Chapter 737 — Secrets of the Past
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 1 of 4
Recalling the past, the Woodcutter Sage was silent for a moment before he spoke, unhurried: "Back then I was steeped in reform and change, believing I could unfold a grand design and fulfill great ambitions, and I had no heart for the affections of men and women. So although there were girls who liked me, I had no leisure to speak of private feelings."
Shen Mu blinked. The Imperial Preceptor of Jingping was that sort of man as well. The reason the Imperial Preceptor had not become another woodcutter was that he had still married his present wife, and had children.
The Imperial Preceptor of old had been absolutely rational, so much so that he could even use his own injuries as bait to lure the enemy into the open.
The Imperial Preceptor of the present, by contrast, had gained a touch of human warmth.
"By then I had already noticed that the Farmer bore me a certain resentment, and I truly had no heart for personal feeling. That girl was indeed outstanding, and beautiful besides — by any measure, she was the finest of companions. But Kaihuang had entrusted me with the weighty task of reform. If I had used the power Kaihuang gave me to dally with young maidens, would I not have betrayed Kaihuang's trust?"
The Woodcutter said, unhurried: "So I told that girl, Yunxi, I am not the man to whom you should entrust your life. What Kaihuang has entrusted to me concerns matters of great consequence; there are too many things in this world waiting for me to change. So I could only fail your deep affection."
Shen Mu listened, entranced, and laughed. "Teacher, family and state can still be reconciled. Why did you have to refuse her? And by refusing her, how did you come to offend the Martial Heavenly Master?"
"Her name was Yan Yunxi. A woman — a very captivating woman."
The Woodcutter was clearly recalling that woman, so outstanding and ethereal; he stared blankly, lost in thought, wearing a rare tenderness, and said softly: "She was also very clever, very talented. That she deigned to favor me gladdened my heart greatly, but I respected her more than I adored her. She asked me again — Tiange, Zhuo Cha harbors affection for me; is he a man worthy of entrusting one's life to? Zhuo Cha is the Farmer. I smiled and told her..."
The Woodcutter's expression turned odd. "I said, Zhuo Cha's love for the martial Dao surpasses his love for you. His love for the martial Dao is true; for you it is but a passing infatuation. Zhuo Cha is not a man to entrust your life to. I spoke as a friend, analyzing Zhuo Cha's character, and my judgment was quite accurate. No doubt this remark later reached Zhuo Cha's ears, which is why he has always taken a dislike to me."
Shen Mu said, "Teacher, you really do deserve a beating... That is not what I meant!"
He clutched his head — the Woodcutter had just rapped him hard on the crown, and it stung fiercely.
The Woodcutter went on: "Afterward Yan Yunxi did not marry; she changed her name and dressed as a man. I asked her why, and she said she had seen the two most outstanding men in the world — one unmatched in wisdom, his heart set upon the world; the other invincible in valor, his Dao-heart forever firm. Having seen these two, no other man could catch her eye. So she changed her name and disguised herself as a man, declaring that until she met a man who surpassed us, she would not change back into women's clothes."
He stared blankly, then shook his head and smiled. "She never changed back. Though Zhuo Cha met her many times, and they were on excellent terms, he never once recognized her."
Shen Mu blurted out, "The Martial Heavenly Master entered the Dao through martial arts and cultivated his way to the Imperial Throne — how could he fail to recognize Yan Yunxi in men's disguise?"