Chapter Six: Life and Death Partings

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Forgetful Nine’s body went rigid. His hand still clenched his sword; he did not dare turn around, even though he could not make out the expressions on the faces of the townspeople.

The flecks of blood on Tao Hong’s clothes, the clear rope marks binding her bruised wrists, all of it was still plainly visible. Her eyes were vacant as she sobbed, “Father, it was Brother Forgetful Nine who tricked me out there. I never thought, never thought he would do this to me!”

It was as though Tao Hong were watching some other version of herself perform upon a stage. She screamed inwardly, trying to explain the truth to the people of the town, yet she had no way at all to control her own mouth.

Tao Shu’s whole face had gone crimson. Even the joy of having his daughter returned could not suppress the fury of betrayal and deceit in his heart. If only, if only they had come a little sooner—his daughter, his daughter might already have been defiled by that beast in human skin.

What a fine scheme he had devised: soothing him in the tavern, sending them away, and then turning about to plot against his daughter!

Tao Shu picked up a small stone from the ground and hurled it at Forgetful Nine, shouting, “You beast!”

Qi Lu and his wife hurried to stop him. Qi Lu said anxiously, “Old Tao, is there some misunderstanding? You know what Forgetful Nine’s nature is like!”

But Tao Shu had already lost all reason. “Know? What do I know! He’s nothing but a man of unknown origin, with a filthy background. Now this has happened, caught red-handed—what more do you want me to know?”

“That’s right! There’s nothing left to say! Get out of Clear River Town—Clear River Town doesn’t welcome you!” Another neighbor picked up a stone and threw it too.

One after another, the crowd followed suit. “Get out!”

“Get out!”

...

The clamor in his ears was deafening. Pebbles came pelting down on Forgetful Nine like rain. He said nothing; his form flickered, and then he vanished.

Qi Lu and his wife finally breathed a little easier. Though they did not know exactly what had happened, Forgetful Nine must be innocent. He must have been out helping search for the Tao girl. Yet for some reason, why would she say such things?

For now, it would be best if Forgetful Nine kept his distance. He could return once the truth was made clear.

Seeing the farce before him, Mo Zhu’s already poor mood lifted somewhat. Such was people: they believed only the so-called truth before their eyes. In the end, they were still selfish. Was it not simply fear that a stranger of unknown origin might come to town and harm them?

Mo Zhu smiled in amusement. Things were becoming far more interesting than he had imagined. Under such circumstances, would Ye Min still stop him from massacring Clear River Town? It seemed now that the slaughter might be much easier than expected.

The sun rose slowly, then sank again. Mo Zhu never let his wine leave his hand. Behind him stood rows of black-clad men in perfect order, gazing toward Clear River Town ahead. From their vantage, the entire town was swathed in the blazing afterglow, as brilliant as the rosy clouds that bloom upon the cheeks of a maiden.

Whether from delusion or not, Mo Zhu seemed to see the village where Ye Feng had once hidden. That day, too, there had been such a sunset. He and Ye Feng had stood so close, and yet even in his final glance before death, Ye Feng had refused to look at him.

So near, yet so far. What, in the end, had he done wrong, that from then on there would be no Ye Feng in the world to stir a ripple in his heart?

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The cold wind lifted Mo Zhu’s hair. Night fell silently. His eyelashes trembled, and a mocking smile curved his lips. What else could it be? It had all been forced by him. Ye Feng had simply never loved him, never cared for him. Otherwise, why flee from his side in such a resolute manner...

Slowly, he raised his hand and motioned toward Clear River Town. The people behind him received the signal and moved at once.

The group led by Xiao Qi arrived just in time and saw Mo Zhu’s forces. The people behind Xiao Qi were alarmed. “Bad news, we have to get to the town at once!”

Xiao Qi’s heart leapt. “What is it? What happened?”

The man was frantic, his face flushed red. “If we don’t go now, this town will be slaughtered. Those are the Mo family’s death soldiers! Hurry!”

Clenching his teeth, Xiao Qi could only follow. With Ye Min’s abilities, he ought to be safe.

After Xiao Qi left, Forgetful Nine emerged from concealment. With Xiao Qi’s people in Clear River Town, it should be all right. And he, too, ought to go and settle matters with that man once and for all. Forgetful Nine arrived in the woods from yesterday and, before encountering Mo Zhu, ran into the group sent by Xiao Mu Ran.

Tonight’s moon was strangely round, yet it was destined to be a sleepless night.

The Xiao family’s personal guards surrounded Forgetful Nine. A little of the tension in his heart eased. He knew the Xiao family’s methods all too well. If the Xiao family had sent people to assassinate him, then Little Nine must already have returned home safely.

His first journey far from home, his first return from beyond the world—over these two years, how many of Little Nine’s first times had he missed? Thankfully, he had taken part in Little Nine’s first mission outside. He had been the first person Little Nine loved. He had also been the first person Little Nine kissed of her own accord...

Forgetful Nine counted them one by one, warmth rising faintly in his heart. It was the candlelight that belonged to him alone, given to him and him only. Thinking of it, he felt he had still come out ahead; what he possessed far exceeded what he had lost, during the days when Little Nine had come to Clear River Town and stayed by his side.

Indeed, just as he had imagined: by using the identity of Forgetful Nine, he had replaced Ye Min, who had once haunted his nightmares, left a brand in Little Nine’s heart, and made for himself the most beautiful stretch of memory.

He only hoped Little Nine could forgive his selfishness...

Forgetful Nine felt a dull ache in his abdomen, but it was still bearable. The Xiao family guards attacked without a word. Forgetful Nine drew his sword. It had been a long time since he last used it, so he was somewhat rusty, but his movements were still as smooth as ever.

Hidden in the dark, Mo Zhu watched intently, just as he had watched Ye Feng the first time. It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen: clearly taking lives, yet not stained with a single drop of blood. The way those people shattered like ice, that sound—how intoxicating it was.

Mo Zhu softly called out, “Ye Feng...” As Forgetful Nine finished off the last of the Xiao family guards, he rushed out, long-unused sword in hand, and attacked Forgetful Nine. So alike—habits, casual little gestures, even the killing techniques were identical. Why, why was he not Ye Feng? Why, after all, was he still alive while his Ye Feng was gone...

“Ha... ha ha...” Mo Zhu suddenly stopped and threw his head back in wild laughter. His bloodshot eyes were red beyond reason, and the corners of them glimmered with faint, unintended light.

Forgetful Nine warily watched Mo Zhu, now wholly lost to madness, his aura growing more unstable by the moment. Who knew how much time passed before Mo Zhu finally stifled his laughter. He had not worn his mask. This was his truest face: one half a handsome countenance, the other as though possessed by a devil, already completely rotted away. Mo Zhu stared blankly at Forgetful Nine and said softly, “You are not Ye Feng. How could Ye Feng be this weak? You look so much like him, everything is exactly the same. Say it—where have you hidden my Ye Feng? Give my Ye Feng back to me!”

Mo Zhu’s figure was like a specter, appearing and vanishing without warning. Forgetful Nine could not catch his movements at all. A searing pain exploded in his left shoulder. He grunted; at last, blood stained Forgetful Nine’s clothes.

Behind him, Mo Zhu murmured, “No, that’s not right. I remembered it wrong! Ye Feng clearly died—he died. You were the one who killed Ye Feng, weren’t you? Aren’t you? You look so much like him. If he died, why are you still alive!”

Forgetful Nine staggered back, only to be shoved to the ground by Mo Zhu’s palm. The pain in his lower abdomen was even worse than the injuries elsewhere on his body. His vision suddenly cleared somewhat, and he saw Mo Zhu raising his sword toward him. He no longer had the strength to escape...

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They say that before death, one sees the most beautiful scene of one’s life. It seemed to be true. He saw the dazzling smile on the day Xiao Jiu was born, the one that would only appear in his arms. From that single glance, perhaps he had already fallen under a spell...

A stabbing agony tore through his heart. He could almost feel his heartbeat weakening by the moment, everything around him receding into the distance. Forgetful Nine felt a trace of regret. At the very end, he still had not seen Xiao Jiu again...

The bodies of those he had just killed were gone, yet the patch of earth where they had fallen was different from before: instead of a puddle of water, it was seeping with blood, flowing slowly downward.

Mo Zhu gave a few soft laughs, released the sword in his hand, and staggered away.

The sky was darker than it ought to have been. Dawn had already arrived on the next day, yet not a single ray of sunlight appeared.

Xiao Jiu looked toward Clear River Town in the distance. The clouds were thick and heavy, utterly unlike the scorching sun of the first time he had met Forgetful Nine. He had already made up his mind: he would gather everyone in the town, and before all their eyes, in the tavern where they had first met, he would ask Forgetful Nine for his hand in marriage.

Lightning flashed. Thunder rolled. Xiao Jiu was somewhat troubled; Heaven was proving so unkind. He thought to hurry into the town and avoid the coming storm, but as he looked up, he saw snowflakes drifting down and froze. He reached out and caught one; in an instant, it melted into water in his palm.

For some reason, Xiao Jiu’s joy at nearly seeing Forgetful Nine gave way all at once to a heavy unease. Staring in a daze at the tears that would not stop falling onto his hand and down his face, he could not understand what was happening. Today he was going to propose to Forgetful Nine—it was a good day. What reason was there to cry? Hastily, Xiao Jiu wiped his face with his sleeve. The horse kept walking on, and Xiao Jiu’s vision blurred with tears; he could not see the road ahead...

“Young Master...”

Suddenly, someone beside him cried out. Xiao Jiu asked in confusion, “What is it? We’re almost there, aren’t we?”

The man pointed ahead but could not speak.

Xiao Jiu followed the direction of his finger. His lips parted, yet no sound came out. His already heavy heart now felt as though it were seized by a hand, suffocating him with pain. He clutched at his throat and fell from his horse.

The people around him grew anxious. “Young Master, don’t go! There may still be danger ahead...”

But Xiao Jiu could no longer hear their cries. Snow filled the heavens, white and endless, contrasting starkly with the blood-red expanse below. His head seemed about to split apart, yet he still struggled to his feet and stumbled forward.

Forgetful Nine’s face was covered in snow, and he looked so beautiful. Xiao Jiu’s tears would not stop flowing, yet the corners of his mouth curved upward.

“What are you doing, sleeping here? You’ll catch a chill. You were waiting for me, weren’t you? So you specially came out beyond the town to meet me...”

As he spoke, Xiao Jiu brushed the snow from Forgetful Nine’s face with the greatest care, just as Forgetful Nine had once wiped his own face. “Listen to me—I brought betrothal gifts. I’m here today to ask for your hand...”

The people who had come with the Xiao family all dismounted. Hearing Xiao Jiu say this, they could not help but shed tears as well.

“Young Master, he already...”

With reddened eyes, Xiao Jiu roared, “Shut up! He’s perfectly fine! He came here specially to wait for me! Can’t you see that?”