Chapter 246: Engagement Pact?

The Gongsun clan is not like the Murong clan; the Murong clan is famed for music and swordcraft, their courtyard nestled amid the misty rain of southern Jiangnan, while the Gongsun clan lies between central and southern Jiangnan, their architecture blending northern and southern styles, resembling a vast estate.

After the mechanical boat halted, carriages and horses had already been waiting.

Yao Guang was currently weak, seated inside the carriage, with Li Guanyi driving it himself; the horse was highly attuned to human nature, especially when a certain creature transformed into a long-haired cat—the Fire Qilin—lay atop the carriage, becoming even more docile.

Li Guanyi driving the carriage himself recalled the days back at the Xue residence with Zhao Da Bing, and suddenly he missed Zhao Da Bing's salt-baked peanuts; back then, Brother Zhao would always produce salt-baked peanuts and strong tea.

They chatted along the way about how wonderful his wife's cooking was, how delicious those salt-baked peanuts were.

But those days were gone forever.

If the world were at peace, Li Guanyi would gladly be a casual retainer living such a leisurely life.

Li Guanyi drove the carriage for a while, passing through two gates.

Disembarking, he looked ahead and saw pavilions, terraces, towers, winding paths, flowing streams, ponds, and rockeries—all present and accounted for; in the center stood a tall tower, more like the residence of a central plains scholarly-military clan than a martial sect, with servants and attendants already waiting.

Observing their robust physiques and agile steps, it was clear they had undergone specialized cultivation and possessed Wu Gong; they efficiently led away the carriages and horses, and Li Guanyi and the others were guided inward by the servants.

The courtyard complex combined the plain grandeur of central plains clans with southern delicacy, each step revealing a new scene, subtly ingenious; after crossing several bridges, Li Guanyi could discern that hidden within lay array patterns.

Li Guanyi's knowledge of arrays was negligible in the world at large, yet among the younger generation it was still decent—he could see that the courtyard contained numerous array devices, and taken together, the conclusion was clear—

Rich!

Ridiculously rich!

At this time of great upheaval, many regional warlords and martial cultivators existed, but among traveling merchants there were also many who lacked any martial cultivation; for these merchants and their daughters, possessing a Gongsun clan's Piaomiao Pavilion mechanism was a vital defensive tool.

When their own lives were at stake, many were generous.

Lady Gongsun Feixue led her friends elsewhere, turning to Li Guanyi and saying: "Master Yao, please come in—Grandma knew you were coming and has postponed all other matters; she waits for you in the main house. Feixue must attend to her friends, so I cannot accompany you."

"I'll apologize later."

She bowed respectfully, composed and graceful, then left with her friends.

A maid led Li Guanyi and Yao Guang to their lodging; Yao Guang and the Fire Qilin rested first, after which Li Guanyi went to visit the elder. Entering the room, he saw the interior was refined, and laughter came from within: "Master Yao, you came without even announcing yourself."

Li Guanyi lowered his gaze and saw a woman emerge, seemingly in her thirties or forties, her brow open and dignified, her internal qi rich and profound, clearly possessing the power of the Sixth Heaven; at her waist hung a long sword, smiling as she regarded Li Guanyi.

Li Guanyi stepped forward to pay his respects, saying:

"Disciple Li Yaoshi of the Ancestral Master's lineage, pays his respects to the elder."

Lady Gongsun Wuyue said gently: "Among martial folk, why bother with such formalities?"

She looked at the young Daoist, clad in a faded, washed-out robe, hair bound with a wooden pin, his features now mature and composed, yet possessing a calmness unmatched by his peers—

As if he had weathered storms and been forged.

This aura of stillness was exceptionally rare among the younger generation.

Lady Gongsun Wuyue invited Li Guanyi to sit, smiling: "Last year in Zhenbei City, Chen Chengbi mentioned you; I wanted to meet you then, but later the Zhenbei Pass descended into chaos—its governor killed, the Liufeng Huixue Tower involved—and everything turned chaotic, so I never got the chance to find you."

"By the time things settled, I searched for over a month but couldn't find you."

Li Guanyi smiled and replied: "When I heard the chaos had broken out, I, being of mediocre martial skill, seized the chance to leave quickly."

Li Guanyi smiled and replied, "At that time, hearing the chaos had broken out, I, with my mediocre Wu Gong, seized an opportunity and quickly left."

She sensed his rich, potent internal qi, subtly vast and overwhelming; though she could not discern his exact Heaven level, it was already richer and more forceful than many veteran martialists', and she smiled:

"This level of cultivation is certainly not 'mediocre martial skill'—if this counts as mediocre, what have I spent decades cultivating?"

"With such martial prowess, no wonder Chen Chengbi can't stop talking about you."

Li Guanyi merely held his tea, silent; curious, he asked directly:

"Where is Elder Chen Chengbi? I haven't seen him in a long time."

Lady Gongsun Wuyue smiled: "Him?"

"What could he possibly be doing?"

"Over a year ago, he chased the Grand Elder of the Yin-Yang Wheel Sect hundreds of miles away, then got embroiled in several martial affairs, fighting hard and thoroughly venting the years of pent-up frustration he'd hoarded in Chen State's Jiangzhou City."

"Recently, he's made the list of the Ten Great Masters of the Martial World."

"He originally planned to keep climbing the rankings, one by one, but then heard that the Sword Mad Elder Murong Longtu had challenged the world—knowing his nature, how could he possibly hold back?"

"I originally planned to roll up my sleeves and keep climbing up the Shida Sect master ranking list, one by one, but then I heard that the Sword Mad Elder Murong had challenged the world—and with his nature, how could he possibly hold back?"

"He even said: 'The Sword Mad one is still a while off; right now, Zhongzhou City is teeming with experts. This is the one chance in a lifetime to gather so many masters together.'"

"'Just thinking about it makes my fists itch—I can't wait. I'm going ahead to get in some good fights before the Sword Mad one arrives.'"

"Then he left. With his speed, he's probably already at the Academy."

"He's likely already found several experts and started fighting."

Lady Gongsun Wuyue seemed utterly exasperated by her old friend's nature, yet a faint smile lingered on her lips as she spoke; Li Guanyi said: "Elder Chen Chengbi has always been like this—he loves martial arts."

Lady Gongsun Wuyue seemed utterly helpless toward the character of this old friend, yet when speaking of him, a faint smile still curled his lips. Li Guanyi said, "Old Master Chen Chengbi is just like this—he loves Wu Gong."

"How did you meet Zu Wenyuan?"

Li Guanyi omitted part of the truth, saying only that he had met the old master as if they'd known each other forever, and the old master had taught him calculation arts and bestowed upon him one scroll of the Huangji Jing Shi Shu, along with his lineage.

Lady Gongsun Wuyue fell silent for a long while, then spoke softly: "I see."

"Young friend, may I see your sword?"

Li Guanyi drew his Songwen Ancient Sword, held it with both hands, and placed it on the table.

Lady Gongsun Wuyue extended her palm, gently stroking the blade; though over seventy, her internal qi was exceedingly rich, and she seemed to have practiced some secret art, appearing youthful, her fingers pale and slender, tracing the pine patterns on the sword, her eyes filled with quiet sorrow.

Lady Gongsun Wuyue extended her palm and gently stroked the sword; though over seventy, her internal Qi was exceptionally pure, and she seemed to have practiced some secret technique, appearing youthful, her fingers likewise Bai Xi and slender, brushing over the pine-patterned blade, her eyes carrying a faint sigh.

"Did he… ever mention me at the end?"

Li Guanyi looked at the woman before him; the old master's final act had been to single-handedly break the Jiangzhou crisis, and he had said nothing more—but Li Guanyi felt that if he said this outright, it would wound her.

So the young Daoist replied gently: "The old master never spoke of such things to me."

"But when he dueled with the Western Living Buddha elder, he once mentioned how kind the young Gongsun girl had been; the two elders had argued over it, even quarreled."

But when he gambled with the Living Buddha of the Western Regions, the elder, he once mentioned how kind Miss Gongsun had been back then—and the two elders seemed to have become angry over this, then started quarreling.

Lady Gongsun Wuyue laughed and said, "His nature was surely never to mention me—you poor child, you had to rack your brains wondering if that old Daoist priest ever slipped in a word or two about me."

After all, they had been bosom friends back then, and he instantly saw that Li Guanyi was lying.

Li Guanyi could only pretend to be clueless.

Lady Gongsun Wuyue smiled, "But even if he did mention me, it wouldn't matter now."

"We're both at this age now—past matters, mentioning them is useless."

"But the fact that he gave you the Lingyun Wood doesn't mean he's completely forgotten me." Lady Gongsun Wuyue placed her own sword on the table; Li Guanyi's Lingyun Wood was ancient and solemn, its blade faintly patterned with pine grain, exuding a clear aura.

Lady Gongsun Wuyue's sword, by contrast, was clear as frost and snow, its blade straight, radiating a distant, icy chill. She said, "This weapon is mine, and it was given to me by him—its name is Fuxue Zhi."

Lingyun Wood.

Fuxue Zhi.

Two similar swords—one like the green pines of Nanshan, the other like the cold plum blossoms of the north. These two weapons matched in length, aura, and blade width, subtly mirroring each other, their energies linked.

Li Guanyi had spent over a year with Elder Murong, and through constant exposure, he had learned to judge swords. Seeing these two similar weapons, he immediately had a hunch. Seeing the sorrow in Lady Gongsun Wuyue's eyes, he hesitated, "Miss Lady Gongsun and Elder Zu…"

Lady Gongsun Wuyue half-closed her eyes, her fingers lightly brushing the blade, and only smiled.

"We were almost husband and wife."

Even though Li Guanyi had prepared himself, this still sent ripples through his heart.

Lady Gongsun Wuyue stroked the blade, her voice calm: "If you think carefully, the bond between him and me was already sealed back then, when the five of us roamed the Jianghu together."

"We were deeply in love, sharing the same youthful spirit, daring and chivalrous, facing life and death side by side. The other three—Brother Zhou, the eldest son of a great clan, had long been betrothed; his nature was bold and free, his hook-sickle spear technique shattered all before him."

"His descendants have all turned out remarkable."

"Among the younger generation, Zhou Ping excels in scholarship, Zhou Liu in martial arts—both outstanding. One, still young, is a prodigy in the Imperial Academy; the other, a well-known young officer in Jiangzhou City."

"Chen Chengbi is a martial madman; that little monk is a religious man."

"But it was me and Zu Wenyuan."

"He, a true heir of the Daoist sect, knew no Wu Gong; I, from the Lady Gongsun clan of the Jianghu, masters of both sword and Qiang Qixie, could not wield a sword. When we fought, Brother Zhou led from the front, the little monk darted everywhere, Chen Chengbi, the martial madman, charged headlong."

"We two stayed behind—I triggered the Qiang Qixie, he deduced the positions. Over time, feelings quietly grew between us; our betrothal seemed only natural…"

"But…"

Lady Gongsun Wuyue stared at the sword, silent for a long while, as if recalling the past—her brother's sudden death, the Daoist sect's upheaval, and that young Daoist priest who had laughed aloud to the heavens, then seized his sword and sprinted out into the rain.

At that time, she had been dressed in red, standing in the rain, weeping until she was drenched in tears.

She said not a word.

The Daoist priest did not turn back.

Back then, young and foolish, we thought the Jianghu was vast, the world free and open, friends all around, every step beneath us the horizon.

But later, later, when we grew up, books said promises must be kept, hair grown long enough to reach the waist—but books never said that youthful friends rarely endure; the storms of the mortal world drive people apart, until they vanish without a trace—that is the norm.

Back then, the five of us, bound by life and death, raised cups under the moonlight, young and carefree, the wind gentle after slaying a great bandit in the city; the townsfolk held a lantern festival, lotus lanterns bobbing on the water, brighter than the stars above.

We sat by the river, listening to the people's laughter, drinking and toasting.

The youthful vigor, the chivalrous joy of the Jianghu—we were no less than anyone else.

But later, later…

One of them had no choice but to return to the imperial palace; such a peerless Wang Hou roaming free would make the Emperor's throne unstable; the eldest brother had to return to the battlefield, wielding his Jianghu-honed spear in battle.

His body, battered through countless battles, though his Wu Gong was supreme, died first.

After breaking through Tie Futu with his hook-sickle spear, the aged general returned to southern Jiangnan, where he and his friends once lit lanterns. In a daze, he heard a girl's zither melody from long ago—and the old warrior, who had spent his life in war, wept uncontrollably. That was how the Po Zhen Qu came to be.

The little monk wanted to return to his homeland—he said many people there were starving.

He said many were oppressed, that the monks there had shallow roots, and only he could save them. He said he would become a Living Buddha. If, after receiving the initiation, he failed to recognize them, don't blame him—he didn't want it either.

Let that little monk be considered dead.

The mad king raised his cup, drank, and entered court; the general said, "To be wrapped in horsehide—that is the soldier's fortune."

The dark-skinned little monk scratched his head and said,

"If not I, then who will enter hell?"

When the last Daoist and the girl became betrothed, none of the other three came.

Lady Gongsun Wuyue lowered her gaze, refusing to dwell on these thoughts, and spoke gently:

"Are you going to the Imperial Academy?"

Li Guanyi replied, "I promised Elder Zu I would return his Daoist libationer's lu, and tell the Daoist sect's Xiantian that he had glimpsed the Xiantian path in his lifetime—and that in the end, he felt no regret."

Lady Gongsun Wuyue smiled, "'No regret'—that's exactly what he would say."

"Do you know the current state of the world?"

Li Guanyi thought, then answered, "A little."

"Only a little."

"After all, I'm still young."

Lady Gongsun Wuyue paused, studying the young Daoist, then explained to Li Guanyi:

"The world is changing. The Chen and Ying states, once balanced, now face imminent conflict. The Tujue are held in check by the empire's third-greatest general; the Western Regions have been driven off by the Regent. The clash between Chen and Ying is not far off."

"My Lady Gongsun clan possesses the Piaomiao Pavilion and the ancestral Qiang Qixie techniques."

"For these three hundred years, we have only roamed the Jianghu, famed for our swords and Qiang Qixie."

"Because our ancestors were feared for the power of their Qiang Qixie, they were ordered executed by feudal lords; the rest of our kin fled into the Jianghu, hiding their names for decades, slowly gathering to rebuild our family."

"Because of our ancestors' lesson, our line never enters court; the Qiang Qixie we craft are confined to the Jianghu, never used in state conflicts—purely to preserve ourselves."

"Thus, even though I and Chen Chengbi, and Brother Zhou were close, he a Wang Hou of Chen, he a general of Chen—we never sided with Chen."

"Under these circumstances, the Lady Gongsun clan relies on the Jianghu; both Chen and Ying purchase large Qiang Qixie through Jianghu channels from us—a tacit understanding."

"Both states allow us to remain neutral; if the Lady Gongsun clan ever sided with one, we could not survive. But I see the world—this age of many warlords is ending. When peace comes, the Lady Gongsun clan will not be able to remain untouched."

Gongsun Wuyue lightly brushed her finger along the weapon, paused, then explained:

"My elder brother once sought to introduce powerful mechanical devices into the Jianghu, hoping to use his status to protect our family—but he underestimated the evil in the Jianghu heart, and it led to a massacre of the innocent."

"After that incident, the custom of the Wu Lin Alliance leader arose."

"When a martial artist wields such a powerful mechanical device, the threat to common folk grows far greater."

"A True Man of the Daoist sect secretly investigated the source of the massacre, and eventually… my elder brother felt responsible for this bloodshed, for having entrusted the Gongshu mechanical arts to Jianghu martial artists—he took his own life to atone. The Gongsun family suffered a devastating blow and declined."

"That Daoist True Man never anticipated my brother's reaction, and he broke his sword and left."

"Yet he died by the very mechanical arts."

"He was Zǔ Wényuǎn's uncle."

Li Guanyi fell silent. Just these few words revealed the storms and conspiracies within the Jianghu. He guessed this tragedy occurred after Zǔ Lǎo and Gongsun Wuyue's betrothal—suddenly, Gongsun Wuyue's elder brother committed suicide, and a high Daoist master perished at the hands of the Gongsun family's mechanical devices.

Even if Gongsun Wuyue and Zǔ Wényuǎn could see through the conspiracy and its origins,

they could never again be together.

For the next sixty years, they drifted farther apart.

Sixty springs and autumns had passed.

One was a Twenty-Four Sacrificial Libationer of the Daoist sect, revered and venerable; the other, the female head of the Jianghu Gongsun family. In the Scholar's Hall, the ethereal Daoist, eyes lowered—could he still see this woman warrior of the Jianghu world?

When Gongsun Wuyue spoke of the past, her tone had grown far calmer:

"I took my nephew as my adopted son—he is Feixue's father."

"The Gongsun family's mechanical arts allow ordinary civilians to threaten incoming martial artists, while a martial artist must spend years, even decades, in arduous training to enter the Jianghu."

"No sovereign would permit the Gongshu line of mechanical arts to survive."

"No sovereign would allow such power to exist beyond his control. Do you think a hero with the ambition and strength to unify the world would treat our lineage?"

Li Guanyi said: "Gongsun elder, are you worried?"

Gongsun Wuyue replied: "How could I not be worried?"

"The unified empire's attitude toward those who wield mechanical arts has already been proven by our ancestors; and the path of relying on Jianghu martial artists to protect our family—my elder brother paid a sufficient price."

"Grandma, Elder Brother, have you spoken well? I saw some fine fruit delivered to the manor, so I brought some for you."

At this moment, Gongsun Feixue had settled her friends and now came to pay respects to her grandmother. Gongsun Wuyue invited her in. The Seventh Beauty smiled faintly, glancing at the two swords on the table, then at Li Guanyi, and said:

"It seems Grandma and the Herbalist Elder Brother are having a pleasant conversation."

Li Guanyi asked how she could tell.

Gongsun Feixue pointed to the divine weapon 【Fuxue Branch】 on the table and smiled:

"Grandma's sword is extremely precious."

"She never allows even a touch from others, let alone placing it directly on a table like this."

Gongsun Wuyue sighed helplessly. Gongsun Feixue beamed, leaned close to her grandmother, wrapped her arm around Gongsun Wuyue's, affectionately. Gongsun Wuyue patted her hair, looked at Li Guanyi, and said gently:

"The Herbalist probably doesn't know."

"The Emperor of Chen has journeyed to Zhongzhou, and appears to have dispatched a thousand-man army here—likely with ill intent. The Motian Sect also seeks to seize control of the Central Plains' Jianghu and become the Wu Lin Alliance leader—they're on their way."

"As the world descends into chaos, the Jianghu cannot remain peaceful."

"The Gongsun family is caught between the tides of court and Jianghu. It may seem bustling, but in truth, we could collapse at any moment. That's why I sent Feixue to befriend the heirs of Jianghu clans and powerful families."

"I have a proposal."

The woman, once the most astute and clever of the five, smiled calmly: "I must find a home for my family—and a future for my child."

She lifted her tea, speaking lightly:

"I will marry Feixue to you."

"How about the Piaomiao Pavilion and the Gongsun lineage's mechanical arts as her dowry?"

Li Guanyi was stunned.

Gongsun Feixue sat bolt upright, staring in disbelief at her grandmother, and cried out instinctively: "Grandma?!!"

Even though she had always been composed, poised, even effortlessly charming in her dealings, Gongsun Feixue now blushed crimson at her temples, glaring at her grandmother with a mix of shame and anger—but Gongsun Wuyue did not seem to be joking. She spoke softly:

"The world is in upheaval. The Gongsun family burns like oil over fire—we cannot retreat. It may seem glorious, but neither Jianghu nor the world offers us a place to stand. Yet now that you have come here, I see a glimmer of hope."

"How should I address you? How ought I call you…"

"The disciple of Zǔ Wényuǎn—the Herbalist Li?"

"Or…"

The woman who once stood alongside Chen Chengbi, the Living Buddha, the Zhou ancestral patriarch, and Zǔ Wényuǎn looked at the young Daoist seated before her and whispered:

"Qin Wu Hou."

Gongsun Feixue snapped her head up, staring at the young Daoist—his back straight, his wooden hairpin plain, a bamboo flute hanging at his side, his faded blue Daoist robe falling softly. He held his tea, his demeanor once gentle—yet in that instant, as those three words fell, his aura changed.

Like a heavy sword without edge.

His presence blazed fiercely.