“Jian, put away the sword.” Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind, light yet imposing, with the sonance of a monarch commanding a subject.
Instantly, the energy around the man in snow-white robes dispersed; the murderous look in his eyes also dissipated. He proceeded to pull back his sword but Feng Xi was holding tightly to the tip of the blade. He furrowed his brows and strengthened his pull but the sword wouldn’t budge an inch.
The shade of blue in his eyes that had faded instantly darkened as he stared at Feng Xi as if wanting to fight but trying to be patient.
“Miss, how about letting go?” The voice sounded again, still light yet held a trace of command that’s hard to ignore. But rather than sounding disrespectful, it appeared as though it was inherent in his nature, that he was naturally born to dictate commands.
“And if I don’t?” Feng Xi questioned mildly, without turning around.
“Big Sister?” Han Piao pulled at her sleeves.
“What would it take for Miss to let go?” Again, the voice from behind sounded with patience and a sliver of curiosity.
“Apologize,” Feng Xi enunciated, staring at the man in snow-white robes.
“Apologize?” The voice from behind repeated, seemingly finding her answer amusing.
“Your subordinate attacked my younger brother for no rhyme nor reason. If I had not arrived in time, my younger brother would’ve been killed under his sword.” Feng Xi still hadn’t turned around. Her gaze was fixed on the man in white attires in front of her as the languid look in her eyes turned solemn. “Perhaps in your eyes, a mere human life is worthless, but in mine, my younger brother is more precious than any treasure in the world.”
“Oh?” The man behind glanced at Han Piao and said, “But you honorable little brother hasn’t gotten hurt.”
“Oh?” Feng Xi’s eyes narrowed slightly. “So because he’s not injured, nor did he lose his life, that fact that he was frightened could only be blamed on his bad luck or incompetence?” She tilted her head, her lips stretched into a radiant smile. “In that case, I’ve killed many people before but I’ve never killed innocent people. It seems now I must give it a try!”
Before he could recover from the mesmerizing sight of her dazzling smile, the man in white suddenly felt his wrist ache with pain, then his fingers became numb and his sword fell out of his grasp.
“You too!” Feng Xi handily grabbed the sword and turned around. With the wave of her wrist, the sword pierced through the air and stabbed at the man that had been standing behind her.
“Gongzi! Be careful!” the man in white exclaimed.
With a brilliant gleam, the sword moved swiftly, reaching the man’s neck in an instant.
But the man was no ordinary man either. He quickly shifted his body to the left and avoided the attack. However, without waiting for the man to even take a breath, the sword had already changed directions and was piercing straight at his eyes.
“Yi?” The man exclaimed in slight surprise. Unexpectedly, the opponent’s attack was so fast that he could not avoid it. He flipped his wrist and a flash of blue shot out from his sleeves to block the attack. The tip of the sword was less than half an inch away from his eyes.
“Gongzi!” The man in the snow-white robes was frightened and riddled with worry but he did not dare to make a move without his master’s order.
“Not bad,” Feng Xi lightly praised. At the same time, her wrist shook as she pressed the tip of the sword against the blue curved blade of his dagger that was no more than a foot long. From its shape, it looked like a blue crescent moon shining in a night sky.
The man saw Feng Xi attack again and immediately he gathered strength into his arm. Ding! The two swords collided with a crisp ring and the both of them could feel a numbing jolt spreading through their hands.
“Good martial arts!” This time it was the man’s turn to praise but before his words fell, his blade drew an arc in the air, flashing with a light blue gleam as it sliced towards her neck.
Upon seeing this, Feng Xi’s whole body shuddered and she maneuvered the sword in her hand, wielding it with speed to block his attack. The sounds of swords clashing continued to resonate. Ding, ding, ding…
The two stood close in attack and very quickly, they had already exchanged over a dozen moves, but neither was able to break through the opponent’s defences.
“Next move,” Feng Xi remarked as her right wrist turned and the long sword swept back to attack the man. However, her sword had clashed with his dagger. She attacked again, this time aiming at his chest while her left hand flung her sleeve into the air like white cloud, flying towards the man’s face but before it arrived, a strong force had pierced through her sleeve, grazing against her skin painfully.
Though the man was astonished by her impressive skills, he was calm and collected, moving quickly with ease as he lifted his right hand to block the sword stabbing at his chest and brandished his left palm with eighty-percent of his strength to slice at Feng Xi’s sleeve.
“He he(laughing) ……next move!” Seeing her attack was about to be intercepted, Feng Xi suddenly laughed and lifted her left wrist. Her sleeve slipped away from the man’s slicing palm which met empty air. He was about to change his attack when in the blink of an eye, her long sleeve flew out again, as fast as lightning, and wrapped around the man’s left palm. If her attack was successful, he would surely lose a hand!
The man’s martial arts was also impressive. Facing danger, he was still as calm as ever, not revealing an ounce of panic. The moment his left hand was wrapped in her long sleeve, his palm attack transformed to a claw as his five fingers gripped the sleeve. In the next instant, only a ‘si’ was heard, ringing in the air as they backed away from one another and a piece of her white sleeve fluttered down between them.
“Big sister!” Han Piao saw the two separated and rushed over to Feng Xi.
“Gongzi!!” The man in snow-white robes hurried to the man’s side. He glared at Feng Xi, his expression a mixture of shame and anger. Shamed that he, a proud swordsman, had lost his sword to this woman. Angered that this country bumpkin-looking woman had the cheek to attack his young master!
“Big sister, you’re not hurt are you?” Han Piao anxiously asked as he looked at Feng Xi.
translations at peachblossomgrove . com
“I’m alright, no worries.” Feng Xi looked down at Han Piao with a reassuring smile. She raised her left hand and saw that her left sleeve had been torn, revealing a snow-white arm, porcelain as white jade. However her hand was a different story, it was dirty, covered in black ashes. “Well, a piece of my sleeve has been torn! It’s been years since I’ve met such an opponent!”
“Gongzi, are you alright?” The man in white also anxiously asked his master. If gongzi was to get hurt under his watch, if that was the case…..following that train of thought, he couldn’t help but shudder as a chill ran down his back and he clenched his fists tightly.
“Jian, no need to blame yourself.” The man shook his head and raised his left hand. On the back of his hand was a shallow wound which drew blood about 3 inches long. “This young lady’s martial skills is peerless in the Jianghu, even I can’t be certain I can defeat her.”
Hearing this, Feng Xi looked up at him. But as soon as her eyes landed on him, she was momentarily stunned.
It turns out this gongzi was handsome and young, probably around 25-26 years old. He was tall, dressed in light purple brocade robes, his long black hair tied behind his head with a purple brocade band. His face was like a masterpiece carefully carved from the finest jade selected by the heavens. His eyes glowed with the rare shade of golden-brown. He stood there with a kind of grace and loftiness, like a monarch overlooking his realm and the thousands of people beneath his feet.
“Hm, it’s the first time I’ve seen someone who can rival that black fox’s aura and appearance,” she couldn’t help muttering to herself as she looked at the man in purple robes.
“Big sister, what did you say?” Han Piao asked. Feng Xi had muttered beneath her breath and he wasn’t able to catch what she had said.
“I said….. how long will it take for you to grow up?” Feng Xi looked down at Han Piao as she thought, Hmm, to have a handsome young brother would be great, by that time he would be like that black fox, having young maidens voluntarily offering food and clothing everywhere he went. By that time, they would not have to ever worry about the next meal for the rest of their lives.
“Miss’ martial arts is impressive. It’s quite rare to come by someone so skilled. May I ask for your name?” The man in purple robes carefully observed Feng Xi. The clothes of the woman in front of him were covered in dirt and ashes, making the original color hard to distinguish. Her face was also a mix of white and black. On her forehead she seemed to be wearing some sort of jewelry but it could not be seen clearly. At first glance, she was nothing special, but she had a pair of extremely bright eyes. In this wilderness, her eyes were like the stars, shining brightly and clearly, making one can’t help but take a second look. Upon glancing at her again, he found that she had a rare free spirit to her, this dirty woman, like an uninhibited breeze gusting through life without end.
“Humph! Can my big sister’s name be told so casually to other people? ” Han Piao snorted and raised his chin haughtily. “At least you must apologize to me first.”
“Oh?” The man in purple glanced at Han Piao lightly.
The eyes of the man in purple made Han Piao’s heart shiver and his temper wanned, “You…..you frightened me for no reason, of course you have to apologize to me.”
“Oh.” The man in purple raised a brow. “May I ask for little brother’s name?”
As soon as Han Piao was asked for his name, he immediately introduced himself. “My name is Han Piao. Although my martial arts are only average, I will definitely become a great hero in the future, surpassing both Bai Feng and Hei Xi!” he proudly stated, completely forgetting how he had been hiding like a tortoise just moments ago.
“Ha ha ha!” The purple-robed man couldn’t help but look up and laugh heartily. Even when he laughed, he exuded an imposing presence, like that of a roaring lion, making it hard for people to meet his gaze.
Frowning, the man in snow-white robes glanced at Han Piao. The look in his eyes clearly showed that he didn’t believe this kid had the ability.
Provoked by the laughter of the purple-robed man and the look of the white-robed man, Han Piao clenched his fists tightly and shouted, “You….what are you laughing at? You don’t believe me, do you? Humph, you should know my big sister is precisely… ” But before he could finish his sentence, he was slapped on the head and the rest of his words were swallowed back down.
“It’s not enough for you to lose face so you want to make me lose mine too?” Feng Xi patted Han Piao on the back of the neck and glanced sideways at the man in purple. Indifferently, she said, “You should know the saying, the second wave shall take over the first. In this world, there are always new people to replace the old. Who knows, maybe one day, his martial arts reputation will surpass these people. You don’t need to laugh so hard at him. “
“Miss Han, I’m not laughing at his wild words, but rather appreciating them. For one so young, he sure has great ambition. In the future, he’ll surely achieve greatness.” The man in purple stopped laughing but his voice was still imperious as he looked at Han Piao and said, “It’s just that people like Bai Feng and Hei Xi have long-standing reputations. To surpass them is not something that can be easily done with mere words.”
“My big sister isn’t…. ouch!” Seeing that the man mistakenly called Feng Xi ‘Miss Han’, Han Piao wanted to correct him but suddenly received another slap on his head and swallowed back the second half of his sentence
“Is that so? Just wait and see, Bai Feng and Hei Xi, no matter how strong they are, they can’t withstand the passage of time. One day, they’ll grow old and pass away. In the jianghu, there are plenty of people to replace them,” Feng Xi calmly said and threw the long sword in front of the man in white. Then she took Han Piao by the hand and said,”Piao’er, since your fists are not as strong as theirs, let’s get going.”
“Wait,” The man in white suddenly called out to them.
“What? Are you wanting to have another fight? Although it may be difficult to defeat your family’s gongzi, it’s not difficult to defeat you, ” Feng Xi casually said as she glanced back at him.
“Sorry,” The man in white suddenly apologized.
“Eh!” Feng Xi uttered in surprise. She thought this proud snowman would rather die than bow his head and admit his mistakes. Who would suspect he would suddenly apologize?
“I, Xiao Jian, never kill innocent people indiscriminately,” the snowman coldly remarked but did not care to explain his reasons for attacking them in the first place.
“Oh?” When Feng Xi heard this, she couldn’t help but turn around and look at him carefully. For a moment, she smiled brilliantly and said, “Xiao Jian? I see.”
The man in white, Xiao Jian, was bewildered by her smile. It’s clear that her face was dirty, smeared with ashes. To not say that she’s ugly was already gracious but though her face was dirty, her smile was still radiant, making one can’t help but gaze at her. At the thought of this, he recollected how he had lost his sword because he was distracted by her smile. Consequently, looking at this smile, he grew slightly annoyed.
The man in purple suddenly asked, “Why is Miss and little brother here in the mountain wilderness?”
Feng Xi turned her head to meet his scrutinizing eyes. Her lips curled mockingly as she remarked, “It seems it’s people like gongzi who ought not to be here in such mountain wilderness.”
The man in purple’s golden-brown eyes remained fixed on Feng Xi as if wanting to see through her. “Miss is the second person so far I’m not sure if I could defeat. Why haven’t I heard of you in the Jianghu before?” he asked.
“Second person?” Hearing this, Feng Xi looked away, her eyes creased like crescent moons as she asked, “Then who’s the first? Is there a third? A fourth?”
“The first is Yu Wu Yuan… as for the third, the fourth, they may or may not exist,” the purple-robed man solemnly replied, but his eyes revealed a trace of arrogance as if the rest of the world could not enter his eyes.
“Yu Wu Yuan?” The aloof look in Feng Xi’s eyes suddenly disappeared along with the ridiculing expression. Her eyes lit up with joy as she asked, “You mean the number one gongzi in the realm, Yu Wu Yuan? To be named alongside him as someone you can’t defeat, it’s truly a great honor! Great honor!”
When the man in purple saw that she was full of praises for Yu Wu Yuan, he couldn’t help but ask doubtfully, “Are you acquainted with Yu gongzi as well?”
“Alone, Yu faces wind and rain amongst the numerous mountains, all under heaven holds Wu Yuan in high regards(Supposed to sound poetic here). Yu Wu Yuan- Yu gongzi, who doesn’t want to become acquainted with him? It’s a pity that I’ve long heard of him but never had the fate to meet him,” Feng Xi lamented with a sigh. She looked up at the shining sun in the skies and wondered if that renowned man was as brilliant as they say. “In this world, the only person I really want to meet most is Yu gongzi.”
“Oh?” An intriguing smile surfaced on the purple-robed man’s lips. “In the whole world, only Yu gongzi can enter Miss’ eyes?”
“Ha ha …” Feng Xi suddenly laughed. Turning around, she glanced at him and teasingly asked, “You’re not upset I didn’t put you in my eye are you?”
“Miss is too egotistic,” the man in purple responded, no longer smiling. His expression grew cold and indifferent, giving rise to a frosty chill in these deep mountains as if it was late autumn.
“Gongzi is too arrogant. Don’t mention yourself, even if the realm’s 4 great gonzi, Lan Xi gongzi, Feng Xi gongzi, even…” Feng Xi spoke fearlessly, glancing at the man in purple, her eyes were sharp as a blade, “even the prince of Huang Kingdom, Huang Chao gongzi, I won’t put in my eye.”
When Feng Xi spoke these words, she did not look like the usual lazy and smiling Bai Feng Xi. At this moment, an air of arrogance surrounded her as if she did not put the world in her eyes. She stood there, upright and calm, facing the man in purple without a slip of weakness.
“Eh?” The purple-robbed gongzi was stunned by her words. After a moment, he suddenly burst out laughing, “Ha ha ha ha ..”
His unrestrained laughter was full of glee, echoing throughout the mountains.
“Arrogant! Rude!” Xiao Jian coldly spat upon hearing Feng Xi’s words. He then reached for his sword.
“Good! Good! Very well!” the purple-robed man stopped laughing and praised. The glimmer of mirth in his eyes did not fade as he said, “I have never heard such words since I was born! You, Miss, are the first! Only you would dare say such things!”
“Prince Huang stands so high and mighty, naturally it would be hard for you to hear such wild talks,” Feng Xi said.
“Miss, why are you so certain I’m Huang Chao?” the purple-robed gongzi asked, surprised that his identity had been discovered.
“I’m not egotistic. I’ve been wandering in the Jianghu for many years, there aren’t many people who can fight me.” Feng Xi picked up the ripped sleeve off the ground and spread it out in her hand. With a trace of regret on her face she said, “Counting back and forth, there won’t be more than 5 people. With Prince Huang’s imposing bearing, it’s not difficult for me to recognize.”
“Besides, how many people in the world can have such a subordinate?” Feng Xi said as she gently tossed the ripped sleeve in the air, letting it flutter away in the wind. She looked back at Xiao Jian and asked, “Moreover, in the world, how many skilled swordsmen have the name Jian? Am I right, Sweeping Snow General of Huang Kingdom?”
“Your honorable little brother’s sneaky behavior made me mistake him for an assassin. I’ve offended you just now. Please forgive me,” Xiao Jian suddenly cupped his palm over his fist in salutation and explained in a solemn, differential manner.
“This smelly little brat got ashes all over me. I was going to give him a spanking but unexpectedly, he escaped even faster than a hare. Serves him right that he got frightened by you. Ultimately, it was all a misunderstanding, General does not need to be so courteous.” Feng Xi also cupped her palm over her fist and returned the courtesy.
“Miss has seen through both of our identities, but we still don’t know who you are. It seems that when it comes to having an eye for understanding people, I’ve lost,” Huang Chao said as he gazed at Feng Xi intently, as if trying to figure her out.
“Since I figured out Prince Huang’s identity on my own, naturally my identity should also be left to Prince Huang to figure out on your own. Only in this way would it be fair, don’t you agree?” Feng Xi asked with an indifferent smile.
“In this world, there aren’t many women with such high martial skills. First and foremost, there’s Bai Feng Xi. Next, there’s Princess Xi Yun and my kingdom’s Qiu Jiu Shuang.” Huang Chao looked at Feng Xi suspiciously as he tried to narrow down the list. “Jiu Shuang is my subordinate so naturally I would recognize her. However, I have never met Bai Feng Xi before but it’s rumored she wears plain robes, snow-moon white, with a bearing of utmost elegance. Miss….”
Huang Chao stopped for a moment and looked at Feng Xi’s dirty appearance. Her features couldn’t even be distinguished, let alone any traces of elegance.
“I, this ugly person, can’t be the Bai Feng Xi with ‘utmost elegance’ you spoke of, right?” Feng Xi chuckled upon hearing his words but her face did not reveal any traces of displeasure.
“Miss is not Bai Feng Xi. Neither, can you be Princess Xi Yun. Though Feng2 Kingdom’s Princess Xi Yun is known to have built Feng Yun troops, I’ve never heard that she has set foot into the Jianghu. Though she’s the commander of the army troops, it doesn’t necessarily mean she would possess high martial skills. Having not seen her personally, it’s difficult to discern the level of her martial skills. However, the princess was born to a noble family, raised up in wealth and fortune. How could she appear here,” Huang Chao asserted.
“Hmm.” Feng Xi nodded as if agreeing with his conjectures.
“As for other women with high martial skills in the Jianghu…,” Huang Chao listed, “Shan Fei Xue of Fei Xue(Flying Snow) Temple. She’s also known as the cold-faced Rakshasi(mythological demon in buddhism).But Miss is always smiling and Shan Fei Xue has become a nun, so you can’t be her. Mei Xin Yu of Mei Hua Ling(Plum Blossom mountain??). In the Jianghu, she’s well known for her special move, Plum Blossom Rain(Mei Hua Yu). However, she married the hero Tao Luo of Nan Zhao three years ago. The two of them are married and in love, it’s unlikely that she would appear here on her own. Jun Pin Yu of Pin Yu Pavilion. She’s skilled in medicine and has a heart of Buddha. There are many people who come to seek her medical expertise every day. How can she have time to roam this mountain wilderness… “
Huang Chao listed all the known female heroines in the Jianghu, but he still couldn’t find one who could match up with the woman in front of him. His heart grew more suspicious. “Miss’ surname is Han. Forgive me for my ignorance, but I’ve never heard of a heroine with the surname of Han with such high martial skills in the Jianghu.”
“He he(laughing)…. I’ve never said my surname was Han, ” Feng Xi replied with a smile but did not take the initiative to reveal her identity. “Prince Huang grew up in the palace but you seem to be well informed of the Jianghu, it’s just…..there are many people in this world that neither you nor I know.”
“Miss must often wander in the Jianghu since you’re quite familiar with it as well. With your talent and skills, you’re unlikely to be a nameless heroine,” Huang Chao affirmed, looking at Feng Xi unblinkingly. “If you are willing to wash your face and let me take a look at your true appearance, it’s not difficult to distinguish who you are.”
“Oh?” Feng Xi’s dirty hands stroked her face covered with ashes. She then looked down at herself and couldn’t help but laugh. “Ha, I not only want to wash my face but also take a bath. If Prince Huang wants to see my true appearance, do you want to come along?”
“Huh?” Huang Chao was momentarily at a loss for words. Born in a noble family, he has met all kinds of people who have acted in accordance with courtesy and respect towards him. The women he knew were all gentle and well-bred young ladies from prestigious families. Even those heroines, with the heroic spirits of men, in the Jianghu, though they aren’t bothered by trifling matters, but they would never behave like the woman in front of him now whose words and actions were so unbridled. In this world, was there such a daring woman who would invite a man to come watch her bathe?
Huang Chao couldn’t help but become taciturn. With a seriousness he didn’t have before, he carefully sized up Feng Xi. Was this a lascivious person? No, she doesn’t look like it! That pair of eyes held no traces of obscenity and was clear as water. On her face was a shallow smile, magnanimous and tranquil. Though she looked dirty, she had an air about her that was clear as ice and clean as jade.
translations at peachblossomgrove.com
All of a sudden, a brooding look surfaced on Huang Chao’s handsome, noble face. He then smiled gently and said, “Since Miss has extended an invitation, I naturally am willing to boil the water, pour the fragrance and hold the towel for you.”
“Eh?” This time, it was Feng Xi’s turn to be at a loss for words. Up until now, besides that black fox, there were very few people who were able to respond to her crude words and actions so casually and magnanimously. If it had been Yan Ying Zhou, his face would’ve surely turned crimson red by now. As for that beautiful snowman, his expression was ice-cold, not even sparing her a glance yet this Huang Chao….. Oh! As someone named as one of the four great gongzi, he surely cannot be looked down upon!
“What? Miss doesn’t dare to? ” Huang Chao teasingly asked upon witnessing Feng Xi’s surprised expression.
“Hmm, it’s not that I’m afraid.” Feng Xi rubbed her hands then scratched her head. “But to let the prince of Huang come and serve me, even the Emperor in the palace of the Imperial City doesn’t have such an honor let alone this ordinary commoner. I merely don’t wish to lose my life!”
Ha ha…” Huang Chao laughed resonantly. Then he extended his hands and said, “I shall turn this barren mountain wilderness into a clear lake one day. At that time, I shall invite Miss again to come wash your face, how about that?”
“Turn this mountain wilderness into a lake?” Hearing this, Feng Xi stared at Huang Chao but could not discern the slightest ounce of jest from his expression. Though slightly taken aback, she felt this person was a man true to his words. “If you really turn this place into a lake, even if I’m at the far ends of the earth, I will surely come to wash my face!”
“Good! It’s a deal then!”
“It’s a deal!”
They clapped their hands at their pledge. Afterwards, they looked at one another and suddenly bursted out laughing heartily, gazing up at the skies.
Xiao Jian looked at the two people laughing and his bright snowy eyes flashed with a pensive look. He then fixed his attention on Feng Xi and carefully assessed her from head to toe. In the end, his eyes lingered on the ornament on her forehead for a moment as if trying to find some sort of clue from it.
Once Feng Xi stopped laughing, she bluntly said, “I’m starving. Invite me to a meal.”
“Meal?” Huang Chao asked, “How can you switch from bathing to eating so fast?”
“What? You’re unwilling to invite me, this commoner from the mountain wilderness?” Feng Xi questioned with a glare.
“Of course not! I am just like Miss. Some people, I won’t spare them a glance even with their noble identity. But other people, even if they’re a servant, I’ll still be willing to share a bowl of water. I invite you to have a meal with me!” Huang Chao said with a faint smile.
Piao’er, we can eat now.” Seeing that their next meal had been settled, Feng Xi stretched her arms and gave Han Piao, who was currently staring at Huang Chao foolishly, a knock on the head.
“Big Sister, this is Huang Chao! Prince of Huang Kingdom! He’s one of the top four gongzi who’s as well known as Hei Feng Xi!” Han Piao exclaimed after a while of silence, his eyes wide with reverence as he stared at Huang Chao.
Well, such appearance, such bearing, such conduct…… as expected of a prince! With this kind of presence, he certainly lives up to his reputation, unlike….his eyes then swept over Feng Xi. Ai(sigh), why did I find someone who doesn’t live up to their reputation and claimed her as my big sister!
“So what? Wipe your saliva!” Feng Xi gave Han Piao’s head another knock. His foolish appearance was truly a huge disgrace!
Little brother, with such a big sister, in the future, you will surely be like the saying goes ‘though originates from blue, green exceeds blue(idiom: student surpasses the master)” The Huang Chao said as he faintly smiled at Han Piao.
“Let’s go eat,” Feng Xi said as she waved her hand forward.
Xiao Jian led the way and walked in front. After walking no more than a mile, they saw 4 people ahead, standing on a relatively flat grass land.
“Gongzi,” they said and bowed upon seeing Huang Chao return.
“Hmm.” Huang Chao nodded gently in acknowledgment.
“Wow! There’s so much food!” Han Piao was the first to exclaim.
On the bed of grass in front of them, a large purple carpet had been laid out and on top of the carpet were various displays of dishes, snacks and fine wine.
“I want the roast duck!” Han Piao announced as he quickly pounced on the roast duck in the middle of the carpet.
“The roast duck’s mine! Kong Rong gives up pear1, understand? ” Feng Xi also flew towards the roast duck.
(1: story about Kong Rong, who picks up smaller pears and leaves the bigger ones to his older brother. This saying is used to educate the young on courtesy)
Two figures, one big and one small, hurled themselves at the roast duck but just as their hands were about to land on the duck, they both suddenly stopped at the same time.
Not because they remembered to be modest but because their four hands were so dirty!
“I’ll borrow your clothes for a moment!”
Before Xiao Jian even had the time to sit down, he was dazed. Feng Xi had rushed in front of him, pulling at his sleeve. When he looked down, his eyes widened in shock, she…she actually wiped her dirty hands on his sleeve! The snow-white sleeve was immediately stained black!
“You…. You… ” Xiao Jian couldn’t even speak.
“Don’t be stingy! If my clothes were clean, I wouldn’t rub them on you! Anyways, you have money. Just buy another one later! ” Feng Xi said carefreely while wiping the dirt off her hands.
“You…you ….you can wash your hands!” Xiao Jian finally roared. His voice was a deep contrast to his delicate appearance. His eyes were even emitting an unusual pale blue.
“Wow! It changed again! It changed again!” Feng Xi exclaimed excitedly as she pointed at his eyes.
“What’s changed? What’s changed?” Han Piao asked. He was washing his hands with the wine in the wine bottle but upon hearing Feng Xi, he quickly ran over with the bottle.
“Little Brother ..you..you’re washing your hands with wine?!” When Xiao Jian saw the bottle in Han Piao’s hand, his beautiful eyes were almost bursting out of his sockets, and the blue shade grew increasingly darker. “Heavens, this is Yan Zhi wine!”
“Wow! His eyes turned blue!” Han Piao exclaimed.
“Yan Zhi wine? A thousand pounds of gold per bottle, that Yan Zhi wine?” Feng Xi snatched the wine bottle from Han Piao’s hand and took a sniff. “Oh, it really is Yan Zhi wine!”
“You’re also aware it’s a thousand pounds gold per bottle?” Xiao Jian muttered unhappily with a humph. He thought they finally knew what was what and that she would be full of regret but who knew…..
“I’ll wash my hands too!” As soon as her words fell, the bottle of wine was tilted over and the rest of the wine had been poured onto her hands.
Princess Xi Yun is from Feng Kingdom which I will denote with a 2 just to clarify that it’s different from the other Feng Kingdom which I’ll denote with a 1. Feng1 is a larger kingdom than Feng2. Feng1 and Feng2 Kingdoms are spelled differently in chinese but once romanized, it’s both spelled as Feng because it’s pronunciation sounds very similar.
Also, translations for upcoming chapters may be slower or nonexistent, depending on how busy I get, because I’ll be starting rotations next week! But after I’m done in 2 weeks, it should go back to usual!
Xiao Jian’s eyes widened and he stared at her incredulously.
“Here’s your bottle back!” Feng Xi said as she threw the bottle at Xiao Jian and proceeded to pat her wet hands on his shoulders. “Let me borrow your clothes to dry my hands again!”
Xiao Jian immediately felt his shoulders dampen with two wet handprints.
“The roast duck’s mine!” Feng Xi claimed as she quickly dashed towards the carpet. With a stretch of her hand, she grabbed onto the leg of the roast duck and brought it to her lips. After a big bite, half of the meat had entered her belly.
“Ah!” Han Piao, who was still focused on Xiao Jian’s eyes, finally came back to his senses. He quickly ran over and sat down on the carpet with his hands out-stretched. “These two honey-glazed chicken thighs are mine(younger brother’s)!”
“This plate of soy glazed shrimp is mine!”
“This plate of fu rong cake is mine(younger brother’s)!”
“This box of Zi yun cookies is mine!”
And just like that, they divided up the food on the carpet, one by one. Each time they laid claim to a dish, they would glance up at Xiao Jian and were pleased to watch the faint shade of blue in his eyes darken until it became as blue as the clear skies.
“Jian, you seem to be very easily provoked today,” Huang Chao quietly observed as he took a seat on the side. Jian was calm and quiet by nature; rarely did he ever lose his temper. Yet unexpectedly, today he had gotten angry, time and time again. Huang Chao couldn’t help but sigh as he thought that these two(FX and HP) were truly something else.
Startled by Huang Chao’s remark, Xiao Jian got a hold of himself. He took a deep breath and tried to restore his composure. Slowly, the blue shade of his eyes grew dim until it finally disappeared without a trace.
“Oh! It’s.. gone!” With a mouthful of food, Han Piao’s words were unclearly spoken but his tone held a trace of disappointment at the disappearance of Xiao Jian’s blue eyes.
“Xiao Jian, do you have any other names?” Feng Xi suddenly asked as she looked at him, then squinted up towards the sky. “Like Xue Kong(Snowy Skies) or something. Your eyes resemble the blue skies above a snowy field, clear and pristine. Very beautiful, very beautiful!”
Caught off guard by her remark, Xiao Jian stared at Feng Xi for some time, then quietly replied, “Xue Kong is my courtesy name.”
“Sure enough.” Feng Xi nodded with a smile as she gazed at him. Then, she went back to devouring her food. “You shouldn’t wear these snow-white robes. They make you look as frosty as a snowman. It makes people dare not get too close to you in fear of becoming frozen or melting the snow. Hmm…. you’re more suited with the color blue, blue as the sky,” she commented as she pointed a greasy finger up at the sky.
This time, Xiao Jian did not reply and merely glanced up at the sky. In his eyes, the clear, blue skies were reflected along with the white clouds that occasionally passed by.
Huang Chao did not comment, just quietly observing the two devour food like two hungry tigers. Watching them, his eyes lit with amusement and contemplation.
Suddenly, Feng Xi paused and glanced to the right briefly before immediately directing her attention back to eating again.
At the same time, Huang Chao also glanced ahead and immediately his expression changed. The idle look in his eyes faded and his expression grew solemn.
On the other hand, Xiao Jian had already taken off. His figure had swiftly disappeared in a flash.
Only Han Piao was oblivious as he continued to eat and drink without reservations.
Moments later, Xiao Jian had returned, carrying a man on his back while 5 other men in blue followed behind him.
“Greetings to gongzi!”
As soon as the five men arrived, they knelt down and paid respects to Huang Chao. The man on Xiao Jian’s back also struggled down to the ground to do the same.
“All of you, rise,” Huang Chao lightly commanded as he swept his gaze over them. Several were injured, especially the person who had returned on Xiao Jian’s back. His blue clothes were dyed crimson red near his abdomen.
“Jian, take care of their wounds first,” Huang Chao instructed as he flourished his sleeve and the men kneeling on the ground couldn’t help but all stand.
“Yes.” Xiao Jian then gestured to the four men behind Huang Chao and they all stepped forward to help the six men sit down and bandage their wounds.
“Gongzi.” The man that was injured most severely however, regardless of the pain he was in, insisted on getting up and making his way over to Huang Chao. With trembling hands, he pulled out a blue brocade cloth-wrapped pouch from within his chest and knelt down on one knee as he presented it with both hands raised.
Huang Chao accepted the pouch but was not in any rush to unwrap it. He motioned to Xiao Jian to help the man up as he gazed at the pouch with eyes flashing with light. But then, as if he had recalled something very important, he directed his gaze at the man and questioned, “Where’s General Yan?”
The man’s hands were originally trembling, but now they were shaking violently. He lifted his head and faced Huang Chao with eyes welled with tears. Bearing with the pain, he answered in a shaky voice, “General Yan…. he’s….gone.”
“What?” Huang Chao responded, swaying slightly as if he had been sitting unsteadily. In the next moment, he stood and immediately went up and grabbed the man’s shoulder with his left hand. His gaze was blazing and sharp, like a blade forged in fire. He stated, “Say that again!”
“Gongzi, General Yan died in Mt. Xuan back in Bai Kingdom!” Enduring the gripping pain on his shoulder, he answered clearly as tears fell over and trickled down his face.
When Huang Chao heard this, he released the man. He stood upright, looking straight ahead with his lips tightly pressed and his face expressionless. Only his golden brown eyes moved as his pupils constricted.
“Ding!”
The sound came from Xiao Jian’s sword. Bulging with blue veins, the hand holding the sword was shaking, making his wide sleeve tremble in concert. His head was hung low and his snow-white hair flickered though the wind was absent.
As for Feng Xi, when Huang Chao had asked about Yan Ying Zhou’s whereabouts, the roasted duck leg in her hand dropped to the ground. But she didn’t pick it back up, nor did she reach for anything else to eat. Her eyes were somewhat blurry, as if covered by a layer of mist.
At this time, Han Piao felt there was something amiss. He stopped eating and quietly inched closer to Feng Xi. Seeing her expression, he couldn’t help but worry and pulled anxiously at her sleeve as he inquired, “Sister?”
Feng Xi lifted her head to look at him and gave a faint smile of reassurance. But when Han Piao saw her smile, he felt as though it carried traces of weariness and sorrow, as if her smile had traveled through thousands of twists and turns of thousands of mountains and rivers.
“Ying Zhou!” Huang Chao finally spoke after a long silence. His hand could not help but grip the brocade cloth -wrapped pouch even tighter as his eyes rippled with waves and glimmered with light.
“Xiao Xi.”
“Yes!” One of the four men who was helping with bandaging wounds stood and bowed his head.
“The four of you escort the six of them back,” Huang Chao ordered as he turned around.
“Yes!” Xiao Xi replied.
“Jian, you and I shall head to Mt. Xuan,” Huang Chao continued to order.
“Gongzi, since you’ve gotten the seal, you should let Xiao Xi and them escort you back home. As for Ying Zhou …..I will go on my own,” Xiao Jian dissuaded with his head bowed.
Huang Chao gazed at the cloth pouch in his hand as he smiled sadly. “Before he left, Ying Zhou vowed he would certainly return with the seal. Since he didn’t fail me, how can I fail him?”
“Gongzi, it’s dangerous to go now. You can’t take the risk…” Xiao Jian wanted to dissuade again but Huang Chao raised a hand to stop him.
“I’ve made up my mind. You don’t have to dissuade me any more! This trip to Mt. Xuan, I’d like to see who dares to steal the seal from my hands!” he said imperiously.
“Xiao Xi, you escort the six of them back. Once you return, send a message to Xiao Chi and his ten men so that they can come and join me quickly!” Xiao Jian instructed after realizing he couldn’t dissuade Huang Chao.
“Yes!” Xiao Xi responded. The four men then assisted the six that were injured and left.
Huang Chao sighed and turned around. He then walked over and stood in front of Feng Xi. Lifting the pouch in the hand, he asked, “Miss, do you know what this is?”
Feng Xi stood but spared no glance at the pouch and instead raised her head to look up at the sky. With a faint smile, she replied, “Isn’t this the Xuan Zun Seal that’s even filthier than me?”
“Filthy?” Huang Chao didn’t expect she would use such a word to describe the treasure that everyone in the world wanted to get their hands on.
“This has passed through countless hands, stained with endless blood. Is it not filthy?” Feng Xi asked as she turned to look at him with a complicated look in her eyes.
Ha ha….Miss is indeed an extraordinary person!”
With a smile, Huang Chao began to unwrap the cloth pouch. When the last layer was uncovered, a long black token was unveiled. Approximately 9 cun(unit of length) long, the token was bitingly cold to the touch. On the front, the four characters, Zhi Zhun Xuan Ling(Supreme Seal), were inscribed while on the back a dragon soaring through the clouds was engraved. Beneath the sunlight, the token gave off a lustrous black radiance.
“This is the Xuan Zun Seal crafted from the black iron ore collected from the bottom of the seafloor when the first Emperor extinguished the Beihai Kingdom?!” Huang Chao’s fingers gently glided over the token and his eyes glimmered with joy. “The Xuan Zun Seal that’s 9 cun(unit of length), 9 fen(unit of length) long, that weights 9 jiu(unit of weight) and 9 liang(unit of weight). The 99(eternal) supreme Xuan Zun Seal!”
“It’s just a filthy seal, but has enticed the souls of countless heroes,” Feng Xi remarked as she directed a cold, mocking glance at this Xuan Zun Seal which had taken the lives of countless people.
“You have a point. It’s really filthy, but…” Huang Chao said as he raised the seal which radiated with a brilliant light. “But on a different aspect, this seal is also regarded as the most sacred, most revered object in the world!”
“Haha…you also believe that this seal can command the world? ” Feng Xi sneered.
“Command the world? Ha ha… ” Huang Chao looked up to the sky and laughed, “This seal can’t command the world, only people can command the world! This seal is merely a symbol! Xuan Zun seal is a symbol that represents the Emperor; Xuan Mo seal is a symbol that represents the kings of the seven kingdoms! With the seal in my hands, I’m Mandated by Heaven to become Emperor. As for whether I’m able to command the world or not, that depends all on my ability! Me, Hoang Chao!”
Feng Xi silently stared at Huang Chao who was smiling proudly. At this time, he radiated a kind of peerless aura, like a giant capable of swallowing the whole sky with his mouth and shaking the whole earth with the stomp of his foot, incomparably commanding.
Xiao Jian gazed at his master with eyes full of reverence. Only such a great, majestic person could make him a willing subordinate. Only such a person was fitted to command the world!
Han Piao was also gazing at Huang Chao with wide eyes. His little heart was filled with admiration. This domineering man wanted to hold the whole world in the palm of his hands; this was a man that was hard to come by.
“In the future, whether you’re able to command the world or not, you’ll certainly become a person well-known throughout history!” Feng Xi said with a voice that held a rare sense of admiration.
“That is without a doubt!” Huang Chao replied with conviction.
“Oh, how confident!” Feng Xi laughed softly. “But in my opinion, you only hold a fifty percent chance.”
“Why only fifty percent?” Huang Chao asked with brows raised.
“I heard there’s an unfinished game of chess at the summit of Mt. Cang Mang. Have you heard of it before?” Feng Xi asked as she gazed into the far distance. “Accompanying that unfinished game of chess are two verses engraved on the board, “An outcome awaits on Cang Mang; heroes gather in conquest of supreme rule.” Legend has it that the unfinished game of chess and those two verses were left behind by the heavens which foretells of two peerless heroes who shall contend for the world. If Shizi(heir of a noble family) is one of them, that means that the other person contending with you must be of rivaling ability. If that’s the case, isn’t it only fifty percent?”
“What’s more, heroes emerge during troubled times. Judging from the current situation, there’s not just one person who can play this game of chess with Shizi!” Feng Xi said as she turned around and gazed directly at Huang Chao. Though a lazy smile lingered on her lips, her eyes were bright, gleaming with insight and wisdom, as if the whole world was reflected in her eyes. “There’s also Princess Xi Yun with the Feng Yun troops, King Hua with his Jin Yi troops, and Prince Lan Xi with the Mo Yu troops. All are outstanding talents in the world. Can you say that they don’t have the ability to contend with you? Moreover, the world is so big, there are countless hidden dragons and crouching tigers. There’s a myriad of heroes who can fight against you, shizi.”
“Hahaha… If it’s as you say, then I don’t even hold a fifty percent chance. Perhaps the two who shall contend on the summit of Mt. Cang Mang may not have me at all!” Listening to her, Huang Chao was not discouraged in the least. He avidly held out his arms as if embracing heaven and earth and stated, “I will certainly visit Mt. Cang Mang and see that game of chess. But I don’t believe in any messages left by the heavens. I only believe in myself! Things that I, Huang Chao, want to accomplish, will certainly get accomplished! I will hold the world in my hands!”
“Then I look forward to seeing who will be the winner on the summit of Mt. Cang Mang!” Feng Xi said with a languid smile.
“The one standing at the summit of Mt. Cang Mang will be me, Huang Chao!” he said with a lofty look in his gaze as he exuded with heroic spirit.
“Haha…I’ve wandered the Jianghu for ten years but you are the most arrogant and confident person I have ever seen!” Feng Xi said. She then gave a lazy yawn and went over to hold onto Han Piao. She then turned to face Huang Chao with a bright smile as her feet grew light and their figures floated backwards. “I look forward to seeing you at the summit of Mt. Cang Mang and not your tomb on Mt. Xuan!”
In a flash, their two figures had disappeared.
“Thanks for your concern, Miss.” Huang Chao said in a loud voice, “What I desire, no one, nor thing in this world can stop me! I will level a path leading to Mt. Cang Mang!”
“I will level a path leading to Mt. Cang Mang!”
Echoing in the desolate mountains, this sentence could be heard for the longest time.
“Jian, put away the sword.” Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind, light yet imposing, with the sonance of a monarch commanding a subject.
Instantly, the energy around the man in snow-white robes dispersed; the murderous look in his eyes also dissipated. He proceeded to pull back his sword but Feng Xi was holding tightly to the tip of the blade. He furrowed his brows and strengthened his pull but the sword wouldn’t budge an inch.
The shade of blue in his eyes that had faded instantly darkened as he stared at Feng Xi as if wanting to fight but trying to be patient.
“Miss, how about letting go?” The voice sounded again, still light yet held a trace of command that’s hard to ignore. But rather than sounding disrespectful, it appeared as though it was inherent in his nature, that he was naturally born to dictate commands.
“And if I don’t?” Feng Xi questioned mildly, without turning around.
“Big Sister?” Han Piao pulled at her sleeves.
“What would it take for Miss to let go?” Again, the voice from behind sounded with patience and a sliver of curiosity.
“Apologize,” Feng Xi enunciated, staring at the man in snow-white robes.
“Apologize?” The voice from behind repeated, seemingly finding her answer amusing.
“Your subordinate attacked my younger brother for no rhyme nor reason. If I had not arrived in time, my younger brother would’ve been killed under his sword.” Feng Xi still hadn’t turned around. Her gaze was fixed on the man in white attires in front of her as the languid look in her eyes turned solemn. “Perhaps in your eyes, a mere human life is worthless, but in mine, my younger brother is more precious than any treasure in the world.”
“Oh?” The man behind glanced at Han Piao and said, “But you honorable little brother hasn’t gotten hurt.”
“Oh?” Feng Xi’s eyes narrowed slightly. “So because he’s not injured, nor did he lose his life, that fact that he was frightened could only be blamed on his bad luck or incompetence?” She tilted her head, her lips stretched into a radiant smile. “In that case, I’ve killed many people before but I’ve never killed innocent people. It seems now I must give it a try!”
Before he could recover from the mesmerizing sight of her dazzling smile, the man in white suddenly felt his wrist ache with pain, then his fingers became numb and his sword fell out of his grasp.
“You too!” Feng Xi handily grabbed the sword and turned around. With the wave of her wrist, the sword pierced through the air and stabbed at the man that had been standing behind her.
“Gongzi! Be careful!” the man in white exclaimed.
With a brilliant gleam, the sword moved swiftly, reaching the man’s neck in an instant.
But the man was no ordinary man either. He quickly shifted his body to the left and avoided the attack. However, without waiting for the man to even take a breath, the sword had already changed directions and was piercing straight at his eyes.
“Yi?” The man exclaimed in slight surprise. Unexpectedly, the opponent’s attack was so fast that he could not avoid it. He flipped his wrist and a flash of blue shot out from his sleeves to block the attack. The tip of the sword was less than half an inch away from his eyes.
“Gongzi!” The man in the snow-white robes was frightened and riddled with worry but he did not dare to make a move without his master’s order.
“Not bad,” Feng Xi lightly praised. At the same time, her wrist shook as she pressed the tip of the sword against the blue curved blade of his dagger that was no more than a foot long. From its shape, it looked like a blue crescent moon shining in a night sky.
The man saw Feng Xi attack again and immediately he gathered strength into his arm. Ding! The two swords collided with a crisp ring and the both of them could feel a numbing jolt spreading through their hands.
“Good martial arts!” This time it was the man’s turn to praise but before his words fell, his blade drew an arc in the air, flashing with a light blue gleam as it sliced towards her neck.
Upon seeing this, Feng Xi’s whole body shuddered and she maneuvered the sword in her hand, wielding it with speed to block his attack. The sounds of swords clashing continued to resonate. Ding, ding, ding…
The two stood close in attack and very quickly, they had already exchanged over a dozen moves, but neither was able to break through the opponent’s defences.
“Next move,” Feng Xi remarked as her right wrist turned and the long sword swept back to attack the man. However, her sword had clashed with his dagger. She attacked again, this time aiming at his chest while her left hand flung her sleeve into the air like white cloud, flying towards the man’s face but before it arrived, a strong force had pierced through her sleeve, grazing against her skin painfully.
Though the man was astonished by her impressive skills, he was calm and collected, moving quickly with ease as he lifted his right hand to block the sword stabbing at his chest and brandished his left palm with eighty-percent of his strength to slice at Feng Xi’s sleeve.
“He he(laughing) ……next move!” Seeing her attack was about to be intercepted, Feng Xi suddenly laughed and lifted her left wrist. Her sleeve slipped away from the man’s slicing palm which met empty air. He was about to change his attack when in the blink of an eye, her long sleeve flew out again, as fast as lightning, and wrapped around the man’s left palm. If her attack was successful, he would surely lose a hand!
The man’s martial arts was also impressive. Facing danger, he was still as calm as ever, not revealing an ounce of panic. The moment his left hand was wrapped in her long sleeve, his palm attack transformed to a claw as his five fingers gripped the sleeve. In the next instant, only a ‘si’ was heard, ringing in the air as they backed away from one another and a piece of her white sleeve fluttered down between them.
“Big sister!” Han Piao saw the two separated and rushed over to Feng Xi.
“Gongzi!!” The man in snow-white robes hurried to the man’s side. He glared at Feng Xi, his expression a mixture of shame and anger. Shamed that he, a proud swordsman, had lost his sword to this woman. Angered that this country bumpkin-looking woman had the cheek to attack his young master!
“Big sister, you’re not hurt are you?” Han Piao anxiously asked as he looked at Feng Xi.
translations at peachblossomgrove . com
“I’m alright, no worries.” Feng Xi looked down at Han Piao with a reassuring smile. She raised her left hand and saw that her left sleeve had been torn, revealing a snow-white arm, porcelain as white jade. However her hand was a different story, it was dirty, covered in black ashes. “Well, a piece of my sleeve has been torn! It’s been years since I’ve met such an opponent!”
“Gongzi, are you alright?” The man in white also anxiously asked his master. If gongzi was to get hurt under his watch, if that was the case…..following that train of thought, he couldn’t help but shudder as a chill ran down his back and he clenched his fists tightly.
“Jian, no need to blame yourself.” The man shook his head and raised his left hand. On the back of his hand was a shallow wound which drew blood about 3 inches long. “This young lady’s martial skills is peerless in the Jianghu, even I can’t be certain I can defeat her.”
Hearing this, Feng Xi looked up at him. But as soon as her eyes landed on him, she was momentarily stunned.
It turns out this gongzi was handsome and young, probably around 25-26 years old. He was tall, dressed in light purple brocade robes, his long black hair tied behind his head with a purple brocade band. His face was like a masterpiece carefully carved from the finest jade selected by the heavens. His eyes glowed with the rare shade of golden-brown. He stood there with a kind of grace and loftiness, like a monarch overlooking his realm and the thousands of people beneath his feet.
“Hm, it’s the first time I’ve seen someone who can rival that black fox’s aura and appearance,” she couldn’t help muttering to herself as she looked at the man in purple robes.
“Big sister, what did you say?” Han Piao asked. Feng Xi had muttered beneath her breath and he wasn’t able to catch what she had said.
“I said….. how long will it take for you to grow up?” Feng Xi looked down at Han Piao as she thought, Hmm, to have a handsome young brother would be great, by that time he would be like that black fox, having young maidens voluntarily offering food and clothing everywhere he went. By that time, they would not have to ever worry about the next meal for the rest of their lives.
“Miss’ martial arts is impressive. It’s quite rare to come by someone so skilled. May I ask for your name?” The man in purple robes carefully observed Feng Xi. The clothes of the woman in front of him were covered in dirt and ashes, making the original color hard to distinguish. Her face was also a mix of white and black. On her forehead she seemed to be wearing some sort of jewelry but it could not be seen clearly. At first glance, she was nothing special, but she had a pair of extremely bright eyes. In this wilderness, her eyes were like the stars, shining brightly and clearly, making one can’t help but take a second look. Upon glancing at her again, he found that she had a rare free spirit to her, this dirty woman, like an uninhibited breeze gusting through life without end.
“Humph! Can my big sister’s name be told so casually to other people? ” Han Piao snorted and raised his chin haughtily. “At least you must apologize to me first.”
“Oh?” The man in purple glanced at Han Piao lightly.
The eyes of the man in purple made Han Piao’s heart shiver and his temper wanned, “You…..you frightened me for no reason, of course you have to apologize to me.”
“Oh.” The man in purple raised a brow. “May I ask for little brother’s name?”
As soon as Han Piao was asked for his name, he immediately introduced himself. “My name is Han Piao. Although my martial arts are only average, I will definitely become a great hero in the future, surpassing both Bai Feng and Hei Xi!” he proudly stated, completely forgetting how he had been hiding like a tortoise just moments ago.
“Ha ha ha!” The purple-robed man couldn’t help but look up and laugh heartily. Even when he laughed, he exuded an imposing presence, like that of a roaring lion, making it hard for people to meet his gaze.
Frowning, the man in snow-white robes glanced at Han Piao. The look in his eyes clearly showed that he didn’t believe this kid had the ability.
Provoked by the laughter of the purple-robed man and the look of the white-robed man, Han Piao clenched his fists tightly and shouted, “You….what are you laughing at? You don’t believe me, do you? Humph, you should know my big sister is precisely… ” But before he could finish his sentence, he was slapped on the head and the rest of his words were swallowed back down.
“It’s not enough for you to lose face so you want to make me lose mine too?” Feng Xi patted Han Piao on the back of the neck and glanced sideways at the man in purple. Indifferently, she said, “You should know the saying, the second wave shall take over the first. In this world, there are always new people to replace the old. Who knows, maybe one day, his martial arts reputation will surpass these people. You don’t need to laugh so hard at him. “
“Miss Han, I’m not laughing at his wild words, but rather appreciating them. For one so young, he sure has great ambition. In the future, he’ll surely achieve greatness.” The man in purple stopped laughing but his voice was still imperious as he looked at Han Piao and said, “It’s just that people like Bai Feng and Hei Xi have long-standing reputations. To surpass them is not something that can be easily done with mere words.”
“My big sister isn’t…. ouch!” Seeing that the man mistakenly called Feng Xi ‘Miss Han’, Han Piao wanted to correct him but suddenly received another slap on his head and swallowed back the second half of his sentence
“Is that so? Just wait and see, Bai Feng and Hei Xi, no matter how strong they are, they can’t withstand the passage of time. One day, they’ll grow old and pass away. In the jianghu, there are plenty of people to replace them,” Feng Xi calmly said and threw the long sword in front of the man in white. Then she took Han Piao by the hand and said,”Piao’er, since your fists are not as strong as theirs, let’s get going.”
“Wait,” The man in white suddenly called out to them.
“What? Are you wanting to have another fight? Although it may be difficult to defeat your family’s gongzi, it’s not difficult to defeat you, ” Feng Xi casually said as she glanced back at him.
“Sorry,” The man in white suddenly apologized.
“Eh!” Feng Xi uttered in surprise. She thought this proud snowman would rather die than bow his head and admit his mistakes. Who would suspect he would suddenly apologize?
“I, Xiao Jian, never kill innocent people indiscriminately,” the snowman coldly remarked but did not care to explain his reasons for attacking them in the first place.
“Oh?” When Feng Xi heard this, she couldn’t help but turn around and look at him carefully. For a moment, she smiled brilliantly and said, “Xiao Jian? I see.”
The man in white, Xiao Jian, was bewildered by her smile. It’s clear that her face was dirty, smeared with ashes. To not say that she’s ugly was already gracious but though her face was dirty, her smile was still radiant, making one can’t help but gaze at her. At the thought of this, he recollected how he had lost his sword because he was distracted by her smile. Consequently, looking at this smile, he grew slightly annoyed.
The man in purple suddenly asked, “Why is Miss and little brother here in the mountain wilderness?”
Feng Xi turned her head to meet his scrutinizing eyes. Her lips curled mockingly as she remarked, “It seems it’s people like gongzi who ought not to be here in such mountain wilderness.”
The man in purple’s golden-brown eyes remained fixed on Feng Xi as if wanting to see through her. “Miss is the second person so far I’m not sure if I could defeat. Why haven’t I heard of you in the Jianghu before?” he asked.
“Second person?” Hearing this, Feng Xi looked away, her eyes creased like crescent moons as she asked, “Then who’s the first? Is there a third? A fourth?”
“The first is Yu Wu Yuan… as for the third, the fourth, they may or may not exist,” the purple-robed man solemnly replied, but his eyes revealed a trace of arrogance as if the rest of the world could not enter his eyes.
“Yu Wu Yuan?” The aloof look in Feng Xi’s eyes suddenly disappeared along with the ridiculing expression. Her eyes lit up with joy as she asked, “You mean the number one gongzi in the realm, Yu Wu Yuan? To be named alongside him as someone you can’t defeat, it’s truly a great honor! Great honor!”
When the man in purple saw that she was full of praises for Yu Wu Yuan, he couldn’t help but ask doubtfully, “Are you acquainted with Yu gongzi as well?”
“Alone, Yu faces wind and rain amongst the numerous mountains, all under heaven holds Wu Yuan in high regards(Supposed to sound poetic here). Yu Wu Yuan- Yu gongzi, who doesn’t want to become acquainted with him? It’s a pity that I’ve long heard of him but never had the fate to meet him,” Feng Xi lamented with a sigh. She looked up at the shining sun in the skies and wondered if that renowned man was as brilliant as they say. “In this world, the only person I really want to meet most is Yu gongzi.”
“Oh?” An intriguing smile surfaced on the purple-robed man’s lips. “In the whole world, only Yu gongzi can enter Miss’ eyes?”
“Ha ha …” Feng Xi suddenly laughed. Turning around, she glanced at him and teasingly asked, “You’re not upset I didn’t put you in my eye are you?”
“Miss is too egotistic,” the man in purple responded, no longer smiling. His expression grew cold and indifferent, giving rise to a frosty chill in these deep mountains as if it was late autumn.
“Gongzi is too arrogant. Don’t mention yourself, even if the realm’s 4 great gonzi, Lan Xi gongzi, Feng Xi gongzi, even…” Feng Xi spoke fearlessly, glancing at the man in purple, her eyes were sharp as a blade, “even the prince of Huang Kingdom, Huang Chao gongzi, I won’t put in my eye.”
When Feng Xi spoke these words, she did not look like the usual lazy and smiling Bai Feng Xi. At this moment, an air of arrogance surrounded her as if she did not put the world in her eyes. She stood there, upright and calm, facing the man in purple without a slip of weakness.
“Eh?” The purple-robbed gongzi was stunned by her words. After a moment, he suddenly burst out laughing, “Ha ha ha ha ..”
His unrestrained laughter was full of glee, echoing throughout the mountains.
“Arrogant! Rude!” Xiao Jian coldly spat upon hearing Feng Xi’s words. He then reached for his sword.
“Good! Good! Very well!” the purple-robed man stopped laughing and praised. The glimmer of mirth in his eyes did not fade as he said, “I have never heard such words since I was born! You, Miss, are the first! Only you would dare say such things!”
“Prince Huang stands so high and mighty, naturally it would be hard for you to hear such wild talks,” Feng Xi said.
“Miss, why are you so certain I’m Huang Chao?” the purple-robed gongzi asked, surprised that his identity had been discovered.
“I’m not egotistic. I’ve been wandering in the Jianghu for many years, there aren’t many people who can fight me.” Feng Xi picked up the ripped sleeve off the ground and spread it out in her hand. With a trace of regret on her face she said, “Counting back and forth, there won’t be more than 5 people. With Prince Huang’s imposing bearing, it’s not difficult for me to recognize.”
“Besides, how many people in the world can have such a subordinate?” Feng Xi said as she gently tossed the ripped sleeve in the air, letting it flutter away in the wind. She looked back at Xiao Jian and asked, “Moreover, in the world, how many skilled swordsmen have the name Jian? Am I right, Sweeping Snow General of Huang Kingdom?”
“Your honorable little brother’s sneaky behavior made me mistake him for an assassin. I’ve offended you just now. Please forgive me,” Xiao Jian suddenly cupped his palm over his fist in salutation and explained in a solemn, differential manner.
“This smelly little brat got ashes all over me. I was going to give him a spanking but unexpectedly, he escaped even faster than a hare. Serves him right that he got frightened by you. Ultimately, it was all a misunderstanding, General does not need to be so courteous.” Feng Xi also cupped her palm over her fist and returned the courtesy.
“Miss has seen through both of our identities, but we still don’t know who you are. It seems that when it comes to having an eye for understanding people, I’ve lost,” Huang Chao said as he gazed at Feng Xi intently, as if trying to figure her out.
“Since I figured out Prince Huang’s identity on my own, naturally my identity should also be left to Prince Huang to figure out on your own. Only in this way would it be fair, don’t you agree?” Feng Xi asked with an indifferent smile.
“In this world, there aren’t many women with such high martial skills. First and foremost, there’s Bai Feng Xi. Next, there’s Princess Xi Yun and my kingdom’s Qiu Jiu Shuang.” Huang Chao looked at Feng Xi suspiciously as he tried to narrow down the list. “Jiu Shuang is my subordinate so naturally I would recognize her. However, I have never met Bai Feng Xi before but it’s rumored she wears plain robes, snow-moon white, with a bearing of utmost elegance. Miss….”
Huang Chao stopped for a moment and looked at Feng Xi’s dirty appearance. Her features couldn’t even be distinguished, let alone any traces of elegance.
“I, this ugly person, can’t be the Bai Feng Xi with ‘utmost elegance’ you spoke of, right?” Feng Xi chuckled upon hearing his words but her face did not reveal any traces of displeasure.
“Miss is not Bai Feng Xi. Neither, can you be Princess Xi Yun. Though Feng2 Kingdom’s Princess Xi Yun is known to have built Feng Yun troops, I’ve never heard that she has set foot into the Jianghu. Though she’s the commander of the army troops, it doesn’t necessarily mean she would possess high martial skills. Having not seen her personally, it’s difficult to discern the level of her martial skills. However, the princess was born to a noble family, raised up in wealth and fortune. How could she appear here,” Huang Chao asserted.
“Hmm.” Feng Xi nodded as if agreeing with his conjectures.
“As for other women with high martial skills in the Jianghu…,” Huang Chao listed, “Shan Fei Xue of Fei Xue(Flying Snow) Temple. She’s also known as the cold-faced Rakshasi(mythological demon in buddhism).But Miss is always smiling and Shan Fei Xue has become a nun, so you can’t be her. Mei Xin Yu of Mei Hua Ling(Plum Blossom mountain??). In the Jianghu, she’s well known for her special move, Plum Blossom Rain(Mei Hua Yu). However, she married the hero Tao Luo of Nan Zhao three years ago. The two of them are married and in love, it’s unlikely that she would appear here on her own. Jun Pin Yu of Pin Yu Pavilion. She’s skilled in medicine and has a heart of Buddha. There are many people who come to seek her medical expertise every day. How can she have time to roam this mountain wilderness… “
Huang Chao listed all the known female heroines in the Jianghu, but he still couldn’t find one who could match up with the woman in front of him. His heart grew more suspicious. “Miss’ surname is Han. Forgive me for my ignorance, but I’ve never heard of a heroine with the surname of Han with such high martial skills in the Jianghu.”
“He he(laughing)…. I’ve never said my surname was Han, ” Feng Xi replied with a smile but did not take the initiative to reveal her identity. “Prince Huang grew up in the palace but you seem to be well informed of the Jianghu, it’s just…..there are many people in this world that neither you nor I know.”
“Miss must often wander in the Jianghu since you’re quite familiar with it as well. With your talent and skills, you’re unlikely to be a nameless heroine,” Huang Chao affirmed, looking at Feng Xi unblinkingly. “If you are willing to wash your face and let me take a look at your true appearance, it’s not difficult to distinguish who you are.”
“Oh?” Feng Xi’s dirty hands stroked her face covered with ashes. She then looked down at herself and couldn’t help but laugh. “Ha, I not only want to wash my face but also take a bath. If Prince Huang wants to see my true appearance, do you want to come along?”
“Huh?” Huang Chao was momentarily at a loss for words. Born in a noble family, he has met all kinds of people who have acted in accordance with courtesy and respect towards him. The women he knew were all gentle and well-bred young ladies from prestigious families. Even those heroines, with the heroic spirits of men, in the Jianghu, though they aren’t bothered by trifling matters, but they would never behave like the woman in front of him now whose words and actions were so unbridled. In this world, was there such a daring woman who would invite a man to come watch her bathe?
Huang Chao couldn’t help but become taciturn. With a seriousness he didn’t have before, he carefully sized up Feng Xi. Was this a lascivious person? No, she doesn’t look like it! That pair of eyes held no traces of obscenity and was clear as water. On her face was a shallow smile, magnanimous and tranquil. Though she looked dirty, she had an air about her that was clear as ice and clean as jade.
translations at peachblossomgrove.com
All of a sudden, a brooding look surfaced on Huang Chao’s handsome, noble face. He then smiled gently and said, “Since Miss has extended an invitation, I naturally am willing to boil the water, pour the fragrance and hold the towel for you.”
“Eh?” This time, it was Feng Xi’s turn to be at a loss for words. Up until now, besides that black fox, there were very few people who were able to respond to her crude words and actions so casually and magnanimously. If it had been Yan Ying Zhou, his face would’ve surely turned crimson red by now. As for that beautiful snowman, his expression was ice-cold, not even sparing her a glance yet this Huang Chao….. Oh! As someone named as one of the four great gongzi, he surely cannot be looked down upon!
“What? Miss doesn’t dare to? ” Huang Chao teasingly asked upon witnessing Feng Xi’s surprised expression.
“Hmm, it’s not that I’m afraid.” Feng Xi rubbed her hands then scratched her head. “But to let the prince of Huang come and serve me, even the Emperor in the palace of the Imperial City doesn’t have such an honor let alone this ordinary commoner. I merely don’t wish to lose my life!”
Ha ha…” Huang Chao laughed resonantly. Then he extended his hands and said, “I shall turn this barren mountain wilderness into a clear lake one day. At that time, I shall invite Miss again to come wash your face, how about that?”
“Turn this mountain wilderness into a lake?” Hearing this, Feng Xi stared at Huang Chao but could not discern the slightest ounce of jest from his expression. Though slightly taken aback, she felt this person was a man true to his words. “If you really turn this place into a lake, even if I’m at the far ends of the earth, I will surely come to wash my face!”
“Good! It’s a deal then!”
“It’s a deal!”
They clapped their hands at their pledge. Afterwards, they looked at one another and suddenly bursted out laughing heartily, gazing up at the skies.
Xiao Jian looked at the two people laughing and his bright snowy eyes flashed with a pensive look. He then fixed his attention on Feng Xi and carefully assessed her from head to toe. In the end, his eyes lingered on the ornament on her forehead for a moment as if trying to find some sort of clue from it.
Once Feng Xi stopped laughing, she bluntly said, “I’m starving. Invite me to a meal.”
“Meal?” Huang Chao asked, “How can you switch from bathing to eating so fast?”
“What? You’re unwilling to invite me, this commoner from the mountain wilderness?” Feng Xi questioned with a glare.
“Of course not! I am just like Miss. Some people, I won’t spare them a glance even with their noble identity. But other people, even if they’re a servant, I’ll still be willing to share a bowl of water. I invite you to have a meal with me!” Huang Chao said with a faint smile.
Piao’er, we can eat now.” Seeing that their next meal had been settled, Feng Xi stretched her arms and gave Han Piao, who was currently staring at Huang Chao foolishly, a knock on the head.
“Big Sister, this is Huang Chao! Prince of Huang Kingdom! He’s one of the top four gongzi who’s as well known as Hei Feng Xi!” Han Piao exclaimed after a while of silence, his eyes wide with reverence as he stared at Huang Chao.
Well, such appearance, such bearing, such conduct…… as expected of a prince! With this kind of presence, he certainly lives up to his reputation, unlike….his eyes then swept over Feng Xi. Ai(sigh), why did I find someone who doesn’t live up to their reputation and claimed her as my big sister!
“So what? Wipe your saliva!” Feng Xi gave Han Piao’s head another knock. His foolish appearance was truly a huge disgrace!
Little brother, with such a big sister, in the future, you will surely be like the saying goes ‘though originates from blue, green exceeds blue(idiom: student surpasses the master)” The Huang Chao said as he faintly smiled at Han Piao.
“Let’s go eat,” Feng Xi said as she waved her hand forward.
Xiao Jian led the way and walked in front. After walking no more than a mile, they saw 4 people ahead, standing on a relatively flat grass land.
“Gongzi,” they said and bowed upon seeing Huang Chao return.
“Hmm.” Huang Chao nodded gently in acknowledgment.
“Wow! There’s so much food!” Han Piao was the first to exclaim.
On the bed of grass in front of them, a large purple carpet had been laid out and on top of the carpet were various displays of dishes, snacks and fine wine.
“I want the roast duck!” Han Piao announced as he quickly pounced on the roast duck in the middle of the carpet.
“The roast duck’s mine! Kong Rong gives up pear1, understand? ” Feng Xi also flew towards the roast duck.
(1: story about Kong Rong, who picks up smaller pears and leaves the bigger ones to his older brother. This saying is used to educate the young on courtesy)
Two figures, one big and one small, hurled themselves at the roast duck but just as their hands were about to land on the duck, they both suddenly stopped at the same time.
Not because they remembered to be modest but because their four hands were so dirty!
“I’ll borrow your clothes for a moment!”
Before Xiao Jian even had the time to sit down, he was dazed. Feng Xi had rushed in front of him, pulling at his sleeve. When he looked down, his eyes widened in shock, she…she actually wiped her dirty hands on his sleeve! The snow-white sleeve was immediately stained black!
“You…. You… ” Xiao Jian couldn’t even speak.
“Don’t be stingy! If my clothes were clean, I wouldn’t rub them on you! Anyways, you have money. Just buy another one later! ” Feng Xi said carefreely while wiping the dirt off her hands.
“You…you ….you can wash your hands!” Xiao Jian finally roared. His voice was a deep contrast to his delicate appearance. His eyes were even emitting an unusual pale blue.
“Wow! It changed again! It changed again!” Feng Xi exclaimed excitedly as she pointed at his eyes.
“What’s changed? What’s changed?” Han Piao asked. He was washing his hands with the wine in the wine bottle but upon hearing Feng Xi, he quickly ran over with the bottle.
“Little Brother ..you..you’re washing your hands with wine?!” When Xiao Jian saw the bottle in Han Piao’s hand, his beautiful eyes were almost bursting out of his sockets, and the blue shade grew increasingly darker. “Heavens, this is Yan Zhi wine!”
“Wow! His eyes turned blue!” Han Piao exclaimed.
“Yan Zhi wine? A thousand pounds of gold per bottle, that Yan Zhi wine?” Feng Xi snatched the wine bottle from Han Piao’s hand and took a sniff. “Oh, it really is Yan Zhi wine!”
“You’re also aware it’s a thousand pounds gold per bottle?” Xiao Jian muttered unhappily with a humph. He thought they finally knew what was what and that she would be full of regret but who knew…..
“I’ll wash my hands too!” As soon as her words fell, the bottle of wine was tilted over and the rest of the wine had been poured onto her hands.
Princess Xi Yun is from Feng Kingdom which I will denote with a 2 just to clarify that it’s different from the other Feng Kingdom which I’ll denote with a 1. Feng1 is a larger kingdom than Feng2. Feng1 and Feng2 Kingdoms are spelled differently in chinese but once romanized, it’s both spelled as Feng because it’s pronunciation sounds very similar.
Also, translations for upcoming chapters may be slower or nonexistent, depending on how busy I get, because I’ll be starting rotations next week! But after I’m done in 2 weeks, it should go back to usual!
Xiao Jian’s eyes widened and he stared at her incredulously.
“Here’s your bottle back!” Feng Xi said as she threw the bottle at Xiao Jian and proceeded to pat her wet hands on his shoulders. “Let me borrow your clothes to dry my hands again!”
Xiao Jian immediately felt his shoulders dampen with two wet handprints.
“The roast duck’s mine!” Feng Xi claimed as she quickly dashed towards the carpet. With a stretch of her hand, she grabbed onto the leg of the roast duck and brought it to her lips. After a big bite, half of the meat had entered her belly.
“Ah!” Han Piao, who was still focused on Xiao Jian’s eyes, finally came back to his senses. He quickly ran over and sat down on the carpet with his hands out-stretched. “These two honey-glazed chicken thighs are mine(younger brother’s)!”
“This plate of soy glazed shrimp is mine!”
“This plate of fu rong cake is mine(younger brother’s)!”
“This box of Zi yun cookies is mine!”
And just like that, they divided up the food on the carpet, one by one. Each time they laid claim to a dish, they would glance up at Xiao Jian and were pleased to watch the faint shade of blue in his eyes darken until it became as blue as the clear skies.
“Jian, you seem to be very easily provoked today,” Huang Chao quietly observed as he took a seat on the side. Jian was calm and quiet by nature; rarely did he ever lose his temper. Yet unexpectedly, today he had gotten angry, time and time again. Huang Chao couldn’t help but sigh as he thought that these two(FX and HP) were truly something else.
Startled by Huang Chao’s remark, Xiao Jian got a hold of himself. He took a deep breath and tried to restore his composure. Slowly, the blue shade of his eyes grew dim until it finally disappeared without a trace.
“Oh! It’s.. gone!” With a mouthful of food, Han Piao’s words were unclearly spoken but his tone held a trace of disappointment at the disappearance of Xiao Jian’s blue eyes.
“Xiao Jian, do you have any other names?” Feng Xi suddenly asked as she looked at him, then squinted up towards the sky. “Like Xue Kong(Snowy Skies) or something. Your eyes resemble the blue skies above a snowy field, clear and pristine. Very beautiful, very beautiful!”
Caught off guard by her remark, Xiao Jian stared at Feng Xi for some time, then quietly replied, “Xue Kong is my courtesy name.”
“Sure enough.” Feng Xi nodded with a smile as she gazed at him. Then, she went back to devouring her food. “You shouldn’t wear these snow-white robes. They make you look as frosty as a snowman. It makes people dare not get too close to you in fear of becoming frozen or melting the snow. Hmm…. you’re more suited with the color blue, blue as the sky,” she commented as she pointed a greasy finger up at the sky.
This time, Xiao Jian did not reply and merely glanced up at the sky. In his eyes, the clear, blue skies were reflected along with the white clouds that occasionally passed by.
Huang Chao did not comment, just quietly observing the two devour food like two hungry tigers. Watching them, his eyes lit with amusement and contemplation.
Suddenly, Feng Xi paused and glanced to the right briefly before immediately directing her attention back to eating again.
At the same time, Huang Chao also glanced ahead and immediately his expression changed. The idle look in his eyes faded and his expression grew solemn.
On the other hand, Xiao Jian had already taken off. His figure had swiftly disappeared in a flash.
Only Han Piao was oblivious as he continued to eat and drink without reservations.
Moments later, Xiao Jian had returned, carrying a man on his back while 5 other men in blue followed behind him.
“Greetings to gongzi!”
As soon as the five men arrived, they knelt down and paid respects to Huang Chao. The man on Xiao Jian’s back also struggled down to the ground to do the same.
“All of you, rise,” Huang Chao lightly commanded as he swept his gaze over them. Several were injured, especially the person who had returned on Xiao Jian’s back. His blue clothes were dyed crimson red near his abdomen.
“Jian, take care of their wounds first,” Huang Chao instructed as he flourished his sleeve and the men kneeling on the ground couldn’t help but all stand.
“Yes.” Xiao Jian then gestured to the four men behind Huang Chao and they all stepped forward to help the six men sit down and bandage their wounds.
“Gongzi.” The man that was injured most severely however, regardless of the pain he was in, insisted on getting up and making his way over to Huang Chao. With trembling hands, he pulled out a blue brocade cloth-wrapped pouch from within his chest and knelt down on one knee as he presented it with both hands raised.
Huang Chao accepted the pouch but was not in any rush to unwrap it. He motioned to Xiao Jian to help the man up as he gazed at the pouch with eyes flashing with light. But then, as if he had recalled something very important, he directed his gaze at the man and questioned, “Where’s General Yan?”
The man’s hands were originally trembling, but now they were shaking violently. He lifted his head and faced Huang Chao with eyes welled with tears. Bearing with the pain, he answered in a shaky voice, “General Yan…. he’s….gone.”
“What?” Huang Chao responded, swaying slightly as if he had been sitting unsteadily. In the next moment, he stood and immediately went up and grabbed the man’s shoulder with his left hand. His gaze was blazing and sharp, like a blade forged in fire. He stated, “Say that again!”
“Gongzi, General Yan died in Mt. Xuan back in Bai Kingdom!” Enduring the gripping pain on his shoulder, he answered clearly as tears fell over and trickled down his face.
When Huang Chao heard this, he released the man. He stood upright, looking straight ahead with his lips tightly pressed and his face expressionless. Only his golden brown eyes moved as his pupils constricted.
“Ding!”
The sound came from Xiao Jian’s sword. Bulging with blue veins, the hand holding the sword was shaking, making his wide sleeve tremble in concert. His head was hung low and his snow-white hair flickered though the wind was absent.
As for Feng Xi, when Huang Chao had asked about Yan Ying Zhou’s whereabouts, the roasted duck leg in her hand dropped to the ground. But she didn’t pick it back up, nor did she reach for anything else to eat. Her eyes were somewhat blurry, as if covered by a layer of mist.
At this time, Han Piao felt there was something amiss. He stopped eating and quietly inched closer to Feng Xi. Seeing her expression, he couldn’t help but worry and pulled anxiously at her sleeve as he inquired, “Sister?”
Feng Xi lifted her head to look at him and gave a faint smile of reassurance. But when Han Piao saw her smile, he felt as though it carried traces of weariness and sorrow, as if her smile had traveled through thousands of twists and turns of thousands of mountains and rivers.
“Ying Zhou!” Huang Chao finally spoke after a long silence. His hand could not help but grip the brocade cloth -wrapped pouch even tighter as his eyes rippled with waves and glimmered with light.
“Xiao Xi.”
“Yes!” One of the four men who was helping with bandaging wounds stood and bowed his head.
“The four of you escort the six of them back,” Huang Chao ordered as he turned around.
“Yes!” Xiao Xi replied.
“Jian, you and I shall head to Mt. Xuan,” Huang Chao continued to order.
“Gongzi, since you’ve gotten the seal, you should let Xiao Xi and them escort you back home. As for Ying Zhou …..I will go on my own,” Xiao Jian dissuaded with his head bowed.
Huang Chao gazed at the cloth pouch in his hand as he smiled sadly. “Before he left, Ying Zhou vowed he would certainly return with the seal. Since he didn’t fail me, how can I fail him?”
“Gongzi, it’s dangerous to go now. You can’t take the risk…” Xiao Jian wanted to dissuade again but Huang Chao raised a hand to stop him.
“I’ve made up my mind. You don’t have to dissuade me any more! This trip to Mt. Xuan, I’d like to see who dares to steal the seal from my hands!” he said imperiously.
“Xiao Xi, you escort the six of them back. Once you return, send a message to Xiao Chi and his ten men so that they can come and join me quickly!” Xiao Jian instructed after realizing he couldn’t dissuade Huang Chao.
“Yes!” Xiao Xi responded. The four men then assisted the six that were injured and left.
Huang Chao sighed and turned around. He then walked over and stood in front of Feng Xi. Lifting the pouch in the hand, he asked, “Miss, do you know what this is?”
Feng Xi stood but spared no glance at the pouch and instead raised her head to look up at the sky. With a faint smile, she replied, “Isn’t this the Xuan Zun Seal that’s even filthier than me?”
“Filthy?” Huang Chao didn’t expect she would use such a word to describe the treasure that everyone in the world wanted to get their hands on.
“This has passed through countless hands, stained with endless blood. Is it not filthy?” Feng Xi asked as she turned to look at him with a complicated look in her eyes.
Ha ha….Miss is indeed an extraordinary person!”
With a smile, Huang Chao began to unwrap the cloth pouch. When the last layer was uncovered, a long black token was unveiled. Approximately 9 cun(unit of length) long, the token was bitingly cold to the touch. On the front, the four characters, Zhi Zhun Xuan Ling(Supreme Seal), were inscribed while on the back a dragon soaring through the clouds was engraved. Beneath the sunlight, the token gave off a lustrous black radiance.
“This is the Xuan Zun Seal crafted from the black iron ore collected from the bottom of the seafloor when the first Emperor extinguished the Beihai Kingdom?!” Huang Chao’s fingers gently glided over the token and his eyes glimmered with joy. “The Xuan Zun Seal that’s 9 cun(unit of length), 9 fen(unit of length) long, that weights 9 jiu(unit of weight) and 9 liang(unit of weight). The 99(eternal) supreme Xuan Zun Seal!”
“It’s just a filthy seal, but has enticed the souls of countless heroes,” Feng Xi remarked as she directed a cold, mocking glance at this Xuan Zun Seal which had taken the lives of countless people.
“You have a point. It’s really filthy, but…” Huang Chao said as he raised the seal which radiated with a brilliant light. “But on a different aspect, this seal is also regarded as the most sacred, most revered object in the world!”
“Haha…you also believe that this seal can command the world? ” Feng Xi sneered.
“Command the world? Ha ha… ” Huang Chao looked up to the sky and laughed, “This seal can’t command the world, only people can command the world! This seal is merely a symbol! Xuan Zun seal is a symbol that represents the Emperor; Xuan Mo seal is a symbol that represents the kings of the seven kingdoms! With the seal in my hands, I’m Mandated by Heaven to become Emperor. As for whether I’m able to command the world or not, that depends all on my ability! Me, Hoang Chao!”
Feng Xi silently stared at Huang Chao who was smiling proudly. At this time, he radiated a kind of peerless aura, like a giant capable of swallowing the whole sky with his mouth and shaking the whole earth with the stomp of his foot, incomparably commanding.
Xiao Jian gazed at his master with eyes full of reverence. Only such a great, majestic person could make him a willing subordinate. Only such a person was fitted to command the world!
Han Piao was also gazing at Huang Chao with wide eyes. His little heart was filled with admiration. This domineering man wanted to hold the whole world in the palm of his hands; this was a man that was hard to come by.
“In the future, whether you’re able to command the world or not, you’ll certainly become a person well-known throughout history!” Feng Xi said with a voice that held a rare sense of admiration.
“That is without a doubt!” Huang Chao replied with conviction.
“Oh, how confident!” Feng Xi laughed softly. “But in my opinion, you only hold a fifty percent chance.”
“Why only fifty percent?” Huang Chao asked with brows raised.
“I heard there’s an unfinished game of chess at the summit of Mt. Cang Mang. Have you heard of it before?” Feng Xi asked as she gazed into the far distance. “Accompanying that unfinished game of chess are two verses engraved on the board, “An outcome awaits on Cang Mang; heroes gather in conquest of supreme rule.” Legend has it that the unfinished game of chess and those two verses were left behind by the heavens which foretells of two peerless heroes who shall contend for the world. If Shizi(heir of a noble family) is one of them, that means that the other person contending with you must be of rivaling ability. If that’s the case, isn’t it only fifty percent?”
“What’s more, heroes emerge during troubled times. Judging from the current situation, there’s not just one person who can play this game of chess with Shizi!” Feng Xi said as she turned around and gazed directly at Huang Chao. Though a lazy smile lingered on her lips, her eyes were bright, gleaming with insight and wisdom, as if the whole world was reflected in her eyes. “There’s also Princess Xi Yun with the Feng Yun troops, King Hua with his Jin Yi troops, and Prince Lan Xi with the Mo Yu troops. All are outstanding talents in the world. Can you say that they don’t have the ability to contend with you? Moreover, the world is so big, there are countless hidden dragons and crouching tigers. There’s a myriad of heroes who can fight against you, shizi.”
“Hahaha… If it’s as you say, then I don’t even hold a fifty percent chance. Perhaps the two who shall contend on the summit of Mt. Cang Mang may not have me at all!” Listening to her, Huang Chao was not discouraged in the least. He avidly held out his arms as if embracing heaven and earth and stated, “I will certainly visit Mt. Cang Mang and see that game of chess. But I don’t believe in any messages left by the heavens. I only believe in myself! Things that I, Huang Chao, want to accomplish, will certainly get accomplished! I will hold the world in my hands!”
“Then I look forward to seeing who will be the winner on the summit of Mt. Cang Mang!” Feng Xi said with a languid smile.
“The one standing at the summit of Mt. Cang Mang will be me, Huang Chao!” he said with a lofty look in his gaze as he exuded with heroic spirit.
“Haha…I’ve wandered the Jianghu for ten years but you are the most arrogant and confident person I have ever seen!” Feng Xi said. She then gave a lazy yawn and went over to hold onto Han Piao. She then turned to face Huang Chao with a bright smile as her feet grew light and their figures floated backwards. “I look forward to seeing you at the summit of Mt. Cang Mang and not your tomb on Mt. Xuan!”
In a flash, their two figures had disappeared.
“Thanks for your concern, Miss.” Huang Chao said in a loud voice, “What I desire, no one, nor thing in this world can stop me! I will level a path leading to Mt. Cang Mang!”
“I will level a path leading to Mt. Cang Mang!”
Echoing in the desolate mountains, this sentence could be heard for the longest time.
