Chapter 28 The Guozhao Principle

With the unwavering help of Li Bingqing, Deming spent two diligent years learning to read and write, his mind absorbing knowledge like a sponge. He learned to play the guzheng, its melodic strings now responding to his touch, and equipped himself with its intricate spells, weaving magic with music. He even learned to sew and cook, mastering practical skills he'd never imagined. He liked the peaceful, nurturing environment in Guzheng Sector, a stark contrast to his traumatic past. For the first time in his life, he finally had someone who respected him, who saw him as worthy, and he felt that this was truly where he belonged, a haven. He decided to spend the rest of his life in Guzheng Sector as Dong Enlai, embracing this new identity. He allowed time to heal his wounds; he might still have scars, deep emotional ones, but these scars were already integrated with his skin, part of his new self, and he couldn't tell where the initial incision was, where the old pain began. He spent countless hours learning the rules and principles of different sectors, but what surprised him was that in the entire Guzheng library, a vast repository of knowledge, there was no book, no record of the Guozhao Principle.

Li Bingqing walked into the small, serene backyard, the scent of blooming flowers filling the air, and saw Deming reading intently in the pavilion next to the small lotus pond. She walked to the pavilion, her steps light, and put a plate of freshly made desserts on the table. She smiled shyly at Deming. "Enlai, these are for you. I made them myself."

"For me?" Deming looked at her suspiciously, a faint surprise in his eyes.

Li Bingqing giggled, a soft, melodious sound. "Fool, tomorrow is your birthday! How can you forget your own birthday?"

"Thank you, Bingqing. I completely forgot," Deming replied, a genuine smile touching his lips, a rare occurrence for him.

Li Bingqing said shyly, a blush rising to her cheeks, "I made it myself, just for you." She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling with affection. She picked up a biscuit with her right hand and stretched it to his mouth, offering it.

Deming stared at Li Bingqing, a sudden, vivid memory flashing through his mind. He recalled the first time he met Guozhao Zhiqiang, when the boss covered his eyes and he couldn't see, and Guozhao Zhiqiang had to feed him. The second time was when they were in a tavern; Guozhao Zhiqiang had to feed him then too, because he couldn't use chopsticks. Li Bingqing smiled and nodded to him, patiently waiting. Deming opened his mouth and bit the biscuit, the taste sweet and comforting.

"How is it?" Li Bingqing smiled, her eyes searching his.

Deming smiled back at her, a genuine, warm smile. "It's delicious, Bingqing, thank you."

"Good," Li Bingqing replied, her smile widening. "I heard that you are making rapid progress in your studies, Enlai. Everyone is impressed."

Deming chuckled softly, a rare, relaxed sound. "Thanks to you, Bingqing. You've been a wonderful teacher."

"Enlai, it will be the annual competition in three months. It seems that everyone is stepping up their practice, preparing intensely," Li Bingqing said, changing the subject.

"I will not participate," Deming replied, his voice firm.

"Why not? With your ability, you can easily be a team leader, a top disciple!" Li Bingqing asked, surprised.

Deming shook his head and smiled gently at Li Bingqing. He then asked, his voice serious, "Bingqing, I have read almost all the books in the library, but I haven't found a single book on the Guozhao principles. It's strange."

Li Bingqing smiled, a knowing look in her eyes. "How can the principle of Guozhao Hunters be in our sector's library, Enlai? They're not like us."

"Other sector principles are here, though," Deming noted, puzzled.

Li Bingqing explained, "Because the Guozhao Hunters never declare that they are a sector in front of others; they have always called themselves simply 'hunters.' So the six main sectors do not officially recognize them, therefore, our library does not have their principles listed like the others."

"Really? What if someone is interested and wants to learn their principle?" Deming asked, a flicker of something new in his eyes.

Li Bingqing nodded. "If you want to learn from them, truly learn their principles, you must go to Cloud City. That's their home."

"Does Cloud City really exist?" Deming asked, a ghost of a memory stirring within him.

"Yes, Enlai. I heard that when peach blossoms are in full bloom, you can smell the fragrance of flowers miles after miles away, a sweet perfume. Also, the mountains around Cloud City look like a painting from a distance, ethereal and beautiful." She put her hands on her chin, her eyes dreamy. "I would like to go to Cloud City during peach blossom season, it sounds magical." She looked at Deming, a hopeful question in her eyes. "Do you want to go to Cloud City, Enlai?"

Deming looked at Li Bingqing, his heart tightening. "No," he said, his voice firm, a lie. He knew in his heart that he didn't want to go to Cloud City, because if he went to Cloud City, he would go straight back to the old footprints that time had made him forget, back to the pain and the man he was trying to suppress.

Li Bingqing, sensing his reluctance but misinterpreting it, took Deming's hand, pulling him gently. "Come with me, Enlai. Although we don't have the Guozhao Principle, we have a lot of information about well-known hunters, their stories and deeds."

Li Bingqing took Deming to another library, a hidden annex. Deming didn't even know it existed in Guzheng Sector. She opened the heavy wooden door, and Deming followed her in, his curiosity piqued. She said, her voice filled with quiet pride, "Deming, if you want to learn about different well-known hunters, their histories and their power, this is your place. We have saved information about all the well-known hunters, even the unofficial ones."

"Can I study here?" Deming asked, his eyes wide with renewed interest.

Li Bingqing said, "This is the open library for everyone in Guzheng Sector, a place of knowledge. Normally, this place is full of students, but because everyone only focuses on the annual competition right now, no one will come here until the competition is over. You'll have it to yourself."

"Thank you, Bingqing," Deming said, a genuine gratitude in his voice.

"You can stay here overnight, too, if you wish," Li Bingqing added, her smile warm.

Deming stayed in the library for half a month, immersed in the dusty tomes. He had read almost all the books in it, but none seemed to be of interest to him, none captured his attention. He even read Hu Dingxiang's profile, a cold knot forming in his stomach.

He put a book he had finished reading back on the top shelf, but when he turned around, the book, as if by fate, fell off the shelf and hit his head with a soft thud. He squatted on the ground, wincing, until the pain subsided. He looked around for the fallen book, reached out to grab it, but found another old, forgotten book under the shelf, almost hidden. He grabbed the book and wiped the dust off, revealing its title.

Deming read, "Zhao Renshu, The Annihilator," his voice a whisper. He began to read Zhao Renshu's profile, a sense of destiny guiding him. He found that Zhao Renshu's profile was far more interesting than other profiles, captivating him. He saw a detailed drawing of Zhao Renshu when he was in his early twenties, a handsome, serious face. He turned a page, and his breath hitched; he saw a drawing of Guozhao Zhiqiang, unmistakable.

Staring at Guozhao Zhiqiang's drawing, the feeling Deming had been hiding, suppressing for many years, suddenly returned to his body, an overwhelming flood of emotion. At this moment, he could still feel Guozhao Zhiqiang's face inside his hands, the warmth of his skin, the shape of his jaw.

Deming felt his heart beating faster and faster, a frantic drum against his ribs, reaching the point where he couldn't breathe, overwhelmed by the intensity. Then suddenly there were hot tears in his eyes, blurring the image. He murmured, his voice broken, "Zhiqiang... Zhiqiang... why can't I forget you? Why do I still feel this?"

That night, Deming couldn't sleep at all, because all he had in mind was Guozhao Zhiqiang, his image burned into his thoughts. Early in the morning, Deming knocked gently on Teacher Huang's door, his resolve firm. "Teacher Huang, it's me, Dong Enlai," Deming said. He walked into Teacher Huang's study; the air filled with the scent of old paper.

Teacher Huang was sitting at the desk, reviewing students' scores, his brow furrowed in concentration. He looked up, his eyes kind. "Student Dong, what can I do for you so early?"

Deming approached Teacher Huang, his posture respectful. "Teacher Huang, I have read all the books in our library. There are many books written about Guozhao Hunters, but I cannot find their principles, their core teachings."

Teacher Huang said, "It wasn't there at the beginning, Student Dong, so how can you find one now?"

"Why not, Teacher Huang?" Deming asked, his voice filled with genuine curiosity.

Teacher Huang sighed, a weary sound. "It was the rule of six sectors. Those who have not participated in the annual competition, those who do not conform, will not be recognized by the six sectors and other clans. The Guozhao Hunters choose not to participate."

Deming asked, "If the six sectors did not acknowledge their existence, why are the Guozhao Hunters so well known, so famous across the land?"

Teacher Huang, his voice filled with respect, "There are three reasons why they are famous. The first is they stand for righteousness, unwavering in their moral code. The second is their powerful spells, unmatched by any other. The third is their swordsmanship, legendary and precise. These three reasons make the Guozhao Hunters famous and stand out from the other hunters, regardless of official recognition." He looked at Deming, a knowing glint in his eye. "Student Dong, do you want to study the principles of Guozhao Hunters? Is that why you're asking?"

To be honest, Deming did not care about the Guozhao Principle as much as he seemed to. He missed Guozhao Zhiqiang, a deep, aching void in his heart, and wanted to find an excuse to go to Cloud City to see Guozhao Zhiqiang, to be near him again. Deming glanced at Teacher Huang and nodded, feigning scholarly interest.

"Okay," Teacher Huang said, a faint smile on his face. He took out a piece of paper and started writing, his quill scratching softly. After a while, he put the written letter carefully in an envelope. He looked at Deming, his expression serious. "In two months, we will have our annual competition between our disciples. If you leave for Cloud City now, you will not be able to return to the competition on time. This is a grand opportunity for many disciples, a chance for fame and recognition."

Deming smiled, a confident, knowing smile. "Teacher Huang, I don't seek fame or fortune. Only knowledge."

"Student Dong, here," Teacher Huang said, handing the envelope to Deming. "Take this recommendation letter to Cloud City and go learn. May it guide your path."

"Thank you, Teacher Huang," Deming said, taking the envelope, his heart pounding with excitement.

Teacher Huang stood up and sighed, a nostalgic look in his eyes. "When I was younger, I was just like you, eager for knowledge beyond the conventional." He patted Deming's left shoulder lightly, a paternal gesture. "I never liked killing. I practice the guzheng and all its spells to help the frightened spirits and souls to move on, to find peace. Student Dong, your guzheng craftsmanship is not bad, in fact, I am impressed. You have a natural talent." He laughed softly. "Maybe losing your memory is an advantage for you. Before you lost your memory, you learned very slowly, struggling with the basics." He walked back to his desk, opened a drawer, and handed Deming a small, white jade pendant. "Bring this to the finance department. They will give you money for your journey to Cloud City. Consider it a scholarship."

Deming smiled at the old teacher, a genuine warmth in his eyes. "Thank you, Teacher Huang. For everything."

Teacher Huang looked up at Deming, a hopeful glint in his eye. "Perhaps, you can make some adjustments to our principles after you learn the Guozhao Principles, enriching our own teachings."

The next day, Deming led the horse, its hooves clopping softly, and walked along the small mountain road to the main road, his heart filled with anticipation. He heard Li Bingqing calling him from behind, her voice breathless. He stopped and waited for Li Bingqing, his heart aching slightly.

Li Bingqing asked, almost out of breath, her face flushed, "Enlai, you left without telling me! Why?"

"I'm sorry, Bingqing," Deming replied, his voice gentle. "I will be back in a few months, I promise."

"If I didn't happen to meet Teacher Huang this morning, I might not know you are going to Cloud City," Li Bingqing said, a hint of hurt in her voice.

"I don't want to worry you, Bingqing. You can go back now. I'm leaving," Deming told her, trying to dismiss her gently.

Deming turned around and was about to go down the road, but Li Bingqing, with a sudden surge of emotion, grabbed Deming's waist and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his back.

"Enlai, I'll wait for you," Li Bingqing said softly, her voice muffled against his back. She let go of Deming and, with tears in her eyes, ran up the mountain, watching him go.

Deming watched Li Bingqing run up the mountain road, her figure growing smaller. He knew very well that if he hadn't completed the disciple contest, he would not be a complete disciple of the Guzheng Sector, his training incomplete. But his task now was to find Guozhao Zhiqiang; the rest was not important, not anymore. He continued to walk towards the main road, his steps firm. When he merged with the main road, he turned around and gave Haven Mountain one last look, a farewell to his temporary home. Deming jumped on his horse and rode away from Haven Mountain, heading to Cloud City, towards his undeniable fate.