Schatzkammer von Jianghu

Kapitel 34

A deafening roar echoed through the dark night sky, shaking the heavens and causing the ancient earth to tremble violently. In an instant, the towering ancient city, nestled against the distant mountains, was forever submerged, leaving only a silent, bright moon overhead and a vast, empty expanse before one's eyes.

Qiu Yeyi stood atop Phoenix Cry Mountain, with Zhao Yingcheng beside him, his eyes fixed in deep thought. The two, side by side, witnessed a darkness slowly descend, and remained silent for a moment.

"After today's parting, what are your plans for the future, young master?" Zhao Yingcheng asked, facing the cold wind.

"The scenery of the northern frontier is far inferior to that of the south of the Yangtze River," Qiu Yeyijian suddenly said.

Zhao Yingcheng smiled slightly: "Jiangnan is a place where the morning sun rises and the evening moon sets, with rosy clouds and verdant pavilions, and beautiful women waiting in their boudoirs. It is truly incomparable."

There was no response from the person beside him.

"Isn't it your birthday in seven days, young master?"

"yes."

"Congratulations, young master. Despite your arduous journey, you have finally gained control of the frontier. It is said that the Emperor has promised that if you acquire the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, he will grant you any request?"

Zhao Yingcheng smiled and glanced at the person beside him, his eyes filled with a resolute light. Qiu Ye stood coldly by his sword, gazing at the bright moon before him.

"What is the young master thinking about?"

Zhao Yingcheng paused slightly, turned his gaze to the bright moon, and said in a deep voice, "I earnestly request that you, young master, speak kindly when you have an audience with me, and settle the case of Yang Dingjiang."

The pale moonlight flowed across the distant land, dappling the lonely figure of Cenchen. After a long while, Qiu Yeyi's cold voice pierced through the white veil, ringing in Zhao Yingcheng's ears: "The Crown Prince has made two requests; which one should I grant?"

“Since Chu Yi is dead, that doesn’t count,” Zhao Yingcheng quickly replied.

As Qiu Ye faced the moonlight, a cold gaze appeared before him, a disdainful indifference, understated yet not arrogant. Thinking of that strange, resolute figure from the first year of junior high, a faint, icy smile crept onto his lips, and a voice echoed in his heart: "That person, even if trampled and beaten repeatedly, will never die."

Zhao Yingcheng raised his eyes, secretly observing Qiu Yeyi's still profile. A smile lingered on his lips, a glimmer of sharp, radiant beauty beneath his icy exterior. He pondered for a moment: "Since his debut, Young Master Qiu Ye has steadily and successfully conquered the Tang Clan, pacified Youzhou, and sunk the Ancient Well, remaining unmatched for years. Only Chu Yi, whom he encountered, was forced into the underground city and is most likely dead. Yet, judging from his smile, he seems unsatisfied, with an undiminished amusement. Could it be that he has discovered something interesting?"

Zhao Yingcheng said loudly, "Does my humble abode contain any playthings that catch your eye, young master? If you mention them, even if I don't have them myself, I will certainly find them and present them to you with both hands."

"No."

"The Yang family case..."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty."

"Thank you very much, young master. I will definitely repay your kindness in the future."

Qiu Yeyi stood silently, staring into the distance where dark smoke filled the sky. Then, bored, he turned around and said coldly, "The only pawn is dead again. What fun is there left?"

Zhao Yingcheng looked back at Qiu Yeyi's departing figure, a stronger sense of astonishment welling up inside him, leaving him speechless with surprise.

A blue butterfly fluttered its wings, passing through the cool moonlight, and flew gracefully and eerily towards Liangyue Mountain Stream.

The butterfly's wings were translucent and as thin as cicada wings, shimmering with transparent, iridescent light. It circled along the edge of the ruins, then drifted forward and came to rest by the water.

A figure in blue slowly emerged from the thin mist. He walked with his head down, stopping and starting, occasionally looking up to search for the butterfly.

On the 20th day of the second month of the third year of Jianlong, at the hour of Hai (9:15 PM), the First Terrace of the Nine Provinces was completely destroyed overnight and ceased to exist.

The Song army mobilized 150,000 troops and fought continuously from the early Jianlong period, with most of them losing and dying in battle. Legend has it that after the main Liao army won a complete victory at the Battle of Gujing, they entered the ancient city and perished in the fire along with the corpses of 8,000 civilians. The Liao state was severely weakened and unable to continue fighting, so it voluntarily sounded the retreat and returned to its capital.

Zhao Yingcheng, the son of the Northern Chancellor, then led 10,000 elite troops south and recovered the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun without losing a single soldier. From then on, the two princes from the north and south became famous and renowned.

—Some say that on the battlefield amidst thousands of troops, a bewitching and handsome Asura wielded a long sword that blazed with crimson light, slaying a thousand Liao soldiers, his clothes stained with blood.

Historical records indicate that Zhao Yingcheng, the son of the Northern Chancellor, was like a god of war, charging fearlessly into battle. His silver spear flashed like pear blossoms, chilling all who saw it.

The 500-year-old city standing on the horizon had a history fulfilled by two unknown teenagers underground.

35. (Bonus Chapter) Fulfilling Wishes

I was born in Bixie Manor on the shore of the East China Sea, and was known as the "Young Master Bixie".

The name Bixie was given to me by my father, supposedly to cleanse my mother of impurities. I never met either of them. Later I learned that my mother died from exhaustion when I was born. Before she died, she combined my father's and mother's surnames and told me to be strong, so I was named "Qiuye Yijian".

When I was two years old and could walk and talk, there were only two people around me: Wu Suan and Zhuge Dongge. Wu Suan always urged me to learn swordsmanship, while Dongge always teased me, trying to incorporate his thoughts into the game. For example, he would always say to me, "Young master, the island is a lot of fun, do you want to go?" His favorite thing to say to me was, "Young master, can you smile?"

Yes, I can't even laugh. My grandfather told me this memory. He regretted it when he said it because he had been shaping my personality behind the scenes since I was a child, and without any deviation, I grew into a cold person.

Practicing swordsmanship underwater, returning to school, having people who had done wrong brought before me to be my targets for execution... This was my childhood, devoid of any relaxation or fun. At Dongge's suggestion, my maternal grandfather, who had been remotely controlling things from Kaifeng, sent two very handsome young boys.

When I first saw them, one thought immediately popped into my head: toys.

I would capture them and beat them every day. They couldn't beat me and always ended up with bruises and swelling from the abuse. Leng Qi wasn't smart at all. When he couldn't beat me, he would glare at me with red eyes. I didn't care if people said his eyes were as fierce as a wolf's. I was the first to subdue him. One day, I said to him, "I heard someone say that your mother was a prostitute, so I sent her there too. Remember, the highest level of abuse isn't killing someone, but making them suffer unbearable pain." These words made him ponder for a day. It was indeed difficult for a seven-year-old to understand, but he understood, only to forget it later.

Yin Guang was a crybaby. He changed into clean clothes every day and came to see me tremblingly. Perhaps it was because he always admitted his weakness that I liked to keep him by my side. As a result, these two subordinates and apprentices who looked like my sons grew up to be a vengeful and fierce god and a handsome young man.

I first met Chu Yi at Luoyan Pagoda. I had no idea what his appearance meant.

A blood-covered boy clung tightly to Nan Jingqi, and I immediately frowned. Such a filthy person! Seeing Songbai stop in his tracks, I was immediately struck by the realization that they must have seen this boy before. Since even such a combative person didn't dare to approach, he must be a master.

As expected, Yin Guang paused for a moment, and both arrows missed. I immediately became curious and kept staring at him. But at the time, I didn't know that curiosity could kill.

After a few sword moves, I could tell that this person was indeed a swordsman, and the sword he was holding was the "Moonlight," which was unheard of in the martial arts world.

The night's siege of the Jingxiang guards took me a long time, and I wanted to finish the siege early and go back to rest, so I lost interest and asked Yinguang to bring me a bow.

Those two arrows pierced my right shoulder. I saw it later; there was a chrysanthemum-like mark. When I subconsciously started to gnaw on that scar, that was the beginning of my descent into an abyss from which there was no return.

I hate Lonely Triumph. I don't know what this person said to Chu Yi, but Chu Yi looked at me with great distance, which I disliked intensely. Another reason is that I later learned he was the first to see Chu Yi's true face, and possibly even his body. Just thinking about that makes my heart churn. Every time I see him, I want to kill him, or at least make him suffer in silence. Although Dong Ge Juebi pleaded for the lives of these two, how could I, Qiu Ye Yi Jian, who has roamed the world for so long, be controlled by others?

I saw Chu Yi again on Long Stone Street in Ruzhou. I smelled a different scent because my nose had been specially trained, but the scent was a bit far away. I probed in three directions before finally luring Chu Yi out. It turned out to be a faint, cool medicinal fragrance from his hair; you had to be very close to him to smell it. I only learned this later.

I can't forget Chu Yi's eyes. All the people I killed before stared at me with the same fierce look as Leng Qi, but Chu Yi's eyes were defiant and unyielding, so cold and so bright.

...He must be in a lot of pain...

I stood in my room for a while, lost in thought, before realizing I was still gazing into those eyes. I quickly suppressed my unusual feelings and assigned tasks for the evening.

Chu Yi came to my bedroom, disguised as Leng Qitian without fail. He had obviously made thorough preparations before coming, carefully concealing all traces of Chu Yi. However, I did not expect that the way I teased that concubine would be remembered by him. No matter how close I got, he did not respond.

When Chu Yi pulled the cloak over the woman's body, I had my suspicions. If it were Leng Qi, he would have called someone else to take it, because he had also learned my temperament and was afraid of getting his hands dirty. When Chu Yi unfolded the cloak, he took the Dragon Pattern Sword instead.

Having obtained all the information I wanted in the hall, my most primal evil erupted naturally: Catch him! I must catch him! I must dismantle this man and see what he's made of! This is completely different from what I've known for the past twenty-two years. What kind of person would risk their life for a broken sword?

From then on, my world was completely turned upside down by the first year of junior high school.

Throughout my first year of junior high, I've always had this feeling that this seemingly indestructible ant always manages to suddenly appear from all around me when I least expect it; the Battle of Three Ape Gorge was the first example. He secretly aided Ma Liancheng, and to be honest, I was genuinely surprised. He didn't even sabotage the ambush; what was he trying to tell me? Wu Sanshou actually chose to commit suicide for him, and Dongge even came to see me to plead for him. I was astonished at the time, though I didn't show it on my face.

If the previous incidents involving the first-year junior high student only caught my attention in a minor way, then this battle really piqued my curiosity, so I kept it in mind. Obviously, the first-year junior high student even gave Zhao Yingcheng a hard time, which really confirmed my idea: this first-year junior high student is indeed everywhere!

I knew what Zhao Yingcheng was thinking. He just wanted to torture Chu Yi like I had. Zhao Yingcheng and I were the same kind of people, so I understood his thoughts. However, I didn't agree to his request at the time. The reason was simple: this person was mine, and if anyone was to torture him, it could only be me. No one else could do it.

The cold glance he gave me in the first year of junior high left a lasting impression on me. I remember from childhood to adulthood, wherever I went, people either scrambled to see my face or bowed their heads in submission. Only this person was uninhibited, calm and aloof. Clearly, though his face was dull, he wasn't afraid of me. Later, analyzing his thoughts was simple: the more respectful he became towards you, the more distant he intended to be. He was easily swayed by gentleness but not by force, and he preferred dealing with people who were polite and respectful. This is also why I was hesitant to act against later characters like Yuwen Xiaobai, Gu Du Kaixuan, and Nan Jingqi.

When the well platform collapsed, Zhao Yingcheng thought I was relieved. I never expected Leng Qi to be so useless, actually running off to the underground city. At the time, I was only thinking about one question: If Chu Yi went in, will he die this time? Is he really an unkillable cockroach? If he's still alive, he's a magical person. As long as he's alive, I must catch him and study him carefully. Otherwise, without an evenly matched opponent, life would be so boring.

A year later, I learned a fact that shocked me greatly: Chu Yi forced Wu Sanshou to use his needles, and he could have chosen not to let the ancient well platform explode, but he did not stop Leng Qi's crazy behavior, which is really intriguing.

It turns out that the world only saw my success, ignoring the hidden factors beneath the surface. It turns out that my success was already accompanied by his presence from the Battle of Sanyuan Gorge onwards; it's just that I was strategizing from above, while he was fulfilling his promise from below.

Yes, I'll grant it. We were in the open and in the shadows, one above and one below, our relationship a mix of rivalry and friendship, neither close nor distant. And I didn't realize that every time I saw Chu Yi, I would give him a very faint smile.

This first-year junior high student is named Leng Shuangcheng. Ever since I met him, he has become a part of me.

And he, clearly, made my history complete.

36. (Bonus Chapter) I found that medicine

I've never understood my father. He was a Hanlin scholar. Although I was born into an official family, he never allowed me to get involved in politics, but forced me to go into business.

When I was five, my memories were filled with account books, abacuses, acupuncture, medicine, and hot springs... As I grew older, I learned that I was born with a deficiency of coldness and needed to rest. And so, I grew up obediently day by day until I was sent to Wufang Island.

There was a medical hut nestled in the woods on the island, where I always studied poetry and medicine. Sometimes, when my senior fellow students were out seeing patients, I would sneak out to play. The vast ocean, the forest—how free I felt to breathe!

One day, I saw a little boy fishing by the sea. When I got back, I asked my senior brother about it. He sighed and said, "That's a pitiful child. He's been bullied so much that he's become cruel by nature. His eyes are always red... The young master came up with a way to temper his rage..."

I realized for the first time that not all children are as cunning and kind as I am. How can I describe them? They are like swords drawn from their sheaths, capable of wounding without leaving a trace.

Later, when I encountered Xie Yinguang and Zhao Yong again, it was just an ordinary encounter. The young man in silver was very elegant and was a kind of person I was very familiar with in my life, but we never became close friends and only nodded to each other slightly.

For Qi Chenli's sake, I became the lord of Qinglong Town. Except for winter, whenever I wanted, I would run a business in this East China Sea port, sometimes exchanging supplies for the ship that wards off evil spirits, and listening to Zhao Yong tell stories of strange tales on the island. I did this repeatedly for eight years.

I come to town in spring and summer, and return to the village in autumn and winter. My life is monotonous, day after day, just like my illness. Sometimes I have this strange thought: I can't do anything great with this body. Is God going to let me live out my life like this?

Zhao Yong would come to my place from time to time and tell me a story about someone, not the Evil-Slaying Young Master, because that person was hard to find. The person he was talking about was named "Chu Yi".

"Why is it called such a name?" I was slightly taken aback.

Zhao Yong, however, looked smug: "I picked him up on the first day of the Lunar New Year."

Looking at Zhao Yong's smug face, I just found it amusing. This man had a hidden aura about him, so he was probably no ordinary person. However, he had retreated overseas, and like me, living a life weighed down by fate, I had become just an ordinary person. I couldn't be bothered to guess his identity.

He came twice that month, and both times he mentioned the first year of junior high, which made me a little curious, because although he was long-winded, he never repeated himself. He stroked his chin repeatedly and said enthusiastically, "The first year is fine..."

"What can I do?"

Zhao Yong glanced at me smugly and said casually, "He can do things that you young masters can't even imagine."

I couldn't help but chuckle: "Then tell me, what exactly was your first year of junior high?"

“Dumb, just dumb, so easy to bully…” Zhao Yong grinned and said with endless sigh, “It’s been years since I’ve had such a docile farmhand.”

I was somewhat stunned, only to hear Zhao Yong say with a wistful thought, "But he's a master, even you can't beat him."

I was unconvinced, not because I was arrogant about my martial arts skills, but because I thought, if he's a master, why would he be so easily bullied? Zhao Yong continued, "If you came to a place where you didn't know anyone, would you stay silent for a whole day?"

I shook my head: "No one can do it."

"You can start in the first year of junior high."

"If you stared at the ocean all day without eating or drinking, could you do it?"

"That's not difficult."