Chapter Seven: The Sixth Night of Snow (Part 1)
Huo Zhanbai dismounted his horse near the Twenty-Four Bridges in Yangzhou.
Spring has just begun, and the Jiangnan region is still chilly, but it is much better than the harshness of the northern frontier.
Covered in dust, Huo Zhanbai traveled a thousand miles day and night, finally returning to Yangzhou on the nineteenth day. As dusk fell and he saw the familiar city, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. Overwhelmed by exhaustion, he decided to rest there for the night.
Knowing the place well, he led the snow hawk and the steed to the exquisite flower garden by the bridge.
Riding a horse and leaning against a slanting bridge, he was surrounded by red sleeves beckoning from the tower. Among those young men in bright clothes and riding spirited horses, Huo Zhanbai stood out starkly: his white clothes were torn in many places, his hair was disheveled, and his face was pale. If it weren't for the magnificent Ferghana horse that Xue Ziye had given him, he would probably have been mistaken for a beggar and thrown out by the maids of the Linglong Flower Realm.
"Miss Liu Feifei." He was extremely tired, so he simply took out a sachet and waved it.
The madam recognized the woman as the one Liu Huakui had given to the seventh young master of the Huo family half a year ago. Startled, she hurriedly came forward: "Seventh young master! It's you! What happened to you? It's been so long... Quick, quick, come and rest in the private room at the back."
He completely ignored the madam's enthusiastic greetings, simply handed the horse to the servant beside him, staggered upstairs, went straight into a familiar room, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Feifei, Feifei!"
"Seventh Young Master! Seventh Young Master!" the madam cried anxiously, chasing after him. "Miss Liu, she... she was here today..."
"Are we having guests today?" He paused in his tracks.
"It's alright, let him in." However, a familiar voice suddenly came from inside the room. The beautiful woman in green opened the door and stood gracefully. "Mom, why don't you go downstairs and greet the other guests?"
“But… what about Master Qian…” the madam hesitated.
"Just ask Mom to help push it," Liu Feifei said, covering her mouth and laughing.
After the madam left, she closed the door and looked at the person who was already fast asleep on the bed. Her expression slowly changed.
"You're back?" She sat down on the edge of the couch, looking at his pale and tired face.
"Mmm," he responded, feeling his eyelids droop uncontrollably as soon as he touched the bed.
"Is that matter finished?" She wouldn't let him sleep peacefully, raising her hand to stroke his straight eyebrows, murmuring, "You said last time that if this succeeds, then everything will be over."
He relaxed his brow and let out a long breath: "It's over."
Liu Feifei paused for a moment, as if she couldn't believe that her years of wandering had finally come to an end. Suddenly she laughed: "That's wonderful—I remember asking you before when I would be able to redeem myself and go with you? You said that it couldn't be discussed until 'that matter' was over. This time, I've finally waited for it."
Huo Zhanbai was startled and opened his eyes: "Feifei... I came back this time to tell you—"
However, before he could finish speaking, Liu Feifei chuckled and pressed her index finger to his mouth.
"Look how scared you are," she chuckled. "I was just kidding. You, a down-on-your-luck wanderer, do you have that much money to redeem me? Unless you rob or steal—it's not that you don't have the ability, but would you really steal or rob for me?"
He frowned as he looked at her, and suddenly realized that this beautiful courtesan had changed somewhat since they last met more than half a year ago.
I forget which time it was, but I was dragged here by a group of cronies to have some fun, and that's how I met this top courtesan of Yangzhou's Linglong Flower World. She was the kind of intelligent woman who understood the ways of the world and people's hearts, and her conversation was full of charm. At first, he wasn't used to such a place and hid in a corner, acting aloof, but she noticed him and asked him about it with great concern. That time, they talked for a long time, and finally, they left together, both drunk.
She was his first woman.
Then, he would come here almost every year. Once or twice—and each time, he would ask her to come out and keep him company.
That relationship seemed to be merely that of a courtesan and her patron. She continued to see other customers, and he never appeared displeased. Occasionally, when he returned from his travels, he would bring her some novelties, which she would be delighted with. He never spoke to her about his past or present. The distance between them was so close, yet so far.
On one occasion when he was leaving, she packed his bags and jokingly asked him as she saw him off: "Do you want me to come with you?" He simply declined, saying, "Maybe another time."
She never mentioned it again after that.
A down-on-his-luck swordsman wandering the world and a courtesan renowned for her beauty are, after all, from completely different worlds. She was a smart woman, and rarely made such a blunder. Later, she gradually realized that the reason he came to such a place was simply because he had nowhere else to go.
"I'm afraid I can't let you stay the night." She took the jade comb and slowly combed her hair, looking at herself in the mirror, and said softly, "A couple of days ago, I agreed to be a foreign merchant's second wife. Now, I'm considered to be a woman who has reformed."
He lay on the bed, slightly taken aback: "Congratulations."
"Heh, thank you." She laughed, loosely tying her hair into a bun with a gold hairpin. "Yes, for a courtesan, this is the best ending... Sometimes I feel that I am different from the other sisters, and maybe I can have a better ending. But even if you think you are different, what can you do? You can't fight fate."
Huo Zhanbai watched her do her makeup, unsure of what to say.
"Did you come back this time to say goodbye?" She continued from where she left off, clever as she was, she had obviously already guessed the second half of what he hadn't said.
He nodded silently and slowly said, "I won't come here again."
"Have you found somewhere else to go? Or have you found someone you love? Anyway, I won't be here anymore. Even if you come back, there'll be no one to find you." Liu Feifei smiled wearily, her expression both alluring and affectionate. Suddenly, she leaned down and poked him playfully, "Hey, really, I'm getting married soon, you should at least pretend to be a little disappointed—don't I, Liu Feifei, have any charm at all?"
He lowered his eyelids appropriately and made a bitter face: "Being abandoned by the courtesan is an honor for me."
Liu Feifei giggled and poked his chest: "Pah, you're injured like this, but your tongue is still so nimble."
However, she fell silent the next moment, leaned down and gently stroked his weathered face, gazed into his tired eyes, and sighed: "But... Bai, you should also think about yourself."
She bent down and gently placed a farewell kiss on his forehead before leaving without looking back.
Looking at the closed door, he suddenly felt an endless weariness.
Yes, it won't come again... it won't come again. It's all over.
Eight years have passed, and this period of intense passion is about to become a thing of the past. Indeed, he needs to start planning for the future; he can't go on like this forever... As he thought this, the image of the woman in purple suddenly flashed through his mind.
He fell into a deep sleep due to extreme exhaustion.
More than half a month after Huo Zhanbai left, Yaoshi Valley returned to its usual tranquility.
This secluded valley beside Mohe in the far north is like a paradise, where the sounds of chickens and dogs fill the air, and people are busy farming, seemingly untouched by the grudges and power struggles of the martial world. Outside, snow blankets the landscape, and the wind and frost are biting, but inside, the weather is mild and sunny.
The ten patients for this year have all been seen. Shuanghong has just taken the new round of Resurrection Orders out of the valley and, as in previous years, they will travel south along the road and be secretly sent out from several different places in the Jianghu, and then wait for the patients to send them back for treatment. Xue Ziye had some free time and watched the maids busy picking and sowing various herbs in the herb garden. Suddenly, she felt dazed.
Mingjie left, and Huo Zhanbai left too.