Chapter 70: Wild geese and cicada sing on the day they left the city |
“Watching the wide river and low clouds, the wild geese wailed and cicadas sang.”
Sikong Changfeng held his spear, standing on the newly constructed roof of the Tower of Ascension. He looked into the distance as he recited the verse softly.
His disciple in name only, Xiao Se, stood behind him and yawned lazily.
Sikong Changfeng smiled and said, "When I was young, I climbed this tower of sixteen floors. I only felt that the mountains were tall and rivers were wide, and I wanted to go out and see them. When I climb this tower now, all I feel is the river is wide and the clouds are low. There’s an indescribable melancholy. As if after they step out of this place, they’re never coming back."
Xiao Se walked to Sikong Changfeng's side. "There are some places that they must always return to, because that’s their home. Back then, when the Beili Army marched south and conquered Nanzhao, 30,000 people died on the battlefield. They couldn’t go back to their hometown. When their corpses were buried, they were buried with their heads facing north. Even if they couldn’t return home, they could see their home."
Sikong Changfeng turned his head and looked in the direction of Cangshan. "Someone is going home."
The man in red walked down from Cangshan carrying two swords on his back and a hearty smile on his face. He walked to the foot of the mountain, turned his head and looked back at the nineteen peaks of Cangshan with a smile. "I will be back." After speaking, he turned his head and walked down the mountain. But the Snow Moon Sword Immortal, who was always dressed in white with a gray veil, was not by his side.
Lei Wujie walked forward slowly, and walked up to the base of the Tower of Ascension. He saw Sikong Qianluo standing there with a spear, and the tower guardian whom he met sitting on the first floor and eating buns that day, was sitting next to her eating buns. He saw Lei Wujie approaching and immediately waved his hand to greet him.
Lei Wujie thought for a while, and said, "Lingnan’s Xie Family, Xie Yanshu?"
"Shut up!" Sikong Qianluo kicked him out with one foot. "You hopeless boy. It’s been six months and you’re still guarding the first floor. Why are you not training? Still sitting here eating your shitty buns!"
The bun in Xie Yanshu's mouth fell onto the ground. He stood up, and brushed off the dirt from his bun with some distress, and said, "Everyone has aspirations, ah. I just have no interest in martial arts. What can I do?"
Sikong Qianluo stopped paying attention to this useless fellow, and asked Lei Wujie, "Are you leaving? Going back to Lei Clan Fort?"
Lei Wujie nodded. "Yes, but I might be back very soon."
Sikong Qianluo glanced at him sideways. "Then why aren’t you going yet? What are you doing here?"
Lei Wujie stuck his tongue out. "Shijie, you’re so fierce."
Sikong Qianluo picked up her spear. "You better shut up!"
Lei Wujie suddenly raised his head and yelled at the Tower of Ascension, "Xiao Se!"
"I just told you to shut up!" Sikong Qianluo raised her spear and struck at him.
Silver Moon Spear, Break Your Soul. There was a wailing and howling sound at the tip of the spear. Sikong Qianluo’s spear move caused a gale force wind to blow down the entire street.
Sikong Changfeng stood at the top of the Tower of Ascension and frowned slightly as he said, "I didn’t pay attention to this daughter for a few days, and she’s entered the Vajra Mortal Realm without a word?"
Lei Wujie laughed and said, "I get it." He took a step back and drew his Rainfall sword from its sheath on his back. Lei Wujie waved his hand lightly, and his long sword parried the tip of the spear, blocking the strike. Lei Wujie stepped forward, tightened his grip on the sword hilt, and took a leap onto Sikong Qianluo's head. "You’re afraid that I’ll take him away."
Sikong Qianluo rebutted angrily, "What rubbish are you saying!" She struck with her spear again. Lei Wujie landed from above, and the Rainfall sword and Silver Moon Spear collided again. Both of them had just entered the Vajra Mortal Realm, and they wanted to prove themselves better than the other, exerting all of their qi. Spear and sword continue to clash, neither willing to retreat a step.
"Vajra Mortal Realm, a young martial expert?" Suddenly an amused voice sounded, and the two raised their heads hurriedly. A figure dropped down from above and landed on their spear and sword. He was dressed in black, carefree and uninhibited.
"Third shizun," Lei Wujie called out.
"Daddy!" Sikong Qianluo frowned.
"You’re always fighting back and forth every day, can’t you take a little break?" Sikong Changfeng sighed, and exerted a small force under his feet. Sikong Qianluo and Lei Wujie suddenly felt a force of a thousand jun[8] pressing down on the sword. The two refused to show weakness, so they kept silent and joined forces with a tacit understanding, and worked together to push upwards. With a smile on his face, Sikong Changfeng looked at the two people with amusement, and pressed down harder with his feet.
"No more, I can't hold it anymore." Lei Wujie's sweat was dripping in large droplets from his forehead.
Sikong Qianluo refused to back down, and snapped, "Spineless."
Sikong Changfeng lost interest and stepped down hard. The spear and sword separated immediately, and the two of them retreated more than ten steps before they just managed to stand their ground.
Xiao Se walked leisurely out of the Tower of Ascension at this time. Lei Wujie put away his sword and happily greeted, "Xiao Se, come with me to Lei Clan Fort. My shifu has great medical skills. Maybe he can heal your injuries."
Sikong Qianluo snorted coldly. "Great medical skills? Do you know whose disciple my dad, Sikong Changfeng, was before he came to Snow Moon City?"
Lei Wujie was taken aback and shook his head.
Xiao Se hid his hands in his sleeves and said, "Medicine King Valley, Xin Baicao."
Sikong Changfeng shook his head. "Much ashamed, much ashamed. I’ve let down my old shifu. I have two patients in Snow Moon City, but I can't cure either one."
"Two patients?" Lei Wujie was taken aback. He turned around and saw two people slowly walking towards them, a lady in green and Tang Lian.
"Shixiong," Lei Wujie greeted hurriedly, "And... Miss Ye."
Ye Ruoyi smiled lightly, and Tang Lian patted Lei Wujie on the shoulder. "I heard that you’re leaving today so I came to see you off. Where’s Second shizun? Isn't she going with you?"
Lei Wujie scratched his head. "Shifu said she can travel a thousand miles a day, so I will go ahead first and she’ll catch up afterwards at an appropriate time."
Tang Lian nodded. "I will also be travelling back to Tang Clan together with Miss Ye today. When the time comes and I’ve taken care of matters, and if we’re not too late, then I will look for you at Lei Clan."
"Miss Ye, are you going to Tang Clan too?" Lei Wujie was surprised.
Ye Ruoyi nodded, and Tang Lian explained on her behalf, "Lianyue-shifu seems to have found a way to cure Miss Ye’s illness. A few days ago, he sent a letter and instructed me to bring Miss Ye to see him."
Sikong Changfeng sighed. "My two patients, one is going to Lei Clan Fort and the other is going to Tang Clan. It’s all because I’m a useless successor of the Medicine King."
Sikong Qianluo remained dissatisfied. "Who can guarantee they’ll have the proper cure?"
Lei Wujie walked over and patted Xiao Se on the shoulder. "So, what’ll it be? Come with me. It's really lonely to travel alone."
Xiao Se glanced at him. "Do you know the way?"
Lei Wujie patted his own chest confidently. "I’ll always remember the way back to Lei Clan."
Xiao Se yawned, didn’t respond and walked forward slowly. Just ahead, two Snow Moon City attendants were waiting with two horses - the two top grade Yebei horses. Although the two horses had suffered from their rough journey and were reduced to skin and bones, thanks to the care of Snow Moon City, they had been restored to their former glory. Xiao Se flipped onto his horse, looked back at Lei Wujie who was still standing there foolishly, and said, "Let's go."
Lei Wujie hesitated for a moment, and immediately followed, but he only took a few steps before he turned around and said to Ye Ruoyi, "Well… Miss Ye, if Tang Clan can't cure you... then, come to Lei Clan!"
Ye Ruoyi returned a smile. "Okay."
Lei Wujie immediately blushed, turned around and ran to the horse.
Xiao Se frowned slightly. "Lei Wujie, I have a question. Didn't you say that Lei Hong is about to die? Are you putting our lives in the hands of someone who’s about to die?"
Lei Wujie laughed. "I made that up. Shifu is in excellent health. It’s just that I saw him missing my sister every day, but didn’t dare to go see her, so I made up this lie."
Xiao Se raised his eyebrows. "You’re quite zealous about this. You know that Lei Hong likes your sister, but do you know who your sister likes?"
Lei Wujie was stunned. "Isn't it my shifu?"
Xiao Se shook his head and spoke a name, "Qingcheng Mountain, Zhao Yuzhen." Then, he swung his horse whip and galloped towards the city gate.
Lei Wujie hadn't reacted yet, turned his head hurriedly, yelled "goodbye" to everyone, and hurriedly followed, waving his own whip.
"Ruoyi, what do you think of my shidi?" Tang Lian asked Ye Ruoyi.
Ye Ruoyi looked at the distant red figure and smiled. "An air of awe-inspiring youth."
Tang Lian laughed but did not reply.
Sikong Qianluo tossed her spear aside in annoyance, and Sikong Changfeng smiled and said, "Don't worry, he’ll be back."
"On the day he returns to Heavenly Revelations, you will stand by his side."
*
Poetry note:
江阔云低，断雁蝉鸣。
Watching the wide river and low clouds, the wild geese wailing and cicadas singing.
The original line is 江阔云低、断雁叫西风。(...the wild geese wailing in the westerly wind) which is from the poem 《虞美人·听雨》 (The Beauty Yu, Listening to Rain) by Song dynasty poet Jiang Jie. The context of this line in the poem reflects Sikong Changfeng’s mood which he explains right after. He’s passed his prime (his achievements) and he’s watching the next generation grow up and take their place in the world. Now that he’s alone, he feels a little sad.
[1] 淼淼易水畔 miao miao yi shui pan (Flooded Yishui shore): I believe this is the name of the lake or river. Miao means flooded, yi means easy, and shui is water.
[2] 廊玥福地 lang yue fu di (Langyue Paradise) : lang means corridor and yue is a legendary mystical pearl that was bestowed by Heaven to an emperor.
[3] 闭关 bi guan - literally, to close the (mountain) pass. In wuxia stories, it means the practitioner goes into seclusion to cultivate his martial arts to the next stage. Sometimes translated as closed-door meditation.
[4] 剑心有月，睡梦杀人 (Moon in sword heart, Killer in dreams): a famous saying associated with Li Xinyue (xin means heart and yue means moon) and Lei Mengsha (meng means dream and sha means kill) which plays on their names.
[5] 虎贲將 hu ben jiang (Brave Tiger Guards): throughout the history of China, the hu ben, which means Brave as Tigers, have been used as a prefix for military titles associated with guarding the ruler.
[6] 青龙 qing long, 朱雀 zhu que, 白虎 bai hu, 玄武 xuan wu : the four mythical creatures in Chinese constellations who guard the world in the four cardinal directions. They are the Azure Dragon of the east, the Vermilion Bird of the south, the White Tiger of the west, and the Black Tortoise of the north. Left untranslated because they’re used as names.
[7] 羽林军 yu lin jun (Feathered Forest Army): Yu Lin is named after the celestial water bearer in Chinese astronomy but the translation is literal. Like the Brave Tigers, they are one of the armies who are stationed in the capital to guard the palace.
[8] 钧 jun is a unit of weight. 1 jun is equal to 30 斤 jin so a thousand jun is about 15 tonnes.
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