CH 94

Back to the Countryside

Chapter 94:令牌

[A wooden or metal token of authority]

When he was in the Valley, in fact Qi Yue also did not often go to the Valley Master’s residence. He even rarely visited his own residence. The only places he spent most of his time in were the medicine room (drugs storage) and the martial arts training ground. With his heart full of tyranny and hatred. Every day, he went to and from these two places without stopping, not feeling tired at all.

Now that he has returned with his Fu Lang, there is a great difference in his state of mind. Suddenly he realized that he had never seen the place where he grew up and he had never felt its peace and beauty.

A disciple was also on guard outside the residence of the valley master. He was of a different rank from the ones at the entrance to the valley. Having been in the valley for many years, he naturally recognized Qi Yue, so as soon as he saw him, he arched his hand in greeting and said, “Qi Shi Xiong, when did you return?”

“I have just arrived.” Qi Yue gave him a nod, “This time I came here to see Shi Fu, the old man (in a respectful way).”

“Normally, if you were here, I would have let you in. However, now there is a rule that anybody can only enter if they bring the token given by Shi Xiong who acts in charge of the valley, moreover you have an outsider with you…” At this point, the disciple glanced at He Ling and with an apologetic face, he arched his hand to him again, “I’m sorry (to let you down), Shi Xiong!”

Qi Yue hooked his lips and smiled, today, everywhere he went, he met someone who was blocking his way, “Shi Di, how long do you think you can last under me?”

The disciple’s face changed as he hurriedly took a few steps back and took on an alert appearance, “Shi Xiong, don’t need to act recklessly! I’m also following the rules, if you are going to barge in forcefully, where do you put the Valley Master’s face (prestige)?”

“Is it the face of the Valley Master? Or is it the face of a certain Shi Xiong behind you?” Qi Yue’s smile had not reduced at all, but it made the disciple break out in a cold sweat. “Shi Fu is not even dead now, are you so eager to make your own rules?”

“Shi, Shi Xiong, how can you say such disrespectful words to the valley master?” The disciple’s face had turned white, but he still kept himself up blocking in front of the door. Now the shape of the valley was different from the past and he had to make a more favourable choice for himself. 

“Humph, who exactly is it that disrespects his old man? Are you not clear in your heart?” Only after the hardship (tribulation), only then we could see the hearts of some people clearly. Shi Fu was put here, under the pretext of letting him recuperate, just to let him die on his own (自生自灭: to emerge and perish on its own) , “The Valley Master of Qi Du Valley for now still surnamed Yun!” 

Seeing that he was angry, He Ling could only comfortingly pat his arm. These matters, it was not good for him as an outsider to interfere. However, to see him repeatedly kept being rejected, he also knew that the situation was not very optimistic. His husband, who was really worried about the valley master in his heart, was also understandable. 

The disciple was rendered speechless by what he had said. That Shi Xiong’s figure had not yet received the Valley Master’s token, so he was indeed still illegitimately conferred, while the other party was the main disciple of the Valley Master. If he was going to compare, one would be more convincing than the other.

He hesitated for a long time before sighing and made a way by moving to the other side, “Shi Xiong, please!”

Qi Yue cast him a sidelong glance before he took He Ling inside. After this incident, it was just as well the good time to reorganize the valley. He could be brought in so easily, so this person would not be a helping hand even if he stayed here. 

The courtyard of the Valley Master was empty and there was no one there, but it looked clean and tidy. Qi Yue thought that someone had been sent to clean it. Qi Yue pushed open the door and walked in. He felt that the air was dreary, so after helping He Ling to sit down, Qi Yue opened all the windows.

The Valley Master Yun (Yun Gu Zhu) was lying on the bed. Both of his eyes were tightly closed and his face was calm, he looked as if he was asleep. Qi Yue went over and sat on the edge of the bed and put his hand on his wrist. His pulse was very weak, as if he was on the verge of death.

Qi Yue was surprised so he checked him once again carefully, but his pulse was still the same. With a sullen face, he let go of his hand. Without saying a word, he began to examine the distinctive features of his body.

He Ling sat quietly, not daring to make a sound to disturb. He only saw the other party’s face change and change, extremely not a good expression so he couldn’t help but worry in his heart. Could it be that even Xiang Gong was unable to save him? 

Qi Yue, who had once again started to check the other party’s pulse, suddenly moved his eyebrows and pressed his fingers between his wrists for a long time before he let go of his hand, standing up and unhurriedly straightening his clothes. He walked over to the table and sat down next to He Ling, shaking his head and sighed, “Shi Fu’s interest is getting really peculiar!”

“Xiang Gong, what are you talking about?”

He Ling looked at him in confusion. Why did he suddenly come over and sigh with emotion while diagnosing a disease?

Qi Yue patted his hand, smiled at him and said, “Ah Ling, this time our journey back to the valley has been many twists and turns but there is a certain person that sleeps peacefully.”

He Ling’s eyebrows were tied into knots, why was he more and more couldn’t understand what he said to him? What was he doing here chatting leisurely with himself instead of hurrying to treat the Valley Master’s disease?! 

“As for us, no need to mention it anymore. It’s just that I pity Yun Shi Di…” Qi Yue turned his head to look at the seemingly all but unresponsive person on the bed. Gradually, his smile thickened, “He was stabbed in the chest with a sword and almost lost his life.”

“Which bastard did that? Look at how I will skin him!” The ‘unconscious’ man on the bed suddenly jumped up with a face full of anger, startling He Ling.

Qi Yue tapped his fingers on the table. He remained calm and composed while handling pressing affairs as he looked at his Shi Fu. How he pretended to be was quite real. If he hadn’t been aware of this state of affairs, he feared that he would have been concealed from the truth too. 

The moment he met with his smiling eyes, he knew he was being set up. The Master of the Valley bent over and sat down on the bed, one leg on the edge of the bed.  He put his hand on it, in his loincloth, but with a free and easy state (unrestrained appearance), “Good ah,boy! How dare you deceive (your Master) me?”

“I’m not lying to you, Yun Shi Di is really seriously injured …” Seeing that the other party had changed his face once again, Qi Yue only slowly picked up the next half of the sentence, “But there is no worry for his life. He is staying in a town on the way here to recuperate from his injuries.”

Hearing that his precious grandson was alright, Yun Gu Zhu was relieved. Only then did he turn his gaze toward He Ling, seeing the other person tense up when he looked over, he found it quite amusing,”When did you get married?”

Qi Yue patted his tense back and replied, “It’s been almost six months.”

Yun Gu Zhu narrowed his eyes. His expression became solemn and looked a little more imposing, “Make a match by parents’ order and match-maker’s word, both of your parents have passed away since you were young and I am your only Elder, without my consent, you have privately gotten married? Moreover, Wei Shi (this master) wants you to marry my Xiao Su. It’s not that you don’t know that it is against my wishes right?”

He was suddenly so serious that He Ling was frightened and dumbfounded. For a moment he didn’t know what to do. The other person he had heard from Xiang Gong and Yun Su was a very kind old man so he didn’t even think that he would make it difficult for him. 

Qi Yue brought the startled person into his embrace, looking nonchalantly at the person who had excitedly raised his teasing heart, “Shi Fu, a pregnant person cannot be frightened the most! You have already frightened him twice today.”

“You are having a child?” Yun Gu Zhu carefully took a look at his belly and saw that it was indeed curved. He hurriedly put away that frightening face and waved his hand happily and cheerfully at him, “Don’t be afraid, do not be afraid! Just now, I was just joking with you.”

He Ling didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. He was worried for nothing. He was still planning in his heart about how to not make things difficult for his Xiang Gong and how to nicely get along with the other party. 

Yun Gu Zhu got up and took out a small box from a low cupboard from one side, walk past him and handed it to him, “As an elder, I should give you a first meeting gift, but I didn’t prepare it, so I’ll give you this little thing for you to play with it.”

[见面礼: gift given to somebody when meeting them for the first time]

The elder was giving him a present, He Ling hurriedly got up to accept the gift with both of his hands. He opened the box to take a look inside according to the other party’s signalling him to do so. Inside was a perfectly round pearl the size of a longan fruit (dragon’s eye). He did not recognize what it was, but it looked extremely valuable so he subconsciously looked at the person beside him (QY). 

Qi Yue knew that He Ling thought it was a valuable gift and did not know whether he should accept it or not. It was true that night-luminescent pearls of this size were rare, but Shi Fu was not short of such things, so he nodded to him, “Take the gift and you follow me to call him ‘Shi Fu’ ba!”

“Many thanks to Shi Fu!” Seeing that he nodded, He Ling held the box and greeted the other party by slightly bending his body to pay respect. This was a gift from The Elder, he should keep it well in the future.

“No need to be polite.” Yun Gu Zhu raised his hand and gave him support as he looked at the person beside him with relief, “I thought it was impossible for you to marry in this life, but I didn’t expect that you were even close to having a child now.”

Qi Yue smiled and did not say anything. Once he also thought that he could not contain love in his heart, but who knew that things in this world were unpredictable, having a Fu Lang was one of his unpredictable variables.

“Okay then, now tell this teacher what has happened to you guys all along the way?” Yun Gu Zhu gestured for them to sit down. The side matters had all been said, now it was time to get down to the main matters.

Qi Yue told the other party everything about the attack, at the same time regarding the note given by Xiao Yu Heng had not been left out either. The culprit was actually kind of expected and did not surprise him much.

“I know who he is, even if you don’t tell me. In recent days he wasn’t being careful enough and has been going through my room looking for the token in a blatant manner. He is very confident in his poisoning methods!” The Valley Master Yun laughed coldly, did he really think he was too old and useless to not be able to smell ‘the medicine taste’ inside his tea?

“You’ve used this tactic to turn his trick against him; to beat him at his own game, but you’ve used it smoothly!” It appeared that his symptoms were similar to the poison that the other party had put on the Valley Master, but in fact they were completely different, only with a false appearance but (actually) the inside had not been damaged in the slightest.

“I also want to take this opportunity to see how many vermin there are in this huge valley? How many people have wicked ambitions, so that when they have the chance they will bite up!” The Valley Master Yun was not afraid of people with wild ambition but only afraid of the greediness of people where they would do anything to get what they want, “Another reason is to lure you,this unfilial disciple to come back here!”

He left without any news, he also did not know to give them an explanation. Even if in the future, he wanted to live in seclusion in the countryside, he needed to inform them, so that they would know how the matter actually had happened. 

“It was this disciple’s fault.” The other party knew him well enough to know that unless something bad really happened, Qi Yue would never return that easily, “I’ve made Shi Fu take a lot of trouble (rack one’s brain).”

The Valley Master Yun understood that although he was quick to admit his mistake, he had no remorse in his heart at all and still would do the same thing again, so he didn’t discuss more about this matter and said, “Your return this time will also certainly make him in a state of panic.”

“Using up all of his effort to play small tricks yet only scratching the surface so he has the heart to take the position but not the brain to do so. He is only seeking his own death then. ( about to bring his own destruction)”  Qi Yue was also curious, where the other party’s confidence came from? As if he thought that everyone else was an idiot.

“Humph, If he really had a brain, he wouldn’t have chosen to poison me!” If it had been Qi Yue who had wanted to poison him, it might have worked, but anyone else would have been ‘making a fool of himself in front of an expert’. 

[班门弄斧: show off one’s skill with the axe before Lu Ban (鲁班) the master carpenter—display one’s slight skill before an expert; teach a fish to swim]

Qi Yue lightly patted He Ling who was quietly listening to them. He then laughed in a slightly mischievous way, “Then we will wait until he is about to succeed, after that put him into the bottom of the valley.”

The feeling of being just one step away from what you wanted, but not being able to grasp it in your hands no matter what. That kind of feeling surely would be very painful. Until then, the other party’s face would definitely look wonderful. 

As soon as the two of them left The Valley Master’s compound, He Ling could not suppress the doubts in his heart and opened his mouth to ask him, “Didn’t Yun Su Shi Di say that the Valley Master’s health was not good? I saw, he was quite strong ah!”

Qi Yue pinched his face in amusement. He conveniently gave him a kiss in the mouth,”The so-called bad health is only comparatively to those from the same generation and practice the martial arts. It’s definitely so much better than ordinary people, he can still jump around! “

He Ling suddenly understood, everyday Yun Su had been talking about how hard his grandpa was working. He thought he was going to meet a sickly old man, but he didn’t expect him to be bright and cheerful. The way he jumped up from the bed was so quick. It was true that you couldn’t just hear things, you had to see it by yourself.