Chapter 140: Reunion
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“Ah He?”
He Yan remained in place, unsure of what to be more astonished by at the moment: the fact that she had encountered Liu Buwang here, or the fact that Liu Buwang could immediately recognize the significantly changed He Yan.
Liu Buwang unlocked the acupoints of the little girl, who coughed a few times and looked at them without saying a word.
Unable to contain her curiosity, He Yan asked Liu Buwang, “Master… how did you… recognize me?”
He had seen He Yan’s face under her mask, and aside from a few people from the He family, the only other person who had seen her face was Liu Buwang. During the battle at Moxian, all her comrades had perished, and if Liu Buwang hadn’t found her in a pile of corpses, He Yan wouldn’t even know where she could be now. Liu Buwang was aware of her true identity as a woman and had seen her face, but He Yan’s face was no longer the same as it was when she was known as “Madam Xu.”
He smiled and said, “Your swordsmanship is unique, and it’s mixed with elements of my own sword technique. One glance and I can see through it. What is it, is this a disguise?”
He Yan couldn’t explain it all at once, so she simply said, “It’s a long story, and we’ll have to discuss it later. But Master, how did you end up here?”
“There are suspicious individuals in Jiyang City, and I suspect they may be Wutuo people. I’ve been tracing them all the way here.” He looked at the body of the old woman on the ground. “I heard the sounds of a fight here and came to see what had happened. Do you know this young girl?”
He Yan shook her head and said, “I don’t know her. I and… a friend were passing by this place and having a meal at a post station. We saw this woman with the young girl, and they seemed suspicious. We initially thought they were kidnappers, but it turned out there were assassins nearby, so I suspect they’re not just ordinary criminals.”
As they spoke, they heard the sound of approaching hooves from behind. They turned to see Xiao Jue riding towards them. He stopped his horse at a short distance from them, dismounted, and walked over to He Yan’s side, frowning as he asked, “Who is this?”
“One of our own,” He Yan hurried to explain. “This is my… master.”
“Master?” Xiao Jue was incredulous. “What master?”
“My skills have already made me the best in Liangzhou Garrison, as I’ve mentioned to you before, it’s all thanks to guidance from a master. This is my master, whom I haven’t seen in years. It’s quite unexpected to meet him here. If it weren’t for his help just now, this young girl might not have survived.”
Liu Buwang turned to Xiao Jue and smiled, “I am Liu Buwang. And who might you be?”
“I’m Qiao Huanqing,” he replied.
“Young Master, what happened to those people just now?” He Yan asked.
“They couldn’t beat me, so they ran off,” Xiao Jue replied nonchalantly. “But what about you? How did you end up here reminiscing about the past?”
“We can discuss these matters later,” He Yan changed the subject. “Right now, these people made quite a commotion just to kidnap this young girl. It doesn’t seem right, does it? Young lady, what’s your name, where do you live, and whose child are you?” He Yan bent down to look at the child.
The young girl was exceptionally beautiful, though very young. It was evident she had the potential to become a beauty. She seemed a bit frightened and kept her eyes fixed on them, lips pressed together, refusing to speak. He Yan asked several times, but she still didn’t respond, and in the end, she simply turned her face away.
“Could she really be mute?” He Yan wondered.
“You’re the mute one!” the young girl retorted, her eyes full of frustration.
“So, you can speak after all. Why didn’t you answer my questions earlier?” He Yan asked.
The young girl decided to ignore her once again.
“It’s possible that she just went through a traumatic experience with those bad people, making her distrustful of strangers. Don’t worry; she’ll come around in time,” Liu Buwang reassured.
He Yan sighed, feeling a bit helpless, and turned to Xiao Jue. “Young Master, how about taking this child back with us for now and let Lord Cui make a decision? If she’s really from a wealthy family, Lord Cui will recognize her.”
Xiao Jue nodded.
When the young girl heard the name “Lord Cui,” her gaze flickered for a moment, but she quickly lowered her head, concealing the unusual expression in her eyes.
Liu Buwang smiled and said, “In that case, let’s part ways here.”
He Yan was momentarily stunned; Liu Buwang had always been like this. Ever since He Yan had met him, she’d felt that he seemed to have no worries and that everything went smoothly for him. She had never seen him make close friends, nor had she seen him interact with others. He appeared not to feel lonely and didn’t show much sadness when parting from someone. When He Yan had said her farewells to him years ago, she had felt a little reluctant, but Liu Buwang had been very easygoing, saying, “All feasts must come to an end, Ah He, you must grow up.”
Meeting an old friend unexpectedly and having to part so soon, He Yan’s heart felt a pang, and she grabbed Liu Buwang’s sleeve, saying, “Master! I… I’m currently living with a friend; their house is quite large. Why don’t you come back with us? I have so many things I want to ask you!”
Xiao Jue’s gaze fell on her hand holding Liu Buwang’s sleeve, and he raised an eyebrow without showing any emotion.
Liu Buwang smiled, somewhat helpless, and said, “Ah He, you’re still acting like a child.”
“It’s been so long since I’ve seen you… I thought I’d never see you again…” He Yan refused to let go. “Besides, you mentioned the Wutuo people earlier, right? If it’s related to the Wutuo people, then it’s essential to inform Princess Mengji of Jiyang City. If you come with me, I know an official who grew up with the princess, and they have a very close relationship. It would be better to report this matter.”
Liu Buwang was slightly surprised, “Princess?”
He Yan noticed his changed attitude and nodded repeatedly, “Yes, Master, think about it. The sudden appearance of Wutuo people in Jiyang is already unusual. Jiyang has never been an easy place to enter. Even if it’s a native of Great Wei, it takes a lot of effort to get here, let alone the Wutuo people. If they can hide in Jiyang, what does that imply? In any case, there are many mysteries in this matter, and we should travel together.”
Liu Buwang still hesitated.
Xiao Jue, with his arms crossed, looked at the two of them and lazily curled his lips, “Indeed, Mr. Liu, why not join us and have a detailed discussion with your good disciple?”
After a moment of silence, Liu Buwang chuckled, “Alright, then I’ll go with you, but I hope I won’t cause any trouble.”
He Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Even though having Liu Buwang by her side didn’t change much, she was reluctant to part ways without having a proper conversation.
After all, there were very few people who remembered “He Yan.”
“So, let’s return to the inn and hire a carriage back to the Cui residence,” He Yan said to Xiao Jue, then sighed, “We didn’t go back last night, and I wonder if Lord Cui and the others are worried.”
Liu Buwang’s gaze shifted between Xiao Jue and He Yan, deep in thought.
The young girl rescued from the old woman’s hands, after being given medicine, was so weak that she couldn’t even walk. Every step she took, she stumbled and swayed. He Yan thought for a moment and then crouched in front of her, saying, “Young lady, come up.”
Xiao Jue asked, “What are you doing?”
“She can’t walk, so I’m going to carry her to the post station,” He Yan replied. “Otherwise, it’s not a solution.”
She really didn’t know that her monthly cycle had arrived. Xiao Jue fell silent for a moment and said, “I’ll carry her.”
“Huh?” He Yan was taken aback.
The young girl was not satisfied and accused, “I’m a woman, and you’re a man. How can you carry me? I want her to carry me!”
“Little brat,” Xiao Jue said indifferently, “if you say one more word, I’ll leave you here and not care about you.”
The rude little girl met an unfeeling commander and dared not say anything more. She was afraid that Xiao Jue would leave her behind, so He Yan watched as Xiao Jue carried the young girl all the way back to the post station.
When they arrived at the post station, no one was in the mood to continue eating breakfast. They hired a carriage and had the driver take them back to the Cui residence.
Sitting in the carriage, which swayed as it moved forward, He Yan and Xiao Jue sat on one side, while the young girl and Liu Buwang sat on the other. They were all silent, and suddenly Xiao Jue asked, “Mr. Liu is He Yan’s master, right?”
Liu Buwang smiled and said, “That’s correct.”
“In that case, Mr. Liu’s martial skills must be excellent.”
“I’m not worthy of the term ‘excellent.'”
Xiao Jue smiled slightly and said, “How did you come to the decision to take He Yan as your disciple? After all, this…” He paused for a moment, his tone slightly mocking, “Apart from being short and clumsy, it seems there’s no other talent.”
At this moment, He Yan didn’t care that Xiao Jue had called her short and clumsy; she was just afraid that Liu Buwang might accidentally reveal something, so she quickly spoke up and rambled, “Who said that! Back in Shuojing, I was just out for a stroll by chance, and who would have known that I would happen to run into my master who was looking for a disciple. It’s fate, really. Among a thousand people, my master saw in me a bright and talented future. So, he took me as his disciple and taught me martial arts. However, my master is a free spirit and had long been living outside the mortal world. He taught me for three years and then left to travel the world. It’s only now, after we’ve been separated, that we meet again for the first time!”
She felt like she had explained everything clearly and just hoped that Xiao Jue wouldn’t probe any further.
Xiao Jue looked at Liu Buwang and asked, “Is that so?”
Liu Buwang glanced at He Yan and said, “Yes.”
“Okay.” The young man nodded and didn’t say anything else.
He Yan felt relieved, but at that moment, she heard Liu Buwang look at her with a puzzled expression and ask, “Ah He, what is your relationship with Young Master Qiao?”
Well, this question was hard to answer. She was now “Wen Yuyan,” and Xiao Jue was “Qiao Huanqing.” In terms of their relationship, they were naturally husband and wife. But… Liu Buwang knew her true identity, and now there was a young girl with an unknown background present. If this young girl knew Cui Yuezhi, she couldn’t just blurt out the truth.
Looking over at Xiao Jue, who was leaning against the carriage seat, he was watching her with a smile that was not a smile, waiting to hear her answer.
“Young Master Qiao… is my husband,” He Yan said in exasperation, forcing the words out.
Liu Buwang seemed surprised, “Ah He, it’s been a few years, and you’re already married?”
“Yes, yes,” He Yan said with a forced smile.
“Very well,” Liu Buwang nodded slightly. “With someone by your side, I can feel assured.”
He Yan: “….”
She felt like she had lied so many times, and for the first time, she understood what it meant to dig a pit for herself.
…
When they returned to the Cui residence, only a few maids were present. Wei Yiniang, seeing them safely back, sighed in relief and said, “Young Master Huanqing sent word through someone that he’d be returning this morning, and we prepared breakfast in the small kitchen. But we hadn’t seen him yet, and I was worried that something might have happened. Now, we can finally relax.” She then looked at the young girl and Liu Buwang behind He Yan with a puzzled expression and asked, “These two..?”
“These are old acquaintances of mine, unexpectedly also coming to Jiyang,” He Yan smiled and asked, “Where is Uncle?”
“The master went to the royal residence early this morning; the Princess summoned him. I don’t know when he’ll be back.”
He Yan and Xiao Jue exchanged a glance, realizing that Cui Yuezhi was not at home, so they had to arrange for the young girl’s stay first.
“Has Miss Yuyan and Young Master Huanqing had breakfast yet? Shall I have the kitchen reheat the food?”
“My husband and I have already eaten,” He Yan replied with a smile. “But this young lady and the gentleman haven’t eaten yet. Please have it prepared and brought to my room. Also, prepare some hot water; the young lady wants to freshen up.”
Wei Yiniang agreed.
He Yan then took the young girl back to her room and handed her over to Cui Jiao and Hong Qiao, instructing them to help the young girl bathe.
Just as she finished giving orders, she heard Lin Shuanghe’s voice, “It’s been a whole night, and you’re finally back! How was watching Fireflies? I should have gone with you all last night; I regret not seeing such a beautiful sight. How about it? Were the fireflies impressive?” He stepped into the room and saw Liu Buwang standing there. He paused, looking puzzled, and asked, “This is…?”
“He’s my master,” He Yan said. “Surname Liu, name Buwang.”
“Hello, Master Liu,” Lin Shuanghe quickly greeted with a respectful bow. Then, he curiously asked, “How did Master Liu end up here? Did Little Sister inform you before we came to Jiyang?”
His words were suspicious, and someone who didn’t know might think they were conspiring with outsiders. He Yan hurriedly said, “No, no, absolutely not!”
“Young Master, it’s a misunderstanding,” Liu Buwang smiled and said, “I’m originally from Jiyang, and I happened to meet my disciple in the Central Plains years ago. We haven’t seen each other for many years, and I didn’t expect that this time, my apprentice would come to Jiyang, and we coincidentally met again.”
“I see,” Lin Shuanghe also smiled. “It’s clear that Master Liu is no ordinary person, to have taught such an outstanding disciple.”
Liu Buwang smiled but didn’t say anything.
He Yan found herself feeling a bit embarrassed and said, “Young Master, Brother Lin, could you go to the neighboring room for a while? I haven’t seen my master in many years, and there are many things I want to discuss with him.”
Lin Shuanghe, however, playfully replied, “Why don’t we all listen together? I also want to know what you used to be like, Little Sister He.”
Xiao Jue gave him a look and walked out on his own, saying, “Let’s go.”
“Do you not want to listen?” Lin Shuanghe still felt somewhat unwilling.
“Listen yourself if you want to listen.”
Seeing that Xiao Jue had already left, Lin Shuanghe could only regretfully put away his fan and said to He Yan, “Well, little sister, I’ll leave first. You catch up with Master Liu.”
After that, he also followed and closed the door.
In the room, only He Yan and Liu Buwang were left.
He Yan hurriedly approached, helped Liu Buwang take off the zither he was carrying on his back, placed it on the table, brought a chair, and said, “Master, please sit.” She also poured a cup of tea for Liu Buwang.
Liu Buwang just smiled as he watched He Yan do all this. Finally, he sat down at the table and stopped He Yan’s fussing, saying, “That’s enough, Ah He, sit down.”
The familiar address, “Ah He,” almost brought tears to He Yan’s eyes.
She sat down at the table, saying, “Master.” For a moment, it felt like she had returned to the days when she and Liu Buwang lived in the deep mountains.
During the Battle of Moxian years ago, He Yan was buried in a pile of corpses, and the desert was extremely dry. She was on the verge of death, but unexpectedly, it rained during the night and miraculously helped her survive that night. The next day, a passerby saw the pile of corpses and dug a long trench beside it, burying the bodies of the fallen soldiers.
And discovered He Yan, who was the only one left with a breath, hiding in the pile of corpses.
The passerby brought He Yan back and treated her wounds. When He Yan woke up, she found that the mask on her face was missing. She got up from the bed and saw someone sweeping the yard outside.
It was a middle-aged man with extraordinary temperament, dressed in white, tied with a white belt, and had a slender and elegant figure. He looked like someone from another world.
Young He Yan was somewhat wary and asked, “Who are you?”
The man in white stopped his actions and turned to look at her, smiled, didn’t answer her question, but instead asked, “Little girl, since you’re a woman, how did you end up joining the army?”
He Yan was shocked and suddenly realized that her identity had been exposed.
Later, she learned that the man in white who saved her was called Liu Buwang. He was a wandering person who traveled far and wide, moving from one place to another. He was now living in a remote mountain near Moxian, earning a living by selling medicinal herbs he grew himself.
He Yan asked, “Mister, when you saved me, didn’t you encounter any Western Qiang people on the way? There were scattered Western Qiang troops roaming near Moxian, and if they found out someone was rescuing Great Wei soldiers, that person would likely be in danger too.”
Liu Buwang pointed to the sword at his waist and said, “I have a sword, and I’m not afraid.”
He Yan initially thought Liu Buwang was just talking nonsense, but when she saw a Western Qiang man fall under Liu Buwang’s sword, she realized that he was telling the truth.
Liu Buwang was truly an extraordinary figure.
He Yan had never seen someone with such incredible abilities. He wielded swords, knives, long whips, and various weapons, and he was skilled in divination and fortune-telling.
Her previous life, despite her stupidity, had done one clever thing: she implored Liu Buwang to be her master.
Liu Buwang refused.
But Liu Buwang didn’t anticipate that He Yan was such a determined person. Whenever she had a spare moment, aside from eating, most of her time was spent trying to persuade Liu Buwang to accept her as his disciple.
Perhaps due to Liu Buwang’s dignified and Daoist demeanor, he had never encountered such a shameless disciple before. In the end, he had no choice but to ask her, “If you become my disciple and learn all of this, what will you gain?”
“I’ve learned these skills so that if I return to the military camp and encounter Western Qiang people like before, the entire army won’t be wiped out. Even if it’s just one more person, I can protect them, just as Master protected me.”
“You want to return to the military camp?” Liu Buwang was mildly surprised.
He Yan didn’t understand, “Of course.”
“Do you know that as a woman, your identity is already unique? Your entire unit was wiped out, and you could use this opportunity to return home without anyone discovering your true identity. The previous He Rufei has already died.”
He Yan remained silent for a moment and then raised her head, “I never thought of deserting.”
This statement probably moved Liu Buwang. Afterward, Liu Buwang accepted He Yan’s tea for becoming his disciple and indeed started teaching her personally. But He Yan was, after all, a girl, and there were certain things that weren’t suitable for her, so Liu Buwang tried to teach her things that would suit her better. Even if she only learned some basics from Liu Buwang, it was still a valuable experience for He Yan.
Of all the things Liu Buwang taught He Yan the most, it was the art of Qimen Dunjia. When Qimen Dunjia is combined with the strategies of warfare, it is enough to mold a female general into someone who wields military tactics with a divine touch, and deploys formations with finesse. It goes to show that in war, it’s not merely about physical strength, even when you have courageous and formidable warriors or the mighty Western Qiang people at your disposal.
“I never thought that, now looking so different, my master can still recognize me at a glance,” He Yan said with a slight smile. “How did you recognize me, after all?”
“Your swordsmanship,” Liu Buwang replied, suppressing a smile, “it’s truly unique in the world.”
When He Yan had just become Liu Buwang’s disciple, she was eager to reveal her original abilities to him. After Liu Buwang saw her skills, he fell into a long silence. He probably thought that as a woman, having the confidence to enter the military camp must mean that she possessed extraordinary skills. However, after seeing He Yan’s proficiency with knives, swords, bows, and horses, Liu Buwang began to doubt whether he had made the right decision.
He really couldn’t fathom where He Yan’s confidence stemmed from.
But the tea had already been served, and he had accepted her as his disciple. So, he had no choice but to teach her, even though he was quite perplexed. Liu Buwang had never taken on any students before, and now, he had chosen someone with the worst natural talent. It seemed like the heavens were playing a joke on him.
Fortunately, He Yan wasn’t without her merits. She excelled in the field of swordsmanship, and this was the one area where she truly shone. Her swordsmanship was so exceptional that it left people in awe.
At that time, Liu Buwang had asked He Yan, “Who taught you this swordsmanship? It’s quite impressive.”
He Yan, upon hearing these words, looked somewhat pleased and said, “There is a master assisting me in secret. I don’t know who he is, but I guess it might be one of our school’s teachers. They must have thought my aptitude was still good, so they taught me after class.”
This statement is indeed true. When He Yan entered school as a young student, her martial arts skills were in shambles. Even though she practiced swordsmanship in the backyard every night, she made little progress. When she was about to give up, one day, she suddenly found a piece of paper on her desk in her room.
On the paper was a drawing of a little figure, showing her weaknesses and mistakes in her swordsmanship during her lessons and practice. It also had detailed instructions on how to overcome these issues.
He Yan tried practicing for a few days and indeed made some improvements, filling her with joy. Then she discovered that every ten days or so, another piece of paper would appear on her desk, adjusting its guidance according to her progress.
She didn’t know who this person was, but she guessed it was one of the kind teachers at the school who excelled in swordsmanship and could easily identify her shortcomings. However, she couldn’t determine which teacher it was. She once tried to hide in her room, hoping to catch the person delivering the paper, but that person didn’t show up that day, leading He Yan to understand that this master didn’t want to reveal their identity.
Curiosity and gratitude welled up within her, so during a school break, before returning home, she wrote a note and placed it on her desk, saying, “I will return to the school in three days. Meet me in the bamboo grove behind the backyard at midnight. I want to express my gratitude in person. Please be sure to come.”
“And then?” Liu Buwang asked, “Did you see who that person was?”
He Yan fell silent for a moment and then gently shook her head.
As soon as she returned home, she had a big quarrel with He Yuansheng and her other brother. She was punished to kneel in the ancestral hall. Less than three days later, in the middle of the night, she left her family and went off to join the military, embarking on a completely different path.
“I broke the appointment.”
She never saw that person.
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Why do I get the feeling that the mysterious master might be the little General?
I guess some things are really fated.
Makes me wonder how much Xiao Jue has pieced together since her swordsmanship is so unique.