SS Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Ascending to Heaven

 

Ye Fusheng caught the collapsing Xie Li in his arms and tapped him lightly on the forehead. “You little brat, always looking for ways to die!”

 

Chu Xiwei had his eyes tightly shut but keenly sensed another person approaching. He tilted his head slightly. “You two are…”

 

The woman moved swiftly, landing beside them using light footwork and took Xie Li from Ye Fusheng without saying a word. Ye Fusheng turned around, squinting slightly in the dim light, and after a moment of recognition, realized it was the same “Old Black Mountain Demon” from before.

 

At this moment, the woman’s left hand, missing a pinky, gently caressed Xie Li’s face, inch by inch, from his hair to his chin. She even wiped away a speck of dust from his earlobe. Her usually cloudy eyes were uncharacteristically clear, and a mist of tears gathered in her bloodshot eyes, on the verge of falling, but none did.

 

She finally spoke, her voice hoarse and unpleasant. “Is this… A’Li?”

 

Ye Fusheng nodded. She hugged Xie Li tightly for a long while before speaking again. “Too thin, it’s like holding a bag of bones.”

 

Her tone… Chu Xiwei’s thoughts turned, but he kept his expression unchanged. Suddenly, his face itched, and he almost raised his hand to swat it but suppressed the urge.

 

Ye Fusheng, unconcerned, checked Xie Li’s eyelids and waved his hand in front of him. “Nothing serious, just apply some medicine. He’ll be fine in seven or eight days.”

 

“So long…” Chu Xiwei frowned slightly and politely asked, “Are you proficient in medicine?”

 

Ye Fusheng shook his head. “Just learned from being ill for a long time… Hm?”

 

Chu Xiwei suddenly raised his hand and accurately grabbed Ye Fusheng’s wrist, feeling the calluses on his palm and the base of his thumb.

 

He held Ye Fusheng’s hand and complimented, “A fine blade.”

 

Ye Fusheng shuddered from the touch, and just as Chu Xiwei was about to continue, Ye Fusheng pulled his hand away.

 

Ye Fusheng laughed, “I’m Ye Fusheng, a bodyguard from Duanshui Manor.”

 

His right hand shrank into his sleeve, hiding an old bite mark on his index finger. Only then did he sigh in relief, as if he’d concealed a deadly secret that no one should touch.

 

Ye Fusheng? Chu Xiwei smiled faintly. When did Duanshui Manor have such a figure, unknown but highly skilled?

 

Though countless thoughts passed through his mind, Chu Xiwei maintained a calm demeanor. “I am Chu Xiwei, thank you for your assistance.”

 

Ye Fusheng glanced at the broken doll pieces by his feet but said nothing with a smile.

 

This Chu person had an unclear background and ruthless methods. He was neither from a famous sect nor a righteous person who helped others for the greater good.

 

So the question is—why had he risked himself, and why save Xie Li?

 

As these thoughts ran through his mind, Ye Fusheng’s hand behind his back moved slightly, stretching his fingers as if unintentionally.

 

The woman squatting behind him trembled.

 

“…I’ll take you out.” The woman stood up, expressionless, still holding Xie Li tightly. She turned and headed toward the hidden door she and Ye Fusheng had come through.

 

Ye Fusheng walked a few steps before remembering the temporarily blind “Old Black Mountain Demon” left behind. Out of goodwill, he turned back and asked, “Need help?”

 

Chu Xiwei lowered his hands and smiled warmly. “Thank you.”

 

When he smiled, his striking features softened in an instant, his long eyebrows lifted slightly, and his crimson lips curled slightly, giving him a beauty that was like thousands of flowers blooming, as if a vengeful ghost had suddenly gained life and charm.

 

A true beauty, but alas… a man.

 

Ye Fusheng shook his head and grabbed a corner of Chu Xiwei’s sleeve, leading him forward.

 

The place was full of interconnected passageways, and each stone chamber was connected by hidden doors. However, apart from the previous chamber, none of the others were filled with traps. Realizing this, Ye Fusheng’s hands itched again—clearly, that brat was not only unlucky but also prone to trouble.

 

Except for the trap room, the other chambers all had mezzanines, dividing the underwater secret realm into two parts. Unless one was familiar with the secret passages, they could only navigate half of the area, with the other half hidden behind more doors.

 

The exposed areas only contained simple items and rows of empty weapon racks, likely used by the manor lords during seclusion. The mezzanine, however, was different—though small, it had all the essentials for living. However, it was covered in dust and decay, suggesting someone once lived there but had long since left.

 

As Ye Fusheng walked, he mentally noted these details. The “Old Black Mountain Demon” followed quietly, like a puppet he could pull at will. Suddenly, she turned her head, and their eyes met—her dim eyes staring directly at him.

 

Even though Ye Fusheng knew she couldn’t see, he still felt uneasy. As if sensing his gaze, Chu Xiwei asked, “Why are you staring at me?”

 

Shamelessly, Ye Fusheng replied, “You’re so attractive, I want to sleep with you.”

 

Chu Xiwei: “…”

 

The woman ahead stumbled, almost dropping Xie Li.

 

Ye Fusheng tugged at Chu Xiwei’s sleeve, pretending to be bashful. “I’m a cut-sleeve*, and you handed me your sleeve. Isn’t that a hint? I think when we get out, we should…”

 

Chu Xiwei yanked his sleeve back and interrupted, “I appreciate the affection, but I don’t have that intention.”

 

Ye Fusheng finished his sentence with a grin, “…when we get out, we should each go our separate ways.”

 

Chu Xiewei: “……”

 

The world truly has shameless people like this. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see Ye Fusheng’s sly grin at that moment, or he would have had every reason to beat his face until it was unrecognizable.

 

Chu Xiwei’s hands, hidden in his sleeves, slowly clenched into fists, but his face broke into a smile. His beauty was unparalleled, and with just a slight raise of his eyebrows and a faint smile, he exuded a charm that could captivate anyone.

 

Ye Fusheng was suddenly reminded of the beautiful yet heartless demons in the old tales of Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio*. Regardless of gender, most of them were not to be trifled with.

 

He thought of how hard it had been for him to survive and how he couldn’t afford to squander his life until he fulfilled his old promise. He silently chanted a few lines of “Form is Emptiness,” and, like a proper gentleman, turned his head away. He deliberately made his footsteps heavier so that Chu Xiwei could walk freely without needing to guide him.

 

The chains still attached to the woman clinked with each step as she cradled the unconscious Xie Li in her arms. The winding path they took was so dizzying that anyone would lose their sense of direction. After passing through the last stone chamber and entering a narrow passageway, Chu Xiwei, despite his blindness, felt a gentle breeze on his face.

 

It seemed the exit was just ahead. Instead of relaxing, this realization made him even more alert. The world was full of fools who met their end in the most unexpected ways.

 

He couldn’t see, and so he didn’t notice Ye Fusheng’s rare look of surprise.

 

The passage had been carved through an enormous rock. There was wind at the end of the tunnel, but no door.

 

At the tunnel’s end was a massive stone weighing over a thousand catties [one catties is around 600 grams], with stone slabs cast against the rock walls. No human—nor even a fly—could get through.

 

This should have been a dead end.

 

But someone had used a weapon to carve a crack in the stone, just big enough for a person to pass through if they hunched over. The surface of the stone was scarred with dense, crisscrossing marks, as if it had been covered in cobwebs for years.

 

Broken swords and heavy blades littered the ground. Ye Fusheng now understood why there hadn’t been a single weapon left in the armory—they had all been broken here.

 

He crouched down, picked up a shattered iron sword, and ran his fingers along the blade. Aside from the break, there were no other damages. Whoever had done this was a martial arts master of unparalleled skill.

 

The sword hilt still had traces of blood. Although it had been many years, the faint outline of a handprint could still be seen.

 

Dripping water can pierce through stone, but it doesn’t happen overnight.

 

Ye Fusheng took a deep breath and heard the woman’s voice, soft and haunting: “This was once a dead end.”

 

Ye Fusheng set down the broken sword and ran his hand over the crack in the stone. “But someone managed to escape alive.”

 

“If someone escaped, that means others must have died.”

 

“If they hadn’t left, would it have spared the others?”

 

The woman hesitated, then smiled. “It was fate. Nothing could have been avoided.”

 

Their cryptic conversation left Chu Xiwei even more confused, feeling as if he were drowning in a fog of unanswered questions.

 

The woman reluctantly caressed Xie Li’s face one last time, handing him over to Ye Fusheng. Her voice was hoarse as she said, “This is as far as I can go. You should leave and never come back.”

 

Chu Xiwei raised an eyebrow, only to hear Ye Fusheng say, “It’s been years since you’ve seen him. Don’t you want to meet your old friend again?”

 

“I’ve gotten used to being a dead person who never sees the light of day.” Her fingers gently touched Xie Li’s eyes, stretching slightly as if she were imagining how he would look when grown, recalling someone from her past.

 

After a long moment, the woman brushed aside her tangled hair. Beneath the disarray, the beauty of her former self could still be faintly seen in her expressions.

 

“I’m afraid that seeing old things will remind me of people long gone, and worse, that the world has changed.”

 

Seeing old things and thinking of people, realizing things have changed—both sentiments indicated that this woman was an old acquaintance of Duanshui Manor.

 

Chu Xiwei calculated this in his mind, while Ye Fusheng remained silent for a while before speaking again. “Then, madam, do you have any last requests? Whatever it is, I will do my utmost to fulfill it.”

 

“What use is it for a dead person to ask you to burn incense at her grave?” the woman laughed. Suddenly, she stopped, glancing at Ye Fusheng and changing her tone, “Or maybe, have A-Li… eat more meat.”

 

Ye Fusheng was taken aback but then burst out laughing. “Agreed!”

 

As soon as he said this, Chu Xiwei heard the faint sound of chains dragging, and soon, the only sounds left in the room were their three breaths.

 

Ye Fusheng poked Xie Li in the chest, causing the boy to gasp for air, coughing so hard it seemed his lungs might burst. His face flushed red.

 

Before Xie Li could ask or accuse, Ye Fusheng was the first to blame him, saying, “Young master, you’re quite timid for your age, fainting from such a small scare.”

 

Xie Li: “Cough… I saw a woman…”

 

Ye Fusheng continued loudly, “A woman? Thinking about women already, even before growing up? You’ve got talent!”

 

Xie Li: “No, I…”

 

Ye Fusheng: “Now we have to get out of this godforsaken place. See this crack? It’s so narrow, you’d have to turn into a needle for me to carry you. So, hurry up and walk yourself. Understood?”

 

Xie Li: “… Understood.”

 

Watching Ye Fusheng shamelessly bully the boy with such absurd logic made Chu Xiwei feel as if he were witnessing something truly rare. He couldn’t help but feel like he had learned something new.

 

Looking at the three of them—an old man, a weak child, and someone temporarily blind—Ye Fusheng felt helpless. He glanced at the four-foot-six-tall child, then at the “Old Demon of Black Mountain,” who couldn’t see for the moment. Moving forward would be difficult. With no other choice, he instructed them to wait while he squeezed through the crack to scout ahead.

 

After passing through the narrow gap, Ye Fusheng saw a winding stone staircase leading upwards, thick with dust from years of disuse. He carefully felt around for a while but found no hidden traps, so it seemed safe.

 

The forbidden area beneath Wanghaichao was where the lords of Duanshui Manor would go into seclusion to practice martial arts. Naturally, it wouldn’t be a dead end. As Ye Fusheng thought of the massive stone behind him and the chamber split into light and darkness, a smile crept across his face.

 

Just as he was thinking, the sound of footsteps came from above. Someone was slowly descending the stairs, their steps dragging.

 

Ye Fusheng narrowed his eyes, instinctively reaching for his waist, only to find nothing. He paused, his expression shifting to one of helplessness mixed with a bitter smile.

 

The footsteps grew closer. Accompanied by a faint flickering light, someone descended, carrying a white paper lantern. They were dressed in blue robes, their face pale and almost corpse-like, resembling a ghost.

 

Ye Fusheng clasped his hands in greeting and said, “Lord Xie.”

 

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1. The term “cut-sleeve” is a reference to male homosexuality in ancient China, derived from a historical anecdote.

2. It is a Chinese book.