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[Extra] 29.5 - Memories - Abandoned Son


Zhongli Zixi’s most important, final battle to pacify the martial arts world was chosen to take place on an autumn night with a full moon.

The spy inserted into Zhongli Court by the Henglian Alliance’s Qilian Stronghold had already invited Zhongli Zixi to go watch the mid-autumn moon several times. The location was chosen inside a peaceful valley, surrounded by even cliffs with a complicated terrain, making it extremely easy to hide in. The Henglian Alliance had been planning for a long time, and their main force had gathered, now they were just waiting to catch a turtle in a jar¹ .

It was set up to be a Hongmen² feast with no return.

Zhongli Zixi gladly agreed.

As always, the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it³ . He took their plan into account and saved himself a lot of effort. He had researched the terrain and laid out a plan for a fire attack⁴ , he even brought out one of the puppets he’d spent many years raising up. He was so accustomed to engaging in theatrics he even assigned a few of his own trusted guards to this puppet.

After this battle, there would be no Qilian Stronghold or Taihangjian under the heavens, and the other factions would become scattered like sand. The few abandoned sons left behind would also be insignificant.

The script was ready, and his heart was calm. Inside the valley, danger lurked in every corner, the wind sighed and the crane called⁵ , but he leaned languidly inside the cliff’s cave, watching with indifference, even preparing tea and refreshments as he waited for the puppet to be captured, and for the two faction leaders to reveal themselves. When that time came, fire would turn both friend and foe inside the valley into ashes, without exception.

Zhongli Zixi leisurely admired the moon for a while, suddenly hearing the ringing of weapons inside the valley. He sipped two cups of tea as the sounds of fighting and cursing faded out and, calculating the time, he muttered: “It’s almost time.”

Ye Jun arrived to report with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes: “Reporting to Master, the enemy attack has been repelled.”

Zhongli Zixi raised one eyebrow and was filled with an intimidating cold aura, the people around him knew he was angry, so they knelt down in place one by one.

The Henglian Alliance had plotted for so long, gathering their experts and placing their armies, and had both the right time and the right place, moreover, the puppet had less than twenty people on hand, and no one knew they would be ambushed tonight. There was no way they could have resisted the attack. Could it be a feint?

Zhongli Zixi stepped onto the cliff to gaze down at the valley. There was no wind or clouds tonight, and the moonlight shining down was startlingly bright. The valley was strewn with corpses, and the fire of war had yet to be put out. The puppet was backed into a corner, trembling with fear, and only one man stood in front of him, holding out a sword to cover him.

Stardust, the full moon, golden wind, and the autumn dew were all reflected on that sword in a soul-stirring sight.

He stood proud, holding that sword for a long time until he was sure the enemy’s attack had subsided, then he turned to the puppet and respectfully bowed, helping that paralysed mess stand up from the ground.

“It’s Yaksha.” Ye Jun spoke into his ear.

This person again.

Counting the matter with Qin Kezou two years ago, it had already been twice that his secured plans had collapsed because of Yaksha.

Zhongli Zixi could not contain his anger, wishing he could just hack this person into pieces, but, calming himself down, he asked: “Ye Jun, in a hand-to-hand, how many moves could you make against him?”

Ye Jun smiled: “Thirty seven moves.” After a short time he added, “Of course, that can already be regarded as really quite good.”

Zhongli Zixi immediately shuddered a bit, coldly saying: “I actually put such a dangerous person by my side for two years.....”

If this person wanted to rebel, there would be no one in the entirety of Zhongli Court who could stop him. Whenever Zhongli Zixi thought about this, he could not sleep or eat in peace.

He did not rush into action. When they returned to the residence, he appointed a doctor to look at Yaksha’s condition, and only after knowing that he wasn’t unharmed, and that his injuries were in fact somewhat serious, did he finally force himself to stop worrying.

He was on full alert, and hid a knife into his sleeve before going to visit the injured person. Yaksha was half-covered in wound medicine, but he still struggled to his knees and bowed to the ground in salute.

Zhongli Zixi did not dare to take a seat. He stood ten paces away and asked: “You were fully aware that puppet was a decoy, why did you risk your life like this?”

“Because you commanded me to.” Was Yaksha’s docile reply.

Zhongli Zixi looked at him, pale, teetering on the verge of collapse, with blood seeping out of his bandages, and could in no way connect him to that proud swordsman who unyieldingly went up against the entire Henglian Alliance with only his own strength. He was surprisingly soft-hearted.

He faintly nodded his head and left.

But after this, Zhongli Zixi spent a whole year regretting not having gotten rid of him at that time.

On the grounds of letting him recuperate in peace, from then on he did not allow Yaksha to perform Shadow Guard duties. One day he inadvertently bumped into him, and he saw that Yaksha was recovered and feeling better than ever, and he couldn’t help but be even more afraid.

But after that battle, the Henglian Alliance was not willing to take action against Zhongli Court any more, Zhongli Zixi even went as far as to risk going into the enemy camp alone one day, but he just strutted back out.

The two sides landed into what he detested the most: a deadlock.

Zhongli Zixi has spent his life planning and plotting, victory and defeat are all commonplace in military operations, but he only hated this kind of seemingly endless ‘the enemy won’t move so I won’t move’ deadlock.

In the end, every sin could be attributed to this repeatedly out-of-control Yaksha.

Zhongli Zixi grit his teeth against that name as he rolled his sword over and over again, he was at his wit’s end.

Until one day, when slanderous rumours about Yaksha killing his master and betraying the Lord began floating into his ears. As these rumours spread more and more, gradually correspondence with the enemy was found when searching Yaksha’s room.

He understood in his heart: having this kind of person exist, it made him anxious, and it made the Henglian Alliance even more anxious.

Zhongli Zixi thought about it, and decided to put his all into the fight.

The year’s mid-autumn festival had just passed again, there was a cool breeze on this night, and Yaksha, who had been idling for a year, was suddenly summoned.

Zhongli Court’s Master sat upright in the middle of the hall, he folded his sleeves, and said: “Yaksha, I have a matter I want to discuss with you.”

Yaksha looked at him indifferently, unmoving.

The guard next to him shouted: “Why aren’t you kneeling?”

Yaksha said in a clear voice: “I only kneel for my Master, that’s not him.”

After he finished saying this, he turned towards the side of the hall, and respectfully knelt down.

Concealed between the shadows behind the layered curtain partition at the side of the hall, Zhongli Zixi’s palms were covered in a layer of cold sweat: He was even able to discover this.

He calmly opened his mouth: “During this half year, a lot of things that you shouldn’t have in your possession were found inside your room.”

Yaksha was not used to arguing, he said: “There’s absolutely no such thing.”

“I know who put them there.” Zhongli Zixi carefully deliberated, “As a result, I need your help with something.”

Yaksha quietly listened.

“Since last year’s mid-autumn battle in the Sansheng valley, the Henglian Alliance has been afraid of your existence. They have holed up and refuse to come out, we cannot continue this way. Therefore, this past year the Henglian Alliance has spread rumours about you killing your master and betraying the Lord, even going as far as fabricating evidence to drive a wedge between you and us.” Zhongli Zixi observed his expression from a distance, but he was unable to make out his mood, so he continued speaking, “So, I want to help you, but you need to assist me in completing this performance.”

Yaksha said: “No matter what it is, Master please command me.”

Zhongli Zixi sneered: that’s easy to say. The surrounding shadow guards had already set up their bows, steadily aiming at Yaksha, so Zhongli Zixi’s heart was somewhat appeased, “I need you destroy your inner force, and pretend to be expelled from Zhongli Court.”

Yaksha moved, everyone inside hall began to panic, even Zhongli Zixi’s breath caught in his throat, but he just slowly paid his respects and bowed to the ground. Without the slightest hesitation, he said: “This subordinate accepts your orders.”

Zhongli Zixi was all the more suspicious.

He looked towards the side, and a servant girl immediately emerged holding a bowl of medicine.

Yaksha knew about poisons, so naturally he was clear about what kind of medicine it was. He received the bowl, and said towards that empty curtain: “Wishing Master’s military efforts may flourish.”

Then, he drank it all in one go.

Zhongli Zixi had absolutely not expected this to go so smoothly, it was actually hard to believe.

Yaksha sat cross-legged, suspecting it was still not thorough enough, and personally forced the inner breath out of his body bit by bit.

Zhongli Zixi waited for a bit, until that always-steady silhouette began to tremble, and said in a quiet voice: “You can all withdraw now.”

The hidden guards set up for an ambush retreated like the tide.

Only then did Zhongli Zixi approach from behind the curtain and lightly touched Yaksha, who had already fallen to the ground, unable to support himself.

He was naturally clear about the kind of torment Yaksha was going through, and he couldn’t help but feel a little moved.

“Leave the rest to me.” Zhongli Zixi held Yaksha and sat back, his body was soft as though it was boneless, and his shoulders drooped powerlessly. Zhongli Zixi held up his shoulders with one hand to prevent him from slipping down, and pressed his right hand into his palm, intertwining their fingers together and, little by little, drawing out the last traces of his inner breath.

He bowed his head to gaze at the side of Yaksha’s half-unconscious face, and unexpectedly caught the faint trace of a shallow smile.

Zhongli Zixi was startled, this smile carried the dangerous implication of one who just had their wishes fulfilled, no doubt having just succeeded in some evil scheme, he immediately grabbed hold of his right hand’s lifeline⁶ and firmly pinched its flesh, saying in a cold voice: “Is there something funny?”

“This past three years.... this is the first time you’ve been so close to this subordinate.” Yaksha was so weak he was almost inaudible.

Zhongli Zixi stared blankly.

“I..... bear the evil reputation of having killed my master. And..... I have hindered Master’s plans..... I can’t be there to share tribulations with Master, and instead make Master worried and afraid, .....Yaksha feels ashamed.”

“You don’t hate me?” Zhongli Zixi found it hard to believe.

“I’m extremely honoured.” Yaksha’s voice became smaller and smaller, until finally becoming silent.

Zhongli Zixi was absent-minded for a while, until he hurriedly released the lifeline on Yaksha’s right hand. That place had been pinched for a long time and was bleeding, but the pain was small compared to that of the blood being drawn out of his muscles, and was actually not worth caring about, so Yaksha didn’t notice it at all.

Zhongli Zixi slowly put him down, looking at that unmatched Blood Demon Yaksha who was willing to be reduced to a cripple through just a few of his own words, and he didn’t know what he was feeling.

Zhongli Zixi had always thought he was the most out of control pawn he would never be able to handle.

Could it be possible that he was actually the most loyal, and the most enduring one?

He thought for a long time, and gradually came back to his senses, thinking that he really shouldn’t take such a risk.

“Take him down and torture him.” He brought a hand up to his forehead and closed his eyes.

As his subordinates roughly held Yaksha down, he added a few words: “Wait, add more sleeping medicine, it’s best if he doesn’t wake up while he’s being tortured.”

Ye Jun looked at him with a smile full on interest: “Second Young Master, you’re being so gentle towards that crippled person.”

Zhonlgi Zixi: “Insolent.”

“After all, in all of Nightrunner, I’m the only one who can make jokes.” Ye Jun had been at his side for ten years, and he had long since figured out his temper, so he wasn’t afraid.

Zhongli Zixi again fell into deep thought, and suddenly asked: “I remember you have medicine that can preserve the mind and alleviate pain.”

Hearing this, Ye Jun took out a small red pill and handed it to him.

Zhongli Zixi stared at that pill, contemplating for a long time, sometimes sad and sometimes happy, until he finally clenched his teeth and crushed the pill between his fingers, raising his hand and letting it scatter in the wind.

Great plans can be ruined by just a touch of impatience. He silently recited this three times, and again looked coldly at Ye Jun: “You won’t stop me.”

Ye Jun steadily answered: “I guess one small Yaksha is not enough to make Master change his nature.”

Zhongli Zixi did not comment on that.

He suddenly thought: When things are settled, it won’t hurt to bring Yaksha back.