Finally, the little girl left with the young monk in a carriage Xu Fengnian had prepared for her.

In the palace, Xu Xiao and Xu Fengnian sat in the Lakeheart Pavilion, just the two of them.

Xu Xiao sounded smug, "I met your second sister at the city gate, and she didn't scold me this time. Am I good or what?"

Xu Fengnian was glum, "That's because she didn't take you seriously."

Xu Fengnian asked with a smile, "What other treasures are there in the palace? Stop hiding them. Tell me all about them?"

Xu Xiao said, "These are almost all which I've hoarded for half of my life. Aren't they enough for you to fool with?"

Xu Fengnian grinned, "Aren't there any family heirlooms?"

Xu Xiao said bitterly, "There are, but I can't give them to you until I die."

After white fox-face finished the rice wine, he smiled, "I heard the 'Requiem of the Great Northern Liang' the other night. Good lyrics. It's just the tune was a bit deficient, wasting the thousand and eight words."

Xu Fengnian said with a dry laugh, "Sorry, it was me who wrote the music."

White fox-face said, "If you don't compare the tune with the lyrics, it's still beyond my expectation. It seems I shouldn't call you a blockhead anymore."

Xu Fengnian said vivaciously, "White fox-face, you know me. It's a pity you're male."

"He who seeks human immortality should do ninety good deeds. He who seeks earthly immortality should do three hundred good deeds. He who seeks heavenly immortality should do a thousand and three hundred good deeds."

Qing Niao was reading "Enlightenment of Empedias" in Wutong Garden.

Mount Longhu had been committed to Taoism for forty generations. Zhao Danxia, the current Grand Celestial Master, teaming with the Grand Libationer of Shangyin Academy, was Grand Maester, being in charge of the world's Taoist affairs and enjoying a reputation as first-grade sage minister.

Unfettered Haven was a small sanctum on Mount Longhu, inhabited by an elderly Taoist, Zhao Xituan.

Inside the sanctum, looking at a whole courtyard of shriveled hawthorns, the elderly Taoist could still manage to eat them.

A teenager with dark yellow skin squatted in the courtyard, looking in a dilemma.

Seeing the bamboo hurtling back, Xu Longxiang reached out a hand yet failed to grasp it. It went through the gaps between his fingers and hit him in the forehead.

Zhao Jingchen grew nervous. It would be tricky if he hurt this teenager.

Even his father Zhao Danxia, the noble sage minister, must respectfully address Zhao Xituan, Xu Longxiang's master, as "uncle".

However, Xu Longxiang wasn't hurt, and the bamboo exploded inch by inch in front of his forehead.

If Mount Longhu was the immortal capital of Taoism, then the Shangyin Academy was a city of saints.

At the Shangyin Academy, there was a Rune Lake planted with countless blue lotuses. The water wasn't deep, just the height of two people.

Ordinary scholars dared not boat or tour Rune Lake for two reasons: this was where Huang Longshi became famous, and Xu Weixiong lived here.

Blind Old Xu was a veteran of Northern Liang.

After he went blind, he accidentally failed to avoid the hooves of a rich kid's steed in the downtown area. He was trampled, crippled, then saved by Xu Fengnian.

Although Old Xu had a broken leg, an officer came and said they would give him a tael of silver every month. Old Xu collected the silver apprehensively for half a year before plucking up the courage to ask the officer. The officer told him it was a new rule of the Northern Liang army to treat veterans well.

Xu Fengnian asked casually, "Why doesn't Hong Shu like to leave the palace? Yet, you like to come out now and then?"

Qing Niao replied, "She's lazy."

Xu Fengnian changed the subject, "Xu Xiao knows that as Zhang Jyulu is now in power, he will rectify the court and reform the border army. Why must Xu Xiao get involved and go against Chief Minister Zhang? Isn't this going against the trend?"

Qing Niao dared not answer such a question.

When Xu Fengnian returned to the palace, Hong Shu handed over a signed letter from Zhao Xituan, the elderly Taoist on Mount Longhu.

After reading the letter, Xu Fengnian said in a fierce voice, "People from Maesters' Mansion went to bully Longxiang! I'm going to Mount Longhu to see the manner of the sage minister."

Hong Shu said softly, "Your Highness, are you really leaving Liang territory again?"