Chapter 2: Wild Rose at the Horizon

[originally translated by metwin1 and edited by Chowbeng and RWX]

“The flowers have not yet wilted;

the moon has not yet waned,

so where doth the moon shine?

Wild roses are at the horizon.”

Was Yan Nanfei truly drunk?

He sat down beside the fresh flowers, in between beautiful women, in front of a golden cup of wine.

The wine was amber, and the roses were bright.

The scent of the roses in his hand were intoxicating, but they were nothing compared to the wine.

He was totally inebriated, and collapsed on the laps and knees of the beautiful women that were sitting next to him.

Beautiful women were also intoxicating; they giggled like orioles, and their cheerful faces turned into beautiful shades of pink.

He was still a youth; a youth with youthful exuberance. He had plenty of gold, he had perfumed flowers, fine wine and beautiful women. What a happy time it is, what a happy life.

But why did he come to this dead town to enjoy all these pleasures?

Was he here because of Fu Hongxue?

He did not even give Fu Hongxue a glance, as though he did not realise Fu Hongxue’s existence.

Fu Hongxue too behaved in the same way, as though others did not exist. Around him, there were no flowers, women, nor wine; it was as though an invisible wall separated him and the other merry makers.

He had not taken part in such merry-making activities for a very long time.

The watchman’s drum was struck once again. It was now the second watch.

They were still drinking and making merry. They seemed to have totally forgotten all the frustrations, sorrow and pain in the world.

He was stilling holding a cup full of wine in one hand, and a stalk of wild rose on the other. A beautiful woman tugged at his hand and asked, “Why do you like the wild rose?”

“Wild roses have thorns.”

“You like thorns?”

“I like to pierce people. Pierce their hands and pierce their heart.”

The beautiful woman’s hand was pierced, her heart was also pierced.

She grimaced in pain, frowned and shook her head, “That is not a good reason, I don’t like it.”

“You don’t like it? What would you have liked to hear then?”

Yan Nanfei laughed. “Do you want to listen to another story?”

“Of course I do.”

“Once upon a time, in a place far far away, a nightingale saw a wild rose in bloom and fell in love with it. The bird was so much in love, it leaped from the branch into the pond and drowned.”

“That story is beautiful,” the beautiful woman’s eyes had turned red, “but it is too sad.”

“You are wrong.” Yan Nanfei’s smile had become even wider, “Death is not something sorrowful. If there was pride in death, or even beauty in death, then there is nothing to fear.”

The beautiful woman stared at the wild rose that was in his hand. The wild rose appeared to be smiling too.

She stared at the rose intently for a while, and whispered,

“This morning, I wanted to give you a few stalks of wild roses.

I spent a lot of time tying the flowers to my girdle.

But the girdle loosened and even the flowers were loosened too.

They fell and scattered, some to the winds and others into the water.

The river waters flowed eastward, and the flower petals too, never to return.

River waves had become crimson red with petals, but only a light fragrance remains on my sleeve.”

Her poem was beautiful, just like a song.

She lifted her sleeves, “Please smell them. I insist you smell them, as our final rememberance.”

Yan Nanfei looked at her sleeves and held her hand lightly.

Just at this moment, the night watchman’s drum reverberated once more.

It was the third watch!

“The road to the horizon,

A path of no return,

In the third watch past midnight,

Time for the destruction of Man’s soul.”

Yan Nanfei suddenly released the her hands.

The music stopped abruptly.

He waved his hand and gave a short command, “Leave”.

It was like a magic spell. The ghostly night watchman had just struck his drum for the third watch. Immediately the command was issued and immediately the previously joyful atmosphere disappeared.

The tavern had become bare, and only two people remained.

Even the beautiful woman whose hand pricked by the wild rose left. Her hand was hurt but her heart was hurt far more deeply.

The horse carriage left, and the lands returned to their original state of deathlike loneliness.

Only one lamp remained indoors, and the weak light flickered at Yan Nanfei’s bright eyes.

He appeared to be drunk, but his eyes were far from drunk.

Fu Hongxue was still sitting quietly at his corner.

Not listening, not seeing, nor moving.

But Yan Nanfei was now standing up and in so revealed the sword on his waist.

Bright red scabbard; bright red hilt!

More red than the wild rose; more red than blood.

The tavern was filled with happiness a short while ago, was suddenly filled with an air of murderous intent.

He walked forward, towards Fu Hongxue.

He may be drunk, but his sword was certainly not intoxicated.

His sword was already in his hand.

A pale white hand clenched to a blood red sword.

Fu Hongxue’s hand was also clenched to his sabre.

His sabre never left his hand, no matter what happened.

A pale white hand clenched to a pitch black sabre!

The sabre was as black as death, and the scabbard was as red as blood.

The distance between these weapons was slowly diminishing.

The distance between Fu Hongxue and Yan Nanfei was slowly diminishing.

The murderous air thickened even further.

Yan Nanfei was finally standing in front of Fu Hongxue. Suddenly he pulled his sword out; the light reflected from the blade of the sword was as radiant as the sun’s rays, yet as beautiful as the wild roses under sunlight.

The sword emitted a powerful aura, right between Fu Hongxue’s eyebrows.

Fu Hongxue was still not listening, not seeing, nor moving!

Light rays from the sword flashed passed him. The beaded door curtain that was hanging on the door frame nearby was severed into two; the beads fell from the curtain like tear drops from a beautiful woman.

Then the sword rays disappeared suddenly.

The sword was still there, still in Yan Nanfei’s hand. He raised his sword with two hands, and presented it to Fu Hongxue.

The sharpness of the sword was unparalleled under the heavens!

The sword technique that he used was also unparalleled under the heavens!

Why was he presenting such a sword to Fu Hongxue?

He came from afar, made merry and drank.

He pulled out his sword, swung it, and presented it as a gift.

What was really happening?

His hands were pale, and the blade of his sword also appeared to be pale under the dim light from a lamp.

Fu Hongxue’s face was even paler.

He finally raised his head slowly, and gazed at the sword in Yan Nanfei’s hands.

He shown no expression, but the pupils of his eyes narrowed.

Yan Nanfei was also gazing at him; bright eyed, carrying a strange expression. Was it an expression of a person that was close to the ultimate release of joy, or one of unspeakable and helpless sorrow?

Fun Hongxue raised his head further and stared into Yan Nanfei’s eyes. It was as though he had just noticed Yan Nanfei.

Two pairs of eyes established contact. There was a flash of some sort, a spark; as though there was silent communication between them.

“You are here,” said Fu Hongxue, unexpectedly.

“I am here,” Yan Nanfei replied.

Fu Hongxue said, “I knew you would come.”

Yan Nanfei replied, “I would come for sure, and you knew that. If not, you would not have let me go a year ago.”

Fu Hongxue looked grave, and gazed long and hard at the sword that in Yan Nanfei’s hand before slowly said,

“Now a year has passed.”

Yan Nanfei said, “Exactly one full year.”

Fu Hongxue sighed, “What a long year that was.”

Yan Nanfei also sighed, “What a short year that was.”

Was the span of a year truly long or short?

Yan Nanfei gave a short burst of laughter; his laughter was laced with sarcasm, “You felt that the year had passed slowly only because you were waiting. You have been waiting for today to come.”

“What about you?” Fu Hongxue asked.

“I didn’t wait at all,” Yan Nanfei answered.

He gave a faint smile and continued, “Although I knew that today would be the day I die, but I am not the sort of person to wait for death.”

Fu Hongxue asked, “Was it because you had so many things to settle that you found the year to be too short?”

Yan Nanfei answered, “The year was certainly too short.”

Fun Hongxue asked, “Have you completed everything that you wanted to finish? Your desires and wishes?”

The sword rays were illumining; the thin blade of the sword flashed like lightning.

The sabre seemed slower in comparison.

The sword rays had not arrived, but the sabre was already forcing the sword back.

Then the sabre was at Yan Nanfei’s throat.

It was Fu Hongxue’s sabre at Yan Nanfei’s throat.

The sabre was in Fu Hongxue’s hand, and that hand was now back on the table.

Yan Nanfei stared at this pitch black sabre for a long time, and said slowly, “A year ago, I was defeated by your sabre.”

Fu Hongxue lightly, “Perhaps you should not have lost. You were too young, but yet your swordplay was too worn.”

Yan Nanfei was slient as if in deep consideration of Fu Hongxue’s words. After a long while, he said unhurriedly, “You asked me then, if I had any unfulfilled wishes left.”

Fu Hongxue nodded, “I had asked you that!”

Yan Nanfei continued, “I replied then, that though I had unfinished business, that business was my own and only mine to do.”

Fu Hongxue answered, “I remember.”

“I told you then, that you could kill me anytime, but you could forget about forcing me to reveal anything if I was unwilling to do so.” Yan Nanfei said.

Fu Hongxue nodded. “And now...?”

Yan Nanfei answered, “Now is still the same!”