Category: The Witch Nichang (Page 5 of 10)

The Witch Nichang– Chapter 59

Game

The moment I believed that this child was Lian Nichang, I knew there must be a Zhuo Yihang in this world. 

Although I didn’t like it, these two are names that were destined to be intertwined.

It was exactly because I didn’t like it that for the past few years since encountering Honghua Guimu, the time I spent on thinking about this name might be longer than the time I spent on thinking about Lian’er and Master. Whenever I had time, I couldn’t help but rake my brain trying to remember, even if it was just a word, a sentence, or a scene. This was unlike when I tried to recall it as a kid. At that time, it didn’t matter whether I could recall or not. Now that I was sure that some things were bound to happen, how could I sit back and wait for fate to unfold?

And now, the character that I had envisioned countless times in my mind finally showed up in front of me.

I was glad, actually. What will come will come. This plain appearance was the most acceptable kind out of the several possibilities I had concluded over the past few years with bits and pieces of my memories. What I was more glad about was that I had realized it in time.

But it had only just begun.

The young man was interrupted. He looked a little puzzled when the name that he hadn’t had a chance to say was uttered by another person, but he didn’t stay puzzled for long as I pointed out his master and where he came from. He was surprised, so he put aside his earlier puzzlement and said solemnly with cupped fists, “You’re right. I’ve indeed learned some basics from Wudang, but I wonder how Miss got to know about this?”

“It was just that I had the chance to travel with your martial brother, Geng Shaonan and the others on my way to Shaanxi for a few days. That’s why I’ve heard some details. You needn’t worry.” I answered with a smile. As if in concern, I asked, “Unfortunately, we parted ways because something came up. I wonder if you have any news about them? How’re they doing?”

That was right. It was intentional to ask these questions.

The man didn’t question it. His face brightened up when he heard that, and he said, “Ah, so you’re Brother Geng’s friend. Forgive my impudence. I’ve been busy with family matters in the capital for the past few days, so I haven’t seen my fellow martial brothers, but…” He hesitated for a second before saying, “But according to a new friend I met in the capital, Brother Geng seemed to have gotten hurt. Fortunately, it wasn’t serious. He probably went back to Mount Wudang after that. Don’t worry, Miss.”

“Oh?” Feigning surprise, I asked curiously, “He got hurt even with his excellent martial skills. I wonder who’s hurt him? What’s the plan now? Is Wudang going to stand up for him?”

When I asked that, I glanced at the girl next to me, seemingly unintentionally. Lian’er was still tugging on my sleeve but seemed to be drawn to this topic, curiosity showing on her face. Since it was her doing, she of course wasn’t curious about who had hurt him. Hearing me ask that, she looked at that person. I supposed she wanted to know how he would answer.

“I heard it’s a cunning ruthless hag!” Unsuspecting, he blurted out angrily. Then he realized it was inappropriate right after and stopped. He said, his head down, “I’m very sorry. I got angry and blundered. Don’t take offense. Actually, it’s better not to get involved if you aren’t fellow members of jianghu. The elders and the pupils from Wudang will take care of the feuds and affairs in jianghu. They’ll ask for justice sooner or later. I thank you on behalf of Brother Geng for your concern.”

He behaved with courtesy. When he spoke, he didn’t look at us directly most of the time, so he didn’t see how the face of the girl in white changed when he said “cunning hag.”

Even so, Lian’er didn’t lose her temper.

She was still holding my arm. She even slid down my arm to hold my hand behind my back. 

“Who cares about that guy? Your Wudang has a long history and produces many heroes. Just go ahead if you guys want to go after that person. That person might not be afraid of you. You can talk about it after you’ve taught them a lesson. My…my sister isn’t feeling well. Why do you have to bad-mouth other people?”

I turned around and gazed at her. For the first time, I was unable to tell the truth in her words.

Was it really because of the reason she gave? The person beside me didn’t care about me looking at her but looked at the man haughtily instead. There was displeasure in her eyes, but there was no anger. So did this girl really put up with it because she cared about her friend? Or was it simply because she didn’t want to snap at him?

“Miss, that’s not true.” The man heard the displeasure in her voice and quickly explained, “Wudang’s reputation has never come from abusing our power. As for the reason behind this matter, everyone will be the judge of it. I blundered just now. I’m just a junior. Although my teacher hasn’t given up on me, I’m slow and have no success in arts and martial arts, let alone my insignificant standing in Wudang. Naturally, what I said can’t represent Wudang. I hope that Miss won’t take it personally.”

He probably got a little suspicious because his words became particularly modest and cautious. The displeasure on Lian’er’s face was fading. She nodded and said, smiling, “Yo, you should have said so earlier. Now we’re talking.”

This conversation between them shouldn’t have happened. It was a plot of mine on a whim. I plotted against Zhuo Yihang, but didn’t I plot against her too? But so what? Even after saying those words, Lian’er still smiled at him in the end. So had I stifled her affection for him or made her impression of him stronger by doing so?

Suddenly, panic took me. Being in the game, I didn’t know what ripple I was creating, what wave I was pushing, and what fruit I was planting. 

Is everything really destined and on God’s will? Is fate so difficult to change?

“You’ve actually gotten sick.” Suddenly, I heard a voice. She turned around, her smile faded, and she said to me seriously, “Your hand is getting colder. It’s better to layer up and go to rest as soon as possible.” Before I could answer, she looked up at the man and said, “Hey, my sister is going to change. You can’t stand there. Rain in the mountains comes and goes quickly. It’s almost about to stop. I’ll walk you out to take a look.”

After that, Lian’er let go of my hand and sauntered towards the man. Before taking the second step, her body swayed, looking like she was going to fall down, but with a wave of her sleeve, she seized his wrist like lightning.

The man was shocked, and his face flushed, however, he couldn’t dodge it or break free either. In the end, the girl smiled and released her grip. 

“The ground is wet, and I slipped. Sorry about that. Please go ahead.” She said, looking frank without any sign of sorry on her face.

The man couldn’t say much about it but yes with his reddened face. After saluting to me, he went with her. 

I just stood still. The two of them walked out one after another. Standing at the entrance of Yellow Dragon Cave, Lian’er seemed to look at the sky and said something to him. The man cupped his fists and nodded. As he started walking, the girl suddenly called him. This time her voice was louder, so I could hear it. 

“Ah, by the way, don’t tell anyone that you’ve met us here!” She said. 

The young man called out, “No problem, Miss. You can rest assured. We’ve only met by chance and won’t see each other again. I won’t go around telling everyone.” Lian’er grinned and said, “Not necessarily. How do you know there won’t be a next time?” It dazed him, and he replied, “Well then. If we meet again someday, I’ll welcome you as a good friend.”

This time the girl waved at him and said, “Okay, go on!”

The rain had stopped, but the wind kept on, sending the two voices into the cave, sounding crystal-clear. I stood there looking at the entrance, frozen. Over there was a figure leaning against the wall, facing outside, looking as if she was sending off someone with a smile, motionless.

I waited for a long time, but the person still didn’t turn around–didn’t return.

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The Witch Nichang– Chapter 58

Stranger

It was supposed to be a good sleep because I had let something go, and a corner of my heart was no longer a dead end.

Lian’er was sleeping in my arms, warm and soft. It had been too long since I had the courage to touch her. It was all because I knew I still had feelings for her. I was afraid that if I let loose a little, I would go back to my former self where I couldn’t contain my feelings and couldn’t be open with her, hurting the both of us.

But after reading the letter from Master, my state of mind went through a subtle change.

Even though everything was just a guess—maybe it was just me putting two and two together and making a random guess—it seemed to lift a heavy weight off my chest at the thought that Master might know about my feelings and difficulties. Even those seemingly obscure and ambiguous words and phrases had hit home, shining a little hope in me.

Maybe it was just because I had been feeling my way forward alone in the endless dark for too long, unable to see and to speak. I was alone, holding on without knowing what to do, but suddenly, a sparkle appeared far ahead. Even if the sparkle was faint and faraway, even if it was just an illusion, it still brought warmth and strength.

Perhaps that was what Master’s letter meant to me. With the pendant and the letter, I could feel the dead corner of my heart had begun to come to life again. It was telling me that maybe beyond the simple wish of protecting Lian’er, you could do more and ask for more. You had already tried to sever your feelings for her. If you hadn’t succeeded after so many years, why not try another way?

And rationality kept flashing warnings as it did years ago, warning me that doing so was troublesome and dangerous, and there was a high chance that I would fall into damnation. Are you ready to face hell again?

The warning still worked on me, but unlike a few years ago, it could no longer gain the upper hand and direct my thoughts.

That was why I was careful to approach her, touch her, and wrap her in my arms, trying to figure out the invisible line between me and her.

If—I said if—if I decided to take a step forward, then this relationship was no longer just about me.

Lian’er, if I try to change your destiny and take your heart, will you let me? I asked silently. Of course the person sleeping next to me couldn’t answer.

But the heavens seemed to be answering me. The thunder was getting more frequent, and finally, after a loud clap, a sudden downpour ensued. 

The rain was heavy. The sound of rain pattering could be heard even in the further end of the cave. Because of the noise, the girl in my arms moved a little. She wrinkled her nose unpleasantly and rolled over, moving further into my arms, as if wanting to block out the annoying noise with my body.

Something was on my mind earlier, so I wasn’t feeling sleepy. I opened my eyes as soon as she moved towards me. When I was going to cover her ears so she could have some peace, I saw a smile tugged at her lips, and she said under her breath with her eyes still closed, “Shh, quiet. There’s a stranger coming in right now.”

It was pouring outside, the sound of rain and thunder mixed together. I couldn’t hear anything, but I didn’t at all doubt what Lian’er said. I was startled when she told me that. I was going to get up and check, but as I was getting up, she grabbed me and tugged me back to bed then she whispered in my ears, “What’s the hurry? Judging from the footsteps, this person is still an amateur in martial arts. What is there to be afraid of? Since we’re bored, let’s play with him a little and see what he does first.”

Those words were said with confidence. Knowing that she was strong and daring, there was no reason for me to stop her, but I wondered why she suddenly got this excited, which was rare.

It was only later that I realized destiny worked in mysterious ways.

The footsteps were getting closer shortly after the deliberate waiting. I could hear it now. As expected, there was only one person. It was just that it felt weird that there was a stranger coming in while I was still lying on the bed. Even though I was fully clothed, the feeling was still weird.

It seemed like Lian’er thought it was weird too. I felt she shifted in my arms and thought that she had changed her mind and didn’t want to play anymore. When I was about to heave a sigh of relief, I heard her murmur, “No, I should be the one facing outside.” After that, she rolled over and passed above me to the outer side of the bed before lying down again and closing her eyes with a smile.

I had no time to react to what she did because as soon as she was done, the footsteps had taken a turn and came to the inner cave entrance.

Lian’er was lying on her side slightly facing inward, but her head was slightly tilted outward. Her arm casually rested on me, looking like a sleeping beauty, dreaming and unguarded, but from my point of view, I knew she had her hand flexed, ready to attack. Like a tiger playing a kitten, she was going to pounce on him and spill his blood as soon as he tried something, dared to come close, or do something inappropriate.

But fortunately, the person stood at the entrance and uttered a “eh.” A moment later, the person softened his footsteps instead of coming over, he turned around and tiptoed out. He just sat down cross-legged near the cave entrance and looked at the rain outside, not daring to even turn his head around.

I happened to be facing that way. With a little prop, I could see everything that happened. I acknowledged his integrity, so I bent over and whispered in Lian’er’s ears, “See, that person doesn’t seem like a bad guy. There’s nothing to play with. Let’s get up, shall we? We can’t stay like this.”

Lian’er opened her eyes, a little disappointed. As if refusing to give in, she said softly, “Let’s wait a bit. The girls in the stronghold always say that most men in this world are no good. I don’t believe he can stay there forever.” After that, she reached out and pushed me back to bed. It looked like she wanted to keep playing.

The air was already wet and cold today. Now that it was raining, the cave got even colder. I nudged her and said, smiling, “You can stand the cold, but if I keep playing along with you, I’m afraid I’ll catch a cold later. I can’t be asking you to carry me into the mountain to gather medicinal herbs again, right?”

“I’ll do that. With your light body that weighs less than two taels, do you think I would be afraid?” Lian’er rolled her eyes at my words. After sassing me, she rolled over and wrapped me in her arms. 

“Let’s see if you’re going to complain about the cold again,” she said smugly.

I was caught off guard. I felt I was wrapped in a warmth, a body temperature that was slightly higher. Plus she started to channel her qi, and it felt even more soothing and cozier. Not only did my body not feel cold being wrapped in warmth, even my heart was warming up. I couldn’t help but crave for this closeness, so I lay back down and stopped talking.

After cuddling for a while, the sound of footsteps came from outside again just as I almost forgot about the person sitting at the entrance.

The footsteps were soft, softer than before. The person padded into the cave. This time, he didn’t stop and came straight inside. When he almost reached the bedside, Lian’er stealthily flashed me a smile, and she had channeled some qi to her hand, but then we heard a rustle. Squinting my eyes, I saw the person take off his coat and gently drape it over us and then gingerly back off.

I didn’t like to have clothes with an unfamiliar scent on me. Besides, it would be too much if we kept going on like this. I gave Lian’er a look and cleared my throat, lifting the coat and getting up. Just as I was about to speak, Lian’er rolled over and got up before me. 

“You scoundrel! How dare you take advantage of us!” She chided. 

I didn’t know if she was unhappy with the coat he put on us or if she just wanted to keep playing. I was a little surprised. On the other hand, the guy was startled. He froze and was afraid of turning around.

“Miss, no offense! I felt that it’s cold inside and I was worried that you’d be cold, so I took the liberty to put some clothes on you!” He said profusely.

It was true that this guy hadn’t done anything inappropriate, so Lian’er couldn’t really be angry. She let out a sigh and said, “Then turn around.” The man turned around at her words but kept his head down, not daring to look her in the eyes. It wasn’t a good time for me to study him, so I could only tell that he was good-looking, young and had considerable poise. It was just that I felt something stuck in my heart as I looked at him, but I couldn’t tell what had been stuck there.

As I was hesitating, Lian’er had taken the coat off the bed and handed it over. “I saw what you did just now. You’re a gentleman. I haven’t seen anyone like you yet. If it were someone else, they’d probably take advantage of us.” She had always been direct. Ignoring the young man’s blushed face, she carried on, “I was just trying to intimidate you when I told you off just now. No offense.”

From my perspective, she was surprisingly courteous when she spoke to strangers like this, but for other people, it would seem like she was random and temperamental. The young man flushed at first, but then he frowned when he heard what she said. I guessed he must have felt that way too.

Lian’er could tell, so she smiled and said, “I’ve always been like this, so most people are afraid of me. You have to get used to it.” But when she saw the guy still kept his head down without saying anything, her face dropped and anger flashed across her face. 

“What? Are you still angry at me?” She asked.

The young man had been pondering with his head down. It was only then he said in a hurry, “There’s no such thing. Why would I be angry with you…”

I was at the back, looking at them talking. The more harmonious they got, the stronger the bad feeling I had grew. I had no time to think about why. I stood up and chimed in, “Don’t mind her, young man. This is just how she is. Please don’t take it seriously. May I know how you found this place?”

“Oh, where are my manners? I came down the mountain a little too late after visiting an old friend and got caught in the rain halfway down, which was why I stumbled on this place.” When he saw that I was more well-mannered than Lian’er, he seemed relieved. He then turned around with cupped fists and explained, “I was just going to take shelter from the rain in your cave and didn’t intend to disturb your rest. Please forgive me.”

“You don’t have to be sorry. To be honest, this is not our home either.” I returned his salute and continued to lie with a straight face, “We’ve lost both of our parents and only have each other. We came to Mount Hua just to pay our respects to our parents. This place belongs to an old friend of an elder family relative. We know each other. That’s why we are staying here for the time being.”

I lied because I didn’t know where this person came from. Yellow Dragon Cave was secluded and remote. People rarely stumbled on here. Even though he sounded genuine, I remained a little wary. That was why I said that the house owner wasn’t around, setting up a situation where we knew nothing to avoid creating any more problems.

Besides, I had some odd feelings about this guy. It wasn’t dislike but certainly not fondness.

Lian’er didn’t know what I was thinking. When she heard that, she turned around and raised her eyebrows, looking confused but it wasn’t the right time to question me either. Fortunately, the man didn’t notice her expression. He apologized after that, “I see. Forgive me for being inconsiderate and stirring up your grief.”

“Not at all. It’s just a thing of the past.” I replied with a chuckle, but my mind was thinking about how to get rid of him. 

“From the look on your face, are you feeling sorry for us?” I asked.

The change of topic was actually a little abrupt. I even intentionally injected some displeasure in my words, hoping that it would unsettle him and he could take the hint and leave. However, in strange ways fortune favors the honest. I didn’t know if he picked that up, but he saluted sincerely with cupped fists and explained, “Not sorry but admirable. You two have lost the ones you depend on but still support each other through it all, even braving the hardships to come up Mount Hua to pay respects. You couldn’t have done it without great courage. I sincerely admire you two.”

I frowned when I heard that. I couldn’t continue with something mean, so I could only respond nicely. After a few moments, Lian’er was getting impatient. She laid her hand on my shoulder and said, head high, “Why are you guys talking like you’re friends now? Hey, what’s your name? I haven’t asked you yet.”

The latter part of what she said was of course directed to the stranger. The young man lifted his head at her question and as he looked at her, his face slightly blushed. He quickly cupped his fists and bowed before saying politely, “My surname is Zhuo, first name Yihang. May I know both of your sur—” But he thought better of it, thinking that it might be inappropriate and said immediately, “It’s fine if you couldn’t tell me. That’s rude of me.”

An idea struck the girl, and she said gracefully, “My surname was Lian. My parents didn’t give me a name. What name do you think would sound nice on me? Why don’t you think of one for me?”

The man was stunned at first. Then it seemed to stir up some emotions in him, and sympathy washed over his face. The sound of rain was fading, but the wind kept blasting, blowing into the cave gust after gust, flapping everyone’s clothes. Among us, only the girl in white wasn’t wearing much. Her sleeve was moving with the wind, looking remarkably flowy. His eyes fell on that. As if something dawned on him, he parted his lips and was about to speak.

“Nichang!”

In the end, the one who blurted out the name wasn’t him. 

My heart was pounding. Only after forcing the word out of my mouth did I feel my heart pounding, and as my heartbeat returned to normal, my blood started to flow again, sending the heat all over my body.

Her lie was exposed, and her fun got spoiled. The girl being called turned around, displeased. As soon as they met my eyes, her eyes that were filled with dissatisfaction turned serious.

“What’s wrong with you?” She turned around and walked towards me, her brows furrowed. Grabbing my arm, she said, “You don’t look so good. Your lips are really pale. Did you actually catch a cold?” She halted in the middle of her words. Her frown grew deeper after sniffing the air. 

“Where does the smell of blood come from?” She asked.

I lifted the corners of my lips at her. While she was watching, I extended my right hand and slowly pressed a finger to my lower lip, flipped it, and said with a smile, “Here, I wasn’t paying attention when I was talking just now, so I accidentally bit my lip.” Then I let go of my hand and patted her head. 

“My Lian…um, Nichang’s nose is sensitive, like a dog,” I said, giggling.

“What are you talking about? How old are you? How could you bite your lip when talking? And you always complain about me!” She puffed out her cheeks and dodged my hand indignantly, but then she tugged on my sleeve and said, “Are you really okay? Your body feels cold.”

I smiled as I shook my head, furtively putting my hands behind my back. Fortunately, Lian’er didn’t tug on my hand. It felt even colder there, so cold that I could feel nothing. Same went to my feet. Only the piercing chill kept surging. It felt as if my body was no longer flesh and blood but made of ice. The human body was weird. The body temperature could drop in an instant, giving people a sense of bone-chilling cold. 

If I hadn’t bitten my lip in time, I might have gone rigid there, unable to even force any words out of my mouth.

If it had come to that, I would have really regretted it and kicked myself.

But now, I had broken free of the shackles and was no longer stiff. The taste of blood and the slight pain calmed me down. I looked at the worried girl next to me before turning my eyes to the confused man and said, smiling, “Ah, so you’re Zhuo Yihang? The Wudang disciple, Zhuo Yihang? Well, I’ve heard a lot about you.”

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The Witch Nichang– Chapter 57

Mind Guessing

There was one thing that had always felt strange to me: Master’s lenient attitude towards me over the past few years.  

At first, I deliberately distanced myself from Lian’er because I couldn’t keep my heart from stirring, but she mistook it as me missing my family, so she let me leave—you could even say she encouraged me to leave. After Honghua Guimu, she didn’t say much either. When I said I wanted to go back and help my father get back on his feet before coming back, she accepted it and agreed to all of it, not saying anything on this matter.

Was it strange? What was so strange about it? If I looked at them individually and thought them over, they all made sense–every single thing she did was just the way a master cared for her disciples.

That was why I had been brushing off that vague feeling of strangeness. I had always thought it was my overthinking mind acting up.

However, reading this confusing letter at this moment and somehow connecting myself with those wine wares, a thought struck me, sending a chill down my spine and stirring up a storm in me. 

The only time I had come across this wineware—the wine jar and the wine cup—was a few years ago when the three of us enjoyed dinner together with the breeze and the setting sun at the stone table outside the cave to celebrate Master’s birthday. 

Even though many years had passed, the memory of that evening was still vivid and colorful. It was a golden dusk. The wine jar was filled with fine aged wine. The wine cup was fresh out of the kiln. On the stone table were some side dishes Lian’er and I brought back from a restaurant down the mountain. Master had drunk a lot. At first, she was quaffing the wine, but in the end, she looked a little lonely. As for Lian’er, it was the first time she touched alcohol, so she had drunk herself to stupor.

I remembered that dinner ended without a word. Lian’er got drunk and passed out, Master went out for a walk to sober up, and I…

And I, unable to help myself, kissed Lian’er…

As if suddenly waking up from a dream, I looked down at the poem on the paper again. I wasn’t sure if I was imagining things. This time when I looked at the poem again, it no longer felt simple. The more I looked at it, the more I felt there was more to each line. Wasn’t the line “the young green bamboos are half sheathed, new tips are peeking out the wall” a metaphor for my feelings? And didn’t “their shadows creep across the books, casting an illusion of night, the wine bottles seem to cool as their shadows pass by” hint at where Master was at that time? Could it be that she saw what happened at that time?

When I thought about it, it wasn’t impossible. If anything, it was highly likely that she did. Although I had seen her leaving with my own eyes, there were a thousand reasons for her to turn back. Besides, Master’s qinggong was better than Lian’er. If she had slunk back into the cave at that time and…

I couldn’t help clutching my fingers tighter on the paper, and I was thrown into a brief confusion. I had always thought that only heaven and the earth knew about my feelings. But if Master already knew about it, how embarrassing would that be? On the other hand, if she knew, didn’t her support and encouragement of me leaving make sense now?

But Master being Master, would she really see her disciples as troublesome and hope for me or even encourage me to leave once and for all?

I didn’t want to believe this interpretation. If so, it was more difficult to accept than Master knowing my feelings, and it contradicted the impression I had of her all these years. I shook my head hard, shaking those slightly extreme thoughts out of my head. I paced around for a while then I stopped and calmed myself down, trying to sort out my thoughts again.

I emptied my mind and sorted through my thoughts again from the beginning. Even if I managed to explain the first two sentences following my train of thought earlier, it couldn’t explain the last two sentences, could it? Besides, if I thought about it, there was one more question. Even if Master coincidentally saw me getting carried away that evening, could she have guessed my actual feelings?

No matter how intimate, infatuated, and enchanted I was, in the end, I just kissed on Lian’er’s cheek if my memory served me right.

Just now, panic swelled up as if I had done something wrong, but now that I calmed down and thought about it, I didn’t think Master could see through my feelings with just what she saw, at least not everything.

Could it be that I worry too much? And looked at it the wrong way? But it didn’t seem like it…

If I carried the thought further, was there something out of the place other than the kiss? I remembered, at that time, my mind went blank, and I bent over to kiss Lian’er. Then when I came around, I instantly felt chagrined, at not being able to control myself and at these feelings I had, feelings that I shouldn’t be having. It awoke the irresolvable issues buried deep in my heart, so…

So I called that name, that name that had died, that name that I never wanted to hear again. I stared at the face reflected on the water and said with a sneer, “Do you want to die again?”

If Master had seen what happened before, then she wouldn’t have missed that. 

If what happened before didn’t raise her suspicion, then anyone who saw that would think it wasn’t normal.

Not to mention that I did act differently after that night. I started to become withdrawn and distance myself from Lian’er, even going as far as not wanting to look her in the eyes and spar with her.

I didn’t know whether Master had seen my feelings, but with these, I figured Master at least knew that I had an unresolved issue, something that I had never told anyone, a Gordian knot, and Lian’er undoubtedly triggered it.

So when even sparring failed, she gave me the option to leave.

Did she give me that option to protect Lian’er? Looking at the last two sentences of the poem, I doubted it. 

“If only they are left untouched, someday you will see them reach the clouds.”—The original meaning of this sentence was that as long as it wasn’t bogged down by bonds and ties, it would eventually grow to the height of clouds. 

I guessed Master wanted to tell me with this that she respected me and my thoughts and wouldn’t interfere with what I did.

Just as she gave me the choice and the reason to leave, but ultimately, it was my own choice to leave. For that reason, I was able to take a breather and sort myself out, and if I wanted to, I could come back at any time. 

This was Master’s true intention.

Now Master was no longer around. All I could do was guess. Even if it was a bit of a stretch, I wanted to believe that I got it right. The more I thought about it, the more I felt it was supposed to be like that. It was the only way to explain it. 

And as if to prove my point, after I read the letter again and again, learning every word by heart, and was about to put it back with my eyes slightly red, I found another line in small letters with the same handwriting on the back of the letter—”question, contemplate, discern, and act with integrity”. 

I didn’t need to think about the meaning of these words to understand why Master wrote it here.

Without me realizing, my hand clutched onto the pendant around my neck. This was a small habit I picked up in recent months. Lian’er didn’t put much thought into it when she gave it to me. She didn’t know what meaning I gave to this pendant. 

Since we met again, my dormant feelings that had been put aside were awakened by this little gemstone.

And now, as if by chance, a belated letter from Master touched the unresolved feelings that I had been ignoring in a very subtle yet direct way. She even told me what to do. 

 I had always thought the best way to deal with this relationship and this problem was to just ignore it, put it aside, let it sleep. I’ll let it fade, better forget it, erase it, as if it never existed. It was good for myself and Lian’er. It was enough as long as I could be with her like now, keeping her safe, and away from harm. I still thought so even to this day.

But everything Master did—giving me space, freedom and respect—was not for me to run away. Even though she might not know what her disciple’s problem was, her intention to help her grow and face her problem was clear.  

She didn’t even say whether it was right or wrong. She just wanted her to question, contemplate, discern, and act with integrity.

This was Ling Muhua. This is how Ling Muhua should be.

I looked down, feeling warm in my eyes, clutching the pendant until it became as painful as a burn. As my eyes become blurry, a laugh sounding like a cough escaped from my throat. Suddenly, I wanted to laugh. I couldn’t help but feel like laughing. Nice one, Ling Muhua, you could defend and go easy on your own disciple and let her walk away just so she could work out her problem. Why couldn’t you see it when it came to yourself? A mere paralysis and you ran off to die?

You, if I was right, you must still be alive. You had to be alive!

Instantly, I felt relieved, as if a heavy weight I had been carrying had been lifted off my heart. For the rest of the day, I quickly finished off the work at hand, cleaning up the little stone chamber nice and tidy. Why am I getting sentimental and sad here? She must still be somewhere in this world.

I spent another two hours alone like this. When it started to get dark outside and the thunder began to roar, I saw a flash of a figure at the cave entrance, and Lian’er slunk back in. When she saw me, she smiled and told me that it was done and said, “Look, it hasn’t rained yet right?” I returned a smile and said a few words to her before taking her to look at the things Master had left behind in the stone chamber. I even told her about the letter. Sure enough, Lian’er saw the wine jar and wine cup. She held them in her hand, her eyes flickering, and a look of nostalgia washed over her face. She fiddled with them for a while before putting them down. However, she didn’t understand the letter. After reading it twice, she finally pouted and said, “Master was being flowery again. She left it for you knowing that I won’t understand it.”

I let out a guffaw and put the letter away. 

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t understand it. Master just told me to go do what I want to do,” I said. 

“Oh? What do you want to do?” She tilted her head and looked at me, asking curiously, “How come I didn’t know it after all this time?”

Meeting her eyes, I stroked her head with a smile and said, “What I want to do is to take good care of you and be by your side, may I?”

I hadn’t done this for a long time because Lian’er didn’t like me being more senior than her since she was little, and then later, we were separated for a few years, so I didn’t have the opportunity to do that again. Now that she was suddenly being touched on the head again, she froze at first. Then when she came around, she ducked it and said, “Who wants you to take care of me? It’s more like me taking care of you. Look, I told you to rest before I left, and you started cleaning up the stone chamber instead. Such a pain in the neck!”

She rambled on for a while. At first, it was just a retort off the top of her head, but she seemed to think it made a lot of sense after saying it. Then she began to hang on to it, moving me to the bed and forcing me to rest. I didn’t feel tired, instead, I felt relaxed, so I didn’t mind joking around with her. When she pushed me, I just fell back to the bed. Then a thought hit me. I tugged at her and asked softly, “Then rest with me?”

For the past few months, we had been sleeping on the same bed. I was getting used to it, not to mention Lian’er. Besides, there was nothing else to do. Thunder was roaring outside, and it seemed like it was going to rain. She glared at me and then said with a smile, “Fine, I’ll rest with you. Since I’m going out this afternoon, I could use a nap now.” With that, she got onto the far side of the bed and lay on her usual spot, ready to fall asleep.

Seeing her settle in, I turned and lay on my side. After a slight hesitation, I reached out and wrapped my arm around her waist for the first time.

This was the first time I touched her of my own accord since we slept together. She seemed to be used to it and didn’t show any discomfort or awkwardness. She just shifted slightly and got into a more comfortable position and then settled in again.

Outside, the thunder was rolling; heavy rain was approaching.

Inside, we were sound asleep.

---

The Witch Nichang– Chapter 56

Letter

From then on, we settled down in Mount Hua, living a life that was similar but ever so slightly different from back then.

With Master gone, it was just the two of us. Life went on as usual. Back then, Lian’er and I took care of most of the housework. Now, in addition to that, we had to make one or two more errand trips down the mountain every month. Master only ran our errands because we were too young at the time, and now that wasn’t an issue anymore.

Other than the minutiae of everyday life, there was one extremely important thing to do every day that took up most of our free time, and that was, searching for Master– dead or alive. 

It was easier said than done. When you actually got down to business, it was as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack. Imagine how big Mount Hua was? With three peaks standing in tripod and two side by side, there were countless caves, valleys, and cliffs among the mountains. At first, we had a rough idea where to start, searching the places nearby where she was likely to go, but even after a month had passed there were no signs of her.

When we had eliminated all the possible places we had in our mind, we fell into an aimless state. The area we were searching was getting bigger, and slowly, we started to lean on our intuition. As you might guess, the more you do that, the less likely you are going to get anything out of it. Later on, I could feel that Lian’er had begun to slack and give up. She began to treat the daily outing as a game. Every time we went to a place, she would split up with me and look around herself, picking the most dangerous areas to go and play.

I knew her qinggong was exceptional, so I had no reason to stop her. Lian’er had always been an impatient person. It was surprising enough that she hadn’t quit on me by now, so I had to let her be. I would just watch out for her at a distance. Fortunately, nothing went wrong. 

A few months elapsed in a blink of an eye. Other than becoming better at rock climbing and more familiar with the terrain around Mount Hua, what did we find? Nothing.

After the first year ended with just the two of us, it was moving into early spring. The plants and trees came to life, the wild geese returned, and the peach trees started to flower.

On this day, Lian’er, who had been putting up with my willfulness for months, finally spoke to me, saying that the three-year period was due, that she was going to fulfill Master’s last wish to look for Taoist Zhenqian in Luoyan peak and ask him to inform Master’s husband, Huo Tiandu, about her death, and she asked me what I thought.

I looked at her. After a long moment, I clenched my teeth, and at last, said, “Alright.”

It was a damp and cold day in the mountains, with mist hanging in the air, giving the day a somber feel. Lian’er didn’t say anything more when she saw that I agreed. As she was about to turn and go after nodding with a smile, I grabbed her and said that I would go with her, but she didn’t agree. Instead, she pushed me towards the cave. Lian’er said, smiling, as she was pushing me, “What are you going to do by coming with me? I’m just sending a message. Look at your face, it looks almost as bad as the sky. You better get some rest. I’ll be faster on my own. Isn’t it better that I’ll be back before it rains?”

I didn’t know how my face looked like, and I didn’t feel like I needed rest either, but it was undeniable that she would be faster if she went alone. The weather was ever-changing in the mountains, but once you had stayed in the mountains for long enough, you would have a good idea when it would rain. I could only let her go and kept telling her to come back early and not take more than four hours. 

I paced back into the cave after I saw her off into the distance, but I didn’t feel like resting, so I went to the small stone chamber at the farthest end again and stood before it.

Master, I accepted your death, but am I supposed to…I asked myself. Even though I knew there would be no answer, even though all these days had yielded nothing, the glimmer of hope was still sparking in me. However, there was a limit to willfulness.

From October to now, I have dragged Lian’er with me to stay here for several months. She hadn’t complained, but sometimes, she would go down the mountain alone. I knew what she was doing down there. She went down to see her people from the stronghold who came all the way to town. This kind of meeting happened once or twice a month and let her tend to some affairs and keep in touch with the outside world.

She was already a member of the jianghu, but I dragged her with me to stay in the mountain, causing her some tedious troubles. I felt sorry for her every time I thought of that. Besides, the possibility of finding Master was slim, so I had to…give up, no matter how much I hated to.

I told myself this giving up was just temporary. It didn’t mean it was over, but I couldn’t convince myself no matter what. Frustrated, I wandered in the stone chamber. Looking at this little world where time had frozen, a sense of familiarity welled up and ebbed away. 

The stone chamber was still the same as it was a few months ago, still dark, still covered in dust. That time when we were cleaning up, I had decided to clean up this place, but after being interrupted by Lian’er, the resolution that I worked up was almost gone. Then I couldn’t bring myself to do it again, and in the end, I kept it as it was, like how Master had left it.

I rubbed my neck. Maybe I should be glad that I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to regain my peace so easily.

But after regaining peace, I began to feel sorry because Master had always liked to stay tidy. If she was still around, she would never allow her room to become like this. Now that she was no longer around, her disciples left her room to collect dust. I supposed it wasn’t something she would like to see whether she was around or not.

I couldn’t just stand there anymore at the thought of it. I let out a long breath, eventually decided to roll up my sleeve, and continued what I had left unfinished a few months ago.

At this moment, I would feel better if I was doing something. 

The interior of the stone chamber was simple. After I wiped the dust off the large stone block that was used as a table and mopped the floor and a few small items, all that was left was the alcove in the wall where things like quilts and cushions were put, and a robe was draped on top like how I had first seen it a few months ago.

I reached out my hand and hesitated for a moment but still took that robe down, planning to wash it later. I also moved the quilts and the other stuff over to the stone block one by one, separating them into those that needed drying and those that needed washing. When I cleared away everything and only the alcove was left, I took the cloth and was about to clean it. Who knew I accidentally knocked the bottom of the alcove and found that there was a lid there. Flipping it open, there laid a scroll of parchment and a wooden box.

That scroll of parchment was something I was familiar with—it was the notebook that Lian’er had found. It was just that it was much thicker than it was back then. I folded my hands at it and saluted it three times in silence before opening it. A lot of new martial arts techniques were added in it, and her thoughts about the sword techniques, but content about her feelings was getting lesser with time. Only the last part wrote, her handwriting messy, “I was meditating last night, cultivating my neigong. Unexpectedly, a nightmare struck, as if there were numerous demons coming at me. I fought and slayed them. When I woke up, my lower body was paralyzed, unable to move, and my upper body felt numb. What I practiced was tainted and brought the scourge of Qi Deviation on myself. Alas! I would never see the sky again.”

I read it twice before closing the scroll silently and spacing out. Before this, I only listened to what Lian’er said. This was the first time I had seen Master tell the story herself. It turned out it was just a nightmare that had ruined such a vibrant person. A few simple sentences on paper and a sigh. A quiet despair, and that’s it.

In the face of what I had seen, the hope I had had for several months now had cracked for the first time. Maybe Lian’er was right. Maybe Master was really…

It took me a while to pull myself together. I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand, stopping myself from thinking about it, and carefully put the parchment scroll back in place, and turned my attention to the wooden box beside. The box wasn’t big and was nondescript, but since it was put together with the parchment scroll, it showed how much Master valued it.

After a moment of hesitation, I took it out carefully. I opened the lid, and there was a small jar. Its color was old and plain, but it looked somehow familiar. I shook it, and it rattled. There were some small items inside. I poured them out to find three little wine cups, simple and modest, but the edges were smooth and neat.

When I saw these, it dawned on me, wasn’t this the jar of fine wine that the old man from the ceramic store gave us? I never thought that Master would keep it together with Lian’er’s gift after all these years. I could see that she treasured them. If Lian’er knew about it after she was back, I reckoned she would be exhilarated.

My mood seemed to lighten up at this discovery. I was about to put the stuff back in place and show it to Lian’er when she was back, but when I picked up the small wine jar and was about to put it back, I noticed there was one more thing on the bottom of the box. Something thin and light stuck to the bottom, like some sort of paper. 

I took it out. It didn’t just look like it; it was a piece of paper, a letter. On the side facing up, it wrote, “To my dear disciple, Zhu Xian.”

I was shocked, almost letting go of the small wine jar I was holding. Fortunately, I came around in time and laid it down eagerly. I hurried to the entrance where there was light with that letter and took a closer look. It was Master’s handwriting, no doubt. The handwriting was as messy as the one on the parchment scroll. Obviously, it was written after she had fallen ill.

Ever since I had seen the letter written for Lian’er, there had been a doubt in my mind. That was, there was not a single word about me in that letter. I thought Master still resented me, so I couldn’t say anything. Now that I found out about this letter, it stirred me. My fingers started to tremble, at the same time, I couldn’t wait to open it, wondering what Master wanted to say.

When I finally opened it, I saw it was just a few sentences on a white piece of paper, a poem. It wrote: 

The young green bamboos are half sheathed. 

New tips are peeking out the wall.

Their shadows creep across the books, casting an illusion of night. 

The wine bottles seem to cool as their shadows pass by.

Dainty and pure with the wash of rain. 

The wind carries their faint fragrance.

If only they are left untouched, someday you will see them reach the clouds.

—Ode to the Bamboo, Dufu

I had read it twice, from top to bottom. Other than that, there was nothing.

Holding this piece of paper, the ripple it caused in me earlier faded, leaving only doubts. Although I wasn’t that familiar with it, I remembered it was a poem written by a famous poet, but I didn’t understand why Master didn’t mention a word about what she was thinking in this letter that was almost like a last will. Instead, she only left me a poem.

It must mean something, but what? I read through the poem once again. There were no acrostics nor metaphors. It was just an ode to the bamboo. That was related to my name, but so what? Surely, Master wouldn’t just want to compliment someone in a deliberately written letter like this, right? Not to mention, there was nothing worth complimenting about me. 

I was racking my brain but still had no idea at all. I read it over and over again, and in the end—you could say it was an intuition—the word “wine” in the poem caught my eyes.

It was nothing uncommon when the word “wine” was in a poem. It was just that… 

I turned around. The wine jar was still in the alcove, and the wine cups that Lian’er made back then were in it. The letter and the two items were put together. So could there be some connection between them?

Then I thought about it again. If the bamboo in the poem was me and the wine in the poem was these wine ware, then there was only once where I was connected with these ware. That was…

Suddenly, a memory flashed across my mind. A chill struck me.

Could it be that on that evening a few years ago, Master…

---

The Witch Nichang– Chapter 55

Black and White

The first thing that came to me when I heard what she said wasn’t surprise but apprehension.

But the next moment, I dismissed the apprehensive feeling, not only because of rationality, but also because I didn’t think that she would repeat that brusque action she had done when she was a kid. Some deep-rooted things from childhood might continue to influence her throughout her life, but just a few. After all these years, her growth and change had been so obvious. 

So after the feeling of apprehension had subsided, what came next was a faint hope.

“Why? Why didn’t you bury her?” Because of the rising hope, I pressed on, almost desperately. Talking with my head up was too uncomfortable, so I leaped on the tree with qi, but because I was too hasty and careless, the tip of a leaf grazed the corner of my eye.

Disconcerted, I squinted my right eye that was tearing out of reflex, but I had no time to pay any heed to it. I held on to the tree branch to keep myself still and crouched down. Then I laid my other hand on Lian’er’s shoulder and blurted, “Didn’t you say Master had passed away? Why didn’t you bury her? Why do you only bring it up now? Or there’s more to it?”

I was impatient, but she wasn’t. She sat reclining against the tree trunk, letting my hand rest on her, even reaching out her left hand to rub my sore eye. She said, grinning, “What’s the hurry? You were crying back then. That’s why I didn’t go into the details, and later, it didn’t occur to me to bring it up. I thought paying respect is just setting up a memorial tablet and burning some joss paper. I saw the people in the stronghold do that a lot. Who would have thought you wanted to visit the grave?”

My heart rippled when the soft hand grazed my face, but I quickly pulled myself together. Now I didn’t feel like explaining the difference between a memorial tablet and a grave and just let her go on with what she was doing. I looked at her with the other eye and said, “What are the details that you haven’t told me? Can you tell me now?”

She nodded, her hand kept on rubbing absent-mindedly when she said, “It’s nothing, actually. I can explain it in a few sentences. You’d asked me why I didn’t bury Master, but at that time, I didn’t even know where Master died. I couldn’t bury her even if I wanted to.”

My heart skipped at her words. The faint hope seemed to be getting closer. “I don’t know!” I continued after her, my voice unconsciously raising a few notches, “But you were so sure before. Or were you not with her when she died despite what you said?”

Lian’er first nodded and then shook her head. She looked at me and said with a frown, “I didn’t see her die with my own eyes, but she did die.”

“How could you just assume a person’s death like this if you didn’t see it yourself?”

The growing hope felt somewhat unreal, like light in the darkest of times. I couldn’t contain myself at the excitement and couldn’t help raising my voice. The words I blurted were loud and hasty, tinged with a hint of blame.

“You don’t believe me?” She retracted her hand, and her face darkened. Biting her lips, a tinge of frost gleamed in her eyes. 

I was shocked by my own words that nearly sounded like blame as soon as they were out. My chest tensed, and I saw the hurt in Lian’er’s eyes. I immediately regretted it, loathing myself for getting too worked up and getting carried away. I quickly held her hand that was still mid-air. I lowered my voice, trying to soften my voice, and said apologetically, “Lian’er, Lian’er, don’t be angry. When have I ever not believed you? You know me, even if there’s just the slightest chance, I hope Master would still be alive…”

After she listened to my explanation, she blinked while looking at me, her face softened, and her eyebrows smoothed. “I understand what you’re saying. Actually, I wish Master was still alive too, but she’s really dead. I’m not just saying this. I’ll show you the evidence.”

After that, she turned to grab my hand and leaped off the tree with me. After we landed, we headed toward Yellow Dragon Cave.

I was being pulled along. It didn’t show on my face, but inside, I was nervous. I didn’t know whether I felt more excited or scared. Uneasily, I entered the cave with Lian’er. Then she let go of my hand and went to the left corner, rummaging for something.

There were only a few small wooden chests in that corner. It was the place where we put our books and papers. They were books that Master had bought us for practicing writing. Except for the few that had interested her that were brought into the small chamber, the rest were piled up there. Most of them had sat there for ages, but I saw Lian’er pick them up one by one and flip through them before throwing them aside, as if she was looking for something. After repeating this a few more times, she let out a cheer and pulled out a piece of paper from an old blue book. 

“Found it! See.” She turned and hopped over, shoving the paper in my hand.

I looked at her before looking down. Taking a breath to compose myself, I laid my eyes on that thin sheet of paper. After taking a careful look, I realized that this wasn’t just a piece of paper, it was a short letter, with salutation and sign-off. That meticulous style, who else would that be if not our Master.

The content of the letter was clear and concise. The first two sentences reminded Lian’er that although she had made some progress, she had to remember that there was always someone stronger than her, and she should keep improving and not slack off. Then she changed tones and told us that this would be the final farewell, don’t go looking for her and don’t miss her; we only had to inform her death to Taoist Zhenqian in the temple located at Luoyan Peak and ask him to pass on the message to her husband Huo Tiandu three years later, on the day when the 20-year-promise was due.  

“That night when I woke up, no one was in the cave anymore. I didn’t know what she did that let her leave at night without waking me up, but, by that time, her body had already been ruined. She couldn’t move her legs, and her upper body was far weaker than before. Mount Hua is full of dangers, and it was freezing outside then. What else could she have been doing other than seeking death? Plus after reading this letter, what else is there to doubt?”

Lian’er was explaining alongside me as I read the letter. The moment she was done, I finished the letter, but my eyes were still fixed on the words “death” and “farewell” for a while before I slumped beside the table. I put my hand to my forehead and tentatively mumbled, “Maybe—maybe Master just took a bet and ventured out, like a last-ditch effort. That’s why she left this farewell letter.”

“Impossible.” Lian’er cut off my wishful thinking without mercy and said resolutely, “Master even gave up on the 20-year-promise. Not to mention, with the state she was in, she couldn’t even get out of Mount Hua, where else could she have gone? If I were her, I would do the same—find a quiet place where nobody can find me and embrace my death with grace, also sparing my body from getting seen by anyone and tarnishing my image.”

She said it with determination and confidence, as if she knew what Master was thinking. Deep down, I believed her. The resolution and pride in Lian’er was extremely similar to that of Master. You could say she inherited them from Master. Every time we encountered an extreme situation, her judgment and understanding of Master’s thoughts was obviously better than mine. There was no doubt about it.

Besides, it wasn’t that I didn’t know, it’s just that…

I let out a soft sigh and read the letter once again, then I stood up, folded it, and gave it back to her. I watched her slip it back into the book and put it away in the corner before I spoke, “I know it may be a little inappropriate, and Master also told us to not look for her and not to miss her, but as the saying goes, I have to see her, dead or alive. We couldn’t just let things hang. Lian’er, let’s find some time and try to look around the mountain. Just to set our mind at ease, okay?”

As she gathered the books that had been tossed aside, she said casually without turning around, “Alright, anything is fine. I’ll look around with you if that’s what you want. Since we rarely come back, it’s fine if we stay a little longer. Let’s see who’s right.”

I knew she was still angry by the way she talked, so I walked over to the corner and asked carefully as I put away the books with her, “Then…is it alright to be away from your stronghold for so long?”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I have my ways. Besides, I normally go away once or twice every year. What could go wrong?” Perhaps she had noticed my deliberation, she straightened up and gazed at me. Then suddenly, she smiled and said, “Why are you acting funny today? It’s not like yourself at all. Am I that petty? What you said earlier didn’t bother me.”

Only now it doesn’t bother you. Of course, I didn’t say that out loud. Seeing her smile, I knew all her displeasure had dissipated. I breathed a sigh of relief. Things had settled. Although it was far from what I had planned to do while we were on the road, it was going in a positive direction—it might even be better than what I could hope for.

I had to see Master, dead or alive. Before that, there was still hope, no matter how small it was. 

After we had discussed that, it was time to make plans for a longer stay. Mount Hua was huge. I said we were going to look around, but I had no clue where to start, so there was no need to rush. We would talk about it after we tidied up the cave and made sure it was cozy.

Good thing that we were familiar with the place. Lian’er went out after she was done with the books in the corner, and we came together and decided our tasks. In less than an hour, she was back with some game and forage. Meanwhile, I fired the stove, fetched some water, and cleaned the pots. Since we had stovewood and salt outside the cave, I cooked up something to fill ourselves up. Then we took a break before starting to do a thorough clean of the clutter in the cave. 

Back then, we would do a cleaning like this every year. Washing, drying, mopping, sweeping, everyone did their job, and everything was in order. Everyone knew what to do without saying anything, so I didn’t check on Lian’er and went about my business at my own pace until I came to the small stone chamber at the furthest end. I hesitated.

According to our usual tasks, cleaning up this chamber was my responsibility. It was just that, this time around, I knowingly and unknowingly avoided coming close to here, let alone going in. It would just add to my grief.

At that moment, I stood in front of the stone wall, hesitated for a moment, and at last, made up my mind. I carefully moved the cover on both sides and entered.

Maybe it was all in my head, but as I stepped into the room, I felt it was darker than it was back then. I guessed Lian’er never went in here for the past two years because it was stuffy inside. There was a faint smell of mold in the air, and the room was covered in dust. Compared to outside, this actually felt like a place no one had lived in for a long time.

But everything was in the same place as before. Even a cloak was chucked on the bed like the owner had just taken it off.

I just looked at it, standing there for a while before touching my nose and going over. I took the wet cloth and was about to wipe off the thick dust on the furniture first, but just as the cloth touched the table, I heard Lian’er call for me outside.

She sounded urgent. I couldn’t make out the emotion in her voice. Before I could think, I chucked the cloth and rushed out, afraid that something might have happened. When I got out, I saw she was standing in front of the stone bench she slept on when she was little, facing a stack of clothes, holding something in her hand, her face beaming.

I settled down when I saw her smile but then wondered why she had called me so urgently, so I went to her in puzzlement, looked at her with my head tilted, and asked, “Lian’er, what’s wrong? Why did you call me over?”

She was looking at something in her hand, her face sparkling with delight. When she saw me walking over, she turned around but didn’t explain immediately, just grabbing my hand and saying gaily, “Right on time! Turn around. I have something nice for you!”

I didn’t know what she was up to but didn’t want to kill her joy either, so I turned around as she asked. Before I could speak my doubts, I felt my hair was gently parted. A lovely scent drew close, and I felt a warm touch, followed by a cold sensation on my neck. Something was clasped around my neck. A cold and smooth object fell against my collarbone. Its texture felt like jade but colder and harder.

Lian’er was right behind me, her body almost touching me. I could hear her voice beside my ear, chuckling, “I thought they’re gone. I never thought I could find them again after all these years. Well, we should make the best use of it. Now that Master is gone, we’ll take one each. Consider a sign of staying true to our promise.” 

It was then I could look at it. I saw a red string around my neck. The middle of it was intricately woven into a net, holding a carved stone in it, pure white in color. At first glance, it was easy to mistake it for jade, but if you looked closely, it was just a small colored stone. 

By the time I turned around, Lian’er had already taken a step back, her hand fiddling around her neck. When she put her hands down and saw me looking at her, she pointed to her neck with a smile. There was a similar piece of stone clasped around her neck. Only the color was different—it was black as ink. 

“You’ll take the white one, and I’ll take the black one. How’s that?”

---

The Witch Nichang– Chapter 54

Return

We actually left like that, without any hesitation.

The steward Dong Sun only managed to call “chief” once as she chased after us, but how could she possibly catch up to us? What she got in reply was an answer carried by wind to her: “I was almost done with them. You can finish up the rest. I’ll leave the stronghold to you guys while I’m away. If something urgent happens, just do like we did before.”

Lian’er didn’t even turn her head around when she said that. Rather, I was the one who glanced back as we hurried away and saw from a distance that she was frowning. The displeasure I had before receded, and then I felt a little sorry for her because, after all, she was just being loyal. 

Despite that, I had to let her know that it was better to get rid of those unrealistic ideas. Even if Lian Nichang is a phoenix, she is one that glides freely in the sky, never one that willingly stays in the depth of a shrine. Probably no woman in this world is as unrestrained as her. Just because she is willing to stop for someone doesn’t mean that anyone can keep her. Besides, no one knows better than me about what will happen in the future and how this story will go, even though I don’t remember the details. 

Lian Nichang is just a legend, not a historical fact. I don’t want her to get swept up by the wave of history. It will be too late to regret it when she gets swallowed up in it. 

She just has to live a carefree and  peaceful life.

We were on the road for the next few days. It would normally take about ten days to travel from Mount Dingjun to Mount Hua, but Lian’er and I were traveling light. We skipped the main road and took the shortcut through the mountains. Because Lian’er was fast with her qinggong, if she had been traveling alone, it would have taken her less than four days to arrive, but since there was me dragging her down, it took us two more days. The good thing was the journey was fun and relaxed; it had been a while since we experienced life in the wild.

The journey passed like that, and we finally arrived at the border of Mount Hua on the last day of September, a day before Winter Clothes Day.

It was getting dark when we reached Mount Hua’s border. We couldn’t stay at the foot of the mountain for too long, so we continued up the mountain in the dark. The path going up Mount Hua was perilous, but fortunately, we knew the way very well like it was our own backyard, so nothing could go wrong. 

Under the starry sky, I could see a cavernous cave from afar. Above it, the three big characters of Yellow Dragon Cave reflected the cold moonlight. Out of the blue, emotions swelled in my chest. I halted and looked ahead. For a moment, I was hesitant to go close.

Lian’er, who was next to me, stopped too. She looked at me first and then went over alone without saying anything, moving away the branches in front of the cave that were used to block the entrance from animals. After it was clear, she dusted off her hands and turned back to me. 

“Welcome back,” she said, smiling.

I felt a pang of sadness, but still I lifted my lips, forcing myself to smile, walk over and enter the cave with her. 

When I stepped inside the cave, it was so dark that I couldn’t see my fingers, but this wasn’t a problem. To find something in the dark in this familiar space was easy for me, let alone Lian’er. After hearing a rustling sound in the dark, a lit candle appeared in our hand, its light shining on the rock walls around us.

I looked around as I walked inside with the candlelight. The furniture and tools remained in the same places, just the colors looked a little faded. As I brushed my fingers across them while passing by, I was flooded with emotion.

But as the time went by, a shred of doubt arose amidst the emotion. 

When I came to the inner cave, the feeling of doubt got stronger. Since it had been empty for two years—even though the entrance had been blocked and it was difficult for animals to get in—I thought there should be some cobwebs or bugs or something like that around, or at least the place would be covered in a thick layer of dust, but it looked clean. I hadn’t gotten much dust on my hand after touching the furniture. I looked at my hand and said questioningly, “Lian’er, has anyone been here while you were away? How come the cave is so clean? Like it had been cleaned up recently?”

At that moment, she was looking down and sticking her candle into the candlestick on the table. She turned around upon hearing that and rolled her eyes at me. 

“Who else could it be? I come back and stay here two or three times every year. Unlike someone who hasn’t even come back once.” She said, pouting.

I was startled for a moment and was about to ask her why, but on second thought, the reason she came back every year was probably to visit Master’s grave and pay respects to her. I felt sorry at that moment and didn’t know what to say, so I murmured, “…Thanks.”

“Thanks? Thanks what?” I didn’t expect this would make her laugh. After she was done with the candle, she picked up the vellum on the table and waved it at me before saying, “What’s there to thank for waiting for someone. I was afraid that you wouldn’t know what had happened when you came back. That’s why I came back to have a look from time to time. I didn’t expect that I would end up catching you halfway and that this would just be a waste of time.” With that, she flicked her fingers, sending the thin vellum over.

She gave it to me because she wanted me to read it. I caught it and spread it out in the candlelight. There were only three characters scribbled on the yellowish brown vellum—Mount Dingjun. After giving it a little thought, I knew that this was a clue Lian’er left. Realizing I was wrong before, I couldn’t help but feel warm in my heart.

After that, I spent some time tidying up. Since it was late, we both tacitly didn’t bring up anything else, just cleaning up the space between the beds. After taking out the blankets and sheets from the camphor wood chest and making the beds, we took off our cloaks and robes and were ready to rest for the night. 

Lying on the nostalgic stone bed, fatigue sank in. When I was about to blow out the candle, I saw Lian’er. In her gown, she was standing barefoot with her blanket in her arms, staring at me without saying anything. She seemed a little angry but also aggrieved.

“What’s wrong?” Before I considered what was making this little daredevil unhappy, I quickly got up and sat her down to get her feet off of the cold ground.

“Tell me if there’s anything. The weather is so cold, why are you standing like that? Aren’t you afraid of catching a cold!”

She was sulking, so she ignored me. After listening to what I had to say, she scooched in and threw her blanket on the bed. 

“I want to sleep here,” she said grumpily. Then she went ahead and settled down comfortably.

I was confused. It threw me off when I saw her lying so close. We had been sleeping on our own beds for all the years we had lived together. Even back in the stronghold, she asked someone to set up another bed. How come she acted so strangely now that we were back to Yellow Dragon Cave?

I hesitated for a moment but still decided to reach out and nudge her. I could feel her warmth even through the gown. It was warm and soft. I retracted my hand right after giving her a nudge and said, clearing my throat, “Lian’er, what’s going on? Why do you want to…sleep with me all of a sudden?”

She was facing the wall with her back to me. “Who wants to sleep with you. No one was sleeping on this bed after you left, so I’ve been sleeping in this bed since a few years ago. Don’t you dare make me settle for that tiny little bench now,” she said with a snort.

When I heard what she said, something occurred to me. I looked at the person next to me, and then at the long stone bench. Finally, I realized what the problem was. There were only two beds when Master and I first fixed this cave up. That long bench wasn’t meant for that purpose. It was after we had Lian’er that we made it into a bed for her to sleep in at night. She was young at that time, and the stone bench was long and wide, so there wasn’t any problem using it as a bed after putting on some bedding, but now…

But now she has grown up into a tall lady. That long bench was no longer suitable to be her resting place.

That’s careless of me, I thought to myself. At that moment, I couldn’t care about being shy and got up on my knees on the bed. I first nudged her up a little and moved the pillow below her head. Then I spread out the blanket that she just draped over herself and tucked her in nicely. After I was finished, I reached out to snuff out the candle on the table. I bent over and patted her, saying softly in her ear, “Then have a good rest. We had a long trip today.”

She must have been still angry about me neglecting her earlier, so she just let me do everything without saying anything. It was only now that she replied with a barely audible “Mm.” Maybe she was tired. Her breathing turned soft and even soon after that.

But I, lying beside her in the dark, started to become uncomfortable. Although my eyes felt heavy, I couldn’t sleep, but I didn’t dare to turn either because I remembered Lian’er was extremely alert even when resting. In desperation, I forced myself to focus on the rhythmic breathing beside me. It took a long time before I drifted into slumber.

In the middle of the night, something pressed up against me. It was soft and warm. I was startled awake. I couldn’t push her away, so I could only listen to her muttering in her sleep with a wry smile as I stayed stiff in place, wondering what she was saying.

After a night of torment, I felt dizzy and nauseous the next day when I got up.

In contrast, Lian’er woke up refreshed. She was up early in the morning, and when she came into the cave and saw me sitting on the edge of the bed looking pale, she laughed at me. I smiled too, having no desire to argue with her. I went and washed up by the creek outside the cave. After taking some time to sort myself out, I felt I looked much better. Shaking off the chilly water on my hands, I turned around and saw Lian’er was on a big tree not far away. She was sitting on the tree branch boredly, swinging her legs, and looking at me. When she saw me turn around, she smiled and asked, “What’s our plan for today?”

It had been two years since anyone lived here. There was actually a lot to do, like getting groceries from town, doing laundry, fetching water, and hunting, all sorts of chores, but obviously, these weren’t the first priority. 

“Let’s go see Master first. Where is she buried?” I wiped my hands dry and straightened my clothes, saying seriously, “Today’s the first of October. Even though we’re not well prepared now, we should go visit her grave and greet her first. It’s never too late to buy the other stuff later.”

However, the young lady continued to sit on her tree in the sun-dappled shade, smiling. She responded with an “oh” and then shook her head. 

“But I didn’t bury Master, so there’s no such thing like a grave,” she said innocently.

---

The Witch Nichang– Chapter 53

Depart

When I went out of the bamboo forest with my hand on my wound, it startled the people waiting outside.

The short lady exclaimed in surprise when she saw the blood seeping through my fingers landing on my bloodstained lapel. The tall lady beside her didn’t freak out as much as her, but her face turned pale too.

Meanwhile the steward Dong Sun remained unruffled. She walked over calmly and glanced in my direction before turning to the person next to me. 

“Chief, should we take care of the wound first or have breakfast first?” She asked respectfully. 

Lian’er acted as if nothing had happened and said frankly, “Bring the food to my room.” Then she took me away.

The next few days were peaceful. I spent most of my time in her room since the wound on my neck was a little unsightly, and I preferred the tranquility of the forest anyway.

Lian’er was busy being the glorious king of the mountain, so she wasn’t around for most of the time, but she first asked her ladies to set up a bed in her room for me. Its location and placement was similar to how our beds were arranged in Mount Hua. Sometimes I felt like we were back in Yellow Dragon Cave when we talked after the light was out.

When she had time to spare, she would keep me company and show me around the stronghold. Although I said she was keeping me company, it often ended up being her dragging me around and showing off the people and things in the stronghold. Her complacent and relaxed look made it seem as if the events of a few days ago had never happened.

Perhaps after that excruciating bite, she was over it. After that day, we never brought up anything related to that again.

Only the wound on my neck remained. 

In the end, Lian’er not only didn’t feel bad about this slightly embarrassing wound, she seemed to be rather pleased with it. I could feel her eyes on me every time I changed the dressing in front of the mirror before sleep. She would stand by and watch me spill the ointment all over the place with my awkward hand movements before she came over with a smile on her face and helped. I didn’t know what she was so happy about. She was probably having fun with how all over the place I was.

At first, I didn’t mind her delight, but when this happened a lot, it became annoying. Speaking of which, it was all thanks to her that now I had a wound on my hand, and a wound on my neck. Although I somewhat brought it on myself, there was no need to be so happy about it all the time, right? Besides, it wasn’t the first time she bit me. It was a curse that I would get a new bite mark every time we met.

“What are you talking about?” One night, I complained about this to her. She disagreed with it when she stood beside me and listened. She glared at me through the mirror while applying the ointment on me and said, “I didn’t hurt you a lot growing up. How did you get to that?” 

The wound stung a little, but I felt a cool sensation on it because of the ointment. I ignored it and just smiled. I said to her, counting with my fingers, “How am I wrong?  The first time when I saw you with the wolves, I got bit on the arm; the second time when I saw you with Honghua Guimu, I got bit on the finger; this time when we finally met again, I got bit once more. Every time, there’s blood. Doesn’t that mean I would get a new wound every time I see you?”

“So you meant this kind of seeing.” She seemed to understand and didn’t try to argue. She first nodded and smiled. While she was smiling, her face suddenly dropped.

“If you’re going to count it this way, then I’m going to bite every time I see you until I see blood. See if you dare leave again!”

I paused for a moment and stopped making fun of her. Looking at that blurry face in the mirror, I was dazed for a moment before saying with a sigh, “I won’t anymore…”

I won’t anymore, really, unless the hardships she is destined to experience are over, and she no longer needs me by her side and asks me to leave. 

Life was good, but I couldn’t feel peaceful. How could I? Perhaps Lian’er had put it behind her. She could talk and laugh so frankly with me because her conscience was clear, but although I talked to her like how I used to, whenever I was alone, I couldn’t get away from the emotion I had at that day. The sadness still lingered.

After a few more days when the bloody wound had almost scabbed over, the thought of leaving was getting stronger. 

I want to go to Mount Hua; I still do. There were two people I was supposed to reunite with: one was already here, but the other I could never reunite with again. I felt a sense of indebtedness, as if there were unfinished business and incomplete journeys. Besides, Master passed away there. How could I not pay respects to her? Even though I was two years late, I should toss a handful of soil, burn an incense^[1], and kowtow for forgiveness. 

But that didn’t seem to cross Lian’er’s mind, probably because she didn’t care about these traditions. For her, death was death. She didn’t believe in ghosts or souls. That was why when I told her what I was thinking that night, she just responded with a “oh” and said casually that we could go together when she was free, but then I heard no word from her later on, nothing.

As I waited, I started to get restless, but she was busy, so I couldn’t rush her either.

Lian’er was very busy. I was worried that she would screw up at first, but now it seemed like I had worried too much. The people in the stronghold had their way of managing affairs inside the stronghold. There was no need for Lian’er to worry, but she would need to show her face when dealing with other bandits, but she probably had a plan for that. With that plan, she wouldn’t do anything too crazy, which was why she didn’t make many enemies within outlaws, instead, she made a lot of friends. She seemed to be uniting the gangs and growing.

She never avoided me when speaking about these matters. Today, she talked about who she beat and who she made friends with. The names sounded foreign to me. I didn’t care to ask, but I couldn’t ask her about going to Mount Hua with me either.

If it was back then, I would probably have planned to go on my own first. That way not only I could stop feeling restless but also I wouldn’t be in the way of Lian’er’s work. However…

I wouldn’t speak of leaving so easily anymore.

September would soon come to an end. Winter Clothes Day.^[2] was on the first day of October. I wasn’t so familiar with all these old festive days and didn’t care about it either, but when I saw the ladies in the stronghold took time off and were making paper clothing in two or three, I remembered there was such a day to pay tribute to the dead, and that reminded me of the thought that had been on my mind. For a moment, I felt that I couldn’t wait anymore, so I turned and headed to the front of the stronghold. 

The front of the stronghold was where all the meetings and training took place. I had familiarized myself with the place over the last few days. I knew that Lian’er was receiving some guests over here today, so I went straight to the guest hall. The ladies on guard duty along the way knew me, so they didn’t stop and search me, and the journey continued without a hitch.

When I reached the stairs before the meeting hall, I could hear talking and laughter coming from inside. I pulled myself together and thought about what to say. When I took a step, about to go up the stairs, I heard a voice coming from behind. 

“How are you, jiejie? Why are you in such a hurry? ” She asked.

I turned around and saw a person at the stairs holding documents and walking over leisurely. Who else could that be if not the chief steward Dong Sun?

After getting used to the stronghold in the past few days, I more or less knew what was going on in the mountain. Most people here were saved by Lian’er. As chief, Lian’er was respected because of her impressive martial arts, and she was second to none for that, but when it came to making major decisions behind the scenes, this person was actually the real boss, or at least, someone who was also in charge.

Fortunately, she was genuinely assisting Lian’er and was loyal to her, so I had always treated her with respect. Now that she asked, I replied honestly, “I need to talk to Lian…your chief. I couldn’t wait, so I came here. I just need a few words with her. I’ll be on my way once I’m done. It won’t be long.”

“Oh, I see. I was wondering why you were in such a hurry.” She came in front of me while I was answering her, stopping three steps before me, and said gently, “Chief is having a meeting in the meeting hall now with people of all paths from Sichuan-Shaanxi. I’m afraid now is not a good time.”

What she said sounded very sincere. I acted out of impulse just now. After coming here in a rush, I hesitated for a bit when I heard the bustle in the hall. Now that I heard her say that,  after giving it a thought, I said, “If that’s the case, then I’d better come back another time. Sorry to disturb you.” With that, I turned to leave, but then I heard a “wait.”

I turned around for the second time and saw that she was still standing right there holding the documents. She said solemnly, “Actually, there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you. Would you be willing to hear me out now?” She looked serious, so I cupped my fist in earnest and said, “Please, enlighten me.”

“You flatter me. I’m in no place to enlighten you. The fact that we are here was all thanks to the chief. The chief really deserves her reputation as a hero,being the best of the best. She will definitely be somebody in the future. We, me, and the other sisters, just have to willingly give our life for her and follow her unto death.” She looked down and explained slowly. Her voice was even. “Since the chief introduced you as her family, you should also play your part as a family. Don’t hold her back while she soars.”

She didn’t say a lot, but what she was trying to say was blatantly obvious. I looked down upon hearing that and went silent, all kinds of thoughts going through my mind until I heard footsteps getting closer. I looked up and reached out, stopping Dong Sun who almost walked past me. I stared at her, frowning. “Did she say that? Or did you say that?” I asked.

She didn’t seem to expect me to come around so quickly and ask that, but she stood firm and said, “That’s what the people want.”

It would have been better if she hadn’t said that. As soon as she said that, it all seemed so ludicrous. I couldn’t stifle a chuckle. Not wanting to argue with her, I asked the question again, “Did she say that? Yes or no?”

“You don’t believe it’s God’s and people’s will?” This time, it shook her a little, as if she didn’t expect me to be so persistent. 

“People’s will is what people want. It isn’t only the few hundred people in the stronghold. As for God’s will, we have no way of knowing that. Does it matter if I believe it or not?” I smiled as I shook my head and answered, “In the end, it doesn’t matter if I believe in God’s will or people’s will. What matters is I know there’s one person who doesn’t believe in it. As long as she doesn’t want to, even if the people kneel down and beg God, she still won’t want to.”

“You!” She knew who I was talking about. Finally, her face fell and spluttered, “Wait, what are you doing!”

Although the martial arts of the people in the stronghold was taught by Lian’er and they had been training hard, they had just trained for two years, how could she have stopped me? I evaded her blocking with a slight dodge and said, smiling, “Nothing. Why are we arguing about who’s right? We could ask her.”

We had been talking in a lowered voice, so it didn’t alarm the people inside, but the door was right in front of us. As soon as I pushed the door after that dodge, the door opened, and the view inside unfolded before my eyes. 

The hall wasn’t too huge. It was elegantly decorated, flanked by two rows of pear wood round chairs. In them seated more than a dozen people in different outfits. Although I was shocked, I still put on a smile, and the one sitting in the carved wooden chair in the middle was the person we were talking about just now.

A dozen pairs of eyes darted to me when the door swung open. Some were shocked, some were furious, and some were confused, only the person in the middle smiled as she glanced over.

“It’ll be Winter Clothes Day in a few days. I want to go visit Master in our old house.” Althougheveryone was looking at me, I couldn’t be bothered. I just looked at that one person in the hall and asked with my hands behind my back, “Nichang, do you want to come along?”

When I called her that way, she seemed surprised. She raised her eyebrows and asked instead, “Are we going now?”

Actually, I wasn’t in such a rush. It was fine to leave early tomorrow morning, but somehow, I nodded and said, “I’m going now. Is that okay?”

Then I saw a flicker of shadow and the next moment she was standing in front of me, her eyes beaming and her lips smiling. She held my hand and said, “What are you waiting for? Let’s get going.”

---

[1] It’s a Chinese burial tradition, where family members toss a handful of dirt on the casket before burying it, and after that, incense is burned. 
[2] The Winter Clothes Day falls on the first day of Lunar October which marks the beginning of winter. On this day, people burn clothes made of colorful papers in front of their ancestors’ graves to keep them warm.

The Witch Nichang– Chapter 52

Funniest

Gone has a lot of meanings, but when you say a person is gone, that usually means only one thing. 

But maybe that wasn’t what Lian’er meant. I narrowed my eyes, looking at the person in front of me, hoping to find a hint from her face that supported what I thought. “gone” might simply mean that Master no longer stayed in Mount Hua. Besides, Lian’er would joke around sometimes. Maybe she just wanted to upset me and didn’t understand the severity of that joke.

However, her eyes were clear. There wasn’t much sadness in them, but there was no sign of joking either. 

But I didn’t want to believe it. “Gone? What do you mean by that?” I asked, making it clear, afraid that it was a misunderstanding, but at the same time, hoping it was a misunderstanding. I couldn’t describe how I felt now, but my voice was steadier than I imagined, just a little lower than usual.

“I’m trying to take care of your feelings and put it mildly.” The young lady sighed and murmured, “Doesn’t ‘gone’ mean dead?”

It snuffed out the last glimmer of hope.

I closed my eyes. Feeling a little weary,  I took two steps back and sat down on the bluestone beside the bamboo tree. Then I took a few deep breaths but still couldn’t get rid of the feelings of fatigue.

There was a kind of strange desolation, so empty that it took away sadness and happiness, leaving only confusion. It was a feeling that I loathed, even feared. I would rather feel grief or make a scene out of disbelief because that was how most people expressed sadness; that was the normal way to grieve.

But I couldn’t do it. My eyes were dry, and I didn’t even have the desire to move my fingers.

I was sitting, and Lian’er was standing. I could feel her eyes on me but didn’t know what kind of look she had on her face. There was a moment of silence. After that, she squatted down in front of me, holding her knees to her chest. She looked me in the eyes earnestly and said, “Why aren’t you crying? I thought you’d be crying.”

Too bad I couldn’t give her what she expected. I could only lift the corner of my lips feebly and look back into her eyes. 

“Have you heard of being too sad for tears?” I said.

“Of course I have. You taught me that before when I was a kid, meaning you want to cry but can’t, so that means you wanted to cry.” She answered frankly with a nod. When she saw my feeble attempt to lean back, she reached out right away and moved her leg slightly. Her body didn’t seem to move, but she had shifted places. 

“Don’t just lean back. Behind you is Moso bamboo. It can be itchy and painful if you touch the velvety hair on the culms,” she said.

My back didn’t land on the prickly hair, instead I fell into a warm embrace.

It was a familiar place. It wasn’t the first time that we leaned on each other like this. Besides, I wasn’t in the mood to care about being shy and embarrassed. I went ahead and rested my entire bodyweight on her. Sitting cross-legged and leaning my head into the crook of her neck, I closed my eyes and cleared my mind.

She was quiet too, so the air fell into tranquil silence, only interrupted by the rustling sound of bamboo leaves when the wind blew past, like whispers that no one understood, leaving a pleasant scent floating in this air. 

I didn’t know how long had passed, I just knew that the empty weariness had faded while being in the pleasant scent and warmth. I felt I had pulled myself together, or rather, I was ready, but I was still afraid to open my eyes, so I just murmured dreamily, calling, “Lian’er?”

“Mm?” Her voice was clear. It was right next to my ear. I couldn’t hear much emotion.

“Tell me…” Leaning on her shoulder, I felt her body heat passing on to me. It felt like a transfer of courage to me now. “Tell me the details. What exactly happened? Why did Master…it shouldn’t be…”

I clenched my teeth with my eyes closed. It shouldn’t be; it really shouldn’t be. I’m a person who likes to think the worst of everything, but even someone like me couldn’t imagine that. Master was in her prime. She had always been healthy and energetic and hadn’t even caught a cold for years. When it came to martial arts, rarely anyone could match her, not to mention she was living deep in the mountains away from people. No matter how you looked at it, you wouldn’t have thought that she would suddenly…

“Oh—” There still wasn’t much emotion in her voice. She let out a breath and stayed quiet for a while, as if she was gathering her thoughts, then she slowly started to speak, “It happened almost a year after that lady Honghua Guimu came. Master became more focused in her martial arts after that and went into closed-door meditation more frequently. Occasionally, she would come out and spar with me, and we both improved surprisingly well, so that year of training could probably match up with a few years of progress…”

She didn’t seem to say anything important and kept beating around the bush, but apprehension suddenly struck me. I had a feeling. This feeling had never struck me until now because Master was an expert.

But what Lian’er was saying was clearly leading up to that.

“Then that was the time of White Dew^[1], and the days were getting colder…” The voice next to me continued steadily, “One day, Master was doing her meditation, and when she woke up the next day, she suddenly couldn’t move.”

“Couldn’t move?” I repeated her words in bewilderment, not quite understanding her meaning.

“Yeah, couldn’t move.” Lian’er wasn’t exactly a good storyteller. She wasn’t very good at forming her words, but she was using her own way to describe the scenario to me. “She couldn’t move her legs and couldn’t even feel anything on her legs. She didn’t even realize it when she cut her legs. Master said that because she had been cutting corners trying to speed up her progress, her practice became tainted, and that led her into Qi Deviation.^[2] She said it’s her own fault.”

She was telling the story in plain words, just that few sentences. My eyes were closed, but it was as if a painting was unfolding before my eyes. It was so vivid. Master was such a prideful person, and suddenly, a mishap happened, but she still held her head high and refused to give in. Instead, she explained to Lian’er calmly what happened. How did she feel when she did that?

“She refused to go to the doctor, so I went down the mountain and abducted a few doctors to treat her, but she wasn’t getting any better. After a few days, her hands became less nimble, so Master stopped her practice entirely and just focused on training me. In her spare time, she would tell me things about jianghu. Until that winter when I’d learned everything, Master…she…”

At this point, Lian’er stopped. Actually, there was no need to say more.

This was it. All kinds of promises and wishes came to naught. The person I could fall back on was gone. I guessed the day Lian’er was ready to go on her own was the day when there was nothing holding Master back in this world.

My heart ached. It was as if the promises I made to her were still ringing in my ears. I toasted her that night, certain that we still had years ahead, that it was just a temporary farewell, that we would have decades to go for me to be by her side and fulfill my filial duties. It was moving to hear when I said it and made her shed her tears, but in the end, it turned out to be all talk, easier said than done.

Why hadn’t I thought about it? Lian’er was fated to get into jianghu and make her name. Why would Master, who was equally prideful, hide her edge and remain unknown to the world, leaving no impression and no trace in the story? 

It turned out it wasn’t that she didn’t leave any trace, but her life flew by and vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving only her footprints in the snow.

I covered my face and rubbed my eyes violently. They were still dry, but I could smile now, though bitterly. The person behind me let me lean on her silently, neither trying to comfort me nor blame me. Then it occurred to me that she had to face all these all by herself. Even if she saw life and death as the natural course of life, it must still be hard for her.

The funniest thing was the only person who could go through these with her was miles away living her life in peace and having sweet dreams.

“Lian’er…” When I spoke again, my voice was husky, as if coated with a layer of wax. “…do you…hate me?”

With my back against her, I couldn’t see her face. I could only see the hands around my waist. Her slender fingers were playing with my sash, looking bored, and I could only wait.

She stayed silent for a while, and finally, I heard her take a breath and say dejectedly, “Not really hate, but it’s true that I was angry. At that time, Master was gone and I was left alone on the mountain. I was lost and didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t in the mood to play with wolves. The days were boring as hell. I wanted to go down the mountain and look for you, but I didn’t know where to look. At that time, I was so angry when I thought about how you were eating and drinking well, living carefree. I really wanted to bite you, and only that could ease my anger.”

“You should hate me.” I nodded, feeling that I deserved it. 

“I was being an asshole. I’m sorry for Master, and I’m sorry for you,” I said. 

“Oh…” She replied but said nothing more. 

The air fell silent again. I had said what I had to say. What remained was our own thoughts. The wind was kicking up, the bamboo leaves were swaying, the sunlight was wavering, and the shadows were flickering. The rustling sound filled the air. Even the fallen leaves on the ground were carried up, fluttering, looking like withered butterflies dancing in the sky.

I sat quietly. My body was chilly, but my neck was warm. There was a breath against it, and then a sharp pain. 

Lian’er always acted with her  thoughts. She would do what she said. I had never doubted that.

She bit hard, showing no mercy, as if she wanted to vent out all her pent-up anger until she tasted blood– only then would she be satisfied. I raised my head in pain but stayed leaning against her, unmoving, simply because it was a punishment I deserved.

While something warm was trickling down my neck, something warm was finally welling up in my eyes.

And eventually, tears were streaming down my face.

---

[1] The traditional Chinese Lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. White Dew is the 15th solar term of the year. It begins on Sept 8 and ends on Sept 23.
[2] In short, Qi Deviation is martial arts training/cultivation gone wrong and messes up the flow of qi, causing internal damage to the body, or even death. It was mostly due to improper practice and techniques.

The Witch Nichang– Chapter 51

Scared

“Chief, the old man’s here.”

A voice came from the outside of the bamboo forest and interrupted our conversation, so it had to be put on hold for now.

Lian’er looked at me first before she looked up and took two steps forward with her head held aloft. “Mm, bring him over,” she said in a lowered voice. Looking at her commanding manner when giving orders, where could you find the childishness when she was grumbling a moment ago?

In a way, she was used to giving orders since she was young, only it was wolves she commanded back then, and now it was people. 

The meaning of that glance just now was obvious. Of course, I took the hint. When the shadows of the figures outside the bamboo forest were approaching, I eased back to an inconspicuous corner behind Lian’er and decided not to call her unless I had to to save myself from being blamed for undermining her image later.

But when I saw who was coming, I knew it would be difficult to stay quiet. That scared old man who was following the ladies towards here, who else could it be if not the retired old man, Zhou Zhonglian? There were too many things going on in my mind before, and I felt that this person was harmless, so I totally forgot about him. I didn’t expect he hadn’t gone out of here yet. I didn’t know what Lian’er was going to do to him. Maybe I might have to ask Lian’er to spare him.

But for now, I will wait and see what happens first.

When the old man came close, one of the ladies came to stand beside Lian’er, and the rest stood a little behind on both sides. The situation looked like a trial in front of the court. The good thing was the old man had been in office for a long time. He still had his integrity, and was rather composed, even if frightened. He glanced around and said with his fist cupped, “Miss, may I ask why do you bring me here? How may I help you?”

The miss he called, the actual king of the mountain, stood there proudly and said, “Sir Zhuo, it’s nothing. I invited you here just to settle your accounts with you.”

I was listening at a corner, thinking to myself, so she was after his possessions. It was true that you would amass a fortune even if you were an upstanding official. No matter how righteous they were, officials who made it to old age and left their office in one piece would still possess a handsome amount of money. Otherwise, why would they hire those escorts to keep them safe on their journey?

Clearly, the old man thought so too. Upon hearing that, he said in panic, “You can have all this money. I have some money at home, so I don’t have to rely on the government purse.”

Her face turned cold, and she boomed, “Although I, Lian Nichang, am a bandit, I have my principles. You can ask other bandits, have I taken anyone’s money without reason? If you’re really clean, I won’t take a single penny from you. If you’re corrupt, hmph, then I’m sorry, I’ll take your money and your head too. You hear me?”

Sweat was dripping down from the old man’s head. His body was shaking. It shows that once you have been in office for long enough, you’re bound to have something to hide. I was a little astonished when I heard her righteous-sounding speech.

After she was done telling him off, she paused for a moment before slowing down and continued, “Zhuo Zhonglian, listen up. You’ve been in office for more than ten years. The money you received from your subordinates and the local governors was seventy-six thousand seven hundred taels, which was ill-gotten gains, so I’ll take them all. The grain you took as tax is worth thirty two thousand five hundred taels. Although you had gotten that from the government, it came from the people, so I’ll take it and give it back to the people for you. Aside from that, your salary was sixteen thousand eight hundred taels. That’s what you deserve. I’ll give it back to you. You have gained around one hundred thousand taels during your ten years in office. You’re not an upright official but not a corrupted official either, just an average imperial official. Now the accounts are settled. Got any problem with it?”

The more the old man listened to what Lian’er said, the more appalled he looked, but towards the end when he heard where it was heading, he brightened up a little. He quickly cupped his fist and said, “No, no, you’ve listed out everything about my income over the years, clear and precise. I’m satisfied!”

“As long as you’re satisfied.” She nodded contentedly when she got such an answer. She gave the person beside her a look, and the lady beside her stepped forward, raised her hand, and threw over a flag.

“I’ve sent away your bodyguards but I will give something back to you.” When Lian’er saw he was confused, she explained loftily, “Your retinue, money, and carriages are now at the entrance of the stronghold. Put this flag on the carriage when you go. No one will mess with you within the province, it’s much better than your Wudang bodyguards!”

The old man was overjoyed and quickly took the flag. As he was about to kowtow and thank her, someone came over and took him back the way he came, heading out of the bamboo forest.

So the old man only had time to thank her with a cupped fist before he turned to leave. He first cupped his fist at Lian’er, then he turned slightly to where I stood and cupped his fist. 

So he saw me earlier. Maybe he thought that things turned out for the better because of me.

The truth was I didn’t expect things to turn out this way any more than he did.

I had expected that Lian’er had grown up. Now, she is Lian Nichang, a chief who ruled over a region, Rakshasa, whose name shook Wulin. She must have come a long way to be here, so I wasn’t surprised when she made friends and formed alliances. I wasn’t surprised either when she decapitated someone. That was the result of her growth, her new branches and leaves. If I ever felt anything about that, it was deep regret. I regretted that I missed out on her growth in that period, this amazing period of her life. 

But what happened just now felt so foreign and distant, far beyond the scope of just growth. 

As the saying goes, a leopard never changes its spots. People grow within a framework. How could someone as wild and willful as Lian’er take the trouble to plan and investigate? She wouldn’t bother to come up with such a thorough plan no matter how smart she was. If she did, she was no longer the Lian’er I knew. 

And if she didn’t, then there should be someone who taught her to do so by her side, or even do it on her behalf.

I looked up at the thought. The old man Zhuo was gone by now. The young lady in the shade of the bamboo trees didn’t look back. She stayed there talking to the person beside her. Their voices were too soft. I couldn’t hear anything and could only see the dappled sunlight on them wavering in the breeze.

If I wasn’t mistaken, the lady beside her right now was the one she asked to bring me to her room.

Right-hand man. A word suddenly came to mind, and my heart skipped a beat. I should have thought so. With such a huge stronghold like Mount Dingjun and with so many people, there were many things that needed to be taken care of. It wouldn’t be easy to manage it well, yet the stronghold was thriving and well-organized. How could it be just about blood and guts?

And the righteous-sounding speech that she gave earlier wasn’t something she learned in Mount Hua. Although Master and I had taught her about the country and the world, her mind was never there.

If that was the truth, I should be glad that there were people like that by Lian’er’s side who could take care of her, plan for her, and alleviate her worries when I wasn’t there for her. Apart from her own ability, the fact that Lian’er’s journey after coming down the mountain went so well must have been thanks to them, so not only I should have been glad, I should have been thankful too.

But…

“What are you thinking? Standing here looking silly.” They had come back at some point while I was pondering. You could tell Lian’er was in a great mood by the big smile on her face. She spoke cheerfully before she even came close. “How did I do just now?” 

“Well-founded and fair. You have the bearing of a great hero,” I answered with a smile, putting a stop to my thoughts. Although it was unexpected, she did well just now. Of course, I wouldn’t hold back on my praises. When I looked away, I saw the person behind her, so I asked, “May I know who…”

“Oh yeah, come, let me introduce her to you.” She turned to where I was pointing. When she saw who I was pointing at, she didn’t look surprised, as if she was used to people following her. Instead, she pulled me over and said, “This is the chief steward of the stronghold. Her name is Dong Sun. Dong Sun, go tell the other sisters, this is my…close relative. Please treat her well, but she’s pretty easy-going. Just get along with her.”

I couldn’t help smiling to myself at that. She still didn’t acknowledge that I was her martial sister like before. She must have come up with “close relative” on the spot to skim it over, but it worked. Now wasn’t the time to make fun of her. Since it was an introduction, I cupped my fist formally and said, “I’m sure you’ll treat me well. I haven’t thanked you for showing me the way yesterday. If I have anything that I don’t understand in the future, I hope Dong……Sun jiejie^[1] will help me out.”

I hadn’t talked to people so formally before in this life. I felt a little out of practice, so I hesitated on how to call her. First was because I didn’t know what was appropriate to call her. Second was that the name was a little bit of a…mouthful.

“You flatter me. It’s my honor. Since you’re Chief’s family, you’re also our family. From now on, we’re sisters.” Her reply was much more proper. Probably sensing my hesitation, she then explained, “All our names were decided by ourselves. It’s because most of us have a past we’d like to forget. That’s why we gave ourselves a new name as the start of our new life. My name, Dongsun, was given by the chief. If you think it’s mouthful, you can call me Dong’er or Sun’er.”

She looked not older than twenty years old, yet she was perceptive. Having been seen through by her, I was surprised. I simpered and was about to reply, but Lian’er carried on. 

“What do you think? It’s a good name, right?” She said.

I turned to look at her and saw that she was also looking at me. She was smiling, looking complacent. I couldn’t stifle a smile and answered, “Compared to Master, it isn’t that good. Don’t forget that our names have meaning.”

“Who says it doesn’t have meaning? It was in the middle of winter when I came to this place. At that time, the officials colluded with the bandits, and the people were suffering, especially a group of women. I couldn’t stand it and stepped in. That was how this stronghold came about. That’s why a lot of the ladies here have Dong^[2] as their surname.” She had always been very competitive. When I doubted her, she wasn’t too pleased. She straightened her neck and argued, “As for the word, Sun^[3], it has something to do with you. At that time, I saw she looked a bit like you, so it hit me to give her that name. If you say that, you’re dragging yourself in!”

I was startled, not because of what Lian’er had said but the strange look that flashed across that lady’s face, and I happened to see it. When I wanted to look closer, her face went back to normal. She took a step forward and cupped her fist respectfully. 

“Chief, it’s late. Breakfast is ready. When are you going to have breakfast?” She asked.

“Hm, okay. I’m coming.” Lian’er nodded and put the topic behind. She held my hand and smiled. 

“Let’s go? I’ll treat you to a nice meal,” she said. With that, she began to go and pull me along but didn’t succeed.

“Can we wait a little longer?” I stood in place. When I saw that she was looking at me, confused, I smiled at her and held her hand back. 

“I have something to say to you. Why don’t we have breakfast after that?” I asked softly. 

She thought for a while when she heard that. Without hesitating for too long, she then turned around and told them, “You guys go ahead first. I’ll come later. Just get the kitchen ready.”

That lady acknowledged what she said and left. It was just that after turning around, she seemed to take one more look at us.

Am I…overthinking this? I couldn’t help feeling a little bemused.

Some feelings were stirring in me. I’m just afraid that I cannot stand the fact that there is someone by Lian’er’s side and become jealous of that person. I don’t have any expectations, but at least, I know that I have been the one by Lian’er’s side. However, if she is surrounded by capable people one day, where would I be? It is a question I have never thought about.

If I’m no longer needed, then there is no point staying by her side anymore, right?

I was merely upsetting myself thinking about it. Fortunately, I realized it soon and stopped myself from spiraling down. I shook my head slightly, shaking off all the nonsense. I looked up and saw Lian’er was looking at me intently, looking inquisitive. 

“What’re you thinking?” When she saw me realizing that she was looking at me, she didn’t try to hide it. Instead, she spoke, asking curiously, “In a moment you’re frowning, and the next you’re shaking your head. There’s a lot going on on your face.”

I rubbed my eyebrows and said, smiling wryly, “I’m just thinking nonsense. Master used to say that I like overthinking, not that you didn’t know that.” At this point, I remembered our previous conversation, so I carried on, “Oh right, Lian’er, I got interrupted earlier. I asked you how you ended up here alone, and you haven’t answered me. Did Master allow you to come down the mountain?”

When I asked that, my fingers were still rubbing my eyebrows, which blocked my sight, so I didn’t pay attention to the surroundings. When I didn’t get any answer after a while, I put my hand down wonderingly and saw Lian’er was standing quietly in the shade of the bamboo trees, barely showing any emotion in her eyes.

“She has no control over what I do anymore.” She looked at me and answered frankly.

“Master’s gone.”

---

[1] It’s a term of endearment which means elder sister.
[2] Dong means winter.
[3] Sun means bamboo shoots, and the MC’s name is Zhu(bamboo) Xian. That’s why Lian’er gave Dong Sun her name.

The Witch Nichang– Chapter 50

In the Forest

I woke up from my sleep with sunlight shining into the room. It felt strange for a moment because it was silent. It was a peace and quiet I never had over the years I was away, whether I lived in a village in the countryside or rested at a postal station along my journey.

It had been a while since I felt so peaceful, as if I was in the middle of the forest, away from people.

I still felt a little groggy when I got up. I stared at the simple and unfamiliar furnishings of the room and the tranquil greenery outside the window before I was fully awake. Then I remembered that although this place wasn’t that far away from town, it was indeed in the middle of the forest. 

This was Lian’er’s room. 

I knew that because that was what she said at that time. 

At that time, there wasn’t much going through my mind–it was as empty as a blank slate. I just wanted to tell her that I’m back and won’t leave anymore. That was what she asked for back then. It was an answer I owed her.

She nodded then and said, “good”.

It was only after that conversation that we were truly reunited.

Then…

Then I was interrupted. 

I was ashamed to say that I had put everything out of my mind because I was too focused before. When people around us started clamouring, I realised it wasn’t the time and place to pour out my heart. 

Those opponents of Lian’er—probably because they got away in one piece despite the turn of events—were still in shock. They were hushed for a moment. When they wrapped their heads around a few moments later, they took up the fight again, especially Geng Shaonan. I guessed he couldn’t stand being played with because of his pride. Even though he knew he was no match for Lian’er, he lifted his sword to fight nonetheless, disregarding his own life. Fortunately, Wang Zhaoxi stopped him. Although his other brothers had better judgement than him, their chests were heaving while they were standing at the side in silence, their eyes bursting with anger towards Lian’er. 

Lian’er glanced at them impatiently and then looked at me. She turned her head and called. One of the ladies responded and came forward. Then Lian’er told her, “Bring her to the back, to my room.” The lady was startled when she heard that. She looked at me hesitantly before nodding. 

After she nodded, Lian’er looked back at me and said, “There’s a balm in a jade bottle in the hidden compartment at the bedside. Take care of that wound on your hand with it and take some rest.” 

She was acting like usual, without the slightest sentiment of reunion. Apart from the moment where her eyes lit up when she said “good,” her attitude was no different from her usual attitude during our days in Mount Hua when she asked me to make food after she was back from hunting.

Although I couldn’t act as nonchalant as her, I knew now wasn’t a good time to talk. Besides, my hand was throbbing with pain, so I took her suggestion. But I didn’t forget what I wanted to do. Before I left, I whispered in her ear, “Although what Geng Shaonan did was detestable, he’s got his lesson. I caught a cold on the road before, and they looked after me during the two days I was with them. Let’s just call it off, shall we?”

I knew giving her a lecture now wouldn’t do any good, so I tried to relate myself to them. It wasn’t entirely a lie though. Lian’er didn’t answer me directly. She just rolled her eyes and harrumphed, “You always like to meddle in other people’s business. Does your hand not hurt?” With that, she reached out and pushed me to  the lady behind her. Then she added, “Remember, the jade bottle. Don’t get the wrong one or you’ll be in trouble.”

If others heard her dance around a question like this, they would have thought I failed to convince her and it was a no-go, but how could I not know her. I smiled and took one last look at her before leaving with the lady with a light heart.

After that, when did I fall asleep?

At that point, I raised my hand unconsciously and looked at the dressing on my palm. When the lady asked if I needed help, I obviously declined her offer and took care of it myself, but these layers of dressing were too meticulous and nice. Clearly, it wasn’t how it looked like when I wrapped it myself with one hand.

Although I wasn’t a master, I think I still was quite vigilant, and considering that the matter was something like dressing my wounds, there was only one person who could have done that without waking me up.

Did Lian’er come back last night? Then why did she leave again without saying anything?

It was already late when everything happened yesterday. Shortly after I came to this room and took care of my wound, it got dark outside. When it was time to light the lamp, Lian’er still hadn’t come back. I don’t know if she had set any rules. There was no one around the house, and it wasn’t a good idea to roam around by myself either. Fortunately, although the room interior was simple, everything I needed was there. I poured myself some hot tea and drank two cups of it as I looked around the room. I was tired, after all. It wasn’t long before fatigue kicked in, and I drifted off as soon as I lay on the bed.

So…could it be that I had unknowingly occupied her place, so she had nowhere to rest and had to look for another place? 

As I thought to myself, anger started to build in me. I shook my head, trying to stop myself from thinking too much, trying to shake this displeasure that came out of nowhere out of my mind. Then I got up and cleaned up. Maybe they heard the sound from inside. A voice came from outside. “Miss, are you awake? Do you need to wash up?” 

I opened the door when I heard that. Two ladies were standing outside, one tall and one short. They were foreign faces dressed like soldiers, with toiletries and a basin of warm water in hand. I quickly let them in. They were setting things up with ease and familiarity. It didn’t take them long to put everything in order. I couldn’t help but wonder, did Lian’er begin to put on airs and ask people to serve her after she came down the mountain?

But this doubt soon dissipated because after the short lady was done, she couldn’t help looking around. 

“So this is what it looks like inside the chief’s room. It’s my first time seeing it. I thought it would be different.” She said, smiling. 

“Lyu’er!” Apparently, the tall lady was more serious. She glared at her and bowed at me. 

“Pardon us. She’s still young and hasn’t learned her manners yet.”

I was washing up when they talked. Hearing them, I picked up the pace and quickly finished up before looking up and smiled. 

“It’s okay. I’m not particular about that. Anyway, Lian…your chief, why didn’t she come back yesterday? What’s she up to?” I said.

“Right, we were very busy yesterday. The chief invited a bunch of brutes, making pacts and forming alliances. Beside that, we had to watch out for vermin among them and get rid of them. Of course, we worked until midnight.” The short lady cut in as she smiled. When she noticed her partner was glaring at her, she said to her plainly, “What’re you doing staring at me? The chief said it herself there’s no need to be careful with her, just treat her like our own.”

It was easier to get along with straightforward and lively kids. After hearing what she said, I smiled. I stopped mincing my words and cut to the chase. 

“Where’s your chief now? Can you take me to her if that’s alright?” I asked.

She could be nonchalant about our reunion, but I couldn’t. The feeling of wanting to see her kept growing over the night. Besides, after hearing what she was busy with, I could only stop worrying by being by her side. Otherwise, who knew if this little daredevil would stir up any trouble?

“Um…the chief would do her sword training first thing in the morning. Why don’t you have your breakfast first, Miss?” Since she couldn’t stop her partner, the tall lady just continued. 

“The chief should be here when you’re done with breakfast.” She said as she cupped her fist.

I knew about that, so I answered, “It’s alright. Just take me to her. I can wait until she finishes with her training and have breakfast together after that.”

“Eh? How did you know our chief hasn’t had breakfast?” The short lady looked at me, blinking, looking curious. 

I smiled frankly and said, “The day starts with what you do in the morning. Training at sunrise is what she’s been doing for many years even without the crow of the rooster. I guess it’s become a habit.”

With that, we went out and down. I noticed on my way here yesterday that the back of the stronghold was the living area. Compared to the front of the stronghold, where it was heavily guarded and sentries were everywhere, this place seemed to be much more peaceful. Plus, the people who lived here were all girls, so the place was neat and well-organised. It even had its own style. Only Lian’er’s house was far away from all these at the farthest end, in the midst of a forest, surrounded only by the rusting of the  forest trees  and chirps of insects and birds.

I was following the two ladies. The further we travelled, the more remote it became. We were heading down and away from the forest, into a bamboo forest. The canes were slender and tall, unlike thick and lush sun-blocking trees. Faint rays of sunlight shone through the sparse bamboo leaves and dappled shadows on the ground.

Shortly after entering the bamboo forest, the two ladies stopped. They bowed and gestured me to go ahead. 

I went in alone. When I went a little further into the forest, I heard a familiar sound. That was the hum of a sharp blade slicing through the air. It was sometimes fast, sometimes slow, forming its rhythm. It sounded melodious and soft like music when slow, deafening like thunder when fast. The scenery changed as I continued. Between the bamboos, there was a dancing girl. 

This dance was unlike any other dance. It was as graceful and elegant as other dances, but as it moved, it could take lives and claim souls. Luckily, it was all too familiar for me. Instead of feeling frightened, I felt at home. With my interest piqued, I stood at the side and watched this nostalgic scene.

She should have noticed me, but she didn’t stop. Not only did she not stop, she got even closer after a few moves. Suddenly, she flicked her wrist, and her sword came thrusting at me. 

Although the strike was a surprise attack, she didn’t go all out on me. I easily dodged it and caught her sword with two fingers like how I did it yesterday. When I looked into her eyes, I understood what she wanted to do. Without saying anything, I jumped into the battleground, and the two of us fought.

We used to do this a lot back when we were in Mount Hua, either to play or to spar. Every time we fought, every time our eyes met, they were mostly happy memories, except…the last fight.

At that time, I was trapped in my own world, afraid to look at her.

The panic and uncertainty back then had been worn away with time. Although my feelings for her were still there, at least I learned that it was useless to run away. Besides, now was the time when Lian Nichang needed me by her side. 

The future was uncertain. Let’s put the rest aside for now. I made up my mind and felt calm. The flow of my moves, both attack and defence, were smooth like the flowing river. Lian’er was holding back. Every time, she stopped short before her sword got me. I could even see her smile when her hair lifted as the wind blew past.

I thought to myself I might also be smiling right now. True feelings always showed on your face without you knowing.

After ten more moves, Lian’er swung and jumped away without warning, returning her sword to its sheath. Of course, I wouldn’t go after her. I immediately drew back my sword, let out a long breath and wiped my forehead. Maybe I hadn’t had such a spar for a long time, I was sweating a little.

“You’re rusty.” She came over holding her sword. When she saw what I did, she smiled smugly and said, “If I get serious, you won’t survive a hundred moves from me, let alone win.”

“I never wanted to win either.” I replied frankly. When I saw her approaching, I pulled her over out of reflex and smoothed out her slightly dishevelled clothes. Even after all these years, I couldn’t break this habit that I had taken on over time. I did it so naturally, but she was also happy to let me do it, splaying out her arms to make it easier for me to fix it.

“Right, Lian’er…” As I was doing my thing, I spoke, wanting to say something.

But her eyes, which were half-closed with delight, opened. “Shh—” She looked down and said to me seriously, “My men are coming. Don’t call me Lian’er in front of others. It sounds childish, not at all respectable.”

“Pfft, then what should I call you?” This made me laugh. I raised my eyebrows and teased her. 

“Should I call you ‘Miss Lian’ like others? Chief Lian? Jade Rakshasa? Or like how your men call you, Lady? Which one do you prefer, mm?” I said.

My teasing made her frown. Her face darkened and said, “Neither one is good. Others can call me those, but you can’t. It all sounds cringy. We haven’t talked about the fact that you hid in the crowd and fooled me. If you tease me again, I won’t let you off so easily!”

“Alright, alright. If it’s cringy, I won’t call you that, that’s it.” I paused knowing that this sensitive girl was still fussing about what happened before, but I couldn’t resist my curiosity and asked, “I felt like I’d done a pretty good job in hiding. There were so many people, when did you notice me?” This kid was good at everything, except she wasn’t particularly observant. I was a little surprised that she didn’t seem surprised when we met this time. 

Such a question was met with the expected glare. “You’d done well hiding. I can’t believe you avoided me. If it wasn’t for the fact that Wang Zhaoxi said there’s someone in the group whose martial art style was similar to mine and asked if you’re a spy that I sent after returning to the stronghold, I was almost fooled by you. You avoided me, and yet now you’re asking for mercy for those losers from Wudang. Hmph!” She said, disgruntled. 

She was getting angrier the more she spoke, close to calling me a bad guy. In the end, she snorted and turned her head away, ignoring me. But what she said made my heart soften. After all these years, we could still talk as if we had never been separated. Not to say she was just grumbling, even if she was raging at me, I would be happy to listen to her.

But I still had to cheer her up. “I didn’t do that on purpose. At that time, all I could think about was going back to Mount Hua to see you. Who knew you would show up halfway at the inn under that unexpected name. How could I not be surprised and stumped?” I put my hand on her shoulder and tugged at her lightly. When I saw she was still ignoring me, her lips still pursed, I continued to explain, saying softly, “About those losers from Wudang, since they insulted Master, of course, they should have been taught a lesson, but they’re not wicked people, after all, and I also know them. Let’s just let it pass after giving them a lesson. Give them a second chance…” 

As I spoke, a question suddenly came to my mind. This question had been at the back of my mind since I saw her last night. It was just that I didn’t have the chance to bring it up.

Since I remembered it now, I asked her while I was at it to clear my doubt. “By the way, why did you end up here alone? I heard you went down the mountain two years ago. What happened? Where’s Master?”

As soon as I said that, I felt the shoulder under my hand stiffen.

At that moment, a voice came from afar outside of the bamboo forest. 

“Chief, the old man’s here.”

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