Along the way, Xiang Yang, Huang Shaoxiong, and Nan Fenglan had spent day and night together, coming to understand one another better. Xiang Yang had also formed his own opinions of their characters.
Huang Shaoxiong came from the Buddhist sects. His will was tough, his temperament usually detached and steady, and he was a man of few words. He was a capable helper who could get things done; whatever he was instructed to do, he always strove to complete to the best of his ability.
Nan Fenglan was different. Her temperament was ever-changing—at times tender and delicate, at times willful and unruly. Sometimes she would spend days steeped in memories of the past without uttering a word; other times, she would chatter away without pause.
At present, Nan Fenglan's lively side had gained the upper hand. She used Bai Tianxiong's taking of a concubine to tease Huang Shaoxiong, her words bold and fiery, carrying a potent allure for any man.
She did not speak quietly either. Once her words fell, the people at the other four tables in the tavern all stopped what they were doing and turned their gazes toward her in unison. They were astonished not only by her beauty and bearing, but even more by her boldness.
The Bai family was Dingzhou's foremost martial arts clan. It had risen to prominence more than two hundred years ago under Heart-Wisdom Sword Saint Bai Mufeng. Ever since, its descendants had been numerous and its outstanding talents unending; every generation produced capable figures. By now, only two or three clans in all of Dingzhou could barely rival it.
The current head of the Bai family, Bai Tiansong, was known as the Northern Domain Divine Sword. Since entering the martial world, he had dominated Dingzhou through his swordsmanship and had never