part of the woods. You should be careful."


    "Not to worry about that. I ... have had some experience with the same, when I was at the Heaven Sword School. I should be able to handle this. And I doubt that the army scouts that are out there would simply kill me out of hand. After all, their orders are to bring me back as a spy, aren''t they? After humiliating me a bit?"


    "Still, it is a bit of a risk. Why are you doing this yourself? Why not get your servant to handle this instead. As a Completion Realm martial artist, it should be a simple matter for him."


    He had expected the Second Ducal Prince to ask about his puppet. After all, he had always never brought it out with him, ever since they arrived at the City. But it was looked like it was inevitable that he would meet up with more of these questions in the future, so he might as well nip them in the bud right now!


    "Uncle Wen is someone who has been with me since I was a child. He seldom speaks as far as I know, but is rather good with martial arts. You might wish to consider him ... my assistant, who helps me with my gear when I travel.


    "Unfortunately, he does have orders from my dead parents, to make sure that I am capable of standing up on my own. So unless I am in grave danger ..."


    "He doesn''t show himself unless you are in danger? That is a little ... irresponsible, isn''t it?"


    Qin Feng laughed at that. Irresponsible? That was an interesting way to put it. "Well, like I said, he is a rather unusual person. And he has never questioned what my parents had asked of him, before they died. As I am sure that you must have noticed, he tends to be a little ... arrogant, they say? I suppose I must have picked up some of my own habits from him," he sighed then, a little theatrically.


    It would help to cover any social gaffes that he might have made. Or was likely to commit in the future! After all, it was unlikely that he would always this lucky in his interpersonal interactions, as he was with this Second Ducal Prince!


    "Well, I can only wish you good luck for this. My uncle is rather strict with regards to his soldiers, so I can''t interfere at all. All I can tell you is that his Third Army is made up of ... the more unruly subjects of his Domain, compared to the First and Second Armies. So you can expect them to use ... somewhat unorthodox tricks, now and again."


    "Oh?"


    That was something that he had not expected. Were these really soldiers then? Or some sort of uniformed triad gangsters? He had not dealt with that sort of people for a long time. Ever since his time in the Outer School, actually. There were a number of that sort, back there.


    He would have to be a little more careful, it seemed.


    *


    Three years ago ...


    The bright morning sun shone down upon the small space that stood before the entrance of the Lower Gate of the Heaven Sword Martial Arts School. Above the same stood a simple signboard, which bore the title of Outer School, in faded characters of gold.


    And in front of the same were sixteen children, kneeling on the hard, bare earth that covered that same space. Most of them looked no more than ten or twelve, although there were three of them that were clearly older.


    Their dressing was different and the shapes and conditions of their bodies differed greatly as well. There were some who looked sturdier than others, and there were some who were dressed in rich silken robes. Yet, all of them wore an expression of utmost determination on their faces, as if they were facing the greatest trial of their young lives.


    One that had all of them kneeling there for close to a day and a night, before that gate.


    It was clear from the exhaustion on their faces that most of them were at the end of their endurance. In fact, there was one of them that was already beginning to sway, his long shadow wobbling in the light of the morning sun, and drawing the eyes of the other boys.


    There was surprisingly, no sign of compassion or interest on the faces of the others, and they simply watched in silence, as the boy continued to waver. When he collapsed, in the end, there at the last step of their trial, there were still no changes of expression on the faces of the others.


    Not even when another group of young men, all clad in grey robes, made their way out of the trees and the shade, on either side of that worn path, to pick up the fellow that had fainted, and carried him away.


    Now, there were only fifteen boys left, there in front of the gate. Still kneeling in silence.


    Then there was a creaking sound, and all of the eyes in the yard looked up, to see the small wooden door, covered with peeling paint, finally swing open.


    A moment later, a man with a robust-looking body, and a rather ugly scar on his lower jaw, stepped out of the same door, to meet the expectant gazes of all the fifteen children that were still on their knees in the dirt road.


    "Very well. You lot are accepted as Outer School disciples. Get up and come with me."


    * * *

 28 Memories of Heaven Sword School 2

    The fifteen children were led to a rather large yard, paved with large squarish stones and set in front of a largish building that could rival a huge shop-house. There were several others, all wearing a dull grey robe that seemed to be a uniform thereabouts.


    Most of these, who were in the middle of sweeping the floor indoors, or raking up dead leaves in the courtyard and the paved walkways, simply gave the newcomers a noncommittal glance. Then they turned back to their own tasks, and ignored them thereafter.


    There were some among these that looked a little better-fed than others. And there were some who were taller, and some shorter. There was even one who was missing an arm, and dealing with his task with only his remaining one!


    But it was not difficult to see that there was one quality that all of those in the grey robes had. And which matched the newcomers completely:


    They were all young men!


    The scarred one, who leading the bunch, gave out a snort at that, and led the group past all of the others, heading directly into the hall itself. It was only after he stepped inside, that he began to speak to the still silent group.


    "You lot have managed to stay on your knees for a whole day and night, which showed your persistence. That is why you were accepted. After all, the whole point of learning martial arts is to overcome the limits of your body. If you didn''t have the persistence to do that now, to show that you had it, then what would be the point of accepting you?"


    The one with the scar stopped walking then, and turned around to face the fifteen, who looked completely exhausted by their trials so far. And nodded, when he saw that they still had their wits about them. Some were looking past him, to study the interior decor of the hall itself. While others seemed to look a little surprised by his words. Yet others, like one of the shorter ones in a fine blue cotton shirt, was nodding at him, as though agreeing with his words.


    But sooner or later, all of their eyes soon focused on the long table that was set at the scarred man''s back. And the bowls that were set on the same.


    "I will not waste your time with too many words now. Go to the table and drink. Someone will come in, and question you later. Then you will be given your Outer School uniform, and shown where the Dining Hall is. There is where you will be having your meals from now on.


    "After that, you will be brought to where you will be working for the next year, and lastly, a dormitory where you will be sleeping. The ones who will be questioning you will explain more, when they speak to you."


    Then, for the first time since the fifteen boys met him, the scarred man smiled, and nodded his head at them. "For what it is worth, welcome to the Heaven Sword Martial Arts School!"


    *


    "You don''t seem to have made any friends in there."


    The one who spoke was an older man, with grey hair and a grey beard. And the robe that he was wearing was decorated with thin black swirls at that collar. His face was covered with fine wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, which remained bright and alert as they looked at the boy in front of him.


    The same fellow in the blue cotton shirt.


    Both of them were seated in a small room adjacent to the hall where the boy was supplied with three bowls of water, which he drank carefully. And a single bun, which was hardly enough to fill his belly. He was not the first to be called in there. There were others who disappeared as soon as they were called away to be questioned. So he was not to bothered when it was his turn.


    The two of them were seated, cross-legged, on worn prayer mats so that they faced each other. And could look right into each other''s eyes.


    The boy seemed to wait for a moment, before he realized that the old man was waiting for him to answer his seemingly innocent remark. It seemed that it was a question too, of a sort. That was when he nodded at his questioner, and waved a hand towards the hall outside.


    "We are all here to join the School. And all of us have our own reasons for doing so. Mine has nothing to do with making friends."


    "Oh? Then why are you here?"


    The boy looked at the old man then, and met his eyes without hesitation. Indeed, there was a certain obstinate air about him then, as he replied:


    "I came to learn what I can, to learn the sword."


    The old man smiled, and nodded back at him. "That is no doubt true. But you are in the Outer School now, and we do not focus on training, as they do in the Inner School. So what you will end up learning will only be the basics.


    "Besides that, you will spend most of your days at chores that would take up a good amount of your time. You will only be left with an hour or two, each day, to train yourself in the sword. Didn''t they tell you this?"


    "They did."


    The old man shook his head, and gestured at himself, even as he asked his next question. "Do you know how old I am?"


    "No, I do not."


    "Make a guess."


    The boy took his time, looking the old man over from the tip of his topknot to the wrinkled hands that he had laid on his knees. "You must be at least fifty, I think."


    "Not even close. I am seventy-eight years old this year. But you are young, so it is excusable. If others did it, I would think that they were flattering me on my good looks."


    The old man grinned, as if he had made a joke. Then he sighed, and shook his head, when it was clear that the young man was not going to laugh.


    "I am telling you this because I had joined the School with very much the same intentions as you have. To learn the sword. And I am still not content that I have made an achievement that satisfies me. Or my pride.


    "Do you understand what I am trying to say?"


    The boy did not hesitate. "That there is no end to learning. And that there is definitely no end of learning when it comes to the sword."


    The old man''s eyes went wide, and he gave out a bark of laughter before he could stop himself. Then he seemed to get himself back under control. Although he was grinning at the boy.


    "That is the best answer to that question that I have heard so far.


    "I am decided. Come with me! I will bring you to the Medicine Gardens."


    * * *

 29 Memories of Heaven Sword School 3

    The first thing that the old man did, the moment that the boy was dressed in a plain grey robe, was to introduce himself:


    "I am called Chen Xing, Xing with the character for new. What is your name, boy?"


    "I am Qin Feng. Feng, as in wind."


    For some reason, that made the old man laugh again. "Good. Good! It is a new wind, I think, that will shake the Medicine Gardens of the School. Come with me!"


    Then they had left, by a side door that Qin Feng had not known about, out onto a footpath that led away from the Hall, and up into the hills to the rear of the same. The old man set a rather brisk pace, but he managed to follow him without falling too far behind.


    It took a while, before old Chen Xing realized that he had almost lost his newest addition to the medicine gardens, and slowed down to match the young man''s pace.


    "How old are you, Qin Feng? You have heard about our rules, about having to make a choice when you reach sixteen, haven''t you?"


    "Yes," the boy gasped, somehow managing to answer the question, although he felt as if his lungs were already on fire. "I am still thirteen, but I was born in the middle of Spring. So it would be another moon before I reach fourteen now."


    "Only two years then. Well, you will have to make your choice yourself."


    Qin Feng thought for a while, before he made a response to that. But Chen Xing did not rush him. It seemed that the old man had already made his own conclusions about the boy.


    "It is said that one can remain here, after one reaches the age of sixteen, if one is accepted into the Inner School. Or if one decides to join the School permanently, as a custodian. Is that true?"


    "It is. And I am one of those custodians that you are talking about."


    "But I do not need to make that decision now, do I? I mean, there is still a chance that I might pass the tests, and become an Inner School disciple. Isn''t there?"


    Chen Xing nodded, but there was a sad look on his face as he did so. "That is true. But since you have not even begun to cultivate your inner qi, or learn the sword, it isn''t very likely that you can do it quickly. And you only have two years. It will be a little ... unrealistic, if you are hoping to join the Inner School before you reach sixteen.


    "So I would suggest that you consider that carefully, once you have settled into your job."


    Qin Feng seemed to accept that advice from the older man, and quickly turned the conversation to what was expected of him, once he became an acolyte of the medicine gardens.


    "Oh, it is a simple thing, really. You will be responsible for your own little garden, which you can plant with a variety of herbs. There is a list of those at the Medicine Hall here, so you can have a look later. There are different demands for these, and you will get points for any excess that you can grow. Those Merit Points can then be exchanged for training resources and technique manuals."


    "Any excess? What do you mean by that?"


    Chen Xing smiled as he replied. "Basically, you are given a specific quota to meet. That needs to be handed in without fail, or there would be stiff penalties. But anything that you can harvest in excess of that is entirely yours to do with, as you will. Most exchange that for points which can then be used, as I have said."


    Qin Feng nodded. "There is no restriction as to what I chose to do with the excess then? Or what I choose to grow?"


    "So long as it is not a dangerous or poisonous plant, there are no restrictions. Some of the disciples have even ventured into the forest to the South, to pick up odd strains and unusual plants. Those are largely hit or miss. That being said, some have gained tremendous success because of them though."


    The old man came to a stop as soon as he said that. And for a moment, Qin Feng thought that there was some point that he wished to emphasize. But Chen Xing merely pointed further up the trail, and the young man could see that they had almost reached the end of the trail.


    There was a sheer face of rock in front of them, with what looked like a large cave entrance in the same. That, he realized, was what Chen Xing was drawing his attention to.


    "That is the Entrance into the Main School. And we shall need to go through that to reach the rear mountains where the medicine gardens are located. That is called the Lower Entrance, and it separates the Lower Hall, which we have just come from, to the Main School."


    Then he turned around, and gestured for Qin Feng to do the same. Before he pointed back down the trail, and Qin Feng turned to look in the direction that the old man was indicating. The Lower Hall where he was given drink and his new uniform could be clearly seen, surrounded by a number of small buildings, most likely residences and such, to cater to the disciples that lived around the same.


    "Take a good look there. This may be your last time looking upon the Lower Hall. After we head deeper into the rear mountains, you will not be coming around this way again. Any reports that we make shall be to the Elders responsible for the gardens, at the Main Hall, further up the Sword Mountain."


    Then he turned around, and gestured back at the archway ahead, that had been carved into the rear of the cave. "Once you are through this, you will be responsible for your own little medicine garden. I will explain the rules to you when we arrive. But your path will be a little different from the rest of the Outer School disciples here.


    "You had best be aware of this."


    "So long as I can learn the sword."


    The old man sighed, and gave Qin Feng a smile. "I will get you a manual for the basic sword style that everyone here, in the Heaven Sword School, practices. But what progress you can make in it, is entirely up to you. In addition to that, you will need to learn the basic fist and palm technique that all of us medicine gardens disciples need to know. I will explain more about that later.


    "In that case, let me be the first to welcome you to the medicine gardens."


    * * *

 30 Memories of Heaven Sword School 4

    Chen Xing turned out to be rather open, when it came to sharing information about the medicine gardens, and how they were organised. And it didn''t take long for Qin Feng to find out what he had meant when he mentioned the basic payments that they had to make, for the use of the plots of land that they would be given:


    "It doesn''t make sense for the School to let you have the use of the fields for free, since they would be feeding you and clothing you while you are here. So there is a set fee for the use of each of the plots of land, or each medicine garden, as we prefer to call them.


    "Of course, the more lucrative the permanent output therein, the higher the fee that you will be responsible for."


    Qin Feng''s confusion must have shown on his face when he heard that, for the old man stopped walking to point at one of the cultivated plots of land a short distance below the mountainous trail that they were on.


    "There! Do you see that one there, with the five trees separating it from the one next to it? Those are Silver Fire Lychee trees, and their fruits are highly prized for their medicinal value. Hence, that plot of land is about three times more expensive to hang onto that the others around it. Of course, if there are Silver Fire Lychees left over, after he has made the rent, the one who holds that plot can sell off the rest at the School''s Open Market.


    "Which should be able to gain him a huge number of points that he can use for his training resources, and other things. Including the handful of luxuries that we are allowed here," sighed Chen Xing somewhat grumpily then.


    Which gave Qin Feng the impression that the old man had not had a taste of those so-called luxuries for a good while.


    Well, he was certainly not about to pry. If the old man wanted to tell him about it, it would have to be entirely on his own. After all, Qin Feng was more concerned about getting into the School, and learning what he came here to learn!


    Fortunately for him, Chen Xing did not dwell on the issue very long, and quickly turned back to talking about the smaller, and more easily managed fields. Ones that he thought suited Qin Feng eminently:


    "There six of them, close to where I have my own. So you can visit me if you have any queries. Growing medicinal herbs is a little more complicated than normal crops. Looking at your dress, your stamina, and the way that your hands look ... You have never handled any farm or orchard before, have you?"


    Qin Feng shook his head with a smile at once. "No. My father used to run a small trading business and my mother used to help him. They insisted that I study though, rather than help them out when they went about trading their goods. No doubt, they were hoping that I would make it through the Civil Examinations, and become a government servant," he sighed.


    That was the story that he had prepared, and he certainly had enough knowledge of the examination texts, if anyone insisted on checking on him. Hopefully, everyone would believe that he wasn''t that good a student, and not press him too hard.


    "Ah. That will make it a little harder on you then. But you should not have a problem, if you are willing to put in the work, and if you persevere. Besides, the field that I was about to recommend to you isn''t so large. And even if you covered it with moderately profitable crops, you should have enough by the end of the growing season to pay off your rent.


    "And if you are the sort of risk-taker that I think you are, you might wish to try your luck in the Forest as well. Anything that you can manage to harvest there would be extra silver in your purse, as they say."


    "The Forest?"


    "The Southern Forest. At least, that is what we call it. There is a proper name for that stretch of woods, no doubt. But I have never bothered to learn it, all the twenty years that I have been here. That is not important.


    "What is important is the fact that there are a good number of herbs that can only be found in the wilderness. They won''t grow under farm conditions, so we have no choice but to go out there to look for them. If you can get your hands on even one of them ..."


    Chen Xing''s broad smile told him exactly what he could expect, even without the older man putting it into words. Still, Qin Feng was not too enthusiastic about it. After all, wasn''t the Southern Forest supposed to be dangerous? Besides ...


    "I don''t think I know enough about the sort of herbs that you mean, so I can hardly expect to be able to find any, don''t you think?"


    The old man waved that aside. "That is not a problem. I''ll be bringing you to your field for today, but we should head over to the Hidden Scripture Library, to get you your martial arts manuals. In three days time? That should be enough time for you to get used to your new place. I shall tell you more about the rarer herbs then."


    Chen Xing then gestured to the number of small patches of cultivated fields that Qin Feng had somehow missed, as he was walking. And smiled at the obvious surprise on the young man''s face.


    He explained, before Qin Feng could even understand what he wanted to ask:


    "There is a formation around the School. And since this is considered a precious resource, it is a little more obvious here. Unless you get within a certain range of our medicine gardens, you won''t realise that they are there."


    He pointed at some of the fields, that were already clearly overgrown with weeds, and nothing like the rest. "As you can see, you will have a lot of sites to choose from. We have had a good number of our people leave us, over the last six, seven years. So there are many empty fields."


    "In that case, perhaps you can find me one that would not be ... to exhausting for me? And I would prefer it if it is further away from others. I don''t like it when others crowd me. I think you have seen that already."


    Chen Xing nodded. "In that case, the fields to the rear may be more to your taste. They are a bit smaller than ones here, so that might lower the School''s expectations of you. But it might mean a longer walk, to get back to the Halls," he reminded Qin Fang.


    "As you said, I am new. So their expectations of me should be low enough as it is. I will trust your judgement."


    "Well, in that case, there is no point in bringing you to look everything over. Let me lead you back to the our Medicine Hall. That is where you will be eating from now on. And where you will need to hand over what gains you have, at the end of the Harvest season.


    "So you might wish to get your gear, and started working on your fields tonight!"


    * * *

 31 Scripture Library 1

    By the time that he collected his farming tools, it was already rather late in the afternoon. Which meant that he barely had time to take a look around the medicine field that he had been assigned, before he had to return to the Medicine Hall, a smaller place than the Main Hall, for his evening meal.


    The food wasn''t anything to rave about, but there was enough of it to go around. Especially since most of the other Outer School disciples there in the medicine gardens weren''t inclined to make the walk in the evening. He found out from Chen Xing that they were allowed to draw on the raw rations, so that they could cook their own meals in their own huts.


    Which was the reason why he had a rather sizable bag of rice and other provisions on his shoulders, in addition to his tools, when he started trudging back to his new home.


    Chen Xing seemed to chuckle as he watched Qin Feng struggle under the weight of it all, but he didn''t offer to help. It seemed that one need to be responsible for one''s own choices, there in the Heaven Sword School. Well, he could live with that.


    The field wasn''t in that bad a condition as he had feared. But he would still need a good bit of work, he realized, to bring it to a state where it would pay. Especially since it had not been tended to for at least two, three years. And that meant that he would have to get his hands dirty, like it or not!


    Fortunately, he did have a plan. But it would require him to find some place in that planting zone where he could keep to himself. While the spot was well away from Chen Xing or anyone else who was likely to visit him, the little hut where he was supposed to sleep and eat and store his tools was rather small. And not exactly where he could fit in another person.


    At least, not without it being obvious. And he was very certain that he did not wish to risk anyone finding out about his secrets!


    That was the reason why he had gone around his fields, to look out for a spot where he could hide his puppet away from sight. It was rather recognizable, as someone who wasn''t a part of the Heaven Sword School. And its cold flesh would be a dead giveaway if anyone laid a hand on it!


    Chen Xing, on the other hand, seemed content that he was so thrilled that he was clambering over every inch of the place, so he left after a while. Much to Qin Feng''s relief, actually. For a moment, he was afraid that the old man would stay with him until night fell!


    And it was close to an hour after he was gone, just as the Dining Hall bell sounded to summon the disciples for their dinner, that he finally found a likely spot.


    It was an old cistern, that served to collect rainwater. Normally, it would be more of a pond, that people could rear fish in, to supplement their dietary needs. But to Qin Feng, it was more useful as a hiding place, to put aside his puppet.


    For a moment, he considered missing a meal, to get the place ready for the puppet to move in. Then he changed his mind. He was new, after all, and should make an appearance, such as it was, at the Dining Hall once more. After all, there was a chance that Chen Xing would show up again, to check on him, if he didn''t.


    To his surprise, the Dining Hall was largely empty. And after speaking to the few people that were around, he soon discovered that most of the disciples in the Outer School medicine gardens tended to remain at their fields in the evening, so that they could avoid wasting their time to make the trip.


    And that the Dining Hall was more than happy to hand out some basic rations for them to handle their own meals!


    After all, didn''t that mean that they would have less to do?


    For a moment, he was tempted to do the same. Then he remembered. His cooking wasn''t all that great. And he would have to waste time to clean up the mess after dealing with his own meals too. Which he wasn''t ready to do.


    So he simply left the Dining Hall, once he was done. He would work out the details later. Once he had everything else in order.


    Of course, he had to prepare a place for the puppet first!


    It was already dark when he returned to the cistern. But the moonlight was bright enough for him to get an idea about the place. It would suit, so long as he made a few adjustments. Which was enough to make up his mind for him.


    He certainly would not be able to get everything around his so-called farm ready, without the puppet''s help!


    He decided to wait until late at night, before he attempted to summon his puppet to the rear mountain. There were weaknesses in the Guard Formation there, after all, and he didn''t want anyone else to know that he had such a tool with him. Besides, it would be easier for him to spot the breaks in the same, if he was in the puppet''s body.


    By the time that he brought it back, and hid it in the cistern, he had already come up with a simple plan. First of all, he would use the greater strength and endurance of the puppet to deal with the fields under his charge. From what Chen Xing said earlier, no one was likely to bother him, given the location of his little medicine garden. Which was just the way that he liked it!


    Fortunately, the ramshackle old hut was close enough to the edge of the School territory, so he should be able to hide the puppet close by, without too many worries that it would be spotted. If he was careful, it was unlikely to be discovered. That meant that he would have a helper to deal with the farming chores. And that would give him more time to go exploring the Southern Forest!


    After all, didn''t old man Chen Xing say that they stood a chance to get their hands on some rather rare and expensive materials there? That would be just he needed, to get himself through this stupid ordeal!


    Then he gave out a sigh, and remembered why he was there, at the Heaven Sword School, in the first place.


    The Hidden Scripture Library and the Jade Tree manual! That was the reason that he had chosen to come to the Heaven Sword School!


    So he would not let anything get in the way of getting that book into his hands!


    * * *

 32 Scripture Library 2

    It was about three days later that Qin Feng finally made a trip out of his medicine fields, and headed towards the Main School Hall. And he was not surprised to find himself panting away, before he had even covered half the distance. It was a little too far away, he thought, for those who did not cultivate the Lightness-of-Body martial arts that were so prevalent in the School.


    Or even those who had not managed to gain at least Initial Mastery of that Art. He had barely covered a quarter to a third of the distance, and he was already feeling tired!


    Still, he persisted, and finally made it to the Scripture Hall. Thankfully, Chen Xing was already waiting for him. And did not look too impatient either.


    "You must have started when dawn broke, didn''t you?" laughed the old man, as soon as he noticed Qin Feng''s somewhat exhausted expression. "Don''t worry. You will get better at it soon enough. You just need to keep practicing."


    "I think I had better skip the Four Weather Sword practice and concentrate on getting my Flowing Wind Steps up to standard. Otherwise, it would take forever for me to get from place to place in here," he gasped, leaning his palms on his bent knees.


    "Well, that is up to you. Those are just the basic techniques that almost everyone learns. So you can always come to me for advice if you have any trouble with them. And yes, practicing the Flowing Wind Steps would help, if you are concerned about getting around."


    Then Chen Xing gestured at the building behind him and the pair started towards the wide entrance that was painted black and studded with bright bronze hemispheres. A large signboard above the door named the building without any fuss:


    "Hidden Scripture Hall. Why do they call it hidden? I thought that all of us can gain access to the place?"


    "Only the basic texts, Qin Feng. Everyone can gain access to the basic texts. But if you are interested in learning the more formidable styles of the Heavenly Sword, you will need to exchange points for them," Chen Xing reminded him at once.


    "And you are so new that you don''t have any points to spare! So you can only draw one single martial arts manual from the Hall today. So choose wisely."


    Qin Feng gave out a bark of laughter as soon as he heard that. "I am not going to look for one that is too extraordinary, if that is what you are worried about. I have just started to learn the basic footwork and sword style of the School, so I doubt that I can understand much, if I were to pick one of the elite styles in there today.


    "So, no. I am probably going to look for a simple, Foundation Breathing and Cultivation technique. That should allow me to learn how to Breathe properly, I think. You did say that it was important that I do that, didn''t you?"


    Chen Xing laughed again. "You remembered that? That is better than I had hoped. Most of the boys that I bring here would try their hands at the most powerful techniques and formulae they can find. But how can those be so easy to master?"


    The two of them shook their heads together, then laughed. Qin Feng had to agree that it was true. None of the martial arts that were worth anything were difficult to understand and to master. If it were not for the fact that he had a method of cheating, he wouldn''t even bother to try!


    Still, he wasn''t going to admit that. He didn''t want everybody to start wondering why he was so eager to get his hands on the Foundational text like the Jade Tree Sixteen Exercises!


    That is, if it was still available there, in the Hidden Scripture Library of the Heaven Sword School. According to what he knew, there were only six copies of that particular book available, there in the Southlands. And this would be the easiest place where he was more than likely to get his hands on the same.


    Provided, of course, that it didn''t cost him any points at all, as he hoped. After all, with the word Foundation in its name, the folk of the Heaven Sword School wasn''t likely to be treating it like some sort of treasure, were they?


    Yet, as eager as he was to get inside and start searching for the book, he couldn''t make a move without Chen Xing. And the old man was still looking around himself, a short distance away from the entrance to the Library building. Was there someone else that they were waiting for? Another disciple from the Outer School perhaps?


    Suddenly, the old man started to move, stepping forward to the beginning of one of the paths that wound down towards the Main Hall. And he bowed low, to a man in a deep blue robe. Who seemed a little surprised, and annoyed, to be so accosted.


    The fact that he was not in a uniform was enough to warn Qin Feng that the newcomer wasn''t simple. And given the sour-looking expression on his face, he certainly wasn''t going take the chance that he would take offence. So he simply bowed, and kept his eyes on the ground.


    There was a smattering of a conversation, before he heard a soft coughing sound. When he looked up, there was only Chen Xing standing in front of him, and the broad smile on his face gave Qin Feng the impression that the old man was in a good mood. Had he succeeded then? In whatever he was doing?


    "That is Elder Ming Guanhe. He''s the one who is in-charge of handling all matters pertaining to the rear mountain medicine gardens. In other words, he is the one who supervises all of us there," Chen Xing introduced in a humble voice.


    "I am bringing you to his attention, so that he would recognize you, if any problems occur. There are some among the Outer School disciples who have ... tried to make things difficult for their peers. Hence, it is better to have someone who we can depend upon, to protect us from such ... idiots."


    "Ah. You have had ... some issues with the other disciples then?"


    "One or two. But that is not a concern for you. They aren''t that bored that they would bother a newly inducted disciple. Especially not when Elder Ming is going to be watching over their every move now," Chen Xing snorted.


    Then he pointed to the Library. "But I think we have taken up enough of your time. Let us go in, and get you your training manuals!"


    * * *

 33 Scripture Library 3

    The Hidden Scripture Library was huge.


    That was the first impression that he had of the place, and he had to force himself to look away from the stacks and stacks of books, so that he could listen to what Chen Xing had to share with him, as they walked along aisle that led through the same.


    "Well, this place is called the Hidden Scripture Library because of an event that took place during the time of the Fourteenth Grandmaster. It seemed his Master had hidden a martial arts manual in here, and sent him and his two elder disciples to go and hunt for them.


    "Of course, the prize was that the finder would end up being the new Grandmaster. Needless to say, the Fourteenth Grandmaster managed to solve the riddle and thus win the prize," Chen Xing finished with a soft laugh, as he pointed at the stacks ahead.


    "If you are interested, you can look through the old stories part of the bookshelves ahead. The way that it is written is far more fascinating than the crude way that I tell it."


    Qin Feng had nodded absently at that, while he took in the sheer number of volumes there were on the ground floor alone. And these weren''t even the ones on martial arts! What sort of people would bother to keep so many books on so many different subjects, all in one place?


    But he didn''t really have a chance to dwell on that. The old man was talking again, and he forced himself to pay attention:


    "Don''t bother to ask me how many books there are in here, because I have no idea at all. This place has been here ever since the School was founded, and it has gathered more books and tomes with generation that passed through its gates. So it stands to reason that no one can finish reading everything in here."


    Chen Xing smiled at him almost indulgently then, as if showing off a great prize to someone who was appreciative of the same. Qin Feng didn''t really care. He was just surprised that there could be so many books gathered into one place. Of course, now that he had heard Chen Xing''s explanation, it all made sense.


    After all, it was easy to see how it was done, since it was the effort of multiple generations.


    "Where we are going is on the second floor. That is where all of the common martial arts manuals are kept. Most of them have multiple copies, but you may end up choosing one that is popular, and so you will have to wait for someone to return it first. But no need to worry. There is a strict rule that requires one to return the manuals within two moons."


    Then Chen Xing paused, and looked at him with a warning in his eyes. "Don''t even think about the third floor. That''s the Restricted Section, where only the Inner School disciples - and not all of them, mind you! The most important martial arts books are kept there."


    There was a certain reverence when the old man said that. And Qin Feng could feel the respect emanating from Chen Xing. It was rather clear that the old man wanted nothing more than to head up there himself. Well, that was something that he wasn''t going to be able to do anything about!


    "Enough of that. Come! Let me show you where the stairs are!"


    Qin Feng nodded at once. He felt a certain excitement, as soon as he heard that. Wasn''t that the reason why he had come to the Heaven Sword School in the first place? The rest of the manuals were just a waste of time for him, but he had to get his hands on the Jade Tree Scripture! That was the one thing that would allow him to match the inner martial arts techniques that he had in his possession!


    Still, he couldn''t give himself away, he reminded himself, as he did his best to maintain his somewhat nonchalant demeanour. Walking into the Library, he stuck close to Chen Xing, and listened carefully to what the old man had to say:


    "There aren''t any specific rules regarding the manuals, but some of them, like I said, are a little more popular among the new Outer School disciples. So, you might not find any remaining copies here. However, all of them are suitable for improving your qi and your body, until you complete the Foundation stage and bring yourself up to the Basic, or Qi Accumulation, Realm.


    That meants the manuals that would be suitable for you are only good for the next year or so. After that, you should have already progressed to the Qi Accumulation Realm, and will need a new Breathing technique."


    Qin Feng simply nodded, acknowledging the old man''s words. But he only looked over some of the manuals while Chen Xing was there beside him. After all, he didn''t want to let the old man see what sort of Foundation martial art manual he was going to pick.


    Of course, there was a possibility that the School had already lost their copy of the Jade Tree Sixteen Breathing Exercises. Or that someone else had already borrowed it. Or it might have been rated more highly than expected, over the years, and placed in the Restricted Section. But he doubted that it would be the case.


    Foundational manuals didn''t stay with the ones who borrowed them very long, since most would rush through that level of training. Not to mention, there were a lot more easier techniques that would give a similar result. So, most of the disciples of the Heaven Sword School would likely take up one of the others, and leave this particular one alone.


    Hopefully.


    There were other disciples in the Library, and some of them were clad in the dark blue over-robes that marked them as Inner School disciples. Which meant that everyone else moved out of the way where they walked. But they didn''t seem to put on any airs, and nodded their thanks to those that moved aside.


    Well, those who bothered to pay attention to their surroundings, that is. There were many disciples, both in the dark blue and grey robes alike, who were so engrossed in what they were reading that Qin Feng doubted that they even knew if it was day or night!


    So he judiciously decided to stay well away from that lot. They were likely to be trouble, if they had their reading disturbed.


    Then Chen Xing waved a gnarled hand at a corner of the ground floor, and he noticed the stairwell that had been hidden behind the rows and rows of bookshelves at last. Immediately, he could feel his own heartbeat accelerate from anticipation!


    "Come on then. Let us go up and pick out your new martial arts manuals."


    * * *

 34 Scripture Library 4

    Chen Xing didn''t waste any time, bringing him up to the second floor. And bowing his greeting to a rather immaculately dressed Elder. Qin Feng dipped his head at once, the moment that he saw Chen Xing drop into a bow. Especially when the one receiving it was clad in a robe that did not conform to the color scheme used by the disciples.


    Apparently, the Elders of the School were not bound by any rules involving their choice of dress. Although most of them wore robes with a matching beizhi in a slightly darker color. Some sort of dress code?


    But old man Chen Xing did not explain, and he could not be bothered to ask. He would probably find out more about that, once he was there long enough, he decided.


    By the time he made up his mind, Chen Xing seemed to have finished talking with the Elder, and came back to his side with a somewhat tattered old manual in his hands. Which he held up before Qin Feng''s eyes.


    "Well, this is the basic martial arts manual that every disciple, Inner or Outer School, receives the moment that they step in here. After all, it would be ridiculous if a disciple from the Heaven Sword School not to be able to wield a sword, wouldn''t it?"


    Chen Xing chuckled as he handed the book over. It was not that thick, to Qin Feng''s eye. He had seen account books that were much thicker than that! But when he opened it, he saw that it comprised of a set of drawings on the left, accompanied with lines of text on the right. Clearly, this was to instruct someone on the way to use a sword.


    "The Four Seasons Sword."


    That was the name of the technique, written in bold, large characters on its worn cover. And it was rather detailed too! There were even lines written on the page with the drawings, in a different hand. As if someone else was adding his notes to the manual. Probably from his own understanding of the moves.


    "But you are entitled to two more manuals. You will need to pick one for quick movement, and another for developing your internal strength, or zhenqi. Shall I do the honors? Or would you like to look around, and see what catches your eye?"


    Qin Feng did not waste the opportunity. "Well, it is a bit of a walk, having to climb all those stairs and to move around in the hills. Perhaps a Lightness-of-Body movement technique. That would certainly help. And it would be best if it can support the Four Seasons Sword technique."


    Old man Chen Xing grinned and quickly dragged him to one of the nearby bookshelves. It took him only a moment, to find what he was looking for, and he pulled down another battered-looking manual, and pushed it into Qin Feng''s hands. It was a little thinner than the other one, which made Qin Feng a little grateful. He didn''t want to waste too much time reading them!


    "There! That is the Flowing Wind Movement manual. There are a number of movement techniques available but this one is one of the oldest, and most comprehensive. Apart from just the movements that allow you to dodge an enemy''s attack, this one also has a rather useful section on how to speed up your own traveling speed.


    "Something that you would find useful, if you are always rushing for your meals, eh?"


    Qin Feng chuckled along with the old man, and thanked him for his help. Now all he had to do was to get rid of him, so that he could hunt down that manual that he wanted!


    "Well, since you are already learning two rather old techniques, you might wish to pick out a similarly ancient set of exercises to bring you up to the Qi Accumulation Realm. What I am talking about is a Foundation Formation manual. There are several of them that are rather popular here in the School, so maybe you should take a look at them yourself.


    "Come with me. I''ll bring you to the section where they are stored."


    Which was in the corner furthest away from the stairs up from the lower level. There were only three bookshelves there, with one of them lining the wall. And it was to that last one that Chen Xing was headed.


    "This is where all the basic Foundation Formation manuals are kept. They are all returned here, after the disciples are done with them. Of course, the Inner School disciples are usually accepted into the School after they have already started to accumulate qi, so they hardly come here, or read those books. Except as a reference."


    Chen Xing stepped up to the same, which Qin Feng was surprised to find very neatly arranged and very clean. There was hardly any dust on the shelf itself, which made him wonder if it was really as abandoned as the old man said.


    But Chen Xing did not pick out a book for him, as he had expected. Instead, the old man simply pointed at the shelf, as if to indicate that Qin Feng should make his own choice:


    "The manuals here were gathered from various sources, but the School has gone through all of them and confirmed that they are suitable for those who are forming a Foundation. Of course, there are those that are eminently suited for those with a special leaning towards one of the elements or other. But none of them will cause any trouble for you.


    "Well, except that one that requires you to remain ... untouched for all of your life. We got that off an Imperial Eunuch from the Zhen Empire. I don''t know why the Elders had left it here, since none of the disciples have touched it in all the years that I have been here."


    Qin Feng managed to shudder at his words, which seemed to satisfy the old man somewhat. To be honest, he was more than familiar with that sort of martial arts. Old Man Snow Mountain had been practicing something like that, which was why he had refused to pass down his own Foundational martial arts to Qin Feng.


    Well, it was more like Qin Feng refusing to have anything to do with it in the first place. But he had recommended that he come to the Heaven Sword School, to try his luck, after he told Qin Feng about the outstanding qualities of the Jade Tree Foundation-building technique.


    All that was left to do was for him to get his hands on it!


    Stepping to the bookshelf, and ignoring the expectant gaze of the old man at his back, Qin Feng started searching at once. It wouldn''t be one of the newer-looking manuals, he was certain. But he looked over all of the books all the same. He didn''t want to risk missing it.


    Then he saw it! There it was! He had found it!


    His heartbeat pounded loudly inside his chest as his hands reached forward hungrily, and he had to force himself not to snatch it up like it was something that he had been searching for all his life. Which it was!


    The Jade Tree Sixteen Breathing Exercises for forming a Foundation!


    * * *

 35 Foundation 1

    When QIn Feng left the Heaven Sword Library, he was clutching all three manuals to his chest as if they were precious treasures that he could not bear to be parted from. Something that made Chen Xing laugh, although the old man did admit that he had felt the same way, when he received his first martial arts techniques himself.


    "You are probably eager to head back to your little farm, so that you can look through them and begin practicing at once. But don''t forget that you''ll need to work on your fields, and get those herbs properly sown. That is your main responsibility, and the penalties for missing that can be quite harsh!"


    Qin Feng nodded at the old man''s reminder, but his feet still carried him at an excited pace, all the way back to the hut. It was only after he was alone, and had set all three books down that he breathed a little easier.


    He had tried to maintain a nonchalant expression as soon as he had his hands on the Jade Tree manual, and flipped it open to look through it. But the moment that he realized that it was not only complete, but had included the White Jade Hands addendum at the end of it, he knew that he wouldn''t be able to maintain his composure.


    So he had turned back to Chen Xing, and held it up with an expression of glee. "I''ll take this one. My grandmother had a Jade Tree ornament once, so this should be alright. It doesn''t need me to cut off any of my bits," he joked.


    The old man had chuckled at his weak jest, and offered to bring him around the Library. But Qin Feng shook his head at him. "No, I think I had better bring all of these back to my field and look through them carefully. I will need to start training, I think, if I don''t want to fall behind. I have only two more years before I reach sixteen, remember?"


    So they had left, and Chen Xing managed to tell him a few interesting stories about the places that they passed. Then they were back in the Medicine Gardens, and the old man waved for him to head back.


    "You should know the way by now. It has been three days, after all. I''ll come to your field in another three days or so, to make sure that you are keeping up with your chores. There has been instances where the disciple gets too caught up training, and ignores his duties. I hope that doesn''t happen to you," he warned sternly.


    Qin Feng, naturally, assured the old man that he would not neglect what he was supposed to do. And breathed a sigh of relief as soon as Chen Xing was gone. Only then did he pick up the pace, and hurried back to his own field, and his own little hut.


    So he had three days, he told himself, as he looked over the fields that had largely been dealt with. The rocks that had fallen into the parts that were to be tilled had already been removed. And most of them were now piled up against the walls on the outside of the hut, to make it a little more secure.


    The rest of them had been used to craft a simple stairwell, no more than six steps deep, that led down into the cave with the half-hidden pond behind the same hovel. That was where the puppet was sited now, and it was obscure enough that no one should be able to detect it.


    And it was close enough to the hut so that it should be no difficulty to send his consciousness across that distance, if he really had to. Or to summon the puppet to his aid, if he was actually attacked, there in his medicine herbs farm.


    As for the wild grass covering the fields, there was already about a third of it cleared up. So he could start planting, if he wished. It would make for a good story, that he was making the most of his time. As for the remaining two-thirds, he would deal with that after Chen Xing had taken a look. After all, he should not have any trouble meeting the requirements set, if he stuck to this pace, would he?


    Once inside the hut itself, he quickly put down the other books, and brought the Jade Tree manual back over to the doorway. He had not had a chance to get his hands on any reading candles yet, so he would have to depend on the moonlight for his light. Fortunately, it was bright enough for him to read by, so he could satisfy his curiosity at once.


    The book, once he started, was rather easy to understand. As if it was written for someone that was younger, or far less experienced, than he was. Which more or less matched up with the sort of young child of ten or twelve, who was just beginning on his path to becoming a martial artist. Of course, he was a little behind, since he was starting close to two years later, at fourteen.


    Still, it did not take him too long to finish the ten pages of text, which described what he was supposed to do, and how he was supposed to draw in the energies of the world with each inhalation, and to channel the same into his core, which was supposed to be in his dantian.


    There were ten diagrams, that showed the location of the dantian and the approximate locations of the major meridians in the human body, for his reference. And it went on to describe the actual process itself, and how he would know when he had managed to form a Foundation that was firm enough to allow for further cultivation of his inner qi.


    Which, to tell the truth, he had already some understanding of, since he had already spoken to Old Man Snow Mountain about this same topic, back in the day. If it wasn''t for the fact that he didn''t have a powerful martial arts that was suitable for Qin Feng''s oh-so-basic level, the youth would not have bothered to travel so far, just to get to the Heaven Sword School, to get his hands on this particular method.


    But that was enough of feeling sorry for himself, Qin Feng told himself at once. And put the book down with the other two, before he quickly sat himself back down on his thin and slightly frayed bed mattress.


    Then, eagerly, he straightened his back and started to Breathe at once!


    * * *

 36 Foundation 2

    By the third hour after he had begun, Qin Feng began to lose heart.


    He was not forming the continuous stream of qi as the manual had described! And worse, he could already feel his nasal passages and throat start to burn. Was he going about this all wrong? Or was this technique completely unsuited for him?


    But that could not be! Old Man Snow Mountain had recommended the Jade Tree technique himself, so there shouldn''t be any mistake with that.


    Was he going about this wrong? Or did he make some sort of stupid mistake? There were many tales in the martial arts world, about how some outstanding genius had blindly followed a manual or some written description of a technique and gained no progress for a decade or so. And whose cultivation soared in mere moons after he had figured out the flaw.


    Could something like that be happening to him now?


    If so, did it mean he would have to ponder over the technique that he had just received for ten years or more? But he was supposed to leave the Heaven Sword School within two years!


    Or did it mean that he would have to look for some Elder or Master within the School itself, to guide him through the process? Or even someone like old man Chen Xing? Or some other senior brother?


    Wasn''t that as good as giving himself away? But what choice did he have? He couldn''t understand what he was doing wrong at all! Or even if he was doing something wrong in the first place!


    Then he looked up. No! That was not true! He did have someone that he could consult!


    Granted, the puppet had no self-will now, but it used to be a rather high-leveled martial artist, wasn''t it? Before Old Man Snow Mountain dealt with it? So ... wouldn''t that information still be in its head? If it could circulate its own qi, and recover from exhaustion of the same, it should have retained at least a little bit of information regarding the Foundation Realm, wouldn''t it?


    Qin Feng sighed. He was grasping at straws, but what other choice did he have? He didn''t want to end up like Chen Xing, becoming an old man before he could even manage to get his feet through the door. This was something that he had been after for the last two, three years, wasn''t it?


    Was he going to give up his dreams then, and simply follow the rules now?


    No! No, he wasn''t going to surrender! Not yet! Not without giving it another try!


    He got up from where he was sitting, and started out of the door at once. It was almost midnight by his estimation, so everyone should already be asleep. Or engaged in their own cultivation. He should be safe from any spying eyes, he decided.


    Qin Feng rushed towards the watering-hole behind his hut, and climbed down the slope that led down to the pond at the bottom of the cave there. The puppet was still seated there, on the dry, elevated patch of stone that stood above the water. And there was space for more than one more person, on the same, just as he had remembered it when he guided the puppet there earlier.


    Without wasting another moment, he sat down in front of the puppet, ignoring the ghastly blank expression on its face. Then he closed his eyes and sent his Spirit into the same. Only this time, instead of shunting the memories of puppet aside, he cautiously tapped into the same, drawing the dead man''s experiences from its past ...


    ...


    ... sent his consciousness tumbling out of the puppet''s head and crashing back into his own! Qin Feng! He was Qin Feng!


    It took him a long while before he could finally stop groaning from the agony that pounding at his skull. His teeth were still clenched and he had to force his hands to open, so that his own fingernails would stop biting into his palms. And draw in a breath of air.


    What the hell was he doing? No. What the hell was he thinking? That was one of the most stupid decisions that he had ever made!


    Qin Feng winced from the pain as he collapsed onto the slightly damp floor of the cave. Why did all of these experts have such miserable childhoods? And who would have thought that an almost supreme existence like that would have been tortured by his seniors when he was little more than a child? He was never going to try this again! Reliving the puppet''s childhood memories to gain his knowledge on the Foundation stage? It was nothing but pure torture!


    Worst of all, what it told him was enough to make him depressed!


    Qin Feng felt like cursing out loud, and only restrained himself so that he wouldn''t give his location away. Even a powerful character like who the puppet used to be had to take a whole month, just to get through the beginning stages of the Foundation level? If he was really someone with an ordinary talent like what Old Man Snow Mountain had said, didn''t that mean that he would take even longer?


    Then he shuddered, and pulled himself back upright again. Still, he now had an understanding of what he was doing wrong. He was rushing himself, and forcing the tiny bit of qi that he could summon through his meridians in too much of a rush. That was why he was starting to feel uncomfortable, only after thirty times.


    The proper method was to let it flow smoothly, at a rate that was comfortable for the channels in his body. Rushing it would only cause injuries to himself!


    So he sat himself down comfortably, next to the puppet. It was also gathering power from its surroundings, and Qin Feng had to remind it to leave him out. Then he took a deep breath, and began to channel his meager qi once more.


    This time, he would get it right!


    * * *

 37 Foundation 3

    By the time that he was done, running the three cycles of qi through his body as the manual said, he was already more weary than he had expected. Although he was more than pleased to note that on his last attempt, he could begin to feel a slight warmth within his so-called meridians.


    This was a very, very small sign of success. So small that seasoned practitioners would laugh to hear him call it a sign at all! But it was enough to encourage him to keep on persisting. At least he could see the beginning of the tunnel now. All he needed to do was to keep doing what he was doing.


    Well, for the next few moons at least.


    That was something that was a little off from what he had been expecting. It seemed his talent for martial arts was ... a little more lacking than he had expected, after all.


    It certainly wasn''t going to be as easy as he had hoped, he realized as he gave out a self-mocking laugh. Perhaps he has had things go a little too easy for him, ever since Old Man Snow Mountain had saved his Soul from dissipating.


    But he had other things to worry about, apart from just his training. Like how he was supposed to be dealing with the medicine field that he had under his name!


    He sighed, as soon as he clambered out of the cave, and had a good look at the fields that he was supposed to be tending. It was still in a mess, for all that he could start planting immediately. The fringes were still untidy, and he would have to take care to make sure that there were no trees or saplings growing too close to his fields. Otherwise, they would not only block the sun, but attract birds that might be tempted to steal his seeds.


    How strange that all of the knowledge that he had picked up, back in the days when he was helping his uncle out at his little farm, would turn out so useful to him now.


    Now, all that he had to do, was to decide what sort of herbal medicines he was going to grow, there on his own little plot of land!


    Looking through the list of plants that he could try his hand at, nothing really caught his attention. Most of the herbs and plants were simple things, that were only worth tens of Merit Points, if he exchanged them at the Medicine Hall.


    Of course, he was just growing them to make good his rent, so that shouldn''t be any problem. Not for him anyway.


    But why was he even bothering with simple to grow herbs like that? Was the School really in need of another twenty or so bags of Brown Spirit Rice? Or ten small sacks of Ash Grey Old Melons? Did he really want to grow those simple thing here?


    Then he reconsidered, setting aside his pride as he did so. He could grow something simple to make good his payment to the School. And use the rest of the space to cultivate those herbs and plants that would make him a sizable profit, once he put them in the exchange. Or those that would improve his zhenqi. That would make things a little more exciting, and profitable, wouldn''t it?


    Wine. That was first thing that came to mind when he was considering profit margins. A good wine would be able to sell for hundreds, if not thousands, of gold coins. And they had Three-veined Red Grapes on the list of approved plants! If one sold it in the School ...


    However, the Three-veined Red Grape was not an easy thing to cultivate. And he certainly didn''t have the means to turn it into wine. Still, the exchange wasn''t too poor. Perhaps there was someone who was making it into wine? Was that possible?


    Qin Feng shook his head then. It would attract a great deal of attention, if he brought in such an unusual product. And he didn''t have the sort of background which would explain it away either. So ... wine was out of the question.


    At least, until he got a better idea of what he could and could not do, there at the School.


    Qin Feng sighed as he looked down at his hands. To think that he had signed away two years of his life, just to get his hands on a simple, basic Jade Tree Sixteen Breathing Exercises!


    But that would form the basis of everything else that he hoped to achieve. And Old Man Snow Mountain had been rather insistent that he take up that particular Foundation technique. So, he was somewhat certain that he was unlikely to have any trouble with it.


    Which was why he settled down once again, and began a second round of Breathing exercises. Another cycle or two should take him through to the School''s official mealtime!


    By the time the noon-meal bell sounded, Qin Feng was more than ready to rush towards the Dining Hall. But he held himself back, and stuck to a pace that he could sustain. The worst thing that could happen if he got there a bit late would be that all of the popular main dishes and most of the side dishes would be gone. That wasn''t going to be too much of a problem for him.


    However, if he were to fall and injure himself on the trail ... That was going to be much worse, wasn''t it?


    So he stuck to a comfortable pace, and took his time to look around, as he walked. He had not had such a chance before, when he was following Chen Xing about, and trying to memorized the routes.


    He was perspiring heavily by the time that he reached the more inhabited areas within the back hills. Qin Feng was already muttering curses as he tramped along by then. He should have set aside a bit of time to work on his Lightness-of-Body technique. This bothersome trek was the whole reason why he had picked that Flowing Wind technique in the first place, wasn''t it?


    Qin Feng stopped then, and took a deep Breath, channeling it through his body to reinvigorate it after his exertions so far. He still had a long way to go, so there was no point in being impatient. This was a long road that he had chosen, after all.


    But it was his choice, rather than something that someone else had picked for him. So he could hardly complain about that, could he?


    He sighed again, as he shook his head at himself. It was going to get a lot more tiresome, he knew, the longer that he remained there at the School.


    * * *

 38 Back in the Camp ...

    Three years later ...


    The briefing that Qin Feng received from the military forces regarding the forest wasn''t very long or very comprehensive. Essentially, there was only one particular message that stood out, and that was what to if he came across a wild beast that was clearly too dangerous for him to handle on his own: run!


    Well, that was how it seemed, to his ear.


    Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he was not trained at all in their military procedures? Or the fact that the briefing was conducted for those who were merely being assessed as logistical support troops?


    To be fair, the first half of the briefing - which had taken close to a good half-hour! Well, that had involved a lot of information about the procedures that they were supposed to follow, and what to look out for, when they received and delivered the goods that they would be handling. Qin Feng thought that was rather interesting, although he could see that most of the others at the briefing with him were bored when it began.


    Fortunately, they were content to sit there quietly, and let the speaker ramble on, as they did their own thing. Two of them even looked as though they had fallen asleep!


    Apart from that, the rest simply ignored the speaker. Something that he found himself doing as well, when the bearded man who was giving it started to delve into the minute details of the paperwork involved. He had been through worse, during his days in the Heaven Sword School, so what was the point of going through that for him?


    Still, it was army procedure so he had simply pretended to pay attention, even as he started planning how to avoid those troopers that were out to hunt him, and the others like him, down. It seemed they were a lot better at moving about in the forest than he was.


    Of course, that was only to be expected. They were soldiers, and this particular stretch of the woods was more or less their playpen. So he would have to take a great deal of care, that he would not be eliminated too quickly.


    Suddenly, one of the soldiers who was listening in on the boring lecture, leaned in closer and whispered to him, much to Qin Feng''s surprise. Didn''t they have a rule against that, in the army?


    But he had admit that the man''s question was a lot more interesting than the speech:


    "Hey, do you have a weapon with you? Everyone else does."


    Qin Feng''s eyes swept the interior of the tent where the lecture was being given and came to the realization that the soldier was correct! There were only six of them taking the trial, and he was the only one among them who was unarmed.


    Still, he wasn''t too concerned about that. After all, he had been concentrating on his Lightness of Body martial arts for his two years or more at Heaven Sword School, so he was rather confident that he would be able to escape any of the predators that would be lurking at the edges of the Forest.


    Although he couldn''t really say that, could he? At least, not without giving the game away. He was supposed to try to keep things quiet, and not draw too much attention, after all.


    So he simply smiled and shook his head. "Didn''t bring one along with me, when I came here. Wasn''t expecting to be taking the test today," he whispered back, hoping that he wouldn''t be noticed as he did so.


    Fortunately, the one giving the lecture was just as bored as he was, and couldn''t be bothered to see if anyone was not paying attention. This was the rather standard army style of doing things, he learned later on.


    If you choose not to listen, and get into trouble later on, that was entirely your own fault. And if you die because of it, no one was going to mourn your passing.


    It was just the way the army worked, he supposed. Not that it bothered him. It was something that he agreed with, ever since he started training in the martial arts.


    "Come with me."


    He looked up at the soldier then, and pointed at the lecturer. But the soldier merely grinned, and waved him to go along anyway. After thinking about it for a moment, he decided to follow the man. After all, he wasn''t learning anything new from the lecture anyway.


    "You seem to know everything that he''s talking about already, so why bother wasting your time in there. Getting a proper weapon is more important to keeping yourself alive, isn''t it?"


    The soldier looked about thirty years old, and the most outstanding thing about him was the fact that he was clean-shaven. Unlike the rest of the slovenly looking fellows in the camp, this one seemed to take pride in his appearance, as could be seen by his cleaner-than-the-norm uniform, and the hilt of his sabre, which had been polished to a bright shine.


    All in all, he looked more out of place in the camp than Qin Feng did.


    And he certainly did not look the least bothered by the chill, when he led Qin Feng outside of the warm tent. The pair who were supposed to be guarding the entrance of the same didn''t even bother to give the two of them a glance, as the older man led the younger a short distance away.


    Clearly, he didn''t care to be overheard.


    "Now, what sort of weapon have you been training with? Have you advanced to proper steel swords yet?"


    Qin Feng blinked, and looked at the man again. How did he know that he had been training with weapons? Or the way the Heaven Sword School arranged their Outer School disciples?Everyone there concentrated on the sword, naturally, so he could hardly have escaped their regimen while he was there. But he was also pretty sure that he had never used any of the moves that he had learned, not even the most basic ones. So how did this odd soldier know?


    "It''s in the way that you move, the way that you sit and the way that you speak to others. It''s not that telling, if you are worried about that. But I''m from the Heaven Sword School myself, so I can usually tell if someone has picked up a few tricks," the soldier said with a chuckle.


    Then he looked at Qin Feng expectantly, as though expecting him to give him an answer. So the younger man simply sighed, and grinned at him.


    "In that case, I should probably call you Senior Brother. I''ve trained in the Outer School there as well. For close to three years. Only wooden sword rating though."


    "Oh? The Outer School, huh? That means ... the basic Four Seasons Sword Technique and the Flowing Wind Steps?"


    Qin Feng nodded. "Those are the basics, so I learned them when I first joined the School. Besides, I left before I could attain the Initial Realm. So I dare not say that I have gotten good at them, much less mastered them," he admitted.


    The soldier, however, snorted loudly. "As if anyone could! Those are part of the core martial arts that the Founder left down. It would take a lifetime to gain mastery, unless you have a true Master of the Sword guiding you from behind. Still, it makes for a good foundation."


    Then he turned back to his original topic. "Well, it''s not easy to get you a sword here, since the Army emphasizes strength and endurance, rather than agility and flexibility. So you''ll see more sabres around than swords. Even I have made the switch myself."


    Qin Feng nodded again. And pointed at the rest of the soldiers that were around the lecture tent. "So I have noticed. No matter. I am used to not using a weapon. After all, I am not as good with a sword as you might think. But my Lightness-of-Body martial arts isn''t too terrible. I should be able to run away, I believe, if I come across any trouble."


    "Ah. But trouble will be looking for you, if anyone sees you without a weapon."


    * * *

 39 First Trial 1

    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    The soldier laughed, and waved a hand to take in the rest of the camp. "Most of the ones who are assigned to entrap and capture you lot are from the other camps, but that doesn''t mean that they don''t have any of their spies here.


    "If you end up leaving without a weapon, doesn''t that make you the perfect prey? After all, which would you think is safer? Hunting a sheep or a wolf? So long as you don''t have any teeth, you are likely to become prey to every predator around!"


    Qin Feng frowned as soon as he heard that. It was true. Nothing would be easier than to send a few spies into an adjacent campsite. Especially since they would all be from the Third Army as well. So their uniforms and identification papers would all be in order, if anyone checked.


    Still, that didn''t explain why this other Heaven Sword School disciple was so eager to help him out. Qin Feng wasn''t so ignorant that he believed that the man was merely trying to help out someone from his alma mater. In fact, he was rather certain that there was some sort of scheme involved here.


    The only question was, what was this fellow after? Did he want Qin Feng to pass or to fail this particular assessment? That was what mattered most, to the younger man at the moment, after all.


    But the older fellow was already going on, with his comments on what he knew of Qin Feng''s abilities:


    "Your Flowing Wind Steps should be enough to keep you out of trouble, so long as you spot the other fellow first. And if you can move fast enough. I should warn you that some of the scouts in our Third Army are very good at camouflage, so you might think you are merely looking at a bush, instead of a man covered in leaves.


    "You will need to be alert, when you head into the Forest later."


    Qin Feng nodded his appreciation for the advice. He had expected the soldiers to be at least good enough to fool most of the participants in this little trial, so he was not too surprised to hear that. But he did have questions of his own, so he didn''t wish to offend this fellow. After all, he had taken the initiative to speak to him first.


    But the soldier wasn''t quite done yet, it seemed:


    "And you should get your hands on a weapon - an obvious weapon! What they told you about the hazards and the wild beasts in the Southern Forest wasn''t just for show. You will need to have some means to defend yourself when you are in there."


    He paused then, and jerked his clean-shaven chin towards the tent where the other participants in the Trial were seated, supposedly listening to the lecture.


    "Those fellows in there with you will be doing their best to stop you from fulfilling your mission too. So that they will have less competition for the rest of the Trials, no doubt. The mere fact that you are unarmed is enough to give all of them ideas, you see."


    "Ah."


    The soldier''s words made more sense now, and Qin Feng cursed in his heart when he realized it. The participants were all after a limited number of spots, weren''t they? And he was clearly one of the more vulnerable-looking ones who were after the post of courier. Which meant that he was bound to be targeted.


    Well, too bad they only saw what was on the surface, wasn''t it?


    Still, the soldier-boy in front of him was kind enough to warn him about the dangers involved. And that was certainly something that Qin Feng could appreciate.


    Not to mention the fact that he might have to rely on the fellow for more information regarding the army and their movements later on, once he was accepted as a courier-messenger. So he was quick to bow his thanks to the older fellow. This was a perfect opportunity to set up ties with the military, wasn''t it?


    "You have my thanks. It seems I shall have to be more careful later, when I enter the forest. This one is Qin Feng, by the way. Feng, as in the wind. May I know this senior''s great name?"


    The soldier laughed as he waved aside the younger man''s bow. "Oh, no need to be so polite. I left the Heaven Sword School about eight years ago, and joined the army here ever since. So you might say that I am merely looking out for a junior from the same School. I am Lei Kongwei, and I am merely a company sergeant in the Third Army," he replied with a grin.


    "If you have any questions about the test, just go ahead and ask me. Although I shall have to warn you first that there are some things that I am not allowed to talk about."


    Qin Feng laughed along with him, as he bowed his thanks. "In that case, I shan''t be polite.


    "What can you tell me about the beasts there - the predators that usually roam about the Southern Forest? Won''t they make things more dangerous for all of us who are involved. I mean, there have been tales of soldiers and adventurers who had gotten injured because they were attacked, weren''t there? By the wild animals hereabouts?"


    Lei Kongwei chuckled as he shook his head. "You have been listening to too many tavern tales. We don''t usually see that much action here. Especially not in the middle of winter. Most of the Beasts are asleep for the season, remember?


    "There has only been two episodes where the predators have ventured this far North of the River, and hurt our people. But our elite had hunted down those responsible already! Their furs now line our General''s armchair in camp!"


    Then he seemed to sober up a bit, and pointed at Qin Feng''s weaponless belt. "Well, it is good that you have heard about that. Maybe that will change your mind about bringing along a weapon?" he asked, as he brought up the reason why he had dragged Qin Feng out of the briefing in the first place.


    "Perhaps I could find you a short sword, like what our scouts use?"


    * * *

 40 First Trial 2

    By the time that he returned to the lecture, the one giving it was already done. The group of participants was already outside, and gathered near the main gate of the camp.


    The rest of the people taking the trials were looking at him with an almost predatory gleam in their eyes. Which was enough to tell him that Lei Kongwei''s warning had not been too far off from the truth. Some of them were clearly anticipating catching him out in the open on his own.


    Well, he could understand that. So long as they got rid of him, they would have one less competitor in the running. Not to mention the fact that they would have a chance to swallow up the storage ring that was in his hands as well. That should be temptation enough for everyone there.


    Of course, the question was, was he really that easy a prey as they thought?


    Qin Feng pressed his lips together, forming a grim smile. These fools were nothing but a waste of time. He could dispose of them easily, if he wished. But what would be the point of that? It wasn''t going to grant him any extra points, if he snatched their rings away. And it was clear that they were only out to reduce the number of those who were competing to get a rating with the Changqing City Army.


    So he ignored them and their silly preparations to accost him. Did they think that it would be that easy, when they didn''t even bother to hide their intentions from his eyes? He had several methods at his fingertips already, if he wanted to get rid of them, once and for all. And plenty of other tactics that he could employ, if he merely wished to stay out of their reach.


    Ordinarily, he would have taken the opportunity to teach these idiots a lesson, by snatching away their own trial rings like they were intending to do to him. But he knew that it would only make things worse. And the barbarians were already making preparations, weren''t they? The Kingdom would need more couriers - even idiotic ones! They might not be able to fight the enemy, but their efforts would certainly make things easier for the real soldiers.


    So he simply took a deep Breath, the moment that the signal was given. And slowly channeled his zhenqi to his legs, letting it build up in his lower limbs. The Flowing Wind Steps that he had been practicing all this while had a rather unusual effect, and he was going to show it off at once. And give these fools no chance to put their idiotic plans into action!


    After all, this was supposed to be a competition for posts in the Marquis'' forces, and the fact that he did not wish to embarrass Li Changhai - which would certainly be the case if he lashed out at this bunch of idiots, Qin Feng decided on the course of action that he would take.


    He didn''t need to crush these fools, in order to get what he want.


    By then, the rest of the Adjutant''s men had already arranged for the group to gather outside the entrance of the camp, ready to set forth for their respective targets. There were three other camps that the participants were supposed to be headed to, and Qin Feng had picked the most easily identifiable of them all.


    After all, he was more than aware of his deficiency in map-reading, and making sense of directions in the wild. Which was why he had picked the most obvious, and most open, of the three target camps.


    It was located next to a river, which was just about two li to the North from where they were. And another one hundred or so li further upriver from there. So it should not give him any trouble; all he had to do was the follow the water towards its source, and he should be able to find the camp easily enough.


    So he chuckled softly, as he adjusted the short sword at his belt once again, adjusting it so that it lay horizontally across the back of his waist. It would offer the least resistance, he knew, if he wore it like that. And not get in the way of his movements.


    He didn''t really need it, and was about to refuse the sergeant''s good intentions for a moment, before he realized that the older man didn''t know about his peculiarities, and the focus of his martial arts. And he wasn''t about to tell his Lei Kongwei about it, at their first meeting.


    So he had simply accepted the one and a half foot long sword, and quietly attached it to his belt, before returning to join the rest of the participants. Luckily for him, the briefing was already complete, so he didn''t have to waste any more time sitting there in the musky, sweat-scented tent.


    The scruffy-looking soldiers all around them merely sneered at the whole group, and went about their own business. Clearly, they were not impressed with the participants of the Trials at all.


    "You have a day, to get to your target camp and back again. If you return after sunset, as I had mentioned before, points will be deducted from your score!" the one who had been briefing the lot of them reminded, as he stepped to the fore, and turned to face the group of ten or so participants.


    The look on his face didn''t hold any enthusiasm for the competition at all. Which was no surprise to Qin Feng, to tell the truth. The soldier was already in the Initial Core Formation Realm, while most of the participants in the selection were only in the Qi Accumulation Realm. It was expected, he supposed, to have the soldiers look down on all of them.


    "Enough talk! Let us begin! You can go now!"


    There were a few shouts, mostly from the younger members of the group, as they started charging off at once. Most of the others moved a lot more slowly, as they eyed their so-called opponents. But Qin Feng was the one who drew the most attention, when he simply remained standing where he was, at the entrance of the camp, and looking at the position of the sun in the late morning sky.


    Then he began to walk slowly, ignoring the looks that he was attracting from those who had already fixed him as a target in their minds. Some of them were already starting to run from the entrance of the camp, towards their respective targets, although there were still a good number who were staring at him. No doubt, they were curious why he had not begun to move yet.


    But he continued to ignore them, and persisted in ensuring that his inner zhenqi was at its peak, before he slowly bent his knees, and tilted his body in the direction that he was supposed to be headed towards.


    Then, with a soft cry, he kicked out, sending himself away from where he was standing in what seemed to be a gust of wind! Within moments, he was already leagues away, and sprinting off towards his target camp!


    And he hid his laughter in his heart, as the echoes of their loud cries reached his ears.


    Let them come after him, if they could!


    His Flowing Wind Steps should be more than sufficient to leave them all breathing in his trail dust for the next three to four hours, if they could keep up!


    * * *

 41 First Trial 3

    Once the group under trial had left the camp, one particular soldier who had been watching the proceedings from the edge of the field quietly left the site as well. But instead of leaving the field, he headed straight for a large tent that was set up within staff officers'' section.


    There were two guards standing on either side of the entrance to the said large tent. There were no banners or pennants to their backs, to declare just who this tent belonged to, or if it was occupied at the moment. But from the way the pair of guards were eyeing him, the company sergeant who had identified himself as Lei Kongwei did not take any chances, and pulled out a simple silver tag from within his uniform, and presented it in front of him calmly.


    He didn''t even bother to slow down, although he noted the widening of the two guardsmen''s eyes as they quickly stepped aside. It seemed this was not the first time that they had stood watch outside the Logistics General''s tent. Or had met with people with clearance levels that did not match the rank of the uniform that they wore.


    Lei Kongwei was not too surprised by that. After all, he was more than aware of the pair of guests that Logistics General Ling Yongjian had with him at the moment.


    He dropped to one knee the moment that he was past the entrance, and he could feel the fluttering fall of the curtain covering the entrance of the tent as he made his silent though respectful greeting to the trio that was within.


    "Get up, Kongwei. There are no strangers here, and we are all anxious to learn what you have to tell us. Don''t waste time with such nonsense and start reporting."


    He hid his smile as he rose, and nodded at General Ling, who still had an impatient look on his face. The Marquis and his nephew, the Second Ducal Prince, on the other hand, merely looked intent. But it was clear that all three of them were anxious to hear what he had to say.


    So he didn''t waste any time getting straight to the point:


    "Applicant Qin Feng has already left the camp with the rest of the people who had applied for the post. And he has been given a general delivery mission, just like the rest of them. Another point to note is that he has yet to make a decision regarding his final post, should he succeed in his trials."


    "Oh? He is hoping to take up more ... lucrative postings, is he?"


    Lei Kongwei smiled as he nodded at the Logistics General, Ling Yongjian, who had just asked that question grumpily. This was likely to spark off another one of his tirades about the new men not knowing their own limits, and giving him and his people yet more trouble to deal with.


    But the New Marquis merely laughed, as he waved for Lei Kongwei to go on. "If he manages to pass the trials, we may consider it. But from what nephew Changhai here has said, this fellow seems to be more concerned about the ring that he is likely to receive from us," he told the General in a reassuring manner.


    The Logistics General scowled the moment that he heard that. And the spy in the sergeant''s uniform could see that he was about to break into another of his long speeches, about having the new men learn the tasks that they were assigned first, and proving themselves, before they applied for more advanced positions.


    Lei Kongwei''s next words, however, prevented him from pointing that out, even though he already had his mouth open, as he turned to face the Marquis:


    "From what I saw of his movement martial arts ... Or rather, what I couldn''t see? He should not have a problem with this particular trial. He managed to brush past off all of the other participants the moment that the signal was given, and disappear into the Forest before any of the others could react. I do not think that he shall encounter any trouble in this particular test of his abilities. He is clearly faster than any of the others."


    His words sparked off a reaction from the Marquis himself, who looked so startled that he couldn''t speak. Although the smile on the face of the Second Ducal Prince at his side seemed to warn Lei Kongwei that Li Changhai already had an inkling of the young man''s abilities.


    The General, on the other hand, was quick to ask his question:


    "He ... What? His movements escaped even your eyes?"


    Lei Kongwei nodded gravely at the General. "He did, sir. I am not sure if he can keep it up all the way until he reaches the Southern Forest but he was using the Flowing Wind Steps at near Mastery. So he managed to evade the senses of all the other prospective couriers who were eyeing his ring earlier. If he can maintain his speed, he should not have a problem getting away from them on this particular trek."


    Li Changhai, who did not look too surprised at the man''s report, grinned broadly at his reply. Which was enough to draw his uncle''s attention to the way that he appeared so calm in the wake of what had just occurred.


    "You don''t seem too shocked by this revelation, dear nephew. Perhaps you know something that you have yet to share with us?" asked Feng Laixue with raised eyebrows, as he turned on the Second Ducal Prince.


    Who merely grinned and waved a hand at the small firepot that was crackling in a corner of the tent, warming the place around the four of them.


    "I knew that he was at least in the Initial Core Formation Realm, when we traveled here together. We didn''t have one of those in the carriage that we were using, and he didn''t seem to be bothered by the cold at all. That means that he must be at least my standard in terms of cultivation, doesn''t it?


    "And I couldn''t read his cultivation level at all either. So I am rather certain that he is more powerful than I am. Perhaps, very much more powerful."


    * * *

 42 First Trial 4

    "Initial Realm? He''s already Initial Realm? How old is he?"


    Li Sanlang smiled as his uncle raised his eyebrows at him, as he asked those questions. He had been expecting that, since they gathered that morning. It was about time that someone asked him for his impression of this Qin Feng. After all, hadn''t he been the one assigned to pay close attention to the fellow?


    "He should be about seventeen, I believe. He mentioned that he had quietly remained for about a year after his sixteenth year, without picking a specific Master at Heaven Sword School, so that was why he had to leave. But I think grandfather has sent someone to double-check that."


    Then he cocked his head at the older man. "Although I think it shouldn''t be that much of a surprise, considering how he has someone who is likely to be at the Peak of the Completion Realm at his side. And as a manservant, no less."


    "What? He has such a powerful manservant? What is he? Some heir to a Hidden Family or something like that?"


    Li Sanlang turned to look at the Logistics General, who looked clearly shocked to hear that particular detail about the man that he was supposed to be recruiting as a courier. Nor did he stop there, as he went on to direct another question at the Marquis:


    "Is that why you have assigned my men to pay more attention to him? And to the others that have showed up for this particular Trial?"


    Logistics General Ling Yongjian looked somewhat aggrieved as he asked his question. Li Sanlang was rather surprised that he would speak out, since the tall, thin man had always given him the impression that he was behind his uncle no matter what he did. Or was he just trying to show the Second Ducal Prince that he was capable of independent thought?


    But his question was directed at the Marquis, and not him. There was a hint of challenge in the tone of the same, so Li Sanlang simply held his tongue, and left it to his uncle. Feng Laixue, however, answered him simply, without any show of temper at all.


    "Yes. We are still unsure if he was sent here by the Heaven Sword School, to pay closer attention to what we are doing with regards to the Barbarians. So we shall have to keep an eye on him, regardless of how he does in the Trials."


    "You think that they sent him here, to see what we are doing? With regards to the Barbarians, I mean? That he is a spy?"


    The Logistics General was not particularly clever, Li Sanlang decided, as soon as he heard the older man ask his questions. Did he have to ask the Marquis to clarify something like that? Without checking to make sure that there weren''t anyone else around the same who might hear him? The Second Ducal Prince found himself staring at the bearded general in askance, even before his uncle made a reply.


    Which, surprisingly, he did:


    "That is a possibility. But this is hardly the time or the place to discuss this, is it? You are asking to get yourself demoted again, if you cannot control your tongue, Older Brother Yongjian. Have you forgotten why you were taken off the front-line already?"


    The old general''s face went red at that. Which warned Li Sanlang that there was a lot more about him that he didn''t know about. Including his relationship with his uncle. Why was he calling Ling Yongjian Older Brother?


    "Bah! How could I forget? Why do you think I have been banned alcohol in the camp for the last six months?" grunted the general, as he nodded back at the Marquis.


    But he said nothing more after that. Something that was supposed to show the Marquis that he was capable of keeping his mouth shut, despite the urging of his curiosity. The smile on the Marquis face was enough to tell the Second Ducal Prince just how much his uncle appreciated that too.


    Then Feng Laixue turned back to Lei Kongwei, who had been standing motionless in the center of the tent, since he made his report. And the Marquis gave the man a simple nod, which Li Sanlang recognized to be all the praise that the spy would receive, for a good job.


    "Continue to keep an eye on him, and alert us when he returns. It should be interesting to see if any of the others can keep up with him, given his unusual movement capabilities. Perhaps he has picked up a technique from outside the Heaven Sword School, hmmm?"


    *


    Qin Feng stopped once he arrived at a small knoll overlooking a stream. He peered around him and sighed, as he realized that he didn''t recognize any of the hills or the curves in the riverlet at all. And they certainly did not match what was marked on the scrap of map that he had on him.


    He seemed to have lost his way.


    Which had him cursing at the narrow flow of water beneath his eyes. The stream was barely wide enough to be considered a riverlet, in Qin Feng''s opinion. But it couldn''t be the same one that had been marked on the map, could it? That one looked a lot wider and more obvious, to tell the truth.


    As for the one below him ... If he had not been looking out for it, and keeping his ears open for the sound of trickling water, he might have missed it altogether!


    Qin Feng had always been cautious about his surroundings, especially if it was the first time that he visited the place. He was more than aware that he didn''t have a very good sense of direction, which was why he had always stuck to the main roads when he traveled. Even though they were made for the common folk, rather than someone who possessed martial arts.


    So when he came across that little riverlet, he had thought it to be the stream that so clearly depicted on the map that he had been given. After all, that was supposed to be such an obvious landmark that he wasn''t about to miss it.


    How was he to know that the stream that he came across was another one altogether? And he had already turned to follow it, back towards its source, for close to two hours! Now it looked like he would have to turn around, and seek out the real river that he was supposed to follow.


    What a waste of his time!


    Then he sighed. There was no other way, he decided, so he might as well get on his way.


    After all, who could he blame for his terrible sense of direction?


    * * *

 43 Traces of War

    Then he smelled it. It was faint, and seemed rather distant. But there was no mistaking wood smoke.


    If there was smoke, then there was a fire. And if there was a fire ...


    Qin Feng felt a smile lift up the corners of his mouth as he started in the direction of the source of that lingering, faraway scent. So long as he could find someone, he was certain that he could find out where the army camp was. After all, it was supposed to be a rather large place, wasn''t it?


    Yet, as he continued along his way, he found himself wandering deeper and deeper into the woods. And the presence of all those trees and their thick branches certainly did not make it easy for him to pick up on the smell of the burning wood.


    But he was not so stupid as not to figure out a way around that. He jumped up one of the tallest of trees, scattering the snow that had accumulated on its boughs as he clambered all the way up to its peak. And he was quickly repaid for his efforts: from his position up there, it was easy to spot the point of origin for the smoke itself.


    And with his Lightness-of-Body Movement Technique, it didn''t take him very long to reach the spot.


    But what he found gave rise to more questions, rather than the directions that he was in need of:


    There had been a fire there. And there was even a small fire-pit, and traces of a rough little camp. For no more than three or four men, Qin Feng judged, from the traces that were left around the same.


    And it looked as though the fire had been put out a while ago, when the same left the site.


    It was also obvious that the camp was small, and that it was not something that the Marquis'' Third Army had left behind. The use of Grey Ash Tree Bark for its kindling was enough to tell Qin Feng that. It was one of those things that irritated the horses and the other dogs that the Army used, so all of the soldiers had been warned not to use it in their fires.


    Even Qin Feng had been warned about that, and the punishment that it would bring down on his head, during that long and boring lecture that he had received, back at the Adjutant''s Camp.


    So he could safely say that this was not a fire that had been set up by any of the Third Army Scouts. Then ...


    But what were Barbarians doing so far North?


    Or had he managed to get that deep beyond the lines, and into Barbarian Territory?


    Qin Feng didn''t know. But that was warning enough that he had to be more careful, more vigilant. If there were Barbarians about, who could say if they were planning to ambush the participants in this particular Trial? To upset the Third Army''s plans?


    It took him about an hour or so, before he realized what they were after:


    To tell the truth, it was not that difficult to figure out, once he realized that they had set up a hide, covered with white furs, on one of the trees close to their makeshift camp. And it was sparse enough, small enough, that it would look like it was simply another tree, heavily laden with snow.


    Once he had climbed up to the site, however, things became a lot clearer: a simple look from within the same showed him exactly what they had been staring at.


    That brought a smile to his lips at once. Since these Barbarian scouts had clearly been keeping a close eye on the military camp a short distance away, set atop another hill.


    And it certainly made sense, since the two groups were clearly warring on each other. Spying on the Third Army''s forward military base in the Southern Woods made as much sense as the Marquis sending out his own spies into the Barbarian Tribes Territories, to find out what they were doing.


    But Qin Feng was pleased for another reason: that same camp had to be his target destination!


    As for these Barbarians were watching the Third Army''s camp down at the river ... Which made them scouts? That made sense, Qin Feng decided, as his eyes took in how the soldiers were washing up in the river, and joking with the inattentive sentries close by as they did so. No doubt the enemy was gathering information on the Third Army from that hill.


    And it was also clear that no one from the camp had realized that they were being watched. Not even with the fire and the smoke giving away their positions, he snorted to himself with a shake of his head.


    But he had expected such lackadaisical attitudes from the soldiers involved, after he had met with rest of them where he had received his briefing earlier. Save for that Lei Kongwei fellow, the rest of the idiot soldiers were literally worthless, in his opinion.


    He didn''t waste any time at all, clambering down from the tree once he had a good idea how to reach the place. It was not that difficult, now that he had seen the place and had taken note of the likely landmarks about the place.


    It seemed he had mistaken a random stream in the half-frozen forest for the wider river that had been marked on the map. That was wound around the distant hill, and was certainly wider that the narrow riverlet that he had simply jumped across earlier in the day!


    Qin Feng started for the camp immediately, the moment that he was back on the frosty ground. It wouldn''t take him more than an hour to reach that place, if he kept to the same pace that he had advanced earlier. Which meant that he would be able to get his papers stamped, and rush back to the Adjutant''s camp for dinner!


    It was simple thing, since he now had the target in sight.


    As for the Barbarian Scouts, let someone else worry about them!


    * * *

 44 Preparations 1

    The Second Ducal Prince yawned as he stepped out of the meeting tent in the late afternoon. He had stupidly agreed to remain behind, to sit in on his maternal uncle''s meeting with his other staff officers as they discussed the myriad details of their preparations. Apparently, the New Marquis was taking no chances against the Barbarians in the coming conflict, and had pulled in a larger number of his troops than Li Sanlang had expected him to.


    At least, that was what he thought, when he heard all the reports being made during the same. Not that he could understand half of the jargon that was being used by these seasoned military men. He had not served in an army himself - not even his father''s Ducal Fief Guards which were being led by his older brother. So he hardly had any experience that allowed him to make sense of what was being discussed.


    Still, he had to start somewhere, and it didn''t look as though his father or older brother was going to give him an opportunity back at home. So he might as well try to pick up a few tricks there, at his uncle''s.


    That was what he thought.


    But no one warned him that the meeting would go on for so long! Nor did he expect that they would be eating dry army rations and drinking cold tea as they went on! Didn''t these soldiers ever hear of having a proper hot meal? It was still Winter, after all!


    So when the conference was finally done, and Li Sanlang managed to escape from the testosterone-laden atmosphere within the tent, the first thing that he was after was a good meal! He had a few snacks leftover from his journey to the camp.


    So he was intent on heading back to his personal carriage where he had left them when he spotted a familiar figure in a sergeant''s uniform headed his way.


    Lei Kongwei''s face wore a look of surprise and he clearly did not notice the Second Ducal Prince''s presence in his hurry to get to the Marquis. Which was enough to send a warning signal to Li Sanlang.


    What could have happened to make the spy look like that? Did it have anything to do with Qin Feng? He was supposed to monitor the young fellow, wasn''t he?


    Which was why Li Changhai quickly turned about, and hurried back into the Marquis'' Briefing Tent once more.


    And he barely got there in time to hear the tail-end of Lei Kongwei''s report:


    "... that Qin Feng has just reported his success to the Adjutant, my Lord."


    "What? He is back? Already?"


    Li Changhai''s jaw was hanging open before he realized that he had just blurted that out loud. And he looked towards his uncle with an aghast expression, as soon as he had understood that he had interrupted the officer''s report.


    But Feng Laixue looked similarly distracted by what he had heard, and did not seem to notice his nephew''s gaffe at all!


    "It has only been six hours and he''s back? But ... Wait! Did he manage to get the signature of the camp commandant from the Sixth Camp? That was where he was told to go, wasn''t it?"


    "My Lord, all of his papers were in order, and he has been released to ... the guest tent. He is the only one there now, since none of the other candidates have returned," came Lei Kongwei''s reply. The spy''s face seemed a little pale.


    Which was exactly how Li Changhai was feeling himself. How had Qin Feng managed to cross that distance in such a short time? He had used that Lightness-of-Body art of his earlier on to get away from the crowd, of course. But had he continued to use it once he was safely away?


    That was the only explanation that Li Sanlang could think of. But ...


    Didn''t that mean that he had continuously channeled his zhenqi for close to three hours? In either direction? How could an Initial Realm practitioner do something like that? Li Sanlang knew for certain that he couldn''t do it!


    And from the look on his maternal uncle''s face, the Marquis was similarly shocked by what that meant.


    "Then ... he has broken the record for speed, hasn''t he? I take it that it means that he has passed this particular trial?"


    Marquis Feng Laixue laughed in reply to his nephew''s question. "Of course he has passed! I had expected him to have some plan, to deal with those other participants. But I had never thought that his Lightness-of-Body martial arts was so outstanding! He managed to cross over a thousand li in merely six hours! How many couriers do we have who can do that?


    "Of course he passed!"


    Then the older man''s face grew a little more stern, as he turned to the Second Ducal Prince. And his voice was certainly more serious, when he spoke again:


    "I am interested to know just what his level of cultivation is right now though. There aren''t many who can attain such outrageous Lightness-of-Body martial abilities without first attaining the Initial Realm. And you have already said that you could not read him, didn''t you?" he asked Li Sanlang quietly.


    The Second Ducal Prince made a face at that. "I have not been able to read him since the first day that I met him. But I remember Lei Kongwei telling you that he could not tell his level of cultivation either, just this morning? So ..."


    The Marquis sniffed as he looked up at the ceiling of the tent then. "So either he is so far above the Initial Realm that his cultivation cannot be detected by the same ... Or he has some sort of artifact, some device, that can mask his zhenqi and prevent us from figuring him out? That would be a little worrisome, if it is the case."


    "Why? Why would it worry you?"


    "We were concerned that he was a spy, weren''t we? Back when he first appeared in Changqing City? Well, if he has such a device, doesn''t he warrant greater attention?" Feng Laixue asked, as he raised his eyebrows at his nephew.


    Who realised at once what his uncle was concerned about. Just what sort of operative had the Heaven Sword School sent to them? And just how concerned were they, to do that?


    Li Changhai sighed, as he rose from his chair at last. "I think it is time that I have a word with our ... friend. Let me see if I can find out exactly how he managed to do this. It would be easier to get the story from his lips, I think, by appealing to his pride.


    "Let me invite him out for a drink, and see what I can find out."


    * * *

 45 Preparation 2

    The first thing that Qin Feng did, the moment that he returned to the Adjutant''s camp, was to take a bath. To be honest, he had always been teased about his devotion to cleanliness when he was back at the Heaven Sword School. But he had ignored all of that, and continued to bathe at the slightest excuse.


    Of course, he wasn''t about to let anyone know that he checking up on his puppet while he locked himself in the bathroom, so that he would not be disturbed. Although he would have to put in a little more effort to do the same now, since his house was back in Changqing City, almost fifty li away.


    It was only after he had finished, and gotten out of the bathroom that he realized that there was an invitation from the Second Ducal Prince. And to a private meal in his personal tent at that!


    Naturally, Qin Feng wasted no time getting ready, and rushed over the moment that he was done. He had been trying to think of a way to get away from the dining tent, where dinner was served, given the stench of the rough soldiers all around him. He had gone through that the night before and he would certainly not miss it! The meal was barely tolerable but the scent of their unwashed bodies was more than enough to turn his stomach.


    Although he had to admit that he should have expected something like this, given that it was an army camp. And it was in the middle of one of the coldest Winters that they had ever experienced.


    But since he had been invited to a more private setting, he was certainly not going to insist on putting himself through that torture!


    Not to mention, he would like to ask the Second Ducal Prince for a little more information about the different camps.


    As well as the possibility that Barbarian scouts that were watching the same!


    *


    "My apologies if the food isn''t to your taste. It''s a little difficult to get anything better here. My uncle has a rule for his officers to eat what his soldiers do, so ..."


    Li Sanlang shrugged apologetically as he said that, although he was rather certain that he needn''t have bothered. Qin Feng was evidently enjoying the simple meal that had been laid out in front of him. He seemed to be particularly fond of the pickled vegetables, which was something that Li Changhai could not quite understand.


    He had never cared for them himself.


    Li Sanlang had arranged for a simple tent, suitable for a quiet meeting, further away from the centre of the camp. That was where the rest of the officers were gathered, so he thought that it would look less obvious, to host the younger man there. After all, he didn''t want to give away the fact that he was trying to figure out Qin Feng''s purpose for joining the army.


    Something that he would start working on at once!


    "Not a problem at all, my friend! I have had a lot worse, I assure you. Do you know that we had to eat a weak porridge mixed with boiled barley grains back at the Heaven Sword School? That was in the middle of winter, of course. And we were merely Outer School disciples. But it was still a bit of trial at first.


    "I suppose I got used to it though, as time went by."


    Qin Feng wore a smile as he said that. Which didn''t mean anything, Li Changhai reminded himself. If the man seated across from him was truly a spy, he wouldn''t give anything away. And he would certainly give the impression that he was enjoying the meal as well!


    Still, the Second Ducal Prince was more than a little grateful that his pitiful attempt to ''take care of his friend'' was appreciated.


    "Well, after that rather exceptional run of yours, you are already at the top of the list for competition, so you shouldn''t have any trouble making a courier. Although ... Did you really want to join the army just for one of those spatial rings?"


    The younger man laughed, and shook his head at the Second Ducal Prince. "Why? Don''t you believe me?" he asked with a broad grin on his face.


    Then he sighed and shook his head at the older man. "I think I should not blame you for that. You are a Ducal Prince, so you are probably surrounded by such riches since you were young. But one of those rings is worth a great deal to someone like me.


    "Especially since I have medicinal herbs leftover from my days at the Heaven Sword School. Given the season, if I do not find a way to preserve them now, I would stand to make a significant loss!"


    "Oh?"


    Li Changhai had been told off by his older brother about his lack of understanding with regards to such matters. But this was the first time that he had heard the same from someone who was not from his immediate family. Which was enough to anger him slightly.


    Still, he was curious to find out more. Not to mention, this was someone that he had been told to investigate. So getting angry at Qin Feng would only make it more problematic.


    The younger man, on the other hand, did not seem to realize that he had tweaked the Second Ducal Prince''s nose rudely, and simply continued in his same nonchalant manner:


    "A merchant depends on his goods to make a living. And given the weather conditions now, the air will soon get damp and warmer. That will promote the spoilage of medicines and herbs that have not been properly dried. Which, unfortunately, describes the condition of the items in my possession now.


    "Which means that I will stand to lose about everything that I have worked for for these last three years. I think you can see why I do not want that to happen."


    Li Sanlang frowned. It made sense. For a trader to lose all of his stock ... That would be a terrible thing, and it certainly explained why Qin Feng was working so hard to make sure that he got a hold of a ring.


    At least, it made a good story, which suited his status as a spy for the Heaven Sword School. And gave him a plausible excuse to get closer to the army.


    "Why not sell them to ... Fu Lai Medicinal Hall, if that is the case? Wouldn''t that make thing easier for you?"


    Qin Feng grinned again, as he pointed his chopsticks at the camp outside. Or perhaps, he was indicating Changqing City, in the distance?


    "You are right about that. But do you think that Fu Lai Medicinal Hall would buy them off me? At the prices that I am hoping for? My herbs will only last so long, so long as they are untreated and moderately fresh. Which means I shall have to sell them off quickly. I think you can tell that I would only get a low offer, if I tried to get rid of them now.


    "If I can get my hands on a spatial ring, however, I would be able to preserve them until well after the new year. Then I would be able to sell them for a substantial profit, rather than a loss!"


    Qin Feng popped another piece of preserved vegetable into his mouth as soon as he said that, and spread his arms to either side of himself.


    "So you see? That is why I need a spatial ring for myself."


    * * *

 46 Preparations 3

    "I ... see."


    To be honest, the Second Ducal Prince was still in the dark when it came to the practices of the merchant class, as Qin Feng had implied. Well, that was no surprise. He was a nobleman, and had a golden spoon in his mouth from the day that he was born. How was he to know about the trials and tribulations of the working classes?


    Then he remembered. His job was to find out more about Qin Feng''s abilities, and not to dwell on the issue of the prize for the competition. So he forced a smile back onto his face, and plowed ahead.


    "Well, with Brother Qin''s abilities ... Your Lightness-of-Body arts have already astounded my uncle and his general, so you should not have any difficulties finishing the other two Trials," he began smoothly.


    Which set himself up for the crucial question that he had intended to ask:


    "I do wonder just how far you have managed to reach, with your Flowing Wind Steps?"


    "Ah! You know the name of my Lightness-of-Body martial arts? Well, it is no surprise. The Heaven Sword School has been around for a while, so there should be a number of its disciples in your father''s Duchy as well as your maternal uncle''s fief."


    Qin Feng did not seem upset at all, when Li Changhai identified his movement abilities. And he even smiled as he started to talk about the same:


    "I have attained a slightly better grade than most, with regards to that. That was one of the reasons why I was so confident, when I applied to join your uncle''s couriers. Of course, I was assigned to the Medicine Fields back when I was at the School, so I had to depend on my Lightness-of-Body arts more than the usual disciples."


    "Ah! So you have already achieved ... Mastery in your Lightness-of-Body martial art?"


    The Second Ducal Prince was merely being polite, and was waiting for Qin Feng to demur, and to reveal just what stage he had managed to attain for his movement arts. Which was why Li Sanlang was more than a little astounded when Qin Feng merely nodded, and picked up another piece of pickled vegetable with his chopsticks.


    What was this? Had he really achieved Mastery? How could he have done this?


    Li Sanlang managed to keep himself from immediately questioning the younger man however, and took another sip of tea to calm himself down. Before he began to take up his questions once again:


    "Then that explains how you ... were able to outperform all the other participants, no doubt?"


    "Indeed. I was lucky that most of them did not have anything that could match me in that aspect. I would have been in trouble then. After all, I had barely made the Accomplished grade, when it comes to swordplay," chuckled the younger man.


    "No wonder you were able to make such good time! You left all of the other participants eating your trail dust! Well, metaphorically speaking, that is. It would be more accurate to call it the snow in your wake."


    Qin Feng laughed politely at that. Admittedly, the Second Ducal Prince was more than aware of just how weak his attempt to make a joke was. Still, he managed to contain his shock better than he thought, given what he had just learned.


    He certainly had something to report to his uncle now!


    Then he saw how Qin Feng''s expression became a little more serious. And the younger man''s next words came as yet another a surprise:


    "I should probably let you know that I ... spotted something unusual while I was trekking through the Forest earlier today. There was a small campfire, hidden in the hills that overlooked the camp. I have a feeling that there are a few ... Barbarian spies who are watching the place carefully.


    "Could it be that the Barbarians in the South are ... gathering earlier than they usually do this year?"


    Qin Feng was leaning closer to the Second Ducal Prince as he said that. And his low tone resulted in Li Changhai leaning in towards him as well. Although his words were enough to make the Second Ducal Prince draw himself up to his full height at once!


    "Barbarian spies?"


    The younger man nodded gravely. "That seems to be the case. They were using ... a type of wood that our soldiers would usually avoid for their fire. And there were signs to indicate that they were watching the movement of your uncle''s troops."


    "This ... This is something that we should tell my uncle at once! So that he can send someone out to take a look at the place!"


    Qin Feng simply shook his head at the Second Ducal Prince when he heard that. "What would the remains of a simple campsite like that tell us? All that we would be able to tell would be that they are paying quite a bit of attention to your uncle''s soldiers. And that is normal in times like this, isn''t it?


    "Far better to keep our eyes open, and our mouths shut."


    Li Changhai had to admit that Qin Feng had the right idea. It would not do to let too many people in on this particular secret. Perhaps he should just tell his uncle, and that young spy of his. They should be able to find out more, if they wished.


    Then Qin Feng''s question suddenly intruded into his revelry:


    "I do wonder what the Second Trial is going to be. Would the Second Ducal Prince happen to know ... what I am to expect?"


    For a moment, Li Changhai wanted to frown at the fellow, and scold him for even asking that question. Then he remembered that Qin Feng had shared everything so openly with him earlier.


    Besides, if he truly was a spy, wouldn''t it help if he really took up a courier''s role in the Marquis'' Third Army? Especially if he could keep an eye on the forest as well, to help spot such intruders in the same.


    So the Second Ducal Prince leaned a little closer, as if he was about to reveal a great secret. Hoping, of course, that Qin Feng would not think it a little overdone.


    "It isn''t that much of a secret, to tell the truth. And I think some of the other participants, who had taken part in these trials before, should be able to guess what''s going on. The First Trial is always one on speed, while the Second always tests the participants on their ability to avoid the enemy. That is what I was warning you about earlier, when we were headed here.


    "You will have to weave your way through the woods, and infiltrate one of the other camps. Which should have a good number of guards on the lookout for the lot of you. So you will certainly not have an easy time of it," warned the Second Ducal Prince.


    "Oh? Can''t I just speed past them? Like what I did today?"


    Second Ducal Prince Li Changhai shook his head at him. "No, no! That will only give your position away! And no matter how fast you are, you can''t beat a signal flare! That will be what they''ll use, to warn the camp of your approach. And the direction from which you will be arriving. You will end up facing the entire garrison there, if you do that!


    "So you should take particular care, when you prepare for the Second Trial tomorrow!"


    * * *

 47 Second Trial 1

    By the time they were done with the meal, Qin Feng was already feeling a lot more tired than he had expected to be. Which was enough to make him laugh at himself.


    He had just spent his whole day running through the forest with all of his Lightness-of-Body art, and hunting for that Third Army camp hidden there. That would certainly have taken its toll on him. Then he just had to accompany the Second Ducal Prince to dinner!


    Well, at least he got a bit of useful information out of the man!


    Qin Feng sighed then. He had a lot more time to prepare himself this time, for the Second Trial. And he could study the map that he had been given, for the same, rather than running off without a clue. Not that it would help very much. His sense of direction had always been terrible.


    Still, no other participant in the First phase of the Trials had managed to return that evening, and the Second Ducal Prince had shared the Adjutant''s presumption that the others had all camped in the woods, or decided to spend the night at their target camps rather than rush back.


    Which meant that he was the only one setting out for the Second Trial the following morning. Without having to worry about idiots that would try to accost him on the way.


    Of course, that also meant that he would not have anyone to help him distract the Barbarians that he was sure were loitering near the outermost military camps.


    He had not told anyone about the rough campsite that he discovered during his first Trial. That was simply because he didn''t think that anyone would believe him, if he claimed that the Barbarians were already out there, spying on their movements.


    Besides, he did not doubt that it would be dismissed as bored Barbarian scouts, or even hunters, keeping an eye on the Third Army, when the Second Ducal Prince reported it to the ones in charge. Qin Feng didn''t have a particularly good impression of this Third Army. Or the General who ran it.


    So why bother to raise a fuss about it at all?


    After all, the only people that had treated him with any semblance of courtesy was that Second Ducal Prince and that sergeant Lei Kongwei. And they were far, far away in the First Camp, so they would definitely not be disturbed, if the Barbarians did spring a surprise attack.


    As for the uniformed scoundrels that he had seen at either of the camps, why should he be bothered if they lived or died?


    *


    Of course, he changed his mind about that when he met up with his first band of soldiers, in the Southern Woods. They were clearly motivated to hunt down the Barbarians. As well as the ones who were taking this particular test!


    Qin Feng cursed as soon as he spotted the group ahead of him. It seemed Li Changhai''s warning was true. Apparently, these fellows from Camp Five of the Third Army were not as laid-back as the rest of their comrades. And here he was hoping to breeze through this second Trial!


    He sighed then, as he skipped up into the canopy overhead once again. He was only doing this so that he could get his hands on a spatial ring, and he had already several plans in place, to get him out of the front-line by the time the Barbarians attacked. So why bother to come face-to-face with these elites now? If he couldn''t go past them, he would simply circle around them! Surely they couldn''t cover all of the Southern Forest, could they?


    Well, his Flowing Wind Steps, and his Lightness-of-Body martial arts, was certainly showing their worth now! Fortunately for him, he had devoted a good bit of his time on the same, back at the Heaven Sword School. So it should not be a problem for him to avoid the idiot soldiers who were patrolling the riverbank.


    Still, how was he supposed to cross that open field, and get to his target on the other side? It would be far to dangerous to try to make it across the spot at night, since it was completely lacking in cover. And it also seemed rather clear that the group that was looking out for him were not your usual unmotivated Third Army conscripts.


    Had Lei Kongwei or the Adjutant warned this troop that he was coming? That would certainly explain why they were putting so much more effort in their patrol.


    Then Qin Feng pushed the idea out of his head. So what if the patrols had been warned? Besides, Lei Kongwei was a sergeant of the Third Army, wasn''t he? So he was merely doing his job, if he warned the rest of his people about him.


    Sticking to his spot high up in the tree canopy, he pulled out the map that he had been given that morning, when he was briefed on what he was supposed to do. It was a more detailed one than the pitiful scrap that he had received when he was taking the first test, at least. This one had each of the military camps marked out, and properly numbered.


    Which was how he knew that his particular target was the fifth of the camps that had been set up in the wooded hills. This one was a good distance to the West as well, deep into the woods. Their dedication to their patrols and keeping an eye on the forest around them, on the other hand, was something that he had to find out for himself!


    A far cry from Camp Eight, which was further out to the South-East. That was the ill-disciplined place that he had visited, the day before. This particular Trial was certainly not going to be as simple as the last one, he realized quickly.


    With this one, he would have to circle around the patrols, and get closer to the sentry towers so that he wouldn''t get his directions mixed up again. He had better stay in the woods too, during the day, so that there was less chance of being spotted.


    Getting into the camp unnoticed would have to be done after night has fallen, so that the soldiers would have their sight hampered by the long shadows of the trees around the camp. That should give him to opportunity to slip past the guards, Qin Feng thought.


    For the moment, he would just stay up in the tree canopy, and keep his movements masked by the branches and the clumps of snow. Since he was higher up, he should be able to see the patrols coming, and be able to avoid them.


    At least, that was what he thought.


    But merely fifty li from where he last checked his map, the young man found himself faced with something that he had never expected ...


    * * *

 48 Second Trial 2

    Qin Feng growled under his breath as soon as he saw the fur-garbed men on the ice. They were crossing the river! And there were easily twenty to thirty of them, as far as he could see! This was clearly an invasion, or at least, a scouting mission for the same!


    But he stopped himself before he started back towards the trail at his back. If he was to report this back to the Adjutant''s men, was he likely to be believed? Unless he could prove that they were here, there certainly no other witnesses to back him up.


    And since the snow was already thick on the ground, it meant that any tracks that they would leave was less likely to be covered by the time the Marquis'' Armies came out looking for them. It would be worse if it snowed again, in the meantime. Wouldn''t that mean that he would have no evidence to support his report then?


    So, how was he supposed to convince those idiots who were running the Trials? And convince them that he wasn''t simply making things up in order to mask his own inadequate skills?


    What could he do, make his tale more believable?


    It took him a while, but he decided to follow this group in the end. If they stopped for the night, he could at least bring word of the site to the soldiers at the camp. They would send someone out to confirm his story, at least.


    Even if they didn''t, this lot looked as though they would step up the patrols around their own camp. And that would make things harder for the Barbarians too.


    Of course, if he could get away with killing one of them, and getting away with his body ...


    Qin Feng sighed to himself, and started after the Barbarians at once. He would have to see what he could do. After all, what other choice did he have, faced with these raiders at such a time?


    *


    He had been tracking the Barbarian Scouts, and trying to come up with ways to ambush them. Or wait for them to make camp and fall asleep, so that he could steal away part of their equipment. There would be no way for the Third Army to refute his claim, if he went back with gear that was clearly of Barbarian origins, he thought.


    Coming across the six headless corpses, still clad in their army uniforms, on the other hand, made him reconsider.


    If they had slaughtered a patrol already ...


    He almost cursed out loud then. This lot was clearly not too worried about alerting the soldiers. Not if they had already made their presence known. The camp was certainly not going miss the fact that one of their patrols were missing!


    Did they wish to have the soldiers hunting for them straightaway?


    Or were they here to kick off the war? Earlier than what the Marquis had been planning for?


    There was a man with grey-white hair, clad in a long black robe that was clearly not of barbarian origin, standing underneath the tree. And standing over the bodies. His dress made him stand out against the pure white snow underfoot. Well, apart from the spots that were stained red with the blood of the soldiers.


    The ones who had just returned shouted something as they walked up to the white-haired fellow.


    "Oh? I think your performance is more pitiful than you believe. Or did you purposely bring the enemy spy back here with you?"


    Qin Feng bit off a curse as soon as he heard that, and spun around to dive through the air! He had been spotted! And in less than a breath! Who was this old man?


    A sudden whistling sound was enough to make him curl up into a ball, and drop straight down to the snow underneath, abandoning his attempt to flee. Just in time too! A handful of stones smashed against the trees that he was headed for, sending several thick branches falling as they tore through the same.


    And from the look of things, the one who had thrown the same was clearly far more accomplished in inner qi than he was!


    Qin Feng cursed as he landed, and quickly ducked behind another tree. A Master! It had to be a Master! No one else could use simple stones as thrown weapons, and cause damage like that! How did the Barbarians recruit such a person? He had never heard anything remotely associated with that, back at the Marquis'' camp!


    "Since you are already here, why bother to run?"


    Without turning his head, he could tell that the one who had asked that question was the grey-haired, grey-bearded old man. And a quick glimpse of the grim smile on his face made it clear to Qin Feng that he was the one who had launched that last attack.


    For a moment, he wondered if he should ask the old fellow why he was attacking him. But he decided that there would be no point in doing that:


    The old man in black was clearly after his life now. He had said as much, didn''t he? And Qin Feng knew that any words would be pointless. Stumbling across these Barbarian scouts and that Master was more trouble than he could handle! His best option at the moment was to find a way out of this mess!


    Unfortunately, that required him to get past the old fellow, along with the five barbarian youths that had started to move in to encircle him!


    "A spy from the Yan Kingdom? This is unexpected! Who would have thought that they would realize that we had someone backing us this time?" laughed the tall, brawny youth with the huge axe.


    The scar on his chest was already starting to turn a deep red color as he spoke, which was enough to warn Qin Feng that he was getting ready to attack, despite his apparent casual air. Was the Barbarian youth trying to catch him unawares?


    Or was he distracting him, so that the rest of his people to get completely around him?


    Qin Feng stepped back then, while trying to keep at least a single tree between him and the old man in black. Or one of the Barbarian scouts. He didn''t think that the old man would cut down one of his allies, just to get at him. He hoped.


    "Still trying to get away? What makes you think you can run now?" laughed the youth with the scar and the glaive.


    That one was still wearing a grin on his face, as he waved the tip of his weapon, as if signalling his fellows to attack. But Qin Feng merely skipped back again, and ducked behind another tree.


    Which seemed enough to prompt a shout from the black-garbed fellow who had remained in the rear!


    "Stop wasting time and kill him! We cannot allow him to carry word back!"


    The old man in black had suddenly drawn a sabre out of thin air, and was pointing the same at Qin Feng, as though urging the Barbarians on. But the young man was not about to wonder about that now, as he danced adroitly around the group''s massed attack, and tried to slip back into the trees.


    But the red-haired fellow with the glaive was too quick, and had already cut off his retreat, slashing at him with his weapon as Qin Feng jumped towards the forest. At the same time, the rest of his band rushed at the youth, their weapons already hacking at him from all directions!


    They were all after his life!


    * * *

 49 Second Trial 3

    White Jade Hands! Weeping at Her Own Reflection!


    Qin Feng''s palms drew up and outwards, waving before his face as they slapped away the trio that was wielding the pair of axes and the machete, before any of the three Barbarians could bring their upraised weapons down on his head. His sudden attack had brought him far too close to the men, such that they couldn''t stop hurtling towards him.


    Which was why his palms landed directly on their chests, and pushed them away before any of them could strike.


    But he was not out of danger yet!


    There was still the redhead with the glaive and the last of his band, who was armed with a thick club of blackened hardwood. They looked a little stunned to see him drive away their compatriots, and toss them off their feet. So much so that they had stopped, and were gaping at him with their mouths wide-open.


    So Qin Feng didn''t waste the opportunity that had just offered itself!


    The scarred youth with the glaive was a little too far away, given the length of his pole-arm. But the other one was well within range. Which was why Qin Feng jumped right in front of the burly fellow, and threw his next attack his way:


    It would bring him well out of range of the glaive, as well as allow Qin Feng to slam his target into the scarred youth! Provided, of course, that his attack worked the way that it should!


    White Jade Hands! Entice the Geese to Fall!


    His right hand reached out to grasp at the club-wielder''s arm, yanking him closer. Then both his palms flashed out, to strike the Barbarian youth squarely in his chest while he was off-balanced, before he could even raise his club to defend himself! And the force of the blow, powered by Qin Feng''s zhenqi, was enough to lift him off his feet, and send him tumbling!


    Straight into the one with the glaive!


    The pair fell with loud cries of pain and anger, even as Qin Feng skipped back at once. This was his best opportunity to escape! Before the old man could react to his ...


    Something made him duck aside then, as soon as he heard a crack sound echo from the direction of the old man and the dead soldiers'' bodies. For some strange reason, he remembered the fact that all the men of the patrol had lost their heads, and he drew his own head down in a hurry as soon as he heard that sound.


    And not a moment too soon!


    Qin Feng felt something flash overhead, and he heard the creaking of the two trees directly ahead of him before he looked up. Just in time to see both of them fall! And their trunks had been cleanly severed! As though by a blade sharper than any axe!


    "Oh? You managed to dodge that? How interesting? It seems the Heaven Sword School has come up with an excellent disciple this time. Too bad I shall be sending you to heaven now. Take my second strike!"


    Qin Feng knew that he should get up and try to dodge this second attack. But he was still off balance, and he knew that he would never be able to react in time. He could barely see a crescent-shaped distortion in the air, as it hurtled towards where he was crouched.


    Then there was another burst of air, a sharp breeze from behind his back, that smashed directly on that same crescent. The two bursts smashed into each other and sent a burst that stung at his cheeks, forcing him to duck his head once again. This time in pain!


    "Who dares?!"


    The old man''s cry sounded indignant, and Qin Feng blinked as he heard the crashing sounds echo from overhead. Tilting his head up, he saw the black-robed figure darting through the air, as though dancing. And across from him was a figure in white, almost imperceptible against the snow-laden landscape.


    Around the two, however, were the signature distortions that told of zhenqi being condensed into weapons, blasting between them. And sweeping the snow-covered branches off the trees themselves!


    "Look out!"


    Qin Feng''s eyes jerked back to the Barbarian pair. Apparently, they had managed to peel themselves apart, and were now charging right at him. The glaive-wielder was clearly in better shape. But the one with the club seemed to have snatched up one of the axes dropped by his companions, and was rushing at him with the weapon raised over his head!


    Qin Feng growled then, and he jerked himself back upright once more, and readied himsef to finish him off quickly. If he hadn''t been intent on using the club-wielder to hamper the redhead, he would have killed him instead!


    "Useless! Get down! Leave him to me!"


    He was just about to launch another strike, but he jerked his hand back, as soon as he heard that shout behind him. And he kicked off from the ground, to put more distance between him and the axe-wielding Barbarian.


    Only to watch as the barbarian''s head separated from his body, even as he ducked aside. And the liberal spurt of blood from his neck sprayed up into the air, even as Qin Feng dashed off to the side, throwing himself behind the closest tree for cover.


    His eyes, however, swept the forest around him, searching for the source of that cry.


    Sword Qi! That was Sword Qi again!


    Qin Feng recognized it, of course. After all, he was from the Heaven Sword School and he had seen it often enough. But only when it was used by the Elders there. None of the disciples had the ability to summon Sword Qi, as far as he was aware.


    There were not one, but two people there who could use Sword Qi? Who could they be?


    And why were they helping him?


    * * *

 50 Second Trial 4

    "Get back and leave these fools to me!"


    There was a flash of something green then, sweeping right in front of him. Qin Feng barely registered that it was a woman''s robe, as he watched it charge at the Barbarian that was still on his feet. And the scarred youth barely had a chance to cry out, his glaive still out of line, before his throat was pierced through!


    "Impudent! Name yourselves!"


    The cry came from the grey-haired, grey-bearded man at once, the moment that he saw the last of his people fall. But Qin Feng merely heard a sniff from the green-garbed figure standing before his eyes, as she tilted her head up.


    "Hmmph! Why should we bother with someone who''s about to die?" she said clearly, in a voice that was loud enough to carry.


    "You dare to insult ..."


    The old man''s face had turned purple at her deliberate reply, and he had already taken two steps in her direction when a flurry of thrusts from the white-robed figure forced him back with a growl still hanging on his lips.


    But try as he might, he couldn''t break through the wall that had suddenly appeared in his way, keeping him from reaching the girl in green.


    That seemed enough to make him lose his temper.


    Not that it helped.


    The two women''s swordplay seemed more than enough to keep him occupied at the moment. Which was more than enough for the former Heaven Sword School disciple!


    A soft brushing sound from his side drew Qin Feng''s attention then. And he turned just in time to see one of the Barbarians that he had knocked down earlier push himself off the ground. His feet were still unsteady, and he was clearly leaning heavily on his axe. But the glare that the Barbarian youth was throwing at him made it obvious that he hadn''t given up on killing Qin Feng yet!


    Which was enough to turn him immediately into a target.


    Qin Feng rushed at him at once, semi-consciously noting that the pair behind the Barbarian was still alive, and similarly trying to get themselves off the ground. Well, he would have to deal with them later, wouldn''t he?


    The blood that covered the young Barbarian''s chin, and the way that he was trying to ignore the pain in his chest as he lifted his axe, was more than enough to tell Qin Feng that the youth had suffered some injury to his lungs.


    Not surprising, considering how much force he had thrown at the fellow earlier, when he hit him with the White Jade Hands. He was certainly not a match for Qin Feng in his current condition. Not that the black-garbed youth cared about that!


    Qin Feng avoided the weak blow that his opponent threw at him easily, and quickly punched at the Barbarian''s face. The zhenqi that surrounded his fist was more that sufficient to crack the youth''s skull, tossing him back down into the snow once again.


    Not that he cared. Qin Feng was certainly not about to hesitate finishing off this scum who had just tried to kill him earlier. So he picked up the heavy axe that the brawny Barbarian youth had dropped, and slammed it down on the young fellow''s neck.


    There! Decapitated just like the soldiers that they had ambushed!


    The two remaining Barbarians gave up on trying to regain their feet and were crawling on the snow when he got to them. And it didn''t take more than a swing of the axe each, to send them off to join their companions in Hell.


    Only when he was done did Qin Feng turn back to the battle that was taking place in the distance. Whose participants seemed to have completely forgotten about him at the moment.


    Which wasn''t too much of a surprise to Qin Feng.


    Both of the women were facing him now, with greater vigor than he had expected. Qin Feng could see that their swords were flashing all around him rapidly, faster than he could see, forcing him back.


    It was clear that the two women were winning. The old man in black seemed to be at a disadvantage, from what he could see. And there were rips and tears on his sleeves, and a rather long cut on his left thigh. Clearly, he was no match for the pair when they teamed up.


    Just the one in white was more than enough to hold him off. And now that there was a second woman there, joining in the assault on him, it seemed rather obvious who was going to be taking a beating!


    Still, they were taking longer than he had expected. Perhaps, they were just playing with the old fellow? If that was so, didn''t that mean that he would be in danger, if they decided to give up on their assault?


    He slipped behind the closest tree as soon as that thought crossed his mind. And started to cover his qi as quickly as he could.


    He had already spent more than two-thirds of his zhenqi in the earlier fights, so he would not have much to rely on, if he really had to flee. It wouldn''t last him more than a quarter of an hour, if he channeled it at a maximum, using his Lightness-of-Body movement.


    Still, the trio were still fighting, so he was not in a rush to get away just yet.


    Then, all at once, it was over!


    The women''s swords flashed suddenly, and the old man gave out a soft cry, as he collapsed into the churned up mess of snow and dirt. He had taken a sword to the chest, bare moments after the girl in green sliced off his right arm at the elbow, depriving him of his sabre, and his defense. The one in white didn''t waste any time taking advantage of that. And pierced him directly in the heart.


    Qin Feng found himself gathering his qi at once, ready to flee if they turned their swords on him. But neither of the women seemed to have that intention, judging from the way that they were cleaning and putting away their weapons.


    "You can come out now. He is dead, and you are not our enemy."


    It took him a moment, but he realized that the voice that had warned him earlier had been the same. He also caught sight of the pair of women that were stepping out from the woods. One of them, dressed in pure white, was retrieving a sword from the air as she did so.


    Apparently, neither of them seemed to bear him any animosity.


    Which was a pleasant change from the rough reception that he had to endure, just moments ago. And at the hands of smelly Barbarians, no less!


    Of course, he now had to figure out just who these two people were. And why they had helped him against the Barbarians and that mysterious old man!


    * * *

 51 Snow Swallow Palace 1

    Qin Feng groaned as he picked himself off the ground then, brushing the snow off his clothes and hair as he did so. The two women who had just killed the black-robed old man seemed to watch him carefully, as he dusted himself off, and tried to make himself a little more presentable. It was only good manners, he told himself, remembering what the Second Ducal Prince had told him.


    "This one is Qin Feng, and I thank the two ladies for their kind assistance in this small matter. You have my sincere gratitude," he told the pair with a deep bow, when they remained silent, after he had managed to return himself to some semblance of decency.


    That seemed to mollify the two of them, and the one in white nodded her head in his direction with a slight smile on her lips in return. The other girl, in the green robes, continued to glare at him, although he did not sense anything malicious in that stare.


    Still, the two young women seemed to have drawn their own conclusions from their study of his attire, as erroneous as it may be:


    "A spy for the Third Army? Or are you working directly for Feng Laixue? I had not expected that he would be so cautious, to send his people out into the South before the Winter Season is over."


    The one who spoke was the girl in the green robes, and Qin Feng was rather surprised how pleasant her voice sounded, now that she wasn''t using her scolding voice. And how young she looked. How young both of them looked!


    Neither of the women looked any older than eighteen to twenty years of age, and both were very beautiful. Well, very beautiful compared to the handful of female disciples that he had met in the Heaven Sword School, and the people that he had seen in Changqing City. None of them could match the features of these two in the slightest!


    The one in green looked the younger of the pair, and no more than seventeen or eighteen years of age. But her figure was already full, with an ample chest that balanced her wide hips and a lovely face the shape of a peach. Her cheeks were rosy, although that might be because she was a little angered at Qin Feng''s overt stare. Her eyes glittered and her full lips parted as though she was about to scold him for his audacity.


    But a simple gesture from her companion in white made her clamp her mouth shut once more. The one in white looked only a year or two older, but it was clear from what Qin Feng could see of the embroidery on the collar of her robes that she was the one in charge. Her complexion was fairer than her companion''s, and she wore a slight touch of make-up around her eyes and her lips, making her look a lot more alluring.


    Her bosom wasn''t that large, but it suited her slim body and the long legs that he barely caught a hint of, as her long white robe clung to them as she strode towards him. Not to mention her large, dark eyes and her bright red lips, which furthered her fairy-like appearance. And her slight smile seemed to take his stare in stride.


    Then his eyes fell upon the weapons that they were carrying.


    Both wielded swords of a similar design, including the twin swallow pattern that was so clearly displayed on the pommel and guard of the same. Something that nagged at his memory, or that of Old Man Snow Mountain, that had been planted in his head. He knew that design!


    "Snow Swallow Palace? You two are from Snow Swallow Palace? But that is almost thirty thousand li to the North! Why are you here?"


    The expressions on the two young women''s faces changed the moment that he blurted out his question. And for a moment, Qin Feng wondered if he was going to be attacked.


    But the smile returned to the lips of the woman in white, and she shook her head at him.


    "I had not expected that a spy from the Feng Family would be so familiar with our Snow Swallow Palace. Otherwise, I would have taken greater precautions. Still, you may rest assured that we mean you no harm. We are just here to monitor the Barbarian situation."


    "Familiar? I wouldn''t dare to say that I am familiar with your ... Snow Swallow Palace. It is just that I had read a few more books back at the Heaven Sword School library. So I recognized the insignia on your swords. That''s all."


    "Oh?"


    "Heaven Sword School?"


    The two girls had spoken at the same time, which was probably the reason why they looked at each other and giggled, as though they had forgotten all about him. Well, it was either that or they were laughing at him. Which Qin Feng decided to ignore, even if it was the case. After all, didn''t they just save him from that old fellow in black?


    "Wait! If you are from the Heaven Sword School, why didn''t you use your sword earlier? It''s not like you don''t have a weapon, is it?" asked the girl in green then, as she frowned at him again. And pointed a finger at his waist.


    Qin Feng turned his head, as his hand reached back to pat the back of his waist. Then he sighed. How could he have forgotten about that military-styled sword that Lei Kongwei had pushed at him, a day ago?


    "Ah! I had forgotten about this."


    "Hmmph! A likely story! You were just trying to ..."


    "That''s enough, sister."


    The woman in white''s voice was a little stern as she cut in, interrupting what might have escalated into an argument. And there was a stern look passing between the pair, before she turned back to face the rather astounded young man.


    Her next words, on the other hand, were enough to clear up Qin Feng''s worries:


    "I''ll not waste your time then. Or ours. Where did you learn that set of attacks?"


    "Huh?"


    Qin Feng stared at the beautiful young woman in front of him. She seemed to be intent on his answer. And the girl in green at her back seemed to lean in too, as if she was also interested in hearing what he had to say.


    "You mean ... the White Jade Hands that I had used just now?"


    "White Jade Beauty Hands? That was really the White Jade Beauty Hands? But ... how could you have ... Where did you learn this martial art?"


    White Jade Beauty Hands?


    Why was she calling it by that name? It had always been White Jade Hands, from what he could remember. That was what was written in the manual - the supplementary martial arts that came with the Jade Tree Foundation Manual. Since when did it have a Beauty in its title?


    * * *

 52 Snow Swallow Palace 2

    But he quickly pushed that out of the way. Who really cared if someone added an additional word Beauty* into the title of that martial art? Maybe it was just a whim? And the Snow Swallow Palace was a place which was restricted to women. And he had to admit that it did sound better that way.


    "This ... White Jade Hands was something that I picked up at the Heaven Sword School. Well, the Hidden Scriptures Library there, to be exact. Is something wrong?"


    The girl in green sniffed, while the one in white merely shook her head at him. "There is no ... major problem with this. There are many cases of martial arts being proliferated due to ... unforeseen circumstances. I was curious about this because ... It isn''t easy for someone to pick up on White Jade Beauty Hand because it requires a Yin-based zhenqi to activate its potential.


    "Hence I was surprised to see you were capable to using it to this extent."


    Qin Feng found his face growing a little hot the moment that he heard that. Did she think that he was a woman disguising herself as a man? Or that he was eunuch?


    "That is ... ridiculous! And a little insulting! I assure you that I am a man! A complete man!" he blurted out before he could stop himself.


    Then he realized that he was pushing his hips out at her and pointing at his ... groin, to emphasize his point as he was speaking. Which certainly explained the bright red flush on the two girls'' faces, and why the one in green looked as if she was about to draw her sword.


    That was enough to make him cough, and haul himself back in an embarrassed fashion.


    Fortunately, the young woman in white was quick to recover from her agitation, and ask another question. One that was similarly targeted at his White Jade Hand:


    "Well ... It is possible that your predecessors may have obtained the art from one of ours. But we shall not know for sure unless we compare the two arts directly. Perhaps you would be willing to tell us the names of the individual stances?"


    "Er ... the name of the strokes are ... Sink the Fish, Entice the Geese, Eclipse the Moon, Shame the Flowers, Weeping at Her Own Reflection ..."


    "Wait! Wait. Weeping at Her Own Reflection? What is that? Aren''t there only four stances to the White Jade Beauty Hands?"


    The woman in green, who interrupted him, was scowling. But it was turned to her companion in the white robe, rather than him. Who had a look of surprise on her face. Clearly, she had not heard about that last stance either. So Qin Feng held his tongue, and simply looked to the latter. The question seemed to be directed at her, after all.


    "I have never heard of such a stance either. What is this Weeping at Her Own Reflection?"


    "Er ... It is a purely defensive move, that wards off the attacks of the enemy. Although it does allow for one to use their own momentum against them, and open them up to ... Hmmm. Perhaps you saw me use it earlier? When they attacked me?"


    The one in white was quick to understand what he was talking about, it seemed.


    "That was what you used ... to deflect that attack that they threw at you earlier?" she asked at once, with a certain fire in her eyes that surprised Qin Feng somewhat.


    He had not expected such fervor from her, to be honest. From what he had seen, he thought her to the more controlled of the pair. Still, it was an obvious question, so he simply nodded at her, as he began to frame a more elaborate explanation of that particular move.


    "Could you show it to me then?"


    "You mean ... you wish to spar?"


    The white-robed girl giggled as soon as she heard his question. "Yes, of course. What better way to find out if our skills are truly similar than with a spar. Shall we begin then?" she asked, as she handed her sword over to the grinning girl in green.


    Then she lifted her palms, and shot him what seemed like a reassuring smile. "And you needn''t be too worried about my inner strength. I shall hold myself down to the Initial Core Formation Realm for this. Otherwise someone might say that I am bullying you with my Profound Realm strength."


    Profound Realm? She was already at the Profound Realm? That was two levels higher than Complete Core Formation! How could she had attained the Profound Realm? She was barely a year or two older than he was!


    But Qin Feng knew that he didn''t have the opportunity to bother about that. Not when the woman was already initiating her first attack!


    "White Jade Beauty Hands: Sink the Fish."


    Qin Feng barely caught a glimpse of her pale white palms flashing down at him before he hurried raised his own hands in defense. But he wasn''t about to use Weeping at Her Own Reflection just yet. They were supposed to checking if there was any similarity between their two martial arts, weren''t they?


    "White Jade Hands: Entice the Geese."


    His flurry of blows met hers in the air above his head, with a crackling sound that echoed through the snow-covered woods. Qin Feng could feel a sting in both his hands as he retreated some ten steps from their clash, while the white-clad young woman''s face held a hint of surprise.


    "That is almost identical to my own Entice the Geese. Now try my Shame the Flowers."


    She struck at him as soon as she finished speaking. And Qin Feng barely had time to throw out his own Eclipse the Moon to block her attack when it arrived. It was clear that she was far better at the White Jade Hands than he was, judging from the six, seven steps that he had retreated, ever since the two skills clashed in the air before him.


    He had to try something different, or he was going to lose miserably!


    "White Jade Beauty Hands: Eclipse the Moon."


    "White Jade Hands: Weeping at Her Own Reflection!"


    That particular stance seemed to work better than his Eclipse the Moon, and the woman in white was thrown a little off-balanced when his hands fended off her attack, and diverted her strength to the side. She recovered quickly, and turned back to face him. But the fact that she had lowered her hands did not escape his eyes.


    "That was the defensive stance that you were telling us about? Remarkable! It does feel like it belonged to the White Jade Beauty Hands too! What else can you tell me about this stance?"


    Qin Feng smiled, and decided that there was no point in hiding anything. After all, these two had pulled his chestnuts out of the fire earlier, so one could say that he owed them. Besides, this White Jade Hands belonged to the Heaven Sword School, didn''t it? He had no objections to handing it over.


    So he recited the text from the manual that he had memorized. And repeated it, when the white-clad young woman requested that he did so. Her lips moved as though she was trying to fix it in her mind, and sighed when she was finally done.


    "This is ... very much appreciated, this young gentleman. Xue Ying owes you a favour for this," she said to him with a simple gesture of thanks, in the jianghu fashion.


    Of course, that was enough of a surprise to Qin Feng that he found his mind had gone blank. Was that her name then? Xue Ying?


    But the pair had already turned and was starting to leave the scene, leaving him gaping as they used their own Lightness-of-Body arts to zip away into the distance. And the strength of the same was enough to leave him gaping as they vanished into the snow-laden landscape.


    Then he recovered, and looked around himself again. The bodies of the slain were still lying there, on the ground, with their blood already stopped steaming in the snow. Didn''t that mean that the two girls were leaving everything to him?


    Without wasting any more time, he started towards the body that was still wrapped in the black robe. The old codger was the one leading this particular group so if anyone was carrying any items of interest, it would certainly be him!


    And didn''t he pull out a sabre from out of nowhere? That was a clear sign that he had a spatial ring, or something similar, on him somewhere! All he had to do was to search the fellow''s body and he should be able to find it!


    And Qin Feng was certainly not about to let anything of value slip out of his fingers now!


    * * *


    [*Author''s Note: Just to clarify: the names used for this particular art are actually °×ÓñÊÖ and °×ÓñÃÀÈËÊÖ, the latter meaning White Jade Beauty Hand. Unfortunately, the number of words doesn''t quite match up.]

 53 Invasion 1

    The appearance of his uncle''s aide, dressed in his military uniform, came as a surprise to Li Sanlang just as the Second Ducal Prince was about to leave his tent. He had drunk a little too much the night before, when he was trying his best to coax the information out of Qin Feng. But the aide''s words were enough to wake him up at once:


    "Lady Xie has returned from the Mountains, my Prince. The Marquis invites you to breakfast together with him and his mother. He said that you would be pleased if you accompany them this morning."


    Li Changhai almost laughed as soon as he heard that. He was certain that his uncle had not put the ''request'' as he called it, in such a civil manner. But he didn''t blame the soldier for trying to smooth things over, and quickly hurried to the Marquis'' tent after the man.


    There was only the Marquis and his mother in the tent, much to his surprise. Then Li Sanlang remembered that this had not been discussed with the rest of the army. So it was only reasonable that they were not sharing this information with the rest of the generals.


    They were already in the midst of talking about her little trip, and what she had managed to achieve at the Heaven Sword School, when he entered. So he slipped in quietly, and simply listened to what she had to say:


    "... they don''t seem to be too bothered by the Barbarians since their Mountain is a good way to the North of the usual villages that are always raided. But they have agreed to send some of their more junior disciples out to support us. No doubt to let them learn how to apply what they have learned."


    The Lady didn''t sound particularly impressed by the offer. But Li Sanlang had been aware of the high standards of his grandmother. After all, her abilities had been enough to make the Grandmaster of the Heaven Sword School bow his head every time that they met. Although she had never revealed where she learned her skills, it was clear that they were far superior to anything in the region.


    Lady Xie smiled as she patted her son on his shoulder. "In any case, you shouldn''t be that worried about this. The Heaven Sword School has agreed to my little proposal and will appear when the time comes. You will see that soon enough. They will be showing up at our door, the moment the Barbarians appear in the Forest," she assured him.


    "Ah! Sanlang is here! Have you been training and listening to what goes on here? Your father might throw you out to lead one of his armies, now that you have reached the Initial Realm. So you might as well learn something here!"


    "Ha! He''s a long way from being ready to lead his own troops, if you ask me. He almost fell asleep during our meeting with the generals yesterday," laughed the Marquis.


    "You may be seriously disappointed in your maternal grandson if you are hoping for him to be a great general like his older brother!"


    "Bah! One general in the family should be enough, even for a Duke''s family. So long as Sanlang learns enough to put up a good show, it would be enough. Don''t you agree, Sanlang?" chuckled the Lady as she waved her son''s joke aside.


    Li Sanlang sighed helplessly as he bowed his greeting to his grandmother. At least she wasn''t badgering him to take a wife. Or a few concubines. Just so that she could become a great-grandmother. So long as her teasing was about other matters, he was more than happy to bear with it.


    Then she turned to Li Changhai, and nodded at her grandson with an indulgent smile. "Now, what is this I hear about your young friend from the Heaven Sword School? That fellow who came to us in the Winter? He has tried out for our courier troop, has he?"


    "To tell the truth, I am a little more amazed about the man since he took that First Trial. That Qin Feng? He has certainly given me a shock yesterday."


    "Oh?"


    Lady Xie looked amused, and waved for him to continue.


    The Second Ducal Prince laughed at that, and gestured at his uncle, as if to leave the older man to speak on the matter. But Marquis Feng Laixue merely snorted, and waved his pointing finger aside, as he spoke:


    "He has surprised us with the results of his first Trial. His movement technique is exemplary and none of the other applying for the post can keep up with him. He completed his Trial within one day! And if we are to believe what he told Sanlang here, he had even gotten a little lost, when he reached the river."


    Lady Xie''s eyebrows rose at her son''s words, and she nodded gravely in response. "That hardly matches what I have heard about him, when I made a few casual inquiries at the Heaven Sword School. This Qin Feng is supposed to be a rather ordinary Outer School disciple, who was ... tossed out when he could not find any suitable Master once he had completed his basic training," she said deliberately, as she turned to look at her grandson.


    Li Changhai was surprised to hear that. "Tossed out? Well, he did mention that he left the School ... under a cloud. But he mentioned that it was the result of his ... relationship with one of the female disciple there, rather than his ... lacklustre performance."


    "Well, I suppose he was simply trying to hide the real reason why he ... left the School. But where one might believe that his abilities were lacking, I think he was trying to hide the fact that he was already far beyond what the School expects of their Outer disciples."


    The woman in the lilac robe smiled as she said that, and turned back to her firstborn son. "You should take care with this one, I believe. He has a way of ... making you believe one thing, while the truth is actually the opposite. If his allegiance wasn''t under scrutiny, I would even urge you to take him in as one of your personal agents," she went on.


    Then she smiled and reached out to pat her proclaimed favorite grandson on the shoulder.


    "Now, you can tell your grandmother what happened. With all of the bells and whistles too, if you wish. All I will say is that he had astounded all of us with the results of his first Trial."


    * * *

 54 Invasion 2

    Qin Feng was, of course, oblivious to the fact that Lady Xie had returned to the Marquis'' camp. Nor did he know that he was the focus of their little discussion. Honestly, he was more concerned about the Barbarians that he had just come across.


    And what that meant for the Third Army.


    Which was why he had dashed all the way back to the Marquis'' camp instead, rather than continue with the Trial that he had been given.


    The sentries at the gatehouse were surprised to see him. But it was Lei Kongwei who was truly startled when he insisted on meeting the sergeant at once. Or rather, it was his sudden presentation of two Barbarian war-axes that shook the sergeant''s calm demeanor.


    "There are Barbarians in the forest, and they are closer than you might think. And the ones that I had come across had already slaughtered one of your patrols," Qin Feng told the man flatly, when he saw that he got the sergeant''s undivided attention.


    "You had best bring this to your superior''s attention. Hopefully, he can get word of this to the Marquis. Or one of his generals. You do not have much time."


    Lei Kongwei nodded gravely back at him, as he picked up one of the axes in his hand. "I''ll need one of these, to show the general. And he''ll probably call for you, once he is done shouting in horror."


    Qin Feng chuckled at that, and shook his head. "No, take them both. I have more of such things on me too, if they ask.


    "And I''ll go see if I can get a meeting with the Second Ducal Prince. If he believes me, it would be easier to bring this to the attention of the Marquis. And I have a feeling that he will be more than interested to learn about this," he growled.


    "The Second Ducal Prince?"


    Qin Feng shrugged at the question and gestured at the axe in Lei Kongwei''s hand. "He is the one who recommended me to this post, so it is only fair for me to warn him that I have ... come across something like this. Besides, he has the Marquis'' ear, so he would definitely pave the way for me to tell the whole story, without any interruptions from the generals and such."


    "No need. One of them should be enough. And I doubt that any of the ... officers, including the general, would try to stop you, once this reaches ... If the Marquis hears of it from his nephew."


    "That may be so. But I think I owe Li Changhai a word in advance. There is something unusual about this, and I think it may reach further than just Changqing City."


    That was the impression that he had, from the fact that two disciples from the Snow Swallow Palace, far in the North, had shown up at the site of the battle. And that they were watching the Barbarians more closely than anyone was aware of. That was certainly something that no one was expecting, surely?


    "Then I shall alert ... my superiors, while you go warn the Second Ducal Prince. I believe he is resting in his tent. That''s the one next to the general''s, in case you are unaware. There are two guards outside of it though, so you may wish to ... approach it with caution."


    Lei Kongwei did not dally, and rushed off at once. No doubt to report to the general. What Ling Yongjian made of the news, Qin Feng could begin to wonder. From what he had heard of the fellow, he did not doubt that there would be a few broken desks and smashed cups and flagons, when he got word that the Barbarians were killing Third Army patrols.


    Still that had nothing to do with him, he reminded himself, as he picked up the remaining axe and stored it in his new ring once again. It would draw too much attention, if he walked about the camp carrying that!


    But Lei Kongwei appeared again, before he could reach the Second Ducal Prince''s tent. The sergeant seemed a little more subdued, however, when he approached Qin Feng. Had General Ling given him a hard time?


    "The Second Ducal Prince is with the Marquis in his Command Tent, together with Lady Xie. They have asked that you join them there, and brief them on ... your recent experiences."


    The man''s words were a little obtuse. But Qin Feng remembered they were still in the camp, and that there a great many soldiers walking about. And thought that it was deliberate such that word of the Barbarians'' early attack would not spread.


    So he followed after the sergeant, and quickly reached the said Command Tent.


    Nor did the Marquis waste any time at all, stopping him before he could pay his respects.


    "The Barbarians are already in the Forest? Sergeant Lei claims that the axe came from your hand, and that you have other evidence? But we ... our scouts have had no sign of them! How can this be?"


    Qin Feng made a show of sighing and quickly drew the dead bodies out from his new spatial ring. Including the scarred and battered heads of the soldiers from the Third Army that he had managed to recover.


    That was enough to make everyone in the tent cry out in surprise.


    Well, almost everyone.


    Lady Xie was the only one who remained calm. And her eyebrow seemed to twitch at the sight of these big strong men who were jumping about in panic. Including her own son and maternal grandson! Which was enough to make Qin Feng look up to her at once. She was far more steady than any of the tales had made her out to be!


    "Enough! Aren''t you afraid of disgracing yourselves? And the reputation of the Marquis'' Army? I should have my son throw you lot back into Basic Training! You can''t even keep your head at the sight of a few dead bodies!"


    Then she seemed to dampen the fire in her eyes, as she turned to face Qin Feng.


    "Where did you find these Barbarians? And the dead scouts? Can you show us? On the map?" she asked in a quieter, calmer voice.


    "It would be my pleasure, my lady," he replied at once, as he drew his own rough map out from his purse. He had not kept it in his ring along with the bodies since he still had to refer to it from time to time, on his way back.


    Not that he was about to admit that, in present company!


    But the marks on it were drawn by the two young ladies rather than himself, so he was more than confident that they were correct. At least, he hoped so!


    * * *

 55 Invasion 3

    Qin Feng was, of course, invited to rest in one of the larger and more comfortable tents as soon as he was done handing over the bodies of the slain and the map that he had recovered. Not that he was surprised at that. He was, after all, not a member of the military forces. And he had not sworn any oaths to the Marquis.


    Not to mention, the quarters that they had arranged for him, along with the food and drink that came with them, were clearly two or three steps more luxurious than what he had been accustomed to, the night before.


    Which was enough to tell him just how appreciative the Marquis and his mother was, with regards to his coming forward with the news. Li Changhai had even sent over some of his precious wine, which he had clearly been hoarding away since he arrived at the camp.


    That was enough to tell Qin Feng that he had made the right decision, to warn them of the likelihood of the Barbarians launching an attack earlier than expected. His warning should be enough to let them make a few preparations ahead of time. And that could very well be what was needed, to upset the Barbarians'' plans!


    Of course, the Marquis and his mother had questioned him on almost every detail, once he had revealed the bodies. And it was no surprise that the black-garbed old man''s corpse had drawn the most attention.


    The Barbarians were expected, and they had clearly recognized the symbols and the strange fetishes that they had worn around their necks and at their belts. But the old man was certainly someone from further afield. And more than likely to be someone from the Kingdom itself.


    Or one of its neighbors, to the North or the East.


    So it was only reasonable that they were all scrutinizing everything about him. In fact, they had even asked to take a look at the ring that Qin Feng had recovered from the body. Which was something that he had expected, the moment that he had used it to store all of the bodies and their effects.


    Still, he had used his own blood to wipe away the old man''s aura from the ring, so that he could attune to it himself. Which was probably why Lady Xia had bothered to promise him that they were only examining its exterior, and would leave its contents alone.


    But he had only smiled, and removed everything that would possibly give them a clue to the dead man''s origins before he handed the white-gold ring over calmly. It would definitely make him look better, he thought. Besides, there was nothing that he was interested in hiding away.


    In the end, the duo had pored over every last bit that was in the ring, and discovered not a single clue about the nameless old man. Even his weapon was so generic that all that they could tell by looking at it was that it was crafted in one of the Empires to the East.


    Qin Feng, on the other hand, could not be more pleased that there wasn''t a clue in all the items that he had laid out. Which was enough to make his action seem a lot more generous than it seemed. In fact, the Marquis himself had offered him a small prize of five hundred gold pieces for his cooperation, before he left the tent with everything gathered back into the ring.


    But he had been a little distracted, when Feng Laixue said that. So his response might have been a little colder than expected. Which was only to be expected, after he heard the latest news from the Lady.


    Lady Xia''s mention of the Heaven Sword School joining in the defense of the City was good news for the military and for the Marquis, he had to admit. Unfortunately, it was a little more problematic, when it came to Qin Feng himself. Especially since he did not want too many people paying close attention to him, and what he was up to. Which the people from the School was certainly going to do!


    Especially when he had more herbs and medicines than he was supposed to, when he left the School almost twenty days ago.


    While he doubted that the people from the School would suspect him of running off with more than his allotted share of the medicines, he wasn''t so certain that they wouldn''t discover the purchases that he had made for Elder Ming at the Fu Lai Medicine Hall. And the news that he had been supplying the restricted Purple Blood Ginger to the Elder was certainly not going look good, no matter what he did!


    That is, if they actually headed into Changqing City, rather than the Marquis'' Army Camps.


    Honestly, he didn''t really have the means to stop the mouths of those people at the Medicine Hall. Or the Second Ducal Prince, who was more than likely to come into contact with the Heaven Sword School disciples. So it was more than possible that they might find out what he was doing.


    If it really came to that, he would simply have to leave the City, and head off to someplace where he couldn''t be traced! And he would probably have to move in disguise as well, just to make certain should anyone send the word out that they were looking for him.


    Qin Feng sighed then, as he dropped into his assigned bed. And started making plans for his escape. This was becoming more bothersome than he had thought it would be!


    * * *

 56 Invasion 4

    Shouts in the camp early the next morning woke Qin Feng up from his slumber before the sky was properly lit. The dark blue color made it clear that it was still too early for the usual call for the soldiers to assemble for the morning drills, but the cries of the sentries and the guards were enough to shake everyone out of their bunk-beds.


    Including the Second Ducal Prince, who had appeared in front of Qin Feng''s tent flap almost as soon as he clambered out of bed himself. His back was to the young man, however, and he merely gave Qin Feng a nod in greeting, before he turned back to look towards the sturdy walls of the camp itself.


    "The alarm claxon is ringing. There is only one reason for that. We are being attacked. Or we are expecting one soon," Li Changhai explained, as he peered into the distance, towards the Camp Gate.


    Qin Feng realized that it was true. He could hear the clanging peals of the small military bell from the Gate once the Prince had pointed it out. So he simply sighed:


    "We had best get ourselves properly dressed and ready for a fight then."


    The Second Ducal Prince looked down at Qin Feng''s reminder, and chuckled when he saw that he was still clad in his undergarments. Then he sighed and waved a hand at the tent that he was sleeping in.


    "Unfortunately, I thought I was only had to introduce you to my uncle, and didn''t bring any extra weapons and such. I never expected that I would be needing armor for such an excursion. Perhaps we can borrow some simple pieces, you think? From the general stores?"


    "You should speak to your maternal uncle about that. Or your grandmother might be able to twist the Logistics General''s arm so that he hands over something suitable for you. I haven''t been trained to use armor in a fight, so I guess I shall have to do without it. Besides, I still have that sword I got from Sergeant Lei Kongwei. That should suit me well enough, if there is any fighting to be done."


    Li Changhai frowned at that. And gestured at the ring that was back on Qin Feng''s finger. "I remember that there was an assortment of weapons that you were showing off last night. Why not use those, rather than that simple army sword?"


    "Ah! But I haven''t had a chance to familiarize myself with them yet. And it would be a little dangerous, to use an unfamiliar weapon when you are faced with someone out to kill you. I would probably take something out and use it, if I lose that sword of mine, I suppose. But I would rather rely on that if I have a choice."


    He was largely telling the truth, when he said that. Although there were one or two weapons that he had in his ring that he was a little chary of showing off. Like the black-garbed old man''s sabre. That was something that would have caused a ruckus, if there were experts who could recognize it.


    Like Lady Xia, for example. But she had merely sniffed, and passed it over. So he was rather certain that she wasn''t going to make things difficult for him.


    Then he paused, and turned to look over the Second Ducal Prince, still clad in his undergarments. "What about you? Shouldn''t you get back inside and put on something warmer? No point in wasting your zhenqi to keep you from feeling the cold, if you have something else that would do the trick. And you might want to get your hands on some weapons and armor too."


    "My uncle said that he would send some over later. Looks like I had better put on my armor first, and wait for his messenger," sighed Li Changhai almost at once, as he took a step back towards his tent.


    "I don''t believe that we shall have that sort of luxury, to delay. We don''t know when the enemy will be attacking, do we?"


    The Second Ducal Prince sighed again. Qin Feng''s words did make sense. And it was clear from the look on Li Changhai''s face that he knew enough of the army''s rules to know that he didn''t have any time to waste. He would have to get to the sergeants in charge of the spare armor quickly, and get dressed for the fight that was coming!


    Which was most likely the reason why his face was stern, as he led the way towards the front of the camp.


    "Come on then! I know where the armory is!"


    *


    When the alarm bell stopped ringing, Qin Feng was just stepping out of another of the army''s large storage tents. He was dressed as he had been, when he arrived at Trials, in a soft grey, cotton robe. And the sword that he had received from Lei Kongwei was tucked into his waistband at his back once more.


    He had a feeling that he was going to need it soon.


    Movement behind him drew his attention to the Second Ducal Prince, who was emerging from the stores at his back. Li Changhai had changed into something more suitable for battle. In his case, it was a shirt of armor, made up of interlocking scales, along with matching greaves that covered his legs from knee to ankle. But he did not bother with a helmet, the last piece of the set. Instead, he wore his hair in his usual nobleman''s topknot, bound with a bright silver hairpiece.


    Qin Feng''s attention, however, was drawn to the weapons that he had chosen. Which was made up of an army-patterned spear in the Prince''s hands, and the long dagger at his belt. Surely he could have afforded something better. Why was he using the standard arms from the army?


    "I didn''t bring my personal suit of armor, or my weapons here this time. After all, the Barbarians weren''t supposed to attack until a moon later, remember?" Li Changhai reminded him quiet, reading the question on his face with a wry smile.


    "I will just have to make do with the regular weapons that the rest of the soldiers use."


    And it was obvious that he was a little uncomfortable about the whole idea of joining in the fight. Clearly, he had not expected something like this to happen, and was not prepared for it. Then again, who was ever truly prepared to face a full-on battle?


    Qin Feng was just about to say something along those lines, and had just opened his mouth when there was a a loud outcry echoing through the camp itself. Were they under attack already? Why hadn''t any of the sentries given the alarm, if the Barbarians had already been spotted. He didn''t understand.


    Which was why his words turned into a question at once:


    "What is going on?"


    * * *

 57 Invasion 5

    "I think ... the people ... the scouts that my maternal uncle sent out have returned. And the news that they brought must be ... more terrible than we had expected."


    Li Changhai''s voice was steady, but Qin Feng could not avoid noting how it was softer, and a lot less confident than it had been before. Clearly, the Second Ducal Prince was shaken by the pieces of the sharp cries that he had heard.


    "Come on. You have seen the Barbarians first-hand, so you might know something ... notice something, that we would not. Come with me!"


    But even before they could get within sight of the Marquis'' Command Tent, Qin Feng spotted a large crowd of people hustling away to the East. And the Logistics General, Ling Yongjian, was among the group! Qin Feng quickly brought that to the attention of the Prince, which was enough to surprise him.


    "Had they sent out scouts then? If so, some of them should be back by now. But if they are headed for the East side ..."


    Li Changhai stopped murmuring, and gave out a shout. Then he turned and started for the tents towards the Eastern side of the camp as quickly as he could manage, with Qin Feng hurrying to keep up. After a while, it became obvious to the latter that they were headed towards a tent that bore a bright azure flag on top of its roof. And Qin Feng realized quickly just what that meant.


    A Healers'' Tent!


    Had the scouts been injured then?


    There was a great many soldiers that had been drawn to the Healers'' Tent by the time that they reached the place. And the five that had been assigned to guard the place was clearly irritated to have to deal with the fools that were still trying to approach the same. One of them had turned to the Second Ducal Prince with an angry glare the moment that he stepped up to the same, the expression on his face making it clear that he was going to punch Li Changhai if he stepped any closer.


    Fortunately, another of the guards recognized the Prince before things got out of hand. And quickly saluted him, which was enough to make his identity obvious. To the onlookers as well as the guards on duty.


    "I think you had best send all of these idlers off, to get ready for a fight if nothing else. I think my maternal uncle is already on the way here."


    Li Changhai''s subtle warning was enough to send everything scattering, and earned him another salute from the guards. Which he returned with a smile, before quickly leading Qin Feng inside the large tent.


    Apparently, the Second Ducal Prince was more anxious for news on the enemy than Qin Feng had originally believed.


    Then he set eyes on the scout that was being treated on the physician''s table in the middle of the tent. "Sergeant Lei Kongwei? How come it''s you? Did you go out to scout out the enemy on your own?" he blurted out immediately.


    Li Changhai looked a little surprised, but Qin Feng managed to keep his face more or less under control as he kept his eyes on the injured man. There was an arrow that had passed from his leather armor, just under his right shoulder blade, penetrating his lung. And it seemed that the phyisician was in the midst of pushing the barbed arrow through his body, so that he could extract the head of the same.


    Qin Feng was barely able to keep the wince off his face, with some effort. That had to be very, very painful. And the treatment was more brutal than he had thought possible too.


    "What happened? Who hurt you?"


    Lei Kongwei shook his head, although he smiled as he did it. From the pale look on his face and his almost bloodless lips, Qin Feng guessed that he must have been running with that arrow stuck in his lung for quite a while. Which also explained why his entire uniform was caked in semi-dried blood.


    And why he looked as though he had overexerted his inner qi reserves.


    Which was enough to make Qin Feng sigh:


    "Let me guess: you were the one who was sent out to confirm my report. About the Barbarians attacking the patrols from the outlying camps? Just to make sure that I was not exaggerating, when I said that the Barbarians were starting to make their move?"


    He could not help but inject a little sarcasm into his voice as he said that. Did the Marquis really think that he would lie about something like that? Besides, didn''t he bring back the bodies? Of both the slain soldiers as well as the ones who were hunting them?


    "Yes, he was. Along with six others."


    Qin Feng turned his head to see the Marquis walk into the Healers'' Tent with the Logistics General on his heels. Clearly, Ling Yongjian had gone off to alert the Marquis, after he had deposited the scout in the Healers'' Tent. Feng Laixue merely waved his hand impatiently at all those who tried to greet him properly, as he quickly walked inside the tent.


    Including his nephew, the Second Ducal Prince.


    Well, he was in uniform, Qin Feng reminded himself, as he stuck to simple civilian bow. That would mean that Li Changhai was bound to follow military protocol for the moment, no doubt.


    "None of that now. Military rules, remember? We are under attack and have no time for such niceties," he reminded everyone, as he stepped in front of Lei Kongwei, and peered at the arrow sticking out from beneath his shoulder-blade.


    "How is he?"


    The clean-shaven physician nodded as he continued to mix the paste in his hands. "As well as can be expected. He has lost a great deal of blood; it is surprising to see him still conscious in spite of that. Most would have fainted from the blood loss. But I am not going to try to keep him awake. Once I remove the arrow, he is likely to collapse as it is.


    "So if you have any questions, ask them quickly!"


    Feng Laixue''s nod was almost curt, but the physician had already turned back to the injured man, and was no longer looking at the Marquis. Lei Kongwei however, seemed to be steeling himself for the questions that were coming. But the Marquis merely said one word:


    "Report."


    "Sir. I checked on the camps as directed. Three of them are already assaulted by the enemy, and it does not look as though they are able to hold out. The Barbarians have already breached their walls. The seventh troop has already fallen, and there are archers among the Barbarians there. I believe that the others are similarly under attack."


    "That is where you were injured?"


    "Yes, sir. Due to my carelessness, they were alerted to my presence and ..."


    The Marquis held up a hand at that, stopping him. "That is only to be expected. Your zhenqi must have been depleted by then. But it does not matter. The fact that the Barbarians are launching their attack early this year is."


    Then he glanced at the Second Ducal Prince beside him. As if his next words were meant for his nephew''s ear. "We have already sent runners as well as shot off our signal arrows to where the Second Army is waiting, just outside the City. But I doubt that we shall have too much time to prepare ourselves for a fight here.


    "So you won''t have a chance of returning to the City now. All of us shall have to get ourselves ready for a fight."


    Then he stopped, and looked over the Second Ducal Prince carefully, as though inspecting the gear that he had on. There was a hint of approval too, in the nod that he sent at Li Changhai after he was done. As though he was moderately pleased that his nephew had taken the time to put on some protective equipment.


    "The enemy are definitely going to try something, and soon! They wouldn''t bother to hit all of our camps otherwise. Unless I am gravely mistaken, they are probably preparing to catch us off guard with an early attack!


    "Well, they will be very much surprised if they try a stupid trick like that. We have fifty of my personal Bodyguard here, and they have already been ready since we sent our scouts out. And the rest of the three troops that we have here have been alerted by now. Let us see what tricks these Barbarians have now!"


    And as if in answer to his words, all the alarm bells within the camp began to ring out at once!


    * * *

 58 Invasion 6

    The Second Ducal Prince''s face paled and his frame seemed to shudder, once he heard the alarm bell. Clearly, he had not expected the enemy to attack so soon. For a moment, Qin Feng wondered if he was going to throw himself at the Marquis'' feet, gabbling in panic and asking to be sent back to the City. To tell the truth, a part of him would be more than pleased to jump onto his carriage, and flee the woods.


    This was not his fight. And he had no wish to give his life then, for a people that had nothing to do with him. No one, he was sure, would blame him from fleeing the battle.


    But Li Changhai merely straightened his spine, and pulled his shoulders back. And his voice was steady, when he finally spoke again:


    "It looks like the Barbarians have already been spotted, uncle. There can be no mistake regarding Qin Feng''s earlier report now. Not with what Sergeant Lei had seen out there. We need to get the rest of the camp, and the other troops, ready for an early invasion."


    "But ... In the middle of Winter? How stupid can the Barbarians get?" grunted Logistics General Ling as soon as he heard that.


    "They will have to trudge through all that snow and that will surely drain their soldiers of energy and warmth. They will be severely weakened by the time they get here!"


    The Marquis, if he was flustered by the sound of the claxon, certainly did not show it in the slightest. He merely nodded at his nephew and his subordinate, as he gestured for them both to remain silent, before turning to pat Lei Kongwei on his shoulder. Then with just a quick word of thanks to the attending physician, he strode towards the exit of the tent.


    It was only when he was outside the same that his face grew stern, and he quickly waved for the Logisitics General to prepare the camp''s defenses.


    "If they are that close, we should be able to get some more of our people to man the walls. And to get the rest of the camp in order, if they should try to burn us out. Although I doubt that they would try something like that, in the middle of Winter."


    Ling Yongjian, on the other hand, seemed far less cautious. "Are you sure we need to do that? It could be just an early probe, to check if we are properly defended."


    "Are you so sure about that? You heard the scout''s report yourself. They may have already wiped out the other seven camps already, if they are turning their attention here. We shall have to take this seriously, as if they are attacking in earnest!"


    Marquis Feng Laixue''s face was grim as he turned away from the General, and looked back towards the Healers'' Tent. "We had best get the physicians and the new men ready for a fight as well. From what we can see so far, the Barbarians seem to be ..."


    A horn blared then, interrupting him. It was a short, almost obscene sound that reminded Qin Feng of flatulence. But he certainly did not feel like laughing at the moment.


    Not after watching both the Marquis and the General go pale at the sound.


    The horn sounded as if it came from a distance away. The camp''s South Gate, Qin Feng thought, as soon as he heard the second wailing toot from the same. Was the enemy already here, he wondered, even as he saw the blood drain from Li Changhai''s face.


    A camp orderly dashed towards them, with a face red from his mad run from what he could see. He seemed to be a sentry from the main Gate of the camp, judging from the uniform scarf around his neck. And his eyes seemed to fixed on the Marquis at once, as he quickly bowed to the same.


    "Report!" came Feng Laixue''s stentorian voice at once.


    The young man in the camp sentry''s uniform swallowed, and seemed to quail under the stern gaze of the Marquis. Not to mention the rest of the group.


    Then he swallowed again, as if his throat was too dry to be moistened.


    "Sir ... Sir, the enemy ... just been spotted! They are within three times crossbow range!"


    For moment, Qin Feng stared at the young man, not quite understanding what he meant. But the Marquis, and his nephew beside him, did not suffer from the same inexperience with the military and their jargon as he did.


    "To the walls!"


    The Marquis took off at once, with Li Changhai at his heels. Leaving Qin Feng to sigh, as he patted the now drowsy Lei Kongwei on the arm. It was clear that they were in no mood to listen to whatever else the sergeant had to say.


    Which was enough of an excuse for the physician to step in, and shoo Qin Feng from the Healers'' Tent. He didn''t bother to refuse; it would be idiotic to offend those who would likely be trying to save your life if you got hurt.


    So he started to move as well, and looked around for the pair that had gone before him. There was no missing the Marquis and General Ling. Especially when there was a long trail of soldiers running after them. They seemed to be rushing to the walls of the camp, with all the soldiers they came across falling in and following closely behind them.


    Qin Feng sighed and used his Lightness-of-Body movement skills immediately, so that he could catch up with the pair. He would be able to find out more about what was going on, if he stayed close to the Marquis, he was certain.


    Then he realized that Li Changhai had not moved. What was he doing? Could it be that he was afraid? After all, this was his first exposure to a real war, wasn''t it? Was he going to panic?


    But the Second Ducal Prince''s next words put an end to that theory:


    "They are headed to the front, to deal with the enemy that has shown themselves. We need to get to the reserves, and get them ready. That is, if you care to come with me? My uncle ... The Marquis had placed that duty in my hands, and I would appreciate your help."


    For a moment, Qin Feng didn''t know what to say. That was a little too much, wasn''t it? After all, they had only known each other for no more than five days! Wasn''t this putting too much trust in him? Surely that was not the sort of thing that a Ducal Prince should be doing, was it?


    Then he recovered, and quickly shook his head.


    "You do that. I am headed back to the Healers'' Tent, to see what else we can get out of Lei Kongwei. He might have seen something that we could use."


    For a moment, the Second Ducal Prince looked blank. It was as if he had no idea who Qin Feng was talking about. Had he forgotten who Lei Kongwei was? Perhaps a sergeant was beneath his notice, the younger man wondered.


    Then Li Changhai nodded, as if he had finally remembered the man. "The one who brought word of the attack. Yes, he might have seen something. But the physicians are treating him now, so you might not have a chance to talk to him."


    Qin Feng knew that too. That was exactly the excuse that he was going to use, if he couldn''t get away as he hoped, and had to scurry back to rejoin the Second Ducal Prince. With the four Bodyguards that the Marquis had assigned to Li Changhai, it should be safer to stick close to the Prince. That is, if he couldn''t run away from all this war nonsense!


    * * *

 59 Invasion 7

    Unfortunately, the Barbarians had managed to completely surround the camp, so getting away didn''t look very likely at the moment. Qin Feng didn''t even have to ask, since the situation was laid out in front of him, the moment that Li Changhai reached the Marquis'' Command Tent.


    The Second Ducal Prince was also sent out quickly, to gather the men and see that they were properly equipped, at the stores. From the way that the older fellow rolled his eyes, Qin Feng had the impression that he was annoyed at the order that he had just received. Something that he confirmed, the moment that they were a little further away from the Command Tent:


    "This is just make-work, to keep me busy and well away from where the fighting would be hottest," growled the Second Ducal Prince as he made his way through the tents, towards where the armor and shields were stored.


    "Uncle Laixue is just keeping me away from the Camp Gates, where he thinks the enemy would be attacking, once they have gathered enough warriors. He is still treating me like a child!"


    Qin Feng had to admit that it was highly likely, what the Second Ducal Prince had said. He glanced at the pair of Bodyguards that had been assigned to the Prince since they were at the Healers'' Tent, and found the two burly men in heavy armor grinning back at him. Clearly, they had no problem at all, dealing with their assigned roles.


    Nor did he, when Qin Feng thought about it. If the Marquis intended to keep Li Changhai far away from the fighting, he was all for it! Didn''t that mean that he would be well clear of any trouble as well, so long as he stayed with the Prince? That was better than what he could hope for, if he had come to the camp on his own!


    So he was more than happy to try to talk the Prince out of going against his uncle''s orders.


    "You shouldn''t think of this that way. Consider what the soldiers here must be feeling, having to fight the enemy when they thought that they were only going to be here to keep the rest of the army supplied. Surely the Marquis is sending you to them, so show that they are being taken care of. And you are the one that he trusts, to find out if anything else needs to be done, with regards to their arms and armor."


    The Second Ducal Prince stopped in his tracks the moment that he heard that, and whirled to face Qin Feng in surprise. The shock was obvious on his face, and that was enough to make the younger man wonder if he had said anything offensive.


    But Li Changhai merely shook his head at him a moment later, and chuckled dryly. "You should have said that in my uncle''s hearing. He would have snatched you up as an advisor, since you have such a way with words. You are just trying to make me feel better about this, aren''t you? Well, it worked. I don''t feel so bad about doing this now."


    Then he turned, and looked back the way that they came. Towards the Command Tent in the distance. "But I do wish that I would have a chance to fight. It is getting irritating, the way that everyone is keeping me away from battle. My older brother was already at the front-lines when he was fifteen! And I still haven''t had a chance to prove myself yet!"


    Qin Feng merely held his tongue, and gave the Prince a simple nod in reply. Whatever Li Changhai hopes were, it wasn''t going to change the fact that the Marquis had set a pair of his Bodyguard to watch over him. And Qin Feng was certainly going to do his best as well, to keep the fellow out of any danger.


    After all, what was the point of having someone in authority to lean against, if he was just going to put himself into danger? And bring Qin Feng into the mess along with him?


    That, he decided, was something that he would have to avoid, even if it meant knocking the Second Ducal Prince out and dragging him away!


    He hid a sigh then, and was just about to try to talk Li Changhai into moving further away from the camp''s outer wall when he heard the alarm bell on the same ring once again. Everyone looked up at that, and Qin Feng noticed a sentry at once, as he shouted something incomprehensible as he gestured in a crazed manner at something outside.


    Then all at once, the whole wall in front of him crumpled into piece before his eyes!


    No! It collapsed as if someone had pushed it down, like it was no more than a sandcastle or a toy city wall, made up of pebbles!


    The screams started as soon as the rumbling of the bricks and wooden posts softened. And Qin Feng found himself staring blankly as the same crashed onto the simple huts that used to be the resting quarters of the sentries.


    And he wondered, absently, if there had been any men within the same. It didn''t look likely that any of them had survived the wall''s collapse.


    The surrounding area was rapidly filled with the wails and cries of men as Qin Feng blinked and recovered his wits. And tried to figure out what had just happened. And he had to throw up a hand to shield himself from the scattered shards of stone and wood that was raining down on the whole group.


    Li Changhai, on the other hand, had already gone pale, and he quickly clambered back onto his feet, pushing away the huge Bodyguard who had been holding up a heavy shield of iron and bronze above his head.


    "Breach!" he shouted at once, the moment that he had regained his feet. "They have breached the wall!"


    The Second Ducal Prince''s cry seemed to work. Sergeants or soldiers with more experience were already rallying the survivors. Who were pulling back from the gap in the wall of wood and brick. And forming up as if readying themselves to face the enemy.


    But just who could it be, to have caused such damage? To have caused such chaos?


    Then the dust settled. And Qin Feng finally caught sight of him.


    * * *

 60 Invasion 8

    Of course, the first thing that Qin Feng did was blink, rub at his eyes, and look again.


    But the sight that greeted his eyes did not change. Which was enough to make his jaw go slack. All of that had been caused by one man? How was that possible?


    Yet, there was no other explanation for it. There was no one outside the broken wall except for a tall, slim-looking man with a long moustache that dangled over his chin, dressed in a green robe that was only slightly different compared to what the locals wore. And in his hands was a long staff, crafted of some gold-colored metal rather than wood.


    And he was obviously preening as he peered at the camp through the hole that had been smashed in, breaking the long defensive wall of the camp. A mocking smile was evident on his lips, as his eyes took in all of the soldiers that had been cast down by the unexpected blast.


    Qin Feng could also see that he disdained to watch the handful of casualties trying to clamber back onto their feet. As if they were an insult to his devastating attack.


    "Who dares!"


    Qin Feng''s head turned away from the man when he heard the cry, and followed the sound to a woman in dark blue robes, that had just landed on one of the tents. Or, to be more accurate, one of the tent poles. Suddenly he felt a sense of relief. Here was an expert at last!


    The one wearing the green robes and wielding the golden staff chuckled as soon as he saw Lady Xie Nianxue''s arrival at the scene. The hole in the camp''s outer defensive wall seemed to frame him perfectly as his eyes continued to rake over the bodies that were strewn around the same. There was even an obvious sense of satisfaction in his gaze as if he was proud of the destruction that he had just caused.


    Which was enough to make Qin Feng very annoyed with the fellow. It was bad enough that he had to be dragged into battle against these Barbarians. Why did such an expert have to get himself involved? And on the opposite side at that?


    Besides, from his dress and the way that he wore his hair, he looked more like someone from the Kingdom rather than a Barbarian. Could it be that he was a sympathizer? Or someone that had been bought over?


    "Ye Hongge! You dare to attack the Third Army? You son of dog!"


    Lady Xie''s voice echoed over the field from far overhead. Making Qin Feng look up at once. He caught sight of the Old Marquis'' wife standing on top of the nearby Healers'' Tent, and glaring at the long-moustached man in green. And all at once, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. She was the most powerful person on their side at the moment, wasn''t she? She should be able to deal with this arrogant, annoying fellow!


    "Why, it is Lady Xie Nianxue! What an honor to finally meet! I had missed you at the Yuan Kingdom''s Harvest Festival three years ago. I had hoped to have a bit of a friendly exchange with you back then. A pity that you had not deigned to attend."


    "Hmmmph! Such matters are for youngsters, and unsuitable for a grandmother like me. Unlike someone else! You are already a hundred and four years old, Ye Hongge. Are you going to keep bullying the young at such nonsensical celebrations?"


    The man in green laughed as he gestured with his golden staff. "Bullying the young? How can you accuse me of something as disgraceful as that? There is no restriction to showing off one''s skill during such festivities. Even Honorable Bei Liuyun was there, to show off his latest Bamboo Flute Sword Dance! And he''s almost twice my age!"


    The Old Marquis'' wife snorted at that in a most unladylike manner, which did not surprise Qin Feng too much. He had already been warned that she preferred a more open style, and had manners more suited to jianghu rather than the nobility.


    "Bei Liuyun? You dare to compare me to that idiot who only plays with women and spends his days in song and wine? Are you asking for a beating?"


    "This humble one doesn''t dare! But I would appreciate it if esteemed Lady Xie is willing to demonstrate her famous Tiger Killing Fist. Tales of that particular martial art have been making the rounds at almost every festive occasion in the Five Kingdoms and Three Empires, and I am curious to see how it matches up against my White Eagle Claw technique.


    "Perhaps this is good opportunity for us to find out? If Lady Xie is willing?"


    He laughed then, and kicked off with both feet, hurtling off to the South, before the woman could manage a reply. And his voice came echoing back over his shoulder, and he fled towards the woods:


    "Let us take this away from the camp, Lady Xie! We do not wish to hurt any of your son''s precious soldiers, do we? Our skills are far too dangerous if we demonstrate them before such untrained and unwashed idiots!"


    Li Changhai''s grandmother didn''t bother to answer, but charged off in pursuit of the green-clad Ye Hongge at once. Leaving Qin Feng to curse as soon as she vanished across the wall.


    Couldn''t she tell that this was nothing more than a simple trick? He was luring the tiger away from her mountain! Even he could see that! Didn''t Lady Xie Nianxue have any inkling that this was nothing more than a ploy? To deprive the camp of its strongest fighters?


    After all, wasn''t the camp going to be in danger if the Barbarians had another expert? Someone of this Ye Hongge''s caliber?


    Or was she so confident that her son, the Marquis, would be able to deal with the attack that was surely on its way? Qin Feng watched the pair vanish into the woods, and felt his brows knitting together as he did so.


    The army sergeants, however, did not seem too bothered by the antics of the pair of experts, and started to shout at their men the moment the two had disappeared from their sight. Even Li Changhai seemed more concerned with the dealing with the opening in the defensive wall, rather than at his grandmother''s duel.


    His puzzlement must have shown on his face at once, when the Second Ducal Prince drew close, and clapped him on his shoulder. And he turned just in time to catch the sigh that issued from Li Changhai:


    "This looks like a ploy, by the Barbarians and their allies, to draw away our experts. Well, Grandmother should be able to deal with him on her own. But the hole that was left in our outer wall has already left us with a problem: the Barbarians will have a much easier time attacking here rather than at our Gates. We need to patch it up before they ..."


    A horn blared just then, interrupting the Second Ducal Prince in mid-sentence.


    And Qin Feng could see the blood draining out of the man''s face right before his eyes. Li Changhai seemed to drop what he was saying, and turned at once to peer through the gap in the wall. A line of Barbarians had already peeled out of another section of the Forest to the West, and were charging up to front of the breach!


    Had that been that Ye Hongge''s plan all along? Was he merely there to draw Lady Xie away as Qin Feng had thought?


    But Barbarians? He would have thought that they would send another expert!


    Still, the soldiers looked as though they were still in a daze. And there were no sentries to sound the alarm now that the wall, and those manning it, had fallen. Qin Feng realized that and was just about to shout out to the Second Ducal Prince when the Barbarians gave out a loud roar that was impossible to miss.


    And charged straight for the gap in the wall at once!


    * * *

 61 Invasion 9

    "The Barbarians are attacking!"


    "Form up! Form up! Get in front of the hole in the wall and hold them back!"


    "Are you mad? There are only six of us!"


    Qin Feng groaned as he saw the soldiers running around like headless chickens. Was this the standard of the Third Army? He had seen young children who could do better than that!


    "Sergeants! Form up the soldiers in front of the wall! Three men deep with shields and spears at ready! Prepare to face the enemy!"


    Qin Feng whirled to look at Li Changhai. The Second Ducal Prince still looked dusty from the wave of dirt that swept over the area earlier. And his Prince''s head-dress was a little skewed on top of his head. But his face was stern and his command was issued in a steady voice.


    So it was no surprise that the men started to form up, just as he said.


    Well, the fact that he had two of the Marquis'' Bodyguards standing on either side of him, glaring at all of the other soldiers might have helped. Nevertheless, Qin Feng was impressed that he had stepped forward like that.


    There were a few of the men who were obviously wounded and unable to fight. So Li Changhai sent them around, to help pick up those that were unconscious, or drag them out of the way. He even managed to send some of those who could still walk off to the armory, to bring more weapons and such.


    Qin Feng didn''t know if they would be back in time to meet with the enemy, but the orders that the Prince gave out seemed to calm the rest of the soldiers down.


    Li Changhai, on the other hand, had his eyes fixed on the scene that was taking place outside of the gap in the camp''s walls:


    There was a horde of Barbarians approaching, with their weapons raised in the air and their screams resounding in Qin Feng''s ears. From their red faces, marked with strange symbols and marks in some sort of bluish dye, it was clear that they were determined to commit violence on the soldiers within.


    "If they get inside here, the camp walls would be useless," growled the Prince at his side. His eyes, however, were still focused on the Barbarian warriors as they were before.


    Which was enough to hint to Qin Feng that the man beside him was likely to be speaking to himself. If he was even aware that he had said anything.


    Then, without another word, the Second Ducal Prince started to run to the broken wall, adroitly avoiding the piles of timber and shattered brick as he made his way towards the enemy. The burly pair that had been commanded to watch over him merely exchanged a glance, before they moved, taking up their positions on either side of the Prince.


    And leaving Qin Feng to curse under his breath.


    Wasn''t he supposed to stay behind the line, and command the troops from the rear? That was what commanders were supposed to do, wasn''t it? What was he doing, charging to the fore like that?


    But since Li Changhai was rushing to meet the Barbarians along with his Bodyguard, what else could he do but to follow after him? But Qin Feng kept his eyes on the people around him, rather than just focusing on the enemy as he ran. He would have to help look after this idiot Ducal Prince, it seemed, to make sure that he didn''t get himself into too much trouble.


    Which was probably why he wasn''t paying attention, when the Barbarians collided with the first line of soldiers strung out in front of the gap. By the time that he turned back, the Second Ducal Prince was already sprawled on his back! His two Bodyguards however, were standing over him, and weaving a tight net with their spears above him, keeping him from harm.


    Neither of them stopped what they were doing, leaving Qin Feng the only one free to haul the Prince back up onto his feet.


    Qin Feng cursed as soon as he saw that the Second Ducal Prince had lost his weapon. That Li Changhai was clearly not practiced in using a sword! He had even dropped it! In a battle, no less! It was clear that he wasn''t at a level where could hold his own against that many Barbarians!


    So he jumped forward, and quickly slashed at the neck of the burly bearded Barbarian in front of him, before he could lift his axe again. And jerked the Prince back from the fray by the collar before the rest of the enemy around them could react.


    "You clearly have not been using a sword. Not against an axe, at least. How about other weapons? Have you practiced with any others?"


    For a moment, Li Changhai looked as though he was in shock, and was unable to answer him. Or rather, it seemed he could not quite understand the question. Then he blinked and nodded at the younger man:


    "I have ... trained with a spear and polearms before. Some time ago."


    Qin Feng decided that it was good enough and quickly pulled a glaive out of his spatial ring. It was the one that the Barbarian youth, the leader with the scar on his chest, had wielded against him, back in the woods. It seemed the Ducal Prince would have to make do with that for a while, at least.


    "There! Use that! Stick to defense if you are not too familiar with it. Leave the killing to those who know what they are doing!"


    He was, of course, referring to the pair of large men who were supposed to be watching over the Prince. They looked fully occupied at the moment, fending off the crowd of Barbarians that had just arrived to replace those that had fallen. Li Changhai seemed to steady himself once he saw that. And quickly shouted a command that Qin Feng could make no sense of.


    Which was enough to send the soldiers around the two of them into a frenzy, thrusting the weapons in their hands at the charging Barbarians in an almost reckless manner.


    Something that he was forced to do as well, since he was positioned right next to the Prince. Trust that idiot Li Changhai to rush into the spot where the fighting was the hottest, Qin Feng muttered to himself under his breath, as he lifted his sword and thrust at the enemies again and again.


    Luckily, Lei Kongwei had kept the weapon sharp, and the Barbarians were not clad in any proper armor. That allowed all of Qin Feng''s attacks to slip easily into their torsos and slice their necks smoothly.


    Then the crowd seemed to clear. And he had the chance to look down, to see the ten to twelve Barbarians that had fallen by his hand. They looked no different from the group that had died in the woods.


    A scream from the Second Ducal Prince drew his attention back to the soldiers around him once again. And Qin Feng''s eyes went wide when he saw that someone new had joined the fight:


    He looked much older than most of the Barbarians around him, although it was clear from the way that he was attacking the soldiers that he was on their side. The hair on his head and his beard were heavily peppered with grey, and he wore a robe of deep purple that looked nothing like the rough furs of his allies. He used no weapons, but his fists were covered with gloves of some silver metal.


    And more to the point was the fact that he had one of them around the throat of one of the thickly muscled Bodyguards who were protecting the Second Ducal Prince!


    Even as Qin Feng looked on in surprise, his gauntlet-covered hand twisted, and snapped the neck of the large Bodyguard! Who barely had the chance to give off a grunt of pain, before the claw-like fingers of the newcomer yanked, tearing the big man''s throat out, and sending his bright red blood spraying all over the chaos before the gap in the wall!


    * * *

 62 Invasion 10

    The remaining Bodyguard did not hesitate. He ignored the death of his long-time companion and simply reached out to grab hold of the Second Ducal Prince instead. With more strength than Qin Feng had thought possible, he picked up the stunned Prince and hurled the fellow back over the lines at his rear, tossing him back inside the camp.


    Clearly, he was determined to fulfill his mission, to keep Li Changhai safe.


    That action was enough to make the purple-garbed fellow a little annoyed, judging from the frown that Qin Feng saw appear on his face. His hands didn''t stop, and two more soldiers died as he continued to charge towards the Prince.


    Only to meet with the Bodyguard, who had managed to turn back, and ready his weapon to meet the threat.


    The second of the Bodyguards didn''t even manage to last three exchanges. And crumpled to the ground with his throat torn out, just like his companion.


    That left Qin Feng the only one standing between the man in the purple robe and the Second Ducal Prince, he realized. Without bothering to think, he jumped forward and unleashed the sword stance that he was most familiar with at once, trying to fend him off.


    Four Seasons Sword: Shards of Winter Frost!


    The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out at once, then the purple-clad man stopped, allowing Qin Feng to take three steps back.


    "Four Seasons Sword? You are from the Heaven Sword School! Who are you?"


    Qin Feng didn''t bother to answer the man as he pulled back. So what if the purple-clad old man had identified the style that he was using. It wasn''t going to make things any easier for him. He could barely defend against his iron-like skin! How was he supposed to fight someone like that?


    Yet, from the fact that he recognized the style it was clear that he was no ordinary martial artist or someone from the Barbarian Tribes. No one who wasn''t from jianghu would be able to identify the Heaven Sword School signature style so easily.


    So, just who was this purple-robed old man?


    "Not going to answer me? It doesn''t matter! You will soon be dead like the rest of them!"


    Qin Feng panted as he tried desperately to Breathe and circulate his zhenqi. This was taking too long and he could feel the strain on his meridians already. If he continued to channel his strength like this, he would soon run out of energy altogether! Not to mention suffering an injury because of over-exertion!


    But how was he supposed to fend off this grey-haired man? He swung his sword again, this time choosing to stick to the defensive variations of the Four Seasons Sword as he did his best to shift away from his assailant.


    Not that the old man was letting him get away.


    Qin Feng cursed as the man with the metal gloves rushed at him again. Why was he being targeted? He wasn''t the one giving out orders, or trying to rally the troops! The one doing all of that was Li Changhai! The Second Ducal Prince! Why wasn''t he picking on him, while he was still down?


    But the man in purple didn''t seem to care about any of that, and continued to chase after him. And Qin Feng found himself forced to keep using his Flowing Wind Steps, just to keep out of his reach. And at the rate that he was using up his zhenqi, he wouldn''t be able to keep this up for very much longer!


    "Impressive! You have actually managed to escape without injuries from my Iron Blood Hawk Claw technique for so long. I''m surprised that the Heaven Sword School had bothered to send someone with such an outstanding achievement in controlling his zhenqi to support this petty little Kingdom. And to set you as the Ducal Prince''s bodyguard? I daresay that I am shocked!"


    Qin Feng didn''t bother to answer, and took the opportunity to Breathe, as he backed out of range. The moment that the man in the purple robe started speaking, he had been looking around himself, ready for another surprise assault.


    After all, why else would this one bother to speak to him?


    "But enough! Let''s see how you handle this! Iron Blood Hawk Claw: Diving Hawk Seizes the Throat!"


    The old man''s figure flashed, and Qin Feng retreated immediately, knowing that he didn''t have the strength to fend off a determined attack.


    He was still too slow, he realized, as a shadow fell over him at once. Desperate, he thrust his blade upwards as he drew his left arm over his own neck. The target of the attack was a little obvious, wasn''t it? If he could keep his throat from being hit ...


    But the sword in his hand was suddenly caught in an iron vise, and the old man''s laughter drifted downwards towards him. "You are like the other fools, thinking that this move is meant to seize your throat! What would you do, had you known that I was after your sword?"


    His gauntleted hand twisted then, and Qin Feng heard a distinct snap even as a sharp pain shot through his right wrist. But it was the sword that had shattered in the old man''s grasp, and not his arm.


    The zhenqi that flashed into his body however, once the purple-robed man''s other fist smashed into his ribs, was enough to shake all the meridians in his body. The impact was enough to drive his blood up from his lungs and spraying out from his mouth and nostrils!


    The old man laughed, and his silver-colored fist flashed once again, as it hammered yet another blow towards his face as Qin Feng flew back from the first blow. Qin Feng coughed up another mouthful of blood as he tried to raise his broken sword to block the attack. But even as he moved, he knew that he would not be quick enough. It looked like this was the end for him ...


    A bright azure color flashed in front of his eyes then, and he felt a wave of air wash over him, pushing him back. Since he no longer had any strength left to stand, he barely managed to two steps to his rear before he fell.


    "Luo Qingke!"


    Who was that? Was that the name of the person who had been doing his best to kill him? Qin Feng didn''t know. But he had the vague idea that there was someone there, between him and his enemy. Someone who had the ability to stop the old man.


    A sense of relief flooded his brain at once. Then everything went black.


    * * *

 63 Invasion 11

    Li Changhai realiised that he was still alive.


    The first thing that recovered was his sense of hearing.


    The screaming of the soldiers around him flooded Li Changhai''s ears. He couldn''t tell if they were crying out in anger, fear or pain. But it seemed a little muted, as though he was far away from the source of the same. He certainly could make no sense of it, lying where he was.


    Not to mention the horrible ringing in his ears, and the pounding in his skull. That was the second of his senses that started working again: the sense of pain, that seemed to flood every one of his four limbs. For a moment, he wanted nothing more than to just lie still, until he recovered.


    Then it suddenly dawned upon him, that he was still on the battlefield! And the screams were coming from the soldiers that had been caught in that terrible blast beside him! That was enough to make him groan out loud as he forced his eyelids open once again, as he heaved himself up into a sitting position.


    Something that he regretted at once, the moment that the hammering in his head intensified, and he had to shut his eyes once more, to keep himself from keeling over again.


    Somehow, he managed to stay awake, and look around him. He soon spotted the glaive that Qin Feng had pushed into his hands earlier, and quickly snatched it up once more. Only to find that it had been snapped into two; the long, dark wood shaft had been shattered. Still, he held onto it. The weapon was long enough to support him, as he forced himself back onto his feet.


    Then he heard it. The dull clanking sound of weapon against weapon, metal against metal. And it drew his eyes to an older man, with a head full of grey hairs, clad in long purple robe that looked as though it was tailored in the Far North. And it was clear from the bloodied iron gauntlets that covered his hands that he was the one responsible for killing the soldiers!


    But who was that, fending him off?


    The blood-splattered back in front of him, engaged with the purple-clad man looked familiar. And the barely recognizable robe that he wore was already tattered and stained with blood and muddy snow. But it was the way that he swung the weapon looked familiar, as if ...


    Wait! Qin Feng? Was that Qin Feng?


    The Second Ducal Prince''s eyes went wide as he watched the young man from the Heaven Sword School dance around the grey-haired man in the purple robe, drawing his attacks. Was that really the youth that he had been in-charge of dealing with, these last few days? How was it that he could do this?


    Was that the Four Seasons Sword Technique? The one that the Heaven Sword School was famous for? Or was it some other sword style?


    Li Sanlang didn''t know for certain. But he could tell that it was far more effective than that Iron Horse Glaive technique that he had been using earlier. The one that he had trained at for about a season. Much more impressive!


    Was this the difference between what they learned in the Ducal Army and what was taught at the Heaven Sword School? Was it really as exaggerated as that?


    However, Li Changhai could also see that Qin Feng was hopelessly outclassed by his opponent. The sword that he was wielding squealed and sparked , each time it clashed with the heavy metal gauntlets that protected the purple-robed man''s hands. And he could see that Qin Feng was being forced back with each blow that he had to fend off.


    It was clear that he wouldn''t be able to do that very much longer too! Not with the injuries that he had sustained!


    The young man''s left upper arm was bleeding, and his top-knot had already been knocked crooked during the fight. The short army-issue sword in his right hand was quivering each time that he swung it at his opponent, whose face was dark with rage. And its edge was already uneven; it chipped each time that the weapon connected with the purple-robed old man''s gauntleted hands.


    From what Li Sanlang could see, it wouldn''t last much longer either. And once it was shattered, would Qin Feng still be able to deal with the grey-haired man in purple?


    Then, disaster!


    There was a loud chime as the man in purple caught hold of Qin Feng''s sword by the blade. The gauntlets covering his hands evidently protected him from the weapon''s now-battered edge. A swift punch with his other hand - at the blade, rather than the young man, had snapped the weapon into two!


    Leaving Qin Feng with nothing more than a foot of blade left on his sword!


    Then the old man with the metal gloves kicked out, catching Qin Feng in the lower belly and sending the younger man back before he could react to the loss of his weapon. Even before he landed on the ground, the purple-robed man was attacking again, his clawed hands flying straight for Qin Feng''s throat!


    Suddenly, a flash of silver and steel fell from the sky, forcing the purple-clad man back!


    The Second Ducal Prince gave out a cry then, almost involuntarily, as a figure dropped in from of his eyes, to stand between Qin Feng and his assailant. It took him a second look to realize that it looked like a woman, in an azure-colored robe.


    "Luo Qingke!"


    "Nu Yuanqing?"


    Li Changhai ignored the pair, and quickly ran to Qin Feng''s side. The young man was still alive, and spitting out the sand that had gotten into his mouth when he sprawled into the dirt. But his eyes were still alert, and his right hand still clutched at the broken sword''s hilt.


    He was staring at the pair that were now glaring at each other, ignoring the soldiers that remained in the vicinity. That is, those that were still alive. There were a great number of bodies strewn across all that the Second Ducal Prince could see, Barbarians and Third Army soldiers both.


    But he could not recognize the woman that had appeared. Who was this Nu Yuanqing? And why was she helping them?


    And more importantly, why had she waited until Qin Feng was beaten unconscious before she appeared?


    * * *

 64 Invasion 12

    Li Changhai was tempted to go up to the woman and ask her directly. After all, he was a Prince, and this was his uncle''s army camp. But he held himself back, and slowly moved towards the unconscious form of Qin Feng instead.


    For some strange reason, he felt a lot safer with the younger man close by.


    In the meantime, an argument seemed to have broken out between two experts!


    "Luo Qingke! So it was you and your Purple Serpent Sect! I had not expected you to play a hand in this conflict. It seems you Northerners are the ones behind all of this nonsense with the Barbarians, just as I thought!"


    Li Sanlang looked up at the figure that had just appeared so mysteriously, and was surprised to find that it was a handsome woman who looked no more than forty. In her right hand was a long sword that seemed to gleam with a greenish sheen, and she was wearing an over-robe that was the color of pale jade.


    For a moment, he wondered who she was, and was curious to see what she looked like; since she had her back to him, he couldn''t see her face. But her grey-haired opponent seemed to recognize her. And feared her too, judging from the sudden drain of blood from his heavily wrinkled features.


    Then he seemed to recover, and a forced smile appeared on his face.


    "Nu Yuanqing! I had not heard that you were present here at the Third Army Headquarters. What draws you all the way here? Is the Winter season that boring at the Heaven Sword School?"


    "Oh? That would make things more convenient for you, wouldn''t it? If Lady Xie was alone here? Did you really think that we would wait until Spring to send support her way? After she had taken the trouble of going all the way to our Heaven Sword School to invite us to the fight?" sniffed the woman at that, as she turned away from the Second Ducal Prince, who was edging away from the site of their impending battle.


    So this Nu Yuanqing was from the Heaven Sword School! Was she there to rescue Qin Feng? Or was this part of the arrangement that his grandmother had made with the School?


    Li Changhai hid his confusion. He knew that he didn''t look too steady, since he was leaning on what was left of that glaive that Qin Feng had lent him. And from the fresh blood stains on his borrowed armor and uniform, this Second Ducal Prince knew that he was probably as badly injured as he looked!


    But he ignored the pair that was talking and continued to move closer towards the heavily-injured disciple from the Heaven Sword School. If this Nu Yuanqing was someone that his grandmother had arranged, it would make sense to stay close to Qin Feng, wouldn''t it? After all, the young man was from her Heaven Sword School.


    Besides that, staying close to Qin Feng would also make things easier for her. Especially when the old man, Luo Qingke, seemed to be still waiting for a chance to strike at him!


    Although he could not help but wonder why she had not bothered to step out earlier, when Qin Feng was being battered by the old man before her eyes.


    "I see. So the famous Lady Xie Nianxue is willing to set aside her pride, to seek help from the Heaven Sword School. But they sent only you? That is hardly good manners, is it? What is your position in the School now? Are you even an accepted Elder?


    "I think the Heaven Sword School has seriously shortchanged Lady Xie in this matter."


    Nu Yuanqing''s shoulders seemed to stiffen as soon as the old man said that. And her voice, when she replied, was devoid of any warmth at all:


    "So daring! You believe that you are a match for my Southwind Sword? Come then!"


    But Luo Qingke merely chuckled, and took a step back. He even folded his hands behind his back as he did so.


    "Oh! I wouldn''t dare! But ... Forgive my honest words. Sending a simple apprentice of the sword like that boy there? To fight for the honor of the Heaven Sword School? That is a little ... under-whelming, isn''t it?"


    Nu Yuanqing sniffed again. "The honor of the Heaven Sword School? Did you really think that we would leave that in the hands of a child like that? He is merely one of the dregs that we had thrown out, after failing to enter the Inner Court at the mountain."


    "Oh? Then ... he is merely serving the Marquis on his own accord? Do you really expect me to believe that? We have been watching over matters here in Changqing City for as long as your Heaven Sword School, you know?"


    "Really? And this is the best that you can do? Depending on those worthless Barbarians?"


    Li Sanlang looked away from the pair then, and cast his eyes outside the walls once again. The army was still fending off the Barbarians, and it seemed to be winning against the chaotic horde even though it was seriously outnumbered. It seemed calling them worthless was not too outrageous an insult.


    "All part of our plan, as you should understand. We do not wish the Southern Reaches or the Marquis to fall. Although killing off some of its more promising youngsters would be advantageous to us," the old man replied with a wide grin. Apparently, Nu Yuanqing''s attempt to insult him was not working.


    "And sending Ye Hongge here was part of your plan, I suppose? So that you could draw Lady Xie away? Why did you even bother? He is hardly any match for her. You would sacrifice him, so that you can lead the Barbarians here, to exploit the hole in the wall that he had made earlier?"


    The old man in purple laughed at her mocking tone. "It is like you said. A good plan, don''t you think? The appearance of one of your Heaven Sword School disciples here however, was a bit of a surprise. I had not expected you to be so ... proactive.


    "And I seriously doubt that he is here on his own accord. The way that he fought earlier ... Well, he is clearly here to support the Ducal Prince, isn''t he?"


    The middle-aged woman in green glanced his way then, and her smile seemed warm. Which was enough to make Qin Feng wonder if she was going to claim credit for his assault on the man earlier. As if the Heaven Sword School had anything to do with that!


    "What makes you so sure that we sent him?"


    * * *

 65 Invasion 13

    Luo Qingke''s eyes widened slightly as soon as he saw the smile on Nu Yuanqing''s face. "Ah! You insist that your Heaven Sword School didn''t send him here? Fine. I shall not bother to argue with you. But what do you intend to do now?


    "Are you going to fight me? You should know that you are not my match. Or are you simply delaying me, in hopes that Lady Xie will finish off Ye Hongge and return to join hands with you? So that you can take me down together?"


    The woman in green sniffed once again, as she shrugged at the old man. "Do not insult me. Do you really think that we need to join hands to deal with you? Who do you think you are, Luo Qingke? You are merely an Outer Court Elder of the Purple Serpent Sect!"


    A frown appeared on the purple-clad old man''s face then. Li Sanlang sensed that he was beginning to feel really upset by the woman''s disparaging words. Which was probably why he had reached out to put his hand on the collar of Qin Feng''s ragged robe. He would do his best to pull the younger man along with him, once they started to fight.


    Maybe he would get lucky, and get away before their attacks affected the area around them too badly.


    "Oh? Merely an Outer Court Elder? And what are you, Lady Nu? From what I can remember, you have no status in the Heaven Sword School. After all, you were merely one lover out of several, who had clung onto Grandmaster Jin Zongjie''s thigh, when he rose to his position. And the only one whose facial skin was too thick to back away, unlike the others."


    Nu Yuanqing''s face seemed to harden as soon as she heard those words. And she did not hesitate, raising her sword to look down its length at the purple-clad man. "You shall pay for that!" she declared softly.


    Then, without further warning, she attacked!


    Li Changhai gave out a gasp, and his hands froze for a moment, almost as if he had forgotten that he was tending to Qin Feng''s injuries. That was the Four Seasons Sword Technique, wasn''t it? The same one that Qin Feng had used earlier?


    But it was far more impressive, and deadly, in Nu Yuanqing''s hands!


    The sword in her hand lashed out at the old man with the metal gauntlets, its tip catching the skirt of his robe, even though he had danced back as he fended off her attack. The trailing hem was shredded despite his defense, and there was an obvious growl emanating from his throat, telling of his anger and distress.


    Not that he was the only one to suffer from the exchange:


    Nu Yuanqing''s sword blade was quivering as she fought, whining as though it was in danger of snapping. And her left hand was shaking slightly, after having to meet with the close-knit web of fist blows that Luo Qingke had put up. By the time that the pair separated once again, her reddened cheeks and the way that her chest heaved made it clear that she had put in more effort than it looked to Li Changhai''s inexpert eye.


    Luo Qingke, on the other hand, did not fare any better. His hands were obviously shaking despite the fact that he was wearing those gauntlets, and the purple robe that he wore was in tatters below his knees. The sleeves on his arms were also torn up to his elbows, and the woman''s sword had left a shallow track on his right cheek.


    However, the Second Ducal Prince did not dare to disparage either of the combatants. They were moving so fast that he could not even catch a proper glimpse at the styles that they were using! All that he managed to get out of the brief exchange was the impression that either of them were sufficient to lay the entire Third Army to waste!


    But there was a slight itch that he could not help but feel, as he considered the movements of the woman in the green robe. There was a smattering of similarity, between the style that she had used and what Qin Feng had demonstrated earlier. Was it because both of them were from the Heaven Sword School? That they would wield their swords in such a similar manner? Was she using the Four Seasons Sword as well?


    "So ... it seems the vaunted defense of your Iron Fists has been greatly exaggerated. How disappointing," the woman in green managed to say at last, as she lifted her sword quietly. The shivering of the sword-blade slowly eased off as she did so, but she continued to clench her left hand, as though she was trying to quell the pain that she felt in her palm there.


    "Not a match for your Four Seasons Sword, it appears. You have grasped the passing of the seasons, and the weight of the years. Far better than that young disciple of your Heaven Sword School. Then again, that is is no surprise, given how many of them you have already seen."


    Nu Yuanqing''s eyes narrowed once more, as soon as she heard the old man spit out his latest insult. But she did not launch another attack. It was clear from his stance, and the way that he held his hands, that he was ready to receive it.


    Instead, she gave him a mocking smile, as she nodded at the forest at his back. "You are free to attack me, if you wish to have another taste of my sword. But I believe that you should be more worried about keeping your skin intact, rather than trying to taunt me."


    The old man met her smile with a grin of his own as he cocked his head at her words. "Such confidence in your words. It seems you believe that your Heaven Sword School is more than a match for my Purple Serpent Sect then? Or are you talking about your own skill?" he asked with a bark of laughter.


    "Neither. It is another principle that you should have heard of. How a pair of fists is no match for four hands. And we clearly have you outnumbered," she told him plainly, with a malicious glint in her eyes.


    "Isn''t that right? Lady Xie?"


    Luo Qingke whirled, just in time to see the other woman emerge from the edge of the Southern Forest, walking confidently out of the shadows of the trees, as though she hadn''t a single care in the world.


    But his eyes were soon distracted by the roundish object that she was holding in her left hand. Droplets of bright red fluid dripped from the same with every step that she took. And as she got closer, there was no mistaking it for anything else:


    A human head!


    Even Nu Yuanqing''s uneasy smile could not disguise the surprise that she felt, as soon as she noticed the gory burden, gripped by its hair, in Lady Xie''s left hand.


    Xie Nianxue merely sniffed at the pair as she dropped the object that she was holding, startling both of them again at the rough treatment of the same. Luo Qingke''s eyes went wide as he recognized the bloodied features at once. "Ye Hongge! You killed Ye Hongge!"


    "What did you expect me to do? Invite him over for dinner? You two have been working against the Southern Duchy for close to twenty years! Since he has so generously brought his head over to offer it to me, it would be far too impolite of me if I refused," chuckled the woman as she kicked the decapitated head over.


    "Here! Why don''t you have a few words with your old friend? Before I send you down to join him in Hell?"


    * * *

 66 Invasion 14

    The old man in purple''s face grew pale as he scrutinized the features of the decapitated head before him. It was obvious to the silent Second Ducal Prince that he had no difficulty recognizing it to have belonged to Ye Hongge, the expert who had assailed the camp''s wall earlier.


    Li Sanlang, however, was still careful to keep his guard up. Nu Yuanqing, the woman in green, was still somewhat of a mystery to him, and he wasn''t certain if he could trust her to make a move, if this Luo Qingke tried to dash into the camp.


    After all, there was a chance that the old man would try to take a hostage, to get himself out of this highly disadvantageous situation.


    And Li Sanlang knew that he would be the man''s first target, if that was the case!


    But Luo Qingke surprised him by chuckling, as he shook his head at the gory remains at his feet. "It seems we have miscalculated. Or rather, we had underestimated your abilities, Lady Xie. We had believed that you were merely someone who had touched on the lower boundaries of a Martial Master. But clearly, you are more formidable than what we had thought.


    "It seems we shall have to take that into account, if we should move against you again. Say, in another ten years or so? I would pledge non-interference from my Purple Serpent Sect for a decade, in recompense for our ... mistake in underestimating the Marquis of Changqing City."


    Xie Nianxue''s laughter was enough of a slap in the face to make the old man take two steps back, and her smile was mocking and dismissive as she looked his way again.


    "Luo Qingke, ah, Luo Qingke. Do you think I would let you go? What makes you believe that I would care about good relations with your Purple Serpent Sect? Especially after I have already killed Ye Hongge? It wouldn''t stop you from reporting to the Autumn Leaf Red Pavilion, to coax them into attacking me instead?


    "Since I have slaughtered one of you, I do not mind killing you both."


    The old man in the now tattered purple robe looked a little unsteady at her declaration. But he managed to keep a pained smile on his face. "Ah! It seems I cannot deceive the esteemed Lady Xie Nianxue. You are as sharp as the tales say. How about if I promise that the Purple Serpent Sect will not interfere with the Succession in the Kingdom? In perpetuity, of course. And to recompense the Marquis with say, a million pieces of gold?"


    "Still trying to bargain for your life, Luo Qingke? You need not waste your time. Besides, the ten year truce that you propose will only hold your Purple Serpent Sect back, doesn''t it? Do you think me a fool? What of your allies? What of the other groups in the North?"


    Her face hardened abruptly, as she fixed him with a glare that was enough to make her own grandson''s blood freeze in his veins. "Don''t make me laugh, Luo Qingke. Take a note of the date today, you fool. Next year, it will be the anniversary of your death!"


    Luo Qingke''s face grew dark as soon as she started speaking, and Li Sanlang could see that the old man''s eyes were already darting this way and that, as though he was looking for a suitable direction to run.


    "Looking for a place to escape? Or are you thinking of dashing into the camp, so that you can take a hostage? Unfortunately for you, my son is a good distance away, at the South Gate of the same, fending off the horde that you had enticed here. Or what is left of them. Did you really think that these Barbarians are a match for our trained soldiers?"


    Then she smiled again, and waved her left hand in front of her once more. A familiar black-garbed corpse appeared at once, slamming into the dirt-covered snow at her feet. Li Changhai looked at it in surprise. That was the fellow who had attacked Qin Feng earlier, wasn''t it? When he was attempting the second Trial? Why was she showing off this old man''s body now?


    "Or are you hoping that Fu Langqi is going to show himself now? To help you escape? Did you really think that we would miss him?" came her words then, making things clear. So, he was another card, that Luo Qingke had hidden away in the woods?


    Luo Qingke''s mouth fell open as his eyes grew wide, staring at the body that had just appeared before him in disbelief. Li Sanlang could see the remnants of the old man''s purple sleeves flutter slightly, as though he was quivering where he stood.


    Nor was he the only one who saw that reaction. Xie Nianxue was quick to spot, and to exploit the lapse shown by her opponent. Her right hand flashed, and a wave of Golden Lightning Qi flooded the space between her and her target, washing towards Luo Qingke like a storm!


    It only took him a moment to react, crying out as he lifted both of his hands to fend off the attack that was headed straight for him. But he was still a little too slow, and the flood of gold-colored qi splashed onto him, throwing him backwards!


    Nu Yuanqing was certainly not about to let the chance go. She lifted her sword and charged right for the old man, launching an awe-inspiring attack straight at his back!


    "Four Seasons Sword! Curtain of Summer Rain!"


    By then, the old man appeared to have managed to ward off the lightning, but it was obvious, even to Li Changhai, that the effort had drained him.


    Which left him at a disadvantage, when he turned and tried to send a series of punches at the cloud of sword qi that Nu Yuanqing was hurling his way. There were sharp sounds then, as the sword qi and his metal gauntlets clashed in the space in front of him. And Li Sanlang could tell that he was already at the end of his strength!


    The trail of blood trickling from his mouth and from his nostrils made it obvious that he had suffered rather massive injuries, forcibly drawing out his strength like that, to defend against the Four Seasons Sword attack.


    Then, all at once, before anyone could react to the clash of sword and fist, Xie Nianxue had suddenly appeared right behind the old man! And all it took was one simple palm-strike to the back of his skull, before he even realized that she was there. A loud cracking sound resounded in the space before the camp''s shattered wall, and Luo Qingke perished at once!


    * * *

 67 Aftermath 1

    For a long moment, no one spoke.


    Li Changhai was too stunned at the man''s sudden death to even form his thoughts properly, much less manage any coherent attempt to call out to his grandmother as he had intended to do. Was she really that powerful? How come he had never known that?


    Nor was he the only one so surprised. Nu Yuanqing had her mouth open, as she stared at the body of the old man who had just exchanged blows with her. And it was clear that she had never expected such an ending either.


    Then Xie Nianxue simply sniffed, and the silence was broken.


    "Well, I see that you did not really need my help at all, Lady Xie. I suppose that I should feel grateful, since you are basically gifting us the resources that you promised our Heaven Sword School for free?"


    Nu Yuanqing was the first to recover, and her choice of words made it sound as if she was chiding Xie Nianxue. The Second Ducal Prince scowled as soon as he heard her words.


    She did not put away her sword though, which told Li Changhai that she was wary that Lady Xie might not be willing to hold to her end of the bargain. From what he knew of his grandmother, he didn''t doubt that the woman in green would pay for her somewhat insulting manners.


    Nor did Xie Nianxue disappoint. "If you are asking for payment, here it is," came her reply, in a much softer voice than she had used earlier. Which was enough to make the Second Ducal Prince watch her carefully. His grandmother had a temper, and that was a sign that it was flaring up!


    She flung out a hand at the woman as soon as she was done speaking, and a scroll flew out from the same, hurtling towards green-clad Nu Yuanqing.


    The woman from the Heaven Sword School wore a smile as she lifted her left hand to intercept the same. But as soon as she caught hold of the scroll, her expression changed, and she dropped her sword to slam her right palm against the back of her left hand!


    A peal of thunder seem to resound in the space around Nu Yuanqing as soon as she did that. And the Second Ducal Prince found his eyes widening as he saw how the woman in green had to take five steps back, and cough up a mouthful of blood, before she could hold onto the simple-looking scroll.


    "What is this? Are you breaking the boat now that you are across the river?"


    Xie Nianxue merely smiled, and gestured at the bodies that she had left on the field. As though telling Nu Yuanqing that she did not need to bother with petty games.


    "A simple chastisement, for not doing what you have promised. Still, you had fulfilled part of the duties that you were assigned, so some reward is necessary. Hence, I have given you the scroll. It contains the Agile Cat Seven Steps that I promised your Heaven Sword School. You may take it that I am feeling generous, since I am in a pleasant mood.


    "Just do not expect to get the Spirit Stones that we spoke about."


    Nu Yuanqing coughed, and spat out a mouthful of blood. Her right hand reached out, and snatched up the sword that she had let drop earlier, while her left continued to clutch at the scroll.


    "Why? This is unfair!"


    Xie Nianxue shook her head again, as she glared at the woman''s imperious tone. "You dare to say that I am unfair? Have you forgotten what our agreement was, in the first place? You were supposed to kill off those who intruded into the camp, and to safeguard my grandson, was it not? And you dare claim that you have done so?" she growled in a low, threatening manner at Nu Yuanqing.


    "Have I not? Look around you! Dare you claim that I have failed to keep the Barbarians out of your precious camp?"


    "Hmmph! While I do not dispute the fact that you have managed to complete the first part well enough, what of the second? If you had troubled yourself to protect my grandson, why is he injured now? And by Luo Qingke''s hand no less?"


    "What? But I ... He didn''t step into the camp, so how could he have injured your grandson? You are clearly trying to get out of the agreement!"


    Xie Nianxue''s eyes narrowed dangerously as she stared at Nu Yuanqing. "Are you calling me blind? Or am I so old that I cannot recognize my own grandson? He is standing right there, and his injuries are clear for all to see! Is this how you protect him then?"


    "What?"


    The two women turned then, and Li Sanlang could feel the woman in green''s eyes boring at him, once his grandmother had pointed him out. It wasn''t pleasant, but this was not the first time that he had been the centre of attention, in a way that he did not care for.


    "Grandmother," he called out at once, and bowed politely. To both women.


    "Lady Nu."


    The face of the woman in the pale green robe was pale and her expression ugly to behold. But her glare reverted to Xie Nianxue almost at once, as though dismissing him. Li Changhai could not be bothered to feel annoyed, and turned his attention back to the bloodied man who was lying at his feet.


    If this was the sort of women that he had to deal with in the Heaven Sword School, it was little wonder that Qin Feng had been so pleased to get away from the same!


    His grandmother seemed to share his opinion too, as her seemingly mocking words to Nu Yuanqing seemed to indicate:


    "You could have stepped out earlier, if you had bothered to find out how my grandson looked like. Did you really think that he would cower in my eldest son''s tents while there was a attack? It is clear that you think too poorly of my family!"


    Then her hand gestured at the unconscious man lying next to Li Sanlang, much to the latter''s surprise. "I am tempted to withhold the first part of your payment, had it not been for the efforts of that Qin Feng. He is one of your disciples, after all. By that, I mean one of the Heaven Sword School''s disciples. To think that you didn''t even bother to save his pitiful hide."


    Lady Xie Nianxue''s tone was a little belligerent, but the other woman merely glared back at her, rather than bothering to reply. Her expression, on the other hand, grew uglier.


    "Regardless of that, and regardless of whether he is still considered one of yours, he did save my grandson earlier, with his efforts. If not for that, the Barbarians would have entered into the camp, and the consequences of that would have been ... severe.


    "For you as well as for them."


    * * *

 68 Aftermath 2

    "Regardless of whether I was willing to let him perish or not, you cannot deny that he is one of us. And that he had saved your grandson!"


    Li Changhai found a frown knitting his brow as soon as he heard Nu Yuanqing''s forceful reply. Hadn''t she refuted Luo Qingke earlier? And didn''t she been so adamant that Qin Feng had nothing to do with her Heaven Sword School? Wasn''t this a little too obvious, how she was merely using him to snatch more benefits for herself.


    But his grandmother didn''t seem to be too bothered by it.


    "In that case, I shall offer the prize for protecting my grandson to him, rather than you. After all, who can say if what you claim now is true or otherwise? You did deny his place in your Heaven Sword School earlier, when you were speaking to Luo Qingke earlier, didn''t you?"


    Xie Nianxue''s tone made it very clear that she was not going to accept any excuses. And Li Changhai was more or less certain that his grandmother was going to make certain that Nu Yuanqing was not going to get anymore than what she had already received.


    Which was, in his opinion, more than what she deserved! If anything, Qin Feng deserved more of a reward than she did!


    Nu Yuanqing looked as if she was going to protest further, but she soon saw that she had no chance of success from the unyielding expression on Xie Nianxue''s face. So she simply gave out a ''hmmph'' sound, and kicked off with her feet, floating away with her Lightness-of-Body skill. And disappeared towards the North.


    Li Sanlang breathed a lot easier, once he saw that she was gone. He was confident that his grandmother had control over the situation but he was not about to be too complacent. Especially when there were still a good number of Barbarians about.


    Or were there?


    He looked over the the field of battle then, and was somewhat surprised to see that almost all of the Barbarians had been eradicated. There were apparently a lot more soldiers tearing into them, and before he could recover from his astonishment, one group of the same tore away from the pursuit, and started towards him.


    No, he was not the reason that they were heading over, he realized after he watched them for a while. The band was reforming as they got closer to the breach in the camp''s wall. And clearing the bodies that were strewn over the space in front of the same. It was obvious that they were there to keep the Barbarians from getting any closer to the gap.


    "How is your condition? Your injuries aren''t too bad, but your left leg looks as if it has been twisted. How are you bearing up?"


    The Second Ducal Prince turned back to his grandmother as soon as he heard her concerned voice, grinning as he greeted her. "My leg looks worse than it feels. But I doubt I shall be running any races soon," he replied, as he pointed at his ankle, which was already swelling up.


    "I think we should take a look at Brother Qin Feng though. He took the full force of Luo Qingke''s Iron Hawk Claw earlier, and has been unconscious ever since. I have stopped the bleeding but I think he may have suffered some internal injuries."


    "Che! You are overstating matters. He has merely been knocked unconscious. And he seems to have some powerful technique that allows him to recover. Even if you had not bothered to bandage his wounds earlier, he would not die."


    Li Sanlang stared at his grandmother. Then turned back to the young man lying at his feet. Was that true? But what sort of magic technique was that? He had never heard of something as powerful as what she had just described!


    "Of course, there are probably some restrictions on him, since he is using such an obscure technique. Here! Take one of these and feed him one too. Both of you will be well soon enough," she added then, tossing a small pill bottle over him.


    The fragrance of the medicinal pills drifted out of the bottle as soon as Li Changhai pulled out the stopper, causing his eyebrows to jerk upwards. He could not recognize the pill, and he had used a large variety of such alchemical products in the past. Just what sort of miraculous pill was this?


    Still, it was his own grandmother, so he didn''t hesitate and popped one of them into his mouth at once. There was a mildly bitter taste, but he could sense the potency of the medicine almost immediately. The pain in his injured leg began to ease, and the aches in his abdomen and his head started to go away. This was far better than anything that he had used before!


    He didn''t waste any time, and quickly bent down to push another of the same into Qin Feng''s mouth. The younger man''s wounds were obviously more severe than his own, and he could only hope that the pill would work just as well on them.


    "Well, if you are done with that, you can help me search that rascal''s body. I doubt that there are many exceptional treasures on him, but he is from the Purple Serpent Sect. So he is likely to be carry some unusual things. Or things that would be considered unusual hereabouts."


    Li Sanlang looked up at his grandmother and hid a sigh. As expected, he was being treated as her helper now. She had always been like that. And he was more or less used to helping her fetch and carry things about, ever since he was a young child. Looks like things weren''t going to get any different for a while, he decided.


    So he checked on Qin Feng one last time, and hobbled off towards the corpse in the tattered purple robe. The metal gauntlets should be worth something, and he didn''t doubt that this Luo Qingke would have a spatial ring or some other sort of carrying device on him.


    Hopefully, there would be more than a few treasures on him, so that his grandmother would feel pleased. She had always chided him on depending on his father to supply him with the magical items that he used. And from the brief battle that he had just gone through against the Barbarians, Li Sanlang was beginning to understand just what she meant.


    This was the first time that he had to go into battle, and he was more than aware of the disadvantage that he faced, when he didn''t have his enhanced gear with him. And more than aware of the fact that even those may not be enough, in a real life and death struggle.


    Perhaps that was why she was pushing this particular job his way, so that he would understand just what it meant, to put his own life on the line. And what he needed to do, to prepare himself for the same.


    And he could not avoid the feeling that he was likely face more of the same in the future.


    * * *

 69 The Female Disciples of Heaven Sword School 1

    Qin Feng sighed to himself as he looked over the Second Ducal Prince''s shoulder as the latter gathered the items that had been left behind by the old man in purple. What was his name again? Luo Qing-something? Well, he was the one who had fended the old braggart off, wasn''t he? So shouldn''t he have a share of the rewards?


    Then he turned back to his body, and sighed again. He had already triggered the White Snow Orchid Blossom Healing Technique, and it should have repaired his body to some extent. But it seems he would have to be a bit more cautious when dealing with Li Changhai''s grandmother in the future. What Lady Xie said about his enhanced healing was nothing less than the truth. And that was enough to warn him that she was more informed about such matters than any of the so-called Elders from the Heaven Sword School.


    Qin Feng was only there in his Soul Form, which had drifted out of his body after he had fallen unconscious. The secret Healing Technique had activated almost at once, to preserve his life, and to deal with the injuries suffered by his internal organs. If all went well, he estimated that it would take another four to six hours before he could ''regain'' consciousness.


    As for tearing his Soul away from his body, there were basically two reasons why he had done so. The first was to watch out for that Luo fellow, who had wreaked havoc on his body. Who could say that he was not one of those brutes who liked to chop up their victims into pieces? Even the most powerful Immortal Grade Healing Techniques would be pointless if that took place.


    As for the second, he was curious to find out just what was going to happen to the Second Ducal Prince after he was taken down. He had invested much of his time and energy into Li Changhai, and while they were barely friends, he was somewhat concerned.


    After all, it was clear that the purple-garbed old fellow was out to take out the camp and its leaders. Which meant that this Second Ducal Prince was vulnerable. His death would doubtless cause a great deal of confusion, as well as upset the Marquis.


    Something that he could certainly not afford, if he wished to carry out his plan for the near future!


    Fortunately for him, that idiot Matron from the Heaven Sword School took a hand. Not that he was going to thank her for it. He had never had a very good impression of Nu Yuanqing. Li Changhai''s grandmother, on the other hand, was someone who certainly left him with warm feelings. In any case, it was her swift move that settled the old Luo fellow, and eased Qin Feng''s anxiety.


    Still, he had managed to get a good look at Nu Yuanqing displaying her particular iteration of the Four Seasons Sword! And she used the Summer Sword at that! That was lucky. He had never had much luck with the Spring and Summer stances, so it was certainly beneficial.


    Of course, he didn''t manage to tear his Soul out of his body before Lady Xie reappeared, so he missed a good bit of the fight between that Nu woman and that old man. A pity about that.


    A chill ran through him then, which was enough to make Qin Feng give off another silent sigh. It seemed he had used up too much of his zhenqi during his own battle, and did not have sufficient for him to sustain his Soul form for too long. He would have to get back to his body, and rest properly, before he deal with what need to be done.


    So he let his Soul flow back into his body, and quietly drifted off into sleep. That would be the easiest, and least painful way to deal with the healing that he had to go through, relatively speaking.


    And he wondered what the Elders back at the Heaven Sword School would make of the account that Nu Yuanqing was going to give them. It should be interesting to find out just how she was intending to keep her buttocks clean!


    *


    Two years ago ...


    Chen Xing hands were shaking inside his sleeves, and not from the chill wind of the Winter season, as he stood in the middle of the Elders'' private courtyard. The weather was not too harsh, as far as he could remember, and the space was well sheltered by the buildings around it in any case. So there was absolutely no reason why he should be shivering.


    And as a senior guidance disciple for the Medicine Fields, Chen Xing''s position was rather secure. So it was certainly not his unfamiliarity with the Elders'' Court that was causing him to look so anxious. Nor could it be the fact that he had made a mistake and was due for a scolding from the same. After all, there was no other senior guide who had such an exemplary track record as Chen Xing as far as anyone was aware.


    Still, he stiffened as soon as he heard the approaching footsteps and bowed more deeply than he should have, when the Elder finally appeared. And his voice quavered as he managed a more formal than usual greeting to the same.


    Ming Guanhe''s face, on the other hand, revealed nothing as he nodded back at the old man. And his curt wave of a sleeve made it rather clear that he was more impatient than annoyed.


    "What has happened? Why have you come to disturb me now, at this hour?"


    Chen Xing''s face wore a stricken look as he managed an answer. "This one would not have bothered Elder Ming if not for ... an unusual occurrence. Elder ... there has been ... a grave disturbance at the Medicine Fields ... and one caused by the disciples attached to the ... rear mountain."


    "The female disciples? What have they done now?"


    The scowl that the Elder wore appeared the moment that he heard the qualifier. Which was enough to make Chen Xing breathe a little easier. The last ruckus caused by the female disciples of the rear mountain were apparently fresh in Elder Ming''s memory, it appeared.


    So he bowed again, a little more confidently, as he began his report:


    "They have ... assaulted one of our medicine field''s Outer Disciples, Elder, and tore down the hut that he was residing in. As well as damaged his fields in such a way that ... Well, he will not be able to make good the medicinal herbs that he is supposed to hand over in the Spring."


    Ming Guanhe raised an eyebrow at that. "Isn''t that as good as piling a huge debt on his head? And damaging his fields? What sort of grudge have they against the poor fellow, to do such a thing?" he asked in what could be construed as an exasperated tone.


    "As to that, Elder, I thought I had better let him speak for himself. He is waiting outside the main door. And ... I fear that he has been ... assaulted by the same disciples as well."


    The Elder made an obvious growl then. And Chen Xing found his knees going weak as he realised that Ming Guanhe was scowling at him.


    "Then what are you waiting for? Bring him in! Bring him in!"


    Then before the old disciple could start his run towards the exit, he seemed to have calmed down, and grunted a question at Chen Xing:


    "What is this poor fellow called?"


    "His name is Qin Feng, sir."


    * * *

 70 The Female Disciples of Heaven Sword School 2

    Chen Xing didn''t waste any time, and dragged the young man into the courtyard immediately. And he had to admit that his heart was pounding loudly as the Elder jumped forward at once, to peer over the young disciple''s injuries with an astonished look on his face.


    His face was covered with purple bruises, and his left eye was swollen shut. Nor did his injuries end there. His simple disciple robe was rent and covered in mud stains, while more bruises could be seen on his pitifully thin form through the tears in the same. Even his hands were covered with dried blood, and one of his fingers on his left hand looked swollen, as if it had been broken or badly sprained.


    "Who did this to him? One of the female disciples?"


    Qin Feng burst into tears the moment that he heard that, his wails interrupting Chen Xing before the latter could manage a response. Which was enough to attract a number of onlookers, mostly Elders as well, who were looking out of their windows into the yard.


    "Elder Ming! Elder Ming! You must address this grievance of mine, ah!"


    Chen Xing shushed the boy immediately, but Ming Guanke merely waved his efforts aside. "What happened? Tell me, boy."


    The young man dragged his somewhat ragged sleeve across his face, leaving a trail of mucus from his nostrils over his blood-splattered cheek. His eyes were still tearing, even as he opened his mouth again:


    "It was the female disciples from ... from the rear mountain. They came and they accused me of growing ... of growing fake medicine! I have never grown fake medicine, Elder Ming! I have never done that! You mustn''t listen to their false accusations, Elder! You mustn''t!"


    He broke down into another wave of cries then, leaving Chen Xing to pat him on the back, and to take up the tale:


    "Six female disciples from the rear mountain had come to the Medicine Fields and they ... accused Qin Feng here of selling them fake medicine. Apparently, they had purchased twelve leaves of Wormroot Grass from him three days ago and ..."


    "Wormroot Grass?"


    Elder Ming''s voice was stern as he asked his question, making Chen Xing dip his head once again. But he didn''t forget to answer the query, all the same.


    "Yes, Elder. Wormroot Grass. It is used for a variety of medicines. Qin Feng here was growing a small patch of the same, for the Alchemy Branch. As for why they sought the grass ... This one has a guess, but I do not know for certain."


    "Well, what is it?"


    "It can be used, in conjunction with six other easily obtainable herbs to concoct a medicine that would ... ease a woman''s pain during ... that time of the month, Elder. So ... that was likely the reason why they had sought it out from Qin Feng here."


    Elder Ming seemed to calm down a little, upon hearing that. "Ah! Something to ... ease their monthly flows. I see. I see. But why did they beat him up?"


    "They claimed that the Wormroot Grass that they obtained from his field were false, and so they ... beat him up for that," Chen Xing replied with a sigh, although he was quick to clarify his words. And he even pulled out three leaves from his sleeve, as he explained.


    "But that is only their claim, and not the truth. These are the Wormroot Grass that I managed to ... rescue from Qin Feng''s field and they are clearly not false. If I were to guess what had upset the female disciples ..."


    Chen Xing hesitated, as if worried about what he was about to say. But the Elder waved his hand impatiently, indicating that he should continue.


    So Chen Xing did so. Although he did lower his head. He was accusing the female disciples, after all. And he was not all that secure in his post, there at the Medicine Fields.


    "The Wormroot Grass is still some eight to ten days from maturity, Elder. Which means that it would not have the expected effect if they were used immediately. If the women were too impatient and did not know this ... Well, they would end up with a rather serious case of the runs, if they did not take any precautions."


    "And that would have made them come up with such a baseless accusation, no doubt," growled the Elder in understanding. It seemed he had an idea of what had happened now. Which was no more than what the senior disciple had intended.


    Still, Chen Xing was a little nervous as he noted how the Elder''s eyes had turned back to the sobbing Qin Feng. And perhaps, raking over his injuries once again. "What else can you tell us about these disciples, boy? What did they say when they beat you up?"


    Qin Feng''s tears started to flow once again, and his face twisted as though he had been so terribly wronged. Chen Xing almost stepped forward to answer the question once again, but a sharp look from Ming Guanhe made him shut his mouth. Clearly, the Elder wished to hear it straight from Qin Feng''s mouth.


    "They said that I shouldn''t sell them false medicine, sir. But I never did! They just came and took the leaves without any of the authorised forms or letters from the Medicine Hall! I tried to warn them that the leaves weren''t ready but they ... they just kicked me away! I went to tell the Hall about what they did but ..."


    "Wait! You went to the Medicine Hall? To tell them that these female disciples had come for the medicine? Without authorisation?"


    Elder Ming''s face was dark once again, and his mouth was set in stern lines that spelled trouble, from what Chen Xing could see.


    "Yessir," sobbed the young man at once.


    Chen Xing found himself bearing the brunt of the Elder''s stare immediately. "And you have checked with them? With the Medicine Hall? Was there such a complaint lodged?"


    The elderly senior disciple bowed once again. "Yes, Elder. I have done so. And they ... the ones in charge of the Medicine Hall had informed me that they would be bringing this up to the Administrator''s Council when next they meet. On the first of the next moon."


    "The first of the next moon? What is this? Someone has stolen away herbs that could cause trouble for our disciples and they want to wait until nine days later to bring it up? And what about the damages caused? Are they going to wait until the New Year?"


    * * *

 71 The Female Disciples of Heaven Sword School 3

    "No! This cannot be borne! Call for a meeting with Administrator Wei at once!"


    Qin Feng hid a smile behind his sleeve, as he continued to pretend to sob into the same. The juice from the odorless pepper fruits that he had harvested from the woods was still working, much to his astonishment. He had thought that its effects would be over by the time that he was summoned to the Elders'' Court.


    Still, it did help to enhance his reputation, as someone who had been so badly downtrodden by the female disciples that he had thrown away all of his pride and cried in public. Lucky for him, he didn''t care the slightest about his own reputation.


    Especially when it looked like he was likely to get away with quite a substantial profit, once the girls from the rear mountain were blamed for him losing almost all of his crops. After all, most of them were rather expensive medicinal herbs that could be sold for a huge sum.


    And he wouldn''t have to give an account to the Administrators either, for not being able to keep up with the payments this quarter! That should be enough of a bonus, no matter how one looked at it!


    "What is going on?"


    Qin Feng sneaked a peek over his sleeve when he heard the unfamiliar voice. It was an old man ... Well, older than Elder Ming Guanhe at least! His hair was largely white with some strands of grey, and he had a rather respectable looking beard of the same color. His face, however, was smooth and youthful looking.


    A master of the Profound Realm! At least!


    That was a bit of a surprise, he had to admit. There were only six Elders who had that level of cultivation, and he had never heard of one that was close to Elder Ming. Who could this person be? And why was he sticking his oar in this particular puddle?


    "Elder Xuan. It appears some of the ... female disciples from the rear mountain has ... disrupted the normal flow at the Medicine Fields. This Outer disciple here was ... moderately injured as a result of their ... rampant ways. I was just about to speak to the Administrator of the Medicine Hall about this."


    The older man seemed to be rather attentive to the details, and looked over all of the injuries that Qin Feng had received, as he listened to what Ming Guanhe had to say. He nodded when the man finished, but kept his eye on the apparently weeping disciple instead.


    But just as he opened his mouth - to ask a question, no doubt! He was interrupted by the sight of a young woman dashing towards the entrance of the Elders'' Court, her pale green robes aflutter as she ran.


    And it was evident from the way that she jerked to a stop as soon as she saw Qin Feng that he was the reason for her haste!


    Fortunately, he was quick to recognize her. And took steps to reassure her, before she could make a mess of the whole thing!


    "Big Sister Lingxi! Big Sister Lingxi!" he called out at once, before the Elders could make a move. And he caught hold of the young woman''s sleeve with his uninjured hand as soon as she got closer.


    "Look what your sisters did to me, Big Sister Lingxi!"


    "Oh no! What have they done? Who was the one who did this? And why did they do it?"


    The girl''s response was more rapid than he had hoped for. And should be enough to give the impression that she was close to him, in a sisterly fashion. Given the way that he had just greeted her, the Elders should believe that their relationship was no more than that!


    "Lingyue and her cronies demanded that I hand over the Wormroot that I was growing, and when I tried to warn them about ... They beat me, Big Sister Lingxi! See how they beat me up? Even my finger is broken!"


    Elder Xuan frowned at her, but Elder Ming Guanhe merely gestured in her direction, as he introduced the girl. "This one is a disciple from the rear mountain too. But she is ... not part of the group that goes about causing trouble. She has been helping my daughter with her lessons," he explained briefly, in a way that could be seen as shielding the young woman.


    Who quickly paid her respects to the pair, even though her left hand continued to clutch at Qin Feng''s uninjured right. He simply tapped the back of the same with his index finger, giving her the signal that everything was well under control. Even if either of the Elders caught sight of that, they wouldn''t know what it meant.


    The girl was quick to adapt to the situation too, he had to give her that. But he had known that she would be able to see through the situation, despite her apparent distraught appearance. After all, they had been working together for almost six moons now, and both have been enjoying the profits of their endeavors.


    "Lingxi greets Elder Xuan, Elder Ming."


    She curtsied in a graceful manner too, as she continued to look as though she was fighting back her tears. Qin Feng was certain that it would be enough to pique the two older men''s curiosity. Besides, wasn''t she a friend of Elder Ming''s daughter? That alone should be enough to keep her out of trouble.


    "Since you are here to look for this particular disciple, I can only presume that you are aware of what happened? At the Medicine Fields? What do you know of the matter?"


    The older Elder asked his question as soon as she was done with the greeting, as if eager to block Ming Guanhe from speaking to her.


    Her answer soon made it clear why he was so interested:


    "Elder Xuan. To tell the truth, I was only made aware that some of the disciples from the Rear Gardens had ... upset stomachs after they consumed what was touted to be a pain-reliever for our ... monthly flows. The ones who had sold them the mixture had fled the scene for the Medicine Fields, and some said that they were cursing the boy who was growing the Wormroot plant.


    "Naturally, I was worried about little Feng''er here when I heard that. Since he was the one who was supplying me with the Wormroot leaves for the last six months."


    "What? He was supplying you with medicines?"


    * * *

 72 The Female Disciples of Heaven Sword School 4

    "Yes, Elder. In a way. He merely supplied the herbs while we boiled the medicinal broth ourselves," she replied, with another dip of her head.


    "We had met, briefly, during the last Sword Trials in Summer. I was suffering from ... my flows at that time and he was helpful enough to come up with a recipe for me. After it proved useful, I shared it with some of my friends and asked him to help me cultivate more of the herbs required."


    Qin Feng had to admit that she had managed to convey just the right tone in her brief speech. It seemed to paint him as someone who had gone through the trouble to grow those herbs, out of his particular friendship with her.


    Her explanation should be sufficient to clear up their up-till-now ambiguous relationship. If the Elders suspected that they were in cahoots, it would be more an infatuation on his part, rather than any sort of arrangement that involved them working together to cheat silver from the rest of the female disciples.


    Elder Xuan nodded gravely at Lingxi, pointedly ignoring Qin Feng, who was still trying his best to rid his eyes of the juice that was making him cry. Not that he could miss the white-haired fellow''s attentive state. Clearly, the old man had some reason for wanting to find out more about the matter.


    Nor was Qin Feng going to stop him. From what he could sense, this Elder Xuan didn''t seem to have anything against him. Or his attempts to squeeze some coin from the female disciples. Something that the girl was certainly not about to talk about, since a good chunk of the money had flowed into her own purse!


    Lingxi, on the other hand, seemed to hit her stride as she went on with her tale:


    "Of course, my frequent visits to Feng''er here might have led to ... some unsavory remarks by some of the other disciples," she added then, with a rather fetching blush, "So I had to ... pass him a few coins now and again, in obviously public places to ... preserve my reputation. But it was only fair to recompense him for his efforts on our behalf, with our silver. There has been no arrangement to fix a point-exchange for these herbs at the Medicine Hall."


    The two Elders waved their hands at her, indicating that they understood. Elder Xuan''s mannerisms, however, did hint at his suspicions; that things weren''t as innocent as what she had claimed. But he didn''t look as if he was bothered with the details.


    "Well, some of the other girls ... Lingyuan, in particular. She said that ... she claimed that she could mix the concoction as well as I can, and she must have ... tried to snatch the Wormroot leaves from Feng''er here. It is rather hard to find out in the wild."


    Ming Guanhe scowled as soon as she got to that point. "And they blamed him when ... things did not work out as they had planned? Such idiocy! Did they think that medicines are that simple to concoct? Why did we bother to set up a Medicine Hall then?"


    Qin Feng hid another grin behind his sleeve as soon as he heard that. Well, the Medicine Hall wasn''t supplying the female disciples with what they needed, was it? Otherwise, how was he able to snatch that large piece of pie away from under their nose?


    Besides, the medicinal potion wasn''t that difficult to handle. It was just a matter of double-boiling the ingredients in the correct proportions. And if anyone had access to the dregs of one of the successful brews, it would be a simple matter to discern just how much of each herb to include in the mix.


    If not for that, why had he bothered to make certain that the girls led by Lingyuan had only managed to get away with the Wormroot leaves that were far too young to be effective?


    This was one of the most lucrative of the small trades that he had set up with the various groups of disciples, and he wasn''t about to let it get snatched away by that uppity bitch! Especially not after she had threatened him!


    Elder Xuan merely smiled as he heard the other Elder''s gripe and shook his head at Ming Guanhe. Then he turned back to Lingxi, who was still looking somewhat upset. And his voice was surprisingly collected when he spoke to her:


    "Then there are no other sources of that particular herb? In the Medicine Fields, I mean? He is the only one who is growing them?"


    Lingxi nodded proudly, sticking out her chest as she spoke. It was clear from her mannerism that she was taking the credit for that. "No one else in the Medicine Fields was interested, even though Feng''er here brought me over to some of the women who were there. They were more interested in earning more points from the Medicine Hall, rather than helping out us girl disciples. Only Feng''er here was willing to put in the effort," she report with a slight pout.


    "Yes, I believe I had heard something about that."


    Elder Ming Guanhe turned his head and looked at Elder Xuan without bothering to disguise the curiosity on his face, as soon as he heard the older man say that. Qin Feng, however, was more cautious, and managed to put on an expression that displayed his utter surprise.


    The older man merely chuckled, and waved his hand in the general direction towards the rear of the Heaven Sword School. "You forget that I have a rather young daughter? And that she is studying with the female disciples as well? Under Nu Yuanqing? Well, she was the one who told me about the issue. And how some of the girls were about to take action against one of the Outer disciples in the Medicine Fields.


    "Unfortunately, I got the news a little too late to prevent our ... Feng''er here from getting himself bashed up so badly."


    The look that he shot the young man, however, made it clear that he had his own ideas of what was really going on. And Qin Feng didn''t doubt that it was a lot closer to the truth than the performance that he had just orchestrated.


    To his credit, however, Qin Feng managed to keep from shuddering and giving the game away. It did not seem like this Elder Xuan had any intention to tear away the facade just yet. So he told himself to maintain his stance, and see what developed from this.


    After all, he doubted that the old man would have bothered to go through all of this trouble for nothing!


    * * *

 73 Xuan Mei & Ling Xi 1

    As Qin Feng expected, the white-haired fellow didn''t take long to make his position known. And he had to agree that it was all very reasonable:


    "Regardless of their motives, beating an Outer Court disciple to such an extent is a little too much. And I shall definitely support Elder Ming when we see the Administrator of the Medicine Hall later. As for Feng''er''s losses ... I think we should write off the damage that his fields had received. And claim damages from the Rear Garden. At least, the ones who were responsible for this mess.


    "What do you think, Elder Ming?"


    Ming Guanhe dipped into a bow at once. And with a broad smile on his lips. "This one is grateful for your support, Elder Xuan. With your recommendation, I have no doubt that the Administrator would agree at once."


    Elder Xuan merely nodded his head and turned back to Lingxi. And his demeanor was more than merely kind as he spoke to the woman. "Your efforts on behalf of your sisters at the Rear Gardens should be praised. But I think the situation is getting out of hand, if the different groups there are already resorting to violence to snatch away the herbs required for the same.


    "As you mentioned before, Qin Feng here is the only one who had bothered to cultivate those herbs, so he will no doubt remain a target. Nor can we allow him to put in all of that effort without gain. I shall have a word with the Medicine Hall later, to see if we can put those herbs that you, and the other women, require onto the list of contributions."


    He paused to squint at Qin Feng then, who was still quietly watching the show. Which was enough to hint to the young man just who his proposal was meant for. "That way, they should be able to exchange their services, and their points, for the herbs, rather than relying on silver. I believe that should make things easier for everyone, don''t you agree?"


    Qin Feng merely dipped his head as he rubbed at his wet eyes again. But that subtle gesture was all that Lingxi needed to realize that he was agreeing to the old man''s proposal. He was the one who was going to making a loss, if anything. Of course, he had expected something like this to happen, so he was certainly not about to protest.


    Lingxi didn''t have any difficulty catching his subtle signal either. So she dropped into a deep, respectful bow immediately.


    "That would be greatly appreciated, Elder Xuan. It would certainly help all of us from the Rear Gardens. It is a rather ... inconvenient matter, that has been bothering us for a good while now," she replied with what seemed like heartfelt gratitude.


    Elder Xuan merely smiled at her words, and turned to the waiting Chen Xing. "You had best head over to the Medicine Hall with me, and report what you had seen at ... the boy''s medicine field. I do not doubt that the Administrator would prefer to have a first hand account of the damages to the place. And its surroundings."


    Chen Xing barely had time to acknowledge the instruction, before the Elder laid his hand on the senior disciple''s shoulder, and dashed away with him. Qin Feng managed to control his amusement at the sight, although it was clear from the shocked expressions on Elder Ming''s and Lingxi''s faces that neither of them had been expecting that.


    The middle-aged Elder, however, managed to recover rather swiftly. And simply shook himself as he stared at his senior''s abrupt departure.


    Elder Ming Guanhe soon calmed down, and he patted Qin Feng on the shoulder, in a reassuring fashion. But his words were clearly directed at the woman next to him.


    "It seems Elder Xuan has already formed an idea about the whole situation. He had probably heard something from his daughter regarding the issue. But I doubt if he shall be making things difficult for the two of you.


    "Qin Feng here has gone through a lot already, Lingxi. Best that you bring him back to his ... garden, and see what can be done with the hut he has there. The weather will be starting to get wetter soon, so we shall only have a little time to handle the necessary repairs. Do what you can, to make him more comfortable."


    Lingxi dipped into another bow, acknowledging his instructions. But Qin Feng saw him turning and stepping away with his Lightness-of-Body art before she could straighten up again. No doubt, he was heading over to the Medicine Hall as well. After all, he was supposed to be the Elder in-charge of the disciples attached to the medicine fields.


    Clearly, both elders had decided that dealing with the Administrator of the Medicine Hall, and the rampant disregard for rules among the Rear Gardens female disciples was more important than the well-being one insignificant Outer Court disciple.


    The woman in pale green didn''t waste any time, once both Elders had left the courtyard. She hauled Qin Feng back up on his feet, and started to drag him away from the same. And from the look that she wore on her face, he had the impression that she was trying her best to get away from the Elders'' Court as quickly as she could.


    And she was certainly using her own Lightness-of-Body martial art as she led him away. So much so that he had to use his own rather limited accomplishment in the same, to keep up with her lead.


    But why was she in such a rush?


    She must have seen the question in his expression, for she soon gave him a rather forced smile, as she whispered softly in his ear:


    "We may have cleared both Elders now, but who knows who else might wish to stick their paddle into the matter. I have no wish to stay here and answer all of their questions. Let us go quickly. We can talk more freely once we are back at your field."


    Then she clutched onto his arm, and waved for him to hold his tongue. And quickly started for his particular medicine field at once.


    * * *

 74 Xuan Mei & Ling Xi 2

    Fortunately, Lingxi was a lot less anxious by the time that they arrived at his medicine field. She let go of him as soon as they stopped in front of his damaged little house, and started to look it over carefully. Leaving Qin Feng to rub as his wrist as he followed behind her.


    She might have left a bruise there, on his arm, with the amount of force she had used to cling onto him earlier, while they half-ran along the tracks.


    Qin Feng simply waved a hand at his damaged home as soon as the pair arrived at his pathetic-looking fields. To be honest, it wasn''t in that bad a state. Only a small section of the roof of the same had been torn off by the angry female disciples, who had not been content with beating him up. Which was why he had busied him with his loud sobbing, rather than give an accurate description of what had been done.


    After all, he didn''t wish to have Elder Ming accuse him of exaggeration.


    Of course, he did not think it would take too much to repair the same. After all, it was just a simple task of repairing the wooden boards and laying the thatching over the same once again. All in all, he doubted that it would take more than an afternoon''s work.


    That is, if he was doing it himself. And if he had two good hands.


    However, it would not be prudent to do that, since he was supposed to be injured. His left index finger was supposed to have suffered a bad sprain, so he couldn''t take up any heavy work at the moment. Besides, he had every intention of squeezing every advantage that he could get out of the Rear Gardens.


    "Your house isn''t too badly damaged. Only the cooking area has been more badly wrecked than I thought was possible. They actually took the trouble to break all of your pots. And do you even have an intact bowl in here?" asked the woman, as soon as she had a look at the wreckage inside the narrow cottage.


    "Well, at least they didn''t break my chopsticks. In any case, I doubt I will be able to handle the cooking myself for a while. Apart from boiling everything in that wok of mine. That somehow escaped the havoc that they worked in here."


    He pointed out the single utensil in the corner, that had been missed by the ones trashing the place, with a slight smile. "I suppose they were concentrating on breaking my simple table and my stools, and didn''t really look into the corners here."


    Those had been broken into pieces that would have fitted into his now-broken stove-cum-firepot. Which meant that he would have to eat on the steps of his cottage until he got a replacement for those pieces of furniture. Which could take a while, he realized, given how no one was about to bother to bring such pieces into the medicine fields.


    Lingxi sighed as she looked around the rest of the little hut and took note of what was damaged. Including the roof of the same. The girls had smashed two of the support struts, which led to a good chunk of the thatching falling apart.


    "We''ll need to repair the roof for certain. That hole over your cooking area is definitely going to cause you problems right away. And it seems what Elder Ming warned us about is certainly going to be an issue. You won''t be able to sleep comfortably in there without fixing that hole in the roof there, not with the weather getting colder and wetter," she pointed out at once.


    Qin Feng shook his head at her, as he held up his left hand, showing off his swollen index finger. "I think I won''t be of much help, if you are thinking of getting me to take care of that now," he told her with a smile.


    "Perhaps you should help me take care of my injuries first?"


    She shook her head and made a rude noise as she moved quickly to his side. "Why didn''t you remind me that your finger was broken? Are you still in pain? Look at how badly it is swollen!"


    Reaching out her hands, Lingxi took hold of his injured limb and slowly began to check it, ignoring his pitiful cries. It didn''t take too long for her to finish her diagnosis of the same either:


    "Stop crying like a baby! Even a six year old would be able to endure the pain. It isn''t broken, only badly sprained. It just looks really bad, swollen like that. I should put some of your salve on it, and bandage it to keep you from trying to use that finger for a while. At least until it heals."


    Then she shook her head at him, as she snatched up a small piece of wood from the floor. "Luckily, they have left pieces here that would be suitable for a splint. Let''s go over to the bed, where we can sit down and do this," she told him, as she pulled him along.


    Qin Feng had to admit that she was better at dealing with his finger than he had expected. At least, she was doing far better than he could have done. Or perhaps that had something to do with the fact that he was only left with one hand, to deal with all of the bandaging?


    In any case, she was soon done, and had sat back to look over her handiwork. And from the smile that she wore on her face, Lingxi seemed rather pleased with what she had done.


    Then she realized what she was doing, and that he was watching her intently. Which was enough to make her get up from his bed, and step over to the smashed remains in the side of his humble abode.


    "I think you are going to have trouble preparing your meals, now that you have lost most of your utensils. I doubt that you even have anything left here to prepare a simple meal. Do you want me to lend you a pot or two, until you can get replacements?"


    He laughed, as he waved a hand at the mess of broken shards and splinters on the floor. "I think you needn''t worry about that. I might not be a very good cook, but I should be able to handle boiling rice, even if I have to use a wok. Even when I have only one good hand. I am more concerned about what you and your friends are going to do, now that Elder Xuan has cut off your route to making money off my herbs."


    Lingxi merely shrugged in response to that, and gestured at his bed. And his little collection of herbs that she knew had been hidden under the same. "You still have enough to keep you in silver for a while, even if the Medicine Hall is going to bring this sort of trade under their control. And our friends would be willing to pay a little bit more, rather than to do without those medicines.


    "After what Lingyuan did to your garden, I think there will be many who are going to be worried that they would have to do without their painkillers, when their time comes around again. And those plants will not just spring up by themselves, even if they were willing to pay."


    Qin Feng wagged his broken finger at her. "You are thinking to selling my herbs quietly then? Like a Black Market? Do you think the Medicine Hall is going to allow that?"


    "Well, they can''t stop us. And it''s not as if they can be bothered, bringing in those herbs, just for a handful of women. It isn''t worth their trouble, to tell the truth. There are too few of us to make it worth their effort."


    "But if Elder Xuan convinces them ..."


    He paused then, felt another presence stepping through the wards that he had set around the periphery of his medicine field. But who would be visiting at this time?


    Lingxi too, was aware of the visitor, and started for the door at once. She did have her reputation to worry about, and there was a rule that women disciples were not allowed to casually visit their male counterparts, Inner or Outer School.


    And although she could say that she was following orders, she certainly wasn''t about to take any chances.


    But their visitor soon spoke up, before she could even reach the entrance of his hut:


    "Elder Sister Lingxi? Are you there?"


    * * *

 75 Xuan Mei & Ling Xi 3

    "Elder Sister Lingxi. You two should get dressed, and come out into the garden. I have something important to tell you," the voice called out again


    That was enough to make Lingxi freeze where she stood. She was clearly stunned that their unknown visitor had known that she was there. Then she recovered, and started for the door once again.


    Qin Feng was much calmer, compared to the woman beside him. But he didn''t dally either, as he adjusted his now-filthy robe and started for the door. The voice was somewhat familiar, but he couldn''t quite place it. In any case, it didn''t sound like it was someone with particular seniority in the Rear Gardens.


    Besides, the ones in charge there wouldn''t bother to give them a warning, and would have simply charged into his poor hut the moment that they wondered what the pair of them were doing. This was someone younger, he guessed. And probably a little more shy, which would explain why she didn''t wish to see the two of them entwined in each other''s arms.


    Then he saw Lingxi let out the air in her lungs the moment that she caught sight of their visitor, and guessed that she knew just who it was. And that she was probably a friend, rather than someone who was out to look for trouble.


    "Junior Sister Xuan Mei! You shouldn''t go around shouting something like that! Are you trying to get me into trouble? We were just cleaning in the house. Why do you make it sound as if we were up to no good?"


    Sister Xuan Mei?


    Wasn''t that Elder Xuan''s daughter? What was she doing there, at his medicine field? And interfering with what he was about to do? Or Lingxi, for that matter?


    The young woman outside, who looked no more than twelve or thirteen, was grinning at the pair as Qin Feng followed Lingxi out. "Given how quiet you were, I was afraid that he was taking advantage of you. Or perhaps, the other way around. After all, I would not be greatly surprised if Elder Sister Lingxi were to ... show her appreciation to this younger brother here."


    "What are you talking about? Look at his hand! Surely it''s clear that I have been helping him with his injuries in there! You have a filthy brain!"


    "Oh? But I can think of another ... series of actions that could get your robes covered with sawdust and dirt like that. And you have to admit that you two look as if you have been rolling about on the bed in there. Hmmm?"


    Qin Feng laughed as soon as he heard the woman''s risque version of events, while Lingxi looked redder than a lychee fruit. It seemed Elder Xuan''s daughter had more of sharp mouth than the rumors made her to have.


    He had heard the tales, of how she had managed to out-talk all of the female disciples already, despite her youth. And how some of the older ones had taken pains to avoid her. Of course, he had thought that it was more likely due to her father''s position in the School. However, it seemed that the tales were more accurate than he had first believed!


    Nor did she waste any more time, although the look in her eye told him that she would probably enjoy teasing Lingxi further. But she soon waved at both of them to step closer to her, as she approached. And she made sure that the two of them saw the small basket she had in her arms.


    "We don''t have much time, so let''s get to a spot bright enough where we can deal with Junior Brother Qin Feng''s bruises quickly.


    "My father is occupied with the discussion now, so he sent me to warn the two of you. The Elders are probably going to demand to see the damage wreaked by the female disciples in person. And that means that they would be headed this way."


    "What? The Elders are coming here?"


    Lingxi seemed more than a little surprised to hear that.


    But Xuan Mei merely grinned at her, as she cocked her head, and pulled the older girl by the arm to an empty patch in front of the hut. That was the spot where he dealt with his firewood, Qin Feng noted silently.


    "I thought I had better warn you. To keep you from doing ... anything embarrassing."


    "Junior Sister Xuan Mei!"


    The young girl covered her mouth and giggled again, while Lingxi''s face went a brighter red in color. Qin Feng ignored the pair''s antics as he considered the situation. And the news that he had just received.


    "I take it then, that Elder Xuan and the rest of the Elders'' Council will be coming here? Together with the Administrator of the Medicine Hall? And someone from the Rear Gardens?"


    "Lady Nu Yuanqing, I think, is most likely to be the one from the Rear Garden. After all, Lingyuan is supposed to be her prized disciple."


    Lingxi was the one who answered his last question first, while the younger girl nodded at him. "I heard from my father that he will be coming along with Nu Yuanqing. But he didn''t mention anything about the Medicine Hall Administrator. He did say that there would be someone higher up though. In any case, you two should be careful.


    "And you should probably work on the garden first, once we are done here, so that everyone can see you. Rather than staying indoors. Which could lead to all sorts of rumours," she giggled again, with a teasing look in Lingxi''s direction.


    And she quickly handed out some of the lotions and creams that she had in her basket, and waved for the two of them to get started.


    Then she paused, and looked back towards the front of the School, and the Medicine Hall there. "I think we are out of time. And we should concentrate on dealing with Junior Brother''s facial injuries for the moment. It would look more reasonable, since I am here with medicines.


    "The Elders are about to arrive."


    * * *

 76 Xuan Mei & Ling Xi 4

    "Ah, quickly. Stand still and let Lingxi and I put the medication on your face. You could give out some cries of pain though, as if they really hurt. It would look better, I believe, if the Elders see us both tending to you at once."


    Xuan Mei pulled another bottle out of her basket then, and started to dab the lotion that it contained over the most obvious bruise on Qin Feng''s cheek, as she signaled for Lingxi to hold onto his arms. "Make it look as if he is struggling in pain, so it takes the two of us to deal with this medicine. We don''t have too much time so we''ll have to make this look convincing."


    Qin Feng gave out a sharp cry, the moment that she touched his bruise. And jerked back as if in response to the agony that tore at his face. Which was enough to make Xuan Mei smile in appreciation. His acting, it appeared, suited her taste.


    "Oh yes! That should do nicely! But you''ll have to keep it up for a while. At least until the Elders get here. Ah! Here they are!"


    No sooner than those words left her lips, five figures suddenly dropped from the sky. Two of them he recognized without any difficulty. After all, he had just met Elder Ming and Elder Xuan earlier. And there was one other man with a grey-white beard among them who was dressed in a similar over-robe. So he was likely to be an Elder of the Council as well.


    There was also a woman lurking behind the others, and Qin Feng didn''t have any trouble identifying her as Lady Nu Yuanqing, who ran the Rear Gardens. She was glaring at Lingxi, who was trying hard not to let her agitation show.


    The last member of the group was an old man, with his hair and beard a pristine white, who wore a robe of a particular jade green color, that was lined with coils of golden embroidery. And it was obvious, from the deference that the others were showing to him, that he was the most senior of the whole group.


    Elder Xuan shocked Qin Feng then, as he took a step forward with an exaggerated expression of surprise the moment that he set eyes on the three young disciples. And his voice also carried the same aura of being caught unawares:


    "Huh? Little Mei? What are you doing here, daughter?"


    "Father? I heard that Brother Qin had been badly pummeled by ... Well, I was just curious about his injuries and why he was hit by them. So I came over with some of our medicated rubs, so that Sister Lingxi and I could deal with his bruises."


    Elder Xuan made a face at her the moment that he heard his daughter''s explanation. But Qin Feng didn''t miss the twinkle in his eye as he turned to face the other white-haired, white-bearded gentleman in the jade green robe at his back. Nor did he forget to dip into a deep, formal bow in greeting to the same.


    From the way that they were deferring to the unknown man, it was clear that he was someone of consequence. And he was nothing more than a lowly Outer Court disciple, handling a minuscule medicine field.


    And as it turned out, he wasn''t mistaken about the old man''s seniority:


    "Left Guardian. This is the field that was ... all but destroyed by the girls. As you can see, the medicinal crops have all be gutted. And his humble-looking hut has suffered much damage to its roof. It will definitely take some time to repair that. And it is already close to the Cold Season.


    "We should certainly have to claim the forfeit from the ones who wreaked such havoc, rather than putting the responsibility for this on the Outer School disciple in-charge of the fields here. That would be most unfair."


    Elder Xuan was quick to point that out, and Qin Feng could see that he had managed to convince the white-haired Left Guardian. Who was nodding his head at the other old man''s suggestion.


    But he couldn''t help but wonder why one of the three most powerful men in the Heaven Sword School was bothering with something as inconsequential like this. Or did this have something to do with the machinations of the Elders'' Council? And the clash between Elder Xuan and Elder Nu?


    Regardless of that, it seemed he was likely to escape the penalty of losing all of his crops after all! That was certainly something that he was looking forward to!


    The Left Guardian didn''t waste any time turning on the lone woman in the group either:


    "So! It seems the report was not as exaggerated as all that, despite your concerns. Look at the fields! All of the herbs have been destroyed and that means that the boy has no chance of making good his expected harvest for the quarter. How can you say that this is an exaggeration? Given how he has to depend on his contributions to continue his cultivation here, that is a disaster!


    "Your disciples have clearly gone too far, Nu Yuanqing!"


    The Left Guardian''s words drew Qin Feng''s eyes to the woman standing about a pace behind the rest. And the quick glance that he shot her way revealed the storm-clouds that were looming in her eyes. But she wasn''t looking his way, but glaring at Xuan Mei instead. Clearly, she had the impression that Elder Xuan and his daughter had been responsible for her chiding by the Left Guardian.


    Well, Qin Feng was certainly not about to make her change her mind. He was merely a junior disciple, and was in no position to challenge such lofty existences such as the Leading Elder of the Rear Gardens!


    Nor did the Left Guardian stop there. He flicked his long sleeves down, making a sharp sound as he turned back to the other members of the Council. And Elder Xuan in particular.


    "I see that you daughter is acquainted with the injured disciple, so I think she would be the best person to tabulate all of the damages, and submit it to you. Send that up to me once you have verified it, and we shall take steps to make good his losses."


    The he waved his hand, and scowled at the gloomy Nu Yuanqing again. "I think we have seen enough to make up our minds as to what happened here. Take what steps you think necessary, Ming Guanhe. We should take care of our Outer School disciples too, since they are providing a necessary service to our School.


    "And we certainly cannot allow fools to run rampant over our Medicine Fields like that!"


    * * *

 77 Arrangements 1

    The Elders left his field almost immediately after that. But not before Nu Yuanqing shot the three younger people a scathing glare. Qin Feng did his best to ignore that, as he continued to play up his injuries. From what he could see, Elder Xuan had this whole thing orchestrated, so he wasn''t too concerned about the woman Elder.


    Besides, didn''t he have Elder Xuan''s daughter there with him? If Nu Yuanqing was looking for a target, a pitiful little medicine field tender like him certainly wouldn''t be the first on the list.


    Xuan Mei giggled, after she saw all of the visiting Elders disappear over the horizon. But she turned back to Qin Feng, and continued to dab her pungent medicinal fluid over the bruises on his face as she did so. Assisted, of course, by a grinning Lingxi.


    Which drew another series of sharp cries from the young man. And that gave rise to another round of laughter, this time from both women.


    "Is it really necessary to keep doing this, Xuan Mei? The Left Guardian and the Elders have already left, haven''t they?" Lingxi asked as she turned her head to look in the direction in which the visitors had gone.


    Qin Feng naturally sniffed at her, in between his groans. "Does it mean you are going to stop caring for these bruises on my poor face, just because there is no one watching? How cold of you! I almost regret calling you my friend!"


    Xuan Mei covered her mouth again, as soon as she heard that. "Oh? Friends, are you? I had thought that you were her latest lover, from all the tales that she had been telling me. Did you know that she had peeked at you when you were bathing just this Summer? And she even told me how long ..."


    Lingxi pushed a hand over the younger girl''s mouth at once, stopping her from saying more. But her bright crimson cheeks were enough to give her away.


    Qin Feng merely laughed, as he shook his head at the older of the two. "I am shocked! To think that you would peek at me while I was bathing, Senior Sister Lingxi! If you were really curious, you could have asked me about it. I would have been more than pleased to ... satisfy your curiosity. Indoors, of course!"


    Then he looked towards his battered little hut, and raised his eyebrows her way. And waggled them, meaningfully. "In fact, I could show it to you now, if you desire."


    Xuan Mei burst into laughter at once, while Lingxi stamped her foot in frustration. "Rogue! Pervert!" the latter screamed, as she turned her face away.


    Clearly, she had not expected him to tease her like that.


    Qin Feng merely laughed, and was about to press his advantage when he suddenly spied someone approaching, along the narrow trail that led between the hills separating his field from the others. And it was a man that he could not help but recognize at once.


    Nor was he a stranger to the two women at his side.


    "Senior Supervising Disciple Chen Xing? Why is he coming over here?"


    Qin Feng shrugged when Lingxi shook her head at Xuan Mei''s question, indicating that she had no answer to her question. He didn''t know either, and wasn''t about to make a guess. But he knew that it had to have something to do with the decision made by the Elders'' Council.


    Perhaps Chen Xing was there to formally tell him the result of the same?


    In any case, he didn''t take very long to cross the distance, and was soon standing before the trio, without a trace of exertion in his speech:


    "I had not expected you to have visitors, Qin Feng. Or have they been sent by Elder Xuan to help you with the cleaning up? How untimely! Elder Ming wishes to see you. At the Medicine Hall."


    The old man greeted the pair with a smile, before he spoke. And it was clear from the way that he directed the words at the only male disciple present, that he was not all too surprised to see the two women helping him with the cleaning up. Which, in turn, begged the question as to who had told on him. Still there was a certain speculative gleam in his eyes as he looked over the trio. One that neither of the women missed.


    "We were here to help him with his injuries, Senior. And we thought we might as well help him clear up some of the damages inside," Lingxi told Chen Xing with a calm smile.


    Xuan Mei, on the other hand, merely grinned at Qin Feng mischievously, sticking her tongue out as she started towards the trail. And her reminder was delivered in a manner that was more reminiscent of a younger sister:


    "But since Elder Ming is looking for you, we had best be on our way. We left the medicinal salve on your bed, so remember to use it later. And take care of that finger of yours."


    The pair barely gave the Senior Disciple a quick nod before they half-ran away. Before Qin Feng could even begin to realize that he was losing his helpers. Did that mean that he would have to clear up the mess inside his hut all by himself? For a moment, he felt like throttling Chen Xing for his idiotic words.


    Fortunately, his injured left hand didn''t really allow him to do that.


    The apparently ignorant Chen Xing did nothing but smile awkwardly at Qin Feng as the latter watched the pair run away from his hut. It seemed the old man had just realized that his arrival had cost Qin Feng his pair of lovely helpers. Which was enough to make him concerned about the young man''s damaged roof, and how he was going to get it repaired, since both of the girls had fled!


    But he soon brought Qin Feng''s attention back to his original purpose:


    "We shouldn''t keep Elder Ming waiting. And this is something to do with your contribution points for the Medicine Hall. So we really shouldn''t delay."


    Qin Feng turned back to the old man with a sigh. There was truth in what Chen Xing said. After all, no one else knew about the herbs that he had hidden away. So the issue of his contribution points would certainly be a rather significant issue, even if he had the Left Guardian on his side.


    So he straightened his back and nodded at Chen Xing with a straight face.


    "In that case, we had best go and see what Elder Ming has in mind."


    * * *

 78 Arrangements 2

    Much to Qin Feng''s surprise, Chen Xing didn''t remain after he brought him to the Elder''s officeat the Medicine Hall. Instead, the Senior Supervising Disciple retreated almost at once, leaving the younger to speak to the Elder alone.


    Which was certainly not something that Qin Feng had expected. Or was ready for.


    Still, he managed not to make too many mistakes, in his greeting of the Elder. And he managed to display a facade of calm, as the older man waved for him to sit down.


    What was this about? He could not help but wonder, as he lowered himself onto the worn round cushion before the Elder''s low table. Had the Left Guardian said something?


    Elder Ming Guanhe, as it turned out, was more responsible towards him than Qin Feng had thought he would be. Apparently, he was taking the Left Guardian''s, and Elder Xuan''s, instructions very seriously. Especially the parts that involved making Qin Feng comfortable for the coming Winter.


    "Unfortunately, while we can write off the missions that you were working on for the Medicine Hall, and claim damages from the Rear Gardens, you will still end up with fewer missions on your account. And that is going to make matters a little more difficult for you, during next year''s Spring Trials. As you know, you are required to complete a set number of missions, growing herbs or otherwise, within a year.


    "And without your harvest from ... your now-ruined crops, you might not make good on that. Which is the reason why I have called you here."


    He had a good point there, and Qin Feng managed to put on a worried look. To tell the truth, he wasn''t all that bothered with the situation, since he was planning to leave once he had achieved his Foundation Realm.


    But since Elder Ming was considering it seriously, it would only be polite for him to listen. And see what sort of plan the old man had in mind.


    "Of course, the rules do not restrict you to only crop-raising missions. So that is the loophole that we are going to exploit, so as to ... allow us to squeeze you through the year''s quota."


    Ming Guanhe glanced at him then, and Qin Feng nodded politely at the man, although he had no idea whatsoever as to what the Supervising Elder of the Medicine Fields was suggesting.


    "There is still a good bit of time before the weather gets far too cold for proper hunting. So I think you should join the other disciples more frequently hereonafter, when they head into the Southern Woods. Three such Hunts should clear your obligation for the year. And if you can get your hands on a few rare medicinal plants and useful animals, you should be able to make good your losses here."


    "You wish me to join the Hunters? But I ... my cultivation ..."


    Elder Ming shook his head at him, the moment that he brought that up. "No, no. Not officially, no. But as a prospective hunter candidate. I have some authority in that regard, and the other Elders on the Council are already aware of what happened. They would not make things difficult, if we kept matters ... more or less quiet."


    "I ... see."


    Qin Feng managed a rather neutral reply, despite his surprise. This was an opportunity that he had not expected, when this whole matter blew up. From what he knew of the rules, someone who has not managed to achieve the Foundation Realm yet would not be allowed to join the Hunters.


    "Like I said before, I am not expecting you to be actively seeking out the various Spirit Beasts that are being targeted. With your knowledge of the sort of plants that is needed by the Medicinal Hall, you would stand a good chance of coming across, and gathering the same when you are out there. That should be sufficient to make good your losses. At least, that is what I believe."


    "Ah! Yes, Elder Ming."


    Qin Feng dipped his head in a bow quickly, to indicate that he understood. The Elder was giving him a chance then, to show off what he had learned. And, perhaps, to pick up some of the rarer herbs that the Medicine Hall is short of. That would certainly allow Elder Ming Guanhe to gain face among the Council members.


    And with the Left Guardian''s recent visit to his herb garden, and his obvious support, there aren''t many among the same who would bother to make trouble for him either. At least, not in the near future.


    That also meant that by selecting him, Elder Ming was showing a distinct support for the Left Guardian himself! That was certainly clever! Not only was the Elder picking a side, he was showing the rest of the Council that he was doing it!


    Of course, Qin Feng was going to end up right in the middle of the whole thing! Not exactly the sort of low profile that he was hoping for.


    Still, there were certain benefits. Like this particular arrangement for him to join the Hunters. While he wasn''t likely to be of much help to the Hunters directly, it would allow him to step into the woods himself. And give him an opportunity to pick up some useful herbs, which could sell for quite a bit of coin!


    Not to mention the fact that Qin Feng was looking for some rarer ones, to help him with his cultivation. He certainly wasn''t going to refuse Elder Ming''s ''good'' intentions!


    So he dipped his head again, in a low bow that was customary when giving thanks to someone much more senior in rank. And managed to come up with the words that he was certain would make his stance clear to the Elder:


    "This disciple thanks Elder Ming for his kindness. And shall do all that is possible to repay Elder''s kindness in the future!"


    "No need to be so polite! It is good that you understand," Ming Guanhe replied with a slightly wider smile, which seemed to indicate that he was pleased that Qin Feng understood.


    "The next scheduled Hunt will be in three days. So I shall expect you to clear up your garden and your hut there by then, and be present at the Gathering Field before the Medicine Hall early, three days from now.


    "I shall arrange for someone to meet you there, and guide you on your first Hunt!"


    * * *

 79 Arrangements 3

    Lingxi was waiting with the pots and bowls that she had promised to bring over, by the time he was done with Elder Ming and returned to his medicine field. She was careful to stay inside his hut, and out of sight, this time. And so managed to do a little tidying up while she waited for him.


    She didn''t bother to hide her curiosity, however, when he finally returned to the same, after he was briefed by the Elder as to what he should expect. In fact, he had even received the three necessary texts that all Hunters were supposed to read, before he was finally allowed to leave Ming Guanhe''s office.


    The books were supposed to outline the most common and useful plants and Beasts that he was likely to meet in the Southern Woods. As well as the safety regulations that he had to abide by.


    "Why did the Elder call for you? And what are you doing with those books? They are not required reading for someone in his first year. You don''t get to join the Hunters until you have cleared the annual qualifiers and formed your Foundation."


    Qin Feng shrugged and threw the three books onto his now-tidied bed. And could not help grinning at Lingxi as he did it. It looked like he owed her his thanks for putting his bedclothes and such in order, while he was stuck at the Medicine Hall.


    "Not according to Elder Ming. He wants me to join the Hunters in three days time. To familiarize myself with their rules and such, he says. And to pick up a few useful herbs, so that I can make up for my losses at the hands of Lingyuan and the others."


    "He''s sending you out on a mission before you clear your qualifying examinations?"


    Lingxi''s tone made it clear that she was shocked by that revelation. Which was exactly what Qin Feng had expected. It was no more than his own surprise, when he heard it from the Elder''s mouth earlier.


    "Well, he''s trying to help me clear my obligations ... I don''t have my medicine crops to rely on any longer, do I? So I would end up two or three missions short, when the Autumn accounts get tabulated. That could spell trouble for me."


    "And Elder Ming is sticking his neck out, just to help you settle something like this? But he doesn''t need to bother with sending you out on missions because of something as trivial as that, does he? All he has to do is to clear you with a simple note. It''s not like anyone would bother to insist that he explain himself during the Autumn Accounting session. Not when the Elders all know about the Left Guardian''s involvement.


    "And his words were clear enough. Even to me!"


    Qin Feng had to admit that that was something he was puzzling over too, when he first heard what he was supposed to be doing. But he couldn''t figure out why the Elder was going through so much trouble.


    Just what was he after? He seriously doubted that it was really so that he could make good his failure to produce the medicines that he was supposed to. So, what was Ming Guanhe''s motive for doing all of this?


    Or did it have something to do with Elder Xuan? Or the Left Guardian?


    Perhaps Elder Ming stood to gain, if he manages this particular issue well? Perhaps, he has already come to the attention of the Left Guardian, and was hoping to show that he is more capable than some of the other Elders in the School?


    From what Qin Feng knew of the Elders'' Council, there were only three Elders who were at the top of the game. And Elder Xuan was one of them. As for the others, most of them had yet to make a name for themselves, despite their lofty title. Needless to say, Elder Ming Guanhe must be trying to seize his chance. And he was probably leveraging on Qin Feng''s recent issue to ensure that he held onto Elder Xuan''s attention.


    Well, it that was the case, he certainly did not have any argument against the Elder''s methods.


    Besides, didn''t he stand to gain? If he had a chance to take a stroll in the Southern Woods? After all, there were a lot of potent materials that could be gathered from the forest there.


    "Well, regardless of what happens to the Rear Gardens, you should be safe enough here. Just make sure that you do your best not to stand out in the next two moons. Lady Nu Yuanqing threw a temper tantrum earlier, when she returned to the Rear Gardens. So you don''t want her to remember you from this afternoon''s debacle."


    "I''ll keep that in mind."


    Qin Feng chuckled softly as the woman before him sniffed, and turned back to her arrangement of the pots and pans. Although the shortage of storage space, and the damage to the roof above, made things a little more complicated that either of them had expected.


    Besides that, Lingxi also looked a little distracted, as if she wanted to broach something with him, but did not know just how to do so. Which was probably why Qin Feng decided to take pity on her, and gave her a push in the end:


    "So, what was it that you wished to talk to me about?"


    Lingxi seemed to make up her mind once she heard that, and nodded back at him, as though in answer. "I have come to square our accounts. It''s only fair, since your herbs shall be put on the trading list soon, and can be exchanged for contribution points. So we should pay you what we owe now, before that happens."


    She didn''t waste any more time, drawing the purse out from under her skirts, and pouring its contents out onto the bed. It was, after all, the only intact piece of furniture inside his abode.


    Qin Feng almost shook his head at the sound of all those silver coins, jingling as they fell against each other on his worn old blanket. Those thing weren''t of much use to him, to be honest. And he had merely used that to keep score whenever he dealt with the female disciples. How was he to know that he would end up collecting his debts so soon?


    He had to come up with something, to exchange all this silver for what he could use, if he didn''t wish to end up making a loss!


    * * *

 80 Arrangements 4

    "Well, I have not managed to collect everything. We are still about eighty pieces short of what you should receive from my group. But I have convinced the other girls that I would be able to convince you to hold off on the debt for a season. Things would be easier to handle, in terms of finances, once the Winter season is over."


    Qin Feng was a little upset once he heard that. He didn''t need a reminder that the Winter season was almost upon them. Of course, he had some reserves that no one else knew about, but he certainly was going to be a little short, come Spring.


    The problem was, how was he going to do that? He didn''t wish to make things too obvious, which might make some of the girls curious, and start digging about. Like that Xuan Mei girl. She had a rather direct manner, and he didn''t doubt that she would be visiting him regularly, if he refused the payment without some reasonable excuse.


    Especially since he had already made a name for himself, as someone who was all about making a profit from the situation.


    But what other sort of profit could he hope to get out of this deal with the girls of the Rear Garden?


    That was something that he would have to think about. Taking the coin was the last thing that he wanted to do. Not with the amount of attention, and the problems that it would bring.


    Then, to his surprise, something presented itself before him at once!


    "A pity I cannot pay you in the ... usual fashion. Some of my sisters back at the Rear Gardens were complaining about that as well. They would be more than willing to come over and ... keep you warm over the chilly Winter, they said."


    Lingxi teased as she bent over and started to count the coins on his bed, although the look on her face seemed a little forced. She knew about his little problem, after all. So she was certainly not expecting him to make a play for her.


    Qin Feng grinned as soon as he heard that. That seemed like a perfect opening for him! So he quickly stepped up beside her, reaching out to catch her right hand, still occupied with counting the coins, with his injured left. And pulling her upright once again.


    And he shifted his body to cradle hers, the moment that she was standing upright. Even as he whispered his reply in her ear:


    "Your suggestion is ... something that I have been considering too. I think I would enjoy that very much. So much so that I would be willing to ... let you all hold onto the coin for the cold season. In exchange for other favors, later on."


    Lingxi gasped as Qin Feng''s other hand clutched at her butt cheeks, squeezing them with a fervor that she knew only too well. And there was a certain hunger that gleamed in his eyes, as he continued to stare at her.


    "And I think you have been ... missing the point. It''s not that I ... don''t feel the desire for you. I am merely holding myself back because I have yet to achieve the Foundation Realm. And you should know ... what that means."


    Lingxi''s mouth hung open once she heard that. "Then you are ... willing to accept ... that mode of payment? Only not straightaway?" she asked softly, as she slowly laid her body against his. In a manner that he had only read about!


    Which was enough to trigger a reaction in his groin!


    "From only me? Or do you have another pretty senior in mind? I doubt that there will be any in my group who would refuse you."


    Qin Feng groaned quietly as he relinquished her hand, and reached down with his injured limb to adjust his trousers. It was starting to get a little uncomfortable down there. Something that Lingxi must have realized as well, from the way that she was grinning at him.


    "Don''t do that to me! You can probably guess how difficult it is for me already, without your teasing. Don''t forget that we are supposed to be making a deal here, and this is not a seduction."


    "Well, in that case, shouldn''t you take your hand off my buttocks? Or am I only allowed to endure your groping without a word of protest?"


    She laughed at him again, as he reluctantly drew his hand away. And stepped beside the coin-laden bed, patting the covers with one hand. "Here. Why don''t we sit down and talk about this? I promise you I will do my best to fight you off, if you try anything stupid. Well, for today at least. I think you will want me to go to the other extreme once you have succeeded in building your Foundation, hmmm?"


    Qin Feng laughed along with her, shaking his head as he did so. "Hey, I am only sixteen years old, you know. So you shouldn''t expect too much from me. Besides, I am considered slow already, seeing how I haven''t reached Foundation yet. Most of my group had already gotten there by the Festival of Swords, remember?"


    "It has only been about a year, since you started cultivating, so that''s not as bad as you think. I took two years myself. Of course, that was because I ... Well, indulging in that sort of thing before you achieve Foundation tends to slow down your cultivation, as all the books tell you. I am a good example of that."


    The young man grinned at her mildly indignant tone of voice. He knew, naturally, that she had been brought into the School as a plaything of one of the more lustful Inner Court disciples, and had been thoroughly ravaged before she even began to cultivate. So it stood to reason that she was upset about that.


    Still, she had admitted that she had come to accept her lot. Not to mention, the fellow who had dragged her into the Heaven Sword School had already graduated and left. Which left her to muddle her way through herself.


    Little wonder then, that she had been so enthusiastic when he had agreed to supply her group with the medicinal herbs that they required, in return for their favors. As for the coin, he had been content to let Lingxi hold on to that.


    But now, it looked like they would have to make other arrangements for the future!


    * * *

 81 Reaching Foundation 1

    "Well, I am considering putting the results of my new batch of herbs into the Medicine Hall in return for the contribution points that it offers. So you and your sisters should be able to get them there. I doubt that they will cost too much.


    "But I don''t mind hanging onto some of them, once they are mature, for those who would ... prefer to keep their payments off the books. There might be some, after all, who have a limited number of contribution points to their name. And would like to make their payment by ... other means."


    Lingxi made a face at him, the moment that she heard that. "Hmmmph! Scoundrel! You sound as if you wish to ... taste the bodies of everyone who wishes to save on their contribution points!" she growled at him, even as she slapped him on the upper arm.


    Qin Feng laughed, even as he rubbed at the spot that she had just smacked. "I didn''t mean it that way. If you are willing, you might wish to continue to be my middle-man in this matter. And demand what you think is reasonable from them.


    "In return, I would be more than pleased to ... confine myself to merely ... tasting your lovely body! What do you say about that?"


    "Pervert!"


    But the smile on Lingxi''s lips as she called him that made it rather clear that she was as pleased with his proposed solution as he was. Which made it rather clear that she didn''t wish to lose the benefits that she had managed to coax out of her sisters either.


    Well, his intentions for helping the sister disciples of the Rear Gardens out with his herbs was more to hide the fact that he had other uses for the same kind of herbs that they needed. So the longer they continued with this particular association, the better it would be for him!


    Besides, he could use the information and the gossip that he was getting from Lingxi and the other girls to his advantage. After all, he doubted that any other Outer School disciple knew as much about the Elders and the Teaching Masters of the Inner School as he did.


    And he didn''t doubt that all that information was going to be useful to him, in one way or another, when he finally started work on building up his Foundation!


    "Er ... I think you should know about ... our state of affairs. Those of us at the Rear Gardens, I mean. There should be some talk about ... how we sold our bodies back then, to gain our place here in the Heaven Sword School?"


    Lingxi''s voice was soft, and when Qin Feng turned to face her, he could see that her face held traces of a blush. Was she embarrassed to talk about this? Then why was she bringing it up? Did it have something to do with his talk of bedding her?


    "I have ... heard something about it. Just gossip, of course. Nothing serious. Is there something that I should know ... about your ... arrangement with the School?"


    She grew a little redder then, as she started to run her hands over the coin that she was picking up, as though suddenly shy about what she was about to bring up. "And what of the rumors ... that pertain to ... me? And the number of ... bed-partners that I have had? Have you heard anything about that?"


    Qin Feng frowned at her. What was she talking about? Her former lovers? Was that what she was worried about?


    "Apart from ... the person who dragged you to the School, I have only heard about two other lovers that you had taken, while you were at the Rear Gardens. Is that what you are concerned about?"


    Lingxi sighed. "In a way, yes. I suppose you are like the rest, when it comes to the information on us, the women from the Rear Gardens. Well, I am not too surprised. We have tried our best to keep our secrets.


    "Like the fact that I have had four lovers, and not three, like everyone believes."


    "Oh?"


    Qin Feng managed to keep his face from revealing too much. But he had to admit that he was surprised, when he heard that. Then again, this sort of thing wasn''t usually discussed, among the Outer School disciples. And especially not by those who worked at the medicine fields.


    "Apart from the three that everyone knows about, Sister Zhenping and I have ... often slept together. As lovers, and not as sisters. If you understand what I am talking about."


    "Huh? But ... but ..."


    Lingxi smiled as she nodded at him. "But the two of us are both women? What about it? Haven''t you heard of women ... being in love with one another? Well, we just so happen to be ... rather disappointed with men."


    Qin Feng blinked at her. Disappointed in men? Did that mean that she was unwilling to be tied to him as well? That was something that he could use, wasn''t it?


    But Lingxi was reaching out, and she caught hold of his uninjured hand before he could even begin to frame a response. The brilliant smile that she had on her face, however, warned him that all that she had said before was nothing more than a lead up to the point that she was about to make:


    "But I think I shall have to think again, when it comes to you. You are far better than any of the wastrel sons that we have been dealing with, all these years at the Rear Gardens. So we shall have to ... make certain that we do not push you away."


    That was when she blushed again, and quickly give his hand a squeeze. Before she let go and fled his little farm altogether!


    Qin Feng watched her back as she departed from his medicine field, until she could not be seen at all. This was getting far too complicated. It seemed that it was true, what Old Man Snow Mountain had told him, back when they met. That women were far more troublesome than any feud in the martial world!


    He shook his head at the whole matter, and headed towards his well-pond at once. He had better seize this opportunity, and quickly work on his cultivation while he had the chance! Who knew what other problems was going to land into his lap, once Lingxi was done talking to her sister Zhenping!


    * * *

 82 Reaching Foundation 2

    The cave that lay above the water level at the bottom of his so-called Well Pond was hidden from casual view. It would require someone to step into the water, and turn to study what seemed to be a blank outcrop of stone, if they wished to discover the cave entrance. Something that no one would bother to do, he was certain, unless they had a very good reason to suspect that he was hiding something.


    Which was why he had been careful to avoid giving anyone an excuse to think that he was up to any truly nefarious scheme!


    Even his little deal with Lingxi earlier would only give everyone who learned of it the impression that he was simply out to gratify his hormone-driven lust. Something that most of the Elders would be more than familiar with, given their recent complaints about the Inner Court male disciples and their inappropriate behavior near the Rear Gardens.


    Qin Feng smiled as he considered his earlier moves on Lingxi, and her reaction to the same. She certainly didn''t sound like she was going to refuse him, if he wished to take things a little further. And it seemed clear that she would try to convince this Sister Zhenqing to agree to his suggestion.


    But how would the two of them handle Sister Xuan Mei and her suspicions, if they do become his lovers? Would he have to find a way to make her a collaborator as well? Or at the least, someone who would be willing to keep the relationship a secret from the rest of the Rear Gardens?


    That would probably be the only way to hide the whole thing from Elder Xuan, wouldn''t it? If he thought that Qin Feng was merely ... infatuated with the lovely disciple Lingxi ... That would make things easier to handle, wouldn''t it?


    Especially if his own daughter was playing matchmaker.


    Then he shook his head, as he slipped into the secret chamber that he had dug out above his well-pond. He would worry about all of that later. For now, he had to concentrate on his cultivation, and not on the mess that was taking place in the Rear Gardens. After all, hadn''t he wasted close to three days on the women already?


    It didn''t take him more than three steps, to reach his hidden cave from the entrance into the well-like structure. And he quickly shifted his puppet to sit before that single entry, so that he could take up a position deeper within the same.


    Anyone trying to get in and disturb his cultivation would have to get past that soulless thing. And he would certainly be warned, once a fight broke out. But that would be his last line of defense.


    The interior of the cave was small - barely large enough for one person to fit in there, given the fact that there was a large covered bathtub sitting in the center of the space. That had occupied almost all of the room, and he took care not to disturb it, as he reached around it, to a small chest that was half-buried in the wall of the chamber.


    Qin Feng grinned as he reached into the chest that he had buried there, and pulled out a small clay bottle from the same. From the herbal fragrance that filled the air the moment that he opened it, it was clear that the medicine had not spoiled during his three day absence. Which was just as well, since he didn''t have too much time to waste, hunting down more of the ingredients.


    Of course, there was always a chance that he would come across more of the herbs that he needed, when he actually got to play in the Forest. He certainly wasn''t going to miss this unusual chance!


    He stripped and sat down on the lid covering his bathtub then, pouring out the thick, pungent fluid from the jar into his hands and spreading it over his torso and his back. It was sticky and resembled honey, although no one would mistake its heavy, bitter medicinal taste for that golden delight.


    Once he was done, he removed the lid and looked into the barrel-like tub, shaking his head as he noted how the level of the mixture within had gone down during the three days that he was away. And quickly stepped back to the pond with a bucket, to refill it.


    It didn''t take him too long, although maneuvering around his man-sized puppet was a little more tedious than it looked. And it had taken him three trips to fill it to the level that he thought was suitable. And just in time, too.


    The mixture that he had spread on his chest was starting to sting as he sat down in the bathtub. It was not his first time doing something as stupid as this, but this was the first occasion where he felt a distinct need to cultivate faster, to catch up. All that time that he had been playing those games with Lingyuan and her cronies would be nothing more than wasted, if this didn''t work.


    And he certainly did not wish that to happen. Still, the medicinal paste that he had used before had worked back then. So there was little chance that it would fail now.


    Wasn''t it?


    Qin Feng shivered a little, as the cold medicinal bathwater covered him up to his collar-bones, chilling him slightly. Then he started to Breathe, and to circulate his qi. That was enough to warm him up, so that he didn''t feel the cold any longer. And started to drag in the medicinal effects from the water into his body.


    He lost sense of time, as he concentrated on moving his zhenqi then. And all of the troubles of the Heaven Sword School fell to the side, as his mind focused its entirety on his Breathing, and the Jade Tree Foundation Art.


    Then, all at once, he heard a series of sharp crackling sounds in his ear, as though brittle paper-like barriers with his body were being shattered. Then came a thin pulse, that seemed to uncoil itself within his dantian, and burst into his limbs, flowing straight through his central meridians!


    The rest of his body seemed to react to that immediately, as the thin pulse flowed up and down the track, enriching the zhenqi that was spreading out around the same!


    Qin Feng almost jumped up the moment that he sensed that take place.


    What was this? Had he succeeded? Was he in the Foundation Realm already? Just like that? Wasn''t that too quick?


    Then he grinned, as he shook his head. Why was he so surprised? Hadn''t he been bemoaning the fact that he had been bathing in these medicines for almost half a year? How can it be too quick? He should be cursing the fact that it had taken so long!


    Qin Feng laughed as he stood up in the wooden tub, looking down at his own body. It seemed to have grown sturdier, in just four hours! The muscles and tendons seemed more defined, and he could sense his own meridians now, pulsating as he Breathed!


    It was true! He has succeeded!


    * * *

 83 Reaching Foundation 3

    For a moment, Qin Feng felt like jumping up and practicing his Lightness-of-Body skill, just to see the difference that his achievement in the Foundation Realm would make to the same. But just as he was about to rise up from where he was seated, he felt a cold, sharp stream of zhenqi rise from his dantian. Hadn''t he felt something like this before?


    Then he recognized the zhenqi that had been sleeping inside his body!


    Old Man Snow Mountain! This was how it had felt, back in the day when the old man had pushed his zhenqi into Qin Feng''s body! Or, to be more accurate, he had pushed his qi into the puppet''s torso, while Qin Feng was in occupation of the same. Did that mean that he had another message from the old practitioner?


    He took another deep Breathe then, and settled himself back down into his old Lotus-awaiting stance. And slowly drew his senses back into his inner mind. That was the spot where the old man had ''spoken'' to him before, so it was the most likely place if he wished to pass on more information. Although he had no idea whatsoever, about what the old master intended to say now.


    He did not have to wait long, before he felt Old Man Snow Mountain''s consciousness flooding into his head:


    "If you are listening to this, you have probably attained some basic understanding of the Foundation Realm. And formed your first stream of true qi. Which is something to be proud of, consider how I was not able to pass you my original cultivation method for that," the message began. It was almost as if the old man was there, sitting in front of him.


    "But that is not the end of that stage, as you will soon understand. I have slipped a strand of my consciousness into you, in order to instruct you as to the next steps for your cultivation journey. That is, presuming that you are still holding to the goals that you had disclosed to me earlier, before I created this body for you.


    "Without wasting time and energy, I must tell you first that the Foundation Realm is not as simple as most make it out to be. Since it is your first step into true cultivation, it is more important than you know. Without a suitably deep and wide Foundation, one can hardly build up a proper pagoda, as they say.


    "Hence, you may wish to devote more time to the same, rather than rushing to the Qi Accumulation Realm."


    What? Devote more time ...? What was Old Man Snow Mountain talking about? Wasn''t he already done with the Foundation Realm?


    "Consider what takes place in the world that you see around you. If someone wishes to build a simple house, then all that he needs is a simple foundation, isn''t it? To simply prepare the groundwork, so that his house will be stable, and secure against the harshest weather, and safe against attacks from the lawless.


    "That is basically what you are doing. Or what you have just begun to do."


    Qin Feng nodded to himself, as he listened to what was being said. It was more or less true, what the old man was telling him. He had no quarrel about that!


    "You could start practicing Qi Accumulation now. And that is what most practitioners do, once they have formed a simple foundation, sufficient for a simple house.


    "But what if you wish to build a larger house? Or a temple? Or a martial hall? Would that same foundation be enough?"


    He felt a sensation then, as if Old Man Snow Mountain was shaking his head at him.


    "You will need to make it wider, and deeper, if you wish to accommodate a significantly larger, or more robust, building. And it is no different when you are crafting one for your own cultivation. You will need to decide if you are content with a simple one-storey hut. Or if you intend to build a seven-storey pagoda."


    A seven-storey pagoda? In his dantian? Was that even possible?


    But he doubted that Old Man Snow Mountain would lie to him about something like this. After all, hadn''t he left everything that he had to Qin Feng? Why would he bother to hide something as ordinary like this, when he was passing everything else down to him?


    "In the end, the choice is yours. You are the one who will have to decide just where you wish to go with your cultivation, and no one else. Hence, you must decide just how much time, and effort, you wish to devote to the same.


    "Building a seven-level pagoda is just an example, you must understand. There are some who will not be content with a magnificent palace, while others are fully satisfied if they are able to achieve a simple hunter''s hide. Everyone has different goals, and you must decide for yourself, just what you are aiming for."


    Qin Feng took a moment to think, before he finally nodded. That last bit was certainly true. He wasn''t intending to be some sort of invincible power with his cultivation. In fact, he only wanted enough power to protect himself, and his people, his friends, from others who would hurt them. He didn''t really need a huge palace, equal to the King''s, for that.


    Still, he could not help but feel a little swayed by the thought of having a seven-storey pagoda, or its like, within his own dantian. If he could make it so ... Didn''t that mean that he would be able to handle just about any sort of enemy that he would meet? At least, until he was in a position to claim Old Man Snow Mountain''s territory?


    That should be enough to prevent others from trying to take advantage of him, wouldn''t it? And he wouldn''t have to bother with all the games that he was playing, with Lingxi and Elder Ming. Or even Elder Xuan and the Left Guardian, at that! No, he wanted to be able to go where he wanted to go, and do what he wanted to do, without having to worry about people like that!


    Qin Feng looked up then, and sensed that the presence of Old Man Snow Mountain was still there in front of him. Which seemed to hint that he might be willing to answer his queries:


    "So ... How do I go about building a seven-level pagoda in my dantian? And just how long will I need to complete it?


    * * *

 84 Reaching Foundation 4

    Qin Feng climbed out of the well-pond after night had fallen, and glumly made his way back to his little house. There was still a hole in the roof - that had been barely covered with the boards that Chen Xing had managed to scrounge from some other building somewhere. But even with its defects, the place still made a more comfortable place than where he had been working on his Foundation training earlier.


    Well, it had been more than four hours since he crept into the well to cultivate. So it was no surprise that Chen Xing had made some simple repairs. That old fellow was a responsible sort, and he didn''t treat any of his juniors too badly. Although Qin Feng was probably one of his favorites, since he had always made sure to pass some of his ''extra'' herbs to Chen Xing. That would have certainly made the old man inclined towards him.


    Which seemed to have gone a little better than he had expected, given the attention that Elder Ming and some of his peers were paying to him now!


    Then he sighed, and shook his head.


    He didn''t have the leisure to worry about silly things like that. Not when he still had to deal with the problems he was facing in his own advancement, and how he was going to sell the delay that he was experiencing to the Medicine Hall.


    Especially when his progress past the Foundation Realm was not going to happen for close to a year or more! That would be roughly how long it would take, to accumulate up to sixteen strands of Foundation qi!


    And that was barely for what Old Man Snow Mountain had called a four-storey pagoda! If he really wanted to build a proper seven-level one, he would need twenty-eight strands! At least!


    Qin Feng sighed again, and moved to the simple bench that he had set at the door in front of his cottage. It overlooked the fields in front of it, so he had more or less gotten into the habit of sitting there, so that he could survey all that he controlled, every night after dinner.


    It made for a good place to think. And to revise his plans.


    And he certainly needed to adjust his, to include what he had just found out about the Foundation Realm, and the Qi Accumulation Realm above it.


    He was more than familiar with the Jade Tree Sixteen Breathing Exercises by now, and he had to say that it had not let him down. He took a little longer than most, to finally set his first step down on his path of cultivation, but that was only to be expected. After all, hadn''t everyone been telling him that he had nothing more than a rather ordinary talent?


    But he had just been told that he would have to concentrate on those same exercises for another year or so, before he was ready to finally step into the Qi Accumulation Realm. Given his hopes of making a bit of a name for himself in the School, that was certainly a bit of a disappointment, to say the least.


    Nor was that the only piece of bad news:


    The memories that the old man had released to him were more concerned with imparting him with the second method of cultivation, rather than the first. The White Jade Orchid Flower Law. That was its name.


    And once he had understood the basis of that particular technique, the reason that Old Man Snow Mountain had sent him half-way across the Known Territories to get his hands on the Jade Tree Sixteen Breathing Exercises became clear.


    The White Jade Orchid Flower Law was not something that could be trained from the ground up. It was formulated using a strong Foundation as a basis, but it did not provide the method for cultivating that same Foundation. Hence, one had to find something that would match it, in order to get the best results.


    And since the Jade Tree Technique and the White Jade Orchid Flower Law were both drawn from the idea of Jade, these two methods were certainly more suited to one another than expected. That was probably why Old Man Snow Mountain had bothered to insist on this particular combination!


    Not to mention, from what he knew of medicinal herbs, and the way that they were cultivated, an epiphyte like an orchid usually flourished if they were grown on the bark of a tree. That was how they grew in nature, and he had seen other orchid plants doing the same, there in the medicine fields.


    So basically, his secondary method was supposed to leverage on his first technique. And the fact that both of them were supposed to be related to Jade, they should gel together with greater efficiency.


    At least, that was what he hoped.


    Besides, he didn''t think that Old Man Snow Mountain would seriously make trouble for him, his only official disciple. Not to mention, the only one who has any idea that he was dead!


    But that was not the problem that he saw in this particular combination. So long as he had a sturdy tree to grow his orchid on, he should be able to bring this method, and his cultivation, to greater heights. And the Tree that made up the core of his inner strength would grow on, and become a towering giant, the longer that he continued to work on it!


    The only issue, therefore, was the quality of his Jade Tree!


    A simple Foundation was certainly not going to be able to give him the sort of Jade Tree that he required to make his White Jade Orchid shine!


    Qin Feng''s brows knitted together as soon as he considered that. There would be no point in being satisfied with a simple satisfactory grade for his Foundation, if it was going to affect the rest of his cultivation journey like this.


    This was clearly something that most of the Outer School disciples there at the Heaven Sword School had missed. But it was not that much of a surprise, now that he thought about it. This sort of thing was probably only spoken about if one became an Inner School disciple. Too bad that one''s best period for building up a Foundation would be over by the time that one made it past the qualifying examinations!


    Well, that was certainly something that he was not going to rush into.


    But ... twenty-eight strands! How long was that going to take?


    Qin Feng took a deep breath, and blew it out again, as he gazed at his now-damaged fields. And made his plans anew.


    He was going to have to spend a lot more time working on his Foundation, and strengthening it. Which meant that he certainly should not show off his abilities in the next Tournament in Summer.


    Fortunately for him, getting his fields back into order was clearly a priority. And he could also use the very reasonable excuse of being preoccupied with the Hunting in the Southern Forest!


    The only thing that he needed to do was to find a way to get Elder Ming to extend his special permission slip past those first three missions!


    * * *

 85 Hunting 1

    Early the morning of the next day, both Chen Xing and Lingxi arrived to help him repair his hut. Which was more than sufficient excuse to impose upon his good nature to get him to prepare a simple luncheon for the two of them. That was almost enough to start him grumbling again.


    Could it be that these two people were so inept at cooking their own meals that they would rather eat his boring rice porridge with finely diced rabbit meat and pickled vegetables? Or were they simply out to make things difficult for him?


    Qin Feng decided not to care about that, and served up the meal all the same. It would only help reinforce the idea that his injuries were still not completely healed.


    And it would give him a chance to find out more about the Hunt. And that Elder Ming.


    "Oh? You haven''t heard then? About Elder Ming''s daughter?"


    Qin Feng smiled as he turned to Lingxi. "Elder Ming''s daughter? I never heard that he had a daughter," he replied smoothly, as he picked up the tea pot and began to serve tea.


    They had finished off their porridge and were now seated outside the house, where they could enjoy the cool air. After almost a whole morning dealing with the damages to the place, all three of them were feeling rather warm. So that was the best place to eat, and to talk.


    "Oh? Then you don''t know that she is crippled, and cannot walk?"


    "What?"


    Qin Feng almost forgot that he was pouring tea for Chen Xing. Fortunately, he managed to stop himself before the teacup in the old man''s hand overflowed. Still, he had clearly overshot the seven-tenths mark.


    Chen Xing, however, only chuckled at him, as he took up the tale. "Ming Qinyu. She''s fourteen, fifteen years old this year, I think. And she has been closeted in the Elder''s rooms at the back of the Medicine Hall for close to ten years now. Ever since Elder Ming Guanhe joined the School, I believe."


    "Oh? So she was injured since ... before he came here? But why is she is kept in isolation? Can it be that she is too pretty, and Elder Ming doesn''t want us male disciples to keep bothering her?"


    Qin Feng kept his voice, and his questions, deliberately light, so as not to draw the attention of the pair that he was talking to. He didn''t want them to form the idea that he was making plans to get closer to the Elder, after all.


    "What is this? Only interested in pretty girls, are you?"


    Lingxi was quick to smack him on the upper arm as she glared at his questions. While Chen Xing merely laughed at their antics, when he rubbed at the spot and scowled at the woman beside him as he did so.


    "No, no. Nothing like that. She is ill since she was young, and the Elder has been trying to heal her illness. That was why he took up his position, there at the Medicine Hall. Of course, the rules are making it difficult for him."


    "The rules?"


    Lingxi took up the tale then, as she set down her own teacup. "Yes. Apparently her illness requires some rare herb that cannot be grown here in the medicine fields. Something about it being prone to abuse. The rule was set a long time before he came here, so he is stuck with it. All of us at the Rear Gardens know about this. But I don''t know why nobody has told you lot, here in the medicine fields proper."


    "Maybe because they didn''t wish to tempt you lot. It is the Purple Blood Ginger. And that caused the School a number of problems in the past. It causes one''s zhenqi to suddenly explode, filling one''s meridians to three times one''s original capabilities. Well, you can see why our disciples tended to abuse it, before it was restricted."


    Qin Feng nodded at the pair seated across from him as soon as he heard that. "That is why it has been banned, here in the medicine fields then? So none of us are allowed to grow it?"


    Chen Xing grinned as he shook a finger at him. "Ah! I know that gleam in your eyes. Don''t even think about it! Purple Blood Ginger is almost impossible to cultivate here in the medicine fields. Don''t think that it hasn''t been tried!


    "It has a rather terrible smell as it is growing. And that changes when it starts to mature, giving off a more pleasant, aromatic smell. Anyone who reads the relevant books in the library can tell you that.


    "Unfortunately, that smell also attracts all sorts of insects. So its mature stage makes it rather hazardous, thanks to the many poisonous insects that flock to its growing site. Including the dangerous Poison Marrow Wasp, which would lay its eggs in your bloodstream if they can land a sting on you. So you had best forget about trying to make a fortune with that plant!"


    Qin Feng managed to give the impression of a shudder, while Lingxi and the old man laughed at him. Well, it was a rather obvious plan, and he did have a reputation for taking risks. Especially ones that paid off well. Everyone knew that.


    "Well, you needn''t be too worried. The Poison Marrow Wasp can be easily dealt with, once it is diagnosed. But you will probably be asked to give a good explanation of why you were in such close proximity with them, since they are only found in the cooler areas, deeper inside the Forest.


    "And you are only supposed to be sticking to the exterior, aren''t you?"


    Lingxi nodded grimly when she heard Chen Xing''s warning. And gave him another glare, even as she wagged her finger at him.


    "What senior disciple Chen said is correct. You shouldn''t be thinking of unrealistic goals when you have barely made it through this particular disaster with Elder Xuan''s help. Don''t forget that when you join the Hunters in the Southern Forest.


    "Besides, don''t you think your first priority should be to get your field back into order, and prepare it for the Winter ahead?"


    * * *

 86 Hunting 2

    Qin Feng smiled. What Lingxi said was correct. There was no arguing with that. He should be concentrating on his medicine field, rather the Hunt. At least, that should be what he should appear to focus on. Besides, he couldn''t make Elder Ming do anything to reveal his own plans.


    Yet, now that he knew about the girl, Ming Qingyu, and her condition, it was rather easy to make a guess as to why the Elder was after the Purple Blood Ginger:


    It was a rather potent medicine, for rousing one''s blood. And its strong Yang nature should be the reason why Ming Guanhe was doing his best to get his hands on it. If he could use his own zhenqi together with the Purple Blood Ginger to clear the meridians in his daughter''s legs, it might just be possible to help her walk again.


    Of course, Purple Blood Ginger was a restricted medicinal herb. And that meant that even with his status as an Elder, he would only be able to get his hands on one stalk of that grass in a year. And from what he could guess, with Old Man Snow Mountain''s memories of the treatment, Elder Ming would need to accumulate at least four to six stalks of the same before he could even begin his treatment.


    Which was probably why he had volunteered to deal with the Hunters and the disciples heading to the Southern Forest! He was probably hoping to get lucky, and get his hands on some Purple Blood Ginger there!


    But what was Qin Feng''s role supposed to be? That was the question, wasn''t it?


    Why would the Elder drag such a junior, and apparently worthless, Outer School disciple from the medicine fields along? Wasn''t he going to be nothing more than a burden?


    The more that Qin Feng thought about it, the more confident he became. If he had read the Elder correctly, he could sense that he was merely a distraction, an excuse. Of course, he had no way of checking if that was true or not, until he, and Elder Ming Guanhe, arrived at the Southern Forest.


    And he would have to be careful, if he wanted to gain the Elder''s trust. And his concern for his daughter, Ming Qingyu, was the door to that particular pathway!


    *


    Two days later, he rushed to the gathering point in front of the Western School Gate well before dawn. Only to find that the others were already there!


    The rest of the Hunters were all assembled by the time that he arrived. Which was a bit of a surprise, considering how he had risen well before dawn, to clean himself up and make his way there. The sky had barely turned an indigo shade, when he had set off!


    But he soon understood the reason for his tardiness: the medicine fields, out in the rear of the Heaven Sword School, were a little further away from the assembly point at the Gate, compared to the Martial Hall where these other disciples seemed to be staying at. So it should be no surprise that he took longer to reach the same, compared to the rest.


    In any case, Elder Ming Guanhe had yet to arrive, so he was not too concerned. So long as he was there before the one leading the group, he would not be considered late. Would he?


    "You are Qin Feng? From the Medicine Fields?"


    The one who asked that question was a brawny man about twenty-five years or so, with a thin mustache on his upper lip and shifty eyes. Qin Feng did not think him very dependable, based on his appearance, but he nodded quietly as soon as he was asked.


    There was no point in making enemies with this lot, after all. And he doubted that proper Hunters would consider him a threat. A nuisance and someone who was likely to slow down the whole group perhaps. But certainly not a threat.


    "He''s the one from the Medicine Fields?"


    "Just how old is he? And he''s following us into the woods?"


    "A medicine grower? Isn''t he going to slow us down?"


    Qin Feng ignored all the griping that he heard among the Hunters. It wasn''t as though they were bothering to hide their disparagement, after all. But none of their griping was going to be of any use. It was the Elder''s decision to drag him along this time, so he was already assured of a place.


    Besides, he would soon know if his guess was correct. If Elder Ming was simply using him as an excuse, so that he could hunt for his Purple Blood Ginger ...


    Well, that was something that Qin Feng could use, wasn''t it?


    The brawny fellow took note of his silent reply and snorted. "Well, you''re not considered late yet, so your luck seems to be working for you. Elder Ming arranged for you to be his porter for this morning''s little exercise, so you had best pick up your basket and your sickle. And stay close to him later, when we head in."


    And stay well out of the way of the proper Hunters.


    The last was conveyed by nothing more than a glint in the well-muscled young man''s eye. But Qin Feng caught it all the same. He ignored it as he usually did. After all, this was not the first time that he had been threatened. With his thin, scholarly frame, he was an easy target for the rest of the Outer School disciples.


    Why had he bothered to tie himself to Lingxi and Chen Xing, and some of the more notorious people in the medicine fields, if not for protection? In any case, his doubted that his real purpose there had anything to do with these obnoxious fellows.


    In any case, the Elder''s instructions reaffirmed his original guess, making him hide his self-satisfied smile.


    It seemed thing were going as he had predicted. Elder Ming was probably going to be sticking close to him, with the excuse that he needed to keep Qin Feng safe. And that would allow him to go hunt down the Purple Blood Ginger that he needed.


    The only question was, what was he going to do with Qin Feng, while he was off gallivanting in the Forest on his own? There were at least three possibilities, and the young man dismissed the first of them at once; killing him off would damage his reputation, and prevent him from using the same excuse again.


    And he doubted that Elder Ming was so confident that he could get his hands on six to seven stalks of the Purple Blood Ginger that he would take such a risk.


    There were at least two more options that he could use. But Qin Feng knew better than to focus on either one of them. It was far to early for him to get a sense of the Elder''s priorities and his preferences, so he might as well hold his tongue and wait for the man to reveal his plan.


    He should have plenty of opportunities to play his own hand, when that happens!


    * * *

 87 Hunting 3

    Elder Ming arrived, not long after the brawny youth with the wispy thin moustache started warning everyone of the dangers in the zone that they were headed to. And the latter broke off his lecture at once, to bow deeply to the Elder when he appeared.


    Qin Feng merely sniggered to himself, when he saw the obsequious way that Thin Moustache was behaving. Clearly, he didn''t have a very high standing among the Hunters, and was barely able to hang onto his position as a leader in this little group. That showed in such an obvious way from how he was trying to curry favor with Ming Guanhe. Even he could see that at once.


    But the Elder seemed to pay him no mind, and was apparently more concerned when he turned to Qin Feng himself. And he didn''t bother to hide it either.


    "Hmmm. I see that you have largely recovered from your injuries. Is your left hand still giving you trouble? You must keep me informed if you feel unwell, you understand?"


    He cocked his head as Qin Feng dipped into a bow, and smiled at the younger man. "Well, I think you should stick with me, rather than head off with the rest of them. A group of seven would do just as well as a group of eight. And you don''t have any particular skills to be useful to them.


    "So you might as well remain by my side, and pick up what herbs you can. I shall try to pick some likely spots for you to do that."


    Then Ming Guanhe turned to face the rest of the group. "You lot have been through this often enough that you don''t need me to warn you to be careful. And to keep to the sort of prey that you would have no trouble with. We are already getting close to Winter, so the Hunters'' Association should be grateful if you can bring in any animals that would preserve well for the cold season. They are offering a small bit of gold, on top of the usual rewards for any of those."


    He smiled, and nodded at the two apparent leaders of the group, based on them standing in front of the same. Qin Feng, of course, was lingering at the front as well. He had stepped forward earlier, when the Elder was speaking to him.


    Not that he was too concerned about the attention. The Elder''s words to him earlier should have made things clear. And he doubted that anyone would dare to make a move against him, even if they could find the opportunity. Not after what Elder Ming had said.


    "Very well. Let us not waste any more time. We are all expecting a good result from this Hunt, and the School could do well with more resources this close to the cold season. Otherwise, things will get boring for all of us this Winter. Let us be off!"


    And the Elder did not hesitate to turn to Qin Feng, and gestured for him to remain close, as he began to send off the other Hunters, each with their own goals. Only after all of them had left, did the Elder turn back to him, and gestured for him to follow.


    Elder Ming Guanhe''s Lightness-of-Body martial arts was exemplary. Qin Feng could sense that the older man was purposely slowing himself down so that he could catch up. So he deliberately activated close to seven-tenths of his own capabilities, to stay on the Elder''s tail.


    To be honest, if Ming Guanhe was truly testing him, this was a rather simple one. And he didn''t hesitate to pant for breath, every time that the Elder paused to wait for him. That should be enough to show that he was not a threat. And he believed that this was what the Elder was looking out for.


    In any case, they didn''t take too long to arrive at their destination:


    There was a narrow, fast-flowing stream about two li away from the Gate. And about another li away from the edge of the forest. There was a small gap there, next to the water, and Elder Ming led him straight to that simple clearing.


    Elder Ming gestured around himself, once they were in the clearing next to the stream, as soon as they arrived. "You and I will be setting up camp here, for the next three days. There are many plants that grow this close to the water, so you might have a better harvest than you might expect. However, this place is a little more dangerous, a little closer to the yellow zone on the map. So you shall have to be careful."


    He pointed at the line of trees a short distance away. And nodded at Qin Feng again. "That should be your limit. Stay where you can see the stream, and you should be safe enough. I will go out to check on the Hunters, now and again, so you shall be alone. I trust you won''t have a problem with that?"


    Qin Feng shook his head at the Elder, and assured him that he would not. It was now rather obvious what Elder Ming was intending to do. He was simply an excuse for the man to venture to the spots where he might be able to find the Purple Blood Ginger that he needed. As for Qin Feng''s own harvests, he doubted that Elder Ming would even bother to check on the same.


    The younger man smiled to himself, as soon as the Elder sent him off to get the camp in order. A test of his skills, Elder Ming had said, to see if Qin Feng was capable of dealing with the needful, and arrange for a suitable campsite for two.


    But Qin Feng had the impression that the older man couldn''t wait, as eager as he was to get into the woods and start his search. So he kept his head, and started work on the camp, just as he had been taught. And kept an eye out for possible predators, as he gathered the stones from the stream, and firewood from the forest''s edge.


    So long as he made no mistakes, he doubted that the Elder would remain there at the camp for too long. And true enough, Ming Guanhe gave the excuse that he was going to check on the Hunters after a short while, and vanished. Leaving Qin Feng to settle the rest of the chores.


    Leaving him to his own devices. Something that Qin Feng had been hoping for ever since he joined the Hunt that morning!


    * * *

 88 Hunting 4

    Qin Feng didn''t waste any time dealing with the plants that he had spotted by the water, including a handful of the rarer ones, that were growing a short distance away downstream. He knew that he wouldn''t get into any trouble from the Elder, even if the older man had realized that he had ventured a little further out of the camp than he should.


    Besides, there was no danger from the stream. It was too narrow, and the water a little too fast moving, to afford any of the more dangerous animals and fish from settling anywhere close by. That was probably the reason why Ming Guanhe had chosen to set up a camp there.


    The forest, on the other hand, held a few more risks. But Qin Feng was not unprepared; he had already gathered some of the more common items that could be used to fend off the less powerful animals thereabouts. And he certainly had not heard anything about Spirit Beasts coming so close to the Forest edge.


    If that had been the case, he doubted that Elder Ming Guanhe would have set up a camp so close to the same. So he should be relatively safe, if he stuck to the areas close to the periphery marked out by the Elder.


    And as it turned out, he struck gold not too far from the unseen line that Elder Ming had drawn earlier. So much so that he had quickly bundled up his find, and hurried back to the site. There was no point in heading out any further, since he had already laid hands on something that should suffice to draw Ming Guanhe''s attention!


    Naturally, he made it a point to lay it out next to the stream, as if he was cleaning it, when the Elder returned. Purportedly from his inspection of the other Hunters.


    "Ah! You are back, Elder! I trust that things are going well?"


    Ming Guanhe seemed mildly surprised by his obvious high spirits. "Indeed. The others are doing better than I had expected. Most of them, anyway. But what about you? You seem to have a good harvest it seems, from your good mood."


    "Oh, you cannot be more correct, Elder! Look at this! Look at this! This is a rare find indeed! And I may have made good about half the losses that I have sustained back at my medicine field because of this!"


    Qin Feng didn''t bother to hide what he had in his hand and held it out as though for the Elder''s inspection. A thick root, shaped like a yam but in a bright red color, rested in his right palm.


    "Look at this! I have found a Red Smoke Root!"


    "Oh?"


    Qin Feng continued to grin as he waved the root in his hand at the Elder. "You might not be familiar with the uses of this little root, Elder Ming. But it is worth close to sixty silver coins, in the market where I come from. Those that venture into the forest and the swamps to hunt back there rely on this to keep the insects away! And some say that even the most horrible Black Sting Wasps from the Tepid Swamp would avoid it if they can!"


    The Elder seemed to stiffen where he stood. Qin Feng noted that carefully, even as he continued to stroke the pudgy Red Smoke Root in his hands, brushing away the dirt that was clinging onto its long secondary roots.


    He had Elder Ming hooked, he was certain, and wasn''t too eager to make things too obvious. It would be better for him, if Ming Guanhe was the one who initiated a deeper explanation, rather than if he offered it up himself.


    "Perhaps you can tell me how such a root is used then. With a name like Red Smoke, I presume that it should be burned?"


    "Ha! Ha ha. You are correct, Elder Ming. That is one of the most effective ways to use it. The only trouble with that method is that it would only function for about two hours or so, and the scent would dissipate after that time. Without a better method of using it, the Red Smoke Root is only good for short raids and such."


    "Oh? Then there are better methods?"


    Qin Feng stopped, and looked up at the darkening evening sky, as though he was thinking about the problem. In actuality, he already had the answer. And a suitable piece of equipment with him, to test out the same. Not that he was going to make it that simple for Elder Ming Guanhe.


    "Unless one can constant replenish the supply of the same, before the smell leaves one''s body, it doesn''t work very effectively if one is using it to keep insects and such at bay for a longer period. The simple burning method would only work if one was simply using it to get away, I suppose.


    "However, if one can use a small incense burner, and constantly add pieces of the root to the same, one might be able to make a piece of this size last for about six to seven hours. That should be more than enough to keep one safe from attacks from insects within that period of time."


    There was no hiding the interest in the Elder''s eyes, the moment that he heard those words. For a moment, Qin Feng wondered if the older man was going to question him further about the root. But Ming Guanhe''s control was far better than he had thought it to be, for the Elder merely smiled back, and gestured back towards their simple camp.


    "Well, you are lucky to have found that. I have not heard about something like that, although I have been reading through the Medicinal Herbs and Rare Plants Manual back at the Medicine Hall. It seems you are better read than I am."


    "Elder Ming must be joking with this little one. To be honest, this little one has only a small medicine field to deal with, so that leaves me with more time to read. And I have always been interested in the rarer herbs and such, since I joined the School.


    "I am already very pleased that I am able to surprise Elder Ming. Please do not praise this little one too much, or I shall be tempted to try on larger hats in the near future, Elder."


    Ming Guanhe laughed heartily, as soon as he heard that. And waved for him to lead the way. Qin Feng relaxed a little, as soon as he saw that. The old man seemed convinced that it was nothing more than a coincidence, which was thankfully what he had been aiming for.


    But he would have to work out how to hand the root over to him, when the time came. It would take Elder Ming a little more time, unless he was greatly mistaken, before he started relying on the same, in his search for the Purple Blood Ginger.


    He would have to be a bit more patient, it seemed.


    * * *

 89 Heaven Sword Medicine Hall 1

    Elder Ming turned out to be far more patient than Qin Feng had expected. He did not make an offer to the young man at all. Even by the time that the whole Hunt was declared over, two days later, Ming Guanhe had remained quiet about the whole thing.


    That had gone a little outside of Qin Feng''s expectations. Still, he had managed to get his hands on a large number of rather hard to come by herbs, so he was careful to keep a happy expression on his face. With all his time at the stream and in the nearby woods, he had already made a rather hefty profit. And this was but the first of the three Hunts that he had been scheduled to go on.


    It was something that he had to pay attention to, so that Elder Ming wouldn''t suspect that he had any other intentions. He would have to be very careful about that.


    After all, no one would pay too much attention, if an ordinary Outer School disciple from the Medicine Fields like him were to perish on one of these perilous Hunts!


    Elder Ming was also dealing with the rest of the Hunters in his usual fashion, if the latters'' reaction was anything to go by. He had praised those that should be praised for their good work, and expressed his disappointment at those whose performance had been sub-par. And from what Qin Feng could see, all of his actions didn''t surprise any of the eight Hunters participating in this particular Hunt.


    In fact, one could say that there was nothing unusual at all about the Elder''s performance.


    "Well, you have made rather good progress. And I see that some of you have improved, from the last time that you took part in one of these," he told some of the Hunters, when they showed off the prizes that they had managed to squeeze out of their three-day Hunt. That was something that had them puffing out their chests at once.


    "As for you, Qin Feng. You have also exceeded my expectations. Your skill at setting up a camp is far better than I had expected from someone who is merely growing medicinal herbs. If I am not wrong, you have spent some time in the woods by yourself? Not here perhaps. But you are not a stranger to the forest environment."


    Qin Feng was a little startled to be singled out for such praise, but he quickly bowed and thanked the Elder for his words. It was, naturally, something that he was prepared for. Although he was not expecting to have to tell that story in such a situation.


    "I had traveled in similar environments when I was younger, before I joined the School. My fellow villagers and I used to travel along the trails to the East, so I have familiarized myself with some of the dos and don''ts when it comes to the woods," he explained simply.


    "I see. I think I am going to have you join me again, the next time that we head into the woods again. And I am definitely going to impose on you to cook me another one of those fishes that you caught. The one that you made for me on that last night tasted better than most in the Dining Hall back at the School!"


    The Elder laughed as soon as he finished, which prompted Qin Feng to dip into another bow as he hurriedly agreed. The other Hunters seemed a little shocked to hear the Elder in such a good mood, and turned their attention on him for a moment. Then Ming Guanhe started to detail them to carry the animals and carcasses that they had captured or killed, and they began to get ready to head back to the School.


    As expected, there was a brief inspection when they arrived at the Gate that early evening. And although no one was in possession of any restricted items and such, everyone was less than pleased with the attitude shown by the ones handling the checks. The way that Elder Ming was glaring at the group who did so also made it rather clear that he had a bone to pick with the Elder that was supposedly in charge of the inspection group.


    "It looks like Elder Ming is going to send another complaint up to the Council soon," muttered one of the Hunters to his companion, as they both stepped back from their spoils, so the the Inspectors could look them over.


    "Elder Ping Jiexian will just ignore it, like he always does."


    "I doubt that he will have a chance. I heard that Elder Ming is doing a favour for Elder Xuan, and the old man will surely pay attention to nonsense like this."


    "Elder Xuan? How did he get involved?"


    "Yes, tell us. Just what sort of favor are you talking about?"


    "How would I know? I''m only telling you what I heard!"


    "Bah! You are just talking nonsense!"


    "Oh, am I? You just wait and see if anything happens as a result of this. Then you''ll know if I am only talking nonsense here!"


    Elder Xuan? Qin Feng hid his smile as soon as he heard the Elder''s name being bandied about. This was unexpected. Perhaps Elder Ming Guanhe had not been simply trying to flatter Elder Xuan after all. If Elder Xuan was interested in him, then he would certainly pay more attention to Elder Ming''s attempts to make good his losses. And that in turn, will prompt Elder Xuan to deal with these foolish Inspection disciples.


    Regardless of the result, there would be a hint that Elder Ming was in the same camp as Elder Xuan. And in the Heaven Sword School, that mere hint should be enough to make the other Elders watch how they dealt with Ming Guanhe!


    That should be enough for his purposes, if he was really looking for the Purple Blood Ginger. After all, he couldn''t have too many eyes, watching his every move, could he?


    And Qin Feng doubted that the Inspectors, even if they had Elder Ping Jiexian behind them, would try anything to offend Ming Guanhe!


    * * *

 90 Heaven Sword Medicine Hall 2

    In any case, they didn''t clear the Gate and return to the Heaven Sword School until late that evening. Which gave Elder Ming the excuse of dismissing Qin Feng early, while he went over the gains that the Hunters made. That was enough to further the tale that he was under the Elder''s protection. And that it had something to do with Elder Xuan as well.


    Of course, Qin Feng wasn''t stupid enough to throw sand into Elder Ming''s rice-pot. And he returned to his own medicine field in apparently happy spirits. After checking to make sure that he could sell off what he had found at the Medicine Hall without any issue the next morning.


    And he made sure that he arrived there bright and early too, the next day.


    Naturally, he feigned surprise when he found that he had been expected. And that there was someone waiting for him, at the entrance to the same:


    "This one is Jin Shui, and I am rather new as an Assessor hereabouts. You are the one called Qin Feng, aren''t you? I have heard of you, from my ... friend, from the Rear Gardens."


    Qin Feng blinked as he looked at the short, plump youth standing in front of him. He looked more like a bun than anyone that he had met in the School. This Jin Shui fellow''s waist was almost twice that of his own! Had he ever had a day where he didn''t have a chance to stuff himself silly?


    At this moment, the boy was winking as he mentioned the Rear Gardens, which was a bit of a blatant giveaway. This must be one of those who had ... tasted the honey of those girls that he had dealings with. Given the first impression that Qin Feng had of the fellow, that was rather easy to believe. He didn''t look like the sort that would curb either of his appetites.


    Which meant that he probably had one of Lingxi''s sisters to thank for this reception. Otherwise, why would someone like a junior Assessor bother with someone as inconsequential as a medicine field handler?


    "Well, big sister Lingxi mentioned that you might be a little ... lost, when you get here. So I am merely helping her out by showing you what you need to know. Call it the basic knowledge of the Exchange."


    "Ah. You have my thanks, elder brother Jin Shui."


    The plump young man merely laughed and waved his thanks aside. "No need, no need. You can rest assured that I am ... very well recompensed for helping you out," he sniggered, as he wriggled his eyebrows again.


    Which, more or less, gave Qin Feng an idea of what he was talking about. So, the girls were making sure that they took care of their medicine supplier. It seems that someone has been giving them advice with regards to those herbs that they needed. And how much time they would need to grow, even if the Medicine Hall were putting them on the market.


    Better to stick to their old, reliable source, rather than to try to test the market immediately. Not at all a bad strategy. That was something that he could sense, from the way that they did things.


    As for his end, he had to admit that it would be a lot more convenient, if he had someone to guide him through the Exchange. He was not supposed to be eligible to come to this particular section of the Administration Hall, for all that he was officially an Outer School disciple himself. Only Hunters and those who handled the more lucrative herbs had the opportunity to step into the same with any frequency at all.


    Which was why he pretended not to know anything at all, and to throw himself into this fat fellow''s hands. It would be a good to know just how far he could trust this Jin Shui.


    It was a bit of a surprise therefore, to find out that the fat youth was more conscientious of his duties, and perhaps his promises to his lover, than Qin Feng had imagined him to be. He had looked at each of the herbs that the latter had produced, and quickly came up with a rather generous price for all of them.


    That is, until he got to one particular root:


    "Ah! This is a Red Smoke Root, isn''t it? That''s rather rare. You are lucky to find something like this. I estimate it to be worth about thirty to forty silver coins, if you sell it here."


    Qin Feng did his best to hide a smile. The price was more than reasonable, and matched what he had told Elder Ming the day before. Which had been a little inflated, to tell the truth. From the specifications in the Hundred Herbs Manual, it was only worth about twenty-seven to twenty-nine silver pieces.


    But since Jin Shui had stated such a price, it was rather clear that he was a plant. As to whether he was working directly for Elder Ming, or was hired through the female disciples from the Rear Gardens, it didn''t really matter.


    Suffice to say, Qin Feng had a very good excuse to sell the root, although not at the price quoted. "Well, it so happens that I am in need of some seeds and cuttings, rather than coin, Senior Brother Jin. Could I get my payment, for all of these herbs, in seeds instead? You might have heard about what happened at my field, and I am rather desperate to get the place going, once Spring arrives.


    "I might be able to finish off a Winter Planting, if I am lucky with my seeds now."


    Jin Shui gave him a look at that. As though he was surprised to hear him consider his options with regards to his field. Had he been told that Qin Feng was likely to be leaving the herb-growers? If so, it would be enough of a clue as to who he was really working for!


    "Well, in that case, I think I should be able to talk to the Medicine Hall on your behalf. Why don''t you tell me what you need, so that I can ask the ones handling the sale of the seeds? That is, if you are agreeable to the prices that I have just quoted for all of your herbs today?"


    * * *

 91 Heaven Sword Medicine Hall 3

    Jin Shui did what he promised, as soon as Qin Feng agreed. And the latter soon left the Exchange with the seeds that he wanted. Many of them were suited for a Winter Planting, just as he had mentioned. That would allow him to have a bit more free time, come Spring, so that he could work on his inner qi.


    He had made all the correct polite noises as soon as he was done, and made sure that he didn''t rush all the way back to his field at once. After all, he had just had a rather remarkable success, didn''t he? It would look out of place if he started to throw himself back into his work all at once. He was supposed to be a rather ordinary practitioner, after all.


    But he did start work at once, as he usually did, after he put away his latest gains. It was something that everyone knew about. How he treasured his tiny medicine field. And how proud he was of the yield that he had managed to coax out of his seed allotments. Which was no one was surprised when he burst out into tears when Elder Xuan and Elder MIng asked him about the recent ruckus, and what his field had suffered.


    Not to mention, the damage caused by Lingyuan and her cronies would take a bit of work to clear up. And he certainly couldn''t use his puppet, since the Elders were inevitably going to keeping an eye on him. So it was going to keep him busy for a while.


    Not that it would take him too much time or effort, to clean up the place. Besides, hadn''t Chen Xing and the girls already dealt with the really urgent works, on the roof of his house? The fields were hardly anything, compared to that.


    Still, he made sure to go about his work slowly, and took care to give the impression that his left hand was still troubling him. Nothing more than what he was doing, when he was out in the woods with Elder Ming.


    Which was why he was only about half-way done when Senior Disciple Chen Xing came to visit him again.


    "Senior Brother Chen Xing! You are here! But ... is there a problem? I thought that you are done with helping me, after you fixed the roof?"


    Chen Xing laughed as he waved Qin Feng''s queries aside. "What? I can''t come and see how you are doing, without an excuse like that? Besides, I am here to check up on you, rather than your house. How is your left hand feeling? Did you take care of it properly, when you were out in the Southern Forest?"


    Qin Feng held up his hand with a grin on his face, and wriggled his fingers in the older disciple''s face. The splint had already been removed, and he certainly wasn''t feeling any more pain. After all, the medicine that he got from Elder Xuan''s daughter had been more than effective.


    "All better now! Senior Sister Xuan Mei''s medicine was really good!"


    The much older disciple sighed at his reference to the young woman, shaking his head at him. "You do not know how lucky you are, to have her looking out for you. Were I a much younger man, I would have been seriously jealous of you. Perhaps to the extent that I would be plotting your death! Do you know how many disciples in the Medicine Fields are hoping to hug Elder Xuan''s thigh? And his daughter is the pearl in his palm. However did you manage to win her affections?"


    "What are you talking about, senior disciple brother?"


    "What am I talking about? You can be so dense at times, you know that? I am talking about Elder Xuan, of course! Do you think that Elder Ming Guanhe would bother to bring you along personally, if not for Elder Xuan looking out for you? The story about how he had personally guided you in the latest Hunting trip has already made the rounds!"


    Chen Xing wagged a finger before Qin Feng''s nose. And threw him a rather harsh look. "You should consider switching over to his Section, and perhaps join the Hunters. That would make things easier for Elder Xuan to take care of you. There are many who think Elder Ming is likely to offer you a choice regarding that soon."


    "What? But I am not really suited to becoming a Hunter, am I? I mean, I am not as well-built as they are, and my martial arts aren''t really up to their standards. Why would Elder Ming ask me to join them? I mean, even if he wishes to please Elder Xuan.


    "Not that I am that close to Senior Sister Xuan Mei. She was just here because she was curious about just badly my hovel was destroyed. To tell the truth, she seemed a little disappointed when she saw that I only had a small hole in my roof."


    The grey-haired fellow shook his head as soon as he heard that. "What are you talking about? You are the only one that she had bothered with, after all. Do you think that you were the only one who had been picked on, by Lingyuan and her gang?"


    "Huh? You mean, I''m not? She had done something like this before?"


    Chen Xing sniffed and pulled himself up straight. "If I were to tell you all of the stories about those that I have personally witnessed, I''ll be here all night! And I might not even finish by sunrise tomorrow morning! Now do you realize just how powerful Elder Xuan is? With just one word, he has managed to shackled Lingyuan and her people to the Rear Gardens. And they are not allowed to leave for at least two moons!"


    Qin Feng''s eyebrows rose at that. He certainly had not heard about that. Which meant that Lingxi had somehow hidden that from him, when she was catching him up on the gossip. But why would she do that?


    "You are still young, and you certainly are not their match now. But the core of the Hunters'' group are all Inner School disciples, and that is where you are likely to end up, once Elder Ming nods his head in your direction.


    "Do you really have to worry about your martial arts, once you are an Inner School disciple? There will be plenty of methods to help you achieve the necessary grades once you are there! And you will have a chance to head out into the Southern Forest more regularly too!"


    Qin Feng managed to put on a surprised look, as soon as Chen Xing said that. And he was rather certain that the old man would buy his deception. He had already shown that he wasn''t too ambitious, hadn''t he?


    "I don''t know. It seems a little too dangerous for me. Besides, I have only been on one Hunt, so I hardly know enough about the Hunters to make a decision."


    That was reasonable, from the measuring look that Chen Xing gave him. Still, the more senior disciple didn''t waste time offering his advice:


    "Well, I am a little surprised that you are going to continue as a herb-grower, rather than transfer yourself over to the Hunters. You will only need to clear one examination, if you do. And with Elder Ming behind you, there shouldn''t be any difficulty for you to make it through the same."


    Qin Feng, who had considered the same thing, merely shook his head at Chen Xing. "That is being a little too optimistic, I am afraid. My talent is rather low, and I have only managed to maintain a reasonable average in the medicine fields. If I were to compete with my Seniors among Hunters'' Group ...


    "Let''s just say that I have no confidence at all."


    * * *

 92 The Second Hunt 1

    Qin Feng wasn''t lying when he said he didn''t have any confidence. The truth of the matter was that he didn''t have any confidence that he would be able to hide his secret fighting skills if he had to join the Hunters. And he certainly did not wish to join the idiotic Inner School there, at the Heaven Sword School. That would only tie him up, and he did have a much further destination in mind.


    So he had simply left things as they are, and let Senior Disciple Chen Xing draw his own conclusions. As long as he was left alone to deal with his medicine field, and his cultivation, the rest of the School could keep on making all those erroneous assumptions about him!


    Besides, he had other more pressing matters to deal with, such as the next Hunt:


    He took care to make sure that he wasn''t late for his second Hunt, since he already had a better idea of what to expect. And he had set off a little earlier than the last time he took part in the same. That, he thought, would be enough to silence the rest of the Hunters participating.


    Strangely though, there were no repeats in the group that he joined. Everyone, apart from him, of course, was new. Which was enough to have him wondering what was going on.


    But since he was new, and obviously younger than this second group of Hunters, he didn''t have much of a chance to speak to them before Elder Ming arrived. And the old man seemed repeat his performance, and insist on Qin Feng joining him exclusively, while the rest of the Hunters were split up into two small teams of four each.


    By then, word about Elder Ming taking particular care of a more junior disciple from the herb-growers had already made the rounds. So there wasn''t as much of a ruckus as there had been, like during the first trip. And things went about similar to the first Hunt that Qin Feng had taken part in.


    That is, until Elder Ming brought him to a totally new campsite.


    And one that was clearly deeper into the Southern Forest, compared to their original campsite. There was merely a thin stretch of cleared ground, covered with tall grasses, between this new site and the forest. Which certainly meant that he would have a shorter time to respond, if any Beast attacked.


    Something that Elder Ming Guanhe was quick to warn him about:


    "This place is closer to the more dangerous border between the Outer and the Middle Zones here in the Southern Forest. So you shall have to be a bit more cautious than you were the last time. Concentrate your gathering to the West, where there are only smaller Spiritual Beasts, and don''t take any risks.


    "And if you do see any unusual plants and animals close by, don''t approach them recklessly. You can always alert me when I come back from my rounds, and we can go pick them up later, hmmm?"


    Qin Feng nodded in agreement to the Elder''s warning, and smiled to himself. It was clear that Elder Ming was a lot more cautious about him compared to their last visit to the Forest together. And he was certainly wondering if this young disciple was more capable than he had thought.


    Of course, all of this had been well within Qin Feng''s expectations. There was a faint scent that clung onto the Elder''s outer robe, that told him that the older man had already used the Red Smoke Root that he had found the last time that they came out here. While he didn''t know just how effective or useful it had been to Ming Guanhe then, it was clear that the Elder was paying him a lot more attention due to his unexpected familiarity with some of the rarer plants present.


    Something that he stood to exploit to his advantage, if Qin Feng was not mistaken about Ming Guanhe''s intentions. He would just have to wait, and see what sort of role the Elder had planned for him.


    As it turned out, he didn''t have to wait very long.


    Ming Guanhe waved him over, shortly after he was finished with setting up their little camp. There were a few more precautionary measures that the Elder had not set up when they were at the old site. And he had included a few traps, that he was quick to point out to the youth.


    Then he went on to what seemed to be more important matters:


    "Listen closely, Qin Feng. You and I are here to look for some unusual herbs. Have you heard of Dragon Beard Grass? Do you know what it is used for?"


    "Dragon Beard Grass! That is a miraculous herb! If it is used in a medicinal bath, it can boost a person''s cultivation by almost two small stages! But ... isn''t it rather rare? And it will only grow in the shade, and high up where the mist can condense on its leaves. Doesn''t it?"


    Elder Ming smiled then, as the tiny scars all over his face seemed to give off a slightly reddish hue. "You are correct about that! The only place that fits that particular description, the only place where the Dragon Beard Grass is likely to grow, is up there in the Verdant Cliffs!"


    He turned, and pointed at a sheer face of dark grey stone, that loomed over the forest in the distance. Then he looked back at Qin Feng, who had already plastered an expression of awe on his face.


    "But do not worry! I am not bringing you there with me. I only need you to look through the herbs that I bring back, and check to make sure that they are the ones that we need. Especially the Dragon Beard Grass!"


    "This disciple understands, Elder."


    Qin Feng managed to put on a slightly disappointed look then. And let his shoulders sag slightly. Which seemed to satisfy the old man.


    "Do not worry. I will be bringing back other herbs as well, although they may not be as potent as the Dragon Beard Grass that I had just mentioned. And you can also look around the camp, to see if there is anything that might be useful. Just remember that this is supposed to be a secret mission."


    "A secret mission? For the ... Elders'' Council?"


    Ming Guanhe shook his head in response to that question. "No, not them. This was a personal request from the Grandmaster himself. Which is why I am taking risks, by bringing you along. Your knowledge of medicinal herbs is greater than mine, after all. So you will have to keep your mouth tightly shut regarding this matter.


    "After all, the aim today is to get our hands on the medicinal herbs that would help the selected Inner School Core Disciples break through to the Completion Realm!"


    * * *

 93 The Second Hunt 2

    "The Completion Realm?"


    Qin Feng was naturally interested in that as well. After all, it was supposed to be what all of the disciples, regardless of their position in the Heaven Sword School, were aiming for. Besides, it was the one Realm below Profound, which was only attainable by someone who had accumulated at least twenty-four years of training.


    Which made it the pinnacle for all cultivators below that age!


    And Ming Guanhe had just revealed that the Grandmaster of the Heaven Sword School was doing what he could to bring the Core Disciples of the School to that stage? That was a little too exaggerated, was it? Did he really think Qin Feng would be more likely to obey without question, by using the Grandmaster''s name?


    Still, it was a chance that would not show up twice. So he wasn''t about to let it slip out of his grasp. Besides, didn''t he have an easy job? All he had to do was to confirm the old man''s identification of the herbs. Wasn''t that as simple as flipping his hand over?


    But Ming Guanhe seemed to be confused by his somewhat unthinking exclamation. And smiled as he waved for Qin Feng to look down at the ground between the two of them. He squatted down and began to run his right index finger in the dirt, prompting the younger man to do the same, to stare at what he was drawing.


    "There are different Realms and levels in our cultivation, as you must have already heard. But since you are still in the most basic Foundation Realm, it stands to reason that you are somewhat ignorant of what the other Realms are called," he began explaining, even as he drew a small circle in the dirt.


    Then he added another one around the first. "After that comes the Qi Accumulation Realm, where you tie the different individual strands of Qi that you have formed, weaving them into a mat, or a basket, or some other form. Whatever makes it easier for you to visualize and form, in your dantian. That is the Qi Accumulation Realm, where the strands start to fuse together, to form a vessel.


    "After that is the Initial Core Formation Realm, the Core Consolidation Realm and the Core Completion Realm. That is a little far away for you, so you don''t need to know too much about them. These three Realms concern the formation of a Core in your body, that will continuously generate the inner qi, or what we call your zhenqi. That is what powers all your higher martial arts, and grants power to your moves."


    Ming Guanhe stopped drawing then, and looked up at Qin Feng, taking care to meet his eyes with a stern gaze. "That is what the Inner School and Core disciples are focused on, and the miracle herbs that we are seeking will make it easier for most of them to break through, and form a higher grade Core. Which will, in turn, make our Heaven Sword School more powerful."


    Then he smiled, and reached out to pat the younger man on the shoulder, before he rose upright again. Qin Feng took that as a signal to rise, and continued looking at the scar-faced Elder. And decided to take a risk, and try to find out more about what he didn''t altogether understand:


    "Elder, I have a few questions concerning the Qi Accumulation Realm."


    "Oh? What is it that you wish to know?"


    Elder Ming was probably feeling generous, Qin Feng decided, and so he didn''t waste any time. "When you were talking about the strands or streams of zhenqi earlier, you mentioned that I would need to weave them together. But how do you actually do this weaving? I know I haven''t even made it to the Foundation Realm yet, but I would like to know more about that."


    Ming Guanhe seemed to approve of his query, if his smile was anything to go by. "That is a little hard to explain, since you haven''t begun to form your own streams of qi. Think of it like the individual straws in a simple basket. You can manipulate those straws so that they can form a basket, or a mat. Or anything else that you can imagine. So long as you understand the method of manipulating such, it shouldn''t be a difficulty for you to craft them into whatever shape you wish."


    He paused then, and pointed at the fire-pit that Qin Feng had prepared earlier. "Take a look at that, for example. You know the shape that a fire-pit should have, and so dug the hole, arranged the stones, and once you have the firewood, you would start to place them in a way that would make it easier for you to start a fire. Well, handling your strands of qi is very similar.


    "The more familiar you are with them, and the more you are able to manipulate them, the easier it would be for you to weave them into the shape that you desire."


    Qin Feng thought he understood. "So I should ... try to manipulate the strands of qi that I have, so I can ... familiarize myself with what they can and cannot do?"


    "That sounds about correct. But you shall have to be careful, and release them from any set shape that you had twisted them into, once you are done. Or else you shall be stuck with them, and shall have to work within the structure that you have set. And that would be a waste of time."


    The young man promised that he would remember that, and quietly fixed all that information in his mind. It was not too far from what he had learned for Old Man Snow Mountain, although Elder Ming''s explanation was a little easier to understand.


    Perhaps because he was used to dealing with youngsters like him, who had no inkling of cultivation at all? Old Man Snow Mountain had attained such a lofty position before he passed away, so it was no surprise that he couldn''t quite explain the smaller, more detailed bits about the Lower Realms in a way that could be easily understood.


    In any case, Qin Feng was well satisfied. He now had a better idea of what he was supposed to do! And just how he should go about it!


    * * *

 94 The Second Hunt 3

    "Well, now that you understand that, we should get on with our secret mission. Now, stay close to the campsite here, and only pick those herbs after you are certain that there is no danger. If you are unsure, just wait for me to return, so we can go after them later.


    "After you help me take a look at those medicinal herbs that I have managed to obtain, that is. I think we should have plenty of time leftover after that. In any case, we shall be spending three days here, just like the last time."


    Qin Feng acknowledged the information in his usual manner, and Elder Ming hurried away. Leaving the younger man with a slight smile on his face as he looked over the half-completed campsite. Well, this was no different from the last time that he came out here with Ming Guanhe, so he knew that he shouldn''t be too surprised.


    Besides, it did allow him to search the vicinity of the campsite for possible gains. Just taking into account his gains for the last Hunt, he had already made enough to cover the damage done to his fields. And it seemed the Medicine Hall wasn''t about to punish him for failing to deliver those herbs that he was supposed to be growing. So anything that he got out of this current trip was likely to a pure profit for him. That was certainly something that most herb-growers would gladly kill for.


    Still, he didn''t forget that he was in the middle of a zone which carried a higher risk than what he was used to. So he couldn''t afford to not pay attention to every detail. It might take him a little longer, but Qin Feng intended to make sure that his camp was not going to be compromised in any way. To be utterly honest, it was something that he could not afford!


    Of course, he ended up staying close to the campsite, and didn''t really have a chance to take a good look in the woods. Except for a handful of some rather usual plants, he didn''t come across anything of any significance.


    Which was probably why he was wearing a rather resigned expression, when Elder Ming finally returned from his exploration of the area surrounding the strange hill.


    The older man, however, seemed a little more enthusiastic about their whole exercise than Qin Feng had ever seen. And he didn''t waste any time either, quickly taking out the various plants that he had gathered during his excursion.


    "What do you think? Are there any problems? I have checked these with the descriptions written down in that Hundred Herbs book, so there shouldn''t be any problems, should there?"


    Qin Feng managed to keep a smile on his face as he looked over what the old man had brought back. Why was he being forced to settle something like this? He should be out looking for treasures on his own, shouldn''t he? Instead of dealing with Ming Guanhe''s inadequate knowledge of the herbs that he wanted?


    Besides, it was clear from what he had collected, that most of them were leaves and roots that were used in medicines for women. Wasn''t that a little obvious, that he was aiming to concoct some sort of potion that would benefit his daughter? Just how was he going to be able to hide that?


    Then his hand paused, and as he picked up one of the herbs that lay in front of him.


    "Wait a moment. This one looks a little unusual."


    Ming Guanhe turned to him as soon as the words left his lips. Qin Feng could see the suspicion in the old man''s scarred features at once, but he pretended to pay it no attention, and kept his eyes on the herbs instead.


    "There is no smell. How come there is no smell? If it really is a Dragon Beard Grass, it should be a little fragrant, shouldn''t it? And that flower? Why would there be a flower? That wasn''t in any of the descriptions in both of the books," he muttered, in a tone that the older man should be able to pick up, if he was truly paying attention.


    As it turned out, Ming Guanhe was. And he was quick to step closer to Qin Feng, as he had his head lowered over the single stalk of Dragon Beard Grass that had captured his attention.


    "What is it? Is there something wrong with that herb?"


    Qin Feng seemed to start at Elder Ming''s sudden interruption, and quickly held up the plant in his hand. "This one ... Well, it looks like the Dragon Beard Grass that is described in the Hundred Herbs Manual, and it more or less matches the other specimens that you have brought back. But ..."


    "But? Go on. What about it?"


    "It doesn''t seem to have the same fragrance as the other plants. And there is this little pink flower at the top. I have never heard of Dragon Beard Grass with pink flowers. Most are pure white. So I am a little ... perturbed as to whether this is really Dragon Beard Grass."


    Qin Feng scowled as he peered at the plant in his hand. He was not lying when he said that there was something unusual about it. The color of the veins on leaves and that of the flower were pink rather than the white color that usually marked a Dragon Beard Grass. Was this some sort of mutated strain? He couldn''t be certain.


    "Oh? Then ... In that case, perhaps you should set it aside, and look at it later. What about the other herbs? Why don''t you take a look at them first?"


    * * *

 95 The Second Hunt 4

    Qin Feng sighed as he set the item down, just as Elder Ming had instructed. After all, he was only there because of the old man, so it wouldn''t be proper to ignore his words. Besides, it was really a bit of a mystery.


    "There are no large problems with the other herbs. Except that particular root over there. The problem is the lack of any leaves that might help with the identification. It looks like a Grey Striped Licorice Root, but it has a rather astringent scent to it. To confirm, I will need to cut it open. If there is a sweet smell, then it is correct. If there is a more bitter scent, then it is an Ashen Core Rhizome."


    "An Ashen Core Rhizome? Isn''t that poisonous?"


    "Only mildly so. It can actually be eaten once it has been boiled for three hours or so. But it doesn''t have any medicinal properties. Most of them are generally grown as supplements for horses, since it helps to help flush certain parasites from their bodies."


    "Supplements? For horses?"


    The Elder''s voice made it rather obvious that he was not too pleased to hear that. So Qin Feng quickly turned back to the other specimens that he had harvested. And picked out the stalks of the Dragon Beard Grass.


    It was about time to pique the old man''s interest, he judged.


    "If you were to add the this Dragon Beard Grass to a real Grey Striped Licorice, and toss in some Sobbing Violet stamens, and a single stalk of Fragrant Apricot Flower, you would be able to come up with a rather remarkable tonic, the Four Fragrance Soup. But it would only be useful for young women, who has not given birth before.


    "That is what the Fan Yao Zhuan, the Common Medicine, Text says. Although I am not too certain about what that particular tonic does, off-hand. I''ll need to read through that book again, to figure it out."


    Elder Ming did not appear to have heard his qualifier, and had turned to fix him with a rather feverish stare. "Do you have ... Would you know the exact formula for that ... particular tonic? The proportions of each herb that should go into the mix?"


    "Oh? Elder Ming, you are interested in that too. Well, it might take a while but I made a copy of that recipe and I have that at my house. I can pass it to you if you are interested in trying it out. And I see that you have all the ingredients already.


    "Well, all except the Grey Striped Licorice Root. We still have to test this particular one."


    The two of them didn''t waste any more time after that, and quickly performed the test that Qin Feng had described on the said item. As expected, it gave off a slightly bitter scent, thereby proving that it was an Ashen Core Rhizome instead of the hoped-for Grey Striped Licorice Root.


    That disappointing result was enough to have Elder Ming Guanhe cursing rather vehemently. Which prompted Qin Feng to put on a surprised expression. He wasn''t supposed to know just how important this particular ingredient, and that Four Fragrance Soup, was to the Elder. Or, to be exact, to his daughter.


    "Ah. Do not mind this old man. You see, I have a need for this Grey Striped Licorice Root myself, so you can see why I am upset. It is the only item that I am missing from the Four Fragrance Soup that you had just mentioned, so I am naturally unhappy. Don''t be too worried by my display. It has naught to do your performance."


    He put on a look of relief then, and quickly gestured at the Ashen Core Rhizome, as if to distract the Elder. "Well, it is a rather common mistake. Especially if the plant has already lost its leaves. Both the Ashen Core Rhizome and the Grey Striped Licorice Root tend to have leaves that are rather delectable to Spirit Beasts, so it is no surprise that you have picked the wrong one.


    "If you stick to those spots with a thick canopy, you should be able to find more of the same. The Grey Striped Licorice Roots like to grow under some shade, and do not care to under the bright sunlight. If you wish, you could take a look at those sort of places tomorrow. You might be able to find one there."


    Then he looked away and looked up at the darkening sky. And slowly tapped his lower lip with a finger.


    "I think you should try to remember that the Licorice Root has an astringent scent. If you try to track it by smell, rather than by look, you would certainly have a better chance of success."


    Elder Ming laughed, as soon as he heard that.


    "If that is the case, why don''t I bring you along with me tomorrow, as I scout out the areas just outside of where our Hunters will be. It will give you a chance to look the place over, and see if there are any rare herbs there. And you can also help me look out for a real Grey Striped Licorice Root."


    Qin Feng managed to put on an excited air without too much effort. After all, hadn''t he been waiting for a chance just like this?


    "Elder Ming, you ... You will really bring me along with you? That is more than I dare to hope for! There are so many herbs that cannot be cultivated in the Medicine Fields so I have so frustrated trying to find out more about them! This is a wonderful opportunity for me, Elder Ming. I don''t know to begin thanking you for the chance."


    Then he frowned, as though something had just occurred to him. And he looked at the old man with the multitude of small sword scars on his face a little awkwardly.


    "But ... won''t those disciples under Elder Ping ... They are supposed on check on our gains, aren''t they? And some of the herbs here are ... on the restricted list."


    Ming Guanhe gave out a deep grunt in response to Qin Feng''s half-hearted warning. And flicked his sleeve to the ground derisively. "They have been duely warned not to make trouble for our group of Hunters. And by someone in much higher authority than they can handle on their own. I doubt that they would dare to try anything against us," he growled.


    "Ah. I see."


    So Elder Ming had taken steps after all. That was good to know. Still, Qin Feng reminded himself to be a little more careful, when he returned to the School. There was always a chance that some idiots from Ping Jiexian''s faction may try their luck. And he didn''t wish to be caught with something that he should not be in possession of.


    But now, it seems Ming Guanhe is going take care of all those messy details. So it looked like getting someone influential to back him in the Heaven Sword School was the indeed right decision.


    That meant that he could pick whatever herbs he wanted, to his heart''s content, the following day!


    * * *

 96 Joining Hands

    "Why are you still a herb-grower in the Medicine Fields? You already have more knowledge than half of those Inner School disciples studying medicine and herbs at the Heaven Sword Medicine Hall. Why haven''t you been scouted by the Elders there?"


    The one asking the question was an exuberant Ming Guanhe, naturally. His face was dominated by a broad smile and his eyes were shining with excitement. And all of this was due to the fact that Qin Feng had spent almost half the morning with him in the field, hunting down that elusive Grey Striped Licorice Root.


    Something that the Elder was now carrying in his personal Interspacial Bag, which Qin Feng had been envious of, ever since Ming Guanhe showed it for what it is. But the younger man was careful not to let that show. It was dangerous to covet something that belonged to someone far more powerful than yourself.


    Besides, simply by accompanying the Elder, Qin Feng had managed to come across quite a number of unusual and infrequently seen plants as well. And almost all of them had gone into his own herb-basket. Apparently, Elder Ming was only interested into those herbs that were used to concoct his precious Four Fragrance Soup, and couldn''t care less whether Qin Feng was making a profit from those other medicinal plants at all.


    Something that Qin Feng was more than thankful for!


    But Ming Guanhe had asked a question then, and Qin Feng could only give out a soft, almost embarrassed laugh as he prepared his reply:


    "I am still in the Foundation stage, Elder Ming. And it doesn''t look like I am going to reach the Qi Accumulation Realm any time soon. So I don''t really qualify to join the Inner School this Winter. Or next Summer, for that matter. I think that was the reason why I am studying so hard. I will be sixteen next year, and I am hoping that I would be granted an extension, you see?"


    "Ah! You are worried that you will not be able to reach the expected standards by the time you reach your majority. Well, it is true. Most disciples from the Outer School are released if they are unable to show that they have a chance of forming a Core by then.


    "Still, you should know that there are exceptions. Your friend Chen Xing, for example. He is more skilled at handling young disciples in the Outer School, and guiding them through the Medicine Fields. So he has been promoted and allowed to take his time to work towards his Initial Core Formation. You could do something similar."


    "Something similar?"


    Ming Guanhe smiled. "It is not that unusual, to extend the service of promising disciples. Or those who have something to offer the School. And your expertise in the field of medicinal herbs and such is clearly above that of your peers. Most of the senior service disciples at the Medicine Hall are far too comfortable in their posts, and no longer have the drive to improve themselves.


    "Unlike you. From what I have seen so far, you could go much further than most of those useless wastrels who are only content to waste their lives in their current posts."


    He sighed then, and stared off into the distance, into the clouds above. "There are some things that you do not know about the Heaven Sword School. And there are other things, about the Elders and the Elders'' Council, that are more complex than you can imagine. The rivalry between the Right and the Left Guardians ..."


    Ming Guanhe fell silent then, as though lost in his own thoughts. Qin Feng decided that he should keep his mouth shut, and say nothing. After all, whatever Elder Ming was thinking about, it was certainly not something that an Outer School disciple like him, and a herb-grower besides, could even begin to get involved in. It would be far safer to simply leave such matters alone.


    Then the old man seemed to recover. "All of that is besides the point. Just consider it an stupid old fool''s ranting," he laughed, as he turned back to Qin Feng with a slight smile.


    "But your knowledge of the herbs is rather exceptional. You should be able to tell that I have been checking up on what you have told me, during our last Hunt together. And all of your descriptions and your advice concerning the medicines that we found the last trip matches all the knowledge that is in the books. Along with some that are considered rather advanced, for someone of your years. It is clear that you have been studying Herb-lore well before you came to the Heaven Sword School.


    "Little wonder then, that you chose to join the herb-growers in the Medicine Fields."


    He paused and gave Qin Feng a look. Which was enough of a hint that had the younger man giving out a nervous laugh as he patted the back of his own head. "Well, I have read some books on that, before I arrived here. There were many merchants who dealt in such herbs and such, that visited my home village back when I was a child, so I had picked up a great deal about the more common plants."


    "That is good. And I think you show enough promise, as an Outer School disciple, to make it to the higher ranks at the Heaven Sword Medicine Hall''s herb-growers. That might be enough to allow you to reach the Inner School. If you are interested, that is."


    That was a blatant hint if ever he heard one. And Qin Feng was a little wary as soon as it touched his ears. This Elder Ming Guanhe seemed to be recruiting, from what he had said and done. But Qin Feng was not certain if he was doing it on behalf of the Left Guardian''s faction, or for his own benefit.


    Or, to be precise, his daughter''s.


    But whatever the man''s motive, it was a little too large a prize for him to ignore. And there was only one correct answer to this particular question:


    "If Elder Ming can ... show this worthless Junior a well-lit path, this worthless Junior would be more than grateful to Elder Ming. If there is anything that Elder Ming wishes of this one, this worthless Junior would be more than pleased to ..."


    Ming Guanhe''s laughter and his shaking a hand before Qin Feng''s face made the latter stop his outrageous and over-the-top expression of his thanks. And the older man''s grin made it clear that his allegiance had been accepted.


    "There is no need for such ... an open expression of affiliation, young Qin Feng. It would be to our benefit, both yours and mine, if we were to keep this ... relationship quiet in the School. There are other Elders who do not look too kindly upon me, as you might have heard. So let us keep this a secret for the moment."


    "This Junior understands."


    "Good. Then we shall talk about this later, when we have the chance."


    The Elder nodded and turned to point at the Heaven Sword School, barely seen through the clouds in the distance. "Well, we have spent a good part of the morning, and we have a rather good harvest already. So it is about time that we head back to clear up our camp, and meet up with the other Hunters. And see what sort of gains they have.


    "Then it is back to the Heaven Sword School."


    He smiled then, and pointed a finger at Qin Feng meaningfully. "And don''t forget to pass me that recipe for the Four Fragrance Soup!"


    * * *

 97 Rumors 1

    As it turned out, the welcome for the Hunters returning to the Heaven Sword School was a lot warmer than the previous occasion. And Qin Feng didn''t miss the presence of some more senior Inner School disciples, apparently observing the proceedings from the side. And all of these seemed to show a distinct warmth towards Elder Ming Guanhe.


    Who didn''t bother to reveal the contents of his inter-spacial ring to the ones doing the inspection. And those same fellows did nothing more than give the medicine basket that Qin Feng was carrying more than a cursory glance.


    From the look of things, it was rather clear that Ming Guanhe''s status within the Heaven Sword School was no longer as simple as it used to be. And anyone associated with him looked like they were similarly going to rise as well.


    Qin Feng wondered about that as he picked up his medicinal herbs, and made ready to head back to his own field. This was not something that he had expected, when he headed out with Elder Ming. Who was now surrounded by all those fawning Inner School disciples, so much so that he hardly had any time to deal with the rest of the group that had just returned from the Hunt.


    None of them seemed to have noticed Qin Feng, however . So he didn''t waste any time, and started to creep away from the Gate. He wanted nothing more than to hurry back to the medicine fields, well away from where all the gossip and rumors were originating. This looked to be something far more complex than what he had expected.


    Unfortunately, things did not turn out as he had hoped.


    He was almost out of the Square, that Elder Ming suddenly called out to him. And in a manner that hinted that their relationship was not as simple as everyone had thought!


    "Feng''er ah! Don''t forget to come over tonight for dinner. I''ll be telling my daughter to include your share, so don''t you dare be late! At sunset, remember? Otherwise, I''ll let her deal with you herself!"


    Qin Feng froze under the weight of the stares at once. Every eye in the area within the Gate was clearly focused on him, and he could do nothing but nod his head and promise the Elder that he would be at the Elder''s Court on time.


    Then he turned and fled the scene at once. How had things turned out like this?


    By the time that he got back to his own medicine field, word had already spread. And continued to spread, as he concentrated on his gains, putting them away inside his little house. But no matter how quickly he moved, he was barely half-way done with his clean-up when someone came calling at his small farm.


    It was Lingxi, and she had a rather agitated expression on her face, as she shouted out at him, drawing his attention. And she didn''t waste any time either, running over the last stretch of the path, to interrogate him at once, about the rumors that had been floating around for the last hour or two.


    Which ranged from him being Elder Ming Guanhe''s personal disciple to being his choice of a son-in-law, meant to marry his only daughter. And it was clear that the latter story was the most popular. With the most versions being spread about:


    Like how he had managed to win the old man over, with his performance at his medicine field, and with his outstanding performance during the Hunts that he had taken part in. Not to mention his knowledge of the weird and unusual herbs that Elder Ming Guanhe was fond of bringing back.


    Indeed, how Elder Ming had shared his gains from the last Hunt with him was already making the rounds again. A sign that he was determined to nab Qin Feng for a son-in-law?


    There were even some tales that involved the other Elders as well. Like how Elder Ming was stepping in first, before Elder Xuan put in his claim, for his own daughter''s sake. After all, hadn''t Xuan Mei been seen, helping to tend his injuries, just a short while back?


    Lingxi, naturally, didn''t waste any time telling Qin Feng all about these variations, as she demanded to know what was really going on. Which had the young man holding his own head, and groaning at the idle disciples of both the Inner and Outer Schools. Didn''t they have anything else better to do than gossip about this?


    "So, is it true? That you are helping Elder Ming Guanhe to look for herbs to help his daughter deal with her illness? And that she has fallen head over heels in love with you already? Have you even met her? Why didn''t you tell me about that?"


    "What are you talking about? Of course I haven''t met her! All of that is nothing but a story that somebody made up! Elder Ming just wants me over to talk to me about some medicinal herbs that we found together!" Qin Feng moaned.


    Lingxi sniffed as she gave him a look that said that she didn''t altogether believe him. And she couldn''t avoid teasing him either. "So, you have already pulled Elder Ming to your side already, to the point where you are asking him for advice about medicinal herbs now? So it is true, huh? He''s already looking at you as a potential son-in-law. What else could it be?"


    "His son-in-law?"


    Qin Feng gave her a glare as soon as he heard that. "What nonsense are you talking about? I haven''t even seen his daughter once! How can I suddenly be a potential son-in-law?"


    "Well, you don''t have to meet her at all, you know. So long as he approves of you, the deal is as good as done. Besides, I doubt that his daughter would refuse the son-in-law that he has picked. Especially when he has proved himself so capable in handling herbs in the wild."


    She sniffed at him again then, as if a little jealous. Whether it was because of the attention that he was drawing, or because she did not care to have him stolen away by an Elder''s daughter, he certainly did not have a clue!


    But it was enough for him to drag up a simple excuse, so that he could get away from her surmises and her questions.


    "Enough of this! Could you please leave now? I still have to get myself cleaned up so that I can get over to Elder Ming''s. Have you forgotten that I''m supposed to go for dinner at the Elders'' Court with him?


    "And there isn''t very much time for me to get ready, is there?"


    * * *

 98 Rumors 2

    "Hmmph! Tossing me aside now, when you have something tastier, to feed your appetite, huh? Is that how you are going to treat me? And all the other sisters?"


    Qin Feng growled as he deliberately turned away from Lingxi, and started to change his robe. She was just being nonsensical! And choosing the wrong time to do so! It was obvious that continuing to talk to Lingxi was just a waste of time.


    Besides, he still had to wash up and get himself ready to go meet Elder Ming. "You can call it what you wish, but I am going to take a bath now! You can stay and watch if you want to!" he roared at her, as he started to reach for his trousers.


    A high-pitched, feminine squeal from the door of his hut then told him that he had another visitor. But he was already so annoyed with Lingxi that he didn''t bother to look at the newcomer, and simply continued to yank off his pants.


    "Pervert! You pervert! Didn''t you see me standing here?"


    Qin Feng froze as soon as he heard her. He knew that voice! He was going to be in deeper trouble than he had ever thought possible!


    But why was Xuan Mei coming over at such a time?


    And didn''t she hear him shouting at Lingxi already?


    Nevertheless, he simply jumped into the small tub of water that he had in front of him. Or rather, he tried to. That was supposed to store the water for his cooking and cleaning, and not a proper bathtub. He didn''t have anything big enough to serve that function. But it would have to do, if he wanted to keep from showing off ... his manly bits.


    The little barrel was far too small, of course, since it was only about the half his height. And he could only manage to squat in the same, with the remaining water that he had inside it only coming up to his hipbones. He had been away for three days, and he hadn''t refilled it from the well-pond yet.


    But it was sufficient to keep his ... private parts from being on display. Barely. In his opinion, that was the most important, at the moment.


    Only then did he turn his head to the doorway, where a red-faced Xuan Mei was standing. A short distance from her was a stunned Lingxi, who still had not recovered, and had her mouth hanging open. Not to mention her wide eyes, which were staring right at him.


    No doubt, she had not missed anything at all, when he tore his clothes off.


    "Pervert!" scolded Xuan Mei once again, as she pointed a finger at him. "What are you doing?! Why did you take off your clothes?!"


    That was enough to jolt him out of his stupor, and he jerked his own hand away from his groin, and pointed back at her; she could see anything after all, with him mostly hidden inside the water barrel.


    "Who are you calling a pervert? I had already said that I had to get ready to meet Elder Ming, and that I had to prepare. What did you think that meant? Don''t I have to change and clean up? And why are you coming here, and unannounced? Do you think I can see what is going on outside the house?


    "Clearly you are the one barging in on me as I bathe! So who is the pervert here?"


    Xuan Mei was obviously too stunned by the turnaround, and his accusation, to say a word. And simply stood there with an expression on her face that was somewhere between outrage and embarrassment. He could even see the veins on her temples bulge out, despite the bright crimson flush on her skin.


    Which was enough of a victory to make Qin Feng turn to Lingxi instead. Since he had already started scolding Xuan Mei, it would be a little unfair, if he left her out.


    "And what about you? I have already warned you that I am in a rush, and you are still standing there, as if you wish to eat me up? If that is the case, are you going to be staring at me, as I clean myself up and get ready? I have already said that I have to go to the Elders'' building, and that I don''t have much time to get there! Are you so determined to get me in trouble?


    "If you are so eager to devour me, you will have to wait until Elder Ming is done telling me what he wants of me!"


    Then he turned his back on the two young women and began to concentrate on washing himself up. He wasn''t sure that it would work, but from the changes on Lingxi''s face that he had seen while he was shouting at her, it didn''t look like she was going to taking any action against him.


    Besides, she looked as if she had already been seriously embarrassed, and was already moving towards the doorway where Xuan Mei was standing, even as he finished shouting at her. Qin Feng hid a sigh of relief as soon as he saw that, as he turned away.


    Perhaps he would get lucky? And not be torn to pieces by these two women?


    He focused his attention on what he was doing, even though he heard noises at the door. But it soon closed, plunging the interior of his hovel into a dim state. And he heard a few quiet cries outside, which got softer and softer, as though the pair was moving further away.


    Only then did he relax, and quickly clambered out of the little basin of water. He finished off the rough washing-up that he had initiated, and rapidly threw on a new set of robes again. He couldn''t tell if the pair of angry young women were still outside his house, but he certainly didn''t wish to face them again without being properly dressed.


    Just how much had they seen anyway?


    But neither of them were outside, when he finally gathered his courage, and popped his head outside the door.


    So he sighed to himself, and quickly hurried off towards where he was supposed to meet Elder Ming. And prayed that he would not be too late getting there.


    He would just have to deal with Xuan Mei and Lingxi at another time.


    * * *

 99 Rumors 3

    There was only a small sliver of sun hanging over the line of mountains in the West when Qin Feng arrived at the center of the Elders'' yard. And Elder Ming Guanhe was already there. He looked a little deep in thought, however, rather than angered that he had been made to wait for a nameless Outer School disciple. And a herb-grower at that.


    Still, Qin Feng didn''t dare take a chance, and had already begun to dip his head in apology, the moment that he started inside. Which seemed to be enough to draw a bark of laughter from the scar-faced Elder.


    "Ha! You managed to get yourself cleaned up, huh. That was quick! Come, come. Let us not waste any time. My daughter is eager to meet you."


    Qin Feng bowed again, to signal his agreement, and wasted no time stepping behind the Elder as he started to move. And hid his relieved expression behind Ming Guanhe''s back. That was close. And knew that he should probably be thankful that the old man had not kicked up a fuss that he had been kept waiting.


    Of course, he would have to deal with the two women, over the matter of bathing in front of them later. Not to mention the fact that one of them was Elder Xuan''s daughter! But that would be latter.


    For now, he would had other matters to worry about. Like how he was going to deal with Elder Ming Guanhe. And his never-before seen daughter!


    To be honest, Qin Feng was a little concerned about the Elder''s recent change in attitude, when it came to his affairs. Ming Guanhe seemed to be paying quite a bit of attention on his little medicine farm and what he had managed to gain, when he was out in the Woods.


    And Qin Feng seriously doubted that it was all because of Elder Xuan.


    After all, a simple instruction from Elder Ming''s lips would be sufficient to have the attendants and the rest of the Medicine Hall''s staff behaving a lot more kindly towards him. And probably have Chen Xing guide him more closely, when it came to the more lucrative herbs to grow and manage. He certainly did not need to get personally involved.


    Nor did he have to take on the duty of guiding Qin Feng on those last two Hunts. Indeed, he didn''t need to have included Qin Feng in them at all!


    So what was his reason for doing that?


    Could it be that there was some truth in all those rumours about his daughter? And her unusual illness? Was he really resorting to weird medicines and unusual practices, to nurse her back to health? If so, what was Qin Feng''s role in all of this?


    Ming Guanhe couldn''t be thinking of marrying her off to him, could he?


    Or was this a favor that he was doing for Elder Xuan? To warn him off Senior Martial Sister Xuan Mei? That was more likely, wasn''t it? She had been visiting him a little more frequently than she should, and that might have given the lofty Elder Xuan the wrong idea.


    Of course, if it was the latter, it would be a simple thing to agree. And Qin Feng certainly didn''t have any qualms promising to keep well away from her.


    After what had happened a short while ago, he was rather certain that Xuan Mei would be treating him a lot more coldly. Not to mention, she was unlike to spread the news around, that she had actually seen him ... in such an embarrassing state.


    "Qingsong ah! Qingsong! Your father is back!"


    The sudden cry from Ming Guanhe, just three steps ahead of him, broke him out of his thoughts. For a moment, he wondered who the Elder was calling out to. Who was this Qingsong? And what was this about his (or her) father?


    Then it struck him. Was this Qingsong Ming Guanhe''s daughter then?


    The door of one of the houses opened then. And a girl, dressed in a light blue dress, stepped out of the same into the light of the dying day. She was short, and didn''t look a day past thirteen, by Qin Feng''s estimation. Her face was very pale and her hair was tied up in a bun that sat on top of her head, much like the topknot that most male disciples sported in the Heaven Sword School.


    "Father! You''re back! I was about to start dinner without you," she announced somewhat haughtily, with a distinct pout. Her voice was a little huskier than Qin Feng expected, making her sound older than her small, teenage frame. Although it did sound stronger than someone who had been ill for a long time, as the rumours had painted her.


    Then her eyes turned to him, and seemed to study Qin Feng from head to toe. And there was an curious air washed over her face at once. "Is this the herb-grower disciple that you were talking about? The one who had managed to ... help the sisters from the Rear Gardens with their monthly stomach-aches?"


    "Don''t be rude, Qingsong. This is Qin Feng, and yes, he is the Outer School disciple who has been supplying Yuan Mei and the other girls with the medicines that they need. So you should treat him well. After all, you might be in their shoes in another year or two."


    Ming Guanhe''s voice was more gentle than Qin Feng had thought possible. Which more or less supported the tales that he was doting on his little girl. And Ming Qingsong merely sniffed and grinned back at her father, before turning her gaze back towards the younger man.


    But there was no hiding the blush on her face, despite her manner. Clearly, she had not been expecting her father to silence her using that particular subject. Qin Feng, of course, pretended not to have seen a thing.


    He wasn''t about to make trouble. Not for Elder Ming''s precious daughter.


    Besides, she might really end up showing up at his little herb garden, looking for those herbs. So laughing at her now was certainly not a good idea.


    In any case, neither of them had any chance to get into each other''s bad books, since Elder Ming was already waving them towards the house, and their dinner:


    "Well, in that case, we shouldn''t waste any more time. Come, my dear. Show father just how far you have come with those dishes that you have been boasting about. I am sure that Qin Feng here will sing your praises to all the other girls in the Rear Gardens, if you are able to impress him!"


    * * *

 100 Rumors 4

    The meal lasted a little longer than normal, due to the many amusing tales that Qin Feng was entertaining Elder Ming''s daughter with. She had spent a good part of the evening laughing uproariously at the jokes that he shared, especially those that were at his own expense. Qingsong had even teased him immediately after he shared some of his more embarrassing punchlines.


    But as lively as the evening was, it was clear that she was tiring. And Ming Guanhe didn''t waste any time patting her on her back as the night wore on, circulating a thread of his zhenqi through her, to keep her from exhausting herself.


    That had won him a grateful look from the young woman, before she turned back to Qin Feng across from where she was seated. "It seems I am ... out of energy already, big brother Qin. And my father clearly wishes me to go to bed. So I think I shall bid you goodnight, and head back to my own room now."


    Qin Feng rose to his feet, to bid her goodnight at once, when she made to leave the table. Then he gave out a soft cry of surprise, as the girl seemed to keel over mere moments after she took a step away. Then he calmed down, as he saw how Ming Guanhe had caught her adroitly, as if he had expected her to collapse.


    The old man with the scars on his face sighed, as he picked his exhausted daughter up into his arms, and gently carried her away from the dining table. And he nodded at Qin Feng, then at the archway that led to the inner rooms. As though signalling the youth to help him with the beaded curtain, that separated the former from the dining area that they were in.


    It took him a bit of thinking to figure that out. But thankfully, he did so in time that Elder Ming did not get upset with him. In fact, the old man had even given him a thankful look, for helping him prevent that same curtain from touching his daughter, and perhaps, disturbing her sleep.


    He returned to the dining area once that was done, and remained there, when it seemed clear that there weren''t any other hurdles that Elder Ming required help with, deeper in the house. Qin Feng didn''t just sit down and wait for the Elder to return, of course. That would have been certainly impolite, given the difference in their positions with the School, even if one took into account the fact that he was supposed to be a guest.


    So he did not waste his time, and started to clear up the dishes and bowls on the dining table, while he waited for the old man.


    "Leave that. I shall deal with that later, after you go."


    Qin Feng almost dropped the dishes that he was stacking, but somehow managed to keep himself from whirling about. Instead, he managed what he hoped was a respectable turn, and bowed in his head in the Elder''s direction.


    How had he managed to get past the beaded screen without making any noise?


    But the older man was speaking again. And his left hand gestured at Qin Feng, as though inviting him into the back of the hose where he had just brought his daughter. "Come quietly. We have other matters to discuss. And touch nothing."


    The old man waited for him to get closer, before he started walking towards the back of the house once more. Qin Feng found himself scowling the moment Ming Guanhe''s back was turned. Just where was the Elder leading him? Wasn''t that where the bedrooms were located?


    Moments later, he had the answer to his question:


    Qin Feng almost froze with his foot on the threshold, as soon as he saw that he was in a bedchamber. And there was even a figure lying on bed within! A figure that was now familiar to his eyes!


    This was Qingsong''s bedchamber!


    But what was Elder Ming bringing him in there for? Was the rumour true then? That he was looking for a son-in-law?


    Then he caught a whiff of the strangely aromatic scent within the room. Wasn''t that ...


    He recognized the incense at once. It was made with several common herbs, some of which he had cultivated himself, so it was not anything harmful at all. Indeed, it was something that was rather commonplace, and was frequently used to help calm its user, and helped to ease him into sleep. In this particular case, he was not too surprised to see Ming Qingsong using it.


    "She should be sound asleep now. So she will not be able to remember that we have intruded into her bedchamber. And I have already placed a formation in here, to prevent noises from passing through its walls.


    "Which makes this the one place in my home where it is impossible for anyone to eavesdrop on our conversation. So you can understand why I have chosen to speak to you in here, of all places."


    Elder Ming paused for a moment, as he turned to look at his sleeping daughter again. Then he shot Qin Feng a wry smile. And gestured at the young girl.


    "You must have realized by now that Qingsong isn''t well. It is a ... condition that has plagued her since her birth, and I have had to take steps to keep it under control.


    "The other Elders know about her condition, and why I have chosen to join the Heaven Sword School. After all, it does control the extraction of medicinal herbs and other cultivation resources from the Southern Woods. And I am in need of those, to help my daughter here."


    Qin Feng nodded quietly as soon as the Elder explained. That made sense. And also told him why the old man was trying so hard to get his hands on those medicines in such a way that the other Elders wouldn''t know about it. But he doubted that these subtle methods would be able to yield the sort of herbs that Ming Guanhe needed.


    A fact that was not lost on the Elder either, judging from his next words:


    "Unfortunately, I cannot go about, seizing the herbs and such from the Southern Woods as often as I like. So the chances of my finding sufficient amounts of this Purple Blood Ginger is rather low," sighed the old man, as he patted the blanket that he had laid over his daughter''s shoulders.


    Qin Feng nodded, as he watched the Elder go about checking on his daughter and making sure that she was comfortable. And wondered where Ming Guanhe was going with all this. He wasn''t about to hazard a guess, although he believed that it had something to do with the medicine that the old man required. But just what role he intended for Qin Feng?


    Luckily, he didn''t have to wait very long, for the old man looked up at him a brief moment later:


    "So I would like you to take over the hunt for those medicines. And to bring the same to me when you find them."


    * * *

 101 Plans 1

    "You wish me to continue your hunt for the ... Purple Blood Ginger? But ... Isn''t that a Restricted Medicinal Herb? How can I ..."


    The old man nodded gravely, as he waved a hand in Qin Feng''s face. "A simple herb-grower would not be able to get away with it. But I doubt that the ones guarding the Gate would pick on someone who is my personal assistant, sent out to gather some of the rarer herbs.


    "Especially after the fuss that I have kicked up, just before this second Hunt of ours. As you can see, that particular move was ... effective."


    Was that the reason why the ones guarding the Gate has taken pains to allow Ming Guanhe and his team of Hunters to pass through the same without any fuss earlier? That had been something that was nagging at Qin Feng for a while. Who knew that it had such a simple answer?


    Or that it was something that Ming Guanhe had planned for, when he brought Qin Feng along for these last two Hunts?


    But ...


    "Your personal assistant?"


    Ming Guanhe nodded. "I am, of course, talking about you. As you have probably guessed, I have been ... using Elder Xuan''s name, and your recent clash with the Rear Garden''s female disciples to establish ... your reputation as someone who has a bit of influence with Elder Xuan. Your relationship with his young daughter has also helped there.


    "So naturally, no one would dare to pick on you, when you go out to hunt for herbs now and again. Especially when you are in possession of my inspection medallion. That should be enough to all you to get your hands on the herbs that I need."


    And a lot more besides, Qin Feng reminded himself, as he fought to keep the excitement from showing on his face. So long as he had that medallion, he would be free of all checks by the guards at the Gate. Which meant that he would be able to bring back all of his gains, whatever they may be, without anyone realizing it! That was certainly something to look forward to!


    Yet he fixed a frown on his brow at once, as he nodded gravely at the Elder. Something that seemed to surprise Ming Guanhe somewhat. No doubt he had been expecting Qin Feng to jump at the opportunity at once, and agree to his terms in a hurry.


    "Elder Ming ... That is a little riskier for me, as you should know. I have no doubts that you will be able to handle all the details at the Gate, since you are an Elder and all. But ... my cultivation is very low, and I doubt that the wild creatures out in the wilderness would be overly bothered about offending an Elder like yourself, when they face me out there.


    "I seriously doubt that I would be of much use to you, if I cannot get to the deeper, and more dangerous, zones. Most of the precious herbs are out there, after all."


    "Ah! I was wondering what was holding you back. That is but a trivial matter. Here. Look at what I have here."


    Ming Guanhe smiled as he held up a small vial. "Have you not heard of the River Mongoose Pungent Musk? A small dab of this on you should be enough of a deterrent that any creature that is of and below a Shadow Wolf''s grade would avoid you. That should be enough to keep you safe enough, I think?


    "And we shall have a good excuse why I have chosen to hand this precious bottle to you. You are the most promising herb-grower in the medicine fields, and I have chosen you as my personal assistant. That is, if you agree to this ... arrangement of mine."


    "But ... I''m a little too ... weak, aren''t I? And my knowledge of medicinal herbs is ..."


    "Your knowledge in adequate for the stated purpose. And it will only be for about a season or so. Once Winter arrives, there will be little point in wandering in the Southern Woods, would there? You can take your time then, to put in more practice on your martial arts. And I should be able to get you another one or two manuals, due to our ... association then.


    "Surely you can see the benefit in that."


    The man with the grey hair and the scarred face nodded towards the buildings that could barely be seen from the window. And it took a moment for Qin Feng to realize that Ming Guanhe was directing his gaze to the Hidden Scripture Hall.


    "There are many benefits, and the risks are ... rather insignificant. Given your ... lack of practical experience, I doubt that punishment would be very harsh if some ... inappropriate herbs are found in your possession if there happens to be a serious check on the Hunters'' Group. And you can always ... alert me should that happen. There are tools that would allow you to do that."


    Ming Guanhe looked intently at him as he finished that last sentence, and Qin Feng was not such a fool that he didn''t understand what the Elder was trying hard not to say out loud:


    It seemed he was intent on getting his hands on the Purple Blood Ginger. And he seemed to think that the other Elders, or some enemy of his, would take steps to make trouble for him, if he was caught with the item in his hands.


    That had to be the reason why he was taking such a step. To get Qin Feng to get hold of the item for him.


    And that meant that the risk would end up on Qin Feng''s head instead!


    Was he really willing to accept that? All for the chance to get himself a supporter in the Elders'' Council? Was it really worth the trouble?


    Qin Feng''s smile was wide as he nodded back at the Elder. Of course it was! He had been waiting for an opportunity like this for almost a year!


    "In that case, Elder Ming, this one would be most pleased to be of service! I shall make sure that I shall do my best to ... help you with what you need to do!"


    * * *

 102 Plans 2

    Qin Feng wore a grin as he walked back to his small house that night. And he couldn''t help but skip happily along the narrow path over the hill. Things were going his way at last! It seemed his efforts in getting on the young female disciples were finally paying off!


    To be honest, he had only been planning to get the girls to owe him enough favours so that they would willingly pass some of their Merit Points to him later on, when he was ready to get his hands on some useful items or martial art techniques. But now it seemed he needn''t have bothered! With Elder Ming on his side, surely he didn''t have to go through the trouble of conning the female disciples of their Merit Points, did he? Especially when Ming Guanhe had already promised to help him get hold of whatever he might need!


    Then he stopped, and sighed. Things were going far more smoothly than he had thought possible, when he first joined this Heaven Sword School. Although it had the Foundation martial art that he needed, he had to admit that he wasn''t particularly enticed by the way that it handled the training of its disciples. Nor did it have that much of a reputation, there in the Southwest.


    It was, after all, a rather simple organisation that has only managed to maintain a rather reasonable standing, there in the small kingdoms to the South. And most of its disciples had hurried off to the more respectable and powerful Sects and Schools elsewhere, as soon as they reached the age of eighteen.


    And that was his plan as well, to get away from the Heaven Sword School. As soon as he had formed his Core. Or earlier, if it wasn''t possible.


    Yet, it appeared that Elder Ming Guanhe was hoping to use him to gather herbs in the Southern Woods, and so heal his daughter of her ailment. Wasn''t that going to take up too much of his time? And there was the possibility that the old man might take steps to get rid of him, once he has served his purpose, when Qingsong was completely healed.


    So, wasn''t it a little risky? Could he really trust that old man?


    And if he did agree to Elder Ming''s plan, and helped him with the herb gathering, did it mean that he would have less time to work on his own medicine field? There were still a good number of medicines that he required, and hanging onto his plants there would make things a lot more convenient.


    Indeed, he was already holding back about a quarter of his harvests now, so that he had enough to concoct those tonics that would make it easier for him to train his physical body, and to ease his fatique from all those Foundation laying qi-circulating exercises. So he wasn''t about to give them up.


    At least, no until he had successful built up his Foundation to that target that Old Man Snow Mountain had set for him.


    Besides, he was still the sole supplier for those herbs that the female disciples from the Rear Garden needed. Which meant that they would certainly be making noise, if he gave up such a lucrative business. And he definitely did not need any publicity, good or bad, if he was really going to help Elder Ming with this medicine gathering mission of his.


    Having too many eyes on him, and too much talk about his affairs, was certainly going to be detrimental!


    Still, he was planning to leave the Heaven Sword School in another year or so. Therefore, he would have to tell the female disciples to start working on their own little herb garden, if they didn''t wish their supply disrupted when he really leaves the medicine fields.


    He paused and sighed. And stood looking up at the thin sliver of moon up in the sky as he considered how he was going to do that. Breaking the news to Lingxi would be the easiest way to get word to the other female disciples. But doing that now, when he had just managed to wriggle his way into Elder Ming''s confidence gave the impression that he was getting rid of the bridge now that he had crossed the river. And that would certainly leave a bad taste in everyone''s mouth.


    And apart from his good name, it would also give the impression that he didn''t really care about the well-being of the girls from the Rear Gardens. And that would probably leave them all feeling at least a little sour about their relationship with him.


    Not exactly the sort of image that he was trying to build for himself, now was it?


    So it might be more prudent to simply leave things as they were, and try to get his hands on some benefits from the girls if he can instead. After all, he had spent all that time working on a particular reputation in the Rear Gardens and it would definitely raise questions here and there, if he had to lose it for no reason.


    Besides, he might be able to get his hands on some other benefits through them instead. That might make it worth his while.


    All he had to do now was to maintain his stance towards the female disciples of the Rear Gardens, and to keep his attention focused on Elder Ming, rather than his daughter Qingsong. Whatever others wished to think was taking place between him and her, would be entirely up to their imagination. He certainly wasn''t going make any moves to clarify the situation.


    And he doubted that anyone, from the Rear Gardens or otherwise, would try to make him cough up any information regarding the truth behind his association with Ming Guanhe! Especially when they knew just how devoted he was to his daughter. No one was likely to risk offending him, over someone as inconsequential as a herb-grower like Qin Feng!


    Unfortunately, he didn''t realize that there was someone waiting for him at his little house, intent on doing just that!


    * * *

 103 Plans 3

    The moon was hanging low over the mountain tops in the distance, and the shadows around his medicine field were long, by the time that he made it back there. To tell the truth, he had spent a lot more time at Elder Ming''s place than he had expected. So much so that he was fighting off a yawn as he stepped towards his house.


    It seemed he was a little more tired than he had thought he would be, after what had taken place at the Elder''s house. Of course, that was on top of the efforts that he had put in during the earlier Hunt.


    Which was probably why he had missed the presence in the shadows close to his door, and gave out a startled cry when she popped out at him, just as he had pushed open his door:


    "Yah!"


    A soft, fair, feminine hand reached out to smack him on the shoulder as soon as he made that cry. And he recovered sufficiently to identify the unexpected visitor at once.


    "Lingxi? What ... What are you doing here? And why did you frighten me like that?"


    "Frighten you? Who''s trying to frighten you? You were so busy dreaming that you didn''t even see me there beside your house, so how can you blame me for that?


    "But tell me: who were you dreaming of? Just one dinner and you are already thinking of becoming Elder Ming''s son-in-law?"


    "What?"


    Qin Feng glared at the woman in front of him. What was she talking about? "What''s all this about becoming Ming Guanhe''s son-in-law? I just had dinner at his house! And he was telling me about what he wants me to do during the next Hunt!"


    But the woman didn''t seem to be convinced. "Oh, really? As if he couldn''t tell you about that at the Gate itself! Did he really have to drag you back to his house? And he was probably intent on introducing you to his daughter, wasn''t he?


    "And you dare to say that he isn''t considering you for a son-in-law?"


    Qin Feng felt as if his eyes were about to pop out of his head. Was this what she really thought? But wait! Did that mean that the rest of the Rear Gardens, and maybe the rest of the Heaven Sword School, was thinking the same thing?


    Lingxi stabbed a finger into his chest as she leaned in closer, interrupting that disturbing thought. "Then what were you doing there? A simple dinner wouldn''t have taken so long, and don''t tell me that Elder Ming was simply talking to you about the mission. He wouldn''t have bothered to drag you back to have dinner with his daughter if that was the case!"


    "But that was exactly what we were doing!"


    Qin Feng gritted his teeth and lied. It was not as though he was about to share what he and the Elder were really talking about. Besides, he decided that Ming Qingsong would most probably laugh herself to tears if she heard the gossip. She had seemed friendly enough, and she should know that the girls in the Rear Gardens were too bored for their own good.


    Not to mention, her father would probably warn her about him, without Qin Feng having to say a word.


    Unless, of course, the Elder intended to use the rumors of their so-called courtship to cover up their real dealings with each other!


    The mere thought of that was enough to make Qin Feng shudder helplessly!


    Then he chuckled to himself. That wasn''t likely, was it? From what he had seen earlier, the Elder was more concerned about Ming Qingsong''s health, rather than any matchmaking notions. So all of this nonsense was just something that came about because of all the gossip that had been flying around. Ignoring it, it appeared, would be his best option.


    Lingxi, however, seemed to get the wrong idea when she heard his low laugh. "What is this? Are you actually looking forward to marrying Elder Ming''s daughter? Don''t you know that she is in ill health, and may pass on anytime?" she growled at him angrily.


    Which was certainly something that he had not expected of the pretty woman. Why did he have the impression that she was jealous? That didn''t make any sense at all. They were just partners, weren''t they? In this scheme of theirs to keep the rest of the girls from the Rear Gardens supplied with their medicinal needs, so that they could rake in their Merit Points?


    For a moment, Qin Feng considered playing along with her concerns, so that he could delve a little deeper into Lingxi''s motivations. But he decided against it in the end. There was no point in making things more complicated than it was already.


    "All I can tell you is that Elder Ming hasn''t brought up the subject at all, and was merely rewarding me for identifying some of the rarer plants that he had come across earlier, while we were out on the Hunt. I had managed to get my hands on some some rather exceptional specimens for him, so naturally he was more than pleased to reward me."


    Lingxi seemed to calm down a little once she heard that. But it was clear from the scowl on her face that she wasn''t altogether convinced. "What about introducing you to his daughter then? What was that about? Isn''t he looking for a son-in-law?"


    "Who told you that? Don''t you know that Elder Ming is still treating his daughter like a little child? Do you think that someone who is so protective of his daughter would be so eager to marry her off? Besides, you should have heard about her illness."


    That seemed to alleviate the knot between her brows, and Qin Feng grinned at her as he took a step closer to the pretty woman. It looked as if it was safe enough for him to try teasing her again, he thought.


    "I am rather curious as to why you are so upset about this whole thing. I mean, this rumor that Elder Ming Guanhe is looking for a son-in-law. It was just one of those instances where the gossip in the Rear Gardens got a little out of hand, isn''t it? Why were you so bitter about me becoming related to Elder Ming?


    "Are you ... jealous?"


    * * *

 104 Plans 4

    "Jealous? What are you talking about?"


    Despite the anger that she was putting into her questions, Qin Feng could see Lingxi''s face turning a deep red as she roared at him. Which was enough to tell him that he had picked the right method to deal with her ceaseless queries.


    "Oh? Then why did you take the time to wait for me to return tonight? Don''t tell me that you had sneaked out of the Rear Gardens merely to warn me about Elder Ming''s daughter! Or should I say, to warn me off the girl so that you can have me to yourself?"


    He continued to tease her relentless, even as he unleashed his most shameless grin in her face. Lingxi seemed to squirm as soon as she heard his last question, and she reached out to smack him immediately.


    Only to find her wrist caught in his firm grasp. And he didn''t waste any time, rubbing his thumb over the back of her knuckles either. Which was enough to make her blush deepen. And that seemed enough make her blurt out a denial:


    "You smelly boy! Don''t be stupid! Who wants you for herself?"


    "Oh? So you are not intent on keeping for yourself then? In that case, who are you saving me up for? It can''t be Lingyuan or any of the other girls from the Rear Gardens, I''m certain. So ... Can it be Xuan Mei?"


    Lingxi''s eyes flew open at once, and she stopped trying to tug her hand free from his grasp momentarily, as soon as she heard the Elder''s daughter''s name.


    "Are you mad? Do you want to die? Xuan Mei is Elder Xuan''s daughter! What are you talking about? She''s not interested in ...


    "In any case, if she tells him that she saw you ... You would be cut into eighteen pieces before you even realize it!"


    Qin Feng groaned as Lingxi reminded him about what had happened earlier. That was certainly enough to toss him off the teasing track! Then he quickly shook his head, and pointed a finger at the slightly despondent woman in front of him.


    "Don''t forget that she was the one who burst into my house without warning! If anyone should be blamed, it certainly shouldn''t be me! It was not as if I knew that she would be walking straight in, without a word!"


    "Like Elder Xuan would even bother to listen your excuse, flimsy as it is!" Lingxi snapped back at him.


    "How can you call it an excuse? Don''t tell me that you have forgotten what happened earlier already! You were standing right beside the tub when I dropped my ..."


    Lingxi ran up to him at once, and pressed her free right hand against his mouth. Her left was still being tightly held at the moment, so that seemed like a reasonable response. Or rather, one that was reasonable for someone like her.


    "Stop! Stop talking about that!" she shouted at him with a look of embarrassment on her face, even as she realized what she was doing and jerked her hand away. Qin Feng''s answering grin seemed to have reminded her that she was a little too close for comfort.


    "You were the one who brought ... Anyway, that has nothing to do with what you are planning to do about Elder Ming and his precious daughter. Are you really going to ... Did he not mention anything at all?"


    Qin Feng sniffed at the female disciple. And dragged his focus back to the original issue. Apparently, Lingxi was truly concerned about that, since she was insisting on a firm answer.


    "You are just being ridiculous. Haven''t I said it already? There is nothing going on! He had just invited me for dinner to show his appreciation for my efforts. And for helping him pick up a few more useful herbs. That is all.


    "I really don''t understand why you lot from the Rear Gardens have to turn everything into a scandal or a romance!"


    Lingxi sniffed, and pulled at her left wrist again. This time, he released her, and was promptly rewarded with another pout from the woman. "I am merely looking after my interests. If you get ... involved with Elder Ming and his daughter, who am I supposed to get my medicines from? And there are almost sixteen of us in the Rear Gardens relying on that every month."


    "That will change soon, given the adjustments that Elder Xuan had proposed to the ones in charge of the Medicine Hall. You should find a lot more herb-growers putting in some effort to grow those plants in the coming Spring."


    "That still leaves us short of those herbs in the Winter. And they will take some time to go too. So what choice do we have but to rely on you?"


    She gave him another glare as she reminded him. Then looked away in the direction of the Rear Gardens once again. "But I will not argue about that with you now. So long as you are not ... tied to Ming Qingsong, and not due to become Elder Ming''s son-in-law any time soon, we should be fine with our arrangement.


    "It is getting late, and I should return to my rooms. I will speak to you again, when I have more leisure time, on another day."


    Then, without waiting for him to respond, she turned and took off at a run. And with her Lightness-of-Body martial arts, it didn''t take long before she reached the hill that separated the Medicine Fields from the Rear Gardens.


    Qin Feng took a deep breath as he watched Lingxi go over the summit of the hill and fade from view. Being questioned like that was far more taxing than he had expected. Then he cursed the Rear Gardens rumor mill that had generated all those baseless stories about him and Elder Ming''s daughter. Why didn''t those idiots use their wits properly? It wasn''t as if it was a great secret, regarding MIng Qingsong''s age and her ill health.


    Whatever made them think that Ming Guanhe would allow his daughter to get romantically involved with anyone, given those two conditions?


    If he didn''t know any better, he would suspect those stupid girls in the Rear Gardens of deliberately trying to embarrass him!


    Then he shook his head. There was no point in venting now, since the whole issue did not have too much of an adverse effect on him. In fact, if he was more optimistic about it, it might even be of benefit to him!


    After all, these stories about him and the Elder''s daughter would certainly ensure that his name spread far and wide throughout the Heaven Sword School. And attract more attention to the fact that he was growing herbs there, in the medicine fields, as well as his recent appointment as Elder Ming''s assistant on the Hunts in the Southern Woods.


    All of that should be enough of a cover for him, wouldn''t it?


    * * *

 105 Plans 5

    Qin Feng sighed again, as he considered the amount of time that he had wasted already. He was already behind when it came to his cultivation, and all of these interruptions by Lingxi weren''t helping him at all. He did have a limit to the amount of time that he had left, and he really wished to get himself into the Qi Accumulation Realm before he was forced to leave the Heaven Sword School.


    That was probably the main reason why he had agreed to Elder Ming''s plan. It was to get his hands on the precious herbs and resources that were available in the Southern Woods. So long as he had access to that, he should have less trouble getting through those odd requirements of his personal Foundation Realm cultivation.


    There were several times when he wondered if he should simply forgo that long and boring training plan that he had received from Old Man Snow Mountain, and concentrate on reaching the Qi Accumulation Realm straightaway. But he soon gave up that idea once he calmed down and thought about it.


    After all, the arguments that Old Man Snow Mountain had presented to him were all quite sound. And he had relied on the now-dead practitioner''s advice throughout his journey. That would be a little pointless, if he gave up on it now.


    Especially when it was clear that he stood to gain certain advantages, by forming a wider and deeper Foundation!


    Which was why he simply sat down on his simple bed in the middle of his little house, and began to circulate his zhenqi once more. He had estimated that he would need another two seasons, to bring the level of qi in his body to the target threshold that he was aiming for. But with all of these interruptions, it now looked as though he might not be able to attain that until the Winter was over. And maybe even half of the following Spring!


    That was somewhat depressing, he had to admit.


    But what choice did he have? He wasn''t even an Outer School disciple, so he could hardly have whole months free to spend on cultivation, in exchange for completing those small chores for the School. And even those from the Outer School were envious of those from the Inner. The latter not only had a monthly stipend of cultivation resources, they even had access to the restricted zones within the Library, and could practice the rarer and more powerful martial arts.


    Instead, he had to spend his days dealing with the medicinal herbs, both here in his medicine field, and on his trips into the Southern Woods. That is, if Elder Ming''s arrangement came through, and he was allowed to make independent visits there, to pick the plants that they both needed.


    Of course, that might hint that he had Elder Xuan''s support as well. And give the impression that he was squarely in the Left Guardian''s camp! Wouldn''t that tell everyone in the Sect that he had already come to the notice of the Left Guardian? And already had his favor?


    If he had the same, why would he bother with all those little ploys of his, to draw the Rear Gardens disciples and Elder Ming Guanhe to his side? After all, weren''t all of his efforts simply aimed at gaining him more cultivation resources, just like those Inner School disciples?


    But of course, he would have to pay a equitable price for the same. And probably in ways that he had never expected!


    He breathed out heavily, and resolved to push those wild thoughts about all those stupid rumours out of his head as he tried his best to calm down. It was pointless to try to control what other people would think, and reaching the Qi Accumulation Realm was more important at this point in time. Worrying about all that gossip was only going to drive him crazy!


    Besides, he doubted that Lingxi would stay annoyed with him for too long. Not when she was still relying on him to get her hands on those medicinal herbs that she needed. The rest of the Rear Gardens disciples were relying on her for the same, after all. So she would be back, in another day or two, to squeeze the same out of his hands.


    Which was just as well. He had one more trip to the Southern Woods to worry about, and from what he had gathered from Elder Ming earlier, it looked as if the old, scar-faced man was likely to let him wander about on his own.


    And Qin Feng already had a rough idea of just where he intended to go!


    * * *

 106 Third Hunt 1

    The rumors about him and Ming Qingsong had spread, Qin Feng realized, as he made his way to the Gate on the morning that he was supposed to depart for the third Hunt that he was scheduled for. The looks that everyone was directing his way made that obvious enough.


    There were even a few who couldn''t hold back their curiosity, and were asking questions about him and Elder Ming''s daughter blatantly. But those quickly ducked out of the way, when he turned his gaze towards the source of the voices. Which made it rather clear that he was no longer being regarded as a nameless herb-grower any longer.


    Qin Feng found himself a little irritated when he thought about that. He had been trying his best to blend in, and not make any waves. And now, thanks to the incessant gossip from the Rear Gardens, he was seen as a potential son-in-law for one of the Elders of the Medicine Fields! Just how troublesome was that?


    But he forced himself to ignore all of the stares and the curious glances as he headed for the Gate, and told himself that it was only a passing phase. It was just a matter of time before someone asked Elder Ming about it, and the truth would come out then.


    Hopefully, the backlash from this little episode would not be too terrible when it does!


    Of course, he had already made plans with regards to how he was going to handle that. It would take some work, and he would need to drag Lingxi along, as he carried out those precautions of his. There was a time when he considered pulling Xian Mei into the whole mess too. But he thought better of it, after he thought it out.


    After all, she was the daughter of a very respected Elder. And if she was involved ... Well, wouldn''t he be trading his place as a potential son-in-law of one Elder for another?


    Lingxi, on the other hand, had no powerful personages behind her. So it was rather safe if he was painted as having an affair with a Rear Gardens disciple like her. It would also make sense too, since he had already been seen as close to the older female disciple. It shouldn''t be much of a surprise, if the two of them were made out to be lovers.


    But all of that would have to wait!


    He still had to make sure that other things were in place first. Like his particular agreement with Elder Ming Guanhe. He would have to show the old scar-faced man that he had the ability to forage for the medicinal herbs that the latter needed on his own. And bring them back to the Elder''s quarters without drawing too much notice. He certainly wasn''t about to raise any waves.


    So he settled down quickly, and moved off with the rest of the Hunters when it was time. Although the Hunters seemed a little wary of him, thanks to the tales that were circulating, they didn''t appear to do anything other than pay more attention to his trekking abilities. And he had also taken care to show that he could pull his own weight, when the group finally stopped, and started to set up camp.


    After that, the Hunters were more than happy to leave him to his own devices, when they set off to carry out their own missions.


    Qin Feng grinned once the rest of the Hunters were out of sight of the camp. He had been waiting for a chance like this for close to a month! Ever since he entered the Southern Woods for the first time, he had been hoping to have an opportunity to search for the more precious plants that were available there. And now, it had fallen right into his lap!


    Then he forced himself to take a deep breath, to calm himself down. Elder Ming Guanhe would not have arranged something like this without making plans of his own. So it was likely that this was some sort of a test, to see if he could be trusted to help the Elder with his own objectives.


    Which was perfectly fine with Qin Feng. After all, he knew exactly what the Elder was after, and there were even some herbs that were completely useless when it came to healing Ming Qingsong''s condition on the list that he had been given. Those would most likely be left to Qin Feng to dispose off, wouldn''t they? From what he had seen from his interactions with the Elder, it was clear that he was a little too focused on those medicines that he needed, and did not know too much about others.


    So Qin Feng decided that it wouldn''t really matter, if he didn''t come back with some of those superfluous ones. That is, if they were really just to cover up the Elder''s true purpose. Well, he would know soon enough, when he returned to the School!


    Of course, if he could get hold of some of those rarer herbs that were not written down on the medicinal herbs that Elder Ming had officially listed, like that Purple Blood Ginger ... Well, he had no doubts that Ming Guanhe would snatch that away as soon as he brought it back. And probably be more than grateful that he had find it too!


    However, getting medicinal herbs of that quality would definitely require him to venture deeper in the Southern Woods, and Qin Feng wasn''t quite ready to show off his abilities in that regard. The wild Beasts alone would be enough of a challenge for someone firmly in the Foundation Realm, and he wasn''t supposed to have reached that yet!


    Still, if everything went according to plan, and he could fool the Hunters that had just taken off, Qin Feng was ready to try his luck a little deeper at one or two of the zones where it was possible to get his hands on the same, on the fringes of the territories that the Elder had marked out. Besides, the Hunters didn''t really care about whatever herbs and such that he picked. Not after Elder Ming had vouched for him twice before.


    So Qin Feng began to gather what he could find, there on the fringes, taking care not to make any outrageous moves that would attract too much attention. He wasn''t about to cause a ruckus immediately, after all.


    No, he would wait for the second day before he started searching for the herbs that he was really after!


    * * *

 107 Third Hunt 2

    There were some medicinal plants that were a little more common than others, and those were rather easy to get his hands on. Those made up a large part of what he found, that first afternoon. By the time that he rejoined the rest of the Hunters for dinner at their campsite, he was ready to show them off as well.


    Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how one looked at it, the rest of the Hunters weren''t that enthusiastic about the quality of the herbs that he had found. Not that he blamed them, of course. They were more focused on their cultivation, and how they dealt with the various Beasts that they were hunting, rather than his area of expertise.


    The places where he could retrieve those herbs were also close to where the Hunters would be active, according to the plans that they had shared as they headed out. So it should be enough to establish his ''apparent lack of abilities'', when it came to the wilderness.


    Hopefully, he wouldn''t come across any Hunter with an exaggerated sense of responsibility, who would do his best to ''take care'' of this particular herb-grower!


    In any case, he should be able to slip off on his own, come the second or third day of the Hunt, and head off for the zones that he had visited, the last time that he visited the Southern Woods with Elder Ming. And he already had some idea of the sort of herbs that he could pick up from those locations.


    *


    Qin Feng chuckled softly as he picked the roots of Blue Veined Lotus out of the shallow body water, some time later that afternoon. It was the third of his harvests for the day, and to be honest, he had almost missed it when he arrived at the same riverlet that he had visited with Elder Ming, back on their first journey into the Southern Woods.


    But he did manage to identify in the end, and had moved quickly to secure the most effective portion of that medicinal plant. He didn''t pick all of it out of the riverlet, of course, taking care to leave almost half of the network of roots intact in the water. With time, it would recover and return to its original state.


    That would give him an opportunity to harvest it again, wouldn''t it? It should have recovered sufficiently for him to snatch another chunk of the yin-based, cooling medicinal root by the end of the harvest season. Which would make things a lot easier for him later in the year!


    He moved a lot more cautiously, however, as soon as he got back onto dry ground. The Blue Veined Lotus had pale pink flowers that were marked by thin blue lines, just as its name suggested. But more importantly, there was a rather distinct fragrance that lingered about that particular plant, which attracted a good number of wild animals, including a few Spiritual Beasts. And Qin Feng was a little worried about the latter.


    After all, he knew that he could handle ordinary wild animals, even those that hunted in packs, like wolves. Between his rather ordinary accomplishments in his Lightness-of-Body martial arts, and his somewhat extraordinary skill with the White Jade Hands, Qin Feng was confident that he could fend off about seven or eight such creatures.


    Spiritual Beasts, on the other hand, were those that had managed to absorb the Spiritual Qi from the surrounding forest, and were a lot more dangerous. Most of them were either faster or stronger than ordinary animals, and he would be hard-pressed to deal with just one of them!


    In fact, the reason why Hunters were arranged to deal with their missions in trios was because of these Spiritual Beasts. Only when they had a solid numerical advantage could they be confident of overwhelming those powerful creatures. If these same Hunters were caught alone, their only option was to run away!


    Which was why he was moving so slowly, and keeping his attention on the woods that were closest to his present position. Apart from their fighting abilities, Spiritual Beasts were also cunning and liked to hide in the shadows, attack only when they were certain that they had an advantage.


    And he was more than familiar with the allure that certain plants - like the Blue Veined Lotus root in his hands, had for these Beasts!


    But there was no sign of any other creature anywhere around him, so Qin Feng relaxed. And quickly walked over to where he had left his socks and his simple straw sandals. He had taken them off earlier, before he had ventured into the riverlet.


    Then he froze, as he heard an unexpected, soft, scraping sound. And took care not to move his head as he pretended to examine the plant directly in front of him. His footwear he abandoned completely, leaving it lying on the grass in front of him. Instead, his eyes were already scanning the tall trees a short distance ahead, searching for the source of that sound.


    A Silver-streaked Ferret!


    Qin Feng almost cursed out loud as soon as he spotted the creature responsible for making that noise. It was not very large, but he had already read about how dangerous it could be. And from what he could see, it wasn''t affected by that scent pouch that he had prepared at all!


    That was enough to make him give out another soft curse at once, as he slowly picked a useless handful of grass with his left hand, even as he got ready to get up and run. The Ferret was fast, but not so fast that it could cross that distance between them in an instant. So he would have a chance to get away.


    Then he gave up that idea immediately. There weren''t any likely places where he could hide, or defend, against the Silver-streaked Ferret within ten paces around him. And he would be turning his back on the Beast if he tried to run. So that was certainly a terrible plan.


    Unfortunately for him, his hesitation was enough to hint at his fear. And the Silver-streaked Ferret, named for the half-dozen light greyish, silverish stripes on its back, was quick to press the advantage that it had just sensed. It stepped out of the shadow of the trees then, while its eyes continued to track Qin Feng coldly.


    Which was enough to make the young man curse under his breath as he watched it approach. It seemed to be intent on making him its prey!


    * * *

 108 Third Hunt 3

    Qin Feng cursed his luck a third time as he forced himself to calm down, as he stared at the Spiritual Beast that was slowly approaching him. At the moment, it was only about ten to twelve steps away! How was he supposed to get away now?


    Then he took a deep breath and recovered his wits a little. And carefully watched the Beast again.


    From what little he had heard from the Hunters, he knew that Silver-streaked Ferrets were vicious creatures that attacked almost at once. Since this one did not, he guessed that there was something a little out of the ordinary with it. Which meant that he had a chance, so long as he could figure out what it was!


    His eyes raked over the creature carefully, and not in a leisurely fashion. He knew that he didn''t have much time and that he needed to work fast. After all, he did not know just how much longer the Beast was going to hold back.


    Then he saw it. The Silver-streaked Ferret in front of him was only somewhere in the region of six to seven handspans long! But all the books that he had read mentioned that they were at least ten handspans long when they were fully mature, and could easily reach a length of fifteen handspans!


    Didn''t that mean that the one that was in front of him now was a juvenile? And was not at all experienced with dealing with humans?


    But just how was he going to deal with it?


    Qin Feng swallowed the saliva in his mouth nervously, as he quickly made plans. He had a chance here, and he didn''t want to waste it. Slowly, he straightened up, and spread his shoulders out to either side. And edged his right foot towards the Beast instead of retreating.


    If the Ferret was as inexperienced as he hoped, the apparent increase in his size, and his advance should make it think twice. No matter if it was a Spiritual Beast or a simple woodlands creature, most animals would tend to be cautious when dealing with a larger, more aggressive animal. So Qin Feng was doing what he could, to present such a image to the same.


    The Silver-streaked Ferret froze where it stood, as soon as it saw Qin Feng''s response, and didn''t come any closer. Which gave him time to fumble at his waist-sash for the pitifully small knife that he had there. He had brought it along to cut the lotus roots earlier, and simply tucked it into his clothes afterwards. In fact, he was still holding the lotus root in his left hand!


    For a moment, he considered dropping it. Then he changed his mind. Partly because it was worth a great deal to him, and partly because he had just thought of a way to use it. If necessary, he could use it as another weapon, albeit an ineffective one. Using the lotus root as a club, it wouldn''t do any damage. But it might be enough to distract the Spiritual Beast, and allow him a chance to jump back into the riverlet.


    From what he had read of the creature''s habits, he knew that it was unable to swim, and therefore afraid of water. So long as he could get himself into the stream ...


    But that was already the worse case scenario, and the juvenile Silver-streaked Ferret in front of his eyes was already looking a little unsure of itself. Which was enough to put a little more steel into Qin Feng''s demeanor.


    So what if you were a Spiritual Beast? So what if you were a predator high above the ordinary wild animals of the Southern Woods? You would surely be a little afraid if you had to face a creature that was more than twice your size!


    Then he remembered something.


    It was a Spiritual Beast! That meant that it could detect fluctuations of qi and such around itself. Was that why it was eyeing Qin Feng so suspiciously? Because he looked and smelled just like an ordinary creature? Was that why it was feeling so confident earlier? If that was so, he would have quickly quash all of its intent to hunt at once!


    He Breathed then, drawing a strand of qi all the way into his body, and allowing his aura as a Foundation Realm practitioner to exude from his frail form. That revelation, that he was capable of drawing and using zhenqi, he hoped, would be enough to deter the creature before him, and make it back off.


    And true enough, he could see the eyes of the Ferret widen, as it backed away a step. It was clear that it was nervous now, and more than a little unsure about this strange upright shape before it. That was enough of an encouragement, to tell Qin Feng that he was on the right track. All he had to do now was to break its spirit completely, and chase it off!


    All he needed, Qin Feng thought rapidly, was another signal, another motion, that would completely convince the juvenile Silver-streaked Ferret before him that it was utterly outclassed. That should be all that was needed to make it turn tail and flee.


    But it would have to be a sign that all animals would understand. He could simply talk to it, could he? Like how he dealt with Lingyuan and those female disciples from the Rear Gardens? This was a Beast, and a juvenile at that. It would certainly not be able to understand human speech, much less the intent behind the same.


    Besides, the air was cold and the lower half of his body had been soaked in that stream at his back. And he was really worried that he would start shivering, and so give the game away. He was not a Hunter, after all, and had never dealt with the common wild animals in the forest before. And this one that he was facing now was a Spiritual Beast!


    So he did what he thought would be enough to break the Ferret''s spirit:


    From what he could remember, all animals growled and bared their teeth at their prey. Or as a challenge. So he opened his mouth, and drew his lips back to show off his pearl white teeth. Hoping that it would be sufficient to put the final scare into the youngling Beast in front of him.


    For a moment, he thought that it had worked. The Silver-streaked Ferret jerked its fore-paws back as though it was about to run off at once. And from its wide eyes and the tufts of fur that had sprung up on its back, Qin Feng knew that it had been frightened. Perhaps so frightened that it would run away at once!


    But ... disaster!


    Instead of running away in a panic, the small Silver-streaked Ferret attacked! It gave out a loud screech as it launched itself straight into the air!


    And pounced right at the shocked Qin Feng!


    * * *

 109 Third Hunt 4

    Qin Feng didn''t have time to think, and simply reacted at once. He didn''t know why he did what he did, or if it made any sense at all. But he did so swiftly and without any hesitation whatsoever!


    He thrust his left hand out at once, slamming the lotus root that he held in his hand like a sword at the lunging creature. And took advantage of the slight pause that had afforded him to spin to his right, using the Flowing Wind Steps that he had barely learned to get out of the way.


    There was a jerk on his left hand, as the teeth of the Silver-streaked Ferret caught and tore at the lotus root that he had pushed at it. Then the whole mud-stained root was torn out of his grasp, even as he spun away.


    But the juvenile Ferret was clearly not experienced in dealing with men, or fighting with other Beasts or animals that were its match. It turned away from Qin Feng, and was trying desperately to spit out the fragments of the muddy lotus root that had been stuck into its maw. Something that clearly did not agree with its taste-buds.


    Qin Feng, on the other hand, had not been practicing his footwork or his sword movements as rigorously as he should. But he knew that he was fighting for his life. And his near-panicked state and the fact that he had already begun to draw qi into his pitifully weak body had strengthened it somehow.


    Or, at least, it was enough to make him capable of drawing out his Flowing Wind Steps, and gift him with a greater sense of awareness.


    Which was enough to show him that the juvenile Silver-streaked Ferret was looking away, rather than at him. And that it was too concerned about the horrid taste in its mouth, and on its tongue, to pay him too much attention.


    And that was enough to give him a chance!


    Qin Feng reacted immediately, without even bothering to think!


    His right leg bent, as soon as his foot touched the ground once more. Then kicked off, as hard as he could! The next movement of the Flowing Wind Steps, that was meant to rapidly send one into attacking range, activated quickly, launching him in the direction of the Ferret, before it could recover!


    His right hand, still clutching the short, thin-bladed knife, pushed out in front of him, following the form of that almost unfamiliar sword movement that he had played at, when he was bored. But it was the only sword maneuver that he knew:


    Four Seasons Sword: Shards of Winter Frost!


    It was a rather simple sword stroke, to tell the truth. And was supposed to be backed by all the zhenqi that its wielder could summon. Based on the seaon of Winter, the image that was supposed to be pictured in the wielder''s mind was water freezing in a harsh, freezing cold wind, scattering snow and ice in shards that wreaked havoc on the enemy.


    It was supposed to be a killing blow, sufficient to wipe away all the enemies that stood before its wielder. And there were records of some Masters from the Heaven Sword School killing off whole troops of men with that singular sword movement.


    Qin Feng, however, was no Master from the Heaven Sword School. And he certainly did not have that level of strength. He was barely able to send out a single sword, and that was barely acceptable as an attack. He was also unable to push the murderous aura from the tip of his weapon like a true Master would do.


    But he didn''t need to.


    His enemy was not a troop of soldiers or practitioners, but a single juvenile, inexperienced Silver-streaked Ferret. And while the speed and reaction time of Silver-streaked Ferrets were far above the norm of most Spirit Beasts in the Southern Forest, this one that he was facing was too young, and too raw in the ways of the wild, to be compared to the rest of its kind.


    It did not realise that it was being attacked at first. And it was not until it felt the murderous aura that was imbued in Qin Feng''s knife that was flashing at it, that it knew that it was being targetted. By then, Qin Feng was already merely a meter away from it!


    As a Spiritual Beast, the juvenile Silver-streaked Ferret had faster reflexes and a quick set of movements that would make it a simple matter to avoid such an attack. However, as it was new to the ways of the wilderness, and had no experience in hunting or being hunted, it was a little slow to react to Qin Feng''s hasty, and somewhat inept, assault.


    Which was probably why it hesitated, instead of springing away immediately. And that slight pause in its actions resulted in a terrible consequence!


    Qin Feng''s knife reached the young Ferret bare moments before it moved, the tip of the weapon beginning to dig through its protective fur and into the flesh of its abdomen. And when it jumped at last, the motion only served to push the blade deeper into its body, until it tore a long and bloody track down until it clashed against the Ferret''s hip!


    Then one of the forelimbs of the Beast crashed against Qin Feng''s forearm, making him loosen his grip on the hilt of the knife. The weight of its small body dragged the knife out of Qin Feng''s stunned grip immediately, and the juvenile Ferret scrambled and skidded about two bodylengths away from him.


    And left him to watch, slack-jawed, as the badly injured creature tried to get away.


    The Silver-streaked Ferret tried to skip further away as soon as it regained its feet, only to collapse as intestines came pouring out of that gaping hole in its lower torso, leaving it to roll about on the forest floor in agony. Blood poured from the injury, and the Beast''s panicked movements only drained its body faster.


    Then its twisting about gradually slowed, until it was lying motionless on the clawed and bloodied ground.


    It was finally dead!


    * * *

 110 Triumphant Return

    Qin Feng, on the other hand, had been watching the juvenile Silver-streaked Ferret in it death throes closely as he panted away. He had not expected to have caused something like that, when he attacked the creature. And he had certainly not been thinking at all, when he attacked.


    This was the first time that he was killing a Spiritual Beast, after all.


    His back was damp, and not from his little trip into the stream either. Even his face was covered with large droplets of perspiration. The whole idea of the fight earlier was enough to frighten him. And he had already survived that fight! Was this what the Hunters had to go through, every time they came to the Southern Woods? Did they put themselves into danger, every time that they Hunted there? Did they risk their lives?


    Were they all insane? He could not understand why they did that. Weren''t they bothered at all, by the knowledge that they could all perish, every time that they faced a powerful Spiritual Beast? Why did they do that?


    To be honest, it didn''t make any sense at all!


    Shuddering, he told himself that he had better dig deeper into the records of the Southern Woods Hunting Grounds the moment that he got back to the Heaven Sword School. The library should have some information about the Spiritual Beasts thereabouts and what they tended to avoid. He had best get his hands on some of those items, before he ventured into the forest again!


    *


    Three days and two nights of Hunting wasn''t very long, as all the people from the Heaven Sword School were aware. And it was clear from the jovial expressions on all of the Hunters'' faces when they returned to the Gate that they had had a good harvest.


    The lone herb-grower who had gone along with them was also grinning as he held out the heavily laden basket to the Gate Guards as the group reported. But a quick glance at the same told the latter that he had only managed to get some rather commonplace herbs. They were not the sort that could be cultivated in the School, but had to be harvested from the forest. But they were not extraordinary in any way.


    Still, every one of the Guards remembered this particular herb-grower, and how he had already accompanied Elder Ming Guanhe into the Southern Woods twice already. So they were careful not to make things too difficult for him. This was the first time that he had headed out on his own, with the Elder accompanying him, so it was no surprise that he wasn''t able to get his hands on the sort of rare herbs that would have raised a fuss.


    Besides, given his almost non-existent Martial Cultivation, it was no surprise that he had stuck to the more common herbs. They would not grant him huge rewards, but they were enough to make his little trip into the wilderness worthwhile.


    And that should be enough to uphold Elder Ming''s good name.


    Qin Feng continued to wear a happy face as he cleared the Inspection by the Gate Guards and stepped into the Heaven Sword School. Two or three of the Hunters that had led his group on the trip called out their farewells to him fondly, and invited him to join them on their next Hunt, no less. Which had the young man waving back, and promising that he would do so, if his schedule permitted.


    And he continued to grin as he started walking towards his own little medicine field, far off to the other end of the School. He had been the one to cook for the Hunting group both nights, and the Hunters had been more than enthusiastic when he used some of the simple herbs that he had gathered for seasoning the meat. Which was enough to have the rest the band supporting him when he went into the slightly more dangerous areas.


    He had learned that lesson quickly.


    No matter how peaceful the Southern Woods may appear, it was rather heavily populated by some rather deadly animals and Spiritual Beasts. And moving about with a group of Hunters was a great deal safer, even if it meant that he would not be able to get his hands on some of the rarer plants. Of course, he could always make that up by gathering those herbs of lower rarity. It would grant him a lower rate of exchange, but the larger volume should be more than sufficient to make up for the loss.


    Besides, none of the Guards had spent much time inspecting his basket since they were more interested in seeing what the Hunters had managed to get their hands on. So there were a few more interesting, and highly valued, herbs that they missed. That should be enough to satisfy Elder Ming, in Qin Feng''s opinion.


    But he also knew that it would be a little too obvious, a little too eye-catching, if he were to head to the Elder''s premises straightaway, to handover those plants. He would have to do that carefully, so that it would not attract too much attention. He didn''t want Elder Ming to get into any trouble because of his eagerness, after all.


    The scar-faced Elder was his sole backer at the moment, and he needed to protect the old man''s interests. Besides that, there was also the fact that two of the herbs that he had managed to grab from the Hunting grounds were something that Elder Ming could use. So he had a reasonable excuse to show it to the old man, and hand it over.


    That, he hoped, would be enough to tell the Elder that Qin Feng was on his side. And that he would continue to pick out those herbs that he was in need of. Or rather, those herbs that his daughter was in need of.


    That should be enough to have the old man continue to grant Qin Feng the right to head out into the forest and represent him on Hunts!


    * * *

 111 Triumphant Return 2

    Of course, Qin Feng wasn''t about to take something like that for granted. He had only interacted with Elder Ming for an inconsequential amount of time, and wasn''t altogether sure that the old man would react in a way that he could predict with any degree of certainty. However, he was rather confident that he would not be tossed aside. At least, not until he had managed to fulfill the old man''s desires.


    After all, he had managed to get his hands on yet another two herbs that Elder Ming wanted. That should be enough to put the old fellow in a pleasant mood.


    Which was why the young herb-grower was wearing a wide smile on his lips as he trudged along the trails, all the way back to his medicine garden. In his head, he was already planning what he was going to say to Elder Ming, when the old man summoned him later.


    A flash of a pale green robe in front of his little house almost made him miss a step. And a scowl immediately replaced the grin on his face, as he stared at the one who was seemingly awaiting his arrival there. What was she doing here? And how did she know when he would return?


    The young woman waiting for him was, of course, Lingxi. And the intent look on her face warned him that she was probably going to cause him some trouble, one way or another. Which was enough to make him raise his eyebrows her way, as he got closer.


    "You seem to have collected a substantial amount of quality herbs this time, judging from the pleased expression on your face," she said in greeting, as soon as he got closer, and waved a hand at the door at her back, "Perhaps we should talk inside, so that you can start arranging your gains. You don''t want those herbs to go bad, do you?"


    He snorted as soon as he heard her suggestion. Clearly, she did not want anyone to hear what she had to say to him. Otherwise, why would she even suggest that he invite inside? Wasn''t that going to spur another round of gossip about him and his romances with the other women around him? But his reputation was already in a mess, so he simply nodded at her, as he pushed the door of his hovel open, and stepped within.


    "Come in then. You can help me light the lamp on the table, while I put these things aside. I take it that you would prefer it if we spoke with my door closed?"


    Lingxi didn''t reply, and simply reached for the wick of his small oil lamp on the table. She trimmed it expertly, and promptly lit it using a light-stick that she had pulled out of her waist-pouch. Which was enough to tell him that she was more than prepared for this visit of hers.


    And that his reaction had been well within her expectations.


    So he didn''t waste any time, and quickly drew the door close behind her, after she finished lighting the oil lamp, after he had set his basket of harvested herbs down. By the time that he turned back to face her, she had already seated herself on one of the stools at his only table, and was watching him intently.


    "I suppose this is urgent enough that I shouldn''t bother to offer you any tea? Not that I have anything ready right now. And I wasn''t intending on boiling any water," he asked, sighing as he stepped up to the table and sat down across from her.


    "What happened to make you come all the way here? And approach me in ... such a daring manner? Aren''t there enough rumors about me already, at the Rear Gardens?"


    Lingxi nodded, and gave him a weak smile. It took him a moment to realize that she was embarrassed. And a little nervous too. But what could have caused something like that?


    He soon received an answer to that unspoken question:


    "It appears your ... chiding had been correct. Elder Xuan and Elder Ming had a rather loud conversation as they walked through the Rear Gardens two mornings ago, when they went to visit their respective daughters. Apparently, word of you ... paying court to Ming Qingsong had reached Elder Xuan''s ear, and he ... had questioned Elder Ming regarding that."


    She was blushing as she went on, and Qin Feng found his eyebrows rising as he listened to her. Had matters gone that far already? But ... how had Elder Xuan come to hear about something like this? One person came to mind at once! But why would Xuan Mei say anything to her father?


    Lingxi, on the other hand, was still sharing what she had learned about the matter:


    "Well, Elder Ming denied everything to do with ... a romance between you and Ming Qingsong, and Elder Xuan said that he was ... relieved to hear that. And then he said that ... that you ... that Xuan Mei has ..."


    Qin Feng found himself getting a little irritated at the woman then. Why could she just say it? What was going on with her? And how did Elder Xuan and his daughter have anything to do with what was happening with Ming Qingsong? Did they know about her condition? And the deal that he had made with Elder Ming?


    But he didn''t interrupt her. Who knew what Lingxi would say or do, if he butted in right now? All he could do was to paste a bored expression on his face as he waited patiently for her to get around to what she wished to say.


    Lingxi didn''t take too long to recover from her distracted state. And her eyes became clear once more, when she turned to look straight at him. He could see her taking a deep breath, as though she was about to tell him a huge secret:


    "Apparently, Xuan Mei has asked ... her father ... Elder Xuan ... to arrange a marriage with you. At least, that was the impression that all the eavesdroppers had received, from some of the words that Elder Xuan used."


    "What?!"


    * * *

 112 Triumphant Return 3

    Qin Feng had to admit that there was no way that he could have expected anything like that at all. And his voice quavered when he spoke again.


    "You must be joking. You are, aren''t you? How can something as idiotic as that happen?"


    But Lingxi''s expression did not change. "I am not. And there were ... sixteen different sisters who heard it. They were all in the vicinity when ... the two Elders were chatting."


    "You must be joking," he said again, as his mind went blank.


    Yet, if there were witnesses, and this was what the Elders had said ...


    Qin Feng shook his head violently as he tried to push his confusion aside. What had he done to give them the impression that he was pursuing their daughters? How could something like this happen? And how could it happen now, of all times?


    He had barely begun to make some progress in his cultivation, and had just gained access to the Southern Woods and the resources there. Why would he put all of that at risk, just to pursue two girls whom he did not care for at all? Why would he take that chance, at the risk of offending their fathers, who held the power of life and death over him?


    The Elders in the Heaven Sword School were not likely to kill him for his audacity, he was certain. It was not their style. But they could make his life a lot worse than it was. And he certainly had no wish to get into further trouble. The antagonism between him and those women from the Rear Gardens was bothersome enough!


    But that would be nothing when compared to the ruckus that Xuan Mei could cause!


    "Little Feng. Little Feng!"


    He blinked and turned to Lingxi at the sound of her voice. She was looking at him with a strange expression on her face that was half-way between amusement and worry. "I have been calling you for a while now. Are you so happy that you''ve started daydreaming of Xuan Mei already?"


    "What nonsense are you talking about?"


    He growled at her, wearing an obvious bothered look. Was she rejoicing now, because of his situation? How rude! Was this the way that she should be treating someone who has been taking care of her and her friends?


    "You should know that there is ... nothing between the two of us. And that ... all this talk about Elder Xuan betrothing her to me is nothing but ... nonsense. Why would he pledge his only daughter, the pearl in his palm, to someone without any prospects like me? Isn''t that just asking for trouble?


    "Those ... eavesdroppers deserve a slap in the face for getting everything mixed up!"


    Lingxi laughed, albeit unconvincingly. "None of them were able to give a proper account of the words that were passed between the two Elders, but what they could remember seemed to convey the interest that Elder Xuan has towards you. And he did mention his daughter as well.


    "So, it might not be as ... imaginary as you might believe."


    Qin Feng threw his hands up into the air as he stood up. A move that seemed to surprise Lingxi, as the woman edged a little backwards in the stool that she was sitting in. But not so far as to put herself off-balance.


    "All of this is ridiculous! Don''t you think so? First I get accused of bedding you and your friends like a randy goat. Then I am supposed to be paying court to Ming Qingsong. And now? Now I am going to be Elder Xuan''s son-in-law! What is this? Is the Rear Gardens so bored that they are trying to tie me up with every young woman in the Heaven Sword School?


    "Who is next? Is someone going to claim that I have been sharing Nu Yuanqing''s bed?"


    Lingxi shot him an amused look even as she giggled into her sleeve. "I think that would be a little too much, even by the Rear Gardens'' standards. Besides, Elder Nu might take offence and start conducting an investigation of her own. And none of the girls would care very much for that!" she laughed.


    "Bah! You can still laugh! Well, laugh all you want! I intend to get to the bottom of this. None of this is doing me any good, and I haven''t the time to bother with all the rumors that are flying around. I need to cultivate, and get my Foundation formed! I don''t have time for romancing anyone. And certainly not Elder Xuan''s daughter!"


    Lingxi''s eyes seemed to sparkle then, as she looked at him. And there was a slight smile on her lips too. That was enough to send a warning signal to Qin Feng''s brain. Was she that worried that I was going to abandon her for another girl?


    Then he shook his head. That wasn''t quite the impression that he had gotten from her, through all their time together. It was more likely because she was worried about their association, and the business that they had set up. If he did end up as an Elder''s son-in-law, he wouldn''t have the opportunity to slip her any of those herbs that she was dealing in, would he?


    But her next question brought him back to the situation at hand:


    "Just how do you intend to get to the bottom of this, as you said? You aren''t going to rush to Elder Xuan and ask him if he was thinking of betrothing his daughter to you, are you?"


    Qin Feng shook his head again. That did give him a perfect excuse to visit the Elders'' Quarters. So he waved a hand at the medicinal herbs that he had just brought back from the Southern Woods.


    "I suppose ... the only way to get an accurate answer to this would be to ... ask Elder Ming about it. To find out what actually went on during his exchange with Elder Xuan," he grumbled in a soft, thoughtful voice.


    "And since he has already denied that he has any designs on me as a potential son-in-law, it should be a rather safe topic to bring up, when I head over later, to hand over his share of the gains."


    Lingxi''s eyes went wide as soon as he said that, and she even took a step back in surprise. "You are actually going to ... confront Elder Ming about this? Are you going to demand an answer then, as to why you are not considered good enough to be with his daughter?"


    * * *

 113 Triumphant Return 4

    "What?! What are you talking about? Where have I said anything about Elder Ming? Or about Ming Qingsong?" Qin Feng half-gasped at her, even as he wondered what Lingxi was thinking. What sort of nonsense had been stuffed into her head, there in the Rear Gardens?


    "Are you mad? Since when have I wanted to be married to Ming Qingsong? Or Xuan Mei for that matter? Are you crazy? Who wants an Elder for a father-in-law? I certainly don''t!"


    Lingxi''s eyes went wide as soon as she heard that. "Are you mad? Who would refuse something like that? While I don''t know about Ming Qingsong, since she hardly comes to visit, you cannot deny that Xuan Mei is very pretty. And she has a very decent disposition too. You have already met up with her several times, so you can judge for yourself.


    "Why would you refuse someone like that?"


    "If you like her so much, why don''t you ..."


    Qin Feng started growling back at her before he had the chance to straighten out his own thoughts. So it was no surprise that he had stopped before he finished his question. He was about to ask Lingxi why she didn''t ask to marry Xuan Mei herself, given how jealous she was sounding. But that wasn''t possible, was it? They were both women, weren''t they?


    Then ... why was she so upset?


    Fortunately, or unfortunately, the woman reacted before he could organize his thoughts further. Lingxi was on her feet, and pointing a finger straight at his nose. "Are you quite mad, Qin Feng? She is the daughter of Elder Xuan! An Inner Circle Elder here in the Heaven Sword School! Just one step down from the Left Guardian! Why are you making such a mess of things? Don''t you know what you''ll stand to gain if you are married to her?"


    Qin Feng was torn between sighing and cursing at the girl before him. This was a little too much! This was not the first time that she was reacting like this! Didn''t she realize that there was no truth in any of these rumors? Why was she being so gullible?


    "Then tell me what were the words that they used? What did the two Elders say, exactly? If you can repeat their conversation verbatim, and point out where they had mentioned that Elder Xuan was pledging his daughter to me, I will bow my head and acknowledge my fate. Can you do that?"


    Lingxi gritted her teeth as soon as he said that, while she shook her head. "Are you mad? Who can do something like that? Besides, I was not there at the time. I only heard it from ..."


    He interrupted her at once, before she could go further. "Exactly, you only heard it from someone else. And I am willing to bet that whoever heard this particular conversation between the two of them weren''t even in their immediate vicinity. No one would dare to get within ten paces of the two Elders. Particularly if they were having a conversation like this.


    "So how could anyone be certain as to what they were talking about? Does anyone even dare to tell me to my face that she heard the two of them say that Elder Xuan was going to pledge Xuan Mei to be my wife? Does anyone dare to claim that?"


    Lingxi didn''t answer at once, and her frown only appeared to deepen as she considered what he had just asked of her. Qin Feng merely sniffed again, as he sat himself back down at the worn old table again. This was getting tiresome!


    "Bah! It''s all your fault! You and those girls from the Rear Gardens! What is the matter with you lot? Don''t you have enough to gossip about, that you had to drag me into this? I am not talking to you any longer! Who knows what other rumors you Rear Gardens girls are going to craft out of this meeting that we just had? They are probably spreading the news that we are doing the deed right here on my dining table!


    "And we are behind closed doors too! That should be scandalous enough to draw every eye from your cronies, and prompt them to demand a story from you!"


    Lingxi merely rolled her eyes at him, as if to remind him that she didn''t have a pristine reputation to begin with. And that such gossip no longer bothered her. "Are you worried that being seen with me would hamper your pursuit of the Elders'' daughters? You forget that Xuan Mei already has some idea of our relationship with one another," she teased, in a rather irritated voice.


    Qin Feng rolled his eyes at the woman in front of him again. Why was she so fixated on Xuan Mei? Didn''t he already made it clear that he was not interested in the Elder''s daughter at all?


    "Enough of this nonsense about Xuan Mei! Unless I can get word from Elder Ming Guanhe''s mouth that Elder Xuan really said that he was going to pledge his daughter to me, I am going to ignore everything that you have just told me today. I am not involved with Ming Qingsong. And I am not involved with Xuan Mei.


    "Anyone who tells you any different is lying and that is all that you need to know!"


    He got up once more, and pushed the door of his little hut open quickly. He knew that he would lose his temper if he didn''t get away from Lingxi. What was wrong with her? Couldn''t she tell that all of this nonsense had no basis at all?


    Besides, he was eager to pay a visit to the Elders'' Court himself! He didn''t doubt that he could get Elder Ming Guanhe to tell him more about his conversation with Elder Xuan! Especially when he had those two herbs that he had just picked in the Southern Woods for the scar-faced old man. That should be enough to loosen his tongue!


    And he had already taken the pains to hide the same in his sleeves earlier, while Lingxi was busy lighting the oil lamp on the dining table!


    "Wait! Where are you going now? It''s already so late in the afternoon."


    Qin Feng sniffed at her, barely turning his head around as he continued on his way along the path that led away from his medicine garden. "I am headed towards the Elders'' Court, to see Elder Ming. Didn''t I say so already? Are you forgetting that I''ve just returned from the Southern Woods on a Hunt? I have to to give him an accounting of what I had managed to retrieve."


    And he glared at her after that, as though daring her to mention Ming Qingsong. But Lingxi seemed to have gotten the message, and held her tongue after her simple question.


    However, he didn''t doubt that the rest of the female disciples would make up a story about a romance between him and the young girl, once the news got out.


    Why did they have to be such busybodies?


    * * *

 114 Ming Qingsong 1

    But Elder Ming Guanhe''s reaction to his queries, however, proved to be a little more surprising than Qin Feng had counted on.


    "Ah. You have heard? That was something that we had come up with, when I decided to get you to represent me on the Hunts in the Southern Woods. You have already shown that you are capable of dealing with the identification and retrieval of the more common herbs and plants thereabouts, so you are the best person for that task.


    "Having you tied to Elder Xuan would grant you ... more protection, compared to being my potential son-in-law. Besides, you will likely be asked a lot of questions, if we were to tie you to Qingsong here. Everyone knows that she isn''t in good health. And that I am more concerned about that ... compared to finding a husband for her."


    Ming Qingsong giggled as soon as he said that, and pointed a finger at Qin Feng''s stunned expression. He had barely arrived at the Elder''s home, and she hadn''t even managed to put the dishes that she had prepared for their dinner on the dining table when he started questioning Elder Ming. Which was enough to tell her just how worried he had been about the whole situation.


    Needless to say, she had been warned about what her father, and Elder Xuan, were talking about in the Gardens. And that had obviously amused her, from the looks that she was giving him!


    Qin Feng, on the other hand, was frowning at the father and daughter pair, and he didn''t bother to hide his anger at them either. Wasn''t this a little too much? How could they take such steps without warning him about it?


    He had received a warm welcome earlier, when he arrived at Elder Ming''s house. Which did not surprise him greatly, considering that this was the second time that he was visiting the place. But Ming Qingsong''s giggles did warn him that there was something different now. Even Elder Ming seemed a little more attentive than he was before.


    That was warning enough that there was something unusual taking place. Of course, he didn''t really have a chance to question the pair about it, since he was quickly dragged into the kitchen by Ming Qingsong. Ostensibly, he was supposed to be helping with her preparations for dinner, but he had the feeling that she was merely keeping him occupied so that her father could do something else, out of his sight.


    But it was only after they were done, and had seated themselves about the dining table that Elder Ming finally brought up the topic that he had been dying to ask:


    "Then ... he really intends to betroth his daughter to me?"


    Ming Guanhe burst out laughing the moment those words left Qin Feng''s lips. And quickly shook his head at the younger man. "That is the story that we have deliberately let out into the open. I believe that there were quite a number of female disciples from the Rear Gardens about, when we were discussing your prospects. So it is very likely that the news have already made the rounds by now," the scarred man grinned.


    Qin Feng''s mind had naturally gone blank the moment that he heard those words. Hadn''t he just told Lingxi off earlier, about drawing the wrong conclusions? Just what were these two old men doing? Since when had he wanted to become a son-in-law to either of them?


    It was Ming Qingsong, however, who noticed his flustered state, and quickly waved at her father, as though urging him to get on with his tale. "You had best tell him the rest of it, father. Look at him! Qin Feng is already about to collapse on our floor and start foaming at the mouth! You and Elder Xuan are enjoying your little schemes a little too much!"


    Ming Guanhe only chuckled after receiving the chiding at his daughter''s hands, prompting Qin Feng to consider her words more carefully. Little schemes? What was she talking about? What sort of schemes were the two Elders cooking up? And what did it have to do with him?


    Then, all at once, it started to sink in. "You mean, all of this is false? It''s all fake? Elder Xuan isn''t determined to make me his son-in-law? And I don''t have to ... marry Xuan Mei?"


    Elder Ming nodded at his guess, although he kept the wide grin on his face. Ming Qingsong, on the other hand, frowned at him at once. "You don''t have to sound so relieved. What is wrong with Elder Sister Xuan Mei? She is pretty and clever and kind. You should be thanking Heaven and Earth if you can get someone like her to marry you."


    Qin Feng, who had already recovered somewhat, merely sneered back at the girl. "Unfortunately all of this is merely some sort of ploy, arranged by her father, isn''t it? So why are you blaming me for claiming the grapes are sour when I cannot even get to taste them?


    "Besides, I am the one who is going to suffer all the pointing fingers and the meaningless gossip, when the truth is finally revealed. How am I supposed to pursue anyone else, once Elder Xuan is done with his scheme, and Xuan Mei casts me off? Won''t I end up the laughing stock in the whole Heaven Sword School?"


    Elder Ming scowled as soon as he heard this, and shook his head at Qin Feng at once. "That is a rather short-sighted way of looking at the matter. Think about it. So long as Elder Xuan and his daughter do not reveal the truth about the matter, won''t you still be considered the future son-in-law of one of the most influential people on the Elders'' Council?


    "Surely you can see the benefits of that?"


    For a moment, Qin Feng felt like shouting at the scar-faced old man, and venting his frustration. Then he controlled himself, and simply clamped his mouth shut. There was really no point in trying to reason with the idiot! Didn''t he know that all this attention would only make it more difficult for him to get his hands on the herbs and medicines that he needed? How was he supposed to sneak those precious items into the School, if everyone was watching him?


    But the Elder seemed to be ignoring all of that, even as he sucked up to the more powerful, more influential Elder Xuan! Qin Feng could only sniff and sneer at Ming Guanhe at that. Let us see what you are going to do, when you realize that you have severed your own path later on!


    That reminded him, however, of the original reason why he had come to make a report to the scarred Elder. And he quickly dipped his hand into his sleeve, pulling out the two herbs that he had just collected.


    "Well, regardless of what Elder Xuan intends, I should hand these over to you, Elder Ming. It seems my last visit to the Southern Woods has resulted in some small success, when in comes to collecting the herbs that you need."


    * * *

 115 Ming Qingsong 2

    Elder Ming Guanhe''s eyebrows rose as he watched Qin Feng take out the medicinal roots from his sleeve. They were not pungent at all, and the old man didn''t appear to recognize them. But Qin Feng had taken pains to collect the whole of the two plants, even though only their roots were used in medicines, so it didn''t take very long for Ming Qingsong to identify them. It seemed she had not wasted her free time at home, poring over the medicinal texts that her father had brought back from the Library.


    There was no hiding the excited look on her face, the moment that he had set those two medicinal herbs down on the narrow dressing table beside the father and daughter pair:


    "Fire Leopard Leaf! And Gold Striped Purple Ganoderma! How did you manage to find these two plants? My father has been looking for these for a long time!"


    Ming Guanhe, on the other hand, did not say a word. But the shocked expression on his scarred face was enough to tell Qin Feng of his surprise. And the gratification that he must have felt, for Qin Feng''s efforts in retrieving those tow medicines.


    Of course, the young herb-grower had always known that the Elder''s ability to identify, and search for herbs in the wilderness was nothing compared to his own skills in that area. So he was not particularly surprised by the old man''s reaction. And he knew better than to rely on the old man''s gratitude. Hadn''t he already shown that he was willing to sell Qin Feng away, so long as the benefits were sufficient? Particularly in his dealings with Elder Xuan?


    The fact that Ming Qingsong was able to identify the medicines as well, however, was something that he had not expected at all!


    And that had him looking at the young, adolescent girl with different eyes.


    But there was a question left hanging in the air. So he took the opportunity to offer the scarred Elder a quick dip of the head, as he answered it:


    "I had chosen to make my camp a little further away from the river, and among the Basalt Rocks slightly further East in the Southern Forest. And that so happened to be rather close to the spot where these two plants were growing. I suppose that my luck was a little better than usual, this time," he laughed.


    "Luck? You might call it that, but I am well-pleased, all the same. You have done better than I had expected you to, on this Third Hunting Trip of yours!"


    Ming Guanhe laughed heartily, as he picked up the two herbs in his hand, and shot his daughter a confident grin. Qin Feng knew why, of course. He had taken the pains to run through the various journals in the Library, and had already confirmed that the Elder would know how they could be used. He, on the other hand, already had that information in his memories, which was why he had taken the trouble to pick out these two particular medicinal plants in the first place!


    However, the old, scar-faced man was taking a little too long, staring at the pair of them, rather than hurrying to set them aside. Was he really going to spend all night congratulating himself, on having managed to find a herb-grower who knew what he was doing?


    "Perhaps Elder Ming should put those away, before they attract ... unwanted attention?"


    Ming Guanhe scowled at the two medicines in his hand as soon as he heard that. And took a moment to consider his options, before giving Qin Feng a grim nod. "You are correct. I shouldn''t waste any time putting these two items away. If someone has been keeping an eye on what I have been collecting, they might try to stop me. As I recalled, I had warned you about some of the people here in the Heaven Sword School earlier. So you should know what I mean."


    Qin Feng merely smiled back, and dipped into a quick bow. That should be enough to reassure the old scar-faced man that he understood what was being said. As well as what was not being said.


    Ming Guanhe didn''t waste any time after that, and signaled for his daughter to keep Qin Feng company as he scurried off with the two medicinal roots in his hands. No doubt, he was moving them to some safe storage that he had already arranged, elsewhere in the house.


    That, of course, left Qin Feng alone with Ming Qingsong in her narrow little room!


    Qin Feng, naturally, was more than a little cautious when he realized that. After all, hadn''t they just been talking about Xuan Mei and his association with her? This was a little awkward, wasn''t it? To be left alone in a young woman''s bedchamber like this? What if Xuan Mei learned about this? Wasn''t she going to throw another tantrum?


    Ming Qingsong smiled as she sat down on her bed, and gestured for Qin Feng to take a seat at her dressing table stool that she had closer to the far wall in her room. The slight smile that she had on her lips expanded into a broad grin, however, the moment that she sensed his unease.


    "Worried about what people would say, if they knew that you had entered into a young woman''s bedchamber while her father isn''t around? I think you should already know that your so-called engagement with Elder Sister Xuan Mei is nothing more than an elaborate scheme by Elder Xuan, so she would definitely not take offence, even if she finds out about it.


    "You can rest assured about that."


    Qin Feng was surprised again, when he heard her explanation. Did she know about that as well? Just how many people had Elder Xuan, or Xuan Mei, told about this little scheme of his? And why had he been left in the dark? Wasn''t he supposed to be one of the leader actors in this play?


    To be honest, Qin Feng was more than a little annoyed. Just what sort of game were they dragging him into? All of a sudden, he had a feeling that it was far more complicated than just a simple romantic, comedic sketch!


    * * *

 116 Ming Qingsong 3

    Ming Qingsong grinned as she clapped her hands together, as soon as her father had left the room. And that was enough to draw his attention to her, rather than stare out the door. Elder Ming had already been gone for a while, but he was a little uncomfortable being left alone with the young girl, and in her bedchamber no less.


    The same girl, however, seemed to have other concerns.


    "I am glad that father is gone, so that I can have a word with you, Elder Brother Qin Feng. About Senior Sister Xuan Mei. I suppose you know that she is not ... really interested in you ... in that particular way? That all of this is just a scheme that her father cooked up?"


    Qin Feng was surprised that Ming Qingsong was the one to broach that subject with him, rather than her father. But why was she doing that? What did she know about Elder Xuan''s plans?


    He didn''t know, but decided that he might be able to wheedle some information out of the girl before him. So he simply nodded, and fixed a somewhat petulant expression on his face.


    The last seemed sufficient to prompt another giggle from Ming Qingsong.


    "Well, you might not be aware of this, since no one knew of it until three days ago. And it has never been repeated where it might be overheard. It seems Senior Sister Xuan Mei has a rather obnoxious pursuer, and he has been trying to get Elder Xuan to pledge her hand to him. That is one of the reasons why the Elder has no choice but to drag you into the mire."


    Qin Feng scowled. Didn''t that mean that he was nothing more than a meat shield? And for someone to be able to put Elder Xuan into such a dilemma ... Wasn''t he likely to end up as ground meat instead? Especially if that obnoxious pursuer of Xuan Mei''s started taking steps against him?


    "But I think you won''t be likely to get into trouble because of this. The one chasing after Senior Sister Xuan Mei''s skirts is rather high up in the Heaven Sword School, so he would not throw his face away, by making a move against you.


    "Besides, you are already under my father''s protection. And everyone knows that you have been helping him to concoct medicines and such. That should keep you free of any trouble that that idiot could bring down on you," Ming Qingsong told him confidently.


    That did make him a little less stressed. It seemed Elder Xuan was not completely heartless. And had taken steps to use Ming Guanhe as an additional layer of protection over this pitiful herb-grower.


    But Ming Qingsong was going on, and her focus seemed to have gone back to her own situation:


    "And I trust you have already heard about ... my illness? And how my father plans to do, to help me recover my health? Well, you might not have heard that ... Elder Xuan has offered to lend him a hand. Hence ... you can see why he was more than willing to sell you off to Senior Sister Xuan Mei?"


    Qin Feng was a little surprised to hear her speak out about that. From what he had experienced thus far, he would have thought that Elder Ming Guanhe would hide the truth of her body''s condition from the young girl. Who would have thought that she had already learned what was wrong, and even what her father intended to do about it?


    And to think that she even knew what her own father was about, when it came to his deals with Elder Xuan and his daughter!


    "Don''t be so shocked. I have nothing to do at home, remember? And I am definitely not allowed to learn martial arts. So I have been poring over each and every book that father had managed to borrow from the School Library. And that includes the medical journals and herbal medicine texts that you have read."


    She nodded with a smile as she said that. And waved in the direction of the door that her father had just stepped through. "I can guess what he intends to do, from the herbs that he had you gather for him. There are only two choices that he can make, after all. And I know which of them I would prefer.


    "What do you think of our chances of getting our hands on seven to nine stalks of Purple Blood Ginger? Do you think it is possible? Within the next two, three years?"


    Qin Feng''s eyes widened at once. It seemed Ming Qingsong had not lied, when she said that she had read the same texts that her father had, regarding her condition. One of the options that was available required that particular herb. In fact, it was the crucial ingredient for the same. Although, from what he could remember, Elder Ming Guanhe had only managed to get his hands on two stalks of that herb. So it was certainly not enough to make him confident enough to try his hands at that particular solution.


    "Purple Blood Ginger is ... rather rare, where we have been hunting for our medicines. And it is a restricted plant. If I was caught trying to bring that into the Heaven Sword School ... Even with your father''s position ..."


    Ming Qingsong dipped her head again, as if acknowledging his point. But the expression on her face did not change, as she spoke again:


    "I understand. But the other option will cause ... my meridians to dry up and render me incapable of practicing martial arts, much less cultivating the miraculous arts that my father wishes to pass down to me. While I would remain alive if that happens, I would be little better than a crippled person. I definitely wish to avoid that fate, if I can."


    She paused for a moment then, and turned to look at the doorway with the beaded screen, as if looking out for her father. "I think my father would rather have me able to learn his martial arts too, if he had a choice. We have already three stalks of Purple Blood Ginger, so that is enough for three months'' worth of the tincture that I need.


    "But it would be pointless if we cannot carry on with the medication, for the entire year. So we''ll need another seven stalks of the herb, at least. Or nine, to be more confident of success. That is why my father has dragged you into this mess, if you must know."


    Qin Feng sighed. He agreed that it was a lot more convoluted than he cared for, these schemes that Elder Ming Guanhe had cooked up. It would have been a lot less stressful, he thought, if he had simply tasked Qin Feng to find him the Purple Blood Ginger, and left out all of these crazed plans involving Xuan Mei!


    Then he scowled. "If we cannot find the Purple Blood Ginger on our own, does that mean that we cannot purchase it off someone else? Aren''t there Medicine Halls and businesses dealing with herbal remedies and the like, in the nearby Cities? Has anyone tried to find out if they carry the Purple Blood Ginger?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Well, if we can''t find it in the Southern Woods ourselves, how about buying it off those medicine traders that have managed to find it elsewhere? So long as it is Purple Blood Ginger, it should serve its purpose, wouldn''t it? It doesn''t need to be freshly picked, does it? To work in that formula of yours?"


    * * *

 117 Ming Qingsong 4

    "You want to ... buy Purple Blood Ginger from ... apothecaries in town?"


    Qin Feng turned to face the doorway of the young girl''s bedchamber, just as Elder Ming stepped through the same. He was wearing a frown on his scarred face, and it looked rather intimidating, to tell the truth. But Ming Qingsong merely smiled as she got up, and moved forward to give her father a hug.


    Which seemed to be a signal to Qin Feng, to start selling his idea at once.


    "Well, it would be difficult to hunt for the herb ourselves, since it is on the Heaven Sword School restricted list. But that doesn''t prevent outsiders from dealing in it. In fact, I have heard that there are some organisations further East and in the North, which have actually tried to cultivate this Purple Blood Ginger.


    "So it would make sense to try to get our hands on it, using these trading houses that specialize in medicines and the like. And we do have some rather rare herbs ourselves, so we could make a trade with them."


    Ming Guanhe seemed a little more accepting, once he had heard Qin Feng''s plan. But his frown returned after a short while, and he shook his head at the herb-grower. "We are bound by the School''s rules and regulations, not to deal in those medicines that have been restricted. If anyone finds out that we are trying to buy the same ..."


    "Ah! That would be a problem."


    Qin Feng had not considered that. Someone would have to pay those medicine traders a visit, and make their interest clear, if they wished to get their hands on the herb. Wasn''t that just giving themselves away? And the punishment for dealing in restricted herbs was rather draconian. He certainly did not wish to be caught with Purple Blood Ginger in his possession.


    Nor did Elder Ming, it seemed.


    But who else could the two of them rely on, to visit the nearby Cities, to purchase that restricted medicinal herb? He doubted that Elder Ming would be willing to pull in yet another person, and neither of them could leave the School without being noticed. So all that was needed was a single overzealous disciple on Guard duty to destroy the two of them!


    What they needed now was someone who could travel all the way to one of those medicine dealers, buy the herb and come back with it. All without being noticed by the Heaven Sword School or its adherents. Unfortunately, they didn''t have anyone else, did they?


    Did they?


    Qin Feng suddenly stood up, giving out a soft cry as he did so. How could he have forgotten about that? He did have someone who could do just that! And he could even do so in the bright light of day, without being worried that he would be recognized by the School!


    Or rather, he was certain it wouldn''t.


    Both Ming Guanhe and Ming Qingsong were staring at him already, as he tore himself out of his thoughts to look at the father and daughter pair. And he grinned, as he started to explain what had caused him to behave in such an odd manner.


    "I have ... contact, as you have guessed, with someone that my family had sent to look after me. And while he is not as powerful as the Elders of the Heaven Sword School, he does have some ability when it comes to Lightness-of-Body arts and can certainly defend himself against ordinary martial artists.


    "So I was thinking that I might be able to ... get him to make the trade on ... our behalf. I doubt that the Heaven Sword School would take offence, if we are ... sufficiently careful when we receive the Purple Blood Ginger from him. When he gets back here, I mean."


    Elder Ming had been sitting up straight the moment that Qin Feng had unveiled his plan. And he was more than a little agitated too, from the way that his fingers seemed to twitch. Qin Feng didn''t bother to point that out, and simply waited for the older man to make a decision. After all, the one who stood to gain, and lose, was Elder Ming Guanhe himself.


    All Qin Feng was doing was simply helping him out.


    Ming Guanhe finally nodded, although he did seem to shoot his daughter a few glances before he did so. But Qin Feng ignored that. So long as he agreed ...


    "In that case, I will head back, and send word to ... that retainer of mine at once. I will pass him the medicines that I had managed to get from the Southern Woods as soon as he gets here, so that he can make his way to the nearest City, and try to make the exchange."


    Elder Ming smiled as though in agreement. "I''ll be troubling you then. And I will pass you ... some of the herbs that I do not need, if you should run out. You might as well trade those away as well. Hopefully, you will be able to get your hands on more of the Purple Blood Ginger, if you do that."


    Qin Feng bowed once more, and left Elder Ming''s home quickly. And hid a smile as he walked away from the Elders'' Court. The permission and the information that he had received from Elder Ming Guanhe should be sufficient for him to snatch away some resources for himself. So what if he had to trade some of his gains for that?


    In the end, he was only there in the Heaven Sword School for a short while. Just two or three years, if he was not wrong. So that would hardly have an effect on the rest of his life, would it?


    *


    Ming Qingsong sighed as soon as Qin Feng left her father''s yard, and sat down next to her father on the long bench in their front hall.


    The young girl rested her head against her father''s arm, and looked towards the front door, as if to recall the sight of the herb-grower who had just walked out the same. And her voice was soft, when she finally spoke again:


    "I don''t think he quite understands what you and Elder Xuan are doing, using the female disciples from the Rear Gardens to spread that false rumor like that. He still believes that it was all a mistake on the part of the girls there.


    "I wonder what he would do, when he learns the truth. You might end up making his life very, very miserable, father. I hope you have a plan, as to how you are going to make it up to him."


    * * *

 118 Xuan Weizhongs Plan 1

    "To make it up to him?"


    Ming Guanhe sighed and shook his head at his daughter. "You do not know Qin Feng like I do, my daughter. It will next to impossible to make it up to him, if he chooses not to accept our favors. There is a pride in that young fellow that I had not expected. Perhaps Elder Xuan has chosen correctly, when he set up that rumor about him and his daughter."


    Ming Qingsong shook her head at her father, as soon as she heard that. "Perhaps. But I do not think too highly of his methods. This is simply going to put the pressure on Brother Qin Feng. And he will spending a lot of his time out in the Southern Woods, as he goes about hunting down those herbs that I need. The two of you should be thinking of ways to safeguard him, rather than putting him at risk."


    "That is something that I would very much like to do. But this is Elder Xuan Weizhong that we are talking about. I don''t have the power or the influence to challenge him. And he is also clutching at straws right now. He doesn''t have any other way to protect his daughter, save for this."


    Ming Guanhe''s face was bleak as he said the last, and he sighed as he reached out and patted his daughter on the head, forestalling her from making any further comments about Qin Feng and the situation that he would have to face.


    "But I can understand Elder Xuan. Little Mei is his only child, and he would gladly sacrifice the whole of the Heaven Sword School, much less a herb-grower without status or position, just to save her from the calamity that she is facing.


    "All we can do is hope for the best. And pray that Qin Feng survives the mess that follows."


    *


    In another Elder''s home, another conversation was taking place between father and daughter, although it was not as harmonious as the one that just took place between Ming Guanhe and Ming Qingsong.


    The daughter in question was smashing the small dressing table in her personal bedchamber into splinters with her fists, sending shards of wood flying through the room. Bottles of scent and cases of creamy facial powder were already broken and scattered all over the floor, and there were several pieces of rich silk cloth that were already in shreds.


    Yet, it was clear that the young woman had no inclination to stop the havoc that she was wreaking on her personal belongings. The deep furrow on her brow, and the glare that she was giving off made it rather clear that she was still a long way from recovering from the anger that she was experiencing at the moment.


    Her father, on the other hand, still looked calm and collected, as though he was not perturbed by her temper tantrum in the slightest. Although, if truth be told, he was the one who had actually sparked off that ruckus, with the news that he had shared, barely half an hour ago.


    She had not burst into tears, nor had she started attacked him, in her distress. Instead, she had begun to tear her bedroom to shreds. And she had started with her cosmetics that he had purchased for her, ever since she began to bleed. Then she had gone on to her blanket and bed-cover, and the thin privacy curtains on her bed. Those were promptly torn to shreds, and now lay all over her bedroom floor.


    But he realized just how upset she was with him, when she turned to the small round table, as well as the tiny round stools that came with the same. And that was warning enough, to keep his mouth and not interfere with her somewhat exaggerated temper tantrum.


    So he had simply stood there, at the door of her bedroom. And scowled as he watched her reduce those last pieces of furniture into tiny splinters of wood.


    Then all at once, the young woman stopped hurling her belongs about. Perhaps it was because everything that could be broken had already been shattered beyond recognition. Or that she had finally grown tired of destroying everything that she could lay her hands on. But her tear-streaked face was still bitter, as she turned to glare at her father.


    Elder Xuan Weizhong, who had been an Elder in the Heaven Sword School for almost a hundred years, sighed as he smiled weakly at his daughter. And his voice, when he spoke, was much softer than his usual tone which he used with the other Elders of the School:


    "You know that I have no choice in this matter, my dear. If I had not done this, that filthy scoundrel would have approached the Grandmaster before too long. And once he did that, there would be no refusing him.


    "And I am sure that you do not wish to marry an old man who is already in his eighties, do you? This is the best way - the only way, that we can avoid that."


    "By pledging me to a simple herb-grower disciple? Are you mad, father? Who is Qin Feng? What sort of background does he have? No one is going to believe that I am in love with him! And much less that you would approve of the match!"


    Elder Xuan sighed as he shook his head at his daughter. And started to wave for her to sit down, only to realize that all of the stools in her room had already been reduced to splinters. And that the only place where they could sit was on her bed.


    The girl, however, seemed resistant to that, and continued to glare at her father. And refused to move from where she was standing. The fact that she was surrounded by the fragments of her broken cosmetic pots and the shards that used to be her furniture probably made moving about a little more risky than it was.


    "This is but a delaying tactic, and you should know it. But the time that the old maggot hears about your so-called betrothal, that Qin Feng of yours would have completed his term in the Medicine Fields and graduated from the Heaven Sword School. So he should be able to escape any moves that the filthy bastard makes then.


    "And I have already made other plans, and sent your name off to the Snow Swallow Palace. If they accept you ... Well, you should be sufficiently protected by your status then that that lecherous scoundrel wouldn''t dare make a move against you!"


    "What? The Snow Swallow Palace?"


    * * *

 119 Xuan Weizhongs Plan 2

    Elder Yuan Weizhong nodded gravely at his only daughter. And his voice was stern, when he spoke again:


    "The Snow Swallow Palace is a place which only accepts female practitioners as disciples. And they will need to be virgins when they join the same. So you should be safe enough once you get in there. And the old lecher wouldn''t be able to touch you. Not unless he wishes to have the powerful families of six different Kingdoms and two Empires setting a price on his head."


    Xuan Mei''s perplexed scowl made it clear that she didn''t understand what her elderly father was talking about. Which led to Elder Yuan waving a hand at the floor in front of him, sweeping away all the fragments of wood and pottery, not to mention the cosmetic powders and rouge. Then he beckoned at his daughter.


    He did not step up to the bed, when she sat down in it. Without the bed-covers to cushion her buttocks, it was still much better than having to stand through his explanation. And she was already rather tired, Xuan Weizhong thought, after her little episode thrashing the furniture in the room.


    There was, however, one set that escaped her tantrum. And Xuan Weizhong would have probably stopped her, if she had gone for the same. The dressing table and its accompanying stool were all that remained of her late mother, and he wasn''t about to let her destroy that.


    But since it did survive her heartless onslaught, he did not hesitate to pull out the surviving stool and sit himself down on it. The girl, on the other hand, busied herself wiping off the tracks of her tears from her face with her sleeves.


    And it was only after they were both seated comfortably that he began to explain:


    "You might not have heard about this, but the Snow Swallow Palace is an organisation that is more than a hundred times more powerful than this pitiful Heaven Sword School. But it lies thousands of leagues to the Northeast, and does not usually interfere with the workings of other Schools and Sects. As such, you would probably not have heard of it. Or its reclusive Elders.


    "As it happens, I have ... an acquaintance who had trained in the Snow Swallow Palace when she was younger, and she has already promised to help to ease your way into that place. Once you are tied to the Palace, you should be safe."


    "But what about Big Brother Lin? He ..."


    Elder Xuan Weizhong sighed and waved her interruption aside wearing what could be described as a mildly frustrated expression. "He should be more than happy for you, to have escaped the old lecher. If he so much as dares to complain about my methods, I shall break both of his legs for him!" he growled.


    "It is all his fault in the first place! If he had not brought you out to visit his wastrel friends, you would not have been spotted by the old scoundrel. Then we wouldn''t have to go through all this trouble. If he dares to make any noise about my plans to keep you safe ..."


    "How can you say that? He was just showing me around the ..."


    Elder Xuan grunted at his daughter then, and his stern glare made her voice taper off without need for words. And he remained silent a little while longer, as though giving her a chance to reflect on what she had done.


    Or what her ''Big Brother Lin'' had done. Or failed to do.


    And it was rather obvious that he was laying the fault at the feet of this same ''Big Brother'' of hers. And the fire in his gaze also made it clear just what he was intending to do this ''Big Brother Lin'' if he should get his hands on the man.


    Then the Elder seemed to recover somewhat, and his remonstrance came out as a sigh, devoid of any blame. Clearly, Xuan Weizhong was not willing to put his daughter through any further emotional distress:


    "He should not have brought you out there, in any case. If he had simply showed you his home and introduced you to his parents and uncle, all of this would not have happened. Just be thankful that I have some friends there, who were quick enough to alert me when the fatuous scoundrel started to ask about you.


    "Otherwise, we may not have had the time to arrange for all of this. Then where would you be? You should put away any thoughts of meeting Lin Liushui again until he is ready to pick you up and marry you! That is all that I am willing to say about your little escapade!"


    The young woman pouted at that, but did not give voice to any protests. Xuan Weizhong peered at her out of the corner of his eye when he realized that she wasn''t making any noise at all. And his features took on a slightly uneasy appearance. As though he had just realized that he had been fooled by his daughter yet again.


    But he refused to give voice to the questions that had just appeared in his head, and stoically looked over the ruins of his daughter''s bedchamber. He soon understood that his act was, however, fundamentally flawed, when Xuan Mei brought his attention to one of his chess pieces:


    "What about Qin Feng? How am I supposed to face him now?"


    Elder Xuan sighed again. That was clearly something that he had been worrying about for a while as well. "He is the only passable young man that we can rely on to help us fool the bastard. And the best way to do it would be to fool everyone else. From what I have heard from Ming Guanhe, he is rather quick, and he has a rather good relationship with some of the girls from the Rear Gardens. So it would not be a surprise for you to mention him to me by name.


    "And you have already met with him previously, so that should make it more believable."


    "But he isn''t really ... I mean, he doesn''t know anything about all of this. What if he ... believes that my infatuation with him is true and ... What do I do then?"


    * * *

 120 Xuan Weizhongs Plan 3

    "I cut him into pieces if he dares to try anything!"


    The young woman gave out a ''hmmmph'' sound as soon as she heard what her father had declared, and rolled her eyes. Something that Xuan Weizhong did not miss. But he did not call her out on it, and simply went on describing what he was going to do to ''the rascal if he disrespects his daughter''!


    "... I''ll tear his arms off if he so much as touches you ..."


    "And you intend for him to help me hide my secrets like this? Who would believe that he is actually in love with me, and has pleaded with you for my hand in marriage? And worse, who would believe that you had agreed to his proposal?"


    Xuan Weizhong turned back to look at his daughter in surprise. Only to find her with the pout on her face once again. She didn''t leave him an opening either, and continued to criticize the desperate plan that he had come up with:


    "If you tell him that it is all a play, he would either be pleased that he had such a backing in the Heaven Sword School and start a nuisance of himself to the Medicine Hall. Or he would be so worried that he had become a target that he would do his best to get away from the School as soon as he completes his two-year stint as a Outer School disciple.


    "And regardless of what he does, he is going to be the target of a great number of rumors, no doubt fueled by your actions against Nu Yuanqing earlier. I do not really mind how the girls'' imaginations take over their tongues but I am also going to be part of the gossip that is likely to be spread all over the School. So you should best be aware of it."


    Her glare as she finished that last warning held a familiar fire then. Which was enough to tell the Elder that she was making a valid point here; her reputation was certain to be ruined, and that it was all his fault!


    Just the thought of that was enough of an embarrassment to him that he gave out a loud sigh, as he pinched at the bridge of his nose and pressed his index finger between his eyebrows. Despite the way in which she did it, Xuan Mei had raised a valid point. No matter how he tried to keep things quiet, there was no way that he could put a stop to the rumor mill in the Rear Gardens.


    And Nu Yuanqing was certainly going to enjoy smearing mud on his face, in retaliation for the punishment that he had laid on her disciples. Especially her worthless niece!


    And Qin Feng had been involved in that little episode too! So she would have even more motivation to make matters difficult for both him and that young herb-grower!


    So he would have to be more than just a little careful, it seemed, Xuan Weizhong thought.


    Then he looked up, and realized that Xuan Mei was still staring at him, with a somewhat expectant expression on her face. Which was enough to warn him that she had a plan to deal with just that eventuality. Somehow, that made the Elder a little uneasy. What was she intending to do?


    "What do you ... intend to do?"


    Xuan Mei rolled her eyes at him, as though she had been waiting for him to ask just that question. And that her patience with him had all but run out!


    "I intend to get ... my friend to seduce him, and keep him ... well satisfied in ... that regard. So he would not have any energy left to try to force himself closer to me. And I''ll use her as ... a chaperone, as well. That should be sufficient to prevent ... the news from reaching the gossip mill."


    Xuan Weizhong''s eyes widened as soon as he heard his daughter''s ribald plan. Was she encouraging the boy to take a lover already? When he was supposed to be engaged to her? What sort of nonsense plan was this? What if he should fall for the other girl after that? Or be so enamored of her body? Wouldn''t that throw the whole engagement into a mess?


    Then he remembered that it was all a play, to distract the old lecher that was targeting his daughter. What did it matter if the boy took a lover, or a hundred? So long as they kept things quiet, and allowed Xuan Mei to avoid the filthy bastard, wasn''t that enough?


    Still ... sending another girl to seduce the man that she was publicly engaged to? That was a little ... too much, wasn''t it? He was almost shocked to hear that his own daughter had come up with something as ... outrageous as that!


    So he coughed into his fist and nodded back at her hesitantly. It would not do to encourage her to take things ... that far. "I suppose that would be for ... the best. I am uncertain that ... your friend would be willing to ... keep things as quiet as you might hope for though. Who do you intend to ... include in this little plan of yours?


    "And how do you know if she would be willing to ... toss aside her own good name, and to ... use her wiles on the young fellow?"


    Xuan Mei''s answering smile was confident. And there was even a hint of mischief in her voice, as she answered him:


    "Oh, she is from the Rear Gardens and has already ... slept with one or two other disciples from the School already, some years back. And she is a few years older than I am, and has known Qin Feng for a while. So it would not be too outrageous, if they were to really jump into bed together."


    Xuan Weizhong nodded, as calmly as he could manage, when he heard that. It seemed his daughter was not simply tossing out a plan without thinking about it. And from what she said, it seemed this Rear Gardens disciple was more than likely to be willing to ... play her part well.


    "Then ... do you wish me to talk to her about ... this ..."


    Xuan Mei held a hand at him then, as she shook her head. "I think I had best the one to broach this subject with her. Besides, I have to let her know that ... I will not be really marrying Qin Feng, so that she won''t ... go in with the wrong expectations."


    "Very well then. I shall leave it to you. As for her remuneration ..."


    "I will deal with that too, father. As it so happens, I know what she really wants," Xuan Mei replied with a grin, that made her look a lot more like her old self than when they were plotting together. Much to Xuan Weizhong''s relief.


    Perhaps his daughter was not as angry with him as he had originally thought!


    * * *

 121 The Puppet 1

    Qin Feng, of course, had no idea at all, that there were people including him in their plans. And was completely focused on getting his hands on the Purple Blood Ginger. He knew better than to let down the Elder''s expectations. Especially since he knew just what he was likely to achieve, so long as he had Ming Guanhe to support him at the back of the stage.


    Besides, no matter how worthless Ming Guanhe was an Elder and as a patron, he was still an Elder in the Heaven Sword School, and therefore, a far too exalted a personage that people like Qin Feng could not afford to offend!


    Still, it annoyed him quite a bit, to think that he was expecting Qin Feng to miraculously produce the Purple Blood Ginger root out of thin air!


    He had said that he was going to be searching the various Medicine Halls in the nearby cities and such, but didn''t Ming Guanhe realize that he had to have something to trade for those precious medicines that he wanted? Or was he simply pushing all of that into Qin Feng''s lap?


    The younger man grumbled in a quiet voice as he tidied up what he had retrieved during his last Hunt, and laid out his gains on his tiny little table. It was not as if he needed very much space, to tell the truth. Apart from all those slight expensive but merely less than common herbs, he had barely come away from his escapade with a mere harvest of five medicinal plants.


    And he had just surrendered two of them to the Elder earlier!


    And now it looked as though he would have to give up these other herbs in trade, to get a hold of the Purple Blood Ginger! That was a little too much! If that was the way that Ming Guanhe was going to be treating him, he was certainly going to report that he couldn''t find any of that herb during his visits to the cities! Let Ming Qingsong suffer from the effects of her blocked meridians! He was certainly not about to put in any effort without proper recompense!


    Then he sighed, as he reconsidered. The Elder controlled his access to the Southern Forest and the medicinal plants therein. So he shouldn''t be too quick to cut off his own route to getting more of those herbs. After all, if he did manage to get the Purple Blood Ginger for the old man''s daughter, didn''t that mean that he would be given even more privileges?


    Elder Ming Guanhe would not be so short-sighted as to dismantle the bridge after crossing the river, would he? Not to mention the fact that he still needed a good amount of Purple Blood Ginger. Once Ming Qingsong started her treatment with the same, she would need to maintain a steady supply of the herb for about a year or so.


    Which meant that Qin Feng would have to be keep pushing that same herb at Ming Guanhe for that same period of time. So he should take particular care in his dealings with the medicine merchants in the cities, to ensure that he can get his hands on the same, at regular intervals. Of course, that meant that he would have to come up with some rather exceptional herbs, to ensure that the same were willing to make the trade with him.


    Qin Feng sighed again, as he considered what he was likely to lose - No. What he was willing to lose, in the deals that he was going in the cities. Some of the herbs that he had with him now were precious to him, since they would definitely boost his own cultivation. But there were others, while rare in their own right, would not be of much benefit to him. Those he would be more than willing to trade away, for the Purple Blood Ginger.


    Like the Blue Mist Lotus Root that he had just managed to pick. That had been a little damaged during his fight with the Silver-streaked Ferret. So he was more than willing to sell that off. Besides, it would be a simple thing to cut way the parts that had been bitten so that no one would be able to tell that it used to be a larger piece. In any case, it would have to be cut up before it was sold, and prepared as medicine. So it didn''t really matter.


    But Qin Feng was not simply going to rely on that, to exchange for the Purple Blood Ginger that he needed. After all, he had no idea of what the current prices for the different herbs, and he didn''t wish to make the trip for nothing. So he dug into his little hoard, and dug out what he thought might be worth something, to the folk in the city.


    In the end, he picked out three other herbs that might be worth something, in the hands of a more or less competent herbalist or alchemist, in the employ of a medicine merchant in the cities. And which would not be worth very much to him.


    He wrapped all of them up carefully, in white muslin cloth, and set them aside with yet another sigh of resignation. He really stood to make a substantial loss, if these herbs were insufficient to allow him to get his hands on the Purple Blood Ginger.


    Then he shook his head, and turned to the other crucial part of his plan. If he was going to head towards the cities ... No. First he would have to consider which of the two cities he should go to, to attempt this ... particular trade. To be utterly honest, he didn''t know much about either of them, save for the rumours and gossip that he had heard about the same.


    There was Changqing City, which lay across the rolling hills. That was supposed to be in the hands of a Marquis who was rather popular among the people there. And who encouraged trade and maintained some rather strict laws. That much he had heard about the place.


    Then there was Liying City, across the river to the North, that was a more lawless place. It was where the Inner School disciples of Heaven Sword School went, whenever they wished to let their hair down, and have raucous fun. In fact, if he headed there, he was more than likely to meet up with some of the disciples that he had met, in one way or another.


    However, he was not headed there as a herb-grower, an Outer Court disciple. And the fact that it was a place where one needed to rely on one''s fighting abilities, rather than Royal Law, made him less inclined to pay it a visit.


    Qin Feng made up his mind, and having made that decision, turned to the last part of his plan. And so doing, looked towards the puppet that he had hidden in the little cave. He had not touched it for close to a year, since he arrived at the Heaven Sword School.


    It was time to take it out once again!


    * * *

 122 The Puppet 2

    It looked no different than it did, when he had used it to clear up his garden and to set up the various traps and contraptions about his little domain, there in the Medicine Fields. But he had set it aside once he was done with the initial works, so that it could recover the energies that it had spent, dealing with the clearance of the shrubs and small trees that used to litter the place.


    He didn''t know how Old Man Snow Mountain had managed to craft something like this out of a dead human body, since that was not part of the memories that he had awakened so far. Nor did he care. So long as it was under his control and could be used to protect, and aid him, Qin Feng was content.


    Still, he could not help but wonder who this person had been. From what he could tell, it was about sixty years old, and rather powerful. The puppet seemed to have achieved a cultivation somewhere higher than the Profound Realm, before it perished. So it had to have been someone with a past.


    Which meant that there might be a chance that it would be recognized, if Qin Feng used it too often. And that he should get rid of it, once it no longer served a purpose.


    Not to mention the fact that it could not regenerate its own internal strength on its own.


    Qin Feng was not the sort of person who would toss aside a useful tool, and had spent a good bit of time, every ten days or so, to insert his consciousness into the puppet, so that he could Breathe, and so recover the internal strength that could be stored within the puppet''s body. The method that he used was the same Foundation Jade Tree Sixteen Breathing Exercises, and it seemed to work much better for it, compared to his own body!


    Of course, the stored internal qi would still drain away when he was not inhabiting the same, albeit at a very minimal rate. But using it for the gardening chores and such had drained it to almost a third of its capacity, and that had only been for less than ten days! And it had taken him close to two moons, to replenish the energies that had been lost.


    After that, it was just a matter to keeping it at a reasonable level of preparedness. Qin Feng was certainly not so diligent that he would bother to push it past three-quarters of its full capacity. It was, after all, a secret defense, that he was likely to only employ once, to save his own life. Using it as a substitute body was already a little ... outside the rules.


    But now ...


    There wasn''t anything that he could do about it, since he had already promised Elder Ming Guanhe that he would do this. Qin Feng wore a resigned smile on his face as he shifted the boxes about, to make a space for himself. He would have to sit down so that he could transfer his consciousness over to the puppet. That was the one limitation that he had not been able to overcome just yet.


    He had been told by Old Man Snow Mountain that he should be able to control both his own body as well as that of the puppet once he achieved a higher state of cultivation. But the Old Man had also warned him that it would take a bit of work, and that he should not try it until he was well into the Core Formation state.


    Which was, unfortunately, much too far away! He was barely in the Foundation Realm, so it might take years before he could appear together with the puppet.


    But that had nothing to do with his current mission, so he simply pushed it out of his mind, and concentrated on the mantra that he had been using all this while. And quickly shifted his soul, for lack of a better word, into the puppet beside him.


    The transition was as smooth as it had been previously. And the puppet was working properly, since the last time that he had pushed his consciousness into its body. He took a Breath in the puppet, as he always did, and reveled in the amount of qi that he was able to store in the same. How long more did he have to practice, before he could do the same with his real body?


    Ten years? Twenty? He didn''t really care, to tell the truth. And he certainly was not about to remain at the Heaven Sword School if he could help it. It was just one of those stops along the road of his life, and he would leave as soon as he had achieved the profit that he planned for.


    And the faster that he got Elder Ming Guanhe on his side, the faster he could start doing that more efficiently!


    Qin Feng grinned as he stood up and walked over to where he had placed the clothes that he had intended for the puppet. The robe was a little old and somewhat faded, but its green color could still be seen. Just the sort of thing that an ordinary martial arts practitioner or a simple traveler would wear. He didn''t have any boots for it, but a pair of straw sandals would be a lot less conspicuous if it was supposed to be a herb-gatherer.


    Then he picked up the herbs that he had prepared, putting them in a simple cloth and leather pack that he had picked up somewhere. The herbs were not protected since he couldn''t afford anything that could do the trick, so he would simply have to depend on the puppet to safeguard the same.


    The last item on the list was the old straw hat that he usually wore when he was gardening. That should be common enough that no one would be able to trace it. Besides, he could always claimed to have lost it, and get another from Chen Xing, if any problems arose and he had to abandon it.


    Looking down at himself, clad in his puppet''s form, and in the worn clothes, Qin Feng smiled again. It was time to show off what he did best!


    * * *

 123 The Puppet 3

    The journey to Changqing City was more boring than Qin Feng had expected. And there were no hindrances to his using his Lightness-of-Body martial abilities, the moment that he was outside the School. Sneaking across the Formation that had been laid over the Heaven Sword School had also been simpler than he had expected, after Elder Ming Guanhe had told him about all of the flaws of the same.


    The trip still took him quite a bit of time, and he was chary to using his inner qi to move any faster. The puppet could only hold recuperate slowly, based on Qin Feng''s barely adequate Foundation level, so it would be a little risky, if he were to consume all of his qi before he got to the city itself.


    Besides, it was night when he left the Mountain, so it was pointless to go too fast, and arrive at Changqing before the City Gates were open. That would be a waste of his energies, if he did that.


    So he held himself back, so as to save on his inner energy, while travelling at a more or less adequate speed. And arrived at the city shortly after the sun had risen, and the City Gates were open to admit visitors into the same.


    The sight of the city was enough to make him slow down, so that he could take a better look at the place. The Gate was large enough, so he thought that he could simply peer through it to see the streets beyond. But the number of people gathered before it, and meandering about the square immediately after the Gate, blocked most of the view. Not to mention the guards that were doing the checks on the same.


    Disappointed that he couldn''t really take a good look, Qin Feng nonetheless stepped into line behind the rest of the pedestrians walking into the city. The traffic was rather substantial, so he was rather confident that this Changqing City had suitably large medicine shops that were likely to have the Purple Blood Ginger that he wanted.


    Hopefully, he did not have to trade in all of what he had, to get his hands on a stalk of the same. Although that would be enough to justify the investment that Elder Ming had made on his behalf, it was a little too expensive, in his opinion. And certainly not worth the amount of work that he had put in, from where he stood.


    "Stop right there! Yes, you! You stupid peasant scum. What are you going into the City for? What are you carrying?"


    Qin Feng stopped, along with the four or five men who were standing around him, and looked up. There were three guardsmen, clad in the leather and scale armor that was the uniform of the Gate Guard, who were clearly glaring at the lot of them. And one of the trio was pointing a finger directly at the group. And he didn''t take too long to make it clear which of them he was talking to either.


    "You! I''m talking to you in that fade green coat, you idiotic gatherer of waste! I just asked you a question! What is the answer? What are you carrying there?"


    It only took him a moment to realize that the soldiers were directing their questions at him. Something that the other people around him had already picked up, since they had started stepping away from him the moment that was clear. The haughty, sneering looks on the trio of guards'' faces made it rather obvious that they were up to no good. At least, as far as Qin Feng was concerned.


    Qin Feng frowned before he could stop himself from doing so. What was going on? Were these guards trying to make trouble for him? What did they think to gain, from a herb-gatherer? The way that they were acting didn''t make any sense at all!


    Then it dawned on him.


    The medicinal herbs that he was carrying had a rather distinctive fragrance, didn''t they? Was that what captured their attention? Was that the reason behind their stopping him? This was merely an attempt to ask for a bribe, wasn''t it?


    However, if that was so, Qin Feng was certainly not about to agree to it. Besides, he didn''t have any coin on him, save for the twenty, thirty silver coins that he had brought along with him. Yet, even if he had, he wasn''t about to hand it off to these three idiots pretending to be guardsmen!


    What sort of fools would ask for bribes so openly, in front of everyone at the City Gate?


    "Didn''t you hear me, you stupid peasant? Take out what you are carrying! And don''t waste our time!" sneered one of the three in the guard uniform.


    "Yes, why don''t you just take everything out? Let us see what sort of nonsense you are thinking of bringing into the City, shall we? Stinky peasants like you like nothing more than smuggling a few contraband goods inside, don''t you?"


    The one had spoken last had placed his hand on the hilt of the saber that he had hanging from his belt, and was stepping forward even as he eyed Qin Feng with naked greed in his eyes. Which was more than sufficient to tell him that they were intending to snatch away whatever he was carrying at once.


    Which was enough to make him take a step back, and adopt a standard defensive stance. His time in the Heaven Sword School had already ingrained that into him, and he felt into the posture without having to think about it.


    His reaction, however, saw the other two brutes stepping forward as well, to flank the first guardsman who had approached him.


    "What? You don''t agree? Try anything and you''ll have to face all the Guards here in the City! You lousy little peasant! Go ahead and resist if you dare!"


    The mocking gaze from the trio of Gate Guards made it clear that what they were doing was outside of the rules set. And the reaction of the people around him, who were already pulling away, also told him that there wasn''t anyone who was going to risk their own neck to stand up for him. He would either have to pay up, or lose everything that he had on him!


    Which was, unfortunately, wholly unacceptable!


    Qin Feng glared at the three men in their fancy armor, as he gave up trying to talk his way out of this. If violence was all that they understood, he would show them violence!


    * * *

 124 The Puppet 4

    But he had barely unleashed his aura, and had yet to call up his power, when a shout called out from behind him. He did not bother with that, of course. No one should bother with interruptions, when facing a life and death battle. And he definitely intended to slaughter these three worthless guards in front of him.


    Yet, the call was not to him, but to the trio standing in front of him. He watched as the fear appeared on their faces, as all three of them dipped their heads in a bow. Not to him, no. There was someone else, approaching from behind, that had caught their attention. And the respect that they were displaying at the moment, was towards this newcomer.


    Not that the newcomer cared. His thick, brawny hand rose and swung, and the closest of the three idiots that had been bowing at him was thrown almost ten paces back, crashing onto the hard ground! And from the dazed look on his face and the blood pouring out his mouth, it looked as though he had been knocked out of his wits!


    And this newcomer didn''t stop there either. He turned to the other two guards who had been harassing Qin Feng and slapped them as well. Which was enough to have the two of them sprawled onto the ground in front of the City''s Main Gate, along with their companion.


    Only then did he turn, and offer Qin Feng a respectful bow. Although it was a slight one, to mark an apology, and from a person of superior status to someone inferior. Nevertheless, Qin Feng could sense no hostility in the same.


    "My men are at fault for daring to extort someone who has committed no crime against the City, or against the Kingdom. My apologies for that. I shall definitely take them to task for this, I assure you."


    The big man tapped himself on the chest as he said that, and Qin Feng could see the intent look in his eyes, as though he was waiting for Qin Feng to give some indication of what he intended. But as the silence dragged out, past three breaths of time, the newcomer seemed to realise that he had made a mistake, and spoke once again:


    "Of course, since they have violated the rules for visitors to the City, all of your entry charges shall be waived for this ... instance. I trust that is acceptable to you? It should be sufficient to indicate the intent of the Guard, and an indicator that these three ... fools were acting on their own?"


    Qin Feng gave out a grim laugh, as soon as he heard that. So, the guards were acting on their own, were they? It seemed the ones in charge of this city weren''t the fools that he had thought they were. At least, not when it came to their troops.


    The mere fact that those three idiots were being punished was enough to make that clear enough. Still, would their Commander have been so quick to act, if he had not started to activate the puppet''s qi, and thus shown off his puppet''s fighting abilities? Qin Feng was not altogether convinced about that!


    But this Commander was quick to intercede, and so saved the lives of those three rascals. And since he had already gotten away with some benefits, Qin Feng wasn''t about to insist on making a scene. So he simply pulled his qi back into the puppet, into the reservoir that he had in the same.


    Yet, he did so slowly, allowing what he had already pumped into his limbs to slowly fade into the air about him, rather than throwing it off in a single burst. That might be enough to intimidate this Guard Commander, but he didn''t feel that it was necessary to do so. Not after the concessions that the soldier had already offered.


    The Commander seemed to look a little relieved, as he sensed Qin Feng withdrawing his qi. It was obvious that he was much better at such matters than the fools that had tried to squeeze a bribe out of him earlier. A glance at the same showed that they were now on their knees, and looking very frightened.


    Clearly the amount of respect that their Commander had offered up to this ''dirty old man who cannot even afford decent clothing'' was enough of a warning as to the sort of trouble that they had managed to dig their way into. And the glares that the other guards were shooting the three of them certainly promised much more pain to follow.


    But Qin Feng merely pushed all of that aside in his head. He had lost only a small fraction of the power that he had stored away, and it didn''t really bother him at all. Another three to five days, circulating his qi into the puppet should be able to make up for what he had ''spent''. Besides, this Guard Commander looked like he appreciated the ''face'' that Qin Feng had given him, so he might be willing to divulge some information that he could use.


    So he simply waved a hand at the trio that were on their knees, as if dismissing them altogether. And concentrated his attention on the Commander, who looked as if he was still waiting to see if there was anything else that he could do for this stranger.


    "I am content with your handling of the situation. But I think I should know a bit more about Changqing City, so that ... similar circumstances do not take place inside. Don''t you agree?"


    The Guard Commander pulled him aside, the moment that he was asked that. And made a rather universal gesture at him, hinting that what he was going to say was not to be repeated. Which earned him a nod from Qin Feng at once.


    "I spotted one of those Red Fish Medical Hall herb-collectors speaking to the three of them earlier on, so it was a simple matter to figure out what was going on. You would do well to mask the fragrance of your herbs and such, the next time that you come into Changqing City. Otherwise, you might spark another incident. And in the streets themselves.


    "And we certainly do not have enough guards to patrol every corner of the city. So ... I would rather that we didn''t have to deal with a case where there is ... blood shed, if you understand what I mean?"


    Qin Feng caught on at once. It was clear that the Commander had read that question of his as a request for information. About who had been the ones who had targeted him in the first place. He had not been expecting that. Still, it was good to know the ones responsible.


    "Ah! That is rather ... responsible of you. I assure you that I shall try to ... avoid getting involved in such cases while I am here. Besides, my earlier ... display just now should have made my ... abilities clear? Do you think that there would be anyone who would try to ... bother me after this?"


    "Unlikely. Not for this particular visit to the city anyway. But ... the next time?"


    "Well, I shall do my best to hold myself back from ... making too much of a mess for you and your men, commander. However, I would like to know if this ... Red Fish Medical Hall has any ... special rivals? Ones that enjoy ... a somewhat better odor hereabouts?"


    "Ah. In that case, I suggest that you pay a visit to Fu Lai Medicine Hall."


    * * *

 125 First Visit to Fu Lai Medicine Hall 1

    "Fu Lai Medicine Hall?"


    "Fu, as in Fortune. And Lai as in arrives, or arrival. It seems to enjoy a rather good reputation, and the people that they have managing the place appear to have a rather sound knowledge of the herbs that they carry and deal in. The Guard contingent usually get their lotions and potions from that place, so you might say that they enjoy ... a somewhat privileged place here."


    "Ah! I see,"


    The Guard Commander seemed a little more eager to recommend the said Medicine Hall than Qin Feng had expected him to be. For a moment, he wondered if there was some sort of deal that had been made between the man and this Fu Lai Medicine Hall. Then he tossed that idea to the back of his head.


    Even if there was, he owed a favor to the man for dealing with those idiot guardsmen of his. Not to mention cutting off the Red Fish Hall''s plans at the knees. Besides, he didn''t have any idea of what he should do now, now that he had gotten clear of the City Gates. Or where to find this Fu Lai Medicine Hall. Having someone to guide him there would make things a lot easier.


    But the Guard Commander waved him towards the street before he could say a word. So Qin Feng had no choice but to leave the City Gate, and look for the Medicine Hall on his own.


    Actually, it wasn''t any difficult at all, to find out where Fu Lai Medicine Hall was located. Indeed, when he arrived on the street itself, it was clear that the Medicine Hall was one of the few shops along the same that enjoyed an almost continuous stream of customers. Apart from one of the restaurants a few alleyways further up the street, there were any other shopfronts within sight of the Medicine Hall that could compete.


    That was, naturally, something that made Qin Feng feel a lot more confident. If this Fu Lai Medicine Hall did not have the Purple Blood Ginger that he was looking for, it didn''t seem likely that there was any of that particular herb to be found in the whole of Changqing City at all!


    So he made his way towards the shop at once. It was time to see if the medicinal herbs that he had brought along with him could sell as well as he had hoped. Even if he could squeeze a single piece of that Purple Blood Ginger out of the Medicine Hall, it should be enough for him to convince Elder Ming to allow him further access into the Southern Woods, so that he can pick up other materials that could be used to exchange for the same.


    The place was filled with all sorts of people. Customers from all walks of life, from rich merchants and noblemen to coarse hunters and simple peasants, could be found within the expansive courtyard. But the latter were quickly pulled aside to the side halls by some astute sales people from the Medicine Hall before they could even begin to approach the inner building where the former groups were headed. And from the scents that came streaming out of the same, Qin Feng guessed that this same building was where the more expensive herbs are stored and sold.


    He spent a good bit of time, however, waiting in line. There were more people there than he had expected, and all of them seemed to be quietly waiting, as though they were afraid to even speak too loudly. Apparently, the Medicine Hall had some rules that enforced order thereabouts. So he had no choice but to wait.


    One of the same workers from the Medicine Hall fell into step to one side of Qin Feng after a while, and gave him a curt bow. "May I ask what this customer is looking for? Perhaps I could assist in pointing you in the right direction. Fu Lai Medicine Hall is rather complicated, and we would rather not have our customers wasting their time looking for the right place to go."


    Qin Feng smiled bleakly at that. It seemed these people dealing in sales were not as well-trained as they should be. Then he remembered that he was in a Medicine Hall, and the fellow before him had already spent a good part of the day surrounded by a variety of medicines and herbs. Little wonder that he could not differentiate the scent that was coming from Qin Feng''s puppet.


    "I have some rather uncommon herbs on me, and wish to sell them to your Medicine Hall. Or exchange them for some other medicines, if they are available here. Do you know who would ba able to assist me in this?"


    "Ah! You wish to sell or exchange the herbs that you have harvested in the wild? May I know what they are called? Or what you think they are called? And where you retrieved them?"


    Qin Feng almost frowned when he heard that. What was this idiot talking about? Did this fool really think that he was ignorant of herbs? But he pushed that aside, as he considered the amount of business this Fu Lai Medicine Hall saw daily. If the scene before his eyes was the norm, then it was only to be expected that there were some scoundrels who would try to cheat the Hall now and then.


    So he simply sniffed, and threw out the name of one of those herbs that he had harvested from his medicine field. That should be safe enough, and uncommon enough, to make this idiot change the tune that he was playing.


    The servant''s eyes widened slightly when he heard the name of the herb. And quickly dipped into a bow. A somewhat more respectful attitude was also displayed, when he straightened up again, and smiled at Qin Feng.


    "Ah! You are correct when you say that this particular herb would be of interest to our Fu Lai Medicine Hall. Why don''t you come this way? I shall bring you to one of the senior appraisers to deal with you and your exchange."


    And with that, he dipped into a bow again, and gestured for Qin Feng to follow him.


    Qin Feng, in the puppet''s body, couldn''t be bothered to answer. But stepped after the idiot server all the same. It was time for him to find out if there was any Purple Blood Ginger available in Fu Lai Medicine Hall!


    * * *

 126 First Visit to Fu Lai Medicine Hall 2

    The side hall was nowhere as empty as Qin Feng had thought it would be. And he sniffed as soon as he walked into the same, and saw the crowd gathered there. But the one who had been guiding him led him straightaway to a somewhat isolated office. Inside sat an old and somewhat tired-looking man, clad in a black robe lined with red stripes at the collar. Apparently, that was some sort of uniform for those working in the place.


    And from the fact that he had two lines of red on his collar made it clear that he was not at the bottom rung of the appraisers working there in that particular place. That was obvious from the fact that he was seated, and had a large, covered cup that smelled of fragrant tea on a small table next to him.


    It was also rather obvious that he had just completed another appraisal a short while earlier. Qin Feng had picked up that bit of information, while he was waiting outside. And reassured himself that the greeter was not simply out to ''sweep'' away the so-called unimportant people for the Medicine Hall.


    The appraiser, on the other hand, had a rather friendly attitude as Qin Feng was led in front of his chair. His hair was graying at the temples and there were tired lines all over his aged face. He looked somewhere in the region of forty-five or so, but his apparent exhaustion made him look at least ten years older. He wasn''t impolite, but there was a certain air of boredom around the fellow.


    "Xiao Liu ah, what is it this time? Someone has something that they claim is precious enough for you to bring them in here? Dare I hope that it is a forty, fifty year old ginseng root? That might make things a little more exciting, hey?"


    The old man in the appraiser''s uniform joked with the servant, before he turned to Qin Feng, and gestured for him to show off what he had brought in. Then, as the latter was opening the pack, his eyes seemed to take on a little more life, as he got a whiff of the strong medicinal scent emanating from the same.


    By the time that Qin Feng had his first linen-wrapped bundle out, and was placing it on the table between them, he was sitting up a lot straighter. And his eyes watched Qin Feng without blinking as the latter unwrapped the Blue Mist Lotus Root that he had just harvested.


    His words, as soon as he saw that, did not match Qin Feng''s expectations however:


    "Golden-veined Lotus Root!"


    Qin Feng almost frowned when he heard that. What Golden-veined Lotus Root? This was a Blue Mist Lotus Root he had here, and not some other variant! Then he forced himself to remain silent, and scowled at the assessor instead.


    Golden-veined Lotus Root was something that was mentioned in the Grand Tome of Herbal Remedies, and was very similar to the Blue Mist Lotus Root. In fact, the only difference between them was the presence of veins within the root itself, that held a touch of golden color. In the Blue Mist Lotus Root, the veins were a lighter yellowish color that didn''t hold a metallic tint, so there were cautions in some of the older versions of the Grand Tome that warned against mis-identification on those grounds.


    Not that it was an issue for Qin Feng. Golden-veined Lotus Roots were almost an entire stage of rarity higher than Blue Mist Lotus Roots. So if they insisted that it was the former, rather than the latter ... Well, he was certainly not going to tell them their mistake! Especially when he was likely to gain a lot more out of it!


    "Oho. You are sure? I was a little uncertain myself, when I spotted it in the wild. But since the Fu Lai Medicine Hall assessors have said so, I am reassured with regards to its authenticity."


    Then Qin Feng paused, and waved at the lotus root in an almost negligent fashion. "Perhaps you would care to tell me how much you would care to purchase this for? I am rather curious as to its going price."


    "This ..."


    The appraiser was clearly unwilling to name a price, and was already gulping down his own saliva as he stared at the precious medicinal root before his eyes.


    "I must apologize, but this ... this is a little beyond me. I shall have to get someone ... more experienced to deal with ... this quality of medicine. At least, not when it comes to the price. My task is merely to authenticate the herbs, to ascertain that they are properly medicines. Please forgive if there is any confusion here."


    Qin Feng was a little surprised to hear that. It seemed Fu Lai Medicine Hall was a lot more complicated than he had imagined. To think that a second-ranked appraiser was unable to make a decision like that! Did that mean that he would have to meet with the Hallmaster himself, if he wanted to get his hands on what he needed?


    Then he shook his head, and decided to try his luck. "Well, I can understand that. But I am in need of a particular medicinal herb and would like to know if there is any available here. You see, I was intending to make an exchange for it, using this ... Lotus Root. Perhaps you would be able to help me find out if ... there is any of it here?"


    The appraiser seemed to recover slightly, once he heard that. And nodded with a little more confidence quickly. "I am willing to make the attempt," he replied with a slight smile, "And I am sure that there are others who would know if I do not have the answer. What is the herb that you are looking for?"


    "Purple Blood Ginger."


    "Oh! I am rather certain that we have about two or three of those medicinal roots with us now. At least, I am certain that I saw them in the storerooms when I checked them last week," the appraiser answered quickly, and his smile made it clear that his confidence was back.


    "But ... are you certain that you wish to make that exchange? Your Golden-veined Lotus Root is worth a good deal more than those ginger roots."


    Qin Feng grinned back at him. What did it matter if the man thought the Lotus Root was worth more than the Purple Blood Ginger? What did it matter even if that was true? He was more than willing to make a loss! After all, this was something that Elder Ming needed to cure his daughter, wasn''t it?


    But before he could respond, another voice, stern and mildly remonstrating, echoed in the narrow appraiser''s office:


    "Be careful what you say, Appraiser Huang. We do not wish our customers to think that we are out to cheat them. And you have already stated that you are not entirely certain that this is really a Golden-veined Lotus Root."


    * * *

 127 First Visit to Fu Lai Medicine Hall 3

    Qin Feng made an angry noise as soon as he heard that. "What do you mean by that?" he growled, as he rose to his feet. And quickly channeled his qi to form shield around himself. From what he had experienced earlier, at the Gate, it seemed necessary to establish that he was not someone to be dismissed, if he wanted fair treatment from these City folk.


    "What do you mean by that?" he repeated, as he glowered at the newcomer.


    The tall man who had just entered the room looked a little pale then, as he was confronted by the apparently furious Qin Feng. The aura that he was giving out was not something that was commonly seen, there in Changqing City. And it was clear that the field of qi that was shooting out from his pores were enough to make everyone else in the chamber groan in agony.


    Then Qin Feng gave out a snort, as he reined in the zhenqi once again. Although he did not stop glaring at the tall man in the rich merchant''s beizi who was standing right in front of the door.


    The appraiser in the room sagged where he sat, while the tall man quickly ran the back of a hand across his lips, to wipe away the traces of blood there. And he quickly gave a deep bow to the grey-haired puppet that Qin Feng was inhabiting, as if in apology.


    Which was more or less what Qin Feng had been waiting for. Why else would he bother to waste the zhenqi that he had been storing inside the puppet otherwise?


    "I did not mean to ... impugn your honesty, respected sir. I had merely wished to warn ... our appraiser not to ... make unnecessary statements regarding your choices. Our Fu Lai Medicine Hall does not ... refuse any exchange so long as the value of the herbs involved are ... more or less equitable."


    By the time that he regained his feet, his confidence also seemed to be back. Although it was clear from the fear in his eyes that he was still intimidated by Qin Feng. And would be for a while, if the young-man-in-the-puppet was not mistaken. Well, that was his own fault for provoking him earlier!


    Then the newcomer dipped into a respectful bow. "Permit this one to introduce himself. This one is Luo Junyuan, Assistant Hall Manager of this Fu Lai Medicine Hall Branch, here in Changqing City. And I apologize for any inconvenience caused earlier ... by my rude interruption of your discussion."


    Qin Feng waved that aside almost negligently, and fixed the earlier appraiser with one eye. And hurriedly went on with the trade that he had in mind. He didn''t wish to waste too much time there, in the City. And he did not doubt that someone would be looking for him soon, if they have not already done so, back at the Heaven Sword School.


    "Purple Blood Ginger. Since you arrived in time to hear your Fu Lai Medicine Hall appraiser''s comment about the ... intended trade earlier, you must have heard what I wish to exchange for my Lotus Root.


    "So tell me, how much Purple Blood Ginger does your Fu Lai Medicine Hall possess at the moment?"


    "Purple Blood Ginger? We should have three to four stalks here. Yet ... I hesitate to offer those up in exchange for your Golden-veined Lotus Root. The difference in monetary value would be ... a little large, for it to be considered equitable. Perhaps there is some other medicinal herb that you would be interested in?"


    Qin Feng reconsidered on hearing that. There were several other ingredients that he was missing, wasn''t he? For his own alchemical mixture? So he nodded at the so-named Assistant Hall Manager Luo. "Have you any Crystal Ice Swallow Nests then?I would take them off your hands if you do. My master could always make use of those things."


    The man who introduced himself as Assistant Hall Manager Luo seemed to think for a moment before he sighed and shook his head. "Unfortunately, we do not have any of those at the moment. The last handful that we received have already been sent off to the Capital. You are aware that it is highly prized by the Emperor''s concubines, of course."


    Qin Feng merely sniffed. "They are probably using that to double-boil one of those rumoured medicinal soups that are supposed to keep their flesh soft and supple, and their faces looking young. What of it? The Emperor would just get tired of them all the same, give or take ten to twenty years. What does it matter to me?"


    His blunt manner was enough to make the Assistant Hall Manager sputter, and the appraiser next to him had his jaw hanging limply, by the time he was done. Qin Feng ignored all of that, and simply waved a hand at the Lotus Root in front of him.


    "I will take all of your Purple Blood Ginger in exchange for this. That should be enough to make good my trip to Changqing City. Of course, if your herbs satisfy me, I will be back in the future. For more of them.


    "Now, do we have an agreement?"


    * * *

 128 First Visit to Fu Lai Medicine Hall 4

    Qin Feng was back on the road about two hours after he was done with the trade. The Assistant Hall Master was apparently more than pleased to have made a profit off him, and had even stuffed a bronze tag marked with the Fu Lai Medicine Hall''s name when he was leaving. Apparently, that would suffice to clear him at the City Gates without any need for an inspection by the Guard. Which would make it a lot more convenient for him in the future.


    That was, if he intended to return to that place at all.


    Qin Feng had considered tossing it aside at first, but decided to hang onto it in the end. He didn''t know if he would need to head back to Changqing City in the future. Given Elder Ming Guanhe''s desire for more Purple Blood Ginger, it seemed likely that he would tasked to make another trip again, within the next six to eight months. So that identification tag would certainly save him a good bit of trouble.


    Of course, it also meant that he would be tracked by the Medicine Hall every time that he entered Changqing City. Which was why he had taken such pains to show off his abundant qi at the Gate and in the Medicine Hall. That should be enough to warn any lowlifes in Changqing that he was not someone who should be taken lightly. After all, how many people were walking around with a cultivation that touched the Profound Realm?


    He turned his attention to the condition of the puppet, as soon as that thought crossed his mind. From what he could see, he had spent more than a quarter of the qi reservoir that he had fixed inside the puppet already. And this trip back to the Heaven Sword School, using his Lightness-of-Body technique should bring him down to three fifths or thereabouts. He was pushing himself a little faster, after all.


    And for good reason. Herb-grower Qin Feng should not have been missed at lunch time, since he usually fixed his own meal at his farm. And there were some days where he missed dinner as well. But it would be prudent if he made some sort of showing, once he got back. That would keep everyone from wondering about him.


    Besides, he was carrying four stalks of Purple Blood Ginger, and that had a certain pungency. It would be far safer if he took a bit of risk, and delivered it to Elder Ming immediately. Or to his daughter, if he wasn''t around. He would feel a lot better with it off his hands.


    Of course, he would feel a whole lot better if he had an idea of how the Elder was going reward him for this successful trade! It wasn''t easy, getting away from the School unnoticed. And the whole process of getting into the City and dealing with the Fu Lai Medicine Hall was certainly frustrating. Not something that he would look forward to doing again, if the rewards were not enticing enough.


    In any case, he was anxious to see just how Elder Ming Guanhe was going to ''show his appreciation''. A single stalk of Purple Blood Ginger was worth close to thousand pieces of silver, and given that it was impossible to obtain at the Heaven Sword School itself, its rarity should bring its price up by half its value elsewhere. That meant that he had just obtained about six thousand silver pieces worth for the old man!


    Qin Feng grinned as he thought of that. Elder Ming Guanhe wasn''t going to be able to raise that much coin. Not in a short period of time. So he would have to find some other way to make good what he owed Qin Feng. Which was enough to make the young herb-grower consider all the possibilities:


    The option that he was hoping for was, naturally, unhindered access into the Southern Forest, where he could pick up as many of the natural growing herbs out there. That would allow him to venture into the less popular destinations that were not visited by the Hunters from the Heaven Sword School. And where he was more likely to come away with rarer and more valuable herbs. Given the fact that most of the Heaven Sword School was still ignorant of some of the uses, and the worth, of the same, he could really end up getting away with a small fortune there.


    On the other hand, that was unlikely. Elder Ming might be willing to slip him a few free passes into the Southern Forest now and then ... but unhindered access? That was surely going to draw the attention of the other Elders. So he doubted the Elder would dare to make such a move. Not when it was likely to expose him to the prying eyes of his peers.


    Especially when he was planning to use a Restricted substance to deal with his daughter''s illness. That would certainly end up causing more trouble for him.


    Qin Feng sighed as he thought of that. No, he should be content with a free pass into the Southern Forest once or twice a month. And that would be to accompany the Hunters as they ventured out to test their skills against the monstrous beasts in the woods. It would be a little greedy to expect more than that, he told himself.


    There was also the possibility that Elder Ming Guanhe was more tight-fisted than he had expected him to be. Which meant that he would only end up with, perhaps, only one visit to the Southern Forest a month. That would be rather disappointing, and would mean that he would have to ''moderate'' his performance with regards to the Elder''s ''assignments''.


    He certainly wasn''t going to put in that much effort for a task that didn''t grant him what he considered an equitable reward. If Elder Ming truly wanted the Purple Blood Ginger, he had better get used to paying for it!


    Qin Feng snorted softly, as that thought crossed his mind. Then he turned his attention back to the rough road ahead of him. The sun was already setting, which meant that he would have to slow down soon, so as to reduce the risk of tripping over something. But the heightened senses that the puppet had been marked with didn''t show any ambushes ahead of him. Or skulkers behind him, for that matter.


    Which more or less assured him that his visit to Changqing City had not attracted any untoward attention. That would have been ... a little messy, if he had to fight using the puppet, on the main road. Fortunately, it didn''t appear he would have to.


    So he simply Breathed, and hurried on his way. He still had quite of bit to do, once he got back to the Heaven Sword School.


    * * *

 129 Choices 1

    A glum, despondent shadow made his way down from the Elders'' Court and stamped along the track that led back past the Medicine Hall, into the assigned fields as night deepened all around him. There was no one about, given that it was shortly after dinner time, and almost everyone was either still gathered at the Dining Hall deeper in the School grounds, or were already clearing up after their meals. The figure on the footpath, on the other hand, clearly had other arrangements.


    Yet, it was clear from the heavy-footed progress that the shadowy figure made as he crept his way back to his own medicine field, that he was not in the mood to worry about food. In fact, judging from the angry glare in his eyes, and the twisted mask upon his face, one would even venture that he was not in the mood for anything but slaughter.


    The shadowy figure was, of course, Qin Feng. And his awful mood was a result of his visit to Elder Ming Guanhe''s home within the Elders'' Court within the Heaven Sword School:


    It had been an uneventful journey back to the Heaven Sword School, after he was done with the ''mission'' that he had taken on, under orders of Elder Ming Guanhe. And he had reported in at once, since he managed to reach the Heaven Sword School shortly before dinnertime.


    And he had taken pains to hide away the Purple Blood Ginger plants among several common herbs, after he had retrieved his proper body from the Old Well. Then he had simply rushed over, anxious to hand over his latest gains to the Elder.


    However, when he arrived at Elder Ming Guanhe''s home the following evening, things did not go quite as he had planned:


    Oh, the Elder and his daughter had welcomed him easily enough. And had been more than pleased to accept the four stalks of Purple Blood Ginger from his hands. Elder Ming Guanhe had even laughed as he took hold of the precious medicinal plants, and rushed off to store them away in whatever secret hiding place that he had arranged for his other rare herbs.


    That had left Ming Qingsong to keep him entertained, while the Elder was busy. Or rather, it was the other way around, with Qin Feng telling her the exaggerated tale about what he had to go through, to get his hands on a Golden-veined Lotus Root, out in the Southern Forest. And how he had to ask a friend of his to rush all the way to Changqing City, where he could make the exchange.


    And he was still in the midst of telling her that story, when Elder Ming Guanhe returned.


    It was at this point of time that things started to go awry. He was not at all surprised that Ming Qingsong was unaware of the value of the herb that he had to trade away, for her Purple Blood Ginger. But the Elder clearly displayed a nonchalance that showed that he was not at all bothered by the fact that he had to give up such a rare and precious commodity.


    In fact, Elder Ming Guanhe showed no indication at all that he was grateful for what Qin Feng had done! And he had even chased Qin Feng away, without even bothering to make a show of inviting him to join him and his daughter for dinner! What sort of gratitude was that?


    This was certainly not what he had expected of the Elder, when he accepted the older man''s arrangements. Not to mention the lack of reward, for the precious medicinal herb that Ming Qingsong so desperately needed. If he had to be totally honest, that was the most bitter straw of all!


    Didn''t Ming Guanhe know what was the worth of a Golden-veined Lotus Root? Didn''t he know what Qin Feng had to give up, to get his hands on the Purple Blood Ginger?


    Wasn''t that worth something?


    And he had even told them, father and daughter, about all the trouble that he had to go through, to get his hands on the plants that they needed. And even hinted that he would have to make it up to the fictional friend that he had to rely on, to get the trade done.


    But even that had not managed to alert the pair to what he was hinting at.


    Qin Feng gave out a low ''hmmmph'' sound as he stamped onto the trail underfoot, and headed towards his little hut, which had just come into sight. But he did not stop screaming at the stupid scar-faced Elder inside his head as he did so.


    What was he to Ming Guanhe? Just another herb-grower? Just another disciple who he had twist around his little finger? Did he really think that this herb-grower was going to lie down, and let an Elder walk all over him?


    If that was the case here, Qin Feng was certainly not about to let Ming Guanhe get away with it! After all, he knew what was most precious to the old man, and he knew exactly how to make him pay! It would be a simple thing, to add a hint of a Yin-aspected herb into the air about his home. That should be enough to have Ming Qingsong coughing up blood for a month or two.


    Let us see how the great Elder Ming Guanhe deals with that!


    By the time his thoughts had reached such a low point, he had already arrived at the front of his hut. His hands seemed to move on their accord, letting him inside. And he even managed to light the simple oil-lamp on his table, as he sat down on his bed.


    Qin Feng slammed his fist against the mud-brick wall next to his bed, causing a crack in the same that ran from the ceiling to the floor. He should have known! All these Elders were the same! All they cared about was the benefits that they would receive, rather than their responsibilities!


    Well, if that was the case, why should Qin Feng bother with him?


    He would come up with other plans, that would win him what he needed, without Ming Guanhe''s help!


    * * *

 130 Choices 2

    Lingxi was more than a little annoyed when she realized that Qin Feng had barred his door, showing clearly that he was unwilling to meet with her. Or any other visitor, she reminded herself, as she turned to give the young woman beside her a look.


    Xuan Mei''s expression was horrible, to say the least. Not that Lingxi could blame her. She had clearly gone through quite a bit of apprehension, when she approached Lingxi with her little scheme, and this visit to Qin Feng''s medicine farm was obviously humiliating for her. Given her proud nature, Lingxi did not need to guess what sort of embarrassment she must be feeling, to find the door barred against her and her practiced arguments.


    Lingxi blushed, as she remembered just how those arguments had involved her. Well, she did agree to participate in this little scheme. And Xuan Mei had been rather generous too, when it came to ... her compensation.


    Of course, if Qin Feng had agreed to this, and depending on his ... desires, she did stand a chance of ... losing all semblance of respectability. Lingxi''s reputation would be seriously affected regardless, so long as he took part in this little ploy, so she was not too upset about that. Given her status in the Rear Gardens, it was not as if she was going to end up smelling of roses in any case.


    And she had to admit that the benefits that Xuan Mei had promised her were very, very tempting. Which was why she had agreed to this in the first place.


    However, Qin Feng''s stand-offish behavior just now was enough to make her wonder if she had made the correct decision. Or if he had already some idea of what the two women were planning. Had he been insulted? That would explain why he was refusing to meet with the two of them, wouldn''t it? Or was this caused by something else?


    "What is wrong with him? Why isn''t he answering the door? Has he ever been like this before, Lingxi? Has he ever shut you out?"


    The woman shook her head at Xuan Mei, and wondered at Qin Feng''s motivations herself. This was so unlike him. Most of the time, he would be more than pleased to talk an to make a deal. Which was why his peculiar behavior worried Lingxi. And not by just a little either.


    Yet, none of that mattered in the least, given Qin Feng''s current bad mood. And it was obvious that neither of them would be able to convince him to let them in, much less engage in a proper discussion about their plans.


    Hence Lingxi did not waste any time, and gently tugged on Xuan Mei''s sleeve, pulling her away from the young herb-grower''s door. "There is no point in trying to talk to him now. I know Qin Feng and this seems to be a repeat of that incident back when he was new to the Medicine Gardens. Some senior had trashed some of his plants during the seasonal submissions back in the day, and Qin Feng had sealed himself up in there for close to twelve days.


    "We will not be able to get through to him until he calms down."


    Xuan Mei, however, did not seem discouraged by that at all. "Hmmph! Who is he to show his temper to this young lady? So what if he shuts himself up? I will simply get my father to summon him to the Elders'' Court! That should put an end to this!"


    Lingxi rolled her eyes at the younger woman. "It will definitely put an end to this, as you say. But not in the way that you are hoping for! Qin Feng will most likely reject your father and announce to the rest of the School that he will not marry you, regardless of what he offers! Tell me, would that suit your purpose? Or your father''s?"


    The girl looked at Lingxi with astonishment in her eyes, as though not believing what she had just heard. Which was enough to make the disciple from the Rear Gardens sigh.


    "You haven''t heard the story, I think. Of how he took revenge on the fool who had trashed his herbs? The boy''s entire field was razed to the ground, and even the trees that were growing on his allocated patch of ground was completely destroyed. All in one night!


    "In the end, that fellow was forced into the mines, to work off his debt to the School for losing such a precious medicine garden. Needless to say, he is still there now, almost a year later!"


    Xuan Mei was still a little unconvinced, although Lingxi could sense her wavering. Her voice was however, firm when she demanded to know why no action had been taken against Qin Feng, if that was the case.


    "Because on the night that the idiot''s fields were destroyed, Qin Feng was out drowning his sorrows in alcohol with two other disciples in town. One of them was Chen Xing, and he was also the one who had to haul Qin Feng back to the School in his drunken state. So how could he be the one to set the fire? When he was stuck in the Outer Court Disciplinary Cells?"


    "But ... How ..."


    "No one knows who helped him to set the fire, or what he had to pay to get it done. Indeed, there was nothing to tie Qin Feng to the incident at all. But everyone knew the reason why everything that the idiot had was destroyed. All because he made Qin Feng really, really upset. And I think he is just as upset now. Perhaps even more so."


    "Then ... You are saying that we should not ... disturb him at all?"


    Lingxi took in a deep breath, and shook her head at the girl beside her. "I think it would be best if we ... left him alone for the time being. And try to find out what it is that got him into ... such a state. Didn''t you say that he was doing something special for Elder Ming Guanhe and his daughter?


    "Why don''t we ask her? She might know the reason being his bad mood."


    * * *

 131 Choices 3

    The pair wasted no time, and quickly arrived at Elder Ming Guanhe''s home, there in the Elders'' section of the Main Hall. And was politely invited in by Ming Qingsong, even as she apologized for her father''s absence. Apparently, he had been called away, to check on some Hunters who had been hurt in a recent expedition into the Southern Woods.


    "That is not important. To tell the truth, the reason why we are here is to see you, and not your father. You should be aware that my ... intended, Qin Feng, has recently suffered some setback or other, and has been ... moping in his medicine garden hut ever since?"


    Ming Qingsong was clearly surprised to hear that.


    "Moping in his medicine garden? Why would he do that?"


    Lingxi scowled as soon as she heard the young girl''s question. Could it be that she didn''t know the reason for Qin Feng''s awful mood? Did that mean that it had nothing to do with his strange visit to Elder Ming Guanhe''s home the day before?


    Xuan Mei wasn''t about to leave it to chance however, which she made rather clear with her next words to Ming Qingsong:


    "We are uncertain. But since he started ... isolating himself this morning, after his last visit here, we were hoping that you might have a clue. And that you might wish to share it with us. We have some ... urgent matters to discuss with Qin Feng and his refusal to meet with us ... hints at a deeper problem."


    "Oh?"


    Ming Qingsong looked surprised at that, and glanced at Lingxi before she turned back to face Xuan Mei. Which was enough to prompt the Rear Gardens disciple to cut in.


    "We would like to know more about ... his mood last night. And how he behaved, when he came here for dinner last night. It is no secret that he visited you and your father, so we were hoping that you might be able to give us a clue with regards to his ... strange mood."


    "Ah! But we didn''t ... No, he didn''t have dinner with us last night. It was ... inconvenient for him to remain in the house since ... In any case, he left before we ate, and he seemed perfectly fine. As far as I could tell," the young girl told her visitors.


    Lingxi''s frown deepened, and she was gratified to note that Xuan Mei was also scowling at the girl''s words. This was starting to make sense now, although she did not believe it to be so simple. Qin Feng was not the sort of person that would quibble over a simple missed dinner.


    Xuan Mei, however, had other ideas. "Perhaps that had annoyed him? That your father didn''t invite him to remain for a meal? Or was he displeased with Qin Feng''s performance in some way?"


    "No, no. Father was more than happy that he managed to make the trade ..."


    Ming Qingsong slapped both of her hands over her mouth immediately, and the shock in her eyes told Lingxi that she had just revealed something that she should not have spoken about.


    A quick glance at Xuan Mei however, told Lingxi that the other girl had no intention of questioning the younger girl about that. So Lingxi pushed on, in another direction:


    "And what was Qin Feng''s reaction to your father''s ... praise?"


    "Father? Father didn''t ... directly praise him, although he was clearly happy to ... receive what he received from Qin Feng''s hands. We were ... occupied with something else so we simply ... sent him away."


    Lingxi was more than a little surprised to hear that. "And did Elder Ming ... promise to ... deal with Qin Feng''s ... to pay for whatever that he had received from Qin Feng, at a later date?" she pushed.


    Only to receive a shake of the head from Ming Qingsong. Who was beginning to understand why Qin Feng had been in such a poor mood ever since he left her home.


    "Then ... you think this has something to do with my father? I mean, how he dealt with Brother Qin Feng?"


    Lingxi nodded back at the girl. It was not a lie, after all. Qin Feng had only shut himself away since his return, and she had always been able to get through to him, regardless of whatever tantrum that he was throwing. This time, things looked a little more dire. Much more dire than a failure to invite him to share a meal.


    "We think that it has something to do with ... the sort of remuneration that he had received for his efforts. He has a severe dislike of ... not receiving what he considers ... equitable returns for his efforts, and what he spends. Hence, we have come to find out more about this particular trade that he has made on your father''s behalf."


    "Equitable returns? What do you mean?"


    Lingxi studied Ming Qingsong, as the young girl scowled at her. It seemed she did not truly have an idea of what was going on. Or she did not truly understand what Qin Feng was doing. Or her father''s role in the same.


    To be honest, Lingxi was not quite clear herself. But from what she knew of Qin Feng, it shouldn''t be anything that would disadvantage the young herb-grower. He was never someone who would willingly accept a loss unless he had no choice in the matter. And he would always find a way to take his revenge, if that was so.


    "She means ... that Qin Feng should be expecting some sort of reward for ... his services to Elder Ming. Surely ... your father would have prepared some sort of prize for ... his efforts? What I am saying is, that Qin Feng would not have bothered to go through so much trouble to ... deal with your father''s troubles, if he wasn''t due some sort of reward."


    Xian Mei explained to the girl almost immediately, while Lingxi was still struggling to decide if she should inform the other two about Qin Feng''s idiosyncrasies.


    "But ... my father has never given him anything to trade away. And he never said anything to me about any prize or reward. At least, not that I know of." The young girl scowled, and gave off a puzzled air.


    "Hasn''t Qin Feng always handled all of trading himself? That includes ... providing the goods to be traded too, doesn''t it?"


    Lingxi drew in a sharp breath before she could stop herself. And quickly asked the questions that popped into her head, when the other two sets of eyes turned towards her. "You mean, your father did not provide him with any herb or medicine to be traded away? Did Qin Feng mention what he had used to ... exchange for the ... medicine that your father received then?"


    "Ah. Yes, he did. And I am sure that he didn''t get it from father. Father isn''t very good with herbs and has only read through the Hundred Medicinal Herbs Index so far. Qin Feng mentioned that he traded away ... a Golden-veined Lotus Root? I think that was what he called it."


    Lingxi''s eyes widened and she shot up to her feet before she could stop herself. Which was enough to make both girls edge backwards in astonishment. By the time that she caught her breath, and recovered her composure to sit down at the table again, the pair was already waiting for her to explain her unexpected reaction.


    "I think I know why Qin Feng has shut himself up in his medicine field house now. And I would even say that it is a very reasonable response. If I had been the one to trade away my personal Third Grade Medicinal Herb, and receive nothing more than a word of thanks for it, I would doubtless do the same."


    "What? A Third Grade Medicinal Herb?"


    * * *

 132 Choices 4

    "A Third Grade Medicinal Herb? What is that?"


    Lingxi almost groaned out loud when she heard that. Clearly, this Ming Qingsong had been too pampered! Didn''t she even know about the classification of herbal medicines? And her father was supposed to be the Elder in charge of the Medicine Fields! How could she be so ignorant?


    Fortunately, Xian Mei, who had been properly astonished by the revelation, was quick to explain it to her:


    "What Qin Feng traded away - that Golden Veined Lotus Root? Well, that was a Third Grade Medicinal Herb. And it is worth about ... oh, two to three thousand silver coins? Maybe more than that, if the piece of root in his possession weighed more than ,,, what? Six hundred grams?"


    Lingxi shook her head even as Ming Qingsong''s eyes shot wide open. "More than that. That is the price that our Medicine Hall would pay for the root. If you head out into the Cities and the towns close by, you would likely be able to demand between two to three times more."


    Then she turned to Ming Qingsong, and nodded at her. "I do not need to know what sort of herb that he traded it for, but I doubt that it cost anything less than four to six thousand silver coins. That is, if the place where he traded the Lotus Root away was more or less respectable. In any case, that is not a small sum of money."


    "Then ... It is no wonder that Younger Brother Qin Feng is feeling so upset! He has traded away such an expensive item, and offered up ... whatever it is that he traded it for! He offered that to your father ... What did he get in return for his efforts? And his prized medicinal herb?


    "I think his ... isolating himself makes sense now. Especially in light of how Elder Ming has ... failed to show his appreciation for his efforts."


    Xian Mei bit her lower lip as soon as she heard that. And started to shake her head. "This is more problematic that I had expected. Even my father would not be able to raise that sort of money in a hurry," she whispered.


    Ming Qingsong looked upset then. And very shocked as well. "Four to six ... thousand silver? But ... but he didn''t tell me that! I didn''t know! It''s not written anywhere in the texts on medicinal plants and such. And I doubt my father realizes that either," she protested at once.


    Lingxi sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose as soon as she heard Ming Qingsong''s whine. She had a better idea of what happened now. And she didn''t blame Qin Feng for throwing a tantrum and shutting himself away from everyone else, now she knew the details. In fact, she was rather surprised that he didn''t do worse!


    "Then he has taken ... a severe loss. And your father''s ... lackluster response has only made matters worse. Little wonder why Qin Feng is feeling ... so depressed."


    "We could ... try to get our hands on ... some money, I think, to make up for his loss. I mean ... I think my father might have a bit of coin squirreled away somewhere."


    "That won''t work," Xian Mei said to Ming Qingsong, upon hearing the latter''s suggestion, "Qin Feng has never bothered to accumulate coin, as far as I can tell. Even Lingxi and her friends in the Rear Gardens know that. They owe him a huge debt, amounting to almost a thousand silver already, and he has never bothered to collect."


    Xuan Mei turned to Lingxi then, and made a gesture in her direction. "Not even in kind. I would have expected a young man like him to be more prone to ask for ... other services, other than coin. But he hasn''t done that either, has he?"


    The oldest of the trio looked up at the darkening sky then, and sighed again. And did not bother to get upset at Xuan Mei''s question. There was no point in saying what everyone already knew, was there?


    "That is correct. I owe him about three hundred silver myself. So it is clear that he is more concerned about something other than just coin. I believe that he is deeply angered to be brushed aside like that, after he succeeded in ... getting your father what he wanted.


    "If that is the case, I seriously doubt that you will be able to get him to purchase any more herbs for you, regardless the price that you are willing to pay. Qin Feng is stubborn like that. That is how he got into trouble with ... Lingyuan and her friends. They refused to meet his price once, you see. So he refused to supply them, regardless of how much silver they are willing to pay.


    "I am rather certain that we do not wish him to apply those same rules to us, for whatever reason. That would be a disaster, for all of us."


    Lingxi watched as the pale young girl''s face took on a despondent air. Xuan Mei too, seemed more than a little upset as well. Which reminded Lingxi of the reason why she had been so anxious to meet with Qin Feng.


    And why she had bothered to reach out to Lingxi in the first place. All of that had been so that she could present a proper arrangement, a proper plan, to the herb-grower. But now, it didn''t appear as though there was any possibility of getting him to agree to her scheme, did it? Not if he was still upset with Elder Ming, and the rest of the Heaven Sword School.


    "We would have to meet with him, and be properly apologetic when we ... explain to him that it is taking longer than we expected, for Elder Ming to get his hands on the reward that he had in mind for Qin Feng. That might be enough to ... keep him from making any moves that would ... upset the situation at hand."


    Xuan Mei looked at Lingxi immediately after the latter said that, and she seemed rather cautious about having to lie to the herb-grower. "And if he learns that there isn''t ... that Elder Ming isn''t really searching for a suitable reward? What then?"


    "Then we had best come up with a way to make it up to him. In either Elder Ming''s or your father''s name. Because we certainly need him more than he needs us, right now!"


    * * *

 133 The Desires of Three Women 1

    It was early the following morning, when the rest of the disciples in the medicine fields had just finished their routines that started with the dawn, that three women made their way past the Medicine Hall and into the outlying fields.


    Normally, such an occurrence would not have garnered much attention, since it was a rather open secret that there were a good number of female disciples in the Rear Gardens who had formed ... particular relationships with some of the more prominent Outer School disciples assigned to the medicine fields.


    Yet, it was clear from their dressing that these three were not your normal, everyday female disciples. And, if one were to judge from their attire, there were two of them who did not appear to be disciples of the Heaven Sword School at all!


    Still, these two were being led around by a rather well-known figure from the Rear Gardens, so no one dared to ask any questions. And were more than content to let the trio pass in silence. After they were a suitably long distance away, however, the questions and the theories were given voice almost immediately, as everyone shared what they had just seen. As well as their versions of what had prompted such an unusual visit.


    Needless to say, a great many wondered just who the two young women following after the Rear Gardens'' female disciple, Lingxi, were.


    As for Lingxi herself, she was more concerned about her destination, and who she was about to meet, rather than her two companions. And all that gossip and talk behind her? That was no worth a single consideration at all!


    After all, who was going to dare to make a comment, when they found out that she was leading Elder Xuan''s only daughter, Xuan Mei, to meet with her supposedly betrothed herb-grower? And similarly for Elder Ming Guanhe''s sole offspring, Ming Qingsong, who was ostensibly the witness to the whole matter, as well as an additional chaperone.


    Given Lingxi''s less than altogether respectable reputation in the Rear Gardens, no one who dare to comment on the fact that she had brought another person along, to ensure that the meeting between the two lovers were ... untainted by scandal.


    And if anyone should comment on the fact that the three of them had spent a good part of the previous day''s afternoon, huddled together in Elder Ming Guanhe''s premises, speaking about something that seemed more secretive that the usual rumors that floated about the Rear Gardens ... Well, no one had any confidence to make a guess as to what was going on. The meeting between the two Elders'' daughters was not something that anyone dared to comment about. But as unusual as the whole matter appeared to be, it could easily be explained away. After all, there were few female disciples who were as familiar with Qin Feng''s medicine field as Lingxi was.


    Of course, it would have drawn outrage of another kind, if the rest of the Outer School disciples learned of how Qin Feng had barred his door against the three women, including the one who was supposed to be his intended.


    Which was enough to have Xuan Mei biting her lower lip as she twisted the handkerchief that she had in her hands. Ming Qingsong, standing right beside her, was similarly affected, although her pale face could also be blamed upon the sun, that was already starting to beat down on the trio.


    Lingxi, on the other hand, was quick to press Qin Feng''s buttons, to urge him to open the door:


    "We have come to speak to you, Disciple Brother Qin Feng, about ... an arrangement that might prove mutually beneficial to all parties present. But especially to you. Perhaps you should let us in first, and listen to what we have to say?"


    For a moment, there was only silence. Then she heard the sounds that told her that Qin Feng was making his way to the door. So she waved at the two girls at her side, to ensure that both Xuan Mei and Ming Qingsong kept up the contrite expressions that were on their faces.


    The door, however, was yanked open without any particular flourish, and the young man didn''t even bother to greet them. Instead, he simply turned about, and stepped back into his simple house. Leaving the trio to look at each other, in surprise.


    But Lingxi quickly waved at Ming Qingsong at once, and hurried her inside, while she stuck to the younger woman''s heels. And gave her another signal, to begin as they had planned:


    Ming Qingsong''s voice, fortunately, did not give away that particular fact, as she spoke.


    "I believe that I must first apologize to big brother Qin for not welcoming you to our dinner last night. But, the situation was ... somewhat complicated, you see? So I can only beg your forgiveness."


    "Oh?"


    He made that barely audible sound as he reached his bed, and sat down on the same. It was deliberate, of course. But Lingxi did not hesitate to step over to it all the same. It would cause less of a scandal, if she joined him there. There were only two other stools, next to the simple square table in the middle of the room. So the others would have to be content with those.


    Ming Qingsong sighed as she patted the thick, old-fashioned vest that she was wearing, against the chilly wind as she sat down. "You caught us at the wrong time, big brother Qin Feng. It was not that we didn''t want you around but ... it was my mother''s death anniversary, so we were ... not in any condition to welcome guests. Didn''t you notice that we only had vegetarian food on the table that night?"


    Qin Feng blinked. Which was something that the other girls missed, obviously. But Lingxi had been dealing with the youth for quite a while now, and she guessed that he was a little taken aback by that revelation. Perhaps he had been so caught up in the success of his mission, and in his attempt to recover the cost of his move, that he had not bothered to pay attention to any of that. Besides, he had not been invited to dine, so how could he have had a good look at the food on the table?


    "Oh? Is that so?"


    Lingxi managed not to frown, as soon as she heard his steady reply. Which made it rather clear that he was still intent on holding the higher ground in this discussion. Things did not appear to be very favorable to the two younger women, it seemed.


    But Xuan Mei spoke up then, which was what they had agreed upon earlier. To mention something to his advantage at once, so that he would not dwell on his bad experience.


    "Regardless, Elder Ming and my father are ... working on getting you a blanket pass to join any of the Hunts in the Southern Forest for the next year. While the situation may not be the most ... lucrative during the Winter months, it is said that there should be rather hefty gains throughout the rest of the year."


    Qin Feng''s reaction to that statement, however, made it clear to Lingxi that he was not in the least impressed by that at all.


    "Oh? And you pretend that this would be sufficient to have me venture out into the Southern Woods once more? So that I can gather up more of those medicinal herbs that younger sister Ming needs? At the risk of my own life?"


    * * *

 134 The Desires of Three Women 2

    The two girls were a little stunned to hear his reply to Xuan Mei''s opening gambit, which was supposed to put Qin Feng in a slightly better mood. The fact that they had chosen to start with Ming Qingsong''s situation did not surprise him. Xuan Mei''s own dilemma was more complex and they were likely to face rejection on both counts, if they did not have the confidence to pull it off as well. Which made Ming Qingsong''s ''request'' something a lot safer.


    Qin Feng hid a laugh as soon as he saw the look on both the girls'' faces, and he shook his head at the young women. As if he was going to be pleased with just being a runner for Elder Ming! Did they even know what he had lost already? Why would he bother to continue to do the same, if he wasn''t about to make any gains at all?


    "I think I would very much prefer to remain here at my little medicine garden, and forgo all further trips into the Woods, thank you very much. Elder Ming should find someone who is better trained to handle the risk of dealing with all those wild animals and Spirit Beasts, if he wishes to keep harvesting his herbs there.


    "This little herb-grower is clearly not someone suited for such a heavy responsibility."


    Then, without giving Ming Qingsong a chance to speak out against his decision - as if she had the presence of mind to do so, given the shock that he had just given her! In any case, he turned to Xuan Mei instead, and shook his head at her as well.


    "And what is this nonsense that I have been hearing about your father betrothing you to me, Sister Xuan Mei? That is a little overdoing it, and we should clarify it as soon as possible, before the rumor mill in the Rear Gardens kick up a big fuss."


    Xuan Mei''s face went pale, which told him that his strike had hit her where it counted. Clearly, he had just caught her unprepared with that question. Doubtless she had wished to bring it up quietly, and negotiate terms with him. Well, that didn''t suit him at all. So he dragged Xuan Mei''s issue to the fore at once, so that he could keep both of the Elders'' daughters off balance.


    "I ... I ... don''t believe that ..."


    Qin Feng cut her off before she could get any further:


    "Of course, you wouldn''t believe it! But there are already many rumors floating about the Rear Gardens. So we shall need to put an end to them quickly. How is it that the other disciples, Inner or Outer School, would believe that you have fallen for a herb-grower?


    "Besides, I am only intending to remain here for two years, and that will be over by next Spring. Well, late Spring, if you wish to be accurate. I can''t understand why someone would go about spreading such gossip about me. Please do not take offence, Sister Xuan. I assure you that I will clear it up quickly."


    A panicked expression crossed Xuan Mei''s face at the moment that she heard that. And she almost shouted at him immediately. But a quick gesture from Lingxi drew all eyes, including Qin Feng''s, and so saved her from having to embarrass herself.


    The oldest of the girls managed to speak in a steady voice, which clearly showed just how accustomed to Qin Feng''s little tricks she was. "I think there''s no need for that. I am certain that ... Junior Brother Qin Feng has already some idea of what Elder Xuan and his daughter are up to, and you are only ... bargaining now? Well, perhaps we can go about this in a more business-like manner. Would you prefer that, Brother Qin Feng?"


    "Oh? If that is the case, I would gladly follow your lead. But ... I would like to know just what you are intending with this. Or rather, what lengths Sister Xuan Mei is intending to go, to create this ... illusion. And why this is important to her?"


    Xuan Mei took a deep breath then, and after a glance at Lingxi, who nodded in encouragement, she went on to describe her dilemma, and the solution that she and her father had devised. Something that had Qin Feng giving out a bark of laughter, the moment that she was finished.


    "But there is hardly enough time for you to receive a reply from whichever Sect that you are applying to join, is it? Or are you expecting me to stay past my sixteenth year? Who is going to allow for that? Your father?"


    But her calm reply surprised him. "Yes. And I intend to ask Elder Ming Guanhe to be the one to suggest it, so that my father can be the one to give the first approval, before it goes before the Left Guardian. Everyone would believe that Elder Ming is trying his best to hang onto his favorite herb-grower, given how you have managed to help Qingsong here ... break out of her shell. Lingxi and I can help you with that illusion."


    "Help me? Say rather that you are helping yourselves!"


    He scowled at the young women then, which seemed enough to make it clear that he was not amused by their tricks. Why did they have to bother him with this sort of thing? As an Elder''s daughter, it should be simple to get other disciples, Inner or Outer School, to help her with this little play. Why was she getting him involved?


    Lingxi however, was quick to agree with his assessment. "That is true enough. But to be fair, we would all stand to gain. And Xuan Mei should get her reply from ... the Empire by next year. And likely before Winter. Or rather, that should be about how long it will take for her to receive word. So there should be nothing to stop you from leaving after that.


    "If you can ... arrange for Elder Ming to receive ... some of what he needs after that, we should be able to keep the illusion going up until about Spring the following year. That should give you sufficient time to make whatever arrangements you need."


    "And what sort of arrangements do you believe that I would need?"


    Qin Feng didn''t give the trio any chance to reply to his question. Not that Ming Qingsong had anything to say about that. He had gone easy on her, seeing how she had bothered to talk to her father, to get him a permanent pass into the Southern Woods. That was, at least, a reasonable payment for the service that he was providing.


    But what Xuan Mei had just proposed was nothing more than exploiting him, and his name. And he certainly wasn''t likely to get anything that he could use, out of playing such a role. Did she really think him an idiot? Or was that her father''s idea?


    "I am only going to get laughed at, when you leave for whichever Sect or School that you have applied for, and that would also infuriate the idiotic old man who is trying to win your hand. So I would end up being scorned and win an enemy, through no fault of my own. And what would I stand to gain from this? Nothing. Absolutely nothing."


    He scowled at the pretty young daughter of Elder Xuan as he said that, and shook his head at her for good measure. "If you are intending for me to take on this role, you should at least offer me something more tangible. Like a promotion into the Inner School, or for Elder Xuan to accept me as a Core disciple. Not that I would accept, of course.


    "But anything less than that would be absolutely worthless."


    * * *

 135 The Desires of Three Women 3

    Xuan Mei leaned forward then, and met his gaze squarely. "In that case, what would you desire of me? What can I offer that would make you change your mind? Why don''t you tell me that, rather than have me make my ... silly offers?"


    He paused as he thought about it. But Lingxi stepped in again, and took over the negotiations again. Or so it seemed:


    "I should point out that you are rather ... alone, without any powerful supporters at the moment. Well, Elder MIng will certainly support you, since he has to rely on you to get those medicinal herbs for his daughter. But there is no one else who would be inclined. And you will be spending at least another eight to ten months here. If you wish to leave in Spring next year.


    "Why not remain for another year? And stand to make some easy benefits? All that it will cost you is your name. And Xuan Mei here has already said that you can name your own benefits. So why not consider it?"


    Qin Feng had to admit that she had a very sound reasoning. And it was true that he still had a way to go, before he could break through the Foundation grade, and into the real Qi Gathering Stage. So more time, and more support, for his cultivation would be good for him as well.


    So he nodded slowly at the trio. Even as he considered what he stood to gain. He wasn''t about to let them off so lightly, after all that he had had to go through. Besides that, he still had to work with the puppet, so that he could bring it back up to its optimum condition.


    "Well, I will admit that you have me tempted. But what are the benefits that I would get for helping you create this ... illusion? You have not touched on how far you would go, so far. And don''t try to drag Elder Ming into this. It doesn''t need both your fathers to get me approved to join all of the Hunts from now on. Elder Ming has always had the authority to do so, so don''t try to convince me otherwise."


    He shook a finger at Xuan Mei then, and cocked his head at her. "Now, since you are trying to get out of an unwelcome marriage proposal, I am likely to be targeted by the fellow who wishes to be your groom. That means that I am likely to be put at risk! For more than an entire year!


    "Surely you have come up with some plan for me to avoid the danger that is certain to come my way. Why don''t you share that with me first?"


    Xuan Mei sighed, as soon as she was confronted with Qin Feng''s question. "I suppose that is true. That lusty old man is likely to come for you, so long as you are ... betrothed to me. But he wouldn''t dare to make any overt gestures towards you. Not with my father around. I think you should know that my father knows what is at stake. And that he would do all that he can to protect you."


    Qin Feng laughed at once. "All that he can to protect me? When he has to go through so much trouble to tie his daughter to a more powerful Sect out in the East? If he really had the power to oppose your ugly old suitor, why would he bother to come up with such a scheme?"


    Then he scowled at the young woman and shook his head. "Your story is full of holes as it is, and since you can''t even manage to tell a proper lie, I will leave that aside for the moment. Let us get on with what is more important. What are you offering me, in exchange for this ... role that you would have me play? What do I get out of this?"


    "Like said earlier, I do not appear to have anything that might even vaguely interest you. My father might be able to get you a spot in the Annual Selection Trials for the Inner School but you don''t seem to be too concerned about your martial arts as far as I can see. So I doubt that would interest you."


    Qin Feng sniffed as soon as she mentioned that. How could he miss that look in her eye, which told him that she was hoping for him to express some interest in that particular event, which would make things easier for her. Just what sort of advantage would being an Inner School disciple be for him? After all, he would be expected to take on those stupid missions that required him to risk his life for the Heaven Sword School. Why would he bother with something as idiotic as that?


    Of course, he would be protected by the Heaven Sword School if her ugly old suitor came looking for trouble. And Elder Yuan would have no choice but to support him in the Inner School as well, since he was the one who recommended him there. Too bad it wasn''t what he was looking for!


    Xuan Mei shook her head back at him again, as if to say that she could not think of anything that might pique his interest. "Honestly, I cannot even begin to guess what you would need, much less want, in exchange for playing a part in this ... act of mine.


    "And unless you wish to get your hands on some rare and unusual martial arts, which my father might be able to arrange for you, I cannot really think of anything that you might be interested in," she sighed softly.


    "So I think it would be easier if I simply asked you what you would desire, in exchange for this ... arrangement? What do you want?"


    Qin Feng scowled as he considered what she had just mentioned. Elder Xuan''s specialty was in martial arts, wasn''t it? And he had already seen how lacking his abilities in that particular arena was, from his last trip in the Southern Woods. So ...


    "Simple, I want a letter from you ... an undated one. Senior Disciple Sister Lingxi and Younger Sister Ming Qingsong here shall testify that you handed it to me just before you leave for ... whichever Sect that you have applied for. Basically, you will be rejecting me in the same, and make it clear to anyone who reads it that you are leaving me in the lurch.


    "So that no one can claim that I have done anything to betray your trust in me. And that your breaking of our ... nuptial pact was entirely your fault."


    "What? But that would ..."


    He sniffed, and turned his head to stare at the equally shocked Lingxi. But he interrupted Xuan Mei before she could say anything further:


    "Why would you care what it would do? It is only your reputation here, isn''t it? Why should you bother, if you are already leaving the Heaven Sword School? I am the one who is going to be laughed at, and who has to fend off your ugly old suitor, so I will need some grounds for treating you as a shameless woman by then, don''t you agree?


    "That way, I can scold and revile you all I wish, and still have people on my side. Perhaps that will be enough to keep me safe, long enough so that I can leave this place in peace."


    * * *

 136 The Desires of Three Women 4

    Xuan Mei''s face was red as soon as she heard that. But she didn''t fail to agree to his condition. So he went on at once, with what else he wanted from her:


    "And I have just discovered that ... my fighting abilities aren''t quite up to the standard of the ... the other disciples. So I shall trouble you to get me more training in that aspect, from your father. I think it would not be out of place, for him to ... spend some time training his potential son-in-law in the fighting arts. I will not ask for secret skills, but only to practice those martial arts that I am already in possession of."


    To his surprise, Xuan Mei shook her head at him immediately. And even Lingxi seemed to disagree with his demand. "You are only an Outer School disciple, and a herb-grower. Elder Xuan is in-charge of training the Inner School disciples, so that would be ... very eye-catching, if you know what I mean? I don''t think you would want that sort of attention," the latter told him, when he frowned at the pair of them.


    Xuan Mei, on the other hand, had a question for him instead. "What sort of martial arts have you picked up, at the Hidden Scriptures Library?"


    "Four Seasons Sword and Flowing Wind Movement. Oh, and I picked the Jade Tree Breathing Exercises as well, but I don''t need any help with that."


    She seemed to brighten up a little, as soon as she heard that. "In that case, why don''t I show you how to best training in them. I know the Flowing Wind Movement as well, and the Four Seasons Sword is more or less compulsory for all Outer School disciples. So I have learned it before. We don''t need to trouble my father for that."


    "That would be good for you too, wouldn''t it? It would give the impression that you are spending more time with your betrothed, hmmm? Very well, I can accept that."


    Xuan Mei''s face turned bright red as soon as she got his agreement, and looked up at Lingxi in surprise. Only to the see the older girl shaking her head at her.


    "You have fallen into his trap, Junior Sister Mei. I think he has been hoping for something like this, rather than actually wanting your father to take a hand in his training. Of course, I could have also given him lessons as well. But he is right. This would create a more convincing impression that you two are engaged."


    Then Lingxi turned to the only man in the room with a crooked smile. "But I think you had better teach ... your intended here a few tricks about how to make a bargain. And how to deal with ... such matters. Or you might find yourself eating a loss, somewhere in the near future."


    Qin Feng sighed. And shook his head at the young woman. He could understand what Lingxi was saying, so he decided to explain to Xuan Mei just what was going on. "Look. You are clearly not as skilled as I am in this regard, so I will make it simple for you:


    "Think of this as a trade. I have something that you want, and to get it from me, you will have to offer me something that I want. Or something that I might possibly be interested in. Like what Ming Qingsong''s father has done. He wants those special herbs that grow in the wilderness but he doesn''t have the knowledge or the skill to get his hands on it. Hence, he gives me a chance to head out there instead, and allows me to harvest my own herbs along with those medicines that he wants. Which I would then hand over to him. As a sort of ... payment, hmmm?"


    He paused then, and looked at Xuan Mei, but the Elder''s daughter did not look particularly enlightened by his example. So he sighed, and tried another tact:


    "In your case, your father deals with the Inner School and the martial arts training for the same. Well, I am not interested in the former but have made you an offer with regards to the latter. So you should have begged off, and say that you will speak to your father, to see if he is agreeable. Or you might have made a counteroffer, saying that you would get a more skilled disciple, like Lingxi here, to training me in the Four Seasons Sword.


    "What you had done instead, was to offer to help me yourself, with both sets of martial arts. Rather than dealing with them one at a time. Hence, I jumped at the offer, which, to me, was something that had exceeded my expectations. Do you see?"


    Xuan Mei frowned, and gave him a strange look. "But ... I am more than willing to ... put in that effort, to obtain ... what I want from you. Are you saying that I shouldn''t do that?"


    "No, I am not. But if you were to probe a little deeper, you might find out what I see a value in, and might be willing to exchange my time, and my effort, for. That would make it easier for you, in future ... transactions."


    "But ..."


    QIn Feng held up a hand, to stop her protests. And glared at Lingxi as the latter began to chuckle into her sleeve. "Never mind. Just remember what I have told you. And remember to see me with a draft of that ... break-off letter of yours tomorrow. I have a feeling that it would need a few rewrites, before you ... are capable of conveying the right sort of mood in the same."


    It did not take him too long to get the girls to leave, after they had come to their agreement. Even Xuan Mei had promised to see him with a draft of her little farewell note, two days later. Which was actually more of an insurance, rather than something that he really intended to use. Like she had said earlier, there were a lot of intangible benefits, being seen as a potential son-in-law to Elder Xuan. And he intended to make full use of all of them.


    One of the most obvious would be the fact that he would be able to walk right past all of those checks that were conducted, every time that he left and re-entered the School via the Gates. Added to the fact that he was getting to join any Hunt in the Southern Forest, so long as he was interested in doing so, that was going to make his harvest of wild-growing herbs much easier!


    And if one included the special arrangement that he had made with Elder Ming Guanhe, and the initial contact that he had with Fu Lai Medicine Hall over at Changqing City, any extra herbs that he was able to harvest in the woods could be exchanged for those that would be of real help to him, and the formation of his Foundation.


    As for his deal with Xuan Mei, it would greatly improve his Movement and Sword skills. And he had just discovered that he would need that to deal with some of the wilderness creatures that he was likely to come across in the Southern Woods. So that would certainly be a bonus.


    Besides that, he would also be ... protected by his proximity to her, which would certainly make all of the disciples, Inner or Outer School, behave a lot more cautious around him. That was one of the reasons why he had agreed to those lessons from her in the first place, rather than an actual confidence in her abilities!


    And as for her application to join that far-off Sect ... Well, he wasn''t too concerned. So long as he had that letter that she promised him - and he was going to make sure that it covered all angles, regardless whether she was accepted by that unnamed Sect or not! So long as he had that on him, he would be protected from everything except a scandal, when he leaves.


    Because, regardless whether Xuan Mei was successful or otherwise, he had every intention of leaving the Heaven Sword School well before the Spring came again!


    * * *

 137 Return 1

    Two years later ...


    Qin Feng groaned.


    That was a good thing.


    The fact that he could groan, and that he could hear his own groaning, meant that he was still alive. Indeed, the fact that he could still feel pain, and the stiffness of his own body, was something that he rejoiced in.


    He had half-expected to die, when he faced that overwhelmingly powerful practitioner. In fact, he was certain that he would not survive. Especially when it became clear that no one would not lift a finger to save him.


    He hadn''t known that Nu Yuanqing was about though. At least, not until after he had fallen. But he had managed to catch snatches of her conversation with the enemy. It seemed clear that she was still harboring a grudge against him, for the dispute between him and her people from the Rear Gardens of the Heaven Sword School.


    Of course, he had expected as much. Someone with as small a heart as that selfish woman would never forgive a slight. Still, he had hoped that she would hold to the agreement that the Heaven Sword School had made with the Old Marquis'' wife.


    Too bad that she was more than willing to cast that aside, just for the chance of seeing him perish. Well, if that was the case, he was certainly not going to give her, and hers, a chance to flourish, now that he had managed to survive. Although he would have to see what was available to him later, and decide if he wished to hammer a few more nails into her coffin.


    Well, he would have to wait, if he wanted to do that. For the moment, he was lying on an army cot in the middle of a musky old tent. Although he had to say that the bandages that had been wrapped around his bruised and strained limbs were greatly welcome. Well, aches and pains aside, he was more than pleased to be alive.


    As for where he was, Qin Feng had absolutely no idea at all. Except for the fact that he was clearly still inside the Marquis'' army camp, there were no other clues whatsoever. So he decided not to bother with that, and to concentrate on what he did know. Or what he was truly interested in:


    Qin Feng turned his attention back to his own body at once. He could see that there were bruises all over his arms and those parts that were exposed, but there wasn''t any danger at all. Which meant that he had been pretty well taken care of, after he had collapsed. Qin Feng had the idea that it was Li Changhai, the Second Ducal Prince, who had made the arrangements for that, since he had put himself in danger to save that person''s life.


    He shuddered then, as he thought back to how he had to fight against someone so far above him in terms of cultivation and martial arts earlier. That Luo Qingke fellow, who wielded the Iron Blood Hawk Claw, was already a master of his particular art, and Qin Feng was nowhere near his match at all! In fact, he was more than lucky to be alive!


    Then he shook off that memory, and concentrated on his own body. He didn''t have the luxury of getting distracted now. Who knew what other dangers lay in store for the Marquis'' army, there on the fringes of civilization? Or if the Barbarians had any more tricks that they were about to play? He had to focus on his own recovery first!


    But he was astounded, the moment that he started to Breathe. It was a bit of the shock, he had to admit, when he realized that he was already in the First Level of Core Growth! How did that happen? How did he get himself up by a whole Realm? Without even noticing it?


    The Core in his body had already formed itself into a sphere, which differentiated itself from the ragged crystalline object that had formed during the Initial Phase. But how had be managed to bring himself up to that so quickly? It was nine levels, after all, and he was barely on the seventh level of the Initial Core Formation Realm when he last checked.


    Had he really gone through three levels? During that seemingly suicidal fight for his life earlier, against that fellow in the Profound Realm? Was that the reason why he had managed to climb up the ladder of his own cultivation so quickly? And so smoothly?


    He continued to Breathe, and to examine his own Inner Qi as he did so, and was largely relieved to find nothing amiss. The Jade Tree Sutra and White Jade Orchid Flower Great Law seemed to just fine. In fact the symbolic tree in his dantian seemed to have grown somewhat, which was no surprise given his rise in cultivation. How it happened, however, still remained a mystery.


    But he was no longer shocked by the changes that he found. To the contrary, he was pleasantly surprised, and grinned when he finally finished his third Cycle of Breathing exercises and opened his eyes again. It appeared that the strong Foundation that he had built for himself was already starting to pay off.


    A knock on the tent pole made him jump then. But he recovered quickly. It made sense that there would be someone to check on him. So he simply gave out a soft cry:


    "Come in. I am more or less decent."


    Which had the Second Ducal Prince laughing as he lifted the tent flap, and stepped inside. "That is good to hear. You have been unconscious for almost two whole days. And two nights. This is the morning of the third day after the Barbarians'' attack, in case you are wondering. But I am glad that you are still alive."


    "Well, I was about to disappoint you. That fellow in purple was a difficult opponent. He almost killed me, I will admit," laughed Qin Feng in response to the Li Changhai''s words, and grinned at the taller, older fellow.


    "I suppose I owe you my thanks, for seeing that I was well taken care of, after I collapsed."


    Li Changhai sighed. "It was the least I could do, after you saved my life. I think you know that all of this was because they were targeting me. Well, my Uncle the Marquis too, I must say. I had not expected the enemy to have arranged that many experts against us. Even with the precautions that my grandmother had taken, they had almost destroyed our fortress here. Rebuilding it would have taken a great deal of time and money."


    Qin Feng chuckled as soon as he heard that. "So ... Doesn''t that mean that I had saved your uncle quite a bit of coin? So much so that he might be willing to grant me some sort of reward?" he asked the Ducal Prince with a grin.


    "As you can see, most of my plans have been ruined, and I am going to have to spend a bit of time recovering from my injuries. All that is going to cost me a great deal of money and other resources."


    "Ha! Trust to worry about that, the very moment that you wake up. You had almost been battered to death, you know?" Li Changhai reminded him.


    "Still, I think I will drop a reminder or two in my Uncle''s ear, about the losses that you had taken. That''s the least I can do."


    * * *

 138 Return 2

    But Li Changhai waved a hand at the tent flap immediately after he said that. And from the curt bow that he gave Qin Feng, the latter could sense that the Second Ducal Prince was about to spring an unpleasant surprise at him.


    Fortunately, it was more unexpected, rather than unpleasant. "My Grandmother has asked to see you. I think she wants to thank you personally, for saving my life. And maybe question you about the motivations of the Heaven Sword School. As you can guess, she had arranged for one of their more senior experts to take care of my safety during ... that last battle. And she wasn''t too pleased with the results of that. So ..."


    Qin Feng was more than delighted to throw stones. Especially when it was going to end up destroying Nu Yuanqing''s reputation. "She wants me to give my own account of the fight? I would be glad to. But I think I shall have to change first. This is hardly the sort of attire that you wish me to wearing when I appear in front of Lady Xie Nianxue, hmmm?"


    Li Changhai laughed again, and waved a hand at him, as though acknowledging his point. "You are correct about that. I shall send someone in with clothes that are ... more suited for the occasion," he smirked, as he turned and moved towards the tent flap.


    "But don''t take too long to get ready. My grandmother tends to be a little impatient, so you don''t want to have her dropping in on you, with your trousers down!"


    *


    In the end, he rushed to get himself dressed, and appeared in the large tent that he took to belong to Lady Xie not too long after Li Changhai left. And found himself facing the redoubtable woman there alone! Which was enough to make him a little anxious. He had been expecting the Second Ducal Prince to be present, for support. After all, wasn''t it a little improper, for someone like him to be together with the Old Marquis'' wife, all alone in a tent?


    Well, as it turned out, Lady Xie Nianxue didn''t seem to care about the propriety of the situation at all.


    In fact, she had seated him down in front of her, and spent a good bit of time, running her eyes all over him. Which was more than enough to make him nervous. But Lady Xie nodded at him at the end of her scrutiny, with a slight air of approval.


    "You have your wits about you, I will grant you that. Ming Guanhe was not mistaken, when he mentioned that you knew when to advance and when to withdraw. And Xuan Weizhong claimed that he lost a good son-in-law, when his daughter left to the East. Which leads to the question that I have been meaning to ask you:


    "You would stand to rise in the Heaven Sword School if you remained there, perhaps even rise to become an adjunct Elder, if you carried on. Why then did you choose to leave? What was it that drove you to take that step? I have found no fault in any of your actions thus far. And uncovered no real conflict."


    Qin Feng gave out a sigh as soon as he heard her question. Fortunately, he had been prepared for something like this. And he was probably young enough to get away with the excuse that he was intending to use.


    Besides, he doubted that Lady Xie Nianxue was going to be too hard on him, if he pursued an argument based on the emotional angle. After all, hadn''t she already shown how much of a romantic she was?


    "That is ... Since Lady Xie has been to Heaven Sword School already, I suppose you have already ... you already know about the Rear Gardens, and the small number of female disciples there? That is where the Elders'' female offspring are taught ... some of the School''s martial arts."


    The Old Marquis'' beloved wife gave him a slightly crooked smile as soon as she heard that. "I have. Just as I have heard about your ... romance with one of the disciples there. A young woman named Lingxi, if I am not mistaken? You two have a certain ... history, if the stories that I have heard are true."


    Qin Feng nodded, even as he sent a stream of qi up into his head, and circulated it so that his cheeks would start to glow. Enough to give an impression of an embarrassed blush. "They are true ... to a large extent. We have ... somewhat complex feelings for one another. And our affair is not much of a secret."


    "But I think she is not the reason for your sudden withdrawal from the School. And in such an inopportune time. Leaving that place in such a hurry, and in the Winter Season, leads one to believe that there are ... extenuating circumstances? Another male disciple perhaps?"


    Qin Feng sighed, and quickly shook his head. "No, not a male disciple. Senior Sister Lingxi and I had already known that our ... dalliance would not last long, and she had always pushed other female disciples from the Rear Gardens at me. However, things did not ... end up as she had hoped. I ended up ... falling for someone outside her expectations. And mine."


    Lady Xie gave out an exclamation, a knowing one. As though she had figured things out on her own. And the look that she threw at him held a hint of sympathy.


    "Then ... it was Xuan Weizhong''s daughter, Xuan Mei. I can see why you say it was inappropriate. Xuan Mei is a genius, who has already mastered four different Secret Arts of the School. I have heard that the Left Guardian has even offered to take her as his personal disciple, against all expectations. You should have known that your romance was doomed, when that happened."


    Qin Feng shrugged, and shot the older woman a sad smile. "That is true. Besides, Senior Sister Xuan has been teasing Lingxi and I for some time now, and is well aware of ... what has been going on between the two of us. But Elder Xuan has been supportive of our relationship. So it was going well, for a while. We were even betrothed.


    "But she had been selected to join another Sect - a more powerful one! So she broke off our engagement, and left without a word. So how could I not leave, when I learned that she was going to be raised so high, out of my reach, even if I were to become an Inner School disciple. Or even a Core Disciple?" he gave out in a loud sigh.


    Lady Xie''s voice was grave, when she finally acknowledged his point. It seemed rather clear that she was sympathetic towards him, and could see that he was referring to the pointing fingers and the mocking smiles that were sure to be directed at him, for something that was beyond his control. Thankfully, she did not bother to ask for proof, as he doubted that any of the Elders that she had spoken to would have been open enough to cite examples of his humiliation.


    "It is rather hopeless, I will admit. And I can see why you chose to leave, when you did. Of course, I shall not bother to add that my grandson has benefited from this sad turn of events. You did manage to save his life, as I had mentioned earlier.


    "And I believe that we were talking about a suitable reward for your efforts. So, to go back to our original topic ... Have you decided what sort of prize you would like? I think that it is only fair that I gift the reward to you, rather than to the Heaven Sword School, since you are no longer a part of that institution. What do you say? What reward would you desire?"


    * * *

 139 Return 3

    Qin Feng was a little surprised by that question. It appeared that the relationship between Lady Xie and the Heaven Sword School was more strained than he had originally thought. Otherwise, she was actively recruiting him. No doubt, Li Changhai had something to do with that decision.


    So he simply shook his head, and waved a hand to the mountain range in the distance. "I believe that Lady Xie has an agreement with the Heaven Sword School, and I am no longer one of its disciples, so it wouldn''t be proper if I were to receive any of the rewards that they have been promised. However, if you were to insist on gifting ... resources to a particular disciple ..."


    The Old Marquis'' wife smiled as soon as she heard that. "I trust you are referring to that disciple that you were so close to? That Lingxi girl? Very well. I can arrange for her to receive the items that should be given to you. And make sure that they are suitable for boosting her cultivation. They should be sufficient to bring her up to a level where the School is likely to offer her an Elder''s position. I think that should satisfy you, hmmm?"


    Qin Feng bowed at once, wearing a look of sincere appreciation on his face. That should be enough of a distraction, he thought. Lingxi would no doubt be receiving the brunt of the questions that the rest of the Heaven Sword School would toss out regarding him, so this should be a bit of recompense, for all the unwanted attention.


    He liked to think that he was fair to everyone who had dealt with him. After all, he had no intention of ever returning to this part of the world in the future.


    "Qin Feng thanks Lady Xie for her consideration."


    The woman laughed in response to his attempt to mimic her grandson''s manners. Second Ducal Prince Li Changhai was his only reference for what passed for proper behavior after all, so Qin Feng had no alternative but to steal some of his mannerisms. Fortunately, the Old Marquis'' wife did not appear to be upset by his attempt.


    "Ah. You are a quick study. And you have picked up the proper way to address the members of the nobility. That should be enough to keep you out of trouble, when we get to the Ducal City. I trust Sanlang has told you about our decision to rush back there?"


    Qin Feng shook his head at once, before he found the right words to convey his ignorance. "I am afraid that we did not go into that. Nor did we speak about his plans hereafter."


    "Oh? Well, that is not surprising. Sanlang is usually a little careless about such things. Perhaps he did not think it very important."


    Lady Xie''s tone, however, made it rather clear that whatever it was that her grandson had left out, was important. At least, it was to her eye. "You see, young Qin Feng. My daughter is the Second Wife to the Duke, and there will be a celebration in Yanyun City soon enough, to celebrate his birthday. Naturally, Changhai has to rush back there, to make his preparations.


    "Including getting his hands on a suitably impressive birthday present for his father."


    Qin Feng smiled and nodded. It was clear what Xie Nianxue was hinting at now. And he had to agree with her; Li Changhai was rather good with some of the ordinary tasks that was expected of a nobleman, like fighting in the armies and making deals in the marketplaces. But Qin Feng didn''t think very highly of the man''s abilities when it came to sucking up to his elders.


    From the way that he had behaved when it came to his uncle, the new Marquis, it was rather obvious that he tended to be a little more casual about such matters than he should be.


    Was that why the Old Marquis'' wife was trying to rope in Qin Feng now? So that he could support Li Changhai in this small matter?


    But she was going on, as though she was simply conversing about the whole thing casually. Although he could see the expectant look in her eyes as she did so.


    "Knowing his father like I do, I am certain that he would enjoy something that was significant in battle here, as a sort of souvenir. But I fear that Sanlang would simply pass some pitiful piece of equipment that he snatched away from the enemy as a present. Which would not do, you understand? That should be given to his father as part of his report about the situation here, rather than as a present.


    "For something as significant as a birthday, he should put in a bit more thoughtand effort, don''t you agree?"


    Qin Feng''s smile broadened, even as he nodded in agreement. "That is only to be expected. But I believe that gifting his father, the Duke, with an weapon that had been taken from the enemy may not be as unappreciated as you may believe. Provided, of course, that the weapon is ... significant? In some way?"


    He gestured at the ring that he was wearing then, which had the woman in the pale lilac robe smiling at him. And nodding back, as though to grant him permission. He wasn''t the least offended by that gesture, of course. After all, he was intending to pull out a weapon.


    More precisely, it was the saber that he had taken from the old fellow that had been killed during that little adventure that he had, with those two young women from the Snow Swallow Palace. The weapon was clearly one of the best that he had come across. And he was rather certain that Li Changhai wouldn''t be trying bargain the price down.


    So he was likely to be able to snatch away quite a hefty profit from selling this particular item. And he was also rather certain that Xie Nianxue would be able to tell just how unusual this weapon was.


    What he didn''t expect, naturally, was Lady Xie shooting to her feet immediately, and almost snatching the weapon out of his hands!


    "Green Shadow Saber! This is the Green Shadow Saber! How did you get your hands on this weapon?"


    * * *

 140 Return 4

    Green Shadow Saber? The weapon actually had a name?


    Qin Feng sighed inwardly as soon as he heard that. To think that the weapon was more remarkable than he had originally believed. And he just had to show it off to Lady Xie, who was now certain to start questioning him about it.


    Did that mean that he had no choice but to bring up those two young women from the Snow Swallow Palace? And the details of his little sparring session with them?


    But that was unlikely, since they had made it rather clear that they were there in secret, and were avoiding the Marquis'' troops. So he was not deterred at all by her questioning, and simply gritted his teeth, and tried to brazen it out!


    "This was ... something that this one picked up, in his recent travels in the region. I believe that it is ... famous enough that it should catch the eye of the Duke of the Westlands? Perhaps as a birthday present?"


    Lady Xie sniffed, and sat herself down once again. But she held onto the saber, and seemed to be studying it carefully. Her eyes did not leave the same, and when she spoke again, she did not turn to face Qin Feng, as she had done before.


    "You are reluctant to say where you got this? Well, I do not blame you. It is a weapon with a story, and was last seen in the hands of one of ... the Northern Duke''s agents. Which makes me wonder how it had come all the way here. From what I have learnt of you, you have not left this particular region since your arrival close to three years ago. Isn''t that correct?"


    Qin Feng smiled and dipped into yet another bow. "What Lady Xie says is, of course, true. I have not left this region in all that time.


    "But if you are wondering how I managed to get my hands on that particular weapon ... I can only say that it came into my hands very recently, and that ... the one wielding it had been dealt with. By whom, I am constrained not to say."


    Lady Xie snorted this time, making that rude noise as she placed the weapon on the table next to where she was seated. But her voice was not in the least hostile, when she spoke to Qin Feng once again:


    "The only ones who were in the vicinity, that I know of, were those two girls from the Snow Swallow Palace. Doubtless, they were the ones who dealt with Old Mu Yang, that impudent fellow. Well, it is just as well that he is dead. It saves me the trouble to dealing with him myself."


    She flashed a smile at Qin Feng then, who merely sighed and did not say a word. Lady Xie didn''t press him, and only laughed. "You hold to your word, I see. Both in this case, and in that fight against the Barbarians. I suppose I should not fault you for that. After all, you had saved my grandson''s life.


    "But you should be more cautious, when dealing with the disciples of the Snow Swallow Palace. They are beautiful, and their martial arts are spectacular. But ... their schemes tend to cost a great many lives. You will need to be careful, so that you do not end up one of the lost souls, left without a proper burial, because of those pretty girls."


    Qin Feng sighed again, and shook his head at the older woman. His face wore a sad expression, when he finally spoke:


    "Regardless of their intentions, I have promised not to speak further of the events that took place ... in the forest. But I believe that Lady Xie can guess the fate of the old man who was wielding this particular weapon. I am allowed to divulge the fact that it was this same old man who appeared to be instigating the Barbarians to attack. There were also several Barbarian warriors who were at his side when he ... ambushed me.


    "I believe that Lady Xie has a better idea of what was involved than I do."


    Xie Nianxue laughed, as soon as he finished. And nodded at him in apparent approval. "Ah! They have made you swear not to speak about their involvement no doubt. And how they had killed Mu Yang. That''s the old pervert who had been wielding the Green Shadow Saber for the last twenty years or so.


    "He is ... No. He was in the service of the Duke of the North, which puts him in opposition to my son-in-law. No doubt, that scoundrel was behind this little scheme, to send the Barbarians against us, earlier than they were expected. The surprise attack was no doubt meant to destroy some of our defenses here in the South. And perhaps, to lay siege to Changqing City.


    "That would please the old bastard Duke!"


    Qin Feng held his tongue, although he could not prevent his lips from twitching, the moment that he heard that. It seemed somewhat confusing, to hear the woman say something like that. But it was clear that she was referring to the Northern Duke, rather than her son-in-law.


    After all, she wasn''t likely to be calling her grandson''s father names, was she?


    But Lady Xie said nothing further about the schemes of the Northern Duke, and turned back to point a finger at his hands, which were still cradling the Green Shadow Sabre.


    "You were saying that you would sell that sabre to our Sanlang? Well, I would agree that it would make a fitting present to his father. Not to mention the fact that it would also hint at the dangers that he would be facing in the future, if he knew that it came from the hands of those from the Snow Swallow Palace.


    "Of course, we will keep your involvement in the ... in how you obtained that weapon quiet. I would appreciate it if you were to accompany Sanlang to the festivities at Yanyun City, the stronghold of my son-in-law, the Westlands Duke. So that you can offer a hint or two, with regards to who was last using the saber?"


    Qin Feng gave a slight smile as he bowed again. "I have no complaint regarding your arrangements, Lady Xie. And I believe that I am not constrained in any way when it comes to speaking about this Mu Yang fellow. My promise only involved not speaking of the parties involved in his death."


    "Then let us pretend that I was the one who killed him. Given the conflict between my husband''s faction and that of the old scoundrel in the North, that should not surprise anyone. Are we agreed? To make up some story about a fight in the woods, and how Mu Yang perished under my hand?"


    Qn Feng naturally agreed at once. It was a far better story than anything that he could come up with, on his own, after all.


    "In that case, this one would be more than pleased to share that tale, and to accompany the Second Ducal Prince to his father''s birthday celebrations in Yanyun City, Lady Xie."


    * * *

 141 The Journey North 1

    Li Changhai, however, was more than mildly upset to discover that his maternal grandmother had made such an arrangement for him. And that she had even picked out the present that he was to present to his father for his birthday.


    The Second Ducal Prince did not give in to his emotions in front of his grandmother, of course. But he did confront Qin Feng about it, when they were both out of her presence, and stepping back towards the former''s tent.


    "What happened back there? What did you tell my grandmother? Why is it that I have to give this ... this weapon to my father? Can you tell me that?"


    Qin Feng smiled as he looked at Li Changhai''s frown. It was a lot easier to deal with the Second Ducal Prince, he thought, than to manage his grandmother. So he simply pulled Li Changhai inside the tent, before he sat down on the rough bunk himself, yielding the lone chair in the same to the Prince.


    The Second Ducal Prince was clearly a little perturbed by the instructions that he had received from his grandmother. But Qin Feng was rather certain that Li Changhai''s bad mood did not include him. Otherwise, why would the Prince follow him into his tent, or ask him those questions like he did?


    From the way that he was speaking to Qin Feng, it would appear he was more trusting of the younger man that expected. Then again, Qin Feng did throw himself against someone who was obviously out to kill him. So it was not too surprising that Li Changhai was treating him as a bosom friend.


    "I think ... You are unaware of the provenance of this particular weapon then? As I recall, your maternal grandmother did not mention its name to you earlier, did she?"


    The Second Ducal Prince frowned as he shook his head. "This is a named weapon? Then it would make a fitting gift to my father, I suppose. But ... grandmother didn''t tell me anything else. You were there, remember? All she did was to instruct me to gift it to my father as his birthday present.


    "And to bring you along when I do that."


    Qin Feng gave out a soft chuckle, as he nodded back at the Second Ducal Prince. "Yes, I remember that. Well, I can only presume that she wants me to tell you the reason for her instructions. And perhaps, to let you know more about how that weapon came into her hands."


    "Oh? You know about that?"


    Qin Feng laughed in what he considered to be a humble manner. But he could not help but feel pleased at having a chance to show off a little. After all, he was only telling the truth, wasn''t he? And holding to his promises?


    "That weapon is something that I got ... from one of my fights against someone who was ... agitating the Barbarians during one of my earlier missions. As you can guess, it belongs to ... someone who is clearly not a Barbarian, but was working for them. Or rather, instigating them against your uncle.


    "So your grandmother believes that you should hand that over to your father as a gift. Which should be enough to prompt him to drag you aside, and ask you about ... how you got your hands on such a thing.


    "That is where you introduce me."


    Li Changhai was shocked at the beginning of Qin Feng''s so-called explanation. Had the young man in front of him actually managed to learn more about this Barbarian assault than what he had learned from his uncle''s generals? And he could not help but scowl, as he wondered about his grandmother''s motivations.


    "Then this is just a ... ploy? To get him to summon you? So that you can share your observations with him?"


    Qin Feng shook his head at the Second Ducal Prince. It didn''t really seem fair, when he said it like that. Besides, he had to rely on Li Changhai, didn''t he? All the way to Yanyun City?


    "I don''t think that the Duke of the Westlands would be very much appreciative of such methods, given what I have heard. But this Green Shadow Sabre is significant to his enemies, so he is likely to recognize it. Your grandmother hopes that he will ask ... certain questions, once he lays eyes on it.


    "Besides, it would be a rather outstanding present, don''t you think? To hand him something that had once belonged to one of his enemies, to celebrate his birthday?"


    Li Changhai looked a bit more relaxed as soon as he heard that. And looked down at the unsheathed sabre in his hands at once. A smile rose to his lips as he silently thanks his grandmother for her consideration. "Then this ... Who was the one who wielded this saber? I mean, who did you seize it from?"


    "Have you heard of a man called Mu Yang?"


    "Green Shadow Blade Mu Yang? This is really the Green Shadow Sabre?"


    Li Changhai''s voice went up in pitch as he half-screamed those two questions at Qin Feng. Who merely smiled as he pretended to look as though it was nothing significant. Of course, he was already cursing his own idiocy in his heart. Had he known that the weapon was so famous ...


    But what was done was done, and there was no way of taking it back now. So he could only carry on, as though it had all been part of his plan. Hopefully, this trip to the Westlands, to Yanyun City, would give him an opportunity to turn a greater profit!


    * * *

 142 The Journey North 2

    Unfortunately for Qin Feng, the preparations for the Second Ducal Prince''s journey home from Changqing City took close to ten days. And he was left largely out of the organisation for the same. Which was enough to make him go mad with boredom, remaining in the Marquis'' Residence while everyone made ready for the trip.


    Which was why he fled into the city itself, to visit Fu Lai Medicine Hall, at the first opportunity that he got. He used the excuse that he had to sell away some of the medicinal herbs and such, that he had harvested in the Southern Woods, since they would not travel well. But the truth of the matter was, he had to empty one of those large chests that he had planned on bringing along with him.


    If he was travelling with the Second Ducal Prince, he seriously doubted that he would need to bring out his puppet to deal with any threats. So he would have to find some way to disguise its presence. Using one of those large, man-sized medicine chests was simply the most convenient method to do so.


    However, that meant that he had quite a bit of herbs to get rid of. And he wasn''t about to make a loss! And to prevent that, he had made an arrangement to meet up with Li Changhai once again, in front of the Fu Lai Medicine Hall.


    Strangely, he had found the Second Ducal Prince more than pleased to stay close to him, ever since they returned from their little clash with the Barbarians. They had arrived back from the front within a day, although there were a lot more checks on the way. And by heavily armed soldiers too. Fortunately, Lady Xie was traveling with the two of them, so they didn''t encounter any problems at all.


    Those only appeared after Qin Feng arrived back at the old house that he had bought. And found it under siege by the Changqing City Constabulary. Apparently, there had been a few attempts at breaking into the same, and the bodies of some seven thieves had been left to rot in the open courtyard. That had been enough to attract a good bit of attention.


    Of course, things were quickly settled once the Second Ducal Prince, and Lady Xie''s agents, made it clear that the owner of the premises, namely Qin Feng, had been away at the front. And had been fighting on the Marquis'' side!


    That was enough to silence any complaints. Not to mention, make it clear that he was not the one responsible for the deaths.


    Qin Feng merely dismissed the whole thing as another one of the local criminal ploys, to push the responsibility on the shoulders of a newcomer to the city. And a former disciple of the Heaven Sword School. Between that revelation, and the fact that he had the Second Ducal Prince on his side, the Constabulary had been quick to declare him innocent of all wrong-doing, and to look for other culprits for the murders.


    But it had prompted the Second Ducal Prince to insist on accompanying him around the city, accompanied by his four Bodyguards. On the pretext that some of those dead thieves'' allies might try to take revenge on Qin Feng.


    All of that was nonsense, he thought. But since Li Changhai was anxious enough to keep him within sight while he was in Changqing City, Qin Feng wasn''t about to refuse the kind offer.


    Which was why he found Li Sanlang waiting together with Luo Junyuan, the Deputy Manager of the Medicine Hall, in the forecourt of the same, when he finally arrived. And both of the men were wearing smiles, which they directed at him, as he stepped into the same.


    "Ah. Brother Qin Feng, you are finally here. I have just been speaking to Deputy Manager Luo here about recent attack on our training camp to the South." Li Changhai said, as he nodded his greeting to Qin Feng. Their interaction had become a lot more casual, ever since the Barbarian attack. So much so that Qin Feng believed that the Second Ducal Prince saw him as a real brother-in-arms.


    Luo Junyuan, on the other hand, was a lot more respectful of Qin Feng, and quickly led him to another seat at the stone table at one quiet corner of the forecourt. And he even bothered to pour the younger man a cup of tea himself. And spent a good bit of time engaging the pair in polite conversation too, before he went on to a more serious topic:


    "This one hears that Master Qin has managed to get his hands on some rather remarkable medicinal herbs again?"


    Qin Feng grinned at the Deputy Hall Manager. "It is true. There is a great need for medicines and such all the time. I had intended to come over at once, and make a deal with your Fu Lai Medicine Hall. But with the Barbarians knocking at our gate ..."


    He stopped there, and glanced at the Second Ducal Prince, who managed to keep his face from giving the game away. That was something that certainly gained his approval. This Li Changhai''s nerves were steadier than anything that he had expected from a nobleman.


    Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he was related to the Marquis? That family has been dealing with the various merchant houses and trade organisations for a long time. And this Second Ducal Prince had been visiting Fu Lai Medicine Hall, and several other related businesses in Changqing City rather frequently, ever since he was a child. So it wouldn''t surprise him if Li Changhai had some inkling of what he was attempting to do.


    And it seemed like the Second Ducal Prince was more than happy to lend his support in helping Qin Feng make a killing there that day!


    * * *

 143 The Journey North 3

    "Ah! This one is pleased to hear that. The Barbarians appear to have made an attack on the lines a little earlier this year, and some of our usual supplies from the North and our branches in the East have yet to arrive. Hence we were a little concerned about meeting the Marquis'' needs."


    Luo Junyuan was cautious when he heard the two younger fellows mention the Barbarian assault. Who hadn''t heard the wild tales that had been filtering into Changqing City over the last two, three days? About how the Marquis'' armies had met with an out of season attack, and how they had repelled the same.


    The Second Ducal Prince and his companion, the mysterious young Master Qin Feng, had also played a rather prominent role in some of the tales that were sweeping the city tea houses and restaurants. Which was enough to make Deputy Hall Manager Luo more than a little concerned when the former appeared at Fu Lai Medicine Hall that morning.


    But it was clear, in his interaction with Prince Li Changhai, that the Second Ducal Prince was simply helping to smooth the way for the young man whose henchman had brought in those exceptional herbs earlier.


    As if Luo Junyuan needed that sort of reminder!


    Still, he could not help but feel somewhat grateful towards the Second Ducal Prince. It seemed the Prince was taking pains to ensure that Fu Lai Medicine Hall did not find itself in any trouble dealing the youth. As if any of the people working for the Medicine Hall would dare!


    He had taken pains, and Assistant Hall Manager Ling Jing''er had reinforced his warnings, to ensure that everyone in the Medicine Hall knew the name Qin Feng. As for those who had seen the young man before, they were spread out across the different shifts through the Fu Lai Medicine Hall as well, so that they could catch sight of him early, and so give warning, ever since he was known to have arrived in Changqing City.


    Of course, the arrival of the Second Ducal Prince, about an hour before, to warn the Deputy Hall Manager, had been a bit of a surprise. It did give Luo Junyuan a chance to properly prepare himself, and his people though.


    "Well, I happen to have a rather substantial amount of herbs with me, and I shall be leaving Changqing City soon. Hence I thought I might sell some of them to your Medicine Hall. You see, I shall be traveling on, to the Ducal City of Yanyun, and I believe that I would need some funds for my journey."


    He didn''t give the Deputy Hall Manager a chance to speak, and quickly started to take out a series of herbs and fruits from the pouch at his side. In truth, he was using that simple, ordinary piece of cloth to hide the fact that he was extracting the same from the ring that he was wearing on his left ring finger. After all, he had no intention of revealing all of his assets!


    Not that Luo Junyuan had any leisure to wonder about the method that he was using to transport his medicines. The Deputy Hall Manager was already dazed by the sight of all those rare and uncommon plants, so much so that his mouth was hanging open.


    Fortunately, he managed to recover before Qin Feng could complete his little exercise, and immediately started to tabulate the value of what had just been laid out in front of him. Of course, that took him a little longer than what was expected, such that both the Second Ducal Prince and Qin Feng had no choice but to sit in their chairs and sip at their tea as they waited for him to finish.


    "This ... This is much more than what I had expected, Master Qin."


    Deputy Hall Manager Luo Junyuan mopped at the perspiration on his temples with a sleeve as he finally looked up nervously at the pair. "Your ... offering has a rough value of close to three million pieces of silver. Or thirty thousand pieces of gold. That is if you do not care to accept a trade, as you have before?"


    Qin Feng mouth twitched slightly, as he fought to control his expression. That much money? The medicinal herbs and such that he had brought to Fu Lai Medicine Hall were worth that much money? He had always traded medicine for medicine, and never really bothered to deal in coin, since he didn''t really need it.


    But thirty thousand gold pieces?


    He could not help but be astounded by that revelation. And he had only taken out about a third of all the herbs that he had collected in the Southern Forest! And those which were of no value to him! How much would he be offered if he took out the rest of the medicinal herbs that he had?


    All at once, he was no longer that upset with the deal that he had made with the two Elders back at the Heaven Sword School. Had they known that they had dropped close to a hundred thousand gold pieces'' worth of medicinal plants into his hands, would they not be tearing their own hair out by the roots?


    An image of Elder Ming and Elder Xuan with bald heads surfaced in his mind then, rendering Qin Feng unable to hold back his amusement. And his burst of laughter was enough to surprise both the Second Ducal Prince and the Medicine Hall''s Deputy Hall Manager.


    "Ah! My apologies. The figure that you have just named happens to match the total of one of my Senior Disciple Sister''s dowry. So you will have to forgive me. It is just too amusing.


    "I wonder what she would do, if she learns of this?"


    * * *

 144 The Journey North 4

    Naturally, there was no such Senior Disciple Sister, and no dowry. All of that had been nothing more than a lie. But Luo Junyuan and Li Changhai didn''t know that. And Qin Feng doubted that either of them would be so curious as to send to the Heaven Sword School to find out.


    Besides, even if they did, he would be long gone from Changqing City, so he was hardly bothered by that simple lie.


    So he simply agreed to the sale, and took the opportunity to purchase a few other materials. There were still a few herbs that he was missing, if he wished to mix those medicinal baths and other cultivation resources that he was going to require, now that he was in the Core Formation stage.


    Fortunately, they were not too rare, and he managed to get them from the Fu Lai Medicine Hall. And Deputy Hall Manager Luo seemed more than pleased to let him have them for a much lower price than Qin Feng had expected. Of course, the Deputy Hall Manager also looked somewhat relieved to have saved himself almost five thousand gold coins from that exchange.


    And it seemed rather obvious that he had not expected to have those medicinal herbs delivered to his door. Luo Junyuan also surprised Qin Feng, when he admitted that he would sending a few of them off to the Capital.


    "There is no call for these herbs here, you see," the Deputy Hall Manager confided, as he waved at the collection displayed on the table in front of him. He had already sent for people to take away the other herbs that were likely to be sold within the month or the next.


    "They will most likely be sent to the Capital City, where we are likely to sell them off at a great profit. I believe that our Hall Manager Zheng will be delirious when he gets his hands on some of these. They are said to be highly prized, and much sought after there."


    Qin Feng was a little amused to hear Luo Junyuan reveal such a secret. Wasn''t the Deputy Hall Manager afraid that he would change his mind, and take back those herbs, to sell them at the Capital, or at Yanyun City, himself?


    The Second Ducal Prince was similarly curious, and didn''t hesitate to ask that question of Deputy Hall Manager Luo. Who laughed as he replied:


    "If that is what Young Master Qin intends to do, I will certainly not stop him. In fact, I would applaude his business acumen. Honestly, it will not weigh you down that greatly, to carry these few extra herbs with you as you travel.


    "But I suppose that Young Master Qin is worried about weighing himself down with such items as you head North. Hence he has come to ... lighten his load somewhat, before he leaves Changqing City. In such a case, I would be more than pleased to be of assistance."


    All three men laughed, and Li Changhai clapped the Deputy Hall Manager on his shoulder, which seemed to surprise him greatly. And Luo Junyuan seemed more than pleased, when Qin Feng reassured him that he was holding to the deal that he had made.


    As for Qin Feng himself, he was barely capable of stopping himself from dancing in front of the Second Ducal Prince and the man. But his focus was on the coin he stood to receive, rather than the medicinal herbs that he had just sold. Twenty-five thousand gold pieces! How many people could see that much money, and from a single transaction?


    Then he stopped himself and gave out a loud sigh. What was there to be so happy about?


    Li Changhai, surprisingly, was quick to notice his sudden change of mood. "What is the matter? I thought you were pleased to sell off your herbs?"


    His question naturally drew the attention of Luo Junyuan, who seemed a lot more anxious when he turned to look at Qin Feng. No doubt he was worried that the younger man was going to back away from the deal.


    So Qin Feng waved a reassuring hand at the pair at his side, even as he shook his head slowly. "I have no complaints about the arrangement. And my ... despondent mood has nothing to do with our meeting here," he answered quickly.


    After all, who knew what the two of them would think, if he told them the truth? That he wasn''t all that interested in getting his hands on all that gold? They would probably think him mad, wouldn''t they?


    Honestly, he was only bemoaning how he was costing himself an even larger profit like this. But what could he do? He didn''t have the means to transport large volumes of goods. At least, not in a convenient manner. He could always ask the Second Ducal Prince for help, but the small troop of a hundred or so soldiers that Li Changhai had arranged didn''t include any porters. So he would have do deal with his own belongings himself.


    Even with the spatial ring on his finger, he could barely move the rest of his gains at the Southern Woods and his puppet. And all that had already laden him with one large storage chest! He had barely managed to squeeze everything in there! Moving that around was going to be inconvenient, to say the least.


    Still, Li Changhai had offered him a bit of space on one of the wagons that he was bringing with him. Apparently, there were reports and evidence of the Barbarian Invasion from his uncle the Marquis to be delivered to his father. As well as a great number of presents for the Duke of the Westlands, from some of the noble families that had ties with the same.


    Which meant that there would be at least two wagonloads making the journey, since they needed to carry food and other supplies for the hundred or so men who were supposed to be guarding the Prince.


    In any case, Qin Feng was looking forward to see how this little contingent moved. He had not seen how the military, and its associated nobility, dealt with such matters.


    It looked like it would be quite an adventure!


    * * *

 145 The Journey North 5

    Five days later ...


    Qin Feng was groaning as he heaved himself out of the saddle, and trying to stamp the blood back into his feet. His enthusiasm for the journey was already sputtering out like a candle wick. Whatever else he may have learned from this little trip, he knew now that he was totally unsuited to work in the military.


    The whole march North had been nothing less than a nightmare for the young man!


    First, from everything that he had heard from dealing with Lady Xie and the Second Ducal Prince, he had the impression that the whole situation in the Southwest needed to be deal with quickly. And that sending word of the out-of-ordinary assault by the Barbarians to the Duke of the Westlands was a rather urgent matter.


    Which made it completely incomprehensible why Li Changhai, and the small troop under his command, was taking so long just to cross what appeared to be such a short overland distance!


    And the whole lot of them didn''t seem to be bothered by their slow progress either!


    Every day, the soldiers would wake shortly before dawn, and spend about a half-hour to an hour to clean themselves up and to stand for inspection. Thereafter, they would take close to another hour to break camp and prepare themselves for the march.


    By the time that they actually started to move, they would actually send out the three to five scouts that they had, to move ahead first. The rest would then follow, at what Qin Feng considered a crawl!


    And that wasn''t the worst of it:


    Li Changhai had also stopped at intervals, to swap the scouts about. To keep them from getting too accustomed to what they were doing, and to ensure that more of their number got a chance to put their skills to practice.


    At least, that was what the Second Ducal Prince had told him, when Qin Feng asked why he was going through all of that trouble. There was that boring devotion to training that everyone in the troop was obsessed with again!


    And it seemed that even Li Changhai appeared to have fallen under that spell!


    Which was enough to have Qin Feng cursing under his breath, and hiding away whenever he could. That is, when he was not stuck to the saddle. All that ceaseless riding was enough to wear out the cheeks of his buttocks already!


    Still, he had to admit that the Second Ducal Prince was appearing to get a lot closer to the soldiers. Especially Wei Xu''an, the lieutenant who was supposed to be leading the escort party. After Li Changhai had taken to joining the troops in their daily practice, every day before dinner, he seemed to have gained their trust. And since he regularly practiced with almost all of the soldiers already, he appeared to have improved as well.


    Despite that, the Prince was still closely watched by those two large, hulking Bodyguards that accompanied him everywhere that he went.


    Well, the unending cycle of training and fighting had also built up the Prince''s stamina, not to mention his reputation as a hardened warrior. Most of the ordinary soldiers who had faced the man had learned that his nondescript appearance hid a power that was sufficient to toss them out of their simple makeshift fighting pit every time. So far, except for his two Bodyguards, Zhan Long and Tie Hu, only the leader of the escort party, Lieutenant Wei, could handle the Prince''s attacks.


    Qin Feng, on the other hand, had avoided all the physical training when he could, and only trained using his simple Breathing Exercises, that worked on his qi rather than his body. Which meant that he kept to himself, and stayed mostly in his tent, when the Second Ducal Prince was out training with the rest of the soldiers.


    Of course, that was enough to make all the soldiers wonder at Qin Feng, and what he was capable of. After all, why would the Second Ducal Prince treat him with such respect, if he was not at least his equal when it came to the fighting arts?


    Added to the rumors that surrounded his part in that shock attack on the Marquis'' Training Camp outside Changqing City, Qin Feng found himself the center of attention, every time that he strode through the camp.


    Which, to Qin Feng himself, was nothing more than another source of irritation. Why did everyone have to watch him so closely, when he walked here and there? And what was with all those strange looks that they shot him, when he rode next to the Second Ducal Prince every day?


    Did they think that he was so blind that he didn''t notice all of that?


    Then Qin Feng sighed, and lifted his arms over his head and deliberately stretched. The ride wasn''t very long, but he could not help but feel exhausted every evening when the troop stopped and began to set up camp. Well, he couldn''t really complain, since he was getting free food, and had the protection of the entire army troop along the way. It was certainly saving him a good bit of coin.


    But he could not help but scowl when he turned to find that Li Changhai had strode off to talk with the lieutenant and his team of scouts while he was stretching and complaining to himself. From the look on their faces, there was evidently something unusual that the latter had found close by, that bade them draw the Prince''s attention.


    Yet, even as he started to move towards the group, a loud noise to the side drew his eyes away from Li Changhai and the band of soldiers that had gathered around him. Several birds - crows, Qin Feng thought, from their dull black plumage, had suddenly fluttered up out of the rolling hills to the side of the trail, filling the space around him with their loud caws.


    Then he blinked, as his eyes caught sight of the figures that were rising out of the tall grass that covered the same, the late afternoon sun glinting off their bared weapons! And the ones bearing them were already shouting as they charged towards Li Changhai''s little troop!


    Barbarians! They were Barbarians!


    An answering shout from the soldiers made it clear that he was not the only one who had sighted the same, and he felt a small twinge of pride as the same men, who had been relaxed and ready to set up camp, snatched up their weapons to meet the enemy!


    * * *

 146 The Journey North 6

    "Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Everyone to your positions! Enemy attack!"


    "Enemy attack?"


    Qin Feng jumped up at once, and snatched at the sword that he had at his side. He had gotten that from the Marquis'' Personal Armory at Changqing City, rather than from the Army, so it was longer and less sturdy than a military sword. And cursed as he drew that from its sheath. He had intended to stay inside his tent and circulate his qi, and so avoid joining the Second Ducal Prince in his pre-dinner exercises.


    But now it seemed he would have a real fight on his hands instead!


    His eyes swept over the field then, and fixed on the group of men clad in furs and animal skins charging across the field at the beginnings of the camp. Where had they come from? And how had the scouts missed them?


    Qin Feng could not help but glance at the small group that had been crowded about the Second Ducal Prince and Lieutenant Wei earlier, and scowled when he saw how frightened the lot of them looked. From their white faces and how some of their hands shook, he was inclined to believe that they had no idea that there was an enemy force hidden in the fields.


    That was strange, no matter how one looked at it. How could some forty, fifty men hide themselves in an open field, without any cover except for knee-high grasses, such that six trained scouts would miss them? And these were soldiers who had been in training for at least half a year! It was ridiculous!


    Yet, Qin Feng knew that this was not the best time to wonder about that. Not when they had an obvious enemy in their sights, and a lot closer than they had expected them to be! The soldiers were also quick to respond, as they had been trained. They snatched up their weapons and fell into makeshift formations, comprising of five men teams, largely where they stood. And made ready to repel the Barbarian ambushers.


    Closer at hand, Lieutenant Wei had already gathered all of the scouts as well as those about the wagons, setting them into defensive formations about the same. Most of their supplies were in the same, and he was quick to make certain that they were defended.


    As for the Second Ducal Prince ...


    Li Changhai roared as he snatched up his spear and charged towards the enemy, even as Qin Feng rolled his eyes. It was rather clear that the Second Ducal Prince intended to take the fight to the Barbarians, instead of hiding behind his Bodyguard. Those two met Qin Feng''s glance with a tight smile, even as they moved to flank the Prince. Like former Heaven Sword School disciple, they had already expected that much from their charge.


    So he lifted his sword and moved to keep a short distance to the Prince''s right side. He had learned to stay out of the way, but not so far that he couldn''t step in if he wanted to. At least, that was how it would look, to anyone paying attention to him.


    After all, it wouldn''t look good, if he just ran off and left the Second Ducal Prince, the youngest child of the Westland''s Duke, to fend for himself, would it? This way, he could pretend that he was keeping Li Changhai in sight, and was ready to jump into the fray if he had to.


    That should be enough to keep anyone from finding out that he was clinging onto the Second Ducal Prince''s thigh for his own protection, shouldn''t it?


    Or, if they did see it, would they be so quick to point it out?


    But Qin Feng didn''t have too much time to wonder about that, as the four of them reached the Barbarians'' line. Li Changhai and both his Bodyguards gave out a loud shout as they flashed into the same. The trio''s long pole-arms cut the enemy vanguard into shreds immediately, leaving Qin Feng to dance among the toppling bodies, and stabbing his sword into a few of them, to make certain that they were dead.


    Which was a little easier than he had expected it to be, to tell the truth. From what he could remember, the Barbarians that he had fought before were a lot tougher than this lot in front of him. And he could not help but wonder if he was missing something. Something important.


    Then he frowned, as he paused, and looked up at the enemy warriors once again. This was a little too easy, wasn''t it? From what he could remember, from his fight in the Southern Woods, the Barbarians had been a lot harder to kill than this lot in front of him.


    And judging from the puzzled glances that the grizzled pair at either side of the Prince were sharing with one another, he wasn''t the only one to think so.


    Had the Barbarians thrown a completely inexperienced unit at them? Or were they nothing more than a group of raw recruits, that had somehow found themselves behind enemy lines, and were simply trying to fight their way out?


    To be honest, he didn''t think these Barbarians fitted either of the theories:


    First and foremost, there were too few of them to actually challenge the hundred men that were traveling with the Second Ducal Prince. And they were clearly less powerful compared to the ones who had attacked the camps at the Southern Woods. That was rather obvious, since this lot did not seem to have as many totemic devices and such on their rough leather armor.


    Then Qin Feng squinted at them again. There was something odd about their dress, and the weapons that they carried, he noticed when he looked at them again. Their garb was a little too clean, too regular. As if they were ...


    He froze in mid-step, and quickly shouted at Li Changhai at once:


    "Stop! Stop! It''s a trap! They are not Barbarians!"


    * * *

 147 The Journey North 7

    His shout had clearly startled the Second Ducal Prince, who seemed to miss a step in the midst of his charge. But he killed off the man clad in Barbarian furs in front of him, and rushed back, as the pair of Bodyguards covered his back.


    "What do you mean?" he shouted at Qin Feng, the moment that he was close enough to speak without shouting.


    Qin Feng, naturally, did not waste any time sharing what he thought about the enemy, and the whole situation:


    "They are clearly not Barbarians! Their garments are too clean, too uniform. And there aren''t any of those totems that we saw on those that we had fought before. And their weapons ... Their weapons are all the same!"


    Li Changhai turned his head, and an unconscious grunt issued from his throat as soon as he saw that Qin Feng was not lying. Then the younger man''s eyes caught onto another difference, prompting him to add oil to the fire.


    "And look at their shoes! Their boots! Those aren''t the sort of fur wrappings that we had seen on the Barbarians in the South! Clearly, these are not real Barbarians!"


    Qin Feng pointed at the row of corpses around himself as he growled back. Which was enough to surprise Li Changhai again. And make him turn his head to study the bodies of the dead ''Barbarians'' a little more closely. The hard expression that showed up on the Second Ducal Prince''s face a short while later was more than sufficient to tell him that Li Changhai had already been convinced.


    "Back to the wagons!" the Prince ordered quickly, and turned to sprint towards the lieutenant and his men.


    But Qin Feng lagged behind the trio, as he scowled at the fighting that was already taking place among the rest spots that the soldiers had picked out earlier. There were only thirty to fifty of these impostors that he could see. Which was enough to make him pause, and wonder where the rest of the enemy were.


    These fake Barbarians weren''t entirely inept but surely they were not expecting to be able to hold off a hundred men, were they?


    The former disciple from the Heaven Sword School whirled and rushed to join the Second Ducal Prince and his Bodyguards then. The Prince, who had slowed down, as though waiting for Qin Feng to catch up to him, nodded at the younger man when he did so. "You have sharper eyes than most. I didn''t notice that at all! This is a trap, yes? That was what you called out earlier?"


    "That is a guess. I don''t know for certain," he admitted with a nod back.


    "And I think it isn''t over yet. There are too few of them here, and they can''t be expecting to overwhelm your people like that. Look out for a second group. A second trick!"


    "A guess? A second group?"


    The Prince looked startled then, and both of his Bodyguards started to peer about themselves quickly, even as all four of them inched towards the wagons. There were more people there, and the scouts were mostly archers. Which would be more effective, if there were more impostors like Qin Feng warned.


    What else could it be? Why would anyone dress a whole band of soldiers like Barbarians and send them against Li Changhai''s small little band? Clearly this was an action that was targeted at the Prince. After all, what else could prompt the enemy to put in such an effort?


    Qin Feng turned back to Li Changhai and nodded again. "This attack is different from the way that the Barbarians do things. This means there must be someone else behind it. And you are the most likely target," he warned, as he motioned at the pair of Bodyguards on either side of the the Prince.


    "You are a little too visible, even if you are wearing regular soldier''s clothes. Having two large bodyguards beside you also makes you stand out. We need to get back to the wagons so that Lieutenant Wei and his people can help keep you out of danger. If we are lucky ..."


    He didn''t get a chance to finish what he was saying, when he heard a loud shout from ahead, on the other side of the trail. It was enough to catch Lieutenant Wei and the scouts at the wagons by surprise, and Qin Feng barely caught a glimpse of a band of six men tear through the archer-scouts that had been trying to cover the Prince''s retreat.


    The six men were dressed like the rest of the so-called Barbarians. But the martial arts that they displayed as they slaughtered the scouts and the other soldiers that got in their way was definitely not something that the Barbarians were capable of. Qin Feng was about to point that out, when he heard Li Changhai give out a harsh curse beside him:


    "Iron Fire Mountain! They are from Iron Fire Mountain!"


    Which didn''t tell Qin Feng anything at all. But from the way that the Second Ducal Prince and his Bodyguards were readying their own weapons, he could see that they were wary of this band of newcomers. Which was enough to put him on alert, and raise his own sword against them.


    "Li Changhai! Leave your life behind!"


    One of the sextet charged forward even as he shouted those words, and the Prince was quick to raise his glaive, as though he was prepared to fight the fellow on his own. And the pair of Bodyguards charged at once, to place themselves between their charge and his attacker.


    Leaving Qin Feng to curse as he moved to block off the rest of the assault team that seemed to be waiting for their own chance to make a move!


    * * *

 148 The Journey North 8

    Qin Feng gave out one last curse before he lunged at the closest of the five newcomers that were charging towards the quartet. From the corner of his eye, he could tell that the Second Ducal Prince and his Bodyguards were barely capable of holding off the attack of that first ambusher.


    Another piece of good news was that Lieutenant Wei seemed to have survived the sudden assault, and was busy holding off yet another of the newcomers. However, that wasn''t enough to lighten Qin Feng''s mood.


    He was hardly a match for four of them by himself!


    A hail of arrows flew at the quartet of enemies just as that thought crossed his mind. Which was enough to make the four of them fend off the same. That was enough to upset their pace, stopping two of them in their tracks as they fended off the missiles with their swords. The other pair, however, continued to charge at Qin Feng, who quickly raised his sword to defend.


    He barely blocked the slash from the faster of the two before the second of the fur-clad attackers tried to cut at his throat. Qin Feng backed away from that second attack, and shifted his weight towards the first ''Barbarian''. He had managed to bind that one''s sword as he parried, so the fellow was clearly not expecting a counter from him.


    White Jade Hands: Eclipse the Moon!


    His left hand struck as soon as he was close enough, and caught the man in the rib-cage, drawing a soft grunt and pushing him away in a hurry. But Qin Feng knew that the injury that he had just inflicted was next to negligible when the fur-clad fellow landed on his feet.


    But Qin Feng no longer had the opportunity, nor the inclination, to deal with him. The next assailant, a fellow with sunken cheeks and a sour disposition, was already in front of him and making yet another attack!


    Which was enough to draw a curse from his lips, as he fought to parry the unusual thrust that the enemy was employing against him. Fortunately, the sword in his hand managed to catch, and block the strange slashing attack, and divert it to the side.


    Then Qin Feng gritted his teeth and threw a sword move of his own back at the skinny man pretending to be a Barbarian:


    Four Seasons Sword: Shards of Winter Frost!


    That the one attack that he had practiced the most, out of the four movements of the Four Season Sword. And his fight with the Barbarians and the old man at the Army Camp had only honed his understanding of the same. Added to the fact that the pinched-faced fellow had just had his own sword thrust parried, and was a little off-balanced, Qin Feng''s weapon wove through the hasty, almost frantic defense of his enemy smoothly!


    His sword penetrated the chest of the pinched-faced man that he was facing, sending a warm red spray all over Qin Feng''s hand. He almost flinched, but punched out with his left fist instead, pummeling his victim in the face and pushing him back so that Qin Feng could retract his blade. Then, quickly, he swung the weapon again, dragging its edge across his opponent''s neck.


    He had learned that being kind to one''s enemy was the same as being cruel to oneself. And, he reminded himself, this was not the first time that he had killed.


    Still, that particular move had slowed him down somewhat, and allowed another of the false Barbarians a stab at his back. He ducked, a little too late, and ended up receiving a sword strike on his left shoulder blade. He cried out, in pain and anger, and whirled to slash at the one who had marked him. But the fur-clad fellow had jumped back, even as he waved for his remaining companion to attack as well.


    Qin Feng grunted as he shifted his position, trying his best to keep both of the remaining assailants in sight. He knew that he had already overdrawn his strength. Then he remembered that there was another enemy behind him. A quick glance to the rear told him that the one who had been first to attack him was now engaged with Lieutenant Wei.


    Somehow, the tall lieutenant had managed to kill off his first opponent, and was now harrying the fellow. Which was almost sufficient to make Qin Feng give out a sigh of relief. Despite the fact that Lieutenant Wei had drawn away one of the quartet that had originally targeted him, he didn''t really have very much confidence in dealing these last two idiots that he was blocking.


    All he could hope for was to hold them off for a while. And pray that either the Second Ducal Prince or his Bodyguards, or Lieutenant Wei, would come to his aid once they were done with their own opponents!


    Both of them looked nondescript, although one was older than the other. He also had a bit of a paunch, which unfortunately did not slow him down, much to Qin Feng''s disgust. And both of them seemed to have worked together before, he realized, when they both moved to strike at him at the same time!


    Another foul curse burst from his lips immediately, as he tried to back away from the pair. His Four Seasons Swordplay was barely enough to ward off one of the blows, the other sword leaving a shallow cut on his left thigh as he twisted his body to evade the attacks.


    And the fellow who had left that mark on him was quick to retreat too, when he tried to counterattack. But that was only a feint, to allow to jump away another three, four steps. The other enemy was clearly waiting for him to commit, so that he can take advantage of the opening presented.


    Which was enough to confirm his original guess; these two had worked together before! How else would they have been able to coordinate their assault so well?


    That realization was enough to make Qin Feng grit his teeth, and hiss another foul curse. How was he supposed to get out of this one?


    * * *

 149 The Journey North 9

    It was rather obvious that the two men knew that they had him at a disadvantage. They didn''t bother to hide it, from the way that they were grinning at each other as they advanced on him. And he doubted that he could fend them off long enough for the Prince, or Lieutenant Wei, to finish off their own opponents and come lend him a hand.


    Then he gritted his teeth, and charged at the pair.


    The pudgy fellow laughed out loud, as he moved to intercept the assault. And he attacked, even before Qin Feng could even begin to execute the attack that he had intended. Forcing the younger man to grit his teeth, and switch to a more defensive stance.


    Four Seasons Sword: Wilting Autumn Leaves!


    The long sword in his hands seemed to weave a chaotic net, like withered brown leaves falling off tree branches, fluttering in the wind. And somehow ward off the three sharp, piercing strikes that the older, and fatter, enemy threw at Qin Feng. Who quickly backed away from the same, as he fought to adjust his breathing, and recover his strength.


    Qin Feng knew that he had been lucky, and he also knew that it was unrealistic to expect that same defensive move to work so efficiently if he used it again. Another piece of luck was that Pudgy Cheeks, as he had labelled the one who had just attacked him, had also used one of his more effective moves. Which meant that he was unlikely to try that again.


    Honestly, Qin Feng had barely been able to catch a glimpse of that unusual sword style, and was far from understanding it. But the enemy didn''t know that, so he was more than happy should the fellow be intimidated enough not to use it again!


    On the other hand, he was rather annoyed at the way that the fellow with the slightly pudgy cheeks was able to avoid almost all of his attacks. And how these false Barbarians were putting up such a hard fight. Wasn''t he already in the Core Formation Realm? The Core that was in his dantian was no more than the size of a small bean but it was a Core nonetheless! So why was he having such difficulty against these people conducting the ambush?


    But Pudgy Cheeks'' partner did not give him time to dwell on such a puzzle, forcing Qin Feng to back away again as he shot out another one of those strange attacks on the young man. This was a repeat of one of those moves that he had managed to dodge earlier though, so Qin Feng didn''t have any trouble avoiding it.


    Only to realize that the attack was nothing more than a feint!


    The thinner man clad in Barbarian furs had lulled him into repeating the same dodging pattern as before, and had a second move prepared just as Qin Feng was starting to feel complacent! And he was forced to back away abruptly from the sharp stab to the throat that had suddenly appeared right in front of him!


    Four Seasons Sword: Shards of Winter Frost!


    The Defensive Style of Shards of Winter Frost threw a layer of sword qi between him and the rapidly approaching sword tip. That caused the air around Qin Feng to give out three sharp clashing sounds as it deflected the seemingly simple stabbing blow. Allowing the younger man to fend off the assault.


    A trickle of cold sweat dribbled down Qin Feng''s back as he pulled away. Then he cursed himself as he forced himself to take the offensive once more. If he kept pulling back like this, wasn''t he going to end up further and further away from the Second Ducal Prince and Lieutenant Wei? Wasn''t that going to make things even more risky for him, once that happens?


    He used the Autumn stance of his Four Seasons Swordplay once again. But this time, he changed the intent of the stance from pure defense to an aggressive advance. The sword in his hand whined as it clashed against the thinner man''s weapon continuously, preventing the fellow from preparing yet another of his strange moves.


    Since he was calling one of them Pudgy Cheeks, the other fellow would just have to be stuck with the label Skinny Man, Qin Feng thought as he drew closer to his target. While he wasn''t as thin that the one that he had killed earlier, when they started exchanging blows, this one was relatively slimmer, and younger, than Pudgy Cheeks. So that name would have to do.


    But it was already clear that his opponents had some idea of the Four Seasons Sword, so he knew that he couldn''t rely on that to score him another victory. The fact that he had caught them by surprise earlier was probably the only reason why he had succeeded before.


    So Qin Feng''s left hand struck, the moment that he was close enough to use his other fighting art. Just as he pushed Skinny Man''s sword out of the way, but before his enemy realized that he had failed to keep him engaged, and started to pull back.


    That was the only time that he was close enough to Qin Feng for the latter to strike. And apparently, too surprised to react!


    White Jade Hands: Sink the Fish!


    Qin Feng''s left palm caught his skinnier opponent directly on the right side of his face. That was enough of a shock to Skinny Man that he almost dropped his sword. And something that Qin Feng had not expected to succeed too!


    He had intended to aim for Skinny Man''s shoulder at first, and perhaps, disarm the fellow. But he changed his mind, and struck a little deeper, catching the man on the jaw line instead. And he had thrown all of his zhenqi behind the blow as well!


    There was a loud cracking sound as his hand crashed against his opponent. And Qin Feng felt something shatter under his palm. Somehow, he was confident that he did not have to worry about Skinny Man any longer.


    Even if he wasn''t seriously injured from that attack, Qin Feng was rather certain tha he had rendered the fellow unconscious.


    But QIn Feng did pay a hefty price!


    Pudgy Cheeks had seen what the young swordsman was up to, and had charged in even as the latter began his Four Seasons Sword defense. And backed away so that he could drag out the distance between the pair. Fortunately, that had succeeded, so that Qin Feng had managed to make that crucial palm strike, before Pudgy Cheeks arrived.


    He switched to defense bare moments after he hit Skinny Man, and barely dodged the cunning stab that Pudgy Cheeks threw at him, at almost the same instant. Probably attempting to save his partner in crime, Qin Feng thought. Instead of punching through the latter''s left arm, Qin Feng had pulled back his hand just in time, such that his remaining enemy''s strike only left a long shallow track on his forearm. Instead of drilling a hole through his left shoulder-blade!


    That sent another chill down Qin Feng''s spine as he fled!


    But he gritted his teeth, and turned to face the last of the group that he had thrown himself in front of. It should be easier now, shouldn''t it? When he only had one opponent left? And if he could hold this one off, wasn''t there a chance that Li Changhai or Lieutenant Wei would come help? That is, if they could finish off their own opponents!


    Something that Qin Feng dearly wished that they would settle quickly!


    * * *

 150 The Journey North 10

    But Pudgy Cheeks seemed incensed with him now. And with good reason too!


    Qin Feng had killed off his partners-in-crime after all. And had somehow managed to avoid all the attacks that he had made. That should be enough to make the slightly rotund fellow furious. Little wonder that he was doing his best to try to tear Qin Feng''s head off!


    It took almost all of his concentration, and his quick footwork, to avoid all those deadly blows that Pudgy Cheeks was throwing at him.


    Fortunately, the Four Seasons Sword that he had been training in for the last three, four years was an ancient technique. And one that could be used to defend, as well as attack. Otherwise, how could Heaven Sword School have lasted so long, using that as its most basic training technique?


    But the Flowing Wind Movement Technique, on the other hand, was not one that focused on dealing with enemies but rather movement across long distances, unlike the strange steps that Pudgy Cheeks was using. A disadvantage that showed itself moments later, when the enemy caught up, using his more advantageous movement style. And tossed yet another of his curious sword moves at the younger man.


    Qin Feng grunted as he blocked another stabbing blow with his right forearm, leaving him with a narrow hole on the same. For some reason, he could not quite grasp the method that Pudgy Cheeks used, such that his own sword technique was unable to parry the opposition''s strikes. But he did manage to kick at the enemy''s right thigh even as he took damage, and push himself away from the same.


    Unfortunately, his kick didn''t do much except widen the distance between the two mean. And it certainly didn''t hamper the fellow from rushing at him again. The last remaining false Barbarian gave out an obscenity as he caught his balance, then charged at Qin Feng again. From his knotted brow and the stream of curses that were flowing from his lips, it was rather clear what he was intending to do to the former Heaven Sword School disciple.


    Yet, that last exchange had given Qin Feng a clue as to how to deal with his assailant: the man''s sword technique seemed to be focused on countering the sword techniques that he had learned in the Heaven Sword School. But the simple, brute force methods that he had thrown out, like that last kick, did not seem to draw the same sort of response!


    If that was so, did it mean that the enemy was so focused on dealing with the Heaven Sword School''s sword techniques that he had no inkling at all, when it came to bare-fisted attacks? Didn''t that mean that he had a chance, to hit back at Pudgy Cheeks, so long as he didn''t use his Four Seasons Sword?


    Qin Feng didn''t hesitate to implement his plan, letting go of his sword the moment that Pudgy Cheeks moved to disarm him. That move certainly came as a shock to his opponent, who had never expected him to release the weapon. But his arm was already extended, and Qin Feng quickly stepped in as he sent his right hand out to snatch at the forearm of Pudgy Cheeks'' sword-wielding hand!


    White Jade Hands: Push the Window, Gaze at the Moon!


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    The move was a simple one. All it involved was a lifting or pulling motion, that diverted an enemy''s defending limb. That was Pushing the Window part of the attack. Next was the Gaze at the Moon portion, which involved the actual attack!


    In this case, Qin Feng''s right arm was enacting the ''pushed the window'' motion, which was diverting the enemy''s sword-wielding arm, and holding it out of the way, such that Pudgy Cheeks could not draw his weapon back to defend himself.


    That part of the move also left the entire stretch of his upper torso, from his right armpit down to his right hip, wide open!


    Leaving Qin Feng''s left palm to slam right into Pudgy Cheeks'' lower ribcage, and drawing a thunderous crackling sound as his powerful, qi-augmented strike smashed into the so-called false ribs, shattering them!


    Nor did the attack stop there. The force of the same pushed the fragments of those same ribs into the fur-clad fellow''s lungs. And sent him jumping back, away from Qin Feng at once!


    Who didn''t give chase, and concentrated on rushing to the side, to retrieve his weapon.


    Qin Feng watched the enemy carefully, as he picked it up from the ground. There was still a chance that Pudgy Cheeks would ignore his own injuries, and make yet another attempt on Qin Feng''s life. He had to be wary of that.


    But the enemy did not make such a move.


    He spat out blood from his injured lung as soon as his feet landed on the ground, and he took about seven, eight steps back, as if he was off balanced. It was rather clear that Qin Feng''s heavy blow had seriously injured the older man. Something that earned him a glare from the same, even as Pudgy Cheeks staggered forward again, although he was pressing his right arm close to his torso, as though shielding himself.


    Not that Qin Feng was in any condition to attempt another attack. He had taken injuries himself, on his right upper arm and his left thigh. Not to mention the long scratch on his left forearm. Besides that, he knew that his reservoir of zhenqi was almost completely dry. So he wasn''t inclined to press another attack on Pudgy Cheeks.


    Nor did he have to.


    Moments later, Lieutenant Wei and the Second Ducal Prince arrived. The latter was still accompanied by his two Bodyguards, although it was clear from the rents in their armor, and the blood that was pouring out of their many wounds on their bodies, that they were a little worse for wear. Nevertheless, they still stood next to their charge, despite their pallor, and glared at the lone enemy.


    Which made it apparent that Pudgy Cheeks was the only one left, out of the whole crew that had come to take Li Changhai''s life!


    * * *

 151 The Journey North 11

    Second Ducal Prince Li Changhai was quick to start questioning the man, even as Qin Feng looked on, at one side, and pretended to be less hurt than he was. To be utterly honest, he was close to collapsing himself, after all that exertion. But he was furiously channeling his zhenqi, trying his best to recover, as he listened to the Prince''s interrogation:


    "Your moves, your fighting styles ... and that of your fellows, make it clear that you are from Iron Fire Mountain. Do you dare to deny this? Did you really think that you can hide that fact, just by wearing those cast off pieces of Barbarian garments?"


    Pudgy Cheeks did not answer, and only tried to lift his sword again. Unfortunately for him, his freshly broken ribs were on his right side, so the action was far weaker, and slower, and far more obvious. So much so that Li Changhai did not have any difficulty flicking his glaive out, and with a twist, disarming the fellow in the crude furs. One of his Bodyguard even snatched up the weapon, and set in his own belt.


    The move had also caused Pudgy Cheeks quite a bit of unhappiness as soon as his sword was torn from his hand. No doubt, it had also aggravated the injury that he had just received.


    The Second Ducal Prince wasn''t about to rely on that, however, and maintained his distance from the captive. Even Qin Feng remained cautious, while he began to bandage or otherwise take care of his more easily accessible injuries. After all, wasn''t it clear that these people had been lying in wait for Li Changhai for a good while? And to have avoided the Second Ducal Prince''s scouts was not an easy matter.


    "Iron Fire Mountain Sect lies far to the North, and has never interfered with our Western Duchy''s fight against the Barbarians. Why have you come here? What is your motive? Who told you to attack this Prince?"


    Pudgy Cheeks still did not reply, and only sniffed at the Second Ducal Prince''s question. The Bodyguards on either side of Li Changhai stiffened, but did not make a move away from their charge. Their duty was to watch over the Prince, after all. Li Changhai had other resources, to help him deal with his interrogation.


    Lieutenant Wei Xuanran, for example. The lieutenant stepped forward cautiously, although he held his spear at rest. But it was clear from the look in his eyes that he was ready for the fur-clad man in front of him to make a move, in spite of the obvious injuries that was hampering him. It was rather obvious that this particular soldier had some experience dealing with martial practitioners from the various Sects and Schools around the Kingdom.


    Qin Feng made an obvious sound as he took a step forward with his sword, the moment that Pudgy Cheeks shifted his body. He was done with wrapping up the injuries on his arms and his legs. The wound on his back, however, would have to wait. And the noise that he made was more a show than a real threat.


    He was all but out of zhenqi himself, and was desperately doing his best to recover his strength while Pudgy Cheeks was distracted by the questions. At the moment, he had only enough for one single attack. If the fellow tried anything funny. Hopefully, the idiot in furs would cooperate, and surrender peacefully, so that Qin Feng wouldn''t need to use that last move!


    He was already feeling the strain, and knew that he would not be able to keep himself from falling down onto the ground much longer!


    So he stuck to Breathing, doing his best to recover what zhenqi he could. And leaving the questioning to the Second Ducal Prince. Li Changhai was better trained in dealing with such matters than he was, Qin Feng was certain.


    Although he could not help but be shocked when Pudgy Cheeks suddenly sniffed, and gave out a laugh. As well as an answer:


    "Can''t you guess it already? We want your life, of course!"


    Li Changhai was not too surprised to hear that. Nor was Qin Feng, for that matter. Of course, that didn''t mean that the latter understood what it was about.


    But from the way that the Second Ducal Prince''s face paled, and how his fists tightened around the shaft of his weapon, it was obvious that the fellow was agitated by Pudgy Cheeks'' mocking reply. Still, he managed to continue his questioning in a much calmer voice than Qin Feng had thought possible.


    "Oh? Only me? Or are you intent on the rest of my maternal family? I doubt that you have sent anyone against my mother or my youngest sister yet, have you? My father would definitely take action, if you did."


    There was a certainty in the way that he said that, which made the captive sitting down in the grassland scowl. But Pudgy Cheeks did not try to deny what Li Changhai had said. Which was enough to make Qin Feng wonder as to the motivation that drove the idiot, and his little band.


    So he simply settled down, to hear what else the Second Ducal Prince would uncover from his simple battlefield interrogation. It would take a bit of time, he was certain, considering the haughty smile on Pudgy Cheeks'' lips. Clearly, the fellow from the Iron Fire Mountain Sect was not going make it easy for the Prince to dig the information out of him.


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    "Oh? Not answering? In that case, why am I still keeping you around?"


    Which was why Qin Feng was utterly stunned, when Li Changhai simply stepped forward, and took off the prisoner''s head with one single swing of his glaive!


    * * *

 152 The Journey North 12

    "Hmmmph! I have no desire to waste any of my time with scoundrels like these!" Li Changhai declared when he pulled the head of his glaive back, and started to clean the blade, ignoring the somewhat shocked expressions on the faces of the quartet at his side.


    His words seemed to be directed at the Bodyguards at his side, as well as Qin Feng and Lieutenant Wei, who had seemed somewhat astounded by his apparent nonchalance. But the lieutenant had simply given the Second Ducal Prince a quick bow, before starting to move off towards the wagons once again.


    As for Qin Feng, he merely shrugged, and sagged immediately after that. After all, he was more concerned about his injuries, rather than the fact that Li Changhai had tossed away a chance to find out more about his enemies. Or perhaps, he had already expected this Iron Fire Mountain Sect to make a move towards him?


    Then he received another surprise, when the Bodyguard who had taken Pudgy Cheeks'' sword stepped forward to return that weapon into his hands.


    The large man laughed when he saw Qin Feng''s confusion at that. "You were the one who took him down, so that should be your prize. Just consider us holding it for you earlier, to allow for a smoother interrogation," he explained.


    That was a reasonable explanation, so Qin Feng didn''t hesitate to receive the weapon with a smile. The common long sword that he had been using had suffered scratches along its surface, and chips to its edge. So he was more than pleased to get his hands on a better weapon.


    A loud cry echoed through the field, just as he bent down to search for what else Pudgy Cheeks had been carrying. Looking up, he noted that the rest of the soldiers had already dealt with the remaining assailants who had been dressed in Barbarian garb. And that Lieutenant Wei had returned to the remaining scouts, and were sending them off to check on something.


    By the time he was done recovering what he could from the first corpse, out of the four that he had slain, the Second Ducal Prince and his Bodyguards had also finished checking their original assailant''s body. When Qin Feng shifted to the rest of his kills, he was close enough to the trio to hear Li Changhai sigh. But before he could ask the Prince what was the matter, they were interrupted by the cheering of the remaining escorts.


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    Which was enough to make the two young men smile, and nod at one another. Then the two of them turned to watch the soldiers raising their weapons up in the air and cheering. It looked like they were more than pleased at having survived the assault.


    However, an angry look soon returned to the Second Ducal Prince''s face. And Qin Feng didn''t miss the exhaustion which his pair of Bodyguards wore. Clearly, things weren''t as simple as just another raid. And it was also obvious that the danger wasn''t altogether over yet.


    Well, that was something for the Prince to worry about, Qin Feng told himself. And quickly moved to search the rest of his kills. If they were going to get into more fights later on, he would have to make sure that he had a few spare weapons!


    *


    Li Sanlang wore a somewhat bitter smile upon his lips as he walked back towards the remnants of his hundred strong bodyguard, leaving the injured Qin Feng behind him. To be honest, he was more than pleased that he had only lost nineteen of his men. Oh, there were another five or six with somewhat serious injuries, but they looked like they would survive. At least, that was what Lieutenant Wei Xuanran had reported.


    That meant that he would probably arrive at his father''s city with close to three-quarters of the escort that his Uncle, the Marquis, had provided. Not too terrible a loss, he decided. He would have preferred to have made the trip without any such ambushes, but it was clear that his father''s enemies had already painted a target on him.


    Part of him was annoyed that he was being used to upset his father, while another part of him was glad that he had showed off his worth, as a warrior. But he would have to stay in the Ducal City for a good while, and take on more Bodyguards, as a result of this.


    And it was rather obvious that he was not going to be allowed to lead a troop of soldiers, like his brother, in the upcoming Summer campaign to hunt the Barbarians either.


    Which meant that he wasn''t going to have a chance to show off what he had learned after all. Despite all of his practice and all of his anticipation. Still, the Barbarians did not appear to be preparing for an attempt to storm into the Kingdom come Summer. Otherwise, why would they have launched such a strange assault from the Southern Woods?


    Strangely, all that he felt was relief, rather than disappointment.


    Which was enough to make him sigh to himself, when he realised it. Perhaps what his grandfather said was true: he wasn''t meant to be a warrior like his older brother! No doubt, the First Ducal Prince would be more than eager to rush forth with his own special troop, his Blue Steel Riders, to sweep up the Barbarians, once he hears about the change in their tactics.


    Well, he didn''t have a whole Sect targeting him when he does so, did he?


    A soft grunting sound from one of his Bodyguard made Li Changhai look up then. Just in time to spot the lieutenant in charge of his escort return. No doubt with a proper report of his findings. Especially on how the enemy had managed to surprise his troop.


    Lieutenant Wei wore a grim expression as he pointed to both sides of the trail, once he was close enough to report. "They have dug pits around this spot, and made sure not to disturb the grass too much. And hid in those pits until they were ready to spring their ambush. That was why our scouts had missed it," he reported quietly.


    Li Changhai looked somewhat surprised by that report, but nodded at the lieutenant to continue, when he saw that the man still had something to say.


    "The second group had located their own hiding places - similar pits, a little further away from the trail, and on the other side. I believe that they were waiting for a chance to strike at you and you alone, Prince. To assassinate you. They clearly had not expected you to rush off to fend off the enemy yourself."


    "Then ... I had spoiled their plan?"


    "Indeed, your Highness. And you turned back in time too, to spoil any chance they had of mixing themselves into that crowd, so that they can isolate you. Hence, they were forced to come out of hiding, to confront you directly.


    "Besides that, I think they were not expecting you to have such a strong bodyguard at your side. At least, not someone who is a cultivator, who is so skilled with the sword."


    Li Sanlang turned to look at the lieutenant, but was somewhat surprised to see no indication that Wei Xuanran was joking on the latter''s face. Instead, the man seemed almost proud that the Second Ducal Prince had taken such a step.


    Which was enough to make the Prince blink distractedly. And turn to stare at Qin Feng, who was still busy searching the bodies of the slain assassins.


    * * *

 153 The Journey North 13

    Then he felt his face twitching, as he tried to keep himself from grinning. Well, that was probably the reason why his grandmother had more or less insisted on his bringing Qin Feng along with him. And to keep the younger man at his side. From his experiences with the fellow so far, Li Changhai had to admit that Qin Feng was very good luck!


    For him, at least. He would have to send one of his Bodyguards to the fellow later, to help him with his injuries. And perhaps, share some of the medicines that he was carrying with him. It seemed only fair, seeing how Qin Feng had saved his life.


    Again!


    Li Sanlang sighed as he remembered how the younger man had managed to pull him back from the Death God''s grasp once again. It seemed to be becoming a habit, his relying on Qin Feng like that. And he also knew that it wasn''t a healthy one.


    Especially for the former Heaven Sword School disciple. Qin Feng had been getting rather badly hurt, every time that he had to thrown himself into the fray. And this was the second time that the younger man had almost died, wasn''t it? To save him from his enemies.


    Which should be enough to start Qin Feng wondering if it was safe, to continue traveling with him and his little army, towards his father''s City.


    After all, who could say when Qin Feng would decide that it was not worth his trouble? To put his own life at risk? Most people would not to bother with all of this conflict, would they? Didn''t that mean that he was likely to perish, without this young expert at his side?


    Then he paused, and considered the reason why he was traveling with such a small group of soldiers. Was it really so that he could learn how to handle a troop on his own? Or did his grandmother have some other idea in mind, when she pushed this small troop, and only two Bodyguards, out of her son''s fief?


    And told him to make certain that he had Qin Feng at his side?


    For some reason, he had the impression that this was not by chance. And that his maternal grandmother had her own plans in motion, when she pushed Qin Feng at him, with the excuse of having the former Heaven Sword School disciple engage his father about the Green Shadow Sabre.


    "I think you should take a look at this."


    Looking up, Li Changhai saw that it was Qin Feng who had stepped up to his side. The expression on the young man''s face was enough to warn the Second Ducal Prince that the former herb-grower had just learned something. And something unpleasant at that.


    "They have set a price on your head, I believe. If the reference that they have fixed for you makes any sense. The price is rather tempting too."


    Qin Feng was holding out a single sheet of paper that had been folded into quarters, based on the creases that Lin Changhai could see. And the characters that had been scrawled on its surface, in a rather loose and informal script, was a little harder to read than normal. Still, he did not have too much trouble making sense of it, although he took a little longer.


    The words were enough of a shock that his fist tightened around the sheet, crumpling it slightly as his eyes took in the message written:


    "So. You are right. They have set a price on my head. And a very generous one at that. A hundred thousand silver coins."


    Li Sanlang turned to face the shorter, younger man at his side, and saw Qin Feng nodding back at him. The self-proclaimed trader had two of those Qiankun pouches in his hand. Which was likely where he had found that particular message, hidden on the bodies of the false Barbarians in their rough fur-coats.


    Was this a hint? That he was about to end this unrecognized, unpaid duty of his? That Qin Feng was not going to go on protecting him?


    Honestly, Li Changhai could not bring himself to blame the young fellow. Not after how Qin Feng had almost died a second time, saving his life. And he hadn''t received a single piece of silver for all of his trouble!


    Qin Feng''s expression, on the other hand, seemed to indicate that he was not too bothered by that. His almost nonchalant look certainly supported Li Sanlang''s original guess that his grandmother had quietly arranged for the former Heaven Sword School disciple to take care of him on this particular journey.


    Which left him to wonder what sort of deal she had made. And if Qin Feng would hold to it, after what he had just learned about the bounty that had been offered.


    But the young man was pointing to where the bodies lay, after he had thoroughly searched them. And his voice was calm when he spoke again.


    "They seem to be more organized than I would have expected to see, setting up a trap for us like that. The way that they are doing this seems to hint that they are after you, Prince. Or that they are trying to slow you down.


    "I don''t think that they would simply send out this quality of assassins, if they truly wanted you dead."


    The Second Ducal Prince''s head whirled to fix his eyes on the youth at his side, and his mouth hung open as he saw what Qin Feng meant. He was right! If they had truly wanted him dead, wouldn''t they have sent more powerful practitioners? That would make his death certain, wouldn''t it?


    Which begged the question: why hadn''t they done that?


    Li Sanlang scowled as he took in the younger man''s hints. This Qin Feng was quick to see that. Was that the real reason why his grandmother had set this up? That Qin Feng was not only there to see that he survived the trip? That he was also there to open his eyes to other possibilities?


    "This may be ploy, you think? To slow me down?"


    Qin Feng did not answer, but his silence, and the way that he stared at the exposed traps that were laid out in front from him seemed to give a hint as to what he thought.


    So he waved a hand at the two injured Bodyguards that were on either side of him, and gave the command to regather the men, and to push on towards Yanyun City at once. Only when that was done did he turn back to Qin Feng.


    "You think that this was one of those maneuvers where they would run away, and drag our people into a trap? Or something more devious than that?"


    Qin Feng''s scowl, and his continued scrutiny of the so-called fleeing Barbarians, gave Li Changhai the impression that he was considering his question very carefully. So when he finally shook his head at the Second Ducal Prince, the latter almost breathed out a sigh of relief.


    "I believe that this was a simple scouting maneuver, to see just what sort of troops would be waiting for them, if they should attack again. You are right. They are likely to keep coming, if we give them the chance.


    "We shall have to forget about all our maneuvers and such, and rush on to Yanyun City at once!"


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    Li Sanlang''s words were a probe of sorts, to see if it matched with what Qin Feng had in mind. After all, if his grandmother had sent him along to watch over him, it would be prudent to listen to what he had to say, wouldn''t it?


    As it turned out, Qin Feng did have a suggestion. Of sorts.


    "You should change into fighting gear. The sort of common fighting gear that the rest of the Bodyguards are wearing. And get one of them to put on that flashy armor that the New Marquis gave you back at Changqing City. That should draw the enemy''s attention away from you. .


    "Of course, if their intentions are to slaughter us all, that little trick isn''t likely to work. But ... it might make it easier for you to make your escape."


    For a moment, Li Sanlang was stunned. To think that Qin Feng had already made such a plan! Had he already considered the worst case already? Then he recovered, and nodded gratefully at the young man:


    "You are right. We know that I am a target, and that my head is worth ten thousand pieces of gold. That is enough reason to take up your suggestion, that I mix myself into the crowd of these new soldiers, so that I do not stand out.


    "And we had best make better time across these empty wild lands, and hurry to Yanyun City, where I would be safer with my father''s troops around me. So let''s get everyone together, and get back on our way!"


    * * *

 154 Yanyun City 1

    Li Changhai smiled as he saw the city walls loom ahead of him on the road. He was more than eager to be at the end of this bothersome journey, to tell the truth. And from the casual comments and jokes that the rest of his soldiers were passing about, it was similarly obvious that they were more than glad to be done with their short march.


    To be fair, it was more of a forced march the last five, six days. They had thrown aside some of their own rules, and no longer bothered with hunting or fresh food after that ambush by the Iron Fire Mountain Sect. And relied on their dry rations to fill their bellies ever since.


    Not exactly a very enjoyable experience, the Second Ducal Prince reminded himself, as he turned to look over the two wagons that were following the troop. And the scowling man who was seated on their first of them, next to the driver of the same. Qin Feng clearly did not care for their rush, and the discomfort that came with it.


    Still, the younger man didn''t make any noise about it. And he was more than happy to dress in the richer garments that Li Sanlang had provided. They were a lot more comfortable than the pitiful scraps of cloth that Qin Feng had left on his body, after the attack that they had suffered. And it was rather clear that what he had been wearing was his best suit of clothes.


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    He would have to make it up to the young man, Li Changhai promised himself, as he saw how Qin Feng was peering about himself from where he was seated. The whole point of having him dress up was so that he could play the part of the Prince, and so keep any enemies from paying too much attention to the soldiers in the train. And Li Changhai was dressed as a squad leader so it wouldn''t look too out of place, to have the rest of the men listen to his commands, now and again.


    As for Lieutenant Wei Xuanran, he was seated on the last wagon, and watching their rear, accompanied by the two Bodyguards. This had been the best that they could come up with, given their situation. Even the Bodyguards had to agree that their presence in the main troop would have given the game away, and so remained at the last of the wagons.


    Those two were also not in any condition to march, even if they had insisted on doing it at first. The injuries that they had sustained in the attack by those Iron Fire Mountain Sect members had not been too severe, but they did cause quite a bit of bleeding. And the second of the wagons had been cleared to carry the wounded. Which gave them no excuses whatsoever.


    Especially when Li Sanlang insisted on marching with his troopers. He was dressed as a squad leader, after all. And most of the other soldiers were treating him like one. So it was only fair that he played that part.


    But he couldn''t help but shift a little closer to the wagons, so that he could stay within sight of Lieutenant Wei, and Qin Feng.


    To his surprise, it was the latter to called out to him. Apparently, the fellow had something to ask, and did so, when the Second Ducal Prince drew closer. As the latter had expected, it was something to do with the city ahead, where their journey was supposed to end.


    "That is Yanyun City? Your father''s Base City, here in the Western Reaches?"


    Li Changhai turned his head, surprised at the question. But he nodded at Qin Feng, the one who had asked it, wearing a slight smile on his lips nevertheless. The younger man had not seen the place before, he remembered.


    "Yes. We are almost there. If we keep to this pace, we should arrive before its gates within the next three to four hours."


    Qin Feng''s frown seem to deepen, as soon as he heard that. Which was enough to start the alarm bells in Li Sanlang''s head ringing immediately. "Then this is the last stretch where we can be attacked? By those Iron Fire Mountain people? Or the ones behind them?"


    The younger man''s questions sent a chill down Li Changhai''s spine, even as he nodded, as though agreeing with Qin Feng''s assumption. "That is correct. Although it would take a great deal of courage, to attempt something like that, this close to my father''s Base City."


    "What was that saying again? Not afraid of ten thousand, but worry about the small possibility? I think your soldiers are a little too relaxed, now that we are within sight of the city. All it takes is just another small troop, and a few properly trained assassins, don''t you think? To snatch away your head, even if you are surrounded by a full troop?"


    Qin Feng''s words were a little scathing, and the driver beside him seemed to stiffen as soon as he heard them. But Li Sanlang only felt his sweat suddenly pour down from between his shoulder blades. What the former disciple of the Heaven Sword School was correct. And his eyes flickered to the rest of the troop, and the wide open road ahead of them.


    Hadn''t they been ambushed under similar conditions? On an open road like this?


    And it was impossible for his father''s men to respond, wasn''t it? Not when they had no idea that the escort was approaching Yanyun City. They couldn''t be able to differentiate them from a merchant train or something similar, from this far away.


    Which meant that it was far to early, to relax their guard!


    But Qin Feng wasn''t done speaking, and his voice was sharper, when it rang in Li Changhai''s eyes once more:


    "Since I am supposed to be playing the part of the Second Ducal Prince now, to lure out your enemies, you can hardly blame me for being a little worried, can you? After all, I am going to the first one that they would try to kill, the moment that they make their move.


    "That is, if they have planned an ambush out here. The way that the road runs through uneven ground seems rather familiar to the spot where they had waited for us in those pits, isn''t it?"


    Li Changhai bit down on the curses that were about to fly out of his mouth, and simply nodded at Qin Feng once again. Not that he was intending to direct any of them at the younger man. Instead, it was meant for the rest of the soldiers that were a short distance ahead.


    He could see that they were merely going through the motions, from where he marched. And he didn''t doubt that they would be largely surprised, if there was a trap of some sort to be sprung, anywhere in the vicinity of the road.


    Then, just as he was about to shout at the men who were closest to the wagon, and his present position, there was a cry from the front of the escorts, as two scouts suddenly turned, and rushed back towards the rest of the troop!


    And their cries were sufficient to make all of the soldiers pull up their shields and their weapons. Even Lieutenant Wei rushed forward from his position to the rear, taking up a position next to Qin Feng''s wagon, next to the disguised Second Ducal Prince, the moment that the scouts shouted out their warnings:


    Riders approaching!


    * * *

 155 Friends and Family 1

    Then he squinted at the riders, and at the flag that fluttered in the wind behind the soldiers on horseback. The bright red flag, and the black eagle that was painted on it, was more than familiar!


    Nor was Li Changhai the only one who recognized the markings on that particular flag. He could sense the soldiers around him relaxing once again, as soon as they saw the markings. And started to do the same.


    Only to stop himself, and give out a shout, even as he stiffened his own spine:


    "Watch yourselves! We don''t know if they are truly my ... the Westland Duke''s men! They could be using false insignia. Stay alert!"


    To his left, he could hear the sharp inhalations of breath from the driver of the wagon as well as Lieutenant Wei who had already ran up to join him, on the other side of the wagon. Only Qin Feng was silent, although Li Changhai could see that the younger man was watching the riders carefully. With one hand on the hilt of his sword.


    Clearly, he was similarly wary of the newcomers.


    But Li Changhai did not waste any of his energy on the people at his side. And kept his eyes on the riders that were rapidly approaching. If they were enemies ... If there was going to be a fight ...


    He bit down on his doubts at once. These may not be enemies, he reminded himself. Although he knew just how impossible it would be, if his ragged, half-trained band were to go up against these apparently skilled riders. The horses and the men looked as though they had gone through much, with all that dust and grime on their uniforms. But that may just be part of their ploy, to disguise their true purpose.


    But the group pulled on their reins, before they entered bowshot. Leaving just one of their company to ride ahead, and approach the soldiers, who had already braced for a fight, around the wagons.


    "Sanlang! Is that you, Sanlang?"


    Li Changhai jerked upright and stared at the man with the scruffy beard who had been the only one to ride within fifty feet or so. And all at once, he realized that he recognized the fellow, despite the extra facial hair that now adorned his jaw.


    "Cousin? Cousin Biyun? What happened to you?" he laughed, as he stepped forward. Ignoring the soft grunting sounds that he heard from Lieutenant Wei and Qin Feng.


    "You look as if you have been out in the field for months!"


    Li Biyun laughed as he dismounted and half-ran to the man in the sergeant''s uniform. And clasped him to his chest. Making Li Changhai gag when he took in the reek of the unshaven man''s obviously unwashed body.


    "More like a month and a half, to the tell the truth. Your father sent me out to keep an eye out for you, the moment that he had word that you were attacked Southwest of Changqing City. As you can guess, me and my men have not had any rest since then. So you owe us all a good meal, at least!"


    "Bah! You are making this up! I didn''t send word to my father that I was on my way before last month, so how can you blame me for being sent out here for a month and a half?"


    Li Changhai grinned at the bearded fellow, although he pushed the stinking fellow out at arms length. "You must have gotten yourself into trouble before then, didn''t you? That was why you had been sent out into the field, hey?"


    "And kept there for almost half a year! And your father made me drill all of these useless boys at that! They have barely started to look the part."


    Li Biyun groaned as he said that, although he threw a hand out to make an encompassing gesture at the mounted troops that had pulled up a short distance away. Thankfully, Li Changhai realized, they were still a little out of earshot.


    "Well, from the way that they are keeping their mounts under control, and holding to a parade rest at that, I will admit that your training should meet with my father''s approval. But why were you called in to do this? I thought the Red Eagle Flag was under my older brother''s command."


    "Well, things have changed since you were gone. Your father suddenly decided that he was getting too old to be running around in the field every year, to deal with the Barbarians who come through the Wood Spider Pass. So he has placed your brother in charge of the Yellow Eagle riders and sent him to deal with them."


    "What?"


    The bearded fellow grinned, and shrugged at his surprise. And laughed when he saw that change to an evidently sour expression. By then, he was almost within arm''s reach of the Second Ducal Prince. "You should know that your father had this planned for years. So you should have expected it to happen, sooner or later. Just your luck to be out of the Duchy when it did, hey?


    Then he seemed to take in the state of the escorting troop, and the way that Li Changhai had taken pains to disguise himself. "What happened to you? Did you meet with trouble then, on the way back North?" he asked in a quiet voice.


    Li Changhai sighed and shook his head at his older cousin, waving a hand at the mounted troop at the latter''s back again. "I think we shouldn''t waste too much time talking about that now. I''ll give you the gist of it as we head back to Yanyun City. But the short of it is that I was attacked ... Or rather, the whole troop was attacked, shortly after we cleared the forest lands further South."


    Li Biyun scowled at once, and he glanced at the soldiers on foot around the wagon. Lieutenant Wei had already seen to it that they were moved away from the wagons, to give the pair some privacy. But it didn''t escape the bearded man''s notice that the majority of the foot soldiers were very young.


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    "I''m surprised that you managed to get away unscathed with this lot protecting you."


    Li Sanlang sniffed when he heard that. And poked a finger at the bearded man''s armored chest. "I''ll have you know that we fought off about thirty attackers. And there were a handful of them who were skilled practitioners. Iron Fire Mountain Sect, unless I miss my guess."


    The burly captain''s eyes widened as soon as he heard that, and his answering nod was clearly respectful. "Impressive. That is better than I had expected of you. But honestly? It couldn''t be because of your leadership, hmmm? And I don''t think your lieutenant over there is that good either. Otherwise, Uncle would have snatched him up for his First or Second Army."


    Li Changhai laughed as he agreed. "It was thanks to a friend of mine. Who has been throwing himself between me and those out to kill me. This was the second time that he did that. The first was when we had to fend off true Barbarians.


    "That''s him sitting on the wagon there. His name is Qin Feng."


    "This Qin Feng is that young fellow there then? The one who''s pretending to be you?"


    * * *

 156 Friends and Family 2

    Qin Feng looked up when he heard his name being mentioned. And simply gave the man with the bushy beard and the unfamiliar dusty red uniform a simple nod of greeting. He noted the frown that appeared on the stranger''s face as soon as he did so, but ignored it. As far as he was concerned, he was not inclined to take a step back when faced with these so-called nobles. Not when he was supposedly on a mission on behalf of Lady Xie Nianxue, the Old Marquis'' wife.


    Who just so happened to be the Second Ducal Prince''s, Li Changhai''s, maternal grandmother.


    From what he could see, that put her one level higher than the current Duke of the Westlands, who was merely Li Changhai''s father, if one followed the strict reckoning that governed proper familial and generational hierarchies.


    Besides that, he was already more than a little annoyed with the whole troop, and the troubles that it had brought on this particular journey. Honestly, if he was in-charge of having to bring the Second Ducal Prince back to his father from the Changqing City, he would have simply disguised the two of them as itinerant traders. That should have been enough to let them slip through the spies that the enemy had watching the roads.


    The addition of these hundred or so soldiers ... Well, they had started with a full century, when they left Changqing City. Now, there were slightly less than ninety of them left. And there were a few injured ones too, who would not be of any use in a fight. And they had slowed down the progress of the Prince, which was a more crucial factor, in Qin Feng''s considerations.


    It was also near impossible, to keep the Second Ducal Prince hidden, even if he did disguise himself as an ordinary soldier. That was what Qin Feng thought, although he had not bothered to tell Li Changhai his opinion, when the Prince removed his rich garments and put on a worn and weary uniform.


    As if that would stop the enemy from realizing that he had hidden himself within the troop!


    If it was up to Qin Feng, he would simply slaughter the entire band. If he was the enemy, that is. It would take a bit of time and effort, but that would avoid any chance of missing the Prince.


    From what he could see, these Iron Fire Mountain scoundrels did not intend to leave any survivors behind to give away the fact that they were the ones responsible anyway. So what did it matter if they slaughtered another ten or a hundred men?


    And what was all this nonsense about the reinforcements that the Duke had sent?


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    Didn''t the Prince already tell their idiot commander that he had suffered an attack already? Why then were they still standing in the middle of the road, as if they were sharing thoughts about the weather? When they should be running off towards Yanyun City as fast as they could?


    Sometimes, Qin Feng could not understand how these idiots did things. Or how they had managed to get a commanding rank in the so-called Ducal Army. As far as he was concerned, they were just idiots. And far worse ones than this Prince Li Changhai that he was traveling with!


    It seemed that these riders were no better than the soldiers that the Ducal Prince had brought along with him. They were certainly too complacent when it came to facing enemy action within the borders of their own fief!


    "Whatever problems you may have met with here, we are only about three, four hours away from Yanyun City. So let''s head back quickly. I don''t want to have to explain to Auntie if you get so much as a scratch while you are with me."


    From the bearded fellow grunted at him, when it became clear to him that Qin Feng was uninterested in speaking to him. Or in behaving like what martial practitioners from the Schools and Sects usually behaved. Li Changhai didn''t look as if he was bothered to explain either. No doubt due to his concerns regarding his own safety. And that of his troop.


    As his next question proved:


    "We will need to be careful, getting back to the city. Even though we have you and the rest of the Red Eagles on our side, the ones hunting us should not be giving up so easily. Their ambush tactics are better than what one would expect, from jianghu Sects and Schools. So we shall need to be careful."


    The leader of the escorting party looked a little wary when he heard that. "You think there''s military folk involved? The Northern Duchy?"


    "It''s too early to presume that they were behind the attempt. But to be honest, I cannot think of anyone else who would have an interest in making sure that I do not rejoin my father at Yanyun City. Or have a stake in not letting him learn the details of the recent Barbarian attack in the South."


    Qin Feng smiled as soon as he heard that. Those were his sentiments as well. Although he did not think too highly of Li Changhai sharing that with the bearded fellow. But that was just him. He wasn''t clear on who was on the Second Ducal Prince''s side, and who was not. And the arrival of this particular Red Eagle troop was a little too timely, no matter how one looked at it.


    Nevertheless, this was Li Changhai''s problem, and he certainly wasn''t about to get involved. It would be much safer for him to keep his mouth shut and stay out of the way, wasn''t it?


    But he did agree with the Second Ducal Prince''s view that they should continue to be cautious, all the way back to Yanyun City. Indeed, he would prefer it if they maintained their vigilance all the way back to the Duke''s mansion in the same! Who could say that there weren''t any malcontents in the city itself, out to take Li Changhai''s life?


    So he was more than pleased to hear the burly, bushy-bearded soldier shout orders at his men, as well as Lieutenant Wei''s, to get everyone moving once again.


    Soon, they will all be in Yanyun City. And Qin Feng could get his little job for Lady Xie over with!


    * * *

 157 Friends and Family 3

    Li Biyun didn''t waste any time leading the troop back into the city, and brought his cousin, the Prince, directly to the Ducal Palace. Li Changhai almost chuckled at how the Guards at the Gate saluted at the covered wagon, presuming that the Second Son of their Master was seated within. Fortunately, he had warned Qin Feng not to open the blinds covering the same, and to ignore all attempts to engage him. Otherwise, there would have been a bit of a mess for certain!


    As for himself, it was the first time that he was getting a view of the sort of ruckus his arrival caused among the Gate Guards, as well as the Palace Servants. Those were not in the least surprised that he was returning, but it was clear from the looks on confusion on their faces that they had not expected him to accompanied by such a young and ragged troop of Marquis Feng Laixue''s soldiers.


    That would certainly reach his father''s ears, Li Sanlang realized immediately. Well, it would not cause too much trouble, since the most likely outcome of this news would be a summons to the Duke''s private courtyard. It was just as well, since he was intending to visit his father, and to update him on the details of what had happened in the South.


    And he also had a sword to present, just as his Maternal Grandmother had instructed.


    Having his father summon him to answer a few questions, regarding his unusual trek North would certainly fit right into his plans!


    Li Changhai turned his head to look at the younger man at his side then. Qin Feng was still taking in the sights of the Ducal Palace grounds, and the lovely decorations that could be found within. In fact, his eyes were wide and his jaw seemed a little slack. From his reaction, it seemed rather obvious that he had not expected the Ducal Palace to be that different from the Marquis'' estate, back in Changqing City.


    A sigh threatened to burst forth from Li Sanlang''s lips as soon as that thought crossed his mind. To be honest, he would prefer to remain in Changqing City, and at his Maternal Grandparent''s home, if he could. It was a lot warmer there, and not in the physical sense. But Li Changhai felt that he could forget all about his duties and responsibilities, so long as he was there.


    Of course, that was just an illusion, he told himself. Regardless of how he felt about the Marquis'' in Changqing, his home was in Yanyun City. He would be tied there for a good while more, until his brother took over as the new Duke of the Westlands. And he made a commander of one of the Ducal Armies and left to serve as a ...


    Li Changhai shook his head, forcibly interrupting his own daydream. Now was not the time to be concerned with such things. It was still too early, and he was too young. Not to mention, his father had yet to show that he was intending to retire from his role in the Armies.


    Besides, the situation - his situation! That may change without any warning. Especially after his father learns about the possible schemes of the Northern Duke and his allies. Just the fact that he was attacked by the Iron Fire Mountain Sect would be enough to surprise the old man, he was certain!


    Then there was that sword that his Maternal Grandmother had insisted that he present to his father as a birthday gift. And she had even convinced Qin Feng to come along with him, so that he could speak of how it had ended up in his hands.


    There was something deeper than he knew in all of this, he realized. But Li Changhai was more than content to listen to his Grandmother. She would not harm him, he was sure.


    As for the young man who she had sent with him ... Well, Qin Feng had already saved his life twice so far. So Li Sanlang did not think him a threat.


    Which was why he was leading Qin Feng right to his own private courtyard, and arranging rooms for him in one of the buildings there. He would have to keep this former Heaven Sword School disciple close by, to make sure that he knew that he was valued!


    Qin Feng''s reaction to that arrangement was surprise. No doubt to find that he was being offered a room in the Ducal Prince''s private courtyard, rather than being installed in the guest wing of the Palace. Which prompted the Second Ducal Prince to apologized for having to abandon him shortly, when he had to make his rounds, to visit all of the trusted generals that were guests in the Palace. Qin Feng would need a bit of time to acclimatize, he decided.


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    Li Sanlang sighed as he walked out, waving a hand at the luxurious courtyard behind the two of them. "It is just something that I have to do, as a Ducal Prince. My father is sixty-eight now, and the rest of his trusted generals are also of a similar age. They have been pushing their sons and grandsons into positions of responsibility. Cousin Biyun is three years older than I am, and he has already taken over the Red Eagle Troop.


    "And my elder brother has his own troop of soldiers already, so he is working hard to take over my father''s duties. So it is only fair that I take up some responsibilities myself."


    Then he laughed, and pointed towards the Tower that loomed over the Southern City Gate. The same one that they passed earlier that day, when they entered the Ducal City. "I think the people will feel a lot more secure, knowing that their Duke and his children - all of his children, I mean. That we are taking our responsibilities towards the safety of Yanyun City seriously."


    "So it is a matter of ... giving the people what they want, what makes them feel more secure?" Qin Feng asked quietly, making the Second Ducal Prince wonder if he had truly understood what he was trying to convey.


    "With the threat of an invasion looming over their heads, I think the common people should be more than glad to join your little troop? To show their support for their Ducal Prince? In that case, why are you worried about the cost of putting together your own personal cadre?"


    Li Changhai laughed as soon as he heard that. "Well, it is not the recruitment of the soldiers that I am worried about, but the equipping and the feeding of the same. And the training as well. It would be an easy thing to set up a simple army troop, but not so simple to turn the same into a band of elite soldiers."


    To that, Qin Feng had no reaction at all, and simply nodded in agreement.


    Li Changhai hid a sigh, and quietly shook his head at the younger man. It was clear that Qin Feng had no experience with the administration of a proper army unit, from the questions that he had just asked. Nor did the Second Ducal Prince expect him to. Qin Feng was a disciple - an Outer Disciple, from the Heaven Sword School, an organisation that was isolated from the world.


    Hence, it would not be fair to expect him to understand some of the lessons that had taken Li Sanlang close to two, three years to even begin to make sense of.


    Of course, Qin Feng was not a son of a noble house, so he would hardly be interested in such matters.


    * * *

 158 Friends and Family 4

    "This one greets Second Young Master."


    Li Changhai looked up to see a familiar figure approaching him, and smiled broadly. As expected, his father didn''t waste any time. Which was just as well.


    "Butler Jin," he greeted the man with the greying hair, as he quickly pushed aside his thoughts about the younger man at his side.


    "The Master has heard of Second Young Master''s return, and wonders if you would care to join him in the Pond Pavilion. He has heard many stories about your exploits in the South, and would dearly love to learn your own opinion of what you have seen there."


    "Of course, Butler Jin. I will come with you at once."


    But Li Sanlang turned back to Qin Feng with a grin and a shrug, laughing. "It seems I am going to be dragged in front of my father now, to give an accounting of the troubles that I have put my maternal family through. I trust that Brother Qin will not blame me for not being a proper host? I shall leave these two maids of mine to show you to your quarters now. But I shall meet you again for a quick discussion, after I am done meeting with my father.


    "I trust that will suit?"


    The young man dressed in one of Li Changhai''s older but obviously rich robes laughed back at him, and indicated that he had no problems with the Ducal Prince''s arrangements. And he stood aside, even as Li Changhai turned back to Butler Jin, gesturing for the latter to lead the way.


    Which was enough to tell the Prince that Qin Feng was not entirely unaware of the situation there, at the Ducal Palace. Or of his own role in the same, attached to Li Changhai''s small household. Hopefully, it would be enough to keep him there, at the Second Ducal Prince''s side.


    *


    The Second Ducal Prince had a certain spring in his step as he left the resplendent courtyard. And from the thinly veiled look of excitement on his face, it was rather clear that he was eager to meet with his father. Which puzzled Qin Feng a little.


    Was the situation in these noble families so bad, so restricted, that they didn''t even have the opportunity to meet with their own parents whenever they wished?


    He certainly didn''t understand it. Of course, he had only known life in his little village, before he was taken away by ... Well, Old Man Snow Mountain certainly did not insist on any of those strange rules when it came to caring for him. So he guessed that the Old Man was not a nobleman. Or if he was, he certainly was not one of those that followed the rules like this Second Ducal Prince''s father.


    Of course, since the latter was a Duke, he was most likely bound by more rules than Qin Feng would ever know. From his experience in Changqing City, and with the Marquis, he could understand that there was a great deal of ceremony to be followed, and a great many subtleties involved, in almost every nuance of their behavior.


    Which was enough to tire him out, just from thinking about it!


    Well, he would like nothing to be away from all of this, so that he could pursue his goals without having to pander to these so-called noblemen. But he had said that he would see Li Changhai safely to his father''s side, and that he would let the latter know about the source of that Green Shadow Sabre. So he had no choice but to see this to the end.


    Although he would like nothing better than to get away from all of this, and head North at once! At least, he thought that it was in the North. Old Man Snow Mountain had been a bit vague when it came to where his Secret Lair was.


    And he had not been able to find a suitably large map, that held signs of those landmarks and places that Old Man Snow Mountain had left in his head.


    So he had no choice but to wander about, and look for clues. The North was a very large place, from what he could see.


    Which was probably why he was so upset, to be caught up in the middle of a feud that had nothing to do with him. Nor with the reason why he was stuck there in the middle of this Kingdom in the first place!


    Nevertheless, he was supposed to help Li Changhai the best he could. The fellow was the Second Ducal Prince here, so he deserved a bit of consideration, for all the help that Qin Feng had received from him. And there was that promise of his, given to Old Lady Xie. Considering how generous she had been to him, and how she had, more or less, saved his life once, he wasn''t about to break his word to her.


    So if he had to behave a little more properly, so that he could get this meeting over with ... Qin Feng did not have any difficulty with that! Not in the slightest!


    Especially since it meant that he could consider his mission completed, and his obligations repaid, the moment that it was finished! Which would then free him to get away from this Yanyun City, and this bothersome feud between the two Dukes. So that he could get on with his search for Old Man Snow Mountain''s Mountain! He would certainly like nothing better than that!


    He breathed out a sigh then, and was slightly startled when the pair of servants tittered at the sound. Were those two still about?


    He turned his head, and saw the two young women looking at him with a somewhat embarrassed expression. And cursed himself for not paying attention to his surroundings as his thoughts wandered. Yet, it should be safe enough, there in the neatly landscaped yard that surrounded Li Changhai''s section of the luxurious grounds. Even if he had found himself somewhat turned about in the place.


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    So he sighed again, and gestured at the pair to lead the way. From the look of things, he would probably end up lost in the gardens and only reach the quarters that had been arranged for him come nightfall!


    The two girls smiled knowingly at him, and quietly ushered him along the footpath once again. Clearly, they had no understanding of the frustration that he was feeling, and merely thought that he was enraptured by the design of that lovely garden. No doubt, they were thinking that he was more than pleased to be shown about as Second Ducal Prince''s welcomed guest!


    Well, that was just too bad. Unfortunately for Li Changhai, Qin Feng''s thoughts were running in a completely opposite direction. He had found the whole journey from the City Gates, through the Ducal Palace and into the Second Ducal Prince''s section of the Palace Accommodations nothing more than an utterly bothersome chore!


    If it had not been for Lady Xie Nianxue''s instructions, he would have pleaded some excuse earlier, and made his escape!


    * * *

 159 Friends and Family 5

    He was still preoccupied with his plans, and how he was going to make his escape from the Ducal Palace, which was why he did not notice that the two young maids in front of him had stopped. But he was certainly paying close attention to them, as they dipped their heads at a pair that was seated at another of those lavish courtyard stone tables. One that sat a short distance from the path that he was being led on, it seemed.


    And their greetings were obviously towards a pair of men, one of whom was clad in quiet cream colored robes and the other wearing a dull grey one. Both, however, were armed. The first with a long sword and the second with a broad saber. And the two men clearly had their eyes fixed on the young man following at the heels of the young women, rather than his guides.


    "Oh? The Second Ducal Prince has welcomed another guest? And this one is from the South? From the Heaven Sword School there, no doubt?"


    Qin Feng looked up at the two men, and studied them carefully. They were about the same age as Li Changhai, and had a smiling disposition that was similar to the Second Ducal Prince as well. Yet, from the way that the two maids had greeted them, he had the impression that they were similarly guests, like he was.


    The slimmer of the pair - the one dressed in white, nodded at Qin Feng in greeting. And he seemed a little more polite than his companion in grey. Although the latter was clearly a little tipsy, despite the time of the day. His cheeks were flushed and he wore a thick moustache and beard that covered his chin. And he had a wine cup in the hand that he was raising at Qin Feng.


    No doubt, that was his way of welcoming the Second Ducal Prince''s new guest, as he said. The white robed man, however, had already risen and was already dipping into a courteous bow at the newcomer. The fact that he was making an apology was apparent in his movements.


    "I beg pardon for my friend here. Du Yan is from the Northern Tribes, and can barely be trusted not to embarrass himself in polite company. That is, if he is sober. Which, as you can see, he is clearly not.


    "So let us begin again: This one is Ling Liushui of the Bamboo Leaf School. And this is my old friend, Du Yan, of the Roaring Thunder Sect."


    "Qin Feng, previously of the Heaven Sword School. Just as you have guessed. But I have already left the same, and can only be considered a previous disciple. There are no ties between me and that organisation any longer."


    "At least not formal ones. But I do not doubt that you would have a few friends there still?"


    Qin Feng gave the tall, handsome fellow calling himself Ling Liushui a simple nod. "That is true. There are still a few from that School that I consider friends. Not many though. I left the School under a cloud, as you might have heard. Or will hear, I mean. My situation there was ... complicated."


    Du Yan laughed when he heard that. And there was not a trace of mockery in that hearty guffaw. Instead, there was only genuine amusement. Which was enough to surprise Qin Feng a little.


    "Oh, you make it sound as if you were bullied there! You were, weren''t you? That sounds just like Brother Ling here! He had twelve cousins and brothers in the Bamboo Leaf School, back in the day! And all of them seemed to be intent on making his life miserable!


    "Why else do you think he ran off here?"


    Ling Liushui gave out a sigh, and shrugged at Qin Feng, as if to emphasize his earlier point. Regarding the drunken state of his companion. Which had the youngest of the trio nodding his head in agreement. This Du Yan was trulya rascal when he was drunk!


    "But ... Hey! If you are here, that means Sanlang is back! We should go get hold of him, before he runs off again!"


    Du Yan staggered to his feet then. And almost toppled over, if it had not been for Ling Liushui catching him. The white-robed man laughed as he heaved the taller, brawnier fellow back into his seat, even as he grinned in Qin Feng''s direction.


    "I don''t doubt that Sanlang has some other important business to deal with, so we can''t ambush him like we usually do. After all, he isn''t the sort that would leave a guest to be attended to by his maids, unless he had no choice," Ling Liushui said, gesturing at Qin Feng and his two guides with a broad grin.


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    "And I think you had best work on getting sober again, if you wish to be able to catch him. Otherwise, you''ll not make it out of this garden without falling over again. And I am certainly not about to take care of you again! Not after how you ruined my last outfit!"


    Qin Feng grinned at the pair''s antics as they managed to get Du Yan seated at the stone table again. And he shook his head when Ling Liushui gestured at him, as though inviting him to join them.


    "I am afraid that I have been given notice by the Second Ducal Prince to get myself ready. There were some messages from ... Lady Xie that was meant for the Duke''s ear, and he''ll probably want me present to confirm that he hasn''t made any mistakes," he told the pair honestly.


    After all, he had no intention of hiding his role in what was supposed to happen later. Besides that, it would give Li Changhai an excuse, if the Prince or his father wished to get rid of him. While it cannot be considered as giving away the entirety of the story-line, he was passing rather obvious clues with regards to the plot to people who may not be altogether trustworthy, in the Duke''s eyes.


    That should be enough to get him into trouble. And give the Duke an excuse to have his younger son toss him out of the estate. Just as he hoped he would!


    * * *

 160 Ploys and Intriques 1

    "Oh? It looks like we aren''t likely to see Sanlang for a good while then," the white-robed man sighed, and patted Du Yan on the shoulder as he did so. His next words, however, were clearly directed at Qin Feng.


    "You should be careful, when you are meeting the Duke too. He has a tendency to be rather strict towards Sanlang. If it hadn''t been for the fact that we were childhood friends, the old man would have scared the two of us away already!"


    What was that? Was the old man deliberately making things difficult for Li Changhai''s friends and companions? Didn''t that mean that it was likely that he would do things that looked as if he was driving them away? That was exactly the sort of excuse that Qin Feng was hoping for!


    "Bah! You are just making things too convoluted for the young fellow here! Don''t listen to Liushui, you hear! He just likes to over-complicate things. The Duke just wants to make sure that there aren''t any problems between the brothers, you see?"


    "The brothers? You mean, Li Changhai and his older brother? The Duke''s heir?"


    Du Yan laughed, while Ling Liushui shook his head with a tsking sound. But it was the former who pointed a finger at Qin Feng, and nodded as he did so. "You are quick, I''ll give you that! Well, he is just making sure that there''s no conflict within the family, no doubt. So that the two brothers don''t end up fighting over the Ducal Seat."


    "''Conflict within the family''? What do you mean? Have they been contesting for the Ducal Seat before?"


    This time, Du Yan shook his head at Qin Feng while Ling Liushui chuckled and replied:


    "No, no, no. Sanlang could not be bothered with that. Not when he looks up to his older brother like a veritable demigod. But it does lead to problems here and there. Like the Duke scrutinizing all the people that Sanlang brings back. Which has ended up with the Elder Prince having about eight to ten times more guests than Sanlang does!"


    "Oh!"


    "Oh, you needn''t worry about it! Li Changkong isn''t making problems for his younger brother either. The two of them are only competing when it comes to military achievements right now. That is only to be expected, and the Duke has a good number of experts scrutinizing their actions in the field."


    "Then ..."


    Du Yan grinned and pointed at some place that Qin Feng took to be across the estate, at what looked like man-made Lake in the distance. There were a few buildings across that way, but they lay on a rather isolated stretch. Perhaps a place where the womenfolk were housed, he thought. As it turned out, he wasn''t too far off:


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    "The Duke''s daughter didn''t like the idea of having a stepmother, you see? So she has been doing her best to put her stepbrother, that''s Li Changhai, down whenever she can. The Second Prince''s mother knows this, and has taken steps. So we are now in the middle of a great many plots and schemes.


    "And they will doubtless attempt to draw you into the same, soon enough!"


    Ling Liushui gave out a bit of a laugh when he heard that. "Come now! There is no need to worry him about those sort of schemes. Instead, we should be telling him about the sort of reception that he is likely to get, from those who are already sworn to her side, and are blatantly supporting the Elder Ducal Prince."


    He continued, as he turned his smile on Qin Feng, and paused long enough to take a sip of the wine in front of him, before he continued:


    "You have arrived here with the Second Prince, so it should be obvious to everyone that you are already tied to him, in one way or another. At the moment, I do no doubt that there are at least two or three teams out there, searching for every speck of information that can be found on you and your allegiances.


    "As well as digging up every piece of information that they can find on your placing in the Heaven Sword School. You might have left the place, but it should have records of your accomplishments."


    Qin Feng laughed. Heaven Sword School? Those spies could do what they liked there! All of his time there had been spent hiding his true talent away. The only incident that he was worried about, the one that had witnesses, was his defense of the Marquis'' Camp! That was the only time that he dragged out everything that he knew about the martial arts.


    But Li Changhai was present, and so was his maternal grandmother. So it was unlikely that they would have missed anything already!


    But Ling Liushui was still going on. "They will dig out everything. You can be sure about that. Doubtless, all those soldiers that had arrived with you and His Highness, will be interviewed as well. And there will surely be a number of tests, to check if your abilities match up with the stories."


    Du Yan gave out a snort at that. But Ling Liushui ignored the brawny fellow and went on as though he had not interrupted at all. "The mere fact that you have come from the South, and with a recommendation from Lady Xie Nianxue, the current Duchess'' mother, should be enough to tip the scales over in favor of Sanlang, in the whole scheme of things. At least, that is how the Ducal Princess shall see it. So you should be prepared to meet with a few obstacles from her side," the white-robed man warned.


    Which was enough to make Qin Feng give out another chuckle. He had never cared for this sort of games. And he was only making use of Li Changhai, wasn''t he? To get out of the Marquis'' domain and to get further North? If this half-sister of his was going make trouble for him ...


    "I wouldn''t be too bothered about this. She isn''t likely to make a move until she has a better idea of what is going on. And that will depend on the Duke. You''ll be meeting with him first, before anything else."


    Du Yan may be tipsy but Qin Feng had to admit that his advice was sound. Besides, he did have that last move of his, didn''t he? If they pressed him as these two men had warned, he would be more than happy to just pat his buttocks and leave the place. After all, he doubted that they could do much to him, so long as he kept away from any conflict against the Northern Duchy.


    But of course, all of that depended on his meeting with the Duke, and the outcome of the same. If he could fix things there so that he could push the whole of the blame on someone else ...


    Well, it would be a simple thing for him to leave the Ducal Palace then, wouldn''t it?


    * * *

 161 Ploys and Intriques 2

    As it turned out, Qin Feng did not have wait very long at all. After the pair of servant girls finally steered him into his so-called guest chambers, he received a visit from that another male servant who was dressed similar to that Butler Jin fellow.


    But it was clear from his less decorated coat, and from his subservient manner, that he was of a much lower status compared to that redoubtable old man. Qin Feng wasn''t too bothered, and was more concerned about what the man had to say. As it turned out, he was being invited to the welcome dinner that was being held in honor of Li Changhai''s return from the South.


    He thanked the man for the news, then went on to inspect his large chest, now sitting in the middle of the room that he had been given. That had been delivered by the soldiers earlier, while he was occupied with those two old friends of the Ducal Prince, and he was curious to find out if it had been tampered with in any way.


    Of course, with his link to the puppet that was lying inside the same, he would have known at once if it had been opened. But there were other ways to investigate the contents without breaking into the chest, and he was more worried that the Duke''s staff would employ those tricks. He wasn''t sure that he could counter them, of course. But he would prefer it if he knew that they knew that he could use a puppet like he did.


    Fortunately, the subtle seals and markings that he had set about the chest were untouched. Which was enough to make Qin Feng sigh with relief. The puppet was the last defense that he had, and he would prefer it if no one found out that he had such a thing. Especially if there were people among the Duke''s staff who were finicky about using corpses for such a purpose.


    But it seemed he was in the clear, which was enough to let him sit down and consider his plans for that evening''s events. And just how he was going to go about getting himself kicked out of the Ducal Palace!


    *


    By the time the evening fell, and the handmaidens returned to escort him to where the dinner was to be held, Qin Feng was already dressed in his best. There were certain subtleties that he had to observe, he knew, even though he detested them. But all that time in the Heaven Sword School had taught him that there were courtesies that had to be adhered to, even though it went against his intentions.


    It was important that he maintained the impression that he was fully supporting Li Changhai, after all. And this too was part of that facade.


    The handmaidens did not lead him to one of the many halls that dominated the landscape of the sprawling estate, much to his surprise. Instead, he was shown into a rather out-of-the-way garden, to the rear of the main building which had been pointed out to him earlier by Li Changhai himself.


    To be honest, that was a bit of a surprise. Then he remembered that only he and the Second Ducal Prince would be in attendance that evening. So perhaps the Duke wanted to keep the whole matter quiet? After all, the fact that the Barbarians had the support of some Sects and Schools in the Martial World was not something to be casually spread about.


    Finally, he was shown to a rather isolated Pavilion, similar to the one where he had met Ling Liushui and Du Yan. But this one was far more scrumptiously decorated. Even the stone table and chairs were of high quality greenstone that was worth between thirty to fifty thousand pieces of silver. Each!


    And there was already someone there, seated at the same. To his surprise, Qin Feng realized that it was the Second Ducal Prince. But why was Li Changhai there so early? As the son of the host, and the main guest for the evening, he should have made his entrance after Qin Feng had already been seated. This was surely a ways off from the usual protocol.


    Then the Second Ducal Prince merely rose to his feet, and bowed to Qin Feng as though he was welcoming a hard to come by guest!


    That was enough to throw the two handmaidens in front of him off their stride! But Qin Feng managed to hold onto his composure and laughing stepped forward to dip into a deeper bow at the Prince.


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    "This is too great an honor for this little one, Second Prince. Besides, we are companions on the battlefield! Why bother with such superficial courtesies? There is surely no need to worry about people talking about us, is there? This is your father''s house."


    "Since Brother Feng has already spoken, Changhai will not be too courteous! Come, come! Sit down and let me pour you a cup of our White Crane Wine. It is made by an outstanding winery in Yanyun City here, and is rather hard to come by! You should have a taste of it first, before we talk of other things!"


    Qin Feng chuckled as he allowed himself to be dragged beside the Prince, and have cup of wine pushed into his hands. By then, the maidservants had already surreptitiously left the scene, so he no longer had to bother with them.


    But he did put down the wine cup once he had a sip, and leaned closer to Li Changhai, pitching his voice low. It was time to warn the fellow of his intentions, after all. It was only polite, since the man had gone through all that trouble of bringing him all that way North.


    "I hear that your father is not too pleased with your performance out there in the South. And that he had asked a great many questions regarding ... the situation thereabouts?"


    Li Changhai looked a little surprised to hear that from him, but recovered swiftly. "Ah! You must have been speaking to Ling Liushui and Du Yan. Those two are rather good at digging out all the scandals and the gossip wherever they go.


    "But it is true. Part of it, anyway. My Maternal Grandmother had sent him a note, by messenger pigeon, so that he would be warned that I would be coming North along the trails. And there was a brief about the situation there. So he has had some warning of what took place there already."


    Qin Feng quickly factored that into the performance that he had been preparing, as he nodded back at the Second Ducal Prince. "Then ... he has seen the sword? The one that your grandmother asked you to present to him?" he asked, a little tersely.


    "That he has. And it is a remarkable sword indeed. I should thank young hero Qin for helping to win it out of our enemy''s possession. And place it in my Sanlang''s hands."


    * * *

 162 A Quiet Dinner 1

    Qin Feng stiffened as soon as he heard the woman''s voice. But Li Changhai merely smiled and stood up to welcome the newcomer. Qin Feng also got to his feet, although it did take him a moment to recover his wits. Who was this person?


    Fortunately, he had the Second Ducal Prince to make the introductions. "Mother, this is Qin Feng, previously from the Heaven Sword School. But he has since left, and calls himself a wandering itinerant cultivator, if you can believe it.


    "And Brother Feng, this is my mother. You have met a good number of her family already, including my Maternal Grandmother, so you should not be too surprised to learn that they have been sharing news about you," the Ducal Prince laughed.


    Feng Xueli, the only daughter of Lady Xie Nianxue was a beauty. And clearly very young. Rumors of her being snatched away by the elderly Duke when she was barely fifteen years old was certainly believable, now that Qin Feng had laid eyes on her. And she was certainly more delicate and winsome than her formidable mother, whom he had met.


    Nevertheless, he could not help but be on his guard. This woman was married to the Duke, and he was the man that Qin Feng was out to fool. So it was important that he didn''t give her the wrong impression, or spoil his own performance later.


    So he stood up and dipped into a very proper bow. One that was no less humble as the one that he had thrown at her mother. Who was a bit of a legend thereabouts, he reminded himself, so it would be a little unfair to compare all the women that he would meet to someone like her. Instead, he found himself thinking back to the pair from the Snow Swallow Palace. Especially that one who called herself Xue Ying. The Duchess'' mannerisms reminded him of her somehow.


    "Ha ha ha. Oh, Young Hero Qin is too polite. Would it be too much for this one to call you Little Feng? Or Feng''er? After all, your age is not too far from Hai''er''s here. It would make things a lot more comfortable, don''t you agree?"


    The suddenly stiffening of Li Changhai''s back to his side made it rather clear that this was not the sort of thing that his mother usually did. Then again, Qin Feng told himself a little proudly, how many of his friends had obtained the approval of his Maternal Grandmother? It stood to reason that the daughter would support her mother''s choice, when it came to picking out his companions, didn''t it?


    So he had simply laughed, and did not really make an answer. Which should be enough to tell her that he was flattered by the attention, without drawing it out. After all, it might bother the Second Ducal Prince, seated beside him, if his mother were to flatter his friends too much!


    Li Changhai, on the other hand, was more than careful serving his mother, and seemed to be genuinely pleased that she had come to support him during this dinner engagement. From the way that he was behaving, it seemed as though he didn''t get too many opportunities to dine with his own mother!


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    Perhaps because she had to accompany the Duke of the Westlands for his meals? Which was rather restricted? So much so that even his sons didn''t get to dine with him? Qin Feng had heard something about the strict rules that governed the noble-born, but he had never expected it to be so strict. Weren''t they bothered that their own children would end up estranged from them?


    Little wonder then, that he had heard so many stories about brother plotting against brother, and sons scheming to snatch away their father''s place before the latter was dead. If they were going to draw the lines so thickly between the generations, it was no surprise that they had those sort of problems!


    Of course, all of that had next to nothing to do with Qin Feng. Besides, he was already in the midst of his plans to run away from this Palace and from the Duke''s influence. So it hardly bothered him at all!


    Besides, it was rather pleasant to see the mother and son duo chatting with each other so amicably. She was the daughter of Lady Xie, so he would have to be extra careful about her. And Li Changhai was supposed to be his friend, so he was not going to make any trouble there. All in all, it was easy enough to be polite and warm around those two.


    And so he presented himself as the perfect dinner guest.


    Too bad that it didn''t last too long.


    It was a noise, a little too loud to have been made without purpose, that warned the laughing trio at the table that the main host had arrived. The Duchess and the Second Ducal Prince were quick to move, and rose without making so much a sound from where they were seated moments ago, even as Qin Feng tried to follow their lead.


    He was slower of course, and his eyes were too busy taking in the fact that the Duke had only Butler Jin for company, as he stepped into the light. But there was a faint smile on his lips, that looked a little too practiced, too fake, to Qin Feng''s eye.


    But such were the ways of powerful people, wasn''t it? So he was not too surprised to see that.


    Qin Feng dipped into a bow, even as the Prince and the Duchess moved to greet the Duke. The man was much older than he had imagined, and wore his graying hair in a rather elaborate and gaudy head-dress that was festooned with gemstones. And his moustache was clearly oiled and perfumed. His chin, on the other hand, was clean-shaven. Which was a bit of a surprise. He had expected the man to have a flowing long beard, just like Butler Jin.


    "Oho! I see that you have already begun chatting. I trust that Sanlang here has not let our side down? That he has settled you properly in your quarters?"


    * * *

 163 A Quiet Dinner 2

    "Let me offer you a toast, young man. To welcome you to the Palace. You must let Sanlang know if there is anything that does not suit your taste. He tends to be a little careless when it comes to his guests."


    The Duke''s first words to Qin Feng after sitting down at the table seemed to be a little derogatory towards his own son, in the latter''s opinion. There were definitely better ways of indicating that he was a valued guest, and deserved the best treatment.


    The way that the beardless old man said it, however, seemed to say that the Second Ducal Prince was next to useless when it came to such protocols, and in making certain that his guests were well taken care of. Not exactly the sort of words that endeared him to Qin Feng.


    Nor did the Duchess and Li Changhai miss that either. There was a brief flash of displeasure that crossed the Ducal Prince''s face, although his mother seemed to be more experienced in hiding her true feelings, and had hidden a similar look behind her wine cup. If Qin Feng had not been looking out for the same, he would have missed it.


    Yet, to be utterly honest, he felt that things could not have gone better than what he had hoped for. From the look of things, Li Changhai was little more than a wastrel of a second son, who held a fixed impression as a troublemaker in his father''s mind! If that was the case, didn''t it mean that Qin Feng could get away with disagreeing with the Duke later on? Openly?


    That was something that he was eager to try!


    But it took close to a quarter of an hour or so, before the conversation left the usual polite topics and asking after the situation in the South, and questions were asked about the Green Shadow Sabre. And it was the Duchess who had brought it up too, rather than the Duke:


    "I heard that it was Young Hero Qin who dealt with a unexpected guest in the South, and managed to wrest away his saber? Perhaps you can tell us more about what happened there? Hai''er has a tendency to smooth everything over too quickly, and I fear that he may have missed certain details. Perhaps you can let us know your own impressions?"


    Qin Feng could not be happier to comply. He had spent a good bit of time and effort to come up with a story that would answer all questions regarding the appearance of Mu Yang, and his personal weapon. And he ended the tale with a caution as well, regarding the situation involving the Barbarians thereabouts in the Northern stretches of the woods.


    To his surprise, the Duke scoffed at such a warning at once. Apparently, he was not the first to have given voice to that; Li Changhai had evidently said something similar to his father, when he first reported this to him.


    "You are paying too much attention to Hai''er here, and not considering the situation hereabouts. The Barbarians have never dared to make a move against our Armies, and I doubt that anything has changed in the past year or so. You should not be too gullible, child, and see dangers where there are not."


    That was enough to make Qin Feng frown. And he did not care if anyone else realized that he was displeased with the Duke''s words. "I am telling you what I saw, and what inferences I had drawn from my experiences in the woods. Your son was not present, and definitely did not contribute. The fact that I had met Barbarians who knew how to ambush the Marquis'' scouts and attack their forts out of season should be a warning in itself.


    "How can you say that I see dangers where none exist? If so, how would you explain why the South had experienced an assault that is far too early in the season, compared to the Barbarian''s past invasions?"


    The Duke, however, seemed insistent on dismissing his ideas. "That could have been done by a just faction of the Barbarian forces there. Probably influenced by some malcontents from some of the more rebellious Sects and Schools, no doubt."


    Qin Feng shook his head at the older man, ignoring the look of surprise that had appeared on his face. It was obvious that he had never considered the possibility of anyone disagreeing with him. Much less someone as young and as inexperienced as Qin Feng.


    Which made it more than perfect for him to play this particular role to the hilt!


    In all honesty, he had been wondering what sort of person the Duke of the Westlands was, and how he was going to come to argue with the man. Especially with Li Changhai being so amicable and easy to get along with, Qin Feng had been worried that his father was exactly the same sort of person. That would have made his task a great deal more difficult.


    But since he was just the opposite ... Didn''t that make it all the more simple? All he had to do was to disagree with the man! And vehemently at that! Wouldn''t that be sufficient to cause any chance of forging an alliance to completely break down?


    Besides, he wasn''t saying anything that was an outright lie, was he? Even Lady Xie and the Southern Marquis had said the same thing about the Barbarian attacks. So didn''t that mean that he had some support for the theories that he was throwing out? And that there was a possibility that he was correct?


    So what qualms should he have for disagreeing with Duke?


    And he had already shared those same theories with Li Changhai, hadn''t he? The Second Ducal Prince would be able to support him, if anyone questioned the possibility that he was just making things up to cause a break with the man''s father! That should make matters sound authentic enough, wouldn''t it?


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    "And this does not trouble you? That there are enough rebellious Sects and Schools who would bother to make ties with the Barbarians, and make use of their numbers to trouble the Kingdom''s borders ... That is insufficient to raise your suspicions, and for you to call upon your elites to investigate further? And you still insist that this is naught but an action caused by malcontents within the enemy camp?


    "If that is all that you see - No. If that is all that you can see out of these unusual movements, then it is clear that you are in greater danger than you know. If these malcontents have already gained sufficient influence to call these numbers to launch an assault on the South, what other plans would they have already set into motion. For all that you know, your own borders may come under assault soon. In fact, your whole Duchy may soon be destroyed by your enemies, working with the Barbarians, right before your very eyes. What a pity."


    As expected, Li Changhai''s face went pale as soon as he heard those harsh words. And even his mother looked a little shocked at what Qin Feng had just said. But the youngest at the table simply fixed the startled, red-faced Duke with a firm gaze, and refused to back off. This was going just the way he had hoped. In fact, it was even better than what he had planned!


    And more importantly, he hadn''t even bothered to force an argument at all!


    * * *

 164 A Quiet Dinner 3

    The Duke, however, did not seem to agree. Indeed, there was a dismissive air about him, when he spoke:


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    "Oh? What are you trying to say here? That the Barbarians have gotten assistance from these rebels, these traitors, and are now a greater danger than they were before? How ridiculous! How can their pitiful numbers prove a threat? My Ducal Armies outnumber them at least four to one!"


    Qin Feng shook his head. This was easier than he thought it would be. Surely the Duke could not be this stupid! Or was this just a test from the old man? it certainly sounded like it!


    Of course, even if it was a test, he was definitely going to take advantage of it. So long as he could get the Duke to lose his temper - or give the impression that he had lost his temper, then he would have succeeded, wouldn''t he? That should be sufficient to give him the excuse for leaving the castle, and getting on with what he really wanted to do!


    So he went on, to rebut the older man with no qualms whatsoever. At least, none that showed. "Your advisers should warn you against taking the Barbarians for granted. Do not forget that it was only thirty years ago that they managed to spring a surprise at the Kingdom, by stampeding all of those Spirit Beasts at you. They are not as uncreative as you may think.


    "And if they can think of a plan like that, what is so surprising if they have come up with another? This out of season attack may be just the start of another of their strange strategies."


    Then he sighed and waved a hand at Li Changhai, who had a rather strange expression on his face. Was the Second Ducal Prince worried about him? And what the younger man was doing? Qin Feng felt a little sorry, but he pressed on all the same. Li Changhai could always wash his hands of him, if he felt that he had gone too far.


    "Your own son has seen their numbers. And he had confided in me that their arms and armor seemed to have improved over the last decade or so. If he can see that ... If it is so obvious to his eye, how is it that none of your other advisers have seen the same?"


    He paused then, and fixed the now discomforted Duke with a stern gaze. "I would question the motives of these advisers, if I were you. Or send them out to have a closer look at the enemy. They may not have as good an idea of what the Barbarians are capable of, compared to your second son."


    "Bah! What does Hai''er know? He has never been in command of a troop!"


    He smiled as he shook his head again. "That is just naive. One doesn''t need to be a Captain to have a pair of eyes. If the Barbarians are really as weak and mindless as you say, and their numbers are as few as decades ago - Well, your armies should not have any trouble totally wiping them out in their home lands, would they? And would have probably done so too, long ago. Unless your soldiers are equally as mindless - No. Unless your soldiers are even more mindless than they are. Otherwise, how could they have missed taking advantage of such a glaring weakness?


    "Besides, it is clear enough from the change in their strategy that they have someone working on their side. And the fact that your neighbor to the North has launched assassination attempts against your son, just who those advisers are likely to be."


    He paused then, and took an almost casual sip of his wine. He had no idea that talking about strategy like this could make his mouth feel so dry. And the Duke was taking a lot longer to blow up than he had expected. In fact, he had half-expected the man to throw a wine cup at him by then. Strange that he had been able to hold it in thus far.


    But the man was simply fuming, and did not show any attempt to respond to his words. So Qin Feng had little choice but to keep going. He had to force a response, didn''t he?


    "From what I have seen of these assassins, they have basically the same style of fighting, which hints that they are from the same School, or same military unit. Perhaps both. And there are some competent soldiers among the people that Marquis Feng had sent to escort your second son, so they should be able to come up with possible suspects at least.


    "That should make it easier for you, since you appear to prefer to surround yourself with mindless idiots who do not even dare to tell you when you are utterly wrong."


    The sound of a wine cup crashing to pieces against the stone tiles lining the floor of the Pavilion was almost masked by the Duke''s angered shout. But Qin Feng caught it. How could he not, when he could see the old man slam the cup down, at almost the same moment that he shouted:


    "Ridiculous! You are being ridiculous! How can they possibly do such a thing? They are only Barbarians!"


    "Oh? I believe those words should be engraved onto a plinth, and set over your tombstone, when the Barbarians finally oust you from your fief here in the West. They are already massing, and trying new strategies. If you do not make changes to your own armies, they will doubtless be attacking every one of your weak points that they have discovered in the years that you have been fighting them.


    "Who would be the one being called ridiculous then, I wonder."


    Qin Feng rose then, before the Duke could utter another word, and tendered a bow to the woman at his side. And then bowed again, this time to Li Changhai. It was only polite, and added to the image that he was trying to convey.


    But it was evident that he had succeeded, and the break with the Duke was so obvious that it was to all parties present. Even the quiet Butler Jin standing behind the red-faced Duke could not say that he had not managed to remain utterly polite even as he threw the old man''s insult back in his face.


    It seemed next to impossible to rescue this relationship already, which made it perfect for his purpose. Now, no one could say anything when he left the Ducal Palace!


    * * *

 165 A Quiet Dinner 4

    Jin Yuhe was surprised to see the youth walking out of the Pavilion with a confident smile on his face. This was the first time that he had seen anyone throw what could be called an insult in the Duke''s face and simply walk away like this. For a moment, he thought that his old friend would call on the Hidden Guards that were lurking in the garden to stop the fellow. But evidently, the Duke had better control than that.


    He managed to keep his expression still, and did not show a sign of what he was feeling up to that point. After all, he had been with Li Yuanqi for close to fifty years, ever since he was a young man himself. The two of them had laughed together, fought together, and almost died together. Which was why the Duke has always trusted him to have his back.


    So much so that Jin Yuhe was one of the most powerful men in all of the Duke''s fief, for all that he was officially nothing more than the Butler of his personal estates. Yet, that was enough of an honor for him. Butler Jin was hardly the sort of person anyone would dare to offend, for all that he had no apparent power, political or martial, in the Duke''s household.


    After all, who else could claim to have the private ear of the Duke?


    Nor did anyone know of his relationship with Li Yuanqi. Save for only the Late Duchess, no one really knew that they had been together since they were young. Even the new Duchess only understood that they were close, and that the Duke would take Jin Yuhe''s advice. But she didn''t know just how far her own husband trusted him.


    Although it was clear from the expression on her face that she was more than a little upset that he had just chased away such a promising young man! And someone whom her son was so diligently coaxing to join his faction!


    Nor was this the first time that it had happened. She had always held her tongue in the previous cases, so Butler Jin wasn''t too concerned. She had made it clear from her past actions that she would not interfere in the running of the fief, nor with the Succession. But Jin Yuhe could not help but feel a little sorry for her.


    Was the Duke so unwilling to even let the Second Prince increase his entourage by one additional person? That he would go so far as to disparage the youth''s observations, and belittle his achievements? That was going a little too far, wasn''t it?


    Jin Yuhe hid a smile when he saw that. It looked like his old friend was not going to have a rough period with his wife because of this.


    Then something happened that shocked the Butler further!


    Before the Duke could even give voice to his outrage at that nameless youth, his own son had already moved to defend that same Qin Feng! Interrupting before his own father could say a word!


    "What he has said may not have been couched in the usual polite words that you are accustomed to, father. But it does not mean that it is any less true. The Barbarians are changing their methods, and I have seen this for myself. In fact, I have told you the same thing yesterday, when I returned from the South.


    "And I do not doubt that the letters that I brought you from Uncle Feng and Grandmother hold anything that opposes my own views on the matter. You accuse Qin Feng of doing nothing but collaborate my story, without taking into account the fact that he has never treated me as anything other than a companion on the field of battle. I am certain that your own spies in Changqing City would have told you the same story."


    The Second Ducal Prince had stood up without Jin Yuhe realizing that he had done so, and his expression held a fire that the Butler had never seen before. Apparently, neither had his own father, since it was sufficient to render the Duke silent, as his son continued to speak:


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    "And I have already told you regarding his bravery, and detailed some of his exploits, both as a scout-aspirant and as a defender of the Army Fort. It is rather obvious that he is not a frivolous man. So any presumption that he is merely trying to increase his own worth in our eyes is nothing but sheer nonsense!


    "I hope father will not demean my friends like this in the future. Now I must go to him, and try to keep him from losing his temper with you, and with the Duchy of the Westlands. And so join with our enemies. With your permission."


    The Second Ducal Prince walked off then, without even the pretense of waiting for the Duke''s agreement. In fact, he had not even bothered to look at his father at all! That was enough to shock the Butler again. Li Changhai had never done anything like this before! And had always been a respectful son.


    Which made it rather clear that he felt this young man was more important than what he was saying! So much so that he would risk his own father''s anger!


    Jin Yuhe, on the other hand, felt a tinge of unease creep into his mood. This was dangerous. The Second Prince had always held himself back in his dealings with his own father, and had ever been willing to obey the Duke''s instructions without making any protest. But now he was going to kick up a fuss, apparently over this youth? What did that mean?


    Was he already tired of having his own plans destroyed by his father, time and time again? So much so that he was giving up trying to live up to the Duke''s expectations? That he was going to rebel against his own father, and go his own way?


    Of all things that Jin Yuhe had expected out of the Second Ducal Prince, this was certainly not something that he had thought that he would see! Especially not at Sanlang''s age! He was already close to thirty, and should know better!


    And yet, he was unwilling to back down! All for what? This youth who had been kicked out of the Heaven Sword School? That was not something that Jin Yuhe had expected.


    Although, he had to agree that the young man''s, this Qin Feng''s, words and actions had been sufficient to impress. Even though he had a youthful temper, his words were chosen with care, and the ''slaps'' that he had thrown at the Duke''s face were well deserved. But was there a need for Sanlang to show his support for what the youth had done?


    And more importantly, how was the Duke going to respond to all of this?


    * * *

 166 A Quiet Dinner 5

    But the old man''s series of surprises did not end there. Jin Yuhe was quickly startled again, but from another source. This happened moments later, after Li Changhai had already stepped out of earshot.


    And the speaker did not hold back at all, despite seeing Jin Yuhe there, at the side. Did that mean that she had a clearer picture with regards to his true position at the Duke''s side? Jin Yuhe only considered that for a moment though. Then he was too caught up with the harsh words that the Duchess, Feng Xueli, was throwing at her husband!


    "Hmmph! I personally do not see anything wrong in Sanlang''s words. You are obviously biased against this young man. And against your own son."


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    The Duke whirled to face his young wife, who did not bother to hide her obvious displeasure from him. That was clear from the storms that lingered over her brows and the lightning that danced in her eyes as she glared at him.


    "My son had just survived two attacks - two assassination attempts! They tried to take his life twice! And both times he was saved by that same young man! You didn''t even bother to thank him for that! And you dare to complain about his behavior? Was he rude or impolite?"


    Those words were delivered in a growl that reminded Butler Jin of a tigress, protecting her young. Which, now that he thought about it, was a rather accurate description of what the young Duchess was doing.


    Which certainly came as a second blow, after Sanlang''s determined stance. And his forceful exit from the Gardens. That had been enough to stun the good-looking Duke.


    But it was his wife''s response which would truly shock him out of his wits!


    She smacked the table after that. Which was enough to make her husband''s eyes go large as the wine cups and the soiled dishes were swept to the floor. "So your precious reputation, your so-called knowledge of the martial arts groups, is more important than your son''s life! You cannot even bear to accept the fact that someone knows more than you do about the Barbarian movements, can you?"


    Jin Yuhe hid a smile as he heard that. The sourish, bitter taste of her words were cutting. And they hit the Duke right where they hurt the most. It was true what she said. This change in the Barbarians'' tactics had caught the old man by surprise. And he was clearly too proud to admit the same. Not to his own son. And Sanlang''s younger companion.


    How was he to know that the young man, that Qin Feng, had an even stronger sense of pride than himself? And that the fellow would flare up, and call him out like that?


    Honestly, Butler Jin was growing more than pleased with the young man, for being able to impress both the Duchess and her son. Now that she reminded him of it, he had to say that it was more than simply impressive.


    To be able to do that to the Duke? To his face and in his own Palace? And in front of his wife and child? That was a sort of foolhardiness that Jin Yuhe had never seen before! But it showed just what sort of backbone this young man had in him. And how he was unwilling to back down, when he knew that he was right!


    Nor was she done yet!


    "You knew that he was heading back. And you had more than five troops of soldiers ranging about in the Southern reaches of the Duchy. But you didn''t even bother to send one of them to go meet him! Not until you received word that he had been attacked! While for Changtian, you had three large bands to escort him from point to point, to make sure that he is never in danger!"


    Tears were spilling down her face then. Not to copious streams that Jin Yuhe had seen on the cheeks of the other women in the Palace, whenever they were saddened by this or that. The Duchess did not weep and wail like they did. Instead, there was only the tracks of tears to show just how distraught she was.


    And perhaps, how wronged she felt, when the treatment of her own son was compared against what had come to be expected, when it came to his elder male sibling.


    "And where were all of your toughest soldiers? Your bravest generals? Where were they when my son was attacked, out on the road? Who was there to protect him? A youth! A stranger! And one that you didn''t even bother to thank! What sort of reception would he have received, I wonder, if it was Changtian that he saved?" she roared at him then, in a voice that thundered through the whole garden.


    "All you care about is your first son, for Changtian, and would like nothing more than for Sanlang to perish, isn''t it? That is why you cannot even bear to let him have a proper protector! That is why you had to tear those two capable companions away from him, when he visits my mother on my behalf!


    "Clearly you would like nothing better than for Sanlang to die!"


    The Duchess rose then, and pointed a finger straight at the Li Yuanqi''s nose, ignoring the look of utter shock that was plastered on his face. "Is this how you treat your own son? My son? Is my feelings so worthless to you? You promised that you would treat me well, when I agreed to marry you. But clearly that does not include how you deal with our offspring!"


    Her face twisted then, and Jin Yuhe could see the tears threatening to spill forth once again. This time, he was certain, it would be a flood, rather than a trickle.


    "So this is how you hold to your promise to treat me well!"


    She swept out of the Pavilion then, leaving the Duke stunned speechless. To be honest, Butler Jin had not seen him thus for a long while. The man seemed incapable of making a sound, as his wife stormed out of the gardens, towards her own wing of the Palace.


    But she stopped just before she stepped out of the Garden altogether, and turned to present a dark and deeply angered face at her much older husband. "Do not dare to come to my rooms tonight, or any other night after this! I am not talking to you until you have apologized to Sanlang! And to his young friend! Even if I perish tonight or fail to wake tomorrow, I will not see you!


    "I don''t have such a miserable, murderous husband!"


    * * *

 167 A Quiet Dinner 6

    It took a good while, before the silent Duke made a sound again.


    It was a grunt. Just a simple, bland-sounding grunt. And in normal times, Jin Yuhe would be quick to respond to it. It was part of his job, after all. And after all those years, those decades of watching over the Duke, and caring for him, it was almost second nature to the man whose name had been all but forgotten. A man who was only known as Butler Jin.


    But Jin Yuhe didn''t respond.


    No, to be honest, he refused to respond.


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    He knew that the Duke was after. But he refused to give his old friend what he wanted. Not without compromising his own ideals. And he knew that it wasn''t possible to ignore what had just happened. He couldn''t do it, and still be the same Jin Yuhe.


    "Was I so wrong then?"


    The man who had served as a butler, as a companion, for more than four-fifths of his life, managed to keep his smile from his voice as he replied coldly, "Yes. You were wrong. You were more wrong than any other time in your life."


    Jin Yuhe stepped forward then, as he had never done since he took up his position as the Butler in the Ducal Palace. And before the eyes of his stunned employer, and his oldest friend, he sat down in the seat that had just been abandoned by the Duchess.


    "You should not have pushed so hard against the young man. They are headstrong and sure of themselves. And will never bow their head if they feel that they are right. You know this. You have even warned your older son about this. Why have you forgotten it now?"


    Jin Yuhe smiled grimly at the Duke, and started to arrange the dishes that still remained on the stone table, stacking away those that were empty and could be taken away. "Or were you just jealous, that Changhai had managed to find such a worthy fellow. Changhai, and not Changtian?"


    "Do not be ridiculous! This has nothing to ..."


    "This has everything to do with your sons. Did you not realize it yourself? What Feng Xueli said is true. You have been biased against Changhai from the moment that he was born. Where are the military honors that you gave to Changtian when he was but sixteen? Why didn''t Changhai receive them? He is already twenty-three, and you still have not granted him command of any of your forces!


    "Even Li Biyun, your cousin''s son, has command of the Red Eagles. Do you think that no one can see that? Even the servants have been gossiping about this!"


    "I ... I ..."


    The Duke floundered, and Jin Yuhe let him be. He would have to find the answers himself. There was no other way that he would believe them. All that he could do, as a friend, as a subordinate, was to wait.


    And it did not take too long, for the Duke to come to see what was before his eyes. After all, he had it pointed out to him. By no less than three persons already!


    "I do not want my sons to fight over my Seat."


    "As you have fought for your place, your position? Against your older brothers?And what you did? To push them out of the running? I remember. I was there.


    "But Sanlang is not you. And Changtian is not like any of your brothers. What in all that they have done makes you believe that they will fight over your position after you are dead? Even Sanlang''s mother has made it clear that she will not interfere. Although I am not so certain about her now. You have succeed in infuriating her, and who can say what she would do now."


    Jin Yuhe leaned about two inches forward then, and succeeded in drawing the Duke''s eye. And drew a finger across his own throat, making those same eyes widen incredulously. Just as he had planned. "If you are so concerned, you might as well have Sanlang killed. It would not be too difficult to arrange, since there has already been so many attempts on his life."


    "No! No. He is also my son. And ... Xueli will never forgive me."


    "Feng Xueli is already unwilling to forgive you for what you have done. Or what you have failed to do. As she said, your actions are sufficient to make it known that you wish your second son dead. So why not make that a reality?"


    The Duke pounded on the stone table in front of him the moment that he heard that. And it was clear from the crack that appeared in the same, that his strength had not deteriorated too much. Jin Yuhe allowed himself a smile when he saw that.


    "I will not ... kill my son. But I ... do not want them to fight over the Duchy, after I am gone."


    Jin Yuhe snorted as soon as he heard that. But inwardly, he could not be more pleased. Finally, he was getting to his oldest friend. "Do you think that you can control that? By keeping the two of them separate? By pushing all the best advisors, the best martial experts, into Changtian''s camp? What does that do but force Changhai to think of other means, if he truly wishes to snatch the Seat? You are forcing them to be rivals, not brothers!


    "What would your brothers do, if they had been treated the same way as you are treating Changhai? Do you think that they would give up? Do you think that he would give up, if he was like them? I tell you there will be a fight, once you are gone, if you continue to keep them apart like this. Like what your father did to you and your brothers."


    The Duke fell silent again. But this time, Jin Yuhe knew that it was because he was remembering his own youth, and drawing parallels between what had happened then, and what he was doing at present. And it did not surprise him, to see Li Yuanqi''s face go dark, as he realized that he was not that different from his own father.


    Whom he had never stopped resenting.


    Then the Duke sighed, and looked about ten years older after he let out that mouthful of air. "So ... you are saying that I should ... take steps, and ... make it up to Sanlang? To show that I am not entirely against him?"


    Jin Yuhe nodded slowly. "It might not be too late. You can say that ... you were testing his companion earlier, but did not count on that Qin Feng fellow to have such a volatile temper. And praise the young man too. That should give Sanlang the impression that you approve. And encourage him to make peace on your behalf. I am certain that your treasury can afford a few useful items as gifts to the young fellow."


    Then he nodded in the direction of the residences of the Duke''s family members. "I believe that you should throw a few of the more precious ones to Changhai as well. It is not as if they are doing any good, sitting in your treasury. And why not assign more guards to that detail that your in-laws sent? It is rather clear that they mean for them to remain with Sanlang too.


    "That should also count as an elaborate apology, if you sell it the right way to your wife."


    The Duke''s face showed a look of relief, then of concern. Before he looked up at Jin Yuhe once again. And his voice, when he finally asked the question that the Butler had been waiting for, was much softer than it had been before:


    "Do you think that ... that he will be content with my arrangements then. And Sanlang will not seek other means ... of gaining power?"


    * * *

 168 A Quiet Dinner 7

    "Other means? You mean ..."


    The Duke sighed and waved a hand at the sword that he had set aside. "You have seen him yourself. He is so capable, to have saved Sanlang from two attacks. And by multiple practitioners at that. And he still prevailed!


    "How can I look at that, and not worry?"


    Jin Yuhe burst out into laughter. He could not help it. It was utterly ridiculous! How could the Duke be so blind?


    "You are talking about Qin Feng back there? Did you not see the young man? He wouldn''t even give you an inch! Not even a fraction of it! What makes you think that there is any duplicity in the fellow? How could someone like that break the rules, even for a friend?"


    Then he smiled and pointed a finger at his own chest. "Do you think that I am capable of betraying your trust? You remember all that I did, during your struggle against your brothers, I am sure. Do you think that I would break faith with you?"


    The Duke shook his head. Then stopped to stare at the man who had become his Butler. His most trusted aide. "Then ... You mean to tell me that you feel that he is like you? That he is that loyal? Are we talking about the same Qin Feng?"


    Jin Yuhe continued to smile. It would too hard for him to speak if he had to suppress that as well. This was too amusing. "That young man has a spine. You should know it. He showed it to you just now. And Sanlang respects him because of it. This is a man who would throw his life away because of a promise!


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    "Xie Nianxue has sent word of the battle between the Barbarians and her son''s troops, in the South. But she has focused on Sanlang''s action during the same. And on what that Qin Feng did, to keep him alive. I should think that it has made it rather clear, the sort of friendship that he shares with Changhai."


    He sighed then, and let his smile widen. "To face someone like Luo Qingke, and his Iron Blood Hawk Claws! If I had a son like him, who would willingly perish to keep his word ... Aiee. I would die content."


    "You think ... that he is like you?"


    "Don''t you agree?" Jin Yuhe''s question was a little sharper than he thought he should be. But there was something about the boy that made him ... more protective than he should be. Perhaps he had already taken to looking at the boy as a possible successor? Like a son?


    Which was, once he considered it, not at all surprising!


    "He fended off Luo Qingke. There is no mistake about that. Your son had witnessed it himself, and the letters from the Feng Family state the same. That is a great accomplishment! And he is also involved in the death of Mu Yang, seizing away his Green Shadow Sabre. I do not doubt that there must be more to that tale. Perhaps he had help. But the sabre did end up in his hands.


    "And from his performance earlier, you can see that he is courageous when it comes to his enemies, and he is fearless when it comes to supporting his friends. I would like to think that I was like that, when I was younger," laughed the old man.


    "Doesn''t he remind you of what I did, when your oldest brother challenged me, back in the day? And how I had argued back, even though my fighting prowess was less than a third of what he could summon against me?


    "Isn''t this Qin Feng the same way?"


    Then he stopped, and fixed a grim look on his expression once more. "If Sanlang wishes to oust his brother, and has Qin Feng on his side, do you think that any of those people that you have placed at Changtian''s side would last? Even if we do not throw Du Yan and Ling Liushui into the equation? If he wanted to, Sanlang would easily seize his brother''s place!


    "Don''t tell me that you cannot see that?


    "Isn''t that a danger?"


    Jin Yuhe smiled as he shook his head at the Duke. "Only if the family bonds between the two brothers become utterly destroyed. And you can see how Changhai still supports his elder brother, from the way that he has been avoiding the issue, and asking you for a command of his own."


    The Duke sighed again. "So you are saying that I should give him one? Before anyone makes it an issue? That is why you had suggested pushing more men at him, to increase the size of that ... escort detail that his Uncle sent with him?"


    "Or replace it altogether with your own men. But since Lady Xie has more or less hinted that she would like to keep some of her people to look after her grandson ..."


    The Duke shook his head this time, but there was a certain petulance in his resigned expression. "I can''t help but get a little annoyed at my mother-in-law at times like these. Somehow, I keep getting the feeling that she is out to make things difficult for me!" he growled.


    Which had Butler Jin chuckling straightaway. "One of the reasons why I had never married, as you recall. But it is a good thing that she has put someone she trusts in charge of Changhai. That way, your wife will be satisfied. After all, she can''t complain about her own mother''s choice, can she? You just need to add more numbers to the detail, to fill it out to a proper size."


    The Duke''s gaze sharpened. "You mean ..."


    Jin Yuhe nodded with a smile on his lips. Was his old friend only getting it now? "Since your mother-in-law has taken this step, isn''t it a simple thing, to include our own people into the troop. You might mention that it is more for his protection, rather than any real battle role. Changhai would certainly know about it, and how he reacts to being so closely watched should give us an idea with regards to his intentions."


    Then he lowered his voice, and let his smile widen. "Besides, this should give you the excuse that you need, to show your wife that you are taking steps to ensure that both your sons are properly protected. Don''t you think so?"


    * * *

 169 Sibling Rivalry 1

    Li Sanlang moved swiftly, the moment that he left the Private Residential Gardens that his father had set aside for that little dinner to ''celebrate'' his return to the Westlands, and hurried to catch up with Qin Feng. He knew the younger man''s temper better than anyone else in the Palace, and was therefore concerned that Qin Feng would leave the Palace before he had a chance to speak to him. And let him know that his father didn''t really mean to insult him.


    Yet, the Second Ducal Prince himself was unsure of what his own father was up to, behaving in such a manner. It was up to him to decide how to deal with the Barbarian assault on the borders, and how he deployed his own armed forces, of course. But was there really a need to brush aside Qin Feng''s warning in such a manner?


    Was this some sort of a test? But if so, was it meant for Qin Feng or for himself? Li Changhai couldn''t be certain, but his father''s reaction to his storming-off like that was a little unusual. In previous cases of his losing his temper, he would have been hauled back without ceremony, and receive a dressing down straightaway! But this time, his father had actually held his tongue, and let him leave!


    That was certainly unusual!


    Then again, the last time that he did something like this was close to five, six years ago, when he was in his late teens. So it was more likely that he had managed to surprise the Duke with his outburst. If so he might be in for it later, when his father recovers from his shock to dream up some terrible punishment for him.


    Still, he was rather hopeful, since his mother was present. It was possible that she come up with something that would stop the old man from being too harsh. Li Sanlang didn''t turn his head to look, but it was the sort of thing that she would do. And from the look on her face, he could see that she was also seething inside. Clearly, she was upset, and at his father as well.


    Perhaps that might help him get out of whatever punishment his father has in store for him. Li Changhai was rather sanguine about that. It was not the first time that something like this had happened.


    But it was the first that one of his guests had left the table in a huff. The Second Ducal Prince had been surprised when Qin Feng actually did something like that. He knew that the younger man was proud, and with good reason, but he had never thought that the former disciple of the Heaven Sword School would actually lose his temper. He had certainly never done anything like that, not even after he got hurt in the South.


    Was it because of him?


    Li Sanlang could not help but wonder if it had anything to do with him. From his recollection of the earlier exchange between his father and the younger man, it seemed that Qin Feng had gotten incensed because of the Duke''s disparagement, not of his abilities, but of Li Changhai''s! At least, that was how it seemed to the Ducal Prince.


    Was Qin Feng trying to help him win some recognition, in his father''s eye? And had gotten upset because of his father''s refusal to see?


    More importantly, was this something that his maternal grandmother had asked Qin Feng to do? She was the one who had arranged for the younger man to accompany Li Changhai to the North. And she was also the one who had arranged for him to present the Green Shadow Sabre to his father, and to get Qin Feng to give an account of how he got his hands on the same.


    If one took all of that into account, it was possible that Qin Feng was trying to boost his standing in his father''s eyes! And probably on his grandmother''s orders!


    If that was so, it was no wonder that he had gotten so upset!


    The Second Ducal Prince, Li Changhai, felt a sudden welling of tears in his eyes at the thought of what had just happened earlier, in his father''s private garden. Had Qin Feng stormed off, just because of his grandmother? He doubted that!


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    There was something that he saw, in the younger man''s eyes as Qin Feng walked out of the dinner that he told Li Changhai that things were not as simple as he thought. But wasn''t it clear that Qin Feng had left in a huff because of him? Because he could not tolerate how his father was treating him?


    Although Li Changhai did not know if his father''s act was genuine or not, it seemed rather clear that Qin Feng was on his side!


    "Oh! Look at who it is! Isn''t that Sanlang? But I thought you were having dinner with Father and Second Mother? Why are you leaving in such a flurry?"


    The Second Ducal Prince stiffened at the sound of that feminine voice. But what was she doing there? Hadn''t she always timed her visits to end well before the New Year, so that she could return to Huyue City where her husband was City Lord, and play hostess to all the minor lords and merchant princes there for the festival season?


    Li Changhai had always timed it so that she would be gone by the time that he returned from the South. Since part of the reason he started visiting his maternal relations in Changqing City was to avoid his older sister. Who was also the Duke of the Westland''s oldest child.


    Then he remembered. He had returned earlier than usual this year, hadn''t he? To bring word of the strange actions of the Barbarian Tribes in the South. He had forgotten that she would still be about. And doubtless waiting for an opportunity to make trouble for him.


    It took a good bit of control on his part, to keep the frown from appearing on his face. And he cursed the fact that his eyes tearing up had made him miss spotting her earlier. Doubtless, she was going to go all out on him now, to make up for all those years that she had missed her chance.


    Still, that bothered him less than the fact that he didn''t have the time to ''play'' with her! He still had to intercept Qin Feng before the younger man really leaves the Palace!


    "Sanlang greets Eldest Sister. Sanlang has something urgent to attend to, so please excuse me."


    He tried to move forward then, to push on past her and continue after his target. But, as expected, the woman deliberately stepped in his way. "Oh? What is the rush? Don''t tell me that you have taken on some mission on our father''s behalf? But from what I heard, you have barely returned! Surely you can spend a few moments with your own sister," she said, in her usual holier-than-thou manner.


    "It would be impolite otherwise, don''t you think? Or has your mother not taught you about the sort of manners that we are supposed to adhere to?"


    Li Changhai bit down on a curse immediately. If he didn''t have to catch up with Qin Feng, he would have turned about and left at once, rather than try to push past his infuriating Eldest Sister! Who was clearly out to make trouble for him!


    Unfortunately, that was the way that Qin Feng had gone, according to all the servants that he had questioned earlier. And this part of the Ducal Palace was large enough, and complicated enough, that he was likely to lose all trace of the former Heaven Sword School disciple if he delayed. So he had no choice but to press on!


    * * *

 170 Sibling Rivalry 2

    But it soon became obvious that Li Xiuxian, the Eldest Child of the Duke of the Westlands, was not about to let her youngest sibling get away from her!


    "What is the rush, Younger Brother? Can it be that father has kept you so busy that you cannot even spare a moment for your older sister?"


    Li Changhai gritted his teeth at the whiny tone of his Eldest Sister''s voice. But this was not this first time that he had dealt with her, and he knew that there would be no point in trying to match her in speech. So he simply ignored her, and continued on his way. There was still a chance to catch up to Qin Feng, and he was certainly not about to let this idiotic sister of his obstruct him in what was truly important!


    So he gave out a curt grunt, and called up his Movement Skill:


    [Rushing River Steps!]


    But he had not gone more than ten steps, when he heard a sharp ''hmmmph'' sound behind him, and felt the swift approach of someone who had activated his own Movement Skill as well. And it was clear from the hissing sound that rang in his ears that the one responsible for that was not bothering to hold back!


    Then there was a sharp gust of wind, but from his front, rather than his rear!


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    Li Changhai looked up to see the young man that he had been searching for appear between him and his pursuer! And from the look on his face, it was clear that he was ready to do battle on the Second Prince''s behalf once again!


    "Qin Feng!"


    *


    Qin Feng was beginning to regret his decision to storm off the way that he did after he had wandered down two covered walkways and three enclosed corridors. He had not taken particular note of the way that he had come by and was now somewhat lost in the imposing Ducal Palace. Or, to be even more humiliating, one of the smaller buildings within the whole enclosed estate.


    That was even to make him wish that Li Changhai would show up, to chase after him. That way, he could at least get the Second Ducal Prince to show him the way out!


    But he knew that it would be unlikely. The Prince would have to accompany his father and mother, and probably go through a bit of a scolding, unless Qin Feng was sorely mistaken. Li Changhai would likely be chided for bringing such an impolite guest into the house, which would definitely turn the Prince against him.


    Which was enough to make Qin Feng give out a sigh. He had enjoyed quite a few benefits since he met with Li Changhai. However, if this was the only way that he could get away from his, and Lady Xie''s, scrutiny, he would just have to take the loss!


    So he cast his eyes about, looking for a servant that he could ask for directions. Otherwise, he might take the rest of the night to get out of there!


    A ruckus of some sort in the corridor behind him made Qin Feng pause, and step a little closer to the wall. But he stopped when he heard a familiar voice echo in the lavishly decorated hallway. And turned his head to see Li Changhai stepping into the wide walkway. For a moment, he was happy to see the Ducal Prince. Here was someone who would certainly be able to keep him from getting lost in the huge Palace grounds.


    Then he frowned as he saw a trio behind the man, who was obviously out to hamper Li Changhai''s approach. Who were they? And why were they preventing the Second Ducal Prince from coming towards him? Wasn''t this the Duke''s Palace? Surely they cannot be trying to cause any trouble here!


    But even as that thought crossed his mind, he saw the Ducal Prince suddenly use a Movement technique! And almost cursed out loud when he saw it! Was things gone so bad already? That Li Changhai needed to use his martial arts to run away?


    It went without saying that this was a little out of his expectations. He had never expected that the Second Ducal Prince would suffer an attack within his own father''s house!


    Then he gritted his teeth as he spotted one of the trio peel away from the others, and he was clearly using a technique of his own! And saw that he was maneuvering to block Li Changhai, preventing the Second Ducal Prince from getting any further down the corridor.


    And it was also obvious that Li Changhai was heading straight for him!


    Which Qin Feng took to mean that the Prince was hoping for his help, to deal with these fools that dared to make trouble in the Duke''s Palace. And for his son, no less!


    So he called up his own Flowing Wind Steps himself, and skipped towards the pair. And quickly positioned himself behind the Prince''s back, sending a swift kick at the fellow who had dared to stretch out his hands, to snatch at Li Changhai''s sleeve!


    He didn''t waste any time either, and declared in a voice loud enough to attract the guards that should be lurking somewhere in this huge place. After all, he didn''t really have the confidence to be able to handle all three assailants, if they attacked at once.


    "What scoundrels are these, who dare to assault you in your father''s palace, Changhai? Are they looking to die?"


    But it was only after the words had left his lips that he noticed that the other two members of the trio were women, and one of them was a little more scrumptiously dressed than the maid at her side. And somewhat older too. Which prompted him to question the situation immediately:


    "What is this? Who is this old hag after you, Changhai? Is she upset with you because you rejected her?"


    "You dare! Little Zhou! Slap this presumptuous fool for me!"


    The fellow who had been chasing Li Changhai had stepped back after he was fended off by Qin Feng''s kick. And was standing at the shoulder of the pouting woman when she gave the order. That was sufficient to make him rush forward once again, his right hand raised as though to really deliver a slap, as he had been ordered to.


    Qin Feng didn''t dare to let him approach, and quickly skipped backwards, relying on his Flowing Wind Steps to dance out of reach. This tension between Li Changhai and the unruly woman was getting a little out-of-hand, wasn''t it?


    The one dressed in green, the one called Little Zhou, looked surprised at Qin Feng''s swift reaction to his approach, and his mouth twisted into a sneer as he too employed some movement style, to bring himself close to the younger man once again.


    But he was still a little too late.


    "What are you doing, Little Zhou? Don''t tell me that you cannot even handle such a worthless boy?"


    Worthless boy? Qin Feng''s brow tightened then, as he pulled himself to a stop. Was he being called a worthless boy? That was something that he would not stand for! He had fought Barbarians and martial artists, and won. And only got belittled by the Duke for what he did at dinner! He was certainly not going accept that from anyone else!


    So he stood there, and beckoned at the charging fellow with a sneer on his face. He would show that idiot just who was worthless here!


    * * *

 171 Sibling Rivalry 3

    The tall, muscular fellow grunted as he rushed towards Qin Feng and punched out this time. It seemed he was no longer going to restrain himself to simply slapping him. Unfortunately, this Little Zhou fellow had not bothered to hide his intentions, and had already telegraphed his move to the younger man.


    Qin Feng, naturally, wasn''t too concerned about causing a ruckus, after his scolding of the Duke himself earlier. And since he was more than prepared to be thrown out of the Palace anyway, he decided that he wasn''t going to bother playing nice. Especially not with the woman already having insulted him.


    Although, honestly, he didn''t think he had the ability to do so, in any case. From the sound of the rushing wind that accompanied the tall man''s fist, it was clear that this Little Zhou was some sort of an expert, and that his attack held a good deal of power in it! Fortunately, Qin Feng had already prepared himself, and had brought up the most powerful defensive stance that he knew:


    [White Jade Hands: Weeping at Her Own Reflection!]


    The palm caught the fist easily, sweeping it aside and sending most of the power behind it blowing away to the side. But it was clear to Qin Feng, from that clash, that he was hopelessly outclassed by his opponent!


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    The White Jade Hands technique had the unique ability to absorb the power of the opponent''s blow, and in this particular stance, channel it back against the attacker. Given Qin Feng''s familiarity with this stance, he would be able to throw about a third of the power used against him back at his opponent. While dispersing the other two thirds into the air about him.


    But the strength of the attack still managed to force Qin Feng back three steps before he could fully disperse the energy. Nor was he able to gain any advantage over this Little Zhou fellow, even with that technique! Still, the wide-eyed look on the tall man''s face made it clear that he had not expected Qin Feng to be capable to handling his attack. And he had clearly not prepared a second one, to follow through.


    Qin Feng, on the other hand, growled as he summoned his qi again. Unlike his opponent, he was more than ready to launch his own attack! But even as he was starting to take a step towards the lanky fellow, he felt a wave of force sweep through the whole corridor!


    Quickly, he channeled his qi down to his feet instead, to hold himself to the floor. The tall man, despite his superior cultivation, together with the woman and her maid, were affected at once. Even Li Changhai was too late to begin his own preparations, and staggered back a good number of steps, before he could regain his balance.


    "What is going on here? Fighting in my Palace? Who dares?"


    A figure followed after the sound of the voice and it was clear to everyone who saw him that it was the Duke! And beside him was the ever-present Butler Jin, who was already eyeing Qin Feng with a gaze that seemed more than a little interested.


    "Changhai! Xiuxian! You two should know better than to cause a ruckus here. Especially you, Xiuxian! How many times do I have to chide you for letting your people get out of hand?"


    The expression on the Duke''s face was stern, although Qin Feng noted the look of surprise that crossed the same, when he met the older man''s gaze unperturbed. The young man was determined to give off the vibe of an unhappy, proud martial artist, after all.


    Fortunately, the old man did not take offence. At least, not with him.


    Instead, his displeasure was directed at the lanky man in green, who had returned to the woman''s side, as soon as the Duke appeared. And from the somewhat sickly, pale complexion that the older woman - the Hag, Qin Feng labelled her quickly! Well, it was clear from how she looked that she had not taken that sudden blast of inner qi well.


    Not that it stopped her from throwing out an accusation at once:


    "Father! You should tell off Sanlang, but not me! He is the one who started to use his martial arts within the Palace first. I was only sending Little Zhou to catch him, to tell him not to do that! Who knew that he had such a barbaric friend, who would dare to raise hands against me!"


    Qin Feng gave out a snort as he rolled his eyes. Which was enough to start the fury in the woman eyes burning again. So she was Li Changhai''s older sister? No, his half-sister, Qin Feng reminded himself. Well, he had already offended the Duke himself, so what did it matter if he smacked his daughter''s cheeks a couple of times, for good measure?


    After all, he doubted that the old man would do more than throw him out of the Palace. He had saved his second son a good number of times. And Qin Feng had Lady Xie on his side. He hoped that would be enough.


    But this time, the Duke managed to surprise him. Rather than the other way round.


    "What do you mean by that? You dare to start a fight here just because you are my daughter? I do not remember you bothering to uphold the rules of my Palace, when you were the Eldest Ducal Princess here! Since when have you started abiding by my rules?


    "And do you think you are still children?! Sanlang is also my son! And he has just won a victory for me and my allies! He has the right to run about my Palace, and use whatever martial arts here, if he wishes to do so!" roared the old man.


    Clearly, that had surprised his daughter, as well as the tall man beside her. Honestly, Qin Feng was also astonished, but he managed to hide it better. Perhaps the Duke was partial to his sons, and did not care too much for his daughter? Especially since she had already been married out of the family? That could be a reason why he was shielding Li Changhai against her?


    But a quick glance at the said Ducal Prince at his side told him a different story! Li Changhai was clearly as surprised as his sister was, for all that he was able to hide it a little better. Clearly, what the Duke was doing was a surprise to his son as well!


    "Bah! All of this is nonsense! This is no the first time that I am telling you to forget about visiting your mother''s tomb in Winter! But you have insisted on coming, and staying far too long! Well, let me make it clear to you that you have outstayed your welcome!"


    The clearly angered Duke flicked his sleeves at this white-faced daughter, and gave out a loud grunt as he did so. Qin Feng, of course, was ignorant as to what that meant. Only later would he discover, from his conversations with those who knew the old man''s habits, this was a clear indication that he was furious!


    "Do not come back next year! Or the ones after that! Since you cannot control your people, or your own temper in my house, you are not welcome! If you insist on visiting your mother''s tomb, you can stay at an inn hereonafter!"


    * * *

 172 Sibling Rivalry 4

    The rest of the people left the corridor after the tempest subsided. Leaving Duke Li standing in the now deserted spot, glaring around himself. Only Butler Jin remained at his side, watching the nobleman cool himself down. It was not the first time that he had seen his old friend lose his temper with his oldest child.


    Duke Li pinched at the bridge of his nose and sighed with closed eyes, giving off the air of a tired of old man. Then the Duke of the Westlands shook his head with a despondent air. It was rather clear that this was just the sort of thing that he had been trying to avoid. Thankfully, Jin Yuhe thought, it had been between Changhai and his older sister, rather than his brother. Of course, Changtian would not have been so insulting. Nor would he had started relying on fisticuffs like her servant did.


    Jin Yuhe had never liked that Zhou Jinhu. He was a crude fellow, who only knew how to settle things with his fists. And his martial arts were only so so, to tell the truth.


    But he took the opportunity to smile at the Duke when the latter finally opened his eyes again, and relished how he had managed to surprise his old friend once more, when the latter started to see his expression. "Why are you ... grinning like that? You don''t believe that this is a disaster?"


    Butler Jin dipped into a shallow bow then, and continued to wear his smile. "How can it be a disaster, when your little tirade just now has given Changhai and his young friend the impression that your harsh attitude during your meal earlier had been nothing more than a test? And dressing down your daughter with those words ... ''Sanlang is also my son!'' That should make things more than clear enough for the two of them!"


    "Then ..."


    "You have tested them, and they have passed your test. And now you should reward them for doing that. Your intention to increase the size of his troop, and how you are intending to transfer some strong and reputable veterans under Changhai''s command should be announced quickly. That should make it clear that you were only checking to see if he is worthy earlier.


    "That is, you should hint that that was the case. And that you were only pushing to see if he has ... begun to think for himself."


    The Duke''s eyes widened as he understood what his oldest friend was telling him. And a smile flashed on his lips as well as he saw how his harsh, unthinking, scolding of his eldest child had worked in his favor.


    Then his expression turned a little sly. "You think word of this would reach Xueli''s ear? Without ... any action on my part?" he asked quietly, leaning a little closer to Jin Yuhe.


    Who grinned back at once. "Oh, I think the servants lurking in the corners who were listening to the exchange earlier would be quick to drip this into her personal handmaids'' ears. We shouldn''t have to do anything in that regard. Just remember to praise Changhai tomorrow morning, for his defense of his friend."


    "And perhaps offer some good medicine for the young fellow? He actually dared to match his inner strength against Zhou Jinhu. He may have taken an injury from that. I can only hope that it isn''t too bad."


    Butler Jin scowled then, as he turned towards the direction of the departing younger men, who were already quite a distance away. Indeed, he had checked earlier, to make sure that his words to the Duke would not be overheard.


    "I think you are underestimating the young fellow. That Qin Feng managed to block his blow, and that is not an easy task. And I feel that his technique earlier was ... somewhat familiar. I just cannot put my finger on where I have seen something like that before," he admitted.


    "His Grasping Hands Technique?"


    Jin Yuhe shook his head at his oldest friend. "That was not a Grasping Hands Technique. At least, not entirely. It greatly resembled a soft-hands one, but there was a subtle power in that move, as though he was holding back. If I am not wrong, he had only used half of the move, and that was wholly defensive in nature. There should be a second half to the stroke."


    "So ... he had a chance to strike back at little Zhou, but he did not take it?"


    The Duke sounded surprised when he heard that, and looked at Jin Yuhe with wide eyes. "Is he playing a far more subtle game than what we had imagined? Or am I just being paranoid here? This wasn''t just a simple quarrel between young men then?" he asked softly, as a worried frown knitted his brow.


    "I would think that it is the latter, rather than the former. He was truly off-balance earlier, and I could sense that the qi in his body was in turmoil after he accepted that strike. Perhaps he had not completely mastered that move of his yet, and so was not able to take advantage of the opportunity when it presented itself."


    Li Yuanqi breathed a little easier when he heard that. "You are better than I am with the martial arts. You always have been, so I shall definitely listen to you. And I have already ''apologized'' to him, as I am certain you will be willing to testify on my behalf. But let''s get Sanlang to come earlier for the breakfast tomorrow, so that I can prompt him to vouch for me, hmmm?"


    Jin Yuhe chuckled softly, and shook his head at his oldest friend. "You want everyone to know that you are mending your fences with your son that you can get back into your wife''s good books? I am afraid that it will not be enough though. She is still going to blame you for what happened to Changhai on his way back here. And that is not something that you can just settle with a few sweet words into her ear."


    The Duke of the Westlands sighed and shook his head back at Butler Jin. "I know. I know. That is why I am going to tell Changhai about the changes to his small force and offer him a few likely candidates to join that escort of his. And maybe let him test them out on that adventure that he and his friends proposed last summer. That treasure hunt that he wanted to go on, with Du Yan and Lin Liushui? I suppose that it would be a good excuse to let him train and get used to his escort."


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    "And you are hoping that he would be able to drag Qin Feng along with him? That might work. The young have always enjoyed such adventures. But you should talk to your wife, and see what other demands she might have. After you have a word with Sanlang, of course.


    "And I agree. If you do that after tomorrow''s breakfast, he might even have a few good words on your behalf, when you three eat together tomorrow night. That might be enough to get you back into her personal chambers."


    The Duke chuckled, as soon as he heard that. And nodded sagely as he smiled at his oldest friend. "Exactly what I intend to do, once he has settled that young friend of his. You will make all the arrangements for me then?"


    Jin Yuhe laughed, as he pointed down the path that would lead to the Palace Kitchens. "I''ll even tell the cooks to make sure that we have a few of your wife''s favorite dishes, and Changhai''s as well, for dinner tomorrow. That should be enough to help you settle the issue, hmmm?"


    * * *

 173 Sibling Rivalry 5

    While the Duke of the Westlands was busy making plans with his Butler, his younger son was escorting his guest back to his guest house. To be fair, Li Changhai was more than a little stunned at his father''s reaction, and had his composure slightly shaken. Although that did not cause him to pay any less attention to Qin Feng, he was clearly not at his best, when it came to making his apologies for the earlier debacle at dinner.


    Still, it seemed rather clear to the Second Ducal Prince that his father had, more or less, made known how he was merely testing the young fellow. Qin Feng''s wary expression towards the Duke, on the other hand, did not seem to waver in the slightest in spite of that. It seemed the young man was expecting a little more than an off-handed apology for the belittling of his point of view.


    However, the Prince was too distracted by that to notice the cool disapproval in Qin Feng''s gaze. And for good reason: he more concerned about the ''ambush'' that he had walked into, within the Duke''s personal wing of the Palace. Had that been purposely set up? And his father drawn his obviously antagonistic Eldest Sister into an elaborate scheme?


    But Li Changhai rejected that notion even as he thought of it. It was impossible. He knew just how irritated his father was, every time that his Eldest Sister paid a visit. Even though he had taken pains to stay away every year when she does so, he had to endure all the complaints that the Duke threw out over dinner and other gatherings with his mother. Most of which had something to do with his sister and her idiotic spending at the shops and such.


    Of course, his mother was always quick to calm the old man down, and Li Sanlang would only take notes on how not to piss his father off from all these episodes. But this was one of the handful of times that he saw his father lose his temper and yell at his Eldest Sister. So it was rather clear that there was some trouble in the father-daughter relationship there.


    Still, it was a rather strange feeling, to be protected by his own father against his own sibling. Well, half-sibling, if one wished to be precise. But Li Yuanqi was his father, as well as Li Xiuxian''s. And there was nothing in the Duke''s behavior that hinted at the possibility that he would take umbrage at their so-called ''children''s quarrels''.


    But this time? This time was a little different, wasn''t it?


    Although, if he had to be suspicious about his father''s motives, Li Changhai would have to say that part of the ''performance'' earlier was meant for someone else''s eyes, rather than his own. As to why his father felt that it was necessary to pander to Qin Feng, however, the Second Prince had no idea whatsoever!


    Turning to look at the younger man that he was leading back to the guest houses, Li Sanlang felt another wave of gratitude wash over him. There was the faintest specks of blood at the corner of his guest''s lips that he could see. Qin Feng was obviously suffering from some injuries, after that head-on clash with his Eldest Sister''s personal guard. It was not the first time that that ''Little Zhou'' fellow had thrown his weight around the Ducal Palace. Even Changhai had suffered at his hands, once upon a time.


    Something that he had narrowly escaped this time, thanks to the younger man at his side, the Prince reminded himself. And decided that he would have to take better care of Qin Feng, for that, if nothing else. While he wasn''t certain to what extent the younger man was injured, he certainly wasn''t going to stint offering up some medicines that he had, that would help deal with such. It was not as though he was short of medicinal herbs, after all.


    Besides, it was a little impolite of him, to be so caught up in his own troubles, to have pushed his own guest to the side. So Li Sanlang took a deep breath, and focused his attention back on the young man that he had dragged all the way from his Uncle''s fief. After what Qin Feng had done for him, it was only fair that he took good care of the younger man!


    *


    Early the next morning, in another part of the Ducal Palace, another of the Duke''s offspring was stamping out of the guest quarters that she had always occupied when she visited the same. Behind her, a huge entourage of servants and soldiers trailed along, most of whom were laden with chests and bags of an amazing variety. Their faces, however, showed that they were more than a little shocked by their unusual eviction.


    But they neither spoke nor question the reason behind the same. The look on their mistress'' face made it clear that she was in a temper. And none of them were foolish enough to bother her when she was in such a mood.


    Indeed, it was only after she threw herself into her personal coach, and thundered down the drive towards the main gate of the Palace itself, that the whole group breathed a sigh of relief. They may end up breathing in the dust kicked up by their mistress'' coach horses, but they were hidden from her sight by the same.


    And those who had experienced her ill temper knew that suffering such an inconvenience was a small price to pay, so long as she did not fix her bad mood on any of them.


    Within the elaborately decorated coach, drawn by paired horses with beautiful white coats, where no one could witness her fit, the Eldest Ducal Princess was twisting at the cushion that lined her seat. So much so that the cover of the same had been torn to shreds, spilling its cotton fibers all over the interior of the coach.


    Of course, none of this could be seen from the outside. The sound of her curses, on the other hand, did not miss reaching the pair who were seated further ahead, in the driver''s seat of coach. The driver naturally held his tongue, although it was rather obvious from the beads of perspiration that adorned his brow that he was not in the least calm.


    Beside him was a familiar glum-faced fellow, dressed in another green robe, whose mood was similarly dark. That could be seen from the way that both his fists were clenched, so tightly that the knuckles of the same looked almost white. His face, on the other hand, was still wearing the same sour expression that he had, when he was back in the Ducal Palace.


    Then all at once, the Eldest Princess seemed to have reach the pinnacle of her rage. She gave out a loud, maddened screech as she flung out her hands, sending the torn cushion covers through the curtain and flying out the front of the coach. The driver ducked instinctively, but Zhou Jinhu merely glanced behind him. From his behavior, it looked as though he was more than a little familiar with the Princess'' temper tantrums.


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    But within the coach, she seemed to recover after that last shout, and her hands fell into her lap once again. She seemed to have calmed down after her tirade, and was smoothing the front of her dress as she looked up once again. She even had a smile plastered on her lips again.


    An evil smile.


    * * *

 174 Sibling Rivalry 6

    It was only the fire that still smoldered in her eyes that gave her away. "The bitch! She thinks she has won, does she? She thinks her son will win over my father and steal my brother''s inheritance, does she? We shall see about that!"


    She lifted her chin, and called out haughtily:


    "Little Zhou!"


    The flap that hung over the entrance of her covered palanquin lifted slightly, bare moments after she called out that name. And dull expression of the fellow seated beside the driver popped his face into view at the side where the curtain had been raised. The green-clad man''s eyes held a certain anticipation, as though he had been waiting for just this moment.


    "Little Zhou. You are to remain in Yanying City to keep any eye on my little brother. Do not do anything to attract attention, and wait until he has left the City before you act. I am sure that Father will send him out on one mission or another.


    "Take the opportunity to show him just how worthless he is. Break the legs of those that he brings along with him. That should be enough to put him in his place."


    Then she paused, and the fire in her eyes seemed to flare a little brighter, despite the dark interior of the palanquin. "Oh. And if you see that fool, Qin Feng? Make sure that you tear his head off his neck, for the insult that he has offered me!"


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    The one in green gave out a sinister smile as soon as he heard that. And his head gave a curt nod as let the curtain drop again.


    A smile that looked like a twin to the one that the Eldest Princess was wearing.


    *


    The one who was in the centre of the whole ruckus was, of course, ignorant of all this.


    Yet, to be fair, Qin Feng was far to distracted by his own problems to worry about how the Eldest Ducal Princess viewed his ''interference''. Nor was he the least concerned about the Duke of the Westlands, and his relationship with his children. Or how he was intending to repair his relationship with his beautiful, young wife.


    After all, he was fixed with troubles of his own, that were far more pressing, and had far more disastrous consequences!


    Well, at least in his own opinion.


    Qin Feng, to put it bluntly, was out of money.


    It had been three days since he had stormed out the Ducal Palace. And it was obvious to his eye that the Second Ducal Prince, was too bothered by the recent chase that he had been engaged in, to try to stop him.


    Or rather, Li Changhai had tried to keep him there, but was not successful.


    He could still remember the distracted air that the Second Ducal Prince had around him, when the latter accompanied him back to his guest room. Li Changhai had tried to talk him out of leaving, but it was obvious that the Prince had other matters on his mind at the time. So Qin Feng held off teasing the fellow, and bluntly said that he would leave the following morning.


    Li Changhai had tried to use his injuries as an excuse, but gave up when it was clear that Qin Feng would not be moved by that argument. Still, the Prince had sent over a bowl of powerful medicine later that night, that was meant to help him ''deal with his injuries''.


    To be honest, Qin Feng didn''t really suffer any real injury at all. But since no one but he and that idiot who had attacked him knew that - and the latter was definitely not going to be believed, even if he did tell anyone! Well, since that was the case, Qin Feng didn''t have any qualms at all accepting the medicine that would help him ''heal his injuries''. Especially since he could tell that it contained a good number of high quality goods that would also be helpful in improving his martial qi.


    So he had drunk the medicine - the herbs were already boiled into a soup by the time that they reached him, unfortunately. Otherwise, Qin Feng would have sneaked them into his spatial ring and found a way to resell them for a huge profit. But since he couldn''t do that, he had simply drunk the same, and settled down on his bed to circulate his zhenqi.


    After all, he was supposed to be badly injured, and that was how one dealt with internal, non-visible injuries. And from what Li Changhai had promised him earlier, it was unlikely that he would be disturbed that night.


    Which was just as well, since he was still intending to leave the Ducal Palace the following morning. If he made his move quickly, he should be able to avoid the multitude of questions that Li Changhai would definitely be throwing his way. Hence his plan to slip out early, before the rest of the Duke''s family got up.


    It would be impolite not to let the Second Ducal Prince know where he was headed to, or what he intended to do, since they were supposed to be friends. But he thought it wouldn''t be too difficult to slip away from Yanyun City after a month or so. Earlier, if Li Changhai had duties to attend to, or some sort of trip that he wished to make. That was what the Duke had hinted at earlier, wasn''t it?


    Well, if that was so, it would give him an opportunity to bid the Prince farewell and skip off to the North on his own. Without having to worry about the Duke of the Westlands, or what he thought of him.


    Three days later, however, Qin Feng was already regretting his decision to leave the Ducal Palace in the first place!


    Who knew that a room at the humblest, simplest inn - which was so far out from the Palace as one could get, since it was in the Outer City, beyond the Inner Wall! Who knew that it would cost so much? He was already out of coin, and the bill was more than likely to beggar him!


    In fact, he was down to his last six silver pieces!


    * * *

 175 Sibling Rivalry 7

    Six pieces of silver! How was he to know that things were so expensive in Yanyun City, compared to Changqing? And nobody told him that all the inns had raised their prices, to take advantage of the people who had flocked to the city in anticipation of the major festival that was supposed to take place almost a month later, to celebrate the Duke''s birthday?


    Well, to be fair, he knew about the birthday. Li Changhai had mentioned that in passing some time ago. And he knew that it was going to be rather huge.


    But how was he to know that there would be such a ridiculous increase in prices?! And that even the base price would be so expensive?!


    A series of knocks from his room''s door made Qin Feng jump. And he cursed as he pulled himself together, and walked over to answer it. All that thinking about his finances was making him nervous. It was rather embarrassing, and he had left himself without a route of retreat, hadn''t he? Unless he thickened his face and went to the Ducal Palace for help ...


    Qin Feng shook his head at that. It wouldn''t do to go look for the Second Ducal Prince for something like this. Especially after he had gone through so much trouble to cause a mess in the Ducal Palace. How could he bother Li Changhai, after disrupting the relationship between him and his father?


    Then he stopped himself, and took a deep breath. He had to concentrate on the matter at hand, and not keep thinking about his finances. Or lack thereof! Given the fact that no one knows that he was there at the inn, it was more than likely that it was one of the inn''s staff again, come to badger him about his bill. And when he would be leaving.


    No doubt so that the place could open itself to more bookings, by yet more travelers come to celebrate the Duke''s birthday!


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    But when he finally opened the door, he was surprised to find Du Yan standing on the other side of it. And wearing a broad grin on his face at that.


    "Ha! You did not expect us to be able to find out where you were staying, did you? Don''t you know that the Duke of the Westlands has his people all over Yanyun City? And none of them would dare to miss you out from his report, you know? You were a former guest at his Palace, so surely you cannot expect to escape their sight," the large man told him with a sage-like expression.


    Which was enough to make Qin Feng snort, and take his mind off his troubles. He could not afford to show his penniless state to this fellow, who he was certain would report everything back to the Second Ducal Prince.


    So he put on his nonchalant face once more, and waved a hand at the slightly older man. He had to convey a sense of ''I cannot be bothered'' to any agent of the Duke of the Westlands, if he wished to tear himself away, after all.


    "I had expected the Duke to keep an eye on me. But I did not expect him to send someone like Master Du to pay me a visit. What is this about then? Has he given up on waiting for me to leave the city, and is finally giving me a reminder to be on my way?"


    Du Yan laughed loudly, and clapped a hand on his shoulder as soon as he heard that. "Oh, that is marvelous! I couldn''t have managed a better show of disdain for the Duke myself! That would certainly get his blood boiling when he hears of it!


    "But ... to answer your question, I am not here on his behalf. Liushui and I are having drinks nearby, at the Purple Jade Pavilion. So we thought you might care to join us. We have a little proposition for you."


    Qin Feng scowled as he considered the ''invitation''. It seemed rather clear that the Second Ducal Prince was trying to hold onto him, and to keep him from running off. The large man''s words made Qin Feng''s thoughts head back to his financial state, and hinted that the pair might have some knowledge of his situation. Which would not be a great surprise, given how he had missed payments for his room for so long already.


    Then again, it was probably because he was formerly a guest at the Duke''s Palace that the innkeeper had not raised a fuss about his overdue rent!


    Still, he could not help but be curious. From the way that Du Yan was talking about this, money seemed to have a part to play in the matter. And Qin Feng was skint!


    So he kept his tone neutral as he looked up at the Second Ducal Prince''s guest. "What sort of proposition? I should remind you first that I am not interested in any sort of mission that involves protecting the Duchy or fighting in its armies."


    "Nothing of the sort. It is more of ... a retrieval, you might say, of items lost to us a long time ago."


    A treasure hunt? It certainly sounded like it, from the way that Du Yan described the job. Of course, that also hinted that Li Changhai might be involved. For a moment, Qin Feng was about to refuse, given how he was supposed to be cutting ties with the Duke and his children.


    Then the paucity of his purse came to mind once more. And made him change his opinion. "Very well then. I think it shouldn''t do me any harm, to hear more about this," he sighed as he gestured for Du Yan to lead the way.


    It was about time that he got a paying job at last. After all, he had been relying on the Second Ducal Prince to foot all of his bills since he left Changqing City.


    *


    Word of his clash with the Eldest of the Duke''s children had already made the rounds, by the time that he arrived at the restaurant where they were supposed to meet. And there were many pairs of curious eyes watching him as he strode in next to Du Yan. Lin Liushui was already waiting within by the time the two of them got there, and there were a good number of dishes on the table before him as well. Not to mention the fact that he was seated in one of the most expensive private rooms on the premises.


    It seemed that the two of them had put in a great deal of thought and effort, when they invited him to meet with them, Qin Feng thought. Especially when he realized how polite the two of them were, when they invited him to sit down, and poured him a cup of wine.


    Lin Liushui smiled when he seated himself, and waved a hand at the food before him. "I think you should have a taste of what the Purple Jade Pavilion has to offer, before we get on to our discussion of our little treasure hunt. That is complicated, and we shall probably need full stomachs to fortify us through the telling," he said with a grin.


    That was when he noticed that the dishes on the stone table in the Pavilion were rather elaborate, compared to what he had seen, even on the Duke''s table, and comprised of some rather rich ingredients. It seemed the pair had spent a small fortune, preparing this little feast for him!


    "This seems a bit much, for a ... business discussion."


    His words were enough to send the pair into guffaws. And Lin Liushui was the first one to recover, and to explain:


    "Ah! I think our Brother Feng is a little confused, and perhaps, a little modest. If I am not mistaken, he doesn''t really understand just how remarkable his standing up to Fatty Zhou was, three days earlier. And how utterly humbled we are by his ability to remain on his feet after receiving one of that scoundrel''s blows!"


    Du Yan nodded at that, although his grin made it unclear if he was joking or serious. "Indeed! I am utterly amazed that you were able to do that."


    "Fatty Zhou?"


    Lin Liushui and Du Yan burst into laughter this time, which was enough to make Qin Feng feel a little more confused. And somewhat upset. Were the two of them laughing at him? But the handsome, scholarly fellow was quick to spot that, and explained at once:


    "Zhou Jinhu. He used to be immense! He was so fat that his stomach jiggled when he walked! But he somehow lost all that weight, and slimmed down in the last three, four years. He''s the idiot who was with the Eldest Ducal Princess, the one who threw that palm strike at you."


    Qin Feng raised his eyebrows as soon as he heard those words. So that Fatty Zhou fellow was supposed to be very skilled then? But all it took was one [Weeping at her Own Reflection] stance to turn his power against himself, wasn''t it? Didn''t that make this Fatty Zhou a little overrated then?


    But Lin Liushui was still speaking, and he turned his attention back to the handsome man. "The rascal now serves the Zhao Family, as you might have guessed by now. And the oldest of our Sanlang''s siblings has him under her control. Apparently, he''s supposed to be her Protector, and looks after her safety."


    Du Yan snorted at that. "As if he can match the Elders Yue and Kang. Those two are already in the Mastery Realm, so how can he compare? He''s just making the rest of the Zhao Family Protectors look bad."


    * * *

 176 Sibling Rivalry 8

    "Elders Yue and Kang?"


    Du Yan grinned broadly, but left it to Lin Liushui to elaborate. Which he did, after giving out a rather lusty sigh:


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    "Those are two rather elderly gentlemen, who have been in service to the Zhao Family of Lingfei City for close to thirty, forty years. They are the main Protectors of the same, and are generally about when the Patriarch and the First Son of the Zhao Family make an appearance. Compared to the two of them, Fatty Zhou is no more than an inconsequential fly."


    "Oh?"


    Lin Liushui nodded, and his face held a rather serious expression, although there was still a smile on his lips. "The fact that you have offended the Eldest Daughter of the Duke of the Westlands is of little concern, since her father and her youngest brother are clearly on your side. But you should take care. The Zhao Family of Lingfei City are closely related to the Royal Line, and the Princes of that family tend to be more than a little protective."


    "The Royal Princes?"


    Qin Feng remembered his small dispute with one Royal Prince Zhuo Lingming, back at the Fu Lai Medicine Hall, in Changqing. Which explained the frown that he wore on his face. If the rest of the Princes were anything like that idiot wastrel, he would definitely have a difficult time with them.


    But Du Yan merely shook his head at him, and laughed. "Oh, I wouldn''t be too bothered with them. They are more interested in competing among themselves, to see who wins their father''s favour. The King of the Yen Kingdom is getting old, from all accounts, and his Crown Prince has been a little too quiet lately."


    Qin Feng nodded carefully as he heard that. So it was unlikely for that idiot Royal Prince to make a complaint regarding the matter to his father, the King. Especially since it would only make him look like a worthless fool. Which he was.


    Nevertheless, it looked like the Kingdom didn''t have the leisure to pursue the earlier dispute. Besides, he was wearing his puppet''s form when he smacked the foolish Royal Prince''s face the last time, so it was unlikely that the matter would be traced to his doorstep. So he should be safe enough.


    "Still, one should not be too complacent, when it comes to the Royal Family and their schemes," Lin Liushui warned, in a slightly softer voice, which hinted at his concern regarding being eavesdropped on.


    "Just because they have not started to reach out to the Dukes doesn''t mean that they would not do so. And the First Ducal Prince is already involved with the Crown Prince''s faction."


    Oh? That was something new. Qin Feng had not heard anything regarding the Succession, or how the Royal Princes were forming factions. But it seemed to be something a little tricky, since Li Changhai''s older brother had gotten involved. No doubt, with the Duke of the Westlands'' approval? That was something that he would have to look out for, in the future, no doubt.


    Then Lin Liushui chuckled and waved a hand at the table of food laid out in front of them. "But let''s not talk about all that, and concentrate on the food! We should dig in before all of this gets cold, don''t you think?" he laughed, as he picked up his chopsticks, and gestured at the other two.


    "I have heard a lot of praises for the food here, so I am eager to see if it is really as good as they say it is!"


    Qin Feng laughed along with the pair, and dug into the food, as soon as he had been invited to. After all, he had been keeping to his room, and eating his leftover trail rations, in his attempt to save money. He had not had a chance to eat like this for quite a while already!


    Yet he could not help but feel a little curious. It did not seem as though this was just a simple lunch that he had been invited to. From the way that the two men had been heaping praises on his head, and the subtle warning that they had given regarding the Zhao Family in Lingfei City, he had the impression that they were waiting for the right moment to spring something on him.


    Well, he wasn''t in that much of a hurry to find out, and kept his attention on the dishes before him. Even if he had no choice but to refuse them, he was definitely going to do it on a full stomach! Who knows when he would have a chance to eat like this again?


    So the meal went on, and it was only towards the tail end of the same, when most of the dishes laid on the table had been utterly demolished, that Qin Feng finally deigned to look at the pair again, and ask what this was all about.


    As before, Du Yan merely gave a laugh, and pointed at his companion, while Lin Liushui gave a rather loud and exaggerated sigh. The grin on his lips, however, made it clear that it had all gone on as he had expected, and that he was waiting for Qin Feng to ask that particular question.


    Then, much to the former''s surprise, the latter reached into his voluminous sleeve and pulled out what looked like a filthy piece of scrap paper!


    "That''s ... That''s the map to the hidden ... You are showing him that right now? Here?"


    Qin Feng scowled at the pair, not quite understanding what was going on. But Ling Liushui merely chuckled, and pushed the stained piece of paper over to him.


    But when he took hold of it, the texture and the weight of the same made it clear that it was not paper at all! Instead, it had the feel of leather, and it was heavier than brocade cloth! Yet, despite his evident surprise, it was the markings on the same that drew his eyes immediately.


    It didn''t take him any time at all, to recognise it for what it was:


    "This ... This is a map?"


    But what was its purpose and where did it lead? Qin Feng had no idea at all. Nor did he understand why Du Yan had been so shocked, or why Lin Liushui had taken such good care of it.


    That is, until the handsome, scholarly fellow began to explain:


    "This is an heirloom of my House, to tell the truth. One that had been in our hands for generations, always passed down to the eldest son in the primary line of descent. It is said to lead to a magnificent treasure, set aside by the last King of the Yuan Kingdom, before it fell, some three centuries ago. This map was handed over to one of his trusted general, who died at the hands of my ancestor.


    "Unfortunately, no one had been able to discover the landmarks that he had used as markers in the map, and my family had spent all this time searching for them to no avail. That is, until the map was passed down to me."


    Lin Liushui wore a somewhat proud smile then, as he leaned a little closer. Subconsciously, the other two men did the same, their eyes intent on the scrap of leather in Qin Feng''s hand.


    "I had come across one of the markers, you see, and had reported this to my father. And he, in turn, had offered the map and its related treasures to the Duke. Hence, I have been waiting here, in the Westlands, for his permission to go hunting for this lost trove. And he has given it!


    "So you see, we would like to invite you to join us, on this particular treasure hunt."


    * * *

 177 Sibling Rivalry 9

    "Me? You want me on this treasure hunt with you?"


    Lin Liushui smiled at him, while Du Yan nodded his head vigorously. It was the latter who seemed the more enthusiastic of the pair. "You are already strong enough to match your strength against Fatty Zhou, so you shouldn''t have any problem keeping up with the two of us. Besides, I would prefer to share the riches that are going to fall into our lap with someone like you, rather than a more powerful stranger," the burly fellow said plainly.


    Qin Feng could understand the reasoning behind that. Besides, the pair should know that he isn''t really that powerful, so he was not a threat. At least, he didn''t have the means to snatch away the treasures that they had been seeking for so long.


    Not without a hard fight.


    Still, just the three of them? Heading into the wilderness? Wasn''t that a little ...


    That was when it struck him. And a soft chuckle slipped out from between his lips before he could stop it. Looking up, he saw how the pair were intent on him, and understodd immediately.


    "I believe that I will not be the only one who is going on this little adventure with you. Am I? If I am not mistaken, there is a certain cost to organizing this expedition of yours. And we are lacking one more person to round off the team. So I presume that he and the troops that he can bring to the table have already been considered?


    "I trust the Second Ducal Prince has no objections to having me along?"


    The pair looked startled for a moment. Then both of them laughed. And Lin Liushui immediately reached behind him and knocked on the partition of carved wood that acted as a wall, one that separated the three of them from the next dining room. A door popped open in the same, and a familiar figure made his way over at once.


    Qin Feng''s smile grew a little forced, when he saw that it was the same Ducal Prince that he had mentioned earlier. He should have guessed that the pair would not have made their offer without some prompting from Li Changhai.


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    For moment, he considered rising up to his feet and storming out of the room, as though he had been gravely offended by the pair''s, and the Ducal Prince''s, presumption. But he decided that it would be a little too much. After all, he had maintained a simple friendship with the Duke''s son, and his quarrel, if he could call it that, was more properly with Li Changhai''s father.


    So he simply accepted the Ducal Prince''s curt bow of apology, and gave out a rather obvious sigh as soon as Li Changhai stepped up to him.


    "This one has probably made too much of a fuss over this matter, and has invited the laughter of Brother Feng. My father had instructed me to apologize to you. For his earlier behaviour, naturally, and I was trying to figure out a method that would not be too embarrassing. To be honest, he was merely testing me, and wanted to see how much I valued your companionship.


    "I can only beg your indulgence, Brother Feng. My father tends to go overboard, when it comes to such matters."


    It was rather obvious that Li Changhai was rather anxious by the time that he bowed a second time. And the behaviour of the pair who had invited him also gave him the impression that they were worried that he would refuse to accept this peace-making gesture. Which would certainly be very embarrassing, if it went as poorly as the trio thought it might.


    Which left Qin Feng was wondering what sort of story the Second Ducal Prince had told the other two, with regards to what had happened in the Ducal Palace. Hadn''t he simply stamped out of the Ducal Palace in a huff? Could it be that no one else had done that before?


    But the Prince''s sudden appearance, and the deep bow of apology that he tendered the younger man, was enough to surprise Qin Feng completely. As was the almost formal words that he spoke, a moment later, inviting Qin Feng along for the so-called treasure hunt!


    "While it may sound overboard, this Prince humbly begs Brother Qin Feng to consider the successes that we have achieved together, and deign to travel with our party on this little quest. With you along, things may go a lot smoother, and it would certainly indicate that you have forgiven me and my father for our terrible blunder."


    What could do, when faced with that? Qin Feng may be thick-skinned, but he wasn''t about to allow the Second Ducal Prince to go on with his bowing and his scraping. Especially not in front of his friends.


    And the small troop of soldiers that he had brought along with him!


    Those were led by a rather familiar-looking, stern-faced lieutenant, who was already making faces at Qin Feng from his spot behind the Ducal Prince, still in the attached room. Which was enough to make up Qin Feng''s mind for him.


    He certainly did not wish the matter to blow up, in front of Lieutenant Wei Xuanran! Who knew if he would carry word of this whole affair back to Lady Xie? Or what sort of reaction she would have, if she hears about it?


    So he stepped forward and gently lifted the Second Ducal Prince''s clasped hands, until the latter was back in an upright position. "That was not your fault. And you certainly were not aware of your father''s intent. But I should say that I am still somewhat annoyed with him. He trampled on my pride rather badly back then, as you may recall," he grunted softly.


    "Then ... You will join us on this expedition then? We could certainly do with your help."


    That question certainly caught him by surprise. Was Li Changhai insisting that he commit to the treasure hunt straightaway? He didn''t know how dangerous it was, or what sort of obstacles and enemies that might be laying in wait for them, after all. Or if he was going to end up binding himself to the Westland Duke and his family by doing this!


    While Qin Feng was tempted by the treasures, he was not so willing to sacrifice his own freedom just for a handful of the same.


    Besides, didn''t Li Changhai already have two strong supporters to accompany him?


    But just as he was about to refuse the Ducal Prince, Qin Feng suddenly recalled the situation that had him kicking at his bedclothes earlier. The paucity of his purse was unlikely to be discovered by the trio, of course. But the fact that his medicinal herbs weren''t selling was a greater problem than he had expected it to be.


    Perhaps this little trip, and the money that it would bring in, would help him to offset the cost of staying at that inn? Had he known that it would cost him that much money, he would have simply hardened the skin on his face and remained at the Duke''s Palace!


    So he simply sighed, and nodded his head at the Prince. "Very well. I was getting rather bored here myself, doing nothing but practice my martial arts all day. I might as well come with you. No one would ever complain of having too many treasures," he managed to say in a droll voice.


    The look on Li Changhai''s face could best be described as ecstatic. Clearly, he had not been too hopeful. Especially after how Qin Feng had reacted to his father''s so-called apology. Well, that was something that the Ducal Prince will have to settle with his father himself, Qin Feng thought. As far as he was concerned, he was more than pleased to have nothing more to do with the Duke and his people.


    Then the Second Ducal Prince''s face took on a more restrained look.


    * * *

 178 Sibling Rivalry 10

    "This one is aware of the ... unhappiness between my father and yourself, Brother Feng. But you should know that it was part of a test, that he had set up for me. Unfortunately, he had offended you as a result of that. For that, I can only apologize."


    The Ducal Prince bowed again, this time in a graver, more respectful manner. Qin Feng, who could not really be bothered by the so-called insult from the Duke in the first place, simply waved the whole matter aside.


    "That is not important. So long as you have no complaints, I am certainly not going to make trouble for the Duke. Of course, what sort of trouble can I make? I am merely a wanderer."


    And a penniless one at that, he groaned to himself, although he was careful not to let that show on his face. It would be interesting to see what sort of enticement these three fellows were going to be throwing at him, to entice him to join this little treasure hunt of theirs.


    Given his paucity of funds, that was the more important question.


    Of course, he was not about to say so. Qin Feng did have some pride, and asking flat out for money was something rather embarrassing for him, to tell the truth. He would prefer it if Li Changhai proposed it first. That way, he could graciously accept it, without any complications.


    Unfortunately, things did not go as he had planned.


    "Since Brother Feng has already indicated that he does not wish to return to the Duke''s Palace, perhaps we can adjourn to the Whispering Falls Teahouse to continue our discussion? The atmosphere is better there, and we are less likely to be interrupted."


    The Second Ducal Prince, who was already smiling due to the acceptance of his apology on his behalf of his father, nodded gratefully at Lin Liushui, who had made the suggestion. And bowed again to Qin Feng.


    "Have no worry, Brother Feng. I have not forgotten that you are still displeased with my father''s attitude when you last met him, and shall not insist that we head back to the Palace. We shall meet outside the same in the future, to discuss what needs to be done to prepare for our trip. It shall not be taking place in a hurry too. You might have heard that my father''s birthday is fast approaching, and I must remain here in Yanyun for that particular occasion."


    He almost groaned as soon as he heard that. ''No, no, no! Offer me a room at your father''s Palace again! And offer me spending gold and silver as well! Can''t you tell that I am skint?'' He wanted to roar at the Prince. But somehow, he managed to remain seated, with nary a sign of his utter despair showing on his face, for all that his heart was sinking.


    Didn''t they know that he already owed the inn more than he could pay?


    To be honest, he would not have refused, if the Second Ducal Prince had invited back into the Ducal Palace, to discuss this whole matter. And he would have worked it into the conversation somehow, to get the noble fellow to pay off his bills and bring his things back into his former guesthouse there. There would have been plenty of opportunities for him to drop hints, once they were engaged in some ''long, meaningful conversation''.


    Why did Li Changhai have to be so bloody polite, and offer to send him back to his inn instead?


    But since the offer was already made, it was too late for him do anything about it. So what could he do but plaster a polite smile on his face, and walk out of the restuarant together with the Second Ducal Prince, with Du Yan and Lin Liushui following closely behind them?


    Suddenly Qin Feng froze, right at the entrance of the restuarant, as he felt a sharp wind descending upon him. Looking to his side, he saw a figure dressed entirely in black, and wearing a similar mask of black cloth over the lower half of his face, rushing at him.


    But was he the target of the attack? Qin Feng knew that it was unlikely. Instead, the Second Ducal Prince, standing to his right, was the more obvious target. So he reached out his hand, and caught Li Changhai by his elbow, and yanking him back behind himself.


    His hand was already jerking the Second Ducal Prince back, when he realised that the black-garbed fellow''s trajectory had not changed at all. Did that mean that the target was him, and not the Prince? But how could that be? But by then, it was already too late for him to use any of his movement techniques to escape!


    So he simply threw out the first move that crossed his mind:


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    [White Jade Hands: Eclipse the Moon!]


    The palm that he pressed out in front of him met with the large fist that was completely covered with the cloud of bluish qi. Then the head-sized ball of qi exploded, tossing Qin Feng back. A stab of power flooded his left palm and worked its way up to his shoulder before it dissipated. Which was enough to send waves of pain through the meridians in his left arm.


    He was outclassed! And by a good measure at that!


    Yet, for all that his cultivation level was lacking, when compared against the black-garbed assassin, his White Jade Hands was clearly a superior martial art. Why else would the assailant fall back, and shake his own right hand as if it was in pain? That was the unique feature of that particular Eclipse the Moon stance. When used offensively, it drew on all of Qin Feng''s qi and slammed it into the enemy.


    If used defensively, however, it drew on the qi invested into the initial attack as well, and hurled that back at the assailant! That was the unique property of the White Jade Hands Martial Style, and Qin Feng had relied on it often enough to be confident in the same.


    However, it was clear that his cultivation was still a little lacking. The black-garbed fellow''s attack was too strong, too powerful, and he could not turn even half of that initial outpouring of qi back against the initiator. The most that he could manage was about thirty percent, and he had to take on the remaining power, which had probably resulted in his left arm meridians taking a beating!


    But the sheer fact that the assailant was able to overpower him like this, and that he could recognise the martial art that he had just received did not escape Qin Feng. The strong, metallic aura that swept over his arms was a familiar one, and he felt a surge of blood rush up to his throat. At once, he blurted out the impression that he had got from their brief, sharp clash:


    "Zhou Jinhu! You are Zhou Jinhu!"


    * * *

 179 Foiled Plans 1

    The one who jumped out at Qin Feng didn''t waste any time answering that accusation, and simply struck out at him once more. That left the youngest of the party cursing as he lifted his own arms, including his injured one, to fend off this next attack. He was caught by surprise earlier, but was determined to block this second blow properly.


    But the second contact with the black-masked assailant was enough to toss Qin Feng back against Li Changhai, who he had pulled back earlier. Blood spurted from his lips, as he felt his arms burning from the fiery metallic qi. Hurriedly, he began to circulate his own zhenqi, to dampen the power of the blow.


    The trio behind him, however, was more focused on the identity of the assailant:


    "Zhou Jinhu?"


    "Zhou Jinhu? Fatty Zhou?"


    The fellow in the black mask didn''t answer, but gave out a soft grunting sound as he rushed forward to attack once more. But by then, Lin Liushui had already arrived at Qin Feng''s side, and had thrown the Lin Family Dragon Fist technique against the brawny fellow.


    [Fierce Dragon Leaves Cave!]


    Zhou Jinhu drew his hands back at once, crossing them in front of his chest to block the powerful strike. Even then, he was forced to take three steps back himself, shaking his hands to disperse the residual force Lin Liushui''s punch had left in his arms. Then he gave out a loud angry roar, as he turned to flee.


    But how could Qin Feng allow him to go like that? He took the opportunity to draw his sword then, and pushed it right at the middle of the black masked man''s back!


    [Four Seasons Sword: Blazing Sun of Summer!]


    The Summer version of the Four Seasons Sword was the fiercest and fastest of the same. And the Blazing Sun of Summer was the most aggressive sword stance that Qin Feng knew. It also drew in a certain style of the Flowing Wind Movement - the Harsh Gale Step! He had practiced this frequently, although he had not any opportunity to use the same. After all, it required that he invoke his anger, and to use the same to burn away his hesitancy, and so speed up and increase the volatility of his assault.


    Well, he was angry enough to use it now!


    This Zhou Jinhu had hit him once before, merely at the command of that idiot bitch in the Ducal Palace. And it seems he was insisting on finishing that particular job. Too bad Qin Feng wasn''t about to roll over and just die like an obedient fellow!


    The sword in Qin Feng''s hand flashed, and almost touched the black-garbed man''s back when Zhou Jinhu gave out another haughty grunt, and sent a fist hurtling towards the tip of the weapon, as though he was intending to smash Qin Feng''s sword into fragments.


    But it was clear that he had never clashed with someone from the Heaven Sword School prior to this. Nor had he any understanding of the famous Four Seasons Sword.


    Sword qi spurted from the tip of Qin Feng''s weapon at that moment; to be fair, it was something that Qin Feng had been waiting to do, when the enemy was close enough. It had nothing to do with Zhou Jinhu''s fist technique, but rather his distance away from Qin Feng:


    Summoning his sword qi was not something that he could do with any confidence. Despite his two years practicing this particular sword-form, he had only manage to do so twice. But he was angry enough, and desperate enough, to give it a try now.


    And it worked!


    A splash of sword qi shot out from the tip of his weapon, sheathing the sword in a layer of air that seemed to twist around the sword blade before hurtling out at Zhou Jinhu''s side. The same protected the weapon from the black-garbed man''s fist, and tore a gash across his knuckles. And at the same time, the tip of the sword qi pierced into the waist of the fellow, so much so that his own blow had resulted in the weapon, and sword qi, shifting downwards.


    And that left a long, ugly tear in his right hip, that splattered blood liberally over the Yanyun City street!


    But he did end up paying a price for it.


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    Despite the fact that he had torn up the man''s fist, the blow from the same had somehow made it across the sheathe of qi that surrounded the weapon. And the newly purchased sword in Qin Feng''s hands - the same one that he had been promised was capable of cutting through the hide of monstrous beasts, and able to withstand their corrosive blood? The weapon in Qin Feng''s hand snapped into two, leaving him with merely a foot long shard of metal in his hands!


    Which was not much use against the now-furious man in black, who was throwing himself at Qin Feng, with both his fists weaving in a pattern that promised death to the young swordsman!


    Within moments, that same fist pattern tore the broken sword out of Qin Feng''s hand, and now hurtled towards his face!


    Then Du Yan, who had taken it upon himself to stand guard over Li Changhai, stepped forward, and hurled a mighty punch at the assailant''s fist pattern. A massive boom exploded even as the two martial arts techniques clashed, throwing Qin Feng back like a limp doll.


    Yet, he saw, even as he back-pedaled furiously, that the black-clothed fellow was vomiting blood through his mask, as he tried his best to alleviate the effects of Du Yan''s might blow. Needless to say, the brawny fellow''s blow had been faster, more powerful, and had came from an angle that Zhou Jinhu could not defend against. Not while he was caught up trying to smash aside Qin Feng''s sword.


    Nor did Du Yan fail to make full use of his advantage. The large man jumped forwards in pursuit, and sent a second fist at the black-garbed fellow. One that caught in him back, just as he turned and made ready to flee - right where his kidneys were, from what Qin Feng could see. And that was enough to have him throwing up another mouthful of blood!


    But, much to Qin Feng''s surprise, the fellow was still able to kick off from where he landed, and dash away!


    "Alive! Try to take him alive! I want to know who is behind this!"


    That was easier said than done, Qin Feng wanted to shout at the Second Ducal Prince. It was taking all three of them close to everything they had to hold the fellow down. And the latter''s lucky assist earlier had only been possible because he was aiming to kill the fellow! And Du Yan only managed to catch him by surprise because he had waited for an opportunity.


    Now with Li Changhai giving away his intentions like that, it was only going to get a lot harder to tie Zhou Jinhu down!


    * * *

 180 Foiled Plans 2

    But he didn''t have too much time to worry about that! Zhou Jinhu was almost out of range!


    So he snatched up the hilt portion of his broken sword, and leaped forward, sending a quick lunge at the fellow''s back.


    Only to have Zhou Jinhu spin about and dodge the same, with a practiced ease! This was a trap, he cursed to himself the moment that he saw it, and tried to pull his sword back in defense! But Fatty Zhou''s move was too quick, and Qin Feng could barely bring both of his arms up in front of his chest, to take the swift kick that was headed for his heart!


    [White Jade Hands: Weeping at Her Own Reflection!]


    The move was as effective as it had always been, and Qin Feng had bothered to use both his hands this time. He parted his arms the moment that he felt the power of the strike rush up his forearms, sending the same out and away to either side of himself, and dissipating the violently roiling foreign qi away from his body. This was the wholly defensive method of using the White Jade Hands. Something that he doubted that Zhou Jinhu knew about.


    Indeed, that seemed to surprise the black-garbed assassin, and there was a momentarily pause as the masked man staggered backwards, as though unsure of himself. Qin Feng gritted his teeth in a feral grin as he ignored the pain in his arms and charged forwards. This was a repeat performance, wasn''t it? Of his reaction to the same stance days ago, in the Ducal Palace?


    But it could be another of his ploys, the younger man reminded himself, another of his schemes. And he threw out his least practiced sword form, and the most suitable one for such a deception, at the enemy:


    [Return of Spring Wind!]


    Only to sense the confident smile that appeared under the black cloth masking the assassin''s face, as the man''s left palm twisted and flashed towards his head, ignoring the broken sword blade that had just thrust past that same wrist! So it was a trap!


    But Qin Feng had set one of his own!


    His wrist twisted even as the true attack of his sword stance showed itself. The foot-long scrap of a weapon in his hand whirled in a circular motion, flashing to form a ring of sword qi that cut across his opponent''s extended arm!


    Zhou Jinhu roared as the sword qi slashed through his left upper arm, and pulled himself back immediately. But it was already too late! Despite the fact that Qin Feng''s sword was already broken, the edge of the same was sharp enough to tear through his flesh, and severe his left forearm from his body!


    Yet, his reaction was a little faster than what Qin Feng had prepared for, and the man in black''s left leg flashed up to catch him in the face, despite his desperate attempt to interpose his right arm. Qin Feng only felt a sharp pain there on his cheek, as he pushed himself off with his feet, hurling himself backwards.


    But that was only a temporary relief, he realized as soon as he landed. His knees had already gone weak, and everything was whirling about. While it was not that powerful a kick, it was enough to put him out of the fight altogether! It was all that he could do, to try to stay awake!


    Hence, Qin Feng barely caught a glimpse of two figures flitting over his body to engage the black-garbed assailant. And almost missed his chance of watching Lin Liushui and Du Yan in action together.


    Even as he faded out of consciousness, he caught a glimpse of the pair of them grabbing onto the black-garbed assailant, and wrestling him to the ground. Although that should not be that much of a surprise, he told himself, as he let his head fall back. After all, he had hacked the idiot''s left arm off, hadn''t he?


    *


    The Second Ducal Prince gave out a blistering curse the moment that he saw Qin Feng fall. And would have jumped out to catch the younger practitioner, if he had been a little closer. But he had been pushed to the rear by Du Yan earlier, and only was only able to get there after Qin Feng had already slammed into the street.


    Still, Li Changhai was the first to reach Qin Feng''s side, and hurried to inspect the latter''s injuries. Fortunately, apart from the swelling in his forearms and the red mark on his left cheek, the younger man did not seem to have taken any serious damage. But they would have to bring him to a proper physician, and have him examined to be certain.


    Only after he had made sure that Qin Feng was comfortable, more or less, on the ground that he turned to look at his other two companions. The two of them had already overpowered the now-crippled Zhou Jinhu, and had him pinned. As he watched Lin Liushui worked his acupoint sealing art on the man in black, rendering him unconscious as well.


    It was good that they had dealt with the assassin that had been hiding among his sister''s people, Li Changhai told himself then. At least, they had managed to survive this wholly unexpected attack. But his expression was an ugly one, as he tried to figure out who had been behind the attempt. Was it his sister or the Zhao Family? Or did he have to look deeper?


    He started for the prisoner at once. But Du Yan held the Second Ducal Prince back, even as his companion dealt with the now unconscious assailant. "You should not get close to Fatty Zhou, regardless of whether you were the target or not. Who can say if he is working for your sister, or if someone else has hired him to do their dirty work," he warned in a quiet voice.


    "You should beware of others making the attempt now that one of our number is down."


    Li Sanlang frowned when he heard that, but jerked his arm out of Du Yan''s grasp nonetheless. And rushed back to where Qin Feng was lying down in the street. Everyone had seen how the youngest in his group had thrown himself at Zhou Jinhu, and taken those two blows for him. Regardless of the danger, how could he not take care of the unconscious young fellow now?


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    But Du Yan''s concerns did not materialize, and Lin Liushui stepped back to join the duo as they lingered over Qin Feng''s body. The assailant had been unmasked, and confirmed to be indeed Zhou Jinhu. That discovery had raised a good number of questions in the Second Ducal Prince''s head, even as he inspected Qin Feng''s injuries.


    Lin Liushui seemed to sense his distraction, and took over the task adroitly. And Li Changhai gladly let him. The scholarly man was obviously more than competent when dealing with wounds and injuries, as he knew. Besides, the Prince was distracted by the assault. Everyone could see that, even though no one gave voice to that observation.


    "He is just unconscious, but that last attack from Fatty Zhou might have hit him a bit harder than we had expected. It would be best if we bring him back to the Palace, so that I can tend to him in a secure place," Lin Liushui announced, softly as he looked up at Li Changhai after he was done with his initial observation.


    Then he nodded at the end of the street, and at the half-troop of men, clad in armor and a uniform that was unfamiliar in Yanyun City, who were stamping into sight. Something that earned Du Yan''s nod of approval:


    "It seems someone has responded to that signal your guards threw out earlier. They would have been too late to do much, but the response is good, nevertheless. They are the ones that your maternal grandmother sent along with you? From Changqing City?"


    * * *

 181 Foiled Plans 3

    "That is Lieutenant Wei Xuanran leading them. I would trouble Big Brother Yan to speak to them, and have them prepare a stretcher. We will need it to bring Brother Feng back to the Ducal Palace. And tell them to send a messenger ahead, to get the physicians ready to receive him."


    Du Yan chuckled as he moved to do as Li Changhai asked. Leaving the Second Ducal Prince to stand over the unconscious Qin Feng. It was something that was totally against the rules, when it came to protocols that governed the protection of the Ducal Prince, but it was clear from the dark storm clouds lingering over Li Sanlang''s face that no one was going try to talk him out of remaining there with his young friend.


    Which was just as well, since Li Changhai was certainly not about to brook any interference! Qin Feng had just saved his life! And had fallen unconscious doing so! How could he not take care of his benefactor first!


    Not to mention the fact that this was the third time - the third time! Qin Feng had shielded him with his own body! Regardless of whether he had instructions from his maternal grandmother or not, how could he not take care of the young man?!


    Li Changhai sighed as he turned to looked down at the unconscious fellow once again. His debt to Qin Feng seemed to be getting heavier and heavier. Even if he ignored the way that the young man had caused his father to change his attitude towards him, just the matter of Qin Feng saving his life that many times was enough to make him feel a little embarrassed.


    Little wonder then, that his mother had insisted that he keep the young fellow close by. It seemed her instincts were correct; he had just blocked an assassin for him, hadn''t he?


    The memory of the assassination attempt made him turn his head then, to glare in the direction of the fellow in black, who was still pinned down by Lin Liushui. The handsome-looking man was holding now-crippled man down while some of the guard contingent were wrapping chains around him. Honestly, Li Sanlang was a little concerned that the same were too thin to hold the black-garbed man. But hopefully, with his acupoints frozen by Lin Liushui''s strange martial art, it would be enough to keep him from breaking free until everyone was back at the Ducal Palace.


    And there were stronger restraints, as well as more powerful experts, back there. His father, for one, who dearly love to hear more about the attempt. And to find out more about who was behind this debacle.


    The Second Ducal Prince''s grim smile compressed then, and his lips grew pale from the pressure of that little move. He was curious too, as to who had sent Zhou Jinhu against him. It had to be someone close to his sister - his half-sister! Of that, he was rather certain. After all, Fatty Zhou was supposed to be her personal bodyguard, wasn''t he? How could he had shown up here, without her knowledge?


    It seems things were far more complicated than what he had imagined. And he was rather certain that this little incident was going to prompt his mother, Feng Xueli, to take steps!


    While he was engrossed in his thoughts, his guards had already taken the initiative to encircle him. And the young fellow lying on the ground. Looking up, the Prince saw that Lieutenant Wei was already at his side. But Li Sanlang was surprised to note the lieutenant staring down at the unconscious Qin Feng with a look on his face that mirrored the concern that the Second Ducal Prince was feeling.


    "Is ... Is Young Master Qin going to survive? We did not see the fight but ... The injury that he sustained is not going to ... disfigure him, is it?"


    Li Sanlang turned back to the young man lying still in front of him, and wondered at the question. He had not thought about that. It would be a bit of a disaster, if Qin Feng took any permanent damage, especially to his face, he conceded with a wince.


    "I do not know. We shall need to have the physicians look him over, to ... I do not believe that his cheek bone is broken, so his face ... They should be able to save his looks, along with his life," he replied, after a brief moment.


    "That is good. The Duchess had warned us to take good care of him, and that she would make our lives miserable if anything happens to him."


    The Second Ducal Prince whirled to face the lieutenant, who still had a rather sheepish look on his face. And who seemed to be expecting the Prince''s reaction. Wei Xuanran shrugged and nudged his chin in the direction of the unconscious man, as though conveying a message to Li Changhai:


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    "She questioned us thoroughly, two days ago. And she was rather insistent that we ... The Duchess had mentioned her belief that her mother - your maternal grandmother, that is. She believes that her mother sent Young Master Qin to make certain that you got home safely. Well, we had certainly not received any orders to that effect, you understand, Ducal Prince.


    "But from what we had seen, and what he had done, during our trip North, it certainly seems to be the case. Doesn''t it?"


    Li Changhai felt his lips twitching, the moment that he heard the lieutenant''s explanation. "I detect a certain ... jealousy, Lieutenant Wei. Are you annoyed that my maternal grandmother took such steps? Or are you pissed that my mother arrived at such a conclusion?"


    Lieutenant Wei Xuanran grinned back at him. "Neither, Second Prince. We are - all of us in the troop, I mean. We are more than happy to have him fend off the people that your ... the Duke has added to our number. Since they outrank me, I can hardly make any noise regarding their idiotic training plans. And how they intend to deploy us.


    "But ... they did make some ... unhappy noises when they were briefed about what took place during our journey North. And how Young Master Qin had ... insisted on us rushing here at best speed. Against all the standard protocols, you see? Well, after how he had defended you today, no one is going to dismiss his ideas, are they?"


    "I will admit that it would be ... extremely unlikely," Li Changhai replied, with a tight but somewhat satisfied smile.


    * * *

 182 Foiled Plans 4

    "That is good. I mean, I would like to see the Captain and his people try," Lieutenant Wei sniffed in a somewhat aggrieved voice. Clearly, he was not at all pleased with the new additions to the Bodyguard detail that he had been ''assigned''.


    Li Changhai felt a smile twitch at his lips again. He could understand how the young lieutenant might feel that way. Wei Xuanran had been the one guarding him all the way from Changqing City to Yanyun. So it was understandable that he was upset to have someone step in now, and take over his command.


    Perhaps he should have a word with his father, to keep the young lieutenant in charge, Li Sanlang considered. After all, Wei Xuanran seemed to be taking this duty a lot more seriously than the new man. Look at how quickly he had responding with his half-troop! And they were still in central Yanyun City, close to the Ducal Palace and in the business district.


    It seems his new Bodyguard Captain did not believe that anyone would dare to attack him, there in the heart of his father''s territory. Well, that was enough to tell Li Changhai that there were serious gaps in the man''s mindset. And perhaps, his motivation.


    "I believe that the Duchess would also have something to say about the Captain''s ... lack of response in this matter," Wei Xuanran went on, albeit in a softer voice, "I think that he might have to go through ... a bit of talking to, by her Grace, later today."


    Li Changhai no longer tried to hide his smile by the time that he heard that. "I think that might not be necessary. Since he will no longer be the Head of my personal Bodyguard after his deplorable performance today," he confided, and was pleased to see the lieutenant straighten up with a grin on his face as well.


    "I think I might be able to prevail on my father to send younger officers, who are more open to new challenges, and who are willing to set aside the old protocols. From what we have experienced thus far, it is clear that the enemy - my enemy! He seems to be a lot more wily than what we have read in the usual training manuals and such, isn''t he?"


    The young lieutenant did not bother to hide the grin on his face by this point. Which had Li Changhai nodding his head at the fellow immediately. "That being said, I believe you might end up with a good number of younger, more ambitious officers - or officer cadets, for that matter! Well, they might be tempted to ... show off now and then, if you know what I mean."


    That was all the warning that he was willing to give Wei Xuanran, but from the quiet nod and the knowing smile on the lieutenant''s face, it was clear that he had some idea of what the Second Ducal Prince was talking about. Of course, it was no more than what he had expected, since Lieutenant Wei was a member of his uncle''s, then his cousin''s, crack troops in Changqing City.


    His reply, at least, seemed confident enough:


    "Oh, I believe I can accept a bit of competition there, your Highness."


    "Hmmmph! I am certain that you would."


    To be honest, Li Changhai was more pleased, and was looking forward to what the lieutenant would do, rather than annoyed. But he was not about to start laughing, there in the middle of a public street. He had just come under an attack, from an unknown source. So he knew that he would have to be more cautious. Still, he had to admit that it was good to note that there were some in his party who were taking advantage of the chaotic situation.


    Unlike others.


    He turned to look down at the injured younger man who was being lifted onto the stretcher that his men had found, and felt his good mood dissipating. And reminded himself once again that it has been three times that Qin Feng had saved his life. He would have to make sure that nothing upsets the young man''s recovery!


    Then the Second Ducal Prince looked up, and glared at the rest of his soldiers who were manhandling the one-armed man in black into a vegetable cart that they had managed to wrest away from some merchant or vendor. Well, he would have to remind Wei Xuanran to make good the fellow''s loss. It was unlikely that he would get his cart back, even after they were done with it.


    "Rest assured, your Highness. I had given orders to the sergeants to make sure that they paid for the items that they took. If you wish, I can further ''reward'' the merchants for their generous contributions," the lieutenant told him quietly.


    "Do that. And keep the rest of that for your people. They have done well, and deserve a bit of a reward themselves. After we arrive back at the Palace, mind you!"


    "Understood, Your Highness!"


    Li Sanlang tossing his heavy purse at the lieutenant had surprised Wei Xuanran a little. But he recovered quickly, turning to deal with what needed to be done at once. There was close to thirty gold pieces in there, the Ducal Prince was aware. But he was more than happy to splurge on the troop for their prompt action.


    While he did so, the Prince stepped up to the stretcher once again, and gave instructions to the four men who had been left behind to help with the injured Qin Feng. From the way that they were glaring in all directions, it was rather obvious that they had been given instructions to look out for other assailants. But they obeyed the Prince when Li Changhai gave them their instructions and quickly lifted the unconscious youth onto their shoulders.


    "Let us match the pace of the cart conveying the prisoner. We are still likely to be attacked here on the streets, and I wish our group to stay together," he told them plainly, as he marched them towards the wagon that still stank of crushed vegetables.


    Du Yan and Lin Liushui appeared on either side of him, as soon as he did that. And both of them kept an eye on the supposedly restrained Fatty Zhou as they did so. Which was enough to have Li Changhai bowing his thanks at the pair again.


    He had to remember that those two had played a big part in saving his life as well, together with Qin Feng. Something that he would have to express later, when they were all back safely at the Ducal Palace. For now ...


    "We will need to move swiftly but not in a manner that would hurt Qin Feng, or further injure Zhou Jinhu. We need to bring both of them back to the Palace safely," he reminded everyone in his usual calm voice, and was pleased to see both Du Yan and Lin Liushui bowing back at him in acknowledgement. That would certainly raise his standing among the soldiers.


    Not to mention the fact that he was in the middle of the city streets!


    Then he took a deep breath, and continued, pointing at the injured assailant that they had captured:


    "I am certain that my father will have plenty of questions for that one."


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    * * *

 183 Storm Signs 1

    The Duke of the Westlands was pissed.


    That was the most accurate way to describe the mood that washed over him the moment that he heard about the attack on his second son''s life. That was obvious from the furious expression that he wore as he stamped his way down towards the dungeon where the assailant had been incarcerated. Fortunately, Jin Yuhe managed to stop him before he got there. Otherwise, there would be nothing left of the poor fellow for the torturers to work on!


    It had taken Butler Jin close to half an hour too, to convince the Duke to leave matters in his hands, and to return to his palatial study instead to await his news. And the first thing that Li Yuanqi did when he got there was to send out his instructions to demote the Captain who had been set as the Head of the Second Ducal Prince''s Guard detail, and send him off to some deserted spot to live out his days in the army!


    After that, he summoned all the Questioners and Torturers that he had in his Palace Dungeons, and gave them an almost ridiculous deadline! He only gave them one night to complete the task that he set them; he wanted to know who was behind the assassination attempt! When such a task usually took two or three times that, to confirm and re-confirm their findings.


    However, Jin Yuhe wasn''t about to interfere again, and only signaled for the assembled Questioners to agree to the Duke''s impossible schedule. He could only hope that he could talk Li Yuanqi into cutting the interrogators some slack later, when the latter had cooled down.


    But his agitation did not cease after he was done, and Butler Jin was quick to dismiss the rest of the people around them, leaving the pair alone so that they could talk unhindered. Needless to say, Jin Yuhe knew better than anyone else what was truly bothering the Duke.


    "You know she will be making life difficult for me, the moment that she hears about this! And there is no way that I can keep this quiet either! Why did it have to happen now?" the Duke wailed once he was alone in his study with the Butler.


    "No! I have to find out who is doing this! It can''t be Xiuxian! She would dare to harm her brother!"


    Then the handsome Duke paused, and turned to eye Jin Yuhe with an anxious expression.


    "She wouldn''t. Would she?"


    The Butler wanted to pinch at the bridge of his own nose, as he sensed the headache that he was likely to be suffering later. It would come regardless of what answer he gave. But he fixed a bland expression on his own face as he deliberately lied to his oldest friend:


    "I seriously doubt that she would dare. Not after that time that she tried to push him into the pond when they were both children. I think you made your displeasure with her rather clear back then."


    "Then this Zhou Jinhu must be working on his own!"


    Butler Jin shook his head quickly, to dispel that notion before it fixed itself as the only possibility in the Duke''s head. "It might be possible that he got instructions from someone else. Or he might have misinterpreted her orders. She might be targeting one of Changhai''s companions, rather than her brother."


    The Duke waved his hand irritably as soon as he heard that. "That is unlikely. She has no conflict with any of them. At least, no conflict that would warrant sending a killer like Zhou Jinhu after them. This has to be something else!"


    Then he stopped again, and glared at the map on the wall to one side of the beautifully adorned room. And his voice, when Li Yuanqi spoke again, was cautious:


    "Do you think Zhou Jinhu attacked to keep the four of them from heading out on that treasure hunt of theirs? And he had only intended to injure two or three of them so that they cannot make the trip?"


    Jin Yuhe was obviously unconvinced of this. "Wouldn''t it be simpler - less risky, I mean. He would have been able to achieve that same effect if he poisoned or crippled half of your second son''s guard contingent, wouldn''t he? Why attack Changhai directly?"


    That question was enough to derail the theory that the Duke had come up with, and cause the nobleman to throw up his hands with an outraged roar. Fortunately, he was still able to keep his temper under control, Jin Yuhe noted quietly. Otherwise, the room would already be in a terrible mess!


    Of course, that was no assurance that the Duke would not get even angrier as he continued to dwell on the issue.


    Luckily, Jin Yuhe had his ways of keeping his old friend from lingering over the issue: "I believe that you should consider how best to show your care and concern for Changhai and his friends. Since he as already put this Qin Feng up in the guest quarters again, and sent for our Palace Physicians to take a look at his injuries, perhaps you should consider gifting the team with some protective gear? And some better weapons? So that they can protect themselves against any future attempts?"


    "Future attempts? You think there will be future attempts?"


    Jin Yuhe almost groaned aloud when the Duke went off on a tangent once again. And shook his head as he moved to quickly drag his old friend back onto the proper topic. "That is less important to you - and how you are going to answer to your wife, than what steps you intend to take to prevent further attacks on them. Or having those attacks succeed.


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    "Granting the four of them a few treasures from your armory might be able to keep them safer. Or, at the least, allow us to believe that they would be in a better position to defend themselves. That is important, isn''t it?"


    The Duke nodded after thinking over it for a while. And sighed as he gestured at the Butler. "I am glad that you are here with me, and that you can see so clearly. Otherwise ..."


    He shuddered then, while his oldest friend chuckled softly where he was standing, to one side of his long study table.


    "Otherwise, you would be in deeper trouble with your pretty young wife than you wish to be, you mean? No need to worry about that! I shall do my best to make sure that things are harmonious between the two of you. You can rest assured of that!"


    * * *

 184 Storm Signs 2

    Jin Yuhe, of course, did not know that he would have to deliver on that promise sooner than he had expected. Or that it would cause him more headaches when he did his best to hold to the same.


    But he had an inkling of what was in store for him, when he was intercepted on his way from the Ducal Study, and making his way towards the dungeons where he intended to confer with the Questioners that he had just pulled out of the fire earlier.


    Especially when the person who had intercepted him in the corridors within the Lower Ducal Palace grounds was none other than the Duchess herself!


    "Butler Jin must be rushing to check on the progress of the interrogation being conducted now, I am certain. I have to confess that I am very interested in the same as well, as you can imagine. I wonder if Butler Jin would share what he learns with me later? Just to keep me updated?


    "This does involve my only son, after all. So ... I am certain that you can see how a mother would be concerned about the sort of enemies that might be coming after her son, hmmm?"


    Jin Yuhe was an experienced campaigner who had fought at the side of his Duke for close to half his life, but he had to confess that he had never felt such a biting cold wash over his old bones as soon as the Duchess'' words touched his ears.


    There was a promise of violence and horrible death in the chilly tone of her voice, together with the sharp glare in her eyes made it rather clear that he would be suffering pain and terror, if he dared to refuse her.


    Needless to say, Butler Jin was shocked. He had been with the Duke when he caught sight of Feng Xueli as a teenager in her father''s gardens, and had been at the Duke''s side as the latter wooed and won her. But this was the first time in over twenty years that he had ever seen her unleash her temper in such a manner!


    He was instantly reminded of another woman - a powerful woman! Feng Xueli was not the sort who would be angered over small matters. But it seemed that she had the same protective instincts towards her child as her mother had towards all her children. And neither Jin Yuhe nor Li Yuanqi would ever dare to get in the way of Lady Xie Nianxue when she was on a rampage!


    A similar sort of rampage which Jin Yuhe was certain would be unleashed, if he did not manage to calm the Duchess down quickly!


    Given his uneasiness, he naturally ducked behind the biggest, hardest rock that he could think of!


    "This one would not dream of disobeying Your Grace. However, I was ordered to report directly back to the Duke, as soon as I have managed to wring anything from the fool in our cells. I fear that His Grace might be a little annoyed with me, if I should report my findings ..."


    He let his voice trail off at that. And hoped that Feng Xueli would back off, knowing that her husband was taking a personal interest in the matter. She had never taken an interest in how he ran his Duchy in the past, so it was unlikely that she would press.


    Or so he thought.


    Unfortunately, Jin Yuhe was quickly proven wrong!


    "Oh? If that is the case, I shall not make things difficult for Butler Jin. I shall accompany you when you head to my husband''s study, and listen in when you make your expected report. That way, it should both satisfy your duty to him, as well as deal with my curiosity. Hmmm?"


    Jin Yuhe floundered. This was going way beyond any of his expectations! Just what was the young Duchess out to do? Demanding to sit in on his report to the Duke? Over an interrogation of someone who might be tied to her step-daughter? Wasn''t that simply asking for trouble?


    "If you are worried that my husband would be uncomfortable with my presence, you can rest assured. I shall definitely inform him beforehand of my intentions. And you needn''t worry about any issues regarding the rest of the Duchy, or what sort of reprisals he may intend to take against the perpetrators.


    "I am more than happy to leave that in his hands."


    The glare that she shot him as she delivered those last words was like a massive hammer crashing down on his head! Jin Yuhe almost cursed out loud as soon as he heard them!


    Leave that in his hands? Who was she trying to fool? It would be impossible for her to leave the Duke to make any decision regarding such a move against her son! Her only son! You might as well try to convince Jin Yuhe that she was going to sit down and share a cup of tea with the assassin!


    By then, it was clear that Butler Jin was running out of options. It was clear that he could not use the common excuses with her, and her determination to find out who was behind this attempt on her son''s life was strong enough to sweep all of his other arguments aside.


    That was probably why Jin Yuhe did what he later considered to be the most idiotic thing that he had ever done in all his seventy odd years:


    "This one would be pleased to accommodate Your Grace in this matter then. However, this sort of interrogation might take a good bit of time. Perhaps it would be best for Your Grace to return to your courtyard first, while I do the needful. I shall send word when it is done, and report the findings to the Duke in your presence thereafter."


    That was the last bit of straw that was floating in front of his eyes, and Jin Yuhe clutched at it at once. Of course, he was going to be so foolish as to do exactly as he promised. But she wouldn''t know, would she? He could always make a hurried report to the Duke first, together with his recommendations, before arranging for a second session with her present. He would have to warn Li Yuanqi to play along, and behave as if he was hearing the results of the interrogation for the first time. But given his friendship with the Duke, and how badly his old buddy wanted to calm his wife down, it should not be a problem to secure his cooperation.


    Unfortunately for him, the Duchess had anticipated such a move as well!


    "Oh, there is no need to be so concerned about time. I am very much at leisure. And it has been a good while since I have watched my mother interrogate someone on behalf of my father, back in the South. It should prove an interesting experience, to compare your techniques to hers, don''t you think?"


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    * * *

 185 Storm Signs 3

    Butler Jin stiffened the moment that he heard the Duchess mention her mother. That was an obvious threat and he knew it! Just as he knew that there was no way that he could get out of letting her witness the entire interrogation process!


    He shuddered, and hid the fact that he did so with a quick bow. Which was enough to hide his increasingly sour expression as he quietly cursed the Duchess and her relations while his head was down. Why did she have to come from such a powerful and unconventional family?


    Then he cursed the Duke as well, as he began to straighten up. It was all his fault, wasn''t it? Well, he wasn''t going to try to shield him from his wife, since that was the case. This was entirely a family spat, as far as he was concerned. A deadly one, but a family quarrel, nonetheless. So he might as well wash his hands of the matter!


    Which was why he had recovered his aplomp by the time that his back was straight once more. And Jin Yuhe even managed to plaster a slight and ever-so-fake smile on his lips.


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    "In that case, I shall be more than pleased to accompany Your Grace. Let me lead you to our dungeons where we shall be carrying out our questioning. If you would come this way?"


    *


    A good two hundred or so li away from Yanyun City and the uneasy Butler Jin, there was another worried person hastily departing from the Ducal City.


    There were two main roads that led out of Yanyun City, and two lesser, narrower roads that saw fewer travelers on them. Of the latter, one was only used by the Ducal Troops, to head West to the Forest that they were required to patrol. That saw little use, save for the movement of the army, that had already started towards the border that the Duchy shared with the Barbarian-held lands.


    The other road led to the North, and continued all the way to the border, with its huge, untouched Wilderness, that stretched between the Northern and the Western Duchies. It was whispered, and not only among the soldiers of both Duchies, that this massive forest had been deliberately left alone to demarcate the two pieces of territory, as well as to display the animosity between the two Dukes.


    This was not a wonder, to those who lived in the Kingdom, since it was rather well known that the pair of old men had never gotten along. And that they had passed whatever grudge that lay between them to their sons and heirs, who were known for their frequent clashes in the Royal Court, at the Capital.


    Of course, with the area largely uninhabited, and the Ducal Guard patrols largely constrained to those regions that were closer to the border itself, the roads saw hardly any use at all. That is, outside of the half-yearly rotation of troops that hardly kept the narrow roads free of weeds and the occasional shrub.


    Which made it rather interesting, to the casual observer, to note that a small trail of three apparently heavily armoured carriages, all bearing the Ducal Crest, was making its way along that narrow trail, so close to the fall of night. What made it even more interesting was the fact that there was a smaller noble crest affixed just below the large and obvious one belonging to the Duke of the Westlands.


    Wasn''t that the entitlement of the Duke''s Eldest daughter? What was she doing so far to the North? This was clearly out of the ordinary! After all, every one knew that her husband was a Court Noble, and tied to the Capital. He had no lands in the North, that was for certain!


    More surprising was the fact that the carriages continued to run, well into the late afternoon! Most travellers would have stopped a good while before sunset, and used the time to start setting up camp. As it stood, the train that was still rushing along the track to the North was more than likely to end up fumbling in the dark, even if it halted at once, and started pitching tents. Something that did not appear to be in its plans, from what anyone could see.


    Not at all the sort of behaviour that one would expect to see from someone related to the Western Duke''s family!


    Still, no one dared to stop the train of marked carriages due to the heavily armed squad of soldiers that were obviously protecting the same. And merely looked on, as the tired-looking armed men continued on their way, trudging along the narrow road, drawing closer and closer to the dangerous woods.


    It was almost an hour later, when the sun had just begun its descent, its crimson glow transforming the dirt track into a blood-red line against deep green woods, that a loud shout was heard from behind the weary train.


    "Halt! Cease your advance!"


    The military command was delivered in a stern, powerful voice that held an authority that shocked the tired soldiers. With their energy already drained by their ceaseless travels, a good number of the men actually came to a stop before they looked up, and wondered at where the voice was coming from.


    Those who were in charge of the train, however, had already turned their mounts and spurred them back to the rear of the line, where they spotted a group of six riders, charging at the wagons with deliberate speed. Hurriedly, they began shouting orders, to bring their men into position, so that they might fend off these unknown travellers who dared to stop them.


    Yet, even before their orders could permeate the minds of the road-weary soldiers, the hard-riding newcomers had already torn past the exhausted guards that loitered at the rear of the three armoured wagons, and pulled up right next to the middle of the same. The leaders who had circled their mounts around the same quickly started forward at once, to form a line between the horsemen and the carriage, pulling swords and readying their spears as they did so.


    "Enough! Stand down, the lot of you!"


    The angry shout from the riders, and a loud, annoyed grunt from one of those at the fore of the sextet that had just arrived, shocked the escorts. And the one who rode at the head of the group pulled aside his cloak, to reveal a very obvious, and familiar, suit of armour on his body.


    That alone was enough to send all of the lightly armoured guards falling to their knees where they stood. Their weapons were lowered at once, even before the curtain that hung over the entrance of that same middle carriage flashed open, and a woman''s voice could be heard shouting in the red-orange light:


    "Younger Brother! Younger Brother, you are here!"


    * * *

 186 Storm Signs 4

    The one in the gorgeous armor, who had stepped out in front of all the other riders, turned his head to stare at the pale, frightened face that had two streams of tears dripping from its eyes. It was clear that she had only just begun to cry, of course. But she made it seem as though she had been weeping for hours.


    Li Changtian, the second of the Duke of the Westland''s children, and the older of his sons, gave out a sigh as soon as he saw what his older sister was trying to do. It was not the first time that he had encountered her schemes, after all. In fact, he was already immune to all her ploys. Did she never bother to think of new ones?


    But that was something that would have to be handled at another time. There were other more pressing issues to be dealt with. The Ducal Heir flicked the reins of his mount at the rider next to him and dismounted with a grace that told of long hours of practice. The heavy-looking scale breastplate that he had on his torso seemed almost weightless as he strode past his sister''s kneeling Honor Guard, silently gesturing for them to get up.


    "What have you done this time, older sister? Why are you desperately running away from the old man?"


    The impatience in his voice was obvious, and the disdain exuded from his over six-foot-tall frame was so palpable that the still kneeling soldiers could not help but tremble as he strode past them. Even the leaders of the escorting troop, who had dismounted and lowered their heads, shivered upon hearing the chiding tone.


    "Younger Brother, I ..."


    The Ducal Prince, Li Changtian held up a hand, stopping his elder sister from completing her reply as he glanced at the soldiers layered in front of her. Sighing, he waved hand at the trembling leaders who were standing next to their sweat-covered horses.


    "Make camp. A simple one. Get your men and the horses fed. I will speak to my sister in her carriage while you do so," he ordered softly, in a tone that seemed to exude assurance. Clearly, he had no doubt that he would be obeyed.


    "Hong Qi. Gather six men from those here. Those who are still able to stand and who are more or less alert. Have them organise sentry formation about the carriages. We will set up camp here and now."


    One of the riders who had come with the Ducal Prince clasped his hands together in a quick salute, and started pointing at the men around him. Those that he picked out stiffened their backs at once and rushed to do his bidding. The mere sight of that made Prince Li Changtian''s lips twitch slightly. Which of these soldiers would not do as Hong Qi asked? He was one of the most charismatic young generals in Li Changtian''s Scarlet Flag Riders Troop after all.


    Once he was done, however, he stepped over to his sister''s carriage. A simple wave of his hand sent the groom-cum-driver running off immediately. Leaving his somewhat disappointed sister sitting inside with the door-curtain of the carriage still drawn to one side. The maid who was supposed to hold it back was already dazzled by Li Changtian''s appearance, and had her mouth slightly open as her eyes followed his every move.


    There was even a hint of saliva, dripping from the corner of her lips.


    His sister, Li Xiuxian, on the other hand, had a very childish, very sour pout on her lips. "Why did you stop us here, Younger Brother? We would have reached Father''s recruit training camp to the North, just a little further away if we kept going," she grumbled at him softly.


    "Because that training camp that you mentioned is no longer in existence. Father and I had shut it down almost five years ago, and opened a new one further to the East. You could have just kept going until you reach the border crossing into the Northern Duchy in ... oh, five to seven days?


    "That is if your men don''t collapse from exhaustion first."


    He sniffed at her, as she froze and pretended to wipe away the tears that had already streaked her face, and completely upset the make-up around her eyes. Li Changtian naturally did not show that he noticed the same. To be honest, he wondered how his sister still dared to use such a juvenile play; she was already in her late thirties, and he could see that there were some wrinkles already, at the corner of her eyes and her lips.


    Did she think that she could use a young girl''s methods at her age? What was she thinking?


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    "Brother! You must help me! That bitch is intolerable!"


    The First Ducal Prince rolled his eyes at his sister, who was still pretending to dab away her crocodile tears. Wasn''t that the reason why he had bothered to chase after her? The moment that he had word of what she had tried to do?


    And failed?


    Li Changtian also knew that this last attempt of his sister''s had some serious ramifications. Did she know what would happen, when she sent that other idiot, that Zhuo Jinhu, after their younger brother? Did she think that Feng Xueli would not take steps, the moment that she realises that her son was in danger?


    The Duke''s second wife was not a soft persimmon! Li Changtian knew that! Unlike his sister who had merely thrown her temper at the woman ever since she married their father, the First Ducal Prince had actually sent his own people to the South, to find out more about this Marquis'' daughter.


    And what he had discovered had made him swear not to cross her in any way whatsoever! In fact, he was surprised that his father would dare to marry her as a second wife, after what she did in the Kingdom''s Capital City as a child!


    Of course, he wasn''t about to tell his older sister what he had discovered, and simply warned her not to piss off their stepmother too badly. After all, it would not do for her to spread the gossip about, as he was certain that she would do, thinking that it would harm Lady Feng''s reputation.


    He was rather certain that his sister, Li Xiuxian, would be lucky to escape with her reputation in tatters, if she did so. That is, if she did not anger Feng Xueli to the point where the latter would go after her life.


    Sending Zhuo Jinhu after Li Changhai, on the other hand, was likely to result his older sister''s death! Of that, he was certain!


    * * *

 187 Storm Signs 5

    And he still had a card to play, and that should be to convince Li Xiuxian to keep well away from the Duchy in the near future. Li Changtian doubted at his stepmother would trouble herself to reach all the way to the Zhao Family in the Capital City, to revenge this slight. Especially after his father had already captured Zhou Jinhu, and she had a toy to play with at the moment, to relieve her anger.


    "... that scheming whore! You have do something about her, brother! You have to!"


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    The First Ducal Prince and Heir to the Duchy of the Westlands sighed as he shook his head at his older sister. He had not bothered to listen her tirade, and only turned his hearing back on when he saw that she had reached the end of her unceasing denunciation of the present Duchess. Naturally, he did not care about what she had said at all. He was just letting her vent her frustrations, after all.


    To be honest, he was more concerned about slipping her out of the Duchy, and back onto the road to the Capital, where he could leave her safety to her fool of a husband. Why didn''t he send one of his older, steadier Protectors with her?


    Then again, those powerful fellows would certainly not be able to tolerate her juvenile mannerisms and her reckless behaviour. Li Changtian bit down on a sigh as soon as he remembered that, and reminded himself to send word to the Zhao Family to keep her locked up for the rest of the year.


    The capture of her favourite bodyguard should be enough of a warning to her. As well as to the Zhao Family.


    "Oh. And could you, maybe, save Jinhu from father''s hands?"


    He sniffed, as soon as he heard that. What was she thinking? Did she really believe that their father would let Zhou Jinhu go? After what he had done? The dumb fellow would be lucky if the Duke didn''t Question him under torture! Which was probably something that he was undergoing even as he rushed to the North.


    "Save Zhou Jinhu? Why should I even bother? He can''t even take care of a young man who hasn''t even reached two decades yet? Besides, he carried out the attack out in the open, in Yanyun City. Do you really believe that Father will forgive something like that?


    "It would be a surprise if he doesn''t send the idiot''s head to the Zhao Family, and demand an explanation!"


    Besides, wasn''t it a bit too much? Even if he could convince his father that the attempt had not be aimed at Changhai, would the rest of the Duchy believe him? Given the prestige that he had already garnered so far, wasn''t that as good as slapping his own face? Over this Qin Feng fellow? And that idiot Zhou Jinhu?


    Why would he do something like that? And risk the reputation that he had built up over the years, there in the Westlands?


    Far better for the fool to be tortured and slaughtered by his father, than to admit that he had such a useless, brainless idiot working for him!


    Besides, Zhou Jinhu was one of his sister''s people, and not his. So there was no way to tie him to the dolt. If anything, only the Zhao Family would be affected. And they were only connected through the marriage, and because both of them were joined in service to the Third Royal Prince.


    Not to mention the fact that he was supposed to be leading his troops to deal with the Barbarians. He had managed to slip away unnoticed for the moment, but he wasn''t going to take any action other than utterly devoting himself to getting rid of the annual threat to the Duchy. THat was what built up his reputation in the first place.


    So, he should wait until the Zhao Family was involved, and the Third Prince is alerted, before he begged a favour from his father. That should put him on better footing in the Capital, if nothing else.


    And it would allow him to the option of pushing all of the blame on the Zhao Family instead!


    "Then ... what are we going to do with that Qin Feng? Just the thought of him makes me feel sick! You should get rid of him, Younger Brother!"


    It took some effort for Li Changtian to stop himself from rolling his eyes. What was this Qin Feng? Wasn''t he merely an Outer Court disciple of the Heavenly Sword School? Should he even bothered with someone like that? If it was not for the fact that he had saved his younger brother and accompanied him back to the Duchy, would a minor character like that even come to his attention?


    Although, to be fair, he had been rather worried when he first heard about how the young fellow had been involved in getting his younger brother back to the Duchy. And his participation in the capture of Zhou Jinhu had been something that was brought up during all of the recent gossip in Yanyang City. Which was why he had dug up about everything that he could about the younger man.


    And satisfied himself that he was no threat at all!


    "A disciple of the Heavenly Sword School? And you think he is working for Changhai''s maternal grandmother? Don''t be absurd! He is but an Outer Court disciple! She would never use someone with such a low status, regardless of his cultivation level! The fellow is at best one of Changhai''s confidantes!"


    "But ... But he came with the troops that escorted the bastard North! And everyone says that he is ..."


    "Everyone says that your husband is a worthless fat pig. Don''t tell me that you are finally listening to what everyone says?"


    The Ducal Heir, Li Changtian sniffed as his sister pouted at his words, and waved a hand to the South. "You should know better than to kick up a fuss, regardless of whether there is truth in what the gossips on the street say. Or, at the least, keep your antics to the Ducal Palace itself. What possessed you to send a close aide to carry out an assasination ... Who doesn''t know that Zhou Jinhu is one of yours? How could you send your personal guard against one of younger brother''s people? And with Changhai present at that?


    "Can you blame everyone for thinking that you are actually aiming to take younger brother''s life? That is certainly what Feng Xueli and her people are thinking now, I can assure you!"


    "Who cares what that bitch thinks! She can go to hell! And all of her family with her! Just wait until I get back to the Capital. I fix her up properly once I am there!"


    * * *

 188 Storm Signs 6

    The Duke''s Heir scowled at his sister as soon as he heard that. And was glad that they were still hidden away inside her personal travel carriage. He did not expect her to lose her temper over their stepmother like that. Not when she was already neck deep in trouble herself! Shouldn''t she be more worried about how she was going to get herself out of this mess? Rather than stirring up more trouble?


    So he decided to stamp on her immediately. It was time that she learned not to keep throwing unnecessary obstacles into his plans.


    "No. You will not."


    The surprise on her face reminded him that she was his sister. And that he had never kicked up a fuss with her in the past. Well, that would have to change now.


    "The situation with the Barbarians in the Western Forest is a little unusual now, and I shall have to spend a good amount of time there, to make sure that nothing goes wrong. On top of that, the King isn''t feeling very well lately, so the Royal Princes are all anxious at the moment.


    "Do you really think that your husband will have any time to worry about you? At a time like this? He will be far too busy gathering up medicinal herbs and all sorts of curatives, to present them up to the Royal Court," Li Changtian told her in a stern voice.


    "Then ..."


    The Ducal Heir nodded at her, when her pout returned to her lips. It was clear that she had gotten the message. The only problem with that was, was she going to listen to him?


    Well, that was something for her to worry about. He had not been lying about the Western Forest Barbarians. He had to keep his attention on dealing with that problem, and continue his support for the Third Royal Prince.


    Given the King''s recent illness, he should be reminded by his closest advisors to declare one of his sons his successor, shouldn''t he? And apart from the Third Royal Prince, there were only two more suitable candidates for the position of the Crown Prince.


    And neither of them had any supporters who were a match for the Third Prince''s people. Especially in the field of medicine. So Li Changtian had no doubt that the Third Royal Prince, Zhuo Linggu, would be quick to show his filial piety, and offer up his precious medicinal pills in hopes of curing the King of his indisposition.


    That should be sufficient to secure him the King''s, and the Royal Court''s, favour.


    And make them more disposed towards him. Perhaps that would be sufficient to push Zhuo Linggu''s Royal Father to make that final push, and declare him the Crown Prince?


    Of course, that was only what Li Changtian was hoping for. And, he reminded himself, it would not do for his sister to screw things up for the Third Royal Prince with her petulant behavior. If she did, he would simply have to push everything on her husband''s family, and pretend that he knew nothing about the matter.


    After all, he would stuck fighting off the Barbarians in the Western Forest, wouldn''t he? So how could he participate in any disgraceful antics that she might get up to, back in the Capital?


    Still, he could not help but give her a reminder:


    "Basically, I will not be around to support you. And your husband would be far too busy to do anything either. So whatever you are likely to go through this next half year to three seasons, you shall simply have to bear with it. Everyone is stuck with their own duties and responsibilities for a good while, and no one can spare the time for your petty quarrels."


    He glared at her sternly as he said that, and he could see how her shoulders drooped and the tears started to fill up in the corners of her eyes. Li Changtian almost gave out an exasperated sigh the moment that he saw the last. Was that all that she knew to do? Women were said to be made out of water, but did she really have to show everyone that every time that she was balked? Was she expecting him to change the current situation, just for her sake? Was that even possible?


    But the Ducal Heir was made of sterner material, and he continued to glare at his older sister despite the stream of tears that flowed down her cheeks. And maintained his cold expression until a good while later. Long enough for Li Xiuxian to realize that her tears was not having any effect on him at all.


    Only then did she dab at her cheeks with a silken handkerchief, and bite back her sullen lips. "Very well then. I shall not make trouble for you. Or for my husband. At least, not while the King is still ill," she promised.


    "But once you are done with that idiotic Barbarian Invasion, you must help me deal with that insulting fellow! I cannot just let him get away with his boorish behavior!"


    The First Ducal Prince stopped himself from rolling his eyes at her when he heard that. It took him a good bit of his self-control to do that too. Did she really believe that he had the time, or the inclination, to spend his energy on dealing with a simple martial practitioner? Especially when he was already tied up with his brother?


    If he took steps against the fellow, what sort of message would that send to the people who were monitoring the situation in Yanyun City? What would his father and Lady Xie Nianxue think?


    So he simply nodded at his older sister, in an effort to console her. And hopefully, to keep her from coming up with any foolish plans of her own. That would be a disaster, even if it would not touch him directly.


    "Very well. But it shall be at least a good half-year or one year later, before I can take any action directly. And that is provided that nothing exceptional takes place within that period of time. If nothing has changed by the time that I am done with the tasks that I have been given, I shall look into this Qin Feng fellow. And see what I can do to pay him back for what he has done to you?


    "Is that sufficient to content you?"


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    * * *

 189 Self Torture 1

    While the First Ducal Prince and his sister were having their conversation in her carriage, far away to the North, the subject of their last exchange had just woken up in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room.


    Qin Feng started to sit up at once. But he stopped when he realized that he was not in any danger. First of all, his injuries were all neatly bandaged. And he could smell, and identify, the medicinal salves that had been slathered all over the open wounds. The bed that he was lying in was also far more luxurious than any that he had been in.


    And that included the guest room that he had slept in, for one night, at the Ducal Palace itself. So it was rather obvious that he was being treated as an honored guest.


    Or perhaps, a highly valued prisoner?


    Qin Feng snorted to himself as he shook his head. He had never heard of any prisoner being covered in rich embroidered bedclothes, and had their wounds treated with medicinal herbs that cost hundreds of thousands of silver coins.


    He was familiar with the aftertaste of hundred year old ginseng, after all. And it was rather clear that he had been fed a slice or two of that miraculous healing herb recently. Otherwise, why did he still have the flavor of the same lingering on his tongue?


    But who was the one who had rescued him?


    There was only one person that he knew who had the wealth to throw such expensive remedies at him, and house him in such a rich-looking room. And, to be fair, he did get injured thanks to that attempt on Li Changhai''s life. Well, saving the Second Ducal Prince''s life, to be accurate.


    So he was not in the least bothered about being housed by or receiving medical treatment from the Second Ducal Prince or his father. And found himself wondering about something else altogether:


    Just how he was going to survive in the future, with all these reckless martial exponents throwing themselves at him and his companions? Qin Feng was certain that the idiot Fatty Zhou had only intended to make a quick strike at the Prince, and escape before Li Changhai''s companions could react to the situation. Too bad that Qin Feng had spoiled that for him.


    Which sort of made sense, considering how he seemed to be targetting Qin Feng after that first blow. Probably because he was upset with the youngest fellow in the group? Qin Feng wasn''t certain, but it did make sense if he took that into consideration.


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    Of course, he had managed to save Li Changhai from his would-be killer, so that should put the generous fellow in his debt again. Perhaps he could leverage on the fact that he had taken injuries in his protection of the Prince, and so get Li Changhai to pay his bill at the inn? He had been a bothered by that earlier, hadn''t he?


    Qin Feng groaned then, and shook his head at himself. This was hardly the time to be worried about something like that! He was almost killed!


    And it was all thanks to his barely passable martial arts skills that he survived!


    That was a wake-up call, if he ever saw one!


    Then he sighed, and pulled himself up into a sitting position. Slowly crossing his legs, he settled down into a basic Lotus position, which was best for the meditation that he was about to begin. He could examine his internal injuries while lying down, naturally. But he was intending to do something else, once he was done.


    Qin Feng was relieved to sense no major injuries along his qi meridians. He had taken a bit of beating in his forearms, especially after that kick of Zhou Jinhu. So the cracks in his channels there were not unexpected. The medication and the treatment that he had received thereafter, on the other hand, was more than sufficient to help him recover. So much so that he would have no trouble at all, if he channeled his own internal strength through the same.


    In fact, the use of his own zhenqi in such a manner would further accelerate his healing. Something that Qin Feng was more than eager to work on, at present.travel


    He had not been too bothered with his somewhat slow advancement with regards to his martial arts ever since he had left the Heaven Sword School. Qin Feng was intending to quietly travel North, out of the Kingdom, so there was hardly any need to work on his martial arts. At least, that had been what he had believed.


    Not to mention the fact that it was a rather painful experience:


    Honestly, he had been conducting his Breathing Exercises all this while, and slowly building up his Jade Tree cultivation in his body. So much so that the manifestation within his own dantian was now close to twice its original height. And it was a good bit wider at the base as well.


    Unfortunately, that only prompted the White Jade Orchid Law to expand as well, so that it still covered almost all of the trunk of the said manifestation of the Jade Tree. While that was more or less good news, since it meant that he was able to coax more power from the same, it did lead to other problems.


    Such as the uncomfortable feeling that he would get, when he tried to work on his Jade Tree Breathing Exercises. He used to run through all sixteen of the Exercises previously, when he was back at the Heaven Sword School, but he had quickly reduced that number to three. Ever since he arrived at Changqing City, he had found the White Jade Orchid Law ''devouring'' every last bit of progress that he made.


    And causing him to feel as though he had acid poured into his meridians each time that he ran through those Breathing Exercises. From what he could see from the manifestations of those two martial arts inside his dantian, it seemed that the powerful White Jade Orchid Flower Law was eagerly flooding every last bit of growth that the Jade Tree made. So much so that the former''s rapid advancement was causing his channels to swell.


    That had hurt! Which was why he had not bothered to practice more than three cycles a day. By the end of that time, the mild irritation that he felt in his meridians had already grown to a pain that was comparable to a really bad sunburn.


    Which was why he had stopped, as soon as that happened. And that, of course, led to his rather pathetic advancement, with regards to his cultivation. Yet, with his Expert level in his Flowing Wind Steps, he hardly ever came across someone who could really threaten him.


    Besides, he was just a short step away from reaching Qi Refinement. Indeed, his Core was almost perfected from the time that he stepped into Yanyun City. All it would take was just another twenty days to a month, before he could start refining his own qi, and matching it to his White Jade Orchid Flower Great Law.


    As well as the fighting and movement arts that he knew.


    Unfortunately, it seemed he had more enemies there in Yanyun City, that he knew about. And they were not about to let him take his time to improve himself!


    * * *

 190 Self Torture 2

    Qin Feng sighed and quickly ran his zhenqi through his body again, starting his Jade Tree Breathing Exercises at once. This was not the time to start feeling sorry for himself. Or crying about how his plans had not worked out.


    He had hoped to get by with the least amount of work that he had to put in, until he could make his way back ... No. It would be more accurate to say that he was making his way to Old Man Snow Mountain''s old haunt. After all, he had never been there, for all that he had memories of that place in his head already.


    However, to get all the way there, he would need to be able to live through all the tribulations that Fate seemed to be hurling into his path. Running into Li Changhai and getting involved with the Second Ducal Prince''s problems seemed to be something that the Heavens had arranged for him. So perhaps he should take the hint, and just accept the machinations of whatever Greater Power that was making things difficult for him.


    In any case, he was short of money again. So relying on the Second Ducal Prince to deal with that aspect of his life shouldn''t be too onerous, hmmm?


    And he should start working on his martial arts practice again. Or, at the least, running through his Breathing Exercises as they should be practiced, rather than just stopping the moment that he started feeling the burning pain in his meridians.


    Well, he would have to change that!


    True enough. It was halfway through his third cycling of zhenqi in his meridians that he started to feel the burning in the same. It was as though he was pushing a sphere covered with abrasive gravel down a circular channel of his own flesh! One that scraped along the sides as it travelled along!


    Which felt as though he was grinding his channels with coarse stone! Or, as some practitioners liked to call it, putting his meridians to a whetstone, and polishing his qi like a sword!


    Well, it certainly felt like that! It hurt!! Terribly!!!


    Qin Feng gritted his teeth, and forced himself to quickly run through the rest of the cycle. That was where he usually stopped. Or rather, he usually stopped when he started feeling the pain. This was the first time that he had persisted in spite of the same.


    To be honest, it was already a bit of an improvement from when he had first began; back when he first began, the prickling had begun almost immediately, the moment that he started on the third cycle. Now, it did not start until he was halfway through the cycle itself.


    Perhaps the channels in the earlier half had all been ground smooth? So that his qi ''flowed'' along them like water through pipes, rather than in a pebble-strewn stream? That would explain a lot, wouldn''t it?


    Well, regardless of whether he was imagining things, or if his hypothesis was correct, Qin Feng knew that the only way that he would get better was with more practice. He could sense the improvements to his body and to his qi after putting himself through that agony. Besides, hadn''t he already promised himself that he would work harder at his cultivation from hereon?


    So he sighed and took another Breath. And tried to bear with the pin-pricks that greeted him immediately, as he started his fourth cycle.


    And almost screamed out loud as soon as he was little more than a third of the way through! It was as though his channels were on fire! It was as though he was ramming a scrubbing rod down through a far too narrow pipe!


    But Qin Feng managed to keep himself from letting the pain out, and concentrated on continuing to push his qi through his meridians. And focused on Breathing and absorbing the qi from the air around him, to try to cool himself down. Too bad it was already starting to get warm, so that wasn''t really helping at all! Had he known how terrible it would be, he would have done it in the middle of the night, when it was cooler!


    Still, he persisted. And promptly collapsed onto the bed once again, the moment he was done with his fourth cycle. His body was aching all over, and his underclothes - which was all that he had on! They were all soaked with his perspiration by the time that he threw himself back down onto the bedcovers.


    Then he simply lay there, and tried to Breathe once again. This time, there was less pain. Perhaps because he had not pushed himself to continue past the fourth cycle, and so gave his body a chance to rest? That was good to know, although he was aware that it wouldn''t help his cultivation if he did that, taking breaks between the cycles.


    The whole point was to keep going, and letting his qi clear away the obstructions in his meridians. In fact, that was the whole point of the exercise. To ensure that his meridians were able to support the smooth flow of his qi, so that he further refine it later. Any obstructions in his body could lead to him losing his whole cultivation, if he was not careful.


    Which was the whole point of running his zhenqi through his channels over and over again, to make certain that the flow was smooth and uninterrupted, so as to support the refinement of the same, later on.


    That was when it suddenly struck him. Didn''t that mean that his little attempt to push himself earlier ... Could that be considered a sort of shortcut? It certainly felt like he was forcibly ramming a ball of qi through his channels, rather than just slipping a narrow stream through the same. That was what was causing all that pain, wasn''t it?


    So, if he used a smaller ball of qi instead ... That should help with the pain, wouldn''t it?


    He didn''t waste any time, and worked on compressing his qi into a smaller, tighter sphere, before sending it out through his meridians. Hopefully, it would allow him to ...


    A sharp cry burst from his lips immediately! Agony twisted his face as he groaned and clutched at his chest, as he broke off the exercise at once, falling back down onto the sodden bedsheets once more!


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    What the hell?! Why was it hurting worse than before?


    * * *

 191 Self Torture 3

    But Qin Feng did not have the leisure to dwell on the mystery of his Qi Cultivation, or to languish on his bed. Or rather, the guest bed that he was occupying. He owed the servants an apology, to be fair. The bedclothes were already soaked with his somewhat pungent perspiration at the moment.


    Which was why he was rather embarrassed, when he heard the door being bashed open, and someone stomping into his room:


    "What happened? Are you alright, Younger Brother Feng? Are you in pain?"


    Qin Feng''s eyes opened wide as soon as he caught sight of the muscular fellow who had just stormed inside his room. Or rather, his rooms. Apparently, he had been housed in one of those chambers that had been split into two; one that held a bed, and the other - the outer one, a small table where one could have a sit-down with guests.


    That arrangement had given him time to throw his blanket over himself, the moment that he heard someone tear into the place. But it seemed that it had not been necessary: it was only Du Yan, and not one of Li Changhai''s maid-servants. So there was no need to worry about him showing too much skin.


    Or letting the servants learn that he was soaking his bed covers with his sweat.


    That would start too many people wondering about what he was doing. And Qin Feng was not inclined to let everyone in the Ducal Palace get too curious about him.


    *


    Du Yan had spent a good part of his morning preparing the medicine that should improve the speed of Qin Feng''s recovery. And to be absolutely honest, he was rather pleased with what he had done. After all, how many people in the Ducal Palace could boast of such an accomplishment?


    Creating a potion that would heal close to seventy, eighty percent of one''s injuries in less than four hours? That was something that would make even the best alchemists in Yanyun City crease their brows and worry! And he had done it!


    Of course, it was not easy. And he had drained close to sixty percent of his internal strength, formulating the potion in his own courtyard. The medicinal herbs and roots that the Duke had provided were excellent too. Which made his formulation go a lot smoother as well. Still, he had every reason to be proud; the Du Family was famous for its weapon-crafters, and not for something like medicinal alchemy!


    That was one of the reasons why Du Yan had left the Capital, and came to visit the Second Ducal Prince. Li Changhai was one of those who knew about his ambitions, and who had supported his wish to break away from his family''s weapon-smithing traditions. Not to mention, Li Sanlang was someone rich enough to pass him a multitude of medicinal herbs to play with. That had certainly played a part in his improvement in the alchemy field.


    So it was only fair, Du Yan thought, that he used his newly learned skills for the Second Ducal Prince''s sake. Like helping to that Qin Feng fellow to recover from his exertions. Not to mention the fact that he would get to see how his potion worked in person!


    But just as he got past the guards who were stationed at the entrance of the Guest House, there was a loud outcry issuing from within the place! Which had Du Yan wondering what had happened! Surely there could not be an attack?! Not in a place as secure as the Ducal Palace!


    Du Yan easily outstripped the guards, with his family-trained martial arts and his more accomplished cultivation. Yet, even as he burst into the younger man''s room, he could sense no assault, and nothing out of the ordinary!


    "What happened? Are you alright, Younger Brother Feng? Are you in pain?" he called out immediately, as he rushed towards the inner chamber. And saw Qin Feng lying on the bed there, his face covered with perspiration.


    Along with the markings that immediately told him what had just taken place.


    "Ah! You were cultivating? You shouldn''t do that until you have completely recovered! Your body will not be able to take the shock! Ah. But you have already learned that, haven''t you?"


    It was rather obvious what Qin Feng was doing, after all. There were remnants of an aura still lingering in the bedchamber, and it was rather clear, from just one glance, that Qin Feng had used up almost all of his internal strength. The young fellow must have been too eager, and had gone ahead with his cultivation without making sure that his body was alright!


    Du Yan received a rather sheepish smile from the younger man as the latter slowly pushed himself back into a sitting position. Which revealed his sweat-soaked garments.


    "Well, I am just glad that no one else knows about how I had gotten myself into such a predicament. That would be just too embarrassing! All the servants would talk, hey?"


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    Du Yan pursed his lips as he stared at the younger man who had just pulled himself back up on the edge of the bed. Did he really think that nobody was talking about him? Didn''t he know that his saving of Li Changhai back in the South had already started the soldiers and the servants gossiping? And what about how he had told off the Duke himself? No one bothered to issue a gag order over that, so almost everyone in the Ducal Palace knew about that!


    Which meant that every single servant and guard in the Palace had been aware of how he had been injured, when he was brought back to the Palace. And everyone knew that he had been knocked unconscious by an assassin that was after the Second Ducal Prince!


    Actually, that was the reason why he had been moved into the more impressive, and more secure, quarters that were meant for visiting relatives of the Duke. Well, lesser relations, but relatives all the same. After all, there was no way that such a juicy bit of information would not be passed around within moments of his arrival back in Qin Feng''s old guest courtyard. And that had seen an increase of traffic thereabouts, around the guest quarters, with close to every servant trying to catch a glimpse of him.


    Did he really think that no one knew that he had saved the Prince? Or that he was being kept out of sight to avoid the Duke himself?


    * * *

 192 Self Torture 4

    Then Du Yan remembered why he had come to visit Qin Feng in the first place. And quickly stepped back into the outer chamber to put down the claypot of medicine onto the round table there. He was, however, speaking as he did so:


    "I don''t think you will need to worry about too many people eyeing you while you are in here," the taller, brawnier man said with a chuckle, "The servants have all been warned not to disturb you. Your injuries have been taken care of by the Physicians here in the Ducal Palace too. So you should be up and about in another two days at the most.


    "However, exercising your qi as you did earlier isn''t going to help with your recovery. To think that I had personally concocted a healing potion, to ease the pressure on your meridians earlier. I had spent all morning on this little alchemical medicine, I would have you know!"


    Du Yan came back into the inner chamber as he finished, and almost chuckled as he saw how green the younger man was looking, as Qin Feng stepped away from his bed. And his sodden bedcovers.


    "But that is just as well, I believe. You will have a need for such a tonic now, more than ever, I should think."


    "A tonic?"


    The broad-shouldered man smirked as he caught the younger, thinner man by the upper arm, and started pulling him towards the outer part of the guest house. That was where he had left the medicine, after all.


    "Now, it should help to ease the injuries along your meridians, and that should help you to recover your fighting abilities a little quicker. I have spoken to the physicians who had examined you earlier, and they have assured me that it would not do you any harm. That is why I had bothered to boil this particular potion for you in the first place."


    To be honest, that was not altogether true. While the potion would definitely be of help to Qin Feng, he had actually done so because he needed the practice. And there were too many competent physicians and alchemists there in the Ducal Palace that he would never have the chance to put his skills to use, if it had not been for that attack on Li Changhai the day before.


    In fact, he didn''t even get a chance to offer up his skills, to prepare a meridian-locking potion for Fatty Zhou, who had been dragged off to the dungeons by the Ducal Guards already. He had been rather disappointed when he learned that he had missed that! Fortunately, Qin Feng was still close at hand, and he had the perfect excuse to experiment ... No! To lend a hand, when it came to the young fellow.


    So naturally, he was not going tell Qin Feng that he had barely started to practice his alchemy. For no more than a year and a half!


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    That wasn''t too disrespectful, was it? After all, everyone had to start from somewhere. And he was already a very accomplished weapons crafter, which was something more or less similar. Du Yan kept telling himself that, as he pushed the bowl in his hands at Qin Feng.


    "Here. Don''t waste time and just drink it up. While it''s still warm," the brawny fellow encouraged the younger one.


    The younger man didn''t hesitate, and quickly picked up the rather hot bowl. And he didn''t even make a face, after taking a tentative sip of the dark, murky liquid held in the same. Instead, Qin Feng gave Du Yan a rather curious look.


    "This tastes of some herbs that I know, but ... You added honey to the whole thing?"


    Du Yan laughed. "Oh yes! I am surprised that you had managed to figure that out. Most would use rock sugar, as you might be aware. But in your case, I thought that honey would be a better choice. It is listed in several of the texts that I have read on the subject," he declared with a confident assurance.


    "Ah. I see."


    Qin Feng went back to drinking his potion again, leaving Du Yan a little upset that he wasn''t asked any further questions about his little modification to the original recipe. Of course, that didn''t mean that he couldn''t simply offer them up on his own, he realized.


    "Yes, while rock sugar is more neutral with regards to the warm or cool effects of all medicines, honey does have a particular astringent effect. So it might actually help to deal with the small tears and such in your lungs and airways. Those are rather common, although minor injuries that usually take place when one is involved in a fight."


    Qin Feng nodded back at him in agreement. "That is true. I suppose you have figured that out, when you got wounded in the past?" the younger man asked politely, as he set his bowl down.


    "Well, yes! But not because of fights, mind you! I was stuck in a weapons forge for most of my youth, and so suffered the effects of heat and exposing my arms to open flames. Needless to say, it took me a good bit of time to figure out that honey helps with those too.


    "But I had only discovered that it would also work when used in medicinal potions and broths recently, about two years ago. That was when I started working on my alchemy seriously, you see? I ..."


    Du Yan''s voice trailed off as he felt a wave of cold sweat burst out on his back. Did he just give himself away? Just like that? All because of a simple word of praise from the youth in front of him? How was he going to hide the fact that he was a complete amateur in the field of alchemy?


    Nor did Qin Feng fail to notice that. Immediately.


    "Wait. Wait a moment."


    Du Yan held his tongue. He had already understood that he had spoken too much already. Little wonder then, that all those alchemists and physicians were all so quiet. So much so that it felt like one was prying the words out of their mouths. Was this what they meant, by the saying, trouble comes out of one''s mouth?


    But he finally managed to compose himself, and looked up to see the puzzled frown on Qin Feng''s face. There was even a somewhat impolite pout on his lips as the latter seemed to be working out exactly what he wished to ask:


    "You mean to tell me that you had only started to work on alchemy recently? In only two years or so? And that your specialty had been the crafting of weapons before that?"


    "Yes. That is so," Du Yan replied honestly, with a soft, almost imperceptible sigh. He had already given himself away, so what was the point of hiding that? Then he frowned too. Du Yan thought that Qin Feng''s gaze had seemed a little different, when he had mentioned it earlier.


    Could it be that the younger man had never heard of his family, and of his disagreement with the same? But how could that be possible? His breaking his ties with the rest of the Du Family three years ago was such a big issue, there in the Kingdom!


    Or worse! Was he going to make some discouraging comment about the medicine that he had just tasted? It wasn''t really as bad as all that, was it?


    But Qin Feng simply took another sip of the warm medicinal broth, and asked about something that was totally unrelated to the tonic that he had just been given:


    "Then you would know why they have such an idiotic way of handling their weaponry hereabouts? Like why they don''t seem to have any proper light weapons in their shops here in Yanyun City? Those that are not meant for warfare, I mean."


    * * *

 193 Local Flavor 1

    Du Yan''s eyes went wide. Where was Qin Feng going with this? Could it be that he was less interested with regard to his medication - that same stuff that he was pouring into his mouth! And was more concerned about the state of the Duchy''s armaments?


    No, that didn''t seem right! From what little he knew of Qin Feng so far, it was unlikely that the young man would bother with something so inconsequential as that. Besides, wasn''t there someone else from the South, that young lieutenant, who was in-charge of the Second Ducal Prince''s Bodyguard? Surely he would be the one dealing with such matters. So why would Qin Feng be bothered with what sort of weapons were available thereabouts?


    On the other hand, Du Yan was a little upset. While it could not be denied that he was the foremost expert on weapons and armor who was tied to Li Changhai, did Qin Feng really have to push such a question at him at this point in time? Surely it would be a little more appropriate to ask about the medication that he was pouring into his own mouth?


    After all, it was rather clear that Du Yan was working on his alchemy, rather than concentrating on his weapons-crafting, wasn''t he? At least, right at the moment.


    Didn''t the potion that he had just offered to the younger man make that obvious?


    But Qin Feng had already pushed out his left hand, and there was a loud clattering sound before the two men as a rather large and heavy-looking sword fell onto the wooden table top in front of them. And Du Yan was somewhat shocked to hear the younger man''s bitter snort as he pointed at the same:


    "There! That is what I am talking about! Why do you lot in the North only come up with these sort of heavy weapons? I mean, that was all that I saw, when I went out to the weapon shops and smithies around the City. Don''t they even have proper dueling weapons? Like the sort that I use?


    "Like the one that I broke?"


    "What do you mean ''you lot in the North''? We are in the Westlands! The Westlands! Don''t compare us to those manner-less brutes in the North! Are you out to cause trouble for us?!"


    Du Yan turned his head towards the door, and saw that it was Lin Liushui striding through the same. The latter was wearing a broad grin on his face, and it was clear from the tone of his voice that he was only joking with the pair inside the room earlier. Obviously, he was teasing Qin Feng for the latter''s comment on the smithies of the West.


    The handsome scholar chuckled as he stepped next to the table and wrinkled his nose at the dregs in the bowl that Qin Feng had just finished moments ago. "Oh dear. I suppose that we should have warned you about our dear Brother Yan''s propensity to come up with all these medicinal tonics that are supposed to be good for strengthening your body. I see that he had managed to coax one of them down your throat already."


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    Lin Liushui gave out a mock sigh then, shaking his head at Qin Feng. Then he turned on Du Yan, and pointed his folded fan haughtily at the taller, brawnier fellow. The expression on his face was one that promised punishment, if Du Yan dared to oppose him:


    "This is too much! Brother Sanlang had told us clearly to take good care of Younger Brother Feng here. And you are forcing your bitter-tasting medicines into him already? What are you thinking?


    "Tell me: how should you be punished?"


    "What do you mean by that? My medicine wasn''t bitter! Isn''t that right, Brother Feng? It didn''t taste bitter, did it?"


    After he had shared how he had used honey in the same, Du Yan knew that it was unlikely for Qin Feng to sell him out. Besides, the youngest one of them all had drunk it all down, hadn''t he? Surely that should be enough to shut Lin Liushui up!


    True enough, Qin Feng gave a shake of his head at that question. And waved the newly arrived Lin Liushui''s attention back to the war sword lying on the table in front of him. Du Yan also took the opportunity to examine the weapon more closely, as Qin Feng explained what was going on to the handsome, scholarly fellow:


    "You two know that I had bought a new sword - and that stupid thing broke in less than four days since I bought it! What a bloody waste! I should go back to the store and demand a refund! And it had cost me a pretty bit of money too! Almost thirteen thousand silver coins! That is just ridiculous, to be fair. But there weren''t any other weapons of that style hereabouts. So I didn''t really have a choice."


    Qin Feng grumbled on, as Du Yan looked over the weapon that the young man had brought out earlier. This was a totally different weapon, as far as the muscular fellow could see. It had a thick, broad blade, and was at least the width his palm wide at the base of the blade, where it met with its circular, disc-like guard.


    Even without having seen the actual weapon that broke, Du Yan would not have believed it if anyone had told him that a proper sword-of-war like the one before his eyes now had broken in a fight. That is, a fight in the city streets, between people in civilian clothing, and not heavy armor that was meant fo the battlefield.


    "You are talking about this flimsy, little thing here?"


    Another weapon joined the first on the table, and Du Yan recognized it immediately. It was the one that Qin Feng had used, back at the assassination attempt against the Second Ducal Prince. He did find it somewhat surprising, however, that Lin Liushui had bothered to pick up the shards of the sword, and bring it to Qin Feng now.


    Then again, it did make some sense, when he thought about it. It was Qin Feng''s weapon, for all that it had snapped into two. So it should be returned to its owner as soon as possible. But why had the young man brought out the heavier sword-of-war then? What point was he trying to make, with regards to that?


    Suddenly, everything came together, and Du Yan understood immediately, what Qin Feng was so annoyed about:


    Qin Feng was clearly a swordsman, so it made sense that he was not too pleased with the lack of a proper weapon, that could match his fighting style. Even though he had such an exemplary example of a weapon already in his possession, the heavy war-sword was not something that he could use. Not if he wanted to bring out the sword techniques that he had learnt!


    * * *

 194 Local Flavor 2

    "You are ... This weapon does not suit you then? But it has been enhanced, and can be considered a rather exemplary piece, even by Brother Yan''s standards. Surely it cannot be as worthless as you make it sound," Lin Liushui said, as he traced a finger over the hilt of the sword on the table in front of him.


    "It is worthless to Brother Feng because it does not suit his style of swordplay at all. That was why he had gone out to purchase his other sword - the one that broke in his fight against Fatty Zhou. Isn''t that right?"


    Du Yan looked at Qin Feng as soon as he said that. And honestly, he didn''t really need the latter''s somewhat sullen nod to confirm his guess. Everything that he could remember from the fight indicated that this sort of heavy, military-styled weapon was utterly unsuited for the younger man''s method of using the sword.


    Of course, that was only to be expected. Qin Feng was trained in the Heaven Sword School, was he not? That was one of those non-military styled martial schools that focused on one-on-one duels and challenges, rather than fighting enmasse like in the army. So Qin Feng''s preferred style of swordplay was that of a duelist. And a heavy, army sword was completely unsuited for that!


    Little wonder then, that he had gone out hunting for a weapon that suited the way that he was trained, rather than utilise the sword that he had just laid out in front of him. However ...


    "I am afraid that you will not be able to find good dueling swords - or even respectable ones, here in Yanyun City. This place is the seat of one of the three Duchies, which are devoted to the protection of the Kingdom. So they only have army-styled weapons here, for the most part.


    "You will need to head towards the Capital, if you wish to get your hands on something that might suit your style of fighting," Du Yan advised the now black-faced Qin Feng quietly.


    "Oh? Even you cannot help him? Or do you just require a bit more ... persuasion?"


    Du Yan turned to glare at Lin Liushui, who was chuckling at him openly, without even bothering to hide his laughter behind his sleeve. Then again, the three of them could be considered close companions, seeing how they have already fought, and cooperated, together. And on Yanyun''s city streets, no less!


    So Du Yan gave out a gruff sigh, and turned back to face Qin Feng. The younger man still had his glum expression on his face, but there was a hint of curiosity in his gaze, as he eyed the broad-shouldered man. Which had Du Yan sighing yet again. It looked like he was not going to be able to get out of this:


    "What Brother Liushui is trying to say is that I could make you a sword that would suit your style of fighting easily enough. And we should not have any difficulty convincing Changhai to lend us the forge and the materials necessary either.


    "Well, not after you went through all that trouble of saving his life back there, on the city''s streets. And in front of the whole population of the richer merchants'' district too! In fact, that should make things even easier for us!"


    "Oh?"


    Lin Liushui laughed when he heard Qin Feng give out that puzzled sound, and gestured at Du Yan again. "You are still rather new here, so you may not recognize our Brother Yan here as a scion of the famous Du Family. That''s the Du Family of Wanli Xiongwei Smithy in the Chuanshui Town, in the next province. Well, actually, we should blame Changhai for failing to introduce him properly."


    Du Yan sniffed and pointed back at the grinning scholarly fellow. "Just like how he had failed to introduce your illustrious background, back when we had Brother Feng visit? I think I can remember you asking Changhai not to make too big a deal out of your particular heritage? Or make an issue of your family''s influence in the Capital City?"


    It was Lin Liushui''s turn to sigh then, although the slight smile that still hung on his lips as he did so made it rather clear that he was not at all bothered by Qin Feng learning that particular secret. At least, he was not bothered presently:


    "Guilty. I plead guilty, of course. But I think that Brother Feng had already guessed at it, since he was not that impressed by my ability to identify herbs and medicines. The Lin Family is known throughout the Northern Provinces when it comes to the medicinal plants. And strange beasts.


    "That is why I am in such bad odor with the rest of my clan, you understand? To actually attach myself to Li Changhai, a son of the Western Duke, when my family is situated in the North? It was a rather obvious slap to my grandfather''s face, when I chose to tie myself to the Li Family here. And to a second son at that!"


    Du Yan had to admit that Lin Liushui made his situation seem a good deal lighter than what it was. From his own understanding, and from what gossip he had managed to overhear, Patriarch Lin of the Waterfall Town''s Lin Family had been furious over his grandson''s apparent ''betrayal''. And the whole story was spiced up further, with hints of a forbidden romance and a thwarted engagement, that certainly threw more complications into Brother Liushui''s personal life.


    Still, the Second Ducal Prince, Li Changhai, didn''t seem too put out by the gossip, and had always treated Lin Liushui like a brother. Just as his behavior towards Du Yan himself had been exemplary. He had been supporting the latter with his studies into alchemy, after all. And had opened up the Ducal Palace''s stores to him, for that purpose.


    So he was hardly in a position to cast stones at Lin Liushui, over his romantic missteps. Although he was rather certain that his Brother Liushui was really upset over that issue with the girl. What was her name again?


    But Qin Feng''s somewhat hesitant cough drew his attention back to him, disrupting his chain of thought, and his attempt to recall the name of Lin Liushui''s paramour. And he turned to meet the younger man''s earnest stare, directed right at his face:


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    "So, would I be right to say that I can depend on Older Brother Du Yan for a sword that I can use? A proper sword, matched to my style of fighting?"


    * * *

 195 Local Flavor 3

    "Well ... you could say that. I am not promising to make you the most wondrous weapon in the world, mind you! But I should be able to come up with a proper dueling sword, instead of another of these heavy military weapons. Or another of those pitiful pieces of scrap metal. Which, by the way, is hardly worth what you paid for it," Du Yan sniffed, waving a hand over the sword on the table, as though including that weapon in his words.


    "Your purchase - the one that you broke in that fight against Fatty Zhou, Zhou Jinhu? Well, that was just the sort of overpriced waste metal that I am talking about, if you want my honest opinion. You should head back to the shop where you bought it and smack the one who sold it to you over the head with it! Disgraceful!"


    "And how much did you pay for that? Thirteen thousand silver coins, I believe you said? Otherwise I doubt that Brother Yan would make such a big fuss over the matter," choked out Lin Liushui, trying his best to control his eagerness to guffaw, no doubt, as Qin Feng hung his head and sighed loudly.


    "Oh, and it was hardly worth his trouble! Was it? That clash we had with Fatty Zhou made that rather clear! That''s why I am saying that it was criminal! Honestly we should take steps against that particular shop. Who can say if it is overcharging the army people with their military-styled weapons too? This is not the sort of thing that I had expected to see here in Yanyun City."


    Du Yan tilted his nose up as he finished his words. He had to admit that it angered his professionalism, when it came to such overpriced and substandard weapons. So much so that he had let some of his temper creep into his voice. He only realized that when he glanced at Qin Feng, and saw the astonished look on the young man''s face.


    As did Lin Liushui, who shook his head, and reached out to pat Qin Feng on his shoulder. "Oh, I would not be too bothered about it. We''ll head over there with you; that will allow us to play the ''you dare to take advantage of my inexperienced friend'' card," he assured Qin Feng confidently.


    "After all, you look young, and are obviously new to the city. So we should be able to squeeze the manager of the shop for at least half the price that you paid. How much do you think we can get back, hey? Du Yan? At least ten thousand silver, you think?"


    The burly man sniffed, and shook his head at Lin Liushui. "Thinking of scamming the manager of the place? That isn''t going to help your reputation. Or Brother Feng''s. We should give them a chance to come clean, and see how much they offer in recompense first. For Brother Feng''s losses. Only if they fail to meet our standards should we bring up the fact that they are selling substandard weapons that break at a clash against bare hands.


    "After all, Fatty Zhou wasn''t using any weapons that we could see. Hey?"


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    "No doubt, no doubt. And I believe that the tale of his attack on our Brother Changhai should have made the rounds already. Maybe the fellow who sold you that piece of scrap might have heard about it too. That should our task a little easier."


    Qin Feng grinned, as soon as he heard that. It seemed rather clear to Du Yan that the younger man had an idea of what he was talking about. Which had the big brawny fellow throwing him a wicked smile of his own. The charming Lin Liushui, on the other hand, gave out a rather exaggerated sigh as he shook his head at the pair of scoundrels.


    "Oh, I know that look only too well. You two are like peas in a pod, with your schemes and your rascally ways. All for what? To squeeze more money out of people? And they aren''t even enemies of yours! Think of how pitiful their families would be, if you beggar the poor chaps. You should not go too far, in this little ploy of yours," he told the pair somewhat sternly.


    Then he leaned his head forward as well, with a similar smirk on his face. "Instead, you should consider fleecing him again and again, like wool off a sheep''s back. You''ll make a lot more that way, I am certain, than just a one-off deal."


    Qin Feng looked a little surprised, but Du Yan merely shook his head at the tall, good-looking fellow. "You want to dip your hands into this as well? Are you certain about that? Don''t you remember what Changhai had said, the last time that we went about ... scamming the shopkeepers here in Yanyun City?"


    "Scamming the shopkeepers? That is a rather heavy charge! We were merely reminding them not to make things difficult for us, remember? After all, we are guests of the Duke himself, here in his Palace. And most of those idiots that we are accused of ... scamming? Well, they are all tied to one or another of the Royal Princes in the Capitol, aren''t they? Wouldn''t it be more accurate to call it a small fee to our benefit? So that they can keep on spying on the Ducal Family here?"


    "The Royals are spying on the Duke?"


    The two ''guests'' of the Second Ducal Prince turned their knowing smiles on Qin Feng, who seemed surprised by the revelation. At least, Du Yan could see how his eyes were wide open and his jaw hung a little loose. It was almost as though he had never considered how noble families of the Kingdom were constantly spying on one another!


    "Ah. This must be somewhat new to you, since you had only begun to venture out of your Heaven Sword School, down in the South. Well, that is not a particularly influential Sect, if I have to be honest. There are several other Sects and Schools that are a lot more powerful, and whose disciples tend to be a little more ... rampant in their pursuits."


    Du Yan nodded his head vigorously, supporting Lin Liushui''s words, when he saw how Qin Feng was turning to look his way. It seemed like a good opportunity as well, to warn the younger man about the sort of caution that would stand Qin Feng in good stead, so long as he associated with Li Changhai. There were a good number of such Sects watching him closely, after all.


    * * *

 196 Local Flavor 4

    Of course, most of these Sects and Schools were looking at the Second Ducal Prince with the thought of recruiting him into their Inner Ranks. With a prominent nobleman like Li Changhai, a second son of the Duke of the Westlands, associated to their Sect ... That was something to be proud of, wasn''t it?


    This was, however, only the attitude of those Sects and Schools with a medium to lower prominence. The more powerful ones already had more influential disciples of their own, and there were even some who had close ties with some of the Royal Families of the Lesser Kingdoms, there to the West of the Empire. Such as ...


    "You should have heard of some of the more prominent ones, there in the North, haven''t you? Like Snow Swallow Palace? Or ..."


    Lin Liushui''s groan interrupted Du Yan''s words at this point. And made the tough-looking fellow flinch visibly, as he suddenly remembered that his handsome, studious-looking companion had issues with the Snow Swallow Palace that he had just mentioned. That was enough to make him stop, and shoot an apologetic glance at Lin Liushui.


    The scholarly fellow forced a smile, but it was clear that he was less than pleased to be reminded of his beloved. But he waved Du Yan''s apology aside, nonetheless. His look, however, made it rather clear that he did not wish to make an issue out of it. Especially in front of Qin Feng.


    Which reminded Du Yan that the younger man was a former member of the Heaven Sword School. Wasn''t that where Lin Liushui''s beloved grew up? What was her name again? Du Yan could not remember it offhand, and it frustrated him a little, when his memory failed him. But he had been warned not to speak further on the subject, so he simply went back to his original topic, although he was careful not to mention the Snow Swallow Palace by name again.


    Then Du Yan turned to glance at the younger man. There was the chance that he would ask after the matter, and wondered if he should signal Qin Feng to leave the matter alone. After all, he was from the Heaven Sword School, so he might start asking for the girl''s name. Which could lead to a whole lengthy session of complaints and curses from Lin Liushui!


    But thankfully, Qin Feng was astute enough to realize that something was not altogether right with the handsome man, and so made no mention of the Sect as well.


    "Well, suffice to say, there are certain Sects and Schools that are very powerful and has a certain influence, even in the Empire, in the North. Unlike this stretch here, which only has a handful of prominent families and three Martial Schools of any particular influence. By that, I mean Martial Sects that are known only here in this Kingdom.


    "Your Heaven Sword School, for example, is merely a Martial School whose power only covers the Western and Southern Reaches of the Kingdom. Just as my Du Family is only influential hereabouts."


    He turned then, and pointed a finger at the still morose Lin Liushui, and offered the handsome fellow a smile. His words, however, were spoken to Qin Feng, all the same:


    "Unlike our friend here. Brother Liushui''s family is rather wide-spread, and has some influence in most of our neighbors to the North and East. By that, I referring to the Kingdoms and the Empire in those directions, and not the petty neighboring nobles to our esteemed Duke of the Westlands."


    Lin Liushui forced a smile then, although Du Yan could see that his praise had managed to raise the good-looking man''s spirits a little. Probably because it gave him an excuse to poke fun at some of his more arrogant relations?


    "Don''t be too annoyed with Brother Yan here, Brother Feng. He has a propensity to make fun of me and my family, and I have had to pull his fat out of the fire, every time that he offends one of my obscure cousins from the distaff lines. But what he says is more or less true. My family does have a rather large sphere of influence. That is due to the fact that my great-great-great grandfather had many children, and had spread them out over the Kingdoms, binding them to this family or that by marriage.


    "So you should not be too surprised if you were to meet one of my distant cousins here and there, while you travel the Kingdoms. Just try not to be too annoyed with those idiots. Honestly, I have always found the whole lot of them far too arrogant and too ignorant. How did they manage to convince their fathers to let them wander the World, I would like to know."


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    Qin Feng managed a weak smile back at Lin Liushui at that. While Du Yan secretly smiled to himself. He had been with Brother Liushui for almost two years now, so it was no surprise that he had learned what sort of buttons to push, to get the handsome man to react in the way that he wished. Of course, he did make mistakes from time to time, like that mention of the Snow Swallow Palace earlier.


    Still, he had to confess that he had almost forgotten about the heartbreak that Lin Liushui had to endure, less than a year ago, when his beloved was pressed into the Snow Swallow Palace by her father. Lin Liushui would take a good bit of time to get over that, he was certain.


    Du Yan decided that it was time to rejoin the conversation, and Lin Liushui''s warning about his distant cousins did leave him an opening to change the subject:


    "Well, I doubt that they would bother to come all the way here, to trouble you, Brother Liushui. Especially not with Li Changhai and his father tightening up the security here in Yanyun City. Quite honestly, I did not expect Fatty Zhou to have it in him, to attack us out in the open like this. That seems a little out of character for him."


    To Du Yan''s surprise, Qin Feng gave out a soft grunting sound as soon as he heard that. "I would be surprised if he was constantly biting people out in the open, rather than just picking on our Ducal Prince. From what I had experienced, he seems to be rather confident in his skills. Otherwise, he would not have picked a fight with me here in the Ducal Palace."


    Lin Liushui nodded gravely, as he glanced at the big, brawny fellow at his side. "That is true. And he had always behaved himself in public, in the past. I mean, when he is out and about in the City. Regardless of whether he was accompanying the Ducal Princess. I mean, the former Ducal Princess."


    Du Yan found himself agreeing with that immediately. If he had, this attack would not have been as great a surprise, he had to admit. Then a thought struck him, causing him to cry out at once:


    "Perhaps that was why he restricted himself to the people in the Palace, rather than anyone and everyone in the City. For one thing, he would not open himself to attracting the attention of a true expert. And for another, he might have been gathering information on the people within the Palace itself!"


    The pair seated on either side of him gave out a grunt the moment that he finished, and Qin Feng''s brow tightened in a deep frown. Even as Lin Liushui gave voice to the same thought that had surely crossed the trio''s minds:


    "In that case ... Since he was finally driven to act ... Could something had changed significantly for him to make such a drastic move?"


    * * *

 197 Suspicions 1

    The Second Ducal Prince, Li Changhai, was a little upset with his mother at the moment. He had promised his companions that they would go visit Qin Feng early that morning, to see how the youngest among them was coping with his recovery by then. Despite all the assurances of the physicians present in the Ducal Palace, Du Yan had insisted on brewing one of his infamous tonics for the young man, and Li Sanlang was more than a little worried about that.


    After all, Du Yan''s skill as an alchemist was considered rather shaky, compared to all the experts that his father had about the place. Still, it wouldn''t do for him to refuse the larger fellow''s gesture. Du Yan had been working on his formulae for a good while now. Almost one year and seven months, to be exact. So he should have improved since that debacle that had Lin Liushui lying abed for three whole days.


    Li Sanlang had been intent on throwing that out as a joke, and warning Qin Feng about the medicines that he receives from Du Yan in the future. And with Lin Liushui present, Du Yan would probably be too embarrassed to kick up too much of a fuss about all the teasing that he would receive. That should make everything easier for Li Changhai, and allow the Ducal Prince to ease the conversation back to their plans to go treasure hunting.


    To be honest, he was slightly more anxious to be away at the moment. His father was behaving strangely, and Li Changhai was not certain that was a good thing. The Duke had generally been content to leave him to muddle through his own affairs, although he did keep him close at hand. All this sudden interest in his activities, and in his choice of companions, was rather odd. And uncomfortable, to tell the truth.


    And now, it looked as if his mother was taking a hand in the matter! Why was she summoning him to her courtyard, and at first light at that. He had barely gotten dressed when one of her maids showed up at his door, and more or less insisted that Li Sanlang visit his mother. At once, no less!


    Well, Li Changhai was more sensitive to the warning signals, compared to the period before he had left to visit his maternal grandparents. The changes that had erupted around him had been enough of a warning that things were going to be very different from then on, so he did not waste any time and quickly directed the servant girl to lead the way. One thing was for sure, it would be far easier to beg the forgiveness of his Companions than to get his mother to let him off!


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    And while he trudged along after the maidservant, he began to wonder what had caused his mother to call for him that early in the morning. For a moment, he thought that it was the whole matter of the attack in the streets, and that she was still worried about his involvement in the same. But he had already briefed her about that, when they shared the nightly dinner that evening, immediately after the event. His father had even warned him beforehand, what to say and what to leave out of his account.


    And the Duchess had accepted his story without any noticeable agitation. So it was unlikely that she would be bringing that up now, wasn''t it? Unless she had found out more about the incident? Before the Second Ducal Prince himself?


    Li Changhai shook his head at that possibility. That wasn''t very likely, was it. After all, it had only been one night since Fatty Zhou had been captured, so at the most, his father''s interrogators only had a night to work on him. And that is if they didn''t let him recover a little from the lost of his arm.


    So how could his mother have gotten any information out of his father regarding the matter. Butler Jin would have definitely directed all the interrogators to report directly to the Duke regarding this, and he was rather certain that his father would not have shared all of the sensitive details with his mother.


    Which was why Li Sanlang dismissed that possibility at once, and started to consider others. What could possibly have happened to get his mother to summon him into her presence the first thing in the morning? That was more than unusual, to tell the truth.


    Usually, she would only kick up a bit of fuss if he did not show up at her courtyard by noon, to pay his respects for the day. Even then, he had the option of sending word to her, if he had some other pressing business. Or was too busy gallivanting about the City with Lin Liushui and Du Yan. So it was unlikely that she would call him for now reason at all.


    Unless the attack the day before had flustered her more than he knew? Shaking his head, Li Changhai dismissed that immediately. She didn''t know about the details, and even if she was to ask the soldiers who had been present, it was unlikely that she would have learned anything that would cause her to summon him, or to give him a piece of her mind. So it couldn''t be that.


    Then he winced. He had heard some rumors about the letters that his mother had been receiving from the other noblemen''s wives from the Southern Cities and the Capital. Some of the soldiers and the female servants had been gossiping about that some time ago, and he had caught snatches of their conversation.


    That was not the sort of thing that most noble-born would bother to do. But Li Sanlang enjoyed taking shortcuts over the walls when he was visiting his companions, and he had to keep himself hidden so that none of the servants in the Palace would learn of his slightly disgraceful habit of exercising his Lightness-of-Body martial arts there. So it was only by chance that he learned enough of their gossip to make him concerned now.


    Especially one particular piece of it:


    The Marquis of the Southern City of Yue''an had just initiated a search for a possible groom for his fifth daughter, who had just turned fifteen. And to view the likely candidates, he was inviting all the nobles from around the Kingdom to pay a visit to his fief to celebrate the Mid-autumn Festival that year!


    Li Changhai was no fool and knew that he was already well past the age when he should be betrothed or married. After all, he was already in his twenties, and most noblemen were matched with some prospective bride by their early teens. Fortunately for him, his father had never really bothered, and his mother did not seem too anxious for grandchildren herself.


    Still, he would have to be careful all the same. He was sure that it was just another scheme by that old Marquis of Yue''an to tie himself to the more powerful noble families in the other parts of the Kingdom. And so improve the network of his influence! The old Marquis had another three other daughters to marry off as well. So he would have to be careful to bring that up, if his mother did summon him to talk about that issue. Paying a visit there was like stepping into a tiger''s den!


    A smile crept onto his lips slowly, as he considered all of the possible arguments that he could deploy if she brought the matter up. It was the most likely reason why she had summoned him, after all.


    And regardless of what she had said to him much earlier, when he was still a very young teenager, there was a strong possibility that she was starting to feel left behind, with some of her friends already becoming grandmothers. So he would have to be careful that he did not end up being sent out to pick some nobleman''s daughter as a bride.


    It was at this point that the maid in front of him suddenly came to a halt, and took a step to the side. Li Sanlang looked up and saw that they had already reached the entrance of his mother''s personal courtyard, and the fragrance of the late plum blossoms wafted over him as he took pains to check on his attire.


    Then, confidently, the Second Ducal Prince stepped within, ready to have words with his mother regarding her plans for his marriage.


    * * *

 198 Suspicions 2

    But when Li Changhai stepped into his mother''s parlour, he was shocked to see that she was far paler than she usually was. And her eyes had dark shadows under them, as though she had not slept properly the night before. That was confirmed by the fact that she had a rather large and elaborate breakfast in front of her.


    Or, to be more exact, the remains of what was a large and elaborate breakfast. There was what seemed to be a huge bowl that once contained porridge, with nothing but a few tiny puffy white scraps stuck to its sides. And a grease-stained plate that looked big enough for at least six strands of deep fried flour sticks and another saucer that looked like it once held pickled vegetable bits.


    All in all, it gave the impression that a small family of four or five had descended on the table and wiped it clean of the food that had been presented there!


    Yet, the only one seated at the table was his mother! The Duchess! Feng Xueli!


    As usual, his mother was attended by a whole group of maids. With her status as Duchess, it was only to be expected that there would be at least five or six of them present around her at all times, ready to handle any sort of small matter that she might dictate. And at the moment of the Second Ducal Prince''s arrival, all six of them were staring at their mistress as if they had all been shocked out of their senses.


    As if they were staring at a monster who had somehow taken over their mistress'' skin!


    Yet, to be fair, Li Sanlang was similar awed by his mother''s appetite. He had never seen her eat that much before, although he had to say that she had a very healthy appetite, and did not stint herself when it came to food. How she managed to maintain her girlish figure in spite of that, he certainly had no idea.


    But this was the first time that he was confronted with the sight of her demolishing such large amount. And in the early morning, no less! What had happened to make her devour enough for a whole family like that?


    All at once, Li Sanlang was no longer confident about how he was going to talk her out of sending him to pick out a bride from the Marquis of Yue''an City''s Mid-autumn festivities. In fact, he was no longer sure that that was the topic that she intended to broach with him! Surely it couldn''t be the fact that she wanted a daughter-in-law that prompted her to gorge herself like that!


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    Was it?


    "Ah! Sanlang. You are here. Good."


    The woman looked up then, and reached for a napkin to dab at the corners of her lips. As Li Changhai almost took a step back. Quite frankly, she gave the impression of one of Li Changhai''s maternal grandfather''s general, wiping his grease-stained cheeks with a grimy army uniform sleeve!


    Then he realized that it was his mother''s eyes, and the glare that they held, that had given him that feeling. Was this really his mother? She had never lost her temper in front of him, and he had never given her cause to be angry with him, so he had never seen her like this before. All at once, he promised himself that he would not give her cause to do so. Li Sanlang was strangely certain that he would not survive, if she ever unleashed it at him.


    He was even willing to head over the Southern Marquisate at once, and pay court to his cursed young fifth daughter, if that was what his mother ordered him to do right now!


    "Come, come. Sit down. I have some rather urgent news for you," she called out to him again, waving for him to take a stool as she flicked her other hand at her maids. Clearly signalling them to clear away the mess that she had left on her small parlor table.


    Li Sanlang trembled a little as he heard that. The words that his mother used had even distracted him from the short pause that her personal maids took, before the six of them started to clear the table in a hurry. One of them even dropped a spoon, and scurried to snatch it up from the floor. Yet, the Second Ducal Prince was only fixated on the determined look on his mother''s face, as he found himself wondering if indeed she had decided to get him a wife!


    But the Duchess merely scowled at the clumsiness of her girls, and simply waited until all of them were all gone from her rooms before she turned back to her only son. And she even gestured for him to pour the tea in the set that was the only thing left on the table in front of her, before she spoke. Her lips seemed to thin into pale lines as she began to share what was bothering her, as he did just that:


    "I have just returned from an all night interrogation, performed on the un-lamented Zhou Jinhu. It seems your Elder Sister was the one who had sent him, after all. Although you might be surprised that his target was not you."


    Eh? What was that? The Second Ducal Prince almost fell off his stool as soon as his mother finished her first sentence. Then he let his breath out in relief. This had nothing to do with the Yue''an Marquis'' machinations in the far South after all! And he didn''t have to head all the way there, to pay court to some teenage girl whom he had never seen before!


    Then Li Changhai''s breath started to quicken again. This was about Fatty Zhou and his eldest sibling then? And did his mother just say that she was in attendance? During the interrogation itself? How did she manage that? How did she convince his father to allow that?


    But she was going on, so he didn''t dare to interrupt her. Who could say what she had done, to squeeze this information out of the rascal? Didn''t she say that she was in attendance, during the session that had taken the whole night? Little wonder then that she had such a healthy appetite after that.


    Then he thought about it again, and swallowed. To think that his mother had witnessed a full interrogation, with all the tricks that the interrogators would have used on Fatty Zhou. And she could still eat like that? It was enough to turn his stomach.


    He had better not do anything to upset his mother, he reminded himself.


    But the Duchess was already going on: "It seems that your Eldest Sister considered her self gravely insulted by that Qin Feng fellow who was eating with us, a few nights ago. He was the main target of Zhou Jinhu''s assault. Instigated by your ''dear sister'', of course."


    That was something that made him blink again. And he cringed at the moment that the news sunk in. This was terrible! What would Qin Feng think, if he knew that he was being targeted by the sister of the man whom he had gone through so much trouble to save?


    * * *

 199 Suspicions 3

    For a moment, Li Changhai was too caught up in his own thoughts, and let his mother''s words slip by him. This was terrible news after all. And something that was certain to see Qin Feng cutting all ties with him, if the young man came to know the truth. The only question was, would Li Sanlang, and his father''s people, be able to hide it from the youth?


    A loud sniff from his mother brought the Second Ducal Prince back to the table, and he dipped his head in an apology to the Duchess, even as she reached out to smack him on his forearm.


    "You are not paying attention. Proper attention, I mean. I was just saying that this has more implications than you can guess at," she growled at him as soon as she did that, and was certain that he was focused on her words.


    The Ducal Prince nodded at his mother, to show that he was listening, and that he agreed with what she was saying. "That is the truth. I had not expected that she would make a move like that. And against Qin Feng too. This is too much!"


    The Duchess made a noise in her throat at that. And her scowl at him, when he looked up to meet her eyes, told him that he had missed something. But she caught his puzzled frown and simply rolled her eyes at him immediately.


    "You are missing the point. The fact that your sister is targeting your companions is more worrisome than what I had expected of her. She is an idiot, as I had said frequently enough. But I fear that she is more astute when it comes to this sort of matters than I had given her credit for."


    "What do you mean?"


    The look that Feng Xueli wore on her face seemed heavier than what Li Sanlang had ever seen in his limited experience, as she stretched out her right index finger:


    "First of all, she had sent her man against Qin Feng, who we all know has no powerful relations and no Sect or School backing him. And he has no formal ties with your grandmother''s family either. So that makes him the most vulnerable of all your companions, doesn''t it?


    "Lin Liushui has a large family that spans three or four Kingdoms, and it is well-known even in the Empire. As for Du Yan, his family has supplied weaponry and armour to the armed forces of our Shi Kingdom, as well as a good number of famous martial practitioners. Several of them are also known to be hangers-on, there at the Royal Court. So she would definitely not dare to make a move against the two of them."


    Li Changhai''s scowl deepened at once. "But Qin Feng is different? So she did not hesitate to eliminate him? She would go that far? Just to get at me?" he asked, even as he warned himself that he had to reconsider his sister''s level of scheming. Perhaps, like his mother had said, she was not the utter imbecile that he had thought her to be. That was a rather rude shock, to be honest.


    Had he been underestimating her, all this while? She had always behaved in such a stupid manner, every time that she visited the Ducal Palace, that he had forgotten that she had the support of her husband. And the Zhao Family was rather well-known for their schemes, there in the Kingdom. Perhaps she had picked up a few tricks, from that association?


    "So ... You believe that I should be more cautious? Around Eldest Sister?"


    His mother sniffed again, and stretched out her middle finger, next to her first. Clearly, she was going to go on with her spiel, and was ignoring what he had to say for the moment.


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    "Second, did you even know that Zhou Jinhu was that accomplished a martial artist? That he could go up against Lin Liushui and Du Yan and not lose his composure? Even if we take into account that he was striking from a hidden position and not challenging Qin Feng up front? Well, that is the sort of move that you should be familiar with. It is not the first time that you have had to deal with your half-sister''s people. So you should have some idea of their calibre by now."


    The Second Ducal Prince gave out a grunt at that. To be honest, that particular revelation had driven the air out of his lungs for a moment, as startled as he was to learn that he had been played for a fool. And for a good while too.


    It looked like he would have to be more careful regarding his sister and her antics hereonafter. As well as the Zhao Family, who may be behind her.


    Something that his mother had obviously not forgotten, as she pushed out her ring finger:


    "Third, and this is the last one. You should not forget who Zhou Jinhu is working for, despite the fact that he is always hanging about your sister. The Zhao Family had hired a good number of other martial practitioners as well, so he may not be the most powerful among them. In fact, I believe that you should accept that as a fact. And take precautions suited for enemies that are at least a whole tier above that fool."


    A whole tier? Wasn''t that overestimating the forces that the Zhao Family could afford? Even the Duchy could barely afford to ''invite'' two Elders who were in the Grand Manifestation phase. And both of them were taking turns to guard his older brother, the Ducal Heir!


    "And you should not forget that Zhou Jinhu has an older brother as well. And that one''s martial arts is on a much higher level than his foolish younger brother! I am certain that he would be heading this way, to make trouble for us, if we find a way to deal with Zhou Jinhu without digging ourselves into a pit. And quickly too!"


    Li Changhai''s eyes widened as he received that reminder from his mother. He had certainly forgotten all about that, and had been caught by surprise. Clearly, she knew all about Zhou Jinlong, who was a Captain in the Royal Guard in Shu Jing!


    * * *

 200 Suspicions 4

    The Second Ducal Prince''s face was grim as he expelled a long breath from his lungs. To think that he needed a lesson in the handling of prisoners. And from his mother, no less. That was enough to make him fall silent, and look away from her. He would have to reevaluate everything, it seemed.


    Then again, he told himself, his father had probably not thought of it either. After all, he was still holding onto Zhou Jinhu in the Palace Dungeons, rather than putting him up in some easier to assail spot. That would have made it a little easier, to entice other Zhao Family supporters to come for their ally.


    His mother took another sip of tea, and nodded in his direction with a slight smile on her lips. "You have a nasty habit of letting your concerns show on your face, my dear. That is going to cost you, if you ever get to play in your father''s court. Do not worry. I have already spoken to Butler Jin. Your Fatty Zhou has been shifted to the Palace Gatehouse already."


    He understood what that meant at once. So she had already some plan in motion, to play with the Zhao Family agents that were still in the City. And who had news of what had just taken place, less than a day ago.


    "Ah. You don''t think that we should hang onto him then?"


    The Duchess turned her nose up at the suggestion. "I was considering the possibility to confronting your sister with him, if she dares to show her face back here. But this would gain us more information," she replied with a crooked grin.


    Li Sanlang shook his head vehemently at his mother. "That would only provoke the Zhao Family in the Capital, and we do not want that. Fatty Zhou back to him would make them more cautious, since they would be able to check with him, to find out how much we have learned. That might buy us some time."


    The Duchess agreed, although her eyes flashed with a murderous light. "A pity. I had hoped to crush him under my foot, to send my stepdaughter a proper message. I have been far to kind to her it seems," she purred as she reached for her teacup.


    The Second Ducal Prince shuddered a little, as he promptly lifted the teapot and refilled her cup. He had always been a little frightened of his mother, but he only just realized that he had been underestimating her. She was no different from his grandmother, and was just as violent when she had to be.


    "I had never wanted you to join the struggle for your father''s position, and have been content to let you throw yourself into your fun and games. Getting such friends as you have on your side has reassured me somewhat, and with Qin Feng added to the mix ... Well, I am rather confident that you would not be at much of a risk. If you are careful."


    Li Sanlang looked up to see his mother gazing at him. With a clear warning in her eyes. And he could guess what she was going to say, even before her lips moved again:


    "All that has changed, given what we now know. And the actions that have been taken against you. Even if all these separate actions were taken independently, and were not part of a greater scheme, it should be obvious - even to you! You are at risk!


    "So perhaps you should consider what you are going to about it."


    *


    A good distance to the North, the subject of the Duchess'' conversation with her son had just woken up from a rather restless sleep within her own carriage. Given the fact that she had forced her own people to move well past the time when they should have taken setting up a more comfortable camp, her complaints were largely ignored by the one who had taken over the whole contingent.


    To give him his due credit, Li Changtian had managed to push his sister''s weary Bodyguard to settle into what could be called a rudimentary military-styled camp, with all the necessary bits and pieces that covered its defenses. Unfortunately, they had to do without it came to the comforts that his older sister was accustomed to.


    Yet, it was rather obvious, from the way that he rushed through his meal and rode off to check on the surroundings, that he was avoiding his sister''s ceaseless complaints. It seemed that even the First Ducal Prince had his limitations, when dealing with his own sister. Or, it might be that he was truly concerned about what was going on, back in Yanyun City.


    Of course, if Li Xiuxuan, the Eldest of the Duke of the Westland''s children, knew what her stepmother had been saying about her at that moment, she would have been more than a little frightened. And would probably be thankful that she was under the protection of her younger brother, who had a handful of experts at his side. Not to mention the fact that her luxurious carriage that was sitting at the side of the road, a good way to the North of Yanyun City.


    And hopefully, beyond the reach of her stepmother.


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    The Duke''s Heir, Li Changtian, on the other hand, would probably be amused if he knew what the Duchess and her son were discussing. He knew for a fact that his sister was nothing like the scheming, highly-intelligent woman who was using her idiocy as a disguise. She was a bloody fool! And he knew it better than anyone else!


    He blamed his mother for that, to tell the truth. His birth mother had doted on the two of them ever since they were born, but she had kept up her pampering of Li Xiuxuan even when Li Changtian had been dragged off by his father. He was the Heir, after all, and was put through the harsh training in the martial and academic arts.


    That had opened his eyes to a great many things, and led him to despise his own mother and sister. The former for indulging the latter. At an age when other girls were learning the Arts, and figuring out how to handle their families'' accounts and such, she was still being pampered with toys, and dressed up like a frivolous doll!


    And it seemed her husband was not treating her any differently. They had been married for close to ten years, and he was still indulging her, as far as Li Changtian could see. Since he knew her husband, and how ambitious he was, the Ducal Heir was not surprised to note how his sister was merely being treated like a show-piece. And only brought out once in a while, to show off the Zhao Family''s wide-reaching connections.


    As far as Li Changtian could tell, the couple wasn''t even sleeping together. And since that is the case, there was hardly any point in waiting for a nephew or a niece, was there?


    Little wonder then, that she had gotten herself into this sort of mess!


    * * *

 201 Each to His Own Plans 1

    Not that it was any concern of his, since she was already married. And living well away from the Duchy. And he had already made arrangements, every year, that would have him inspecting his troops out in the wilderness, every time that she came to pay a visit.


    Yet, who could have known that she would get into this much trouble this time?!


    The Ducal Heir sighed to himself, before he steeled his expression again. And glanced at the rider that had appeared before him. He had not noticed when his escort had arrived, but that was something that they were supposed to do, so he wasn''t really bothered by it.


    The one that he looked at nodded back at him, in a somewhat obsequious manner. That irritated Li Changtian slightly. Like his father, he preferred straightforward people who didn''t hide behind over-polite manners and such. Well, those who served him would figure that out for themselves, he thought.


    The message that he received, however, was a welcome one. Which probably accounted for why he was suddenly feeling so indulgent towards his people. And his sister.


    So he simply turned his horse about, and started back for the camp.


    Now that things have been set into motion, there was hardly any need to keep such a close eye on her. He would leave a pair of his personal guards to watch over her and escort, and get them back on the proper trail that would lead them towards the Capital quickly.


    By the time that Li Changtian returned to his sister''s carriage, the sun had already been up for a while. And the soldiers that had been accompanying her had already broken camp, and were ready to move. The men who had arrived together with him did not look too impressed though, and he overheard a few rather nasty comments about the quality of those men, when he slipped back. Those were silenced immediately, the moment that he was spotted however.


    The Ducal Heir paid that no mind. He had no issues with the quality of his Protectors, and to be fair, the soldiers that the Zhao Family had set to look after his older sister were rather deplorable. No doubt, the elders from the same were expecting Zhou Jinhu to keep them all in line. And to advise Li Xiuxian.


    Unfortunate, therefore, that he was the one who had been taken prisoner!


    Not that it mattered. His people had already tossed out the relevant information with regards to where Zhou Jinhu was incarcerated, and the quality of the guards that had been set over him. That should be enough information to prompt those who were working for the Zhao Family to make an attempt to rescue the idiot.


    Once he was out of the Duchy, and his stepmother''s hands, there would be no evidence to tie the Zhao Family to this attempt on his younger half-brother''s life. If his father cared to present matters that way, that is. As far as Li Changtian was concerned, it would be for the best.


    After all, the King was still in relatively good health, and he had raised none of his sons to the position of Crown Prince as yet. So it would be far to early to start any trouble at the Royal Court. At least, not in a manner that would be too eye-catching.


    So he should just head back to the Barbarian Invasion in the West. He had received reports that were a little out of the ordinary, including the ones from his younger brother, so he would have to take certain steps there. In any case, that should keep him occupied, and in such a high profile manner that no one could mistake him for being somewhere else.


    Which was just how he liked it!


    His sister, Li Xiuxian, on the other hand, was upset that he was no longer going to accompany her. Which, given the way that she had always believed that the whole world revolved around her, was not that much of a surprise to the Ducal Prince.


    "But ...? Why ...? Aren''t you going to see me to where I am going? I thought you were here to bring me back to the Ducal Palace, in Yanyun. Are you just going to abandon me here?"


    The Ducal Heir gave his pouting sister his usual comforting smile, which had never failed to work. "I am still attached to the forces that are supposed to be handling the Barbarian Invasion, remember? You might say that I am violating military orders, to have come all the way here to make certain that you are safe, and heading back in the right direction. What you do think Father will do to me, if I were show up back at the Palace with you in tow?


    "You don''t want me to get into trouble, now do you, Elder Sister?"


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    Li Xiuxian pouted at that. No doubt because she had come to the conclusion that he was not going to give in to her. She had always been like that, whenever she could not get her way. But Li Changtian had always been quick to find something to distract her.


    Or, in this case, something to sufficiently frighten her such that she would simply obey his instructions without further questions:


    "Besides, what do you think will be waiting for you, if you head back to father''s Palace? Don''t forget that he would have a day or two to work on your Zhou Jinhu. Do you thing your Little Tiger would be able to keep his mouth shut? He would probably have spilled everything already, don''t you think?"


    He noted how she paled at his words, and reached out to pat her on her arm, in what could be seen as a brotherly, comforting fashion. "I think it would be best if you head back home to your husband, and give him ... some sort of warning about what the Zhao Family is likely to face, when father gets the full story. I think he''s likely to send a small contingent of guards to the Capital, at least, to get an explanation, hmmm?"


    As expected, Li Xiuxian''s eyes filled with tears at the thought of that. And the Ducal Prince happily spent the next hour or so consoling her, while the rest of her people made ready for their long march home. Under the command of his own personal guards, of course. They would make certain that there would be no delays!


    It could be said that Li Changtian was more than happy to pander to his sister''s insecurities, so long as it achieved his ends!


    * * *

 202 Each to His Own Plans 2

    The attack on the Ducal Palace Gatehouse in the middle of the day was something that no one expected. First of all, who would have thought that someone would dare make such a move? This was not some small magistrate''s jailhouse but the Palace of the Duke of the Westlands! Not to mention the most powerful man in all of Yanyun City! To dare to strike at his Palace Gatehouse was not something that even the most rash, most amply endowed* outlaw would consider!


    Secondly, it happened in the bright light of day! During the guards'' lunch break at that! Never before had something so outrageous taken place before, and almost everyone in the City was certain that the Guard Commander was going to be facing heavy punishment for letting something so crazy take place, under his Watch!


    And lastly, it was most curious how all the infiltrators had managed to vanish without the smallest trace whatsoever! Not to mention how they got a lone prisoner away from the same, without causing too much damage to the premises or the guards. Oh, the ones who were watching over the same had a few bruises and there were two or three who had mild concussions - including the said Guard Commander! But there were no serious injuries and certainly no deaths!


    All of that came together to form an unusual rumor: the Duke had managed to lay his hands on some disciple of some powerful Sect, for some misdemeanor or other, and the Sect had sent its people to snatch him back!


    If that was the case, the whole situation could be easily explained. And it would also be a reasonable excuse for the poor Guard Commander, who was likely to lose his rank and his standing, if he was not believed.


    Of course, the ones who had come up with the whole story were patting themselves on the back at the moment, within the Duchess'' personal courtyard, the moment that Zhou Jinhu''s rescue was confirmed.


    Butler Jin Yuhu, who had been the one to orchestrate the whole affair regarding the rumors and the gossip, was making his report to the Duke of the Westland''s young wife. He had been a little skeptical when she insisted that he prepare such an excuse and to organize the tale-bearers to spread the word when it happened. Just as he was the first one to be shocked, when things turned out exactly as she had predicted!


    Which was why he was making his report to her, rather than to her husband. And why he was not in the least surprised, to find a somewhat agitated Li Changhai beside her, when he was led into her courtyard. And to her table.


    The Duchess seemed more relaxed than Jin Yuhu expected her to be, given the news that there was a rescue attempt being mounted on the fellow who had attacked her son. Or rather, her son''s companion. Li Sanlang, on the other hand, seemed as upset as Butler Jin felt himself.


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    Could it be that she didn''t care so much about the matter, now that she knew that Zhou Jinhu''s target had been Qin Feng, rather than Li Changhai? That would have been a reasonable explanation, of course. But Butler Jin had already revised his mindset when it came to the Duchess; she was not the sort of person who would be reasonable at a time like this!


    Of course, there was no one else in the entire Duchy of the Westlands who knew the truth about this second wife of his Duke, Jin Yuhu knew. He had sent out for extra single scrap of news involving the Duchess almost a full day earlier, and had only started to received the reports that arrived that morning. Reports that were almost enough to give him a heart attack!


    How could the Duke have picked such a woman to be his wife? Was he secretly a masochist? Or did he really not know about how she had destroyed all of her enemies while she was studying at the Capital?


    "In fact, Butler Jin, it may be to our advantage that he has escaped. Oh, we shall need to put up a good show, so that we can confidently say that we had put in all effort in trying to retain him. But it would be best if he gets away from us at this moment. That would be enough to warn our enemies. As well as give Sanlang here something to strive for, in the future."


    Jin Yuhu turned to glance at the Second Ducal Prince, who was standing beside his mother. And saw how the latter was giving her a worried look. But the Duchess merely smiled, and waved a hand towards the Ducal Dungeons, in the distance.


    "Zhou Jinhu, or Fatty Zhou as you prefer, is no longer a threat to us. At least, not as he is, with one arm short. But his escape will give us an excuse to make trouble for our in-laws, the Zhao Family, who definitely has the motivation to rescue him. So ..."


    "You wish to play on that presumption? And to make life difficult for the Zhao Family?"


    Butler Jin was a little quicker to catch it. But the look on Li Sanlang''s face told the old man that the Second Ducal Prince understood what his mother was after. Which was enough to prompt the Butler to ask his question.


    To his surprise, it was the Second Ducal Prince who gave voice to his own understanding of the situation. And what the Ducal Palace should be doing, faced with such an embarrassment:


    "That should give us an excuse to look into everyone, every business, that has ties with the Zhao Family, doesn''t it? And they wouldn''t dare to kick up a fuss either. Not with one of theirs having escaped from our ''justice'', hmmm? Especially when everyone thinks it was an attempt on my life?"


    "That would suit us best, don''t you think?" The Duchess chuckled as she asked that, and Jin Yuhu noticed how she was glancing his way as she spoke.


    Which was enough to make Jin Yuhu smile back. It seems he had been underestimating his Duchess for far too long. Although he did wonder why she had never taken a hand, when she clearly had a firmer grasp on what needed to be done, to secure the Duchy against its enemies? Had she been confident that the Duke would do what needed to be done previously?


    Or had it been this attack on Sanlang that has awoken this female tiger? Like all mothers, Jin Yuhu had no doubt that she would destroy everything that would threaten the safety of her child.


    And strangely, he no longer thought that was such a bad thing.


    Perhaps it was time that he started getting her opinion on certain matters himself!


    * * *

 203 Each to His Own Plans 3

    "We can set things up so that our enemies would believe what we wish them to believe. At least for the moment. But you will still need to work on your skills, and train up your own Personal Guard, if you wish to be safer than you are now."


    The Duchess had said that after Butler Jin had made his excuses and fled from her personal courtyard. Or, to be more exact, she had waited a few moments, until she was certain that the Butler was well and truly away, before she spoke.


    Li Changhai thought that was a little overdoing it, but he did not dare to give voice to that opinion, when his mother turned her stony stare on him. She had her reasons for taking such precautions, he was certain. But he didn''t really want to know what they were.


    Then she had sighed, and made a simple gesture at his chest. It took him a moment, and her next words, to realize that she was pointing at his heart:


    "You are a little too soft, when it comes to such matters. Not that I blame you. I had hoped that you would become a little more ... callous, with regards to this sort of thing. That was why I kept sending you to mother - your grandmother, I mean. She has a way of dredging out the hard-hearted side to people.


    "But it seems you have only just begun to see the darker side of human nature. At twenty something, that seems a little late, in my opinion. But you have taken your first steps, so I suppose I should be pleased."


    The Duchess smiled at him then. A sad smile that he had not seen cross her face for a long, long time. One that told him that she was a little - only a little unsatisfied! But it was all the same to him; it bothered him to have his mother disappointed in him. Or what he had done.


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    Or, in this particular case, what he didn''t do.


    He had been dismissed shortly after Butler Jin left, with his mother giving the excuse that she needed her sleep. And that she was tired after interrogating Zhou Jinhu the whole night before. And reminded him that he had not had breakfast, and that he should eat.


    But Li Changhai knew better; she wanted him to think about what he had just been told - and shown! She wanted him to figure it out for himself, just what he wanted.


    The Second Ducal Prince was a little upset when he thought about it though. It was clearer now. How was he to know that his maternal grandmother was teaching him to look out for the petty machinations that took place within his own household? He recognized all of her warnings, and her lessons now, after the episode with his mother earlier. That was enough to show what she had been doing, all these years.


    But he certainly didn''t have any idea, when he was younger, did he? He had only thought that he was being accepted into the family, and that she was sharing everything, so that he would not miss out. It was only after that attack on the camp, the one that almost killed him, that he started to see things a little differently.


    And it was only when his mother pulled him aside earlier this morning, and told him what was going on, that he understood that things were not as pleasant, not as comfortable as he thought it was! Nor was his life as safe as it should be!


    Li Changhai almost laughed out loud when he remembered what he had been worried about earlier, when he had been summoned to her courtyard. What did it matter, the marriage of the Yue''an City Marquis''s daughter? What was that, compared to the life and death situation that he was likely to face?


    He would have to take steps, just as his mother had said, and get his Personal Guard together. He had that now, at least, even though he didn''t manage to get a proper army unit from his father. Since most of the group that had come up with him from the South were vetted by his maternal grandmother, he should be able to trust them to his back!


    And then there was his three companions ...


    Li Sanlang groaned then, as he remembered what he had been intending to do since morning. Between his mother''s summons, and the whole issue of Zhou Jinhu''s escape, he had all but forgotten it!


    Honestly, it wasn''t really that pressing, to tell the truth. And he was certain that Du Yan and Lin Liushui would have taken care of matters when they realized that he was occupied. The servants would know to serve the trio breakfast, if they asked for it. Especially when it looked like Li Sanlang wasn''t going to show himself.


    But it has already been so long, and if they caught word of Fatty Zhou''s escape from the Gatehouse as well, they can probably guess what he had been up to.


    However, that did not excuse him from missing that particular appointment. Not to mention the fact that he was supposed to checking up on someone who had saved his life! And his mother had warned him that no one else should know the truth of the matter. It would give rise to too many questions, and the current story on the streets, about how his three brave companions had fought so hard to protect him was already hot news in Yanyun City.


    And only Heaven would know what those three would be up to, once they heard about Fatty Zhou''s escape. He would have to let them know - or at least hint to the three of them, that it had all be part of the plan. Otherwise, Li Changhai would not feel comfortable about the whole incident. The trio were the ones who were responsible for Fatty Zhou''s capture in the first place, after all.


    So despite the ache in his belly, the Second Ducal Prince hurried to the guest quarters, to pay a visit to the young man who had supposedly gotten hurt saving his life.


    * * *

 204 Each to His Own Plans 4

    "So you see? You had best be more careful, and do not try to leave the Palace without at least one of us at your side. Or you might wish to bring Acting Guard Captain Wen Xuanran along with you, if you wish to visit the City."


    Qin Feng nodded back at the Second Ducal Prince, who stepped away from his guest house in a somewhat hurried manner thereafter. He had just came to pay the younger man a visit, and to apologize for missing the lunch together with Lin Liushui and Du Yan. Apparently, he had been the one to arrange for them to dine at the pavilion next to the artificial lake at the rear of the Palace earlier. He had even fixed the menu himself!


    But, as luck would have it, Li Changhai had been called away to meet his mother, and so had to give it a miss. And from the somewhat frequent grumbling of the Prince''s stomach, he had not had a chance to eat either! Whatever it was that summoned him away from his friends, it was obvious that it had kept him occupied all morning.


    Well, regardless of what had happened - Qin Feng wasn''t so naive as to believe that it was simply because the Duchess wanted to tell off her son for his poor security arrangements! He was certainly there was more to it than just that! No doubt it had something to do with that Fatty Zhou fellow, and his ties with Li Changhai''s sister.


    Qin Feng had expected it to be troublesome, staying so close to Li Changhai and his friends like this. But he had certainly expected the trouble to come from that stupid sister of his! And that idiot Fatty Zhou actually had an older brother? Who was almost certainly going to come after him, to avenge his brother''s defeat? Not to mention the loss of his arm?


    This was something out of one of the long-winded, daily updated street puppet theaters that he had seen here, and back in Changqing City, wasn''t it? How did he ever get involved in something as messy as this?


    Nevertheless, that was now a problem for the Duke and his people, and nothing to do with him any further! Qin Feng sighed as he closed the door once more, and returned to his bed. The servants had changed the sheets and even the blanket, that had been soaked with his perspiration from his earlier efforts. By the time that he returned to his room after having lunch with Lin Liushui and Du Yan, the whole place was pristine.


    However, after just one hour of cultivation, he had the sheets damp again! If he had not been interrupted by Li Changhai just now, come to offer his apologies, he would probably have had to sleep in bed-covers soaked in his own sweat!


    Quite honestly, he was a little embarrassed by the attention that he was receiving. He was just going to make a mess again, once he started to go through his Breathing Exercises again. Perhaps he should just sit on the floor instead? So that he didn''t make another mess?


    He pouted as he considered the problem, and decided that it would make less of a fuss if he did leave puddles of perspiration on the tiled floor, rather than his bed. So he found a corner, next to one of the windows, and made himself comfortable. But he was not in a hurry to continue. It did hurt, and he thought that he deserved a bit of rest first.


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    It had not hurt as badly, when he started to run his qi through his meridians, once he had returned from lunch. Together with the interruption from the Second Ducal Prince, it had given him a bit of relief from the pain. Which was a good thing, he thought.


    And Li Changhai seemed genuinely concerned with regards to his injuries. Which told Qin Feng that he must really look a sight, there in his underclothes. Du Yan and Lin Liushui had both commented on how pale and bloodless he looked. It seemed they had not been exaggerating. Or, at the least, not by that much. If the Second Ducal Prince bothered to point out the same thing, as he did earlier ...


    "I should be better in another day or two. Du Yan''s potion seemed to have helped. My channeling of my qi seems a little smoother now, so I should have no problem recovering within the next two, three days," he had assured the Ducal Prince quietly.


    Which had Li Changhai promising to send the physicians to check on him again then. That had been when the growling of the Prince''s belly could no longer be denied, and he fled Qin Feng''s rooms shortly after.


    That was enough to tell him that Li Changhai''s concern wasn''t fake. At least, not altogether. Qin Feng didn''t really trust the machinations of noblemen very much. But he would have to say that it was more agreeable, looking after someone like the Second Ducal Prince than some of the others that he had met. Perhaps it was not such a bad thing, to leech off the fellow as he was now intending to do.


    But to do that, he would need to bring his martial cultivation up another level or two, he reminded himself. And gave out a loud sigh, as he crossed his legs and began to run his zhenqi all over again.


    The floor was a lot harder and colder than his bed, and he didn''t really enjoy sitting down on that surface. So he decided to stop delaying and get it over with. He had started feeling the ache in his meridians around the third cycle earlier, so he was eager to check if he would encounter the same thing all over again.


    But by the time that he got there, the agony seemed less intense. So much so that he pushed himself into the fourth circulation of zhenqi immediately, and pushed the same through his arms and his legs as well. He had not done that earlier, because of the pain.


    His limbs seemed to burn with a heat that had clearly not been there earlier, during his second cycle. But it was certainly far less painful compared to what he had gone through, earlier in the morning, when he was exercising the same through the channels in his torso. What had happened? How did it turn out like this?


    Qin Feng certainly had no idea at all. But since it didn''t appear to be hindering his cultivation, he decided not to worry about it, and continued to push his zhenqi through the channels that ran through his arms and legs. That should widen the qi channels there, and strengthen them as well. Which should allow for him to push his qi faster through the same, if he needed to.


    Like in another fight for his life.


    The harder that he pushed himself now, the better his chances of survival, when they met with more idiots like that Fatty Zhou, Zhou Jinhu!


    * * *

 205 Changes 1

    Three days later ...


    It was time for Qin Feng to be reexamined by the Ducal Physician, and both Li Changhai and Lin Liushui were present with the younger man as the elderly, grey-bearded man in the physician''s robes took his pulse.


    It could not be said that they were uncomfortable. They were seated in a small pavilion that adjoined several of the guest houses, and there was a soft breeze that washed over them that early Spring morning.


    However, there was no hiding the anxiety that was evident on the Second Ducal Prince''s face and he knew it. Then again, he had made it rather clear to everyone in the Ducal Palace that this young Qin Feng was one of those who had rescued him from an assassin, and had taken his injuries because of the attempt made on his life. So it should not come as a surprise to anyone looking on that he felt his honor was at stake.


    Lin Liushui was his usual cool and collected, beautiful self. His jade-like countenance seemed unblemished as he gently fanned himself and watched the process. As if he was simply watching a chess game. And perhaps with less intensity at that.


    As for Qin Feng, if one did not know any better, no one would even guess that he was the one who was being checked. His face was completely placid. And if not for the fact that his hand was sitting in the physician''s grasp, one could easily mistake him for a bystander.


    The one with the darkest complexion, however, was the old man who was taking the young man''s pulse. The physician did not look at all pleased with what he had found, if one were to take his expression into account. But he continued to check on Qin Feng''s pulse, and it looked as though he intended to hold his tongue until he was done.


    Qin Feng looked a little annoyed at that, since he had tried to speak twice already. But he had been waved to silence by the old man both times. Which was enough to irritate him, the Ducal Prince was certain.


    The scowl on the physician''s brow tightened as he went on, but still, he did not say a word. Which bothered the Second Ducal Prince more than a little as well. If there was something amiss, shouldn''t he give voice to his concerns? Otherwise, what was the point of inviting him, to look over the young man? Did he really believe that he could get away with just a cursory check?


    But the man had been recommended by Butler Jin, and Li Changhai was not about to make trouble. At least, not just yet. He would have to have a word with his father''s most trusted servant after this though. Did all these people really think that he wouldn''t kick up a fuss, just because he had remained quiet all this time? He was half-tempted to throw a tantrum, just to prove all of them wrong!


    But the old man in the physician''s grey-green outer robe gave out a sigh then, as he finally pulled his hand away from Qin Feng''s wrist. And shook his head at the young man.


    "You have not been resting - at least, not resting properly! Why is it that you young people always have to make the lives of us physicians difficult? Don''t you understand that you need time to heal up, before you go rushing back to your training and such? Your body is only going to suffer if you keep tormenting yourself like this!"


    The Second Ducal Prince frowned when he heard that. But it did match with what he had seen of Qin Feng''s complexion. The younger man had been looking pale, as if he was lacking blood, for the last three, four days. Ever since he was brought back from that encounter with Zhou Jinhu, to tell the truth.


    Was he suffering from some troublesome internal injury? Or was he just too anxious to get back to his training, and had so aggravated his condition?


    "And what is that medicine that you have been taking? I certainly did not pass it to you. Nor did any of my fellow physicians. There is a mild pain-killer in the same, that keeps you from feeling discomfort. But taking that has only made you ignore the warning signals that your body is giving you! And now, you have overexerted yourself!


    "Don''t you know that you are only delaying your recovery?"


    The Second Ducal Prince looked from Qin Feng to the physician and back again, aghast. Was that the reason why the young man was still looking so pale? And what would Du Yan think, if he knew that his potion had been responsible to hampering Qin Feng''s recovery? How fortunate that he was not present, and did not hear it directly from the grey-haired physician''s mouth.


    "Who gave you that medicine that contains the pain-killing agent? It was that idiot Du Yan, wasn''t it? Doesn''t he know that he is only making things worse, by playing at being an alchemist?"


    The old man looked furious then, and Li Changhai had to step in, before he really lost his temper. It was the least that he could do for Du Yan, after all.


    It took him a bit of effort too, to convince the old man that the brawny fellow didn''t mean any harm, and was only hoping to ease Qin Feng''s discomfort. Fortunately, the physician didn''t appear too eager to argue, and simply prescribed his patient with a new herbal concoction that would help his meridians to recover from the overexertion.


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    Then the trio found themselves stepping outside the guesthouse, to bid farewell to the still scowling physician in the small patch of garden outside. Qin Feng took the opportunity to ask Lin Liushui a question then. One that the Second Ducal Prince did not catch, since he was sending off the physician, and slipping a rather heavy purse into the old man''s hands. One that he did not refuse.


    But by the time that Li Changhai got back to his friends, it did not take him too much effort to realize that the topic that they were discussing was the presently absent Du Yan.


    Lin Liushui was sighing lustily, as he gestured towards the gate that led outside of the guest courtyard that Qin Feng was staying in. Which should be enough to indicate that Du Yan was still about, somewhere within the Ducal Palace grounds.


    The Ducal Prince, of course, knew the more precise spot where his large friend could be found, but Li Changhai was strangely reluctant to give voice to that.


    But it appeared that Qin Feng had asked Lin Liushui a more relevant question earlier. One that Li Changhai did not catch, since he was busy with the grey-haired physician:


    "What are you talking about? Why does he have to leave?"


    * * *

 206 Changes 2

    Lin Liushui gestured at the Second Ducal Prince with a shake of his head, indicating that Li Changhai should be the one to answer that. The Ducal Prince simply accepted the signal, and began to explain to the youngest of the team. After checking to make certain that the attending physician was already a good distance away, and that it was impossible for the same to eavesdrop.


    That alone was enough to make Qin Feng more alert. This seemed a lot more serious than he had expected it to be. And made him all the more curious. What had happened to Du Yan?


    "His betrothed''s family is kicking up a fuss because he had not visited them this New Year, and some have insinuated that he shall be breaking off that engagement. Which has caused several of the neighboring Martial Schools to stick their oar in. They have all made plans to descend on Du Yan''s hometown, and are even bothering to keep it a secret."


    Qin Feng scowled at that. Du Yan was engaged? He had a betrothed? Qin Feng didn''t know that. Everyone that he knew had certainly not mentioned something like that before.


    "You are spoiling the whole story, Sanlang! How can you just throw something out like that, without any context? Without any background? Had I known that you would make such a mess of it, I would have made the effort and told the tale myself!"


    Lin Liushui fanned himself agitatedly as he pushed Li Changhai aside, and gestured for Qin Feng to sit down. "See how our Brother Feng is already squinting at you? He is clearly confused by your account of things! Here, let me put things in order for you."


    The gentlemanly fellow pointed at the empty seat at the table, which Qin Feng took to mean Du Yan immediately. Something that he did not get wrong:


    "Our Brother Yan was engaged to be married to a girl from the Yuan Family, back in his hometown, since he was a child. That was something that his parents desired, since they were good friends with the Yuan Family back in the day. Both families were rather prominent back in their hometown, and everyone was pleased with the match. More or less.


    "Unfortunately for our dear friend, Brother Yan showed a remarkable aptitude for forging weapons when he reached his early teens, and was quickly dragged off to the Du Main Family where he came under the tutelage of the Patriarch, at Chuanshui Town. That''s just one province away from the Capital, as you may recall. After the usual tests and such, of course. But that is besides the point."


    Lin Liushui paused in his telling to take up his tea cup and have a sip. No doubt to give the impression that he was relieving the strain in his throat. From the roll of Li Changhai''s eyes, Qin Feng could only guess that this was how the irritating fellow did things.


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    But he went on, without keeping the other two waiting for too long:


    "There were some conflicts that the Yuan Family were involved in, and to make a long story short, the girl involved ran off with another man. That was a little disgraceful, but since she had never met Brother Yan, and the wording of their engagement was not altogether clear, the Yuan Family quickly pushed her younger sister to take her place. To cover the whole thing up, you understand?"


    "And Du Yan agreed to this?"


    Lin Liushui grinned at Qin Feng, who had interrupted with his question. "He didn''t even hear about it. Apparently, the Yuan Family had approached his parents, who had quickly agreed. It seemed that they were more than aware of the details. Probably because they were living in the same town, and so knew everything that went on. Suffice to say, they had no objections and had written a letter to Brother Yan, telling him everything.


    "And he, taking advantage of the situation, used that as an excuse to run away from the Main Family, and head back to his hometown. And after spending about five years there, in the company of his new, much younger bride-to-be, he ran away to our dear Sanlang''s home here in Yanyun City. One might say that he is avoiding his new betrothed."


    "Or the rest of his Du Family," Qin Feng grunted. "Are they so adamant on his continuing to forge weapons for them then? This all sounds like an elaborate ploy to drag him back into their clutches, doesn''t it?"


    The eyebrows of both men in front of him rose as soon as they heard that. Which had Qin Feng giving out another of his snort of derision. "Oh, don''t look at me like that. It is rather obvious, isn''t it? That Du Yan has received the secret training of the Du Family Patriarch, and is the best weapon-smith in the family? That is why you claimed that you were so envious, when he agreed to craft a sword for me, isn''t it?"


    Lin Liushui chuckled as he nodded his head at the youngest in the group. "You are right about that. I had not expected you to have paid so close attention to me during that lunch that we had, three days ago. I had rather thought that you would be more concerned with describing the sort of weapon that you wanted him to craft," he sighed.


    All of this was new to the Second Ducal Prince, Li Changhai, however. And he quickly turned on Lin Liushui, as soon as he heard that. "What is this? Du Yan agreed to forge a weapon? For Qin Feng here? How did he manage to convince Brother Yan to do that? I thought that a hundred wild horses wouldn''t be able to drag him to the anvil again!"


    "That is something that you''ll have to ask Brother Feng yourself. He had already managed to convince that big idiot before I arrived. And Brother Yan wouldn''t give himself away to me, you can be certain of that."


    Lin Liushui laughed openly as he finished and gestured at Qin Feng again with his fan. And the latter had already gotten familiar with his signals with the same, to recognise that he was going back to his story. And that Qin Feng was invited not to interrupt:


    "Well, like Brother Sanlang had mentioned earlier, the Yuan Family is rather upset that he has run off like that. At least, that is the story on the surface. And there are a good number of other Sects and Schools, that are associated with the same, who are likely to be headed to Yuan Family''s home in the Capital. Ostensibly, to make trouble for his intended parents-in-law. Something to do with the reason that he fled?


    "Needless to say, he is rather anxious about the whole thing, and is making ready to head back there too. So it appears our little treasure hunt is going to be further delayed."


    Li Changhai gave a loud sniff as soon as Lin Liushui finished, and eyed the gorgeous fellow haughtily. "As if I can be bothered by something like that, when Brother Yan is facing such troubles. I am half-tempted to head there myself, to lend my support!"


    "Then why don''t you?"


    The Second Ducal Prince whirled to face Qin Feng again. And even Lin Liushui''s eyes were wide open as he stared at the youngest one in their party. "What was that you said? You think we should head ... You want us to show our support for Du Yan? In such an overt manner?"


    "Why not? As you said, he is our brother. And whatever he chooses to do, he shall always have our support, doesn''t he?"


    * * *

 207 Changes 3

    Li Changhai felt his jaw hanging open as Qin Feng''s words sank into his brain. Then he found himself agreeing with the young man immediately. It was true! Du Yan was like a sworn brother- his sworn brother! So did it really matter what he was going to do, under such circumstances? Wasn''t it only proper that he should show his support?


    Then he sighed, as he considered the whole logistics of the matter. "I don''t think that I''ll be able to convince my mother - my parents, I mean! I don''t think that they would be very comfortable with me leaving the Duchy at this time. Not when we aren''t sure that there aren''t any more assassins after me," he said softly.


    While he was more than aware that the whole attack on him earlier, in Yanyun City, was actually targeted at Qin Feng instead, he knew better than to tell the others that. And he was not exactly lying, was he? The Duke and the Duchess were definitely not going to let him get out the Duchy for the moment. In fact, he wasn''t even allowed to head into the City itself, not without a proper escort!


    "It only takes about ten to twelve days. Less, if we really press ourselves and our mounts. So if we stick to the main roads, and the towns and cities along the way ..."


    Qin Feng frowned as soon as he heard that, and interrupted by raising a hand. "Is it really necessary to rush like this? I thought that we have twenty days or more, before they will present themselves thereabouts. That was what you had said earlier, wasn''t it?"


    The Second Ducal Prince turned to Lin Liushui at the last, and the handsome man nodded his agreement at him with a soft sigh. "That is true. But I am certain that Du Yan would not wish to make our journey more leisurely. He is a little more anxious about the whole matter than you can imagine, you see? This involves his marriage partner, after all."


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    "That is, provided that all of this nonsense about his withdrawing from the match is nothing more than a ruse. Indeed, I have never heard him speaking out against his betrothal or the girl," Li Changhai added then, turning to look at Lin Liushui as he did so.


    Who gave out another of his heart-rending sighs as he gestured at the entrance to Qin Feng''s courtyard. Which the Second Ducal Prince took to indicate where Du Yan was located at the moment. Lin Liushui had the propensity for such gestures and it was difficult to keep track of what he was trying to convey at times.


    And Qin Feng was wearing a frown at the man, which seemed to indicate that he found the same just as irritating as Li Changhai did. Fortunately, the handsome fellow soon spoke, and revealed what he really thought about the matter:


    "Well, she is a good deal younger than he is. She''s even younger than you, if I do not mis-remember her age. Thirteen or fourteen, I believe. That was why Du Yan had decided to delay the wedding for a bit. She is a little too young. And still looks like a doll, if that is what I recall him saying, back when we were talking about her," Lin Liushui said, with a slight frown that hinted that he was searching his memories diligently.


    That was rather young, Li Changhai had to agree. But from what he could remember of that night in question - which was a bit of a blur since the three of them had drunk far too much! Well, he remembered that Du Yan was rather fond of the girl, from all that he said.


    So, all this nonsense about him losing interest in her, and no longer wishing to marry her ... That was just made-up, wasn''t it? By people who were out to besmirch his good name? Or who wanted to drag Du Yan into the open, so that they can strike at him directly?


    Or was this just another elaborate scheme, to get him involved? After all, they should know that he would not let his Sworn Brother face something like this on his own. So perhaps, they are actually aiming for him? For this Second Ducal Prince?


    For a moment, Li Changhai froze. Where had that last thought come from? He would not have thought of something like that, if it had been in the past. Was all this intrigue, and his discussions with his mother, affecting how he was looking at things now? Had he become more suspicious?


    And, more importantly, was it really a good thing?


    But he forced himself away from that, and tried to concentrate on what Lin Liushui was telling Qin Feng at the moment. This was not a fitting suspicion, for someone of his stature!


    "... think he treats her more like a younger sister than as a potential wife. And that is why he had fled from his home at the Capital. Not something that we can refute, if he does not show up and upset their plans. For that reason alone, we have not interfered with his arrangements," the good-looking man confided.


    "Then he has not spoken? To either of you? Do we even know what he intends to do, when he gets back there?"


    Qin Feng''s question rocked Li Changhai back onto his heels. He had never considered that, to be honest. Then again, Du Yan had not been the talkative sort. Not like Lin Liushui.


    His eyes flickered over to the handsome man, who frowned as he considered Qin Feng''s supposition. "I had not considered that. But ... I doubt that Du Yan would go to that extreme. Not without discussing it with us."


    "Yet, this is his personal matter. So he might not speak," Qin Feng reminded him, "So ... What if he decides to break off that arrangement with the girl? And breaks her heart doing so? That would be rather awkward, wouldn''t it?"


    The Second Ducal Prince winced as soon as he heard that. And turned to Qin Feng without thinking. Then he blinked at how he had reacted. Was it because Qin Feng was the one who suggested that they head off to show their support for Du Yan? Or did he really expect the younger man to have an opinion with regards to something like an arranged marriage?


    "That is something that he will have to decide for himself. As his friends, his brothers, we can only stand beside him and support his decision!"


    Lin Liushui''s declaration got an answering nod from Qin Feng. In the end. The youngest among them had thought for a moment before he gave that signal. And the latter''s stern expression made it rather clear that he was not going to be deterred from showing that same support by joining Du Yan on his journey to the East.


    Which was enough to make the Second Ducal Prince grit his teeth. Well, if the others were going to do that, how could he do anything less? Whatever the risk!


    "In that case, I will speak to Captain Wen Xuanran, and have him arrange for a small contingent of guards. I think I might be able to get away with that, for all that my parents aren''t going to let me travel out of the Duchy unescorted. It is going to take a little longer though, if we are dragging a squad or two along with us."


    * * *

 208 Changes 4

    Lin Liushui was first to react, when he heard that. He whirled to stare at the Ducal Prince, folding his fan with a snap as soon as he heard the words. And his criticism of the same was rather harsh:


    "Are you mad? They are hunting you now, unless you have forgotten! And you wish to present them with a fat, juicy target at a time like this? And on the road? Out where you are next to defenseless? Have you gone insane?"


    But the Ducal Prince was adamant. "How can I stand aside at a time like this? Du Yan is clearly the target of some scheme by his enemies. So how can I not take my place at his side. This is a time when he needs me most!"


    Lin Liushui pointed his fan at Li Changhai as soon as he heard that. And it was obvious from the expression on his face that he was less than pleased to be faced by the latter''s stubborn behavior at the moment.


    "So what am I? Am I not his Sworn Brother as well? Do you see me rushing out to accompany him? Do you think I do not want to? Why can''t you look at the big picture here? This is clearly a trap!


    "And what you are suggesting now is as good as reaching for the bait! We cannot let you take this risk! You are the one that they are hunting! Not Du Yan!"


    Some things snapped into place, the moment that Li Changhai heard Lin Liushui say that. It was true, wasn''t it? All three of them had sworn Brotherhood to one another, for close to five, six years now. Even if both of them knew that Li Changhai was at risk of being targeted by assassins - which he knew that he was not! Even if they knew that, Lin Liushui would have definitely volunteered to go along with Du Yan, to lend him a hand.


    With the powerful Lin Family behind him, it should not be too difficult to overawe the forces that have been assembled against Du Yan. Even in the Shu Kingdom Capital.


    But he had not stepped forward to do that. Instead, he had chosen to hold his tongue, and to remain at Yanyun City. At Li Changhai''s side! Because he sensed that the Ducal Prince was in danger!


    The Second Ducal Prince gritted his teeth at that. He could not share the fact that he was not the actual target in that glaring last attempt in the City streets. He had promised his mother that he would keep it a secret. But if he did nothing ...


    No! He would not let his friends - No! His Brothers! He could not let them suffer because of him! How could he face them afterwards, knowing that they were walking into danger because he was not honest with them? How could he regard himself their Sworn Brother then?


    So he stamped his foot down. And regretted the action immediately. Didn''t it make him look like a young child? Throwing a tantrum? Why had he suddenly behaved as though he was a ten, eleven year old boy?


    But fortunately for Li Changhai, no one laughed.


    And that was enough encouragement for him to continue:


    "Enough! Like you had said, we are Sworn Brothers, are we not? Didn''t we swear that we will enjoy any fortune that befalls us, and face all disasters together? Having done that, how can I stand aside and let Du Yan deal with this issue on his own?


    "Besides, I might not be able to do very much by myself. But as the Second Ducal Prince of the Westlands Duchy, those Martial Sects and Schools will have to give my father''s good name some face. Won''t that be helpful to Brother Yan? So you should stop trying to convince me."


    Lin Liushui gave out an exasperated sound, and turned to the silent Qin Feng, as though seeking aid from that direction. The youngest man was not part of their Oath, for all that he had been sharing their travails recently. And hence, could be considered to be as close as one of the three brothers. Besides, no one in their right mind could deny that he had played a major role in influencing the Ducal Prince of late.


    But Qin Feng merely gave a quiet nod, and reached out to tap his tea cup. "This is more complicated than I had first thought. It seems your enemies have taken pains to set this up, so that you are damned if you do, and dishonored if you don''t," he sighed.


    "What do you mean?"


    Lin Liushui was the one who asked that question. But Li Changhai drew in a hiss of breath, the moment that he heard what Qin Feng had said:


    "You think that this is actually aimed at me too? That it might not have anything to do with Du Yan at all? I mean, it involves him but ... I am the actual target here?"


    Qin Feng sighed, and did not answer at once. But Lin Liushui had picked up the thread, and so renewed his efforts to keep the Second Ducal Prince from committing to the journey:


    "It makes sense, seeing how news of their plans had managed to land in your lap so easily. And in such a timely fashion. I believe that Brother Qin Feng is not exaggerating now. This is clearly a plot that is aimed at you, rather than at Du Yan. They are simply trying to pull you, this little dragon, out of your cave! Once you are away from the Duchy, and from your father''s protection, they will definitely strike again!


    "Don''t tell me that you have forgotten what sort of steps they might take? Remember Fatty Zhou! That was only days ago, wasn''t it? And didn''t he almost take all of us by surprise?"


    Qin Feng nodded at that too, the moment that the handsome fellow finished. But Li Changhai did not look deterred at all by that argument. It was nothing new, after all. And he quickly threw another back in Lin Liushui''s face:


    "Who can say that Du Yan''s enemies might not have a similar ambush waiting for him, the moment that he steps outside Yanyun City? Are you willing to gamble on that? When the stakes here is clearly Brother Yan''s life? Are you willing to take that risk?"


    * * *


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 209 Heading Out 1

    Lin Liushui, naturally, did not have an answer for him. "But if we were to travel with him ... Won''t that put you at risk? Wouldn''t that put all of us at risk?"


    He glanced sideways at the Second Ducal Prince as he said that, which made it rather clear who he was really concerned about. Which showed that what he had really meant was ''put you at risk''! Not that Li Changhai missed that.


    "So? Do you believe that we would all be safer, if we do not travel by his side?" the Ducal Prince demanded, squinting at Lin Liushui as he did so, "Since you believe that this is a plot, have you not considered that it is meant to separate us? So that they can pick us off on their own? Especially since their first attempt did not suffice?


    "Think about how much weaker my faction - if I had one! More importantly, can I afford to lose Du Yan? Can I afford to lose any of you? So it makes better sense if we stick together. It would be harder to try to break all of us in a bundle, rather than working on each branch."


    He was pushing his luck and he knew it. But Li Changhai wasn''t above using a little subterfuge when the occasion called for it. So far, everyone believed that Fatty Zhou had been after him, so why should he not make use of that assumption?


    Well, it certainly did the trick against Lin Liushui, who simply shut up after that. And Qin Feng did not seem opposed to his joining the group either. In fact, the youngest of the lot seemed to be the first to agree that the four of them should all stick together. Perhaps because he would have been in greater danger, if it had not been for the aid of Lin Liushui and Du Yan.


    But convincing Du Yan was likely to be more difficult than what he had experienced thus far, Li Changhai thought.


    Something that Lin Liushui was also quick to point out. Albeit a little dejectedly. "Brother Yan isn''t going to like this, you know. He was expecting to leave alone, and has already gone back to pack. We had better stop him if we wish to accompany him to the Capital City."


    Which was what the trio did immediately. The Second Ducal Prince was the one who led the way, half-running along the corridors that led through the section set aside for long term guests towards the place where Du Yan was residing. He was going so fast that Qin Feng was panting a little, as he tried to keep up.


    The youngest of the group was supposed to be recovering from his injuries still, after all.


    But they made good time, and soon stepped into the guest courtyard that Du Yan had been staying in. And found that he was still in the midst of packing!


    Apparently, he had brought along, or had purchased, a great many things when he came to the Ducal Palace. Especially herbs and medicinal minerals, which piled up almost as high as his waist, out in front of his premises. And that did not include his clothes and other accessories.


    But he was not too surprised to see the three of them. Although it seemed rather clear that he was simply expecting them to come to bid him farewell, before he left on his journey.


    He also looked a little embarrassed, since they had caught him unprepared, with all of his little knick-knacks stacked up high in front of him. It was rather obvious that he would not be able to carry all that off, if he was sticking to his original plan.


    However, the revelation that they were going to head to the Capital with him came as something of a shock to the burly fellow.


    And Du Yan, naturally, disagreed when they told him about the change in plan.


    "This is my personal business, my brothers, and nothing to do with you. You three should not get yourselves involved. It will definitely be messy if you do. And you have other matters to be concerned about, at the moment."


    His eyes were fixed on Li Changhai as he finished his last sentence. Which gave them no excuse whatsoever, to pretend that he was not directing his words to the Second Ducal Prince. And reminding him of the recent attempts on his life. Including the one that he had witnessed himself.


    The Second Ducal Prince, of course, seemed more than just a little upset with Du Yan, as soon as he heard them.


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    "Do you think I would be afraid of a bit of mess? The reason why I am going with you is because I have a gut feeling that this is something that came about because of your association with me, rather than those strange jianghu rules that you two have always been talking about. Besides, you''ll need an escort and my people are the best suited."


    Li Changhai nodded at Qin Feng then, and dragged him into the muddy waters. "Besides, you are treating Qin Feng, aren''t you? Surely a physician cannot simply abandon his patient like this, and rush off. We are bringing him along so that you can monitor his condition!"


    The pair who had heard exactly what the old physician had to say about Du Yan''s interference earlier simply raised their eyebrows at him at that. Which prompted the Ducal Prince to wince, as an expression of apology. But he did not stop pressing Du Yan, who was already looking a little uneasy about the whole thing.


    Then all at once, the tall, muscular block of a man threw his hands up into the air, as though he was giving up the fight. "Alright, alright! I will bring you lot along with me. But only because I know that I can''t fit all of this upon my horse! If you are going, you''ll get a wagon at least. So I should have some more space for my belongings," Du Yan grunted as Li Changhai beamed his pearly white teeth at him.


    "Now go away so that I can pack all of this away properly!"


    The Prince and Lin Liushui made their way out of the courtyard then, leaving Qin Feng behind to tell Du Yan more about what the physician had said earlier, about the sedative in his medicine. Then the gorgeous scholar sighed as soon as they were a short distance away from the courtyard. And Du Yan''s ears.


    "Well, that went a little easier than I had expected. You should warn your guards to keep an eye on him though. In case he tries to sneak out of the Palace on his own. Brother Yan doesn''t usually do things like that, but it would be safer to keep an eye on him until all of us are ready to go."


    Li Changhai had to agree that it was a good precaution. But Lin Liushui wasn''t quite done yet. Although his next bit of advice had to do with the Second Ducal Prince himself:


    "And do not forget: there are still two more people that you''ll need to see, and to convince, before you can leave the Duchy:


    "Or are you forgetting your father and your mother? I doubt that the Duke will kick up much of a fuss since he had been expecting you to head out for that treasure hunt of ours in the first place. But your mother?" Lin Liushui declared with a slow shake of his head.


    "I think your mother will definitely have something to say, when she learns that you''ve decided to head out towards the Shu Kingdom Capital, at a time like this!"


    * * *

 210 Heading Out 2

    Surprisingly, the Duchess had been supportive, when he told her what he intended to do. She approved too, of Li Changhai intent to bring what troopers he had already recruited into that half-company of his. The Prince did get the impression that the second part was the one that set her at ease. Well, a little.


    "You are not a coward, and I have always thought that you were too cautious previously," she confided in him with a smile, as she patted him on the shoulder, the moment that he had shared his plans.


    "Besides, this is someone that you value. So if you were to do nothing while he is in danger ... That would seriously affect how you see yourself. And I would not wish you to go through something like that. So naturally I would support you in this."


    The way that she squeezed his shoulder, on the other hand, was enough to convey just how concerned she was, regarding his own safety. Something that Li Sanlang promised, himself as well as his mother, that he would be paying a great deal of attention to.


    "However, you shall have to take better care of yourself this time. You are heading into the Capital, and not to my parent''s fief. So there are definitely going to be more dangers, and more enemies, for you to meet."


    The Duchess'' tone went a little lower, and her voice a little softer, as she said the last. And from the way that she was looking at him, she was making it rather clear that she was more worried about his safety than she was letting on. Li Changhai was not a stranger to his mother''s moods, so he could see that immediately.


    For a moment, he was torn. Between what he had promised his friends, his Brothers, and the sort of pain that he knew that he was putting his mother through. But it was something that he had to do, so he simply nodded back at her. And patted the back of the hand that she had placed on his shoulder.


    "Do not worry, Mother. I shall be bringing my personal Bodyguard with me. It may not be at full strength, but a half-troop should be sufficient to deter all but the most determined assassins. And I shall have Du Yan, Qin Feng and Lin Liushui at my side. They should be enough to keep me safe from harm."


    Along the way to the Capital at least. But the Second Ducal Prince did not add that to the rest of his words. There was no point. His mother probably knew it better than he did, since she had lived there, in the Capital City, herself.


    And true enough, she simply gave his shoulder another squeeze, as her voice took on a harder, slightly chiding tone:


    "Remember that you are a scion of the Feng Lineage, as well as member of the Li Family. Neither of those lines have ever stepped away from a fight! And we are not afraid of confronting what enemies that dare to hinder you. Whoever they may be! So do as you see fit!"


    Li Changhai bowed again, as soon as he heard that. And promised his mother that he would do just that:


    "I will make sure that I do not disgrace either family, when I arrive at the Du Family estates. I shall support my Brother to the best of my abilities and do you proud, mother. I promise you that!"


    *


    Qin Feng wondered how he had gotten himself involved in something so idiotic again, as he rode out of Yanyun City on one of the powerful horses that Li Changhai provided.


    They were not taking a carriage or wagon this time, since they were going to need to rush. And the Second Ducal Prince had pretended that it was all to test his new Bodyguard as well, to see how they would handle themselves on a long ride like this, with the bare minimum of support.


    Well, to be frank, it was more like they would not be getting any support at all!


    Although Qin Feng was rather clear that except for Acting Captain [whatshisname], none of the other soldiers knew a thing about the whole journey and Li Changhai''s actual intentions. And he was certain that Lin Liushui and the somewhat distracted Du Yan were not going to enlighten them.


    Indeed, the debonair Lin Liushui, the Eldest among the Three Sworn Brothers, had lost his suave, devil-may-care attitude during the first two days of the journey. And he had even ridden out of Yanyun City with a scowl on his handsome face. Which was something that surprised not only Qin Feng but his Brothers as well.


    "What is the matter? Why do you look as though you have torn a hole in all your riding robes? Or as if you have discovered that the birds overhead have been pooping on your hats the whole day?" Li Changhai asked the handsome fellow, as soon as they stopped for the first night.


    Which was enough to draw a weak laugh from Du Yan. Qin Feng had also offered up a rather insipid smile as soon as that happened. But he had been far more interested in Lin Liushui''s reply. For some reason, he had the feeling that it would not spell anything good.


    Nor had Lin Liushui disappoint him.


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    "Have you noticed that we have passed more merchants'' wagon trains along the way than what is usual for this time of the year? From what I have observed over the years, most traders would still be resting from their sale of goods during the new year, and we should hardly see any of them on the roads at this time.


    "And yet, we have crossed paths with six of them. All in one day. That is not the sort of behavior that I had expected to see, as we are departing Yanyun City."


    Li Changhai had been quick to react to Lin Liushui''s warning too. He had summoned Acting Captain Wen Xuanran and given him orders to set a double watch over the night. As well as to warn the soldiers to sleep with one eye open.


    Qin Feng had grinned when he heard the last, to tell the truth. And had been surprised when the Captain simply nodded his head and saluted the Second Ducal Prince. And true enough, all the soldiers were on high alert that night.


    As to whether they were really sleeping with one eye open or not, he certainly didn''t bother to check. Indeed, he never had the chance to do so; all of the troopers greeted him the moment that he stepped out of his tent, for all that they were still lying down.


    All of them did have their weapons close at hand though. And they were sprawled on their sleeping mats still with their armor on!


    * * *

 211 Heading Out 3

    Nor was that the full extent of their preparations. He discovered that the next morning, when he saw a team of four quietly filling in two pits that had appeared, one next to the cook-fires and the other behind the Second Ducal Prince''s tent. Apparently, the soldiers had surreptitiously prepared those traps in case there was an attack on Li Changhai during the night!


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    Which was probably why he was a lot more confident in the soldiers, and their preparations, during the following night''s camp.


    But the consequences of their extra exertions were rather obvious as well, over the next few days. Some of the soldiers had dark bags under their eyes, and there were one or two who looked like they had not had a good sleep in a month. Which, if one took into consideration the fact that the troop had been in strict training before they left Yanyun City, was not that large a surprise.


    The Second Ducal Prince, therefore, slowed down their advance during the third day, and made it a point to give the men a rest every time that they entered a town thereafter. Or some sizable settlement that could boast of an inn or somewhat.


    That was when Lin Liushui and Du Yan took over the guard duties, standing watch over Li Changhai while the last was in the inns and guesthouses that they rested in. Something that Qin Feng took part in too, when he realized what was going on.


    To be honest, it was more work than he had expected.


    Especially when Du Yan made it clear that they would be keeping an eye on the Second Ducal Prince''s room in shifts while Li Changhai was sleeping. Without letting him know about their move, so that they could secretly protect him. That was certainly a surprise.


    Then again, he guessed that he should have known, when the pair revealed their orchestrations. And Lin Liushui mentioned how he had mentioned giving the troop a rest now and then, to make sure that they can maintain their alertness all the way to the Capital.


    It was just the sort of thing that he would come up with, Qin Feng thought. After all, he had taken over the training of the soldiers as they moved. Not that the Second Ducal Prince, or Captain Wen, had any objections.


    That was when he really started to pay close attention to what the trio, and the soldiers, were doing, as they traveled. He had been more than happy to leave them to their own devices back when he was heading to Yanyun City from Changqing City, in Li Changhai''s company. But it was clear that he had plenty of gaps in his education.


    At least, they were not the sort of thing that he had been trained in, back at the Heaven Sword School, in the South.


    Of course, in the course of their journey, Qin Feng found himself wondering at Li Changhai''s real motivation for heading to the Capital City together with Du Yan. To be honest, he didn''t really believe that it was necessary for him to go through the trouble. Even if it was to show how highly he regarded his Sworn Brotherhood with Du Yan.


    It was not as though he wouldn''t be in a great deal less danger, if he remained at the Duke''s bastion, there at Yanyun City. And couldn''t he have simply sent his personal guard with Du Yan? And allow Lin Liushui to give him a hand as well. That should be enough to deter the casual troublemaker, wouldn''t it?


    Leaving that place, on the other hand, was likely to expose him to another assassination attempt at the least. Not to mention the fact that they could also be attacked by Du Yan''s enemies. The mere fact that they were making trouble for Du Yan''s betrothed, and her immediate family, was indication enough that they wanted nothing less than to create trouble for them. And for him.


    Which certainly puzzled Qin Feng as well. Du Yan was a large and powerfully built fellow but he did not give him the impression of a very quarrelsome guy. Nor was he the sort that would belittle others, or poke fun of strangers in a public place. In short, he was totally unlike Lin Liushui.


    If he had been told that the latter had been the one who was a target of some vendetta or other, Qin Feng would have immediately believed it. Lin Liushui was just that sort of irritating fellow, who could be relied on to have all sorts of enemies and rivals everywhere that one traveled to. Or, at the least, that was the sort of aura that he gave out.


    Du Yan, on the other hand, was not that sort of person. So it came as a bit of a surprise when Qin Feng heard that someone was out to make trouble for him. Or his wife-to-be. Which was really as ridiculous as one could get!


    Dragging someone''s in-laws into one''s vendetta against the principal was certainly not the sort of behavior that would win one friends. And he did not doubt that whoever was behind this was likely to be ostracized because of this particularly obnoxious move.


    Unless, of course, it originated from someone belonging to a truly powerful or massively influential organisation. Such as the Royal Family of the Shu Kingdom, or one of the Three Major Sects in the region. Still, it was a little eye-catching, throwing oneself into such a conflict. And for what? A girl? That didn''t sound the least convincing at all!


    Well, as luck would have it, the trio ended up discussing the whole situation there in the Capital, one night after Li Changhai had retired to his tent. It seemed clear that Leaving the three of them to sit there next to the campfire, well away from the soldiers who were making their own preparations.


    Like setting traps around the perimeter, Qin Feng thought to himself. Before he turned his attention back to the two slightly older men at his side.


    "Well, it will only take us another three to five days to get to the Outer Gate of the Capital. So you might wish to think about how you are going to touch on the topic between you and the Yuan Family. Have you come to a decision yet?"


    Du Yan grunted at Lin Liushui and gave the latter an ugly look. "What are you talking about? When had I ever said that I would be calling off the marriage?"


    * * *

 212 Heading Out 4

    The elegant Lin Liushui, who looked no less attractive in his outdoor clothes and sitting at the campfire, chuckled at his burly friend''s unhappy tone of voice. "Oh? Don''t tell me that you have not given the question a bit of thought, over the last few days? This concerns your marriage, after all, and you did run away from the girl for almost two years."


    "Run away from her? Who said that I ran away from her? I was only out to try to figure out some problems that I had with my alchemy, alright? And I had certainly told her what I had intended to do!"


    Qin Feng almost snorted as soon as he heard that. That was a rather bold statement to make, for someone who had not even passed his initial examinations, to become a low ranked Alchemist.


    Fortunately, while Du Yan was not any exceptional talent, he had not made any terrible mistakes. Otherwise, as the person who had been ''taste-testing'' his potions previously, Qin Feng would have found himself in a rather ''interesting'' situation!


    In any case, this situation was not about that. Instead, it had everything to do with the fact that Du Yan had not informed anyone else of that decision of his. Nor had he left any sort of notification with regards to his intentions. To the girl, and not that concerning his ambitions towards alchemy!


    Something that Lin Liushui was quick to point out to him too. "If you had left a letter, or some sort of love token with her, you would not be in such a mess now," he said with a rather exaggerated sigh. "If she had something like that with her, all of this nonsense could have been avoided in the first place. Now she has two out of the Three Great Sects making trouble at her doorstep. So all we can do is hurry over and help her resolve it."


    "Three Great Sects?"


    Lin Liushui sighed again, and tapped himself on the chest before Du Yan could say a word. As though he was telling the latter to leave it to him. Not that the tallest man of the group looked particularly intent on taking over. Du Yan''s face had already taken on a dark cast, and he gave off the distinct impression that he was brooding where he sat.


    "You had already heard about the Snow Swallow Palace, so there is no point in telling you more about that place. They seem intent on showing up in the Capital for some strange reason. Although Yuan Qianyi, Du Yan''s original bride-to-be, does not appear to be in their contingent."


    Qin Feng nodded, acknowledging that bit of information. He could remember all that easily, since Du Yan had already spoken about it, some time ago. "And which is the second of the Three Great Sects that is making an appearance? I trust that it is as powerful as the Snow Swallow Palace?"


    "They would like to think so. But honestly? The Black Eagle Mountain is barely an extended family rather than a true Martial Sect. The only thing that it has to its name is a rather secure Mountain Stronghold and a very influential link with the Shu Kingdom Royal Family. One of their daughters married into the same as a Royal Court Concubine. That''s about as high as she can get, without making Queen."


    "The Black Eagle Mountain?"


    Du Yan made a growling noise in his throat as soon as Lin Liushui mentioned the Sect, and he could not help but interject the moment that Qin Feng asked the question:


    "That''s a Silver Ranked Sect that is active in the East. But it has a branch there in the Capital and likes to throw its weight around thereabouts. The Branch Head there has some ties with the Royal Family, particularly the Fifteenth Prince. Who is the son of that same Royal Court Concubine. So you can guess what sort of people are in that faction."


    From his choice of words used to describe the Black Eagle Branch Sect, it seemed pretty clear that Du Yan had a grudge against the same. Which was enough to make Qin Feng raise his eyebrows at the man, hinting that he would appreciate more information regarding the same. But Du Yan had fallen into a morose silence, and did not appear to have noticed Qin Feng''s signal.


    Which was why Lin Liushui took over the telling with a chuckle. Although he did have a touch of melancholy in his voice as he did so:


    "The Black Eagle Mountain is only Silver Ranked, so they are not particularly influential. Not when they are compared to the Snow Swallow Palace, which is Gold Ranked. That is about as powerful as you can get, here in the Shu Kingdom."


    Qin Feng frowned again. But that was enough of the hint that Lin Liushui did not need a reminder to tell him that Qin Feng knew nothing about the ranks of the Martial Sects either.


    "There are three ranks which are used to differentiate the Martial Organizations that are so rampant in the Empire and the Six Kingdoms. Most of the common Schools and minor Sects are Bronze Ranked, while the slightly more influential ones - those who have some measure of influence within the Kingdoms where they are found?


    "Well, those are usually awarded the Silver Rank, according to the Purple Jade Almanac, which deals in such matters. It is what most martial practitioners refer to, if they wish to learn more about the jianghu, as well as the gossip within the Martial World."


    Qin Feng nodded. "So the highest rank listed within this Purple Jade Almanac is Gold? And the Snow Swallow Palace is of that rank? Doesn''t that mean that Du Yan will have a bit of a fight on his hands?"


    He turned to Du Yan as he said the last, but the brawny fellow merely snorted at his words. And pointed a finger at Lin Liushui.


    "Well, they are less likely to cause trouble for the Yuan Family, since Yuan Qianyi, my original betrothed, belongs to that same Snow Swallow Palace. The Heavenly Eagle Mountain, on the other hand, is more likely to try to squeeze some benefits out of the Yuan Family, since the latter is backing another of the Royal Court Concubines. No doubt they are attempting to weaken the same at Court.


    "It''s all politics, as Lin Liushui will tell you."


    Lin Liushui''s face fell the moment that he heard that. Which was certainly not a surprise to Du Yan. It was a measure of just how annoyed he was feeling, from all that teasing that Lin Liushui had thrown at him earlier, that he would retaliate by pushing the responsibility for explaining back into his lap.


    "You make it sound as if I am the only one qualified to talk about that! I''ll have you know that Brother Sanlang is more knowledgeable about that subject than I am. Perhaps we can push the job of educating young Qin Feng to him instead, hmmm?"


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    "Educating Qin Feng? What about?"


    * * *

 213 Background 1

    The trio looked up to see a rather disheveled Li Changhai step out of his tent to join them at the campfire. He gave out a yawn as he peered about himself, and stretched before he took a seat next to Lin Liushui, who had shifted to give him a spot close to the fire.


    "What was this about Qin Feng? Have they been making trouble for you again?"


    Qin Feng chuckled while the other two men protested vehemently. It seemed that Li Changhai somehow got the impression that the other two were constantly picking on or taking advantage of him. Something to do with Du Yan''s medicines and Lin Liushui''s almost never-ending teasing, no doubt. Well, he was in no hurry to clear that up!


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    "They were just telling me about the Black Eagle Sect. And how their ego seems to be getting too big for them to continue wearing their trousers any longer."


    The Ducal Prince paused in his adjustment of his clothing to stare at the youngest in the group. Then he gave out a bark of laughter and shook his head at Qin Feng, before he moved to sit down. "I like it when you put down our enemies like that. And you are right about their pride. Most of them are only Silver Ranked, but they are sticking their chopsticks into everything that they can see. Including this particular muddle," he sneered.


    "Oh? What do you mean?"


    Lin Liushui laughed then, when Li Changhai pointed a finger at him in reply. His smile however, gave the impression that there was no one better at answering that particular question. Something that had Lin Liushui puffing his chest out. And he took up the telling as everyone had expected him to:


    "He means that the Black Eagle Mountain is famous for getting involved in other people''s business. And sticking their noses where they are not wanted. Not to mention the fact that there is at least one other faction that is showing up at the Yuan Family estates that is likely to outrank them. Which is inaccurate, although not by very much."


    "Oh?"


    The handsome man started to reach for the fan tucked in his waistband, then realized that it wasn''t really suitable for the environment. Then he sighed, and pulled his hand away again. Amidst laughter from his two Brothers.


    Qin Feng found that rather amusing, although he was certain that it was a deliberate move by Lin Liushui to lighten the mood. No doubt he thought it was necessary, before he broke down the enemies that faced Du Yan and his betrothed. As well as her family.


    Despite the sour feeling that he could not keep from his face. Clearly, he was still more than a little upset with the Snow Swallow Palace. And how it was keeping him from his beloved.


    "Well, like I mentioned earlier, the ones backing this debacle are Snow Swallow Palace and Black Eagle Mountain. They are the most highly placed Sects that are taking part. That is, according to the information that we had received."


    His words reminded every that the intelligence that they had gotten regarding the matter was suspicious in itself. And that they would have to take everything that they had learned with a pinch of salt. At least, until they arrived at the Capital, and could find out more regarding the situation at the Yuan Family estates.


    "Ah. Then there are others? Sects and Schools of some might, I mean. There are more of them involved in this mess, aren''t there?"


    "Exactly. Which leaves one to wonder at the reason behind this move of theirs. There is hardly any point, is there? The Yuan Family are still a rather impressive power, there in the Capital. And a starved camel is still larger than a horse."


    Li Changhai nodded at Lin Liushui''s words, but made a gesture as if to encompass the whole campfire, as he turned to Qin Feng. "That is true. But the situation in the Capital is a little more complicated right now, with all of the Princes trying to attract as many allies as they can. In hopes of being named the Crown Prince, you see. And this is probably another one of the plays that they have set up."


    Qin Feng''s expression must have revealed his ignorance with regards to the matter. He had never really cared too much with regards to the Succession of Kings and such, to be honest. So he clearly had no idea what the Second Ducal Prince was talking about.


    "I think you will need to give him more background about that, Brother Sanlang. The situation there at the Shu Kingdom Capital is a little more complicated than what can be said in a few sentences like that," sniggered Lin Liushui, who looked as if he was more than willing to take over the telling.


    But the Second Ducal Prince shook his head at the same, and carried on, adding more meat to the bones of the matter:


    "He is right, I suppose. You are not a native of the Kingdom, so you wouldn''t have been paying attention. Well, basically, our King is rather aged. He is older than my father, and my maternal grandfather, to give you an idea of what I am talking about. And most of his sons are around my older brother''s age. Or my uncle''s age, for that matter. You have seen the last, so that might give you a better idea.


    "In any case, they are now contesting over the throne. The Shu King has yet to name a Crown Prince, which means that all of them have a chance. That is why things are heating up right now. And why everyone is trying their best to rope in all the powerful nobles."


    "As well as the not so powerful ones. Even an ant has a bit of meat, after all. That is why your worthless brother-in-law is valued now. For his identity as a Court Noble."


    Qin Feng turned to Lin Liushui again. "What is a Court Noble, exactly? I have heard that term before, but I have never really understood what it means."


    * * *

 214 Background 2

    "Well, a Court Noble is no different from the rest of our nobility. Save for the fact that he doesn''t have a proper fief, and the advantages of the same, behind him. My sister - or half-sister, if you must be precise, married a Court Noble. And she is famous for flaunting his exploits every time she returns home," Li Changhai sighed.


    "Basically, they use their knowledge of the Royal Court, and their connections within the same to gain certain advantages in trade and such. However, they do not have sufficient coin to make any significant purchases of land that would upgrade themselves into true nobility."


    Qin Feng turned to Lin Liushui, whose explanation was strangely succinct. It was as though he disdained speaking on the subject. "Then this Zhao fellow ..."


    "He is an idiot. And everyone knows it. But he is a very charming idiot, who seems incapable of doing much harm. That is probably why my father tolerates him."


    The Second Ducal Prince sighed, and gestured at the handsome man at his side, whose face was already twisted in anger. "Brother Liushui has a long-standing disagreement with him. Or to be exact, this is something between their families. It has been going on for close to twenty years already, I believe."


    Lin Liushui looked as though he was about to expound on the situation, but Du Yan sighed, and held up a hand to stop him from continuing his tale. "That is something best left for another time. For now, I think I had better get on with bringing him up to date with my story. And since it does involve me directly, I suppose I should be the one to tell it," he murmured, in a voice that Qin Feng had to strain his ears to hear.


    "Besides, I am certain that someone would add more salt and pepper - No! Even chilli powder to the same, to make it more exciting. I don''t think that I should want that!"


    Lin Liushui chuckled as soon as he heard that. While the look on the Second Ducal Prince''s face told Qin Feng that he was more than pleased that Du Yan was taking over. Lin Liushui had a tendency to add drama and spice to all of his tellings, as though he was some sort of street storyteller. Du Yan, on the other hand, was more taciturn, so it shouldn''t take too long to hear his version of the tale.


    Something that Du Yan began at once:


    "Well, it all started when Qianyi wanted to ... That''s Yuan Qianyi, my original betrothed. We were about fourteen or fifteen at the time, and I had just been brought to the attention of my Patriarch, with my unusual fiery qi. That made me eminently suited for crafting weaponry, it seemed. So there was a lot of focus on my schooling.


    "In any case, Yuan Qianyi''s parents suddenly brought her over to my residence ... Er, I mean, my parent''s residence, and not the main Du Family House. My father had just gotten permission to move out, you see. When I was twelve."


    Qin Feng felt the knot on his brow tighten as he heard the man begin his telling. All at once, he started missing Lin Liushui''s smoother, though more convoluted, style. If it went on like this, who knew when Du Yan would get to the end of his tale?


    "To cut the story short, Yuan Qianyi had come to beg me to let her break off the engagement. There was a woman who had come with her, and I had thought her to be a companion at first. But it turned out that she was from the Snow Swallow Palace, and she had discovered that Qianyi had a very rare constitution. So she wanted to take Qianyi as a disciple."


    Qin Feng held up a hand then, and looked at Lin Liushui and the Second Ducal Prince, who were sitting quietly at the side. "There is actually such a thing? But why did she have to break off the engagement? Is the Snow Swallow Palace like a nunnery? It didn''t allow for marriages and such?"


    But it was Du Yan who laughed and nodded in reply to his questions. "Something like that. The women from the Snow Swallow Palace are not allowed to engage in male-female relationships, and have to isolate themselves from even their parents, to practice their martial arts.


    "That is the reason why Qianyi had come to the look for me. She had just been selected and was eager to go improve herself. So she wanted me to break off what our parents had arranged."


    Du Yan shook his head again, and shrugged.


    "How could I refuse her? We were friends since we were children, and I had always thought of her as a sister, rather than a bride. And I was more interested in crafting great and powerful weapons for my Clan instead. In fact, I was considering how I was going to release her from the betrothal, from the contract, when she spoke to me about this.


    "So naturally, I agreed. This was something that she wanted, after all."


    Du Yan paused then, as he stared into the fire. And the other three men simply sat there, in silence, while he basked in his memories. They were not too painful, Qin Feng thought, if Du Yan could wear a slight smile like that.


    "Of course, her immediate family was less than pleased to hear about our little agreement. This was something that the Yuan Patriarch had promised my Patriarch, since the time that we were born. So I believe that there was something more than just the continuation of our warm relations, between the families, riding on this.


    "In the end, they stayed up half the night, with her parents and mine, trying to figure out a way to satisfy everyone. That is, everyone except the two of us."


    Lin Liushui gave out a sigh, the moment that Du Yan mentioned the last. But he shook his head, and waved for the burly fellow to go on. Qin Feng, however, could tell that the handsome man had some troubles of his own, probably in his own romance. No doubt he saw some parallel, between his relationship and Du Yan''s?


    But Du Yan only gave the gentlemanly fellow a shrug, and went on with his tale:


    "I cannot remember who it was, but I had the impression that Yuan Qianyi was the one who suggested that I be matched with her younger sister, Qianlei. Of course, I had laughed at the idea. Qianlei was less than seven years old at the time, and I saw her as a little sister, if anything.


    "But it was a reasonable substitution, and our parents agreed at once. Something that bothered me a little. Everyone had seemed so eager that we got married to one another. But I didn''t really care. After all, I would be going back into my Weaponsmith Training with our Du Patriarch, and it would buy us another ten years worth of time, to figure something out."


    Du Yan gave out a laugh then, full of self-mockery. "Such as my pulling out of the marriage! It seemed like a good plan to me, you see. It would be my turn to toss the plan out the window, right? After it had been done to me, I thought it unlikely that anyone would kick up too much of a fuss if I did that. Especially after I became a fully qualified Weaponsmith, like my Patriarch."


    Qin Feng could not help but interject at that point. It seemed a little obvious, what was likely to happen after all. "But things did not go according to your plan, did it? Something happened to twist it awry?"


    "Yes! You are right about that! Something that none of us expected!"


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    Du Yan burst into a grin as soon as he heard Qin Feng''s words, and clapped the younger man on the shoulder. A little harder than what Qin Feng was expecting too. But he hid his wince, and pressed the bigger man to go on:


    "What happened?"


    "I fell for her. That was what happened," he sighed, shaking his head, "And it was the best time for me to cast aside this betrothal, to tell the truth.


    "You see, I had just made the ranks of the True Weaponsmiths - that''s Seventh Rank, which makes us qualified to craft the sort of weapons that were sought after by nobles and those of high military rank. Eighth and Ninth Rank were just like an apprenticeship. Although I had not reached the level where Royalty would start to pay attention to my works back then. But my rank was more than respectable."


    Qin Feng nodded, as did the other two men. Which was something that surprised the youngest in the party a little. Hadn''t they heard this before? Why did it look as though they were listening to the tale for the first time?


    "This is the first time that we have heard it from his lips, so do not be too surprised if we look so engrossed in his telling," Lin Liushui told him, when he saw the look on Qin Feng''s face. And in a theatrical whisper, which was enough to make Li Changhai roll his eyes, and Du Yan give out another bark of laughter.


    "Well, the Yuan Family came over to my Patriarch''s house, to offer their congratulations. And along with them, they brought the cutest little thing! That was the first time that I saw Yuan Qianlei since the agreement was made, and she had already reached the age of twelve.


    "And the first thing that she did when she saw me was to throw herself into my arms! And ask me if I really intended to marry her, when she got older!"


    Du Yan shook his head as he mentioned the last, although he was grinning as he did so. "I found out later that she had started that tantrum because she wanted me to back her up, against her parents, so that she could get out of her martial arts training! It was too hard, she said, and as long as I was not looking for a wife who could fight off Spiritual Beasts or Barbarians, she would rather spend her time learning to cook and to sew instead!"


    Qin Feng frowned. "So she was ... using you to get out of the lessons that she didn''t like?"


    "That would seem to be the case, wouldn''t it? Well, what could I do? If I told her that she had to keep training, it would more or less tell her my intentions, wouldn''t it? But if I had agreed with her, and spoke to her parents, then wouldn''t I have sold myself away?


    "Wasn''t she a cunning little thing, to have thought of that?"


    * * *

 215 Background 3

    Lin Liushui laughed, and even Li Changhai, who had been trying hard not to show his amusement, could not help but wear a grin on his lips. Only Qin Feng managed to keep a stern expression on his face, as he nodded in appreciation. That was a smart move by the young woman. He made it a point to use that term to describe Yuan Qianlei, rather than calling her a girl. It was rather clear from the way that she had played Du Yan that she was not a young, innocent child by that time.


    "So you basically had no choice but to play along with her, hmmm?" teased Lin Liushui as he pointed a finger right at Du Yan''s nose. "From what I had heard, you had broken down and supported her skipping her martial arts lessons against her parents, and so won her approval. As well as theirs! It seemed they were more than willing to listen to their intended son-in-law. Something that you said, maybe?"


    Du Yan''s face went a little red when he heard that. "What nonsense are you spewing now? I merely said that she didn''t need to worry about her martial arts because I would be there to help her if anyone dares to bully her. That''s the sort of thing that proper manly men should do!"


    "Except everyone took it to mean that you were accepting her as a bride, and that you would take responsibility for her," Qin Feng shook his head at the much larger man, although he was not too surprised that Du Yan got played like that. After all, he was a little weaker than everyone else, when it came to such trickery. Still, it did not seem as though the big fellow minded it in the least.


    His words, however, caused Du Yan look away. Although it was a little obvious what he was thinking, as he stared into the fire. He was biting at his lower lip to keep from grinning away. Which was enough to start Lin Liushui sniggering again, and Qin Feng thought that the handsome scholar was going to start teasing the brawny fellow once more.


    Then the Second Ducal Prince cut in, with a question of his own:


    "But I hear that you had brought her around Chuanshui Town happily, showing her all the sights. And that you were less than pleased when she, and her parents, finally departed. As though you could not bear to be parted from her. You two spent almost the whole night together. ''Watching the moon, and baring your hearts'', or so they say."


    Du Yan''s blush deepened, but he nodded his head at Li Changhai. "Yes, we did. And yes, I wasn''t ready to let her go. She was more fun to be with than any of my stupid cousins. And she didn''t treat me as if I was a statue made of pure gold, like the rest of my family did. So yes, she was a whole lot more fun to be with, than any of them.


    "Not to mention the fact that she wasn''t obsessed with weapon-smithing, and that sort of thing! Naturally I preferred staying at her side. Can you blame me?"


    "So, one might say that you would not have minded too much, if you had to spend the rest of your life with her, hmmm? After you met her that time?"


    Qin Feng was quick to pick up on what had not been said, and he stepped in quickly, when he saw Lin Liushui open his mouth. His words, and what he had just pointed out with them, were definitely less biting than what the good-looking fellow would say, given the opportunity.


    Du Yan grinned back at him. "I had come to that conclusion myself. Which was why I had taken pains to visit her, when I was finally done with all that Weaponsmithing, and had made plans to run away from my family. And the way that everyone was merely treating me as another resource. That was just how they saw me, I thought, as someone who could craft more powerful weapons, and so bring in more money, and more power, for the Du Family."


    He turned to the other two men, and shrugged at Li Changhai. "I told you that I wanted to spend my time learning alchemy instead, and you were the first to support me. Well, that isn''t altogether true. I had spoken to Yuan Qianlei first, although I was not so blatant about escaping the fate that my family had planned for me. Although I didn''t tell her exactly what I intended.


    "And to my surprise, I didn''t have to. She had agreed with my plans before I could get started. And told me that she would wait for me to gain some accomplishment in whatever I wanted, before I went to claim her as my bride. And she was only fourteen at the time!"


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    All of them nodded when they heard that. It could be said that they were envious of the big, brawny fellow. After all, how many could claim to have won such support from their beloved?


    But Qin Feng thought the strangest reaction came from Lin Liushui . Who had sighed, bitterly. And his hands had dropped down to grip at his knees. From the way that his knuckles whitened, it was rather obvious that he was caught in the throes of some strong emotion. Qin Feng was about to ask him what was wrong when the Second Ducal Prince spoke again. But to Du Yan, rather than the handsome man.


    "That is why you are rushing back to her then? To claim her for your bride? To protect her from those who wish to use the rumors involving you against her and her family?"


    "Exactly!"


    Du Yan gave off an aura of determination then, which surprised Qin Feng somewhat. He had never before seen such a side to the quiet, brawny fellow. Was this what was meant when people talked about how a man could change once he has experienced love?


    "Whoever these people are, they are clearing targeting me! That means that they are only using the situation within the Yuan Family, whatever it may be, to draw me out. Well, if that is what they are after, I am more than happy to fulfill their wishes!"


    There was a finality in the way that he spoke, and Qin Feng did not doubt that the tall, muscular man in front of him was going to exact a price from those fools who dared to touch his bride-to-be''s, and her immediate family''s, good name. Something, he was certain, they were going to regret, as soon as Du Yan arrived at the Capital City.


    "Well, that might be the case. But if does not mean that we should not be cautious, when we get there. There should be a warm welcome for us, when we get there."


    Everyone turned to Lin Liushui then, to see the gentlemanly fellow looking a little sad, but with a determined smile on his lips. Qin Feng wanted to ask him what he meant, and if it had anything to do with the melancholy that seemed to wash over him earlier. But he didn''t get a chance.


    The Second Ducal Prince got there in front of him:


    "What do you mean by that? Do you believe that they have set a trap for us? At the Shu Capital?"


    "At the Shu Capital? Why bother to wait until we get to the Capital? The distance between where we are and the Capital City is still long. And there are plenty of sites along this narrow road that is suitable for ambushes.


    "If you really wished to get rid of an enemy, what better place would be best to set up an attack on the same? Especially if you did not wish their bodies to be discovered for some time?"


    * * *

 216 Background 4

    Li Changhai blanched at what Lin Liushui had just said. Then he recovered, and nodded back at the calm-looking, scholarly man. "You were the one who had led the scouts forward, to check out the lay of the land, surrounding the road. If you say there is likely to be an ambush, a trap, I would certainly believe you.


    "So what do you think we should do?"


    Lin Liushui smiled and made what seemed like a dismissive gesture. "Why bother worrying about such useless plans? When the floodwaters come, you block it with earth; when the enemy arrives, you face them with soldiers! You have a half-troop with you, and all of them are clearly motivated to keep you safe. Not to mention, your Captain Wen Xuanran has been putting them through their paces so far. It would be a little wasteful, don''t you think? If we did not give them a chance to show off what they had learned?"


    The Second Ducal Prince scowled at the light-hearted manner that Lin Liushui had just exhibited, which was enough to make the latter pout slightly. "Ah. You are no fun at all. I had thought that you would be eager to see just how far your soldiers have come, since they last accompanied you from the South."


    "We lost people on that trip, so we have a few new recruits into the company. And lives are important. I would prefer it if we didn''t lose anyone. Not on this trip, at the least."


    Lin Liushui acknowledged the Ducal Prince''s words with a curt nod. But the smile did not leave his lips. "Well, I doubt that our enemy would be sufficiently prepared to meet us in an open fight. We have been making better time than can be expected, with a troop this size. And they will not dare to strike at us without superior numbers."


    "Unless they have experts - I mean real experts in the martial arts! If they have those in their numbers, the number of soldiers on our side would not mean a thing," Qin Feng reminded him. That was something that he had learned. And the hard way too. He touched a hand to his chest as he mentioned that, remembering another fight that he had, far to the South.


    But Lin Liushui merely waved that aside. The handsome fellow seemed more than confident in his abilities. As well as those who were traveling with him.


    "If they are capable of sending such experts against us, they would not have bothered to let slip their plans, so that they can lure us to the Capital. No. I don''t think our enemy wishes to alert those in higher ranks, that they are targeting someone like a Ducal Prince. That would draw too many eyes, I believe.


    "So Sanlang''s status here may be saving us from them. At least, for the moment."


    Then Lin Liushui sighed again, while his lips wore a broad grin. Which was enough to tell the trio that he was up to his usual theatrics once again. "But not to worry. There are only two more spots along the trail which make suitable ambush sites. Although one of them is between us and the next town. So we shall have to be a little more careful, when we hurry along our way tomorrow."


    "Tomorrow?"


    Lin Liushui held up a hand with a confident look on his face. "I have already warned your Captain Wen, if you are so concerned," he told Li Changhai, who was the one who had been moved by his announcement that they might meet with an attack the day after.


    "And I shall also be riding at the fore as well, so I shall be the first to suffer, if they really dare to attack. It is more likely that they would pull back, the moment that they see how well protected you are."


    The Second Ducal Prince scowled as soon as he heard what the handsome fellow said. "That is too risky! You are gambling that they do not have more people than we do! What if they are confident that they can win? Won''t they attack then? That would put my people in danger, wouldn''t it?"


    Qin Feng snorted. "And what soldier has not experienced that sort of risk? It is their job to protect you, isn''t it? To put themselves in danger so that you do not have to face any?"


    Li Changhai was a little too caring, in his opinion. Besides, that Captain Wen seemed to be rather confident in his men''s fighting abilities. Qin Feng had not been paying too much attention to that, since he had been kept to his room, and his bed, before they left the Palace. But Du Yan and Lin Liushui seemed rather satisfied with the troop.


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    Not to mention the fact that they would be more alert, and more ready for a fight, now that Lin Liushui had identified the possible sites of an ambush. As for Li Changhai himself, Qin Feng had been spending a good bit of time in his wagon, so he knew that the Second Ducal Prince had brought along his personal armor, and that glaive that he had passed to him outside Changqing City. So he would be properly armed, unlike the previous fights that he had been embroiled in.


    That would certainly give him a better chance of surviving another attempt at his life, Qin Feng was certain.


    On top of that, there was also Du Yan and Lin Liushui, who were clearly eager to prove themselves on this little excursion. They had been left behind, back at Yanyun City, when the Second Ducal Prince headed South for the Winter. And faced all his trials there at Changqing. So it was no surprise that they were putting in so much effort now, to show just what they were capable of.


    And lastly, there was Qin Feng himself.


    He did not consider himself a great fighter, but there was a strange, unexplained eagerness to him as well. Perhaps a result of the recent improvements to his state of cultivation? He had made a great deal of progress in the same, so, theoretically, he should be a much better combatant, compared to when he was trying to fend off Zhou Jinhu back in the city. At least, he would not be too much of a hindrance to the Second Ducal Prince and his cronies.


    Maybe that was why he wanted to find an enemy - any enemy! Just so that he could test himself against someone who would not be missed. He was a little bloodthirsty at present, and he knew it. But after all that he had been through, Qin Feng doubted that anyone would blame him for that.


    After all, wouldn''t everybody else be just as bloodthirsty? After having suffered all that pain and inconvenience, for all that time?


    * * *

 217 Springing the Trap 1

    "There. In the trees."


    Lin Liushui said that with his chest puffed out, as though he had seen the ambushers already. So although Qin Feng could not be altogether certain that he was bluffing, he didn''t have the confidence to call the gallant out on the matter. Despite the fact that he had not seen a thing himself.


    Something that he was certain that Lin Liushui had factored into his blatant announcement that an ambush was going to take place.


    The group had been traveling for two days since that conversation of theirs at the campfire, and Qin Feng had been taking care to watch his surroundings as they moved along the trail. But, for all of his efforts, he had seen nothing that warned him of any people hidden in the space around the dusty dirt track.


    Of course, there was a part of him that wondered if the good-looking fellow was simply bolstering his own reputation, by tossing out observations like these, once in a while. But Qin Feng knew that Lin Liushui''s powers of observation were far better than his, so he was not about to call the handsome man out on something like this. Besides, it was to their advantage, since those same observations kept the Second Ducal Prince''s Bodyguard on their toes.


    Turning his attention back to the armed soldiers, he had to say that they had greatly improved since their trek together earlier, from Changqing to Yanyun. At the least, they seemed to be a lot more confident, despite the fact they were stepping into new territory again. They didn''t look as nervous as they had, during that earlier journey.


    "Where? What are you talking about? I can''t see a thing in the trees."


    The one who muttered those words was Du Yan, who looked as if he was totally bored. While this whole matter had been because of him and his intended bride, there was no denying the fact that they were moving a lot slower because of the size of the group. Bringing along thirty fully-armed soldiers did cause certain delays.


    Which was probably why the muscular fellow was more than a little impatient, these last few days, as they got closer to their destination. This close to the Shu Kingdom Capital already, and yet to come across the ambush that they had been expecting? That was probably something that was making him all the more agitated, wasn''t it?


    "That''s because you are just looking at the forest, and not paying attention to the little details that would have told you that there are people waiting for us there. But luckily for you, you have me! Luckily for you, I have been blessed with more intelligence that your average military counselor. And more good-looking than your average city heart-throb too."


    "Not to mention, with more boasts than an average arrogant bastard," came a low growl from the side. That had everyone''s eyes turning to the wagon beside them, only to see a fully geared Li Changhai jump down from the same.


    Well, almost fully armored. His spiked helmet was still tied to his belt, and the Ducal Prince had left his polearm tied onto the side of the wagon that was rolling along beside the group. But all in all, Li Changhai looked like the very picture of a minor general, like those that were usually shown on paintings displayed during a storyteller''s spiel.


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    But this particular ''general'' got a rude sound greeting his arrival, and from the pair that he called his Brothers no less.


    "I thought I told you that you should remain inside the covered wagon until we are attacked. Why have you shown yourself early? This might affect our tactics, you know?"


    But the Second Ducal Prince only glared at his ''strategist''. "Do you know how warm it is in there? Not to mention the fact that I am wearing all this armor, with that thick tunic underneath? It is already soaked with my perspiration two, three li* ago!"


    Lin Liushui threw out a theatrical sigh at him, in reply. "All for a very good reason. The whole point of the exercise was to keep you out of sight, and fully prepared to face the enemy attack. So long as they could not see you, and can only focus their attention on your carriage, they would not be prepared to deal with your armor.


    "And it is the best that your family had in its vaults, isn''t it? It should prove problematic for any assassins who are only expecting to find a soft persimmon, wrapped in the normal silken garments of a young, debauched gentleman. Hmmm?"


    "A debauched gentleman, your head! Who''s a debauched gentleman?"


    Du Yan chuckled at the Second Ducal Prince''s outburst, and Qin Feng could not help but smile. This was just the sort of argument that he had witnessed time and again, while traveling with the trio. And he had to admit that it was rather amusing, to watch Li Changhai behaving as though he was still a teenager, arguing with his friends.


    Then, just as the Second Ducal Prince was about to speak again, there was a loud cry from the five-man-team that had gone on ahead, to scout out the way. And all four of them turned to see arrows raining down on the soldiers, who had thrown up their piddling small shields over their heads, as they charged back towards the rest of the troop, shouting at the top of their voices.


    Even as Li Changhai''s mouth hung open, at the almost ridiculous sight of his own men coming under attack, Lin Liushui''s calm voice could be heard over the cacophony in the distance:


    "There! Didn''t I tell you to be careful earlier? That the enemy are in the trees? Thank goodness your Captain Wen took my words to heart! At least your soldiers are not going to be surprised. See, they are already falling into formation!


    "Now, what were you saying again? About how uncomfortable that armor is?"


    * * *


    *approx half a kilomete

 218 Springing the Trap 2

    Lin Liushui laughed again, as soon as he said that. And he gestured at the attackers rushing out of the trees with his ever-present folding fan. "There! You see! You see! I told you that this was the only place where they could hide an ambush! Didn''t I say that I was able to predict exactly where they would strike?"


    Li Changhai clearly did not have the mood to answer the handsome fellow''s biting commentary, as he clawed at the tasseled helmet that was hanging on his belt, and slammed it over his head, tying its strap under his jaw. But he finally managed a reply, as he snatched up his glaive, which was lying on the roof of his wagon:


    "Alright! You were right about the ambush! Now can we go help my people deal with those black-clad rascals now?"


    So saying, he charged forward immediately, to join the rest of his men in the battle that was heading his way. That move was answered by a loud cheer from the rest of the soldiers. No doubt it had greatly boosted their morale.


    Qin Feng, on the other hand, rolled his eyes as he started forward, to support the soldiers as well. Those from the rear had rushed up, and had already formed a secondary line between the Second Ducal Prince''s wagon and were supporting their fellows against the black-garbed raiders engaged at the front. They had clearly been alert for such a signal, and had practiced their response to the same. Lin Liushui had not been exaggerating when he boasted of how he had readied the guards for something like this.


    Although he probably had not expected the assailants to be as powerful as they appeared to be, Qin Feng realized immediately. The men in black were pushing the front-line back, and with greater ease than any of them had expected!


    "I think we shall need to step forward, to help out our Brother Changhai now. This does not look like a run-of-the-mill sort of ambuscade," grunted Du Yan as he started to heft the heavy pair of maces that had miraculously appeared in his hands.


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    That made Qin Feng look at the brawny fellow sharply. Did he have one of those Qiankun pouches? Or was it a ring like the one that he had on his finger? Then the youngest of the group shook his head at himself. What was he thinking? The Marquis of the Changqing City was handing them out as prizes for his military selections back then, so it should be a commonplace item, there among the wealthy and the influential, in the rest of the Kingdom. Why should he be surprised upon seeing how Du Yan had one of them too?


    In fact, it was only expected that Lin Liushui, and the Second Ducal Prince, were carrying more potent devices on their bodies. Given the fact that one was a member of an old family that wielded immense power, and the other was a noble son of one of the three men who dealt with all the military actions in the Shu Kingdom, Qin Feng did not doubt that they were loaded to the gills with all sorts of useful items.


    The glaive in Li Changhai''s hands, however, gave him pause. Wasn''t that something that he had given the Second Ducal Prince? Way back, during the assault on the Marquis'' Army Camp outside Changqing City? And hadn''t it been destroyed some time back? Why was the Second Ducal Prince still using that weapon?


    And another thing: why didn''t he keep that in a Qiankun pouch? Leaving it on the carriage like that was an obvious warning to the enemy that he was trained in such a weapon, wasn''t it?


    But this was clearly not the time to be worrying about something like that, Qin Feng reminded himself, as he saw the horde of enemy assassins rushing their way. There were close to two hundred of those men in black clothes, which was a little surprising, despite all the warnings that he had received from Lin Liushui.


    Pitted against just sixty, seventy in Li Changhai''s entourage, wasn''t that a little overdoing it? Or were they really that worried about the Second Ducal Prince''s personal troops?


    Or was it Lin Liushui''s and Du Yan''s reputation that was making the enemy worried?


    Qin Feng sniffed as he charged forward, just three, four steps behind the heavily armored Ducal Prince. Li Changhai was only a little slower because of the weight of the armor on his back, which spoke of how he must have trained wearing the same. And the way that he was wielding that glaive of his was smoother than Qin Feng expected.


    But he didn''t have too much time to admire his friend. Before he realized it, the black-garbed enemy had already fallen upon them, and Qin Feng was fighting for his life!


    The first one who attacked him was using a spear, and his thrust went straight for the unarmored Qin Feng''s chest. Which had him rolling his eyes at the idiot. Against such a simple, boring attack, he didn''t even bother to draw his sword!


    After all, he never really cared for that heavy soldier''s weapon that he was wearing at his side! The same one that he had snatched from the enemy in the last fight, escorting Li Changhai North. So he preferred not to use it, if he didn''t have to.


    Qin Feng slapped the spear aside, his hand catching the weapon neatly behind its bright scarlet tassel. This was getting annoying, he found himself thinking. He kicked off with his feet, to try to draw himself closer to his enemy, who was trying to draw back, so that he could continue to use the advantage of his longer weapon.


    But the barehanded Qin Feng simply pressed himself harder, and continued to slap, press and yank at the spear shaft, each time that it came close to him. To be absolutely honest, he wasn''t even in the least bothered by the attacks that his opponent made. Which did nothing except infuriate him. The idiot assassin was clearly not trying very hard to kill him. So, if that was the case, what was he really up to?


    A shout from the troop behind him woke him up from his building anger and annoyance. This was just another of the enemy''s ploys, wasn''t it? They were just delaying the more powerful members of the Second Ducal Prince''s party, while they wiped out his ordinary soldiers? And toss another dilemma into Li Changhai''s lap?


    And since the enemy was running from him like this, instead of facing him in a straight-up fight, did he intend to draw Qin Feng away from the others? That would certainly be sound tactics, if his intention was to eliminate the ordinary soldiers first, the young man decided.


    Well, too bad Qin Feng had no intention of letting him have his way!


    He growled as he finally yanked the sword from its scabbard, and thrust it out at the enemy immediately. In fact, it was faster than what the black-garbed spear-wielder had expected. The weapon was heavier that what Qin Feng had liked it to be, but that didn''t mean that he could not squeeze every bit of speed out of it when he had to.


    [Four Seasons Sword: Shards of Winter Frost!]


    The tip of the war sword slid into the enemy''s throat, even as Qin Feng slapped his final, desperate lunge with his spear aside. From his wide-open glare, it was clear that the black-clad fellow was completely unresolved. Clearly, he had not been expecting Qin Feng to have such a move.


    But the young man had already turned aside, unwilling to waste any more time on the idiot who had been trying to delay him. He had other things to worry about. Like keeping Li Changhai safe!


    However, the Ducal Prince was not unsupported. Du Fan, it seemed, had seen the problem as well. And had taken the most direct, most simple method to deal with it!


    The burly fellow had snatched up a handful of small rocks from the road, and had sent the lot flying at the rest of the black-clad men who were rushing to engage, and bind, the soldiers that were supposed to be protecting Li Changhai!


    The pebbles that he had thrown out smacked into the bodies of the assailants, giving off loud ringing sounds where they connected with the metal armor plates that they were wearing under their black clothes. Which was enough to deflect, and so prevent, the little stones from doing much damage to the ones wearing the same.


    However, the force of the thrown pebbles, were sufficient to send some of them crashing onto the ground! Even if they were not injured by the fall, it was enough to give the troop a chance to take a breather, and get themselves organized into a proper formation again!


    * * *

 219 Springing the Trap 3

    Unfortunately, that band was not the only one that was threatening the Ducal Prince. And Du Yan had to charge into the fray, his double maces spinning as he slammed into one black-garbed, black-masked enemy after another!


    And given his strength, all of them were thrown aside by just one of his mighty blows!


    Qin Feng almost laughed, as he stepped past those that had collapsed onto the ground, as he made an effort to finish off those who clearly still had the strength to move. He didn''t bother to waste any of his effort on those who were obviously no longer in any condition to fight; how could one be a threat, with his skull caved in, or his neck crushed by one of Du Yan''s swings?


    That made it so much easier for Qin Feng, so he was more than content to follow after him and the Ducal Prince, finishing off those who needed his attention. No one could say that he wasn''t doing his part, by making sure that none of them were pretending to be injured, so that they could stab one of the troopers, or Li Changhai himself, in the back!


    The rest of the troop had already caught their breath, and it seemed they wouldn''t need his help for the moment. The way that the enemy was fighting, on the other hand, made the young man from the Heaven Sword School frown. They seemed to be trying to create gaps in the soldiers'' defensive formation, so that they can get at the Second Ducal Prince. Or Captain Wen Xuanran.


    Although Qin Feng had his own idea of who their real target was. Which was not that much of a surprise; from the way that they were easing up on the Second Ducal Prince''s position, it was rather obvious who their real target, their real objective, was!


    Well, as spaced out as they were, he could no longer continue following after Du Yan, now could he? When all the assassins seemed to be trying to spread themselves out, to seek an opportunity to take out their primary target. Too bad he was not about to let them get their way that easily!


    He lifted the uncomfortably heavy sword, and charged at those who were lingering around the Second Ducal Prince immediately. Du Yan too, had seen the change in their approach, and was altering course in their direction as well, so Qin Feng was not afraid that he would not be supported.


    But this was the moment that he had been waiting for! This was his chance to find out just how far his Four Seasons Sword had improved!


    [Four Seasons Sword: Blazing Sun of Summer!]


    It was the most powerful offensive stance that Qin Feng knew. But only something like that was sufficient to release the anger, the frustration, that he had pent up inside of him. After that fight that he had with Zhou Jinhu, and the amount of pain that he had gone through training after that, the only thing that he wanted to do was to smash somebody''s, anybody''s, face in!


    And now, he had his chance!


    The sword in his hand was clearly enhanced, just as he had expected it to be. After all, it was the one that the leader of the earlier group of assassins had been armed with, during the attack against the Second Ducal Prince. It was sharper and threw out an aura that seemed to slice the very air in front of him, as he thrust the weapon at the closest of the special band of black-clad men.


    Something that the assassin was clearly not expecting to face! The Harsh Gale Step of his Flowing Wind Movement Technique had also brought Qin Feng right up to his target, before the latter could even consider responding. All he could do was to throw up his arms, to try to protect the vulnerable spots on his body against the swift thrust.


    But how could Qin Feng''s attack be blocked by just that? The Heaven Sword School was not a famous Martial School, but its Four Seasons Sword was not made a compulsory technique for nothing!


    The [Blazing Sun of Summer] was actually a flurry of attacks, that stopped once it had made contact with its target. Until then, Qin Feng simply continued his thrust, pulling his sword back slightly, and thrusting again! And again!


    By the third repetition, the heavy, uncomfortable sword had already pierced through both of the masked man''s arms, and landed squarely on his now unprotected throat! Which saw the man collapsing onto the ragged dirt field next to the highway, still glaring at the young man who had just slaughtered him!


    Not that Qin Feng had the leisure to bask in the warmth of his victory. He was already looking up to seek his next opponent!


    "Sanlang!"


    Everyone''s eyes turned at the cry, only to see the debonair Lin Liushui swatting at one of the attackers with his fan. The man-in-black crashed down on the ground immediately, and didn''t even have the opportunity to clutch at his ribs, where the blow had landed. From the way that he lay, lifeless on the ground, it seemed rather clear that he was already dead.


    But Qin Feng''s eyes followed the line of Lin Liushui''s pointing finger after subconsciously praising the gallant for his merciless fighting style and saw what he was trying to bring to the Ducal Prince''s attention:


    Another group of four had just emerged from the forest''s edge, and it was clear from the way that they moved that they were the true experts, the true assassins, behind that day''s attempt on Li Changhai''s life!


    Du Yan was quicker, despite his larger frame. Perhaps that had something to do with the fact that the Ducal Prince being weighed down by his armor. And the fact that his face was already covered in perspiration. Clearly, it was taking him more effort than the rest of them, to fend off all those attackers in black like that.


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    Whatever the reason for Li Changhai''s delay, Du Yan was the first to reach the quartet that were rushing at the side of the troop''s formation. And Qin Feng was quick to follow after the big man. Perhaps he might have forgotten, but this particular trap might be aimed at him, rather than at the Ducal Prince. After all, there was a possibility that he would head to the Shu Capital on his own, rather than traveling in the company of the Ducal Prince.


    The moment that the quartet shifted their positions so that they could move to encircle the brawny fellow was also the moment that Qin Feng knew that his suspicions were correct. Du Yan was their target! Du Yan, and not Li Changhai!


    Well, the youngest of the group sniffed as he ran a little quicker, to take up a position at his burly companion''s back. Whoever these assassins were, they were not going to have an easy time dealing with their target. Not with Qin Feng around.


    This was what he had been waiting for, after all. All that training that he did, and all that pain that he had suffered over the last month or so? He was just waiting to show these idiots what he was capable of now!


    Let us see who shall be the one who is going to suffer here!


    * * *

 220 Springing the Trap 4

    The four men wearing the same black garb as the other assassins were clearly experts from the way that they moved. Their footsteps were silent and light, and did not seem to affect the loose earth that had been churned up by the others as they charged at the troop. And Qin Feng did not miss the fact that there was one of them with wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.


    Someone who was clearly a lot older than his companions. And likely to be the one behind this whole thing, no doubt!


    Du Yan must have seen the same, for he wasted no time rushing at the old man, with his gleaming metal maces weaving a strange pattern in front of his body, before flashing out to encircle the black-garbed leader''s head!


    It was a move that Du Yan had demonstrated to Qin Feng before, so he knew its name, and the sort of strength that it had behind every swing! And it was the sort of move that had its power doubled, if used on an unsuspecting enemy. Which probably accounted for its name:


    [Du Family Hundred Weapon Mastery: Ambush in Ten Directions*!]


    But the old man merely grunted and threw a series of punches at the globulous heads of the metal maces, defending himself against the attack. There were loud clangs as the pair of maces connected with his hands, which certainly surprised Qin Feng.


    Du Yan too, was showing a shocked expression on his face as he stepped back. Clearly he had not expected his weapons to be fended off by bare hands. "Iron Fist? Kong Family Secret Art? Black Scaled Iron Fist?" he half-shouted, as he backed away.


    "A good eye!"


    The old man was not completely unaffected by the attack launched by Du Yan though, and he shook his hands after he took a step away from the clash. That was when Qin Feng noticed how there seemed to be a black-colored qi that was seeping out of his skin. Was that how the martial art got its name then?


    But he didn''t have too long to wonder about it. For the other three men, dressed in black, had not been content to simply watch the clash, and were launching their own attacks on Du Yan!


    Qin Feng naturally did not hold back. The quartet was so focused on Du Yan that they did not seem to have put too much attention on him! No doubt they were thinking that he would not dare to bring his low cultivation into their fight. Well, he was more than pleased to prove them wrong!


    [Flowing Wind Steps!]


    [Four Seasons Sword: Shards of Winter Frost!]


    He crossed the distance like a gale, and his sword tip flickered as he stabbed the weapon against the closest of the black-garbed men. All the while Qin Feng had the feeling that he was pinning a reaction on his target rather than actually hearing him give out a snort of derision. The Four Seasons Swordplay was not known for its speed and most of its power was hidden until the weapon made contact with its target. Unlike some styles that exhibited the full range of its killing aura, as it flashed towards the enemy.


    Hence, he was not surprised to see the man-in-black he was targeting lift up his hands to fend off the weapon. No doubt, this one was planning to use his bare hands to ward off the attack, much like what his compatriot had done earlier, against Du Yan''s twin maces.


    But this was Qin Feng''s sword, with a razor-sharp edge, and not a bludgeoning weapon with a rounded though heavy bashing form. And his Shards of Winter Frost was famous in the Heaven Sword School for its sudden release of power.


    Thus, it was only when his fingers made contact with the weapon, that the sword qi from its edge burst forth, lacerating the black-clad man''s palm! Blood spurted forth immediately, as the assassin pulled back his arm in shock!


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    Qin Feng didn''t waste any time, as he sense his opponent''s distress, as the latter hurriedly retreated. He had been waiting for just such a reaction!


    [Four Seasons Sword: Blazing Sun of Summer!]


    That follow-up was not something that he had come up with on his own, but what he had read in all those volumes that were stored in the Heaven Sword School Hidden Scripture Library! Why bother creating a pattern himself, when his forbears had already offered up something so effective?


    After all, wasn''t it something that made sense? To toss out something hot and fiery, after using the Winter''s chill to freeze one''s opponent, to slow him down? Besides that, the Summer Sword Stance was the best one for pursuit!


    The man-in-black was certainly not expecting such a move from Qin Feng, and the second of his attacks struck him in exactly the same arm that he had pulled back. The same one that he had thrown up in panic, to shield himself from the second thrust of the sword.


    But the Blazing Sun of Summer took a completely different line, compared to the Shards of Winter Frost! Something that the assassin had clearly not been expecting, when he thought to defend against the blow!


    The black-clad man gave out a sharp cry, as the unexpected scorching hot qi flooded into his half-frozen arm, shattering his meridians!


    Qin Feng didn''t waste the opportunity that had just appeared in front of him, and his next lunge caught his opponent before he could summon any stance to defend himself. Not a surprise, since Qin Feng no longer bothered to waste his time channeling his qi this time.


    The sword in his hand was thicker and heavier than he would have liked, but the tip of the same found its way to the black-garbed assassin''s throat all the same, cutting off his loud scream of frustration. And toppled backwards as his body went limp!


    Qin Feng wore a grim smile of satisfaction as he turned to the other three men-in-black. It seemed he had improved not only his internal strength but his swordplay had grown swifter as well. What he had been taught in the Heaven Sword School was true, after all. The stances did get smoother, and swifter, once his cultivation and understanding improved. He had a better control of the stances now, compared to what he was capable of, a mere month ago!


    And immediately launched himself at the next target!


    [Four Seasons Sword: Autumn Wind Sweeps the Fallen Leaves!]


    * * *


    *Ê®ÃæÂñ·ü

 221 Secrets 1

    However, the loss of the first assassin had already alerted the others. So Qin Feng''s sword forced his target to jump backwards, to avoid him instead. And so ignore the large Du Yan who turned to engage the other two from the team.


    And from the wide-eyed look that could be seen despite the mask of black cloth on his face, it was clear that his second target was alarmed to see Qin Feng throw himself at him. There was an obvious question in that gaze, demanding to know what had happened to the first who had met the youth.


    Indeed, his eyes widened further, when he caught sight of his companion, who was now lying motionless at Qin Feng''s back! It was clear that the first assassin''s death had been outside his expectations!


    But he didn''t have the opportunity to dwell on the matter, since Qin Feng was already launching his next attack on him!


    [Four Seasons Sword: Return of the Spring Wind!]


    His sword was heavier than what he was used to, and Qin Feng could already feel himself tiring, and slowing down a little. Which was why he started to use all four of the Four Season Sword stances, rather than just relying on his favorites. He had to catch them by surprise, if he could. And everyone had said that his Four Seasons Sword tended to give itself away, when he repeated the stances.


    Hence, he made it a point not to repeat himself, but to use a new attack on each of the masked men. At least, not use the stances in the same way. That should be enough to keep them confused. Besides, the Spring variation gave him a lot more options, when it came to fooling the enemy. It was more subtle and used gentle movements so it was hardest to defend against.


    Something that this next assassin had clearly not been expecting after avoiding his Shards of Winter Frost! That one was a direct, straightforward attack, that depended on speed and power. Something that Qin Feng could hardly coax out of his swordplay, given the heavy sword in his hands.


    This next fellow didn''t fail to meet with his expectations either, and the circular motion that he had employed with that particular stroke managed to distract the fellow, and slipped past both of his opponent''s arms, leaving the path clear to thrust the tip of his weapon into the black dressed assassin''s throat as well!


    So that was two down! Qin Feng didn''t waste any time, and rushed towards Du Yan immediately. The big man was still dealing with both of the assassins at his end, but it was clear that he was starting to lose ground.


    Qin Feng''s loud roar of challenge, on the other hand, was sufficient to snap the two remaining assassins out of their complacency!


    The older fellow seemed shocked to see his approach and turned gave the Du Yan - Qin Feng pair a measuring look before he spun around and started to flee. He rushed not back towards the forest though, but darted towards the road. That was enough to surprise Qin Feng, so much so that he wasn''t able to react in time, to give chase.


    The last of the assassins, however, stumbled when the old man took off, and Du Yan moved swiftly to take advantage of his mistake. By the time his left-hand mace flew at the assassin''s head however, he had recovered enough to dodge the blow. But only by a very narrow margin; the mace passed so close to his face that it had snatched away the black cloth that had been masking it, revealing a middle-aged fellow with a rather full moustache. And wearing a very shocked expression.


    Du Yan roared as he didn''t hesitate, and brought the mace in his right hand down on the unmasked man-in-black again. Despite the fellow''s desperate attempt to ward off the blow, the heavy metal globe at the end of his weapon crashed squarely against his shoulder! Du Yan had crushed his last opponent''s shoulder-socket. The man-in-black''s right arm was crippled, even if he did manage to get away.


    Clearly, the shock of his companion''s swift departure had left him unbalanced, with many openings to be exploited.


    So Qin Feng ignored the fight, and started after the fleeing assassin instead. But he froze when he heard another loud cracking sound even as he moved, then continued to run. He did not doubt that Du Yan would be able to prevail against his opponent easily, especially with one arm crippled.


    Still, the old man who had led the attack was moving steadily, not towards the forest but at the rest of the soldiers. Which was enough to ring all of the warning bells in Qin Feng''s head! And made him look up, to shout a warning at the troop.


    But when he turned back towards the troop, he found that Wen Xuanran had already led the same to an overwhelming victory against the remaining black-garbed men. Most of the soldiers were already casting their eyes about themselves, looking out for other enemies.


    There was a small handful that were still engaged though, and there were shouts as Captain Wen led a handful of his troopers to support those who were still fighting. But it was rather clear that none of those assailants were going to be getting away from the soliders.


    The old man, however, was avoiding all of the soldiers, as he sped towards one particular person in the whole group. Someone who was using a glaive!


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    Qin Feng cursed under his breath. But he could see that there was no way that the Ducal Prince would be able to hear him, even if he did shout a warning his way. And naming Li Changhai would only make things worse!


    Fortunately, there was still one person who was standing at the rear, who could see everything that was taking place. And who had already reacted, even as Qin Feng opened his mouth to shout a warning to the same:


    "Brother Liushui!"


    The gallant was already moving even as Qin Feng''s shout left his lips. Clearly, the handsome fellow had been paying attention to all the nuances all over the battlefield. So how could he have missed what had happened earlier?


    With his Lightness-of-Body Movement, Lin Liushui slipped in close behind the last of the special assassins squad, apparently without the latter''s notice. And his right hand was flashing to the back of the same''s head, still holding onto his fan. For a moment, Qin Feng wondered what he was up to. Was he thinking of grabbing hold of that one, for questioning? It didn''t seem very likely that he could get such an expert to talk, did it?


    Then Lin Liushui''s fan flicked open, as he swung it at the back of the white-haired man-in-black''s head, while the latter was still focused on charging towards the Second Ducal Prince. The old man didn''t even notice that the handsome fellow had already closed with him, before Lin Liushui initiated that attack. By then, of course, it was already too late!


    There was a bright flash, and blood suddenly splashed out from the aged assassin''s neck as he continued to dash past the handsome fellow. He even took another two steps, before he collapsed into a crumpled heap!


    Lin Liushui, on the other hand, didn''t bother to spare him another glance. Instead, he was had a scowl on his jade-like face, as he flicked what remaining blood off his fan, before he closed it again, and grinned at Qin Feng, who had just arrived in front of him.


    "There! That''s the end of the assassins, I believe. The soldiers should be able to deal with the rest of those brutes out there, hmmm?"


    * * *

 222 Secrets 2

    Li Changhai sighed as he watched his people pull themselves together after the fight. It had been a little more intense than he had expected it to be, and he was more than grateful that no one had been killed. There were six new recruits to the troop who had taken some minor injuries, but they did not look too serious. So it was likely that they would recover from the same, after some medical treatment, and continue to serve him as guards along the way.


    Then he turned to the trio that was accompanying him, and saw how they each wore different expressions on their faces. Clearly, they had differing views, with regards to how this particular ambush that had been set targeting him directly again.


    He was only halfway convinced, he had to admit, after listening to Qin Feng, Du Yan and Lin Liushui. Especially when they brought up the last assassin''s actions. There was cold sweat running down his back, when he heard how the four of them had gone against Du Yan at once. Would he have been able to fend them all off, like his big, strong Brother Yan did?


    He wasn''t sure, but he didn''t protest when they pretended to give him orders thereafter, setting him to remain closer to the carriage, in the centre of the group. Ostensibly to look after the injured soldiers.


    It did put him in a position to see what the others were doing, and how they were dealing with the attack:


    Lin Liushui was his usual stoic self, with that languid, polite smile on his lips. He had not said a word since the last of enemy had been slain. His eyes, however, were raking over every inch of their so-called battlefield, as if searching for something that he might have missed earlier, during the fight.


    Qin Feng, on the other hand, had a usual intense, searching look on his face, and was taking part in the search of the bodies together with the soldiers. No doubt, he was interested in the arms and armour borne by the experts, and was trying to find out more about the same.


    As for Du Yan, who was the reason for the four of them making the journey in the first place, he was glaring at the corpses, as he wiped his twin maces clean with a rag. As though he would like nothing better than to tear them all apart! And probably toss their bodies into his alchemical furnaces to melt them down in some sort of mystical pill too!


    Well, the Second Ducal Prince wasn''t inclined to blame him for his anger towards their attackers. He was not wrong regarding the reason that saw the four of them, and all those soldiers, making this particular journey in the first place. And why they were pushing themselves so quickly along the road too.


    To be fair, they were ahead of schedule. And by about two days, no less! That was something that Li Sanlang had not anticipated, when the band left the Ducal City of Yanyun. But they were still a day away from the next major city, of Ningban City, which was at the midpoint of their trip, more or less.


    Which was why this particular attack had come at a rather opportune moment. Just like Lin Liushui had suggested, the Second Ducal Prince saw it as a test for his soldiers, to show that they were not the raw troop that they had been, when they left Changqing City a short while back. Between their new captain, and the experience that they have picked up from their journeys thus far, they seemed to have gotten better as a troop.


    And that pleased Li Changhai greatly. He would have a need for these soldiers later, when he got to the Capital. Although he did wonder about their abilities to handle drills and parades, compared to their fighting capabilities. There would be some of the former, once they arrived at their destination, he was sure.


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    But he was more confident in himself now, since they have shown themselves to be a tough unit, and that their fighting skills were nothing to scoff at. Regardless of how they would be able to handle those formal activities in the Capital City proper. Not that he cared; soldiers were primarily there to fight, rather than to look pretty standing on a wall!


    "You will still have to make sure that they polish up their manners a little, before you get into the Capital. They will be upholding the Duchy of the Westlands'' good name, once they are there. As well as making sure that you don''t lose any face, against all those polished Royal Palace Guards."


    The Second Ducal Prince turned about, and saw that it was Lin Liushui who was standing behind him with a grin on his good-looking face. He had somehow managed to join Li Changhai at the carriage while the latter was tied up in his thoughts. The smiling man waved his fan at the soldiers, and shook his head at the lot of them.


    "Look at how awful their uniforms look. They are so hard on their clothes. Almost as hard as they were on the enemy! Looks like you will end up spending a good bit of coin, to make sure that they patch up their clothes properly. Fortunately, I have already thought of a good course of action for you. Otherwise, you are likely to end up more a pauper than a prince."


    Li Changhai snorted as soon as he heard that. And threw up his hand as though to ward off the words like he would a blow. "Ridiculous! Soldiers should fight and their armor and weaponry takes precedence over all of that pretty uniform nonsense! As if pretty clothes will make them fight any better!" he scoffed.


    But Lin Liushui merely sighed and grinned as he shook his head at the Second Ducal Prince. "I had expected you to neglect that little bit. So I had taken steps of my own. No need for you to thank me, of course. And you should be able to tell the difference, once they have put on my little contribution to their uniform shirts."


    "What do you mean? It is not as though they can be seen properly, can they? Not under that armor that I had managed coax out of my father," grunted Li Changhai.


    "That might work for the normal people in Chuanshui Town. They would be impressed to see any sort of uniform, and will be especially engrossed in your Captain Wen''s shiny armor. But the rest would only look like they need a good bath, don''t you think?"


    Li Changhai was about to protest, about the time and the money that that would cost. Then he stopped, and realized what the gallant was not saying! Looking down, he could see that his uniform, armor and all, were still largely pristine, compared to the rest of the troops. Even Captain Wen looked more travel-stained than he did!


    Which was enough to make him stand out.


    That was something that he would have to be careful with, from hereon.


    "I think I understand. Perhaps we will all get a bath, when we get to the next town, hey?"


    * * *

 223 Secrets 3

    Qin Feng was just about done checking all of the weapons of the assassins, and was not in the least surprised to find that all of them were simple and unmarked. And that most of the assassins had a similar amount of coin on their bodies and nothing else. Clearly, they had already removed everything that might give their identity away, before they took this particular job.


    Well, it was nothing out of the ordinary, he decided, as he tossed the money that he had found into his purse. Fortunately, most of the currency was in the form of bank-issued notes, rather than actual coin. So it was more convenient. For him, as well as for the assassins. That had been the way that they did things in the past, and he doubted that it had changed, although their targets may be different.


    Or, as he looked back at the Second Ducal Prince, standing with his soldiers, perhaps not.


    Well, whoever they were targeting, the money that they carried on them now belonged to him. It did improve his financial situation significantly, for which Qin Feng was grateful. It was only going to get more expensive, where the group was headed, given that it was the Kingdom''s Capital City. He had a better understanding of the financial situation in Shu Kingdom now, and he had to say that it was enough to depress him.


    Qin Feng wondered about that. The goods that one got in the majority of the Cities were the same, but the prices that one was expected to pay for them were different. Which was something that he didn''t altogether understand. Something that he would have to ask about, if he did not wish to make any mistakes when he got to the Shu Kingdom Capital.


    And the best person to explain that to him was undoubtedly Lin Liushui. Although he had a tendency to add peppers and hot chillis to his telling to spice things up, he was very well informed with regards to such matters.


    But Qin Feng found himself intercepted, when he started towards the now morose-looking fellow. Which made him wonder who had thrown him into such a bad mood, as though he had been splashed with water from a midden.


    But it was the Second Ducal Prince who was pulling him aside, so Qin Feng didn''t make too much of a fuss about it.


    Li Changhai had tugged on Qin Feng''s sleeve as he approached, and signaled the younger man to step aside with him. Qin Feng was naturally curious as to what the Ducal Prince had to say, that could not be said in the presence of his brothers. Or, from the look of it, only Lin Liushui.


    Did it have something to do with the enemies that they were going to face?


    As it turned out, he wasn''t far wrong:


    "Brother Liushui has a knot in his heart, and I think you might have noticed that it has something to do with the Snow Swallow Palace, in the Northern Mountains. Something that bothers him from time to time. And this is, as you can see, one of those times.


    "It affects him greatly, and he would lose control and drink heavily, if he dwells on it. Hence, we are usually very careful around him at this time. I thought I had better tell you to avoid mentioning the Snow Swallow Palace. And your Heaven Sword School."


    Li Changhai''s warning was delivered in his usual smooth tone, that told Qin Feng that the Second Ducal Prince was probably being very careful now. It seemed he was afraid of offending him as well? But that didn''t seem right, did it? And what did this have to do with him? After all, what was he but a simple Outer Disciple of the Heaven Sword School, and an itinerant trader?


    But the Ducal Prince was concentrating on explaining Lin Liushui''s situation, so Qin Feng pushed that particular curiosity aside, and focused on what he had to say:


    "I had discussed this with Du Yan, and we decided that we better speak to you about this, now. Before you accidentally say something that upset him."


    Qin Feng agreed, nodding back at Li Changhai. "That would be best. I do not wish to offend him inadvertently. However, you cannot expect me to be so calm if the Heaven Sword School is brought up in conversation. I had spent three, almost four years there. So I have had both good and bad times there.


    "It would be impossible for me to pretend that my ties to that place did not exist."


    The Second Ducal Prince gave out a lusty sigh, as soon as he heard that. "I know, I know. That is what I am worried about. You see, Brother Liushui has spoken of his feelings for the girl involved, but he has never mentioned her name. Only that she had been recently accepted into the Snow Swallow Palace, after training in all of her childhood in the Heaven Sword School.


    "Since you were there, you should know that the older women associated with that place have a ... certain reputation. At your Heaven Sword School. At least, in the Changqing and Yanyun Cities, we have a better understanding of the situation. Elsewhere in the Kingdom, and beyond our borders ..."


    Qin Feng understood immediately. The girls in the Rear Gardens of the School were mostly casual lovers and such, that had been brought in by the School Elders and Main Disciples. And all of them had a rather poor reputation.


    Something that he had intimate knowledge of, after dealing with them for so long.


    "Ah! So he had met with some objection? With regards to his choice of ... the girl?"


    He was about to say wife, or concubine. But he did not know what exactly was Lin Liushui''s intention. So he changed that last bit there.


    Li Changhai, if he noticed, didn''t mention it either. "That is what we understood, when he let out his feelings the one time that he got terribly drunk. There was a fool that provoked him then, and Brother Liushui effectively crippled the poor bastard because of an idiotic comment that he made. Naturally, Brother Liushui made an apology in public when he had sobered up. But the fool still had to spend close to two years in bed, to recover from his injuries."


    The younger man raised his eyebrows when he heard that. To need that sort of time to recover indicated that his internal organs, along with his bones, were probably damaged. And to a very terrible extent at that. Little wonder the Ducal Prince and Du Yan had been so carefully shielding him.


    Then he frowned. "But if she has been accepted into Snow Swallow Palace ... Doesn''t that mean that she would not be bothered by the poor reputation of the women in Heaven Sword School? Why is he still so bothered? So long as he does not mention it ..."


    "Unfortunately, it was Snow Swallow Palace that she transferred to," sighed the Second Ducal Prince, shaking his head at the younger man, "And I have only just realized that you don''t really know the reputation of that particular Sect. That is why I had come to speak to you about it."


    "Oh?"


    "I take it that you are really unaware? That Snow Swallow Palace has a tradition of ... not marrying their disciples to anyone? That they are as good as Daoist Nuns, once they have been inducted into the Inner Sect ranks?"


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    Qin Feng''s eyebrows rose once again. He hadn''t heard that! Didn''t that mean that Xuan Mei had just become a nun herself? She was headed there, wasn''t she? That was what Elder Xuan had claimed, when he broke the engagement officially.


    Since his reaction was so obvious, Li Changhai simply went on, without too long a pause. "So you can see how upset Brother Liushui is. And how he must be missing his beloved at this time. So I had to warn you to be careful, and not to say anything that you shouldn''t right now."


    * * *

 224 Secrets 4

    The revelations about his compatriots did not stop, just because Li Changhai was reassured that he would not say anything to upset Lin Liushui. But Qin Feng did not realize that he was not the only one with secrets.


    Nor was he the only one that everybody was worried about.


    As he discovered that evening, when they split up after their evening meal, and Qin Feng lingered next to the campfire. Only to be accosted by a tall, burly fellow the moment that he was alone.


    Du Yan grunted as he sat down beside Qin Feng. And gave the younger, slimmer man a nod. "I take it that Brother Changhai has already spoken to you about the matter?" he asked, with a jerk of his chin in the direction of Lin Liushui, who was drinking with the rest of the soldiers. And drinking heavily too.


    "I know now, to keep my mouth shut, regarding certain matters. Like the Sect. And my former Sword School. Yes. He has told me what I need to know."


    The big, brawny fellow sighed and let his shoulders sag at that. His lips curled in a weak smile, as he nodded again. "It seems both of us have our own problems. No. That is not entirely correct. I should have said the three of us. Sanlang has been receiving hints that he should be thinking about his marriage. After all, his older brother had been engaged for close to ten years, to a girl that is more than twelve years younger than himself.


    "Fortunately, Brother Changhai has not been pressured into doing anything similar. And his mother''s reputation at the Capital has prevented most of the matchmakers from approaching her too blatantly, to try to fix a marriage for him."


    His mother''s reputation? That was something new. Qin Feng could not recall if he had ever heard anything regarding the Duchess. What sort of reputation did she have, that could make everyone so wary of her?


    Then he remembered. Lady Xie Nianxue was her mother, so it was only to be expected. Perhaps she wasn''t as mild-mannered as she had appeared, when he visited the City of Yanyun. Still, that was nothing to be too worried about.


    "So, you are the only one who has a wife waiting for you? One that has been properly approved and all that?"


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    Du Yan sputtered then, and his face went a glaring red as he coughed, and tried to recover. All the while, his eyes flashed at Qin Feng, as though he was promising revenge for that little poke. The younger man quickly held up his hands, and grinned, to show that he was just teasing.


    He thought that he was entitled to do that, at least. After all, he had been putting in a great deal of effort, to help the big fellow reach his woman.


    Du Yan made a rude noise in his throat, and patted his chest, before looking up at Qin Feng. And chuckling again. Which made it clear that he had already pushed that little joke about his impending marriage aside. "You are right about that. So I suppose I should be the one to tell you all about it. After all, I am in a similar situation myself. Not that there is much to tell. It is just one of those bothersome love stories between a much older man and a younger woman."


    He paused for a moment then, making Qin Feng wonder if Du Yan was caught up in some strong emotion by the task ahead of him. But the wry grin that had appeared on his face told him otherwise.


    "Well, it all started some ten years after the Duke had buried his wife. His first wife, I mean. She had perished during a particular virulent outbreak of the Red Sores Disease in the Westlands. The First Ducal Prince was only five years old at the time, I think. In any case, the Duke was far too busy handling the outbreak and its consequences to think about remarrying, and sent anyone who mentioned such a matter running from the Westlands with his lips awry.


    "Or bleeding from a few fresh wounds.


    "Honestly, I think it was just the double impact of the disease ravaging his fief and the death of his first wife that distracted him from caring for his children. In any case, they were largely ignored while they were young. Which probably resulted in the Ducal Princess ending up the way that she did," he added with a shrug of his broad shoulders.


    Qin Feng naturally disagreed with that. He had been largely left alone when he was a young child. In fact, he had been torn from his village, hadn''t he? And everyone that he had known. Didn''t he turn out fine?


    But Du Yan was still speaking, so he didn''t try to interrupt:


    "In any case, it was a good ten, eleven years after that, when the Duke had to visit the Shu Capital for one reason or another, that he stumbled upon a dispute. I cannot remember exactly where it happened though. The stories are a bit mixed up there. Some say it was in a garden, and there are others that cited other locations, like at a restaurant or at the Royal Court itself. In any case, the Duke saw Brother Changhai''s mother then, for the first time.


    "Of course, the Old Marquis was a longtime friend of the Duke and he might have been the one to introduce them. She was still a student at the Royal Academy, and only fifteen, sixteen years old at the time. Yet, for some reason, they somehow fell for one another. And they were married after a whirlwind courtship. There were a few jokes regarding the arguments between the Duke and the Old Marquis because of that. But Lady Xie, the Marquis'' wife, apparently supported her daughter''s choice."


    Qin Feng felt no surprise to hear that. Lady Xie was protective of her children, true. But from what he had seen, he did not doubt that she would stand behind them, whatever they chose.


    "Well, to cut a long story short, the eldest of the Duke''s children, whom you have already met, was not particularly fond of her stepmother. There were a few incidents after Changhai''s mother arrived at the Westlands, but the Duke soon set her in her place. The First Ducal Prince, on the other hand, did not remember his own mother too clearly, and was so neutral with regards to his father''s remarriage. Or if he wasn''t, he didn''t really show any opposition to it at the time.


    "And a year later, Changhai was born. That was when things got really heated, between the Duchess and her stepchildren. And the Duke was caught in the middle."


    "That was why he married off his daughter then?"


    Du Yan gave out a soft laugh, as soon as he heard that. "No, not immediately. He sent them both to the Capital. To broaden their horizons, he said. Well, Li Changtian made a good number of friends while he was there, which satisfied his father entirely. His daughter, on the other hand, ended up pledging herself to that Zhao fellow. And immediately started pressuring her father to marry her off."


    He paused, to give out a quick bark of laughter. "Something that Brother Changhai''s mother might have manipulated him in agreeing to, come to think of it. In any case, she was married off by the following year. To a worthless, landless, Court Official whose only gift was his ability to curry favor with the powerful. Oh, and seducing young, innocent women.


    "Unfortunately, he is rather active at the Capital, and has a good bit of influence thereabouts. And that is exactly where we are headed," warned the burly fellow.


    "So we shall need to be very careful, once we get there."


    * * *

 225 Schemes 1

    Making their way to Ningban City was a simple matter, once they were done dealing with the corpses of the ambushers. Lin Liushui''s removal of the last assassin, who was obviously the one who was ordered to report back if anything went wrong, also made Qin Feng confident that their enemy would be surprised to learn the results of their assault.


    Not that he had expected them to be able to find out anything about that, in the short term. So he was confident that the group would be safe enough, for a while. Before anyone received word of their victory over the assassins.


    But it seemed their enemy had contingencies in place:


    There was a trio of riders, about one li outside the gates of their destination, clad in dusty garments as though they had been riding hard for days. But the condition of their horses did not escape Qin Feng''s eyes. If their horses had not been spending a good two or three days resting in a stable and gorging themselves, he would be greatly surprised. He doubted that Lin Liushui missed the tell-tale signs either.


    It was also clear that one of the three men, at least, recognized Du Yan on sight. His mouth twisted into what Qin Feng took to be a fake grin, as he nudged his horse forward. And from the sour look that flashed across the burly fellow''s features, he knew the rider too. Clearly, not in a fond way.


    "Cousin Yan! You are finally here! Thank the Heavens that I managed to intercept you. Otherwise you would have made the trip all the way to the Capital for nothing."


    The same scrawny man was the one who shouted at Du Yan as he kicked his horse closer to the party. The soldiers stiffened slightly, but relaxed at a signal from their Captain. Probably because Wen Xuanran saw how Du Yan was already stepping away from the carriage and the Second Ducal Prince, to meet with his so-called cousin ahead of the group.


    Qin Feng and Lin Liushui gave each other a look, before stepping out after their taller, broader friend. Ostensibly, to support him when he spoke to these strangers. But honestly, Qin Feng was certain that Lin Liushui was just out to satisfy his own curiosity. Just as he was!


    Then he realized that Captain Wen was at their heels. Was the soldier also a busybody, like the handsome fellow at his side? Or was he just sent there to represent the Ducal Prince? Li Changhai, thankfully, did not appear, and so put himself at risk.


    "Cousin Guangyi. You were waiting for me then?"


    The weasel-like fellow smiled his fake smile and handed over a rather grimy-looking letter as soon as Du Yan greeted him. And Qin Feng could see that it still had a seal in place. An intact seal, which was a hint that the messenger had not peeked at its contents. Although he could not be certain that the man did not try.


    "Your father, in his wisdom, thought that you might be coming this way. So he sent me to intercept you. Otherwise you would have taken a most roundabout route, I should think. Uncle Chenyong is waiting for you just up ahead, in Ningfei Town."


    Du Yan frowned at the messenger, but he could not deny that the letter in his hand looked authentic. Not to mention the fact that his family had gone through the trouble to send a familiar face to hand it over to him. Which made its contents seem rather serious.


    "Cousin Yan. You should just head back to Chuanshui and our family first. Once you are done in Ningfei, I mean. This is clearly a trap and we should discuss what we should do as a whole, rather than charging in there like a bull, without any plan," the older man was saying, as Du Yan read through the letter again.


    That, however, only got an angered sniff from the broad-shouldered fellow. "Since when do I need to discuss this sort of thing with anyone? If the family is feeling worried about the matter, shouldn''t they have sent my father out here to talk to me? Why did they send you?" he growled at the pinch-faced man.


    The skinny man''s head jerked back, as though he had just received a slap. Then he managed to laugh and wave the insult aside, as if he had been expecting just that sort of reaction from Du Yan. But the glint in his eyes were not missed by Qin Feng, although he was not certain if Du Yan had caught that look, since the latter had turned back to his letter again.


    Qin Feng shook his head as he watched the scrawny fellow ride away. It was just as well that Du Yan had chased him off. He didn''t like that skinny man at all. The way that his eyes flickered over all of the soldiers escorting the party gave him the impression that he was checking for injuries and losses, rather than mere curiosity.


    Perhaps, he was there to confirm that the group had been attacked on the road? And was checking to see what sort of casualties they had incurred in the ambush? But wouldn''t that mean that he was working for the enemy?


    "He is clearly working for the whoever wants us to fail in our endeavors. That is so obvious from his behavior and his timing that it is as good as painting a huge sign stating the same and having it displayed over his head," sniffed Lin Liushui with a disparaging shake of his head at the departing man and his escort.


    "The two who were traveling with him has at least my experience in the fighting arts however. Did you notice how their knuckles were callused over? As though they go through practice every day?"


    Lin Liushui flashed a smile at Wen Xuanran, showing his approval for the Acting Captain''s observation. "I am pleased to see that someone else was paying attention to those two. And their scrutiny of our troop. That was why I had you here with us, Captain. And had dressed our Ducal Prince in the garb of one of your troopers."


    Then he turned to Du Yan, and nodded at the letter that was in his hands. "So, what sort of advice does your father have for us? Doubtless he must have noticed all this activity, and is warning you to get away, hmmm?"


    Du Yan flashed the gallant a smile and shook his head. His smile, which indicated his pleasure at having surprised his Brother Liushui, was rather obvious. As was Lin Liushui''s raised eyebrows, which showed his surprise.


    "No. No, he is inviting us to join him, over at Ningfei Town. That''s one of the towns that support Ningban City, over to the Northwest. We should be able to get there in another three, four hours."


    "Ningfei Town? What is happening over there?" Captain Wen Xuanran asked. He had just finished directing his soldiers, and so arrived at the discussion late. "Were those three earlier here to bring us news? To head over to Ningfei Town?"


    Li Changhai and Lin Liushui laughed, while the latter flicked his fan open again, and started to fan himself in his usual haughty manner. Qin Feng met Du Yan''s sneer with a roll of his eyes, but didn''t bother to say a word. This was not something that he could decide, after all. Besides, wasn''t it their tactician''s job, to decide where they would go?


    True enough, Lin Liushui didn''t hesitate to share his take on the situation:


    "Well, we shall need a place to rest and recuperate from the last attack, and this Ningfei Town seems to be the most suitable spot for that purpose. Not to mention the fact that Du Yan''s father had told him to head there, to meet with him. Doubtless he has some information that he wishes to share."


    He waved a hand at the letter in Du Yan''s hands, to emphasize that point. Bringing everyone''s attention back to the question that was now hanging over the whole troop:


    "So, shall we forget about Ningban City before us, and head straight to this Ningfei Town instead? And see what sort of reception they have prepared for us? I am really interested to see the appearance of our Brother Du Yan''s father. To find out if all those huge muscles are indeed hereditary."


    * * *


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 226 Schemes 2

    Du Yan pulled himself up to his full height. "Of course we are heading there! How can I not throw myself into the jaws of this absolutely stupid trap? If I can tell it is a trap on my own, how can it not be idiotic? This is too bloody obvious!"


    "Ah! Unless it is actually a clever trap, but the ones who are setting it up are only pretending to be stupid? So that we would be more inclined to jump into its maw? Hmmm?" Qin Feng could not help commenting, as he rolled his eyes at the huge man.


    Lin Liushui burst out into laughter immediately, while everyone else grinned. Only Du Yan, who could tell that he was the target of the joke, glared at Qin Feng. But that only lasted for a moment, before he laughed too.


    "Ha ha ha. I get it. I am being too emotional about this now. That is why they had sent Cousin Guangyi here, of course. Everyone knows I always get irritated with him. So, we should avoid this trap?"


    Lin Liushui disagreed immediately. "No, no, no. I was serious when I said that we should go ahead and see what they are up to. We should head to Ningfei Town at once."


    Qin Feng was the next one to speak out. He had usually waited until everyone else had had their say first, so he decided that Du Yan needed to know how he really saw this scheme of his enemies. It was about time that they forgot about all those counter-ploys that Lin Liushui usually came up with. But if even their strategist was advocating the direct approach ...


    "I agree. We should just meet their fist with our own. I don''t think they will be properly prepared for us, since I doubt that they were expecting us to have gotten past their ambush without Du Yan receiving any injuries. Did you notice how shocked they looked when they saw him riding up without any wounds?"


    Li Changhai nodded back at Lin Liushui, who had surprised everyone with those last words. "Those two older fellows? At Du Guangyi''s flanks? I saw."


    The exchange between Lin Liushui and Li Changhai made Qin Feng shoot a look at Du Yan, who simply shrugged back at him. Qin Feng took that to mean that the burly fellow did not have an idea what the other pair were talking about. Instead, the big fellow had simply turned his head, and glared at Lin Liushui.


    Who preened himself as he always did, when he was certain that he was the center of attention. Li Changhai, however, let the wind out of the gallant''s sails, when he cut in and started to explain instead, to Du Yan:


    "Those two who were accompanying your cousin, Brother Yan. They are highly skilled martial practitioners. Even I could tell, from their breathing and the way that they were so light in the saddle. I believe that they were here to support him, to put the finishing touches to their plan to aggravate you, and send you rushing to Ningfei Town."


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    Lin Liushui sniffed then. "Or to finish you off, if you were already in obvious dire straits. I think that was what they were expecting to see. But the fact that you didn''t have a scratch on you certainly upset their plans."


    "Ah. And do you think that my Cousin Guangyi knew about their intentions?"


    Du Yan''s question made Lin Liushui pause for a moment, as he ran through what had happened during that brief meeting. Before he shook his head at the big fellow. "Unlikely. I could sense his dislike for you, but there was none of the shock that was evident on the other two men''s faces and posture," he replied.


    "Then I''ll just presume that he wants me to disgrace myself, rather than being one of those who are out to take my life. I never really liked him, but I don''t expect my family members, even distant ones like Cousin Guangyi, to want me dead. It wouldn''t do them any good, after all."


    Qin Feng had to agree with the pair''s assessment. Especially Du Yan''s last words. It certainly wasn''t going to profit people like his Cousin Du Guangyi, as he had mentioned. But if that was the case, why was he helping those two men to get more information with regards to Du Yan''s travel companions. And why was he pushing him towards Ningfei Town?


    Which clearly held another trap. And likely, a more elaborate one, since they were uncertain if any of Du Yan''s companions had been responsible for getting him away from that last one. Someone like Captain Wen Xuanran, who oozed efficiency from his every pore, was certainly out of their original expectations, Qin Feng was certain.


    So that probably meant that they would have to rush to Ningfei Town first, and make arrangements to deal with the troop!


    The Second Ducal Prince also had the same idea, from his next words:


    "We shall have to be more careful, as we head to Ningfei Town. If they are so blatantly redirecting you there, they would have put a great deal of thought and planning into the set-up of the place. My soldiers aren''t going to be of much use either. They would not be allowed within the town itself. Some rules about the deployment of troops in the Kingdom, you see. They can only camp outside. Captain Wen shall be the only one allowed in."


    "With an aide, if I do not recall those regulations incorrectly. Which should be you in disguise, I think. That should help to make things easier," Lin Liushui replied, wearing a broad grin.


    "Easier?"


    The handsome fellow''s smile grew wider, as though the Ducal Prince''s simple question had been exactly what he had been hoping for.


    "Of course! It tells us that they don''t know that you have come along with us. Didn''t you see how the two that they had sent earlier were simply scanning the troopers earlier. And we had you hidden in the carriage. So they have no idea that you are with us. Or, at the least, they are pretending that they don''t know.


    "Which allows us to surprise those planning Brother Yan''s demise, when they least expect it! Isn''t that going to make things easier for us? To smash their plan to pieces, don''t you think?"


    * * *

 227 Ningfei Town 1

    True to Lin Liushui''s expectations, there were already a number of experts in Ningfei Town by the time the Second Ducal Prince''s forces arrived at that place. A quick pass by some of Captain Wen''s best scouts had revealed the presence of two other forces with a sizable number of martial experts within the same, although Lin Liushui was quick to dismiss them as threats.


    "They are out in the open, where we are expecting knives in the dark. So I doubt that they would make trouble for us. At least, not in a way that is too obvious. We should be safe to make camp hereabouts, and for the five of us to head in. To secure proper accommodation for the nights ahead," he suggested.


    "The five of us?"


    The one who asked the question was Captain Wen Xuanran. Which was not a surprise, since Li Changhai had yet to brief him about their plan, to let everyone think that he was the young Captain''s aide.


    Something that had the Captain''s lips twitching, as soon as it was shared.


    "You realize that the rest of the men are not going to let this go, of course. And I am going to be teased about this for a very long time after we are done with this trip out here. However, I should warn you, my lord, that I shall do my best to be a responsible Captain, and that I shall cut you no slack when we are ... pretending to be Captain and subordinate.


    "Just so that you are aware."


    Lin Liushui and Du Yan sniggered as soon as they heard the man''s promise. But Li Changhai looked frightfully pleased when he heard that. "Excellent! That is exactly what I wish you to do. However, we shall be only be role-playing when we are away from the rest of the troops. You only need to tell them to remain silent on the fact that I have accompanied you lot here."


    "That will not do. Someone has to be in command of all of us soldiers. Including you, my lord. We are not known to handle independent actions like that. It will definitely be a loophole that would draw the enemy''s attention, if they have any idea with regards to our procedures."


    Lin Liushui stepped forward then, and gestured at the rest of the band. "I think I have been giving you lot plenty of orders since I joined you. So it would not look out of place if I continued to do so. It is just how you respond that needs a bit of tweaking. Naturally, I will only make things a little more convincing, when we are in the company of strangers.


    "Otherwise, it should be more than sufficient to behave as you usually do. You just need to start treating Sanlang here as your aide."


    Wen Xuanran grinned as soon as he heard that. And dipped into a curt bow. Which did look terribly convincing, as though he was reporting to his superior, who was not part of the army.


    "That is something I can do. My lord will have to remember to bow whenever I do though. Otherwise that would be an obvious flaw that have everyone wondering," he reminded Li Changhai.


    Du Yan sniggered again. As both men in armor bowed at Lin Liushui, as though to practice their moves. "So you will have to do that when you speak to him? Every time? It looks like Brother Liushui is just taking advantage of you, Brother Sanlang!"


    "Since when has that not been true. He has been taking advantage of me ever since we met, and became brothers. Do you remember how I ended up being the youngest brother in our trio here?"


    They shared a laugh after that, and Li Changhai joined Wen Xuanran as they led the way towards the town, after the Captain had ordered everyone else to make camp a good distance outside the same. Qin Feng found it a little amusing since it looked as though they were a small troop of scouts, there to study the terrain before invading.


    Then they moved into the walled town, and he got to see why they had needed to take such steps. There was something different about the place. And it did look like a highly defensible position.


    That much was obvious to Qin Feng, the moment that he set eyes upon the wall that surrounded the town. Nor was the only one who that feeling, he realized. The Second Ducal Prince had paused, as he stepping through the gate. And was looking up at the ancient-looking wall as well.


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    "Ningfei Walled Town. I had not expected that I would have a chance to visit this place. At least, not as a member of an armed contingent like his," Li Changhai sighed, as he remembered his role, and quickly followed Du Yan''s lead through the gate.


    "What do you mean? Is there something I should know about this place?"


    Qin Feng had long given up any pretense of making head or tail of what the others were saying at times. And did not feel any sense of shame in asking the trio to clarify, when they mentioned what he thought were odd bits of information that he had no understanding of. Such as Li Changhai''s comment regarding this particular place.


    "You have not heard of it? Ah! But you never did care too much for military history. So I suppose that is normal. This place is Ningfei Walled Town, and it was the site of Chang ... Of the great victory between the Shu Kingdom and the Wei Kingdom to the South," Lin Liushui interjected.


    But the Second Ducal Prince cut in, before he could go further. And smiled at Qin Feng as he continued in a lowered voice. "Both sides of my family were involved in the War between Shu and Wei. And the ... my father and my maternal grandfather met for the first time here. I also lost an uncle and a grandfather, on my father''s side at these walls. And two granduncles, from my mother''s line."


    Qin Feng sensed the grim aura that surrounded the Ducal Prince as they approached the place. And now, he knew the reason behind it. To have lost that many people from both sides of his family must have been tough. Although ...


    "The War must have taken place a good while back then? And what''s this about Wei Kingdom? I have not heard of a Wei Kingdom. At least, not hereabouts."


    Lin Liushui smiled, but the Second Ducal Prince cut in before the dapper man could even begin to speak. Something that he had set himself up for, Qin Feng thought, since he wasted quite a bit of time pulling himself up to his height, and posed himself properly first.


    "There isn''t one now. The Duke of the Westlands was sent to invade the place after the Wei Kingdom lost its momentum, and Yanyun City now sits where the Wei Capital used to be. And the Marquis pushed all the way South, to occupy its last city in that direction. The rest of the Wei Kingdom was then divided between the other nobles who supported the Zhuo Royal Family here in the Shu Kingdom."


    "So it didn''t take place too long ago?"


    "No. It was only about fifty odd years back. I remember my maternal grandfather talking about meeting my father, and about their shared experiences in the battles here, so I have a certain interest in the place. That''s all."


    * * *

 228 Ningfei Town 2

    Captain Wen Xuanran''s attention to the Old Town Wall and its associated gates, on the other hand, had nothing to do with the history of the site. Instead, his attention was fully focused on the safety of his charge. And of his troop.


    "The place can be defended with a small number of guards, given the wall. It is tall enough to match the fortresses in the South. And the City of Yanyun. Clearly, it had been re-enforced, after that initial clash with the Wei Kingdom back then. And the locals have kept up its maintenance since then," he commented softly, no doubt directing his words at the Second Ducal Prince.


    "There are two towers, which can house three archers to one side. So they can rain down a continuous barrage of arrows against all attackers. And the gates appear to be heavily reinforced with iron and is made up of thick planks. Something far more elaborate that what a small town needs.


    "This place is meant solely for defense, and perhaps, to safeguard this one road that leads to the Duchy of the Westlands."


    That was true. Even Qin Feng, who was barely able to make head or tail of a military-styled map had realized that there was only one route that led from Yanyun City all the way to the Shu Kingdom''s Capital. And Ningfei Town lay directly in the middle of that route.


    Well, more or less. It was about twenty li closer to the Capital than to the first town in the Duchy, to be exact. But who would bother to count that?


    After all, merchants were more concerned with how fast their goods could go, from one place to another, so that they would be able to predict if perishables could stay fresh. And valuables needed more guards, to keep them safe from possible bandits and such.


    Although the efforts of the Duke of the Westlands in that aspect, has kept the roads in his Duchy largely unaffected by such lawless behavior.


    Perhaps that was why the people of the town were not so surprised to see the soldiers there. Although those who were in civilian attire were stared at, since they were rather unusual, the soldiers themselves were hardly given a second glance.


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    Which was enough to tell Qin Feng just how often they had appeared around that place.


    Something that Li Changhai had been pleased to confirm, when Qin Feng asked him about it, later on in the day:


    "They are used to seeing soldiers about. So both your father''s people and the rest of Shu Kingdom have been active hereabouts? They won''t be making a fuss over the fact that we are seen here?"


    The Second Ducal Prince nodded back at him with a smile. "That is true. The Royal Family had invested a good bit of coin here, to make sure that it stands as a monument to the victory that turned things around for them, and for the Shu Kingdom. If we head further in, we will see a large monument stone too, praising my family. Both sides of my family. That has been there since there was still a Wei Kingdom hereabouts."


    Qin Feng thought the Second Ducal Prince seemed a little proud of that, judging from the almost haughty smile on his lips. But it was certainly something to be proud of. After all, that war had killed hundreds of thousands, on both sides. And had caused the collapse of a rather sizable Kingdom, to the South.


    One that no longer existed.


    Even in the books that he had read in the Heaven Sword School, there were a few mentions of that place, when it was still around. He had always thought the writers to be just pandering to the new regime though, given how they were tossing dirt on the Wei Kingdom nobles. But that was always the way of the world, so he wasn''t too bothered by it.


    "Captain Wen. Perhaps you and your aide should step to the front and the right of the group? I think it would be safer, if we had Young Master Du Yan properly surrounded by our own forces, meager though they may be. Brother Qin Feng, if you could take the rear? I shall handle any attackers that would try their luck from the left."


    Lin Liushui''s little reminder was enough to settle everyone into the roles that they were playing. And left Du Yan looking a little embarrassed as he walked in the heart of the group. Clearly, he was not used to being the center of attention like this. So it was no surprise that he cheeks were a little redder than usual.


    But Lin Liushui had already explained why they needed to play this game, so he didn''t say a word, and simply followed his direction.


    That is, until the whole group arrived at the main gate of Ningfei Town itself. And saw a particular old man, clad in a light green-colored robe, with a graying beard that hung down to the top of his chest, clad like a courtier similar to what Qin Feng had seen in those pictures that had been drawn in his books. Indeed, the one with the graying hair was even wearing one of those old-fashioned hats, that were popular long before he was born!


    For a moment, Captain Wen seemed to tense, and his hand started reaching for the hilt of his side-arm. But he was abruptly pushed aside, by someone who was behind him. And had to spend the next few moments recovering his balance.


    Du Yan, however, being the fellow who had pushed past the Captain, stepped to the fore of the group. And dipped into a deep, respectful bow towards the man in green, and his voice, when he finally straightened up and spoke, was firm, and filled with affection.


    "Father. Your disobedient son has returned."


    * * *

 229 Family 1

    The Second Ducal Prince did his best to control himself, as befitted the military uniform that he was wearing. But he knew that he had barely kept his emotions in check, when he heard Du Yan''s address of the old man in the green robe. This was his Brother Yan''s father? But why was he there at Ningfei Town? What had his presence to do with the trap that Du Qiangyi had been talking about?


    And why was he so slim and graceful? He looked nothing like Brother Yan at all! If Li Changhai did not know better, he would have thought that the old fellow was related to Lin Liushui instead, given how refined he looked! Was he really Du Yan''s father? If so, how did he end up with a son who looked like a huge, unruly bull?


    But the old man only sighed as he looked at his son, and shook his head when he was done. "You should not have come to Ningfei, Little Yan. That was the reason why I had sent your cousin to bring you that letter. To keep you away. I know how much you hated him. And would be able to see that it is a trap, if he was involved. So that you would stay well away. But you came here anyway."


    Du Yan nodded back at the old man''s words. Without any show of emotion. And gestured at the group behind him. "With brothers and friends like these, do I have to worry about the sort of traps that my enemies are fond of playing with? Besides, even if I did escape their machinations this time, how long would I have to keep avoiding them?


    "Since it has to end with a fight, I might as well face that now, when I am ready for them."


    The salt and pepper haired man gave a rather familiar grunt in response to that, which was enough to tell Li Changhai that he was definitely Du Yan''s father. The son had clearly inherited the older man''s style of dealing with unpleasant news. Even the way that their shoulders shifted as they did that was the same!


    Which somehow made the Second Ducal Prince feel a little warmer towards the man in green. It surprised him a little, but not that much, once he thought about it for a while. To be honest, it was nothing worse than what his own father had done. He could not even begin to count how many times he had felt like burying his head in the ground because of the Duke of the Westlands. And to be fair, Du Yan''s father had tried to warn him off.


    Too bad his brawny friend was never the sort to run and hide.


    "Well, I suppose I should have expected that of you. You were ever the sort who preferred to meet things with your fists, rather than wriggling your way out of it. Why you never bothered to use your brain like I do, I will never understand. Thank goodness your brothers and sisters aren''t like you."


    Brothers? Sisters? Li Changhai almost gave himself a twisted neck, the way that his head spun to look at Du Yan. Even Lin Liushui seemed shocked, and almost dropped his fan when he heard it. But the burly fellow only gave his friends a shrug, as though it was of little importance.


    "Well, how are they? I have not seen them for close to ten years now, I think. So they should be old enough to be Tested? Did any of them end up with a similar Talent?"


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    "For fire and forging? Not at all. Thank goodness. One of you was enough to give me a headache. That was before you got dragged to the ancestral home. And I had to deal with your mother''s wailing back then as well."


    Du Yan''s father seemed to be a little proud as he mentioned his selection by the Patriarch, back in the day. Which told Li Changhai that he was only putting on a show, so that his son would not look too bad, if he decided to storm off. Not that Du Yan would do that. The Second Ducal Prince knew his friend well enough to know that he would stick to his decision, whatever the consequences.


    In the end, it was Lin Liushui who got impatient, and stepped forward to introduce himself, seeing how Du Yan was unlikely to think of doing that. The big fellow was rather slow to seize such opportunities, and so buy himself a bit of breathing room, Li Changhai had to admit. But that was just his style, and he didn''t see anything wrong with it. Unlike his Brother Liushui.


    He dipped into a deep bow, that was a perfectly executed greeting to someone from the older generation. "This one is surnamed Lin, with the given name Liushui, which means Flowing Water. Probably because I can never stand still in one place for long. This one humbly greets Elder, and wishes you long life and good health."


    Du Yan''s father grinned when he saw how smooth Lin Liushui had interjected himself into the situation and clasped his hands back at the good-looking man. Before turning back to berate his son again. "Ah! See how suave he is? Why can''t you be more like him?" he chided Brother Yan, before he turned back to the handsome Lin Liushui.


    "This one welcomes you, Nephew Lin. I trust you won''t mind if I called you Liushui? My worthless son must have been giving you headaches all this time. So I cannot help but feel sorry about that. Let Du Chenyong offer you a bow in apology for all the trouble his useless son has caused."


    Li Changhai''s jaw dropped as soon as he heard it. And watched in silence as the two men, one older and one younger, began to bow to one another all over again. And make all sorts of polite noises that he had come to expect in his father''s court. But he certainly did not think to see it here! And performed by Du Yan''s father no less!


    "Well, seeing as to how my useless offspring has already dragged you and your companions all the way here, it would be impolite for me to leave you standing out here in the street. Come, come! Let us head inside this place. I have already a private room prepared inside, where we may freely exchange embarrassing tales about Little Yan here," the old man laughed, as he made a welcoming gesture, that included everyone in the party.


    "Honestly, I for one would dearly love to know how he had managed to keep himself out of trouble all these years."


    * * *

 230 Family 2

    Du Yan was clearly grinding his teeth, judging from the growling, squeaking noises that were emanating from him. But he held his tongue, and simply waved for everyone to follow after his father, as the latter led the way into what appeared to be a tavern-cum-inn.


    "When we heard that Little Yan was on his way here, accompanied by a good number of people, we decided to set aside this inn here, so as to accommodate all of you. Our Du Family owns this whole place, and everyone in it has been working for us for a while now. So there''s no need to be embarrassed about anything, and simply make yourselves at home."


    Li Changhai took that to mean that the place had been made secure, and that there would be no eavesdroppers or agents from the other side, to keep them from conversing freely. That is, if Du Yan''s father shared the same sort of language as Lin Liushui loved to use. The two of them would probably be able to share almost everything there is to know about the Duchy of the Westlands, in just a quarter of an hour! And make everyone believe that they were having a casual conversation about flowers or something!


    As astonishing as that may be, his eyes didn''t fail to take in how the common room in the tavern, and how the rooms on the second floor, had been arranged, to grant the defenders of the place every advantage. Even Captain Wen, next to him, could see the intricacies involved, and was cooing in admiration. Under his breath, of course. It would be too impolite to bring it to the attention to one''s host, to show that one had noticed his defensive fortifications, after all.


    "Oh, I would not be too concerned. This place was one of the original buildings that have been in the town for generations. It was heavily fortified during the war, and was used as one of the bases for the military. If I am not wrong, it has even hosted the Marquis of the South. And if the rumors are true, the Duke of the Westlands too."


    Du Yan''s father said that rather proudly, perhaps to impress Captain Wen, whom he could tell was a subordinate of the latter, due to the understated military insignia that had been worked into his uniform and armor. But he certainly did not expect the same to turn to the lieutenant at his side, with a rather insipid grin.


    One that was answered by a confident broad smile. Along with chortles from the rest of the group. Including his own son, who was trying hard not to look too embarrassed!


    That was when the Second Ducal Prince decided that it was sufficiently secure, to reveal his true identity:


    Li Changhai smiled as he rose to his feet, and tendered a respectful bow in the direction of his Brother''s parents. "This one is Li Changhai, and I have the honor of being Big Brother Du Yan''s sworn brother. This one greets Uncle and Auntie, and wishes both of you long life and good health. My father regrets that he is unable to come personally, to pay his respects. Thus he has insisted that I bring a small gift."


    He pulled the small box that he had tucked away inside his armor then, and presented it to the pair of elders. It was all a polite lie, since the Duke of the Westlands knew nothing of this meeting whatsoever. Du Chenyong, however, was quick to pick up on Ducal Prince''s name, and his relationship with the one who ruled the Westlands:


    "Li Changhai? Second Ducal Prince Li Changhai? Of the Duchy of the Westlands? You are that Li Changhai?"


    Du Yan''s mother seemed shocked by the revelation, and almost fell down. Luckily, the brawny fellow was standing behind her, and was ready for such a reaction. He caught hold of her carefully, and eased her into the chair at his side.


    "Here, you rascal! You should have waited for Brother Liushui to introduce you properly, instead of taking the initiative like that. See what you did? My mother almost fell down because of you! I''m going to make you drink three large bowls of liquor as a punishment for that. See if I don''t!"


    "Oh? Before he has to fight? On your behalf? And you want to get him drunk? Are you quite insane?"


    Lin Liushui was quick to step in, and make a joke to lighten the mood. And bowed to Du Chenyong again, now that he was back on his feet. "We had intended to introduce the Ducal Prince earlier, but I caught your hint about keeping some secrets out of the public eye. Hence I had not mentioned it earlier. I do beg your pardon.


    "Although I should criticize Brother Yan for failing to drop a hint or two in your father''s ear earlier, when you were so close together. There was little chance of any eavesdroppers then."


    Du Yan scowled as he pointed a finger at his own nose, and straightened himself up to his full height. "You''re throwing the blame at me?! You were the one who said that we had to remain silent on that score, and that I wasn''t supposed to tell anyone. Not even my closest kin! Doesn''t my father and mother count then?"


    Lin Liushui had laughed at that, and offered his apologies to the older pair once again. By then, Du Yan''s mother had recovered from her surprise, which gave his father an excuse to show off his marvelous manners to the Ducal Prince.


    Qin Feng thought that Li Changhai seemed a little embarrassed by the big fuss that they were showing. But he did take it better than most. Perhaps because he had experience with such things? But he did wonder if it was not fitting, as he claimed. How many were there, who could claim to be close relations to both a Duke and a Marquis? And didn''t he hear something about his older brother, Li Changtian, being mentioned as well? As a promising Heir to his father''s lands? That should be enough to make him a very, very influential nobleman. If he cared to play his cards that way, that is.


    "That''s why Brother Liushui said you might have dropped them a hint, rather than telling them outright. Since you hadn''t, you shouldn''t blame this on me! I didn''t have a chance to alert them earlier, did I? Until your father dropped that bit of information about my father staying here," Li Changhai finished with a snort of his own. Which prompted everyone else to laugh with him.


    Lin Liushui laughed along with the rest of them. But the way that he flicked his folded fan was enough to tell Qin Feng and his two brothers that he was about to get serious, once everyone had recovered from the joke:


    "Well, now that we have all of the introductions and polite manners out of the way, perhaps we should have a proper talk about what your enemies are up to, Uncle Du? It is clear that they would not have bothered with such an elaborate stage setting if they were only out to make things difficult for Brother Yan here.


    "So, could you fill us in on what they are really after?"


    * * *


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 231 Family 3

    Du Chenyong chuckled when he heard Lin Liushui''s question, and stroked his beard again, as he nodded at the handsome man. "I had thought that you would be the one who saw through their intentions. After all, why would all of these people from powerful martial Sects and Schools be interested in the marriage of my Yan''er to a side family of the Yuan Clan? Especially one which has no direct ties to the Yuan Patriarch and the office that he holds.


    "Clearly, there has to be some other objective that they are after. Well, it so happens that I have received word as to exactly what that is," he said confidently.


    Qin Feng felt like giving out a curse. This old fellow was just like Lin Liushui, who liked to pretend that he was always at the center of attention. And would make dramatic pauses and make shocking statements like that! As though he was in the middle of some sort of play! How ridiculous could you get?


    But he curbed his sudden impulse to step forward and pound the old man on the nose. This was Du Yan''s father, after all. A quick glance at the big, burly fellow at his side told him that the same was gritting his teeth, and clenching his fists already. No wonder he was always so annoyed with Lin Liushui.


    Qin Feng felt a wave of pity wash over him at once, as he realized that what he was going through was nothing compared to Du Yan''s own trials. And this shameless old fellow was his father! That was something that Qin Feng could not even begin to imagine.


    "It was the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace, that sent word to us first. They wanted us to break off the engagement on our own, so that they could snatch away Yuan Qianlei before all this could take place. Like the sort of brigands who come to rob you and still pretend to be righteous, for taking away your riches which would attract other, more unsavory thieves!"


    Du Chenyong growled menacingly as he said the last, and his wife laid a hand on his shoulder, as though to cool him down. It looked like a very practiced move, QIn Feng had to admit. Lin Liushui could learn from that. If he could find a proper partner.


    It would give him a certain aura promising violence, if he really needed it. And serve to intimidate both his foes, as well as his allies. Something that had certainly impressed their strategist too, as Qin Feng realized.


    But Du Chenyong was speaking again. This time about the enemy''s plans:


    "To put it simply, they wish to break apart the alliance that we have with the Yuan Family, there at the Capital. It seems one of the Princes has somehow fixed his eye on the girl, and there are probably all sorts of schemes now in play over there. In the Succession, perhaps?"


    Lin Liushui nodded at once, and interjected before anyone else seized the opportunity to do so. "I can understand where the Snow Swallow Palace is coming from. If Yuan Qianlei''s older sister had the traits that were so precious to the Mountain Palace, it would make sense that they would like to get her younger sister to join them as well.


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    "But I believe the rest of the Sects and Schools are just here to fish in troubled waters. If they can break off the engagement, that would be doing a favor to the Royal Family of the Shu Kingdom. And win them the favor of that lust-driven Prince involved. Even if they failed, they can claimed that they had put in the effort."


    Then he turned to Du Yan, and shook his head in a sympathetic manner. "Whatever their motives, I am afraid that your future in-laws are in for a hard time. This would certainly make trouble for their Patriarch, and he has already placed his sons and grandsons in positions at Court. So that would mean some suppression by the Royal Prince involved."


    "You mean he would try to break off the engagement at his end?" Du Yan asked.


    "He would at least make it look as though he was trying to. But this particular arrangement had already been announced through the whole of jianghu, and I doubt that even the King of Shu would dare to question him about it, in open Court," his father, surprisingly, replied. Rather than Lin Liushui.


    But the strategist agreed with the older man''s words immediately. Prompting him to go on:


    "In any case, everyone believes that it would not come to that. Since they are trying to force us to play that role ourselves. They have invested heavily in this matter. In fact, they have even revealed a good bit of their secret resources, just to make certain that they have an advantage in this," growled Du Chenyong.


    "For example, we had contacted the Yuan Family, and the immediate family of Yuan Qianlei, and arranged for them to meet us here, when we caught wind of the enemy''s plan. But we did not expect them to learn about that, and pre-empt us, by arranging for the challenge to be held here! This tells us that they have probably even more resources that we do not know about."


    "Spies? They must have littered the whole place with them! And it is very clear that you have a few of them within your own Du Family," hinted Lin Liushui.


    The old man snorted, and waved it aside. "You are just trying to be polite. Do not bother. We had learned of Du Guangyi''s role in this. So we shall take steps against him later. Along with several others. But we shall need to beat these people at their own game first."


    "Ah! That is exactly why we are here! If they are assembling at this town to make trouble for you, I trust that you have an idea as to what they plan to do?"


    Du Chenyong''s face grew dark as soon as he was asked that. "A martial arts challenge, what else? There is a public dueling spot in the center of the town square, which is often used to settle disputes. But that is not their move, but mine.


    "These old bones may be brittle, but I should be able to take on one or two of them. That is, I had intended to do so, before I realized that you had dragged your friends into this mess, my son."


    Du Yan he pulled himself up to his full height and faced his father proudly. "Friends? I brought my Brothers along, you mean, father! How can you call them anything else?" he sniffed.


    But Lin Liushui''s laugh brought everyone back to the main topic at hand, before they got distracted with thanks and speak of brotherhood and such. "So which are the Sects and Schools that are likely to be involved? I mean, those who are likely to be against our Brother Yan marrying Yuan Qianlei. Do we know who they are? And who they are likely to be sending to face us?"


    "Apart from Snow Swallow Mountain Palace, we know of three other Sects that are involved: the Golden Shield Martial School, the Black Eagle Mountain and Wulei''s Iron Spear Troop, led by Zhang Wulei''s son. That last one has a private vendetta against us, so we have been expecting him to show his face in this matter, regardless of the benefits involved."


    Du Chenyong broke down their opponents readily, and looked as though he had more information on them that he could share. Something that Qin Feng was pleased to see. He had the lowest cultivation in the group, so he would unlikely be able to contribute much. Still, he had to try his best, and he would prefer to know the weaknesses of his enemy, if he had to fight.


    It was not going to be easy, he thought as he listened to who were going to show up against them.


    Then Du Chenyong shook his head and sighed, indicating that he was done. And waved his hand in a way that made it clear that he was inviting everyone to rest up, and prepare for the challenges that they would soon be meeting.


    "I don''t think they will take too long to let you know what they intend to do. So I think you should rest, and recuperate from your journey. And the trap that they had thrown in your way during the same. No doubt, they now have a better understanding of your abilities, and will make the necessary changes in their plans.


    "So you shall have to be prepared for that!"


    * * *

 232 Family 4

    They had gone up to the rooms that they were allocated, just as Du Yan''s parents had arranged. But they met in Lin Liushui''s room a little later. Without Du Yan, of course. The big, burly fellow was naturally dragged off to join Du Chenyong and his wife, since it was rather clear that they had lots to say to each other.


    And Captain Wen had returned to the troop outside the town, to keep discipline there, he claimed loudly, in the tavern''s common room. Then he ordered his aide to remain, and to keep a good watch over their lord''s friends. Something that had Li Changhai bowing and scraping. Which was rather amusing to watch.


    Qin Feng, however, was more than a little anxious since he had very little knowledge of those opponents that he had just heard about. The same who they were likely to be facing on Ningfei Town''s Fighting Arena''s stage.


    "Black Eagle Mountain. Golden Shield School. Tearless Iron Spear Troop. Not easy opponents, all of them," sighed Lin Liushui, as soon as they had all assembled. "We are going to have to worry about Snow Swallow Mountain Palace too. But there might be a chance that they would not fight. At least, not in the company of the other groups."


    The Second Ducal Prince agreed, while Qin Feng looked puzzled about the whole thing. "What do you mean? Is there some sort of conflict between them?"


    "Only between the Snow Swallow Palace and the Black Eagle Mountain. Both of these have clashed often enough, in the past. They will definitely not be working together here. I seriously doubt that either of them had agreed to do this the way that it has been presented. Unless there was someone pushing the boat from behind. In fact, that is probably why Snow Swallow Palace had sent their people to the Du and the Yuan Families early, to warn them.


    "So we should try to make sure that we wreck the Black Eagle Mountain plans thoroughly, and kill off, or maim, their representative. That should make the Snow Swallow Palace a little more inclined towards us."


    Lin Liushui gave out a sigh, as soon as he finished, and fanned himself in silence for a moment. Qin Feng knew that was an indication that he was considering the problem, so he did not interrupt. Neither did Li Changahi, who knew his Brother Liushui''s habits well.


    It didn''t take too long before the strategist in the group gave out another sigh, albeit a more determined one. "It seems I shall have to be their opponent. We shall need to kill the fellow, and I doubt that it would be an easy task. But I have confidence that I can get it done, so long as they do not send out one of their top two disciples.


    "Doing that should give us some breathing room, and ingratiate us with the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace. And both of you know that I would greatly appreciate such a chance. And the Black Eagle Mountain wouldn''t dare to kick up a fuss against my Lin Family."


    Qin Feng saw how the Second Ducal Prince was surprised by the handsome man''s words, so he guessed that he seldom touched on the subject of his lost love, who was now in the clutches of that man-hating Palace. Well, that was probably why he was motivated to make a public enemy of himself, and try to murder their common enemy.


    Not that Qin Feng was inclined to talk him out of it. It did seem like a very risky plan though, and one that would lead to all sorts of trouble in the future. Something that Li Changhai was quick to spot as well.


    "They will not let it go, even if they know that you have your family behind you. Which you clearly don''t. You think they do not have people at the Shu Capital, at Court? They will dig up your antecedents the moment that you kill him, and try to drag all of your enemies out to face you together with them. Don''t you already know how they work?"


    But Lin Liushui merely waved the warning off nonchalantly. "I know it. What of it? They can play all the games that they wish, but so long as I win, I shall be more than happy to go on winning. And so thin out their top echelon. That pleases me somewhat. And I think I should have an excuse to seek shelter at Snow Swallow Palace, hmmm?"


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    Was that what he was after then? Qin Feng shook his head at the handsome gallant''s audacity. How was it that he had never considered that move himself? Perhaps, because he was not utterly suicidal?


    Li Changhai too, seemed to realize his Brother''s plans, and so didn''t press him to consider again. Instead, he seemed to take courage, and selected his own opponent. "In that case, the one that the Golden Shield Martial School sends out shall be mine," he declared firmly.


    "I do not have the confidence to smash through their unique qi shielding, but I should be able to put up a good show."


    But Lin Liushui only shook his head at him. "I am afraid that that will not be your task. You will need to handle the Tearless Iron Spear Troop''s representative. Regardless of who it may be. Even if Zhang Wulei were to step onto the stage personally, you are the only one who can face him with any confidence."


    "What?"


    "Why do you say that?"


    The first response was an exclamation, which was delivered in a huffy tone by the Second Ducal Prince. But the second question was calm and showed off QIn Feng''s ability to understand a good bit of Lin Liushui''s plans. He had some inkling of what the man was up to, so he wanted to give him an excuse to explain, without hurting Li Changhai''s feelings.


    Which got him a curt bow, and a slight smile, from their strategist, acknowledging his help.


    "The Tearless Iron Spear Troop is largely a mercenary troop that is focused on the Eastern Border, and thus has almost no interactions with your father or your maternal grandfather and their armies. In other words, they have no grudges or favors in play. Hence, it would be a simple matter, to simply smack down their participant, and overawe them with your abilities and your identity.


    "While they may try to make trouble for jianghu wanderers and powerful families, they would never dare to kick up a fuss against someone who has not one but two powerful fiefs behind them. In other words, someone like you!"


    Lin Liushui smiled and started fanning himself, showing that he was finished explaining. "So you see? You are the perfect person to go teach the Iron Spear Troop a lesson."


    * * *

 233 Trials 1

    The Second Ducal Prince gritted his teeth together, so Qin Feng could see that he was a little annoyed. But the plan that Lin Liushui had presented had marked out all of the essential points so there was little chance of him going against the idea.


    "Besides, even if I fail, it would be enough to intimidate them, wouldn''t it? To let them know that Du Yan has a sworn brother in the nobility, and is thus related to both the Duchy of the Westlands and the Marquisate to the South?"


    "That would be good, although I am hoping that you would be able to win. If so, we should have two victories already, which should make things a lot easier for us later on," Lin Liushui replied, in a manner that hinted that he had mapped out the whole strategy already, and would appreciate it if Li Changhai could just follow the plan.


    "I thought that would be good value, for a quick exchange or two between you and the Iron Spear Troop. If they are polite, you can form a new friendship. If they are not ... Well, they would certainly not risk offending you too overtly."


    Li Changhai sighed, but agreed to the gallant''s orchestration in the end. Which seemed to show in Lin Liushui''s eyes, as he went on to the third of the groups. "As for the Golden Shield School, I think Du Yan will be the perfect one to deal with them. After all, we might know of his skills and his tricks, but our opponents probably think that he had simply bashed his way through that ambush with pure brute strength.


    "Hence, it is unlikely that they would send someone of any significance to the School. And that means that he is likely to score a beautiful victory, with his greatly improved control, and those moves that we had seen him use.


    "So it would be a perfect place for him to showcase his abilities. And win brilliantly."


    The handsome fellow smiled as he spread his hands out to either side of himself, as though awaiting an applause from his audience of two. "That is my plan for the whole situation, but it remains just a plan for now. After all, we will not be able to control who the enemy sends out, and you might end up meeting the Golden Shields after all. We can only hope for the best," he reminded them quietly.


    But Qin Feng stepped up then, before either of the other two could say another word.


    "You seem to have forgotten about me. Am I supposed to deal with the Snow Swallow Palace then? You would think that highly of me?"


    Lin Liushui shook his head, and smiled a sad smile at Qin Feng. "Would you believe me if I said something like that? No. I have not forgotten about you. Nor did I think that highly of you, to be honest. The Snow Swallow Mountain Palace is one of the premier Gold Standard Sects that are here in the Lower Kingdoms, so it is not an organisation that you have the ability to deal with.


    "In fact, I am the only one who might stand a chance - might, mind you! I cannot say for certain that I would triumph. It would depend on who they send up against me. But I am certain that Snow Swallow Palace would not take a hand in the competition, if it did not have to."


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    Then he grinned, and waved his hand to indicate himself, and Li Changhai. "And between the two of us, and Du Yan, we might be able to prevent the Snow Swallow Palace from taking a hand, even if it wanted to."


    Qin Feng was confused, and he did not bother to hide it. "What do you mean? What are you talking about?"


    But the Second Ducal Prince had understood, and he explained, even as Lin Liushui snapped his fan open, and was about to make another one of his edifying speeches. Which made the handsome gallant sigh, as he lost his chance:


    "If the three of us manages to beat our opponents, that would mean that we have won three out of the four bouts. In which case, there would be no point in the Snow Swallow Palace showing their hand, and sending out their representative. And if we only lose one, you can still safely surrender the match, and leave the issue at an impasse.


    "That would put the decision into the Yuan Family''s hands. And I doubt that it would choose to throw aside its face, its reputation, by forsaking this marriage between the two of them. Especially when Du Yan had already made his determination to take Yuan Qianlei as his wife clear, by fighting for her like this."


    Qin Feng, however, was no longer paying attention after the part where the Second Ducal Prince mentioned his role:


    "You want me to surrender? To surrender without a fight?"


    Lin Liushui stepped in quickly, even as Li Changhai looked shocked at the bitterness in Qin Feng''s voice. To tell the truth, the young man was surprised to hear it himself. He had not known that he would take that suggestion so poorly.


    But Lin Liushui was already placating him. "It is no shame to surrender to someone who is so obviously your superior. And all of the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace''s disciples - those who are allowed to step out of the Palace, that is. As their representative certainly must be. All of them should be somewhere in the Discerning Realm. And you are, at best, in the Completion State.


    "Is that not so?"


    Lin Liushui seemed to be waiting for Qin Feng''s answer, so he gave the handsome man a curt nod. It was true. He had only reached the Peak of the Completion Realm, and recently at that. If the opponent was already in the Discerning Realm, which was one whole Realm above his, how could he even begin to have a chance of winning?


    "In that case, you are bound to lose. And if the woman that they send against you is one of those who have a grudge against all men, you would likely be badly injured. Surely you can see how that is completely against our cause? If that is the case, wouldn''t a quick, quiet surrender be the best course of action?"


    * * *

 234 Trials 2

    There was, of course, no answer. So Qin Feng merely grunted, and sat down again. The Second Ducal Prince gave him an apologetic look, but the younger man merely shrugged back at him. Then went on with his impression of a petulant schoolboy.


    That got a sigh out of Li Changhai, and a weary chuckle from Lin Liushui. Honestly, Qin Feng was not too bothered by what they thought of his behavior. It didn''t really matter, in the end. What he was frustrated about was the fact that he would not have a chance to fight, and to test the improvements to his martial arts.


    The clash with the assassins back along the road had shown him that there were some places where he could make improvements to the same. But simple sparring sessions, and against opponents that he was already familiar with wasn''t really going to help him to improve. Knowing that, he was hoping for a chance to stand in the Arena, and test himself against those so-called suitors, who were out to snatch Du Yan''s bride-to-be.


    At least, that was how they were likely to present themselves, if one believed Du Yan''s father. That fellow was just as irritating as Lin Liushui!


    But now, it looked as though he was going to have to sit out the entire fight altogether! How disappointing!


    *


    Du Yan was only informed of their plans the following morning, since he had spent the whole night talking with his parents. And not doubt, telling them about his achievements in alchemy, and his adventures with his two sworn brothers.


    Which was probably why Du Chenyong and his wife were a lot warmer towards Li Changhai and Lin Liushui the morning after.


    The Second Ducal Prince could definitely feel the change in the way that the old couple had towards him. As for Lin Liushui, he was carved from the same type of rock as Du Chenyong, so the two of them got along famously, even without the encouragement from the latter''s brawny firstborn son!


    "Wait a moment. Wasn''t there another one from your party? Why isn''t he here? Doesn''t he wish to take part in the discussion that we will be having soon?"


    Li Changhai bit down on his sigh, and offered Du Chenyong a sheepish smile. "I am afraid that our young friend Qin Feng had been a little too enthusiastic with his drinking last night. And had consumed a little more than his usual capacity. But he should be fine once he gets enough sleep. That is why we did not wake him up this morning," he managed to lie.


    Even as he glared at Lin Liushui. It was the gallant''s plan, after all, to render Qin Feng completely unable to show up for the discussion, so as to hide his level of cultivation. So long as it was not discovered, no one would dare to think that they were pulling a fast one. After all, he might be a true expert that they had found, that could match the Heaven-shaking arts of the Snow Swallow Palace.


    Of course, all of that would depend on whether they were able to arrange it so that Du Yan''s party got to pick their opponents, rather than the other way around. Lin Liushui had spoken to the Second Ducal Prince about, while they were sipping on wine the night before. And so got Qin Feng completely inebriated.


    Li Changhai hid a sigh of regret when he thought about it. But it was all for his Brother Yan''s sake. And to keep Qin Feng out of danger. If he suddenly jumped out and challenged someone from the opposite camp ... Well, that would be both dangerous for him, as well as disrupt Lin Liushui''s plans, wouldn''t it?


    How could Lin Liushui, being who he was, miss the glare that Li Changhai was directing his way. So he simply laughed, and bowed at Du Yan''s father. "I believe that it would be fine, if only us three brothers are present for the discussion. Brother Qin Feng is still rather young, and might behave rashly. So it might be to our advantage, if he did not appear for the moment. Otherwise, we might lose control of the situation.


    "Don''t you think so, Uncle?"


    Du Chenyong merely smiled and agreed, before leading the trio to the Arena, where the discussion, and likely the fighting that was going to follow, was going to take place. Li Changhai did wonder at the choice of the site. Since this was supposed to be discussion, wouldn''t a tea-house or a restaurant be more suitable? That is, if one wished to avoid a sense of oppression, to onlookers who were not involved.


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    Apparently, the ones who had arranged this had no intention of wrapping things up nicely in a neat and presentable package. And judging from the confident smile on Lin Liushui''s face, their strategist was more than pleased to be presented with such a backdrop to the discussion ahead.


    The Second Ducal Prince wanted to have a word with the handsome fellow, so that he could get a hint of what Lin Liushui was thinking, but the latter seemed busy briefing Du Yan on the results of their conference the night before. And judging from the angry look on Du Yan''s face, it seemed that Qin Feng was not the only one offended by Lin Liushui''s tricks.


    Well, that was something that they would have to deal with later, when they got through all of this nonsense! Li Changhai had no doubts that Lin Liushui probably had his apologetic speeches all prepared, to cool those two down. That is, provided his plans did present them with the victory, as he was hoping for.


    The ones who they were supposed to be having a discussion with were already there. And clad in garb that made it clear that they were there to fight, and not talk. Which had the Second Ducal Prince frowning immediately. Had Lin Liushui expected something like this too? Was that why he had instructed him to come in full armor, and with his helm and glaive?


    Was that so that he would not give away his identity, so that he could surprise them later? So that he could take advantage of their surprise? Would that be enough for the enemy to adjust their battle-plans, and fall into Lin Liushui''s trap?


    Du Chenyong introduced the main players without any hesitation, and scowled when he noted the empty space in the front row of the enemy participants. "Oh? What has happened here? Wasn''t Elder Ji from the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace supposed to be here, to join in the discussion? Why is she absent now? Perhaps, Elder Wu Batian, from the Black Eagle Mountain, can enlighten me?"


    The one that Du Yan''s father had picked out was a slightly younger man, but already with grey in his hair and beard. He was seated in the front of the enemy assemblage, but didn''t bother to get up to answer the question. Instead, he merely glanced at one of the youngsters at his side, who half-shouted the reply in a sneering tone:


    "Snow Swallow Palace''s Elder Ji Lixue claimed that she had important matters to discuss with her disciple, and would only appear later. If it is necessary at all."


    The mockery in those words were biting, and the rest of the contingent behind Wu Batian grinned as they felt the anger being roused in the Du Family. Especially in Du Yan, whose face had already gone bright red in response to the insult.


    But Du Chenyong was still able to control himself, and in doing so, hold back his son. "In that case, I suppose that we shall have to begin the discussion without her," he sighed, his voice still neutral when he spoke. Which had even some of the opposition looking on with admiration. Clearly, this man was formidable, in his own way.


    However, how could the ones opposing the Du Family not have another method, of triggering a flat-out skirmish, rather than a peaceful talk?


    "Why bother to waste any time with words? Let''s just start the whole thing off right now!" roared a young man from the Golden Shield School, as he jumped forward immediately, landing in the centre of the cleared Arena stage. Like all the others from that Martial School, he was dressed in brown and wore a golden yellow sash around his waist. And he was a burly fellow too, although not as wide in the shoulder as Du Yan.


    "Which one of you is going to come forth and meet me? You? Do you dare to fight me?"


    * * *

 235 Trials 3

    That one pointed his saber directly at Du Yan. Which made it clear who the group was really after there and then. It seemed they were more than eager to get it over with, to deny the Yuan Family and the Prince behind them, of a Master Weaponsmith.


    Lin Liushui merely chuckled, and turned to give Du Yan a quick dip of his head. Which restrained him from making an answer, or rushing onto the stage immediately. This was a signal that they had arranged, it seemed.


    But this was his marriage that they were interfering with, and his parents that they were threatening. So the Second Ducal Prince was not at all surprised to see how eager Du Yan looked, to kick their faces in! His fists were clenched so hard that his knuckles were already all but white in color! But Du Yan knew better to give in to his heightened anger. That would be more than a little disadvantageous to the party, as Lin Liushui had mentioned to him earlier. So he held it all back.


    Du Chenyong looked as though he was shocked, and was about to step forward. But Li Changhai could tell that it was all an act. Lin Liushui had already warned that the enemy might try something like this earlier, and had briefed them on their own roles.


    So the younger scholarly fellow held back the older one, and stepped forward to address the one who was standing in the fighting Arena, with his nose in the air. It appeared that Lin Liushui had already some plan in hand, to make this fellow lose all of his face!


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    "Oh? What is this? I had thought that this sort of arrangement should follow the rules set in jianghu, the martial world, and not be left to uppity youngsters, who jump out without looking at their own status! The Golden Shield is merely a Bronze-rated Martial School. And you dare to kick up such a fuss? Who are you? Is your surname Cao?


    "Do you think that you are worthy to be in the forefront of this battle? Step back, and let your betters take the field. I will personally deal with anyone who from Black Eagle Mountain instead. They are the ones who are truly leading this group here, aren''t they?"


    Lin Liushui''s words had a bite. They were sufficient to give both the Golden Shield''s School and the Black Eagle Mountain a sharp, painful reminder of who they were dealing with at the moment. The Lin Family was old and very much a power in almost all of the Western Kingdoms, so how could they deny what he had just said?


    And that mention of the Cao surname? That was clearly to warn them all, that as a member of the Lin Family, he was more than aware of the fact that the Golden Shield School was led by Master Cao and his sons. This was clearly an insinuation that only the direct family of the School''s Master had the right to fight his Brother!


    Which was an insult, in and of itself! All of Master Cao''s sons were worthless when it came to martial arts, and not one of them had made it into the proper Qi Completion stage. So wasn''t he simply smacking them in the face?


    That was probably the reason why the Master of the Golden Shield School had given a signal, which sent his disciple scurrying back to their side of the Arena, with his tail between his legs!


    "Ah! I believe that my gallant young nephew here is correct. It is customary to start things off with a bang, isn''t it? Perhaps we should have one of the leaders from this alliance of yours take center stage first? You did mention that you wished to teach my dear nephew a lesson earlier, did you not?"


    "Eh! How can you expect the alliance leader to step out himself? While I would be eager to test my skills against such an expert of renown, it would be a little overdoing it, don''t you think? I doubt that the Yuan Family would be too pleased to have such an elderly son-in-law. Not to mention the fact that Elder Wu Batian already has six wives and seventeen concubines. Didn''t they say something earlier, about diminishing the importance of the Yuan Family''s daughter?"


    Du Chenyong was clearly Lin Liushui''s match in these matters, and he displayed the full extent of his abilities when he pretended to be shocked, stepping back from the younger man in surprise. And raised both his hands to signal in the negative at him.


    "How can you say such a thing about Elder Wu Batian? He is one of the leaders of the Black Eagle Mountain Sect already, so do you think that he would participate in such a event, against a junior like you? How can you say that? You are painting him as a bully! That is too, too much, nephew! You should be careful that your Lin Family Elders don''t call you out for this!"


    The response was, of course, perfect. And showed off Du Chenyong''s magnificence as a speaker as well. In that little speech, he had already highlighted the fact that Wu Batian would be bullying a junior, and throwing the face of his Black Eagle Mountain Branch. And that the Lin Family was probably not going to stand for it.


    Warnings that could not be ignored!


    So the black-faced Wu Batian could only quell his anger at Lin Liushui''s earlier comment about his personal life, and how he already had a slew of women caring for him. Something that was enough to have the representatives of the Golden Shield School, and the Tearless Iron Spear Troop hiding their faces behind their sleeves, to laugh quietly at him.


    But where he had pompously remained silent earlier, to put down Du Chenyong, he was not given that option now. So he continued to glare at Lin Liushui, even as he softly barked an order at his own son.


    "Zhenyang! Go and exchange a few moves with this young gentleman here. Let him see why our Black Eagle Mountain has risen to where it is today."


    The one who rose to his feet was a middle-aged fellow, which made Li Changhai search through his memories. Who was this Zhenyang fellow?


    But Du Chenyong had not forgotten his role, to introduce both sides to each other. And his words soon filtered into Li Changhai''s ears:


    "Oh? Sending out your youngest son, Master Wu? This is the famed Laughing Eagle Claw, Wu Zhenyang? Why, what a magnificent specimen he is! And he''s only forty-two this year, isn''t he?"


    That was a dig at the man. He was younger than his father, certainly. But a forty odd year old man, pitted against a man who had yet to reach his thirties? How could that be a laudable achievement, in anyone''s eyes?


    But the person walking onto the stage just then didn''t seem to pay the insult any mind. As though it had nothing to do with why he was there at all.


    The mocking smile on his lips made it clear just how he regarded the younger man in front of him. Even his clasped fists salute was perfunctionary. Although he did say the customary words that signaled the formal start of a duel, there was no hiding the sneer on his lips. As though he was wasting his time on a dead man.


    "Wu Zhenyang, of Black Eagle Mountain. Please."


    * * *

 236 Trials 4

    "Lin Liushui. Please."


    Lin Liushui showed off his arrogance then, with his adherence to the courtesy of a superior martial arts practitioner. No doubt, showing off was one of the things that he did best, Li Changhai half-growled under his breath. Not that he ever missed a chance of doing that.


    But the Second Ducal Prince was also aware that this was one of the so-called difficult fights that Lin Liushui had mentioned, the night before:


    "If Wu Zhenyang or Wu Zhenyong are present tomorrow, things might get a little more tricky. They are both highly skilled, and I would need to pull out a few tricks, if I had to deal with them. But don''t be too depressed, if either of them step out. Just remember to have confidence in your Brother!"


    That was what Lin Liushui had said back then. And Li Changhai felt his heartbeat quickening, as he saw his oldest friend climb up on the dueling stage in the Arena. This was harder than he had thought it would be, when Lin Liushui cautioned him to remain calm.


    But how could anyone stay calm in a situation like this? Unless one was made of ice!


    Then he heard a soft voice at his side:


    "You left without me."


    Li Changhai whirled to face the young man who had appeared at his side, staring at the same with his jaw slack. "Qin Feng? Why are you here? I thought you were still asleep!"


    *


    Qin Feng snorted when he heard the Second Ducal Prince''s pitiful excuse. Did they really think that drinking a few dozen cups of wine would be enough to knock him out for the whole night? That was just wishful thinking! All that it did was make him wake up a little later, and give him a bit of a headache. Nothing that running a cycle of qi through his meridians wouldn''t fix.


    But when he finally emerged from his rooms, he had found that everyone had already left, which was enough to really annoy him. That, and having to find his own way to the Arena. In the end, he had simply accosted one of the men that were working in Du Yan''s father''s tavern, and forced him to show the way.


    Still, he had got there late. And the fighting had already begun by the time that he got to the grandstand that was in the South. Those were the places that had been reserved for the Du Family and their supporters.


    Du Chenyong, naturally, recognized him immediately, once he was notified by his tavern''s waiter. And he had quickly ushered Qin Feng to his seat, to one side of the Li Changhai.


    That was when he took the opportunity, to whisper into the Second Ducal Prince''s ear, chiding him for making off without him. And Li Changhai''s excuse was enough to make him laugh.


    "As if I would miss something like this. You two are looking down on me a little too much," he growled back at the Ducal Prince, who bowed his head deeply, in repentance.


    Which was something that he should do, so Qin Feng ignored it, and turned back to the fight. "So, they have started already? Brother Lin is going first?"


    "As he had planned to do. Er ... You weren''t asleep all of last night, were you? You should have heard some of our plans?"


    "Only a little."


    To be honest, Qin Feng was in a bit of a mood the night before, after he heard that he most likely did not have to take part in the fighting. And that he should just give up, in the eventuality that he had to get on the stage. Which was insulting in itself.


    So it should be no surprise to the Second Ducal Prince that he was refusing to acknowledge any that he had heard the night before. Besides, he was too busy wallowing in his own complaints, to pay proper attention to whatever Lin Liushui had been saying.


    Not that he was interested in explaining all of that to Li Changhai, that strict fellow. So he simply pointed a finger at the stage, and the fight that was already taking place:


    "That''s someone from the Black Eagle Mountain?"


    "Yes, it is. That''s Wu Zhenyang, the fifth son of the Wu Batian. They call him the Eagle in the North. According to the ranking boards, he is supposed to be Wu Batian''s weakest son. Brother Liushui estimates that he has a thirty percent chance of beating him in a straight-up fight."


    Thirty percent? Those were low odds, in Qin Feng''s opinion. If that was the case, why wasn''t Lin Liushui using his tricks instead? That should make things a little more even, wouldn''t it? Unless the handsome fellow had something else up his sleeves?


    On his other side, Du Yan seemed to only have his eyes fixed on the fight, not even bothering to greet Qin Feng when he appeared. Which was rather normal, given how concerned he was. This was going to be affecting his marriage after all.


    Not to mention the fact that he had not been present, when they were having that battle planning session of theirs. The one in which Qin Feng was too drunk and too angry to listen.


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    "Water Flows Downhill!"


    Du Yan half-shouted those words, even as Qin Feng was sitting down.


    Lin Liushui''s Movement Technique was something that Qin Feng had seen before, but he had never witnessed the same in a proper duel, and had only seen it used against soldiers and mercenaries thus far. Hence, one might say that he had barely seen Lin Liushui scrape the surface of his family''s famous Movement Art.


    [Water Flows Downhill] was the name of that particular stance of the Movement Technique, which he had heard Du Yan blurt out earlier. Or rather, it was half of its proper name. And now that he witnessed Lin Liushui using it against the Black Eagle Sect''s Wu Zhenyang, he could see why it had been said that the handsome man had been given a most suitable name:


    The Gentleman of Flowing Water.


    Of course, Lin Liushui hated it, so he never used it. And neither did either of his Brothers. QIn Feng had only picked it up listening to some of the soldiers that were in the Second Ducal Prince''s Bodyguard. And even then, they were very cautious about repeating that, in Lin Liushui''s presence.


    Which made Qin Feng wonder why there was such a big fuss over something like that. Wasn''t it just a nickname in the Martial World? Since when it counted for anything?


    But he quickly threw that to the back of his mind, and concentrated on the duel.


    Lin Liushui''s steps flowed like water, and he danced about Wu Zhenyang''s Flying Eagle Movement Technique in a manner that made the latter look as if he was standing still! And he had not even made a single counterattack yet, while he dodged all of the Black Eagle Mountain''s representatives, all of the Northern Eagle''s tricky strikes.


    It looked as though he was merely playing with Wu Zhenyang!


    Something that did not escape the eyes of all the onlookers around the dueling circle! The expressions on the faces of the leader of that particular Sect turned black too, when it was clear that he would not be reaping the easy reward that he was after.


    At least, getting his hands on whatever had been promised to him by that lust-driven Royal Prince, as the rumors whispered, was not going to be as easy as he had thought, as the Master of the Black Eagle Mountain had hoped, it would be.


    * * *

 237 Trials 5

    Yet, there was nothing that Wu Batian could do. He was already committed. And his son was the most powerful among his disciples present. So he could only hold his tongue and hold his temper. And hoped that what he saw was really the truth:


    That Lin Liushui didn''t really have a plan, and was using everything that he had, to avoid clashing physically with Wu Zhenyang.


    But if that was the case, why was he still smiling? And why was he moving with such grace, with such ease? Why did he look as though he was simply waiting, waiting for an opportunity?


    Qin Feng couldn''t understand it either. But that was the impression that he got, when he looked at Wu Batian''s expression. And if he could see that, it should be obvious to the rest of the people present thereabouts. Even those who were supposed to be on his side!


    However, as one of Lin Liushui''s allies, he should have a better idea of what he was waiting for, shouldn''t he? What sort of opportunity did he need, to turn the tables on this Wu Zhenyang?


    And what could he do, what could Qin Feng do, to help him?


    Then there was a bit of ruckus, on the opposite side of the Arena stands. And Qin Feng scowled as he watched two women step into the same. One of them was dressed in dull, grey robes, cut in a fashion that would look fetching on a woman of sixty or seventy. But she looked no more than forty to fifty years old, and did not have even a single strand of grey in her hair.


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    As for the young girl at her side, she was dressed in a beautiful gown of pale green, that was adorned with a belt of deep green silk, embroidered with narrow golden leaves, reminiscent of bamboo. And her hair was tied up in a simple bun on top of her head, similar to the way that the older woman at her side had her hair restrained. But while the latter was using a simple wooden stick, the younger woman had a jade one, similarly carved to resemble a twig of bamboo.


    Between her dressing and her smooth complexion, she drew every eye as she walked into the place. All of which confirmed that her beauty was matched by her fairy-like grace as she moved. Even Qin Feng''s.


    But all it took was a single look, for him to recognize her at once!


    She was one of the two women that he had met, in the woods outside, to the North, of Changqing City! One of the pair that had decimated all of the barbarians there, together with the martial practitioner that had accompanied them! She was from the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace!


    Then he calmed down. Hadn''t he already known that they would be present? Didn''t Lin Liushui tell him that they were part of the group that was forcing Du Yan to give up his suit? Since he already knew that they were there to make trouble for the Du Family, and for the Yuan Family, why should he be so surprised?


    Still, he had not expected her to be one of their representatives.


    Qin Feng found his lips curling in a smile, as he saw how the younger of the pair was scanning her surroundings, and giving a derisive look at all the men on her side of the Arena. Men who were clearly lusting for her beauty. Then her eyes flicked over to the opposite side, and lit on Qin Feng and his companions.


    There was a certain lighting up of her gaze, and her lips seemed to twitch slightly. That was all the indication that she gave, but he had caught it. So she had seen him, and recognized him. Just as he had recognized her, as the younger of the two women that he had met:


    This was the one who had poked fun at him, and was disgruntled because her senior sister wished to learn the White Jade Hands from him. The same one who had mocked the inadequacy of his martial arts back then!


    How strange the ways of Heaven. To think that they would have a chance to meet again like this. As enemies on different sides. It was a great joke, to tell the truth. He knew that Lin Liushui had been utterly correct.


    She could even kill him with one strike, if she was serious! It was impossible for him to be able to fend off even one of her casual blows!


    But strangely, he felt a burning desire to try! This was the best opponent that he could hope for! This was his one chance to find out, just how far he had managed to come, in the half-year that since he last met her!


    Then Qin Feng heard a roaring, and jerked his eyes away from the young woman. And turned his attention back to the Arena at once. Had something taken place on the same? Had Lin Liushui finally failed to dodge his opponent''s assault? After all, the roars had all originated from his side of the stage!


    Du Yan was on his feet, and Li Changhai was shaking with excitement. And it was obvious from their fixed gazes that they were all staring at the stage itself. And the fight that was taking place on the same. Had something happened to Lin Liushui?


    But why did it look as though both of them were excited and pleased, rather than anxious? Qin Feng could not understand it, until he turned his eyes to the stage as well:


    Only to see a pale-looking Lin Liushui standing over the fallen Wu Zhenyang, who was clutching at his left leg as though he was in terrible pain. And Qin Feng didn''t need a physician to tell him that the position of the limb was all wrong. How could a person''s leg bend like that, unless he had two knees?


    Or, unless both bones of his lower leg had been broken, and bent out of shape!


    That was when he saw Lin Liushui raise both his hands, and clasp them in a very formal, very polite gesture at the man who he had just beaten. Who was writhing in pain on the stage, clutching at his leg had just been mangled!


    Which made Lin Liushui''s next words, and the way that he delivered them, all the more painful to the ears of the Black Eagle Mountain''s Wu Batian!


    "Ah! Young Master Wu Zhenyang. Thank you for letting me win."


    * * *

 238 Trials 6

    "What happened?"


    Qin Feng felt the weight of Li Changhai''s puzzled stare as if it was a huge stone, and almost winced. But he managed to keep a straight face. Even when the Second Ducal Prince asked in a very strange tone of voice:


    "You didn''t see? Brother Liushui lured him into using his Eagle Snatches The Carp move, and slipped past his attack to break his leg. Weren''t you watching the match?"


    "I got distracted. See? The Snow Swallow Palace people have arrived," he replied, with a laugh, thankfully without blushing, as he pointed at the opposite stands.


    However, he realized his mistake as soon as he did that. Wu Batian was glaring at him as though he wanted to devour Qin Feng alive, because of that guffaw he gave out. Or to tear him apart, limb from limb. Whichever would cause him more pain.


    No doubt, the old leader of the Black Eagle Mountain contingent was thinking that he was commenting about his loss. And how his own son had been so badly beaten up. After all, Qin Feng did have a weak smile on his face, and someone like Wu Batian would never believe that a youngster like Qin Feng would miss a chance to mock him.


    And how could Qin Feng explain, that he was looking at the pretty woman sitting down three seats away from his location? While some of the younger men would certainly allow that it was true, which of them would dare to risk Wu Batian''s wrath, by saying that?


    Lin Liushui, in the meantime, had already made it back to the stands, and was collapsing into the seat on the other side of Li Changhai. The Second Ducal Prince looked on with worry, as he half-fell into his chair, prompting the strategist to grin.


    "That was a harder fight than I had expected. But I wore out his patience, and so got that opportunity. I believe that he was distracted by Xu Yanzhi as well, when she arrived. So maybe I should thank her later, for arousing his lust, and so distracting him."


    "Xu Yanzhi? That''s the young girl in green?"


    Lin Liushui looked up at Qin Feng''s question with obvious amusement. "Ah? Young Brother Qin Feng is showing interest in a woman? That is a surprise. I had not thought that highly of little Yanzhi''s charms. But not to worry, she is distantly related to me, like a cousin. Several times removed. If you are interested, I will introduce you to her later, Brother Qin."


    Qin Feng managed to plaster a smile on his lips. It was still fake, although he didn''t need too much effort to make it work this time. "Not necessary. I have met her before. I think that she remembers me too. Or rather, she remembers my face. She won''t know my name. Since I did not give it. The last time we met."


    It was embarrassing. How come his words had come out like that? As though he had difficulty expressing himself? It was likely because this was the first time that he had tried to bandy words with Lin Liushui, he told himself.


    But looking at the expressions on everyone''s faces - everybody around him, that is! Well, it was clear that they all got the wrong impression, didn''t they?


    Was that why they were all staring at him in silence?


    Then Du Yan broke the spell, and laughed weakly as he coughed into his left fist. "Well, that aside, I think it is my turn to make a move. Say, that fellow that called me out earlier: would he make a good target?"


    He had turned to ask Lin Liushui, who gave his fan a quick shake before he answered:


    "An excellent target! That''s Bei Mohuang, the second son of the leader of the Golden Shield School. A rather good martial practitioner but his Golden Shield has not reached the peak state yet. So you should be able to take him, if you get him with a fully strengthened blow.


    "Getting one in, however, will be your problem!"


    Qin Feng''s smile then, was a more genuine one. The stage had been cleared, and the injured Wu Zhenyang carried away. But there were marks on the flagstones, and it was clear that he had attacked Lin Liushui with some vigor. If he concentrated, he could still get a gist of the trace of Lin Liushui''s final blow. That was something that he could use!


    Du Yan''s fighting style, on the other hand, was closer to the way that he used his Four Seasons Sword, which depended on speed, rather than mere power. That was the mistake that everyone had made with Du Yan, once they saw his great bulk. So he was more determined to pay closer attention to this match!


    "Where is the rascal who dared to challenge me earlier? Get your sorry a*se up here!" shouted Du Yan as he landed up on the stage. The crowd at the other side of the Arena had only just begun discuss who to send up next, so he had effectively shut them up, and snatched the initiative away from them.


    Well, that and his use of that mild vulgarity. But considering the fact that they were picking on him and his betrothed, and his reputation for having a quick temper, no one really bothered to raise a fuss about that.


    The young fellow who had stood in the middle of the stage earlier, and shouted at him was quick to respond as well, before anyone of the older generation could advise him. Clearly, he was determined to make his name, with Du Yan as his stepping stone.


    Too bad no one had told Du Yan that!


    The man in brown and yellow started an attack the moment that he got up, thinking to snatch the advantage from Du Yan immediately. But the burly fellow had his maces out already, and was able to fend of his opponent''s sword with ease.


    But it was when Du Yan counter-attacked that the one from the Golden Shield School showed why he had been so confident in his own skills:


    The maces that Du Yan had been so proud off had simply glanced off his forearms with a sharp metallic sound, as though the man was wearing vambraces, or some other sort of armor! And every one of Du Yan''s four consecutive strikes was blocked without exception!


    "Did you think that our Golden Shield School''s Golden Shield got its name for nothing? What an idiot? Here! Come at me! I will show you just how useless your Du Family martial arts are!" shouted the man in yellow and brown.


    Du Yan cursed loudly as the one from the Golden Shield School threw up his arms again, and blocked his fiery mace assault a fifth time. But despite his furrowed brow, Qin Feng had the impression that the tall, brawny fellow was undeterred by the man in the yellow shirt. And it did not require any imagination at all, to figure out why:


    The Golden Shield Martial School''s primary claim to fame was its infamous Golden Shield, a martial technique that augmented one''s body with one''s zhenqi. By circulating the same through one''s meridians in a particular way, the Golden Shield allowed its practitioners to stand up to an assault by someone up to three levels higher! And in a one-on-one fight, that should be enough to allow him to gain a distinct advantage!


    Yet, for some strange reason, Du Yan was still pushing forward, and continuing to hit the smiling fellow in yellow. And his twin maces were pounding away with an almost boring, rhythmic pattern. It looked frustrating, the way the latter was smirking as he blocked, or rather, absorbed all of Du Yan''s blows. But the big muscular man did not look as though he was going to give up hitting the older man.


    Obviously, Du Yan had the confidence that he would be able to overcome, or at the least, to neutralize, his opponent''s widely-known defensive technique.


    Something that the Golden Shield School''s representatives around the Drill Circle were clearly dismissive of. After all, they did not get their reputation as one of the hardest defensive Martial Arts Schools in jianghu for nothing.


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    Qin Feng, on the other hand, was a little more confident in his friend. Not to mention the fact that he had just spotted a slight smile, a confident smile, on the lips of Lin Liushui, who was seated right next to him. The Second Ducal Prince, who had his chair on the other side of the handsome man, still looked worried though.


    So he nudged the gorgeous man in the ribs, and nodded at Li Changhai when Lin Liushui turned to look at him in askance. The handsome fellow gave out a soft chuckle, then nodded his thanks at Qin Feng''s reminder, before leaning over to the Second Ducal Prince, and whispering in his ear.


    Whatever he told Li Changhai certainly did the trick. The Ducal Prince no longer looked as anxious as he had moments before. And he even glanced at Qin Feng, and offered the latter a quick smile before turning back to stare at the duelists.


    * * *

 239 Trials 7

    Well, it was obvious that Li Changhai would be under a lot of pressure if Du Yan failed to take his opponent down. Then again, wasn''t going to be facing the same sort of pressure if the big man did win? Either way, Li Changhai was going to end up with a great deal of expectation, riding on his match.


    Especially since Qin Feng was supposed to give up gracefully, when he was challenged later on. That is, if the Snow Swallow Palace deigned to take a hand. Or was that decision going to be in Xu Yanzhi''s hands?


    Qin Feng found himself gazing at the girl in the green robe then, as he wondered about his chances. Could he not manage to take one of her blows? And give up thereafter? That should be sufficient, wouldn''t it? To allow himself a bit of pride?


    A loud yell from the Arena just then, however, drew his eyes back to the fight.


    It turned out that it was Du Yan shouting as he charged at his opponent, with his twin maces flashing in a horizontal move, that was aimed directly at both sides of the Golden Shield man''s face.


    Something that clearly did not impress him.


    "Hmmph! Twin Thunders Pierces the Ears*? Did you think I would fall for such a move?"


    The Golden Shield practitioner quickly threw up his sword to block one of Du Yan''s maces, and used his left hand to catch the big man''s other wrist, preventing his second mace from reaching him.


    But his smirking face soon froze, as he realized that there was no lingering force, no zhenqi behind either of the two strikes that he had intercepted. He tried to step back then, but it was already too late!


    That was when Du Yan leaned in close, until his face was only inches away from the man in brown and yellow. Then he opened his mouth wide, and shouted!


    The huge roar that blasted out from the middle of the Arena was enough to deafen all who were seated within the first three rows of the fighting stage. And those who were of lesser cultivation states promptly fell down on their knees, vomiting up their breakfast.


    Even Li Changhai, Lin Liushui and Qin Feng were among the affected. Although it was clear, from the way that his head reeled, that the youngest of the lot was the one who suffered the most ill effects from the big man''s move.


    By the time that his vision had cleared, and he was able to hear again, he caught a snatch of the shouting that was being delivered by an irate Du Chenyong:


    "... you to learn something like this? I thought you would follow me, and practice the One Needle Sees Blood** version! Do you know what kind of trouble you''ve caused? How many were injured by that one move? Take a look yourself!


    "See? Even your brother Qin Feng had almost lost consciousness!"


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    By then, Qin Feng had already recovered his sight and his hearing fully. Although the latter was a little painful, when someone shouted. So it seemed likely that he would have to channel his qi for a few more times, before the pain would abate completely.


    "Why are you bothered about that? Did you take a good look at the other side? I had deafened half of the disciples that they have brought here, haven''t I? That should give us an advantage, in the next fight."


    Du Yan spoke softly, and more slowly than he usually did. And Qin Feng could sense that his voice was a little hoarse. Not surprising, after a move like that.


    "What was that called? How come I didn''t know that you had something like that?" asked Lin Liushui, before anyone else could do so, "What else have you been hiding from me? I was so worried when you were playing with him, with all those half-hearted blows."


    "Well, I would be wasting my strength, wouldn''t I? If I kept bashing him to no purpose like that. The Golden Shield is very effective against pure strength moves like my usual mace strikes, so I had to lure him in close, so that he would not be able to escape my Lion''s Roar move.


    "Oh, and that one is called One Cry Awes Everyone***."


    "Well, I am sure that you have completely awed everyone!" grunted Li Changhai, as he stuck a finger in his ear and checked for bleeding, "You almost deafened all of our own side as well! And gave up Qin Feng''s disguise! No one will believe that he is a hidden master, now that you''ve almost stunned him unconscious."


    "Ah! Yes. I ... er ... forgot about that. But no need to worry! I mean, you are going to win your fight, aren''t you? That should give us three wins, so there will be no need for Brother Qin to step onto the stage later."


    Lin Liushui lifted his White-Bone Fan, and looked as if he was going to clout Du Yan over the head with it. But he thought better of it, glancing at Du Chenyong. It was a bit of an obvious insult, if he did that to the man''s son right in front of him like that. So he simply sighed, and made a gesture at the Second Ducal Prince.


    "He''s right. The only way that we can get out of this safely is if you win, and win beautifully. By that, I mean taking out the enemy just like I did. I would use Brother Yan''s fight as an example, but permanently destroying someone''s hearing might be one of those grudge-forming things that you should avoid.


    "It''s alright for Brother Du, since they are already clearly enemies for having designs on his woman. But you might want to take it easy, like just breaking an arm or a leg."


    "Or cutting one off! That works too. I''m sure that a powerful military organisation like the Iron Spears Troop will have lots of alchemical remedies that can recover that! If not, then too bad for the fool!"


    Lin Liushui shook his head at Du Yan''s interruption, and gestured at Li Changhai again, to make certain that he had the Second Ducal Prince''s attention. It seemed he wasn''t taking any chances, since almost everyone had their hearing slightly impaired.


    "Don''t listen our idiot Brother Yan here. Break bones but no severing limbs. That''s a little too much. Don''t forget that you still have to uphold the good reputation of your father''s Duchy. So you will still have to win. Beautifully. You have to win beautifully."


    Qin Feng snorted as he listened to Lin Liushui, and shook his head when the Second Ducal Prince turned to face him. From the look on his face, it seemed that Li Changhai was asking him for advice. So he offered it up, without hesitation:


    "Who cares if it is beautiful or not, so long as you win? If you are in real danger, do not hesitate to kill. Who cares if they make trouble later? In fact, given who you are, you should be the one threatening them! Are they the only ones with powerful fathers? You should announce your name, and proudly. Just like Brother Lin did earlier, before they started.


    "Or you might want to use a more military style, given how you are dressed."


    * * *


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    ***Ò»Ãù¾ªÈË

 240 Trials 8

    Du Chenyong was the one who stepped forward first, when the other party finally recovered themselves, and signaled that they were ready for the next fight. They had taken a good bit of time to clear up the place, and give their ears a chance to recover, Qin Feng thought.


    And perhaps, a chance for their morale to pick up a little? Having lost two in a row, it could be said that they were more than a little worried. As could be seen from the look on their faces.


    However, Lin Liushui was quick to stop Du Yan''s father from saying a word, and turned to take over the arrangements on his Brother''s behalf. Despite his pallor and a slight weakness in his voice, he still managed to convey the impression of a lofty Grandmaster, with his handsome visage and his slightly insulting, though utterly polite, manners:


    "Ah! Unfortunately, we do not have any more representatives that can go up and play right now. So I will have to trouble this good friend from our protective troop to step out. You are aware that our Brother Qin Feng still needs a bit of time to recover from ... that over-loud shout, so you are our only choice at the moment. Brother Li?"


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    Qin Feng frowned as Lin Liushui made the excuses. Why did he have to be the one to play the injured party this time. That was a little too arbitrary, wasn''t it?


    But Du Chenyong only grunted, when he saw the look on Qin Feng''s face. And probably mistook the sour twist of his lips for something else. "Oh, do not worry about it, Young Master Qin. Our Strategist Lin is only spreading it on thick so as to cover the Second Ducal Prince''s identity. But I have a feeling that the Ducal Prince will surprise us all, when he gets up on the stage and starts fighting. I sense an aura in him that is similar to his father."


    The fact that Du Yan''s father was using formal titles and speaking in such a glum tone was all the warning that Qin Feng got that this was another of Lin Liushui''s elaborate plans. Why these two handsome fellows had to keep coming up with these little tricks was beyond him though. Did Li Changhai really need something like that to beat this next fellow?


    Still, it was rather a good match, for the arrogant-looking man in a pale blue shirt and a beautiful floral overcoat that Qin Feng thought was more suited for someone going courting, than a fight. And while the wearer was handsome in his own way, he was no match for Lin Liushui''s heavenly luster, or Du Yan''s down-to-earth solidity.


    In other words, he was lacking compared to those two exceptional men. In fact, Qin Feng would even go so far as to rate him under Li Changhai. Although the Second Ducal Prince was a little wishy-washy at times, he did have a good heart. So long as he did not try to pretend to be something other than what he was - because his acting skills were terrible! Well, so long as he didn''t try to act a scholar, he was perfectly acceptable.


    Even so, his rough and tough soldierly image was more than sufficient to make the difference between the two combatants clear. The one sent by the Tearless Iron Spear Troop gave the impression of a nobleman trying to play soldier, while Li Changhai wore the image of one who really knew the ins and outs of war.


    Which was even more apparent when the Second Ducal Prince offered up a military-styled salute, rather than a mincingly polite one that was more accepted in jianghu. Which was a bit of surprise for his opponent.


    "Li Changhai. Yanyun City."


    Qin Feng felt his eyebrows shoot up. It seems the Second Ducal Prince had taken his advice, and used a mode of address that was fitting with the way that he was dressed. And it was certainly enough to confuse the enemy. Most of the senior members of the Martial Arts Schools seated on the other side of the Arena looked a little perplexed too. Probably because they had the feeling as though they should recognize the name? But they just could not place it. Not with the way that Li Changhai was behaving.


    The Elder from Snow Swallow Mountain Palace, on the other hand, gave the Ducal Prince a sharp glance as soon as those words left his lips. So it was clear that she had recognized him.


    Which did not surprise Qin Feng at all. The fact that the Palace had sent people to watch the Barbarians, to the South, meant that they had the Marquis and the Duke within their sights. So how could something like this escape their eyes?


    The well-dressed dandy in the brocade robe merely sniffed at the Second Ducal Prince, as though the armor-clad soldier was beneath him.


    "Wearing armor in a duel? That only shows how much of a coward you are! I shall break your glaive and throw you off the stage in ten moves!"


    Li Changhai didn''t say a word, and simply launched an attack at once, causing his opponent to hurriedly raise his own spear, to block the powerful downward blow. That was followed by a smooth flick upwards, using the pommel end of the polearm, that threw the man in the brocade robe back about seven to ten steps.


    The Second Ducal Prince seemed to be going through a simple drill, with the dull, unbothered look on his face, and his ceaseless spinning and striking with his long weapon. It was clear from the greatly saddened expressions on the faces of the opposing side that they had little hope of a victory, despite the fact that the fight was still on-going.


    Even the leader of the Iron Spear Troop, Zhang Weilong, had an ugly look on his face. One that darkened further, when his participant took a cut to his upper chest, that revealed that he was wearing a hidden breastplate, under his rich clothes.


    Something that Li Changhai was quick to make fun of:


    "Oh? So it seems you believe in wearing armor secretly, rather than wearing it openly. How interesting! For someone who is working hard to become a soldier, you seem to be well suited for the role of an assassin instead," Li Changhai smirked, as he pointed at the tear in the man''s brocade robe, and the glinting metal scales that could be seen under the same.


    Grunts and murmurs of derision echoed about the spectators'' stands, and the man who had refused to offer his name earlier blushed a deep red from the humiliation. From failing his earlier claim to beat this worthless soldier within ten breaths, to the fact that he had humiliated the same earlier for wearing armor, it was obvious that he had slapped himself in face twice!


    Well, three times, if one considered how Li Changhai had managed to completely, and smoothly, neutralize every one of his attacks. And didn''t his opponent say something about thrashing him in ten moves earlier?


    His words, however, seemed to push the nobleman in the silk brocade to make a desperate lunge at the Second Ducal Prince, his spear flashing up to stab at his heart! Yet, Li Changhai was greatly surprised, when the man suddenly released his grasp on the pommel end of his weapon and reached out to grasp the shaft of Li Changhai''s glaive!


    He roared with laughter too, as he yanked aside the Second Ducal Prince''s weapon, setting Li Changhai up for a quick strike with his spear, which he was now wielding with one hand! He had even begun to pull in back, so that he could execute that attack with his full strength, to repay Li Changhai for his earlier insult.


    But the Second Ducal Prince simply dropped his hold on his weapon altogether, letting his glaive drop away, so that he could punch out with both his fists instead!


    There was a loud crackling sound as his forearms became covered with sparkling azure-colored lightning, moments before they crashed into the armored chest of the proud nobleman who had refused to give his name before the fight.


    Then a bright explosion seemed to occur right in front of his face, blinding everyone who had been watching the fight carefully. Including Qin Feng, who cursed under his breath again.


    First Du Yan throws something like that shout of his, to affect his hearing. Then Li Changhai does the same. To trouble his eyes! What sort of Brothers were these? Was he going to deaf and blind and mute, if he continued to hang around these three troublesome people?


    That was when he heard the shouting, and realized that someone had identified the martial art that had just been used. And in doing so, the wielder as well!


    "Blue Lightning Fist! That is Duke Li''s Blue Lightning Fist!"


    "Blue Lightning Fist? Li Changhai? He is the Second Ducal Prince, Li Changhai?"


    * * *

 241 Strange Duel 1

    The leader of the Iron Spears was quick to use his Lightness-of-Body movement, to jump onto the stage and take up a position between his man and the Second Ducal Prince. Before the latter could snatch up his glaive and finish his stunned opponent off.


    But he quickly clasped his hands as he did so, and dropped into a proper bow at the Duke''s son, to show that he had no malicious intentions.


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    The Second Ducal Prince only laughed, and stepped back after picking up his glaive, which was enough to telegraph that he had no longer any intent to pursue the matter.


    Something that Zhang Weilong, leader of the Iron Spears, was clearly thankful for.


    However, it seemed he could not resist making a comment about Li Changhai''s appearance at Ningfei Town. Which was sour-tasting indeed, since he could not keep his annoyance of his man having thrown the face of the Tearless Iron Spear Troop.


    "I had not expected to have an opportunity to meet with the Second Ducal Prince, Li Changhai. Your reputation precedes you. My man had lost the match with bad manners, for which I must apologize. Although it is a bit of surprise to see you here.


    "It seems the Duchy of the Westlands has taken an interest in this matter. How astonishing."


    Li Changhai gave out a roaring laugh, as he stuck his free hand on his hip, like what a rough soldier would do. Which shocked Qin Feng somewhat. As well as all the others seated on their side of the stands. Except for Lin Liushui who continued fanning himself with a smile on his lips. But Qin Feng knew that he was only able to do that because he could hide his shock better than everyone else.


    What was the Second Ducal Prince playing at?


    His next words more or less gave him the answer. "What has this to do with this one''s father? Or with the Duchy? I am only here to play, and to support my Sworn Brother! Whoever dares to steal his bride shall have to ask me and my glaive!"


    And his Blue Lightning Fist, Qin Feng finished for him in silence. Not that those last words needed to be said. The poor fellow from the Tearless Iron Spear Troop was still twitching on the trashed Arena floor, with his hidden body armor half-melted on his chest.


    Even Zhang Weilong, the grandson of the famous Iron Spear General was cautious as he called his people up to retrieve his noble-born participant. After all, what was the grandson of a mercenary general, compared to the son of a Duke? Who also happens to be the nephew of a Marquis as well?


    No one was going to dare to make any trouble for Li Changhai, that was for certain! No wonder he had thrown on that gruff, soldier-like persona! He was trying to pretend to be a completely different person, so that no one would be able to identify him, when he had to make a quick getaway!


    Not to mention, it would also make it completely understandable, why a rough fellow like that would prefer the company of someone like Du Yan. And why he was consulting with Lin Liushui all the time. The Second Ducal Prince was pretending to be a pig! So that he could gobble up all the tigers that were arrayed against him!


    It seems he had managed to help Li Changhai devise a good exit strategy this time, Qin Feng thought, patting himself on the back. Hopefully, Lin Liushui would not be too disappointed that the Second Ducal Prince did not use his strategy. And had left off cutting off the enemy''s limbs!


    But a quick look at the other two men made it clear that they were not going to kick up a fuss about that now! Especially Du Yan, who looked so pleased that he was going cry! Well, they had managed to preserve his reputation, and save his bride-to-be. So that was certainly something worth celebrating!


    Regardless what sort of tricks that Li Changhai was up to!


    Unfortunately, the whole competition was not over yet. As someone unexpected suddenly took a hand:


    "What a remarkable victory. This young girl is more than impressed with your impressive tactics and your will to win. To think that such an impressive young man has so many impressive brothers. This young girl is truly humbled."


    The voice was clear, and the words fell pleasantly onto the ears of the listeners. But there were barbs within the content of the speech, and Qin Feng noted how Lin Liushui had stiffened, as soon as he heard the words.


    Everyone''s head whirled to look towards the stands across from Du Chenyong, since it was obvious that the speaker was someone from the Black Eagle Mountain School''s side. Qin Feng, on the other hand, already knew who it was who spoke, so he was in no hurry to turn his head. What was the point? He already knew who was speaking.


    He had heard that voice before, but with a more petulant, childish air. But he will never forget it, since the first time that it entered his ear was when he had just escaped an almost certain death, in a forest very far away from civilization.


    Xu Yanzhi.


    As for the Elder from the Snow Swallow Palace gave out a soft ''hmmmph'' sound as she gestured at Xu Yanzhi at her side. But it was obvious from her sneer that she had nothing but disdain for the old men who had dragged her into the muddy waters. And then screwed up their own plans in front of her.


    That alone was enough to convince Qin Feng that Li Changhai was correct with regards to the motivation behind the Snow Swallow Palace. That they were not there to press down the Yuan Family or the Du Family, but were simply trying to snatch Du Yan''s betrothed away for their purposes.


    Perhaps it was like Lin Liushui suggested? Perhaps Yuan Qianlei had really exhibited a Bloodline Power, like her older sister? That should be enough to prompt the Snow Swallow Palace to try to drag her back to the Sect, wouldn''t it?


    * * *

 242 Strange Duel 2

    "I believe that you have already exhausted the most powerful of your supporters, Young Master Du. And that includes yourself. I do not think that you would insult me, by saying something totally ridiculous? Something like how you as the host should step up to face my challenge now? That would seriously put me in a bad mood.


    "You should know of my reputation, and that of my Snow Swallow Palace."


    For a moment, even Lin Liushui was silent. None of them had thought that the Snow Swallow Palace would challenge, when they had already a three to zero victory, in a four-bout competition. Indeed, there was no point in her fighting at all.


    So why was Xu Yanzhi bothering to step up now? Was it simply so that she could uphold the good name of her Sect, to show that they did put in their bit of effort? Or was it so that she could slap them all in the face? To show her disgust?


    Li Changhai certainly had no idea. And could only look at his brothers anxiously, not bothering to hide the questions that were clearly written on his face.


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    "I believe that you have forgotten about me. There were supposed to be four bouts, and we so happened to have four combatants ready. So I presume that we should be the ones to finish off this series of challenges?"


    To everyone''s surprise, Qin Feng was already striding towards the battered stage. Despite his still reddened eyes! And from the looks of surprise on all the antagonists'' faces, including that of the Elder from the Snow Swallow Palace, no one had expected someone with such a low cultivation to step forth!


    Indeed, even the Second Ducal Prince could not help but wonder what Qin Feng was trying to do. Didn''t he know that it was suicide? The Snow Swallow Palace was not only the largest of the Sects and Schools that were challenging Du Yan that day, but it was the most powerful when it came to martial arts and such. And Qin Feng wanted to match himself against Xu Yanzhi? Against the Sword Fairy of the Snow Palace?


    Was he mad?


    That was clearly outside of the plans of the powerful, as could be seen by the looks of surprise that had crossed the faces of those who had just had their eyebrows shaved by these youngsters. But the thought of watching one of their group fall, under the Snow Swallow Palace''s representative, was enough to help them quell some of their bitterness. Even the bloodied ones who had lost their bouts were showing their amusement! That is, except for the one from the Golden Shield School.


    Xu Yanzhi, however, giggled into the back of her hand as if she was just another girl, another gentle family''s daughter, that Qin Feng had just met on the streets of Ningfei Town. The sort of reaction that one might have, after they had exchanged a few polite greetings.


    Her words, on the other hand, were nothing like what everyone else had been expecting to hear fall from her lips!


    "Ah! It is Young Master Qin. How fortuitous it is to see you again! Perhaps this is fate, to give me a chance to test my White Jade Beauty''s Hands against yours? How lucky!"


    Qin Feng laughed back and clasped his hands to tender her a bow. After spending a little effort to fix a nonchalant smile on his lips, reminiscent of Lin Liushui. "If that is your wish, how can I not accommodate Miss Xu? Although I should state first that I only have a very shallow understanding of that particular martial art, and can barely meet the requirements to be a poor sparring partner for you."


    "So says the one who had matched my Elder Cousin Qinghua? She was the one who was accompanying me, when we first met. In case you have forgotten. You held her for what? Five, six passes? You are just being humble here, Young Master Qin!"


    "No, no. I wouldn''t dare! And I shall have to correct you with regards to the details of that exchange. It was only for four passes. And it was rather clear that Miss Xu Qinghua was holding back, so that she could ... slap me around for a little longer."


    He laughed and dipped into another bow, as he mentioned the last. But from the shocked expression on the Snow Swallow Palace''s Elder''s face, she had clearly not expected that response at all!


    Similarly, the reactions of the rest of the people assembled on the other side of the dueling circle made it very clear that they were greatly surprised by that particular revelation. As well as by the fact that Qin Feng dared to bandy words with someone from the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace! Something that not even Lin Liushui had attempted to do! And he was the most famous dandy in the Second Ducal Prince''s party!


    Or, Li Changhai wondered to himself, it had something to do with the fact that this was the Sect that his beloved paramour was tied to at the moment? And he was afraid that if he gave in to his temptation, to toss out his usual off-color remarks and unrepentant teasing that word would get back to her ears? Was he worried that that would put him in bad light, in her eyes?


    That seemed like a more reasonable answer, to the staid and serious manner that Lin Liushui had been wearing since this strange ''tournament'' began. It would also explain why he had been eyeing the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace women with such caution.


    Qin Feng, however, was simply throwing all of that caution to the winds! Did he even know how powerful an Inner Disciple of the Snow Swallow Palace was? And he was teasing her, as if she was just another gentleman''s daughter, that he had met on one of Ningfei Town''s busy shopping streets? Was he bleeding mad?


    Then the Second Ducal Prince remembered something. Something from a good while back, while the two of them were still far to the South, near the border with the Barbarian Peoples. Didn''t Qin Feng say that he had met with people from a very powerful Sect back then? From their exchange just now, could it be the Snow Swallow Palace? Did he really exchange blows with them?


    Li Changhai had always wondered if that was just a tall tale, although he soon came to doubt that possibility, given how serious Qin Feng had been. But if that was true, did that mean that this Xu Yanzhi was one of those women that he had come across, back then?


    Could that be the reason why he was behaving in such a relaxed, such a reckless manner?


    * * *

 243 Strange Duel 3

    Qin Feng was happier than he knew he should be. But the thought of having the opportunity to exchange blows with an expert - a true expert! That was something that he had been hoping for ever since he started working on his Jade Tree Breathing Method seriously. And since his White Jade Orchid Flower Law had started to improve in an unprecedented manner.


    Even those assassins that had attacked Li Changhai were insufficient to test his cultivation. So this was a chance that he could not miss, wasn''t it? And wasn''t Xu Yanzhi going to restrict herself, to the Completion Realm? That should make it a more or less even fight.


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    Or so he hoped.


    There were jeers though, as he stepped into the Arena and faced the girl. Who gave him a quick bend of the knee, as he bowed.


    "Xu Yanzhi. Snow Swallow Palace. I am looking forward to this."


    "Qin Feng. Of no School. I shall try not to let you down."


    For a moment, the two of them held back, ignoring the noise from the stands as they stared at one another. Then they both lifted their hands, and charged!


    [White Jade Beauty Hands: Sink the Fish!]


    [White Jade Hands: Eclipse the Moon!]


    Their two moves seemed more like a graceful pairing, a dance in which their hands flickered and slapped at one another. But the loud echo of those ringing blows swept through the audience, shocking everyone who was watching.


    But the two participating in the fight merely gave off grim smiles, as they switched moves, and struck again!


    [Entice the Geese!]


    [Shame the Flowers!]


    [Eclipse the Moon!]


    [Entice the Geese!]


    This time, there was a blast of air sweeping out from there the two of them clashed, showing everyone that their fight was not something that only looked pretty and alluring. And that the pale white palms that both of them were displaying were lethal, if they caught anyone in the right spot. Their stances were clearly similar, although the two combatants seemed to be backing their moves with different sorts of inner qi.


    And again, the two of them paused for a moment, as though trying to figure out what his or her opponent would be trying next.


    But in that brief pause, the Arena erupted into applause.


    Naturally, all of the cheering was for the lady, who looked annoyed at having all those tiresome flies flickering about her, and she gave them a sour look, even as she spoke to Qin Feng. And did not bother to lower her voice as she did so:


    "Hmmmph! Just ugly toads dreaming of tasting the flesh of swans! Don''t bother with them! They don''t deserve my attention at all! Let us continue our dance!"


    Qin Feng cringed inside his heart. While you might feel that way about all those people on your side of the Arena, did you have to say it out loud?


    And since he had been the one facing her, and she was clearly speaking to him, all of their hatred ended up being transferred onto his head! Which meant that everyone of those disciples from those three Martial Schools and Sects would be hunting him every chance that they get!


    Wasn''t that just making things difficult for him?


    Which was why he hardened his heart towards this Xu Yanzhi immediately. "Well, now that the warm up is over, shall we get on to the main course?" he asked her imperiously, in a voice loud enough to be heard through the whole Arena. Repaying her recent ''favor'' for telling off the jeering crowd.


    Xu Yanzhi''s eyebrows rose so high that they disappeared behind the bangs in her hair. "You have something new to offer? I thought we were only going to use the White Jade Beauty Hands?"


    "True. But don''t you remember that I was the one who showed you that last move? ''Weeping at Her Own Reflection'' was not something that originated in your Snow Swallow Palace, was it? At least, it was not something that you disciples of Snow Swallow Palace know about.


    "What makes you think that I do not have other stances, from the White Jade Hands, that you do not know about?"


    Qin Feng did not wait for her to frame an answer, and immediately attacked! This time, he used one of the stances that he had rarely practiced, but there was no disguising the fact that it was one of those from the White Jade Hands!


    [White Jade Hands: Her Pillow Soaked with Tears!]


    This was one of the most offence-driven stances that he knew. Every one of the palm strikes was supposed to represent a single tear. And each tear was supposed to be filled with the full weight of the wielder''s grief.


    While Qin Feng had never felt grief that was tied to romance or heart-break, he had to admit that he was feeling a great deal of unhappiness at the moment. Why did those idiots in the stands have to jeer at him? Did he owe them money? And since they had jeered at him, why are they shocked that there was someone who took his side? Were they jealous? Because the one who mocked them in return was a beautiful woman?


    He did not hold back, and thrust all of those ill-feelings, all that anger and bitterness, out at her without hesitation. Let her have a taste of being the brunt of all those jeers and mocking laughs! Let her have a taste of losing!


    Qin Feng didn''t really expect Xu Yanzhi to hold to their agreement, and keep to the White Jade Beauty Hands, but she threw up her own [Weeping at Her Own Reflection] immediately, to defend against his move. Of course, he was aware of how that would store part of his force, so that she could ''reflect'' it back at him.


    So he did not give her a chance to do that! He had had that move broken before, when he was fighting Zhou Jinhu, so he knew exactly what its weakness was! So long as she could not find an opportunity to strike back, she could only block! And [Her Pillow Soaked With Tears] was one stance that focused on continuous attacks!


    Which made it impossible for her to find any opening, any opportunity, to retaliate! As she quickly realized, and backed away from him at once. Using a beautiful Lightness-of-Body movement that he had only witnessed once before.


    "What?! What stance is this? Why have I never seen it before?"


    * * *

 244 Strange Duel 4

    Qin Feng chuckled, and kept his hands up as he spoke. While Xu Yanzhi had a very lovely, innocent appearance, he could not forget how she had called him names back when they were still in the forests around Changqing City. So he wasn''t about to let his guard down with her.


    "This? This particular style is called ''Her Pillow Soaked With Tears''. I think I don''t need to tell you that it is part of the ''new'' stances of the White Jade Hands that I had mentioned earlier? You can tell from the similarities, can''t you?"


    Xu Yanzhi had a somewhat frustrated expression on her face, no doubt from the fact that she had completely lost the previous exchange. And despite her overwhelming superiority in their clashes before that, she was clearly displeased.


    So Qin Feng was not surprised to see her stamp her feet like a little girl, and pout at him. He had seen her do something similar before. Her right arm shot up immediately, and she pointed an accusing finger in his direction. As though she was scolding a childhood playmate!


    "That is not fair! You are bullying me! You said that you would use the White Jade Beauty Hands! You are cheating! Big Brother Qin Feng is a big bully!


    Qin Feng almost fell down, the moment that he heard that. What was going on? Since when had he become her big brother? And where was the beautiful, composed martial expert that he had been fighting earlier? What had happened to her decorum?


    "I said that I would use the White Jade Hands, and I have, haven''t I? You knew all along that I knew more stances than you do. Why are you crying like a spoiled little girl now?" he cried back, unhappy at being called a bully.


    He had never been a bully! He may have cheated and conned, but he had never bullied a younger person! Especially not a girl! This was intolerable!


    "I don''t care! You used stances from the White Jade Beauty Hands that I have never learned. So how can it be fair?"


    "You were the one who wanted to experience the stances that didn''t originate in your Snow Swallow Mountain Palace in the first place! That was why you challenged, wasn''t it? Why are you going back on your word now?


    "And I certainly did not bully you! Your cultivation is clearly higher than mine so how can you say that I was bullying you? Where are you now? The Discerning Realm, right? I am only in the Completion Realm so I am clearly of a lower cultivation than you are! I should be the one crying that you are bullying me!"


    "Bah! You are just quibbling! I don''t care! I''m going to tell on you when I get back! We''ll see how Elder Sister Qinghua deals with you then!"


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    Qin Feng was at a total loss. His face was hotter than he could remember, so much so that he was certain that there was steam coming out of his ears! What was she talking about? This was embarrassing! The way that she said it was enough to give everyone the wrong impression! It was as though he was lovers with that Elder Sister Qinghua of hers! And he had only met with that girl just that once!


    And what was all that nonsense about him bullying her? With her more exceptional skills, how was that even possible? What was she up to?


    But he found that he couldn''t find a single thing to say, when he pointed his finger at her and opened his mouth. Then he closed it, and opened it again. There were simply no words!


    "Enough! Yanzhi! Come back here! If you cannot continue, then you have lost. There is no point in airing your dirty laundry* in the open like this!"


    Qin Feng''s eyes shot to the Elder from the Snow Swallow Palace, not quite believing what he had just heard. ''Dirty laundry''? Did she really use that term to describe what was going on between Xu Yanzhi and himself? Or between him and Xu Qinghua? Wasn''t that like throwing him into a pit of tar? Since when did the two of them have any ''dirty laundry'' between them?


    But even as he looked around the older woman, around the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace Elder, it was clear that all eyes from the opposing side of the Arena were fixed on him. All of the men, including all the leaders from the other three Sects and Schools, were staring at him with a look that promised dismemberment and decapitation. And worse! Their apparently bitter quarrel in the middle of the Arena stage just now was enough to fix it in these men''s minds that he had been unscrupulously taking advantage of the young, beautiful and innocent Xu Yanzhi!


    So was it any wonder that everyone was now after him, eager to rip his flesh from his bones with their teeth, and drink his blood vessels dry?


    Turning back to the one responsible for his fix, he caught sight of the young woman making her way back to her Elder with a dejected profile, as though she had just been bullied, and in an indecent manner at that. Xu Yanzhi even had tears welling up in her eyes!


    A noise entered into his ears then, just as he spotted that. And so interrupted him from yelling at her again, to warn her against acting as though she was a bullied daughter-in-law! Since the sound had come from his side, Du Yan''s side, of the Arena, he thought that something must have happened there.


    But all that met his eyes were the hostile stares from the waiters and the grooms from Du Chenyong''s tavern, as though they were as eager to rip him apart as the other side was! What was going on with those idiots? Couldn''t they see that he had just been played? And they were supposed to be on his side, weren''t they?


    That was when he realized that Lin Liushui and Li Changhai were both shaking their heads at him, while Du Yan had his face in his hands, laughing so hard that his tears were dripping through the gaps in his fingers!


    Clearly, he was not going to be getting any help from his so-called Brothers! And even Du Chenyong himself, looked a little annoyed with him!


    Qin Feng felt as though his head was going to explode! What was going on? This was only a fight, wasn''t it? To secure Du Yan''s girl for him. That was all!


    How had it ended up like this?!


    * * *


    *³óÎÄ - more like embarrassing gossip, but you get the idea :)

 245 A Visit in the Night 1

    It took Du Chenyong more than an hour to settle everyone back down, to order the waiters back to the tavern and to chase what onlookers that had sneaked into the Arena away. While he was busy with that, Qin Feng was surrounded by the Three Sworn Brothers, who were busy consoling him for having fallen into Xu Yanzhi''s trap.


    "I think she had just come up with that ... ploy when she decided that she couldn''t win earlier, which is why it seems so ... unpolished. But it was the only way that she could get away without any lasting harm to both you and her Sect''s reputation. Physical harm to you, I mean. Although I am not sure that she is aware of just she had done, by making you a Public Enemy to all of those young impressionable fellows on both sides."


    The one telling him that was Lin Liushui, who was still fanning himself in that bothersome, elegant manner that irritated the hell out of Qin Feng. At his side, Du Yan was still trying to control his amusement, that was threatening to express itself as laughter, once again. His eyes were like inverted crescents, that could not see anything, other than the joke.


    The Second Ducal Prince almost kicked him then, but knew that it would not be enough to wake his Brother Yan from that state. After all, hadn''t this been the reason why he had left Yanyun City in the first place? So that he could openly save Yuan Qianlei, and openly claim her as his bride? Who could avoid being so happy, now that he had succeeded?


    So it was no surprised that he rushed off at once, to meet with his mother, to give her the good news. Something that had left all of his companions laughing.


    All of them, save Qin Feng. The youngest of them was obviously still affected by the anger that he had generated in the crowd, during his fight with the girl from the Snow Swallow Palace. And quickly claimed that he had to deal with his injuries, ducking back into his room. But whether it was to avoid the angry gazes of the rest of the men at the tavern, or to cool himself down, Li Changhai didn''t really know.


    And even Lin Liushui sighed as he turned his head back to stare in the direction of the room, as the young man shut the door behind him. Shutting them out. Which gave Li Changhai an uneasy feeling in his heart. Was something the matter? Wasn''t it just a simple ploy, so that she could avoid further fighting with that as an excuse? Didn''t Qin Feng realize that?


    To be honest, the Second Ducal Prince was already feeling a little bad for the younger man, and how he had been so relentlessly teased by the girl from the Snow Swallow Palace earlier. It was rather humiliating. And it left everyone with a great number of questions, regarding him and his relationship with Snow Swallow Palace. It was a miracle that Qin Feng had not started beating people up or smashing things.


    Then again, that was the reaction that he had usually witnessed. And what he felt like doing himself, when he was caught up with similar passions. As for Qin Feng, he was a little too quiet, wasn''t he? As if he had internalized all that humiliation, and forced himself not to erupt.


    "He is too quiet. That is a bad sign. I hope that he does not end up harboring a hatred for the girl. Or for her Snow Swallow Mountain Palace. He is no match for their influence. Or her martial abilities."


    Ah. So that was what Lin Liushui had been concerned about as well! No surprise there, Li Changhai told himself. After all, the good-looking man was in love with someone from the Palace, and it stood to reason that he would wish to keep their relationship with the same warm. Well, cordial, at the least.


    So it would seriously throw a huge rock in his path, if Qin Feng ended up forming a feud with one of its most famous Inner Court Disciples!


    "Honestly, I had not expected one of the more well-known of their disciples to show up. Or to challenge us. Much less the fact that Qin Feng had been her target. How did she know that he had trained in the White Jade Beauty Hands? Was it true then, the story that they threw out, about them having met before?"


    The Second Ducal Prince nodded in response to Lin Liushui''s questions, and sighed before he replied. "I suppose it was so long ago, and was of so little significance that I had forgotten all about it. He was stopped by them a good while back, in the depths of Winter. There was a report that he made about that, and how they had exchanged blows.


    "But I never thought that the ones involved included Xu Yanzhi."


    Then he cocked his head at the scholarly gentleman in front of him, and tried a weak smile. He couldn''t let this dire mood continue, after all. They had just won a great victory, and like Du Yan, they needed to celebrate, to put down the weight in their hearts.


    So he teased the handsome-looking man. "A pity that you never got to approach her. She would be someone who would have information on the person that you are searching for, wouldn''t she? As an Inner Court Disciple, it should not be difficult to find the girl that you have been pining for, all this time?"


    Lin Liushui laughed a little more awkwardly this time, as a light flush spread across his cheeks. Which was enough to make the Second Ducal Prince''s smile widen. It seemed that he had caught the gallant by surprise this time, so that he was not expecting such a jibe.


    But the handsome man only waved his hands at the Second Ducal Prince, and pointed at the Captain of his Guard, who was already waiting at the moon gate at the rear of the tavern''s flower garden. Before he turned, and walked away, deeper into the lightly wooded spot.


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    As for Li Changhai, the Second Ducal Prince stamped off to greet his Captain, and to arrange a visit to the troops outside the Town Gate. And to let them know about the persona that he had decided to put on. He would need to walk a bit with those who had approached him with gifts, and promises of friendship too. So that by the time that he arrived at the camp, it should be sufficient for him to fix into everyone''s mind, that he was a gruff, simple fellow, who was loyal to his friends and more partial to simple things in life.


    He could only hope that Lin Liushui and Du Chenyong would be successful, in quashing all attempts to make things difficult for Qin Feng. As for why the girl from the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace had done such a thing, he certainly could not begin to understand.


    *


    Qin Feng was angry. Not an ordinary sort of angry, which demanded death and destruction, and endless rivers of blood. No, not that sort of angry. He was fuming, but was certain that it was something that could not be alleviated by blood.


    After all, it had only been humiliation that the girl had poured all over his head. So, to balance the scales, it was only fair that he did the same to her! And that was not something that could be repaid with violence!


    No. The revenge that needed to be wreaked upon her would have to match the quality of the barbs that she had shot at him today. Or something even more grating, more painful. Something that she would never forget, and never wash away!


    So he began to consider the possibilities, and the methods in which he would exact his revenge! And since Xu Yanzhi had actually dared to humiliate him like that, in front of a crowd, and turn all of them against him, how could he not pay her back?


    He would have to make this a most terrifying revenge!


    * * *

 246 A Visit In The Night 2

    The knock on his door came after nightfall, after everyone had eaten and returned to their rooms. Qin Feng had avoided meeting the others for the meal, and claimed that he was still in the midst of recuperating. Something that surprised no one. Most likely, they were thinking that he was still sulking over the events that morning.


    Yet, who would have guessed that he was actually waiting for a guest. One that everyone only knew too well:


    Xu Yanzhi!


    She did not show up until in was completely dark. Probably so that no one could tell that she had arrived in the place. And she did not seem too perturbed that he was expecting her, and simply strode into his room without any apparent care. No doubt, she had no worries that he would attempt to trap her within. Or try anything really foolish.


    After all, both of them were more than aware that her martial cultivation was so far beyond him that it would take her no more than a move or two to utterly destroy him.


    The young woman was dressed in night-movement clothes, body-hugging and dark. And was wearing a mask which she removed, the moment that she entered his room. To find Qin Feng waiting for her, seated at the small table in the room.


    Qin Feng merely smiled, and gestured for her to take a seat across from him at the parlor table that had been laid out in front of his narrow bed. This wasn''t the best room available in the tavern, of course. So the fittings were probably less than up to her standards. At least, that was the impression that he got from her derisive sniff, as she moved towards him.


    So long as she was willing to sit, and to talk, he reminded himself. As nodded as she took another of the three stools that had been laid out about the table. Then his smile at Xu Yanzhi broadened, as he nodded at her, seeming encouraging her to state her business.


    It was a cruel trick. An old merchant trick. Whoever spoke first under such circumstances would generally be accepted as having taken a subordinate position in the bargaining that was to follow. And Qin Feng was determined that it wouldn''t be him.


    After all, he was not so desperate to learn more of the martial art that he had used earlier, during his fight against her earlier, on the stage.


    An occurrence that the young woman from the Snow Swallow Palace clearly remembered, given the awful expression that she was wearing on her face. Nor did she attempt to avoid it. Instead, she straightened her back, and directly asked him for his intentions:


    "I will not waste your time, Qin Feng. What do you wish from us, from the Snow Swallow Palace, in return for those missing stances of the White Jade Beauty Hands? Name your price."


    "Oh? You think I am willing to sell those two additional lost movements to you? After what you did to me in the Arena today? Whatever gave you that impression? I had merely waited you to come here because I was curious with regards to who is pulling the strings behind this ... attempt to accept of yet another disciple from the Yuan Family. I thought you might be willing to share that information."


    "As if!"


    Xu Yanzhi scoffed at him, as though he was making a joke. But she recovered quickly, when he glared back at her, making it clear that he was not in the mood to share a laugh with her. And that he was still chafing from her act earlier. Which was enough to make her blush, as if she was remembering all the words that she had used.


    "Oh, very well. I''ll tell you:


    "You know that the Yuan sisters have a particular trait that makes them extremely suitable for learning the Arts of our Snow Swallow Palace. The elder sister had that ability, and so does the younger. That is why our Snow Swallow Palace wants them. That''s all. There is no plot and no deception here," she told him frankly.


    "Ah! That particular trait seems to have been passed down to both sisters, it seems. Little wonder then, that you are so intent on snatching up the two of them. But that is a rather short-sighted way of dealing with such matters, if you don''t mind me pointing it out."


    "Oh? Why do you say that?"


    Qin Feng smiled, and directed his gaze up to the roof above him. He had already known about the Elder from the Snow Swallow Palace who had taken up position up on top of the same. That look of his was only to show Xu Yanzhi that he knew. And the young woman''s simple nod was sufficient to tell him that she was aware that he was aware that someone else was present.


    And surely listening in. No doubt she had her own reasons for eavesdropping, instead of simply barging in on her junior''s so-called negotiations.


    So he chuckled again, and made his reply to her last question. "Because if you snatch her up too, that would mean that neither of them would be in a position to have any children. Thus, you are simply preventing her from bearing any future offspring. Offspring who may bear that same trait that your Sect desires. Isn''t that like harvesting all the bamboo in a garden, before any of them can throw up shoots? Wouldn''t that be stopping your Snow Swallow Palace from recruiting similarly exceptional children in the future?"


    Xu Yanzhi blinked. And her face took on a more thoughtful expression. Clearly she had not been expecting him to be throwing out farming anecdotes. Which served to encourage Qin Feng to toss the next part of his spiel out. This was something that affected Du Yan, after all. And he had promised, more or less, to help the brawny fellow with his trouble. The man was making a sword for him, after all.


    "In any case, you have already lost her. If you were wise enough to consider the future of your Sect, you should bring Yuan Qianyi back to visit, and to repair her relationship with Du Yan and her sister. Perhaps to wish them well, for their marriage? That would help them to form a better impression of her and your Sect, and so make things easier, if their children should really inherit her Silver Frost Meridians.


    "That is, if you intend to recruit them into your Snow Swallow Palace in the future. So long as Yuan Qianyi can get a niece from their marriage, and bring her into the Palace ... Well, I think that would be more advantageous. Don''t you agree? Especially if she is willing to go along to you with her aunt?"


    "You make it sound as if it is a certainty, that her children would inherit her traits. There is a possibility that they would grow as tall, and as large as Du Yan instead. Or that she might only bear males."


    Qin Feng chuckled as he nodded back at her. "That is true. I have been a farmer before so I am definitely aware of that possibility, of losing my breeding stock. But that is just something that you will have to risk, won''t you? For the sake of future crops?"


    He used those words to convey his meaning, and forced her - as well as the unidentified listener on his roof! He had to force the two of them to consider the possibilities. That was the only way to keep them from trying more of their tricks in the future.


    Of course, since Yuan Qianlei was already close to sixteen years of age already, it would be a rather simple thing to convince her to marry Du Yan immediately. Once she loses her virginity to him, and is properly his wife, that should make her a lot less attractive to the Snow Swallow Palace. Wouldn''t it?


    Xu Yanzhi sniffed again, but did not bother to reply. No doubt, she was leaving it up to the other woman to make up her mind about the matter. So instead, she tossed something out at Qin Feng thereafter.


    Something that he had been expecting ever since she appeared at his doorstep that night!


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    "That is something that does not concern us directly. Unlike the matter of our White Jade Beauty Hands. What were those two new stances that you had used earlier? Especially the one that had trapped my attack against you?"


    * * *

 248 A Visit in the Night 4

    "But what about you? Are you certain that you wish nothing in return for this? You are absolutely sure?"


    Qin Feng scowled at the young woman seated in front of him as soon as she asked that. And was about to dismiss her again, when he saw how she was glancing up at the roof, just as he had been doing earlier. Well, that was something different. And made him shave a few degrees off the punishment that he was planning to throw at her.


    That is, if he could profit from what she was hinting to him.


    She was pointing out that the Elder was still listening. So this was something that she was setting up, to ensnare her Elder? And she wanted his help to do that?


    To tell the truth, he wasn''t altogether interested in getting himself entangled in the internal conflict within the Snow Swallow Palace. But he did need an excuse to head North, so that he would have a chance of exacting his revenge on her. And paying a visit to the Palace would definitely fit into his plans in that regard.


    The only problem was, what sort of excuse could he use, to blatantly ask for a pass into that place? After all, hasn''t everyone already warned him about the hatred that that particular Sect had for men?


    Yet, from what he had noted from Xu Yanzhi''s behavior towards him, during their bout in the Arena as well as earlier in his room, it was clear that that particular rumor had been greatly exaggerated. Besides her, there was also the woman - what did Xu Yanzhi call her? A cousin? Xu Qinghua, wasn''t it? Well, she hadn''t treated him poorly back in the day. Too bad that she was cousin to this little scamp.


    So he shot her a weak smile, and made a gesture as though inviting her to take the conversation in the direction that she wished, as he replied:


    "I will admit that there is one small thing. I am curious about your Snow Swallow Palace, and would dearly love to pay it a visit. I mean, think of the amount of attention that one would draw, if it was known that he was one of the handful of men who were allowed into that sanctified place, hmmm? Especially after what you did today. Are you certain you want everyone to think that we have just had a lover''s spat?"


    Xu Yanzhi laughed, and wagged a finger at him. The sparkle in her eyes did tell him that he had played it exactly as she had hoped that he would, and she even gave him a quick nod, to show her thanks. Well, that was working towards his own purposes.


    "You are going to make us bend our rules for you? Well, to be honest, there is no actual restriction on visitors coming to the Palace. It is just that most of our disciples are disinclined to come out from their seclusion training, to meet with the same. Just as there are certain rules that allow for one of ours to leave the Palace, if they wish.


    "Of course, they will need to complete their training in the Basic Tier of our Palace''s martial arts, if they wish to do so. Otherwise, we would be throwing our good name, if they were to be bullied outside, hmmm?"


    "Then perhaps you should let me have a look at your rules, so that you would not be forced to break, or bend, them, when I come to visit. I shall likely be coming with my friends, as you can guess. I trust that will not be a problem?"


    "You make it sound as if you are determined to go courting at our Snow Swallow Palace. Well, I guess that I should warn you about some of our girls. They don''t really care for all that romance stuff, you know."


    "I have heard. Some of them have made becoming an old maid, albeit one with a powerful cultivation their lifelong goal."


    She laughed then, and grinned at him again. "I take it that you would like to meet with my cousin again then? If you really wish to ''test'' us on our White Jade Beauty''s Hands, you''ll have to face her in the Battle Square. She has been practicing what you taught her for a long, long time, though. So you may find her a challenge."


    "Your cousin? We are back to your Elder Cousin again?" Qin Feng could not help but ask glumly. "Whatever makes you think that I am that keen on pursuing her? I only passed her that stance from the White Jade Hands on a whim. Just like I am passing you the rest."


    "Oh? Are you telling me that you have forgotten all about her? She is very beautiful, and has a great number of men from Royal Families to young masters of various noble families, trying to win her hand. So I suggest that you don''t get yourself wet with that puddle of water."


    "Ah. I thank you for that reminder," Qin Feng told her blandly, with no expression in his voice. Wasn''t she the one who had made it sound as if she was already his lover? How did it end up being his fault again?


    Then he remembered something that he had wanted to ask her earlier, but had forgot.


    "Instead, I would like to know if you have any news about a Xuan Mei, who might have joined your Snow Swallow Palace slightly more than a year ago. We were acquaintances, back in the Heaven Sword School."


    Xu Yanzhi pressed both of her hands to her lips in surprise. There was no subterfuge in that motion, as far as he could see too. Her shock was apparently, genuine. "Xuan Mei? Elder Ling''s new disciple? You are asking about her? Why didn''t you speak to Elder Ling yourself?"


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    "Elder Ling? How am I supposed to ask her? I haven''t seen any Elder Ling ... have I?"


    Xu Yanzhi''s only answer was to point a finger upwards. While her other hand was holding a finger in front of her lips, as if to warn him to watch his words.


    Qin Feng gulped as he realized what she meant. And looked upwards at the ceiling of the tavern immediately, feeling the same shock that must have hit the girl earlier.


    That was Elder Ling?


    * * *

 249 Elder Ling Liyun 1

    A quiet knock on the door sounded just at that moment, making the two who were in the room jump. Qin Feng turned to give Xu Yanzhi a look, but she only shook her head his way, indicating that she had no idea who it could be.


    Of course, he had his suspicions. But he wasn''t the sort who would speak up without good cause. So he simply adjusted his clothes and gave a signal to her to be ready, as he went up to answer the door.


    The moment that he opened the same, there as a flash of a figure, clad entirely in dark clothes like Xu Yanzhi, who pushed her way into the room in front of him. He didn''t even have the chance to make a sound, before she was already behind him, and pushing the door closed once again.


    "Elder Ling?"


    The one who had just entered the room peeled herself away from Qin Feng''s side the moment that she had ensured that the door was secure. And slowly peeled away the strip of gauze that had been covering the lower half of her face.


    Which was really worthless as a mask, in Qin Feng''s opinion. How many people had her sort of physique? And how many would be familiar with the Snow Swallow Palace''s Lightness-of-Body movement technique? Wasn''t she simply telling everyone that she was there for a visit? And just after Xu Yanzhi had showed up at that?


    What exactly was she up to?


    But the Elder''s first words, which so happened to be directed at him, made everything clearer:


    "Why are you asking about Xuan Mei? Who are you to her?"


    Qin Feng was more than a little irritated at her questioning. And the fact that she didn''t even bother to do the polite thing, and get Xu Yanzhi to introduce her first. That was the sort of courtesy that one expected from someone of a higher standing, wasn''t it? Why was she behaving as if she was some sort of ruffian?


    Xu Yanzhi, on the other hand, understood the moment that she caught the expression that flashed across Qin Feng''s face, and gave out a giggle. "Brother Qin Feng, may I have the honor of presenting my Elder Ling Liyin? She is from the Snow Swallow Palace, like I am. Only I don''t belong to any Hall within the same. She happens to be Junior Sister Xuan Mei''s personal teacher."


    Qin Feng''s raising of his hands seemed forced, and his bow of greeting was no more than a nod. Which was enough to convey his mood. "A pleasure," he muttered simply, then put his hands down. And made no indication that he was going to reply to her questions at all.


    Which was enough to make the older woman''s eyebrows knit together in anger. But Xu Yanzhi stepped between the two of them, before she could start shouting at him, like he thought she would. That would have been enough of an excuse for him to raise hell, and throw both the women out of his room.


    "I think that Elder Ling has a very good reason for asking those questions, Brother Qin Feng. You see, Xuan Mei is not only her disciple, she is also a relative of hers. Hence the urgency in her questioning. I trust you will forgive her for her impolite method of entry earlier," the younger of the two said in an even voice.


    For a moment, Qin Feng was tempted to throw both of them out all the same. So what if Xuan Mei was a relative? That girl had caused him enough problems when he was back in the Heaven Sword School! And the only reason he was asking about her was so that he could set up his revenge on Xu Yanzhi!


    Then he paused, and reconsidered. Wouldn''t it be easier for that, now that Elder Ling was playing a hand? All he had to do was to bring up the arrangement that had been arranged between him and Xuan Mei, back at the Heaven Sword School, and ...


    "In that case, all is forgiven. Xuan Mei was once engaged to be my wife, so I should courteous to her relatives," he answered then, with a distinctly more respectful bow.


    "Xuan Mei was betrothed to you?!"


    "Oh? I see that her father had not mentioned that, when she arrived at Snow Swallow Palace? Indeed, Elder Xuan had been the one to broker the marriage between us, since he said he was impressed with what I had done. But she was the one who broke it off, without a word of explanation, and ran off to Snow Swallow Palace instead.


    "Hence I was asking her Senior Sister Xu here, if she had any word of Xuan Mei."


    The older woman scowled then, and lowered her eyes away from Qin Feng, as though she was remembering something. Which gave Xu Yanzhi the opportunity to ask more of the situation:


    "Was it one of those bitter partings then? Did she throw back your pledge at you, as she left you standing in a glade or something like that? From what I know of her, she isn''t the sort that would humiliate you, so it was probably done quietly, wasn''t it? Am I right? Tell me I am right!"


    "Yanzhi!"


    Qin Feng laughed to see how Xu Yanzhi''s questions had flustered even the Elder. And shook his head at the younger woman. "No, no. None of any of that. She passed the message to a mutual friend, who told me. And there were never any pledge items between us. Unless you count the simple training sword that her father passed to me.


    "But I think that was in line with the Heaven Sword School''s rules, and not a personal gift. It was just an ordinary training sword."


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    "Have you inspected it carefully? To make sure that there are no secret messages?"


    The man laughed again, and wagged a finger at Xu Yanzhi. Who he thought had clearly been reading too many of those romance novels that were said to be extremely popular in those martial arts Schools and Sects that were predominantly female. If he was any good at writing, he would have made a fortune selling his stories to them!


    "You are thinking too much. Does it look like I am in a deep depression, because she broke my heart? Is that what you are thinking?"


    Xu Yanzhi sniffed back. "If that is not the case, why are you asking about her?"


    * * *

 250 Elder Ling Liyun 2

    Qin Feng scratched his head, and shrugged at her. There was an obvious answer but it was a rather weak one. But it was too late to think up a better answer, so he just threw it out at the girl. Besides, any sort of excuse should work in a situation like this. Shouldn''t it?


    "Curiosity, I suppose. I want to know why she would dump me for the other man. I mean, I didn''t treat her badly, and I had sent her small tokens of my esteem from time to time. And received a few from her hand. Even her father seemed appreciative of my efforts.


    "The only thing that I could think of that might have been a little depressing would be my lower cultivation, compared to the other disciples. But I was getting there. I had almost passed the qualifying examinations when it was my turn."


    Xu Yanzhi pounced on that at once, just as he expected her to.


    "Aha! You said ''almost''! So you failed, didn''t you? You failed!"


    Qin Feng snapped back at once. He had expected her to be so gleeful once she heard it. And had the perfect repartee:


    "You don''t have to sound so gleeful about it! And I blame Xuan Mei for that failure! Imagine if you tell someone that your arranged marriage with him is off, just two months before his qualifying examinations. Do you think that he would have any mood to keep on practicing? That he would be able put in his full effort, in passing those tests?


    "That is one of the reasons why I wish to meet with her, so that I can ask her what she was trying to do, when she dumped that basin of cold water on me. And at such a time!"


    That was enough to have Xu Yanzhi putting her hands to her mouth again. Which was enough to show that she was shocked to hear what he had just said. But her eyes were little crescents, which was sufficient to tell Qin Feng that she was also immensely amused.


    "In that case, Elder Ling ... No, Aunt Ling! Aunt Ling! You should grant him leave to visit our Snow Swallow Palace! At least, the Outer Osmanthus Court! I would dearly love to hear what Xuan Mei would say to him, when the time comes!"


    From the way that she was skipping about, Qin Feng could guess at her motives for doing something like that, helping him to beg the Elder for a favor. This was all so that she could watch a good show, wasn''t it?


    Well, he would show her a great show, when the time came! He promised himself that.


    But Elder Ling Liyun was not convinced. At least, not altogether convinced. If Qin Feng was not mistaken, she would like nothing better than to return to Snow Swallow Mountain Palace, and to question Xuan Mei about the whole matter first, before making a decision.


    Too bad he was not going to give her that option.


    "Ah! Forget it! It is not that important to me, anyway. While I am a little curious, and a little heartbroken over the whole thing, she is already someone from my past. So what is the point of dwelling on the whole thing?


    "To be honest, I thought that she had fallen for somebody else. But clearly, that doesn''t seem to be the case. Otherwise, why would she choose to go to the Snow Swallow Palace? After all, most of your disciples stay in the Sect until they are old and grey, and hardly ever marry. Maybe the other fellow broke her heart as well? That makes the whole thing rather fair."


    And that bit of a sting at the end was enough to cause the Elder to erupt:


    "How can that be? The other fellow broke her heart? That didn''t happen, did it? You don''t know for sure!" she shouted at him then, no longer caring if anyone heard her.


    "You are just jealous, aren''t you? Since you can''t eat the grapes you are claiming that the grapes are sour! I''ll have you know that my Little Mei is not depressed or broken-hearted now! She''s living happily back in our Snow Swallow Palace!"


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    Then her mood dropped, as though she had just remembered something. Something that Xu Yanzhi was quick to remind her about, even as she was shooting Qin Feng a gaze that warned him to keep his mouth shut, and to leave it to her:


    "Are you sure about that Aunt Ling? I mean, I saw her moping about sometimes, in the gardens. As though she was missing someone, you know? I didn''t think that she was heart-broken back then, and only thinking about her father and all, but ... This puts the whole matter in a different light, doesn''t it?


    "Could it be that she broke off with Brother Qin Feng here, and ran off to be with her lover? Only to be caught by Uncle Xuan and dragged off to our Snow Swallow Mountain? And just the name of our Sect is enough to make all the young handsome men quiver in their shoes. So it is unlikely that he would dare to storm our Palace Gates!"


    The last bit made the Elder turn her head to look at the younger woman. But even Qin Feng could see that Xu Yanzhi had gone off on a tangent, and was now caught up in a world of her own imagining! Which made him roll his eyes at her again! She had signaled him to keep quiet, for something like this?


    "Oh! Or what if he had rejected her? That he thought she wasn''t good enough? Or if he wasn''t good enough? Could that have happened? It should be possible, since it always happens in all those books that I have read. Isn''t it?


    "What if he regretted rejecting her, and committed suicide? Or became a monk? Or threw himself into other women and wasted his life and his martial arts, just because he could not get her? Oh! What will Xuan Mei think then?"


    "Enough! Enough."


    Ling Liyun shook her head then, as if she had been thoroughly confused by the young woman at her side. Then she pulled out a black metal plaque the size of her palm from her sleeve, and pushed it towards Qin Feng with a low growl.


    "Take it. Take it. You shall be granted entry into our Snow Swallow Palace. Just show that at the Front Gate, and there will be someone to lead you and your party inside. No more than three of you. And only to our Osmanthus Court.


    "I will arrange for Xuan Mei to meet with you then, and talk over what had happened, back at the Heaven Sword School."


    Xu Yanzhi was the one who snatched the metal badge away, before either the middle-aged woman or Qin Feng could react, and skipped happily over to the latter''s side. And stuff it into his hands.


    "There you are. Now, you must remember to alert me when you show up, so that I can have a good seat when it takes place, this romantic reunion of yours. Remember to drag it out a bit, so it''ll make a better show.


    "I''ll even bring my dried grapes and other snacks, so that I can properly enjoy it!"


    * * *

 252 Yuan Qianlei 2

    The girl, as he had been expecting the betrothed of Du Yan to be, was clearly someone who was much older than the gangly adolescent that he had pictured in his mind. She was clearly someone in her late teens! So where was the cute little thing that Du Yan had been talking about?


    That was when Qin Feng realized that the burly fellow had already spent a good two, three years at the Duchy of the Westlands. Didn''t that mean that he had left her when she was still only about fourteen, fifteen years of age?


    To think that someone of that age had been able to twirl this big fellow around her fingertips! That was more than a little shocking, to tell the truth!


    Had this Du Yan really been enamored of a girl while she was at such a young age back then? Qin Feng almost cringed away from the taller, broader fellow, as that thought ran through his mind. Was this friend of his some sort of pedophile?


    Then he saw how she rushed off her own carriage and threw herself into his arms. While ignoring all the embarrassed looks on her escort and the cries from the woman who was sharing her conveyance. Who had begun shouting at her to mind her decorum, and to remember that she is a young lady, and needs to behave herself. Clearly, to the girl, none of that was of any importance, compared to Du Yan, as she hugged him tightly, without a trace of embarrassment.


    The soldiers, on the other hand, were all redfaced. And the older woman, judging from the amount of grey-hairs she had, was already burrowing her face in one of her hands*.


    Qin Feng felt a twinge in his heart then. How nice it must be, to have someone like that, he thought. Then quickly shook himself awake. And reminded himself of why it would be a bad idea. It would just give one''s enemies another target to strike at, so that they can hurt you. This whole episode at Ningfei Town had been an example of that, hasn''t it?


    But Du Yan and Yuan Qianlei didn''t look the least bothered by that now, and had just finished their long ''hug of hello'', and was turning to meet the burly fellow''s companions:


    "This is Brother Liushui. I''ve already told you about him, in my letters. He''s the oldest of the lot of us, so we usually defer to his grey hairs. Unless we are overruled by Brother Changhai over there, in his armor. He has the clout to order us around, if he desires, since we have both been guests at his place, so it would be a little awkward, if we don''t give him some face. Who knows what he would be serving us for dinner, if we did that.


    "And that is little Qin Feng, who has just joined us recently. That''s why I haven''t written much about him. But he''s tough, and reliable in a fight. And he has a wicked sense of humor," Du Yan introduced the young woman at his side to each of them, as she smiled winsomely.


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    And Qin Feng had to admit that she was a good-looking woman. But still, there was nothing that exceptional about her looks. She was soft and slightly chubby-looking, being still covered with her baby fat that she had yet to shed completely. But her eyes were large and twinkling with mischief, and there was a certain grace in her movements, as she walked beside Du Yan.


    Perhaps the last was the reason why that Royal Prince from the Shu Kingdom Capital had thought to get his hands on her. And why Du Yan was so caught up with this Little Sister Qianlei of his. There was a certain innocence about her, that gave her that allure.


    "I''ve heard a good deal about you, Brother Qin Feng. And how my beau had been poisoning you with all his nasty-tasting potions so far. I hope there has not been any ill effects."


    Her voice was also pleasant and clear, fitting her young, refreshing appearance, Qin Feng thought, as he managed to squeeze out a smile. Which was easier when he glanced at Du Yan, and saw how he was wincing at what she had just asked him. That was a bit too blatant a put-down, even for someone who had a marriage contract with him.


    "Nothing too bothersome. But you are right about how they taste. They were truly horrible, in that regard. I should warn you to have some sweets at hand, if he tries to feed you any."


    She giggled. And for some reason, his brain went back to Xu Yanzhi. Probably because of how fond the latter had been, in doing the same. Especially during that little fight he had with her. That was probably why the image had remained in his head.


    But Yuan Qianlei was speaking again, and her hands made it clear that she was including everyone in the conversation. "In that case, perhaps we can go somewhere, and have something tastier? The road has been long and these soldiers that my father had sent along with us seemed only to like those icky bits of biscuit they call rations. We haven''t had a proper meal in days!" she half-sobbed, at Du Yan.


    Who promptly stuck his chest out and promised to see what he could dig out, to satisfy her palate. Which had everyone present, even the soldiers and the elderly woman who had accompanied the girl in her carriage, rolling their eyes. It was a miracle, to see how easily this idiot was manipulated.


    Then again, Qin Feng considered it nothing of consequence, as he followed after the pair that was skipping along the main road of Ningfei Town as if no one was watch, hand in hand. After all, wasn''t the Old Marquis of the South and the Duke of the Westlands similarly under their wives'' control? Didn''t all of this put Du Yan in their company then?


    So didn''t that put things in a much better light?


    The Second Ducal Prince had apparently the same impression, as he revealed when he whispered to Lin Liushui, during their slow walk back to the tavern. It would have been faster, except for the fact that Yuan Qianlei was asking about this and that, and Du Yan was busy stopping to explain things to her.


    "Doesn''t this remind you of something familiar? Why do I get the feeling that it is my mother and my father all over again, when I see them walk around like this?" Li Changhai asked, as he followed after the pair.


    Lin Liushui, in his great wisdom, refused to comment.


    "I am not going to say anything that I might regret," he told the Second Ducal Prince plainly, "You have not seen me at my worst, when I am in the company of the girl that my heart is sworn to. You might have even more biting words for me about my delirium, when you do. So I am going to be keeping quiet now, regarding this matter, to keep you from throwing my own words back in my face."


    And Qin Feng, naturally, thought that was a most sensible decision.


    * * *


    *in our present day, we would call that a facepalm.

 253 Yuan Qianlei 3

    Yuan Qianlei only spent two days in Ningfei Town, but all of those two days had seen her plastered to the side of Du Yan. If there was anyone who dared to hint that she was not devoted to the big man, that was clear evidence to the contrary. Not that anyone would be so stupid to say such a thing, with all of the Du household and the Palace Guards that the Yuan Patriarch had borrowed, to keep his grandniece safe from harm.


    Even that idiotic Royal Prince would not dare to kick up a fuss with them about. Especially since he was only the Seventeenth Prince, and very, very distant from the rest of the Princes, and their fight to be named their father''s successor.


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    Qin Feng was surprised to learn that it was him though. Of all the nobility that he had met, he had to say that that particular Royal Prince had been the most memorable. He was the only one that Qin Feng had the opportunity to shout at, after all. Although he had been in a different guise at the time. Or rather, wearing his puppet''s body.


    The Second Ducal Prince, on the other hand, who had protected the Seventeenth Prince, also called the Prince of the Stormy Sea, back in Changqing City, was most apologetic. "Had I known that he would cause such problems now, I should have let Qin Feng''s liege-man slap him until he became an idiot, back in the day," he grunted.


    Du Yan nodded, while still wearing a glare, but Yuan Qianlei only laughed when she heard that. And dug the whole story out of the Second Ducal Prince. After which, she had clapped her hands like every young maiden would, and praise Qin Feng''s man.


    "Oh! Too bad he is off doing something. He sounds like one of those powerful characters that I have been reading in those stories. Maybe if he was here, I would feel more like I am the main character in the tale, being fought over by powerful men. Of course, I only have eyes for this one here, at my side."


    She added the last bit as she shamelessly hugged Du Yan''s arm. Which seemed enough to calm him down somewhat. But it was Qin Feng who caught her reference to the stories. Wasn''t that the sort of story that Xu Yanzhi was reading too?


    "What sort of tales are these? To have captured your attention so? Are they written by some great author? A famous one?"


    Yuan Qianlei giggled. "You can call him famous. Or infamous, if you prefer. He hasn''t written any great poetry, or some earth-shaking histories. But his convoluted love stories and bizarre tales are immensely popular. At least among us senseless young girls, as they call us. His characters are all so romantic, you see."


    "Oh? In that case, perhaps I should try one or two of his works, to improve my standing among our womenfolk. What is his name? Or should I say, his pen-name?"


    Yuan Qianlei giggled again. "Oh, that is easy. He''s the Jade-faced, Empty-sleeved Gentleman. He says he''s called that because he is so poor, and needs to write those stories to make ends meet," she explained quickly, when she saw how Lin Liushui''s face went dark.


    But Du Yan only laughed, and pointed a finger at his Brother. "Ha ha ha. Now I know why you hate your nickname! Brother Liushui here has been called the Jade Faced Gentleman, when he was younger, and is famous by that name throughout the Yang Kingdom, to the East."


    Yuan Qianlei''s eyes went wide as she turned back to Lin Liushui, who quickly raised his hands to salute her. "No, no, no. You mustn''t confuse me with that writer of yours. I am certainly not him! I have no skill at all at writing novels, and I certainly do not share his background. Besides, I have been whiling away my time, at the Duchy of the Westlands, so I can hardly have any leisure to write, can I?"


    "That is true. And there has been three books released by the Jade-faced, Empty-sleeved Gentleman during this last year. So it cannot be you."


    She said that with an almost despondent tone, that hinted at how much she adored the books that had been written by the same. Which prompted Qin Feng to ask if she had any with her. "I would dearly love to have a look at what sort of writing he does, to be able to enthrall so many young women," he told her, "Perhaps I can pick up some lessons from his works, so that I can enjoy such adoration as well."


    Yuan Qianlei nodded gleefully, possibly at gaining another fan for her favorite author. But Du Yan looked at him a little strangely. "What is the matter with you, Brother Qin Feng? Are you coming down with something? I have never heard you speak so much, or so gently before. It is as though you''re becoming another Lin Liushui."


    Qin Feng snorted at that. But the damage was already done. Li Changhai''s transformation from a gentleman to a coarse soldier was one thing. They knew that it was only to mask his presence in the group, and to make him seem like less of a threat to all the nobles in the nearby Shu Kingdom Capital. But no one could think of a reason why Qin Feng would do something similar. Albeit in the other direction.


    "Oh, wait. It couldn''t be, could it?"


    Lin Liushui was suddenly animated again, as though he had recovered from hearing that awful nickname of his being bandied about. Perhaps he was glad that someone else had become the focus of the conversation? Or perhaps, he saw an opportunity to poke fun at Qin Feng?


    As it turned out, it was both! "That young woman that you fought with, the one who accused you of taking advantage of her? She used a rather familiar tone when she was addressing you, and said a great many things that would have hurt her own reputation, while she was there in the Arena with you.


    "Just as you were more eloquent when she was present. Your banter with her was almost like it was written in a book. In fact, it seemed inspired by that particular genre that you were talking about! As though you were inspired!


    "Are you certain that you haven''t any feelings for her? Is she why you''ve suddenly developed a taste for romantic novels?"


    "What nonsense!"


    But it was too late. Yuan Qianlei was already hooked on the idea, and the look on her face made it clear to Qin Feng that he had no escaping from it now!


    "In that case, I will pass you my entire collection! So that you can have a wide range of tricks and ideas that you can use on her! I''ve only got three of them on me now, but when we get back to the Shu Capital, I can pass you everything in my possession. They are all at my house there!"


    But Du Yan disagreed with the move. At least, with where they would be heading, when they left Ningfei Town. Indeed, it was a bit of a surprise, since this was the first time that any of the group had heard him being so firm with Yuan Qianlei.


    "No. I don''t think we should head there just yet. There is still something that I need to do. So let''s head over to Chuanshui Town. I think its also time that I introduce my bride-to-be to my Patriarch."


    * * *

 254 Yuan Qianlei 4

    For a moment, Yuan Qianlei looked annoyed with her husband-to-be. But the mention of introducing her to his Patriarch was enough to make her look away with a bright red flush on her chubby cheeks. She swatted him weakly on the shoulder, like every abashed young girl then.


    Which was enough to draw the laughter of everyone else. And cause her to lay her head on Du Yan''s shoulder, with a happy smile on her face. And a quiet promise to pass one of her books to Qin Feng later.


    Then she made her escape, dragging her intended with her, as she headed to another part of the tavern. Doubtless so that she could be alone with him.


    The remaining trio chuckled as they saw the pair leave, and Qin Feng breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, he thought that he would be teased continuously for a good while. But luckily, Du Yan had managed to distract her, and the rest of the band, with his declaration.


    Lin Liushui smiled as he pointed out the changes in Du Yan too, as he waved his fan again, once they were out of sight. "I believe I know what he intends to do. This little episode has roused the tiger in our Brother Yan, I fear. Although I am afraid for his enemies, and those who do not know which side to back. He is going to be raising a huge fuss, when he gets back to Chuanshui Town. And I think that there is good number of idiots within the Du Family who are going to be culled."


    The Second Ducal Prince seemed somewhat surprised to hear that. "You think that he would go that far? Brother Yan has always been the easy-going sort, hasn''t he? Don''t you think that doing that would hurt him? And I am not talking about just his reputation."


    "Think about it. If someone tries to steal your intended bride, and sets people up to injure or kill you, aren''t you going to be upset? Aren''t you going to want to dig that person out and give him a swift kick in the pants?"


    Lin Liushui said that in such a coarse manner that Qin Feng also spat his wine out of his mouth. Was this the sort of thing that the Jade Faced Gentleman should be talking about? Or was Lin Liushui already in his cups?


    But the handsome fellow seemed to be purposely using those rough words, to match the new image that Li Changhai had set up for himself. The rest of his guard were actually pleased to see him behave that way, since it made their role a lot easier. It was a good deal easier to keep someone safe, if he was willing to put on armor and walk around with a big weapon, wasn''t it?


    Li Changhai, on the other hand, did not notice all of that. Or if he did, he didn''t pay it any mind. Instead, his brain was filled with what Du Yan was going to do, once he gets back to Chuanshui Town.


    Lin Liushui, however, was not quite finished with the subject.


    "Besides, he doesn''t have to deal with the matter of those ''traitors'' to the Du Family himself. He can just toss it to his father to handle. I am certain that someone as smooth and as knowledgeable as Uncle Du Chenyong would be able to clean house easily, without our needing to stick our fingers in.


    "We are likely to be used as escorts, to guide Miss Yuan Qianlei around the place. And to show her all the places that Du Yan likes to eat at, and shop at. So I think that should be an easy task, hmmm?"


    The Second Ducal Prince, however, shuddered. "If you think that, you clearly do not have much experience accompanying women when they shop, and window shop. The last time I went out with my mother on one of those walks in Yanyun City, we were on our feet for almost all of the afternoon! And we started after an early lunch at that!


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    "Worse of all, she had returned to the Ducal Palace with empty hands, after spending the whole time poking around all sorts of things, and bargaining with the shopkeepers! I certainly could not make any sense of it!"


    Then Li Changhai jerked his chin towards the huge fellow who was walking away into the distance with the young woman jumping and prancing about him. "I have a feeling that we should leave those two to themselves, when she suggests shopping or something similar, once we get to Chuanshui Town."


    That suggestion received the silent agreement of the other two immediately, who nodded gravely at the Second Ducal Prince''s warning.


    *


    In the end, the journey from Ningfei to Chuanshui took them only two days. Although it was a lot harder on Li Changhai than the rest of the group. With two carriages, which carried her maids as well as her old nanny, Yuan Qianlei had managed to squeeze both Du Yan and Lin Liushui into one of them, leaving only Qin Feng to ride with the Second Ducal Prince.


    Who was complaining about how his Brothers were valuing women over their friends, and abandoning the two of them, who had to ride in the hot sun. It was worse for Li Changhai, of course, since he had to wear armor as well.


    Qin Feng merely found it amusing, and spent a good bit of his time near Lin Liushui''s carriage, to listen to how he flattered and cajoled Yuan Qianlei''s maids. It was a very educational experience. And he had to admit that he learned a lot, especially with Lin Liushui breaking things down for him over mealtimes.


    Then he stopped himself. Why was he bothering to learn how to do something like this? Was it all so that he could play tricks on Xu Yanzhi later on, when he met her again? He had to admit that it was his original plan, but wasn''t he having too much fun like this? Where was he to draw the line?


    It was certainly something that he would have to consider very, very carefully.


    * * *

 255 Interlude

    Ducal Prince Li Changhai was the first to point out the strange behavior that he had noticed in the youngest member of his team. And this was after he had spoken to the guards who were in charge of sweeping the fringes of the camp every night. For all the last six days or so, all through their journey towards Chuanshui Town.


    "They say that they see him sometimes, walking aimlessly about the camp, and waving his hands for no reason. At first they thought that he was practicing some sort of martial art, but then they saw how his movements seem to mirror yours, Brother Liushui. As if he is actively trying to mimic some of your exquisite hand motions."


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    Those were the first words that Li Changhai said to Lin Liushui, when he alerted the latter to Qin Feng''s unusual mannerisms of late. He had thrown in a bit of flattery, that he knew that Lin Liushui loved, so that the latter would pay a bit more attention to the problem. Probably so that he could earn yet more praises.


    It was a rather cheap method to gain his focus on the situation, but Li Changhai knew that it helped. So he didn''t really mind using that trick.


    But Lin Liushui replied with a serious face as well, which was completely the opposite of his usual flippant replies and his laughing dismissals. "You are right about there being something wrong with him. Have you noticed that he is speaking more frequently, and with Yuan Qianlei''s maids? And even the old woman who has been sent to keep an eye on her?


    "He isn''t very smooth yet, but I get the impression that he is trying to get better at flattering them, and coaxing them. Do you think that there''s a problem in this somewhere?"


    Li Changhai almost smacked his old friend in the face. ''If I wasn''t worried that there was a problem, would I be approaching you for help?'' But he controlled his temper, and continued as he usually did. That was the only way to deal with Lin Liushui.


    "That is for certain. The only problem is, what is his motive for doing such a thing? Or rather, such things? It is not just that, you realize? He has been seen reading that novel that Yuan Qianlei had passed to him. Diligently! And going to ask her and the other women about some bits that he did not quite understand!


    "You think he is planning to become a writer as well?"


    Lin Liushui made a gagging sound in his throat. "Do you think he can be bothered with something like that? And besides, what sort of reputation would he gain, even if he did become as good as that fellow with the Jade Face, Empty Sleeves claim?


    "No, I think that he is in love! And that he is reading those books so that he can better understand the woman, who obviously loves them!"


    "What?!"


    Lin Liushui nodded with a grave expression on his face. "Think about it. He has been acting like this since he fought with Xu Yanzhi. And the reaction that he had to her teasing was certainly unusual. You know how he couldn''t be bothered when he is teased or badgered. So why did he flare up when she said those words to him? Why was he so upset when she turned around and fled, without giving him a chance to explain?


    "And it is not as though you are not aware that she had visited him in his room that night before the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace pair left Ningfei Town. And the older woman also made an appearance. She even shouted at him! Or at Xu Yanzhi!"


    Li Changhai swallowed as he agreed with what his Brother Liushui was saying. And not saying! "Then, you think that she caught them ... That this has something to do with her? That he is ... romantically involved? That is bad, isn''t it? I mean, you should know what this means."


    That was the truth there. Lin Liushui''s love was there in Snow Swallow Palace as well, so he knew better than anyone what it meant.


    Lin Liushui''s heartfelt sigh was answer enough. "If it was someone other than Xu Yanzhi, one of the most famous of the Snow Swallow Palace''s Inner Disciples, he might stand a chance. But you witnessed how abruptly the Elder had appeared, and interfered that night. That is as good as trying to cut the threads from the very beginning, isn''t it? To try to prevent the two of them from developing their feelings any further.


    "Since she is an Inner Disciple, she will definitely be watched very carefully. He will never get a chance to approach her alone, even if he gets to approach the Snow Swallow Palace. So he might as well forget her, if he can. If he does not, and tries to snatch her away ... He doesn''t have much of a chance, does he, of succeeding.


    "But he will learn of that soon enough. But do not worry! If worse comes to worst, I will be there for him. It is all that I can do."


    Li Changhai sighed along with the older man. Then something occurred to him, and he could not help but ask:


    "Wait. If that is the case for someone as lofty as Xu Yanzhi ... What about the ordinary disciples? Surely they will not be as closely watched? In that case, Brother Liushui, why don''t you yourself snatch away the one that you love? She loves you deeply and will definitely take the chance to fly away with you*."


    Lin Liushui laughed bitterly, and clasped his hand on the Second Ducal Prince''s shoulder. He smiled, though there was nothing to smile about. "You think I don''t know that. Do you even know how many times I have considered it? It would be a simple thing, as you said. But what happens to us after that?


    "I am a scion of a rather famous family, and will definitely draw the attention of the martial world if I do something like that. It would be enough to make me notorious, and her name will also be affected. How can I drag her into those kind of circumstances?


    "Besides, do you think that the Snow Swallow Palace would not send their people out to look for us? What would her fate be, if they were to catch us? If they were to drag her back there?"


    He sighed again, and shook his head at the Second Ducal Prince. Who wished he hadn''t asked. "So I can only wait, and try to catch any word of her while I wait. Qin Feng''s infatuation with Xu Yanzhi might be something more, so I will be attaching myself to him shamelessly, when he decides to head that way. You can count on that!"


    * * *


    *Okay, what I was thinking of using was Ô¶×߸߷É. But this is as far as I got with my weak command of Mandarin. Any other suggestions?

 256 Cleaning House 1

    The last stretch of the trip was smoother than Qin Feng had expected it to be. After almost twelve days of camping out and entertaining Yuan Qianlei''s servant girls and such. he felt that he deserved a well deserved break. It had been a long and tiring journey, and he had spent most of it trying to figure out women. Which was a really thankless task!


    Learning how to predict some of their actions and verbal responses were next to impossible, but he had figured out how to lead them with questions and such. That wasn''t too different from men, although there were one or two subjects that still tripped him up.


    But he was confident that he knew a little better, how to deal with Xu Yanzhi and the like, if he was to meet that sort of woman again!


    "Qin Feng! Brother Qin! We are heading in!"


    He looked up then, when he heard his name being called. And waved a hand back at Du Yan, to signal that he was heading over when he saw the big man beckoning him. It was no great mystery why he was being summoned. They had already arrived at Chuanshui Town, and the Du Family was one of, if not the only, power in the area. So they probably had a large party there at the Town Gate, waiting for them.


    The rest of the Yuan Family soldiers gave him strange looks as he strode over to join the rest of the party, which was gathered around Yuan Qianlei and her maids. Qin Feng couldn''t really understand why they all looked so concerned, but simply dismissed it as curiosity. After all, he had managed to fend off someone of the Snow Swallow Palace. So that might account for their awe.


    As for Yuan Qianlei, her two maids, and her nanny, the soldiers had taken care to weave a tight net around the four of them. Du Yan had wanted them to be properly protected for many reasons. Not the least of which was the fact that he was desperately in love with her and wanted to keep her safe!


    Which was probably why Li Changhai was wearing his lieutenant''s disguise again, and pretending to be Wei Xuanran''s subordinate officer. Qin Feng enjoyed a bit of laugh every time he saw that. Did he really think that he was able to fool everybody like that? Anyone with any experience in the military would realize that the soldiers were more respectful of their lieutenant than their Captain! And what Captain would stand for something like that?


    Still, it would be sufficient to deal with the casual observer, and Qin Feng doubted that there could be so many spies in Chuanshui Town that they could cover everything that Du Yan and the party does. At least, not without their notice.


    The town also had its own people watching the road, and it was obvious from the large crowd that approached the large square just within its gates that the arrival of Du Yan''s group had not been unnoticed. Not to mention the fact that old man with the long white moustaches leading the townsfolk had a striking resemblance to Du Yan himself!


    Surely he had to be a relative of one sort or another, Qin Feng told himself, as soon as he laid eyes on the White Moustaches. Even Du Yan''s own father did not look as similar. Although neither of the two men had the sort of muscles, or the height, that Du Yan had been endowed with.


    "Patriarch. Descendant Du Yan greets you."


    Ah! Qin Feng understood the relationship between the two now. This was the Du Family Patriarch, which made him Du Yan''s great-grandfather? And Du Chenyong''s grandfather? Little wonder then, that they looked so similar.


    The Patriarch simply smiled, and gave a grunt in reply. As if it was nothing out of the ordinary, for him to welcome one of his descendants back to Chuanshui Town.


    Then Qin Feng noticed how the looks on the faces of the people behind the old man had turned slightly red, and there were quite a few pairs of eyes that were glaring at the tall, broad-shouldered fellow in front of him. Du Yan''s greeting was a little too perfunctionary, he realized then. And it had effectively left everyone else off the list!


    His words were supposed to convey a sense of respect towards his elders, after all. And only directing the same to the Patriarch, and no one else, Du Yan was basically telling everyone else that he didn''t hold them in his eyes at all! So how could any of his elders forgive such a slight?


    But he simply ignored the angry looks and made a gesture to include the whole army that was behind him. Du Yan''s voice was still rumbling with strong emotion as he went on, to introduce the same:


    "I have with me, as you can see, Patriarch, the daughter of the Yuan Family in the Shu Kingdom Capital. My bride-to-be, Yuan Qianlei. She has come to confront me, after there has been some rumors regarding my wish to break our agreement. To understand if there is any truth in such a story. Naturally, I have told her that there isn''t."


    Once again, the Patriarch''s answer was a simple nod.


    Which was enough to spark off a discussion at his back, among the generation just one step below him in seniority, among the uncles of the man standing across from them. And from what Qin Feng could hear, there were some rather ugly comments among the same.


    But Du Yan merely shook his head, and lifted a hand. The whole of the family fell silent at once, as they waited for him to speak. His voice, when he began, was gruff.


    "It has come to my understanding that there are members of our family who are unhappy with this earlier arrangement, and has recently claimed that our Du Family has suffered because of it. That the Yuan Family has not treated our Du Family as they should.


    "Patriarch. As you are aware, Yuan Qianlei has been promised to be my bride since she was twelve. She is now seventeen, almost eighteen. In those five, coming to six years, why has no one mentioned my breaking our engagement? To me? In all that time, why has no one has brought up the indignities that the Yuan Family has thrown upon us?


    "Perhaps, Patriarch, you should give me an answer regarding this?"


    His questions resounded in the wide open square, and drew everyone''s eye to the old man standing at the front of the family. His aged face remained calm, and the white beard and moustaches that hung to his waist wavered oh so softly in the mild breeze.


    Then the old man turned, to the men who were on either side of him. "Those are good questions. Yikun, Leimo. You should answer them. If I am not mistaken, you two were the ones who had brought up the matter in the first place. Go on, tell Yan''er why."


    The pair of middle-aged men who had confidently stood behind the Patriarch when he stepped out the door, suddenly blanched when they heard his words. By his I-couldn''t-care-less tone of voice, it was rather obvious that the old man was just throwing them out to take the edge of Du Yan''s anger!


    Indeed, before they could even give voice to their protests, or claim that they were not the ones who had initiated the suggestion, Du Yan was already standing before the pair! He had gone so far as to exercise some sort of movement technique, that brought him right in front of them!


    "So, you two are the ones who tried to push me into breaking off my engagement. And no doubt, you were the ones who had told all those so-called experts from the Martial Schools and Sects where to find me.


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    "Well, let me show you what I think of your so-called opinion!"


    * * *

 257 Cleaning House 2

    The burly man''s attack was sudden, and was of such a magnitude that the two men, his two uncles, did not have the time to prepare to meet it! Du Yikun and Du Leimo barely had the time to give out a loud cry, before Du Yan''s sweeping attack knocked both of them off their feet, and sent them flying through the air!


    "Hundred Birds Respect the Phoenix*!"


    Someone cried those words out loud, as he recognized the third form of the Du Family''s Secret Arts. Qin Feng, in the mean time, was enjoying the sight of the two men being battered by the continuous blows that had shot out by Du Yan''s fists. While there wasn''t really a hundred of them, there were enough to render those two men unconscious for a few days. Not to mention breaking a few of their bones.


    The one who had thrown the attack, however, simply stepped back as though nothing untoward had taken place. And there was not a bead of perspiration, or even a trace of exertion, on his brows. As though that chastisement of his two uncles had been done casually. That the two of them had been hardly worth his effort.


    "Patriarch. I believe the ones who had any objection to my marrying Yuan Qianlei has been silenced. May I take it then, that the family has given me its blessing? That I may go ahead and plan my wedding appropriately?"


    To everyone''s surprise, the Patriarch shook his head. "I am afraid that those two were only the ones who spoke up. There were quite a few more that agreed with them, and threw their votes in their favor. So you might have a long task ahead of you, if you wish to eradicate all opposition."


    That was enough to send a shudder through the crowd. And there were quite a few faces that had gone as white as paper, when they heard the Patriarch''s words. Clearly, those were the ones who had backed the pair who had just been smashed to a pulp by Du Yan''s vicious attack. No doubt, they were worried that they would be next!


    But Du Yan merely turned around, to look at the Brothers that he had at his back. As if to consult them. There was a wry grin as he faced them, but his square back, which was facing his family, didn''t show any of his amusement.


    "What do you think? Any suggestions?"


    Qin Feng was the first to give voice to his opinion. Du Yan would not have asked if he didn''t want to hear something. He doubted that the big fellow would act on his suggestion, but that did not mean that he wasn''t going to offer up what he really thought should be done:


    "Kill them all! Hack off their heads to make certain that they are dead. Then deal with their women and children the same way."


    His voice cut through the crowd like a knife. And even the stoic Patriarch, with his white hair and white beard, opened his eyes a little wider when he heard Qin Feng''s words. Du Yan, on the other hand, seemed to be unmoved by the same.


    "It would frighten my bride-to-be, I think. If I were to take such drastic measures. And it would take too much effort, if I had to drag them all out of town to do that. And think of all the wailing. It would really be too messy.


    "Anything else?"


    This time, it was Lin Liushui who stepped forward. "In that case, you might wish to leave them alive. Just cut off their right arms. That should be enough of a punishment, and serve as a warning for any others who have such thoughts."


    Then the smiling gallant lifted his fan, as if to hide his smile behind the same. "It would be a far lighter punishment, than if the Yuan Patriarch got his hands on them, for smearing his family''s good name. You should know what I am talking about. All those complaints about his family acting like that, and how Yuan Qianlei''s behavior had been called into question?


    "I don''t doubt that he would be more than pleased to do what Brother Qin Feng had suggested earlier. If you granted him leave to take over, and take his revenge."


    Du Yan agreed. "That sounds very reasonable. Very well. I do not want to trouble my in-laws with such a small thing. It would make me look petty, and I don''t want that!"


    Then he turned back, and lifted his hand again, as if about to pronounce his kinsmen''s doom. Only to hear a soft creak of a carriage door opening, and a soft, feminine voice calling out:


    "Husband dear! Wait a moment, please."


    Then a young woman stepped out of the same, into the now blood-splattered street.


    It was, of course, Yuan Qianlei.


    She looked prettier than before, Qin Feng thought, as she stepped to the front, to take her place beside Du Yan. Perhaps it was the use of those cosmetics that her maids had been telling him about, and how they were worth hundreds of silver pieces at the least. It seemed they were worth their price, if that was the result.


    Of course, Yuan Qianlei had already been beautiful, so all that they did was to bring her beauty to the next level. Which was sufficient to silence all of the wailing, and outcries, and force the crowd to attend to what she had to say:


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    "While it is not my place to comment on how you intend to deal with your family''s rebels, you did mention earlier about how you did not wish to upset my sensibilities? In that case, perhaps you will consider sparing them at the moment? For my sake? It would be a little depressing, if they were no going to be around, to celebrate our wedding, don''t you think?


    "Especially if you kill them all. We would be stuck with a lot fewer wedding presents then."


    * * *


    *°ÙÄñ³¯»Ë

 258 Cleaning House 3

    Clearing up the scene in front of the Chuanshui town gate only took the Du Family an hour or two, and the soldiers from the Westlands Duchy took the opportunity to set up camp outside the same. As usual, only their Captain Wei Xuanran, and ''Sub-captain'' Li Changhai, went into the town itself, as guests of Du Yan and his Patriarch. Along with his bride-to-be, her entourage, and his friends, of course.


    In fact, the Patriarch himself was the one who led the group back to the Du Residence Meeting Hall, and chased everyone else away, while he welcomed them to the town, and to the estate.


    And jumped up to dance wildly around his great-grandson, the moment that he was done! Qin Feng was a little shocked to see that, he had to admit. To think that his calm and collected behaviour outside had been nothing more than an act!


    "Ah! I was wondering when you would get back. I would have gladly gotten rid of those fools for you but I thought it would make a better impression if you dealt with them yourself. It would definitely warn the Outer Clansmen to be mindful of their own place, and to watch their manners," the old man said gleefully, as he jumped back up to his chair, set in the place of honor at the back of the hall.


    "Well, that was what I thought too, when I saw you standing there like that. So I took the appropriate steps."


    The Du Family Patriarch sighed as he sank down into his chair. And pulled off his pristine white overcoat before he turned to Du Yan and his bride-to-be with a grin. "That was more refreshing than I had thought it would be. Especially when you knocked those two idiots bloody all over. I thought that you had really broken every bone in their body!"


    "No, no. I only broke their arms and legs. Simple fractures all. I would have done worse if I had used my maces, so I only punched them instead. The town physicians should be able to deal with it. But that should be enough to put them out of action for a while. Long enough for us to clean up the rest of the family. Thoroughly.


    "I think that everything should be settled by early Spring."


    Du Chengwei laughed as he slapped his thigh with his left hand. "Why waste so much time? We should be able to do it in three months at the longest. That should be enough time. We should get everything back under control, and under your hands by the time the season is over."


    Then he scowled at Du Yan. And lifted his gnarled hand to point a finger at his face. "But why wait until the following year for your marriage? Why not have a Winter Wedding? It would settle everything all at once, and keep that Royal Idiot Zhou Lingming from trying to make trouble again," he asked.


    "Because he is definitely going to make trouble, even if we do hold the Wedding in Winter. And Chuanshui Town''s defenses are not going to be that strong in the Cold Season. So we should definitely avoid luring him during that period. Letting him think that he has until Summer next year will encourage him to make more elaborate plans.


    "And elaborate plans are complex, and need a good deal of supervision. If one part breaks down ..."


    "The rest of it will fail as well," the Patriarch finished with a grin, "I see that you have picked up a few tricks from your friends. Well, they are all welcome here! To think that they dared to stand with you like that! Even that young, bloodthirsty one there! He has the mindset of killer! Which is not a bad thing in a time like this!"


    Qin Feng, who had entered the room last, shook his head when he heard that. And saw the Du Patriarch pointing at him.


    But Yuan Qianlei''s answering giggle cut in before he could open his mouth to reply. "I said the same thing about Brother Qin Feng to husband dearest, but he wouldn''t believe me. He said that Brother Qin was just protecting himself, every time that he killed. And that he had never really liked killing."


    "Bah! What does Yan''er know about this sort of thing? This young fellow - Qin Feng, is it? You are good at killing so you should focus on that. All those fancy moves that are meant to defeat the enemy and such? A waste of time! What you need to do is kill them all! I think you know what I mean: the only good enemy is a dead enemy!"


    "Father-in-law will be most annoyed at you if he heard you, Patriarch. He was hoping to turn Brother Qin Feng over to become the Protector of our first child!"


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    The Patriarch looked surprised for a moment, then burst into laughter. "In that case, please forget everything that I have just said! Having a Protector like that would allow me to sleep quietly at night! I agree! I completely agree!"


    Du Yan shook his head as Yuan Qianlei pouted at her husband-to-be. "Unfortunately, Big Brother Yan hasn''t gotten him to make any promises yet," she complained quietly, "Even though I have reminded him time and time again."


    "It will be hard, if you wish to hold down someone like him, I believe."


    The Patriarch''s voice was still light, but there was a certain iron in that statement of his. Something that had Qin Feng smiling as he looked at the old man. He did not really mind how they were talking about him like that. In fact, he had expected it, when he said what he said earlier, at the Gate.


    There was no hiding the fact that he was simply stating what he thought was the most suitable solution at the time. Unfortunately the rest of the group disagreed.


    Yuan Qianlei giggled then, and caught his attention. "Actually, I was rather tempted to do what Brother Qin Feng suggested. But it would have left the family in a mess, and take forever to settle all the accounts and clear all the debts. Far better if we let them scramble to form their groups again, before we smash them apart once and for all.


    "It would give us more time to get all those nitty-gritty matters out of the way."


    Qin Feng nodded at her with a smile. It did make sense, the way that she put it. But he was never that interested in holding power anyway. So that wouldn''t have really bothered him.


    Du Yan, of course, would be partial to hanging onto his family''s secure assets. And the domination of the weapon-making market there in Chuanshui and the rest of the Shu Kingdom. Which would force the Royal Family in the same to bend over quietly, and accede to his demands, if they still wished to arm their armies with their Du Family forged weapons.


    And that would give him the power that he needed to kick that worthless Royal Prince who tried to steal his wife in the teeth!


    * * *

 259 Cleaning House 4

    But it was the Patriarch who pointed out the weakness in his plan.


    The Du Patriarch shook his head at his Heir. "You are putting too much emphasis on that bit, and not enough thought into the basis of our domination of the market. We have much better skills than our competitors and we have much better metal ore. In addition to that, we have Chuanshui Town, and its water, as well as our skills in metallurgy. Added together, all of that results in better metal and hence, better weapons.


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    "Of course, the fact that you have already attained Rank Seven as a Weapon-smith ..."


    "Rank Six. I have already attained Rank Six. I took the test quietly, last Summer. Sorry. I wanted to keep it a secret in case I needed to use it to overawe the rest of those fools. So I didn''t tell you. Sorry."


    Du Chengwei laughed as he shook his head at Du Yan. "Ha! Trust you to keep something aside like that. Never mind. What was I saying? Ah, yes. Since you have already attained Rank Six, you should be able to use what we have already accumulated here to craft powerful weapons at whim. And if you were given better materials, you could even create Masterworks.


    "Low level Masterworks, true. But Masterworks all the same. And that should be enough to make your name resound, not only in the Shu Kingdom, but in the neighboring Kingdoms as well. When that happens ..."


    The white-haired, white-bearded old man grinned at the burly fellow, and patted him on the back of his hand. "Do you really think that the King of Shu would dare to make trouble for you? When there is a chance that you will be tempted to head over to one of his competitors'' Kingdoms instead? He would be the one smacking his own son on the head, and keeping him from offending you! So wouldn''t that be a lot cleaner?"


    Du Yan frowned, but made no attempt to answer.


    Which was enough to prompt the old man to wave a hand at the town of Chuanshui, which could be seen in its entirety, from the Hall''s windows. "You would be ruling over all of this, if you wish to. Although you will not be limited by this. No one will be able to take it away from you. Of course, that is if you are able to stay alive, and remain a threat to your enemies.


    "But I doubt that you will have any trouble doing that."


    Then Du Chenwei pointed a finger at the young girl at his nephew''s side. "That is one of the reasons why the Yuan Family is so eager to marry their daughter to you. With you as their support, the King of Shu would not dare to make too many requests of them. And so the Yuan Family, like our Du Family, will be able to weather another generation or two of Kings, here in the Shu Kingdom. Long enough to figure out a strategy for dealing with the next one or two, that will follow after the next one."


    The old man laughed, as that thought crossed his mind, and he grinned at his future great-granddaughter-in-law. "Of course, I will be long gone by then, so you two will have to figure that out on your own! I am having enough problems, wondering about the current Succession, and who is going to be the new king."


    "Do we have any idea who that is going to be? The Third Prince and the Fifth Prince are rather closely tied, if we look at their accomplishments. So it should be one of them," Du Yan commented in a soft voice, "Are we supporting either of them? Have we made any moves?"


    Du Chengwei shook his head, but gave his great-grandson a smile. "Not at all. In fact, we have been sticking to our usual answer, if anyone asks. That we don''t really care who is King, so long as we can craft our items, and make a reasonable profit.


    "I think you should be able to see why we are doing that."


    "You mean, unlike those idiots who clearly don''t? Clearly, they don''t know that once we jump into that pit, and start playing a hand at the Succession, we would be stuck in that mire for as long as our Du Family exists? Father-in-law and mother-in-law are more than aware of that, which is why they had been building ties with us, so that they can remain neutral in Court."


    "Even so, the rest of the Yuan Family has not been entirely clean," Yuan Qianlei reminded Du Yan, as soon as he said that, "You should know how my sister ended up in the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace. She said that she had told you all about it, when she broke her engagement with you."


    Lin Liushui stepped forward as soon as he heard that, with an evident frown on his face. "My apologies, but that was not what I had heard. Was there something that Brother Yan forget to mention, when he told us that story?"


    Du Yan shrugged as he looked at his future wife, but Yuan Qianlei simply waved her hand at him, as though indicating that he should tell the tale.


    "I didn''t misrepresent anything, if that is what you are asking. But I did leave out the fact that Yuan Qianyu had been rather strongly pursued by two Ministers'' sons, one of them a cousin of a concubine, and the other who is related six lesser Court Officials, when she came to break up with me. I think that is the reason why the Snow Swallow Palace was so attractive to her, back then.


    "She had probably had lost her temper with all those tricks that those fools had thrown at her already, and was ready to escape."


    "Husband dear was also a little too raw as a Weapons Crafter, and so did not have the sort of power to offend all of those pursuers of hers. Besides, he wasn''t lying when he said that he had only seen her as a sister. Just as my sister had always thought of him as a brother."


    Yuan Qianlei giggled, as soon as she said that, and reached out to pinch Du Yun on his cheek. "I, on the other hand, knew that I wanted him as soon as I saw him. No doubt because he had gone through so much to help my sister get away from those idiots at Court. And I also knew that I would need to set things up, so that I could run away to the Du Family, if I ever started attracting irritating flies like those."


    The Du Patriarch cackled again, the moment he heard that. "Which is no more than what I had been hoping for. Your Patriarch and I had planned it out a long time ago, and we were more than pleased that you were willing to replace your sister."


    Then his face turned a little glum. "We were a little bothered, when she said that she would join the Snow Swallow Palace like that, back in the day. That had seriously thrown our plans into disarray, you should understand."


    * * *

 260 Separation 1

    "In any case, that went better than I had hoped, to tell the truth. I thought we would have to fight another band of soldiers here, to clean up all those who were targeting Brother Yan," Lin Liushui was the first to admit, with a smile on his lips.


    "And we didn''t have any other Schools and Sects interfering hereabouts. Which is always a good thing. I think we might have to thank our Brother Qin Feng for that. And how he chased away that Elder from the Snow Swallow Palace."


    The Patriarch turned back to Qin Feng then, his surprise clearly shown on his face. "Eh? You did that? You chased away an Elder from that place? A proper Elder?"


    "Ah! I think they are giving the wrong impression, when they say it like that," Qin Feng hurried to explain. And gave a quick description of the events that took place in his rooms.


    "So basically, she was more afraid that you would steal away her disciple, rather than of your martial arts? That means you are a rather charming fellow, hey?" the old man laughed.


    Qin Feng was startled when he heard that. Was that what everyone was saying? Was that what they were thinking? That was a little outrageous, wasn''t it?


    Then he simply smiled. Well, that would only make things easier for him, once he gets to meet Xu Yanzhi again, and set his plan into motion. If there was sufficient gossip about all of this, he would have a much easier time making trouble for the little scamp!


    Besides, this was the sort of news would definitely spread, as soon as it was released. Wasn''t it? All of these people seemed more than happy to gossip about the major characters that they know about, in the famous Sects. So wouldn''t that be the same as his making trouble for her directly? All he needed to do was to toss out a few sighs now and again. Especially when the Snow Swallow Palace was mentioned. Lin Liushui had already given him an idea of how it should be done, hadn''t he?


    But Lin Liushui was speaking again, and had already diverted everyone''s attention back to the issue with the Royal Prince and his lustful intentions towards Du Yan''s wife-to-be.


    So Qin Feng held his tongue, as Lin Liushui elaborated.


    "Winter is the best time for all that plotting, so that is the best time for us to get rid of all the rats here in your family. So that Brother Yan will be ready for any move that comes from outside, come Spring. Besides, that is also the period when there is very little reason for any strangers to remain in Chuanshui Town. And that means that they will have less support, from those wanderers and such, from jianghu.


    "I think Brother Yan should not have trouble wiping them all out on his own, if he has to. And Brother Changhai will be leaving him a few soldiers, just in case."


    The Patriarch''s eyes were as large as teacups as soon as he heard the plan. Or rather, when he heard what Lin Liushui called the man in the lieutenant''s armor at his side. Then they became little crescents, hidden amidst the wrinkles that completely covered his face, as he got to his feet and dropped into a deep bow.


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    "Then this is the Second Ducal Prince? I had heard that he was coming back with Du Yan, but I did not expect him to be dressed in such a fashion! I take it then, that this is a disguise, to hide him from his enemies?"


    Li Changhai bowed back, although he could not resist giving out a laugh as he did so. Which completely suited the armor and the rough soldierly aura that he was giving off.


    "I do beg the Du Family''s Patriarch''s pardon. It seemed like a good idea at the time. But after that little fight back in Ningfei Town, I doubt that I would be able to keep up the disguise for much longer," he told the much older man.


    "Oh? You wish to remain incognito? To throw any enemy spies off your scent?"


    Li Changhai merely laughed, as he clasped his hands and bowed at the old man again. Who looked terribly pleased at having guessed at the Second Ducal Prince''s intentions. Qin Feng was not quite certain that that was what Li Changhai was really up to though. But he didn''t see any need to stick his finger in the pot.


    "That is a bold plan. And one that they will not be expecting.


    "But you said that my Yan''er will be the only one handling the matter? What of you? Where will the three of you be headed?"


    The Second Ducal Prince was the first to answer the Patriarch, and he looked somewhat awkwardly at his Brothers as he did so. "I believe I shall have to head back home. My parents, especially my mother, would definitely be anxious to hear the news that I have to share," he stated plainly.


    Lin Liushui and Qin Feng smiled, and did not expose the Ducal Prince''s real motivation. He didn''t want his mother, Duchess Feng Xueli, to worry! Or to send more people after him. Of course, saying that out loud would make him sound like a bit of a cloistered, pampered mommy''s boy, so he had to find another way of saying it, to maintain his image.


    Especially the gruff, no-nonsense soldierly one that he was using at the moment!


    Lin Liushui was next, and he simply gave out a soft laugh. "I suppose I should head back with you. That way, I can fill Aunt Feng in on all the details that you are bound to miss out, when you give her an account of what happened during this little trip of yours. You would probably downplay all of the danger, and push all the credit onto our shoulders."


    Then he gave out an exaggerated sigh, and fanned himself in his usual arrogant fashion. "To think that I will have to be the one telling the tale! That means I shall have to downplay my own part, isn''t it? How disappointing! I was hoping to be surrounded by all of your mother''s palace maids, cooing at me as I recount your adventures. And my own."


    Li Changhai gave out a laugh at that, and Qin Feng wore a smile as well. That sounded exactly like what Lin Liushui would do. Although both of them knew that it was nothing more than a show. Lin Liushui had already shown them all to what extent he would go to, to win his intended from the clutches of the Snow Swallow Palace.


    Which reminded Qin Feng to share his own plans as well. After all, he had not spoken of how he was intending to head North, to make trouble for Xu Yanzhi.


    "I think we shall be heading North. I have an appointment at Snow Swallow Mountain, to settle my little quarrel with Xu Yanzhi. So I shall need to hurry, before the Winter cold sets in, and I am prevented from ascending to the peak."


    Lin Liushui gave out a strangled cry as soon as he heard that.


    "Wait! You have an invitation? To visit Snow Swallow Palace? How did you ... How did you get your hands on that?"


    "From Elder Ling, who else? Actually, the reason that she came to my room that night was to pass me this. So that I can head up there and show them how the White Jade Hands are really used," he exaggerated, puffing out his chest as he had seen Lin Liushui do many a time.


    "In that case, may I change my plans, and accompany you there? I believe you know why I have waiting for a chance to visit that place. Lin Liushui will be eternally grateful if you will do me this small kindness."


    Lin Liushui dropped into a formal bow at that. Which was enough of a hint that the youngest of the group did not have any trouble guessing what the gallant was thinking about. Lin Liushui wanted to visit his beloved, long-parted woman, didn''t he? And Qin Feng was his means to get into the Snow Swallow Palace, so that he could look for her!


    So Qin Feng sighed again, and gestured at the scene outside the windows. Towards the North. It looked like he wasn''t going to be able to get away from the Ducal Prince or Lin Liushui anytime soon!


    * * *

 261 Separation 2

    Then he remembered, and made a gesture towards the Second Ducal Prince. "Ah? But I thought you had to accompany our Second Ducal Prince back to Yanyun City? To report his progress to the Duchess? And to bask in the adoration of the Palace maids there?"


    Lin Liushui flushed, but his expression soon changed to one of desperation, as he turned to the Ducal Prince. As if to beg for his assistance. Something that made Li Changhai roll his eyes at Qin Feng at once. But the youngest in the group only smiled, and waited for the Second Ducal Prince to make up his mind. This did depend on what Li Changhai really wanted to do.


    And Qin Feng had already met the Duchess, so he knew that the Ducal Prince didn''t want to get into trouble with her!


    Li Changhai thought about it for a while, then shook his head. "That would be a little risky. Splitting the group up like that would mean that we would have less soldiers here, to watch over Chuanshui Town. It would be safer if we kept the troop together, to maintain the safety of the people here. That is, if they have not already made arrangements."


    "We can''t be certain that Zhou Lingming, that Shu Royal Prince, your idiotic cousin, isn''t going to try something while we are gone. So keeping the people here safe does take priority. And whatever arrangements that they can make, I doubt that they will be able to match your soldiers."


    Lin Liushui agreed with the Second Ducal Prince. Which made the latter puff out his chest a little. Li Changhai was a little proud of the achievements that he had made with that troop of his, Qin Feng was aware. Just as he was pleased that no one in the whole of Chuanshui Town had recognized him yet!


    "I believe that it would be to our advantage if we move quietly. The distance between this place and the Snow Swallow Palace is not so significant that we would have no chance of crossing it without being detected. And it would make things easier, if we did not have too large a number when we arrive. The Sect is mostly women, so we would be making things difficult for them, if too many men were to show up on their doorstep."


    Qin Feng nodded at Lin Liushui, agreeing with the suave fellow. That was true. And he was rather certain that the badge than he had received from Elder Ling Liyun would only allow for him to bring one or two more with him, when he enters the Palace. So bringing the whole troop along was out of the question.


    Something that he brought up quickly. "I can only bring two others in with me, I am afraid. And since Brother Lin had asked so nicely ..."


    Li Changhai laughed, and slapped himself on the chest. "I''ll make the third! You can''t be thinking of leaving me out here on my own, are you? Surely you must bring me with you! Think of the boasting rights that I''ll get, if I get to go in there!"


    Wait! Was the Second Ducal Prince already making plans to head to Snow Swallow Palace himself? Qin Feng bit down on his sigh. It looked like he wasn''t going to be get rid of the pair that easily!


    *


    That night, there was huge celebration dinner at the Du Residence. And Qin Feng was surprisingly one of those who received the most attention. However, most of the looks that he got were rather hostile ones. From both the men and the women in Chuanshui Town.


    It appeared that news of his rather ''warm'' exchange with Xu Yanzhi had already made the rounds, and turned him into public enemy number one again!


    Well, he was not too surprised by that. And countered it with silence and sighs, just as he had planned. Something that had the female half of the population feeling a little sympathetic, as the dinner party wore on.


    Unfortunately, he had ended up drinking a lot more than he should. After all, there wasn''t anything else he could do, since he was working hard to give off that despondent air of his. So it was no surprise that he was more than a little tipsy, as the night wore on.


    Especially when the womenfolk got into the picture, when they were a little inebriated themselves!


    Surprisingly, it was Qin Feng that Yuan Qianlei had a question for, rather than any of the others. Which certainly caught Li Changhai unawares. He had not expected her to be paying that close attention to the youngest of the group. Then, thinking about it, he thought that maybe it was not that much of a surprise. After all, women tended to be a little more curious about what people of their own age thought. Weren''t they?


    "Say, I have been meaning ask: why are you paying so much attention to the sort of poetry that my maids and I like? And all those story books that you have been borrowing off me? Is there someone who has caught Brother Qin Feng''s attention?"


    Since all of them were a little drunk at the time, it was not so unwelcome a question that Qin Feng would throw down his cup and storm off. But none of the others expected him to throw his head back and burst out laughing!


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    "That is a bit of a secret!" he declared, in a voice that was a little too loud, as he tossed back his wine again, and pointed up at the sky, "I am plotting my revenge!"


    The Second Ducal Prince scowled as soon as he heard that. That wasn''t what you did when you wanted to keep a secret! Wasn''t that as good as telling the whole world what you were intending? How could that be a secret?


    "By reading up on the sort of poets that girls like? And their favorite stories from their favorite author? That''s for revenge?"


    Du Yan was obviously tipsy, which was probably why he had the least self-control, and burst out with the question immediately. "How can you take revenge by doing that?" he asked in an obviously puzzled voice.


    "Are you trying to make her fall for you? Then break her heart? Or snatch her away from her lover now, only to abandon her? Tell me! Tell me!"


    Qin Feng sniffed at the questions posed by Yuan Qianlei, and giggled like a girl. Which was enough to tell the Second Ducal Prince that he had already had too much to drink. That alone sparked the warning signal in his head:


    Qin Feng had always controlled himself while drinking, even with the rest of them. So why was he so out of control that evening? Was it really what Lin Liushui had proposed earlier? That he was caught in an emotional trap? That he was infatuated with someone?


    Was it Xu Yanzhi?


    "I am going to show her that I am not someone to be trifled with! That I will not be humiliated!" the youngest of the group cried out, his voice suddenly filled with emotion. Something that they had never seen him display before! Not in all the time that they were together!


    Which was enough to make Li Changhai a little worried. Was he really that invested in the girl? Was he really that upset, with what she had done during their supposed fight against each other? From the biting comments that they threw at one another, and the funny references that no one else understood, it was clear that there was something between them.


    But was he another victim of the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace? Just like Lin Liushui? That was a little too coincidental, wasn''t it?


    * * *

 262 Separation 3

    Yuan Qianlei''s reaction, on the other hand, was completely different from that of the Second Ducal Prince. Tears sprang to her eyes and she reached out to snatch at Qin Feng''s hand. Whatever she had read in his words was clearly not what Li Changhai or Du Yan had heard, clearly.


    "You will have a hard road ahead of you, Brother Qin Feng! She sounds as if she is too far away, too far out of reach! But you have to persevere! You have to keep charging forward! You have to show her that your heart cannot be denied!"


    Du Yan looked at his bride-to-be with a confused expression on his face, but Qin Feng only grasped her hand in return, and declared with a fervent sigh that would not be out of place in any young woman''s novel:


    "Not to worry! I have it covered. By the time that I am done, she will know - No! The whole world will know! I swear it! Everyone shall learn of it! I will show her! Yes, I will show her how I ..."


    Unfortunately, the alcohol that he had consumed chose that moment to rush to his head, rendering him unconscious. So Li Changhai never heard what he was going to show Xu Yanzhi. Or if indeed she was the one that he was talking about.


    But again, was there any other woman that Qin Feng had ever shown an interest in? Was there another that had made him lose control? First in the Arena, in front of all the Sects and Schools like that, and then here? Now?


    Li Changhai had never been in love. But he had seen Lin Liushui suffer all these years, after he had been separated from his woman. So he had seen despair, and he had seen desperation. But what Qin Feng was displaying now was beyond his comprehension, beyond his experience.


    Just what had made the young man so muddled like this?


    *


    The moment that Qin Feng woke up the following morning, he had such a headache that made him want to roll up in his blanket and go back to sleep. But the knocking on the door of his room at the Du Family guesthouse wouldn''t stop, so he had no choice but to crawl out of bed and stumble over to the same.


    Fortunately, it was only Du Yan, who only laughed at his terrible appearance, and didn''t tease him. Instead, the large man only pushed a bowl of some sort of black, herbal soup at him. And motioned for him to drink up.


    Which Qin Feng did at once. Well, Du Yan had never harmed him before. And whatever else he put into his herbal concoctions, they always did as he promised that they would. Then Qin Feng stopped, and stared at the remnants that were clinging to the bowl in his hand.


    "What was that stuff? What did you just feed me?"


    "Hangover medicine. It works well enough, although I thought it was too bitter. So I added a bit of rock sugar. What do you think?"


    Qin Feng licked his lips and considered. "Not too bad tasting. And I think it is working. But I feel a strong urge to go and pee now, so I am not sure if that is a side-effect, or just me. You might want to try this again on someone else to get another opinion."


    "Oh? Why not the next time you get roaring drunk?" laughed the big man.


    "Because I am never going to drink again! Now, if you''ll excuse me, I need to go and relieve myself!" Qin Feng growled.


    Fortunately for him, Du Yan did not follow him all the way back to this bed, so that he could use the chamber-pot there. But the burly fellow did wait for him at his door, until he was done. And yelled at him to dress, once the sounds of what he was doing stopped.


    Qin Feng didn''t argue, and simply threw on a gown as he was told to. But he didn''t hesitate to ask Du Yan what was going on, the moment that he opened the door to his rooms again, and stepped out:


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    "Is there a problem? Have your family started to gather more people together already?"


    Du Yan chuckled as he shook his head at the younger man. "No, no. You don''t have to worry about that. I am rather certain that we caught them all by surprise with our move. And my breaking the arms and legs of those two idiots had caused most of them to wake up. I just need to prove my skill as a Weapon-smith - a Rank Six Weapon-smith, so that they would all start wondering if they should support me, rather than working against me.


    "That is why I have come to look for you!"


    "For me? How am I supposed to help you establish your prestige as a high ranked Weapon-smith? I am not one myself, and I don''t know anyone who is."


    "Ah! I have it all mapped out already. I just need you. Or should I say, your sword?"


    Qin Feng scowled at that. "You need my sword? Well, that''s easy. Who do you want me to kill?" he asked at once.


    Which was enough to make Du Yan go white, and look around himself at once. Only to sigh with relief when he saw that there was no one close enough to overhear them. "No, no. I meant that I need your sword, your weapon. Not your expertise in it. I don''t need anyone killed."


    "Eh?"


    Du Yan shook his head, and pointed at a building a short distance away. "You see, I am merely keeping the promise that I had made you, back when we were still at the Westlands Ducal Palace. I had promised to craft you a better sword, remember?


    "But, as you well know, I didn''t have a chance to pick up any exceptional materials on the way back here. So I shall need to sacrifice some older weapons, so that I can produce something that would best suit your fighting style. Unfortunately, we do not have many of those that would suit."


    Qin Feng understood immediately, and held out the heavy sword that he already had in his hands. "So you are thinking of extracting them from this one? Or reworking this old capture of mine into something that suits me better?" he asked eagerly.


    Something that Du Yan chuckled at, since it was so obvious to the eye. "Exactly. I already have an idea of the type of sword that would be most suitable for you. So if you are willing to sacrifice what you already possess, for something that I will make for you ... Well, I think you will definitely be pleased with the end result!"


    * * *

 264 In the Empire of Yang 1

    "We should hold onto it until we are safely in the Yang Empire*," the handsome fellow declared without a hint of embarrassment, as he shoved the Second Ducal Prince back into the driver''s seat, just outside the ferry office.


    "There are advantages to being in a proper vehicle once we are there, rather than simply riding horses like common adventurers. Trust me on this. You shall see my reasons for this very soon, unless I am mistaken."


    So Li Changhai gritted his teeth and listened to the self-proclaimed smartest man in his group once again. He had to admit that Lin Liushui had not led him astray in the past, so there might be some truth in what he was saying now.


    But that did not mean that he enjoyed driving the wagon for the self-indulgent fellow!


    *


    It soon became apparent why Lin Liushui had insisted on keeping the wagon, when the trio saw how all of the adventurers who were riding horses were being subjected to a very stringent check, at the border offices on the other side of the river. Something that the handsome man was more than happy to point out to the other two men:


    "You see? If we had gotten rid of the wagon back on the other side of the river, we would be going through something similar. Besides, I have a method to get us past all of that with a minimum of fuss. That is, if you two do not mind being treated as my followers?"


    Li Changhai made a moaning sound at that while Qin Feng merely scowled at the gallant. Lin Liushui, thick-skinned fellow that he was, simply accepted that as their agreement to his plan. Which was promptly carried out, when a grey-haired fellow, dressed in a rather elaborate uniform of maroon and grey, and wearing a black hat that was adorned with a rather large piece of jade, ambled up to the enclosed wagon.


    "A carriage, with a driver and a personal guard? This is highly irregular. The rates for persons crossing the river are set, but this is for individuals and not Young Masters from the South, who are already putting on airs when they step into our Yang Empire. It will be at least another three gold pieces, unless you can prove that you are entitled to use something like this, back in the pitifully small Kingdom where you come.


    "Otherwise, the penalty shall be rather high."


    The grey-haired man sniffed, but was apparently taken aback when Lin Liushui sniffed back! And in an apparently more haughty manner than the oldtimer was capable of. Nor did the handsome man leave the old fellow any opening to begin his spiel again:


    "What is this? A mere river crossing inspector dares to put on airs in front of me? Who do you think you are? A member of the Yang Empire Royal Guard? Or one of the High Magistrates? You think I am unable to read the insignia on your pitiful Eighth Rank Civil Service uniform?


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    "To think that an ant like you would dare to impede this Young Master''s passage!"


    Lin Liushui whipped something out in his hands then, and flashed it right in front of the grey-haired man''s face, forcing the latter to take two steps back so that his eyes could properly focus on the same. By then, those orbs had grown as large as cartwheels, and Lin Liushui haughtily put that unknown item away into his sleeves again.


    "Now, what were you saying about dues? About payments? Are you certain that you wish to pursue this line now? Do you really wish me to have a word with my cousin?"


    Lin Liushui leaned his head a little further out of the wagon then, and closer to the gaping Inspector''s face. "Shall I have him send you to one of those pitiful border towns on the Lu Kingdom side of the Empire then?" he hissed.


    Naturally, the grey-haired Border Inspector quickly bowed his head, and waved them by without another word. And continued to bow in his head in apology until they were well away from the spot. Which was, apparently, what Lin Liushui had intended in the first place.


    "What was that that you showed him? Is it going to cause any trouble for us later?" growled Qin Feng, the moment that their wagon was out of hearing range of the so-called Border Inspectors. He had ended up in the driver''s seat again, while Li Changhai was riding his horse next to the conveyance.


    "No worries about that. I just indicated that I am from the Lin Family, which is rather highly placed here in the Yang Empire. You see, we are related to the Empress here. She''s actually an aunt of mine, by marriage. So we are rather influential here, you might say."


    "Oh?"


    Lin Liushui chuckled softly, then leaned a little closer to the other two, to continue:


    "The Yang Empire isn''t too different from your Shu Kingdom. The main difference between the two is that the Yang Empire has a strange law that does not allow their Emperor to take additional concubines once he has produced a certain number of heirs. Apparently, this was the result of a particularly terrible civil war that plagued the Kingdom some time back.


    "After the then Emperor managed to win his Imperial Throne back, with the help of his Empress, he enacted that law. Some say it was forced on him by his in-laws but I have the feeling that he just didn''t want his descendants to go through something similar."


    "So ... The present king in Yang Empire has only his Empress?"


    Lin Liushui shook his head at Qin Feng''s question. "Oh, no. I said that he is discouraged, not that he is disallowed. Besides, the three concubines that he has are good friends of his Empress. And they had produced six Royal Princesses and two Royal Princes for the lineage. With enough lands to go around. So everyone is more or less happy with the situation."


    Qin Feng wondered if that was actually the case. After all, this was similar to all large families, wasn''t it? Look at Li Changhai. Even with just one Eldest Sister and one Older Brother, he was already under a good deal of pressure, wasn''t he? Not to mention how the King of Shu, or his sons, was likely plotting something in the shadows against his own Duke.


    No, he didn''t believe for a moment that things were so smooth in Yang Empire.


    Of course, since all of this was covered in the Second Ducal Prince''s formal education, Li Changhai didn''t have anything to add to the discussion. Instead, he was watching the boats that were crossing the river while the two of them talked. And after a while, the Prince returned to their side, with a strange frown on his face.


    "What is the matter? Are there people pursuing us? You look as if we had attracted the attention of some monster!" Lin Liushui teased, the moment he saw the dark look on Li Changhai''s face.


    "Not a monster, no. But it comes close. I believe that a very powerful Sect or Martial School has just come into the region. There! Look!"


    * * *


    *just to note that I shall be using Kingdom ¹ú and Empire µÛ¹ú to show the difference in sizes of the countries involved, rather than the actual ruling system. Just consider these terms interchangable in this system.

 265 In the Empire of Yang 2

    Lin Liushui, to Qin Feng''s surprise, gave out a low groaning sound, the moment that he followed Li Changhai''s pointing finger to the huge riverboat that was headed towards the Crossing Ferry harbour. And waved for the other two to follow after him, as he started away from the same. And kept walking even as they stamped past the carriage that he had been so insistent on hanging onto.


    "Trouble? Are they likely to take action against us, for what we did to that official earlier?" asked Qin Feng at once.


    But Lin Liushui shook his head. "No. Not that sort of trouble. But I doubt that the official would be able to keep his mouth shut, now that he had seen my badge. Those coming over on that river boat will doubtless show him similar ones, and he will try to gain their favour by mentioning me. And that is what I am worried about!"


    Li Changhai''s frown deepened as soon as he heard that. "Then ... I wasn''t mistaken? Those are really ..."


    The handsome man sighed, and nodded his head. "Indeed. You were correct to have alerted me. If we move quickly, we may yet escape them. Otherwise, this could get very messy."


    Then he turned to Qin Feng, and let the sour look on his lips turn into something far more bitter. "Those are from my family. And, as you can guess, I had left the Yang Empire all those years ago, just to get away from them!"


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    Lin Liushui gave out another sigh, and pointed towards the road that led away from the harbour town. "Let us be away. Perhaps they will not be so eager, to find out who else from our family is about. Hopefully, that will be enough to give us a chance to get away from here before they learn who I am!"


    *


    Unfortunately, Lin Liushui''s family seemed as motivated to find him as he was to get away from them. And they did have the advantage of numbers. So it was no surprise that they managed to track him down by the time night fell. Or rather, a small part of the group did, which was bad enough.


    At least the Lin Family had not managed to put the entire ship''s crew on the trio''s tail. Which would have caused serious problems, for both the Ducal Prince and his handsome adviser-cum-close friend.


    Even so, the ones that had been sent to track them were persistent. Or perhaps, they were not the only ones to have been sent out. The Second Ducal Prince knew that if he had been in-charge of such an operation, he would have scattered his command into small teams, and sent them in different directions to conduct the search for the trio.


    Which meant that these Lin Family agents, or family members, had merely been fortunate, to catch them in this desolate spot. Lin Liushui had led them to this isolated inn in a small town that was a good distance away from any other settlement. Which told Li Changhai that his friend had already considered such a possibility, while they were fleeing. And he was even more certain of that when he saw that the only ones who caught up with them were a trio of young men, who were clearly too arrogant for their own good.


    That meant that Lin Liushui had already some idea of who, and what, they were dealing with. On the other hand, Lin Liushui''s method of dealing with his relatives, once they had arrived, had left the Second Ducal Prince gaping. Nor did his surprise abate, by the time that they departed the place the morning in a hurry. While the trio who were also bearing the surname of Lin were left to recover from their injuries in another room at the same inn.


    "I cannot believe that you broke their legs, just like that!"


    Qin Feng was clearly not surprised by Lin Liushui''s methods, but Li Changhai clearly did not think that he would be so harsh on the trio. They were his nephews! Or at least, in that particular generation! He had discovered that, after the two groups had confronted each other.


    "How could you just hit them like that? Aren''t you supposed to be their elder? Don''t you have some sort of image to uphold?"


    Lin Liushui sniffed as he drew up his horse next to the Second Ducal Prince. A horse that he had taken away from those three youths as well! They were of much better quality than what they had managed to purchase, since they were in such a hurry to get away from the Ferry Crossing. And the gallant was not above snatching the better mounts away.


    "Exactly. And this is how I am upholding my image, to remind those three idiots of just how senior I am to them. To think that they actually dared to openly question my actions like that! They are lucky that they are from my same line of descent, so I am a little closely related to their fathers. Otherwise, I would be sending their heads home! In separate boxes!"


    Then he seemed to calm down, and gestured at the road ahead. Without understanding how he could tell, Li Changhai just knew that Lin Liushui was going to change the subject. And probably bring up something regarding the road ahead, to distract the pair from his family troubles.


    "This way leads directly to the Snow Swallow Mountain. It goes a little to the East, which is good. The Long Stair up to the Palace Gates will be a little difficult, but it is better than trying to jump up close to two hundred feet under your own power. And that would only bring us to the Lower Walls.


    "And the guards of the Snow Swallow Palace aren''t too fond of those who barge onto their Lower Wall without a good excuse. I doubt that we can even produce a poor one, in any case.


    "So we should stick to this trail here, and use Qin Feng''s admission badge once we are confronted."


    He turned to the youngest in the group at that, and gave Qin Feng a grin. "Hopefully, that should be enough to get us into the place without too much trouble."


    Qin Feng nodded back at him, as though accepting his story without any difficulty. Then the young man asked a question that made Lin Liushui lose his smile. And Li Changhai groan inwardly. Didn''t Qin Feng have any idea when to drop a subject?


    "Your family are also headed this way. Do you think that they have anything to do with the Snow Swallow Palace? Or are they more likely to be just passing through this area?"


    The Second Ducal Prince was about to pull the young man aside, and leave Lin Liushui to mope. But he stopped when he heard Qin Feng''s questions. That was a good point. If they were also headed towards the Snow Swallow Palace, there was no way that they could avoiding meeting each other. So it was a little pointless to try to avoid the rest of the Lin Family members from hereon.


    But Lin Liushui shook his head, and let out a long exhalation. As if he had been worried about the same thing. "No. I had questioned them last night, after I broke their legs for their impertinence. Apparently, my family has some issues further North, at the other end of the Yang Kingdom. So they are not likely to cause trouble for us at the Snow Swallow Palace.


    "And no, I did not mention that we were headed there. I''m not that inexperienced with interrogations, you know? I wouldn''t give our own destination away. Right now, they are probably thinking that we are headed for the Inkstone Mines, to try to get our hands on some rare ores."


    * * *

 266 In the Empire of Yang 3

    Li Changhai considered the story that Lin Liushui had let out, and thought it was rather believable. The mines were in that direction, and since everyone should already know that Du Yan was a skilled Weapon-smith, it would not be a surprise that the three of them were searching for some sort of ore that could seriously improve their own weapons.


    And the mines were a good way to the East, so that should keep anyone up to mischief well away from their trail.


    Still, the Second Ducal Prince could not help but wonder if they were being a little too optimistic about this whole thing. The number of coincidences that he had come across on this journey of his had been a little much, hadn''t it?


    From Du Yan''s father shifting to Ningfei Town, and Qin Feng meeting with Xu Yanzhi, it was as if some entity shifting things behind the scene, to get them to head in the direction that they were going. And Li Changhai wasn''t certain if it was true, or if his own suspicious nature had just kicked in once again?


    Didn''t his mother warn him that it would happen? That he would begin to see enemies everywhere, and to suspect everyone and everything? She had said that was what happened to his Uncle, back in the day. Was this how it starts?


    Then he let out the breath that he had not noticed he was holding in, and shook his head at himself. It was far easier to be the rakish, gruff Li Changhai that he was role-playing at Chuanshui Town, than to worry about all of that intrigue nonsense. That was just the sort of thing that his older brother liked, wasn''t it? Well, he didn''t care for it at all.


    Perhaps that was why he was more comfortable in the South, with his maternal grandmother and her family. Those people there were more relaxed, and he did not have to worry about them having their own schemes or playing political games while he was there.


    Besides, thinking about all those plots and schemes that they might have gave Li Changhai a headache. Why would anyone bother to do something like that? Unlike the quick-witted Lin Liushui, who took all of that to be just a game, the Second Ducal Prince was not the sort to enjoy hoodwinking his enemies, so this was more of chore to him!


    So it was easier, for him to put on that simple soldierly persona, so that he didn''t have to come up with any of those convoluted schemes himself. Fortunately, neither Lin Liushui nor Du Yan had made any issue of it. And Wei Xuanran, together with the rest of his soldiers, had been more than happy to see him keep his armor on.


    The only one who seemed ambivalent to his disguising himself like this was Qin Feng, who didn''t seem to care too much about it. Or it may be the fact that he was a little too distracted with his own problems, to bother with the Second Ducal Prince''s.


    Honestly, Li Changhai found it a little hard to believe that the youngest in his group had actually managed to capture the eye of the Snow Swallow Palace''s prized disciple like that. And was putting in so much effort, to hold onto Xu Yanzhi''s attention. Perhaps there was more to their meeting in the South, that Qin Feng had not mentioned.


    Or was this the reason why his maternal grandmother had cautioned him about the young man, back when he was thereabouts?


    But she had also told him to keep Qin Feng close at hand, and that he was a friend worth making. So it had been rather confusing for Li Changhai back then. And he had to admit that his grandmother''s advice had held true.


    "Be careful. We are being watched."


    Li Changhai looked up then, and found the other two pretending to keep their eyes on the road. But the signal that Lin Liushui was giving him directed him to the tall grasses to the left, and it did not take him very long to spot the ones that were hiding in the same.


    And he frowned, the moment that he realized that they were clad in the robes that greatly resembled what Xu Yanzhi had been wearing, when she came to fight against Qin Feng! And that there were at least twenty of them. Little wonder then, that they had been so quickly spotted.


    Lin Liushui seemed rather startled to see them too. As though their appearance was completely out of his expectations. "They look like disciples of the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace, for sure. But what are they doing here? It is still a good distance to their Mountain, and they usually do not come out in such numbers. At least, not as far as I know," he muttered to the other two.


    "I have no idea either. Maybe we should ask?"


    "That is a little risky. It might give away our plans, to visit their Palace. And your relationship with Xu Yanzhi." Lin Liushui gave Qin Feng a reply to his careless suggestion that clearly a provocation of sorts. His insipid smile further teased the youngest of the trio.


    Qin Feng made a growling noise at that. And snapped at Lin Liushui at once, before the Second Ducal Prince could cut in. "What do you mean by that? What does this have to do with Xu Yanzhi? Are you trying to be funny here?"


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    Li Changhai was a little surprised at that. Then he considered what he had gone through, these last two, three days hiding away from Lin Liushui''s family, and knew that Qin Feng was probably feeling a lot worse. This was supposed to be a leisurely, relaxing trip for him, wasn''t it?


    And why did Lin Liushui have to mention the girl''s name? Especially when he knew what it was like, to be separated from his own beloved? Did he really intend to pour salt into Qin Feng''s open wound like that?


    But before he could do anything to alleviate the situation, the women from the group ahead had already moved! And swiftly jumping out to surround the three of them on horseback, as well as spreading out to cover all of their routes of escape! What was this? Had they fallen into a trap?


    By the time that they realized that the women had them surrounded, it was already too late! And they could only hold their breaths, as they wondered why these Snow Swallow Palace disciples had actually done so.


    One of them even stepped forward, and had her hand on her sword hilt too, as she brazenly demanded answers of the men!


    "Speak! Who are you? And how do you know our Elder Sister Xu Yanzhi? Answer swiftly!"


    * * *

 267 In the Empire of Yang 4

    Qin Feng gave Lin Liushui a scathing look as the latter shot him a glance that gave him the impression that the handsome fellow was chiding him, and that the whole matter was Qin Feng''s fault. Which was enough to make the younger man want to yell at him, and to remind him who had brought up Xu Yanzhi in the first place! He would not have been so agitated, if he had not heard that girl''s name, would he?


    But the girls in the strange uniform that Qin Feng had never seen before were still in front of them, and pointing their swords in his direction. They looked nothing like Xu Yanzhi or Xu Qinghua at all. At least, their garb and their weapons didn''t match what those two were wearing, when he first met them down in the South. Or what Xu Yanzhi had on, when he saw her again.


    The insignia that they had embroidered on the lapels of their robes, however, was similar to the white swallow crests that he had seen Xu Yanzhi wear though. Just not as elaborate. So did that mean they were Outer Court disciples of the Snow Swallow Palace then?


    Which was enough to make him suspicious of the lot. Perhaps he should just smack them all down, and beat the answers out of them instead?


    In fact, he was already taking in his Breath, ready to charge out and slap them all to the ground. Unfortunately, Lin Liushui had stepped out first, and dipped into a bow. Trust the good-looking fellow to try to sweet-talk the ladies! As if he could have them all eating out of his hands with just a little bit of effort?


    However, it did allow Qin Feng to have an opportunity to step back, and to bring his temper back under control. Why was he so agitated earlier? Was he really losing his patience with Lin Liushui and his idiotic manners? Or did it have something to do with Xu Yanzhi?


    Why did everyone have to keep bringing that stupid b*tch up anyway? Didn''t he already make it clear that he wanted nothing better than to slap her until she cried for her mother?


    And how is it that Lin Liushui thought that he could get away with bringing her up, while he had to watch what he said about his beloved? That was just a little too much, wasn''t it? Why did he have to be the only one to watch his words?


    Then he scowled at the handsome fellow, who seemed to be enjoying better success with the women than Qin Feng had expected. Was it really a mistake of Lin Liushui''s? To have brought up Xu Yanzhi like that? Or had it been a ploy, to test out these women?


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    Qin Feng didn''t know, but he was starting to understand why Du Yan had always considered Lin Liushui the most annoying fellow that he had ever known. In fact, Qin Feng was starting to feel the same way!


    Perhaps it had something to do how the handsome fellow was picking on him now, since Du Yan was not about? He would have to find a way to smack Lin Liushui awake, if that was so. After all, the gallant was relying on him to get them into the Snow Swallow Palace, wasn''t he?


    Then he hurried to listen in on what Lin Liushui was saying, to the women. Who knows what sort of trouble the handsome man would get him into, if he did not pay attention?


    Fortunately for Qin Feng, Li Changhai had the same worry, and was staying close to the good-looking fellow. And keeping tabs on what was gushing out from between his lips. From the glance that the Second Ducal Prince threw him, Qin Feng had the impression that Li Changhai was more or less confident that Lin Liushui had not thrown out any erroneous statements. At least, none of those that would hint at a relationship between Qin Feng and Xu Yanzhi.


    So Qin Feng began to relax a little. It seemed Lin Liushui had his priorities straight; getting into the Snow Swallow Palace was more important to him now, wasn''t it? And that depended on his staying on Qin Feng''s good side.


    But he did not expect the Snow Swallow Palace''s disciples to react as they did, when they heard his name!


    "Wait! Wait a moment."


    The one leading the girls stepped back from Lin Liushui, the moment that the latter began to introduce his companions, and pointed a finger at Qin Feng the moment that the gallant mentioned his name. The look of utter surprise on her face could not be missed, on top of that.


    Then she hurriedly pulled her hand away, and dipped into a shallow bow, in the martial manner. As though to apologize for her rather rude gesticulation moments ago. Her face held a bit of blush too, when she looked up at him again.


    "You are Qin Feng? The one who ... You have met our Senior Disciple Sister Xu Yanzhi then? You are the one who had ... the one who knows the White Jade Beauty''s Hands? That Qin Feng?"


    Qin Feng had to fight to keep the scowl from appearing on his brow. What sort of reaction was this? Why were they all looking at him as though he was a monster? For a moment, he was tempted to shout at the girl. But he held himself back quickly.


    Or perhaps it was not him entirely? She had mentioned the White Jade Hands, so it was possible that it was that particular martial art that had made them react in such a manner. After all, between Xu Qinghua and Xu Yanzhi, it should have drawn quite a bit of attention. And he had just passed those two new stances to Xu Yanzhi. So it was possible that she had gotten back and started to show them off already.


    Knowing how significant those new stances were to the Snow Swallow Palace, it wasn''t completely impossible that Xu Yanzhi had mentioned his name.


    Then there was Elder Ling and his request for a visit to the Palace. So y=that might account for why the girl was looking at him as though he had three heads and six arms*.


    In fact, that would explain why all of the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace disciples were all looking at him with such a feverish aura in their eyes.


    Which was why Qin Feng had decided to play up his gentlemanly manners once again. And dipped into a courteous bow back at the girls. It was a little earlier than he had expected, to meet with disciples from the Snow Swallow Palace who knew about his little fight with Xu Yanzhi. But he was not above exploiting the situation as it stood. After all, he did wish for rumors of his ''unusual'' relationship with her to spread, and spread quickly!


    But a shadow fell across his bent form immediately, and Qin Feng was shocked to see that the Second Ducal Prince, still clad in his bodyguard''s attire, had stepped in front of him! Or to be more precise, between him and the group of Snow Swallow Palace girls.


    That was certainly unexpected! What was going on?


    * * *


    *ÈýÍ·Áù±Û

 268 Misunderstandings 1

    The response from the women was a little astounding.


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    Their first instinct was to reach for the hilts of their swords. But all it took was a single shout from the woman in the lead to make them all put their weapons away again. The hostility in their eyes, however, remained. And Qin Feng was a little shocked to see how they were all glaring at Li Changhai, who had effectively taken on the role of shield in front of him!


    Perhaps, that was the greatest surprise of all? This was a Ducal Prince, and Li Changhai had always been the one who was protected, not the protector! While it was true that he didn''t have too many guards around him, thanks to his father''s idiotic orders, it was still extremely unusual for him to play bodyguard now.


    Or was this a matter of his getting too immersed in his role?


    Lin Liushui, however, was quick to step up, and he gave out a soft laugh as he turned to the assembled Snow Swallow Palace disciples. "I believe that you had not given me the chance to introduce the last, and most illustrious member of our little group. So much so that he has gotten a little impatient.


    "May I introduce Li Changhai, the Second Ducal Prince of the Westlands? He has consented to visit the Empire of the Yang with us, and to repay a little favor that he owes to Brother Qin Feng here. So you will forgive him for his slightly rude behavior? He takes being a bodyguard to Brother Qin here rather seriously, you see?"


    The girls all backed away when they heard that, after a simple genuflection at the Ducal Prince. But a trio of them remained behind, and seemed genuinely interested in speaking to Li Changhai. That is, if the warmth in their expressions were not faked.


    "Wait! Did you say that he is the Second Ducal Prince of the Westlands? And nephew of the Marquis of the South? Who fought in the recent battle there, earlier last Winter? Is he that Li Changhai?"


    The Second Ducal Prince looked surprised, but stood out all the same, growling as he slammed the butt of his glaive on the ground. "So I am. What of it?"


    But the woman continued to press for confirmation:


    "Li Changhai? The grandson of the Old Marquis of the South? The one who was involved in the killing of both the Eagle and the Hawk?"


    The Second Ducal Prince gave a bark of laughter at that, and bowed again. He puffed out his chest after he was done. Qin Feng scowled when he saw that, while Lin Liushui merely smiled. Hadn''t Xu Yanzhi and Xu Qinghua been there in the South, when all that happened? Hadn''t they already spread the news concerning what took place there? Why did these disciples seem ignorant of Li Changhai''s role?


    Having affirmed the Ducal Prince''s identity, the trio of women rushed back to their main group in a flurry. Then the handsome fellow leaned over, and whispered, in a not too quiet voice, to the two other men who wore surprised looks on their faces . As if he meant for the women to hear what he was saying:


    "They are referring to White Eagle Ye Hongge and Iron Blood Hawk Luo Qingke. They were the ones who were killed when they attacked your Uncle outside of Changqing City. Your maternal grandmother appears to have had released the information that you were responsible for their deaths. It seems the news has made it all the way here, of all things."


    Li Changhai turned to eye Lin Liushui with surprise, which only got the gallant to chuckle with amusement. But he lowered his voice then, and spoke only loud enough to both his companions ears this time.


    "Don''t ask me why she did that. She might be trying to buy you a good name or out to revenge a slight. In any case, the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace seems to be a little more inclined towards you now."


    "Inclined towards me? Why?"


    "Because they are obviously in conflict with the Purple Serpent Sect and its affiliates. That is the group that Luo Qingke was from, remember? So perhaps it is making trouble now? So the Snow Swallow Palace needs your help?"


    The Purple Serpent Sect? Wasn''t that the organization that Luo Qingke belonged to? Were they active again? Didn''t Li Changhai''s grandmother say that they would be in hiding for a while? But it has only been less than half a year since their instigation of the Barbarian in the West! What sort of a retreat was that?


    The Second Ducal Prince''s face was also grim. And deliberately kept his voice low as well. After all, the girls from the Snow Swallow Palace were still in the throes of their own discussion. "You are thinking of helping them? But we are supposed to be heading North quietly, aren''t we?"


    "Well, your father''s Duchy has been bothered by the Purple Serpent Sect for a while now. And your Marquis Uncle as well. So it would not be a great surprise to have the Snow Swallow Palace girls thinking that you are here to help them out," Lin Liushui told him in a quiet voice.


    "Besides, it would make them think a little more highly of us, if we do lend a hand."


    Qin Feng made a growling noise at that. While Li Changhai hid a groan. Did the handsome fellow really think that he was fooling anyone? He was just trying to butter the girls up, wasn''t he? So that he would have more people on his side, when he went to snatch his woman away from their clutches?


    But it would also allow him to play up his relationship with Xu Yanzhi, so lending a hand was definitely something that was worth doing!


    The only problem was, they had no idea of just who they would have to deal with. Or if their opponents were as dangerous as they sounded. If they dared to cause problems for the Snow Swallow Palace, they were unlikely to be weak when it came to the martial arts, would they? And Qin Feng had a seriously bad experience dealing with one of the Purple Serpent Sect''s experts in the past!


    Not that he had too much time to think about the matter. A quiet cough from Lin Liushui drew his attention to the women again. And this time, he noted that the whole group of them had approached together. The looks on their faces, however, could not be deciphered? At least, they could not be deciphered by Qin Feng.


    Lin Liushui''s suddenly grim expression warned him that it would not be anything pleasant. Even so braced, Qin Feng still got a shock when they gave voice to what they wanted of the trio:


    "In any case, we beg the Ducal Prince''s favor, and Young Master Qin Feng''s, to help us rescue our sisters!"


    * * *

 269 Misunderstandings 2

    "To save your sisters? What do you mean?"


    The woman who led the group explained quickly. "A rather prominent family has threatened one of our affiliated families here in the fringes of the Yang Kingdom. And from what we were told, is about to launch an attack on the same. Unfortunately, we are all that is available to rush to the scene. Hence we are appealing for the Second Ducal Prince''s assistance in this matter."


    Lin Liushui exchanged a look with Li Changhai, before he turned back to face the woman in the Snow Swallow Palace robes. "This is far more serious than can be handled by just the three of us. As you can see, we are not here on any official mission, and are not accompanied by the hundreds of soldiers that you might expect to see, on some more formal occasion. Besides, the Second Ducal Prince is merely visiting friends here, and not in his official capacity.


    "What do you expect the three of us to do for you? Surely not to mount a counterattack, and fight off all of your enemies?"


    The one who had made the request looked a little awkward when he pointed that out. Qin Feng saw that she wasn''t really as old as he had initially thought, when he looked at her then. Clearly, the way that she had her brows furrowed, and her lips twisted earlier had given him the impression of a more mature woman. But looking at her now, he placed her in her early twenties at best.


    Which meant that she might not be experienced in dealing with others outside her group, and was clearly far to junior to be talking about rescuing her sisters from a much more powerful, and obvious larger, force.


    At least, that was what Qin Feng presumed the Alliance led by this Purple Serpent Sect to be. Otherwise, would they dare to make a move on the Snow Swallow Palace? From what he could remember of their brief interaction in the Shu Kingdom, the Purple Serpent Sect was not that arrogant that they would ignore the fact that the Snow Swallow Palace was much larger and more powerful than they were.


    Lin Liushui was similarly curious, albeit about another angle:


    "But I will admit that we are curious, as you can see. Which family would dare to make such a move, here in the Yang Empire? There are a great many of these so-called prominent families, but I have not heard of any of them daring to match their might against the Snow Swallow Palace," the handsome man asked, in his usual proud manner.


    The woman merely shrugged then, and kept her eyes on the armored Li Changhai, as she answered. "The Ducal Prince may not be aware, but there are at least four families here in the Empire of Yang that are strong enough to match our reputation. And apparently, one of them has made its move.


    "The Lin Family Clan of the Yang Empire Capital has claimed that we have secretly stolen away one of its cousins, and slain thirty-five of its outer clansmen. And is demanding the return of the young girl, along with reparations for the damages caused."


    "What did you say? The Wuyang* Lin Family Clan? You mean that Lin Family?"


    The pitch of Li Changhai''s voice had risen as he spoke, while Lin Liushui seemed to stagger backwards as soon as he heard his own family being mentioned. Qin Feng, however, frowned as he remembered something.


    "Then those ... people that bothered us earlier? Do you think that they were part of the group that are headed to this ... where did you say this confrontation was taking place again? They were part of that group, perhaps?"


    The young woman from the Snow Swallow Palace looked as surprised as the two older men. Which was probably why she didn''t ask them why they were so stunned. If Qin Feng read her correctly, she was probably thinking that they were affected for the same reason that she was.


    "Then you have already met with members of the Lin Clan? They are already that close to where we are now? Doesn''t that mean that they already know that we would be sending reinforcements?" asked another of the Snow Swallow Palace disciples, drawing a stern gaze from the woman who was in the lead.


    Qin Feng, naturally, ignored what she had to say. Wasn''t it already bleeding obvious? And a small group like this was all the ''reinforcements'' that the Snow Swallow Palace was sending? What were they hoping to do? Unless all of them had Xu Yanzhi''s standard of martial arts, wasn''t that simply smashing a rock with eggs?


    Instead, he watched Lin Liushui carefully. This was supposed to involve his family, after all. Although he was rather certain that the gallant was not involved in this ... Well, at least not directly! But there was a small chance that there was some truth in the fact that the Snow Swallow Palace had stolen away one of his close relatives. Otherwise, why would the Lin Family be so agitated?


    And as expected, the handsome man recovered quickly from his shock and was stepping forward once again. This time, he did shoot Qin Feng a look, before he addressed the Snow Swallow Palace disciples.


    The only problem was, Qin Feng had no idea what that glance meant! He had certainly not arranged for any signals or codes within the group before!


    "I believe that Brother Qin Feng here is motivated to help you, due to his ... connection with your Senior Sister Xu. However, the situation is rather complicated, and we cannot make any move that would put you into greater danger.


    "So I think it would be best for you to find some what to hide away from your enemies first, while Brother Qin and the rest of us try to find out more about what is happening. Don''t you agree?"


    Then he grinned at the group, with his devilishly captivating smile, and gestured at the town close by. "Perhaps we should head there, and take this conversation away from the open road? There might be prying eyes about, after all. We don''t wish anyone to learn too much about our plans, do we?"


    The women from the Snow Mountain Palace were clearly less experienced than Qin Feng had expected them to be, and so fell under the spell of Lin Liushui''s captivating, and convincing, tongue within the next few moments. And all of them followed his instructions, and started back towards the town. Where they had presumably come from in the first place.


    While they were doing so, the trio finally had an opportunity to discuss what they were going to do next. As well as how they were going to deal with the Snow Swallow Palace disciples.


    Which was certainly something that Qin Feng wanted to know! How had he ended up becoming the leader of the trio now? And the person that these women were flocking to?


    * * *


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    *ÎäÑô

 270 Wuyang Lin Family 1

    "What is going on?"


    Lin Liushui shook his head at Qin Feng''s question, and held up a hand for silence. Then he quickly checked to make sure that none of the Snow Swallow Mountain disciples were close by before he answered.


    "I don''t know for certain until I see these so-called Lin Family representatives that are heading over to cause trouble. But I am sure that this is a misunderstanding at worse. We have never bothered any of the other families here in the Yang Empire," the handsome fellow protested in a quiet voice.


    "But these women seem very certain that it was your Lin Family! And I don''t think that they are the only ones who will be supporting the ... What was that family that was being oppressed? Did they mention it? I don''t remember."


    Qin Feng''s questions drew a blank from the pair. But Lin Liushui waved them aside after a brief pause. "So long as the women are willing to accept us, we can get that bit of information from them later. Right now, I am more worried that those idiots that I had beaten up were actually part of the group heading up here to cause trouble."


    "That seems unlikely. They didn''t mention anything like this after taking that beating earlier, so it doesn''t seem like they know about this. Besides, you mentioned that they were all cousins from the distaff lines, didn''t you? So even if they are, you would be able to press them down and make them hand back the girl, wouldn''t you?"


    The Second Ducal Prince was quick to point that out. Which had Lin Liushui shaking his head again. "The fact that they dared to use our Wuyang Lin Family''s name is the issue here. None of those families with ties to our Main House would dare to do that. So this is definitely aimed at us!"


    Then the handsome man sighed, and waved his fan at Li Changhai. "Do you remember why I had to head over to the Shu Kingdom, and become a guest at your father''s Palace? I told you about that once, if I remember correctly."


    "Ah. You did. But I wouldn''t mind hearing it again. And Qin Feng here hasn''t any information regarding that. So it might be best if you told us directly."


    Qin Feng nodded in agreement quickly. "I am largely ignorant of the situation here in the Yang Empire. And I know less about your family than our friend in the heavy armor here. Why are you calling it the Wuyang Lin Family?"


    "Well, you should know that Lin is one of the most common surnames here in the North. In fact, it is one of the five most common surnames in all of the Three Empires and Seven Kingdoms. So we started using the place of our origin, Wuyang, to differentiate ourselves from the other Lin Families in the Yang Empire.


    "That became significant after we became more influential within the Martial Circles, and our family started to get a little too large. Hence the talk earlier about distaff lines and such."


    Lin Liushui waved his fan back in the direction of the women, who were already at securing a spot where they could talk. Which probably meant that they did not have too much time, and that he was going to gloss over some of the details, Qin Feng thought.


    "In any case, some of my ancestors started to stick their fingers into too many pies, and the political situation in the Yang Empire was one of them. In particular, the Succession. While that has resulted in our Wuyang Lin Family rising to prominence every few generations, it has marked us as one of those players that need to be addressed, every time the Yang Emperor has to name an Heir.


    "Needless to say, the Imperial Princes were getting rather sick of our interference after a while. Something that my ancestors were more than aware of, after one particularly messy Coronation Ceremony. Sixteen Imperial Princes lost their lives, including the one that we had supported."


    Qin Feng scowled at that. Didn''t that mean that they were backing the wrong horse? And wouldn''t that lead to the whole lot of them being slaughtered? That was the way that the Empires did things, wasn''t it?


    So why wasn''t the Lin Family eradicated?


    "Well, it is a rather complicated tale, full of twists and turns. And I doubt that I have time to tell it to you two plainly, much less spice it up. So I will simply give you the highlights:


    "One of our Lin Family girls married the new Emperor as a concubine and so saved us from being killed off completely. The Wuyang Lin Family also made sure that we did not play around with the Yang Imperial Line any further. After all, we were now related to the same."


    Then Lin Liushui sighed. "But you know us big and powerful families just can''t keep our hands off other people''s affairs, and we started to dip our fingers into the martial societies and such. As a result, we started to build up our influence in martial circles. And that brings us to where we are today."


    He paused then, and pointed at Li Changhai again. "I was one of those scions who were sick and tired of having to watch myself as I was growing up, and had slapped too many faces of the affiliated families and groups. So my father decided to send me out of the Yang Empire, ''to gain experience'', as they say.


    "Honestly, I think it was more so that he could repair the bridges that I had started to kick apart. And to use me as an example, to point out that he would exile his own son, rather than let me go on creating problems for the family. That was the bit that I didn''t care for, to tell the truth."


    Qin Feng''s frown deepened when he heard that. He caught a hint in that last bit. Which would also explain how Lin Liushui could go out and bash his lesser cousins and far relations like what he had done earlier, when they first crossed into the Yang Empire.


    But he could not help but ask:


    "If your father had to worry about the good name of the family, that would mean that he is a rather significant figure in the whole Wuyang Lin Family. Just who are you, Brother Lin? And just what is your position in the family?"


    The look on the Second Ducal Prince''s face also made it clear to Qin Feng that he had not been told that particular bit of information either. Or that he had forgotten? But that wasn''t likely, was it? Li Changhai was a Duke''s son, so he would not miss something like that!


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    "Well, I am only the fifth son, you understand? And I am in rather bad odour with my father. In fact, I have been on bad terms with him for almost all my life. If not for the fact that I am a favorite of my aunt, who happens to be the current Yang Empress ...


    "To put it simply, I am one of the sons of the Lin Family Patriarch. The only son of his third and youngest wife, in case you want to know."


    * * *

 271 Wuyang Lin Family 2

    Qin Feng was surprised, but not too greatly surprised. At least, he thought he had taken it rather well, compared to Li Changhai, who had staggered and almost fell on his face. Fortunately, the Second Ducal Prince was leading his horse by the bridle, and ended up leaning on his mount at the last moment.


    "What?! You are ..."


    Then he managed to pull himself back from the brink, in more ways than one. And checked to make sure that the women were still far enough so that they could not overhear him. But Lin Liushui was already nodding at the Second Ducal Prince before he could say a word after that.


    "Yes, yes. I didn''t tell you my position in the pecking order earlier, but yes. I am the Patriarch''s fifth son. But apart from that, I didn''t lie about my circumstances, did I? I did leave my family under a cloud, and my brothers do dislike me and my bothersome ways.


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    "So you might say that I have only made a single omission?"


    "And a very significant one! I thought you were just another wealthy younger son who had more interest for martial arts than upholding your family name! I didn''t know that you were related to the Patriarch of the Wuyang Lin Family!"


    But Lin Liushui merely shrugged. "Well, you do now. And it is of little significance, to the grand scheme of things. Although I would urge you both to keep quiet about it, seeing how it now involves the Snow Swallow Palace. How did we ended up on opposing sides, I have no idea!"


    Qin Feng had to admit the last bit was more troubling than Lin Liushui''s true identity at the moment. Especially how it would put them at odds with the Snow Swallow Palace. And how it would get in the way of his ''revenge'' on Xu Yanzhi. So he had no problem with keeping it quiet.


    For the moment, at least.


    But this may be something that he might be able to leverage on, if he wanted to show the rest of the Snow Swallow Palace disciples the lengths that he would go to, for the sake of that particular lady. If he could take steps here, and leave the rumors to spread ...


    So he turned to Lin Liushui immediately, with a question on his lips. This would have a bearing on the sort of action that he could take!


    "Well, if it is really your family involved, it shouldn''t be your Main Family, should it? In that case, wouldn''t a simple word from you be sufficient to quell the whole matter?"


    Lin Liushui gave out an odd chuckle as he turned to look at Qin Feng. And even Li Changhai looked at the youngest in the trio in an embarrassed manner. But it was the former who replied, after a while.


    "That would depend on who is behind this whole mess. If it is one of those subsidiary families that are only borrowing the name of our Main Family to wreak havoc, I should have no trouble squashing them beneath my heels. But if the ones doing this are tied to one of my older brothers, or if they have permission from one of them to make trouble here ... I think you can guess what would happen, if I stick my oar in?"


    "In that case, would you be able to find out? And take action if it is possible? I think you do not wish the Snow Swallow Palace upset with you and your family right now, do you?"


    "That is true. But like you said, I would have to investigate first. And cautiously, at that. So it is important that they do not find out who I am."


    Qin Feng almost grinned when he heard that. But he was able to stop the smile on his lips before it got too wide. He wanted to show some confidence, and his plan was reasonable. At least to himself. How the other two would think about it, he had no idea.


    But it was still worth a try!


    "In that case, I suggest that you toss everything into my lap. Make it look as if you two are just here to support me. Let them wonder who I am, and what sort of backing I have behind me. Between that, and the Prince''s performance earlier, it should be enough to make them wonder, don''t you think? The Snow Swallow Palace, I mean.


    "After all, I am a complete stranger. And they wouldn''t be able to find out too much, in a short period of time. That should give us a chance to find out more about what is going on here, doesn''t it?


    He glanced at Li Changhai as he finished, and saw that the Ducal Prince was a little surprised at his suggestion. Clearly, he had not been expecting something like this from Qin Feng. It was something that he would treat as a normal occurrence, if it had come from Lin Liushui. But this was the first time that Qin Feng had purposely stepped to the fore!


    "You have a plan?"


    "The beginnings of one, at least. I intend to play up my friendship with their Elder Ling, you see. And since they have asked us for help ..."


    Lin Liushui nodded with a familiar gleam in his eye. "Ah! You intend to use that as an excuse to dig deeper. Well, for me to dig deeper, at least. So long as I am your adviser, your strategist, no one would be shocked if I started to ask all sorts of questions. They would think that I am only gathering information for your sake!"


    Qin Feng nodded, not the least surprised that Lin Liushui was already supporting his move. Well, he was the one who desperately wanted to head to the Snow Swallow Palace. And all of this was because of his family''s involvement. So he had no qualms pushing all the work onto Lin Liushui''s lap. Instead, he turned to Li Changhai, who would have to play a more difficult role.


    "And since the Prince had stepped out earlier, to shield me from the women, I would trouble you to keep playing that bodyguard role. It would make them wonder, I''m sure, at how I can get a Ducal Prince as a protector."


    "That might work. It would make everyone confused, since they will be wondering about you, and who you are, to command us like this. That is not a bad thing. It would make them more cautious, and that is to our advantage," Lin Liushui added, looking as if he was trying to help convince Li Changhai.


    Who simply laughed and shrugged his shoulders. "It is a good plan, and it would allow me to play my gruff soldier part as well. But we will need to find an identity for Brother Qin Feng here, so that his role would be more convincing, don''t you think?"


    Qin Feng was quick to step in then, before Lin Liushui got started on expanding his role. And he had the perfect excuse too, to keep something like that for later.


    "Well, we shall have to discuss that, when we have the time. For now, we have the women from the Snow Swallow Palace to deal with. See, they are already heading back to us."


    Lin Liushui looked up and saw that Qin Feng was correct. And nodded at him for pointing that out. "Agreed. So let''s take it one step at a time, and let them wonder at Brother Qin Feng here. There are a few organisations that could make my Wuyang Lin Family take a step back. Just play up your alchemical knowledge later.


    "I have a rough idea that we could use."


    * * *

 272 Masquerade 1

    In the end, the two groups settled down in a clearing in the woods, to talk about the women''s plans. Just as Lin Liushui had suspected, they were merely heading to support the ones who were being bullied, and did not really have an idea of what was actually going on.


    "The incident was supposed to have taken place about two months ago, shortly after the youngest son of our affiliated Su Family returned from his training in the Red Iron Hills. That was when they received a threatening letter from the Lin Family, claiming that he had stolen away a girl of the same, and killed off some thirty of the servants that were following after her."


    Ye Honghua, the leader of the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace girls, explained after they had made their introductions. Of course, Qin Feng didn''t bother with the rest of the girls, since they were clearly there to boost the numbers, and didn''t look as if they had any skills of consequence.


    "Naturally, the Su Family had protested that none of that had taken place, but the messenger that was sent by the Lin Family ignored all of their words, and left after scolding the Su Patriarch. This worried our allies, so they sent word to us immediately."


    "And you are all that the Snow Swallow Palace is sending to aid them? The seven of you?"


    Qin Feng could not help but ask. But he realized just how those words could be taken as an insult after they left his lips. At least, an insult to the girls that were assembled in front of him. But Ye Honghua and her sisters merely flushed, as they looked away.


    Which made it clear that they were aware of their inadequate cultivation.


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    Still, Qin Feng could not help but chide himself mentally. He would have to watch himself before he spoke from now on. If he did not wish to give the game away. He had asked to take the lead in this matter, hadn''t he?


    Perhaps this was the reason that irritating Lin Liushui fellow made all those pauses in his speech? Perhaps he was trying to form a habit of thinking about how he was going to ask his questions first, before blurting them out? Was that what those infuriating manners were all about?


    But Ye Honghua was already speaking again, and he forced himself to push those thoughts aside, as he paid attention to what she had to say:


    "By the time we received word of the matter, it was already late. So there would be no time to send word to our Mountain Palace, before the Lin Family arrived at Chestnut Town. That is where our allied Su Family is located. So our Elder Li has asked us to head to Chestnut Town, to lend our support to the Su Family. While another group hurried to bring word to the Place."


    "So this Su Family ... They are long time allies of your Snow Swallow Palace? Have they sent any daughters to join your Sect?"


    Ye Honghua blinked when she heard Qin Feng''s question. Then her brows tightened as she tossed one back his way.


    "What do you mean?"


    Qin Feng hid a curse. Admittedly, those questions were a little provocative. Given the circumstances, he could be taken as hinting that the Su Family was working with the enemy, and luring the Snow Swallow Palace girls into danger. So it was no wonder that this Ye Honghua would be upset.


    He glanced at Lin Liushui, who looked as though he was about to burst. From laughter, no doubt, at seeing how Qin Feng was making a mess of everything! But the older man was keeping quiet, and did not step in. Which was enough to make Qin Feng''s anger rise.


    He had asked the handsome man to leave him in charge, but he didn''t say that Lin Liushui had to keep completely quiet, did he? And didn''t a strategist have to step in, in circumstances like this, to help out? Why was he still keeping his mouth shut?


    But his interactions with Yuan Qianlei and her girls did allow him to pick up some tricks. And Qin Feng shot a cool glance at Lin Liushui, as he leaned back a little, to give the impression that he was looking down his nose at the woman in front of him.


    Wasn''t that how it was described, in all of the Jade-faced, Empty-sleeved Gentleman''s works? Well, if Lin Liushui wasn''t going to help, he would just have to get his inspiration from that author, didn''t he?


    To tell the truth, he was already too pissed to be bothered with being polite!


    "What do I mean? Can it be that you can''t tell? I wish to know if you can rely on the Su Family''s kin at your Snow Swallow Palace to kick up a fuss. If you can rely on them to urge the rest of your Elders and Masters into action.


    "Do I really need to reveal the whole painting before you can see what is being depicted? If this the quality of disciples that your idiotic Elder Li is sending to the Su Family, I am almost tempted to presume that she has some hidden grudge against the same."


    Then he leaned forward again, to fix the woman with a glare.


    "Sending such idiots to this Chestnut Town ... Isn''t this the same as throwing stones down onto a person already stuck in a well*?"


    "You!"


    "What? You don''t admit it? Look at you lot! How many here are capable of fending off a moderately powerful enemy? Can any of you face off the Second Ducal Prince here? How many of you will die before you can land even a single scratch on his body? If it comes to a real fight?" he sneered, before she could explode.


    Ye Honghua seemed to bite down on her tongue when she heard that. But it was clear from the way that the girls were looking at each other that none of them could deny the truth behind his words. They were but weak, Outer Court disciples after all.


    But Qin Feng wasn''t finished.


    "And here you are, rushing to Chestnut Town as if you were a pack of suicidal idiots! You are just asking to be eliminated on the road, aren''t you?"


    * * *


    *Âä¾®ÏÂʯ

 273 Masquerade 2

    This time Ye Honghua stood up and pointed her index finger at Qin Feng in anger.


    But the young man''s cold, hard voice cut through her fury before she could give voice to what was on her mind.


    "If the enemies of the Su Family are already out in force, do you think that they will miss you? While you wander about on the road in your Snow Swallow Palace uniforms, and scurry about in such a group? What do you think? That they are blind, and can''t see that you are hurrying to Chestnut Town?"


    He sniffed then, in a manner that could only be described by the word, mocking!


    "To think that the disciples of such an established organization do not even know how to disguise themselves, and sneak past their enemies. The Su Family must be idiots to rely on your Snow Swallow Palace to help them get through this trial."


    "You!"


    Qin Feng smiled as he leaned back again, and waved a hand at the girls, as if he had not noticed their furious appearance. "But you are lucky that you have met me. With my help, I should be able to get you all into Chestnut Town without any worries."


    Then he stared at Ye Honghua again, and wagged a finger at her. "I am only helping you because I don''t want Xu Yanzhi to scold me, for leaving her fellow disciples in the lurch. And I am not in the least interested in this conflict you have with the Wuyang Lin Family.


    "Since you aren''t even prepared to deal with any ambushes along the way, I am certain that you haven''t even checked if it is really the Wuyang Lin Family that is making trouble for your friends from the Su Family. For all that I know, it may be some impostor group, who are just out to squeeze some silver out of them."


    Ye Honghua, to give her credit, pushed her temper back down into her belly as soon as she heard the last. And swallowed twice before she sat down again, and eyed Qin Feng with a rather obvious trace of respect in her eyes.


    "You think ... You think that this is just a ploy? That they aren''t really the Wuyang Lin Family? But ... who would dare to impersonate them?"


    "Ah. A good question. There are not many who would dare do that."


    Qin Feng smiled at her, as if he was some teacher who had just been pleased by a student. And waved a hand at Lin Liushui. It was time that he tossed the question to someone who knew the Lin Family, after all.


    "What do you think? Adviser?"


    Lin Liushui shot him a heated look as soon as he heard Qin Feng''s question. But he maintained the smile on his lips as he turned to the women. Qin Feng was counting on that. The handsome fellow had a rather pressing reason to get all of the Snow Swallow Palace girls to like him, didn''t he? So he would definitely do his best to impress them. And not try to throw Qin Feng''s face!


    And from the way that Li Changhai was trying his best to keep from laughing, it was obvious that the Second Ducal Prince had already caught on to what the youngest member of their group was doing. Well, since he was so amused, Qin Feng was confident that Li Changhai would not mind playing his role, to keep the game going for a while longer.


    "There are only three possibilities here in the Yang Empire, as you can well guess. And we can definitely leave out the Fu Family, the Gu Family and the Imperial Guard. They have a powerful reputation of their own, and do not need to use the Lin Clan''s name in any case.


    "Hence, we only have to contend with the Wang Clan, Beast Hunters'' League and the Purple Serpent Sect."


    Qin Feng stiffened slightly, when he heard the last name on the list. And could not help but glance at Li Changhai. Whose face had lost its amused expression as well. Could it be that they were going to have to face that evil organisation again?


    Lin Liushui was fanning himself as he spoke, and he paused to look up into the sky when he got to that point. As if he was considering the possibilities. No one seemed to have the slightest intention of stopping him either, and simply waited for him to continue.


    "The Wang Family Clan is at loggerheads with the Lin Family, and the two have been fighting over every petty quarrel for the last ten, twenty years. So it is hard to imagine that they would cover their tracks using such a petty trick. And the Beast Hunters'' League usually focus their attention on the Eastern end of the Yang Empire. So it is a little hard to imagine them playing a role."


    Then he snapped his fan shut, and tapped it into the palm of his other hand. "That leaves us with the Purple Serpent Sect. While it is usually confined to the Cities and Towns along the Serpent River, it is close enough to make such a play. So I would put my money on them," the handsome man declared firmly.


    "But ... why would they take a hand in this? I mean, why would they ..."


    "Disguise themselves as the Wuyang Lin Family, and start a slaughter in a place like Chestnut Town? Especially so that they would end up starting a feud between the Snow Swallow Palace and the said Lin Clan?"


    Qin Feng''s calm rhetoric caught the woman by surprise, and Ye Honghua could not help but put her hands over her mouth as she gasped. Something that made her look her sixteen to eighteen years, and tossed away the impression of a much older and sterner leader.


    Which was enough of an opening that Qin Feng didn''t waste any time exploiting!


    "Well, like I said, there is definitely something that smells rotten here, so we should be careful when we walk into Chestnut Town. And heading in so openly as Snow Swallow Mountain Palace disciples is as good as painting a target on yourself, isn''t it?


    "So you should seriously consider disguising yourselves, when we head into Chestnut Town together."


    "Together?"


    Ye Honghua looked at Qin Feng, the shock clearly imprinted on her face. "You mean, you will help us? Really?"


    Qin Feng hid a smile as he gave out a rather loud and obvious sigh. "How can I not? If I ignored your plight here, I am certain that I would hear no end of it, when I next meet your Senior Disciple Sister, Xu Yanzhi. So I suppose I have no choice but to take a hand in the game."


    He laughed inwardly too, as he noted how the girls were all looking at one another as soon as they heard that. Even Lin Liushui looked a little surprised at what he had just said. Well, they would all find out what he had planned, when they got back to Snow Swallow Palace!


    His little game against Xu Yanzhi was escalating!


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    * * *

 274 Masquerade 3

    The three men stayed with the horses, brushing them down as the girls from the Snow Swallow Palace went to set up camp. Which was something that Li Changhai had suggested, to give them a chance to figure out what they were going to do next.


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    Lin Liushui, of course, was the first to call Qin Feng out on his unusual ploy. "I thought that you were going to make them beg us for help? Why did you simply offer them our assistance, just like that?" the gallant asked him quietly.


    But Qin Feng only grinned at him. "Ah. I think you got the wrong idea. I wasn''t making them beg us for help. I just wanted to prevent them from begging our Ducal Prince here. If you remember, I had promised his mother to keep him from getting into trouble while we are away from the Duchy. And using his name here would definitely attract the attention of the Yang Empire''s authorities.


    "I''m sure you will agree that he had already kicked up enough of a fuss at Du Yan''s place, with his use of his Blue Lightning Fist?"


    Li Changhai gave out a soft, embarrassed laugh at that, while Lin Liushui only frowned. And asked another question:


    "Then ... your mention of Xu Yanzhi and this ..."


    Qin Feng held up a hand to stop the handsome fellow from going on. "This gives us an excuse, and you know as well as I do that these Snow Swallow Palace girls are young. They are about the same age as Yuan Qianlei. And that means that they are likely to consider ... romantic reasons for my offer.


    "Why waste such a perfectly good excuse?"


    The Second Ducal Prince chuckled and agreed with Qin Feng immediately. Although the latter suspected that he may have other reasons for doing that. Like his mother''s and grandmother''s anger at him, for exposing himself.


    "Think about it, Brother Liushui. If they are watching him closely because of Xu Yanzhi, they won''t be paying too much attention to you and I. Which leaves us free to ask questions and check for clues. To find out just who is behind all of this nonsense.


    "Isn''t that better for all of us? It would make things a lot easier, wouldn''t it?"


    Lin Liushui nodded back at him almost immediately. Although he did have a rather anxious expression on his face. "I will not disagree with that, Brother Changhai. But this might bite us on our behinds, if it turns out that my Lin Family is really involved. Especially when they find out that I am actually from that Clan as well," he sighed.


    "If that is the case, won''t it be even easier to settle?"


    All eyes turned to Qin Feng then. And Lin Liushui edged a little closer to the youngest in the trio, with a rather obvious sparkle in his eye. Which made the youngest in the group wonder at what had happened to the handsome fellow''s wits. Had his anxiety and his affection for that Snow Swallow Palace girl of his made him a dotard?


    "What do you mean? You have a solution for this? Even if my family is responsible?"


    "Of course! You are the fifth son of the Patriarch, aren''t you? And you have already broken the arms and legs of your relatives, for daring to oppose you earlier. So why not just do that again? That is, if they are not linked to any of your older brothers."


    Then Qin Feng''s grin widened. "In fact, if they are really from some distaff branch of your Lin Family, wouldn''t it be easy to make they act out the play with us? And win you some boasting points when you get into the Snow Swallow Palace? That would certainly incline the Elders there to support your suit, don''t you think?"


    It was a rather underhanded move, and from the look that he got from Lin Liushui, the handsome fellow had understood that at once. But it was also clear that Lin Liushui was more than inclined to follow his lead! Especially when that look on his face made it clear that he was already scheming how to do just that!


    After all, this didn''t hurt his chances at all. And he still needed Qin Feng''s help to get to the Snow Swallow Palace anyway. So what harm was there, in finding out just who was behind all of this nonsense?


    So Qin Feng didn''t hesitate to outline the plan that he had in mind, and quickly told the other two men their duties:


    "I will take care of talking Ye Honghua into this, but I will need you two to help deal with the other girls. I was not lying about needing to disguise ourselves when we head into Chestnut Town, and keeping a close watch on this Su Family.


    "So I will need you two to ..."


    *


    "You want us to wear this?"


    Ye Honghua held the garments out at arms-length as she glared at Qin Feng, who merely shrugged at her. "It isn''t that awful looking, is it? It is just some common men''s clothing, and the material is rather comfortable, I assure you."


    Qin Feng had sprung the abridged version of his plan on the women the following morning, after a quick breakfast of their dried biscuits and such. And had tossed out a rather sizable collection of masculine attire that he had stored away inside his ring.


    He had actually gotten those clothes from the Qiankun pouches of those assailants that had assaulted Li Changhai on his way back to Yanyun City a good while back. Why they had such items in their possession, he had no idea. Yet, for some reason, he had never gotten around to getting rid of them, so it seemed liked a good idea to push them at the young women now.


    "But ... you want us to disguise ourselves as men?"


    Lin Liushui smiled and stepped in. "As gentlemen, if you follow me? These men''s robes are made of silk and rich cotton, and would not look out of place on a young man of means. And I think you should have read about how it is fashionable, for some daughters of noble houses to ... dress themselves up as men, to experience the world?


    "Who would think you lot as disciples of the Snow Swallow Palace, if you were present yourselves as such noble daughters? I think it should be enough to fool anyone watching out for reinforcements arriving at the Su Family House. Don''t you agree?"


    The girls from the Snow Swallow Palace were a-titter after hearing what he said. And Qin Feng merely smiled as he stepped away, gesturing for Ye Honghua to follow him. It was clear that Lin Liushui could handle the other disciples, but he would be responsible for dealing with her, as he had promised.


    Qin Feng was rather confident that he could convince her to play her part.


    * * *

 275 Masquerade 4

    "You will the only one that we shall be bringing with us into the Su Family, once we arrive. Since your Elder has assigned you the task, you should know who to contact, and what you need to do, correct? Well, brief the Su Family members about us once we get there, so that they know that we are not their enemy."


    Then he paused, and tapped his chin with a finger. "In fact, you might wish to introduce me, as someone who has volunteered to help you with this small matter. Just remember to mention that my Master is a very reclusive fellow, so it would not be to their benefit to announce my involvement just yet."


    Ye Honghua looked a little concerned about that last bit. "You are putting a good bit of pressure on our Snow Swallow Palace like that. They will wonder at who you are, and who your Master is, if I were to tell them that. And my position isn''t really as high as all that, in my Sect."


    "Ah! But Xu Yanzhi''s status in the same is unassailable. And the fact that I am claiming to be a ... Well, just say that I am actively pursuing her, and that I have volunteered to aid you in this matter, in hopes of currying her favor ... I think that shouldn''t be too difficult, should it?


    "Not to mention the fact that I am a bit of an alchemist? And that I have several pills that may be of use to the Su Family? They should have some wounded among them, don''t you think? After that first visit by their so-called enemies?"


    Ye Honghua looked somewhat shocked, when she heard that. "You are an alchemist? You can concoct pills? Really? No one would believe something like that, given your age. Most alchemists are already in their middle age!" she cried.


    "Not much of one. I know my medicinal herbs, and a few tricks that might be useful. I cannot concoct pills on my own, if you must know. But I do have some pills that I ... have obtained through my efforts, you might say."


    She seemed convinced by the last, more than anything else that he had said. "In that case, I will do my best to convince them that you are an ally. Or at least, a potential one, given your pursuit of Xu Yanzhi."


    "That would be best."


    Ye Honghua claimed some excuse then, and fled. The speed at which she moved made that seem like a fitting way to describe it. There was certain no grace in her movements, as she half-ran back to inform the rest of her group about the plan.


    Qin Feng sniggered to himself. Those pills that he had mentioned were part of the inventory that the Duchess had pressed into his hands. She was worried that Li Changhai would be too generous with his portion, and would pass most of his precious healing pills to his soldiers. Hence, all three of them, Lin Liushui, Du Yan and Qin Feng, had been given a small portion of the same, so that they would have some back-up resources.


    Yet, they had hardly touched the Second Ducal Prince''s stockpile at all, since none of his soldiers had suffered any major injuries that needed the same. So Qin Feng was rather certain that they had quite a few of those powerful healing medicines to offer, if it proved necessary.


    So he doubted that he would have any trouble, claiming to be someone who knew alchemy. Besides, didn''t he spend three whole years in the Heaven Sword School, dealing with medicinal herbs? He could use his experiences there, along with the Old Man''s memories in his head, to awe these idiots, if it came to that.


    "You are going to be playing alchemist?"


    Qin Feng looked up with a start, and saw that Lin Liushui had quietly approached, after the Snow Swallow Palace girl had departed. And smiled when he saw the surprised look on the handsome fellow''s face.


    "It would explain why the two of you are willing to play at being my Protectors. That is quite common, isn''t it? For more skilled folk with higher social status, to pander to the whims of someone who is clearly weaker?"


    "That makes sense. It would make a very believable story, if word gets out. And Brother Changhai would definitely not lose out, should it be known that he was following at the heels of an alchemist. In fact, it would even explain how he mastered the Blue Lightning Fist so quickly."


    Qin Feng frowned at that. He had heard how everyone was shouting about Li Changhai''s Blue Lightning Fist, but he had no idea that it was so exceptional. "Would he need supplements then? To keep advancing?"


    Lin Liushui shrugged when he heard the question. And gave Qin Feng that smile of his, to show that he was ignorant regarding the matter. "I have no idea whatsoever. It is apparently one of those secrets of his maternal family and I didn''t dare to probe too deeply. His mother does have a certain reputation, you understand? A very, very violent one."


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    Qin Feng found that a little hard to believe at first. Then he remembered who her mother, or the Second Ducal Prince''s grandmother, was. Lady Xie Nianxue certainly fitted the bill as the most violent, and most deadly, female martial practitioner that he had ever come across. So if her daughter had picked up some of her traits ...


    It would also explain why Li Changhai''s father was so mindful of his Second Wife. And how she had dared to tell him off, after that disastrous first dinner that they had together. The servants were all gossiping about it, when he returned to the Ducal Palace, so Qin Feng certainly did not miss hearing about it.


    Well, he would do what he could to help the Second Ducal Prince to make some improvements to his martial cultivation, or his physical state with medicines or herbs, to show his appreciation for Li Changhai''s efforts. But it would take a bit of digging, into the Old Man''s memories, to find something that would suit the Ducal Prince''s style of fighting. So that it wouldn''t look too obvious that he was interfering.


    To be fair, he would rather spend his time looking for some suitable medicine, that would improve the Ducal Prince''s cultivation instead, if that was possible. It would be a suitable excuse for Li Changhai to trot out, if anyone asked why he was following Qin Feng about. And it wouldn''t give away the younger man''s secrets.


    Not to mention the fact that it would keep his mother and his maternal grandmother mollified with regards to the Ducal Prince''s role in this part of the game. Qin Feng certainly did not wish to get either of them angry with him!


    * * *

 276 Chestnut Town 1

    With all the arrangements in place, it was no surprise that the group looked completely different from its original state, when they arrived at Chestnut Town* two days later. They had not managed to find any suitable wagon or carriage, but it was not too difficult to get their hands on another two horses. Albeit of a far worse quality than what the three of them were riding.


    One of them was now serving as a pack animal, with a very obvious alchemical cauldron strapped onto its back. And the other was under Ye Honghua, who was clearly an inexperienced rider. Or it could be that she was not altogether comfortable, guiding her old horse while wearing a beautiful silken dress, rather than her usual robes.


    The rest of the girls were also not wearing their usual Snow Swallow Palace attire. Instead, they were dressed as a variety of servants that could usually be seen accompanying a rich young gentleman and his lady on a journey. There were three maids, two footmen and one groom, following the quartet on their horses.


    The fact that they didn''t need mounts, and could keep up with the party, made it clear to anyone watching that this was no ordinary party. After all, anyone who could convince people with martial discipline to serve as servants could not be simple folk.


    The alchemical cauldron, however, gave all gawkers a simple explanation that they could all fix on. After all, wasn''t an alchemist a terribly rare and haughty creature? Qin Feng certainly heard enough comments from the crowd to tell that it had made an impact.


    "An Alchemist? Who has the influence to drag an alchemist all the way here?"


    "Are you asking me? Who am I supposed to ask then?"


    "Idiots! The both of you! Wouldn''t we learn the answer if we just keep watching?"


    "He''s right! Let''s follow them!"


    "Of course I am right."


    "Oh, stop talking and let''s go!"


    The response from the townsfolk led to a huge train that trailed behind the group. So much so that it attracted the eyes of everyone else that they passed. And the news of an alchemist arriving in town was enough to start drawing crowds from further afield.


    Ye Honghua, however, looked more than just mildy upset with all the attention. "They are all watching us as though they cannot wait to devour us whole!" she hissed at Qin Feng, who was riding beside her, taking care to keep her voice from spreading.


    "That is the reason why we are doing this. Everyone will surely remember this event, and no one will even think of your Palace sending aid to the Su Family this way. Trust me. I have played this game several times before," Lin Liushui assured her with his winsome smile.


    Qin Feng, however, ignored all of that banter. Along with the attention that he was receiving from the rest of the townsfolk. He had to admit that it was a little oppressive, being the centre of attention like that. It was certainly not something that he cared for.


    Which made him appreciate how Li Changhai was playing his role as Qin Feng''s Protector, and riding about the length of a lance ahead of him. How the Second Ducal Prince was holding up under all those gazes he had no idea. Perhaps it was something that all noblemen had to be trained in, when they reached puberty? Qin Feng certainly did not know.


    But he soon spotted the building that had been described, and nodded at the same, drawing the attention of Lin Liushui beside him. Who was quick to react with a chuckle. Before he declared in a loud and confident voice:


    "Ah. We are here. Please stop your horses at the front of the building, while I go ahead to give our names to the doorman."


    Lin Liushui did just that, in a flamboyant and unhurried manner. The way that he leapt off his horse made it clear to everyone watching that he was a Master of the martial arts though, and drew quite a few gasps of surprise.


    Then all the onlookers chided themselves for not considering the details that they had already witnessed. If those footmen and maids were already so skilled, how could the riders at their head be any less accomplished, when it came to martial cultivation?


    Yet, what was the reason that brought them to the beleaguered Su Family''s door? Had they not heard about the troubles that the House was caught up in? Who would dare to dip their toes into that pot of boiling water? Qin Feng certainly caught enough hints of that from the crowd.


    However, the reaction of the Su Family came as another surprise. When it was clear that the handsome fellow was denied an opportunity to even speak! A sizeable group of door guards stepped in front of him immediately, with arms drawn, as though they were ready to repel the gallant by force!


    Something that made Lin Liushui skip backwards at once, and prompt Li Changhai to dismount and hold his glaive at ready!


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    That development was enough to increase the volume of all of the commentaries in the surrounding crowd again. As well as put a frown on Qin Feng''s face. Was this the sort of welcome that an alchemist would receive? In a small town such as this?


    Fortunately, he had prepared for something like that.


    A quick nod at Ye Honghua reminded her of her role immediately. And Qin Feng had to admit that she managed to carry it off rather well. Her voice called out, even as the crowd of armed men was making its way to Qin Feng''s two companions:


    "Why don''t you let me handle that, cousin? It has been a long journey, and you should take a good rest. After all, didn''t you say that you were intending to concoct some pills tonight? It has been a tiring journey after all."


    * * *


    *Àõ×ÓÕò

 277 Chestnut Town 2

    Her words were loud enough to pierce through the noise of the crowd, and to draw the ears of the guards in front of the door. One of them, who was carrying a rather large axe, seemed surprised when he turned away from the Second Ducal Prince to face her. And waved for the rest of the guards to hold their ground rather than to press their attack.


    Ye Honghua continued to wear a smile as she dismounted, although with a little less grace than Qin Feng had hoped for. But the way that she swaggered over to the front of the Su Family Residence made up for that. The hubris that she had wrapped around herself was thick enough to hide all of her inadequacies.


    "Go tell my cousin, Su Qin, that I am here in response to her cry for help. And that I have brought Young Master Qin Feng - an alchemist, mind you! I have not put myself through all the trouble of inviting him here just so that you worthless scoundrels can drive him and his Protectors away.


    "It will be on your heads if the Su Family suffers any humiliation today!"


    The guards who were there to keep the enemies from storming the gates looked at each other in confusion as soon as they heard her make that declaration. But fortunately for them, the ruckus had been sufficient to bring those who were holding greater responsibilities to the front door. One of them, dressed in a fashion that looked consistent with a housekeeper of some sort - to Qin Feng''s eyes, at least. He was the one who stepped forward to give the woman a cautious bow.


    Ye Honghua merely sniffed, as one of the cleverer guards relayed what she had said earlier. Which seemed to be enough to make the newcomer look at Qin Feng''s party with a different expression on his face. One that held what looked like a trace of hope!


    Hence it was no surprise that the housekeeper was quick to give Ye Honghua a second, more respectful bow, in response to her words. And hurried to invite her and her party inside the Residence. Just as Ye Honghua was similarly quick to invite Qin Feng in a rather exaggerated manner, to precede her. He, of course, simply yawned and stretched himself as he strode inside. And quickly ran his eyes over the people that the Su Family had sent out earlier.


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    The guards were next to worthless, as he had expected. None of them were capable of standing up to one of his simple blows, much less anything that Lin Liushui or Li Changhai could throw at them. All they were good for were intimidating the locals and nothing more.


    So it was little wonder that this Su Family was throwing all of their hopes on the Snow Swallow Palace. And clinging onto that thread of a chance, that the Palace would send someone to help them against these fellows claiming to be from the Wuyang Lin Family.


    The same Snow Swallow Palace disciples who were busy playing the part of his servants, as they hurried through the gate into the Su Family home.


    Of course, once they were within the Su Residence, there was no longer any need to bother with such a charade. All of the young women seemed to sag in relief, as they smiled at one another. Still, Ye Honghua seemed particularly anxious, when she turned to Qin Feng.


    "What now? We have managed to enter the Su Family home but this has also made it clear to our opponents that the Su Family, and Su Qing, has gotten additional help.


    "Doesn''t that mean that our enemy will strike at us now? Before we can prepare?"


    "That is only true if the Su Family is their target. But as Brother Qin Feng had already mentioned, they will do nothing, if the ones that they wish to deal with is actually your Snow Swallow Palace. So long as the Palace has not made any obvious moves, they are unlikely to respond to any changes to the situation here."


    Ye Honghua turned nodded at Lin Liushui''s words, as the latter fanned himself in his usual haughty manner. Qin Feng quietly rolled his eyes at the handsome man, as the gallant preened himself with his usual smile on his lips. Lin Liushui had clearly suffered quite a bit, from having to play his role as a strategist along the way there. Well, it was not as though the gallant was not basking in the attention of the other Snow Swallow Palace disciples, during the journey.


    But any discussion of further plans was quickly interrupted by the arrival of a woman about Ye Honghua''s age. And from the way that she rushed at the same, and clung onto the Snow Swallow Palace disciple''s hands, it seemed clear that this was the Su Qing that Ye Honghua had mentioned earlier.


    She was about the same age as Ye Honghua, in her early twenties. But her hair was neatly bundled up like a proper married woman, and the rich garments on her body were a match for Ye Honghua''s disguise. Qin Feng had the impression that she was a more grounded person than the Snow Swallow Palace disciple who had journeyed to Chestnut Town with him though.


    This Su Qing seemed a lot more settled, and more responsible than the quarrelsome girl.


    Perhaps that had come from being married? And from her responsibilities in the family?


    Ye Honghua quickly spoke a few words with the newcomer, before directing her attention to the young man beside her. And the woman let go of Ye Honghua''s hands when so prompted, and turned to give Qin Feng a curtsy, with a bright red face. "I apologize for my lack of manners, Young Master Qin. And beg your forgiveness. My thanks for helping to bring Elder Sister Ye to my family home this way."


    Qin Feng was waiting for just that opening, so he did not waste any time with any formalities and went straight for the kill. He had been very patient already, he thought. And he did not wish to encumber himself with any more of this polite nonsense!


    "No, no. There is no need for such courtesy. I am merely trying to keep matters from escalating. After all, your Su Family is facing people who may not be who they seem. I have it on good authority that the Lin Family is not involved in this matter. And that all of this is merely a move by other miscreants to forment a disagreement between you and that Wuyang Lin Family.


    "Hence, I have come to help you out in this trifling matter. If you are willing to trust me, that is," he finished with a proud sniff, as though he considered the whole matter a little beneath him.


    The woman''s look of wide-eyed shock made it clear that she had not considered such a ploy by her enemies. Which hinted that she would need some convincing, with regards to that point. Which Qin Feng was not ready to discuss, standing in an inner courtyard like that. So he sighed to himself, and threw out something that he was certain that would distract her:


    "I will tell you first, that I am only doing this because of Xu Yanzhi, of the Snow Swallow Palace. Otherwise, I would not be bothered to take a hand in this issue at all."


    "Xu Yanzhi? You are ... pursuing Xu Yanzhi?"


    Ye Honghua giggled as she tugged at Su Qing''s sleeves, and nodded at Qin Feng as soon as the other woman turned to face her. "I think I had better let you know that Young Master Qin Feng here is actively pursuing our Fairy of the Sword. So you should know just how to repay him for his kindness after all of this is over.


    "I think you should be able to get your cousins to write to your shifu as well? To help him with his chase? From what I have heard from the Main Sect, Senior Disciple Sister Xu has been talking about him to everyone that she knows! So I doubt that she would be displeased!"


    * * *

 278 Chestnut Town 3

    Qin Feng coughed into his hand as he felt his own face getting a little warmer. But he simply pushed that aside, and nodded back at the woman. "That is something that is best left for another time. I have heard that there are a number of your family members who have suffered some injuries? Perhaps I may be of assistance there."


    He pulled out a pill bottle from his sleeve and pushed it at the Ye Honghua. This Su Qing woman was still very much a stranger and apparently a wife as well. So it would be a little inappropriate to pass that to her directly, since he was still somewhat of a stranger. He was not that familiar with the way that they did things in the Yang Empire, so it would be better to be cautious. After all, he was just diverting their attention so he did not have to go through a lengthy explanation about his little quarrel with Xu Yanzhi at the moment. And dealing with the condition of her kinsmen should be something that was of greater interest to her.


    "There are pills in there that might prove useful to the injured parties. I would appreciate it if you could give out the tale that I had gotten them from my fictitious alchemy shifu though. That would save me from having to prove my skills later," he said to the stunned woman surnamed Su.


    Ye Honghua had quickly received the pill bottle with a happy smile, and had quickly turned to push the same at Su Qing. "You should get this to those who are most seriously injured at once! They are Osmanthus Fragrance Pills, and can help with all sorts of internal injuries! Quickly, get them to your father and your brother!"


    "Osmanthus Fragrance Pills? Where did you get this?"


    The woman surnamed Su didn''t hesitate to snatch the pill bottle out of Ye Honghua''s hands and was sniffing at the contents after she immediately pulled out the stopper. Her eyes widened immediately, as she slammed it back shut again. "Wherever did you manage to get your hands on these? The ingredients for concocting these pills are almost completely extinct, here in the Yang Empire! The only place where you can get them is from Medicine King Valley, to the Far North!"


    "The Medicine King Valley? You have been getting stuff from the Medicine King Valley?"


    But Su Qing shook her head at Qin Feng''s question, although her hands tightened about the pill bottle, as though she was afraid that he would try to take it back. "Which Medicine Hall wouldn''t know about Medicine King Valley? It is one of the few places in the Three Empires and Seven Kingdoms that still produces rare herbs and medicines!


    "Unfortunately, no one knows where it is really located, save for the fact that it is in the White Frost Mountains," she finished with a sigh.


    Qin Feng was stunned by that revelation. Which prompted Lin Liushui to step in at once, to cover for him. The handsome fellow was quick to point at the pill bottle, as he explained about its origins. "Well, you needn''t be worried about the Medicine King Valley in this case. Those pills were concocted far to the West and not the North. In Shu Kingdom, if you must know. We were only able to get our hands on them because of our relationship with the nobility thereabouts."


    Then Lin Liushui gestured at the tall man beside him, clad in the military-styled breastplate. "May I present the Second Ducal Prince, Li Changhai, from the Shu Kingdom? It is thanks to our close relationship with him that we were able to get our hands on those pills."


    "Ah! A Ducal Prince?"


    Su Qing''s reaction to that announcement made it very clear that she was more in touch with the realities of such aristocratic ranks and their influence, compared to the other disciples of the Snow Swallow Palace, who had been treating Li Changhai like any other bodyguard. Her eyes also flickered to study Qin Feng a little more closely. Which was probably Lin Liushui''s intention in the first place, when he mentioned Li Changhai''s origins.


    Clearly, he was hoping that it would further bolster Qin Feng''s status, there in the Su Family. And perhaps, give him a bigger say in the conflict that was looming over their heads.


    Maybe he was hoping that he could rely on that, to ease matters between the Su Family and its enemies? If they do turn out to be tied to the Wuyang Lin Family?


    The Second Ducal Prince, however, drew everyone''s eye as he gave a simple military-styled bow to the woman, and laughed in a somewhat uncouth manner. "Ha ha ha ha ha. Please don''t call me that. I tend to get distracted and start looking about when someone mentions a Ducal Prince. So just call me Li Changhai. Or you could use my military rank, as Captain? I am somewhat proud of that."


    Qin Feng had to consciously stop him himself from rolling his eyes and giving out a snort when he heard that. Wasn''t that taking matters a little too far? Even if Li Changhai was merely trying to hide himself, was it really necessary to act as such an uncultured person? But he decided to hold his tongue and leave it to the Ducal Prince to dig his own grave.


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    Unfortunately, he was not planning to head back into the Shu Kingdom with Li Changhai. Otherwise, he would dearly like to see what the Duchess was going to say about the Second Ducal Prince''s antics, there in the Kingdom of Yang. Would she smack him over the head, for muddying his own reputation like that?


    To tell the truth, he was more interested in Medicine King Valley, and was itching to dig out all that this Su Qing woman knew about the place. But he held himself back. There would be opportunities to find out more about that later on, when the conflict between the Su and the Lin Families were resolved.


    That is, if he was correct in his assumption that Lin Liushui should have no problem smacking the opposite side in the face, and forcing them to back down. He was very, very highly placed in the Wuyang Lin Family, so that should not be a difficulty for him.


    They would just have to be very careful how they went about it. That way, there would be less problems to deal with later on, when the news of this little conflict spread, and reaches the ears of the Wuyang Lin Family''s Patriarch. Apparently, Lin Liushui was somewhat concerned about that.


    Well, in any case, Qin Feng had no intention of remaining there in Chestnut Town for too long. And he should be able to secure Ye Honghua and her girls as an escort, when he was done there and could head to Snow Swallow Palace at last.


    His little ''feud'' with Xu Yanzhi should come to a head then!


    * * *

 279 Chestnut Town 4

    The meeting between Su Qing and the party did not last very long, since the former was anxious to bring the pills to deal her family members'' injuries. And Ye Honghua had left the trio to themselves as well, in their guest chambers, so that she could deal with settling her fellow disciples in. Which was exactly what Qin Feng had been hoping for. He had wanted to have a chance to speak to the other two men, about what they have seen so far.


    "What do you think? Do you believe that this is a trap of some sort?"


    Lin Liushui shook his head when he heard the questions from Qin Feng. "I would not say that it is impossible, but it is highly unlikely. The injuries suffered by those members of the Su Family are not light, if we are to believe what we have heard from the Su Family servants and such. And the two sons of the Su Patriarch would be crippled if not for those medicines that the Snow Swallow Palace girls had brought along with them. As well as our pills.


    "So I am inclined to believe that they are innocent of any ploys, and that this is really a move by their enemies."


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    Then the handsome fellow shook his head, and his shoulders drooped. "Unfortunately, I am still unable to tell if the ones involved are from the Wuyang Lin Family. The martial arts used on those two Su Family scions are rather commonplace ones here in the Yang Empire, so that can''t be traced back to the same."


    "So you are saying that they were not hurt by skills that are exclusive to the Lin Family?"


    Lin Liushui replied in the affirmative, but cautioned Qin Feng from jumping to conclusions. He flicked his fan open as he pointed out the obvious. "Even our Lin Family practices a variety of martial skills that we have picked up elsewhere. And if these idiots are from our distaff lines, then that is even more commonplace. So it doesn''t really prove anything. We will need to wait for them to reveal themselves first, before we jump to any conclusions."


    "And they aren''t likely to do that, are they? So long as the Snow Swallow Palace girls remain hidden?"


    "That seems to be the case. But I do not doubt that they will run out of patience soon, and start spreading the word that the Snow Swallow Palace does not care for its subordinate families and such. We are already three days past the deadline that had been given."


    Qin Feng nodded. And gave voice to his thoughts immediately. There wasn''t any point in trying to hide them. Not while he was around friends.


    "If I was handling this, this would be the best time to strike. Three days overdue is already giving a respectable bit of leeway, so they would be definitely be expecting to take the higher ground when they get here. So we shall need to give them a hard kick when they do arrive."


    "That is why we have told the girls to have their Snow Swallow Mountain uniforms readied. If they show up, we shall give them a hard slap before they have a chance to respond," laughed Li Changhai, as the Second Ducal Prince pointed at Lin Liushui.


    Who shrugged at the gesture, and continued to fan himself leisurely. The self-satisfied, smug look on his face, however, made it clear that he was more than ready for that eventuality.


    "I believe that it is unlikely to be my relatives involved. As you can probably tell, my Wuyang Lin Family tends to be rather confident in its abilities, so it would definitely make a show of entering town, and entertaining guests, once they get here. Not to mention the fact that they would make a rather loud entrance, and hold to the schedule that they had arranged.


    "Since we have had no sign of any of the perpetrators so far, I am rather convinced that this has nothing to do with my family."


    Qin Feng rolled his eyes when Lin Liushui began with his confident explanation. But he controlled himself, and simply nodded back when the handsome fellow finished. "Then we shall have to prepare for a fight. But we shall take our cues from you, Brother Lin. You shall need to take the lead when they get here. And start the confrontation."


    "Of course! And I think you should know what to do, if you see me greeting them like old family members. If I am colder, it should be enough to tell you that they are merely impostors. Similarly, if they do not recognize me, I think you will also know what to expect?"


    Qin Feng gave out a rather sinister chuckle when he heard that. Which seemed to surprise the other two men. Which was enough to make him laugh again. This time in a more natural manner:


    "Of course! You will get to see me at my worst, I believe. At the least, I shall be exhibiting the sort of behaviour that you usually get to see in those arrogant fools that you read about, in Yuan Qianlei''s books. That is where I will be drawing my inspiration from, if you really wish to know," he smiled at the pair, when he saw the looks on their faces.


    Li Changhai gave a rather exaggerated version of a shudder, with a rather broad grin on his face, making it clear what he thought about the plan. Lin Liushui, however, merely sighed. And tapped his brow with his folded fan as he pouted at Qin Feng.


    "I have a very bad feeling when I hear you say something like that. You make it sound as if we are just about to watch a badly enacted play, involving some of the most outrageous scenes in the history of our Yang Empire literature.


    "And if I am truly unlucky, the ones that are going to be suffering the consequences of this debacle are likely to be people from my Lin Family. How would I be able to hide my face, if that happens? It would be so embarrassing!"


    Lin Liushui flicked open his fan and hid his face behind it, sighing again. Which was enough to prompt Li Changhai to roar with laughter.


    Qin Feng chuckled when he heard the handsome fellow complaints. "Oh? In that case, I will not try to leave any permanent scars. And I''ll do my best to keep all of their front teeth intact, when I slap them. That''s the least I can do for you, hmmm?"


    * * *

 280 Clash 1

    True to their expectations, there were people rushing to the Su Residence the following day. Qin Feng had barely begun to eat his breakfast when he spotted the people of the Residence rushing about madly. And was accosted by an anxious Ye Honghua and her sisters before he could finish his meal.


    "They are here! They are here!" she cried when she rushed to the pavilion where the trio from the Shu Kingdom were enjoying their food, "The ones who are behind this have arrived in Chestnut Town! They are making their way to the Su Residence now! And there is a large crowd following at their heels!"


    Li Changhai shot to his feet when he heard that. But froze when he saw how Qin Feng and Lin Liushui were just nodding back at the girls in acknowledgement. Neither of the pair seemed overly concerned about what they had just heard. In fact, Lin Liushui even took another sip of tea! It was after he set down his teacup that he smiled and waved a hand at Ye Honghua.


    "Ah. In that case, you lot should head back to your rooms, and get into your Snow Swallow Palace uniforms. Since they are here, they must be intending to demean your Sect for coming here to help out. So it is important that we show the town that you are already here, don''t you think?"


    "What are you talking about? The enemy are at the gates already and you want us to go and change our clothes? Are you mad?"


    Qin Feng clicked his tongue at the girls, and faced them sternly. "No. All of you should change into your Snow Swallow Palace uniforms now, and leave the initial ''greeting of our guests'' to Lin Liushui here. He shall accompany the Su Patriarch to the front door, and meet with these people."


    Then he turned to the handsome man. "If I am not wrong, they will start kicking up a fuss there at the main door, on the street itself. And will not take even half a step into the Su Family Residence, regardless of what you do. That should make matters clear, that they intend to sweep your Snow Swallow Palace into disrepute. I think you can trust Brother Lin here to delay them, until you are ready to make any appearance?"


    This was not the time to let the girls run amok. Not when they still needed to confirm if the enemy was really from the Wuyang Lin Family. So who better to handle that, than Lin Liushui himself? He should be able to tell the difference, after all.


    Lin Liushui gave out a soft laugh when he heard Qin Feng''s arrangement. Which was exactly what he was hoping for! He simply clasped his hands at the youngest in the team - his way of showing that he appreciated the gesture. Then he rushed off to the front of the Residence without another word. Probably to talk to the Su Patriarch about how to deal with their ''guests''?


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    The noise from that direction was loud enough that it drew everyone''s attention away from the fact that Qin Feng was taking over. But the girls were still not moving, as they continued to glare at the young man.


    "That should work, don''t you think? Trust Brother Qin here a little bit, won''t you? Has he led us wrong so far? Besides, this is the Su Family Residence, so it is only fair that the Patriarch goes out there and state their case."


    The last came from Li Changhai, although the belligerent expression on the Second Ducal Prince''s face was something new. To Qin Feng, at least. He had never seen Li Changhai put on such a mask before. Not when he was facing his allies.


    Was this his way of showing his support?


    But Qin Feng pushed all of that aside, and frowned at the hesitating Ye Honghua and her fellow Snow Swallow Palace disciples. "What is this? Are you still hesitating now? If you do not hurry up and change into your uniforms now, you will miss the best time to show up, and slap those bast*rds in the face! Are you sure you want to do that? Think of the humiliation that they have been putting your Sister Su Qing through!"


    Ye Honghua seemed a little startled when she heard that. But Qin Feng leaned closer, and whispered into her ear:


    "What Brother Lin is doing now is setting the stage for your appearance, so you mustn''t miss this opportunity! Change into your Snow Swallow Palace uniforms quickly, and meet us in the front courtyard. I promise you that you will get to see an magnificent sight, when we give you the signal to show up.


    "Your appearance will be equivalent to throwing dog sh*t all over the faces of those opposing the Su Family now. I think you will be eager to see that too. Am I wrong?"


    Ye Honghua gritted her teeth at him when she heard him, and waved a hand at the girls at her back. From the way that they moved, Qin Feng was rather certain that they were going to be undressing and dressing in a hurry. Of course, he knew from all those times that he had waited for the disciples of the Snow Swallow Palace, roughly how long they would need to get out and into their garments, so he could not help but be a little concerned.


    Then he reminded himself that it was Lin Liushui who was holding the line out in front of the Residence. If anyone could delay the confrontation for the half hour that they might need, the handsome fellow should be able to do it without any fuss!


    "Well, now that the girls are gone to change, don''t you think that it is time that we got out there to support Brother Liushui as well? I doubt that he would be able to hold them off for very long, even with the Su Patriarch there to complicate matters. The resulting argument wouldn''t take more than ten to fifteen minutes, don''t you think?"


    Qin Feng smiled at the Second Ducal Prince when he heard Li Changhai say that. And nodded at the older fellow. "You are correct about that. But we need to wait until the girls are in their uniforms before we make a move, and Lin Liushui knows that. So he will do his best to delay matters until he is certain that they are ready.


    "Our arrival at the scene will be enough of a cue, to tell him that the stage has been properly set. So he can start his face-slapping. We shouldn''t make an appearance too early, because that would throw his timing off, you see?"


    * * *

 281 Clash 2

    The Second Ducal Prince gave a shrug when he heard that. "Does that mean that we have to wait for the women from Snow Swallow Palace to be ready first? Before we make a move on those people shouting out there?"


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    "That is the plan. Our job is to keep Ye Honghua and her girls from jumping the gun, and spoiling the surprise. I''ll send you out when they are ready, so your appearance will be a signal to Brother Lin that we are prepared, and he can start smearing their faces with mud."


    Li Changhai chuckled as he considered that. "Ah! It seems so complex, the way that you two have arranged this. It is as though this whole thing is like a battle!"


    "Of course! That is the whole point! A good face-smacking needs to be properly set up. And we need to corner them in such a way that they can only hold still and endure it, even if they see the slap coming! No matter how powerful you are, there is no way that one can escape something like this."


    Then Qin Feng sighed, and gestured at the front of the house. Just before he started walking in the same direction, with the Ducal Prince in tow. "I would have gone for a smaller scale, more violent approach, to tell the truth. But Brother Lin had convinced me that there is a need to utterly humiliate the enemy, if they really dared to impersonate his family members. So you might say that he is the one behind it all."


    "Oh? You sound as though you are a little upset about that?"


    "Not really. But I do wish that I could be there now, listening to how he is slowly twisting their words, so that they would chip away at their own footing. By the time that the girls are ready, and he is ready to spring his little trap, they should have no hope of escaping what we have prepared for them.


    "I just wish that I could hear how he sets that up. But I have to stay here, to look out for the Snow Swallow Palace girls. That is a little annoying, honestly."


    The Second Ducal Prince shuddered when he heard that. Something that gave Qin Feng the impression that he had witnessed the outrageous fellow''s performance in the past. "Er ... I would be glad to help you hold the women back, if you really want to go listen."


    But Qin Feng shook his head. "No. I think it would be easier for me to hold Ye Honghua back. You tend to be a little brusque, when it comes to women. Let us head over to the forecourt first. That was where we told the girls to assemble."


    "Wait a moment. What do you mean I tend to be a little brusque? What has this to do with women?"


    Qin Feng turned back to see Li Changhai with a deeply furrowed brow, staring back at him with an expression that was between annoyance and puzzlement. Ordinarily, that looked like it would be enough to intimidate anyone that the Second Ducal Prince was talking to. But did Li Changhai really believe that he would be bothered by something like that?


    "What? You don''t admit it? Don''t you know that you need to spend more time and effort with speaking to women than with men? Remember how the maids accompanying Yuan Qianlei avoided you if they had the chance? Why do you think they did that? It''s because they thought that you were irritated with them."


    "What?! I wasn''t irritated with them? Who told them that?"


    Qin Feng almost burst out laughing when he saw the state that Li Changhai was in. Was this Second Ducal Prince so thick that he didn''t see what was happening? "You hardly say a word to them under normal circumstances and your greetings are coldly polite. Curt even. Wouldn''t anyone think that you are upset with them? Besides, aren''t you forgetting that you are one of the most eligible bachelors back in the Shu Kingdom? Half of the women that you meet are ready to throw themselves at you!"


    That was something that Yuan Qianlei had told him once. So Qin Feng simply regurgitated it at the Ducal Prince. After all, it made him sound so much more aware of such matters, didn''t it? How could he miss a chance like that? To show off to Li Changhai?


    He didn''t have a ghost of a chance against Lin Liushui. Qin Feng knew that. But Li Changhai? He should be able to pull the wool over his eyes!


    "You mean ... The women think that I am ... to short with them? When did they tell you that? How come I don''t know anything about it?"


    Qin Feng laughed to himself as he shook his head. "No, no. They are not saying that you are impolite. They just feel that you are a little cold towards them. Remember how I was getting them to flirt with me? Well, they confided in me then, and said that you seem to be shunning them. Yuan Qianlei even asked me if I knew about your personal affairs! She wanted to know if you have been betrothed to anyone by the Duchess!"


    "Betrothed?!"


    "Oh, I wouldn''t worry about that. They tend to like to know about that sort of thing, those young women," Qin Feng assured him with a trace of pride. After all, this was something that he knew that the Second Ducal Prince didn''t. So shouldn''t he feel proud?


    "Naturally, I told them that I didn''t know. But from what I have seen ... Say, the Duchess didn''t arrange any marriage for you, did she?"


    Li Changhai gave him a strange look. "No. No, she didn''t. And she has encouraged me to ... see if there is anyone that I liked. But ... it is a little complicated."


    "What do you mean?"


    The Second Ducal Prince gave out a sigh. And shook his head at Qin Feng. "Honestly, I find this whole thing rather daunting. I had been expecting my parents to arrange some sort of marriage for me, you understand? To seal an alliance or something like that, you know? And you have already said it earlier, about how women would throw themselves at my feet, if I show the slightest interest.


    "So I would have to be careful not to get myself involved with those who are not already allied with my father''s faction. And be wary of people who only wish to make use of their relationship with me, to get something that they are after."


    "Ah! I can see that has made you reluctant to go after pretty girls then. But why not just avoid all of that altogether?"


    Li Changhai scowled at him again. And his voice was a little strained when he asked, "What do you mean?"


    Qin Feng chuckled and pointed a finger at the Snow Swallow Palace girls, who were finally walking briskly towards the two of them. Some of them were still fussing over their clothes, while Ye Honghua was pressing them to hurry.


    "Why not just go the other way altogether, and pick a woman from the martial world? There are plenty of beautiful women from jianghu who would be attracted to a more martially inclined noble son. So you might be able to skip all the problems with regards to politics and such.


    "Take the Snow Swallow Palace for example. Wouldn''t things be much easier for you, if you married a woman from that Sect?"


    * * *

 282 Apologies

    "A woman from jianghu?"


    Li Changhai seemed shocked by the suggestion. Which was enough to make Qin Feng sigh at the slightly older man. "Is it that much of an issue? If you marry someone like that, it should be enough to assure your father that you are not interested in succeeding him, don''t you think? And I doubt that your mother give you any problems, considering your maternal grandmother''s origins. In fact, you should consider the Snow Swallow Palace girls. If you do like any of them, I think we might be able to get Brother Lin to play matchmaker.


    "But we had better stop now. The Snow Swallow Palace girls are ready."


    Qin Feng pointed to the Snow Swallow Palace disciples who were already gathered and ready to rush out to the main hall of the Su Residence, prompting Li Changhai to move to stop them. The Second Ducal Prince managed to do that by simply whispering something to the women. Then he waved at Qin Feng, before rushing out to warn Lin Liushui.


    The female disciples, however, all gathered around Qin Feng instead. Making him wonder what the Ducal Prince had told them.


    But Ye Honghua frowned at him, when he asked. "Didn''t you have something to tell us? That was what Li Changhai said to us earlier, when he told us to come to you! What is it that you have to say to us?"


    For a moment, Qin Feng felt like cursing at the Ducal Prince. And Lin Liushui. It was probably the last who had come up with a crappy excuse like that, to divert the women''s attention. Still, it wasn''t something that he couldn''t manage. After all, according to their original plan, he only had to hold the women back for a short while.


    "I just wanted to warn you to be careful when we face the enemy later. We do not know what sort of danger they will pose to you and your Snow Swallow Palace, but they are likely to be slightly more powerful than you are, in terms of cultivation. So do not be so hasty to rush to attack them.


    "Insulting them and cursing them, on the other hand, is perfectly fine. But your job is to keep the Su Family safe. Don''t forget that."


    "But ..."


    Qin Feng shook his head at the group of women, interrupting Ye Honghua before she could continue. "No. You are too few, and we do not know what sort of cultivation levels the enemy possesses. Hence, it would be meaningless to make plans to engage them. Let us deal with them, while you take care of your responsibilities towards the Su Family.


    "After all, that is the reason that you have come all the way here, isn''t it?"


    Ye Honghua''s shoulders sagged a little, when Qin Feng reminded her of her duties towards the affiliates of her Snow Swallow Palace. And she nodded her agreement to his plans. The rest of the girls, on the other hand, seemed to look relieved to see her do that. Which told him that they were clearly more worried about their own abilities to face the so-called Wuyang Lin Family representatives.


    Yet, Qin Feng was rather confident that the ones who were kicking up a fuss outside were not from the real Lin Family. Otherwise, there would be a lot less shouting, and Lin Liushui would have been identified as a member of the family by now. Or rather, he would have recognized the ones who were making trouble outside.


    The fact that he didn''t tone down his chiding and caused them to raise their voices like this, made it rather clear that they were not associated with his family.


    So Qin Feng was not greatly surprised to find the handsome man berating the crowd in front of the Su Family Residence with thinly veiled insults when he arrived with the girls from the Snow Swallow Palace. The grin on Li Changhai''s face also told him that the enemy on the street outside was already starting to lose their patience.


    "... idiotic claims that no one in their right minds would believe. Do you really think that the Snow Swallow Palace would avoid standing up against bullies like you? Look there! See for yourselves!


    "Aren''t those the same Snow Swallow Mountain Palace disciples that you had claimed to be too cowardly to show up? Ask the Patriarch of the Su Family how long they have been waiting here, why don''t you? They were here for three days!"


    Lin Liushui made a broad gesture at the smiling grey-haired, grey-bearded man beside him, bringing forth a chuckle from his lips. "My friend here is correct. The ladies from the Snow Swallow Palace have been the guests of our Su Residence for three days. In fact, they have been wondering if our esteemed representatives from the Wuyang Lin Family had forgotten all about the matter. Given how there had been no word at all, for the past three days."


    Qin Feng hid a chuckle as he stepped forward with the rest of the girls from the Snow Swallow Palace, and gestured for Ye Honghua and her gang to stand close to her good friend, Su Qing. As for himself, he continued walking until he was abreast of Lin Liushui and the Patriarch.


    And he smiled to himself, when he saw how the crowd behind the group of stunned-looking men were already whispering among themselves. Between the gallant''s verbal chastisement and the appearance of the stern-faced Snow Swallow Palace girls, it seemed the onlookers were more than convinced that something was amiss.


    His appearance had also set the so-called Lin Family members whispering among themselves, as they wondered who he was. And which group he was representing. Qin Feng was sure that they would not be able to figure that out quickly, since his attire gave nothing away.


    But it was time for him to throw out the accusation that he had prepared earlier, with Lin Liushui''s help. The latter had tossed that responsibility into Qin Feng''s lap, since it would look better that way. Well, according to the handsome man, at least.


    Honestly, Qin Feng had a feeling that it had more to do with how Lin Liushui was hoping to butter up the Snow Swallow Palace himself.


    "To show such disrespect for the Snow Swallow Palace, this one wonders if they are indeed from the Wuyang Lin Family. From what this one knows, the Lin Family from Wuyang City have always treated members of the Snow Swallow Palace with respect and admiration.


    "This ruckus here seems completely against the usual manner that the Wuyang Lin Family conducts itself. And leads me to conclude that you are not associated with them at all!"


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    Then Qin Feng made a show of turning to Lin Liushui, and noted the twinkle in the handsome man''s eyes as he followed the script that he had been given:


    "Are you certain that they are really from the Wuyang Lin Family, my good friend? Have you checked their claims? We might be dealing with a group of impostors here, you know?"


    * * *

 282 Clash 3

    "A woman from jianghu?"


    Li Changhai seemed shocked by the suggestion. Which was enough to make Qin Feng sigh at the slightly older man. "Is it that much of an issue? If you marry someone like that, it should be enough to assure your father that you are not interested in succeeding him, don''t you think? And I doubt that your mother give you any problems, considering your maternal grandmother''s origins. In fact, you should consider the Snow Swallow Palace girls. If you do like any of them, I think we might be able to get Brother Lin to play matchmaker.


    "But we had better stop now. The Snow Swallow Palace girls are ready."


    Qin Feng pointed to the Snow Swallow Palace disciples who were already gathered and ready to rush out to the main hall of the Su Residence, prompting Li Changhai to move to stop them. The Second Ducal Prince managed to do that by simply whispering something to the women. Then he waved at Qin Feng, before rushing out to warn Lin Liushui.


    The female disciples, however, all gathered around Qin Feng instead. Making him wonder what the Ducal Prince had told them.


    But Ye Honghua frowned at him, when he asked. "Didn''t you have something to tell us? That was what Li Changhai said to us earlier, when he told us to come to you! What is it that you have to say to us?"


    For a moment, Qin Feng felt like cursing at the Ducal Prince. And Lin Liushui. It was probably the last who had come up with a crappy excuse like that, to divert the women''s attention. Still, it wasn''t something that he couldn''t manage. After all, according to their original plan, he only had to hold the women back for a short while.


    "I just wanted to warn you to be careful when we face the enemy later. We do not know what sort of danger they will pose to you and your Snow Swallow Palace, but they are likely to be slightly more powerful than you are, in terms of cultivation. So do not be so hasty to rush to attack them.


    "Insulting them and cursing them, on the other hand, is perfectly fine. But your job is to keep the Su Family safe. Don''t forget that."


    "But ..."


    Qin Feng shook his head at the group of women, interrupting Ye Honghua before she could continue. "No. You are too few, and we do not know what sort of cultivation levels the enemy possesses. Hence, it would be meaningless to make plans to engage them. Let us deal with them, while you take care of your responsibilities towards the Su Family.


    "After all, that is the reason that you have come all the way here, isn''t it?"


    Ye Honghua''s shoulders sagged a little, when Qin Feng reminded her of her duties towards the affiliates of her Snow Swallow Palace. And she nodded her agreement to his plans. The rest of the girls, on the other hand, seemed to look relieved to see her do that. Which told him that they were clearly more worried about their own abilities to face the so-called Wuyang Lin Family representatives.


    Yet, Qin Feng was rather confident that the ones who were kicking up a fuss outside were not from the real Lin Family. Otherwise, there would be a lot less shouting, and Lin Liushui would have been identified as a member of the family by now. Or rather, he would have recognized the ones who were making trouble outside.


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    The fact that he didn''t tone down his chiding and caused them to raise their voices like this, made it rather clear that they were not associated with his family.


    So Qin Feng was not greatly surprised to find the handsome man berating the crowd in front of the Su Family Residence with thinly veiled insults when he arrived with the girls from the Snow Swallow Palace. The grin on Li Changhai''s face also told him that the enemy on the street outside was already starting to lose their patience.


    "... idiotic claims that no one in their right minds would believe. Do you really think that the Snow Swallow Palace would avoid standing up against bullies like you? Look there! See for yourselves!


    "Aren''t those the same Snow Swallow Mountain Palace disciples that you had claimed to be too cowardly to show up? Ask the Patriarch of the Su Family how long they have been waiting here, why don''t you? They were here for three days!"


    Lin Liushui made a broad gesture at the smiling grey-haired, grey-bearded man beside him, bringing forth a chuckle from his lips. "My friend here is correct. The ladies from the Snow Swallow Palace have been the guests of our Su Residence for three days. In fact, they have been wondering if our esteemed representatives from the Wuyang Lin Family had forgotten all about the matter. Given how there had been no word at all, for the past three days."


    Qin Feng hid a chuckle as he stepped forward with the rest of the girls from the Snow Swallow Palace, and gestured for Ye Honghua and her gang to stand close to her good friend, Su Qing. As for himself, he continued walking until he was abreast of Lin Liushui and the Patriarch.


    And he smiled to himself, when he saw how the crowd behind the group of stunned-looking men were already whispering among themselves. Between the gallant''s verbal chastisement and the appearance of the stern-faced Snow Swallow Palace girls, it seemed the onlookers were more than convinced that something was amiss.


    His appearance had also set the so-called Lin Family members whispering among themselves, as they wondered who he was. And which group he was representing. Qin Feng was sure that they would not be able to figure that out quickly, since his attire gave nothing away.


    But it was time for him to throw out the accusation that he had prepared earlier, with Lin Liushui''s help. The latter had tossed that responsibility into Qin Feng''s lap, since it would look better that way. Well, according to the handsome man, at least.


    Honestly, Qin Feng had a feeling that it had more to do with how Lin Liushui was hoping to butter up the Snow Swallow Palace himself.


    "To show such disrespect for the Snow Swallow Palace, this one wonders if they are indeed from the Wuyang Lin Family. From what this one knows, the Lin Family from Wuyang City have always treated members of the Snow Swallow Palace with respect and admiration.


    "This ruckus here seems completely against the usual manner that the Wuyang Lin Family conducts itself. And leads me to conclude that you are not associated with them at all!"


    Then Qin Feng made a show of turning to Lin Liushui, and noted the twinkle in the handsome man''s eyes as he followed the script that he had been given:


    "Are you certain that they are really from the Wuyang Lin Family, my good friend? Have you checked their claims? We might be dealing with a group of impostors here, you know?"


    * * *

 283 Clash 4

    How could an expert at showmanship like Lin Liushui miss his cue? The handsome man gave out a gasp and took a step back as though he had been slapped. Which had Qin Feng doing his best to keep from rolling his eyes. That sort of thing was so exaggerated that he wondered if Lin Liushui had learnt it from the theatre!


    Even the Su Patriarch, standing next to the handsome man, had a reddened face. Clearly, he was more than just slightly embarrassed that he had the good-looking fellow on his side now. But he held himself back from saying a word, and left everything to the over-acting Lin Liushui.


    "Oh dear! You are right about that! I had not bothered to check if they were telling the truth! My thanks, brother, for that reminder. This group of rascals may be impostors, like you said. After all, the famous Wuyang Lin Family would never stoop to such despicable tactics."


    Lin Liushui ignored the growls of anger that were already pouring out of the opposing side, and haughtily pointed a finger at the lot of them. "I had taken you at your word earlier, when you said that you were from the Lin Family of Wuyang City. But you have not shown any courtesy, and did not introduce yourselves according to the accepted protocols. Who are you? What are your names? Identify yourselves!"


    One of the group standing in front of the doors of the Su Family Residence stood forward at that, and sniffed at the demand. "You dare to challenge our Lin Family? You have guts!"


    But Lin Liushui merely snorted back in response. "You lot have claimed that you are from the Lin Family but where is the proof? You dare not even name yourselves now!"


    Qin Feng hid a smile as he ran his eyes across the features of the eight men who were glaring at the handsome fellow. Most of them looked as though they were in their late thirties or early forties, which made it rather obvious that this was not some sort of petty quarrel that they were pursuing.


    Not to mention the fact that their features were too rough, too plebian, to look anything like the sort of pampered sons of a rich and powerful family.


    They were all dressed in similar clothing too. Which gave the impression that they were some sort of gang, or a similar organisation. And nothing at all like the Lin Family scions that Qin Feng and the others had come across at the river crossing. Those sybaritic scoundrels had worn luxurious silks in a variety of design and colors, and preened themselves to give off an air of gentlemen, each with their own signature style of accouterments.


    Which made these pathetic fools in their rather uniform garments look like mere hangers-on at best. Qin Feng was rather confident that Lin Liushui had not missed that either. Which was probably why he was tossing out those accusations and questions at the idiots, to force them to commit themselves.


    After all, Lin Liushui would have a better case if he presented something like that, to the rest of the Lin Family in Wuyang City. Especially if he could catch them in the lie, before he smacked their faces!


    But the ones who were standing in the street had realized that they were in for a fight, and had closed ranks. And some of them had even begun to circulate their zhenqi; the swirls of air at their feet and around their chests made that a little obvious.


    "What is this? Do you think that we would bother to lie about who we are? I am Lin Jinjun! And this is my cousin Lin Weihe beside me!" declared one of the moustachioed fellows in the glaringly loud shirts.


    Which had Lin Liushui doubled over at once with laughter. Something that the captive audience, including the ones who were pretending to be from the Wuyang City Lin Family, looking at him in surprise. Even the Su Patriarch had an odd look on his face, as though he believed that the handsome man next to him had gone insane!


    Only Qin Feng, of all those present, rolled his eyes at Lin Liushui''s antics. But he had to admit that the gallant was taking things a little too far this time. So he coughed into his fist, and hoped that he would take the hint.


    Fortunately, Lin Liushui had some sense in how far he could play the game, and cut his laughter off abruptly, pointing a finger at the so-called family. And there was no disguising the disgust in his voice, when he accused them:


    "I would have expected you lot to have a little more sense, and to do your research properly. Lin Jinjun is a nephew of Lin Weihe! That is something that everyone in the Lin Family would know, for certain! The middle characters for their names are completely different, and that is used to identify which generation that which member of the family belongs to!


    "But you imbeciles didn''t even bother to figure that out! What morons!" he declared loudly.


    "And you should have picked better players for this little show too! Lin Weihe is only sixteen years old this year! And Lin Jinjun is only eighteen! The ones that you have playing their parts are far too old! So you cannot be from the Lin Family!"


    That was the signal that they had agreed upon earlier, and the women from the Snow Swallow Palace charged forward at the moment that Lin Liushui made that declaration, their swords leaving their scabbards with a loud hiss. Then stopping deliberately before the Lin Liushui, Su Patriarch, Qin Feng trio, as if to protect the same.


    The group pretending to be the Lin Family gave out a cry then. And scattered quickly, with five of their number rushed towards the girls, leaving the rest to deal with Lin Liushui and Qin Feng, who were next the Su Patriarch.


    Clearly, they were still aiming to remove the last from the game!


    "Attacking when you are unable to get your way? And you call yourselves representatives from the Lin Family? You are showing your hand as impostors, are you not? Enough of this. Attack!"


    Lin Liushui seized the opportunity to throw out yet another accusation, even as he moved to protect the Su Patriarch. The girls, on the other hand, charged to meet the imposters immediately, hurling insults at the same as they rushed forward.


    But a huge roar of laughter swept over the whole street, before Li Changhai and Qin Feng could get started. And a burst of warm air washed over the pair like a gale, as the rest of the men pretending to be Wuyang City''s Lin Family looked stunned. What was this? What sort of cultivation was capable of doing that?


    "So you have caught us! But what of it? Do you think that we had only this one scheme against you? If trickery doesn''t work, we''ll just smash you all like eggshells!"


    * * *

 284 Hard Fight 1

    "Ah! They had arranged for support. This is bad," grunted Lin Liushui as he fell into step beside Qin Feng. With his Lightness-of-Body skill, the handsome fellow didn''t have the slightest trouble keeping up with the youngest of the group.


    Who was more focused on the interloper, bounding towards them. He could barely hold in his surprise too, when he got a good look at the same.


    That fellow was as round as an embroidered ball!


    "Ha ha ha ha ha! It seems the women of the Snow Swallow Palace have more courage than wisdom! To think that you dare to strike back at our Purple Serpent Sect!"


    Qin Feng bit off a snarl when he heard that shout, and just in time to catch the large-bellied fellow charge into the team of Snow Swallow Palace''s women at the side entrance of the shop. They had just finished dealing with two of the three Purple Serpent operatives there, and had the remaining braggart on the run when the fat man appeared.


    But the fellow seemed more concerned about the running disciple of the Purple Serpent Sect than the women, and his large hands caught the runaway by the throat as he passed the fleeing man. A sharp twist later, he dropped his carcasses onto the narrow road in front of the village, as he calmly strode towards the band of seven women.


    "Don''t mind me. I was just getting rid of the trash that dared to run away like that, dirtying our proud Purple Serpent Sect''s name like that. I trust that you have already had your fill as well? So perhaps we can have a nice long talk. About how you lot are going to squeal under my long, hard c*ck tonight!"


    Qin Feng cursed, even as the women shouted at the man in response to his words. Didn''t they know that it was just another way of agitating one''s enemies, so that they would be distracted? But he found nothing amiss, even though he swept through the stretch between the fat man and the woods in the distance.


    Could it be that he was really alone?


    But the fat man was already fast approaching, and he knew that he could not hold back any longer! So he concentrated his zhenqi into that handful of pebbles that he had snatched up earlier, and hurled them at the Purple Serpent Sect''s man! Just like how he had dealt with his subordinates earlier!


    "Retreat! Fall back now! To the shop!"


    "F*ck your mother! Who threw stones at me?! You want to die?"


    Qin Feng cursed when he saw that the pebbles that he had thrown had hardly any effect. And that was with his zhenqi backing the same! Could it be that this Purple Serpent Sect fellow had bronze skin and iron bones?


    In that case ...


    [Four Seasons Sword: Shards of Winter Frost!]


    But the weapon in his hands only made loud pinging noises when it clashed with the fat man''s arms! Which was enough to make Qin Feng skip back in surprise.


    What sort of martial arts was that? To be able to fend off his thrusts as though they were nothing more that twigs and pebbles? How did he do that?


    "So you are the one!"


    The fat man''s arms swung in his direction, and Qin Feng had a vague impression of a fist technique. It was similar to something that he had seen before too. The flesh on the thick, fat arms should have been flabby, but there was something encasing it. Something that made it as hard as steel!


    Gang qi! The fat man was infusing his zhenqi into the muscles and fat of his arms, and that was what was responsible for the damage he was causing! And how he was deflecting damage that he had received so far!


    Well, if he wasn''t able to penetrate the fat man''s qi reinforcement with a sword, he would have to try something else, didn''t he? Qin Feng quickly summoned his zhenqi to his left hand, and threw that out that his opponent.


    [White Jade Hands: Eclipse the Moon!]


    The full force of the palm technique worked better than his sword, pushing the fat man back even as Qin Feng thanked the agents of Heaven that were watching over him. The Iron Skin Technique that his enemy was using was more geared towards defending against weapons, rather than internal strength. He had even left a reddish mark on the obese fellow!


    However, it did not look like he had sufficient zhenqi to cause any significant injury on the fellow. At least, not without hitting the fat slob somewhere critical. Qin Feng was not too confident of that, given how the man had managed to fend off almost all of his blows.


    And it was clear that he was relying on his thick layers of body fat was protecting his internal organs from his White Jade Hands!


    "The White Jade Beauty Hands? You are a disciple of the Snow Swallow Palace? But ... What is this? You are a woman disguised as a man?"


    The disgusting fellow looked as if he was about to puke, while his words were enough to make Qin Feng''s face go red at once. And had the young man using the vilest expletives he knew on him immediately!


    "What the f*ck are you talking about! I am a man, you ignorant, dog-f*cking fat slob! Who says that men cannot learn this f*cking palm technique? Your mother!"


    "F*ck you! You dare to curse my mother?! You f*cking eunuch!"


    Qin Feng yelled back at once. "Who is a eunuch? You are the eunuch! You are a f*cking fat eunuch!" he roared, as he launched another sword attack at the fat fellow.


    But this time, he was targeting his opponent''s eyes!


    [Four Seasons Sword: Blazing Sun of Summer!]


    The first of the sword strikes caught the fat man by surprise, and he barely had time to slam his eyelids down before Qin Feng''s sword caught him. But he threw up his hands after that, and seemed to be pushing his palms at his younger opponent as hard and as fast as he could. Qin Feng''s sword style clashed with those meaty paws with more force than he had expected. And he found himself being thrown back by the rebound.


    Still, the assault seemed to have done the fat man some damage: his eyes were reddened and tearing, and Qin Feng heard his screams of pain and frustration as the obese fellow charged at him. No doubt, he was intent on taking revenge for what Qin Feng had just done to him.


    "My lord! Let me help you, my lord!"


    What?!


    Qin Feng skipped back as he sent his left palm up to fend off the mass of punches that were aimed at his head, even as he pushed his sword at the fat man, to ward off another attack from that direction. But who was this fellow striking at him as well?


    The man was clad in the same garments as the group that had made a nuisance of themselves earlier, but he was obviously much younger. Then Qin Feng got a look at his face, and almost froze from the shock!


    Lin Liushui? Lin Liushui had turned traitor?!


    * * *

 285 Hard Fight 2

    But the handsome fellow was falling back from his panicked defence, apparently struck by his riposte. And he gave out a scream too, as though he had just suffered a dehabilitating injury! That was suspicious enough that Qin Feng turned away from the handsome man, and kept his attention on the fat fellow.


    Who gave out an irritated roar as he avoided the flailing Lin Liushui, to continue to press Qin Feng!


    "F*ck you, you idiot! Go away and stop spoiling this granddaddy''s fun!"


    And side-stepped the falling gallant, to strike at Qin Feng again! Who grunted as he threw up another of his White Jade Palms to counter the attack. Then the young man''s eyes grew wide as another surprise unveiled itself right in front of his face!


    Lin Liushui''s wild, flailing fall on his back was just a diversion, it seemed. He simply rolled and jumped up immediately, the moment that the obese fellow passed. And struck at his rather large back, catching him on the back of his head! A sneak attack! Even as the fat man was charging at Qin Feng!


    Something that the fat man had not been expecting, or prepared for.


    And Lin Liushui''s capabilities were well beyond what Qin Feng could match too!


    The fat man barely had the time to give out a soft cry, before he collapsed onto the churned up dirt of the town thoroughfare. Leaving the pair of friends to stare at each other over his now quivering body.


    "What was that about? You caught me by surprise back there!"


    Qin Feng blurted that out, before Lin Liushui could even begin to explain. Which had the handsome fellow dipping his head at him.


    "Ah! My apologies. I had thought that you could tell that it was all a ploy, so that I could lull him into a sense of superiority, and hit him unawares. The fight would have taken much longer, I am sure, if I had not made that move. If I had hurt you, I shall make amends," said the handsome fellow as he gave Qin Feng a deep bow. Which was probably all the apology that the younger man knew that he was going to get.


    So Qin Feng grunted as he nodded back at the handsome fellow. "Next time you feel the need to do this, give me some secret signal, so that I''ll know what to expect. I almost sliced your head off earlier!"


    Li Liushui laughed as he bowed at the younger man. "Certainly. Certainly. I suppose I am lucky that you were so cautious, otherwise the plan might have failed. If ever I feel the need to do something like this, I will start quoting poetry, I suppose. With the moon as the main subject?"


    Qin Feng grunted again. "As if I would be able to tell the difference? You should know how much poetry I am aware of! I only know one verse about the moon, and that is something that starts with the ''moon shines bright on floor at the foot of my bed*''. I don''t even remember the rest of it, to tell the truth."


    "Ah! In that case, we shall have to figure out some other sort of signal then," laughed the handsome fellow, as he waved his fan at something at Qin Feng''s back, "But I think our Second Ducal Prince is impatient for us to get on with our interrogation. Or, at least, the rest of the women from the Snow Swallow Palace are."


    Then he pointed a finger at the man whom they had just killed, and continued in a very soft voice. "But in case you are wondering, I was not lying when I told him that I had seen him before. He is one of the Outbond Elders of our Lin Family, and he should be one of those who are guiding the younger members of the same.


    "Which is why I had intended to take him alive at first. But, as you can tell, it would have been too dangerous. So that is why I decided to kill him with that last strike earlier."


    Qin Feng agreed with Lin Liushui''s last statement, for all that he didn''t think too much of the handsome fellow''s plan. Was he an idiot? This fellow was somewhere beyond the Profound Realm! And he wanted to take him alive? Did he really think that he could talk the fellow into surrendering just now?


    Still, Qin Feng had to say that he was rather lucky. To have met someone who was at least two Realms higher than himself, and had actually had a chance to try out his Four Seasons Sword against the same. He was lucky to be able to walk away with his four limbs still intact!


    But it also warned him that there were likely to be more dangerous enemies around now. And that he would have to be careful. It would be a real waste for him to die now, wouldn''t it? After he had gotten so far with his White Jade Orchid Flower Sutra? After all his suffering?


    By then, the armoured and helmed Li Changhai had caught up with the pair, and did not look the least hurt by that tumble that Lin Liushui had sent him on earlier. "Well, I see that our plan had worked," the Second Ducal Prince said, as he pointed at the latter, "I think you should get out of that robe though. Otherwise, you are going to be confusing our allies. They might think you to be really an agent of the Purple Serpent Sect. Then where would we be?"


    Lin Liushui chuckled as he shrugged off the badly torn, purplish uniform robe, and dusted his undershirt off, before he withdrew another beautiful robe from his ring, and draped it over his body. "I think the women may be more likely to mob me, once they see me in this. Are you forgetting how I had warned them that I would be doing this, when I tore that awful-looking garment off the body of its original wearer?"


    Qin Feng snorted when he heard that. What was point of telling all the women, and leaving him out of the loop? He had almost hacked the handsome fellow''s head off earlier!


    But Lin Liushui was already searching the dead fat man, and that reminded him about what he had said earlier, regarding the rotund fellow being one of the Outbond Elders of the Lin Family. Was this all a ploy then, involving Lin Liushui''s people? Here in the Yang Kingdom?


    What were the chances of them running into something like that? And having the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace involved as well?


    A rather loud, and uncharacteristic curse from the Gentleman of the Flowing Water told him that it was probably true. Since it was unlikely that Lin Liushui would give out such a blistering oath, if he was not truly incensed.


    Li Changhai, apparently, had been warned about the matter as well. Or else, he had recognised the fat man as well, from their earlier sighting of the group at the harbour.


    "The Lin Family, of the Yang Kingdom, are involved? Are you sure about that? It would be embarrassing if this turned out to be some sort of mix-up?" the Second Ducal Prince asked the handsome fellow as he stepped forward.


    But Lin Liushui sighed and yanked out one of the insignia from the waist pouch of their prisoner. It looked a good bit like the one that the gallant had used, to intimidate that Ferry Port Marshal a few days back, Qin Feng realised. Not to mention the fact that it had a rather obvious ''Lin'' character carved into one side of it.


    Then Qin Feng looked closer, and saw that Lin Liushui was holding onto a whole handful of the same badges, and that they had all come from their prisoner''s Qiankun Pouch!


    "Either my family is involved, or good number of them have been taken prisoner. I am not sure which, but I am certain that my uncles would very much like to find out!"


    * * *


    *´²Ç°Ã÷Ô¹â

 286 Visit to Snow Swallow Palace 1

    But their discussion was interrupted by the arrival of the Snow Swallow Palace''s disciples, before they could go further. And Qin Feng noted how Lin Liushui had quickly tucked all of the evidence that he had gathered away, so that the women would not catch sight of the same. It would have made things a little awkward, he had to admit.


    Those were his relatives'' personal tags, after all. And there just would be some man-hating woman among the arrivals who would kick up a big fuss about that. And so accuse the Lin Family of being involved in the whole scheme.


    Far better for everyone that no one else knew about the tags, was his opinion. So long as they were not seen, everyone would just believe their story, that those people hired by the Purple Serpent Sect had been faking the Lin Family name, to cause trouble for the Su Family.


    As for the Snow Swallow Palace disciples that showed up, they were quickly pulled away by the Su Family to attend to their injuries. Apparently, a good number of them had received minor injuries during the fight.


    As for the Li Changhai group, Lin Liushui was his usual charming self, assuring everyone that no one had received any wounds of note, and soon had the whole family eating out of his hands, as he described all of the action to those who were stuck in the rear courtyards, and never got to see a thing.


    The way that he painted the Su Patriarch as a dominant player had the latter beaming with pride before too long. Which made him even more popular than he had been prior to the confrontation. If that could even be possible.


    Qin Feng, on the other hand, felt that his work was done, and quickly hid himself in his guest room to recuperate. He claimed that he had just obtained some insights during his battle and wanted to concentrate on his cultivation for a while. Naturally, no one dared to disturb him.


    Well, it didn''t really take that long, to deal with the mild injuries that he had received from the fight. There was only a bit of internal bleeding and his qi channels had been a little shaken up. But he would recover from those in two or three days, he was certain.


    What really bothered him was how they were going to deal with the other Snow Swallow Mountain forces that were going to arrive. Just how much of the situation were they going to share? This was far more complicated than what he had expected, when he head out there. And Lin Liushui just had to have pushed him into the main character''s role!


    That was bothersome, to say the least!


    *


    Three days later, Qin Feng revised that thought! What he had considered bothersome three days ago was only the tip of the iceberg, once the other Snow Swallow Palace people showed up!


    And Elder Mu led a contingent of some twenty-odd disciples to reinforce the Su Family position. While that could not be said to be surprising, given how the girls who had showed up first had raised the alarm, it did make matters a little more complicated.


    Qin Feng had not expected to be dealing with an Elder from the Palace.


    After she had been briefed about what had happened, the Elder had sighed, and simply waved a hand at the young women who were gathered at her back. Most of them looked grateful for the trio''s assistance, but it was clear that there were two or three of them who had animosity in their glares. Something that annoyed Qin Feng somewhat. After all, hadn''t they gone through all that trouble, to break them free of the siege laid by the Purple Serpent Sect?


    Why did they look as if they wanted to bite him to death?


    Or was it just for the fact that they had missed a good fight?


    "We should thank you for fending them off like that. And for discovering the involvement of the Purple Serpent Sect. We had just had news from the Palace, and Elder Wei had left for the Mountain together with five of our most senior disciples posted here. Hence, our strength here had been severely diminished. Your aid has been most appreciated, Young Master Qin. And Young Master Lin."


    Lin Liushui dipped into a bow as soon as he heard that. And fanned himself with a confident smile as he straightened his back again. "Think nothing of it. We were pleased to be of assistance to you. Indeed, this is the second of your Snow Swallow Mountain outposts that we had rescued. There is another, in the villages to the South, that had been attacked as well.


    "I take it that you had not heard of this?"


    The middle-aged woman looked shocked to hear the news, and a murmuring arose among the women at her back. Qin Feng noted that even those who had been staring daggers at him earlier had retracted their claws in the gazes, and were wondering at the motivations of the Purple Serpent Sect.


    "I will admit that I had not received any news of this. When did this take place? Are they out of danger now?"


    Lin Liushui reassured them quickly. "We have settled them in one of your more fortified villages. The one that lies next to the forest there. They have also begun to set up traps, in case the Purple Serpent Sect returns. The one in charge, Ye Honghua, came with us to defend this place. Hence, we were able to arrive in such a timely fashion."


    His statement was enough to put a blush on Ye Honghua''s face, who seemed a little nervous since she had been singled out for praise. But Elder Mu Xiuwen only chuckled and pointed a finger at her nose.


    "I do not have to warn you about putting on airs. but that was well done, neice of mine. Now I have something to report to your mother. Luckily, it is nothing embarrassing."


    She laughed then, with a good number of the senior disciples joining in, and elbowing Ye Honghua. The relief was so obvious on the Disciple''s face, that even Li Changhai and Lin Liushui chuckled along with them.


    Qin Feng, on the other hand, merely smiled. It was a good thing that she was related to Mu Xiuwen, he thought. He had spent a good bit of time on her, convincing her of his infatuation with Xu Yanzhi. If she, in turn, tells her aunt about that rumour ...


    Lin Liushui''s next question, however, stopped him before he got any further.


    "What do you think we should do now, Elder Mu? Do you need to report this back to the Snow Swallow Palace?"


    * * *


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 287 Visit to Snow Swallow Palace 2

    "That would be the right thing to do. And we should send these bodies back to the Palace too, so that the Elders there can have a look. This is a much larger conspiracy than what we had originally expected, if the Purple Serpent Sect is involved."


    Lin Liushui nodded at the older woman with a hint of approval in his smile. Not that the women would be able to recognize it, of course. But Li Changhai and Qin Feng knew the score. She had just given the handsome fellow an opening, hadn''t she?


    "Ah! But if all of you return ... Are you not concerned that the Su Family may come under yet another assault? What I mean is, they were targeted once for some reason only known to the enemy. So would it be prudent to simply leave them to defend themselves?"


    Elder Mu gave Lin Liushui a rather piercing look. "Oh? What are you suggesting?"


    "Let the three of us escort these bodies to the Snow Swallow Palace for you. Apart from the fact that you ladies are not suited for dealing with dead bodies, the Purple Serpent Sect may attack those conveying them. And we might be able to hold them at bay."


    "From the looks of things, you might be able to crush them!" laughed Elder Mu Xiuwen, "To tell the truth, I had not expected you young men to have such a powerful Cultivation, to be able to hold off the Purple Serpent Sect like you did.


    "However, we do have certain rules in our Snow Swallow Palace, so inviting you three in might be a little ..."


    Qin Feng decided to step in then. After all, he could guess how long it would take for Lin Liushui to try all his charms on the Elder. And he wasn''t in the mood to listen to the gallant flatter the middle-aged woman with all of his fancy talk.


    So he simply took out the black metal badge that he had received from Elder Ling Liyun, on Xu Yanzhi''s urging, and placed it on the table, squarely in front of himself. "I believe we should not have too much difficulty getting inside. At least, not with this. I had received this from another Elder of the Snow Swallow Palace, who assured me that it would open doors for me.


    "I trust that this is so?"


    Elder Mu Xiuwen gasped in surprise, and snatched up the badge at once. Qin Feng caught a glimpse of Lin Liushui''s upset face, and laughed gleefully. Inwardly, of course. He was careful to keep his face cold and expressionless. But he reveled at the thought of being able to tease the handsome fellow later.


    "This is ... Where did you get this? It is a very rare occurrence, that sees one of these being given out! Do you know the name of the one who handed it over to you?"


    Qin Feng, of course, was expecting just that question. Which is why he adjusted his own qi quickly, and painted a false blush on his cheeks. That was one trick that he had learned that he did not share with any of the girls.


    "I do not know if I should say it, but ... The one who is responsible for my receiving that is Xu Yanzhi. Although she did get that badge from an Elder Ling Liyun. There! I have said her name! I trust that it is genuine?"


    There was another reason why he was making such a big thing out of naming the one who had given him the badge. If he wasn''t wrong, this Elder Ling Liyun clearly outranked Mu Xiuwen. And if he was correct about that, then ...


    The Elder blanched as she pushed the badge back at Qin Feng. "Elder ... Prime Elder Ling? You got that from her? How ... No, no. It does not matter. If she gave you that, and told you to head towards the Palace ... Let one of my girls escort you to ... to show you the way. The rest of us should be sufficient to keep the Purple Serpent Sect from annexing this place."


    Qin Feng hid a smile when he heard that. And a look at Lin Liushui told him that the handsome fellow was in full agreement. It would be much easier if they went on their own, without any of the Snow Swallow Palace girls staying too close. There were some things that they should not know, after all.


    Not to mention the fact that they might meet up with more of the Purple Serpent Sect. Or Lin Liushui''s relatives. That last bit would be a little difficult to resolve, if they had Snow Swallow Palace disciples watching.


    Fortunately, that had occurred to the gallant as well, and Lin Liushui went to work on the Elder immediately. Leaving Qin Feng to step closer to the Second Ducal Prince. Who was looking rather amused at what his two companions had been doing:


    "Do you really think you can convince them to let us go on our own? I mean, if I was in their shoes, I would be keeping a very close eye on the two of you. Well, on you, in particular. After all, you are the one who has been so friendly to their most famous disciple. Not to mention the fact that it was your sword that claimed the life of a major Purple Serpent Sect threat.


    "Still, it would be interesting to see if Brother Liushui can get us out of having an escort."


    "Oh, I think it is rather likely. They are all women here, and the older ones would be required to help hold the fort. And their younger ones are a little vulnerable to Lin Liushui''s sweet smiles and your bludgeoning muscles. So the Elder may not feel so comfortable having them follow us about," Qin Feng told Li Changhai frankly.


    "Besides, they should be rather confident, since we shall be passing through their own checkpoints, in their own territory. It is not like we are going to run off somewhere, rather than going directly to their Snow Swallow Mountain Palace."


    ''Not when every one of them is expecting me to be rushing off in a hurry to meet with their precious Xu Yanzhi!''


    Qin Feng held himself back from mentioning that. But it was the real reason why he was heading there in the first place. And he would probably let it slip, if he really had to.


    But for some reason, he doubted that he would need to do that.


    The girls from the Palace already had a bit of a hint, didn''t they? And they were more than eager to get the two of them to meet, so that they could get more juicy tales to spread around!


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 288 Visit to Snow Swallow Palace 3

    Qin Feng had planned, and Lin Liushui had arranged. Between the two of them, they dragged Li Changhai at a furious pace, arriving at the Gates of the Sect within five days, rather than the expected seven.


    With the Second Ducal Prince complaining about how his a*se was so saddle-sore that he would have to sleep on his belly for a month!


    But none of the trio had expected the reception that they would receive, the moment that they arrived at the Main Gate of the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace. Instead of the usual guards and the boring document check, they were met by the famous Xu Yanzhi herself, clad in a resplendent gown that marked her clearly as a special disciple!


    Which was enough to set the three men checking and adjusting their own attire! While the Palace Guards were staring at them with tea-cup round eyes!


    Xu Yanzhi, however, ignored all of the guards'' expressions, and ran up to grab Qin Feng by the hand. "Ah! You are here! You are finally here!" she cried out happily, as though she was more than pleased to see him.


    Which was certainly out of his expectations. As well as that of his two companions. In fact, from the looks that the two men had on their faces, he was rather certain that they had completely misread the extent of his relationship with Xu Yanzhi!


    Did they really believe their own stories? The ones that the two of them had been throwing out, among the Snow Swallow Palace disciples? He had heard what Lin Liushui had been saying to the other girls, about how he had met with Xu Yanzhi before, in the South. And how he had attached himself to the Second Ducal Prince''s party when he had heard that they were heading this way, so that he could see her again.


    Wasn''t that Lin Liushui''s own story? How had it suddenly become something that Qin Feng had done? And wasn''t the three of them there based on the fact that he was holding onto Elder Ling Liyun''s token? How had it all turned out like another of those nonsensical romance stories that Lin Liushui was always throwing about?


    But he didn''t have time to worry about that at the moment. Not if he was still planning to ''entrap'' Xu Yanzhi!


    So Qin Feng put on what he hoped could pass as a warm smile, and reached out to Xu Yanzhi''s hands. And grasped them too, before the girl realized what he was intending to do. Then he dropped them in a hurry, as though he had just remembered himself.


    That was a particularly engaging sequence that he had read in one of those books, so he thought it might be useful. It would hint that he liked her more than he should, according to Yuan Qianlei. And should start giving the rest of the girls in the huge entrance court all sorts of ideas regarding their relationship.


    And Qin Feng was pleased to note that he was not short of witnesses, who were watching their ''reunion'' very, very intently!


    Which made his ''show'' all the more important now!


    "This one has missed Lady Xu since your departure, and has been worried that you would be accosted by the Purple Serpent Sect when this one heard that they were targeting your Snow Swallow Palace. Hence, this one has rushed all the way here.


    "And this one is greatly reassured that you are not ... bothered by those rascals."


    Xu Yanzhi looked a little puzzled by his polite speech, but caught the look in his eyes when he glanced at the older women who were obviously lurking around the entrance to the Sect. Which had her snorting in a most unladylike manner immediately.


    "Oh, don''t bother with all that polite nonsense, Brother Feng! We had fought each other before and that binds us in ties that are more important than normal folk. Besides, there is no need for all that polite nonsense here! Everyone knows about your proficiency with the White Jade Beauty''s Palm."


    Qin Feng gave out one of those irritating polite laughs that Lin Liushui was so fond of, and reached out to pat her on her upper arm. And sniggered inwardly, as he saw how some of the eyes of the other women went wide with shock. Xu Yanzhi, on the other hand, seemed to take it as a sign of agreement from him, that they should forgo the more polite manners.


    That was almost sufficient to make him burst out into laughter! Unfortunately, that would go against the script that he had prepared, so he merely wore a very bright smile. And pulled her closer, as if he wanted to share some secret that was only meant for her ears.


    "Just to let you know that I had totally eradicated a good number of Purple Serpent Sect malefactors who were targeting your Snow Swallow Palace''s allies. Don''t you think I deserve some sort of reward for my efforts? Haven''t I shown you my care and concern?"


    His mock-whisper was clearly loud enough to be heard by those close by, and judging from the shocked expressions on those girls'' faces, he had not failed to surprise them.


    Xu Yanzhi''s laugh and her casual slapping of his upper arm only made the story more convincing. So much so that even Li Changhai and Lin Liushui were showing awe on their faces. And their jaws dropped too, when she reached out to pinch his cheek!


    "Oh, you are too adorable, Brother Feng! No worries, no worries. I shall make sure that you get a nice fat reward for your efforts!


    "But first! We need to get the three of you to the Main Audience Hall. The rest of the Elders would like to meet with you, to learn more about the Purple Serpent Sect and their plot. So your reward will have to wait a bit!"


    "Ah. A pity. I was hoping that I could ..."


    Qin Feng let his voice trail off there. Let those listening in make their own guesses as to what he was hoping he could do! With the way that he was looking at Xu Yanzhi, it should be enough of a hint!


    Inside, he was laughing evilly at the thoughts that he was certain was running through the minds of all those feverish girls in the Snow Swallow Palace! ''Let us see how you attempt to wash your reputation clean after this, Xu Yanzhi!''


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 289 Visit to Snow Swallow Palace 4

    By the time that they were led to their guest house, Qin Feng was already plotting his next move. He had not expected Xu Yanzhi to come to meet him on arrival, but he would work that into his plan. As for the reactions of the other disciples ... That should be sufficient to help spread the news in the Snow Swallow Palace.


    In such an insular place, there should be hardly anything else to talk about. And gossip about a powerful, and wildly popular disciple like Xu Yanzhi? She should be the centre of all their attention. Which is why he would have to do this very carefully.


    He didn''t want to draw in any of those idiot fangirls who were always following her about, and so cause trouble for himself.


    Besides that, the Elders in the Snow Swallow Palace would also be paying attention to him and his antics. So he would have to watch himself with them as well. Luckily for him, Xu Yanzhi was the one who had initiated the physical contact between them earlier. And before all the eyes of the Snow Swallow Palace disciples that were lurking about.


    So he should be in the clear with regards to that.


    That being said, Qin Feng knew that he would have to behave a little cooler towards her. For the moment, at least. He still had to locate Xuan Mei, who was supposed to owe him an explanation, with regards to how she had ''abandoned'' him back at the Heaven Sword School. How he was going to manage matters with her would also have a part to play with his so-called infatuation.


    Hence, he would have to be very careful with his public image, from then on. Since everyone was concentrating on him, didn''t that mean that he would have to play up his heartbreak when he finally gets to play out his grand farewell to Xuan Mei? That was one ''performance'' that had to be perfect, if he was to capture the attention, and the favour, of the rest of the girls in the Sect.


    Which would look exceptional, if Xu Yanzhi were to come up to comfort him after his loss!


    Ah! If only he could manipulate that!


    But Qin Feng wasn''t too bothered if that detail did not work out. For now, he would have to concentrate on finding Xuan Mei, so that the ''first act'' of his little play could go on!


    *


    "Do you think you will be able to find that girl that you have been searching for, Brother Liushui? Now that you are here, you should have some idea where she is, don''t you?"


    Lin Liushui sighed, and turned to show a sad face to the Second Ducal Prince, Li Changhai, as he swept his hand out, to encompass all of the Snow Swallow Palace grounds that he could see from his room''s balcony.


    "I had thought that I would be able to find her in a moment. But it seems I shall have to put in a good bit more effort. I can only hope that Brother Qin Feng has better luck than I do, seeking out his woman.


    "Or should I say, his ''other'' woman."


    The two men were standing in Lin Liushui''s guest room, enjoying the evening breeze. They had been shown their rooms after Qin Feng''s little display at the entrance to the Snow Swallow Palace, and largely left alone after that. Which was a particularly painful experience for Lin Liushui.


    From the look on his face, he had been expecting at least one or two of the girls to remain, and to try to initiate some conversation with him. However, his hopes were dashed when all of those escorting him and the Second Ducal Prince had run off immediately. Apparently, they were anxious to discuss what had happened between Xu Yanzhi and her apparent ''lover'', at the Front Gates!


    Which was certainly not what he had expected, when he arrived there at the Snow Swallow Palace. Were all of the girls there so caught up in those fantasy-like romances that they have been reading that they were unable to recognise true ''handsome-ness'' in front of them?


    Li Changhai, on the other hand, seemed to be more concerned regarding the condition of their younger companion. And said so too:


    "He seems to be a little less quiet, when it comes to the women. But I sense that he is only making an effort, now that he is in the Snow Swallow Palace. Do you think it has something to do with that young woman that he is looking for? The one that had abandoned him?"


    "You mean, the one that he claimed had abandoned him? We only have his word for it, you know? And I have had some experience in these matters. Thinking about what he has told us so far, it is possible that she had been planning this move of hers for a good while, before she actually left. Otherwise, why did she coax him to take on that particular mission? Wasn''t it so that she could make her escape?"


    Li Changhai scowled at the handsome fellow''s words. As though he was unsure if they had come from Lin Liushui''s true feelings, or if they were just his way of protesting his abandonment by the ladies of the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace.


    With Lin Liushui, it was rather hard to tell at times.


    "Then there is no chance for him to win her back then?"


    "I didn''t say that. But if I were him, I would not be too bothered if she threw me off. After all, I have someone like Xu Yanzhi waiting for my attentions already. If I were him, that is.


    "At least with her, I wouldn''t be worried that a rival would suddenly show up on my doorstep. She has already shown how deeply she cares about him, hasn''t she?"


    Li Changhai grunted, and gave the handsome fellow a shrug in reply. It seemed he was right; Lin Liushui was merely venting. He must be really taking the earlier abandonment by those disciples a little harder than he had thought.


    Then the gallant sighed again, and waved his hand through the air again.


    "But who knows what Brother Qin Feng is likely to do? He has always been able to surprise us with his actions. We should just let him work things out his way."


    * * *


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 290 Xuan Mei 1

    "Where is Qin Feng?"


    The girls that Li Changhai asked simply shook their heads and walked away. But what frustrated him most was the fact that he had no idea if they were unwilling to talk to him, or if they did not know?


    The Second Ducal Prince bit down on his curse, holding it back before it could slip out of his mouth. Where was that troublesome fellow? It had been three days since they arrived at Snow Swallow Mountain Palace and he had already lost all contact with him! How could he have disappeared like that? It was almost as if Qin Feng was trying to break off all contact with him!


    And that Lin Liushui! He had vanished too! But he had at least left a note, claiming that he was looking for the love of his life. Since Li Changhai was aware that the handsome fellow was searching for his old flame, who was supposed to be a disciple there, it had made some sort of sense.


    Still, why was he being abandoned like that? What was he supposed to do, in this place that was filled almost entirely with women? Not to mention women who avoided him as though he was the plague! Why was he stuck in a spot like this?


    "Why are you looking for Qin Feng?"


    Li Changhai looked up in surprise, and saw that it was one of the Inner Court disciples of the Snow Swallow Palace who had asked him that question. At least, that was what her purple-hued dress declared. He had come to understand a little about their dress code, in the three days that he had been there.


    So he clasped his hands and greeted her a little more politely. Anyone who showed that much curiosity about him and Qin Feng deserved that much.


    "This one is Li Changhai, and I am seeking Qin Feng to ask about his quest."


    "Ah. Second Ducal Prince Li Changhai, from the Duchy of the Westlands, in the Kingdom of Shu. I have heard of you. And I have visited your Duchy as well. Or should I call it your father''s Duchy?"


    That was a surprising reply. Then Li Changhai remembered something that Qin Feng had told him. "Ah. Then you must be one of the two who came to look on, when we were fending off the Barbarians. I had heard Qin Feng mention that. I hope you were not too inconvenienced?"


    "By the Barbarian Invasion? Not at all. But I was rather curious about Qin Feng himself back then. And his unusual martial arts. I trust he mentioned that too."


    "Ah, well. I believe that your fellow disciple - your Junior Disciple Sister? Well, Xu Yanzhi tested him with regards to that. Something about some White Jade Hands? I believe she might have mentioned their so-called fight, back in Ningfei Town?"


    "That she did. Oh, I believe I had forgotten to introduce myself. I am Xu Qinghua. And yes, Xu Yanzhi is a fellow disciple of mine. My Senior Disciple Sister, to tell the truth. She joined the Snow Swallow Palace earlier than I did."


    "Ah."


    Li Changhai found himself giving out a short bark of laughter. "Oh! You are the one who crushed him in four blows! He was boasting about that, before he fought Xu Yanzhi."


    "Boasting? That is a strange way of putting it."


    "Well, you would need to have been there, to understand. It was a very curious exchange, back then."


    "Oh?"


    She had a rather curious expression on her face then, which Li Changhai attributed to the different versions of that epic fight that must be circulating in the Snow Swallow Palace. He had been a victim of that sort of gossip before, so he was more than happy to clear it up.


    That must have shown in his smile, because this Xu Qinghua gave out a chuckle then, and pointed at one of the many pavilions that he must have passed earlier, searching for his friends.


    "This looks like it may be a long and convoluted tale, so I believe that we might as well make ourselves comfortable first, before we begin. I am certain that I will end up asking you a great number of questions later on.


    "So shall we?"


    Li Changhai naturally agreed. After being avoided by the rest of the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace disciples as he had been for the last three days, he found himself more than ready to enjoy some proper conversation.


    This Xu Qinghua was a rather good listener too, he had to admit. And he ended up telling her about their little trip to Ningfei Town, and the great tournament-like atmosphere to the fight there. Something which had her breaking out into a laugh, when she heard about how Xu Yanzhi had played Qin Feng in the last bits of the same.


    Something that amused Li Changhai a great deal. He had not expected to enjoy being the focus of a pretty woman''s attention like this. Possibly because it was rather clear that he was the target of match-makers and such, the last time that he had a chance to speak to some girl, back in his father''s Duchy.


    Talking to Xu Qinghua didn''t give him that sort of pressure, to be honest. Perhaps because he knew that he didn''t stand a chance? The girls of the Snow Swallow Palace were generally not allowed to leave and get married, after all.


    Besides, this was only a conversation, where he can poke fun at his two friends, in retaliation for their abandonment.


    It would not do any harm, since it was only sharing rather common gossip on the two of them. While there was a chance that the girl would pick up on the pair''s secrets if he went too deep, that was their fault entirely, wasn''t it? Who told them to completely ignore him like this?


    Besides, if they had intended to search for someone in the Palace, wouldn''t it be easier if they simply asked about the girl?


    And he said so too, in one of those lulls after he had completed his last anecdote.


    "Wait. So are you looking for Qin Feng or for Lin Liushui now?


    "Or are you helping them search for their friend in the Palace?"


    * * *

 291 Xuan Mei 2

    Li Changhai was a little surprised to hear that question, but Xu Qinghua''s bright smile seemed to assure him that she was no up to any tricks. So he smiled back, and shrugged at her. "Both of them? Either one? I am just a little annoyed that the two of them had abandoned me in favour of their women. Although I probably should have known that this would happen.


    "They have crossed a great distance, and went through many difficulties, just to get here. And for what? To meet with their women again. So I probably shouldn''t kick up a fuss about this. After all, it is clear how important they are to the two of them."


    Xu Qinghua hid her giggle behind her sleeve. That was enough of a resemblence to Xu Yanzhi that the Second Ducal Prince was reminded that the younger girl was her Senior Disciple Sister. Which brought a smile to his lips as well.


    "Perhaps you can give me the girl''s name then. So that I can help you ... help them, I mean, in their search. There are a great number of disciples here. Especially in the Outer Palace. Only those who show a significant promise are allowed to enter the Inner Court.


    "If she as done so, it might be difficult for her to meet with them though."


    The Second Ducal Prince was surprised to hear that. "Why is that? I thought that you are allowed to move freely, once your skills have been tested and found adequate. At least, that was what I had heard from the other girls. When we were down in Chestnut Town."


    "If you are referring to Senior Disciple Sister Xu Yanzhi and myself, that would be correct. But we are not Inner Court Disciples. We are the Personal Disciples of our shifu, so you might say that we are a little higher in the pecking order," Xu Qinghua answered with a self-mocking smile, "So we are given a little more leeway in our personal dealings."


    "Ah."


    Xu Qinghua laughed again. This time, Li Changhai guessed, at his somewhat obvious disappointment. He had rather hoped to learn more about the girls. But the way that she had answered that question just now made it rather clear that it was not something that she wished to share.


    "But I believe that we were talking about your two friends'' objectives for coming here. I find it rather surprising, that the two of them are similarly afflicted by the same problem. That their beloved women have both joined the Snow Swallow Palace? What were the chances of that?" she laughed.


    "I only know that they are both searching high and low for the girls. Lin Liushui should have met his girl in the North, since he said that he had followed her South to my father''s Duchy. Before he lost sight of her altogether.


    "As for Qin Feng, I believe that he said something about her being a Senior of his, back in the Heavenly Sword Sect."


    "Ah!"


    "Chores?"


    Xu Qinghua smiled fetchingly, as she pointed a finger at some girls who were rushing along the path with a huge bundle of clothes in their arms. "We have to be self-sufficient, so the Outer Court Disciples are all assigned specific chores to handle. The Elders call it a way to calm their spirits. But I think it is just one of those administrative details has to be handled. And who better to do this than the Outer Court Disciples?


    "The younger ones cannot practice their martial skills for too long, and the chores help them to build up their strength and endurance. Just one of the usual tricks that all Sects use, I believe."


    Li Changhai nodded back. "It is the same with our armies. The most junior men handle the more commonplace duties, while the more senior, more advanced recruits are allowed to train in more difficult tactics and weapon skills. This allows us to better manage their time. So that those with less endurance learn better discipline."


    Then he gave out a soft laugh, as he remembered his own time in the training wing. He wasn''t given a rank, since he had snuck in there himself. In the end he had been tormented for days!


    "You sound like you have seen that particular phase of their training yourself. And very closely too," Xu Qinghua told him, grinning, "This was from your own experience, was it?"


    "Very much so," he laughed again.


    Then the woman stopped, and waved at a trio of buildings standing a short distance away. "There it is. We are here. If all goes well, we should be able to find Xuan Mei, and deal with the knot in your Brother''s heart."


    But she looked up with a frown on her face, when she saw one of the disciples running towards her with a look of anger on her face. Which she assured Li Changhai that it didn''t have anything to do with his presence with a quick smile in his direction. However, she did stop that disciple, to ask what had happened.


    "That vile old man has come again, and he brought gifts as if he is proposing a marriage. And he has insisted that Sister Xuan Mei meets with him at once. Senior Sister Xu Yanzhi has brought Xuan Mei away to the Bamboo Grove while the Elders are trying to stall him."


    "Xuan Mei? She is being proposed to? By whom?"


    The disciple who had just shared her news looked at the Second Ducal Prince in surprise. Which reminded him that she probably didn''t know how he knew that name at all. But Xu Qinghua smiled at the girl, and waved her on her way. Before turning to him to explain.


    "You might have heard the story, about how Qin Feng had been engaged to Xuan Mei when she was back in the Heavenly Sword School. Well, it was precisely to avoid the attentions of this vile scoundrel, Chang Chenzhang. He is from the Alchemists'' Brotherhood, which has a very bad reputation here in the Yang Kingdom.


    "It appears that he has tracked down Xuan Mei, and is trying to get her to marry him again. And it seems he is determined to have his way, and is forcing our Elders to crush him, if he continues to press his case."


    * * *

 292 Xuan Mei 3

    "He wants your Elders to do that? To crush him?"


    Xu Qinghua shook her head. "That is unlikely. That scoundrel is a coward. But he seems to have attracted some rather powerful friends. Well, alchemists tend to do that. And they are the ones who are backing him. So unless we are able to fend them off, he is just going to keep coming here, and making a nuisance of himself," she sighed.


    "Ah. Then isn''t there something that we can do to help?"


    Xu Qinghua started to shake her head then, but stopped immediately. "Oh. Perhaps there might be a way. Your Qin Feng was betrothed to her previously, so he might be able to intimidate Chang Chenzhang. That old alchemist is a coward, and doesn''t really like to get hurt, so there is no chance that he would take part in a fight.


    "If your friend can kick up enough of a fuss ..."


    Li Changhai laughed. "Ah. That might not be a problem. But I think we shall need to get a hold of him first, so that we can go through the plan with him. You see, Xuan Mei had left him back at Heavenly Sword School with only a note, and that has affected him rather badly. That is why he has come all this way to meet with her.


    "If he realizes that she is just using him to fend off that obnoxious fellow ... Well, I am not sure how Qin Feng is going to take that."


    Xu Qinghua seemed to understand what he meant. "I see. Then we may have to take steps. But since he knew of the issue from before, perhaps we should speak to him first?"


    "That should be the best course of action for us to take now," Li Changhai agreed.


    It was unlikely for Qin Feng to take a hand in this, if the parting between him and the girl had been as terrible as he believed it to be. But what choice did she have? The Snow Swallow Palace probably has its own rules, that prevent it from taking action against the old lecher. Otherwise, wouldn''t it have kicked him out of there already?


    "In that case, let us go and meet with Xuan Mei first. It would be prudent if we found out the reason behind her leaving Qin Feng in the first place, before we decide on what to do."


    Then she turned to the disciple, who had been so bothered by the earlier news. "Where is Xuan Mei now? Which garden did Sister Yanzhi take her to?"


    The younger disciple, who seemed to have overheard everything that they had said, was very forthcoming with her information:


    "The South Garden. Senior Disciple Sister Xu Yanzhi brought her over a little while ago. She should be there now. Oh, and your friend? Young Master Lin Liushui was headed there earlier, so he should have met her already.


    "Unfortunately, that bast*rd ... I mean, that Chang Chenzhang is also headed that way."


    Xu Qinghua looked grim when she heard that, and started walking briskly towards the garden immediately. She explained once the Second Ducal Prince had caught up.


    Li Changhai understood immediately. So that was why they had not thrown him out straightaway! "This alchemist ... Is his backing really that important? What I mean is, is he really that influential? That he can come barging in here like that?"


    Xu Qinghua sighed again. "If it had been thirty years ago, we might have already killed the old fool. But our influence in the region has been weakening lately, and we can only hold on with our fewer numbers now. You must have seen how empty the place is now? That will continue to worsen, I am afraid."


    "So you do not have the numbers to deal with the larger Sects? Like the Purple Serpent Sect? They are the ones who are behind all your recent troubles, aren''t they?"


    "More like they are the symptom, rather than the cause," she said, "Like I said, we have fewer numbers now, so we can no longer afford to protect our interests as aggressively as we had done before. So there are many groups out there who think that we are weak, and are watching us carefully.


    "Added to the fact that our disciple sisters seldom marry, and most being orphans, we do not have that much of an influence over the nearby towns and villages. And it is worse for the larger Cities. So our Snow Swallow Palace is basically standing alone."


    The Second Ducal Prince had to agree with her. It was a problem that had no solution. So long as it was isolated from the outside world, there wasn''t much that anyone could do to help. Indeed, it was hard to find anyone who would view the Snow Swallow Palace sympathetically in the first place!


    Even Lin Liushui and Qin Feng didn''t have a very good impression of this Sect. If not for the fact that they knew someone here, and wished to be with them, Li Changhai doubted that they would have put themselves through so much trouble back at Chestnut Town.


    Lin Liushui would be easy to convince. So long as the Snow Swallow Palace did not make things too difficult for him and his love. As long as they stood out of the way and let those two get together, the Second Ducal Prince was rather certain that Lin Liushui would do his best to help.


    As for Qin Feng it would be a lot more complicated. Between his admiration for Xu Yanzhi and his disgust at this Xuan Mei, there was no telling what he would do. Torn between the two of them, his attitude towards the Snow Swallow Mountain Palace must be rather conflicted, to say the least.


    Yet, Li Changhai could not help but hope that his friends would stand by the Snow Swallow Palace at this time. Perhaps their antipathy towards the Purple Serpent Sect would help to make up their minds for them.


    Then he heard it. The shouting ahead was definitely Qin Feng''s voice! Had he found his way to the garden as well? That meant that both Lin Liushui and Qin Feng should be ganging up on that Chang Chenzhang fellow, right?


    * * *

 293 Xuan Mei 4

    Then he got closer and he got a better grasp of the quarrel that was taking place. What was going on? Why were Lin Liushui and Qin Feng arguing?


    Xu Qinghua gasped, and he turned to her, thinking that she might have a better grasp of the situation. Only to see her looking aghast, as she urged him to go faster. "We must hurry! They are fighting over Xuan Mei!"


    "What?!"


    But Xu Qinghua had already starting dashing towards the garden, leaving him far behind when she activated the full power of her Lightness-of-Body movement. Not that Li Changhai was concentrating on that. Instead, the Second Ducal Prince couldn''t believe his ears. His friends were fighting over Xuan Mei? Why would they be fighting over Xuan Mei? Did Lin Liushui even know ...


    Then it dawned on him.


    "No! It can''t be! They are both after the same woman?" he blurted, even as he took off after Xu Qinghua. How could things be that preposterous?


    But the woman from the Snow Swallow Palace must be much more powerful than he was. Or at least a whole lot quicker. He could barely see a trace of her garments, as he fought to keep her in sight. Which was a bit of a relief.


    She seemed to have forgotten that he didn''t know how to get to the Southern Gardens!


    When he finally caught up with her, Li Changhai found Xu Qinghua staring at a fight that had already broken out in the garden. "What is happening?" he panted, as he landed next to her.


    Then his attention was caught by the duel that was taking place as well.


    "What is this? How can this be? How did they end up fighting?"


    "I don''t know. But this is bad. This is very bad!"


    Nor were they the only ones who were watching the messy fight between the two men. Xu Yanzhi was standing at the side, accompanied by a woman that Li Changhai did not recognize. And the two of them were clutching at each other''s hands and staring at the duelists with wide eyes.


    Then he noticed the two old fellows to the side, and scowled at how one of them seemed to have his eyes on the women, rather than the fight. And that one was grinning in a most disgusting way.


    "What is he doing here?"


    The Second Ducal Prince turned to the young woman at his side, and saw that she had her eye on the same individual that he had. With a distinct crease on her brow. "Who is he?" Li Changhai asked, without thinking too much about it.


    "That is Chang Chenzhang. The old lecher who is attempting to get us to marry Xuan Mei to him. He actually dares to come here? When they are clearly fighting over her?"


    Fighting over her? Li Changhai almost groaned aloud, as he forced his eyes back on the pair who were charging at each other further away in the distance. Or, it should be Qin Feng who was charging at Lin Liushui. The latter looked almost as bewildered as the Second Ducal Prince felt. How had things deteriorated so quickly?


    Stupid Poetry? What had poetry to do with this?


    But Qin Feng was already hurling his first punch! And there was a huge flucuation in the qi that surrounded the man''s hand, which made Li Changhai cry out immediately. "How did he do that? That is clearly in the Profound Realm! I thought he was only at the Discerning Stage!"


    Strangely, Lin Liushui sent his palm at the younger man''s fist, meeting it straight on rather than attempting to deflect it. And the waves of qi emanating from the handsome fellow''s strike was similarly in the Profound Realm!


    Fuck! When had the two of them pushed themselves so far beyond his capabilities? Li Changhai certainly had no chance of stopping them, if they had already advanced to such a stage!


    And a quick look at the woman at his side told him that she was similar distressed. "Their Cultivation seems to be above even mine," she whispered softly, although he was uncertain if Xu Qinghua was speaking to herself, or had meant her words for him.


    "That is impossible! How did he get so powerful so quickly?"


    Then the two hands made contact, and the air surrounding the pair of them exploded out in a manner that stung everyone who was in the vicinity! Li Changhai felt as if his skin had been slapped, despite the distance. And there was a look of utter shock on the face of the lecherous Chang Chenzhang a short distance away.


    "Qin Feng! Xuan Mei is my woman! She always has been! She threw the betrothal back in your face, didn''t she? Doesn''t that tell you she is mine? Challenge me and die!"


    This time, it was Lin Liushui who was making the attack, when it was clear that Qin Feng''s zhenqi was just a shade weaker than his. The resulting blow threw the younger man back a good distance, while the blast for the clash washed over Li Changhai all the same.


    "This isn''t good. If we don''t stop them, the whole garden may be ruined," said Xu Qinghua with a curious smile on her face.


    That was when Li Changhai realised that her voice was louder than usual, and she seemed to be directing her words towards the frightened old men at the side. That lecher Chang Chenzhang seemed to look unnaturally pale at the moment, while he stared at the dueling pair.


    "Curse you, Lin Liushui! You dare?"


    "Of course I dare! I will tear you apart from daring to set your lecherous eyes on my Xuan Mei! She is mine and will forever be mine! I will rip apart any fool who dares to lay claim to her!"


    Huh? The Second Ducal Prince was confused now. He had never heard the pair declare their love for the woman that way. Qin Feng was not the sort who would lose his temper like that. And Lin Liushui would probably come up with something more flowery and delicate to insult his opponent. He would never be so blatant as to ...


    Then he sneaked a look at Xu Qinghua, and she jerked her chin at the ones watching the pair''s performance. Xu Yanzhi looked rapt, and had her mouth open as she stared at the two men. While Xuan Mei was blushing as her besotted eyes never left Lin Liushui.


    "I think we may wish to get them to stop now. Chang Chenzhang has already left. And I doubt he will be coming back any time soon."


    That was when the Second Ducal Prince noticed that the one they called the Old Lecher was already gone. Taking his companion along with him. Beside him, Xu QInghua''s bright beaming smile only added to his confusion. Even as more booms of Profound Qi echoed in the gardens around him, as Lin Liushui and Qin Feng continued to exchange blows.


    What had just happened here?


    * * *

 294 Xuan Mei 5

    "So it was all a ploy?"


    Lin Liushui was the one to laugh first, although he hid his laughter behind his opened fan. Which left Qin Feng to sniff at the Second Ducal Prince. Although he pointed at the handsome fellow as he did that.


    "Of course. I had been a bit worried with my first attack, since I wasn''t sure that he got my reference to bad poetry. But I supposed he must have realised that I was only heightening my projection of qi to intimidate."


    Lin Liushui agreed with that immediately. "I knew something was up when I sense the Profound level Cultivation in his strike. After all, wasn''t he only in the Discerning Realm less than ten days ago, just after we left Chestnut Town? How could he have advanced so quickly?


    "Then I realised that it was all some sort of game that he was playing. And his odd declaration of affection for Xuan Mei caught my attention. It seemed like a very large hint. So I decided to be uncharacteristically blatant in declaring my love for her as well. Just for the shock value."


    "That is why you pushed yourself even further? To project the Peak of Profound Realm Cultivation in your strikes?"


    The one who asked that was Xu Qinghua, who had been the one to tell the pair that their ploy had worked, and that they had protected Xuan Mei from her unwanted suitor. And she had used her status as a Personal Disciple of a Prime Elder, to get everyone who was involved in the incident to sit down, and work out their differences.


    Although, when they got to her little tea room, matters had ended up more like a briefing, rather than a settlement. Which, in turn, had given Li Changhai the chance to ask his questions of the pair. The Second Ducal Prince was still very confused about what was really happening.


    "Speaking of Xuan Mei, why did you hide her away again? Shouldn''t she be here?"


    Xu Qinghua turned to Qin Feng, and shook her head at him. "We shall need to give her some time, I think, to let her cool her head over what she heard. Well, that is the official story.


    "You two were rather ... loud in telling the world of your love for her, you understand? While I think she may not be affected by Qin Feng here, Young Master Lin''s words had a rather ... interesting effect on her."


    "Ah."


    "Oh! Ha ha."


    The latter response was from Lin Liushui, who pouted at Qin Feng then. "I had not known that Xuan Mei had made such an arrangement with Brother Qin Feng here. So when I learned about it, I had naturally gone to confront him.


    "But when we heard about the situation involving Alchemist Chang ..."


    Qin Feng shrugged, and waved the matter aside as if it was unimportant. "That has been dealt with, and my so-called engagement to Xuan Mei was clearly to shield from nasty little flies like that Chang fellow. With you here, I can hand over my duties now."


    "We seem to have a rather robust network for the sharing of gossip, you see."


    This time, it was Li Changhai who looked surprised. "Then ... Ah! That disciple sister of yours who told us about where Xuan Mei could be found ... Was she one of this ... gossip circle of yours then?"


    Xu Qinghua''s cheeks were pink when she nodded back at the Second Ducal Prince. "How else could I have located her so quickly. But honestly, I had not expected such a ... such a performance when we got there. I merely thought that one of your companions would tell Chang Chenzhang off, and threaten him with physical injury.


    "But this little fight, I believe, shall be enough to put him in his place, and keep him from dreaming of getting his clutches on our Xuan Mei. After all, how would a mere alchemist of his stature dare to challenge a pair of young men like these, who are in the Profound Realm?"


    Qin Feng sniffed at that. "And you might wish to let the old fool know that Lin Liushui here is from the Wuyang Lin Family too. Just so that there are no further mistakes with regards to this issue. Oh, and that should also clear up the small matter of your dispute over the Su Family in Chestnut Town.


    "I mean, it doesn''t make sense for the Wuyang Lin Family to make trouble for the Snow Swallow Palace when one of the latter is going to become a daughter-in-law, is it? Or is it granddaughter-in-law? I never got your placement in your family worked out."


    Lin Liushui had the good grace to hide his face behind his fan, while Qin Feng was going on. But he could not resist answering that question at the end. Rather proudly too.


    "Well, I don''t think my uncle has taken over the Patriarch''s position yet, so I should be in the ''grandson'' tier right now. So ''granddaughter-in-law'' would be more accurate."


    Xu Qinghua, however, was hiding her face behind her sleeve as well. And from the strained sound of her voice as she answered, it was pretty clear that she was giggling with abandon at the nature of their discourse.


    "I see. I shall remind my shifu and the rest of the Palace about that. When the discussion comes up, of course."


    Qin Feng nodded back at her, since he had been the one to bring the subject up. Li Changhai was surprised that he was taking such an active role though.


    Then he heard the young man''s next question. And things became a little clearer:


    "And Xu Yanzhi? How did she take the news that I was the one who was betrothed to Xuan Mei? Did she mention anything about that?"


    * * *