134. Sworn by the Souls of My Parents

Late September carried the solitude of autumn.

In the floral hall of the Feng residence, Gu Fei once again saw the patriarch Feng Puyu. At first glance, she fell silent.

The once vigorous old man now showed a dull crown of silver hair, his beard lifeless and pale. Beneath the sagging eyelids were cloudy eyes; in just a few days, he seemed drained of all vitality, as though shrouded in twilight, on the verge of death.

Her lips twitched, and she could only weakly say, “Elder Feng, please take care.”

Feng Puyu glanced at her with indifferent eyes, devoid of emotion. Seated on the couch, dressed in a plain crow-blue silk robe, he appeared hollow. After a long pause, he said, “Have you read the letter Li wrote to you?”

Gu Fei nodded. The letter contained nothing but simple farewells and requests for her to visit occasionally and look after Feng Puyu. This was not a difficult task for her.

Feng Puyu frowned, his face deeply lined with wrinkles, carrying the heavy weariness of old age. It was a pity; even the Feng family, once so grand, was now in decline.

“From the start, I didn’t like you,” Feng Puyu began to ramble, “Li’s temperament is proud, but at heart, he is pure. The Feng family has passed down its craft for generations—no commerce, no officialdom. Our craft has never faltered.”

“I was once reckless in my youth; I knew Li’s thoughts well,” his eyes drifted into the distance, his expression wistful as memories flooded back. “But then you appeared…”

“If it were just a matter of love between you and Li, I would be glad,” he sighed, “but unfortunately…”

His gaze sharpened suddenly as he looked at Gu Fei. “Even if he couldn’t master ink-making, Li would never have joined the military. I don’t wish to blame you, but you cannot deny your involvement.”

Gu Fei listened quietly, her eyes half-lidded, long lashes casting shadows over her pale face, her true feelings unreadable.

“When Li left, he wrote two letters: one to you, and one to me. I think you should see mine.” He pulled the letter from his sleeve and handed it to the head steward to give to Gu Fei.

She looked up, expression calm as an ancient well, and accepted the letter. Since Elder Feng wanted her to read it, she obliged.

As she skimmed through the words, surprise grew on her face until finally, she stared at Feng Puyu in astonishment, unable to utter a word.

Feng Puyu held his teacup, removed the lid, skimmed the froth, and murmured, “Are you surprised? I am too. Who would have thought Li actually intended to—”

“To ask me to adopt you as my granddaughter and pass on the Feng family legacy!”

Even though she had sensed this from the letter, hearing it from Feng Puyu’s mouth unsettled her deeply. She stared at him, her first thought: could it be that Li never intended to return?

The steam from the tea faded, yet Feng Puyu did not drink. He placed the cup down deliberately and fixed his solemn gaze on Gu Fei.

“The Feng family line is singular. When Li’s parents died young, I raised him from a child of three. After years of hard work, he mastered the craft. In a few years, when I am gone, he could carry the family forward steadily.”

“If not for you, Li would not have been targeted by the eldest son of the great Jing ink family. Now Li wants me to accept you—hmpf.” Feng Puyu sneered, his disdain for Gu Fei clear. “Setting precedent aside, your status itself is unsuitable. You are destined for great things and will return to the ink family eventually. What place would that leave my Feng family?”

His voice grew louder, more severe with each word, until his final syllable cut through the room like ice.

Gu Fei clenched the letter, her knuckles whitening as she creased the paper. After a pause, she said, “I have no rebuttal to your words, Elder Feng. The facts are as you say. The fault lies with me, and I accept it. The grudge between Moge Yi and Li, I will avenge.”

She hesitated briefly, a thousand thoughts flashing through her mind, but her words remained sincere and unembellished.

“The Feng family’s versatile Willow Hammer technique is indeed coveted by me. But a gentleman knows what to pursue and what to avoid. I have never wished to exploit a family of virtue like yours, Elder Feng. Therefore, I cannot agree with Li’s plan.”

“In years to come, Li might return. So please, Elder Feng, take good care of your health. When I return to Jing, I will send someone to inquire about him.”

Gu Fei spoke without arrogance or servility. At the end, she even bowed respectfully.

Feng Puyu’s gaze was profound, as if peering into an ancient well, searching the depths of her heart for her true thoughts.

With the conversation concluded, Gu Fei wished not to linger. “I have other matters. I bid you farewell. Please take care, Elder Feng.”

She turned to leave, and the nightingale by her side swiftly wheeled the chair forward.

The head steward, who had witnessed everything from the hall’s threshold, looked anxiously at Feng Puyu and then at Gu Fei. “Great-grandfather…”

Outside the hall, You Er waited, and as they neared the threshold, he bent down, lifting Gu Fei and her wheelchair with ease, and the three of them continued their way out.

“Wait,” Feng Puyu finally spoke, sitting firm in the hall, shadows cascading over his thin frame, making his age more apparent. “Come back.”

Gu Fei turned her wheelchair with a puzzled look. “Elder Feng, what is your command?”

Her tone was respectful, fitting for a junior addressing an elder.

Feng Puyu rose and slowly paced over to her. Standing just outside the hall, separated by the threshold, he said, “There’s no better day than today. Follow me.”

Even his words had changed.

Gu Fei furrowed her brow, a tremor stirring in her heart. A sudden thought struck like lightning, tearing through the sky, leaving her incredulous.

Feng Puyu strode ahead. When she didn’t follow immediately, he stomped his foot and barked, “Hmph, must I, an elder, invite you personally?”

Snapping back to attention, Gu Fei hastened, “I dare not.”

The nightingale was about to push her wheelchair forward, but Gu Fei waved her off, choosing to propel herself swiftly after Feng Puyu.

Though Gu Fei had been to the Feng residence before, she was not well acquainted with it.

Following Feng Puyu, they reached the main hall, which was usually closed. Several maids, finishing their cleaning, came out and bowed deeply at the sight of Feng Puyu.

Gu Fei followed but was stopped at the threshold.

You Er wanted to help, but Feng Puyu snapped, “Step aside. If you wish to enter the Feng family’s door, this little matter is no trouble. You must enter by yourself!”

This confirmed Gu Fei’s suspicion. A great joy bubbled within her chest, like water rising in a bubble. Even Feng Puyu’s words did not feel like hardship. But when she thought of Li, a pang of sorrow stirred, making her emotions so tangled she barely understood herself.

The nightingale stepped forward, her face flushed with indignation, about to speak. Gu Fei grasped her hand firmly and ordered, “Stand down!”

“But miss…” The nightingale glanced at the threshold, nearly a foot high, sympathizing with Gu Fei’s plight.

Gu Fei shook her head, signaling them to stay out of it.

Feng Puyu snorted coldly through his nose, seemingly pleased with Gu Fei’s resolve.

At that moment, two maids entered carrying trays—one with teacups, the other with a red envelope. Gu Fei looked at Feng Puyu uncertainly, wondering if he meant for her to go alone from the door to the hall.

Indeed, Feng Puyu said, “Enter on your own.”

Gu Fei’s eyes flickered. Judging the distance—about thirty feet—and the need to cross the threshold, she did not hesitate.

Gripping the wheelchair armrests, she dropped to her knees, lifted her skirt, straightened her back, and knelt her way over the threshold. Step by step, she moved forward on her knees as if they were feet.

Feng Puyu’s face remained expressionless, showing no emotion. Only the head steward beside him felt a pang of pity, wanting to speak in her defense, but dared not meet Feng Puyu’s gaze.

Thirty feet is neither short nor long. Gu Fei’s determined crawl was unwavering. She never once blinked, her back as straight as a pine. Though humble in action, she transformed it into a display of unyielding resilience.

Once she reached Feng Puyu’s feet, she stretched out a hand. “Tea, please.”

The maid hurriedly knelt and offered the tray with the tea.

Gu Fei lifted the cup above her head, her voice clear and firm, like pearls falling upon jade plates. “I offer tea to Grandfather.”

The words “grandfather” slipped out naturally, without hesitation or awkwardness. In her fifteen years, she had never had such an elder, let alone one who bestowed affection.

And Feng Puyu was a man of virtue, revered by many. Unbeknownst to her, alongside respect, a small hope had kindled within her—a tender filial longing.

Feng Puyu received the cup. Even as he sipped the tea, his eyes never left Gu Fei.

After drinking, he stroked his silver beard and said, “Entering the Feng family, one must act with the conduct of a gentleman and speak with the words of a gentleman. If I discover even the slightest deceit from you, I will not go easy.”

“Granddaughter remembers,” Gu Fei lowered her gaze and replied obediently.

“To be of the Feng family means carrying the craft of ink-making as your duty. I care not for your ties to the ink family or your future plans, but the Feng family’s hammer technique must never be shared outside. Even your descendants, if they do not bear the Feng name, must not learn it.”

This was the weight that had long troubled Feng Puyu’s heart.

Gu Fei smiled faintly, then knelt with her palms open, pressing her forehead to the ground. “I swear by the spirits of my parents: should I betray the Feng family’s ancestral teachings, may both my hands be severed, poisoned beyond cure, unable to live or die, never to touch ink again in all my lifetimes.”