Chapter Seventy-Four: Grandfather's Arrival

Zhan Yan listened to the rumors spreading outside, her brows deeply furrowed. Trouble was what she dreaded most; all she wished for was a quiet, peaceful life. Why couldn’t these people just let her be? Zhongli Yu gently smoothed the lines from her forehead, his gaze as cold as ice. Yet when his eyes met her exquisite face, the chill melted into tenderness. Softly, he said, “Yan’er, don’t frown. This is nothing worth worrying about. Our enemies will eventually reveal their true colors. All we need do is wait patiently.”

She lifted her eyes to meet his gentle gaze, her voice barely above a whisper. “Have I brought you trouble?”

He placed a finger to her lips, signaling her to silence, his voice low and intimate. “Never think that way. As long as you’re by my side, I will never find you a burden.”

“But will His Majesty believe the rumors and harm you?” Zhan Yan’s face was etched with worry.

“If he is so superficial, then there’s no need for me to show him any courtesy,” Zhongli Yu replied, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes.

Wearily, Zhan Yan closed her eyes and leaned into his arms. She had only just returned to the capital, hoping for a period of tranquility, yet troubles seemed to follow one after another. She wondered what kind of fate she possessed.

Seeing her so dispirited, Zhongli Yu decided to distract her. “Yan’er, we haven’t picked any pears today. Let’s gather some to eat.”

Zhan Yan glanced at the courtyard, where the pears hung heavily, turning golden and nearly ripe. It would be better to pick them and store them well. Her fatigue vanished, replaced by enthusiasm. “Let’s pick all the pears in the courtyard and store them in the cellar. Whenever we want some, we can just fetch them.”

With a doting look, Zhongli Yu nodded in agreement.

That day, the two of them happily picked pears in the Fragrant Pear Courtyard, setting aside the rumors that had been troubling them. Without help from anyone else, it took nearly two hours for them to harvest all the pears. They distributed them to everyone in Prince Chun’s residence—each person receiving a share. The pears, sweet and juicy, lifted everyone’s spirits, and no one mentioned the rumors again. The residence remained as secure as ever; not a single outsider could enter.

Toward evening, a guard hurried in to report that an elderly man outside claimed to be the princess’s grandfather. Not recognizing him and not daring to let him in without permission, the guards had come to report. Zhan Yan guessed it was Grandpa Wu Li and was about to go welcome him when his voice rang out, “Ha! Yan girl, your prince’s guards are so lax. I slipped right in. I worry about your safety, you know!”

The messenger saw Gu Yan had already entered and dropped to his knees, stammering, “Please forgive us, Your Highness, Princess.” They had kept everyone else out, but this old man was so formidable that before they could react, he was already inside. It made clear just how skilled he was.

Zhan Yan glared helplessly at Grandpa Wu Li. “Grandfather, you scared my people. Couldn’t you have waited for me to greet you? You had to barge in and frighten everyone.” With that, she signaled the guard to withdraw.

Gu Yan protested, “How is this my fault? It’s just that your people are useless.”

Zhan Yan was at a loss. Useless? Who in this world could stop him? It was easy to stand on the sidelines and criticize.

“Grandfather, you must be tired from your journey. Come in and have some tea,” Zhongli Yu interjected, seeing the two already bickering, and quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

Gu Yan nodded in satisfaction. “At least my grandson-in-law knows how to look after me. Not like you—so heartless,” he said, shooting a glare at Zhan Yan.

She could only smile wryly. Heartless? Wasn’t it he who started the quarrel?

Gu Yan, weary and thirsty from his journey, drained two cups of tea before pausing.

Only then did Zhan Yan speak. “Grandfather, what is going on? How did Pear Blossom Fall become the most renowned martial art in the world?”

Gu Yan sighed. “Pear Blossom Fall is indeed worthy of being called the greatest martial art.” After all, since he had mastered it, he had never been defeated.

“How can that be?” Zhan Yan was stunned. She knew her skills were formidable, but she rarely used them and had no idea of her true strength. It was only recently, during the incident at Wangcheng, when she unleashed a certain move in her anger, that she realized how devastating her martial prowess was.

“Why not? Pear Blossom Fall was created five hundred years ago by our Gu family ancestor. Even then, it was unrivaled. It has always been passed down only to talented descendants, never to outsiders.” Gu Yan’s face lit with pride as he recalled his forebears.

“Then why did you teach it to me? I’m not…”

He shook his head, signaling her to stop. He knew what she meant. Looking at her with loving kindness, he said, “Though you are not my blood granddaughter, in my heart, you are my granddaughter.”

Touched, Zhan Yan called him grandfather.

Gu Yan reminisced, “Men of the Gu family are devoted, taking only one wife in their lifetime. For generations, the family line has passed down singularly. Thankfully, Gu men have always been extraordinarily gifted, enabling Pear Blossom Fall to be inherited without fail. But with me, there was no successor. When your grandmother died without bearing me a child, I nearly followed her. But I thought of the art that had been passed down for centuries—the life’s work of our ancestors—and resolved to live on to preserve it.”

“Why didn’t you marry again and have a child to continue the line?” Zhan Yan interrupted, puzzled.

“My heart belonged to Mei’er; I could not bear to let another woman bear my child.” Gu Yan smiled bitterly. “For years, I searched for a worthy child to pass on Pear Blossom Fall, but after nearly twenty years, I found none. Eventually, I brought Qinghan and Qingyang to my side, but they could not master it. I realized then that mastering Pear Blossom Fall depended on fate, so I taught them other skills. Then I met you—clever, kind-hearted—and made you my disciple. To my surprise, you were fated for Pear Blossom Fall, learning it with ease. You mastered every secret I gave you.”

“Grandfather, if Pear Blossom Fall has been passed down for five centuries, why was it only discovered now? Haven’t people always said it was lost?” Zhan Yan asked, bewildered. She hadn’t even realized the art she practiced was Pear Blossom Fall.

“It’s because Pear Blossom Fall has ten levels. The tenth, ‘Blossoms Fill the Sky,’ is the most powerful. When our ancestor performed it, the martial world was thrown into chaos as everyone sought the art. He had no choice but to withdraw from the world, and only then did peace return.”

Gu Yan took a few sips of tea before continuing, “Later, for the sake of peace, our ancestor sealed away the tenth level, allowing successors only up to the ninth. The earlier levels’ moves are indistinguishable to outsiders, yet already powerful enough to dominate the martial world.”

Zhan Yan nodded. No wonder everyone believed it lost—without practitioners of the tenth level, its true form was hidden. But how had she performed ‘Blossoms Fill the Sky’ at Wangcheng? She hadn’t even realized what was happening, yet pear blossoms formed from snow filled the sky.

Gu Yan, sensing her confusion, explained further: “The tenth level requires no deliberate practice. When the practitioner experiences overwhelming grief or fury, it awakens on its own.”

Zhan Yan was astonished. “How can that be?”

Gu Yan shook his head. “Perhaps it was a gift from our ancestor, meant to aid those in direst need. When the time comes, ‘Blossoms Fill the Sky’ emerges to help them.”

She looked at him curiously. “Grandfather, did you ever master that level?”

With a bitter smile, Gu Yan nodded. “I did—on the day your grandmother passed. My grief and rage awakened it. Fortunately, no one saw but one man—and I killed him. Otherwise, the martial world would have been thrown into bloody chaos again.”

Zhan Yan hadn’t expected things to be this way. Did her use of ‘Blossoms Fill the Sky’ at Wangcheng mean the martial world would soon be in turmoil? She glanced at Zhongli Yu, whose grave expression showed he shared her concerns. The situation was indeed worrying.

“Girl, it seems you really have stirred up trouble this time,” Gu Yan said helplessly.

Zhongli Yu spoke solemnly, “Grandfather, rest assured—no one will harm Yan’er. As long as I live, I will protect her from all harm.”

Gu Yan shook his head. “Few in the world could kill her now. But I fear that to protect herself, she may one day have to take innocent lives. When that day comes, will you still love her as you do now?”

Zhongli Yu replied without hesitation, “I will. No matter what, Yan’er is my wife, and I will always protect her.”

Moved, Zhan Yan gazed at him. With such a husband, what more could she wish for? Whatever the future held, with him by her side, nothing else seemed to matter. Let the storms come; she would face them head-on. If anyone dared provoke her, she would show them she was not to be trifled with.

“Girl, if that day truly comes and things spiral out of control, you may have to follow our ancestor’s example and withdraw from the world,” Gu Yan said regretfully. If catastrophe could only be avoided that way, he hoped she would choose peace.

Zhan Yan was lost in thought. She had done nothing wrong—must she really sacrifice her own happiness for the sake of the world?

“Grandfather, perhaps things are not so simple. Someone must be orchestrating all this from the shadows. Otherwise, why did no rumors start right after Yan’er used ‘Blossoms Fill the Sky’ at Wangcheng, but only now, after our return to the capital?” Zhongli Yu said thoughtfully, his sharp mind seizing on the crucial point.

Gu Yan nodded. “You’re right. After so many years, people have forgotten Pear Blossom Fall. Even if Yan’er used it, it shouldn’t have caused a stir. This is clearly a plot.”

Zhan Yan nodded in agreement.

Gu Yan looked up at Zhongli Yu. “What do you plan to do?”

“I’ve already sent people to investigate. We need to find out who is spreading these rumors, what the mastermind’s motives are. Only then can we act. I still trust the current leader of the martial world; I believe he will restrain his followers. Things should not get out of hand,” Zhongli Yu analyzed carefully.

Gu Yan nodded with satisfaction, proud to have such a grandson-in-law.

Unnoticed, the sun had set. The old prince sent word that, having learned Zhan Yan’s grandfather had arrived, he had prepared a banquet to welcome Master Gu.

Having barely eaten all day, the group was quite hungry. As soon as the old prince’s messenger came, they made their way over. The old prince and Gu Yan were of similar age and, upon meeting, found endless topics to discuss, as if they were old friends reunited at last. They chatted merrily, leaving Zhan Yan and Zhongli Yu to themselves. As the younger couple finished their meal, the two elders were still drinking, each matching the other cup for cup. These two men, both past fifty, competed in drinking like young soldiers.

Zhongli Yu and Zhan Yan did not interrupt them. These two lonely old men had finally found kindred spirits late in life; why not let them enjoy themselves to the fullest?

“Brother Zhongli, it’s my honor to meet you today. In all my years, I’ve never drunk so heartily,” Gu Yan said loudly. He had already downed several jars of wine and showed no sign of drunkenness. Usually, his drinking companions would be defeated after a few rounds, leaving him unsatisfied. But this old Prince Chun was also unshakable, making him feel he’d finally met his match.

The old prince laughed heartily. “Brother Gu, you should stay here at the Prince Chun’s residence and drink with me from now on. I haven’t enjoyed myself like this in years.” The hearty drinking and feasting reminded him of his days in the army—free and unrestrained.

Watching them, Zhan Yan couldn’t help but smile. The two referred to each other as brothers, forgetting entirely that they were in-laws. She let them be, instructing the servants to look after the elders, and followed Zhongli Yu back to the Fragrant Pear Courtyard to rest.