Chapter 107:
Beloved

 

IN THE END, Shen Qiao didn’t return to Qingcheng Mountain, if only because Yan Wushi had been correct. By now, a day and night had already passed since the Sword Trial Conference. Any conflict would have long ended, so it would be useless to rush there now. Many sects had already left the mountain, one after another. He asked someone for information and was told that after Yan Wushi had taken him away, Hulugu left as well. However, Duan Wenyang didn’t—he’d stayed behind to help Hehuan Sect against Chunyang Monastery.

But Chunyang Monastery were no pushovers. Yi Pichen was injured, but the remainder—including Li Qingyu, Gu Hengbo, Zhao Chiying—were not that much weaker than Duan Wenyang, even if they didn’t place in the top ten. And on seeing the biggest threat gone, most of the people who’d come to participate in the Sword Trial Conference were unwilling to throw away their reputations by fleeing. Naturally, they had to help Chunyang Monastery, and a brawl ensued.

Yuan Xiuxiu was at odds with Sang Jingxing, so her faction didn’t try very hard. She even sabotaged him several times during the scuffle. In the end, while Chunyang Monastery did sustain damage, Hehuan Sect hadn’t gained much for their trouble either. Neither side ultimately came out on top, and both had suffered great losses.

Of course, quite a few lives were lost to this fight, but in the jianghu, your life was the least valuable thing you had. It was no exaggeration to say the jianghu was a dog-eat-dog world. Those who were unskilled and died to others had no one else to blame. If their descendants were powerful enough, they could go seek revenge and kill that enemy, and there was nothing an outsider could say. These were the rules of the jianghu.

The one closest to Shen Qiao was naturally his shimei Gu Hengbo. Shen Qiao had practically raised her from childhood. She was skilled, and she wasn’t stupid. If she couldn’t defeat an enemy, she knew to run, so Shen Qiao didn’t worry about her. As for everyone in Bixia Sect, only Fan Yuanbai and Zhou Yexue were likely to be in danger, but to Shen Qiao’s great relief, he heard someone leaving the mountain say that there no were casualties from Bixia Sect.

There was one more reason Shen Qiao did not go back: Yan Wushi had received a letter from Chang’an.

It was a letter pleading for help. And it was sent by Yan Wushi’s eldest disciple, Bian Yanmei.

Since the death of Yuwen Yong and Yuwen Yun’s subsequent ascension to the throne, Huanyue Sect in Chang’an had been in a state of suspicion and apprehension. Bian Yanmei had previously received orders from Yan Wushi to pack up at once if the situation looked dire, leaving behind their superficial connections for Hehuan Sect and the Buddhist discipline to skirmish over while their own people went into hiding. When Shen Qiao had fought his way out of the siege by armed troops with Yuwen Song and Dou Yan, it was partially due to Bian Yanmei’s efforts that he had been able to escape without any soldiers in pursuit.

However, the person seeking help in the letter was not Bian Yanmei but Puliuru Jian.

Puliuru Jian’s eldest daughter was married to Yuwen Yun. After Yuwen Yun ascended the throne, she became the queen, thus making Puliuru Jian the imperial father-in-law. One would expect that his life should have become more prosperous, but the reality was completely different.

The last time Shen Qiao was in Chang’an, he’d already heard about Yuwen Yun’s absurd deeds. Now, when he heard that Puliuru Jian was asking for help, he was still somewhat surprised. “Yuwen Yun won’t even spare his father-in-law?”

Yan Wushi chuckled. “Yuwen Yun dared to kill even his own father. What’s a father-in-law?”

He’d almost forgotten about it. Shen Qiao frowned and said, “Yuwen Yun committed patricide because he couldn’t wait any longer and wanted to ascend early. But what’s his issue with Puliuru Jian?”

“If the emperor wants to kill someone, he must believe that they deserve to die,” said Yan Wushi. “All his reasons and justifications are just excuses. Puliuru Jian comes from a wealthy noble family. His father followed Emperor Taizu of Zhou in insurrection and setting up the new regime, and he also earned a great deal of prestige and influence within the military. These have passed into Puliuru Jian’s hands, as he excels in administration. Now, he already has a small faction within both the military and court. Though it hasn’t grown to the point that he can threaten the imperial authority, which emperor could remain indifferent to this? Let alone a crazed lunatic of an emperor.”

Yan Wushi possessed no trace of reverence for the imperial authority. He’d called Yuwen Yong by his name back then, and now he was even more scathing toward Yuwen Yun.

He sighed again. “A-Qiao, with your personality, it’s fortunate that you weren’t born into an official’s family. Otherwise, how would you be able to contend in court, with all its political infighting? I fear that you’d have been gobbled up until even your bones were gone!”

This was an oblique way of calling him stupid, but it didn’t anger Shen Qiao. Instead, he smiled. “If it’s my personality, forget about contending in court; even as a sect leader within the jianghu, I still fell to the schemes of others.”

Yan Wushi smiled brightly. “Now you’re just belittling yourself. Your personality is intrinsically unsuited for playing mind games, but you have your own strengths. Though you’re no longer the sect leader of Xuandu Mountain, there are still many people who wish to associate with you. What they see is your person, not your status. However, even if you’re still easily susceptible to scheming, that’s not a problem either—you have me, after all. With my venerable self watching out for you on the side, you need not fear being deceived by others!”

So, in the end, this man just wanted to praise himself?

Shen Qiao was somewhat at a loss for words, and his hair stood on end beneath his clothes. He quickly switched back to the original topic. “So what exactly is Puliuru Jian asking for help with?”

Yan Wushi carelessly said, “Yuwen Yun is suspicious of his daughter, so she’s been taken hostage and is trapped inside the palace. All comings and goings in the Sui residence are being monitored by the emperor’s spies, and the potential destruction of his clan depends on the emperor’s whims. Puliuru Jian himself has a guilty conscience due to his actions; why wouldn’t he be afraid?”

Yuwen Yun indulged himself in pleasure, and the various absurdities he’d committed after his ascension to the throne needed no mention. First, he’d killed Yuwen Xian and others, all so that he could eliminate the relatives of the imperial family who might threaten his claim to the throne. Now that those threats were dead, he passed the throne to his son, Yuwen Chan, so that he could continue living a life free of restraints while still manipulating the court from behind the scenes.

He was reaping the benefits of being an emperor without having to bear its responsibilities nor endure remonstrations from his ministers—he’d killed two birds with one stone. He was very pleased with himself for this move, but he was deeply mistrustful as well. After eliminating the threat posed by the imperial family, he began to suspect the more capable officials who might have the ability to revolt. Puliuru Jian, being the imperial father-in-law and pillar of the nation, became the first target. Yuwen Yun took extra “care” of him, and now he couldn’t eat during the day nor sleep at night—there was a blade constantly hanging above his head, and his heart was plagued with worries.

Shen Qiao had met Puliuru Jian several times before, and he had a good impression of the man’s frank, upright nature. He’d also learned after the fact that his escape from Chang’an with Yuwen Song might not have gone so smoothly if not for Puliuru Jian’s efforts. Buddhism placed a great deal of emphasis on the concept of karma, but Daoism valued it as well. If you owed someone a favor, you must find an opportunity to repay it, otherwise it would hinder your cultivation and state of mind.

But helping someone was just one part of the whole. There were many other matters that needed clarification.

Shen Qiao wasn’t a fool. He could understand the interplay between benefits, interests, and losses. He just wouldn’t use that kind of thing to harm or scheme against others.

“That he’d send a letter requesting help, which Bian Yanmei delivered to you, indicates that Huanyue Sect has a fairly good relationship with Puliuru Jian,” he said. “Previously, you told me that Yuwen Xian could be an enlightened ruler, but when Yuwen Xian died afterward, you didn’t seem particularly sad. I trust that you already found a recourse. Is Puliuru Jian that recourse?”

At present, Yan Wushi was renting a courtyard from an inn in Sui Province, and Shen Qiao was recovering from his injuries there. He’d always had a quiet temperament, and he rarely went out while he was recuperating. Most of the time, he took advantage of the good weather outside by bringing a book and sitting under the grape vines in the courtyard. When he didn’t speak, the scene already looked like a gorgeous painting, let alone when he did.

The sun’s rays spilled down, shining through the grape leaves and dappling Shen Qiao’s body. Even the contours of his cheeks and neck seemed to be cast in a delicate and soft glow. Beholding this scene made a one’s heart itch to pick up this beauty and bring him home to hide him there like a treasure, so that in the future, only they’d be privy to seeing him.

Yan Wushi was a man who’d experienced all kinds of beauties. The fact that he could lose himself by simply watching Shen Qiao showed that Shen Qiao himself was truly extraordinary.

But Yan Wushi concealed his thoughts well. As these wanton desires swept through his heart like a storm, his gaze simply lingered on Shen Qiao for a moment before he lazily smiled and said, “That’s right, but your use of the word ‘recourse’ here is incorrect. Even if there were no Puliuru Jian, Huanyue Sect would not fall. But if Huanyue Sect didn’t exist, it’d be much harder for Puliuru Jian to achieve his goals. That’s why Huanyue Sect is his recourse instead.”

Shen Qiao trusted Yan Wushi’s insight when it came to politics, but that didn’t mean that he thought the man was infallible. In the past, he’d also approved of having Yuwen Yong end these turbulent times by unifying the lands, but only because he’d met Yuwen Yong himself. He’d seen that the man was indeed a great leader, possessing both talent and vision. Even if his rule was severe, he was accomplished when it came to state and military affairs both. Because of him, the wars in the north had ceased, giving the citizens respite, and the north itself had been unified by his hands. If he’d had more time, he might have completely put an end to the hundreds of years of turmoil.

It was a pity that these unforeseen circumstances had arisen. Yuwen Yong had been wise and brilliant to the very end, but his son was a misfortune. Yan Wushi was faster than anyone else when it came to adapting to and taking advantage of a situation; he’d even abandoned Yuwen Xian in the blink of an eye to collude with Puliuru Jian. But how could he be certain that Puliuru Jian would make for an enlightened ruler in the future? Aren’t you worried that this man might be overly ambitious and end up failing instead of succeeding? thought Shen Qiao.

His expression said that he didn’t quite understand what Yan Wushi was thinking.

Seeing the doubt written all over his face, Yan Wushi slowly said, “A-Qiao has his own judgment. I can speak thousands of words, but as you’ve yet to talk to him, you wouldn’t believe me. He has Yuwen Xian’s abilities, but none of his shortcomings, and he even possesses the ambition that Yuwen Xian lacked. Back then, Yuwen Xian didn’t dare to revolt, and so his entire family was annihilated. Puliuru Jian is not the sort to passively wait for his death. However, he’s currently in a very disadvantageous situation. If I can help him, Huanyue Sect will certainly receive great benefits in the future. More importantly…”

Shen Qiao saw that he still wished to say something. Thinking that there must be a more important reason that he hadn’t stated, he put down his book and listened attentively.

Yan Wushi slowly uttered the latter half of his sentence: “More importantly, I find him quite pleasing to the eye!”

Shen Qiao couldn’t help but stare at him.

Yan Wushi smiled. “I think that it’s better if you don’t stare at people in the future,” he said. “If you want to stare, you can just stare at me, otherwise people will think that you’re flirting with them.”

When had it started? When had Yan Wushi begun to always use this teasing tone when talking to Shen Qiao? Shen Qiao thought back for a moment. In the past, when he’d been blind and grievously injured, Yan Wushi would carry him in and out of places, purposely leading others to get the wrong idea. Of course, he’d also been all intimate words and inappropriate actions then, wanting everyone to think that the former Xuandu Mountain Sect Leader had become the Huanyue Sect Leader’s kept man. Now his words were even more intimate, but he didn’t make any overt moves in front of others. Instead, he only grew so talkative and prone to laughing when in private.

Shen Qiao had initially paid no attention to these subtle changes, but at this point, he couldn’t keep ignoring them.

He rubbed between his brows. He felt like everything was a mess.

Yan Wushi instinctively reached out and pressed his palm against Shen Qiao’s brow, the other on the back of his head, preventing his escape. “Don’t you Daoists value the concept of following one’s fate?” he said. It was as if he could read Shen Qiao’s thoughts. “Are we not a match made in heaven, destined to be? So why does A-Qiao look so troubled?”

“…Following one’s fate is a Buddhist saying,” said Shen Qiao. “We only talk about following nature’s course. Besides, all we’re destined for is calamity. Please don’t throw words around so indiscriminately, Sect Leader Yan!”

He went to brush Yan Wushi’s hand away, and in an instant, the two of them had already exchanged several blows. Yan Wushi had no self-awareness when it came to taking advantage of others when they were sick, and in the end, he directly tapped on Shen Qiao’s acupoint, then pulled the beauty into his arms and stroked him. With a gleeful smile, he said, “Good destinies, awful destinies—they’re all destinies, nonetheless. Could it be that even after cultivating for so many years, you’re still obsessed with superficial qualities? Since Qi Fengge is already dead, I’ll have to straighten your thoughts out on your shizun’s behalf.”

Once he finished, he lowered his head and kissed the beauty thoroughly until Shen Qiao was out of breath, all while enjoying his entire body through their clothes. Though he’d gotten quite a sweet deal while Shen Qiao was in his dazed slumber, Yan Wushi had always been a proud man. If he were to take advantage of someone, he wanted the person to be fully aware of it. Even more, he knew exactly how far to take things, always stopping at the fine line between what Shen Qiao could tolerate and what would make him explode into a rage. This level of precision was truly infuriating.

Shen Qiao’s face was flushed red as he panted. The flush was out of rage, and the panting was due to the lecher’s harassment.

Yan Wushi’s gaze swept over the lips he’d just sucked on, which were glistening and blushing even redder than the rest of Shen Qiao’s face. His heart was satisfied, and he finally said in a leisurely tone, “You see, you’re feeling it too, so why torment and repress yourself. Why continue denying it?”

Shen Qiao didn’t speak.

Clearly, it wasn’t that he couldn’t speak, but rather that he was so angry he refused to.

Yan Wushi smiled again and said, “A-Qiao, when you were in trouble, I traveled thousands of miles just to save you. Isn’t that enough to prove this venerable one’s feelings for you?”

He spoke with such tenderness, but he refused to unseal Shen Qiao’s acupoints. He knew that the moment he unsealed them, Shen Qiao would immediately leave. There was no way he’d be here still listening to his nonsense.

“I know you bear many grudges against me due to what happened in the past,” Yan Wushi went on, “but toward you, my heart has already changed completely. As the saying goes, given enough time, one can see someone’s true feelings. Haven’t you realized it as well?”

Shen Qiao calmed his breathing and said coldly, “I have never seen Sect Leader Yan’s heart before. How should I know whether your heart’s changed completely?”

Yan Wushi grabbed his hand and brought it to his own heart. He said softly, “If you don’t believe me, you can dig it out and see for yourself, then you’ll know. From today onward, this is all yours.”

The corners of Shen Qiao’s mouth twitched as the saccharine words sent a wave of chills down his spine. He felt that this man’s face was thicker than the Great Wall—he’d never be able to match Yan Wushi here no matter how he tried. If he attempted reasoning with him, Yan Wushi would fire back with his own twisted logic. Shen Qiao couldn’t be Yan Wushi’s match here even if he grew ten more mouths.

“Let go of me first,” he said.

“No can do,” said Yan Wushi with a smile. “As soon as I unseal your acupoints, you’ll run away. I don’t want to force you too much, but you shouldn’t get any notions about going our separate, happy ways. Even if the person I want hides in Qi Fengge’s grave, I will dig them out!”

Shen Qiao turned his face away. “This humble Daoist is one who cultivates the Dao. I will never involve myself in romance, nor get married, for my entire life.”

Yan Wushi said, “We’re not talking romance. You’re too superficial. We’re cultivation partners who share the same Dao and walk the same path. I never intended on marrying into your family by force. If you prefer, you can marry into mine instead.”

It was like he was teasing a cat, wanting to see its hackles rise, before smiling and soothing it. He undid Shen Qiao’s acupoints and said, “All right. I was just joking. Why are you so angry? Back to the main point, Puliuru Jian has run into a big problem this time. Whether he’s an enlightened ruler or whether you’re willing to support him, we can discuss these matters later. I’m asking you to come with me because there will be great benefits for you.”

The moment Shen Qiao’s acupoints were cleared, he stood up and retreated until he was over three feet away from Yan Wushi. “Please clarify more, Sect Leader Yan.”

Yan Wushi blinked at him and said, “I won’t keep you in suspense. In any case, you wanted to repay him too, didn’t you? Surely there’s no issue in coming with me to Chang’an for a look?”

My god, he’s even pretending to be cute!

Shen Qiao covered the injury on his chest, which was faintly throbbing in pain. He turned his head, unable to bear looking at him; he had yet to rid his mind of the man’s imperious and offensive actions from earlier. Both anger and helplessness roiled inside him.

“I can go with Sect Leader Yan, but we’ll need to establish some guidelines and treat each other with proper etiquette. If Sect Leader Yan it is unable to, I would rather go alone.”

And if I follow you, Yan Wushi thought, how would you get rid of me?

But he only gave him a small smile and generously agreed. “We can.”