Chapter Six: Unaware of the Bitterness of Longing (Part Two)

In recent years, Emperor Beixiao had truly worried himself sick over Shen Xiruo’s marriage, and the silver at his temples had become ever more pronounced. Though he was the sovereign of a nation, he was also an aging father. Thus, while he wished for Shen Xiruo to wed soon, he also hoped her husband would be a man of her choosing.

When word reached his ears that Shen Xiruo and Shen Xinan had left the palace, he, seated high upon his dragon throne, flew into a rage. Instantly, the officials beneath the golden hall threw themselves to the floor, and silence reigned.

After a long while, Duke Yu stepped forward and said, “The princess and the second prince have disappeared. Should this news spread, it is certain the four nations will grow suspicious, believing our laws and order to have failed. Therefore, I submit that the matter be kept secret, and that trustworthy men be dispatched to search for them in secret.”

Since his most beloved second son had his leg broken by Shen Xiruo, Duke Yu had long harbored a grudge against the princess. Yet, because of her noble birth and the king’s protection, he dared not harm her in the past, no matter his resentment.

But now it was different. The two had left the palace without so much as a single guard, and if he could take this opportunity to avenge his son’s leg, the deed would be far easier.

The Emperor sighed deeply before speaking. “Then, does my loyal subject have someone in mind for this task?”

“My retainer Zhao Chen is a man of courage and resource, and might be suited to this responsibility.”

“No, Zhao Chen is indeed talented, but he has never met the princess or the second prince—sending him blindly would be fruitless,” Xue Yunqian hastily objected.

He had long known of Duke Yu’s grudge against Shen Xiruo. If the duke sent his confidant, there was no doubt he meant to settle a personal score. Should anything happen, he could simply return with the words, “They could not be found,” and who would dare question him?

Duke Yu’s smile was all lips and no warmth as he looked at Xue Yunqian. “Then, Lord Xue, whom would you suggest?”

“Your Majesty, allow me to retrieve the princess and the second prince myself.”

Duke Yu’s lip twitched and a flash of murderous intent appeared in his eyes. “Lord Xue, you are the pillar of the court. It would be better for you to remain and assist His Majesty with affairs of state.”

“I await Your Majesty’s decision,” Xue Yunqian replied, ignoring the duke.

The Emperor had long favored a union between Shen Xiruo and Xue Yunqian. If he sent him on this search, perhaps the two would grow closer along the way—would that not be a fine thing? And so he issued the order.

“Then the matter is entrusted to Lord Xue.”

“I accept the command.”

Duke Yu was unwilling. If Xue Yunqian was involved, his chances of success would be greatly diminished. He hurried to protest, “Your Majesty!”

But the Emperor waved him off with a broad gesture.

“My mind is made up. Court is dismissed.”

And so, Xue Yunqian set out that very night on his search. To avoid being followed by Duke Yu’s men, he disguised himself thoroughly, traveled alone without attendants, and went forth in secret.

Before Shen Xiruo left, she had confided her destination to him, so finding her would not be difficult. Still, he felt uneasy for reasons he could not name.

Meanwhile, after days of arduous travel, Shen Xiruo and Shen Xinan finally arrived at a small town near Mount Buzhou. The town had a market, formed originally by merchants seeking profit, for the surrounding countryside was populous but the imperial capital of neighboring Nansheng was far away. Thus, a market town was born.

With the growing population and development, more houses appeared, the market thrived, and goods from all corners of the world were spread in dazzling profusion. The place grew into a bustling little town.

Seeing night fall, the two decided to find an inn and rest.

There were few inns in the town, but guided by locals, they entered the Pleasure Inn.

Inside, there were only five or six plain wooden tables and chairs, yet everything was simple and clean. The young attendant, noting their fine clothes and noble bearing, greeted them with a smile, “Welcome, honored guests! Will you be dining or seeking lodging?”

“Lodging. Two top rooms. And have some good dishes prepared,” Shen Xinan replied coolly.

“Very well, please this way upstairs.”

That night, Shen Xiruo lay awake, troubled by a thousand thoughts. She longed to find the grand shaman, to take vengeance with her own hands. Yet she knew well that the death of Gu Qiuci was not the shaman’s doing alone; to root out the evil, the powerful of all five nations must be held to account.

At dawn, the two departed on foot, for among the rules of the Hall of the Void, it was well known that no carriages or horses were permitted into the valley.

In this vast and wondrous world, anything was possible. To the Buddha, humans and all other living things were but different species, without distinction. The reason all things could coexist in one universe was not merely its vastness, but that each preyed in its own realm, rarely overlapping.

These beliefs made Shen Xinan convinced of spirits and gods, and he believed the Hall of the Void would have the answers they sought.

By sunset, the two approached their destination.

Within the Hall of the Void, Changsun Chengmin lounged with boredom over a stone table in the courtyard, while Su Qingfeng rested his chin on his left hand, rhythmically tapping the table with his right, lost in thought.

“Little Feng, didn’t you say guests would arrive these days? It’s been a whole day—why haven’t they come?”

Used to Changsun Chengmin’s irreverent nicknames, Su Qingfeng didn’t even bother to lift his eyelids. “Perhaps the wind chimes on the wall have cramped up.”

Whenever guests arrived, the wind chimes on the first-floor wall would ring in advance and fall silent only when the guests departed.

“Huh?”

“In short, when the time is right, the guests will come.”

“Oh.”

Changsun Chengmin, knowing Su Qingfeng’s temperament and his reluctance to speak, decided to hold his tongue.

But the “tap-tap-tap” on the stone table was grating, making him restless and irritable.

“Hey, could you stop drumming? You’re throwing off my heartbeat.”

“Bah!” Su Qingfeng scoffed.

Changsun Chengmin turned his head and said, “Look, Grandfather Sun is going home.”

Su Qingfeng glanced at the setting sun and rolled his eyes. “Since when did the sun take you as a grandson?”

“…Only the heavens, earth, sun, and moon are truly eternal; all else is fleeting as a shooting star. Calling it ‘grandfather’ makes me feel closer—maybe I can steal a bit of its lifespan.”

Unbothered by Su Qingfeng’s mockery, Changsun Chengmin began to ramble.

“…With a grandson like you, no wonder the sun would be ashamed to show its face.” Su Qingfeng’s mouth twitched as he spoke.

No sooner had he finished than the sun hid behind a bank of gray clouds.

“What the—! Grandfather Sun, you’re too much! Come back out!” Changsun Chengmin leapt up, pointing indignantly at the clouds.

Su Qingfeng burst into unrestrained laughter.

Changsun Chengmin’s lips curled in a wicked smile as he cracked his knuckles, putting on a show of bravado. But when he caught sight of Su Qingfeng’s hand resting, seemingly carelessly, on the sword atop the table, his expression wilted like a frostbitten eggplant.

“Even if I’m beneath only five and above ten thousand as the crown prince of the Five Kingdoms, must you always use that wretched sword to threaten me?”

It must be said, in front of others, Changsun Chengmin was the very model of a gentleman, but in the Hall of the Void, he was a rascal and a scoundrel. He frequented the place, eating and drinking for free, and it was a wonder the master hadn’t tossed him out.

At midnight, the great doors of the Hall of the Void swung open. The masked man woke from his slumber, dressed himself calmly, and waited for the guests.

That night, the building glowed with a resplendent red light, so magnificent it defied description. The path of bluestone became a jade stairway, and the flowers and grasses in the courtyard shone with light.

Shen Xiruo and Shen Xinan extinguished their torches. Though accustomed to luxury, even they were astonished by the sight.

After a long pause, they pushed open the door and entered.

Su Qingfeng was already waiting on the first floor. Seeing that the guests were a man and a woman, both striking in appearance, he led them upstairs without a word.

As they glanced around, they saw the interior was furnished with jade artifacts, suffused with a strange and intoxicating fragrance. Though not many objects adorned the room, each gave an impression of mystery—like the finely carved, unpainted wooden box on the tea table, whose intricate floral patterns seemed, at a glance, to bloom with blood-red petals and vibrant green leaves, only for the colors to fade upon closer inspection. Shen Xinan did not think it an illusion.

Wooden wind chimes hung on the wall, chiming crisply. Despite their noble birth, neither had ever seen a house built entirely of fine jade, with splendid purple drapes hung with sparkling pearls, and an agate-inlaid table set with a green tea service of indeterminate material. The floor was tiled with blocks of ice, yet stepping on them felt warm and soft, not cold or hard…

The deeper they went, the more uneasy they became.

Within, two figures sat opposite each other, sipping tea. The one on the left wore dark, sumptuous robes of unknown but evidently precious silk, a round jade pendant at his waist carved into the shape of a flawless, translucent dragon. His black hair was loosely tied up with a jade hairpin, but his face was concealed behind a fearsome mask.

When Shen Xinan saw the other, he cried out in surprise, “Your Highness!”

Changsun Chengmin looked up, and the tea in his mouth sprayed out. “Shen Xinan! Why is it you—cough, cough!”

At the sound, the masked man paused, turning his gaze to the woman.

Her face was haggard, yet her beauty was undiminished. She wore sky blue, the color of clear heavens after rain, so enchanting one could lose themselves with a single glance.

At the same time, Shen Xiruo’s astonishment was no less than Shen Xinan’s. From the moment she entered, her eyes had not left the masked man. Though his face was hidden, there was something hauntingly familiar in his gaze—a sense of déjà vu that struck her deeply.

But why?

Why did even a few more glances at him make Shen Xiruo’s heart ache so?