Chapter Thirty-Three: The Successor of the Yue Maiden

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PS: The third update will be quite late tonight, so feel free to read it in the morning. Hehe. Still hoping for your recommendations—this week we haven’t even averaged a hundred votes a day, sigh.

As dawn’s first light broke, the sound of a sword slicing through the air echoed from the Emerald Bamboo Court. At the edge of the practice ground, Yue Wuniang watched the figure darting and spinning like a dragon in flight, her gaze never straying for a moment. The sword’s light seemed almost alive, and though she had studied under Mistress Gongsun for many years, she still found herself holding her breath in awe. When the figure finally stilled, she hurried forward, both hands presenting a cloth.

“Master, please wipe your brow.” As Mistress Gongsun took the cloth and dabbed her face, Yue Wuniang hesitated for a long moment before finally speaking up. “Are we truly going to the city’s marketplace today? What if the magistrate’s office still bears a grudge and sends men to force us again…”

“This is hardly the first time such a thing has happened.” Mistress Gongsun smiled faintly, resting a gentle hand on her beloved young apprentice’s shoulder, a hint of wistfulness softening her features. “After I completed my apprenticeship, I once disguised myself as a man and traveled to the borderlands. I witnessed fierce battles, saw soldiers fighting and dying on the field, and it was only there that my sword dance reached a modest level of mastery. Later, I journeyed far and wide, and aside from you, I’ve taken on other disciples, but in the end, only you remained. Do you know why?”

It was the first time Yue Wuniang had heard her master speak of the past, and her eyes widened in wonder. “Master, why?”

“I was young then. When I saw poor girls along the roadside, I couldn’t help but take them in and teach them what I knew. With youth and diligence, they quickly learned the basics of the sword dance and thought themselves ready to strike out on their own. Most left within two years. Of course, some were ambitious, dreaming of fame, and fell prey to those who sought to manipulate them, doing things they ought not have done… So, two years ago after a performance in Bianzhou, I dismissed those disciples, keeping only two musicians, and later, you. You have a forthright nature, say what’s on your mind, and possess both talent and musicality. Perhaps one day you will surpass your master…”

“Master!”

Seeing her young apprentice, no more than thirteen, staring at her in astonishment, Mistress Gongsun smiled again, then intoned softly: “The way is subtle and easy, its meaning profound and deep. The way has its doors, as does yin and yang—open the door, close the gate, when yin wanes, yang waxes. In the art of hand-to-hand combat, spirit is cultivated within, poise displayed without. To the eye, gentle as a maiden; in contest, fierce as a tiger. Form is set, breath observed, the spirit follows. Elusive as the sun’s path, swift as a leaping hare, chasing form and shadow, light flickering in and out. Breath flows freely, not bound by rules. Movements traverse and return, unseen. In this way, one can face a hundred alone, a hundred can stand against ten thousand. Do you remember these words I recited to you when you first entered my tutelage?”

Yue Wuniang nodded vigorously. “Of course I remember!”

“Then do you know where these words come from?”

“From the ‘External Account of Goujian’s Stratagems’ in the *Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue*.”

As Yue Wuniang frowned in concentration, a voice sounded behind her, prompting her to turn quickly. It was the young Master Du, who had come to her aid yesterday, entering the courtyard with a refined, almost feminine youth in white. She’d long forgotten their previous meeting in the main house of Songqu Village, but yesterday’s events were still vivid in her mind, and she hurried forward to greet them.

“Master Du, you’ve brought a guest today? Ah, you are…” Cui Jianxuan’s face merely struck her as familiar, but as she drew near and saw those phoenix-like eyes, memory rushed back and she exclaimed, “You’re Young Master Cui from Yongfeng Ward in the Eastern Capital!”

“Exactly! Yue Wuniang, I heard from Du Shijiu that yesterday your sword dance captivated the whole audience—truly, three days apart and one must look anew upon you!” Cui Jianxuan smiled warmly and nodded at her, then turned his gaze to Mistress Gongsun in the distance. Only two months before, he’d watched her incomparable sword dance at his home in the Eastern Capital’s Yongfeng Ward and been left in awe. Who would have thought they’d meet again here in Dengfeng County!

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His eyes bright, he paused for a moment before leaving Du Shiyi behind and stepping forward, his smile full of charm. “Mistress Gongsun, what a small world it is. It seems fate has brought us together once more.”

For all his sharp tongue, Du Shiyi had never found in Cui Jianxuan the usual vices of pampered young lords. Now, seeing him so forward with Mistress Gongsun, he was surprised. But her reply soon made everything clear.

“Young Master Cui, do you truly wish to learn the sword from me? Learning the sword is not like reading and writing—it requires enduring countless hardships.”

“Reading is the bitterest toil of all, in my view!” Cui Jianxuan thought of the days he’d recently spent poring over books at the Lu family’s cottage, and felt that was suffering with no end in sight. Without hesitation, he replied, “If Mistress Gongsun is willing to teach, I will do my utmost.”

“Ahem!” Seeing Cui Jianxuan so determined, Du Shiyi interrupted the endless conversation with a loud cough. Ignoring the other’s annoyed glance, he turned to Mistress Gongsun and asked, “Are you prepared for today’s performance at the marketplace, Mistress?”

“For me, the sword dance is as familiar as everyday fare—there’s nothing to prepare.”

Du Shiyi had expected as much. He’d only asked to start the conversation, and seeing Mistress Gongsun send Yue Wuniang to gather the swords and summon the musicians, he pressed on. “Just now, you quoted the *Annals of Wu and Yue*, words spoken by the Yue maiden to Goujian. Is your peerless sword dance perhaps descended from the ancient art of the Yue Maiden’s Sword?”

The conversation with Yue Wuniang had not escaped Du Shiyi’s notice, and now, faced with his question, Mistress Gongsun fell silent. After a long pause, she gave a wry smile. “Times have changed. The techniques of the Yue Maiden’s Sword have long since been lost. My own skills are but a pale shadow, no longer fit for the battlefield. That is why people like me dare not mention the name of the Yue Maiden before outsiders. I ask, Young Master Du, that you do not pursue this further.”

Cui Jianxuan, knowing Du Shiyi had spent recent days reading and transcribing histories, realized there must be truth in his words and his eyes shone with excitement. Du Shiyi, having only followed a sudden curiosity, was nearly as intrigued. But remembering his purpose for coming today, he collected himself and nodded. “Since you ask it, Mistress, I will oblige. However, after yesterday’s events, today’s performance will surely draw an even greater crowd. Do you have any plans for that?”

“What sort of plans do you mean, Young Master Du?”

“Mistress Gongsun’s fame is great in the north, yet you have only two musicians, one disciple, and a single carriage—does this truly match your reputation?”

At these words, Yue Wuniang, who was organizing sword cases, could not help but stand and protest. “Master always says, the more people there are, the less united the heart! Last year, when Master toured Henan, many wealthy families tried to send their maids to her, but she refused them all! Master said that the maids of the powerful live too well and cannot endure hardship. And with more people, it’s easier to be led astray…”

“Wuniang!” Mistress Gongsun had to interrupt before her apprentice revealed too much. When the girl bowed her head, Mistress Gongsun continued calmly, “Reputation is but idle rumor. I only wish not to fail the teacher who once passed her art to me. As for numbers, it depends on affinity. More is not always better.”

Du Shiyi had intended to suggest taking on more musicians and disciples, to build up her fame and make a grander spectacle—perhaps then the powerful would be more wary of offending her. But hearing Mistress Gongsun’s true character, he sighed inwardly, knowing such packaging would not suit her. He decided instead to propose another solution.

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After all, one must be wary of others playing dirty tricks.

“Mistress Gongsun, though you had musicians accompany your sword dance yesterday, there seemed to be no lyrics, is that right?”

No sooner had he spoken than Yue Wuniang clapped her hands in delight. “That’s right, Master! If only Young Master Du could finish the poem he began yesterday—if we sang it today, your fame would spread even further!”

Du Shiyi was caught off guard by this, and seeing Mistress Gongsun’s eyes light up, he was about to demur, but she shook her head. “Young Master Du’s poem yesterday was too extravagant in its praise—it must not be used for the sword dance.”

Cui Jianxuan, hearing mention of a poem and seeing even Mistress Gongsun acknowledge it, was greatly surprised. He nudged Du Shiyi with his elbow and said loudly, “So much for claiming you’ve lost your touch! Turns out you can still compose poetry! Come, let’s hear what you wrote yesterday.”

“It was just a few lines inspired by the moment,” Du Shiyi replied, thinking the poem might remain unfinished forever. Seeing that Cui Jianxuan would not let the matter drop, he suddenly said, “Brother Eleven, if you must know, I’ll tell you later. For now, I have an urgent task. You know the entertainers of Dengfeng County well—can you find a few singers with powerful voices for me? Boys or girls, it doesn’t matter. And a drummer, too—someone with strength!”

Cui Jianxuan frowned, but seeing Du Shiyi’s air of mystery, he strode out, grumbling, “Always keeping secrets and sending people on errands! If you can’t give me a good explanation later, don’t blame me for being rude!”

Once Cui Jianxuan had gone, Du Shiyi approached Mistress Gongsun, who seemed lost in thought, and said seriously, “Mistress, your sword dance is already a marvel. If it were accompanied by a fine song, it would be even more dazzling.”

“A fine song?” Mistress Gongsun savored the words, pondering. “Do you perhaps have new verses, Young Master Du?”

But Du Shiyi merely shook his head. “It’s not the lyrics that matter, but what follows the dance. You see, the four regions of the capital are plagued by locusts this year, unrest is everywhere. So, Mistress, I beg you to hear my suggestion…”