[Mainland Chinese Drama 2019] Heavenly Sword Dragon Slaying Saber 倚天屠龙记

[chipz03]

 

Ah, coming here can help me with my HSDS withdrawal. Thank you all for all your contributions

 

As far as I know, I have not found Indo Sub for HSDS. Might want to check for a FB called Kaypang Gallery. It's indonesian community of HSDS 2019. They might be able to help

 

So, I tried to make 4th of my fanfic. Hopefully you like it. I have been considering this next idea a bit, and  the drawing of WJ paying respect to ZM father's tomb (I think I saw it posted here?) had added some additional inspiration.

 

AU

 

Spoiler

Three months had passed ever since Zhang Wuji found Zhao Min in the grasslands.

And two months had elapsed ever since they decided to rebuild their relationships.

There were times when Zhang Wuji could not believe this reality. All that he had ever dreamed of, all that he had ever hoped for. That tiny flicker of strength that kept him going in the midst of his battles and journey to reach her. Everything that he had ever wanted. All had finally came true.

These past two months, he spent his days besides her. Under the morning sun, they herded her flocks of sheep. Her hands in his, his gaze on hers. They had put their pasts to rest, in the place where those sad memories should be. And at every sundown, they talked about their futures, their dreams. After so long, he finally felt peaceful, he finally felt content.

He could finally feel happy again.

Wuji had made a simple bed for him to retire at night. He had planned to build a makeshift tent where he could lie down at night. But, with Zhao Min’s insistence, they managed to put that bed near hers in her tent. And he did not protest. He did not complaint.

No. He definitely had no complaint.

To be with her in the same tent, to see her sleeping face was heaven for Wuji. Many nights he spent gazing at her sleeping face, earning him constant scolding from his Min-min. He chuckled to think that his feisty lady had finally returned. His beloved Min-min.

The morning sunlight had brightened the day as another dawn left them behind. Zhao Min went out of the tent when she saw her Wuji sat solemnly near the stream at the back of the hut. He looked pensive, lost in thoughts. She loved to see his face when he was deep in thought like that, but her curiosity and concern took over. So, as softly as her feet carried her, she went to him and sat beside him.

“What are you thinking about, so serious? It’s not even midday yet. Missing somebody far away from the grassland?”

She just loved to be able to tease her Wuji again. He turned his head sideway to see her. Her beautiful face. A soft smile rose on his lips as he pulled her to his embrace and gently kissed her forehead. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before he dared himself to ask a favour that he had been wanting to ask. A deed that he knew he needed to do.

“Min-min…I would like to pay respect to your father. I want to pour libation wine for him.”

His request caught Zhao Min off guard. She pulled herself away from his embrace, her eyes searching his. They just stared at each other before she finally broke their gazes. As quietly as she came, she stood up. A movement followed by Wuji who was anxiously waiting for her consent. Her rejection. Her response. Anything.

And she nodded. Without doubt, without hesitation, she nodded. Wuji felt a great sense of relief when he saw her small movement. He smiled so widely, so excitedly that Zhao Min could not help smiling herself. Her silly Wuji.

He quickly prepared several foods and wine for offerings, and they went to a secluded place behind her tent where Zhao Min had built tombstones for her parents. It was her constant regret that she could not bring their bodies to the grassland, their motherland. So she built tombstones to honour them.

Zhang Wuji and Zhao Min both kneeled in front of the tombstones. He sent his prayers to her father and mother, offered his deepest and sincerest apologies to her father for what his former members had done. For what his former members had caused.

He made a promise to them with each of the wine he poured and each kowtow he performed earnestly. An oath that he intended to keep until his last dying breath. He would forever be by Min-min’s side, to take care, honour, and protect her. He had hurt her in the past, a regret that he could not change. But he would try his best to make it up to her. He would make it up to her.

And he dared himself to ask for their permission to marry her. To seek for their blessings to ask their daughter if she was willing to spend her future with him. To spend her lifetime together with him. As his wife.

Zhao Min once again noticed how quiet her Wuji was. Gently she tugged at his hand, catching his attention. He smiled, as he held her hand tightly. Their journey back to her hut was quiet. A comfortable silence as they enjoyed each other’s company. No word was said. No thought was shared. Just being together. Walking together. Her hand in his. Their tranquil happiness.

Three months had passed ever since Zhang Wuji found his Zhao Min in the grassland.

And two months had gone ever since they let go of their past miseries.

As the sun rises tomorrow, Zhang Wuji promised to himself, he would ask his Min-min to be his wife. To accompany him for the rest of their life. To live their future together.

He smiled determinedly. He turned around to enter the hut where his Min-min was busy preparing their dinner when the sight of a man in front of the bamboo gate stopped him. He recognized the man from their encounter long time ago at Wudang. Back when he and Zhao Min were still enemies. Back when he had not had any idea what that fluttering sensations in his heart were whenever he saw her after he tickled her foot.

“A-San?”

He instinctively became more alert. A rush of adrenaline went through his veins, a sensation he had not felt in the last two months. His happiest two months. He could feel his Nine Yang inner energy throughout his body. Although he still kept his emotion as he knew that A-San and his family had accompanied Min-min, keeping her safe and protected throughout her journey to the grassland.

“Zhang Wuji! I came here not to fight with you. I came here to have a friendly talk to you!!”

A-San words caught Wuji by surprise.

‘A friendly talk?’

Wuji was dumbfounded. He did not know what to say or how to react as the older man came approaching.

But he had a suspicion that this talk might not be that friendly after all.

 

 

Peace all

[jackieusa]

Worried husband afraid wife get sick waiting for him in the rain.

 

 

Protected wife when his subordinate bad mouth her.

 

 

Very attentive husband served tea even before wife sit down. Who the boss between this couple.

 

 

Wait!  How can I forgot the kissss.

 

 

 

 

[bluesky888]

33 minutes ago, jackieusa said:

Worried husband afraid wife get sick waiting for him in the rain.

 

 

Protected wife when his subordinate bad mouth her.

 

 

Very attentive husband served tea even before wife sit down. Who the boss between this couple.

 

 

Wait!  How can I forgot the kissss.

 

 

 

Love the above GIF, the kisses that we never get bored. Thank you

[jackieusa]

Princess carry collections

 

 

 

 

[deminni]

1 hour ago, jackieusa said:

Worried husband afraid wife get sick waiting for him in the rain.

 

 

Protected wife when his subordinate bad mouth her.

 

 

Very attentive husband served tea even before wife sit down. Who the boss between this couple.

 

 

Wait!  How can I forgot the kissss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why do I love these so much? "Very attentive husband served tea even before wife sit down. Who the boss between this couple." This is too accurate and funny. Thank you for sharing these!

[deminni]

This chapter was really fun to write! I'd never written action scenes before, so it was a bit of a struggle there haha. Sorry if it's weird and choppy at parts. Also, Chapter 5 is half-written and a future chapter has also been started, because again, I didn't intend for this to go on for more than a few chapters, but it has grown into something of a sequel instead of just a revised ending?

 

I have lots more ideas for this story, and hopefully can get them onto paper as soon as I can. Thank you to everyone who has commented, liked, and is just generally enjoying this! (I'm starting to feel bad for what I'm doing to Wu Ji lololol)

 

Title: Fortunately

 

Chapter 4:

 

妳便是我 命運安排的人

You are the one fate has arranged for me.

 

--

 

“Would you continue to look for three more years? What if you never find her again?”

 

She is particularly inquisitive here, and Wu Ji can relate; he’s asked himself these questions often in the beginning. What if I find her and she doesn’t forgive me? What if I have to spend the rest of my life looking for her? What if all this is for nothing?

 

Wu Ji’s resolve has long been steeled.

 

 

 

Spoiler

Wu Ji gets up early just as the sun is peaking out from behind the desert hills on the horizon. The skies are a light wash of blue, and blue, as Wu Ji has become acquainted to, is his favorite color.

 

He ties the handkerchief around his wrist, concealing it beneath his top sleeve and puts on the rest of his thin cotton layers.

 

Wu Ji can smell da shum’s food as he steps out into the field. After he feeds Ping On, who unsurprisingly has taken well to having proper shelter, meals, and grassland to roam, Wu Ji is lured to the outdoor kitchen by the smell of delicious cooking.

 

Da shum greets him with a big smile. “Zhang da fu, you are up early!”

 

Wu Ji stretches a bit as he says, “Da shum, please call me Wu Ji. There is no need for formalities between us.”

 

She doesn’t look up from meticulously dicing the vegetables, but she conveys her sincerity through the gentleness of her voice. “I call you Zhang da fu out of respect because it has been so wonderful with you here. I know you have been hard at work not just on the fields, but also looking for herbals for us old folks, and we are so grateful for you.”

 

“No, it is da shum and da ye who have helped me so much since I’ve come. Wu Ji doesn’t know how I can repay your kindness.”

 

“You can repay me by eating all of this food!” She throws the vegetables into the sizzling wok. “Wu Ji ah, you are too thin. I can’t imagine it being easy traveling all by yourself. If da shum doesn’t fatten you up, your wife might come find me and make me pay for mistreating her husband!”

 

At this, Wu Ji chuckles ruefully and looks down at his hands. “She might still be so mad, she won’t care.” It's my fault she left. I deserve this.

 

He hears her put down the spatula and looks up to see da shum’s face soften. She is looking at him like she understands, and Wu Ji feels the need to avoid her eyes.

 

“Wh-what can I help you with today, da shum?” He picks up a daikon and holds it awkwardly.

 

Da shum laughs kindly and takes the vegetable from him. “You can help me set the table. It is just us this morning.” She goes back to finish sautéing the veggies. “Your da ye is not feeling well and is sleeping in. You can take a break today, Wu Ji.”

 

“Sick? Is he okay? I can check his pulse and see what’s wrong.”

 

“No no, no need. It’s just old people things. You can check after we eat. Let him sleep. Now come.” She takes two plates of food into the main yurt and Wu Ji follows with two bowls of congee and utensils.

 

He takes the first sip of congee and is thankful for another day of da shum’s cooking. As he eats, Wu Ji can sense the weight of her eyes on him, glancing his way every other bite.

 

“Wu Ji, I notice you wear a blue handkerchief around your wrist. By any chance is it from your wife?”

 

He nods and glimpses at the fabric peeking out from beneath the layers.

 

“Before she left, she had embroidered it for me.”

 

He takes several more scoops of congee successively, suddenly anxious.

 

Da shum is oddly contemplative, like she has many things to say and tell and ask.

 

“Wu Ji, I don’t mean to be pry…” Wu Ji has a feeling he knows what she is about to ask.

 

“…but to look for your wife for almost three years is no small feat. I know she is stubborn--" She pauses. "To not see you for three years must be tough for her, too. What had happened?"

 

“I—da shum…”

 

She puts her spoon down and earnestly waits for Wu Ji to continue. “Wu Ji ah, tell da shum and maybe this old lady can still be of help. If nothing else, it might be good to just talk about it instead of holding it all in.”

 

Wu Ji hesitates, not because he does not trust her, but because it has been so long. Ever since she left, ever since Wudang Mountains, he has not uttered a single word to anyone about her parting.

 

Fan Yao had been the only person who knew the full extent of the story having been in on and witnessing the plot come to fruition, and he was also the only person remotely concerned about her after the fact, but at that point, Wu Ji had resolved to absolutely not talking about it.

 

He was not going to share how he tried to plead for her to stay. Even when he knew that was impossible, he begged her to wait for him, that he was going to fulfill the promises he had made to her.

 

“I’m asking you for the last time. Are you leaving or not?”

 

Wu Ji has never seen her look at him this way. She had been angry with him before, for not trusting her and for denying his feelings for her, but never like this. There is finality in her eyes that chilled him to the bones.

 

Wu Ji did not want to answer this question; he tried to explain to her the severity of the situation they were in, but he fell on deaf ears.

 

“And whose responsibility is this? Back when I had intruded on your wedding, I had wanted to gamble with myself. I wanted to bet that your heart was like mine, that you were going to be able to throw away everything to travel to the ends of the earth with me.”

 

Her eyes break away, and Wu Ji wants to scream. He fears.

 

Nothing can prepare Wu Ji for the tearful words that come next.

 

“But I accept that I have lost.”

 

There is no life in her eyes.

 

“I will not come bother Zhang Jiao Zhu anymore…”

 

He calls her name to no avail.

 

“And I hope Zhang Jiao Zhu will not bother to look for me.”

 

Wu Ji blinks away the dampness clouding his vision, and he can only shake his head as he begs her not to continue. She always had other ideas.

 

“Back then, I was able to risk everything to follow you. Now, I am also able to do everything in my power to stay away from you. I, Min Min Temür, can do exactly as I say. The only thing I regret is that the price I had to pay was with my father’s life.”

 

Wu Ji remembers flashes of it now.

 

He catches the discarded hairpin. She walks past him and firmly does not turn back.

 

He had stood there for so long, watching as she and her father became little specks of indiscernible dust in the distance.

 

Wu Ji hadn’t returned to Ming Sect. It seemed his heart had a mind of its own. His feet unconsciously took him towards the direction she had left in, but he couldn't come with her. Not then. Wu Ji was lost at a crossroad.

 

He somehow ended up in the only place he knew that was as close to home as he could possibly remember.

Tai Shi Fu’s words had never left him.

 

“The things that cause regret in this world are countless. But you are still young. Any regrettable situation can still be amended… A person’s heart can move even Heaven and Earth.”

 

Wu Ji’s right hand firmly clasps his scarf-tied wrist.

 

“Her father’s death,” he begins, eyes unfocused as he recounts a story he has tried to repress for years now.

 

“It was caused by people I call my brothers. Da shum, Jiang Hu can be a dangerous place, but the rules are solidified, black and white. If you kill someone, you pay those dues with your own life. A debt owed in blood should thus be paid in blood. Even if I don’t agree, I can at least understand it. But war. War is even more treacherous than I could have ever imagined.”

 

Da shum nods, and Wu Ji knows she would understand. Her son was also a casualty among the other millions of souls lost through numerous battles and conquests.

 

“I… Da shum, I led my people to fight against the Yuan army. I know that your son was probably one of the—“

 

“It’s all right, Wu Ji. I know what you are going to say, but you don’t have to feel guilty towards me. I have watched my father, my husband…” She pauses and Wu Ji sees her melancholy smile turn to him. “…and my son all leave home to fight as patriots, not knowing if they were ever going to be able to return. No matter which side it is, I am sure the reasons are all the same. You were just doing what you had to do for the sake of your country.”

 

Wu Ji nods earnestly, grateful for her acceptance.

 

“Now tell me, what does the war have to do with her father?”

 

His sigh is nearly indiscernible. “Her father is Chaghan Temür, Prince of Ru Yang.”

 

Wu Ji can hear da shum’s sharp intake of breath. “And your wife…”

 

He nods and da shum’s hand goes to her mouth. “She was born to royalty, jade leaves on golden branches 金枝玉叶, but because of me, she had severed ties with her father and her homeland. She left everything behind for me, and I could only stand there and watch my men kill her father.”

 

“Wu Ji ah, did you know of their plans?”

 

He feels indignation rising from within. “No. No, I did not know. They had purposely left me in the dark because they knew I would have never agreed to it.” He looks at da shum and silently pleads for her to believe him. “I would have never agreed to it. They knew how much she meant to me. Everyone knew.”

 

“Did she?”

 

Wu Ji’s eyes flicker in uncertainty at the question. She had to have known.

 

“I… I don’t know.” He pauses and considers the weight of this knowledge. “I’d promised her we would travel the world together. I fully intend to keep that promise, but she had asked me to leave with her then. After her father’s passing. I couldn’t. The war… I couldn’t just leave.” His mouth is dry and Wu Ji finds it difficult to continue.

 

“You had your responsibilities to your people and your country.”

 

He nods again, forcing himself to finish. “I had made promises that were bigger than myself. In order to keep those promises, I couldn’t leave with her. She asked me not to bother looking for her, but here I am almost three years later.”

 

Da shum contemplates to herself for a brief moment and asks, “Would you continue to look for three more years? What if you never find her again?”

 

She is particularly inquisitive here, and Wu Ji can relate; he’s asked himself these questions often in the beginning. What if I find her and she doesn’t forgive me? What if I have to spend the rest of my life looking for her? What if all this is for nothing?

 

Wu Ji’s resolve has long been steeled.

 

“Even if it’s an eternity, I won’t stop until I find her.”

 

It seems enough of a confirmation for the elder woman.

 

Da shum takes his hand and cups it in hers; she is gleaming in a calm of motherly affection Wu Ji thought he’d never find again.

 

He suddenly feels small, transported back to a wintry oasis surrounded by three loving parents.

 

“Wu Ji ah, if I ever see her, I will tell her she is a very fortunate young lady.”

 

Wu Ji feels a wash of thankfulness come over him once again.

 

--

 

After checking up on da ye and being relieved that his cold is minor, Wu Ji mentally logs that he needs to gather citrus and aster for the older man’s formula. He can set out today and stock up on everything they need.

 

He asks da shum to borrow one of the ox carts and heads to a small forest seven lis east as directed.

Wu Ji first scavenges for herbals, and then proceeds with the task of gathering firewood.

 

He is poised in front of two trees and begins to cultivate his nei gong 內功, careful to appropriate the exact force needed to knock down two trees and not the entire forest.

 

Wu Ji has a fleeting thought of how absurd it must be to the previous generations of Ming Sect Jiao Zhus that he is using Qian Kun Da Nuo Yi 乾坤大挪移 to essentially chop down wood and stockpile them for an elderly couple in the middle of Mongolia.

 

He spends half a morning collecting as much lumber as could possibly fit on the oxcart and is proud of his assemblage.

 

As Wu Ji is loading the cart, his ears pick up the rustling of footsteps on fallen leaves. He freezes and listens.

He hears the footsteps hastening. There are two sets.

 

Suddenly, a figure bursts through the thick of the forestry a distance away and is rapidly moving past the landscape. Wu Ji is on vigilant watch as the second figure, a female donning all white and a veiled hat, uses qing gong 輕功 deftly, shadowing the first.

 

It is a game of cat and mouse.

 

Both martial artists maneuver through the woodland swiftly and cleverly, fabric and leaves moving in unison with the wind. With their qing gong, the pair kick off from the trunks of trees to change directions as they glide across greenery in a chase that resembles dancing.

 

They are fast, but the female pursuant is faster and smarter, Wu Ji notes.

 

She takes one leap upwards, high into to the canopy of the forest, then uses both feet to propel herself, spinning past the first figure in a perfect arch to stop squarely in front of him.

 

She lands with grace and finality, a swirl of white stark against the emerald backdrop, sword pulled and directed at the man. He knows he has been caught.

 

The pair is now only a few yards away from him, and Wu Ji ducks behind a tree, continuing to monitor the situation.

 

The female assailant abruptly thrusts fortified steel forward, but the man sidesteps her and barely has time to duck before she turns and swipes her sword horizontally, every move intending to kill. He has no weapon and Wu Ji notes that he is oddly not retaliating with any offense of his own.

 

He continues to dodge attack after attack, feet working in a zig zag pattern as he glides backwards through the crackling of tumbled leaves, but with every swipe of her blade, Wu Ji knows the man is in more imminent danger of losing his life.

 

When the man slows, she takes the opportunity to strike, successfully slashing his arm, and a deep gash blooms bright red instantly. He falls to the ground. She does not delay her next move, and as her sword nears, Wu Ji’s body wills him forward.

 

He jumps out, surprising both of them, and uses his arm to block the hilt of her sword from coming down on the target. She looks at him through the snowy cloak, and though the thickness of the fabric obstructs him from her appearance, Wu Ji knows she is not happy that he has stepped in.

 

She tries to move past him, but Wu Ji is a secured force.

 

This time, her sword is turned on Wu Ji.
 

She lashes out, but Wu Ji can tell she is holding back. She uses her sword to create just enough distance to push him back to create distance between them in order to get to the other man.

 

Wu Ji easily avoids the weapon, and simultaneously grabs the man off the ground. They fly back a few feet and Wu Ji now stands between predator and prey.

 

The man is breathing hard, but no one says a word.

 

Wu Ji is the first to speak. His hands go up in the formality of fist to palm and slightly bows his head as a greeting. “Nu ying xiong 女英雄, I am Zhang Wu Ji.”

 

She says nothing, tightening her grip on sword and sheath, and turns her back to him as an act of dismissal.

Wu Ji continues. “I apologize if I have caused offense today. I just could not stand by and watch an unarmed man be killed. Though I do not know what had transpired between you, I hope that my interference can save his life. Whatever it is, perhaps we can discuss and resolve it.”

 

The female fighter is silent for a few beats.

 

Then with the retraction of metal into leather, she simply walks away.

 

Wu Ji doesn't understand why he has the sudden urge to stop her.

 

He doesn't.

 

He stands there watching her leave, and in the blink of an eye, she flies up and disappears through the forest in a haze of ethereal white.

 

He is no stranger to highly skilled martial artists with eccentric characteristics and knows it is usually best to leave them be.

 

He turns to the man behind him. “Xiong di, are you okay?”

 

“I am fine. Da xia 大侠, please accept my gratitude.” He respectfully bows his head to Wu Ji, hand firmly pressed against his wound. “Goodbye.” The man abruptly turns and walks away, and Wu Ji is left bewildered. Both people had acted so strangely.

 

He supposes it could have ended worse, and suddenly remembers that dai shum and dai ye are expecting him to return soon. He should probably also head back before more trouble arises.

 

Wu Ji hurries to his cart, relieved that everything is still where it should be. He jumps on and prods the ox forward. He muses that the last time he was on one, she was with him.

 

As he rides back, Wu Ji listens to the sound of wood on gravel, silently noting the absence of teasing and laughter.

 

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18594964/chapters/44319919

[jackieusa]

Hahaha.... Let's compared how Zhang Jiao Zhu expressed his body language

 

 

Look at that cheeky smile.                                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                                             

 What smile?                                                                                                   

 

Heartbreak for Wifey.

                                                                                                 

 

ZR! you interrupted my thoughts of MM's bite marks.                                                                                                   

 

[AppleBanana]

3 minutes ago, jackieusa said:

  Hahaha.... Let's compared how Zhang Jiao Zhu expressed his body language

 

Look at that cheeky smile.                                                                                                                                                                                

                                                                                                            What simle?

                                                                                                    

Heartbreak for Wifey.

                                                                                                    ZR, you interrupted my thoughts of MM's bite marks.

                                                                                                   

 

Cant with ZZR though, hahaha

[LaurenPanna]

3 hours ago, deminni said:

This chapter was really fun to write! I'd never written action scenes before, so it was a bit of a struggle there haha. Sorry if it's weird and choppy at parts. Also, Chapter 5 is half-written and a future chapter has also been started, because again, I didn't intend for this to go on for more than a few chapters, but it has grown into something of a sequel instead of just a revised ending?

 

I have lots more ideas for this story, and hopefully can get them onto paper as soon as I can. Thank you to everyone who has commented, liked, and is just generally enjoying this! (I'm starting to feel bad for what I'm doing to Wu Ji lololol)

 

Title: Fortunately

 

Chapter 4:

 

妳便是我 命運安排的人

You are the one fate has arranged for me.

 

--

 

“Would you continue to look for three more years? What if you never find her again?”

 

She is particularly inquisitive here, and Wu Ji can relate; he’s asked himself these questions often in the beginning. What if I find her and she doesn’t forgive me? What if I have to spend the rest of my life looking for her? What if all this is for nothing?

 

Wu Ji’s resolve has long been steeled.

 

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Wu Ji gets up early just as the sun is peaking out from behind the desert hills on the horizon. The skies are a light wash of blue, and blue, as Wu Ji has become acquainted to, is his favorite color.

 

He ties the handkerchief around his wrist, concealing it beneath his top sleeve and puts on the rest of his thin cotton layers.

 

Wu Ji can smell da shum’s food as he steps out into the field. After he feeds Ping On, who unsurprisingly has taken well to having proper shelter, meals, and grassland to roam, Wu Ji is lured to the outdoor kitchen by the smell of delicious cooking.

 

Da shum greets him with a big smile. “Zhang da fu, you are up early!”

 

Wu Ji stretches a bit as he says, “Da shum, please call me Wu Ji. There is no need for formalities between us.”

 

She doesn’t look up from meticulously dicing the vegetables, but she conveys her sincerity through the gentleness of her voice. “I call you Zhang da fu out of respect because it has been so wonderful with you here. I know you have been hard at work not just on the fields, but also looking for herbals for us old folks, and we are so grateful for you.”

 

“No, it is da shum and da ye who have helped me so much since I’ve come. Wu Ji doesn’t know how I can repay your kindness.”

 

“You can repay me by eating all of this food!” She throws the vegetables into the sizzling wok. “Wu Ji ah, you are too thin. I can’t imagine it being easy traveling all by yourself. If da shum doesn’t fatten you up, your wife might come find me and make me pay for mistreating her husband!”

 

At this, Wu Ji chuckles ruefully and looks down at his hands. “She might still be so mad, she won’t care.” It's my fault she left. I deserve this.

 

He hears her put down the spatula and looks up to see da shum’s face soften. She is looking at him like she understands, and Wu Ji feels the need to avoid her eyes.

 

“Wh-what can I help you with today, da shum?” He picks up a daikon and holds it awkwardly.

 

Da shum laughs kindly and takes the vegetable from him. “You can help me set the table. It is just us this morning.” She goes back to finish sautéing the veggies. “Your da ye is not feeling well and is sleeping in. You can take a break today, Wu Ji.”

 

“Sick? Is he okay? I can check his pulse and see what’s wrong.”

 

“No no, no need. It’s just old people things. You can check after we eat. Let him sleep. Now come.” She takes two plates of food into the main yurt and Wu Ji follows with two bowls of congee and utensils.

 

He takes the first sip of congee and is thankful for another day of da shum’s cooking. As he eats, Wu Ji can sense the weight of her eyes on him, glancing his way every other bite.

 

“Wu Ji, I notice you wear a blue handkerchief around your wrist. By any chance is it from your wife?”

 

He nods and glimpses at the fabric peeking out from beneath the layers.

 

“Before she left, she had embroidered it for me.”

 

He takes several more scoops of congee successively, suddenly anxious.

 

Da shum is oddly contemplative, like she has many things to say and tell and ask.

 

“Wu Ji, I don’t mean to be pry…” Wu Ji has a feeling he knows what she is about to ask.

 

“…but to look for your wife for almost three years is no small feat. I know she is stubborn--" She pauses. "To not see you for three years must be tough for her, too. What had happened?"

 

“I—da shum…”

 

She puts her spoon down and earnestly waits for Wu Ji to continue. “Wu Ji ah, tell da shum and maybe this old lady can still be of help. If nothing else, it might be good to just talk about it instead of holding it all in.”

 

Wu Ji hesitates, not because he does not trust her, but because it has been so long. Ever since she left, ever since Wudang Mountains, he has not uttered a single word to anyone about her parting.

 

Fan Yao had been the only person who knew the full extent of the story having been in on and witnessing the plot come to fruition, and he was also the only person remotely concerned about her after the fact, but at that point, Wu Ji had resolved to absolutely not talking about it.

 

He was not going to share how he tried to plead for her to stay. Even when he knew that was impossible, he begged her to wait for him, that he was going to fulfill the promises he had made to her.

 

“I’m asking you for the last time. Are you leaving or not?”

 

Wu Ji has never seen her look at him this way. She had been angry with him before, for not trusting her and for denying his feelings for her, but never like this. There is finality in her eyes that chilled him to the bones.

 

Wu Ji did not want to answer this question; he tried to explain to her the severity of the situation they were in, but he fell on deaf ears.

 

“And whose responsibility is this? Back when I had intruded on your wedding, I had wanted to gamble with myself. I wanted to bet that your heart was like mine, that you were going to be able to throw away everything to travel to the ends of the earth with me.”

 

Her eyes break away, and Wu Ji wants to scream. He fears.

 

Nothing can prepare Wu Ji for the tearful words that come next.

 

“But I accept that I have lost.”

 

There is no life in her eyes.

 

“I will not come bother Zhang Jiao Zhu anymore…”

 

He calls her name to no avail.

 

“And I hope Zhang Jiao Zhu will not bother to look for me.”

 

Wu Ji blinks away the dampness clouding his vision, and he can only shake his head as he begs her not to continue. She always had other ideas.

 

“Back then, I was able to risk everything to follow you. Now, I am also able to do everything in my power to stay away from you. I, Min Min Temür, can do exactly as I say. The only thing I regret is that the price I had to pay was with my father’s life.”

 

Wu Ji remembers flashes of it now.

 

He catches the discarded hairpin. She walks past him and firmly does not turn back.

 

He had stood there for so long, watching as she and her father became little specks of indiscernible dust in the distance.

 

Wu Ji hadn’t returned to Ming Sect. It seemed his heart had a mind of its own. His feet unconsciously took him towards the direction she had left in, but he couldn't come with her. Not then. Wu Ji was lost at a crossroad.

 

He somehow ended up in the only place he knew that was as close to home as he could possibly remember.

Tai Shi Fu’s words had never left him.

 

“The things that cause regret in this world are countless. But you are still young. Any regrettable situation can still be amended… A person’s heart can move even Heaven and Earth.”

 

Wu Ji’s right hand firmly clasps his scarf-tied wrist.

 

“Her father’s death,” he begins, eyes unfocused as he recounts a story he has tried to repress for years now.

 

“It was caused by people I call my brothers. Da shum, Jiang Hu can be a dangerous place, but the rules are solidified, black and white. If you kill someone, you pay those dues with your own life. A debt owed in blood should thus be paid in blood. Even if I don’t agree, I can at least understand it. But war. War is even more treacherous than I could have ever imagined.”

 

Da shum nods, and Wu Ji knows she would understand. Her son was also a casualty among the other millions of souls lost through numerous battles and conquests.

 

“I… Da shum, I led my people to fight against the Yuan army. I know that your son was probably one of the—“

 

“It’s all right, Wu Ji. I know what you are going to say, but you don’t have to feel guilty towards me. I have watched my father, my husband…” She pauses and Wu Ji sees her melancholy smile turn to him. “…and my son all leave home to fight as patriots, not knowing if they were ever going to be able to return. No matter which side it is, I am sure the reasons are all the same. You were just doing what you had to do for the sake of your country.”

 

Wu Ji nods earnestly, grateful for her acceptance.

 

“Now tell me, what does the war have to do with her father?”

 

His sigh is nearly indiscernible. “Her father is Chaghan Temür, Prince of Ru Yang.”

 

Wu Ji can hear da shum’s sharp intake of breath. “And your wife…”

 

He nods and da shum’s hand goes to her mouth. “She was born to royalty, jade leaves on golden branches 金枝玉叶, but because of me, she had severed ties with her father and her homeland. She left everything behind for me, and I could only stand there and watch my men kill her father.”

 

“Wu Ji ah, did you know of their plans?”

 

He feels indignation rising from within. “No. No, I did not know. They had purposely left me in the dark because they knew I would have never agreed to it.” He looks at da shum and silently pleads for her to believe him. “I would have never agreed to it. They knew how much she meant to me. Everyone knew.”

 

“Did she?”

 

Wu Ji’s eyes flicker in uncertainty at the question. She had to have known.

 

“I… I don’t know.” He pauses and considers the weight of this knowledge. “I’d promised her we would travel the world together. I fully intend to keep that promise, but she had asked me to leave with her then. After her father’s passing. I couldn’t. The war… I couldn’t just leave.” His mouth is dry and Wu Ji finds it difficult to continue.

 

“You had your responsibilities to your people and your country.”

 

He nods again, forcing himself to finish. “I had made promises that were bigger than myself. In order to keep those promises, I couldn’t leave with her. She asked me not to bother looking for her, but here I am almost three years later.”

 

Da shum contemplates to herself for a brief moment and asks, “Would you continue to look for three more years? What if you never find her again?”

 

She is particularly inquisitive here, and Wu Ji can relate; he’s asked himself these questions often in the beginning. What if I find her and she doesn’t forgive me? What if I have to spend the rest of my life looking for her? What if all this is for nothing?

 

Wu Ji’s resolve has long been steeled.

 

“Even if it’s an eternity, I won’t stop until I find her.”

 

It seems enough of a confirmation for the elder woman.

 

Da shum takes his hand and cups it in hers; she is gleaming in a calm of motherly affection Wu Ji thought he’d never find again.

 

He suddenly feels small, transported back to a wintry oasis surrounded by three loving parents.

 

“Wu Ji ah, if I ever see her, I will tell her she is a very fortunate young lady.”

 

Wu Ji feels a wash of thankfulness come over him once again.

 

--

 

After checking up on da ye and being relieved that his cold is minor, Wu Ji mentally logs that he needs to gather citrus and aster for the older man’s formula. He can set out today and stock up on everything they need.

 

He asks da shum to borrow one of the ox carts and heads to a small forest seven lis east as directed.

Wu Ji first scavenges for herbals, and then proceeds with the task of gathering firewood.

 

He is poised in front of two trees and begins to cultivate his nei gong 內功, careful to appropriate the exact force needed to knock down two trees and not the entire forest.

 

Wu Ji has a fleeting thought of how absurd it must be to the previous generations of Ming Sect Jiao Zhus that he is using Qian Kun Da Nuo Yi 乾坤大挪移 to essentially chop down wood and stockpile them for an elderly couple in the middle of Mongolia.

 

He spends half a morning collecting as much lumber as could possibly fit on the oxcart and is proud of his assemblage.

 

As Wu Ji is loading the cart, his ears pick up the rustling of footsteps on fallen leaves. He freezes and listens.

He hears the footsteps hastening. There are two sets.

 

Suddenly, a figure bursts through the thick of the forestry a distance away and is rapidly moving past the landscape. Wu Ji is on vigilant watch as the second figure, a female donning all white and a veiled hat, uses qing gong 輕功 deftly, shadowing the first.

 

It is a game of cat and mouse.

 

Both martial artists maneuver through the woodland swiftly and cleverly, fabric and leaves moving in unison with the wind. With their qing gong, the pair kick off from the trunks of trees to change directions as they glide across greenery in a chase that resembles dancing.

 

They are fast, but the female pursuant is faster and smarter, Wu Ji notes.

 

She takes one leap upwards, high into to the canopy of the forest, then uses both feet to propel herself, spinning past the first figure in a perfect arch to stop squarely in front of him.

 

She lands with grace and finality, a swirl of white stark against the emerald backdrop, sword pulled and directed at the man. He knows he has been caught.

 

The pair is now only a few yards away from him, and Wu Ji ducks behind a tree, continuing to monitor the situation.

 

The female assailant abruptly thrusts fortified steel forward, but the man sidesteps her and barely has time to duck before she turns and swipes her sword horizontally, every move intending to kill. He has no weapon and Wu Ji notes that he is oddly not retaliating with any offense of his own.

 

He continues to dodge attack after attack, feet working in a zig zag pattern as he glides backwards through the crackling of tumbled leaves, but with every swipe of her blade, Wu Ji knows the man is in more imminent danger of losing his life.

 

When the man slows, she takes the opportunity to strike, successfully slashing his arm, and a deep gash blooms bright red instantly. He falls to the ground. She does not delay her next move, and as her sword nears, Wu Ji’s body wills him forward.

 

He jumps out, surprising both of them, and uses his arm to block the hilt of her sword from coming down on the target. She looks at him through the snowy cloak, and though the thickness of the fabric obstructs him from her appearance, Wu Ji knows she is not happy that he has stepped in.

 

She tries to move past him, but Wu Ji is a secured force.

 

This time, her sword is turned on Wu Ji.
 

She lashes out, but Wu Ji can tell she is holding back. She uses her sword to create just enough distance to push him back to create distance between them in order to get to the other man.

 

Wu Ji easily avoids the weapon, and simultaneously grabs the man off the ground. They fly back a few feet and Wu Ji now stands between predator and prey.

 

The man is breathing hard, but no one says a word.

 

Wu Ji is the first to speak. His hands go up in the formality of fist to palm and slightly bows his head as a greeting. “Nu ying xiong 女英雄, I am Zhang Wu Ji.”

 

She says nothing, tightening her grip on sword and sheath, and turns her back to him as an act of dismissal.

Wu Ji continues. “I apologize if I have caused offense today. I just could not stand by and watch an unarmed man be killed. Though I do not know what had transpired between you, I hope that my interference can save his life. Whatever it is, perhaps we can discuss and resolve it.”

 

The female fighter is silent for a few beats.

 

Then with the retraction of metal into leather, she simply walks away.

 

Wu Ji doesn't understand why he has the sudden urge to stop her.

 

He doesn't.

 

He stands there watching her leave, and in the blink of an eye, she flies up and disappears through the forest in a haze of ethereal white.

 

He is no stranger to highly skilled martial artists with eccentric characteristics and knows it is usually best to leave them be.

 

He turns to the man behind him. “Xiong di, are you okay?”

 

“I am fine. Da xia 大侠, please accept my gratitude.” He respectfully bows his head to Wu Ji, hand firmly pressed against his wound. “Goodbye.” The man abruptly turns and walks away, and Wu Ji is left bewildered. Both people had acted so strangely.

 

He supposes it could have ended worse, and suddenly remembers that dai shum and dai ye are expecting him to return soon. He should probably also head back before more trouble arises.

 

Wu Ji hurries to his cart, relieved that everything is still where it should be. He jumps on and prods the ox forward. He muses that the last time he was on one, she was with him.

 

As he rides back, Wu Ji listens to the sound of wood on gravel, silently noting the absence of teasing and laughter.

 

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18594964/chapters/44319919

 

I Love Your Story

Please don't stop writing ! hahaha

 

I remember in my short fan fic, i also wrote how Minmin ask him all the "What If" question.

what if she is dead, what if she is married to someone else, what if he never found her.

I find all these questions interesting ! And i remember Jin yong wrote about ZZR asking Wuji these questions too. So i got the inspirations from there.

I feel so happy to see that you included these questions asked by Da Shum.

 

I am so looking forward to your Story everyday! Thanks for writing. Love the fighting scene described. You did it so well here. I can understand how it got conspired here. 

 

When you described the emotions here for Wuji as he recalled the past. I can almost see Joseph frowning and closing eyes. 

 

Edited, 

I actually cried as I read it the second time while listening to hsds ending song. Omg

[jackieusa]

Apologize for flushing the forum with GIFs, I'm kind of having fun here.

 

Loves the way the couple make an entrances.

 

 

 

 

 

[bluesky888]

6 minutes ago, jackieusa said:

Apologize for flushing the forum with GIFs, I'm kind of having fun here.

 

Loves the way the couple make an entrances.

 



 

 

 

 

WJ so happy holding his wife hand and walking in the entrance.

[AppleBanana]

@jackieusa don’t be sorry! We

loves the gifs! I do anyways. Thanks.

[LaurenPanna]

Thanks for the Gifs! 

[kur4p1k4]

For all the people that can read Chinese please read this, this is DAMN FUNNY!

Even if you're not fluent (like me) please try

https://www.douban.com/group/topic/139772193/

If you can't open it directly just hover on it: right click+open in new tab

[LaurenPanna]

3 minutes ago, kur4p1k4 said:

For all the people that can read Chinese please read this, this is DAMN FUNNY!

Even if you're not fluent (like me) please try

https://www.douban.com/group/topic/139772193/

If you can't open it directly just hover on it: right click+open in new tab

 Lol all the Baos

[kur4p1k4]

2 minutes ago, LaurenPanna said:

 Lol all the Baos

 I know!! It's so dumb but also so true I can't stop laughing now when looking at the 'Bao' WJ makes for ZM.

[LaurenPanna]

21 hours ago, hobeverly1212 said:

oh he has a personal fb page? can share?

 

Sorry for missing your questions 

Thread moving too fast

 

I spotted him as Zeng Shun xi

 

But as the ladies mentioned, not sure if it's real

[LaurenPanna]

43 minutes ago, kur4p1k4 said:

 I know!! It's so dumb but also so true I can't stop laughing now when looking at the 'Bao' WJ makes for ZM.

 

I find it v funny too lol 

All the different baos

[LaurenPanna]

@kur4p1k4

 

This bao is for you

[chipz03]

Hi, 

Can I bother anyone to translate this. Based on google translate, seems like this picture is JZ new interview (??). I guess he really like ZM in the HSDS.  If it's indeed correct,  then it is like a dream come true for an actor/actress to be able to act as the hero you like as a child (if I remembered correctly, HSDS is also his favorite JY story),  and shared that storyline with the heroine that you also like. Kinda like comic geeks who got the chance to act as their favorite superhero hahaha (okay,  sorry,  might not be related ). 

 

Thank you in advance

 

All credits go to the respective owners of the account,  interview. And pictures please 

https://m.weibo.cn/detail/4367755773543777

 

And I have lots of favorite WJ-MM,  and also other aspects why I love this version HsDS.. Will write them down as soon as I got the chance. 

 

Peace all