He tried too hard, and it backfired. Cui Buqu thought.
If time could turn back, perhaps he would tell Feng Xiao before entering Tiannan Mountain that going beyond the limit would be just as bad as going short, that one must not overdo something. Perhaps Yu Xiu and Yuan Sansi might not be able to tell, but one cannot underestimate Fan Yun.
However, there are no what-ifs in this world. He also could not anticipate Feng Xiao doing this, selling him out without a word, just for the sake of earning the trust of the Thirteen Pavilions of Yunhai.
Yet this was very like Feng Xiao's style, to act as he pleases, walking the perilous road, even fighting with his back against the river1.
If it wasn't him the one being pitted here, Cui Buqu would have called Feng Xiao and this move of his brilliant.
Before his eyes, there was a dead-end.
If Feng Xiao didn't make this ruthless move, then it would be impossible to convince Yu Xiu and the rest.
If Feng Xiao were to make this ruthless move—the one to sacrifice was simply just someone who was neither an enemy nor a friend to him, so why wouldn't he gladly do it?
Either he does nothing, or he won't leave room for manoeuver.
Cui Buqu watched as the other walked closer to him, then half-knelt, meeting eye-to-eye.
Feng Xiao's beautifully handsome face carried no expression on it; the profound flame within his eyes had died out, fleeting as they turned cold like ice, his reflection no longer visible.
At that moment of life and death, Cui Buqu was absent-minded for a moment.
He thought, if it had been him, what would he do?
One cannot obtain the tiger's kitten if one didn't enter the tiger's den; if there was a similar opportunity, perhaps he would have made the same choice as Feng Xiao had.
That split moment, Cui Buqu laughed in spite of himself.
If he had thought of this question, it only proved that his heart was already in a mess.
Because Cui Buqu has always been merciless and resolute, to the point he could even involve himself in his own schemes. No such assumption should exist.
"Have you ever thought about how you will die?" He suddenly heard Feng Xiao ask.
Cui Buqu tipped his head to the side slightly, and contemplated for a while, "Before, I thought I would die in the Cui family, but I did not. A few times when there were signs of danger everywhere, I also thought I would have died, but I did not. Afterwards in Göktürk, I thought I would die in Yu Xiu's hands, but in the end, you managed to come in time."
Feng Xiao's smile did not reach his eyes, "That is because you were lucky."
Cui Buqu nodded his head, "I also felt—"
Before he could finish, Feng Xiao's hand had already thrust forward.
Cui Buqu felt something foreign piercing his chest, searing pain surged through him, spreading across his limbs and bones.
He lowered his head and looked at the dagger that had entered him completely, watching blood spurt out of the wound, very quickly dying the front part of his robes a deep red.
Painful. It was too painful.
His eyebrows furrowed as if he wanted to recall the last time he felt like this.
It was the year when he left the Cui family, his wheezing and heart diseases acted up simultaneously, the journey met with heavy rain. He was huddled up under a roof, yet the shade was incapable of shielding the rainwater that swept it; it whipped onto his face, dampening his clothes until they dripped. That time, he also had a high fever, his mind was in a haze, and he thought that his life was about to reach its end.
There was also the last time in the Göktürks' camp, he used the Naihexiang drug to pit Yu Xiu. It similarly made himself a victim of the drug, provoking old diseases. His neck was held by Yu Xiu, light flashing wildly before his eyes as he found even breathing difficult.
However, those times were not as painful as the one now.
Could it be that there was poison on the dagger?
He attempted a deep inhale, yet it only strained his wound, causing his entire body to twitch in pain, the colour of his face paler than the white silk robes worn by those two beautiful maidservants just now.
His uneven breathing was accompanied by blood foams seeping out from his mouth, yet there was no sound.
Feng Xiao thought that he would hear the other person's mockingly cold laugh, his vicious and deadly curses.
But nothing came.
He only looked at Cui Buqu's bloody mouth as it quivered, saying something in a near-soundless breath, "You saved me once in the past; this time, take it as returning them all to you."
Feng Xiao's hand shivered.
He held the dagger steadily, not relenting; this gesture deepened the other's suffering as thick liquid blood trailed down his mouth and dripped from his jaw, drop by drop, staining his lapels and spreading everywhere.
The sudden change of events within such a short amount of time made everyone stare dumbfounded.
Yuan Sansi yielded a look of shock and disbelief. Even Yu Xiu thought that Feng Xiao had gone mad.
Even if Cui Buqu refused to surrender, now is not the right time to kill him. He only wanted to torture the other a little to vent his resentment, but Feng Xiao had been even crueller, reaching out with the intention to claim the other's life.
"Stop!"
Fan Yun barked, reaching out to push Feng Xiao away.
The latter didn't move, simply allowing himself to be pushed two steps back.
Fan Yun moved forward to examine Cui Buqu's wounds; his hands were quick like wind, sealing a few large meridians on the other before allowing someone else to deliver some cloth and medicine for knife wounds2."
This move from Feng Xiao was really cruel, thrusting the entire dagger into Cui Buqu's body, leaving no room. Even Yu Xiu did not find any proof that hinted it was an act.
"Young Master Feng, you were too rash!" Fan Yun said in a dull voice, "Even if he is unwilling to surrender now, there's still use in keeping him alive."
Carefully, he dislodged the dagger from Cui Buqu's chest. Once the dagger was taken out, another splatter of fresh red blood bubbled up. Cui Buqu leaned against the rock, unmoving, allowing himself to be handled, for his body had already descended into a semi-coma state.
Feng Xiao replied coldly, "I've said it before, 'if there is him, then there can never be me'. With the Jiejian Bureau present, I cannot see what use is there to let the Zuoyue Bureau remain—is it to lie in sitting, waiting for him to seep a message in, so I will be exposed to the Imperial Court?"
Fan Yun said angrily, "If he died, it would ruin even more of our plans!"
Feng Xiao snickered, "Couldn't believe Master Fan still thinks so highly of him. As expected of the disciple you were proud of in the past, for in the end, a little affection remained. Although you've already misled him here, you still feign concern. Don't you feel hypocritical?"
Fan Yun spoke solemnly, "Presently the Zuoyue Bureau is still oblivious to his whereabouts. We can use him to draw them out and catch them all in a single draft. There's more—the Pavilion Lord is sympathetic towards Cui Buqu, as they've met and spoken once before. If he had any mishaps, how would I explain that to him?"
Feng Xiao swept the dust off his sleeves, entirely unconcerned, "Then these are Master Fan's own responsibilities."
As he finished talking, he didn't spare anyone a glance, he turned around and left.
As Yuan Sansi watched him disappear into the darkness, he spoke in a low whisper, "This person's methods are cruel and ruthless even towards his former comrade, he could kill him without hesitation. I fear leaving him be would be an infestation."
Yu Xiu sneered, "At least he acted in my stead. If it wasn't for Master Fan forbidding it, I would have killed Cui Buqu a long time ago!"
Fan Yun took Cui Buqu's pulse, and after a while, he sighed, "I will deliver him back first. With his present injuries, he might not be able to wake up at least for a while, thus he definitely cannot see the Pavilion Lord. We can only wait for me to send a message, let the Pavilion Lord make a decision. If something happens, we can discuss again."
As he finished speaking, he carried Cui Buqu up horizontally and quickly left.
That stab from Feng Xiao did not show mercy at all. Cui Buqu lost a lot of blood, his pulse was faint, his life hanging by a thread.
In order to save him, Fan Yun could not avoid expending all his strength protecting his heart meridians, prolonging his life and bringing him back from the dead. It was even more tiring than fighting against grandmasters of the martial arts. Only after four hours did warmth finally flowed back into Cui Buqu, his face regaining colour.
However, Fan Yun was exhausted till his face turned pale, his legs wobbled, and he had no choice but to ask the maidservants to take care of him before he himself returned to his own house to meditate to regain his strength.
The maidservant who was assigned to care for Cui Buqu was one of the two that brought the wine up earlier.
She squeezed the cotton cloth dry after soaking in water and cleaned the bloodstains on Cui Buqu's face.
As for his body, the other had been too gravely injured. Fan Yun gave orders not to touch it, and that the maidservant could only remove the clothing of her patient, leaving behind only an inner robe that remained stained with blood, a sight shocking to the eye.
The maidservant tried her best to be gentle with her actions, afraid that she would startle the other and causing him more pain.
However, Cui Buqu was too heavily injured. From the beginning to the end, he never opened his eyes. He slept in silence no different from a corpse.
...
Inside this cave used to be the treasure stove of the former dynasty, but after the treasure was found, Yuan Sansi reconstructed this place and turned it into one of the gathering points of the Thirteen Pavilions of Yunhai. This place was vast and well-hidden and riddled with trap mechanisms and underground tunnels. The inner halls interlinked, not inferior compared to the lavish manors of aristocracy outside, while the luxuriousness inside was superior compared to those.
However, to Feng Xiao who was extremely picky and spent his days among the wealthy, even a setting grander than this would not sway his opinion. He would continue to enjoy them as usual.
Leaving that inner hall filled with the stench of blood, he returned to his own room. A familiar fragrant scent washed over his face, overwhelming the smell of blood lingering in his nose. Especially when there was a beauty laid half-naked on his bed, the room was filled with charming grace in boundless volumes.
A thin blanket covered the beauty's chest, divulging the tall and smooth half of her breasts and a pair of long legs slipping out from under the blanket. Skin like ice and bones like jade, extremely smooth. When the beauty with half-lidded eyes gave Feng Xiao a smile under the faint light of luminous pearls, even starlight from outer space would have to be cast through the shade.
"You're back~" The beauty answered in a lazy manner, speaking just a few short words in such a coquettish manner, like little claws ghosting next to the ears of its listener.
In such a situation, those who can still remain unmoved were definitely not men.
"Why are you on my bed?" Yet Feng Xiao flexed and refused to move, a great wave of displeasure in his eyes as he looked at her like he was looking at a statue.
Watching him in this manner, Fong Xiaolian3 was so furious that she laughed, "I suspect whether the men in the Thirteen Pavilions were men at all. Including you, already four of you have given no reaction to a beautiful body like mine!"
Feng Xiao raised an eyebrow, "Who are the other three good men? Please introduce them to me."
Fong Xiaolian snorted, grabbing onto the thin blanket as she rolled on the bed, wrapping herself up with it to use as clothing. She sat up, using her hands as she counted, "You, the Pavilion Lord, Master Fan, Yu Xiu. Master Fan bares a heart of determination, so it's needless to mention. Yu Xiu's heart already belonged to someone else, so I am dead to him, and I am not willing to provoke him either. But you—Why are you unaffected? This should not be the case."
She got down the bed leisurely, dragging the blanket as she meandered over, walking around Feng Xiao in a circle. Suddenly, she reached out to hug him from behind, but found herself hugging thin air; she stepped on the blanket and immediately fell forward on the ground.
Fong Xiaolian: "…"
"Feng! Xiao!" She was furious.
"What about Yuan Sansi? Is he not interested in you?" Feng Xiao laughed, bending down to pick her up horizontally before casually tossing her onto the bed.
Fong Xiaolian shot him a glare, charm and innocence blending together.
"Surely I'm not the type that would just welcome all comers? I do not want people like Yuan Sansi!"
"Such a rare thing!" Feng Xiao rose up, before slowly lowering his head, "Have you seen the Pavilion Lord?"
Fong Xiaolian could rely on herself to be the most peerless of beauties who has seen a thousand sails, but when Feng Xiao's breath drew near, she lost her sense of direction.
"I've seen him before. A-ah, please be gentler—"
Her voice hitched all of a sudden, elongating her breaths.
The one standing outside scolded 'slut', before finally turning and left.
On the bed, Fong Xiaolian blinked.
"Why are you pinching my waist?"
Feng Xiao, "Then why did you play along?"
Fong Xiaolian laughed, "To have a fling with the Deputy Pavilion Lord, wouldn't it be something to be proud of? I dare to bet that the one eavesdropping outside just now must be Yuan Sansi."
Feng Xiao replied frivolously, "He's jealous of me?"
Fong Xiaolian chuckled, "Wrong. He does not trust you."
Feng Xiao, "You can deduct his identity just from his footsteps, this ability is already remarkable. You should not be ranked behind Yu Heng and Duan Qigu."
Fong Xiaolian stretched lazily, "Although I obtained the name of Master Thirteen, it's only because of having a famed name and knowing some secret techniques of dual-cultivation. How would grandmasters of the martial arts like you think highly of me? Lord Feng, although it seems like you are flirting with me, your heart isn't here. Could it be—"
The hand Feng Xiao had hidden behind his back squeezed tightly.
Fong Xiaolian, "Could it be that you are similar to Yu Xiu—your heart is already given to someone else?"
Feng Xiao looked half-genuine, half-fake, "Take a guess."
Fong Xiaolian rounded up his neck, "I am guessing that everyone in this world is mortal to you; they all do not meet your standards. The only person you like is yourself."
Feng Xiao smiled, "Now I really am growing to like you. What sort of person is the Pavilion Lord?"
Fong Xiaolian asked curiously, "Why are you so interested in the Pavilion Lord?"
Feng Xiao, "He built such a huge organization on his own with just his strength alone, gathering so many people of power. Shouldn't I be interested in him? As the new Deputy Pavilion Lord, I have never seen the Pavilion Lord. Shouldn't this be a bit unacceptable?"
Fong Xiaolian smiled coldly, "No need to be in a hurry. Tomorrow is the day of qixi4, I heard that the Pavilion Lord himself will come. When that time comes, all Thirteen Pavilions will gather in the same hall, so a full gathering will be complete."
Feng Xiao's gaze flashed, "Lin Wei and Ning Shewo will also be here?"
Fong Xialian, "Of course. Don't tell me you thought they really went to Donghai county. Here is the true venue for gatherings."
Feng Xiao, "That's to say that the Thirteen Pavilions of Yunhai still left Master Nine and Master Ten. Who are they?"
Fong Xiaolian sniggered, "Such impatience. This would very easily make me suspicious that your surrender is faked, and instead you're here to scout for information."
Feng Xiao smiled, "If I said that I came for you, would you believe me?"
Fong Xiaolian blinked, looking at the other's face that was lowering itself. Just as she wanted to say something, the colour of her face changed, her body leapt into the air like a swallow, leaping out from underneath Feng Xiao's body. The dark-coloured blanket was shattered midair, yet she didn't care for it, hurrying towards the entrance.
"Help—"
Feng Xiao's speed was quicker than she had imagined. Before she could shout, a blood-red line appeared on her throat.
Fong Xiaolian opened her beautiful eyes wide, glaring at Feng Xiao as if she couldn't believe herself dying in such a simple manner.
"You are very smart. Originally, I just wanted to make you unconscious, but you found out." Feng Xiao regrettably said. When he retreated his hand, on it was a zither's string dyed in blood.
If Cui Yong knew that his beloved zither Yu Yin was disassembled by Feng Xiao to use as a murder weapon, he would have raged furiously on the spot and died without Cui Buqu's interference.
"This is going to be a little bit troublesome." Feng Xiao mumbled to himself, stilling holding an arm from the peerless beauty in his hand.
….
In the midst of gloomy skies and dark earth, Cui Buqu lingered for a long time, all until someone held on to him, pulling him up from the abyss.
That person had immense strength, intolerant to be fought with. He himself could do nothing as he was pulled back up to the surface, thus searing pain washed over him, accompanied by memories from the past like rising tides.
He wanted to cough, yet the pain didn't allow him. Cui Buqu muddled about aimlessly, going so far to even believe that he was still in the time when he was nine, in a situation when he was cornered with nowhere to go.
Death was not an option.
He couldn't die.
He needed to live on.
He must live on.
His mouth was pried open and a wave of cool liquid poured in. His aching throat felt better, but his chest hurt more.
It felt like he could hear someone muttering by his ear; that person held his feeble fingers, held him so lightly as if he was a feather, gently like he was precious pearls, afraid of shattering him.
He, Cui Buqu, drifted past the first half of his life through uneven grounds; fated to curse all those close to him, bearing a cold heart and unsentimental heartlessness, since when was he ever treated like this?
This was a dream.
He gave a soundless sigh, before falling back into a coma.
====
[1] Even fighting with his back against the river: To win or die fighting.
[2] Medicine for knife wounds金疮药: (lit. Golden-Sore Medicine)
[3] Fong Xiaolian: Mentioned before, the lit pinyin would be 'Feng Xiaolian' but to avoid confusing 'Feng' from 'Feng Xiao', it's changed to 'Fong' which has a very close pronunciation.
[4] qixi: the seventh evening of the seventh moon, also known as the Chinese Valentine's Day. It's the day where Niu Lang and Zhi Nu meet on a bridge of birds built from Heaven to Earth.