Cherry Blossoms Upon a Wintry Sword

Chapter 9: The Qiong Hua Order

Although his hand was wounded, Lin Rufei had a dreamless night. He woke up the next day feeling refreshed and his cough was also much better.

While Fu Hua was helping him get ready, Yu Rui brought over breakfast. Although Lin Rufei didn’t feel like eating, he reluctantly drank half a bowl of porridge under his maid’s scrutinizing gaze. He was being persuaded by Fu Hua to drink the rest when Lin Rufei heard a soft knock at the door. It was followed by his elder brother, Lin Minzhi’s voice: “Xiao Jiu.”

“Big brother.” Lin Rufei answered.

Lin Minzhi pushed the door open and entered. He saw Lin Rufei sitting at the table frowning at the food, and smiled: “If you don’t want to eat, then it’s fine not to.”

“But Da Gongzi[1], young master has been sick for the past few days and has barely eaten. If he doesn’t eat some more today, I am afraid his body won’t be able to hold up.” Fu Hua said quietly. 

Yu Rui also echoed, saying that our young master refuses to eat properly, they can’t be lenient on this matter.

Lin Minzhi said: “No worries, I ordered Wan Yao to make some refreshing medicinal food, I’ll take Xiao Jiu over there now.”

When Fu Hua and Yu Rui heard this, they did not try to persuade further. Fu Hua bowed her head and then left together with Yu Rui.

“Xiao Jiu, let’s go.” Lin Minzhi said in a warm voice.

Lin Rufei pondered for a moment: “Big brother, let Fu Hua bring the wheelchair in, I’ll go over in the wheelchair.”

Wan Yao lives on the top of the mountain, if one wants to go there, they would have to fly using the sword. If Lin Rufei does not take the wheelchair, he could only be carried by Lin Minzhi. In the end, he is still a man, being carried around will always be embarrassing. 

Lin Minzhi smiled and sighed: “Xiao Jiu has grown up, brother is a little nostalgic about the days where he(LMZ) and Tian Jue will carry you around to play together.”

(t/n: in case you guys forgot, Tian Jue is Lin Bianyu’s courtesy name)

Lin Rufei was speechless, although he knew that his eldest brother was teasing him, he was still a little embarrassed. When he was young, he was small and skinny, although there was only a small age gap between him and his two brothers, his body size was much smaller. Some areas on Kunlun Mountain could only be accessed by sword flying, so his two brothers would carry him and fly around. He didn’t feel anything wrong at that time. It wasn’t until Lin Rufei had gotten older that he started to realize that it was a bit inappropriate.

Lin Minzhi did not tease Lin Rufei anymore and asked Fu Hua to prepare thick winter clothes and a wheelchair for Lin Rufei.

The top of the mountain is different from the bottom of the mountain. Spring is in full swing down there, but the top of the mountain is covered in a blanket of white, with no one in sight for 10,000 miles making it very peaceful.

With Lin Minzhi’s sword Qi protection, Lin Rufei did not feel too cold. From the courtyard, the two left on the sword and soon arrived at where Wan Yao was. 

That courtyard is made of green stones. There was only one building and it was far away. Thus, amongst the blanket of snow, smoke could be seen rising into the air. It at least gave this cold deserted scenery some warmth.

Lin Minzhi pushed Lin Rufei into the courtyard.

Wan Yao had already been waiting inside the room, and when he saw Lin Rufei and Lin Minzhi coming, he smiled and said, “Xiao Jiu, long time no see.”

Lin Rufei called out a “Mr. Wan.”

Wan Yao and his father were about the same age, but if you only look at the appearance, he looked like a man younger than Lin Rufei. His looks are also quite different from ordinary people, with eyebrows and hair white, even the eyelashes were as white as the early winter snow.

“Eat something first.” Wan Yao made a gesture of invitation.

The wooden table in front of him was decorated with all kinds of exquisite food, full of color and fragrance. It looked very appetizing. 

Although Lin Rufei had no appetite, he also did not want to refuse his senior’s kindness so he lifted the bamboo chopsticks and ate a little bit of the food. Wan Yao and Lin Minzhi also moved their chopsticks and the two started talking about some of the sect matters, most of which were related to the sword competition in the next few days. Lin Rufei’s father, Lin Qionglou, has been in seclusion for the last five years and still has not come out. Lin Minzhi as the eldest son, has taken over all the sect affairs for some years.

The matter of seclusion, whether it was a few months or many years, it was unknown when someone would come out. 

They chatted and Lin Rufei slowly chewed the food. Wan Yao’s cooking skills have always been pretty good. Bland and tasteless silk tofu stewed in chicken stock, accompanied by slightly sweet crushed herbs. The taste was fresh and smooth, but also delicious. But Lin Rufei has always had a poor appetite, so after he ate a small half bowl, he stopped his chopsticks.

Wan Yao was talking to Lin Minzhi about Gu Feiyu, who had a sword fight with Lin Bianyu a few days ago.

“The Gu family’s fourth son is quite interesting.” Wan Yao casually said, “I also saw his heavy blade, it is a good sword. But since Tian Jue participated in the competition, the top place will certainly not fall upon his family, which makes it a bit boring.”

Lin Minzhi nodded: “Since Tian Jue participated, this sword competition should not have too many twists and turns.”

Wan Yao said: “In a few years, perhaps not necessarily.”

Lin Minzhi: “Oh?”

Wan Yao laughed: “I just got the news that the He family’s Xuyu tree had given birth to six iron-gold walnuts.”

Lin Minzhi raised his eyebrows: “Really?”

Wan Yao nodded: “Naturally.” He then turned to look at Lin Rufei, who was sitting next to him, and said, “Xiao Jiu, have you been out and about lately?”

Lin Rufei replied, “These days I have been sick, so I didn’t have the chance.”

Wan Yao said to Lin Minzhi: “You should have told Xiao Jiu earlier.”

Lin Minzhi sighed slightly: “It’s Tian Jue who doesn’t wish to ……”

Wan Yao said: “He, ah. Thinks of Xiao Jiu as a glazed doll to love. If held in the hand he is afraid of it breaking. If put into the mouth he fears of it melting. Under his watch, if Xiao Jiu even had a small skin cut, he would make a scene for half a day.”  Using his young looks, he said words that were full of bitterness. “You need to stop letting him do as he pleases in the future.”  

Lin Minzhi was helpless: “He has a strong mouth, I can not say anything to him.”

Wan Yao said, “Come on. On this Kunlun Mountain, the ones that are afraid of him cannot be compared to the ones who fear you more. ”

Lin Minzhi was dumbfounded.

Unlike Lin Bianyu’s gentle demeanor, Lin Minzhi, who is the successor to the head of the sect, has a lot of authority. In front of outsiders, his emotions rarely show, and only in front of his relatives, will he show a little. But Lin Rufei knew clearly that his iron-faced brother was more soft-hearted than his second brother. Some things, it was easier to beg him rather than Lin Bianyu.

But these things aren’t worth letting outsiders know, so everyone thinks Lin Minzhi is not easy to get along with.

Lin Rufei saw Lin Minzhi was dumbfounded by Wan Yao, so he also smiled. 

Wan Yao said: “Xiao Jiu, you come with me.” He waved at Lin Rufei, indicating for Lin Rufei to follow him to the inner room.

Lin Rufei got up, adjusted the fox fur, and followed Wan Yao inside.

Lin Minzhi sat in place, picked up a cup of hot tea, and took a sip. He lifted his eyes towards the window. It was snowing hard outside, a blanket of white. The distant mountains were not visible and there was no essence of Spring. It was like Lin Rufei’s light-colored eyes, never knowing when it would melt.  

Wan Yao’s inner room was set up with a huge sand table, used for divination on weekdays. He stopped by the sand table and gestured for Lin Rufei to sit across from him.

Wan Yao said, “Xiao Jiu, look at the sand table and tell me what you see.” With a wave of his long sleeves, he spread the sand on the sand table into a thin layer.

Lin Rufei was slightly nervous and said: “Mr. Wan, are you going to tell my fortune again?”

Wan Yao smiled lightly: “Sort of.”

Lin Rufei hummed an agreement then turned his eyes to the sand table. Gradually, the golden sand on the sand table began to slowly wriggle almost like it had a life. It slowly formed into some abstract patterns. Lin Rufei looked at it with some confusion, but as time passed, the picture also started to become more clear. Lin Rufei saw two fishes on the sand table. 

Two struggling fish, as if they were about to die of thirst. They were in a small puddle, wiggling their bodies and spitting out bubbles, trying hard to moisten each other.

Lin Rufei was suddenly a little dizzy and reached out using the sandbox as support. The picture then shifted. One of the two fish leaped out of the puddle, it seemed to be swimming into the wide ocean. Its figure disappeared into the distance, gradually further and further away.

The sand table calmed down.

Lin Rufei’s face was white, Wan Yao hastily helped him to sit down.

“Xiao Jiu?” He called out Lin Rufei’s name with some concern.

Lin Rufei forced a smile as he said, “Mr. Wan, I don’t quite understand.”

“What did you see?” Wan Yao asked.

Lin Rufei described the scene he saw in detail to Wan Yao. The more Wan Yao listened, the quieter he got. After Lin Rufei finished, his eyes furrowed in sorrow. He said: “Moistening each other, forget Jianghu[2] …… Xiao Jiu, which will you choose?”

This is the story in Zhuangzi[3].

People help each other in humble circumstances, complimenting those in similar situations. The fishes that are trapped in the wagon rut can only spit bubbles between each other to moisten their bodies and survive. But he didn’t know if the words after “mutual help in humble circumstances” were worth forgetting each other in Jianghu. The sea is wide enough for the fish to leap. If you give up your attachment, you can see the ocean so you don’t have to be trapped in the marks of a small wheel.

Lin Rufei has read Zhuangzi and understands these truths.

“I don’t know.” Lin Rufei smiled pale-y, “But some years ago, didn’t Mr. Wan divine my fortune for me ……”

Wan Yao said, “Life and breath, the trigrams of all life. Some people’s lives cannot be seen through divination.”

Lin Rufei’s eyes suddenly brightened up a bit.

Wan Yao said: “Oh well. If I ask you now, you might not be able to understand.” He had a head of white and had a compassionate look, like the Buddha sitting in the temple, “Go back. Thinking it through slowly might be best. Also, that cherry blossom tree is indeed your destiny. Although blessing and disaster are unpredictable, it is still better than the life of a pool of stagnant water.”

Lin Rufei balled his hand into fists[4] and bowed.

The two were still talking when a bird’s song resounded from outside the house. Lin Rufei raised his eyes to see a beautiful green-feathered eagle resting on the edge of the window.

He recognizes this eagle, it is Lin Bianyu’s messenger. But nowadays, if something was happening, Lin Bianyu would tell him personally, he rarely used the eagle. 

“Yo, Xiao Qingluan, why did you come over.” Wan Yao smiled and reached out, Qingluan then flew into the house and landed on his arm.

Wan Yao said, “Does Tian Jue have something urgent?”

Qingluan opened its mouth and emitted a sound that was exactly like Lin Bianyu. Except, this voice was a bit more gloomy. It said: “Immediately notify my elder brother to come back to the mountain. Someone has come with the Qiong Hua order.” 

When Wan Yao and Lin Rufei heard this, their faces changed slightly.

Qiong Hua order. Only the Kunlun sect master can issue this order. The one who holds this order, regardless of identity or origin, the Kunlun sect must fulfill any of their requests.

The Qiong Hua order has not been seen for a hundred years. Now that it has suddenly appeared, there was a sense of foreboding.

********

The author has something to say:

The two brothers were sour: little brother has grown up, he won’t let us hug him anymore.

Lin Rufei: ……….. I am already twenty something!

The two brothers: Even if you’re twenty something, you’re still our little brother. You’ll always be our little brother.

Lin Rufei: Why do I feel like you guys are cursing?  

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[1] Eldest young master

[2] Rivers and Lakes: basically a word for the martial arts world.

[3] Daoist author (369-286 BC)

[4] I think I forgot to footnote this last time, but here it is.