Chapter 8#

Langxia#

When Jin Yue woke, he found himself lying on a soft deer hide cushion. Above him was a curved wall of rock, forming an overhang like eaves to block the wind and snow.

It was a natural hollow in a gorge. Ruan Buqi lay on the other side, and between the two of them burned a warm campfire.

Someone sat with their back to Jin Yue by the fire. A head of dark ink-black hair was tied up at the nape with a twig, and they wore a flame-red dress unlike the clothing of the Northern Rong. It revealed a slender, lovely neck and half a shoulder.

Jin Yue squinted, thinking he was in a dream. A few steps away, the snow glowed brightly and the cold wind howled, but here it was very warm. He could faintly hear the person before him singing softly. The tune was gentle and graceful, the singing winding and melodic. It told of a palace tale from a past dynasty: “Jade bracelet gleams golden upon a slender wrist, leaning on the rail, she holds a flowering branch. Cold and clear, a moonlit expanse like daytime, shining upon the flower-pinned young lord.”

Listening to these lyrics, in a trance Jin Yue felt he had returned to Liangjing. This was “Autumn of the Jade Hall,” the best performance by the Li Erjiao father-daughter duo at Pan Tower.

The imperial princes often took him along to Pan Tower to listen to plays. Since he couldn’t understand the lyrics being sung, he would eat and drink and then fall fast asleep at the banquet, the stories in the songs transforming entirely into his dreams. In the play, Princess Maoxi and the young commander of the imperial guard fell in love at first sight on a deep winter moonlit night. After enduring countless hardships and obstacles, they finally escaped the imperial city hand in hand, becoming a carefree couple in the jianghu.

Jin Yue closed his eyes, hoping this dream would last a bit longer. After Li Erjiao finished singing, Su Gun’er would take the stage, and after Su Gun’er, it would be the Lu couple. Once all of the “Seven Skills of Pan Tower” had performed, he could return with the princes’ carriage to Qingsu Lane. He would startle the two night-watch dogs, his mother would chide him gently for his wild play, and at the same time urge him to drink the warming lamb soup…

The singing suddenly stopped. Jin Yue sighed and opened his eyes, only to come face to face with two warm, dark eyes.

A deer lay curled beside him, its four legs tucked beneath it. Its antlers were lush and branching, like an ancient, gnarled tree.

Jin Yue cried out and nearly jumped up. The person sitting by the fire casually reached out and pulled him over.

That person’s appearance was extraordinarily beautiful. A pair of smiling eyes seemed forever brimming with affection, with three or four fine golden lines sweeping from the corners to the temples. Soft fingers brushed along Jin Yue’s chin; he couldn’t help but tilt his head back slightly, drawing closer to that gorgeous face.

Jin Yue blushed hotly, unable to meet the gaze directly. Lowering his eyes, he saw a golden circlet around the person’s neck, with a round clasp holding a fingernail-sized piece of red jade, soft and lustrous.

“Poor child…” Jin Yue was forcibly held in an embrace, his hair tousled. “If I hadn’t happened to find you, wouldn’t you have frozen to death in this snow for nothing?”

Aside from his mother and sister, Jin Yue had never had such intimate contact with any woman. Flushing scarlet, his gaze fell upon the person’s chest—the fire-red lapels hung loosely open, revealing nothing underneath, just a flat but firm expanse of pale skin.

Jin Yue: “…”

This time he was truly startled and pushed the person away forcefully.

The person laughed softly, hooking a finger around a drawstring on the lapel to pull the neckline open further, their posture alluring: “My name is Yue Lianlou. A pleasure to meet you, little general.”

Jin Yue’s face was half red, half pale. He looked at Yue Lianlou’s face, then at his chest.

Yue Lianlou asked with a smile: “Am I pretty?”

Jin Yue suddenly leaped up, using his hands to push off the ground as he scrambled several steps, positioning himself protectively in front of the sleeping Ruan Buqi. Only then did he realize his body was entirely free of pain, as nimble as ever.

Ruan Buqi lay with his back to him, his body rising and falling, seemingly fast asleep. The deer followed his movement, its gaze fixed on him. Jin Yue felt uneasy in his heart: he had never seen such a massive yet docile wild beast. “Who are you!” he shouted.

Yue Lianlou: “Your benefactor.”

Jin Yue: “You’re from Dayu?”

Yue Lianlou: “You guess?”

Jin Yue had no patience for riddles. This person was mysterious and strange, and he couldn’t help but let his gaze wander. On the giant deer, he spotted two swords. His heart suddenly eased slightly: these were the paired swords commonly used by jianghu people of Dayu.

When his gaze fell back on Yue Lianlou, the man was already sitting upright.

“I came specifically to find you, little general,” Yue Lianlou said. “Princess Shunyi saw me before she set out for White Sparrow Pass.”

Jin Yue’s mother, Princess Shunyi Cen Jingshu, was the sister of the current Emperor Renzheng. Their relationship was distant, not close. When she married Jin Mingzhao, he was not yet the famed and loyal General Zhongzhao of Dayu. Everyone said the Princess had married beneath her station, but later, when Jin Mingzhao repeatedly achieved military merit and was bestowed the title General Zhongzhao, that opinion suddenly changed.

Cen Jingshu had a gentle yet resilient temperament. She and Jin Mingzhao had known each other since childhood and were deeply devoted. Upon learning that his father had died in battle at White Sparrow Pass, Jin Yue’s greatest worry had been for his mother.

“After learning of General Jin Mingzhao’s death, Princess Shunyi left the city westward that very night, heading for White Sparrow Pass,” Yue Lianlou said.

Jin Yue exclaimed: “Mother went to White Sparrow Pass?! Is she all right now? She…”

Yue Lianlou said in a low voice: “There has been no news of her since she left the city.”

In that instant, Jin Yue lost all strength in his body and sank to his knees in sorrow.

Westward from Dayu lay layered dangers and obstacles. Now that Jin Qiang and Dayu were locked in fierce battle, how could his mother possibly keep herself safe? He slapped himself hard across the face. The pain brought him a moment of clarity, sweeping away the tangled emotions.

“Did Hero Yue come specifically to find me at my mother’s request?” he asked.

Yue Lianlou was amused by the address: “I am a wandering swordsman (langxia), not a great hero (daxia). Yes, finding you, protecting you, until you return home.”

Jin Yue didn’t understand why his mother would seek out Yue Lianlou: “You’re not from the palace?”

Yue Lianlou chuckled softly, this time not speaking in riddles: “Of course not.”

Jin Yue: “May I ask… which sect or clan does Master Yue belong to?”

Jin Mingzhao had always been acquainted with many martial arts sects in the jianghu. Martial artists revered heroic figures. Although Jin Mingzhao was not of their world, he was deeply respected. Every festival, the Jin residence would receive gifts from all corners of the land. The jianghu people didn’t seek to see Jin Mingzhao; they would simply leave large and small bundles of things outside the gate, arriving quietly and departing quietly.

Jin Yue and his sister often used to peek over the wall to watch, but were always discovered by the jianghu visitors. Knowing Jin Mingzhao had two children, they would casually toss the children small items—perhaps candied fruits tied with red string, or a gold bead or jade stone of unknown origin.

He had never seen anyone as outstanding as Yue Lianlou, and Yue Lianlou still refused to state his origins: “You guess?”

Jin Yue: “…”

He let the matter drop and made a swift decision: “The Heavenly Lord of Northern Rong wants me to be a slave in Yetai. This is his sign that he intends to break the Pingzhou Alliance. If the alliance no longer exists, I am no longer a hostage. Master Yue, I beg you to take me back to Liangjing. I must go home.”

Yue Lianlou held Jin Yue’s hand, carefully brushing the remaining snow from his hair. His palm was extremely warm. Jin Yue instantly felt warmth flow into his body from the touch, warming him thoroughly so he no longer trembled. But Yue Lianlou’s actions frightened him, and he stared blankly, waiting.

“There is no home in Liangjing anymore, little general,” Yue Lianlou said, looking at him and enunciating each word. “The entire Jin household was exiled. It happened half a month ago.”

All color drained from Jin Yue’s face.

General Zhongzhao Jin Mingzhao and his eight thousand Mangyun cavalry had died fighting at White Sparrow Pass. The northwestern frontier army was reduced by half, retreating in defeat to their garrison at Fenghu City. If Fenghu City fell, White Sparrow Pass would immediately fall into Jin Qiang’s hands. The northwestern border would be left wide open, inviting the barbarians in like an unguarded door.

On the day the news reached Dayu, the entire court was shaken. The Mangyun cavalry scout who brought the message knelt outside the palace hall, covered in dark blood, weeping prostrate on the ground.

This news actually arrived via two channels. While Scout A was still weeping outside the hall, Scout B was already standing before Cen Jingshu.

That night, the Jin residence closed its gates. At the third watch, Princess Shunyi and two attendants departed secretly from the residence’s back gate, timing their exit precisely as the inner city gates opened. They passed through Jianghu Gate to leave the inner city. After arranging everything necessary, they departed Liangjing’s outer city, heading all the way west.

The only matter Cen Jingshu attended to in the outer city was to meet Yue Lianlou.

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And less than three days after Princess Shunyi left Liangjing, Emperor Renzheng issued an imperial edict: “Jin Mingzhao failed in his command of the army, was negligent in resisting the enemy, and abandoned his post in fear of battle, causing the disastrous defeat at White Sparrow Pass. He must be severely punished.”

“After ransacking the Jin household, the entire clan was exiled north of the Liexing River,” Yue Lianlou said. “But while crossing the Liexing River, the boat capsized, and everyone aboard…”

He spoke more and more slowly, finally stopping.

Jin Yue just listened, motionless.

He had no home left.

Yue Lianlou patted his face: “Little general?”

“…I want to return to Liangjing.” Jin Yue took a deep breath. Facing Yue Lianlou, his eyes were rimmed with red. “There are still so many things I must do. As long as I return to Liangjing, there will be a way. The boat capsized, but there must be survivors. I still need to clear my father’s name and find my mother…”

“Your mother has people searching for her. The story of General Zhongzhao has spread throughout the jianghu. All righteous martial artists are searching for Princess Shunyi’s whereabouts. They will find her and protect her.”

“But…”

Yue Lianlou pressed down on Jin Yue’s shoulders: “The disastrous defeat of General Zhongzhao and the Mangyun cavalry is highly suspicious. If you wish to uncover the truth, you should find Bai Ni first. She knows far more about the Mangyun cavalry and White Sparrow Pass than you do. If there truly were traitors working from within…”

Jin Yue was startled: “But Bai Ni…”

“I know, Bai Ni is missing. But no one has seen Bai Ni’s body,” Yue Lianlou said in a low voice. “She must still be alive, somewhere in Northern Rong.”

The forest was quiet, with only occasional soft sounds of branches breaking under the heavy weight of snow. The bear-hunting party that had set out from Yetai had delved deep into this dense woodland. The experienced hunters pointed out the claw marks black bears had left on thick tree trunks. They needed to finish quickly; the howling of the wind and snow was gradually closing in.

Hundar, walking at the rear, glanced several times at the bow on Helan Feng’s back, then suddenly leaned in and whispered: “Do you remember that archer general from Dayu?”

Helan Feng: “Mm.”

Hundar: “Do you know where she went?”

The disappearance of the Dayu caravan overnight was not a small matter in Yetai. But strangely, no one discussed it. Even when Helan Feng wanted to ask Helan Jinying, he was always shut down by the man’s sharp gaze.

Helan Feng asked: “You know?”

Hundar hesitated.

“Does it involve General Hu?”

Hundar sneered: “Don’t try to goad me. It clearly happened after your big brother returned to Yetai.”

Helan Feng stopped walking: “Stop beating around the bush.”

Hundar lowered his voice: “The night the female general disappeared, I saw your brother go talk to her. The two of them, whispering who knows what, walked off in the direction of Chivang Plains.”

Hundar had been worried about a young injured colt at home and hadn’t watched further. He had lingered in the stable for a while, and when he left, he saw Helan Jinying again.

He had walked back from Chivang Plains alone. There was no Bai Ni with him.

Helan Feng wanted to ask for more details, but suddenly there was a commotion ahead, and someone shouted at the top of their lungs: “The bear’s awake!”

A earth-shaking roar erupted, and two massive black bears burst from the trees. Hundar’s face went white: “Two?!”

Helan Feng kicked him in the rear. Hundar snapped out of it and immediately started scrambling up a tree. The two moved with lightning speed and were already partway up the tree trunks. Snow fell in puffs. Helan Feng scanned the area and saw that nearly everyone in the hunting party had taken to the trees, except for Douze, who had tripped while running.

“Douze!” Hundar yelled urgently from his tree. “Run!”

Douze’s foot was stuck in the snow and couldn’t be pulled free. The two black bears charged over, huffing hot breath. The leading one raised its front paw, about to smash down on Douze’s head.

An arrow whistled through the air, chi, piercing straight through the bear’s paw.

The black bear screamed in pain and rolled on the ground. Douze had fallen right beside its hot, steaming nose. Seizing the moment, he scrambled up from the snow and fled blindly.

The wounded bear, no longer eager to fight, yelped in pain and limped deep into the forest. Kula’s arrow had hit its mark. He quickly shouted at Douze to stop: “Don’t run wildly! Watch where you’re going!”

Douze, dizzy with panic, threw himself toward the tree where Kula was and scrambled up with all four limbs. But the second bear had reached him by then. Spotting Douze, it immediately charged.

Kula had no time to nock another arrow. He drew the curved sword from behind his waist. From the corner of his eye, he saw two young men jump down from a nearby tree—Helan Feng and Hundar.

Hundar roared and shouted to draw the black bear’s attention. Helan Feng raised his bow, drew the string, and released. The sequence was smooth and unbroken; in the blink of an eye, the arrow was embedded in the bear’s chest.

The black bear bellowed in fury but did not fall. It lunged two steps toward Helan Feng. Douze had climbed halfway up that tree and cried out: “Hundar! Helan! Run!”

Hundar knew he couldn’t stand against the bear and turned to run, only to collide head-on with Helan Feng.

Helan Feng roared: “Don’t turn your back on it!” He snatched the large sword from Hundar’s back, bent low and sprinted, leveling the blade in a horizontal slash toward the bear’s belly.

The completely enraged bear didn’t dodge at all. Its paw, bigger than Helan Feng’s head, sliced toward him with a whistling sound.

The sword tip was still an inch from the bear’s belly when Helan Feng already saw the glint of its sharp claws. Not daring to close his eyes, he flicked his fingers and released his grip. The sword flew from his hand, shooting straight toward the bear’s belly!

Almost simultaneously, Kula leaped from the tree with sword raised.

The great blade sliced open the tough skin of the bear’s belly. The curved sword chopped directly down onto the bear’s head.

The roar of pain was deafening. Snow cascaded from all the surrounding trees.

Bang! The bear collapsed on top of Helan Feng, drenching his head and face in its hot, acrid blood. Before he could recover, Kula had already grabbed his collar and dragged him out from under the bear. The bear’s skull was half-split; it was dead.

Author’s Note:

Today, I invite everyone to have lamb soup and listen to “Autumn of the Jade Hall.”