Chapter 10: Long Night
This secret passage led directly to the rear of Duanshui Manor. At this moment, the rapid wind was so intense that it left behind a stinging pain once hit.
The dim light of the sky brought some relief to Ye Fusheng. Unfortunately, though his vision was clear, the rain aggravated his leg ailment, and it began acting up again. He frowned, and soon saw a group of around ten people rushing out from the forest. They were all carrying umbrellas and oilcloths, shouting as they hurried over.
Leading them was Xue Chanyi. Upon seeing them, without a word, she first wrapped Xie Wuyi and Xie Li tightly in a cloak, then finally glanced at the others with suspicion. “Young Master Chu, your eyes…”
Tsk, look at this treatment.
Ye Fusheng took the umbrella and deeply felt like a little cabbage yellowing in the field*. Chu Xiwei threw a cloak over his shoulders, smiled sideways, but said nothing. Xie Wuyi, however, spoke, “The wind and rain are harsh. Let’s return to the manor first.”
Xue Chanyi followed the order, and the group surrounded them like stars clustering around the moon, guiding them back to the manor. The people she brought were all guards from Duanshui Manor. Though they weren’t martial arts experts, they were swift and efficient. In no time, the four soaked individuals were brought back to the manor, causing Sun Minfeng, who was waiting under the veranda, to spit out a mouthful of tea.
He rushed up, exclaiming to Chu Xiwei, “I heard from Miss Xue that ‘in the middle of the night, you ran out to watch the fun and ended up falling into a ditch,’ and it turns out it’s true!”
Chu Xiwei: “…”
Xue Chanyi: “That’s not exactly what I said…”
Ye Fusheng turned his head and chuck, his shoulders shaking slightly.
Sun Minfeng’s use of “Master” just now had exposed Chu Xiwei’s true identity—though few people might have seen the master of Baigui Sect, many knew of the Ghost Doctor.
Those who had received treatment from him always wanted to get back at him, and those who were hushed away from his doors didn’t hesitate to use his portrait for target practice. Sun Minfeng’s face was practically the calling card of Baigui Sect.
Upon thinking about it, the seemingly random trade between Chu Xiwei and Xie Wuyi earlier began to make sense.
Sun Minfeng examined Chu Xiwei’s eyes and took his pulse, then said, “You’re not going to die, nor will you go blind. No need for any extra effort. I’ll give you a medicinal cloth to cover your eyes for three days, and that’ll do.”
Chu Xiwei thought to himself that the fact he hadn’t yet killed such a brazen subordinate was proof of his great patience.
After washing up, Xie Wuyi casually punished Xie Li by making him hold a horse stance for an hour. Then, he invited Chu Xiwei and Sun Minfeng into the inner room.
The young boy stood in the corridor with a tense face, holding his horse stance. Ye Fusheng, feeling bored, carried a bowl of hot ginger soup and sat beside him, sipping and chatting, “Young Master, if you sit just a little lower, you’ll perfect the ‘Flat Goose Falling on Sand’ pose.”
“…”
“Your stance is unsteady, your calves are shaking. Are you catching a cold?”
“…”
Amused, Ye Fusheng saw Xue Chanyi approaching with a basin of water. He immediately stood up straight. In the dim light, he could vaguely make out something red in the basin she was carrying. “Is that…”
Xue Chanyi was startled by his voice and instinctively moved the copper basin to her side. Seeing that Xie Li still had his back turned, she let out a sigh of relief and hurried away.
Ye Fusheng squinted, glancing towards the door that had just closed—it was the inner room where Xie Wuyi and the others were now. Xue Chanyi had just come out of there, carrying a basin of bloody water.
“Young Master, I’m going to wash the dishes. You keep practicing, alright?”
Before Xie Li could respond, Ye Fusheng quietly followed Xue Chanyi. He saw her avoiding the others and dumping the basin of bloody water into the flowerbed. Then, she wiped her hands with a cloth and, with a blank expression, went into the kitchen, picking up a food container and heading towards the back courtyard.
Duanshui Manor covered a vast area, but now it was sparsely populated, with many courtyards left vacant. Ye Fusheng drank another bowl of ginger soup and massaged his injured leg for a while, feeling a bit better. He relied on his superior lightness skills to follow Xue Chanyi through several twists and turns, eventually reaching a small courtyard.
It was late autumn, the plants had withered, and the wind and rain added to the desolate atmosphere. However, despite the eerie chill outside, there was still candlelight inside the room. Two people stood guard under the veranda—one was a house guard, and the other was a servant woman.
Upon seeing Xue Chanyi, they immediately bowed but didn’t utter a single word. Xue Chanyi handed the food container to the servant woman and instructed, “Simmer the broth for another half hour and deliver it while it’s still hot.”
The servant woman responded with hand gestures, respectfully taking the container. Hidden in a large tree, Ye Fusheng guessed that both of them were probably mute.
Xue Chanyi knocked on the door, and immediately a sound of something shattering came from inside. Unperturbed, she pushed the door open and entered, closing it behind her.
As light as a feather, Ye Fusheng slipped through the rain, quietly avoiding the guards, and landed in a corner outside the room. Carefully, he poked a small hole in the paper window.
The weather was cold and damp, but there was no brazier in the room, and only one dim candle was lit, making the darkness convenient for Ye Fusheng’s spying.
The room’s furnishings—tables, chairs, and cabinets—were all intricately carved from sandalwood, with every decorative piece being of the highest quality. Even Xie Li’s room wasn’t this well-furnished. Xue Chanyi sat by the table, her usual arrogance completely gone, leaving only calmness in her expression.
Her face in this moment resembled Xie Wuyi’s, but more somber, like a resentful ghost clinging to a grudge.
A person lay on the bed, and there was a shattered medicine bowl on the ground, with the remnants of the medicine splattered everywhere.
“Shizhu, you’re refusing to take your medicine again. If Shifu finds out, he’ll be worried.”
Xue Chanyi rested her chin in one hand, her bright eyes and white teeth like a painting. In the next moment, the person on the bed tried to sit up in agitation, but ended up rolling off the bed, accidentally cutting their hand on the broken porcelain, letting out a series of hoarse, unintelligible sounds from their throat.
This person was also mute. Ye Fusheng narrowed his eyes, seeing that the figure was a man in his late sixties, his hair white and his face gaunt. If he were dressed in ragged clothes, he’d look even more pitiful than the beggars on the street.
Yet, just a few years ago, Ye Fusheng had once seen this man in his prime, full of vigor.
With a blade in hand, he was invincible.
He was the former head of Duanshui Manor, Xie Wuyi’s biological father, Xie Zhongshan.
“Ah, you’re so careless. If Shifu gets alarmed, he’ll blame me for not taking proper care of you,” Xue Chanyi said, watching the old Manor master struggling on the ground. She smiled faintly, her gaze deep. “No, he hasn’t come here in almost a year. With life and death hanging in the balance, why would he think of you now?”
Xie Zhongshan frantically waved his hand, but from the waist down, he seemed to be rooted to the ground, unable to move. Ye Fusheng’s heart skipped a beat—this man was crippled.
“I didn’t expect he’d have the guts to accept the Sword Duel, and I certainly didn’t expect… that he’d choose to remove the needles.”
Hearing this, the old man crawling on the ground trembled violently. He shakily raised his hand, pointing at Xue Chanyi with a trembling finger.
“Don’t look at me like that. Years ago, the choice you made—do you still not understand what the outcome would be? The poison had already invaded his lungs and festered for years. Even scraping the bones couldn’t remove it. Only by changing his muscles and blood would there be a slim chance of survival. But he… chose to remove the needles.” Xue Chanyi rambled on, her cold expression gradually softening, as if she was on the verge of crying or laughing. “Three years… After being sealed for three years, the internal force will break through its confinement. He’s dead for sure, for sure!”
Xie Zhongshan let out a series of indistinct sounds but couldn’t form a single word. Xue Chanyi, seemingly in a frenzy, kept repeating the words “dead for sure,” her expression fluctuating wildly, making Ye Fusheng shudder.
He pondered for a moment and, under the cover of the rain and darkness, slipped back to the front courtyard like a ghost. Xie Li was still practicing his stance under the corridor.
Coincidentally, Chu Xiwei emerged as well.
A strip of white cloth, about the width of a palm, covered Chu Xiwei’s face, emitting a faint, medicinal scent. His ears were sharp though; as soon as Ye Fusheng appeared, he turned toward him and said, “Brother Ye.”
Ye Fusheng politely responded, “Young Master Chu.”
Both were sharp-witted, so they left the child under the corridor and walked together toward a quieter spot.
Chu Xiwei said, “Mr. Sun found me a hindrance and kicked me out. I thought I’d be left alone through the long night, but it seems Brother Ye returned just in time.”
Ye Fusheng rubbed his chin and kicked away a stone blocking Chu Xiwei’s path. “The servants in this Manor are slacking off. They should be punished.”
Chu Xiwei heard the sound and smiled. “Thank you for your help, Brother Ye. I wonder how I should repay this favor?”
“Only the King of Hell could call a man like the leader of the Baigui Sect ‘brother.’ I, a mere mortal, wouldn’t dare.” Ye Fusheng shrugged. “I do have a question though. Would you mind clearing it up?”
Chu Xiwei was quick to catch on. “Is it about what Mr. Sun is working on?”
Ye Fusheng hummed. Chu Xiwei smiled and said, “By now, there’s no point in hiding it. I imagine Brother Ye is aware of the rumors in the martial world about Manor Master Xie’s three-year silence?”
“If not for the rumor that the tiger had lost its teeth, how could a wolf dare to tease its whiskers?”
“What if the rumor is true?”
Ye Fusheng raised an eyebrow. “I’m all ears.”
“Since you already know who I am, you must also understand who Mr. Sun is. Three years ago, he was invited by Duanshui Manor to treat Manor Master Xie’s poison. He discovered that Xie had been poisoned with a strange toxin and severely injured. If he wanted to survive, he had to give up his martial arts… But for martial artists, martial arts are more important than life. Manor Master Xie would rather die than become a cripple.
“Eventually, Mr. Sun had no choice but to compromise. He sealed the poison in three major acupuncture points using golden needles. As long as the needles weren’t removed within seven years, his life wouldn’t be in danger. However, these three acupuncture points were vital to internal energy. Sealing them drained most of his strength. If he tried to use force, the pain would be unbearable, worse than death.”
Ye Fusheng’s expression remained indifferent as Chu Xiwei continued, “A month ago, the Zanghun Palace issued a challenge to Duanshui Manor. Manor Master Xie sent Miss Xue to seek the Ghost Doctor at the sub-branch. The Ghost Doctor initially wanted to refuse, but I was intrigued by the Duanshui Blade and made him agree—as long as Manor Master Xie exchanged the blade, the Ghost Doctor would treat him once more.”
Ye Fusheng asked, “What couldn’t be done three years ago—can it be done now?”
Chu Xiwei smiled. “Precisely because it couldn’t be done three years ago, the Ghost Doctor has been researching relentlessly ever since. He finally developed a method called ‘changing muscles and blood.’ By using internal energy to draw out the poison into the extraordinary meridians, and then using golden needles to force it out, followed by a blood transfusion from a close relative, Manor Master Xie could regain his former glory.”
“And the one providing the blood—what would happen to them?”
“The poison has been festering for a long time. The amount of blood required is considerable, so the person will most likely die.” Chu Xiwei caught a few drops of icy rainwater with his hand and murmured, “I thought he would choose this method, but instead, he proposed removing the needles… Once the golden needles sealing the poison are removed and supplemented with medicine, his internal strength will fully return within seven days. However, the poison will invade his bone marrow. Even with medicine, he’ll only live for seven days.”
I see.
So, that’s how it is.
Ye Fusheng exhaled deeply. Chu Xiwei, puzzled, asked, “What are your thoughts?”
“Everyone has their fate. What thoughts could I have? I just satisfied my curiosity, no longer feeling like a cat being scratched.” Ye Fusheng smiled and said, “Thank you for the explanation, Master Chu. We’re even now. Kicking away a stone and getting an answer—this trade wasn’t bad.”
“If you’re willing, we can continue doing such trades. After all, the Baigui Sect is full of obstacles, but there aren’t many people who can clear them.”
Ye Fusheng said, “Unfortunately, I have a leg ailment. I may want to help but lack the strength.”
Chu Xiwei smiled. “Yet you kicked that stone just now with ease.”
Ye Fusheng tilted his head. “With a beauty beside me, naturally, I must be more attentive.”
Chu Xiwei: “…”
Seeing that he’d said enough, Ye Fusheng withdrew his playful smile and asked seriously, “Will you be staying to witness the Sword Duel in seven days?”
“I’m not interested in outcomes I can already predict. Since the deal is done, as soon as Mr. Sun finishes removing the needles, we’ll leave. What about you?”
“I was entrusted with a task, so I must fulfill it. Miss Xue gave me a silver ingot, so I must ensure that the young master of the Manor makes it through these seven days intact.”
“Then… until we meet again.”
When they reached the end of the corridor, where the lights were bright, neither of them, one blind and the other covering his eyes, could see. They exchanged smiles and clasped hands before parting ways.
Their hands touched briefly, then immediately withdrew.
Facing away from Ye Fusheng, the smile on Chu Xiwei’s face disappeared instantly, his lips pressed into a sharp, blade-like line.
Ye Fusheng resembled that person—the same infuriating tone, the same occasional teasing remarks.
A month ago, he would not have so easily parted ways with Ye Fusheng.
But he had already been to Jinghan Pass, seen the mountain walls riddled with scars, seen the solitary grave standing beneath the withered tree, and seen the nameless tombstone.
The once seemingly tall man from his childhood couldn’t even fit his two hands in death.
That person was gone. No matter how many similarities the people he encountered had, none of them would ever be him.
Chu Xiwei suddenly felt a sense of relief that he could not see now; otherwise, he surely would have turned back.
To turn back for someone merely similar would be the greatest insult to that person.
Ye Fusheng, life is like a single leaf, and death is like the extinguishing of a lamp… The dead have already passed, that’s all there is to it.*
*Chinese idiom used to describe someone/something who has been neglected.
This sentence is actually quite beautiful and carries a deep meaning. 葉浮生，浮生如一葉，人死如燈滅……逝者已逝，如此而已。(Yè Fúshēng, fúshēng rú yī yè, rén sǐ rú dēng miè… shì zhě yǐ shì, rúcǐ ér yǐ.)
In this sentence Fusheng has been used twice representing different meanings, i.e, Fúshēng as in the name of the character and fúshēng as in ‘fleeting life’. Then (rú yī yè): translates to “like a single leaf.” representing how life is as fleeting as a leaf. (rén sǐ): Means “when a person dies.” and (rú dēng miè): Literally “like the extinguishing of a lamp.” telling us how ‘death is abrupt and final, like the sudden extinguishing of a light.’ Then we have (shì zhě): Refers to “the deceased” and (yǐ shì): Means “have already passed.” and (Rúcǐ ér yǐ): Translates to “that’s all there is to it” telling us how the dead have passed away and there’s nothing we can do about it.
So here Xiewei is telling (not literally) Fúshēng how life is as fleeting as a leaf and a person could die as easily as the extinguishing of a candlelight so we should move on as there’s nothing we can do to bring back those who have already passed away.
[Sorry for being that English teacher but I had to do it! Iykyk]
