Volume Four: Tianya Mountain Range - Shangguan Xiangyu (II)
The burly man at the front had a glint in his eyes, showing that he was not intimidated by Zhang Xingfeng's aura. An old man next to him suddenly transmitted his voice to him. "Great Prince, don't be anxious. The situation seems to have become complicated. The man in front of us seems to be Zhang Xingfeng, the clan chief mentioned!"
The glint in the burly man's eyes vanished instantly, and he said to Zhang Xingfeng with some respect, "May I ask, is this young master Zhang Xingfeng, Earl Zhang? My Hatu."
Zhang Xingfeng secretly admired him. He understood Hatu's mindset very well and therefore admired him. Hatu was obviously a very cunning person, not as reckless as he appeared. However, Zhang Xingfeng could not let this guy off the hook because Hatu had offended his sister.
Suddenly, Zhang Xingfeng's aura intensified, creating a terrifying force that forced everyone to retreat. Looking at Hatu, whose face was flushed as he resisted his pressure, Zhang Xingfeng thought to himself, "If I don't teach you a lesson, do you think I, Zhang Xingfeng, am the kind of person who can be let off the hook with a few soft words?"
Hatu was shocked. The person in front of him was so weak just by his aura. The person in front of him must have the cultivation of Second-Rank Expert Divine Realm. He was so young and had white hair. Hatu was sure that the person in front of him was the most terrifying person that his father had told him not to offend.
"Bang!" Hatu suddenly knelt on one knee and said in a long voice, "I, Hatu, swear to the heavens that from now on, I will no longer bother Miss Shangguan. The Mongol Horse business of the Tianyang Tribe will continue to be handed over to Mr. Shangguan. If I break this oath, may I be struck down by heaven and earth!"
Zhang Xingfeng was taken aback, as was Shangguan Xiangyu, and even Hatu's servant was surprised. Zhang Xingfeng had originally intended to at least punish Hatu severely, but he hadn't expected Hatu to be so decisive. He couldn't help but burst into laughter, "Good, good, good, haha... hahaha... good, Hatu, very good, you can leave now!" Since they'd gone this far, Zhang Xingfeng couldn't be too unreasonable, could he?
"In that case, I Hatu, will take my leave!" Hatu said, bowing respectfully before turning and leaving immediately with his people. He didn't even glance at Shangguan Xiangyu again.
"Xiangyu!" Zhang Xingfeng turned to look at his younger sister of over ten years. Shangguan Xiangyu had changed so much. They say girls change a lot as they grow up, and the Xiangyu of yesteryear had now blossomed into a graceful young woman. Only her eyes remained the same—big and mischievous. Zhang Xingfeng could clearly sense the same aura emanating from Xiangyu as when she was little.
Xiangyu stared blankly at Zhang Xingfeng. She was stunned when she heard Hatu call the white-haired man in front of her Zhang Xingfeng. For a moment, Xiangyu thought it was just a coincidence of names, but when she saw Zhang Xingfeng's eyes, she knew that the white-haired man in front of her was her childhood Brother Feng!
"Brother Feng, is that you?"
A slight smile spread across Zhang Xingfeng's face. "Yes, Xiangyu, it's been so long! It really is..." Zhang Xingfeng was a little incoherent. To be honest, he was extremely happy. It had been fourteen years since he last saw Xiangyu, which was a very long time. He had regarded Xiangyu as his younger sister since they were little. When he left the Aristocratic Clan, he had thought of taking Xiangyu with him, but he was worried that Xiangyu would suffer. Besides, Xiangyu's family was quite wealthy at the time, and they lived a good life. How could her father let his daughter run around with him when he was only six years old?
"Brother Feng!" Xiangyu suddenly hugged Zhang Xingfeng tightly. Zhang Xingfeng actually felt a trace of happiness, and tears welled up in the corners of his eyes!
Zhang Xingfeng had no other thoughts. He only knew that he would never let his sister suffer again, never, especially since he now had the power to do so!
"Senior brother, let's talk in the teahouse up ahead!" Xiao Lin and Hong Xiao walked over together and saw Zhang Xingfeng and Xiangyu embracing on the street, which was indeed a bit awkward.
"Xiangyu, come on, let's have a good chat!" Zhang Xingfeng smiled brightly, took Xiangyu's hand and walked towards the teahouse. Xiangyu followed her Brother Feng into the teahouse. Seeing that her Brother Feng, who was only twenty years old, already had a full head of white hair, she thought to herself, "It's time to have a chat!"
Xiao Lin quickly arranged the seating, finding a small private room for Zhang Xingfeng and Xiangyu.
"Xiangyu, how have you been all these years?" Zhang Xingfeng was a little anxious, and he had lost his former composure and calmness. He was eager to know how his sister had been doing all these years.
Xiangyu felt a surge of emotion, but immediately smiled and said, "I'm fine. It's just that it was a little tough when my father started his business again when I was little, Brother Feng!" Xiangyu explained her situation quickly, and as soon as she finished, she looked at Zhang Xingfeng.
"Okay, what is it? Tell me, I'll tell you everything." Zhang Xingfeng's attitude at this moment was like that of an older brother doting on his younger sister.
"Brother Feng, why is your hair all white? You're only twenty!" Xiangyu finally voiced her question.
Zhang Xingfeng's heart skipped a beat: His hair had turned white, why had it turned white?
The first glimpse of the National Martial Academy as the sedan chair door was lifted...
That kiss on the Bright Moon Osmanthus Bridge...
The Yuwen Family's heartless words...
The cold body on the memorial hall of the Li Family...
"The loneliest thing is that I still miss you so much; the saddest thing is that I still can't face myself; your departure took my love with you. The most painful expression is actually having no emotions!" Zhang Xingfeng murmured to himself.
"Brother, you're crying." Xiangyu looked at her Brother Feng and listened to his self-talk. She felt her heart trembling. What kind of expression was that? Sweetness, pain, and finally, it seemed like there was no expression at all, but tears were streaming down her face.
Zhang Xingfeng didn't move. His mind was completely absorbed in the past. Besides Zhang Xingfeng, Xiangyu was the only other person in the private room. Her attention was entirely on Zhang Xingfeng's face. She didn't notice at all that Zhang Xingfeng's white hair was emitting a faint silver glow.
"The Dao gives birth to them, Virtue nourishes them, things take shape, and vessels are formed. Therefore, all things honor the Dao and value Virtue. The Dao is honored, and Virtue is valued, not by command, but naturally so. Thus, the Dao gives birth to them, and Virtue nourishes them. It nurtures them, raises them, cultivates them, protects them, sustains them, and covers them. It gives birth without possessing, acts without relying on its own power, and nurtures without dominating. This is called Profound Virtue." The first paragraph of the last two paragraphs of the Heart Sutra suddenly appeared in Zhang Xingfeng's mind, and Zhang Xingfeng's heart was suddenly shaken. "To seek the heart through traces is like trying to measure the sea with a gourd; to merge the heart with traces is like a mustard seed containing emptiness. When heart and traces are forgotten, all rivers flow to the same source, and all streams taste one. Haha, the Dao, the Dao of Heavenly Dao, the Dao of Emotion, the Dao of Martial Arts, haha... It does not rely on words, but only on understanding one's own heart! One's own heart! One's own heart!"
Suddenly, golden light shone faintly from Zhang Xingfeng's body. He had already grasped the mysteries of the Heart Sutra and the Heavenly Dao. Although he had not yet fully understood them, he had at least opened the door! The benefits this would bring to his future cultivation were unimaginable.
"Brother Feng, don't scare me, what's wrong?" Zhang Xingfeng snapped back to reality and immediately heard Xiangyu's tense voice, which was trembling with tears.
Zhang Xingfeng knew he must have been lost in thought for a long time, so he immediately said, "I'm fine, I'm fine! Who was that young master just now?"
Xiangyu's attention was immediately diverted, and she said, "That guy, what do you mean by 'Young Master'? He's actually the Great Prince of the Tianyang Tribe. He only calls himself 'Young Master' because he's worried about revealing his identity. This guy is really annoying, always holding my hand. Now that Brother Feng has made a move, that guy immediately swore an oath. It seems like there won't be any problems in the future."
Zhang Xingfeng smiled and nodded. Suddenly, Zhang Xingfeng's expression changed. His Spiritual Sense clearly noticed that there were masters of the Esoteric Sect on the street, masters who had reached the Divine Realm!
"Looks like things are about to get interesting!" Zhang Xingfeng smiled slightly. Xiangyu, standing to the side, was completely bewildered.
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I'm currently in university, Soochow University, which is at least a top-tier university, but my major is the toughest in the whole school! It wasn't my choice; I was assigned to it because nobody else chose me! That's why I say I have so little free time. Some majors have several times more free time than me! So right now I can only manage one chapter a day! Please forgive me! ~~~~~~~~~~ Frustrated Little Xi!
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