Nightwatcher

# 457. The Truth that Disappeared

Though Xu Xinnian often looked down on his coarse father and elder brother, a father was still a father. He could scorn him himself, but how could he allow an outsider to slander him?

So, upon hearing Zhao Panyi’s accusations, Xu Xinnian first did a quick mental calculation of his and his sister’s ages to confirm that he was indeed his father's biological son. Only then did he flare up in anger, and coldly laughed as he swept his sleeve and said:

"Zhao Panyi, you keep claiming my father is ungrateful and dishonourable, what proof do you have?"

The Battle of Shanhai Pass happened twenty-one years ago. He was twenty, Lingyue eighteen, the timeline didn’t fit, so neither of them could be the orphaned children of the Zhou family.

Zhao Panyi sneered, "The man's been dead for twenty-one years, what bloody proof do you think I have? But Xu Pingzhi was ungrateful, would I slander him for no reason?"

Xu Erlang didn’t believe him at all. He waved a hand, "Men, seize this ruffian."

The soldiers who had been cooking meat had long been watching the exchange. At his words, they drew their sabres and rushed over, surrounding Zhao Panyi and his thirty men.

Zhao Panyi’s soldiers also drew their blades, glaring and preparing to fight their comrades. Though they were wounded and outnumbered, not a single one flinched.

Zhao Panyi raised a hand, signalling his men not to act rashly. He spat disdainfully and said, "I won’t fight my own comrades. Unlike some people, like father, like son, both ungrateful dogs."

Xu Erlang’s face darkened. "Tie them uo."

The soldiers surged forward, knocking down Zhao Panyi and his men with the hilts of their sabres. They were tightly bound and dumped to the side, where the others returned to boiling the horse meat.

Zhao Panyi kept cursing, dragging all eighteen generations of the Xu family ancestors through the mud, including their womenfolk.

Xu Xinnian then ordered his men to gag him, so he could only let out muffled grunts and no longer spit venom.

"A family matter?" Chu Yuanzhen asked with a smile, noting Xu Xinnian’s furrowed brow.

Xu Xinnian shook his head and stared at the ground in the distance, hesitating. "I don’t believe my father would do such a thing. But Zhao Panyi’s words reminded me of something. That’s why I’m keeping him."

In his youth, his elder brother had always been at odds with his mother, causing their father a great deal of grief. His father used to say that he had once fought back-to-back with his uncle on the battlefield, that the man had taken a blade for him and died.

Xu Erlang had heard this since childhood. Now, this suddenly appearing Zhou Biao seemed utterly illogical, suspicious.

He turned to Chu Yuanzhen. "You have a way to contact my elder brother?"

*Xu Erlang is being rather cautious. There was no outsider here, can’t he just say it outright…* Chu Yuanzhen reached into his robes and drew out the Earth Book fragment. "You want to reach Ningyan? Go ahead, what’s the matter?"

Xu Xinnian glanced in surprise at the Earth Book fragment and said, "Tell him what’s happened here. Have him ask my father to confirm it."

As soon as he spoke, he saw Chu Yuanzhen raise a finger and begin writing on the mirror-like surface of the jade fragment.

...

The sun had completely vanished beneath the horizon. The sky had turned deep blue. After dinner, Xu Qi’an took a stroll to digest in the courtyard, enjoying the fresh air as he played shuttlecock with Little Pea.

She still couldn’t fully control her strength, constantly sending the shuttlecock flying into the outer courtyard, or sometimes even kicking a pit into the ground.

*Her strength is growing far too quickly. How long has she been practicing the Strength Gu strength-tempering technique? Is it because she has great fortune on her, or is it because of the fortune on me…* Xu Qi’an was nearly stupefied by the sight.

"Lina, what’s going on with Lingyin? Her progress is absurd."

He turned to look at Lina, who was peeling a tangerine beside him.

Lina wrinkled her nose. "I told you, Lingyin’s got the frame of a calf and strong blood and qi. She’s a natural for cultivating the Strength Gu. You doubted my judgement?"

*She’s too much of a natural, it’s almost annoying...* Xu Qi’an caught the shuttlecock in his hand and looked helplessly at the dent in the ground under Xu Lingyin’s feet.

"She can’t control her strength yet. If she’s not careful, she overdoes it. Ease off the training for now."

Little Pea was a lively child and very attached to her auntie. Ever since she started school at the beginning of the year, she’d come running back home with her little backpack, charging like a wild ox straight for her mother’s plump, round bum.

Now that she’d been home for a while, she wasn’t quite as clingy anymore.

*But who knows when she might head out again… and with her current strength, the Xu family might end up with three more motherless children.*

"Oh!"

Lina nodded. She suddenly remembered that Lingyin wasn’t a child of the Strength Gu tribe. Those kids could use violence however they liked without worrying about hurting their families.

And if they broke anything at home, they had to be ready for their parents to use violence on them in return.

But Lingyin couldn’t. The Xu family were all just ordinary people.

Xu Qi’an was satisfied. The dusky-skinned girl from the Southern Marches might be a bit silly, but the good thing about silly girls was that they weren’t spoiled or willful. They listened well and were considerate.

If this had been Li Miaozhen, she’d have said: _Don’t worry. I’ll double her training from now on to make sure she learns to control her strength in the shortest time possible._

If it were Lin’an: _Then let’s not train, let’s just play together!_

If it were Caiwei: _Cultivation is boring. Let’s go eat instead._

If it were Huaiqing: _Are you trying to teach me how to do my job?_

At that moment, he felt a familiar lurch in his heart. Xu Qi’an immediately left Little Pea and Lina behind and strode quickly into his room.

He reached under his pillow and pulled out the Earth Book fragment, Chu Yuanzhen was requesting a private message.

【THREE: Brother Chu, how goes the northern campaign?】

【FOUR: The war is tough, but manageable. Victories and defeats on both sides. I contacted you on Erlang’s behalf, he has something to ask.】

A few seconds later came the next message:

【FOUR: We encountered a man named Zhao Panyi, a Baihu from Yongzhou Xi County. He claims he was a comrade of your Second Uncle in the war of Shanhai Pass.】

【He began cursing your Second Uncle the moment he saw Erlang, calling him an ungrateful traitor. Apparently, back then, Zhao Panyi, your uncle, and a man named Zhou Biao were brothers-in-arms in the same unit, fighting back-to-back on the battlefield.】

【Later, Zhou Biao took a blade for your uncle and died. Your uncle swore to care for Zhou’s family, but for twenty years, he never even visited them. Erlang doesn’t believe it, so he asked me to pass this on to you and have you ask your uncle.】

Xu Qi’an replied with trembling hands: 【Wait for me!】

He put away the Earth Book, but didn’t go find his Second Uncle right away. Instead, he poured himself a glass of water and drank it slowly.

Once the water was finished, his hands had stopped shaking.

“Creak……”

Opening the door, Xu Qi’an walked expressionlessly towards the east wing and knocked on the door glowing with candlelight.

Second Uncle Xu, dressed in casual clothes, came to open the door, smiling broadly. “Ningyan, something the matter?”

Xu Qi’an opened his mouth, then shut it again, pausing for a few seconds to choose his words before quietly asking, “Second Uncle, do you know Zhao Panyi?”

Second Uncle Xu was clearly surprised, his tiger eyes widening slightly. In astonishment, he said, “How do you know about my old brother-in-arms from the Shanhai Pass campaign? I’ll have you know, he and I were as close as life and death.”

Xu Qi’an nodded. “Why did you stop keeping in touch?”

Second Uncle Xu shook his head with a wry smile. “You wouldn’t understand. Life in the army, we all end up scattered to the four winds, each with our own duties. After a while, we just drift apart.”

Xu Qi’an kept nodding and then asked, “Then you must also know Zhou Biao?”

Second Uncle Xu scrutinised his nephew, brow furrowing. “What’s going on with you today? How do you know about Zhao Panyi and Zhou Biao?”

Xu Qi’an gently shook his head. “Second Uncle, just answer me, Zhou Biao died in battle, didn’t he?”

“That’s right. A real shame.”

“How did he die?”

“Back then, we were sent to intercept the corpse soldiers of the Church of the Warlock God. Zhou Biao died in that battle,” Second Uncle Xu said with deep emotion.

“He didn’t die protecting you?”

“What nonsense are you on about? The one who took a blow for me was your father.”

“…”

A desolate autumn wind swept through. Beneath the eaves, the lanterns swayed gently. The candlelight flickered, casting shifting shadows on Xu Qi’an’s face.

“I see. Thank you, Second Uncle…”

After a long pause, Xu Qi’an said in a hoarse voice. Then, under Second Uncle Xu’s puzzled gaze, he slowly turned and left.

Second Uncle Xu watched his nephew’s silhouette retreat, then returned indoors. Auntie, wearing a white nightgown, sat on the bed with her long legs curled up, reading an illustrated book of folk legends.

These books were specially made for young children and illiterate folk like Auntie.

The alluring, full-figured Auntie didn’t even lift her head, engrossed in the illustrations. “What did Ningyan want from you? I heard you mention something about your brothers.”

Second Uncle Xu frowned, puzzled.

“Strange. He asked about two of my comrades from the Shanhai Pass campaign. One died in battle, the other’s far away in Yongzhou. He shouldn’t know either of them.

“He even asked if Zhou Biao died protecting me. Do I really look that feeble on the battlefield? Everyone rushing to take blows for me?”

Auntie looked up, her eyes dark and lively as she frowned. “Wait a moment, who did you say?”

“Zhou Biao. You wouldn’t know him, he was a brother from my army days.”

Auntie shook her head. “No, I remember him. You mentioned him in a letter home, said that if it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t have survived or something like that. I remember Ningyan’s mother reading that letter to me.”

But that letter from twenty years ago was long gone.

Second Uncle Xu’s face froze. He stared at his wife in disbelief, as if looking at a madwoman.

…

【THREE: Tell Erlang the man did exist. It was Second Uncle who let him down.】

After sending the message, Xu Qi’an gently placed the Earth Book fragment face-down on the table and quietly said, “Leave me for a while. I want to be alone.”

Not far off, Zhong Li looked over cautiously, then shuffled away in her embroidered shoes, walking on tiptoe.

Once the door shut, Xu Qi’an sat motionless at his desk for a long, long time, like a statue.

…

Far in the northern frontier, Chu Yuanzhen finished reading the message and remained silent for a moment, then turned to look at Xu Xinnian.

Seeing his expression, Xu Xinnian’s heart sank. Sure enough, Chu Yuanzhen said, “Ningyan says Zhao Panyi was telling the truth.”

Xu Xinnian’s face darkened terribly. He was silent for quite some time, then drew his sabre and walked over to Zhao Panyi.

Zhao Panyi’s eyes widened in alarm, staring hard at Xu Xinnian, making muffled noises through his gag.

His subordinates tensed at once, shouting angrily.

Even the soldiers eating meat stew looked over.

Xu Xinnian flipped his wrist, cutting the ropes, then tossed the sabre aside and bowed deeply. “It was my father who acted without honour. A father's debt must be paid by the son. However you wish to settle it, I’ll abide by it.”

Zhao Panyi slowly stood up, both scornful and confused, unable to figure out why this boy’s attitude had changed so drastically.

He sneered. “It wasn’t me that Xu Pingzhi wronged. Why are you pretending to be sentimental?”

Zhao Panyi spat at Xu Xinnian’s feet, then bent down to pick up his sabre and began untying his subordinates, preparing to leave.

“Wait!”

Xu Xinnian called out. “Your men are wounded and starving. At least stay to dress their wounds and have a bowl of meat stew before leaving.”

Seeing Zhao Panyi unmoved, he quickly added, “What happened between you and my father is personal. It has nothing to do with your brothers-in-arms. You can’t let your grudge get in the way of their lives.”

Xu Xinnian managed to persuade Zhao Panyi, who stayed reluctantly. They sat around the campfire, sharing the rich, fragrant stew. A satisfied smile crept onto his face.

Xu Xinnian returned to Chu Yuanzhen’s side and stared at the small jade mirror in his hand with amazement. “You use this to contact my brother?”

Chu Yuanzhen chuckled, grinning freely. “Of course. The Earth Book lets us send messages across thousands of miles…”

His smile froze. Slowly, he twisted his neck to look blankly at Xu Xinnian.

“What is it?” Xu Xinnian asked, confused.

“You… don’t recognise the Earth Book fragment?” Chu Yuanzhen said, enunciating each word.

“What’s an Earth Book fragment?” Xu Xinnian still looked baffled.

*Thud thud thud…* Chu Yuanzhen stumbled back several steps in shock, his voice rising slightly, “You’re not Number Three?!”

“What’s Number Three?”

*Clatter…* the fragment slipped from Chu Yuanzhen’s hand and dropped to the ground.

…

Late at night, Xu Qi’an got up from his desk and opened the door. Looking around, he saw Zhong Li curled up under the window, hugging her knees, fast asleep.

He sighed, bent down, slid an arm under her knees, and carried her up. The sensation in his arms was soft and full.

He returned to the room, placed Zhong Li on the couch, and covered her with a thin blanket. Autumn had set in, without it, her jinxed aura was sure to have her catching a cold by morning.

“Whoo…”

He blew out the candle, crawled into bed, and instantly fell asleep.

As sleep claimed him, his final thought was: *I think I’ve overlooked something very important!*