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Book 56 Chapter 4 - North-South Confrontation

Translator: Foxs\' Wuxia

Those who come are not good, those who are good don’t come.

“Four people!” Xu Ziling spoke to Yin Xianhe in low voice.

The door and the two windows shattered at the same time.

Yin Xianhe’s long sword came out of its sheath, like a leopard he sprang up from his chair to meet the enemy breaking and entering via the door.

Xu Ziling stood up from the chair calmly, his palms slapped to the left and right windows, while simultaneously sending out two highly concentrated, scorching treasure-vase qi power to strike the two enemies entering through the windows.

The newcomers were all dressed in nightwalker warrior outfit, their head was wrapped in black cover, only their eyes, nose and mouth were exposed, but how could they hide from Xu Ziling?

The one charging from the main entrance was the Da Zun of Da Ming Zun Jiao, Xu Kaishan, charging in from the two windowsills were Duan Yucheng and Xinnaya, respectively. The only one he was unable to guess was the enemy charging into the adjacent room, mistakenly believe that Yin Xianhe was still there. This person’s martial art skill was not under Xu Kaishan.

The head-on conflict with Shi Zhixuan caused damaged-troops-broken-generals to Da Ming Zun Jiao so that their strength was gravely wounded. However, the remaining few who came, none was not able-to-withstand-severe-test martial art masters, they definitely must not be lightly ignored.

It was only this moment that he understood, it was the Da Ming Zun Jiao that Meiyan Furen wanted to escape from. The Five-Colored Stone that she brought from beyond the Great Wall had followed Ramo, the Envoy of the Light from Persia to the prairie on the east, who established the Da Ming Zun Jiao. The Five-Colored Stone was Da Ming Zun Jiao’s highest supreme sacred object [before you criticize me, the original text indeed says ‘highest supreme’], therefore, Xu Kaishan and the others absolutely would not let it fall into an outsider’s hands.

Muffled grunt and tender cry were heard at the same time, before Duan Yucheng and Xinnaya had any chance to cross over the windowsill, they were forcibly jolted by Xu Ziling’s Treasure-Vase true qi, so that they fell backward.

Xu Ziling’s actual combat experience was very rich, how could he be willing to let the enemy enter the room and tangle him to fight inside? Not to mention the enemy in the adjacent room was still a profound mystery, furthermore, Xu Kaishan was a martial art master closer to Shi Zhixuan’s level.

Suddenly he charged forward.

The sound of clashing qi power lingered on. In the blink of an eye, Yin Xianhe exerted all his strength, giving everything he got, yet he was sealed rigidly by Xu Kaishan, and was forced to retreat step by step to the middle of the room.

Xu Ziling let out a shout in low voice and slipped past Yin Xianhe. The air in front of him became like a solid object. It if were Xu Ziling before he exchanged blows against Xu Kaishan in the You Lin Xiao Gu, he would certainly be like Yin Xianhe, having the power but not the way to use it. Presently, however, he held the pearl of wisdom; his finger thrust out, he met Xu Kaishan’s, who was swiftly pushing forward and coming toward him - pair of palms.

“Right wall!”

Yin Xianhe understood what he meant. While pulling his long sword, creating clump after clump of sword flowers, the wall, made of board of wood - on the right side shattered into pieces. The mysterious enemy, who had not shown himself, broke through the wall and entered, the long sword in his hand carried deep and severe cold air, striking down as fast as lightning, both ruthless and swift and fierce without equal.

Duan Yucheng and Xinnaya reorganized their disposition of troops, they charged through the window for the second time, making Xu and Yin, two men’s situation even more critical.

‘Whoosh!’ Xu Ziling’s highly concentrated, deflecting-the-strong-attacking-the-weak finger power penetrated the qi wall formed by Xu Kaishan’s pair of palms, in a no-hole-was-not-entered strike toward Xu Kaishan.

His leg flew out from below, it swiftly kicked the vital part on Xu Kaishan’s lower abdomen. These two attacks were extremely swift and fierce, even with Xu Kaishan’s skill level, he had no choice but to evade backward.

‘Dang!’

Yin Xianhe collided against the enemy’s sword, creating sharp noise like the dragon’s cry, but it was obvious that in term of internal strength, he was still a notch inferior to the opponent; unable to hold out, he staggered backward and slammed against Xu Ziling.

Xu Ziling let go of Xu Kaishan and fully used his unique school’s special skill of reversing the true qi to meet the offensive head-on and deflected it toward the terrifying enemy breaking through the wall to attack from the adjacent room.

Laughing aloud, he said, “Didn’t Liexia Xiong go to accompany Shang Dajia to Gaoli?”

Hearing that, the enemy, whose entire body was wrapped in black cloth - was shaken, his sword momentum slowed down somewhat, so that Xu Ziling was able to tap the sword blade and swiftly retreated as fast as lightning.

Xinnaya’s dagger and Duan Yucheng’s long sword formed a toppling-the-mountains-and-overturning-the-seas offensive in violent attack toward the two.

Xu Ziling did not dare to zealously continue fighting, he reached out to grab Yin Xianhe, whose retreating momentum had not stopped, and brought him soaring into the air, broke through the roof, and flew off without a second thought for those left behind.

Kou Zhong asked, “The poem that Fazhu used as the opening remarks must be able to make any woman falling head over heels, but Xiaozi [this kid] lacks the skill in this aspect.”

A hint of tender smile escaped from the corner of Song Que’s mouth, his eyes were fixed on the falling snow melting into the river water; he recited softly, as if he was replaying the scene of the past back in his mind, “There is bright moon underwater, there is bright moon above the water; the water flows but the moon stays, the moon leaves, the water still flows.”

Listening to that, Kou Zhong had forgotten the decisive battle, ‘Wonderful!’ he cried out, and said, “Because the scenery gives birth to emotion, because the emotion writes the scenery, emotion and scenery blend together, there is a profound meaning about the changes of the facts of life hidden behind it. It is impossible to have a poem that is more suitable for the situation at the time!”

Song Que looked at him back and forth, the strange light in his pair of eyes flaring greatly, he said, “You may not believe it. When I first saw her, I knew for sure that she was a disciple from Ci Hang Jing Zhai, who set foot on the mundane world to carry out her school’s assignment to involve herself in human affairs and to devote herself to spiritual development. At that time, the Chen Dynasty [557-589, one of the Southern Dynasties] had not been annihilated by Yang Jian, Qinghui knew that I was a new generation of the Song Family of Lingnan, thereupon she asked me about the prosperity and decline of the Southern and Northern Dynasties.”

Once again Kou Zhong’s interest was aroused by Song Que; he asked, “At that time, did Yang Jian sit on the Northern Dynasty emperor’s throne?”

Song Que nodded and said, “At that time, Yang Jian had just received a beautiful name, the so-called ‘abdication’ and became the Northern Dynasty’s lord. This man was a rare talent in military affairs. From ascending the imperial throne to the large-scale military expedition to the south, it only took him nine years. With sufficient preparation and meticulous plan, whether in politics or militarily affairs, he far surpassed Chen Shubao, that muddleheaded ruler of the Southern Dynasty. However, there was a major shortcoming in his personality, that is, he is arbitrarily suspicious and unwilling to trust other people, which eventually led to the demonic school had an opportunity that they could exploit, and made Yang Guang to come on stage, so that he completely lost his familial property. Today, Li Yuan is following the tracks of Yang Jian’s overturned cart, he is even more unbearable.”

Kou Zhong greatly felt that speaking with Song Que was not only some kind of enjoyment, it could also broaden his horizons, and give him understanding of the rise and fall of the chaotic government, and the principle of conducting himself. Song Que was lying low in Lingnan, unlike Yang Jian, he planned first and moved later, until the chance of victory was coming closer, only then did he go up north on a large scale.

Song Que said, “I presented my analysis to her that the crucial point of the south is weak, the north is strong lies in the fact that the people are in peace and rich. The reason the south is content to hold a small part of the territory for a long time is simply because the south has fertile soil, natural resources are plentiful, too bad the government is incompetent, there is a wide gap between the rich and the poor, land acquisition by the rich is growing more serious with each passing day, good agricultural land is concentrated in the hands of the local tyrants and influential officials, thereupon corruption is rampant, government officers collude with the rich, robbing the mountains and the lakes and giving them as grant to these people, causing harm to the common people, so that they are forced to leave home and wander from place to place, hungry corpses cover the plains, the people have no way to make a living. On the other hand, Yang Jian was striving unremittingly, so that the relative superiority was clear, it was obvious at a glance.”

Kou Zhong nodded and said, “That is a drawing-blood-on-the-first-prick view, Qinghui Zhaizhu did not agree?”

Song Que calmly said, “She returned to the big issue of ethnic harmony. She pointed out that at the time Yang Jian ascended to the throne in the north, the various northern tribes invading and troubling our Central Earth had already been assimilated and fused into a new nationality; they both had toughness of the tribes north of the Great Wall, but also did not leave from our Han’s deep root of unity, and the extensive and elegant Han culture. At the same time, the northern Han tribe has long resisted various ethnic groups outside the Great Wall, cultivated a hard-working and courageous folk custom. This is a portrayal of thriving in calamity and perishing in soft living [idiom: life springs from sorrow and calamity, death comes from ease and pleasure]. Even though Yang Jian failed, ultimately the south is no match for the north, the North unifies the South, this will be the inevitable direction of historical development.”

“And Fazhu agreed with that?” Kou Zhong asked.

Song Que smiled and said, “As a southerner, I certainly don’t like the sound of it, but I have to admit that her views were standing tall and seeing far, in deep conformance with reasons. But I pointed out that if the one currently arising in the north was not Yang Jian, but some other muddleheaded ruler, the one succeeded the title in the south was not the decadent out-and-out Chen Houzhu [lit. empress master, not sure if this is a name], wouldn’t history be rewritten? In the end, who unifies whom is just a question of this side is flourishing, the other side is declining. I, Song Que, will never admit that the development of history has an irreversible certainty; politics and martial arts [or military] are the means and the direct factors that determine history. The current North-South confrontation is, to a certain degree, a repeat of the situation in the past. I want to prove using facts that everyone will see that history is created by people.”

Kou Zhong became more and more aware that the differences between Song Que and Fan Qinghui were due to different standpoints. If Song Que was from the north, the dispute would have no place to stand.

With Song Que’s talents and aspirations, he would never be willing to submit to the northern Han people of the Hu transformation, plus he did not trust the northerners, thinking that they could not draw a clear dividing line with the Hu people, and Liu Wuzhou, Liang Shidu and the likes have strengthened his views. In the final analysis, Li Yuan raising his troops with the help of Tujue people’s power, and until now he still had close relationship with the Tujue, Ke Dazhi’s Tujue troops were the backbone of Li Jiancheng’s Changlin Army, all these things, Song Que raising his troops and go up north was something that was proper and to be expected as a matter of course. Zhao Deyan becoming the Eastern Tujue’s Guoshi [teacher of the state] was also equating the demonic school with outside tribe. Both the demonic school and Ci Hang Jing Zhai belonged to the northern cultural system, while Song Que’s Song family was the cornerstone of the southern culture, adhering to the distinct banner of Han unification. Song Que and the Li Clan Families did not bite the string [not sure], so much so that they were standing in opposition to each other, actually reflecting the dispute-born-of-differences between the north and the south.

Song Que was right, history is created by people. If Song Que and Kou Zhong weren’t there, who would win and who would lose? It could be said that they would not wait for divining by stalk [of bamboo] on the turtle, or something that could be predicted.

Kou Zhong said, “Since Fazhu knew that Chen Houzhu was incompetent, why didn’t you replace him at that time and fight against Yang Jian?”

Laughing involuntarily, Song Que said, “At that time, I was still a wandering, unknown nobody, it was not until I defeated the ‘Overbearing Saber’ Yue Shan, who was acclaimed to be the number one saber in the world that my fame began to rise and I ascended to the Fazhu position. In those days I immediately consolidated Lingnan, pacify the Yi [barbarian, non-Han] trouble, and made contact with the heroes [the word here is ‘xiong’ - person having great power and influence] in the south. At this time, using the gale sweeping dead leaves momentum, Yang Jian swept away and pacify the south. He wanted to march into Lingnan, I used ten thousand elite troops to resist his more than a hundred thousand main forces in Cangwu. I, Song Que, ten battles, ten victories, so that it was difficult for Yang Jian to advance a single cun, and was forced to sue for peace. I knew that the time did not belong to me, I accepted the title bestowed by the emperor as the Zhen Nan Gong [Duke who suppress the south], we became river water does not interfere with well water. I never respect Yang Jian half a courtesy, so before the death of the emperor, Yang Jian was still taking troubles to heart [idiom: brooding] that he was unable to subdue me, Song Que.”

And then, snorted coldly, he said, “So what if the northern people unify the south? Only Yang Guang coming out, the world has fallen into chaotic situation of all split up and in pieces again. One of the reasons was not only because Yang Guang’s harsh government disturbed the people, he also rejoiced in grandiose deeds, and exhausted the nation’s power. It gives even more proof of the impropriety of the Han people after Hu transformation, that’s why I do not regard it as having good prospects. The harmony between the ethnic groups is certainly not something that can be accomplished with a poetic essay. The one who killed Yang Guang was Yuwen Huaji, who is from head to tail a Hu man. In order to rejuvenate the Central Earth, common people must live in peace and happiness, they must adhere to Han unification, only then will there be prospect. Shaoshuai must remember with reverence what I, Song Que said.”

Kou Zhong nodded to give his promise, he felt that the burden on his shoulders became heavier. Moreover, he had an ominous feeling because Song Que was guiding him patiently and systematically like this.

He could not help saying, “The south unifying the north is Fazhu’s highest goal, other things become secondary. Since this is the case, Fazhu could decline Ning Daoqi’s challenge, simply let me go to tell him that you, the Senior does not have the time and a relaxed frame of mind. And then Fazhu could go back to preside over the grand plan to attack Jiangdu.”

Song Que’s pair of eyes revealed a hurting expression followed by helplessness, he spoke softly, “I don’t want to conceal it from you, this proposal of yours has an astonishingly attractive force to me. However, the one delivering the written war challenge was Qinghui’s beloved disciple, moreover, Feixuan made me see Qinghui in her, as if she was her incarnation; it really made me unable to decline. Since it has been decided, how could Song Que break my word and change my tune? Qinghui is too clear about my personality and feelings for her, this really hit my vital part. She wants me to show my determination to help you strive for the world, and I will prove everything clearly with my actions. There are not many things in the world that can move me, Ning Daoqi is one of them, plus Qinghui; how can I refuse?”

Kou Zhong was dumbstruck and unable to reply.

Song Que smiled and said, “How about we build a log raft out of trees and wild vines?”

Stunned, Kou Zhong asked, “Are we going to take the waterway?”

Song Que replied, “Ning Daoqi is waiting for me at Jingnian Chanyuan, by taking the waterway, we can save a bit of leg power. Since there is Shaoshuai accompanying me, I can save the effort of steering the raft, and meditate for a few sichen. Tomorrow night I will have decisive battle against Ning Daoqi at Jing Yuan, to see who is the top figure of the Central Earth.”

That very night Xu Ziling and Yin Xianhe climbed over the city wall and left Hanzhong, they hurried northward, deep into the mountainous area of Qinling mountain range, before they deeply felt and experienced the real conditions of the road sealed by ice and snow.

On the official road, the snow accumulation was knee-deep, the frozen snow on the branches became sparkling and translucent icicles. When the wind blew, the snowflake floated down; it was quite a different scene. All around, the snowy peaks were moving up and down, but they did not see any other human being.

The sky was pitch-black with thick clouds hanging low in the air, it seemed like heavy snow could come down at any moment.

Yin Xianhe looked back and caught a glance of two sets of foot print extending as far as the eye could see, he said, “If Da Ming Zun Jiao people are dead set on ceaselessly coming to pursue us, surely they can’t possibly come to nothing!”

Concerned, Xu Ziling asked, “You are not injured, are you?”

“I am much better!” Yin Xianhe replied, “There is still a little blood-and-qi-cannot-flow-freely, but it doesn’t give me any problem. Liexia’s martial art skill seems to be tougher than Xu Kaishan, this is really strange!”

Xu Ziling said, “It’s because Xu Kaishan’s internal injury has not recovered yet, otherwise, to get away, we would have to spend a lot more effort. It’s really strange!”

Yin Xianhe asked in astonishment, “Your ‘really strange’ refers to which aspect?”

Xu Ziling replied, “When I was in Longquan that day, Da Ming Zun Jiao people did not attach much importance to the Five-Colored Stone, at least they did not exhaust their entire strength to fight it over. But now they do not seem to spare anything, which makes me feel strange.”

Yin Xianhe nodded and agreed, “Unless they don’t want to mingle in the Central Plains anymore, they shouldn’t mess with you.”

Shaken, Xu Ziling said, “I understand now!”

Yin Xianhe wondered, “My remarks unexpectedly enlightened you?” he asked.

Xu Ziling laughed and said, “That’s exactly right. The fact is that they don’t want to mingle in the Central Plains, they even want to leave the area beyond the Great Wall to go to a place where they can promote Da Ming Zun Jiao. Whether outside or inside the Great Wall, they have enemies everywhere. Merely Shi Zhixuan one person is enough to make them heart-raised-guts-hanging, and Huihe’s Pusa won’t let them get away even more.”

Yin Xianhe did not understand, “Where else can they go?” he asked.

The two men crossed over a mountain ridge, they walked down the slope of the official road.

Xu Ziling said, “Naturally Persia, the birthplace of the Da Ming Zun Jiao, only there the Five-Colored Stone has the most value and the most usage. They only need to weave a pleasant-to-hear story and return the Five-Colored Stone to its rightful owner, and then they can have some other achievement. Otherwise, the only conclusion remaining is to sit and wait for death.”

Yin Xianhe spoke cheerfully, “Ziling’s deduction is reasonable and fair, I can’t find any flaw to be rebutted.”

He went on, “If the Five-Colored Stone becomes their only way out and their only hope to restore their might, they definitely will not let us get away.”

“Nothing could be better than that,” Xu Ziling said, “Isn’t Xianhe trying to seek justice for the Anle Bang [Anle Gang, Book 38 Chapter 4]? We’ll just accomplish this matter before reaching Chang’an.”

Knitting his brows, Yin Xianhe said, “Since Ziling has this intention, why didn’t you deal with them to the end just now, to meet the real problem head-on?”

Xu Ziling replied, “Before, the initiative and control were in their hands, you, Laoge, have not awakened from a hangover, your power was greatly reduced, if we continue staking it all, it would be us who suffer losses. But now we can store up momentum to wait, to deliver them a frontal assault when they come. Moreover, in term of strategy it’s flexible and changeable; this is called that was then and this is now.”

Yin Xianhe laughed in spite of himself, he said, “No wonder Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling’s names can intimidate the area inside and outside of the Great Wall, the longer I hang out with you guys, the more I feel that you are extremely daring, the ghosts and deities cannot fathom, all kinds of things that are difficult for other people to reach.”

Xu Ziling said, “Your mood has improved a lot!”

Yin Xianhe nodded and said, “I don’t know whether I was affected by you, I suddenly feel very optimistic about future prospects. In fact, your situation is not much better than mine, plus your problems are nearly-impossible-to-untie tight knots, yet you still face it courageously. My problem is simpler than yours, whether Ji Qian knows Xiaoji’s whereabouts or does not know, after arriving in Chang’an, as the water recedes, the rocks appear [idiom: the truth comes to light]. If Laotianye is unwilling to let us, brother and sister to meet again, I have no choice but to accept misfortune as decreed by fate, and then exhaust my strength to help Ziling to resolve the catastrophe and disaster facing the Central Plains. I hope I can accumulate some good fortune and virtue for Xiaoji.”

Xu Ziling came to understand that the reason Yin Xianhe became more energetic was that he, Xu Ziling had stirred up the chivalry in his heart and helped him to find his goal in life.

Greatly gratified, he said, “Don’t worry! I am confident that you can reunite with your virtuous sister. Huh! What smells so good?”

Yin Xianhe raised his nose and sniffed around, he said, “Oh! It’s a very familiar aroma! If I’m not mistaken, someone is roasting wolf meat ahead. I have eaten wolf meat several times outside the Great Wall, the meat tastes quite not bad.”

The two men rounded a bend on the gorge road, some distance away by the official road ahead, there were glimmers of lantern light, the aroma precisely came from that place.

Yin Xianhe said, “It’s a relay station for post horses. I did not expect that during cold weather, frozen ground [idiom] in here, there are still people staying behind to take care of things.”

Xu Ziling said, “Even if there are people staying behind to take care of things, they ought to go to bed and enter their quilt to seek for dreams early on, how could they make a fire and roast some meat? Furthermore, it’s wolf meat.”

Yin Xianhe laughed and said, “Ziling’s thinking is meticulous, far better than Xiaodi. Shall we walk past perfectly straight, or enter the relay station to share a couple of bites?”

Xu Ziling spoke indifferently, “The guest passing through a doorway, naturally should go in and have a look. Xianhe Xiong, what do you think?”

Yin Xianhe said cheerfully, “I will abide by Ziling’s decision in everything.”

Chatting and laughing, the two men walked towards the relay station.

The snow was still falling from the sky, from sparse it grew dense; the entire mountain area fell into in the vast and obscure white snow.