Chapter 30: Rebirth from Danger (1/2)
Chapter 30: Rebirth from Danger
Qiu Yufei did not escape that far. He understood how serious his injuries were. If he fled recklessly, he would likely die amidst the snow. After putting some distance between himself and the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery, he chose a hillside. The snowdrifts here were easily a zhang in height. Qiu Yufei carefully dropped down onto the snow, causing a slight settling in the soft snow. Tasting sweetness in his mouth, Qiu Yufei forcibly swallowed down the blood that was threatening to come out. He had forcefully used his qinggong to tread over the snow without leaving any traces for the sake of not leaving a trail. If he left behind bloodstains, all of his efforts would have been for naught.
Seeing that the pursuers had not yet exited from the monastery, Qiu Yufei took out a wax pellet the size of a longan fruit from a brocade sack at his waist. Lightly removing the white wax covering, he exposed a vermillion pill. Qiu Yufei placed the pill in his mouth. When the pill was moistened, it immediately began to dissolve. Qiu Yufei felt a warmth well up from his dantian, flowing towards his limbs and bones. He immediately knew that the secret life-saving panacea from the Devil Sect was already having an effect on his body. He softly laid down on the snow. His internal energy concentrating, he sank down into the snow. With his subsidence, the surrounding snow collapsed onto him. Very quickly, all evidence of Qiu Yufei’s passage had disappeared without a trace. Using the tortoise breathing technique, Qiu Yufei completely concealed all outward signs of life and began to heal.
Drawing support from the medicine and treasured technique, Qiu Yufei felt as if his entire body was submersed in warm water. That hazy, snug feeling made it seem like he had returned to the womb, before he had been born. Through the accumulation of many years of focusing on practicing the zither arts, he was able to comprehend something. Stimulated intensely by escaping from the border between life and death, emotion and righteousness, Qiu Yufei surprisingly and miraculously entered into the Xiantian realm that he had sought and dreamed of for years. His breathing gradually faded away. At this moment, Qiu Yufei had become one with the accumulated snow of the wilderness.
Not knowing how long had passed, Qiu Yufei’s consciousness finally returned to his body, as if suddenly waking up from a deep coma. He was able to feel his entire body’s arteries and veins flow freely without any obstruction. Not only were his internal injuries nearly healed, his internal energy had improved vigorously. Using his six senses, he explored his surroundings. At this moment, he sprang forth from the snow. Lifting his gaze, he checked his surroundings, finding that the entire wilderness was empty and covered with snow. The accumulated snow on him was a lot thicker than before. Qiu Yufei did not know how long he had spent recovering.
Gazing into the distance, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery stood there as before. After pondering for some time, even though his cultivation had improved and followed his senior apprentice brother into the Xiantian realm, he was still several hundred li from Qinzhou. In addition, it was the dead of winter. If he couldn’t obtain supplies, it would be impossible for him to escape. When he was fleeing, aside from the medication, he had not brought anything else with him. It seemed that he could only return to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery. It was not that he feared the Shaolin experts within the monastery. With his martial arts, it wasn’t difficult for him to noiselessly grab rations and clothing without being noticed. Narrowly escaping this time, Qiu Yufei felt as if he were born again. Many of the things that he had previously split hairs about were now trivial matters to him.
Smiling slightly, he began to walk towards the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery. The black fur coat that he had escaped with was now in tatters. However, he did not feel that this was inappropriate. Arriving at the entrance to the monastery, he knocked on the door. It wasn’t long before a young monk came over to open the door. The monk was someone he recognized, Jingxuan, who stood there stupefied, looking at Qiu Yufei. Stuttering, the young monk asked, “Young, young master Gao … why have you returned?”
Qiu Yufei smiled and answered, “I am surnamed Qiu, named Yufei. Is Great Master Compassionate Distance here?”
Calming down, Jingxuan responded, “Seven days ago, Marquis Jiang departed from this monastery. Two days afterwards, His Imperial Highness, the Prince of Qi, called the Great Master to the army encampment at Zezhou. Reportedly, His Imperial Highness wished to reprimand him for the failure of the monks of our shabby monastery in assisting when young master attempted to assassinate Marquis Jiang. To this day, there has been no news.”
Smiling apologetically, Qiu Yufei said, “This was all because this one implicated your honored monastery. However, this one feels that the character of the Marquis of Chu is one that values camaraderie and friendship. He will not make things difficult for your honored monastery.”
Jingxuan led Qiu Yufei inside, replying, “Young master speaks the truth. On that day, the young master’s two companions died within. The Marquis ordered our shabby monastery to have them buried properly. At present, their ashes have already been collected. If young master is interested, you can take them away with you. The young master’s property has been sealed up, on the Marquis’s orders, in this shabby monastery. Does the young master wish to take a look?”
After his eyes froze on Jingxuan for some time, Qiu Yufei smiled and responded, “The disciples of the Shaolin Temple are outstanding, as expected. Little master is magnanimous. Back then, I suddenly had the urge to commit murder, to eliminate a future powerful enemy. However, after thinking it over, little master having such an enemy would be pleasing.”
Jingxuan’s expression did not change. Turning around, he spoke, “After the Devil Sect was reorganized by Sovereign Jing, each and every direct disciple has been a generational talent. Young master Qiu has been reborn from a calamity. Your future prospects are boundless. Jingxuan is only a junior disciple of the Shaolin Temple. How am I deserving this kind of praise?”
“There is no need for you to against your will and curry favor with me,” replied Qiu Yufei with a faint smile. “I have no intention of slaughtering all of the monks in the monastery. As long as you promise to not leave the monastery when this young master departs, I will not commit murder. What does the little master think?”
Jingxuan felt cheerful within. When he had just seen Qiu Yufei, he had known that he was someone who diligently worked to improve himself.1 In addition, the disciples of the Devil Sect were vicious and merciless. If this man wished to commit murder, even if he could escape, his junior and senior apprentice brothers within the monastery would be unable to survive. As a result, he had continuously acted submissively in order to ingratiate himself.2 Although his actions could be said to be flattery, it was worth it for him if he could ensure that unnecessary sacrifice is avoided.
Qiu Yufei walked into the room that he had lived in days earlier. He saw that everything was just as he had left it. The room was immaculate, looking like it had been cleaned on a daily basis. Walking to the wooden table, he gently caressed the beloved zither that he had not seen in many days, feeling all sorts of emotions well up from within. He sighed softly and said, “It is destiny. What can a man say in response?”
Qiu Yufei knew that, with Jiang Zhe’s return to the army encampment, there was no way that he could perform his mission of assassination. Moreover, to speak the truth, his desire to assassinate Jiang Zhe had been replaced by sympathy. After slinging the pouch containing the zither over his shoulders, Qiu Yufei said, “Lead me to pay my respects to Senior Cui and Jin Zhi.”
The bell rang faintly, the sound directly entering high up into the clouds. Standing within the main hall, Qiu Yufei spent a long time in silent prayer. Finally, he picked up the containers containing Cui Jiucheng and Jin Zhi’s ashes. The two of them were strangers. Because of Gao Yan’s orders, they had pledged their lives to help him. Were it not for these two, he likely would have already become a cripple and have been held captive within the Yong army encampment.
A short while later, Jingxuan, leading several monks of similar age to him, entered the main hall. In their hands were rations and a traveling bag. Stepping forward, Jingxuan said, “Young master’s horse is still within the monastery. This little monk presumed that the young master would not want to use the carriage. As such, I have already prepared the saddles and harness. The young master can depart at any time.”
Qiu Yufei’s eyes twinkled, as he replied, “You are clever and diligent!” Gazing at Jingxuan’s calm bearing, Qiu Yufei could not help feeling his killing intent return. If the Central Plains wulin gained another pillar in the future, that meant the Devil Sect would gain another powerful enemy. However, Qiu Yufei always had a haughty temperament. How could he kill a reverent and respectful monk? He ultimately sighed softly. Accepting the traveling bag, he walked out of the main hall, peering at the increasingly thick red clouds to the north.
Qiu Yufei thought, It is best that I return to Qinzhou as fast as possible. Although I have failed in my mission, having spent days with Jiang Zhe, it is possible that my impressions and observations would be of benefit to Master and General Long. Further, there are some things that are quite suspicious … I need to report them to the master.
Seeing that he was being escorted out by Jingxuan, Qiu Yufei’s complexion became frosty, as he said, “The little master must understand the seriousness of the situation. If you leave the monastery without permission to inform against me, I will naturally return in the future to retaliate. It is a given that the Yong army encampment will try to hunt me down. There is no need for you to gild the lily. It is best that you remain inside praying to the Buddha.” Finished speaking, he gently pressed down on Jingxuan’s shoulder, causing Jingxuan’s complexion to abruptly become deathly pale. Only after Qiu Yufei’s figure had disappeared did Jingxuan collapse to the floor.
The several novice monks rushed forward to help him up. In alarm, they asked, “Senior apprentice brother, are you okay?”
Jingxuan answered, “It’s no bother. I only need to recover in seclusion for a few days. With your help, there shouldn’t be any problems.”
One of the novice monks spitefully said, “If senior apprentice brother had only agreed to our proposal, we could have fought at the risk of our lives against that Devil Sect disciple. We likely would have had a chance. What’s the point of being so shamed and humiliated?”
Jingxuan tranquilly replied, “Junior apprentice brother does not know how difficult he is to deal with. I can see that the man’s cultivation has improved greatly. he has likely already surpassed the Houtian realm. Junior apprentice brother does not know that at that stage, a tiny difference is enormous. A few days ago, if it weren’t for the presence of the Demonic Shadow, Benefactor Li, even if there were more individuals, it would likely have been impossible to prevent the assassination of Marquis Jiang. However, several days ago, he should not have had today’s attainment. If Lord Li had not been handicapped by Marquis Jiang, young master Qiu would probably have been amongst the dead.”
Although the several novices still did not accept Jingxuan’s words, however, as they had faith in Jingxuan, they did not say any more, helping Jingxuan to go recuperate. They did not know that Jingxuan was exclaiming in astonishment in his mind, Marquis Jiang is truly a celestial being, able to foresee everything that has happened today.
***
Originally, on that day, when the Stalwart Tiger Guard returned to report that they could not find Qiu Yufei after hunting for twenty li, I thought it over before going to speak to Great Master Compassionate Distance. I had him bring the majority of the monastery’s monks to the Yong army encampment after the Prince of Qi’s summons arrived a few days later. I anticipated that with Qiu Yufei’s serious injuries it was impossible for him to have gone far. It was only that the monastery was located in the middle of the wilderness, and the disciples of the Devil Sect were definitely skilled at concealment, making it impossible to find him. I also anticipated that after he recovered, Qiu Yufei would definitely return to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery to seize supplies and recover his property. Otherwise, with the bitter cold of winter, how would he be able to walk back to Qinzhou? If there were too many people left in the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery, I was worried that he would wreak havoc. Although these monks were formidable, if Qiu Yufei steeled his heart and savagely attacked, several young monks likely would die. I did not want Qiu Yufei to commit such slaughter and become enemies with the Shaolin Temple. In addition, I wanted him to return to Northern Han successfully. As a result, I only had Great Master Compassionate Distance leave behind a few young monks to await Qiu Yufei’s return. However, in order to prevent Qiu Yufei from silencing witnesses and covering up his whereabouts, I had Great Master Compassionate Distance leave a pliant disciple behind to properly ensure that Qiu Yufei was seen off.
Jingxuan was the one selected, informed of all of this. He had faintly guessed it to be likely that everything that had happened in the Ten Thousand Buddhas had been engineered by Jiang Zhe. However, no matter how he paid attention, he was unable to find any mistakes, feeling as if everything had occurred in a logical manner. Qiu Yufei was a direct disciple of the Devil Sect, someone whom Jingxuan feared greatly, and yet he had unknowingly fallen into a trap. At the same time that Jingxuan was wary, his words and conduct were cautious, not daring to reveal any abnormalities. Fortunately, he had been able to keep Qiu Yufei in the dark, preserving his life and completing his respected master’s orders.
At the same time that he had lingering fears, he could not help feeling that his impression of the Marquis of Chu, Jiang Zhe, was rising enormously, beginning to understand why the Abbot and Martial Uncle True Compassion’s evaluation of that man was so high and respectful while they were all back in the Shaolin Temple. This was likely why they had actively schemed to take that man’s beloved son as a disciple. This kind of character could only be a friend and not an enemy.
***
After Qiu Yufei departed from the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery, he headed directly north towards the Northern Han border. He was familiar with the geography. Although the Yong army was hunting for him everywhere, Qiu Yufei was still able to find trails that he could use. Because he was unable to ride his horse, this stretch of the journey was exceptionally arduous. However, since Qiu Yufei’s martial arts had just broken through, these difficult conditions allowed him to stabilize his cultivation.
The Yong army’s pursuit was not done with great fanfare, only increasing the interrogations and searches at every checkpoint. Qiu Yufei could sense that they were outwardly loose, while inwardly tight. It seemed that his assassination attempt had deeply enraged the Yong army. However, for someone like Qiu Yufei, whose cultivation had increased greatly, although he still needed to be cautious, it was easy for him to bypass all of the layers of checkpoints. If it was as before, he would likely have fallen into danger. Although that was the case, it still took him ten days to enter Qinzhou from the wilderness of the mountains.
Not long after leaving the mountains, Qiu Yufei saw an inn located in the wilderness. This location was originally where the mountain hunters would frequently gather. Although simple and crude, the drink was strong and rich and the food was plentiful. When Qiu Yufei walked inside, aside from the proprietor and proprietress, there were only two hunters drinking wine within. Seeing Qiu Yufei arrive, all of them looked amazed. Although Qiu Yufei had changed into commoner’s garb, they were in tatters from the hardships of the journey, so his appearance and bearing were rarely seen on this world. How could the occupants within the inn not be astonished? Qiu Yufei was disinclined to take notice of their stares. Throwing down some silver tael pieces, he said, “If you have good wine, bring me a jar. Also bring a few dishes.”
The proprietor promptly came over, holding a jar of wine with both hands. The proprietress solicitously delivered several dishes cooked using game. It was rare to see such a noble customer at this location.
Qiu Yufei relaxed. Having returned to Northern Han, he could not help become melancholic even as his heart relaxed. He was somewhat embarrassed by returning in failure . He was worried and could not help drowning his sorrows in alcohol. Unexpectedly, as his wine combined with his anxieties, his worries only increased. Quite drunk, Qiu Yufei was unwilling to hasten on with his journey. He ultimately rented the inn’s lone guest room. Walking in, he pulled a blanket over himself and went to sleep. Qiu Yufei finally woke from his sleep not knowing how long had passed. He could not help blushing with shame. Having spent years outside, when had he ever lost and indulged himself like this? Rising from bed, he took out a clean set of clothes from his traveling bag and changed into them. Who could have known that before he had arriving in the dining area, he would hear a shout of fright from outside?