Legend of The Frost Blade - Chapter 10

Murong Ai originally planned to examine the corpse of The Green-Robed Marquis Ning Mengshan, and then head to Changping Prefecture to find another victim Zhui Feng Jian ‘Liu Xing’, continuing northward to trace the origins of the incident. Unfortunately, he received news along the way from Biyao and Qiluo that an incident had occurred, subsequently deciding with Yan Qingqiu to return South towards Baoding Prefecture via Rongcheng to find the sixth victim, “Zui Jingang” Shen Xianzong. This person had been killed earlier, and his coffin was buried locally. His widow and young son had sought refuge with her family, making it a convenient destination.

Since they no longer took the main road, it took them a bit more time. The two of them deliberately dragged their feet, leisurely wandering and setting aside their grudges of Jianghu, actually finding some joy in traveling together. They enjoyed the snow in the wild villages, or went hunting in the mountains and forests, cooking wild rabbits and sparrows. When the mood struck, they even sparred and exchanged moves, becoming quite compatible.

Upon entering Baoding Prefecture, the pair found an inn to stay at. Due to the large number of people coming and going, they didn’t go out much. Yan Qingqiu disguised himself as a scholar, going out to sit at a teahouse, inquiring about the location of the Shen residence and then going to investigate. He learned from the neighbors where Shen’s widow had arranged a burial place and returned to inform Murong Ai, waiting until after dark to go.

Before the sun had set, snow began to fall again. Murong Ai sat cross-legged in the room, practicing his breathing exercises. Yan Qingqiu didn’t disturb him, simply reading by the window.

This was the first time he was seen practicing his skills, and although Murong Ai did not speak, Yan Qingqiu still knew he needed to avoid arousing suspicion. He originally intended to use dinner as an excuse to leave, but Murong Ai stated that he had already arranged for it to be brought to the room by a servant. He then took off his shoes, got on the bed, and said no more. Seeing that he didn’t mind at all, Yan Qingqiu didn’t feel awkward either. Besides, how much could one really learn about internal martial arts just by watching?

In the past few days of their sparring, Yan Qingqiu became increasingly aware that, despite being only seven or eight years older, Murong Ai’s internal martial arts were unfathomably deep. This was evident even from their clothing: although winter had set in for a while, Yan Qingqiu, though having a good constitution, still needed to wear a padded jacket, whereas Murong Ai managed with just a single layer and a cloak.

At this moment, Murong Ai was only wearing a white silk undershirt, with his long hair unbound, meditating with his eyes closed. Yan Qingqiu noticed that Murong Ai’s breathing intervals were quite long, about four or five times that of an average person, with his chest rising and falling slowly with each breath. Yan Qingqiu suddenly recalled the night the two of them were at West Lake, when Murong Ai pulled open his black clothes, revealing a patch of bl00d on his chest. Could it be that he had already encountered dissidents from the Guangming Sect before arriving in Hangzhou?

As soon as this thought arose, it seemed to bring about doubts, leaving him in a fog of confusion, unable to see through it clearly, and he couldn’t help but feel dazed.

At this moment, he heard Murong Ai chuckle softly: “What book is Juechen reading? Is it that boring?”

Yan Qingqiu snapped back to reality, his face flushing red. It turned out his mind had been wandering, and he hadn’t turned a single page of his book, his eyes fixed on Murong Ai.

Under the vast sky, Yan Qingqiu found himself at a loss for words, stammering slightly, while Murong Ai teased him a bit more. Just as Yan Qingqiu was about to retort, they heard a knock at the door as the servant brought their dinner, so he held his tongue.

After eating, they changed into black clothing and chatted idly, waiting for nightfall to set off. As Yan Qingqiu was putting incense candles into his bag, he saw Murong Ai handing him a brown pill, saying: “This is ‘Qing Shen Dan,’ it’s quite effective at preventing poisoning. Take it, and you’ll feel better when opening the coffin.”

Yan Qingqiu was stunned. He had suffered from corpse poison last time, thinking Murong Ai would surely look down on him for it, but unexpectedly, Murong Ai had remembered. However, Yan Qingqiu did not reach out to take it and instead felt uneasy.

Seeing his hesitation, Murong Ai smiled and said: “Does Juechen want to save it for me? No need to worry, ordinary poisons can’t harm me, let alone mere corpse poison.”

Unable to refuse, Yan Qingqiu finally took and ate it. Knowing Murong Ai’s odd temperament, he didn’t stand on ceremony and merely gave a faint thanks. Murong Ai smiled, clearly pleased.

Shen Xianzhong was a local native. Although he was alone at home when he was killed, he left behind a family. Being the sole heir, he only had a few small plots of land. His wife, unable to maintain the household, had to leave loyal servants to collect rent while she took their three young children back to her parents’ home. Shen Xianzhong was buried in the Shen Clan cemetery southeast of Baoding Prefecture. Since there were no valuable burial items, no one was hired to guard the tomb.

By the time Yan Qingqiu and Murong Ai arrived at Shen’s tomb, it was already dark. There was no one in the four fields, only some withered trees standing nearby. The moonlight was dim, with a few cold stars twinkling at the edges. The remnants of the previous day’s snow still lingered on the ground, making each step muddy. The Shen Clan had about four or five graves in total, with the highest one at the back. Grass had not yet grown on its mound, which was likely Shen Xianzhong’s tomb. 

Yan Qingqiu held a torch and tied their horse a few zhang away from the cemetery. He grabbed incense candles and a spade, about to enter with Murong Ai, when he noticed Murong Ai’s serious expression, listening intently to something. Concentrating, Yan Qingqiu discerned faint breathing around the cemetery’s pine forest, realizing more than one person was lurking in the dark.

He exchanged a glance with Murong Ai, and they immediately understood that their presence had been detected.

Murong Ai let out a cold laugh and said loudly: “Gentlemen, you’ve been waiting for a while! I wonder which heroes are here to greet me. Please show yourselves ba.”

As soon as he finished speaking, someone in the woods breathed unsteadily. Then, a burst of laughter echoed through the cemetery, and a very familiar voice spoke: “Murong Zuoshi, you have remarkable hearing. I told you, we should have come out openly sooner. This sneaking around makes us seem petty.”

Yan Qingqiu’s heart tightened as he saw a man in a yellow robe step slowly from behind a grave. Although the moonlight was dim and the torchlight weak, it couldn’t hide his handsome face. Even with empty hands, his presence was still imposing—who else could it be but Sima Xiao?

Following him, eight more people emerged from the cemetery and the pine forest. The first on the left was Yang Chong, the new leader of the Yang Clan from Donghai, who had fought Yan Qingqiu in Hangzhou. Additionally, there were three more people Yan Qingqiu recognized: a young woman in Taoist attire wielding a long sword, known as the “Qingfeng Jian” Wu Xia; a small man with three long wisps of beard and a deerskin pouch at his waist, the Tang Clan’s Si Ye Tang Hong; and a very tall, middle-aged man with hands as large as dustpans, clearly a practitioner of palm techniques, the famous “Lie Bei Zhang” Chen Dajiang. There were also three men, clearly top-notch fighters at first glance, but their names were unknown.

Murong Ai didn’t even glance at the others, keeping his eyes fixed on Sima Xiao, and said: “You’re such a bore. If you want to catch me, just come directly. Why drag along a bunch of useless people and hide in the shadows? Haven’t you had enough in Hangzhou?”

These words were extremely rude, yet Sima Xiao didn’t show a hint of anger. He laughed and said: “Murong Zuoshi, you are wronging me. If it weren’t for the good deed you did in Zhuozhou City, how could you have aroused such indignation among these heroes, leading them to follow me here?”

“Are you saying that I opened Ning Mengshan’s coffin?”

Sima Xiao continued: “Opening a coffin and desecrating a corpse is indeed heinous, but you and Feihua Gongzi also killed my uncle, Nangong Cheng, and two innocent women. That’s just too deranged!”

Yan Qingqiu was shocked upon hearing this and asked: “Zixiao is dead? How could this happen?”

Tang Hong sneered and said to him: ” Feihua Gongzi, why be hypocritical? That day, Nangong Shaoxia saw you and this demon appearing in Zhuozhou and immediately sent a message by pigeon to Sima Gongzi. But before Sima Gongzi could arrive, Nangong Shaoxia was killed. Another woman named Biyao, a courtesan, also died in her room that night. Both had their joints and necks broken—wasn’t this your exclusive technique, Feihua Gongzi? ‘A bamboo joint of one chi nine cun five, as strong as steel and iron, shattering bones’.”

Yan Qingqiu felt a tightness in his chest, his ears buzzing, as he murmured: “Zixiao… Biyao…”

The Taoist nun Wu Xia scolded angrily: “Yan Qingqiu, how can you be so heartless! Nangong Shaoxia had a past with you, and to protect your whereabouts, you resorted to such cruel measures!”

Yan Qingqiu felt a pang in his heart and loudly defended himself: “I did meet Zixiao that day, but I didn’t kill him. We only exchanged a few hurried words before parting.”

Sima Xiao sternly replied: “Well said! Since you met him, weren’t you afraid he’d reveal your whereabouts?”

Yan Qingqiu said: “Zixiao promised me he absolutely would not—” He didn’t finish his sentence, but a chill ran through him: he had hoped his old friend would trust him once and keep his promise, but now it seemed he had been too naive. Nangong Cheng had long seen him and the “demon” as one, yet he thought someone would still believe in his innocence.

Sima Xiao said coldly: “My uncle was honest and upright. How could he have seen you and said nothing? You must have known his nature and took action. Self-preservation is one thing, but why harm two innocent women? When I investigated in Zhuozhou for a day, I not only saw that Ning Daxia’s tomb was desecrated but also learned that after Zui Hongguan entertained you two, one courtesan was killed and another went missing. You truly are ruthless!”

Wu Xia angrily shouted, “Where is the woman named Qiluo? What have you done to her?”

Yan Qingqiu was only thinking about Biyao’s gentle and lovely face, feeling very sad, and didn’t pay attention to Wu Xia’s question. Murong Ai, however, coldly sneered and said: “What else? Naturally, we cut off her limbs and threw her into the wild. By now, even if she hasn’t frozen to death, she must have been eaten by wolves!”

His words were like adding fuel to the fire, enraging Wu Xia. With a “xiao,” she drew her sword, and even the faces of the others darkened.

Sima Xiao’s expression also darkened as he said: “Murong Zuoshi, you have done many acts which have damaged your moral integrity, but even if you are exceedingly brazen, you should not kill and desecrate corpses, thinking there is no one in the Central Plains martial community to stop you. And once wasn’t enough for you so you had to do it a second time.”

Murong Ai laughed loudly and said: “Isn’t Sima Gongzi known for his intelligence? This second time of mine has already been difficult to accomplish!”

Sima Xiao did not hold back either and said: “I had already guessed in Zhuozhou that you might cause trouble again. I immediately informed the victims to quickly report the burial sites of the deceased. Before you two entered Baoding Prefecture, you were recognized, so we and these heroes waited here! Murong Zuoshi, if you don’t want your hands and feet cut off, hand over your weapons and come with me ba.”

Murong Ai drew Kuaiyi Qiushuang from his waist and, under the moonlight, twirled it gracefully, smiling as he said: “It’s a pity, but there are two things in my life I will never hand over: the one I love, and this sword.” After speaking, he glanced at Yan Qingqiu. “Even though Juechen is charming, he might not be as devoted as I am.”

His actions seemed almost playful, as if joking with a friend, showing no regard for the formidable enemies before him. This immediately provoked Wu Xia, who angrily cursed: “You’re a beast in human clothing, shameless!”

Sima Xiao, knowing that this fierce battle was inevitable, said nothing more. He clapped his hands, and the others stepped forward, forming two groups.

He said to Murong Ai: “During the battle in Hangzhou, your skills were exceptional, injuring four of our top fighters single-handedly. Since I already bore the name of ‘using many against the few,’ I must continue this impoliteness now.”

Murong Ai sneered: “That’s typical of people from the Central Plains. Even when being scoundrels, they do it with grandiosity, not afraid of being disgusting. Show me everything you’ve got, it’s cold and I could use some warmth.”

Sima Xiao lowered his head slightly, his right hand sliding to his waist to draw a soft sword. The blade, like a serpent, wavered in the moonlight: “I come to seek your instruction again, Murong Zuoshi. Please use your full strength.”

Wu Xia and the two people on the right stepped forward, surrounding the Demon Blade in the center.

Murong Ai said nothing, just removing his black cloak and throwing it to the ground. His right hand gripped the Kuaiyi Qiushuang sword while his left hand held the scabbard, crossing them in front of his chest.

Yang Chong, who had a red scar between his eyebrows, along with Tang Hong, Chen Dajiang, and another swordsman in white, all stared at Yan Qingqiu.

Tang Hong smirked sinisterly and said, ” Feihua Gongzi, we haven’t yet properly addressed the matter of my Shiliu Di. Why don’t you come back with us to the Five Great Clans and we’ll inquire in detail?”

Yan Qingqiu lowered his head and gave a bitter smile—now the blame for the bloody Chengdu massacre was being placed on him.

He looked at Yang Chong, who showed no expression but clasped his fists in a respectful salute before drawing his long sword and saying: “Please.”

Yan Qingqiu, not daring to be negligent, returned the salute, discarded the torch, and held the bamboo flute horizontally in front of his chest. Suddenly, there was a loud shout as “Lie Bei Zhang” Chen Dajiang was the first to make a move, sending a gust of palm wind rushing toward Yan Qingqiu. Yan Qingqiu did not dare to take it head-on, he slid his foot and retreated three chi, but had not yet stabilized when he heard the sound of something breaking through the air. It turned out that Tang Hong’s Bone-Piercing Darts had been launched at the same time. Yan Qingqiu used force with his waist to avoid them by leaning back, only hearing two piercing sounds chi chi, as the hidden weapons embedded themselves in the pine trees behind him.

Yan Qingqiu thought to himself: Back in Hangzhou, dealing with just Yang Chong alone had already exhausted him. Now, there were three more experts, which was truly troublesome. Fortunately, they were now in a forest of pine and cypress trees. If he could leverage his Qinggong and the terrain, he might be able to defeat them one by one.

With this thought, he gathered his energy, leaped to the treetop, and then sank into the forest.

Tang Hong shouted, “Be careful! That rogue is very cunning, leading us into a trap ne!”

Yang Chong waved his long sword and was the first to follow, while the other three didn’t say much and followed closely behind.

Yan Qingqiu had excellent eyesight and could distinguish positions and gaps even in the dark. Moreover, he was wearing black clothes tonight, making him almost blend into the night. The pursuers caught up with him several times, but each time he moved slightly and escaped. Tang Hong’s various hidden weapons all ended up hitting the trees, making his face turn livid with rage.

Chen Dajiang chopped down a few young pines and roared: “You slippery rascal! Dodging and hiding like this, what kind of hero are you!”

Yang Chong said nothing, while the other swordsman said: “We should move in from all directions. Even if he is nimble, he will get exhausted eventually. We just need to slowly tighten the circle, and we won’t fail to catch him.”

Tang Hong and Chen Dajiang nodded repeatedly, so Yang Chong did not object. The four of them each took a position, surrounding Yan Qingqiu.

Although Yan Qingqiu didn’t hear their words, he noticed something was wrong after changing directions several times only to repeatedly hit obstacles, and realized what they were doing. Apart from avoiding Yang Chong, he had exchanged blows with Chen Dajiang and the others, discovering that although Chen Dajiang’s palm strength was robust, it was not flexible, and his movements were not as steady as Yang Chong’s;Tang Hong’s Qinggong was similar to his own, but his hidden weapons were more precise and hard to defend against. The weakest one was the swordsman. To break through the encirclement, he had to defeat the swordsman first.

With this thought, he moved more towards the southeast, directly targeting the swordsman’s weak spot. With his skills, although he had to avoid the sudden attacks from Chen Dajiang and Tang Hong, it wasn’t impossible to take down the swordsman. 

Yan Qingqiu moved like a nimble snake flicking its tongue, probing and testing. He used deceptive moves to confuse and also engaged in real combat. After two such exchanges, he finally found an opportunity—Tang Hong was thrown five zhang away, Chen Dajiang was separated by a row of pines, leaving the swordsman isolated, and Yang Chong was further off to the northwest. Concentrating, Yan Qingqiu launched an attack, aiming directly at the vital point on the swordsman’s chest.

Seeing the swordsman in white clothes now within three chi of him, just as Yan Qingqiu’s bamboo flute was about to strike, he heard a sudden cry, and the swordsman spat out a mouthful of bl00d, splattering Yan Qingqiu’s face, then fell straight to the ground, having suddenly suffocated to death!

This sudden turn of events was like a flash of lightning. Yan Qingqiu stood stunned, eyes wide and mouth agape. When he looked up, he saw Yang Chong standing behind the swordsman. Before he could think further, Yang Chong suddenly stepped aside, retreating into the pine forest, as if intentionally leaving a path for him.

Yan Qingqiu’s inner being was shaken like thunder, leaving him no time to react. From behind, he heard Tang Hong’s cursing and the whistle of hidden weapons. Gritting his teeth, he stepped over the swordsman’s corpse and immediately heard Tang Hong angrily shouting: “You scoundrel! You actually killed Qin Daxia!”

FOOTNOTES

Titles

Zhui Feng Jian: “Wind-Chasing Sword”, title of Liu Xing, a victim of the murders

Zui Jingang: “Drunken Colossus”, title of Shen Xiangzong, another victim

Qingfeng Jian: “Clear Wind Sword”, title of Wu Xia

Si Ye: “Fourth Master”

Lie Bei Zhang: “Stone-Splitting Palm”, title of Chen Dajiang

Shiliu Di: “Sixteenth (Younger/Junior)Brother

Objects

Qing Shen Dan: Translates to “Clarity Pill”

Sounds

Chi Chi: An onomatopoeic expression  mimicking the sound of something piercing or slicing through the air, like the whizzing or hissing noise that sharp objects make when they move quickly.

Other

“There was no one in the four fields”: Conveys the idea of a place being completely deserted or uninhabited, commonly used in literary and poetic contexts to describe a sense of desolation and emptiness in a wide, open area.

Zhang: A unit of measurement, which is roughly equivalent to 3.3 meters (or about 10.8 feet).

“One chi nine cun five”: 一尺” (yī chǐ) is one chi, which is approximately 33 centimeters or about 13 inches.”九寸” (jiǔ cùn) is nine cun, where one cun is about 3.3 centimeters or approximately 1.3 inches. So nine cun is roughly 29.7 centimeters or 11.7 inches.”五” (wǔ) is five fen. One fen is about 0.33 centimeters or 0.13 inches, so five fen is approximately 1.65 centimeters or about 0.65 inches.So approximately 63.35 centimeters or about 25 inches.

Three chi: Roughly equivalent to one-third of a meter or about 33 centimeters (approximately 13 inches).