"A gyrfalcon?"
Gan Ku'er slapped his forehead, recalling what he had overheard at Hu's Restaurant the night before. He shifted his body, moving a little further away from Hai Shanshan, and stuck out his tongue, laughing, "So you're a female bandit. Little Ku'er's scared, I'd better stay away from you."
Hai Shanshan knew he was joking, and couldn't help but smile. Her beauty was already striking, but this smile truly made her shine like a clear, bright dewdrop. Little Ku'er, still mischievous, was moved by her smile and pondered, "Do you look better when you're smiling or angry? I really can't tell."
Hearing him praise her, Hai Shanshan couldn't help but feel proud, even though he was still young and spoke in a playful manner. She thought to herself: "Being with such a lively little rascal, I'm afraid anyone would find it hard to stay calm; they'd either laugh or get angry, right?"
She suddenly recalled the scene when she first met Xiao Ku'er, and her face involuntarily turned red. Gan Ku'er, however, didn't have as many complicated thoughts as her, and asked with a chuckle, "Is your brother fighting with Hu Bantian right now?"
Hai Shanshan exclaimed, "Huh? You know that too?"
Little Bitter clapped his hands with a smile: "I am the first immortal since the beginning of time, knowing five hundred years into the past and five hundred years into the future. I can figure out their little affair without even counting on my fingers. I also know that the reason they fought was because of a monk."
Hai Shanshan's expression changed, her face darkened, and she said sullenly, "Not bad."
She became worried about her brother, and her mood plummeted. After a long while, she said sadly, "You asked me why I would run out in such heavy snow without knowing what I was doing. Actually, I was looking for someone."
Gan Ku'er was taken aback: "Who?"
Hai Shanshan sighed, "It's the monk you mentioned. Now, the whole of Liaodong is looking for him. Although he has never told me his name, I know that he must be 'The Lone Monk' Shi Jiuyao. I've heard my father mention him since I was a child. I think there is no other monk in the world who can have his demeanor and bearing."
As she spoke, the image of the monk seemed to float before her eyes, and she couldn't help but sigh softly: "Does he even know that he is in danger now? So many people are looking for him, including my brother—he is the 'evil monk' that my brother is so eager to find and hates."
A barely perceptible glint appeared in Gan Ku'er's eyes—the blind old man was right. His trip to Liaodong seemed unintentional, but he had a hidden agenda: he had been keeping an eye on the 'lone monk's' whereabouts, because finding him might lead to finding his mother. A surge of excitement rose within him. Though young and seemingly innocent, he was adept at concealing his thoughts. He didn't answer immediately, but instead asked with a faint smile, "Why is your brother looking for him?"
Hai Shanshan said quietly, "My mother said that my brother believes that 'the Lone Monk' is a great enemy who has harmed their entire family and clan."
Now, though there are few left in their sect, as long as my brother is alive, he still wants revenge. There are many things my brother thinks I don't know, but Mother told me long ago. Since Mother passed away three years ago, and my father finally went mad and became paralyzed, I saw the ecstatic look on my brother's face and knew he was plotting something. That day, I heard him alone on the beach, hands behind his back, muttering to himself, repeating the same sentence over and over: "Where are the eight thousand disciples now? Where are the eight thousand disciples now?" I knew then that he must be inquiring about the "lone monk's" whereabouts and was about to take action.
Gan Ku'er was taken aback: "Where are the eight thousand disciples now—what does that mean?"
Hai Shanshan glanced at Xiao Ku'er, seemingly assessing whether he could be trusted. Seeing Xiao Ku'er's open and approachable demeanor, she felt relieved. She seemed to have been troubled by a similar anguish these past few days—an anguish that a young girl's heart couldn't bear, yet she had no one to confide in. Now that she finally had the chance, she couldn't help but pour it out. She thought for a moment, then sighed softly, "I know, in my brother's heart, he has always hated my father. Do you know the legend of the 'fallen people'? My brother…"
He was a degenerate.
Gan Ku'er's expression turned serious. Finding her words strange, he couldn't help but interject, "Your brother hates your father? Why? Was he always beaten by your father when he was little? And who is your father?"
Hai Shanshan raised her head and looked straight north into the pitch-black sky outside the cave: "You've probably heard of my father. He is 'Bei Hai Ruo'. His name is Hai Ruo, but because he has always lived in the north, he is called 'Bei Hai Ruo'. Our family has lived in the North Sea for generations and has always been separate from the 'Ice Palace' faction that frequents the Central Plains."
Gan Ku'er was taken aback: "Bei Hai Ruo?" Even he was surprised to hear the name. Although he was young, his background was different. Although he was a servant, it was something he had chosen to do on his own while playing around. In this world, even those who were extremely famous, there were probably very few people he could even glance at. But—'Bei Hai Ruo'—that was someone who could not be mentioned without respect, even by his arrogant and unparalleled grandfather, who looked down on all the heroes of the world and always considered himself the number one person in the world. Bei Hai Ruo was known as the King of Bei Hai, the master of the 'Ice Palace' in the far north, whose martial arts skills were legendary. He was also one of the few masters of his generation, said to be able to rival Xiang Ge, the chief swordsman of the 'Great Alliance' in the Central Plains. In his grandfather's opinion, there were only five or six masters in the world. This unremarkable little girl—
—Could she really be 'Beihai Ruo's' daughter? Little Ku scratched his head, thinking to himself: I really can't tell. I didn't think she was that good at kung fu. Is this little girl just bragging?
Not wanting to show surprise, he asked with a grin, "I know about the Fallen People, but they're all from Jiangnan. Your father is the master of the 'Ice Palace,' so how could his son be a Fallen Person? Did your mother steal..."
He wanted to say the words "cheating," but hesitated and held back. Hai Shan, being a young girl, didn't understand his meaning and sighed, replying, "He doesn't have the same father as me."
Gan Ku'er let out an "Oh," and her curiosity only grew stronger. She squinted at Hai Shanshan. Hai Shanshan then said:
"My brother came from a very poor background. I don't know his biological father's name, but I know that he and my mother fled from Jiangnan. They were both people who were considered 'fallen people'. That was almost twenty years ago, before I was born. My father was still single at that time. Originally, he had a very high status in the Ice Palace and it would have been easy for him to get married, but he never met anyone he liked."
"I heard from my mother that my brother's father was quite a hero, renowned throughout Jiangnan. Over twenty years ago, among the fallen people of Jiangnan, there was an extraordinary talent, someone even my father couldn't help but admire and praise, named something like 'The Blazing Sword Prodigal Son' Ju Tianze. It's said that this person was extremely eccentric; he even chose his own name. He considered himself a prodigal son, and although he was born a fallen person, despised by the world, he was incredibly proud. I don't know what 'fallen people' are, nor do I know why they are born to be despised—perhaps it's similar to the nomadic people of our Beihai region." The number of slaves captured by that man was about the same, wasn't it? But Father said that man's martial arts skills and arrogance were probably unmatched in the world. He cultivated some kind of 'Heaven-Mending Technique,' a martial art that could only be mastered with immense perseverance. But he succeeded, and with his unique secrets, he cultivated the 'Blazing Sword.' It is said that when the Blazing Sword was unleashed, the world was swept away. He was dissatisfied with the oppression of the common people in the countryside, in officialdom, in the martial arts world, and in the Jianghu. More than twenty years ago, he led 30,000 people in an uprising, gathering followers in the Kuocang and Tianmu areas of eastern Zhejiang, where his power was immense. He fought against the people in the marketplace and against the government troops in the imperial court. He fought against the Demonic Sect within the unorthodox sects of the Left Sect, and was also at odds with the righteous martial arts world. Single-handedly, he withstood attacks from all sides, suffering repeated defeats, yet he remained steadfast for nearly ten years. His prowess was unmatched in the world. My brother's father seemed to be one of his men, also a master capable of single-handedly holding his own, known as "Three Destructions and Five Collapses." His name also seemed to contain the character "Hai" (sea). However, nearly twenty years ago, the Fallen People were forced into hostility by the government army, and with the involvement of the "Grand Alliance," a coalition of five sects and three alliances within the martial arts world, the Fallen People... Their momentum was broken by their combined forces. My brother's biological father fled to Liaodong with my mother after the defeat. It seems they went there to rebuild their prestige and find a treasure. I don't know the specifics. I only know that along the way, the couple and my brother were repeatedly pursued and killed, all the way to Hailar, where my brother's father was already seriously injured and on the verge of death. My mother, our mother, was also seriously injured, and then they encountered a blizzard. My father, unable to bear the desolation of the North Sea, was traveling to Hailar when he rescued the three of them in the blizzard.
"It is said that the three of them were seriously injured at that time. My brother was already over ten years old. His parents held him tightly in their arms, so he was still relatively conscious and had the least frostbite. After my father rescued them, he treated their injuries."
She glanced at Gan Ku'er and asked softly, "Gan Ku'er, if you were in that situation, with three people, all seriously injured—one a very young child in his teens, one his seriously injured father, and one his extremely beautiful mother—who would you save first?"
Gan Ku'er was taken aback, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Of course, save the child first."
He was a child, so naturally he felt that a child's life was the most important thing in the world. But in his heart, he was thinking, if he could save that child, but the child's parents couldn't be saved either, and the child was left to live alone in the world, would that be a blessing or a curse for him? Thinking of his own stature, a sense of desolation suddenly rose in his heart.
Hai Shanshan nodded, it seemed that Gan Kuer thought the same way she did. Then she asked, "If that child is saved, who will you save next?"
Gan Ku'er chuckled, "Of course it's that extremely beautiful woman." He scratched his head, "—If any man were to come to the rescue, it would be in this order. Unless the injured man is his very, very good friend."
Hai Shanshan's expression darkened slightly: "What you say may be true. I think any man in the world would follow this order to save someone in this situation. Besides, even though our family has lived in the North Sea for generations and is skilled at treating frostbite, Father only has one Snow Soul Pearl. He also saved the child in the order you suggested. The child's frostbite was superficial, and Father managed to heal him with some effort. But his mother was severely injured. Not only did she suffer from frostbite, but she also had wounds from knives and arrows, and was also struck by internal martial arts techniques. Father barely managed to revive her, but if she doesn't continue treatment for three more days—not only using the Snow Soul Pearl, but also adding Father's 'Frosty Long Wind' internal energy—Father said her face would be ruined. And although she survives, she will suffer from gout for the rest of her life. Gan Ku'er, if you were in this situation, what would you do?"
Little Bitter smiled, knowing that she wasn't actually asking her a question, but rather trying to release some of the pent-up emotions in her heart.
Hai Shanshan said, "I heard my father say that he wasn't thinking about anything at the time. He just looked at the woman's face and couldn't bear to see her beautiful face, which everyone envied, ruined by frostbite and turned into a hideous mess. He couldn't bear the thought that even if she survived, she would suffer from gout for the rest of her life, her limbs curled up like chicken claws. He even forgot about the man's existence. For the next three days, my father focused all his efforts on healing the woman. But although the man had a strong will to live, he couldn't survive due to his severe injuries. During those three days when my father was treating the woman's wounds behind closed doors, he passed away. My father has been blaming himself for this ever since. But he said that if he could do it all over again, he would still do it, even knowing he would regret it later. He said, 'You didn't see your mother's face then—actually, it wasn't just about her face. Because my father felt that this person was the woman he had waited for for over thirty years. If he hadn't waited for her, his entire life, even if he had reached the pinnacle of cultivation, even if he had become a high-ranking official...'" Even with his renowned fame, the Ice Palace Master's life was ultimately wasted. He lost almost half of his inner strength saving his mother, and it took him years of arduous training to recover. But my brother didn't see it that way. I know he harbored resentment towards my father for his entire life because of this, and perhaps what he resented even more was me—because he couldn't bear to resent his mother. Three years later, after the mourning period ended, his mother went to live with my father. Can a woman truly not remarry after her husband's death? Although my mother said she truly loved Qing-ge's father, she was also truly grateful to my father. After that, they had me, and my brother's mother became my mother. I always remember that my brother was very good to me when I was little, but he was always a little strange. Sometimes, suddenly, when we were playing happily—when he had found the most beautiful bird tail feather for me, and I was excited—he would suddenly change his expression, throw me to the ground while he was holding me, and turn pale.
Back then, I didn't understand why his mood changed so quickly. Now, I understand. I know he hates me. He loves me, and he hates me. I remember when I was little, whenever he got angry, I didn't dare say a word. I had to wait a while before daring to go up to him and say, "Brother, brother, don't you like Shanshan anymore?" A hint of confusion appeared on her face, along with a gentle joy from recalling the past. That kind of kinship, even for someone as carefree as Xiao Ku'er, couldn't be mocked. As Hai Shanshan spoke, she seemed to have been drawn into the past, as if recalling what she was like when she was ** years old—her little hands shaking Hai Dongqing's big hand, so sweetly and affectionately begging for forgiveness…
"After a while, it seemed like my brother could catch his breath again. He usually didn't answer, but instead picked me up and tossed me high into the air. I loved it when he did that."
As she recounted this, she seemed to still savor the joy of playing with her brother. "But one time, he spoke, and I've remembered his words for the rest of my life—at the time, I felt—it was so strange, and I felt—there was such a deep sadness in his words. It was that time, when I grabbed his hand again, begging for forgiveness, saying, 'Brother, brother, don't you like Shanshan anymore?' I saw his face turn ashen for a long time, then a hint of tenderness appeared in his eyes. He gently stroked my head and said, 'I like her, how could I not like her?' He stared at my face, his expression so strange, so very strange, and after a long while, he sighed softly, 'But, I only like half of her.'" He didn't say the next sentence, but even though I was young then, I understood: he hated the other half, the half that belonged to my father. In his heart, he had never truly forgiven his mother for following my father. I suspect my father knew this too, but he never said anything. He seemed to always feel a little guilty towards his older brother. He never taught us, the legitimate sons and nephews of the Hai family, with the same dedication he showed his brother. But his brother was so proud; he refused to truly learn martial arts from Father. Although his skills are now quite good, almost all of it was learned by stealing from others. I still remember the expression on his face when he secretly watched Father practice—half admiration, half hatred, his teeth clenched, yet his eyes gleaming. I never dared to watch him practice—he was practically torturing himself. I knew the bitterness in his heart, the bitterness of a boy, so even if he was sometimes mean to me, or bullied me, I never blamed him."
Tears streamed down Hai Shanshan's face as she softly said, "Because—I understand him. My mother often said: 'Because of understanding, there is compassion.' Many times, I guessed that she didn't actually love my father, but rather: 'Because of understanding, there is compassion.' She couldn't bear to see my father live a lonely life, so she married him against her will. But they were very happy together."
Three years ago, Mother passed away. The day she left, she was so beautiful, more beautiful than I could ever be. Father seemed to age instantly that day. He suddenly said something to me, and I later understood it was his entrustment to me. He said, "Shan'er, you've grown up. Mother is gone. The only one who can give your brother warmth, who can hold his heart a little tighter, and prevent him from suffering forever, is you." I still tear up whenever I think of those words. Father then began planning to hand over the Ice Palace to my brother, despite many clansmen's objections. Father was determined. My brother, however, was unwilling. We haven't returned to the Ice Palace all these years because Mother said: My brother didn't want to leave the place where his father died; she felt guilty towards him and didn't want to go against his wishes. During those days, my brother always went far away, farther and farther, rarely returning. Much later, I learned that my brother had started his own business, a caravan called "Hai Dong Qing"—that's the name he gave himself. "One day, my father seemed to sense something terrible was about to happen to him and told me I had to find my brother. It took me a month, a mix of tears and laughter, to finally trick him into returning to Hailar. Only then did I discover that my father had gone mad and was paralyzed. After his paralysis, he couldn't even speak; he just silently gazed at my brother. I still remember the expression on my brother's face that day—a mixture of regret and bewilderment. I guess he was struggling deeply inside. Because emotionally, he couldn't accept that the person who had influenced his entire life wasn't his biological father, yet he couldn't escape him. He considered my father his father, but he couldn't accept being his father. My brother's face was ashen that day. Then, he ordered someone to send my father back to the Ice Palace. As he sent him away, he only said one sentence: 'I will not take control of the Ice Palace.' After saying that, he looked up and added to my father, 'But from now on, if anything happens to the Ice Palace, it will be my business. I will never ignore it if I hear about it.'"
"Although Father was too ill to speak then, I saw a smile in his eyes. After that, I refused to return to the Ice Palace and stayed by my brother's side. Although Father also needed care, I knew he preferred me to be with my brother. My brother only talked about Father once more, and that was when he was drunk. He said—Father's paralysis was for Mother. To save Mother, he must have used the 'Knot of Unity.' It's a unique technique passed down in our Ice Palace. Once this technique is used, the practitioner must bind their life to the recipient, and once it's used, they will be inextricably linked for life. If the person bound by the 'Knot of Unity' is gone, the one left in the world will also be crippled. So I think Father would have preferred that Mother had gone first. I don't think Father ever told my brother this secret, but my brother had already mastered a certain skill from the North Sea, so he guessed it."
Hai Shanshan raised her eyes, and the light in them shone like deep-sea coral, a beauty that was breathtaking in an instant—she was proud, proud to have such a father, and proud of her brother. Her radiance was dazzling for a moment, but would she, in her own life, ever be able to forge such a bond of love, as pure as snow on a mountain, as white as the moon in the clouds?
Little Ku'er was momentarily captivated by the radiance on her face. His childlike nature led him to instinctively reach out and grasp Hai Shanshan's hand. A cool sensation emanated from Hai Shanshan's warm palm, and in that instant—their eyes, filled with longing and yearning, seemed to open. Though the wind howled outside the cave, a deep warmth filled their hearts.
"Then, for the past three years, my brother has been single-mindedly searching for the whereabouts of the 'Lone Monk.' You ask me what 'where are the eight thousand followers now' means? I don't fully understand either. I only know that at the time, the wicked Ju Tianze, the son of a fallen people, had nearly eight thousand personal guards. When their power was at its peak, they had nearly one hundred thousand followers, but after being defeated by the government troops and the Great Alliance, only these eight thousand remained. Mother said that these eight thousand followers disappeared overnight in Kuocang Mountain. They all suspected that these eight thousand followers were sold by the 'Lone Monk.' I never believed it, but Mother said that no one else had the ability to do so—it was the 'Lone Monk' who sold these eight thousand followers, along with the lives of thousands of elders, to the 'Great Alliance.' That's why my brother hates him so much. He said that the only thing he could do to repay his father was to find Shi Jiuyao to appease his father's spirit and grind his bones to ashes to vent his hatred. Therefore, when news of the 'Lone Monk' came out, he didn't hesitate to turn against Hu Bantian."
After a while, Gan Ku'er laughed and said, "You said your father is Bei Hai Ruo and your brother is Hai Dong Qing, both of them are extraordinary masters, but I don't think your kung fu is that good. In this snowy weather, you keep getting frozen to the ground. If it weren't for me, Little Ku'er, taking action, you would probably have become an ice beauty by now. So, after thinking about what you just said, I just don't believe it no matter how I listen. Hehe, I can guarantee that even though you are older than me, you definitely can't beat me."
Hai Shanshan knew he was used to saying both good and bad things with a lot of effort, so she wasn't angry. After revealing a long-held secret that she had kept hidden in her heart for so many years, she felt a great sense of relief. She had already seriously regarded Xiao Ku'er as a good friend and smiled, saying, "The kung fu of Beihai is not suitable for girls to practice. There are very few girls practicing martial arts in Beihai. Besides, there are many masters in my family, so why would I want to practice? I'm too lazy."
Then she hesitated for a moment: "But if I really master the improved version of the Beihai School of Kung Fu that the master taught me, then you definitely won't be able to beat me."
Gan Ku'er was greatly surprised. He knew that the martial art of Beihai was almost a perfect legend in the martial arts world. Who—who else—would dare to arbitrarily modify it? He asked, "What kind of martial art is it? Is the modified version even better than the original?"
Hai Shanshan laughed and said, "Although I dare not say that the revised version is better than the original, that person said: The martial arts of the Beihai School, the techniques of 'Snow Soul' and 'Ice Edge', were originally only suitable for people with a fiery yang constitution to practice. Only the yang energy in their bodies can restrain that biting cold, so no matter how much women practice, they can't compare to men. After his revision, it is at least more suitable for men and women who are not of the fiery yang constitution to practice."
As she spoke, she glanced at Xiao Ku'er and said, "After he modified this skill, some of the principles seem to be based on innate numerology."
I don't really understand these things either. I just want to ask you, if a sect has 3,990 masters and wants to determine the sect's best, with matches in pairs, the winner advancing and the loser eliminated, what is the minimum number of battles needed to determine the sect's best?
Gan Ku'er was taken aback, feeling overwhelmed by the complexity of the situation and finding it difficult to answer. However, he was indeed clever, and after a moment's thought, he laughed loudly, "It's not difficult, of course, you have to go through three thousand nine hundred and eighty-nine battles."
Hai Shanshan seemed surprised that he answered so quickly and asked in confusion, "This was a question that person gave me. I spent a long time figuring it out. How did you answer it so quickly?"
Little Bitter laughed and said, "You're stupid. Think about it, every time someone is eliminated, there has to be a fight, right? If there are 3,990 people and only one person is left, of course there have to be 3,989 fights. After 3,989 people are eliminated, the one who is left will be the number one in the sect."
Hai Shanshan's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but ask again, "Then let me ask you another question. There are two boxes of Go stones, and you don't know how many stones are in each box. They are all mixed black and white stones, so you can't see them. You only know that one box has ten more black stones than the other box has white stones. If you close your eyes and have to take stones from one box and put them into the other box, how can you do it so that the black stones in this box are the same as the white stones in the other box?"
Gan Ku'er blinked, thought for a moment, and quickly replied, "If you just randomly grab ten pieces from the box with more black pieces, you'll guarantee that the box with black pieces will have the same number as the box with white pieces."
Hai Shanshan looked at him in surprise, paused for a moment, then suddenly clapped her hands: "That's right, you really are a natural expert in the principle of 'simplifying complexity'. I haven't been able to find him for a long time, no wonder my 'simplification sword' is always wrong no matter how I practice it. Can you help me solve it? You can definitely do it."
Her eyes lit up with trust. Gan Ku'er was taken aback, but then saw Hai Shanshan pull a thin, long branch from the woodpile. The branch had just been added to the fire, and there was still a little ember at the tip. Hai Shanshan laughed:
"This 'Simplifying the Complex' sword technique has a total of seventeen moves. But I just can't figure out the connection between the seventeenth move and the first move. You're smart, so why don't you help me figure it out?"
As she spoke, she softly murmured: "Yang arises from one, what is divided into two? The three powers determine change, where do the four symbols reside? Five dragons drink water, their tails hidden on land..."
As she spoke, she used the tree branch in her hand as a sword, striking and thrusting lightly, actually practicing a set of sword techniques. The firelight inside the cave was warm, while the wind outside was biting cold. Little Ku'er didn't pay much attention at first, but after watching the sword moves for three or four moments—although he couldn't call himself a master, he had heard and seen many skilled people around his grandfather since childhood, not to mention his maternal grandfather, and having spent a long time with Yan Xianmei in the Yan family, he had seen many different styles of swordsmanship. He was like a rich young master surrounded by rare treasures, not taking the martial arts that those martial arts figures dreamed of too seriously. But the swordsmanship performed by a beautiful woman couldn't help but make him take a closer look, and after watching for a few moments, he was completely captivated.
Hai Shanshan's swordplay was extremely simple, yet it concealed a hidden beauty within its simplicity, appearing lean but actually rich, with a wealth of hidden richness beneath its plainness. This style suited Xiao Ku'er's tastes perfectly, and he couldn't help but watch intently. His swordplay was unlike ordinary swordsmanship; most swordsmanship escalates with speed, but Hai Shanshan's swordsmanship was serene and flowing, seemingly intentional yet unintentional, extremely natural. While its underlying essence was the chilling aura of the Ice Palace, weathering ice and snow, drinking wind and mist, its flow seemed entirely transformed.
Although Hai Shanshan was a girl, having grown up in a land of ice and snow, she was naturally simple and straightforward. The tree branch, though without sharpness, became, after a few moves, truly "simple yet divine," like the abode of a divine being on Mount Miaogu, with skin like a maiden and a face like ice and snow. Gan Ku'er watched a few moves and grasped the profound meaning within her techniques. Because Hai Shanshan's swordsmanship was a special transmission, she didn't need to worry about family taboos, and since she needed Gan Ku'er to explain it, she didn't hold back. While practicing, she recited the techniques, specifically the verbal mantras. This greatly benefited the already intelligent Gan Ku'er. He had also practiced martial arts since childhood, but many principles, as explained by his grandfather and Xiao Yan'er, were incredibly complex, which he always found unpleasant. However, this swordsmanship suited his temperament perfectly, and he couldn't forget it at first sight. Lost in the moment, he slapped his thigh and shouted, "Good!"
Although he praised her swordsmanship, not Hai Shanshan's, Hai Shanshan was still very pleased. She had already performed the seventeenth move, and when she switched to the first move, she indeed struggled. When Gan Ku'er saw her perform it for the second time, he no longer paid attention to the moves in her hands, but focused his gaze on her feet. He saw her advance one step and retreat two, move three to the left and four to the right, seemingly with a pattern. The footwork seemed simple yet complex, but all the techniques for survival and defeating the enemy were contained within it. Little Ku'er seemed to understand something. He scratched his head, puzzled for a long time. Hai Shanshan had already finished two moves and was about to stop when Gan Ku'er called out, "Don't stop, continue."
Hai Shanshan continued practicing as instructed. Gan Ku'er suddenly scratched his head, stood up, and took a few steps in imitation, exclaiming, "Eh!"
He exclaimed, then, still disbelieving, took a few more steps, and suddenly seemed to realize something—how could Hai Shanshan's footwork be so similar to the "Galloping Horse in a Gap" footwork he had inherited from childhood, not from his maternal grandfather? Only, that footwork wasn't as comprehensive as the "Galloping Horse in a Gap." But though simple, it seemed like an abridged essence; many things that Xiao Ku'er hadn't understood before suddenly became clear in this simplification. He suddenly shouted, "So that's it—if I had understood earlier, let alone Dong Banpiao, even that old blind man surnamed Gong, how could he have caught me!"
While fighting and hiding with Dong Banpiao, he had been somewhat playful; otherwise, Dong Banpiao probably wouldn't have been able to catch him. But Gong Changchun's move was different. Gan Kuer's favorite martial art was this "Horse in the Gap" technique, so even though he used this footwork, he was still caught by Gong Changchun. He felt deeply humiliated and couldn't let it go, always feeling that he hadn't mastered it and had wasted the essence of this footwork. Suddenly, he had an epiphany. He raised his hand, grabbed, stepped forward with his left foot, and shifted his right foot to the left, using a small grappling move called "Falling Branch and Breaking Plum Blossom" to snatch the branch from Hai Shanshan's hand.
Hai Shanshan was taken aback. Although she was caught off guard, she did not expect that Gan Kuer would so easily take the 'sword' from her hand.
She exclaimed "Eh!" and then Little Bitter exclaimed, "Watch closely!"
As he spoke, he called out, "Yang arises from one, what does duality divide into? The three powers determine change, where do the four symbols reside? Five dragons drink water, their tails hidden on land..." He was reciting the very sword move Hai Shanshan had just called out. His movements were swift; because of his intelligence, many interconnected techniques, though not immediately clear to the eye, were subtly indicated by him, quickly leading the movement in a way that was indistinguishable to onlookers. In the blink of an eye, he had reached the seventeenth move, and then shouted, "Watch closely!"
After he finished his seventeenth move, the tip of the branch swung outwards, and with the sword tip pointing outwards, it would have been extremely difficult to transition into the first move. But suddenly, he flipped his body, the branch in his hand remaining still, yet he had already flipped to the very front of where the branch tip was pointing. He spoke slowly, but executed the move swiftly; with a flick of his right hand, he naturally transitioned into the starting stance of the first move. He said, "Remember the word 'embrace' for this turning point!"
Having said that, he no longer explained, but instead immersed himself completely in the swordplay. He moved with incredible speed, unlike Hai Shanshan's clumsy, imitative style; he was primarily focused on understanding the essence of the sword. He performed the sword moves again, reaching the seventeenth move in the blink of an eye. This time, however, he didn't turn back, but instead reversed the sixteenth move, leaving Hai Shanshan speechless. Although her own swordsmanship was limited, her vision was still high. Upon seeing it, she immediately felt that Gan Ku'er's moves were infinitely subtle. Gan Ku'er, now engrossed in his practice, didn't stop after reversing the moves. Instead, he casually deconstructed the seventeen moves, connecting them freely. He wasn't practicing the moves themselves, but rather observing the art of "simplification." His movements were light and agile, each move flowing like a graceful dragon or a long, flowing cloud, so fluid and unpredictable that even Hai Shanshan couldn't predict his next move or his intentions.
This was probably the first time in Gan Ku'er's life that he had become so engrossed in martial arts. He practiced for almost half an hour before stopping, with only a little sweat on his forehead. He smiled and asked Hai Shanshan, "Did you get it?"
Hai Shanshan nodded, seemingly understanding but also confused. After a long pause, she laughed and said, "You stole my treasure! I feel like you got more than I did?"
For once, Gan Ku'er felt admiration for someone, and at this moment, he felt a sincere respect for the expert who had been pointing out the flaws in the sea. He heard the expert laugh and say, "How dare I say I've mastered it? I just danced beautifully. I'm afraid I still wouldn't be able to fully grasp the subtle details of the moves and movements without a few months of practice."
Hai Shanshan recalled what that person had told her: "You have good aptitude. If you practice hard for another three years, you'll be able to master about 70-80% of this sword technique. In the future, even if a top-tier expert bullies you, you can use it to scare him."
Judging from Xiao Ku'er's words, it seemed that he would be able to comprehend it in a few more months. He couldn't help but feel a mix of jealousy and envy, and couldn't help but laugh and say, "Alright, you're smart, okay?"
Gan Ku'er pressed on, "Who exactly modified this sword technique for you? He even changed the footwork and the connection between your internal energy. He's truly... a master. —What's his name?"
Hai Shanshan snapped out of her reverie, a strange look on her face – after hearing Xiao Ku'er's question, an indescribable emptiness seemed to linger. She murmured, "Him? He's the monk I told you about, the 'lone monk' Shi Jiuyao that my brother was determined to kill, the one who went to Liaodong to fight Hu Bantian!"
Little Bitter's expression changed instantly: "It's him?"
"The Lone Monk" Shi Jiuyao—it's this same Shi Jiuyao again? Who exactly is he? Why has a single incantation, "Soil, return to your home; water, return to your ravine; insects, do not roam; grass and trees, return to their marshes," caused such chaos in Liaodong? And why have the two Iron Token Envoys returned to serve him, and what injustice do they intend to redress for this "lone monk"? Why is Hai Dongqing seeking revenge against him? And… why did he overhear his sister Qilan secretly tell him this when he was young?
"There's only one way to find your mother, and that's to find the 'lone monk' Shi Jiuyao first..."
Little Bitter Boy stood there, the last crimson petals on the branch not yet completely faded, and his expression was extremely complex:
Where is he? And how do you know him?
Hai Shanshan's expression became subtle for a moment: "I met him by chance. But I can't tell him where he is hiding, and I can't tell anyone."
Gan Ku'er stared at her, a resolute look in her eyes: "But you must tell me."
Hai Shanshan asked, "Why?"
She wondered why this usually carefree boy, who seemed unmoved by anything in the world, would suddenly become so interested in a monk.
Gan Ku'er knew that although Hai Shanshan was just a young girl, her character was already evident; she was an extremely straightforward girl, and if she didn't want to talk about something, no amount of forcing would change her mind. But he also knew that at this point, he could only appeal to her emotions. He sighed and said softly, "I'm not looking for him to harm him. I just want to find my mother. He seems to be the only one who can tell me where she is. I don't know who my father is, and my mother is the person I miss most in this world. You still can't tell me?"
Hai Shanshan had already heard his words in the dream and guessed that what he said was true, so she hesitated for a moment. She lowered her head and asked, "Who is your mother? Where did she go?"
She seemed to be thinking of her own mother as well. Seeing the lonely expression on Xiao Ku'er's face, she put herself in Xiao Ku'er's shoes and felt sad for her.
Gan Ku'er sat down silently by the fire, patted the spot next to her, and said, "You sit down too."
Hai Shanshan knew he had something to say, so she sat down as instructed. After a long while, Xiao Ku'er slowly said, "Do you know the pain of not knowing your origins? Sixteen years ago, when I was only three months old, my mother passed away. I knew there must have been something unusual about her, because Sister Qilan said that she was old enough to remember that when my mother left, she cried and held me, shedding many, many tears. But Sister Qilan didn't dare to tell me much, because she was my maternal grandfather's person. I grew up with my maternal grandfather, and I don't know why he imposed such strict prohibitions on the people around me—he had no sons, I was his only grandson, but he forbade anyone to tell me about my parents, including my mother's name."
"So, I ran away from home when I was twelve." He smiled happily. "Fortunately, after wandering for almost a year, I met Xiao Yan'er."
He couldn't help but feel a warmth in his heart when he spoke of Xiao Yan'er: "You haven't met him, he's so outstanding—every girl who sees him will fall in love with him. He's my friend."
"When I was little, it took me a lot of effort to find out my mother's name. Her name was Yu Huigan. It was only because my older sister Qilan saw that I was sad that she pointed to a banner in my grandfather's room and said: Your mother's name is in those fourteen characters."
"That's why I read the book. I think those fourteen characters were written by my mother, because the strokes are so feminine. When she wrote those characters…" Little Bitter's eyes reddened, "…she must have been so heartbroken…"
Hai Shanshan was also heartbroken by him; she never imagined that this heartless kid could hurt people more than anyone else.
Little Bitter continued, "Those fourteen characters are: Life is full of sorrows, but after much reflection, sweetness returns..."
The wind outside the cave suddenly trembled, as if choking back sobs—how many sorrows in life, only after enduring and reflecting, can one find sweetness in them?
What does that mean? Do we really have to ponder deeply to find a subtle aftertaste?
"So I chose my own surname. I didn't want the surname Yu; I wanted Gan, and my name is Gan Ku'er. I used my mother's name as my surname. I've been pondering those fourteen characters ever since I could recognize them, for almost ten years now. I think, my mother must have been a very, very beautiful woman, but why would someone like her have 'so many sorrows in life'?... Every time I think of those fourteen characters, my heart always feels..."
He couldn't continue. Hai Shanshan quietly sniffed. Although she was young, after pondering and rehearsing those fourteen words in her heart, a deep sorrow welled up within her. She thought of that monk, that... good... a monk whose charisma was indescribable. Was meeting him in this life a blessing or a curse? Girls' hearts are naturally more sensitive than boys'. Although she didn't know who Gan Ku'er's mother was or what her experiences were, she could already imagine the misfortune and bitterness that tormented and crushed her heart.
Gan Ku'er suddenly turned her head and gently grasped Hai Shanshan's hand with one hand: "So, please tell me, okay? I swear I won't tell anyone, I swear, if I leak this... I will... I will make sure I never see my mother again for all eternity. Today, when I was with Xiao Yan'er, we ran into the people my grandfather sent looking for me. I can't escape them; once they find me, they will definitely take me home. Then, I don't know if I'll be able to escape anymore. But I must find my mother first."
Hai Shanshan rarely saw him so serious, and her heart was filled with emotion. She suddenly pulled Xiao Ku'er's hand up, pointed to the sky, and whispered, "Swear, this is our secret. Even if you are tortured, you cannot reveal it. He—though the whole world slanders him, I know he is a good man, so I don't even tell my brother where he lives. Swear..."
With a rare serious expression, Gan Ku'er said, "I swear!"
Hai Shanshan breathed a sigh of relief and said softly, "Alright, I'll take you there. It's not far. I came out in this heavy snow to find him and tell him that many people wanted to hunt him down. He's right here..."
She reached out and pulled Xiao Ku'er up, leading her towards the end of the cave. The path had already ended, but Hai Shanshan continued towards what seemed like a dead end. Xiao Ku'er was startled; wasn't she about to bump into a wall? But on the wall at the end of the cave was a large, seemingly unmovable rock. Hai Shanshan softly said, "I ate meat today and shouldn't have gone in, but now I have to go against my conscience this once. It's right behind this cave—behind this cave, there's another cave."
It turned out that Hai Shanshan wasn't trying to move the large rock; she simply tapped it. The rock was truly peculiar, seemingly hollow inside, producing different sounds depending on where she touched it. Hai Shanshan tapped it a few times, seemingly creating a melody. The melody was ethereal and clear, like a chant, bringing a sense of peace to Xiao Ku'er's heart. Just as he was wondering what was going on and about to ask, the melody began, and suddenly his vision changed. The once gloomy cave entrance now seemed to have vanished, all obstacles disappearing. The cave wall that had blocked his way had vanished, revealing a long inner cavern—this wasn't the bottom of the cave after all. Xiao Ku'er was both astonished and amused, muttering, "Qimen Xunjia, Qimen Xunjia?"—it seemed that the 'lone monk' Shi Jiuyao was actually a master of numerology, able to use the cave's natural layout to magically seal the path to the inner cavern.
Hai Shanshan held a torch, gently swirling it among the large rocks inside the cave with Xiao Ku'er. The torchlight reflected on her face, revealing an unusual purity, as if some thought in her heart had been instantly cleansed of all her distractions. The path was long, and as she walked, she said, "It's been so long since I've been here. I wonder if he's doing well?"
Gan Ku'er gazed at the stalactites and stalagmites illuminated by the torchlight along the way. The occasional dripping sound of the stalactites from the shadows reached his ears, instantly dispelling all worldly thoughts. It was truly a world of timeless, serene beauty. The path grew increasingly warm as they walked, causing Gan Ku'er, dressed in a sheepskin coat, to break out in a light sweat. He asked, "How did you encounter him?"
Hai Shanshan said, "That year, I also passed through here. My legs were tired and I found this cave to rest in." A hazy light shone in her eyes. "Because I was hungry, I hunted a deer. It was a rather small deer, but unexpectedly, it played dead. I dragged it into this cave and was thinking about how to skin and clean it when, after I fetched water, it suddenly leaped up and ran straight into the cave. I watched it disappear into the inner cave, and I was very surprised because this cave seemed like a dead end. I tapped and touched the rocks randomly with my hands, and accidentally touched the Five-Tone Stone. Then, a strange sight appeared, and I discovered that this cave actually had an inner cave. I didn't expect that the stalactites and stalagmites in the inner cave were a natural maze. After entering, the path seemed to get longer and longer, and I couldn't find my way out. I panicked, thinking that I would never be able to get out of this cave in my life, and I couldn't help but cry."
She was a strong-willed girl by nature, and even though two years had passed, she still felt a little embarrassed recalling her crying: "Unexpectedly, after I cried for a while, I heard a gentle voice say, 'Don't cry, this road isn't impassable.' I looked up and saw a figure dressed in white. His head was bald, like a monk, but without any ordination scars. A light, somehow filtering through the cave during the day, illuminated the surroundings with a bluish-green hue. His face, in that bluish light, had an indescribable translucency. Then he said..."
"Come with me!" I had been wandering around in the cave for several hours, and I was hungry and tired, so I followed him.
A blissful expression suddenly appeared on her face: "By the light from the cave, I could see that he looked quite young, not older than me. But upon closer inspection, he seemed older, and I couldn't quite put my finger on his age. I rarely have a good impression of men, but upon seeing him, I felt he seemed like a good person. He led me out of the inner cave. Behind it was a small valley. The injured roe deer had been hiding in that valley. I heard the monk say, 'Girl, please spare this roe deer this time, for my sake. You must be hungry; I'll make you something to eat.'"
That experience must have been an extraordinary ordeal she had never encountered before, and even now, she still seemed somewhat dazed when she spoke of it. She continued, "His vegetarian dishes were so delicious! Solomon's seal and poria cocos, so many things I'd never eaten before, yet they had such a rare and refreshing flavor." Hai Shanshan sighed, "That's how I met him."
As they spoke, they suddenly saw a light appear ahead, indicating that they were about to reach the valley behind the inner cave that Hai Shanshan had mentioned. Hai Shanshan said, "He said that the rocks inside this cave are a maze, which has misled many travelers in the past. That's why he used the Five Tones Stone to set up a barrier and seal off the back cave to prevent unauthorized people from entering."
Before she could finish speaking, Gan Ku'er let out a joyful shout and reached the exit. Gan Ku'er had been eager to see what the small valley outside the cave looked like. He leaped out, and there he saw: the snow and wind had ceased, and a bright, pale moon was held up in the sky. The moonlight shone on the snow-covered cliffs of the small valley, surrounded by mountains and only a few acres in size, its clear light illuminating the valley. Gan Ku'er seemed stunned by the moonlight; the usually cheerful and lively man stood there, mouth agape, speechless. Following his gaze, one could see that the valley was now warm as spring. Many unnamed flowering trees bloomed quietly and peacefully, oblivious to the icy cold outside just a cave away. The flowers on the trees were a beautiful, deep red. Several hot springs gushed or trickled within the valley, some forming pools, others flowing into streams; these springs were likely the reason for the valley's spring-like warmth. The moon's reflection in the water shone in different directions, making it impossible to tell whether the reflection in the sky was real or the reflection in the water was real. This wondrous sight was truly like a dream. Gan Ku'er gently reached out and grasped at the air in front of him, murmuring in a dreamlike voice, "Is this real? Is all of this real?"
After saying that, he suddenly became excited: "What a 'lone monk'! You really know how to enjoy life. I must bring Xiao Yan'er to see such a wonderful place later."
In his excitement, he almost forgot the vow he had just made to Hai Shanshan. Hai Shanshan was also sharing in his joy—
Happiness is something that becomes deeper and more intense when you have a close friend by your side, and when you interact with them.
Little Ku'er hopped and skipped around the valley like a little monkey, occasionally letting out surprised "Ee-ya!" sounds. In his excitement, he tumbled and rolled, performing a series of somersaults. His body was naturally agile, and with his joy, his somersaults were especially beautiful, leaping and turning, his body bounding and bounding. Hai Shanshan was amused by him, a smile spreading across her face. Little Ku'er had excitedly rolled to the bottom of the valley, where there was a small cave that had expanded into a natural stone chamber. Inside, there was only a straw bed and a stone mat, clean and tidy. A hint of disappointment appeared on Hai Shanshan's face: "Ah, he's not here."
Gan Ku'er ignored her words, still chuckling, "A guest has arrived. What a blissful monk! Do you know how cold it is outside? Truly—" He suddenly thought of quoting a poem; in this wondrous place, only quoting could express his feelings. Fortunately, he had spent a long time with Xiao Yan'er and remembered some verses. He slapped his forehead, "...Inside the cave, no one knows of human affairs; in the distant world, one gazes at the empty immortals."
As soon as he finished speaking, he stopped tumbling and somersaulting at the entrance to what appeared to be the stone chamber where Shi Jiuyao often slept. The moonlight was now incredibly bright, and he could see the three large characters on the stone chamber's entrance. Suddenly, all his imagined blissful, almost divine, feelings about the 'lone monk' Shi Jiuyao vanished, replaced by a profound and empty sorrow—a sorrow he had never known before, one that even Zhou Huntun's Great Compassion Mantra couldn't move even a fraction of his humble heart—that rose within him for the first time in such a deep and empty way.
The three large ancient clerical characters inscribed on the side of the stone chamber were:
"Space beyond space"
Indeed: the enchanting spring light shines within a cave, a desolate life exists beyond emptiness. But what kind of emptiness—the emptiness written by that solitary monk—is this emptiness beyond emptiness?