Cherry Blossoms Upon a Wintry Sword

The Xie family’s banquet was laid out in the back garden.

When the Xie family head saw Lin Rufei for the first time, his attitude was very eager. He enthusiastically invited Lin Rufei to sit at the main seat. 

“Lin gongzi personally came to deliver the invitation, it is really a great fortune for my Xie family. It’s just that these days our family has had some accidents, so our hospitality is a bit inadequate. Do please forgive us.” The Xie family head’s cultivation was at the eighth level. He was more than two hundred years old and had a modest nature. He didn’t have the slightest arrogance of an elder and his smile was harmonious.  

Lin Rufei nodded and said in a warm voice, “Family head, you are courteous.”

The Xie family head and Lin Rufei chatted about some Kunlun Mountain matters with smiles on their faces. Most likely he was curious about why the Lin family would send the seemingly frail fourth young master to deliver the invitation. So after a few more inquiries, Lin Rufei said that the Lin family has always had the rule that direct disciples must travel down the mountain. When the Xie family head heard this, he smiled and showed an expression that showed “so that was the case.” He said, “No matter, no matter. Moyu City is very safe. Lin gongzi can stroll around as he pleases……” 

Lin Rufei nodded with a smile and then asked why he hadn’t seen Xie Zhiyao around.

The Xie family head knew that Lin Rufei and Xie Zhiyao were childhood playmates. When he heard Lin Rufei ask about his third son, he was not very surprised, he just had a slight frown. He sighed and said: “Zhiyao, this child, violated the Xie family’s ancestral training. He was punished to kneel in the ancestral hall for a few days. However, since Lin gongzi is here, I will release him tomorrow so that he can catch up with Lin gongzi? “

Lin Rufei said, “Then I will trouble the family head.”

The two of them were eating and chatting, and the atmosphere was not bad. However, the women of the Xie family seemed very formal. From the beginning to the end, they simply lowered their heads to eat and didn’t talk. 

After having a good meal, Lin Rufei took out the invitation and handed it to the Xie family head, saying that this was the invitation to the next sword competition. But who knew that when the Xie family head saw the invitation, he hesitated. 

“What’s wrong?” Lin Rufei was slightly surprised, “Is the family head not going to participate in the sword competition?”

“No, no, no.” The Xie family head said, “It’s just that I remembered some things from the past.” He smoothly took the invitation and tucked it into his bosom. He then personally escorted Lin Rufei back to the room he was staying in, saying that the night was cold and windy, so Lin gongzi should try not to go out at night and be careful of catching a cold.

Lin Rufei said yes, and only then did everyone turn and leave the table.

When he returned to the room, Lin Rufei felt that the Xie family was really strange. Xie Kongcheng obviously died, but his father actually did not show a bit of sadness. No one in the residence was even mourning. It was as if Xie Kongcheng was a transparent person. At the banquet tonight, he also did not see any of the Xie family juniors, it was almost all women and on those women’s faces, he could see a few colors of fear.

Fu Hua made a cup of hot tea for Lin Rufei and said softly: “What is young master thinking about?”

Lin Rufei said, “I’m thinking about how strange the Xie family is.”

“It is indeed quite strange.” Fu Hua said, “The whole atmosphere in the residence is very strange.”

Lin Rufei remembered some of the secret things Gu Xuandu had told him during the day, and after a moment of thought, he told Fu Hua and Yu Rui to go and rest first. He thought that he would talk about it tomorrow when he met Xie Zhiyao.

Fu Hua said: “Looking at this weather, it seems that it will start raining again. Young master remember to cover up at night.”

“Yes, yes, it’s chilly.” Yu Rui joined in, “If it’s too cold, should we burn a pot of charcoal for young master in the middle of the night?”

Lin Rufei said, “No need, it’s not that cold. You guys go rest, I’ll call you if something happens.”

Only then did the two of them retreat. When they left, they considerately closed the doors and windows for him. 

After Lin Rufei washed up, he didn’t feel that sleepy anymore, so he sat on the edge of the bed with a candle and casually flipped through the books in the room. About a few moments later, the sky was really like what Fu Hua said. It had started raining.

It wasn’t even the 17th hour yet, but the courtyard was already empty and no one was in sight. 

(t/n: I will be putting all the times in the 24 hour format so the 17th hour is 5PM. This makes it easier for people to understand if it is AM or PM since putting “1 AM” and “12 PM” feels weird in a historical novel ^~^)

Lin Rufei read a book for a while before taking out the trinkets he bought on the street during the day and fiddling with them. The town at the foot of Kunlun Mountain was so small that there were almost no craft items for sale. For example, this mantis made of bamboo in front of him looks to be alive and breathing, as if it were real.

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“Is it very interesting?” Gu Xuandu’s voice suddenly came from behind him.

Lin Rufei laughed and said, “I have never seen it before.”

“Oh.” Gu Xuandu said, “I remember a place in Jianghuai, there is a very famous ghost market. The objects sold there are very interesting, if you have time to pass by there, I will take you to see.” After he said this, he remembered something else and paused for a moment, “I just don’t know if that place is still there after so much time has passed.”

Lin Rufei smiled, “I hope it is.”

The two of them chatted about other interesting things. It was getting late and Lin Rufei was getting a little tired. He was about to put down the things in his hand and go rest on the couch when he saw a black figure outside the window, slowly walking through the gurgling rain. Although it was a bit far away, Lin Rufei still recognized the person’s identity, he abruptly got up and called out the person’s name: “Xie Zhiyao—”

The person in the rain paused and slowly turned their head.

It was indeed Xie Zhiyao. It was just that at this time, standing under the night rain, he could no longer see the childishness and confusion from the time of his youth. He was dressed in black and looked cold like hard ice. Only this ice melted slightly after seeing Lin Rufei. Xie Zhiyao opened his mouth with some hesitation: “Lin …… Rufei?”

“It’s me!” Lin Rufei laughed, “I haven’t seen you for more than ten years, you’ve changed a lot.”

Xie Zhiyao also revealed a smile. He slowly walked towards Lin Rufei and raised his hand to push open the door. He looked up and down at his childhood friend who he had not seen for a long time: “You have not changed much.” When he finished, he smiled slightly. “Why have you come here at this time?”

“Isn’t it the custom of the Lin family to have its direct disciples travel down the mountains?” Lin Rufei laughed, “My sister has returned so it’s my turn.”

Xie Zhiyao wanted to say something else but stopped.

He was aware of Lin Rufei’s physical condition, his body was too weak to practice swords and was almost the same as a mortal. No, it was even more fragile than a mortal at some times. If Lin Rufei was born to another family with this body, most likely he would have become a pawn at the mercy of others. But in the Lin family, he was like a pearl in the palms of their hand, and no one dared to bully him at all.

“Don’t worry about me.” Lin Rufei said in a warm voice, “After all these years of recuperation, my body is better, and there are still two maids following me, it shouldn’t be a big deal.”

Xie Zhiyao nodded and his expression eased a bit.

“I asked your father about your whereabouts during the day. Your father said that you were in the ancestral hall for punishment and I would be able to see you tomorrow.” Lin Rufei said, “But …… what happened?”

Xie Zhiyao slightly pursed his lips. He seemed to be hesitating on whether to answer or not.

It was raining outside. Xie Zhiyao was also not like the general sword cultivator who used sword Qi to block the rain, so his hair and shoulders all have traces of wetness. It was a good thing he was wearing black, so the traces were not as obvious. However, vaguely visible water droplets dripped down his cheeks slowly towards his chin. His face was pale, but his eyes were dark to the point of frightening. His hand gently held the silver-white longsword at the side of his waist. This longsword was quite unusual in appearance. On its scabbard, there were sharp protrusions and the blade was long and slender. It wasn’t even unsheathed yet it carried an eerie coldness, along with Xie Zhiyao’s calm temperament, it seemed very out of place. 

“If it’s not convenient to say, then you don’t need to say it.” Lin Rufei also did not want to make things difficult for his best friend. He continued, “This time I came here, one is to deliver the invitation, and the second is to see you.”

Xie Zhiyao sighed: “It’s not that big of a deal, it’s just that my servant, Lv Er, has caused some trouble.”

Lin Rufei said, “Lv Er caused trouble?”

Xie Zhiyao nodded his head.

Lin Rufei said, “Why don’t I see him with you, is he being punished?”

Xie Zhiyao exhaled a breath and said calmly: “He ran away after he got into trouble, probably because he was afraid of being punished. The Xie family is in a lot of chaos these days, I wanted to wait for things to calm down before looking for him.”

Lin Rufei was sensitive and noticed Xie Zhiyao’s cold expression had some softness to it when he mentioned Lv Er’s name. This was not strange, after all, it was a servant that has been by his side for so many years, naturally, their deep feelings were normal. However, Lin Rufei vaguely remembered that the young Xie Zhiyao didn’t really like Lv Er, after all when the servant spoke, the words that came out were not very good.

He didn’t know what had happened in the past ten years to make him change his mind.

Xie Zhiyao raised his eyes to look out the window: “Today is a bit late, why don’t we talk more tomorrow?”

Lin Rufei said, “Sounds good.”

Xie Zhiyao nodded slightly and then intended to leave, but when he was leaving, he paused at the door and turned back, “It’s raining heavily tonight, so it’s better for Rufei to rest early.”

This was no different from what the Xie family head said. It was as if they were hinting at something.

Lin Rufei has always been a sensible and considerate person. He nodded his head at the words, responding to Xie Zhiyao’s good intention of reminding him.

Xie Zhiyao turned and left. His black clothes gradually merged into the dark rain, and the courtyard became quiet again.

Lin Rufei closed the window, extinguished the candle, and intended to go to bed to rest. Who knew that when he turned his head, he saw Gu Xuandu lying on his side at the head of the bed. His hand propped up on his chin and he looked at him with interest.

He openly listened to Lin Rufei and Xie Zhiyao’s catch-up and said, “This Xie Zhiyao, he’s a bit interesting.”

Lin Rufei said, “A bit interesting?”

Gu Xuandu said, “That sword of his, it’s not an ordinary sword.”

Lin Rufei said, “Aren’t all the swords used by the Xie family not ordinary?” 

Gu Xuandu shook his head, “That sword isn’t your usual iron sword.”

Lin Rufei was curious, “Then what kind of sword is it?”

Gu Xuandu did not answer the question, instead, he patted on the soft bed and smiled teasingly: “Come, come, come, lie over here and I will tell you slowly.”

Lin Rufei had long discovered that this senior always liked to tease him, so he helplessly called out a senior Gu.

Who knew that when Gu Xuandu heard the word “senior,” he seemed to be more excited. He raised his hand and grabbed Lin Rufei’s wrist, pulling him down. Their faces almost collided with each other.

Lin Rufei propped himself up on the bed with his elbows and tried to move back, but Gu Xuandu leaned up and the tips of their noses touched. His thin lips opened slightly and he said, “If I am not wrong, that sword of Xie Zhiyao should be made of the spine bone of a foreign beast.”

When Lin Rufei heard the words, he was frozen in place for a moment: “The spine of a foreign beast? But there are not many foreign beasts left in this world, how did the Xie family find it? Besides, in the Xie family’s situation, even if they could find the spine of a foreign beast to make a sword blade, it wouldn’t be Xie Zhiyao’s turn…….”

Their situation was completely different from his family. Xie Zhiyao’s family had a hierarchy. The most valued was still his elder brother Xie Kongcheng, and because of this, almost all the resources of the Xie family were put into Xie Kongcheng’s pocket. From the year Xie Zhiyao was sent to Kunlun and was accompanied by a not very good servant, Lv Er, Lin Rufei understood a thing or two about their situation.

“That I don’t know.” Gu Xuandu said, “But that sword of his is not easy.”

Lin Rufei fell into deep thought.

Gu Xuandu looked at his slightly drooping light-colored eyes and suddenly blinked, “Don’t you feel uncomfortable when I’m so close to you?”

Only then did Lin Rufei return to his senses and hurriedly moved back a bit: “Yes…… a little uncomfortable.”

Gu Xuandu hooked his lips up into a smile: “Really, since it is uncomfortable.”

Lin Rufei thought he would back up a little, but who knew that his next words would be, “Then come a little closer, so you can get used to it sooner.”

Lin Rufei was speechless.

The good thing was that Gu Xuandu was just joking and continued, “Okay, let’s not talk about it anymore. You’d better rest early. Even though it has been so long, why is this Xie family still so troublesome.” After he said this, his body faded away, leaving only a room full of the light fragrance of cherry blossoms.

Gu Xuandu’s figure could not be seen by others and even the fragrance couldn’t be smelled by others. Only Lin Rufei could see his shape and hear his voice. 

This was probably what Wan Yao had said, the destiny that belonged to him alone. 

Lin Rufei yawned. He listened to the sound of rain outside the window and fell into a deep sleep.

It was a dreamless night. The next morning, a ray of sunshine woke up the sleeping Lin Rufei.

Unlike the quiet Kunlun. It was very lively below the mountain. The day had just begun and there were already all kinds of small sounds. 

The Spring rain had been falling all night, but it finally stopped in the morning. A thin puddle of water had accumulated on the green stones in the courtyard and the servants had started to move around.

Fu Hua and Yu Rui prepared hot water for him early and the Xie family brought over a hot breakfast.

Everything was as usual and there doesn’t seem to be any difference. He didn’t know if it was because of the words Gu Xuandu said yesterday, but Lin Rufei felt that this Xie residence had a strange smell everywhere. 

After breakfast, Xie Zhiyao sent a maid over to invite Lin Rufei to his bedroom for a chat. Lin Rufei did not bring Fu Hua and Yu Rui, he simply followed the maid with his umbrella.

Before entering the room, Lin Rufei smelled a strong smell of medicine. He pushed open the door and saw Xie Zhiyao nestled at the head of the bed. The upper half of his body was wrapped in thick bandages and his face was even paler than when he saw it last night. His lips did not have any color, as if he had just been very ill. Although his expression was poor, his spirit was still good. He leaned on the bed with a smile and greeted Lin Rufei: “You’re here?”

“How did you get hurt?” Lin Rufei said in surprise. He took a few steps forward and went to Xie Zhiyao’s side. He saw that he also had a few blood marks on his cheeks as if they were bruised by sword Qi.

“Mnn, I met a few little thieves last night.” Xie Zhiyao smiled and said, “Just a few superficial injuries, it’s not a problem.”

Lin Rufei did not feel that it was that simple. Xie Zhiyao’s internal breath was weak, obviously, he was injured very seriously. However, he seemed to not care. His demeanor, compared to last night, seemed even more relaxed as if he had let go of something important. 

“Is that so?” Lin Rufei said, “Have those little thieves been caught?”

Xie Zhiyao said quietly: “They have been killed.”

“Oh, that’s good then.” Lin Rufei said.

Xie Zhiyao said: “You’ve come at a bad time. The Xie family has been in turmoil these past few days so I cannot provide you with good hospitality. If you are not in a hurry, you can stay here for a few more days, and when things are settled, I will show you around Moyu. Would that be fine?”

Lin Rufei said, “I’m not in a hurry. But just looking at your body injury, it doesn’t seem very convenient.”

Xie Zhiyao laughed, “It’s just a small injury.”

The two of them talked about the old times, like the times that they had spent on Kunlun Mountain when they were younger. Seeing Xie Zhiyao’s nostalgic expression, Lin Rufei smiled and asked him if he wanted to go back to those days, but Xie Zhiyao shook his head and said, “No. It was hard to come this far, I don’t want to do it again.”

Lin Rufei said, “That’s true.”

“There is a restaurant called Yue Lai outside the Xie residence, the lion’s head[1] there is a masterpiece. If you have nothing to do, you can go and try it.” Although he was in good spirits, in the end, he was still injured. Xie Zhiyao recommended some famous stores near the Xie residence before showing some tiredness. 

Lin Rufei was not an insensitive person and soon got up to say goodbye to let Xie Zhiyao have a good rest.

When he came out from Xie Zhiyao’s place, Lin Rufei saw that the sky had cleared up, so he planned to go out for a walk. Who knew that when he reached the front door, he bumped into a group of people.

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This group of people seemed to appear suddenly. They were more than two dozen and were all dressed in white mourning clothes, the most eye-catching was the huge coffin in the middle of the crowd. 

The rest of the Xie family also saw this sudden group of people, but no one cast a glance at them. They all lowered their heads and pretended not to see it. The group of people carried the coffin and were silent on their feet—like a ghost. They walked past Lin Rufei.

Gu Xuandu’s sly voice suddenly sounded in Lin Rufei’s ears as he whispered, “Want to see who’s in the coffin?”

Before Lin Rufei could say anything, a stone on the ground beside him shot out and hit the front man carrying the coffin straight in the arch of his leg. The man who was struck by this blow, shouted, staggered a few steps, and flung to the ground. The wooden coffin was extremely heavy. Once this person fell, the coffin would lose its center of gravity and would slide towards the front.

“Not good—” in the crowd’s cry of alarm, the coffin fell to the ground, making a loud noise. The coffin lid was not sealed, when it landed on the ground it would directly slide open and the person contained inside would also fall out.

It was an ugly dead man in grave clothes. Logically speaking, the dead should be ugly, but this one in front of him was so ugly it could kill. His body was thin, only about the size of an eight or nine-year-old child. The body was tightly curled up and his exposed skin was full of exaggerated wrinkles to the point that the face had become indiscernible. And the most appalling was that person’s eyes. It was wide open as if it were two unwilling black holes. Its stare was absolutely terrifying.

Lin Rufei has seen dead people before, but he has never seen such an ugly dead person.

The whole courtyard was frighteningly quiet because of this sudden accident until the voice of the Xie family head rang out.

The Xie family head, who appeared behind Lin Rufei at some point, scolded, “What are you doing, quickly clean this mess up.”

The people who were carrying the coffin woke up from their dream-like state and hurriedly put the corpse back into the coffin. They carried the coffin again and hurriedly left through the back door.

Lin Rufei looked up and saw the smiling expression of the Xie family head. But this smile compared to the previous few days, was fake. It was as if he was wearing a mask.

“Lin gongzi.” The Xie family head spoke out.

“Family head Xie.” Lin Rufei answered.

“It’s going to rain soon.” The Xie family head said, “When you go out, remember to bring an umbrella.”

Lin Rufei said lightly, “Thanks for your concern.”

The Xie family head nodded and turned to leave.

Lin Rufei stared at his back and murmured under his breath as if he was talking to himself, “What was that?”

Gu Xuandu said, “Naturally …… that is a person.”

Indeed, it was a person, but how can someone die in such an ugly way?

Once the day cleared, the stores around the Xie family were bustling with activity. Lin Rufei stepped on the green stone and slowly walked on it. That day it was late and he shopped a bit carelessly. Today he had nothing to do so he could slowly look around. 

As Xie Zhiyao said, the lion’s head in the old Yue Lai building next to the Xie family was indeed delicious. It had a strong and soft texture with a rich and fresh taste. However, Lin Rufei had always had a weak appetite. So after he tasted some, he placed the chopsticks down. He propped up his chin with one hand and slowly rubbed the tea cup on the table with the other, saying in a slow voice, “Did the family head do this?”

“Perhaps.” Gu Xuandu sat beside Lin Rufei, soothing the seemingly frightened Lin Rufei. “Don’t be too afraid, it’s just a dead man.”

“I’m not afraid of a dead man.” Lin Rufei said.

“Really not afraid?” Gu Xuandu seemed to have doubts and tilted his head. He stared at Lin Rufei, as if he wanted to see traces of lies on his face.

However, Lin Rufei’s expression remained unchanged. His light-colored black eyes were calm like a deep lake. He looked at Gu Xuandu and said, “I’m just worried about Xie Zhiyao, will he be the next one?”

Gu Xuandu said, “No clue.”

Xie Zhiyao was suddenly seriously injured last night and today a strange corpse appeared in the Xie residence. Looking at the attitude of the Xie family, this person obviously had some status in the Xie residence, otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many people preparing for his funeral.

Lin Rufei said again: “Or …… that person was killed by him?”

Gu Xuandu said, “It is not entirely impossible.”

The two looked at each other for a moment. Lin Rufei blinked: “Can’t senior provide some of his opinions?”

Gu Xuandu smiled and said, “If you call me senior Xuandu again, I will give you my opinion.”

Lin Rufei got up and left.

Gu Xuandu sighed behind him and said, “Senior and senior Xuandu. It’s only a two-word difference. Why are you angry?” 

Lin Rufei said, “You probably don’t understand.”

Gu Xuandu said, “Hmm?”

Lin Rufei’s face was expressionless: “What you said is indeed true, it’s just your expression when you say it. It always looks like you are molesting a girl who is not yet married.”

Gu Xuandu was silent for a moment: “You’re right. You are not a girl.”

The corners of Lin Rufei’s mouth hadn’t even had time to curl up when Gu Xuandu continued: “And it’s true you’re not married yet……” Lin Rufei felt gloomy. The longer the two of them got along, the more he found Gu Xuandu’s mouth to be very powerful. At least, in the matter of quarreling, he was not able to take advantage. Well …… not only could he not take advantage, but he was also taken advantage of.

After tasting the good taste of the lion’s head, Lin Rufei went to a few more antique stores that looked closer. It was just that this store sold objects that ordinary people liked since most of them had little spiritual aura.

The shopkeeper’s eyes were vicious and after looking Lin Rufei up and down for a while, he greeted him with a smile and enthusiastically introduced the store’s contraptions.

“This young master, you’re not from Moyu, right? I haven’t seen you before.” The shopkeeper enthusiastically said, “This young master, the dragon cloud brocade you’re wearing is beautiful…… That year I saw a similar one afar in Kyoto, I didn’t expect to see it again in the remote area of Moyu.” 

Lin Rufei’s food and clothing were always taken care of by his maids. He didn’t understand anything about clothing materials and whatnot. However, he simply nodded his head casually to the shopkeeper’s words. 

Although the store was small, the items were very complete. Lin Rufei spent some silver money and picked a hairpin for both Fu Hua and Yu Rui. The shopkeeper smiled brightly and helped Lin Rufei wrap the items up.

When he was wrapping the items, Lin Rufei asked in passing about the Xie residence, saying how the Xie residence was so indifferent these days.

“Yo, you don’t know this, right?” The shopkeeper lowered his voice, “A few days ago, someone in the Xie residence caused big trouble.”

“Big trouble?” Lin Rufei said, “What kind of big trouble?”

“I have only heard about it.” The shopkeeper looked left and right to make sure there was no one else around before continuing, “It is said that a certain Xie family’s son’s servant ran away with the Xie family’s heirloom. This was such a big deal at that time and the whole Moyu City was closed for several days.”

Lin Rufei said: “Has the person been found?”

“I don’t think so.” The shopkeeper said, “But there are also rumors that they have been caught and brought back. Hey, we just take it as interesting gossip to listen to, no idea if it’s the truth or not.”  

After obtaining the news, it was obvious that the servant the shopkeeper was talking about, the one that stole the heirloom, was Lv Er. It’s just that he didn’t know if he was related to the strange events that were happening in the Xie family these few days.

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“Is this young master going to the Xie family?” The shopkeeper asked again.

“Mnn.” Lin Rufei said, “To visit some old acquaintances in the Xie family.”

The shopkeeper said, “Oh …… so that’s how it is.” He wanted to say more, but in the end, he didn’t. He just handed the wrapped hairpins to Lin Rufei.

Lin Rufei picked up the hairpins and got up to leave the store.

The lively street in front of him and the gloomy Xie residence formed a stark contrast. Lin Rufei spent the whole day wandering outside until it was getting dark. He then returned to the Xie residence.

The Xie residence had already prepared dinner, but both Xie Zhiyao and the Xie family head were missing, and the entire courtyard was empty. It was as if Lin Rufei and his maids were the only ones here.

Lin Rufei had eaten a lot of snacks on the street and had little appetite now. He picked up the chopsticks and ate a little before putting them down. He turned his head to look at Fu Hua: “Is there something you want to say?”

Fu Hua bit her lower lips and whispered: “Young master, during the time you went out, I asked around about the Xie family. Finally, I know why the Xie residence is so strange.” 

Lin Rufei said, “Oh? Tell me about it.”

Fu Hua said: “The Xie family head seems to have suffered some kind of disease, his body doesn’t seem to be able to hold on much longer. They want to take advantage of the fact that he can still direct, to elect the next head of the family.”

Lin Rufei fiddled with the porcelain cups on the table and said carelessly, “The next head of the family should have been Xie Kongcheng.” However, Xie Kongcheng had died.

“Yes.” Fu Hua said, “This accident was very sudden and because of this the Xie family is in chaos. However, I also heard …… that this matter seems to also be related to Lv Er.”

“Lv Er?” Hearing this name, Lin Rufei stopped moving, “Continue.”

“The Xie family head’s study has a particularly powerful treasure. Lv Er took advantage of the fact that he had a good relationship with Xie Zhiyao, snuck into the study, and stole the treasure.” Fu Hua said, “It was such a big deal that the whole Xie residence knew about it.”

“He hasn’t been caught yet?” Lin Rufei was puzzled.

Fu Hua shook her head, “No.”

That was a bit strange. Lv Er doesn’t know how to use a sword, he was just a servant. In such a strict Xie family, there was no way he would be taught martial arts. Such a mortal with no strength could sneak into a heavily guarded study and steal the treasure—unbelievable. 

Lin Rufei’s fingers gently traced circles on the table.

Fu Hua continued, “But it was the same thing that young master was puzzled about. The Xie family is very strange, they even started to suspect Xie San Gongzi—whether or not he was involved with Lv Er.” 

If they didn’t suspect then that would be strange. Lin Rufei thought.

Fu Hua said, “Because of this incident, the whole Xie residence was purged and many servants were expelled, thus it became so deserted.”

Lin Rufei said: “Did you ask how Xie Kongcheng died?”

It seemed that the shopkeeper at the store today did not know the news of Xie family’s eldest son’s death.

Fu Hua shook her head: “They were all very alert about this and I wasn’t able to get a thing or two out of them. When the servants heard the name Xie Kongcheng, they would all bow their heads and walk away immediately.” 

“Got it.” Lin Rufei said, “You guys should be careful these days.”

Fu Hua and Yu Rui nodded their heads and said yes.

After Lin Rufei had eaten, he sent the maids off and smiled at the empty room: “I was wondering why the Xie family head didn’t accept my invitation. It turns out he is here to trip me up.” 

Gu Xuandu’s voice came from overhead. Lin Rufei looked up and saw him sitting on top of the overhanging beam. He was looking out the window and said, “Huh, why is there a fight?”

Lin Rufei looked in the direction Gu Xuandu was looking but saw nothing.

Gu Xuandu leaned down to look at him and reached out his hand, “Come.”

Lin Rufei felt his body lighten and he floated straight towards the beam. Gu Xuandu’s hand that stretched out from above naturally wrapped around Lin Rufei’s waist and swept him into his arms.

Lin Rufei’s eyes widened and said, “You—”

But Gu Xuandu shushed him and pointed to the distance: “Look.”

Lin Rufei looked up and saw a blaze of fire that rose into the sky. As the mountain wind spread into a vast ocean, the clouds were also reflected in a brilliant fiery red. There seemed to be a human figure sprinting in the clouds. The sword light swung in layers and seemed to have torn out a dark wound in the sky. Logically speaking, such a big movement should have attracted the attention of a crowd. However, the entire Moyu City was silent. Those majestic scenes were like a pantomime—only seeing the movements but couldn’t hear them. 

Gu Xuandu said, “It’s your friend, want to go see?”

Lin Rufei said, “Xie Zhiyao?”

Gu Xuandu nodded his head.

Lin Rufei said, “Who is he fighting with?”

Gu Xuandu said, “Don’t recognize.”

“Can we go and see? Or will we give him trouble instead?” Lin Rufei slightly hesitated.

Gu Xuandu looked at Lin Rufei who was in his arms and laughed: “Trouble? You, Lin Rufei, want to see him, that is giving him face.” After saying that, the scenery beside the two of them backed away rapidly. In a blink of an eye, they had reached the place of the fight.

Before when Lin Rufei looked from afar, he saw a fiery red, so he thought it was a sea of fire. However, when he got to the scene, he realized that it was not a sea of fire at all. Rather it was just a deep lake of emerald green, and swirling on top of the lake,  was a fire-like sword Qi. 

Xie Zhiyao was above their heads and was fighting a person to the point of wind and water rising.

Gu Xuandu suddenly said, “By the way, you haven’t met them yet.”

Lin Rufei froze slightly, then understood what was going on and looked down at the two blades, one long and one short, hanging on the side of Gu Xuandu’s waist.

“Gu Yu[2] is long, three feet and seven inches, and weighs around eight pounds and seven taels. Shuang Jiang[3] is short, only half a foot, and weighs around thirteen pounds and eight coins. Both have been with me for several hundred years.” Gu Xuandu gazed at Lin Rufei, tenderly introducing his beloved swords.

Gu Yu and Shuang Jiang that were hanging on his waist also faintly buzzed as if to echo in response.

Gu Xuandu continued in a soft voice: “I also had another most beloved sword named Da Han[4], but it was a pity that it was lost that year and was never found again.”

Lin Rufei’s heart was slightly moved and said softly, “You ……”

Gu Xuandu’s eyes wavered and then he heard Lin Rufei say: “You have so many swords, can your waist hold it?”

When Gu Xuandu heard this, his gentle expression instantly faded. He was angered to the point of gritting his teeth and finally squeezed out a sentence: “If I can’t hang it on my waist I can carry it on my back!” 

Lin Rufei was puzzled by Gu Xuandu’s glare. He thought that this senior’s temperament was unpredictable and made it hard for people to figure out. 

While the two of them were talking, the fight overhead was nearing its end.

Xie Zhiyao had the upper hand. The other person was losing. After another roundabout, Xie Zhiyao’s sword pierced into the man’s chest. And just like a falling star, he fell straight into the deep lake swirling with sword Qi.  

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However, Xie Zhiyao still pursued. Following the trajectory of the man’s fall, his sword flew into the lake, and then, from the lake picked up a half-dead man.

“Xie Zhiyao …… spare, spare my life.” The man’s face was white, his breath was weak like a candle in the wind, “I …… in the end, am still your brother ……”

Xie Zhiyao’s face was expressionless. He used his hand to wipe away the blood-stained on his face and said indifferently: “Xie Duyi, where did all this nonsense come from.” After he finished speaking, he raised his sword and swung, cleanly cutting off one of the man’s arms.   

Xie Duyi let out a miserable cry, blood gushed out from his severed right arm.

“Shut up.” Xie Zhiyao said again.

Xie Duyi immediately closed his mouth and looked at Xie Zhiyao in terror and despair. He seemed to have understood something and said in a trembling voice: “Don’t …… Don’t kill me, I know where Lv Er has gone!”

Hearing the name Lv Er, Xie Zhiyao’s lips pursed up into a taut arc. His eyes narrowed slightly: “What did you say? You know where Lv Er has gone?”

“Yes, yes, I know where he went.” Xie Duyi endured the severe pain and said with difficulty, “That day, he stole father’s treasures and was chased to Canglan Mountain. Afterward he was rescued by someone. That, that group of people, they seem to be your mother’s clan members.”

Xie Zhiyao said, “My mother’s clan?”

Xie Duyi continued, “Yes, your mother’s clan.”

Xie Zhiyao said, “How can my mother’s clan be related to Lv Er!”

Xie Zhiyao’s mother had long since broken off with her clan in order to marry his father. In the past twenty years, there was hardly any communication. Even when his mother had passed away, they didn’t send anyone to come visit. Until recently, when the Xie family was in turmoil did they suddenly and quietly contacted Xie Zhiyao and gifted him with a very precious sword blade made of a foreign beast’s bones. Without this sword, he would never have survived this struggle.

However, according to Xie Duyi, they actually saved Lv Er. Could it be that the treasure stolen from his father’s study had something to do with them as well?

It was said that the treasure was very special. It was just that since young, Xie Zhiyao had an average relationship with his father so had never seen it before.

“You’re not lying to me are you?” Xie Zhiyao coldly asked.

Xie Duyi smiled bitterly: “I am already like this, what is the point of lying to you. However, at that time father did not know that those people were from your mother’s clan, until these few days when he finally found out ……”

Xie Zhiyao said: “So that means that Lv Er is still alive.”

Xie Duyi said: “He should still be alive …… your mother thinks so highly of him ……” As he got to this point, his tone rose in indignation, “So obnoxious that brat, only you would protect him for so many years—” When he finished, he seemed to have realized something and started to openly mock,  “No wonder, no wonder. Even though he harbors such disgusting thoughts for you, in the end, in this entire Xie residence, the only person that likes you is him …….” As he said this he actually laughed out loud. It was just that this smile carried a madness that will soon die.

Xie Zhiyao was still expressionless as he said: “I wanted to leave you with a whole body, but now it seems that it is not necessary.”

The next moment, Xie Zhiyao raised his hand and swung his sword. After a few sword lights, blood rained down from the sky. Xie Duyi’s body just fell into the lake in pieces.

Xie Zhiyao looked down at the green lake stained red with blood and slowly turned his head to look at Lin Rufei’s location. He coldly said: “After watching for so long, it’s time to come out.”

Gu Xuandu removed the camouflage and Lin Rufei’s figure was gradually revealed.

When Xie Zhiyao saw Lin Rufei, his expression showed amazement. He remembered that Lin Rufei always had a weak body and could not practice with the sword. But the person in front of him was dressed in all white, standing on a sword, and his long sleeves were billowing—like an exiled immortal. 

“Xiao Jiu?” Xie Zhiyao arrived in front of Lin Rufei and said, “When were you …… able to use the sword?”

Lin Rufei said, “Not long ago I met a senior and he gave me some guidance. After that, I was able to use the sword.”

Xie Zhiyao said, “So that’s how it is. How long have you …… been here?”

Lin Rufei said, “A while ago.”

Xie Zhiyao laughed: “I’m really sorry to make you see such a family scandal.”

Lin Rufei shook his head and asked, “How are your injuries?” When he saw Xie Zhiyao this morning, he was still pale and lying on the bed. And not long ago he had fought with someone, he was afraid that his injuries would deepen.

But Xie Zhiyao said, “It’s not a serious injury. I have taken medicine and have gotten much better.” He casually shook the bloodstains on his shirt and tsked, “Let’s go. I will go back to change my clothes then we can slowly talk about it.”

********