Legend of The Frost Blade - Chapter 12

Tonight was full of dangers, and Yan Qingqiu’s mind was already tightly wound. Now, having fallen to a disadvantage, he was even more anxious. Unexpectedly, Murong Ai still maintained a teasing attitude, completely dismissing the surrounding people. Yan Qingqiu couldn’t help but smile bitterly inside: this person is truly arrogant. Doesn’t he realize that we are both injured now? If we further provoke the people around us, it could be very problematic.

As for Tang Hong and his group, initially seeing Yan Qingqiu’s weakened state, they thought they could surely succeed. Unexpectedly, Murong Ai intervened halfway through and forcefully saved him. Tang Hong and the others initially looked ashen as the soil, but upon closer inspection, they saw a blood trail like a small snake winding down Murong Ai’s sword-holding hand, which made them overjoyed.

Tang Hong said: “I originally thought the Demon Blade was formidable, but it turns out he’s just a brute. If you’re sensible, you’d better throw down your weapon and surrender early.”

Murong Ai didn’t get angry at Tang Hong’s words, not even looking at him, only frowning in disgust. Turning to Sima Xiao, he said: “Sima Gongzi, I’m tired today and don’t want to entangle with you any longer. It’s best to end this quickly.”

Sima Xiao, with curved eyebrows and a sharp tongue, said: “Murong Zuoshi, of course, you’re tired. Now your internal energy is greatly depleted, and you’re wounded. The longer you drag this out, the more dangerous it gets. If you’re not careful, the hard-earned reputation you’ve fought for could be lost here.”

He laughed heartily, and the surrounding fighters echoing him, but Yang Chong stood far away supporting Chen Dajiang, neither coming closer nor smiling.

Murong Ai remained calm and composed in the face of Sima Xiao’s mockery and even showed a hint of pity: “Sima Gongzi, you are a smart person and should know when to stop. Today, not only will I leave, but you won’t be able to keep Juechen here either. If you don’t want your reputation to suffer, you’d better retreat on your own ba. As for these barking creatures, they all need to be taken away!”

Before Sima Xiao could respond, Tang Hong was furious! He was very famous in Sichuan and came from the Tang Clan. When had he ever been insulted like this? Moreover, Murong Ai had previously ignored him, as if he didn’t even exist, and now he was being called a dog. If he tolerated this, he couldn’t bear the surname Tang!

Being close by, Tang Hong, in a fit of rage, attacked without any order, launching five iron caltrops towards Murong Ai’s head, neck, chest, and abdomen. With a few dang dang sounds, they were all cleaved in half by Kuaiyi Qiushuang. However, in that brief moment, Sima Xiao grabbed his soft sword and charged forward. Leading the way, Wang and Feng dared not fall behind.

Yan Qingqiu only felt a cold wind brush past his ear, followed by a tightness at his waist as Murong Ai pulled him back a dozen feet, stopping on a clear spot.

Turning to look at Murong Ai, he was greatly shocked: in just a moment, Murong Ai’s handsome face had darkened as if shrouded by a layer of black mist, and his eyes were faintly bloodshot, resembling those of a ferocious beast.

Before Yan Qingqiu could speak, Murong Ai pushed him aside and said to Sima Xiao in a sinister tone: “I showed you a way to live, yet you insist on going through the door to death. Fine, I haven’t unleashed my full power in a while; today is a good day to hone my blade!” He then turned to Yan Qingqiu and advised: “Juechen, you’re injured, stay here and don’t join the fray.”

“Da Ge, what are planning to do?”

Murong Ai placed the blade of Kuaiyi Qiushuang together with its sheath and, staring at Sima Xiao, said: “Let Juechen see what the Demon Blade really is.”

He gripped the junction of the blade and sheath with his right hand and the base of the blade with his left hand, slowly tightening his grip and gradually sliding it towards the tip. As his hand moved along the blade, the silver sword turned crimson, with droplets of blood falling to the ground, making a pattering sound. At this moment, Murong Ai’s eyes looked even more terrifying, appearing so red as if they too were bleeding.

Yan Qingqiu was greatly alarmed, feeling a great sense of foreboding. Even Sima Xiao and his men sensed Murong Ai’s heavy breathing and unusual demeanor, and they all tightened their grips on their weapons, becoming increasingly vigilant.

Seeing Kuaiyi Qiushuang’s body turn completely red, a chilling murderous aura emanated from Murong Ai, making Yan Qingqiu shiver.

Murong Ai was only heard letting out a loud shout, leaped three zhang into the air, and charged straight at Sima Xiao. The now crimson Kuaiyi Qiushuang was raised high and slashed down like a long blade. Sima Xiao raised his sword to block, but with a sharp sound of impact, his soft sword was cut in two.

It should be known that Sima Xiao, recognized as the next leader of the Five Great Clans, used well-crafted weapons, even if they were not divine tools. Moreover, he had been using this sword to fight Murong Ai for a long time. Now, Murong Ai, though injured and not having changed his weapon, could cut the same soft sword in half, which greatly surprised him.

Sima Xiao was an extraordinary person. He discarded the broken sword and moved slightly, narrowly avoiding the dangerous attack. Nonetheless, Kuaiyi Qiushuang still left a bloody mark on his shoulder.

A layer of cold sweat appeared on Sima Xiao’s back. He could never have imagined Murong Ai’s power would suddenly increase tenfold. Clenching his fists, he loudly warned the others: “This treacherous villain is full of tricks, everyone be extremely careful!”

Murong Ai’s eyes were blood-red, and without waiting for Sima Xiao to finish speaking, he raised his sword and attacked again.

Watching from a distance, Yan Qingqiu grew increasingly alarmed the longer he watched: Murong Ai’s moves were completely different from what he had seen before! Previously, if Murong Ai’s swordsmanship was superb, incorporating techniques from staffs, hooks, spears, and other forms into his own, it would be understandable. But now, using the blood-red Kuaiyi Qiushuang, every move resembled fierce blade techniques!

Sword moves are light and agile, while blade techniques are heavy and forceful. These two skills are fundamentally different, yet Murong Ai was using the sword as if it were a blade, and doing so with remarkable ease. The red sword seemed to be infused with power a thousand-fold greater, making it impossible to withstand.

Without a weapon, Sima Xiao could only rely on his fists and palms to dodge. Wang and Feng had just stepped forward when Murong Ai struck each of them with a single blow, piercing their throats. The move was so quick that no one saw it clearly. Tang Hong’s face turned pale, and even though he continuously launched hidden weapons, not a single one hit its mark.

Sima Xiao’s anger flared, and he shouted: “Yang Chong, are you just going to stand by and watch?”

Yan Qingqiu frowned: Yang Chong’s prowess was far superior to Wang and Feng.

Murong Ai seemed to have anticipated this. As he was fighting Sima Xiao, he suddenly turned and ran towards the other two at the edge of the pine forest. Kuaiyi Qiushuang was inverted in his hand, and as he passed Tang Hong, he sliced off his right arm with a single stroke.

Tang Hong fell to the ground, howling in pain, while Yang Chong placed Chen Dajiang down and stepped forward. Sima Xiao’s face changed slightly, and he quickly followed.

Now, Yang Chong and Sima Xiao joined forces against Murong Ai. Yang Chong’s long sword was as steady as a mountain, while Sima Xiao had picked up Feng’s single hook, using it with dexterity. Yan Qingqiu feared that these two top fighters might cause Murong Ai to falter, and he clenched his bamboo flute tightly, ready to assist if needed.

Yet, at this moment, Murong Ai was fighting two opponents with ease, effortlessly countering Yang Chong’s sword and evading Sima Xiao’s hook. Under the clear moonlight, a black shadow wielding a blood-red sword was slashing left and right, like a menacing demon. No matter how Yang Chong and Sima Xiao coordinated, they couldn’t find an opening.

Yan Qingqiu couldn’t help but take a few steps forward to observe more closely. He realized that not only had Murong Ai’s internal strength increased significantly and aside from the strangeness of using a sword like a blade, even his footwork had changed. Though it appeared ordinary, it seemed to follow the Ba Gua pattern,  therefore moving unpredictably north and south, forming a one-man formation, appearing ghostly.

The three of them fought fiercely for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Gradually, Yang Chong and Sima Xiao began to show signs of exhaustion. Sima Xiao had deep internal strength, but he had already battled with Murong Ai earlier for a while. Yang Chong, with slightly less internal strength, relied entirely on his swordsmanship. As soon as they started to falter, Murong Ai seized the opportunity.

They attacked Murong Ai from left and right, aiming at his flanks. Murong Ai, however, raised Kuaiyi Qiushuang high above his head, exposing his sides to them. Yang Chong and Sima Xiao exchanged glances, realizing something was wrong, and tried to pull back, but Yan Qingqiu, watching from a distance, knew it was already too late.

Sure enough, as the long sword and single hook began to retreat, Murong Ai twisted his wrists, separating the blade and sheath of Kuaiyi Qiushuang. With a sharp “sou” sound, the blade pierced Yang Chong’s right chest, and the sheath fractured Sima Xiao’s collarbone. The two men screamed in pain and fell to the ground, while Murong Ai, following the momentum of his move, twisted his wrist again and sheathed Kuaiyi Qiushuang.

This series of actions flowed smoothly like running water, strange and dangerously exceptional, a rare and unusual move Yan Qingqiu had seldom seen since  entering Jianghu. Yet, it also possessed an indescribable sense of dominance.

He stood there, his heart pounding. The words of Mijiu Xian from the past echoed in his mind: A drunkard would give his life for a hundred-year-old brew; a martial artist, upon seeing a true master, would prostrate with all five parts of the body touching the ground. He used to laugh at his master for using this as an excuse to drink, but today, he was finally convinced.

Murong Ai sheathed his sword, not even glancing at the two fallen men, and turned to Yan Qingqiu, grabbing his uninjured left hand and whispering: “Let’s go!”

At this time, the eastern sky faintly showed a patch of fish belly white, about the third quarter of the Hour of The Hare.

Yan Qingqiu and Murong Ai quickly bandaged their wounds, untied their horses from the edge of the forest, and headed straight south without returning to the city. Because Sima Xiao had said that all their victims had revealed the burial grounds, they could no longer throw themselves into the net. They chose the most obscure paths, the more secluded and outside of the plan, the more suitable it would be.

After running for dozens of miles, the sky was already bright. The horses they had were hastily bought and could not be considered fine steeds; by this time, they were inevitably showing signs of fatigue. Yan Qingqiu was half a horse-length behind Murong Ai, just about to advise him to stop for a rest, when he saw that black figure sway as if he was about to fall.

Yan Qingqiu was greatly alarmed, quickly spurred his horse forward, grabbed the reins, and with a forceful pull, stopped both horses. Before he could let go, Murong Ai’s body swayed again and actually fell from the saddle.

Yan Qingqiu got off his horse and helped Murong Ai up, discovering that his face was as pale as a dead person’s, with a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. Yan Qingqiu, worried, repeatedly asked: “Da Ge, what’s wrong? Could it be that you were injured in the fierce battle just now?”

Murong Ai coldly smiled: “Juechen has seen it. Did I not defeat those two hypocrites beautifully?”

Yan Qingqiu nodded: “Magnificent beyond compare! I never imagined Da Ge’s skills had reached such a profound level!”

Murong Ai laughed heartily Ha Ha, but before his laughter ceased, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Yan Qingqiu was startled, grabbed his wrist to check his pulse, and his eyebrows furrowed deeply—Murong Ai’s pulse was not only extremely weak but also chaotic.

Seeing Yan Qingqiu’s expression, Murong Ai smiled again: “Juechen, do you really think I have such great abilities, to injure two top masters within twenty moves? I gambled with my life… My martial arts are  peculiar; by reversing my meridians, I can increase my internal strength tenfold, but the longer it lasts, the more damage it causes… If I hadn’t ended the fight quickly, I would have bled from all seven orifices and died on the spot!”

Yan Qingqiu never expected Murong Ai to take such a risky gamble to escape, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit of aversion to his sinister martial arts.

Murong Ai, knowing exactly what Yan Qingqiu was thinking, coldly smiled and said: “Feihua Gongzi, there’s no need to keep criticisms in your belly. My technique hasn’t yet broken through the final barrier, but once it does, my achievements will be limitless. Not to mention injuring Yang Chong and Sima Xiao as I did today, but I could decapitate them within ten moves with the ease of picking something out of a pocket, without expending even the slightest effort.”

Although Yan Qingqiu did not fully agree with such sinister techniques, he was impressed by Murong Ai’s skills at that moment, knowing his words were true. Moreover, if it weren’t for Murong Ai’s intervention, he would have already been killed by Tang Hong. Thinking of this, Yan Qingqiu felt a bit of remorse and softly said: “Da Ge…… why did you resort to such a dangerous strategy? Xiaodi actually feels deeply ashamed.”

Murong Ai, his body feeling weak, borrowed Yan Qingqiu’s strength to stand up. Not minding, he said: “Talking more now is useless. Although this place is desolate, we cannot stay here long. Juechen should let these two horses go ba.”

Yan Qingqiu agreed, took the packs off the horses, gave each a whip on the rump, then supported Murong Ai into a desolate forest and found an old, dilapidated temple to rest for the time being.

Yan Qingqiu gathered some dry wood to start a fire and then helped Murong Ai remove his clothes to treat the sword wound on his shoulder. Unexpectedly, after Murong Ai’s top half was bare, a palm-sized black bruise was revealed on his upper abdomen.

Murong Ai followed Yan Qingqiu’s gaze, looked down, and pressed his fingers on his abdomen. He extracted a silver needle from his flesh and laughed: “The poison of the Tang Clan truly lives up to its reputation. If I were an ordinary person, I would have been dead long ago.”

Yan Qingqiu had heard of this Tang Clan poison, named “Ziye Zhui Hun.” Those who were poisoned would have their corpses turn pitch black, as if stained with ink. If Murong Ai hadn’t intervened midway, Tang Hong’s closely packed silver needles as dense as raindrops would have surely sent him on the road to the Yellow Springs.

Although Murong Ai had mentioned that he could resist some poisons, but was ultimately no match for the Tang Clan’s formidable power. The previous fierce battle had stirred his energy and blood, causing the poison to spread, resulting in the blackened area. Moreover, he had expended so much energy that it was difficult to use his internal power to suppress the poison, making the situation extremely dangerous.

Yan Qingqiu hesitated for a moment, then said to Murong Ai: “Da Ge, I must now use a knife to cut open the poisoned area and release the poisoned blood first. I’m sorry to put you through this, but please bear with it for a while.”

Murong Ai nodded, drew Kuaiyi Qiushuang, and handed it to him.

Yan Qingqiu felt a chill in his palm as soon as he grasped it, with a cold sensation spreading through his body. He lightly flicked the sword with two fingers, revealed a look of admiration, then gathered his focus again, said “Forgive me,” and made a small cut about one cun long on Murong Ai’s upper abdomen.

Dark, blackened blood flowed from the cut, slowly crawling down the firm muscles. Yan Qingqiu’s face inexplicably felt warm. Murong Ai looked at him with a faint smile, saying nothing.

Yan Qingqiu thought about how this man had been injured twice to save him, and to worry about propriety now would be ungrateful! Resolving himself, he knelt down in front of Murong Ai, placed his hands on his strong thighs, and pressed his lips to the wound, sucking out the poisoned blood.

Murong Ai looked down and saw Yan Qingqiu’s fair side profile pressed against his chest, his warm lips stained vividly with the poisoned blood, and his earlobes had turned bright red, looking somewhat delicate. Murong Ai’s heart was like a monkey and mind like a horse, his body also starting to get hot.

Yan Qingqiu sucked a mouthful of poisoned blood, spat some out, and then sucked again, repeating this several times until the blood gradually turned red. He felt slightly relieved, smiled up at Murong Ai, and said: “Da Ge, it seems to be getting better. Let’s bandage it up first and then find an antidote ba.”

Murong Ai saw the bloodstains on Yan Qingqiu’s lips, looking like rouge, and his heart fluttered again.

Just as Yan Qingqiu was about to stand up, a large hand pressed down on his shoulder. He looked at Murong Ai in surprise, only to hear him say with a smile: “Juechen is also injured, why don’t you let your Xiong  bandage you up ba.”

FOOTNOTES

Objects:

Ziye Zhui Hun: “Midnight Soul Hunter”, the name of a poison from the Tang Clan.

Sounds

“Sharp sound of impact”: 销的一声 is often used to describe a sharp, metallic sound.

“Sou”: Mimics the sound of something swiftly cutting through the air.

Other

Ba Gua Pattern: Ba Gua, also known as Baguazhang (八卦掌), is a Chinese martial art that is one of the major internal styles, alongside Taijiquan and Xingyiquan. The term “Ba Gua” translates to “Eight Trigrams,” which are symbols used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality.

“Prostrate with all five parts of the body touching the ground“: 五体投地” (wǔ tǐ tóu dì)  (hands, knees, and head touching the ground). It is used to describe showing deep admiration, respect, or reverence for someone or something.

“On the road to the Yellow Springs“: 黄泉路 (huáng quán lù):  Referring to the journey to the afterlife in Chinese mythology.

“Heart like a monkey and mind like a horse“: 心猿意马 (xīn yuán yì mǎ):  Meaning to be restless or distracted.

“Throw themselves into the net“: 自投罗网 (zì tóu luó wǎng): meaning to walk right into a trap.

Hour Of The Hare: Approximately 5:45 AM in traditional Chinese timekeeping.

“Keep criticisms in your belly“: Meaning silent or inward criticism.