无极之诗 Poetry with a Blade

作者：墨熊

多兰大师跑起来的样子，让易想起了争夺配偶时的泥沼蟹…这念头当然是有些失礼，但考虑到大师的年纪，某种意义上应该算是一种称赞。

Yi frowned at Master Doran as the elder scrambled up the path toward him. Like a mud crab during mating season. It was a less than courteous thought, but given the master artisan’s age, it was a compliment of sorts.

易干咳了一声，以持剑之礼朝老锻匠微微欠身，对方却边跑边喘，红光满面地向他摇了摇手：

He gave a short bow toward the gray-haired weaponsmith, cupping his hands together in greeting. Red faced, Doran replied without slowing, his hand waving in rhythm with his gasps for breath.

“来啦来啦！不好意思，老夫睡过啦，迟到了一小会儿。”

“I’m here, I’m here! Sorry for being a little late. These old bones overslept today.”

易瞄了一眼正午的艳阳，多兰说的没错，他确实是迟到了一小会儿——也不过就是一个上午而已。

Yi shot a glance at the midday sun. A little late indeed, if that meant an entire morning.

“‘万物之根，时也，’”易微微皱起眉头：“‘晨露晨至，暮霭暮临，方有日月繁星’。”

“From time, all things spring forth,” Yi recited, his brows furrowed. “Morning dew dawns. Evening mists fall. Thus are born the sun, moon, and stars.”

“嗯？”多兰端起水壶，欲饮又止：“啥？”

Doran paused, his waterskin halfway to his mouth. “What?”

“《法义集》的开篇，您没听过吗？”易有些不敢相信地反问道：“这可是布希的诗。”

“The opening verse from ‘The Compilation of Mandates.’ Have you never heard of it, master?” Yi could hardly believe it. It was a famous verse, most often used to chastise the tardy. “That poem is one of Buxii’s classics.”

法兰搓了搓自己花白的络腮胡，愣了一下：“谁？”

The elder stroked his beard, face scrunched in confusion. “Who?”

布希大师应该是艾欧尼亚历史上最伟大的诗人，易在学会把亲戚的辈分都认明白之前，因呗就开始教他这首《山间夕照》了……就算没听过刚才那段教育别人守时的名句，怎么也应该听过他的名字才对。

Yi’s eyes narrowed. Master Buxii was the greatest poet in Ionian history. Before Yi had learned the names of all his extended family, his father had taught him to recite Buxii’s “The Glow of Sunset Among the Mountains.”

“……别在意。”易润了润嗓子：“师父说今天的修行很重要，叮嘱我一切都听您安排。”

“Never mind.” Yi cleared his throat. “My master has informed me of the importance of today’s training. I am to follow your instructions.”

“修行？”多兰意味深长地“哦”了一声：“他跟你说这是修行？难怪你会来得这么早哟。”

Doran chuckled. “He called this training? No wonder you arrived so early.”

易突然觉得这多兰有点不靠谱。

He must be joking. Yi had met Doran before, at his parents’ workshop. Fair and Emai respected him greatly—though he was once an outsider to the village, Wuju’s smiths and masters had embraced him, so legendary was his skill with hammer and anvil. Yet the similarities between Yi’s parents and Doran ended with their professions. The elder weaponsmith was unkempt, absentminded, and known to be eccentric. And though Yi’s parents knew and respected the great poets, Doran apparently did not.

之前，易在父母的工坊中见过他几次，因呗和伊麦对这位大师非常尊敬——虽说他是个外乡人，而且不修边幅、大大咧咧，但包括易的双亲在内，无极村的匠人们还是很快就折服于其精湛的锻造技术，允许他长居于此。但这么些年的耳濡目染下来，他竟然还是连布希都不认识……这不禁让易愈发怀疑，对于无极之道的奥义，多兰到底能教他点什么。

Not for the first time, Yi questioned what this strange weaponsmith had to teach him about the sacred art of Wuju.

易干咳了一声，露出敷衍的微笑：“所以，我们什么时候开始，大师？”

He forced his lips into a tight smile. “When do we begin, master?”

“对老夫来说，时间肯定够了，至于你嘛……”多兰收好水壶，转身看了一眼来时的路，一条通向无极村的羊肠小道——这个动作让易看到了多兰背在肩上的东西，那是一只崭新的竹篓，蒙着厚实的塔羚皮，论尺寸和样式，应该是远行用的行囊。

“Well, to this old man, we have all the time in the world. But to you…”

“你也不过就练了两季的剑而已，才遇上点小小挫折，又何必如此心急呢？”

Doran packed up his waterskin and turned to glance up the road he had just traveled—a narrow and winding shepherd’s path leading to the village of Wuju. As he turned, Yi noticed the load Doran carried on his shoulders: a basket weaved from bamboo, covered with thick takin hide. It was clearly meant for long journeys.

易不可能不心急——他遇上的可不是什么“小小挫折”，而是关系到他还能不能继续修习无极之道的大大问题。为了耐住性子，他用力捏了捏手里的剑鞘，这个师兄们分享的经验，此时此刻好像不怎么管用。

“You’re what, a mere six moons into swordsman training, and facing your first little setback. Why so impatient?” Doran said.

“大师……”他轻声更正道：“我练剑，已经有整整四季了呀。”

Yi tensed. It was much more than a little setback—it was a problem that could make him unfit to continue training in Wuju style. He clenched and released the sheath of his sword in an attempt to center himself. This trick, taught to him by his fellow disciples, proved fairly ineffective at the moment.

“哦哟，对哦。你已经十五夏了啊……”多兰故作惊讶地捏了捏易的胳膊：“练了四季，嗯，难怪这么结实，平日没少挥剑吧？”

“Master,” he said softly. “I have been studying Wuju swordsmanship for four seasons.”

无论是挥剑、打坐还是念诗，师父交代过的每一件功课，易都不曾有半点懈怠，他不仅比同样身为学徒的同龄人要勤奋，甚至比绝大多数前辈还要用心。现在，他已经能够精确地挥舞出无极剑道中的每一个招式，以最标准的形式迅速进入冥想状态，背下藏经阁中大部分的诗词歌赋……可即便如此，即便他如此努力，现在却陷入了简直可以说是令人绝望的瓶颈。

“Oh! You’re right! You’re fifteen summers now.” Doran pinched Yi’s bicep with an exaggerated look of surprise. “No wonder you’re so strong. You must have been practicing those sword strikes every sunrise, eh?”

想到这里时，易不禁露出了一丝苦涩的浅笑：

Yi had never shirked any assignment his master had given him, whether it was practicing his sword strikes, meditating, or reciting poetry. In fact, he worked harder than his fellow apprentices and most of the older disciples. He could perform every stance and move in Wuju style with incredible precision, enter a meditative state with impeccable speed and form, and recite most of the poems, songs, and scriptures in the Wuju texts. Yet in spite of all his achievements, he had hit an embarrassing plateau in his progress.

“一天差不多四千次吧。”

Yi couldn’t keep a bitter smile from creeping across his face. “About four thousand times every day.”

“一天四千？你这是想当铁匠吧？”

Doran whistled. “Four thousand sword strikes a day? Are you training to be a blacksmith?”

一天挥剑四千次虽说是有点多，但反复练习基本技巧正是无极之道的教义之一：“根基不牢，无以为枝”……多兰不可能连这个都不知道吧？

The young swordsman crossed his arms. Repetition was the essence of a fundamental doctrine of Wuju: The Trunk Is Sturdier than the Branch. Did Doran not even know that?

易正欲解释，多兰却将背上的蒙皮竹篓卸下，硬塞给了他：“那正好，你劲儿大，帮老夫背一会儿。”

Before Yi could respond, Doran removed the bamboo basket from his back and thrust it into his arms. “There you go, then. A fitting load for a strong young man.”

说完，多兰揉了揉肩膀，兀自地迈步前行，而易却犹豫了一下才赶紧跟上：

He massaged his shoulder as he strode away from Yi. Momentarily stunned, Yi ran to catch up.

“大师？您要去哪儿？这是往南的路啊。”

“Master? Where are you headed? This path leads south.”

“南北，老夫还分得清。”

“Don’t you worry,” Doran said. “I can still tell north from south.”

“那……师父说的修行呢？”

“But what about the training?”

“你这么想要修行的话，”多兰将两手背在身后，走得闲庭信步：“咱们这就开始呗。”

“You really want to train that much?” Doran sauntered forward, putting both hands behind his back. “Then let us begin.”

易将信将疑地“嗯”了一声，不再多言。在他的记忆中，从无极村南行，只是大片什么都没有的无人山林，除非多兰想要进去抓野猪，否则实在没有什么能叫得上是“修行”的事情可做了。

Yi paused. South of the Wuju village was nothing but uninhabited woods. Unless Doran’s plan was to go wild boar hunting, there wasn’t much “training” to be done there.

只不过，易已经答应师傅，无论多兰要自己做什么都会服从，所以就算是真的要去抓野猪那也没啥办法了。他将竹篓担到肩头，跟上了多兰的脚步。

But he had promised his master he would obey the old man, and so he slung the bamboo basket over his shoulders, and followed.

易从没有走过这条小路，确切地说，是从没听人提起过它。

Yi had never set foot on this path before—he had never even heard of its existence.

嵌在地上的垫脚石已经残缺不堪，杂草从其间隙中长出，有些甚至像小腿一样高。易觉得这条路应该会通向某个废弃的神殿或者聚落——听长辈说，在多山崎岖的巴鲁鄂省，有许多古老的遗迹潜藏于村镇之外，在漫长的时光中沉默不语……亦无人问津。

The path was marked by stepping stones that were deep in the soil, mostly broken by time and neglect. Wild grass grew between them, sometimes as tall as Yi’s shins. At first, he suspected that this route would lead to some abandoned shrine or settlement. In the mountainous island of Bahrl, ancient ruins were said to lie undisturbed in the woods outside villages and towns.

向南走了一阵之后，老锻匠许诺的修行完全不见踪影，易终于按捺不住好奇，抬了抬背上的蒙皮竹篓：

They had trekked southward for some time, and the weaponsmith’s promise of training hadn’t materialized. Irritated, Yi shifted the bamboo basket on his shoulders. “Master, what exactly am I carrying? It’s heavy.”

“大师，这里面装的是什么呀？挺沉。”

“Swords,” Doran replied without turning to face him. “All swords.”

“剑，”多兰头儿也不会地回道：“都是剑。”

Yi raised an eyebrow. Doran crafted swords exclusively for Wuju swordsmen, and he only made a few every season.

如果易没有记错，多兰现在只为无极剑客们铸剑，而且一季最多也就做个一两把。

“Are these blades all forged by you, Master Doran?”

“都是大师您的作品吗？”

“Three of them are. As for the rest…” Doran paused, as if trying to find the right words. “Those were entrusted to me by my peers.”

“有三把是。其他的……”多兰稍作停顿，似乎是在斟酌用词：“是‘同行’托行商带给老夫的。”

“You mean other weaponsmiths? Why would they give you their swords?”

“同行？您是说别的锻匠？他们为什么要给你剑？”

Yi absentmindedly peered over his shoulder to look at the basket, promptly tripping over an oddly shaped stone. He staggered as he caught his balance.

易边说边下意识地扭头看了一眼竹篓，一没留神，险些被一截形状清奇的垫脚石给绊倒，打了个趔趄。

“Hey! Watch it!” Doran quickly rebalanced the basket on Yi’s shoulders. “One of them is for you, you know. If you bend it, I’m sure you’ll blame me later.”

“喂！看着点！里面有把剑是给你的，”多兰连忙将竹篓扶正：“要是碰花了，你到时候还得怪我。”

“For—for me? Is it a sharpened blade?”

“给……给我的剑？”易有些不敢相信：“开刃的吗？”

“Of course it is. I don’t craft unsharpened swords.”

“当然，老夫的剑，哪有不开刃的？”

Only those who truly understood the Wuju philosophy of bloodless combat were given the privilege of wielding sharpened blades, as a testament to the swordsman’s self-control. And one handcrafted by Master Doran… Many senior disciples had endured over ten summers of training before receiving such an honor, yet Yi had only been training for four seasons. The young swordsman was flattered.

作为无极剑客自我克制的证明，只有真正理解无极之道“不见血”理念的修行者，才有资格使用带刃的剑。更不要说这剑还是多兰大师亲手铸造……许多前辈都用了十几夏才获此殊荣，而易仅仅才修行了四季，简直可以说是受宠若惊了。

However, his excitement was fleeting, and he cast his eyes down. Doran seemed to notice the change in mood. The two walked in silence for a few paces before the weaponsmith gently said, “I heard from your master that you’re having some trouble connecting with the spirit realm.”

但易脸上的兴奋却稍作即逝，取而代之的，是一声伴随着凝重神色的轻叹。这微妙的变化被多兰看在眼里，又走出几步之后，他才漫不经心地问道：

Yi didn’t answer right away, so great was his shame. When he finally spoke, he said, “Connecting isn’t the problem. If I couldn’t do that, I wouldn’t have been accepted into the Wuju school.” He scratched the back of his head. “Yet I can’t seem to draw power from it. Sometimes I can draw a little, but I can’t imbue my weapon with it.”

“……听掌门说，你与精神领域的接触不太顺利是吗？”

“Could it simply be that it’s not yet your time? Evoking the spirit realm’s energy…” Doran smiled as he stroked his beard. “When it happens might simply come down to the whims of fate.”

易没有立即回答，他有些羞愧地别过头，终于开口时，也没有直视多兰：

Yi wanted to tell Doran he was wrong—the ability to draw power from the spirit realm wasn’t something to be negotiated with fate. And that’s what worried him. Perhaps he was failing because he lacked the innate talent. Perhaps it was his fate that he’d never succeed.

“接触倒是没问题，否则我一开始也没法入门了，就是……”易停顿了一会儿：“就是我还不能从里面汲取力量……偶尔有一点吧，也完全没法把它附到剑上。”

Yet he bit his tongue. He didn’t want to appear impudent, and he still clung to the hope that today’s “training” would help him, however slim the chance.

“也许只是时机未到？修行这种事……”多兰笑着捋了捋胡须：“也是讲缘分的啊。”

“Hm. Perhaps you’re right,” Yi finally replied.

易很想争辩——毕竟能不能从精神领域中汲取力量，不是依靠“缘分”就能解决的事情，它是一种天赋，或者更玄乎地说，是一种“天命”，它决定了一个人能否成为无极剑客，无论练习还是“时机”，对已经注定了的天命都毫无意义。

但易最终并没有争辩——他不愿当面反驳多兰大师，同时对今天的这趟“修行”，也还抱着救命稻草似的一点期望。

“嗯，您说的对。”

脚下的小路逐渐变得泥泞崎岖，如果说之前还能看到零星的足印，那么现在几乎完全看不出有人来过的迹象，四下只剩密密匝匝的树丛随着夏风摇曳。

The muddy path became more difficult to walk, as roots and brambles crowded over the broken stones. While earlier, Yi could occasionally spot the footprints of other travelers, there was now no sign that any living soul had passed through here before. The only sound was the summer wind whistling through the dense trees.

“大师……您以前走过这条路吗？”

“Master Doran, have you come this way before?”

“嗯，老夫每过四季都会走一遍，有两三次，还是你师父祜戎陪我来的。”

“Mhm. I take this path once every four seasons. Your master even accompanied me two or three times.”

“我师父？”易略作回忆：“从没听他讲过啊？”

Yi was surprised. “Master Hurong? I’ve never heard him say so.”

“以后会的……”多兰挥了挥手，似乎是在有意回避这个话题。从他明显加快的步伐中，一点也看不出这是个年逾花甲的老者——那可比泥沼蟹要轻盈太多了。

“I’m sure he will, eventually.” Doran waved him off before picking up his pace. From his swift strides, it was hard to remember he was an elder of almost sixty summers. Not much like a mud crab after all.

而且师父也曾与他同行过，说不定还有其他的无极剑客，难道是需要保镖？也许这就是“修行”？是一个检验自己无刃剑耍得如何的“测试”？这想法让易多少又有了些期待。

He’s brought other swordsmen with him. Does he need a bodyguard? Is this the training—a chance to practice my mercy strokes? Yi welcomed the prospect.

“那您以前走这条路时，遇上过什么危险吗？”

“Have you ever met any threats on this path, master?”

“完全没有。”多兰笑吟吟地点了点手：“……不过你还是得拿好你的剑，小子，这条路，我就算走过一万遍，也与你无关，老夫没遇到过危险，不代表你也遇不到。”

“None at all.” Doran shook his head with a smile. “But keep a good grip on that sword of yours, son. My walking of this path has nothing to do with yours. Even if I had walked this path a thousand times without encountering any danger, it doesn’t mean you definitely won’t.”

仿佛是在呼应多兰的话一般，一声尖利的啼鸣由远至近，在山林上空一闪而过时，易把无刃长剑抬到胸前，右手搭住了剑柄。

As if on cue, a sharp bird-like screech rang out.

那应该是锋喙鸟的叫声——这种猛禽通常都生活在人迹罕至的林海深处，易屏息凝神，缓缓扫视着不远处、正随清风摇曳的树林。

Yi halted and grasped the hilt of his unedged sword, lifting it to his chest. He recognized the sound as the cry of a raptor—a dangerous species of wild fowl usually found deep within forests.

多兰注意到了易的紧张，朝前方比了比手：“看到那片山了吗？”

The swordsman clenched his teeth, and scanned the tree line.

在两人的正前方，是一片连绵的山丘——并不算高，但几乎占据了整个视野，怎么看都绕不过去的样子。

Rolling his eyes, Doran gestured forward. “Do you see those mountains over there?”

鸟啼远去之后，树林重归平静，易也缓缓放下了剑，问道：

Straight ahead, an unbroken range of peaks stretched across the horizon. They were not particularly high, but they went on as far as the eye could see.

“咱们这是要去爬山？”

The woods had been silent since the raptor’s call, so Yi lowered his sword. “We’re going mountain climbing?” he asked, trying to hide his annoyance.

“你可是巴鲁鄂人啊，”多兰用手背拍了拍易的胸脯：“还能怕爬山不成？”

“You’re from Bahrl,” Doran replied, patting Yi’s chest with the back of his hand. “Surely you’re not afraid of some hills?”

易抬头望天，无云的蓝色苍穹中，高挂着金灿灿的艳阳……倒还真是个爬山的好天气。

Yi looked up. A golden, dazzling sun hung upon a cloudless blue canvas. It actually was a good day for a hike, he had to admit.

易悄悄地叹了口气，继续前行。

He squared his shoulders and pressed forward.

绕过了一片小林，又趟过了一条小溪，这里显然离无极村已经有相当距离——远远超过长老们“建议”的范围，而即便如此，多兰依然没有任何放慢脚步的意思。

After skirting a grove and crossing a stream, they finally closed in on the mountains. They were well outside Wuju territory by now, and beyond the range the elders considered wise to travel. Yet Doran had yet to show any signs of slowing down.

终于来到山脚下的时候，易发现山脊上竟然铺有石阶。它们被荒草与泥土截成了几段，每一段只有三四级，残破不堪，但这说明至少在很多年前，这里曾有一条山道——一条村民们从未说起过的山道。

Once they reached the first incline, they ascended a series of stone steps. They might have been well traveled in the past, but now they were broken, covered in weeds and slippery mud. The steps abruptly ended at a steep cliff face that was roughly the height of three men, and before Yi could ask, Doran had already grabbed a handhold on the rock and started to climb. He reached the top with little effort, turning back to look down at Yi with an expression that said, What are you waiting for?

在一处约莫三人高的陡峭山壁前，断断续续的石阶也戛然而止，易举目四望，已经是没有任何路可走了。他还没来得及发问，多兰便抬手抓住了山壁上的一处凸起，开始攀爬。多兰的身手十分稳健，没几下便登上了山壁，他返身过来看向易，一副“还在等什么”的表情。

Scaling a rock wall was an easy feat for just about any young person from Wuju, but Yi had never attempted this sort of climb while carrying a heavy load. The task was even more difficult than it looked. After he finally summited the cliff, it was quite some time before he caught his breath.

对易、或者任何一个在无极村长大的年轻人来说，这种高度的攀岩都是小菜一碟，只是在今天之前，他还从没负重做过这种事——果不其然，难度一下就大了不少，在最后搭上崖顶的那一刻，他喘了好几口气才缓过劲儿来。

At last, he stood up straight and dusted off his clothes, only to stop as his eyes locked on a stone tablet before him, a single word etched on it. He could just barely make out the weather-worn Ionian characters.

易站直身子，掸了掸裤腿，一眼就看到了杵在面前的石碑：

Mistfall.

“‘雾临’……”

“We still have time.” Doran sat down beside the stone tablet and took a sip from his waterskin. “Let’s rest.”

上面的古艾欧尼亚文已经模糊不清，几乎难以辨认，易一边轻轻念叨着，一边努力回想之前是不是在哪里听过这个地名……不，确定没有。

He pulled a rice cake from some mysterious pouch or hidden pocket, and began munching away. After a few bites, Doran looked up as if he had suddenly remembered something. He jabbed the remnant of the rice cake at Yi, who was still studying the stone tablet. Seeing the jagged teeth marks on the offering, Yi shook his head.

“时间还够，”多兰在石碑旁坐了下来，举起水壶小饮了一口：“先歇歇脚。”

“Master, when you said we still have time, you meant for my training, right?”

他不知从哪里有掏出一块米饼，兀自啃了起来。吃到一半，又想起了什么似地，把米饼递向还在研究石碑的易，易瞥了一眼饼上歪斜的牙印，摇了摇头。

Doran slapped his knee while chewing on a mouthful of rice cake. “A beard well lathered is half shaved, kid. If you’re really that anxious to start the training, I suggest you rest up here first.”

“大师，您说‘时间还够’……指的是咱们的修行，对吧？”

When Yi saw that Doran had started gnawing on a second rice cake, he suppressed an exasperated sigh. Seeking to hide his impatience, he examined his surroundings.

多兰嚼着米饼，拍了拍膝盖：“磨刀不误砍柴工，小子，你若真急着修行，我劝你在这里先休息好了再说。”

Apart from the stone tablet, Yi noticed a few ancient ruins hidden under thick clusters of vines and shrubbery. Though only broken columns and walls were left, he could tell that this majestic and bold architecture was entirely different from that of Wuju’s pagodas.

当易看到多兰又摸出了第二块米饼开始啃时，便无奈地叹了口气，耐住性子环顾四周。

Doran pointed toward the ruins. “This mountain used to house a shrine—for worshiping a god who fell from grace long before any of us were born. Nobody knows the god’s name, and nobody knows where its believers went. These humble stones are all that remain.”

除了刻有“雾临”字样的石碑以外，山崖上还有几段被藤蔓杂草所淹没的古迹。虽然都只是些残垣断壁，但那大气粗犷的风格，与现在的巴鲁鄂建筑截然不同。

“Flowers wilt as folks grow old. Even morning stars must return to night,” Yi recited. He then pointed at the stone tablet. “Were they the ones who named this place Mistfall?”

“这山上原本有一座神殿，信奉一个远在你我诞生之前，就已经陨落的神明。”多兰指了指遗迹：“没有人知晓它的名字，也不清楚信徒的去向，剩下的，就只有这些毫无意义的破石头。”

“Later generations carved that. As for the name…” Doran motioned toward the other side of the cliff. “Its meaning will be clear if you look over there.”

“‘繁花易逝人易老，晨星终有归夜时’……”易轻吟着布希的另一句诗，指了一下石碑上的古文：“‘雾临’这名字，也是他们起的吗？”

“碑是后人立的，至于这名字嘛……”多兰指向山崖的另一面：“你看那边，一眼就明白了。”

易走到崖边，小心翼翼地探身眺望——在他脚下的，是一片云蒸雾缭的山谷，远处则是与蓝天相接的山脉，从视野的尽头延绵到视野的尽头。

Yi peered cautiously over the edge of the cliff. Beneath him, white fog blanketed a valley, and farther in the distance, blue sky met the mountains. The view was breathtaking, its grandeur stretching as far as he could see.

山谷的规模不算大，从这个角度看过去，就像是一口湖，只是湖中没有水，有的只是白茫茫的云烟。一条下山的小路从崖边延伸过去，一直探入到雾海的深处。

The valley itself wasn’t large. It reminded Yi of a lake, only with swirling silvery mist instead of water. A narrow downward path led from the cliff and disappeared into the depths.

“看清了吗？”多兰继续道：“咱们就是要去那儿。”

“You see that?” Doran asked. “That’s where we’re going.”

“去……去哪儿？”易又望了一眼脚下：“山谷里面？！”

“There? Into the valley?”

“对。”

“That’s right.”

在经历了翻山越岭之苦后，易对这语焉不详的回答已经不能满意了，他犹豫了一下，最终还是开了口：

After a long day of trekking through empty wilderness, his training ever more elusive, Yi couldn’t stomach any more nonsense.

“大师，能告诉我，今天的修行到底是什么吗？”

“Master, just what kind of training are we doing?” he blurted out.

“老夫只能说，路不好走，所以才叫你好好休息。”

“All I can say is, the journey will be rough, which is why you should take this respite more seriously.”

易对此行的目的愈加狐疑起来，但意识到多兰并不打算解释，便小心地卸下竹篓，在老锻匠正对面的一块石台上盘腿而坐——不说休息，这里倒是个练习冥想的好地方。

Yi swallowed his frustration, as it was clear that Doran was not going to explain further. He found a slab of flat stone opposite the old weaponsmith, and sat down, placing the bamboo basket next to him.

他调整了一下心境，深吸一口大气，也许是因为环境太过陌生，比平常多花了一些功夫才进入入定的状态。

Forget rest. At least this place was perfect for practicing meditation.

似睡非睡之间，微妙的轻盈感自下而上窜遍全身，而在这份轻盈的顶点，某种不可名状而又无比耀眼的东西遮住了继续飞升的去路，就像是在无边黑暗之中，突然闪烁出来的一道白光，将思绪中的这一个小角落完全照亮。

Yi closed his eyes and started to breathe deeply and slowly. Perhaps it was due to the unfamiliar environment, but he took a while longer than usual to enter his meditative state. In that space between unconsciousness and waking, a lightness cascaded through his body. And at the tip of this lightness, a bright and unusual object emerged. It was like a spark, illuminating every corner of his mind.

……是一只“灵”。

A spirit.

在冥想中遇上“灵”当然不是什么稀罕事，相比起同门的学徒，易似乎更容易被它们“骚扰”——这应该是一件好事，意味着他与精神领域更亲近，按理说要从其中汲取力量也应该更容易才对。

It wasn’t uncommon for Yi to encounter spirits while meditating. They visited him more often than they did most of his fellow disciples. It was probably a good thing, for it meant that he was closer to the spiritual realm, and he ought to be skilled at drawing energy from it.

按理说，是这样的，嗯。

Ought to be.

易试着集中注意力，排除一切杂念，无视这道白光，但很快就发现它并非普通的灵，也绝不是凑巧路过，便索性顺着它的轮廓往上攀爬，紧紧抓住那怪诞的脉动，纠缠一阵之后便融入其中，消失在光芒的深处。

Yi focused on the white light, purging his mind of all other thoughts. He soon realized that this was no average spirit. He tried to grasp it, feeling how it pulsed. To his surprise, he merged with the entity, disappearing in the blinding light.

易努力睁开双眼，发现自己正曲膝盘坐在一棵巨大的银芯树下——正是无极村村口的那棵，只不过远处的所有建筑，看上去都是那样陌生而怪异。

He forced his eyes open, and found himself sitting under a gigantic silverwood tree—the one that stood at the entrance to Wuju. Yet the buildings in the distance looked strange and unfamiliar.

易起身走进无极村内，看到一个个熟悉的身影——父亲，母亲，师兄，师妹，邻居家的黑猫小咪和村长家的土狗金吉……只是他们全都像是生活在自己的世界中一样，完全无视了行色匆匆的易，而易知道他们都只是幻象，所以也没有要打招呼的兴致，直到遇上多兰时，才忍不住停下了脚。

Flustered, Yi stood and walked into the village, where he saw familiar figures—his father, mother, fellow disciples, even his neighbor’s black cat, Little Beauty, and the chief elder’s dog, Goldie. They all seemed to be engrossed in their own world, ignoring Yi. These must be visions, he thought. He calmed himself as he continued down the main road.

“大师？”Then he saw something that made him freeze in his tracks. “Master Doran?”老锻匠回头看了他一眼，什么也没说，继续手上的动作——他并不是在打铁铸剑，面前也没有熔炉铁毡之类的锻造工具，而是一只插着小苗的花盆。锻匠晃了晃手腕，带着陶醉的表情展开双臂，缓缓举起，而伴随着这个轻描淡写的动作，小苗迅速蜿蜒生长，开花散叶，变成一株盆栽似的小树。多兰左右端详了一番之后，似乎并不满意，又摆动了几下手，小树便又跟着改变了形状，在令人愉悦的微风中摇曳生姿，最终变成了一幅杜松柳的模样。The elder weaponsmith spared Yi a glance before turning back to his work. But he was not crafting swords—where a furnace, smithing tools, and an anvil should have been, there was only a flower pot with tender seedlings. With a delirious grin, the artisan slowly raised his arms over his head, and the seedlings in the pot curled and stretched in response. They grew at an unimaginable pace, sprouting leaves until they took the shape of a small juniper tree. Doran examined it closely, looking somewhat unsatisfied. He then raised his arms a few more times. The tree changed its form, swaying merrily in the wind before becoming a weeping willow.困惑之余，易将目光转向村子的其他地方，他注意到在这个无极村里，所有住宅都被从没见过的植被或作物所覆盖，郁郁葱葱，七彩斑斓，光怪陆离，其中一些似乎是从无缝的石头里长出来的，还有几棵小树像极了“人”——不光是徒有人形，好像还会动。Bewildered, Yi turned his gaze toward the rest of the village, noticing for the first time that each and every house was covered in lush, colorful, and even grotesque vegetation. Many dwellings looked like they had grown out of solid rock, while others twisted into forms that resembled people—not just in shape, but in their movements.就在易四处游荡时，村中响起了一阵洪亮的钟鸣，几乎所有人都放下了手头的活计，朝村庄另一头的小山走去。As Yi meandered aimlessly, a clarion sounded from the village center. Nearly every villager stopped what they were doing and strode toward the mountainside on the other end of town.一道瀑布顺着山体倾斜而下，挡住了它后方的山洞。打头的人正是多兰，他轻轻抬了一下手，瀑布的水流便向两边分开，让他得以身不沾水地通过。而之后的其他村民，也都用类似的动作操纵着瀑布，一个接一个地进洞。易有样学样，模仿了一下那个抬手的姿势，但全无效果，所幸在幻境中被水淋湿也不是什么大事，他便径直穿过了瀑布，进入闪烁着烛光的洞穴内部——那不是一根两根，而是成千上万根点燃的蜡烛，数十位村民，就沉浸在这片光之汪洋中，用易听不懂的语言交头接耳。在洞穴的另一端，易的师父，祜戎站在一面平整的石墙旁，身边还围着村中几位德高望重的长者。

A waterfall ran down the mountain, obscuring a cave behind it. Doran was the first villager to arrive. He raised his arms, parting the water so he could pass, dry as can be. Other villagers promptly followed suit, entering the cave one by one. But when Yi raised his arms, it had no effect on the cascading water.

石墙并不光滑，雕刻着奇怪的纹路，易正要凑上前去细看，却惊讶地发现，随着掌门的话语与手势，石墙上的图案也在缓缓地发生变化，就像是一幅不断流动的水墨画……不，不是画，看起来应该是地图之类的东西。

It’s just a vision, he reassured himself. It doesn’t matter if I get wet.

长者们的争论似乎有了结果，他们交换着眼神，点了点头。祜戎大师将右手举过头顶，打了个响指，山壁便像是被推动的门扉那样左右分开，露出了晴朗到有些刺眼的天空。

He stepped through the waterfall, and found himself in a massive chamber. Thousands upon thousands of candles adorned the space. In the center of the cave were the villagers who entered before him, conversing in a language Yi could not understand. In the opposite corner, he spotted his Wuju master, Hurong, standing with a number of other highly respected elders from the village.

旋即，祜戎大师一跃而起，翻腾的长袖化作羽翼，整个人变成了一只巴鲁鄂松鸦，腾空而去。长者们紧随其后，变形为一只只形状各异的怪鸟，扑向山外的蓝天白云。接着是那些聚集在周围的村民——他们也尽数化为飞禽，在一片叽叽喳喳的大合唱中离开了洞穴，只留下了易和多兰大师两人。Strange ridges and lines were carved into the stone walls, and the patterns seemed to shift as Master Hurong spoke and gestured. It looked like a living calligraphy painting—no, not a painting. Some sort of map.易知道自己没法和他交流，便礼貌地点头欲走，但出乎意料的是，多兰唤住了他——而且是用他能听懂的语言：The elders concluded their discussion, exchanging glances and nods. Yi’s master then raised his right arm and snapped his fingers. With the ease of a door being thrown open, an entire wall sundered, right up to the ceiling, revealing the sky as streaks of blinding sunlight filled the cavern. Outside was a sheer drop to the distant ground.With a leap, Master Hurong transformed into a vibrant blue Bahrl jay and took to the air, soaring out of the mountain and into the clouds. Next came the other elders and villagers—after turning into birds, they emptied the broken cave in a chorus of squawks, leaving behind only Yi and Doran.Knowing he could not communicate with Doran, Yi nodded respectfully and prepared to take his leave. He was shocked when Doran called out to him in a language he could understand, his voice cold and deep.“你是，无极之道的人吧？”“You. You walk the path of Wuju?”易一惊，与多兰四目交投。Yi froze, staring wordlessly at the weaponsmith.“我见过你们无极的人，”多兰说话的时候，就像是戴着一张面具，除了那对长有红色瞳孔的怪异双眼之外，完全没有“活人”的感觉，嗓音也是阴冷低沉：“他们费尽心力，从精神领域中挤出支离破碎的一丁点尘屑，再加于刀剑之上……拙劣的模仿，但还好，至少踏进了强者的门槛。”

“I have met you Wuju practitioners before,” Doran said, his face impassive. Yi hadn’t realized how strange his eyes were—crimson irises transfixed him, shining with an eerie light, devoid of any semblance of life. “You take great pains to wring out what little power you can from the spirit realm, only to put it in a weapon—how tawdry. Yet this poor mimicry is still enough to allow you to enter the domain of the strong.”

“模仿？”易从未听说过有人用这个词来形容自己的门派：“模仿谁？”

“Mimicry?” Yi had never heard anyone disparage Wuju style before. “Mimicry of whom?”

多兰指了指山壁上正在缓缓闭合的空洞，答非所问：“去，追上他们。”Doran ignored the question, instead pointing toward the gradually closing gap in the cave walls. “Go. Follow them.”“他们？”易看向天空，哭笑不得：“我又不会飞。”

Yi looked up at the sky. This is ridiculous. “But I can’t fly.”

“你可以会——”“You can.”说话的声音竟然是在身后，易猛望过去时，已经站在洞口的多兰用手指做了个“并拢”的姿势：“只是你还不知道怎么‘可以’而已。”Doran’s voice had come from behind him. Yi whirled around to see the weaponsmith standing outside the cave entrance, fingers steepled. “You just don’t know how to do it yet.”话音刚落，来时的通道便迅速收拢，左右山壁在一阵轰鸣中合为一体，洞穴中只剩下头顶上那个唯一的开口，按这位“红眼多兰大师”的意思，看来是想要逼着易飞出去。The entrance and the gap in the cave walls slammed shut, sealing Yi inside. His only escape was an opening far above his head. It seemed this crimson-eyed Doran wished to compel Yi to fly out of the mountain like the others.易略带不屑地哼笑了一声，盘腿坐下。根本不用会飞，他有更快的办法离开这里——幻觉就和梦一样，无论多么怪诞离奇，只要醒来，一切就都只是些过眼云烟罢了。

Yi scoffed, then sat down on the stone floor, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes. Fly out? That wouldn’t be necessary. Visions were just like dreams: no matter how bizarre they got, one only had to wake up for it all to become but a passing fancy.

再睁开双眼的时候，易已经回到了之前与多兰相对而坐的那个石台。老锻匠正在看风景，并没有注意到他苏醒时的一声惊喘。

Yi gasped as he opened his eyes, finding himself back on the stone slab near Mistfall, right opposite where Doran sat. The old weaponsmith didn’t seem to notice Yi’s sudden waking, so engrossed was he with his own thoughts.

每次在遭遇幻觉之后，易都会轻掐自己的耳垂，这是最容易分辨是否已经回到现实的技巧，只是方才幻境中的所有事物都是如此清晰，让易在掐疼了自己之后仍不太放心。

Yi pinched his earlobe. He did this whenever he returned from a vision, to make sure he was indeed back in reality. Yet the vision had been so vivid, so real, that even the pinch did not make him feel grounded.

“大师？”

“Master?”

“嗯？”多兰转过头来：“怎么了？”

“Hmm?” Doran turned to look at him. “What?”

易端详了一下多兰深褐色的双眼：

Yi gazed into Doran’s dark brown eyes. “How long have I been meditating?”

“没事，我刚刚……冥想了多久？”

“You pretty much just sat down. Why?”

“什么多久？你这不是才坐下吗？”

Yi rubbed his lips. He wouldn’t share an experience he did not fully understand himself.

易抹了抹嘴唇，觉得并没有必要分享一段连他自己都不太明白的经历。

“It’s no matter. Let’s get going, shall we?”

“您休息好了吗？大师？”他微微蹙眉：“咱们走吧？”

Just as Doran had warned, the path leading down into the sea of mist was perilous. A treacherous green moss grew on the stone stairs, each step requiring meticulous care. The task was made more difficult by carrying a heavy basket full of swords, but Yi offered no complaint—he wouldn’t give Doran the satisfaction.

It became clear that Doran was not the only one who knew of this secret location. As they approached the mists, Yi saw a relatively new wooden board to the side of the path, a warning of danger scrawled across it. The shoddy handwriting and misspellings hinted that it had been penned by an uneducated hunter.

Yi couldn’t tell if his senses were playing tricks on him, but as he passed the wooden board, it grew cold. It had been a hot summer day, yet frigid winds swirled around him now. On top of that, his vision started to blur as a strange, dense fog wrapped around him and Doran.

He followed closely behind the elder, tightly gripping the hilt of his blade and scanning his surroundings, fearing that something might leap out of the fog.

“This mist isn’t normal,” Yi muttered. “Spirits linger here. We should wait and return after they are gone.”

“The spirits will never leave,” Doran replied, shaking his head. “They have lived in this place longer than people have lived in Ionia. Don’t worry. We won’t be here for long.” He gestured ahead of him. “Come, you have better eyes than I. Help me find a sword.”

Yi frowned. “Find a sword? Here?”

“A Placidium flamberge, to be exact. It should be pretty obvious,” Doran explained. “I left it as a marker the last time I came here.”

Yi looked around blankly. Everything was covered in a thick white blanket of mist. Never mind finding a Placidium flamberge—it was barely possible to spot someone standing just two steps away. With no good place to start, Yi pretended to search the ground on either side.

He had only taken a few more steps when his stomach lurched. He suddenly felt as though his body was becoming lighter and lighter. Even the weight of the bamboo basket had disappeared.

“Master Doran,” Yi said uneasily.

But Doran neither slowed nor turned back, and instead picked up his pace. Alarmed, Yi tried to catch up, but the weaponsmith slipped farther away. It wasn’t long before Doran vanished completely in the white mist. Yi watched as the same mist devoured him—it was so dense that he couldn’t see his own legs. He was weightless and bodiless, floating up through the impossible fog.

No. He wasn’t simply floating. He was soaring, the mists becoming clouds and the chill air turning into wind.

He must be in another vision. This time, however, the spirits hadn’t given any warning before they whisked him away.

Feeling disoriented, he tried to stretch his arms out for balance—but a pair of magnificent jade wings spread out from him instead.

I’ve become a bird!

As he soared through the sky, a long coastline appeared. A salty sea breeze swept over him as cerulean ocean waves crashed against the shore. The land felt like home, and yet at the edge of the beach loomed a dark gray structure, an edifice that had no place in Ionia.

Is that… is that a monument of some kind? If it hadn’t been for the precise construction, it could have been taken for a mountain. As he flew closer, he saw it was three monstrous towers, each one of incredible size, sharing a single base.

又有数只颜色各异的飞鸟冲出了云团，朝纪念碑方向滑翔过去。说不清是自己的意愿还是身体不受控制，总之，易迷迷糊糊地就跟住了这些鸟儿，很快便飞临巨型建筑的正上方。

This cannot possibly be the craftsmanship of mortals.

易这辈子从未见过类似的东西——黑灰色的巨型石块，方方正正，被打磨得光滑如镜，每一块都足有一个成年男子那么高。数以千计……不，数以万计这样的石块，层层叠叠地垒在一起，组成了眼前这三座棱角分明的庞然巨物。

Yi had never seen anything like this. The towers were made of thousands of large stones, polished and carved into perfect blocks, each the height of a grown swordsman.

易跟在一只红色飞鸟的羽后，在三座“纪念碑”中穿梭而过，随后向着基座上的一段城墙俯冲下去，那鸟儿在落地的瞬间向前扑腾着打了个滚儿，再起身时，竟然有了人形——正是多兰大师。他掸去膝上的灰土，抬起血红的双眼，朝仍在空中盘旋的易招了招手。A flock of vibrantly colored birds burst from the clouds and glided toward the fortress. Unsure if it was by his own volition, Yi winged over to join them, flying with great speed.易试着降到红眼多兰的肩头，却没能保持好平衡，滑倒下去，不过当他落在地上的时候，下身已经有了腿脚——他整个人都恢复到了常态。He followed a bright red bird, dashing between the three towers. The bird left Yi behind as it dived for the base of the structure, tumbling as it landed. As it stood, it took the shape of a man—the crimson-eyed Master Doran. He beckoned as he peered up at Yi, still spiraling overhead.“瞧——”红眼多兰点点头：“你这不是飞起来了吗？”Yi landed on Doran’s shoulder, then lightly tumbled to the ground. As he regained his feet, he discovered that his human legs had returned, along with the rest of his body.还有些惊魂未定的易，调整了一下急促的呼吸：“……大师你到底……”

“It appears you can fly,” Doran said.

“我不是什么大师，”对方摆摆手：“不要被‘形式’所蒙蔽，你没那么蠢。”Invigorated, Yi said breathlessly, “Master Doran—”易当然明白眼前的这个红眼多兰是灵幻化出来的形象，他只是叫习惯了而已……不过转念一想，世上的人千千万万，为什么灵偏偏要选择变成多兰？仅仅是因为两人同行至此吗？But Doran shook his head. “No. He is but a form I’ve taken.”“我们这是……”易望了一眼城垛外的大海：“在什么地方？”

He said no more, and Yi blinked. Why would this spirit take the form of Doran, of all people?

“你们管这里叫巴鲁鄂，”红眼多兰指了指蜿蜒的海岸线，一队举着长矛大刀的武人正在海滩边巡逻，他们的衣饰看起来十分陌生，有种别样的异域感：“他们管这里叫彼岸之地，我们管这里叫家。”He stretched his back, and his gaze fell on the massive towers. “What is this place?”“他们？他们是谁？你们又是……”“You call it Bahrl.” The spirit who looked like Doran pointed at the snakelike coastline, where a squad of warriors armed with pikes and glaives patrolled the beach. Their weapons and armor looked foreign. “They call it the Other Shore. We call it home.”易扭头看向灵，发现他已经不知所踪，只在地上留下了几片红白相间的羽毛。

“Who are they? And who is this we?”

“真是莫名其妙……”

Yi turned to look at the spirit, but he was already gone. Only a few red and white feathers remained.

原本打算像上次那样离开幻境的易，刚刚盘腿而坐，突然听到远方传来一阵阵有节奏的轰鸣，其中混杂着金属的敲击与排山倒海的呼号，他从没听过如此聒噪的声势，好奇心渐炽，便又起身，小跑着寻声而去。

Absurd.

当他从三座“纪念碑”旁经过时，更是觉得它们庞大到不真实——如果说里面能住人的话，恐怕一座这样的碑，便能装下整个无极村的人吧……到底是为了什么，要把房子造这么大又这么丑？简直匪夷所思。

Yi wanted to leave this vision as he had the last one, but before he could start meditating, a loud, rhythmic noise came from far away—the loudest he had ever heard. It was the clanging of metal and the cries of men. His curiosity piqued, he followed the sound to its source.

也许是看得太过出神，易险些撞到一位路人——这家伙魁梧壮硕，戴着闪闪发光的金属头盔却袒胸露乳，手里还拎了一柄模样怪异的长戟。As Yi passed by the huge towers, it became even more apparent that their size defied reality. Each tower could house the entire Wuju village and more. But why would anyone build houses so large and ugly? It made no sense.他就和之前那个幻境中的无极村民们一样，看到易之后只是稍作停顿，随后便一语不发地继续自己的行程。除了他之外，易发现周围还有几个看起来像是在巡逻的武人，他们身上的甲胄和手里的兵器都朴实无华，散发着一种完全不同于易平日所见的、刚毅而暴力的美。Lost in his thoughts, Yi almost bumped into a burly passerby. He wore a shining metal helmet, yet his chest was bare, and he wielded a strange-looking halberd.随着距离喧嚣的源头越来越近，轰鸣声也变得愈发清晰，那是几十只巨鼓被同时敲响的声音，而且每一声之后，都伴随着一句可能是几千人的呐喊。Just like the villagers in Yi’s previous vision, the people of this vision didn’t pay him much mind. The foreign man paused briefly, then continued on his way. There were a few other warriors patrolling the area, radiating a resolute air of strength. They also let Yi pass.最终，易来到了高台边缘处一个凸出的箭垛前，他咽了咽喉咙，小心翼翼地向外探出了头——As Yi approached an earthen rampart, the noise became deafening. He could hear war drums pounding, punctuated by shouting.空旷的广场上，站着密密麻麻的武人——可能比无极村的所有男女老少加一起还要多，他们的阵型就如摊开的旗帜那样齐整，但装束却又是五花八门——有些披挂着棱角分明的钢甲，有些套着毛茸茸的兽皮，有些只是一身布衣……尽管外表看起来是如此不同，他们每一个人却都按照完全相同的节奏吼着叫着，时而伴随鼓点而跺脚挥拳，一致到让易觉得不寒而栗。Yi swallowed as he climbed up the rampart, and carefully craned his neck so he could see what lay beyond.在这巨型方阵的正前方，是十位扛着双手大剑的武人——呼号明显是由他们带起来的，鼓点每响一次，他们便喊一句，方阵中的武人便跟着齐声嘶吼。Thousands of soldiers packed a large, open square, easily outnumbering the people of Wuju. Their rows were as neat as their war banners, and they were geared with all sorts of different equipment. Some had spiked steel plate armor, some donned thick animal hides, and some wore only thin cloth robes. Though these soldiers were disparate in appearance, they were united in purpose, beating their chests in rhythm with the drums and their war cries.“告诉我，无极之道的信徒……”“Tell me, disciple of Wuju,” a cold voice called from behind him. “What do you see?”易正望的出神时，身后传来了一声冷言冷语：Yi gripped his sheath and spun around, only to see the crimson-eyed spirit standing at the bottom of the rampart. He climbed up level with Yi and placed his hands lightly upon the top of the earthwork.“在这些人身上，你看到了什么？”“Give me your first impressions,” the spirit said.易攥紧了剑鞘，警觉地猛回过身来——问话者正是红眼多兰，他走到易身边，将手轻轻搭在几乎和他一样高的箭垛之上：Yi retorted with questions of his own. “Who are they? Why are you showing me this?”“就说最初的印象。”But the spirit did not yield. “The first word,” he pressed. “The first one that comes to mind.”“他们都是什么人？”易反问道：“为什么要给我看这些？”“The first word…” Yi gazed at the sea of warriors again. “Strength,” he said finally.“第一个词，”灵不依不饶：“那个在你心中闪现的第一个词。”“Strength. Where do you see strength?”“第一个词……”易把视线重又投向人群，琢磨了一下：“Where?” Yi scratched his head. “Each warrior possesses the ferocity of the tiger, the strength of the great bears. They wield sharp blades and shining armor. Their call roars across these beaches—”“‘力量’。”“So that is what you see. Ah, child. This is why you are here.” The spirit’s expression darkened as he nodded. He pointed behind the young swordsman. “The direction of your gaze is mistaken. The harder you train, the further you will be from your goal.”“‘力量’……你从哪里看到了‘力量’？”Yi turned to look behind him. But before he could see anything, the spirit shoved him, knocking him from the rampart so he tumbled to the ground, which was now impossibly far below. Even knowing he was in a vision, Yi couldn’t help but cry out in shock.“从哪里？”易有些不解其意，挠了挠头：“怎么说呢……你看他们各个都虎背熊腰，刀利甲亮的，号子喊得都那么凶……”

He squeezed his eyes shut as the ground rushed up toward him.

“原来如此，这便是你来这里的原因……”灵点点头，脸色比初见时更加阴森，他指了一下易的身后，将他的注意力引向远方：“你看错了方向，所以越是努力，离目标就越远。”

When he reopened them, he was sitting down, thick mist swirling around him, the bamboo basket at his back. He suspected he was back in Mistfall, but he pinched his earlobes—he had to be sure that he had left the vision. Once he was satisfied, he looked to the sky.

不解其意的易转身凝望，不想红眼多兰突然在背后猛推了一下，力道之大，竟将他直接推出了箭垛，摔下高台。就算知道这只不过是幻觉，易还是又惊又怒地喊出了声来。

“Why can’t he just leave me alone?” Yi groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. “And what in the world was he talking about?”

在即将接触到地面的瞬间，他忍不住闭上了双眼，再睁开时，发现自己正坐在地上，而四周都是仍未散去的白雾，他不敢确定自己是否已经离开了幻境，赶忙掐了掐耳垂。

As Yi wiped the sweat off his brow and heaved a few sighs of relief, Doran came hobbling out of the fog, hugging something in his arms. He looked up and down at Yi.

“怎么还缠上我了？！”易难耐怒意的自语道：“还尽说些怪话……”

“Hey, kid, what happened? Why are you sitting down?” The weaponsmith held an oddly shaped sword with an undulating, snakelike blade. This was probably the Placidium flamberge he had been looking for.

就在易抚额轻叹的时候，手里抱着一根什么东西的多兰从雾里走了出来，上下打量了他一番：

“Master Doran,” Yi said. “When you came here with my master, did you encounter anything strange?”

“小子哎，咋回事这是？让你帮忙，你怎么还坐下了？”

“Here in the fog?” Doran squinted his eyes. “What trouble have you gotten into?”

老锻匠捧在怀里的，是一把有着蛇状刃的怪剑，想必就是他要找的那什么“普雷西典波纹剑”了。

Unsure how to explain, Yi stood up and shook his head, slinging the bamboo basket over his shoulders. “I’m just worried that this place might not be safe. The mist has only grown thicker since we arrived.”

“大师……”易指了指周围的雾：“之前您和师父进到这雾里的时候，有遇上什么怪事吗？”

“Oh, no need to worry,” Doran replied as he stuck the flamberge into the ground. “The mist will soon disperse. And we will be safe as long as we leave before it sets in again.”

“在雾里？”多兰眯了眯眼睛：“你遇上什么了？”

“The mist will disperse? Why?”

不知该怎么描述的易站起身来，摇了摇头：“我就是担心，这雾明显越来越浓了，再呆下去恐怕……会不太安全。”

“Every four seasons, there is one sundown when the mists recede. That is today, during this very sundown.”

“哦，那不必担心……”多兰将波纹剑用力插进地里：“这雾很快就会散，我们只要在它重临之前离开，就万无一失了。”

Just then, Yi noticed that the air was losing its chill. Within moments, the mist thinned out at astonishing speed.

“这雾还会散？为什么？”

“This is—”

多兰点点头：“每过四季，山谷里就只有一个黄昏没有雾气萦绕——就是今天、现在的这个黄昏。”

Doran put a finger on his lips, motioning for Yi to stay silent. Just as the sun touched the zenith of a faraway mountain, the entire valley was laid bare. Yi clasped his hands over his mouth and took a huge breath, unable to believe the scene unfolding before him.

他的话音未落，易就感觉覆着在肌肤上的寒气开始迅速消退，而又过了片刻，笼罩在周围的浓雾也以肉眼可见的速度、变得越来越稀薄。

“Why does the mist disperse?” Doran rested his hands on the hilt of the flamberge. “Maybe the spirits here are commemorating that one momentous sunset, countless summers ago…”

“这是……”

多兰将食指放在嘴唇上，做了个“安静”的手势。

在太阳的边缘接触到远方山巅的那一刹那间，整个山谷都一览无余地展现在了易的面前。尽收眼底的这一切，让他惊得捂住了自己的嘴巴，猛吸了一口凉气。

“你刚才问雾为什么会散，”多兰用手搭住波纹剑的剑柄：“我想，也许是因为这里的灵，想要祭奠无数岁月之前的那同一个黄昏吧？”

In all his fifteen summers, the fiercest combat Yi had witnessed was when a hunter fought a wild boar. The former lost a finger while the latter lost its head. As far as Yi knew, Ionia had always been a pure and peaceful land, representing harmony. Yet, what lay before him exuded a foul aura. It was completely at odds with the Ionia that Yi knew.

Countless blades were stuck in the ground. Starting from just ten paces away, the vast ocean of weapons spread to the foot of the distant mountains, washing over the valley. At the center were ten large claymores. Actually, it would be wrong to call them large. They were gargantuan. With the tips of the swords buried underground, Yi couldn’t determine their full scale. The hilts alone were the height of a grown swordsman, and just the visible portions of the blades were the height of seven or eight, like the Great Pagoda of Wuju.

在易并不漫长的十五夏人生中，他所见识过的最惨烈战斗，恐怕也就是村里的猎户和野猪单挑了——前者损失了一根手指，后者丢掉了一颗脑袋。除此之外，易所接触到的艾欧尼亚，全然是一片与世无争的净土，象征着“和谐”与“安宁”……但出现在眼前的这一切，这并不包含任何活物的一切，却散发着令人生畏的戾气——

无数兵刃倒插在地上，大小不一，造型各异，从易面前大约不到十步的位置开始，一直蔓延到遥远的山脚，铺满了被丘陵环绕的这片山谷。而在最中央的位置，是十把大剑……不，用“大”或者“巨”这样的词语很难形容这几件兵器——如果它们还算是兵器的话。仅仅是那残缺不全的剑柄，就有一个成年男子那般大小，连上暴露在地表的剑刃部分，足有七八个人高，远远看去，就像是无极村里的宝塔。

由于剑尖埋在地下，易没法判断这些巨物的全貌，但即便只是以目前的这个尺寸，它们就已经超越任何常识了。

“This was the site of an ancient battle.” Doran patted Yi on the shoulder. “The combatants left their weapons here. The spirits protect each and every one, helping them resist the corrosion of time. As the eons went by, this became a sacred land. Over time, those who vowed never again to participate in the violence and bloodshed of war started coming here to leave their blades as well.”

“这里曾经是古战场——”多兰拍了拍易的背，将他从震惊中“唤醒”：“参战者将残存的武器留在这里作为纪念。而灵尽力保护着每一件兵刃，帮它们抵挡岁月的侵蚀。久而久之，这里变成了某种圣地，那些决心不再参与杀戮与争斗的武人们，也把自己的武器送到此地。”

Yi looked around. “I’ve never heard of a place like this…”

易一边前进一边张望：“我从没听说过，山里还有这么个地方……”

“What I speak of happened a long, long time ago. Some of these weapons might be older than your oldest ancestors. Nowadays, there is hardly anyone left who still remembers this tradition. And of those who do, most choose not to disturb the spirits.”

“老夫说的这些呀，都是好久好久之前的事情了，其中一些刀剑，可能比你们的祖先还要古老……现如今已经没有几个巴鲁鄂武人还记得这个传统，而他们中的大多数，也都不愿叨扰这里的‘灵’。”

“Then why do you come here, Master Doran?”

“那大师您为什么会来呢？”

“It used to be rumored that Mistfall’s spirits would bless weapons with power in combat. When I finally found my way here, I discovered the truth was just the opposite. The ancient battle ripped apart the balance in this place. That’s why the spirits in the valley hate violence. While they do bless weapons, their blessings lose their effect the moment the blades are used for bloodshed. Most swordsmiths stopped coming after they realized this. I’m the only one who has been able to win blessings that last. Have you figured out why?”

“艾欧尼亚的锻匠之间有个传闻，说存留在‘雾临’的灵，会为他们的作品附上杀气，”多兰摸了摸易背后的蒙皮竹篓：“老夫按传闻找到这里时，发现恰恰相反——上古的大战撕裂了这一带的平衡，所以山谷中的‘灵’厌恶征战，他们确实会给兵刃施以祝福，但使用者如果用它来杀戮，便会失去效力。所以之前也有锻匠来试过，但大部分人觉得没用，就再不来了，只有老夫在这里留下的剑，每一把都能得到祝福，你知道这是为什么吗？”

Yi nodded. “It’s because you only craft swords for Wuju bladesmen, and we abstain from bloodshed and killing.”

易若有所悟地点点头：

“That’s right. That’s exactly why I remained in Wuju. All my life, I’ve wanted to create the best blades in the world—but not for battle. And only you Wuju bladesmen see weapons the same way.” Doran gestured at the bamboo basket on Yi’s back. “Oh, you can put that down now.”

“因为……大师您现在只为无极剑客们铸剑，而无极剑客……是忌讳流血与杀戮的。”

Yi gladly removed the heavy load from his shoulders.

“对，而这也正是老夫留在无极村的原因——我的夙愿，是要打造出世上最好的剑，而这把剑，却不是为了争斗而生，只有你们无极剑客，明白这个道理。”

“We’ll plant those here today to be blessed—that includes the blade I made for you. Then I’ll retrieve the swords I left behind last time.”

易在多兰的示意下，卸下了肩上的竹篓：

The two walked deeper into the valley. As they got closer to the center of the battlefield, there were other kinds of weapons in the ground. While some resembled conventional blades, their dimensions were either too large or too small for Yi to wield, and the ones that he could wield had forms he’d never seen before. Yi marveled at who could have used them.

“所以这里面的剑……”

“Look! Here we are. My garden!”

“就是今天要留在此地的剑——也包括给你的那把，老夫还要把上次留下的剑都带走……走吧，不远了。”

Doran was pointing at a single-edged sword with a magnificent cross guard. The weapon was fit for a human swordsman, and looked much newer than the others—as if it had been forged yesterday.

两人向山谷深处前行，随着离战场中心的距离越来越近，地上的兵器也变得愈发繁杂——有些东西看起来像是刀剑，尺寸却要么太小要么太大；而有些看起来大小正常的东西，其形状却怪异扭曲，都不知道要怎么去抓握，很难想象到底是什么人使用这些兵器，比之前幻境中出现的那些有过之而无不及。

Upon closer inspection, Yi noticed something even more interesting—a paper amulet was dangling from the hilt on a thin red string. In fact, quite a few swords in the ground had paper amulets as well. Amulets were usually used for prayers and blessings. This was the first time Yi had seen them attached to weapons.

“到了！就是这儿！老夫的‘菜园’！”

Doran carefully pulled the single-edged sword out of the soil and removed the amulet, delicately placing the paper on the ground. After scrutinizing the blade, he turned to another sword stuck in the ground, and began this process once again, like a farmer harvesting his crops.

多兰兴奋地朝前比了两下，他的目标是一柄有着华丽护手的单刃长剑，尺寸与形制都十分普通，大小形状正适合常人使用，只是看上去明显比它旁边的兵刃要新，简直就像是昨天才出炉的一样。

Like transplanting rice stalks, Yi mused. He rolled up his sleeves and grasped the hilt of a long sword with an amulet.

走近一点之后，易发觉到更有意思的现象——不止是这把兵器，附近的好几把不同形制的剑上，都带有一张箴符，或是挂在刃部，或是吊在柄部，用纤细但结实的红绳相连。

“Don’t touch that!” Doran shouted. “That was left behind by another swordsmith. It has been here for some time now. Leave it in the ground.”

箴符理应是用来祈福的道具，写着应景的诗句，在节日中随处可见，但还真没看到过有人把它们挂在武器上。

Yi released the weapon, but he accidentally unraveled the red string attaching the amulet to the hilt. He picked up the paper, reading the Ionian text written on it—a simple poem.

多兰小心翼翼地把单刃剑从地里拔出，将箴符也解下，一并理好，轻轻平放在地上。仔细检查了一番之后，他又返身走向不远处的另一柄剑，重复刚才的动作，这样子像极了秋收时节，在农田里收割庄稼的村民。

Deafening thunder in spring;

易觉得这应该不会比插秧难多少，也挽起袖子，走向另一支挂着箴符的长剑，却被多兰喝住：Torrential rains in summer;“别动那个！那是其他锻匠留下的东西，放这里有些年月了，就让它呆在地里吧。”Easterly gales in autumn;易赶忙松手，却还是不慎碰落了系在剑柄处的红绳，他索性捡起箴符，翻看起上面娟秀的艾欧尼亚文字——那是一段极简的诗：

Flying snow in winter.

“‘春听惊雷，夏沐暴雨，秋斩东风，冬击飞雪’……这是什么呀？剑谱吗？”

Yi furrowed his brow. “What is this?”

正打开竹篓的多兰，听到易的念叨，抬头朝这边望了一眼：“哦，那是其他锻匠写的诗，你觉得如何？”

The older man looked up as he opened the basket. “That’s a poem the swordsmith wrote. What do you think?”

“锻匠写的？”易拾起箴符，仔细又看了一眼——以锻匠的身份来说，无论是书法还是诗句都算是上乘，虽然念起来更像是祝酒词：“很不错啊，但他们为什么要在这儿写诗？”

Yi took a closer look—the writer’s skill with calligraphy and poetry was definitely above average. Still, it read more like a toast than a poem. “It’s adequate. But what’s the purpose of writing poems here?”

“是为了向‘灵’致敬——”多兰昂首喝了一口水，而后从行囊中取出一支浸满了墨的毛笔，用舌头舔了舔干硬的笔头，将墨化开，这才不紧不慢地答道：“如果你们相信自己村子里的‘灵’能看懂诗，那为什么这里的‘灵’不能呢？”多兰一边说一边将三张颜色各异的空白箴符铺在自己面前：“那些委托老夫把剑送过来的锻匠，会事先把箴符写好，老夫只要为自己的剑写诗就行了。”

“We write poems to honor the spirits.” As he knelt down, Doran took a large sip of water, then reached into his satchel and pulled out a calligraphy brush coated in dried ink. He dabbed it on his tongue. “If the spirits in Wuju can understand poetry, why not the spirits here?” Doran motioned to the three blank amulets on the ground before him. “The swordsmiths who asked me to drop off their swords prepared their amulets in advance, so I just have to write the poems for mine.”

“大师您……您也要写诗？所以您其实也是懂诗歌的吧？”易看到多兰开始挥毫泼墨，饶有兴趣地靠上前去：“那之前还说不知道布希是谁，果然是逗我的吧？”

“Master Doran, you’re going to write poems? Does this mean you actually study poetry?” Yi walked over as Doran began to write. “So you were just teasing me when you said you had no idea who Buxii was.”

多兰斜了易一眼，嘴角微扬，他下笔神速，字体也是潇洒奔放，须臾之间，便完成了一段长句：

The artisan gave him a sly grin. His calligraphy was unrestrained, with audacious strokes sweeping across the paper. A lengthy verse quickly took form.

“我看看——”易俯身品读道：“‘今日天下无战事，一口小酒配鸭蛋，美滋滋’……”

“Let’s have a look.” Yi bent down and read aloud. “No wars today, just a sip of wine to wash down duck eggs. Tastes yummy—” He couldn’t contain his outrage. “Doran! Master! What are you writing?”

他惊了：

Doran stroked his beard with pride. “Do you like it?”

“多！多兰！多兰大师！您您这是写的什么呀？！”

“This isn’t even poetry!” Yi gesticulated wildly. “There’s no rhythm, no rhyme, the lines don’t relate, and even the basic format of a poem is nowhere to be found!”

多兰得意洋洋地摸了摸胡子：“怎么样？”

“The most important part of a poem is the feeling, not the form.” Doran grinned as he jabbed a finger at his chest. “It’s the theme of the heart. Rhythm and rhyme are only the flourishes decorating a poem.”

“这根本不是诗啊！”易激动地摇头摆手：“没有节律、没有韵脚、没有对仗，连格式也完全不对！”

Yi stared blankly at him. “But—what you just wrote. Where are the feelings and themes?”

“诗嘛，最重要的是意境而非形式，”多兰笑着指了指自己的胸口：“是心声的表达，节律韵脚什么的，只是锦上添花的装点。”

“This is my experience of war.” Doran gazed at the amulet. “When you’re an old man like me, who has witnessed bloodshed and killing, you’ll understand why a sip of wine alongside a duck egg is worthy of poetry and praise.”

易愣了一下：“可看你这写的！意境和心声在哪儿啊喂？！”

Yi raised an eyebrow, turning to the other weapons with amulets. Did these swordsmiths write questionable poetry as well?

“老夫这里写的呀，正是对战争的体悟——”多兰捏着胡尖，看向箴符的样子，好像还挺得意：“如果你像老夫一样，见过那么多流血与屠戮，肯定就会明白，能喝上小酒吃上鸭蛋是多么值得歌颂的事了。”

He approached another sword and read its amulet. “Indefatigable horrors and demons, alongside inexhaustible evils and villains…”

易的眉头皱成了一团，转向其他挂着箴符的兵刃，想看看别的锻匠是不是也喜欢这么“歌颂”。

This poem was attached to a ceremonial blade, not intended for combat. Based on the verse, Yi suspected it belonged to an adjudicator or roaming swordsman.

“除不尽魑魅魍魉，肃不清卑恶奸邪……”

Doran, still immersed in his own writing, glanced at the young man. “Oh, that one’s by Laka. She’s famous at the Placidium. Her swords cost a fortune.”

这是一把并不适合战斗用的礼剑，看词句的意思，应该是属于一位判官或者游侠。不远处仍在奋笔疾书的多兰，听到易念出的诗，抬头看了这边一眼：

Yi had never been to the Placidium of Navori, though he’d heard merchants call it a sanctuary. Perhaps it was slightly bigger than Wuju?

“哦，那是拉卡的作品，她可是普雷西典的名人，让她打把剑老贵了。”

He moved on to another ceremonial blade, this one used as a cane. A cooling fragrance of insect-repelling mint emanated from its teakwood handle.

易从未去过纳沃利的普雷西典，只听行商说过，那是一个“圣地”，估摸着应该比无极村要大一点吧？

Blind faith ruins minds;

接下来，一柄仪式用的祭刀，柚木制成的长柄上，散发着驱虫油的清香。Blind loyalty ruins lives.“狂信毁心神，愚忠取性命，屠刀落地时，伤人灭己身……”When the butcher’s knife strikes the ground,易还未念完，多兰便插话过来：“肯定是莫雅的作品，他总是用最好的材料为最抠的客户服务——祭祀啊僧侣什么的，越做越穷，现在还欠老夫十九个钱呢。”他抬起毛笔，朝易身旁指了指：“对了！看看那个！那是个好东西！”

All are wounded, and the self is destroyed.

易回过头，看向多兰所指的位置，一把拥有锯齿状刀刃的大剑就立在自己身后，小巧的蓝色箴符用绳结挂在剑柄尾部的配重球上，就像是一条穗子。

Yi was only halfway through reading the verse when Doran interrupted. “That would be Morya. He always uses the best materials for the stingiest of clients—priests, monks, and the like. He only gets poorer with every weapon he crafts. He still owes me money!”

箴符上的文字非常陌生，易连一丁点都看不懂，只是在末尾用艾欧尼亚语写着署名“李尔”。

Doran gestured with his brush to a spot near Yi. “Oh, right! Take a look at that one! That’s a good one!”

“李尔是个人才，他住在南方海岛上，还去过祖安呢。”

Yi spun around to find the sword Doran had indicated: a greatsword with a serrated edge, with a tiny blue amulet hanging from the hilt.

“祖安？那是哪儿？”

The text on the amulet was in a foreign language. Yi couldn’t read any of it except for the signature at the end. Lear, scrawled in Ionian.

“别问。”

“Lear is an absolute genius. He lives on the southern isles, and has even been to Zaun,” Doran said.

在看过了一张又一张的箴符之后，易总算是稍稍松了口气——看来在整个“雾临”山谷里，完全不按格律写作的锻匠，应该就只有多兰一人而已。

“Where’s… Zaun?”

“大师，”他转向多兰：“别人写的，怎么说都是诗，但只有你在随性乱写。”

“Don’t ask.”

多兰停下手中的毛笔：“乱写？”

After reading amulet after amulet, Yi let out a relieved sigh. It seemed that Doran was the only person in all of Mistfall who wrote such non-poetic poems.

Yi turned to the older man. “Master Doran, the works of the others at least resemble poetry. You’re the only one who’s careless.”

Doran paused his brush. “Careless?”

“意境固然重要，但诗的本质就是它的形式，”易异常认真地道：“您既然要在箴符上作诗，就应当遵循这里的习俗与传统，这既是对巴鲁鄂人的尊重，也是对栖息在这片大地上，每一个‘灵’的尊重。”

“Feelings are important, but a poem is defined by its form.” Yi spoke with utmost seriousness. “If you’re going to write poetry, you should follow tradition. This is but basic courtesy and respect to the spirits.”

“有意思，”多兰笑道：“你师父也对我说过这样的话……那时他还不是掌门呢。”

“Interesting.” Doran smiled. “Your master once said the same thing to me… and he wasn’t even the Wuju leader back then.”

“那是因为他和我一样，是一位无极剑客。”易微微昂起胸膛：“我们有义务守护初生之土的道，因此也就权利告诫您，这样做不对。”他看了看周围：“不，不是说您写诗的问题，我们来这里本身……本身就不对，大师您，还有其他的锻匠，为了一己之私，为了让自己剑更好，便来叨扰此地的‘灵’，我们艾欧尼亚人，绝对就不会做这样的事情。”

“That’s because we’re both Wuju swordsmen.” Yi puffed out his chest. “It’s our duty to protect the old ways. As such, it is my duty to tell you that what you’re doing is wrong.” Yi looked around him. “No, your poetry isn’t the real problem. The fact that we’re here—that’s the problem. Master Doran, you are disturbing these spirits for your selfish hope of crafting better swords.”

“无极剑客……”多兰点了点头，意味深长地重复了一遍这个词：“那么修行至此的你，对无极之道，现在明白了多少？”

“Both Wuju swordsmen…” Doran nodded. “How much do you really understand of Wuju?”

本就对这趟所谓“修行”渐渐心生不满的易，终于被多兰的话给惹火了，他涨红了脸，将捏紧的右拳藏在背后，几乎按捺不住的怒意让他的声音都微微打颤：

Yi’s frustration finally boiled over. He hid his clenched right fist behind his back and spoke with a voice that trembled with suppressed fury.

“……不错，我确实只修行了四季，对无极之道一知半解，但您又懂什么呢？您是位德高望重的锻匠，但连一天的剑都没练过吧？凭什么质疑我的领悟？”

“I’ve indeed only been training for four seasons, and barely understand the art of Wuju. But what do you know? You may be a respected weaponsmith, but you have never been through a single day of swordsmanship training, have you? Who are you to question my understanding?”

“嘿，有意思，老夫为什么要懂？”多兰则依旧是心平气和：“今日明明是你来修行啊？”

Doran was undaunted. “Heh, interesting. Why do I have to understand swordsmanship? You’re the one who’s supposed to be training today.”

“对啊！”易半步向前：“那修行在哪儿呢？您让我爬山、休息、找剑，我全都照做了，说好的修行到底什么时候开始呢？！”

Disbelieving his ears, Yi took half a step forward. “Training? You’ve been making me climb mountains, rest, search for swords. So when exactly is the training going to start?!”

多兰沉默了好一会儿，最后将毛笔轻轻放在了地上：“你师父跟老夫说，那些最重要的知识，是没法用言语来传授的，只能靠‘悟’。他当年也就是在这里，悟到了苦寻不得的答案……”

Doran was silent for a while, before finally setting his brush on the ground. “Your master told me that the most vital knowledge cannot be taught with words. It can only be learned through epiphany. It was at this very place, years ago, that he found the answers he had been seeking.”

易愣了一下，多兰的话，让他突然回想起了无极之道的一个重要信条：“花期难逢，承露而兴。”他不再多言，而是默默地等待着多兰继续。

The young man froze. The weaponsmith was referring to one of the Seven Fundamental Doctrines of Wuju, The Stunted Flower Blooms Best in Rain. He waited for Doran to continue.

“老夫不明白你们无极剑客是怎么修行怎么开悟的，所以方才以才会问你‘现在明白了多少’……”多兰顿了顿：“还是说你到现在，啥也没明白？”

“I have no idea how you Wuju bladesmen train. That’s why I asked you how much you have understood thus far.” Doran paused. “Or have you learned nothing at all?”

易意识到自己误会了多兰，不禁羞愧得满面通红，微微欠身：

Embarrassed, Yi looked away. “My apologies, Master Doran. Did Master Hurong tell you how he reached his epiphany?”

“对不起，大师，恕我愚钝……那个，我师父，他……他有跟您说过他是怎么悟到的吗？”

“I didn’t ask, but he left behind a poem at the time.” Doran pointed behind Yi, at an enormous greatsword that towered over the battlefield. “It’s on that sword over there.”

“老夫没问，不过他留下了一首诗，”多兰指了一下易身后、最大的那柄巨剑：“就在那剑上，可能是感悟之类的东西吧？”

Yi hesitantly made his way to the greatsword. Covered with notches and cracks, the giant blade was damaged beyond repair… however, given its incredible size, a sharp edge wasn’t really needed.

“……诗？”

Not seeing any poem, Yi took a few steps to the side to get a better view. He then noticed that the blade was gleaming—the sword appeared to be made of some sort of glass. Curious, Yi stretched out his hand, lightly touching the brilliant shimmer of reflected light.

易有些迟疑地转过身，走到了那座仿佛宝塔般高大的巨剑跟前，他仰起头，自上而下地打量这令人敬畏的造物。

He blinked.

巨剑的刃早已钝损不堪，布满了大大小小的裂痕与缺口……不过以它的尺寸，是否能够“切斩”已经不是太重要了。

易并没有看到什么诗，他以为是角度的问题，便稍稍侧移了几步，注意到夕阳在剑身上映出了一片辉煌的流光——看起来它并非金属质地，而像是由玻璃铸造而成。易不禁好奇地伸出右手，轻轻点在了那片绚丽的反光中间。

他眨了一下眼。

A thunderous rumble shook the valley as the gargantuan sword was drawn out of the ground.

Yi took a step back, dumbfounded. Ten giants, each the size of a small mountain, stood before him. They were clad in golden armor and strange helmets, and where eyes should have been, two blazing orbs flared, flashing with a sinister glow. Their gigantic swords reflected the rays of the setting sun. In their regalia, holding stalwart stances, they looked like gods descended from the heavens.Farther away, among the foothills, another fifty giants were slowly making their way over. Holding massive weapons, they stopped and stood still as if awaiting an order.巨剑拔地而起的同时，雷鸣般的咆哮响彻了整个山谷。Hearing a commotion behind him, Yi turned around, only to be greeted by a sea of faces.易猛退了一步，而站在他面前的，是十个如小山般高大的巨人，它们穿着金色的铠甲，戴着奇形怪状的头盔，在大概是眼睛的位置上，闪耀着两团明焰似的火光。它们手中的巨剑，在炫目的朝阳下熠熠生辉，巍峨强健的身形，仿佛下凡的天神。At first, they looked familiar—they were villagers from Wuju, except they were hazier, less distinct, and they began to melt like a watercolor painting in the rain.更远处的山麓上，还有另外二十个……不，可能是五十个巨人，正慢悠悠地向这边走来，不知为什么，它们在接近到一定距离之后就不再向前，而是捧住手里的武器，停在原地，仿佛是在等待那十位巨人的决定。But then their features became clearer, and Yi realized that these were people unlike any he had encountered before—they had feathers all over their backs, or only three fingers, or green skin. They were tall, with fit physiques. Colorful clothes, some with the appearance of lustrous scales, draped across their lithe frames.听到身后传来一阵异响，易猛扭过头，回望他的，是漫山遍野的人群。He stood transfixed. “What—what are they?” he breathed.乍看上去，这些人都非常眼熟——全部是无极村的村民，就是不知为什么身形有些暗淡，很快，他们的模样起了变化，像是一幅幅淋了雨的水彩画，脸和身体都融化了一般变得模糊混沌。Yi had no idea when the spirit who looked like Doran had appeared beside him, but there he was, responding coldly with his crimson-eyed stare. “You called them—you called us—the Vastayashai’rei.”渐渐的，他们的轮廓清晰起来：这些“人”身形高挑，体格健硕，全都披挂着五颜六色的鲜艳服饰，都是从没见过的款式，其中有些衣物还散发着鳞片般的光泽。不……不对，不光是着装怪异，再定睛细看时，易发觉他们与普通人明显不太一样——有的背上长满了羽毛，有的手上只有三根手指，有的……有的皮肤好像是绿色。Yi had never heard this long and cumbersome name before. He regarded the spirit, whose outfit made him resemble a crane standing on two feet.被这些人怪异的相貌所惊，易忍不住轻声叹道：“他们是……什么东西……”The spirit gestured to the Vastayashai’rei. “We were the victors of this battle.”“你们现在的语言，管他们，不……”不知什么时候出现在身旁的灵，一边冷冷地应声，一边用那对艳红的眼睛盯住了易：“管我们，叫‘瓦斯塔亚霞瑞’。”Yi’s gaze fell on the army of giants. “How could you possibly have won against these monsters?”易从没有听说过这个冗长而拗口的词汇，他皱着眉头上下打量红眼多兰——这个灵此时的装束，让他看起来就像是一只用两脚站立的仙鹤：The spirit did not answer.灵比了比瓦斯塔亚霞瑞们：“我们，是这场战争的胜者。”Ten elders—or what Yi assumed were elders, among these strange beings—emerged from the Vastayashai’rei’s ranks. One made her way to the front, resting one palm over the other and raising her arms above her head. She slammed her hands down on the ground, and the whole valley shook as a fissure tore toward the giants. A deep chasm now separated the two armies.“胜者？”易看向那十头前出的巨人们：“你们怎么可能打赢……打赢那种怪物？”At the same time, the other nine elders invoked their magic. Some began to dance as others sat cross-legged, and howling gales and a foreboding blanket of dark clouds descended on the battlefield. Thunder roared as lightning flashed across the sky. Standing at the edge of the fissure, another elder conjured a mass of vines, enormous tangles bursting from the earth, intertwining to form a wall the height of six swordsmen.灵没有回答，而是扳住易的肩膀，让他面向两军之间的空地。Such power over the elements was unheard of except in myth. Yi knew he was in a vision, but he couldn’t help but feel awed.在一阵淅淅索索的低语之后，瓦斯塔亚霞瑞的军阵中走出了十位年长些的男女，迎着远处正在逼近的十头巨人，闲庭信步地慢慢向前。其中一人从易面前走过，看都没看这边一眼。

“What do you see now?” the spirit asked. “Is this strength?”

长者中的一位老妪走到阵前，她双掌交叠，举过头顶，又重重砸下，拍到地面的刹那，整个山谷都剧烈地震颤起来。不过须臾，一道裂缝出现在了巨人们前进的道路上。Yi nodded. “Yes, this is strength.”与此同时，另外九位长者也各显神通——他们有的翩翩起舞，有的盘膝而坐，原本晴空万里的山谷上方，突然就风起云涌，闷雷翻滚，闪光阵阵，煞是骇人。而地面上除了裂缝以外，还在一位长者的舞动之下，多出了一道“藤墙”——巨大的绿色藤条破土而出，互相纠结缠绕，并合在一起，挡在裂缝的后方，足有五六人高。“Yet we’re equipped with neither sturdy armor nor powerful weapons, nor are we shouting with the fervor of a bloodthirsty army. Where do you see strength?”易只在神话故事中听闻过能将自然万物操纵至此的伟力，虽然眼前所见的一切都只是幻觉，但身处其中之时，他仍被震撼得目瞪口呆。“You are conjuring winds, and calling storms, and parting the earth itself. If that’s not strength, what is?”“这次呢，你又看到了什么？”灵突然没来由地开口问道：“‘力量’，对吗？”The spirit pointed at the giants. “You asked me how one could win in a battle against these monsters. The question should be, how will these giants contend with the divine powers that created this very land?”除此以外，易确实词穷了，他点了点头：The behemoths were undaunted by the Vastayashai’rei’s mastery of magic. They threw back their heads and howled with glee, the ten lead giants raising their massive swords and charging. With their sheer size, they seemed like a mountain range crashing toward the Vastayashai’rei.“‘力量’。”Yet the Vastayashai’rei did not flinch. The elders advanced as the ranks behind them followed. Some of them bent low and sprang forward, transforming into vulkodalks, scaled snappers, and wolves, the beasts dashing past Yi. Others took to the skies, shifting into avian forms as they soared through the air like arrows. In a flash, the Vastayashai’rei became a stampede hunting down their prey.“可我们既没有披坚执锐，也没有喊得惊天动地，你又是从哪里看出了力量呢？”The giants were surprisingly nimble. They leapt over the fissure, easily clearing the wall of vines behind it, and dived straight into the pack of beasts.“这还要从哪里看出来？！”易简直是哭笑不得：“你们都在呼风唤雨、引雷开山了，这还不算是力量，什么才算？”Each swing of their swords was an unstoppable force. The vanguard of avian warriors fell in waves. Undeterred, their brethren beat their wings, casting enchanted blades of wind at their enemies, gouging shallow lines of red in the gaps between their armor. These strikes would normally cleave a person in two, yet they barely slowed the giants.“刀剑不会自舞，风雷不会自来，所有的力量，都是由心而生。”灵指向巨人：“你刚才问我，要怎么打赢这种怪物，不如问问，它们要怎么对抗这开天辟地、乃至塑造了整个初生之土的神力？”之前在裂缝前停步的巨人，丝毫没有畏惧于眼前的各种奇观，它们反而仰头狂笑，发出刺耳欲聋的巨响。在这惊天动地的嘲讽之后，十位巨人举起手里的大剑，发起了冲锋，那一往无前的气势配上它们庞然的体型，就仿佛一排大山在向这边压来。而这边的瓦斯塔亚霞瑞们亦没有退缩，不光是那十位突前的长者，后方密集的人群也开始了行动，他们中的一部分俯下身姿，变成了走兽，在易身旁狂奔而过，如弃巢之脱兔，一部分昂首向天，化作了飞禽，在空中滑翔翻舞，若离弦之利箭……他们与其说是出击的军阵，不如说是扑向猎物的兽群。巨人的体型虽大，动作却并不迟钝，它们在地缝前一跃而起，直接跳过了藤墙，扑进了兽群。巨剑的每一次挥舞，都带着无可阻挡的暴力，最先展开突袭的飞禽们，被成片地击落坠地，但它们仍用羽翼扇起一阵阵宛若利刃的烈风，在对手裸露在铠甲之外的肌肉上割出一道道浅浅的伤口，这些足以将人类切成两段的攻击，却无法拖延巨人分毫。地面上的突击同样气势如虹——几头变形者化身而成的鳞甲噬怪一马当先，狂突猛进，前赴后继地冲撞着巨人的脚踝、膝盖乃至挥来的兵器；同时数十匹沃恐达和苍狼飞身跃起，用利爪和尖牙撕扯着手腕、小臂乃至贴身的铠甲。The Vastayashai’rei’s ground forces were just as fearless. Several scaled snappers charged the giants, using their bulk to knock them down, while vulkodalks tore into their foes with horns and razor-sharp teeth.拔地而起的不再只是藤蔓，而是如同削尖木桩似的大树，枝叶还在不断抽动鞭笞，在云层中翻滚的也不再只是雷光，而是如同天降神罚般的霹雳，落在地上砸出一个个土坑。Enormous trees ripped from the earth, sharpened like stakes, their branches cracking like whips. Thunder roiled, and massive bolts of lightning struck with divine fury, blasting craters in the ground. Yet even this apocalyptic scene did not deter the giants. As vines snared their feet, and beasts clambered over them, and some were even brought to their knees and slain, they still continued to fight, and howl, and press forward. They seemed emboldened, increasing their momentum, treading on countless corpses as they tore an opening in the ranks of the bestial army.但就算是这宛若末世的景象，依然没有让巨人们动摇——它们有的被藤蔓缠住了脚，有的被兽群爬满了头，有的已经跪地，有的已经倒下，但即使如此，它们依然在拼杀，在嘶吼，在前进，其中几人甚至越战越勇，踩踏着无数尸体，在兽群中撕开了一个缺口。The smell of blood wafted through the air, its tang seeming real.血腥味在空气中开始弥漫，闻起来是如此真实。就在这时，一头巨人注意到了易，不知为什么，他完全无视了任何敌手和战友，朝这边转过了身来。易被它那双燃火的眼睛瞪了个激灵，情难自禁地朝后退了一个身位，扎下马步。In that moment, one giant noticed Yi’s presence. His fiery eyes glaring, the behemoth headed straight for him. Stunned, the young swordsman retreated a step back, assuming a defensive stance.就在巨人开始迫近的同时，灵用手搭住了易的剑鞘：As the giant bore down on him, the spirit rested his hand on the sheath of Yi’s sword.“风雨，雷鸣，闪电，岩崩……乃至你生而为人的这幅躯壳，都只不过是‘形式’，如果你找到了‘本质’，那么任何形式都可以信手拈来，包括……将它附在剑上。”“Winds and rain. Thunder and lightning. Avalanches. Even the body itself. All are mere forms. If you can find their essence, all forms are but a stone’s throw away. That also includes imbuing your blade with power.”伴随着多兰的轻声细语，那巨人的脚步越来越迟钝——不，不光是巨人，包括瓦斯塔亚霞瑞，甚至是从天而降的霹雳，此时此刻都变得异常缓慢，近乎静止。As the spirit spoke, the giant’s footsteps slowed, as did the assault of the Vastayashai’rei. Even the lightning became sluggish, as everything around Yi crawled to a standstill.“附在……剑上？”易突然明白了什么：“那不就是……”Realization dawned on him. “You mean—”“无极之道。”灵点点头：“无极之道的奥义，是从精神领域抽取力量，这与瓦斯塔亚霞瑞掌控雷电、变幻身形的方式完全一样，只是‘量’上多和少的区别而已。我不知道是谁发明了无极之道，但他一定，是位了不起的巫师。”“Wuju style.” The spirit nodded. “Wuju style draws power from the spirit realm. That’s also how the Vastayashai’rei changed their shapes, and manipulated the elements. The only difference is in the degree of power used. I have no idea who founded Wuju style, but they must have been a remarkable mage.”“巫师？不可能！”易惊叹道：“我们是无极剑客啊！”“That’s impossible!” Yi exclaimed. “We’re swordsmen, not mages.”“形式懂吗？形式！叫巫师、祭祀还是僧侣什么的都不重要，这些都只是形式！”灵看上去有些焦急，完全是一副恨铁不成钢的语气：“无极的本质，是‘魔法’！无极剑客的本质，是使用这种‘魔法’的人！你们所练习的每一招剑技，每一首诗歌，每一次冥想，都是为了它而存在。”“Forms! It doesn’t matter if they’re known as mages, priests, or monks. Those are all merely adopted forms,” the spirit said, exasperated. “The heart of Wuju is magic. The heart of the Wuju school is the people who wield this magic. Every martial stance, every poem, every meditation that you have studied, they all exist for the sake of this magic.”易正欲开口反驳——毕竟“追求形式上的精准”乃是重要的无极信条之一，但他旋即意识到自己并不是来辩论的——眼前这位拥有多兰形象的“灵”，分明就是在教导自己无极之道啊？这……这应该就是师父所说的修行了吧？！Yi wanted to refute the spirit—precision in form was an essential part of Wuju!—when suddenly he realized this wasn’t a debate. This spirit was obviously guiding him in the art of Wuju. This had to be the training his master had spoken of!“那！那我要怎么做，才能使用这种‘魔法’？”想到这里的易，像终于找到了救命稻草那样激动起来：“我的剑技和冥想都没有问题，为什么就是不能像其他无极剑客那样，从精神领域中汲取力量？！”“Then how do I use this magic?” Yi said. “I have no issues with my swordsmanship and meditation, so why am I failing to draw power from the spirit realm?”“不，恰恰就是因为你的剑技和冥想出了问题……”

“The issue lies precisely in your bladesmanship and meditation.”

红眼多兰的手突然顺着剑鞘上移，握住剑柄，猛地将易的无刃长剑抽出，以堪称大师的手法抖了两个花把式。就在易以为他要“演示”什么招式的时候，多兰抓住那未开的剑刃，毫不费力地将它掰成了两截，丢到地上。The spirit took the hilt of Yi’s sword and drew the unedged blade, shifting through several stances with the grace of a master. Yi assumed he would demonstrate a few moves, but instead the spirit snapped the sword in two, and tossed it to the ground.“剑不是魔法的载体，你才是，正是因为你太过专注于舞剑的动作，太过专注于冥想的状态，把所有的意志都集中在这些形式之上，才会忽略身为无极剑客的本质。”“The sword is not the bearer of the magic. You are. By focusing too much on your swordsmanship and meditation, you are directing all your attention to these useless forms. This is exactly why you lack the instinct every Wuju swordsman should have.”“我……我还是不明白……”“I don’t understand.”“不要在意剑，不要在意敌人，不要在意师父传授给你的一切——”灵探出双臂，从侧面轻轻扣住易的双腕：“哪怕是在接触精神领域的那一刹那间，也不要想着自己是在冥想，不要去考虑自己的每一个动作是不是正确。”“Forget the sword. Forget the enemy. Forget all of your master’s teachings,” the spirit said. “Even in the moment of contact with the spirit realm, forget that you are meditating. Stop wondering if your every move is right or wrong.”灵的话音刚落，周遭的一切就立即恢复了常态，那巨人更是加快了速度，朝这边阔步奔来，同时举起了手中的大剑。而此刻，易手里所拥有的，就只有一根木质的剑鞘而已。Suddenly, the battle roared back into chaos. The giant picked up speed as he resumed striding toward Yi, raising his sword. And he had nothing but a wooden sheath to defend himself.“现在，轮到你了，”灵松开手，后退一步：“扪心自问，你要怎么战胜力量悬殊至此的敌人呢？”“It’s your turn now.” The spirit took a step back. “Ask yourself: how will you defeat an enemy whose strength so severely outmatches your own?”逼近的庞然巨物，在地上踩出一声又一声的闷响，易感觉整个身体都在跟着颤抖——虽然明知道眼前的一切都只是幻觉，但这扑面而来的压迫感，还是让他拼尽全力才勉强稳住了呼吸。Yi drew the sheath like a sword and readied his stance, taking shallow breaths.易以鞘代剑，按照平时所学轻轻地运气吐纳，摆好了架势。

The giant’s steps shook the ground. This is only a vision, Yi reminded himself, yet he could barely stabilize his breathing.

一如往日，他很快便感觉到精神领域中的力量环绕在身边，就像一条奔涌的大河……他曾经无数次地试图从这条河流中舀出一捧水，“浇”在自己的剑上，但从未成功过哪怕一次。He felt the magic of the spirit realm surging around him, like a mighty river. In the past, when he had tried to draw this power into his sword, it had eluded him.……剑是形式，鞘也是形式，所以拿着剑与鞘的这个“我”，这幅“生而为人的躯壳”，理所当然的，也只能是“形式”。

Yet the sword was just a form. So was the sheath.

“扪心自问，你要怎么战胜力量悬殊至此的敌人”——易睁开双眼，抬头看向巨人的刹那，这个问题突然之间有了答案——他自己的力量微不足道，但是精神领域的力量回山倒海……

So am I.

……所以，并不是要从河流中舀出水来，而是要舍身其中，变成河流的一部分。

How will I defeat an enemy whose strength so severely outmatches my own?

巨人的大剑在这顿悟的瞬间挥下，伴着空气被撕裂的轰响，劈头盖脑地朝易斩来。

By becoming the river.

几乎完全是凭借本能，易扬起手中的剑鞘格挡，同时侧身避开巨剑的刃锋。兵器相接的瞬间，可怕的冲击力自鞘身传至手腕，再由小臂传至全身，但真正让易讶异不已的，却是在这同时发生的另一件事——他那木质的剑鞘，在对方如城墙般巨大的剑刃上切出了一道缺口。

The monster swung his sword in a mighty blow.

受到鼓舞的易，翻转手型，朝斜上方挥动剑鞘撩击，将缺口撕开至巨刃的中部。巨人迟疑了一下，赶紧将剑抬起，摊在手里左右端详了一番，发出似乎是惊叹的低吼，连头盔之下的两团火焰都暗淡了些许。Almost entirely by instinct, Yi raised his sheath to block the attack. As sheath clashed with sword, the force of the impact reverberated through his entire body. Yet he remained standing. Not only had he withstood the blow, but his flimsy wooden sheath had somehow cut a notch in the giant’s massive weapon.Encouraged, Yi switched his stance and swung the sheath diagonally at the sword, tearing a gash into it. The giant hesitated, then pulled his weapon back to examine it. Upon seeing the damage to the blade, he bellowed in rage and astonishment. The fiery orbs of his eyes dimmed underneath his helm.易同样不敢相信方才发生的一切，他看着手里的剑鞘，用食指轻抚那甚至连一点漆皮都没有脱落的鞘身，指尖竟然被割出了伤口。Yi also couldn’t believe what was happening. He gently ran his index finger along the side of the sheath. There wasn’t a single crack or splinter—but it sliced open his fingertip, as though possessing a sharp edge.“感觉到了吗？”灵上前握住了那渗血的食指：“这掠过指尖的力量？”“Do you feel it?” The spirit stepped forward and grasped Yi’s hand, holding up his bloody finger. “This power at your command?”易点点头，似乎还没有完全回过神来。He nodded.“记住这种感觉，把它从自己的脚下——”灵抬手指了指巨人：“引向你的目标，用你自己的身，你的心，而不是你的刀剑去斩。”“Remember this feeling, and direct it from beneath your feet to your target.” The spirit gestured to the giant. “Attack with your heart and your body, not your blade.”虽然灵还在一板一眼地讲解，但现在的易，已经心领神会，他微笑着应道：Though the spirit still spoke in the language of forms, Yi now understood.“……是。”The spirit stepped back just as the giant once again attacked. This time, he knelt down, sweeping his sword near the ground like a sickle harvesting crops.就在这时，巨人再次挥起了巨剑——这次它改变了套路，一脚踏前，后腿屈膝，巨剑贴着地面横扫，仿佛一把割麦的镰刀。Now Yi was completely focused. He held his breath, got down on one knee, and raised his arms over his head, shielding his upper body with the sheath—he had never understood the purpose of this stance during his training, but a curtain had lifted, giving him clarity.如果说刚才还有一丝畏惧，现在的易已经完全进入了状态，他屏住呼吸，单膝跪地，将手举过头顶，用剑鞘护住上半身——他原本还不太明白这个别扭的招式到底有什么用，但现在，帷幕已经拉起，藏在动作之后的意义昭然若揭。Just as the giant’s sword was about to make contact, Yi leapt to his feet, his weapon before him. He dashed with the force of a tsunami, throwing himself against the giant’s attack, sheath slicing toward the sword.在巨剑与木鞘即将接触的瞬间，易突然弹腿而起，将手中的“兵器”推前，同时整个人像脱弦之箭那样，迎着呼啸的剑风、骇人的巨刃和不可阻挡的伟力冲去，而木鞘劈开了所有这一切，当易收招停步的同时，被斩断的半截巨刃，像断线的风筝那样扑在了地上。By the time Yi closed his stance and stowed his weapon, the severed half of the giant’s blade had plummeted to the earth like a kite with a broken string.也许是用力过猛，巨人失去了平衡，侧倒下来，刚要起身，就被一道闪电砸中了背心，继而是数十位一拥而上的瓦斯塔亚霞瑞。它的面甲被打落，露出一张狰狞暴戾的脸，那圆瞪的双目，充满了愤怒与仇恨……以及，若隐若现的恐惧。Thrown by his momentum, the giant crashed to the ground. Just as he started to stand, a bolt of lightning struck him in the back, and dozens of Vastayashai’rei swarmed over him. The behemoth’s eyes showed fury… and fear.“这感觉……”易看着自己的手，对向自己走来的红眼多兰捏紧了拳头：“感觉就像是能斩开一整座山！”Yi stared at his hands, shaking his head in wonder. “I feel like I can cut through a mountain!”“对，你真的能。”灵点了点头：“现世中没有任何盔甲能够抵挡无极剑道，只要你能够掌控更多的力量，你便可以斩开一座山，一片森林，乃至一整个世界……”看到易兴奋得简直要手舞足蹈时，他又赶忙干咳了一声：“……不过你应该知道，所有这一切都只是……是幻觉吧？”The spirit nodded. “No armor can withstand attacks by master Wuju swordsmen. As long as you draw enough power, you can indeed sunder a mountain, a forest, or even the entire world.”这问题从一个幻境中的灵嘴里问出来，让易还有些惊讶：“呃，当然？”Yi was so excited that he clenched his fist and almost started to dance. Seeing this, the spirit quickly cleared his throat. “But remember, this is all a vision.”“你毕竟只是人类，能从精神领域中汲取的力量非常非常渺小，所以……”灵指了指在不远处挣扎着的巨人，微微一笑——他还是第一次对易露出这般和善的表情，老实说还有点可爱：“如果将来你当真遇到了像这样的对手，我劝你还是逃命要紧，你恐怕连它的脚指甲都削不下来。”“Um, yes, of course.” Yi frowned. What an odd thing for a spirit to say.“是……”易有些不好意思地挠了挠后脑勺：“我懂。”“There’s a limit to the amount of power humans can draw from the spirit realm. Thus…” A grin appeared on the spirit’s face. “If you really meet an opponent like this, I suggest you run. You’ll probably fail to slice off even a toenail.”也不可能遇到这样的对手啊——易心想，在巴鲁鄂这片安详之地，要到哪儿去找和小山一样高大的巨人呢？“Definitely.” Yi rubbed the back of his head. “I understand.” After all, Bahrl was a peaceful place. He’d have no need to sunder such foes.“我见过许许多多的无极之人，你是最特别的一个，所以请好好活下去，不要在没有意义的地方枉费性命……”灵温柔地搭住易的双肩，就像是第一次见面那样，上上下下地端详了他一遍：“I’ve seen many Wuju disciples, but you stand out. Don’t waste your life pursuing useless endeavors.” The spirit gently rested his hands on Yi’s shoulders, assessing him. “I’ll teach you something else, if you’d like.”“话说，你是本地人对吧？那我可以再教你一招。”Yi’s eyes brightened. “Yes!”易双眼一亮：“是？是是！”

“You grew up in Bahrl, so—”

“你从小在高原长大，所以身体——”

Yi was suddenly back in Mistfall, staring at the giant blade planted in the ground.

易看着近在咫尺的巨剑，呆若木鸡。

He was drenched in water—water from Doran’s waterskin, which he had just thrown at his face.

他满头满脸都是水——是多兰大师刚刚泼到他脸上的水。

“I shook you a couple of times to no avail, so I had to resort to this.” Doran smiled as he handed Yi the skin. “Come, have a drink. You’ll feel better.”

“拍了你半天没反应，只有这个办法了……”多兰笑吟吟地把水壶递向易：“来，喝口茶，压压惊。”

Yi looked up at the sky, letting out a huge sigh. “Gods! Master! Couldn’t you have waited just a moment longer?!”

易没有接过水壶，而是脱力似地仰头轻叹：

“Oh?” Doran said. “Were you about to slay the giant, or what?”

“天哪！大师！你就不能再多等一下吗？！”

“I was just about to learn…” Yi froze. “Wait! Master Doran, you—you’ve seen the vision as well, haven’t you? The battle with the giants?”

“哦？”多兰不以为然地道：“你是快要砍倒巨人了，还是怎么着？”

“I’ve heard your master speak of it. It seems that you Wuju bladesmen are the only ones who encounter such visions in this place.” Doran leaned forward. “You seem excited. I suppose you discovered something?”

“我就要学……”易一愣：“等等！大师您……您也见到过幻觉的是吧？巨人大战的那个？”

Yi lowered his gaze to his sheath, and drew his unedged sword. He stood before the massive blade, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath with the devotion of a priest at prayer. After a few moments, he raised his sword and swung it, magic coursing through the weapon. So great was his strength that he cleaved through the giant’s sword. Only a shard remained in the earth.

“只是听你师父说过而已，似乎只有无极剑客才会在这里遇上幻觉……”多兰话锋一转，踮着脚微微前倾：“看你这么激动，是不是也像他一样悟到了什么？”

Doran drew a sharp breath. “Whoa!”

易低头看了一眼自己手里的兵器，有点犹豫地握住柄，抽剑出鞘，转身站到了刚刚触碰过的巨剑跟前。他闭上双眼，深吸一口气，虔诚得就像是正在祈祷的祭祀。多兰等了片刻，不见动静，正要发问时，易突然抬手挥斩，魔力沛然于剑上，本未开刃的兵器，竟将眼前的巨剑横向削开，一刀两断，上半部分轰然倒塌，只留下插在地里的小半截残骸。

“How’s that?” An almost smug grin crept across Yi’s face.

多兰惊得打了个激灵，倒吸了一口凉气：“哦哟！”

“Who have you been talking to?” Doran said, raising an eyebrow.

“如何？这一剑？”易盯着自己的无刃剑，脸上浮现出混杂着惊喜与得意的微笑。

Yi was about to tell him that it was a spirit in his likeness, but inspiration suddenly struck. “Master Doran! Could I borrow your brush?”

“哎？你在问谁？我吗？”

Doran turned to fetch the ink-soaked brush, and handed it over to Yi. “Why? Are you going to write a poem about your feelings like your master did?”

易本想回答说是一个灵，而且还是“一个长着红色眼睛的多兰大师你”，但话到嘴边又咽了回去，他突然想起了什么：“对了，大师！能把笔给我吗？”

Yi weighed the brush in his hands before returning to the remnant of the giant’s sword in the ground. Before he began, he ran his palm over it, catching sight of what seemed to be traces of ink—the wind and rain would erase all hints of any calligraphy one were to write here. But that didn’t matter. Whatever he wrote wasn’t meant for the eyes of other visitors.

多兰点了点头，回身将浸了墨的毛笔取来，递向易道：“怎么？你也想学你师父，把感悟写成诗？”

“The poem my master wrote wasn’t about his feelings,” Yi said as he penned his first word. “It was about his gratitude.”

易接过笔，放在手里掂量了两下，转身走向巨剑的残骸。起笔之前，他抹了一下已经断开的刃面，隐隐约约地看到了一丝墨迹——想必在这上面提字，很快就会被风吹雨打所模糊吧？但无所谓，在这里写下的东西，根本就不是给“后人”看的。

By the time Yi had finished writing, Doran had packed up the swords in the bamboo basket, and was about to lift it onto his shoulders. Yi rushed over to take the burden himself, but Doran stopped him.

“师父他写的诗，不是感悟，”易一边说着，一边写下了第一个字：“而是感谢。”

“I’ll carry it. After all, your training today is completed.”

待易停笔回身的时候，发现多兰已经把竹篓收拾妥当，正准备拉到肩上，他见状赶紧上前，想抢先一步抓过绳带，却被对方轻轻挡开：

Yi nodded. He looked at the blades Doran was leaving behind to be blessed.

“老夫还是自己来背吧，毕竟你刚完成了修行，缓缓劲儿。”

“Master, which one is my blade?”

易点点头，余光扫到了多兰脚边几把崭新的兵刃，它们应该是老锻匠这次留下的“作品”：

“None of them. The blade I crafted for you will go to a junior disciple instead.”

“大师，您给我做的剑，是哪一把啊？”

“What?” Yi couldn’t believe it. “Junior? Which junior?”

“哪一把都不是，老夫给你做的那把剑呀——”多兰顿了顿：“还是给你的师弟师妹吧。”

Doran snorted, turned, and walked away, leaving Yi behind.

“师？！”正弯腰赏剑的易，简直不敢相信自己的耳朵：“师什么？师妹？！”

Yi ran after him. “But why, master?”

多兰一声哼笑，转身踏上了归途，在易一边喊着“为什么啊”一边追上来时，老锻匠轻轻叹了口气，用谁也听不见的嗓音低声自语：

The old weaponsmith sighed in bemusement, muttering words only he could hear.

“因为它配不上你了呀，小子。”

“It’s no longer worthy of you, kid.”