Wei Yuizhi had been residing in Mo Siguai’s courtyard and had not taken up an official post in Hexi County. He merely served as Wu Lingyan’s staff member, and due to his poor health, he could only spare an hour or two each day to discuss matters with Wu Lingyan.
After the noon meal, Wei Yuizhi was strolling in the courtyard. As he circled from the peach trees in the northwest corner to the main gate, he spotted Chu Dingjiang standing on the veranda.
Without any pleasantries, Wei Yuizhi said, “Master Chu has sacrificed greatly to be with the Fourteenth. I am not his equal.”
Wei Yuizhi’s spiritual power was far superior to An Jiu’s, so he could not help but notice Chu Dingjiang’s declining cultivation.
“Sir, you are staying with the renowned physician, but your condition still does not seem to be improving,” Chu Dingjiang said, stepping down the stairs.
Wei Yuizhi briefly averted his gaze.
How could it improve? He listened daily to the intimate conversations between the woman he cared for and another man, their vulgar exchanges. That he had not been killed by rage was a testament to his broad-mindedness!
Wei Yuizhi wondered if Chu Dingjiang was intentionally needling him, bringing up such a sensitive topic.
Moments later, Wei Yuizhi had composed himself and walked to the stone table, saying, “Master Chu, please have a seat.”
“Wei Sir is an astute man, so I will not beat around the bush,” Chu Dingjiang said, sitting across from him. “The Blue Glow Crossbow is tremendously powerful, unlike anything in this world. You were once close with Ye Lüquancang, so do you know who created this weapon?”
“You’ve been quite patient, waiting until now to ask,” Wei Yuizhi remarked.
Chu Dingjiang gave a slight smile. “If I had come two months earlier, would you have told me?”
Wei Yuizhi shook his head with a wry smile.
“The Liao dynasty once had a prodigy, the young Grand Preceptor Xiao Che,” Chu Dingjiang said, suspecting this was the mastermind behind the weapon.
Wei Yuizhi studied Chu Dingjiang carefully. At first glance, he looked like a rugged warrior, but his bearing exuded an air of quiet dignity, his gaze unfathomable, like a deep pool. He radiated an aura of an ancient pine, undaunted by the passage of time – no wonder An Jiu often teased him about his age, despite being younger.
“You’re correct,” Wei Yuizhi acknowledged.
Chu Dingjiang maintained his composure, but inwardly, he was shaken. Wei Yuizhi’s scrutinizing gaze had a tangible quality as if he could see through the flesh to the bone, even reaching the soul, despite Chu Dingjiang’s spiritual power being on the cusp of the Ninth Rank and Transcendence.
“After a great fire-scarred Xiao Che’s appearance, he became reclusive, sequestering himself in a secluded chamber. In recent years, he has grown increasingly eccentric,” Wei Yuizhi explained. “I’ve visited the Liao capital several times, but never gained entry to his private quarters. When I probed with my spiritual power, I could not sense him at all.”
Wei Yuizhi’s gaze briefly lifted to the drooping peach blossoms. Recalling that experience, a chill still ran down his spine. “I had thought there was no one whose spiritual power could surpass mine. But when I finally encountered such a being, I was gripped by a profound fear from the depths of my heart.”
The first time Wei Yuizhi met An Jiu, aside from being captivated by her beauty, her spiritual power nearly equal to his own was also a major draw.
“That sensation was akin to touching the boundless expanse of the heavens, the primal chaos of the universe. A human lifetime is but a fleeting moment in comparison,” Wei Yuizhi said, his gaze rising to the sky above. “I know the assassins of the Crane Army are hung with spirit bells after death, to leave a mark of their existence in this world. But in truth, we all leave little behind, even if we accomplish earth-shattering feats. With time, perhaps not even a single word would remain.”
Wei Yuizhi lowered his eyes, a faint smile gracing his pale, handsome features. “Thinking about this, I found it terrifying. I had always believed myself unafraid of death.”
“The higher one’s spiritual power, the more they dread annihilation,” Chu Dingjiang observed astutely. “I’ve heard that Daoists who cultivate immortality place great importance on consciousness and the soul. For you, physical death may be trivial, but the dispersal of your consciousness would instill a fear akin to common mortals. I’m curious – what kind of person could evoke such dread in you?”
After a moment of silence, Wei Yuizhi replied, “It is the vastness of time and space.”
Yes, that person was like the boundless expanse of the night sky, unfathomable and eternal.
“There are such extraordinary individuals in this world,” Chu Dingjiang mused.
Wei Yuizhi paused before continuing, “He was a high-ranking minister in the previous dynasty. Even in his youth, he could sway the tides of history. With his abilities, overthrowing the Ye Lü dynasty would have been a trivial matter. Yet, in recent years, he has not amassed forces or sought power, merely sitting in seclusion, lost in contemplation. I cannot fathom what he ponders.”
Wei Yuizhi suspected that Xiao Che’s thoughts were beyond the reach of common mortals, but if he knew the man was merely pondering the questions “Who am I?” and “Where do I come from” – the kinds of musings one would expect from a feline – he would be at a loss.
Wei Yuizhi could never have imagined that someone with such formidable spiritual power would agonize over whether he should reach out and grasp the small dreams within his reach.
“What exactly happened at the Misty Pavilion?” Chu Dingjiang asked.
“The Misty Pavilion… It feels like a lifetime ago.” Wei Yuizhi’s expression grew somber. “Ye Lüquancang and I founded the pavilion together. I was responsible for its day-to-day operations, while he would occasionally venture out as an assassin when his health permitted, earning a reputation as the pavilion’s top killer.”
He lowered his gaze, concealing a tumult of emotions. “From the moment he proposed establishing the false pavilion, I knew he intended to undermine my power. That’s when he began gradually acquiring those Blue Glow Crossbows. Their destructive might is unparalleled – a hundred of them could annihilate tens of thousands of soldiers.”
Fragile human flesh could never withstand such power.
“Ye Lüquancang personally oversaw everything, so I’m not entirely certain of the details. But I can surmise that the skirmish at the ancient temple was merely a test of the bow, and the arrows hidden in the ravaged false pavilion were prototypes of the Blue Glow Crossbow. They may refine the design further.”
Wei Yuizhi suddenly smiled, a touch of recklessness emerging from his usually refined demeanor. “The path I’ve chosen is to defy fate, to challenge the heavens, to battle a formidable enemy who fills me with dread. Even if I die, I shall have no regrets.”
His life had been too constrained. The opportunity to face such a terrifying adversary was a chance to release the pent-up frustrations within him.
As he left Wei Yuizhi’s residence, Chu Dingjiang felt troubled. The Liao dynasty harbored such a powerful enemy. Would Luo Xiaowu’s abilities be enough to contend with this individual?
Chu Dingjiang knew An Jiu was determined to redeem herself, to become an upright and blameless person. That was why she wanted to do something for the Great Song and its people. But she could not immediately command a mighty army and become a savior. For now, she could only focus on her small patch of land. Yet, with the threat of war looming, if the Great Song were to be destroyed, her dream would be shattered.
Chu Dingjiang sighed, burdened by his worries. When he first met An Jiu, she was naive and directionless, without the desire to “be a good person.” Just as he was about to retreat, she had found a way to swim against the current.
What could he do? Having found such a wife, dreaming of a carefree life of bird-watching and wandering the mountains and rivers was merely a fanciful wish.
Alas, were the heavens unwilling to let him remain obscure? Chu Dingjiang couldn’t help but self-deprecatingly chuckle at the thought.