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On this day, the two were enjoying drinks with local gentry and influential figures. A subordinate presented an official document, and upon seeing it, High Technique burst into laughter, saying, "That scoundrel Xu has been opposing me all this time, but today he's being exiled to the Western Regions. Truly a great relief!"
Everyone present was a close ally of High Technique and understood his sentiments, so they raised their glasses in celebration. However, Zhao Shiye, a scribe with a keen eye, pondered for a moment without saying much, merely joining the others in toasting High Technique.
Once the banquet concluded and everyone had departed, Zhao Shiye remained behind. Sensing he had something to say, High Technique asked, "Brother Zhao, today our plans have succeeded; why aren't you happy?"
Zhao Shiye shook his head and replied, "Isn't it too early to celebrate? Don't you want to ensure a complete victory?"
High Technique was taken aback and asked, "What do you mean by a complete victory?"
Zhao Shiye took his time and dismissed the servants before pouring tea for High Technique. He then said, "Xu Guorui has been an official for many years, and many of his fellow scholars hold power in the court. Although he has lost his position today, I fear he might appeal to his classmates for a retrial in the future. At that time, it could spell trouble for you."
Realizing the gravity of the situation, High Technique quickly asked, "What should we do then?"
Zhao Shiye chuckled and said, "While we couldn't touch him when he was an official, now that he is just a commoner, we can do as we please. We just need to ensure he meets his end on the way to exile. Once he's dead, no one will dare speak up for him."
Seeing that High Technique still hesitated, Zhao Shiye continued, "As long as we keep our actions discreet and don't act within this jurisdiction, even gods won't be able to touch us."
High Technique was already greedy by nature; hearing this made him grit his teeth and say, "Exactly! We must eliminate the root of the problem. Let's send his entire family to the underworld together. That way, they can go in good spirits as a family."
The two conspired further and decided to exile the Xu family three days later. They summoned two ruthless followers and meticulously arranged the details of their plan.
West of Suxzhou lay a desolate mountain known as Black Wind Mountain. The area was notorious for bandits due to its location at the border of two provinces; no one wanted to expend resources on a campaign there. Thus, it became infamous as a bandit stronghold where even traveling merchants and martial artists dared not tread. It was here that they planned to carry out their deadly deed against Xu Guorui's family.
With everything arranged and five hundred taels of silver promised to the two followers, they were sent off to prepare.
High Technique's two followers were named Gao Fang and Gao Feng. They were distant relatives of High Technique and possessed some martial skills; they were loyal to him. Whenever there were matters unsuitable for High Technique himself or tasks that couldn’t be made public, he would send these two instead. They had committed such acts before; receiving five hundred taels meant they would indulge themselves first.
The two first arrived at Fragrant Pavilion and ordered an exquisite feast while discussing their sinister plans. Gao Fang hurried off to Baolai Gambling House to lose some silver.
Gao Feng wasn’t fond of gambling but enjoyed drinking. While indulging in drinks in their private room, he suddenly noticed a burly man with a red face and beard walking past their room. Gao Feng shouted out loud, "Isn't that Lu Duhou?"
The man turned around, lifted the curtain, and said with cupped hands, "So it's Gao Dutu. Why are you drinking alone?"
Gao Feng was drinking by himself, feeling bored, so he called Lu Duhou to join him. Lu Duhou had business to discuss with Gao Feng, so he took the opportunity to come in and sit down.
Lu Duhou had received great kindness from Xu Shaoyin and held him in high regard. This time, seeing Xu Shaoyin suffer such an undeserved disaster, he felt both sorrow and anger but was powerless to help. He only hoped that those in prison would not mistreat Xu Shaoyin.
One day, hearing from a colleague that the verdict for the Xu Family case had arrived in the capital, he began to inquire about it everywhere.
Lu Duhou knew that Gao Feng was a trusted confidant of High Technique, so it was not appropriate to ask High Technique directly. Instead, it would be feasible to gather some information from Gao Feng. Thus, he sought out Gao Feng.
Unaware of the situation, Gao Feng welcomed Lu Duhou, and the two began to drink heartily. Since Lu Duhou had a good tolerance for alcohol and they often drank together, there was no need for formalities today.
With the intention of extracting information from Gao Feng, Lu Duhou poured him drinks freely. They drank until sunset, with Gao Feng becoming increasingly intoxicated, calling out various names—sometimes brother, sometimes uncle.
Seeing that the timing was right, Lu Duhou steered the conversation toward Xu Shaoyin. Gao Feng then intermittently shared what he knew about the court's verdict, even revealing details about silencing witnesses.
Upon hearing this, Lu Duhou broke into a cold sweat; he felt anxious but dared not show it. He waited until Gao Feng was completely drunk before asking the innkeeper to take him back home. Then he hurried to the prison to inform Xu Guorui of this grave disaster.
When Xu Guorui heard this news, it felt like a thunderbolt had struck him; tears streamed down his face as he murmured, "I have always been strict with myself and lenient with others. I believed I had no regrets toward heaven or the people below me, yet I have ended up in such a situation."
Lu Duhou also shed silent tears upon hearing this.
Xu Guorui wiped his tears and thought for a moment before suddenly kneeling before Lu Duhou. Startled, Lu Duhou rushed to help him up.
Xu Guorui waved his hand and said, "As an official of the court, if I die for advising against wrongdoing, then I have died for a worthy cause. It is only my young son I plead you save; I hope you will consider our long-standing friendship and help him."
Lu Duhou stared at Xu Guorui for a while before gritting his teeth and saying, "Sir, you dare to die for the people and righteousness; I am willing to risk my life to help your son escape."
Lu Duhou understood that agreeing to this matter would mean he could no longer stay in Suzhou. He arranged with Xu Shaoyin to come for the young master tomorrow night. That night, he moved his family away under the protection of close friends and headed toward Dingzhou to stay with his brother.
Meanwhile, Xu Guorui contemplated for a moment and called over Xunuo. "Your father has brought calamity upon us due to treacherous men who harm our family. Now that we have secured Lu Duhou's promise to help you escape, if you can save your life, head north. Beyond Dingmeng Two Prefectures lies Wuhua Mountain; go there and seek refuge with Wuhua Sect. Your father had past kindness with them and received their promise; I believe this martial arts sect will not betray their word."
Finished speaking, he took off a ring from his thumb and handed it to Xunuo.
At that time, Xunuo was just around ten years old—still a young child and the only son in his family. Aside from his father's strictness during study hours, he lived freely without ever having faced hardship.
Though now imprisoned, Xunuo felt somewhat comforted by the presence of loyal friends like Lu Duhou and the support of his parents and family. However, the thought of leaving them behind to journey across Dingzhou to join the Wuhua Sect filled him with dread. Unable to bear the thought of parting from his parents, he burst into tears.
Hearing her child cry, Mrs. Xu could no longer contain herself. She rushed to embrace Xunuo and wept, "My dear child, you are still so young. How can you escape alone? We do not know what fate awaits you. It would be better for our whole family to go together; even if we become ghosts, we can reunite."
The other family members, upon hearing this, also began to cry.
Xu Shaoyin felt a deep sorrow in his heart but knew this was a moment for decisive action. He could not allow his wife's compassion to jeopardize their child's future. He spoke sternly, "What nonsense are you saying? Our lineage has been passed down for generations; it cannot end with me, Xu Guorui!"
He took Xunuo's hand and attempted to put a ring on his finger. However, Xunuo's small hand struggled with the size of the ring, and instead, he pulled off a piece of cloth from his head and strung the ring around his neck.
Xu Guorui held Xunuo's small hand and examined him closely, holding back tears as he said, "My child, once you escape, do not involve Lu Duhou any further. He has already done more than enough to save you; any further entanglement could endanger his family. The path ahead is yours to walk alone. Be cautious in all things; remember that your life is paramount—everything else is secondary. In our ancestral home, there is a martial arts manual called the Huayang Classic. It was left by an ancestor of the Xu Family. Unfortunately, no one has mastered it for decades. With our family now focusing on scholarly pursuits, it seems that you will have to carry on our martial legacy. Go and take it."
With that, he gazed at Xunuo with kindness in his eyes.
Xunuo had read many books since childhood but had never touched martial arts. Although he enjoyed tales of heroes and extraordinary events, he felt weak in body.
Xu Shaoyin watched his child for a while and understood that Xunuo would soon be without parents and would face countless dangers ahead. Without strong martial skills, it would be difficult for him to navigate the world.
Xu Guorui continued, "The Wuhua Sect I want you to join is a major martial arts faction in Mengzhou and has some renown throughout the Great Liang Kingdom. During the Zhao Wang rebellion years ago, Wuhua Sect was falsely accused of collusion. I investigated this case and exposed the treachery behind those accusations, restoring Wuhua Sect's honor and saving them from disaster. The sect leader left me a jade ring as a token of trust; he said that anyone who comes after me will have their requests granted if they present this ring. When you go there, focus on your training and do not seek revenge. There are three unfilial acts; failing to provide for your descendants is the worst of all. You must not let the Xu Family end with you."
Though reluctant to leave his parents behind, Xunuo could only cry in response to their words. Mrs. Xu held onto him tightly, her eyes fixed on him as if she could never look away. The family sat together like this, crying and talking until they finally fell into a restless sleep as dawn approached.
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