Shen Qiao certainly could not say, 'could you not lick it?' because it would sound
rather strange. He was eating candy after all. If Shen Qiao were to say this, he would
seem overly sensitive.
He could only choose to put it out of sight and out of mind.
"The Central Plains is not like the Western Regions," Shen Qiao said, finishing his
earlier thought, "The moment we enter the country of Zhou, our whereabouts will be
revealed sooner or later. Now that you have the sheet of silk, healing your demonic
core is imminent. Now that we have time, there isn't any harm in refining it."
One he said this, Shen Qiao could not help but shake his head and laugh spitefully.
"Actually, if you were now the real Yan Wushi, you would not leave it to me to caution
you about this over and over."
"If the demonic core is healed," Yan Wushi said suddenly "Xie Ling might not be able
to be here."
Shen Qiao's smile faded. He was silent.
A long moment passed before he sighed
lightly. "But you cannot possibly be like this for the rest of your life. Perhaps Xie Ling is
willing, but Yan Wushi may not."
'Xie Ling' was a part of Yan Wushi. However, Yan Wushi would never have returned to
save him after he had freed himself and left.
Perhaps it was that every person who had a heart of stone would always have a
fragment of tenderness deep within them.
Though it was only a fragment so small it
was almost nothing, Xie Ling had gotten his share of this fragment. And he had poured
all of it into Shen Qiao, who he had deemed most worthy of his trust.
But now, one day, when 'Xie Ling' disappears, will this gentleness also disappear with
him and leave no trace?
And Yan Wushi, will he remain the selfish and cold Huanyue zongzhu, who would not
be swayed by any person?
The other person looked at him with deep, black eyes. He clearly devoted all of his
attention to him possessing no sign of impurity. This was the first time that Shen Qiao had ever seen anything like this in any of Yan Wushi's other dispositions. This was Xie Ling, and not Yan Wushi.
Shen Qiao told himself this, before approaching him, and softly caressing the top of
the other's head. The other person allowed him only raising his chin slightly as though rubbing against Shen Qiao's hand somewhat.
This was something that only Xie Ling could do.
Shen Qiao's heart became soft at once. And within this softness emerged an
inexplicable sadness.
With the use of the yu congrong herb, Yan Wushi's head wound had gradually begun
to heal over. However, the damaged meridians within him needed to be repaired. It
was not something that could be done in a night and Yan Wushi's disposition at
present was fickle and may not necessarily focus on healing himself, the way he was
now.
When his body was being controlled by Xie Ling, the desire to heal fell to its
absolute lowest point, and his manner of thinking had also simplified somewhat. Even
a tang ren was enough to satisfy him.
"The sheet of silk is still with you, right? Let me see it," Shen Qiao said.
The other person took it out and gave it to him.
Shen Qiao took the sheet of silk and narrowed his eyes, so as to read it. Upon it were
characters that were as small as a fly's head that could have only been embroidered
with thread, not written with a brush. For this reason, it did not fade despite the
months and years that passed it by.
Written upon it did indeed concern the wugong of the demonic sects. Tao Hongjing, in
those years, perhaps had seen the Riyue Sect's wugong records. The silk sheet was
filled with around one thousand characters, and most of it reflected his observations
and commentaries on the wugong style of the demonic sects. There was not a concrete
discussion about how the key to success with the wugong style of the demonic sects,
nor its secret methods. Shen Qiao's vision was now inadequate under the weak
candlelight, he was able to struggle to finish reading it. His eyes immediately felt so
sore that it was difficult to endure. Tears had nearly begun to shed from them.
"It doesn't seem to say anything about healing the flaw in the demonic core, does it?"
he said curiously, handing the sheet of silk back to him.
"There is," Yan Wushi said.
"Where?" Shen Qiao said.
Yan Wushi shook his head.
After a moment, he said once more: "I don't know, but he does."
The meaning of this was that Xie Ling didn't know but the original did.
Shen Qiao nodded, and did not ask any more. He waited for the other person to fall
asleep before finding a cotton mattress to sit upon and meditate.
Moonlight fell upon them like water, as the hours gave way to night.
Even the distant sound of dogs barking also disappeared. Heaven and earth became
immersed in sleep; tranquil quiet permeating inside and out.
The person in bed, however, did not sleep peacefully. Occasionally he would move
somewhat, as though he were struggling.
Shen Qiao noticed his movements and opened his eyes. He stood and approached
him, so as to look more closely.
"Xie Ling?" he called out in a soft voice.
The man's brow was tightly knit, as though he were caught in some sort of nightmare.
Shen Qiao extended one hand to touch his forehead. Before he was able to, the other
man suddenly opened both of his eyes.
This wasn't 'Xie Ling'!
The moment their eyes met, Shen Qiao quickly became cautious. He pulled his hand
away and began to draw back.
However, Yan Wushi moved much more quickly than he expected. The other man sat
up, as though he were a demon, and grabbed Shen Qiao's face.
"Yan-zongzhu, it's me!" Shen Qiao shouted.
But it was to no avail. The other man did not care. His attack was ruthless and severe,
every move filled with cruel, killing intent.
Yan Wushi had certainly sustained heavy wounds; however, his wugong was not
completely destroyed. Shen Qiao suddenly realized this fact.
Before, the man rarely
attacked anyone which was why Shen Qiao had the wrong impression of him.
However, even if this were the real Yan Wushi he would not attack someone the
moment he opened his eyes without caring who they were. He clearly wore a dazed,
confused expression...
Shen Qiao suddenly remembered when Banna had said that Yan Wushi had grabbed
her neck. However, after that moment, Shen Qiao had never seen the other man
exhibit such fierce and irrational behavior, so this incident gradually faded from his
memory.
Perhaps this was yet another one of his dispositions revealing themselves?
Shen Qiao was utterly helpless. The two of them exchanged several moves. The current
Yan Wushi was not Shen Qiao's opponent, but how he attacked without regard for his
own life concerned Shen Qiao greatly. Shen Qiao absolutely could not kill him either,
so in order to prevent their movements from disturbing the other guests at the inn,
Shen Qiao searched for an opportunity to close his acupoint.
Yan Wushi fell over, unable to resist any longer. Shen Qiao caught him, and noticed
that the other man's face had suddenly become red and congested. He quickly took
the other man's pulse and found that the energy within him was in complete disorder,
However, many knew of the Zhuyang Ce's advantages, but they did not know how it
was so advantageous, even going as far as to assume that its contents were about
some exceptional wugong that, when cultivated, would allow them to be the greatest
master in the world.
Even the former Qi Fengge and present Yan Wushi did not see
through its contents in its entirety. Up until Shen Qiao had destroyed his wugong did
he know the unusual essence of the Zhuyang Ce, and with this essence did he
reconstruct his foundations.
If one had, from the beginning, started to cultivate true qi
of the Zhuyang Ce—which combined the greatest aspects of Confucianism, Buddhism,
and Daoism—then their skills would surpass that of many other people right then.
As
their foundations would be different, then the realm that they would enter afterwards
would naturally be different from them as well.
However, even if many of the great masters knew of this, they could not possibly
destroy their own wugong and begin to cultivate the Zhuyang Ce. Additionally, those
who had already read parts of the Zhuyang Ce would naturally have a sentimental
attachment to it, and most of them would not want to share their knowledge with
others. As a result, the number of people in the world who could truly understand the
Zhuyang Ce's essence most likely was not more than a handful at first glance.
At present, Shen Qiao could be said to be solemnly standing halfway up a great
mountain and able to see that the world was great and vast, that everything was
possible. However, this was not quite as good as a person who stood at the peak of the
mountain. Though each volume of the Zhuyang Ce were independently written one
after the other, all of them were connected, to some extent, with one another.
As a
result, Shen Qiao would now occasionally cultivate up to a certain point that he would
not necessarily understand, and be unable to find an answer, forcing him to fumble for
one on his own.
Perhaps once he finished reading the other two volumes, this sort of
issue would be completely reversed.
The volume in the Imperial Palace of Northern Zhou was quite possible. But with the
last time that he had met Yuwen Yong, the man would perhaps be unwilling to allow
him to read it.
But the one hidden in Tiantai Sect would be much more difficult. The Buddhist and
Daoist sects have never shared friendly relations. As every sect in the world was
fighting to unite the world under their own systems, they already found their own
leaders to support. All of them fought amongst one another endlessly.
The Tiantai
Buddhist Sect would not possibly give their own sect's well-guarded treasure to
someone who had no relation to them without rhyme or reason.
Shen Qiao thought about this until the middle of the night. His head dizzied with this,
he gradually fell asleep.
Until the light of early dawn reached their room and thoroughly woken him up.
This moment of sleep was not very deep.
However, Shen Qiao had studied the
practices of the Daoist schools ever since he was a child. His personality was such that
he did not desire great fame or wealth. He never had been met with any situation that
was so hopeless that he would bury it in his heart. Additionally, he had always resigned
to carry a clear conscience through all matters, so naturally he would not spend each
day filled with anxiety¹. Though he did not think deeply on these things, he was able
to recuperate somewhat as a result.
However, this simple way of living carried with it a sense of naivete². But after having
essentially experienced a series of falls³, this naivete had precipitated from his nature.
Admittedly, he still treated others with the same utter innocence and whole-hearted
devotion that he always did. Yet he had also gradually learned how to distinguish the
true intent of other people, and would not so easily be deceived by others any longer.
Though his eyes had not yet opened, he could still sense someone gazing at him from
the bed.
He did not need to see to be able to know who it was. However, he did not know
which disposition would greet him when he woke this time. If it were that ruthless and
cruel one from the evening before, he would have to knock him out again. Either that,
or hire a drawn carriage and toss him in there before carrying on with the journey, so as
to avoid any more inconveniences from then on.
Shen Qiao's thoughts quickly came to a stop. He slowly opened his eyes. Though there
was some distance between them, he was able to make out the expression the other
man was wearing.
Though Yan Wushi's complexion was calm, his gaze was unknowable. His heart beat
somewhat anxiously.
"Yan-zongzhu?" he said in a voice that did not sound especially happy.
Yan Wushi laughed thoughtfully. "What? You seem as though you didn't want to see
me."
"That isn't it," Shen Qiao said, his eyelids falling somewhat.
"It was most likely you that put this woman's disguise on me, wasn't it?" Yan Wushi
said.
"The situation was rather serious, and I needed to act quickly. This was to prevent
people from wanting to pay close attention to us, and allow Yan-zongzhu to return to
Chang'an as quickly as possible."
Yan Wushi did not seem to mind. He even touched his hair and his sleeves as though
deeply interested in this fact, before saying to Shen Qiao: "If you're going to disguise
me as a woman, then you should at least try to make me look like one. Most women
paint their fingernails. And if they don't do that, then they'll at least apply a little bit.
Otherwise, if someone observant were to notice their bare hands, then they would
immediately know that they were a man disguised as a woman."
Shen Qiao frowned. How would I know something like that? he thought. It's not like
I've ever been disguised as a woman before.
Instead, he said: "Yan-zongzhu is correct. If you would like some polish, then I will
certainly go out to purchase it for you."
Yan Wushi raised one eyebrow and laughed. "You really seem like you don't want to
talk to me at all, do you? What's wrong? Xie Ling is but a fraction of some fragment of
my spirit. To think that he would win over your respect so much that you would even
wait on him with such gentleness, and yet refuse to even spare a word with me. Could
it be, Ah-qiao, that you've forgotten who the real Yan Wushi is?"
***
1 king please cure my anxiety too
2 tianzhen: this could also be translated as 'innocence'.
3 die dang qi fu: more literally, 'a series of ups and downs'. Ups and downs is way too
light-hearted to describe what Shen Qiao has gone through, though.