Ch153 - Repeating the Tale of Separation

Ling Fengxiao wiped the blood traces from his lips.

In the distance, the spring mountains were dark, painted like a woman’s eyebrows, and the city was brilliantly lit.

In the spring night, the evening winds were silent.

In this silence, Ling Fengxiao asked: “You’ve met Yingying?”

Lin Shu: “Yeah.”

Ling Fengxiao said: “Before you left, I asked Wuque to bear fruit, even after you left, it still bore the fruit.”

Lin Shu: “She is mute, due to this reason?”

Ling Fengxiao did not speak.

After some time, he said: “Let’s go.”

They descended from the tower and returned to the city.

Jinguan City was seemingly undamaged after the recent battle, the populace’s initial panic gave way to calm. Due to the majority of the attacks being stopped outside of the city boundaries, most of the populace didn’t even realize what had just happened.

Walking past a market, there was the music of stringed and woodwind instruments, faintly swaying in the air.

Far away, Lin Shu could only vaguely make out the lyrics.

It seemed to be “Who knew that an infatuated heart would be repaid by being abandoned “. After the singing, it changed to a male voice, “She cries out with resentment and my conscience is wracked with guilt.” Note.

Lin Shu: “……”

As they got closer, the lyrics became clearer. What he was singing was “My Princess, please allow me to express my heartfelt feelings” and “You have always been an immortal beauty seemingly carved of ice and jade, how could I remain unmoved like a stone or wood and not fall in love.” What.. “How could I bear to let my lover down again, and cause heartbreak “.

When they reached the front, the song was now sung by a female voice, with a beautiful timbre to it, moving and nostalgic.

What she sang was:

Gentleman, please drink another cup of wine before departing.

I hope that we will meet again on the path of strangers in the mortal world.

Repeating the tale of Separation, Repeating the tale of Separation.

Ling Fengxiao stopped in his tracks and looked towards the terrace lit with red lamps.

In the night, when the sound of “Repeating the tale of Separation” was about to dissipate, the voice changed again.

Upon witnessing the princess’s  sorrow, Liu Yi readily took the jade cup.

Drinking to your heart’s content, offer a toast to your soulmate.

From now on.

Even to the other end of the world, remember the moonlight.

It turned out to be the tale of the scholar Liu Yi bidding farewell to the Dragon Girl in “The Biography of Liu Yi.”

The moment the play ended, the audience applauded thunderously.

The partings in the mortal world were usually alike. Three years ago, his farewell with Ling Fengxiao at the ferry docks was very similar to the scene in the play, except that it lacked the flowery wording.

Lin Shu thought, three years ago after they parted at the ferry docks, they did not see one other again. But when they met today, would it be like the song in the play, “Meeting on the path of strangers in the world again”? Are they destined to “Repeat the tale of separation”?

He suddenly felt a touch on his hand.

He didn’t move.

Ling Fengxiao proceeded to gently hold his fingers.

Lin Shu reciprocated and held his hand.

They then walked slowly side by side, crossing  the palace gate and entering the inner hall.

Lin Shu glanced towards the three characters of “Wutong Court”, and wondered how he had carelessly let himself get abducted home by Ling Fengxiao.

But they did not enter the building, because the guards who came to receive them, informed them “Your highness, the enemy’s leader has been imprisoned. Should we proceed with an interrogation?”

Of course interrogate!

When they arrived at the prison, within the stone chamber, the mentioned wizard was bound with numerous iron chains. He heard sounds, and raised his head to look at them.

Wizards tended to look sinister and pale, and this one was no exception.

Once Ling Fengxiao arrived, the formal interrogation began. When dealing with one of the enemy elite, there was no need for scruples, he was subjected to severe torture to the point where he could only wish for death, and he finally gave up the information that they wanted.

The attack on Jinguan City was merely an experiment. It would have been good if they won, but even if it was a loss, it would not matter.

The wizard was unaware of Ling Fengxiao’s actual identity, only knowing that he currently held control of the Southern Xia Dynasty. He took a breath and said, “Your Majesty, look out for yourself.”

Even if they tortured him again, they would not be able to get anything further out of him.

With one swift stroke, Ling Fengxiao pierced through the wizard’s chest with his blade.

The wizard coughed out a few mouthfuls of bloody froth, his mouth fell open, his breath wheezing like a pair of burst bellows.

He said,  “I forgot, Your Majesty, the Venerable Master has some words for you.”

This Venerable Master was the Great Wizard.

Ling Fengxiao said, “What words?”

The wizard smiled mysteriously: “The Lord said, what runs through your veins is Phoenix Blood, you should be a person above the mortal world, and you can disregard the worldly affairs, living carefree and contentedly, so why get involved in these troubles?”

Ling Fengxiao said: “Once Northern Xia has been exterminated, I would naturally be carefree and content.”

The wizard slowly said, “Then don’t blame …Providence is like a blade and the world will betray you.”

After this last sentence, he closed his eyes and showed no further signs of life.

Ling Fengxiao said, “The body, burn it.”

Both were silent, returning to Wutong Court. Yingying arrived in front of Lin Shu first, and stretched out her arms for a hug.

Wuque was still angry, refusing to appear in human form at all. He transformed into the original form of Beauty’s Grace and stayed on the table.

Yingying hugged Lin Shu, refusing to let go.

Ling Fengxiao said, “So you two sleep together?”

Then he wanted to leave for the side hall.

Yingying stretched out her hand to tug on his sleeve, not allowing him to leave.

Ling Fengxiao smiled and rubbed Yingying’s nose.

Yingying hid within Lin Shu’s arms and refused to allow him to rub.

Such a tiny soft body, Lin Shu didn’t dare use any strength, afraid of hurting her, only hugging her gently.

Yingying  however was unafraid, she reached out with her hand to touch Lin Shu’s face bit by bit.

Lin Shu lifted his gaze towards Ling Fengxiao.

He saw him leaning on the Jade bench in front of the bed, gazing at himself and Yingying, his eyes were moist, within his gaze was the trace of a smile.

In the end, Ling Fengxiao was unable to leave, and Lin Shu of course was not let go by Yingying, so they still slept together on one bed.

Yingying was between them, she fell asleep very quickly, her sleeping visage was very quiet.

Wuque suddenly appeared.

He carried Yingying away.

And then entered the Qingming Cave.

In the end, he left Lin Shu with a look filled with “I would never allow my little sister to associate with a black crow like you”.

In the room, he and Ling Fengxiao were the only ones left.

He suddenly caught sight of a mirror on the bedside table.

It was that mysterious bronze mirror.

Ling Fengxiao said: “Wuque has been pondering on it for the last three years.”

Lin Shu asked: “Any outcome to that?”

Ling Fengxiao said: “He said that there is a thread of causality within the mirror, the power of good fortune.”

Lin Shu brought the mirror over.

This mirror, the first time he had looked into it, he had seen himself garbed in the attire of the Sword Pavilion, with no expression on his face, standing atop the snow-capped mountain peak.

This time, the scene has changed.

He was stunned for a moment, and looked into the mirror.

It was red.

In the dim light, a red candle was half-burnt, beside it was a large carved bed with a soft red veil hanging from it.

It seemed that there was a breeze, causing the red veil to be slightly lifted by the wind.

Within the tent, seen indistinctly, there seemed to be a person lying down.

Lin Shu waited.

Finally, after a moment, the red coverings were opened a crack by the wind, candlelight brightened fiercely for a moment, allowing him to see the person within the bed in the flash.

The person also slowly turned his face towards him.

It was himself.

It was Lin Shu.

It was still the familiar facial features, the expressionless face. In the candlelight, there was a sense of clarity and gentleness for no reason.

But this was not the point.

On the left side of his chest, at the position of the heart, there seemed to be a black, tapered weapon that was like a sword yet not a sword, deeply stuck through. At first glance, it seemed that he was nailed to this comfortable bed.

In a flash, the wind stilled, the red tent returned to its original state, and the situation within the tent was obscured again.

Lin Shu moved his gaze away.

He asked Ling Fengxiao, “What did you see?”

Ling Fengxiao: “No change.”

It has not changed, that is to say, it was still blood.

But his, had changed.

Ling Fengxiao asked, “What about you?”

Lin Shu thought about it and said, “Mine too.”

There was no other reason for deception, other than if one carefully considered the situation, it was ominous.

Lin Shu felt that this mirror should reflect the future. This was because, prior to his return to the Sword Pavilion, the reflection in the mirror was of him standing atop the snowy mountain.

So what does the current reflection within the mirror foretell?

He didn’t know and was too lazy to consider it further.

The prophecies and warnings that he had heard of, were many.

Inclusive of what the wizard had said to Ling Fengxiao today.

“Providence is like a blade, the world will betray you…” he put down the mirror, repeated these words and looked at Ling Fengxiao: “What do you think?”

“Nothing much” Ling Fengxiao said with an uncaring smile within his gaze. Then he said faintly, “So what if the mortal world betrays me? So what if it does not betray me. I…my actions for my entire life, since when have I taken heed of the discussions of others?”

Lin Shu looked at him and thought, Ling Fengxiao has indeed remained unchanged in the past three years.

Regardless of any manner of ominous foreshadowing, whatever he needed to do, he would still carry it out.

Since this was the case, why should he be bothered by the situation reflected in the mirror, or the words of the wizard?

Ling Fengxiao’s fingertips lightly touched his cheek: “Are you going to follow me going forward?”

Lin Shu: “Follow.”

Ling Fengxiao said: “The Great Wizard is extremely dangerous.”

Lin Shu said: “I am at the peak of the Crossing Tribulation stage”.

Ling Fengxiao smiled: “Good.”

Lin Shu thought that their past separation had been due to his cultivation level not being fully recovered, and they were unsure of what the Great Wizard had been plotting.

And now, after three years of cultivation, he had completely restored all his cultivation, and even improved on it, no longer requiring any form of protection.

And between them and the Great Wizard, the worst that could happen, would just be a battle to the death.

Ling Fengxiao drew near to him, and a very light kiss gently fell on his forehead.

Lin Shu allowed Ling Fengxiao to rain light kisses on him, letting his lips to be trapped.

Slightly cool, but it was very gentle and soft.

The posture made him a little uncomfortable, so he placed his hand on Ling Fengxiao’s shoulder.

Ling Fengxiao deepened the kiss.

Before Lin Shu closed his eyes, he saw the moon outside the window.

He suddenly thought, what does it matter if the moon is full, and what does it matter if it is not.

So what if we win the battle, so what if we lose the battle.

So what if we have feelings, and so what if we don’t.

He came to this world and his journey went smoothly, entirely due to Ling Fengxiao’s protection, and even his high level of cultivation, was a gift of the Phoenix Blood.

Whatever Ling Fengxiao wanted, whatever he could give, he would give.

The little Phoenix wanted to protect all beings in Southern Xia. He was just a salted fish and had no such lofty ambitions, so he could only stand at his back, and protect this little Phoenix.

Although…

Although he felt that something was wrong.

Ling Fengxiao’s movements did seem like he was trying to remove his clothes.

—————

The author has something to say:

The song lyrics from Yue Opera  “The Biography/Memoirs of Liu Yi”.