Horizon, Bright Moon, Sabre

by RWX

  She let out another sigh, then said, “Unfortunately, up til now, no one has ever seen that dagger.”

  With a flash of the dagger, it enters the enemy’s throat. Who, then can clearly see how long it is, or what shape it is?

  Madame Zhuo sighed again. “Thus, to this very day, this is still one of the great secrets of the martial world. We have exhausted all of our efforts, but still have not been able to produce an identical flying dagger. A pearl has been lost in the great sea. Such a pity!”

  Fu Hongxue said, “It seems there’s another weapon missing here.”

  Madame Zhuo said, “The Peacock Plume?”

  Fu Hongxue said, “Correct.”

  Madame Zhuo chuckled. “There’s nothing which is perfect in the world. Fortunately, we finally have this sabre.”

  She suddenly plucked down the pitch-black sabre from the wall.

  With a flash of sabre light, the sabre left the sheath. Not only was its length and shape exactly the same as his, it even had three notches on the edge.

  Madame Zhuo smiled. “I know that this sabre isn’t meant to be viewed by others. I fear even you yourself rarely look at it.”

  Fu Hongxue’s face had turned so pale, it was almost translucent. He coldly said, “I know that some people are the same.”

  Madame Zhuo said, “People?”

  Fu Hongxue said, “Although some people have become famous long ago and killed people without number, no one has ever seen their real face. For example…”

  Madame Zhuo said, “Gongzi Yu?”

  Fu Hongxue said, “Right. Gongzi Yu.”

  Madame Zhuo chuckled again. “You truly have never seen his face?”

  Her laughter seemed very strange, very mysterious. But Fu Hongxue’s reply was very simple. “I have not.”

  Madame Zhuo laughed. “Since you’ve already come here, you will see him sooner or later. Why be impatient?”

  Fu Hongxue said, “How long is he going to wait before meeting with me?”

  Madame Zhuo said, “Soon.”

  Fu Hongxue coldly said, “Since he is coming soon, why the need for him training how to draw his sabre?”

  That monotonous, abrupt, shrill sound was still continuing, one sound following the other. Can it be that this was the sound of drawing a sabre?

  Fu Hongxue said, “There are thousands of transformations in sabreplay, but drawing the sabre is a very simple act.”

  Madame Zhuo said, “You have practiced that movement for very long?”

  Fu Hongxue said, “Seventeen years.”

  Madame Zhuo said, “You practiced such a simple movement for seventeen years?”

  Fu Hongxue said, “I only regret that I wasn’t able to practice it for a bit longer!”

  Madame Zhuo laughed again. “Since you’ve already trained it for seventeen years, why can’t he train for a bit longer?”

  Fu Hongxue said, “Because even if he practices for a few more days, it won’t do any good!”

  Smiling, Madame Zhuo sat down. Facing him, she said, “This time, you are wrong.”

  Fu Hongxue said, “Oh!”

  Madame Zhuo said, “He isn’t pulling out a sabre.”

  Fu Hongxue said, “He isn’t?”

  Madame Zhuo said, “This is pulling out a sword.”

  She slowly continued, “Over the past few hundred years, famous swordsmen have been as common as trees. There are ninety three new sword styles, with thousands and tens of thousands of transformations. Each has its own brilliance. Some swords styles have extremely bizarre techniques, unimaginable techniques. But there is still only one way to draw a sword.”

  Fu Hongxue said, “There isn’t only one way. There is only one way which is the fastest!”

  Madame Zhuo said, “But finding this fastest way isn’t easy.”

  Fu Hongxue said, “The easiest way is the fastest way.”

  Madame Zhuo said, “Even though, the true simplicity and purity of the movement can only be returned to after thousands of transformations.”

  All the changes and transformations within all martial arts, could not transform into the word ‘quick’.

  Madame Zhuo said, “He bitterly trained for five years before he discovered this method. He has also already practiced this simple movement for seventeen years. To this very day, he is still practicing it. Every day, he practices for at least six hours.”

  Fu Hongxue tightly gripped his sabre. His pupils contracted.

  Madame Zhuo stared at him. Her gentle eyes had turned as sharp as knives. One word at a time, she said, “Do you know why he has been bitterly training this sword-drawing technique for so long?”

  Fu Hongxue said, “To deal with me?”

  Madame Zhuo swallowed a breath. “You are wrong again.”

  Fu Hongxue said, “Oh?”

  Madame Zhuo said, “He doesn’t necessarily want to deal with you in particular, or you as a person.”

  Fu Hongxue finally understood. “He wants to deal with every single martial arts expert in the world.”

  Madame Zhuo nodded. “Because he is determined to be the best in the world!”

  Fu Hongxue sneered. “Can it be that he believes that if he defeated me, he would be the best in the world?”

  Madame Zhuo said, “Up to this point in time, he has always believed this.”

  Fu Hongxue said, “Then he is wrong as well.”

  Madame Zhuo said, “He isn’t wrong.”

  Fu Hongxue coldly said, “The martial world is filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons, and the dusty world is filled with many marvelous people. Who knows how many people there are whose skills martial arts are far better than mine…”

  Madame Zhuo interjected, “But up to this point in time, there still has not been anyone who can defeat you.”

  Fu Hongxue shut his mouth.

  Madame Zhuo said, “I, too, can tell that defeating you isn’t an easy task. You are definitely the most extraordinary person who has come here.”

  Fu Hongxue couldn’t help but ask, “Many people have come here before?”

  Madame Zhuo avoided this question, instead saying, “Not only is the collection of weapons on the wall very complete, they are all masterpieces. Anyone who practices martial arts would find it hard to resist giving them a few glances. Only you can be totally unmoved.”

  Sighing, she said, “The strangest thing of all is, you didn’t even glance once at the painting.”

  Fu Hongxue said, “Why must I look at it?”

  Madame Zhuo said, “Give it a glance, and you will understand.”

  Suddenly, a voice could be heard. “Since he is going to see it sooner or later, why the rush?”

  A calm, leisurely voice, clearly coming from a person of good breeding, refined and urbane.

  Originally, being too polite was a sign of being unfriendly and cold. But this voice carried a strange warmth, such warmth that it almost approached being brutal.

  If there was a power in the world which was capable of exterminating everything, without question it must have been birthed from this warmth. And only a type of person such as Gongzi Yu could have such terrifying warmth. He clearly thirsted to meet Fu Hongxue as well. He knew that the time when they met would be a time for extermination. At least one of them would be exterminated.

  Now, he was already standing behind Fu Hongxue. Within his hands, he held a long sword which could be pierced through Fu Hongxue’s vital points at any time.

  What type of person was he? Was it a sword that he held in his hands?

  Chapter 22 - Gongzi Yu

  Fu Hongxue did not turn around. He did not move.

  He couldn’t move. He already felt a sort of all-conquering, all-pervasive killing aura. If he moved, regardless of the movement, he might give the opponent an opening. Even a single twitch of a muscle might be a fatal mistake. Although he knew that a person like Gongzi Yu was definitely not the type of person to attack from behind, he couldn’t not take precaution.

  Gongzi Yu suddenly
laughed. His laughter was graceful and courteous. “You truly are worthy of being called an incomparable, elite master.”

  Fu Hongxue was still silent.

  But Madame Zhuo blinked her eyes a few times. “He didn’t even move, but you can tell he is a master?”

  Gongzi Yu said, “Precisely because he did not move, he is an incomparable, elite master.”

  Madame Zhuo said, “Can it be that not moving is harder than moving?”

  Gongzi Yu said, “Much harder.”

  Madame Zhuo said, “I don’t understand.”

  Gongzi Yu said, “You should understand. If you were Fu Hongxue, and knew that I had suddenly arrived at your back, what would you do?”

  Madame Zhuo said, “I would definitely be very surprised!”

  Gongzi Yu said, “When surprised, you can’t help but put up your guard. You can’t help but move.”

  Madame Zhuo said, “Right!”

  Gongzi Yu said, “But so long as you moved, you would die!”

  Madame Zhuo said, “Why?”

  Gongzi Yu said, “Because you simply do not know from where I might attack. Thus, no matter how you move, you will have made a fatal mistake.”

  Madame Zhuo said, “If an opponent like you suddenly appeared behind somebody, no matter who they are, they would be tense. Even if they didn’t move, the muscles on their back would tighten.”

  Gongzi Yu said, “But his did not. Although I have been standing behind him for very long, not a single part of his body has changed!”

  Madame Zhuo finally let out a sigh. “Now I finally understand. Not moving truly is much harder than moving.”

  If you knew a man like Gongzi Yu was standing behind you, but could keep all the muscles in your body loose and slack, then you must be a man with nerves colder than ice.

  Madame Zhuo suddenly asked again, “Can it be that if he doesn’t move, you won’t have an opportunity to attack?”

  Gongzi Yu said, “Not moving is moving. The final destination of all movements is not moving.”

  Madame Zhuo said, “If you have too many openings, you actually have no openings, because your entire body will have become open. Open and clear, as empty as a vast mist. So you actually won’t know where to make your move?”

  Gongzi Yu chuckled. “I knew you would understand this reasoning.”

  Madame Zhuo said, “I also know that you definitely won’t attack. If you wanted to kill him from behind, you had many better opportunities than this one.”

  Smiling, she said, “Because your goal isn’t to kill him. It’s to beat him.”

  Gongzi Yu suddenly let out a sigh. “Killing him is easy. Beating him is really very difficult.”

  He finally walked out from behind Fu Hongxue. His steps were serene and stable. Just at this moment, Fu Hongxue suddenly felt as though he were about to collapse. Cold sweat soaked his clothes.

  He definitely could not let Gongzi Yu see this. He suddenly said, “Why must you give up the easy path and take the hard one?”

  Gongzi Yu said in a heavy voice, “Because you are Fu Hongxue, and I am Gongzi Yu.”

  Gongzi Yu was finally facing Fu Hongxue now. But Fu Hongxue still could not see his true appearance.

  From the back, his elegant bearing seemed perfect and unassailable. However, on his face he wore a ferocious, hideous bronze mask!

  Fu Hongxue coldly said, “I didn’t imagine that Gongzi Yu doesn’t dare to use his own face to meet people.”

  Madame Zhuo said, “You are wrong.”

  Fu Hongxue sneered.

  Madame Zhuo said, “What you are seeing right now is Gongzi Yu’s true face.”

  Fu Hongxue said, “What I am seeing right now is but a mask.”

  Madame Zhuo said, “Isn’t there a mask on my face right now? Have you always had this cold, frozen, bloodless pale look to your face? And yet, isn’t this still your true face?”

  Fu Hongxue shut his mouth again.

  Madame Zhuo said, “Actually, you should understand that how he looks isn’t important, so long as you know that he is Gongzi Yu. This is the important point.”

  This was the truth. Not even Fu Hongxue could deny it, because he couldn’t help but ask himself: “Am I currently showing my true features right now? What do my true features look like?”

  Gongzi Yu lightly said, “I don’t necessarily want to see your true features. I just want to know that you are Fu Hongxue. That’s enough.”

  Fu Hongxue stared at him. Only after a long time, did he say in a deep voice, “Now, you already know that I am Fu Hongxue. I also already know that you are Gongzi Yu.”

  Gongzi Yu said, “Therefore, there is something I wish to resolve.”

  Fu Hongxue said, “What?”

  Gongzi Yu said, “Between the two of us, only one of us can stay alive.”

  His voice was still callous but polite. He was clearly very confident in himself. “Whoever is stronger is whoever shall survive.”

  Fu Hongxue said, “There seems to be only one way to resolve this issue.”

  Gongzi Yu said, “Correct. There’s only one way. Since ancient times, there’s only been one way.”

  He stared at the sabre in Fu Hongxue’s hand. “So I must personally defeat you.”

  Fu Hongxue said, “Otherwise, you’d rather die?”

  An unspeakable look of sorrow was suddenly revealed in Gongzi Yu’s eyes. “Otherwise, I must die.”

  Fu Hongxue said, “I don’t understand.”

  Gongzi Yu said, “You should understand. I don’t want others to kill you, in order to prove that I am stronger than you. I am definitely going to be the strongest in the world. Otherwise, I would rather die.”

  His voice was suddenly filled with cynicism. “The martial world is like an independent country of its own. Only one ruler may be allowed to exist at any one time. If it isn’t me, it’d be you!”

  Fu Hongxue said, “This time, I’m afraid you’re wrong!”

  Gongzi Yu said, “I’m not wrong. There are many things which indicate that aside from me, you are the person with the highest level of martial arts in the martial world!”

  He suddenly turned around, facing the painting on the wall. He slowly continued, “You were able to survive long enough to get here. That wasn’t an easy task. It wasn’t due to luck.”

  Madame Zhuo let out a light sigh. “It definitely wasn’t.”

  There were many people on the painting, almost lifelike in their perfection. The painting revealed a series of stories. There was a common person in every story. That person was Fu Hongxue. Facing the painting, the first thing he saw was himself.

  Gloomy weather, a little town on the borderlands. There were two people locked in a vicious battle in the long street. One wore clothes as white as snow, but in his hand he wielded a scarlet red sword. The other wielded a pitch-black sabre.

  Gongzi Yu said, “You should remember this. This is the Phoenix Market.”

  Fu Hongxue naturally remembered. At that time, the Phoenix Market hadn’t become a dead settlement. That was also the first time he had met Yan Nanfei.

  Gongzi Yu said, “In this battle, you defeated Yan Nanfei.”

  In the second segment of the painting, the Phoenix Market had already become a ghost town. In the middle of the mist, two people knelt before Fu Hongxue.

  Gongzi Yu said, “In this battle, you defeated the Twin Killers of the Five Elements.

  And then it was the vipers in the horse saddle, Ghostly Granny’s poisonous cakes, and the poisoned wine in the bright moon’s building.

  In the middle of the desolate Ni Family Garden, a young barefoot man was slowly falling down before his sabre.

  Gongzi Yu said, “Du Lei originally was an expert of a rarely seen calibre in the martial world. His sabre was forged through bitterness and misery. Although it was a bit arrogant and artificial, I really did not imagine that you would kill him in one chop!”

  Fu Hongxue said, “A sabre art designed to kill only has one chop!”

&n
bsp; Gongzi Yu sighed. “Not to think of it, and yet when you think of it, the gods know . Striking later, but arriving first. Not changing despite thousands of transformations in front of you. One sabre chop really is enough!”

  Not only did this single sabre chop shatter all of the various transformations of all sabre arts, it also overcame the boundaries of form and speed.

  Madame Zhuo said, “What I really could not imagine was that you were actually able to escape from that secret room in the Peacock Manor!”

  The Peacock Manor had turned into a heap of rubble, and Zhuo Yuzhen appeared on the painting. The Demon Decapitating Sabre of Heaven’s Monarch angrily chopped the horse in half, chef Hao chopped flesh in front of the cart, Mingyue Xin and Zhuo Yuzhen being sent into the secret room in the Peacock Manor, Gongsun Tu appearing, Zhuo Yuzhen giving birth in the secret room…

  By this time, Fu Hongxue’s hand had already turned ice cold.

  Madame Zhuo said, “She was a string. Originally, we wanted to use her to bind your hands. If your heart always pined after her and her two children, your hands will effectively have been fastened.”

  A person whose hands had been fastened, naturally was not worth Gongzi Yu personally dealing with.

  Madame Zhuo sighed again. “But we truly did not imagine that even in that situation, you were capable of killing the Demon Decapitating Sabre of Heaven’s Monarch!”

  Fu Hongxue’s hands tightened. “At that time, you were already preparing to allow her to reveal her true identity. Why did you have her kill Du Shiqi?”

  Madame Zhuo said, “Because we needed her to do one last thing.”

  Fu Hongxue said, “You wanted her to use those two children to force me to hand over the Sorrowful Book of Yin and Yang and of Heaven and Hell Mingling?”

  Madame Zhuo nodded. “Only then did we believe that the Sorrowful Book of Yin and Yang did not fall into your hands, because we knew that for those two children, you would be willing to give up everything.”

  She sighed again, then said, “A pity that you actually were able to master the Great Acupoint Changing Technique. You actually didn’t die in her hands. The even greater pity is that you couldn’t steel your heart enough to kill her!”

  The girl wearing the jasmine flowers appeared on the painting. She was feeding chicken soup to Fu Hongxue. The old lady next door was killing a chicken. Xiao Ting, wearing her jasmine flowers, was buying alcohol in the small store at the other side of the street. The obese store owner was staring at her chest, an obscene smile on his face. But he lay drunken in that small room, as though he had slowly become used to that lowly way of living.