Chapter 178: Shu State’s Poetry Immortal Xu Jing! The Power-Abusing Lackey Wen Liang
Chapter 178: Chapter 178: Shu State’s Poetry Immortal Xu Jing! The Power-Abusing Lackey Wen Liang
"Lord Xu, your presence brings our valley great honor! Forgive me for not providing a proper welcome. Please, come, have a seat and some tea."
From a great distance, a beaming Song Qiaosheng called out to Xu Lian and hurried forward to bow in greeting.
"Is that Lord Xu Lian, the Prefect of Shu State?"
"I can’t believe Lord Xu came in person."
"*Hiss*... The Prefect himself is here. Does that mean Pei Shaoqing is actually here for the ceremony too?"
Many of the guests shot glances over, their eyes filled with a mixture of awe and envy. They were all members of the Jianghu, yet the disparity was immense. Even a mere Captain from a County Government Office wouldn’t give so-called heroes like them a second look.
But Medicine King Valley? Who knew how many members of minor branches or servants from powerful, official families had arrived today? A Prefect, a major official, had even come in person. For the rest of them, having a County Chief Clerk attend their funeral would be a monumental event.
Xu Lian remained where he stood, waiting for Song Qiaosheng to approach before calmly raising a hand in reply. "Sect Leader Song, you are too kind. Pharmacist Wu has saved my elderly mother from death’s door on multiple occasions. Today is the momentous day he formally inherits your mantle to lead Medicine King Valley. As a grateful son, I naturally had to come and offer my congratulations. I’ve also brought a small gift to show my sincerity."
Behind him, Xu Jing, who was holding a brocade box with both hands and looking about with wide-eyed curiosity, quickly presented the gift.
"Thank you, Prefect. Thank you, Second Young Master." Wu Tian, who recognized Xu Jing, quickly accepted the box with both hands. He then turned and passed it to a junior martial brother, telling him to put it away.
Song Qiaosheng stroked his beard, appraising Xu Jing. "I haven’t left the valley in many years. I never imagined the Second Young Master would have grown into such a fine young man. You have a truly remarkable presence. I can tell at a glance that you are a man of great learning and literary talent, surely destined to become a Champion Scholar."
"Let’s hope your auspicious words come true, Valley Master Song." Xu Lian didn’t take the pleasantries to heart. He knew exactly what his second son was made of. ’A Champion Scholar? He couldn’t even roast corn without burning it.’
He was a dab hand at corn-kernel dice, though.
"’I can’t believe my scholarly talents were hidden so deeply, yet you saw through them at a glance, Valley Master Song. You truly are an old Immortal!’ Upon hearing this, Xu Jing’s eyes lit up. He raised his head, puffed out his chest, and with a flourish, drew a folding fan from his belt and snapped it open. *SWISH*. ’However, I am no common man. My ambitions lie not in fame and fortune, but in the art of poetry!’"
’Oh no! He’s going to recite a poem!’
Xu Lian’s face fell the moment he heard this.
"’Oh? I am truly impressed. Second Young Master, you are a true gentleman, indifferent to fame and fortune. Since you are so skilled in verse, might I be so bold as to request that you compose a poem for today’s ceremony?’ Song Qiaosheng said with a grin, deliberately setting the stage for Xu Jing to win acclaim."
’It’s over.’
Xu Lian and Wu Tian thought in unison.
Xu Lian quickly tried to interject, "Perhaps not..."
"I have it!" With a flick of his fan, Xu Jing paced forward under the expectant gazes of the crowd and began to recite: "In Medicine King Valley, guests abound, traveling a thousand miles to bring their cheer. The Sect Leader’s old and needs a burial mound, a new generation replaces the old one here!"
The world suddenly fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.
Xu Lian’s face was as black as the bottom of a wok. His fists clenched. ’I knew I shouldn’t have brought this little bastard today!’
The smile on Song Qiaosheng’s face froze solid.
Wu Tian looked as if he had lost the will to live.
"’A humble offering,’ Xu Jing said, turning to face the three men. He closed his eyes and shook his head from side to side in a self-satisfied manner. ’I call this poem, *Ode to the Medicine King Valley Succession Ceremony*. It is a special gift for Pharmacist Wu.’"
Wu Tian wanted to cry. ’Oh, I’m so fucking grateful to you. When other people get a poem, they’re immortalized alongside the poet for generations. Me? I get to be eternally humiliated along with you.’
"Hahahaha! A fine poem! A truly fine poem!" The ice on Song Qiaosheng’s face melted away into a laugh. "Second Young Master, your work is catchy and easy to grasp. For simple, unscholarly Jianghu folk like us, it’s perfect. And that line, ’a new generation replaces the old one here’—why, that’s the masterstroke!"
"’It is indeed a masterpiece,’ Wu Tian forced himself to add. ’The Second Young Master understands that we of the Jianghu are not men of letters, which is why he chose such direct words. It shows not only his literary flair, but also a truly perceptive mind.’"
"Yes, it is truly a fine poem. Prefect Xu has done a wonderful job raising his son. He’s cultivated a true master of the poetic arts!"
"I’d even call him the Poetry Immortal of Shu State..."
Was Xu Jing’s poem good? Of course, it was! It was good because his father was the Prefect of Shu State, an official of the Fourth Grade.
And so, anyone in attendance with enough education to distinguish a good poem from a bad one proceeded to lie through their teeth.
As for the majority of the Jianghu members, while not illiterate, they weren’t exactly cultured. When they heard everyone else praising the poem, even those who thought it was mediocre began to doubt their own judgment rather than the poem’s quality. And so, they too chimed in with compliments.
"’You’re too kind, too kind,’ Xu Jing said, beaming. He scanned the crowd, cupping his fist in thanks. He couldn’t have wiped the grin off his face if he’d tried. As far back as he could remember, no one—aside from his own father—had ever said his poetry was bad."
He was long used to this kind of reception.
’A shame Brother Pei isn’t here.’
’There’s no one here I can discuss poetry with.’
Xu Lian was utterly disgusted by such sycophancy, even when it was directed at him and his son. But today was the Medicine King Valley’s grand ceremony, and it wasn’t his place to make a scene. He simply forced a smile.
’I’ll deal with that disgraceful little brat when we get home!’
"Sect Leader! It’s terrible, Sect Leader!" Just then, a disciple rushed over, crying out in a panic, "The Jing’an Guard... the Jing’an Guard have surrounded the valley!"
Upon hearing this, the crowd instantly erupted into an uproar.
"Today is a joyous occasion for Medicine King Valley, and we are filled with honored guests! How dare the Jing’an Guard come here to cause trouble?"
"Could it be about that disciple, Zhang Qing, killing someone? But that has nothing to do with the Medicine King Valley!"
"Did Pei Shaoqing come to Yazhou just to cause trouble for Medicine King Valley? But why would he do that?"
"’What’s this about Zhang Qing?’ Song Qiaosheng latched onto the key piece of information, his expression changing as he questioned Wu Tian."
He hadn’t yet been told of Zhang Qing’s arrest.
Wu Tian hadn’t told him because he feared Song Qiaosheng would go to see Pei Shaoqing himself, creating complications that might disrupt the succession ceremony. Out loud, however, he said, "While he was down the mountain on a supply run, Junior Brother Zhang got into a dispute with Pei Shaoqing’s men over a Spirit Fruit, revealing his identity. That very night, Pei Shaoqing arrested him, accusing him of committing murder in the city."
"I didn’t tell you, Master, because I didn’t want to worry you. I refuse to believe Junior Brother Zhang would actually kill someone in the city. Pei Shaoqing must hold a grudge against our Medicine King Valley and framed him. Please, rest assured, Master. I will do everything in my power to rescue Junior Brother Zhang."
"’That Pei Shaoqing has gone too far!’ Hearing that Pei Shaoqing had framed his disciple for murder and arrested him over such a trivial matter—and now even dared to come to Medicine King Valley to call them to account—Song Qiaosheng became so enraged his hair and beard seemed to stand on end."
He swept his gaze across the crowd and declared loudly, "My fellow members of the martial arts world! Medicine King Valley has always been a place of peace, seeking no quarrels and fostering good relations within the Jianghu and with the Imperial Court. Yet today, on this most joyous of days, an unwelcome guest has come to our door, using his power to bully the weak. I ask you all to follow me and bear witness to this injustice!"
"We will go with you! Medicine King Valley is renowned throughout the Jianghu for its kindness. How can we stand by and watch as they are bullied by some powerful official?"
"That’s right! Is there anyone here who hasn’t taken a Pill from Medicine King Valley or benefited from their generosity? Even if he is the great Pei Shaoqing, he still must be held to reason!"
"A debt of gratitude must be repaid! If we stand by and do nothing today while Medicine King Valley is humiliated at their own gate, what face will we have left in the Jianghu?"
Medicine King Valley’s influence was formidable. The moment Song Qiaosheng finished speaking, everyone began to voice their support. Some were driven by true loyalty, others were simply swept up in the collective fervor.
「 ... 」
Song Qiaosheng led his disciples and the thousand-strong crowd of guests in a great procession toward the mountain gate. Conversation buzzed through the moving crowd until, suddenly, everyone halted. They looked up to see the mountainside covered in figures clad in black, surging like a dark tide.
A tide that threatened to wash over the mountain gate and devour everything in its path.
The Medicine King Valley disciples at the head of the procession instinctively gripped their swords, the soft scrape of metal on scabbard cutting through the air. The guests’ murmuring died instantly, replaced by the sound of heavy breathing in an atmosphere so still it felt as if you could hear your own heartbeat.
The Jing’an Guard, wearing their stark white Faceless Masks, looked like phantoms crawling up from the underworld. The veins bulging on their necks hinted at the ferocity lying dormant within them.
Drawn longswords and cocked Crossbows glinted coldly in the sunlight. No emotion could be seen on the faces hidden by their masks, only a killing intent more terrifying than any savage beast’s, as if they were ready to pounce and devour their prey at any second.
The heroes of the Jianghu all wore grave expressions.
’It looks like Pei Shaoqing is serious.’
Song Qiaosheng was also profoundly shaken. Taking a deep breath, he cupped his fist and said, "I am Song Qiaosheng of Medicine King Valley. I greet you, Pei Shaoqing. May I ask what your intentions are?"
From his position on horseback, Pei Shaoqing held the reins, his expression casual and his tone detached as he answered, "Enforcing the law."
"’Pei Shaoqing, I am the Prefect of Shu State.’ Xu Lian stepped forward to announce his identity, his voice heavy. ’Allow me to speak impartially. The Medicine King Valley disciple was indeed rude to injure your subordinate, and he should be punished for it. However, it is a minor offense. Is it truly necessary to mobilize such a force?’"
"Today is the day of Medicine King Valley’s succession ceremony, a time of transition. To choose today of all days to come and press charges... isn’t that taking things too far? I ask that you withdraw your men at once. I will personally see to it that once today’s ceremony is over, Medicine King Valley gives you a satisfactory explanation. What do you say?"
"’Greetings, Lord Xu.’ Pei Shaoqing offered a perfunctory salute and said coolly, ’I never expected that you, Prefect Xu, a high-ranking official of the Court, would attend the ceremony of a mere Jianghu sect. No wonder Medicine King Valley dared to act against the Jing’an Guard in Tongzhou. It seems they have a powerful backer to rely on.’"
He was genuinely surprised to see Xu Lian here.
But the arrow was already on the string; he had to follow through.
"’Don’t you dare speak such nonsense...’ Xu Lian began, enraged."
"Brother Pei! Brother Pei!" Xu Jing squeezed out of the crowd, pulling on Xu Lian’s sleeve. "This is my father, Brother Pei! My own father! Do me a favor, please!"
"Let go of me, you utter disgrace." Xu Lian’s face was pale with rage as he flung Xu Jing’s hand away.
"’So Brother Xu is here as well.’ Pei Shaoqing’s expression softened considerably. He smiled and said, ’Since you’re the one asking, Brother Xu, I’ll grant you this favor. All men, on my command! Sheathe your weapons and fall back thirty paces.’"
’He’d already given face to Xu Jing. If Xu Lian were to ask for face again, it would be impolite of him.’
"’Yes, sir!’ The crisp clang of steel being sheathed echoed continuously as the Jing’an Guard fell back, their thunderous steps kicking up a cloud of dust."
Everyone stared at Xu Jing in utter astonishment.
Even Xu Lian was dumbfounded.
’Wait, I’m a Prefect, a Prefect for crying out loud! And I have less clout with you, Pei Shaoqing, than this rebellious son of mine?’
Feeling the astonished gazes from all around, especially the dumbfounded look from his own father, Xu Jing was so ecstatic he almost moaned aloud. A tremor of pure pleasure shot through him.
Though he was ecstatic, he puffed out his chest and said with feigned composure, "Thank you, Brother Pei. Rest assured, I will do a good job of reining in my father."
A perfect role reversal.
Xu Lian’s face was black with fury, leaving him speechless.
"’Medicine King Valley was indeed in the wrong, but you, Pei Shaoqing, are being unforgiving now that you have the upper hand. I ask that you give me some face. Withdraw your men and do not ruin this joyous day for Medicine King Valley.’ The steward of the Wen Mansion, Wen Liang, stepped forward with his hands clasped behind his back, his tone calm and measured."
Pei Shaoqing frowned. "And who might you be?"
’Why is every Tom, Dick, and Harry asking me for face today?’
"’I am Wen Liang, the head steward of the Wen Mansion of Yu State.’ Wen Liang puffed out his chest, his tone level but his expression haughty."
Yu State was right next to Shu State. For someone to so boldly announce they were from the Wen Mansion of Yu State, it had to be *the* Wen Mansion—Wen Xi’s family.
Pei Shaoqing almost laughed. A mere steward dared to put on airs in front of him. He shot the man a contemptuous look. "And here I was wondering who it was. Turns out it’s just a dog kept by the Wen Family. If Elder Wen himself had come, I would naturally pay my respects. But you? You’re just an old dog wearing the Wen Family’s hide. What makes you think you’re worthy of yapping before me?"
’You’re not even a real person, and you want me to give you face.’
’Who the fuck are you? Do you think you’re worthy?’