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Chapter 38 - Unwelcome Visitors
When he left the workshop, Su Yi had a new sheathed longsword.
Wang Tianyang had made the sheath himself. It was crafted of tanned blue shark skin, with cast metal clouds and ringlets. It had a timeless, simple elegance.
It’s worth noting that he didn’t accept so much as a single piece of silver to cover the cost of materials. It wasn’t that Su Yi didn’t want to pay him, but that Wang Tianyang would rather die than accept payment….
“Tch, you’ve really broadened my horizons. Who would have thought that a proud ol’ brothel frequenter like Elder Wang would one day lower his head?” Even though they’d already left the smithy, Huang Qianjun was overcome with excitement.
Just now, the smiths had been like a group of schoolboys, listening attentively as Su Yi taught them his forging technique. Wang Tianyang was no exception.
To Su Yi, this was just a method of crafting ordinary mortal weapons. It wasn’t much at all.
But to Wang Tianyang and the other smiths, it was an enormous stroke of fortune. All of them were so excited, they didn’t know what to do with themselves. They felt awe, reverence, and terror, and they even changed how they addressed Su Yi. He was now “Grandmaster Su.”
As a result, when Su Yi attempted to pay the bill, Wang Tianyang and the other weaponsmiths were frantic. No matter what he said, they refused to accept their “Grandmaster Su’s” money.
Huang Qianjun had watched the entire incident play out. Of course he was moved!
Suddenly, Su Yi asked, “Are you planning to participate in the Dragon’s Gate Banquet?”
Just once sentence, and Huang Qianjun’s delight soured as he recalled their encounter with Wen Jueyuan.
After a moment’s silence, he said bitterly, “I’m only in the Refining Muscle stage of the Blood Circulation Realm, while Wen Jueyuan is already in the Refining Bone stage. The gap between us is huge, and the banquet is only a month away; even if I work hard, I’m afraid there’s no way to catch up to him in time.”
Then, his eyes flashed with vicious light, and his voice filled with staunch determination. “But I’ll participate even if I can’t win. Defeat isn’t scary, but being too scared to even face him? That’s real cowardice. If I just give up, I’ll never be able to raise my head again!”
Su Yi nodded, and, in a rare display of chattiness, said, “Men ought to be ambitious and youths ought to be hot-blooded. You ought to forge ahead bravely, without fear of defeat.
“Sometimes, it seems like you’ve only taken a single step back, but in truth, you’ve lost far more than you realize. This isn’t about the heights of your cultivation; it’s about your mental state. By giving up, you’ve already planted the seeds of cowardice in your heart.”
As he said this, even Su Yi felt emotional.
When cultivating, every step was difficult, but only by enduring and bravely forging ahead could one clear the way ahead and realize a transcendent Great Dao!
Cowards could never reach the peak, not even if they worked their entire lives.
Huang Qianjun was stunned. He suddenly recalled his father’s frequent lectures.
“My boy, others might laugh at your domineering arrogance, but as your father, I think it’s for the best. When cultivating the Martial Dao, you ought to run amok without reservation, with no fear of heaven, earth, gods, or ghosts!”
Hearing Su Yi’s words, Huang Qianjun felt an inexplicable surge of complex emotions.
A long time passed, and his gaze gradually filled with determination. “Brother Su, I’ll remember what you just taught me. From now on, I won’t back down in the face of trouble!”
Su Yi reminded him, “I said you shouldn’t shrink back, but that doesn’t mean you should be reckless. Figure out the right balance for yourself.”
With that, he said no more. He’d never really liked lecturing others.
Some things were easier said than done. Some concepts required firsthand experience, training, and overcoming countless obstacles to truly comprehend.
“Brother Su, are you going to participate in the Dragon’s Gate Banquet?” asked Huang Qianjun.
Su Yi shook his head. “The rewards are ample, but it sounds far too dull.”
Dull?
The banquet is a stand-off between the youths of Guangling and Cloudfall Cities. This grand spectacle isn’t enough to arouse Brother Su’s interest?
Huang Qianjun fell silent, unsure of how to respond.
Before long, they passed an alleyway and heard a child shriek. “Su Yi! Hurry up and save me! Hurry!”
Huang Qianjun couldn’t help but look, only to see a group of kids clustered in the alleyway, beating up another little boy.
It was their victim who’d just cried out for help. The others had him pressed to the ground, and his face was covered in dirt as he wailed.
Wen Mingrong.
At the Wen Family matriarch’s birthday banquet, he was the one who announced “I, Wen Mingrong, might be young, but even I disdain to consort with a live-in son-in-law like Su Yi!” This declaration made the entire venue burst with laughter.
Some of the elders even praised the boy’s spirit and said his future prospects were immeasurable. Yet now, Wen Mingrong was being bullied, and he’d even begged the very Su Yi he “disdained to consort with “ for aid.
Su Yi merely glanced at him, then continued strolling leisurely ahead without so much as stopping, as if he’d seen nothing at all.
This cruel indifference left Wen Mingrong frantic. He shrieked, “Fine! Su Yi, just you wait! When I get home, I’ll tell on you!”
It was then that Huang Qianjun walked over. The bullies whaling on Wen Mingrong froze, instantly on guard.
“Are you here to save me? Great! When I get back, I’ll have my father reward you!” Wen Mingrong was wild with joy.
But against all expectations, Huang Qianjun merely squatted and pinched his dirt-smeared cheek, hard. It hurt so much that Wen Mingrong grimaced and burst into tears.
“Little boy, don’t you think you’re a bit confused?” Huang Qianjun laughed gleefully. “If my station allowed it, I’ll slap you around myself. You’ve got no manners at all.”
“You….” Wen Mingrong’s mind went blank.
“Don’t just stand there. Keep going.” Huang Qianjun rose, issued the bullies a few orders, then left, laughing as he went.
Before long, Wen Mingrong’s shrieks and pleas filled the alleyway once more….
But none of this had anything to do with Su Yi….
……
The Apricot Clinic.
When Su Yi returned, he saw a group of guards standing by the gates. They looked vigorous and well-trained, and they weren’t letting anyone enter.
The space around the clinic was empty; all of the patients had long since left.
“Is this some sort of challenge?” Huang Qianyun’s eyes flashed, threatening violence, and he strode forward. “Hey scumbags! Who told you you could act wildly here?”
“Young Master Huang?” When they saw Huang Qianjun, there was a clear uproar amongst the guards. However, none of them backed down; they clearly had confidence in their backing.
Their leader, a man in black, said gravely, “Young Master Huang, the Apricot Clinic is the Wen Family’s territory here. How can you call protecting it ‘acting wildly’?”
“You’re from the Wen Family?” Huang Qianjun was stunned.
The man in black nodded. “We’re subordinates of the Wen Family’s second elder. We’ve come here on business with our family’s young master. Young Master Huang, this has nothing to do with you, so you’d best not get involved.”
Huang Qianjun furrowed his brow. “Your family’s young master? You mean that Wen Jieyuan guy?”
“Indeed.” The man in black nodded.
Huang Qianjun instantly understood. The Apricot Clinic had been under Wen Changqing’s control to begin with, yet yesterday, Su Yi had taken over its leadership.
Furthermore, he’d cleansed the place of everyone indentured to Wen Changqing in one fell swoop.
There was no doubt about it. Wen Changqing’s son, Wen Jieyuan, was here for revenge!
The man in black had already noticed the nearby Su Yi, and his gaze instantly turned vicious.
He raised his hand, pointed, and shouted, “Wen Family Son-in-Law, you’re finally back. Do you have any idea how long our young master has been waiting for you?”
The other guards looked distinctly unfriendly too. After all, they’d come here to help Wen Jieyuan make trouble; how could they possibly treat Su Yi respectfully?
“Damn…” Huang Qianjun was just about to shout when Su Yi put his hand on his shoulder.
“You stay here.”
Huang Qianjun turned to look, only to see calm indifference in Su Yi’s gaze, as well as a cold glint.
His heart shook.
“Where’s your young master?” Su Yi strode forward, composed as ever. He hadn’t cared about the blacksmiths’ taunts, as in his eyes, they were nothing but ants, unworthy of his consideration.
But the Apricot Clinic was different; this was his territory. They’d come to antagonize him on his own turf. There was no way he wouldn’t care!
“Come with me.” The man in black glanced at him coldly, then turned and strode into the clinic.
Su Yi followed, while the other guards stuck close to him, keeping him under close watch as if afraid he’d run away.
Brother Su plans to handle this himself, huh….? Just as Huang Qianjun was about to take action, he recalled Su Yi’s orders and stopped in his tracks. I have to follow his commands, but if I just stand here doing nothing, won’t I look completely useless….?
Huang Qianjun sank into thought. He wasn’t worried about Su Yi’s wellbeing; he was just lamenting his inability to go watch the show….
Before long, he seemed to reach a decision. He turned and left.
Meanwhile, within the Apricot Clinic.
Hu Quan, Wu Guangbin and the others were all present, but all of their brows were tightly knit with worry.
When they saw Su Yi step through the door, their expressions changed.
Su Yi had only taken up the clinic’s management yesterday, but Wen Changqing’s son, Wen Jieyuan, was already here to make trouble. Every member of the clinic’s staff sensed that Su Yi was in for a hard time.
Hu Quan hurriedly called out a warning, “Sir, you mustn’t clash with Young Master Wen Jieyuan! Retreat just this once; there’s a boundless future ahead of you.”
Su Yi neither agreed nor disagreed. He simply nodded. “I’m just glad you’re alright.”
Hu Quan wanted to say something, only for the man in black to push him away. “This is none of your business. All of you, wait over there!”
Then, he led Su Yi straight to the courtyard behind the clinic. Hu Quan and the rest of the staff watched them leave, then looked at each other and sighed. They deeply admired Su Yi’s medical skills, but this time, it was the Wen Family that had come looking for trouble. They were in no position to get involved.
The courtyard behind the Apricot Clinic.
Wen Jueyuan stood with his hands behind his back, beside the locust tree. He was staring intently at the chained-up well, his brow tightly furrowed. A long time passed before he spoke.
“Nine years ago, the wandering Daoist Wu Ruoqiu said that any living person who takes up residence in that courtyard would be devoured by the ghosts living in the well. Why, then, is Su Yi still alive?” Wen Jieyuan was baffled.
He’d come here this morning. He’d initially planned to see just how gruesomely Su Yi had died. Who would have guessed that no such thing had happened?
Su Yi was still alive and well!
“Young Master, we brought Su Yi.” Su Yi, the man in black, and the rest of the guards walked into the courtyard.
Slam!
The gates shut, and the guards dispersed, taking up posts nearby. Their cold gazes bore into Su Yi, as if he were prey that had walked right into their trip.
Wen Jieyuan stood beside the well, clad in white. When Su Yi arrived, he turned to face him, asking, “Tell me, when you stayed here last night, did anything strange happen?”
His tone was pushy and forceful, as if he were giving orders.
Seth's Thoughts
Did I discuss this earlier? I don’t think I did. Just in case, here’s a quick note about honorifics: the word both the staff and the guards are using to address Su Yi, “姑爷”, is used for sons-in-law, but it’s more something you call the son-in-law of your master’s house than something you’d call your own son-in-law. There’s no direct English equivalent.
I always try to strike a balance between staying true to the raws and producing smooth, comprehensible English. Usually there’s no conflict, but in this case, there is. I’ve decided to translate this term differently based on context and intended nuance. I’ll do something similar for other honorifics with no obvious English equivalent.
For this specific honorific, I’ve been translating 姑爷  as “Wen Family Son-in-Law” when the speaker is emphasizing his position or being sarcastic/hurtful (ie trying to remind him that he’s just a live-in son-in-law), but “sir” when it’s used more neutrally/respectfully. I could probably use “young master” there too, although I feel like we have enough young masters floating around already. ;)