Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Blacksmith Old Hong was sitting idly in his smithy. The fire in the oven was out, his bellows quiet, and tools covered in dust. He hadn’t used his hammer in over a year, and the neighboring smithies’ ringing sounded were like noises that had accidentally arrived here from another world.
Reminiscing on his past life, he discovered that all of his efforts had been in vain – the one he loved was dead, the ideal he pursued was degenerating, and even this business he had worked so hard to build had to be prematurely ended at a time when he still had enough strength to continue.
The first person came in. Standing at the door with a torch in his hand, he looked pretty young. His eyes were sweeping around vigilantly, which reminded Old Hong of another young man.
The second person came in, hands crossed behind his back, and in a calm mood, seeming to have something to say.
More and more people poured in, standing at the sides of the second man, and forming a semicircle. Their formation vaguely resembled a multi-fingered giant’s palm that could easily squeeze him into powder with a gentle grip.
Old Hong knew these eleven people, some of whom he was pretty familiar with. They used to be his friends. After becoming dissatisfied with reality, they had founded the Heavenly Mountain Sect in a difficult situation. Yet, he had now become an outsider who didn’t even have the right to defend himself in his own trial meeting.
The man in the middle was Du Jian. He was never a friend of Old Hong’s, but he was the current Sect Leader and wielded great power in the sect.
Old Hong didn’t stand up, and remained sitting in the dilapidated chair. He raised his head and asked, “You’ve made a decision?”
Du Jian nodded slowly, as though it’d been a very difficult decision for him to make. “We don’t have any other choice.”
“You can just choose to ignore the choice under your noses.”
Du Jian let out a short laugh, showing some sympathy mixed with a sneer. “You’re still so stubborn. The Dragon King’s not trustworthy. We’ve discussed this many times.”
Yes, many times, and Old Hong had lost his say during that very process.
Du Jian paused for a while. With the last bit of hope remaining, he made another attempt to convince Old Hong. “You handed Lin Xiaoshan over to the Dragon King – he died. Heavenly Mountain Sect allied with the Dragon King – they were abandoned. The Land of Fragrance took the Dragon King in when he was in a desperate situation – their country’s in ruins. Xiaoyao Lake married their princess to the Dragon King – Their territory ended up becoming an army camp and has suffered countless casualties. The Norland invited the Dragon King to be a guest – it split apart…”
These were undeniable truths. Yet one of the blacksmiths beside Du Jian spoke up, feeling that he was still a friend of Old Hong’s and had a duty to help him, saying, “The Dragon King is sinister and sly. He put the red crow on his flag, and it’s very clear that he’s an inauspicious man. Wherever he goes, destruction follows. We can’t let a man like him have Jade City. Old Hong, wake up. We have a powerful enemy before us. All Heavenly Mountain Sect members should make concerted efforts to-”
Old Hong knew clearly that his interruption wouldn’t change anything, but he still couldn’t help but interject, “How about you all try seeing it from the opposite perspective? All the places the Dragon King’s been to are full of traps and destruction, and yet he survived, which proves that he’s one of our kind. Jade City is in crisis, so why don’t we ask a man like him for help? If I need a dog to guard the door, I’d rather have a ferocious dog that’s disowned its own relatives.”
“We’re not seeking a guard dog. We’re seeking a lord. Even the Khan failed to keep the Dragon King under control, let alone us.” Du Jian’s voice turned severe as he began reprimanding Old Hong.
Old Hong exhaled deeply and asked, “Why waste time? Just do it. Then everybody can go home early.”
Old Hong’s feeble defense and indifference provoked the other side. One of his “friends” said aloud, “Old Hong, it’s okay if we have different opinions. But your collusion with the Dragon King cost many kung fu experts of our sect their lives. You still refuse to admit to that?”
“How can I confess to things I’ve never done?” Lowering his head, Old Hong had a resigned look on his face, and yet his voice was firm and strident as he said, “Besides, it was Lotus of the Waning Moon Hall who killed them…”
“Lotus is a subordinate of the Dragon King. They’re on the same side!” Another “friend” cored pit loudly – as “friends,” they wanted to verify Old Hong’s crime even more eagerly than his enemies.
By comparison, Du Jian seemed far more fair. “The Dragon King’s right here in Jade City. This is indisputable. You know this more clearly than any of us.”
“I haven’t seen the Dragon King for almost two years, and neither have I seen any of his men. This is all I have to say. Go ahead and do what you have to.”
Looking at the men standing to his two sides, Du Jian knew that Old Hong had been sidelined to an insignificant status. The reason why so many people were spectating this trial was because they were paying respects to the old member of the Heavenly Mountain Sect – they still had certain delusions about this previous founder.
The blacksmith beside Du Jian was the first one to step forward. With a look as cold as a block of newly-cooled iron, he produced a dagger. “You’ve disappointed us,” he said, raising the dagger.
“One minute,” Old Hong interrupted. He stood up and straightened himself before saying, “I’m ready.”
The dagger sunk into his shoulder and the blacksmith with a steel will suddenly started trembling. The man seemed to have no more strength to pull the dagger out. Leaving it in the criminal’s body, he moved back uneasily and stared blankly into space.
The vice leaders of the Heavenly Mountain Sect stepped forward one by one. Some of them stabbed Old Hong with a new dagger. One merely held a dagger that was already in him and gently shook it, indicating their participation in the execution. Everybody avoided stabbing any of his vital areas, leaving the fatal blow to the last person.
Even with his blood dripping down to his feet, Old Hong was still standing straight as if this pain was nothing, yet there were large beads of sweat on his forehead.
Du Jian was the Sect Leader of Heavenly Mountain Sect, so he was to be the final executioner. After giving a short sigh, he walked forward with the intention to put an end to Old Hong’s life with one of the daggers that was already in him. “This is not how things were supposed to go.”
“It is what it is.” Old Hong arduously pushed these words out.
Du Jian had barely raised his hand when one of the blacksmiths said excitedly, “What if we’re wrong? I mean, look at him, does he look like he’s colluding with the Dragon King? The Dragon King didn’t even try to save him.”
“Don’t be fooled by the rumors. The Dragon King never saves his partners, and when he does, he does it only for his own benefit.” Du Jian’s voice suddenly became severe – any doubts were supposed to be discussed only in private, and he wouldn’t tolerate such public contradiction.
Feeling ashamed, the blacksmith lowered his head. He didn’t dare look at the Sect Leader again and was also too embarrassed to have any eye contact with Old Hong.
“If the Dragon King contacted me, I would have chosen to cooperate with him. He just hasn’t come to me yet,” Old Hong said with all the strength he had left, indicating he was indeed “guilty.”
After a while, seeing that there were no more questions, Du Jian decided to finish the job.
It was at this moment that reinforcements showed up.
A considerable part of the roof abruptly collapsed and, rather than people, large clouds of yellow smoke descended and started filling the room. Soon, the whole place was full of smoke.
“Stay calm!” Du Jian yelled and held his breath.
When the smoke dispersed, they found that nobody was hurt, but Old Hong had disappeared.
“Dragon King! The Dragon King rescued him!” everybody yelled.
Du Jian’s face looked as cold as a block of iron, yet he secretly thought that the situation couldn’t have been better. “Does anyone else still believe that Old Hong didn’t collude with the Dragon King?”
Nobody believed Old Hong anymore.
Old Hong was in coma for a time. When he woke up, he found himself in a bed. The daggers were gone and his wounds had been dressed, but he knew that he would soon die.
“You saved me?” Old Hong asked feebly as he looked at the stranger beside the bed.
“They did.” Gu Shenwei was still disguised while Nie Zeng and Tie Linglong was standing on his left and right sides respectively. “Yet they were too late. The wounds are not fatal, but the palm attack that Du Jian hit you with is not so easy to handle.”
Old Hong felt that he was breathing sabers and swords instead of air, the pain spreading from his throat to his abdomen. Du Jian had hit him when they were trying to take him away. “You shouldn’t have saved me. I’m a dead man either way. Now, everybody will believe that I “colluded” with you.”
Old Hong had already realized that the stranger was Dragon King.
“My apologies, but I had no choice. You’re the only one who can answer my questions.” Gu Shenwei had hoped that Old Hong would be rescued unharmed, but he also had to assume that the Heavenly Mountain Sect had set up some traps. To minimize the possibility of any accidents, it had taken Nie Zeng and Tie Linglong a lot of time to make their preparations.
“Ask while I still can talk.” With his life coming to its end, Old Hong felt that his mind was exceptionally clear, though his experience told him that the Dragon King must have given him some kind of mind-enhancing drug. “But I’d like to ask a question first myself.”
“Please go ahead.”
“Are you going to keep Jade City all to yourself or hand it over to the Central Plains or the Norland?”
Gu Shenwei was slightly surprised. Many people had asked him about his plans for Golden Roc Castle, but this was the first time that someone had expressed any concern about Jade City. “I haven’t thought about it yet.” Before a dying man, Gu Shenwei chose to be honest, and he then asked, “What do you have in mind?”
“Jade City belongs to everyone, but it’s never been under anyone’s sole dominion – this is the reason behind its prosperity. I’m now in no place to affect Jade City’s destiny, but I hope for it to stay the same it is if possible.”
“Is this also the Heavenly Mountain Sect’s wish?” Gu Shenwei began to understand.
“The Heavenly Mountain Sect has no idea what its wish is. The Unique King was ambitious, so they opposed the Unique King. Then the Norland cavalrymen came, and so they opposed the Norland cavalrymen. And now, people from the Central Plains are here, and Heavenly Mountain Sect wanted to resist the foreign invaders, and yet they ended up standing side by side with another even more powerful enemy. Yes. The Heavenly Mountain Sect has allied itself with Golden Roc Castle.”
Gu Shenwei had already guessed this, but he still very confused. “The people from the Central Plains want to take over Jade City?”
“They plan to play by ear. They will take the city by force if it’s possible, but if they think the price is too heavy, they plan to dismiss the Governor and designate a permanent lord of the city. In other words, the Central Plains hope to subject Jade City to its rule.”
The Governor of Jade City had been designated by the Central Plains, the Norland and Shu Le in rotation. Now the Norland had split, and Shu Le didn’t exist any more. No wonder the ambition of the Central Plains boosted so drastically.
“Next year, the Governor will be someone from the Central Plains,” Gu Shenwei instantly blurted out as he thought of this.
“Yes. So by next year’s summer at the latest, the Central Plains will make its move and try to take Jade City. Those kung fu experts from the Central Plains are just the vanguard.”
“I seldom see any men from the Central Plains in the city.”
“That’s because there’re that many of them in the city yet. Besides, they all live in the Four Noble Truths Temple outside of the city.”
“The Four Noble Truths Temple took in martial artists of the Central Plains?”
“Maybe. The monks haven’t stated their stance yet.”
“The Unique King is now an ally of Heavenly Mountain Sect. Is it because he doesn’t want to publicly make himself an enemy of the Central Plains?”
Old Hong blinked and tersely replied, “Yes.” He didn’t have much strength left to talk with.
It all made sense now. Gu Shenwei realized that he might have started his conflict with the Central Plains ahead of schedule.
Old Hong had fulfilled his obligations. Upon facing his imminent death, there was only one thing left on his mind. “Xiaoshan… How did he die?”
There were many rumors, but Old Hong wanted to hear the truth from the Dragon King himself. He had taken care of Xiaoshan for so many years, but he still had to watch Xiaoshan die right in front of him. Old Hong had been carrying this deep guilt with him all these years. He was unable to remember what the woman he had secretly been in love with looked like, yet that didn’t lessen the weight of his sins at all.
Gu Shenwei signaled for Nie Zeng and Tie Linglong to leave, then he whispered to Old Hong, “He’s alive. In the Central Plains.”
Old Hong was silent for quite a while before replying, “I believe you.” This was his choice.
