Following this cold challenge, which was nonetheless delivered in a calm manner, several figures appeared outside the gates of Rain-Chime Hall. The first was dressed in light gray robes, his hair rolled up in a bun in the Chu fashion, his face narrow. His gaze was directed at the main seats in the hall, his entire person wound up like a sword that had been bent, fierce but foreign.
This was Yue Xiuze, the fifth-ranked of Langya’s List of Martial Arts Experts, one of the heads of the palace of Da Chu, and renowned over the world for his skill in the Eyun method of swordsmanship.
Xie Yu rose, fury on his face, as he said in a thundering voice, “Mister Yue, you are trespa.s.sing in my private residence, how dare you act with such discourtesy? Is this the kind of etiquette that is taught in the courts of Da Chu?”
“Unjust, unjust.” Almost before Xie Yu had finished, Yuwen Xuan appeared behind Yue Xiuze, smiling cheerfully as he continued, “Yue Xiuze retired from his court position half a month ago, and is now only a common jianghu man. Whatever dissatisfaction Marquis Xie bears towards his person is his own, but kindly refrain from lightly invoking the reputation of the courts of Da Chu.”
Xie Yu’s expression shifted, and he turned his ice cold gaze onto Yuwen Xuan. “Then His Highness Prince Ling at least can be considered part of the court of Da Chu, can he not? What excuse do you have for forcing your way in like this?”
“I did not force my way in.” Yuwen Xuan widened his eyes in shock, his expression exaggeratedly wounded. “Let us make this clear, we are not affiliated with Yue Xiuze, I came here today because I heard that it was Young Master Xiao’s birthday, and thought that, as we had met previously, it was only appropriate that I bring a gift in person to show my regard. While I was here, I thought I might take the opportunity to greet Marquis Xie. But when we arrived, servants of your esteemed manor were busy trying to prevent Yue Xiuze from entering, but no one was stopping us, so how was I to know we were not supposed to enter? If the Marquis does not believe me, he has only to ask his own servants.”
His ridiculous words were nonetheless twisted into such skillful banter that he actually rendered Xie Yu speechless. In truth, the other person had only entered his manor, and had not actually done anything, and had even brought a gift for his son’s birthday. If he took action against this amba.s.sador sent to forge a marriage alliance between their two countries, and had this prince of Da Chu roughly thrown out, it would be a great loss of composure on his part, and so he could only force down his anger and turn his attention to Yue Xiuze. “Our manor does not welcome guests like Brother Yue, but if he is willing to leave now, we will let the matter pa.s.s. Otherwise……do not blame us for any discourteous actions.”
The entire hall was quiet, and he had not spoken softly, and so Yue Xiuze should have heard him very clearly, but from the latter’s expression, it was as if he had not heard his words at all. Yue Xiuze turned his clear gaze onto Zhuo Dingfeng and spoke in the same indifferent tone he had used previously. “This challenge is made according to the rules of jianghu, and for its sake I have even renounced my position in the court. If Brother Zhuo means to refuse, he ought to at least speak for himself. The Brother Zhuo I know does not hide under the wings of another, or could it be that, since Brother Zhuo has forged familial ties with Marquis Xie, he is no longer a man of jianghu?”
Zhuo Dingfeng’s face shifted, and he pressed one hand to the table as he stood, but Xie Yu put a hand on his shoulder.
Jianghu challenges were a common form of compet.i.tion and interaction in the martial world, and were completely different from fights related to revenge or emotion. It was well known that in the context of challenges, it was considered very bad form to do your opponent real harm and injury, as this was looked upon as poor sportsmanship and bad manners, particularly when it came to experts like Yue Xiuze and Zhuo Dingfeng, since they could easily determine the winner before either resorted to injuring the other. And so, aside from the fact that the setting was not the most appropriate, it was not very risky for Zhuo Dingfeng to accept this challenge. At worse, he would lose, and lose a little of his reputation and ranking, but as a man of jianghu, refusing an honest challenge like this would lose him far more respect.
And so, most of those present could not understand why Xie Yu was so insistent on stopping him. Was Yue Xiuze’s manner of entering the manor really so discourteous?
The Marquis of Ning felt the wondering gazes of his guests on him, and found it a little difficult to speak. To tell the truth, everyone knew of Yue Xiuze’s affinity for issuing challenges to martial arts experts, and as for his trespa.s.sing, the best way to handle the situation would be to smile and forgive him graciously, and so demonstrate the generosity and n.o.bility fitting for a gentleman of his ranking. Unfortunately, he simply could not do that today.
This was because Xia Dong and Meng Zhi were present. And because Yue Xiuze was a martial arts master.
When Xia Dong had abruptly attacked Zhuo Dingfeng just now, her purpose had been to examine his fighting style in order to try to match his attack strokes with the injuries and marks on the bodies of the guards murdered on New Year’s Eve. Xie Yu had predicted this, and so had warned Zhuo Dingfeng in advance. They had antic.i.p.ated that Xia Dong was only exploring a possibility and would not dare to fight too aggressively, and so Zhuo Dingfeng had casually intercepted her attacks and changed the ends of each stroke slightly, just enough not to rouse the suspicions of the lady officer of the Xuanjing Bureau.
But they could not employ the same tricks against Yue Xiuze. Firstly, he had fought against Zhuo Dingfeng in the past and knew his moves, and secondly, he had come to issue a challenge, and although he would not be fighting to injure, he would certainly not hold back either. It is said that in a compet.i.tion between true masters, the difference between victory and defeat was measured in centimeters. And so it was not only risking a terrible loss for Zhuo Dingfeng to hide any part of his skill or fighting style in a contest like this, it was a question of whether it would be possible at all….
But if Zhuo Dingfeng used his full strength and ability in a compet.i.tion against Yue Xiuze, then even if by some great fortune Xia Dong did not pick up on the patterns, there was still no chance that Meng Zhi, the greatest martial arts master in Da Liang, would be fooled as well. And, on the surface at least, the principle investigator of the case of the murdered guests was precisely this Commander of the Imperial Guard.
A thin sheen of sweat was breaking out over Xie Yu’s forehead, and he was starting to regret not having both Zhuo father and son removed from the capital long before this. But then again, who could have guessed that a Yue Xiuze would appear from Da Chu out of nowhere, and challenge Zhuo Dingfeng to a fight on a night when both Xia Dong and Meng Zhi were present?
“Brother Yue, it is my youngest son’s birthday tonight, can we not delay to another day?” Zhuo Dingfeng asked gently.
“No.”
“And why not?”
“I have taken only half a year’s leave from the court, and it is only during this time that I may travel freely in search of compet.i.tion.”
“Then how about tomorrow? You should not be in such a hurry as that, should you?”
“Tomorrow….” Yue Xiuze’s gaze clouded over with grief, though no one looking understood why. “The night is long and the dreams are many, who is to say what will happen on this night? Who can know whether tomorrow will ever come? Since we have met, why not settle it now? There is no crime in compet.i.tion, and perhaps it will even liven up your son’s birthday banquet.”
“Brother Yue’s meaning is to settle it tonight, here and now?”
“Correct.”
“Impudence!” Xie Yu gritted his teeth, his tone furious. “Tonight is our son’s birthday banquet, and there are esteemed guests present! How dare you trespa.s.s and cause a ruckus! Guards! Take him away immediately!”
Yue Xiuze’s expression did not change as he said slowly, “Brother Zhuo, you know very well whether I have come to issue a challenge or to cause a ruckus. Give me a straight answer.”
A dozen guards had already rushed forward and were surrounding Yue Xiuze, their spears pointed at him in a circle, and seemed about to charge when Zhuo Dingfeng suddenly cried out, “Halt!”
Xie Yu’s eyebrows lifted and his hand tightened on Zhuo Dingfeng’s shoulder, but before he could speak, the Chief of Tianquan Manor turned his earnest gaze to him and said lowly, “Brother Xie, forgive me, I……am a jianghu man after all……but please do not worry, I will take care of this matter thoroughly….”
Xie Yu looked at him and seemed to understand what he was saying, and he was about to protest when he stopped, thought for a moment, and then hardened his resolve and slowly released his grip on Zhuo Dingfeng’s shoulder, his own voice warm as he said, “I have never doubted Brother Zhuo’s judgement.”
Zhuo Dingfeng smiled faintly and stood, his expression calm, as he turned to face Yue Xiuze and said, “Please.”
By this time, Gong Yu had already taken the zither to a corner, and a large empty s.p.a.ce opened up in the middle of the hall, a natural compet.i.tion ground. Although they had not yet drawn their swords, the confidence and strength emanating from the two masters facing each other already far surpa.s.sed that of their young disciples who had fought two days ago.
To show their respect for this compet.i.tion, everyone aside from the Grand Princess had stood up, and even Xie Qi, her hands folded over her swollen belly, was standing with the help of her husband.
Because Yuwen Xuan and his people were standing just outside the hall, its doors were kept open. A gentle breeze drifted in from the cool evening air, making the candles flutter and their shadows dance along the walls. In the s.p.a.ce between the flicker of a flame, two swords were swept from their sheaths, clashing together like lightning.
Both Tianquan and Eyun were renowned for their swordsmanship, and both sects had been formed around a hundred years ago, and were evenly matched in their victories and losses against each other through the history of their compet.i.tion. In the jianghu world, aside from Northern Yan Tuoba Hao’s ‘Seasword Method’, which might be able to best them both, none of the other sects founded on swordsmanship was anywhere near their match. Zhou Dingfeng had fought and won his first match against Yue Xiuze at the age of twenty seven, and at thirty-five, he had fought him again and bested him once more. He should have had the advantage based on this record, but from the solemn expression on his face, one could see that no matter how many times he had won, this was still a compet.i.tor he could not take lightly.
And so it was that the two met for their third match in this hall, but after close to a hundred strokes, the match was still nowhere near its climax, and at first glance, the fight seemed even less interesting than the one between Xiao Jingrui and Nie Nie.
In fact, the two compet.i.tions could hardly be compared, and this truth was understood by no one better than Xia Dong, who had been a witness at both.
Her gaze shone, and she seemed to be completely absorbed in the fight, forgetting to pay attention to anything else. Each stroke of the sword was the epitome of precision and elegance, its angle and strength and speed a wonder to behold. It was as if the spirit of the sword itself was driving every motion, making the same moves the younger fighters had demonstrated a few days ago seem amateurish and awkward by comparison.
Zhuo Qingyao and Xiao Jingrui appreciated this aspect even more, as the two stood in the most brightly-lit part of the hall, their gazes unwavering as they scrutinized each move. A meeting of two martial arts masters such as this could teach them more than a year’s worth of formal training.
But, in contrast to the majority of the audience, there were three people in the hall who did not appear particularly interested in the ongoing fight. Grand Princess Liyang had her eyes closed and was leaning against the armrest of her couch, in direct contrast to the anxious expressions of Xie Yu and Mistress Zhuo beside her. Mei Changsu was looking in the right direction, but from his blank expression and dazed stare, it was evident that he was thinking about something else entirely. And in the corner, Gong Yu sat cradling the zither, examining its carved wooden patterns carefully, her long hair falling around her face as she never even lifted her head to the excitement before her.
All three were waiting for the match to end, Princess Liyang because she simply didn’t care, but the other two, the other two were waiting because they knew the true climax was yet to come….
Meng Zhi’s finger, which had been resting on the desk beside him, suddenly stiffened, and his hand tightened into a fist. Mei Changsu, startled by the sudden movement, turned his attention back to the match. The two figures were still in motion, the balance of the fight seemingly unchanged, but the true experts in the audience had already noted the difference, and knew that the moment of victory was at hand.
By some strange coincidence, the final stroke of this duel was the same as the last stroke in the match between Xiao Jingrui and Nie Nie two days ago.
The Tianquan sword spun through the air, but when Yue Xiuze lifted his sword to block it, what rose up in its wake was not a net of light like the one his disciple had summoned, but a wall of light instead.
A sudden mist of water droplets arose, and his opponent’s sword broke through the wall of light. Yue Xiuze turned and side-stepped the lunge, but the sword had already torn a long opening into his robes, though it had not drawn blood. He drew breath evenly, his movements calm as he swiftly twisted his hand upwards to block the following attack.
Despite this, he knew in his heart that though he had only suffered the slightest loss, it was nonetheless a defeat. In the moves that followed, he could only seek to restrict this loss as much as possible, in a fight that was already finished.
A small smile had appeared on Zhuo Dingfeng’s face, but there was grief, as well as determination, in that smile.
His last stroke had been caught by Yue Xiuze’s defense, and he had only to use the moment when Yue Xiuze was raising his sword again to leap aside, and the battle would be over.
Everyone following the fight could predict this result, and they all seemed to relax, antic.i.p.ating the conclusion. Only Xie Yu continued to stare, his gaze fixed on the center of the hall.
Mei Changsu let out a long, light sigh. Before the sigh had ended, Yue Xiuze raised his sword and its tip sank into Zhuo Dingfeng’s wrist, which should have moved aside moments ago. Blood sprayed through the air as the Tianquan sword clattered to the ground.
“Dad!”
“My lord!”
The cries of his wife and children rang out in the hall. Xiao Jingrui and Zhuo Qingyao raced to his side and helped Zhuo Dingfeng to his feet, turning murderous glares onto Yue Xiuze as they did so. “This was only a compet.i.tion, how could you….”
Yue Xiuze seemed no less shocked then the two of them, and he stared at Zhuo Dingfeng as he stammered, “Brother Zhuo, you, you….”
“It was not Brother Yue’s fault….” Zhuo Dingfeng was working hard to steady his voice. “Just then, at the last moment, I lost my focus….”
Xiao Jingrui and Zhuo Qingyao were not amateurs, and they had spoken only out of anxiety. In truth, they understood that Yue Xiuze was not at fault, but while Xiao Jingrui felt confusion warring with the shock in his mind, a glimpse of understanding stirred in Zhuo Qingyao’s heart.
“Quick, bring the doctor, quick!” Xie Yu hurried over and took Zhuo Dingfeng’s wrist in his own hands. When he saw the severity of the injury to the tendons and understood that the chance of full recovery was slim, a complicated series of emotions pa.s.sed over his face.
“This is only an external injury, there is no need to call the doctor. Have Qingyao bring the jinchuang medicine and bind up the wound, and that will be enough.” Zhuo Dingfeng avoided Xie Yu’s gaze as he spoke quietly.
Xia Dong and Meng Zhi, who had been observing the chaos with wondering expressions, now exchanged a glance.
Although what could be observed had already been seen, Zhou Dingfeng’s injury scattered everything to the winds once more, and the only solid connection between Xie Yu and the murdered guards had now vanished for good.
Zhuo Dingfeng had been unwilling to turn down the challenge and betray jianghu etiquette, but he had also refused to allow himself to be caught and thus implicate Xie Yu as well, and so no matter whether he had been right to do what he had done, one could not help respecting his courage. It was a pity that Zhuo Qingyao’s skill was still lacking, and so it would be many years before the name of Tianquan could appear on the Langya Lists again.
“I am the one who lost this match.” Yue Xiuze looked at Zhuo Dingfeng’s pale face and said firmly, “We of the Eyun Method will await the challenge of the heirs of Tianquan in the future.” He cupped his fists and bowed.
“Thank you, Brother Yue.” Zhuo Dingfeng’s wrist was being wrapped, and so he could not salute, but he bowed back before turning to Xie Yu and saying, “I have indeed given Brother Yue my word in the past to answer his challenge at any time and in any place, so I beg you to forgive his intrusion into the manor tonight.”
Xie Yu smiled. “What are you saying? Jianghu has its own rules, this I know well, and I will not hold this against Brother Yue, do not worry. Come, come away and rest now, alright?”
Although the injury to his body had not been severe, the wound to his heart had been significant, and Zhuo Dingfeng did want to retire to his own rooms for some rest, and so he nodded, and was turning to leave under the support of his two sons when suddenly a clear high voice said, “Please wait!”
Translator’s Notes:
Sorry this was so late!!! I need to get back on track with my queuing….
(And another possibly unpopular opinion about Xie Yu: I think what I’m seeing is that the novel paints him in a slightly ……I don’t want to say “more sympathetic” but at least…”less two-dimensional villain” kind of light? Is that fair? I know you may not agree with me, but I do think the way Hai Yan has written the last few chapters is meant to show us that he does care about his family. He loves Liyang, and he cares about Zhou Dingfeng, for all that he has used him in the past. He understands here the sacrifice Zhuo Dingfeng has made for him, and I think he does regret its necessity (though not enough to risk the alternative, obviously). I guess what I mean is, I hate Xie Yu for letting his ambition and arrogance drive him to murder 70,000 people, but I at least respect the way he has been written as a character? He’s not stupid, and he’s not (don’t hit me) heartless. And that makes him a better villain, imo.)