Water Moon in a Mirror, Part Three
Pei Jiangxi slowly brought the bamboo raft to the shore, and Han Yizhi and she went ashore one after the other.
Han Yizhi turned to look towards the cypress forest, where six pillars of light stretched towards the sky. These pillars were slowly dimming. In her arms, she held six longswords: Hail, Earthquake, Thunderstorm, Black Wind, Avalanche, and Tsunami.
"This is the 'All-Encompassing Harmonious Array' of the Misty Rain Pavilion. It can transform one into two, and two into four," Pei Jiangxi explained to Han Yizhi, following her gaze. "It can be described as an array that can turn the rotten into the miraculous."
"You knew about this formation in the Misty Rain Pavilion from the beginning."
“Liu Langxian is by nature brave and ruthless. The pursuit of knowledge and the killing of others have long been a part of his life, ingrained in his very bones.” Pei Jiangxi said unhurriedly, “And it is precisely because of this that he has become incredibly powerful. Far more powerful than you or me.”
"So you wanted him to join the battle from the very beginning."
“He is willing to be on good terms with us for the time being only because I can find the trail of the Calamity Sword for him. Once he has collected all nine Calamity Swords, he will come after you, me, and Boyu sooner or later in his quest to prove his Dao.” Pei Jiangxi withdrew his gaze and looked at Han Yizhi, saying, “There are indeed people in the world who can defeat him. Unfortunately, that person is neither you nor me.”
"You're quite frank." Han Yizhi hadn't expected Pei Jiangxi to admit so openly that she had framed Liu Langxian.
“There’s nothing to hide,” Pei Jiangxi said frankly. “I just know a little more than you do, so there’s no need to imagine me as something complicated.”
Han Yizhi looked down at the treacherous swords in her arms. Most people sought one but could not obtain it, yet she now possessed six of the nine. "According to you, his martial arts have reached a level unattainable by ordinary people. Why go to such lengths to collect these nine treacherous swords that have been lost elsewhere?"
"The leaders of the three major sword sects throughout history have all created their own unique sword techniques. The 'Nine Swords Hand' was created by Liu Langxian after receiving guidance from someone." Pei Jiangxi paused and said:
"Even looking at the history of the three major sword schools, he is a rare genius. Before he turned thirty, he created unprecedentedly gorgeous sword moves. But soon, he discovered that even such sword moves could not help him break through his limits."
"Therefore, he needs the treacherous sword."
“When one can no longer achieve a breakthrough on their own, it is only natural to try to rely on external things.” Pei Jiangxi patted the sword that Han Yizhi was holding in his arms and said, “Even geniuses are not immune to this.”
"If he really gathers all nine of the Calamity Swords, is there anyone who can defeat him?" After listening to Pei Jiangxi's account, Han Yizhi realized that someone was so crazy as to want to control all nine Calamity Swords at the same time, and that this person was almost successful. "The person you mentioned who can defeat him, could it be the four sword gods of Peach Blossom Spring?"
"If the four of them work together, they might be able to put up a fight."
"But we saw Wang Wenfang's body on our way here."
"Even if he gathers all the evil swords, I'm afraid Liu Langxian still won't be able to reach the realm he imagined."
Just what kind of level of attainment was Pei Jiangxi talking about? Han Yizhi felt a chill run down her spine.
“That person played a little joke on him.” Pei Jiangxi shook her head regretfully. “The simplest truths are the best. He was wrong from the very beginning, you could even say he went in the opposite direction. No matter how hard he tried, he could never reach the destination he initially envisioned by heading in the wrong direction.”
Han Yizhi remained silent.
“But he can be proud; his hard work has made him strong enough.” Pei Jiangxi looked up at the northeast and said, “At this moment, perhaps no one can surpass him. He is undoubtedly the number one in the world.”
*
Inside the room, one of the windows in the double window had fallen off. Tiny specks of quicksand climbed over the windowsill and into the room.
Through the gap in the window, you can see a sky as clear as water. It is an extremely pure sky, untouched by any other color.
The world was eerily quiet.
It was like a dream, Li Letian thought to himself.
There was no suffocation as he had imagined, nor any overwhelming pressure to confine him. Li Letian lay flat on the bed, while Li Nagyeong sat by the window, her head resting on the windowsill, fast asleep.
"Miss Li," Li Letian called out cautiously.
Silence reigned. The sand on the ground shifted, but made no sound. Even the wind offered no response.
Li Letian got up and sat upright against the headboard, quietly watching Li Nagyeong. There was no further calling or attempt to approach. He felt a mixture of nervousness and a subtle sense of peace.
The light and shadows inside the room remained unchanged, and he had no idea how long he had been sitting there.
Thump, thump, thump—the faint knocking sound was like a thunderclap, shattering the air.
Li Letian was startled. He held his breath, his attention about to turn to the window, when the girl who was lying on the edge of the bed opened her eyes.
Those heterochromatic eyes. No matter how many times you look at them, they still send chills down your spine.
When the raw stone for sword making is first obtained, it is often reddish-brown. The fragments of the raw stone are arranged with carbon interlayers in a furnace and fired to obtain bloomery iron. Only through continuous heating, folding, and forging can bloomery iron become a real sword.
During this time, there were also many colors that accompanied Li Letian throughout his life and captivated him. Iron changed from dark red to cherry red, from cherry red to light red, light red to orange, orange to bright yellow, bright yellow to light yellow, and there were also yellowish-white and bright white, which represented the failure of sword forging.
Regardless of the color, in Li Letian's memory, it was all so fiery, so bright, and so clear.
Li Letian looked at those eyes. To his right, the eye was a clear, bright pale pink; upon closer inspection, it seemed as if a light lingered within it, reluctant to leave. To his left, the eye was a deep blue, but within that blue lay an unusual paleness, which seemed to be light, though Li Letian wasn't sure.
"Why are you staring at me like that? Are you dumbfounded?" Lee Na-kyung remained resting on her arm, openly meeting Lee Letian's gaze.
Sunlight streamed in, illuminating the long sword leaning against the bed, Li Letian's tattered clothes, and the cheap blankets of the inn. Li Letian seemed to see all these rays of light reflecting and intertwining, following the gaze of those eyes.
It was a magnificent hue unlike anything I'd ever seen before, a grand new sun and moon. Just as the leaves unfurl to reflect the flowers, and the stars twinkle to accompany the moon, the whole world was part of those eyes.
All the past glories pale in comparison to what Li Letian sees at this moment.
"I went through a lot of trouble to dig you out of the sand." Lee Na-kyung raised her other hand and waved it in front of Lee Letian's eyes, saying, "If you go crazy, all my hard work will have been for nothing."
Knock, knock, knock—the sound started again; it was the sound of knocking on the door downstairs at the inn.
"Is anyone home?" the guest who knocked on the door shouted.
"These are the most perfect eyes I've ever seen," Li Letian said, looking at Li Najing with almost reverence.
*
The brown pupils were far away from the holes in the inn door.
The man appeared to be in his early thirties, with the distinctive gray-brown hair and eyes of a non-Han Chinese, and dressed in traditional non-Han clothing. Like most non-Han men, he had a thick beard on his square face. His features, however, were not as sharp as those of typical non-Han men; he had a more Han Chinese bone structure.
At his waist, a turquoise-inlaid sword with a gold hilt gleamed in the sunlight.
Finding his knocking and calling unsuccessful, the man bent down and tried to peek through a hole in the inn's wooden door. But it was completely dark inside; he saw nothing.
Taking a step back, the man straightened up and pulled on the doorknob, but the wooden door wouldn't budge. He scratched his head, looking around helplessly. After a moment's thought, he lowered his center of gravity and began to regulate his breathing. His stance suggested he was preparing to break down the inn's door.
From the way he breathes, Li Letian can immediately tell that he is not a martial artist.
“Great hero,” Li Letian led his camel out from behind the earthen house and asked, “Is this inn closed?”
The man stopped what he was doing and sized up Li Letian. "You're not from Western Xinjiang, are you?"
"You have a keen eye, sir."
"Alright, stop calling me 'hero.' People from Western Xinjiang don't call others 'hero.'" The man smiled smugly and said, "Luckily, you're lucky to have met me today."
What does this mean?
The man held up a finger and shook it near his ear. "In the desert, it's best not to reveal that you're from the Central Plains. If you hadn't met me, you might have been ambushed."
"Been taught a lesson."
“My mother is a non-Han Chinese, and my father is a Han Chinese. I am half Han Chinese in terms of ancestry. I can treat you kindly, but I can't say for others.” The traveling merchant took the water jug from the camel, took a sip, and asked, “Are you alone?”
Li Letian nodded.
“Then we need to be even more careful.” The man frowned and said, “This place is far from the Central Plains, and there’s no one to look after us. People like you are the easiest targets.”
"I don't know..."
"My name is Mahama, you can just call me Hama."
"My name is Li Letian."
“Let’s change your name,” Mahama said after thinking for a moment. “I think you should call yourself Mahamu. If people ask, just say you’re from Lubo Town. That way, your ethnicity and location will match, and no one will suspect anything.”
"But I can't speak Hu language."
"It doesn't matter. As long as others know that there are still people in your clan who care about your life or death, that's enough."
"Thank you, Brother Hama."
“You Central Plains people always speak in such a flowery way.” Mahama waved his hand and said, “Never mind, just remember to speak less in the future. The more you talk, the more mistakes you will make.”
"Is Hama also traveling alone?" Li Letian corrected his speech again. "I only thought you were a chivalrous knight-errant because I saw the sword on Hama's waist."
"Oh." Mahama suddenly realized, and he proudly patted the scabbard of his sword at his waist, saying, "This was a gift from a caravan from the Central Plains."
"Merchant caravans from the Central Plains?"
“Merchants from the Central Plains come with fine silks, satins, gold, silver and jade. They will only trade with you if they find something they like.” Mahama paused for a moment and said, “This sword of mine was given to me by a merchant caravan from the Central Plains two months ago after we bartered.”
"Did they give away everything that was traded with them?"
“Hey, don’t underestimate them.” Mahama pouted and raised his voice, “The caravan I’m trading with is no ordinary caravan.”
"oh?"
Seeing that Li Letian had gotten into his rhythm, Mahama revealed a smug look. "As far as I know, they only traded with some well-known and influential merchant groups in the desert on this trip." Mahama held up one finger, which seemed to be his habit, and said mysteriously, "Among the traveling merchants who are qualified to trade with them, I am the only one."
"Amazing," Li Letian exclaimed.
“I’m a born traveling merchant; I was born to do this,” Mahama said proudly.
Having fully enjoyed Li Letian's admiring gaze, Mahama then looked at the tightly closed door of the inn. He re-examined Li Letian's physique and suggested, "I see that although you are from the Central Plains, you are quite burly. You can lend a hand and help me open this door, so we can rest here tonight."
Li Letian followed instructions and stood side by side with Mahama. As if to verify his judgment, Mahama even reached out and squeezed the muscles in Li Letian's arm. After confirming that everything was correct, the two of them got into position and began to charge towards the tightly closed wooden door.
After about four or five attempts, the wooden door remained unmoved. Confirming that no one was inside, Mahama mustered all his strength for one last, final assault.
After a short, muffled thud, Mahama stumbled back a few steps and collapsed to the ground. He looked up at Li Letian, who was still standing, and said breathlessly, "You're quite composed."
“Ah,” Li Letian touched his forehead and replied, “I practiced horse stance with my father when I was a child, so I have some basic skills.”
Mahama stood up and patted his backside. "Fine, if we still can't get in like this, it must be the will of the desert."
"The will of the desert?"
“You really know absolutely nothing about the desert, yet you just barged in.” Faced with Li Letian’s barrage of questions, Mahama didn’t show any impatience. On the contrary, he seemed quite eager to answer others’ questions. He patiently explained:
"When you enter the desert, you must follow its will. If the entire desert is trying to stop you, then you must stop. Conversely, if what you do is what the desert desires, then the entire desert will help you."
Li Letian was somewhat puzzled.
“I know it will be hard for you to understand in a short time.” Mahama stepped forward, patted Li Letian on the chest, and said, “You must listen carefully to the will of the desert.”
"Can Hama hear me?"
“Of course,” Mahama said seriously, “this is an innate ability of traveling merchants. Just like this door that cannot be opened, it is also a manifestation of the will of the desert.”
Li Letian looked at the tightly closed door. In truth, if he wanted, he could easily have used his sword intent to cut through the wooden door. If he had done so, they would probably have been able to see the first floor of an inn long ago, filled with yellow sand.
"Ham," Mahama called out.
If they weren't the only two people there, Li Letian might not have realized for a moment that the Hu man was calling him. Mahama tossed Li Letian a set of clothes, saying, "Change into these. Your build is similar to mine; they should fit you."
Mahama remounted his camel, adjusted its course by pulling on the reins. He turned to Li Letian and asked, "Which direction are you going? Would you like to come with me?"
Li Letian didn't refuse immediately. After waiting a while, he shook his head and said, "We're going in the opposite direction. Thank you, Maham."
“It doesn’t matter,” Mahama said cheerfully. “Remember to listen to the will of the desert.”
“I will try my best,” Li Letian replied, emphasizing each word.
Once Mahama had gone far away, Li Letian led the camel back to the back of the inn and leaped back to the third floor, which was not yet buried by the yellow sand.
Back in the room, Lee Na-kyung was sitting by the window. Her pale lips in the sunlight made Lee Letian feel her vulnerability even more acutely.
"Did you hear everything?" Li Letian asked.
“I heard that.” Lee Na-kyung turned around and looked at Lee Letian, who was holding the Hu people’s clothes. “Someone copied my father’s sword and deliberately spread it in the Western Frontier.”
"Feel sorry."
“You have nothing to apologize for. It was my own decision to come to Western Xinjiang,” Li Najiong said calmly. “Life is full of disappointments. Like my eyes, you say they are perfect, but one of them has long since lost its ability to see. That is the price of devouring the heart of the Xuanyuan Sword.”
"That's why Liu Mengde attacked your left flank at that time."
"You noticed it too." Lee Na-kyung sighed softly, then turned her head to look into the distance.
silence.
Li Letian also walked to the window and stood next to Li Nagyeong. He gripped the windowsill and looked into the distance. There was nothing there but sand dunes.
"But I still think they are the greatest eyes in the world."
Lee Na-kyung was stunned.
"I have never seen such beautiful eyes."
"Is that how you talk to your Xin girl too?" Lee Na-kyung joked, forcing herself to stay alert.
“I am very grateful to Miss Xin. If it weren’t for her, I might never have left Sword Forging City in my life,” Li Letian replied. “My initial reason for coming to Western Xinjiang was also for her. But I slowly realized that perhaps this journey has other significant meanings. A voice in my heart told me this.”
"The will of the desert?" Lee Na-kyung rested her chin on her arm, her playful tone unchanged. "Did it tell you what its meaning is?"
Li Letian lowered his head, while Li Najiong, who had only been briefly awake, had already fallen into a deep sleep.
“I will take you back to the Central Plains,” Li Letian said.
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