Starting with Hyuga, traversing countless heavens

"I don't foresee that you'll ever want to learn martial arts. You might even want to become the best in the world. You might think that no matter how strong your martial arts are, they can't defeat a thousand troops. You have an army on your side, and your strategies are not bad either, so you think learning martial arts is the most useless thing. But the problem is that you still have to rely on yourself if you can. And do you think you can defend the army of Beiliang?"

Xu Fengnian's expression changed; he realized that Hyuga Hoshino was right. Strong strategy was indeed a good thing, but ultimately, the effectiveness of strategy depended on the army or, more specifically, strong individuals.

If he can't hold the army, or if he doesn't have strong allies around him, what good is his strategic brilliance?

In truth, Xu Fengnian was well aware of the necessity of learning martial arts, but he was running away from it, he was avoiding it. His mother, Wu Su, was a renowned swordswoman of her time.

Although Xu Fengnian was unaware of this, he knew that his mother was also a powerful figure, but she still died tragically. However, his father was a second-rank minor grandmaster who relied on his power to prevent anyone from assassinating him.

He also held the view that few of these rulers were truly skilled. The emperor of the Liyang Dynasty was equally weak, and his father was merely a second-rank minor master, not to mention the empress of the Northern Mang.

A strong person does not necessarily have to be a master of martial arts.

Hinata Hoshino looked at Xu Fengnian with a somewhat subtle expression. He could tell what Xu Fengnian was thinking, which made him even more puzzled. Xu Fengnian clearly had this awareness, but he insisted on pretending to be ignorant.

"Alright, I'll give you the item. Right now, I can only show it to you."

Hinata Hoshino put away the jade staff. "Besides this, is there anything else you need?"

"You're so strong, do you have something that can detect if someone is lying?"

Hyuga Hoshino looked at Xu Fengnian and asked, "Do you think I'm Wang Wei?"

"How to say?"

"Can poetry contain everything?"

Hinata Hoshino then smiled and said, "But you've come at the right time, it really is there."

"What?"

Hinata Hoshino handed Xu Fengnian a bronze mirror, saying, "The bronze mirror will shine when you lie, regardless of who you are. Try to tell fewer lies."

"Don't worry, I would never lie."

The bronze mirror flashed, and Xu Fengnian gave an awkward laugh, "Hahaha, it's just a test to see if it works."

The bronze mirror flashed again, and Hinata Hoshino crossed his arms. "Go on, let's see what else you have to say?"

Xu Fengnian left with the bronze mirror in his hands. Hyuga Hoshino smiled, closed the door, and submerged underground to see Li Chungang.

Beneath the Listening Tide Pavilion, in the empty, dark space, Li Chungang, who had been imprisoned for many years, heard the deliberate footsteps of Hinata Hoshino and looked up at the outside of the dungeon.

"Hello, Li Chungang. I am Zhang Xingye."

"Hmph, I don't care who you are, kid! Don't bother this old man!"

Hyuga Hoshino walked straight through the iron gate and into the dungeon. "Dark and damp, are you really not afraid of getting rheumatism? Besides, I'm older than you."

Li Chungang only glanced at Hyuga Hoshino's face and knew that he was very young. Upon closer inspection, he could not sense the depth of the other's abilities.

"An immortal?" Li Chungang shook his head. "No, it doesn't seem like it. It's really hard to imagine that there could be someone with your level of cultivation in the mortal world."

Hinata Hoshino sat cross-legged, and before he sat down, a small wooden platform appeared beneath him.

"Li Chungang, do you know that you are actually very special?"

"Special? If I was born amidst a multitude of swords offering their congratulations and paying homage to the Emperor of Swords, then I would indeed be special."

Hinata Hoshino shook her index finger. "Wrong."

"Where is wrong?"

"Wang Xianzhi is the reincarnation of the White Emperor from Heaven. Qi Xuanzhen is the reincarnation of Lu Zu."

Li Chungang was surprised for a moment but quickly recovered. "So that's how it is. No wonder these people are all so strong, like monsters. They were all important figures in their past lives."

"That's why I say you're special. Apart from Zhang Fuyao, who became a Confucian sage eight hundred years ago, you are one of the few who have achieved the cultivation of a terrestrial immortal entirely on your own."

Li Chungang snorted coldly, "So what? His swordsmanship is extraordinary, isn't that..."

"The loss of a loved one".

Hinata Hoshino finished what Li Chungang hadn't said, and Li Chungang's expression froze as he looked into the darkness of the prison cell. He knew there were only walls there.

The mere cage could not confine him; what confined him was himself. Before his eyes seemed to be the figure in the green robe of Fengdu again. Tears welled up in Li Chungang's eyes; he could not escape.

"System, copy."

[Congratulations, host! You have acquired Li Chungang's swordsmanship talent. Sword techniques: Two Green Snakes in Two Sleeves, One Sword Opens the Heavenly Gate. Do you wish to fuse with him?]

"Fusion."

Martial artists in the snow pay special attention to their state of mind. When their state of mind and energy are in place, breaking through to a higher realm is as easy as eating and drinking.

However, one can be born with good fortune, like Li Chungang. One can also steal the good fortune of others, like Xie Guanying.

One's state of mind can only be cultivated slowly by oneself. Li Chungang did not want to pay attention to Hyuga Hoshino, and Hyuga Hoshino did not want to pay attention to Li Chungang for the time being. He wanted to comprehend the sword moves first. In addition to Li Chungang's sword intent and sword moves, there was also Liu Bai's Great River Sword Intent, Ke Haoran's Righteous Sword Intent, and sword intents that he had seen in different worlds but had not comprehended.

Three hours later, Hyuga Hoshino opened his eyes. Li Chungang's swordsmanship talent was not bad. After receiving Li Chungang's swordsmanship talent, he made progress in swordsmanship and gained a deeper understanding of those sword intents.

"By the way, Old Li, besides Wang Xianzhi, there are two more reincarnations of celestial emperors in this world. I'll introduce them to you when you get out."

Li Chungang suddenly opened his eyes. The descent of immortals to the mortal realm was nothing more than for the sake of fortune. Even an ordinary immortal descending to earth would be a disaster for the human world, let alone an emperor. Just hearing that he was the head of the immortals, one can imagine the impact he could have.

"and many more!"

Li Chungang wanted to persuade him to stay, but Hinata Hoshino passed through the ground and left. Li Chungang sighed and continued to be emo, saying, "New talents emerge in every generation, let others worry about it."

Because destiny creates the strong, a unified dynasty actually restricts the strength of martial artists.

Chaotic times allow fortune to spread throughout the martial world, creating highly skilled masters.

When Li Chungang, Wang Xianzhi, and others were born, the Nine Kingdoms were still embroiled in war.

At that time, there were truly many outstanding talents, countless strategists, and beauties everywhere. This is the benefit of having one's fortune dispersed and absorbed by others.

Now, Liyang, Beiliang, and Beimang are in a tripartite balance of power, and their fortunes are not as dispersed as before, so the number of figures born from them is relatively less than before.

After taking the bronze mirror, Xu Fengnian went to the dungeon immediately. Looking at the bound Chu halberdiers, Xu Fengnian asked his first question, "Where did you get my portrait? Did someone in the Northern Liang army leak it to you?"

"I'm not going to tell you, so just give up on that idea!"

His idea was simple: let the dogs of Beiliang fight each other.

"If I am willing to return the halberd-bearer's banner, would you be willing to reveal anything?"

"I really don't know."

The bronze mirror didn't light up, and Xu Fengnian realized he hadn't lied. After a moment's thought, an idea suddenly occurred to him: could it be Xu Xiao's doing?

Xu Fengnian then shook his head. How could that be? Xu Xiao had promised Wu Su to protect Xu Fengnian. In Xu Fengnian's heart, Xu Xiao would never joke about his life.

But what if there's a hidden expert who can ensure his safety? Is it possible that Xu Xiao is setting a trap to lure him in, or perhaps he has a far more elaborate scheme?

Xu Fengnian felt confused about this matter and might have trouble sleeping. As agreed, Xu Fengnian had the guards deliver the halberd warriors' flag and went to intercept Xu Xiao himself.

"Xu Xiao!"

Xu Xiao looked at the furious Xu Fengnian speechlessly, "Here we go again!"

Xu Xiao then tried to run away, but Xu Fengnian quickly stepped forward and blocked him. Logically speaking, Xu Xiao was a second-grade minor grandmaster, and even with his limp, he shouldn't be able to catch up with Xu Fengnian. However, out of love for his son, Xu Xiao slowed down and waited for Xu Fengnian.

Holding the bronze mirror, Xu Fengnian pondered for a moment before asking the question that had been lingering in his mind, "Was my portrait leaked by someone you arranged?"

"No! Of course not, how could your father possibly harm you?"

Xu Xiao finished speaking, and the bronze mirror lit up. Xu Fengnian pointed to the glowing mirror and said, "This is a treasure that Mr. Zhang gave me. It will light up if anyone nearby lies. Seriously, Xu Xiao, how can you betray your son like this?"

Xu Xiao chuckled awkwardly, "This isn't for you. Why do you think those halberdiers could receive your messages so easily? Besides having someone in the army cooperating, it's also because of my tacit approval. Otherwise, how could they have gotten close to Liangzhou!"

What does "for me" mean?

"If you want to take over Beiliang, how could I not deal with these underhanded dealings in the army and give you a clean Beiliang?"

"Xu Xiao!" Xu Fengnian shouted angrily, "I never intended to take over Beiliang!"

The bronze mirror flashed, and Xu Xiao chuckled, "Still saying you don't want to! The bronze mirror is shining."

“I once thought that only if I took over Beiliang could I bring back my eldest and second sisters, and Huang Man’er would be less in danger.”

The bronze mirror remained motionless, proving that this was Xu Fengnian's true inner thought. Xu Xiao felt somewhat helpless. It was certainly right to do what was right to do what was right for his family, but this kind of awareness was not enough to make him the ruler of Beiliang.

“Feng Nian, although I really want you to take over Bei Liang, you are not convinced enough. Never mind, I will tell you some things when you are truly willing to take over Bei Liang.”

Xu Xiao sighed and returned to his room. Xu Fengnian looked at the bronze mirror in his hand, feeling somewhat lost.

Xu Fengnian returned to his room, and as soon as he entered, he ran into Jiang Ni, who had returned. Jiang Ni smiled slightly at Xu Fengnian, revealing two small dimples.

Xu Fengnian was stunned for a moment. The next moment, he realized that Jiang Ni had come to assassinate him again. Xu Fengnian sighed, "Can I rest for a day? I'm really tired."

"No, I must kill you!"

The bronze mirror lit up, and Xu Fengnian looked at Jiang Ni with a subtle expression. "Little clay figure, do you know what this is?"

"Nothing can stop my determination to kill you!"

The bronze mirror lit up again, and Jiang Ni realized that this thing was a lie detector?

"I hate Xu Fengnian the most!"

The bronze mirror gleamed.

"I hate Xu Fengnian!"

The bronze mirror gleamed.

"I hate Xu Fengnian for taking my money!"

The bronze mirror didn't react. Xu Fengnian smiled and said, "So that's why the little clay figure hates me?"

"You scoundrel, prepare to die!"

As if struck on a sore spot, Jiang Ni, disregarding everything, stabbed Xu Fengnian with a dagger without any strategy!

Xu Fengnian chuckled. Men are always stronger than women, and besides, his three years of travel had given him some strength, allowing him to easily subdue Jiang Ni.

"The assassination failed. A bet is a bet. Little Mudman, your money is mine again."

"A bet's a bet, and you have to accept it. Don't you know how complicated the funeral rites are in Chu? I've heard that coffins have become increasingly expensive in recent years. What am I supposed to do then? I won't even be able to afford to die!"

Xu Fengnian pointed to himself, "And me. I'm not so poor that I can't even afford a coffin. If you die one day, I'll help with the burial. I just don't know what will happen if I die?"

"If you die, I won't care about you!"

The bronze mirror gleamed again, and Jiang Ni blushed, falling silent.

Xu Xiao couldn't help but laugh at the farce between Jiang Ni and Xu Fengnian. The next moment, he saw Xu Longxiang walking towards Xu Fengnian's room, and Xu Xiao stopped Xu Longxiang.