WJ Chapter 24

Che Lin (1)

When I beheld the noble one, 

We sat together and played the reed pipes.

Yet now there was no joy,

For those who departed were gone forever.

——

Winter was always dry, with fine dust flying up from the uneven yellow dirt road. On both sides of the road were sparse trees, their branches bare and shivering in the cold wind.

This unremarkable desolate road was the only route to Mount Shenlie. By the roadside stood a modest tavern with a tall wooden pole bearing a wine flag that fluttered in the wind, emblazoned with four large characters: Yuan Lai Tavern .

Below the flag were seven or eight wooden tables with guests scattered in small groups. Some quietly drank and ate, while others engaged in animated discussions with their companions. Business appeared quite prosperous.

The travelers passing through this place were a mixed lot—there were jianghu people carrying sabers and wearing swords, traveling merchants and escort guards, and it was said that occasionally mountain bandits from nearby would come here to drink a few taels of wine and buy a few jin of meat—as for whether they paid their bills, that was another matter entirely.

Guan Wujue had already been here for nearly the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. He had chosen a table toward the back to sit at, casually ordering some rough wine and a plate of pastries. His twin swords, Pixing and Daiyue, lay on the table.

He had left Xifeng City overnight, mainly because he feared the Sect Leader would wake and cause more trouble. But once he truly left the Zhuyin Sect, he slowed his pace instead.

Guan Wujue was very familiar with this Yuan Lai Tavern. Because from Mount Shenlie heading south, all the way to the next town, this was the only tavern along this stretch of road. When members of the Zhuyin Sect went out on business, they basically all stopped here to rest.

And Guan Wujue particularly loved the locally-brewed earthen wine here—the wine was strong and fierce. Though it lacked smooth mellowness and rich fragrance, it could make one feel hotly and dizzily delightful. Having just wrapped oneself in cold air while riding down from Mount Shenlie, gulping down a few large mouthfuls of strong liquor here could warm one’s entire body.

Since he liked it, Guan Wujue naturally came often, and unknowingly became a regular customer of this tavern. The tavern owner’s surname was Du—he was the fourth child in his family, so regular customers called him Du Si’er—and he recognized Guan Wujue’s identity.

Guan Wujue still remembered one time when he left the sect on business for the Sect Leader, running about outside for a full three months before getting everything handled cleanly and efficiently. On his way back to the sect, he also stopped here to rest and drink.

That day, Du Si’er happened to be away, but he encountered an unfamiliar young storyteller who was telling stories, speaking precisely about Mount Shenlie’s Xifeng City nearby. The Four Directions Protector’s curiosity was immediately piqued, and he listened with great interest, only to find himself laughing in spite of himself.

—He had thought it would discuss the secrets of flashing blades and swords, the grudges of jianghu nights and rain, but how could he have known this storyteller wasn’t a proper one! What he told were all stories of romance and passion, stealing fragrances and pilfering jade on spring nights, red candles and soft curtains, mandarin ducks entwining necks—truly audacious to the extreme, actually making the people of Zhuyin Sect into imagined subjects in romantic storybooks!

And the one who received the most attention was none other than the romantic entanglement between the Zhuyin Sect Leader and the Four Directions Protector.

Truth be told, this storyteller did have some perverse talent, writing the storybook in such a mournful, resentful yet earth-shattering way that Guan Wujue several times wanted to go up and beat him but couldn’t help laughing and breaking his composure—there was no help for it. Just imagining his own Sect Leader’s mouth speaking deeply touching love words….it was truly unbearable.

Later he had a mischievous thought and bought that storybook from the storyteller to bring back and tease the Sect Leader with…

Thinking of these past events, the corners of Guan Wujue’s mouth unconsciously curved into a soft arc.

He slowly took two sips of wine when he suddenly heard a horse’s neigh—it was Liuhuo, tied up outside, calling out.

Liuhuo was a spirited horse, but very intelligent. On normal days it rarely neighed restlessly without reason. At first Guan Wujue didn’t pay attention, but hearing it continue to call, he sensed something unusual and couldn’t help but turn to look outside.

Just as he raised his head, low exclamations of surprise rose in the tavern.

What met his eyes was a white horse slowly approaching outside the tavern. A stunningly handsome man in white robes with an outstanding bearing pulled tight on the reins, dismounted a dozen or so steps away from Yuan Lai Tavern, and led his horse toward where Guan Wujue had Liuhuo tied up.

…There was no helping it. Liuhuo’s appearance was truly too outstanding. Even ordinary passersby couldn’t help but exclaim admiringly at what a fine horse it was. This particular horse had sharp eyes and recognized people—spotting the Sect Leader from afar, it immediately raised its hooves and called out. Sect Leader Yun had of course recognized it from eight hundred li away.

Since the horse was here, the horse’s master was naturally here too. Yun Changliu tied his own mount’s reins next to Liuhuo’s. That white horse named Feixue immediately went to sniff Guan Wujue’s Liuhuo, and the two horses began nuzzling each other, quite happily.

Yun Changliu let these two play around while he himself lifted his legs and entered the tavern to find his person. His temperament was excessively aloof and detached, with an appearance of one who didn’t partake of mortal food—though in truth it was only because he’d stayed on the mountain too long and hadn’t left home in several years—which easily drew whispers from the tavern’s guests.

“……”

Guan Wujue watched helplessly as his Sect Leader stepped across the tavern’s threshold. His hand trembled, spilling several drops of wine from his bowl.

“This young master, please.” Tavern owner Du Si’er came forward to greet him. He was thin as a bamboo pole, with only a pair of very large eyes—clearly a clever and quick-witted monkey spirit.

Du Si’er had been doing business in this place for nearly ten years. With one look at Yun Changliu, he could tell this was no ordinary person, and immediately put on his most enthusiastic smile, nodding and bowing. “This young master, have you come to drink?”

“No need.” Yun Changliu calmly pointed at Liuhuo outside. “I’ve come to find this horse’s owner.”

“Oh, you are…!” Du Si’er’s eyes widened, immediately guessing that an important figure from Zhuyin Sect had arrived. “Aiya, honored guest, honored guest, quickly come inside please…”

In truth, Yun Changliu didn’t need him to invite. This tavern didn’t occupy that much space. The Sect Leader swept his gaze around and saw his person, walking over without the slightest pause. Even his movement of sitting down across from Guan Wujue was incomparably smooth.

“……” Guan Wujue was silent for a long while, finally putting down his wine bowl with stiff movements. His face showed an extremely indescribable expression, as if life had lost all meaning, as he looked at Yun Changliu and said in a low voice, “Sect… Why did you come!?”

“When out in the world, you should address me as Young Master.”

Yun Changliu was very calm. He glanced at the table, then nonchalantly picked up a piece of walnut pastry and put it in his mouth to chew and savor carefully.

“Young Master! Don’t eat yet…” Guan Wujue urgently grasped Yun Changliu’s wrist. “First tell me, where are you heading?”

Actually, from the moment he saw Yun Changliu’s efficient outfit and the Dragon-Chasing Whip at his waist, he knew this was bad. The Sect Leader normally didn’t wear weapons, but this time he’d even brought the Dragon-Chasing Whip personally passed down from the old Sect Leader… This probably wasn’t a joking matter.

“Naturally, wherever you go, I will follow.” Yun Changliu patted his hand, indicating for Guan Wujue to let go. “What, could it be there’s some place in this world that only you can go, but I cannot?”

“But your Feng... cough, your illness…”

“My illness doesn’t recur at such short intervals.”

Yun Changliu methodically finished eating that walnut pastry, then rather elegantly selected a piece of verdant and lovely mung bean cake and took a bite. “At least… protecting you on this journey poses no problem.”

Guan Wujue immediately felt terrible. “What kind of talk is that? How would this subordinate still need Young Master’s protection!?”

He sighed deeply and advised, “Listen to me, you should still go back…”

Yun Changliu said, “Not going back.”

Guan Wujue: “……”

How did he start acting like a spoiled child?

Yun Changliu continued. “If you don’t need my protection, then I’ll watch over you to make sure you don’t cause trouble. I already know what you’re going to do on this journey. If you dare create any kind of mess, I absolutely won’t forgive you.”

By the time he finished this sentence, the Sect Leader had also finished eating that piece of mung bean cake.

“Yes, yes, yes…” Guan Wujue resignedly picked out a very cute-looking date roll from the plate and handed it over. “Young Master, did you not eat breakfast this morning…”

Yun Changliu reached out to receive it and nodded. “Mm.”

Guan Wujue turned and called out. “Du Si’er! Another plate of pastries and brew a pot of hot tea!”

Boss Du had been quietly watching this side all along. Seeing the order, he immediately responded. “Ah, right away! Coming immediately!”

“So you…” Guan Wujue turned back again, asking helplessly in a lowered voice, “just came out alone like this? Where’s Wen Feng?”

After asking this question, he raised his bowl and took a small sip of wine. He secretly sighed to himself—fortunately the Sect Leader never drank alcohol, otherwise everything he ate and drank would have to be yielded…

“Didn’t have him follow. Brought twenty Yin Ghosts, all hidden behind.” Yun Changliu glanced at the Protector and pointed at the plate… though there were only a few pieces of pastry left inside. “Why aren’t you eating?”

Hearing about the Yin Ghosts, Guan Wujue’s heart settled somewhat. With twenty Yin Ghosts deployed together, as long as they didn’t encounter some extremely dangerous ambush, there shouldn’t be any situation they couldn’t handle.

—He only focused on feeling relieved, but hadn’t yet realized that the Sect Leader making such a big production was actually to escort him.

Guan Wujue mumbled some vague responses, his heart troubled about what to do with this great Buddha of a Sect Leader. He randomly picked half a piece from the remaining pastries on the plate without bothering to look at what kind it was and brought it to his mouth, only feeling that even what should have been sweet pastry seemed to become bitter…

Yun Changliu: “…That’s lotus seed cake. It’s bitter.”

Guan Wujue: “……”

The Sect Leader looked down and happened to see that the candied date on top of the date roll in his hand hadn’t been eaten yet, so he gently broke it off and held it out. “Mm?”

“Young Master, I don’t…”

Guan Wujue had just started to politely decline when Yun Changliu unexpectedly braced his hand on the table and leaned forward—directly placing the candied date into his mouth.

—Guan Wujue was instantly struck as if by lightning. His entire body froze, his mind completely blank.

He sat there dazed, holding that candied date in his mouth, with only one thought crazily clamoring: What is the Sect Leader doing? What’s wrong!?

Hadn’t they agreed not to be this intimate anymore? Hadn’t they agreed to only be master and subordinate from now on? Hadn’t they agreed that with the blood hatred of Yun Danjing between them, from now on things could never be good—

Well, thinking calmly about it, there had never actually been any such “agreement,” but the Sect Leader had clearly always acted this way!

Yun Changliu slowly withdrew his hand, lowering his lashes to stare at the fingers that had just held the candied date. A tingling sensation surged from his fingertips to his heart.

…He didn’t know whether in that brief instant, he had touched that person’s lips and tongue.

At this moment, Du Si’er finally brought up the newly ordered pastries and hot tea. Guan Wujue stood up as if he’d been saved, hurriedly pouring tea for the Sect Leader.

Yun Changliu watched him pour tea somewhat frantically, couldn’t help but lower his head and secretly suck on his own index finger. The faint sweetness of the candied date immediately spread through his mouth.

An inexplicably unreasonable sadness emerged in Yun Changliu’s chest, and he thought: Although that incident happened a year ago… but now this lord is about to die, and you won’t even give me a good expression for eating one of my dates?

Thus the Sect Leader made up his mind:

This is the last time.

What just happened was the last indulgence of this lifetime.