Several days had passed since Wang Yu's wedding.
The various guests had already taken their leave, and even Asuli had returned to the White Qiang. Only Fang Shaobai had lingered behind at the manor, having nothing better to do.
Clang, clang, clang—
A rapid cascade of crisp rings rang out in the main courtyard. A streak of white light flashed from within a swirling blur of green, cold radiance glinting as it wheeled swiftly around Fang Shaobai. The longsword swept like a howling tempest, wave upon wave without pause.
Fang Shaobai stood rooted at the center, his movements seemingly sluggish yet blistering fast in reality. Though his feet barely appeared to leave the flagstones, he shifted and dodged at lightning speed within inches of space.
"Splendid Seventy-Two Forms of Wind and Snow! Brother Zhao, your swordplay has truly grasped the essence of the craft!" Fang Shaobai praised. "I'd say you aren't lagging far behind Xin Yilong now."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Wang Yu chuckled.
Xin Yilong was the foremost disciple of Mount Tianshan's new generation. Even against Liu Wuchen, he was only a hair behind, and he had slain Qubi Amu by trading wound for life, making him an undisputed titan among Xiantian experts.
Of course, when pitted against Fang Shaobai, he had fallen in a single exchange.
"That was only because I unleashed a finishing move he had never seen before," Fang Shaobai explained. "Had he been properly prepared, I wouldn't have defeated him in a single stroke."
"Then how many moves could he have lasted?" Wang Yu asked.
Fang Shaobai pondered for a moment. "About ten moves, I suppose."
Wang Yu shook his head, thinking Xin Yilong would probably weep his heart out in a corner if he heard that.
"Come on, stop humoring me with sparring drills. Attack with everything you've got and see how many moves I can endure," Wang Yu challenged.
"Very well!" Fang Shaobai nodded, flicking his wrist.
A lotus of sword light blossomed, rippling gently like spring water.
Wang Yu held out until the seventh move before Fang Shaobai lightly tapped his shoulder with the tip of his sword. Had this been a life-and-death clash, Wang Yu's throat would have been sliced wide open.
"What marvelous swordplay!" Wang Yu could only marvel.
He had long been familiar with Fang Shaobai's techniques.
In terms of actual combat, they had fought alongside each other against horse bandits in the Western Regions, and he had also witnessed Fang Shaobai's bouts against Xin Yilong and Yang Weiming during the Mount Tianshan sword meet.
In terms of sparring, Wang Yu had spent nearly every day since his wedding drinking and trading blows with him.
Yet once they sparred in earnest, even though Fang Shaobai utilized nothing other than the transparent, unmistakable Azure Lotus Sword Song, Wang Yu simply could not hold him off.
The rhythm, the variations, the artistic conception—
Strictly speaking, aided by the deductions and refinements of the divine tortoise shell, Wang Yu's mastery of sword technique was not necessarily inferior to Fang Shaobai's. Yet he still trailed behind in talent, combat experience, and cultivation depth, which led to an inevitable disparity in practical application.
Still, it mattered little—he had a cheat on his side!
Wang Yu was not disheartened in the slightest. Even if the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor could not acquire peerless spirit herbs, he had full confidence that he could brute-force his cultivation through sheer volume using ordinary century-old wild ginseng, lingzhi, and huangjing.
"Come take a rest now that you're done!"
Inside the pavilion, Li Yunxiu and Ardai sat side by side, while Yuan Feifei sat off to one side. Zi Ling attended nearby. Next to them stood a wooden tub half-filled with cold water, in which several watermelons were soaking.
Upon the pavilion table rested slices of bright red watermelon that had already been cut, alongside glistening bunches of purple grapes still beaded with water, looking utterly mouthwatering.
Wang Yu gestured for Fang Shaobai to join them, picked up a slice of watermelon, and took hearty bites, wolfing down three wedges in rapid succession.
Fang Shaobai did not hold back either, though his manners were far more refined than Wang Yu's. He ate a single wedge of watermelon, plucked two grapes, and then sipped a cup of chilled grape wine, looking thoroughly refreshed.
"Brother Zhao truly knows how to enjoy life. I almost want to live in the prince's manor forever!" Fang Shaobai sighed wistfully.
Wang Yu chuckled. "I'd love nothing more than for you to stay here permanently. When things are quiet, you can spar with me, and if enemies come knocking, you can hold the front line. If you're truly willing—"
"I am not!" Fang Shaobai waved his hands frantically. "Ten days or half a month is fine, but if I stayed here for good, I'd bore myself to death!"
"Well, you're always welcome whenever you want to visit," Wang Yu said with a smile.
"I won't be shy about it," Fang Shaobai laughed.
"It's a pity Senior Yan returned beyond the pass, or else I would have loved to seek her guidance," Fang Shaobai added, popping another grape into his mouth.
Neither Wang Yu nor Ardai had wanted Yan Xiangxue to depart. Given her advanced age and the fact that the northwestern steppe no longer harbored the threat of the Black Qiang, she would not have minded spending her twilight years in peaceful comfort at the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor.
However, this was a critical juncture for the White Qiang's assimilation of the Black Qiang. Asuli's prestige alone was insufficient to overawe the Black Qiang. Having guarded the White Qiang for over fifty years, Yan Xiangxue commanded immense renown among the Black Qiang as well. Her presence alongside Asuli would ensure a much smoother unification of the two tribes.
"Impressive. You already dare to challenge a Xiantian Grandmaster!" Wang Yu gave him a thumbs-up.
"I said no such thing!" Fang Shaobai shook his head in amusement. "Don't twist my words!"
Ardai nodded in all seriousness. "Understood. I will pass the message to Master: Fang Shaobai wishes to challenge her, seeking to defy a Grandmaster from the Xiantian realm and shake the entire world."
Fang Shaobai stared wide-eyed. "Ardai, I remember you being straightforward and honest back at Mount Tianshan! You weren't like this at all!"
Li Yunxiu shot Wang Yu a glance. "One takes on the color of their company, as they say."
Wang Yu nodded solemnly. "Harsh administration, haggling over every penny—a certain someone's heart has indeed turned pitch black."
"And aren't I managing the Three Northwestern Prefectures on your behalf?!" Li Yunxiu glared at him in exasperation, seized by the urge to pounce and bite him to death.
The pavilion erupted in laughter.
Sensing the sickeningly sweet air of lovers' banter, Fang Shaobai could not resist fanning his hand in front of his nose. He felt he really could not linger in the manor much longer, lest his heart be tainted and the speed of his sword draw dulled.
The group chatted and laughed in the courtyard until the sun sank low in the west, when a servant rushed over in haste. "Reporting to Your Highness, a young lady named Leng Jiangzhu from the Meishan Sect seeks an audience at the gate!"
"Hmm?" Everyone paused in surprise.
Wang Yu, Li Yunxiu, and Ardai had all taken part in the Mount Tianshan sword meet, so naturally they knew Leng Jiangzhu.
Li Yunxiu's gaze flickered. "Has something happened to Sun Wenzhu?"
Leng Jiangzhu had clearly harbored affection for Sun Wenzhu. Following the sword meet, she had departed the mountain together with him. Judging by what they had said before leaving, they had likely traveled together to gather medicinal herbs across the two circuits of Chuanshu.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, they would have had no reason to come back to Longshan Prefecture, much less Leng Jiangzhu arriving alone.
"Bring her in at once!" Wang Yu rose immediately.
The group moved to the guest hall together, arriving just as the gatekeeper led Leng Jiangzhu inside.
Leng Jiangzhu's countenance remained aloof and cool as ever, yet deep anxiety was visible in her eyes. Only upon laying eyes on Wang Yu did a spark of hope kindle in her gaze.
"Miss Leng, has Brother Sun run into trouble?" Wang Yu inquired straight away.
"Indeed," Leng Jiangzhu replied without preamble. "Brother Sun has been poisoned by Shangguan Tusu. He said that in all the world, only Your Highness's ice-and-fire inner energy can help expel the poison."
"Sun Wenzhu was poisoned?" Wang Yu raised an eyebrow.
"Poisoned by Shangguan Tusu?" Fang Shaobai was taken aback.
They had all witnessed Sun Wenzhu's lethal prowess in the Western Regions, where a Xiantian expert had been nonchalantly poisoned to death by him. Who would have guessed he would fall victim to another's venom?
Yet the fact that the poison had been administered by Shangguan Tusu made it far more terrifying. That man was the reigning Valley Master of Huichun Valley, a Xiantian Grandmaster who had reportedly healed and saved countless lives, earning the gratitude of half the martial world. Who could have imagined he would resort to poison?
"I had guessed Sun Wenzhu had a grudge against Shangguan Tusu, but I never imagined he would be this audacious," Wang Yu said, dumbfounded. "He hasn't even reached the Xiantian realm, yet he went after Shangguan Tusu?"
Li Yunxiu expressed her amazement. "Yet he managed to escape Shangguan Tusu's clutches?"
A Houtian martial artist confronting a Xiantian Grandmaster, escaping with his life despite being grievously poisoned instead of being struck down on the spot—that alone was worthy of endless bragging rights!
Leng Jiangzhu nodded. "He escaped, but he was struck with deadly poison. However, according to him, Shangguan Tusu didn't get off lightly either."
Good heavens! Listen to that—Shangguan Tusu didn't get off lightly either!
What did that even imply?
Wang Yu turned to Fang Shaobai. "I think Brother Sun is far bolder than you."
By comparison, when facing a Xiantian Grandmaster, Fang Shaobai merely thought of seeking guidance from Yan Xiangxue, whereas Sun Wenzhu had charged straight into battle!
Fang Shaobai nodded repeatedly in agreement. "He truly is more capable than I am."
Still, banter was just banter; the urgent matter at hand was Sun Wenzhu.
"How is Brother Sun's condition right now?" Wang Yu asked. "Did he come with you to Longshan Prefecture?"
Leng Jiangzhu shook her head. "He said the poison has already penetrated his heart meridians. Though he took an antidote pill, he must keep his mind completely calm and cannot endure the slightest jolting from travel. He is currently resting in a county town in Ningyuan Prefecture, lodging with a local family I found."
Wang Yu understood and breathed a sigh of relief. "Then it seems he isn't in immediate mortal danger for the moment."
Leng Jiangzhu added anxiously, "However, the antidote pill has limited efficacy, and the venom continues to worsen. He won't be able to hold out for very long."
Wang Yu nodded. "Do not fret, Miss Leng. Brother Sun is my friend, and I will not leave him to die. Allow me to make some arrangements, and I will set out with you tomorrow morning to save him. How does that sound?"
Leng Jiangzhu let out a visible sigh of relief. "Thank you!"
Li Yunxiu stepped forward and took Leng Jiangzhu's hand. "Miss Leng, you have had a long and grueling journey. Let me take you to freshen up and get some rest. When we have dinner later, you can tell us everything that happened."
Leng Jiangzhu was indeed thoroughly exhausted, and she followed Li Yunxiu without hesitation. "Very well!"
***
In the rear hall, the evening banquet had already been prepared.
When Leng Jiangzhu returned with Li Yunxiu, the others were already waiting for her.
"My apologies for being late."
"No need to rush; we only just arrived as well."
Leng Jiangzhu took her seat and exchanged greetings with Zhao Rong, Zhao Yingjie, and Yuan Feifei. "Why don't I see Qianqian?"
"Qianqian had some family matters to attend to and is temporarily away from the manor," Wang Yu answered. He then asked, "Miss Leng, what exactly happened when you and Brother Sun traveled to Chuanshu? I recall Brother Sun mentioning that he had no intention of going to Huichun Valley anytime soon."
In truth, Huichun Valley was situated within Chuanxi Circuit, roughly at the tri-border junction where Chuanxi, Chuannan, and Jianghan Circuits met, lying somewhat closer to the Bashan Sect of Chuanxi Circuit and the Mushan Sect of Jianghan Circuit.
"He indeed did not go to Huichun Valley. It was merely that while we were gathering herbs in Chuannan Circuit, we unexpectedly crossed paths with Shangguan Tusu," Leng Jiangzhu explained.
Wang Yu asked, "So Brother Sun couldn't hold himself back from striking?"
Leng Jiangzhu nodded. "At the time, we had just gathered a Nine-Veined White Parasol in Chuannan Circuit. Using that herb alongside Golden-Leaf Aconite and another poisonous plant as the core components, and incorporating three venoms from snakes and insects along with three toxins of metal and earth, he compounded a dose of Three-Phase Three-Extinction Powder."
Everyone drew in a sharp breath. The mixture sounded terrifying just by its description.
Leng Jiangzhu confirmed their suspicions. "According to him, not even a Xiantian Grandmaster can neutralize such a poison."
Chapter 133