Cherry Blossoms Upon a Wintry Sword

Chapter 19: Inside Moyu City

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The carriage traveled for another day before arriving at Moyu territory.

If it was said that the Lin family was in charge of Kunlun Mountain, then Moyu was the territory of the Xie family.

After a few days of walking on the mountain road, there was finally a wide avenue. The surrounding desolate mountains and forests receded and gradually there were people.

When they entered the city, the speed of the carriage slowed down. Lin Rufei lifted the curtain and surveyed the stores and the people walking along the road.

Moyu City was a prosperous business town with many merchants passing by. It was the westernmost commercial town on the Yaoguang continent. Lin Rufei saw a lot of unique things on the street that he had never seen before. The two maids also couldn’t stop looking at them, especially the younger Yu Rui, who couldn’t stop swallowing her saliva.

The Xie residence was located in the middle of the street; the entrance had two tall and lofty stone lions. Fu Hua went to call open the door. Lin Rufei stood aside to wait but found that the two stone lions had their heads slightly deviated towards him.

“Ah, why did the stone move?” Yu Rui exclaimed.

Lin Rufei observed for a moment and laughed: “This is probably not stone. It’s a stone beast.”

“Stone beast?” Yu Rui didn’t understand.

“Mhmm. Auspicious beasts to guard the house.” Lin Rufei said, “Normally, they look similar to stone but it can ward off some evil spirits.”

As the two were talking, the door to the Xie residence opened. Fu Hua explained their reason for arrival, but the doorkeeper looked hesitant and stared down at the three of them.

Among these three, Lin Rufei was obviously the most conspicuous. He looked calm and was wearing a white-based Spring clothing with flowing cloud patterns made of gold silk. His right thumb had a turquoise jade. On his waist hung an incense bag with a pattern that no one could understand. He looked handsome but had a pale face and seemed to not be in good health. However on his face, the most striking was the pair of lighter than normal color black eyes. When the doorkeeper saw these eyes, he seemed to recall something. He immediately asked: “May I ask if this is the fourth son of the Lin family?”

“Precisely.” Lin Rufei said.

“Please, please—” the doorkeeper hurriedly said and instructed another person to help Fu Hua bring the carriage in.

It turned out that after Lin Rufei and the Xie family met on the mountain road that day, someone sent a message back. The Xie family was prepared to receive a valuable guest.

It was just that Lin Rufei had just entered the Xie house when he noticed that there was something wrong with the atmosphere inside the house. In the large Xie residence, he only saw a few people. Even if someone walked by, they looked terrified. After seeing Lin Rufei and his companions, who were strangers, their expression changed as if they had seen a ghost.

The doorkeeper took the three of them, Lin Rufei and his maids, to a room and said that the Xie family head had some business to take care of so he went out and would only return at night. He said that they should rest for a while and when the time arrived, he would come to greet them.

Lin Rufei thanked him and then hesitated for a moment. He asked if Xie San Gongzi was at home.

When the doorkeeper heard Lin Rufei’s inquiry, his expression stiffened and he sighed: “Yes, he is here, it’s just that ……”

Lin Rufei said, “Just what?”

The doorkeeper said, “Just that he is still being punished in the ancestral hall.”

Lin Rufei said, “Punished? What did he do wrong?”

The doorkeeper smiled bitterly and said, “Sorry, Lin gongzi, it’s not something we servants can talk about. If you want to ask, please ask our master or you can wait. In a few days, the third young master should be out.”

Lin Rufei did not continue to make things difficult for him so he let him go.

“I always felt that the Xie residence was strange.” After putting away the luggage, Fu Hua and Yu Rui also came to Lin Rufei’s room. The two maids apparently also felt that the atmosphere in this house was weird, muttering, “Something is strange.”

“Indeed it’s not quite right.” Lin Rufei sat on a chair with a cup of hot tea in his hand. He picked up the cup of tea and took a sip, whispering, “The Xie family’s eldest son died suddenly, the entire Xie mansion didn’t even hold a funeral service—not even a white lantern was hung.”

If he remembered correctly, Xie Kongcheng was the Xie family’s most valued junior. He suddenly passed away and was hastily buried overnight. There was not a trace left in the entire Xie residence.

“No matter, let’s wait until nightfall.” After a few days of travel and hardship, Lin Rufei also developed some tiredness. He said, “Rest first, wait until the invitation is handed to the Xie family head before talking about other matters.”

Fu Hua and Yu Rui said yes before they withdrew obediently.

Lin Rufei casually ate some food, then casually flipped through some books that were placed inside the room and read them.

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A breeze swept through the window, and the man suddenly appeared beside Lin Rufei as usual. He opened his mouth: “It’s been hundreds of years, why is the Xie family still the same old.”

Lin Rufei was almost used to his sudden appearance. He continued to look at the book without raising his head and casually said: “The same old? Senior has been to the Xie family before?”

“No.” Gu Xuandu lazily leaned against the window, looking at the desolate scene in the courtyard, “But I have heard a thing or two about it.”

Lin Rufei let out an “oh,” he said: “Then senior knows what happened to the Xie family?”

Gu Xuandu said, “I can guess some of it.”

Lin Rufei blinked his eyes, then raised his head with some curiosity: “Is it convenient to say?”

Gu Xuandu forced out a smile: “It’s fine to say …… just ……”

Lin Rufei said: “Just what?”

“It’s just that these things are all nasty things, your ears will feel dirty after hearing them.” Gu Xuandu said.

Lin Rufei laughed: “No matter, it’s hard to tell how clean the ears are anyways.”

Gu Xuandu stood up and walked to Lin Rufei’s side in a few steps. He bent down close to Lin Rufei’s cheek and whispered, “From what I can see, isn’t it quite clean?”

The breath that was exhaled onto Lin Rufei’s ear brought about some itchiness. Lin Rufei reflexively wanted to move away, but Gu Xuandu had already straightened up his body. He said: “Every family that can pass on their legacy for hundreds of years always has some methods of their own. Your Lin family has the unparalleled sword technique and the art of sword-making, their Xie family also has its own method.”

“What method?” Lin Rufei asked.

“Do you know how the Gu King was refined?” Gu Xuandu asked.

Lin Rufei instantly understood Gu Xuandu’s meaning and was a little incredulous: “Isn’t such a method too harmful to the harmony of heaven?”

“What is heavenly harmony?” Gu Xuandu said, “For some people, the family’s continuity and prosperity is the harmony of heaven.” His tone was lazy, “There are many bones buried under the high position. There are many filthy things, it’s better to get used to it earlier.”

Lin Rufei was silent. He has seen some in books, but only text descriptions. How can it compare to the shock of seeing it with his own eyes? Plus, there was also the situation about his childhood playmate.

He flipped through a few pages of the book and felt a little bored inside the house, so he casually picked up his cloak, put it on, and left the courtyard. He wanted to go to Moyu’s streets for a walk.

When the doorkeeper saw that he was going out, he eagerly opened the door for him and asked if he needed someone to accompany him. Lin Rufei refused his kind offer, saying that he just wanted to walk alone.

Gu Xuandu followed Lin Rufei’s side, but no one could see him except Lin Rufei.

The streets of Moyu were flat and wide, it was a different scene compared to Kunlun. Lin Rufei walked on the street and soon found some interesting things. Things like painting small people on stone slabs using sugar water, crispy dough balls fried in the frying pan—which seemed to be something that children like—Lin Rufei’s eyes shone and he could not move his feet.

The vendors were very smart. When they saw a noble gentleman stopped at the door of their stalls, they shouted loudly. Some enthusiastic vendors greeted Lin Rufei to first try a bite, if it wasn’t delicious, he did not have to pay.

Lin Rufei couldn’t resist the temptation, and from his pouch, he took out a few silver coins. He bought some snacks and other knick-knacks. He then went to the stall selling sugar painting[1] and asked the vendor to draw a cherry blossom. 

“Hey, it’s for you.” Lin Rufei took the sugar-painted cherry blossom branch, found a place where no one was around, and handed it to Gu Xuandu who was beside him. “Can you hold it?” He didn’t know if Gu Xuandu could touch physical objects.

Gu Xuandu did not speak. He simply reached out and took it before taking a few bites with a crunch. After some chewing, he swallowed it. Because he ate too quickly, the dark sugar crumbs left some noticeable traces on his lips. Lin Rufei raised his hand and pointed to the corner of his own mouth and said: “Here…..”

Gu Xuandu raised his head and looked at him.

“Right here.” Lin Rufei continued, “There is ……”

Before he could finish his sentence, Gu Xuandu’s face actually came closer. His cold lips swept over the corner of his mouth as if it were a feather, startling Lin Rufei, who couldn’t help but take two steps back. His pale face flushed red: “You—what are you doing—”

Gu Xuandu was full of innocence: “Otherwise, what did you mean?”

Lin Rufei was helpless: “I mean you have sugar crumbs at the corner of your mouth—”

Gu Xuandu let out an “oh.” He stretched out his tongue and licked the corner of his mouth. He was born extremely beautiful and doing this kind of action also brought in some sexual feelings. Lin Rufei couldn’t help but avert his eyes. He even forgot to pursue the matter that had happened earlier and therefore missed the smile in Gu Xuandu’s eyes. 

Lin Rufei has lived for more than twenty years. Those that came into long-term contact with him, besides his relative, were only the two maids Fu Hua and Yu Rui. But he has never had any other thoughts about them, the feelings could be said to be blank.

As he was being teased by Gu Xuandu, he felt embarrassed and also gave birth to some shame. He didn’t know whether Gu Xuandu was unintentional or deliberately teasing for his own amusement. 

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The attitude of Gu Xuandu was still the same as before. He pointed to the dragon’s beard candy[2] on the vendor’s stall and said that it was delicious and to remember to buy some back.

Lin Rufei then proceeded to buy two boxes. When the two of them finished shopping on the street, Lin Rufei’s hands were full of large bags of snacks and all kinds of strange-shaped gadgets. Even after this much, the two were still not done. If it wasn’t for the fact that they couldn’t carry anymore, they would have continued to buy some more stuff. 

The day was also getting a little late. Lin Rufei slowly wandered back to the Xie residence. Fu Hua and Yu Rui, seeing Lin Rufei return from a rewarding journey, showed surprise. They rushed forward to take the things in his hand and said young master went out, how come he didn’t call on them.

“I just want to go around by myself.” Lin Rufei said, “You guys don’t need to be so nervous.”

“Just now, a servant from the Xie family came over and said that Master Xie had already set up a banquet, so if you come back you can go there directly.” Fu Hua said, “Is young master going to go now?”

Lin Rufei said, “Going.”

It was only a matter of time.

At this time, it was dusk, and the entire Xie residence was covered in the dusky sunlight of the evening. Except for the servant who led Lin Rufei to the main hall, there was not a single person in the large Xie residence, and it was terribly silent.

Above the eaves, there were a few blackbirds. They looked like some type of crow and they did not chirp. They just quietly gazed at the Xie residence from high above, as if waiting for something.

As they walked, Lin Rufei casually asked the servant a few words. The servant was docile and answered in a whisper. But any question about Xie Zhiyao would not receive an answer. Furthermore, after hearing the name Xie Zhiyao, his face even showed some trepidation as if the name Xie Zhiyao was something ominous.

“If Lin gongzi has anything he wants to know, then you can ask the family head.” The servant said trembling, “There are things that are not meant for us underlings to say.”

Lin Rufei nodded his head and said yes.

The Xie residence was so big that walking inside was like entering an endless maze. After walking for a while, they still did not reach their destination, and in the meantime, they even passed through a beautiful garden.

The Spring garden should have been the most beautiful, but unfortunately, the Xie family’s garden was not taken care of. It was overgrown with luxuriant weeds and it covered the planted flowers and trees. It was so deserted that even the pathway was almost flooded.

The servant walked on it carefully, reminding Lin Rufei to be careful of the slippery ground.

“How much longer until we arrive?” Lin Rufei asked.

“Soon, soon. It’s just up ahead.” The servant said, “A few more steps and we will be there.”

After he said this, he turned two more corners, and only then did Lin Rufei see the Xie family head and a group of family members sitting in the middle of the light waiting quietly.

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The author has something to say:

Gu Xuandu: So sweet.

Lin Rufei: The sugar painting is indeed sweet.

Gu Xuandu: I mean you.

Lin Rufei: …………