Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 5
Qingqing sat by the bed and fed Huo Fenghua his medicine spoonful by spoonful. After he finished, she carefully wiped his mouth before getting up to set the empty bowl aside.
Huo Fenghua had been drowsy and asleep earlier, but now he was fully awake. He asked Qingqing, “Is Su Zeyang really good at martial arts?”
Qingqing glanced at him. When she spoke, there was a hint of longing in her eyes. “Before Young Master Su married the General, he was a famous heroic young swordsman in the martial world. I only heard it from the maid by Young Master Su’s side. They say Young Master Su has a sword called Qinghong. Back when he roamed the martial world, everyone called him the Qinghong Sword. They said his swordplay was like a flying swan treading snow, light as a swallow, yet incomparably fierce, his blade leaving no trace when it struck.”
Huo Fenghua was tired of lying facedown. He propped his cheek with one hand and quietly imagined Su Zeyang in white swinging a longsword. Forget a little maid like Qingqing, even he felt a bit of yearning. He asked, “Why is it only a rumor? You’ve never seen his sword?”
Qingqing shook her head. “After Young Master Su married the General, he hardly ever even leaves the General’s Manor. I’ve never seen his sword either.”
Huo Fenghua was a man himself, and he couldn’t quite understand Su Zeyang’s mindset. “If he’s that capable, why would he willingly marry someone and become a male wife?”
Qingqing looked at him. “Because General Feng is also outstanding.”
Huo Fenghua said, “Oh?”
Qingqing said, “The General was famous from a young age. Since childhood he’s studied military texts and mastered the strategies of a hundred schools. At thirteen he followed the old General into battle. His Dragon Subduing Whip technique is unmatched under heaven, and by now he’s killed countless of enemies.”
Huo Fenghua didn’t know Feng Tianzong at all. Listening to Qingqing’s brief description, he sketched out a tall, imposing man in his mind. He couldn’t help asking curiously, “What does General Feng look like?”
Qingqing laughed. “You don’t even remember what the General looks like?”
Huo Fenghua said, “I don’t even remember you, Qingqing. How would I remember him?”
Qingqing’s face suddenly turned red. After a quick “Peh,” she said, “The General is handsome and unmatched in the world. The year he was ennobled as a General at eighteen, a saying spread among the girls of the capital: if you marry, marry a man of the Feng family. Naturally they were referring to General Feng.”
Huo Fenghua said, “Then if he married a man, wouldn’t all the girls feel it was a pity?”
Qingqing said softly, “General Feng and Young Master Su are a perfect pair. If you want to envy someone, you can’t even envy them.” Then she went to the bedside and told Huo Fenghua, “Young Master, be good. Don’t provoke Young Master Su anymore.”
Huo Fenghua felt indignant hearing this. “How have I provoked him?”
Qingqing’s gaze held a bit of pity. “Young Master Su’s heart is only with the General. He doesn’t usually stoop to argue with others, but General Feng is different. When he returns to the capital, if he finds out you’ve caused so much trouble, he’ll probably punish you again.”
Huo Fenghua suddenly felt his back wound throb in waves of pain.
Qingqing said, “Even though you married into the General’s Manor, it was an imperial decree. The General couldn’t disobey. But there’s only Young Master Su in his heart. No one else can squeeze in. You might as well give up and just stay in this side courtyard and live quietly.”
Huo Fenghua didn’t answer. He could tell Qingqing was speaking sincerely out of kindness, and he couldn’t exactly tell her his future plans. He only lay there in silence. After a long while, he finally said, “I understand.”
With new injuries and old illness, Huo Fenghua was tormented for nearly a month before his body gradually recovered.
During this time he truly behaved as Qingqing told him to, staying quietly in the side courtyard to recuperate. When he was bored, he had Qingqing find him piles of books and storybooks, which he read while lying on the bed or the cushioned daybed.
The wounds on his back looked mottled and unsightly, but in truth they were shallow and didn’t cut deep. Su Zeyang had someone deliver ointment, and each day Qingqing changed his medicine for him.
About a month later, Qingqing saw that the wounds on his back were nearly healed, and even the scars were extremely faint. Delighted, she said, “Maybe it won’t even leave scars.”
Huo Fenghua lay on the daybed with a storybook spread open on the floor, reaching out now and then to turn a page. Lazily, he said, “Whether it scars or not doesn’t matter. A man looks more charming with a few scars.”
Qingqing was in a good mood and didn’t mind his nonsense. She tidied up the medicine bowls in the room and went out.
The moment she left, Huo Fenghua rolled off the daybed, opened the cabinet in the room, and started packing his things. Because he was a man, there wasn’t much jewelry in the room, only a few jade pendants and jade bracelets, plus two emerald-green hairpins. He didn’t know whether they were valuable, but he gathered them together anyway. Besides those, he still had the thirty taels of silver he’d gotten from pawning the pendant and winning at the gambling house. During these days, he’d asked Qingqing and learned that thirty taels was also a large sum, enough for him to live outside for quite a while.
So he packed everything together, bundled it up, shoved it under the bed, and decided he’d leave the General’s Manor tonight.
He waited until night fell and the whole manor grew quiet. Huo Fenghua blew out the candle early and sat by the bed, listening quietly for a long time, but he didn’t hear a single footstep.
His little courtyard was remote. Ever since his punishment, he hadn’t stepped outside. No one came to visit him either. As time went on, he even began to feel like the world only contained him and Qingqing.
Feng Tianzong, Su Zeyang, the General and the swordsman, the immortal lovers. It all felt like they were characters from a storybook, ethereal and unreal.
If he left like this, he probably wouldn’t see Qingqing again. He felt a bit reluctant, but it still wasn’t enough to stop him from leaving.
He waited another hour, figuring everyone in the manor must have gone to sleep. Only then did he reach under the bed for his bundle. In the darkness he pushed open the wooden door and went outside.
Maybe because he’d been too well-behaved lately, Su Zeyang hadn’t arranged for anyone to guard his courtyard gate again. From the side courtyard outward, everything was unobstructed.
But he didn’t dare go through the front gate or the back gate. Any gate would definitely have guards, and if he alerted anyone it wouldn’t be worth it. So he chose a high wall near the back gate. Outside the wall was a quiet capital street. Inside the wall was a secluded courtyard with a pond and an artificial rockery. The pond was built along the wall. At the closest point, the rockery was even a bit taller than the outer wall. All he needed to do was climb to the top of the rockery, then make a light jump, grab the top of the wall, and flip over.
The problem was that to climb the rockery, he had to enter the pond. Huo Fenghua didn’t know martial arts, so he could only wade in honestly. Before stepping in, he deliberately took off his shoes and socks. He tested with one foot and realized the pond wasn’t shallow. Gritting his teeth, he took off his trousers too. With one hand he held his shoes, socks, and trousers. With the other he gathered up the hem of his robe. Then he stepped into the pond and waded toward the rockery in the middle.
When Huo Fenghua finally climbed onto the rockery and out of the water, he found a dry spot and was about to put his trousers back on when he suddenly heard footsteps coming toward this courtyard. He stopped at once and lay low, perfectly still.
That person went to the shrubs in the corner of the courtyard to pee, then pulled up his trousers and headed back.
Huo Fenghua let out a small breath, but he didn’t dare waste time. He only put on his shoes, stuffed his socks and trousers into his bundle, and planned to climb over the wall first and put them on slowly afterward.
The rockery was rugged. Even though it was slick with night dew, it wasn’t hard to climb. Huo Fenghua was fairly nimble. He climbed all the way to the top, then finally lifted his head to judge the distance to the wall.
The moment he lifted his head, he nearly scared himself to death.
The first thing he saw was a pair of boots dangling from the wall, swinging lazily. When he lifted his head higher, he discovered someone sitting on the wall.
He didn’t know how the person had gotten up there, or how long he’d been sitting there. But when Huo Fenghua had been climbing with his head down, that person must have already been there. He’d watched silently the entire time, only now letting out a sudden chuckle.
“Kid, where’re you going in the middle of the night?”
Huo Fenghua looked up at the man’s face and found it was an old man with hair and beard already gray, wearing ragged clothes, a wine gourd hanging at his waist. His cheeks were faintly red too, looking like a drunken vagrant.
He recovered from the scare and came up with an excuse on the spot. “I want to sneak out for a drink.”
The old man continued chuckling then said, “A drink? No need to go out for that.”
“What?” Before Huo Fenghua could react, the old man stuck out a foot and kicked him on the shoulder.
Huo Fenghua had struggled to climb the rockery, and with that one kick he was knocked straight back down. He fell on his back into the pond with a huge splash.
The water reached past his knees. In an instant he sank under, flailing both arms as he struggled to get back up.
Suddenly he felt someone grab one of his hands. With a light tug, he was pulled out of the water and tossed onto the dry grass.
Huo Fenghua spat out a mouthful of water and saw the old man squatting beside him, saying, “Little brother, want a drink?”
Huo Fenghua didn’t have time to answer. The old man had already taken off his wine gourd and shoved it to his mouth. Spicy liquor flooded into him. Caught off guard, the strong alcohol shot straight into his windpipe. He lifted a hand and shoved the gourd away, rolled over onto his stomach, and started coughing violently, cursing, “Get the hell away from me, you crazy old bastard!”
Huo Fenghua didn’t like cursing, but he’d heard it plenty. In anger, he naturally spat out whatever sounded nastiest.
A lot of the old man’s wine spilled onto the ground. He righted the gourd, pained, and said, “I offered you wine out of kindness. You knock over my wine and then curse me?”
Huo Fenghua wiped the liquor off his face with his soaked sleeve and said, “Did I say I wanted your wine? You psycho!”
“What did you call me?” The old man didn’t understand and leaned closer to ask.
Huo Fenghua had a hard knot of anger inside him and cursed without restraint. “A psycho. A crazy old bastard!”
The old man frowned, seeming to think about what “psycho” meant. After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly pointed at Huo Fenghua’s lower body and said, “Why are you sneaking out for wine without wearing trousers?”
Huo Fenghua looked down and realized he didn’t know when his robe hem had rolled up, exposing two pale, long legs. He hurriedly tugged his robe down to cover himself. “I’ll drink however I want. Even if I stripped naked and went out drinking upside down, it wouldn’t cost you a single copper coin.”
“Ah,” the old man said while staring at him. “You brat. Young as you are, you’ve got a sharp tongue.”
Huo Fenghua said, “You old man, half your legs are already in the coffin and you still come out being a nuisance.”
The old man suddenly laughed. He sat down beside him and took a huge swig from the gourd.
Huo Fenghua sat up too. He opened his bundle, wanting to find something dry to wipe his face, but as soon as he opened it he saw the bundle was soaked through as well. He angrily tossed it to the side, breathed out heavily, and thought he wouldn’t be escaping tonight.
Seeing his movements, the old man bumped Huo Fenghua’s arm with his elbow. “Kid, tell me straight. Where were you climbing the wall to go in the middle of the night?”
Huo Fenghua didn’t answer. He only said, “And what were you doing climbing the wall to get in at night? Stealing?”
The old man said, “I’m here looking for my disciple.”
“Looking for your disciple.” Huo Fenghua looked him over coldly. “Sneaking in over a wall at midnight to look for a disciple. Sounds like neither you nor your disciple are decent people.”
The old man chuckled. “I also think my disciple’s a fake decent sort.”
Huo Fenghua’s wet clothes clung to him uncomfortably, and the half-healed wounds on his back started itching too. He stood up and said, “I’m going back to change.”
“Hey,” the old man called after him. “What’s your name?”
Picking up his bundle, Huo Fenghua replied casually, “Huo Fenghua.”
The old man nodded. “My name’s Gu Guangji.”
Huo Fenghua pointed at him. “Lao* Gu, I’ll remember you. I’ll settle this score after I change clothes.”
*Old (老). It’s a form of address to someone who is older, senior, or to show closeness or respect. In this case, it’s more so calling him “old man” Gu.
He turned to leave, but Gu Guangji followed behind him, talking as he walked. “You still haven’t told me where you were going.”
Huo Fenghua hesitated, then asked, “Are you from the General’s Manor?”
Gu Guangji said, “No.”
Huo Fenghua asked, “And your disciple is?”
Gu Guangji thought for a moment. “Sort of.”
Huo Fenghua shook his soaked bundle. “Then I can’t tell you.”
Gu Guangji was full of curiosity and stuck close to him. “Then tell me what you are in the General’s Manor.”
Huo Fenghua said, “I can’t tell you that either.”
As Gu Guangji walked, the wine gourd at his waist kept clanking. He said, “Then I’ll call someone and tell them you’re trying to climb the wall and run away.”
Huo Fenghua stopped short. He thought for a moment, then said to Gu Guangji, “Want to make a bet?”
The moment he heard “bet,” Gu Guangji’s interest flared. He nodded repeatedly. “Sure. What are we betting?”
Huo Fenghua pulled a copper coin out of his inner pouch, pinched it between his fingertips, and showed Gu Guangji both sides. Then he lightly tossed it into the air, caught it, and said, “Heads or tails? If you guess right, I’ll tell you who I am and what I’m doing tonight. If you guess wrong, you leave immediately and stop following me.”
Gu Guangji didn’t even think. “Heads.”
Huo Fenghua smiled and opened his palm for him to see. The coin lay tails up. He closed his hand and said, “You lost.”
Gu Guangji refused to accept it. “Best two out of three.”
Huo Fenghua didn’t care. He casually tossed the coin again, caught it, and glanced at Gu Guangji.
Gu Guangji insisted, “Heads.”
Huo Fenghua opened his hand. Again, tails. He was about to pocket the coin and do another round, but this time Gu Guangji suddenly reached out and snatched the coin right out of his palm.
“You’re cheating. I’ll do it.”
Huo Fenghua froze. He really had been cheating, but it was pitch-black around them. The two of them were only using the faint lantern light in the distance to barely make out the coin’s face. Huo Fenghua knew his sleight of hand was clever, but he didn’t know how Gu Guangji had seen through it in the dim night. What shocked him even more was Gu Guangji’s speed. Huo Fenghua hadn’t even seen him move, and the coin was already gone from his hand.
Gu Guangji grinned. He put the coin on his fingertip and flicked it with two fingers. The coin shot into the air and vanished into the darkness. Gu Guangji rubbed his head and groaned, “Oh my, too much force.”
Huo Fenghua didn’t want to deal with him anymore and turned to leave.
But Gu Guangji grabbed his sleeve. “How did you cheat when you tossed the coin? I watched twice and still didn’t catch it. You have to teach me.”
Huo Fenghua said impatiently, “Why should I teach you? That’s how I make my living.”
Gu Guangji wouldn’t let go. “Tell me what you want. I can trade you.”
Huo Fenghua was about to say he didn’t want anything, when he suddenly remembered that the old man could easily climb up and sit on the General’s Manor wall, and with one hand he’d lifted Huo Fenghua out of the water. The man was old, but his skills were clearly not shallow. So Huo Fenghua said, “Teach me martial arts, and I’ll teach you how to toss the coin.”
Gu Guangji froze.
Huo Fenghua thought he’d definitely refuse.
But after that pause, Gu Guangji burst into laughter. “Sure! Kneel right now and kowtow to me three times, call me Master*, and I’ll teach you martial arts.”
*Shifu (师父).
Huo Fenghua went still on the spot.
Seeing he didn’t respond, Gu Guangji snorted. “Do you know who I am? I’m the head of the Xianyuan Sect. I’m taking you as a disciple today, and you’re not immediately kneeling to call me Master, you’re actually hesitating.”
“What sect?” Huo Fenghua thought. What kind of sect is that? I’ve never even heard of it. But if he was a sect leader, his martial arts would naturally be strong. Learning some skills for self-defense couldn’t be a bad thing. Next time Su Zeyang wanted to whip him, even if he couldn’t win, at least he could stand up and run.
Gu Guangji looked displeased, his face darkening. “I’m seventy this year. I’ve only ever taken one disciple. If you take me as your master, you’ll be the final disciple of the head of the Xianyuan Sect. If I didn’t think your talent was decent and you suited my eye, I wouldn’t want to take on a little disciple at my age. You think I’m really coveting your petty little underhanded tricks?”
With that, Gu Guangji suddenly leapt up. Light as drifting smoke, he flew toward the distant shrubs, reached in and fished around, then returned to Huo Fenghua and opened his palm.
In his palm was the very copper coin he’d just flung away.
Gu Guangji saw the astonishment on Huo Fenghua’s face and gave a smug grin. He closed his fist, squeezed, then opened it again. The coin had been bent.
At that point, Huo Fenghua didn’t hesitate anymore. He lifted his robe and dropped to his knees. Unfortunately, his clothes were still wet. He lifted the robe halfway, remembered he wasn’t wearing trousers, and hurriedly let go. Then he kowtowed three times and said, “This disciple Huo Fenghua pays respects to Master.”
Gu Guangji roared with laughter, tossed the coin away, slapped Huo Fenghua on the shoulder, then slid his hand down to support him and pull him up. “Good disciple. Come on, I’ll take you to meet your senior brother.”
Huo Fenghua had just stood when he asked curiously, “Who’s my senior brother*?”
*[Shixiong] (师兄) It’s a term usually used to refer to an older or higher rank male who is your senior with whom you share the same master/teacher or sect with.
Gu Guangji already had one hand on his shoulder. He lifted him into the air and carried him in rising and falling arcs over several courtyard walls. Finally they stopped in front of a door. Gu Guangji lifted a foot and kicked it open, then reached out and threw Huo Fenghua inside.
Luckily, directly opposite the door was a big bed. Huo Fenghua crashed headfirst into it, and the person sleeping there flipped up in one nimble motion to stand by the bed. Dizzy, Huo Fenghua lifted his head and smelled a faint sandalwood scent.
The author has something to say:
Feng and Su are truly in love. I actually just want to write a real three-person 3P story where all three of them are mutually into each other, mutually jealous, with both explicit scenes and angst.
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