Past events
Ten days, one say they are too long, one can also say they are too short.
On the eighth day, Duan Yao had actually learned all the moves and routines. The old man also said that as long as he practiced diligently once he goes back, and then contemplate on it carefully; with his extraordinary understanding and talent, he can master it in as late as two years or as early as one year. He will be able to penetrate the whole set of martial arts, and he doesn’t have to come back again starting next day.
However on the ninth day, Duan Yao still went to see him on time, carrying some food in his hands.
The old man raised his head slightly in front of the chessboard. After seeing clearly who has arrived, he waved his hand: “I have nothing to teach you anymore.”
“I’m not here to learn martial arts.” Duan Yao sat across him, “Although my master doesn’t allow me to recognize other masters, Senior has taught me a certain set of internal skills and mental methods, so I wanted to come and express gratitude.”
“That’s fine.” The old man gave him a rare smile, “When do you plan to return to the southwest?”
“The day after tomorrow.” Duan Yao opened the food box and went to the house to make a pot of tea.
The old man looked at the dishes and shook his head: “It must have cost a lot of money.”
Duan Yao held back his breath and said, “Yeah.”
“In the future, you won’t be able to keep crying all the time when you enter the real world.” The old man picked up a bowl of fish ball noodles and chewed hard, “You little kid, everything is good about you, but this is the only thing you have to change.”
“Senior,” Duan Yao said, “Let me find a doctor for you.”
The old man still shook his head: “It’s almost time to leave1 when one lives up to my age. Although the people in this palace are kind, they all have their own things to be busy with. I have been here for nearly ten years and have to eat every day. If I want to pay back, I will have to wait until the next life to repay this favor. Even if I spend money and effort on the doctor to take medicine, even if I burn this residual candle for a few more years, what’s the use?”
Duan Yao suggested: “Why don’t we go back to Southwest Mansion together? There are more people there and it will be more lively.”
The old man chuckled: “Silly boy, I made a mistake just now. Your kind heart is not suitable for hanging out in the world. Your brother would be just fine.”
Duan Yao pursed his lips.
“There are too many poor old men in the world, and you can’t control them.” The old man said, “It’s better to go back to the southwest as soon as possible to accompany your brother.”
Duan Yao nodded and didn’t say anything else. He stayed with him until he finished the meal, then packed up the dishes and left.
The old man watched his back go away. He smiled at first, then thought about what happened when he was young. When he came to his senses, he was already in tears.
On the morning of the next day, Duan Yao packed up his small baggage and went to the palace.
Chu Yuan was waiting for him to have breakfast together.
They agreed to go find the old man together, so the atmosphere at the dinner table was naturally not as happy as before. Duan Yao lowered his head and took a bite out of the bun, then took a sip of the porridge, and raised his eyes to take a sneak peek at the emperor.
Chu Yuan laughed: “Why, is it not to your liking, and you’re still angry with me?”
Duan Yao almost choked.
“If you are unhappy, just say it.” Chu Yuan patted him on the back, “I treat you as my biological brother. Xiao Jin has never been so restrained.” If he is upset, I’m afraid he will tear down the entire palace.
Duan Yao said: “If I say, will the emperor be willing to listen?”
Chu Yuan shook his head: “I may not be willing, but if you say it, it will make your heart feel more at ease.”
“Then I won’t talk about it.” Duan Yao muttered.
Chu Yuan gave him a chopstick of salted egg yolk feeling a little amused.
They are obviously brothers, but they have completely different personalities and temperaments. I don’t know how they were raised since they were young.
Duan Yao ate his meal very slowly.
But no matter how slow it was, there was always time to finish eating. After swallowing the last bite of the buns, Prince Duan was unwilling to follow his sister-in-law to the remote courtyard.
Liu Dajiong returned. He was very surprised when he saw this scene from a distance. He thought about it for a long time. Though it seemed that the emperor was trying to hold young prince Duan as a hostage, but he tried to figure it out carefully. Extremely wilful, demolishing houses with his bare hands is a very small issue, even old King Duan couldn’t control this young Duan, King Southwest often suffers from his mischiefs, the emperor shouldn’t be actively seeking trouble like this.
I have to ask Lao Tao about this kind of thing.
In the small courtyard, the old man was still basking in the sun, but there were no chess pieces on the chessboard in front of him. He has changed into new clothes, his hair was neatly combed, and his face had a rare color.
“Senior.” Duan Yao felt guilty.
“I thought you would come earlier.” There was no surprise on the old man’s face, “I greet the Emperor.”
Duan Yao was surprised: “Senior knew we were coming?”
“I didn’t know before, but I guessed it yesterday.” The old man said, “The food boxes that were delivered are all snacks that are only found only on the southeast coast. It is not easy to find them in Yunde City. I think you spent a lot of money just to buy them all. A lot of thought went into it. If you hadn’t guessed something, why would you bother so much just to give me a taste of my hometown?”
Duan Yao: “…”
“From the first day I taught you, I have said that kindness is a good thing, but it may not be a good thing.” The old man said, “If I wanted to leave, I would have find a way to leave this palace after eating that meal. Wouldn’t your trip today be in vain?”
Duan Yao obediently lowered his head.
Chu Yuan said: “It’s really wrong to disturb Senior’s peace. But there are some things that I have to ask.”
The old man nodded: “Please speak, Your Majesty.”
Chu Yuan got straight to the point: “Your Excellency, are you Xuan Tian?”
Duan Yao was surprised.
The old man nodded: “Yes.”
Duan Yao: “…”
Where did this news come from? Why didn’t I know about it at all? !
“You are indeed that senior.” Chu Yuan understood clearly, “No wonder you know so much about what happened in Chaoya and the Fenxing Jue.”
“I know what happened in Chaoya many years ago.” The old man said, “I have been away from there for more than ten years. I have no way of knowing what the current situation is.”
“The King of Southwest once told me that the senior wanted him to destroy the island.” Chu Yuan said, “Why?”
“Because the place is already in chaos.” The old man sighed. “My abilities are limited. I am a mediocre person, but I think highly of myself. I have been living in confusion for more than ten years. I have destroyed the tribe of the Northern Sect and the entire Chaoya Island.”
Chu Yuan frowned slightly.
The island is divided into two factions, the north and the south. The southern faction advocates martial arts to protect the island, and the northern faction goes to sea to make a living. Originally, there should be an interdependent relationship. But later, due to few conflicts, the southern faction wanted to annex the northern faction as well. The leader of the northern sect at that time was Xuan Tian’s father. In order to compete with the southern sect, he hid his eight-year-old son in a wooden barrel, sent him to a merchant ship out to the sea, and went to another island to learn from his master.
Xuan Tian was extremely talented and able to defeat all his brothers at the age of ten. Later, he followed another ship to the Chu Kingdom and became a more powerful master. Coupled with a martial arts secret book that his father stole from the Southern Sect and handed down the ancestors of Chaoya, he became a top master in his early twenties – but he never showed off his skills in open, so no one knew about it.
“After completing my studies, I returned to Chaoya Island, led the Northern Sect to regain its strength, and regained what was lost.” Xuan Tian said, “It’s just that no matter how powerful my martial art is, I can’t eat or wear it, and so anther twenty or thirty years passed like that. Later, Bai Lu from the southern faction went to the sea to search for food, colluded with the Nanyang people to come to the island, and massacred all the northern faction. After I was injured and fell into the sea, I was knocked unconscious by a piece of driftwood. When I woke up, I was rescued by a merchant ship. They thought I was an old fisherman who went down in a shipwreck, so they took me back to Chu State and sent me to a charity hall in Dakun City.”
“Dakun City is in the southeast, not close to Yunde City.” Chu Yuan said.
“Begging for food all the way, you can get there slowly while walking every now and then.” Xuan Tian replied.
“Why are you here? For that old woman outside the city?” Chu Yuan asked again.
Xuan Tian eyes rarely flashed with emotional fluctuations.
“Senior, don’t worry, I won’t disturb that elder.” Chu Yuan said, “It’s just a question.”
Xuan Tian said: “I have owed her too much in this life, but I will never be able to repay her until I die.”
Chu Yuan said: “That elder is living a good life now.”
Xuan Tian nodded: “I know.”
“So Senior no longer has to worry about this.” Chu Yuan sat opposite him, “Even if you can’t be together, knowing that the other person is doing well and being able to watch them from afar is a blessing.”
Xuan Tian said: “What else does the emperor want to know? As long as you don’t disturb her, just ask.”
“Where did that group of Nanyang people who came to the island come from?” Chu Yuan asked.
Xuan Tian shook his head: “I really don’t know now. They are familiar with mechanical formations and are extremely good at making poisons. Even if I had all the skills at that time, I still couldn’t guard against them.”
Chu Yuan said: “In the opinion of Senior, why did they go to the island?”
“What else could it be for?” Xuan Tian said, “Of course it is for the rumored jewels, gold and silver. The Yue Ming Gu is in the hands of the old people of the northern sect, but if the old people die, then the last clue to find the treasure map will also be lost.” If they give in, and I can’t tell what will happen next.”
“Senior came to this North Palace more than ten years ago, and you didn’t even know about the Chaoya people entering the palace?” Chu Yuan said.
Xuan Tian said: “I heard it from the servants here. Before I left Chaoya, the northern faction had been slaughtered. Presumably all the Chaoya people who entered the palace ten years ago were from the southern faction.”
“But at that time, they planted the Yue Ming Gu on me.” Chu Yuan said.
Xuan Tian frowned upon hearing this.
Chu Yuan said: “According to what the Senior said, the Yue Ming Gu should be in the hands of Northern Sect.”
“Indeed it should be so.” Xuan Tian said, “When Prince Duan came to ask me, I was also puzzled by this, but at that time he also had a lot of poisonous insects on him, so I thought that the poison that the emperor was infected with was not the one from Chaoya.” After all, the world so big, and Chu is so also big, no one can be certain that only Chaoya has the Yue Ming Gu.
“If I’m the only one, that’s fine.” Chu Yuan said, “But a few days ago, a group of people from Chaoya also came to Chu secretly. On the way, they had a dispute with a Jianghu man2, and that fellow was also hit with Yue Ming Gu.”
“Chaoya people?” Xuan Tian was puzzled, “Why did they come to the Chu Kingdom secretly?”
“The person is still under house arrest in the palace. I will not interrogate him until I return this time.” Chu Yuan said, “Senior, do you wanna come with me? In order to find out what happened on the island in the past ten years or so.”
===========================================================
As usual, if there are any mistakes or errors, please contact me and I’ll rectify it. If anyone is willing to help in translation, you are more than welcome to assist. In that case as well, please email me.
==========================================================
Notes:
what he means is leave the mortal world, as in die. ↩︎ Basically mainland China in ancient times. I just translated it as is to go with the flow. experienced readers may second that thought. ↩︎
Past events
Ten days, one say they are too long, one can also say they are too short.
On the eighth day, Duan Yao had actually learned all the moves and routines. The old man also said that as long as he practiced diligently once he goes back, and then contemplate on it carefully; with his extraordinary understanding and talent, he can master it in as late as two years or as early as one year. He will be able to penetrate the whole set of martial arts, and he doesn’t have to come back again starting next day.
However on the ninth day, Duan Yao still went to see him on time, carrying some food in his hands.
The old man raised his head slightly in front of the chessboard. After seeing clearly who has arrived, he waved his hand: “I have nothing to teach you anymore.”
“I’m not here to learn martial arts.” Duan Yao sat across him, “Although my master doesn’t allow me to recognize other masters, Senior has taught me a certain set of internal skills and mental methods, so I wanted to come and express gratitude.”
“That’s fine.” The old man gave him a rare smile, “When do you plan to return to the southwest?”
“The day after tomorrow.” Duan Yao opened the food box and went to the house to make a pot of tea.
The old man looked at the dishes and shook his head: “It must have cost a lot of money.”
Duan Yao held back his breath and said, “Yeah.”
“In the future, you won’t be able to keep crying all the time when you enter the real world.” The old man picked up a bowl of fish ball noodles and chewed hard, “You little kid, everything is good about you, but this is the only thing you have to change.”
“Senior,” Duan Yao said, “Let me find a doctor for you.”
The old man still shook his head: “It’s almost time to leave1 when one lives up to my age. Although the people in this palace are kind, they all have their own things to be busy with. I have been here for nearly ten years and have to eat every day. If I want to pay back, I will have to wait until the next life to repay this favor. Even if I spend money and effort on the doctor to take medicine, even if I burn this residual candle for a few more years, what’s the use?”
Duan Yao suggested: “Why don’t we go back to Southwest Mansion together? There are more people there and it will be more lively.”
The old man chuckled: “Silly boy, I made a mistake just now. Your kind heart is not suitable for hanging out in the world. Your brother would be just fine.”
Duan Yao pursed his lips.
“There are too many poor old men in the world, and you can’t control them.” The old man said, “It’s better to go back to the southwest as soon as possible to accompany your brother.”
Duan Yao nodded and didn’t say anything else. He stayed with him until he finished the meal, then packed up the dishes and left.
The old man watched his back go away. He smiled at first, then thought about what happened when he was young. When he came to his senses, he was already in tears.
On the morning of the next day, Duan Yao packed up his small baggage and went to the palace.
Chu Yuan was waiting for him to have breakfast together.
They agreed to go find the old man together, so the atmosphere at the dinner table was naturally not as happy as before. Duan Yao lowered his head and took a bite out of the bun, then took a sip of the porridge, and raised his eyes to take a sneak peek at the emperor.
Chu Yuan laughed: “Why, is it not to your liking, and you’re still angry with me?”
Duan Yao almost choked.
“If you are unhappy, just say it.” Chu Yuan patted him on the back, “I treat you as my biological brother. Xiao Jin has never been so restrained.” If he is upset, I’m afraid he will tear down the entire palace.
Duan Yao said: “If I say, will the emperor be willing to listen?”
Chu Yuan shook his head: “I may not be willing, but if you say it, it will make your heart feel more at ease.”
“Then I won’t talk about it.” Duan Yao muttered.
Chu Yuan gave him a chopstick of salted egg yolk feeling a little amused.
They are obviously brothers, but they have completely different personalities and temperaments. I don’t know how they were raised since they were young.
Duan Yao ate his meal very slowly.
But no matter how slow it was, there was always time to finish eating. After swallowing the last bite of the buns, Prince Duan was unwilling to follow his sister-in-law to the remote courtyard.
Liu Dajiong returned. He was very surprised when he saw this scene from a distance. He thought about it for a long time. Though it seemed that the emperor was trying to hold young prince Duan as a hostage, but he tried to figure it out carefully. Extremely wilful, demolishing houses with his bare hands is a very small issue, even old King Duan couldn’t control this young Duan, King Southwest often suffers from his mischiefs, the emperor shouldn’t be actively seeking trouble like this.
I have to ask Lao Tao about this kind of thing.
In the small courtyard, the old man was still basking in the sun, but there were no chess pieces on the chessboard in front of him. He has changed into new clothes, his hair was neatly combed, and his face had a rare color.
“Senior.” Duan Yao felt guilty.
“I thought you would come earlier.” There was no surprise on the old man’s face, “I greet the Emperor.”
Duan Yao was surprised: “Senior knew we were coming?”
“I didn’t know before, but I guessed it yesterday.” The old man said, “The food boxes that were delivered are all snacks that are only found only on the southeast coast. It is not easy to find them in Yunde City. I think you spent a lot of money just to buy them all. A lot of thought went into it. If you hadn’t guessed something, why would you bother so much just to give me a taste of my hometown?”
Duan Yao: “…”
“From the first day I taught you, I have said that kindness is a good thing, but it may not be a good thing.” The old man said, “If I wanted to leave, I would have find a way to leave this palace after eating that meal. Wouldn’t your trip today be in vain?”
Duan Yao obediently lowered his head.
Chu Yuan said: “It’s really wrong to disturb Senior’s peace. But there are some things that I have to ask.”
The old man nodded: “Please speak, Your Majesty.”
Chu Yuan got straight to the point: “Your Excellency, are you Xuan Tian?”
Duan Yao was surprised.
The old man nodded: “Yes.”
Duan Yao: “…”
Where did this news come from? Why didn’t I know about it at all? !
“You are indeed that senior.” Chu Yuan understood clearly, “No wonder you know so much about what happened in Chaoya and the Fenxing Jue.”
“I know what happened in Chaoya many years ago.” The old man said, “I have been away from there for more than ten years. I have no way of knowing what the current situation is.”
“The King of Southwest once told me that the senior wanted him to destroy the island.” Chu Yuan said, “Why?”
“Because the place is already in chaos.” The old man sighed. “My abilities are limited. I am a mediocre person, but I think highly of myself. I have been living in confusion for more than ten years. I have destroyed the tribe of the Northern Sect and the entire Chaoya Island.”
Chu Yuan frowned slightly.
The island is divided into two factions, the north and the south. The southern faction advocates martial arts to protect the island, and the northern faction goes to sea to make a living. Originally, there should be an interdependent relationship. But later, due to few conflicts, the southern faction wanted to annex the northern faction as well. The leader of the northern sect at that time was Xuan Tian’s father. In order to compete with the southern sect, he hid his eight-year-old son in a wooden barrel, sent him to a merchant ship out to the sea, and went to another island to learn from his master.
Xuan Tian was extremely talented and able to defeat all his brothers at the age of ten. Later, he followed another ship to the Chu Kingdom and became a more powerful master. Coupled with a martial arts secret book that his father stole from the Southern Sect and handed down the ancestors of Chaoya, he became a top master in his early twenties – but he never showed off his skills in open, so no one knew about it.
“After completing my studies, I returned to Chaoya Island, led the Northern Sect to regain its strength, and regained what was lost.” Xuan Tian said, “It’s just that no matter how powerful my martial art is, I can’t eat or wear it, and so anther twenty or thirty years passed like that. Later, Bai Lu from the southern faction went to the sea to search for food, colluded with the Nanyang people to come to the island, and massacred all the northern faction. After I was injured and fell into the sea, I was knocked unconscious by a piece of driftwood. When I woke up, I was rescued by a merchant ship. They thought I was an old fisherman who went down in a shipwreck, so they took me back to Chu State and sent me to a charity hall in Dakun City.”
“Dakun City is in the southeast, not close to Yunde City.” Chu Yuan said.
“Begging for food all the way, you can get there slowly while walking every now and then.” Xuan Tian replied.
“Why are you here? For that old woman outside the city?” Chu Yuan asked again.
Xuan Tian eyes rarely flashed with emotional fluctuations.
“Senior, don’t worry, I won’t disturb that elder.” Chu Yuan said, “It’s just a question.”
Xuan Tian said: “I have owed her too much in this life, but I will never be able to repay her until I die.”
Chu Yuan said: “That elder is living a good life now.”
Xuan Tian nodded: “I know.”
“So Senior no longer has to worry about this.” Chu Yuan sat opposite him, “Even if you can’t be together, knowing that the other person is doing well and being able to watch them from afar is a blessing.”
Xuan Tian said: “What else does the emperor want to know? As long as you don’t disturb her, just ask.”
“Where did that group of Nanyang people who came to the island come from?” Chu Yuan asked.
Xuan Tian shook his head: “I really don’t know now. They are familiar with mechanical formations and are extremely good at making poisons. Even if I had all the skills at that time, I still couldn’t guard against them.”
Chu Yuan said: “In the opinion of Senior, why did they go to the island?”
“What else could it be for?” Xuan Tian said, “Of course it is for the rumored jewels, gold and silver. The Yue Ming Gu is in the hands of the old people of the northern sect, but if the old people die, then the last clue to find the treasure map will also be lost.” If they give in, and I can’t tell what will happen next.”
“Senior came to this North Palace more than ten years ago, and you didn’t even know about the Chaoya people entering the palace?” Chu Yuan said.
Xuan Tian said: “I heard it from the servants here. Before I left Chaoya, the northern faction had been slaughtered. Presumably all the Chaoya people who entered the palace ten years ago were from the southern faction.”
“But at that time, they planted the Yue Ming Gu on me.” Chu Yuan said.
Xuan Tian frowned upon hearing this.
Chu Yuan said: “According to what the Senior said, the Yue Ming Gu should be in the hands of Northern Sect.”
“Indeed it should be so.” Xuan Tian said, “When Prince Duan came to ask me, I was also puzzled by this, but at that time he also had a lot of poisonous insects on him, so I thought that the poison that the emperor was infected with was not the one from Chaoya.” After all, the world so big, and Chu is so also big, no one can be certain that only Chaoya has the Yue Ming Gu.
“If I’m the only one, that’s fine.” Chu Yuan said, “But a few days ago, a group of people from Chaoya also came to Chu secretly. On the way, they had a dispute with a Jianghu man2, and that fellow was also hit with Yue Ming Gu.”
“Chaoya people?” Xuan Tian was puzzled, “Why did they come to the Chu Kingdom secretly?”
“The person is still under house arrest in the palace. I will not interrogate him until I return this time.” Chu Yuan said, “Senior, do you wanna come with me? In order to find out what happened on the island in the past ten years or so.”
===========================================================
As usual, if there are any mistakes or errors, please contact me and I’ll rectify it. If anyone is willing to help in translation, you are more than welcome to assist. In that case as well, please email me.
==========================================================
Notes:
what he means is leave the mortal world, as in die. ↩︎ Basically mainland China in ancient times. I just translated it as is to go with the flow. experienced readers may second that thought. ↩︎