Mythical Creature Series: Ah-JiangCh27 - “Untitled”

“Untitled” (Part 2/2)

Edited by Yummers  PzCNpw

Everyone in the town knew that there was a young monk who had moved into the run-down temple by the Pu River. The monk claimed his Dharma name to be Xuan Kong. He did not say who he was an apprentice of. Seeing how shabby the other was, many thought of him to not be a proper disciple of Buddha.

Despite those thoughts, Xuan Kong had already been here for two years; he had done many good deeds. He tidied up the temple nicely, and would usually travel around town to help treat others’ illnesses. He only took food as his payment, even when one was not capable of doing so, the monk would not blame them. So as time passed, some people started going to the temple to burn some incense for blessings. Listening to the monk reading scriptures in their free time was nice too. However, happiness does not last long.

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Xuan Kong walked over with the medicine in hand as he knocked on the door. After a little while, a deep and steady voice saying, “come in”, rang out.

Xuan Kong saw the figure standing beside the window once he pushed the door open. He placed the medicine on the table, saying, “This benefactor, it is time for your medicine.” m4P2dc

The moment Jiang Yanyun took a step forward, he held onto his wound. Good thing that the monk moved fast enough to steady the other’s position.

“Be careful.” Just as Xuan Kong finished, he felt the weight lifting from his hands. He watched the person walk to the table to pick up the bowl of medicine. As acknowledged by many, good medicines were always on the bitter side. The person gulped it all down in one go. The bitterness made him frown slightly as his lips pressed together.

Then, Xuan Kong sat down with him. Jiang Yanyun rolled up his sleeve and reached his hand out in front of the monk. He had been treating his injury there for at least half a month. His injury had turned for the better, yet, his primordial energy suffered the most. Despite how physically well off he was, he could barely even get off the bed on his own. Xuan Kong was about half of a doctor now. Though he was not on the level of a proper doctor, checking one’s meridian flow was not a challenge.

Xuan Kong was originally focused on checking his pulse, but for some reason, he looked up. Without a warning, their eyes met. Those eyes were extremely attractive, they had a sharp blade-like glint in them. However, the murderous intent within his pupils was too strong. Even the ghosts would like to avoid such a person. Although those were his thoughts, when he was caught, the monk could not help but feel a bit embarrassed no matter how thick his face was. He spoke as he retracted his hand, “This benefactor’s meridian is still weak, it is possibly due to the cold from a few days ago. It will recover if this benefactor rests for a little longer.”

“Thank you.” The person was not chatty. Once he said those words, it was obvious he desired the others’ absence.

Xuan Kong did not mind it, he continued to speak in a caring manner, “Then have a good rest, this benefactor.”

Except, he was not aware of the eyes observing him from behind after he had turned around.

Speaking of, the two had been under the same shelter for at least half a month. Didl4c

Aside from the first two days where the shadow and light of the blade were constantly within sight, the person had settled down to be extremely peaceful after that. It became very assuring to take care of the man. If he really had to point out a bad side, it would be that the man did not speak much. Within the half month he stayed with the monk, he never spoke of his origin, not even informing the other of his name.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

Xuan Kong guessed that his identity was out of the ordinary. Along with the state he was in when he arrived at the temple, he must’ve been avoiding his enemy. Since the man did not talk about it, he did not question him either. He did not know if doing so would bring trouble to him, but at the least, he could say that the days they had spent together were peaceful.

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Jiang Yanyun’s eyes were filled with rage, his face was pale white. His clothes had been soaked with sweat as one hand of his gripped tight onto his sword hilt. He breathed quickly, then looked up to see his surroundings. At first, he seemed a bit puzzled. But a moment later, he slowly remembered where he was.

Jiang Yanyun got up to walk to the table. He poured himself some tea and downed it. As the cold fluid swam by his heart, it seemed like a fire below him had been put out.

The current emperor was a foolish man who gave power to the treacherous officials and ended up harming those who were loyal to him. For many generations, the Jiang family had made sacrifices for their emperors, all ending up in tragic deaths. But unexpectedly, they were deemed to have committed the crime of rebellion. Lord Yi, Jiang Yanyun, had led his army out of the dangerous grounds. Yet he was continuously betrayed on the journey to escape. All those people had received grace from the Jiang family,  yet they allowed themselves to be sold. This had completely destroyed Jiang Yanyun’s spirit. The army of Lord Yi that used to have thousands——through the battles and rebels——only had a few dozen remaining by the time they reached Pu River. onRlje

Thinking about it, the veins on Jiang Yanyun’s forehead protruded and the cup in his grip broke into bits. Well, well…if this day never came, Jiang Yanyun would have never known what a failure his life had led. Even the one who he thought to be his most trustworthy brother turned on him in the end. Jiang Yanyun laughed coldly, he suddenly felt blood surging up in him. He clenched his teeth and quickly went back to bed.

Jiang Yanyun circulated his energy for one orbit. However, with how much he had on his mind, the effect was very minimal despite him starting the regulation of his air on time. The turbulent energy inside felt like numerous needles piercing through his meridians. Jiang Yanyun had his ferocious bloody-red eyes opened through the intolerable pain, he could hear an imperceptible voice of someone reciting scriptures.

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Jiang Yanyun lost all his strength at that moment. His hands pushed against the bed as he tasted something foul and sweet inside his mouth. He raised his trembling hand to wipe away the bloodstain seeping out the corner of his mouth.

The steady chants passed through the wall, seemingly both far and near, continuously… M89B0h

Finally, Jiang Yanyun gave in to his exhaustion, closing his eyes soundly.

Due to Jiang Yanyun’s inner demons, his inner energy churned lawlessly. Although he managed to barely suppress it, it still injured his body. His face remained pale the next two days, it was worse than before.

Any illness that came from mental complications was naturally hard to cure.

Xuan Kong was well aware of the fact, but he did not mention it directly. He knew the other put up high walls against others, if he acted rashly, it might create a negative effect. Xuan Kong added some extra herbs that could help relieve fever and induce sleep into his medicine. At night, he would chant the Heart Clearing Mantra on the other side of the wall for four hours, hoping that all his work could get rid of at least a bit of the stain from Jiang Yanyun’s heart. Y1D48b

Jiang Yanyun originally found that having to hear the monk chant mantras each night was annoying. But as time went on, he subconsciously got used to it. It was not clear if the method actually had an effect, but Jiang Yanyun was clear of nightmares for the next few days.

One day, Jiang Yanyun sat in front of the window with a book that he had taken off the shelves.

It was obvious that there would be records of Buddhism in the residence of a monk. He had only been invested in physical battles ever since he was young and never believed in the existence of such mythical beings. Naturally, he did not hold much awe for the teachings of Buddhism. He was only looking through the record out of boredom now too. Though some things seemed different that day.

Jiang Yanyun flipped through the book. After fifteen minutes, he started to veer at the door frequently. But the footsteps that he kept waiting for were never heard. From the days that they spent together, even though he did not trust the monk entirely, he at least stopped bearing the suspicions he had towards him in the beginning. But today, Xuan Kong left early in the morning and has yet returned. It was evening now, doubts grew in Jiang Yanyun. He had abandoned his armor in the river before to avoid others finding out about him for the permitted time being. He planned on waiting for his injuries to heal before traveling west by water. Plus, this village was so remote, the higher-ups may not be able to find their way there. 2kRtZC

Despite those thoughts, Jiang Yanyun was cautious of any small signs since he had been betrayed by those close to him multiple times. After he thought in silence for a while, he got his sword and walked out.

Coincidentally, before Jiang Yanyun got out of the yard, he heard footsteps. There were others coming aside from the monk.

Jiang Yanyun’s eyes darkened, he swiftly moved to a hiding spot. He listened in secret while his right hand found itself on the sword hilt.

“This young master’s skills really are brilliant, my mother’s illness…” A person who seemed like a shopkeeper stood beside the monk. r7aOe2

What happened that day was that Shopkeeper Qin’s mother’s illness acted up again. Xuan Kong was ready to leave to beg alms with a wooden bowl when someone from the Qin resident came to ask for help.

“This benefactor’s mother has a deficiency of energy in the heart that caused a stagnant blockage of blood flow in her heart. It is important to nurse her health for this illness to get better. The medicines that I gave this benefactor earlier, remember to soak them in warm water before boiling for four hours.” The monk that spoke of Buddhism mantras on a daily basis sounded surprisingly professional on medical matters.

Shopkeeper Qin complied happily. He had hired so many doctors in the past to treat his elderly mother’s sickness but none of them had any effect. Then, he heard the news that the monk who lived in this run-down temple was extremely skilled. At first, he had his doubts upon seeing how young the other looked. But surprisingly, after taking some medicine that the monk gave, his mother seemed to have gotten better. Since then, Shopkeeper Qin did not dare to underestimate him again. Since the monk was very young and easy to get close with, the people of the village liked to call him young master.

The monk never took money for his treatments. If they really appreciated it, he only needed them to come to his temple to bow to Buddha and offer some saisen. The shopkeeper thanked Xuan Kong once again before leaving. jn13c9

Xuan Kong looked at the sky and was caught off guard by how late it was already. He brewed medicine and prepared alms-food before sending them all in together. Leaves from trees were falling as he opened the door. The other stood in front of the window with his hands behind his back, he had an upright posture and a striking face. He had an extraordinary existence that made him stand out without meaning to. At the same time, Jiang Yanyun was also observing the monk before him.

Upon first look, he would think that the monk looked plain and easy to ignore. Now that he looked again, it was not that the monk’s complexion changed, but the combination of the clean yet extremely ordinary complexion became very comfortable to look at.

Story translated by Chrysanthemum Garden.

“Something came up earlier, this monk almost missed the time…” His eyes were bright, they also seemed as kind as steady water. It was like they could pardon anything, making people feel at ease without even being aware.

Jiang Yanyun picked up the bowl of medicine. The medicine was extremely bitter, it felt like he was dry swallowing Coptis Chinensis. Jiang Yanyun could not stand it either as his eyebrows furrowed. Just as he put down the bowl this time, he saw the monk taking out a bag from his sleeve. yXF KR

Xuan Kong spoke, “These are pine nut candies. If this benefactor would like, these can be used to ease the bitterness.” The monk had bought a bag of pine nut candies especially for this.

Back when Xuan Kong’s shidis from the monastery got sick, they disliked drinking medicine, so he would always prepare a bag of candy in his room to comfort them. To do something like this now, it seems like he had subconsciously started to take care of the other as a brother of his.

Jiang Yanyun only stared at the bag of candy, it was hard to tell what was on his mind. Seeing that he still did not take it after a while, Xuan Kong suddenly realized that his action might have been too ridiculous. He seemed a bit embarrassed and as he was about to take it back, Jiang Yanyun received the candies wrapped up in oil paper. The tip of his finger came in contact with the monk’s hand lightly.

Xuan Kong was a little stunned. When he retrieved his hand, it curled in a little beneath his sleeve. Then, he heard the steady voice speaking before him, “Thank you.” su82mF

At night, it rained without an end.

Jiang Yanyun had just finished his meditation. He opened his eyes slowly, exposing a pair of cleansed eyes. After a month of nursing and training, the chaotic energy inside him was finally steadied.

Jiang Yanyun was not sleepy at all, he stood up to walk around. When he walked up to the writing desk, there was an inkstone, a brush pen, and a piece of folded paper on the side. It could be labeled as a complete set. He unfolded the paper to see the words written on there, it was a copy of scripture that the monk had not yet finished. The handwriting was neat and sharp, they were familiar as well. The books on the shelves must have been all hand-copied by the monk himself.

As his finger slid past the last bit of ink stain, he remembered the rainy night again. Tx4Mre

The thin, cicada wing-like sword sliced through the raindrops, piercing through a person’s chest.

He looked at the other’s face. For a moment, he lost his train of thought. He did not understand why the person he considered a close brother wanted him dead in the end.

“Jiang Yanyun, no one will ever hold sincerity towards you, that is your fate—” That was the person’s only last words. Then, he died with everlasting regrets.

No one will ever hold sincerity towards you…Jiang Yanyun’s eyes narrowed, his fingers tightened in his grip. PaRXi7

The sound of chanting mixed in with the rain. It was light and slow, then, it slowly quieted down. At last, it stopped.

Xuan Kong put down his hands that were clasped together. He looked outside to see the rain running off the roof. The image was blurry, it seemed as if everything was just an unrealistic dream.

He knew that person had left.