Farewell

With that, Li Qingyan let out a soft laugh, turned around, and walked away. Xu Yuan watched her tall, slender silhouette vanish around the corner. After a long silence, he abruptly cursed, "Fuck." "……" Jiang He shot him a glance. "Vulgar." Xu Yuan glanced right back. "You old geezer don't know shit." Jiang He's cheek twitched. "Then do enlighten me on what this old geezer doesn't know." Xu Yuan leaned back against his chair and crossed his legs. "Didn't you hear just now? My safety is to be protected by Li Qingyan." Jiang He frowned. "What of it?" "That's why I said you don't know shit." "……" The wrinkles on Jiang He's face trembled with rage. Just as he was about to blow his top, Xu Yuan suddenly chuckled and explained, "Old man Jiang, it's very simple logic. Don't you think that with me, the Third Young Master of the Chancellor's Manor, heading to the Northern Border, shouldn't it be Mr. Zong protecting me?" Jiang He gave him a peculiar look, but said nothing. Xu Yuan looked toward where Li Qingyan had left and shook his head. "This princess is truly unfathomable. I haven't the slightest idea what goes on in her head." Jiang He replied indifferently, "She shouldn't do anything to harm you." Xu Yuan waved a hand with a laugh. "What I just said was an assessment of my fiancée from the perspective of a prince consort. I wasn't worried she would harm me." Pausing, a dark glimmer appeared in Xu Yuan's eyes. "Of course, that isn't absolute either. "I have a gut feeling that if the grand scheme of things demanded it, Wuyuan wouldn't hesitate to sell her own husband out as bait. "For a woman whose hands are stained with hundreds of thousands of wronged souls, tenderness will always take a backseat to iron and blood." "……" Jiang He listened closely and gave Xu Yuan a deep, searching look. Rather than pursuing the topic, he changed the subject. "This old man has no interest in prying into your personal affairs. But following Wuyuan over here, you surely came to see me about something else, didn't you?" Seeing this, Xu Yuan immediately sat up straight. He had indeed come to Jiang He for other business. He chuckled. "I came here wanting your Gewu Academy to do me a small favor..." Jiang He cut him off without a second thought. "You want this old man to do you a small favor? Heh... You can dream about it in your sleep." Having a favor to ask, Xu Yuan kept on a shameless grin. "Elder Jiang... don't be so quick to refuse." Jiang He looked at him coldly, his aged voice ringing with firmness. "No money." "……" Xu Yuan went silent. "However, if you truly want this old man's help, it isn't entirely impossible..." Jiang He looked at Xu Yuan coolly, his index finger and thumb rubbing together gently. "……" Seeing that gesture, Xu Yuan's eyelid twitched. These old bastards were all obsessed with money. With a sigh, Xu Yuan drew a stack of ten-thousand-tael banknotes from his Sumeru ring. "Is this enough?" At the sight of what Xu Yuan produced, Jiang He's pupils lit up slightly. He reached out to grab it, but Xu Yuan pinned it down. "What are you doing?" "Didn't you take out the money to give to this old man?" "I haven't even stated my request yet. Who knows if you'll just pocket it?" "……" With both hands pressed against the stack of banknotes, silence descended on the room. Jiang He's white hair stirred slightly, his tone remaining indifferent. "You are insulting this old man's character." "Pfft." Xu Yuan scoffed. "Your character? When the four of us siblings were little, you and Hua Hong swindled our New Year's lucky money! What character could you possibly have? You said you'd help us invest and make a profit, and to this day, we haven't seen a single hair of that silver!" "……" Jiang He froze. A blush crept onto Jiang He's old face, yet his hand remained firmly on the stack of banknotes without the slightest intention of letting go. He steered the conversation away. "Enough. Tell me what kind of help you want." Xu Yuan was straightforward. "I want you to help me develop a pill." "What grade?" Jiang He asked. Xu Yuan's eyes flickered, and he asked instinctively, "Grade? What grade? Pills have grades?" Hearing this, Jiang He remarked sarcastically, "Third Young Master, you really are blissfully detached from worldly matters. You pop Grade B high-tier pills like candy beans and have swallowed plenty of Grade A low-tier ones, yet you didn't even know pills have grades?" "……" Xu Yuan was speechless. Truth be told, Xu Yuan had never paid attention to that. After all, he never had to buy them himself. Whenever he ran out of pills, he simply asked the old head steward for more, and the steward only bothered explaining the effects and precautions for taking them. At that moment, Jiang He said softly, "Pills are divided into three major grades: Grade A, Grade B, and Grade C. Each grade has high, middle, and low tiers, making nine tiers in total. Which kind do you want to develop?" Xu Yuan pondered briefly and lowered his voice. "The pill I want should count as Grade A high-tier." "Grade A high-tier?" "Yeah. Probably on the same level as the Blood Spirit Body-Melding Pill." "……" Jiang He took a deep breath, his tone rising as he glanced at the stack of banknotes beneath his hand. "The Blood Spirit Body-Melding Pill isn't even ranked within standard pill grades! You think five hundred thousand taels is enough to develop a pill like that? Are you kidding me, kid?" Xu Yuan frowned. "Not enough money?" Jiang He said testily, "Kid, do you really have no idea what researching and developing pills costs? Normally, developing a Grade B pill costs hundreds of thousands. The medicinal herbs for something at the level of the Blood Spirit Body-Melding Pill are priceless and nearly unobtainable. Refining a single cauldron costs hundreds of thousands of taels! If you want to develop a brand-new pill, the cost will multiply at least tenfold." Xu Yuan's mouth opened slightly. He was genuinely taken aback by such research and development expenses. Seeing his reaction, Jiang He snorted coldly. "Moreover, researching this kind of pill is a bottomless pit. The medicinal properties of the ingredients have to be adjusted bit by bit. If even a single herb cannot be procured, every bit of early investment goes right down the drain." With that, Jiang He moved his hand away from the stack of banknotes. He didn't know why Xu Yuan suddenly wanted to develop a new pill, but Xu Yinhe would never permit an expenditure of this magnitude. And as long as Xu Yinhe did not permit it, Xu Yuan would never be able to produce that much silver. For a moment, the private chamber fell into a brief silence. After a quiet interval, Jiang He slowly rose to his feet. "Alright. The Gewu Academy has plenty to do. This old man will take his—" "Wait." Xu Yuan suddenly called him back. With a sigh, he slowly began pulling stacks of banknotes from his Sumeru ring. One stack. Two stacks. Three stacks... He only stopped when Jiang He's eyes went completely wide. Jiang He's mouth fell wide open as he stared at the seven or eight stacks of ten-thousand-tael banknotes resting on the table. Over four million taels... Jiang He's voice stammered, "You... kid, where did you get so much silver?" Xu Yuan smiled and spread his hands. "From the Wanxiang Sect, of course." Jiang He's smile returned, and he sat back down in the chair with a chuckle. "Wasn't that silver already divvied up? You secretly hoarded this much yourself?" Xu Yuan shook his head and gave a low laugh. "Wanxiang City held properties belonging to more than just the Wanxiang Sect. Isn't it only natural for there to be some collateral damage during wartime?" Jiang He did not press the matter. After a moment of contemplation, showing none of his earlier greed, he asked Xu Yuan seriously, "Changtian, did you hold onto this silver from the start specifically to develop this pill?" Xu Yuan went quiet for a moment, then sighed. "Yes." "May this old man ask why?" "……" Xu Yuan shook his head and tapped the table lightly. "If possible, Elder Jiang, I hope you can keep this from my father. "If the silver still isn't enough, or if you run into any trouble, contact me immediately. I'll find a way to get more money. "Mm... if you need any rare herbs, I can also find a way." *** As it turned out, Xu Yuan's speculation regarding the Northern Border was spot on. After concluding his secret discussion with Jiang He and leaving Lutian Courtyard, Xu Yuan was preparing to head back to Feng Jiuxuan's Sword Pavilion Dao domain to take more beatings when Xu Changge intercepted him. The usually reticent Xu Changge, fraught with worry, spoke to him at length about numerous matters, weighing a great deal of pros and cons. To sum it up in a single sentence: The imperial family and their side needed bargaining chips to ensure mutual trust regarding the Northern Border. Offspring from both sides had to go to the front lines. After listening carefully, Xu Yuan glanced sideways at his eldest brother walking beside him on the path to the Sword Pavilion, chuckling softly, "In short, the Second Prince and Third Prince will be sent to Mr. Zong's side, while I will follow Wuyuan and her Feather Forest Guards, correct?" Xu Changge's expression was grim, yet deep concern lingered in his phoenix eyes. "Yes. This was the condition Li Yaoxuan put forth to Father." Xu Yuan looked up at the azure sky and uttered two words, "I'll go." Xu Changge frowned and said in a low voice, "Father is still discussing this with Li Yaoxuan. There's no need to rush. In the end, it might just as well be the Crown Prince and me heading to the front." Because of the conflict in the Northern Border, both he and the Crown Prince had previously served as envoys to the Northern Barbarian Royal Court to negotiate truces and similar matters. In other words, as long as people had not departed the imperial capital, swapping who went to the Northern Border remained open to negotiation. Xu Yuan smiled and shook his head. "Xu Changge, if you go to the Northern Border, the sects will make sure you die there the moment they find an opportunity." Xu Changge glanced at Xu Yuan, his thin lips curving into an inscrutable smile. "The sects have always wanted me dead, but no one has ever dared make a move." Xu Yuan rolled his eyes, feeling somewhat helpless at his elder brother's boundless confidence. "Xu Changge, your cultivation is formidable, but right now both sides have amassed a million troops in the Northern Border, and the situation is chaotic. You are the titular sole heir to our Chancellor's Manor and an outspoken hardliner for war. If they can manage it, they will spare no expense to kill you." Saying this, Xu Yuan spread his hands candidly. "I, on the other hand, am different. I'm just a profligate. The sects wouldn't risk completely enraging Father just to hunt me down." Xu Changge shot him a frigid glare. "Nonsense! With your cultivation, one slight misstep in the Northern Border and you're dead." Xu Yuan's eyelid twitched, but after a sigh, he spoke calmly, "'The princes guard the borders; the sovereign dies for the state.' "If those princes can go, why can't I?" Silence followed his words. Only after they had walked a long distance did Xu Changge speak softly, "Before Mother passed away, I promised her I would keep you all safe." Xu Yuan looked back at Xu Changge and smiled. "Eldest Brother, to enjoy the benefits is to bear the responsibilities. We can't let Father stay in a difficult position over me forever. "Besides, if I ever want to take charge of the Chancellor's Manor, I'm still lacking many things. Blind protection will only turn me into someone who fights battles on paper. Risky though this journey to the Northern Border may be, it is indispensable." With that, Xu Yuan's gaze turned sharp and unyielding. "In ten days, I will head north with Wuyuan." "……" Inside the Sword Pavilion, Feng Jiuxuan watched his two nephews from afar at the entrance to the Dao domain. With a soft sigh, he turned and walked away. *** Nine days later, at nightfall, Tianyun Palace. The arriving patrons were bustling and clamorous, and courtesans in colorful attire drifted about in fluttering skirts. Because of what had happened last time, the Four Young Masters of the Imperial Capital held their gathering in an elegant booth in the main hall. Xu Yuan and Li Junwu arrived first. Neither held an official post, making them the freest. Wang Chengping and Gong Yuanzeng already held government positions. Even though they had powerful family backgrounds, they still had to show at least a modicum of respect for the robes they wore. Yet even after three rounds of drinks, neither had shown up. They ordered wine and listened to music. A courtesan danced gracefully with long sleeves, dressed in a plain black palace gown. Her low-cut collar swayed gently, and with each light lift of her jade legs, the black silk stockings beneath faintly peeked through. Observing the courtesan's attire, Xu Yuan glanced sideways at Li Junwu sitting beside him. "I heard this newly opened brothel is filled with female disciples from rebel sects?" Li Junwu kept her eyes on the dancing courtesan, legs crossed, and replied offhandedly, "Yeah, newly opened. Changtian, aren't you already betrothed to Wuyuan? Why did you suddenly call us out for a gathering?" Xu Yuan laughed at that. "Does my betrothal conflict with visiting a brothel?" Li Junwu looked back at him, her expression rather peculiar. "Aren't you afraid that female fiend will chop you to pieces?" "Female fiend?" Xu Yuan found Li Junwu's description of Li Qingyan amusing. "Are you referring to Wuyuan?" Li Junwu curled her lips. "Who else? My father said before that no fewer than a million souls have perished at that woman's hands. Would someone like her allow you to visit brothels?" Xu Yuan sighed. "Don't spread wild rumors. While the numbers might be true, she might be a bit overbearing, but overall she's actually pretty decent." "Decent?" Li Junwu raised an eyebrow, teasing, "How many times have you two even met, and you're already speaking up for her?" Xu Yuan spread his hands with a grin. "Well, she is my fiancée, after all." "Is she pretty?" Li Junwu suddenly asked with great curiosity. Xu Yuan saw the look in her eyes and chuckled, countering, "What, you interested in her that way?" Li Junwu took a sip of fine wine from her cup and shook her head. "I wouldn't like a woman like that. Sleeping next to her, who knows if you'd wake up one day with your head gone? I was just asking. "Still, judging by your attitude toward her, she must be quite beautiful." Xu Yuan recalled briefly and smiled. "Probably a bit prettier than you." Pausing, Xu Yuan glanced at Li Junwu's chest. "Though I don't know if she wears a chest binder like you do." Amusement touched Li Junwu's eyes. She glanced down, shook her head, and said, "This thing isn't comfortable at all. It's so tight and stuffy. I only wear it when I come out to play." "Don't share your tips with me; I have no use for them," Xu Yuan quipped. Li Junwu rolled her eyes, her face lightly flushed from the wine. She reclined onto the soft couch behind her and rested her pair of jade legs across Xu Yuan's lap. "Give me a massage. I'm exhausted from practicing all day." "You really make yourself at home, don't you?" Xu Yuan chuckled without refusing. "Daring to order this young master to rub your legs." Feeling the touch on her legs, Li Junwu let out a soft laugh. "Aren't you quite willing, though? Your hands are certainly honest. Come on, spill it—why did you suddenly call us out today?" Xu Yuan smiled faintly as he massaged her legs. "I'm heading to the Northern Border tomorrow, so I came to say goodbye."