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Book 24 Chapter 13 – Ancient Castle Duzun

Duzun Bao was located in the northern suburbs of Chengdu, on the southern bank of Wansui [lit. ten-thousand years, i.e. long live (the king, etc.)] Pond, lying from south to north, like a miniature Imperial City.

The entire castle was made of stone bricks, giving the impression of a secured-city-protected-by-a-metal-wall-and-a-moat-of-boiling-water [idiom: well fortified].

When they reached the other end of the drawbridge spanning across the river protecting the castle, Shi Feixuan halted her steps and said, “Feixuan already completed my duty, Xu Xiong only needs to announce your name, someone will take Xu Xiong to see Miss Qingxuan.”

Taken aback, Xu Ziling asked, “You are not coming in with me?”

Acting a bit helpless, Shi Feixuan replied, “I am afraid Miss Qingxuan would not be so happy to see me, but please do not ask for the reason. Xu Xiong, please take a good care of yourself.”

Finished speaking, she laughed, tranquil and calm, before floating away. Xu Ziling stared blankly at her for a moment before walking across the drawbridge.

On the already open wide gate of the castle, someone was already waiting respectfully. A big man wearing gorgeous brocade clothes, around forty years old, respectful, solemn and courteous. After listening to the name and surname of the visitor, he introduced himself as the housekeeper [or butler] of Duzun Bao, Fang Yimin. He said, “Xu Gongzi has honored us by your presence; this is indeed our Duzun Bao’s privilege. This way, please.”

Although Xu Ziling felt that this whole thing was rather strange, he knew that Shi Feixuan could not possibly deceive him; thereupon he followed Fang Yimin to enter the castle gate.

Beyond the entrance was a stone screen wall [across the gate of a house (for privacy)]. Rounding the stone screen wall, there was a big and tall stone memorial arch, where there were four large characters, ‘Zhong Xin Li Yi’ [loyal, trustworthy, propriety, righteousness] written on it – connecting the gate with a perfectly straight stone-slab pathway. On both sides of the pathway were evergreen pine and cypress trees [symbolic: steadfast nobility]. The buildings were hidden among the trees; the ambience was that of serene and hidden in depth.

Fang Yimin smiled and said, “It was only this morning that our Baozhu [fort master] learned that Gongzi has honored Chengdu with your presence, while also heard that Ba Meng people have the heart to make things difficult for Gongzi; thereupon he immediately went to call on Ba Meng’s Feng Zhen to have a talk.”

Xu Ziling came to his senses as if he was startled from his dream; he said, “Xie Baozhu’s profound love and generous intention, Xu Ziling is very grateful.”

Fang Yimin took him across a stone bridge spanning over a clear stream winding from the northwest. Just ahead was a cluster of towering buildings right in the middle of Duzun Bao, with interlocking wooden brackets between the top of the columns and the crossbeams high in the air, full of paintings and carving.

Most of all, there were a pair of giant stone squatting lions – mighty and vivid, under the stone steps of the main hall, about a zhang tall, increasing the strong mystery and dignity of the main hall.

While walking, Fang Yimin said with laugh, “It should be us who are grateful. This way, please.”

Amazed, Xu Ziling followed by his side. Going around the main hall, they took the dirt pathway, along the winding road [orig. twisting and turning like a sheep’s intestine] leading toward the side garden. Both sides of the pathway were full of exotic flowers and rare herbs, brilliant and dazzling to the eyes under the bright sun, while providing delightful shade. “Why are you grateful to me?” he could not help asking.

Fang Yimin smiled mysteriously and spoke in low voice, “Very soon Gongzi will find out. Please forgive Xiaoren for not daring to disclose it in advance.”

The pathway ended. Ahead, the willow trees made the shade, the flowers gave the light [idiom: light at the end of the tunnel], another clearing appeared. Under the flowers and trees cupping their hands in salute [i.e. forming an arch], a tranquil, unique small two-story building, was located at this serene and elegant corner.

Raising his cupped hands in salute, Fang Yimin said, “Gongzi, please come into the small building to see Miss Qingxuan. Xiaoren takes my leave here.”

Just like that, he bowed and retreated toward the pathway, and disappeared around a curve.

Xu Ziling was dumbstruck; it was quite a while later that he came to his senses and walked over toward the small building.

Along the way, the most suspicious thing was that he never met anybody else of the castle. Were it not for Shi Feixuan personally taking him here, he would have suspected that Duzun Bao was setting up an ambush, or at least they harbored evil designs.

Upon reaching the steps at the front door of the small building, Xu Ziling raised his voice, saying, “Miss Shi, Xu Ziling is here to meet the appointment.”

Shi Qingxuan’s brimming-with-magnetic-force touching voice came from upstairs, “Come up here!”

Xu Ziling finally put his keyed-up mind down.

Frankly speaking, although he had 90% confidence that Shi Feixuan would not harm him, but due to past experience, especially with Shen Luoyan and Yun Yuzhen, two women, who bit the hand that fed them, inevitably he always felt a little uneasy.

The major premise of the struggle over the world was that father and son, older and younger brothers, all could become enemies; much less just friends as strangers coming together by chance.

Secretly he was ashamed for harboring suspicion toward Shi Feixuan. This fairy-like beauty deserved to be treated as someone outside the dust of the earth, she could not possibly be someone who drift with the waves and go with the flow [idiom: following the crowd blindly].

He went up the steps one by one.

The small reception hall downstairs was tidy, simple yet elegant, brimming with feminine, gentle and soft – atmosphere. The place where Shi Qingxuan stayed momentarily, quite naturally, ought to be the lady’s chamber of someone with status within the castle.

He saw a flight of stairs leading to the upper floor.

For some reason, suddenly Xu Ziling felt a little tense; perhaps because of the unusual atmosphere, or perhaps because this meeting was arranged by Shi Feixuan as the go-between [orig. one who threaded the needle].

Thinking about when he first arrived at Chengdu the previous night, the breathtaking, enchanted feeling where, under the lantern light illuminating the sky, Shi Qingxuan lifted half of the veil covering her face, he could not stop his heart from jumping a bit faster.

Xu Ziling took the steps upstairs. When he reached the second floor, immediately his breathing stopped, his heart was violently shaken.

Kou Zhong was standing alone by the ship’s railing on the port side, casting his gaze on the boundless expanse of the ocean.

A long forgotten memory was flashing through his mind at the speed of lightning or a spark of the flint.

He remembered when together with Xu Ziling, which was hard to differentiate between elder and younger brother with him, were racking their brains on how to steal a boatload of salt under Hai Sha Bang, the evil tiger’s paws, and escape into the ocean. Afterwards they encountered the wind and the waves, and were forced to abandon the salt to save their lives. The scene was still vivid in his mind, as if it had just happened not long ago.

Time is fleeting. His relationship with Song Yuzhi was just like that; in the blink of an eye they separated in sadness. This time he went to the Song Family to look for her, how would this unyielding, proud, coming from the South’s most illustrious aristocratic family, beauty react?

The most fascinating, as well as the most terrifying, aspect of one’s destiny was the vast, with no clear boundary, unpredictable development.

Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, his heart has never moved him to go across a thousand li to see Song Yuzhi. But now he was on his way to Lingnan. Who could have foreseen it beforehand?

All the reasons for his trip to Lingnan were only excuses for his longing to see ‘the one’s intended’ [usually female].

Ay! Kou Zhong sighed inwardly. Whether it was the pursuit of hegemony over the world, or the pursuit of love, he might just be someone who overestimated his own capabilities, like a moth throwing itself into the flame, a self-destruction hidden behind the brilliance of the light.

This moment Li Shimin was thrown far away at the back of his mind, yet there was no possibility for him to turn around. Before defeat in battle, before his death, he really wanted to see Song Yuzhi one more time.

Currently, it was his only cherished desire.

Shi Qingxuan was wearing double-lapel rounded collar, blue flower print women’s clothing; graceful, confident and at ease, sitting in front of the windowsill, fixing her eyes indifferently at him. Lucid and elegant beyond compare, her pretty face, without the least bit of cosmetics, exuded some kind of hard to describe sad, yet beautiful and tranquil, expression. Her natural good looks inviting in a sisterly way, lovely and touching. Her outline was so defined as if it was carved with a knife, brimming with a sense of beauty, which complimented her icy flesh and jade skin. Speaking about her lucid-and-elegant-like-a-fairy appearance, any one tread, one hair [idiom: an iota] addition or subtraction would destroy this moon-appearance, flowery-countenance, which could only come from the work of the gods in heaven.

Compared to her previous appearance with fake nose or rough, swarthy complexion, it could be said that her appearance this time was of a very different world.

Shi Qingxuan finally kept her promise to let Xu Ziling see her natural beauty in all its glory.

The blue flower print clothing she was wearing was of soft cloth; although it was a monochromatic print, there was a strong blue-white contrast that gave the impression of multitude of changes within the monochromatic world, a perfect blend of the contrast, an unusually unique color scheme.

Her admired-by-the-world jade flute was so casually resting on her knee. The brilliant sun penetrated the forest tree sprinkled its light into the window, turning into a halo, which enveloped her inside the shade of bright red clouds in heavenly heavy atmosphere, so moving that it made people holding their breath.

A hard to describe feeling welled up in Xu Ziling’s heart.

Book 24 Chapter 13 - Part 2

Ysabel, Jaya, HPC, you are welcome. Xiaohu, oh, come on ... a ‘hard to describe feeling’ is not a cliffhanger? Lance, thanks for letting me know. Shirak, which is not much ... Akolaw, thanks for the analysis and the additional information.

Both Shi Qingxuan’s beauty and Shi Feixuan’s beauty made people feel that they could only gaze from afar and that it must not be toyed with disrespectfully. However, other than attracting people to admire and become intoxicated, the former’s beauty also carried unusual cordiality.

Immediately Xu Ziling was overwhelmed with a sense of inferiority; blushing with shame, he said, “Xu Ziling has failed the task that Miss entrusted to me, in the end I lost the Print Scroll.”

Shi Qingxuan looked out the window, while comfortably leaning against the window frame. Remaining tranquil and calm, she said, “Qingxuan has never owned it, what loss are you talking about? Xu Xiong was willing to take the long and difficult trek to Sichuan, Qingxuan is already very happy.”

Xu Ziling was not a man who was awkward with words, but this moment he was so awed by her exceptional countenance and beautiful appearance, unexpectedly he was speechless.

Her jet-black beautiful hair was knotted into a simple bun on top of her head, fixed in place by a jade hairpin. She casually pushed a stray clump of hair, giving out another kind of unique, carefree, implicit charm.

Under the printed cloth gown peeked out a pair of white jade, unblemished bare feet, amplifying her feminine, languid, alluring wind, field, and moon.

Shi Qingxuan serenely said, “Did you see that thing on the table?”

It was only now did Xu Ziling look at the desk in front of the window, where an unusually-styled thick-backed broadsword, with high and ancient grained [in wood] scabbard, along with a scroll of book, was laid.

It was only now did he realize that all around him were bookcases, abundant with collection of books. Inwardly he was ashamed. His heart was moved, he asked, “Is that the Overbearing Saber, the weapon with which Yue Shan made his name?”

Shi Qingxuan moved her gaze. Without a single blink she looked at the treasured saber on the table. Although her jade countenance did not show the least bit of emotion, her elegant eyeballs exuded a reminiscently sad expression. Letting out a gentle sigh, she said, “Indeed this is the saber.”

Frowning deeply, Xu Ziling said, “Miss’ good intention, I appreciate very much! But one, I do not like to brandish saber or play with sword; two, I am more afraid to carry such a heavy saber while being constantly on the move and trekking everywhere. Why does Miss still want to commemorate it?”

Shi Qingxuan softly said, “Without it, how could you pose as Yue Shan?”

Xu Ziling laughed and said, “Wasn’t I without it before? For a moment even Zhu Yuyan was nearly deceived.”

Shi Qingxuan shook her head and said, “This time it’s different. Zhu Yuyan only had a one-night tryst with Yue Shan, plus since she always loathed Yue Shan, naturally she was bound to forget him.”

Xu Ziling was stunned, “This time?” he asked, “What do you mean ‘this time’?”

Shi Qingxuan turned her eyes toward him and said, “This time the person you are going to deceive is another mortal enemy, the Tian Jun [heavenly lord] Xi Ying. If you showed the least bit of flaw, he would immediately see through it. No matter what, you have to strive for perfection.”

Xu Ziling understood. Smiling wryly, he said, “After seeing Miss, I will leave Sichuan immediately. I am afraid ... ay! What could Zaixia say?”

A hint of fresh-flower-blooming, sunshine-cut-through-the-black-cloud smile appeared on Shi Qingxuan’s face, immediately driving away the grief-stricken thoughts, the melancholy of the face of the earth that put people in the extreme depth of sorrow. Tenderly, with naiveté, she said, “Look! Even I feel very sorry! You destroyed that many revered Luohan from those monks’ temple, plus you learned magical skill that no one has ever able to understand from them; how could you simply want to walk away? Aren’t you ashamed?”

Seeing her returning to her natural color, Xu Ziling could not help sitting dejectedly in front of the desk, staring blankly at the overbearing saber lying horizontally in front of his eyes, as if he was able to smell the reek of blood concealed within the blade of the saber; momentarily he did not have any word with which he could respond to her.

Shi Qingxuan’s gentle and soft voice entered his ears, “Ziling, oh, Ziling! How could you be so blind to the sufferings of others? Only by disguising yourself as Yue Shan will you be able to lure Xi Ying out. Abandoning this, there is no other brilliant scheme.”

Xu Ziling began to understand why Shi Feixuan arranged for him to meet Shi Qingxuan. Smiling ruefully, he said, “Is not Miss someone who is outside of the affairs of life? How come this time you are being a zealous participant?”

Shi Qingxuan sighed lightly and said, “This happens to be one of the burdens Qingxuan carries on her shoulders. Before his death, Old Yue has already dispelled his bitterness toward Song Que. Only Tian Jun Xi Ying, who harmed him that his family scattered and the people perished, even more, who had made him to become ruthless – that he constantly kept in his mind. If Ziling could kill this demon for Qingxuan’s, and all the people who have been harmed by him – sake, Qingxuan will be extremely grateful.”

It was only now did Xu Ziling notice that she called him Ziling. His heart burning, he sighed and said, “Very well! Even I cannot find any excuse to refuse. But I do have an important matter to attend to; I can only stay in Chengdu for another seven days. After that, I will have to leave immediately. Miss, what do you think?”

Shi Qingxuan delightedly said, “Seven days is definitely enough. First of all, you must follow my direction to make your Yue Shan disguise like a seamless heavenly clothes; the most important thing is that you give out the appearance of one who has mastered the Huan Ri Dafa [great method of changing the day]. And then, although there will still be differences with the real Yue Shan, other people would not doubt it, simply because those who knew Yue Shan knew him before his decisive battle against Song Que, before he was practicing the Huan Ri Dafa.”

Knitting his brows, Xu Ziling said, “Was Huan Ri Dafa that formidable? If so, won’t Xi Ying has no reason to drop by just to be target practice of Yue Shan’s saber?”

“Don’t worry,” Shi Qingxuan said, “This time Xi Ying dared to come back to the Central Plains, simply because he has mastered his own school’s supreme xinfa, and no longer has anybody else in his eyes. By publicly announcing that he wanted to destroy the Temple, my guess is that he wanted to lure Song Que to come here. How could he be afraid of the general who had been defeated under Song Que’s hands? It ought to be that he is itching to have you showing up.”

Thinking about the relationship between Wulin Magistrate Xie Hui and the Song Family, Xu Ziling was half-convinced, and cast his eyes toward the scroll lying next to the saber.

Shi Qingxuan explained, “This book was written in the last several decades of Yue Shan’s life after losing his martial art skill. In his spare time he recorded his understanding of the Overbearing Saber and Huan Ri Dafa, as well as some criticism pertaining to several human affairs. Hee ...! This is your assignment for today.”

What more could Xu Ziling say?

Shi Qingxuan continued, “No need to put up a pained expression; I will stay here to keep you company, to tell all important events, big and small, in Yue Shan’s life completely to you, so that you’ll understand. I guarantee that your disguise will be like seamless heavenly clothes, without revealing any flaw.”

And then, slightly staring quizzically, she asked, “You have not told me, do I look good now?”

Xu Ziling’s heart was swept away; he looked directly at her.

Shi Qingxuan turned her pretty face away, to put her can-be-rated-as-the-stunning-beauty-in-human-world, beautiful, top-quality silhouette – on full display, before slowly raising the jade flute toward her lips, and putting her delicate fingers on the holes of the flute. The beauty of her posture was not something that can be produced locally.

Hundreds and thousands of indescribable feeling spread across Xu Ziling’s entire body. It was a feeling like he was sitting high in the clouds.

In the past, when he was listening to her playing a tune on the roof of Wang Tong’s big mansion, he had never thought that today he would come face to face with the beauty [orig. jade person]. Even more, that he would be able to listen to her bestowing a heavenly song especially for him. All of a sudden all other human affairs were forgotten. This little building has become his own city, his own country, standing alone, sealed off from the rest of the world.

Everything that was happening anywhere outside this realm’s boundary suddenly became unrelated to him at all.

Shi Qingxuan.

Such a touching beauty.

The flute was slowing down.

Xu Ziling was completely lost.