Chapter 35 Shen Bi: That person isn't A Jiu

Guan Ye saw the one-eyed man in a black robe again. The rising darkness concealed the runes on his face. He smiled at Pei Yuan, revealing his white teeth, and opened his wide robe to welcome the guest from the island. His smile was genuine, hoping that Xingguofang would assist the emperor he served. However, his exposed teeth made Guan Ye uneasy. Cui Jin in front of her was just like a hunter lurking in the depths, seemingly wanting to devour everything. Everything in front of her was his prey that he had been planning for a long time.

"Exactly ten days," Cui Jin said cheerfully. "Not a day more, not a day less."

"The journey is easy." Stepping onto the island's soil, Pei Yuan could not hide his excitement. "It's all thanks to the Imperial Preceptor."

“It is Xingguofang’s own good fortune.” Cui Jin grasped Pei Yuan’s hand, which was sweaty with joy. “We have no way to visit the Heavenly Steps, but we want to return to Canglang. The path that Master Pei is stepping on is the Heavenly Steps.”

The Path to Heaven. Guan Ye looked down at the sand that was no different from Canglang Island. The air in Rongdu lacked the smoky smell of the island, and the sea odor was not as strong, but the smell of Rongdu was not fresh either. Guan Ye did not know how to describe it for a while, and it was a long time later that she found the words to describe it.

"His Majesty will summon the workshop owner tomorrow." Cui Jin and Pei Yuan walked side by side at the front. "The Imperial Blade Workshop has been prepared. It is located in the former Tianhu Workshop. The items and utensils are almost ready. However, the servants are not very efficient and do not know your daily needs. We will have to wait for your people to come and take care of it before we can move in. For the next few days, you can stay at the post station. How about that?"

"I will follow the Imperial Advisor's arrangements." Pei Yuan was moved to tears.

“Originally, you should have been allowed to return to your old place,” Cui Jin said unhurriedly. “After many years, the original site of Xingguo Ward has been converted into an inner ward of the imperial court, so it is inconvenient to vacate it. Tianhu Ward was once the largest ward in Jin Kingdom. Both its residences and foundries were larger than those of other families. The Emperor and I both felt that if the Pei family wanted to achieve something, there was no more suitable place than there. I’m just afraid that the head of the Pei Ward might feel it was taboo.”

“Not at all,” Pei Yuan’s voice boomed. “The Pei family’s ambition to revitalize the nation and their heart to serve the country are upright and incorruptible. What is there to be ashamed of?”

Cui Jin nodded in satisfaction and led the group from Xingguofang toward the post station.

Rongdu, this is the hometown my parents longed for. I left here while I was still in my mother's womb. My father said that their home was the ninth house in Qingtai Lane in the south of the city. He had saved up money for a long time to buy it. It had three houses and a huge courtyard. My mother loved flowers and plants, so he specially set aside a place for her. She planted a lot of them, but unfortunately, she passed away before the flowers bloomed.

Xiao Ma clutched his bundle tightly, which he had kept close at hand throughout the entire journey on the boat. The moment he stepped into Rongdu, Xiao Ma's eyes turned bloodshot as he stared straight ahead at the east side of Rongdu. The east was rich and the west noble; could it be that Xiao Ma had some kind of background? Guan Ye remembered that Feng Shisan had said that the Rongdu government office faced east, and there must be some unknown past of Xiao Ma hidden in the east of the city.

Feng Shisan and Ajiu showed little emotion. Feng Shisan had been polishing his sword the whole way. Lou Cangyu even laughed at him, saying that there were all sorts of treasures in Rongdu, and he was just using an ordinary sword for a lifetime. Feng Shisan ignored him and polished the blade until it shone brightly, brighter than the cold stars in the sky.

It was already September, autumn had arrived, but Canglang Island was spring-like all year round. Guan Ye had forgotten the weather outside. She hadn't noticed it when she first came ashore, but now, in the courtyard of the post station, the night wind was chilly, making her shiver. Guan Ye pulled her coat tighter around herself when suddenly a dark shadow threw it at her. Guan Ye caught it quickly; it was a cotton cloak, dark green in color, embroidered with delicate knife patterns. Guan Ye looked up, and in the flickering lamplight, A Jiu's face was sometimes in the light and sometimes out of the shadows.

His cloak had a dry, refreshing smell. It was thick and windproof, like wearing a suit of armor. Guan Ye was tall, but A Jiu was half a head taller than her. A section of the cloak was hanging on the ground. Guan Ye was afraid of getting the edges dirty, so she had to lift the cloak with every step. Her clumsy appearance made A Jiu laugh. Thinking that there were still many years to go and they could support each other, the two looked into each other's eyes. Their dark eyes seemed to be filled with ink, deep and unfathomable.

Guan Ye gazed at A Jiu walking towards her. Through his eyes, she saw herself on Hu Xian's boat years ago. That day, the torrential rain had stopped, leaving only sparse raindrops pattering on them. The taciturn A Jiu sat alone at the bow, exuding a unique aura that drew her toward him. In the vast fog, they saw together the seabirds battling against the sky, never retreating even in the face of death.

"I know what you're thinking." Ajiu's eyes shone, and the scar on her brow bone softened. "You want to go to Tianhufang. Although we'll be moving there soon, you can't wait."

Before Guan Ye could speak, A Jiu whispered again, "I've inquired for you. Tianhu Fang is on the west street of the city, facing the palace to the west and bordering the market to the east. You can see it after walking along the street for a quarter of an hour. Tonight, everyone is busy with their own things and no one has time to take care of anyone. You go first, and I'll come find you when I'm done."

Rongdu's prosperity far exceeded Guan Ye's expectations. Half a street had more people than the entire Canglang Island. She had thought Tangshui City was big enough, but compared to Rongdu, it was just a tiny speck. While everywhere else was quiet as a chicken coop at night, Rongdu's night market was extremely bustling. Fine wine and music filled the air, and the atmosphere was decadent. Red lanterns hung high along the streets, creating a lively and extraordinary scene. Accompanied by the cheerful voices of men and women, Guan Ye, a newcomer, was amazed.

Guan Ye hadn't seen the things being sold on the street for many years. The few she had seen in Tangshui City were all exquisitely made. For example, the windmills used to amuse children were made of oiled paper in Tangshui City, while the windmills in Rongdu were made of colorful paper, dazzling the eyes with their vibrant colors. When the wind blew, the wheels would creak and whir. Guan Ye was mesmerized and reached out her finger to touch them.

"—Does the young lady like it?" The vendor pulled one out and handed it to Guan Ye. "One coin each."

Guan Ye pressed her hand to her chest. She did have a penny, but it wasn't enough to spend it on something as extravagant as a windmill. She could just look at it and that was fine. Guan Ye smiled and refused, then walked towards West Street.

The capital was bustling with activity, and everyone looked pretty much the same. Faces overlapped one after another, and I couldn't recognize a single one. I couldn't even tell which way was north, south, east, or west, let alone find West Street.

Guan Ye remained calm. She found a kind-looking stall owner and asked him a few questions in a low voice. Without thinking, the stall owner pointed to the west of the city, stroked his beard, and looked at the unfamiliar girl. "Are you surnamed Pei?" Guan Ye smiled slightly but did not answer.

After walking for about half an incense stick's time, Guan Ye stopped in front of an old house. Looking up, she saw an old plaque hanging on the vermilion gate. The plaque was old, but the characters on it were still faintly recognizable. Guan Ye recognized that the middle one was the character "鹄" (hu).

Guan Ye stared at the plaque for a while. Seeing that the vermilion door was ajar, she remembered that Cui Jin had said that someone was already tidying up inside. Guan Ye gently pushed the door open. A breeze suddenly rose, and a musty smell mixed with dust rushed towards her. Guan Ye covered her face with her cloak and coughed a few times.

"If the Pei family hadn't chosen to live in seclusion, they would likely have ended up like the Lu family of Tianhu Lane—glorious for a time, but ultimately wiped out entirely."

The entire family was wiped out. Guan Ye felt a lingering fear. If her father hadn't received the news and led her mother out of the city that very night, they would likely have perished as well. Guan Ye was somewhat frightened, but she still mustered her courage and headed towards the foundry. She didn't know if there were any traces of her father there. He was the greatest blacksmith in the world, but he hadn't properly forged a single weapon in many years. Her father had made a name for himself here, and then ruined his career here as well. His name was Guan Xiaotian, and now she had come to the place where her father had once lived, but she could no longer mention that long-forgotten name to anyone.

Guan Ye had never seen such a large foundry. She roughly estimated that it could support fifty or sixty furnaces. At its peak, Tianhu Workshop must have been incredibly magnificent. The Blood Crossbow Case started here. More than 130 members of the Lu family, as well as no less than 100 blacksmiths from the five workshops, hundreds of sword slaves and servants, and countless others were implicated over the past ten years.

The father spent his whole life trying to figure out why three thousand crossbows were destroyed at the same time, but now that he has set foot on this land, he is completely at a loss and doesn't know where to begin investigating.

Guan Ye sighed sadly, and just as she was about to turn around, she raised her eyebrows and saw a familiar figure squatting by the stove in the corner. The person also heard the approaching footsteps and turned around towards Guan Ye.

"Ah Jiu?" Guan Ye rubbed her eyes; his footwork was even faster than hers.

The man squatting there had a serious expression on his face, seemingly not expecting Guan Ye to find him here. As the girl approached, he put away his suspicion and looked at the girl's pale face and flickering eyes with interest. She was wearing a dark green cloak that didn't suit her figure, embroidered with fine curved sword patterns. Her slender body trembled slightly inside the cloak, making her look both comical and cute.

"When did you get here?" Guan Ye plopped down next to him, peering into the stove. "How come you've become interested in sword forging too?" she asked, glancing at his waist. "Where's your sword?"

"My sword?" The man looked down. "I rarely carry a sword when I go out. Maybe it's because I haven't met the sword that I can love so much."

"Oh, I see." Guan Ye clicked her tongue. "You still covet that Meteor Sword. Wishful thinking."

The man frowned again, scrutinizing Guan Ye's pretty face with interest. "You're from Xingguo Ward."

"Aren't you one?" Guan Ye felt a sudden chill run down her spine, sensing that something was amiss.

The man stood up, brushed the grass clippings off his clothes, and seemed to smile slightly. He was used to the intentional or unintentional advances of many women towards him, pretending to know him as if it were a chance encounter. He felt a pang of regret; the innocent face before him seemed not to be as naive as it appeared.

"Ah Jiu!" Guan Ye called out to him, "Are you leaving so soon after you've just arrived?"

The man paused for a moment, seemingly thinking about something, and hesitated as he left.

"You said you came here to find me, and now you're leaving?" Guan Ye was a little annoyed, took off her cloak and threw it at him, "Take your things."

The man reached out and took it, his movements a little stiff. After thinking for a moment, he draped the cloak over a tree. After walking a long way, he couldn't help but turn back to look at Guan Ye. The girl's cheeks were puffed up with anger, and her eyes were blazing with fury.

Ah Jiu really left? He was clearly here, I arrived, and then he left? The autumn wind rose again, and the backyard was eerily cold. Guan Ye shivered. Her cloak was just half a zhang away, and she was freezing, but she dared not get up.

Then she saw Ajiu return. When he saw Guan Ye, a relieved expression appeared on his face. Seeing his cloak lying on the ground, his brows furrowed. He bent down, picked it up, and draped it over Guan Ye's back. Guan Ye's eyes suddenly froze. She saw the sword at Ajiu's waist, the sword he almost never parted with.

"Your sword..." Guan Ye's tongue was a little slurred.

"What's wrong with my sword?" Ajiu looked down at it.

"You just...didn't you forget your sword?" Guan Ye felt dizzy and disoriented. Could it be that she really saw a ghost in a pile of dead bodies?

"I'm a swordsman, how could I not carry a sword?" Ajiu squatted down opposite Guan Ye and saw that her face was pale and she was shivering from the cold, with large beads of sweat on her forehead. Ajiu reached out to touch her forehead, "Are you sick? Where does it hurt?"

Guan Ye pushed his hand away—that person was clearly A Jiu. Although it was dark and she couldn't see very clearly, she was sharp-eyed and quick-witted, how could she not mistake him? Guan Ye tried desperately to remember. She rubbed her eyes and examined A Jiu's familiar face. Then, a dull thud sounded on the back of her head—that person… had no scar on his brow bone…that person was not A Jiu.