Der Mond scheint hell über den leeren Bergen, und Blumen füllen den Himmel

Kapitel 85

Yu Cuiwei burst into laughter, “But I heard from your sister that you like an old maid surnamed Yang.”

Wan Yuyue slowly shook his head, then slowly shook his head again. "I just didn't refuse... I never... I never said I loved her." His voice sounded gentle even though it was stiff. "I admired her, respected her, obeyed her... but I never loved her... I was even afraid of her, hated her, and felt guilty towards her... but I never loved her." He took a deep breath and said, "I have only ever loved Anuan."

"Nobody knows?" Yu Cuiwei was greatly surprised, and chuckled. "Why didn't you tell her?"

“How…how would I know…” Wan Yuyuedan said softly, “I’m only eighteen, brother-in-law, I’m only eighteen…”

Yu Cuiwei was taken aback for a moment. "You don't dare?"

Wan Yuyue nodded, her eyes filled with a mixture of emotions, as if she were completely lost, and there was a unique kind of youthful bitterness in them.

He was only eighteen—Yu Cuiwei often forgot that this tough yet gentle brother-in-law was only eighteen. At eighteen, some talents can mature precociously, some natures can be exceptionally sharp, some wisdom can be exceptionally keen, but there are also things he shares with other children his age: exceptional naiveté, exceptional fear of disappointment—especially since he was a highly competitive child…

"I'm leaving," Wan Yuyue murmured. The sound of horses' hooves and wheels came from outside the door, not far away.

Yu Cuiwei moved to sit on the sable cloak he had left behind, watching him slowly walk out the door, board another carriage, and leave. He truly left behind Shengxiang, who was waiting for him when he encountered a formidable enemy, offered no help, and took Yu Cuiwei with him; he simply took Wenren Nuan away. The carriage gradually disappeared into the wind and snow, its hoofprints buried by the heavy snow. Neither saving Shengxiang nor Yu Cuiwei, Biluo Palace chose to remain aloof and stay away from the turmoil.

As Yu Cuiwei watched the carriage disappear, he suddenly turned around. A person stood behind the half-open door of the City God Temple's back gate. Seeing him turn around, the person smiled brightly and winked.

Holy incense...

His lightness skill was so good that Wan Yuyuedan did not hear his footsteps.

For a moment, even Yu Cuiwei didn't know what to say to him. He gave Shengxiang a flirtatious wink and sighed, "Wouldn't it be better if you were like him?"

Shengxiang staggered in and sat down on the mink cloak—Yu Cuiwei automatically offered it to him. He patted the snowflakes off his clothes and glared, "If I were like him, you'd be dead long ago, good riddance!" Then Shengxiang muttered to himself, "I knew it... that brat is so rich, turns out she's Awan's wife. Is he sure his wife won't squander all his wealth before he gets married?"

After Shengxiang had been muttering to herself for a while, Yu Cuiwei bit his lip and smiled, "What's wrong with me dying?" His eyes were somewhat unfocused, "Someone like me isn't worth saving."

"Hey." Saint Thun didn't look at him. "You really think so?"

"It's fake." Yu Cuiwei still smiled, biting her lip.

"Do you want to die?" Shengxiang asked again.

"I don't want to," Yu Cuiwei sighed.

Shengxiang gazed for a long time at the snow falling heavier and heavier outside the temple gate, then suddenly smiled faintly, exhaling a slow, deep breath that turned into a mist like snow. "Someone like Dayu, who will live no matter what she goes through, I think... she wouldn't have a guilty conscience..." His eyes deepened, becoming vast and empty, "She must have a reason to live, or a dream... some wishes..."

Yu Cuiwei suddenly trembled, his face turning pale. Shengxiang said, "The reason to live... a dream... some wishes..." He trembled uncontrollably, so much so that he gripped the hem of his clothes, his knuckles turning white.

“I think… they’ve been wronging you all along… they’ve called you a lecher, a demon, a monster, an unbearable transvestite…” Saint Thun never looked at him. “They’ve wronged you, haven’t they? So what if your body is different from others? You’re just an ordinary person like many others who are afraid of you. You can do evil, and of course… you can do good.”

Yu Cuiwei did not answer.

"Is that so?" Shengxiang asked again.

Yu Cuiwei remained silent.

"Is that so?" Shengxiang slowly turned to look at him.

Yu Cuiwei saw a pair of eyes he had never seen before, eyes that were clear, transparent, empty, and desolate, as if they held a world above the mundane mortal realm, barren yet full of spirituality, gentle yet dim in color. Shengxiang also saw a pair of eyes he had never seen before in Yu Cuiwei, eyes filled with bloodshot veins, like wounds pierced by swords.

Then Yu Cuiwei said, "Yes."

The answer was decisive and concise. Saint Fragrance blinked slowly. "I never believed you could truly commit such heinous acts… They've wronged you for ten years. If they still want you dead because of the crimes they've committed against you—" He paused, hesitating for a long time, "What then?"

What does that count for?

Yu Cuiwei had no answer.

“I want to see something…that makes people happy,” Saint-Chan said listlessly. “There aren’t many things in this world that make people happy: bad people being punished, lies being exposed, the truth being known, good deeds being praised…I just want to see something that makes people happy, is that so strange?” He asked, “What do you mean by ‘wouldn’t it be better if you were like him?’”

Yu Cuiwei was speechless again. His eyes, which hadn't warmed for years, suddenly welled up with tears, and he was once again filled with overwhelming excitement. "Bad people being punished, lies being exposed, the truth being known, and good deeds being praised"—was it strange to want to see such things? Sheng Xiang was a person with a clear mind and heart. It wasn't that he couldn't see through the hardships of the world, but he always held a very simple heart, hoping that everyone around him would be well.

He longs to see things that bring joy, and he's willing to sacrifice, strive, and persevere for it. Perhaps this expectation stems from his own unhappiness... He hopes everyone around him is well, and he'd gladly do anything for it, perhaps because of the unpleasant experiences he's had in the past...

“If you were like him, you would do better and make more accurate decisions,” Yu Cuiwei said, “and live longer.”

Saint Fragrance smiled faintly, "I've always been looking forward to seeing what A-Wan can do, what he can do for me..." He turned to gaze at the hoofprints buried in the snow after Wan Yuyuedan left, "He can do what I can't, he will achieve terrible things, he will grow up to be a perfect leader, enjoying glory, wealth, power, and fame that no one else can possess. He can uphold justice, but only after he is strong enough." His smile broadened, "He will live a long time, and I... don't want that much." He smiled brightly and charmingly now, "This young master only wants himself and his relatives and friends to be happy. You are this young master's friend, and this young master thinks you are a good person, and a good person—one who shouldn't be wronged."

"Did you hear the sound of weapons?" Yu Cuiwei smiled and pointed east. "I heard that 'White Hair' and 'Heavenly Eye' are leading a group of martial arts heroes from Wudang Mountain, confronting the eleven sects outside Bianjing. Listen, they've probably already started fighting." He slowly said, "Although you are just one person, you can't truly be independent unless you are rejected by the world... Otherwise, many people will still die tragically because of you and me." He asked softly, "What should we do?"

Listening to the sounds of clashing weapons carried on the wind and snow, Shengxiang was almost bewildered and confused. "Why are they here?"

“Because you and they are friends. Although they don’t trust me, they trust you.” Yu Cuiwei smiled, his demeanor calm and composed, yet he seemed approachable and even somewhat reliable. “Although there are many things in this world that make people unhappy, there are also some fools who do stupid things, making this world occasionally a little endearing.” He patted Shengxiang’s shoulder. “Let’s go see your friends.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Cold Anvil Urges the Leaves to Fall in September

The sounds of clashing weapons originated from the entrance to Zhuxian Town. When Yu Cuiwei and Shengxiang arrived, the scene was already one of utter devastation. Rong Yin, Yu Xiu, Tong Toutuo, the "Four Friends of Qilian," Daoist Qinghe, and others were fighting against another group of diverse martial artists. This group included men, women, the elderly, and the young, many of whom appeared righteous. As the two arrived, they heard Rong Yin coldly say, "I have said repeatedly that even if Yu Cuiwei's crimes are heinous and he has killed countless people, he was indeed saving lives at Daming Mountain and had no intention of insulting anyone. If you seniors insist on pursuing him, do you want me to become your enemy face to face?"

Amidst the chaotic commotion, Zhuge Zhi coldly stated, "We pursued Yu Cuiwei to rid the martial world of evil. I know nothing of what happened at Daming Mountain. The 'Ghost-Faced Demon' is lewd and lustful, and even my nephew 'White Hair' says he is guilty of heinous crimes. What's wrong with us eliminating a scourge for the martial world? My nephew, are you also bewitched by that demon and acting under his orders, making us your enemy?"

Upon hearing this, the Copper-Headed Monk cried out, "Old man, you're talking nonsense! You're clearly trying to kill me to silence me..."

"You foolish monk," someone else sneered, "you've been fooled, completely ignorant of right and wrong, and you're hindering us from eliminating this scourge for the martial world. What good will that do you?"

Enraged, Copper-Headed Monk swung his crescent-shaped shovel wildly, smashing and banging. Then, someone behind Zhuge Zhi said, "This evil monk isn't from the righteous path either. Although 'White Hair' and 'Heavenly Eye' have resounding reputations, their origins are all unknown. Who knows if they're under the spell of 'Ghost-Faced Demon'? Perhaps they're also descendants of villains from Bingzhu Temple, which is why they're hiding their whereabouts so secretively!"

Upon hearing this, Rong Yin and Yu Xiu both frowned slightly. Sure enough, Xue Weiming was a hothead, and he immediately retorted, "Nonsense! Who doesn't know that 'White Hair' and 'Heavenly Eye' are young heroes, exceptionally chivalrous! Their lineage is definitely not from Bingzhu Temple." At this, Zhuge Zhi immediately seized the opportunity, looking at Rong Yin and Yu Xiu with a slight sneer. "These two heroes are young and certainly not from Bingzhu Temple. We wonder about their lineage? Why not clarify it publicly to avoid misunderstandings?" Rong Yin was a Privy Councilor of the current court, and Yu Xiu was once the Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Imperial Censorate of the Song Dynasty. One of them faked his death, and the other resigned from his post. How could this be revealed in public? Yu Xiu's resignation was one thing, but Rong Yin's faked death was a grave crime of deceiving the emperor, which absolutely could not be mentioned. Upon hearing Zhuge Zhi's words, the two fell silent, as if they truly were from Bingzhu Temple.

Xue Weiming and Tong Toutuo were both stunned, wondering why the two still refused to reveal their lineage. Just as Zhuge Zhi was secretly sneering and Rong Yin and Yu Xiu remained silent, someone chuckled, "These two big bosses have ten brothels with beauties under their command, how can my Bingzhu Temple compare? No wonder Senior Zhuge doesn't recognize them, let me introduce them to everyone."

Everyone stopped and turned around—the speaker, alluring and laughing, was none other than Yu Cuiwei. Everyone was surprised: Rong Yin and Yu Xiu were risking their lives to block his path and prevent anyone from catching up with him, yet he had returned on his own?

Yu Cuiwei walked up to Zhuge Zhi with a smile, pointed at Rong Yin, and said, "This is Boss Rong, the big boss of 'Bai Xiu Zhu' in Luoyang City." Then he winked at Yu Xiu, "This is Boss Yu, the big boss of 'Bai Tao Tang' in Bianjing. Senior Zhuge, please feel free to get to know these two."