Chapter 4

Since ancient times, the righteous and the wicked have stood on opposite sides, never to coexist. In the world of Jianghu, this divide is etched deep black and white, good and evil. Yet, there are always those who tread the line, stepping boldly over the threshold of convention, living like a thorn that brazenly defies all norms.

Some of these thorns are quickly plucked and crushed underfoot. Others root themselves deep in flesh, burrowing inward until unfathomable.

The former are usually petty outlaws hearts lofty as the sky, skills lower than the ground. Dreaming of swan meat yet wallowing in muddy puddles, they cause little more than harmless trouble for the grand sects. No one takes them seriously. Jianghu is vast; there’s always room for a few useless clowns to scrape by.

As for the latter, there are too few. In this murky abyss called Jianghu, only one such thorn truly towers over all Baigui Sect.

They eat from both hands, blend righteous with evil, act on whims, and fear no enemies. Better yet, they excel at dealing with trouble.

No one knows how many roam the martial world, and fewer still can say how many “ghosts” Baigui Sect truly commands. They have no past, no future, only the dark present. They dwell in every shadow, maggots that cling to prey until death.

Espionage, assassinations, poison trades, hidden weapons there is nothing they dare not attempt. And if there is, it’s only because their leader momentarily clouded his own genius with tofu-brained hesitation.

Baigui Sect always casts a shadow without revealing the man. Of the few notorious names whispered about, Ghost Physician Sun Minfeng is chief among them.

“A healer’s heart, hands of miracle” a line only half-suited to him. His skill dares to challenge death and defy the gods, but to say he has a kind heart? That would be an insult. Anyone who seeks his care must have nerves of steel or no choice left.

Why? Because a healer cannot heal himself. And Sun Minfeng is afflicted in the head.

Half-mad, temperamental, emotions like fleeting storms.

Atop the railing, he gazed into the rain. Scents wafted through the air, silent shadows clung to the walls.

Xie Wuyi removed his cloak, clad in a white robe embroidered with black patterns. He sat across from his guest, his brows tightly drawn. His pale, bluish lips pressed into a thin blade not aggressive, but cold to the bone.

“The Ghost Physician’s request is unreasonable.”

Across from him sat two men. The black-clad youth who had earlier locked eyes with Ye Fusheng now sipped tea, composed like a statue of the Buddha. The other wore plain robes and looked to be in his thirties his ink-painted brows and soft-colored lips gave him an ethereal air, but when he lowered his gaze and smiled, a dangerous allure seeped through, like a sudden stroke of vivid ink on porcelain.

Sun Minfeng sprinkled a white powder into his teacup, stirring it lazily with a silver needle. A heady fragrance bloomed instantly rich as wine, but more intoxicating.

He drank the odd brew as if chewing peonies, then smacked his lips and grinned.

“Unreasonable? Or do you just want to sit here and wait for death? I’m not forcing you.”

Xie Wuyi’s hand rested on the table corner slim fingers, veins taut but his voice was calm.

“I can die. But I will not live as a cripple.”

Sun Minfeng remained silent, but the black-robed youth beside him raised his head.

“It is said that Zanghun Palace has sent a challenge. But Master Xie has not accepted it. The name of Duanshui Manor is still absent from the Blade Seizure List.”

Xie Wuyi’s expression did not change. “Petty schemes. Not worth dirtying my hands.”

“Then will Duanshui Manor’s seat remain vacant?” the youth asked, voice teasing.

“Master Xie, many eyes are watching your every move. Sending Miss Xue to invite the Ghost Physician here is that not already your choice? What we ask is simple. Duanshui Blade. Is it more important than your life?”

“Yes,” Xie Wuyi replied.

“Then I want it even more,” the youth smiled. “Duanshui Manor is surrounded by enemies. With your current crippled body, can you even survive if you were ambush and betrayed? If the blade outweighs your life, where does the Manor stand in comparison?”

Xie Wuyi studied him for a moment before pouring him another cup of tea.

“You are…”

“Chu. Chu Ximei,” the youth answered, rubbing his teacup.

“I’ve long admired the name of the First Blade. Now that we meet, the reputation far exceeds the man.”

“Jianghu is full of pretenders. I have never dared claim the title of ‘First’,” Xie Wuyi chuckled faintly. His smile softened his mature face, lending him an unexpected charm yet his eyes remained cold and deep, glinting like a blade drawn in silence.

“Eighty-two battles in the Western Territories, countless victories at the Wulin Tournament. Once, Duanshui’s Blade danced like moonlight across water. But now the moon is gone, the song silenced only the blade remains. If your fame is hollow, who dares to respect it still?” Chu Ximei smiled.

“I am disappointed only that you hold it… yet cannot let it go.”

Xie Wuyi’s eyes narrowed. “So the Baigui Sect Master knows much. Yet no one controls all the world’s affairs. You know one side, not the other. Easier said than done.”

Sun Minfeng downed the rest of his tea and interrupted. “Esteemed gentlemen, let us pause the mutual admiration. Back to business. Will you trade the Duanshui Blade for a new body or shut the gates and perish with your Manor?”

Xie Wuyi said, “Important matters require careful thought.”

“One, two, three. Have you thought carefully yet?”

“Mister Sun,” Chu Ximei pressed down on his shoulder. “The Seizure Tournament begins in seven days. Master Xie is more anxious than we are. Let’s not rush this moment.”

Sun Minfeng said no more, instead chewing on the tea leaves in his cup.

Xie Wuyi rose. “I will give my answer tomorrow. Chanyi, escort our guests to Songtao Garden.”

Just then, a servant stumbled in and whispered something to Xue Chanyi. Her elegant face twisted with fury.

Suppressing her anger, she motioned for the butler to lead the guests away, then hurried to Xie Wuyi’s side. “Master, someone broke into Lingbo Pavilion and stole the Duanshui Blade! Our guards are chasing them toward Wanghai tide!”

With a sharp crack, a teacup shattered. Xie Wuyi’s gaze turned ice-cold.

Guyang City was a mountain city, ringed by three peaks with one side facing water. Countless gorges and forests dotted the terrain. Though Duanshui Manor had declined, a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse. Nestled in the remote east of the city, the estate stretched over ten miles of forested mountains spacious enough to retreat into the hills or blend into the streets.

Wanghai tide, a cliff at the back of Duanshui Manor, was a forbidden place. Sheer and craggy, a great river churned below sometimes surging like a storm, sometimes calm as a frozen pond. A single misstep, and even the strongest swimmer would be swept away.

The Duanshui Blade style, named for the concept of “cutting water with a blade,” was inspired by this very cliff. Each generation of manor lords trained there, and when they passed, their ashes were returned to the river, returning them to nature.

That night, the wind and rain howled. Torches barely stayed lit before the downpour snuffed them out. The Manor’s guards had chased the thief to the cliff’s edge a man in short garb clutching the sheathed blade, sweat pouring as he stumbled near the brink.

Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.

Ye Fusheng, half-blind, thrived in the dark. His feline-like eyes saw clearly through shadows. Perched silently in the treetops, not even the raindrops dared disturb him.

He had followed a maid to Xie Li’s courtyard, but the boy was missing. Now, the missing heir climbed a treacherous slope near the cliff. His small figure blended into the jagged rock. Had Ye Fusheng not possessed night cat eyes, even he would have missed the reckless little rabbit heading straight into danger.

He couldn’t interfere in Manor affairs, but he had a promise to keep. If something happened to the boy, his own reputation would crumble.

Xie Li, though young, had excellent lightness skill. On the cliff, he moved with agility like a human gecko. To avoid startling him, Ye Fusheng watched closely from above.

After half a cup of tea’s time, Xie Li reached the cliff bottom, hiding behind a boulder.

The thief was in panic, face red with tension. Trapped and trembling, he clutched the blade, nearly falling several times.

Xue Chanyi arrived. Her lips pressed tight, she lashed her whip. The man instinctively raised his arm but, remembering the blade, twisted to take the blow on his back.

“Bold thief! Return the blade at once!” she shouted.

“Let your master come speak to me himself!” he growled.

Furious, her whip slashed again. The man drew the blade at last in one stroke, he sliced her whip clean off.

Ye Fusheng shook his head in the tree. Fighting a woman and using a weapon advantage. Shameless.

The backlash flung the broken whip into her hand, leaving a bloody welt. She dropped it and reached for the red sash at her waist only to be stopped.

“I’m here. What do you want?”

Ye Fusheng straightened in shock. His body stiffened as blood surged back through his veins. His mind buzzed. Fingers twitched involuntarily, leaving deep imprints in the bark.

Xie Wuyi approached, an oil-paper umbrella in hand. His robe fluttered, his presence unhurried. Though the rain poured, only the hem of his robe was wet. His gaunt face, those blade-sharp eyes colder than steel.

Xue Chanyi stepped back.

“Master!”

The thief was stunned by his presence, nearly falling off the edge. His bluster was all but gone.

No matter how rumors mocked Xie Wuyi, this presence reminded all who watched he was the same man who once vanquished heroes at the tournament. No, now he was even more terrifying.

Like a tiger become a wolf.

Standing seven steps away, Xie Wuyi repeated, “I’m here. What do you want?”

The man took a deep breath. “I’m not here to challenge you. I’m here to ask why won’t you accept the Blade Seizure Challenge?”

Ye Fusheng, recovering from his shock, found it amusing. The emperor’s not anxious, but the eunuchs are.

Xie Wuyi glanced at the man’s grip.

“You use a blade?”

“Yes! I am-“

“Spare me. I don’t care who you are,” Xie Wuyi sneered.

“You steal what isn’t yours. A thief. What, you think just because I refused the challenge, and you take my blade and fight in my stead?”

“And what if I do? Zanghun Palace is evil it must be stopped! As Duanshui Manor’s Lord, shouldn’t you rise to defend justice? Do you know how many heroes have grieved your retreat?”

“Shameless,” someone muttered in the crowd. Ye Fusheng glanced over and saw the black-clad guest from before.

Chu Ximei stepped forward, umbrella in hand, face gleaming with sarcasm.

“Rare to see such gall in ignorance. My thanks for the lesson.”

“And who are you?” the thief barked.

Chu Ximei only smiled. Cold aura rippled from him, sending chills through the onlookers.

Ye Fusheng thought: A black mountain demon wearing a ghost beauty’s skin.

“Enough,” Xie Wuyi cut in.

“What do you want?”

“Zanghun Palace has seized four famed blades. The righteous path must strike back. If you join the challenge and prove Duanshui still stands, I’ll return the blade. If not, I’ll pass it to someone who will!”

“Good, good, good…” Xie Wuyi repeated. Everyone felt a chill on their necks.

He twisted his umbrella. Raindrops spun like knives, blinding the thief. Xie Wuyi struck two fingers like a blade, inches from the man’s throat!

The man blocked with the blade. Xie Wuyi tapped the flat of it, sending him flying. He stumbled back off the cliff!

Xie Wuyi lunged to grab him, but the man twisted away, eyes fierce. He fell with the blade.

Almost simultaneously, a small figure dove after him. Xie Li kicked the man’s hand aside, snatched the Duanshui Blade, but lost his footing. He barely caught a rock hanging like a strip of dried meat.

The crowd gasped.

“Xiao Li!” Xue Chanyi screamed.

Xie Wuyi leapt without hesitation only to be pulled back by Chu Ximei, who jumped ahead.

Too late.

The rock cracked. Xie Li fell, still clutching the blade.

Chu Ximei nearly caught him but only tore a scrap of his cloth.

Something flashed past Chu Xiwei its too fast to be seen clearly…