Chapter 26: The Lone Goose Sabre

Zhou Fei felt a little glum – before she'd even gotten the chance to become a bona fide hero, she was already experiencing the wretchedness of a hero's great fall. But before she could respond, Madame Cirrus, who could clearly change her demeanour at the drop of a hat, suddenly bellowed: "You presumptuous upstart! How dare you bully the Feathercloud Troupe!"

At the same time, the leader of that bunch of men from the Wayfarers' Union said sternly to the dark tower of 'charcoal': "Jin, how could you say that!"

While Yang Jin was technically this man's 'client', the way he interacted with the man made him seem more like an extremely familiar junior instead. Furrowing his brow, he shot Madame Cirrus a look that said 'this is none of your business', but didn't open his mouth to retort, actually looking rather woeful instead.

The man from the Wayfarers' Union paused, before saying to Madame Cirrus: "Please excuse the impetuousness of youth, Miss. We wouldn't dream of acting so brashly towards the Feathercloud Troupe. And I'm sure that as this maiden here wields the Southern Blade, she must be quite outstanding in every way – while I can't say for certain that she is a woman of her word, she wouldn't be so untrustworthy as to back out of an agreement at a whim. Why don't we set another time, and another place to settle this, how about…three days hence?"

He spoke very cunningly, as if Zhou Fei had already agreed to a fight with Yang Jin. Fearing that she would be tricked by this scoundrel, Xie Yun hastened to respond, but Zhou Fei beat him to it.

After encountering people like Chou Tianji and the Azure Dragon Lord, Zhou Fei was all too willing to think the worst of any stranger she met – she certainly wasn't going to be as magnanimous of spirit as the Sword of Mountains and Rivers. Thinking fast, she didn't respond about the challenge directly, merely saying: "The 48 Zhai takes in numerous outcasts of this world, and two generations of men in the Li Clan gave their lives in service of this mission, leaving behind a pair of orphans – one of whom you have seized. You guys claim…"

She paused, and lifting her chin, swept her gaze across the faces of Yang Jin and the men from the Wayfarers' Union – Zhou Fei had originally intended to use the great name of the 48 Zhai just to frighten them, but as she spoke, she felt genuine feeling wash over her. Her uncle's mutilated back, which had left the first trace of blood in her memories more than ten years ago, flashed before her eyes now. That touch of embarrassment she had been feeling, borne of their misunderstandings about her abilities and being forced to put on an arrogant front, was suddenly swept away by this sudden surge of grief and indignation.

"You guys claim to be heroes harbouring extraordinary skills, yet for the sake of bragging rights alone, have stooped so low as to kidnap a helpless little girl." Zhou Fei continued: "Your shamelessness is truly unrivalled. I won't forget this."

Xie Yun smiled to himself, knowing now that he needn't have worried. After spending so much time with her on the road, it was easy to forget her incredible feat of evading two of the Big Dipper in Huarong City all by herself. He'd often thought her naive, but had forgotten that naivete did not necessarily mean that one was stupid.

If it could be said that she was 'naive', it was only because in a dark and cramped prison cell, surrounded by enemies on all sides, and clearly understanding the meaning of 'this place is dangerous', she had stubbornly persisted in squeezing bottle after bottle of various ointments and powders through that little hole in the wall.

Helping Zhou Fei from the sidelines, Xie Yun nodded and said: "Indeed, with both the Feathercloud Troupe and myself here today, we'll be able to write an opera out of this for sure. Not only will this young lady here remember what you've done, it won't be long before the whole world will hear of it as well – my dear Madame, do you think your troupe will dare sing of this, or fear that the Wayfarers' Union, with its 'wide circle of friends and contacts', will kill them to keep their mouths shut?"

Madame Cirrus laughed loudly: "All the men who truly understand my songs perished twenty years ago. Those left are but filthy worms who have happened to sprout legs, and it would soil my tongue to even speak to them. This old lady was already tired of living a long time ago. Go ahead and try to have my head if you can – take it and bring it up North, for those dogs of the false Emperor to feast on!"

Yang Jin didn't seem to be very good with words, and looked like he didn't quite know how to respond. Even those from the Wayfarers' Union were extremely taken aback – who on earth was this Southern Blade? They had expected a youth who, having only recently made a name for herself, hailing from an eminent sect, and possessing a powerful sabre, would be more or less similar to Yang Jin: she would angrily accept a challenge like this at the slightest bit of provocation. And as for that young miss from the Li Clan, they would simply send her on her way after a few days of comfortable confinement.

But to their surprise, she showed no desire to take up this gauntlet at all, and had even placed them in an incredibly awkward position with just a few harsh words. Yang Jin and company were a little at a loss as to how to proceed – the Wayfarers' Union, whose intelligence-gathering could rival that of the Beggars' Sect, would never have guessed that this rising star which they had been hearing about for the past few months was a complete misunderstanding.

Zhou Fei had become somewhat overwhelmed with emotion, but at these colourful words from Madame Cirrus, her grief and indignation suddenly dissipated.

What? She thought to herself with astonishment. Those men had died twenty years ago…was Madame Cirrus really that old? She couldn't tell at all!

While she was distracted with such trivial thoughts, fortunately she had a reliable Xie Yun by her side to keep their eyes on the ball. Ignoring Yang Jin, he addressed the man beside him: "How may I address you, esteemed sir?"

The man seemed a little uncomfortable: "Oh, there's no need to address my lowly self so courteously. My last name is Xu."

"Captain Xu it is then," Xie Yun nodded. "Fine, since you've given us three days, then we must definitely see Miss Li standing safe and sound before us in three days' time. Otherwise…Captain Xu is a smart man, you should know what will happen next."

Yang Jin said anxiously to Zhou Fei: "Don't you dare to accept my challenge?"

Zhou Fei collected her drifting thoughts just enough to come up with a retort that she thought was quite exceptional: "I've seen what you're capable of doing, picking on the weak and innocent – you want me to fight you? You're not worthy of that!"

Madame Cirrus folded her arms: "Well said! Show these visitors out!"

Then she grabbed Zhou Fei and pulled her back, while her girls hastened forward and slammed the door in the faces of Captain Xu and company.

She had no idea what became of those men locked outside after that. In any case, after this commotion Zhou Fei and Xie Yun were promoted from beggars hawking operas in back alleys, to esteemed guests with proper seats in this establishment.

Madame Cirrus was a lady with a thousand different faces. At first, she had had a seductive air about her, all beguiling eyes and sultry smiles. Then when facing the uninvited guests, she had abruptly turned hostile. And now, as she looked Zhou Fei over appraisingly, those bewitching almond-shaped eyes of hers no longer drifted languidly round the room, nor did her lithe frame strike a seductive pose. In fact, she appeared to have scoured her body for a few sturdy bones capable of keeping her upright, causing her to straighten up considerably. She was like a changeable demoness who had entered the mortal realm – with a snap of her fingers, she now shapeshifted yet again, from a banshee into a virtuous and trustworthy senior.

In a pleasant, almost benevolent tone, Madame Cirrus asked Zhou Fei: "So you're a descendant of the Li Clan? And a disciple?"

Zhou Fei nodded, saying ambiguously: "I suppose you could say that."

"You don't quite look like Brother Li." Madame Cirrus didn't probe further, only looking at her and saying: "I would have thought that Mistress Li would choose a boy…or at least a disciple that looked a little sturdier."

Thinking for a second, Zhou Fei replied softly: "If one judged the potential of others only by what they looked like at birth, then everyone would probably be deemed fit only for babbling and toddling, since babies all look fairly dumb at birth – and anyway, I'm not really a true successor of the Southern Blade. All of that is just people exaggerating rumours as they go, and I've only learnt a little bit of it…"

Before she could finish explaining, Madame Cirrus suddenly broke into laughter, covering her mouth with her hands. Zhou Fei blinked at her in surprise, uncertain about what was so funny.

"And here I was just saying that you're nothing like Brother Li – I've been made to eat my words. My dear, your demeanour now is exactly like his." Madame Cirrus smiled: "When I first got to know Brother Li, he was only about as old as you are right now. A whole bunch of us had travelled together by chance, and if anyone asked him who his shifu was, he would only say casually that 'I don't really have a shifu, only a few sabre moves passed down to me by my ancestors, but I haven't quite mastered these yet.' I'd thought that this boy was some green hillbilly, who had left home even before mastering his clan's techniques, but who knew…haha, the very first time he struck, he scared the bejesus out of the rest of us."

Zhou Fei gave a dry laugh.

Li Zheng was a humble and even-tempered man. When he said he 'hadn't quite mastered' his technique, it was just him being modest…yet others had actually believed him. When it came to her however, she really, truly, hadn't mastered the Snow-Breaking Sabre, yet others simply refused to believe it!

Where was the sense in that?

Xie Yun winked at her, prompting Zhou Fei to roll her eyes in exasperation. Seeing the dispiritedness written all over her face, Xie Yun decided to be a loyal friend and help her. Interrupting Madame Cirrus' bout of reminiscing, he asked: "Ah, I suppose it's true then, that Madame was indeed quite close to those great masters in the past?"

At Xie Yun's words, Madame Cirrus immediately clamped her mouth shut, as if he had flipped some magic switch.

While her lips were still curved upwards in a smile, her eyes had already grown wary. She said warmly to Xie Yun: "I've told you already, one gold leaf is not enough, nor is that entire bag of it in your hands. Mr Thousand Years of Anguish, without any bargaining chips, I advise you not to try probing any further. The two of us are practically old acquaintances by now, so you should know that no one in the world can pry my mouth open."

Xie Yun didn't seem offended in the slightest, merely smiling as he picked up his cup of tea, and took a sip without saying anything.

His words had completely ruined Madame Cirrus' chatty mood. With a cold look on her face, she tied her long hair up while saying: "Stay here with me for the next few days, lest that bunch of gutter rats come looking for you again."

Zhou Fei quickly said: "Madame, another friend of ours is still at the inn."

"No problem at all, get some of my girls to fetch her," said Madame Cirrus, waving her hand dismissively. While her footsteps were clearly even and unhurried, when she said "no", she had just stood up, and by the time she said 'fetch', she had already stepped out of the front hall they were in. She disappeared with a flash of her colourful robes.

"Spring Breeze Rustles The Trees." With an admiring look on his face, Xie Yun said: "It's said that this is derived from dance steps. While it may not be the swiftest technique, it certainly looks the loveliest. Ethereal and graceful, it makes one…"

He turned his head mid-sentence to look at Zhou Fei, who was furrowing her brow, looking a little perplexed. He smiled: "What is it?"

Something seemed off, but Zhou Fei couldn't quite put her finger on it. Compared to her evident hostility towards Captain Xu and company, Madame Cirrus had been extremely courteous towards Xie Yun. Yet in her words to him just now, uttered in that gentle tone, Zhou Fei could discern the slightest whiff of…murderous intent, which was even stronger and deeper than when they were surrounded by the men from the Wayfarers' Union.

Zhou Fei hesitated, then asked: "She seemed angry."

"Oh, no." Xie Yun smiled: "It's just that I'd asked her something I shouldn't have, so she simply wanted me killed."

Zhou Fei: "…"

"What, did you think that you were the only one who sensed it?" Xie Yun lifted his teacup to his lips again, taking a sip and leisurely savouring the taste. He let out a sigh of satisfaction: "The tea that she served us in the backyard just now was the old and musty stuff. Only now does she deign to serve us fresh tea leaves. This woman really is too stingy…didn't I tell you? It was the Feathercloud Troupe which brought renown to the name 'Thousand Years of Anguish', so I've known her for quite a while now. If she'd rejected my offer only because it wasn't enough, she would have pounded on the table and cursed at me right at the beginning already, instead of staying so calm."

Zhou Fei blinked, failing to understand what he was saying.

Xie Yun explained: "If someone came to you and asked you about something that you absolutely could not reveal, even on pain of death, what would you do? Would you fly into a rage, and warn that person not to stick his nose where it doesn't belong? You wouldn't. While you'd certainly want to at first, you would soon try as best as you could to calm down, so as not to stoke the person's curiosity. If you were sufficiently Machiavellian, you wouldn't even show any surprise on your face at all. Instead, you'd use clumsy tactics that make it seem like you are leading the person on to extract more money or benefits from him, until the person thinks that you don't really know anything about what he wants to find out, but are simply trying to take advantage of him – in hopes that the person will give up of his own accord."

Zhou Fei: "Then…"

"Don't worry about it." Xie Yun lowered his voice: "I only asked her that because I wanted to see her response. My dear girl, please don't be spoiled by all those elders you've encountered thus far who've freely spilled everything about their pasts. You should know that many secrets of the martial arts world won't be revealed to you just by asking. To find out what you want, you have to learn how to read others' expressions and reactions…and even the way they attempt to conceal it or try to kill you can reveal valuable information – but let's not dwell on these inconsequential matters. I know that what you're really curious about now is the Cloud-Bracing Valley."

Zhou Fei hesitated for a moment, then nodded worriedly. Although she had been the picture of arrogant confidence in front of Yang Jin just now, she was feeling more than a little apprehensive. Now that the excitement had died down, she couldn't help but wonder if those men would throw all caution to the wind and harm Li Yan somehow, since they'd been so harsh towards them?

"The Wayfarers' Union wouldn't dare." Xie Yun could tell what she was worried about at a glance, and said evenly: "Since Mr Bai has thrown his weight behind that fellow, you can be sure that while the Wayfarers' Union could be considered a triad of sorts, they ultimately still belong to the underworld of the good old South. So they may be unscrupulous, but they will not take the wrong side or act imprudently. This is just part of their code of behaviour, and has nothing to do with their character, or whether they are good or bad people. They simply know that if they violate these principles, they wouldn't be able to use the same network that they have been relying on all this while, as no one would trust them anymore. That Xu fellow isn't dumb, and wouldn't dig his own grave over a trivial matter like this – not to mention that the Cloud-Bracing Valley isn't some kind of evil unorthodox sect."

Zhou Fei asked: "So what is it exactly?"

"It's a third-rate sect," said Xie Yun. "From Yang Jin's looks and accent, you can probably guess that he isn't from the central plains. The Cloud-Bracing Valley is located in the southern frontier regions, where it is misty and humid, and all manner of flora and fauna abound. They are not known for their martial arts skills, but have produced quite a few genius doctors, such that it's also known as the 'Little Medicine Valley'…"

Zhou Fei asked curiously: "You mean there's also a Great Medicine Valley?"

"There was, in the past," Xie Yun said in brief. "Now it's gone, as everyone was killed – but that's not important, stop going off on a tangent – in each generation, there is bound to be a misfit, an odd one out. Like how every few generations, there is bound to be someone in the sect who likes to dabble exclusively in poisons, instead of wanting to cure illnesses and save people's lives. This still isn't that strange though, since medicine and poison are two sides of the same coin. But in this generation, the Cloud-Bracing Valley has produced an oddball in the extreme. I reckon that this Yang Jin is barely able to tell a common turnip apart from a life-saving ginseng. However, he is completely obsessed with swordsmanship, and has even shown some signs of prodigious talent. For him to become Chief of the Valley, he might very well have beat up all his peers to claim the position."

Zhou Fei was a little surprised: she would never have guessed that Mr Charcoal would have such an interesting background.

Xie Yun said: "This fellow has long since begun challenging other pugilists left, right and centre, and can be considered one of the rare rising stars of the martial arts scene in recent years, when so many of its old stars have fallen and dimmed. I'm guessing that he's been after the title of the number one blade in the Southern Dynasty's martial arts community. And now that you've suddenly burst onto the scene to rival him, he must be feeling extremely disgruntled. He has only one thing on his mind – his sabre – and is not known for any misdeeds. Neither does he have a reputation for slaughtering innocents."

Zhou Fei said darkly: "It was never my intention to 'burst onto the scene'."

Xie Yun sighed: "Eh, but when do things ever go according to our intentions? All pregnant mothers confer with their wombs on the kind of baby they want, but a fat lot of good that does – what I was trying to say is that you don't have to worry. Ms Li certainly will not be harmed. In any case, you aren't out to best him. Since all he wants is bragging rights, you can just admit defeat and all will be well."

Zhou Fei didn't respond.

When she continued to remain silent, Xie Yun suddenly lifted his head to look at her: "Wait a minute, are you seriously thinking of accepting his challenge?"

Zhou Fei's eyes flickered for a moment, and she hesitated before saying: "You don't think I should?"

Xie Yun looked at her warily, saying: "I'll tell you what I really think, if you promise not to hit me."

Zhou Fei: "…"

She already knew what he thought.

"Yang Jin's 'Thirteen-Stroke Lone Goose Sabre' might not be unrivalled, but it's at least enough to rank him as a first-class pugilist. I've heard that the year before last, the leader of the Kongtong Sect[1] even lost to him in a fight. I think you'd need to go back and train for a few more years at least before you'll have a fighting chance against the Yang Jin of today." Xie Yun said frankly: "You'd better take my advice. Risking your life to go up against the Azure Dragon Lord is excusable after all, since you did it for the sake of justice. But what would you be doing this for? What's the point of fighting for a flimsy title? It's of so little value and consequence, and it'll even become a burden to you over time."

Zhou Fei nodded her head weakly. She knew that she didn't stand on the side of reason on this – rushing headlong into a fight, especially when one knew full well that one was no match for one's opponent, really was quite dumb.

A girl of seventeen was practically a young lady already, so no matter how fiery her temper, or how impetuous her nature, she wouldn't be quite as reckless as a young fool. Even if she was irrationally hot-headed, as long as one reasoned with her, she would be able to cool down fairly quickly. It wouldn't be too difficult to counsel her.

Observing the expression on her face, Xie Yun felt that she had indeed taken in what he'd said. Yet he still felt that she wasn't quite settled, and asked: "What is it?"

A troubled look crossed Zhou Fei's face. If only her own reputation was at stake, she wouldn't really care about this much. Young people often could better afford losing face. In any case, this could be a good opportunity to dispel those patently false rumours out there about her abilities, and return her to her original humble state.

However, she'd been sensitive to the fact that Captain Xu, Yang Jin, and even Madame Cirrus, had all addressed her as the 'Southern Blade' just now. They hadn't even bothered to figure out whether her last name was Zhou or Li. She was no longer a little nobody who couldn't tell north from south anymore – she'd been forced to become something far greater than she was, a symbol, a brand name even, and the name hanging over her head was no longer 'Zhou Fei', but 'Li Zheng'.

"Hm…it's nothing. I was just thinking that I'd better write a note to Chuchu, or else she might not follow the strangers sent to bring her here."

She was emptyhanded, without even a single sabre in hand. If she said out loud that she 'wanted to fight to defend the honour of the Southern Blade', she'd probably be laughed out of the room.

***

While Li Yan was technically being kidnapped, she was having quite a fine time indeed, contrary to the frightening images running through Zhou Fei's mind at the moment. She was sitting on a chair with her legs stretched out, rocking back and forth such that only two of the chair's four legs were on the floor at any one time. The table beside her was covered with tea, water, peanuts, melon seeds, and roasted chestnuts – this prodigal ne'er-do-well took a bite of every single chestnut on the table, eating the sweet ones and putting those that were not back on the table half-eaten.

She picked her way through those chestnuts at a leisurely pace. It didn't seem one bit like she had been captured and brought here against her will. Rather, it seemed more like she'd come of her own accord to be pampered like a princess.

Fearing that she would get bored, the people who'd locked her up here had even prepared a book for her, a lurid novella. This was a novelty to her, as she had never read anything like it in the 48 Zhai. While it wasn't the most refined tale, and the standard of writing wasn't the best, Li Yan consumed it avidly, completely engrossed in the plot. Only when she reached the resolution of a climactic plot point, and was just about to turn the page, would she occasionally recall her current status as a captive.

And whenever this happened, she would yell something along the lines of 'Let me out, how can you do this to me, once my family finds out about this you're dead meat', etc etc. When she received no response, Li Yan would stop wasting her energy on this fruitless task and promptly return to the scandalous world of her novella, thoughts of home far from her mind.

By the time dusk fell, an ulcer had formed on Li Yan's tongue. She had accidentally bitten on it while cracking open melon seeds with her teeth. Those teeth felt a little sore, and as she clenched them, she felt that her two front teeth seemed much looser than normal. She ran her tongue across them to check, which burst that fresh ulcer on her tongue. Wincing in pain, she immediately and angrily put the blame on the people who had placed her here.

Jumping to her feet to stretch her stiff limbs, she took a deep breath, preparing to let loose an ear-splitting series of insults. But just as she opened her mouth, the tightly shut door of her room opened with a creak. Li Yan found herself staring straight at Yang Jin, who was holding his black goose-wing sabre.

Yang Jin said coldly: "What are you trying to do?"

Cowed by his ice-cold gaze, all those insults on the tip of Li Yan's tongue rolled right back into her stomach. Feeling extremely disgruntled at her own cowardice, she sulked angrily at the man in the doorway: "It's too stuffy in here, I want to eat some peaches!"

Yang Jin glared at her, a look that said 'you're unbelievable' on his face.

Taking another deep breath, Li Yan yelled: "Do you know who my aunt is? And who her husband is? You bunch of lawless bastards, how dare you…"

Yang Jin interrupted her: "Are you really the granddaughter of the Southern Blade Li Zheng?"

Li Yan looked at him in confusion, taking quite a while to figure out who the hell 'Li Zheng' was – after all, rarely did people back home refer to the former Master of the 48 Zhai by his full name. After finally realising that he was talking about her long-deceased grandfather, she rolled her eyes arrogantly and said: "Of course, so what? You're scared now, aren't you?"

Looking like he himself had been insulted, Yang Jin said: "How could the great Southern Blade possibly have a descendant like you?"

Li Yan was hopping mad. Planting one hand firmly on her hip, she pointed the other at Yang Jin, and with all the insolence that she used when squabbling with her seniors back home, said: "Ha, are you saying that his grandchild should be someone like you instead? Ha! You? We wouldn't take you in even if you begged. My family's rich enough, we wouldn't burn low-quality coal like you!"

Yang Jin couldn't take this anymore. The green veins at his temple started to bulge, and he took a menacing step forward.

Li Yan nervously planted both feet on the ground at first, spreading her arms out wide in an invitation to bring it on…until she quickly concluded that she was no match for him at all. Picking up the chair she had been sitting on and holding it out in front of her, she retreated behind the table.

A gleaming chestnut shell hung off one of the chair's legs. Li Yan brandished her 'weapon' while backing up, and with false bravado said: "If you dare come over here, I'll show you how powerful I really am! I'm telling you, you little black-faced upstart, I've been well-versed in all eighteen kinds of weapons since young, and I'm lethal with a dagger. Once my weapon leaves its scabbard, it can skewer you like a kebab…don't…don't…don't force me to unleash it on you!"

Yang Jin sneered: "Oh? I'd like to get a taste of it then…"

"Jin." Thankfully, Captain Xu chose this moment to arrive. Furrowing his brow, he said gently: "How can an adult like you stoop to the same level as a little girl?"

The sight of Captain Xu made Li Yan's blood boil again. It turned out that a few months after Zhou Fei and company left the 48 Zhai, Li Jinrong had suddenly decided to depart as well on some business – as to what this was exactly, she certainly wouldn't have told Li Yan.

This was something new to Li Yan, because ever since she was born, Mistress Li had been like an anchor of the 48 Zhai, never once leaving the place.

With Zhou Fei and Li Sheng gone, Li Yan had already been feeling quite lonely, and after learning that her aunt would be leaving as well, felt that she simply wouldn't be able to stand this. So she'd done something which her cousin and brother would never have dared to do: she'd run to Mistress Li and thrown a massive, teary, tantrum. Li Jinrong had nearly torn her hair out trying to figure out what to do with this little devil – if she scolded her, well, Li Yan was extremely thick-skinned, and a severe dressing-down wouldn't bother her one bit; and Mistress Li didn't quite dare to give her a good beating either, as Li Yan's mediocre martial arts was nothing compared to Zhou Fei's, and if she wasn't careful she might end up hurting her badly. She was left with no choice but to arrange for the girl to be escorted to Jinling to stay with Zhou Yitang for a while.

Once she was out of Li Jinrong's sight, Li Yan had been like a wild horse freed from its reins. Compared to Zhou Fei's curious but restrained behaviour when she'd first left the 48 Zhai, Li Yan was like a beast unleashed. And not long after leaving home, Li Yan had heard tales of Zhou Fei's great accomplishments being recounted in a roadside restaurant, to her immense delight, and completely overlooked the uneasy expressions of the seniors who were with her – while outsiders might not know the truth, those from the 48 Zhai knew the actual standard of Zhou Fei's skills. Li Yan's seniors were extremely worried upon hearing this, and retired to their rooms quite early to discuss how they would report this to Li Jinrong. Li Yan had of course been forced to return to her room along with them. But as she hadn't heard her fill of those tales, she had snuck out late at night to do so.

Ever since Zhou Fei's name had begun to spread, Captain Xu had kept his sights on the 48 Zhai, while simultaneously searching high and low for any leads on her. He'd had his eye on Li Yan and company for quite some time, but hadn't had any chances to seize her since her highly-skilled seniors usually watched her like hawks. But now that the girl was alone, Captain Xu decided to seize this opportunity and capture her first, regardless of whether she proved to be useful or not.

The Wayfarers' Union was well-versed in all manner of trickery, and kidnapping a sheltered girl like Li Yan was as easy as taking candy from a baby. When Li Yan finally got round to what was happening, she'd already been trussed up in a gunny sack and shipped off to Shaoyang City.

Li Yan slammed the chair on the floor, glaring at Captain Xu as she bellowed: "You old trickster!"

Captain Xu turned towards her, instantly arranging his features into an obsequious smile, and bowed respectfully: "Please forgive these blind eyes for not recognising who you were. If I had known that you were a young lady from the Li Clan, Miss, I wouldn't have dared offend you in any way. I beg of you, Miss Li, to be magnanimous and forgive this old blind man just this once."

Li Yan stared back at him, a little unsure of how to react. She didn't know that this bunch of scoundrels from the Wayfarers' Union were conmen through and through. All she saw was that this Captain Xu seemed very much advanced in years, with hair that was almost entirely white. He was even older than the uncles that she often encountered in the 48 Zhai, and could almost pass as her grandfather. While Li Yan could act quite spoiled sometimes, she had a good heart, and seeing such an old man smile beseechingly at her, she couldn't help but soften up. Whether she really believed his words or not, she couldn't bring herself to continue throwing a fit. She awkwardly put down the chair, with a furrowed brow: "Even if I wasn't from the Li Clan, you shouldn't be kidnapping me. It's against the law."

Captain Xu's smile froze on his face. He hadn't expected the 48 Zhai's renowned band of bandits to have such a law-abiding citizen among its ranks. But he quickly recovered, and said with a sincere smile: "Well, Miss Li, let me explain – at the behest of my client, I was instructed to track down an enemy of his. The person in question is of around the same age and build as you, Miss, and so I seized you by mistake." Sighing, he said: "I blame it all on these old eyes."

Yang Jin couldn't very well give the game away, so he simply stood there like a cold-faced block of coal, listening as Captain Xu spouted all these bald-faced lies.

Captain Xu's words wouldn't have tricked anyone – except for Li Yan. After listening to his explanation, she looked around her at the floor littered with the debris from her eating spree, and thought to herself that while they had kidnapped the wrong person, they had still treated her pretty well. Already deciding that he could be forgiven, she said: "You'd better send me back now then, my family must be sick with worry."

Captain Xu smiled: "Of course, of course. A master from your esteemed sect is actually in Shaoyang City right now. We've managed to contact her, and will send you over right away."

"A master?" Li Yan said, perplexed: "Who is it?"

Captain Xu said: "It's the successor of the Snow-Breaking Sabre. There appears to have been a slight misunderstanding between us, so I'm afraid…we'll need you to put in a few good words for us, Miss."

In just a few words, Captain Xu had completely turned the events that had transpired on their head. Li Yan's eyes lit up: "Oh, that's my cousin Fei! Is it really Zhou Fei? Why would she be here?"

The foolish girl had so easily revealed the coveted name that all the gossips of the martial arts scene were after. Yang Jin and Captain Xu exchanged a discreet look.

"Zhou Fei." Yang Jin repeated softly.

"What are you doing?" Li Yan glared at him: "You have no right to call her by her full name! With any old Snow…whatever Sabre, my cousin is fully capable of beating you up till all your teeth fall out! We'll see who's laughing then!"

Yang Jin: "…"

He really didn't want to believe that this girl was from the Li Clan.

Li Yan thrust her chin up at him and snorted. Through clenched teeth, Yang Jin said darkly: "Alright then, I can't wait to see how she knocks all my teeth out."

The wielder of the 'Snow…whatever Sabre' had no clue that Li Yan had given her such a daunting task. She had just dispiritedly settled Wu Chuchu down in her room, distractedly swallowed a few mouthfuls of food, and forced herself to go to bed.

But forcing herself to sleep with great difficulty only caused Zhou Fei to be plagued by turbulent dreams.

A man appeared in her dream that night. She could only see the back of his tall and broad-shouldered frame, and not his face. She seemed to have become a little girl again, and when the man held her hand in his, all she could see was the narrow-backed sabre hanging at his waist – similar to the one she had broken her first time in the Ink-Washing River.

Letting go of her hand, the man patted her on the head with his large and very warm hand, saying: "Watch closely, I'm only going to teach you this once."

Zhou Fei thought curiously: Who is this person, and why does that sound exactly like what my mother said?

But although the words were the same, the tone of his voice was completely different. This man was far gentler than Mistress Li, and when he said 'I'm only going to teach you this once', there seemed to be a tinge of deep regret in his voice.

The man took a few steps forward. With a clang, his gleaming sabre emerged from its scabbard, so bright that it nearly blinded her. Her heart leapt in her chest as the man instantly sprang into action – 'Mountain', 'Sea', 'Wind', 'Piercing', 'Breaking', 'Cutting'…in the howling wind of his moving blade, each and every move seemed to be connected in a way that she hadn't realised before, giving her a whole different understanding of them.

Only after all nine moves of the Snow-Breaking Sabre were executed in their entirety did Zhou Fei finally let out the breath that had been caught in her throat. She felt like she was in a trance, like she had just roamed across the entire world, or travelled tens of thousands of miles.

This person's Snow-Breaking Sabre was so much like Li Jinrong's…no, it was even more controlled, powerful, and perfectly natural than Li Jinrong's blade!

The blade was suddenly retracted, its cold gleam concealed once more.

Zhou Fei suddenly realised who this faceless man was, just as she heard Ji Yunchen's voice ringing in her ears: "the essence of Senior Li's technique was 'Bladeless'…"

Zhou Fei's pupils rapidly constricted. The man before her was leaning on the hilt of his sabre, standing there amidst the sudden fall of heavy snow.

Millions of snowflakes twirled all around them. The man was dressed all in white, almost blending into his surroundings. His face was still blurred to her, as if a mist hung between him and Zhou Fei. Piercing through this mysterious fog, and twenty years of time, his gaze landed on this girl who he had never had the chance to meet while alive. He sighed, extremely gently, and called her name: "Fei."

Zhou Fei jolted awake.

She stared blankly down at her blankets for a minute, then suddenly sprang up from her bed. She hastily got dressed and grabbed a piece of rope to put her hair up, then practically ran out of her room.

Xie Yun was rudely awoken in the middle of the night by the sound of Zhou Fei banging on his door, but he didn't rush to answer it. He strolled good-temperedly over to the door and pulled it open. Instead of inviting her in, he looked her up and down with a cheeky look on his face, and in his best impression of a bedroom voice, said: "My little beauty, don't you know what it means to come knocking on a man's door in the middle of the night?"

Zhou Fei blurted out: "I'm going to fight Yang Jin!"

Xie Yun nearly choked: "…You're here because of this?"

Zhou Fei still hadn't fully emerged from her dream, and her thoughts were all jumbled up. The one clear thought left in her head was – "I must not disgrace the name of the Southern Blade". Taking a deep breath of the cold night air, she nodded her head vigorously.

"Look over there," Xie Yun said expressionlessly, as he pointed somewhere behind her. And when she very trustingly turned her head in that direction, he immediately reached out to pull the door shut.

But while Zhou Fei's title of 'successor to the Southern Blade' was just an exaggeration, the speed of her reflexes proved that there was still something to those rumours. In that split-second, she jammed one leg in between his door and its frame, pleading: "Brother Xie, you've got to help me!"

Unmoved, Xie Yun continued trying to tug his door shut, as he yelled: "I only serve the goddesses of love and romance, and you can forget about helping anyone else…hey! What are you doing! Help! Someone's trying to molest me!"

Zhou Fei pushed a valiantly struggling Xie Yun right into his room and shut the door behind them.

Xie Yun wrapped his loose robe around him tightly, glaring at Zhou Fei: "I sell art, not my body!"

"Oh please, who's gonna spend good money on you?" Zhou Fei rolled her eyes at him. "Listen to me, I want to beat Yang Jin…"

Xie Yun tsked loudly. He shrugged his shoulders to relax them, then folded his arms as he leaned against the windowsill: "Well, I want to be the Emperor of Heaven."

As Zhou Fei needed his help, she forced herself to ignore his jibe entirely, and got straight to the point: "Since you were able to easily identify the Qimen Sect's Mayfly Formation, surely you know a thing or two about Yang Jin's 'Thirteen-Stroke Lone Goose Sabre', don't you? How else would you have known that he beat the leader of the Kongtong Sect?"

Xie Yun snorted, still unmoved: "It's a load of crap, I just heard it from a roadside bard."

Zhou Fei stared at Xie Yun with wide eyes. Those eyes were clear and pure, too clear, until they almost glowed a soft blue under the lamplight. When she wasn't being cold and sarcastic, or brandishing a sabre and fighting, she could look extremely soft, even adorable. Xie Yun silently shifted his gaze away from hers, refusing to look at those eyes.

Zhou Fei said: "Please, I'm begging you."

Xie Yun snorted again: "What's the use of begging me? I can't make your skills magically skyrocket overnight – if I could do so, why would I be wasting my time writing operas? I'd be selling magic pills instead!"

Seeing that he had started to soften, Zhou Fei broke into a wide smile: "I have my own way of beating him. You just need to explain to me what that Thirteen-Stroke Lone Goose Sabre is."

"It doesn't have that formidable a background, actually." After a few moments had passed, Xie Yun fastened his robe tightly around him, and finding the jug of water on the table empty, rummaged around to find a small flagon of wine. As always, his wine was so bland and watery that not the slightest whiff of alcohol could be detected.

Zhou Fei took the cup that he handed to her, and downed it like she would water. She pursed her lips when she was done, shaking the empty cup and grimacing: "What's the point of drinking wine like this? If you just wanted a little kick to your water, you might as well put a pinch of salt in it."

"It keeps me warm." Xie Yun slowly rubbed his hands together. While it was technically already autumn, the weather in Shaoyang City was still dragging its feet, refusing to let go of the summer heat. Lush trees and flowers were visible through the open window, which showed no trace of fading into autumnal colours, yet Xie Yun's pale hands had a greenish tinge to them, as if he really did feel quite cold.

Xie Yun complained: "A feeble scholar like me doesn't have a body that is as invulnerable to the elements as all of you great heroes, especially when I've been dragged out from under my covers at the coldest time of night – stop getting distracted, are you going to listen to this or what?"

Zhou Fei quickly snapped her mouth shut. Looking around with those large eyes of hers, she was hit by a rare stroke of awareness, and picking up the flagon of wine, refilled Xie Yun's cup a tad obsequiously.

This was a marked change from her usual violent tendencies – now that she needed his help. Where had this version of Zhou Fei been hiding all this while? He continued drily: "There is a very big difference between the blade techniques that all you disciples of renowned sects train in, and the Thirteen-Stroke Lone Goose Sabre. I believe you've practiced with swords before?"

The very first time Xie Yun had seen Zhou Fei, she had been holding a sabre which was extremely long and narrow, somewhat resembling a Miao sabre.[2] But perhaps because she was still young then and her build didn't allow for a heavier weapon, the blade and hilt of that sabre had seemed much more delicate than a regular Miao sabre. From a distance, it had looked more like a single-edged longsword.

"The Southern Blade's Snow-Breaking Sabre is as straight and narrow as the Northern Blade's Slicing Water and Tangling Silk is strange and sly, but both of them have one thing in common," said Xie Yun. "It is that these legendary

techniques of their generation were not purely blade techniques. Elder Guan, and Master Li, were all part of one big martial arts community, so the techniques that they've passed down took reference from the outer forms of others' skills, and integrated and infused these with their own unique spirits – for example, the Snow-Breaking Sabre's 'Piercing' move has the shadow of a spear in it, and the 'Wind' move must have been inspired by the sword, while the 'Mountain' move is even more wonderfully clever, as it seems to mirror the Sword of Mountains and Rivers. I'm right, aren't I?"

While Zhou Fei had never heard any of this before, when Xie Yun pointed it out like this she realised that he was right. At the same time, those vague suspicions she'd been having reared their head once more. Was it really possible for someone who didn't know any martial arts at all to so incisively analyse a technique that even she was still struggling to grasp? Even if this fellow was a genius, and had been able to discern the true essence of the Snow-Breaking Sabre just from Zhou Fei's stumbling attempts at it along the way…surely he couldn't have witnessed the Sword of Mountains and Rivers himself, right? When the Yin Manor had been decimated, Prince Duan's baby teeth must have just begun to fall out.

"The Li Clan specializes in the sabre, so you must be well aware that the threshold for learning how to wield a sabre is slightly lower than that of a sword. That's why we have the saying 'it takes three years to hone your sabre, but ten years to sharpen your sword'. The exception is the Snow-Breaking Sabre." Xie Yun swirled the wine in his cup around, as he said slowly: "And that is why the Snow-Breaking Sabre has been deemed a blade of grandmasters. If you don't have sufficient and solid martial arts fundamentals across a wide range of techniques, you might not succeed in even mimicking it. I'm quite sure that when you learned martial arts as a child, your training wasn't confined to the blade, as you dabbled in other kinds of skills and techniques as well, right? But that wasn't the case for Yang Jin. He's been training all these years to figure out one thing and one thing only – how to make his sabre even swifter."

As she listened to him, Zhou Fei tried to recall what the goose-wing sabre that Yang Jin carried had looked like. That large sabre had a broad blade, and a long hilt. Rings of gold hung in a row along the blunt side of the blade, almost like the feathers of a goose.[3] It was extremely well suited for hacking and cleaving.

"All you descendants of renowned sects are typically exposed to a wide variety of influences and techniques since young, and set your sights on lofty ambitions. If you are sufficiently quick to learn, and able to follow in the footsteps of the former Master of the 48 Zhai, then in a decade, any old 'Lone Wolf' or 'Lone Goose' Sabre would certainly be no match for you. However, unlike him, for the past two decades you haven't been so single-mindedly focused on one thing alone, and so the foundation of your sabre skills will definitely not be as solid as his, nor will your sabre be as swift. In your hands now, the Southern Blade is but a pretty but sparsely-filled trellis that has just been erected, with too few flowers of substance on it. While it may look splendid, in reality it can collapse at a touch." Xie Yun tapped two fingers on the table emphatically. "Tell me, how are you planning to overcome his strength with your smarts?"

Zhou Fei had barged into Xie Yun's room like a hot-headed fool. But now, even after hearing Xie Yun's somewhat harsh assessment of her skills, she didn't appear riled in the slightest. Instead, she asked calmly: "How swift is 'swift'? And how strong is his 'strength'?"

"Well, it's not so swift till it leaves you no time to react. If it were really that fast, he would have been named the 'Southern Blade' of his generation already." Xie Yun thought for a moment, then stretching out his hand, made a diagonal slicing motion. His movements were not fast, and his fingers were as cold and pale as ever, even a tad frail. He also didn't move as Ji Yunchen had, whose technique possessed a most deadly intent even when all his meridians had been severed. But Xie Yun's movements were extremely precise, his hand landing squarely before Zhou Fei in a position that made it quite difficult for her to advance or retreat.

"When such a blow really bears down on you, it will be a hundred or even a thousand times faster. Mediocre pugilists might panic and try to parry." Xie Yun picked up the fan that he had left lying on the table beside him, and lightly collided it with his palm. "You've seen Yang Jin's sabre, it's extremely heavy. If he were to press his blade down on you, given the amount of strength you have your weapon might get forced out of your hand. But you aren't a mediocre pugilist, of course, or else you would have perished at the hands of the Azure Dragon Lord. Instead, you might choose to take a step forward, swerve to avoid his blade, and then…"

"Cut." Zhou Fei stretched out her hand now, which lightly brushed past Xie Yun's palm frozen in mid-air, and then abruptly swept towards him, in a swift horizontal motion.

"This is why martial arts is called 'martial arts', and not 'martial movements'. The foundation of your skills is not as deep as Yang Jin's, so your blade will certainly not be as swift. If you don't execute this 'Cut' move with exact precision, he will be able to foil it midway through." Shaking his head, Xie Yun reached around Zhou Fei's outstretched hand and lightly tapped the back of it, saying: "Of course, in my opinion, you'll probably end up exchanging a few blows with him while barely coping. He'll force you to back up a step each time, closing in on you until you have nowhere to hide. That's when your goose will be well and truly cooked."

Zhou Fei didn't speak, remaining deep in thought.

"I know whose reputation you are trying to uphold," said Xie Yun evenly, "And that's precisely why you should avoid this fight. You'll be perfectly justified in not accepting his challenge, so whether you do so or not is really up to you. Even if you refuse to fight him at all costs, others will only say that Yang Jin wasn't worthy of it since he used underhanded tactics. Wouldn't that still be better than getting trounced completely?"

The next three days passed very quickly, during which Zhou Fei didn't leave her room at all. The maiden from the Feathercloud Troupe who was in charge of delivering her meals saw her sitting in the same position by the window each time, leaning against the windowsill as if rooted to the spot. She wondered at what strange technique this was that Zhou Fei was practicing, that seemed to require absolute stillness.

On the morning of the third day, Captain Xu, Yang Jin and company arrived bright and early. They even came bearing a huge gift – Captain Xu had gotten two of his men to lift a little bamboo sedan.[4] Little Miss Li didn't even have to walk, and was munching on those peaches which she'd asked for, which Captain Xu had managed to procure somehow.

Zhou Fei, who had been worried sick over Li Yan, was hopping mad when she finally saw her, especially when that incorrigible girl jumped down from her seat and made to fling her arms round Zhou Fei with hands that were sticky from peach juice.

Li Yan: "Fe-ee-i!"

Zhou Fei: "You stay right there!"

Li Yan ignored her of course, and dashed over. Flinging the peach pit in her hand carelessly aside, she started wailing as if she had been horribly mistreated: "Fei, you don't know what I've been through all the way here, I thought I'd never be able to see you again…"

At this dramatic scene, Captain Xu was forced to swallow all of his carefully-prepared words.

Wu Chuchu and the Feathercloud maidens were peering out at her curiously. Faced with this courtyard full of brightly-dressed girls, Li Yan finally regained her sense of decorum. Pausing, she asked: "Why are there so many people here – oh right, where's my brother?"

Zhou Fei looked past Li Yan at Yang Jin, saying coldly: "Someone's groom-napped him – move aside, I'll deal with you later."

Yang Jin was standing about ten steps away from her, ramrod straight like a tall and menacing spear, glaring at her with eyes that were raring for a fight.

Following Zhou Fei's gaze, Li Yan saw that she was looking at Yang Jin and was promptly enraged again, saying: "That lump of coal was the worst of them all – I'm telling you, coal-head, there's still time to beg for forgiveness now…"

The gold rings on Yang Jin's blade shook gently. A sharp metallic clang rang out, like the cry of a goose.

Li Yan quickly snapped her mouth shut, and couldn't help but take a step back. She'd finally sensed that something was up between Zhou Fei and Yang Jin.

Xie Yun, who had huge dark circles beneath his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose wearily and sighed at Li Yan: "My dear little miss, please don't make things worse."

Zhou Fei turned to Madame Cirrus: "Madame, I'd like to borrow a sabre from you, if you please."

Yang Jin's dark face instantly darkened further. The weapons of renowned pugilists were often a point of pride for these pugilists, and were sometimes even more famous than their owners themselves. He certainly didn't believe that Zhou Fei didn't have a single worthy weapon on her. If she didn't deign to use her weapon on him, then this was clearly a slap in the face. Madame Cirrus looked at her in surprise as well. She hadn't expected this 'good girl' who was 'extremely modest' to so deeply humiliate the Cloud-Bracing Valley like this. Thinking for a bit, she then said to one of her girls: "Go fetch my 'Mountain of Lost Springs'."

The girl nodded and hurried away, returning with a long sabre in her hand.

Madame Cirrus took it from her, gently caressing the sheathed blade. With a push of her slender fingers, the blade was unsheathed with a clang, revealing its true self. The long blade gleamed as it caught the light, before that glint swiftly faded away, as if its soul had shown itself briefly before vanishing back into the blade. A word was carved into the side of the blade – 'Mountain'.

"At that time, the North and South were still one. It was extremely cold one winter," said Madame Cirrus. "There was snow even in places which hadn't been touched by the icy northern winds for decades. The roads at the foot of the Heng Mountain were piled up with snow, making them impossible to traverse. There was a little inn there where one could rest – I believe it was called the 'Three Springs Inn', although it probably isn't there anymore after all these years. Myself, Li Zheng, and a few friends were all snowed in there together, it was pretty bad luck we had…but by a stroke of fate, we happened to run into the legendary Sword of Mountains and Rivers in that unlucky little inn."

"Within minutes of meeting, Hero Yin and Brother Li were chatting away like old friends. They drank together at the Three Springs Inn for three days straight. When the snow finally stopped, they agreed to a contest in an empty space nearby in the Heng Mountains. They fought to their heart's content, till their weapons broke simultaneously in one glorious clang. The two of them laughed uproariously at this, as if it was something to rejoice over. But I was still quite young then, and didn't understand the joy of meeting one's match. I only thought it such a pity that their great weapons had been ruined, and declared that I would find the best materials and forge the sharpest weapons for them again." Madame Cirrus' thick eyelashes quivered slightly. Pursing her lips into a smile, she said: "I did manage to find someone to forge such weapons in the end. The sabre was named 'Mountain', and the sword 'Snow'…but unfortunately I didn't get the chance to send this pair of blades to them before the war started, and by then, nobody had the time to care about things like that."

Madame Cirrus handed this 'Mountain of Lost Springs' to Zhou Fei, saying: "Since you're here, take this with you when you're done with it. You don't have to return it. Just treat this as me fulfilling a promise to an old friend."

Zhou Fei thanked her as she took it, but sensed Madame Cirrus' fingers tightening a little, as if she couldn't quite bear to give it away. But she eventually loosened her grip with reluctance. The solemn expression on her face seemed to age that magically youthful visage of hers somewhat.

Xie Yun said softly: "Fei."

Zhou Fei glanced over at him, and sensing that he was about to advise her against it again, quickly averted her eyes and stepped towards Yang Jin. Pointing her sabre downwards, she held her other hand out in front of her in an invitation to proceed.

Xie Yun sighed, recalling what she had said to him that night.

"If I manage to avoid this fight, am I going to continue strutting around like a fraudster under the false name of the Southern Blade, waiting for a whole series of Zhang Jins, Wang Jins, or Zhao Jins, to come challenging me one by one?" Zhou Fei shook her head emphatically. "I will do no such thing. If I don't manage to beat him even with smarts, I would at least lose with honour, which is still far better than skulking around living a lie."

With a roar, Yang Jin made the first move.

He had clearly placed himself in the position of a challenger, so he was in top form. And perhaps he'd also been provoked by Zhou Fei's 'scornful' refusal to use her own sabre' – he moved even more quickly than what Xie Yun had described!

But Zhou Fei didn't use the Snow-Breaking Sabre.

Moving her feet in the steps of the Mayfly Formation, she wielded the 'Mountain of Lost Springs' like she would her willow branch in the Ink-Washing River, her sabre gliding almost effortlessly away past Yang Jin's blade.

Madame Cirrus straightened up abruptly: "The Qimen Sect? Why is she using something from Qimen?"

With those few words, Madame Cirrus instantly realised that she had slipped up, and her first instinct was to turn towards Xie Yun to see if he had caught this. But she was smarter than that, and quickly forced her neck to remain where it was. While she had managed to rearrange her features back into a mask of neutrality, she was still anxious, unsure if this mysterious 'Thousand Years of Anguish' might have picked something up from her involuntary exclamation of surprise.

The fellow was indeed shrouded in mystery – could a simple, feeble scholar manage to carve out his own leisurely and carefree path through this turbulent martial arts world, where hidden dangers lay at every turn? While Madame Cirrus had read countless novellas and performed numerous operas about all kinds of extraordinary characters, of the weak surviving against the odds, she had long since passed the age where she still believed in such tales.

But Xie Yun seemed completely oblivious to her reaction, his attention fixed entirely on the back and forth between Yang Jin and Zhou Fei instead.

Zhou Fei had evidently exceeded his expectations yet again. Although he shouldn't have been so surprised – it took a certain kind of madness for a person to voluntarily immerse herself in the Ink-Washing River for a whole three years, after all.

From Yang Jin's very first move, Zhou Fei hadn't retaliated at all – Xie Yun's analysis had been fairly accurate, as it was obvious that there was quite a large distance between them that a superior blade technique alone could not compensate for. If Zhou Fei retaliated, the gap between them would be immediately apparent. The weaker party would completely lose her momentum and be placed on the back foot, reduced to weakly fending off her opponent's blows, and her opponent would bear down on her.

So she simply dodged his blows instead of retaliating, occasionally even cleverly channelling the force of her opponent's blows to propel herself forward or backward. She didn't get too far from him, nor too close, maintaining an almost relaxed and unhurried demeanour, as if she were balancing effortlessly on a knife's edge. Perhaps it was taking her a whole lot of effort to dodge left and right like that, but to the spectators at least, she looked extremely at ease.

Yang Jin wasn't an expert at internal strength like Zheng Luosheng or Hua Zhenglong. So as long as he couldn't crush Zhou Fei with one palm strike, she had room to manoeuvre: because no matter how swift his sabre was, it could not be as swift as the fine strings of the machine in the Ink-Washing River; and no matter how strong he was, he could not be as strong as those strings that were capable of manipulating massive rocks…moreover, Zhou Fei was now aided by a Mayfly Formation that she was getting increasingly adept at.

If this had been Xie Yun's first encounter with Zhou Fei, he might actually have suspected that this young maiden possessed some extraordinary skills.

At a glance, Zhou Fei had made it seem like she was far more skilled than Yang Jin, and was deliberately holding back just so she could see the full extent of the 'Thirteen-Stroke Lone Goose Sabre' – even though the truth was that she could not strike back.

However…

While the rest might be admiring the ease of this young girl's movements, Xie Yun couldn't help but start to feel anxious. Even butterflies had to rest their legs briefly when flitting about the flowers. Zhou Fei wasn't a spinning top, and couldn't possibly continue twirling around like this forever.

Unless…Xie Yun's gaze slowly fell on Yang Jin – unless her opponent started to slip up.

Yang Jin was of a fiery and impetuous temperament, and obsessed with martial arts. In a way, he was a little bit like Ji Yunchen, and might lose his cool in a moment of agitation. Was this what Zhou Fei had been planning from the start?

That girl really had grown much slyer after just one trip away from home.

But Xie Yun still felt that even if Yang Jin were to fly into a rage from her persistent refusal to engage, and really start to slip up, the likelihood of Zhou Fei seizing that crucial opportunity to incapacitate him in one blow was not great. He believed that those eyes of hers, which had witnessed all kinds of expert pugilists in action, would be able to discern her opponent's mistakes at a glance, but her movements might not be as sharp as her eyes.

As Xie Yun had predicted, Yang Jin maintained a steady advance within the first thirty moves, but after that, his sabre started moving more and more quickly, until it was almost a blur, the gold rings on his blade clanging noisily.

Zhou Fei took a giant stride forward while thrusting the Mountain of Lost Springs behind her, lightly parrying the tip of Yang Jin's blade. Then like a rolling wave, she surged forward further, neatly sidestepping a stone by the doorway of the Feathercloud Troupe. Yang Jin was hot on her heels, and missing Zhou Fei by mere milimeters, his blade struck that stone with a massive clang. The sparks that were sent flying mirrored the anger burning in his eyes. Yang Jin had indeed been provoked into a rage by Zhou Fei's apparent 'disdain'.

And just at this moment, Zhou Fei turned back to look at him, turning a corner of her mouth up in a faint smirk. This added oil to the fire, prompting Yang Jin to step forward and let loose three blows in one breath – cleaving, swiping, and cutting, in quick succession, cleanly and without the slightest hesitation.

Captain Xu raised his thumb involuntarily, and an admiring 'Bravo!' nearly escaped his lips.

But Yang Jin's blade didn't manage to get a hold of Zhou Fei, who was as slippery as a fish. Each time, the Lone Goose Sabre seemed to just brush past a corner of her robes, precariously missing her by just enough.

Yang Jin had grown impatient by now. If this had just been a regular contest, he might not have come this close to losing his cool. But when faced with this 'successor of the Southern Blade' who had been hailed as a legend all across the central plains, his preconceived notions of her started to become a stumbling block. The more Zhou Fei refused to show her moves, the more he began to fear the true extent of her skills, till he inadvertently used the same move twice in succession, leaving his left side unguarded.

Was this what Zhou Fei had been waiting for?

Xie Yun held his breath – he probably wouldn't have been so nervous even if he were the one being chased by a sabre like this.

Once she made a move, there would be no turning back, no way to retreat again.

But to his surprise, Zhou Fei didn't seize the chance to strike.

She continued to run just ahead of the tip of Yang Jin's blade, so near yet so far from his grasp. At the same time, she lightly pointed the scabbard that she'd been holding in her left hand at Yang Jin's unguarded midsection, and with a soft chuckle, spun away effortlessly.

Yang Jin's forehead was beaded with cold sweat.

She'd spotted his mistake, but hadn't attacked. Why had she done that?

Yang Jin felt that this contest must be just a trifling game to Zhou Fei. She was only choosing to continue because she hadn't yet seen him run out of tricks. Anger immediately flared up within him, and he felt a vague sense of humiliation…and even fear.

When Yang Jin had first seen Zhou Fei in person, while his mind had still considered her his greatest rival, he had started to have his doubts – how could this young girl, who still looked wet behind the ears, possibly be the successor of the Snow-Breaking Sabre? Could she really have made such a resounding name for herself in just a few short months? Was she truly capable of challenging the Big Dipper, whose very name made people quake in fear, and even single-handedly kill the leader of the Four Symbols of the Mountain of the Living Dead? How formidable was she exactly? Mustn't she have started practicing her skills since the very day she was born?

But when Zhou Fei had pointed her scabbard at his waist, all those doubts in his heart vanished instantly. If all this while Yang Jin had been thinking, 'I want to win', an ominous thought now started to surface in his mind: 'I might actually lose.'

And in a contest of titans, sometimes it was that little bit of confidence which made the crucial difference.

Yang Jin's goose-wing sabre, which had moving with ease, suddenly grew tentative, although this still wasn't quite obvious. It wasn't long before he made another mistake. But Zhou Fei let him off again. She didn't even gesture with her scabbard this time, merely giving him a pointed look, and even shaking her head somewhat regretfully.

Madame Cirrus couldn't help but blurt out: "What is she planning to do?"

But Xie Yun's tightly knit brow suddenly relaxed, and a smile slowly spread across his face.

Madame Cirrus asked: "What are you smiling at?"

Xie Yun shifted his gaze away from the blur of gleaming blades. Clasping his hands behind his back, he lowered his head in contemplation for a moment, then asked out of the blue: "You probably don't know this yet, Madame, but not too long ago, there was an upheaval in the Qimen Sect, and their whereabouts remain unknown till this day. Some say that those fellows in the old capital had an eye on the tactical formations that they're known for, and so sent the Big Dipper after them…"

The expression on Madame Cirrus' face grew extremely grim.

"And I think I believe those rumours," said Xie Yun through near-motionless lips, in a voice so soft it was barely audible. "Perhaps you also don't know, Madame, that after the Zhongwu General passed on, his family members were slaughtered en route to the south. This might not come as a surprise to you, except for the fact that the culprit was none other than Phecda of the Big Dipper. This was really quite puzzling – why would they send such a fearsome dog to seize a defenceless widow and her children?"

Madame Cirrus clenched her fists slightly, and a midnight-black jade ring on her thumb shimmered as it caught the light. She lowered her voice: "What are you trying to say exactly?"

Xie Yun finally turned towards her. With the corners of his eyes taped over with prosthetics, his eyes could only open half as wide, and were a good bit smaller. But his penetrating gaze shone right through, incredibly calm and profound, and even with a touch of sympathy.

When Madame Cirrus' eyes met his, she froze for an instant, and her fists unclenched of their own accord.

"Nothing much," said Xie Yun emphatically. "You and I have known each other for so many years now, Madame, and you know full well whether I am friend or foe. It's just that certain things have already been revealed, so I came here to warn you: be very careful."

Various thoughts raced through Madame Cirrus' head: "Who are you working for? Liang Shao…no, Zhou Cun?"

Xie Yun gave her a look, and a faint smile crossed his face as he said softly: "I'm just an old friend of the Shao Dynasty."

Before Madame Cirrus could probe further, she heard a sudden shriek from Li Yan, drawing her attention back to the goose-wing sabre in Yang Jin's hand. The first time Yang Jin had slipped up was due to anger, the second time due to panic, and now, under Zhou Fei's constant provocation, he was about to do so a third time – and this time it was fatal, as he'd hesitated.

A swift sabre should not hesitate.

When a person could no longer trust the weapon in his hand, the cold and unfeeling steel would start to betray its own master.

In that split-second of hesitation, the Mountain of Lost Springs suddenly transformed from a pliable willow branch upon the Ink-Washing River into an incredibly vicious Snow-Breaking Sabre. In the blink of an eye, all the stars aligned – she exerted the restive Withered-Glory chi in her body to its extremes, and the tip of her blade curved in a perfect arc in midair. 'Mountain', which had the power to cleave the Heng Mountain in two, came crashing right down on Yang Jin's head.

Shaken to his very soul, Yang Jin frantically lifted his sabre to parry. That brief moment of hesitation had finally taken the 'life' of his swift sabre.

The Mountain of Lost Springs bore down upon the flummoxed Lone Goose Sabre, with all the force of a collapsing mountain. Before Yang Jin could thrust his sabre forward, the gold rings on his blade suddenly groaned. Abruptly shaken by this tyrannical force, the hilt of his sabre was knocked out of his hand, and the Lone Goose Sabre came crashing to the ground!

Having succeeded with one blow, Zhou Fei didn't advance further, instead returning the Mountain of Lost Springs back to its scabbard with a snap. She stood a few steps away from Yang Jin, looking expressionlessly at her opponent.

Against the odds, she had won this contest of David and Goliath!

Yang Jin seemed to have frozen in place. He stared down at his sabre in disbelief, then his gaze slowly fell on Zhou Fei.

"Well, you've seen my Sabre now." Zhou Fei said in an even, emotionless voice.

She nodded at Yang Jin with something approaching arrogance, then turned to walk back to Xie Yun's side. Beneath his gaze, which was filled with a mixture of indescribable emotions, she discreetly tugged a corner of his fluttering robe and used it to wipe the cold sweat off her palm.

Xie Yun: "…"

Yang Jin still seemed completely shaken. He stood there staring stiffly down at the Lone Goose Sabre, as if he didn't recognise it anymore.

Captain Xu shook his head, thinking to himself: If it weren't for the fact that I owe a debt of gratitude to the Cloud-Bracing Valley…

He stepped forward and picked up the goose-wing sabre, wiping away the dust on its hilt. Then he silently patted Yang Jin on the shoulder, which finally seemed to bring the poor fellow out of his reverie. Sheathing his sabre, he walked past Captain Xu, and strode right up to Zhou Fei.

Li Yan's brows arched: "What are you trying to do? You've already lost, what more do you want?"

Yang Jin's face flushed red, and then paled. He moved his lips soundlessly for a while, but no words came out in the end. He turned on his heel and left.

Captain Xu sighed heavily, then walked over to face Zhou Fei and the rest, bowing: "Many thanks to Miss Zhou for her guidance. I failed to think things through this time, and offended you in many ways…"

He paused, then drew out a thumb-sized carnelian seal from within his robes. It was a bright persimmon red, clear as crystal, and beautifully wrought, with a lifelike carving of five prosperity bats[5] on it. Captain Xu was smart enough not to give it to Zhou Fei, but instead turned to Li Yan and handed it to her, saying: "This is just a small trinket for you, Miss, it's called the 'Five Bat Token'. If you are travelling in future, you just need to flash this – whether you want to stay at an inn or hire a carriage, all of it will be at your disposal, and no one will dare to cheat you. You'll be guaranteed the best service."

Li Yan still had no idea of the existence of the 'Wayfarers' Union', much less what it was exactly. Receiving the token with a dubious expression on her face, she asked curiously: "Ah? How does this work? Does it also give us discounts on things?"

Zhou Fei kicked her in the shins.

Captain Xu plastered a fake smile on his face that was aimed at Li Yan, then turning again to Zhou Fei, sighed: "Each new generation truly exceeds the one before. Now that you've made a name for yourself, Miss Zhou, I'm afraid that trouble will come seeking you out now, and danger at every turn. You'll have to tread cautiously. Be extra careful out there."

Zhou Fei nodded without taking what he said seriously, thinking to herself: I'll be home soon anyway, if anyone has the guts they can come find me at the 48 Zhai.

Captain Xu could certainly see the dismissiveness on her face, but didn't try to counsel her further – on this wide earth, how many youths had been full of lofty ambitions at first, but after five years, or ten years…how many of them had managed to survive the filthy ways of this world, and the dark hearts of men?

Captain Xu bowed at them once more, and then with a wave of his hand, left with his men as quickly as they had come.