FMT 45

Chapter 45 Farewell

“Why did you come?” the hoarse male voice asked.

Liandan stepped closer to the edge of the pool and said, “I… I am leaving. I wanted to see you.”

The ends of his soft hair floated with the current, coiling around his neck and shoulders. Chen Shuanning lowered his eyes. His throat moved as he said, “What is there worth seeing?”

Liandan’s eyes turned red. He said, “I… I…” But in the end, whatever words he meant to say, not a single one came out.

Chen Shuangning lifted his eyes and looked at him. Those eyes were more beautiful than the most brilliant night sky Liandan had ever seen.

“It is all settled now. You will no longer suffer the torment of the Blue Flower poison. From now on, you can live the life you want,” he said slowly.

Liandan’s chest tightened. He stammered, “But… but,” he raised his hand, showing the bracelet on his wrist, “you… you gave this to me…”

Chen Shuangning’s gaze shifted to his wrist. He looked at it for a long while.

Then there was a splash of water. He turned, giving his back to the one on the shore, and said, “If you like it, wear it. If not… then throw it away.”

Tears slid down Liandan’s cheeks. He stood by the pool for a while. He lifted his sleeve and wiped his face, then said, “I know something must be about to happen, something you all must do, and no one can stop it. But,” his voice caught, “you… must take care!”

He gave one last look at Chen Shuangning’s back, bit down on his lip, and turned to leave the cave.

Inside, the man’s shoulders moved slightly as he heard the footsteps fade away behind him, but in the end he did not turn back.

….

After lunch, Leng Shan and a few other young men quickly tied the last pieces of luggage onto the carriage. Everything was ready.

As before, it was Leng Shan leading the escort, using the same carriage as when they came. Everything was the same as before, only one person was missing.

Xue Ming kissed Xiaodan in her arms, then returned him to Liandan.

She handed him a heavy money pouch and said, “I didn’t dare give you too much, in case anyone sees it and gets greedy. If you run out of money later, go to Xinglong Treasure Shop in Miaoyun Town. That shop is ours. You can always ask the shopkeeper for help.”

“And this,” Xue Ming took out a box and opened it for Liandan to see. Inside were ten little jade rabbits, each with different expressions, mischievous, thoughtful, laughing, or silly and cute.

“Next month on the twenty-fifth will be Xiaodan’s first birthday. These were carved by my brother himself. Give them to him then.”

Liandan lowered his head, carefully looking, then nodded with a muffled sound.

After helping Liandan into the carriage, Xue Ming stepped back a step, then another, but suddenly rushed forward again. She took the jade pendant she always wore at her waist and shoved it into Liandan’s hand. Without saying another word, her eyes red, she turned and ran into the courtyard gate.

The carriage began to move. It rolled out of the residence, passed through the narrow valley entrance, and entered the outside world.

Holding Xiaodan, clutching the jade pendant in his hand, Liandan’s eyes were red. He looked back at the road behind, biting his lips, forcing all his tears down into his chest.

….

The road back to Kaoshan village was much faster than the journey out.

In only four or five days, they were already close to Miaoyun Town.

To keep the villagers from suspecting anything, near Miaoyun Town Lengshan changed to the old broken carriage. Creaking, it entered the village.

By the time they arrived, the sky was already dim. Leng Shan carried all the things into the house and led the goat into the yard.

The door of the neighboring house creaked. Aunt Wu stuck her head out and asked, “Is that you, Liandan? You’re back?”

Liandan answered. Aunt Wu and Uncle Wu came out. Over the courtyard wall they said, “Just a few days ago I told your uncle, now that the New Year is over, your family of three should be back by now… oh, Chen Shuangning didn’t come back with you?”

Liandan forced a smile. “He still has work to do. He’s busy, so he didn’t come back with us.”

Aunt Wu said, “That’s right, after the New Year it gets busy. It’s good to be busy, young men should earn more.”

Uncle Wu said, “We still have some steamed corn buns left from tonight. Liandan, bring the child over and eat with us.”

Aunt Wu added, “Yes, yes, we still have fried pickled vegetables. I’ll make a soup for you too…”

“No need,” Liandan quickly said. “I still have some dry rations from the road. I’ll heat them up later. It’s already late, I don’t want to disturb your rest.”

Aunt Wu saw he truly did not want to join them. She said, “All right then. Go rest well at home. Leave the things you don’t need to sort. Tomorrow I’ll have your Sister Ting come over and help you.”

Liandan had no way to refuse further. He could only thank her.

Leng Shan finished carrying the things, then stood aside waiting to say goodbye.

With Aunt Wu watching from next door, Liandan could not say much. He exchanged a few polite words and walked him to the door.

Leng Shan cupped his fists and said, “Take care,” then jumped onto the carriage.

Liandan stood at the doorway, watching the carriage clip-clop away into the distance until it disappeared. It felt like a dream, even the last thread of connection in that dream had vanished.

….

News that Liandan had safely returned to Kaoshan village reached the residence in the valley the next night.

By then, Chen Shuangning had soaked in the hot medicinal spring for five days and nights and had only just come out.

When Xue Ming told him the news, his face showed no special expression. He only lowered his eyes and said, “Mm.”

Both of them stayed silent. After a while, Chen Shuangning finally lifted his eyes to look at Xue Ming and said, “I have already prepared a place. Tomorrow morning you take all the women, ge’er, and children, and leave here. Before I send word to you, do not come back.”

For a moment, Xue Ming’s eyes widened. Her lips moved, and she said in disbelief, “At this time… you want me to leave?”

Chen Shuangning nodded. “Yes, I want you to leave.”

Xue Ming’s eyes turned red. “What if I don’t leave?”

Chen Shuangning said, “I will knock you out and have Liu Shuqi take you away.”

Xue Ming said, “But what about the poison in your body?”

Chen Shuangning said coldly, “That is not for you to worry about.”

Tears fell, drop by drop. Xue Ming said, “When the sect fell into chaos four years ago, my master disappeared. I am not boasting, but in this world aside from him, only I could possibly cure the poison in you. No one else can.”

Chen Shuangning’s expression hardened, filled with hostility. “And you can cure me?”

Xue Ming froze, her face pale. “I… I…”

Chen Shuangning looked at her. His expression gradually calmed again, his voice was calm. “The result was already set four years ago. It is only a matter of sooner or later. This is not your fault.”

Xue Ming cried harder. “I thought there would be more time… maybe still a chance…”

Chen Shuangning shook his head. He stood up. “Go. Pack your things. Take the others. Tomorrow I won’t see you off.”

He was about to leave, but Xue Ming suddenly rushed forward and hugged him tightly, crying out, “Brother, brother…!”

Chen Shuangning’s body stiffened. His lips pressed tight, and his steps stopped.

He raised his hand, gently stroked her hair, and said quietly, “Shuangruo, you are grown now. You are an adult.”

Chen Shuangruo shook her head. “Brother, I am an adult. I can protect myself. Let me stay, I beg you!”

But Chen Shuangning, under her hopeful gaze, shook his head firmly. “You must take the others out. Look after them well. Your brother believes you can do it.”

He pried her off and walked out.

Chen Shuangruo fell to the ground, crying out loud.

At the doorway, Chen Shuangning stopped again. He turned back, helped her up, held her shoulders, and said, “Protect yourself. Don’t make me worry. Promise me.”

Chen Shuangruo was still crying, but she clenched her teeth, nodded, and said, “I will do it.”

….

The next day, after Chen Shuangruo left with the carriages, the grand residence that had been full of noise at the New Year was left with only one person.

Chen Shuangning lay in his bedroom. His phoenix eyes looked at a grasshopper woven from straw, left behind when Liandan and Xiaodan had lived there.

After a while, he pulled from his sleeve an old faded pouch embroidered with lotuses. He held it to his nose and sniffed.

But after so long, the fragrance inside was already gone.

He held the pouch in his palm, stroking it lightly.

Through the half-open window, a cold wind blew in, lifting his clothes and the ends of his hair.

He raised a hand to cover his mouth and coughed softly a few times.

After coughing for a while, he closed his eyes, looking tired.

The window stayed open. The wind blew in again and again.

After some unknown time, the man who seemed asleep suddenly opened his eyes. His gaze turned toward a certain direction outside the window.

In an instant, those eyes turned blood-red, his whole body tense.

Chen Shuangning slowly pushed himself up. The pouch that had been on his chest slipped onto the bedding.

He picked it up, looked at it with lowered eyes for a while, then carefully placed it in the drawer at the foot of the bed.

Then he got down, straightened his clothes a little, tied his long hair at the back, and took his sword from the rack.

The sword shone as it came out of its sheath. Chen Shuanning tapped the ground with his toes, and his figure vanished.

The valley was deadly silent. Even the insects and birds seemed to vanish, leaving only the sound of running water in the channels, loud as thunder.

Chen Shuangning stood on a rooftop, looking down. At the entrance of the valley, two men rushed in from outside, glancing back again and again, looking disheveled.

Behind them, a man in monk’s robes, about fifty years old, chased in.

His head was shaven. His appearance was that of a monk, but his face was vicious and twisted with evil. There was none of the compassion or mercy of a monk.

This was Monk Yuanjing, the Left Protector.

The Left Protector held a long blade, its edge still stained with dried blood. He looked up at the man on the roof with a sinister grin and shouted, “You think the men you sent can deal with me?”

As he spoke, several more people came in behind him, spreading quickly through the valley.

They and the two in front looked scattered, but in truth they sealed off every path of escape for the Left Protector.

Chen Shuangning’s eyes went to one of those surrounding him. His brows knit faintly.

Liu Shuqi gestured, meaning there was no danger. Then he tore a strip of his robe, bit one end with his teeth, and bound the wound on his arm.

He was not the only one wounded. Bai Wushuang’s clothes were stained with blood. Later, when Leng Shan arrived, the corner of his mouth also showed dried marks not yet wiped away.

This had been a brutal and dangerous battle.

“Xue Aong, you have always been like this, arrogant to the point of disgust. I regret not killing you years ago!” the Left Protector ground his teeth. “I begged you for peace, yet you would not spare me. Since you refuse the easy way, today I will slaughter you all!”

Chen Shuangning said flatly, “You are not my match.”

At these words, the Left Protector sneered. “Four years ago, before he died, the Sect Leader poisoned you. That ge’er in Kaoshan village is still alive. That night at Lingyun Temple, you must have fallen for my scheme. Now you are only clinging to life.”

He raised his blade. His eyes seemed to bleed, red and terrifying. Blood stained his teeth. Even blood seeped from the pores of his skin. He looked monstrous.

Liu Shuq i’s face changed. “He took a Blood-Rending Ten-Thousand-Corpses Pill!”

That pill could multiply one’s strength three or four times for a short while. But the cost was dreadful, the person’s blood would all drain away and they would surely die.

The Left Protector threw back his head and laughed madly. “Not only did I take the Blood-Rending Ten-Thousand-Corpses Pill, I absorbed all the inner power of the Right Protector. Today I will die with you brats. If I cannot live, you will all be buried with me!”

Chen Shuangning lifted his sword. His fingers brushed the blade, staining it faintly with blood. His tied hair and his robe stirred though there was no wind. His eyelids lifted. His eyes held a dark abyss like a sea of blood. The killing intent pressing on his foe was heavy as a mountain. He said slowly, “Then come.”