The Ten Swords Conference II
The garden, one of many within the compound, is filled with the song of crickets. You walk with Qilin towards the small pavilion by the pond. Under the waning moon, you can hardly see her expression. The pavilion is lit up by small lanterns hanging from the roof. Nie Wuxing and his wife are sitting there, engaged in idle chatter while she tidies his graying hair. You cast a look around, wondering if Bai Jiutian is spying on you from somewhere. If she is, you see no sign of her. When Nie Wuxing sees you, he rises from his seat, spreading his hands outwards in a gesture of openness. “Young Master Xu. It is good that you decided to accept my invitation.”
Inclining your head slightly, you say, “It would be remiss of me not to offer my respects to the esteemed leader of the orthodox world and his beautiful lady.”
“Well met, Xu Jing. I am pleased to see you too, Qilin,” smiles Madam Nie softly. Her tone of voice and demeanour lack the sly sharpness that you had encountered while eavesdropping that night in Huashan: she seems to be every bit a gentle, lovely matron.
“Madam Nie, the pleasure is all mine,” beams Qilin.
You notice Madam Nie frowning slightly, but her expression clears up in the next second. “Yes,” she chuckles, “it would be too soon to expect you to call me mother, wouldn’t it? I have hardly been there for you after all. Well, no matter. Come, don’t just stand there. There is room to sit.”
After the Nie couple settle down opposite you and Qilin, you speak. “Why have I been summoned, Master Nie?”
“It was just a friendly invitation, not a summoning at all. Let us talk as peers, about the upcoming sword conference,” says Nie affably.
“Oh, that’s good. For a moment I was worried that you still held a grudge against me for stripping one of your daughters,” you grin, and all that affableness disappears in a flash.
The crickets cease their chirping as Nie Wuxing stares at you, glowering. He grits his teeth and growls, “Man Tiger Pig, you-“
There is the sound of a shoe tapping on the ground once. Nie Wuxing’s eyes dart towards Madam Nie for a second, and he coughs, composing himself and stroking his well-groomed beard “Right. Let… let bygones be bygones. I am sure it was just the folly of youth.” Laughing awkwardly, he takes a deep breath before continuing. “Xu Jing, I am sure you are aware of the importance of this conference. It is not just about the jianghu. No, these legendary swords are treasures that represent the values of our country and people. Righteousness. Nobility. Fighting against tyranny. Of these, the Xuanyuan Sword is the most important of all not because of its power but because it symbolizes the right to rule. We cannot simply hand it over to anybody. None of us here at the conference have the right to wield it… under Heaven, there is only one man worthy of that sword.”
You offer up a name. “Zhang Manlou?”
The expression on Nie Wuxing’s face is rather enjoyable to behold as his dignified lecture comes grinding to a halt. “W-what are you talking about? That is… that is treason! Do not say such things, even as a joke!” he sputters. “Of course I mean our great Emperor! Who else would I be talking about?”
“I believe you have many misunderstandings about us, Xu Jing,” says Madam Nie. “Do you think that we seek to overthrow the Emperor, or to cause him harm in any way? We do not. We are loyal to him and his rule. But the Emperor is surrounded by sycophants and foolish advisors, and if we do not deal with these pests they will do irreversible damage to the Empire.”
“Removing them is our duty, as responsible members of the pugilistic world and loyal servants of the Emperor,” declares Nie Wuxing. “All that we have done thus far, we do for the sake of the country.”
You do not see exactly how they have contributed, to be honest. Still, you are not here to argue their motives. That would be rather futile at the moment. “Does this mean that you will call for the Xuanyuan Sword to be given to the Emperor?”
“Yes. That is what I will do tomorrow,” nods Nie Wuxing. “My partners have agreed with my course of action. I was worried that you would have ideas of your own, but my wife pointed out to me your acts of service to the Tang. I knew then that you are a patriot, just like me.”
“Acts… of service?” How much do they know?
“You were raised as the prince’s right-hand man, were you not? It is a pity you did not come to Huashan when you were sent away; we could have raised you to greater heights,” smiles Nie. “Your recent actions in Youxia were also… interesting, to say the least. So, what do you say? Will you join me in serving the Emperor’s cause tomorrow? I know you have influence over a few others… your assistance will serve to make tomorrow’s conference merely a formality.”
“The Emperor is in Chang’an,” Qilin points out. “How would you get the sword to him, Master Nie?”
“Of course, I would gladly take the duty of transporting it. Huashan is the nearest sect to Chang’an. It would not be out of our way to do so.”
You let out a short laugh.
“Is something the matter?” frowns Nie Wuxing.
“No, it’s nothing. Do you expect me to make a decision right now?”
“That is unnecessary. I just need you to think about this proposal, Xu Jing. It would be very helpful to your reputation.”
And his, you think, but you do not say it to his face. “Very well. I will think about it,” you say.
“Excellent! I am so glad that you see reason, unlike your master.”
“Oh, he sees reason too. He usually finds it in the guts of people.”
“R-right. Yes.” Nie Wuxing’s expression grows dark – it is not exactly fear... hatred? Disgust? “I recall hearing that he came with you to Yangzhou. It looks like he has not come to the island.”
“My dear,” interrupts Madam Nie, “you think about Zhang Jue too much. Still, now that we have time to talk about other things, I am curious about one thing. Qilin?”
Qilin looks at her mother, her face a mask of polite sweetness. “Yes?”
“I heard that you have been with Xu Jing for quite some time now. Are the two of you planning on getting married any time soon?”
Oh no, not another one.
Qilin shakes her head politely. “It is not time yet. The both of us have too much to do. When the time is right…”
“That is not good,” mutters Madam Nie, frowning. She raises her finger at you. “Xu Jing, I would appreciate it if you do not toy around with my daughter. I have heard… rumours of your philandering ways. In fact, I have seen evidence of it first-hand.”
“Wh-what?” explodes Nie Wuxing, rising to his feet. “First-hand! Did he lay a hand on the twins?”
“I can assure you that I haven’t,” you say, raising your hands. Not the twins, at least.
“Now, dear, calm down,” sighs Madam Nie as she coaxes him down. “It was an acquaintance of mine. You would not know her… but I am sure Xu Jing does. Quite intimately. Count yourself lucky that you have not sired a bastard child, young man.”
“I can’t help it if my darling is popular with women,” smirks Qilin. “It only enhances my own reputation further.”
“That is what you say now, dear daughter.” Madam Nie shakes her head a bit wistfully. “If you do not marry, it will all be for naught. Did you know that your father never married me?” At the mention of Chi Tianxie, Nie Wuxing looks away, evidently displeased. Madam Nie ignores him and continues on. “We lived together but he never officially took me as his wife. He always had other women on the side. I do not know what stories he told you, but I only left him because I had to.”
“That’s rather easy for you to say at this point, Madam Nie,” Qilin shrugs. She does not deny the accusations of her father’s infidelity, however. You wonder if it is true.
“I know I haven’t been there for you all these years, but I and Wuxing tried to get you back when you were but a babe.”
“Yes, we did,” confirms her husband. “We confronted Chi Tianxie to obtain custody of you, but Tulu Huodu intervened.”
“Even at that time he had decided that you would be his heir, and he would not let you go no matter how I pleaded,” says Madam Nie sadly. “I had my reasons.”
“Everyone has their reasons. I have chosen my path… I will not be swayed from it at this point, Madam Nie.” Qilin’s voice is quiet but full of resolution as she holds your hand under the table. You give her an encouraging squeeze in return.
Madam Nie lets out a heavy sigh. “That it may be… but the two of you should heed my words and marry as quickly as possible. Who knows what could happen in the near future… even tomorrow? Life is short. For example, what would you do if my husband offered you Shuixian and Mudan in marriage as a show of his desire to be your comrade?”
“I never-“ begins Nie, but a glance from his wife cuts him off. He nods. “There would have to be some preparations to be done, but to be honest, I… I think you have the potential… to be a good… ally.” He seems almost pained to speak those words – you have doubt if he believes it himself – but he forces them out anyway. “Not both, of course. No. That would be improper. My best disciple, Bai Jiutian, will take one of them as his wife.”
You cannot believe that the Nie couple are making such an offer. It isn’t like you succumb to any maiden you come across – you even feel slightly angry on the twins’ behalf, at having such parents. “Hm.” You turn to Qilin. There is an amused smile on her lips. “What should I do? They’re offering me twins.”
“Don’t be greedy, darling, you already have a set at home. How are you going to take care of another?”
“I only said one!” growls Nie Wuxing.
“I am sorry, Master Nie,” you laugh. “I just cannot take this proposal seriously. I mean no offense to the Twin Flowers, for they have indeed blossomed into ladies befitting their name, but you must have forgotten who I am.”
“Man Tiger Pig cannot be tied down by anyone or anything,” chuckles Qilin.
“And so I must respectfully decline, Master Nie,” you bow. “They would not be happy with me. Well… until the first night comes around, that is… but you know what I mean.”
As you expected, he is forced to choke back his rage even as he glares at you.
It seems that there is nothing else that they have to say. Promising that you will give his proposal due consideration, you leave the pavilion – Nie Wuxing is red-faced and not entirely happy, while Madam Nie is looking at you and Qilin thoughtfully, not anywhere near as ruffled as her husband is. You are unable to guess what she is thinking at all.
You enjoy the quiet walk back to your chambers with Qilin. “They might still be plotting something,” mutters Qilin, biting her lip. “I don’t think that’s all there is to their plan.”
“Whatever it is, we will see how it goes tomorrow,” you say. “Get a good night’s sleep. I’ll be back in a while.” You kiss Qilin on the cheek and pat her on the bum, sending her swaying on her way. She seems to be rather pleased; there is a spring in her step. On your part, you wonder what you should do next. At this unearthly hour everyone should be fast asleep, but you are feeling full of energy tonight…
***
A. You head off to have a last minute discussion of Nie’s proposal with Shun: there is no guarantee you can meet up with him tomorrow. If you can manage to convince Shun to reveal himself right after Nie makes his argument, you can end the conference quickly and easily by placing the Xuanyuan Sword into his hands. Still, you are not sure if it is safe for him to do so…
B. You sneak into Bai Jiutian’s room once again, planning to wake her up for a late night chat. Perhaps she might be able to give you a bit more insight on what her master and mistress have in mind – it all seems too noble for you to believe. You need more information before the conference begins, and she can give it to you.
C. You attempt to find out more about the mansion and its hostess – you have not yet gotten a glimpse of the Xuanyuan Sword nor of the veiled lady who claims to be Lady Ji’s sister. A night raid might yield surprising results for you.
D. You think you are better off spending your time in bed, resting in preparation for tomorrow. Sleep is very important. You don't want to doze off at the table tomorrow, after all, or - Heaven forbid - wake up late.
