Bab 141: Chapter 137: Extra 9
In an instant, Yan Wushi was accosted by accusatory glares all around, including that of the stallowner.
He looked like an upstanding person, but stole a kid's tangren, and took a huge bite out of it too, this situation, what kid wouldn't cry!
The stallowner himself had two children, seeing the situation he felt pity, and rushed to console: "shu will make you another one, don't cry don't cry!"
Xiao-Shen Qiao hearing this stopped sobbing, wiped his tears with his sleeve, with his nose stuffy he said: "Thank you shu, but one is enough for me."
Looking again at his limbless "shizun", he couldn't hold back a sniffle, Xiao-Shen Qiao held back his brimming tears, he looked very pitiful and very cute, nevermind the women with their overflowing maternal instincts, even the stallowner seeing him, wanted to make him a couple more tangren just to see him smile.
There were also bystanders who seeing this injustice wanted to chastise Yan Wushi, but the other's eyes were too cold, his sense of presence startling, so they held it in until their faces burned, and didn't say anything.
Yan Wushi said to Xiao-Shen Qiao: "It's going to be fine, I was just teasing you, we'll get them to make you another one, this crippled Qi Fengge you can leave with me."
Xiao-Shen Qiao, enraged: "Shizun is not crippled, it was you who bit it off!"
Yan Wushi smiled: "If you're still so mean, I'll leave with you forever, and you'll never see Qi Fengge again."
Xiao-Shen Qiao's mouth quivered, half-crying, tears brimming: "Shizun…"
"I want shizun!!!"
The frustration that he had held back for so long exploded all at once, Xiao-Shen Qiao instantly became a crying mess, now even ten tangren would not be enough to placate him!
Yan Wushi held this person, his face pulled taunt, finally getting a taste of the fruits of his own wrongdoing.
For the first time, the eccentric and reckless Yan-zongzhu felt at a loss.
If the person in his arms was not Shen Qiao but someone else, he would have a hundred methods to get the other to shut up, but Shen Qiao in his eyes, was adorable whatever he did, it was only that Yan Wushi expressed his fondness in ways different from other people, he'd forgotten about the age difference between Xiao-Shen Qiao and Shen Qiao, a little carelessness and he'd gone overboard.
…
Everyone thought Shen Qiao turned into a child overnight, but this wasn't the case.
Shen Qiao opened his eyes, and felt something was a bit off.
To be sure, he was still lying down in comfortable blankets, above him were familiar ceiling beams, outside the window it was a deep night, the moon bright above.
There was nothing wrong about nighttime, what was wrong was that as a martial artist attuned to his senses, in ordinary circumstances he would not have descended into deep sleep, and even if he did sleep, by this time it should have been morning.
No need for a candle, by moonlight, Shen Qiao was able to examine his surroundings, he discovered another remarkable thing: this place was definitely Xuandushan, but this house was clearly where he had lived as a disciple, and not the place where he had been before waking!
The strange feeling intensified, but Shen Qiao was not Xiao-Shen Qiao, he was surprised, and at the same time he had already come up with a general idea.
Had he returned to the past in his dream?
He pondered this, got up, pushed the door open and walked outside.
The night was still, Shen Qiao raised his head to look at the sky, then left and right.
This look, froze him in place.
The place he was standing was in front of the small residence, and this residence was reserved for the living quarters of Qi Fengge's disciples, after he became zhangjiao, he didn't want to live in shizun's house, and so lived in another house to the side.
In this moment, in the darkness of night, only the house in which shizun previously resided in, had a faint light burning.
The candlelight flickered, as if there was someone inside.
Shen Qiao was immensely moved all of a sudden, he dashed up the stairs, step by step he approached that house with the candle still burning.
Like he was dreaming, but afraid that he'll be disappointed in the dream.
He did not try to conceal his footsteps, the person in the house quickly sensed his presence.
"Who is outside?" The other did not get up to open the door, his voice was even and warm, as if he might have been reading a book by candlelight, every bit the familiar cadence that Shen Qiao had heard numerous times.
He had no way of steadying his rapid heart, his eyes burned, his vision quickly became a blur.
"Who is it?" Not hearing Shen Qiao's reply, the other was a bit perplexed, finally got up to open the door.
With the door ajar, the two of them faced each other, the face that had appeared so many times in his memories was now right before his eyes, Shen Qiao was stuck in place, unable to step away even half a step, he looked at the other steadily, not daring to even blink.
"You are…" Qi Fengge paused, "Who are you, what is the reason you have come to Xuandushan?"
This Qi Fengge was at the peak of his years, with crow-black hair, he might have just finished bathing, his hair tied, still wet, his appearance was not overtly striking, but could be said to be handsome, and with each season's laundering, the richness of experience, his comportment and vast knowledge gave him an unknowable allure, if there was a type of person in the world, which would utterly be granted others' trust upon meeting, that person would be Qi Fengge.
Shen Qiao remembered very clearly, when shizun failed to breakthrough the martial stage and was on his deathbed, Shen Qiao had followed orders to go see him one last time, the Qi Fengge then no longer retained his decades-unchanged visage, his face was haggard, even his hair was threaded with white, and his gaze was empty, so now when Shen Qiao saw again the shizun of the past, memory and sadness overwhelmed him all at once, his tears could no longer be held back, springing forth and flowing freely.
"Shizun…" Shen Qiao choked back a sob, realizing his state, lowered his head to hurriedly wiped away his tears, before raising his head again: "Shizun, this disciple is Shen Qiao, but the Shen Qiao after twenty years, this disciple doesn't know what happened, when I woke I had returned to the past, maybe this explanation will surprise you, but this disciple harbours no other intentions…"
Qi Fengge: "I believe you."
Shen Qiao was cut off mid-sentence, he looked at the other with some shock.
Qi Fengge smiled: "I believe you, although you've…grown, but you have the same profile, your voice and footsteps and everything else resembles the younger you, how could I not recognize you?"
Saying this, he extended a hand, gently patting Shen Qiao on the head: "So this is what Qiao looks like when he's grown."
Shen Qiao felt a warmth on his head, he wanted to cry again.
Qi Fengge: "But what magic is this, you say you are the Shen Qiao after twenty years, then where is six year-old Shen Qiao?"
No wonder with Qi Fengge, he'd discovered the crux of the matter at once.
Shen Qiao frowned: "This disciple doesn't know either, I was meditating, then I must have fallen asleep, when I awoke I discovered that I had returned to twenty years before."
Qi Fengge, engrossed: "Then after twenty years, where am I?"
Shen Qiao was silent.
Qi Fengge understood: "I must have already died."
Shen Qiao: "Shizun…"
Qi Fengge found it amusing: "To die of old age and illness, nothing could be more common, martial artists have a few more years, but cannot age in time with the heavens, why would Qiao make this face, have you wasted your twenty some years, and now are unable to let things go?"
Shen Qiao took a deep breath in: "This disciple understands the lesson."
Qi Fengge: "Who is the zhangjiao of Xuandushan then?"
Shen Qiao: "It's this disciple."
Qi Fengge wasn't too surprised, he smiled and nodded.
Shen Qiao: "The details therein, it's a long story, is shizun willing to hear this disciple explain?"
Qi Fengge shook his head: "No need, what will happen has already been set, knowing it will provide no advantage, instead it might not be a good thing."
Most people if they had a chance to know the future wouldn't be able to stay their curiosity, Shen Qiao was not surprised by Qi Fengge's words, as the other was really this open-minded of a person.
Qi Fengge: "No one knows how long this magic will last, it's no easy feat that I was able to encounter grown-up Qiao, how can we waste our time here, tonight is the Lantern Festival, your shixiongdi have all gone into town to play, do you want to take a turn there as well?"
Shen Qiao, delighted: "Of course this disciple is willing."
The two of them descended the mountain one after the other, Qi Fengge used qinggong, his shadow drifting like an idle celestial, Shen Qiao found that in this dream his perception of his surroundings were just like real life, his wugong was not diminished at all, it almost didn't feel like a dream.
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Qi Fengge has just landed, when Shen Qiao appeared by his side, he was very happy: "The pupil surpasses the master, there is hope for the continuation of Xuandushan!"
Shen Qiao smiled: "Shizun is too kind, my wugong still cannot compare to shizun's at his peak, Yan Wushi however…"
He found that after speaking this name, with all of the things that were to follow, some unknown force held him back, and he was unable to say anything else.
Qi Fengge didn't sense his apprehension: "Yan Wushi? So his wugong twenty years later has ascended another level!"
Shen Qiao had no way of explaining, he could only nod.
Qi Fengge did not press further, his gaze fell upon the crowd, the lively, bustling atmosphere, he smiled and asked: "Xuandu Town after twenty years, it must be even more busy?"
Lanterns in every direction, riotous and colourful, the sound of children's chatter and delight, it was indeed a lively Lantern Festival.
Shen Qiao: "It's about the same."
He had collected himself, not being able to say it was no regret, having one night in shizun's presence was already a blessing.
Qi Fengge brought him before a kiosk that had lantern riddles, he joined in on the fun, got a lantern riddle right, and won a rabbit lantern, he handed the rabbit lantern over to him, joked: "When you came into town last year, you had your eyes on this rabbit lantern, but Yuanchun also wanted it, so you gave it up to him, this year you're here on your own, so you get this rabbit lantern too easily."
Shen Qiao no longer recalled what happened when he was six, but shizun's sincere devotion to him made him feel very warm inside, he was so fond of the rabbit lantern in his hands he was quite unable to part with it.
The candlelight from the tummy of the rabbit lantern burned with warmth.
Twenty years ago, and twenty years later.
Shen Qiao's eyes grew wet again, he was worried that shizun would find him weak, and rushed to blink away his tears, then he smiled: "Thank you, shizun."
Qi Fengge patted him on the shoulder, his gaze soft, he didn't say anything, but seemed to understand everything.
Past this street, the noise and bustle dwindled, the river flowed by quietly, several lanterns were appended to paper boats, drifting downstream, the wishes of many people entrusted to them.
The two of them took a break under the trees, Qi Fengge saw how he was unwilling to put the rabbit lantern down, couldn't help but laugh: "How come our grown Qiao is still like a child."
Shen Qiao also laughed: "It's because shizun gifted this."
Looking at it, was like having shizun by his side, Shen Qiao didn't want to think this was all a dream, the existence of rabbit lantern perhaps made his own presence feel a bit more real.
Qi Fengge took the lantern from him, and used a thin branch to pry the wick a bit longer, prolonging its life, then gave it back to him: "Sorry."
Shen Qiao paused: "Why does shizun say that?"
Qi Fengge, warmly: "Twenty years later you are zhangjiao, it must be that at the time you are the only one capable of such an undertaking, your character is humble and kind, you never like to be in the spotlight, so it is I who will make things difficult for you."
Shen Qiao smiled: "I am a disciple of Xuandushan, I hope Xuandushan will be safe, since shizun thinks I am capable of the task, I will of course give it my all."
Although the beginning was a detour, and the cost devastating and unbearable, ultimately he didn't let anyone down.
The two of them chatted for a long time underneath the trees, Shen Qiao forgot when he succumbed to fatigue and fell asleep.
In the dream, he was lying on Qi Fengge's leg, in his arms was the already burnt out rabbit lantern, someone was still smiling.
A hand was stroking his head, over and over, just like when he was younger.
Shen Qiao was woken by the piercing sunlight.
He opened his eyes, sunlight scattered through the spaces between the leaves, spilling onto his body.
Beside him someone was leaning against the tree trunk, but it wasn't Qi Fengge, it was Yan Wushi.
Yan Wushi opened his eyes, rubbed his temple, he was trying to figure how with his martial arts level how he could have fallen asleep unknowingly, when he saw Shen Qiao he paused: "You're back?"
The two of them compared their version of the events, Shen Qiao was alarmed to discover, he hadn't been dreaming, but actually switched time flows with seven year old him, briefly returning to the past.
Shen Qiao, surprised: "But I do not remember this episode from when I was seven."
Yan Wushi: "Perhaps because it was the past, so seven year-old you would not remember."
Turning it over in his mind, this seemed the only possible answer.
Yan Wushi suddenly bent over him, most of his body covering Shen Qiao's, he reached over to grab something behind Shen Qiao.
Shen Qiao looked, it was that rabbit lantern.
***
The author would like to say:
(laughs), I knew you guys wouldn't be able to guess today's contents!
Tomorrow I will continue extra 7, the postscript~ (but truthfully what's there to see after the fact, why are our fans so stubborn →_→
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