Eastern Sun (5)
No one had expected that after so many people had spent two whole days trying to persuade the Young Sect Leader without success, he would relent shortly after that child called Ah Ku woke up.
But before they could feel relieved, the conditions Yun Changliu proposed shocked everyone. According to the Young Sect Leader’s terms, he wanted this child to follow only him, obey only his commands, and from now on receive the same treatment as him within the Zhuyin Sect, with no one permitted to make things difficult for him.
When the news was reported to Yangxin Hall, Yun Guyan’s face immediately darkened and he fell silent. He knew he couldn’t force his son Liu’er on this matter, but if he agreed, what would happen in the future?
The future was unpredictable—what if something happened to Ah Ku later and Liu’er refused to let them take his blood? Where would he find another life-saving medicine for his beloved son?
The more he thought about it, the worse his headache became. Yun Guyan leaned anxiously over his desk for a long time without responding, and those around him were too frightened to speak or ask questions. Finally, Wen Huan advised from the side. “Sect Leader, in Wen Huan’s humble opinion, we should temporarily go along with the Young Sect Leader’s wishes on this matter.”
Yun Guyan looked up at him. “What do you mean?”
Wen Huan sighed softly and slowly explained, “Consider this—the Young Sect Leader has been lonely since childhood, and his temperament is too pure. Suddenly encountering a child of similar age with a livelier disposition, he naturally takes a liking to him. After playing together for several days, it’s inevitable he’s become deeply attached.”
“Wen Huan believes we should delay the Ah Ku matter for now. Since we now have the medicine person’s blood and the Fengchun Sheng poison can be suppressed, the Young Sect Leader no longer needs to be confined day and night in Changsheng Pavilion. He can study literature and martial arts, go out to play, meet more people… Sect Leader, why not find a few young attendants of similar age to the Young Sect Leader—sweet-tongued and clever—to keep him company? Once the Young Sect Leader has seen more people, he surely won’t focus all his attention on Ah Ku alone.”
The attendant’s voice was soothing and gentle. Listening to his unhurried analysis, Yun Guyan gradually regained his composure. He took a deep breath, rubbed his temples, and after a long moment nodded. “…You’re right.”
“In a few more years, you can find a pretext to distance the two of them, or simply transfer Ah Ku to a branch sect as an excuse to separate them. Children are young—gradually they’ll forget each other.”
“By that time, when the Young Sect Leader is a bit older and his health is better, presumably he won’t be as unable to handle even the slightest shock as he is now. Even if something truly does happen to Ah Ku one day…”
As he spoke, Wen Huan couldn’t help but sigh softly. He thought privately that this kidnapped little medicine person was indeed very endearing. If it weren’t for his position as the Sect Leader’s close attendant, he surely wouldn’t have the heart to scheme like this.
“…You can give the Young Sect Leader some vague explanation and should be able to get away with it.”
Yun Guyan didn’t have such qualms. He did appreciate Ah Ku, but this appreciation was nothing compared to his son Liu’er’s life. The Sect Leader was very satisfied with what he heard and immediately made the decision:
“Very good, then let’s do it this way.”
Seeing the matter settled, a servant received the Sect Leader’s verbal decree and hurried to Changsheng Pavilion to relay the response to the Young Sect Leader. Wen Huan suddenly smiled at Yun Guyan and changed the subject. “Speaking of which… Feng’er is also ten years old now. I remember Wen Huan and you were also this age back then. Sect Leader, what do you think?”
He didn’t finish his sentence, but Yun Guyan understood his meaning.
Perhaps touched by the past that Wen Huan had mentioned, the usually cold and hard gaze of the Zhuyin Sect Leader also softened somewhat as he nodded. “He is that age now. In that case, from now on have him attend to the Young Sect Leader personally.”
….
That day, after receiving Yun Guyan’s response, Yun Changliu finally began taking his medicine.
Although when he swallowed the medicine mixed with human blood, he felt both guilty and nauseated, wanting to vomit it back up.
But he didn’t dare—Ah Ku had said so… He feared that if he wasted even one mouthful of medicine, it would cause the little medicine person to bleed who knows how much more next time.
With Yun Changliu’s mental state so poor, none of the servants in Changsheng Pavilion dared provoke him. The Young Sect Leader simply drove everyone out and personally took care of Ah Ku himself.
The wound from Ah Ku’s blood extraction was on his wrist, cut extremely deep. Every time Yun Changliu looked at it, it pained him, and he absolutely refused to let him move his hand. For the past few days, the Young Sect Leader had personally fed all meals and medicine broths right to his mouth.
Ah Ku even teased him, saying the wound was clearly on his left wrist and the right hand’s injury had long since healed, but Yun Changliu insisted on doing this.
It was also at this time that Yun Changliu first learned the name of this beautiful child in blue-green clothes.
Ah Ku—Ku meaning bitter, as in good medicine tastes bitter.
…Yun Changliu didn’t like this name at all. It only made him feel miserable.
After about eight or nine days, Ah Ku’s body finally recovered somewhat and wasn’t so weak anymore. The wound on his wrist had also healed.
Yun Changliu personally escorted him back to that peach grove as promised.
However, after that day, Yun Changliu never again took the initiative to visit Ah Ku’s wooden house.
Although Ah Ku always said he didn’t blame him, after what had happened, Yun Changliu truly didn’t dare seek out Ah Ku anymore.
He couldn’t get past this hurdle in his heart, terribly afraid that one day he would find even a trace of disgust in the gaze that blue-green-clothed child cast his way.
Thinking about how he had once so eagerly brought candy to share, the Young Sect Leader’s heart ached even more—that candy had originally been sent by his father for him to take with his medicine, and that medicine contained Ah Ku’s blood; yet he had secretly saved it to give to Ah Ku, wanting him to taste something sweet when taking his medicine, not knowing that the medicine the child took was to nourish blood for him…
Yun Changliu was too ashamed to seek him out, yet his heart couldn’t let go either. His daily routine of drinking medicine was now like being tortured. The already silent child became visibly more melancholic with each passing day.
This resulted in the Young Sect Leader barely glancing at little Wen Feng when Wen Huan brought him forward, appearing listless. In the end, it was only for Uncle Huan’s sake that he reluctantly spoke:
“…I don’t like people attending me closely. Don’t follow me too closely.”
Little Wen Feng, who had always admired the rapport between his father and the Sect Leader and had thus been quietly looking forward to meeting his own master, thought he had immediately earned the Young Sect Leader’s dislike at first sight. His face turned white with fright on the spot.
…According to Attendant Wen’s recollections many years later, for a personal attendant, having his master’s first words to him be “I don’t like people attending me closely” was truly unbearable to recall.
It could be said that moment was simply his nightmare.
Perhaps to forcibly pull Yun Changliu out of this low mood, a few days later Yun Guyan required him to begin formally practicing martial arts. On the first day, he would follow the martial instructor teaching the siblings Danjing and Chanjuan, just to get accustomed first.
The Sect Leader had spoken, so naturally no one dared disobey.
The next day at the training grounds, Yun Changliu unusually wore a tight-sleeved white robe, bound his black hair, and stepped forward to greet the master who would teach martial arts.
Behind him, the delicate young boy who was rather nervously testing what counted as “not following too closely” was none other than Wen Feng, wearing his white attendant’s robes for the first time.
Compared to Young Sect Leader Changliu who was as indifferent as ever, this martial instructor was clearly very nervous.
He naturally recognized this frail Young Sect Leader who was treasured like a jewel by the Sect Leader, said to have barely left his room since childhood and never learned sword techniques… Today, who knew what the Sect Leader was thinking, to actually bring this precious Young Sect Leader directly to the martial training grounds!
If he bumped into something and got injured, wouldn’t he lose his head?
While this martial instructor was extremely anxious, the pair of young siblings over there were extremely excited.
Young Master Yun Danjing wore brocade robes with a jade belt, spirited and lively, with hints of natural competitive pride already showing at the corners of his brows.
Yun Danjing’s appearance took after his father quite a bit, and even from his still-childish features one could see his future handsomeness. He had been formally practicing martial arts for over a year and had long since chosen a wooden sword that suited him. He gestured it at Yun Changliu and said like a little adult, “Don’t worry, I’ll hold back.”
As for Yun Chanjuan, she hadn’t started practicing martial arts yet—she had come to join in the excitement. From the moment Yun Changliu entered the training grounds, she kept squealing and making noise. Sometimes calling “Elder Brother Changliu,” sometimes calling “Elder Brother Danjing”—no one knew which side she was on.
Compared to these siblings, it made this Young Sect Leader seem far too calm and quiet.
Yun Changliu frowned slightly and turned to the martial instructor. “Do I really have to spar with Danjing?”
He felt it was inappropriate, very inappropriate. Danjing was still so small—crossing swords with him… wouldn’t this be him bullying his younger brother?
The martial instructor thought Yun Changliu was afraid and quickly bowed. “Practicing martial arts together with Young Master Danjing is the Sect Leader’s intention. Young Sect Leader, please rest assured, this subordinate will surely protect the Young Sect Leader’s safety.”
“As for sparring, this…” At this point the martial instructor became somewhat evasive. He truly couldn’t understand the Sect Leader’s intention and could only say, “Young Sect Leader, just do your best…”
Yun Danjing was eager to try, wooden sword held horizontally in an opening stance. “Come on!”
“…”
Yun Changliu really couldn’t muster the will to fight and just silently stood there holding a sword, hesitantly looking at his younger brother.
Yun Danjing thought he had never sparred with anyone and didn’t even dare move. Naturally he didn’t have Yun Changliu’s patience, and seeing his brother not moving for so long, he snorted and attacked first.
He skillfully executed several qinggong steps, and in the blink of an eye had closed in on Yun Changliu, his wooden sword slashing diagonally toward his chest.
This diagonal slash was actually quite sophisticated—precisely because the sword body was angled, he could change moves at any time. If Yun Changliu couldn’t dodge in time, Yun Danjing could slightly adjust his wrist to shift the attack from the sword’s edge to its flat side. This way, even if it landed solidly, it wouldn’t cause much injury. The Young Master was quite pleased with himself, thinking he was being very considerate of his brother.
As it turned out, Yun Changliu didn’t even dodge.
The Young Sect Leader impassively brought his wooden sword up to meet it, chopping down from above.
…If one judged solely by mastery of sword techniques, Yun Changliu truly couldn’t match Yun Danjing who had been practicing swordsmanship for over a year. This was indeed true.
But there’s a saying in this world: one force can overcome ten techniques.
CRACK!!
With just a crisp sound, the two swords crossed for only an instant before Yun Danjing’s wooden sword was directly split in two!
Not only that, but the Young Master was pressed down by this force and didn’t even have time to react. He only let out a shocked, pained cry before his knees crashed hard onto the ground.
Yun Changliu’s wooden sword rested lightly on his shoulder.
“…”
“………”
“…………”
An eerie silence fell over the training grounds.
The martial instructor had completely frozen into a stone statue.
Wen Feng swallowed and pushed back down into his stomach the words “Young Sect Leader, be careful” that had almost jumped out of his throat.
Yun Changliu himself actually paused for a moment, then immediately withdrew his sword and extended his hand apologetically to his younger brother who was still kneeling dazedly on the ground. “…I didn’t restrain my internal energy. I apologize.”
Yun Danjing: “……………………”
In this silence, the sound of clapping suddenly rang out—pa-chi, pa-chi.
Yun Chanjuan jumped up excitedly, her big eyes bright and shining, cheering alone enthusiastically. “Amazing! Elder Brother Changliu is so amazing! Wow, Elder Brother Danjing, you lost! Danjing lost!”
Yun Danjing had still been staring dumbfounded, unable to come back to his senses, but his sister’s shouting immediately made him both angry and embarrassed. That small face visibly flushed red, almost burning up.
What just happened?
This… this this this, this! Was! Not! Possible!
This Young Sect Leader brother of his… was clearly a sickly beauty who had been drinking medicine for years, barely able to leave his room, and couldn’t even speak properly. How could he possibly—
“…Heh.”
Suddenly, without warning, a soft laugh came from not far away.
“Wh… who’s there!?”
Yun Danjing scrambled up from the ground. He was even more ashamed and angry—who in the Zhuyin Sect had the gall to dare laugh at him!?
The Young Master angrily looked in the direction of the laughter, first squinting as the dazzling sunlight overhead stabbed at his eyes.
He blocked it with his hand, and when he opened his eyes again, he saw sitting high up in the treetops a beautiful child wearing the pale blue-green clothes of a medicine person, looking about the same age as Yun Changliu, looking down at him from above.
The moment he heard that familiar laugh, Yun Changliu whirled around sharply, and when he saw that pale blue-green figure, his eyes immediately lit up.
Like a bright golden fish leaping into a pool of stagnant water—although on the surface he remained as steady and calm as ever, it was clear his entire being had come “alive.”
Ah Ku lightly leaped down from the tree. Seeing Yun Changliu’s surprised and delighted expression, he smiled at him and said, “What’s wrong, Young Sect Leader? You’re allowed to come find me, but I’m not allowed to come find you?”
Apart from Yun Chanjuan, that silly innocent girl who had no reaction, both the martial instructor and Wen Feng were greatly shocked, but no one reacted as quickly as Yun Danjing.
The Young Master rushed in front of Yun Changliu in a few steps, blocking his brother behind him, pointing his small hand at Ah Ku and shouting:
“How dare you! What are you, a mere medicine slave, to dare speak to our Sect’s Young Sect Leader like this!”
Ah Ku didn’t answer. He crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze lazily looking Yun Danjing up and down carefully. Finally, he hooked his lips and tilted his head toward Young Sect Leader Changliu.
“Young Sect Leader, he really won’t do. If you want to find someone to spar with, you can’t choose someone like this.”
As he spoke, he reached out and took a wooden sword from the weapon rack, smiled with pursed lips. “You’re starting to learn swordsmanship now, right? Come, let me play with you.”