Capital city Luhan was the largest city fortress, the central government in Gifu. It was the home for millions civilions, including imperial family. The city was designed following the yin yang and feng shui principles -- 4 main gates at compass directions, which were guarded by 4 founder families.
In the middle of it was the imperial city, where the emperor's line resided and the imperial council meeting was held.
The city was so big that it could take a whole day to walk from east gate to west one, tantamountly 6-7 hours by horse carriage. The red district was located at eastern north, it would only take 2 hours running and leaping from roof to roof.
At the time they met at carp building roof, the sun was already 45° to the west. The sky was orengish blue. Ashile only had few hours before the sun set and the abandon Yang residence would be completely in dark.
As usual, the streets were full of people passing over. The streets vendors shouted, calling the customer over. The stories building were filled with various people who cames for work, entertaining, eating food, drinking wine, or merely enjoying the city scenery.
Ashile could ran fast while leaping swiftly. He inherited the nine cloud heavenly steps, which could enlighted body and movement. He moved very fast as if his body teleported in short distance. A Nin followed him closely, as if he knew where his master was heading. Both of them were very fast. Not up to an hour, they had arrived near Yang's residence.
As they got closer to Yang's residence, the street become serene. No more vendors or people walked by. It was likely a haunted area. Ashile scouted between rooftiles, hesitating to go on. This place to him was a home, full of bittersweet memory. It was devastating to see the splendid Yang estate turned to be abandon ruins.
A nin who arrived later, was surprised to witness abandoned hectares of charcoal ruins before his eyes. He could not believed such place existing among the crowded capital city.
He tapped lightly on Ashile's shoulder, knowing what was inside his heart. A Nin just stood in silent accompanying him. He could see Ashile's back was shivering, and his fist stomped to the ground in rage. He understood, this place must have triggered something depth inside his heart -- unspeakable.
Without any words, Ashile leaped down, followed by A Nin. He then reminisced this was the main yard, turn to left, walked straight, turned to right, walked straight to the corner, there would be a small fish pond. Yang Jun liked to watch the fish swiming around nitpicking the food. Across the pond, there was a gazebo, where Yang Jun liked to play his guqin and read his books. Next to the gazebo was a rocky path to Yang Jun's private chamber.
He imagined the building structure and interiors -- each detail like it was. He looked for the clue Xiao Qiao told him before. The event was just like yesterday, when he opened the door of this chamber, a bright smile would welcome him. This was supppsed to be Yang Jun's study room, he would have sat on the coach, painting or writing. He would be the one stood next to him, preparing his ink.
There should be Yang Jun's day bed, where he would take a nap, and Ashile would stayed beside him, reciting his favourite poem. In the front was the yard where they would practice martial art, exchanged few strokes of swords, and improving their combat ability. Next to it was Yang Jun's bed chamber, where they would drink wine till they drunk, sharing their compassion and vision. He would stay there until Yang Jun was soundly sleeping to go back to his own room which located few metres aside.
He did not believe that Yang Jun kept something from him. In a glace, he could read that man inside and outside -- Yang Jun was likely a transparent glass in his eyes. Without any words, they were able to connect to each other. Their trust and relationship had surpassed the brotherhood, not even love could describe it. The day he lost Yang Jun was the day he lost his own self.
Up to this day, he kept looking for the man who supposed to be dead. Others said, it was denial. But deep in his heart, he could feel in the distance, the other half of his was still beating.
He walked slowly, Yang Jun's residence kept a lot of memories, which never faded away. A Nin watched him in silence. He had never seen Ashile so emotional before. Somehow, his heart was ached. He rubbed his chest, but the pain did not disappear.
Ashile stopped at the stone wall which was the partition between Yang Jun's residence to the other Yang's family members. Other parts of building had be burnt to chacoal and ashes but the wall was still standing. It made out of white polished marble. There were some burnt stains on it.
He caressed the surface, finding a sculpture mark covered by black stains. It was neither a letter or drawing -- a symbol?
What kind? When? Who? And why?
Using his sleeve, he wiped the stain. It was a rough made symbol, small, but very detailed. It seemed to be carved with dagger. The marble was hard stone, it impossible to leave the mark in such short notice. The mark didn't seem old either. So, someone must have got here and carved it.
The question is who and how Xiao Qiao knows it? This place has been abandoned for more than decade. No single soul with sane mind will stay here or come here unintended.
After the incident, the rumour of haunted Yang residence spreaded like fire in the wood. A lot of people who passes by would hear lamentation, growling, and weeping. Not only that, who ever dared to step in the house, would died terribly -- killed by ghosts of Yang's. So, the building was left as it was. Several acres from the area surround was abandoned too. It became forbidden area. Since then the east gate was shut permanently with giant iron gates and chains. The eastern wall was elevated few metres. But it never finished due to workers' and guards' mysterious deadth.
After a while fondling the wall, he finally knew what symbol it was. It was indeed the same as inscription that Xiao Qiao shown him before. The same one as the first time he saw it -- sixty, seventy or eighty years ago? The timeline he could not remember. The only one knew was the annihilation of his own clan, and he was the only survivor. The symbol was the scorpion tinted in red blood.
He sniffed his own sleeve. It was the smell of blood and something else, the scorpion toxin and the burnt of charcoal. Horror and rage had mixed within his heart, boiling his blood. His past had finally caught him.
As he was in stun, a dagger flied toward him. It was so fast that even A Nin couldn't react. Thanks to decades of training and improving his own cultivation, he acted by instinct, catching the dagger with his bare hand.
He looked at the dagger -- the silver sicca dagger with a hole in the hilt, quite expensive and rare, light, yet deadly. Not only sharp but also poisonous. If an ordinary man scratch by it, he would have died instantly. But Ashile was not an ordinary. He was something more complicated than a mere man.
He turned his head to the one who threw it. As he saw the silhoutte, he was so shocked that he was not being able to move. The man was standing on the rooftile. The silhoutte was all black but the crimson mask which cover his nose to chin went noticeable. Even with such fragile footing, he could stood firmly.
Seeing his master in danger, A Nin rushed to strike. He drew his sword, leaping with all his might, charging at the mysterious man. Both were having fight in the air as the rooftile collapsed.
A Nin had been honing his sword under Ashile's supervision. He was an exceptional swordman. His stroke was strong and fiesty. Even so, he was underskill compared to that man. A Nin used the long sword and he only had a short sicca dagger dancing around his fingers. But A Nin could not even make a scratch on him.
The man seemed to play around, parrying each attack easily with his dagger while leaping here and there. He didn't even look exhausted after moving a lot.
A Nin was soon overhelmed. He did not expect to have battle in the air. He was exhausted from leaping and striking. As he caught a breath for a moment, a sicca dagger was already flying in front of his eyes. However, a sicca dagger coming from the ground tackled it. In a blink of eyes, Ashile had been in front of him.
A Nin fell down in relief. If Ashile did not act, he would have lost his life. He stole a glance to Ashile -- his expression was undescribable. A puzzle he did not understand.
Ashile's nine clouds heavenly steps was elegant and beautiful. He might be one of the most exceptional martial artisans in jianghu. And yet, he seldom showed off his skill. But tonight, as the sun set in the west and the moon raised from its bed, he revealed his real ability.
The man awared of Ashile, drawing another sicca dagger from his belt. Ashile did not use his sword, he only took out a paper fan from his robe. He stroke that man with wind blade from paper fan. The man used his double sicca dagger to parry, sommersaulting to the back, then throwing his left hand's sicca dagger.
Ashile evaded, then turned back as the man had already been there fetching his flying sicca dagger. Ashile parried it with his paper fan. The man use his right hand to attack Ashile's lower part, but it was blocked with his feet. They exchanged several attacks, that they were equivalent to each other.
In A Nin's eyes, he couldn't even catch the fight before him completely, because both of them were in another level of fight. Their attacks were so fast and happened within seconds. The fight was as thought the two people testing each other without any intention of killing -- dancing into their rythm. Both of them didn't look spun after long fight, not even tearing sweats.
A Nin learnt a new side of Ashile. In some way, he enjoyed the fight, just like a child getting his favourite toys. He had eyes on Ashile for decade to tell about that man. And the pain in his chest worsened.
Ashile opened the paper fan threw it in the air and the fan twirled back to his direction. He leaped on the paper fan as footing then drawing his sword. The sword tip cut off the crimson mask, revealing the person behind it.
Both of them fell down to rooftiles of a gazebo. Ashile was astonished. His eyes were widened in disbelief. After a while, he muttered a name in a shaking tone.
"Yang Jun..."