Now that the tenth month had passed, Woxian Terrace was already blanketed in snow. As the party passed through the mountain gate and climbed upward, they were met by deep verdant firs whose needle-leaves hung heavy with frost. Whenever a cold gust blew, tiny ice crystals scattered through the air. A stone path led straight toward Woxian Terrace, gleaming golden in the glow of the setting sun, while at its far end, the Tianshan Sect's Hall of Inquiring Swords resembled a palace of celestial immortals.
Although Ye Tianlin remained sect leader in name, he had long ceased involving himself in mundane affairs. Most of the time he cultivated in seclusion on Lingxiao Peak, occasionally descending the mountain for a walk.
The one currently managing the sect was Ye Tianlin's second disciple, Ling Feiyun.
Decades ago, Ye Tianlin had taken in five great disciples, known as the Five Swords of Tianshan. Now that decades had elapsed, only his second disciple, Ling Feiyun, and his fifth disciple, Gu Nanfeng, remained among the living.
Yang Weiming was Ling Feiyun's eldest disciple. Having attained the Xiantian realm twenty years earlier, he had once traveled through the Central Plains, where his unrivaled mastery of the Tianshan Sword Art had earned him the title of the Twilight Swordsman. Upholding the Sword Fiend's formidable prestige, he was practically the designated successor to the leadership of the Tianshan Sect.
With Ye Tianlin retired from sect affairs and Gu Nanfeng holding no real authority, Yang Weiming was, in theory, second only to the acting sect leader. The duty of receiving the chief disciples of the Seven Great Sword Sects should not have fallen to him; it ought to have been entrusted to the rising generation of the Tianshan Sect.
The one he had come all the way down the mountain to receive was in fact that eighty-something-year-old woman, Yan Xiangxue.
This made it obvious just how exalted Senior Yan's status truly was.
Though no formal introductions had been made as they ascended the mountain together, Wang Yu had already guessed Senior Yan's identity.
For decades, the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor and the Qiang people had stood locked in confrontation across Jinfeng Pass and Lingwu Pass, so the manor understood both the Black and White Qiang intimately.
The Black Qiang were hostile toward the Han people. Their foremost expert was named Shi Mo, creator of the White Bone Heaven Burial Method and the eighty-one forms of the White Bone Claw Technique; in the past, he had fought Zhao Zheng for three hundred rounds, only ending up at a slight disadvantage.
The White Qiang were on amicable terms with the Han people and at odds with the Black Qiang. Yet they had maintained their independence not only because their tribe had a wise ruler in the White Qiang King, but also because they were by no means lacking in top-tier combat power.
That top-tier power was Granny Snow Mountain.
No one knew Granny Snow Mountain's true name. People only knew she was advanced in age, extraordinarily senior in generation, and that her martial arts were certainly not inferior to Shi Mo's. It was said that after Shi Mo mastered the White Bone Heaven Burial Method and ascended to grandmaster of the martial world, he had once gone to challenge the White Qiang, only to return empty-handed.
Now Wang Yu knew that Granny Snow Mountain was surnamed Yan.
As for Ardai, she was plainly the White Qiang King's beloved daughter.
All of this aligned with what Yang Chengwu had said that day at Zhenxi Horse Ranch. The Black Qiang King truly wanted a marriage alliance with the White Qiang so they could join forces, march south, and conquer the northwestern prefectures of the Central Plains, but the White Qiang King had rejected the proposal.
Yet judging from the current situation, neither the Black Qiang King nor Shi Mo had given up. Shi Mo had even wounded Granny Snow Mountain.
Evidently, Granny Snow Mountain's advanced age made it difficult for her cultivation to progress further, whereas Shi Mo was in his prime and had made new breakthroughs.
Wang Yu's eyes flickered with thought. Now that Granny Snow Mountain was gravely injured, it remained to be seen whether she could weather this crisis, nor was it clear whether the White Qiang possessed any other experts besides her.
If the White Qiang King could not withstand the pressure from the Black Qiang, would his stance and actions toward the Central Plains shift?
Whatever Wang Yu could think of, Li Yunxiu could naturally deduce as well. Holding his arm as they walked up the mountain, she gazed ahead with focused eyes, turning the strategic implications over in her mind.
Qianqian glanced at Wang Yu, then at Li Yunxiu. Though unfamiliar with administrative governance, she was exceptionally sharp. With a brief turn of her eyes, she grasped the crux of the matter, shook her head, and reminded them in an undertone, "Everyone in the Tianshan Sect is Han."
Wang Yu's brows twitched, and Li Yunxiu came to a sudden realization.
Granny Snow Mountain was clearly very close to the Tianshan Sect. To travel here seeking aid despite severe injuries showed the depth of her trust in them.
Moreover, though the Tianshan Sect had established itself in the Western Regions, separated from Yumen Pass by thousands of li, its disciples were recruited exclusively from the Han people, and they considered themselves part of the Central Plains martial world. This revealed their profound affinity for the Han lands and their people.
It was even possible that the White Qiang's decades of friendly relations with the Central Plains owed much to the influence of the Tianshan Sect and Granny Snow Mountain.
Even if Granny Snow Mountain were to pass away, as long as this connection remained unbroken, her disciples stayed well-disposed toward the Tianshan Sect, and they could enlist the sect's help, the White Qiang would have enough backing to maintain their original stance without submitting to Black Qiang coercion.
Of course, while this realization brought a slight sigh of relief, they could not relax entirely.
First, whether the Tianshan Sect would actually intervene was up in the air; second, Granny Snow Mountain's disciples might not necessarily favor the Han lands; and third, no one knew what moves the Black Qiang would make next.
Rather than pinning their hopes on others, it was far better to make their own preparations.
While Wang Yu's party of three pondered the matter, Yan Xiangxue was likewise observing them.
Yang Weiming had not set foot in the Central Plains for twenty years and did not know that the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor had changed masters. But Granny Snow Mountain, residing among the White Qiang, was well aware of the shifts within the manor and the new prince's name.
She had taken note earlier when Wang Yu announced his identity, and by now she was completely certain.
"For the Prince of Zhenxi to venture into the Western Regions alone shows much of his father's spirit." Yan Xiangxue smiled as she turned toward Li Yunxiu. "And this must be the female Zhuangyuan whose name echoes across the realm?"
Wang Yu smiled and led Li Yunxiu and Qianqian in saluting Yan Xiangxue. "Greetings, Granny Snow Mountain. I have long heard of Senior's great name, yet only today do I learn Senior's esteemed surname. Junior feels deeply ashamed."
Yan Xiangxue nodded with a smile. "You flatter me, Your Highness. You reined in the unscrupulous merchants and traded numerous iron pots, salt, and dried vegetables to our tribes, making life considerably easier for our herders. This old woman ought to thank Your Highness instead."
Wang Yu pointed to Li Yunxiu. "Yunxiu manages all the administrative affairs of the prince's manor."
Li Yunxiu gave a slight smile. "The White Qiang have always treated the Central Plains with goodwill, so we naturally return the kindness in kind. Besides, trading in ironware was personally approved by the master."
Yang Weiming glanced at the three of them, remaining silent.
Yuan Nahe, on the other hand, glared at Wang Yu after overhearing their exchange. "You're the new Prince of Zhenxi! Did you kill my Fifth and Sixth Senior Brothers?"
Shi Mo's fifth disciple, Yang Chengwu, had died at Zhenxi Horse Ranch in front of countless witnesses; the news could not be kept quiet.
Shi Mo's sixth disciple, Naluotuo, had died outside Jinfeng Pass, a fact known to everyone inside the fortress; it was only a matter of time before word spread.
Naturally, Wang Yu had never intended to hide it.
"And your news is a bit behind the times," Wang Yu said with a faint smile. "When you left, had your Eldest Senior Brother, Yao Changgeng, and your Fourth Senior Brother, Mu Yachi, departed as well?"
Yuan Nahe blinked in surprise. "What would they leave for?"
Wang Yu understood at once. It seemed Yuan Nahe had departed the Black Qiang territory quite early and knew nothing about the Loulan treasure.
Yuan Nahe, however, failed to catch Wang Yu's implication and sneered, "If you ran into my eldest senior brother, your corpse would probably have been fed to the Eternal Heaven by now!"
Everyone else present, save for Yuan Nahe, had understood. Yan Xiangxue could not help asking, "Your Highness killed Yao Changgeng?"
Wang Yu nodded. "And his fourth junior brother, Mu Yachi. Their souls have both returned to the Eternal Heaven by now."
Yuan Nahe roared in fury, "Impossible!"
Wang Yu did not argue. He simply mimicked the original host's personality, letting a wicked smirk tug at the corner of his mouth as he looked Yuan Nahe up and down with a sinister chuckle, as if staring at a dead man.
Yuan Nahe had never encountered anyone who displayed malevolence more blatantly than himself. Swallowing nervously, he glanced around and abruptly scrambled behind Yang Weiming. "This is Tianshan territory! Don't you dare do anything reckless!"
Ardai burst into laughter, clapping her hands. "The wicked get their just deserts!"
Wang Yu gave her a mock glare. Ardai instinctively shrank her neck, her eyes darting away as she meekly explained, "Well, that expression of yours just looked so much like a villain's!"
The crowd erupted in laughter. Even Yang Weiming, touched by the girl's carefree innocence, allowed a faint smile to cross his lips.
Only Yuan Nahe could not bring himself to laugh.
His journey this time had indeed been undertaken on Shi Mo's orders to congratulate Ye Tianlin on his birthday, and he had brought no experts with him.
In Shi Mo's assessment, Yan Xiangxue had taken a blow from his White Bone palm force and could no longer fight. She was weaker than an ordinary person, and even Yuan Nahe would have been enough to capture her.
Moreover, the Tianshan Sect had the Sword Fiend Ye Tianlin holding the fort. Even if Shi Mo came in person, he would have had to lower his head and act humbly; bringing any experts would have been entirely pointless.
Thus, sending Yuan Nahe with a few ordinary subordinates was the best choice. The Tianshan Sect would not stoop to bullying the young, and so long as Yuan Nahe had the sense to behave, he would never be in any danger. That was why he had obeyed Yang Weiming the moment the latter intervened earlier.
Yet master and disciple had calculated everything except for the fact that Wang Yu would show up at Mount Tianshan as well!
The Prince of Zhenxi's Manor and the Black Qiang were sworn enemies. Were it not for the threat of the manor's fifty-thousand-strong army running amok, Shi Mo might long ago have gone to Longshan Prefecture to have a 'heart-to-heart' with Wang Yu.
Now, Yuan Nahe felt like a defenseless lamb exposed directly beneath the nose of a ravenous wolf.
Setting aside the unconfirmed death of Yao Changgeng and the fifth senior brother Yang Chengwu whom he had always looked down upon, his sixth senior brother Naluotuo was the son of a Black Qiang noble who had grown up with him. Naluotuo loved martial arts, excelled at real combat, and had even ventured near the Central Plains to battle military experts just to hone his skills.
Yuan Nahe knew full well that he was no match for Naluotuo.
While he did not know the extent of Wang Yu's martial arts, the previous Prince of Zhenxi, Zhao Zheng, had been famed throughout the realm. As his son, for Wang Yu to dare venture into the northwest accompanied only by two women meant he was bound to have immense confidence in his own prowess.
Yuan Nahe had no intention of testing Wang Yu's martial arts, opting instead to decisively seek Yang Weiming's protection.
Sure enough, Yang Weiming turned to Wang Yu and said, "As for the grievances between the Prince of Zhenxi's Manor and the Black Qiang, I must ask Your Highness to settle them after descending the mountain."
Wang Yu agreed without hesitation, having never intended to kill Yuan Nahe here anyway.
A mere pampered playboy posed no threat, possessed mediocre martial arts, carried high status, and held no divine manuals or miraculous treasures on him. Killing him offered virtually no benefit.
Ascending Mount Tianshan, Sun Wenzhu and Wang Yu's party of three were assigned to two adjacent courtyards under Yang Weiming's arrangements. Yang Weiming then departed with Liu Wuchen, Fang Shaobai, the other five disciples, and Yan Xiangxue and her disciple to pay respects to the Tianshan Sect's acting leader, Ling Feiyun.
Wang Yu and his companions set down their luggage and walked out of their courtyard to look around. They saw Sun Wenzhu unfastening his bundle, taking out potted plants one by one to place them in the sunlight, and then using a sheepskin waterskin to sprinkle a little water onto each of them.
Wang Yu was thoroughly dumbfounded. "You've been keeping them alive this whole time?"
Li Yunxiu and Qianqian were equally astonished. Generally speaking, once medicinal herbs were harvested, they were dehydrated and dried in the sun to preserve their medicinal potency, to be sliced and used as needed until depleted.
They had never expected Sun Wenzhu to keep the herbs growing in pots.
Li Yunxiu could not help asking, "Different herbs have different growing habits. How do you keep all of them alive?"
At this question, even Sun Wenzhu could not help showing a hint of pride. He lifted the sheepskin waterskin in his hand. "I concocted a special solution. As long as the environment isn't excessively extreme, most medicinal herbs can survive."
Qianqian's eyes sparkled as she praised from the heart, "Incredible!"
Wang Yu raised his assessment of Sun Wenzhu's skill by yet another notch.
Right at that moment, Yang Weiming reappeared and looked toward them. "Prince Zhao, Mr. Sun, my master requests your presence!"
Chapter 75