Eternal Night - Chapter 31
Looking at the bloodstains in the snow, Yongye smiled and said, "It's good to have some festive cheer during the New Year. Master is right."
His smile gave Li Yannian goosebumps. He turned his head and said hurriedly, "Let's go, the manor is waiting for us."
Yongye yawned. He was exhausted and needed to go home early; Yihong Lanlu was waiting for his gift. There would be a family banquet and fireworks at the Prince's mansion that evening. Yongye suddenly remembered how he had pranked the Second Prince in the palace that night and couldn't help but laugh. But as he laughed, he felt a chill run down his face. He pulled up his cloak hood to shield himself from the cold.
"Do you know why I insisted you kill him?" Li Yannian asked, following behind Yongye, holding the gift. A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.
Yongye's heart sank. He hadn't missed the man in black with the hood; his attire was ordinary, typical of a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the martial arts world) figure. He was so poor that he gave the old man even his single silver bean. Could this man be someone of great importance?
"His name is Feng Yangxi, he's eighteen years old, and he's a... chivalrous knight-errant!"
A chivalrous knight-errant? Is it that simple? Yongye curled his lip.
“He found Youli Valley when he was twelve years old,” Li Yannian said slowly.
Yongye frowned. What was this all about?
"No one has ever been able to find the location of the Valley of Wandering. Wandering means elusive and uncertain."
Yongye was shocked. If Youli Valley was really located in the mountains on the western border of Anguo, it wouldn't be too difficult to wipe it out. After hearing Li Yannian's explanation, he truly felt the mystery of Youli Valley, and the more mysterious it was, the more formidable its power should not be underestimated.
But when Master Qingyi gave him the black gold armor, he said that he might spend his whole life in the valley. Was what Li Yannian said true or false?
"He defeated the number one swordsman of Qi at the age of fourteen, and fought against the number one master of Chen at Sanyu Pass at the age of fifteen. He has never been defeated."
"You mean, you wanted me to kill that old man, so you deliberately wanted me to provoke him?" Yongye laughed.
Li Yannian also laughed: "You killed the person he wanted to protect. Unless you stand with Youli Valley, you will only die at his hands."
"Are you always this direct in your threats?"
"Xinghun, don't forget, everything you have is given to you by Youli Valley. Be kind and generous."
Yongye burst out laughing, then suddenly turned around and pointed at Li Yannian, panting as he laughed: "In the future... hehe, when you die, I will definitely ask Buddha to chant sutras for you so that you will have the chance to watch a movie after you are reincarnated."
Snowflakes fluttered in the air, and pedestrians hurried along the street. A young man in fine clothes walked and laughed, followed closely by a handsome man with furrowed brows, seemingly deep in thought.
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The snow fell silently, and the soup in the iron pot on the stove was still steaming.
In the shantytown, every household had its doors tightly shut. No matter how poor they were, this was still home. The cold wind, which couldn't be blocked by the cracks in the doors and walls, could still get in, but it was all melted away by the warmth of family reunion during the New Year.
Feng Yangxi quietly sniffed the frozen smell of blood in the air; the angrier and more agitated he became, the calmer he remained.
Old Man Wang was covered in snow, looking like a small snowdrift on the ground.
Brushing aside the snow, he saw the silvery substance on Old Man Wang's throat. It hadn't hit the heart of the throat, and upon checking, he found he was still breathing. Feng Yangxi was overjoyed. He helped Old Man Wang up, ladled out a bowl of hot soup, and carefully fed it to him. Old Man Wang coughed once. He then carried Old Man Wang towards the clinic.
The clinics and pharmacies were tightly shut on New Year's Eve. Feng Yangxi knocked urgently and shouted several times before the door was finally opened a crack: "Closed today..."
Before he could finish speaking, Feng Yangxi rushed in: "Where's the doctor? Save him!" His hand remained pressed against the old man's back, slowly channeling his inner energy into him, fearing that the old man could not withstand it.
Upon seeing the half-thrown dagger in the old man's throat, the doctor was startled. Forgetting to complain, he instructed his apprentice to prepare hot water and carefully remove the dagger. He breathed a sigh of relief after the dagger was removed and medicine was applied to the wound.
"Fortunately, the flying knife didn't go deep into the throat, and it missed its mark. It looked dangerous, but there's nothing seriously wrong with you. Young master, please rest assured, you'll be fine after a few days of recuperation." The doctor sighed and added, "It's just that you're getting on in years, which isn't good. You must take good care of your health."
Feng Yangxi smiled and nodded, knowing that Old Man Wang was alright. Seeing the old man about to speak gratefully, he quickly said, "Rest well, it's nothing serious."
Before leaving, he took the medicine but found he had no money on him. Feng Yangxi was a little embarrassed: "I was so eager to save people today that I didn't bring any money. I will definitely give it to you another day."
Old Man Wang's hands trembled as he pulled the silver bean from his pocket. Feng Yangxi felt a pang of sadness and stopped him, saying, "Don't worry, Father, just go home for the New Year. I'll take care of everything."
The doctor shook his head, waved to him, and said, "A doctor's heart is like a parent's, and a chivalrous spirit is like a knight's valor. Please take care."
"I will definitely present the silver another day," Feng Yangxi said again. Only then did she pick up Old Man Wang and leave.
After escorting Old Man Wang home, Feng Yangxi returned to the dilapidated house in the alley. He held the small throwing knife in his hand for a long time, his hood already removed. His face was thin and somewhat unkempt... a thick beard covered half his face, his eyebrows were dark and bushy, but his eyes were surprisingly bright, sharp, and alluring.
Who would harm a poor old man selling noodles? Was he after them? Then why not kill Aunt Zhang and Uncle Zhao on this street as well?
The person using the throwing knife lacked strength and accuracy; rather than killing someone, it was more like a child accidentally injuring an elderly person while playing with a slingshot. Feng Yangxi made this judgment. He casually put the silver throwing knife into his pocket.
The wind swept in from all directions of the house, and the sky gradually darkened. Feng Yangxi thought for a moment, then went out again.
Entering a career as an assassin
The New Year in Kyoto was far from smooth. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Prefect Cao of Kyoto received dozens of reports of crimes. He was so worried that he didn't know what to do. In anger, he pointed at the hot pot that his wives and concubines had carefully prepared for him and cursed, "Just make some dumplings! Why make such a fuss!"
All the concubines in the room lowered their heads, but the First Madam raised her face and said, "Master is worried about the case, why take it out on the whole family? Even my private savings were taken by thieves, our family is also the victim!"
Lord Cao was so angry that he trembled all over, but he had nothing to say. He turned and went to the courtyard where Master Liu lived.
"I think someone is trying to rob the rich to help the poor, and they're not taking much. But, sir..." Master Liu had served the prefect for twenty years and had always been Lord Cao's pillar of support. After a moment's thought, he came to a conclusion.
He left the rest of his sentence unsaid, his eyes revealing worry. The amount stolen from Lord Cao's house was far too much, even shocking him. With the monthly salary of thirty-five shi (a unit of dry measure) for the Prefect of the Capital, there was no way he could possibly possess ten thousand taels of gold. If this matter got out, and the case remained unsolved, Lord Cao would be facing impeachment.
Lord Cao and Master Liu had no reservations with each other. They sat down without any politeness, and Lord Cao poured himself a cup of wine and drank it down. He said bitterly, "The amount taken was not much, but the trouble was huge. Grand Tutor Luo, Prime Minister Zhang, Vice Minister Ma of the Ministry of Revenue, and Director Chen of the Ministry of Works... This scoundrel is too cunning. Why doesn't he dare to go to Prince Duan's mansion!"
It turned out that on New Year's Eve, a theft occurred in the capital. Grand Tutor Luo's residence lost 300 taels of silver, Prime Minister Zhang's residence lost 200 taels of silver, Vice Minister Ma's residence lost 100 taels of silver, and Physician Chen's residence was robbed of 50 taels of silver. Each of the capital's wealthy merchants lost 1,000 taels of silver.
The magistrate's wife started crying early in the morning because her three thousand taels of private savings had disappeared. Lord Cao, his face ashen, stopped her.
His treasured possessions, hidden away in secret, were confiscated. It was the hard-earned money of his decades as an official—how could he not hate it? Yet, he dared not speak out. It was worth ten thousand taels of gold! Even if he served as an official for several lifetimes, saving every penny of his salary, he wouldn't have that much. He only wanted to keep his position; he could always earn more money later.
However, the victims this time were all wealthy families. Their silver was stolen silently, so how could they not be furious? On the first day of the new year, they all sent their guards and retainers to beat drums and report the case. They almost broke the big leather drum outside the Kyoto government office.
Those who are either rich or noble must have something to worry about.