Section Three: Meticulous Scheming

"Brother! But you mustn't belittle yourself..." Bu Jingxian stopped him from continuing, smiling as he said, "To say 'belittle oneself' of me, Zuo An, is a laughable absurdity. My own ambitions, I admit, are arrogant! Yet at this moment, whatever my aspirations, whether they may come true or not, all that belongs to the future. What lies before us now, for the Wanxia Sect, is a question of survival. It's not something that can be solved later; the problem won't wait for the future. As for what I can do today, my help is simply to leave decisively."

Gui Jianchou was speechless, remembering the hardship of their days in exile and the misery of Wanxia Sect's people. He began to understand Bu Jingxian's reasoning and could not argue further.

"In that case, who knows when we brothers will meet again after today? Meeting you in this life is a great fortune for me, Gui Jianchou. I will toast you with nine cups as thanks!" Ignoring Bu Jingxian's protest, he drained nine cups in succession. Bu Jingxian could only accompany him, cup for cup.

After some more words, Bu Jingxian saw that midnight had passed, so he rose to take his leave.

"Brother Gui, take care of Sister Bilian, live well. I bid you farewell."

"Take care! When you settle down, don't forget to send a letter to your old brother!"

"I will."

At that hour, there was no one at the manor's back gate. Bu Jingxian slipped quietly out, striding away from the city.

Meanwhile, Bai Yue sought Bai Xing for cultivation practice, which was supposed to begin at midnight. Unexpectedly, Bai Xing dawdled, insisting on finishing her embroidered insoles before training. By the time their chores ended, half an hour had already passed since midnight. On their way to the study, they met a servant carrying a bottle of ornate wine. Bai Xing asked curiously, "Who is drinking that?"

"Reporting to Sect Leader and Deputy Sect Leader, it was requested by Sir Gui."

This ornate wine was worth a hundred silver taels, a gift from the city governor's son. Bai Yue found it strange; though Gui Jianchou had a hint of street manners, he was not someone who would shamelessly ask for such expensive wine just for a whim.

"Is he entertaining guests?"

"That... I don’t know. Sir Gui didn’t say."

Bai Yue pondered rapidly, then asked urgently, "What dishes did he order with the wine?"

"Ten pounds of cooked beef, five lotus-leaf chickens, two pounds of tender bean sprouts, ten portions of steamed egg..."

Bai Yue didn't wait for her to finish, dragging Bai Xing away. She immediately employed lightness skill, leaping over rooftops, crossing several houses in succession, and landing on the street, sprinting toward the North Gate. Bai Xing struggled to keep up, anxiously asking, "Sister, what's happened? ... Sister, where are we going?" She saw Bai Yue's panic, and as they ran, tears brimmed in her eyes.

"Sister... what's wrong?"

"He’s gone, he’s left without saying goodbye!"

"Wha—how could that be?"

"Cooked beef, lotus-leaf chicken, tender bean sprouts, steamed eggs—who loves those dishes?"

Bai Xing answered without thinking, "Zuo An, of course! He eats those almost every time. What’s strange about Gui Jianchou inviting him to such a meal?"

"Why would Gui Jianchou ask for that expensive ornate wine? Unless something momentous happened, he would never shamelessly request it. These past days, Zuo An has been deliberately avoiding and distancing himself; I thought he simply harbored resentment. Today he told us to practice at midnight, and those dishes and wine were just cleared away not long ago. If he didn’t intend to leave without saying goodbye while we were practicing, what else could it be? He wants us to marry the city governor’s son so that Wanxia Sect can establish itself in the new city and rise again, silly sister!"

Bai Xing was shocked and flustered, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. She stammered, "How could he do this, how could he... Sister! Then let’s split up to chase him, what if he took the South Gate..."

"He’ll definitely leave through the North Gate! When he came to Chu that day, he already carried worries, clearly planning something else. He can't go to Chen or Zheng; if he wanted to go anywhere, he'd pass through Korea. The North Gate leads out without following Zheng’s official road, so he’ll take the mountain path to Korea, the North Gate for sure."

Bai Xing was slightly reassured.

"His lightness skill isn’t great; he can’t move fast. We will definitely catch up, definitely!"

Just then, the weather suddenly changed, and a steady rain began to fall, quickly soaking the passersby.

Bu Jingxian had just left the North City Gate when the rain started. He hurried under a tree, wrapping his bundle tightly in oil paper to keep it dry. As he finished and prepared to set off, he spotted two figures racing through the rain, their cries faintly audible. It seemed to be Bai Xing. Surprised, he was about to hide, but the figures doubled back and ran straight toward him.

Bai Yue saw him and rushed over, throwing her arms around him tightly. She cried, "Hold him tight, Bai Xing! No matter what, don’t let him leave!"

Bai Xing started out dazed, just sobbing. Hearing Bai Yue’s shout, she saw her sister holding Bu Jingxian firmly around the waist. Unsure where to grab, she wrapped her arms tightly around Bu Jingxian’s, hugging him with all her strength.

Seeing them running through the rain, drenched, boots and robe tails caked with mud, Bu Jingxian felt both moved and helpless.

"Bai Xing is one thing, but you’re the sect leader—how can you behave like this..."

"Why not show you my true girlish side?" Bai Yue suddenly burst out, glaring up at him and demanding angrily. Her breath came in gasps, as if she would suffocate. "So what if I’m the sect leader? I was born a girl! When I was eight, my father’s old wounds flared up and he passed away, leaving no sons. As the eldest daughter, I had to shoulder the responsibility of Wanxia Sect’s leadership. From then on, I kept reminding myself—I was still a child, forced to learn how to act like a sect leader, every gesture, every word, always cautious and mindful. But I’m just a girl, only seventeen now! Why shouldn’t I show my girlish heart to the man I love! I don’t need anyone to remind me I’m the sect leader; I’ve reminded myself for nine years, nine years!"

"Sister—it’s all my fault, I’m useless, I can’t help you at all..." Bai Xing listened, guilt, regret, and tenderness flooding her heart, making her cry out in sorrow.

Bai Yue shook her head, saying it wasn’t her fault, it was fate’s cruelty. With tears in her voice, she gazed up at Bu Jingxian. "Zuo An, I’ve done everything I could for Wanxia Sect, fought every day amidst the poisonous schemers in Jin Guang City. I don’t want to spend my life married to a man I don’t wish to marry, waking each day with tears and blood, telling myself, all because I am the sect leader! I don’t want to hate my father, or my mother who bore me!"

"I don’t need you to tell me what will happen if I do this! I know, I’ve thought it through. To marry someone I don’t love, pretend for a lifetime, perhaps even bear children I cannot fully cherish, and tell them their mother and father are loving and happy—just imagining such a future drives me mad! This is more than I can bear, more than my limit! These things have already exceeded my limit—"

Bai Yue cried out in distress, her voice gradually breaking into sobs. Bai Xing unconsciously let go of Bu Jingxian and hugged her sister tightly from behind. "Sister, don’t be sad, don’t cry. I’ll help you, I’ll learn to help you..."

Bai Yue clung tighter, and Bai Xing hugged her all the more. The sisters wept uncontrollably in the rain. Bu Jingxian had never liked weakness in others, yet he couldn’t categorize Bai Yue as weak. Seeing her like this, he felt a strange ache and, unable to help himself, wrapped one arm around Bai Yue’s shoulder and the other around Bai Xing’s, letting them cry out the bitterness and grief that had been pent up for so long.

The rain grew heavier, thunder rolling deafeningly overhead.

When Bai Yue and Bai Xing had cried themselves out and calmed a little, Bu Jingxian pulled them under the eaves of a nearby storehouse to shelter from the rain.

Sheltering, they looked at each other; their clothes and hair were soaked through, and they couldn’t help but laugh together.

Bai Yue nestled close to Bu Jingxian, holding his left arm tightly, her head resting against his shoulder. On the other side, Bai Xing blushed, pretending to watch the rain. Bu Jingxian simply pulled her close as well.

"You two should go back." Seeing their resistance, he hurried to explain, "Since you’ve found me, how can I leave? But if you return now, things won’t go awry. At dawn, I’ll stay at a roadside inn and wait until Wanxia Sect’s affairs are settled before deciding what to do. Though you’re willing to leave everything and follow me, how could I ignore the people of Wanxia Sect? I’ve already dragged you into too much trouble in Jin Guang City. If things can be resolved thoroughly this time, it’s best for all."

Bai Xing, still fearful he was deceiving them, asked suspiciously, "You really won’t leave us again without warning?"