Broken Bonds

Chapter 10

His parting with Liu Qi on that riverbank was on filled with sorrow. An ‘unwilling to part’ expression clung upon the departing man’s scarred face, seeming to increase its displeasing appearance; yet, it was nonetheless, exceptionally touching and sincere.

Yan Feili stood at that river’s edge, following Liu Qi with his eyes as the passenger ship he boarded sailed farther and farther away. That boat seeming to not only having carried away his childhood friend, but also the dream he had spent the first half of his life in pursuit.

“Xiao Yan!” Liu Qi, ignoring the side-eyes of the others on that boat, suddenly stood up and shouted towards Yan Feili: “If there comes a day where you can no longer get by in any part of world of Jianghu[1], remember, you can come find me! Remember, okay!”

With a soft smile and a hand lifted in a wave, Yan Feili motioned towards him, feeling both his eyes had become moist.

Liu Qi too, for a while now, had felt his own eyes hazy with tears; only being able to see the shoreline in the distance where Yan Feili stood waving towards him slowly, and the look on his face seeming to have been that of a smile…

***

In truth, when Yan Feili had laid eyes upon the earring in that youth’s left ear, he immediately knew who that lad was. Because a Flying Dragon was used to denote the highest of symbols, only the Four Masters of Tianmen had them.

A bright yellow was the colour of the Eastern Sect’s Master, Dongfang; cyan was the one used by the Southern Sect’s Master, Nangong; flaming red belonged to Eastern Sect’s Leader, Ximen; and the colour silver… well, that was wielded by the Northern Sect’s Master: Beitang Ao!

Yan Feili brought his former subordinates with him, three-thousand strong, all who voluntarily chose to follow in joining the Northern Sect. And because of him, the Four Sects of the Tianmen had broken their long held rule of never accepting a foreigner within.

It had been, that apart from their former subordinates from dynasties past, the Four Sects of the Tianmen had utilized many tier levels to appoint persons to official positions, and these required passing a strict selection process and training to even get into.

Plus, Yan Feili was not the only one to be let in, three-thousand of his men were also to be let in the same. Once they entered, he was appointed as a personal general of Beitang Ao’s, left in charge of all his former troops who had came along with him and did not leave. And back then Yan Feili was completely unknowing of disturbances and disagreements these matters had caused. Even upon looking back, he was himself quite shocked by Beitang Ao’s persistence in breaking so many rules for his sake; but secretly, such an act, had also made him delighted.

After those matters were settled, Yan Feili accompanied Beitang Ao for eight whole years, following that man through fire and water—through whatever perils they faced.

Into all corners of the world of Jianghu, into the field of battle—even into that complex, and ever-changing, Imperial court; he always silently stood behind Beitang, becoming the darkest star beside that brilliant moon, but he was also the most determined of them all.

Looking at every step of Beitang’s, he conformed his own, as that man strode towards this day, gradually grasping power, and forged a piece of this world of his own.

He was never arrogant enough to believe any part of the man’s accomplishments were due to his own contributions. As he knew full well they has all been gained by Beitang Ao’s own wisdom and strength—himself included! Cherishing Beitang, from there very first meeting, was simply something that he knew. The feeling not only one of the respect and admiration a subordinate towards their master ought to hold, but also one that should never have come into being—an obsessive feeling, deemed as intolerable by this world.