The news that Wang Yu had brought home another woman after a single trip out quickly spread through the Prince's Manor once more.
While the half-disfigured Yuan Feifei from before had stirred little gossip, Meng Zixiao was an entirely different story.
She possessed a tall, slender figure, with a pair of long, toned legs that even other women could not help but envy.
Heroic and valiant, her rare martial spirit blended seamlessly with feminine radiance, making her nothing short of devastating to any man.
***
"Why are you so gossipy too?" Wang Yu looked at Li Yunxiu.
A flicker passed through Li Yunxiu's eyes. "Did Qianqian come probing as well?"
Beside Li Yunxiu, Zi Ling stood with her hands on her hips, pouting. "Another vixen has arrived."
Wang Yu laughed out of exasperation. "Every single one of you guards your chastity like jade, yet you still want to manage my affairs?"
"I couldn't care less about managing your affairs," Li Yunxiu said with an indifferent shake of her head, maintaining a straight face. "However, this woman's background remains unknown and warrants careful investigation. If she turns out to be an undercover enchantress from the Demonic Cult, you had better beware being sucked dry."
Wang Yu was struck speechless.
*You probably have no idea an enchantress from the Demonic Cult has already infiltrated this place.*
"You aren't jealous, are you?" Wang Yu asked, his brows arching with a grin.
"I am merely looking out for your well-being." Li Yunxiu did not answer directly, only letting out a huff. "I shall test her myself."
"How do you plan to test her?"
"I have already instructed the servants to prepare an evening banquet."
"And if the test proves she poses no problem, does that mean I can sleep with her?"
"Sleep, sleep, sleep! That is all you ever think about!" Li Yunxiu seized a book and hurled it straight at Wang Yu. "With martial talent as formidable as yours, why can't you devote a little more effort to your martial arts?"
Wang Yu caught the volume with a hearty laugh. Backing out of the room, he threw a wink at Li Yunxiu. "Once my martial arts surpass yours, that's when I'll come to sleep with you."
Li Yunxiu's heart gave a sudden flutter. She spat playfully, "Keep dreaming! Wait until you actually surpass me before uttering such nonsense!"
After Wang Yu departed, Li Yunxiu took a deep, steadying breath, only to be caught off guard when Zi Ling piped up beside her, "Mistress, you probably couldn't defeat Poison Hand Veda, could you? Doesn't that mean the Master's martial arts are already higher than yours?"
Li Yunxiu glared at her. "No one will mistake you for a mute if you hold your tongue!"
***
Meanwhile, just as Wang Yu stepped out from the rear palace hall, Zhao Shan—having completely eradicated Feima Fortress—returned to report on his mission, bringing along their spoils of war.
Zhao Shan reported, "We launched a surprise assault on Feima Fortress that very night. As expected, more Black Qiang tribesmen were concealed inside. We slaughtered every last one of them and handed the remaining personnel over to the authorities.
"Feima Fortress possessed three hundred fine steeds, all of which have been transferred to Zhenxi Horse Ranch. Furthermore, we seized a considerable sum of gold and silver. Aside from rewarding our cavalry brothers, the remainder has been delivered into the Prince's Manor's internal treasury.
"In Yang Chengwu's study, I uncovered his correspondence with the Black Qiang tribes. He truly was Shi Mo's fifth disciple. His establishment of Feima Fortress cis-frontier was meant entirely for gathering intelligence and, when necessary, launching a surprise attack against Lingwu Pass from the rear.
"A substantial portion of the horses he illicitly trafficked from Zhenxi Horse Ranch was also quietly sent back to the Black Qiang tribes. The prized steeds of our ranch are meticulously nourished, superior to the Black Qiang warhorses in both stamina and endurance."
"Oh, right, there is also this!"
Zhao Shan retrieved a porcelain bottle from his robes and presented it with both hands to Wang Yu, alongside an accompanying letter.
"I also recovered a bottle of medicinal pills. According to the letter, Shi Mo refined these Snow Spirit Pills following the esoteric teachings of the Snow Region, utilizing cordyceps and red snow herbs. They replenish qi and bolster internal power. The bottle originally held six pills; Yang Chengwu took only one, leaving five remaining."
Wang Yu's eyes brightened. Taking the porcelain vial, he uncorked it and took a whiff. Sure enough, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out.
Zhao Shan knew well of Wang Yu's instructions for Zhao Rong to purchase tonics, and he had witnessed Wang Yu consume the Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pill without hesitation. Even so, he could not resist advising, "Should we have the manor's physician examine it first?"
"I'll go see him myself." Wang Yu waved him off with a perfunctory shake of his head before stowing the vial away.
Zhao Shan stood in stunned silence.
Once Zhao Shan bowed and took his leave, Wang Yu wasted no time in popping a pill into his mouth.
Following a surge of warm energy, the tortoise shell flashed for a moment, and the medicinal potency of the Snow Spirit Pill was thoroughly absorbed.
Smacking his lips, Wang Yu shook his head in slight disappointment. "Mediocre potency."
While the Snow Spirit Pill was not entirely useless, its efficacy barely exceeded that of the century-old ginseng and Solomon's seal Zhao Rong had procured. Forget comparing it to the Snow Lotus Jade Marrow Pill—it lagged far behind even the Lesser Restoration Pill.
With that, he swallowed the remaining five pills one after another.
As Wang Yu's cultivation climbed and his natural aptitude improved, ever-greater quantities of energy were required to further expand his meridians' capacity and elevate his talent.
He came to understand more deeply the true weight of so-called talent. Beyond comprehension, one's bone structure and physical constitution were of paramount importance.
This was precisely why Fang Shaobai had been able to ascend to the Xiantian realm at such a young age, whereas others might spend an entire lifetime unable to even touch its threshold.
It came down to nothing more than naturally broad meridians coupled with superlative comprehension, allowing cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds.
Wang Yu naturally did not belong to that category of prodigies, but he possessed a cheat!
He could simply consume enough medicine to forge meridians even wider than Fang Shaobai's!
Of course, because the human body remained a physical vessel, every enhancement had its limits; there was no way for Wang Yu to ascend to the heavens in a single bound. Thus, having widened his meridians to what they could temporarily withstand, he funneled all the remaining energy into the *Flowing Springs of the Icy Mountain*.
Circulation diagrams of internal power flashed across Wang Yu's mind, accompanied by the corresponding zither fingerings and sonic attack techniques.
*Flowing Springs of the Icy Mountain* was divided into three layers, capped by a concluding passage of Xiantian insights.
Under the deductions and refinements of the tortoise shell, all three layers underwent subtle adjustments and were restructured into four layers. The final Xiantian insights, however, temporarily stalled due to insufficient energy.
In a mere quarter of an hour, Wang Yu gained entry into *Flowing Springs of the Icy Mountain*, mastering its first layer.
Internal power traversed up and down through the Foot Shaoyin and Foot Taiyang meridians. A cool strand of true qi circulated through his body, presenting a stark contrast to *Flowing Fire Reflection*, which traveled through the Foot Shaoyang and Foot Jueyin meridians.
At the same time, *Flowing Fire Reflection* seemed to adjust slightly in response to *Flowing Springs of the Icy Mountain*. One internal power was fire, the other ice, yet they did not interfere with each other in the slightest. Each circulated on its own path before storing its refined power together in the dantian.
Perhaps due to the tortoise shell's deduction and perfection, these two internal powers showed no trace of conflict within his dantian. They suited him flawlessly, capable of mutual conversion and fusion into an internal power that harmonized water and fire.
Although his progress in *Flowing Springs of the Icy Mountain* currently lagged far behind *Flowing Fire Reflection*, it was not suppressed in any way. Instead, it accelerated the circulation speed of *Flowing Fire Reflection*.
In other words, as *Flowing Springs of the Icy Mountain* continued to progress, the two internal arts would mutually reinforce one another!
Wang Yu tested it: he could wield fire when he wished for fire, summon ice when he wished for ice, and even alternate between them to unleash a dual assault of ice and fire!
His eyes lit up. This meant that as long as he found compatible internal arts and his meridians were adequate, he could cultivate multiple martial arts simultaneously.
"What a pity," Wang Yu could not help but sigh. "There are only the Twelve Regular Meridians and the Eight Extraordinary Meridians in the human body."
***
On the twentieth day of the fifth month, in midsummer, the night was bright with the moon, and the breeze carried the trace of heat.
Li Yunxiu hosted a banquet in the Red Willow Garden to entertain Meng Zixiao, accompanied by Wang Yu, Zhao Yingjie, and Yuan Feifei. Qianqian arrived uninvited.
Qianqian offered a gentle, melodic chuckle. "Sister hosts a banquet, so why didn't you invite this younger sister?"
Li Yunxiu smiled faintly. "Because I knew you would come on your own."
Qianqian's brows arched slightly, only then noticing that Li Yunxiu had already prepared a seat for her, right beside Wang Yu.
"Sister truly understands me best." Qianqian softly expressed her thanks before settling gracefully into the seat next to Wang Yu, assessing Meng Zixiao as she entered the main hall.
Li Yunxiu looked at Meng Zixiao's hands, while Qianqian looked at Meng Zixiao's legs.
Meng Zixiao's hands were slender and elegant; her legs, toned and powerful.
Meng Zixiao similarly observed Li Yunxiu and Qianqian seated on either side of Wang Yu. She cupped her fists in salute. "Greetings to the two Prince's Consorts!"
Li Yunxiu gestured politely with an open hand. "Please, take a seat."
Meng Zixiao sat down, while Zhao Yingjie pulled Yuan Feifei over to take their seats on the opposite side.
The group raised their cups and drank together. Li Yunxiu picked up her chopsticks and placed a piece of mutton onto Meng Zixiao's plate. "Judging by Miss Meng's accent, you seem to hail from Linchuan Prefecture?"
Meng Zixiao shook her head. "I am a native of Shanyang Prefecture, though Shanyang and Linchuan are adjacent, so the accents indeed sound quite alike."
Linchuan Prefecture lay south of Fengming Prefecture, separated from it by the Great River. Shanyang Prefecture lay further south of Linchuan, falling under the jurisdiction of Chuanxi Circuit—the land of Shu.
"The land of Shu produces many sword heroes, and Miss Meng practices swordplay as well. Might you be a successor of one of the major sword sects?" Li Yunxiu inquired further.
Meng Zixiao shook her head once more. "I lack such fortune. However, my ancestors possessed ties to the Qingyang Sect and were passed down its White Dragon Sword Technique. Over successive generations, it has evolved into something slightly different."
The Qingyang Sect was one of the Seven Great Sword Sects, founded by a Daoist master. Its sword techniques were upright, balanced, and peaceful, with its five great sword techniques drawing inspiration from the Five Elements. It was said that upon reaching complete mastery, the Five Elements would return to the origin, making the practitioner invincible under the heavens.
Of course, to emphasize the latter point, it was merely *said* to be so.
Qianqian suddenly interjected, "Why has Miss Meng come to Longshan Prefecture?"
Meng Zixiao's eyes sparkled. "To hone my sword technique, of course. The Great Bandits of Mount Qi sever trade routes, the horse bandits of the Western Regions run rampant, and northern grassland experts frequently ride south. All of them are tough nuts to crack, making this the perfect place for me to temper my swordcraft between life and death!"
Qianqian remarked languidly, "With Miss Meng being so beautiful, aren't you afraid of tumbling into a den of rough men in the northwest who have barely ever laid eyes on a woman? What if you slip up and are subdued? The consequences would be unimaginable."
Meng Zixiao's expression turned resolute. "Had I fallen into the clutches of bandits in the Central Plains, would I have been spared any more easily?"
A starlike glimmer hid within Li Yunxiu's eyes, and a look of admiration surfaced on her face. "Miss Meng possesses a remarkably clear mind."
Qianqian took a deep, lingering look at Meng Zixiao before giggling softly. "I am nowhere near as courageous as Miss Meng. If Brother Yu isn't by my side, I wouldn't dare go anywhere."
Li Yunxiu cast a sideways glance at Qianqian. "If my husband rides north to the steppes, could you actually accompany him?"
"To attend to Brother Yu's daily needs, why ever not?" Qianqian replied as though it were the most natural thing in the world. "You can preside over the Prince's Manor's political affairs, so why can't I take part in its military affairs?"
Li Yunxiu narrowed her eyes, a frosty glint flashing within them.
Qianqian offered a coquettish smile and gently hooked her arm around Wang Yu's.
Wang Yu looked from left to right. Hadn't they agreed to test Meng Zixiao? How had it devolved into the two of them snapping at each other after just a few sentences?
***
After the banquet concluded, Wang Yu personally saw their guests out. Having taken a couple of steps, Meng Zixiao paused, turned back toward Wang Yu, and blinked with a grin. "Prince Zhao, why do I get the feeling your days aren't going very smoothly?"
Wang Yu straightened his face. "Nonsense. This is what makes life lively!"
Meng Zixiao could not hold back a laugh and shook her head, a sudden trace of alluring charm surfacing beneath her bright demeanor. "I don't believe you!"
Chapter 42