Chapter 159 Undercurrents

Xiao Beiheng shouted loudly and kicked the soldier in front of him to the ground.

"It's boring."

He put away the wooden sword listlessly, walked to the side of the field and threw it to Lin Kui.

The seven soldiers in the field stood up with their teeth bared, some holding their stomachs, some holding their arms, all of them looking in a miserable state.

I was called by my boss in the middle of the day to practice martial arts with the prince. Fortunately, I hadn't eaten lunch, otherwise I would have vomited on the spot.

Beside Lin Kui stood an old man, his hair and beard all white. But his gaze was sharp, and he looked strong despite his age. Just standing there, one could tell he was a martial artist.

"Mr. Ji, can I fight with Xiao Zhuo now?" Xiao Beiheng took the handkerchief handed to him by the maid Xia Lan and wiped his hands.

The old man's surname was Ji, and his name was Zhong. He was the swordsmanship teacher that Emperor Yongde had hired for Xiao Zhuo, and he was extremely accomplished. When Xiao Zhuo was deposed, he learned the news and, fearing being implicated, he left the capital early and lived in seclusion in the countryside. Now Xiao Beiheng had found him and asked him to teach him the art of swordsmanship.

Ji Zhong shook his head: "Your Highness, I'm afraid you are still no match for Xiao Zhuo."

Lin Kui said, "Master Ji, I remember you said that even Xiao Zhuo couldn't defeat the siege of seven people. Now His Royal Highness can easily defeat seven soldiers..."

He is proficient in medicine, but not in fighting, and only has superficial skills.

"I did say that," Ji Zhong stroked his beard, "but Xiao Zhuo was only sixteen at the time. He trained in Beidi for another four years, and his progress during that time was beyond my expectations."

There is one more thing Ji Zhong didn't say, these seven soldiers didn't try their best, there was too much water in their work.

"It seems I need to intensify my training." Xiao Beiheng threw the handkerchief back onto the plate, his face showing no dissatisfaction. "I know these soldiers are afraid to give their best. We still have to fight the real enemy."

Ji Zhong shook his head and said, "Your Highness, your swordsmanship is no longer a problem. You should be able to match Xiao Zhuo. If you want to increase your chances of winning against Xiao Zhuo, your weapon must be strong."

"That's true," Xiao Beiheng picked up a cup of tea, opened the lid and blew gently. "The last time I fought with Xiao Zhuo, his sword was no ordinary item. It was able to collide with the sword in my hand several times without breaking."

Ji Zhong said, "Is that so? Your Highness, may I have a look at your sword?"

Xia Lan presented Xiao Beiheng's sword with both hands. Lin Kui took it and pulled it out half a foot, flashing a cold light. He smiled and said, "Master Ji, this sword is a famous sword that I found everywhere and specially commissioned a craftsman to make. The name of this sword is..."

Ji Zhong didn't wait for him to finish, glanced at the sword, stroked his long beard and said with a smile:

"Mr. Lin, I'm afraid you have a misunderstanding about famous swords. This sword is far from being a famous sword."

Xiao Beiheng's eyes flickered, and he put down the teacup and said, "Master Ji, what is a famous sword?"

"Blowing a hair can cut it, and slicing iron like mud." Ji Zhong plucked a hair from his head. "The hair falls in the air, and it lands on the blade of a famous sword. It cuts it directly, and that is what makes it a famous sword."

After saying this, he placed his hair over the blade and let it fall. The hair bounced lightly on the blade and then fluttered to the side, carried away by the wind.

Lin Kui felt a little embarrassed. This was embarrassing in front of His Royal Highness. He could only ask awkwardly, "Master Ji, are there any famous swords in the world today?"

"Of course there are, such as the one that has been passed down from generation to generation by Prince Jing."

"Is it the Yanque Sword bestowed upon Prince Jing by the late Emperor and now held by Crown Prince Xiao Kai?"

"Mr. Lin has also heard of this sword?"

"Prince Jing has never shown this sword to me, and I only knew its name. Today I know it is a famous sword."

Ji Zhong nodded and said, "Indeed, His Royal Highness's swordsmanship is on par with Xiao Zhuo's. If he gets his hands on this sword, there's no way Xiao Zhuo will be able to win."

Lin Kui showed joy at first, then shook his head and sighed in his heart.

Prince Jing is not someone to be trifled with. Yanque is their family heirloom, so how could they possibly give it away?

When he looked at Xiao Beiheng, Xiao Beiheng didn't care at all: "Yanque Sword? I've got it. Mr. Ji, please have dinner with us in the tent."

Everyone came to the tent and was having dinner when a sergeant came to report:

"Your Highness, the border commander, General Zhao Mu, is currently stationed outside Xiaogang Village with 50,000 troops. He has sent an envoy with a letter."

Lin Kui stepped forward, took the letter from the soldier and handed it to Xiao Beiheng.

Xiao Beiheng opened the letter, glanced at it, and handed it to Lin Kui, laughing, "Has Emperor Yongde been bewitched by that woman surnamed Mei? He actually came up with such shameless tactics to stop us."

Lin Kui took the letter and read it quickly.

Rumor has it that the gods appeared in Xiaogang Village, and Zhao Mu, following the imperial edict, left the village and stationed in Xiaogang Village, strictly prohibiting any army from passing through.

"Your Highness, if Xiaogang Village is truly blessed by the gods..."

Before Lin Kui could finish his words, Xiao Beiheng interrupted him: "Lin Kui, there are no gods. This is just an excuse made up by Emperor Yongde. Concubine Xian was afraid that we would seize her father's territory, so she lobbied the emperor. Emperor Yongde didn't dare to offend us openly, so he found this excuse."

Lin Kui nodded inwardly. His Highness's insight was unparalleled, and he understood the psychology of all parties thoroughly.

This is the reason why he chose to work for Xiao Beiheng.

"Then what should we do? We want to go to Xiliang. If we take the main road, we have to pass through Xiaogang Village." Lin Kui said in embarrassment, "Otherwise, we can only go around to the south, which is too far."

"Order the three armies to camp in Dongji Town and not advance any further." Xiao Beiheng's answer was unexpected.

Lin Kui was stunned: "Your Highness, we are not moving forward?"

"Of course, Emperor Yongde sent Zhao Mu to stop us. Don't you see why? We still rely on Zhao Mu for our food and fodder. If we force our way through, we'd be disrespecting him. Xiao Zhuo has already reached a truce with the Western Rong, so it's not the right time for us to fish in troubled waters. It would be better for us to stay in Dongji Town and wait until winter has passed."

"But...but, Your Highness, King Doma has declared a one-year ceasefire. Do we have to stay in Dongji Town for another year?"

Xiao Beiheng picked up a piece of barbecue with a fork, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly.

"Although the lake is calm now, it just needs a small stone thrown into it. I will do it myself."

Lin Kui was confused and asked, "Your Highness, I am stupid and don't understand what you mean."

Xiao Beiheng said, "Here in Xiliang, we have the King of Xiliang, the King of Jing, and us, the imperial army. With four armies here, it's impossible not to cause chaos. Quickly write a letter and send it to Xiao Zhuo, inviting him and his wife Shen Yuexi to a banquet on October 10th."

Lin Kui was overjoyed after hearing this. Has the prince decided to kill Xiao Zhuo?

To be honest, he was really afraid of Xiao Zhuo. He didn't know why, but he always felt that he was a huge threat to the prince.

He stood up to get his pen, ink, paper, and inkstone. "I'll immediately prepare the swordsmen. I'm afraid Xiao Zhuo won't dare to come."

Xiao Beiheng burst out laughing: "Lin Kui, do you really not understand or are you pretending not to understand? I said I invited Xiao Zhuo to the banquet, not to kill him."

"Don't kill?" Lin Kui couldn't understand for a moment.

Last time, when he dueled with Xiao Zhuo, he let him go after losing and even gave him a horse. This time, he didn't kill him. What on earth was His Royal Highness thinking?

"Of course," Xiao Beiheng said with a hint of sarcasm, "If we let the soldiers rush in, Xiao Zhuo wouldn't be convinced even if he died. I want him to be defeated sincerely, and I won't use such means."

"But it's the King of Qi's order..."

"My father only told me to kill Xiao Zhuo. How he's killed is up to me." Xiao Beiheng waved his hand impatiently. "Lin Kui, you've been talking too much nonsense lately."

"Yes, yes," Lin Kui turned around dejectedly and walked out of the tent to prepare the paperwork.

Ji Zhong, who was sitting at the bottom, had been silent the entire time. When he saw Lin Kui leave, he said to Xiao Beiheng, "Your Highness, this trip to Xiliang is going to stir up a lot of trouble."

"Mr. Ji's guess was correct," Xiao Beiheng said with a cruel smile, "but that was a bit of an understatement."

Looking at the western sky with a smile, Xiao Beiheng whispered:

"It should be a bloody storm."