Water Moon in a Mirror, Part Five
"Is there anything I can do?" Li Letian said firmly, "Young Master Changji has been kind to me, and Young Master Changgui and Brother Xiang have also helped me. If there is anything I can do, please tell me."
Xiang Yu looked at Li Letian and remained silent for a long time, seemingly confirming his resolve. "That means making enemies of all the prestigious sects in the Central Plains martial arts world," Xiang Yu said earnestly. "Once you get involved, you can only move forward; there's no way to back out."
"I've made up my mind," he answered without hesitation. "How can I clear Lord Changji's name?"
"Rumors are not scary; what's scary is that rumors can become accepted as truth." Xiang Yu said in a deep voice, "Now that things have come to this, the world has already decided that Young Master Changji is involved in this matter, and this is a notion that no one can change. Unless Master Li and Young Master Bai are reborn and personally clear his name."
"This is a dead end."
"Almost."
“The leader of the Xiang gang must have a plan, otherwise our conversation would be meaningless.” Li Letian frowned.
“I do have a way to break this deadlock. To be honest, without you, if Lord Chen and I were to carry it out, the success rate would probably be less than 30%.” Xiang Yu said slowly, “We don’t need to change the rumors, but rather to confirm them. However, we must personally put an end to this rumor.”
"Tell me what needs to be done."
"I hope you will become the leader of the alliance again and take back the power that is rightfully yours."
“I can become the leader of the alliance.” Li Letian immediately responded to Xiang Yu’s suggestion. He said with some confusion, “But Brother Xiang, you should also know that those who are willing to support me are only the sword disciples who still have illusions. The noble families and prestigious clans will definitely not support me. Even if I become the leader of the alliance again, the situation we face will not change in essence.”
“Your idea is correct, but that’s not enough.” Xiang Yu paused, looked at the wooden door of the clinic, and said, “When you sent a Beggars’ Sect disciple to ask me to help Miss Li, I suddenly felt that this was fate. We are not yet at our wits’ end.”
"Miss Li?"
"Canghai Sword Manor has always been the leading force of the Southern Sword Sect. As long as Miss Li is still alive, Canghai Sword Manor will remain the leader of the Southern Sword Sect." Xiang Yu looked at Li Letian again: "If Brother Li were here, the many aspiring swordsmen in the world would surely respond to your call. With the support of the entire Southern Sword Sect under Miss Li's command, plus the wealth of City Lord Chen, and finally the assistance of my Beggar Clan, I believe it would be enough to help Brother Li bring the Northern Sword Sect under his command as well."
"you mean?"
“I want to stand on your side and make the entire Central Plains martial arts world belong to the Li family.” Xiang Yu glanced at Chen Changgui beside him. “If we can successfully stabilize the situation, Lord Chen will not have to go to the frontier, and we will have more time and room to maneuver.”
"If that's the case, we can indeed save Lord Chen and Young Master Changji."
“No, we can only save Lord Chen.” Xiang Yu explained, “Beheading the murderer is the will of the people, and your becoming the leader of the martial arts world is also based on the will of the people. When you become the leader of the martial arts world, you must not go against the will of the people. You can only kill the murderer. Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. You should understand this principle.”
"But wouldn't that contradict the original purpose of our actions?"
“We’ve done all this to give you an identity, an identity that allows you to execute murderers with a legitimate reason.” Xiang Yu said, emphasizing each word: “You are both the sovereign and the executioner.”
Just then, a noise came from the entrance of the alley, and a man with a shabby beard and slovenly clothes was looking in the direction of the three. Underneath the stains on his clothes, the pattern of a small bird could be vaguely seen.
Xiang Yu raised her hand, signaling the man to wait at the alley entrance. She continued speaking to Li Letian, "At that time, the people of the world will naturally hand over the execution sword to you, and only when you wield the sword will Young Master Changji have a chance to live."
"We need to find a stand-in."
"It's a mix of truth and falsehood, and no one can tell the difference." Xiang Yu tacitly agreed with Li Letian's statement. "In the end, the world will only remember that it was you, Alliance Leader Li, who avenged Master Li and Young Hero Bai by killing those two evil swordsmen and the instigator of the heresy, 'Chen Changji.' Young Master Changgui will also become a brother who puts righteousness before family, and a remarkable city lord."
"Please, Alliance Leader Li. After this is done, I will arrange a new identity for Changji and make this person 'Chen Changji' disappear without a trace." Chen Changgui said in a deep voice, "From now on, Wenqu City will always be your friend."
*
Xiang Yu and Chen Changgui left the clinic first and went to Xihe Building to check out the Buwang Pavilion on the ground floor. It was already deserted, with only some dusty chairs and benches remaining. They found nothing useful.
After settling Chen Changgui in Changfeng Pavilion, Xiang Yu went up Mashou Mountain alone. After so much time, Ping'an Courtyard had long since recovered, but the Sword God Hall remained closed and not yet open to the public.
Xiang Yu ascended the stairs on the right, reaching the Sword God Hall. Mu Xiongzhen stood alone before the hall, nodded to Xiang Yu, and then opened the doors to the Sword God Hall for him.
Inside the hall, a disheveled man sat cross-legged on a prayer cushion, having waited for a long time.
"Wenliang," Xiangyu called out warmly, "You must have had a long journey."
Wen Liang quickly stood up, looking somewhat timid. "Brother Xiang."
"What's wrong?" Xiangyu patted his arm and asked, "Is something not going well?"
"yes."
"That's alright, it's good that he's back." Xiang Yu said without any displeasure. He pulled Wen Liang to sit on the prayer mats in front of them and said, "Come and tell me what you've been through these past few days."
“Brother Xiang,” Wen Liang swallowed hard and said, “When I found the Blood Palace according to the map, it was already gone.”
"Gone? Is the map wrong, or did they leave for some reason?" Xiang Yu listed several possibilities that she could think of.
“No.” Wen Liang shook his head and said, “It’s truly gone. The entire Blood Palace is covered with traces of fire, and there are piles of unrecognizable corpses.”
As he finished speaking, scenes from the Blood Palace flashed before Wen Liang's eyes again, and the stench of blood seemed to rush into his nostrils once more. Wen Liang uncontrollably vomited, some of it splashing onto his own and Xiang Yu's trouser legs.
Xiang Yu gently patted Wen Liang's back until he calmed down a bit, then asked, "Where's Ling Guang? How are the Blood Palace Masters?"
“There is a man’s corpse, nailed to the dragon throne in the main hall. There is also a man and a woman, nailed to the golden dragon pillar in the main hall. I have confirmed the characteristics you gave me, and they are probably the three palace masters of the Blood Palace.”
Could this be Liu Mengde's doing? Xiang Yu wondered to himself. His original intention was simply to have Liu Mengde weaken the Blood Palace, and then he would use that weakness to his advantage, making the Blood Palace an asset in his struggle for the world. But now, the Blood Palace had been completely wiped out.
"Besides the people from the Blood Palace, have any other corpses been found?"
Wen Liang shook his head.
"Someone actually managed to destroy the Blood Palace," Xiang Yu said helplessly. "This can't be blamed on you."
“Perhaps the Blood Palace is experiencing internal strife,” Wen Liang added. “I found their secret chamber, where an old man with crippled legs was bound by chains and had his true energy drained. Judging from his features, he seems to be the former Blood Palace Master you mentioned.”
"Oh," Xiang Yu replied absentmindedly, then added with concern, "You must be tired too, so go back and rest first."
By the time Li Letian returned to the Qu Family Medical Clinic from the Sword God Temple, it was already dark. He sat listlessly on a stone in front of the clinic; the acupuncture treatment was not yet finished.
"Chief Xiang, why are you back again?" Li Letian asked, somewhat surprised.
Xiang Yu walked up to Li Letian and put down the food box containing the dishes. "It's getting late, have something to eat."
Thank you.
"Is it not over yet?"
There was not a sound inside; only the dim light shone through the window paper and door cracks, casting its glow on the smooth stone slabs in front of the clinic.
"It's not over yet."
"Shall we go back to Changfeng Pavilion together to rest?"
"No, thank you," Li Letian refused Xiang Yu, saying, "I'll wait here."
*
Chen Changji's letter:
Seeing these words is like seeing the person in person.
You might not believe it, but as I write this letter, I'm in a place you'd never expect. It's a completely deserted place. It took me quite a while to finally find the right way and get here.
I wonder how far the battle has progressed at the front. Xia Zhi should have compiled the battle situation and sent it to the Liuli Palace. He's always been meticulous, so I don't think there will be any problems. Therefore, you should refer to Xia Zhi's letters for information about the battlefield. After all, I have absolutely no idea what the situation is like outside right now.
You must be wondering how this letter got to you if I really am in a completely isolated place?
Although I wasn't wealthy, I did have some time. Initially, I planned to send the package myself through the post station, and I tried to return the way I came. But then a torrential downpour started, making it a truly difficult journey. I felt a pang of regret; if I had listened to my father when I was younger and learned a little martial arts, things might not have been so difficult.
In short, I tried. But I quickly realized that I wouldn't have enough time to make the round trip myself. To be honest, I was already convinced that the letter would never reach you.
It was at this time that I met this heartbroken girl.
The girl was a pitiful person; she had just lost the only person she could rely on in this world. Together with her, we buried the old man in a place with flowers, trees, mountains, and water.
The girl agreed to mail the letter for me.
*
The letter abruptly ends here; this page was clearly added later. Pei Jiangxi set the page aside and began reading the next page.
Seeing this letter is like seeing you in person. (This line has been crossed out.)
I've already decided what kind of story I want to write, and I want you to be the protagonist of my story.
Before we get to that, I'd like to digress a bit. Do you remember Ma Youyuan, the son of the former leader of the Beggars' Sect? There's a rumor that he survived being stabbed in the heart and was actually the reincarnation of something.
You know, I've always been a stickler for details, so I asked the elders of the Beggars' Sect about Ma Youyuan. Of course, I wasn't asking if he was some kind of reincarnation; I was asking if it was true that Ma Youyuan survived being stabbed in the heart. The answer surprised me, but upon reflection, it made perfect sense.
It turns out that Ma Youyuan's heart is on the right side.
I have a brilliant idea: if my protagonist's heart were on the right side, she might be able to escape this fate.
This is very important, and I've only told you. You absolutely mustn't tell anyone else.
*
"The demoness is inside!" A rough male voice rang out from outside.
More than ten sword energies cleaved through the windows and walls, heading straight for Pei Jiangxi. Pei Jiangxi grabbed the letter and her sword and leaped up, barely dodging the sudden attack.
Pei Jiangxi stood on the roof beam and chuckled softly, "If I had told you you were safe, I wouldn't have needed to expose my whereabouts. Now I'm really in a bind."
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