Cherry Blossoms Upon a Wintry Sword

Chapter 7: The Place of Heart’s Desire

The man rode a cloud dragon all the way down Kunlun Mountain.

The cherry blossom grove at the foot of Kunlun Mountain that Lin Rufei often comes to, was somewhat unfamiliar in the night. After the Spring rain, the cherry blossoms have fallen a lot, the branches were not as lush as they had been and occasionally he would see slightly more abrupt branches sticking out. The man took Lin Rufei and stopped at a bunch of cherry blossom branches. His red clothes fluttered along with the breeze of the cool night, and his cold hand covered Lin Rufei’s shoulder again. Lin Rufei felt a slightly cool exhale against his ear. The man made a sound and said, “Come.”

After he finished speaking, he gave a push and Lin Rufei’s eyes widened. He thought he would fall heavily to the ground, but his original bulky body turned into a wisp of Spring wind at this time, and with pointed feet, he landed steadily on the ground. Lin Rufei looked surprised and looked at his feet.

“Go, ah.” The man laughed lowly. His phoenix eyes contained a slightly drunken smile. He suddenly fell down in a smooth motion, causing Lin Rufei to cry in surprise. And the tree by his feet stretched out its branches, like slender hands of a young girl of sixteen. It softly wrapped the man in its arms.

He just laid like that amongst the cherry blossoms. Red clothes and black hair with a sword hanging at his waist. Brightly colored clothes hung in front of Lin Rufei, swaying again and again, like a lake in which you could not see the bottom. 

The silver sword started circling around Lin Rufei again, like a curious child. It was sniffing left and right. Finally, it used its hilt to gently rub the back of Lin Rufei’s hand, signaling for him to grab it.

Lin Rufei stretched out his hand.

It all felt like a weird dream. He could no longer tell whether he was in the dream or outside the door. The moment his pale hand gripped the hilt of the sword, Lin Rufei felt his palm begin to heat up, and then, a raging hot current surged through his body.

The next moment, Lin Rufei disappeared on the spot.

The man was still leaning against the branch, his hand propped up his chin. He looked lazy as if he had just woken up from a long slumber and lazily yawned. He said to himself, “Where would he go.” After a moment’s pause, his half-hung eyes widened a bit and he laughed, “It’ll be interesting.”

Lin Rufei flew out with the sword, he did not have time to react when it stopped again. In front of his eyes was still the cherry blossom forest, but also in front was a group of monkeys full of alarm.

Lin Rufei stood where he was and stared wide-eyed.

“What did you bring me here for?” The situation was so awkward that Lin Rufei could only look back at the sword that had brought him here and asked.

The tiny silver sword that had been unsheathed tilted a bit, it was enough for Lin Rufei to have a touch of doubt.

The monkeys slowly faded to the sides, and from the back came out a big, beautiful monkey with golden fur, the same one that molested Lin Rufei. When it saw Lin Rufei, it squealed happily a few times.

Lin Rufei immediately wanted to back up, he was scared since he was bullied by this group of monkeys. This monkey group probably moved into this forest around the time when he was twelve or thirteen. At that time he was just a short and small teenager, he didn’t know how many times his snacks were snatched away. Later the Monkey King came, the situation was only slightly better. The snacks weren’t snatched, but he will always be surrounded by a group of monkeys……

Regarding the monkeys, Lin Rufei really had an endless history of blood and tears with them.

The Monkey King blinked and looked at him, its beautiful golden eyes full of curiosity, wondering how Lin Rufei appeared in the forest in the middle of the night. However, after looking left and right, it actually did not see the maids who usually followed Lin Rufei. It reached out and scratched its head, then with a movement of its feet, jumped to the cherry blossom tree on the side and looked at Lin Rufei from a high position.

Lin Rufei immediately remembered the other day when he was molested by the monkey, an incredulous thought came to his mind and he said with wide eyes, “What are you going to do—”

The Monkey King screeched twice, then in a rush, directly pounced towards Lin Rufei. Lin Rufei’s expression turned to that of horror. Fu Hua once said, this monkey has its own fortunate fate, its cultivation has reached the fifth level of sword cultivation, if it goes well, in a few years, it would most likely be able to speak. Faced with a level five monkey, Lin Rufei immediately felt fear that he would die here today. Just as he was thinking about it, the monkey had already pounced in front of Lin Rufei, although Lin Rufei knew he was no match, he still reflexively reached out his hand and scratched haphazardly. He felt a furry mass grasped in his hand.

“Screech—” the monkey let out a miserable scream.

Lin Rufei’s eyes were full of panic, and he wanted to throw the object in his hand out, but he noticed something was wrong. He fixed his eyes on it, only to find that the golden Monkey King, who should be very nimble, was held up by the back of his neck and was struggling. Lin Rufei did not use too much force, but the monkey seemed to be holding onto his life. Not being able to break free from Lin Rufei’s hand it kept screeching and screaming. Originally a very arrogant hairy face soon left behind only a face of indescribable grievance.

“Hey?” Lin Rufei came closer to take a look.

The two stared at each other with an innocent expression.

“You’re not running?” Lin Rufei touched him, feeling that the monkey’s hair was really comfortable. It was thick and soft, but also very clean. Upon touch, it was also really fluffy.

“Screech.” The monkey didn’t move.

Lin Rufei said curiously: “You want to run but can’t, right?”

The monkey actually nodded his head, and his eyes became more and more pitiful.

Lin Rufei was puzzled: “How can you not be able to run, I didn’t use any force—” he said and gently shook the monkey, but the monkey let out a scream and reached out to cover the back of his neck. It was trembling all over. Lin Rufei saw this and hurriedly stopped. He took a closer look, only to find that the hair on the back of the monkey’s neck had a chunk missing, directly revealing the pink skin.

Lin Rufei immediately had a guilty conscience.

“I really didn’t use any force.” Lin Rufei explained awkwardly.

The Monkey King did not believe it. Its eyes were like a resentful wife who was domestically abused by her husband, and even the corners of its eyes were flushed with thin tears. It made Lin Rufei, who was watching, have a toothache. He really did not use that much force, but when his hand was loosened, the golden hair fell out of Lin Rufei’s hand—rustling to the ground. The Monkey King also fell onto the ground, sadly covering the flesh on the back—his neck half bald.

Lin Rufei coughed dryly and hurriedly explained: “I didn’t mean to do it, I have not practiced martial arts, how strong can I possibly be.” He said and wanted to prove it so he gave a gentle push to the cherry blossom tree beside him.

“Crack,” a crunching sound. That cherry blossom tree with a trunk that was like an adult, just openly cracked. Following a creaking sound that made people grit their teeth, it fell to the ground with a bang.

The Monkey King stared at the cherry blossom tree with round black eyes and looked at Lin Rufei in horror.

Lin Rufei also froze. He was silent for a long time, barely able to squeeze a sentence out of his mouth, “I really didn’t use much force.”

If he hadn’t secretly rubbed the monkey hair off his hands, the words might have been more convincing.

The Monkey King looked at Lin Rufei with a sorrowful expression and didn’t say anything for a long time. Lin Rufei was very embarrassed by its stare and could only say: “I really didn’t mean to do it, besides you often bully me.” He thought about it, turned around, and picked a cherry blossom from the tree next to him. He bent down halfway and stuck the flower behind the Monkey King’s ear. He blinked wryly, “Mn, I’ll gift you a flower, don’t be angry.”

The Monkey King’s tears almost did not fall, it screeched several times. He didn’t know what it said.

Although Lin Rufei did not understand its words, but from the taste of some aggression in his tone, he could only use a fine voice to comfort it: “Do not cry, do not cry. Even if the hair is gone it’s okay, it will grow back sooner or later ……”

The Monkey King saw that he did not understand its own words, so it screeched again. It turned around with a downcast look, revealing that the back of its neck had a chunk that was made bald by Lin Rufei’s grip. Although it was covered with golden hair, it just had to be its neck which now had sparse stubble and vaguely visible pink skin.

It looked a bit pitiful.

Lin Rufei pursed his lips. His thin shoulders were shaking slightly, trying hard to swallow back the laughter.

The Monkey King was wearing the small flower given to him by Lin Rufei, and he took one step, then three, back—walking slowly. Lin Rufei suddenly felt something in his heart and said to the Monkey King in a warm voice: “Go on, I’ll come back again some time.”

The Monkey King sighed and looked back at Lin Rufei one last time. The night was deep, hiding the fondness in its eyes. It turned around and with several leaps, it disappeared into the dense cherry blossom forest.

Lin Rufei’s smile faded, strangely giving birth to some loneliness. He had a feeling that it seemed to be his last meeting with this naughty monkey.

Lin Rufei thought that at least he was able to get revenge for the previous molestation.

After sending the mischievous monkey away, Lin Rufei looked at the cherry blossom tree beside him that he had pushed down, and chanted with a sad face that he was sorry.

The cherry blossom trees here were a hundred years old and suddenly one cracked with Lin Rufei’s slap—really an unwarranted disaster. It’s a good thing he didn’t reach out and give the Monkey King’s head such a hit ……

The silver sword that was quiet on the side began to buzz again, Lin Rufei, with smiling eyes, once again reached out to hold the sword hilt.

The sword flew and once again took Lin Rufei out of the cherry blossom forest.

This all seemed like a dream, but even if it really was just an unrealistic dream, it was still a beautiful dream. There were no regrets. But if it was not a dream, then he must have had some abnormal changes in his body because of that beautiful man in red.

But it was just a daze of time. Lin Rufei once again returned to the dreary courtyard, the house lingered with the bitter scent of Chinese medicine. Fu Hua, who was carrying food, knocked on the door of the room.

“Young master, the porridge is ready.” Fu Hua reminded in a warm voice.

Lin Rufei sat on the edge of the bed. He looked at the lines on his palm and suddenly remembered the criticism that the exquisite medicine and divinatory master of the sect, Wan Yao, had said to him— “On Kunlun Mountain, there is a person who calls out in the middle of the road, looking at the wagon ruts, there is a perch.”

Since then, Lin Rufei understood.

He was the fish that was trapped in the wheel tracks and could die of thirst at any moment.

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The author has something to say:

Lin Rufei: Poor, weak and helpless, but able to fight.