Chapter 60: Extra Chapter One: Fate — Bu Sha

I am an assassin, from childhood.

When I was eleven, I killed someone for the first time. My master asked how I felt, I shook my head and said: 'Nothing.'

Really, nothing. The blade entered a person's body, blood flowed out, I watched it like water, feeling nothing at all.

That day, I ran alone into the deep mountains. They thought I was frightened from my first kill, which is ridiculous; I just wanted to improve my martial arts a bit, to make killing easier.

"Your move is wrong." A voice sounded behind me, startling me. Because the voice was very close, even my master could not get that close without me noticing.

I turned my head and saw a boy in fine clothes standing not far away. Sunlight filtered through the trees, showering him. In an instant, I, standing in the shade, was dazzled and could barely open my eyes, yet I felt a warm sensation in my heart. I thought it might be because of the light.

That day was the first time I saw Qi.

He walked over, took my sword—which I was firmly gripping—and began to dance. Although there was no sunlight here, his small body moving created a bright gleam in my eyes.

After a spin, he stopped, face not flushed, breath not ragged, and handed the sword back to me, smiling: 'Do you understand? I don't know what that move of yours is called, but you shouldn't let your body follow the sword's turn; instead, let your intention follow your heart, driving the sword's motion.'

My master said I was a genius unmatched in the martial world, that no child my age could surpass me. My master clearly had never seen a truly formidable person.

I took the sword, said nothing, turned and left. After walking a while, I couldn't help looking back and saw him still standing leisurely in the woods, sunlight on his face, and he smiled at me and said, 'We might be able to be friends.'

His voice was childish, but his expression and tone carried none of that feeling.

At that time I didn't know what friendship was, so I left without looking back.

Returning to the Cold Moon Sect, the sect leader's son, Leng Yu, brought back a woman, saying she was the world's greatest beauty, though I didn't catch her name. I suddenly recalled that boy's face, thinking that perhaps only a woman could be titled the world's greatest beauty.

Afterward, I never went to that forest again, not even its edge; the reason isn't certain. Maybe I feared the dazzling sunlight, maybe I feared his gentle smile, or maybe I feared him saying again, 'We might be able to be friends.'

When I was twenty, the Cold Jade Sect gave me a task that seemed impossible to others—assassin Xie Yanke and seize the Xuanwu Stone.

Xie Yanke, known as one of the three great masters of the Tianhe Continent, the 'Azure Bamboo Hermit'.

I naturally knew my martial arts were far inferior to his, but killing doesn't rely solely on martial prowess. Assassin's Rule Three: for the sake of the mission, one must use any means, even becoming another person.

So I approached Xie Yanke. I'm not good at disguising myself, yet strangely, he didn't suspect me and treated me exceptionally well.

He said some things I didn't understand. He remarked, 'You are actually quite like my disciple.'

But I didn't care about that; I only needed to complete the mission. So I put poison in his food, then in the fight I stabbed him in the chest with one blow and asked, 'Where is the Xuanwu Stone?'

He was clearly dying, yet he gave me a strange look that I loathed; I raised my sword to kill him, because that look was pity.

"Master!" a boy's voice suddenly rang out, so close to me. I jerked in surprise and at the same time felt a dazed familiarity.

I was certain that the boy before me was the one who, years ago in the forest, had said we might be friends, for no one else in the world could have such a visage.

He deflected my sword without looking at me, crouched to seize Xie Yanke's hand.

Xie Yanke coughed up a mouthful of blood and said, 'Don't blame this person.'

He nodded, his hand still on the pulse.

"Qi Ran, from now on… you must protect yourself alone, never simply endure everything…"

It turned out his name was Qi Ran. I silently wondered which part was 'Qi' and which was 'Ran'.

"Master…" Qi Ran called out, but Xie Yanke cut him off.

"After the master is gone, you will surely be taken back to the Wind Capital; remember…"

"Master——"

"Remember, never let others bully you without fighting back. Don't be sad… Master, I… have lived so many years also…"

"Master!" Qi Ran's face actually showed a bitter smile; he finally reached out and sealed two of Xie Yanke's acupoints, then said, 'Who said you would die? Rest easy, I didn't harm your heart meridian—I can save you.'

My heart jolted—I had thrust that blade steady and true; though it wasn't the heart, I was certain Xie Yanke could not survive, yet he claimed he could save him.

He went over there, busily taking out silver needles, paying no heed to me, while I stood there, somewhat dazed, watching him work.

After who knows how long, he finally turned to look at me; the sweat on his forehead still wet, he wiped it with his sleeve, suddenly startled, and smiled: 'Is it you?'

I nodded and said, 'Yes, it's me.'

He smiled even more broadly and said, 'I told you we could be friends.'

I looked at him without speaking. The sect leader said assassins don't need friends, but I couldn't bring myself to say those words.

"Why did you kill my master?"

"Orders." I said, 'I need to obtain the Xuanwu Stone.'

He blinked, then took a black stone from his neck and tossed it to me, saying, 'This is the Xuanwu Stone. My master, whom you also killed, but whom I revived, so it's none of your concern.'

"Oh." I nodded and said, 'Then I'll go back to report.'

He nodded and then asked, 'What is your name?'

"Bu…" I suddenly recalled the sect leader saying I was the world's top assassin and couldn't just give my name, but after hesitating I uttered the second character, 'Sha.'

He laughed and said, 'Then I'll call you Bu. You may call me Qi Ran, or just Qi, or Ran. The Qi in blessings, the Ran in "therefore."'

Watching the sunlight leap across his face, I inexplicably broke into a faint, almost invisible smile and called out, 'Qi.'

Then I left, and thereafter Xie Yanke vanished without a trace. I handed the Xuanwu Stone to Leng Yu, but he returned it to me, saying, 'Keep it for now,' and then asked, 'Do you want to leave the Cold Moon Sect?'

I said, 'It doesn't matter.'

Leng Yu added, 'If you wish to leave, there is someone here who will give you a final task; if you complete it, I will no longer assign you anything, and you will still receive the monthly antidote for the Blood Gu, free to do as you wish. But this task is extremely difficult; if you fail, like everyone else in the sect, you will not get the antidote. So, will you take it?'

What could I possibly want to do? When I tried to refuse, the line 'I told you we could be friends' from Qi inexplicably popped into my mind, turning my intended refusal into 'Whatever.'

Thus Leng Yu led me into a room I had never entered before, where someone was already waiting for me.

I am an assassin; even if Leng Yu said I wouldn't need to be an assassin after finishing this task, an assassin remains an assassin, never changing. Moreover, how could I say… I still haven't completed the task.

Because I am an assassin, the first rule of the Assassin's Creed is etched in my mind: mission first. Thus I drew my sword without hesitation, even though the person I am about to kill is Qi; even though I know this is a tremendous conspiracy.

After all, what does it matter? I am merely an assassin.

Failure!

Failure!

Failure!

……

After countless failed attempts at open assassination, covert assassination, poisoning, and disguise, I finally knew that there truly is someone in this world I cannot kill. His martial arts are superb; I won't comment on how superb, but at least definitely higher than mine.

His physique is invulnerable to all poisons, so those poisons that never fail in the Lengyue Sect are useless against him. Blood parasite might work, but I don't have any on hand. Even if I did, I couldn't get it onto him.

Even disguise and covert assassination don't work; he seems born able to see through others' thoughts and sense danger around him. He said it's a special spiritual sense that can feel the amplitude of another's heartbeat, and in crisis his whole body is brushed with a slight agitation.

Every time he points his sword at my throat and says, 'You can't kill me. I also don't want you to kill.'

In the final assassination attempt, I knew the blood parasite's time limit had arrived; perhaps it could work, but I was unwilling to endure that pain, so I decided to go all out.

I seized his sister and told him, 'If you don't kill yourself, I will kill her.'

'Yan'er, don't be afraid,' he said softly to his sister.

The girl in my arms had a clear, crisp voice, yet very firm: 'Yan'er isn't afraid; Yan'er knows Brother Ran will save Yan'er. Yan'er will never die like Sister Xue'er did; Yan'er wants to stay with Brother Ran.'

He frowned at me, his eyes showing a wounded expression; I don't know why I felt somewhat sad, recalling his words: 'We might be able to be friends.' Suddenly I wanted to tell him that I actually took this mission just for that sentence.

But since I took the mission, I must complete it, because I am still an assassin.

'I really thought,' he said, 'we could be friends, don't you want that?'

'Yes.' My voice blurted out.

He laughed, the wounded look in his eyes gone, and my sad feeling disappeared as well.

Suddenly, a pain in my neck; I looked in surprise at the thin cord in his hand, knowing he had taken advantage of my inattention to stab a drug-coated needle into me. My consciousness gradually blurred, recalling the assassin's code, article four: never let your guard down against anyone at any time. I think I was careless.

I also recalled that I had been raised steeped in drugs since childhood, and I had a blood parasite in my body; most medicines had no effect on me, I didn't know what he used… I hadn't finished thinking when I collapsed.

When I woke up, I was in an unfamiliar room, neither luxurious nor shabby. I sat cross-legged, with several silver needles inserted in my hand and body; Qi sat opposite me, also with silver needles inserted, very close—less than a hand's distance away.

I felt for the dagger in my bosom; now his entire focus was on the silver needles, he inserted the three silver needles in his hand into himself, then drew a dagger.

I knew this was the best chance to kill him; if I missed it, I would never be able to kill him in my lifetime.

He gripped his dagger with a reverse hold, his face showing no hesitation, and slashed his arm……

I drew my dagger; for some reason I trembled slightly, but still plunged it into his body……

The color drained from his face, scarlet blood soaking his light-colored clothes and my knife‑holding hand. Yet his expression remained unchanged, as steadfast as at the start; he drew a line across my arm where the silver needles were inserted, then the wounds overlapped.

I pulled out the blade; his whole body shuddered, blood-red reflecting his pallid face, and I suddenly felt fear.

I had never known what fear was, nor thought I ever would. Yet at this moment I finally understood its meaning. I feared that I had completed the mission but didn't know why. I feared he didn't realize I also wanted to be his friend. I feared that if he died, I would never again see that leaping sunlight……

I opened my mouth but could not make a sound; a thread of pure inner force poured into my body. I actually felt the blood parasite inside me stir, following the path of the silver needles to the bleeding wound, and then it vanished……

No! It didn't disappear! It went into Qi's body—indeed into Qi's body!

Qi let out a heavy groan, finally unable to support his blood‑soaked body, and fell backward……

After waking, Qi's eyes had turned blue, his inner force was gone, and he said the blood parasite's corrosion was too strong; he likely wouldn't live much longer.

I tried countless times to draw the blood parasite back, and also wanted to go find Lengyu, but Qi said it was useless. He said his blood was special; even if others were willing, the parasite could not be drawn out.

He would not feel pain, but likewise, Lengyu's medicine guide only prevents the blood parasite from draining his inner force during outbreaks; it cannot prolong his life.

If that person knew, even the same method couldn't save Qi…… Too bad that aside from me, no one else would know.

Qi said: 'Let's go, leave Bingling; otherwise neither of us will survive a few days.'

I said: 'Okay.' Then I asked, 'Why use your own life to help me dispel the blood parasite?'

He chuckled and said: 'Because I finally found a friend.'

That smile held some relief, yet also some sorrow, making me feel alternating joy and sadness; then I said: 'Qi, let me always protect you. I will never let you die, nor let you come to harm.'

He nodded, earnestly saying: 'Don't kill again, don't remain an assassin, for assassins have no friends.'

I suddenly showed a faint smile, seeing sunlight leap joyfully on Qi's pale smiling face: 'Friend or assassin, it doesn't matter who I am, as long as I can forever protect you.'

'Okay.' He gazed toward the direction of Fengzhidu, his eyes holding no reluctance, yet a hint of desolation and pain. Then he turned and walked away toward the earth beneath the sunlight, never looking back.

Qi was the first person in my lifeless existence who wanted to protect me with his life, and also the first to spread the continually leaping sunlight before my eyes. He was my first, and the only one…… who could be called a friend. I once thought so……

Yes, I once thought that, and firmly believed, that we two, and only we two, would walk on so lonely yet mutually supporting.

Yes, I used to think that way, and I firmly believed that only the two of us would walk forward so lonely yet mutually supportive.

Until, that girl lying blood‑soaked yet peacefully asleep beneath the cliff, appeared in my and Qi's lives.

Only much later did I realize that the wheel of fate had only just begun to turn then. Though the ending seemed set, we could not…… guess it.

Only much later did I realize that, in fact, the wheel of fate had only just begun to turn then. Though the ending seemed predetermined, we… could not have guessed.

(End of chapter)

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