Chapter 294: Whether it's a person or a ghost, we'll see after using it

Xuan Feixing?

Is it Xuan?

Or is it Xuan?

Seeing Du Shanü at a loss, Chen Weifang rolled up her sleeves, picked up her brush, and with a light sigh wrote a single character——

Xuan.

Xuan, the character's form evolved from a combination of clothing, crown, and feathers.

Even though in this borderland where intermarriage with southern oceanic foreign tribes is common and strange surnames abound, it can actually be considered an extremely rare surname.

Du Shanü looked at it several times before remembering the character; when she lifted her gaze to look at her own Afang, she couldn't help but feel a pang of regret, speaking earnestly:

"Afang, you should know—your Wise Lord truly isn't a learned person."

She endures hardship and labor; when it comes to making things to improve people's livelihood, she is confident that no one can surpass her.

But when it comes to literary accomplishment, that really is...

A depression in life.

If Afang hadn't brought it up today, who would have known this character could actually be a surname?

Du Shanü tried to recall that face she had never noticed before, and offhandedly said:

"Does this person carry foreign tribe blood?"

This foreign tribe blood, of course, does not refer to intermarriage with northerners, but to intermarriage with the southern oceanic fief tribes.

Compared to the northern foreign tribes, the southern oceanic fief tribes resemble the orthodox Central Plains people more closely in appearance and habits, making them more easily accepted by ordinary people.

This surname is indeed rare, and given that this place is even closer to the southern ocean, Du Shanü's question is naturally not strange.

However, what Du Shanü didn't expect was that Chen Weifang outright denied her speculation without hesitation:

"No, his ancestors have lived generation after generation in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains as southerners."

"The Xuan in his surname seems to have been passed down from an extremely ancient wu/xi lineage beside the Gui River, while the two characters Feixing in his name likely derive from the meaning of 'Faint clouds cleverly intertwined, flying stars transmit resentment.'"

The Huaxia people love to take names from various classical texts and poetry, whereas foreign tribes do not have this custom.

His name is also quite refined, and given his mastery of the local wu/xi arts, he could not possibly be from a foreign tribe.

Du Shanü listened carefully, yet still had doubts:

"Wu/xi...... what is that again?"

Everyone says not to say things she can't understand in front of her!

Chinu is now going to get her cow's milk; she feels like vomiting right now, and basically has no capacity to think!

In the study, it was quiet, with only two figures facing each other.

Du Shanü stared with dead-fish eyes at her own Afang, while Chen Weifang let out another sigh:

"In the southern lands, especially within the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, since ancient times there has consistently been great emphasis on rituals to beseech spirits and gods."

"Among the tribes, those who can communicate with heaven and earth are revered as priests; among priests, female shamans are called wu, male shamans xi. The arts they master seem somewhat different from Daoist arts and Miao gu, etc......"

This is also why he was hesitant before.

Because as soon as he speaks, the Wise Lord will surely break the sandpot to ask the bottom line.

But he indeed has a reason he finds hard to speak.

After all, when they previously captured Ruan Jintian and forced him to personally write a letter deceiving Ruansizong...

This Xuan Feixing contributed considerable effort in that.

Although Chen Weifang always considered herself not a good person, seeing in person a youth under twenty, expression unchanging, slowly pulling out a living person's fingernail and swallowing the bloody nail fragments...

Still, she would inevitably glance askance at this person a little.

However, these words certainly cannot be spoken aloud.

Chen Weifang lowered her eyes, swallowing the remaining words back into her belly.

Du Shanü was still pondering the differences between wu/xi, Daoist arts, and Miao gu, and in that moment she also missed the obvious guilty look on her own Afang's face.

She thought and thought, but still couldn't recall what Xuan Feixing looked like, so she picked up her brush again and offhandedly said:

"... I only vaguely remember him as a young lad, not old, with a somewhat tender face."

"But since he has talent, we shouldn't judge him solely by age. How about this: let him come see me wherever he is now; if we hit it off, from now on we shouldn't just have him wait at the government office—let him do some actual work."

By Du Shanü's side, the shortage of people has reached a desperate, vicious level.

Nowadays, not even speaking of a talented person—if even a dog passes by, Du Shanü must feel its teeth and let the dog bite a few of her enemies before moving on.

Chen Weifang naturally had no objection; hearing this, she slightly bowed in salute and then straightaway retreated outside.

Du Shanü dipped ink on the documents, smearing and correcting, feeling her writing was poor, she took another sheet of paper, and while writing, as if recalling something, she asked again:

"By the way, Xuan Feixing didn't follow Chinu to the prefecture to attack the city, right?"

Given Chinu's discernment, if he had previously worked under Chinu, he would surely have been given some important role; why wait until now, after capturing Liu Ji, to reveal his talent...

Chen Weifang's steps paused slightly; indeed she also hadn't figured out the key:

"Yes, but the reason perhaps requires the Wise Lord to ask him in person."

"This person was formerly among the refugees, looking disheveled; later, when we were building Dun Cheng, he was selected into the archery unit because his age was just right, and he has always been low-profile, seemingly without great ambition."

"When Chinu previously mustered people to go to the prefecture, he asked a group if they were willing to join; this person clearly refused...... but this time I need to leave Dun Cheng, and for some unknown reason he hurriedly followed along."

Xuan Feixing had received considerable training in Dun Cheng, but in daily life he was only interested in doing odd jobs.

For example, transmitting messages between the prefecture and Dun Cheng, or between Cang Cheng and Dun Cheng.

The remaining things that could be considered contributions...

First, when the Wise Lord returned to Cang Cheng, caught Ouyang Yan's mistake, and launched a major military campaign, he was among the retinue.

Second, when the Wise Lord went to receive the Deposed Crown Prince, he volunteered to go.

As for the third, this time the Wise Lord aims to unify Yongzhou and seize Hengchun's two cities in one fell swoop, and this person first displayed his capability.

I never expected that under his nose, this person had also made some brothers in the archery unit; this time, over ten actually volunteered to go with him to set an ambush......

Chen Weifang could vaguely sense something, but a gauzy veil always lay between her and the truth, making it impossible to articulate or clarify.

Du Shanü, however, upon hearing Afang's last words, felt suddenly enlightened, as if a veil had lifted.

"If you don't go, he won't go; if you go, he'll go......"

"I get it, Afang—he's doing this because he's fond of you!!!"

"I never imagined—Afang's first half of life was calm and peaceful, yet at this age she's actually stirred up a whole mess of romantic debts......"

Du Shanü felt she had grasped the subtlety, but in the next instant a black shadow rushed forward, extending the Five Finger Mountain to strike heavily upon her head——

Du Shanü winced in pain and let out a miserable scream: "Ow, it hurts!!!! (? `Д′)"

"What's the matter, what's the matter!"

"She was simply stating the facts, that's all!"

"Otherwise, why would Xuan Feixing always be following Afang?!"

"Besides, whose wise lord gets beaten by his subordinates every day!"

"This life is truly unbearable!!!!"

"?? Here it comes, here it comes!"