Chapter Forty-Eight: The Young Madam, Part Two

At the mere age of thirteen... could she truly have been so resolute? Yang Nan felt a pang of sorrow. His face grew solemn, and he said in a low voice, "And after that?"

Yang Da wiped the blood from his brow and, tears streaming down his face, said, "The young lady was a woman of her word. Everyone present was filled with respect for her. Her nature was known to all; once she had spoken, she would never take it back. Lord Tie was terrified that his daughter would kill herself, so... he had no choice but to agree to the young lady's wish. A few days later, she held the memorial tablet of the young master and, before more than three thousand students of the Poplar Academy on Green-Mist Mountain, performed rites to the ancestors and was married to the master's spirit tablet in the ancestral hall!"

A beauty in the bloom of youth, solemnly carrying a spirit tablet into marriage! And she was only thirteen...

Yang Nan was struck speechless. He truly could not imagine what such a woman had been thinking.

Did she not know that by doing this she was consigning the flower of her youth to a lifetime of loneliness and sorrow, without joy?

"Foolish... truly foolish..." Yang Nan sighed and shook his head.

At the memory of that day, Yang Da and the other servant fell to the ground and wept, revering the young lady as though she were a being from beyond the heavens. How could they not be heartbroken to the point of death when such a woman had met with misfortune in the end?

Yang Nan could well imagine how difficult it must have been for a frail thirteen-year-old girl to solemnly pledge her whole life to a man already dead, and to marry a spirit tablet before all eyes. What kind of courage was that?

The reproaches of her parents, the pointing fingers of others, none of it had changed that fierce woman's resolute vow.

"Once I have given my life to my lord, fortune and misfortune shall rest on his heart's desire. My own tender heart is tied and bound, and I only wish that my lord's heart may be like mine..."

It seemed as though that woman's low, steadfast murmur was drifting faintly into Yang Nan's ears.

For a long moment, Yang Nan was filled with mingled emotions. In truth, he deeply admired this wife he had never met. He reached out and gently helped the weeping pair of servants to their feet, then said in a deep voice, "And after the young lady married my spirit tablet, what became of her?"

Yang Da brushed away his tears and said, "Not long after the news of the young master's death spread, people began to say that the young master was not dead after all. Second Master, Fourth Master, Seventh Master, Eighth Master, Tenth Master, and Twelfth Master all sent people to search for him. Some said the young master had gone to Kunlun to study the Way, and so on the road east that day, the various masters secretly and openly laid no one knew how many experts in ambush. The moment the young master showed himself, he was to be killed without mercy!

"Only, most of them lay in ambush along the land routes. Later, people said the young master had taken a boat from Hun River to Kunlun, and by the time they tried to give chase it was already too late. They had no choice but to return to Chang'an in frustration."

The "masters" Yang Da spoke of were none other than Yang Nan's dozen uncles. With Yang Pu deceased, the only person in the world worthy of the title "master" from the mouths of Yang Da and the others was Yang Yuan, long gone from the mortal world—Yang Nan's nominal father.

The old Grand Duke Yang Pu had arranged for Yang Nan to fake his death. Though Yang Da and the others sensed there was something strange about it, they did not know the details, nor did they dare reveal anything, lest they bring a death sentence upon Yang Nan. They could only keep it buried in their bellies, not even daring to mention a word of it to the young lady they revered from the bottom of their hearts.

Six uncles had sent countless assassins to hunt him down?

Yang Nan felt a chill in his heart. If not for Chi Yang insisting that he change into women's clothing and travel by water, he would not even have known how he died.

Those fine uncles of his... truly had a ruthless streak!

Yang Da went on, "It was only two years later that the young lady received definite news that the young master was still alive. Then she wished to take a ship from Southern Continent, cross the sea, and come to Kunlun Mountain to search for him. When Lord Tie heard that the young master was not dead, he was overjoyed and agreed. That day, Yang San and Yang Si remained at the old residence on Green-Mist Mountain to guard the Poplar Academy, while the two of us followed the young lady and several hundred retainers as she took the long way from the Western Sea to the Eastern Sea..."

Hearing this, Yang Nan could not help but say angrily, "The world is now overrun by demons and monsters, and you were nothing more than ordinary mortals. How could you hope to cross the Western and Eastern Seas? Instead of waiting for me at the ancestral home on Green-Mist Mountain, you came all this way into danger. Truly foolish beyond words!"

Green-Mist Mountain was the Yang family ancestral seat. There, not only was the entire mountain the Yang family's property, but the Poplar Academy on the mountain was famous throughout the land. It had produced countless scholars, officials, and gentry. Whoever came to study, regardless of rank or wealth, was admitted without charge and even provided with food and clothing. Every three years a new intake was accepted, without interruption. Such was the rule set down by the old master.

Only then did Yang Nan understand his grandfather's arrangement. It was clearly meant as a retreat for him. Green-Mist Mountain lay in Wenyang Prefecture, which was Lord Tie's domain, and moreover a sacred land in the eyes of countless Confucian scholars under heaven. If Yang Nan failed to pursue the Way, then with the identity of Lord Tie's son-in-law and the sacred scrolls of the sages in hand, who in the world would dare openly defy heaven and earth to kill him while he remained hidden on Green-Mist Mountain?

Whether it was the Profound Flame Sword or the character of his future bride, the old master had investigated everything thoroughly. Only then had he devised such a meticulous plan.

The old master truly had gone to great pains... and yet... did he not fear ruining a girl's entire life?

Recalling how, even at the time of his death, the old man had still intended to make a great matter of it, Yang Nan could not help feeling both moved and saddened.

If one could have such a grandfather in this world, what regret would there be left in life?

A faint gleam welled quietly at the corner of Yang Nan's eye. After a long silence, Chi Yang understood his feelings and stepped forward to pat his shoulder.

"Ah Nan, there's no need to be sad. If the old Grand Duke knew that you have now attained success in cultivation, he would surely be gratified beyond measure. You have not failed to live up to all the pains he took in arranging everything for you."

Yang Nan nodded, steadied himself, and said, "Yang Da, sit down. Continue. What happened after you went from the Western Sea to the Eastern Sea?"

Yang Da nodded and said, "The world has truly changed. There were all kinds of demons and monsters at sea. We traveled for more than a year, covering thousands of miles, but the offerings the young lady brought were far from enough to satisfy the sea demons. In the end, one day, a great octopus general came from the sea. When he failed to obtain the offerings he demanded, he used sorcery to seize the young lady and drag her beneath the waves. How could our household guards and servants withstand such a monster? After dozens of retainers died, we all thought there would certainly be no hope this time. Who would have known that after the young lady entered the sea, she would actually encounter a celestial maiden from the Dragon Palace? That maiden was extremely fond of learning, and the young lady was overflowing with talent. The two became friends. With the Dragon Palace maiden helping us along the way, the lesser and greater sea demons no longer dared to offend us."

Yang Nan and Chi Yang listened in rapt attention. A mortal woman had actually subdued a dragon maiden and become her friend? However one heard it, it sounded like sheer fantasy...

Yang Da went on, "When we reached the Eastern Sea port, the Dragon Palace maiden could not conveniently go ashore, so she took her leave. We had thought that once we drew near the lands of Kunlun, we would soon see the young master. Our hearts were filled with joy, and yet who would have guessed that the land would prove even more dangerous than the sea? We had traveled less than three days when a powerful monster came from the sky. He summoned a layer of black mist that blotted out the heavens. In a convulsion of earth-shaking violence and flying sand and stones, he instantly covered the whole area so that east, west, south, and north could no longer be distinguished. Hundreds of retainers suffered heavy losses. When we woke up, we discovered... the young lady was gone...!"

At this point, Yang Da and Yang Er both wore expressions of grief and fury. But how could mere mortals stand against monsters? Aside from coming to find the young master to plead his case, what else could they do?

Only then did Yang Nan fully understand. His wife had suffered no small amount in searching for him. Not only had she gathered all her courage to marry a dead man, she had also crossed thousands of miles in search of her husband, heedless of life and death. Was it worth it, for the sake of a man she had never even met?

There truly was such an extraordinary woman in the world...

As Yang Nan sighed inwardly, he lightly flicked his hand, and two streams of cool qi slipped into the foreheads of the two servants. The wounds on Yang Da and Yang Er's heads vanished in an instant, leaving them looking as if they had never been injured.

"Well then, the East Sea port is still several thousand li from Kunlun Mountain. What kind of monster would dare abduct someone so brazenly in broad daylight?" Yang Nan muttered to himself, then fell into thought. Yet the world held endless goblins and spirits, and how could one possibly find the culprit in a short time? Even if he did find it, that steadfast woman might already have taken her own life rather than suffer humiliation...

"Immortals, monsters, ghosts, and demons—if the boundaries between them are not clear, the world becomes an utter chaos!" Thinking of this disorderly age, Yang Nan felt a fire of anger rise in his heart. Cultivators were often a little stronger than demons, yet demons were far stronger than mortals. In this world, those who pursued the Way were after all but a minority, while monsters were innumerable. If the laws of heaven still held, it would be one thing; but once heaven's statutes were broken, the world would at once descend into utter chaos.

Chi Yang also felt that the failure to distinguish between humans and monsters was simply absurd. But in this world, demons, spirits, and ghosts had always existed. So long as spiritual qi remained between heaven and earth, monsters would take form. How could the distinction between human and nonhuman be so easily resolved? Even those immortal sages could not solve it. They were only minor masters now; how could they change all this?

"Ah Nan, do you think... could it be... the Tiger Demon King?" Chi Yang suddenly named a monster notorious in the lands around Kunlun for abducting people to eat them.

Yang Nan's eyes lit up. He clapped his hands and said, "Exactly. Bring Yang Da and Yang Er along. We return at once to Spirit Beast Mountain. If one of those hundreds of women is Miss Fang, then there is no need for all this trouble."

Though many of those women had been violated by monsters, they were still alive. Yang Nan did not know his wife, but Yang Da and Yang Er did!

"All right. Call for Butterfly Garment as well. Yang Da, how did you two come to this Immortal-Quest City? And how did you find this house of mine?" Yang Nan was genuinely curious. How had two servants whose skills were only those of middle-rank martial artists managed to arrive safely in Immortal-Quest City?

Yang Da nodded and said, "On the road, we met His Highness Prince Pure of Dragon Spring Prefecture in Eastern Continent. When he heard that we had come seeking the young master, he brought us all the way here. Oh, and His Highness Prince Pure is also in this Immortal-Quest City. It is said that he too has come looking for the young master."

"Prince Pure?" Yang Nan frowned. After carefully searching his memory, he suddenly said, "Prince Pure, Li Hao! You mean that little sniveling boy who used to come to the duke's estate with the emperor when I was young?"

The old emperor had countless sons, but the only one Yang Nan remembered was the prince who came with the emperor to congratulate the Grand Duke on his eightieth birthday. That was the so-called Prince Pure. To think a dignified imperial prince would have been running with a dribbling nose; it was truly rare in the world, no wonder Yang Nan remembered him.

Yang Da nodded and confirmed, "Yes, young master. If not for Prince Pure's aid, I'm afraid we would never have reached Immortal-Quest City."

Yang Nan felt wary. What could an imperial prince, now a king, want with a cultivator like him? And why had he first done him such a favor?

"Young master, there is a group of people outside requesting an audience. They say they are old acquaintances of yours from Chang'an." Chang Fu hurried back in again.

A faint smile appeared on Yang Nan's face as he said lightly, "Brother Chi Yang, it seems this Prince Pure has truly set his sights high. I can't imagine what they think is so special about me that they would first go to such lengths to curry favor!"

Chi Yang said in a grave tone, "Cultivators have always avoided dealings with the imperial court. What Prince Pure desires certainly is not your status as a Kunlun disciple. Then what is it he wants?"

Yes. What is it he wants?

Yang Nan frowned and gently waved for Chang Fu to invite the visitors in. Since his two household servants had received the man's kindness, he could hardly refuse a request for an audience. When one was in the mortal world, one had to observe mortal conventions. If this were Kunlun, Yang Nan would simply sweep his sleeve and depart. Who would dare stop him?