Chapter One Hundred and Five: Farewell

No matter what Li Yan and Old Master Tong were discussing, at this moment, Zhang Xuan was lying in a large wooden tub, soaking away the soreness and fatigue in his body. He vowed to himself that he would never again participate in such self-punishing endeavors; at the very least, next time he would untie his arms and legs before getting started. Truly, he had only himself to blame. As for what answer Lü Bu would ultimately give, Zhang Xuan had not bothered to find out. After all, words spoken in the heat of the moment were worlds apart from the reality of seeing chests of gold, jewels, and beauties laid out before one’s very eyes. Human nature, Zhang Xuan mused, could rarely withstand such a test—unless fortified by a lofty and steadfast ideal.

In the days that followed, Zhang Xuan and his companions seized every opportunity to spar with Lü Bu. They would then rush to Li Yan for guidance, making the most of their time and keeping themselves thoroughly occupied. Zhang Xuan never again inquired about Lü Bu’s answer to the question he had posed earlier; it seemed everyone had treated it as no more than a passing topic, never delving into its deeper meaning. Only once did Li Yan ask Zhang Xuan about his intention in raising such a question, but Zhang Xuan had merely laughed it off. Of course, when exhaustion set in after their bouts, Zhang Xuan and Lü Bu would sit together and discuss the future. More often than not, it was Lü Bu who spoke, offering Zhang Xuan advice drawn from his own experiences. Whether Zhang Xuan truly took these words to heart, only he himself could say.

At last, when Lü Bu was about to depart, Zhang Xuan asked, “Brother Lü, about that question I posed to you a few days ago—do you have an answer now?” Lü Bu nodded, but just as he was about to speak, Zhang Xuan continued, “As long as you have your answer, that’s enough. If you ever encounter such a situation in the future, no matter what choice you make, I only hope you remember: only by living can you accomplish more. If you die, all that’s left is for others to judge your life. That’s all I’ll say. Perhaps you don’t understand it now, but I hope someday you’ll think back on these words. I can’t stand farewells; if I say more, I’ll end up in tears. I’ll take my leave, you all help see him off. By the way, let me tell you my answer—I would accept the money, horses, even the beauties. If fortune falls into your lap, why turn it away? Then, in front of everyone, I’d kick out the one who offered them to me.” With that, Zhang Xuan turned and walked back toward the Yan family estate.

Lü Bu watched his retreating figure, thinking how strange Zhang Xuan was acting today—rambling without rhyme or reason, and then that odd answer at the end. He could only smile.

Li Yan, too, watched Zhang Xuan depart. Though a little perplexed by Zhang Xuan’s words, upon reflection, he sensed there was some truth within them, though he couldn’t quite put it into words.

At last, Lü Bu bid everyone farewell, saying that fate would bring them together again. Mounting his horse, he set out on the road with Li Yan.

After Lü Bu’s departure, Zhang Xuan found himself feeling as though there was something important he had long meant to do but had forgotten. He stood there for a while, trying to recall what it was, certain it was of great importance, but the memory eluded him.

Yang Zaixing and Yuwen Chengdu, seeing Zhang Xuan lost in thought, assumed he was saddened by Lü Bu’s departure and tried to comfort him. “Little Xuan, Brother Lü has gone, but don’t be too sad. If fate wills it, you’ll meet again. In fact, you surely will; who knows, maybe one day we’ll even go seek him out ourselves.”

Zhang Xuan glanced at the two, wondering what nonsense they were spouting. Was he really so grief-stricken over Lü Bu’s departure? Not at all. After all, no feast lasts forever; they would surely meet again one day—it was only a matter of how.

Glancing at the sign for the Yan residence, Zhang Xuan suddenly remembered what he had forgotten to do. “Right, where’s Old Master Tong? I need to ask him to find someone for me.” It seemed he hadn’t seen Old Master Tong since Lü Bu’s departure, since he had left early.

“Master is just seeing the others off and will be back soon. Wait a little while. It seems I, too, will be leaving the Yan estate soon—we’ve stayed here long enough,” Yang Zaixing said.

“Big Brother, where did you hear that? If we’re leaving, then where are we going? And Second Brother, why didn’t you leave with Master Li Yan?” asked Yuwen Chengdu.

Yang Zaixing beckoned the two to lean in and whispered, “Just now, while I was standing near Master and Uncle, I overheard that in a few days Master will take us somewhere. Where to, I don’t know. Just be ready.”

“As for Master’s plans for me, I told him I would go wherever you two went. He then gave me a manual on halberd techniques and told me to study it and seek out Uncle for advice if I had questions. After all, martial arts share common principles, and Uncle agreed,” Yuwen Chengdu explained in response to Zhang Xuan’s question.

After listening to Yang Zaixing and Yuwen Chengdu, Zhang Xuan thought for a moment. He vaguely recalled Old Master Tong mentioning a return to his own sect, but he wasn’t sure.

(End of chapter)