Chapter 164 – I See Green Qi Rising Above Your Head

The night wind over the wilderness grew ever fiercer. In the depths of the dark night, the outlines of the mountains stretched dimly forward. The rustling sounds all around came from the trees swaying on either side of the road, and from a lone figure carrying a coffin upon his shoulders.

The mud-stained coffin pressed against the straw raincoat and wooden leaves on his shoulder, producing a creaking, rasping sound.

On the way back south, the suppressed emotions that had erupted atop the imperial city walls now faded again into silence. At this moment, Lu Liangsheng once more became taciturn. The Daoist following from afar wore a look of faint concern, while the toad perched upon the old donkey’s head gave a careless yawn.

“Young men… they lack maturity. After going through matters such as these, one slowly changes. Just like this old man—time must temper the heart.”

The Toad Daoist croaked, patting his yawning mouth, then dragged the rope along the old donkey’s neck back toward the bookshelf compartment.

“Let him walk by himself. Along the way, he’ll slowly think things through. It is nothing grave.”

The Daoist folded his arms, pondering.

“That’s true. When my own master died, it was the same. After ten days or half a month, it will pass.”

Saying so, he reached to take hold of the reins. The old donkey shook its head, flinging the reins aside, snorting heavily, refusing his touch.

“Hey, you old—”

But the donkey’s eyes glared askance, and the Daoist hastily swallowed the words at the back of his tongue. The donkey snorted again, tossing its head high, hooves clattering as it trotted by itself along the roadside. The jolt nearly sent the Toad Daoist, who had just entered the partition, tumbling down. Its webbed claws clutched the small doorframe tightly as it bellowed curses:

“Stupid donkey! Believe it or not, this old man will swallow you whole!!”

As for the racket behind him, Lu Liangsheng seemed not to hear it at all. At the roadside, an orange-and-black shadow occasionally darted out, swiftly climbing up the branches, its green-glowing eyes watching him. Yet it had nothing to do with him. From beginning to end, his footsteps never faltered; only when encountering stones protruding from the ground did his feet, as if with eyes of their own, step over them with ease.

It was not for the sake of showing off. On such paths, Lu Liangsheng was walking almost entirely by instinct.

Ta-ta-ta…

Horse hooves churned the muddy road. Amid the sharp crack of whips, a curt shout burst forth: “Hyah!”

In the dimness of the night, one could not see who it was, yet the sound of hooves striking earth was clearly not of a single steed. Dense and numerous, firelight spread, like a fiery serpent winding its way toward them. Amid the thunderous rumble of hooves, it came rushing along the road from behind.

“At such a late hour, who would bring out so many men? Could it be they’re pursuing us?”

The Daoist muttered under his breath when, from afar, a lone rider holding a torch came galloping ahead. Catching sight of the two figures and one donkey, he drew his blade and shouted aloud:

“Quickly inform General Xiao— they are here!!”

The Daoist’s eyelids twitched. Sure enough, they had come for them. He turned back and shouted, “Old Lu!” With a flip of his palm, several talisman papers were caught between his fingers and cast into the air.

Incantations spilled from his lips. In the next instant—boom!—they exploded, flames scattering wide.

Hiiiii—!

Within the blaze of firelight, a horse screamed shrilly. The foremost rider yanked hard at his panicked steed, which reared and kicked upon the spot. The approaching cavalry split apart, and from their midst rode forth a broad-mouthed, bearded general in armor, flanked by dozens of elite guards.

His tiger-like eyes shone with authority. Sweeping his gaze past the Daoist and the old donkey, a scout at his side whispered softly:

“General, this Daoist also commands sorcery.”

“Hmph.”

The general narrowed his eyes, turning his horse’s head, as though dismissing the Daoist before him. Instead, his gaze locked onto the figure bearing a coffin in slow stride ahead. His bristling beard stirred in the wind, and his thick lips parted.

“Lu Liangsheng! I am Xiao Moke, Grand General of the Cavalry. If you submit willingly, so be it. If not, then this general shall personally lead his troops to Mount Qixia. I have heard the scenery there is rather fine!”

At the front, the scholar carrying the coffin suddenly halted. With a soft thud, he set the coffin upon the ground, turned his face slightly, his eyes slanting back toward the general.

“Repeat that last sentence.”

Buzz… buzz… buzz…

At his waist, the Veiled Moon Sword, sensing its master’s rising hostility, trembled unceasingly.

“This general said he shall personally lead troops to Qixia—”

Xiao Moke abruptly cut himself off, thinking himself mocked. His gaze sharpened, beard flaring, as he roared: “You dare make sport of this general!”

Clang!

He drew the war blade from his waist, its edge slicing through the air. Yet in that instant, a streak of flowing light descended from the heavens. With a sharp ping! like metal clashing, the blade bent, wrenching itself free from his grip and clattering to the ground.

At some unknown moment, the toad had risen upright upon the old donkey’s back, webbed hands tossing a die into the air.

“Why did it land on one again? Truly, this old man’s fortune runs ill.”

The toad…

When the soldiers caught sight of that squat figure upon the donkey’s back, their shock knew no bounds. They whispered among themselves in disbelief.

“Good heavens, a monster!” “Did you see it just now? A streak of light knocked the weapon straight out of General Xiao’s hands!”

At the front, Xiao Moke’s expression shifted as well. Killing and war held no fear for him. He had long heard that Lu Liangsheng commanded sorcery; if he could not capture him, at the very least, he could seize his kin as leverage. Yet now, faced with an actual toad demon, even his heart wavered with unease.

After all, such creatures were only spoken of in tales, never seen with mortal eyes.

To advance, or not to advance?

Xiao Moke swallowed hard. With his weapon lost, both hands clutching tightly at the reins, he found himself unable to decide.

“General Xiao.”

Just then, the figure before him, steadying the coffin, suddenly spoke. Lu Liangsheng slowly turned about, and the coffin turned with him as his hand guided it.

“This is but a private feud between me and Chen Shubao. On the hundredth day of the death anniversary, I shall return again to the capital. There is no need for you to waste your strength in pursuit.”

By speaking thus, he was, in truth, offering the other a way to step down in dignity.

The torchlight flickered and wavered. Mounted high upon his steed, Xiao Moke naturally heard the intent within those words. He glanced down at the warped blade upon the ground, hesitated for a moment, then softened his tone. From horseback, he cupped his hands in salute.

“I am a general of the court. What His Majesty decrees is the matter of the realm—there is no such thing as private feuds.”

“I know.”

Amid the rising wind, Lu Liangsheng’s voice sounded once more.

“However, if General himself were to suffer humiliation at His Majesty’s hands, could you still remain so calm as you are now?”

“What do you mean!?” Xiao Moke tightened his grip upon the reins, pulling his horse’s head in a circle upon the spot, thick brows furrowing. “Lu Gongshi, are you trying to sow discord between me and His Majesty? I fear you will be disappointed.”

Lu Liangsheng’s words were not idle, nor spoken merely to delay. Through the art of observing qi and discerning countenance, he had faintly glimpsed signs that this General Xiao’s household was not at peace.

At once, he carefully set down his master’s coffin, straightened his body, and fixed his gaze upon the general. His tone was not raised, yet it carried weight.

“General Xiao, you should already know that I command Daoist arts. But do you also know that I practice the way of observing qi and physiognomy? Your countenance is robust, your temples like wings thrusting into the heavens—indeed, most imposing. Yet between your brows lingers a shadowy, turbid qi, its murk tinged with green. There is the sign of alluring intent seeping outward from your inner chambers. Even with an iron helm upon your head, I can faintly discern a trace of it.”

Without waiting for a reply, Lu Liangsheng continued:

“Perhaps you will not believe me. Yet you may quietly observe your wife in the days to come.”

This enmity was between him and the Emperor of Chen. He wished not to implicate soldiers who merely acted under orders. Thus he spoke these guiding words—not necessarily to halt pursuit, but at least to plant suspicion, unsettling Xiao Moke’s mind.

Sure enough, atop his steed, Xiao Moke’s eyes flickered. Of late, he had indeed noticed that his beautiful wife would from time to time visit the palace. The man before him was a cultivator of the Dao, with profound powers—could it truly be as he said?

“General?”

One of his trusted men approached and whispered. Only then did Xiao Moke come to himself, realizing that the scholar ahead—together with the Daoist and the donkey—had long since vanished.

“General, do we still give chase?”

“Chase…”

Xiao Moke spoke faintly, then paused, before snapping: “Chase your damned mother! Send the others to pursue. As for this general—he is returning first.”

With a crack of his whip, pa! It split the air.

He turned his horse about and galloped furiously back toward the city.