The Sword Strider Saga

When Xu Fengnian returned to the palace, Hong Shu handed over a signed letter from Zhao Xituan, the elderly Taoist on Mount Longhu. After reading the letter, Xu Fengnian said in a fierce voice, "People from Maesters' Mansion went to bully Longxiang! I'm going to Mount Longhu to see the manner of the sage minister." Hong Shu said softly, "Your Highness, are you really leaving Liang territory again?...

Xu Fengnian asked casually, "Why doesn't Hong Shu like to leave the palace? Yet, you like to come out now and then?" Qing Niao replied, "She's lazy." Xu Fengnian changed the subject, "Xu Xiao knows that as Zhang Jyulu is now in power, he will rectify the court and reform the border army. Why must Xu Xiao get involved and go against Chief Minister Zhang? Isn't this going against the trend?" Qing Ni...

Blind Old Xu was a veteran of Northern Liang. After he went blind, he accidentally failed to avoid the hooves of a rich kid's steed in the downtown area. He was trampled, crippled, then saved by Xu Fengnian. Although Old Xu had a broken leg, an officer came and said they would give him a tael of silver every month. Old Xu collected the silver apprehensively for half a year before plucking up the c...

If Mount Longhu was the immortal capital of Taoism, then the Shangyin Academy was a city of saints. At the Shangyin Academy, there was a Rune Lake planted with countless blue lotuses. The water wasn't deep, just the height of two people. Ordinary scholars dared not boat or tour Rune Lake for two reasons: this was where Huang Longshi became famous, and Xu Weixiong lived here.

Seeing the bamboo hurtling back, Xu Longxiang reached out a hand yet failed to grasp it. It went through the gaps between his fingers and hit him in the forehead. Zhao Jingchen grew nervous. It would be tricky if he hurt this teenager. Even his father Zhao Danxia, the noble sage minister, must respectfully address Zhao Xituan, Xu Longxiang's master, as "uncle". However, Xu Longxiang wasn't hurt, a...

Mount Longhu had been committed to Taoism for forty generations. Zhao Danxia, the current Grand Celestial Master, teaming with the Grand Libationer of Shangyin Academy, was Grand Maester, being in charge of the world's Taoist affairs and enjoying a reputation as first-grade sage minister. Unfettered Haven was a small sanctum on Mount Longhu, inhabited by an elderly Taoist, Zhao Xituan. Inside the...

"He who seeks human immortality should do ninety good deeds. He who seeks earthly immortality should do three hundred good deeds. He who seeks heavenly immortality should do a thousand and three hundred good deeds." Qing Niao was reading "Enlightenment of Empedias" in Wutong Garden.

After white fox-face finished the rice wine, he smiled, "I heard the 'Requiem of the Great Northern Liang' the other night. Good lyrics. It's just the tune was a bit deficient, wasting the thousand and eight words." Xu Fengnian said with a dry laugh, "Sorry, it was me who wrote the music." White fox-face said, "If you don't compare the tune with the lyrics, it's still beyond my expectation. It see...

Xu Fengnian asked with a smile, "What other treasures are there in the palace? Stop hiding them. Tell me all about them?" Xu Xiao said, "These are almost all which I've hoarded for half of my life. Aren't they enough for you to fool with?" Xu Fengnian grinned, "Aren't there any family heirlooms?" Xu Xiao said bitterly, "There are, but I can't give them to you until I die."

Finally, the little girl left with the young monk in a carriage Xu Fengnian had prepared for her. In the palace, Xu Xiao and Xu Fengnian sat in the Lakeheart Pavilion, just the two of them. Xu Xiao sounded smug, "I met your second sister at the city gate, and she didn't scold me this time. Am I good or what?" Xu Fengnian was glum, "That's because she didn't take you seriously."

Xu Fengnian turned round sharply and saw the beef store's girl looking at him, glassy-eyed and carrying a bamboo twig. She then turned to run away. Xu Fengnian took the little girl to the beef store three blocks away, but he didn't see the girl who carried a bamboo twig. On their way back to the palace, Xu Fengnian smiled, "I'll show you something before you go home."

Many people in the court got promoted for impeaching Xu Xiao. At the last hall meeting of this year, Grand Secretary Wen Shouxin advised ridding the monarch of "evil" ministers, carrying a coffin to show his resolution. In Northern Liang, a flag that read "Xu" fluttered in the wind. Xu Xiao cantered, holding a secret letter from the capital. He chuckled, "Ridding of 'evil' ministers? Why can't the...

Not only was Xu Weixiong a mountain to Jiang Ni, but she could grate Hong Shu, the girl who would use fresh human blood as rouge. Xu Fengnian planned to have dinner with the little girl and the young monk, Nanbei. On his way to their courtyard, Xu Fengnian asked Hong Shu beside him, "What do you think Mount Lantuo really wants?"

Two things in Mount Lantuo were most tempting—instant enlightenment and Yin-Yang tantric practices. Xu Fengnian went to the third floor of the Tingchao Pavilion and asked for a set of regularly updated character profiles from Wei Baoxiang, the Taoist. He found the profile of that Tantric master, who came from an Indian royal family. There was a portrait of the "goddess" when she was young, indeed...

Before going to the top floor of the pavilion to see his master, Li Yishan, Xu Fengnian went to the second floor to find white fox-face, who was standing on a ladder and flipping through secret books on upper shelves. White fox-face got off the ladder and eyed the blockhead he hadn't seen for a year. In the end, he fixed his gaze between Xu Fengnian's eyes. He directly swiped Tonitrusword in a dom...

In Mount Lantuo, there was an elderly monk who had been restricting himself there for thirty-four years while nobody knew what he had been waiting for. Penance in Mount Lantuo was extremely austere, and the disciples were carefully chosen. With a total of some three hundred members, Mount Lantuo was able to rival Duopondus Monastery, which had disciples worldwide. One was in the east while the oth...

When Xu Fengnian woke up, he felt the smooth and comfortable flow of forces in his body, and seemed to have endless strength. He muttered to himself, "Is this the Great Flavium?" Hong Xixiang appeared at the entrance to the cave, smiling, "Yes." After Xu Fengnian spent half a day adapting to the new forces, he prepared to leave the mountain. Hong Xixiang saw him off to the archway that wrote "Thri...

Hong Xixiang sprinted to the Turtleback Stele and leaped onto it. Standing atop the stele, he counted on his fingers and rolled his eyes. As sweat broke out on his forehead, he slumped onto the stele. Standing under the stele, Yu Xingrui asked carefully, "Has anything gone wrong?" Hong Xixiang wiped the sweat off his face and smiled, "My reckoning is correct." Yu Xingrui asked laughing, "My fellow...

A master would emphasize conditions just like a dynasty had its trend, and a sect also had its days. There was a tripod complexion in the Taoism world. Mount Longhu was valued by the Liyang Kingdom. Its four maesters were all gifted with remarkable abilities, and it had a wealth of geniuses. And Wudang Mountains? It had been voiceless for a hundred years…

Xu Fengnian picked forty pebbles from the lake bottom and piled half of them inside the cave behind the waterfall. Then he headed to the bamboo forest. Wang Xiaoping slowly walked out of the bamboo tower and sat on a bamboo chair. This time he didn't bring his sword.

Just as Xu Fengnian was going to the Purple Bamboo Forest, he caught the sound of piercing screams coming from behind. With a smile, he turned around and saw a beefy guy staggering towards him. Xu Fengnian asked, "Chubby Chu, have you taken care of what Xu Xiao asked?" Chu Lushan smiled ingratiatingly, "Almost. I'm waiting for Your Highness' inspection."

After dawn, a sweeper boy saw the scribbles on the plaza ground. He dropped his broom to fetch his master, who told the master's master. In the end, the six people with the highest seniority in Wudang Mountains gathered here.

All of a sudden, a strange sight occurred—the waterfall exploded! Xu Fengnian and Hong Xixiang were met by waves that bedraggled them. Wang Xiaoping, the sword fanatic, was on a boulder in the center of the White Elephant Pool. He stood proudly, pointing his Shenshu Sword straight toward the cave.

Watching the tension outside the hut, Hong Xixiang couldn't help but get anxious for Xu Fengnian. Just then, the subtle stalemate was broken by Wang Xiaoping, who came carrying a sword. Wang Xiaoping was over forty years old. He carried a long purplish mahogany sword named Shenshu Sword. Wang Chonglou persuaded gently, "It's inappropriate to fight on the mountain. How about we all go to Ziyang Tem...

Xu Fengnian opened his eyes and let out a whistle. He sneered, "A hundred Northern Liang cavalrymen are coming up the mountain with crossbows. Let's see who will get killed." The noble youth flared, "How dare you?" Xu Fengnian laughed, "In Northern Liang, there's nothing I dare not to do."