As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, the fragrance of osmanthus flowers filled the air. The autumn lake in front of Changfeng Manor shimmered in the sunset’s glow.
Every year on the twelfth day of the eighth lunar month, the leaders of various martial arts sects gathered at Changfeng Manor to discuss alliance matters.
Several pavilions were built along Pingyue Lake in front of Changfeng Manor. Between the pavilions, chrysanthemums and cattails flourished, while the sweet scent of osmanthus wafted through the air. Amidst the flowers, dozens of banquet tables were set up. Most of the martial arts practitioners knew each other, and they took their seats according to their relationships.
As the main hosts were still discussing important matters inside the manor and had not yet appeared, those seated at the tables were mostly elders or disciples from various sects. With the sect leaders absent and old acquaintances reuniting, the atmosphere naturally became lively with toasts and drinks being exchanged.
At the last table to the west, a man in black clothing put down his wine cup glanced around, and said in a low voice, “Brother Yang, I hear that the Sword Cauldron Marquis hasn’t returned to Changfeng Manor yet. The sect leaders seem to be at a loss.”
His words caused several people at the table to look surprised. A middle-aged man said, “I wonder what’s delaying the Sword Cauldron Marquis. By rights, as both the Martial Alliance Leader and the host, he should have been here waiting for us.”
“Indeed. In previous years, it was understandable if he missed this annual alliance meeting due to his busy government duties. But this year, with ‘Autumn Water Sword’ Yi Han coming to challenge him, if he doesn’t return to the manor to face the challenge, he’ll be considered the most disloyal and unfilial person in the world.”
“Why would he be considered the most disloyal and unfilial person if he doesn’t accept the challenge?” A voice as clear as pearls rang out, startling everyone at the table. They all turned their heads in unison.
A young girl poked her head out from the chrysanthemum bushes behind the table, her face full of curiosity. Seeing everyone looking at her, her large, beautiful eyes darted around. The crowd suddenly felt that her eyes were more dazzling than all the chrysanthemums and osmanthus in the garden, more enchanting than the evening glow on the horizon. They all forgot to examine her features closely.
Noticing everyone’s stunned expressions, the girl simply emerged from the chrysanthemum bushes. She sat down next to the man in black clothing, picked up the wine pitcher, and refilled his cup. A small dimple appeared at the corner of her lips as she smiled, “Uncle, why would the Sword Cauldron Marquis be considered the most disloyal and unfilial person if he doesn’t accept Yi Han’s challenge?”
The people at the table finally came to their senses and took a closer look at the girl. She appeared to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, with jet-black hair and a light green blouse. Her face was as delicate and fine as white jade, with smiling eyes that were beautiful and bright, very approachable.
The man in black clothing knew that any young woman appearing at Changfeng Manor at this time must be a disciple of either the Emei Sect or the Qingshan Sect. Although both these major sects were composed of women and rarely ventured into the martial arts world, they were known for their exceptional skills and fair, low-key conduct, earning the respect of their peers in the martial arts community. Despite her young age, this girl was not someone to be trifled with.
He smiled and said, “Little martial sister, haven’t your master or senior sisters told you about the Sword Cauldron Marquis’s deeds?”
The girl rested her chin on her right hand and shook her head, “My master never tells me these things, and my senior sister rarely speaks, so she definitely wouldn’t have said anything.”
Several people at the table were somewhat alarmed. Everyone had heard that the Qingshan Sect leader had a senior disciple named Jian Ying, who was extremely beautiful but had an aloof personality and disliked talking to people. Years ago, when she was traveling the martial arts world, the “Three Tigers of Sichuan” coveted her beauty and disrespected her. She chased them for hundreds of miles, dressed in white and wielding a cold sword, cutting off the ears of the Three Tigers and forcing them to publicly announce their change of nickname to the “Three Mice of Sichuan.” Since then, no one in the martial arts world dared to offend her, and they referred to her behind her back as the “Cold Sword of Qingshan.”
Remembering that this young girl was the junior sister of the “Cold Sword of Qingshan,” everyone shuddered. The man in black clothing smiled and said, “Little martial sister, we all know that your senior sister doesn’t like to talk, so it’s no wonder you don’t know about this.”
The girl was quite surprised. Her senior sister rarely left the house and had never even been out of Deng Family Village. How did these people know she didn’t like to talk?
She was about to speak, sensing these people had misunderstood something, when a large man laughed and said, “Little martial sister, the story of the Sword Cauldron Marquis is quite long.”
The girl quickly poured him a cup of wine as well, smiling, “Uncle, please take your time. It’s still early, and those old gentlemen and ladies won’t be coming out anytime soon.”
Hearing her refer to the sect leaders as “old gentlemen and ladies,” everyone burst into laughter, finding this girl even more charming and lovable. The man in black clothing laughed, “Alright, little martial sister. Since we have nothing else to do, I, Han Sanyu, will play the role of a storyteller for once.”
He took a sip of wine and said, “Little martial sister, you must know about the background of our dynasty’s founding emperor, the Holy Martial Emperor, right?”
The girl shook her head.
Han Sanyu was taken aback, then lowered his voice and smiled, “Well, that will require even more explanation. It’s like this: Our dynasty’s Holy Martial Emperor came from a martial arts family. He first became the leader of the Martial Arts Alliance, continuously infiltrating his disciples and martial arts practitioners into the military ranks. Later, he used this to seize military power and eventually ascended to the throne.
“For over a hundred years, the Xie imperial family has maintained a tradition of practicing and revering martial arts. The emperors have always attached great importance to and been wary of the martial arts community. So, at the founding of the country, they established Changfeng Manor to manage and command the martial arts world. The descendants of the Pei family, who were deputy alliance leaders alongside the Xie family in commanding the martial arts world, were put in charge of manor affairs.
“The Pei family has managed Changfeng Manor for over a hundred years, producing many outstanding individuals, with some serving as generals and ministers, earning noble titles. The successive manor lords have also served as Martial Arts Alliance Leaders, commanding the various sects, mediating disputes, and balancing power between the court and the martial arts world.
“However, about twenty years ago, the Pei family began to decline, gradually becoming disposable pawns at court. Coincidentally, the northern Huan Kingdom sent their expert, ‘Autumn Water Sword’ Yi Han, to challenge the Central Plains martial arts world. The previous manor lord, Pei Zijing, reluctantly went to battle and died under Yi Han’s sword.
“After Pei Zijing’s death, only one posthumous son survived, and his brother, the Marquis of Zhenbei, who held a court position, was convicted and exiled for offending the emperor. With the Pei family’s decline, Changfeng Manor became virtually defunct, and no one regarded it as the leader of the martial arts world anymore.
“Five years ago, Pei Zijing’s posthumous son, Pei Yan, turned eighteen and took over as the lord of Changfeng Manor. The various martial arts sects, looking down on his youth, didn’t send anyone to attend the ceremony or offer congratulations. Unexpectedly, a month later, Pei Yan challenged the ten major sects on the grounds of disrespecting the alliance leader, shocking both the court and the martial arts world.
“Initially, everyone thought Pei Yan was just a martial arts prodigy, but it turned out he was even more adept in court affairs. He gained the current emperor’s favor, rose rapidly through the ranks, and two years ago was granted the title of Sword Cauldron Marquis and appointed as Left Chancellor.
“Despite his success and official duties, Pei Yan has never relinquished his position as the lord of Changfeng Manor. Therefore, every year on the twelfth day of the eighth month, he must return from the capital to Changfeng Manor for the martial arts gathering.
“This year in July, all the major sects in our Central Plains martial arts world received a message from ‘Autumn Water Sword’ Yi Han of the Huan Kingdom, stating that on the night of August 12th, he would meet our Hua Dynasty’s Left Chancellor and Sword Cauldron Marquis, the Martial Arts Alliance Leader Pei Yan, here at Changfeng Manor.”
The girl clapped her hands and laughed, “Uncle Han, with your eloquence, you could go to Nanhua Tower to tell stories. I guarantee you’d be even better than that Three Debates Master.”
Han Sanyu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He was, after all, a renowned hero in his own right, here to attend the martial arts gathering with his sect. Being praised as a storyteller by a young girl was somewhat embarrassing. But faced with this bright and charming young girl, he couldn’t bring himself to be angry.
After laughing, the girl frowned slightly, “In that case, if the Sword Cauldron Marquis doesn’t return to face the challenge, it would firstly damage our dynasty’s reputation, and secondly, he wouldn’t be able to avenge his father, which goes against filial piety. Indeed, he would be the most disloyal and unfilial person in the world. But if his martial arts are inferior to Yi Han’s, wouldn’t accepting the challenge be seeking death?”
Han Sanyu smiled, “Little martial sister, you’re overthinking it. The Sword Cauldron Marquis’s skills surpass his father’s. He became the alliance leader at eighteen. At twenty, he led the ‘Changfeng Cavalry’ to defeat over ten thousand cavalry from the Yuerong Kingdom despite being outnumbered, earning him the title of ‘General Changfeng’ from His Majesty. Two years ago, he took the enemy general’s head amidst thousands of troops, leading the border garrison to a great victory against the Huan Kingdom’s elite cavalry in Cheng Prefecture, reversing our dynasty’s long-standing disadvantage against the Huan Kingdom. For these outstanding military achievements, he was appointed Left Chancellor and granted the title of Marquis. In this battle with Yi Han, the outcome is hard to predict. That’s why his current absence from Changfeng Manor is truly puzzling.”
The girl smiled, “Perhaps the Sword Cauldron Marquis has already returned and is somewhere in the manor, conserving his energy and preparing for this crucial battle.”
Han Sanyu laughed, “Little martial sister, you don’t know the full story. My senior brother just came from inside the manor and said the sect leaders are in an emergency meeting. The Sword Cauldron Marquis hasn’t returned yet, and they’re discussing who to send to face Yi Han if he doesn’t show up. If the Sword Cauldron Marquis had returned to the manor, why wouldn’t even the sect leaders know about it?”
Seeing that she had gathered most of the information she wanted to know, the girl smiled, “Uncle Han, thank you for your storytelling. I’m leaving now.” With that, she flipped backward and disappeared into the chrysanthemum bushes in a flash.
Han Sanyu and the others looked at each other in astonishment, all thinking: This girl comes and goes as she pleases, and her lightness skill is excellent. It seems the disciples of the Qingshan Sect are not to be underestimated.
Jiang Ci, the girl in the green blouse, played in the chrysanthemum garden next to the manor for a while, then climbed up an osmanthus tree and lay there for a bit. Seeing that the main characters still hadn’t appeared, she felt even more bored.
As the sun set and dusk fell, candles were lit both inside and outside the manor. Jiang Ci felt a bit hungry. Sitting on a branch, she looked towards the brightly lit manor and saw smoke rising from the northwest corner, knowing that was where the kitchen was located. She smiled and slid down the tree.
Her lightness skill was excellent, and the manor’s stewards and servants were busy entertaining guests, so no one noticed her. She managed to climb over the wall on the west side of the manor and soon sneaked into the kitchen.
The aroma of food filled the air, making Jiang Ci swallow. Seeing the kitchen bustling with activity, with servants constantly carrying out wine and dishes, she thought for a moment and then boldly walked in.
A cook saw her enter and hesitated, saying, “Miss—”
“Do you have any delicious snacks? I was hungry, and my master told me to come to the kitchen and find something to eat. She’s busy discussing important matters,” Jiang Ci said with a smile.
The cooks had heard that the Emei Sect leader was very protective of her disciples, especially keeping a few young secular disciples by her side at all times. They hurriedly smiled and said, “Little martial sister, please help yourself to whatever you like. We just hope our cooking meets your taste.”
Jiang Ci smiled, walked to the steamer baskets, lifted the lids, took two baskets of dim sum, and casually grabbed a small jug of wine from the cabinet before sauntering out.
She wandered around the manor, noticing that the rocks and trees were arranged in a way that subtly incorporated battle formations. Recalling the layout she had seen earlier from the osmanthus tree, she finally reached the bamboo garden on the south side of the manor as night fell. She sat down cross-legged in the bamboo grove.
She took a small sip of wine and ate a few pieces of dim sum, muttering, “This martial arts gathering isn’t very interesting. There are no chivalrous heroes wielding swords or playing flutes. Most of them are just vulgar people who only know how to eat and drink. I think it should be renamed the Eating and Drinking Gathering.”
As she was muttering, her expression suddenly changed. She quickly tucked the dim sum and wine jug into her clothes, her body rising from the ground like an autumn leaf caught in the wind, silently hanging from the bamboo tips.
Two figures, one after the other, walked into the bamboo grove. The taller one looked around and suddenly pressed the shorter one against a bamboo stalk. Intense breathing and sucking sounds arose, causing Jiang Ci to instinctively close her eyes.
The woman panted coquettishly, complaining, “You’re so impatient! Why didn’t you come last night? You made me wait half the night. Tonight I’m on duty in the madam’s quarters, I have to go back soon.”
The man, breathing heavily, said, “Right now, even if the Jade Emperor himself came, I wouldn’t care.” His hands reached into the woman’s clothes.
The woman giggled and twisted her waist to avoid him. The man hugged her tightly, “My dear Lian’er, my sweetheart, Fifth Master has missed you so much. Just give in to Fifth Master.” He tried to untie the woman’s skirt.
Jiang Ci, hidden in the bamboo tips, kept her eyes tightly shut, silently lamenting that she couldn’t even drink in peace without stumbling upon a pair of secret lovers.
Suddenly, she heard Lian’er slap Fifth Master’s hand away with a “pah” and push him back, snorting coldly, “Fifth Master, don’t be so hasty. I have a question for you. If Fifth Master’s answer doesn’t satisfy me, Lian’er won’t come to see Fifth Master anymore.”
Fifth Master was stunned. Seeing Lian’er’s serious tone, he quickly said, “Lian’er, feel free to ask. I, Chen Wu, have nothing but true feelings for you. I’ll tell you everything I know, holding nothing back.”
Lian’er straightened her clothes, hesitated for a moment, seeming somewhat sad, and said softly, “Fifth Master, do you truly want to spend your life with Lian’er, or are you just after my body and temporary pleasure?”
Chen Wu hurriedly embraced Lian’er and swore to the heavens, “I, Chen Wu, of course, want to spend my life with Miss Lian’er, never to part. If I break this vow, may I—”
Lian’er covered his mouth with her hand and said gently, “Fifth Master doesn’t need to swear. Lian’er believes you. It’s just that there’s something I need Fifth Master to do as I say.”
“Please, Lian’er, tell me. I, Cen Wu, will certainly comply.”
Lian’er took a small talisman pouch from her bosom and placed it in Cen Wu’s hand. In a tender voice, she said, “This is a talisman that Lian’er obtained yesterday while accompanying Madam to offer incense at the Jingci Temple. The abbess said it is called the ‘Heartfelt Talisman,’ which can make a woman’s beloved devoted to her, never changing his heart. If Fifth Master holds Lian’er in his heart, please keep it with you at all times. This way, you will be devoted to Lian’er, and Lian’er will naturally be utterly obedient to you—” She said, gradually nestling into Cen Wu’s embrace.
Cen Wu, feeling her soft body and fragrant scent, tucked the talisman pouch into his bosom and murmured, “Cen Wu will certainly not disappoint Lian’er’s heartfelt intention. This talisman, of course, will be kept with me at all times.” As he spoke, his hands began to wander a bit.
Suddenly, Lian’er pulled away from his embrace and said breathlessly, “No, I must hurry back to Madam. If the Master returns and finds me not attending to Madam, there will be severe punishment.”
Upon hearing “Master,” Cen Wu shivered. Lian’er lightly touched his right cheek with her red lips, her figure alluring as she departed from the grove.
Cen Wu stood there dazed for a while, sighed, and walked out of the bamboo forest.
Once his figure had disappeared, Jiang Ci jumped down from the bamboo treetop, murmuring to herself, “A Heartfelt Talisman? Could such a thing exist? Tomorrow, I’ll also go to Jingci Temple to ask for one.”