Blade in the Snow

Chapter 5: The Most Beautiful Woman Under Heaven

A woman of unparalleled beauty and grace had arrived at the Longmen Inn, becoming the second most significant news in Lingzhou City over the past two days, surpassed only by the return of the Heir apparent from his travels.

Curiosity seekers nearly trampled the inn's threshold. Business boomed. Whenever that truly breathtaking beauty left her room to dine, the hall would fill with wanderers eager to catch a glimpse. At first, only young prodigals participated, but later, wealthy merchants who were long past their prime yet still appreciative of beauty came to admire her as well. All sighed in unison that her beauty alone was a feast.

Gossips claimed this young lady was even more moving than Lingzhou's number one flower-queen, Lady Yu Youwei. Some elders who had traveled beyond Lingzhou and seen the world said they had never witnessed such a delicate and gorgeous woman in their lives. Talented scholars even spent heavy sums, squeezing their way into the inn to secure good positions. Sipping wine, intoxicated not by the alcohol but by the person, they would spread Xuan paper on the tables to sketch her likeness.

The beauty from out of town remained impassive, treating everyone as if they were invisible. She drank only Lingzhou's best aged Huadiao wine. When eating, she chewed slowly and swallowed deliberately, yet without the coyness of a modest maiden. She possessed a unique charm. However, the two blades of unequal length resting on her table caused many lecherous men with ill intentions to retreat knowing the difficulty.

What virtuous daughter would travel alone and carry blades? Moreover, two of them?

The more exquisitely beautiful the flower, the harder it is to pluck. This was an awareness every son of wealth must possess, also a profound truth pondered through years of doing evil in the countryside. Just like the two Princesses of the Beiliang Royal Palace—who would dare glance too long without fearing their eyes being gouged out?

The Heir Xu, leader of Lingzhou's prodigals, had long said: Everyone working this prodigal trade together knows it is not as easy as common people think. It also requires rat holes and snake paths, rules and connections. You must be worthy of the head on your shoulders. Heads are not for shitting; asses are for that.

Therefore, when Lingzhou prodigals walked out into neighboring prefectures, they were especially proud. They looked down on local wealthy and official sons, always liking to boast that they had family background, silver, and damn good brains.

Since the Heir apparent had returned to the city, then with a beauty appearing in the world, could the Heir's figure be far behind?

The answer differed slightly from expectations. The hateful yet respectable Heir arrived three days later than everyone imagined. But eventually, he came. The moment he appeared, everyone voluntarily left the inn. Nonsense—who among them had not paid a bloody price for competing with the Heir for a girl or a flower-queen?

Take Young Master Tang from neighboring Dengzhou. His family background was deep enough. Not only did he have a father of proper Third Rank, but he also had a grandfather who was a Grand Master of Splendid Happiness, rank 2b, in the imperial court. Yet he overestimated his strength and competed with our Heir for Flower-Queen Yu. Did he not return to Dengzhou with a broken arm? Afterwards, it was heard that his father, the Governor of Dengzhou, personally visited to apologize. The palace gates did not even let him enter. The Heir spoke only one word: Get out!

The inn suddenly became empty. Outside, one could set up a net to catch sparrows for lack of visitors. Yet the innkeeper still piled on a fawning smile, presenting with both hands his best Huadiao wine, treasured for many years, saying he boldly dared to host a welcome feast for the Heir.

Dear father above, the Heir, who never gave half a coin for wine in the past, had changed his nature. He immediately tipped a silver note worth five thousand.

The innkeeper darted behind the counter like smoke, hands trembling as he held the silver note. He absolutely did not worry that the Heir was merely pretending to be generous before the beauty. Because silver that left the Heir's pocket had never been heard to return even one fraction. It was definitely the Wang family style of spilled water not being retrieved.

Broadly speaking, the fear of the Heir in Lingzhou City was not false in the slightest. Yet after causing trouble beyond the law for so many years, no one was driven to hang themselves or jump into rivers.

For example, those young ladies fortunately "invited" into the Beiliang Royal Palace afterwards said they merely viewed the scenery with the Heir, leaving behind items like undergarments or other personal belongings. At most, there was some pinching and kneading. They were not forced into cloud-and-rain matters.

At first, no one believed it. Later, several beautiful virgins underwent examination after leaving the palace. Only then was it known the words were not false. This made certain women of wanton nature secretly resentful, wondering why the Heir did not kidnap them into the palace. Was their beauty insufficient?

Xu Fengnian sat opposite the White Fox Face. He personally opened the seal of the Huadiao wine. The aroma instantly filled the air. Acting on his own affection, he poured a bowl and offered it over. She did not take it.

Fengnian put it down and laughed silently: "Rest assured, I have committed acts of drugging with anesthetic powder before. But knowing you are an expert with deep internal energy, I will not humiliate myself. Normally I might try, but today I only brought Old Huang. I am also afraid you might hit my head with Embroidered Winter and Spring Thunder. Besides, I do not have the cut-sleeve preference or Lord Yang passion. What are you afraid of? Do you worry I will snatch your two blades? That underestimates me too much."

The White Fox Face smiled slightly. Finally, she picked up the wine bowl and took a light sip. Merely these few ordinary subtle movements nearly dazzled Fengnian, who had seen countless beauties. He wished to hammer his chest and stomp his feet, asking Heaven why such a beauty was a man.

The White Fox Face's voice was soft and pleasant: "One who can casually give away the Demon Sect's supreme manual Treasure Scripture of Swallowing Gold indeed does not seem like someone who would covet the blades Embroidered Winter and Spring Thunder."

Fengnian added: "Not 'does not seem'. It is 'does not'."

From their accidental meeting to reluctant acquaintance over the five-month journey, the White Fox Face had actually always been sparing with words, only slightly better than a mute. Not like today, so willing to converse.

He remembered the first sentence spoken back then was like a bolt from the blue: I am a man. At first, Fengnian did not believe it. But after spending time together, the Heir, an old hand in the flower fields, had to believe it.

Because although the White Fox Face spoke little, she was accustomed to keeping her word. For example, killing those bandits on the path. Saying she would kill them all meant not even one half-dead person remained. Saying she would receive the manual and escort Xu Fengnian into Lingzhou City—even though she could have reneged and left—she still followed him to Lingzhou.

Furthermore, the feeling the White Fox Face gave was indeed not that of a woman. She drank alcohol like water. She killed people like picking grass. Fengnian trusted his intuition. Initially, he truly could not stand the White Fox Face's condescending gaze. He swore solemnly: I am a young master, a great prodigal, not the beggar in your eyes!

The White Fox Face responded lightly with a chilling sentence: I do not lie, but I also do not like others lying to me. If you lie to me, once I enter Lingzhou, after killing you I will place the Treasure Scripture of Swallowing Gold on your corpse.

Throughout the journey, Fengnian thought this White Fox Face was an out-and-out madman. A madman beautiful beyond bounds. A madman beautiful beyond bounds, with unfathomable martial arts, who liked playing with blades.

Crucially, he was also a man.

Fengnian's heart shattered.

It was agreed he would find the most beautiful woman under heaven to be the wife of foolish Huangman. If she were a woman, how simple would it be? Once on his territory, even one of the Ten Great Masters under heaven would have to stay obediently.

Now he only hoped to meet those four sisters rumored in the martial world as the Four Great Beauties under heaven before his brother descended the mountain. He only prayed those four would not disgrace their titles. Give one to his brother, keep two for himself, and let the vast martial world fight over the remaining one.

The White Fox Face held the bowl in one hand and stroked the Embroidered Winter blade with the other.

Among the nine long and nine short eighteen general weapons, the blade was universally recognized as the head of the nine short. Sword practitioners were comparatively clever; too lazy to compete for the head of the nine short, they directly bestowed upon themselves the title of Emperor of Weapons.

The Embroidered Winter blade was three chi and two cun long, the handle two and a half cun. Exquisitely beautiful. Compared to the simple and rustic Spring Thunder, it was more aesthetically pleasing, very much aligning with the Heir's taste. When traveling in Lingzhou, he liked to go to the martial library to pick a pleasing sword to hang at his waist. For the Embroidered Winter blade, he estimated the weight to be around two jin. But once, when the White Fox Face was in a good mood, she revealed the Embroidered Winter blade weighed ten jin and nine liang.

Fengnian had no great advantages. Born in the Beiliang Royal Palace, climbing up and down the Tide-Listening Pavilion martial library daily since childhood, he had seen the world. He believed it immediately. As for the narrow and short Spring Thunder blade, it had never been unsheathed. The White Fox Face had never mentioned it. For Fengnian, this was a regret, neither big nor small.

Fengnian raised his cup: "I toast you."

The White Fox Face turned her head imperceptibly. The angle was extremely slight, but Fengnian knew this indicated inquiry. So he smiled and answered: "Not thanking you for escorting me back to Lingzhou. This is not grace. Half a volume of Treasure Scripture of Swallowing Gold for you, and we are even. But you let me confirm there truly are experts under heaven who can overturn a hundred bandits alone. Otherwise, my three years of bitter life would have truly been endured in vain."

The White Fox Face maintained that angle. Fengnian, who could nearly never forget what he saw, was not a stupid person. He voluntarily explained again: "Whether you believe it or not, I must tell you. There are definitely experts like you in the palace. And inevitably more than one or two. But no one has ever shown off before me. Probably Xu Xiao instructed them. This led me to always suspect whether walking on eaves and walking on snow without traces was just martial artists blowing smoke."

The White Fox Face lowered her head and took a sip of wine.

Fengnian smiled: "Speak. Since I came to find you, what do you want me to do?"

The White Fox Face, jokingly called the Most Beautiful Woman Under Heaven by him, revealed a smile for the first time. Opening the door to see the mountain, in his style, she said directly: "I want to enter the Tide-Listening Pavilion. I want to read half of the martial arts secret classics under heaven."

Fengnian was stunned: "What do you want to do? Is learning martial arts not boring and dull? Back then, I simply refused to learn martial arts. Train during the coldest three nine-days of winter and the hottest three fu-days of summer. Perhaps a lifetime without breathing room or leisure. How can that be as comfortable as being an idle prodigal?"

The corner of the White Fox Face's mouth lifted slightly. She did not speak. Obviously, those who walk different paths do not plot together.

Fengnian frowned: "Just to become the number one expert under heaven?"

The White Fox Face gazed at the Spring Thunder blade lying across the table and shook her head gently.

Fengnian pursued: "Could it be competing with someone for a woman? Temporarily unable to win, so you want to become stronger?"

The White Fox Face glanced at Fengnian with a strange look, as if looking at an i***t.

Fengnian had no choice. He simply closed his mouth and drank wine in silence. He did not forget to have the innkeeper warm two pots of the best and most expensive yellow wine for Old Huang traveling with him. Old Huang's surname was Huang, and he only loved drinking yellow wine. A strange person with strange temperaments. Just like the White Fox Face's dead nature. But why was Old Huang not an expert like the White Fox Face? Thinking of this, Fengnian drank even larger mouthfuls of wine.

The White Fox Face slowly opened her mouth: "I want to kill four people."

Fengnian was stunned: "With your superb skill, it is still difficult?"

The White Fox Face's eyes turned strange again. Fengnian immediately knew he was being an i***t again. He mocked himself: "Alright, then they must be the Ten Great Masters under heaven."

The White Fox Face gazed out the window. Her expression was lonely, like the clear autumn season, matching the scenery: "Almost. Two are First-Rank experts, the Ten Great Masters in your words. The other two are probably even more powerful. But half of the four are not from your Liyang Dynasty."

Fengnian slapped his thigh: "White Fox Face, you are impressive. I like heroes like you."

Accidentally leaking heavenly secrets, Fengnian thought this was not good. But the beauty, hearing the nickname "White Fox Face," merely smiled slightly. She did not seem to dislike it. She even found it interesting.

Fengnian asked tentatively: "The Tide-Listening Pavilion is not something one can enter just by wanting to. Since I can remember, almost every year there are so-called martial heroes flying like moths into the flame. Then their corpses are thrown into the wilderness. I have witnessed it personally several times. Their death appearances were miserable. But I can promise you first that upon entering the palace, I can help you take out the second book after you finish reading one. Until you finish reading. If, I mean if, Xu Xiao agrees, you can stay directly in the Tide-Listening Pavilion. The premise is you do not dislike those few library-keeping slaves who are like walking corpses. Hey, they are not as handsome and witty as me."

The White Fox Face's narrow peach-blossom eyes revealed extraordinary light. She looked straight at Fengnian. The meaning was obvious without words: Beggar Xu, name your conditions.

Fengnian said anxiously: "Just one condition. Tell me your name."

The White Fox Face tilted her head. After thinking for a moment, she said softly: "Nan Gong Pu She."