Legend of The Frost Blade - Chapter 13

Yan Qingqiu already felt that disrobing and exposing his body was rather indecent, especially having intimate skin contact with another person, but to extract the poisoned blood, these concerns were discarded. However, when Murong Ai placed his hand on Yan Qingqiu’s shoulder, just lightly pressed down, it made his heart skip a beat.

Feihua Gongzi, a master of both literature and martial arts, was born into a scholarly family, and had somewhat of an elegant, scholarly demeanor. With his youthful gentleness, it is unknown how many women admired him, as he had countless beautiful confidants. When it came to matters of love, though he was not a veteran, he certainly understood the nuances of romance. Murong Ai’s tone and actions, which should have signified comradeship in adversity, inexplicably felt somewhat ambiguous to him.

Feeling a sudden alertness in his heart, Yan Qingqiu gathered his thoughts and stood up, saying: “Thank you for your kindness, Da Ge. The bleeding has stopped. It is Da Ge’s injuries that are more severe, so please be extremely careful.”

Murong Ai released his shoulder, saying no more, but his lips curled into a slight smile, and his black eyes sparkled.

Yan Qingqiu retrieved clean clothes from his pack, changed out of the ones torn during their forest dash, and said: “From what Sima Xiao said last night, the places we need to go are already ambushed. With Da Ge’s current injuries, you need to rest quietly. We can’t stay here long.”

Murong Ai properly covered his chest and asked, ” Does Juechen have a place to stay?”

Yan Qingqiu thought for a moment: “If we can reach Guangping Prefecture, we might avoid Sima Xiao and others. I have some literary friends who are not involved in Jianghu and can surely help.”

Murong Ai smiled, stroking his wound with his right hand, “Good idea. We’ll change our attire and head to Daming Prefecture, then transfer to Jinling. Juechen can then lie low at home. That would be ideal.”

Yan Qingqiu heard his strange tone, and being already familiar with his temperament, also smiled and said: “Indeed, my place is quite ordinary in other respects, except that the house is rather large with many vacant rooms and few inhabitants. Da Ge, if you stay, even for a year or more, it wouldn’t be an issue.”

Murong Ai was taken aback, then laughed heartily twice, feeling genuinely happy. Yan Qingqiu knew that his previous resentment had dissipated, and couldn’t help but sigh—once, he had seen Murong Ai as odd and cruel, but after getting to know him, he realized that he had a childlike temperament. Though he seemed unpredictable, he was actually not to be feared.

Murong Ai’s laughter gradually subsided, and he shook his head repeatedly, saying: “Juechen, I truly appreciate your kindness. Although it would be great to stay at your place, I can’t do so these days. The Ziye Zhui Hun poison is very fierce, and even though some of the poison has been sucked out, there’s still quite a bit left that needs to be expelled through internal energy. Right now, my strength is greatly weakened, and I cannot use force. I can only temporarily suppress the poison, but I’m afraid I can’t hold on until Jinling.”

Yan Qingqiu frowned and said, “In that case, Da Ge, you need to settle down quickly. Can you hold on until we reach Guangping Prefecture?”

Murong Ai nodded and said: “But I can’t use much internal energy.”

“That’s not a problem. We just need to hire a carriage and disguise ourselves.”

Murong Ai smiled again and said: “What should the two of us disguise as, a couple?”

Yan Qingqiu’s ears turned slightly red: “That matter falls on Xiaodi. Da Ge, the most important thing is for you to recuperate first.”

Murong Ai said no more. He glanced at Yan Qingqiu, then closed his eyes to regulate his internal energy. Yan Qingqiu pulled two gold leaves from his pack, held them in his hands for a while, and slowly formed a plan.

Two days later, just outside Baoding Prefecture, three large carts slowly made their way along the main road to Guangping Prefecture. Each cart was quite large, adorned with escort banners, and piled high with household items. The last cart carried valuables, trailing behind it three dogs: one black, one yellow, and one grey. Five burly men sat in the front two carts. If anyone asked, they said they were escorting the belongings of a retired official back home.

In the last cart, there were only two people, both servants of the household. One was a skinny young man holding a whip and driving the cart, and the other was a tall, dark-faced man who spent the day gulping down alcohol, drunkenly slumped over the baggage. This journey was routine and uneventful, with little to no gain, so the escorts were rather indifferent and didn’t speak much with them.

However, after a few days of traveling together and sharing meals, they became familiar with each other. One time, while staying at a roadside inn, the escort guards, intoxicated with their ears hot and, started discussing matters of the martial world. They mentioned “The Battle To Capture The Demon On a Moonlit Night In Baoding Prefecture” saying that the Demon Blade Murong Ai had conspired with Feihua Gongzi to desecrate graves and whip corpses, leading to a fierce battle with dozens of righteous heroes who came to subdue them. The five men, with spittle flying in all directions and talking as if they had witnessed it themselves, described how the Demon Blade killed Feng Zhuangzhu, severed Tang Hong’s arm, and slit throats as easily as chopping vegetables; how Kuaiyi Qiushuang split into dozens of blades, killing until creating rivers of blood, with the cries of ghosts and the wails of gods; how Feihua Gongzi fell into demonic ways, played enchanting tunes on his bamboo flute to injure “Lie Bei Shou” Chen Dajiang, humiliated the Daoist Nun Wu Xia, and used sinister tricks to harm Yang Chong; They also praised Sima Xiao’s superb martial skills and how he turned defeat into victory, severely wounding both the Demon Blade and  Feihua Gongzi, forcing them to flee that very night. The two have not been seen since, and it’s believed they have likely died somewhere, so on and so on. 

They spoke excitedly, but their tales left the two servants stunned. The skinny young man asked: “Isn’t this exaggerated? How could two people stir up such a storm? Dozens of people couldn’t catch them, and they even managed to escape?”

One of the escorts sneered: “Xiao Xiongdi, you’re not from the martial world, so naturally you don’t understand the power of martial arts. When someone has mastered their skills, it’s not unusual for one person to fight against a hundred.”

The skinny young man replied: “Even if their martial arts are strong, they’re still just two people. How can they be as fierce as tigers? I don’t believe it!”

The escorts saw his stubbornness and laughed mockingly, showing some disdain.

The skinny young man continued: “If they’re alive, we should see them, and if they’re dead, we should see their bodies. How can two grown men just vanish like that ne?”

An escort explained: “You don’t know, the art of disguise in the martial world is most marvelous. A man can transform into an old woman, and demonic cultists surely have even more incredible tricks. They could be standing right in front of you, and you wouldn’t recognize them.”

The skinny young man was tongue-tied. The dark-faced man, although sitting at the same table, seemed completely oblivious, focused only on drinking. The more the escorts talked, the louder they became, finally irritating him. He grabbed some greasy pig’s trotters and said: “It’s so noisy here, I can’t even drink in peace!”

This remark made the escorts’ faces turn ugly. One of them slammed the table and cursed: “You pig-eating drunkard, what nonsense are you spouting?”

The skinny young man hurriedly apologized with a smile: “My Xiong Di is drunk, sorry, sorry… please forgive us, masters.”

While speaking, they dragged the dark-faced man out of the inn. After staggering a few steps, he vomited behind the cart.

The escorts looked at him with disgust and contempt, laughing loudly, but paid no more attention to him.

The dark-faced man leaned against the back of the cart with the help of the skinny young man. His drunken demeanor instantly disappeared, and his half-awake eyes cleared. He smiled at the skinny young man and said: “The most unreliable thing in the world is what people say! Who would have thought that in just three to five days, we two would become monsters! Juechen, have you ever experienced such turning of black and white upside down and exaggeration of reality?”

It turned out that the two were Murong Ai and Yan Qingqiu.

That day, Murong Ai was severely injured and needed to recuperate, while also evading the pursuit of Sima Xiao and other righteous individuals. Therefore, Yan Qingqiu gathered some money to buy old household items, arranged for a large cart to transport them, and hired a team of escorts, claiming they were heading to Guangping Prefecture. They changed their clothes, smeared their faces, and disguised themselves as servants accompanying the cart.

Sima Xiao and his group were surely searching the area extensively, leaving no small mountain paths unchecked, but they would never have thought that the two would travel south on the main road with a team of escorts. Martial artists generally look down on petty tradesmen and household servants, considering such lowly jobs even more contemptible, and even disguising oneself as such would be deemed shameful. Little did they know that Murong Ai and Yan Qingqiu were not bound by such conventions.

Yan Qingqiu saw that although Murong Ai had smeared his face black and deliberately made himself look disheveled and dirty, he was still genuinely happy when he smiled. Yan Qingqiu was also very pleased and asked: “Da Ge, how have your injuries been these past few days?”

Murong Ai shook the wine flask in his hand and said: “Every day I practice breath control while leaning on the cart, and with the aid of these good medicines mixed in, although I haven’t expelled the Ziye Zhui Hun, I can slowly regain my strength.”

“Now that we’re outside Baoding’s borders, we just need to endure for another ten days or so. Once we reach Guangping Prefecture, everything will be easier.”

Murong Ai shook his head: “Regarding those serial bloodshed cases before, I was smeared with filthy waters for no reason, but this time, I have been tied down by a deadly enmity with the martial arts community of the Central Plains. I fear it’s not just the Five Great Clans, but even more righteous people will come to intercept us.  The way ahead will be difficult to predict. Moreover, Juechen, you’re now tied to me and have also ‘killed’ their people. When we meet again, those former allies won’t show you any mercy.”

Yan Qingqiu smiled: “Those who are pure will remain pure. What I’m concerned about is why Yang Chong acted like that. Could there be some hidden reasons?”

Murong Ai said: “He and Sima Xiao are allies in appearance but not in spirit. He has very deep thoughts. Speaking of which, his father, Yang Lingyun, is someone who suits my stomach.“

Yan Qingqiu was momentarily stunned, then recalled how Yang Lingyun refused to help the head of Wudang repair his sword, leading to the defeat in the war between the Central Plains and the Demonic Sect as a result.

Murong Ai, seeing his expression, knew what he was thinking: “You naturally hate him, but I admire him. Back then, he traveled to the Western Regions, seeking rare stones to forge swords. Not understanding the local customs, he nearly got killed by the natives. It was our sect leader who saved him. He swore that the swords he forged would never be pointed at his benefactor. Later, when the entire Central Plains martial arts community pressured him, he never broke his oath. Such a man of integrity, how many can there be in the world?”

Yan Qingqiu had always heard his peers curse Yang Lingyun for colluding with the demonic sect, calling him cowardly and shameless. Now, hearing Murong Ai’s account made him thoughtful. It seemed that the world is unpredictable, and how many people can truly see things clearly? He had always been innocent, yet now he was like a dog that had lost its home. Though he had never killed anyone from the righteous path, his reputation was already ruined, and he didn’t even know to whom he could explain.

The root of Yan Qingqiu’s tongue felt bitter, and was unwilling to say more. At this moment, the three dogs lying behind the cart smelled the aroma of meat and came up to them, wagging their tails and begging for food.

Murong Ai smiled and said: “These were meant to be a late-night snack, but I’ll let you have them instead.” As he spoke, he divided two pig’s trotters into three portions and threw them on the ground. The dogs immediately rushed over and began to chew. Murong Ai continued: “Why fight over it? If you’re not full, I’ll go to the kitchen tonight and get more. I’m afraid you’ll all overeat.”

Yan Qingqiu found it amusing; he had never expected that a dignified Zuoshi of the Demonic Sect, a swordsman with mysterious and profound martial arts, could actually say such playful, childlike words. Murong Ai turned, seeing Yan Qingqiu’s mouth curl up into a smile, but didn’t get upset.

The moonlight was bright tonight, with no wind or snow. Although they were sitting outdoors, they didn’t feel cold. The three dogs were happily gnawing on the bones at their feet, and the distant sounds of drinking and playing Fingers added a touch of warmth to the scene.

Murong Ai watched the dogs devouring the pig’s trotters and softly said: “I’ve preferred these kinds of animals when I was a child. I raised cats, dogs, birds, horses, and sheep. Others say animals lack hearts and lungs, but in times of adversity, human hearts can change, yet they never leave nor abandon. I’ve killed countless people, but I never harm animals.”

Yan Qingqiu felt a surge of emotion. Although they had known each other for a long time, this was the first time Murong Ai spoke about himself. Yan Qingqiu never pried into others’ privacy, but since he considered Murong Ai a friend, he couldn’t help but care about him. Hearing this today, it seemed Murong Ai had experienced great changes in his childhood.

Yan Qingqiu thought Murong Ai would say more, but he saw him close his lips tightly. After the dogs finished eating, Murong Ai got up from the cart and said: “We have to travel again tomorrow. I’m tired. Juechen, you should rest early too ba.” With that, he pretended to be drunk and returned to the inn.

Yan Qingqiu knew that Murong Ai was very guarded, so he could only smile bitterly and shake his head.

The journey was quite peaceful. Although they encountered some guests with swords, few came up to inquire about them. The escorts only cared about having fun, and when they stopped to rest, they would invite Yan Qingqiu for small gambling games. Murong Ai continued to pretend to be drunk all day, acting dazed, except he would feed the three dogs more and play with them, ignoring the mocking and ridicule from the escorts. Eventually, the dogs became inseparable companions with this infamous “murdering demon,” even daring to pounce on him while playing.

Another five days passed, and the caravan approached Jizhou. As it grew late, light snow began to fall, and there were no travelers on the road. The head escort said that there was an inn ahead, and if they wanted a warm place to sleep, they needed to hurry.

So, each cart was urged forward with more whips, speeding up. Murong Ai saw the dogs struggling to keep up, so he placed them on the back of the cart, letting Yan Qingqiu take the reins and spur the horse while he played with the dogs.

After traveling for another half hour, the snow intensified, and the sky grew darker. Although the main road was flat, it became slightly muddy, making even the horses struggle despite their best efforts, resulting in a slower pace. The escorts, feeling annoyed, kept cursing incessantly.

Snow covered Yan Qingqiu’s entire body, and Murong Ai pulled out some cotton cloth from his belongings to cover the dogs. The yellow dog, being the most intelligent, lowered its head and kept licking his hand. Murong Ai smiled and gently stroked the dog’s head.

At that moment, a terrible cry was heard, and the escorts in the front suddenly fell into chaos. Both Murong Ai and Yan Qingqiu looked up at the same time to see several dark figures emerging from the dense forest by the roadside. The escorts drew their weapons and started fighting.

Yan Qingqiu instantly realized that the attackers were not ordinary bandits. They were dressed entirely in black, even covering their faces, revealing only their eyes.

Although there were only three of them, they quickly killed four of the five escorts.

Yan Qingqiu’s heart trembled, and he drew his bamboo flute from his belongings, took a deep breath, and advanced. His injuries were not severe and had healed over the past few days. His first strike was full of force, adopting a defensive posture — since Murong Ai had not yet cleared the remaining poison from his body and couldn’t use his internal strength, Yan Qingqiu intended to protect him and handle these men on his own!

Unexpectedly, the three attackers were extremely ruthless. In no time, they killed the remaining escort and all lunged forward with their longswords.

Murong Ai, standing behind Yan Qingqiu, shouted: “Juechen, be careful, these are men from beyond the border!”

FOOTNOTES

Titles

“Lie Bei Shou”: The “Stone-Splitting Hand”, Chen Dajiang’s title.

Other

“Whip corpses”: Referring to the act of desecrating or dishonoring a dead body by whipping it.

“The cries of ghosts and the wails of gods“: 鬼哭神嚎” (guǐ kū shén háo) This vivid expression is used to describe a scene of extreme horror or chaos, where the situation is so dire that it seems to evoke supernatural reactions.

“Turning of black and white upside down“: 颠倒黑白 (diān dǎo hēi bái) “Distortion of truth.”

“Smeared with filthy water for no reason“: 平白被泼了污水” an Idiom which translates to: “Unjustly slandered” or “wrongfully accused.”