Estranged - CH 109

Proofread by P. & Snake

After dusk, Hongluo Town became even livelier, no different from a county town near the imperial capital.

But Sun Wuxia’s expression was not a celebratory one.

Since they had lost time on their way here, they were lagging behind. Even though they had reached the town before the sky had darkened, most of the guest houses were already full. Sun Wuxia’s group had already asked three times, but every guest house refused them.

Normally, even though there were many people traveling through Hongluo, it was not that bad. However, in a few days, the local residents of Shangzhou would be holding a grand miaohui. Many traveling merchants who happened to be nearby and heard the news decided to seize the chance and come over to make some money. Moreover, the new year was around the corner, so Hongluo was unusually bustling with crowds of people who had come there to visit their relatives.

Miaohui: a temple fair held to worship gods

Originally, Sun Wuxia thought that their group, which did not lack money, would have no troubles. Unexpectedly though, wherever they asked, even people with money could not get a room, as many arrogant merchants were flaunting their wealth. Just when he was about to reveal his background to force a guest house owner to free up some rooms for them, he saw someone very familiar walk down the stairs into the inn.

He took a closer look and realized that it was the man who had tamed the worried horses earlier this day.

Although Sun Wuxia did not know the man’s name, he instantly recognised the man’s half-white hair. While he was simply walking down the stairs, Sun Wuxia had nonetheless noticed him at once.

Sun Wuxia took a step forward, blocking the man’s way.

“Daoxiong, do you perhaps know whether there are any free rooms left? There are women among my companions, so we can’t stay outside in the harsh wind so late at night. There are many people with you, daoxiong, if you could give us a couple of rooms, we’d definitely reward you.”

He was not happy, but managed to restrain himself and say these words in a friendly tone.

After all, everyone was looking at him, so it would have been unsightly to cause a scene.

He heard the man say: “What kind of reward?”

Sun Wuxia just said whatever came to his mind: “Treasures or spiritual herbs. What do you want?”

Changming tilted his head a bit and pondered: “Maybe you have a sword? My shixiong needs one.”

Sun Wuxia raised his eyebrows and thought, If I told you that you’re fat, would you actually fall for it? Isn’t exchanging the sword for two rooms sheer robbery?

If I told you’re fat, you’d actually fall for it: take words too seriously

“What kind of sword do you need?” he could not help raising his voice.

Changming looked at the sword behind Sun Wuxia’s back immediately, but shook his head, as if saying, That sword of yours can’t be accepted even reluctantly.

When Sun Wuxia saw this in Changming’s eyes, his anger flared, and he could not help but reach out his hand to hit Changming on his shoulder!

He was wearing the sword on his back not because he had no way to hide it, but because it was the most valuable treasure of his sect. His sect wanted him to cut a dashing figure at this year’s Qianlin Assembly, so his shifu had granted him the honor of wielding this sword. Sun Wuxia was so fond of it that he could not stop looking at it, and could not bear to hide it away. Day after day, he was showing off the sword on his back, which could actually ward off ill-intentioned thieves. Moreover, his shishu was accompanying him this time, and the rich people in their caravan were not pushovers either. They had encountered no dangers along the way.

Yet now, a mere rogue cultivator dared to act so arrogantly and disparage the sword.

He was just a man with neither treasures nor weapons! How was he qualified to look down on Sun Wuxia’s sword?!

Sun Wuxia did not intend to create ruckus, yet really wanted to teach the man a lesson, so he attacked.

To his surprise, it felt as if he was hitting a wall of cotton. He was not in pain, yet his body was forced to fly back. Sun Wuxia did not manage to stop, and his face betrayed his fear. Only a pillar he ran into stopped him mid-flight.

Changming looked at him with a faint smile that seemed to carry a profound meaning.

To his astonishment, Sun Wuxia realized that the man who seemed to be a mere high-level cultivator, and wounded one at that, actually possessed immeasurable abilities. It was unknown whether it was the first time he had left his home, or whether he had already transcended the realm of grandmasters. Sun Wuxia wanted to retaliate, but he could not strike back quickly because the man’s spiritual power was completely integrated and unhampered, and not even a hint of a flaw could be found.

Faint golden light covered his body and disappeared in a flash. This light resembled both a Buddhist and a Daoist skill, so Sun Wuxia could not guess its origins.

It was the first time that Sun Wuxia had the urge to ask his name.

“Dare I ask daoyou’s distinguished name?”

Changming did not answer, but said in reply: “We can free two side rooms for you, but you have to give us something in return.”

Sun Wuxia: “What do you want?”

Changming: “Is there a medicine to restore one’s lost memories?”

Sun Wuxia was lost in thought for a short moment: “I’ve never heard about anything like that.”

Changming: “Then give me that sword of yours.”

Of course, Sun Wuxia could not simply hand his sect’s legacy over to him. After all, giving someone treasures just for two side rooms seemed ridiculous. However, the women could not spend the night in the carriage, and there were no places left in the inns of the town.

He stared at Changming for a while, thinking to himself, I’ll remember that face of yours, we’ll settle this later. “Wait here for a moment, I’ll consult my companions,” he said in a muffled voice.

In a rage, Sun Wuxia rushed out of the guest house, and in a few sentences recounted what had happened inside to He Bo, who was standing outside. He did not forget to embellish the facts with details about how repulsive the man was.

He Bo frowned: “Naturally, we can’t give him your Zhiqiu Sword, that would be too much. Let’s go elsewhere…”

“I have a sword.”

A voice came from one of their carriages.

Sun Wuxia retorted thoughtlessly: “This matter is not worthy of the Princess’ intervention.”

Princess Changning was young, but her rank was high. She was a cousin of Sun Wuxia’s father. Besides, her fate was peculiar, and her identity was valuable, way more than that of a usual princess from the emperor’s family. Thus, on this trip Sun Wuxia and his shishu paid special respect to her.

“There’s no need to delve deeply into this. This is A-Chi’s sword, but she doesn’t need a sword at all, so it’s fine to give it up. Moreover, this sword can’t be listed as a sublime treasure, it’s only good for defending. If this man’s cultivation is lacking, he probably won’t even manage to pull it out of its sheath. Take it. Since we’re in faraway lands, we should aim to do good for others, as it can be beneficial in the future.”

After she finished talking, the curtain of the carriage was lifted, and a maid handed him the sword.

Sun Wuxia took a look at the sword. It was simple and unadorned, without even inscriptions. It was so simple it could even be called unpresentable, and it fell one thousand li behind the sword on Sun Wuxia’s back.

“What is the sword called?”

“Ah, it never had a name. If that person asks, just tell him it’s called the Nameless Sword.”

Sun Wuxia: …

He took the sword and returned to the guest house. He tried to pull it out of the sheath on his way there, yet surprisingly failed.

He tried harder, but the sword remained unmoved.

Sun Wuxia’s face turned a bit green.

“Let me try,” He Bo said upon seeing this.

Sun Wuxia passed it over to He Bo. His shishu tried as well. Judging by his expression, he had used his spiritual power, yet nothing happened.

It looked like the hilt of the sword had been firmly glued to the sheath, and there was no way to separate them.

Sun Wuxia even thought that Princess Changning was deliberately trying to  humiliate Changming.

He was eagerly looking forward to witnessing Changming’s embarrassment, and even stopped thinking too much about how deliberately provocative the man’s request to give him a treasure had been.

When they entered the guest house, Changming was still standing by the stairs waiting for them.

A steaming bowl of soup had appeared in his hands, and he was looking at the bowl with concentration and seriousness. It seemed like nothing else could attract his attention at this moment.

“Hey.”

Sun Wuxia came over, carrying the sword.

“If you manage to pull this sword out of its sheath, we’ll trade it for three rooms, how does that sound?”

Changming looked at the sword and nodded.

“Fine.”

He reached out to take the sword. Sun Wuxia deliberately loosened his grip so that the sword would fall to the floor.

When the man tried to catch it, he would not be able to mind both head and tail, and would have to drop his bowl, which would certainly make him look like a fool.

To mind both head and tail: mind everything

But Sun Wuxia had not anticipated that the sword would easily leave its sheath with a clang the moment he let go of it, and the man would not expend any effort on this.

As Sun Wuxia let it go, the sheath fell to the floor near his feet.

Changming looked at him with an expression one would reveal when seeing someone stupid: That’s it?

Sun Wuxia froze. He even started to suspect that Princess Changning’s travel companion had used some kind of trick on the sword.

But he knew that it was impossible.

There was only one explanation: his and his shishu’s cultivation were nowhere near this man’s.

Whatever the case, Sun Wuxia was unwilling to admit it. He was an unparalleled talent of his generation, and his shishu He Bo had been standing on the threshold of the master realm. How could he have failed to pull out some sword?

“Sword, come.”

Sun Wuxia heard Changming say two ordinary words.

The scabbard that had fallen to the ground flew up to sheathe the sword inside itself, as if it had gained consciousness.

Sun Wuxia managed to refrain from taking the sword back to try unsheathing it once again. He moved his eyes to look at the bowl of soup in Changming’s other hand.

Which was being tightly held on to.

“What’s this sword’s name?” Changming asked.

Sun Wuxia was so angry his nose twitched. He remembered his goal.

“What about the rooms you’ve promised? Could it be that daoyou can’t keep his word? Since you’re a cultivator, you should know the rules.”

Cultivators were free to kill people to obtain treasures, but could not go against their own words. After all, when a promise was given, the cultivator was bound with karma. If they did not keep their word, they would tarnish their karma, which most cultivators tried to avoid.

Changming nodded his head and called for the guest house owner.

“Give them the three extra rooms we’ve booked before.”

They had booked more rooms than they needed.

Not a drop of water could leak out of Old He’s way of handling matters. He had anticipated that Sun Wuxia would be late and would not manage to find free rooms. Old He was then going to do them a small favor, thus earning good karma.

Not a drop of water could leak out of: impeccable

When Yun Weisi and Changming saved him from embarrassment, Old He let them take the lead. Unexpectedly, Changming used it to exchange the rooms for a sword.

Still holding the bowl, Changming took the sword and returned to his room leisurely.

Yun Weisi and Old He, who was holding his daughter in his arms, were listening to their neighbor tell them some gossip.

That neighbor had come to the guest house two days prior. He had not left yet because of the strong wind and snow that had been raging for the past two days. The sky had only cleared today.

“Strange things are happening in the town one after another. A person dies every night. But that’s not all: people say it’s haunted.”

The girl was frightened, and sank deeper into her father’s embrace. Old He wanted to send her to sleep, but she refused, and wanted to listen even though she was afraid.

“Haunted? It hasn’t spread to this house yet, right?”

“Ah, it’s hard to tell! A great blizzard came last night, so many people went to sleep early. This morning… Do you know the Yunlai Inn nearby?”

“Yes. We’ve been there recently, but it was already full.”

The man smacked his thigh, “It’s fortunate that you haven’t stayed there! Before the sky lit up, a worker of the guest house got up to warm some water, and saw a person who had hung themselves on the beam above the entrance of the inn. The worker almost lost his soul! To sum up, in the past ten days, or eight not counting the days I’ve been here, around eight people have died here. If the weather is good tomorrow, you should definitely leave the town!”