Chapter 2
"Ye Min! You brat, get down here right now!"
In September, Yangzhou is ablaze with blooming flowers. The river flows gently, creating ripples that propel boats forward.
The flowers in the town had been blooming for a season, but no passersby had stopped to admire them or rest. The innkeeper's waiter poured warm wine and brewed tea into a pot and brought it to the guests' table.
"Ye Min! You...you've made a complete mess of my guest room and won't even let the waiter clean it up! Now that you've damaged the furniture, how are our guests supposed to stay here in the future!"
The innkeeper's furious shouts couldn't shake Ye Min off the tree in front of the door—a tree so steep that only those with superhuman agility could climb down. Ye Min lay on the branch, legs crossed, gazing at the sky behind the layers of leaves. White clouds drifted by like flying apsaras from Dunhuang. The sun was a bit too bright, so he raised his long sleeves to shield his eyes from the sunlight.
Ye Min ignored the innkeeper's words and casually pulled out a ginkgo leaf fan pendant made of lapis lazuli from his pocket.
He was waiting for someone.
He spends his days in the manor, practicing swordsmanship, forging swords, feeding lynxes, and being chased by his master to work at the forge. He claims his life is dull and devoid of joy. Yesterday at noon, however, a disciple from the manor said that someone had given him this pendant while he was polishing a statue, telling him to wait there for a man in black.
The face under the sleeve pursed its lips; it wouldn't even tell me its name, how am I supposed to know who to wait for?
So he lay on this tree, and whenever a man in black passed by, he would jump down, take out his heavy sword, and ask him if he recognized the fan pendant.
first.
Hey, do you recognize this fan pendant?
"Oh, what did you say? Umbrella cones? I don't sell umbrellas."
"...I meant the fan pendant!"
"I've already told you I'm not selling umbrellas! What are you doing?!"
The second time.
"Hey, have you seen this fan pendant before?"
"Boss, do you want to buy gold? We sell bricks and gold with integrity. Take gold home at a cheap price..."
"The wind comes from Wu Mountain!"
The third time.
Is this your fan pendant?
The other party doesn't want to talk to you and has released a pair of gay snakes at you.
...
Ye Min felt that there was no more tedious job in his life than this.
After a long, confused moment, Ye Min finally opened his eyes from under his sleeve when he heard the sound of approaching hooves in the distance.
Two horses approached from the bridge, carrying two people, a man and a woman. The man was dressed in black, with handsome features. The other... was probably a young girl, looking only fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a green silk dress, with long hair reaching her waist, tied in two braids.
Ye Min glanced at the girl's attire; it was clothing from an unfamiliar sect. But he vaguely felt he'd heard of it… um… never mind, she didn't seem to pose any threat. He'd just ask who she was for now!
Ye Min leaped into the air, slung his two swords over his back, and flipped down the branches at the very end of the tree. Ye Min was slow to learn, but he was quite adept at mastering techniques; however, despite his skill, he lacked a certain spark of inspiration.
The man on horseback immediately felt the oncoming wind. He drew his sword from his side, swung his arm to catch the leap, and the cold glint of the blade aimed straight for Ye Min's face.
Ye Min flipped in mid-air, the blade's energy passing close behind him. With just one move, Ye Min sensed the profound skill of this person.
The opponent did not stop there. Taking advantage of Ye Min's leap, he jumped off his horse and slashed at Ye Min with both hands, wielding his sword. The cold light was sharp, and as Ye Min landed, he drew his heavy sword and met the blow head-on.
When the two looked at each other, they both stared wide-eyed in surprise.
"Ye Min?"
"Xue Hua?!"
Ye Min is Xue Hua's old friend and also his creditor.
As the saying goes, those who roam the martial world have many friends. The meeting of these two was truly fate. One lived north of Taiyuan, the other in the south. Xue Hua frequently visited Taiyuan, not only for official business but also to see his old friend. Although Ye Min resided at Cangjian Manor, he always made sure to travel north to reunite with his old friend during festivals.
Moreover, Hidden Sword Manor has been renowned for forging weapons for generations, and most of the unparalleled weapons in the world are made here. Out of friendship, Ye Min forges new weapons for Xue Hua every year, but Xue Hua never accepts them.
Ye Min always said, "Oh dear, you're so skilled, are you going to use the same knife until you're old? Weapons are like people; when they get old, they naturally can't stay with you anymore. If you want to become strong and protect yourself and others, everything must be updated with each generation."
Although Xue Hua refused his offer, Ye Min would still refine and modify the Asura Ghost Mask when they met.
Ye Min sheathed his heavy sword and looked at Xue Hua, laughing heartily.
"What are you doing in Yangzhou?"
Xue Hua sheathed his sword, and the two men clenched their fists, both filled with emotion.
The last time we met was in the dead of winter last year.
"I have official business to attend to, so I have to come."
Ye Min nodded and didn't ask any more questions. He then turned his head to glance at the person on the other horse, and whispered in Xue Hua's ear:
"Newly married?"
"...Don't talk nonsense!"
Xue Hua blushed at those three words and grabbed Ye Min to cover his mouth.
"This is Yang Yuan, a disciple of the Changge Sect. She is going to the Five Poisons Sect to find her mother."
"Waaah..."
Ye Min pointed at Xue Hua's hand covering his mouth and made a sound of dissatisfaction.
"You have to promise not to say anything out of line before I'll let go."
Ye Min raised his right hand to indicate that he understood.
As soon as he let go, Ye Min said:
"So, it means you're going to see your mother-in-law!"
"...!!!"
Later, I heard from the innkeeper that Ye Min was in so much pain that he refused to get out of bed for three days and insisted on being fed.
This story is called, "If you don't court death, you won't die."
After staying in Yangzhou for a few days, Xue Hua and Yang Yuan set off for Wudu.
But……
Why does Ye Min have to come along too?!
Xue Hua, his face dark, gripped the reins tightly, staring straight ahead without turning his head. Ye Min, riding his steed, rode alongside Yang Yuan. The young man, dressed in the Qin-style clothing of his sect, carried two famous weapons on his back: Weak Water and Listening to Snow in the Western Heaven. He swaggered along, chatting with Yang Yuan, constantly attracting stares. When he got excited, he gestured wildly, making Yang Yuan laugh.
Xue Hua's face grew increasingly dark, almost matching the color of his clothes.
"Hey Xue Hua, shall we take a break? My steed is hungry and wants to eat..."
"Whoosh—"
A jet-black longsword flew in front of him, its blade pointing at his face.
"Shut up, I don't want to hear your voice right now."
Ye Min raised his hands tremblingly to indicate that he understood.
They traveled for dozens of days, rushing on the road during the day and finding an inn to stay at night when they were closer to the destination; when they reached the mountains and forests, they had to find a temple to rest.
Throughout the journey, Xue Hua maintained contact with his colleagues. He kept track of the movements in Taiyuan while also knowing how many miles remained to their destination.
Ye Min, on the other hand, was quite relaxed. After leaving the manor, the boy's playful nature was fully revealed. He looked at the flowers, sipped tea, and was very comfortable. His usual quiet and composed demeanor in Cangjian was completely unrecognizable once he was outside.
Apart from Yang Yuan.
Whenever they arrived at a new place, she would always sneak away when Xue Hua and the others weren't looking. Ye Min thought the little girl was more lively and cute, but Xue Hua always felt something was off.
One day, he secretly followed the figure out and, upon spotting the green figure, stood frozen in the distance.
Yang Yuan was carrying an exquisite sandalwood box. Upon seeing the person dressed in the Five Poisons attire, she walked over and asked her:
"Excuse me, do you know the owner of this box?"
I don't know how many people I asked along the way, or how many disappointing answers I received.
He knew who Yang Yuan was asking about.
Perhaps unable to bear it, Xue Hua returned to the inn. He never went with them again.
Qutang Gorge.
The Yangtze River flows through here, carrying the howling wind and whipping up layers of waves that crash against the rocky shore.
On the rocks by the river, three fine black steeds quietly lowered their heads, grazing on the Napier grass in their baskets. Occasionally, they would raise their heads to look around, then continue eating.
Xue Hua sat by the river, gazing at the endless river, occasionally glancing back at Yang Yuan beside him; the latter held the bundle in her arms, chewing dry rations and swallowing them.
The most carefree guy, wearing a yellow shirt and a long ponytail, lay on a cold stone, half a straw dangling from his mouth, legs crossed, eyes closed, seemingly enjoying himself as if he were out sightseeing.
"Xue Hua, how far are we from Baidi City?" Ye Min asked.
Xue Hua stood up, gripped the weapon in his hand, and examined it.
"It's probably still a few dozen miles away."
After answering, Xue Hua sensed something was wrong.
Although Ye Min loved to have fun, he was still a person from a prominent family. He had traveled extensively since childhood and had seen many trials and tribulations. Not to mention the roads of Qutang Gorge, he was also familiar with the Five Poisons Sect, a place Xue Hua had never been before. This was why Xue Hua did not refuse Ye Min's request to come along.
His question made Xue Hua take notice.
The second young master looked around, took out a piece of parchment from his pocket, and fiddled with it, comparing it to the scene before him.
"What's wrong?" Xue Hua asked.
"I was hoping to have a drink, but I guess that's not going to happen." Ye Min put away the parchment scroll. "How about we find a nice place to rest before heading to the Five Poisons?"
Xue Hua glanced at Yang Yuan, then turned back to look at Ye Min.
"There are mountain camps and strongholds everywhere here, and you'll likely encounter bandits and robbers on the road. Where would you find a teahouse to rest in?"
The second young master smiled, crossed his arms, looked at the opposite bank of the cliff, and pointed with his chin.
"Yes! If I want to, there's nothing my second young master can't get!"
Xue Hua glanced in the direction he pointed and gave him a look.
"Only you could come up with something like this."
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