Chapter 8 Sword Tassel_1

The censer on the table by the bed caught Pei Ye's eye. It was much cleaner than the one in front of the Buddha statue outside, obviously well-cleaned. Atop it, there were three piles of pale ash. Pei Ye examined them, finding them to be only a couple of days old.

There were also two old fortune sticks on the table, which seemed to have been written a long time ago and had now been moved here from in front of the statue. One of them was written "Get rich, eat meat," and the other "Everyone in the Miao family be good to her".

There was no statue in front of these fortune sticks. Instead, there was a skewed symbol engraved on the table, and there was a small bronze decanter in front of it.

Pei Ye picked it up. This little decanter was identical to the four that had been abandoned in the woods. It must be the cup, as the old incense man had mentioned, which had once contained the Immortal Water.

He slid the cup into his waist pouch. At the head of the bed, there was half a bowl of leftover vegetable soup from breakfast. Clearly, the old incense man hadn't returned home since he parted ways with Pei Ye yesterday afternoon.

With his intentions of inquiring in detail from the old incense man unfulfilled, Pei Ye solemnly exited the courtyard.

Back in his own yard, the old man, weak in body and fond of slumber, was still asleep.

Pei Ye drew his sword, horizontally gliding its blade across his forehead, then approached the vat of water, and using the water as a mirror, meticulously examined himself.

Blood oozed from the cut on his forehead, obscuring the symbol. But after wiping away the blood, and gently parting the wound, the symbol seemed to have receded deeper, still branded on his flesh.

If you peeled back the skin, it seemed to manifest in the flesh. If you cut away the flesh, it was probably imprinted on the bone. It didn't appear to be something external, but something generated from within his own flesh and blood.

Was this the brand of the Divine Spirit?

The moist chill of the autumn rain seemed to touch his skin for the first time. As the cold surged up, so did a surge of anger, as if he was being marked like a livestock. Pei Ye suddenly raised his head, as if to lock gaze with something.

But all that was above was the gloomy, overcast sky, with heavy raindrops plummeting straight into his eyes. Pei Ye didn't flinch, allowing the raindrops to sting his eyeballs.

After a long while, Pei Ye muttered to himself, "You're just a menu selector."

...

Pei Ye prepared the usual meals as normal, and brought them in to wake the old man. As soon as the old man was helped to sit up, he sniffed and croaked, "Why is there a smell of blood? Where did you get hurt?"

As Pei Ye fed him, he detailed the events from the previous night.

The old man raised his deep, sunken eyes, and the place where his eyebrows should have been furrowed.

"Do you recognise this symbol?"

"Zhushi Sect."

"Zhushi Sect?" Pei Ye was surprised. "You've heard of it?"

"Only heard of it, never had dealings with it," replied the old man. "They're heretics. Fifty years ago, they caused a lot of chaos in the southwest and were subsequently eradicated by the Immortal Platform. Since that Shen Yanping didn't recognise them, it appears that the Immortal Platform deemed the sect to be completely wiped out and no longer disseminated relevant information to local constant checks."

"But now they're back from the dead. What does this sect do?"

"Given that it's a religious group, of course they do everything for their deities. I'm not sure of the specifics. To be honest, when I was wandering around, they were already credited by the Immortal Platform, I missed the period of their upheaval," said the old man slowly raising his arm, which began to tremble as soon as it left support, until it pressed against Pei Ye's forearm, "They're targeting you now?"

"Yes. But it's not a big deal, a few important people have already asked the state for help."

However, the old man shook his head, "Will a fire that has been dormant for fifty years be easily extinguished?"

Pei Ye was at a loss for words.

"Let's hope it's just a desperate attempt on their part. But it's best not to underestimate your enemies."

Pei Ye nodded solemnly, then asked, "Grandfather Yue, have you ever heard of 'Quail Head'?"

"What?"

Pei Ye recounted his dream.

The old man furrowed his bald brows and shook his head.

Pei Ye was somewhat disappointed, having hoped the old man would have some advice.

The old man's dark eyes seemed to peer into one's heart, "Why did you ask that? Do you have something on your mind?"

Pei Ye was silent for a moment, and did not respond.

He indeed had emotions he wanted to unleash.

Like being wary of the Black Chi. His being targeted by the Zhushi Sect had a clear trail to follow, his Dantian was superior making him one of the twelve sacrificial objects. But why had the Black Chi specifically chosen him? What was its intention?

Like the anger he had to suppress with his rational mind. He had to quail like a rabbit hiding from a wolf, cowering in fear of those evil men because they had massacred his friends and family and he would be next.

But in the end, he said nothing. Because the old man in front of him wasn't a hermit from a tale, who lived in the world but was not part of it. He was simply a pitiful creature who had fallen into the muck, his frailty and weakness were not feigned.

"It's nothing, we'll talk about it after everything has settled down. I'm going to sleep at the county office tonight, the important people will protect us there," Pei Ye changed the subject. "I cooked extra food, when it's time, just help yourself. I'll be back tomorrow."

The old man slowly nodded.

As the young man walked towards the gate, the willow branches in the front yard brushed against his cheek. Irritated, Pei Ye swung his arm to swat them away and marched away to the north.

Just as Pei Ye was returning to his room, the old man suddenly said, "Little Ye."

"What?"

"There's no moat in front of a tiger's eyes."

"...Alright."

Back in his room, Pei Ye went to the closet and moved around some clothes, then took out a Sword Box from a hidden compartment.

Upon opening the clasps, a longsword lay inside.

This was not a treasure or divine sword, just a well-crafted longsword.

This sword was the prize for his first victory in the Mid-Autumn Festival martial arts competition when he was fourteen. It was robust and sturdy. The sheath was pear wood wrapped in cowhide, and the handle was tightly wound with a fine red string. The blade shone like the ripples of a river under sunlight, every detail was exactly in place.

Pei Ye didn't want to wear it out, so he never used it during his daily practice. Indeed, this sword hadn't left the yard in close to two years.

When he took it out of the box, the tassel hanging at the end of the sword brushed his hand, and Pei Ye paused for a moment.

This tassel was woven with green silk and was very delicate. It was adorned with a small jade column, on which was engraved sixteen small characters, "Grateful for your kind virtue, hiding it within the jade; Crane bones and bamboo heart, never falling from the azure cloud". He had to bring it close to his eyes to see them clearly.

This was a gift from Lin Yue on his birthday two years ago. At that time, his Dantian was recently damaged and she came by quite often to gently encourage and comfort him. At the time, this tassel suited the sword well, and they were both very happy. Wanting to prove that he hadn't given up on himself, Pei Ye demonstrated the swordsmanship Grandfather Yue had taught him on the spot. Though the form was shadowy, it was certainly sharp and dashing, causing Lin Yue's small face to flush with excitement.

If he is really going to face an enemy now, this sword tassel might be a bit cumbersome. Pei Ye gently untied it and stored it carefully.

He then rummaged through his wardrobe to change into a smart and neat outfit, replacing his straw sandals with boots, and carried the sword in his hand, packing the wine and medicinal scrolls into another bundle.

When he walked out the door, the willow branches in the front yard brushed his cheek. Annoyed, Pei Ye swung his arm to push them away, and strode off to the north.