Thousand Autumns Chapter 11
Thousand Autumns – Chapter 11
Translator: MoMoePom
Editor: Kiti
Quality Check: Kai
First published on Ainushi.
Translator's Rambling:
Ahh, I finally finished the background setting chapters. From now on, the story will pick up and we get to see INTERACTIONS finally!!!!
Chapter 11
Synopsis: Shen Qiao: My heart is too tired to love again.
Not only was the little monk not in a mood to appreciate it, in fact, she was extremely horrified.
Because she had absolutely no idea where this hand had come from and all she could do was to let the other person hold her wrist between his fingers since she was absolutely powerless against him!
"Ahhh!!!" A sharp sensation of pain burst out of her wrist. She could not help but cry out in pain.
Any man who heard this voice would, if not have protective feelings towards the woman, then at least slightly pause their movement. However, it was a pity that since she had the simple and honest face of a little monk, the effect was not very ideal and the person she had run into had a heart of stone. As her wrist bone was brutally crushed by the grip, her body flew up immediately afterwards. But it was not due to her taking the initiative to run away–she was actually thrown off.
The delicate body crashed straight into the porch column so hard that even the pillar seemed to have shaken a little with the impact. The little monk tumbled down and vomited out several mouthfuls of blood, looking wretched.
One of her wrists was broken by the crushing grip and the other hand had just been pierced by the Cicada Wing Blades. With a pair of badly mangled hands, she was as pitiful as one could possibly be.
But she did not seem to take such a devastating condition into her heart. Instead, she fiercely gazed at the person who had injured her and asked, "Who are you…", her voice muffled by the blood in her mouth.
The black-robed man replied, "There's no need to stare at me like this. Sang Jingxing and Yuan Xiuxiu would not have dared to boast about winning against me for sure even if they were to team up, let alone you?"
Bai Rong's expression changed a little, "May I know your honorable name, Sir?"
On the other side, someone had already answered her question, "May I ask what would be the reason for Sect Master Yan to appear at this place?"
Sect Master Yan… Yan Wushi?!
Bai Rong's eyes slightly widened. She could hardly believe it.
As the most prominent disciple of the Harmony Sect, she had often heard the name of Yan Wushi. Even though the three Demonic Sects had originated from the same root, they had been on bad terms since long ago. In particular, the Harmony Sect had frequently caused troubles for the Cleansing Moon Sect during the ten years that Yan Wushi had been missing due to his Closed Door Meditation, taking the opportunity to hit them harder while they were down. Now that Yan Wushi had re-appeared in the pugilistic world, her injury… To be honest, it was not unjust.
Yan Wushi sneered, "Why can't I be here when even an old bald donkey [1] like you can come?"
Accompanied by his voice, the monk who was holding a jade bell in his hand slowly walked out of the shadows. However, he was nothing like the "old bald donkey" Yan Wushi had called him. He had a jade like countenance, appearing to be in the early thirties and attired in a snow-white monk's robe so clean that not even a speck of dust could be found on it. Without the need to speak, his entire body was already portrayed with the four words: "A Well-Respected Senior Monk".
His appearance did not create a big stir among the younger generation such as Murong Xun and Tuoba Liangzhe. However, the expression on Murong Qin's and Yun Fuyi's faces changed abruptly on seeing him.
Murong Qin shouted, "I didn't expect that two otherworldly experts as noble as the Great Perceptor of Zhou Dynasty, Master Xueting, and the grandmaster of the generation, Sect Master Yan, would also act so furtively, hiding in the dark and secretly sneaking into the country of Qi in order to seize the remaining book of The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang! Wanting to take advantage of our disputes to steal it away, do you still want to save your faces or not?"
Master Xueting replied, "There's no need for Patriarch Murong to get so excited. The Emperor of Zhou Dynasty has banned both Buddhism and Daoism ever since Duke Jin passed away. This old monk [2] is no longer the Great Perceptor of Zhou. The only reason that I came tonight is because of a request from an old friend of mine. I hope that Vice Chairman Yun could hand over the item to me so that I can return it to its rightful owner in order to fulfill his long-cherished wish."
Bai Rong spat out some bloody foam and giggled, "I've never seen a monk who has a face as thick as yours. It's obvious that you have conceived a scheme after seeing the treasure, but you just said it was a request from some old friend. Everybody knows that The Strategy of the Vermilion Yang has become a treasure with no owner after the death of Tao Hongjing. Could it be that Tao Hongjing has visited you in your dreams, asking you to collect the books and burn it for him [3]?"
Zen Master Xueting showed neither grief nor happiness. He put his palms together [4], as if he simply didn't hear Bai Rong's words.
Since there were two more people, Murong Qin and Bai Rong didn't dare to hurriedly attack Yun Fuyi again, though Yun Fuyi did not feel relaxed because of it. Instead, her heart became even heavier.
Ever since the death of Qi Fengge, there was no greater martial artist than the top ten.
Both Zen Master Xueting and Yan Wushi had their names on the list among the ten people. The former's martial arts level was a profound mystery, and it was very likely that he had already made it into the top three. As for the latter, although he had gone missing for many years, he had crushed Kunye, the new generation expert who had once defeated the sect leader of Mount Xuandu, right after his return to the pugilistic world.
Yun Fuyi would not be able to handle either one of them. Who would have expected that they would both come?
Thinking about the task which the chairman, Dou Yanshan, had entrusted to her, her mouth was filled with bitterness.
It wasn't that she did not strive her hardest, but the situation tonight was just way beyond what she had anticipated.
It was true that these people did not get along with each other, but all of them had a common goal–the remaining book of The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang that was on her.
The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang written by Tao Hongjing consisted of five books, each using one of the five elements to correspond to one of the five visceras in human body. It was divided into five sections: Knowledge of Mind, Demonic Souls, Wandering Spirits, [5] Turbid Energy and Free Will, integrating the philosophies of the Three Schools and was claimed to be an unprecedentedly marvelous book. The three books that were currently known were located in the Imperial Palace of Zhou Dynasty, Mount Xuandu, and the Tiantai Sect respectively, while the whereabouts of the other two books remained a mystery.
Relying on the remaining books in their hands, Mount Xuandu and Tiantai Sect each held steadfast their leading position among the Daoist sects and the Buddhist sects as if they were the grandmasters among all martial artists in the world. Qi Fengge even became the number one martial artist under the heaven through serendipity.
Although his disciple, Shen Qiao, fell quite short and was actually pushed down the cliff by other people's attacks, it was Shen Qiao's own fault for not having studied well. It had nothing to do with The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang. Even if one could possess just one book of it, by learning the essence within it and comprehending the mysteries inside, it might not be impossible for someone to achieve the strength to become the number one martial artist under the heavens, like Qi Fengge.
All of the three books for which the locations were known were stored with great security by the respective sects. It was not that easy for others to seize them by force. The other two books had no owners and were reserved for the capable. Therefore, when the news that Yun Fuyi carried the remaining book of The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang on her body was secretly spread out, they had attracted groups after groups of robbers.
The people in the Six Harmonies Association hadn't known the truth. They had simply thought that there were some rare treasures hidden in those two chests. After hearing that Yun Fuyi was carrying The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang on her, they had all been dumbfounded and were unable to react even till then.
In the silence of the confrontation, all those involved had concerns and fear towards one another. Nobody was willing to take action first.
Murong Qin had had the intention to snatch it by force, but he also knew that once he attacked, the monk Xueting and Yan Wushi would definitely strike to stop him.
Being at the center of the vortex, Yun Fuyi was deeply worried inside, but she was already at the end of her tether.
She knew at heart that even if she could survive the crisis tonight, after the news got out tomorrow, there would only be more people coming for the treasure instead of less. In the worst case, even people from the Jade Cloud Sect on Mount Tai and the Linchuan Institute would be drawn there. By that time, it might as well be said that the Six Harmonies Association could never have peaceful days again.
She made a plan in her mind and settled for the second best option, choosing the person who seemed to be the most trustworthy among all present: "The saying is right. 'Things are always reserved for the capable.' Since Six Harmonies Association does not have enough strength, hiding the treasure would be more of a misfortune to us rather than a fortune. I'm willing to hand over the book of The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang in exchange for peace. May I ask if master can guarantee the safety of me and my subordinates if I were to give the book to you?"
Zen Master Xueting declared Buddha's name [6], "Vice Chairman Yun is a highly principled person. How would this old monk dare to not put in all of my efforts?"
After going through several rounds of serious considerations, Yun Fuyi secretly clenched her teeth and took out a small bamboo tube from her clothes. Hu Yan and Hu Yu couldn't resist stretching their necks for a peek and Bai Rong could not help but straighten up. It was hard to believe that this ordinary bamboo tube which was slimmer than a woman's wrist actually contained the remaining book of The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang, something that everyone in the world wanted.
Bai Rong had no strength to compete with them since both of her hands were injured, therefore she simply rested against the porch column to enjoy the show.
But Murong Qin had already turned into a shadow, flashing straight toward that bamboo tube.
However, before he could get near Yun Fuyi, the wind created by Zen Master Xueting's palm had already arrived from behind like a breeze accompanied by the endless sounds of the jade bell, with each sound seeming to pound straight on people's hearts. In Murong Qin's ears, it was no different from what Yun Fuyi had experienced just a while before. His steps suddenly became a thousand pounds heavier and his chest felt so tight that it made him sick.
He knew that it was definitely the jade bell affecting him, so he simply closed his ears and stopped listening. But the movement of his hand did not stop. It was still reaching towards the bamboo tube in Yun Fuyi's hand.
No one knew what Yan Wushi was thinking as he also put a hand in the fight. His figure shifted slightly. He had flashed behind Murong Qin so fast that even the shadow of the flowers had not yet moved from the breeze of his passing.
He reached out his hand. But instead of preventing Murong Qin from grabbing the bamboo tube, it was to stop Zen Master Xueting.
In a blink of eye, the two people had already thrown out more than a couple dozen moves. Not to mention Chen Gong, who was already dazzled and had absolutely no idea what was happening, even young talents like Hu Yan and Hu Yu were also utterly mystified.
Chen Gong got dizzy from just watching, but he could not move his eyes away. Just as he was becoming deeply entranced, Shen Qiao suddenly pressed onto his shoulder, whispering, "Get up, go!"
Normally, whenever Shen Qiao said one sentence, Chen Gong had to argue back with at least three. It was rare that he listened to him obediently this time. Clenching his teeth, he got up after a great deal of struggling and was about to leave without a word.
However, right after he stood up, Chen Gong felt a vigorous power lifting him up by his back as his whole body flew high up into the sky. He was extremely frightened and couldn't restrain his screams. By the time when Yan Wushi threw him on top of the roof, his legs were so weak that he knelt straight down and nearly fell off the roof.
He had been utterly out of luck ever since the beginning of tonight. Chen Gong started to become desperate. He looked down as he trembled and saw an extra person next to Yan Wushi.
Shen Qiao had also been fetched onto the roof.
He even had a bamboo tube in his hand–it had been forced onto him by Yan Wushi, something that he neither wanted to hold on to nor was able to throw away. He looked puzzled and helpless. "We are only two little men who happened to stayed here for the night and are not related to the business in the pugilistic world at all. The debt has its debtor. Could Sect Master Yan please not tease us like this?"
Yan Wushi smiled as he replied, "How could you call this teasing? I'm giving you an enormous benefit. Now, something that everyone in this world wants is right in your hands. Aren't you feeling a little happy at least?"
No one had expected that Yan Wushi involved himself in the fight just to give the bamboo tube to two irrelevant small potatoes who happened to be present. For a moment, everyone there stared at Shen Qiao with burning gaze, wishing they could burn a hole on him.
Zen Master Xueting frowned, "Why the need for Sect Master Yan to involve non-related people into this?"
Yan Wushi fiddled with the jade accessory tied on his clothes in a careless manner. "Aren't you all dying to see what's written in there? We're not going to reach an end if we keep fighting like this, so why not let everyone have a share of it? If I'm the one reading it out loud, the rest of you definitely won't believe what I say. If you're the one reading it, I can't trust your words either. Then it's better to let him read it. How much you hear out of what he reads, however, depends on your own luck then."
Translator's Notes:
[1] Old bald donkey (老秃驴 Lao Tulü): An insulting way to call a monk.
[2] This old monk: He's referring to himself.
[3] Burn it for someone: In Chinese culture, it is believed that if you burn something for a deceased person, they will receive it in the underworld.
Thousand Autumns Chapter 12
Thousand Autumns – Chapter 12
Translator: MoMoePom
Editor: Kiti
Quality Check: Noa
First published on Ainushi.
Chapter 12
Synopsis: Everyone was stunned.
Many people had heard since long ago that Yan Wushi handled matters in rather eccentric and unpredictable ways. In fact, Bai Rong was quite happy deep down after hearing him giving such a speech.
She was the only one from the Harmony Sect tonight. In the presence of Zen Master Xueting, Yan Wushi and the others, there was no way that she would be able to gain the remaining book of The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang even if she were in her best condition, not to mention the fact that she had also been injured.
If they did what Yan Wushi said, she would have the opportunity to hear a word or two. Not to mention how much she herself would benefit from it, she could at least have something to turn in after she went back.
After thinking it through, she stared closely at the bamboo tube in Shen Qiao's hands, without moving her gaze even an inch.
Murong Qin and the others all had the same reaction as Bai Rong. Zen Master Xueting was the only one not in favor of it, saying, "Sect Master Yan, this person does not belong to the pugilistic world. If he reads aloud the content of the book today, then as the news gets spread out in the future and when other people covet The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang yet can't find it, it's inevitable that some malicious evildoers would choose to lay their hands on him. You may not have killed him yourself, but he would die because of you!"
Yan Wushi replied lazily, "Old bald donkey, isn't it hypocritical for you to say this? You must have read the book kept in the Imperial Palace of Zhou while you were still their Great Perceptor. Also, you were originally a disciple of the Tiantai Sect. Your master Huiwen hadn't died yet when you betrayed the sect. Judging by how much he valued you, you've probably read the one kept in the Tiantai Sect as well. In addition to the book tonight, you've already obtained three out of the five books. Aren't you precisely the kind of person that 'Pretending to be a victim after taking advantage' refers to?"
Surprisingly, Murong Qin also agreed to Yan Wushi's words and sneered at Xueting, "Great Master, you sure have the demeanor of an expert. You can just leave if you don't want to listen to it. Why the need to hinder other people's future? Could the reason that you insist on giving lengthy lectures here be that you're dissatisfied because you didn't get to have it all to yourself?"
Zen Master Xueting let out a sigh and eventually stopped talking.
Yan Wushi only pressed two fingers against the crucial acupoint on Shen Qiao's back and said to him, "Read."
To other people's eyes, it appeared as if Yan Wushi was threatening him, but only Shen Qiao knew that the person seemed to have used some sort of secret art and opened up part of his clogged meridians in a flash. A warm stream of inner qi flowed across his entire body immediately afterwards. As the view in front of his eyes gradually became clear, he started to see just like a normal person.
Nobody would have thought that Yan Wushi was the one who saved Shen Qiao's life. However, despite having such a relationship between them, Shen Qiao would never believe that Yan Wushi would treat him favorably. A vague idea came to his mind and his opinion towards this person was shaded by one more layer of coldness.
Shen Qiao resigned himself to picking up the bamboo tube and slowly unscrewed it open, taking out a set of bamboo slips [1] rolled up into a scroll.
The bamboo slips were made extremely thin. After the scroll was fully unfolded, it was actually about one meter long.
The writing on it was tiny, but since Shen Qiao had temporarily recovered his eyesight, he could still roughly read it with the help of the moonlight.
Everyone stared at him with shining gazes.
If those gazes could materialize, they would have burned countless holes all over Shen Qiao already.
He narrowed his eyes to read the sentences carefully, then slowly and clearly read out every single word and phrase, "The spleen harbors the Will. In Houtian stage, it is Free Will, while in the Xiantian stage, it is Belief…"
A person who didn't have any inner qi would naturally have a rather normal volume, but most of the people present had outstanding hearing abilities. Thus, they could still hear him clearly.
There wasn't much content on the bamboo slips. Even though Shen Qiao's reading speed was slow, it only took him an hour at most to finish.
His mouth had become dry from all the talking, as he handed the bamboo slips back to Yan Wushi. The latter then took his hand off Shen Qiao's back and Shen Qiao felt that warm stream of inner qi suddenly vanish completely. Darkness slowly resumed before his eyes and perhaps because he had just overstrained them, a burning sensation broke out in his eyes as if they had been burnt by fire.
He was forced to cover his eyes with one hand while using the other to stabilize himself with the help of the bamboo stick, his back slightly arched as he panted.
Yan Wushi didn't bother with him. He took over the bamboo slips and shook his sleeve. Without another word, he flipped his hand, and the bamboo slips immediately turned into powder, dissipating into the air.
Everyone was stunned.
Murong Xun was still young and hot-blooded. He could not restrain himself from shouting, "The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang is such a precious treasure and yet you destroyed it!"
Yan Wushi's voice sounded indifferent, "Only something that no longer exists can be called 'precious.' He has already read it out just now. How much you have remembered would be your own business."
Murong Xun panted as he stared at him. For a moment, he was speechless.
Yan Wushi clapped his hand and dusted off the last remnants of powder on his sleeve. Then he turned around and left without any hesitation.
Not many people in this world were able to stop him. Zen Master Xueting did not move. Therefore, other people could only stare blankly as his figure disappeared into the darkness.
Bai Rong immediately followed after him and left without even taking care of the wounds on her body. However, it was not to chase after Yan Wushi, but to hurry and find a place to write down what she had memorized just then.
Both Murong Xun and Tuoba Liangzhe turned their eyes to Murong Qin. The latter pondered for a moment and also made his decision, "Let's go!"
Without giving Yun Fuyi and her men another glance, the three of them turned and left right away.
Zen Master Xueting sighed softly and said to Yun Fuyi, "Vice Chairman Yun has been quite startled tonight. Please send this poor monk's regards to Chairman Dou on my behalf."
He also took part in the process of holding back Yun Fuyi, but since the remaining book had been destroyed already, she completely lost interest in criticizing him and merely replied dully, "Master, take care."
After Zen Master Xueting had left, she asked Hu Yan and Hu Yu to help the two hall managers up. She then said to Shen Qiao and Chen Gong, "Your unexpected misfortune tonight was all because of Six Harmonies Association and I'm very sorry about it. May I know where you two are heading to next? If it's convenient, we can drop you off on our way."
If it was back then, Chen Gong would definitely agree happily. But what had happened that night showed him what the saying that "there is always someone better out there" meant. His spirit had diminished a lot, but he still couldn't let go of this opportunity to enter the pugilistic world and was thus pondering on how to answer her.
However, Shen Qiao who was next to him answered before he could, "Thank you very much for your kindness. Originally, we were going to go down south to seek refuge with our relatives, but we didn't expect to come across things like this. We're quite scared now and all we want is to hurry to the south. We're not from the pugilistic world, nor do we want to be involved in its business. So, please forgive us."
Yun Fuyi thought for a bit and asked, "Do you still remember the content you have just read?"
Shen Qiao shook his head, "We come from a poor family. My cousin is illiterate, while I myself only know a few characters and haven't read many classics. Besides, my eyes are also bad. I don't know what kind of magic that expert had used. He pressed his hand against my back, making me able to see the characters. But right after I finished and his hand left my back, I can't even see clearly, let alone remember anything."
Yun Fuyi saw that his eyes had no focus. There sure seemed to be problems with them as the white parts were suffused with a faint blue, so she knew what he said was true. She felt a bit sorry that they had refused her offer, but she did not force them. "That's fine. We'll leave first since we need to hurry on with our journey tonight. If the two of you have any urgent needs, you can go to the Six Harmonies Association's sub-hall in the city and tell them my name [2], Yun Fuyi."
Shen Qiao thanked her. Chen Gong glanced at Shen Qiao and then thanked her as well.
Yun Fuyi and her men didn't stay for long. They weren't even concerned with the two chests anymore. Hu Yan and Hu Yu brought the two injured hall managers with them and headed to the inside of the city as fast as they could. All of a sudden, such a big monastery became even more desolate.
After he saw their figures disappear from his sight, Chen Gong softly gave Shen Qiao a pat. He was still speaking in a really low voice as if he was afraid that other people might overhear him, "Why didn't you agree when she asked us to go together with them? Won't it be safer if we did?"
The pain in Shen Qiao's eyes hadn't stopped yet, but he laughed after hearing Chen Gong's question, "Then, why didn't you stop me and straightforwardly request to go with them when I was speaking back then?"
Chen Gong hesitated for a second, "Comparing to them, of course you're more trustworthy."
Shen Qiao sighed, "I guess the only reason that Vice Chairman Yun had invited us to travel along is that she was afraid that the content she heard was incomplete and wanted us to help her to write the book down from memory. After the event tonight, the outside world will soon find out about the news. People will try to obtain a copy of the book by all possible means. If we travel along with them, when danger arises, we would be the first ones thrown out by them."
Chen Gong suddenly realized the truth. He could not help but curse, "No wonder that woman suddenly became so kind-hearted. So, it turns out that she has a bellyful of evil tricks hidden already. If you didn't stop me in time, I would have really followed after them!"
"This is just my guess. Since The Strategy of the Vermillion Yang is such a precious treasure, they are afraid they will forget something they heard while it was read out loud and will definitely stop and write it down first. These written versions would surely become hot items that everyone wants to seize. We're not martial artists. Travelling together with them won't bring us any benefit. It will only draw disaster upon us."
Chen Gong was dejected, "You're right. I wanted to join the Six Harmonies Association after seeing how majestic they looked in Funing District. But after tonight, I'll no longer hold on to this delusion. I don't know a thing about martial arts and would probably just end up being a handyman for the rest of my life even if I can get in!"
The two of them went back together. It was more than an hour since the incident before Shen Qiao finally felt the pain in his eyes slightly alleviate. However, he could not see anything when he opened his eyes. His sight was back to the worst condition that he had started with.
He pondered about it. Regarding what Yan Wushi did just then, it was highly probable that he somehow managed to quickly improve his eyes–which would originally have needed several months or even several years to recover–to their best condition. But in the end, he might need even more time to recover now as a compensation for the brief moments of light he had seen.
Shen Qiao couldn't help but smile bitterly.
He had finally experienced thoroughly how heartless this person was. It was probably not some kind of good intention either that led Yan Wushi to save Shen Qiao back then.
But tonight… Was it really a coincidence that Yan Wushi had appeared here?
Suddenly, Chen Gong pulled Shen Qiao's sleeves. His tone sounded a bit chilling, "You see, since someone else was impersonating that little monk back there, what about the abbot and the two little monks who were originally living in the monastery? It can't be… It can't be that they were already silenced, right?"
Shen Qiao did not say anything.
As if his silence conveyed some kind of message, Chen Gong turned pale and became quiet as well.
He had always flaunted himself as a fearless person, but this was the first time that he deeply realized the importance of power.
In a world like this one, anyone who did not have the corresponding strength could end up becoming a sacrifice with a shady death at any time.
…
As expected, both the abbot and the two monks were dead.
The corpses were right in the old abbot's room. The murderer hadn't even tried to cover it up and simply left them lying there in disorder. Chen Gong was so scared when he saw this that even his legs went soft. He had no strength to collect their corpses and ran straight back, rolling and crawling along the way. Only after seeing Shen Qiao did he finally calm down a little.
Even though Shen Qiao was blind, he could still somehow give people strength just by quietly sitting there.
Chen Gong's lips trembled as he asked, "Were they killed by the woman who had disguised herself as the little monk? She's so strong. She could have just made them unable to speak or move. Why did she still need to kill them?"
"Maybe, this is the way she does things." Shen Qiao was silent for a moment. "Some people don't need reasons when they act. They believe they can rule over other people's lives, thus whether they decide to do good or evil solely depends on their own preference."
Chen Gong blankly stared at the ground. The dried up bloodstain on the old abbot's corpse was still flashing before his eyes. Everything that had happened tonight had completely overturned what he had known or experienced in the past dozen or so years. Still deeply immersed in the shock, he was unable to come back to reality for a long time.
'I must not become a person who places themselves at the mercy of others. I have to become the one who can domineer over others,' Chen Gong thought as he recalled those great experts he had seen tonight.
Compared to the calm and mature Zen Master Xueting who appeared to be out of this mortal world, the extravagant, self-willed Yan Wushi would naturally stir up more of his admiration.
Shen Qiao didn't know what he was thinking. He thought Chen Gong was just frightened, so he patted Chen Gong's shoulder a few times and said softly, "Every encounter is the result of fate. Since the old abbot lent out his monastery for us to stay, it should be counted as him doing us a favor. Why don't we bury them together tomorrow morning?"
Chen Gong let out a long breath. "Sure."
Translator's Notes:
[1] Bamboo Slips (竹简 zhu jian): Bamboo and wooden slips were the main media for documents in China before the widespread introduction of paper (see image).
[2] Tell them my name: A way of saying that they had a connection with her.