Chapter Twenty-Two: A Marriage Contract

Near noon, Xie Peiling sat on his small stool, still holding "The Chronicle of Yang’s Flying Sword." He tried various methods to engage with it, yet found he could no longer enter the book as he once had.

He wondered: what had become of that young girl? Could she overcome the statue of the God of Literature? And if the statue of the God of War were to break free from the constraints of the talismans, what then? Feeling powerless, Xie Peiling could only sigh.

Just then, a youth who looked to be about his age, dressed in a plain, wash-worn Taoist robe, walked straight toward him. He was not heading for the Hua-Twenty Pharmacy, but coming directly for Xie Peiling.

There was something indescribable about the youth's eyes; at first glance, they appeared dull, but as Xie Peiling looked closer, he felt as if he could see the hidden truths behind many things within them, much like a clear mirror. Xie Peiling was certain he had never met this person before. Why would he come looking for him?

The youth carried luggage in his hands—it was ordinary, nothing special. There was no fluctuation of spiritual energy about him; he was merely an ordinary person, yet he was as neat and tidy as his own demeanor.

Xie Peiling raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?" he asked.

The youth paused for a moment before replying, "My name is Qionglin Yan."

"Why have you come to find me?"

"How did you know I was looking for you?"

"Your eyes do not lie."

Qionglin Yan fell silent. After a moment, he said, "Someone told me that you could help me."

"Who?" Xie Peiling asked.

"I do not know his name, but that person was very handsome."

Xie Peiling smiled. "You are quite handsome yourself."

The youth’s face flushed red, and he shook his head in denial. "It is not the same. That person is different."

"You are quite different, too," Xie Peiling noted.

Qionglin Yan opened his mouth, unsure of what to say. Xie Peiling already knew who had sent him—Bai Ci. He could think of no one else, nor anyone else who would have such a whim.

"What did he send you to ask me for?"

Qionglin Yan replied, "It is I who have business with you."

Xie Peiling set his book aside. "Speak then, what business do you have with me?"

Qionglin Yan produced a red document and held it out. "Could you keep this safe for me?"

Xie Peiling took it and realized it was a marriage contract. "Can you not keep this yourself?"

"I went to call off the engagement, but I have changed my mind," Qionglin Yan explained. "And since I do not know when I might die, I would like to ask you to protect it."

Xie Peiling chuckled. "How absurd."

"Believe it or not, please keep it safe. I am going to participate in the imperial examinations."

"That is unfair."

"What is unfair?"

"Everything is unfair."

Qionglin Yan remarked, "I thought you were quite close to that person."

Xie Peiling held the marriage contract in his hand. "You are not wrong there. I am indeed not close to him, and in fact, I find him quite detestable. But I will keep this contract for you. As long as it is in my possession, I shall decide what becomes of it, until such time as I choose to return it to you."

Qionglin Yan was speechless. Not knowing what else to say, he nodded, and after a long while, managed to utter one word: "Good."

He tentatively asked, "May I go now?"

"Whether you go or stay is up to you; it is not as if I am the one leaving," Xie Peiling replied.

Qionglin Yan departed. Before leaving, he told him only to keep it safe and that he could read the contents to decide what to do later; if he found it unsatisfactory, he could come find him at the imperial court.

Xie Peiling stretched and tucked the marriage contract into his pack.

Wang Shiming approached, and upon seeing the contract, he looked stunned. He laughed, "How can there be such logic in the world?"

Xie Peiling looked at the disheveled middle-aged man. "Is this logic?"

Wang Shiming said with some annoyance, "Is it not? The commands of parents and the words of matchmakers! But this is likely an old-fashioned matter, and now the girl's parents disagree, breaking the youth’s heart. Otherwise, this contract would have been settled long ago."

Xie Peiling suddenly countered, "Why is this logic? Just like the girl at the pharmacy—how could this ever be considered logic?"

Wang Shiming was furious. He pointed at Xie Peiling and cursed, "What is the matter with you? Are you a mole for the Chu family? How can you deny such self-evident truths? I think you are blind; you might as well go die!"

"What if that girl were still standing here? What if she also had a marriage contract? And if one day, a youth were to wave that contract at you and say, 'I am her fiancé, and today I am taking her away'—would you be willing?"

Xie Peiling pondered for a moment, then spoke softly to Wang Shiming.

Wang Shiming could not find a rebuttal. His fingers trembled slightly, and he wanted to strike out, but remembering that this was Xu Yuanming’s junior brother, he held back, a wave of inexplicable sorrow washing over him.

"She is already dead. You do not understand her."

"Perhaps. But as you said, she is dead. Who is to say?"

Seeing he could not win the argument, Wang Shiming threw a stool to the ground and walked out.

Xie Peiling did not want to look at the marriage contract. Just as he stood up, he found Xu Yuanming standing behind him.

"You are quite right. There is no such logic in the world, only the logic of each individual. Do not try to persuade him; he will not listen," Xu Yuanming remarked casually. He carried an air of detachment, though a faint scent of killing intent lingered about him.

"Did you kill him?" Xie Peiling asked.

Xu Yuanming was taken aback. "That shouldn't be. You have only just begun your training; you shouldn't be able to tell. Even with full cultivation, there should be no traces left to discover."

He placed a hand on Xie Peiling’s forehead. After a moment, he murmured, "'Heaven'?"

"What does that mean?" Xie Peiling asked, confused.

"The 'Fifth-Grade Method' is something you should only encounter upon entering the inner sect. It is very strange. Never mind, you have your own destiny. Since it is already like this, then continue. But do not neglect the original 'Immortal Elder Taiji Chongxuan Supreme Dao Heart Transmission.' This method comes from our superior sect, the 'Pengxuan Cave Heaven,' and is the foundational law of that sect. In our Yingtian Taoist Temple, only inner sect disciples truly touch its core."

"The Ren Meridian originates beneath the Zhongji point, passes the pubic hair, follows the inner abdomen, ascends to Guanyuan, reaches the throat, penetrates the center, and ascends into the brain, stopping where the pulse reaches the Yinjiao, inside the gap of the lower teeth. It is the sea of Yin meridians."

"The Du Meridian originates from the lower limit, follows the spine, ascends to Fengfu, enters the brain and the crown of the head, follows the forehead to the bridge of the nose, where the Qi penetrates the center, descends through the throat, stopping where the pulse reaches the Yinjiao, inside the gap of the upper teeth. It is the sea of Yang meridians."

"Thus, when the teeth meet and the tongue touches the upper palate, the Du and Ren meridians intersect. The Ren Meridian is what allows women to conceive and nourish; the Du Meridian governs and manages the meridians."