"Little Ye." Meng Jiao turned toward him. Marriage had made him seem much more mature and steady. He answered with a smile, "I buy hides and medicinal herbs from the surrounding villages. With only those few acres, there isn't much left to sell after a year's food."
"Isn't that pretty good already? Other families barely grow enough to eat, and you still have some to sell."
Meng Jiao shook his head. He lifted his sun-darkened face to glance at the sky, then lowered it again. "Your sister-in-law is pregnant. I want... I want... to let this child study or practice martial arts someday."
"Mm..." Pei Ye opened his mouth. "That'll cost a great deal."
"Yes. My mother and father-in-law have both been scolding me." Meng Jiao scuffed the ground with his foot and smiled. "But I won't change my mind."
His gaze wandered again, unconsciously settling on Lin Jue's room. He murmured to himself, "The child must study and practice martial arts..."
"Running around like this every day, don't wear yourself out."
"It's all right. I borrowed a donkey cart from Uncle Lu. Whenever he isn't hauling wine, I take it out and pay him a little each time-after another six months of saving, I'll be able to buy a donkey myself."
"Oh, so there's a decent profit in it?" Pei Ye asked with a smile.
"I'd had my eye on this work for a while. No one else is competing for it, so long as I work hard-ah, what's the point of talking about me all this time? I nearly forgot the young hero everyone wants to meet is standing right in front of me."
Pei Ye smiled and shook his head.
"I heard even those officials couldn't deal with that villain, but you slit his throat cleanly in one stroke." Meng Jiao sighed in admiration. "You're incredible. I truly admire you from the bottom of my heart."
"Don't say that... It was just luck."
Meng Jiao shook his head and clasped Pei Ye's wrist. "I mean it, Little Ye. I truly respect you. I saw that head on the coffin lid. It felt so good, Little Ye. Yesterday, when I heard Little Jue and Official Lin had been murdered, I was angry, frightened, panicked... and so stifled. Do you remember? When we were children, Little Jue liked watching you practice martial arts, and I was always sulking at you over it. Now I understand. Without ability, a person can't hold his head high. Little Ye, you're someone with real ability."
Pei Ye said nothing. Meng Jiao glanced at the sky. "All right, I should stop talking. I remember Little Jue made a few little things she was very proud of. She even joked that she wanted them buried with her when she died. If you have nothing to do, why not look for them in her room?"
"Right, she did say that." Pei Ye remembered. "But I can't recall which things they were-why don't we look together?"
"A woven bamboo birdcage, a little clay teapot with a black-and-white puppy painted on it, a thumb-sized Yellow Jade Seal, and a stack of illustrated stories as thick as a palm... Just find whatever you can. It was only a joke, anyway." Meng Jiao picked up the sack beside him. "I won't go inside. It wouldn't be appropriate. I still have work this afternoon, so I need to leave."
"That busy?"
"Old Mo in the eastern village owes me two hides. He said he'd bring them when he came into town the day before yesterday, but I still haven't heard a thing. I'm going to see what happened."
"Oh, all right. Some stretches of the mountain paths haven't dried yet. Be careful."
"Don't worry. I know those paths well." Meng Jiao waved, shouldered the heavy sack, and left the courtyard.
Pei Ye watched him disappear from view, sighed soundlessly, and turned toward Lin Jue's room.
Meng Jiao's feelings for Lin Jue were indeed utterly sincere. But had they truly married, it would not merely have been difficult for Lin Jue to adjust to marrying down into a farming family; for the Meng family, a daughter-in-law whose disabled hands prevented her from working would hardly have been a blessing either.
Chapter 27: Old Dreams
Pei Ye entered Lin Jue's room.
The girl's room looked very different from the one he remembered from childhood.
It now seemed rather "full." Small, elegant flowers and plants, books of every size, all manner of exquisite trinkets, and a wide variety of wall hangings created a dazzling abundance that was nonetheless perfectly orderly.
Unable to go out easily, the girl had poured all her thoughts into this little world of her own.
The first thing he saw upon entering was a delicate little stove. The slightly crooked teapot sat atop it, a puppy painted on its side in clumsy, childish strokes.
Pei Ye picked it up. From his memories emerged the girl with clay covering her hands, her fair cheeks puffed out and spattered with mud. He could not help smiling and set it on the table beside him.
Then he opened a drawer and took out the Yellow Jade Seal carved with a little rabbit.
After he removed the seal, a dozen or so irregular scraps of rough jade remained in the drawer. Pei Ye casually picked up a few to look at, then froze. They were covered in densely packed, crooked little characters. Frowning as he examined them, he found that "virtue," "treasure," and "crane" appeared most often.
Pei Ye understood at once.
These were the traces of the girl practicing each character before carving his Small Green Jade Pillar.
The room fell quiet for a while. Pei Ye had thought that cutting off that head had cleared his heart of everything weighing upon it, yet now he felt struck anew. Only then did he understand: hatred could be washed clean with sword and blood, but grief was an enduring, invisible presence that wound around the heart.
"Never Fall from the Azure Clouds..." Pei Ye murmured in the silent room.
In truth, throughout the many times she had comforted him, her encouragement had indeed warmed him, but mostly because of the sincerity it carried, not the encouragement itself.
Because he had never truly lost heart.
Contrary to what others thought, Pei Ye had never felt that he had suffered an unbearable setback, nor that he had fallen into the lowest depths of his life.
Practicing martial arts was something he loved, not the sole anchor of his existence.
The injury to his dantian seed had certainly frustrated and disheartened him, but it had not brought his entire world crashing down. He enjoyed a life of effort, progress, and victory, but running through the mountains, fishing in streams, and knocking down locust blossoms were equally full of joy.
The ten years others lamented as a waste had merely been years Pei Ye spent living another way.
And deep within him, there had always been a pride he had never voiced, one even he had never recognized-so what if I waste five years, ten years, fifteen years?
From the moment I can cultivate again, if I still want to take first place in those martial examinations, who can stop me?
Even when he imagined meeting Yan Feiqing, whom he admired so deeply, Pei Ye never pictured himself among the spectators shouting below the stage, but standing opposite him with a sword in hand.
The boy's confidence had not diminished in the slightest. He still firmly believed he could claim countless first-place finishes-in Fenghuai, in Bowang Prefecture, even in the Divine Capital beneath the eyes of thousands. But the voice that had cheered loudly for his childish, crude fist forms from the very beginning would never be heard again.
His throat moved. He glanced unconsciously out the window, then lowered his head, returned the jade scraps in his hand, and closed the drawer.
Next, he found the birdcage and the hand-drawn illustrations. Beside the illustrated book lay a thick stack of familiar papers, neatly bound and secured firmly with thread and paste. Pei Ye picked it up and leafed through it. They were the final pages from numerous past issues of the Court Gazette. A cover had been added to the front, bearing the title "Broken Chivalrous Bones" in regular script, while the back still awaited further additions.
This truly was a treasure. Pei Ye tucked it into his robe without ceremony and chuckled softly. "You've put it together so nicely. I'll borrow it for a read."
He shoveled the last spadeful of yellow earth onto the crest of the grave, returned the shovel, bid everyone farewell, and went home.
Though the calamity had now been resolved, he was far from free of burdens.
First, he still did not know the origin of the deep-blue substance on his body and had to wait for the delegation from the Divine Capital;
Second, Black Chi, with whom he shared the Shared Fate of Flourishing and Decline, still stood between good fortune and disaster, liable to soar to glory or plunge into the abyss on any given day;
Third, his own dantian seed was still missing. Though it posed no serious problem for now, it concerned his lifelong prospects in the long run. Black Chi suspected the Torchworld Cult possessed the promised seed, but where could he find any trace of the cult?
The final matter was the only one within his control: the Golden Autumn Martial Contest at the end of the month. This martial examination had no age limit, and everyone would give it their all. Those who had broken their seeds and formed meridians were everywhere. Though he had slain a seven-meridian martial artist, in a head-on clash in the arena, even three- or four-meridian fighters would be extremely dangerous opponents. He needed to practice more during the time remaining.
As usual, Pei Ye practiced his sword for two hours, then added another hour of fist training. He planned to return to the martial hall the next day to spar with his instructors.
As the sun grew fiercer, Pei Ye picked up the kitten, lay beneath the shade of the tree, and opened the Court Gazette volume he had taken from Lin Jue's room.
"Broken Chivalrous Bones."
He opened the first page. At the top was a poem setting the scene.
It went:
Right and wrong have ever been sought within the sword; I trust no Heaven to judge debts of love and hate.
Through deadly rifts I wrestled ghosts, borrowing life time and again; for wine in jeweled towers, how many fur coats did I trade?
Only because I heard sobbing at the feast, I set down my cup and loosed the reins-how could I linger?
A hero may not save the world, yet how could villains be allowed to live carefree in joy!
Pei Ye perked up, adjusted his reclining position, and rested his head on his hand to read closely.
Azure Luan in the Mirror's previous story had been about a talented scholar of humble birth and a beautiful woman from a noble family. Though Pei Ye had never missed an installment, he had only been thirteen or fourteen then and could not truly appreciate its subtleties.
This story was clearly about chivalrous deeds and defending justice, precisely the sort of tale he loved most.
The first installment told of a scholar in a border prefecture. Diligent in his studies, dutiful to his parents and brothers, honest and upright, he was nonetheless so poor that he could only divide his time between farming and studying, and life was exceedingly hard. Fortunately, Heaven smiled upon him. One day, while working his field, he dug up a wondrous luminous pearl. Placed in a dark room, it shone brilliantly. Overjoyed, the scholar hurriedly brought it home.
The youngest daughter of the tailor's shop on the west side of town was named Wanxiu. She was very beautiful and had grown up with the scholar, and affection gradually blossomed between them. But the scholar's poverty made their marriage difficult to arrange.
Now that he had unearthed this pearl, the scholar discussed it with Wanxiu, intending to sell it to pay the betrothal gifts, buy a home, and marry her in grand style. Yet Wanxiu glared at him and said:
"I chose you because I loved your steadfast character and your ambitions that soar into the clouds. With that character, I would elope with you even if you had not a penny; without it, I would not spare you a single word even if you possessed a vast fortune. Now that you have finally obtained some money, instead of pursuing your studies and taking the examinations, you want to spend it all on marrying me. Where has that character of yours gone?"
The scholar broke into a cold sweat and immediately reflected upon himself. He found a shop to pawn the pearl and devoted himself wholly to his studies each day. Half a year later, he indeed passed the examination to become a licentiate. By then, his future father-in-law had already agreed to the marriage, but the scholar intended to qualify as a provincial graduate before returning to hold a grand wedding. Wanxiu supported him and told her father, "However many years he spends taking the examinations, I will wait that many years. If he doesn't mind me growing old, I'm not afraid of growing old either."
At last, the provincial examination approached. The scholar bought a pearl hair ornament for his beloved, and they promised to marry when he returned victorious. Brimming with ambition, he set out.
Three days of toil ground him into a ghost. August's blazing sun steamed him, and the cooking fires scorched him. At last, the signal to leave came. Wearing a long gown that had been soaked through and dried by the wind countless times, the scholar emerged from the examination grounds, his expression full of anticipation and a little apprehension.
He could not wait to share his feelings from those three days with his beloved. Gathering his belongings, he mounted his little donkey and hurried back to town.
The first installment ended there.
Pei Ye was about to turn to the second when someone suddenly knocked on the courtyard gate. "Young Brother Pei, a party of riders has arrived at the County Office. Official Chang asks that you come quickly."
Chapter 28: The Envoys Arrive
Though some of its branches and leaves had been damaged the night before last, the ancient locust tree, whose age no one knew, still looked down over the courtyard. The heavy rain of the past two days had washed it clean and bright. Sunlight of just the right warmth poured through the gaps in its leaves into the office courtyard, and whenever the wind blew, the scattered fragments of gold danced together.
Pei Ye crossed the mottled light and shade toward the front hall. Upon reaching it, he tapped the soles of his shoes twice against the steps outside the door, sending pale-yellow dry earth sprinkling down.
He pushed open the door. Three strangers of exceptional bearing sat inside, all upright and tall, seemingly military officials of the court. Neither the fabrics nor the styles of their clothes could be seen in Fenghuai County, and the first impression their looks and bearing gave was of outstanding figures among men.
If people were birds, Fenghuai's ordinary inhabitants were sparrows, while the officials who had arrived from the prefecture yesterday were thrushes. Today's three visitors were two cranes or herons and an eagle.
First sat a man with dignified features, wheat-colored skin, and black robes. As still as deep water and imposing as a mountain, he seemed to stand there like a towering peak, drawing the entire surrounding space inward, pressing it down around him.
The second was a much younger woman, fair-skinned, pretty, and serene. She too wore trousers, but the hem of her blue-green upper garment was considerably longer, making her look all the more graceful and brisk.
The third, a man, was younger still than the woman and equally fair-skinned. Though he sat listening, countless small details betrayed a restless temperament.
Pei Ye swept his gaze over them, lowered his head, and clasped his hands. "Greetings, honored officials."
Perhaps it was his imagination, but Pei Ye felt that the atmosphere had shifted from solemn to somewhat tense the moment he entered.
Chang Zhiyuan's grave expression eased a little, however. He warmly called Pei Ye to his side and introduced the visitors in seating order. "First, pay your respects to these officials-our prefecture's Defense Commandant, Lord Jing Ziwang; Lady Xing Zhi, Black-Sashed Warlock of the Immortal Platform in the Divine Capital; and Lord Shang Lang, halberd bearer of the Left Dragon Guard Army. Honored officials, this is the young hero Pei Ye, who delivered our county from its calamity. Quick-witted and steady, with courage and martial prowess beyond the ordinary."
Pei Ye bowed to each in turn, and they studied him as well.
The boy before them was unusually tall, his posture straight, his features clear and handsome. Though a trace of youthfulness remained, his bearing was calm, neither servile nor arrogant. He fully deserved the word "reliable."
Xing Zhi greeted him with a smile, while Shang Lang leaned forward, straightened his back, and returned the salute with both hands clasped.
Jing Ziwang merely stared at him expressionlessly, then turned his head toward Chang Zhiyuan. "Official Chang, the tragedy is right before our eyes, and the ritual artifact the enemy worshipped has fused with him. Who knows what might happen? I will repeat myself: to safeguard the peace of this land, I must take this person into custody."
Pei Ye froze for a moment, then raised an eyebrow and turned to look Commandant Jing directly in the eye. The gesture seemed to anger him. The man narrowed his eyes, and pressure dense enough to seem tangible crashed down. Pei Ye's hair stood on end, and he nearly drew his sword. But the little chi swam within his dantian seed, and the pressure around him eased. At the same time, the divine chi's flat, cold voice sounded in his heart: "Need help?"
But it soon seemed to sense the situation here and added, "Oh, never mind. You couldn't beat this one no matter what."
"..."
Chang Zhiyuan clasped his wrist and pulled him slightly behind himself. White-haired and sword-eyed, he faced Jing Ziwang without yielding an inch and said evenly, "Then I, too, will inform you once more, Lord Jing. You protected no one. It was this boy before you who saved Fenghuai from fire and flood."
Seeing the souring atmosphere, Xing Zhi spoke gently. "Please be calm, both of you. Young Hero Pei, perhaps you could first allow me to examine you."
Before you continue