Waiting for Jiang Ling to return to the Condensing Heart Courtyard, Gu Yun had already finished preparing dinner. Unlike before, Gu Shi was also with Gu Yun and Yun He, and the three had already gathered together some time ago. They waited for Jiang Ling for a while, so she was a little embarrassed. She apologized and said that she had been delayed on her way back.
Gu Shi did not treat them as outsiders and showed concern for his brother. He related how, when he visited his parents and sister last month, they missed him. They had heard that Gu Yun would also be visiting the Qingshan Sect, so they had Gu Shi bring some trifles for Gu Yun. Before, everything they sent had been kicked away by Yun Yang, so this time, they made sure to have Gu Shi deliver the items directly into Gu Yun’s hands. Gu Yun said that, by coincidence, he happened to need some money, so he received the items, pleased with himself. Yun He gave him a look, but unexpectedly, she did not prevent his actions.
Speaking of his parents and sister, Gu Yun felt a little regretful. Since he acknowledged Yun Yang as his teacher at seven years of age, it was not like he had never thought to return home to visit his parents once he had grown up a bit. Often, when he had the desire to return, he would look at his shijie and shimei, who had never had a mother or father, and as his shifu would frequently leave, he could not bring himself to speak of returning home. He thought to conduct himself as a real man, and while on Minghe Mountain, he was a pillar of the sect, but it seemed that down the mountain he was simply a tiger cub that would find his mom and dad to cry to at every turn; it was too disgraceful. He ended up procrastinating for ten years without going home, only receiving letters from his family.
“This time, when the Sword Conference concludes, you should return to Mingzhou. Bring your shijie and shimei along for fun. Mingzhou has transformed recently. The fact is, father, mother, and eldest sister have not seen you for ten years. You’ve already grown into a good-looking young man, so they will definitely be happy to see you.” Gu Shi gave two laughs. He saw that the younger son of his family had become a youth as graceful and unrestrained as a Jade Tree, and he could naturally be at ease.
After the meal, Gu Shi elaborated some more about the Sword Conference.
The Sword Conference was originally for the young disciples of the sect to test their strength against each other. The rules were that disciples under twenty-two could participate, and now, both inner and outer disciples could join. When the time came, the sect leader and all of the elders would view the match, then choose the disciples with the most potential as those to whom they would impart their own knowledge. Winning or losing was not important; the teacher sought instead natural gifts and wits. After all, older disciples beating younger ones was a common occurrence, but the root of natural talent was inherent. Those who were ignorant could not see it, but those in the know would understand at a glance. Therefore, the young ones who lost could catch the eyes of a teacher. For this reason, during every Sword Conference, the young disciples of the sect were always wriggling with excitement. This year, a few other sects were joining, as well, so the Sword Conference transformed into an opportunity for different sects to have a peaceful measure of strength, and they all sent their proudest disciples to vie for glory.
Gu Shi had recently turned twenty-four and was the chief of the last Conference. As the Sect Leader’s disciple, he served as the person in charge of the Conference, as well as its judge.
Gu Yun had long been itching to have a go, and he said that he wanted to contend for the position of chief.
“You, chief? Then what about shijie?” Jiang Ling, as was usual, threw cold water on Gu Yun’s enthusiasm.
“In any case, it definitely can’t be you.” When Gu Yun opened his mouth, he poked the thorn in Jiang Ling’s heart. As soon as he spoke, he regretted his actions.
Jiang Ling’s face turned cold, and she turned to go back to her room.
“Shimei…” Gu Yun wanted nothing more than to immediately box his own ears and ran off to apologize.
Gu Shi did not fully understand the situation. Yun He smiled obsequiously and said that this pair of shixiong and shimei always bickered. Jiang Ling was one that was eager to outdo others; she would be unhappy for a time, but she would soon be fine, no need to worry. Gu Shi said a few more words of courtesy then took his leave.
…
After the second day’s morning class had ended, A Du said that shizun wanted to see the trio and spurred them to go to Zhengqi Palace, where Lu Yi-shizun was located. The trio had just been thinking of calling on shizun, so A Du’s prompting was quite coincidental.
The trio entered Zhengqi Palace and saw Lu Yi-zhenren sitting in the middle seat, with a middle-aged man of slender build next to him — the Sect Leader, Liu Qi. The man had a curling mustache on either side of his face, of lofty mettle out of the common way. When he was young, he had definitely been a handsome man. Lu Yi-zhenren was different from one’s imagining of a man old in body, but young in spirit. He was an ordinary old man of about seventy years of age, with a grizzled beard and hair and deep wrinkles etched on his face. Jiang Ling understood the reason why shifu told them to come join the Sword Conference.
Liu Qi took one look at the trio and creased his brow.
The trio knelt to Lu Yi-zhenren and saluted, “Greetings, shizun.”
Lu Yi rose and walked over to them, trembling slightly, then stroked their heads. He wore a smiling expression, “Yun He has grown up. Yun Yang is a good boy ah, all of the disciples he has taken in have grown up elegant and charming. Haha, you all have come. That’s great, wonderful. This old man can now die without regrets.”
“Shizun…”
“Shifu, you shouldn’t talk like that. You’ll live to see one hundred, of course.” The crease in Liu Qi’s brow grew deeper as he assisted Lu Yi.
Liyi shook off his hand, “Shut up. This master doesn’t want to listen to you.”
Liu Qi was silenced.
Lu Yi saw that the trio was still kneeling and said that his heart’s wish had been fulfilled now that he had seen them, so there was no need to hold them up. He sent them away.
The trio once again paid their respects with the utmost courtesy and respect, then bid him farewell.
After Jiang Ling had walked some distance away, she heard Lu Yi-zhenren ask Liu Qi to withdraw as well, as he did not want to see him.
“It seems like shizun doesn’t like shibo, the Sect Leader.” Gu Yun conjectured.
“There’s no ‘seems like’ about it. He definitely doesn’t like him.” Jiang Ling said.
“He doesn’t like him, but he gave him the position of Sect Leader?” Gu Yun did not understand.
“Who knows.”
Jiang Ling rolled her eyes at Gu Yun. Ever since yesterday, she did not want to give Gu Yun any face.
With these kinds of circumstances, Jiang Ling wanted to go and find Shangguan Qing; doubtless she would know something.
Speak of Cao Cao and there he appears[1]An expression similar to ‘speak of the devil’. Cao Cao was a poet, military commander, and warlord from the Three Kingdoms Period.. When they had walked about half of the way back, they were called to a stop by Shangguan Qing.
“Jiang Ling-er, I’ve finally found you. My shixiong is really too dull. Every day, aside from practicing martial arts, all he ever does is read. It’s so dry and dull, I’m better off having fun with you.” Shangguan Qing squeezed past Gu Yun to Jiang Ling’s side and looped her arm affectionately through hers. She turned toward Yun He, “Yun-shijie, can I borrow her for a while?”
Jiang Ling looked at Yun He, who said: “Go along with Shangguan-shimei.”
“Yun-shijie is a good person.” Shangguan Qing pulled Jiang Ling away to go for a stroll.
…
“You just came out of Zhengqi Palace. Did you go to pay your respects to shizun, Lu Yi-zhenren?”
Jiang Ling thought of Lu Yi’s gradually aging appearance and felt full of a sorrowful feeling, “Mm, but shizun doesn’t look too good.”
“I thought so, too. Seventeen years ago, Lu Yi-zhenren dealt a severe blow to the leader of the Cult of Light, Azar, and his own cultivation was greatly harmed. From what you have said, it seems that Lu Yi-zhenren’s injury is no small matter ah.”
“Oh, right. Shangguan-shijie, what are we doing?” Jiang Ling did not want to keep thinking of Lu Yi-zhenren’s affairs.
“I’m bringing you to have some good food. Follow me.” Shangguan Qing was mysterious.
“Have you heard of the ‘Blades of Light’?” Shangguan Qing drew close to Jiang Ling in a cryptic manner.
“No, never.” Jiang Ling admitted. She herself did not really understand Jianghu. For the past sixteen years, she had read books, practiced martial arts, and taken care of the daily necessities on Minghe Mountain. She did not even understand the people by her side. She was one of those ‘scholars’ whose ears were shut to affairs beyond the window.
Shangguan Qing had at last found an intimate friend who could listen to her many pieces of information. At the moment, all she thought of was to impart everything she had seen and heard onto Jiang Ling, “Those ‘Blades of Light’[2]The character for Ming, 明, is the same character used for the Cult of Light, 明教 were the swords of the leader of the Cult of Light. They could be here at the Qingshan Sect.” She lowered her voice lest she be heard by others.
“Why would the Cult of Light’s leader’s swords be here?”
“Not the both of them, I’d wager. Those ‘Blades of Light’ are actually a pair of blades called ‘Sun’ and ‘Moon.’[3]As noted before, the Ming used here is 明, which is a combination of 日, meaning sun, and 月, meaning moon After the events of seventeen years ago, rumor has it that one of the blades, the ‘Moon’ blade, was lost and its whereabouts unknown. I’m almost sure that it ended up at the Qingshan Sect. Thus, I was thinking to ask around to verify my guess.”
“If that’s true, then the Qingshan Sect would definitely enshrine it to frighten Jianghu and rise up to be the top sect. Why would even Jianghu’s Bai Xiaosheng not know of it, do you think?”
“Jiang Ling-er, you are truly bright. And so, I only conjecture, and I don’t dare be certain. Perhaps it’s here, and perhaps it’s not, but the Qingshan Sect has not said anything. When you are moving about the sect, help me make some indirect inquiries.”
“So Shangguan-shijie was waiting here for me the whole time.” Jiang Ling finally understood, “The solicitous person harbors evil intentions.”[4]An expression that pretty much describes people who act nice to you to get something out of you.
“Alright, Ling-er, come on! I’m very curious.”
Jiang Ling thought that if Shangguan Qing applied her ‘curious’ intent to her martial arts, her cultivation would surely ascend a level. She did not know how she and that Shen-shixiong from the other day, who had not gotten one word in edgewise, had gone through so many years without growing tired of each other.
“Call me A Qing. I’m not that much older than you. It’s always ‘Shangguan-shijie,’ but it’s not as close.” Shangguan Qing had already long considered Jiang Ling a sister of her own family.
“A-A Qing.” Jiang Ling was a little unaccustomed to the address. She thought of He Xi, whose words were few. If she accompanied He Xi for a couple of more days, would she ask to call her ‘A Xi’? Jiang Ling immediately put down her own thought. Everyone was different; how could she compare Shangguan Qing and He Xi?
“What’s wrong?” Shangguan Qing thought that Jiang Ling did not like the address, and she reflected on whether or not she had behaved rudely.
“It’s nothing, I just thought of a friend of mine.”
“You’re with me now, but you are thinking of someone else?” Shangguan Qing raised an eyebrow.
“No.” Jiang Ling blushed because of Shangguan Qing’s comment.
Shangguan Qing laughed as she pinched her reddened cheeks, “I never thought that little Ling-er’s skin would be so thin.”
“Don’t make fun.”
Shangguan Qing pulled Jiang Ling to the back of the mountain and caught a hare.
Jiang Ling saw Shangguan Qing pull out a packet of spices from her lapel after she finished roasting the hare and sprinkled some on it. Jiang Ling asked her what it was, and Shangguan Qing said that it was a type of seasoning from Xiyu. All one had to do was roast the meat and scatter some of the seasoning, and the meat would transform into a wonder of the human realm, superior even to that of the imperial kitchens.
“Xiyu? Have you met many people from Xiyu?” Once Jiang Ling heard her mention Xiyu, Jiang Ling became interested again.
“Not many.” Shangguan Qing pulled off two legs and split them between Jiang Ling and herself. She related as she ate, “Those of us in Longxi are close to Xiyu, which are just through the Yumen Pass. Previously, there were few Xiyu people, but in the past few years, many more have come. However, they don’t seem to be coming all the way to the central plains and tend to remain in Longxi.”
“In other words, there is a possibility they could come to the central plains?”
The sprinkle of seasoning was indeed tastier than the food of the imperial kitchens.
“Mm. The current leader, Luo Zhu, was influenced by the central plains’ culture and gave strict instructions to his followers, looking to repair relations with the central plains. Recently, Xiyu and the central plains have gotten along peacefully, with exchange between the two more frequent now.”
“I see.”
Footnotes
| ↑1 | An expression similar to ‘speak of the devil’. Cao Cao was a poet, military commander, and warlord from the Three Kingdoms Period. |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | The character for Ming, 明, is the same character used for the Cult of Light, 明教 |
| ↑3 | As noted before, the Ming used here is 明, which is a combination of 日, meaning sun, and 月, meaning moon |
| ↑4 | An expression that pretty much describes people who act nice to you to get something out of you. |