Chapter 25: A Life Like an Unmoored Boat

Is this what they call a meeting of kindred spirits?

"To what stage have you cultivated this technique of yours?" Yin Shiniang asked, looking at Gu Liubai.

"My mother told me that while the Great Tang surpasses many previous dynasties in various respects, its cultivation techniques lack a unified standard, as if they are deliberately trying to make their own methods seem unique. The more powerful the technique, the more meticulously they divide the stages, and the names are always flamboyant. The Dragon-Nurturing Art of the Shanyin Guards is relatively simple—it divides things into the Lesser Heavenly Circuit, Greater Heavenly Circuit, Lesser Orifice-Opening, Greater Orifice-Opening, and so on. But the names used by the Buddhist sects are incredibly cryptic."

Gu Liubai was in high spirits, talking more than he usually did. He felt an instant rapport with Granny Dragon, and as he spoke, the image of his mother’s voice, smile, and her most frequent expression of disdain would surface in his mind. He felt that if his mother were still alive, Chen Tu would likely be looked down upon to death by her. Thinking of this made him even happier.

"My mother said that, fortunately, many Tang people still follow the customs of the pre-Qin period, dividing cultivation into nine grades. Regardless of the technique, it is categorized by how many people one can defeat and the degree to which one's true energy is refined. According to this pre-Qin classification—where the first grade is the entry level and the ninth is the supreme realm—I suppose I have reached the seventh grade."

"So, it really is the seventh grade," Yin Shiniang said, her expression unchanged. "And what do you think of me?"

Gu Liubai replied, "You should be in the upper-middle of the eighth grade."

Yin Shiniang said calmly, "So, according to your mother's theory, the ninth grade is the true 'enemy of ten thousand,' a god of slaughter who can move freely and carve a path through tens or hundreds of thousands of soldiers?"

Gu Liubai laughed. "Exactly. That is the kind of slaughtering god rarely seen in history books. The so-called 'ninth grade' that some people in Chang'an speak of nowadays is, at best, an eighth-grade."

Yin Shiniang shared the sentiment. In the current world, the ninth grade simply did not exist. Those figures who were worshipped as gods in temples in later ages were the only true supreme beings. In this day and age, let alone moving freely through tens of thousands of soldiers, there was no one who could even escape from three thousand elite Turkic cavalry or two hundred Black-Armored guards.

"Luo Qing died with his eyes wide open, unable to rest in peace," Gu Liubai said, suddenly remembering Luo Qing. He couldn't help but sneer, "His qi-refining technique was truly pathetic—sixth grade at best, no more. And yet, you used your upper-middle eighth-grade cultivation to kill him with such a flamboyant display; he couldn't have understood it even in death."

"Bearing the title of a Great Swordsman is quite troublesome," Yin Shiniang said, frowning with some annoyance. "I didn't expect it to be impossible to hide anymore."

Gu Liubai said casually, "I suppose just killing him with a single sword would have been too boring."

Yin Shiniang nodded seriously. "That was indeed part of it. Granny Dragon can practice her archery."

"That was actually a reason?" Gu Liubai hadn't expected his casual remark to be correct. Was it really just for fun that she practiced shooting people in the back, never missing a shot?

Yin Shiniang asked, "How many people like Luo Qing could you kill at once?"

*Trying to probe my depths?* Normally, Gu Liubai wouldn't answer such a question. But since Yin Shiniang had agreed to teach him the Frost Sword, the nature of the situation had changed. This way of probing was far too gentle. Recalling the days when Guo Beixi had probed his foundations, he had chased him with a stick for ages, beating him until his body felt as if it were cracking apart.

So, Gu Liubai answered honestly, "It’s hard to say. If a group of people like Luo Qing blocked me in a room, I reckon I’d be in trouble after killing four or five. But if it were out here in the wild, and a hundred such men were chasing me, I’d likely kill them all. The qi-refining technique I practice, which fuses everything into one, is completely different from theirs. Their methods pursue explosive power but cannot sustain a long fight. My method’s explosive power isn't shocking, but my stamina is exceptionally enduring. I can go days without eating or drinking, and run for ten hours straight without being unable to crawl afterward. If a hundred Luo Qings chased me, I would just run. Once they were exhausted, I would turn back and hunt them down."

Whether she was satisfied with his cultivation or found his account amusing, Granny Dragon couldn't stop smiling. Yin Shiniang, however, frowned deeply. She herself couldn't run for ten hours straight; if she sprinted at full speed, she would likely be exhausted in three. She didn't know much about the Shanyin Guards' Dragon-Nurturing Art, but according to Gu Liubai, it was a technique bestowed by the Emperor, so it must be profound, though it surely had flaws—at the very least, it couldn't be stronger than the techniques of the Chang'an Jinwu Guards. By that logic, the Buddhist technique her mother had "borrowed" from the Lion Kingdom must be truly extraordinary. She then felt relieved; a woman as formidable as her mother would only use devious means to borrow a technique if that technique were transcendent and holy. As for the monk who let her read it, he surely wasn't a fool; her identity and the conditions she offered must have been impossible to refuse.

Yin Shiniang's gentle interrogation of Gu Liubai came to an end. Gu Liubai was moved to tears. Compared to the likes of Liang Fengning and Guo Beixi, he wished he had a dozen mentors with Yin Shiniang's personality.

Meanwhile, he mentally recalculated the group of the Yin Mountain swarm.

Yin Shiniang: seemingly arrogant and cold, but actually easy to talk to, straightforward, likely dislikes nonsense, and generous! But she is especially fond of meddling in other people's business.

Granny Dragon: her identity is absolutely mysterious. Her blade technique is called the Wind Blade. She loves excitement and is very kind to him—a good granny! And that archery of hers is actually used for fun.

Du Haha: carries a sword, though it's unclear if he actually uses it. He only cares about money, but he follows strict rules.

Qiao Huangyun: a master of disguise who can change his voice. It's unknown if he was the one mentioned in the files who could imitate many voices.

Lan Yufeng: can't keep her hands to herself, but likely runs very fast. Her ability to pilfer must be exceptional, otherwise, these powerful figures wouldn't be unable to prevent her from stealing. She likes beautiful clothes and likely enjoys strolling through shops looking clean and tidy.

Xu Qi: elusive, likely a master of concealment and tracking. Doesn't like crowded places.

Gao Jue: slow-witted, but can dismantle and assemble things very quickly, and has a remarkable memory for faces.

Hu Laosan: is he a master craftsman? He must have some mechanisms or mysterious armor hidden inside his clothes, otherwise he wouldn't be able to fire those crossbow bolts. He likes to meddle.

Chen Tu: a blade-user, clumsy, cares about his pride, but besides being skilled at designing traps and ambushes, he must have some hidden tricks.

...

Two days after the sky cleared over Mingbai Slope, snowflakes began to dance down from the sky again with joyous abandon. The star-gazers of the Grand Astrologer’s Office had predicted it quite accurately. Chen Tu couldn't help but sigh as he watched the falling snow. Gu Liubai was right; if even the officials dispatched by the Grand Astrologer’s Office had such abilities, some figures in Chang'an were likely truly close to the divine. The brain was one's own, and he had never before thought of the idea of "gathering the wisdom of the world." Perhaps one becomes smarter by being with many smart people? Yet, why did he feel like he was getting dumber and suffering damage to his self-esteem whenever he was with Gu Liubai? He wondered where that kid, Yin Shiniang, and Granny Dragon had reached, and what they were doing.

What made him even less cheerful was that he had indeed not escaped the plague of the "Black Eye" disease. His urine had turned yellower, and since this morning, when the sky turned overcast, his vision had started to blur. The officials of the Grand Astrologer’s Office were indeed capable. After all, a wrong prediction could cost one their head. You couldn't make a living in that trade without real skill.

This snowfall was indeed much lighter than the one Luo Qing had seen in the end. At least it didn't hinder the caravans and herders much. There was hearty singing in the wind and snow. A group of herders was driving their cattle and sheep toward the direction of Longtou Kan.

Longtou Kan and Kusha Camp were the autumn pastures around Heishawa. When winter arrived, many caravans would come to trade livestock, furs, and medicinal herbs. Some herders also hoped to connect with the Chang'an officials in Heishawa to obtain the qualification to raise military horses. Obtaining this qualification didn't necessarily mean high pay, but rather the protection of the officials, ensuring their pastures and livestock wouldn't be arbitrarily seized. The herders here had believed in a simple but practical principle since ancient times: one must attach oneself to the largest power in the region to have a chance at survival.

It had been this way for generations, and they always remained optimistic in the face of harsh conditions. Even when the Eternal Sky sent wind and snow, and their faces were frozen purple, they would open their hearts and sing songs praising the Eternal Sky, as if their own voices shouting into the biting wind could bless their tribe’s prosperity and the continuation of their descendants.

Suddenly, the horses they rode and the cattle and sheep they drove began to stir uneasily.

"What is that?"

A dark shadow flitted rapidly across the snow not far from them.

"Are those wolves?"

Two herders couldn't help but urge their horses to chase after it, but their expressions changed once they saw it more clearly. It was actually seven or eight wolves pulling a thin, monkey-like youth sliding rapidly across the snow. They were clearly wolves, not dogs. Many people in these parts could kill a few wolves, but they had never seen anyone who could make wolves pull things so obediently. Moreover, that youth looked like a skinny monkey, as if a single bump would send him flying; the meat on his frame wouldn't even be enough to feed one wolf!

Longtou Kan was not a fortress; it had no more shelters from the wind and snow than Mingbai Slope, nor did it have defensive walls. It only had symbolic wooden fences because of the many wild beasts, and a flagpole stood at the entrance for carts to serve as a gate. Under the flagpole, a squad leader and two veteran soldiers were warming themselves by a campfire, with a military tent set up to the north not for sleeping, but for blocking the wind. It was just a few days before the exchange of warhorses with the two large markets in Heishawa; otherwise, there would have been no border guards stationed at Longtou Kan at all, at most some cavalry passing through to find some food with the herders.

When Zhou Lu'er appeared pulled by seven or eight wolves, the three border guards were startled. Zhou Lu'er, his face covered in a mix of snot and ice, knew how to read the room. Seeing the three soldiers reaching for their swords, he immediately let out a whistle and called the wolf pack pulling his precious leather raft to a halt. After untying the leather ropes from the wolves, he quickly secured the raft and strapped it to his back, walking toward the soldiers like a man carrying a giant turtle shell. The seven or eight wolves followed him for a few steps, took a look at the three guards, and then turned around and ran off. This sight left the three veteran border guards dumbfounded. By the time Zhou Lu'er reached them and handed over a pouch filled with dozens of copper coins, they hadn't yet recovered.

"Three brothers, could you do me a favor and send word to Xu Tuibei? Tell him Zhou Lu'er is looking for him."

The squad leader who took the pouch didn't need to open it to know there were about thirty copper coins inside. He looked at Zhou Lu'er, who was vigorously rubbing his nose, and said cautiously, "Little brother, what is this?"

"Brother Fifteen said this stuff is better than empty words, everyone likes it, and I can't have you brothers running errands for nothing." Zhou Lu'er sat down by the fire. The squad leader didn't know who this "Brother Fifteen" was, but seeing how reasonable the boy was, he became happy and kicked the old soldier to his right. "Go call him."

The old soldier was puzzled. "Who is Xu Tuibei?"

"Is your brain stuffed with cow dung? Who else is named Xu in our unit? Don't say his nickname out loud, unless you want Captain Xu to whip us if he hears it." The squad leader glared and kicked him twice more.

When his eyes landed on Zhou Lu'er again, the squad leader's pupils constricted, as he realized he had missed something. The skinny monkey with a face full of snot had been carrying that leather raft the whole time, even while sitting down. This kind of leather raft, shaped like a giant bowl, was a good tool. He had seen tribes near the Grass Sea use them not just for hauling goods, but as small boats; a person could sit on one and fish without issue. When fighting other tribes, they could even stand them up to block arrows and spears. But these rafts weren't light, and Zhou Lu'er's looked sturdier and thicker. An average strong man should have had a hard time carrying it, yet this skinny monkey, who looked like he didn't have an ounce of meat on him, carried it with apparent ease. Just as he was about to ask what kind of background Zhou Lu'er had, he forcibly restrained himself.

Because Xu Tuibei, a mountain of flesh, was approaching.

The squad leader immediately stretched, as if he had been squatting too long, and moved away from Zhou Lu'er and the fire without a word.

Xu Tuibei's real name was Xu Chengwu. He was a native of Pingkang Ward in Chang'an and a Peirong Captain in Heishawa. Among the brothers who had enlisted together years ago, he was the most miserable one, bar none. Just how miserable? One only needed to compare him to the second most miserable to see clearly. The second most miserable was a Zhaowu Vice-Captain in Yangguan; although it was also a loose official position, it was at least a sixth-grade lower rank, far better than his ninth-grade minor post.

His current situation was directly related to the origin of his nickname, "Xu Tuibei" (Xu the Back-Pusher). More than ten years ago, he was already a captain commanding three hundred men in the Ningshuo Folded-Sword Office. Back then, he was all muscle, half a head taller than the average soldier, like an iron tower, and he fought with such ferocity that he clearly had a bright future. It all went wrong during a campaign against bandits. That group of bandits was heinous, even harming young girls. After capturing the two leaders alive, it would have been fine to just execute them, but he felt that was too easy. So, he rounded up a few sows and made the two bastards breed with them. When the bandits couldn't perform, he brought in singing girls to tease them, and then had his subordinates push the bandits' backs to force the breeding. In truth, such behavior meant nothing to the border guards; some officers might even have watched with amusement. But he made the mistake of parading the bandits through the streets while they were doing it, and some officials from the Censorate happened to be in Ningshuo.

His conduct was deemed too absurd and he was reported. If he had been willing to give up his military status and return to Chang'an, he wouldn't have ended up in this bitter post, but he refused to accept it. He chose to endure military floggings and cuts to his salary to stay in the border army and seek fame again. Unfortunately, one of those Censorate officials rose to become the Assistant Censor-in-Chief. Whether it was deliberate persecution or others trying to curry favor, Xu Tuibei's career only went downhill from there. He never got the good jobs, but he was always the one left to take the blame. After years of defiance, Xu Tuibei finally lost his spirit and grew a body full of fat; the man who once looked like an iron tower had become a mountain of flesh so large he couldn't see his own toes. However, the less hope he had for military merit, the fewer scruples he had. Not even his superiors dared to provoke him, just waiting for the day he would come to his senses, pay a bribe, and slink back to Chang'an to retire.

It was clearly not the first time Zhou Lu'er and Xu Tuibei had met. Seeing Xu approach, Zhou Lu'er sniffed up his thawed snot and went to meet him. Under Xu's visibly disgusted gaze, he leaned in and whispered a few words into his ear.

Xu Tuibei immediately frowned deeply. "So much stuff? It's too difficult to handle. It's not like usual; there are too many eyes on Heishawa."

Zhou Lu'er, as if he had expected this, chuckled. "Brother Fifteen asks if you want to be transferred to Youzhou."

Xu Tuibei was stunned, his rolls of fat trembling. "Is Youzhou a place I can just go to if I want?"

Zhou Lu'er laughed. "Brother Fifteen says if you want to go, it can be done."

"Then so be it." Xu Tuibei didn't say another word, gave a cold snort, and turned to leave.

"I'm coming with you." Zhou Lu'er ignored his disgust and immediately followed. "Brother Fifteen told me to wait for him in Heishawa, and I still need to help him find two people."

"What a nuisance. Stay away from me! If you dare to accidentally flick that snot on me, I promise I'll beat you until even Gu Fifteen won't recognize you!" Xu Tuibei roared.

"Don't say that, Brother Fifteen says we'll have plenty of chances to be close in the future."

"Get lost!"