Chapter 8: Peacock Manor

A person’s face is a mask to begin with! If one can change one’s face at will based on one’s environment or mood, no one can read that person’s expressions and discover what secrets lie hidden in that person’s mind.

What type of mask could possibly be more clever and ingenious than one’s face?

The faces of people with high status and of high standings are usually unreadable masks.

When Mingyue Xin saw Qiu Shuiqing, the first question in her mind was, “I wonder what type of mask he wears on his face?”

Regardless of what mask he might wear, for the master of the Peacock Manor to personally welcome them is certainly something to be happy about.

Brilliant and beautiful are the plumes of a peacock. Brilliant and beautiful is the Peacock Manor.

Dark green tiles glowed with jade brilliance under the rays of the setting sun. The white stone steps were as beautiful as jade, passing between golden walls. It seemed as though this entire place was built out of gold, pearls, jewels, and jade.

Several peacocks spread their plumes beneath a peach tree in the garden. Upon the pond floated mandarin ducks.

Several girls dressed in silks quietly walked past the soft, verdant grass, disappearing into the depths of a forest of flowers, disappearing into this multicolored, splendid garden.

The wind carried the faint scent of drunken pleasure. From afar, it sounded as though someone were playing the flute. The world seemed filled with peace and harmony.

All three great gates to the house were wide open. Nary a single gatekeeper could be seen.

Qiu Shuiqing was right there, standing on top of those white stone steps, calmly gazing at Fu Hongxue.

He was a very conservative person, in words and deeds. Even if his heart was bursting with joy, he definitely wouldn’t reveal any hint of it.

When he saw Fu Hongxue, he only lightly smiled. “I didn’t imagine that you would come, but you came at a perfect time!”

Fu Hongxue asked, “Why is this a perfect time?”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “We happen to have a guest here tonight, and he’s not any ordinary guest.”

Fu Hongxue said, “Who?”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “Gongzi Yu.”

Fu Hongxue shut his mouth. No expression could be seen on his face whatsoever. Unexpectedly, Mingyue Xin also remained composed.

Qiu Shuiqing glanced at her, then glanced at Yan Nanfei, who had been carried to this place. “They are your friends?”

Fu Hongxue neither admitted to it nor denied it. Even he wasn’t sure whether they were friends or enemies.

Qiu Shuiqing didn’t ask again. He only turned his body sideways and said, “Please enter.”

Two people carried Yan Nanfei into the room, with Mingyue Xin following behind them. She suddenly came to a stop. Staring at Qiu Shuiqing, she said, “Manor-master, aren’t you going to ask why we are here?”

Qiu Shuiqing shook his head.

Since you are friends of Fu Hongxue, there is no need for me to ask. Since there is no need for me to ask, there is no need for me to speak.

He was always a man of few words.

Mingyue Xin, however, refused to shut up. She said, “Manor-master, even though you didn’t ask, I am still going to tell you.”

Since she insisted on telling him, Qiu Shuiqing listened.

Mingyue Xin said, “We have come for two reasons. First, to avoid misfortune. Second, to beg for medical assistance. Manor-master, can you take a look at his illness?”

Qiu Shuiqing finally spoke. “What type of illness is it?”

Ming Yuexin said, “Anxiety.”

Qiu Shuiqing suddenly turned his head and stared at her. “Anxiety can only be treated with mental medicine.”

Mingyue Xin said, “Yes, I know...”

Just as she spoke these three words, Yan Nanfei shot out of his stretcher like an arrow from a bow.

Mingyue Xin made her move as well!

One of them was in front of Qiu Shuiqing. The other was behind him.

With one in front, and the other behind, they had sealed away all of Qiu Shuiqing’s escape paths!

There is no such thing as a perfect, flawless technique. This assault of theirs, however, approached flawlessness.

No one could discover a flaw in their movements, and no one could block or dodge this attack. As a matter of fact, nobody could have possibly imagined that they would suddenly attack like this.

Their attack was undoubtedly carefully planned in advance, and undoubtedly had been practiced many times.

And thus was the master of the Peacock Manor, whose fame shook the world, defeated on the doorsteps of his very own home, without even a chance to counter-attack.

In the blink of an eye, the two of them sealed several major acupoints on his arms and his legs.

Qiu Shuiqing actually didn’t fall down, because they were supporting him.

Although his body was now stiff and inflexible, the expression on his face was still calm. Even if you searched the whole world over, you couldn’t find more than ten people who would be able to maintain their calm in this situation.

After Mingyue Xin launched her attack and struck out with her palm, she lightly took another breath, then finished her earlier words. “It’s precisely because I know that anxiety can only be cured with mental medicine, that we have come here to find you.”

Qiu Shuiqing didn’t even glance at her. He only coldly stared at Fu Hongxue.

Fu Hongxue remained totally expressionless.

Qiu Shuiqing said, “Do you know why they came here?”

Fu Hongxue shook his head.

Qiu Shuiqing said, “But you brought them here.”

Fu Hongxue said, “That’s because I too am curious as to why they wanted to come here.”

The two of them only spoke three sentences. The flower garden which had been filled with peace and tranquility suddenly became filled with a murderous air.

The killing aura came from the blades of forty nine swords and sabres. Light reflecting off the the sabres and shadows cast by the swords flickered, but the people wielding the weapons did not. With the life of the master of their manor in the hands of others, no one dared to make any rash moves.

Qiu Shuiqing suddenly let out a sigh. “Yan Nanfei, Yan Nanfei. How could you do something like this?”

Yan Nanfei was very startled. “You knew who I was all along?”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “All the land within an eighty li radius belongs to the Peacock Manor. As soon as you entered my territory, I knew who you are and learned everything about you.”

Yan Nanfei also let out a sigh. “It seems as though the Peacock Manor really isn’t a place where one can come and go as one pleases.”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “It’s precisely because I know too much about you and your origins, that you were able to subdue me thusly.”

Yan Nanfei said, “Because you didn’t imagine that I would act like this?”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “I truly did not.”

Yan Nanfei forced a smile. “To be honest, even I can’t imagine it.”

Mingyue Xin interjected, “He had no other choice. His illness really is too severe.”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “Do I have medicine that can save him?”

Mingyue Xin said, “You do. Only you do.”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “What medicine is it, exactly?”

Mingyue Xin said, “A secret.”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “A secret? What secret?”

Mingyue Xin said, “The secret of the Peacock Plume.”

Qiu Shuiqing shut his mouth.

Mingyue Xin said, “This isn’t solely a case of us coercing you. This is a trade.”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “What will you use to trade?”

Mingyue Xin said, “Another secret. It’s also a secret of the Peacock Plume.”

Dusk had fallen. Lanterns were lit. The room was quiet, tastefully laid out, and peaceful. Qiu Shuiqing undoubtedly was a man of elegant tastes.

A pity that his guests were not here to appreciate his refined tastes. As soon as they entered the room, Mingyue Xin went straight to the main point. “Actually, I too know that the Peacock Plume was lost during the era of your great-grandfather, Qiu Fengwu.”

This was a secret. A secret that no one in the martial world knew.

For the first time, Qiu Shuiqing’s expression changed. “How do you know this?”

Mingyue Xin said, “Because Qiu Fengwu took the Peacock Painting and went to find a person. He begged that person to build a second Peacock Plume.”

The Peacock Painting was another secret. It contained within it the graphs and charts needed to build the Peacock Plume.

No one knew whether the Peacock Painting came first, or the Peacock Plume came first. Everyone was certain, however, that with the Peacock Painting, it would be possible to create a second Peacock Plume.

Mingyue Xin said, “However, this line of thinking is wrong.”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “How do you know this line of thinking is wrong?”

Mingyue Xin said, “The construction of the mechanisms in a hidden projectile is a very complicated procedure that requires a very high degree of skill.”

Not only did it require a calm, steady, sure hand, it also required metallurgical knowledge as well as an understanding of the principle tenets of hidden projectiles.

Mingyue Xin said, “The person whom Qiu Fengwu sought out was naturally the best artisan of his time.”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “The best artisan of that time was said to be Madame Xu of Sichuan’s Tang family.”

The poisonous hidden projectiles of the Tang family had been world-famous for over four centuries. It was taught to daughter-in-laws, but never to daughters.

Madame Xu was the elder daughter-in-law of the Tang family at that time. Embroidery and manufacturing hidden projectiles were said to be her two consummate, unequalled skills.

Mingyue Xin said, “However, although Madame Xu spent six years of painstaking care and labor, exhausting herself so utterly that even her hair turned white, she was unable to create a second Peacock Plume.”

Qiu Shuiqing simply watched her, waiting for her to continue.

Mingyue Xin took out magnificent, resplendent golden tube before she continued. “Within those six years, Madame Xu did produce four Peacock Plumes. But although they looked identical to the original, and were constructed strictly in accordance with the design mandated by the Peacock Painting, for some reason they lacked the mysterious, magical power of the original.”

Gazing at the golden tube in her hand, Qiu Shuiqing said, “This is one of them?”

Mingyue Xin said, “Correct.”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “Recently, a person nicknamed ‘Peacock’ appeared in the martial world...”

Mingyue Xin said, “His Peacock Plume is one of them as well.”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “You gave it to him?”

Mingyue Xin said, “I didn’t personally give it to him. I only arranged for him to stumble across it.”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “Because you intentionally wanted the rumor to be spread throughout the world the secret of the disappearance of the Peacock Plume.”

Mingyue Xin did not deny it.

Since the Peacock Plume appeared in the hands of others, naturally it could not be at the Peacock Manor.

Qiu Shuiqing said, “Why did you do this?”

Mingyue Xin said, “Because I began to suspect something.”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “Suspect what?”

Mingyue Xin said, “The Peacock Plume is the lifeline of the Peacock Manor, and every successive master of the Peacock Manor has been an extremely careful, extremely steady person. Thus...”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “Thus you always doubted whether or not the Peacock Plume actually went missing.”

Mingyue Xin nodded. “Supposedly, the Peacock Plume was lost by Qiu Yifeng, the father of Qiu Fengwu. Qiu Yifeng possessed amazing intelligence and ability. How could he possibly have done something so foolish? Perhaps he was merely testing his son’s ability to deal with sudden, unexpected situations when he claimed he lost it.”

Although her words were logical, there was no real proof behind them.

Mingyue Xin continued, “Thus, I intentionally revealed this secret, so as to cause the enemies of the Peacock Manor to come here.”

Qiu Shuiqing coldly said, “Not a single person was able to leave alive.”

Mingyue Xin said, “Thus, I felt that my conjecture was certainly correct. The Peacock Plume must still be in your hands.”

Qiu Shuiqing once more shut his mouth, but his sharp, keen, eagle-like gaze never left Mingyue Xin.

Mingyue Xin continued, “Afterwards, Qiu Fengwu did not seek out Madame Xu again. Naturally, this was because he found the original Peacock Plume.”

Qiu Shuiqing was silent for a long time. Finally, he said unhurriedly, “Perhaps he never should have sought her out to begin with.”

Mingyue Xin said, “But he trusted her. Before Madame Xu was married, the two of them were friends.”

Qiu Shuiqing coldly laughed. “There are many people in the world who would sell out their friends.”

Mingyue Xin said, “But Madame Xu did not sell him out. Aside from the direct heirs of the Tang family, no one else knows this secret!”

The light in Qiu Shuiqing’s eyes grew even more keen. “And you? What relationship do you have to the Tang family?”

Mingyue Xin grinned. “I never intended to hide this from you to begin with.”

She slowly continued, “I am the eldest daughter of the Tang family. My original name was Tang Lan.”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “Why is it that a child of the Tang family would become a courtesan?”

Mingyue Xin said, “Although the Tang family specializes in using poisonous hidden projectiles, our rules are much stricter than that of the Seven Great Sects. The children of the Tang family have never been allowed to get involved in the matters of the martial world.”

Her voice was tranquil but unyielding. “But we are determined to come out and do something.”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “What is your target?”

Mingyue Xin said, “Oppression. Our goals can be summarized in four words.”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “To revolt against oppression?”

Mingyue Xin said, “Right! To revolt against oppression!”

She continued, “We do not dare to go against the rules of our family. So as to allow ourselves to move about more freely, I have hidden myself within the courtesan’s world. Over the past three years, we have organized ourselves into a force which can resist oppression. Unfortunately, we still aren’t strong enough.”

Yan Nanfei said, “This is because our enemy is even more tightly organized, and their force is even greater.”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “Who is their leader?”

Yan Nanfei said, “A person who deserves to die.”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “He is the source of your anxiety?”

Yan Nanfei admitted to it.

Qiu Shuiqing said, “You want to use my Peacock Plume to kill him?”

Yan Nanfei said, “Use violence to defeat violence, and kill to stop a killer!”

Qiu Shuiqing looked at him, then looked at Fu Hongxue. He suddenly said, “Release the acupoints on my legs, then come with me!”

They walked past a giant, beautiful mural, passed through a maple grove, and a clump of bamboo. Just after they crossed a bridge with nine bends, the lamp light seemed to scatter and dissipate.

The dark courtyard seemed to carry an unspeakably gloomy, sinister, desolate aura. Even the lamp light shied away from it.

Compared to the magnificent, splendid, palace-like pavilion from earlier, this was a totally different world.

The tall, lofty building was filled with a ghastly cold.

There were over a hundred small lanterns lit within the room. Giving off a sad, eerie light, they looked like so many will’o’the’wisps.

In front of every small lantern was a memorial tablet.

A name was carved onto every memorial tablet. Each and every single name belonged to an illustrious figure. Several of the names belonged to people who, not long ago, were brief celebrities of the martial world who considered themselves without peer!

After seeing the row of memorial tablets, Mingyue Xin’s expression also became very solemn.

She knew that these were all people who died to the Peacock Plume. She hoped to add another memorial tablet and another name to this place.

“Gongzi Yu!”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “Our ancestors feared that their descendants would accumulate too much evil karma through their killings, and so set up a memorial site here, so as to help expiate their sins and propitiate the souls of the damned!”

Next, he took them into the heart of the Peacock Manor. They entered through a paved path through the tomb.

The path they took was tortuous and winding. An innumerable number of iron bars and railings could be seen.

Everyone silently followed behind him. They felt as though they had suddenly entered the mausoleum of some ancient, long-dead emperor. The place was gloomy, damp, and mysterious.

The very last iron gate was formed from a steel plate which was over three feet thick. It weighed more than a thousand jin.

There were thirteen locks on the gate.

“The thirteen keys were originally guarded by thirteen different people. Nowadays, though, trustworthy friends are become fewer and fewer in number.”

Thus, nowadays only six people guarded the keys. All of them were old men with white and gray hair. They numbered amongst them trusted family friends of the Peacock Family and illustrious old veterans of the martial world.

They all had different backgrounds and various statuses. However, their friendship and loyalty were equally trusted by Qiu Shuiqing.

Their proficiency in martial arts, naturally, was even more worthy of trust. Qiu Shuiqing simply clapped his hands, and all six of them appeared out of nowhere like ghosts. The person who appeared the fastest had a gaze like an eagle, and moved like an eagle as well. His experienced, wizened face was crisscrossed with scars and healed wounds. He appeared to be the “Immortal Eagle of Heaven,” Gongsun Tu, whose fame shook the world in years past.

The keys were attached to them with an iron chain. The very last key was held by Qiu Shuiqing.

Mingyue Xin watched as he opened the very last lock. By the time she turned her head around, the six guardians had disappeared. It was as though the ancestors of the Qiu family had specially sent the six of them from the netherworld, to act as guardian ghosts over this forbidden area.

Behind the steel gate was a large stone room. The walls were covered with bluish green moss, and six lamps burned.

Underneath the ghastly, gloomy glow of the lamps, all sorts of strange, exotic weapons could be seen on many wooden racks. Some of them not even Yan Nanfei had seen before, and it was unknown as to whether they had been used by the ancestors of the Qiu family, or by the Qiu family’s enemies. Although these weapons were still here, their skeletons and framework had long since rotted away.

Qiu Shuiqing pushed aside a giant boulder, revealing a steel cabinet hidden behind it. Could it be that the Peacock Plume was hidden in here?

Everyone watched with bated breath as he opened the steel cabinet and reverently, respectfully withdrew a wooden box from within.

No one imagined that within the wooden box, there lay not the Peacock Plume, but a thin yellow skin.

Mingyue Xin didn’t try to hide her disappointment. Wrinkling her forehead, she said, “What’s this?”

The expression on Qiu Shuiqing’s face became even more solemn and respectful. “This is a person’s face.”

Disappointed, Mingyue Xin said, “Is it skin that was carved from a person’s face?”

Qiu Shuiqing nodded. His eyes were filled with sorrow. In a dejected voice, he said, “This person lost something that was extremely important. He felt as though he no longer had any face or any right to continue living. Before he committed suicide, he told his servants to carve his skin from his face after his death, to serve as an admonition for future generations.”

He did not say this person’s name, but everyone knew who it was he was speaking about.

The news of Qiu Yifeng’s sudden death was, in that time, a story which caused great suspicion. Only now did Qiu Shuiqing reveal the truth of the matter.

All the hairs on Mingyue Xin’s body began to rise. After a long time, she let out a long sigh. “You shouldn’t have revealed something like this to me.”

With a calm expression, Qiu Shuiqing said, “I didn’t want to reveal this either, but I needed for you to believe me. The Peacock Plume disappeared long ago from the Peacock Manor.”

Mingyue Xin said, “But those people who recently died at the Peacock Manor...”

Qiu Shuiqing interrupted her. He coldly said, “There are many ways to kill someone. It isn’t necessary to use the Peacock Plume.”

Mingyue Xin stared at the human-skin within the wooden box. When she thought of the tragic and pitiful suicide of that man, who took his own life to atone for his sin, she wished that she had never come here.

Yan Nanfei clearly felt a similar regret in his heart. Just at this moment, a clanking sound could be heard as the metal gate swung shut!

Next, a series of clicking sounds could be heard. Obviously, the thirteen keyholes outside had all been locked.

The expression on Mingyue Xin’s face changed. Yan Nanfei sighed. “As we should not have come here, nor heard this secret, much less disturbed the rest of this elder’s spirit. We do deserve to die.”

Qiu Shuiqing calmly watched them, not revealing any expression on his face.

Yan Nanfei said, “But my life still belongs to Fu Hongxue. Fu Hongxue doesn’t deserve to die.”

Qiu Shuiqing coldly said, “I do not deserve to die either.”

Yan Nanfei stared at him, astonished. Mingyue Xin interjected, “This wasn’t your intention, then?”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “It is not.”

Mingyue Xin was even more shocked. “Then who locked us in here? Who could possibly enter such a secret area?”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “There are at least six people who do.”

Mingyue Xin said, “But all of them are your good friends.”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “As I said earlier. There are many people in the world who are willing to sell out their friends!”

Fu Hongxue finally spoke. “Out of those six people, there only needs to be one traitor.”

Mingyue Xin said, “Who are you referring to?”

Fu Hongxue did not reply. Instead, he asked Qiu Shuiqing, “Was the person who opened the very first lock Gongsun Tu?”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “Yes.”

Mingyue Xin interrupted, “Is it that ‘Immortal Eagle of Heaven’, the Gongsun Tu who should have died many times over by now?”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “Yes.”

Yan Nanfei asked, “His very last duel to the death, was it with Gongzi Yu?”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “Yes.”

Yan Nanfei looked at Mingyue Xin. Mingyue Xin looked at Fu Hongxue. All three of them shut their mouths.

There was no need to ask anything further.

Everyone in the martial world was astonished at how Gongsun Tu managed to survive his fight with Gongzi Yu.

Only now did they realize that there was nothing astonishing about it at all. Gongzi Yu intentionally let Gongsun Tu live, while bribing him at the same time.

Now, the only question which needed to be asked was, “Is there a second way out of here?”

“None.”

Qiu Shuiqing’s response was very succinct. A secret storehouse for precious goods really should not have a second way in or out!

Mingyue Xin let out a breath. It seemed as though her entire body was about to collapse.

The metal gate was three feet thick. The stone walls were six feet thick. No matter who was locked within this stone room, the only thing they could do was to await death.

Yan Nanfei suddenly asked, “Is there any wine here?”

Qiu Shuiqing said, “There is. There’s only one jug of wine. Poison wine!”

Yan Nanfei grinned. “Poison wine is better than no wine.”

Why would a person waiting for certain death be afraid of poisoned wine?