There’s No Such Thing as Love in a Swordsman’s Heart

Chapter 2: Chicken Soup of Love

Early the next morning, Qi Du woke up with swollen eyes. Dazedly, he opened the door. Then he saw that hanging from the handle was his sword, which had fallen down Snowfall Cliff.

He stared blankly at it for a long while before he regained his senses. Thinking that his master must have spent the night going down Snowfall Cliff to bring back his sword for him, he hurriedly took the sword and ran to Zhang Wenxue to thank him.

Zhang Wenxue was in the kitchen making soup.

The famous sect leader of the Still Water Sect was now wearing an embroidered apron, holding a large soup ladle in one hand. In his other hand, he held a spiritual herb as big as a bowl and slowly put it into the chicken soup.

“Retrieve the sword?” Zhang Wenxue furrowed his brows. “Right now it’s winter, and the snow in Snowfall Cliff hasn’t melted yet. I don’t dare to carelessly go down.”

Qi Du was baffled.

If it wasn’t Zhang Wenxue, then what, did this sword fly back on its own?

“This master of yours was originally planning to wait till spring before going down the cliff to pick it up for you,” Zhang Wenxue threw in a handful of milk vetch root and asked, “What? Why are you asking?”

Qi Du slowly raised the sword in his hands.

“It’s already back,” he said.

Zhang Wenxue: “……”

He finally threw in the last piece of ginseng into the pot and said, “To go down Snowfall Cliff in this weather, it’s probably only your martial uncle who could do it.”

Qi Du stared blankly for a moment, but then he was overwhelmed with happiness. He couldn’t wait to run and find Jiang Su to thank him. You see! He knew that martial uncle had him in his heart. If not, why would he face danger to go down the cliff and retrieve his sword!

He hurriedly turned around to run, but Zhang Wenxue called him. “Wait, if you’re going to go thank him, then take this chicken soup to your martial uncle as well.”

Qi Du stopped walking.

He looked back at the gurgling pot of “chicken soup" that had more medicine in it than chicken meat. He fell silent for a while. Finally, he said in a quivering voice, “Master, what did you say this was?”

Zhang Wenxue smiled warmly and gently. “Your martial uncle was in closed retreat for half a year. It must have been tough, so of course he has to eat some supplements.”

Qi Du: “……”

Zhang Wenxue added, “You also don’t need to tell him that this chicken soup was made by me. Just the intent is fine, I don’t care about anything else.”

Qi Du: “……”

No, it’s ok master!

What if martial uncle thinks I want to poison him!

Zhang Wenxue wiped his hands on his apron and scooped up the chicken soup, placing it into the food basket. He wanted to hand it to Qi Du, but Qi Du didn’t want to reach out for it. Zhang Wenxue furrowed his brows in confusion. But as someone who believed himself to be good at understanding others, he thought for a bit, then understood.

Zhang Wenxue looked at Qi Du benevolently then asked earnestly, “Little Du, are you hungry? How about you drink a bowl first before you leave?”

Qi Du: “……”

Qi Du hurriedly snatched the food basket, backed up several steps, and said in alarm, “No, I’m fine master! This is martial uncle’s chicken soup! I won’t be greedy!”

“But……”

Zhang Wenxue hadn’t finished his sentence when Qi Du ran away with the food basket in his arms.

Qi Du knew his master’s cooking skills.

With just a look you can tell that if you eat just one bite of this thing you’d ascend to heaven. Little martial uncle hasn’t fallen in love with him yet; of course he couldn’t die first!

—

Fifteen minutes later, Qi Du carried Zhang Wenxue’s chicken soup and stood with a heavy heart outside the Dustless Residence, where Jiang Su stayed. He was a bit nervous.

He thought to himself. Yesterday, martial uncle rejected his attempts at expressing goodwill and made his sword fly down Snowfall cliff, breaking his heart and making him give up on this first love of him.

But now he knows that last night, martial uncle went down Snowfall Cliff and braved the danger and cold to retrieve his sword.

His young, romantic heart finally lit up again with the flames of love—

A servant rushed out of the Dustless Residence with a basin of water in his arms, followed by the disciple of the sect’s doctor on his heels.

Qi Du looked over and saw that the basin had strips of bloodied cloth floating inside. The doctor’s disciple ran out in a fluster, muttering the names of various medicines under his breath. Obviously, he had been told by his master to go the medicine hall to retrieve medicine.

Qi Du flinched, increasingly touched and worried. Unable to care about anything else, he rushed to the door and reached out to knock, choked with emotion.

So it turns out, his martial uncle had gotten so heavily injured just to retrieve his sword for him!

His martial uncle definitely has him in his heart!

His emotions were surging, so he accidentally didn’t control his strength properly. When his hand reached the door, it opened it completely instead.

Qi Du sobbed, “Martial uncle! How are you—”

Jiang Su sat next to the bed, and in his arms was a half-conscious handsome young man who was looking up at Qi Du blankly.

His speech was cut off abruptly.

Qi Du: “……”

Qi Du: “I’m sorry for disturbing you.”

He silently took half a step back and closed the door.

……

Qi Du stood outside the door silently. He overheard the discussion of two disciples who were passing by.

“Where did little martial uncle save that person?” one disciple prattled. “His injuries are so heavy it’s a miracle he’s able to hold on for so long.”

“Seems like he carried him up from the bottom of Snowfall Cliff,” another female disciple said in admiration. “Martial uncle Jiang is true to his title of the Dustless Sword Master. After all, that’s Snowfall Cliff. Just looking down from it makes me dizzy.”

Qi Du: “……”

That disciple originally wanted to keep talking, but then she noticed Qi Du standing next to the door. She was startled and immediately shut up, afraid to speak any more.

Qi Du felt as if his heart had been doused in cold water again.

His martial uncle went down Snowfall Cliff and not only retrieved his sword, but also brought back a wild man!

Qi Du’s eyes were filled with tears, and his heart was filled with grievances. But at this time, the door opened.

Jiang Su stood behind the door and looked at him. “What business do you have with me–”

Jiang Su paused.

Yesterday, Qi Du had already cried so much that his eyes were red and swollen, and now his eyes were wet with tears, making him look especially pitiful, as if there were some unspeakable grievances.

Jiang Su’s face turned serious. He asked in concern, “What happened?”

Qi Du rubbed his eyes, doing his best to regain his composure and holding back his tears. “I’m okay, martial uncle.”

Jiang Su asked, “What’s wrong with your eyes?”

Qi Du sniffled, “I’m really–”

Jiang Su: “Were you hit by someone again? So badly that they’re so horribly swollen?”

Qi Du: “–fine.”

Qi Du: “……”

……

Qi Du expressionlessly held the ceramic spoon and mixed the “chicken soup” in the bowl with all his strength. Meanwhile, Jiang Su sat sternly next to the table and continued to lecture.

“Where did all the martial arts you practice these past few years go to,” Jiang Su furrowed his brows slightly. “The eyes are a weak point. How could you let someone carelessly injure you there.”

Qi Du: “……”

Grinding his teeth, he scooped out a big bowl of black “chicken soup” for Jiang Su that was almost completely composed of medicine.

“It’s already been ten years since you’ve entered the sect,” Jiang Su said with disappointment. “How could you dawdle like this.”

Qi Du added another spoon full of medicine for Jiang Su and ferociously handed it over to him.

“Whatever,” Jiang Su took the soup and sighed. “Tell me, who was the one who hit you.”

Qi Du flinched.

“No matter what, you are a disciple of the sect. It’s too embarrassing just to be hit like this,” Jiang Su said coldly. “Whoever hit you, I’ll make them experience it in return.”

Qi Du’s heart skipped a beat, actually feeling a bit touched. He was just about to call out “Martial uncle”, but…then he saw Jiang Su raise the hand that held that tar-like chicken soup and gurgle it all down.

Qi Du: “……”

It’s over.

He covered his face with his hand.

Martial uncle will definitely hate him to death.

Calmly, Jiang Su drank a few sips of the “chicken soup”. Then, he furrowed his brows and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Qi Du: “……Nothing, nothing. This soup is very nutritious. Martial uncle please drink more.”

He saw that Jiang Su’s expression completely didn’t change, as if he completely didn’t realize how terrifying was the thing he had just drunk. And suddenly, Qi Du realized just where his master’s confidence in his cooking skills came from.

Zhang Wenxue rarely cooked, but when he did most of the time it was for Jiang Su. Qi Du had never tasted it, but……just looking at it made you feel terrified.

Coincidentally, the doctor had just finished cleaning up his tools and came to explain Mu Yichuan’s condition. “He is already awake. It’s great to be young. His foundation is good, so as long as he takes care of his body he will be able to recover quickly.”

Jiang Su suddenly thought of the chicken soup he was drinking.

He brought over that bowl of “chicken soup” and showed it to the doctor, asking whether the medicine inside would help Mu Yichuan’s recovery.

That doctor looked at the medicine in it earnestly and said, “This is indeed a good supplement. You can let that young warrior drink some.”

Jiang Su immediately became interested and started to get another bowl of soup for Mu Yichuan.

Qi Du was stupified.

No, martial uncle! Apart from you, absolutely no one else can drink this chicken soup!

But Jiang Su had already quickly scooped up a big bowl of soup and brought it over. Sitting on the side of the bed, he carefully held up the weakened Mu Yichuan and said earnestly, “Here, drink this.”

Mu Yichuan: “……”

Mu Yichuan looked at the bowl filled with a black unknown liquid that even seemed somewhat congealed and sticky. There was even a clenched, gnarled chicken claw with flesh falling off from the bones that reached out straight toward the sky like death throes. He fell silent for a long time before finally taking the profferred soup spoon and gently mixing it once. Confused, he asked, “……Is this medicine?”

Jiang Su sincerely shook his head. “It’s a healthy meal.”

Mu Yichuan: “……”

Wordlessly, he took the soup and drank it all down.

It was obvious that he thought that it tasted horrible. His brows were furrowed and his expression was bad, but from beginning to end he did not complain. As if he was used to the terrifying medicinal flavor, he slowly drank all of the chicken soup.

Qi Du was again stupefied.

Wait, wait, what’s with this? Are there two brave souls in this house?

Or could it be……Perhaps master’s soup only looked terrifying, but the taste was not that bad?

He couldn’t help but look carefully at what little remained of the chicken soup.

Most of the medicinal ingredients had been scooped into martial uncle’s bowl, so what was left was mostly just soup and chicken meat. It looked far better than what it looked like before. He gulped. He picked up a soup ladle, scooped up a small spoonful of chicken soup, then carefully smelled it.

It smelled like some weird Chinese medicine that had been cooked for two days straight.

Qi Du looked up again and saw that Mu Yichuan had already calmly finished the chicken soup and was now slowly and elegantly wiping his mouth with a piece of cloth without any sign of discomfort. So, unable to resist his curiosity, he held his breath and took a bite.

At this time, Jiang Su took back the empty soup bowl from Mu Yichuan and earnestly asked, “Tastes horrible right?”

Mu Yichuan: “……”

Qi Du: “……”

“I also think it takes horrible,” Jiang Su said. “But my senior brother just loves to make this kind of stuff. After so many years, I’ve even gotten used to it.”

Mu Yichuan: “……”

Qi Du: “……”

Jiang Su: “Don’t hate me. It’s also for your own good. Just think of it as good medicine tasting bad.”

After awhile, Mu Yichuan slowly said, “No worries. At my home, Jia Vice…..my family’s cooking skills aren’t that great.” He coughed. “I’m already used to it.”

The two of them exchanged gazes. It was as if they had suddenly found something common between them and felt a mutual appreciation for each other. Mu Yichuan finally raised the corner of his lips and smiled slightly at Jiang Su.

Completely satisfied, Jiang Su slowly turned around.

Qi Du clenched onto his mouth, his face pale. His eyes were wide and filled with tears, and his body couldn’t help but tremble.

Jiang Su flinched.

“Martial nephew? You……” Jiang Su felt as if he understood. Somewhat worried, he said, “Could it be that you were hit until you had internal injuries??”

Qi Du: “……”

Qi Du: “QAQ”