Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Jun Mo Xie had noticed the moment he raised his hands to clap that the sleeves of his robe were a lot wider than that of regular people’s. The moment he lifted his hands, the sleeves were almost touching the floor.
Not long after, a pot of hot, fragrant tea was placed before Jun Mo Xie. The fine, fresh tea leaves were bubbling and turning in the water, adding a tinge of comfort in this quiet top floor of the building.
“I am Chen Chen. I believe you are someone from the Dongfang Family?” Young Master Duanchang Chen Chen chuckled. “But I wonder what your name is? Would you tell me?”
“Um, a name is just a mark; it’s nothing that cannot be said. I’m called Dongfang Da Shu, and I’m the child of a collateral relative of the Dongfang Family.” Jun Mo Xie picked up the tea and drank it in one gulp. He exclaimed, “It truly is great tea! It’s very fragrant!”
“Dongfang Da Shu? Brother Dongfang’s name is really unusual.” Chen Chen said ambiguously.
“My name may be odd, but it really has a story to it.” Jun Mo Xie chuckled. “Back then, before I was born, my mother suddenly dreamt of a glistening golden enormous book. So she named me Da Shu 1 Haha.”
“I see, going with this saying, Brother Dongfang is definitely a prodigy.” Chen Chen laughed.
“Of course not. Brother Chen, we are fated to meet, since we get along so well, why are we addressing each other by our surnames like strangers? You can just call me by my name, Da Shu; wouldn’t that bring us closer?” Jun Mo Xie said hospitably.
The corner of Chen Chen’s lips twitched. He thought. Da Shu?… Big Uncle 2 ?… Aren’t you scoundrel just trying to blatantly take advantage of me? No matter how I address you, I’ll just end up as your junior for no reason. This fellow is really detestable!
Jun Mo Xie held onto the teacup and grinned at him. He experienced an immense urge to tease and toy with someone. The feeling of meeting this fellow was extremely similar to meeting Li You Ran. Both of them were well-matched in the vibe of toying with their opponent.
But although Li You Ran was dangerous back then, but he was quite reserved. But this Young Master Duanchang Chen Chen may appear peaceful and gentle in his mannerism and speech, but amidst all that, he vague revealed an extremely vicious aura. Facing him was like facing a venomous snake!
“Haha, Brother Dongfang is a straightforward person.” Chen Chen rubbed his fingers, looking down at it, ambiguously saying, “I believe that Brother Dongfang’s current appearance is not your original look? Since Brother Dongfang says we are fated, I wonder if we can meet with our real appearance? Wouldn’t it be great if we are honest to each other?”
Jun Mo Xie chuckled. “Brother Chen is truly perceptive. But from the way I see it, the current appearance of Brother Chen may also not be your original appearance! I wonder if we could meet with our real appearance, wouldn’t it be even better?”
Chen Chen jolted. I did not put on any disguise, but what does the other party mean in that I am not meeting him with my true colours? Is he intentionally acting dumb? Or… is there a double meaning?
He hesitated, forcing a smile. “Forgive me for being slow-witted, I wonder what Brother Dongfang… means by this?”
Jun Mo Xie sat comfortably in the chair. His finger tapped away at the table and he sighed. “I am only in disguise for a couple of days. But this mask that Brother Chen wears has been kept on for twenty over years… aren’t you tired?”
The look in Chen Chen’s eyes changed. Revealing genuine loneliness and helplessness. He let out a loud sigh, lowered his head and closed his eyes. He placed both his fingers on the strings of the guqin, gently plucking at it. Sounds came ringing out, conveying a sense of loss in its tune.
A strand of black hair slipped from his head, covering half of his face, swaying in the wind.
The sounds of hooves came from outside, drawing close and coming to a halt outside the building. The people outside parted way, and a row of people silently entered the building. It was the people from the Zhan family. The leader, a girl who who wore a black veil, walking in front. That girl couldn’t help but stop to listen upon hearing the melodious sound.
But the two people on the top floor of the building continued as if they had not noticed anything. One continued to play, while the other listened as if they did not bother to pay attention to whatever was happening outside.
This new tune that Chen Chen was playing was extremely short, coming to an end quickly. Chen Chen did not raise his head. Sighing, he said, “Brother Dongfang upon your arrival today, I feel that I’ve met someone who can understand me. To be very honest, I was really unwilling and resistant to the idea of coming today to be part of the set-up. But I felt from your words that the trip today was not made in vain!”
He slowly lifted his head and looked at Jun Mo Xie sincerely. “Brother Dongfang was not mistaken in your judgment. Indeed, I am indeed really tired! I’m really tired! But… this mask of mine can no longer be removed… because if I take this mask off, I, Chen Chen, will become nothing overnight, so…”
Since Jun Mo Xie had entered, Chen Chen had been maintaining his polite and respectful demeanor of a young master of a family. But he had constantly been trying to sound out Jun Mo Xie, hiding his hostility. But these few sentences he had just said was full of emotions, words from the bottom of his heart.
Jun Mo Xie chuckled and replied. “Well said. It is true. No matter how what the extent of hypocrisy is in the mask, if it is kept on for twenty years, hypocrisy would naturally become a habit! And this mask is so heavy; it was already difficult enough to put on, but even more difficult to take it off! All the responsibility, right and wrong, the bitterness, no one will be able to truly understand unless they are in that position. And at the same time the person who puts on this mask gets to enjoy about power and strength, he had to pay an equivalent price. How could he sacrifice that so easily!”
Chen Chen took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. The expression on his face changed numerous times, and clearly his mind was in a state of turmoil. He closed his eyes, not speaking. Then he slowly opened them, and using a serious tone, he asked, “Brother Dongfang, could you play a tune for me?”
In his tone, every single word was dripping with desire. In his eyes, an indescribable contradiction—as if there were two different types of thoughts in his heart, engaging in an intense struggle. Him asking Jun Mo Xie to play seemed to be trying to prove something to himself, trying to give himself a reason!
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Jun Mo Xie raised his brows and looked at him in inquisitively. He asked, “Brother Chen, I don’t seem to have mentioned that I know how to play. If said I do not know, then what would you do?”
“It is hard to find a knowing ear! It’d be fortunate if you do know! Hiding our skills… may not be suitable between us!” Chen Chen gently smiled. With a swing of his long sleeves, the table silently changed directions, then floated over to Jun Mo Xie.
Jun Mo Xie stretched his hand out, gently pressing on it. It came to a halt before him.
Opposite him, Chen Chen looked at him with shining eyes. Sitting upright, the expression on his face full of seriousness and desire.
Jun Mo Xie sighed mentally. Looks like this Young Master Chen’s passion for music is not faked. And although this person is somewhat shrewd, with a vicious personality, definitely not losing to Li You Ran, but he has a bit more emotions and temperament.
He probably has a temperament personality.
“Fine, we are fated to have met today; I shall make an exception and play a tune today to commemorate our meeting today. Also… once you get into the pugilistic world, you can no longer act like yourself!”
Jun Mo Xie said with a double meaning, emotions surging in his heart! Entering the pugilistic world, your body and heart were all in the pugilistic world! Then how could we not leave our own marks in the pugilistic world?! That pugilistic dream that belongs to us youth!
Laughing proudly in the pugilistic world!
Jun Mo Xie reminisced bitterly, sighing deeply. Those far away memories, those experiences in the past… all flashing across his eyes!
Both hands on the guqin, he plucked at the strings testingly. The buzz of the sound of the instrument went from full gentle to full of impassion and murderous intent. There was no melody, but in these few simple strokes, the heavy atmosphere of the pugilistic world was conveyed!
“Once you get into the pugilistic world, you can no longer act like yourself!” Chen Chen mumbled, a weird glint flashing across his eyes. Then it slowly faded away and was replaced by a long sigh. A lost expression spread across his face as he mumbled, “Pugilistic world… What is the pugilistic world? What counts as… the pugilistic world?”
“Pugilistic world… is a path of no return!” Jun Mo Xie’s fingers ran across the strings of the guqin and the sound stopped. But an extremely imposing and overwhelming sense of desolation filled the entire building! In an instant, everyone in the building distinctly felt the heaviness of an imposing heavy rain!
Chen Chen snapped back to his senses when Young Master Jun began to play again. His eyes focused on Jun Mo Xie. Because just merely this sudden pause in Jun Mo Xie’s playing had created atmosphere alone, was full of the presence of an exceptional musical talent!
This had given Chen Chen a sudden glimmer of hope!
Jun Mo Xie slowly closed his eyes, and in complete silence, all ten fingers landed on the instrument strings heavily!
A burst of impassioned tune! As if the waves were crashing on the shore, tidal waves rose, covering the entire sky! Enshrouding the entire world in an intense melody!
Iron blood, massacre, free and at ease, moving around unhindered, indignant… all sorts of emotions were expressed in this single tune! This song belonged to the pugilistic world; it belonged to heroes!
I travel alone over the world, moving about unhindered with just a sword; in my drunken stupor, I question the heavens, to cut off all feelings and dreams of a lover!
In that intense melody, Jun Mo Xie laughed and started singing. “… The ocean laughs… tides overflow both shores… Floating and submerging along with the waves, only the present day is taken into account…
“The sky laughs, in the successive tides of the world, who lost and who emerged victorious, only the sky knows…
“The land laughs, distant is the mist and rain, waves wash over the secular world, who knows for how many ages?
“The light breeze laughs, unexpectedly provoking loneliness, heroic feelings returned, clothed in the sunset’s golden glow…
“Everyone laughs, no longer will there be loneliness, heroic feelings remain in the sentimental laughter…”
That’s right! A laughter in the sea! The song of The Proud, Smiling Wanderer 3One Jun Mo Xie’s favorite songs! This song was not for Chen Chen’s sake, and not because he was feeling low. But for the sake of venting! Or perhaps, to show off!
I just want to leave my mark in this world! This song, in this world, is mine alone! But I hope that everyone will be able to play it; then I can hear it as and when I want! That way, I’ll feel like I’ve returned home!
Jun Mo Xie thought silently…