The Reticent Blade
Chapter 314 - Graceful Hands Plucking Jade Plum Blossoms (Part 2)

Chapter 314 - Graceful Hands Plucking Jade Plum Blossoms (Part 2)

"We were always meant to be one," Zuo Nianchou whispered in Ye Beizhi's ear, "Like matching jade pendants, one incomplete without the other."

Her words found their way deep into Ye Beizhi’s mind.

Ye Beizhi jolted awake and hastily looked down at his chest. To his surprise, Zuo Nianchou wasn't there. Looking around, he saw that she was still seated before her instrument; she had just lifted her hands from the strings. Smiling faintly, she asked, "What’s wrong? Did you enjoy that?"

Ye Beizhi shook his head. Though the taste of alcohol still lingered, the haze had lifted. He drew his Tang blade from behind his waist and slammed it onto the table.

"What did you do?"

"What did you see?" Zuo Nianchou answered mischievously.

Ye Beizhi narrowed his eyes, tightening his grip around his Tang blade.

Zuo Nianchou was unfazed and returned to the table. She sat down and spoke slowly, "You only saw what your heart desired. I’m curious, did you see that bothers you so much?"

Ye Beizhi’s imposing aura faltered. His face flushed for a brief moment and he withdrew his hand from his weapon.

Zuo Nianchou went inside and returned with two more jars of wine. Without giving Ye Beizhi a chance to refuse, she poured him another cup. Ye Beizhi noticed the faint hue blooming across her cheeks. It seemed like her alcohol tolerance had reached its limits as well.

Zuo Nianchou suddenly asked, "Have you heard?"

"Hmm?" Ye Beizhi raised an eyebrow.

Zuo Nianchou twirled her hair with her fingers. "The Ghostbane Association will reassess its rankings soon, the Origin-Sequencers will have a change of titless too."

Ye Beizhi blinked in confusion, waiting for Zuo Nianchou to elaborate.

Zuo Nianchou recalled and said, "I only heard about it after returning this time. The general idea is that the four-tier system of Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Mortal has been in use for many years. Naturally, some have improved their skills while others have regressed, so another evaluation is necessary.

"This time, an additional tier will be added above the Heaven rank. Those in this tier will not be categorized by rank but will instead have a new title from a poetic sequence directly bestowed by the Ghostbane Association. The current sandalwood tokens will no longer be used. New tokens made from different materials will be issued to every assassin."

Ye Beizhi listened in a daze, taking out his own sandalwood token from his chest and staring at the word Stormqueller engraved on it. After a long silence, he asked, "Then... I won’t be Stormqueller anymore?"

Zuo Nianchou smiled. "Of course not. I wonder who the next Stormqueller will be?"

Ye Beizhi stared at Zuo Nianchou's face for a long while, then shook his head and said, "Then I won’t change it."

"Are you sure about that?" Zuo Nianchou's smile deepened. "This new token and title isn't something you can refuse lightly. It’s likely to bring you some trouble."

Ye Beizhi emptied the freshly filled cup and shook his head. "So what? I’m not afraid of trouble."

Zuo Nianchou raised her cup, her sleeves partially covering her face. With a tilt of her head, she emptied the cup entirely. She then said, "I don't know all the details, but think about it. You won't be the only one who wants to keep their token. The ones fortunate enough to move up in rank don’t matter, but those originally in the Heaven or Earth ranks who are suddenly demoted will surely be dissatisfied.

"Most of them won’t agree to the change. And after that? Not to mention whether the Ghostbane Association will take measures internally, those who agree to the change will be the first to feel slighted. This is human nature.

"If I change, and you don’t? What does that mean? That you think you’re better than me? Or that you’re trying to stand out? In the jianghu, disputes are settled by skill. By then, it’s bound to lead to another round of conflict. Ye Beizhi, Stormqueller, are you not afraid?"

Ye Beizhi exhaled a breath of wine and rested his hand on his Tang Blade. "Heaven-rankers... can't kill me."

Zuo Nianchou’s brow twitched. "Hmmm... What about those in the poetic sequence tier? If they’ve been chosen from all the rest, they must possess unparalleled courage and strength. Would they also fail to kill you?"

"Let them come!" Ye Beizhi's demeanor shifted entirely, his presence becoming as sharp as an unsheathed blade. "I'd like to see them try."

Zuo Nianchou covered her mouth and laughed. "When you are drunk, have quite the air of a mad scholar."

Ye Beizhi shook his head. "I’m not drunk."

Zuo Nianchou’s wide eyes twinkled. "How can you prove it?"

Ye Beizhi immediately picked up his cup, downed another drink, and looked squarely at Zuo Nianchou.

Zuo Nianchou said nothing, also finishing her drink, then propped her chin on her hand and blew a puff of air at Ye Beizhi.

"I can drink too. That doesn’t prove anything."

Ye Beizhi scratched his head, and suddenly, his eyes lit up. He extended his hand toward Zuo Nianchou. "Three... three hundred taels!"

Pfft—

Zuo Nianchou spat out a mouthful of wine right onto Ye Beizhi’s face. Wiping her mouth, she glared at him and slapped his outstretched hand away.

"How are you still hung up on that?"

Zuo Nianchou grabbed her sleeve and haphazardly wiped Ye Beizhi’s face. "The mighty Heaven-ranker Stormqueller, is clinging to three hundred taels of silver. Aren’t you afraid of being laughed at?"

"I’m short on money," Ye Beizhi said slowly.

Zuo Nianchou, exasperated, spat at him again and then glared sideways. "Do you really want those three hundred taels?"

Ye Beizhi nodded earnestly.

"Alright, I can give them to you." Zuo Nianchou smiled radiantly, her smile as warm as spring sunlight.

She softly said, "Drink with me until we’re both drunk..."

Ye Beizhi couldn’t remember how much they drank that night. It seemed that both he and Zuo Nianchou got drunk. In his hazy memories, the gentle breeze by the lake was exceptionally clear, rustling through the leaves and that fiery red dress.

Occasionally, in his dreams, the image of a woman in a red dress reappeared, supporting his staggering steps before both tumbled onto the bed. She leaned over his chest and fell asleep, her red dress spilling across the bed like a cascading waterfall.

When Ye Beizhi woke up from his hangover with his head pounding, it was already the next day. The breeze outside the bamboo house still blew as usual, but one person was missing.

Ye Beizhi shook his head, finally realizing where he was. He looked around, the bamboo house was eerily quiet.

He got out of bed and walked to the balcony where they had been drinking yesterday, only to find that the guqin was no longer there.

On the table lay a piece of xuan paper.[1]

Rubbing his head, Ye Beizhi walked over. The xuan paper was held down by a jade hairpin, and rows of elegant characters were written on it. He picked it up and read.

"Once whole, now incomplete. Stormqueller will not change, so Yearning Rhapsody will also stay the same. The three hundred taels will not be returned for now. This jade hairpin serves as collateral. If fate allows, we shall meet again."

The alcohol slowed his thoughts, and Ye Beizhi sat in a daze for quite a while before he understood what the letter meant.

First, the guqin performance he saw was a reflection of his heart's desires, as she had claimed; she had orchestrated it to toy with him. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have known to write that first line.

Second, because he said he wouldn’t change his title, she decided not to change her title either.

Third, he was still missing three hundred taels.

Ye Beizhi’s gaze became vacant. He couldn’t understand. Why had this woman tricked him twice over just three hundred taels?

Then he suddenly remembered the jade hairpin the woman had left behind. Ye Beizhi hurriedly picked it up to examine it.

Stunned, Ye Beizhi’s mouth opened slightly.

The ornate jade hairpin was masterfully carved to resemble the branch of a plum tree. At one end of the branch, where the head of the hairpin was, several crimson plum blossoms bloomed vividly.

Ye Beizhi stared blankly at the red plum blossoms as if he could see that fiery red dress once more.

1. High quality handmade paper traditionally used for calligraphy, painting or other scholarly works. ☜