Legend of The Frost Blade - Chapter 16

Fuyue Manor had long been desolate. Even though there were now two living people and two dogs, the noise was only slightly louder. Except for the small courtyard where they stayed, the rest of the place remained as deathly silent as before.

After the massacre back then, many of the servants’ bodies were taken away by their relatives. Only the bodies of the Liu family members and a few single servants remained unaccounted for. A person’s death is like a lamp being extinguished, the grievances and grudges turning to dust. The righteous sects considered it an act of kindness to handle the funerals of Liu Ji’s three generations. They buried them in the mountain cemetery, around the tomb of the first manor lord, Liu Yun. Wudang, Shaolin, and the Sima Clans presided over the funeral and placed some ancient artifacts and weapons in the coffins as burial objects. To prevent grave robbery, they specially invited the Tang Clan to apply poison to the coffins. After everything was arranged, the sect members dispersed, and the surviving servants took some valuable items and left too, leaving only Jiang Feng staying behind..

He was originally a beggar saved by Liu Ji and later became the steward of the Liu family, serving faithfully for decades. Speaking of which, Liu Tenglong and the other three brothers were all trained by him. Though nominally master and servant, their relationship was like that of father and sons. Growing up under his watch, Liu Tenglong and Liu Baozhi were naturally the flesh on the tip of his heart. 

However, the fall of the Liu family was like the collapse of the sky and caving of the Earth for Jiang Feng, almost driving him to join his masters in death. But thinking about the uncertain fate of the young masters, he steadfastly stayed in the old residence. That day of the massacre left most rooms severely damaged, the righteous sect members who came to investigate making things even worse. Jiang Feng cleared out the courtyard where Liu Tenglong lived and placed the ancestral tablets of the Liu Clan there, worshiping and cleaning the place annually. He went on like this for twenty years, never slacking. Now with Murong Ai’s return, Jiang Feng seemed to have regained his youth by a decade, bustling around tirelessly.

Yan Qingqiu admired his loyalty and did not dare to look down on him as a servant. Following Murong Ai’s lead, he addressed him as “Feng Bo.” After much persuasion, they managed to share some of the manor’s chores.

Now, Murong Ai and Yan Qingqiu were hiding in this desolate mansion, not worrying about outside pursuits, focusing solely on healing. Their daily meals, prepared by Feng Bo, consisted of wild game and mountain goods, which were actually better than what they had been eating recently.

Murong Ai carefully checked his pulse and internal breath, finding a method to first suppress the poison from the Tang Clan’s “Zi Ye Zhui Hun,” then expel the poison applied by Yao Tang’s Si Shi. His internal skills involved the technique of reversing meridians, which, though dangerous, did not follow conventional methods. At this moment, with no need to fend off external enemies, he concentrated all his energy inward. It’s akin to holding a ball of fire with your bare hands close to your chest. Despite the burns to your skin and flesh, you cannot loosen your grip. Only then can you gradually resolve it. If he could endure twelve hours, he could expel a portion of the poison. With some rest and a few more attempts, though he couldn’t completely eliminate the toxins, he could remove about forty percent.

During the first time he used his internal energy, Yan Qingqiu was standing by to protect him. Murong Ai sat cross-legged on the bed with his hands on his knees, a layer of black Qi enveloping his face. From sunrise to sunset, then to dawn, the black Qi gradually turned green and then slowly faded away. Murong Ai spat out a mouthful of black blood and then collapsed on the ground.

Yan Qingqiu stepped forward to support him and checked his pulse, finding it stronger than before. He knew that some of the poison had been expelled, and couldn’t help but be overjoyed. Although Murong Ai’s face was comparable to golden paper, he opened his eyes and teased: “Juechen, were you afraid that I would collapse and not be able to get up again?”

As Yan Qingqiu helped him to the ground and poured hot tea for him to rinse his mouth, he smiled and said: “Even though Da Ge is injured, your skills still remain. How could you do something you were not confident about?”

Murong Ai joked: “Thank you for your high regard, Juechen, and even more so for willing to lower yourself to serving tea and water as a maid.”

Yan Qingqiu took no offense and, seeing that Murong Ai was in good spirits, casually replied: “If Shao Ye can recover, not to mention a maid, I wouldn’t mind being a close maidservant, serving day and night.”

The speaker was unintentional, but the listener gave a wide grin.

That day, Feng Bo’s trap caught a deer, which he made into roasted venison to nourish Murong Ai, and he even brought out a jar of wine to liven things up. The three of them enjoyed themselves, experiencing such comfort for the first time in months.

After the first expulsion of the poisonous blood, there were seven days during which he couldn’t use his internal energy. As the twelfth lunar month approached, Feng Bo, overjoyed by Murong Ai’s return, not only caught more game but also went to the village to sell furs and bought rice, flour, and wine to prepare for the New Year. Murong Ai, unwilling to sit idly, walked around the manor looking for old items. However, due to the passage of time, most of the valuables in the other courtyards had been sold by Feng Bo, leaving only the important items locked here.

Murong Ai took nothing else but a Yaoqin from a wooden box. The silk strings were long gone, but the paulownia wood was still carefully wrapped. Brushing off the dust revealed its snake-shaped grain, indicating it was an excellent Qin. Murong Ai held the Qin and placed it by the window, gently caressing it for a while without saying a word.

Seeing him in this state, Yan Qingqiu knew the Qin must hold deep significance for him. He then said: “Though it’s missing strings, it’s not hard to fix. Next time Feng Bo goes out, I’ll ask him to buy some silk. Xiaodi is not very skilled, but I can try to make some strings.”

Murong Ai smiled faintly, “I didn’t know Juechen had such skills.”

“My family was quite strict when it came to our childhood education, requiring proficiency in the six arts, so I also learned about the Qin. A master once explained the making of ice strings, which involves buying silkworm silk, spinning, twisting, making threads, waxing, and stretching. If we have sulfur and fish glue, I might be able to make some.”

Murong Ai shook his head and said: “Forget it, why bring about unnecessary trouble? After holding a sword for so long, I’ve forgotten how to play the Qin. Even if we make new strings, it’s useless.”

With that, he covered the Qin with the cloth again and didn’t look at it anymore.

Even though Yan Qingqiu had become an inseparable friend, at this moment, he was unable to offer any comforting words or persuade him otherwise and remained silent. Murong Ai then pulled him into the courtyard to spar, diverting from the topic.

Though they couldn’t use their true qi, the two of them still practiced the Blood-Sucking Sword Technique over the next few days, delicately exchanging ideas and skills, which turned out to be quite enjoyable.

Seven days passed like this, and it was time for the second round of expelling the poison. During these days, Feng Bo had painstakingly stewed good meat for Murong Ai to replenish his body, partially making up for the depletion. However, the poison was deeper than before by a few degrees. When Murong Ai spat out a mouthful of poisonous blood, he fainted.

Feng Bo was so anxious that his tears flowed in every direction. Yan Qingqiu checked Murong Ai’s pulse and reassured him: “It’s nothing serious, It’s just a temporary overexertion. A bit of sleep will do him good.”

At that time, it was late at night, and the cold was becoming more intense. Feng Bo closed the doors and windows tightly, brought a lamp, and, with Yan Qingqiu, carried some firewood back to build up the fire in the brazier. He also put a pot of meat soup on to simmer. Seeing him constantly looking at the person on the bed, Yan Qingqiu comforted him: “Most martial artists can regulate their Qi. Even though Da Ge appears to be sleeping, he’s actually recuperating internally. He’ll gradually get better. Feng Bo, you should just go rest. When Da Ge wakes up, I’ll feed him the soup myself.”

Feng Bo smiled and said: “Laoxiu has been inadequate in my service these past few days, troubling Gongzi. It’s truly shameful. Gongzi should sleep ba. I am old, and I hardly feel sleepy anymore.”

Yan Qingqiu responded: “In that case, I’ll keep you company, and we can make some small talk.”

Feng Bo nodded: “Since Gongzi is willing, I naturally comply.”

Yan Qingqiu stretched his hands by the fire to warm them and asked: “This house is very cold in winter. Why not install a Huokang?”

Feng Bo said: “Gongzi, you might not know, but the Huokang are only installed in the servants’ quarters. In the courtyard where the master and mistress lived, they had Di Long, which kept it warm in winter. If it weren’t for twenty years ago……”

Yan Qingqiu’s heart trembled, and he looked up to Feng Bo’s withered face wrinkled with both sorrow and anger. He quickly interjected: “Could it be that the Di Long was damaged and can’t regenerate fire?”

Uncle Feng sneered: “What is a mere Di Long to them? They wanted to turn the Fuyue Manor upside down. Whatever could be dug up was dug up, and whatever could be excavated was excavated.”

Yan Qingqiu thought about it and realized that Feng Bo was referring to the people from the righteous sects who had challenged the manor back then. According to the stories, the various sects camped outside the manor and, upon receiving no response, sent their disciples to investigate, leading them to storm the manor. They acted so brazenly in the manor, no different from common bandits, were they not afraid of damaging their reputation? Yan Qingqiu thought: could they have been searching for something?

It wouldn’t be surprising. The Liu Clan’s martial arts, learned from beyond the borders, were vastly different from the Central Plains styles, even rumored to have been taught by the Demon Sect. If they could find some secret manuals, they could not only steal the techniques but also gain an advantage against the Demon Sect in the future.

However, for the righteous sects to plunder the Liu Clan right after their extermination, resorting to such despicable acts inevitably makes one feel disdain.

Thinking of this, Yan Qingqiu couldn’t help but ask: “Feng Bo, are you saying the righteous sects searched the manor back then?”

Feng Bo replied with disdain: “Just like jackals with rotten meat, where is the righteousness in that? The bald donkeys and ox-nosed men from Shaolin and Wudang cared about their reputation, but many others conveniently led sheep away. Those sanctimonious heroes weren’t any better, searching all over Lao Ye and Lao Taiye’s rooms. Did they think I didn’t know? They were just looking for the ‘Chuan Yun Jian Pu.’ But the master passed it down orally, how could there be such a manual?”

Yan Qingqiu asked again:  “Feng Bo, there is something I don’t understand. May I inquire for details?”

The elderly servant replied: “Gongzi, please don’t be so polite. There is no harm in asking.”

Yan Qingqiu said: “When the bodies were buried, did you know that Da Ge was not dead? Didn’t the righteous sects count the bodies?”

Feng Bo sighed deeply: “When Laoxiu rushed back from the other courtyard that day, Lao Ye and Shao Ye had already perished, and their bodies were collected. I don’t know any martial arts and am just a useless person, so I could only cry bitterly by the coffins. However, I didn’t trust those people, so before sealing the coffins, I checked each body. All the other masters still had complete corpses, but Shao Ye’s face was half missing. I carefully felt his hands and feet and identified moles and scars, and knew it wasn’t Shao Ye’s body. Although there has been no news about him for years, I believed he must have escaped and would return here someday… Now that I can see him again with my own eyes, I can die in peace…”

These words brought tears to Feng Bo’s eyes, and he kept wiping them away. Yan Qingqiu couldn’t help but feel compassionate.

It turned out that apart from this elderly servant, everyone else believed the Liu Clan had been entirely killed. Seeing people from various sects ransacking the manor, Feng Bo naturally wouldn’t reveal that Liu Yunzhi might have survived, hoping he had escaped far away.

Yan Qingqiu pondered further, wondering how Murong Ai had escaped back then and how he had reached the borderlands? Could it have been the work of that Demon Sect Zhang Ling Shi who was being pursued? Did his name change to “Ai” signify mourning?

However, these questions were likely beyond Feng Bo’s abilities to answer. If anyone could answer them, it would be Murong Ai himself. Yan Qingqiu thought carefully and decided that if Murong Ai wished to share in the future, that would be fine. If not, he wouldn’t press the matter and wouldn’t open old wounds. Moreover, in a heartfelt friendship, there are things that should be done and things that should not be done.

With this decision made, Yan Qingqiu felt somewhat relieved. He then asked Feng Bo about the old Qin. Feng Bo replied: “That Qin was originally Shao Ye’s beloved item. Lao Ye and Lao Taiye used to play the Qin and the flute together, which made others envious. Shao Ye learned the Qin from a young age, and later, Lao Ye gave it to him as a gift. Shao Ye loved it very much…… I kept the Qin in a wooden box in the room. How did Gongzi know about it?”

Yan Qingqiu pointed to the table by the window and said: “Da Ge found it the other day, saw that it had no strings, and wrapped it up and placed it there.”

Feng Bo said sadly: “Laoxiu is incompetent and couldn’t restore the Qin, which made Shao Ye sad…”

Yan Qingqiu quickly comforted him, saying that Murong Ai had no intention of playing the Qin again and perhaps just wanted it for remembrance. As they were talking, they heard a cough from the person on the bed, and Murong Ai woke up. Feng Bo quickly went to attend to him, and Yan Qingqiu also served a bowl of meat soup.

After some rest, Murong Ai’s complexion improved slightly. He thanked them and drank the meat soup. Feng Bo moved the brazier closer and said: “Shao Ye, tomorrow is the twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month. I plan to go to the nearby market town to sell some animal skins and buy some New Year’s supplies. I might have to stay overnight. If Shao Ye has any requests for food or drink, just let me know.”

Murong Ai replied: “Thank you for your efforts in bustling about. Wouldn’t it be better to use the silver I brought with me?”

Feng Bo still shook his head— As it turned out, Murong Ai, being the Zuoshi of the Demon Sect, carried some money with him, including quite a few gold leaves. However, since he returned here to hide his whereabouts, Feng Bo feared that showing wealth might attract trouble. So, they continued to live by hunting and chopping wood, even training the yellow and gray dogs Murong Ai brought as helpers.

Yan Qingqiu said: “We are used to wandering Jianghu and are not very particular. Feng Bo, there is no need to make this trip specially.”

The elderly servant chuckled, his wrinkles deepening: “Even if Gongzi is not particular, I still should treat him well. Since Shao Ye has returned, honoring the ancestors is a must, and the offerings must be fully prepared. Moreover, during the New Year and festivals, if the food is as usual, it would be too dull. I am in good health now, and there is no snow outside, so making this trip is no trouble. Besides, Shao Ye does not need to detoxify these days, which gives me a bit of free time.”

Murong Ai, understanding his intention, nodded and said: “In that case, go early and return early. If the silver is not enough, just buy some incense and paper money.”

Feng Bo responded with a “Yes,” and then chatted about daily matters, amusing Murong Ai with stories of Dahuang and Xiaohui while hunting. When it was time to sleep, Yan Qingqiu went out with him and suddenly said in a quiet place: “Feng Bo, if you are going far this time, can you see if there are any Qin strings to buy? If not, buying some silk thread will do.”

Feng Bo looked at him for a long time, gratefully sighing: “Gongzi’s care for Shao Ye truly makes this old one grateful. I will remember this matter, and you can rest assured.”

Yan Qingqiu exchanged a few pleasantries, and then returned to Murong Ai’s room.

At this moment, Murong Ai was getting up to stretch his muscles. Seeing him enter, he asked: “Weren’t you going to rest just now, Juechen?”

Yan Qingqiu said: “No, for the next two days, only you and I will be here while Feng Bo is out. Since childhood, I have always adhered to the saying ‘a gentleman stays away from the kitchen,’ and can only roast sweet potatoes. I had to check what else there is to eat. Otherwise, when Feng Bo returns, won’t he find two starved corpses?”

Murong Ai laughed heartily Ha Ha: “Juechen, you truly think ahead. It seems I still need to handle the cooking. As long as you don’t mind the taste, I have some means.”

“That’s great,” Yan Qingqiu added: “I wonder how many more times Da Ge needs to detoxify?”

Murong Ai pondered for a moment: “The remaining poison has slightly reduced. Considering my physical strength and internal energy, I can still do it five more times, after which I won’t be able to. If we count the days, we need to stay here for more than a month. Are you getting bored, Juechen? If you want to go home for a reunion before the Lantern Festival, you can go, lest you accuse me of keeping you detained in the future!”

Yan Qingqiu replied: “Not at all, Xiaodi was just thinking that it would be rather dull to only practice martial arts in these remaining days. I have a new tune that I’m still unfamiliar with. Would Da Ge like to practice it with me?”

Murong Ai was stretching his limbs but paused upon hearing these words: “Juechen’s flute never leaves his person, but my Qin has long since become unplayable. Didn’t you know, Juechen?”

“A good Qin without strings is indeed regrettable, but it would be even more unfortunate for both the Qin and the person to be wasted. I have a peculiar habit of cherishing things, and I can’t stand to see such a thing. I can’t help but drag Da Ge along to accompany me.”

Seeing him say this, Murong Ai also smiled: “If Juechen can really string the Qin, I will definitely risk embarrassment to perform in front of you.”

Upon hearing these words, a look of joy appeared on Yan Qingqiu’s fair face.

FOOTNOTES

Titles

Laoxiu: (老朽) A term used to regard oneself “This old one”.

Lao Ye/ Lao Taiye: “Master” and “Mistress”.

Xiaohuang & Dahui: The names of the yellow and gray dogs, “Big Yellow” and “Little Gray”.

Objects

Yaoqin: A Jade Zither, though not actually made of jade. The term “jade” in Chinese culture often symbolizes beauty, purity, and value, which is why the zither is named in this manner.

Huokang: A (火炕) is a traditional Chinese bed that is built with bricks or clay and has a hollow space underneath where a fire is lit. This structure heats the bed, providing warmth during cold weather.

Di Long: (地龙) refers to an ancient heating system commonly used in traditional Chinese architecture. This system involves channels built beneath the floor that are heated, similar to modern-day radiant heating systems. When it says “挖了地龙,” it implies that the system was excavated or dismantled.

“Chuan Yun Jian Pu”: “Cloud-Piercing Sword Manual”.

Other

“The flesh on the tip of one’s heart”: “心尖子上的肉” (xīn jiān zi shàng de ròu) Deeply cherished and loved.

“Face comparable to golden paper”: 脸若金纸” (liǎn ruò jīn zhǐ) This idiom is used to describe someone who is extremely pale or has a sickly complexion, suggesting that their face looks as thin and lifeless as a piece of yellowish paper.

Proficiency in the six arts: Skilled in multiple disciplines (in ancient China, the six arts were rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics).

“..Tears flowed in every direction”: The term “纵横” (zòng héng) (For “In every direction) can be quite versatile and carries a set of meanings depending on the context in which it is used. “Vertically and Horizontally” is the literal translation, describing movement or alignment in both vertical and horizontal directions. It can also imply moving about freely or unrestrained.

“Conveniently led sheep away“: 顺手牵羊 (shùn shǒu qiān yáng): To take advantage of an opportunity to steal.

Lantern Festival: 元宵 (yuán xiāo) refers to the Lantern Festival, which is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar. It marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations.