Jing Wen felt the strains sustained by his ox bone bow and simply threw it away into the pond like shabby shoes he had grown out of. He then tore the edge of his white robe, and used the fabric to bandage the wounds on his neck and thigh.
During this, he used the time to think over some things. It was the first time he had fought since the loss of his vision, and this encounter was no doubt one of the closest moments he had come towards death - even during the events of his father’s assassination, was he not pushed to this state. Although he could suppress these emotions and calm his mental state when shooting his arrows, he could not maintain this disposition forever.
His body shook slightly, and the piece of white cloth followed. Perhaps it was because of the cold wind, or some other matter.
After the bleeding had stopped, Jing Wen lifted his head, and slowly arrived before the cottage where Zhou Aimin was bound.
Jing Wen ‘looked’ at this man, who had been to detect Nangong Zhu’s movements from over a dozen zhang (3.33 meters) away. He frowned, for many questions were on his mind, such as how Zhou Aimin was able to possess such great eyesight, or how he trusted the Little Taoist’s word so instinctively in the first place.
But before all else, he bowed deeply to the tied up Zhou Aimin.
“Thank you venerable Taoist for saving my life.”
Zhou Aimin wished to return the bow but could not due to his constraints. In the end, he could only smile helplessly, and say, “I had merely given honourable sir some advice - besides, you had battled with Nangong Zhu due to my failures in the first place. I should be the one in debt.”
Jing Wen found what Zhou Aimin said was rather reasonable, and did not press on the matter any further. He picked up the squirming Gu helplessly in the cottage with his head and placed it in his satchel. He untied the Little Taoist while saying, “My residence still welcomes you, venerable Daoist.”
Zhou Aimin, finally free, gave a meek smile, saying, “Of course… I shall then be intruding honourable sir’s residency then.” The Little Taoist grew slightly awkward as he said, “May I request sir of another matter?”
Jing Wen tilted his head to signify his interest.
“I had overheard that mister Wang had intended to cripple one of his female servants before selling them to a brothel. The girl is still only fourteen and does not deserve such a terrible fate. I beg honourable sir to save the servant before she is ruined.”
“Couldn’t Venerable Taoist appeal to the county magistrate? Why ask me to take action?”
Zhou Aimin sighed and said helplessly, “However, the county magistrate is well known to be blind to the actions of Mister Wang’s injustice. I’m afraid if I were to take actions to circumvent this, it would be too late, and the girl would already be sold to the brothel.”
Jing Wen lowered his head, then said indifferently, “I will.”
The Little Taoist’s smile grew wider, until two dimples appeared on his face. He praised, “The heavens are indeed not blind!”
A moment later, the Taoist seemed to realise his mistake. He hurriedly added, “Honourable sir, while your eyesight is lost, your virtues and martial prowess have not. In comparison, though both Mister Wang and the county magistrate possess vision, they are blind to the order of the world, lacking in piety and kindness.”
Jing Wen had long grown dull to the matters regarding his vision and appeared more flustered at the heap of praises that came from Zhou Aimin’s mouth. He said after a long moment, “Venerable Taoist overpraise me. I am lacking in virtue, and have little martial skills, particularly after the loss of my vision.”
Zhou Aimin went silent, then moved his eyes to the space between where the middle between Jing Wen’s two eyes should be. He stared at it for a long time, as if wishing to burn a hole in the piece of white cloth to see what’s hidden beneath. He said, “Honourable sir, I have learnt of information regarding an immortal elixir that can cure all wounds from my father. As repayment for saving the servant girl, I will share it with sir.”
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Jing Wen’s body jolted, but soon calmed down. However, while his body was calm, countless thoughts were within his mind, like a fire that cannot be stopped. If he could regain his vision, he could cultivate Qi once more. If he could regain his vision, he could see the beauty of the world once more. If he could regain his vision, he could finally escape the damage left behind by his father’s death.
He cupped his hands and deeply bowed toward Zhou Aimin, saying with a slightly hoarse voice, “If what Venerable Taoist say is true, I shall be forever in your debt.”
---
Winter had arrived early this year, ruining farmland and killing livestock for the farmers. But for some, such as the literary class and nobles, it was not necessarily a misfortune. Winter was also a time of rest and beauty.
Jing Village was surrounded by mountains on all four sides, blocking out the cold winds and allowing the white, brilliant sun to pour heat to relieve the spirit with the utmost fervour. Although the sunlight was very powerful, the snow reflected much of it back into the heavens, inconsequently causing the snow-covered fields to give off a white light. It appeared as though the earth was one giant mirror, glittering with beauty.
The little animals had long gone into hibernation or dug deep into their burrows. The birds had fled Southward for the warmer lands of Nanwang, waiting for the snow to melt so they could restart the circle of life.
The entire valley the village was on was quiet. Only the occasional soft breeze would pick up the snow and rustle the blue water of the lake flowing through. The porcelain-like azure sky and comfortable white clouds softly watched these happenings. The entire world was peaceful and beautiful.
But Mister Wang cannot enjoy the peace.
With a groan, Mister Wang placed down the teacup he had been holding, creating a loud sound that shook the table in the process. The temperature of the tree was too hot, scalding his tongue. He looked at the female attendant quivering next to him and found it impossible to enjoy her youthful beauty.
In the end, he frowned, causing his eyes to turn into little beans. He commanded the servant girl, “Wu’er, go wash yourself.”
The servant girl, Wu’er trembled. Mister Wang had a particularly strange obsession with cleanliness. Whenever he would want her or another of the servant girls to serve him in bed, he would first demand them to take a bath.
Recalling the ill fate that had yet to befall upon Su’er, Wu’er had no choice but to bite her lips, and temporarily leave the residency to the washroom.
Mister Wang leaned back against the chair and used the time to think. He had no doubt acted too impulsively by directly kidnapping the sole child of Prince of Qiao. But Nangong Zhu is well known for being an expert in the spear, and had a mysterious master that would protect him - it was even rumoured that he was taught how to use Gu.
Usually, people with such status could not be easily purchased with gold, but Nangong Zhu had been desperate to make a name for himself, and thus easily manipulable. Thinking of his genius, Mister Wang could not help but laugh.
This self-praise, along with anticipation for when Wu’er would return, caused Mister Wang’s mood to recover to a degree. Sipping on the now cooled down tea, he reminded himself that if all else goes wrong, he could flee from the proximity of the capital, and leave out the rest of his life drowning in women.
He laughed again.
At this moment, from the corner of his eyes, Mister Wang saw a white shadow appear in the garden.
It was a blind man, his eyes covered with a length of white cloth, holding a candle holder (example of a candle holder: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32623647840.html) with a point that dripped with still-warm wax. As the candle originally placed there was red, the dripping wax appeared like blood.
Wang stood up, startled. He was well aware of the appearance of Jing Wen in the village, and even more so aware of his prestigious name. When he saw the actual blood seeping from the rags covering Jing Wen’s neck, Mister Wang’s blood ran cold. Jing Wen must have killed Nangong Zhu.
“Why are you here!?” he shouted, filled with fear. “Aren’t you a cripple!?”
Jing Wen briefly ‘glanced’ at the room and said nothing. Like a ghost, he entered the building from the courtyard.
Mister Wang screamed. He pulled a decorative knife from the table and threw it straight at Jing Wen.
Jing Wen did not attempt to dodge, but the knife did not hit him regardless. Before long, Jing Wen was standing before Mister Wang. The two men were extremely close together, and it was possible to smell the soap from Mister Wang’s body.
Mister Wang, although overcome with a sense of hopelessness, managed to quickly put a bitter smile on his face. He said, doing the utmost to not break his voice, “I’m a victim here! The crazed man Nangong Zhu threatened me with death to help him capture Zhou Aimin for a ransom. My egg business produces a lot of revenue… I am willing to give no half - no all of the shares… you could reclaim your glo…”
Mister Wang’s words were suddenly interrupted by a thrawk.
Wax no longer dripped from the candle holder, it had sliced through Mister Wang’s back. He looked at the piece of white cloth before him, his eyes filled with shock and fear. He was the tyrant of this village, but this blind man had killed him without a single word. The candle holder had pierced through his chest, and with a final quiver, Jing Wen drew it up across Mister Wang’s body. It was a terrible sight.
Without a sound, Jing Wen quietly withdrew the candle holder from Mister Wang’s body. The candle drill directly penetrated Mister Wang’s heart, and blood spurred from the hole in a beautiful arc.
As Jing Wen’s action was extremely unhurried, some of the blood splashed onto his white robes.
Jing Wen placed the candle holder next to the cooled cup of tea, and walked out of the residency.
Sometime after Jing Wen left the courtyard, he smelled the blood that spilled on his robes, a frown appeared on his face as he said, “So dirty.”