Thousand Autumns

As this was not their first meeting, self-introductions became unnecessary. Yan Shou had lost one of his arms to Shen Qiao, so the moment he laid his eyes on him, his desire to kill him was clearer than ever—it was perhaps stronger than the hate that filled everyone else’s heart at the sight of him.

Chen Gong, however, revealed a smile: “It has been some time since we met in Ruoqiang. Shen-daozhang, I trust that you have been safe and well?”

Shen Qiao appeared as though he had no desire to speak with him. He did not even find it worth the effort to respond with even a single word.

Had it been the Chen Gong of before—whose self-esteem was strangely high, yet looked down on himself upon meeting someone else—it was very likely that he would have exploded with rage, pulling up his own sleeves and ready to beat the other man down. However, time had passed. Now, with his higher position, his influence was stronger. The scope of his mentality had also appeared to have broadened along with it. He did not fly into a rage at the sight of Shen Qiao’s cold gaze. Rather, he spoke to the other man in an amicable manner, advising him in earnest: “Shen-daozhang. Buddhism and Daoism has been prohibited for such a long time. But now that His Majesty has ascended the throne, he has released these restrictions placed upon Buddhism and Daoism. Daozhang, do you understand what His Majesty means by this?”

Shen Qiao remembered when they had first met at the ruined temple, Chen Gong had looked upon even a lurou jiabing as though it were a rare treasure, and he could barely read more than a handful of characters. Yet here he was, bringing up the fact that the former Emperor had once prohibited the practice of Buddhism and Daoism. One could only fear that the stepmother that had once driven Chen Gong out couldn’t possibly have dreamed that his stepson would end up as he did today. Upon comparing these two things, Shen Qiao could only think of the good and bad fortune one comes upon in life— that which was unpredictable, that of being born into chaotic times. However, if one was willing to forego their personal integrity and sense of shame, then all they would need was wild ambition and courage to be able to become an inspiring example for others to better themselves, like that of Chen Gong.

“What does he mean by it?” Shen Qiao asked, detachedly.

Chen Gong smiled: “His Majesty does not have any prejudices against Buddhism or Daoism. So long as both pledge allegiance to the court, His Majesty will treat them as his equals. Shen-daozhang, you are from Xuande Mountain. You were selected as zhangjiao—you, who did not pass onto others what he himself was set on doing. Yet you were taken advantage of by some malicious fiend who seized the position of zhangjiao from you. If you are so willing, His Majesty would be happy to use all his power to support you in once more taking the position back. Now, Xuandu Mountain’s present status is gradually being replaced by Qingcheng Mountain. If you have the Imperial Court’s support and wish to restore to Xuandu Mountain the glory of the best Daoist sect in the world, then all you’d have to do is snap your fingers and you’ll have it done. What do you think about this?”

As clever as Dou Yan was, she did not quite understand most of this conversation which had involved the influential parties of jianghu. However, she could hear the enticing tone in Chen Gong’s voice. Though there were three men on his side, it seemed that all of them were afraid of the strength of the man who was presently carrying her. This was why it was to their benefit to lead him on instead, so that they could avoid a battle.

Would he be persuaded? Dou Yan felt somewhat nervous. She could not help but exert more of the strength with which she used to cling to the lapels of the man’s outer robe.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Yuwen Song, whose hand was being held by Shen Qiao, seemed quite nervous as well, despite the serious expression he wore. It was clear that he had the same worries as she did.

Baoyun began to speak, picking up where Chen Gong had left off: “That’s right. Shen-daozhang, just as there is no long-lasting friendship in this world, there are no long-lasting enemies, either. Though there were some misgivings between you and the Hehuan Sect, it was because the two of us had different points of view, and each adhered themselves to their own views while demeaning the other. Sang Jingxing once said to me that the reason why you had fallen into his hands that day was completely because Yan Wushi had you under his control and presented you to him with both hands. He had even lured Sang Jingxing in with his words, leading him to lose sight of himself. In the end, we share the same enemy, don’t we? And that enemy is precisely Yan Wushi. His Majesty’s talent is one that can reach all over this land. We once did not get along on good terms with the Buddhists, yet now, we are willing to serve His Majesty with our utmost power. If the Daoists become a part of us, then we would become a legend to be told across the country. Once all the world is united, the Daoist sects’ statuses will rise as a boat does with the tides. With how favorably His Majesty views the Daoists, he could even make you a National Teacher, not to mention the zhangjiao of Xuandu Mountain again. His Majesty himself would certainly be very happy to allow for that.”

That day, Baoyun witnessed just how terrifying Shen Qiao was—Shen Qiao had cut off Yan Shou’s arm before his eyes after all. Baoyun believed that, had he been Shen Qiao’s opponent then, he probably wouldn’t have ended up any better off than Yan Shou.

And Yan Shou, he wanted to get revenge on Shen Qiao for having made him lose his arm; however, this desire for vengeance didn’t blind him. If one could keep themselves from having an enemy as fearsome as Shen Qiao, then they really ought to do just that.

Had Bai Rong been here, she would have been completely astonished. To think that the Shen Qiao she had met from the very start—a man who was both blind and in such dire straits, without even the slightest wugong left in his body and was cruelly mistreated by all sorts of people—could move forwards from having not a single thing to his name and being taken advantage of by one person after another. That he could now, in such a short amount of time, corner the elders of the Hehuan Sect and force them to stand against him, ready for combat, or suffer the consequences otherwise.

“I once met the former Emperor in the Imperial Palace when he was still alive,” Shen Qiao said. “At that time, he had already expressed his willingness to lend me some support and have Xuandu Zifu become a pillar for the Daoist sects. If I had wanted to agree, I would have done so then. Why would I do so now? With regards to honor and prestige, wouldn’t the former Emperor be much more reliable than Yuwen Yun?”

What he had meant to imply by saying this was that he looked down on Yuwen Yun.

“Fine then,” Chen Gong said. “It seems that Shen-daozhang would rather fling himself into the throes of danger for the sake of these two children who have nothing to do with you. However, because of our past friendship, I would like to give you a word of warning. If you do this, then you are undoubtedly putting yourself against the Imperial Court. Perhaps the Buddhists, the Hehuan Sect, and even the officials of the Imperial Court may be unable to bring you down now, but in the future when Zhou is able to unite the country, the entire world will become your enemy. Have you thought this decision through?”

Shen Qiao’s expression betrayed a faint sort of astonishment: “Friendship? Could you explain what sort of friendship we shared? Was it the friendship in which you indulged Mutipo and betrayed me for your prosperous life now, forcing disaster upon me as you did?”

Any warm and generous nobleman would eventually come upon a day in which they mock and ridicule another with frigid irony and scalding satire. Shen Qiao would not have said such words had it not been for Chen Gong’s shamelessness and the despicable impression Hehuan Sect had left on him.

Upon hearing Shen Qiao bring up the past, a strange expression fell over Chen Gong’s face. It was one of embarrassment, guilt, and rage—as though he were recoiling in pain from having his mask torn off[38].

“Shen Qiao. You never understand the times, do you?” Chen Gong sneered. “In that case, don’t blame me for what I’ll do.”

Yan Shou was long filled with anger for Shen Qiao. In his eyes, all of what Baoyun and Chen Gong said was useless garbage. In jianghu, decisions were made with raised fists. And those who threw the hardest punch—those whose wugong was superior—were those who made the last word. Yan Shou was ashamed of the day that he had lost his arm, and would never forget his desire for revenge so long as he lived. It didn’t matter whether or not Shen Qiao agreed to Chen Gong’s enticing agreement. He would have killed him either way. Therefore, just as Chen Gong finished speaking, he was the first to leap forwards. With a speed resembling that of a peal of thunder, he threw himself in the direction of Yuwen Song, who stood by Shen Qiao’s side.

His objective was clear. He wanted to strike Yuwen Song, and leave Shen Qiao no choice but to move and protect the boy. This way, he would reveal his own weak points.

Yan Shou was incredibly fast. The moment he had this thought, his hand had already swept in front of Yuwen Song’s face, just barely touching his hair. Shen Qiao naturally used his sword to block him. Yan Shou had already predicted this—which was why he immediately changed his target to Dou Yan, who Shen Qiao held in his arms!

If he landed this strike, then the little girl’s head would split into seven pieces before she bled to death.

Baoyun and Chen Gong, of course, did not linger around. The moment that Yan Shou began to move, they followed in suit.

Both of them divided the work of attacking Shen Qiao amongst each other.

Ever since they last met in Ruoqiang, Chen Gong’s wugong seemed as though it had progressed significantly. His sword moved like a deep green wave, with a speed resembling that of a racer snake. The true qi that followed it rippled over in layers. If one were to look more carefully, it would not be difficult to see that his wugong was multifaceted, as though it carried with it the strongest qualities of each major school of thought.

Chen Gong thrived from becoming the most beloved official in the court. Though Shen Qiao was the man who had given him a glimpse of the dao of wugong, it was Mutipo who had taught him wugong personally. However, Mutipo’s wugong was only good enough to be considered second-class. Chen Gong quickly came to the realization that there would be a limit to what he could learn from studying under Mutipo. His talents surpassed him. Chen Gong, for whom nothing passed his ears, began to set his sights further. Once he began to follow along Gao Wei, the Qi Emperor, Chen Gong naturally came in contact with many of the wugong masters of the country of Qi. Amongst these masters were Murong Qin and the members of the Hehuan Sect. Additionally, Chen Gong had inadvertently taken the wugong he had studied, and merged it with that which he learned from the Zhuynang Ce. Without knowing, each step he took on the path to studying wugong became higher than the last.

His movements were as delicate as fine jade, hardly inferior to that of Shen Qiao nor Yan Wushi’s. Perhaps if Tao Hongjin were alive, even he would praise this prodigal talent. Troubled times call for great heroes; yet they also call for ruthless ambition. This world gave Chen Gong enough room to grow. He was destined, this life, for the extraordinary.

At this very moment, there was both a revised sword technique that belonged to Murong Qin as well as the swordplay used by the sects near the Nanzhong Mountains within this single move that he had used to strike Shen Qiao. Both techniques carried a swift and fierce violence, yet it carried the nimble and fleeting movements of the Zhongnan technique. His jian qi rose in spirals, like that of snow and willow leaves being blown up by the air and falling one after the other, filling one’s vision with their shapes. There was a sense of something being unable to be observed with this move that would make his opponent feel as though they were unable to hold onto their lives.

While Yan Shou was filled with hate and Baoyun was secretly trying to plot against their opponent, Chen Gong began to close in on him. The three of them would be difficult to handle, yet Shen Qiao challenged them with one hand, while holding Dou Yan with the other as he shielded Yuwen Song. He faced the attacks that were coming at them from every direction. It was as though they were trapped in the center of a net without any way to escape.

But Shen Qiao had no intention to.

He didn’t take even a single step backwards.

He unsheathed his sword, drawing the blade of Shanhe Tongbei before the opponents charging at him.

This single move was not filled with any sort of flourish; in fact, there was nothing remarkable about it.

On the other hand, Puliuru Jian stood at the top of the city gates, filled with anxiety. Yet he was able to make out the sound of something which swelled up to the skies, like a wave tumbling in their direction from past the distant horizon, or like that of a rumbling which echoed from the depths of the earth.

He could see very clearly how, as Shen Qiao drew his sword, it transformed into a wash of white, surging forwards in layers.

Filled to the brim with true strength,

with every manifestation of nature alongside it—

causing even the utmost skill to seem inadequate,

as simple and as complex as it could be.

The three of them—Chen Gong, Yan Shou, and Bao Yun—were engulfed by this ‘white wave’. Shen Qiao was only one man, yet his image almost seemed to divide itself into great numbers. Each man felt as though a supreme weight fell upon them. Their offensive attacks did not only come to naught, but had instead retaliated against them in full. Their desire to inflict violence returning to the source.

Liu Fang was not well-versed in wugong. At that moment, he let out a sound of surprise: “That Shen Qiao is a monster of some sort. How could he produce so many images of himself just like that?”

Puliuru Jian began to explain: “Those are just illusions. It was produced from his jian qi. Shen Qiao has made great achievements in his studies of jian dao; he has certainly reached the peak of perfection in his skills. I’m sure that he has even surpassed Qi Fengge at his age Truly, the student surpasses his master[39]!”

Liu Fang himself had heard the name Qi Fengge before. The number of great masters in this world was already quite small; however, every great master undoubtedly had the power to take the heads of thousands in battle and leave as they like. Therefore, the Imperial Court would use their utmost power to try to draw them in. Even Yuwen Yong, as obstinate as he was, relied heavily upon Yan Wushi. He would not put on the arrogance of an Emperor before him.

At present, Shen Qiao still had a short distance to go before he could be considered a great master in his own right. However, this distance would not take ten years to close. The moment Liu Fang heard Puliuru Jian’s words, a look of terror fell over his face. He said anxiously: “I was never ordered to fire arrows in Shen Qiao’s direction…Sui-guogong, you saw it yourself. Our orders were given to us by the Emperor, so we had no other choice! If Shen Qiao—er, Shen-daozhang has some sort of misunderstanding, then you will certainly help us make things clear to him, won’t you!”[40]

“Certainly,” Puliuru Jian replied. “Commander-in-chief, I know that you have your duties, and cannot work independent of them. Naturally I understand.”

Liu Fang sighed inwardly to himself, before the battle beneath him drew back his attention once more: “Do you think that Chen Gong and his party will win this battle?”

Puliuru Jian and Liu Fang were not the only men paying attention to the fight. The soldiers on top of the city gates were watching with rapt attention at this brilliant battle, filled with the shimmering of blades and aura of death. Shen Qiao was carrying the two small children as well, which could have prevented him from using his utmost potential—yet he remained perfectly calm and at ease, which would have left anyone in awe of his ability.

Everyone valued heroes, regardless of how time passed. Though the audience stood by the Emperor’s orders and had no choice but to act upon Yuwen Song, all of them had held Yuwen Xian in great esteem. And Shen Qiao put himself in danger for these two children, even though he had no connection to them. With such admiration in their minds, how could any ordinary person not gaze upon him with respect?

The day he killed Kunye , only the people of Bixia Sect were there to witness it—and it was a scene that truly shook the world, which was why it was such a pity that so few were there. Now here he was, beneath the stares of thousands—one against many, staking great wins with but a single man’s strength.

This single battle will determine whose reputation will be heard across the world!

Shen Qiao pulled Yuwen Song behind him, while he pulled Dou Yan closer. The curtain of blades he had produced earlier was able to defend him from Chen Gong and Baoyun. He gently swung the tip of his sword, and then—like that of the bright moon breaking through clouds, overflowing with splendor, a sharp light surged in the direction of Yan Shou’s head.

Yan Shou had struck three times—yet each strike was swallowed up by the jian qi, leaving him no choice but to retreat backwards several steps. He had assumed that, with Chen Gong and Baoyun, Shen Qiao would be stretched thin across the three of them. However, he didn’t think that Shen Qiao would completely ignore the two men and instead send a wash of jian qi rushing towards him with the strength to overturn whole rivers and oceans.

He quickly brought up his one hand to block it, but the very moment he did, he experienced a sharp stab of pain—the light from the sword had already arrived right before his eyes!

And his entire arm was swallowed up by the boundless white light. The pain that he felt was exactly like that of the day he had lost his other arm, and sent such fear throughout his body that he experienced, for the first time in his entire life, the desire to turn his head and run away.

His desire to battle had completely vanished, just as his killing intent was forced out of him. At that very moment, Yan Shou wanted to find a way to escape unscathed. But he had forgotten that the very moment that he intended to run away, it meant that he had already lost.

The sword’s light filled the sky, and became all that he could see. But there was only one sword, just as there was only one sword that pierced him from behind, jabbing right into the back of his heart.

Yan Shou looked down. He saw the point of the Shanhe Tongbei’s sword, stained with red.

The red of his own blood.

The Shanhe Tongbei sword, dyed in red, almost made a sort of humming sound. The sound itself was incredibly quiet; however, Yan Shou found it strange that he was able to hear it so clearly.

Perhaps it was because it was plunged right into him.

Before he could acknowledge this, Shen Qiao had pulled the sword out of him. Yan Shou staggered backwards several steps, before falling heavily to his knees.

From behind, the battle continued on, unchanged. However, it would no longer need him to participate.

“What a true hero!” Puliuru Jian could not help but exclaim from on top of the city gates.

Though the other onlookers didn’t say a word, their expressions clearly revealed how they shared the same thought.

This sort of outstanding man would always win the admiration of the people, regardless of the time and the place.

Beneath them, Baoyun and Chen Gong were shocked at the sight of Yan Shou’s death. However, their offensive maneuvers remained undeterred. Rather, they became even more swift and fierce, like that of harsh wind and rain. The two of them both implicitly agreed to avoid taking Shen Qiao head on, instead targeting Dou Yan and Yuwen Song.

Because Shen Qiao decided to compromise with having the two children leaving him vulnerable, then by taking care of the children, they were making the following message: when fighting on the boundary of life and death, what mattered was wins and losses—not the method in which a win would be gained.

Today, if they did not kill Shen Qiao, then this man would almost certainly become a source of great misfortune for them!

Both Chen Gong and Baoyun thought this very sentence at almost exactly the same time.

Chen Gong’s sword moved with great speed. Baoyun, however, charged at him in a strange and unpredictable way. The two of them surrounded him—one on the left, the other on the right, cooperating with one another harmoniously. They knew that Shen Qiao’s jian qi was impressive, but it couldn’t possibly continue forever without becoming exhausted.

Shen Qiao turned towards Yuwen Song—however, it was not to protect him from the front. Rather, it was to toss Dou Yan into his arms.

Yuwen Song did not need to be instructed. He understood what Shen Qiao meant to do in a single moment. With both arms outstretched, he caught Dou Yan, who was only a head shorter than he was.

With a single sweep of his arm, Shen Qiao carried the children several zhang away, before turning himself around and rushing back.

His strength surged forward like the rush of a great wave, with an imposing manner that made his presence clear, like that of a stone bridge following a bow of light[41]. His impressive strength carried with it the faint sense of a man who could govern the country, in contrast with the gentle and mild sword technique he had utilized before.

Chen Gong quickly understood the nature of the oncoming force, and used his sword to pierce through the jian mu[42]. He rushed towards him without hesitation--however, just as he found himself in the clear, he realized that the target standing in front of him had somehow been Bao Yun.

Behind me—!

Just as he thought this, Chen Gong turned around, and was met with a wash of jian qi surging towards him.

However, just as Baoyun saw through the same illusion that Chen Gong had been a victim of, it was too late—he had already struck Chen Gong.

Chen Gong had no choice but to retract his sword technique so as to sidestep Baoyun’s palm maneuver.

However, Shen Qiao was precise. Together with his sword, he surged directly towards Baoyun.

When two tigers are at war, one will certainly be wounded.

Baoyun had used all of his strength into his palm maneuver from earlier. However, in the middle of executing it, he realized that his target had been Chen Gong, so he had to withdraw half of his internal strength. But once this was done, it was difficult to reverse. The light of Shen Qiao’s sword surrounded him, pouring out from furious waves with the power of a thousand jun, rushing in Baoyun’s direction!

Fresh blood shot out of Baoyun’s body. Shortly after, a bloody puncture wound also appeared on his throat.

Two elders of Hehuan Sect died by Shen Qiao’s hand, one after the other.

Chen Gong, having seen early on that circumstances were rather unfavorable for him then, had already turned and rushed in the direction of Yuwen Song and Dou Yan the moment that Shen Qiao pierced through Baoyun with his sword.

Their target that day was Yuwen Song. It was Yan Shou who had made the assertion to insist on killing Shen Qiao. Now, if Chen Gong were to bring Yuwen Song back, he would have fulfilled his duty.

But he didn’t think that Shen Qiao would have reached such heights upon his cultivation of jian dao. He had just killed Baoyun, having rushed at him with such speed, his qinggong filled with brilliance, leaving no trace of his steps.

Fully aware of Shen Qiao’s speed, Chen Gong was certain that even if he were to capture Yuwen Song, he would unavoidably have to fight Shen Qiao head-on.

And if he were, though he would eradicate any future source for trouble, it would mean placing himself in fatal danger. Of course, it didn’t take much thinking to realize that the latter potential was more important than the former.

Chen Gong made a quick decision to leave Yuwen Song untouched. Halfway there, he had changed his direction, rushing instead towards the city. He used his qinggong to its utmost power, quickly leaping over the city gates by stepping upon the bricks bulging out of the walls.

Shen Qiao had no desire to chase after him. He took Dou Yan and Yuwen Song in his arms, and flew in the opposite direction.

He had sheathed his sword, leaving his two arms open to carry the two children. In a single breath, Shen Qiao rushed two or three li away, until the was a significant distance away from the city gates, before finally stopping.

He put the two children down, and staggered forwards several steps, before coughing up a mouthful of blood[43].

“Shen-daozhang!” Dou Yan shouted out, quickly running to support him.

Though Yuwen Song didn’t utter a word, he had also ran over to take Shen Qiao’s other arm and help him stand. With some effort, they were able to support half of Shen Qiao’s weight.

“It’s nothing…” Shen Qiao spoke to comfort them as he clutched his chest. His mouth was filled with the taste of blood.

Baoyun and Yan Shou weren’t ordinary opponents. They were Hehuan Sect elders—though they didn’t place top ten in the world, they were still one of the few masters across jianghu. With Shen Qiao’s present strength, he was able to kill two of them in a single breath. It sounded awe-inspiring, but made at no small cost.

Earlier, when they had battled, he had sustained a number of strikes. If Chen Gong had not been caught off guard by the unflinching, deceitful illusion that he had projected before him, and instead had paid more attention, Chen Gong would have easily realized that Shen Qiao had nearly spent his strength.

Dou Yan’s eyes filled with tears. She tried with all her might to keep from letting them fall.

“Don’t cry!” Yuwen Song said to her. “There’s a pavilion up ahead. I’ve been there before. Let’s go over there and sit.”

Just then, Shen Qiao was turning over a number of thoughts in his mind. Earlier, when they were battling, no soldiers had come out to hinder them. Perhaps it was because Yuwen Xian had earned the sympathies of these men, so they had secretly wanted to help him. He knew that they would be unlikely to put them in danger within a short period of time, so he didn’t use true qi to take the children away.

Dou Yan nodded quickly, and the two of them helped Shen Qiao walk ahead.

After going a short distance and turning a corner, they came across a small pavilion.

However, two people were already standing beneath it.

Outside stood a horse.

“It’s Ah-die!” Before Shen Qiao could react, Dou Yan had already recognized the other man’s identity. However, she did not leave Shen Qiao behind. Instead, she remained there supporting him until they reached the inside of the pavilion, when she flew towards the man.

“Ah-die!”

“Ah-yan!”

Dou Yi held his daughter tightly, his expression filled with surprise and joy in an instant.

Yuwen Song watched this scene unfold before his eyes, and could not help but think of his father, who had died in such a tragic way. Tears began to flow down his cheeks after having been held back by him for a long time.

A hand rest on top of his head, gently smoothing down his hair. It carried with it some warmth.

It was Shen Qiao.

Yuwen Song did not speak, nor did he allow his crying voice to be heard. However, he could not help but draw closer to Shen Qiao somewhat, and lean into his body.

Between them formed an implicit trust and understanding, despite only knowing one another a short amount of time. This was what arose from having survived the trials of life and death with one another.

Dou Yi cupped his hands together and bowed before Shen Qiao: “Thank you, Shen-daozun[44], for your kindness in saving my daughter’s life! I will never forget your great virtue and generosity for as long as I live!”

He was expressing his deepest gratitude, which was why he had even used the honorific of highest seniority within Daoism to refer to him.

Qi Fengge, Shen Qiao’s teacher, had also been referred to as Qi-daozun.

“Dou-langjun, there is no need to thank me.” Shen Qiao’s voice was somewhat hoarse and weak.

“My name is Zhangsun Sheng, of the Zhongnan Faction,” said the man who stood at Dou Yi’s side. “That day at the Su family’s birthday banquet, I was fortunate enough to have met Shen-daozun for a moment. You may remember me somewhat.”

He took out a small porcelain bottle.

“These are Yulu pills[45]. We use them in the Zhongnan Faction to heal internal wounds, and are somewhat effective. Shen-daozun, please do take some.”

Shen Qiao did not hesitate. After thanking him, he accepted the pills.

“The Prince of Qi’s injustice is known by all across the land,” Zhangsun Sheng said. “It is a pity that his great achievements intimidated His Majesty, and that His Majesty acted perversely and made false charges against a loyal and true man. This crime will be known by all. Because I had my family to attend to, I hesitated in taking action. Now, after seeing daozun’s actions, I feel greatly ashamed. I must ask daozun to accept my show of respect!”

Shen Qiao extended one hand to help him stand: “The dao is practiced three-thousand ways; the dao each person may choose is not the same. There is nothing you have done that should be criticized. Without your help in the background, I would not have been able to escape so easily. However, I am one and alone, and the Su family is not. The entire Su family is still in Chang’an, yet they rebelled alongside me against Yuwen Yun. Will they be all right?”

Zhangsun Sheng said: “Yes, don’t you worry. My shifu is from the Zhongnan Faction, yet the Zhangsun family has some connections within Chang’an. We can easily take the Su family away and hide them in the Zhongnan Mountains for a brief period of time. Why don’t you take Yuwen Qilang along there? Although Zhongnan Mountain is not a famous sect, we have enough courage to rebel against the Zhou Emperor’s pawns.

However, Shen Qiao shook his head: “No, the Zhongnan Mountains are too close to Chang’an. If Yuwen Yun insists on pursuing after us, there isn’t a place where we can stay for very long at all. I want to take him further away. Once we’ve completely distanced ourselves from danger, we can consider things after.”

Zhangsun Sheng glanced at Dou Yi, before he sighed and said: “All right. This horse won’t be able to cover a thousand li in a day, it’s a very rare and fine breed. Daozun, if you are feeling out of sorts, then take him instead. It will make things a little more convenient for you!”

[1] 咦 yi: an expression of surprise.

[2] 掌風:zhang feng. I believe this is the name of Yan Shou’s technique. Zhang = open palm; feng = gust; wind; phoenix.

[3] 雕色: diaose. This isn’t necessarily a gold color, but…interestingly enough, a common example for this shade is the fur of a rough collie, hahahaha.

[4] 仙尊: xianzun. Each and every revered god in Daoism.

[5] Recall that this is the general that Yan Wushi supported a long time ago over the useless crown prince (Yuwen Yong’s son) to be Yuwen Yong’s successor. Warning, if you Wikipedia him you’ll most likely be in historical spoiler territory. Just to reiterate once more, Prince of Qi refers to his title. It doesn’t refer to the country of Qi.

[6] The term ‘Adviser’/Shaoshi/少师 is still something that I’m grappling to translate correctly. The job of the Shaoshi/Adviser is “to impart knowledge to the Emperor and Crown Prince.” I’m using “Adviser” for now though, because that’s the name of the role Yuwen Hu played for Yuwen Yong (and the preceding two Yuwens, I forget their names).

[7] Another fun fact is that Yuwen Hu was, historically, the actual Imperial Adviser (Shaoshi) to Yuwen Yong. I don’t know that much about him except it seems that, in most drama adaptations and English-translated historical accounts, he was a generally ruthless and cunning person. So cunning he was that Yuwen Yong killed him, since Yuwen Yong knew that Yuwen Hu was intelligent and ambitious enough to take the throne from him. Bear in mind that Yuwen Yong had a weak constitution, which is why he was reported to have died so young (he’s younger than Yan Wushi! I think at the time of his death, he was 35), and probably why he was so wary.

[8] Additionally, Yuwen Hu was mentioned towards the start of Qian Qiu. I can’t remember the context, but I think that Yan Wushi referenced his daughter in some way in a conversation with Shen Qiao, which is strange, because I’m pretty sure his entire family was executed. Maybe they let the girls off or something? I’m not a historian. Yup! Men, right?

[9] This is the first time in at least 30 chapters that his name has been mentioned. Don’t blame me for getting excited!

[10] Shen Qiao baby you do that parkour!

[11] 千金: qianjin. I learned a new word today—this, which typically means invaluable, or more literally can refer to treasures/gold, is an honorific for daughter. Isn’t that sweet?

[12] Maternal uncle.

[13] This is the third Yan we have seen so far I think. This ‘Yan’ means ‘words’, or ‘speech’. This is why I am a firm supporter of including the tones in Chinese characters even in English writing! Bruh! At least some of the homophones will look different! …some of them!

[14] I also believe this little girl grows up to become Empress Taimu, the wife of Emperor Gaozu of Tang (Emperor Li Yuan), which makes her the very first Empress of the Tang Dynasty. By the time of Yuwen Yong’s death (578 AD), she was nine years old.

[15] Paternal uncle, usually one’s father’s younger brother. She is just using it here to refer to a man older than her.

[16] Mom/mother. It sounds SO weird to translate this as Mom and ah-die as Dad though. GUH. WE ARE DOING AH NIANG AND AH DIE. sorry fam.

[17] If you guys didn’t remember (I sure hope these excessive footnotes are helpful for someone) and are not readers of Wushuang, this is the guy that Shen Qiao had run into at that birthday banquet held by the Su family all that time ago. He is a real figure in history, and his daughter is married to the crown prince and current emperor, Yuwen Yun. If you haven’t read Wushuang, you shouldn’t google his name, bc, once more, you’ll also find some historical spoilers.

[18] 大夫 dafu: a title for senior officials in imperial China.

[19] This is the guy whose mom had that birthday banquet way back when! He is also a real figure in history, and worked in the imperial court under Yuwen Yong.

[20] Another title for Duke, though he is a National Duke and inherited his title from the former Emperor Yuwen Yong as such.

[21] 世伯: shibo: uncle. an affectionate name for a friend older than one’s father.

[22] Fifth uncle. This is Yuwen Xian. Just think: good Yuwen! The guy that Yan Wushi wanted to become emperor and whatnot.

[23] Biaoxiong: elder male maternal cousin.

[24] More literally, “Uncle Former Emperor”. Referring to Yuwen Yong.

[25] This is the residence of the crown prince in the Imperial Palace.

[26] Referring to the ages of 30 and 50.

[27] The literal idiom here is: ‘The father is a tiger, yet his son is a dog.” I translated it into its understood meaning. It’s pretty harsh but it sounds quite strange in English, doesn’t it?

[28] Baby why did it take you so long to say all that…Shen Qiao do you know how hard I work to translate your words.

[29] 无畏: wuwei. This is Su Wei’s courtesy name.

[30] Referring to his wife, Dou Lushi. Not much is written about her, but she was granted the title of Princess upon marriage to Yuwen Xian.

[31] 七郎: Qilang. This is Yuwen Xian’s son’s…milk name. His courtesy name, as you will learn later, is Yuwen Song.

[32] FRRRR IS THAT WHAT YOU REMEMBERRRRR LMAOOOOOOOO IM … WOW

[33] Here, Shen Qiao sounds like he is referring to the following dao from Daoism: the origin and source of all things. It can be translated in many different ways, including The Way / Road / Path / Method. According to Daoism, it is the absolute principle underlying the universe, combining within itself the principles of Yin and Yang and signifying the way, or code of behavior, that is in harmony with the natural order. In these novels, characters often try to gain insights into the Dao, which can give them supernatural powers or even control over aspects of the natural world (thanks Wuxia World!)

[34] While here, Murong Qin is using the more literal term: the ‘path’ in which one chooses to lead their life.

[35] This is really funny because (this is a historical spoiler, so highlight and read at your own risk) Puliuru Jian kills the entire Imperial Yuwen household once he becomes Emperor. In other words, he’s not an especially trustworthy man haha. Strangely enough, he doesn’t kill Dou Yan’s family, though her mother is Yuwen Yong’s elder sister.

[36] YES she really kept this detail YES it sent me when I read it

[37] 天阔虹影: tiankuo hongying: this is the literal translation of the name of Shen Qiao’s qinggong method.

[38] The saying here was, ‘having his face ripped off’, where ‘face’ refers to the ‘having and losing’ of face/face=dignity.

[39] 青出于蓝而胜于蓝: “the color blue is made out of indigo, yet it is significantly more vivid.” I used the translation of this idiom’s meaning, rather than the literal translation.

[40] this is so funny the man thinks shen qiao is a monster it’s so cute

[41] 石梁卧虹: This is an excerpt of a poem that hangs on the Seventeen Arc Bridge of the Summer Palace in Beijing.

[42] 剑幕: jian mu refers to the curtain of jian qi emitting from Shen Qiao’s sword.

[43] oh baby… :c

[44] 道尊: daozun. Same meaning is dao zhang, but ‘zun’ shows more seniority.

[45] 玉露: dewdrops.