Joy of Life

It was darkest before dawn. The fire crackled. Occasional sparks leaped out, sketching red racks through the air that disappeared in a flash. These red marks reflected in Haitang’s eyes and appeared particularly strange.

She stood up and looked at Fan Xian. In a quiet voice, she said, “What exactly do you want to do?” She wondered what Fan Xian had done during these three days.

“I haven’t done anything,” Fan Xian replied back. His back appeared particularly straight. “I just wanted to keep you for three days.”

Haitang’s eyes narrowed. She had been tricked to come out for three days while the aces of the court had followed Chief Su Bida and followed behind them for three days. Indeed, Fan Xian didn’t have to do anything personally, but something must have gone wrong in the court.

This was a girl who took whatever came to her. She glanced at Fan Xian calmly and then turned and walked toward the back of the tribe. Although her steps were not very anxious, their speed was fast. Like a spirit in the grasslands, she had covered 32 feet in an instant.

“You won’t get back in time.” Fan Xian turned and watched her calmly. “You and the Northern Qi Emperor fooled me once and tricked me a few times. The Central Plain people in the court are all Northern Qi people, yet you are still lying to me. The people working in the court are dangerous figures for the Qing Kingdom. I have to get rid of them.”

Haitang stopped. She knew what Fan Xian said was true. If there had been trouble in the court during these three days, even if she went back now, it would be too late, “The crescent-shaped sea is heavily protected. Since you did not act yourself, who did it?”

Without waiting for Fan Xian to reply, a sinister shape seeped into her mind. She had not forgotten that the Overwatch Council had a first-rate assassin. Without the Chief in the court and all the aces out, who would be able to stand against that assassin? The Overwatch Council’s Shadow would never miss a strike.

Regardless of whether Haitang or the Chief had stayed with the court, the Shadow would probably not have had any chance to act. Thinking of it now, Haitang finally understood why Fan Xian had revealed himself and lured her out to meet him, luring the Chief to follow the two of them.

“Your heart is indeed growing harder and harder.” She turned back and looked at Fan Xian. She was not angry. She only wore a lonely expression. “Is there anyone in this world you would not use?”

Fan Xian had used Haitang, but there was no remorse in his heart. After all, the two of them were standing on opposite sides.

“I am not a heartless person.” Fan Xian looked at her standing meters away and spoke faintly. Then, his shoulders shook. He leaped toward Haitang. The Tyrannical zhenqi in his body was extended to the extreme, shaking the night, grasslands, and air into a chaotic mess. He whirled forward like a hurricane.

Haitang looked at the god-like man coming closer. Her eyes lit up. Her hands extended out of the thin leather robe. She drew a half circle by her side and stabilized the air flow around her in a flash.

A moment before there had been uninterrupted affection and the sorrow of parting. In the next moment, a storm had risen up. Fan Xian was like a death-god below the moonlit night. Carrying the grass and sparks beside him, he shot out with a fist. The wind from it was like thunder.

Haitang Duoduo’s figure swayed and disappeared from in front of this storm. In the next moment, she appeared in front of Fan Xian in the eye of the storm. Putting her fingers together into a sword, she stabbed out like she was poking at the moon in the sky as she easily pierced toward Fan Xian’s throat.

…

…

The crescent sea reflected the moon in the sky. It was very beautiful, quiet, and secluded. The people around the sea where all deep asleep. Only the serving girls, who had to rise early, had begun to walk toward the sea. They got ready to carry water for the nobles to wash in.

A serving girl looked at the bent-over mute. Smiling, she took out a Hu baked pastry and handed it over. This mute servant had been picked up from the grasslands four months ago by a large household. His body was slightly crippled, but his strength was great. He was perfect for doing rough work. However, since he could not speak and was a slave, he was often bullied by the young nobles around the court and appeared pitiful.

If it weren’t for this kind-hearted Hu girl giving him a little something, the mute man would probably not have lived for very long.

The mute man accepted the Hu baked pastry from the girl and smiled winningly. His throat made croaking sounds like he wanted to express his thanks. The Hu girl giggled and almost broke the silence of morning.

The mute man walked toward the meadow behind the crescent sea. Each day at daybreak, he would go pick up sheep dung. The people of the court had long become used to this sight.

Instead, the mute man walked passed the meadow and dense sheep dung. He still kept his body bent but didn’t even glance at the sheep dung. Usually, he would be very happy that he had run into so much sheep dung. Now, he didn’t have to be happy because he didn’t need to pick up sheep dung ever again.

Walking into the tall grass, the mute man slowly pulled out a metal drill and bored it into the mud. His right palm shook. With a spurt, the blood-covered metal drill sank meters into the muddy ground without a trace.

The mute man pressed his dry lips together and closed his eyes as he recalled his process of actions. After confirming that he had not left any loopholes, only then did he raise his foot again. Keeping his body bent, he walked slowly into the depths of the grasslands. No one knew when he would be able to walk back to the Central Plain.

It was quiet all around the crescent sea. No one noticed that a mute man had left the place he had lived for four months. The guards around the King’s tent looked strict. In reality, they appeared weighed down with a death-like aura. In particular, the tent of the Central Plain people, who were thought of so highly by the Chief because they were responsible for communicating with Qingzhou and Dingzhou, was unusually deathly silent.

Wei Wucheng’s body was confused and weak. He was unable to talk. Even his fingers couldn’t move, but his teeth chattered endlessly. He looked at the dead people around him and felt a chill rising from the depths of his heart.

He was responsible for the accounts of the court and the trade. He knew that the peers around him were all remarkable figures from the Qi Kingdom. Without these people to help the Chief, the power of the grasslands would not have grown so much within a year to be able to contend with the Qing Kingdom’s Iron Riders and be engaged in a closely fought contest, as well as gain so many benefits from it.

However, these people had all died. Only he had survived.

He thought of the scene earlier, and fear rose in his heart. It made him want to scream, but he wasn’t able to make a single sound.

That shadow, that god of death, had controlled him like a spirit and then slowly killed everyone in the tent. It didn’t let anyone make a sound. It didn’t let anyone have any reaction.

Wei Wucheng didn’t know who that person was or why they hadn’t killed him. No one would have thought that conversations could save a life, but he was subsumed in an endless horror. His eyes narrowed tightly. He felt that this patch of darkness would never become bright.

…

…

Using one finger to pick the moon, which very slender and normal but contained the splendor of heaven and earth, it moved through space in a flash and pricked Fan Xian’s throat. However, his fist struck empty air. Passing by Haitang’s right shoulder, it exploded on the ground and sent up a giant bundle of dirt and grass.

There was no greater power than Tianyi Dao when it came to borrowing the power of heaven and earth to carry out natural matters. The shadow of the moon had gradually disappeared. The line of sight on the grasslands became blurry. With each of Haitang’s sliding steps and attacks, she could sense in detail every breath of wind and piece of grace. She moved smoothly toward him.

Fan Xian had obtained the Heart of Tianyi Dao from this girl. When it came to the cultivation of borrowing power, he was no match for her.

His eyes narrowed. Flicking his left finger, he spun a small knife from the tip of his fingers. Spinning free of the point of the sheath, it immediately shone with a cold light. With a single move, it chopped toward the finger inches from his throat.

Given the realm of their cultivations, no matter if it was a finger or a move, if it made contact with the other person’s body and zhenqi entered through that bridge, it would heavily injure the other. Fan Xian had to stop that overly light, to the point of being untraceable, finger.

However, in order to hide his identity, he didn’t carry a sleeve crossbow. There was also no black dagger in his boot, so where had this knife come from?

The tiny knife was about to cut into Haitang’s finger. At this moment, it seemed that all movement became slow. Seeing this little knife clearly, it was the present Haitang had given the young master of the Fan family.

Haitang’s eyes grew brighter. There was an indeterminable emotion in that light. Her finger did not draw back. She did not have any reaction. She continued to stab toward Fan Xian’s throat as if she had not seen the knife.

Fan Xian sighed in his heart. Loosening his left hand slightly, the light from the knife withdrew.

Surprisingly, he didn’t stop Haitang’s finger reaching for his throat. Instead, he slapped his hand directly toward her chest.

Fan Xian withdrew the knife. Haitang drew back her finger. Fan Xian struck down with his palm. Haitang defended herself. They were four very simple moves. For them to be done so cleanly and to be given up without any hesitation, such a remarkable sight could probably only be seen in the world when these two young people fought.

In the end, Fan Xian had the advantage of moving first. His hand was already printed onto Haitang’s chest.

Haitang’s eyes became brighter and brighter. Her defensive palm did not acknowledge the strike. Her fingers spread gently and landed one by one on Fan Xian’s arm like autumn grass on this grassland floating along with the night wind, binding his right arm tightly.

In four instances, Fan Xian and Haitang Duoduo each had an opportunity to kill the other. This opportunity seemed to be purposely left open by the other person, but it was impossible for either of them to act.

This was a continuation of years of battle between the hearts of the two great figures of the younger generation of Northern Qi and the Qing Kingdom. It had started when the two of them met for the first time on the banks of the Northern Sea. Fan Xian had used aphrodisiacs and lustful poems to move her spirit. After, Haitang acknowledged it with lightness.

It looked like they had moved their hands. In reality, they had moved their hearts.

Haitang gambled that the knife Fan Xian aimed at her fingers would not go through. Fan Xian abandoned the knife.

Fan Xian gambled that Haitang’s finger reaching for his throat would not continue. Haitang withdrew her finger.

Haitang gambled that Fan Xian would not put all his strength into the fatal strike toward her chest, so she bound his right arm.

Both could not bear to hurt the other, so why attack?

…

…

Fan Xian’s face had a strange smile as he looked at Haitang in front of him. Although the both of them knew that the match would probably end to no avail, they still had to do it.

The inch of Haitang’s finger on Fan Xian’s arm spluttered out pure Tianyi Dao zhenqi, stopping the forward charge of Tyrannical zhenqi in Fan Xian’s right arm. It immediately neutralized the effect of his strike to her chest.

Fan Xian still moved his hand, but there was no threat and no zhenqi. It moved outside of Haitang’s clothing.

The place his hand landed was remarkable. It was soft and warm. Thus, this one move was very ecstatic.

Haitang was angry and confused.

In the moment that her heart was conflicted, Fan Xian’s left hand, which had abandoned the knife, reached up silently and touched the side of Haitang’s ear. His fingertip flicked slightly. A golden needle pierced into the vein under her ear.

He was going to take Haitang back to the Central Plain in chains. He wanted the plan that Ku He laid out to stop tormenting this poor girl’s state of mind, so he had racked his brains. Regardless of the risk, he had to bring her down. It was precisely this one shot.

The pride of a generation, the Northern Qi saint girl Haitang Duoduo had finally been defeated. She had been defeated on the quiet grasslands. She had lost to Fan Xian.

In the fourth year of the Qing calendar, ever since Haitang Duoduo had left the mountain, she had fought dozens of battles, small and large, and had not lost a single one. Her fame flourished. There was no one to compare to until an immortal poet and a young ace appeared in the Qing Kingdom. From then on, the people of the world enthusiastically discussed who would win if Haitang Duoduo ran into Fan Xian.

On the banks of the Northern Sea, Haitang had met Fan Xian for the first time. At that time, Fan Xian was no match for her. It was only through motions that Uncle Wu Zhu had personally taught him that he managed to hide. He had managed to hold out through the use of poisonous needles and poisonous smoke. Fan Xian had not lost because he relied on his shamelessness and ruthlessness. He successfully forced Haitang to retreat. He still remembered the rich sense of spring on the Northern Sea.

After that, Haitang and Fan Xian had never truly fought again. Both of them knew that if it was purely a martial competition, Fan Xian was not a match for Haitang. If their lives were on the line, given Fan Xian’s ruthlessness, even if Haitang could kill him, she would probably have to pay a great price.

From then on, the two of them were friends. The entire world began to spread this scandalous story. Everyone knew that it was impossible for them to fight. It was inevitable that some people were disappointed. If these disappointed people knew what happened on the grasslands, they would definitely be excited.

Haitang Duoduo had finally lost to Sir Fan junior. More accurately speaking, she had lost to Fan Xian’s extra shamelessness and trickery.

The golden needle trembled below Haitang’s tender ear. Fan Xian’s finger gently fiddled with the needle. His face was solemn. He endlessly poured zhenqi into Haitang’s meridians through the needle. His right hand had long thrown off Haitang’s control and was swiftly pressing against the girl’s body. It was imperative that he controlled her completely.

Having cured his body’s injury through Tianyi Dao’s zhenqi in Jiangnan, Fan Xian knew better than anyone the power of recovery of Tianyi Dao’s zhenqi. A golden needle in an acupuncture point could only freeze Haitang’s body for a moment. To truly subdue her and not hurt her, he could only use his own Tyrannical zhenqi to seal the meridians in her body.

However, Fan Xian’s finger carrying a strong wind gradually slowed. His eyes carried a trace of sorrow. He finally stopped his finger. His right hand slowly left the gold needle. With a crisp snap, the golden needle below Haitang’s ear shattered.

The golden needle was slender and gentle. It was pierced into the acupuncture point below her ear, yet it was shattered by the zhenqi in her body. It was a powerful backlash.

With a splutter, Haitang spat out a mouthful of blood. Her face immediately became deathly pale, but her eyes remained bright. She looked calmly at Fan Xian’s face full of sorrow and wiped at the blood at in the corners of her mouth. “I have already suffered internal damage. I’m no longer a match for you. You can try to make me stay.”

Fan Xian was silent. He knew what had happened in Haitang’s body. When he used his Tyrannical zhenqi to seal her meridians, the pure Tianyi Dao zhenqi in her body pushed back. Without regard to her life, it had surged powerfully against each spot his fingers had pressed.

If Fan Xian forcefully continued, he would still be able to subdue Haitang using a great deal of zhenqi. Haitang’s determined stance in going against the zhenqi would cause her meridians to explode and make her a useless person.

After a moment of silence, Fan Xian said in a low voice with his head down, “Even if you die, you still won’t go with me?”

Haitang looked at him calmly. Fresh blood dripped from the corners of her lips. She slowly said, “Unless my heart is conflicted, how could you subdue me? If your heart isn’t conflicted, how could you have given up the chance to capture me and mess up the best chance that the Western Hu had? I don’t want to die, but I know you won’t let me die.”

Fan Xian was silent for a moment and then said, “Thank you.”

He was thanking Haitang’s trust in him and understanding of his heart and emotions. Although the two of them had never said so explicitly, they both knew that it was clear and difficult to forget, just like night time on the grasslands and the moon by the horizon.

After his thanks, Fan Xian looked at Haitang and said each, “Do you really want to stay in Western Hu and become my enemy on the battlefield?”

“I have my persistence, and you have your persistence. Is that not so?” A strange light shone from Haitang’s common appearance. It was two parts stubbornness, three parts self-confidence, and five parts persistence.

Fan Xian gritted his teeth and said angrily in a low voice, “These are Ku He’s plans, what kind of person are you? Why must you obey his plans?”

This was what Fan Xian was most angry about. His whole life, he loathed having those terrifying, strange old creatures control his life. He firmly believed that life should be free. This was something more important than the grasslands, Northern Qi, or any such thing.

Haitang looked at him calmly like she was looking at a child. “If I listen to what you say and leave the grasslands, is that not obeying your plans?”

Fan Xian understood her meaning.

“The grasslands cannot fall into chaos. I have to stay.” Haitang looked at him. “I don’t know what you’ve done during these three days. Perhaps it is already too late for me to stop you, but I have to think of a way to stop the conflict on the grasslands.”

Fan Xian was silent for a moment and then shook his head. “Like a prairie fire, who would stop it?”

Haitang looked at him.

Fan Xian smiled rigidly and said, “Last night, the Left Virtuous Prince should have been assassinated.”

Shock flashed through Haitang’s eyes. She had been on the grasslands for two years. She knew what kind of instability the Left Virtuous Prince’s death would bring. If Fan Xian had purposely left some traces when he had done it, the grasslands, which just had a year of peace, would probably sink back into endless conflict for the sake of revenge and power.

“How can you kill him?” Haitang stared into Fan Xian’s eyes, biting her lip. The Left and Right Virtuous Princes had powerful forces. Even with Haitang, Northern Qi, and the support of tens of thousands of riders from the Northern tribes, Chief Su Bida had only just managed to subdue these two Virtuous Princes.

During these two years, the Left and Right Virtuous Princes had been afraid of the court, so their defensive power was very strong. Haitang furrowed her brows slightly. She could not think who in the Qing Kingdom would be able to sneak into the depths of the grasslands and kill the Left Virtuous Prince.

The Overwatch Council’s Shadow perhaps had this power, but he had gone to the court to punish the aides the Northern Qi had given the grasslands court.

The sound of urgent hooves came faintly from the distance. It looked like the riders the court had sent to kill Fan Xian finally could not wait anymore.

Fan Xian narrowed his eyes. Glancing in that direction, he quietly said, “I said it three days ago, regardless of whether it is Ku He or the little Emperor in Northern Qi, their lack of trust in me is a big mistake. No matter what happens in the world, I will hold the power to deal with these matters in my hand because I have much more power than you all.”

He looked at Haitang. “Thirteenth Wang came into the grasslands with the merchant group. When I stayed behind to wait for you, he followed the Left Virtuous Prince’s subordinates, who were leaving the court. I trust in his charm and ability. If even the most ferocious warrior in the world cannot kill the Left Virtuous Prince, then it can only be said that my luck is bad.”

“Come back with me.”

Haitang was silent.

Fan Xian shook his head helplessly. He then he whistled into the endless darkness behind him. From the depths of the silent grasslands, the sound of horses gradually rang out. It was like a pack of wild horses running freely.