Makeup Chapter 17
Lao Hu followed the people holding Meng Shizhuang and walked to Keju.
Two days had passed since Meng Shizhuang's departure, but the weeds in the courtyard had already sprouted up into the hallway. The disciples violently kicked down the gate, and the old door, which had once been "half-covered by a lute," finally fell. Standing at the threshold, Old Hu could see the window frames.
Under the window frame is an old stove.
There was a window on the side, obscured by weeds. When he first taught Meng Shizhuang swordplay, Lao Ju would sit under the window to watch over him. Later, he couldn't do that anymore, because he'd cough whenever the wind blew. Meng Shizhuang would stop and go back inside to take care of him, not coming out until he'd stopped coughing.
Lao Hu's feet weigh a thousand pounds.
He didn't know how to face Lao Ju's gaze once he entered. It was like the beginning of the story. He had trained at Sujian Mountain for over a decade, rising from disciple to master, even the head of the sect having his own son registered under his name. Back then, Luo Shun was only six years old, the size of a bean sprout. He couldn't remember the morning of a particular day, but Ke Yuanshan came to him in a panic, saying his junior brother had disappeared. The two of them, master and disciple, had wandered through the mountain and mistakenly entered that fateful secret chamber.
The tragic scene in the secret room was so horrifying that he still dared not look at it again even at his age and experience - it was full of women who had been tortured and killed, some had their skin peeled off; some had their eyeballs, ears, noses and limbs completely missing; some died beautifully, in gorgeous clothes, with peach powder and rouge on their faces, their eyes half-open and drooping, revealing a kind of indifferent and sad beauty.
In the secret room, he saw the then-master of Zhongyi Hall, Meng, the father who had had Luo Shun skinned and his tendons pulled out before Meng Shizhuang was born, and also Lao Ju's master.
He tried to flee in panic, but Lao Ju chased him, carrying Luo Shun, who had also stumbled in by mistake, and begged him not to spread the news. He said, "I will find a way to let the surviving woman escape. I beg the Sect Master and Master not to do this again. Please don't spread the news for now."
Lao Hu went to the mountains when he was seven years old. He escaped from the hands of human traffickers. There were five brothers and sisters in his family, but his parents only sold him because he was stubborn and could not get around. To put it bluntly, he was so stubborn that he was a little stupid.
It's hard to change one's nature, even after being sold, he remains the same.
He ignored the leader Lao Ju had mentioned, whom he hadn't seen in the secret room, and never considered the factional struggles that were raging on the mountain, believing he was simply upholding justice. Half a month later, by the time Lao Ju had truly lived up to his words and painstakingly finished the matter, Lao Hu had already poked a huge hole in the sky.
The former sect leader, citing what Old Hu had seen, insisted he knew nothing. However, everyone on the mountain knew how much he disliked women, and the various hall masters took sides, leading to nearly six months of unrest. When this round of events settled, Luo Shun, as the former sect leader's son, suffered considerable humiliation, and he and his eldest disciple, Ke Yuanshan, were no exception.
Lao Ju became the new head of Zhongyi Hall, accepting any thankless task. He played the emotional card with Huihui and Meng Shizhuang's father, and finally settled them in Zhongyi Hall. But there was only one condition.
Meng Shizhuang's father's original words were: "The former leader said it himself that women cannot practice swordplay. If the child he left behind is really a girl, I would probably feel much more relieved."
In this way, Luo Shun changed into a Luo skirt and picked up the white sword "gifted" to him by the new leader.
Old Hu woke up from this half of the memory and noticed the unusual noise in the house. He rushed in with his sword without a scabbard.
-
As always, Lao Ju gazed at the calligraphy on the wall while waiting for Meng Shizhuang to return. He carefully traced the eight characters, "My heart is like a sword, sharpened to meet the challenge," and repeatedly refocused his gaze on the signature, which was as childish as the handwriting itself. It was a three-character signature: Hu Feihan.
Lao Ju endured two full days, his face haggard, his temples covered in clumps of white hair, and he could only rely on the words on the wall and his two swords for support. A loud "boom" prompted him to stand up and walk out.
As soon as he turned out of the inner room, he saw Meng Shizhuang being pushed in rudely.
Lao Ju hugged him before he fell, and noticed at a glance that his right hand was different from usual, and then his mouth was full of blood.
The white sword had been ripped away on the way to Keju. Old Ju saw Meng Shizhuang's blackened palms, several soft and twisted finger bones. He knew without even looking that Meng Shizhuang's right hand could no longer hold a sword.
Lao Ju held Meng Shizhuang's face with one hand and pinched his eyelids: "Ah Shi, open your eyes!"
Meng Shizhuang's life was unremarkable, half of her life was filled with resentment, and half of her life was filled with Lao Ju.
He'd overdrawn his freedom for two days with his will and unwillingness, only to realize his own inadequacy and suffer a deep, piercing pain. This pain, transformed into a crippled hand, would remain with him for the rest of his life. Later, he would have to bear a far greater price.
He was very tired and wanted to rest for a while.
But Lao Ju was calling him.
So he struggled hard to open his eyelids.
Lao Ju's eyes were filled with tears of heartache. Meng Shizhuang took a breath and tried to speak. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a vicious club about to strike down. Meng Shizhuang's pupils dilated instantly, and she grabbed Lao Ju's shoulder with her left hand and pushed him down.
"Bang——"
When the stick hit him, outsiders all gritted their teeth.
The skin under Meng Shizhuang's ribs bulged exaggeratedly, his eyes were dilated, as if he wanted to vomit blood, but he seemed to have no strength. Lao Ju held him in this position, his head drooped, and the blood that should have gushed out was blocked in his chest, seeping out drop by drop.
Lao Ju panicked: "Ah..."
Having wasted half his life reminiscing about his past, Old Hu rushed in with his sword, driving everyone out of the room. With a single palm stroke, he steadily channeled his inner energy into Meng Shizhuang, saving him for life. The disciples of Zhongyi Hall, who had been held back outside, rushed in forcefully under Haike's command, and hurriedly helped the two men carry Meng Shizhuang into the inner chamber.
The chaos continued until late at night.
Meng Shizhuang steadied his breathing and fell into a deep sleep.
By his bed, Lao Ju and Lao Hu sat facing each other in silence.
Lao Ju asked Lao Hu in a low voice: "What happened?"
Old Hu stood there, bewildered. He didn't dare look at Meng Shizhuang, didn't dare look at Lao Ju, didn't dare look at the calligraphy on the wall, and could only flee, leaving behind a sentence: "The money I saved in the city is gone, and Meng Shizhuang has grown up. When his injuries are better, I will take you down the mountain."
He escaped from Keju back to Zhongyi Hall, where Ke Congzhou was waiting for him at his door.
Old Hu grabbed Ke Congzhou as he was about to kneel. Meng Shizhuang's final glance at him at the Lingyun training grounds lingered before him. Many words slipped from his lips, morphing into one: "Congzhou, go down the mountain."
Ke Congzhou's facial injuries hadn't been treated yet, and he didn't care about anything else. He spoke incoherently, "Master, I know I was wrong. Last night, I was... I can apologize, and I can also stop practicing swordsmanship. Please don't..."
He wanted to explain, but after a day, he knew it was too late. What else could he do? Cripple his martial arts? Kill his fellow disciples, that was the way it should be. And be banished from the mountain again? His usual forced composure vanished. No matter how he pretended, he was still the child who held himself to Old Hu's wishes.
Lao Hu supported Ke Congzhou and half closed his eyes.
He couldn't explain it. Now that things had come to this, no one could be blamed. Was this plot set up by Luo Shun more than just revenge against Meng Shizhuang?
"I'm not trying to expel you from the sect. You should go down the mountain to gain experience and explore the four corners of the world. You shouldn't stay in the mountains your whole life."
Ke Congzhou's voice trembled: "How long will it take?"
Lao Hu saw the stubbornness hidden in his eyes and said simply, "Two years. Come back in two years and go with your fellow apprentices."
With the deadline, Ke Congzhou relaxed slightly.
Before the returning seafarer could speak, Lao Hu gave his orders: "Seafarer, ask around in the hall and send out those disciples who are willing to travel around."
Hai Ke had been able to transcend Ke Congzhou's inherent connections and become the "big brother" of Zhongyi Hall. His mind was incredibly clever, with a set of interconnected schemes far more shrewd than anyone else's. He knew from the events of last night that the long-suffering peace on the mountain would be shattered.
It doesn’t matter who killed the person, and it doesn’t matter who the master chose.
What's important is their leader who has long since shed his mortal body and seems to be able to survive as long as he is emotionally happy. If the leader wants to play tricks on someone, even if he fails this time, he will definitely do it next time by any means necessary.
In that case, it would be better to go out and avoid the limelight.
So he agreed without asking any questions and immediately called his disciples over.
But few were willing. They had all joined the sect because they were desperate down in the mountains. Occasionally going out to run errands was fine, but two years of traveling was no different from "returning to secular life." Fortunately, Lao Hu didn't force it, so Haike thought for a moment and gave his name.
Yao Qinian had been hiding from people, but when he heard that the sea traveler was leaving, he threw away all his worries about the hardships and poverty and decided to travel with him.
There were too few people, and Yao Qinian was jumping up and down in the hall, instigating one after another. Seeing this, A Wu picked up the sword he wanted to exchange and hurried to the Purple Gold Hall.
-
In the Purple Gold Hall, Ruan Kangxing found a rare moment of rest. With the mountain's affairs swirling around, no one had yet told him that the disciple he had sent out had returned, now reclining. He held a jar of wine in his hand, a gift from Fanli Village to Sujian Mountain, one for each hall.
Ah Wu hid here under the pretext of doing business. He realized that the mountain was not as peaceful as he had imagined. However, it took courage to escape the "sea of suffering" of being a beggar and re-enter the world. Seeing him coming, Ruan Kangxing patted the stone bench beside him and said, "Come."
A Wu didn't say anything polite and called out "Master". He sat beside him and began to daydream.
Ruan Kangxing gulped down half a jar of liquor, feeling slightly tipsy and wanting to vomit out a lot of long speeches. He began by asking the young disciple beside him, "Awu, what are you thinking about?"
Ah Wu came back to his senses and thought that the travel was considered an internal matter of Zhongyi Hall, so he casually said, "Today, Senior Brother Ke competed with Senior Sister Meng and Senior Sister Meng. It turns out that Senior Sister Meng is a man, and she is not inferior to Senior Brother Ke."
Meng Shizhuang’s skills yesterday were enough to surprise him, not to mention today’s “How can you tell whether I am a man or a woman” performance.
After thinking about it, A Wu blurted out: "What's the secret of the Su Jian Jue that only men can practice it and not women?" He couldn't see what was so magical about the sword techniques and sword moves. He thought that this rule looked down on women. He didn't expect that "Senior Sister Meng" could actually practice sword and even "dress as a woman" in a secretive way. Is he really shortsighted?
Ruan Kangxing was drunk and forgot that the disciple beside him didn't know about the past. He spoke like a bunch of beans: "Hey, what's the secret? The former master just hates women."
Ah Wu's chaotic thoughts suddenly tightened, and he said "Oh" expressionlessly.
It was exactly as he thought.
Ah Wu knew that Ruan Kangxing held the former Sect Leader in high esteem, so he asked, "Why? Didn't you say the former Sect Leader was a hero?"
A hero with such a big flaw?
Ruan Kangxing burped and said affirmatively: "Of course he is a hero! Emperor Ling was incompetent, and he was the only one willing to put aside his noble status and take the lead..." He was telling that story again, and when he talked about the excitement, his face flushed and his hands were restless.
A Wu was hit several times beside him and was about to say goodbye.
Ruan Kangxing's mood suddenly dropped. There was confusion in his eyes, but after a moment, it turned into determination. He said righteously, "He saved so many people. Although he didn't kill Emperor Ling with his sword, he taught the court a great lesson! He is the savior. What's wrong with killing a few women?"
Ah Wu stretched out his foot and paused. The carefree look on his face instantly faded. He stared at Ruan Kangxing with his mouth wide open, unable to articulate clearly: "What did you say?"
Ruan Kangxing didn't look at A Wu. He didn't know who he was arguing with. He kept saying "Meng", then "Xiao Hu", mumbling something.
Ah Wu didn't know the whole story, and his heart suddenly felt colder than the sudden frost in June.
He remembered the general who killed people and burned temples, whom the elders talked about at the banquet in Fanli Village last night.
The night Ke Congzhou taught him to read, he only skimmed through the water and made him swallow two words.
"One general's success is built on the bones of thousands of soldiers."
"The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit."
He saw Ruan Kangxing's mad look at the moment, which made him look like a crazy believer.
What about the general?
Is it true, as the elders said, that after returning to the capital, he would be given a high position and a generous salary, and his name would be recorded in history? Is it true, as Ruan Kangxing said, that killing people would be nothing to worry about?
What about the old beggar who raised him? Was he the one who was stabbed to death by soldiers while trying to retrieve the steamed buns hidden under the prince's statue? Was he the unlucky old man who had achieved great success?
It felt like a big hole was dug in Awu's chest, and the cold wind was rushing in.
In this case, who should he seek revenge on? The soldiers who drew their swords, the general who gave the order, or the absurd world?
He asked Ke Congzhou what "the winner is the king and the loser is the bandit" meant.
Ke Congzhou simply told him that the winner can speak.
A Wu was confused and felt that this was the way it should be.
But at this moment, Ruan Kangxing's words struck him hard. A free thought broke through his chaotic mind: Life is precious, precious enough that he can kneel down and fight a dog for steamed buns, but can he let winning or losing decide it?
Ruan Kangxing sang a monologue for a long time, then reached out to grab Ah Wu next to him, wanting to vent his anger. Ah Wu dodged in panic and ran away without looking back.
It turns out that there is no place to hide from disaster in this world.
He escaped from the foot of the mountain, and eventually he had to go down the mountain to find the answer.
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