Noche Eterna

Capítulo 6

The two men fought fiercely, risking their lives. Neither noticed that a letter in Dao Yan's arms had slipped to the ground and fallen into the hands of the coroner, Ding Liu. Ding Liu, having unexpectedly found the letter, was worrying about how to escape when suddenly, torches blazed outside, and over a hundred men surrounded the dilapidated temple used as a mortuary. Each of the newcomers was a highly skilled martial artist, wielding a "Heavenly Net" specifically designed to deal with martial arts masters. They captured the unsuspecting men and women in the midst of the fight. Looking over, Ding Liu saw in the firelight that it was the Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Lord Wen, leading imperial guards in an ambush. Overjoyed, he crawled out from under the table, shouting as he ran, "My lord, my lord, I've discovered a great secret!"

He had barely uttered the word "secret" when he was kicked to the ground with a thud. A foot then stomped on his back, and the excruciating pain of broken bones and ruptured lungs forced him to repeat the word "secret" before he coughed up blood and passed out.

The case suddenly took a turn for the better, much to Zhao Changsheng's delight. Early that morning, he had the main hall of the government office cleaned and personally prepared tea using spring water and bamboo shoots, eagerly awaiting Lord Wen's arrival. However, upon seeing the Imperial Guards file in, their imposing faces beneath their black cloaks sending a chill down Zhao Changsheng's spine, as if a sudden gust of cold wind had swept over him.

"Zhao Changsheng!"

"Your humble servant is here!" Seeing the sudden dark cloud over Lord Wen's fair and clean face, Zhao Changsheng was so frightened that he fell silent.

Wen Zhenghe glanced at Zhao Changsheng with disdain and ordered the court to convene to hear the case.

The man and woman who fought last night were now being brought in, bound hand and foot. Both were dressed in prison garb; the man had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, his lips icy; the woman had delicate eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes, her face filled with murderous intent. Standing there, they looked like sworn enemies. Dao Yan, upon entering the hall and seeing his senior brother sitting there, was overjoyed. He broke free from the guards and rushed forward, shouting, "Senior brother, it's me, Dao Yan! I didn't kill anyone! I'm innocent!"

"What? Lord Zhao and this criminal are actually acquaintances?" Wen Zhenghe asked, feigning surprise and drawing out his words.

Upon seeing Daoyan, Zhao Changsheng inwardly groaned in despair. He had written to his sect seeking help, only to find that the man who had come to rescue him was now his prisoner. After a moment's thought, realizing there was no way to avoid it, he had no choice but to steel himself and bow to Wen Zhenghe, saying, "This man is my fellow disciple, Daoyan. I swear on my life that Daoyan is definitely not the murderer."

"Oh, so Lord Zhao is also a member of Shaolin. Shaolin has dominated the martial arts world for a long time, but I never expected them to be so arrogant as to disregard temple rules and even place their disciples in official positions in the imperial court." Wen Zhenghe said with a sarcastic tone.

"Your Excellency misunderstands. I am merely a lay disciple of Shaolin Temple and am naturally not bound by its rules." Zhao Changsheng nodded obsequiously, then suddenly glared at the graceful and beautiful woman and said, "Hey, you audacious vixen, why don't you kneel before me!"

"Bah! I, Dai Susu, only kneel to heaven, earth, and my parents. How could I kneel to you, a disgrace to Buddhism!" Dai Susu said through gritted teeth.

"May I ask how the late Emperor bestowed upon you the title of 'Digonglang' and the former Imperial Physician Dai Sigong, and you are addressed?" Upon hearing the name Dai Susu, Wen Zhenghe immediately stood up from his seat, his expression surprisingly respectful. "He is indeed my father," Dai Susu replied proudly. "My father retired to his hometown in the early years of the Yongle reign and has been serving the community for the past three years. Some time ago, upon hearing of the fish monster in the lake harming children, he sent my daughter to investigate, but she was mistaken for a criminal and imprisoned by you."

"Oh dear, it's all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. Miss Dai is not only a superb doctor, but her martial arts are also incredibly skilled, no less than the disciples of those so-called martial arts masters." Wen Zhenghe smiled obsequiously and hurriedly ordered his men to untie Dai Susu.

Dai Susu rubbed her arms and said loudly, "Lord Wen, this case has many suspicious points. It doesn't seem to be caused by the so-called piranhas. I urge you to apprehend the culprit and give the people an explanation."

"Oh," Wen Zhenghe frowned slightly upon hearing this, a thought flashing through his eyes. He smiled and said, "I am deeply moved by Lord Dai's dedication to the court. How about I humbly invite Miss Dai to join me in investigating this case?"

Dai Susu was delighted to receive Wen Zhenghe's invitation, thinking that she would no longer have to hide herself. So she glanced back at Dao Yan with a smug look on her face. Seeing that he was looking at her with bright eyes, she couldn't help but raise her head proudly, turn around and say goodbye.

Dai Susu was indeed capable, quickly identifying the culprit as Ji Maocai, the owner of Lao Ji Tofu Shop. In his quest to create a smooth and tender "tofu," Ji Maocai had infused it with human brains, claiming that long-term consumption would strengthen the body and prolong life. This heinous crime was appalling. After a severe trial, he confessed to the real culprit, claiming that Prefect Zhao Changsheng had ordered it. Zhao Changsheng was stunned. What nonsense! How could he have conspired with Lao Ji to make this outrageous human brain tofu? However, his concubine Xiao Tao testified again, bringing out a bowl of tofu that Zhao Changsheng regularly ate from the government office, claiming it was "goose brain tofu" specially made for him by Lao Ji Tofu Shop.

Zhao Changsheng was unable to defend himself and was imprisoned as a serious criminal, along with Daoyan. The horrifying news that "Shaolin disciples eat human brains" spread, and a wave of condemnation swept through the martial arts world. Shaolin's image plummeted instantly, and it quickly lost its position as the dominant force in the martial arts world.

The night was deep, the moon was dark, and the wind was strong. The inn was brightly lit. The Imperial Guards had made great progress on their trip out of the palace. They had not only cracked a major case involving "piranhas," but also brought down the Shaolin sect, which had always been at odds with the Imperial Guards and the Eastern Depot. They would surely receive a generous reward for escorting Zhao Changsheng back to the capital the next day. Before leaving, they couldn't help but celebrate wildly.

Overjoyed, Wen Zhenghe drank a few more cups than usual. A glamorous woman helped him back to his bedroom. He pulled out the secret letter from Shaolin Temple that he had obtained from the coroner Ding Liu and casually tossed it onto the table. Embracing the woman, he said smugly, "Those bald monks from Shaolin Temple still dared to try and expose the truth, to announce to the world that we use human brains for sustenance. Little did they know, the devil is always one step ahead of the saint. Zhao Changsheng fell for our trick, and that self-proclaimed brilliant Dai Susu was also thoroughly exploited. We even successfully persuaded her father to serve the Emperor again. Tell me, how will the Governor's Guild reward us when we return? Hahaha!"

"My lord is wise, my lord is wise. Following you will not only bring endless wealth and honor, but also allow me to regain my manhood and establish my manhood. I can also give birth to your children to repay you..." The woman's soft and charming voice was as sweet and intoxicating as if it were filled with honey.

"You little slut, you're already thinking about having a baby? Haha, aren't you going to serve me properly..."

Lewd whispers drifted through the cracks in the window and flew up to a tall locust tree beside the house, causing it to rustle and tremble. From the dense foliage, something seemed to fly out and break through the window, instantly dimming the lights in the room. By the time Wen Zhenghe shouted for the lights to be turned on, the letter that had been placed on the table had vanished without a trace.

Thirty miles from the post station, in a simple thatched hut, Dai Susu knelt before an elderly man with white hair, her face streaked with tears. She presented him with both hands the letter she had stolen from Wen Zhenghe. “Father, your daughter is unfilial. Not only did I aid and abet the wicked, but I also troubled you to enter the tiger’s den again.”

The old man quietly finished reading the letter, then sighed deeply: "Abbot Liaoran of Shaolin already knows about these dog eunuchs using children's brains for nourishment, but he is troubled by the lack of concrete evidence. The Eastern Depot holds immense power, and it is not easy to touch its foundation. Alas, this is also my fault. If I hadn't said that back then, I think so many children wouldn't have been killed today."

“How can you blame Father?” Dai Susu stared at her father with her big, watery almond-shaped eyes in surprise. She bit her cherry lips with her delicate teeth. She was completely puzzled by what her usually respected father said.

“Back when I was working in the palace, a eunuch surnamed Wei asked me if I had any folk remedies to cure male impotence. I answered him casually, never expecting it to lead to this disaster. This is a lesson. Doctors have the heart of parents. From now on, Su’er should be careful with her words and actions, and never deal with anyone casually, lest she bring trouble upon herself with her words.”

"Su'er has remembered. So there really are no piranhas in this world..." Dai Susu sighed. Ever since hearing about the piranha tragedy, she had secretly sneaked into Fengyang Lake many times, searching for the legendary strange fish that could make cries like an infant, but to no avail. Today, knowing that it was not the fish that caused the disaster but man-made ones, she couldn't help but feel deeply moved. Even if her father was wrong to be evasive that day, these eunuchs had gone too far, actually daring to eat human brains!

Overwhelmed with guilt, Dai Sigong, his beard and hair flying wildly, roared, "How could there not be! The entire Eastern Depot is full of piranhas, and who knows how many more are lurking in the imperial court. If I can come to the capital this time to expose the true faces of these piranhas, then my seventy-odd years of life will not have been in vain!"

Along the long, ancient road, amidst rolling yellow sand, a magnificent carriage and two prison carts, escorted by the Imperial Guards, head towards the capital. Inside the carriage sits the white-haired, chivalrous healer, Dai Sigong. Inside the prison carts are the infamous Shaolin villains—Zhao Changsheng and Daoyan. The piranha case seems to be nearing its end…

[Ancient Era: 008 The Song of the Yue People (1)]

Linpu Town was originally a mountain village, located on the shady side of Zhuluo Mountain in the lower reaches of the Puyang River, but it gradually developed into a port town due to its proximity to the riverbank.

The narrow river that flows through the town resembles a woman's arched eyebrow, with occasional rough-carved yet charming stone bridges scattered across it.

The houses built along the river are low and simple, with water flowing beneath the floorboards. Stone steps extend from under the floorboards, forming a wharf on the riverbank.

It was still early morning, and the sun had just begun to peek over the river with its orange glow, like the yolk of a duck egg. The wharf was already crowded with women washing silkworm yarn.

The woman chattered away, tapping the stone slab with a purplish-brown mallet. The tulle gradually swelled with each tap, like clouds drained of moisture, as if it might rise into the air at any moment.

A wisp of white smoke rose from a small boat just a few feet away from them. The smoke drifted through the bridge arch to the opposite bank, where a low and wide stone railing stood. Behind the railing was the town's largest street—Shanyin Street.

This street may be the earliest place in Linpu Town where trade began. Woodcutters from the mountains would come in the dark to exchange the firewood they had cut the day before for oil, salt and other necessities with the townspeople. Horsemen would also hand over their goods to people on the covered boats.

At this moment, the narrow waterway was filled with boats that had spent the night there, lying haphazardly like dumplings being dropped into a pot. A young and sturdy man hopped across the planks of these boats, holding a glittering silver hairpin in his hand. His thick lips parted in a wide smile, and he would occasionally dazzle his eyes by dangling the hairpin in the sunlight.

The glittering silver hairpin quickly attracted the attention of the women washing clothes on the riverbank, who craned their necks and shouted, "Chunsheng, are you getting married?"

"No, it's for my sister." Chun Sheng proudly waved the silver hairpin in front of the women, thinking to himself that only a fairy-like girl like his sister deserved to wear this moon silver. These women would only look bad wearing it.

"Oh, a little sister? Where is there a little sister?" The women exchanged knowing glances and laughed.

Just as Chun Sheng was about to get angry, he suddenly noticed a large ship sailing on the river in the distance. The ship had many rudders, dragon and tiger decorations, and was painted in vermilion and gilded. Dozens of colorful flags were flying on the ship, and under the flags were rows of guards holding spears and halberds.

"The King's ship?!" Along with Chunsheng, the fishermen on the small boat and the merchants on the shore exclaimed in surprise. Why would the King's ship grace the small town of Linpu? Everyone stared in astonishment at the increasingly magnificent and imposing ship approaching.

Several outsiders, while the others were stunned, crouched down and surrounded the approaching ship with their small boats. Inside the cabin, several faces hidden under straw hats were indistinct, but they all held sharp blades that gleamed coldly. One of the blades accidentally peeked out from the cabin opening and shone a ray of white light on Chunsheng's face, startling him.

Yi Guang, dressed in a gorgeous and well-fitting palace robe, walked onto the deck of the ship. Looking at the town so close at hand, her eyes, as vast as autumn water, suddenly welled up with tears.

Three years have passed; I've been away from my hometown for three years. Three years ago, I was just a pretty washerwoman; now, I've transformed into a stunning beauty. Fan Li said, "A true beauty must possess three qualities: first, physical beauty; second, skill in singing and dancing; and third, graceful figure."

Yi Guang spent three years diligently practicing, dancing gracefully to melodious music and training in etiquette in the palace. As time passed, a washerwoman transformed into a well-mannered palace maid, every gesture and movement elegant and graceful. Fan Li nodded and said to the king, "The time is ripe."

The multi-storied ships, laden with giant logs and beautiful women, departed from Kuaiji and sailed along the Puyang River to the foot of Mount Zhuluo. The accompanying physician, Fan Li, ordered the ships to slow down when passing Linpu Town.

It was in this very town, by the stream, that he discovered the washerwomen Yi Guang and Zheng Dan. Now, he wanted these two beautiful young women to bid farewell to their hometown and follow him to the Kingdom of Wu, to willingly serve King Fuchai of Wu.

"Sister Zheng, come out and take a look. It'll do you good to see her." Yi Guang looked at the familiar and dear scenery on the shore, tears welling up in her eyes. She turned her head and saw that Zheng Dan, who was traveling with her, was still kneeling silently in the cabin. She couldn't help but persuade her.

"No, no need!" Although Zheng Dan's face was painted with bright rouge, it still couldn't hide the paleness beneath the makeup. Her lips were bitten tightly between her teeth, almost drawing blood.

"Zheng Dan! Zheng Dan!" A man's voice suddenly came from outside the ship. Zheng Dan was startled by the sound and hurriedly got up, lifted her long skirt, and ran out of the cabin.

"Sister, it's Brother Chunsheng! It's Brother Chunsheng!" Yiguang excitedly pointed to a man running towards them from the shore. The man was shouting Zheng Dan's name and waving the moon-shaped silver hairpin to the people on the boat.

"Zheng Dan, here's the silver hairpin! It's for you!"

"Doctor Fan, please move this boat a little closer to the river, okay?" Zheng Dan pleaded with Fan Li, her eyes blurred with tears, as she looked at the person on the riverbank.

The well-dressed and handsome Fan Li glanced at the crowded inland river, frowned slightly, but waved his hand without hesitation, ordering the boats to move closer.

The boat was forced to stop at the mouth of the inland river, which was too narrow for the large boat to pass through. A boatman placed a long plank between the gunwale and the riverbank. Chunsheng was about to run up the plank when he was blocked by several guards who had gone down first, who used halberds to block him.

"Doctor Fan." Zheng Dan looked at Fan Li with tearful eyes and a hint of resentment.

Fan Li turned his face away, forcing out cold, sinister words, "He cannot board the ship!"

"Fan Li!" Yi Guang glared angrily at Fan Li's retreating figure, stomped her foot, and leaped off the wooden plank, shoving aside the guards who tried to stop her. "Sister Zheng, hurry up and get down!"

Before anyone could react, Zheng Dan leaped over Yi Guang like a kite and flew into Chun Sheng's arms. The guards on the ship rushed toward the plank, preparing to drag Zheng Dan and Yi Guang back onto the ship. Unexpectedly, Yi Guang turned around, pulled a dagger from her sleeve, and held it to her own neck. "No one is allowed to come any closer! If anyone dares to come any closer, I will kill myself!"

[Ancient Era: 009 Song of the Yue People (2)]

"Yiguang! Stop fooling around!" Fan Li hurriedly stopped him, his expression cold and stern.

"Tell them to go back!" Yi Guang's momentum immediately weakened when her gaze met Fan Li's. She wasn't an unreasonable woman; she understood the helplessness in Fan Li's plan to use their beauty to seduce the King of Wu so that Yue could have a chance to regroup and take revenge. But could Fan Li, the man she loved, really be so heartless as to send them into the tiger's den?

Fan Li stepped off the ship, slowly extending his hand to Yi Guang, his gaze burning with intensity.

Yi Guang looked at that large hand, the hand that had once given her warmth, and reluctantly handed over the dagger. Fan Li tossed the dagger into the river, bent down, picked up Yi Guang, and gently placed her back on the boat. Looking at Yi Guang's innocent and frail appearance, Fan Li expressionlessly reached out to smooth her disheveled hair and wrinkled robe, coldly saying:

"Don't cause trouble anymore!"

"Please, let Sister Zheng say goodbye to Brother Chunsheng." Yiguang felt a pang of pain in her heart at Fan Li's coldness, yet she was worried about Zheng Dan and Chunsheng. If Zheng Dan hadn't been chosen by Fan Li three years ago, she might have already become Chunsheng's wife, and by now, their children might be running all over the streets.

“We can’t spend the night here.” Fan Li glanced at the haphazardly arranged boats in the river, vaguely sensing a danger creeping closer. Rumors circulated that Wu Zixu, a powerful minister of Wu, opposed Wu accepting Yue’s surrender and had even sent assassins to kill the ten beautiful women Yue was sending as tribute. They were nearing the Wu border, and Fan Li warily scanned his surroundings, indeed spotting several suspicious small boats approaching the warship.

"Miss Zheng, let's set sail!" Fan Li ruthlessly interrupted Zheng Dan and Chun Sheng's meeting, ordering the entire ship to be on alert and prepare to depart.

Zheng Dan reluctantly bid farewell to Chun Sheng and turned to return to the boat when Chun Sheng called out sorrowfully from behind, "Sister! Silver Hairpin!"

Zheng Dan hurriedly turned around. Her eyes had just fallen on the silver hairpin when a cold light flashed and pierced her chest. Zheng Dan stared blankly at the hairpin head that had sunk into her chest, trembling. The hairpin head was a phoenix, and bright red blood was dripping from its beak.

“Brother Zheng…” Zheng Dan covered the blood-dripping phoenix hairpin with her hand and looked at Chun Sheng in confusion.

"Sister, I can't let you suffer at the hands of our enemies..." Seeing that he had stabbed Zheng Dan, Chun Sheng was heartbroken. He suddenly drew the cleaver from his waist and slashed at his own neck. His hot head rolled into the river with Zheng Dan's figure, and blood gushed out of his chest. His body was riddled with arrows from the ship.

Yi Guang's throat spasmed, and he gasped for breath. His well-trained hand covered his open mouth in time, but it couldn't cover the dozens of dark figures in his eyes who instantly attacked the ship from all sides with weapons in hand.

This sudden change caught everyone off guard, leaving no time for a proper reaction. It was all instinct; fighting, slashing, it all happened in an instant. Corpses lay scattered, blood gushed forth, screams filled the air, panicked fleeing filled the air. Yi Guang huddled tightly in Fan Li's arms, forgetting to breathe, forgetting to blink.

Fan Li's arm slumped heavily to the ground, and the accompanying physician was frantically tending to his mangled wound. The soldiers methodically washed the bloodstains on the deck with river water; after several buckets, the bloodstains disappeared. If it weren't for the undisguised relaxation and exhaustion on everyone's faces, it would seem as if nothing had ever happened.

Yi Guang's beautiful eyes remained fixed on the water's surface in fear. There, her beautiful sister Zheng Dan had sunk, and there was Chun Sheng, her gentle and kind brother, who had killed Zheng Dan and then committed suicide. Why? What was the purpose of all this?!

"Yiguang, get some sleep. You haven't slept for a day and a night." A tender look appeared on Fan Li's face. With a pang of pity, he used his hand to shield those deep, dark eyes. After a long while, his long eyelashes trembled and slowly closed.

"I want Sister Zheng's hairpin, it's so beautiful, so beautiful." Tears streamed from her closed eyes, and sure enough, a cool, silver hairpin shaped like the moon fell into her hand. People in her hometown say that the hairpin is made from the tears of the moon, and only lovers are worthy to wear it.

"Silver hairpins are for tying up hair, not for ending one's life." Yi Guang's long, beautiful hair was tied into a beautiful bun by Fan Li. Fan Li took the silver hairpin that had once been the murder weapon from Yi Guang's hand and gently inserted it deep into the cloud-like bun.

Ragged clothes, sallow faces, ruined villages—this land was ravaged by repeated wars. This was the last piece of land belonging to the Yue Kingdom; beyond it lay the territory of the powerful Wu Kingdom.

As soon as the warship docked at the border of Wu, an envoy from Bo Pi, the Grand Minister of Wu who had been bribed by the King of Yue, came to meet them. Yi Guang glanced back at the shimmering river and muttered to Fan Li standing beside him, "Yi Guang is dead. From now on, there will only be Xi Shi."

"Please, Miss Xi Shi, board the carriage!" Fan Li smiled slightly and bowed respectfully in front of the carriage.

Xi Shi, adorned with pomegranate-patterned embroidered clogs, landed steadily on Fan Li's back, and with a light lift, she was placed on the carriage. Having stepped over this man's back, her life was no longer truly her own; she knew that behind her lay countless suffering people of Yue.

Xi Shi turned and smiled at Fan Li, who had stood up, ignoring the slight confusion in his eyes. She gently touched the silver hairpin in her hair, her face full of charming smiles. This smile was like a beautiful mask, concealing the turmoil and bitterness beneath, while the mask itself was painted with vibrant colors and a myriad of springtime joys.

The heavy vehicles rumbled past village after village, villages of the Wu Kingdom. Xi Shi was surprised to find that some people in the Wu Kingdom lived in low, dilapidated thatched houses, and some were poorly clothed and emaciated.

An elderly hunchbacked woman hobbled out of the village. Seeing the approaching caravan, she mistook it for a wealthy family passing through and shakily held out a broken mud bowl, clearly hoping for food. The ruthless Wu soldiers swept the old woman away from the roadside with their spear shafts, pushing her into a muddy ditch.

The old woman, soaked to the bone, struggled to climb ashore from the muddy water, only to be kicked back by the Wu soldiers. The writhing, barely clinging-to-life old woman became the soldiers' laughingstock. Some even threw cow and horse dung at her head and body, hissing and shouting, "Here, have some! Here, have some!"

"Stop!" The most beautiful Yue woman in the caravan suddenly shouted.

Fan Li spurred his horse forward, shouting, "Yi Guang, don't cause trouble!"

[Ancient Chapter: 010 Song of the Yue People (3)]

Fan Li spurred his horse forward, shouting, "Yi Guang, don't cause trouble!"

"Please call me Miss Xi Shi."

Xi Shi refused to continue and ordered the carriage to stop. "Do you have any provisions?" she asked Fan Li.

Fan Li had no choice but to have his men bring Xi Shi some cured meat and rice dumplings, and coldly watched as she rescued the old woman who had fallen into the mud.

The Wu official accompanying the woman curled his lip in disdain, but considering that the woman's beauty might make her the king's new favorite, he pretended to scold his subordinates and ordered them to give her an old garment that could be used to cover her body.

Just as Xi Shi was about to hand the clothes and dry food to the old woman, the moment the old woman looked up, a sharp, piercing light shot out from her cloudy eyes.