Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Chapter 15 (Part 3)

Yet as soon as they turn the corner in the covered gallery, they find a man standing there — Helan Jie. Duan Ling is startled, and Wu Du puts a hand on his shoulder; with a turn of his wrist he moves Duan Ling around so he can hide behind him.

“You want to fight here?” Wu Du says, “If we end up taking your client’s house apart I’m not going to pay for it.”

Standing beneath the moon, Helan Jie’s scar-ridden face seems especially frightening.

“Wu Du. You keep this in mind. I won’t kill you.”

Then with that arm with a hook for a hand, he points at the Duan Ling behind Wu Du.

“I will peel off his skin,” in awkward Han, Helan Jie says, “and make a lantern out of it.”

Duan Ling can’t even speak.

“One day, you notice he’s gone.” Helan Jie gives him a chilling smile. “Just you wait. Bring back his corpse.”

Wu Du raises a hand and places it on the hilt of his sword. A strong aura of murderous intent rolls out from his entire body, but Duan Ling reaches out to restrain him.

No matter what action they choose to take, now is definitely not the best time for it. They look on as Helan Jie leaves the area; Duan Ling cannot help but feel a terrifying chill radiate from the bottom of his heart.

“While we’re here you must stay at my side. Don’t get out of my sight,” Wu Du says.

Weren’t we doing that in the first place? Duan Ling thinks to himself.

“Why is he so persistent about wanting to kill me?” What Duan Ling fears is something else entirely — if his father has met Helan Jie face to face, Helan Jie couldn’t have recognised Duan Ling for his father’s son, could he? But that can’t be it. Bian Lingbai’s met him, Mu Kuangda’s met him, even Wu Du has met his father, and none of them managed to recognise Duan Ling. It may be because there’s already a crown prince, or quite possibly because he really doesn’t resemble his father at all.

He would much rather believe that Helan Jie didn’t recognise him, but what great grudge could he ever have against Duan Ling to make him think he must kill him?

“He just wants to take revenge,” Wu Du says.

Hearing this gives Duan Ling’s heart a start. “What revenge?”

“Revenge for the time I spoiled a single move in his plans. You cannot guess at what a man like Helan Jie would do as you would a normal person. Someone who’d even kill the master of the sect he belongs to is a mad dog.”

“But why doesn’t he go to you directly to seek revenge instead of coming to kill me?”

Wu Du throws Duan Ling a look without saying anything.

Duan Ling is thoroughly lost.

Wu Du says, “Oh forget it, let’s stop talking about this and go practice martial arts already.”

Duan Ling is speechless.

It’s their first night of proper sleep in a while. Wu Du pushes Duan Ling to the inside of the bed, taking the outside half for himself so he can protect him better. After all, Helan Jie is a real threat, not the same as Duan Ling’s persecutory delusions of “Wuluohou Mu will kill me”. This time, Wu Du has taken the threat to heart.

Halfway through the night:

“Stop hugging me,” Wu Du groans, “how old are you already? Why do you hold on constantly the moment you go to sleep?”

“What?” Duan Ling is in the middle of a dream where he’s grabbed hold of a fish and they’re swimming through the water. It’s still a bit hot and stuffy even though it’s already autumn, and he’s been holding on so tightly that they’re now both covered in sweat. He crawls into a sitting position drowsily and asks Wu Du, “Who’s here? What is it?”

Wu Du is lost for words; he immediately makes Duan Ling lie back down again, and gets a folding fan. Duan Ling sleeps unexpectedly well for the rest of the night, and doesn’t wake again until dawn.

The next morning, Bian Lingbai summons the two of them over to have breakfast with him. His attitude towards Duan Ling has completely turned around, and everything he brings up revolves around things that once happened in Zhao Kui’s estate. The role of Zhao Rong that Duan Ling is playing isn’t all that close to Zhao Kui either so all he can do is go with the flow of the conversation.

Fei Hongde comes in after breakfast. “I feel like heading outside Tongguan for a walk today. Why don’t I take Mister Zhao along?”

Bian Lingbai leaves Duan Ling with some more customary advice to be careful while he’s out, then he tells the servants to get the horses ready so that Duan Ling and Wu Du can leave the city with Fei Hongde.

The sun is warm and bright today, and Duan Ling comes down the mountain with Fei Hongde in a carriage. Wu Du trails them from behind at a respectable distance, knowing that with Fei Hongde around, that mad dog assassin wouldn’t dare try anything.

Duan Ling sees Fei Hongde produce a geomantic compass,2 and realises right away that this man is familiar with the art of Feng Shui; he must really have brought Duan Ling out of the city on this walk in order to find Zhao Kui’s buried treasure.

“I paid a visit to the Yao family’s young lady when I got up this morning,” Fei Honde says gently as he adjusts his compass.

Duan Ling nods. “Is she doing well?”

“She had to leave home to marry all the way to Xiliang, so I’m sure she’s not feeling all that well about it. Her husband will be the Xiliang Cavalier Attendant-in-ordinary’s son, Shang Leguan.”3

“Why did the Yaos want to marry her off so far from home?”

“Xiliang has had a lukewarm relationship with Liao ever since the battle of Shangjing; a violent storm is imminent. If all goes as planned, Chen and Xiliang will renew their alliance after Bian Lingbai’s death.”

In that split second, Duan Ling’s hand jolts so badly that he nearly flips the compass over. A crafty smile has appeared in Fei Hongde’s eyes though, and he nods as though he’s quite satisfied with Duan Ling’s performance.

“You’re still too inexperienced.” Fei Hongde says to Duan Ling with a smile.

Duan Ling watches Fei Hongde with distrust. “Whatever do you mean, Master Fei?”

A dangerous idea occurs to Duan Ling. Fei Hongde seems to know a lot of things — he’s seen through their intentions for coming to Tongguan! What should he do? Should he kill him right now?

“Put the knife in your sleeve away,” Fei Hongde says, and turns from him to get his counting rods.4 “This isn’t time to pull a knife, not yet. If you kill me in the carriage, how are you going to explain yourself?”

Duan Ling stares at him, speechless.

Fei Hongde continues, “Chang Pin’s mentor and I studied under the same teacher, and I’m the one who passed the secret letter to Xichuan and exposed Bian Lingbai’s private arms procurement. I never expected that Chancellor Mu would send a young man like you to accompany Wu Du, though.”

Duan Ling feels a great weight roll off his chest, and he heaves a long sigh; he knows that for now his life isn’t in danger.

But still, he doesn’t dare let his guard down. “Why would you …”

“All my life I have only ever pledged my allegiance to righteousness and the world at large. After the late emperor’s death, Bian Lingbai sent someone to recruit me to his cause, and if the northwest barrier cannot be held, I’m afraid Xichuan and the central plain will only collapse again. That’s why I waited by General Bian’s side and awaited my chance.”

Duan Ling considers Fei Hongde. “You’ve met the late emperor?”

“All those years ago, Zhao Kui, Bian Lingbai and those on their side were already plotting to betray him. I once offered the late emperor a way to counter this, but before we were able to put our plans into motion Zhao Kui decided to take his chances and he made his move. That’s the only reason the three armies were able to seize power and stage the siege of Mount Jiangjun.”

Duan Ling doesn’t say anything, as he’s still skeptical and suspect Fei Hongde may be trying to set him up to get information out of him. But soon, Fei Hongde continues, “Before the armies took his authority from him, I’d already given the late emperor a reminder, and thereupon he dispatched Wuluohou Mu to Shangzi to track down the Princess-consort. Come to think of it, that was already many years ago.”

Duan Ling sits quietly without a word, Fei Hongde tells him, “Just continue carrying out the chancellor’s plans for now. Even though I’m not sure what he intends, this old man will think of some way to cover you.”

Seeing that Fei Hongde isn’t going to ask him any more questions, Duan Ling nods at him.

This chapter is scrapped from readlightnovel.org

The carriage comes to a stop, and Fei Hongde seems as if he’s just thought of something. “Oh, that reminds me — when I saw you last night I actually thought you resembled an old friend.”

Duan Ling stares at him blankly, and before he’s managed to react Fei Hongde has already exited the carriage.

What did he mean by that? What Fei Hongde just told him has shaken Duan Ling to the core; too much information is contained in those words. When Wu Du opens the carriage’s curtain, what meets his eyes is Duan LIng’s pale face, as white as ash.

“What’s the matter?” Wu Du says, surprised.

“He knows …” Duan Ling’s voice is trembling. “How come he knows everything?”

Wu Du turns his head with a start to stare in Fei Hongde’s direction, but Duan Ling stops him. The two look at each other, and that gaze is filled with fear.

Leaving the carriage behind, Fei Hongde continues to walk into a ravine without saying anything more, his geomancy compass in hand. So as not to alert too many people, Bian Lingbai has sent them out with only two guard units of five each.

“Take it easy.” Wu Du says to Duan Ling, “Before we left, Chancellor Mu did tell me that someone will be here to meet us. It must be him.”

“Why didn’t I know about this?”

“It was real early in the morning and you were sleeping, so I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me afterwards?”

“I forgot.”

Duan Ling is entirely speechless.

“Fei Hongde is amazing,” Wu Du tells Duan Ling. “Lots of scholars in the central plain once called him their mentor. You don’t have to worry about him too much. Last night, if he wanted to sell you out, we’d have been exposed by now. He could also have chosen to say nothing, and there’s no need for him to take the initiative to open up to you about this. But since he did tell you it means he trusts you.”

“But what if he actually wants to use us and turn this plan around to ascertain Chancellor Mu’s plans?” Duan Ling asks.

Wu Du’s brows furrow, seemingly a bit frustrated. “Why do you think so much?”

Alright, fine. Duan Ling admits he’s overthinking it. “He says he worked for the late emperor.”

“Yeah,” Wu Du nods. “There’s probably nothing wrong with his integrity.”

“When was this?”

“I don’t know,” Wu Du replies, “I wasn’t on their side at the time. He may know Wuluohou Mu.”

But what makes Duan Ling worry is the last thing Fei Hongde said. He doesn’t dare tell Wu Du about his misgivings; perhaps Fei Hongde has been able to tell that as well, and that’s why he went out of his way to find a time when Wu Du wouldn’t be around before testing him in a roundabout way.

All’s quiet in the ravine. Fei Hongde beckons at Duan Ling. “Zhao Rong, look at this mountain here. A single stream runs beneath the foothills like a dragon — it’s a great place.”

Duan Ling is still a bit distracted. Fei Hongde reaches out, gives the back of Duan Ling’s hand a pat, and with a look lets him know there’s nothing to worry about.

“Where do you think your uncle would bury what he’s given you?”

Duan Ling gives this some thought. “Well it wasn’t exactly for me … Hmm, but if I were him, I wouldn’t go out of my way to dig a hole. It’s too conspicuous.”

“Precisely. The Qinling is quite a steep mountain range so digging here would be an enormously troublesome task, but there are quite a few tombs here from previous dynasties. I’m guessing that your uncle hid the treasure in some of these tombs. Geomancy is part of our Han lore, and the dead need to ride the energy of life. This vitality is carried through the wind and stops at the boundaries of water, and the art of accumulating such energy in a given location is what’s called ‘Feng Shui’.”

Just by hearing those words, Duan Ling can feel that there’s a lot to learn about in geomancy; his thirst for knowledge at once wins over his apprehension towards Fei Hongde. He observes his surroundings and sees a mountain with water flowing by. “You’re right. It may be right in this mountain.”

"I’ll go down there and have a look.”

“Please watch your step,” Duan Ling says immediately.

I do not monetise my hobby translations, but if you’d like to support my work generally or support my light novel habit, you can either buy me a coffee or commission me. This is also e that if you see this message anywhere else than on tumblr, do come to my tumblr. It’s ad-free. ↩︎

Chinese geomancy is Feng Shui, and a geomantic compass has 24 directions. ↩︎

This was actually Sima Shi’s title during the Three Kingdoms period, in the state of Wei. It’s been used in later dynasties, but not as an official title. It’s an honorary title that’s given to close advisers of the ruler. ↩︎

Counting rods have been around for > 2000 years. In this case, Fei Hongde is using for Feng Shui, but in history they’ve been used for high level math. It was slowly replaced by the abacus. ↩︎