SS Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – Wuyi

 

Ye Fusheng almost wanted to laugh, but halfway through, his eyes turned sore.

 

“I knocked those two fruits to the ground, yet he didn’t get angry. He only asked me if I hated them,” Xie Wuyi said. “Of course, I said yes. Unexpectedly, he laughed instead, saying it was good that I knew who I hated. That way, I wouldn’t blame the innocent.”

 

The so-called innocent must have referred to the seven-year-old Xie Li and his disciple Xue Chanyi, who was still traveling outside at the time.

 

That should have been the most peaceful time of his life—sharing hardships with the enemy who had taken everything from him in this prison of a place, not only coexisting peacefully but even harmoniously.

 

Perhaps at the end of the day, what can make past grudges fade most in this world, aside from a broad mind, is the shared suffering of two fallen souls.

 

Sometimes, he couldn’t help but think that the man was indeed more suited to the name “Xie Min” than he was. His character matched the name—a gentleman as gentle as jade.

 

But he could not be reconciled.

 

That night, heavy rain poured down. The cave was damp and cold, enough to make one shiver. The man took off his outer robe and gave it to him, moving toward the cave entrance to block the wind with his body.

 

He asked, “I crippled your tendons. Don’t you hate me?”

 

The man smiled faintly and said that if he didn’t hate him, why would he have pulled him down the cliff to break his fall? But after facing death together, comparing their hearts, he suddenly felt that his hatred paled in comparison to his unwillingness.

 

“I was taken back to Duanshui Manor when I was eight and lived fourteen years of darkness, without even a name or identity, let alone freedom. I was treated coldly just because Father still harbored a trace of hope for you, who was lost in the Western Regions, and didn’t want to invite criticism for abandoning you. So, yes, I resented it.” The man rubbed his palms together. “The two days before you returned, I was actually afraid. I didn’t know what would become of me once the true heir of Duanshui Manor returned. But I never expected…”

 

“Seeing me in such a miserable state, you were quite pleased, weren’t you?”

 

“Of course I was pleased, because I could finally replace you and claim the identity and status I had longed for, living openly in the world. But I couldn’t help feeling a chill as well. After all, if he could abandon you for Duanshui Manor back then, one day he might also abandon me.”

 

Xie Wuyi sneered. “You’re clever. Indeed, if you were a fool, Rong Cui wouldn’t have favored you. After all, her ten years of affection for me couldn’t compare to a fake marriage turned real.”

 

“She’s a good woman—gentle, virtuous, a loving wife and mother. I truly wanted to spend my life with her.” The man sighed. “So, although poisoning the blade was indeed dishonorable this time, I can’t help but be grateful for her love.”

 

“Then you’d better kill me now, or once I return, I will make her pay the price.”

 

“You won’t.”

 

“Which eye of yours sees me as some saint who repays kindness with kindness?”

 

“You won’t repay kindness with kindness, but you also won’t repay kindness with hatred.” The man curved his lips slightly. “Do you know Sun Minfeng of Cangsnow Valley?”

 

“The so-called ‘King of Hell’s Nemesis,’ the Ghost Doctor?” He had mocked Xie Chongshan before using the title but knew little about the doctor’s abilities beyond rumors.

 

“Yes. A year ago, when I was training outside with Chanyi, we happened to rescue him from an ambush, earning a favor from him. Before this battle, I secretly sent him a letter asking him to come to Guyang City. The poison in your body is only temporarily suppressed by internal force, but the Ghost Doctor will surely find a cure.”

 

Xie Wuyi asked, “If the Ghost Doctor is so skilled, why not let him try to heal your right hand instead?”

 

“Consider this my favor to you.” The man looked at the scar on his right wrist. “There can only be one Xie Min in this world, and I’m returning everything that was yours.”

 

Unable to suppress his emotions, he sat up straighter, his voice hoarse. “Do you think I’ll be grateful for such charity?”

 

“I said, I’m returning it to you.” The man pressed his shoulder down. “Your identity, honor, and responsibilities—I’m giving it all back. Isn’t this what you’ve been trying to reclaim?”

 

“Ridiculous. If I become Xie Min again, what will happen to Rong Cui, her son, and your disciple?”

 

“You said it yourself—you know who you truly hate.”

 

A thousand unspoken words stuck in his throat choking him. He gasped for breath several times before spitting, “You’re a coward.”

 

This man feared no revenge but lacked the courage to face a life forever changed. Rather than bear the consequences of his past, he would abandon everything and become nothing again.

 

Mocking, he said, “I’ve never looked down on you as much as I do today.”

 

“I also think I’m a coward.” The man smiled bitterly. “So, let’s make a pact.”

 

“What pact?”

 

“Three years. We’ll meet again in three years. In that time, reclaim everything that’s yours and settle your old debts. Meanwhile, I will start anew and live as my true self.” The man continued, “I’ve never thought I was inferior to you, and neither have you. This time, we have no winner or loser. Three years from now, we’ll determine it then. By that time, life or death, victory or defeat will be decided between us. What do you say?”

 

Xie Wuyi was stunned, then sneered. “In the end, I’m still the one losing out—reclaiming what’s mine yet cleaning up your mess for you.”

 

“Then thank you for your sacrifice. Three years later, I’ll invite you for a proper drink… Hm? Dawn is breaking.”

 

The man supported himself against the cave wall, gazing through the rain at the distant sky. Suddenly, he asked, “Do you know why I chose the name ‘Wuyi’?”

 

Xie Wuyi shook his head.

 

The man explained, “Back then, I stepped into the martial world under the name and reputation you built. I took on your old grudges and bore the responsibility of Duanshui Manor. I lived under so much weight that I could no longer tell who I truly was. I had thought of calling myself ‘Wuyi’—without reliance—as self-mockery. But then I met a wounded, retired soldier…”

 

The soldier, in his twilight years, was missing an arm and blind in one eye, yet still struggled to return to the border. Seeing this, he couldn’t bear it and tried to give the soldier some money to return home, only to be refused.

 

“A man must bear many burdens—honor, duty, family. I’ve spent my life fighting on the battlefield. With no family to return to and no skill for farming or fishing, I’d rather return to the frontier I once guarded and die there, completing my story. If you truly want to help, give me a good blade and a strong drink. That bitter land is unbearable without them.”

 

“That was when I first realized there was more to life than grudges. So I chose the name ‘Wuyi’—not to be free of ties, but to live boldly and generously, like that soldier. Now, the time has come.”

 

Xie Wuyi’s heart skipped. “You’re going to the border?”

 

“I want to see the iron-blooded frontlines myself.” The man lowered his head, met his gaze, and smiled faintly. “Everything from the past, I’m returning to you. I’ll also leave you the name ‘Wuyi.’ From now on, you are Xie Min and also Xie Wuyi.”

 

“How can it be said that we have no clothes? I shall share my role with you.”¹

 

The oil lamp in the room flickered weakly. As the story came to an end, Ye Fusheng realized his back was drenched with cold sweat.

 

Indeed, the entanglement of emotions and grievances in this world was a bitter mix of flavors.

 

Xie Wuyi said, “After that night, he quietly left with the aid of a wooden staff, while I was found by Xie Chongshan and his men, who secretly brought me back to Duanshui Manor, keeping it hidden from outsiders. During those five days, to prevent anyone from discovering this case of ‘shifting flowers onto another tree’, every physician brought in was silenced by Xie Chongshan afterward. Until the Ghost Doctor personally arrived… Having received that man’s instructions, he agreed to Xie Chongshan’s request. Using the art of skin grafting and disguise, he concealed all the sores on my body, making my appearance identical to that man’s. However, the poison had deeply penetrated my body. Even for him, it was a difficult case. He could only treat the external wounds and temporarily suppress the poison’s relapse. Then, he proposed using golden needles to seal my acupoints.”

 

Xie Wuyi took a sip of water, his eyes flashing coldly. “Sealing the acupoints could suppress the poison to its weakest state, ensuring my survival over the years. However, it also sealed away most of my martial strength. Since I had agreed to that arrangement, I naturally couldn’t die yet. So, the Ghost Doctor and I set a timeline. During that period, I would suppress those scoundrels who sought to take advantage of the situation one by one. Then, I would have the time to deal with Xie Chongshan.”

 

No matter how glorious he once was, even a hero will grow old like Feng Tang..

 

Xie Chongshan had already aged. Repeated blows had left him both mentally and physically exhausted. Moreover, the fierce and unstoppable Canglan Thirteen Blades had never known defeat.

 

To sever water with a blade was already an overwhelming force, yet torrents and cascading waterfalls would only roar louder in defiance.

 

He did not become a ghost under the blade but instead a prisoner bound in chains.

 

“I crippled his martial arts, severed his leg tendons, and forced mute medicine down his throat. I took control of Duanshui Manor. Yet when I saw my father crawling helplessly on the ground, the satisfaction of revenge was mixed with a strange emptiness.”

 

Ye Fusheng said, “Seeking vengeance never truly brings joy.”

 

Just like how Xie Wuyi had reclaimed Duanshui Manor, yet bore the immense weight of responsibility with no sense of belonging or triumph. His long-standing obsession had finally been fulfilled, but even if he were to be shattered into pieces, he would refuse to let go.

 

Those who shoulder heavy burdens are often not stubborn but rather, like a fish drinking water—whether warm or cold, only they can tell.

 

“Unfortunately, I’m not as carefree as you,” Xie Wuyi said coldly. “I have always drawn clear lines between gratitude and hatred, calculating every debt. Considering what Xie Chongshan did back then, keeping him confined in the rear courtyard with no worries about food or clothing for the rest of his life is already merciful. If he could so easily betray a lifetime of fatherly affection, I won’t hesitate to defy hierarchy and strike with a ruthless hand. Even if I end up in the depths of the underworld, torn apart by a thousand blades, I would still laugh proudly at what I’ve done today.”

 

“Master Xie, you certainly distinguish clearly between gratitude and hatred,” Ye Fusheng paused for a moment. “So, even though Madam Rong betrayed you and nearly cost you your life, you spared her for the sake of that severed finger, didn’t you?”

 

“Women can be biased, and their stubbornness is terrifying,” Xie Wuyi sneered. “I owed that man a favor, so I decided to go easy on her, allowing her to keep the title of Madam of the Manor and live in comfort while raising her son. But that woman loved her husband more than her son. She would rather remain self-imprisoned to atone for her guilt than face me or accept the truth of that man’s departure. She even left her son in the care of his enemy. Hah, those two truly are cut from the same cloth.”

 

Ye Fusheng thought of Xie Li and said, “I think you raised Xie Li well.”

 

Xie Wuyi’s expression turned wry, his lips curving into a half-smile. “I beat and scolded him constantly. Even the servants in the manor disapproved. And you call that well-raised?”

 

Ye Fusheng lowered his gaze. “You didn’t mistreat him for no reason. If I were in your place, it would also be difficult to face that child. But in the end, you still taught him many things, including the complete Canglan Thirteen Blades without holding back. Though he suffered while learning, it will spare him countless hardships in the future. After all, not every mistake comes with a second chance.”

 

Xie Wuyi’s fingers traced the rim of his cup, his gaze calm as still water—so serene it was impossible to discern his thoughts.

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1.The sentence “豈曰無衣？與子同袍。” comes from the ancient Chinese poem 《詩經·秦風·無衣》 (The Book of Songs, Qin Feng – Without Clothes).

 

How can it be said that I have no clothes? I will share my robe with you.

 

This verse expresses solidarity, brotherhood, and unity in times of hardship or war. It conveys the idea that when facing challenges, comrades or allies should support one another, sharing resources and standing together as one. It emphasizes loyalty and mutual assistance, often used in contexts of military camaraderie, friendship, or collective struggle.