SS CH15

Yunlai Ju was the largest inn in Guyang City. It contained four courtyards and could accommodate over a hundred people. Normally, no matter how busy it was, nearly half of it would be empty. Yet for these past few days, the entire place had been fully booked.

Zanghun Gong was currently in the limelight, faintly displaying the momentum of becoming the leader of the Demonic Path. They had booked the entirety of Yunlai Ju, driving out both the innkeeper and the guests. All chores were handled by their subordinates, completely cutting off any prying eyes from outsiders.

“That shrinking turtle Xie Wuyi finally decided to accept the challenge letter.”

A hand as soft as if it had no bones pushed open the door to the room. The bright red cardamom polish on the fingernails dazzled the eyes. The person walking in was a beauty dressed in red robes with ink-black hair, fox-like eyes, and an oval face—possessing an incredibly seductive, stunning appearance. However, the voice that spoke was that of a man.

Standing before the table, wielding a brush to paint, the young man glanced at him and scolded, “Bu Xueyao, regarding people you cannot afford to provoke, it’s best to keep a lock on your mouth. Otherwise, once your mouth is torn to shreds, the position of the Vermilion Bird Hall Master will have to be given to someone else.”

“What Lang (a term of endearment for a man) Li says is right. This slave knows his mistake.” The red-clothed Bu Xueyao covered half his face with his sleeve, adopting a tearful expression as he looked over shyly, as if wanting to speak but holding back.

Li Feng frowned in disgust. His normally plain features instantly gained several degrees of murderous intent the moment his brows furrowed. “The matter with the Northern Barbarians was a failure. Why haven’t you returned to plead guilty to the Gongzhu (Palace Master)? What are you doing coming all this way just to disgust me?”

“Lang Li’s words are truly heartless. This slave’s heart, ah… it’s about to break.” Bu Xueyao patted his chest and complained coquettishly, “It was that Hutar who didn’t have the fate for it. Seeing that breaking the pass was imminent, he actually allowed the Lueying Guards to infiltrate his main tent! Not only did his grand prospects vanish like bubbles, but he also splashed this slave all over with his filthy blood. Doesn’t your heart ache for me even a little?”

Hearing this, a sharp glint flashed through Li Feng’s eyes: “To be able to assassinate Hutar even under your protection—it seems this is a rare expert.”

Bu Xueyao slowly and elegantly took off his red robe. On his pale chest were two saber wounds. One nearly severed his left shoulder and neck, and the other ran straight down from the center of his collarbone to his navel. If it had been two fen (a fraction of an inch) deeper, it would have sliced him open and spilled his guts.

He said faintly, “That was truly a ruthless person. He struck a total of four sabers. The first was blocked by this slave; the second nearly sliced open this slave’s chest and belly; the third chopped off Hutar’s head; and the fourth landed on this slave’s shoulder, nearly sending me to follow in Hutar’s footsteps.”

Yet Li Feng began to smile.

He rarely smiled, usually keeping a stiff coffin face. Now that he smiled, it naturally wasn’t a pleasant sight. He looked exactly like a stiff corpse baring its teeth, ready to bite someone.

Reaching out to caress the saber scars inch by inch, Li Feng praised, “What a fast saber, what a ruthless hand!”

Bu Xueyao pulled his robes back together and asked him, “Can it compare to the Duanshui Manor Master?”

Li Feng replied, “Regarding the people of this world, hearing their name is not as good as seeing their face. I have to fight him in a match before I can answer you.”

Bu Xueyao said, “Unfortunately, he was hit by my ‘Youmeng‘ (Hidden Dream) poison. He should be sleeping himself to death in some unknown place by now.”reddit+1

“Not necessarily. Although ‘Youmeng‘ is difficult to cure, it is not without an antidote. Let alone the fact that a person capable of executing such saber arts would absolutely not resign himself to dying in a dream.” Li Feng withdrew his hand, his expression softening slightly. “I’ll ask you one more time. What is your purpose in coming here?”

“Alright, then this slave will speak directly…” Bu Xueyao covered his mouth with a smile, his gaze flowing with charm. “With the Jinghan Pass unbroken this time, the Gongzhu naturally cannot easily account for this to that adult, and it will be even harder for me to account for it to the Gongzhu. Therefore, I specifically came to find Lang Li to beg for a path to survive.”

Li Feng sneered. “In my entire life, I have only ever chosen paths of death for people.”

“The paths of death for others are exactly the paths of survival for this slave, ah.” Bu Xueyao tied his sash, lightly kissing the cardamom polish on his fingers, seductive and treacherous. “The Gongzhu initiated the Duofeng Assembly. Viciously slapping the face of the Central Plains martial world to build his reputation is one goal; whittling down their experts and suppressing their spirit is the second. Since that is the case, why don’t we do something that achieves two goals with one stroke?”

“What do you mean by achieving two goals with one stroke?”

Bu Xueyao said, “This slave has already ordered the ‘Tianzhu‘ (Heavenly Spiders) to weave their web, spreading the news of Xie Wuyi refusing the Duofeng challenge letter throughout the entire Central Plains martial world. Those figures who boast of great righteousness have all rushed from all directions to pressure him. If he refuses the battle again, it will prove that his title of ‘Number One Saber in the World’ is merely an empty, unearned reputation. From then on, he will be reduced to a disgrace of the martial world, unworthy of any attention. Even if we do nothing, we can completely ruin the reputation of Duanshui Manor. Why worry that the Central Plains won’t fear us?”wuxiawanderings.substack

“But he has already accepted.”

“The fact that he accepted makes it even better.” Bu Xueyao gave a light smile. “Right now, forces from all four directions are gathered, and people from all the major sects have come to watch the battle. Why don’t we set up a deployment and catch them all in one fell swoop? If we do this, even though the matter with the Northern Barbarians failed, the merits will offset the faults. Wouldn’t that be this slave’s path to survival?”

“You have quite the massive appetite. Aren’t you afraid of choking to death?” Li Feng scoffed. “The Central Plains martial world is filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons. Relying solely on the hundred or so subordinates we brought to try and keep all of them here is the ravings of a madman.”

“That might not necessarily be the case.” Bu Xueyao stretched out his fingers, his smile utterly charming. “Since Lang Li knows this slave has returned from the Northern Barbarians, you naturally also know that the ‘Tianzhu‘ are already under my command. This unit has now infiltrated Guyang City. The places those Jianghu figures live and the food they eat—none of it bypasses their hands. Although I dare not poison them directly for fear of beating the grass and startling the snake, slipping in a medicinal primer is as easy as lifting a hand. Right now, everything is ready; we are only lacking the eastern wind from Lang Li.”

Li Feng glanced at him. “What do you mean by the ‘eastern wind’?”

“I must trouble Lang Li to drag out the battle, tying all these people down. Then, lend me the ‘Baizu‘ (Hundred Centipedes) so I can manage the arrangements. We must ensure the entire battlefield falls into our hands. Only then can we catch the turtles in a jar and end the battle swift—”wuxiawanderings.substack

His final syllable caught in his throat. Li Feng’s hand suddenly clamped around his neck, lifting Bu Xueyao’s entire body into the air. His gaze was bone-chillingly cold. It wasn’t until Bu Xueyao’s eyes began to roll back into his head that he finally let out a cold snort and threw the man onto the ground.

“I do not like this kind of scheming. Out of respect for the Gongzhu, this is the last time I will allow you to use me. The next time, I will kill you.”

Bu Xueyao lay on the floor coughing. Li Feng stepped over him, leaving behind only a single sentence: “I will order the ‘Baizu‘ to temporarily obey your commands. However, during my martial duel, you are not allowed to disturb me. Otherwise, I will chop off your legs.”

The door closed. Bu Xueyao recovered his breath for a moment before slowly standing up. He shook his head, his face full of sorrow and resentment. “What a man who truly doesn’t understand how to cherish fragrance and treasure jade.”

He walked over to the table, looking at the black words written on the white paper: Xie Wuyi.

“You are looking forward to it very much, aren’t you, Lang Li.” Bu Xueyao curled his red lips, his gaze as tender and lingering as a young maiden in her boudoir yearning for love. “I only hope that this Manor Master Xie does not disappoint your expectations.”

The next day, the entirety of Guyang City practically exploded like a boiling pot.

Zanghun Gong had modified the rules of the martial duel for this occasion. The original format of deciding victory and defeat in a single battle was changed to best two out of three. They gave it the beautiful excuse of saying their sect’s disciples admired the grand reputation of Duanshui Manor, wanted to experience their skills more, and hoped Duanshui Manor would not be stingy with their instruction.

People gossiped animatedly. Some were filled with righteous indignation, some blindly echoed the crowd, and even more gloated in others’ misfortune.

“Zanghun Gong is truly arrogant. Just because they modified the rules, does Duanshui Manor absolutely have to accept?”

“Whatever nonsense about not being stingy with instruction, it ultimately means they cannot refuse. This is trampling the face of Duanshui Manor underfoot and treating Xie Wuyi like a performing monkey!”

“But I heard that Duanshui Manor still agreed. They only made one request, stating that the dueling arena must be set up inside the manor. What do you think he’s planning?”

“Speaking of which, talents in Duanshui Manor have withered away these past few years. Whether Xie Wuyi is actually a cripple or not is still hard to say. Even if he isn’t, who else can take on the other two matches? Or could it be that Xie Wuyi thinks so highly of himself that he plans to fight all three matches alone?”

“Tsk, why make blind guesses? Won’t we know when the battle begins in three days!?”

“…”

While loud and boastful discussions raged outside, the inside of the manor was far too peaceful.

After Xie Wuyi promised to deliver the Duanshui Dao to Cangxue Valley after the battle, Chu Xiwei decisively led Sun Minfeng and his group away from Duanshui Manor. Over these four days, he methodically arranged the affairs of the manor, dismissing more than half the servants and guards. The massive manor became increasingly desolate and quiet.

Seeing this, Xue Chanyi asked him about it several times, but was always brushed off with light, dismissive answers. She was so anxious she practically developed blisters on her lips. Xie Li originally also wanted to ask, but afraid of being scolded, he could only act like an obedient, silent gourd, going through his daily martial arts practice.

With not many people left in the entire manor, the quality of Ye Fusheng’s meals plummeted in a straight line. This person lacked the slightest self-awareness of being a guest. For all three meals a day, he familiarly waltzed into the kitchen to grab food himself, purely picking out the best items. Even if Miss Xue chased him around the courtyard twice with a whip, he felt absolutely no shame whatsoever.

“A tree relies on a layer of bark, and a person relies on a layer of face (dignity). Therefore, your skin (face) has to be thick to get by comfortably.” Ye Fusheng smiled as his eyes turned into slits, stuffing a slice of raw ginger into Xie Li’s mouth to coax him. “The dampness is heavy these two days. Eat more raw ginger to dispel the cold.”

“…” Xie Li choked in speechless silence, feeling the urge to vomit right onto someone’s face for the very first time in his life.

At this very moment, Xue Chanyi was carrying a food box toward the small courtyard where Xie Zhongshan lived. The guards inside had already left, and the only remaining servant woman had gone to the laundry room, making the courtyard deathly silent.

The twilight sun sank in the west. She looked up at the sky and her eyes were briefly dazzled by the orange-colored sunset clouds. In that precise instant, a flash of cold light suddenly appeared, thrusting straight toward her inadvertently raised neck.

Her brows twitched. Xue Chanyi leaned her waist backward, her left leg simultaneously kicking upward. The tip of her foot blocked a sharp blade. Before she even had time to see clearly, her left ankle was suddenly grabbed. With a crisp “kacha” sound, it was twisted out of its joint.

“Who is it!?” A flash of pain crossed her face. Xue Chanyi twisted her body mid-air like a flying flower. The food box in her hand crashed flawlessly into the blade attacking her once more. Taking advantage of this momentary gap, she drew the long whip from her waist. The whip shook like a flood dragon, wrapping tightly around the hand holding the blade. Without even looking, she used the strength of her waist to fling the person behind her.

Unexpectedly, the person borrowed the momentum of her long whip to reverse direction mid-air. With a twist of the sharp blade in their hand, they severed the whip. Freeing their other hand, they struck a palm straight down toward the crown of her head!

Despite the distance being less than an inch, Xue Chanyi remained calm and unhurried. Her head suddenly tilted, and her entire body dodged in the space where not even a hair could fit. Her footwork was nimble, and in the blink of an eye, she was behind the person, ready to strike with a short dagger from her sleeve.

Just at this moment, the person who attacked her turned their head around.

“Chanyi, we haven’t seen each other for three years. Your wugong has improved greatly.”

A familiar face, a familiar voice, a familiar… demeanor.

The person before her wore plain brocade robes, his long hair tied loosely behind his head. With every word and smile, he was as gentle as jade, his eyes looking as if a stroke of ink had softly dispersed within them.

Her expression turned absent-minded for a moment. Before her brain could even process things clearly, she instinctively called out: “Shifu… Uh!”

The man withdrew his smile, replacing it with an indifference as cold and hard as ice.

Xue Chanyi shuddered all over and instantly sobered up. Her lips moved, but she couldn’t speak a single word.

Xie Wuyi said coldly, “Three years ago, I was busy recovering from my injuries and gathering the manor’s forces to deal with Xie Zhongshan. I had no time to attend to many matters. Only afterward did I discover that the Manor Master‘s jade pendant was missing. I searched for it for three years without a trace. It turns out… you were the one who took it.”

“I…”

Two brocade pouches slipped from Xie Wuyi’s sleeve. One was embroidered with incredibly poorly stitched green bamboo, while the other was the peace pouch she had made for Xie Li, embroidered with delicate plum blossoms.

Although the difference in quality was obvious, one could tell at a glance that the needlework technique was exactly the same. They were clearly the work of the same person.

Seeing this brocade pouch, her face first turned ghastly pale, and then she abruptly raised her head, asking in disbelief: “How did you… where is my Shifu?”

“You finally admit it. You’ve known since three years ago that I am not him, yet you still pretended as if nothing had happened, calling me ‘Shifu‘ for three years.” Xie Wuyi curled his lips mockingly and tossed the brocade pouch to her.

Clutching the brocade pouch, Xue Chanyi’s face was devoid of blood.

Thirteen years ago, she was the youngest child in her family, and a girl at that. Seeing the world was in turmoil, her parents sold her. She was only three years old at the time and couldn’t remember anything clearly. She only remembered that the person who bought her was a woman with a terrible temper. She starved her every day and beat and scolded her at the slightest provocation. Not long after, she was about to be resold to someone else, but unexpectedly, she was saved by a man.

That man was her Shifu, the Manor Master of Duanshui Manor, Xie Wuyi, known as the “Number One Saber in the World.”

Xie Wuyi gave her a name, gave her food to eat and warm clothes to wear, and even taught her poetry, literature, and martial arts, allowing a girl who should have been ground to death by the harsh world to grow up safely. Xue Chanyi had sworn to the heavens more than once that she would definitely repay this grace in her lifetime, even if it meant her body being smashed to pieces and her bones ground to dust.

She knew her natural talent was poor, so she worked a hundred times harder than ordinary people. From the age of eleven, she left her Shifu to wander the Jianghu alone. She suffered many hardships, swallowed many losses, and gradually grew into the person she wanted to be.

However, three years ago, she heard that a Western Regions swordsman had challenged her Shifu at Lingyun Peak, and that her Shifu eventually returned heavily injured. She whipped her horse to rush back as fast as she could. She stood guard outside the door for three days and three nights, but was never able to see her Shifu.

Doctors came and went, and her heart grew increasingly terrified with every passing one. It wasn’t until the Gui Yi arrived that she waited in nervous apprehension while begging the gods and Buddhas, finally waiting until that door opened once more.

It was clearly the exact same face and the exact same voice. But the very first glance he cast her way instantly froze her originally joyful and leaping heart into ice.

That was not her Shifu, because she knew her Shifu would never have such a cold and heartless gaze.

Yet everyone, including the old Manor Master, said that was Xie Wuyi.

She dared not raise any objections, dared not cry or make a fuss. She could only smile along with everyone else.

Later, when that Xie Wuyi who replaced her Shifu began to purge his opponents within the manor, and not even Madam Rong or the old Manor Master could resist him, she grew increasingly terrified. She used an excuse to leave the manor, then secretly returned to steal the Manor Master‘s jade pendant, setting off aimlessly to find her Shifu.

The world is vast. How easy could it be to find a single person?

She eventually remembered her Shifu‘s name, remembered that poem, No Clothes from the Odes of Qin.

With no other options, Xue Chanyi went to the border passes. Exhausting what little travel money she had, she mixed in with the refugees to enter the border city. She secretly inquired about the stationed troops and finally, at the military settlement, she saw her Shifu dressed as a common soldier.

They were both covered in dirt, ashes, and misery, yet they recognized each other at the very first glance.

In that moment, she wept tears of extreme joy, hugging her Shifu and wailing loudly, just like a lost baby bird finally returning to its nest.

But her Shifu told her to go back, saying: From now on, he is Xie Wuyi, and you must obey his words.

Life and death are determined in a single thought; great joy and great sorrow are nothing more than this.

“He couldn’t win the argument with me, so he told me the truth, gave me all the silver he had on him, and chased me away. I had no other way and was too angry to accept it. So I left the jade pendant with him, telling him I would definitely wait for his return to Duanshui Manor, and then I came back.” Xue Chanyi twitched the corners of her mouth. “If Shifu isn’t here, then I have to watch over Duanshui Manor and watch over A’Li for him.”

“You are quite the good disciple: you know how to pretend, how to endure, and you remain loyal.” Xie Wuyi stood with his hands behind his back. “This time, I sent you to Cangxue Valley to find the Gui Yi. You must have known that the method of ‘Changing Sinews and Exchanging Blood’ could cure me, and you also knew that to use this method, it would require Xie Li to die. That is why you took the risk of letting a person with unknown origins enter the manor at this specific time.”wuxiasociety+1

Over the past three years, Xie Wuyi had lived in seclusion, but Xue Chanyi knew very well that he still possessed absolute control over Duanshui Manor. With a single command, no one dared disobey. Even she couldn’t protect that child if he truly wanted to harm Xie Li.

She couldn’t trust this Xie Wuyi, who harbored unfathomable intentions, and she couldn’t trust her own meager strength either. Therefore, after accidentally discovering Ye Fusheng’s highly profound martial arts, she led this person into the manor. It wasn’t truly to have him protect Xie Li, but to have him attract Xie Wuyi’s attention, thereby leaving herself some room to maneuver.

Xie Wuyi said, “A smart move, but also a risky one.”

Cold sweat poured down Xue Chanyi’s forehead. She instinctively tightened her grip on the dagger hidden in her sleeve.

“If you dare move again, I’ll make you lose an arm.” Xie Wuyi sneered. “If I truly wanted to blame you, do you think you’d still be standing here talking right now?”

“…Chanyi thanks the Manor Master.”

“You’re not old, but you have quite a lot of schemes. However, the people I have seen are far more than those you have encountered. Since the jade pendant was stolen, I began to suspect you. The reason I didn’t touch you for three years is simply because you pose no threat to me, and Xie Li only has you as someone truly sincere to him. Although a bit stupid, you aren’t foolish beyond saving.” Xie Wuyi raised a hand and tossed a crumpled ball of paper to her. “Since we have spoken openly today, let this matter rest. From now on, you will do exactly as written on here.”

Xue Chanyi unrolled the strip of paper to look. Her body shook violently, and her hands began to tremble.

“You…”

“What about it?”

The words reached her lips but were forcibly swallowed down. Instead, she changed the subject: “Since you’ve come all this way, aren’t you going to see the old Manor Master?”

“We only loathe the sight of each other. What is there to see?” Xie Wuyi cast a glance at the tightly shut door, shook his head, and turned to leave.

Just as he was about to cross the threshold of the main gate, Xue Chanyi asked, “My Shifu… is he doing well?”

The soles of Xie Wuyi’s shoes caught slightly on the threshold. A moment later, he replied, “He is dead. I wasn’t the one who killed him; believe it or not, it’s up to you.”

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