Chapter Nine: A Visitor from Afar

A thousand miles from the Qin Prefecture, a man clad in white soared upon his sword, arriving before a dense bamboo forest. Suspended gracefully above the swaying bamboo, his features were striking—sharp brows and star-bright eyes, his jet-black hair gathered at the nape of his neck by a simple white jade hairpin, his flowing robes lending him an ethereal, immortal air.

His gaze was cast downward, as though surveying all beneath him with the insight of a deity. His voice, cool and crystalline as ice or jade, called out, “Come out. I know you are here!”

Below, the bamboo forest was lush and verdant, yet utterly silent, not even the faintest breeze stirring the leaves.

The man in white, seeming like a banished immortal, allowed a faint smile to curl at his lips. He descended upon his sword into the bamboo grove, heading straight to a mound of earth and rock. With a wave of his sleeve, a beam of yellow earth-colored swordlight struck the mound.

With a resounding crash, the mound vanished, revealing a young man in indigo robes, curled up in a tight ball behind a bamboo stalk, trembling all over.

“Such a rudimentary illusion—how dare you show such a paltry trick?” The man in white strode over to the youth, “Where is the Gu clan now?”

Xu Rufeng, the young man, managed with difficulty to lift his head, feeling as though the figure before him was a ravenous beast poised to devour him. “The Gu clan has shown great kindness to my Xu family. I cannot…”

With a flick of his long sleeve, the man in white shattered a thick, tall bamboo at its root, reducing it to splinters. “If you persist in your foolishness, this will be your fate!”

“Xu… I truly do not know…” Xu Rufeng wiped the sweat from his brow, “Please, spare a mere mortal…”

A bewitching, alluring voice rang out. “Yunlang, is this fellow still so stubborn?” A woman in scarlet descended lightly from above, carrying a small child who had fainted. She cast Xu Rufeng a coquettish glance, “You just won’t let go until you see the rabbit, will you~”

“Weier—you—” Xu Rufeng shuddered all over, his blood surging with mingled fear and rage as he looked at his child.

“Still not talking?” Yunlang, the man in white, picked up the child by his collar. “If you won’t speak, I’ll…”

“Don’t hurt him!” Xu Rufeng crawled desperately to Yunlang’s side, pleading, “I’ll tell you… everything…”

“See, wasn’t that easier? Yunlang, stop frightening him now,” the scarlet-clad woman soothed gently, then turned to Xu Rufeng, her voice kind, “Young Master Xu, please speak quickly.”

Yunlang obliged, releasing the child and tossing him casually under a bamboo tree.

Page 1/3

Page 2/3

Xu Rufeng glanced silently at his son, unable to help squeezing his eyes shut. When he opened them again, he spoke, “My ancestor was once saved by the Gu clan, owing them our lives. The Gu clan told him they were heading north… to a place called Qin Prefecture… it’s far away, I don’t know much more…”

As he finished, Xu Rufeng collapsed to the ground, staring blankly at his still-unconscious son, Xu Weizhou.

“Qin Prefecture?” Yunlang pulled a sheepskin scroll from his storage pouch, its surface sketched with rough outlines of mountains, rivers, and cities. He studied it for a long time, prompting the scarlet woman to peer over his shoulder. “Yunlang, what is it?”

“Qin Prefecture is ten thousand miles from here—truly a distant place!” Yunlang closed the scroll slowly. “The Gu clan certainly knows how to hide!”

“Yunlang, shall we depart at once?” The scarlet woman nestled close, her voice sweet and soft.

The man in white nodded, and together they mounted the flying sword. “Let us go!”

In the bamboo grove, Xu Rufeng watched them leave, finally able to breathe again. He hurried to his son’s side, but suddenly, a flash of swordlight pierced from the sky, passing through Xu Rufeng’s chest and exiting his back.

He staggered to his knees, clutching his chest, raising his head in disbelief toward the heavens, “You broke your word…”

Through the bamboo, Yunlang could be glimpsed, peering down at him with mocking disdain, as if regarding a mere ant. “How naive!”

“Yunlang, the child is still asleep…” The scarlet-clad woman standing on the sword tugged at his arm.

“Foolish sentimentality!” Yunlang snorted, but refrained from striking again, guiding the sword northward and away.

Within the bamboo, Xu Rufeng’s body slowly collapsed, blood pouring from his chest and soaking the ground beneath him.

Not far away, little Xu Weizhou lay quietly. If one looked closely, they’d see his eyeballs rolling beneath closed lids, his small fists clenched unconsciously—yet he could not awaken…

———

Qingshan Village. Before dawn the next day, Gu Weiyu was called up by Madam Qin. “Ay Yu, come try on these clothes, see if they fit.”

Gu Weiyu opened her eyes to see Qin holding a brown long-sleeved linen shirt. “Mother, did you make this?”

Delighted, she scrambled up and changed into the linen shirt. She much preferred its lightness to the animal skins she’d worn before.

Page 2/3

Page 3/3

Qin took her daughter’s hand and looked her up and down, pleased. “It fits you perfectly, Ay Yu!”

“It’s getting late, Ay Yu, come have something to eat!” Gu Yun’s voice called from outside. Gu Weiyu hurried out, snatched a meat pie, and with her father made their way to the clan chief’s house.

Gu Yun’s health had recovered, and he now walked as easily as any other. He was tall and upright, and though he was missing his left arm, he showed no sign of self-pity. When he met familiar clansfolk along the way, he greeted them with calm composure, drawing admiring glances.

In the chief’s courtyard, many people had already gathered. All waited quietly, none making a fuss—only the occasional laughter of children broke the silence.

Gu Yun found a spot for himself and his daughter. Soon, the clan chief emerged from the house. “Agen, check if all the children are here.”

Agen stepped out and called loudly, “Children, gather here!”

The little ones in the yard responded quickly, rushing to Uncle Agen, their eyes bright with anticipation for their journey to the prefecture city.

Agen soon finished counting. “Chief, everyone’s present!”

The clan chief stepped forward and ordered Mu to bring out the prepared paper boat. “With everyone here, let us depart!”

The boat soared into the sky, expanding rapidly before landing outside the courtyard. Gu Weiyu boarded with the others, quickly noticing that this boat was twice the size of the last one she’d ridden. Six adults—chief, Uncle Agen, Mu, and three others—plus more than a dozen children fit comfortably, with space to spare.

Gu Weiyu surveyed her companions discreetly, noting that all the children wore linen shirts this time, even the chief and elders had donned well-made cotton-linen garments, looking especially spirited.

“Ah—”

“Wow—ah—”

“We’re flying—”

Children’s excited shrieks pierced the sky as Gu Weiyu watched her father below shrink to a black dot. Caught up in their exhilaration, she joined in, calling out joyfully, her laughter ringing clear.

Page 3/3