Rebirth

To avenge his entire family, Gu Shenwei felt he had always possessed a heart for killing. All this time, he had tried to hide it, not awaken it.

But when he needed to turn that murderous intent into killing aura, attaching it to the wooden saber in his hand and the enemy before him, he discovered that nothing was easy. He couldn't even see the Shangguan Twins as his enemies, let alone Qian Nu, who had once lived alongside him.

Hatred, however, answered his call at once. It swallowed his insides without hesitation, gleefully hurting its master, yet refused to turn toward the enemy.

Gu Shenwei gripped the wooden saber with both hands. To summon his killing intent, he had to see Qian Nu as the person he hated most.

Shangguan Fa. He was the one who had ordered the slaughter of the Gu family, but Gu Shenwei had never seen Unrivaled King and couldn't picture him.

Shangguan Nu. He was the chief culprit who had personally killed Gu Shenwei's parents and older brother. Gu Shenwei had seen him and even stood close to him. But the Eighth Young Master's image inspired mostly fear. Whether Gu Shenwei wanted to admit it or not, he was now more afraid of the man who had severed his hand than he hated him.

Han Shiqi. He had infiltrated the estate as a spy and had likely killed Gu Shenwei's family with his own hands. Gu Shenwei had once stabbed this assassin himself, and Han Shiqi was already dead. Gu Shenwei felt nothing but hatred for him, no fear.

A strange feeling rose within Gu Shenwei. The wooden saber was no longer a wooden saber, but part of his body. Though it was his first time holding it, he was brimming with confidence. And Qian Nu before him was no longer Qian Nu, but "Han Shiqi," his movements stiff. Gu Shenwei could hit him with ease.

A faint voice drifted into his ear: "Begin." It was like a hand releasing a bowstring, and he was the sharp arrow resting on it.

The two boys moved almost at the same time. Compared to their speed, their moves were utterly ordinary: one brought his saber down in a mighty cleave, while the other swept it level toward his opponent's belly.

The match ended after a single move. If these had been famous fighters, or adults, the spectators would have considered it a classic clash between masters. But this was clearly just two boys: one a bruised and battered servant, the other the weakest apprentice among his fellow disciples. The scene was ridiculous.

"Huh? What's that supposed to be? Why aren't they fighting anymore? Who won?" Shangguan Fei called out first. Most of the onlookers shared his thoughts.

On the field, Gu Shenwei knelt on one knee, his wooden saber held against Qian Nu's belly. Qian Nu remained standing, bent at the waist, with his wooden saber pressed against Huan Nu's left shoulder.

If those had been real sabers, one would have had his belly split open and his entrails spilling out, while the other would have been cut in half. Both were fatal blows. The question was who had been struck first. Whoever took the first hit would have no strength to continue attacking and would naturally lose.

The two separated and each stepped back. Neither was one to show off, and neither declared himself the victor. So everyone turned to Hu Shining. He was their instructor, experienced and sharp-eyed; he couldn't possibly have misjudged the match.

Hu Shining looked stern, as if the two boys had committed some grave offense. He walked up to Qian Nu, said nothing, took the wooden saber from him, and raised it high. Then, before everyone's eyes, he gripped it with both hands and snapped it in two.

Next, to everyone's astonishment, he carried the two pieces over to Gu Shenwei. Still without a word, he presented them to him.

Gu Shenwei was a little flustered. His killing intent had long since vanished, but Hu Shining's gaze was unyielding, so he had no choice but to accept the broken pieces of the saber. He glanced at his opponent, Qian Nu.

Qian Nu's face was red. He stared at his toes as if he stood naked before the crowd, yet didn't dare cover himself.

"The disciple of the Penglun Sect wins."

At Hu Shining's announcement, Shangguan Ru and the others all jumped up and cheered.

"Again! Again!"

Shangguan Yushi urged them on, but Hu Shining shook his head repeatedly. "There's no need. No apprentice in Carved Wood Courtyard is his match."

The instructor's high regard for a servant left everyone baffled. The Twins had both sparred with Huan Nu and felt he was about their equal, yet Hu Shining hadn't praised them the same way. They couldn't help but wonder why.

"Hmph. If you don't want to fight, fine. Let's go." Shangguan Ru assumed the other side was making excuses and turned to leave.

Gu Shenwei held one wooden saber in his hand and had the two broken pieces with nowhere to put them. He walked up to Hu Shining and respectfully offered them back.

Hu Shining accepted them casually, then finally gave in to his curiosity. "What's your name? Why didn't you enter East Fortress?"

"My name is Huan Nu. I've studied Internal Force."

Hu Shining shook his head again and again in regret. To have cultivated such killing aura at such a young age—he was a born assassin. What a waste.

Gu Shenwei went to catch up with his master. Hu Shining continued watching his retreating back, shaking his head. A thought suddenly stirred in his mind: there was something unusual about this boy. Staying by the two young masters could be dangerous.

But the thought flickered through his mind and was gone. He had no way to prove it. Better not to make trouble for himself.

Behind him, the defeated Qian Nu suddenly clutched his stomach and began vomiting noisily.

Outside Carved Wood Courtyard, Shangguan Ru saw Huan Nu emerge and immediately punched him, laughing as she said, "So you're good with a saber. You've been keeping it from us all this time."

Gu Shenwei knew she hadn't really hit him, so he accepted the punch with a smile. An idea flashed through his mind, and he dropped to his knees with a thump. "Master, how could my paltry skills compare to yours?"

"Who's your master?" Shangguan Ru asked loudly, but her face was wreathed in smiles. She clearly didn't dislike the title.

"When I represented our Penglun Sect in the match just now, the Ninth Young Master accepted me as her disciple."

Shangguan Ru tilted her head and looked Huan Nu up and down, her expression serious. Then she suddenly burst out laughing again. "Since you didn't embarrass me today, I'll accept you as my disciple. But I'm warning you, I'm a very strict master. If you disobey or don't work hard, you'll be punished."

"Of course. A strict teacher is like a father. My life is in your hands, Master."

A few months ago, Gu Shenwei would have blushed even hearing someone else say something so fawning. Now, the words slipped smoothly from his lips, and his face didn't change.

That was how hardship and hatred reshaped a person.

Now that Shangguan Ru had a disciple, Shangguan Fei wouldn't stand for it. He shouted, "I'm the deputy sect leader. I'm Huan Nu's master too!"

"There can only be one master. If you want to be one, go take on someone else. You two—become his disciples."

The two book pages were quick-witted too. At Shangguan Ru's command, they immediately knelt before the young master and called him "Master" again and again, more sincerely and warmly than Gu Shenwei had. Shangguan Fei grew pleased with himself again.

Shangguan Yushi had watched coldly from the sidelines. Now she couldn't take it anymore. "Hmph. He deliberately let you win. What's there to be proud of?"

She had been quite happy when Gu Shenwei won inside, but watching him grow bolder and flatter Shangguan Ru without holding back left her feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

Shangguan Ru was in high spirits. She took her cousin by the hand. "This is your Auntie Rain. Go pay your respects."

Gu Shenwei turned to Shangguan Yushi. "This disciple pays his respects to Auntie Rain."

Shangguan Yushi tried to dodge, but Shangguan Ru held her tight, and she had to accept several bows.

That morning, Shangguan Ru had been downcast over Marshal Yang's death. Now, having founded a sect, she grew more and more excited. "Sigh, this apprenticeship ceremony is too simple. Carved Wood Courtyard has its own territory. We should have one too. Where should we go?"

Everyone offered suggestions. Some said Moon Holding Courtyard, others Star Picking Courtyard, and still others suggested one of the empty houses that Golden Peng Fortress never used. Shangguan Ru wasn't satisfied with any of them. None seemed unique enough, none felt like a proper "territory."

In the end, Shangguan Yushi had the most ideas. She came up with a wonderful plan, leaned close to Shangguan Ru's ear, and whispered a few words. Shangguan Ru's eyes lit up, and she blurted out, "Perfect! That's the place."

Then she and her cousin ran deeper into East Fortress. The other four boys followed, bewildered. Shangguan Fei chased after them, asking, "Where are we going? Where?"

Shangguan Ru and Shangguan Yushi didn't seem to know exactly where the place was either. They darted left and right through the alleys, going in circles. They ignored Shangguan Fei's questions, making him hop about in frustration and kick his two "disciples" several times to let off steam.

The six youngsters ran farther and farther away. The courtyards on either side grew sparse, until at last they spotted a cliff at the end of an alley.

Shangguan Ru and Shangguan Yushi perked up and kept running, but Shangguan Fei stopped short, his expression changing. "I know where you're going. I'm not going."

The two book pages had still been running, but when they heard the young master's voice change, they suddenly remembered too. They skidded to a halt, turned around, and scrambled back to Shangguan Fei.

Only Gu Shenwei had no idea what was going on. He ran over to the two girls.

Shangguan Ru glanced back and said disdainfully, "Coward. You don't deserve to be an assassin." Then she quickened her pace. Before long, the three of them reached the end of the alley.

It turned out this wasn't the cliff itself. A stone staircase slanted downward, leading to a fan-shaped platform several yards below. It was quite spacious, and at the far end was the actual cliff, with no barrier at all.

"This must be the place," Shangguan Yushi said, putting on a mysterious air.

Apart from its unusual shape, Gu Shenwei couldn't see anything special about the place. But strangely, he seemed to catch a familiar scent in the air, though for the moment he couldn't remember why.

"Hey, come back! That's Rebirth Cliff. Let's go play somewhere else."

Shangguan Fei called from behind them. The two girls ignored him and exchanged smiles. Shangguan Yushi turned to Huan Nu. "Do you know about Rebirth Cliff?"

Gu Shenwei shook his head.

"This is where Golden Peng Assassins make their final ascent to heaven. The dead are thrown down from here."

Shangguan Yushi waited for Huan Nu to panic, but he merely let out an "Ah" of realization and looked around curiously, not the least bit afraid.

While caring for the injured at Kindling Courtyard, Gu Shenwei had seen countless bodies thrown from Ghost Cry Cliff. He had even wondered what happened to the people who died on the spot, since those gravely wounded in Golden Peng Fortress were sent to Kindling Courtyard. Now he finally understood.

There was a place like Rebirth Cliff in West Fortress too. Gu Shenwei was careful not to mention it. His time at Kindling Courtyard wasn't something to be proud of.

Faced with Huan Nu's boldness, Shangguan Yushi was surprised. Even Shangguan Ru couldn't help admiring him a little; she herself had needed to steel her courage to come here.

Perhaps to welcome the intruders, the sound of metal striking metal rang out in the distance. Then two men in black emerged from the alley, carrying a corpse. In silence, they walked toward Rebirth Cliff.

Shangguan Fei and the two book pages went pale. They hurriedly cleared a path and pressed themselves against the wall.

The corpse bearers kept their heads lowered. They didn't bow to the young masters, but continued on their way.

Shangguan Yushi and Shangguan Ru also looked a little pale, but they stepped aside only a few paces and stood by the road, watching the corpse bearers pass and descend the stone steps one step at a time.

The two girls murmured something over and over. When Marshal Yang had killed several assassins outside the fortress, Gu Shenwei had heard people chanting something like this. He hadn't paid attention then, but now he made out the words:

"May the soul rise to the ninth heaven, the spirit descend to the nine abysses.

The living suffer sorrow and hardship; the dead find peace."

It was just two lines, sixteen characters in all. The two girls whispered them again and again, as if they were a spell to ward off evil.

Gu Shenwei suddenly felt deeply moved. Unable to stop himself, he asked, "What are you reciting?"

Shangguan Yushi continued chanting. Shangguan Ru lowered her voice, as if afraid to disturb someone, and whispered:

"The Death Sutra."