Chapter 341: Father and Son (1)

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Eighteen years ago, during the winter solstice…

Whoosh!

The wind swept across the endless snowfield outside the Liang Province Pass. A crescent moon hung at the end of the sky, and the pale moonlight illuminated the endless land.

In the wilderness, there was a bonfire. Beside it was a triangular tent made of oilcloth and two horses tied to wooden stakes.

Two men in sheepskin winter coats were sitting on the ground beside the bonfire.

One of them was holding a wineskin and roasting a rabbit on the fire with a wooden stick.

The man opposite him was holding a silver hairpin and stroking it gently. There was an old saber in a black sheath inserted into the ground beside him.

The man roasting the rabbit picked up the wineskin and took a big gulp. He exhaled white mist from his mouth and nose and looked blankly at the snowy plain in the north. “Yuanfeng, you’ve been looking for a month. What are you looking for? At least tell me.”

The man opposite him looked to be in his early thirties. He was rather handsome, and his name was Pei Yuanfeng. He was also known as Zheng Feng in Jianghu, but this was already in the past.

The current Pei Yuanfeng was just a prodigal son who had left Jianghu and the secular world and was wandering aimlessly from border town to border town.

Facing the question, Pei Yuanfeng put away the silver hairpin, took the wineskin, and took a big gulp. “I’m looking for an herb called Snow Lake Flower. It grows by Heavenly Carnelian Lake and blooms in winter.”

“You say that every time. I, Yang Chao, have been living at the border for more than ten years, but I’ve never heard of such a thing outside the border. Even if there is, I heard that there’s a war in the north of Heavenly Carnelian Lake. It’s chaotic there. With our lousy martial arts skills, we’ll be conscripted if we go there…”

Yang Chao, who was in his early thirties, nagged alone for a moment. Seeing that Pei Yuanfeng was silent, he asked curiously, “Yuanfeng, I see that you have delicate skin and tender flesh. You even know how to read and write couplets. You look like a rich son from the city. What caused you to be unable to think things through and come to this remote place?”

“I’m the second son in the family. I wanted to inherit the family business, but my father refused. I was indignant and had a quarrel. I wanted to make a name for myself before going back. But I just messed around, and now I’m too ashamed to go back.”

“What’s there to be ashamed of? You couldn’t make a name for yourself, but you know what you’re capable of. If you go back honestly, be your second master, and help your eldest brother take care of the family business, won’t you still be the second-in-command of the family…”

Rumble!

While they were talking, a rumbling sound came from the snowfield. From afar, it sounded like rolling thunder.

Yang Chao handed the roasted rabbit to Pei Yuanfeng. Then he lay on the snow and pressed his ear to the ground. “It sounds like the Northern Liang border army… There’s probably going to be another battle. Let’s go…”

Pei Yuanfeng pulled out the Hornless Dragon Saber from his side, untied the reins, and mounted his horse. He looked north. “Enter the pass first. I’ll look for you later.”

“Then you have to be careful. Don’t run into the Northern Liang soldiers… Giddyup!”

Clack, clack!

After Pei Yuanfeng watched Yang Chao leave, he rode his horse and continued north. After walking for less than half a kilometer, he saw a chaotic battlefield at the end of the snowfield. Battle cries shook the sky.

Pei Yuanfeng sat on his horse with his saber in hand and looked out. He didn’t approach. He circled around the area where the two armies were fighting and continued to advance toward Heavenly Carnelian Lake.

But after walking for a few kilometers, he heard a faint cry in the snowfield.

“Wah!”

Pei Yuanfeng hesitated for a moment before following the sound and arriving at a hill in the snowfield. He saw a lonely carriage slowly moving through the snow.

There were more than ten arrows in the horses, and it was the same for the carriage. There was a banner hanging in front of the tattered carriage, and Pei Yuangfeng could faintly see the ancient emblem of a tribe on it. The cry came from it.

“Wah!”

Pei Yuanfeng quickly went over to the carriage and lifted the curtain to check inside. He saw a man dressed as a servant lying in the carriage, and there was an arrow sticking out of his back. He was leaning against the corner of the carriage and was already dead.

The servant was holding a swaddling cloth in his arms. Inside was a small baby crying loudly.

Pei Yuanfeng got off his horse and entered the carriage. He picked up the baby and saw a small bag beside the servant. There were many jade medicine bottles inside.

Pei Yuanfeng carried the baby and the bag. He went to the snowy hill and looked out. The desolate snowfield was deserted, and only the flames of war in the distance were gradually spreading to this place…

Not long after, at the frontier of Liang Province, Red River Town…

The old town was covered in heavy snow, and there was no trace of humans at night. But a cry sounded in a small escort agency in the corner of the town. “Wah!”

There was a dim yellow light shining in a room in the backyard of the escort agency.

Yang Chao was standing in front of the table with a bowl of hot goat milk and kept muttering, “Little ancestor, stop howling. Come, drink milk…”

Pei Yuanfeng brought over hot water and poured it into a basin. He tested the temperature of the water with his hand, opened a jade medicine bottle, and dripped a few drops into it. “There seems to be something wrong with this kid’s body. He keeps crying if he doesn’t soak in this medicine. Even the doctors in town can’t tell what medicine this is, and they don’t know how long he can live…”

Yang Chao held the milk bowl and fed it to the baby. “I think this baby looks quite strong. It’s probably medicine to nourish the body. It makes him feel comfortable, so he doesn’t cry.”

After Yang Chao fed the baby, Pei Yuangfeng carried the baby and placed him in the warm water.

Yang Chao stood in front of them and watched. Seeing that the child wasn’t crying or making a fuss and was even looking around, he smiled and said, “This baby looks smart. His bird is also big and will grow up to be amazing. I haven’t seen his parents come look for him. I’m afraid we’ll have to raise him in the future. Should we give him a name?”

“Yes, we should. What should it be?”

“Hmm… How about letting him become a member of my Yang family and take my surname… Let bygones be bygones. From now on, his name will be Yang Chongxin, meaning to start over…”

“Wah!”

“Oh? You don’t like it? Then, what do you want your name to be… Yang Big Bird?”

Pei Yuanfeng turned to look toward the distant north. He thought for a moment and said, “His cries are so loud that 1 can’t sleep at night. Let’s call him Jingtang, Ye Jingtang.”

“Ye Jingtang… Not bad…”