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Chapter 2

Upstairs an Aggrieved Wife,
A Killer Looses a Thunderclap

Yu Qian wasn’t disappointed.

It was just as Sun Yu had said, Xiang Zulou was waiting at the bridge.

A dead man naturally isn’t going to leave.

Xiang Zulou’s eyes were wide open, the spitting image of the eyes of a dead fish, staring straight ahead unchanging without any emotion.

A dead man’s eyes naturally wouldn’t change or have feeling.

Yu Qian and Cui Qun unconsciously knelt down to the left and right and sat Xiang Zulou up.

They didn’t speak.

What would they say?

And they had no tears.

A real man was said to shed blood not tears.

They were completely steeped in the pale yellow lanternlight, but their faces were still unmistakably pale, even more so than a dead man’s face.

Some time later, Yu Qian slowly raised his head, eyes somewhat glistening with tears.

“Sun Yu!” He gnashed his teeth hatefully. “One fatal sword stroke, if not Sun Yu then who else?”

“It was Sun Yu who killed Big Bro?” Cui Qun’s head shot up. “Impossible, Big Bro’s martial arts…”

“After Sun Yu left? We left right after, even if Big Bro’s martial arts were lacking, he wouldn’t be that bad, of course it’s impossible. But the blood on his throat has coagulated. Big Bro has obviously been dead for some time, and clearly before Sun Yu appeared at the Xiang manor Big Bro was already dead by his hand.”

“That Sun Yu!” Cui Qun bellowed.

The others standing by were surprised and a voice rang out, “Third Brother Cui, when you say Sun Yu, do he mean the Silver Sword Assassin Sun Yu?”

That voice was particularly loud and clear and came from none other than the one earlier who had said “even if our lives were on the line and we were hacked with knives don’t even think of leaving us out”.

“Yes, him!” Cui Qun said hatefully.

“Namely, the black-clad masked man from earlier?” the man asked. He was standing some ways off back then and had not seen or heard clearly.

“Yes, him!”

The man involuntarily shrank back. “I was holding a projectile and was about to throw it, good thing I didn’t…”

“What did you say?” Cui Qun turned around suddenly.

The man came back to his senses quick after being shouted at and knew he had misspoke, his face and neck reddening. “Nothing, nothing…” And he took a few steps back.

Everyone knew what Third Master Cui’s temper was like. Everyone thought something was going to happen, but Cui Qun just shouted but nothing else. He frowned, thinking. He wasn’t one accustomed to using his brains, and when he did it kept him busy, so he had no time to pay attention to anything else. He thought and suddenly asked, “Didn’t that guy Sun say that Big Bro hired him, why…”

“Don’t ask me, I don’t know either. If we want to get to the bottom of this, only thing we can do is…” Yu Qian paused. “Find Sun Yu!”

“Find him where?”

“I don’t know, but wherever it is, we have to find him no matter what The only one who could tell us is dead, who else aside from Sun Yu can tell us what really happened?”

“When do we leave?”

“The sooner the better!”

“Big Bro’s body…”

“Put him in the icehouse in the rear courtyard for now. As long as this remains unsolved, as long as this grudge is nor avenged, if we bury him then Big Bro will not be able to rest content!”

Cui Qun nodded and picked up Xiang Zulou’s body.

Yu Qian stood up as well and looked up. The thick haze on the horizon has dissipated and scattered stars dimly twinkled.

“Sun Yu moves about secretively, but his range must be somewhere within the Jiangning area. If we want to find him we should start from Jiangning!” Muttering to himself, Yu Qian looked to the group of assembled heroes. “What do you all think?”

“No way can you leave us out!” someone shouted from the crowd, and many echoed his sentiments and became quite lively indeed.

Yu Qian cupped a hand over his fist in salute over and over but said nothing. He and Cui Qun mounted up one after the other and rode back to the Xiang manor.

The group of heroes naturally followed.

Frenzied hoofbeats shook the tranquil night sky.

The thick hazy had dissipated from the sky and twinkling stars came out one after another. The strange thing was the hoofbeats became more and more sparse.

By the time they reached the gates of the Xiang manor, the hoofbeats were even more sparse.

Yu Qian never looked back, as if he hadn’t heard.

Cui Qun didn’t look back either. The whole way he only thought of Xiang Zulou’s death, he didn’t notice anything else.

Now he suddenly noticed and he found it really strange, so he crane his neck back to look. Astonishingly, there were only five riders following them.

The man from before was naturally one of them, along with a few other heroes hadn’t taken off.

Cui Qun’s eyebrows flew up, then swiftly came back down. He looked at the five followers and couldn’t help but heave a long sigh. “Seems only you five are worthy of being called heroes.”

“We aren’t any heroes.” one of them shook his head with a faint smile. “We’re just Big Bro Xiang’s friends.”

“Good, good friends!” Cui Qun threw his head back and laughed, and intense, grieved laugh, straight up to the Han in the empyrean,¹ skyful of morning stars for a time seemed like they would being laughed out of the sky. So-called heroes were not necessarily true friends, so why must true friends necessarily be heroes!

Raining gently, pear blossoms in the courtyard, wind light, willow catkins in the pond.

A flute started up. Flute notes drifted over Pear Blossom Courtyard, over Willow Catkin Pond; the flutist also floated over Willow Catkin Pond, over Pear Blossom Courtyard.

White sleeves like fluttering snowflakes, patterned clothes like traversing clouds. A scene pretty as a painting, the flutist also like one out of a painting.

Playing a Jade Tower Spring tune, it was like it was crying, more like accusing. Once it played ten thousand woes, longing layer upon layer, memories tier upon tier.

When the flute was done playing, as the sound lingered, the flutist commenced a slow recitation:

Apathy is not as bitter as passion,

A fingerwidths’ becomes a myriad threads.

Sky’s edge, sea’s horn does have an end,

Only longing is never dead.

The soft chanting had not faded away when from the green willows emerged a cheer, “What a Apathy is not as bitter as passion, A fingerwidths’ becomes a myriad threads. Sky’s edge, sea’s horn does have an end, Only longing is never dead!”

The finely dressed person’s foggy gaze instantly cleared and brightened. A flash, a smile. “Is that Sun Yu?”

The person had already emerged from the green willows, black clothes, black shoes, black cloth mask, and a three-span silver sword. None other than the Silver Sword Assassin Sun Yu. He hadn’t changed his clothes, and he carried himself so nonchalantly. And his speech? Listen:

“Brother Liu has good hearing to know me by my voice alone.” Same as always.

“Ha, Brother Sun, even if you didn’t open your mouth I would know you were Brother Sun from a single glance of your fast-moving figure. And besides Brother Sun, who else could get with in three staves without me, Liu Zhanqin, knowing?”

“Brother Liu, there is always another sky beyond the sky, another person beyond each person.”

“Brother Sun is already the person beyond the last person.”

“Is that a boast of me or Brother Liu yourself?” Sun Yu snorted a laugh.

“Both, is Brother Sun calling me arrogant?”

“To tell the truth, that is what I meant.”

“Even if you’re telling the truth, who aside from Brother Sun is anything in Liu Zhanqin’s eyes!”

“Does that mean I am a sliver in Brother Liu’s eye?”

“That is certainly what it feels like.”

“Truly an annoyance. If I were smart I ought to leave as soon as possible, the farther away the better.” Sun Yu couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Liu Zhanqin laughed too. Ai! His laugh was really beautiful, just like him. But, he was not even a little bit effeminate. Anyone who looked at him would feel he was a man, a carefree, detached, charming man.

Let me ask you, how many men are there like that?

Met with his laugh, Sun Yu’s eyes got lost. If even a man had this reaction, how about a woman?

He laughed and patted his palm with the flute. “Someone of Brother Sun’s ability can only be found by accident, how can one let him go after going through all the trouble to find him, and how could he not treasure him. Don’t say I’d try to drive you away, even if Brother Sun wanted to leave on his own, I wouldn’t let him.”

Sun Yu was silent at that. Though he was masked, his expression indiscernible, he clearly had an unusual look in his eyes.

Liu Zhanqin seemed not to notice and kept on talking. “A treasured sliver in one’s eye sounds like a contradiction, but those who know how I am will not feel it amiss. Yes Brother Sun, that’s right, I’m jealous, I’m envious, but I know people, I know how to handle people, though not as well as Brother Sun. I ought to take pains to think of a way to better myself, hence, with Brother Sun here, I need only worry about Brother Sun. If Brother Sun were not here, then today even if I considered everyone else beneath me, in the future everyone I saw would be my adversary!”

Sun Yu was still silent but gave a faint nod. He understood what Liu Zhanqin meant.

Without competition there could be no improvement.

That’s why a lot of people find it hard to keep going when they reach the apex.

Of course, there really was no such thing as an apex. Often times one thinks there is, but do you think a person who thinks himself better than everyone else will improve?

If you don’t improve but others do, that’s the same as regressing.

And even if you don’t just think you are but actually are the best in the world, without anyone to compete with it’s hard to keep from slacking, and once you slack, sooner or later it will just give those who think of themselves as your competition the drive to catch up.

And of course, there are exceptions. Such a person is really modest, and even if he is the best in the world, he wouldn’t admit it. But, it’s too bad that when once reaches that state, there will always be many by his side flattering him, trying to ensnare him with honeyed words. Therefore, even the most modest of people sooner or later will not be do modest.

After all, there are few who don’t like flattery and or drinking honeyed words.

If you drink too many honeyed words you get sluggish, and if you listen to too much flattery it just presses you down.

Moreover, you can pretty much count the number of modest people there are.

There are way too many narcissists.

Lou Zhanqin understood well narcissists. He elevated Sun Yu to that of best in the world, and in his mind there was only Sun Yu. In other words, he ranked himself as second in the world.

To climb from 99,999th to second was really quite remarkable, but to climb from second to first was as easy as eating cabbage.

Liu Zhanqin most likely thought that.

He earnestly added, “I’m happy to have you as an adversary!”

“I’m not!” Sun Yu’s reply was monotone. “Its’ best if you don’t just have me in your mind.”

“Why?”

“I’ve never thought of myself as being that amazing, I just know there’s always someone better. Therefore, I’m always striving to improve. If you want to surpass me, you need someone who’s already surpassed me, or even an imagined enemy as a goal to compete against, otherwise you will always be behind me…”

“Not necessarily!”

Sun Yu was silent.

“Five years ago, yes, I was defeated under your sword. But there wasn’t that much difference between us then, and five years later, today, the difference is even less.”

Sun Yu was still silent.

“You don’t believe me?”

Sun Yu didn’t answer, didn’t indicate anything.

Liu Zhanqin couldn’t help but feel he was being slighted. He knocked the flute against his pal and suddenly laughed loudly. “Looks like you and I are really going to have to trade pointers once more.”

“There’s no need for that,” Sun Yu finally said.

“There sure is, too bad you didn’t speak up sooner. No matter what, today I have to seek advice from you, or how will I be able to dispel my doubts?”

“Don’t say I, I don’t think you want to see me lose my appetite and sleep uneasily.”

“It’ll be that serious?”

“I believe so. I’m a very self-confident person, but ever since that defeat at your hands five years ago, I couldn’t help but begin to doubt myself. Now five years later I have worked hard to regain my self-confidence, and because your attitude now it’s starting to waver again.”

“Self-confidence is self-confidence, you shouldn’t care about other people’s attitude.”

“Others might not care, but you and I must, after all, I was defeated by your sword and can only be defeated by your sword!”

“Can’t you forget about it?”

“How can I forget about it!”

“So you say today…”

“We have to!” Liu Zhanqin was smiling as before, still such a charming, dashing smile.

Sun Yu sighed and said nothing else. He had brought this on himself, what else could he say?

Liu Zhanqin said nothing else either but slowly tucked the flute in his belt, always either in front of his stomach or at the small of his back, never in a location that would impede his movement.

He was after all a very cautious person.

Facing Sun Yu, how could he not be cautious?

Then he moved out three steps, his smile fading with every step, and by the time he stopped there was not the slightest trace of a smile.

Even when he was straightfaced he didn’t look unsightly, it was just another demeanor.

There truly were not many men like him.

Sun Yu didn’t move, but his gaze narrowed, concentrating on Liu Zhanqin. He wasn’t about to get careless either. Liu Zhanqin wasn’t an easy person to deal with, he knew.

In the twinkling of an eye the whole world stopped. Suddenly, it started up again.

It was Lu Zhanqin who moved. he shook his clothes, whisked his sleeves, headcloth dancing in the air, clothes fluttering, and he seemed to be dancing and flying through the air.

Two snaps of his sleeves and his hands got to work, his hands originally pale flushed with pink now pale flushed with green, such a strange green, an intimidating green!

Sun Yu’s vision contracted more, but he still didn’t move, his whole body seemingly congealed in the air.

Liu Zhanqin’s hands opened up and stagnated, but his sleeves kept moving, moving without any wind!

Soon his hands were even greener, his sleeves flapping harder, but they didn’t make any sound, like surging waves or drifting clouds.

“Brother Sun!” he suddenly blurted, “why haven’t you drawn your three-span silver sword?”

At some point his voice had become flat and unfeeling.

But Sun Yu was still the same Sun Yu, even his voice still the same as always. “Before Metal-Breaking Hands, Drifting Cloud Sleeves, I don’t dare but draw my sword.”

Before he finished speaking he drew his sword with a schwing.

When Liu Zhanqin smiled his lips smiled, but his eyes held not a trace of a smile. He smiled again and suddenly took off. In the air he broke and pounced down on Sun Yu’s head, his sleeve arriving before he did, whisking toward the eyes!

Though his sleeve was like a drifting cloud, it came on swift and fierce.

Anyone who had gathered their strength and was in waiting, the first move would always be swift and fierce. At such a time only an idiot would meet force with force.

Sun Yu was not an idiot. Of course he didn’t meet it head on, he backed away even quicker from that lighting-fast drifting cloud sleeve coming for his eyes.

The drifting cloud sleeve naturally missed. Liu Zhanqin at the same time flipped over and came on at an angle toward the spot Sun Yu was retreating to.

Before he touched down his sleeves opened up again.

The second move was even more swift and fierce than the first! Sun Yu retreated even quicker, backing up to the bank of the pond. He couldn’t retreat any further!

Liu Zhanqin didn’t let up but pressed close, sleeves coming in tighter, the blur of palms coming with the blur of sleeves.

The blue of palms and sleeves blocked off Sun Yu’s left and right. Behind was the pond, another dead end!

Sun Yu would soon have to use his sword.

But then, unexpectedly, he soared up into the air!

Liu Zhanqin flew up as well and palms, sleeves, and the crowns of heads burst through the willow branch catkins!

The palms’ force were not reduced, sleeves’ force not exhausted, but like a rain of swords, like a gust of sabres the willow branches were broken and falling, catkins destroyed and descending!

Catkins fluttering, people also fluttering. Before the catkins fell in the pond the people were already at the top of the willow tree.

Sun Yu fluttered back down, and Liu Zhanqin fluttered back down as well.

Behind them was a tree trunk, Sun Yu’s back to it but seemingly unaware, but Liu Zhanqin could see it clearly and as soon as he hit the ground he scurried forward and suddenly shout his palms out.

Sun Yu seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He didn’t back away but got close to the tree trunk and quickly wound around behind it.

The palms hit the tree trunk! And it smashed with a bang and fell over. Such amazing Metal-Breaking Hands!

Sun Yu was astonishingly seven spans behind the tree. Liu Zhanqin’s face was not the least bit discolored. “I always thought my lightness skill was incredible, who know Brother Sun’s is even better. I’ve seen your lightness skill, as for your swordsmanship, I’m still waiting for Brother Sun to show me…”

As soon as the word “me” was out of his mouth, he stole forward.

Sun Yu didn’t back away anymore.

Liu Zhanqin of course was not going to be polite. The trace of a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth and blurs of palms and sleeves filled the sky.

Sun Yu let out an explosive shout and finally struck with his silver sword.

A ray of dazzling silver light flashed like lightning toward Liu Zhanqin’s throat!

This stroke was aimed at Liu Zhanqin’s opening. Ah, how accurate was this prediction, how amazing!

Liu Zhanqin’s continuous attack was instantly broken apart!

The tip of the sword had not yet arrived, but the sword qi was already pressing.

Wildly screaming, “Good!” Liu Zhanqin abruptly cut off at an angle. Sun Yu’s silver sword kept close to Liu Zhanqin’s changing position, seemingly simultaneously. Liu Zhanqin changed position again and instantly switched to a better position, but was still not able to shake off Sun Yu’s pursuing silver sword attack.

Sun Yu’s silver sword sealed off Liu Zhanqin’s position!

Liu Zhanqin could only retreat.

Sun Yu pressed closer step by step, sword even more relentless, man and sword seemingly merged into one entity, as if the sword had come to life. As soon as his intention activated, the sword also activated.

It wasn’t even like a sword anymore, it was just an extension of his hand!

Liu Zhanqin’s eyes finally revealed a look of fear.

The heart startled, his intention got jumbled up, and he became all topsy-turvy.

Despite his excellent martial arts, his Metal-Breaking Hands truly capable of cutting through iron, his Drifting Cloud Sleeves truly capable of drifting about more swiftly than drifting clouds, but once his intention collapsed, how could he put it to use?

For the moment he knew only retreat, retreat!

Willows green as jadeite, a rain of catkins enveloping like wisps of smoke. This time it was Liu Zhanqin backed up to the bank of Willow Catkin Pond. The difference was there was a willow tree behind him.

He didn’t realize it, and by the time he did his back was up against the trunk of the three, nowhere left for him to go.

With no room left to retreat, where had his carefree dashing charm gone? His eyes were big as a swordfish’s. He grinned, grit his teeth, arms crisscrossing left and right, sleeves dancing like a powdered beauty coming in and out of the flowering shrubs, dancing on the wind, like night-lodging butterflies on the flower stems, but if you looked closely it also didn’t really look like that.

Those two wings, lightly powdered, winding through the myriad flowers. That was a butterfly dance, so leisurely and carefree.

Liu Zhanqin right now was not a bit leisurely or carefree. If you wanted to say what he looked like, it was more like a butterfly caught in a net.

Sun Yu’s silver sword certainly was weaving a net of swords!

If Liu Zhanqin had had an iron umbrella like Xiang Zulou had had, then it would have been much easy to cope with.

Luckily, though he didn’t have an iron umbrella, he had a Drifting Cloud Sleeve, which when it was dancing was really like an iron bucket encircling him. Sun Yu’s continuous sword net was unexpectedly held off.

It was just that, this didn’t seem like a good thing, just like a city wall and moat, even if it was as impregnable as an iron bucket, if you could not counterattack, and if there was no outside help coming, then sooner or later it was going to be stormed and captured.

Liu Zhanqin didn’t have any outside help, and he had long lost his ability to counterattack.

He could only defend, but how long could he hold out? And how as this exchanging pointers? This was simply taking a beating.

Having fallen into such dire straits was something he truly never dreamed of. This was a fact. Before they fought he believed he could not be dispatched, but now he couldn’t help but not believe that.

He was utterly heartbroken and was itching to risk his life and burst through the sword net when suddenly he realized all of his courage had vanished.

People are like that. Until they are faced with imminent death it’s hard to muster the determination to risk one’s life.

Moreover, they had agreed to exchange pointers.

Liu Zhanqin initially, yes, had intended to just trade pointers, but now, even if Sun Yu was just trading pointers, it didn’t feel that way to Liu Zhanqin one bit.

Involuntarily, his face turned from green to white and then to red.

Sun Yu was masked, so Liu Zhanqin didn’t know what expression he had on his face, but he felt that behind the mask, Sun Yu’s mouth was opened as big as a duck egg, laughing at him.

He really was flustered and angry

His mouth was open, but he didn’t cry out.

Just then, Sun Yu’s continuous sword net suddenly pulled back and his silver sword was sheathed with a clang and he took seven steps back.

Liu Zhanqin seemed not to realize as his sleeves continued dancing, until the third wave, then he suddenly stopped. A line of cold sweat staggered down his cheek and he seemed to collapse, his body leaning against the tree trunk, standing unsteadily.

Sun Yu watched him calmly, not moving, not making any sound. A smart person ought to know that now was not the time to shut up.

Liu Zhanqin’s gaze gradually unfocused and his lips quivered, muttering to himself over and over, “How can this be real?”

Really though, how could this be real? Five years ago, yes, he had been defeated by Sun Yu, so it was not so strange for him to be defeated again now, but he had truly been beaten badly!

Five years ago there had not been much difference between them, and now, after all the effort he had put in, the gap ought to have been much closer.

So how do you think he was able to believe this was real?

Although he kept muttering the same words over and over, his voice was so feeble he was almost the only one who could hear it clearly.

Sun Yu heard it clearly too and he said something unsympathetic with a cold tone.

“How could it not be real?”

“Why?” Liu Zhanqin suddenly snapped his head up and looked at Sun Yu, eyes brimming with pain and full of uncertainty.

“You ought to know!”

“How should I know that I would be defeated by your sword once again, and defeated so soundly!” Liu Zhanqin’s voice became hoarse, as if he was nearly at the end of his life and his blood and qi had almost run dry.

He had so much self-respect, so much self-confidence, but he could not take defeat at all. The problem was that he had really lost this fight too savagely, no one would be able to imagine how badly his self-respect and self-confidence had been beaten, damaged, how severely, how deeply.

Sun Yu couldn’t imagine either, and he asked once again. “You really don’t know?”

“If I said I don’t know, I don’t know!” Liu Zhanqin shown more irritation than he had ever shown before.

“I thought you would know.” Sun Yu sighed. “Five years ago when you lost to me I really did only barely win. Today I see you have worked really hard on your Metal-Breaking Hands and Drifting Cloud Sleeves. When it comes to martial arts you really have surpassed the previous me from back then, and it’s still really close to the current me, but on the other hand, you not only haven’t improved, on the contrary, you are far away from surpassing me.”

“On the other hand? What other hand?”

“Skill!”

“I didn’t…”

“You didn’t slack off training, rather you trained really hard. On that point I know and admire you, but as far as I know, these past four years you have not actually fought!”

“There’s only you, and then Zeng Sun and Meng Kui, so what need is there for me?”

“From your standpoint, if I were you, I might think the same way. No one’s really willing to risk their life. Because of that, even if you train really hard, you only have wood and stone, that kind of stuff for your opponents. Wood and stone are dead things, so the skills you obtain are also dead, just like theorizing military tactics on paper…”

Liu Zhanqin opened his mouth in sudden realization.

“There’s a saying that skill is born from experience, and this experience is real-world experience, not theory or experience from working in isolation.”

Liu Zhanqin just nodded.

“Experience can’t be passed on to others, one of life’s sad realities, and no one can gain experience through others’ hard work. He must do the work himself.”

“I know.”

“It’s not too late. After all, you’re still young.”

“But now it is too late.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Pretty soon I have to go kill someone, a very skilled someone!”

“Oh?”

“For you I don’t know whether you will be grateful or resentful. If it wasn’t for your self-assurance making things bode ill for me then at least I would have a bit of will to fight left, but now I don’t even have that.”

“Oh…”

“No need to apologize. In any case you made me recognize something, that a person must understand oneself thoroughly. And to understand oneself thoroughly one must personally face up to the test.”

A person who did not understand himself thoroughly will always think he is incredible.

Liu Zhanqin realized that now, but as far as he was concerned it was too late. He looked to the sky and couldn’t help but heave a long sigh. “…This matter…”

“Well, what is it?” all people are curious, Sun Yu was no exception.

Liu Zhanqin stood up straight with some difficulty and put his hands behind his back and slowly began strolling step by step.

Sun Yu unconsciously imitated him.

Blossom shade, the base of the willows.

Blossoms dotted with dew, willows scattered among mist. The mist carried up Liu Zhanqin’s low voice. “Five years, we’ve known each other till now. I don’t know what Brother Sun sees me as, but in my mind I have always considered Brother Sun a friend.”

“…” Sun Yu was silent.

“Therefore there’s nothing I don’t care to let Brother Sun know… Brother Sun!”

“I’m listening.”

“Brother Sun, what do you think of me?”

“Shrewd, decisive.”

“And cruel and ruthless, right?”

Liu Zhanqin sighed faintly. “I don’t deny that I’m cruel and cold, but I absolutely don’t admit to be unfeeling. I know how to hate, and at the same time, I also know how to love. I’m always searching!”

“Did you find it?”

“I did.”

“Congratulations!”

“Thank you!” Liu Zhanqin sighed faintly once more.

“You ought to be happy, what’s with all the sighing?”

“I regret not meeting her before she married!”

Sun Yu was silent. A long while later he said, “You’re in love with a married woman?”

Liu Zhanqin nodded, the muscles on his face twitching in pain.

“That’s unexpected.”

“For me as well. “ Liu Zhanqin smiled bitterly and stopped walking and looked to the sky.

A gust of wind blew and pear blossoms shook and dropped, willow catkins danced and fluttered.

Liu Zhanqin didn’t move, letting the pear blossoms drape over him, letting the catkins land on him, the painful look in his eyes suddenly becoming melancholy as if in a dream. “The hedgeroses have blossomed, the pear blossoms have all fallen. First time I saw her was at the end of spring just like this. Now, adding it up it’s been three years.”

“People don’t have too many three years to live.”

“So I can’t wait any longer

“I know what it’s like to wait.”

“Brother Sun, do you believe in love at first sight?”

“I do, but I’ve always believed you should seem them at least more than once.”

“That makes sense. Her and I really were love at first sight, but in the past three years she and I have only seen each other the one time.”

“How can that be?”

“I’m her older cousin.”

“Really?”

“No!” Liu Zhanqin smiled bitterly.

Sun Yu inwardly did the same.

“I’ve no choice, if I don’t use this slight cousin relationship then I have no pretext for seeing her again.” Liu Zhanqin’s expression was pained. “This is really not a good feeling.”

“Does he know?”

“Him? You mean him? He doesn’t know, doesn’t know at all.”

“In that case, isn’t he even more pitiful than you two? The day he finds out won’t he be even more pained than you two?”

“Pained, the three of us…”

“And why, one person in pain is a lot better than three people in pain. It would be better for the two of you to simply tell him. If he’s an understanding person I’m sure he won’t make things difficult…”

“And if he’s not?”

Sun Yu didn’t answer.

“The majority of men are generous, I know that, but even the most generous of men is not so generous as to offer up his wife to another person!”

“Perhaps…”

“Perhaps nothing, you’re not unaware that I never do something unless I am absolutely sure of it.”

Sun Yu didn’t say anything.

“There’s more than one way to relive a person’s suffering, and even if there is only one way, as far as I’m concerned, there’s only this way—“ Liu Zhanqin’s eyes flashed an awn of cold light, and he callously said between his teeth, “Murder!”

Murder! That was indeed the tenet Liu Zhanqin had pursued all his life!

Sun Yu had nothing to say to that.

“Because of her, because of him, for three years I’ve been bearing it every day, preparing every day for three years till now, and I really can’t bear it any longer, and I believe I am prepared enough…” Liu Zhanqin suddenly stopped talking and hung his head, dejected.

“Sorry!”

“I said before there’s no need to apologize, but no matter what,” Liu Zhanqin turned his head sharply, looking at Sun Yu with urgency, “this time you have to help me!”

Sun Yu remained silent and inclined his head, avoiding Liu Zhanqin’s gaze and walked around him. A few more steps and he was at the edge of the Willow Catkin Pond.

On the pond three or four spots of green algae, under the leaves two cries of an oriole.

Sun Yu took a deep breath, eyes fixed on the green algae. His lips moved, wanting to say something, but he stopped. Finally, he said, “This time, it’s the same as before. The money, you already gave me.”

“I truly believe you absolutely will not let me down!”

“So, the deed is done, there was no need for me to come here, until you send a carrier pigeon for me again.”

“That’s right, yet you did come. I wonder why?”

“To tell the truth, I came to tell you goodbye.”

Liu Zhanqin was taken aback, eyes wide, as if he didn’t really believe was he was hearing, but in the end he did believe it and didn’t ask about it. He just asked, “Didn’t you say you wanted to earn 5,000 taels of gold?”

“Now I have already made that amount.”

“So fast?”

Liu Zhanqin looked puzzled. “I counted it up for you before, it seemed you lacked 3,500 taels…”

“I did lack it, but this time I made 2,000 more.”

“2,000 taels.”

“And so I killed Pan Yu and Shu Mei!”

“For Xiang Zulou?”

“If not for Xiang Zulou than who?”

“And Xiang Zulou?”

“I’m alive aren’t I?”

“Then he is for sure dead. What you agree to do you of course will do.”

“The counts for what I say as well.”

Liu Zhanqin bowed his head but said nothing.

“Brother Liu, do you remember when we first met?”

“How could I forget, it was during Mid-Autumn five years ago.”

“You were playing your flute on the riverbank under a tree under the moon.”

“I played Touching Red Lips, Muddled River Dragon, and Sixes.”

“I was broke, masked, I steeled my heart and went to you.”

“In one fight we had an appreciation for each other and I had another friend, and you became a professional killer.”

“I really don’t know if I ought to thank you or hate you.”

“Five years is five years. Water flows east without return, just like the passing of time.”

“Five years of that kind of life, I’m really sick of it, I can’t take it anymore.”

“You mean you are leaving for sure?”

“I’m leaving for sure.”

“Everyone has their own aspirations. If you’re set on leaving then there’s nothing I can do. It’s just, this one last thing, my thing…” Liu Zhanqin paused and looked at Sun Yu in earnest. He wanted to emphasize the words “my thing”.

Sun Yu was silent.

After a long while he slowly turned his head and said deliberately, “Give it to me then.”

Liu Zhanqin’s eyebrows raised and he clasped his hands before him and bowed. “Many thanks for your help!”

Sun Yu watched him from the corner of his eye and sighed faintly. “She must really be important to you.”

“Ever since I was born I’ve only ever loved her.”

“Is she suitable for you?”

“The most suitable.”

“And how about him?”

“A broker, materialistic and fickle, running around away from home all year long, leaving her alone in her quarters.”

“If she’s suitable for you, she must be able to sing. Marrying a businessman really is wronging her.”

“But then isn’t she living a life of suffering?”

“Is that what she told you?”

“No, but I imagine that’s how it is.”

Sun Yu’s eyes seemed to be smiling.

Another gust of wind blew and the calm pond turned to ripples.

“Blowing wrinkles, a pond of spring water…” Sun Yu laughed.

“Is Brother Sun laughing at me thinking I’m pining over unrequited love?”

“Are you?”

“No.” Liu Zhanqin heaved a long sigh. “When two hearts are beating as one, there are many things that cannot be spoken.”

“oh…”

“Even if she doesn’t say it, I can hear it, I can see the loneliness in her heart, the sorrow…”

Of course Liu Zhanqin could hear it and see it. He hadn’t forgotten that night, that night…

Willows supple, blossoms faint, clouds light, moon curved.

Beside the little pond there were moons, there were winds, and there were fragrances.

Flower shadows floated on the water and were cast against the window curtain.

Inside the curtained window, the sound of a zither, the singing voice carrying outside the curtain.

Liu Zhanqin was draped with flower shadows, standing woodenly at the edge of the little pond with his hands behind his back, outside the curtain.

The zither sounded said and pained, the singing full of pent up bitterness…

A chance meeting, like luanbird and phoenix,

Past events like a spring dream

Asking a flying swan goose too deliver a letter,

Hating the lack of painting, unable to describe the heart’s pain,

Up through the clouds in the sky, fearing the red-cheeked beauty’s fate is exhausted,

Windward forcefully plucking the strings…

“Windward forcefully plucking the strings…” Liu Zhanqin smiled sadly. “She was not unfeeling, just unlucky to marry an unfeeling husband…”

“And so you pitied her?”

“Not just pitied!”

“If not, then why wait till now, today?”

“I, I was forced to.”

“He won’t agree to it?”

“I never asked him, I’ve never even seen him…”

“Then how do you know he’s no match for you?”

“I, I…”

“You don’t dare face reality!”

Liu Zhanqin hung his head in pain, then suddenly asked, “Brother Sun, have you ever heard of ‘One Stroke Slays the Dragon’ Zu Jinghong?”

“Assassin Zu?”

“What do you think of his martial arts?”

“His left-handed sword has never met its match.”

“He’s also an expert at the left-handed sword, jianghu legend has it that at age eighteen when he first came out he went looking for Zu Jinghong for a duel and was able to withstand Zu Jinghong’s 36 Thunderclap attacks!”

Sun Yu was masked, the change in his expression indiscernible, but his eyes clearly showed a look of surprise.

“Brother Sun, have you heard of Gold Thread Swallow, Liu Mei’er, Lady Snowclad, Skyful of Stars, and Sword Embracing Young Master?”

“They’re all contemporary masterhands.”

“All defeated one after another by his sword.”

“Just who is this person?”

The surprise in Sun Yu’s eyes was more intense.

“Shen Shengyi!”

Sun Yu immediately felt like he’d been struck by lightning, his whole body shook, and he blurted out, “Shen Shengyi!”

Liu Zhanqin was also taken by surprise and jumped at that and asked, “Brother Sun, you know this person?”

Sun Yu stood there struck dumb, as if he hadn’t heard Liu Zhanqin’s question. He didn’t answer, didn’t say anything.

Liu Zhanqin felt this even more strange, and couldn’t help but ask again, “Brother Sun, you mean to tell me you know him?”

Sun Yu still stood woodenly and didn’t answer.

Liu Zhanqin was anxious and abruptly raised his voice. “Well?”

Sun Yu suddenly snapped out of it as if awakening from a dream. He was shaking from head to toe, eyes flashing, looking at Liu Zhanqin intensely, like an arrow, like a sabre, like a sword, ghastly cold, sharp, glittering.

Liu Zhanqin was startled and unconsciously took two steps back.

Sun Yu’s gaze was relentless, his clothes seeming to ripple despite no wind. He didn’t move, sword in its scabbard, a murderous aura rising.

A murderous aura pressed in close.

Liu Zhanqin felt it too and instinctively put his hand back and grabbed the jade flute at the small of his back.

In an instant, no more than an instant, the murderous aura suddenly vanished and Sun Yu laughed coldly. “You said Shen Shengyi!”

“Precisely Shen Shengyi!” Liu Zhanqin breathed out and released his grip on his jade flute. “Brother Sun, do you know him?”

“I know him.”

“Do you have a grudge against him?”

“No grudge.”

“A grievance?”

“no grievance.”

“Is that true?”

Sun Yu sneered.

“By the looks of it it’s not true, but if Brother Sun says so, then that’s all there is to it.” Liu Zhanqin laughed and changed the topic. “How confident are you going up against this Shen Shengyi?”

Sun Yu just sneered.

“Do we need to gang up?”

“No need!”

“So then, Brother Sun has a plan!”

Sun Yu didn’t answer.

“Do I need to describe him a bit?”

“How much do you know about him?”

“I’m ashamed to say I only know twenty-four or twenty-five years old, seven spans tall, long hair to his shoulders and liked to wear white, and because he uses a left-handed sword he’s different from others and wears it at a slant on his right side…”

“I said I knew him!”

Sun Yu suddenly cut off Liu Zhanqin.

Liu Zhanqin gave a wry smile. “Anyway that’s all I’m able to tell you.”

“Then you’d best shut up.”

Liu Zhanqin could only shut up.

Sun Yu also said nothing for a long while. Then suddenly asked, “What else?”

“Nothing, it’s just a question of when Brother Sun is going to set out?”

“I’ll go now.”

“When will you be back?”

“I won’t be back.”

“Money?”

“I have enough already!”

“How can I let it stand at that?”

“Right now you need to say such things.”

“Brother Sun, you also never do anything unless you’re confident of success, I have faith in Brother Sun.”

“Thanks.”

“When this is all over, Brother Sun, you have to have to come share a wedding toast with me!”

“Might be a bit early to say that.”

“No way!”

Sun Yu looked at Liu Zhanqin coldly, flung back his head, and suddenly said, “Take care!”

“Wait a minute! These five years Brother Sun has always been masked when meeting me. Today we are parting, we might not see each other again, please…”

“There’s something I’ve always wanted to tell you…”

“By all means…”

“You and I just have an employer relationship. I’ve never regarded you as a friend.”

Liu Zhanqin’s expression was different for a moment, as if he’d been slapped in the face.

“After today, we’re strangers. I will certainly forget about you. It’s best if you forget about me too.”

“I understand what Brother Sun’s meaning,” Liu Zhanqin said sadly. “But I hope Brother Sun will return to the way he was before, and me, once this is all over, I will also wash my hands and reform myself.”

“Brother Liu really loves her deeply.”

“And it’s the same with her.”

Liu Zhanqin’s eyes were smiling, heart was smiling.

“If that’s true than I hope you two can be happy together!”

“Thank you!”

Sun Yu stamped his feet and said again. “Take care!”

“Wait!” Liu Zhanqin called again suddenly.

“Brother Liu, when did you become so sentimental?”

Liu Zhanqin sighed faintly. “Since we’ll be strangers after this, Brother Sun, why don’t you stay a bit and listen to me play what I played on that day?”

Sun Yu said nothing and didn’t move.

Liu Zhanqin took his jade flute and tuned to the key of Touching Red Lips and started playing.

Sun Yu listened quietly. Suddenly he let loose a long cry and sang along to the tune:

Lovable autumn, the rains cleanse the sky,

The west wind blows, sunset clouds return to the cave,

Cool dew soaks through clothes…

The flute, the singing, both soared up to the heavens, sword qi and a murderous aura cut down a thousand pear blossoms, ten thousand willow catkins!

Autumn light of the cosmos, Night sky curtaining the toad in the moon,

Who made the silver screen swallow evening mist,

Set free the jade hare to walk the clear sky,

So many people here amidst piping and plucking, reciting poetry and drinking wine in the countryside!

The flute became more urgent, the singing became louder as they danced among the pear blossoms and willow catkins.

Sword qi like a length of chain, like a violent rainbow! Murderous aura even more intense! Clearly it was the beginning of spring, but seemed like autumn twilight.

Brilliant silver dish embraced, the ice wheel moves,

Ground glass in a vast space, no tracks or traces,

Tonight is the best, how can coming nights compare,

Reluctant to leave Chang’e’s company,

Ruler of Heaven, don’t let the clear bright light go behind the parasol tree…

The flute urgently fell, sword light flew wildly, the pear blossoms and willow catkins covering the ground were whooshed up by the sword’s gust of wind and were smashed to bits!

Sun Yu’s heart’s thousand grudges, ten thousand grievances, seemed to be consumed in singing, in the blurred sword!

Should be pleased at the sight, thinking life is like floating aimlessly,

This evening don’t forsake, a secret tryst is not easy to encounter,

Gladly sing from one’s breast, and drink wildly,

The long river flows without end…

Hear the river tower, play three stanzas on the flute,

An endless carefree song,

Splits rock, the soaring sound loud and clear,

Like the heart of ripples in the night roars a cerulean dragon…

Oh, now I want to follow, Chang’e returns,

Look forward to the blue luanbird flying to the Palace of the Moon

Before the flute notes were finished the singing cut off and the silhouette of a figure stopped, the sword light dispersed and the sword was in the scabbard with a tching and Sun Yu suddenly threw his head back and laughed wildly. “It’s only the beginning of spring, who can wait for autumn twilight. There’s no long river here, no parasol tree, and where is there a night moon, where the west wind blowing, where the cool dew soaking clothes, where is Chang’e accompanying…”

As he laughed wildly, Sun Yu was covered with pear blossoms and willow catkins, everywhere he stepped were catkins and blossoms, and without looking back he strode away!

The morning mist was light but not yet dissipated.

His wild singing and laughing was no where to be found.

The leftover strands of dreary flute notes drifted over to the edge of the little pond, by the pear blossoms, under the willow tree.

Sun Yu finally disappeared into the mist.

Liu Zhanqin slowly put away his jade flute, his eyes fixed on where Sun Yu disappeared.

The morning mist was blurry, his eyes too were blurry.

The morning mist blurred his vision and his heart.

“2,000 taels, 2,000 taels of gold!” The corners of his mouth arched up in a queer smile. “You know how to find your own business and make a lot of money, of course you leave me.”

“If you weren’t really going to give this up after this, then how could you take this risk for me?”

“All my life what I’ve hated most is being cheated. Sun Yu, ah, Sun Yu, if you are cheating me you will certainly regret it.”

“I will certainly make you regret it!”

Liu Zhanqin talked to himself and suddenly turned his back and ran toward the little building on the bank of the pond.

A person’s appearance did not necessarily match his heart.

What a person says and what a person thinks is also not necessarily the same.

The mist gradually dispersed, the wind still gusting and gusting as before.

The wind suddenly carried with it two dog barks!

Two golden-haired hounds came sniffing and scurrying out from deep within the flower shrubs and the shade of the willows.

The dogs wore leather collars. The collars were under Liu Zhanqin’s control.

Two more barks and the hounds ran out.

Liu Zhanqin laughed.

Wasn’t that the direction Sun Yu had gone?

The sky after it rained was cool. Fine sunny day with orioles warbling, blooming branches wet with rain were especially beautiful.

Apricot blossoms, spring orioles chirping on the blooming branches. Passing through the apricot grove, Jiangning prefecture was not far.

In the flowering grove there was a trail strewn with fallen petals as a person walked over them.

Fallen petals were like a melancholy dream, their color not yet faded, still fragrant, but this person stepped on the fallen petals were like they were mud, their fragrance all gone.

Such an unfeeling person.

This person was twenty-four or twenty-five years old, seven spans tall, wearing white, long hair down to the shoulders, and a sword worn at a slant on the right.

Shen Shengyi!

Clothes white, his face even whiter, whiter than snow even, his expression even colder than snow.

His appearance was ordinary, but anyone who looked upon him would not feel he was ordinary at all.

His eyes glittered, sharp, like a sword.

On his brow three parts loneliness, seven parts severity!

He stepped into the apricot blossom grove and everywhere around him there seemed to be an increased severe atmosphere.

The apricot blossoms didn’t speak, and even the orioles stopped their singing, such a formidable murderous aura!

The sword was still in its scabbard, so the murderous aura wasn’t coming from the sword, it was just being emitted from his body. His body was itself an unsheathed sword, a sharp sword.

His right hand was back gripping the bundle on his shoulder while his left hand hung down, not even touching the handle of his sword.

He trusted his sword, but he trusted his own hand even more!

It was still damp out and as he walked he left clear footprints behind.

Every footprint was the same depth and width apart.

His pace was perfectly measured and even.

Ahead on the trail was another set of footprints.

These footprints came from the left and crossed to the right over the trail, the distance between them irregular, their depth uneven.

Among them two footprints were especially deep, as if the person they belonged to had stopped and looked around there for a length of time.

Shen Shengyi saw the set of footprints.

His face was still cold and detached, not the least trace of an expression, but his steps stopped.

Suddenly, the left corner of his lips and the corner of his eye twitched into a thread of a cold smile. His gaze like a sword flew toward a copse of flowering trees beside the trail.

There was a rustling in the trees and they shook and a masked man in black emerged like a ghost.

“You knew I was here?”

The man in black’s eyes were also as relentless as a sword as they coldly eyed Shen Shengyi.

Four lines of sight crossed in the air.

Shen Shengyi sneered, murderous intent appeared in his eyes.

The man in black didn’t perceive it and wiped his thumb and middle finger together. “I’ve been following you all day and all night, it was not easy to find such a good opportunity, such a good place.

Shen Shengyi only smiled coldly.

“Of course you know why I’m here!” The man in black gripped the hilt of his sword.

Shen Shengyi still made no sound, the murderous intent in his eyes even more intense.

“Of course you know what you ought to do!”

The man in black finally drew his sword with a schwing.

The lingering sound of the sword pulled from the scabbard was abruptly broken up by a thunderclap!

Shen Shengyi’s shout was like a thunderclap, and at the same time he left the ground and flew up, his sword at some point having appeared in his hand.

Sound of a thunderclap, man like a thunderclap, sword like a thunderclap!

Have you even seen the power and the speed of a thunderclap?

The man in black cried out and his sword hurried to meet it.

Another thunderclap and a sword shot up into the air and vanished into the deep recesses of the apricot blossoms. The man in black’s sword.

Shen Shengyi smiled coldly and he dropped down into the copse of trees, sword already back in its scabbard.

The man in black however staggered out of the copse of flowering trees and pulled down his mask and spewed out a mouthful of blood.

His body wasn’t wounded, it was just that Shen Shengyi’s thunderclap sword stroke had shattered his pulse. Shen Shengyi, ah! Shen Shengyi!

One sword stroke, just one. One stroke was more than enough, so he put away his sword!

He was absolutely not willing to waste a single bit of energy, he couldn’t even be bothered to look at him.

He started up and kept on walking down his unfinished path.

Such an unfeeling person.

The man in black’s second mouthful of blood spewed out, and he finally fell. Revealing a stern, cold, thin and lean face.

Could it be Sun Yu?

The blood was not dried, he had not been dead for very long, Liu Zhanqin could see that.

He grabbed the man in black’s right hand. The crook of the thumb was split, cut nearly through the muscle and bone.

“What an incredible blow!” Liu Zhanqin’s heart ran cold. He set the hand down and turned to look at the man in black’s face.

The man in black suddenly opened his eye. Turns out he wasn’t quite dead.

His eyes were cloudy, his voice feeble, but Liu Zhanqin was finally able to hear him clearly.

The first thing the man in black said was something very strange. “He… He’s got a lot of money!”

Liu Zhanqin was taken aback. “Just who are you?”

“It doesn’t matter anymore who you are!” Liu Zhanqin sneered and suddenly raised a foot and kicked the man in black into the air!

Wasn’t he even more unfeeling than Shen Shengyi?

A man and two dogs once again gave chase.

Who was Liu Zhanqin chasing this time? Shen Shengyi?

Have you ever heard Huang E’s Windblown Plum Blossoms, Gu Gu’s Venting Inner Feelings, Zhu Tingyu’s The Devotee, Yao Mu’an’s New Water Command?

Have you felt the pent-up bitterness of them, how melancholy and bleak they are!

Do you know how melancholy and bleak , how bitter Huo Qiu’e felt when playing those tunes?

If you don’t know, if you haven’t felt it, if you haven’t heard them, then you might as well take note of this.

It’s not Windblown Plum Blossoms or Venting Inner Feelings.

Nor is it The Devotee or New Water Command. It’s Water Immortal, Black Liu the Fifth’s Water Immortal:

Hate piling up, piling up hate, continuous hate, filling the lady’s boudoir of an evening.

Woe building up, building up woe, getting more and more intense, filling a jade-green cup.

Lazy to dress up, dressing up lazily, languidly lighting the incense burner.

Teardrops spilling, spilling teardrops, teardrops flowing and flowing nonstop.

Feeling unwell, unwell feeling, this sickly state is my mood.

Flowers with me, I with the flowers, flowers even more wan and withered.

Moon faces me, I face the moon, the moon even more bashful.

Complaining to Heaven, with Heaven complaining, Heaven too looks sad…

With a tinkle the zither stopped playing and the lady’s bedchamber became more silent, her figure more forlorn.

Huo Qiu’e stood up absently and moved to the roseleaf raspberry stand under the flowering crabapple blossoms.

The crabapple blossoms were in full bloom. Another drizzling rain tomorrow and they would all turn to rouge tears.

Huo Qiu’e sighed inwardly. Turning around, she saw her own shadow on the ground. Her and her shadow were equally thin. The moon on the horizon was as forlorn as she.

Moon rising in the east, the eastern sky a blanket of depressing clouds, perhaps the sky also grieving for her!

The wind was up, urgent, clouds surging, clouds drifting. The moon was bright, the moon was dim, the moon vaguely dejected.

Huo Qiu’e let out a short sigh, then a long one.

The moon sinks, two hearts entwined as one,

Tonight’s parting is more painful than last night’s,

Facing a solitary lamp, no mood for sleep, tears and woe expressed through this gem-studded zither

Grief at parting lamented through the strings, melancholy intoned with each pluck,

Lacking anyone who understands it…

Have you ever seen such a sentimental woman as Huo Qiu’e?

Who was she longing for? Who was her one who understood?

Shen Shengyi?

Shen Shengyi leaned on the railing.

Blankly he watched the beautiful woman gently singing under before the flowers, under the moon, expression transfixed with knowing eyes.

It was his wife, Huo Qiu’e. In his heart he knew this, but suddenly even he couldn’t believe it.

A look of pain appeared in his eyes.

He wanted to walk out of the courtyard, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

He lowered his head, his eyes met his snowlike robe, spotlessly, flawlessly white. But what about his heart?

He looked again at his hands, so strong and powerful, especially his left hand!

This left hand once defeated Gold Thread Swallow, Liu Mei’er, Lady Snowclad, Skyful of Stars, and the Sword Embracing Young Master.

This left hand was once famous throughout the jianghu.

This was indeed an extraordinary left hand. But though this hand was strong and vigorous, it couldn’t play the zither, nor could it play the flute.

Sword in hand, this left hand could cut off seven arms one after another, kill seven people one after another. Zither in hand, this left hand couldn’t pluck the seven strings of the zither. There was no such thing as a perfect, complete person. Hands are the same, when have you ever seen a pair of hands proficient in everything, capable of anything, excellent hands, deft hands?

Shen Shengyi was just a person.

Because of his hands he was always proud, he never dreamed there would be a day like this, a night like this, that because of his hands he would be grieved.

Did he even know what grief was?

Shen Shengyi’s eyes right now were brimming with grief!

He was still, she was still, wind kicked up shadows of flowers in the courtyard.

“Milord! Milord!” A servant girl ran calling through the moon gate and suddenly entered the courtyard.

Huo Qiu’e was taken aback. “Qiuju, who are you calling?”

“I’m calling Milord, he instructed me to prepare some food and wine and it’s ready now.”

“Milord is back?” Huo Qiu’e looked happy when she heard this, but that single thread of happiness vanished instantly.

Shen Shengyi saw this and felt a stab in his heart. He wanted to turn around, but Huo Qiu’e has already noticed him there. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something. She hesitated, and finally received him.

“Greetings Milord…”

“Greetings, Milady…”

What kind of talk was this? Didn’t it sound like a husband and wife finally meeting after a long separation?

Those two sentences and they were silent.

Huo Qiu’e hung her head, Shen Shengyi’s eyes constricted, heart constricted. He had long ago felt there was some unfamiliar distance, between the two of them, but it had never been as distinct as it was this time, as deep, as profound, so he had never paid much attention. Now, now it was rather too late.

Shen Shengyi’s heart was so grieved it was nearly dripping blood.

He made no sound but suddenly turned around a walked out with big strides.

Huo Qiu’e’s tears fell…

No stars, only the moon.

Curved moon, high moon, solitary moon, bright moon.

Moon pale white, the long street pale white. Shen Shengyi’s face was so pale it was terrifying. He walked alone down the street, leaving his home far into the back of his mind.

He’d rather lead a vagrant life on the streets than stay at home!

Suddenly he stuck his chest out, turned around, and strode back the way he had come.

A person must always face reality.

Shen Shengyi was not a person afraid to face reality.

He had no vain hope that when he returned home things would be warmer, that Huo Qiu’e would be gentler. Nor did he think that he could change everything.

He only hoped to settle things, to explain things.

Settle, explain, he had to go back.

He was absolutely not a muddled person, and he absolutely did not do muddled things.

His sword was decisive, and his heart, his heart was also decisive.

As soon as he turned around, a person came up to meet him. The person was around forty years old, not short, but no matter where this person went they gave people an undersized feeling.

This kind of person could never raise their head.

This person’s bearing was as wretched as you say it is.

This person put on an ingratiating smile.

As long as you are rich and powerful, so much so that as long as you are courageous and knowledgeable, all you had to do was show this person a fist and they would give you an ingratiating smile.

Aren’t there a lot of people like this?

Shen Shengyi of course would not recognize this kind of person. This kind of person recognized Shen Shengyi though.

“Master Shen!”

“What is it?”

“My humble self is Shen San…”

“I didn’t ask you your name. I don’t know you and don’t want to know you!”

If it were anyone else, they likely would have turned tail and left, but Shen San didn’t, still with that fawning smile, that smiling face he could wear all day long.

“Master Shen of course doesn’t know my humble self, but this lowly one knows Master Shen. Not only that, this lowly one also knows Her Lady and knows Madame Shen’s older cousin Young Master Liu, Liu Zhanqin.”

“You certainly know a lot of people.” Shen Shengyi sneered, “Is that all you wanted to tell me?”

“There’s more, there’s more…” Shen San lowered his voice. “Does Master Shen want to know?”

“Know what?”

“For example, if Young Master Liu is really Madame Shen’s older cousin…”

Shen Shengyi’s eyes constricted.

“For example, when the master is away, Young Master Liu often pays a visit and stays till very late at night before leaving…”

Shen Shengyi’s eyes were narrowed to slits.

“Of for instance… Strange…” Shen San suddenly realized something. “How come when I came here I seemed to see him nearby?”

“Who?” Shen Shengyi’s eyes suddenly exploded wide open.

“Young Master Liu, and he was leading two gold fur hounds on a leash…”

“Gold fur hounds!” Shen Shengyi’s eyes were even wider. “Okay, okay, okay!”

He said “okay” three times in a row, but he didn’t look a bit okay, he looked more and more unsightly.

“Master Shen seems not to know much.”

“And you seem to know a lot!”

“Qiuju is Master’s house servant girl, this lowly one is Qiuju’s older cousin…”

“Really?”

“No…” Shen San’s expression unexpectedly did not change.

Shen Shengyi stared at Shen San and suddenly threw his head back and burst out laughing.

Such an alarming laugh. Shen San watched Shen Shengyi in surprise not knowing what to do, when the laughter suddenly ceased.

“Shen San!”

“This lowly one is here.”

“You’re telling me this obviously for some reason.”

“This lowly wouldn’t dare, this lowly one just couldn’t stand idly by and watch.” Shen San looked indignant.

“Oh!” Shen Shengyi sneered.

“And besides,” Shen San said, putting that fawning smile back on, “this lowly one knows Master Shen is always forthright and would absolutely never mistreat this lowly one.”

“How could I mistreat you!”

“Then, this lowly one thanks Master for five taels of silver!”

Shen San was a person who really knew how to take advantage of a situation.

“You only want five taels of silver?”

“This lowly one has always been content with his lot.”

“Alright, I’ll give it to you!”

Shen Shengyi cried out in extreme grief and suddenly his fist flew!

Shen San was thrown with a bang and crashed into the wall and bounced off and fell on the road in the mud.

If you say the wrong thing at the wrong time, crashing into a wall is not really all that strange a result.

Shen Shengyi’s wild cry had not died out when he pulled back his fist and stood in the road in a crazy posture like he was going to throw another punch and hollered again.

His heart was trembling, his hands were trembling, and the corners of his eyes split and blood streamed down!²

Do you know what grief and indignation is?

His holler cut off suddenly pounced like an angry lion and leaped back home!

The gates. The main gates of the Shen residence were very thick, a full three fingerwidths wide.

The power of grief and indignation is enough to open up mountains and split rocks! With a booming thunderclap the two three-fingerwidth thick wooden doors flew into the air and fell heavily on the ground, filling the sky with dust!

Amidst the skyful of dust, Shen Shengyi’s head of disheveled hair danced wildly in the east wind as he took big strides and walked inside.

Sword in the scabbard but a murderous aura rising.

Shen Shengyi’s swordlike stare twinkled in the night air.

There were a few blooming apricot trees in the garden. Apricot blossoms fluttered down. Had they been wrecked by his stare or by his murderous aura?

A gold fur hound barked furiously and scurried out from over by the study, rows of sharp white teeth bared as it pounced at Shen Shengyi.

Shen Shengyi roared a thunderclap!

Sword light like lightning cracked amidst the thunder!

The dog’s bark was cut short and a rain of blood sprayed out, the still-living gold fur hound now cut into two at the waist, a section here, a section over there!

Shen Shengyi though flew north, flew toward the study!

As soon as he moved a hole burst through the roof of the study with a band and pieces of rooftile were sent flying and a finely dressed man holding a gold fur hound shot out like an arrow!

“Liu Zhanqin!” Shen Shengyi roared, and he and his sword pierced through the air like a flash of lightning.

Shen Shengyi did after all recognize Liu Zhanqin. That really was Liu Zhanqin.

How could he have time to open his mouth before his nerve was scared shot like a cat and he scurried up the wall and tumbled over.

The gold fur hound in his arms couldn’t help but emit a muffled snarl, but he was already dozens of staves away, nowhere to be seen.

Shen Shengyi had never before seen such incredible lightness skill. He didn’t give chase but stood on the wall and let out a loud laugh.

His laughing was brimming with ridicule. It spread a long long distance. Liu Zhanqin could still hear and he heard it. His heart constricted. He had never been so embarrassed, and he wasn’t a coward.

But this time he didn’t dare face reality. He really was afraid!

Shen Shengyi, ah! Shen Shengyi!

Liu Zhanqin was soaked through with cold sweat.

Pieces of rooftile and dust rained down and covered Huo Qiu’e’s clothes, as well as the long, narrow black cloth bundle on the writing desk.

The bundle was opened, inside a set of black tightfit nightwalker clothes and a silver sword!

Sun Yu’s silver sword!

Shen Shengyi remembered personally stowing the bundle in a dark corner up on the roofbeam, not on the writing desk. He also remembered that the bundle was wrapped up well. But right now it was not. He knew why.

Sun Yu, Shen Shengyi, Sun Yu was Shen Shengyi!

It had been a secret, but now it was a secret no longer. At the very least, Liu Zhanqin now knew.

Shen Shengyi didn’t care, his heart was already half dead, he didn’t really care about anything.

He simply could not care.

He wanted to laugh, but too bad, he really couldn’t laugh.

Calmly he sat at the table and absently regarded Huo Qiu’e.

Huo Qiu’e was absently watching him too, tears in her eyes, tears embodying grief, pain, and shame.

Her teardrops finally fell and splashed apart.

Teardrops were fragile like that, and the heart, the heart was the same.

Wasn’t Shen Shengyi’s heart already half-shattered?

The corners of eyes pulsed, his nose tingling, but there were no tears in his eyes.

Grief was not necessarily expressed through tears.

Huo Qiu’e at long last understood the bitter misery and pain in Shen Shengyi’s heart. She hung her head, tears staining the lapel of her robe.

“I know everything.” She was barely able to get the words out.

Her teary voice sounded especially heartbroken. Shen Shengyi couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. “There’s no such thing in the world as a permanent secret.”

“I know you did it all for me.”

Shen Shengyi said nothing.

“I never forgot that Mid-autumn night.”

“It’s best if you could.”

“That night I grumbled…”

“Hungry for half a day on the joyous Mid-autumn Festival and still have to face the full moon on an empty stomach. Anyone would grumble at that.”

“You didn’t…”

“It’s not that I didn’t, you just couldn’t see it, couldn’t hear it. I grumbled in my heart, hated it in my heart!”

“That you don’t need to…”

“If I had had a day or two more to think it over, maybe I would have though another method or two, but at the time, at the time I didn’t think anything else would happen…”

“It was I who harmed you…”

“That’s what I should be saying, there was never any need for you to suffer along with me.” Shen Shengyi gave a wan smile. “Green plums and stick horses is nothing more than a child’s plaything, you and I took it too seriously.”

“You know everything?”

“It wouldn’t do if I didn’t.”

“Do you hate me?”

“I only hate myself!”

“Let me tell you, I didn’t…”

“I wish I could believe that…”

“You can’t? You don’t believe it?”

Shen Shengyi didn’t answer, he looked out the window.

Outside it was pitch black, nothing to look at.

Huo Qiu’e raised her head sadly, an imploring look in her eyes brimming with hope.

Shen Shengyi didn’t know, he was looking out the window.

Huo Qiu’e’s eyes finally revealed a look of despair.

“I don’t blame you for not believing me , I will definitely make you understand.”

She bit her lip hard, bearing her bitter misery, and tearfully withdrew from the study.

Shen Shengyi wanted to call her back, but it was just a thought, he didn’t actually call out to her, still looking out the window.

Night wind blew through the window screen, carrying with it the scent of flowers.

The scent of flowers was faint, spring drawing to a close, how much longer could the scent of flowers remain?

But when spring was over, it would be back next year. Flowers wilt but next year they will bloom once more.

maybe next year’s flowers will be more fragrant than this year’s, will be better than this year’s. And people?

The years were like flowers, people were different year after year.

People were the same.

The wind carried with it the sound of singing. Who was singing Li Bai’s plaintive Ballad of Changgan?

My hair at first covered my forehead, picking flowers, playing before the door.

You rode in on a bamboo stick horse, circling the bench, playing with green plums.

We lived together on Changgan Lane, two youths without ill will or suspicion.

Changgan Lane was in Jiangning, it was quite ordinary to hear the Ballad of Changgan in Jiangning.

There were many husbands and wives who grew up together playing with green plums and stick horses³ just like Shen Shengyi and Huo Qiu’e.

And Shen Shengyi had heard the Ballad of Changgan he didn’t know how many times, only it had never given him such a large reaction as it did this time tonight.

He listened to it in a daze, heart feeling sweet, also bitter, he didn’t know what it felt like.

“In the eighth month the butterflies are yellow, they fly in pairs over the grass of the west garden. This grieves my heart, sitting here grieved, pink face aging…” He sighed in the midst of the singing. “Qiu’e, ah Qiu’e, how could I be so hardhearted to let you stay here alone, waiting while your youth grows old…”

“I can’t be frank with you, no wonder you couldn’t understand me…”

Frankness, understanding, and how many things husband and wife had done that genuinely could cause one not to be suspicious and jealous, to have mutual trust. Frankness, understanding?

Outside the window the singing suddenly cut off.

Maybe the singer was tired of singing, or was drunk?

Shen Shengyi at the same time had a bad feeling! He abruptly called out and shot out like an arrow!

The door was unlatched and Shen Shengyi barged through the door headfirst and he and the door alike flew out. He rolled on the ground and shot back up.

He was going as fast as he could go, but even if he could have gone faster it would have been too late, too late!

It was not an easy thing for a person to live, you had to have the conditions for life, and you had to have the courage.

Sometimes you wanted to live but the environment would not permit you to keep on living.

If a person wanted to end their life, that by comparison was much simpler.

Huo Qiu’e only needed a strip of thin red silk to accomplish it.

She had said she would definitely make Shen Shengyi understand, and she had, and the method she had used was simple and effective.

How could Shen Shengyi not believe her now?

He was still out by the door, but fortunately the silver sword in his hand had been extricated from the scabbard and thrown, shooting toward the red silk suspended from the roofbeam.

His eyesight had always been accurate, his wrist power always astonishing, and the silver sword had not become rusty but was very sharp. Just one stroke and the red silk was cut off.

At about the same time he was in the room, hands out to catch Huo Qiu’e’s body.

Her skin was ice cold.

Shen Shengyi’s blood was also frozen.

“Qiu’e!” He let loose a heartrending cry, his heart shattered into a million pieces, a million pieces!

Liu Zhanqin’s heart at the same time was also shattered into a million pieces.

He hadn’t gone far. Once Shen Shengyi’s laughter had died down back then behind the wall he had quietly snuck back to outside the wall.

He had been pacing back and forth and didn’t know many times he’d circled the enclosing wall.

He had been worried.

And only worried. He hadn’t made a single move, he didn’t dare!

He didn’t dare face reality, he didn’t dare face Shen Shengyi, Sun Yu!

Though he was outside the wall and couldn’t see anything, he could hear everything, so he heard Shen Shengyi’s heartrending cry clearly. He was smart, of course he could imagine what had happened.

His face was deathly pale, his fists clenched tight, the veins on the back of his hands bulging. Flames flickered in his eyes and he clenched his teeth and suddenly rushed up the stone steps to the gate.

But, before he crossed the threshold he suddenly stopped and went back.

He was pained, he was grieving.

A fierce punch he leveled at the wall! Bricks crumbled and pieces sifted down.

Metal-Breaking Hands was really no small matter! Another punch and another and bricks pieces of brick flew, his gums bleeding from biting down so hard!

He opened his mouth, grieved, but his cry of grief remained in his heart, only a croak emerged from his throat.

Once again he rushed up the stone steps and consequently went back again, this time withdrawing even farther, lurching along, despondently backing out into the middle of the street.

He did not notice at all the seven riders on fast horses galloping his way, he didn’t even hear their hoofbeats.

Soon they would collide. The front hooves of the rider in the lead raised up and moved to the side a stave away.

Such excellent horsemanship and such a big temper. He reined in and cursed, “You little boy are you blind or do you want to die. If you want to die your old man here can strike you dead with one swing of this whip!”

And his whip was out, a steel thirteen-sectioned Thunder God Whip that had been hanging by the saddle.

The other six riders also reined in one after another. One of them raised his voice and said, “Third Bro, don’t be rash.”

“Second Bro, don’t worry, I’m just venting at him, threatening him a bit. I’m saving my energy for really having it out with Sun Yu!”

Was that “Thunder Whip” Cui Qun? He laughed loudly and put away his whip.

Behind him “Miracle Hands” Yu Qian cupped a hand over his fist and greeted Liu Zhanqin. “I’m Yu Qian, if we have offended you, friend, please pardon us!”

Yu Qian really had a sense of propriety in dealing with others. He said a few words in brief explanation, then spurred his horse and left with the other five who were following him.

Liu Zhanqin stood in the street in a daze, not making a sound, as if he had not heard him, but as Yu Qian and the others passed by his eyes gleamed.

Yu Qian and the others turned down the street corner and he flashed to the wall, shrugged his shoulders, and dashed up onto the wall and chased after the seven riders!

The night was even deeper…

The silk threads spit out, the wax candle extinguished.

Endless night, candle burned out, not able to weep for people until morning.

With no candlelight it ought to be pitch black, but the main hall of the Shen household was lit bright as day.

Shen Shengyi had kindled fires in several places.

Using fire was a simple and effective method. Fire could also burn everything, but he didn’t know, could fire burn up the grudge in his heart?

Shen Shengyi didn’t know and didn’t care. He shouldered his bundle, both his swords, and stood woodenly with his back to the door in the middle of the main hall, blankly watching the newly started flames spread. Once the flames were raging, he left.

Where was he going?

He didn’t know and didn’t care.

Flames reflected off his face, but in the flames his face was still as pale as before. His face showed no expression.

Tongues of flame licked out and spat crackling, danced and fluttered!

Shen Shengyi’s dull eyes suddenly flashed and his posture changed!

A whizzing flying dart at the same time passed by his shoulder and nailed to a wooden pillar. There was a white handkerchief pierced through the dart, and in the slanting reflection of the flames, he could clearly read the words written on it.

“Shen Shengyi is Sun Yu!”

Shen Shengyi recognized who wrote those words, and he knew who had thrown the dart!

To throw a dart so accurately and forcefully with a handkerchief pierced through it was something he knew only one person could do!

He laughed coldly and both arms went up and the two swords on his back were drawn at once. One flew up and stuck into the roofbeam over head, the other went down and stuck into the floor three spans behind him.

This one was the one he had used to kill for the past five years, stained with blood and steeped in hate, his silver sword!

Both swords flung, he stood with his back to the door as before.

Instantly there were several crashes and seven people filtered through the windows and stole in through the doors!

“Shen Shengyi!” one of them said in a low, even voice. “Sun Yu!”

“Miracle Hands Yu Qian!” Shen Shengyi didn’t even turn to look.

“you have a good memory, but mine’s not bad either!”

“You still remember the sound of my voice?”

“How could I forget?”

“Still recognize the silver sword in the ground?”

“My eyes still work.”

“Then what are you waiting for?”

“I want to ask you two things!”

“The first thing.”

“You killed my Big Brother Xiang, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“A brave man!”

“The second thing.”

“The one behind it, who was it?”

“Pan Yu and Shu Mei.”

“Just as I suspected. Many thanks!”

After saying thanks he said nothing else.

Fires were burning, the flames were rising!

With a wild scream a person soared into the air almost two staves, waved his hand, and a chain sickle cut down!

A chain sickle could be used for close range fighting, and at a distance it could take off an enemy’s head, it was suitable for short and long distances, good at hard and soft at once, the most difficult to deal with and one of the most difficult of the unconventional weapons to use.

Anyone who could use a chain sickle was a masterhand. This person was certainly a masterhand. The sickle cutting through the air was the essence of the chain sickle.

Just too bad he was facing a master among masters!

Before the blade struck, Shen Shengyi met it head on, left hand exploding out and grabbed hold of the sickle hilt and chain together!

Such a nimble left hand, such a formidable left hand!

His body was lively as well. He turned back and reached back with his right hand and pulled the silver sword from the ground and slashed it out at an angle.

The chain sickle master knew he was in trouble but he was too late in letting go and so was pulled into a tumble in midair. From the corner of his eye he glimpsed sword light and was terror-stricken and involuntarily cried out in alarm. Before his cry was finished the sword light had cut open his chest!

Blood rained down and sprayed out, and the man fell.

Shen Shengyi’s left hand still had not let go. He jerked and the stolen chain sickle swept low and out across the floor.

Two blades also stuck close to the floor and rolled cutting toward him.

These two saw Shen Shengyi was still far away when suddenly the chain sickle swept fiercely before them and they turned pale with fright! With a clang the sabre close to the ground in the hand of the man on the left was knocked away and the throat of the man on the right met the sickle blade.

Blood sprayed!

The chain sickle curled back amidst the blood.

The one on the left reached to take back his sabre when he felt a tightness around his waist. The chain sickle had come back and wrapped around his midsection!

Shen Shengyi immediately retracted the sickle.

Man and sickle flew together through the air and behind Shen Shengyi.

A red-tasseled spear was just stabbing at Shen Shengyi from behind.

The red tassel danced in the air, the spear coming at him like a rainbow.

With a squishing sound the red tassel was stained with blood and became even redder, and the shiny spear tip sunk into a body.

Divine Spear the Thirteenth was wild with joy, but his smiling mood had not yet blossomed in his eyes when an alarmed cry escaped his mouth.

The spear hadn’t stabbed Shen Shengyi.

Shen Shengyi was sneering, letting go with his left hand.

The chain sickle was wrapped around the man, but the man was now a corpse, of no use any longer, nor was the sickle, so of course he let go of it!

His right hand though gripped his sword tight and he flew with it. This time it was him, too bad Divine Spear the Thirteenth’s tasseled spear had no chance to be pulled out and to strike!

It was too late for him to think carefully, he released his grip, abandoned the spear, and backed away quickly.

Divine Spear the Thirteenth’s lightness skill seemed pretty good, backing away two staves, when suddenly he cried out and fell on his back, a stream of blood jetting out from between his eyes like an arrow.

Seemed Shen Shengyi’s sword was even quicker!

Shen Shengyi’s right hand was quicker, stronger, Divine Spear the Thirteenth was too late, his tasseled spear was pulled out in one fell swoop by Shen Shengyi’s left hand.

He pulled up the spear in his hand and suddenly throw it backwards! Behind him came a savage scream and two sharp axes flew out amidst the savage scream and clanged to the ground before they reached Shen Shengyi.

Dual Mountain Cleaving Axe Ma the Sixth was really not this inept, too bad his dual axes hadn’t been flown out before Shen Shengyi backhanded threw the tasseled spear and pierced his heart!

Blood soaked through the red tassel, making it even redder!

Thunder Whip Cui Qun’s eyes seemed much redder. He roared and pounced, whip lashing out wildly.

The Thunder Whip was worthy of the name, it came on fast and fierce, relentless!

If Shen Shengyi could still choose he would by no means meet it head on, but it really was beyond his control.

He had to meet it with a stroke of his sword!

An overwhelming thunderclap! A huge shock and the silver sword flew out of his hand and into the air! Shen Shengyi’s tall, think frame shot up at the same time, left hand reaching out and grabbing the sword stuck in the roofbeam overhead.

He landed and the sword landed. Shen Shengyi’s left hand wielding as sword was of course nothing to trifle with!

Cui Qun’s second strike came.

Whip and sword clashed. The force was astonishing!

The sword snapped at the sound and Shen Shengyi was in the air again, suddenly howling, the broken sword was flung at where Cui Qun’s right hand was grasping and he just happened to grab hold of the silver sword as it was falling. He pushed off with his back and knees and his tall, thin frame turned back and he and sword flew toward Cui Qun!

The third sword stroke!

Cui Qun wasn’t slow, his third whip strike was coming and smacked Shen Shengyi’s broken sword away without a trace!

Too bad this wasn’t Shen Shengyi’s third sword stroke. For Shen Shengyi’s third stroke, this time the silver sword went with him tumbling through the air.

Whip strike, two strikes, three strikes, all his effort expended, before a second wind could be roused, Cui Qun’s fourth strike would not be coming for a second no matter what!

Sword light, man’s shadow, blood spraying out!

Cui Qun fell, bathed in blood. Actually this all happened in a split second, it was too fast, “Miracle Hands: Yu Qian has his projectiles but could find no chance to use them, he was too late to throw them!

The corners of Yu Qian’s eyes split and he cried out in grief, hands coming up in unison, finally releasing his projectiles!

They exploded through the air, the air filled with flashing cold stars!

“Miracle Hands” was really a deserved name!

One throw, three silver shuttles, for throwing knives, five white wolf nails, six air-piercing darts, and seven fling arrows!

It was really unknown how he could manage to throw five different kinds of weapons with one throw, all of them differently shaped concealed projectiles.

These five kinds of projectiles seemed to be coming all at once.

Shen Shengyi was not about to try and block them. He stuck to the floor and quickly rolled out of the way. The spot on the floor where he had been was instantly nailed with glittering projectiles!

Yu Qian’s cry of grief had not died out when he threw another handful!

Shen Shengyi bounced up off the floor, sword light flying, closely binding around his tall, thin frame.

Cols stars and sword light twinkled again and again among the raging flames.

Shen Shengyi’s clothes were torn, torn again, and again, who knew how many rips were put in his clothes!

With a tear his left shoulder was suddenly bleeding, a silver shuttle ripping past and opening him up. He instantly scurried behind a pillar in the main hall. The projectiles were not done coming, they continued to nail into the pillar!

Yu Qian stopped and hollered in a stern voice, “Shen Shengyi, come out!”

Shen Shengyi unexpectedly did scurry out!

The back part of the main hall was nearly a sea of fire, and a burning roofbeam fell down, no wonder he scurried out!

Yu Qian wasn’t expected it though, so he was slow with his hands and Shen Shengyi was already scurrying toward a square table.

“Where are you going!” Yu Qian roared and his hands danced wildly.

For a time cold awns of light flashed violently as projectiles flew about haphazardly.

Yu Qian had never in his life thrown so swift and fierce and relentlessly!

No matter where Shen Shengyi moved it was hard to avoid the intercepting projectiles.

Too bad Shen Shengyi didn’t move anymore, he just crouched down and scurried under the table!

A roofbeam fell with a deafening boom and flames licked upward.

An earthshaking crash and Shen Shengyi flew up, along with the table, and charged at Yu Qian!

Thunk thunk thunk thunk projectiles slammed into the tabletop.

The tabletop flew fast and collided with Yu Qian.

A cry of alarm, a muffled grunt, both rose, the tabletop, the man, both flying!

Yu Qian collided and was flung seven spans before slamming into the window lattice and went sailing along with the window lattice outside the hall.

Shen Shengyi straightened up from behind the table, and with a flourish of his left hand a ray of cold light struck out like lightning.

This was Shen Shengyi’s third stroke, the dagger!

Xiang Zulou had died by this dagger.

Everyone this dagger killed was a famous person! Yu Qian wasn’t being insulted by dying under this dagger’s blade!

As soon as he fell out the window the dagger was lodged in his heart, sunk to the hilt!

“Good move!” Yu Qian cried out and fell.

When even a grandmaster of concealed projectiles uttered praise you knew it really was a good move!

Shen Shengyi continued on through the window.

“Many thanks!” He had heard Yu Qian’s praise and did not forget to thank him, only his thanks could not be heard by Yu Qian no matter what.

A few more roofbeams fell in the main hall and chips of rooftile rained down, all with a deafening boom lingering in one’s ears, a terrifying sound.

Flames had reached the roof, the blaze turning the sky red for a long time.

Shen Shengyi’s eyes sparkled among the raging flames, sparkling tears!

The sky gradually lightened and morning fog blurred the bamboo grove.

This bamboo grove stretched for ten miles, no willow branches swaying, no flower shadows mingling, and no swallows twittering, just stalk after talk of towering bamboo.

The bamboo leaves were dark green and glistening, a stretch of dark green boundless as far as the eye could see.

And only in spring could one see such a sight.

Although it was not an idyllic scene, the spring scenery of the bamboo grove was as intoxicating as wine.

Staying amidst such spring scenery, who could resist rolling in the grass a couple times?

Shen Shengyi was an exception, he just slept on the grass, slept soundly. The corners of his mouth were hung in the trace of a bleak smile; he was definitely not having a sweet dream.

Or else he would have woken up already.

Good dreams are always the easiest to wake up from.

His face was stained with several drops of water. Were they dewdrops or teardrops?

The morning fog was more dreary and hazy.

A gust of wind blew by, rustling up waves of bamboo.

The wind blew the sound of a dog barking.

The barking was getting more and more urgent.

I golf fur hound came barreling into the bamboo grove.

The barking was more urgent, and suddenly it combined with a shrill wail reverberating through the treetops.

The golf fur hound surged up into the sky and came down. The barking abruptly cut off.

Shen Shengyi slowly stood up from among the fog.

Silver sword drawn, swordtip dripping blood.

Another rustling of the waves of bamboo.

This gust of wind carried with it the sound of a flute.

The flute notes drifted around, as if in the east, now in the west, vaguely ahead, now faintly behind.

The tune was Touching Red Lips.

Shen Shengyi recognized it as soon as he heard it, the same tune, the same flute sound. This was the third time he’d heard it.

This time the flute sounded more somber.

Another gust of wind, the flute playing Muddled River Dragon and then Sixes, and it was closer now.

Shen Shengyi took half a step to the side and looked to the left.

The flute was coming precisely from the left.

It changed to Rear Courtyard Blossoms, and the flutist finally appeared in the fog.

Liu Zhanqin!

At about the same time, two figures also spread out to either side of Shen Shengyi, appearing about three staves behind him.

The one on the left was short, redfaced like a spurt of blood, clothes the same, a longblade sabre sheathed to the hilt aslant on his waist before him, the back of the blade fixed with seven gold rings that clinked, enough to intimidate the soul.

The one on the right was unusually lanky, and he wore a Fanyang dustcover widebrimmed hat⁴ and a gray cloth robe, and even his face was gray and gloomy. Before his chest hung crisscrossed a pair of unconventional weapons, sun and moon lockheart wheels!

With the appearance of these two, there was an added murderous aura within the bamboo grove.

These two were indeed unusual.

Liu Zhanqin had always relied on his able assistant “Soul Summoner Blade” Zeng Kui. “Lockheart Wheels” Meng Sun was also no commoner!

The three of them stopped walking at the same time.

The tone turned deadly, the sound of the flute lingering and vanishing beyond the heavens. Liu Zhanqin’s hands tightened and his jade flute snapped neatly in two!

“My intimate soulmate is gone, there’s no one else who understands me. Who is left for me to let hear my flute, what use is it?”

He gave a wan smile and tossed the broken flute away and looked intently at Shen Shengyi.

“If I had given you a clear account of things earlier, if you had revealed your identity earlier, this all might not have happened. Was it your fault? Or mine?”

“So what if it was your fault? So what if it was mine?”

“Well said, well said. Right here, right now, your’s, mine, it’s all the same.” Liu Zhanqin threw his head back and heaved a long sigh. “Heaven, Heaven! Why must you play with him so, play with me so?”

Shen Shengyi also sighed inwardly.

Liu Zhanqin’s gaze suddenly fell, became more grieved. “The note Yu Qian and Cui Qun received was something I sent them.”

“I know your handwriting well.”

“They really did tie you up.”

“I know your intention.”

“Of course they wouldn’t disappoint me.”

“You think so?”

“At the very least I’ve found you now. If the battle hadn’t been so intensely violent, how would I not have found you till now?”

Shen Shengyi laughed coldly. “They didn’t give me too much trouble, or waste too much of my time.”

“Oh!” How could Liu Zhanqin believe that?

“I’ve been waiting here for you. Two double-hours ago I was already here, and I’ve slept a good two double-hours or more.”

“So you are still able to sleep?” Liu Zhanqin’s expression now changed.

“I can still eat too.” Shen Shengyi turns out had been storing his energy waiting here.

Liu Zhanqin’s expression was becoming more unsightly.

“It’s called waiting idly for an exhausted enemy.” Shen Shengyi stretched his back. “I know you’ve been running around all night, no drool on your lips; you haven’t slept for some time.”

“I can still hold out!” Liu Zhanqin’s expression turned suddenly to complacence. “And I’ve gotten ‘Soul Summoner Blade’ Zeng Sun and ‘Lockheart Wheels’ Meng Kui for you.”

“I know them. Of course you will let them attack first.”

“Of course I will!”

“I just don’t know if they will give their lives for you?”

“As long as your money is still on you they will.”

“And if it’s not?”

“I’ll kill you all the same!” Zeng Sun suddenly interjected.

“It’s just better if there’s money also!” Meng Kui was still sneering.

With Shen Shengyi still around, the two of them didn’t know how much business they would lose. They’d long wanted to pull this splinter from their eye.

Liu Zhanqin clapped and laughed loudly. “Did you hear that?”

Shen Shengyi laughed coldly but said nothing else.

Liu Zhanqin had nothing left to say either.

The bamboo grove was returned to silence, the murderous aura more intense.

The fog was thicker. Was this the fog of the murderous atmosphere?

Two swallows shot through the grove, one heading west, the other heading east.

Sabre light appeared and smashed through the air in a cascade.

The western flying swallow was cut in two by the sabre light!

At the same time the sun and moon wheels flew out together and the eastern flying swallow was sliced into three pieces by the frosty snowlike lights of the wheels!

Bellows erupted from the east and west and ripped through the silent bamboo grove like two devil’s hands.

Zeng Sun and Meng Kui set off amidst their shouts, one flying from the east, one from the west toward Shen Shengyi.

Swish swish swish swish the bamboo in their way was hacked away and fell down in a jumble rustling.

Blade arrived, sun and moon wheels arrived!

Shen Shengyi’s tall and thin frame shot up into the air amidst the blue of blade and wheels. He reached out with his left hand and grabbed hold of a bamboo and hung suspended in the air.

Meng Kui shouted “okay” and the sun and moon wheels parted and cut off the bamboo, which fell.

Shen Shengyi didn’t fall. He let go and still in the air shot to a second bamboo.

Zeng Sun laughed wildly and sabre light flashed and the second bamboo was cut in two.

Shen Shengyi flew toward a third bamboo. The third bamboo was cut in to by a ray of sabre light.

A fourth bamboo, fifth… seventh!

Crash! The seventh bamboo was cut in two by the sabre light.

Meng Kui took a big stride forward and scurried over to the eight bamboo, just waiting for Shen Shengyi to get there so he could cut it down.

Shen Shengyi didn’t flit over to the eighth bamboo! His tall and thin frame abruptly flipped over and he went headfirst with his sword suddenly coming down in a torrent!

The silver sword stuck like lightning!

Zeng Sun had not yet pulled back his sabre from cutting down the bamboo when the silver sword ran through his back and punched through his heart and out!

Blood shot out like an arrow.

A savage cry erupted and a cry of alarm as Meng Kui turned and came back, sun and moon wheels racing toward Shen Shengyi!

Bloody light flashed and the sun and moon wheels entered flesh together.

Shen Shengyi instantly had pulled Zeng Sun’s body over to block the racing sun and moon wheels, the silver sword in his right palm instantly pulling out and stabbing.

The ice-cold tip of the sword went straight through Meng Kui’s throat.

Such a fast stroke!

A figure also instantly closed in at an angle!

Liu Zhanqin! He had been standing by waiting. Now he took this opportunity, timed it right!

His left palm turned and firmly grasped Shen Shengyi’s silver sword, right palm at the same time slamming toward Shen Shengyi’s chest!

His Metal-Breaking Hand was indeed incredible!

The silver sword snapped!

Liu Zhanqin’s right palm also nearly slammed into Shen Shengyi’s chest!

Suddenly the muscles of his face twitched and his legs lost their footing, and his right palm which couldn’t miss nevertheless did miss!

A blade was nailed to his chest!

Shen Shengyi’s third stroke, the dagger!

“Left-hand sword, I forgot about the sword in your left hand!” Liu Zhanqin’s right knee buckled and he knelt on the ground.

Shen Shengyi wore a look of sympathy in his eyes.

“If you had had the nerve to face reality like this earlier, then so much blood would not have been spilled this time. Of the three of us one would have to suffer for sure, but the other two could have lived happily ever after!”

This was truly what was in Shen Shengyi’s heart.

Love could not necessarily be possessed, he understood that.

He didn’t know if Liu Zhanqin had heard him or not. He was kneeling on the ground, no sound, no movement.

Suddenly, his left hand waved and a ray of cold light flew out and passed by Shen Shengyi’s neck and nailed to stalk of bamboo.

This was the tip of the silver sword broken by his Metal-Breaking Hand.

“If you had said that a moment later, that broken sword would definitely have stuck in your throat!” Liu Zhanqin slowly raised his head, his gradually clouding eyes twinkling with a strange light.

Liu Zhanqin wasn’t boasting. The broken sword had taken Shen Shengyi by surprise and really could have lodged in his throat.

Shen Shengyi believed it and was struck dumb on the spot.

“That’s enough of our old grudges, why add more? There’s already blood everywhere, why shed more…” Liu Zhanqin laughed loudly and shot up and sprinted off madly. He only made it a few steps when he suddenly fell, holding onto a stem of bamboo as he slid down.

This time he would not, would not ever get back up.

Shen Shengyi suddenly broke out into wild laughter, and as he laughed he threw the piece of broken sword in his hand and without looking back he strode away.

The sword stuck in the earth was broken. And his grudge?

Ah, a grudge is hard to dispel!

THE END

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1. 霄漢, Han means the Han River. The band of the Milky Way galaxy in Chinese is known as the Sky River, sometimes called the Han River. 霄 is empyrean, welkin, the firmament. Huang Ying didn’t simply write “sky”, so I’m not either.
2. Crying blood is an expression of grief, but it is metaphorical. Kinda weird to see it described as really physically happening.
3. 青梅竹馬, means childhood sweethearts, innocent affection between a boy and girl who grew up together.
4.