[Chapter 41 - Returning to the palace] Why is the plum tree gone again 

As Duan Bai Yue had long expected, the island of Chao Ya was not an island of wealth; even if the ancestors had acc.u.mulated a lifetime of wealth, in these few hundred years, the future generations would have already squandered it away. An island couldn’t be compared to the mainland, where food is able to be produced as long as there was land. The Chao Ya people also thought highly of themselves, and were not willing to have a livelihood based on fishing like people from other nearby islands. Thus to make a living, they have no choice but to leave the island secretly; the men depended on health methods pa.s.sed down from older generations to act as a doctor to make money; the women instead depended on their mellow voices to be songstresses to make money. Only this way could they barely make a livelihood for themselves.

“So returning after you’ve made enough money?” Duan Bai Yue asked. “Then why don’t you simply just stay in the country of Chu?”. A vast, flourishing land with abundant resources, and most of the locals in many places were very friendly towards foreigners. Reasonably speaking, even if they were just a travelling quartet of singers, their lives would still be better in the country of Chu than on the island; why were they defending a barren island so painstakingly. 

Ah Si replied: “For the people of Chao Ya, it’s not easy to leave our homeland.”

“Then why did you leave again this time?” Duan Bai Yue responded.

Ah Si’s eyes showed resentment: “The island is divided into two factions; in order to expel the other people out of the island, one of the factions ganged up with bandits from Nanyang, and brought them onto the island to kill. Who knew that the bandits had ulterior motives, and killed without caring which faction the islanders belonged to, only killing when they saw someone alive; in the end, only a few of us were left. Only by hiding in a dilapidated ship were we able to flee with our lives in the cover of darkness.”　　

“The bandits from Nanyang, who are they?” Duan bai Yue asked. 

Ah Si shook his head: “I don’t know.” 

“So the Chao Ya island right now should be totally occupied by the Nanyang bandits?” Duan Bai Yue was pensive. 

Ah Si said: “It should be, but we escaped in panic and didn’t take note of it.”

“And why would Yu Shu set a bounty on your heads?” Duan Bai Yue continued his questioning. 

“He should be in cahoots with the Nanyang bandits.” Ah Si said, “That group of robbers wanted to eliminate everyone from Chao Ya, and we don’t know where they got the information from to even find our tracks.” 

“On the account of you being rather cooperative, one last question for today, then you can go to eat and rest.” Duan Bai Yue said, “How is Fen Xing and Chao Ya connected, why would it suddenly glow when it encounters certain people?”

“Fen Xing is in your hands?” Ah Si was aghast.

Duan Bai Yue shook his head: “Had only heard the rumors.”

Ah Si relaxed, and said: “Fen Xing is the sacred item of Chao Ya, but we have never seen it let alone know anything about it glowing.” 

Duan Bai Yue smiled, and stood up from the table: “Very good, you can stay, and as for the rest of your companions, should they be fetched too?” 

Ah Si said: “Of course.” 

Duan Bai Yue called over Duan Nian and instructed him to fetch the rest of the people back with Ah Si in secret. When the two of them left, Duan Yao showed an eye from a gap in the door, asking: “How is it?”

“Maybe he spoke some truth, but most of it are lies, with half of it being the truth at most.” Duan Bai Yue said. 

Duan Yao clicked his tongue: “As I said, these people can’t be trusted. 

“But at least they are Chao Ya people, and the people who are most connected to Fen Xing are them.” Duan Bai Yue said, “It’s still a good thing to be able to find them; we’ll decide the rest later when they have been brought back to the capital.” 

“General Shen wants them?” Duan Yao asked meaningfully. 

Duan Bai Yue shook his head: “It’s Emperor Chu who wants them.” 

It’s the same, the same, Emperor Chu pa.s.sed the matter to General Shen, and General Shen handed the matter to you. Duan Yao’s smile was brilliant, good luck brother, Xi Nan manor can hold a wedding anytime, Auntie Jin has even bought the red silk already, the material is sure expensive!

“What is this look of yours.” Duan Bai Yue knocked on his head, “Go to sleep.”　

“No rewards?” Duan Yao was unhappy, he contributed no matter how one saw it. 

Duan Bai Yue can’t help but laugh: “What do you want?”

Duan Yao  was instantly in high spirits: “The Bodhi Heart Sutra!”

Duan Bai Yue shook his head.

“At least let me experience it.” Duan Yao hugged the thigh of his big brother. 

Duan Bai Yue said: “It’s a harmful martial art, not letting you know is for your own good.” 

“Lies, if it is really harmful, then why would teacher let you learn it?” Duan Yao didn’t believe him. 

“I learned it to heal my injuries.” Duan Bai Yue crouched on the floor, reached out and patted his cheek, “If there’s a day where I figure out a way to control the Bodhi Heart Sutra, then I will teach it to you then.” 

Duan Yao pouted, this again.

“Moreover, regardless of whether you believe it or not, I really didn’t practice it for long.” Duan Bai Yue pulled on him and stood up, “But today you really have done a lot, and is certainly worthy of a reward.” 

Duan Yao asked: “So?” Silver and banknotes are also fine. 

Duan Bai Yu said: “I can’t give you the Bodhi Heart Sutra, but I can give you the Lie Yun sword.” (1)

”Lie Yun sword?” Duan Yao froze, “That’s yours.” 

“You are much more suitable for it.” Duan Bai Yue removed the sword from his waist and handed it over, “You’re fifteen, nearing sixteen, having it is more than enough.” 

“I don’t want, don’t want it.” Duan Yao shook his head over and over, “I don’t want any rewards anymore, that was left to you by our father, take it back quickly.” 

“Father left it to me because you were still young then.” Duan Bai Yue said, “The moves of Lie Yun sword is quick and subtle, it fits you completely.”

“What about you?” Duan Yao asked. 

Duan Bai Yue brought out a sword from his room.

Duan Yao: “..........”

“How is it?” Duan Bai Yue asked. 

Duan Yao asked: “This is that piece of busted metal that, before his death, teacher instructed you to bury it in the ground for a few years before taking it out?”

Duan Bai Yue nodded. 

“Believe me, this is really just a piece of busted metal.” Duan Yao urged earnestly, “Even if you were to make it shine with sandpaper again, at most it will still be a piece of busted metal that’s shinier.”

Duan Bai Yue laughed, and handed the Lie Yun sword into his hands: “Take good care of it.”

Duan Yao felt conflicted. 

“Alright, go to sleep.” Duan Bai Yue patted his head, and returned to his room. 

Duan Yao held onto the Lie Yun sword for a long while, before climbing into bed himself. 

He certainly wanted his sword when he was young, but his older brother had already brought it around with him for so many years, and yet gave it to him so easily...thinking of the past and future, unable to sleep, he climbed up from the bed again, pulled out the sword and looked at it for the greater part of the night.

In the later half of the night, Duan Nian had also brought the rest of the people back. The guards of Sun-Moon Hamlet followed and protected them in secret, until they were certain that they have arrived safely, then did they take their leave. Lucily Duan Bai Yue had already booked the entire inn, so there was still some to spare even with seven or eight more people. 

With such a turmoil, the sky outside had already begun to brighten.The group of Chao Ya people were originally hiding in apprehension, and practically had not had a complete night’s sleep in a while, and now that they were finally received by the men of Emperor Chu back to the inn, they didn’t care about anything else, and just slept the moment their heads. .h.i.t the pillow, not waking up even when it was the afternoon of the second day. 

Duan Bai Yue didn’t rush them either and went to the House of Fei Luan alone. 

“I’ve heard that this king has already found that group of Chao Ya people?” Jing Liu Tian asked the moment he opened his mouth. 

”Leader Jing is sure well informed.” Duan Bai Yue smiled, “but now that they’re in this king’s hands, it won’t be a simple matter for anyone who is after their lives.”

Jing Liu Tian said: “The rules of Jiang Hu; even if the buyer has died, what has been entrusted to us when they’re alive must be fulfilled.”

Duan Bai Yue nodded: “This king naturally knows about this, I came here just to inform leader Jing that they’re in my hands, and nothing more. As for whether this information should be released, how it is released, it’s all up to leader Jing.”

Jing Liu Tian smiled: “This king is a rather magnanimous person.”

“An important matter has cropped up; the matter of investigating Yu Shu that was brought up before, I’m afraid this king cannot attend to it personally.” Duan Bai Yue said: “But since a promise has been made to leader Jing, this king will naturally leave some men behind to help the House of Fei Luan in its matters.”

Jing Liu Tian nodded: “Many thanks to this king, pardon this humble one for not sending you off.” 

Duan Bai Yue turned and left, and until he saw his silhouette disappear off the corner of the street, then did Jing Liu Tian waved his hand and called his right hand man over.  

Thus on the afternoon that day, all kinds of people in Jianghu got wind of a new piece of news -- that a group of Chao Ya sorcerers had already been taken by someone a step ahead, and were going north to the capital. As for how long the step ahead was, there were instead no details. 

In a short time, dust billowed along the official roads, with everyone running to the north. Even though Yu Shu was dead, the money had already been given to the House of Fei Luan, and the deal was still on. 

It was three days later, that Duan Bai Yue brought along the men and horses and returned to the capital via small roads. Although they spent a few more days than needed on the road, all was quiet with no trouble encountered at all. It was just that the toddler would cry occasionally and the woman had no milk for feeding them either. Luckily, Duan Yao looked good and was gilb, and got porridge and milk from villages along the way, keeping the toddler full just barely.

It was already late at night when they arrived at the capital. Duan Bai Yue first placed everyone in an inn; the woman said unhappily: “Why not let us enter the palace?” 

“It’s the deep of the night; what information is in your hands that can be exchanged for Emperor Chu getting up from bed?” Duan Bai Yue asked. 

The woman first wanted to say something, but was forced speechless. 

Duan Bai Yue smiled and went next door to take a bath, then changed his clothes before going out. 

Duan Yao was leaning against the door, clicking his tongue. 

Duan Bai Yue slapped his head, went down the stairs himself, and rushed towards the interior of the palace. 

Chu Yuan was reading in his room and not feeling tired either. Si Xi had already gone to rest earlier; with only the occasional footsteps of the patrolling guards, it made his surroundings even more quiet. 

Duan Bai Yue landed in the courtyard as usual -- about the matter of going over walls, one gets familiar with it after doing it a few times. 

Chu Yuan froze slightly. 

Duan Bai Yue pushed opened the door. 

Chu Yuan turned and exchanged glances with him. 

Duan Bai Yue smiled: “I’ve returned.”

“....So fast.” Unexpectedly surprised, Chu Yuan only spoke after a long while.

“You feel it’s fast, I felt it was slow instead.” Duan Bai Yue went forward and sat by the bed, “That group of Chao Ya people has been found, they are at Yue Lai inn, I will bring them over for you tomorrow night.” 

“Why does it have to be tomorrow night, tonight will do.” Chu Yuan stepped on his shoes, wanting to get down, but was grabbed by Duan Bai Yue on his bare ankle. 

…..

Chu Yuan striked a palm over.

Duan Bai Yue didn’t dodge it either, and stuffed his foot back into his blanket: “It’s been a long time since we met, and there’s nothing to say to me?”

Chu Yuan hugged the blankets and sat in the corner: “Nothing.” 

There was a slight chill in the room, so Duan Bai Yue stood up wanting to close the windows, but froze upon walking over: “Where’s the plum tree?”

Chu Yuan said: “Dug it up.”

Duan Bai Yue didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “This time I’m really innocent, I didn’t do anything, so why was it dug up again.”

Chu Yuan raised his head and looked at the bed canopy. 

It’s dug up because I want it to be, you dare to control me.

You dare to control us! (2)

(1) Lie Yun sword: 裂云刀 - lit. splitting clouds sword.

(2) Us: 朕 - royal “us” here.