Chapter 2#

When the lanterns faded into the night and the banquet at Chaohua Pavilion dispersed, Hua Jinian sat up halfway from his bed. Looking out the window at the flowers and trees wrapped in red satin and green silk, swaying soul-stirringly in the night wind, he frowned slightly. He turned over and sat up, picked up the precious sword at the head of the bed that was half his height, and walked out of the pavilion with light steps.

Outside the pavilion, the sky was full of stars, and the bright moon was nowhere to be seen. Hua Jinian took a breath and drew the sword from its sheath. The sword was heavy, but his hand was steady, his fingers covered with small calluses from sword practice. His thin lips were tightly pursed as he began to practice sword moves one by one under the lush trees. Under the dense ancient trees, the wrapped colored ribbons were gradually dyed white by the glimmer in the starlight. With his extremely slow moves, retracting and striking again, they fluttered all over the sky, silently echoing.

“Your moves are jerky, your palm strikes are stiff. How can there be such a stupid person in the world?” A voice broke the silence. A figure stood not far away, amidst swaying wild grass, making a soft rustling sound in the quiet night. Hua Jinian was startled, his dark eyes instantly widening. The precious sword in his hand drew a silver light in the dark night, pointing straight at the person’s vital points.

The person watched the sword light fall and sneered. The sword light, unfolding slowly like the evening glow of moonlight, was green and rippling like water, illuminating the newcomer’s cold brow. The newcomer extended a palm, leisurely meeting the long sword. Seeing that the person’s flesh palm was about to touch his long sword that could slice through iron like mud, Hua Jinian hesitated slightly, turned the sword edge, retreated a few steps quickly, and said softly: “Who are you? Why do you trespass into Futu Fortress?”

“Why didn’t you chop down?” The corners of the person’s mouth pursed slightly, but the smile did not reach his eyes. Only then did Hua Jinian see clearly that he was wearing a heavy black cloak with a circle of long silver-white fur at the collar. Under the cloak, a dark red brocade robe was faintly visible. He looked about twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, very tall, with a slightly thin and long face. His eyebrows were thick and black like ink, flying wildly into his temples. His eyes gleamed with a chilling cold light, his thin lips were tightly pursed, and there was a bright red scar at the tip of his right eyebrow, slanting upwards. The whole person looked evil and heartless.

Stared at by him, Hua Jinian found that his own shadow was not reflected in the person’s pupils. He felt a little afraid in his heart, frowned, gripped the sword in his hand tightly, straightened his back even more, and answered word by word: “Heaven has the virtue of loving life. If you entered here by mistake, it is best to leave as soon as possible.”

The person sneered: “It’s not your turn to speak to me. Whose family are you from? When did the fortress produce a useless coward like you?” A trace of anger appeared on Hua Jinian’s face, but he did not lose his composure because of it. He shook his head and answered grimly: “Futu Fortress has never had any cowards. If you are seeking your own death, I will send you on your way.”

The person looked Hua Jinian up and down, looking at this child who straightened his back and forced himself to be steady. Between disdainful glances, the right corner of his mouth pulled up slightly into an arc, almost freezing the flying flowers and shaking trees within a few zhang in endless murderous aura. He said grimly: “Ignorant child… If I wanted to, even the martial arts stars seven or eight times your age would have to kneel and bow three times when they see me. What are you?” Before he finished speaking, Hua Jinian felt a gust of wind whistling around him, the murderous aura stinging his face. The long sword in his hand became unstable almost instantly, but he gripped it tightly with both hands, panting as he watched the air rolling around the man. His steps were pushed back two steps by the air wave. His fair forehead was covered with sweat. He roared, struggled forward three steps, and swung the sharp blade in his hand down fiercely.

“Do you think you are holding a saber? Who uses a sword like you?” The person sneered and waved his hand slowly. Clusters of air swirls wrapped around the sword edge. Hua Jinian only felt that he had hit an incredibly thick copper wall and iron wall. In the blink of an eye, the sword body was held by that person, and then his body flew out fiercely and hit a tree. In this flash of lightning, the person strode to the tree in a few steps, holding his sword, and nailed his collar to the tree. The long sword penetrated the tree trunk up to the hilt.

“Ah! Let me go…” Only then did Hua Jinian show a panicked look, bewildered and helpless like an ordinary child. He struggled angrily, but the fabric was luxurious and strong, not tearing in the slightest. The man looked at him with interest and smiled: “Kowtow three times to me obediently, and I will spare your life.”

Hua Jinian’s handsome face wrinkled into a ball. His jade crown for binding hair was half loose. He cursed loudly: “If you want to kill, kill. If you want me to kowtow, don’t even think about it!” The person frowned, his slender hand gripping Hua Jinian’s neck, and said coldly: “You’d better agree quickly, otherwise I will send you on your way right now.”

Hua Jinian pursed his lips tightly and shook his head vigorously. For the first time in his life, tears of shame and anger covered his dark pupils. A trace of ruthlessness appeared in the man’s eyes, his hand tightening more and more. The fleeting playfulness and interest at the beginning disappeared completely. Hua Jinian’s face turned blood red. His hands gradually climbed onto the person’s hands, prying weakly, seemingly trying to fight for a breath of air. His feet kicked weakly. When his face began to turn purple, his eyes were wide open, full of hatred. Tears slid down his face drop by drop. He squeezed out a small voice from his throat bit by bit, cursing: “You kill me… My father… will definitely not… will not let you go.”

After the banquet, Tianxiang chatted with Fuliu in Shiye Pavilion for half the night about private matters. Finally, she got up to return to her room. Passing by Chaohua Pavilion, she happened to see this scene. When she doubtfully recognized the two blurred figures, she was instantly terrified to the core. She screamed and knelt on the ground, shouting: “Fortress Master, please show mercy!”

Hearing this trembling plea, the man’s hand loosened slightly, but he did not let go. His black hair, slightly longer than his elbows, was rolled up by the strong wind, drawing a rampant arc in the air. His dark eyes were as deep as a wild beast in the dappled tree shadows, sharp and cruel. Tianxiang turned pale, kneeled forward continuously, pulled the person’s embroidered robe, kowtowed desperately, and cried: “Fortress Master, even if the Little Young Master has offended you in any way, he is your child. Please, please show mercy.”

The man was stunned, the bloodlust in his eyes turning into slow astonishment: “Child? Mine? Where did I get a child?” He looked at the boy who had fainted under his palm, frowned his handsome eyebrows, seemingly displeased that his interest was interrupted. He put down his hands and cursed in a low voice: “Oh, I remember, Red Clothes’?”

Seeing the man let go of his hands, a few smiles of survival after a disaster appeared on Tianxiang’s tear-stained face. She apologized repeatedly with a smile: “Exactly, exactly, Madam Red Clothes’.” The man chuckled a few times, picked Hua Jinian down from the tree, looked at his small head hanging weakly, threw him into Tianxiang’s arms, and sneered: “What Madam? She is just a slut.”

Tianxiang knew this Fortress Master’s temper well. Her eyes rolled for a long time before she carefully replied: “Did the Little Young Master say something inappropriate to the Fortress Master? The Little Young Master usually admires the Fortress Master very much, often pestering the maids to hear about the Fortress Master’s great achievements outside… Could it be because the Little Young Master didn’t recognize you for a moment, and that’s why he offended the Fortress Master?”

The man turned his head, the cold murderous aura slowly receding, his eyes seeming to carry a bit of confusion. He laughed in a low voice: “This doll just said he wanted to find his father to avenge him…” Tianxiang was too scared to look up and replied repeatedly: “No matter how brave the Little Young Master looks on the outside, he is just a child. It is inevitable that he speaks out of turn. But… but this is enough to show that the Little Young Master relies on the Fortress Master from the bottom of his heart and absolutely has no audacious thoughts.”

The person laughed low for a while, reached out and stroked the strangulation mark on Hua Jinian’s neck, and said disapprovingly: “Rely on me? Expect me to avenge him? Everyone’s gathering and parting are destined, life and death are determined by fate… Why does he think I am willing to wade through muddy water for him? How could I be a good father?”

Seeing that the man seemed to have finally calmed down, Tianxiang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, as if she had walked through the gates of hell. She hugged Hua Jinian’s not yet fully grown body tightly. Hearing his weak but even breathing, her heart softened completely. She added softly: “But… the Little Young Master, he must be a good son.”

When Hua Jinian woke up clutching his neck in pain, he found that he had returned to his own ivory bed. The night was like ink. The brocade satin underneath was spread out layer by layer. The person sleeping on it felt soft as if lying on clouds. “I… am I still alive?” He rubbed his head and whispered, but found that not only was his voice hoarse, but his body also felt like it had been trampled back and forth by a steed. Every bone ached indescribably.

Hearing the sound in the outer room of Chaohua Pavilion, Tianxiang hurried over, stepped forward a few steps to hold his hand, and said tearfully: “Do you feel better?” Hua Jinian was a bit confused from sleeping. Seeing Tianxiang’s disheveled appearance with her hair scattered, he subconsciously reached out to help her arrange her hairpin flowers. His hand only reached halfway when he suddenly groaned low, fine beads of sweat appearing on his temples. Hearing his groan of pain, Tianxiang felt a heartache from her bones. She quickly helped him lie down again, took out a gold thread embroidered handkerchief filled with ambergris from her bosom, and carefully wiped the sweat from Hua Jinian’s forehead.

Hua Jinian tried hard to open his eyes wide, his dark pupils staring fixedly at Tianxiang. From the bottom of his heart, he was unwilling to mention the matter of being beaten up. He pretended nothing was wrong and asked softly: “Sister Tianxiang, did you find me in the front corridor? Is there any trouble in the fortress?”

Tianxiang thought for a moment and knew what he was worried about. She quickly comforted him: “With the Fortress Master in charge of the fortress, even if someone really breaks in, they are asking for trouble. Instead of worrying about this, Little Young Master should take good care of his own body.”

Hua Jinian obviously believed it. He frowned and smiled faintly: “My body seems to hurt a bit. Sister, help me go later…” Tianxiang was stunned there for a moment, not knowing how to speak. She hesitated for a long time before stammering: “Little Young Master, even if you really want to see the Fortress Master, it’s not too late to wait a day or two.”