Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 13
Huo Fenghua traveled for two days straight and finally reached Licheng, a large frontier city on the edge of Xichou. Licheng had only recently been through the flames of war. Now Donglin troops were stationed inside and getting in and out required strict inspection. The city’s livelihood was bleak and withered. Every household kept its doors shut.
The moment he entered the city, he felt a twinge of regret. But when he glanced back at the soldiers guarding the gate, he didn’t dare leave right away for fear of drawing suspicion. He could only steel himself and keep walking deeper in.
He’d left Yujing in a hurry and hadn’t brought much silver with him. After wandering outside for so long, he had even less left. Before this, he’d been hoping that once he got to Licheng, he could find a gambling den and win some money back. Now, even if Licheng had gambling houses, they probably wouldn’t dare open.
Thinking of that, Huo Fenghua let out a heavy sigh, feeling he really should’ve just gone straight to Donglin, then headed east all the way to the wealthy coastal towns.
It wasn’t too late to regret it. He planned to find somewhere to stay in the city for one night, then leave first thing tomorrow. It was just that seeing soldiers moving around everywhere made him feel uneasy, and he couldn’t help slipping into secluded little alleys.
He had just ducked under an eave when something suddenly struck him on the head. Startled, he looked up and saw a man standing on a second-floor balcony across the street. The man looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, wearing a light blue long robe. He was handsome and refined, and he smiled at Huo Fenghua. “Young man, come up and have a cup of wine.”
Huo Fenghua said, puzzled, “Did you throw something at me?”
The man nodded. He pinched a peanut between his fingers and tossed it toward Huo Fenghua again, saying, “I’ve got wine and some snacks. Want to come up and drink a couple cups?”
Huo Fenghua was suspicious. He didn’t know why this man would invite him for no reason. But he didn’t have much money himself, and he was thinking about the road ahead, so he didn’t dare eat or drink too lavishly. Since someone was offering to treat him, he might as well go take a look first.
So he cupped his hands toward the man. “Sure. Many thanks, brother. I’ll come up right now.”
Across the street was a small wine shop, not very big and tucked away in a secluded spot. Huo Fenghua entered the main hall and saw it was chilly and empty, with hardly any guests. Only after he went upstairs to the second floor did he see two or three tables where people ate in silence. The man who’d invited him sat alone on the balcony. In front of him, a table held three or four dishes and a jar of wine.
Huo Fenghua walked over and cupped his hands again. “Brother, you’re so generous. May I ask your honored name?”
The man picked up the wine jar and poured himself a cup. He didn’t answer. Instead he asked, “You’re from Donglin, aren’t you?”
Huo Fenghua hesitated briefly. “Yes.”
The man smiled. “I’m from Donglin too. It’s rare to meet a fellow countryman in a foreign land. Tell me, shouldn’t I treat you to a cup of wine?” As he spoke, he invited Huo Fenghua to sit across from him, and he filled Huo Fenghua’s cup to the brim as well.
Huo Fenghua said, “Yes, yes!” but he didn’t actually want to drink. He only picked up his chopsticks and ate two slices of beef first. When he saw the man didn’t react, he said, “My name is Su Fenghua. How should I address you, brother?”
“You’re Su Fenghua?” The man lifted his eyes to him, smiling faintly. “My name is Wen Heyi. I’m a bit older than you. You can call me Brother Wen.”
Huo Fenghua hadn’t even swallowed the beef and almost choked. He picked up his cup and took a sip of wine, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “You’re Wen Heyi?”
Wen Heyi’s gaze held a trace of doubt. “You know me?”
But Huo Fenghua was thinking, ‘How could it be this coincidental?’ Back then, when Gu Guangji passed the position of sect leader to him, the only thing he’d told him to do was to find the missing martial uncle, Wen Heyi. At the time, Huo Fenghua had thought the world was vast and the sea of people endless. How could he possibly find him? He hadn’t taken it to heart.
And yet now, after circling around and around, in Xichou a stranger invited him for wine, and that stranger turned out to be Wen Heyi.
He lowered his voice and leaned in a little. “Are you Wen Heyi of the Xianyuan Sect? Do you have a Senior Brother named Gu Guangji?”
The confusion in Wen Heyi’s eyes deepened. “You know who I am, and you know my Senior Brother too?”
Huo Fenghua cupped his hands toward him. “This isn’t a convenient place for proper rites. Disciple Su Fenghua pays respects to Martial Uncle Wen.” In truth, he just didn’t want to kneel to Wen Heyi.
Wen Heyi raised his head and narrowed his eyes slightly as he sized Huo Fenghua up. “You’re Gu Guangji’s disciple? Gu Guangji only has one disciple. I remember the name was Su Zeyang.”
Huo Fenghua said, “I’m his final disciple. And after taking me as his disciple, Master also passed the sect leader position to me.” With that, he pulled out the sect leader token Gu Guangji had given him and set it on the table.
Wen Heyi reached out, picked up the token, and examined it carefully. After a moment, he placed it back on the table. “It really is the sect leader token. You’re truly my martial nephew? The sect leader of our sect?”
Huo Fenghua was a little excited now. If he’d found his martial uncle, things would be easier. He could borrow some silver from him. If he got even luckier, and Wen Heyi was willing to follow orders from him as sect leader, that would be even better.
He said, “Of course. Before Master went traveling, his final instruction to me was to find Martial Uncle and bring you back to the sect. I just didn’t expect Martial Uncle to look so young.” He’d always assumed Wen Heyi had to be at least forty or fifty. He hadn’t expected him to still look like a young man.
Wen Heyi nodded. “So that’s how it is. But when did you change your surname to Su?”
“What?” Huo Fenghua was still feeling puzzled when he suddenly heard the sound of several people climbing the stairs. He turned his head and saw the leading man dressed in gray-white coarse cloth, made up like a farmer, but it was unmistakably Tao Yifei, the one who’d brought him all the way to Xichou.
Damn it! Huo Fenghua cursed inwardly. Before he could think, he suddenly dove under the table, hiding by Wen Heyi’s legs.
“What’s wrong?” Wen Heyi lowered his head and asked.
Huo Fenghua tugged Wen Heyi’s robe hem up in front of his face, keeping his voice low. “Martial Uncle, these people want to catch me. Help me. Don’t let them take me away.”
“Why do they want to catch you?” Wen Heyi asked.
Huo Fenghua didn’t dare answer, because Tao Yifei and his group had already reached their table. He could only think bitterly how enemies always met on narrow roads*. He’d run in a huge circle to get here, and yet he still ran into them.
*(冤家路窄) Idiom referring to encountering people you don’t want to meet (like enemies).
This time, it looked like he couldn’t escape. He could only rely on Wen Heyi. Wen Heyi was Su Zeyang’s martial uncle, after all. Maybe his martial arts were even stronger, and he could get Huo Fenghua out of here safely.
Huo Fenghua pinned all his hopes on Wen Heyi saving him. But Wen Heyi suddenly reached down, grabbed the back of his clothes, and tried to pull him up. Huo Fenghua clung tightly to Wen Heyi’s leg, and Wen Heyi couldn’t yank him out in one go.
Wen Heyi couldn’t help letting out a snort of laughter. “Enough. Cowering like that, what do you look like? You’re at least the dignified Xichou imperial prince.”
“What?” Huo Fenghua stared up at him, stunned.
This time Wen Heyi yanked Huo Fenghua up and tossed him to the men already gathered around the table. Tao Yifei immediately seized his wrist, his voice full of resentful anger. “Your Highness, you made us search so hard.”
Huo Fenghua’s eyes widened as he glared at Wen Heyi. “Martial Uncle?”
Wen Heyi rose from the table, smoothing the wrinkles in his robe with an easy, unhurried air.
Huo Fenghua still couldn’t believe it. “Martial Uncle, aren’t you from Donglin? How did you become Xichou’s lapdog?”
Wen Heyi didn’t get angry. He only said to Tao Yifei, “Commander Tao, have him shut his mouth first. Otherwise I’m afraid we won’t be able to leave Licheng.”
Tao Yifei said, “Yes, Mr. Wen.”
As soon as he finished speaking, someone pressed a wet cloth over Huo Fenghua’s mouth and nose. He didn’t know what kind of drug was on it, but in an instant it made him lose consciousness. He went limp and collapsed into Tao Yifei’s arms.
When Huo Fenghua woke again, it was on horseback, jolted awake by the bouncing. When Tao Yifei had brought him from Donglin’s Yujing to Xichou, he’d still shown respect for his status as a prince and treated him with courtesy along the way. But now, under Wen Heyi, there was no mercy at all. They’d tied him crosswise over the horse’s back, belly pressed into the saddle, head and feet hanging down. After a few jolts he felt like death would be kinder, and he yelled, “Let me go! The blood’s rushing to my head, I’m going to die!”
Someone rode alongside him and asked in a low voice, “Second Prince, are you all right?”
Huo Fenghua struggled to lift his head and saw it was Jia Duo. He hurriedly said, “Untie me! I’m going to throw up.”
“Jia Duo!” Wen Heyi suddenly barked. “I’ve said it already. From now on he’s no longer Huo Fenghua, but Huo Fengnian. Did you forget?”
Jia Duo immediately answered, “Yes, Mister Wen. This subordinate was careless.”
Huo Fenghua was still dazed when Wen Heyi slowed his horse and rode up beside him. “If you stop yelling, I’ll let you go.”
Huo Fenghua hurriedly said, “I won’t yell anymore. Let me go first.”
Wen Heyi leaned over, grabbed Huo Fenghua at the small of his back, and with a jolt shattered the ropes binding him. He hauled him up and set him onto the horse properly.
The moment Wen Heyi let go, Huo Fenghua hugged the horse’s neck in panic. “I can’t ride!”
Wen Heyi’s tone stayed calm. “Clamp your legs to the horse’s belly and hold the reins tight. If you fall, that’s your own problem.”
Huo Fenghua had no choice but to grab the reins at once and clamp his legs tightly to the horse. He tugged the reins a little and felt the horse’s speed slow somewhat, and only then did he ease up.
“Eldest Prince,” Wen Heyi called to him from the side.
Huo Fenghua didn’t dare get distracted, but he still asked, bewildered, “What did you call me?”
Wen Heyi said, “I told you. Starting now, you’re no longer Huo Fenghua. You are Xichou’s crown prince, Huo Fengnian.”
Huo Fenghua lifted his head. They were in wild hills and forests. Their group, nearly ten men, rode hard as if they were already far from Licheng. He vaguely understood what Wen Heyi meant, but he didn’t dare be sure. “Why?”
Wen Heyi laughed once. “No reason. What I say goes.”
“Wen Heyi!” Huo Fenghua said furiously. “Have you forgotten I’m the sect leader of the Xianyuan Sect?”
“You aren’t anymore,” Wen Heyi said lazily. He drew the sect leader token from his chest. “This token is mine now. I’m the sect leader. And you are Xichou’s eldest prince, Huo Fengnian. Remember that.”
Huo Fenghua was furious, but he forced himself to calm down. He hadn’t expected Wen Heyi to be even more shameless than he was. For the moment, he couldn’t think of any way to escape their hands.
So he asked evenly, “Why do I have to be Huo Fengnian?”
Wen Heyi glanced at him with disdain. “Because Huo Fenghua is Feng Tianzong’s male concubine. How can a male concubine become a country’s ruler?”
Huo Fenghua said, “Plenty of Xichou people have seen Huo Fengnian. You think I can pretend to be him forever?”
Wen Heyi suddenly reined in his horse and looked at Huo Fenghua with suspicion. “Are you really Huo Fenghua?”
Huo Fenghua quickly said, “I’m not. I told you, my name is Su Fenghua.”
Wen Heyi snorted. “If you were Huo Fenghua, you wouldn’t be ignorant that you and your elder brother Huo Fengnian are twins. From face to build, there isn’t a single place you don’t resemble him.”
Huo Fenghua froze. From the moment he’d come here until now, this was the first time anyone had told him that the two Xichou princes were twins. How would he have known?
While he was still stunned, Wen Heyi suddenly flicked his whip at the horse’s rump under him. The horse immediately broke into a sprint. Huo Fenghua had to grip the reins tightly so he wouldn’t be thrown off.
Wen Heyi said, “Stop wasting time. Marshal Shao is still waiting for us.”
They hurried on for another seven or eight days. Huo Fenghua’s inner thighs were rubbed raw and bleeding, and he was shaken so badly that even in his dreams he was still riding. He deeply regretted abandoning Su Zeyang and running off. Miserably, he wondered if this was his punishment for bullying and betraying Su Zeyang.
And it seemed that to avoid Donglin troops, they took nothing but rugged mountain paths the entire way. Sometimes the weeds on a hillside were so thick they nearly covered the horses’ bellies. It could hardly even be called a road, but they still forced their way through.
That day, when they passed a dilapidated post station, a man in black came out and handed Wen Heyi a sealed letter.
Wen Heyi opened it and swept his eyes over it once, then smiled.
Tao Yifei asked, “Mister Wen, are we heading back to Tiantou Stronghold now?”
Wen Heyi said, “We’re not going back to Tiantou. We’re going straight to Luofeng Ridge. Feng Tianzong has fallen into Marshal Shao’s trap. He’s already headed to Luofeng Ridge with fifty personal guards. We’ll hit him from both sides and make sure he doesn’t leave alive.”
At once the group’s morale surged, and they raised their hands and shouted, “Yes!”
Only Huo Fenghua sat there gaping, silently repeating that familiar name in his mind: Feng Tianzong.
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