WJ Chapter 96

Bo Zhou (1)

My heart is not a stone, it cannot be turned.

My heart is not a mat, it cannot be rolled up.

—

The next day, Ah Ku went to Yangxin Hall to see Yun Guyan. Before he even entered, he first received an unexpected joy from Wen Huan.

Yun Guyan actually intended to let him attend upon Yun Changliu, and from now on study martial arts together with the Young Sect Leader.

But before he could react, that white-robed, scholarly close attendant of the Sect Leader immediately poured cold water on him.

“Allowing you to attend is something the Sect Leader had no choice but to agree to for the Young Sect Leader’s sake. However, you’re very smart—you should have your own considerations.”

Wen Huan gazed at him calmly, his tone profound. “If you truly attend upon the Young Sect Leader daily, you won’t have time to study medicine with Elder Guan, nor will you have time to practice your own techniques. Do you understand what I mean?”

At that moment they were standing on the long steps of Yangxin Hall, outside the palace doors. Ah Ku looked at Wen Huan for a long while, then suddenly laughed aloud. He said clearly, “Ah, I understand this, I understand it very well. Your Sect Leader can’t bring himself to go back on his word, and is afraid of quarreling with the Young Sect Leader, so he’s having me refuse instead. That way Young Sect Leader Changliu will have nothing to say, isn’t that right?”

Though Ah Ku had mocked and jabbed at him like this, Wen Huan didn’t get angry, his expression remaining gentle. Ah Ku snorted coldly and walked straight inside. “What a pity, I really wanted to study your Zhuyin Sect’s methods together with the Young Sect Leader.”

Wen Huan followed behind, not blocking him, still speaking mildly, “Being contrary won’t do you any good.”

“Who says I’m being contrary?” Ah Ku blinked, turned back with a somewhat crafty smile, and said in a low voice as if talking to himself, “That’s right, compared to martial arts, I do indeed prefer studying medicine a bit more. But unfortunately, compared to studying medicine, I prefer your Young Sect Leader even more. I’m happy to accompany him every day to play—how about that?”

Wen Huan said, “So you’re saying you don’t wish to continue memorizing the Duanmu family’s pharmacopoeia or practicing the Duanmu family’s martial arts either?”

Ah Ku shook his head. He had indeed always wanted to use this to fight for a thread of survival for himself, but now he no longer had that intention. “Your Young Sect Leader said he would protect me—why should I exhaust myself unnecessarily?”

Wen Huan sighed, knowing Ah Ku’s mind was set, and said no more. All the way into Yangxin Hall, Yun Changliu was already speaking with Yun Guyan. When the Young Sect Leader saw the two of them arrive, he first bowed to Wen Huan. “Uncle Huan.”

Wen Huan smiled slightly and bowed his head in return.

Actually, given his status, he shouldn’t receive such a bow from the Young Sect Leader, nor should he be worthy of being called “Uncle” by the Young Sect Leader. However, first, Wen Huan had Yun Guyan’s deep trust and his position within the sect was special; second, the relationship between Wen Huan and the Young Sect Leader was quite close. When Lady Lan had given birth by caesarean section and died from blood loss, Yun Guyan wasn’t someone who knew how to care for an infant. Having also suffered the pain of losing his wife, he spent all day lost and haggard, so naturally the Young Sect Leader was entrusted to the care of his close attendants.

Yun Changliu had essentially been raised by Wen Huan, and in his heart had always treated him as half an elder. Being someone with a loyal and nostalgic nature, he had called him “Uncle Huan” from childhood to adulthood without ever changing.

Seeing Ah Ku’s expression as he walked in, Yun Guyan guessed some of the result. The Sect Leader stroked his chin, his gaze profound, and finally spoke, “From now on, this lord will personally teach Liu’er and Ah Ku martial arts, managed by Wen Huan.”

Hearing his father make this promise, Yun Changliu finally felt relieved. He sincerely bowed to Yun Guyan, lowering his eyes. “Liu’er thanks Father.”

Yun Guyan snorted irritably, glanced at Ah Ku, then gestured toward Wen Huan. “Still standing there stupidly? Don’t you want to be with Liu’er? Why aren’t you learning to address people properly!”

Ah Ku understood and obediently stepped forward to bow, calling out, “Uncle Huan.”

Only then did Yun Guyan’s expression ease slightly, marveling inwardly that this little fellow was being well-behaved today.

Actually, his agreement to Yun Changliu’s request was also because he had watched the two compete at the martial arts field that day. Liu’er was extraordinarily talented—how could ordinary children keep up with his progress? Only Ah Ku, with equally monstrous aptitude, was suitable to be the Young Sect Leader’s sparring partner.

However, this way, the plan to separate the two seemed to have become considerably more difficult…

While the Sect Leader was still lamenting endlessly, he suddenly saw that child in pale green clothing turn toward him and break into a malicious smile.

The next moment, he heard Ah Ku call out faintly, “Father…”

Naturally imitating Yun Changliu’s tone of speech.

“…”

Yun Guyan’s face darkened, veins bulging on his back, and with a crack he snapped the armrest of his chair.

—Ha, daring to mock this lord!?

He was about to explode when he saw Yun Changliu lower his head and suppress a laugh. The Young Sect Leader’s beautiful eyes and brows curved softly—where was there any trace of his former melancholy?

That did it. With Young Sect Leader Changliu smiling, the Sect Leader had to swallow back whatever anger he had. Yun Guyan ground his teeth resentfully and waved his hand. “Get out, get out, get out! All of you, get out!”

Ah Ku shot Yun Guyan a provocative look, grabbed Yun Changliu’s hand, and dragged the Young Sect Leader out at a run.

Wen Huan shook his head and smiled helplessly. Yun Guyan slammed the table in anger, saying viciously, “That little brat, he’s rebelling! He’s only so bold because Liu’er protects him!”

—

And so began the Young Sect Leader and Ah Ku’s days of studying martial arts together. Yun Guyan personally taught his eldest son a set of Dragon-Chasing Whip techniques he had created himself. Naturally Ah Ku couldn’t learn someone else’s father-to-son secret technique, so he only learned swordsmanship from Yun Guyan.

He had already practiced martial arts and swordsmanship at Wanci Manor for several years, so his foundation in forms was considerably firmer than Yun Changliu’s. After another half month, once Ah Ku’s body had completely recovered, when the two sparred again, Yun Changliu indeed couldn’t beat him.

However, the Young Sect Leader progressed rapidly, and was stronger than Ah Ku in internal energy. By the next round, the little medicine person only barely won by one move.

Yun Guyan couldn’t bear to see his beloved eldest son lose repeatedly to someone else, so as if in a fit of pique, he transmitted power to Yun Changliu again. By the third sparring match, Ah Ku indeed lost.

However, though these two children were serious when sparring, once the result was determined they didn’t care about winning or losing. Yun Changliu still tirelessly brought candy to Ah Ku’s little wooden house every day, and gradually stopped returning to the city even at noon, staying there to sample Ah Ku’s cooking.

This made Guan Muyan complain endlessly. Previously Ah Ku had only cooked for him, but now there was also Young Sect Leader Changliu.

Another person who was troubled was the Young Sect Leader’s little attendant Wen Feng. Whether Ah Ku did it on purpose or not, his peach grove wooden house only allowed Yun Changliu to enter alone. This meant that every time the Young Sect Leader slipped out to find Ah Ku, he didn’t bring him along. As a personal attendant, Wen Feng couldn’t find his own Young Sect Leader all day long—he was practically in tears.

Just like this, some time passed until it was the day for Ah Ku’s blood to be drawn.

Though he thought that last time Yun Changliu had already accepted the matter of drawing the medicine person’s blood, unexpectedly this time there was another long struggle. In the end, the Young Sect Leader personally followed to the Medicine Gate and watched over the entire process.

Ah Ku was supposed to lie on that iron bed, but Yun Changliu thought it was too cold and absolutely wouldn’t allow it. He sat on it himself and held the little medicine person in his arms. When the knife fell on the right wrist, Ah Ku gritted his teeth and endured the pain without moving, but instead the Young Sect Leader started trembling. After only a moment of bloodletting, Yun Changliu wanted to call it off, but Ah Ku quickly covered his mouth with his other uninjured hand.

Even so, in the end the little medicine person didn’t lose much blood. Ah Ku felt it was only about half the amount from last time before Yun Changliu forcibly lifted him from the iron bed by the waist.

Young Sect Leader Changliu was rarely stubborn, but once he dug in his heels, no one dared provoke him. Guan Muyan had no choice but to shake his head and sigh bitterly, watching helplessly as the Young Sect Leader carried the little medicine person away.

“Young Sect Leader, I thought you were someone who understood reason—how can you be so stubborn?”

On the way back, Ah Ku pushed him with his left hand, seeming angry but not quite. “With so little blood, can it satisfy the poison in your body? When it really acts up, won’t you have to make me give blood again?”

Yun Changliu remained silent, letting him talk, staring at Ah Ku’s bandaged right wrist, saying dimly in a low voice, “Your right hand can’t move again.”

“It’ll be fine after a few days of rest.” Ah Ku said lightly, then curved his lips in a slight smile. “It’s just that next time when practicing swordsmanship, I’ll only be able to use my left hand to spar with you. Young Sect Leader will have to go easy on me.”

—

Many years later, countless self-proclaimed master swordsmen and self-proclaimed genius Young Masters of prominent families were utterly puzzled.

They couldn’t figure out for the life of them how Guan Wujue, the Four Directions Protector of the Zhuyin Sect, had developed his stunning dual-sword technique.

After all, insiders knew that the difference in difficulty between practicing dual swords and single sword was definitely not as simple as double. Whether left-handed or right-handed, most people had a dominant hand. To train the other hand to be as nimble as the dominant hand was truly as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Guan Wujue had been young when he left Ghost Gate—how had he trained his dual swords to such proficiency?

Probably no one could have imagined that the answer was actually… forced out by being bled from the wrist again and again.

Protector Guan expressed that he had no choice either. When he was young, every few months or so his left and right wrists would take turns being cut and injured. Unwilling to just watch Yun Changliu leave him behind, he could only grit his teeth and painstakingly train his left-handed sword technique as well.

Combined with Yun Guyan’s strictness, over time he gradually grew accustomed to alternating between both hands. Later, when he entered Ghost Gate, he began using dual swords. After five years of tempering between life and death, his swordsmanship naturally became even more exquisite and extraordinary.

However, the bitterness and hardship suffused within was beyond what outsiders could imagine.

—

Idle talk aside. In the blink of an eye, autumn leaves had all fallen and winter had just begun. A light snow drifted down, but Xifeng City became lively.

According to the Zhuyin Sect’s rules, every three years, the hall masters of the ten branch halls must travel to Xifeng City’s main sect to have an audience with the Sect Leader, report on the branch hall affairs of the past three years, and present rare tribute items—it was one of the Zhuyin Sect’s great events.

And this year happened to be an audience year. Xifeng City had been bustling with preparations days earlier for the great banquet on the day the branch all masters entered the city.

This year, with Ah Ku’s help, Young Sect Leader Changliu’s Fengchun Sheng poison had finally been suppressed. He could finally attend the banquet in his capacity as Young Sect Leader of the Zhuyin Sect, accompanying Yun Guyan.

Ah Ku came from a great family and knew that this kind of banquet was of extraordinary significance. He actually never expected to see Yun Changliu at all during the days when the hall masters entered the city for their audience. So when his wooden house was knocked on as usual, the little medicine person was actually pleasantly surprised for a moment.

Yun Changliu stood outside the door as always, but his attire was different. He usually dressed simply, but today, attending Yun Guyan to receive the hall masters, such a solemn occasion naturally couldn’t be casual.

The Young Sect Leader wore a set of exquisitely embroidered snow-white brocade robes with large sections of hidden dragon and cloud patterns rolling across it, his waist bound with a thin pearl-studded silver belt, and silver-satin boots on his feet. Over this he wore his usual wide robe with red-gold candle dragon patterns—he truly looked as if carved from snow and jade.

Ah Ku had been reading when the wooden door suddenly opened and his eyes lit up, unable to help praising how good-looking it was. Yun Changliu walked in two steps, opened the small paper package in his hand, and as usual selected a preserved fruit from inside to pass to the person before him.

Not wanting to get his fingers sticky and thus unable to turn pages, Ah Ku directly took the preserved fruit from Yun Changliu’s hand with his mouth and ate it. Yun Changliu was happy to serve him like this, selected another piece to feed Ah Ku, and asked gently, “Today’s banquet—would you be willing to go with me?”

This question touched on Ah Ku’s sore spot. When he was still Duanmu Lin, still at Wanci Manor… whenever there were banquets held in that Fusheng Huan peach garden, there was never a seat for him.

In the blink of an eye, now he had become the Zhuyin Sect’s medicine person. Even if Yun Changliu was willing to take him, it was impossible for them to truly sit together.

With thoughts turning a hundred, a thousand times, Ah Ku finally came to terms with it and raised his eyebrows, lifting the book scroll in his hand with a smile. “…I won’t go. It’s rare that I have time to read by myself.”

In this life… probably there would never again be a chance to sit in the upper seats.

But that was fine. It was just people coming and going, false civilities—what could be interesting about it? Better to tease his own Young Sect Leader for fun.

“Alright.” Yun Changliu nodded, knowing he was seizing scattered moments of time to read those medical texts, so he didn’t insist. Anyway, the candy had been delivered. With time pressing, he turned to leave, but unexpectedly Ah Ku called out to him again:

“Oh right, Young Sect Leader, today is also a blood-drawing day. I have to go to the Medicine Gate, so don’t panic when you come back from the banquet and can’t find me.”