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Xiao Shao followed suit and got off his horse. Attached to one side of the saddle at the back of the horse were many glistening furs. And on the other side, was the game that they had hunted, skewered together and hung upside down. Amongst them was the exquisite pelt of an elusive white wolf. Its entire body was covered from top to bottom with snow white fur that did not have a single blemish. It was quite large and the arrow that ended its life still pierced its throat. Hunting in this snowy forest was already difficult, and the colour of the white wolf’s fur blended in with the snow, so one had to have excellent sight to detect it. The wolf was so massive, strong and vigorous, but it was a pity that it met Xiao Shao because in the end it was destined to become an accessory to be worn.

“It’s just a beast.” Xiao Shao did not seem to care.

Qi Feng paused. “Third Brother has hunted down the white wolf because you want to make a cloak for Third Sister-in-law and this white wolf fur is hard to find. Now that Third Sister-in-law is beginning to recover from her severe ailment, it is essential that she takes good care of her body.”

Xiao Shao glanced at him, but did not speak. In fact, Qi Feng was right. Seeing his indifference, Qi Feng didn’t mind, just shook his head and smiled. “Although the white wolf fur is good, it’s a pity that Third Sister-in-law hates white the most. If it was red fox fur, she would be much happier.”

Xiao Shao’s footsteps paused as he stopped to look at him. Then he asked nonchalantly, “What is it that you want to say?”

There was a wry smile on Qi Feng’s face. Recently, the relationship between the two of them had become a bit strange, to the degree that even Xia Qing, that stupid and brainless fool could see that something was wrong. Since the day Jiang Ruan fell into a coma, Qi Feng’s actions had made Xiao Shao unhappy. He looked into the distance, towards the undulating mountains where the peaks of Mt. Jianan could be faintly seen. He said, “Third Brother, you are the third senior brother of Mt. Jianan. Back then, among the nine disciples under Shifu, you were the most intelligent, and nothing was difficult for you. However, even though I trained in the Arts of Politics and Strategy, in terms of abilities and intelligence, I am still not as good as you.”

Xiao Shao cast his eyes downwards- there was no way of knowing what he was thinking. Qi Feng’s voice seemed to carry past memories as he recollected, “At first you were cold and treated everyone coldly, except Second Brother who managed to converse a little with you. Otherwise, you didn’t give the rest of us the time of day. At that time, we were all young and egotistical teenagers, and seeing you behave like that, all of us thought that you were proud and arrogant. Consequently, it was natural that none of us wanted to associate with you.”

Qi Feng smiled slightly. At the beginning, the nine disciples resided together on Mt. Jiangan. All they had to do on the mountain everyday was to train and study. At that time, they only felt that life was hard. It wasn’t until much later, when they completed their tutelage and were masters in their own rights and had gone down the mountain that they really experienced firsthand the ostentatious schemes and pandemonium that was behind the neverending affairs of the world. Only then did they realise how beautiful their days on the mountain had been.

“It was at this very place where Third Brother once saved my life,” Qi Feng said suddenly, “I still remember how Third Brother looked at that time. You didn’t say anything. I was very scared, but you didn’t look anxious at all. At that time, I thought you were really amazing. From then on, I began to sincerely admire you.”

Many years ago, on a snowy day like today, several of the brothers went out to hunt in the forest. During the winter, deep within the mountain forests, there ought not to have been any wild animals. However, unexpectedly on that day, he had chanced upon a big black bear foraging for food. The black bear was tall and fierce. At that time, Guan Liang Han and the others were too far away from Qi Feng to be able to help him out- they could only look. With his measly bit of martial arts, and about to lose his life under the black bear’s sharp teeth, an arrow shot out of nowhere and pierced the black bear’s mouth. The bear flew into a rage, but by then that person had already rushed up from behind. His arrow was now useless, so Xiao Shao drew out the short dagger that he had on him, and without a change in his expression he confronted the bear head-on.

No matter how skilled a person was, any close contact with a wild beast was highly disadvantageous and without a doubt would inevitably lead to a loss. Not to mention the fact that Xiao Shao only had a short dagger in his hand. One inch short and one inch dangerous; the shorter the weapon, the higher the risk in order to be close enough to the opponent to make a counterattack. One could imagine just how dangerous the situation was because by the time Xiao Shao finally subdued the black bear, he had suffered multiple injuries. It’s just that he always wore black clothes, and the bloodstains couldn’t be seen. At first glance, except for his pale face, he was still as impassive and indifferent as usual.

At that time Qi Feng was very nervous, but Xiao Shao didn’t say anything. Honestly speaking, there was no deep hatred between the teenagers, only minor conflicts that would arise from time to time due to differences of opinions. It was far better to resolve any animosity than to foster grudges and hatred, and at that moment, Xiao Shao’s calm and collected indifference made Qi Feng gain a whole new respect for him. As a result of that particular incident, he was somewhat able to understand this cold-faced senior brother, that is, he was not as indifferent and uncaring as he appeared to be. It was just that he was just not good at expressing his emotions. Qi Feng’s heart was set on admiring such a courageous person, and it was precisely because of this that after leaving his master, he did not enter the imperial court as everyone thought he would. Instead he went to Bai Zhang Lou, which was managed by Xiao Shao’s Jinyi Guards, covertly working and assisting him behind the scene. Because in Qi Feng’s eyes, following Xiao Shao and aiding his cause was more honourable and prestigious than any so-called gratification from an imperial court

Rousing from his musing of the past, Qi Feng smiled slightly, “What I want to say is that Third Brother will always be the person I admire the most. I will not fight for anything, and I have no other thoughts. Third Sister-in-law is the most extraordinary woman I have ever seen.” He sighed softly, “If I had met her earlier, I would not have been so willing. But since she is your wife, she is just my Third Sister-in-law.” Although, in the end, he couldn’t hide the sadness in his voice.

“I never thought you had other thoughts.” Xiao Shao interrupted him, with the same indifferent tone as before, “You would not.”

The three words “you would not” seemed placid. But in that instant, it brought about a warmth that could be felt even on this blistery cold mountain. In fact, people like Xiao Shao would not trust others easily, but those words embodied a kind of absolute confidence. Qi Feng was downtrodden, and with a bitter taste in his mouth, he shook his head and said, “I have always felt that if any of our fellow brothers wanted to catch up with you, it would be absolutely impossible. You are, by far, way better than any of us.”

In the end, he lost because after all, it wasn’t just about meeting sooner or later. Xiao Shao was indeed an excellent person, and he was well suited for Jiang Ruan. Thus, with today’s conversation, Qi Feng was finally able to bare his heart as he truly wanted to resolve their misunderstanding. Xiao Shao’s answer also showed his attitude. Although his heart remained grieved, ultimately he was able to put the matter to rest. And so, wanting to liven up the mood, Qi Feng changed the subject with a smile and said, “No matter what, Third Sister-in-law will be fine after a while. Surviving a catastrophe will only bring more blessings. It’s just that this matter definitely has something to do with South Xinjiang. From the looks of things, the people from South Xinjiang have already arrived in the capital and must be preparing to make their move. Also, Xuan Li has close relations with South Xinjiang, so conceivably he may also be involved in this matter.”

“I will never let him go.” Xiao Shao said.

“He is probably up to his old tricks again,” Qi Feng said. “Back when he did those things, he totally squandered the friendship and camaraderie between our fellow brothers. Although Shifu expelled him from the sect, every time I think about this I feel disgusted in my heart.” Qi Feng sighed. “With his petty vindictive nature, and should a day come that the throne falls into his hands, the first people he will not spare will be from Mt. Jianan.”

“There won’t be that day.” Xiao Shao said.

“I know Third Brother won’t let him succeed. We haven’t forgotten about Ninth Brother.” Qi Feng looked at his sleeve. “There will come a day when he will have to pay the debt that he owes us.”

* * *

Once they finished hunting, Qi Feng and Xiao Shao returned to Lu Yang Villa. Xia Qing, who had come out of his seclusion to make medicine, was unexpectedly happy to see their bounty. This was because white wolf bone was a precious ingredient for making medicine, and so he immediately dragged the white wolf back to his room after saying that he would bring back the fur. Xiao Shao had always been generous in dealing with these kinds of things, and except for the pelt, the rest was useless to him, so he immediately agreed.

“I heard that white wolves are hard to hunt so how did you do it?” Jiang Ruan had seen a white wolf skin in the palace in her previous life. Xuan Li had spent a large sum of money to purchase it from a merchant outside because it was very difficult to find a white wolf with unblemished snow white fur. Back then, the immaculate white fur was indeed enviable, and Xuan Li had presented it to Imperial Consort Chen. Then Imperial Consort Chen took the fur and made it into a scarf. And with the fluffy warm scarf wrapped around her neck even the Emperor praised it. In any case, today, Xiao Shao merely went out to hunt and brought back a white wolf. As such, she could not resist feeling curious.

Xiao Shao glanced at her and said, “With an arrow.”

Jiang Ruan: “...”

When Xiao Shao saw her speechless appearance, he couldn’t resist laughing. Jiang Ruan glared at him- this man was deliberately teasing her again. Moving on, she recalled something and asked, “I heard from Shifu that there were originally nine fellow brothers. I just saw calligraphy and paintings of the other brothers in the attic. Why don’t I see anything of Eighth Brother’s?”

Jiang Ruan has seen almost all of Xiao Shao’s brothers, except for Eldest Senior Brother, Xue Da, and Sixth Brother, Du Liu, both of whom were roaming about and were presently not in Great Jin. But as soon as Eighth Brother and Ninth Brother were mentioned, Xia Qing would hem and haw, trying to evade the topic. Xia Qing was honest and not good at lying so his evasive behaviour was really strange in Jiang Ruan’s eyes. So while chatting with Xiao Shao, she suddenly thought of this matter and casually brought it up.

After hearing her question, Xiao Shao’s expression changed slightly, and unexpectedly he did not immediately reply. Instead, he slowly knitted his brows.

Jiang Ruan was taken aback, and said, “If you don’t want to say...”

“Eighth Brother is Xuan Li.” Not waiting for her to finish speaking, Xiao Shao interrupted her, “Ninth Brother is actually a Ninth Sister. She died because of Xuan Li, and after that incident, Xuan Li was expelled from the sect by Shifu.” Xiao Shao’s words were as concise and succinct as usual. A short statement from him was enough to make people’s hearts tremble with fear and trepidation such that even Jiang Ruan was shocked speechless by the weight and complexity of his reply. She had stayed with Xuan Li for a long time in her past life, but she never knew that Xuan Li and Xiao Shao were brothers from the same sect, let alone that Xuan Li and Xiao Shao had been entangled in such a way.

Seeing the look in her eyes, Xiao Shao reached out to hold her soft slender hand. His hands were also slender and well-defined, and not as rough as those of ordinary martial arts practitioners. Quite the contrary, he had smooth and powerful hands which were really pleasing to the eye. Jiang Ruan looked up at him. Xiao Shao sighed and said, “Sit down, I’ll tell you slowly.”

Even though Teacher Ba Qi had retired to his native place and gone into seclusion on Mt. Jianan, because he held the title of Oracle of the Heavenly mandate, many people wanted to send their sons to Mt. Jianan to formally be accepted as a disciple under him. However, Teacher Ba Qi had an eccentric personality and his criteria was that they had to be to his liking otherwise he would not accept them. Consequently, the nine disciples who were finally accepted by Teacher Ba Qi indeed had their own merits, and they were all giants among men[1].

[1] 人中龙凤 (rén zhōng lóngfèng) – lit. dragons and phoenixes among people; a giant among men (idiom); A superior or remarkable man who stands out from other men; a leader or exemplar for other men.

Senior Brother Xue was an eloquent itinerant political advisor; Second Brother Guan had the bravery of a General; Third Brother Xiao was the best assassin; Fourth Brother Qi had a talent for military stratagem; Fifth Brother Xia had medical skills that could cure any physical ailments and even bring a person back to life; Sixth Brother Du could make all kinds of hidden contraptions, concealed weapons and devices with his skillful hands; Seventh Brother Mo was an incredible intellectual; Eighth Brother Xuan had the aura of an Emperor; and Ninth Brother Bai inherited the mantle of Teacher Ba Qi, and was schooled in the divination of destiny and heaven’s will.

Back then, Ninth Brother Bai was named Bai Zhu, and after being abandoned as a baby, Teacher Ba Qi brought her back to raise as his own daughter. Teacher Ba Qi had taken eight male disciples, but Bai Zhu was the only female. Although Mt. Jianan had no distinction or segregation between male and female students, if this information was spread, ultimately it would influence how people would view Bai Zhu. So Teacher Ba Qi ordered her to dress up as a man, and within the sect, they would address each other as senior brother and junior brother. So in name, she was Ninth Brother, but in fact she was Ninth Sister.

As the only junior sister on Mt. Jianan, Bai Zhu was born intelligent and adorable, and under Teacher Ba Qi’s tutelage and upbringing, she was innocent and childlike. All the senior brothers doted on Bai Zhu very much and as the years passed Bai Zhu grew from a little girl to a beautiful young woman.

No matter how she normally wore men’s clothing, this couldn’t hide the fact that she was a woman, and especially at such a young age, which girl didn’t yearn for love. And so, no one knew when, but Bai Zhu fell in love with Xuan Li.

Back then when Xuan Li was in Mt. Jianan, in all fairness, he was indeed a very outstanding young man. He was born handsome and elegant, and he also had the noble demeanour distinct to the royal family. What’s even more rare was that he had no airs at all, and treated others affably and courteously. It wasn’t just Bai Zhu, but all of the brothers had sincerely befriended him back then.

The disciples who grew up in Mt. Jianan were raised by Teacher Ba Qi to be very vivacious, broadminded and not easily controlled. In comparison, Xiao Shao and Xuan Li were more mature and restrained in behaviour, however, when compared to the cold Xiao Shao, it was obvious that Xuan Li, who was always smiling, made people feel more at ease.

Bai Zhu was a girl who was guileless and unspoiled, and she had almost never had any contact with anyone from below the mountain. So her worldview reflected an almost gossamer kind of innocence and frailty. If she liked someone, she would like the person and her feelings were very obvious. Thus, anyone with a discerning eye could see that Bai Zhu liked Xuan Li, so naturally Xuan Li noticed it too. However, if he didn’t like her, he could have just told her. Instead, he did a hateful thing by using other people’s feelings to further his own ulterior motives.

From the very beginning, Xuan Li studied the governance of a monarch and since he was a descendant of the royal family, there was nothing wrong with his choice of study. Bai Zhu was proficient in divination and hexagrams, but she couldn’t predict her own future nor the future of those close to her- Teacher Ba Qi said that it was destiny. While all the books in Teacher Ba Qi’s attic could be flipped through at will, Teacher Ba Qi held back one in particular when teaching her. It was about the so-called pivotal lifeline and lineage of the Emperor and the royal family- in fact it was the astronomical divination of the Dragon vein.

No one knew when Xuan Li became interested in this matter. The scary thing was that he was only a teenager at the time, yet he was able to rein in his ambitiousness and set about plotting and working on his ultimate strategy. On the surface, he was friendly and respectful to his senior brothers of Mt. Jianan, but on the other hand, he secretly incited Bai Zhu to steal Teacher Ba Qi’s astronomical divination chart.

At that time, Bai Zhu was only a young teenager, and she didn’t understand the conspiracy and evilness of the human heart, let alone what Xuan Li’s intention was in asking her to steal for him. She just thought it was as usual when an older brother asked her to steal something like a meal or a copper coin. Teacher Ba Qi was strict with his apprentices, but he was very tolerant and indulgent towards her. Bai Zhu was determined to steal the astronomical divination chart for Xuan Li, but she didn’t expect that it was not an ordinary item, and there were hidden traps where the chart was stored. Bai Zhu only knew some basic defence skills, so there was no way that she could withstand those hidden poisonous weapons. Hence, she set off the traps and was immediately struck down.

The poison had to be detoxified within an hour, and if Bai Zhu had been discovered earlier she wouldn’t have died. But the astronomical divination chart was hidden in a secret room, and only Xuan Li knew that Bai Zhu had gone in there. He kept silent and didn’t tell anyone because his plans had fallen through and he was afraid that the incident would bring about more trouble for himself. It was only a day later that Bai Zhu was found dead and it was revealed that she had died because of the hidden traps. At that time, Xuan Li said that he was totally unaware of the matter, but in the end Teacher Ba Qi was able to discover some inconsistencies.

Mt. Jianan did not accept treacherous people as its disciples. What’s more, he was clearly a two-faced person with a human face but a beast’s heart[2]. Bai Zhu was the daughter of Xuan Li’s master, and she treated him with sincerity but because of his insidiousness and selfishness, she lost her life in vain. Xuan Li adamantly refused to admit his guilt, but there was no evidence to incriminate him. Moreover at that time, Imperial Consort Chen was favoured and rising in her popularity, and should they have covertly dealt with Xuan Li, it would have only brought a heap of trouble to the disciples of Mt. Jianan. Bai Zhu was the younger sister to all of the sect brothers, and she had always been cherished and cared for like family. As such, her tragic death left all of them outraged and thirsty for revenge. It was not at all impossible for them to secretly act and have Xuan Li pay for a life with his life, but in the end it was Teacher Ba Qi who came forward to stop the angry brothers. He said that he had already predicted long ago that such a day would arrive, and Bai Zhu’s fate had such a variant that even if it was not Xuan Li it would have been someone else. Similarly, Xuan Li also had his own destiny. Subsequently, no one should interfere with the affairs of fate. On that day he planted the seed of cause and effect. In this way, there would inevitably come a day when accounts would be balanced and Xuan Li would taste the bitter fruit of defeat and suffer painful consequences.

[2] 人面兽心 (rénmiànshòuxīn) – human face, beast’s heart (idiom); two-faced; malicious and duplicitous.

Ultimately, in the end, Teacher Ba Qi’s words made the brothers dispel the idea of dealing with Xuan Li secretly. However, no one could continue to live with him on Mt. Jianan. Even if Teacher Ba Qi was a saint, after harming the daughter he treated as his own, it was also impossible for him to remain indifferent. After this incident, Xuan Li was expelled from the sect, signifying that henceforth, Xuan Li had nothing to do with Mt. Jianan.

From then on, whenever they ran across Xuan Li, the brothers would just treat him as a stranger. Bai Zhu’s matter became a taboo subject on Mt. Jianan, and since then no one ever mentioned her.

“He used the same trick again...” Jiang Ruan murmured, then suddenly realized that Xiao Shao was looking at her, and found that what she said was wrong. She hurriedly said, “What I mean is that he has actually had such a scheming and insidious mind for a long time.”

The past that Jiang Ruan had recalled was arduously tortuous and weighty, and among those experiences, Bai Zhu and her past self shared almost identical situations. Didn’t they both fall in love with the modest gentleman in their minds? Hadn’t they drawn close to him with great joy and happiness, only to find out that he was a hungry wolf who ate people without spitting out their bones, and in the process losing their lives in vain. Suddenly her empathy made her feel sorrowful. It turned out that whether it was in the previous life or the present one, Xuan Li’s methods were never aimed at her alone. He would make use of the sincerity of others to achieve his own goals and both she and Bai Zhu were just a little bit more stupid, that’s all.

“He is the enemy of Mt. Jianan. One day, this debt will be recovered,” Xiao Shao said with downcast eyes.

Jiang Ruan looked at him askance, her beautiful eyes faintly lifted, seemingly with a hint of mischievousness. Xiao Shao was a little unsettled by her stare, and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Ninth Sister was clever and witty, innocent and unspoilt, and she was the treasure in the palm of all brothers.” Jiang Ruan said slowly, “But somehow she chose Xuan Li. How can you not compare to him?”

Xiao Shao glanced at her with a helpless expression on his handsome face, and he thought for a moment before saying, “She was just a junior sister.”

Jiang Ruan shook her head and said, “You said Ninth Sister was very good, one in a hundred, but I think she had one bad thing, that is, she had bad eyesight.” She looked at Xiao Shao, and suddenly her indignation spurred and emboldened her as she stretched out her hand to pinch Xiao Shao’s cheeks and turned his head left and right. “If I were her, I would definitely not have chosen Xuan Li. What’s so good about him? He is merely good at posturing and is pretentious,” she said with a smile. “In my opinion, this face before me is much more beautiful, more elegant, way smarter, and definitely better in martial arts. And in terms of wealth, it is more than sufficient to defeat a country. Although your status is not comparable, nor is it of a royal nobility, still, it is just what I want.”

Although her usual smile was gorgeous, it always carried some estrangement. After waking up from a serious illness this time, she seemed to have changed, and she always smiled genuinely and unrestrainedly in front of Xiao Shao. Her smile was as bright and charming as spring flowers and autumn moons, and the charm in her eyes was almost dazzling. Xiao Shao couldn’t help being slightly absent-minded after being pulled by her, but he didn’t care about her rude behaviour. Instead, he hugged her waist and smiled lightly, “Just what you want?”

Jiang Ruan was taken aback, and unconsciously pulled back her hand. Xiao Shao raised his eyebrows, but he was a little happy. “My pleasure.” After saying that, he leaned down and lightly pecked her lips.

Jiang Ruan: “...you hooligan!”

* * *

The days on Mt. Jianan was relaxed and pleasant, and it seemed that everything in the world could be temporarily forgotten. Every day was leisurely spent. This was the place where Xiao Shao grew up. Xiao Shao took her through the valley where he had cultivated in the past, as if in this way she could journey and grow up with him. However, the good times always flew by quickly. After Jiang Ruan fully recovered from her injuries, it was time to go down the mountain and return to the capital.

On this special occasion, Xia Qing and Qi Feng were also returning to the capital together with them. And Teacher Ba Qi was preparing to continue his retreat in seclusion. After Jiang Ruan was settled in the carriage, she leaned against Xiao Shao and said, “If everything is settled one day, I am more than willing to return here and stay for a longer time, especially since my frame of mind seems to be much more open.”

“If you like it, I will bring you here often.” Xiao Shao patted her head.

Jiang Ruan paused for a moment before saying, “Actually, Xiao Shao, I have hidden something from you.”

Xiao Shao looked at her.

“It’s my secret. I originally planned not to tell anyone in this life. But now I have changed my mind.” Jiang Ruan lowered her head, wondering if she was avoiding Xiao Shao’s eyes. Her voice contained indescribable subtle emotions. “I want to break the barrier between us, and I plan to tell you about it, but not now. After we have returned to the capital and I have dealt with a certain matter, then I will tell you. And after you have heard everything, no matter how you see or think of me, I’ll accept your decision.”

Xiao Shao was silent, then suddenly stretched out his hand, and gently but firmly turned her head to force her to look directly at him. His pitch- black eyes were bottomless like ripples that cascade out from within the calm water.

“Ah Ruan, I don’t care. If you feel hardpressed and reluctant to do so, then there is no need for you to speak of it.” He smiled lightly. “No matter what happens, in my eyes, you are you. Your so-called ‘barrier’ has never existed in my heart.”