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墨書 Inktalez
The Yangtze River flows eastward,
Waves wash away the heroes of the ages.
With a laugh, I point to the mountains and rivers,
Success or failure both turn to dust.
Here, we part ways,
The green hills witness our initial boldness, yet to whom can I speak of it?
Opportunities are hard to come by,
Let the east wind borrow for a moment.
Time flows like water, footprints difficult to overlap,
Red Cliffs are hard to discern,
Scattered like clouds and wind.
Only the bright moon from that time remains.
What a pity, vast sea and sky,
Old Friend has never entered my dreams.
How many times have I seen the setting sun and evening bell?
Separation will eventually lead to reunion, and reunion will eventually lead to separation.
For now, I temporarily reside between heaven and earth,
Difficult to distinguish between friends and foes.
Sentimental should laugh at my graying hair,
Yet for your sake, I have quietly pondered until now.
In a moment, Yu Liang, a pot of wine can drown the ages.
People say that separation will eventually lead to reunion, and reunion will eventually lead to separation.
And with you, I must ultimately part ways.
Autumn moon and spring breeze leave remnants of snow...
Long ago, I drifted in the vastness of Between Heaven and Earth. Was it fate that brought me back to this world, allowing me to revisit my past lives, to meet you again, to fall in love with you once more, and to hate you anew?
I sat on the ground in the midst of the Feast, holding the Marimba, singing lightly with a detached expression, like a calm and undisturbed Azure Lake. The melody was long and profound, with an endless whirlpool that gradually pulled me in.
The sound of the instrument echoed softly, silencing the entire banquet. It dispelled the noise of the world. As I finished singing, I finally stopped my wandering gaze and suddenly looked at my Old Buddy, who was seated at the head of the table, smiling gently at me. I raised my head and smiled back at him to express my gratitude. He had taken on the role of Head of the Family, fulfilling a fatherly duty by caring for me as I grew up. Today, as the host, I wanted to show my appreciation in this way.
With a soft sigh, I finally sang the last line amidst the gentle and flowing music: "Though life may part us, we share this bright moon across distant lands."
After a long moment, silence enveloped the room. Having seen so many situations over time, I remained calm as a bell. Perhaps it was indifference that settled in. I couldn't tell if they had forgotten to applaud or simply chose not to give me any recognition. However, upon seeing Old Buddy's delighted smile, I felt it was worth it; my purpose had been achieved. Just as I was about to return to my seat, someone suddenly exclaimed as if waking from a Dream: "Isn't this 'Juejin Gongzi,' one of the legendary Double Calamities from Spring Garden?"
Instantly, there was an uproar among the crowd. This commotion reminded me of a star walking down the red carpet, drawing attention and admiration from all around.
Perhaps it was because this song resonated with their hearts. The martial world felt like a battlefield where everyone lived on edge, though standing high above, they grew increasingly lonely and weary.
Standing beside my master, I smiled slightly: "Indeed, it's just me. Esteemed martial seniors, please forgive my clumsiness."
Seeing my candid demeanor, they all laughed heartily. The one close to Old Buddy, Hong Gangzhu, stood up with an air of authority typical of a martial arts elder: "The leader truly has an eye for talent; taking on a disciple who is both skilled and exceptional is indeed rare."
Old Buddy chimed in without any humility: "Yes," he said affectionately while looking at me. "Sometimes I feel like I'm not worthy as a master."
I lowered my head slightly and smiled shyly: "You seniors are too modest."
Suddenly, a cold and complex voice interrupted: "What has Juejin Gongzi truly accomplished?" After saying this, he fixed his gaze on me stubbornly, pressing his lips into a thin line as if determined to extract some answer from me.
I glanced at him indifferently and replied coolly: "You flatter me."
Noticing my aloofness and feigning ignorance of him only deepened his gaze. I knew that beneath it lay anger. Yet I had to admit that at this moment, I was evading reality. Perhaps after becoming Xie Weiying before him—after he had disregarded my will and violated me—after becoming just another insignificant woman to an emperor—we could never return to how things once were. At this moment, I could think of no reason for everything to revert to our initial acquaintance. I acknowledged my cowardice and weakness; I couldn't imagine what crazy actions he might take upon discovering my deception—whether he would love me or hate me or choose to distance himself from me forever or punish me for treason by granting me death. I dared not know or think about it; I couldn't face reality or walk up to him calmly with a smile and tell him that I was indeed that woman he despised—the one he wished would die in the Cold Palace—Xie Weiying.
I couldn't bear the outcome of what I had gained. I could mock my own foolishness and cowardice, but the pain in my heart—how could anyone understand it?
He smiled instead of getting angry, yet his gaze was chillingly cold, to the point that I saw his eyes turn an eerie shade of purple. He laughed joyfully, almost maniacally, and after a long while, he finally said lightly, “Jin Di, you really have a knack for attracting attention. The bond we formed at Friend Gathering Pavilion, the camaraderie we shared in Spring Garden over three years of day and night together—yet all of it has turned to nothing in your casual banter.”
The crowd was puzzled, but a few who were in the know suddenly seemed to understand and exclaimed, “Could it be that this is the ‘Cold Noodle Noble’ from Double Calamity?”
My face turned pale as I bit down hard on my lip, nearly drawing blood. I clenched my fists and then released them with a sigh, finally saying, “Sir, I believe you are mistaken. I do not know you, nor do I understand what you are saying. Today is a gathering hosted by my master as the leader of the martial arts world to entertain our friends. Please do not disrupt this occasion. Otherwise—” My expression was so cold that one might think I truly did not recognize him.
However, Sang Qin still noticed my fingers nervously tugging at the hem of my sleeve. After all these years of lying under pressure, that small habit was hard to shake off. He glanced again at the young man who stood up; despite wearing only a plain dark linen robe, he exuded an innate nobility that remained undiminished—a regal aura that overwhelmed even the most esteemed martial artists present.
Sang Qin felt a slight astonishment in his heart but saw his beloved disciple's unusually indifferent demeanor. Although he did not know what had transpired between them, it was clear that such personal matters should be resolved privately given the many onlookers.
With a gentle smile towards everyone present, Sang Qin eased the tense atmosphere of the banquet like a soft breeze. My heart involuntarily relaxed as I exchanged a grateful smile with Old Buddy. This smile resembled that of a family member to Sima Rui, making it all the more piercing and painful for him; the rising anger within him threatened to erupt.
“Sir, our guest is here. My apprentice has been rude earlier. After the banquet concludes, I will ensure that he comes to your place to personally apologize. For now, please remain calm.”
Sima Rui naturally discerned the deeper meaning behind his words and understood that if he continued to linger now, this martial arts leader whom he admired would not let things go easily. With that thought in mind, Sima Rui bowed slightly and said, “I apologize for the disturbance.” He cast one last deep glance at Flourishing, whose beauty was even more captivating than before; his Little Jin had grown up. After waiting so long for this moment, he had finally matured—but it came with the pain of being unrecognized. How could he bear such feelings?
I looked at Old Buddy with confusion and reproach in my eyes, nearly jumping out of frustration. How could I not understand his implication? To go to his room for an apology was clearly an invitation for us to meet privately and resolve our issues! But I had no desire to see him again.
Inwardly fuming, I quietly slipped out of the venue. Though Old Buddy was aware of my anger at this moment, he chose to turn a blind eye. If only I had known how forcefully ten Uncles would compel me—I wouldn’t have come!
As I groped my way back to my room in the darkness, just as I was about to step through the door, a voice halted me mid-step: “Are you really trying to escape me like this, Little Jin?”
I turned around and took a deep breath before impatiently replying, “I told you already that you have mistaken me for someone else! I'm not your Little Jin. There are countless people with the same name in this world; go find someone else! Are you annoying or what?!”
“Then are there really so many people with the same name and appearance?”
"Maybe he is my long-lost twin brother or something..." I said with wide eyes, fabricating a story. It didn't matter whether he believed me or not; that wasn't my concern. Perhaps it was just the similarity in our appearances, I thought to myself.
He gazed at me in the darkness, his look so intense that it felt like my heart, which had been under pressure for so long, could hardly bear it. He stared at me as if he wanted to engrave my face in his mind and heart.
"Little Jin, you are the one I've been searching for. You've been gone for too long. Every day, I worry that I might forget what you look like," he said softly.
My heart stirred, but I continued to evade with my words: "Are you annoying? I'm going to sleep now. Good night, young master." With that, I hurriedly dashed into my room and slammed the door shut.
I leaned against the door, unable to articulate the tumult of emotions swirling within me at this moment. It was all so chaotic—seeing him was chaotic, and hearing his words made it even more so.
I didn't know when it happened, but outside the door fell silent, quiet enough that I could hear the chirping of insects. I thought he must have left.
But then—his voice suddenly broke the silence, startling me.
"It’s fine if you pretend not to know me or if you've truly forgotten me. We can get to know each other again. Little Jin, remember this: my name is Sima Rui."
I reflexively replied, "Isn't it Sima Langye?" After saying that, I wished I could seal my annoying mouth with tape right then and there, but there was no tape in ancient times.
"I... I..." I tried to explain, but the more I spoke, the worse it got. So I simply gave up and hung my head in defeat.
Outside the door, he let out a low chuckle. The sound was soft, but I still heard it. Thinking of my clumsy lie made my face flush. What was wrong with me? I'm a man now; why am I blushing? At least he couldn't see me.
He seemed like he wanted to say something but ultimately said nothing at all. He just stood outside my room for a long time before letting out a light sigh: "Good night, Little Jin." And then he left.
Finally gone, I felt as exhausted as if I'd been working hard all day and collapsed onto the floor. So tired... I really wanted to sleep. If he didn't leave soon, I might actually doze off leaning against the door.
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