The Affairs of the Martial World - Vol 4 - The Fragance of Destruction: Chapter 1

Qingshui County.

Autumn, late autumn.

It was already dusk; the setting sun swept away the pedestrians on the cold street, and the autumn wind gently stripped the trees of their garments.

Walking alone in the bleak cold wind, the taste of loneliness brought melancholy, leaves falling like memories sinking into the depths of the past, passion drifting to distant corners.

Fortunately, there were still close friends and fine wine; these were the best remedies to drive away loneliness.

Zhu Que walked with heavy yet light steps into this ancient county town, where a young man of a prominent family awaited him, his friend whom he hadn’t seen in many years. 

His friend’s surname was Zhuang, and his name was Yuxie. He was a charming figure, excelling in both poetry and swordsmanship. Zhu Que once roamed the martial arts world with him, but unfortunately, he later fell in love with a woman he had rescued, and from then on, he devoted himself to her, gradually losing contact with his friends in the martial world.

This time, Zhu Que also did not plan to stay long; after greeting, he would need to leave after two or three days.

In the past, Zhuang Yuxie came from a wealthy family, young and reckless, fond of cleanliness. Wherever he went, there were always servants waiting by his side. His clothes were always neat, his food exquisite, and his wine fragrant, displaying some habits of a spoiled rich kid. Aside from that, he was not unpleasant; on the contrary, his sincere and warm smile made him seem endearing and genuine.

The two shared a deep friendship; Zhu Que thought about their imminent reunion, and reminiscing the thrilling times of past grievances and joys, he couldn’t help but feel his blood run hot.

Zhu Que couldn’t help but quicken his pace, as if he could see his friend, as suave as ever, waiting for him with warm wine.

Arriving at the entrance of the manor, Zhu Que found the door, which had never been closed before, tightly shut, and two white lanterns hanging above the doorframe, a sign of mourning, a death in the family.

Zhu Que felt like he had fallen into an ice cave, and he hurriedly pounded on the door, feeling increasingly anxious.

The sound of pounding echoed on the deserted street, sharp and jarring.

Fortunately, someone opened the door; otherwise, the iron door would be smashed to pieces if he kept hitting it like this.

The one who opened the door was Zhuang Yuxie, yet it was also not Zhuang Yuxie.

In the past, Zhuang Yuxie was so dashing and soaring, with a handsome face complemented by well-fitting new clothes, giving off an air of being a dragon and phoenix among men. But at this moment, Zhuang Yuxie exuded a sour odor (1); his clothes seemed to have not been changed for a long time, and his hair and beard were a tangled mess, making him appear as if he had aged over ten years.

Seeing Zhu Que, Zhuang Yuxie also lost his former enthusiasm, as if he were looking at a stranger.

Zhu Que couldn’t help but shout, “What happened? How did you end up like this?”

Zhuang Yuxie sighed deeply and said, “Let’s talk inside.”

After Zhu Que entered the courtyard, Zhuang closed the main door behind him and led Zhu Que to the living room. In the center of the living room was a memorial tablet with the words “Beloved Wife Tang Yingying” written on it. In front of the tablet was a small furnace, burning paper money offering. 

Apart from Zhuang Yuxie, the once numerous servants were nowhere to be seen in the compound.

Zhuang Yuxie pointed to the memorial tablet and said, “Yingying, she died a terrible death; even her body couldn’t be found.”

Zhu Que, ignoring all of this, grabbed his arm and asked, “What about your father? Your mother? Where has everyone else in the family gone?”

Zhuang Yuxie replied, “I was afraid the two elders would be too heartbroken and harm their health, so I sent them to the old residence, and I also sent the servants to take care of them.”

Zhu Que secretly breathed a sigh of relief and asked, “What exactly happened?”

Zhuang Yuxie fell silent for a moment as if recalling a memory that brought him immense sorrow; his eyes reddened again. After a long while, he said, “There’s wine in the next room. Let’s sit down and talk.”

After Zhu Que accompanied him in drinking a large bowl of wine, he felt a bit better and began to talk about what had happened.

“Last year, a monk skilled in Buddhist teachings came to the Guanyin Temple outside the city. Even the temple abbot held him in great respect, calling him Master Honglian (2). Many people in the town went to make wishes, and many of them came true. Gradually, his fame spread far and wide, but I did not believe in ghosts or gods, thinking that many things were merely coincidences. After hearing about it, Yingying insisted on making a wish. I knew the reason; more than a year after our marriage, Yingying had not become pregnant, and she wanted to ask Guanyin for blessings so that our family would have an heir.

“I originally didn’t want to go, but Yingying bugged me for months. By this summer, I finally couldn’t refuse and accompanied her there. Master Honglian was not very old, yet he was well-versed in Buddhist teachings, and there was a strange light in his eyes that made one hesitant to look directly at him. After understanding the reason for our visit, Master Honglian took out a pill for us. After Yingying took the pill, sure enough, within a month, she became pregnant. One day later, Yingying secretly went alone to ask Master Honglian to determine the baby’s gender. When she returned, her demeanor had changed, and when I asked her how Master Honglian responded, she resolutely refused to say. Soon after, Yingying fell ill with a strange disease. We sought many famous doctors for treatment, but there was no improvement. Finally, with no other options, I went to find Master Honglian. He said it was due to evil spirits entering her body and that she needed to sincerely practice Buddhism to drive away the demons. However, following his methods did not improve Yingying’s condition. Master Honglian said it was because she lacked sincerity, and he instructed her to go to the mountain to repent before the Buddha statue. I accompanied her, and that day, she asked me to wait for her in the temple while she went off alone. After a long time without seeing her return, I searched everywhere and found her shoes and accessories by a cliff, leading me to believe that, unable to bear the torment of her illness, she had sought a quick end to her life.”

Zhu Que patiently listened to him finish and asked, “When did this happen?”

Zhuang Yuxie said, “It’s been a month and a half.”

Zhu Que asked, “Having only seen her shoes and accessories, but not the body, how can we conclude that she has jumped off the cliff to commit suicide?”

Zhuang Yuxie took out a piece of paper and said, “Look.”

Zhu Que took it over, and it indeed said to end the suffering and let Zhuang Yu remarry so that the Zhuang family would not lose their livelihood.

Zhuang Yuxie said, “I recognize Yingying’s handwriting; it’s indeed hers.”

At this point, Zhu Que didn’t know what else to say. Suddenly remembering something, he asked, “Have you ever gone down that cliff to search?”

Zhuang Yuxie said, “Down by the cliff is a rapid current; the body has long been washed away by the water. I led people to search the area, but we found nothing.”

Zhu Que thought for a moment and said, “What did Master Honglian say? When Yingying went to determine whether it was a boy or a girl, did something strange happen?”

Zhuang Yuxie lowered his head and said, “I also wanted to ask him afterward, but unexpectedly, Master Honglian disappeared the day after Yingying jumped off the cliff. I sent many people to search for him, but none found any trace.”

Zhu Que thought to himself that a monk walking on the road was very eye-catching, so it should be relatively easy to track his whereabouts unless he were in disguise.

Thinking of this, Zhu Que said, “Could it be that Master Honglian used some kind of sorcery to manipulate Yingying, leading her to have such thoughts?”

Zhuang Yuxie frowned, “I don’t know either, but his reputation is very good, and without evidence, it’s hard to accuse him.”

Zhu Que comforted him, saying, “After all, you haven’t seen Yingying’s body; there might still be a glimmer of hope……”

Zhuang Yuxie interrupted him, “The people I sent out, besides searching for that Master Honglian, had also been looking within a hundred miles below the cliff’s base, but they didn’t find any trace of her. Yingying is definitely dead. It’s a pity that she was still carrying my child. Zhu Que, I’m so sad.”

Zhu Que had nothing to say; he only patted his shoulder and sighed.

The two each drank their wine, and as the alcohol entered their sorrowful hearts, it became even easier to get drunk. At some point, both of them fell into a drunken stupor, one after the other.

(1) sour odor — a stinking smell

(2) Master Honglian — 红莲法师, the term ‘法师 / fǎ shī / Master’ refers to someone who has mastered the sutras of Buddhism.