Song of Adolescence

Chapter 72 Water of the Hidden River

It was said that there was a river in this world that was invisible. Only when it was darkest on the darkest night, you could follow the moonlight and you might vaguely see it. If you followed this river and walked towards its source, you would be able to find them. They were the blade wires of the night, the most vicious of assassins.

This river was called the Hidden River.

And they were also called the Hidden River.

This day, there was a fine drizzle on the river bank. A man wearing purple clothes was holding an oil-paper umbrella with his feet in the muddy soil, walking forward one step at a time. He didn’t know how long he’d walked but he felt that the sky was gradually brightening, and the light of dawn was slowly coming through. He finally stopped walking.

A slender man wearing a suit of black clothes was standing at the end of the river, seeming to be waiting for him.

The man in purple put away his oil-paper umbrella and realised that the rain had stopped some time ago. He looked at the man in black and asked, “You are?”

The man in black had skin that was rather pale and wan. He stood in the dark, so his expression was shrouded, but his voice was mild-mannered. “Su Muyu of Su House.”

The Hidden River had three Houses: Su House which specialised in weapon arts, Xie House which specialised in internal energy and fist martial arts, and Mu House which specialised in medicinal and secret arts. Above the three Houses was the Patriarch, and below the Patriarch were the Heads of the three Houses who led the assassins under each House. The rumour was that the current Head of Su House was rather young.

The man in purple hesitated for a moment. Then, he asked, “You’re the current Head of Su House?”

Su Muyu nodded, not saying another word, and led the man in purple to continue walking forward. Su Muyu appeared to be a taciturn person, yet the man in purple became very curious about him. “Su Muyu, I think I’ve heard of this name. In the current generation of Su House, you are their most famous killer, and also the second person in the history of the Hidden River to break away from the organisation? It’s said that later, you even became “Kui3,” leader of the assassin group directly under the command of the Patriarch. Then, when the current Patriarch took over, you became the Head of Su House?”

Su Muyu did not pay any attention to the man. He suddenly reached out a hand and raised his head to watch the sky. “It’s raining again.” Then, he opened the oil-paper umbrella in his hand. It was a very large and very beautiful oil-paper umbrella. When opened, it seemed to be able to fit the two men inside.

The man in purple appeared too lazy to open his own umbrella and he naturally followed Su Muyu under his umbrella.

Finally, Su Muyu still answered his earlier words. “You know a lot about us.”

The man in purple laughed. “Since I’m here to conduct business with you, obviously I need to know about you. I heard that under this umbrella of yours are eighteen long swords. When your killing intent flares up, the eighteen sharp blades will scatter like the evening rain. I would love to see it once.”

Su Muyu gave a rare smile. “I don’t think you really want to see it. Also, knowing too much about us is a very dangerous thing.”

The man in purple touched the long sword on his waist. “I think you know who I am.”

Su Muyu shook his head. “Perhaps the Patriarch knows. In the Hidden River, besides the Patriarch, the rest of us are merely knives. In our eyes, the world has only two types of people. The employer, and the prey.”

The man in purple nodded. “I don’t know if my bargaining chip is enough to enlist an assassin such as yourself.”

Su Muyu suddenly stopped. He raised his head. “We’re here.”

In front of them was a magnificent pavilion - the Star Falling Moon Shadow Chamber.

The man in purple laughed softly and Su Muyu asked, “What are you laughing about?”

The man in purple replied, “How many people in this world would have a chance to step into the Hidden River’s Star Falling Moon Shadow Chamber?”

There were two men outside the pavilion. One sat at the top of the steps holding a smoking pipe as he slowly exhaled, while the other stood as straight as a pole in front of the door to the pavilion, holding a long sabre and watching with a sharp gaze.

Su Muyu brought the man in purple and walked over. The smoking man who was sitting at the steps looked at Su Muyu and gave a slight nod, yet he pretended to casually glance at the man in purple. Faintly, he asked, “Now, do you still want to step into this Star Falling Moon Shadow Chamber?”

The rain seemed to become heavier in an instant.

Su Muyu stowed away his umbrella and the man in purple reached out a hand, yet he realised that there was only a slight drizzle falling on his hand. But if he closed his eyes, he heard a roaring sound that sounded like a huge downpour. His face showed his surprise. The man on the steps put down his pipe on the steps and knocked it a few times. He laughed. “If something can’t be understood, just stop thinking about it.”

The man in purple calmed himself, then walked up the steps one step at a time. He could feel that every step he took was extremely difficult, as if he was being covered by a shroud. Outside, it was dead calm but under the shroud, the wind was cutting like blades. With effort, he suppressed the instinct to draw his sword, and walked step by step until he was at the door of the Star Falling Moon Shadow Chamber.

The tall man with sharp eyes who was standing as straight as a pole gently pulled open the door. The inside was pitch black, except for the flickering of faint candlelight. The man in purple and Su Muyu walked in together, Su Muyu closed the door behind him, and the sound of rain and wind from outside vanished in an instant. The Star Falling Moon Shadow Chamber was a completely soundproof building.

Su Muyu held his sword and continued walking forward, and as he walked past, the candle holders on the sides of the path lit up one after another, until at the end, the entire building was brightly lit. At the end of the long chamber, Su Muyu took a seat to the left. On his left sat an old man wearing long robes. He did not lift his head, as he held a small knife trimming his fingernails. Although he was an aged man, his fingers gleamed like polished jade, giving off an ominous feel. On Su Muyu’s right side was a woman in her thirties with elegant features between her brows. She watched the man in purple with great interest, her eyes rippling with an amorous gaze as she smiled with her entire face.

“Head of Xie House, Xie Qidao, Head of Mu House, Mu Yumo.” The man in purple said their names in a soft voice.

As for the one sitting upright at the dais, obstructed by heavy curtains, that was naturally the current power holder of the Hidden River - the Patriarch.

“You know us very well.” The Patriarch was the first to speak. His voice wasn’t as aged as one would imagine, and was in fact, deep and powerful.

The man in purple nodded. “If I did not come completely prepared, how would I dare to step into this Star Falling Moon Shadow Chamber to do business with the Hidden River?”

“Since you know us, then you should know, doing business with us is a very dangerous thing.” Mu Yumo said with a smile, her voice alluring.

“Some things are more worthwhile, the more dangerous they are.” The man in purple said slowly.

“You’re very right about that.” The Patriarch stood up suddenly, pulled aside the heavy curtains in front of him, and walked down slowly. He had a tall and thin figure and he wore a black coloured cloak. Under the cloak, his expression was obscured. “So, what is this thing that’s so worthwhile that you want to bring to us?”

“I want that river which could only flow in the dark, to flow into Heavenly Revelations!” The man in purple said seriously, as he looked at the Hidden River Patriarch walking towards him.

The Patriarch halted his steps. “Although your letter already said so, I still want to hear you say it again from your own mouth, who you are.”

“Sixth prince of Beili, Xiao Chuhe.”

The prince who was once Mingde Emperor’s most doted son and who everyone believed should have been chosen as “Crown Prince”, who when he was fifteen years old because of the case related to Langya Prince’s rebellion, was stripped of his titles and banished to Qingzhou, yet after he was pardoned, he refused to return to Heavenly Revelations. That sixth prince, Xiao Chuhe!

The Patriarch laughed with a clear voice.

“Wonderful!”