The Chaotic Scroll, Chapter Eighteen: He's So Good (Part Three)
Updated: 2008-10-04 15:09:36 Word Count: 5626
Mr. Xue has been going out every day for the past two days, often not home until late at night. I don't know what he's up to. Xiaoman and the others wanted to say goodbye, but they couldn't even see him.
When asked, Duan Hui said furtively that a special guest was coming to the mansion soon, which was why Mr. Xue was unusually busy.
"Guests? I think it's a woman." Zexiu scoffed at this answer.
Duan Hui was peeling peaches for them when he heard this and laughed, "Don't mention it, Mr. Xue is not that kind of person." He used a small knife to cut the peaches into plum blossom shapes, sliced them one by one, put them on a crystal plate, handed them to the two of them, and said, "Mr. Xue also instructed that he knew you two were leaving soon, so please wait until he is done with this busy period before you leave. Please don't be in a hurry."
Xiaoman and Zexiu had no choice but to continue living in his mansion. Neither of them were the type to live a peaceful life of eating and sleeping. It would have been fine for them to recuperate in the mansion, but after they recovered, they were forced to live a life of leisure, which was worse than death. With nothing to do all day, they started causing trouble.
One day, Zexiu suddenly had a whimsical idea: to teach Xiaoman swordsmanship. The practice place was chosen in the bamboo grove in the back garden, where precious varieties of Xiangfei bamboo were planted. It was an elegant and peaceful place, which Mr. Xue had always cherished.
Zexiu brandished his sword wildly through the forest. His kung fu was characterized by its unrestrained and wild style, with very few techniques. After a single sword dance, countless poor Xiangfei bamboos had been felled. He wiped his sweat and tossed the greatsword to Xiaoman: "Remember?"
He moves so fast that even someone with a martial arts background couldn't possibly learn it in one go.
Xiao Man nodded readily: "I remember."
She had a piece of pastry in her mouth, wiped her clothes with her left hand, and barely managed to lift her sword.
I will chop down—chop down all the demons and monsters in the world!
With a clang, the greatsword struck the bamboo and bounced away. It landed right at Duan Hui's feet as he brought tea, nearly breaking his ankle. He was terrified and stared blankly at the two of them.
Xiao Man ran over, picked up the greatsword with both hands, and greeted her, "Sorry, I didn't hold on tight just now."
I pierce through all the demons and monsters in the world!
The greatsword flew out of her hand in a flash, grazing Duan Hui's ear, and with a crack, two more bamboo stalks behind her broke off.
"Didn't you say you remembered?" Zexiu went to pick up the sword, his face dark. "It was just random slashing and stabbing."
Xiao Man said seriously, "Because the sword is too heavy, it might be better to get a lighter one."
Zexiu indeed took out a dagger from his boot and was about to hand it to her when Duanhui, whose face had already turned pale, stepped forward and said softly, "It's better not to practice anymore. This forest will be completely cleared out."
The two turned around innocently, only to find that a whole beautiful bamboo forest had been cut down and scattered.
The sword-practicing incident finally came to a satisfactory end, thanks to Xiaoman's pretense of knowledge, Mr. Xue's tearful breakdown, and Zexiu's furious outburst.
One day, Xiaoman suddenly had a whimsical idea: she wanted to teach Zexiu how to cook.
"You know martial arts. Your knife skills are definitely beyond question. Cut this piece of meat into strips. The strips should not exceed two inches in length and half an inch in width."
Xiao Man brandished the kitchen knife in her hand, displaying the seriousness and earnestness of a schoolteacher.
Zexiu gripped the cleaver. A few beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, and he hesitated to make a cut.
"Tch!" Xiao Man said mercilessly.
Zexiu raised his knife, his tiger body trembled, his tiger eyes glared, he gritted his teeth, roared, and raised his claws—and slashed down.
The cutting board cracked, the stove collapsed, and the meat on the cutting board lay perfectly intact on the ground.
Zexiu tossed the knife aside: "You cut the vegetables, I'll cook them."
Thus, the cooking lesson ended after the kitchen was burned down.
That desolate night, a raging fire shot straight into the sky, illuminating Mr. Xue's dark, jade-like eyes, and also his face streaked with tears. He finally grasped the painful reality, and after much agonizing reflection, he drove the two men out the very next day.
"Now that you're leaving, who knows when you'll be able to come visit your third uncle again?" Mr. Xue's eyes were red from crying when he saw them off. His hair was softly draped over his shoulders, and his clothes were loose. He was heartbroken. "It would be best if you never came back again."
Duan Hui led over two fine horses, handed the reins to Ze Xiu, and said softly with a smile, "Don't mind him, Mr. Xue is just being childish and saying the opposite of what he means. You must come and visit often in the future; we'll be waiting for you at our residence."
Zexiu tied the bundle to the horse's back, mounted the horse, looked down at Mr. Xue, and suddenly smiled slightly: "Third Uncle, take care."
Mr. Xue's nose turned red as he held Xiao Man's hand and said softly, "Ze Xiu is a child who responds better to gentleness than force. Don't always go against him. He'll need your help taking care of him in the future. Little Man, remember to come back to see your uncle. Your uncle will always prepare beautiful clothes for you. Don't forget your uncle..."
Before he could finish his nagging, Xiaoman was dragged onto the horse by Zexiu with a dark face. She turned back to wave to them, though she was actually reluctant to leave. She was reluctant not only to leave these lovely and enthusiastic people, but also to leave behind all the beautiful things that had happened here. On a certain frightening night, the girl's face in the bronze mirror was as red as a peach blossom, as if she had emerged from her cocoon as a butterfly.
She felt she would never forget that breathtaking beauty and the heart-pounding feeling she experienced at that moment.
"We need to leave Liaodong, but crossing the border will be troublesome. It's easier to take the side roads instead." Zexiu said as he rode slowly forward, looking down at the map.
Xiao Man, riding on another horse, looked around listlessly. Suddenly, she realized something and turned around sharply: "Leaving Liaodong?! Where to?"
Zexiu pointed to the location on the map: "The Five Corners on the southeast sides are not in Liao territory, but within the territory of the Great Song Dynasty. I think there should be clues about the Five Corners in the Jiangning Prefecture and Fuzhou area."
Xiao Man frowned slightly, and after a long while, she whispered, "We can't...we shouldn't leave Liaodong yet, okay? We haven't found the Yinshui treasure yet. Wouldn't it be bad if it fell into the hands of Yelü Wenjue and his gang?"
"You don't need to worry about that. Without the Five Corners of Zhenbei, they can only sigh at the treasure. There's also a Yin Wood location in the east, where there's still treasure. Besides, there are only two of us, and we can't carry that much treasure. Carrying it around would only attract attention. It's not a good idea."
Xiao Man had nothing to say and could only remain silent.
If she leaves Liaodong, the group from Mount Bugui will have no ties. They could come looking for her at any time. Especially Old Sha; the feeling of that cold knife against her neck isn't pleasant. And the feeling of having her throat cut off is even less enjoyable.
Lost in thought, she was caught off guard when Zexiu suddenly reached under her armpits, picked her up, and placed her in front of him.
“Yelü can’t rely on this forever.” His whispered words startled Xiaoman, who quickly turned around and stared at him blankly.
Zexiu patted her head: "You can't stay in Liaodong forever. Problems will always need to be solved. This time, I'm here, so you don't need to worry."
Xiao Man whispered, "You knew all along?"
He smiled and said, "You brought him along for no reason, Old Sha was expelled for no reason, and the people from No Return Mountain used to operate mostly in Liaodong, but now they're completely silent—it's obvious who's behind this. Listen to me, Yelü can't be relied on forever. Right now he's a spoiled brat, not doing anything productive. Once he becomes emperor, he'll always prioritize the interests of his own dynasty. No one will help you forever for no reason. Since ancient times, emperors and generals have been the most unreliable."
Xiao Man bit her lip and said softly, "No one will help me for a lifetime without a reason... Will you be one of them?"
Zexiu didn't speak. He simply gently stroked her cheek for a long time before whispering, "Don't be so petty. Helping others makes things easier for yourself. Things in the martial world will only get more complicated if the government and the army get involved."
Xiao Man was stunned for a long, long time before she sighed softly: "How could you possibly know what it feels like to be trampled on?"
Before Zexiu could speak, she added, "I understand, I will do as you say."
Zexiu took her hand in his palm, turned it over, and looked down to examine it closely. Xiaoman also looked down, seeing that even when she stretched out her hand, it was no bigger than his. Her fingers were slender and lovely, while Zexiu's hands were covered with calluses from holding swords and reins.
She gently scratched at his calluses with her fingers, and heard him whisper in her ear, "Don't move."
He grasped her hand, looked at it for a long time, and then smiled and said, "Don't worry, you have the face of a long and healthy life. You are destined for wealth and honor, will marry a noble husband, and will have many children and grandchildren. You won't die young, and good days await you in the future."
Xiao Man laughed too: "How did you know?"
"Looking at someone's face is easy; you can tell just by looking at it," he said, as casually as if he were eating beans.
Xiao Man rested her head on her forehead, looking around: "Where is my son-in-law? Where is he? I can't see him."
Zexiu laughed heartily, opened his arms and hugged her slender body tightly, saying softly, "Don't be afraid, don't be angry, I'm here, okay?"
Xiao Man grasped his hand, took a deep breath, nodded, and suddenly said, "Your beard is poking my neck, it hurts so much. Get away from me."
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt him deliberately rub his chin against her face and neck. She laughed so hard she almost fell off her horse. She quickly grabbed the reins and was about to speak when she suddenly heard the sound of bells from ahead. The two of them looked up at the same time and saw a person running wildly through the woods. The person had disheveled hair and dirty clothes, but was slender and very attractive.
Xiao Man exclaimed, "Ah!" and cried out urgently, "Lianyi!"
The girl paused, looked up uncertainly in their direction, and finally recognized Xiaoman. Suddenly, she burst into tears, rushed forward as if her life depended on it, and hugged Xiaoman tightly, sobbing, "Master! Master! He...he's going to die!"
Xiao Man dismounted and gently patted her shoulder. In the few months she'd been gone, she had lost a lot of weight; her shoulder bones were protruding, and her clothes were so dirty you couldn't even tell their original color. She looked more wretched than a beggar. She said softly, "Tell me slowly, don't rush, don't cry. What happened? Where have you been these past few months?"
With tears streaming down her face, Lianyi choked out, "I...I can't wait any longer! Please, Master, go and save him first! He's surrounded by several bandits; I'm afraid he'll die!"
Zexiu frowned: "Him? Is it Yelü? Don't you have martial arts skills? Why are you still running away?"
Lianyi froze, then quickly looked up and shrieked, "Yes! Why...why did I run away?! It was him...he said girls shouldn't touch me, and told me to run first, so I...I'm so stupid! I'm so dumb!"
She turned and ran, and the two hurriedly gave chase. They hadn't gone far when they heard a commotion. It was Yelü arguing with three or four men who looked like thieves; the little rascals had been beaten to a pulp. They were still crying and yelling, "State your names, or I'll cut you into a thousand pieces!"
Before he could finish speaking, he was punched hard in the face. His mouth was full of blood, and he mumbled something unintelligible.
Lianyi leaped forward and quickly subdued the group of thugs, who lay groaning on the ground. Zexiu walked over and laughed, "This is truly effortless; aren't these the notorious bandits on the wanted list?"
He took out a rope and happily tied them up, then turned back and waved to Xiaoman: "Sorry, I'll be right back."
He was going to the government office to collect his reward. Xiaoman knew his habits and didn't stop him. She simply led the horse to Lianyi's side. She tearfully helped Yelü up from the ground, who looked like a tattered rag, and choked out, "It's all my fault... How could I be so stupid? Every time... I could have chased them away."
Yelü had broken half a tooth. He covered his mouth, blood gushing from between his fingers. His other hand, however, touched Lianyi's face, as if to comfort her.
Xiao Man felt a pang of pity seeing his swollen face. She whispered, "Let's go find a place to apply the medicine for him."
Lianyi wiped away her tears, nodded, and gently carried Yelü on her back. Once they left the forest, they entered a small town. Xiaoman asked for three rooms and even invited a doctor to come and see Yelü. The doctor prescribed some medicine, which was then prepared in the kitchen below.
"How come he's covered in injuries? What have you been living these past few months?" Xiaoman was speechless. The doctor said that Yelü's injuries weren't just these new ones; it seemed he had been injured before. No wonder he looked like a pig's head.
Lianyi sat on the edge of the bed, gently wiping the bloodstains from Yelü's face with a damp cloth. She whispered, "That night, Yelü Wenjue attacked. I was acupunctured, but Prince Tianquan saved me. He told me to take him and leave quickly. I ran all night, not knowing where to go, and could only circle back. But you, my masters, were all gone. He... he asked me where we were going. I said we should go to Mount Taibai, but we didn't know the way. We just wandered around in the forest, asking for directions and searching for the way every day. When we finally found Mount Taibai, the Jurchens there said that some southerners had offended the gods. I guessed it might be you, my masters. But he... he got into a fight with the Jurchens, and he cut off one of their ears. He was being chased, so I had no choice but to take him and run away. We've been on the run for so long..."
Xiao Man sighed. This Yelü still thinks he's as powerful as when he was a prince, cutting off people's ears everywhere, all aggressive and incompetent, yet he's always causing trouble. He deserves it.
"So what happened this time?"
Lianyi shook her head and whispered, "We encountered some notorious bandits on the road who wanted to rob us. We didn't have much money on us, so they started to grope me. He... he told me to run..."
"So you just ran out like that, all stupid?" Xiaoman couldn't believe her ears and instinctively rubbed her head hard twice. "How could you be so clueless! It's unbelievable!"
Lianyi didn't say anything more, but silently cleaned his wounds.
There was a sudden knock on the door. Xiaoman ran to open it and saw Zexiu standing there, his forehead covered in sweat.
"Is that person dead or not?" He strode in and asked bluntly. He had originally intended to say that if he was dead, he would throw him out, but when he saw Lianyi's tearful eyes, he had to swallow the rest of his words.
"This is the government's reward money, two hundred taels in total, as a reward for catching those wanted criminals. Here, take it." Zexiu tossed a small cloth bag to Lianyi, who hurriedly caught it. When she opened it, her eyes widened in disbelief; she had never seen so much silver in her life.
"Thank you, Uncle Zexiu, but I didn't catch all those people. You... you should keep them."
Lianyi carefully returned the cloth bag to Zexiu.
He waved his hand and said, "No need to say more, just keep it safe." After saying that, he patted Xiaoman on the head, dragged her out of the house, and added, "You're unlucky to have such a stingy master."
The door was closed, and Xiaoman's furious voice was cut off behind it.
Lianyi carefully put away the cloth bag, turned around and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the pig's head on the bed. After a long time, she slowly stretched out a finger, as if afraid of startling him, and stroked his bruised and purplish-red cheek.
Everyone said he was a bad person, good for nothing, bisexual, and incompetent.