Cherry Blossoms Upon a Wintry Sword

Chapter 76: The Swordsman Changshan

The man did not seem to have noticed Lin Rufei’s arrival. He was still sitting on the edge of the skerry and not moving, like a frozen statue. Lin Rufei’s hand gripped the hilt of his sword by his waist and walked slowly along the slippery skerry, towards the man step by step. As he got closer, he was barely able to see the outline of the man in the darkness. He seemed to be a young swordsman, the shape of his back seemed somewhat thin and his long black hair was not tied up, rather, it was just draped roughly and scattered over the back of his head.

Probably because he got a little closer, Lin Rufei also finally smelled the scent that Gu Xuandu and Chi Yu had once described. It was a hard-to-describe smell, like the scent of meat in the hot Summer gradually rotting. Just sniffing it alone could make a person’s chest uncomfortable.

“You’re here.” When Lin Rufei came close to a certain distance, that person had suddenly opened his mouth. His voice was unexpectedly young, like a teenager, but it was very unfamiliar. Lin Rufei was sure that before this, he indeed had never heard this voice anywhere else. 

Lin Rufei asked, “Are you the one who injured Shen Wucui?”

“It was me.” The man slowly stood up and turned around.

The moonlight was not bright, but it was enough for Lin Rufei to see his face clearly. Lin Rufei originally thought that he did not recognize him, but when he caught a glimpse of his face, he realized that Gu Xuandu’s words were right. The swordsman in front of him was indeed an acquaintance of his and the two of them had met once before. However, how could Lin Rufei have imagined that he would see him again here?

That was right, he was the swordsman, Mo Changshan, who had always been protected in the arms of that heartfelt guard dog, Mo Zhaocai, on the Xiliang Mountains. Mo Changshan, who originally had one head left, actually came back to life. Not only was he alive, but he also once again held a sword blade in his hand and became a powerful swordsman. There was a circle of black lines on his neck, which at first glance looked like a tattoo, but if he were to observe closely and carefully, he would find that it was simply a thin circle of needle and thread that had sewn Mo Changshan’s head on top of this body.

“Mo Changshan?!” Lin Rufei’s eyes widened in surprise. He never expected to see Mo Changshan here. That day, when Mo Zhaocai died, he had buried Mo Changshan and Mo Zhaocai together, so how could Mo Changshan appear here?!

Mo Changshan’s black pupils were as dark as night and he did not have the slightest reaction to Lin Rufei’s words, “Lin Rufei, I have been waiting for you for a long time.”

Lin Rufei asked, “Waiting for me?”

Mo Changshan smiled slightly: “Draw your sword, let me see if you are still you.”

These words were really inexplicable, but before Lin Rufei could react, the sword on Mo Changshan’s waist was already out of its sheath. The snow-white blade was so striking even in the black night. With a strong fishy smell, it waved an inescapable arc as it was held in Mo Changshan’s hand.

Lin Rufei raised his hand to counter. Gu Yu buzzed with excitement, as if it had met an evenly matched opponent. The white blades met and an ear-splitting sound of metal touching metal pierced through the nightly air. Lin Rufei felt Mo Changshan’s aura soar and he heard him say, “Good sword.”

Not a praise, just a comment. Then he withdrew his hand and made another move. 

At first, Lin Rufei’s counterattacks were a bit stiff, but soon, he developed a strange feeling, as if he was fused with the sword in his hand. Gu Xuandu had personally taught him every move and style and it became his instinct. Under the concentration and quietness, wielding the sword had become instinctive.

The snow-white sword light became faster and faster and the two figures also became a blur of a shadow. A harsh sword Qi left a deep trace in the skerry and Chi Yu narrowed his eyes as he watched the two figures intertwine before jumping to a distance. He watched for a while but suddenly, perceived the appearance of someone by his side. He turned his head and caught a glimpse of striking red.

“Why have you just arrived?” Chi Yu coldly asked, “You’re not afraid that your little gongzi will die like this?”

“No.” The person who came was none other than Gu Xuandu, who looked slightly cold, with his hands crossed against his chest, “You know of my existence?”

“That little gongzi talks to himself every day. I thought he was stupid at first.” Chi Yu replied, “Only later did I find out that he seemed to be talking to someone who could not be seen.” He wagged his tail and continued, “After all, he was sane from beginning to end and wasn’t quite like a madman.”

Gu Xuandu smiled slightly at his words.

Chi Yu asked, “Who is that person?” He was referring to the swordsman who was currently fighting with Lin Rufei.

Gu Xuandu answered, “An old friend.”

Chi Yu said, “It’s really unlucky to have such a friend.”

Gu Xuandu actually did not retort either but instead nodded approvingly, “Who says it isn’t.”

While they were talking, Lin Rufei and Mo Changshan had already entered the fierce point of the battle. Lin Rufei did not intend to kill, but was not quite able to control the sword in his hand. The raging sword intent that he cleaved out already left a few marks on the sword blade in Mo Changshan’s hand and also left a few wounds on Mo Changshan’s body. However, the places where Mo Changshan was injured had no traces of blood at all. He was like a lifeless puppet that was just using his instincts to cope with Lin Rufei’s attacks. Lin Rufei panted slightly. Sensing that Mo Changshan was deliberately stalling, he took a deep breath and intended to fight quickly and end the battle quickly. 

“Gu Yu.” Lin Rufei let out a soft cry.

Gu Yu answered and the white light above the sword blade shone brightly as Lin Rufei exclaimed, “Come——”

Mo Changshan felt the surging sword intent on Lin Rufei’s body and he took two fierce steps back.

Previously, Lin Rufei used the sword moves taught by Gu Xuandu, but the current appearance of him raising his sword looked a bit jerky. He took a deep breath and felt the sword intent in his body, as if it was tumbling and surging. He raised his hand, waved his sword, and the majestic sword intent that was induced by Gu Yu, chopped down heavily towards the opposite person.

If you aren’t reading this on acupofhalfmoon.wordpress.com, then it has been reposted without permission. Please don’t give ad revenue to them and come join us for tea. I promise we don’t bite.

Mo Changshan’s pupils shrank. He did not dare to take this move directly. He had intended to dodge by flying away with the sword, but who knew that the range of this move was so great that even though he had escaped dozens of feet away, he was still struck by Lin Rufei head-on. He turned around to receive the attack, but the moment the sword blade in his hand touched the raging sword intent, it directly shattered and even Mo Changshan’s right arm was cut off. However, his face did not have any color of pain and he simply frowned, as if in disgust with his bulky body.

“Don’t run, hand over the antidote!!!” Lin Rufei roared.

“Antidote?” Mo Changshan was still suspended in mid-air as he looked at Lin Rufei from above. Although his right hand was gone and his clothes were torn by the wind, his expression was still calm, as if it was not himself who was injured.

Lin Rufei said: “Shen Wucui——”

“There is no cure for corpse poison.” Mo Changshan smiled. He tilted his head and looked at Lin Rufei, “But there is another method.”

Lin Rufei asked, “Another  method?”

Mo Changshan then pointed his hand towards Gu Xuandu, who was standing on the shore, and said, “He knows, you can ask him.” Then, with the only hand left, he slowly patted his clothes, as if to pat away the dust on it. He smiled and continued, “Lin gongzi, I am satisfied with you. Let’s stop here today, you and I……will talk again some other day.”

“Who are you? Why did you turn Mo Changshan like this—” Lin Rufei shouted sternly, “Stop. You can’t go——” But his words were still a little too late. With a turn, Mo Changshan disappeared into the boundless night. Lin Rufei gasped heavily and felt a tickle in his throat. After letting out a few low coughs, he actually coughed up bright red bloodstains. When he noticed the bloodstains in his hand, he frowned. He casually took out the silk handkerchief in his sleeve, wiped haphazardly, and threw it into the seawater next to him.

(t/n: Littering is not good guys, don’t learn from LRF D:)

“Xiao Jiu, are you all right?” Gu Xuandu arrived late this time.

Lin Rufei frowned at him and asked, “Senior, you heard his words just now, right?”

Gu Xuandu nodded his head.

Lin Rufei continued, “There is no cure for the corpse poison? But then he said you had a method?”

Gu Xuandu sighed and his tone was somehow a bit helpless: “Although there is a method, it’s better not to use it.”

Lin Rufei was exasperated, “You should at least tell me about it.” 

Gu Xuandu frowned: “Let’s go back first, I’ll tell you slowly on the way.”

Lin Rufei finally nodded, “Okay.”

Chi Yu had disappeared some time ago. He probably really hated that thing. After all, for him, who had a keen sense of smell, Mo Changshan was a corpse that had decayed, and the smell that was emitted from his body made him very uncomfortable. On the way back, Lin Rufei looked quite worried at the whole situation.

Gu Xuandu couldn’t stand to see this look on his Xiao Jiu, so he reached out and held Lin Rufei’s hand. Their fingers were interlocked, causing Lin Rufei to freeze.

“Don’t frown, Xiao Jiu.” Gu Xuandu said in a warm voice, “I can’t stand to see this look on Xiao Jiu.”

Gu Xuandu’s hand was still cold as usual. However, on this hot Summer day, holding it wasn’t unpleasant, so Lin Rufei did not struggle and allowed him hold it. He then whispered: “If Shen Wucui died, my sister will be very sad.”

Gu Xuandu sighed, “But that really isn’t a good method.”

“Even if it’s not a good method, we should still try it.” Lin Rufei was firm, “Although my sister looks easy-going, her nature is actually very stubborn. She first met Shen Wucui when she was only a few years old and immediately took a liking to the handsome little gongzi. However, I heard my second brother say that at that time Shen Wucui was pampered and was even more timid than a girl. My sister likes him but did not know what to do, so every day she would go to the mountains to catch some strange insects. She had to scare him into tears at least once every day before she was satisfied.” As he reminisced this story, he had wanted to laugh aloud, but when the smile reached his lips, they soon melted away and he whispered, “I originally thought Shen Wucui only felt fear towards my sister until today, when I realized that he was also interested in my sister.”

Gu Xuandu let out a long sigh, “But Shen Wucui may not be willing to use that method.”

Lin Rufei stated, “You can tell me first.”

Gu Xuandu answered, “It is true that corpse poison is incurable, but it can be eased by other methods. There is a method in the world that allows the lives of two people to be interconnected. Shen Wucui is badly injured and his vitality is gradually decreasing. But if you add the vitality of the other one, he may be able to pull through.” As he spoke, his emotions seemed a bit agitated, “And as long as this method is used, the two lives will be linked together forever, bound together for good or ill, and in this life, they can not be separated.”

Lin Rufei slightly froze, he did not expect to hear such a method: “T-There is no other way?”

Gu Xuandu shook his head.

Lin Rufei knitted his brows and gave it a good thought.

Gu Xuandu continued: “Although this method can solve the problem for a while, the consequences are endless. Think about it, if the two people are connected, I’m afraid they can never be separated in this life……For some people, isn’t it more terrible than death?”

Lin Rufei sighed, “I’ll think about it again.” He then coughed a few more times and his face was becoming slightly more pale.

When Gu Xuandu took notice of this, his heart slightly ached and he held Lin Rufei’s hand a bit tighter. 

After that, the two proceeded to talk about the fleeing Mo Changshan. Gu Xuandu explained that the person controlling Mo Changshan should be near the Shen family, however, since he did not have the smell of rotting on him it probably wouldn’t be easy to find. Lin Rufei then asked Gu Xuandu strangely; asking why that person wanted to hurt Shen Wucui, however, Gu Xuandu did not say anything. He just took a deep look at Lin Rufei and said: “Some people do not need a reason to do things. If they want to, then they’ll do it, and will not care about the consequences.”

Lin Rufei inquired, “Isn’t such a person very scary?”

Gu Xuandu agreed, “Indeed, they are scary.”

The two of them headed back to the house. After showering and dressing, he then hurriedly went to sleep. Originally, Lin Rufei’s mind was full of thoughts and he wasn’t able to sleep, but because he had just fought with Mo Changshan for a good amount of time, he was a bit tired and he closed his eyes. However, all he could think of was Shen Wucui’s frail appearance and his heart entered into a turmoil for a long time before he reluctantly fell asleep.

The next day, it was a sunny day.

Lin Rufei got up early. Fu Hua brought freshly boiled seafood porridge and several delicious side dishes. But unfortunately, Lin Rufei did not have an appetite and after a few bites, he stopped moving his chopsticks.

Just as Fu Hua was about to persuade Lin Rufei to eat some more, there was suddenly a loud noise outside the door. Lin Rufei’s heart dropped, thinking that something had happened with Shen Wucui. Just as he anxiously wanted to stand up, an energetic figure burst through the door. Before Lin Rufei could react, he was hugged by that person. The young girl’s delicate voice rang out and Lin Rufei immediately recognized it as his third sister whom he hadn’t seen for a long time.

“Xiao Jiu, sister misses you to death. I haven’t seen you these days, have you eaten well? Let sister take a look at how much weight you have lost.” When Lin Weirui saw Lin Rufei, she started talking endlessly.

Lin Rufei was surprised: “Sister, why are you here?”

“It’s because I was worried about you.” Lin Weirui laughed.

“Are you worried about me, or about your little lover?” Lin Rufei teased his sister.

“Both of them.” Lin Weirui rubbed her nose and muttered, “I’ve been having a lot of panic attacks these past few days. I thought something was going to happen, so I rushed over here……Xiao Jiu, how is the situation over there with Wucui? I heard that he woke up, has his injury been stabilized?”

Lin Rufei hesitated slightly, but still replied, “Yes……”

Lin Weirui’s face froze. She obviously felt the lack of confidence in Lin Rufei’s words, “Or, was there an accident? Xiao Jiu, what has happened to this Shen family, you must not hide it from me.”

Since Lin Weirui had arrived at the Shen residence, he certainly was not able to hide this matter forever. Although Lin Rufei was afraid that Lin Weirui would worry, he still slowly told in detail about the whole situation that had happened. When Lin Weirui heard that Shen Wucui was seriously injured and the poison had not been resolved, her whole breath became gloomy and she uttered coldly, “What a waste. It’s been so many days and they still can’t catch a single person.” After finishing her words, she held her sword and was about to head out. When Lin Rufei took notice of this, he immediately asked, “Sister, where are you going?”

“Of course I’m going to catch someone.” Lin Weirui said as a matter of course.

Lin Rufei questioned, “Don’t you want to go see Shen gongzi first?”

“It’s worrying even if I go see him, so I might as well catch the person first.” Lin Weirui frowned and explained thusly so.

Lin Rufei stopped her: “Don’t go, I saw that man last night.”

Lin Weirui was surprised: “Saw him? Then how come you didn’t catch him?”

Lin Rufei forced a smile: “Because that person said, Shen gongzi was poisoned with corpse poison. There is no……antidote.”

Lin Weirui’s expression blanked out for a moment, as if unable to accept the meaning of Lin Rufei’s words. But very soon it picked right back up and she became spirited once again. She waved her hand and said seriously: “Xiao Jiu, you do not know, Jianghu is dangerous. That person must have lied to you when he said that there was no antidote………Moreover, the corpse poison is such an obscure poison, how could Wucui be so unlucky?” When she muttered the last part, it was like she was talking to herself——like she was comforting herself.

After saying this, she nodded to herself and said, ‘You’re right. I have just arrived so I shouldn’t have to rush to that person. I should first take a look at my family’s petulant little girl.’

“Petulant little girl” was the nickname Lin Weirui had given to Shen Wucui and at that time, it made Shen Wucui very angry. Lin Weirui joked that when Shen Wucui was able to beat her, she would give him a name change. It was actually teenage Shen Wucui who angrily asked her what she was going to change the nickname to and Lin Weirui smilingly said that she would change it to “big girl.” Shen Wucui was speechless as he was teased by Lin Weirui. He really couldn’t do anything against Lin Weirui. 

The laughter of the past was still vivid in his mind. However, in the blink of an eye, Shen Wucui was dying. Even Lin Rufei couldn’t accept it, let alone Lin Weirui.

Before Lin Weirui headed out, Lin Rufei clearly saw the faint vapor floating under her eyes. It seemed that Lin Weirui also had a premonition in her heart.

Lin Rufei sat in the house looking anxious. With anxiety on his mind, he continuously drank the tea. After finishing about two or three pots, Fu Hua finally could no longer stand it and held down the teapot saying, ‘Gongzi, don’t drink anymore. If you drink too much tea, you will also lose moral integrity. Your body is inherently weak, if you drink too much I’m afraid you would lose appetite later.’ 

So in the end, Lin Rufei’s right to drink tea was also deprived. He could only sit idly and propped up his chin while being deep in thought. Finally, he slapped the table, gritted his teeth, and said, “It can’t stay like this.”

Gu Xuandu was surprised by Lin Rufei: “What?”

Lin Rufei replied, “We can’t wait any longer. If Shen Wucui really dies, there’s no chance of redemption.” He took a deep breath, “I have to save him. Senior, that method you said, how exactly should I use it?”

“Wait.” Gu Xuandu listened, feeling as if something was wrong somewhere, and immediately tensed up, “You want to save Shen Wucui?”

“Of course.” Lin Rufei answered, “If Shen Wucui died, I don’t know how said my sister would be.”

Gu Xuandu said, “Even so, you can’t go——”

Lin Rufei faintly froze before he realized that Gu Xuandu had misunderstood his meaning and he explained with a bitter smile, “Of course it’s impossible for me to go. Even if I wanted to, my sister wouldn’t be willing. Who would be willing to let the person they love the most be linked to another person’s life?” 

Gu Xuandu quieted, “Then what you want to do…..” 

Lin Rufei stated, “Take this method and tell my sister.”

Gu Xuandu wanted to say something but stopped.

Lin Rufei continued, “I will tell my sister, as for how she chooses, it’s her business.”

“What if she regrets it?” Gu Xuandu asked, “This could be a lifetime, a few hundred years……”

Lin Rufei shook his head, “I just know that if I tell her now, she may regret it later. However, if I don’t tell her now, she will regret it now.” The Lin family had always had a long-lasting love. After his mother’s death, his father was devastated for a long time. Lin Weirui was stubborn, otherwise, she would not have liked Shen Wucui for more than ten years. It was hard to imagine if in such a situation Shen Wucui suddenly passed away, Lin Weirui probably could not bear this huge blow.

If you aren’t reading this on acupofhalfmoon.wordpress.com, then it has been reposted without permission. Please don’t give ad revenue to them and come join us for tea. I promise we don’t bite.

Lin Rufei already had a decision in his heart, so he no longer hesitated and stepped out. Gu Xuandu also did not continue to persuade and followed behind Lin Rufei, but his expression looked quite a bit complicated.

Since Lin Weirui suddenly came to the Shen family, it didn’t seem to be a good thing for the Shen family because she came due to the uneasiness in her heart. Swordsmen, who cultivated, would give rise to some premonition in advance for certain upcoming events.

Lin Rufei went to Shen Wucui’s room and from afar, he heard Lin Weirui talking to Shen Wucui, who occasionally let out a low laugh and seemed to be in good spirits.

When Lin Weirui saw Lin Rufei coming, she got up and smiled, “Then you rest first, I will talk with my brother.”

“Okay.” Shen Wucui replied with a smile.

Lin Rufei had just arrived when he was pulled out of the room by Lin Weirui. Just as he was wondering why Lin Weirui was in such a hurry, Lin Weirui jumped into Lin Rufei’s arms and cried out in grief the moment after she had left Shen Wucui’s room. She was afraid that Shen Wucui would hear her so she did not dare to cry too loudly and only silently shed her tears, which made Lin Rufei’s heart ache even more.

“Don’t cry, good girl, don’t cry.” Lin Rufei patted her head, like when she had coaxed him to drink medicine when he was a child, “Don’t cry, it will be okay.”

“How can it be okay?” Lin Weirui wailed in despair, “Did you see that? They have already started using spirit stones for him to hang on to his life…….I should have come earlier……how come I decided to delay so long?…….”  

Using spirit stones to hang onto one’s life, already meant that the person was dying. Shen Wucui’s spirited appearance was probably a final radiance of a setting sun. Lin Weirui was no longer a child who could be fooled. When she saw this scene, how could she not understand what was happening? She was sad, but she didn’t dare to show it in front of Shen Wucui. She could only be strong and tell Shen Wucui some interesting stories. And only when Lin Rufei arrived could she not hold on any longer. She hurriedly pulled him out of the room and just as they left, the tears that she had desperately held in, burst out and couldn’t be stopped.

When Lin Rufei looked at her painful appearance, he was also heartbroken.

Lin Weirui said, “No, we can’t wait any longer, we must catch that swordsman. He is the one who gave the poison, only he can cure the poison on Wucui.” She didn’t wallow in her great sadness and forced herself to calm down and grasp onto the only hope, “He must be found.”

Lin Rufei said, “Sister, listen to me……”

“I know what you are going to say. Even if there is no cure for the corpse poison, can I only watch Wucui die in pain like this?” Lin Weirui gritted her teeth. Her eyes were scarlet from hatred and pain, “No, I, Lin Weirui, will never resign myself to fate!”

Lin Rufei whispered: “Actually……there is another way to save Brother Shen’s life.” 

Lin Weirui asked, “What method?”

Lin Rufei pursed his lips before slowly telling Lin Weirui the method that Gu Xuandu told him about. Lin Weirui looked extremely serious, afraid that she would miss a word, and when she heard that she could give Shen Wucui a shared life, Lin Rufei witnessed his sister’s eyes lighting up.

Not only did Lin Weirui not feel afraid, but she rubbed her hands with excitement: “Is there really such a good thing in this world?”

Lin Rufei uttered helplessly, “Sister, you call this a good thing?”

“Of course it is.” Lin Weirui smiled cheekily, “When a woman marries, aren’t what they fear most is that their husbands are unfaithful? With this method, he still dares to be unfaithful and go out to hook up with others?”

Lin Rufei could only admire his sister’s way of thinking and said helplessly, “Do you think Shen gongzi will go out and hook up with other girls?”

“No.” Lin Weirui still had confidence in Shen Wucui and replied honestly, “But he is so beautiful, there will always be other girls who would hit on him.”

Lin Rufei: “……”

Lin Weirui continued, “This is also not allowed. Not to mention girls, I won’t even allow him to keep a female cat.”

Lin Rufei suddenly felt sympathy for Shen Wucui. In his heart, he thought that being liked by a girl like his sister was, in a way, quite a troublesome thing.

“My silly little brother.” Although Lin Weirui was quite a bit shorter than Lin Rufei, she still liked to hug Lin Rufei’s neck like she did when she was a child. She came up to Lin Rufei’s ear and said, “Since there is such a good method, why didn’t you say so earlier. You even made me lose face by shedding horse urine[1]. Pah! Pah! Pah! Shameful.”

Lin Rufei let out a long sigh, “I’m just worried about……”

“I know what you are worried about.” Lin Weirui cut in, “But that is something that regular people have to worry about, I, Lin Weirui, am not afraid at all.” She patted her chest and continued with a serious look, “My entire life, I have set my mind on only one person. It may be a burden for others to be connected to his life, but for me…… “ She smiled shyly, “It is a kind of reward, ah. “

Lin Rufei looked quite helpless. Although he saw that Lin Weirui was joking, the determination in her expression didn’t look fake, so then, he also knew his third sister’s intentions.

After Lin Weirui finished conversing with Lin Rufei, she turned around and left. She also waved her hand at Lin Rufei when she was leaving and told him to go back first to rest. She said that since she wanted to marry the Shen family’s son, she had to go to the Shen family head to propose marriage. This matter was after all, about a lifetime so it could not be done in a sloppy manner.

Lin Rufei was helpless. He really admired his sister. Even at this time, she still had the heart to joke.

Although Lin Weirui said that she was going to propose marriage, she was certainly going to the Shen family head to discuss this matter. After all, Shen Wucui was his most beloved son, before performing such a method, they had to get his family’s consent. As for Shen Wucui himself, Lin Weirui had no intention to listen to his opinion from the beginning to the end. After all, Lin Weirui knew her childhood friend very well after so many years and he definitely would not agree to this method. But Lin Weirui didn’t care. She didn’t need his consent, she just wanted him to live.

Lin Rufei, however, did not rush back to the house and instead walked around the beach, as the refreshing sea breeze blew away some of the dryness in his heart. Lin Rufei bent down and idly fiddled with the seaweed and small fishes that were swimming in the sea.

Seeing this, Gu Xuandu asked him why he was unhappy and Lin Rufei muttered, “Actually, I’m quite happy.” He sighed, “I just hope that when Shen gongzi gets better, he won’t blame me for this.”

Gu Xuandu did not comment on this and simply responded lazily, “What is there to blame you for? To live and die with the one you love is supposed to be a happy thing.”
After he finished, he added in a low voice: “It’s better than being left alone in this world. A hundred times better.”

─────────────────────────────────────────────────

[1] Cantonese humor: meaning to cry, to weep, to burst into tears.