act19mini

It's already a new day, sir.

Yes, I know.

Did you get stood up by whoever you were planning to meet?

Perhaps she was delayed.

You can wait, but I'll be closing shop.

I'll leave, if I'm in your way.

But I'll still have to wait at the door... this is the place where we agreed to meet, after all.

Oh, that's not what I meant! You can stay at your table. We've known each other for quite a while, after all.

I was a humble waiter when we first met. Now I'm the keeper of this teahouse.

You're a weird one, you know, a lone swordsman, coming over every year from... I forgot, are you from Jiangqi or Yumen?

I don't stay in one place. The four corners are my home.

But I remember that you come here to this tea house in this little town every autumn to meet someone... how many years has it been?

Seven.

Seven years... all you do when you meet is have a cup of tea, have a little chat. You're neither friends nor lovers; you don't even know her name, do you?

We promised not to pry into each other's matters.

Strange things indeed...

Who exactly is this person you're waiting for, anyway?

I don't know.

I've dealt with many people in my time... good, bad, wise, foolish, they're not so hard to understand at the end of the day.

But she's the only one whom I've never figured out.

Your sword just knocked over my tea, young lady.

It's rather cramped in here. You should put away that sword of yours.

It's just a cup of tea. I'll pay for it.

In fact, I'll buy you a jug of wine, and call you my friend.

And you can teach your new friend how to use a sword.

Me? Haha...

You're talking to the wrong guy. I'm no swordsman, just an ordinary merchant delivering some goods to the City of Dusk, stopping by this town for a cup of tea.

I don't even have a sword on me. What kind of swordsman doesn't carry a sword?

Don't play the fool with me. I won't let you go until you say yes.

Wh-Why would you cut the table in half like that? You're scaring the other guests...

Shut up.

I'll pay for it later. Don't interrupt my chat with my friend.

Say any more, and I'll cut you in half too.

A-Alright...

...That's not very reasonable, is it?

What point is there in being reasonable? Better to roam free in the jianghu.

But one needs plenty of skill to roam free.

I know you're a master of the sword. I want to learn from you.

*sigh*...

You came a little too late.

I lost my sword...

...The moment it disappeared, I vowed to retire from the jianghu.

You lost your sword?

I lost it.

When?

Last night.

I stopped by this time for the night. It was gone when I woke up in the morning.

It just disappeared without a trace. No thief ever came, nor could they have taken anything from me if they did.

What kind of sword was it?

A good one.

One who was by my side for many years. Without it, my business would not have prospered so much, nor would I have had the fame that I enjoy in the jianghu.

Why don't you look for it, if it's so important?

On the contrary, I can't look for it.

Why?

For so many years, I've used the sword, washed it, used it again. Nightmares and waking up from them... it seemed like there was nothing else in my life.

The sword does not remember the blood that it has tasted, but I can never shake the sin... perhaps losing my sword was a sign from Heaven.

I will rid myself of the sword and the status it brought me. Perhaps I'll change my face and name, and find a quiet place to live out the rest of my days... I'll leave the jianghu and bid farewell to my life before.

That's why I can't teach you.

The tidings of fate have brought us together in this tiny teahouse. If you don't mind me being a busybody, I have a word of advice for you... don't learn the ways of the sword, and cut all ties with the jianghu.

You can't rid yourself of it.

Why?

You're lying.

You're tired of the killing, of the constant cycle of revenge, but you could never let go of the freedom, of the days when you loved and hated as you pleased.

You just wanted an excuse to quit. Losing your sword gave you a convenient one.

You're talking like you know me...

Shall we make a bet? We'll see each other again in this very same tea house, same time next year.

Go and live a year without your sword, as you intend.

If you feel happier, I won't bother you again, nor ask you to teach me your swordsmanship.

I can learn it, whether you teach me or not.

Hah... sure. It's a bet.

I may or may not teach you the sword, but I'll buy you a drink the next time we meet.

The following year...

You're here already... why don't you go in?

No hurry. There's plenty of space.

Huh?

I've been studying the sword every day of the past year, and I've figured out a few moves. I'll show you.

You don't need to offer any advice, just watch.

Heh... sure.

Go ahead.

And that's it... duoxie.

Why do you thank me?

Without a master like you, I wouldn't know which moves should be polished, and which moves should be scrapped.

I didn't need you to say anything. All I needed was your reaction.

Your face told me all I needed to know about which moves stand out, and which moves are flawed.

You said you didn't want to take up the sword again, but you looked like an inveterate drunkard who just saw a jug of wine. You can't hide it.

The jianghu is too dangerous for a simple one like you.

Haha, you're absolutely right.

Interesting... ouch—

Here, take this medicine.

I thought you would keep holding your pain.

The wound opened when I laughed.

What happened?

I was waylaid on my way out of Jiangqi, after delivering the last batch of goods for the season.

Enemies of yours?

Yeah.

A job that I took a few years ago... it was only after I killed the man that I realized he wasn't just an evil rich man. Many people had reason to thank him.

And reason to take revenge for him, even though they were not his kin.

They must have watched me for a long time. They finally dared to attack when they were sure that I had lost my sword, and I hadn't fought in a long time.

I barely escaped with my life to meet you here.

How many enemies came for your life in this past year?