Chapter 56 - Blood Pact
Accompanying the Emperor to approve the memorials, Su Yu was on tenterhooks all morning.
Only the Imperial Uncles would think of fish fillets with hot chili when they saw Su Yu, the first reaction of the other courtiers who came to the meeting when they saw Su Yu was…The Yao Fei misleads the country!
He was convinced the imperial censor would knock against a pillar tomorrow morning to remonstrate with his death.
The immediate consequence of this was that Su Yu didn’t finish memorizing the <Fish Killing Heart Sutra>.
Apprehensively carrying a food box to the Anguo Tower, Su Yu purposely made a few extra pastries today, hoping to divert the State Teacher’s attention so that he could go through the motions.
The Anguo Tower today seemed different from before. The security around it was much tighter, and there were many more white-clothed attendants in the main hall.
Su Yu went up to the second floor and the State Teacher was sitting by the window, watching something intently.
“Paying respects to Imperial Uncle.” Su Yu stepped forward and saluted.
The State Teacher waved his hand and motioned him to keep quiet.
Putting the food box on the table, Su Yu curiously leaned over. In front of the window, where the sun could shine, there was a three-foot-square porcelain jar.
The water in the jar sparkled and reflected some light patterns on the wall. There were two black things swimming in the water, and when he went closer to have a look, he couldn’t help but be taken aback.
It seemed to be two fish, each one a foot long and shaped like a carp, but their bodies were covered with long black fur. The fur was hard and as the fish swam, the fur waved in the water with threatening gestures, looking like a prickly ball.
The State Teacher stared at the two fish for a moment, his clear and cold eyes swung back and forth with the swimming fish. After a long time, he slowly reached out his hand towards the water.
The hand was slender and fair, almost transparent in the sun.
Originally swimming aimlessly in the water, the fish seeing the beautiful hand on the surface, suddenly paused and then fiercely burst out of the water with a “splash”, opening their big mouth for a bite.
The fish's mouth originally looked normal, but after opening it was very frightening. The big mouth full of fangs could almost reach their gills, and in addition to the fine fangs, there were two long tusks on both sides.
When it opened its mouth, it would make a hoarse roar.
“Watch out!” Su Yu exclaimed.
He picked up the bamboo strainer beside the vat and was about to go protect the State Teacher, but the State Teacher was faster than him.
Turning his wrist slightly, he skillfully bypassed the lunging big mouth and grabbed the fish gills with one hand, conveniently using the tail of the fish in his hand to slap the other one back into the water.
Su Yu quietly withdrew his half-stretched bamboo strainer, it seemed that the State Teacher didn’t need his protection at all.
The State Teacher held the strange fish, then he leisurely looked at Su Yu, seeing that he was still holding a strainer, his beautiful eyes were tinged with a smile.
Su Yu had never seen the State Teacher smile, his eyes were always cold and lonely. Now, with just a little bit of warmth, it was like a snow lotus on a high mountain dyed with the first sun’s shimmer, beautiful beyond compare.
Su Yu looked a little stunned, the afterglow was swept away by the strange fish that was still struggling in the hands of the State Teacher, and he instantly came back to his senses. Thinking that the Emperor was beaten black and blue and suffered internal injuries, he sighed in his heart. A beauty was a beauty, but still a bit fierce.
The State Teacher was a little surprised, he didn’t expect Su Yu to come back to his senses so quickly. He lowered his eyes slightly and passed the fish in his hand.
“Can you recognize it?”
He had never seen this kind of fish, but it felt a little familiar. Su Yu blinked and the exaggerated drawings in <Su Ji’s Recipes> suddenly came to his mind, an ugly black fish like a prickly ball.
“This, could it be a Qingyu?”
“Correct.” The State Teacher nodded and plucked a hair from the fish.
“How do you kill this fish?”
Su Yu reacted, the State Teacher was reviewing his homework, fortunately, his memory of recipes was always good. He remembered how to prepare the fish recorded in the recipe in the secret book clearly.
“Boiling the fish in hot water removes the hair, and use Inner Qi to remove the fishy blood. Qingyu’s bones are as hard as a rock, so remove the gills and separate the flesh and bone. ”
“Boil in hot water to remove the hair?” His slender long eyelashes trembled, the State Teacher looked at the long hair in his palm and brought his five fingers back together.
The long black hair suddenly caught fire and burned into ashes in an instant, a strong scorching odor wafted from the surroundings. He raised his hand and threw the fish back into the tank.
“So that is how it is.”
Su Yu’s eyes widened, he was sure that the State Teacher had no ignition device in his hand. He stared blankly as the “fish hair” caught fire in the center of his palm like it was natural, this is too unscientific!
“Imperial Uncle, just now that fire…”
The State Teacher took a white silk handkerchief and wiped away the black ash and water stains from his hands, then he stood up and said.
“Fire In The Palm.”
“Is this triggered by Inner Qi?” Su Yu was curious.
In the martial art novels, it is said in the Wulin that experts could heat up their meals with their bare hands. He had always been very envious, he never thought that someone could really do it.
The State Teacher gave him a look and didn’t answer. He just picked up the cup on the table and took a sip of water, then he lifted the food box on the table and said.
“Fish up those two fish and follow me.” Without waiting for him, he slowly went up to the third floor.
“Ah? Oh, yes.” Su Yu hurriedly grabbed the strainer and went to catch the fish.
The strange fish swam quietly when the State Teacher was there, but when they saw Su Yu, they were not polite at all. As soon as he showed half his face in the water tank, the two fish rushed to the fore and flung Su Yu a face full of water.
With sharp eyes and agile hands, he caught the fish that jumped out from the water with the strainer and threw it to the ground.
The strange fish was stunned from the fall, and Su Yu grabbed the fish gill and threw it into the basket, then he quickly captured the second one in the same manner, closed the lid, and ran up to the third floor.
The State Teacher was sitting on the couch on the third floor, he had opened the food box and was preparing to eat the pastries. Seeing Su Yu appear so soon, the hand holding the pastry couldn’t help but pause.
“You are quite fast.”
Su Yu scratched his head in puzzlement. It’s just catching fish that’s all, how much time could it take?
The State Teacher took a deep look at him, then he put down his pastry and walked slowly towards him.
“In our dynasty successive generations, except for the Son of Heaven, ordinary imperial kinsmen are not allowed to climb above the third floor of the Anguo Tower.”[TL_Note: My bad, the way the author wrote was a bit confusing to me, so in conclusion it’s the floors above the third floor that are forbidden, not the third floor itself]
Su Yu looked up at the stairless third floor. There was a big hole in the roof, and silk ribbons with tiny bells hung down in the middle, swaying gently with the wind.
Thinking back on the way the State Teacher went upstairs, he swallowed his saliva. Even if you let him go, he couldn’t go up!
“My Da’an Imperial Family has many secrets.” The State Teacher held the long silk ribbon with one hand, his slender white fingertips slid across, and his clear and cold voice suddenly became ethereal.
“If you want to climb the tower, you have to establish a blood contract.”
Blood contract…Su Yu’s lips twitched. To learn how to kill fish, you have to establish a blood contract?
“If you make a blood pact, you cannot betray it. Once you leak the secret, Benzuo will immediately know, even if you are thousands of miles away, and you will be killed instantly.” The ethereal voice suddenly became clear again, echoing coldly in his ear like a knife, Su Yu trembled with fear.
“Then, then I…” Su Yu couldn’t speak as nimbly.
He wondered if he could stop learning, but in face of the cold gaze of His Highness the State Teacher, he couldn’t utter the words of refusal.
“I have to discuss it with His Majesty.”
“That’s fine.” The State Teacher lowered his eyes and said no more.
“Today, I’ll take you to the fourth floor. If you don’t want to make a contract, you don’t have to come back tomorrow.” Saying that, he raised his hand and threw out the silk sash, which instantly wrapped around Su Yu’s waist. With a tap of his toes, he floated up gracefully.
The soft silk around his waist suddenly tightened. Su Yu gave a startled cry, grasped the fish basket in his hand, and then was yanked up.
The author has something to say:
Small Theater:
<The Great Conjecture about the Blood Pact>
Signing a blood contract with the State Teacher
State Teacher:(bibibi, calling) It’s time for the afternoon tea, where are the pastries?
Signing a blood contract with Seventeenth Uncle
Seventeenth Uncle: (bibibi, calling) I’m in the Western Regions, what spices does my niece-in-law want, ah?
Signing a blood contract with Younger Brother-in-law
Younger Brother: (bibibi, calling) Ow, sister-in-law, help, meowww…(communication broken)
Signing a blood contract with His Majesty
Cat Gong: (bibibi) Stupid slave, Zhen wants seafood porridge for breakfast
Cat Gong: (bibibi) Stupid slave, Zhen wants to eat roasted scallops for lunch
Cat Gong: (bibibi) Stupid slave, come and accompany Zhen to review the memorials
Cat Gong: (bibibi) Stupid slave, come here to sleep!
Little Fish: ...If the blood contract can block the screen flood, I will sign it…
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Yao Fei -> goblin/witch/devil / bewitching/enchanting / monster/phantom/demon
Wulin -> martial arts social circles
Benzuo -> this seat