Chapter 891
Warm in Winter and Cool in Summer
"Sir!" Guo Tianyou's voice trembled as he exclaimed, "You...you're back!"
Zheng Yi stopped, his fox fur coat still damp with the remnants of snow from the valley. He glanced at Guo Tianyou's frostbitten nose, then at the city guards panting as they rushed up behind him, his voice as calm as if he were asking what to eat for dinner:
"Nothing happened in the city?"
Guo Tianyou shook his head vigorously, but his eyes reddened:
"No! Nothing's wrong! Senior Shen patrols the city wall every day. The spies from the Han and Lu families came twice, but they were all scared away! The dormitory building in the east of the city has already reached the seventh floor. Ordinary people sleep soundly at night, and they even laugh out loud in their dreams..."
His voice choked as he spoke, and he suddenly knelt down on one knee, his armor striking the stone slab with a loud thud.
"Sir, you've lost weight..."
Zheng Yi reached out and pulled him up; his grip wasn't strong, but it was reassuringly steady.
"Get up. The ground is cold."
Guo Tianyou stood up, tears streaming down his face. He quickly wiped his face with his sleeve.
"I...I'm just happy..."
Behind the group, Zhao Sanhuai, leaning on the hilt of his sword, limped over, his grin so wide it twisted his scar.
"Tianyou, why are you crying? Your teacher is perfectly fine, isn't he? Even with my broken leg, I'm more successful than you!"
Guo Tianyou burst into laughter through his tears and rushed over to help Zhao Sanhuai up.
"Brother Sanhuai! Your leg..."
"I'm all better now!" Zhao Sanhuai patted his leg. "The medicine the doctor gave me is even more effective than the bone broth my mother used to make!"
The city gates were fully opened.
The crowd poured out of the doorway.
There were women carrying children, elderly people leaning on canes, craftsmen shirtless who had just come from the construction site, and vendors carrying vegetable baskets... They didn't shout, but simply stood on both sides, watching the line file in. Some people's eyes reddened, some people's lips trembled, and some people silently stuffed the hot buns they had just bought into the hands of the passing knife-wielders.
Zheng Yi walked at the very front.
Every few steps he took, someone would stuff hot food into his hands.
An old man selling candied hawthorns shakily held up the largest bunch of hawthorns:
"Sir...try it...I specially saved it for you..."
Zheng Yi took it and took a bite.
The sweet and sour juice explodes on the tip of your tongue.
He nodded:
"good to eat."
The old man's tears fell instantly, and his beard trembled.
"I'm glad you like it, sir... I'll save some for you tomorrow..."
The procession arrived in front of the city lord's mansion.
The area under the ginkgo tree was already packed with people.
Shen Changyuan, wearing a gray cloak, stood at the front with his hands behind his back. Upon seeing Zheng Yi, he raised an eyebrow, but his tone unusually cheerful:
"You came back alive?"
Zheng Yi clasped his hands in a fist salute:
"Thank you for your trouble, senior."
Shen Changyuan snorted, his gaze sweeping over the man's pale face and slightly trembling fingers:
"Why bother? I'm just afraid that if you die, no one will take care of this city, and I'll have to continue to do hard labor."
He paused, then lowered his voice:
"Go inside first. The wound has reopened."
Zheng Yi nodded and followed Shen Changyuan through the side door.
Behind him, Zhao Sanhuai waved to the crowd:
"Everyone, disperse! The master just got back and needs to rest! If you want to see the excitement, come back tomorrow when the new dormitory in the east of the city opens!"
The crowd then slowly dispersed.
But no one went far.
They stood on street corners, under eaves, and at alley entrances, gazing into the distance towards the city lord's mansion, as if guarding something.
The side room in the backyard.
The charcoal brazier was relit, and the firelight reflected on the window paper, casting warm red shadows.
Zheng Yi sat cross-legged on the prayer mat, his fox fur coat removed, revealing a thin blue robe underneath. Blood seeped through the cloth strip on his chest again, the color lighter than three days ago, but still glaringly obvious.
Shen Changyuan sat opposite him, holding a celadon teacup in his hand. The cup contained freshly brewed Biluochun tea, with the tea leaves slowly floating in the water.
"Tell me," Shen Changyuan said, taking a sip of tea. "What did Broken Sword Valley gain?"
Zheng Yi raised his hand.
A purple-gold longsword appeared out of thin air in his palm.
The sword hummed.
The dragon vein on the sword hilt trembled slightly, as if responding to its master's call.
Shen Changyuan narrowed his eyes:
"The Broken Mountain Sword... Good heavens, you actually managed to get your hands on the legacy of the Broken Mountain Sword."
Zheng Yi nodded:
"Senior, you also know about this sword?"
“I know.” Shen Changyuan put down his teacup. “Three hundred years ago, the sword cultivator Yue Duan severed seven mountain peaks on the southern slope with a single sword strike, and his name became famous throughout the Central Plains. Later, he passed away, and his sword tomb remained in Broken Sword Valley. Many people wanted to take this sword, but they were all devoured by the sword's intent and their souls were scattered.”
He looked at Zheng Yi:
How did you pass the third level?
Zheng Yi remained silent for a moment.
"It was bought with my life."
Shen Changyuan raised an eyebrow:
"The Sword of Destiny?"
Zheng Yi nodded:
"The sword asked me what I was protecting, and I answered that I was protecting this city."
"It accepted it."
Shen Changyuan looked at him, his gaze complex:
"Your word 'protect'... is easy to say, but difficult to do..."
He didn't finish speaking.
Zheng Yi continued:
"pain."
"It hurts a lot."
"But it hurts even more if you don't protect yourself."
Shen Changyuan remained silent.
After a long silence, he sighed:
"Forget it. I can't persuade you with your temperament."
He stood up:
"Now that the sword has recognized you, use it well."
"But remember—the sword is inanimate, but people are alive."
"Don't let the sword protect you and turn you into its puppet."
Zheng Yi clasped his hands in a fist salute:
"I will remember this."
Shen Changyuan walked to the door, then suddenly turned around:
"By the way... before you came back, the dormitory in the east of the city had already been topped out. Ten floors, one hundred and twenty households, all ordinary people living there. There's a housewarming party tonight, are you going?"
Zheng Yi was taken aback, then nodded:
"go."
"We should go."
Night falls.
The new dormitory in the east of the city was brightly lit.
The ten-story building's exterior walls were made of cast blue steel, with very faint foundation runes engraved on the surface. When the moonlight shone on it, it reflected a cold metallic luster. The plaza below was paved with smooth bluestone slabs, and a simple stage was set up in the center. Red silk was hung on the stage, on which four large characters were written in white powder: "Peace and Prosperity".
A dozen long tables were set up around the square, piled high with hot dishes: braised pork, sweet and sour fish, steamed mutton, stir-fried vegetables... as well as freshly steamed buns and rice wine. The tables were full of people, some with their families, some alone, some elderly, some children, all ordinary people from the lowest rungs of society in the eastern part of the city.
When Zheng Yi arrived, the gongs and drums on the stage had just begun to sound.
He didn't enter through the main entrance, but instead came in through a side alley.
Standing at the alley entrance was a little girl of about seven or eight years old, the same one who had made clay figures last time. She was holding a new clay figure, but this time it wasn't holding a wooden stick or sword, but a small broom.
Upon seeing Zheng Yi, her eyes lit up, and she pounced on him:
"gentlemen!"
Zheng Yi squatted down.
The little girl held the clay figure up to him:
"This time I sculpted the sweeper! Because he said he wants to keep the city clean..."
Zheng Yi took the clay figure.
watch carefully.
The broom was made of thin reeds, and a small "鸿" (hong) character was dotted on the broom head with red clay.
He ruffled the girl's hair:
"You sculpted it so well."
"Go back and tell your mother that the master said... thank you for giving birth to such a good daughter."
The little girl blushed like a boiled shrimp, nodded vigorously, and ran back to the crowd while hugging the clay figure.
Zheng Yi stood up.
look up.
I saw that a play called "Exorcising Demons" was being performed on the stage.
On stage, the actors, their faces painted with colorful makeup and wielding wooden swords, sang with all their might:
"Demons wreak havoc on the world, heroes rise to great fortune!"
The audience erupted in cheers.
Someone holding a wine bowl shouted:
"The gentleman has arrived!"
"The gentleman has arrived!"
The crowd erupted in cheers. Children pushed forward, and adults lifted them up so they could see better.
Zheng Yi did not go on stage.
He simply walked to the center of the square.
I found an empty seat and sat down.
Someone immediately brought over a bowl of wine.
Someone handed me a steaming hot meat bun.
Someone put the child on his lap.
He did not refuse.
They were accepted one by one.
They hugged each one.
The night grew deeper.
The lanterns on the stage swayed.
The firelight reflected on everyone's faces.
A smile is reflected in the mirror.
Tears were reflected in the water.
It reflects...the expectation for the future.
Zheng Yi sat in the crowd.
Listening to the gongs and drums.
Listen to the singing style.
He listened to his child giggling on his lap.
He suddenly realized.
The wound on his chest that hadn't fully healed yet.
It doesn't seem to hurt as much anymore.
The banquet ended close to midnight.
The snow has started falling again.
Fine and dense.
It landed on the stage.
It landed on the long table.
It landed on people's shoulders.
Zheng Yi stood up.
The crowd quickly made way for them.
He walked up to the little girl.
Squat down.
She gently handed the sleeping little boy in her arms to her mother.
Then, he took out a small jade pendant from his sleeve.
The jade pendant is warm and smooth, with the character "护" (protect) engraved on it.
He hung the jade pendant around the girl's neck:
"Take it."
"When you grow up... remember to take good care of yourself."
"Also, protect those you want to protect."
The little girl nodded vigorously, tears falling onto the jade pendant.
Zheng Yi stood up.
He turned and left.
Behind them, no one spoke.
I just watched his back.
Watching him walk away step by step.
Snowflakes fell on his shoulder.
It landed on the top of his head.
It quickly turned into water droplets.
It slid down along her temples.
It dripped onto the bluestone slab.
It splashed up tiny water droplets.
In the splashing water.
It reflects the lights of the entire city.
Tiny.
But it was blindingly bright.
Zheng Yi returned to the city lord's mansion.
The side room in the backyard.
The charcoal brazier was still burning.
Flames leaped.
It was reflected on his face.
He sat on a futon.
Unfasten the fox fur coat.
The scar on his chest was exposed.
The scar has scabbed over.
Yet it still shimmered with an unnatural pale gold hue.
He closed his eyes.
Consciousness sinks into the dantian.
The golden elixir floated there.
The crack has healed 80%.
But it's right in the very center.
It left behind an extremely fine purplish-gold pattern.
That was the residual sword intent of the Broken Mountain Sword.
Like a seal.
It's also like a... key.
Zheng Yi took a deep breath.
Hands form a mudra.
Golden flames rose from his dantian.
It slowly enveloped the purple-gold pattern.
The lines trembled.
It's like a response.
The following morning, a thin layer of fresh snow covered the official road outside the north gate of Hongyun City. The snow, pressed into numerous ruts by carts and horses' hooves, crunched underfoot like countless tiny shards of glass. Zheng Yi rode a chestnut horse, a cloth draped over its back containing several newly drawn blueprints and a small bag of steel samples retrieved from the new dormitory building in the east of the city. He had replaced his fox fur with a lighter, dark gray cloak; a gust of wind caused the hem to billow against the saddle, revealing the scabbard of a purple-gold longsword at his waist, its sheath gleaming faintly in the morning light.
Guo Tianyou rode behind on the left, a thick cotton-padded coat over his armor, with iron wrist guards peeking out from the cuffs. He spoke in a low voice as he controlled the reins:
"Sir, the messenger sent by Han Wuhen, the city lord of Hanyuan City, came for the third time last night. He said that the city lord is personally waiting for you on the city tower. The feast is ready, and even the thirty-year-old wine from the ice cellar has been brought out."
Zheng Yi's gaze fell on the pine branches bent under the weight of snow ahead, his voice calm:
"Han Wuhen is a shrewd man. What he wants isn't the wine, but the building."
Guo Tianyou chuckled:
"That's right. Our ten-story dormitory in the east of the city was just topped out, and the news hadn't even been out for ten days when people in Hanyuan City started to get restless. I heard that the most expensive houses in their city are only five stories high, and the rent is outrageously expensive. The merchants on the ground floor are fighting tooth and nail for shop space every day."
Zheng Yi hummed in response but didn't reply.
The horse's hooves continued forward, crushing the thin ice on the road with a crisp cracking sound. The wild grass on both sides of the official road was bent low by the snow, and occasionally a few gray sparrows would be startled from the grass, fluttering their wings and flying towards the misty mountain ridges in the distance. The air was filled with the crisp scent of pine needles and the smell of firewood from distant chimneys, and the sunlight after the snowfall shone down, gilding everything with a very faint golden edge.
The two rode for nearly two hours before the outline of Hanyuan City finally emerged from the horizon.
The city wall was nearly ten feet higher than that of Hongyun City, constructed of dark blue-black iron rock. Every twenty paces atop the wall stood a crossbow emplacement, its muzzles facing outwards, covered with tarpaulins to protect against snow. The city gates were wide open, flanked by two rows of armored soldiers, their long halberds pointing diagonally to the sky, tiny ice beads clinging to their tips, gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Hanging in the center of the gate tower was a black flag with gold trim, embroidered with the two characters "Han Yuan" (Cold Abyss), the characters bold and vigorous, their edges fluttering in the wind.
Han Wuhen was already waiting on the steps in front of the city gate.
He was in his early forties, of medium to thin build, wearing a dark blue brocade robe embroidered with silver plum blossoms at the hem, and a white jade pendant with a finely carved ice sword hanging at his waist. Behind him stood four bodyguards, each with a steady aura, at least at the early stage of the Mahayana realm. Upon seeing Zheng Yi, Han Wuhen immediately smiled and quickly stepped forward to greet him.
"Mr. Zheng! We've been waiting for you! Last night the wind and snow were so heavy that I was worried the official road would be closed and you wouldn't be able to come."
Zheng Yi dismounted, handed the reins to Guo Tianyou, and returned the greeting with clasped hands.
"You're too kind, Lord Han. The snow isn't heavy, and the roads are still passable."
Han Wuhen's gaze lingered on his face for a moment, then his smile deepened:
"Sir, you look much better than I've heard. Come, come, let's go into the city first. Standing in the wind for too long is bad for your health. A feast has been prepared at the mansion, along with the finest Tianshan Snow Tea, just waiting to warm your stomach."
Zheng Yi did not refuse and followed Han Wuhen into the city.
The main street of Hanyuan City was twice as wide as that of Hongyun City. The road surface was paved with dark blue iron rock, which felt heavy and solid underfoot. Shops lined both sides of the street, their signs gleaming with gold lettering. The pedestrians on the street were dressed much more warmly than those in Hongyun City, mostly in dark cotton robes and felt hats, often carrying leather goods or ironware on their shoulders. The air was filled with the sour smell of tanned leather, the smoky smell of blacksmith shops, and the aroma of mutton soup wafting from the restaurants.
Han Wuhen said as he walked:
"Sir, you may not know this, but our Hanyuan City is located in the north, and winter lasts for five months. The biggest headache for city dwellers is housing. Old houses are low and drafty, and leaks and snow are common occurrences. Newly built high-rises are expensive, and the shops on the ground floor are scrambling to buy them, while the residents on the upper floors are shivering from the cold."
He paused, then turned to look at Zheng Yi:
"I heard about that ten-story dormitory in the east of Hongyun City a while ago, and I sent someone to inquire about it. The rent is only one tael of silver a month, and it's warm in winter and cool in summer. Ordinary people can afford it, and merchants are scrambling to rent the ground floor shops... Tsk tsk, this magic array building is truly an eye-opener." (End of this chapter)