Chapter Forty-Three: The Lonely One

Dusk, the fading sun.
The last streak of golden light painted the horizon as a cold wind swept across the barren hills of Flying Rock Manor.
Qianwanli was already gone, leaving behind only two gravestones and two lonely tombs buried together.
A solitary grave stretching for a thousand miles, with nowhere to speak of sorrow—Feng Fei and his wife would sleep here forever.
On Lady Feng’s tombstone were inscribed the couplets of Flying Rock Manor: “Swallows cross a thousand mountains, longing for everlasting love; dragons traverse ten thousand waters, hoping for beauty spanning a thousand miles.”
Feng Youcai explained, “My mother was born into a distinguished family, famed as a gifted scholar before marriage. When my ancestor went to propose, she composed the first line of the couplet, and my father answered with the second. Thus, the two families became united…”
He could clarify the couplet for Lady Feng, but gazed with mixed feelings at his father Feng Fei’s tombstone, unable to comprehend the meaning of the words inscribed there, Feng Fei’s last instructions:
“This was once a lonely man!”
No one knew why he left such words before his death, nor did anyone understand their significance.
Hua Feihong stood before the graves, lost in melancholy. She should have failed this task, yet somehow it felt as though she hadn’t. Zhang He seemed to have succeeded, but neither side received any sign or confirmation.
The Fat Man finally spoke, “Old Master Feng called himself a lonely man. What do you make of that?”
Xiao Lingling pondered, “Perhaps his martial skills were unmatched, since he once served as the alliance leader.”
The Fat Man replied, “If he was truly invincible, why did he invite us to challenge the Lady Swordsman of Shushan?”
“That…” Xiao Lingling was at a loss for words.
“It’s because Miss Dong’s name contains the characters Lan Lan. The alliance leader saw her name and thought of someone from his past, which is why he tried everything to make you stay. But none could foresee how things would end,” Qiao Gu’s eyes were already swollen and red, yet she held her head high, tears gone. “The alliance leader met my mistress when he was ten years old.”
“Your mistress?” The four—Zhang He, Fat Man, Xiao Lingling, Hua Feihong—gaped. “Ten years old?”
Qiao Gu nodded. “My mistress’s name was also Lan Lan, from Daqing in Liaozhou.”
Feng Youcai was astonished. “My family’s ancestral home is Daqing City in Liaozhou.”
Qiao Gu continued, nodding, “When my mistress was ten, she was the alliance leader’s neighbor. He was the only son of the prestigious Feng family in Daqing City. The old master was strict—two sessions of literature, three of martial arts, morning, noon, and evening, never missed…”
“You!” Feng Youcai’s eyes widened. “How do you know my late father’s story better than I do?”
Qiao Gu gazed toward the distant blue mountains, as if taking Zhang He and the others to the farthest reaches of memory…
When Feng Fei was ten, the neighbor’s girl Lan Lan quietly slipped into the Feng family courtyard to watch him practice swordplay. Over time, one day Feng Fei set down his wooden sword and escaped with Lan Lan.
They played together outside the city, climbed hills, laughed and frolicked.
Lan Lan was beautiful, her eyes large and bright, her laughter like wind chimes—this left an indelible impression on Feng Fei.
That day, they played until late, picked wildflowers, crafted two flower crowns, and returned home laughing.
But upon returning, Feng Fei was severely beaten by his ancestor with a peachwood sword, his clothes stained red with blood.

“Since ancient times, those who achieve greatness endure hardship. Who idly wastes days in play?” So reprimanded his ancestor, and Feng Fei took it to heart.
Yet after some time, he again sneaked off to find Lan Lan, only to discover her family had moved away. Feng Fei lingered under the ginkgo tree at Lan Lan’s gate for a long time, deeply despondent.
At twenty-two, Feng Fei mastered martial arts and left Daqing to venture alone through Liaozhou.
He was generous and carefree, loved to right wrongs, and soon joined Liaozhou’s foremost orthodox sect, the Tianshan Sword Sect, where he achieved great feats and earned the respect of the sect leader, becoming Sword Master.
At twenty-three, Feng Fei unexpectedly encountered Lan Lan, picking herbs on Tianshan Mountain.
Lan Lan was dressed in pristine white, her hair flowing, ethereal as a celestial maiden. From that moment, Feng Fei and Lan Lan were inseparable.
In Lan Lan’s pure, joyful laughter, Feng Fei rediscovered the feeling of childhood—though this feeling now carried a new flavor.
Zhang He, Fat Man, Xiao Lingling, Hua Feihong, and Feng Youcai listened closely to Qiao Gu’s tale, never imagining such a story.
On Feng Fei’s twenty-third birthday, Lan Lan gifted him a white jade bead necklace. Though it was a cheap trinket from a street vendor, worth only two taels of silver, for the solitary Lan Lan, it was a gift from the heart.
Feng Fei treasured the necklace, and, moved, trained even harder to advance his reputation as a hero. He planned to marry Lan Lan once he became Protector Elder, determined to bring her home in grand fashion.
But at twenty-five, his ancestor sent a pigeon-letter, and Feng Fei rushed home to Daqing City.
Feng Fei was betrothed, but his fiancée was not Lan Lan, but a lady from another martial family; only then did he realize that someone born into a martial household cannot freely choose his bride.
Feng Fei dared not defy his ancestor, whose face bore the marks of authority and hardship.
Half a year later, Feng Fei married his betrothed. The Feng family celebrated grandly, martial colleagues from all over came to congratulate, even the Tianshan sect leader officiated. His bride was now Lady Feng.
Lady Feng was beautiful, dignified, wise and capable. She cooked, washed, cared for Feng Fei and his ancestor, kept the manor spotless, and accompanied Feng Fei as he practiced swordplay in the sunset glow.
Her intelligence and diligence won the ancestor’s praise—his wrinkled face finally showed a rare smile.
Yet for Feng Fei, something seemed missing.
At twenty-five, he again traveled to Liaozhou, assisting the famed detective Qianwanli of Six Gates in solving the sensational case of Liaozhou tribute theft, earning imperial commendation.
The once icy Tianshan grew lively with the arrival of the imperial envoy, and on that day, while climbing the mountain, Feng Fei again encountered Lan Lan.
Lan Lan was as lovely as ever, but even more beautiful, like a peony blooming atop an icy peak.
In the crowd, their eyes met but neither spoke. Feng Fei tried several times to approach Lan Lan, but stopped each time.
He silently took out the bead necklace and handed it back to Lan Lan, then turned and left.
After walking some distance, he looked back and saw Lan Lan’s delicate face streaked with tears, soaking her white robes.
That night, Feng Fei lay atop snowy Tianshan, watching the moon in silence.
At twenty-eight, Feng Fei led Tianshan’s elite and Liaozhou’s various clans in battle against the bandits of Black Wolf Fortress.
His father heard and said, “This is the mark of a true hero. The Feng family’s twenty years of cultivation paid off—a talent has finally emerged in three generations.”

Lady Feng heard and remained silent, standing daily beneath the ginkgo tree in the courtyard, gazing northward.
At thirty-three, Feng Fei defeated Liaozhou’s famed Blade Prince, becoming the undisputed leader of Liaozhou.
At thirty-five, he was acting sect leader and Elder of Tianshan. Admired by many, he was elected Liaozhou’s martial alliance leader.
His career had reached its peak.
On that same day, his ancestor celebrated seventy years. Feng Fei returned to Daqing.
The birthday banquet was more crowded and prestigious than ever—masters from the Beggar Sect, Emei Sword Sect, and Shaolin Arhat Hall all attended.
As he watched his elderly ancestor’s face shining and smiling, Feng Fei felt pride and joy for the first time.
At forty-two, his ancestor passed away, and Feng Fei rushed home to Daqing overnight.
Among his ancestor’s belongings was a letter for Feng Fei, revealing that when he was ten, Lan Lan’s family moved to Chuanzhou by his ancestor’s secret arrangement—everything was for Feng Fei’s future.
After reading the letter, Feng Fei shed a hero’s tears for the first time. He was grateful for his ancestor’s care and finally understood his father’s intentions, and thankful that Lan Lan journeyed from Chuanzhou to Tianshan, never leaving him for decades.
But all of this was beyond his control, with no choice left.
Hearing this, Hua Feihong was deeply shaken, and Xiao Lingling was already in tears.
It was a beautiful yet tragic story, filled with the eternal philosophies that have puzzled countless men and women throughout history. Yet this tale is neither the first nor the last.
In the martial world, men are unfortunate; bound by duty and circumstance, whether for love, loyalty, or filial piety, they cannot act for themselves.
Yet women of the martial world are even more unfortunate, whether gentle, graceful, charming, or pure-hearted, even those steadfastly waiting, like Lan Lan and Lady Feng. They stumble and struggle, seeking happiness in a man’s world, only to find disillusionment in the end.
Perhaps happiness is like the couplet carved at Flying Rock Manor: “Swallows cross a thousand mountains, longing for everlasting love; dragons traverse ten thousand waters, hoping for beauty spanning a thousand miles.”
The first to speak was Fat Man: “What happened later? What became of Miss Lan Lan?”
Qiao Gu glanced at Hua Feihong and said deliberately, “My mistress never married. After the alliance leader abandoned her, she returned to Chuanzhou, devoting herself to the pursuit of immortality. She later joined Shushan, becoming a sword master revered by thousands. She is your mentor, the Immortal Lingyin of Yaoguang Palace, one of the Seven Saints of Shushan Sword Sect.”
Her words struck Hua Feihong like a thunderbolt, leaving her stunned.
Zhang He asked, “But you—how do you know all this?”
Qiao Gu replied, “My mother was Miss Lan Lan’s maid in childhood. When the alliance leader retired, my mother sent me to Flying Rock Gorge, instructing me to protect his family and fulfill my mistress’s lifelong wish.”
Zhang He’s throat tightened and he could say no more.

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