Chapter 15: A n.o.ble Gentleman – Part 7
Translated by: Kestrel
Edited by: Ritpoppy
XiaoHe Market, GuiLin Inn.
Ming ChangYan had been softly and quietly placed on the bed. Huai Yu sat at his bedside, taking the opportunity to press on his right wrist; after a moment, he gave his verdict, "He"s been poisoned."
Yan YuNan and the others turned pale–but before any of them could speak, Ming ChangYan suddenly sat up in bed, "I"m poisoned!?"
Everyone jumped up in fright.
Ming ChangYan promptly rolled up his sleeve, checking the wound, "I was wondering why it was hurting more and more, I can"t believe they actually put poison on that dart."
Zhong YuLou was speechless for a moment, before he said in an aggrieved voice, "Da shi-xiong, I thought you were unconscious…"
Ming ChangYan said, "I was tricking them!"
Zhong YuLou said, "You had me scared to death."
Earlier, when Ming ChangYan suddenly fell on the ground, out cold, everyone at the scene went into great disarray as TianQing drew their swords for a fight. The person from Mimi Valley who used poison darts was frightened out of his wits, not daring to believe that he could have actually injured the n.o.ble Gentleman. Wan QianQiu tried to mediate with both sides, though it was incredibly difficult to properly conduct himself when trapped in the middle. The Zhaoyao House shaoxia knew that Ming ChangYan had great ambition but a nasty, naughty personality, and loved more than anything to tease the courageous fighters of the martial circles; with how much stock he put in his pride, there was no way he"d let everyone here get away with putting him at a disadvantage like this.
The Zhaoyao House shaoxia promptly yelled out, "Whose concealed weapon was that!"
The others were luckily quick-witted, immediately evading responsibility as they answered, "Mimi Valley"s!"
The Zhaoyao House shaoxia scolded, "You have the cheek to ignore what"s right or wrong and actually hurt Ming ShaoXia! Unbelievable! Mimi Valley, you guys better give a good explanation for this!"
Everyone from Mimi Valley knew perfectly well that the n.o.ble Gentleman was not to be trifled with; immediately a few pairs of eyes turned to look at the dart-user. The Immortal Miracle Doctor thought to himself: Sorry, if anyone"s going to take a beating, the alternative is the whole sect gets taken apart. DongQi Temple just happened to use needles like the n.o.ble Gentleman, and he totally wrecked their place. He"s clearly the kind of person who"d get revenge just for you looking at him wrong, not a nice guy at all. You"ll just have to take one for the team, brother!
He turned his head, and felt obliged to yell out, "Who said you were allowed to attack him! You deserve a beating! Brothers, Mimi Valley will take care of its own sect, and beat him!"
Not until they"d beat up the helpless disciple, did Zhong YuLou and the others sheathe their swords. Wan QianQiu managed to calm everyone down after some careful meditation, and led them to XiaoHe Market.
Ming ChangYan had purposely taken the hit from that dart in order to calm down the chaos at the scene, but hadn"t expected the dart to be coated with poison. He straightened up, turning his head to speak to Huai Yu, "I was injured, and got poisoned too."
In the blink of an eye, he"d dumped it all on his head, and was trying to make him take responsibility.
Huai Yu said, "You ran into it on your own."
Ming Changyan, "Where"s your conscience, brat, do you know who I got hurt for!"
Huai Yu stood up, sat himself down at the table, pulled out brush and paper and wrote out a prescription, which he handed over to Yan YuNan, "Get the ingredients on this list, and have him drink the medicine once it"s done boiling."
Yan YuNan looked over at Ming ChangYan, who waved a hand at him, "Go on."
Huai Yu folded his arms and leaned against the window. The window was open and faced XiaoHe Market.
XiaoHe Market had gained its name from being situated by a famously run-down river. And GuiLin Inn was the most famous restaurant in XiaoHe Market. Below it one could see crystalline water, horses, carts, and boats all moving back and forth, making for a very lively scene.
Ming ChangYan asked, "How are Wan ShaoXia and the others?"
Zhong YuLou was resting his chin on both hands, listening to a storyteller weaving stories downstairs, and took the time to say, "They"re all resting downstairs. Wan ShaoXia said once Da shi-xiong is awake to go find him. I don"t want to look for him, they"re all super annoying."
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
"Honored guest, would you be interested in hearing the national daily news!"
Hua YuLing slid off his stool, "I do, I do!"
He opened the door, and a man dressed like a Confucian scholar pulled a newspaper from his book basket. Hua Yuling paid him two copper coins, closed the door, and said as he looked over the paper, "The whole thing at BanPo Village only happened yesterday, and it"s already in today"s news. Egret Academy sure gets their news fast, even LingLong Pavilion can"t keep up."
Huai Yu poured a cup of tea, saying, "Egret Academy is a government-controlled intelligence network, their financial and physical resources aren"t anything a common school can hope to reach."
Ming Changyan half-leaned against the bedside, lazily saying, "What does it say, read it out loud for me."
Hua YuLing flipped through it front-to-back, then said, "There"s nothing important, they just exaggerated what happened at BanPo Village by a little bit. The writer was Lord Qin Yue, he always loves writing exaggerated stuff like this. Last time he wrote that thing about heartless playboy Tong XiaoYu making private transactions and getting chased for many miles by an angry LingLong Pavilion. How come he still hasn"t fixed that bad behavior of his?"
Ming ChangYan burst into loud laughter, accidentally pulling his injury, and sucked in his breath with a hiss.
Hua YuLing said, "Another ma.s.sacre happened over in YinZhou – the number of dead isn"t as many as the last few incidents this time around, but how they died is scary as ever."
Yan YuNan said, "Is it still like that, where everyone was killed with needles? There"s a lot of people in the country who use needles, but there"s only so many who use them well. The methods they used for these ma.s.sacres were really merciless. They might also use needles, but their tricks aren"t like Da shi-xiong"s…but that difference is so small that n.o.body can tell."
Hua YuLing pointed at the paper, "Look, they mentioned TianQing Sect again."
Ming ChangYan could tell what was written on that paper without even needing to look. Ever since he"d taken control of the Common People"s Order, TianQing Sect"s reputation had taken a serious and devastating dive. During that time, more and more ma.s.sacres emerged that used needles like him, clearly aiming to place the blame on his shoulders. He didn"t want to be the sucker getting taken advantage of here, but there were always people who refused to let him off easy. Everyone l.u.s.ted after the Common People"s Order, there was no way he could hold it in his hands and still maintain his personal integrity.
Yan YuNan grabbed the newspaper, quickly folded it up, and shoved it into his sleeve, "I"ll throw it out later."
Ming ChangYan said, "Do you care that much? Us upright men don"t fear gossip. As for what"s on the paper, aside from the national paper, is LingLong Pavilion"s paper out yet?"
Hua YuLing said, "I didn"t see any scholars selling LingLong"s on the road."
Ming ChangYan said, "If Xiu LingLong found out about this incident, it"d probably have spread all over the country by now. Once YuNan comes back, have him write a note to pa.s.s to her."
Zhong YuLou said, "Why do we need to write to her?"
Ming Changyan said, "I"ve got my own plans, children shouldn"t ask too many questions."
Zhong YuLou wasn"t angry at having gotten brushed off so easily, continuing to listen with rapt attention to the storyteller in the lobby. Hearing the strike of a magistrate"s block, Ming ChangYan turned his head and noticed that Huai Yu was also listening very seriously.
The person telling stories in GuiLin Inn was Lin"an"s widely renowned "Poison Mouth" Old Qin. This man had a sharp personality, a penetrating voice, an absolutely beautiful way with words, the tales he told all endlessly interesting. He was incredibly down-to-earth when telling his stories, not bothering to speak like some pedantic scholar, and in fact, had a vocabulary overflowing with obscenities. His performances were enjoyed by scholars and lay-people alike and were beloved by the common people.
The story he was telling now, was that of HuaTing county"s Zhuang family ma.s.sacre of eight years before.
This was translated by , and repost of this is stolen work and if you steal my work, I"m going to make you drink bitter medicine.
Ming ChangYan said, "HuaYing"s Zhuang family? Is that one of the three big influential families? How come I"ve never heard of them?"
Hua YuLing liked reading about other places, so when he heard Ming ChangYan speak up, was quick to answer, "The Zhuang family disappeared years ago. Da shi-xiong, back then you hadn"t come to the central plains yet, there used to be four big families. The Zhuang family was pretty famous back then, but in the end, they were burned clean away. Now the only ones left are Lin"an"s Zhao clan, YingTian prefecture"s Qin clan, and CangWu"s Liu clan."
Old Qin pinched his beard, his mouth emulating the burning sounds of a huge fire, his detailed depiction almost seeming to bring the scene to life; the vividness of it made his listeners" hair stand on end, as if they themselves had been placed at the scene of the fire, unable to run away. He said, "…The great fire burned for a day and a night. After it died out, HuaTing"s government office sent around a hundred men to go collect bodies from within the house. They found a total of one hundred and forty-one people: close family, distant relatives, anyone with a name and surname, all had died in the conflagration. Except for one!"
Zhong YuLou was totally engrossed in the story, and leaned out the window to yell, "Who was it! Were there still survivors!"
Old Qin said, "Survivors? None. This person wasn"t really alive and wasn"t really dead either. They disappeared!"
Cold air seemed to blow across the audience, all of them thinking: Did they turn into a ghost?
Zhong YuLou repeated, "Disappeared? How"d they disappear? Don"t tell me they burned so hard there wasn"t anything left!"
Having just reached the climax of his story, Old Qin paused a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "If you want to know what happens next – please listen in next time for the resolution!"
Just then, Yan YuNan pushed open the door, having returned with the medicine.
Zhong YuLou automatically volunteered to go boil it, and asked GuiLin Inn to let him borrow a small back garden. As he headed down the stairs, the boys of Mimi Valley came looking for Ming ChangYan"s room, handed him an antidote, and gave him an apology.
Ming ChangYan quickly put on his hat, as Wan QianQiu entered and said, "Young Master Changyan, are you feeling any better?"
Ming ChangYan said, "Perfectly fine, I"m still alive and kicking!"
Mimi Valley"s Immortal Miracle Doctor finished apologizing on behalf of his sect, and having done with the proper etiquette requirements, promptly began diplomacy measures.
"Ming ShaoXia, please don"t blame our Mimi Valley for being suspicious in that incident. The Gou family guards did in fact die to needles, and when it comes to using needles, none but the n.o.ble Gentleman have reached the pinnacle of skill. I heard your young TianQing sect friends say that the second head of the Gou bodyguards is resting at your esteemed school; if possible I would like Ming ShaoXia to lead us to TianQing sect, so that we may speak to him in person and better resolve this misunderstanding."
Ming ChangYan said with a laugh: "Why should I take you to TianQing sect, and why should I bother explaining myself to you?"
These words were obviously showing off, and arrogant to an extreme degree – but unluckily for them, he actually had the ability to back it up. The Immortal Miracle Doctor"s expression changed as he tightly gripped his sword.
Wan QianQiu said, "Don"t be rash, fighter Cui; though Young Master Changyan and I have not known each other for long, I have great faith in his moral standing. I swear on my life that Young Master Changyan would never do such an insane and vile crime as this."
The Immortal Miracle Doctor said, "I never said it was him!"
The Mimi Valley members behind him began to whisper, "All we want is to get a confrontation with that second family head and it"ll prove his innocence, but he refuses to let the guy go – he"s gotta be hiding something!"
"If the second family head really is at TianQing sect, all he has to do is bring him out. What"s he acting guilty about it for?"
Wan QianQiu was unsure how to continue, "This is…"
Suddenly, Huai Yu"s figure moved, catching a carrier pigeon at the window. This carrier pigeon had a bow sloppily tied to its leg, just as if it had come from Ming ShaoXia"s hand. Sure enough, Yan YuNan said, "It"s Little Eight!"
Huai Yu let go of the pigeon, and with a shaky flap of its wings it flew over to crash into Yan YuNan"s embrace. It could be a.s.sumed that TianQing had been quite generous in its care of Little Eight; it had a round belly and fat body, its color glossy and smooth. Yan YuNan pulled the note from the pigeon"s leg, his face paling slightly as he read it.
He looked over at Ming ChangYan, who waved a hand, "I"m tired, so I"m going to sleep. Everybody out."
The Mimi Valley people didn"t dare insist on staying, and after sharing dismayed looks with each other, resignedly left the room.
Yan YuNan gave Huai Yu a look as well, but Ming ChangYan simply said, "What does the letter say?"
Yan YuNan said, "The second head of the Gou family guards is dead."
Ming ChangYan starred in surprise, "He died?"
Yan YuYan nodded, "Er shi-xiong called Lady Hua over to look at him. As soon as she left Small Pavillion Terrace, the second head died. The letter says he died from excessive blood loss."
Ming ChangYan said, "He sure picked a great time to die."
Yan YuNan was at a loss for ideas, worriedly looking at Ming ChangYan, "Da shi-xiong, what are you gonna do?"
Ming ShaoXia fell back on the bed, staring upwards, "What do you mean what am I gonna do, I"m gonna take my medicine of course! Your Da shi-xiong is dizzy and light-headed right now, I don"t have the tiniest bit of energy in my body, I"m nearing the end, I"m clinging to my deathbed, I"m about to die!"
At that, Yan YuYan hurriedly rushed downstairs to see if YuLou was done boiling the medicine yet, and before long was carrying in a bowl of pitch-black medicinal soup.
Ming ChangYan"s poisoning wasn"t serious, and he"d eaten Mimi Valley"s antidote earlier, so the truth was he was already mostly recovered by this point. Just as he was about to reach for the medicine, he caught a glimpse of Huai Yu standing by the window with a cold expression on his face, and was struck with sudden troublemaking inspiration.
"Ouch, my hand hurts."
Yan YuNan nervously said: "Da shi-xiong, I"ll feed you!"
Ming ShaoXia winked at Yan YuNan, who stared blankly as he listened to his Da shi-xiong go on in a plaintive and sorrowful voice, "What a thankless little wretch, I got this injury for nothing, getting put in a state like this, I"ve lost strength in my hands, there"s no strength in my body, and somebody doesn"t even know to thank this shaoxia, or put a little hard work into showing some hospitality."
Huai Yu said, "Are you talking to me?"
Ming ShaoXia gave a crafty smile, "I am in fact talking to you. Come over here, I can"t eat this medicine, so I"m reluctantly giving you a chance to repay me."
Huai Yu didn"t move.
The more he didn"t move, the more annoying Ming ChangYan became, straightforwardly lying on his back and beginning to howl, "You"ve got no conscience! No principles! This shaoxia hero saved a beauty and fell to a state like this, and yet somebody"s being cold-blooded and heartless, ignoring me, not willing to even feed me medicine!"
As he yelled, he also watched Huai Yu with a silly smile on his face.
Huai Yu suddenly moved, walking directly towards the bed. Ming ShaoXia had gone overboard with the jokes, and frightenedly scooted backwards half an inch.
Taking the bitter medicine from Yan YuNan"s hands, Huai Yu sat at the bedside, scooped up a spoonful, and held it out towards Ming ChangYan, "Open your mouth."
Ming ShaoXia was the spitting image of a gecko, backing up six or seven steps in succession, sticking himself to the wall, entirely lacking that dissolute countenance from before; he dully said, "I was just joking with you."
Huai Yu"s smile didn"t reach his eyes, "I wasn"t joking with you."
Ming ChangYan had absolutely never imagined: the other person would actually come feed him.
Now, he didn"t dare complain that his hand hurt or his head was spinning. He grabbed the bowl, downed the medicine in one gulp, wiped off his mouth, and hurriedly changed the subject, "YuNan, do you have anything sweet, the medicine"s bitter."
Yan YuNan took back the empty medicine bowl, then pulled a red bean mooncake from his shirt, "When I was coming upstairs earlier, I saw they were selling mooncakes on the second floor, so I bought a few."
Ming ChangYan took a bite, "It"s almost the Mid-Autumn festival."
Yan YuNan asked: "Da shi-xiong, are you still not spending Mid-Autumn with us this year?"
Ming ChangYan paused a moment, then smiled, "Wait another year."
Just then, YuLou and YuLing entered the room; as soon as they heard his words, they knew that Ming ChangYan was going home again.
Ming ChangYan wasn"t a native of the central plains; having first come at the age of fifteen, he"d gone around fighting and touring simultaneously, and somehow came out famous for it. Afterwards, he"d been given an invitation from the chief of the TianQing sect, entered the Great Homage Feast, and made the Common People"s Order recognize another master after tens of years without, thus making his name known throughout the country.
He took over TianQing Sect for a number of years, usually never leaving XiYue Mountain; it was only every Mid-Autumn Festival that he always, without fail, disappeared for two months. Once he"d eaten the mooncake, Wan QianQiu came up to discuss things with all the sects, and after repeatedly vowing on Ming ChangYan"s behalf, the people of Mimi Valley – for the sake of saving Wan Qianqiu a bit of face – promised not to bother Ming ChangYan anymore, for the time being.
Before the party returned to TianQing, Ming ChangYan expressed his thanks to Wan QianQiu by arranging for the TianQing and GuiFeng sects to train together at XiYue Mountain in four months" time. TianQing"s Six Sword techniques were world-famous, so being given the chance to learn it made Wan QianQiu happy beyond words; he immediately expressed utmost thanks on behalf of GuiFeng Sect.
On XiYue Mountain, all the TianQing disciples were reluctant to part. This bunch of half-grown children clung to Ming ChangYan every year, asking him all sorts of questions, and this year was no exception.
YuBao loved acting like a spoiled child; having calculated that there was only a month "til Mid-Autumn, and known in his heart that Ming ChangYan was going to leave on a journey, he at once started loudly crying, "Da shi-xiong, don"t go!"
Ming ChangYan flicked his forehead, "I"ll be back in two months."
Zhong YuLou said, "Da shi-xiong, who do you go to visit every year anyway?"
Ming ChangYan said, "My family."
Yubao said, "Why don"t you bring your family to TianQing Sect?"
Ming ChangYan laughed as he answered, "I told you already, wait another year."
LiMin-Jun packed him some simple luggage; he shouldered his pack, not staying a single day extra, drank a bowl of tea and left. Before he left, he gave notice to Huai Yu, telling him he could stay or go as he liked.
If you followed the road east from the central plains, traveling a month without rest, you"d be able to see the vast ocean. Looking from here, the moon was both huge and magnificently round, its image reflected on the water, almost as if this moon had risen up from within the sea itself; this sea was therefore called FuYue* Sea.
(TN: "浮月"; floating moon)
On the sh.o.r.es of FuYue lay a tiny country situated between the mountains and the sea; this country was called Tokhara, and was Ming ChangYan"s homeland.
This was translated by , and repost of this is stolen work and if you steal my work, I"m going to make you drink bitter medicine.
Please thank Kestrel for translating this chapter~
She had been working on this a week prior and she finished it today! She"ll be doing the odd chapters from now and I"ll be doing the evens.
Finally back to palace shenanigans (ฅΦωΦ)ฅ
I"m on break right now, so I"ll get this chapter out as quickly as possible (at most it"s gonna be 3 days)
Don"t forget you"re gorgeous and I hope you have an amazing day~