Time-Traveling Love

“Here’s the treasure sword!” Liu Bugun shouted as he swung his sword at the enemy below. “Keep your sword; we only want her,” came a hollow voice from behind the black cloth. “Then you’ll have to ask my sword.” Liu Bugun knew he had to defeat the enemy quickly to save Caitong. What puzzled him was why these two black-clad men, who wanted the sword last night, now took Xu Caitong instead. “Let her go,” Liu Bugun said, launching several attacks at the black-clad figure from all directions. With a flash of light and shadow, Liu Bugun split the face of the black-clad man in half, and he fell dead. Liu Bugun leaped forward, chasing the other black-clad man carrying Caitong. Seeing Liu Bugun close in, the black-clad man threw Xu Caitong towards him. In a moment of urgency, Liu Bugun threw his sword, leaped forward, and caught Xu Caitong just before she hit the ground. The black-clad man was pierced through the heart by Liu Bugun’s sword and fell dead. Liu Bugun lifted the unconscious Xu Caitong, his heart aching at the sight of her pale, frightened face. He held her tightly. “Darling, darling,” Liu Bugun pressed hard on her philtrum, and Caitong slowly came to, her eyes full of confusion. “Are you awake?” Liu Bugun, who had been extremely anxious, suddenly turned cold as he saw her awake, pushing her away. Caitong looked up, still unsure of what had happened, feeling dizzy and listless. But when her gaze fell on the corpses on the ground, she screamed in terror, collapsing weakly. “What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” Liu Bugun hadn’t expected her to be so frightened. He quickly knelt beside her, his brows furrowed in concern. “Ghosts… ghosts,” Caitong pointed at the bodies. “There are no ghosts,” Liu Bugun said, looking at the corpses. “Really, no ghosts, they’ve been killed by me.” “No, no,” Xu Caitong cried, burying her head in Liu Bugun’s chest, her hands desperately clutching him as if afraid he might leave her. Liu Bugun carried Xu Caitong into the dilapidated temple, where remnants of walls and tiles lay scattered, dust and rats everywhere. He found a cleaner spot to lay her down, his heart filled with both pity and pain at her fragile state. “It’s okay, it’s really okay now,” he consoled her. Xu Caitong sat on the ground, her face streaked with tears and confusion, her heart torn by Liu Bugun’s hot and cold demeanor. She thought of her journey from a twisted time to this world, feeling utterly alone and heartbroken, she burst into tears again. Liu Bugun, witnessing her despair, felt helpless. He had never been close to a woman, let alone comforted one. Xu Caitong cried until she was exhausted. After a sleepless night and the shock, she was truly tired, and soon drifted into a deep sleep. When Xu Caitong awoke, the sun was setting. The temple was now clean, but Liu Bugun was nowhere to be seen, causing her heart to sink. She hurried out and saw Liu Bugun outside, washing a horse he had found from somewhere, now dressed in casual attire. Xu Caitong leaned against the temple door, watching him, her heart fluttering with an inexplicable emotion. Who was he really? Why did she feel like she had known him forever? Had she seen him in dreams? In…? Liu Bugun turned around, seeing Xu Caitong awake and leaning by the door, her face a mix of confusion and beauty, stirring his heart deeply. He tied the horse to a tree and walked back into the temple. “Are you hungry?” he asked, handing her a bowl of sweet potatoes. “What about you?” she asked softly, taking the bowl. “Once we’re full, we’ll head back to the city.” “Are you going to send me back to the Xu Mansion?” Xu Caitong asked, poking at the sweet potatoes, her appetite gone. A mouse scurried by, nearly making her drop the bowl. “Even if you don’t want to marry Liu Bugun, there’s no need to run away from home,” Liu Bugun said, standing behind her, facing the temple door. “I,” Xu Caitong sighed, “I don’t want to go back to the Xu Mansion. Will you take me away? To Yanyu Mountain, can you?” Xu Caitong thought of the Xu Mansion as a cage, herself like a bird trapped within. Coming from the free and open 21st century, could he understand the feeling of being without freedom? In her heart, there was another reason; perhaps Yanyu Mountain was a mystical place where she could find immortals to help her return to the 21st century. “I may be simple, but I would never do anything disloyal or unfilial. Even sheep show gratitude to their mother for milk, let alone humans. How could I do something that would break the hearts of your parents?” “I…” Xu Caitong, feeling misunderstood, burst into tears again, walking out of the temple to sit under a tree, overwhelmed with mixed emotions. Liu Bugun stood behind her, puzzled by her deep sorrow. “If you don’t like Liu Bugun, you should go back and call off the engagement,” he said, feeling frustrated. Seeing her like this, how could he force her to marry him? What difference would that make from Yang Kun? Xu Caitong hugged the tree trunk, her gaze lost in the sky. Where, in which cloud, lay the place her soul yearned for? “Don’t be sad, Liu promises to take you to Yanyu Mountain.” Xu Caitong slowly turned her head, looking at Liu Bugun, gazing into his eyes filled with a firm resolve. Unable to resist, Xu Caitong threw herself into Liu Bugun’s arms. “Thank you,” she cried, clinging tightly to him. Liu Bugun, held by Xu Caitong, stood there dumbfounded for quite a while before gently pushing her away. As night fell, the dilapidated temple was shrouded in darkness, and Liu Bugun and Xu Caitong returned inside. Liu Bugun lit the oil lamp, casting a faint glow within the temple. “We’ll make do here tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll go into the city to greet Xu Fu, and then head north,” Liu Bugun said with his back to Xu Caitong. “Is this place livable?” Xu Caitong surveyed the dilapidated temple. Although Liu Bugun had tidied it up, making it look clean and orderly, the temple was still in ruins, with a leaky roof and drafty walls. “There are no other dwellings nearby; though the temple is broken, it can still offer some shelter from the wind and rain.” Xu Caitong picked up the unfinished sweet potato from earlier, but just as she took a bite, a small mouse fell from the rafters directly into her bowl. “Ah-” Xu Caitong screamed, dropping the bowl to the ground. “What’s wrong?” Liu Bugun quickly came to her side, and Xu Caitong turned around in panic. Their faces were almost touching, and Xu Caitong realized how close they were, so close she could hear his breathing clearly. Their eyes met, staring blankly at each other. In that moment, everything stood still; his eyes held only her, and her eyes held only him. “Who are you?” Xu Caitong asked in a trance-like state. “I am Liu Bugun,” he replied. Xu Caitong’s eyes widened in shock. Was this heroic man the one she was supposed to marry? “You are Liu Bugun?” Xu Caitong asked, walking around him in surprise. Liu Bugun, coming to his senses, realized he had said too much and quickly corrected himself, “I am Liu Bugun’s brother, Liu Lan, yes, Liu Lan.” Liu Bugun walked to the temple door, leaning on the frame with his left hand, trying to calm himself. Xu Caitong couldn’t understand why she felt such a special connection to this ancient man; a warm current flowed through her heart. Though they had not known each other long, in the depths of her soul, it felt as if they had known each other for tens of thousands of years. “Liu Bugun?” Xu Caitong muttered the name, staring blankly at him. He wasn’t Liu Bugun? She tried to shake off her confusion; she was from the 21st century, how could she have met him? “You’re not Liu Bugun? Really not him?” Xu Caitong pressed, staring at him. “No,” Liu Bugun turned away. “Not?” A deep disappointment overwhelmed her, though she couldn’t explain why she felt this way. Wasn’t she hoping to annul the engagement? Did she not want to annul it if he was indeed Liu Bugun? Her mind was in turmoil. Why did she feel enchanted after meeting him? Did she really want to marry him? Was she an irrational woman? Why did she hope he was Liu Bugun? Was it because of his kiss and words last night that she hoped he was Liu Bugun? “Why do I feel like I’ve known you, from a very long time ago?” Xu Caitong murmured. “What are you talking about?” Liu Bugun laughed bitterly. What was she saying? Love at first sight? That was just a fairy tale. “I don’t know, but I feel a sense of familiarity with you,” Xu Caitong continued. Little did she know, this man before her had awakened long-buried feelings in her soul, feelings from a distant past when they were deeply in love. Liu Bugun stood before the altar, staring at the flickering oil lamp. His large frame blocked the swaying light, making the temple even darker. “Do you really intend to take me to Yanyuan Mountain?” Xu Caitong asked softly, to confirm he wasn’t deceiving her. “I, Liu Bugun, am not one to break my promises,” Liu Bugun said emotionlessly. Xu Caitong looked at his broad back, puzzled by his sudden coldness. And she was even more confused; last night she was worried he might take advantage of her, and now she was willing to follow him to Yanyuan Mountain. “That’s not what I meant,” Xu Caitong said, feeling wronged. Hadn’t he said he loved her? Was this his love? The distant howling of wolves and the rustling of the wind through the grass could be heard, and through the cracks in the walls, the dark night sky was visible, with shadows of trees swaying ominously. It seemed as if thousands of troops were lurking around the temple. Xu Caitong’s mind was haunted by images of reanimated corpses, as if they were howling outside the temple. She shivered, wanting to cling to the man inside for protection, believing he would keep her safe. This was the first time in her life she had faced such a dire situation. Trembling, Xu Caitong approached Liu Bugun, wanting to tell him she was scared. “Stay back,” Liu Bugun, sitting on the ground under the altar, coldly stopped her as she approached. He was afraid she would come closer, afraid he wouldn’t be able to control his desire to embrace her. Xu Caitong was halted by his cold expression; the ice in his eyes pierced her heart like a sword. Her heart ached terribly, as if a sword had pierced her chest. Xu Caitong, clutching her chest, retreated to the wall, squatting down, her chest pain causing her to break out in cold sweat. Overwhelmed by fear and pain, she covered her face with her arms, silently weeping. Suddenly, a gust of wind howled, “Shhh-” Liu Bugun sprang to his feet, unsheathed his sword, and quickly pulled Xu Caitong up. He heard faint footsteps outside. “What’s wrong?” Liu Bugun asked, seeing Xu Caitong’s tear-streaked face. Another gust of wind blew through the broken windows, extinguishing the flickering lamp. In an instant, several men in black burst through the door and windows, and with a loud crash, more descended from the roof. Liu Bugun gripped Xu Caitong tightly, fearing he might lose her again. He counted five enemies in total, confident he could defeat them, but Xu Caitong would be a hindrance. The black-clad men surrounded them. Amidst the howling wind and long night, the temple was filled with the clash of steel and ghostly howls. Liu Bugun’s sword danced like flowing stars. “Clang, clang, clang,” the weapons of the black-clad men were knocked away, and with a swift counterattack, Liu Bugun felled one of them, opening an escape route. Holding Xu Caitong, he leaped through a window, mounted the horse tethered outside, and fled into the night. The black horse, carrying two people on its back, galloped northward. Black-clad figures, like ghostly apparitions, “swished” through the air. Were they humans or ghosts? Xu Caitong screamed in terror, while Liu Bugun pointed his sword at the sky, shouting, “Demons and fiends, meet your doom now!” The ghostly figures in the sky circled menacingly, their laughter growing more terrifying and grotesque, as if demons were whirling in the air. “Mo Xie, Purple Moon, come die with me!” Sharp, eerie shrieks filled the air, sending chills down one’s spine. Liu Bugun urged his horse forward; the ghosts conjured up a massive whirlwind, uprooting trees, and the giant vortex seemed poised to engulf both man and horse. “Hiss-” The startled horse reared up, and Liu Bugun, tightening the reins with one hand and holding his sword with the other, shouted, “Fiend, taste my blade!” He hurled his treasured sword towards the center of the whirlwind. The wind wrapped around the sword, spinning it around, and with a “crack,” the blade shattered into two pieces, flying back towards Liu Bugun. Without thinking, Liu Bugun quickly unslung a precious box from his back, deflecting the broken sword with a “clang,” sending it flying several meters away. The colossal whirlwind then swept up both man and horse; Liu Bugun and Xu Caitong were drawn into the vortex, surrounded by darkness, with the sound of rustling wind mixed with the flow of water, shouts, and the howls of ghosts and wolves, as if a thousand troops were waiting for them to perish within. Liu Bugun swiftly drew his sword from the box, the blade emitting a sharp aura even sheathed, its chilling presence palpable. Ahead, two ghostly eyes glowed like lanterns. Liu Bugun raised his sword, sending it flying, sheath and all, towards the eyes. “Ah!” A scream followed, as the ghostly eyes spurted out blood-red fluid, and the great wind abruptly ceased, the black attire of the ghosts tearing into countless fragments. Liu Bugun and Xu Caitong, along with the horse, fell to the ground. Chapter Six: As dawn broke in the east, an exhilarating night was about to end. Both were covered in the foul-smelling fluid of the ghosts. The black horse, carrying the two, sped towards the north. The sky grew clearer, and a small river, reflecting the first rays of sunlight, lay before them. After a night of exertion, the horse was tired. Liu Bugun let the horse rest by the riverbank, where Xu Caitong sat with her feet in the water, the cool river washing away her fatigue. She stripped off her dirty clothes, leaving only her undergarments. Liu Bugun approached, seeing her in her thin, clinging attire, he was concerned she might catch a cold, picked up the dirty clothes, and draped them over her. “Why did you take off your clothes? It’s cold in the morning; be careful not to catch a chill.” Xu Caitong turned her head, glanced at the clothes in Liu Bugun’s hand, then looked at him. Recalling his indifference in the broken temple and his bravery in saving her, she couldn’t quite understand him. Gratefully, she smiled brightly at him, then turned to look at the dazzling sun. Exhausted and emotionally drained from the night, she felt a chill thinking about his indifference in the temple. She rested her chin on her hand, silently gazing into the distance. Liu Bugun was momentarily dazed by her radiant smile. Sitting beside Xu Caitong, he scooped up some water to wash his face, then turned to look at her, noticing her weary, pale face. Remembering her tears last night, he felt a pang of guilt. “I’m sorry,” Liu Bugun whispered an apology. Xu Caitong turned to look at him, full of questions. Was it for the previous night’s flippancy, or for his indifference in the temple? What kind of man was he, really? She was silent for a moment, just watching him. “A new day has come,” Liu Bugun said, knowing she was watching him, deliberately looking up at the sky. “The sun is beautiful.” “Were we facing humans or ghosts?” Xu Caitong asked, lowering her head, still haunted by the events of the previous night. Everything that happened was so unbelievable, she would never have believed it if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes. “I’ve fought many battles, captured enemies on the battlefield, but I’ve never encountered anything like this. It seems the world is facing a great calamity. With the Mo Xie Sword drawn, there will surely be bloodshed,” Liu Bugun shook his head, explaining. “Why?” “The Mo Xie Sword is not an ordinary treasure. Legend has it that at the dawn of humanity, Mo Xie used this sword to cleave the heavens and the earth, slaying the evil dragon that blocked the way…” Liu Bugun said, touching the sword’s sheath. He was a sword enthusiast, and seeing the Mo Xie Sword was a lifelong dream. “A beautiful legend, a beautiful story. What do we do now?” Xu Caitong asked. “We head north, take the sword north to see what happens.” “Right, with the divine sword drawn, we shall witness the legend of the heavens,” Liu Bugun said, looking at Xu Caitong, who seemed to have forgotten the night’s terror and panic. “Aren’t you afraid?” “With you here, I’m not afraid,” Xu Caitong shook her head. “Do I really deserve such trust? Aren’t you afraid I might be a bad person?” “No, you’re not a bad person. You make me feel like we’ve known each other for a very long time,” Xu Caitong said, looking at him. Liu Bugun was speechless for a moment. “No,” Liu Bugun finally said after a long silence, “I should take you back to the Xu residence. There’s nothing that can’t be solved. Once back, you can dissolve the engagement with Liu Bugun.” Liu Bugun felt a tightness in his chest as he watched the river flow by, feeling quite downcast. He was about to dissolve his engagement with the woman beside him, yet he would still be by her side day and night, which was a torment for him. “Didn’t we agree to go north to find the Yanyuan Mountain together? Why change your mind?” Xu Caitong asked, looking at him puzzledly. “Though you and Liu Bugun are set to dissolve your engagement, it’s still not proper for us, a man and a woman, to be alone together. It would damage your reputation. Though I’m a rough man, I understand the principles of propriety. How can I face your family if you don’t return to the Xu residence?” “Dissolving the engagement isn’t something I can decide alone,” Xu Caitong said quietly, feeling the weight of the ancient times where every action was governed by strict moral codes. She sighed inwardly; she couldn’t ask them to change, as every era has its limitations. Who could change history? Having been swept into this era, she could only move forward with it. “Yes, you can, if you truly don’t want it, you can dissolve the engagement.” “How do you know?” Xu Caitong asked curiously. Liu Bugun didn’t respond, thinking to himself, I am Liu Bugun, how would I not know? “Can you decide?” Xu Caitong asked again. “Yes,” Liu Bugun jumped up from the riverbank, affirming. “Are you Liu Bugun?” Xu Caitong asked in surprise. “No.” Liu Buqun, upon being questioned by Cai Tong, realized he had inadvertently let slip some information. He quickly denied, “I am merely his brother, Liu Lan. I can persuade Brother Buqun. He is not an unreasonable man.” Xu Caitong turned around, staring at him, hoping to catch a glimpse of any flaw in his expression. “So, does Master Liu know Liu Buqun well? I would like to hear more about it,” Xu Caitong inquired.