Author: Slopaw (Page 1 of 10)

The Witch Nichang– Chapter 93

Ghost Town

Earlier, I heard from Lian’er that they had found their lair. I thought we would hurry there, but she didn’t seem to be in a rush as we walked down the street. Instead, she took me to the busy market to get some stuff, looking as if she had everything under control. 

Though it was different from what I had expected, I didn’t usually meddle with little things and let her be. Besides, we hadn’t spent a lot of time together lately, and there was even some tension between us a few days ago. Now that we were walking together, a smile on her face, our fingers laced together, I didn’t want to think about anything else. I would just keep an eye on whatever she wanted to buy. 

We had been in this region for a while now, but this was the first time I had been on this foreign street. It was strange, feeling both unfamiliar and yet familiar at the same time. Meanwhile, Lian’er seemed very familiar with this place, even more so than I was. I guess it was because she had been going about in this area these past few days. Thinking about that made me feel a little ashamed of myself. 

As I was walking, hand in hand with her, deep in thoughts, the things we brought gradually piled up. It wasn’t until she tried to purchase a steed from a vendor that I stepped in and said, “Lian’er, we’re not staying here for long. This animal is not suited for long journeys. Why are you buying it?”

She turned around and raised an eyebrow, her smile undiminished, and said, “There will be several miles ahead of us later. It’s to ride it, of course, so you can be comfortable.”

“Don’t worry,” I replied without hesitation. “After all this rest, I’m feeling better. I don’t need it.”

I really thought I didn’t need it, or maybe it was the desire to prove myself speaking. 

But Lian’er wasn’t buying it. She huffed, “I’ll still buy it to carry our stuff even if you don’t want to ride it. We can’t be carrying all these things by ourselves for several miles. That would be too much.”

Although we had quite a few things, it wasn’t so many that it would become a burden. But since I wasn’t familiar with the road, and since she had said so, there was not much I could say. I smiled and let it go. 

When we left the street and were ready to set out, I was heaved onto the horse. I couldn’t even say no even if I wanted to because Lian’er was already on the horse. I was surprised because I thought we would go with qinggong as she didn’t really like to ride. But because of that, I couldn’t refuse. 

After bumping along the road for over two hours on the same horse, and seeing the desolate surroundings, I realized she was right. The farther we went, the more I had to admit that if we had relied solely on qinggong, the journey would have been tough in my current state. 

Wait a minute—could it be that she had thought of that, and that was why she…

I glanced back. She was focused on steering the horse under the sun. Even while she was riding, her vibrant smile remained on her face, and her eyes sparkled with her usual pride. Could it be possible for her to show that she cared in such a subtle way? Or was I reading too much into it? And what could she mean earlier when she said, “I think I’ve understood something”?

A sudden wave of anxiety surged, but I quickly quashed it.

We kept our eyes on the road, not exchanging a word. She was taking the lead, heading in a single direction for some time. As the sun began to dip westward, something started to emerge in the barren landscape ahead. I could see structures standing in the distance. Despite their distorted shapes weathered by the wind, you could still see their frames. As we drew closer, I realized that these were man-made structures—abandoned buildings made of rammed earth, one after another, forming a vast and irregular expanse of ruins. It was… a ghost town.

The sight was so unexpected that I called, “Lian’er?” I turned back, surprised and confused. Seemingly anticipated my question, she removed her veil and explained, “Quite a nice hiding spot, right? I heard this used to be a city a thousand years ago, but for some reason, it was abandoned and became a ghost town. It’s turned into a perfect hideout for bandits. Those guys were hiding here like rats. It took me and Godfather quite some time to track them down.”

As she spoke, she slowed the horse to a trot and began steering the horse into the ruins. The intact walls were next to us. As my initial shock faded, I vaguely recalled that there was an ancient site like this in this place, only that the structures before me were far more intact and alive than it would be centuries later. The narrow, winding streets were lined with rammed earth houses of various shapes, their dark, hollow doors and windows giving off an eerie and lifeless feeling.

Perhaps it was because of this deathly silence. A tinge of fear began to crawl up in me. I didn’t know where it came from, making it impossible to express. It wasn’t until I saw smoke billowing in the distance that I felt a little relieved.

The smoke was black, clearly from burning something. Spurring the horse in that direction, I soon saw that the smoke was coming from a courtyard. The courtyard was no different from the surrounding buildings, all made of rammed earth. It was no longer whole, being eroded by wind and sun, but its structure still held. The only thing that was different was there were many things around—barrels, jars, household tools, and clothes. These things, put together, added a touch of life to the otherwise desolate ghost town. Of course, the most lively thing was the blazing bonfire in the center of the courtyard and the tall figure standing beside it.

“You’re here!” Perhaps he had heard the hoofbeats earlier, as Old Tie didn’t seem surprised by our arrival. He stroked his beard and turned around, chuckling, “The streets of this ghost town are a maze, so I figured you might get lost in them again. That’s why I thought of starting some smoke as a beacon. Sure enough, as soon as I lit it, you showed up. Smart, right?”

“Godfather, don’t flatter yourself.” Lian’er entered the courtyard and dismounted, firing back with a teasing smile, “You were the one who lost your way this morning, and I had to lead the way to get us here. Now you’re saying it was me who got turned around? How shameless. And starting a fire before sunset? Were you scared to be alone and needed it for courage?”

“Hey! What are you saying? I, Tie Feilong, am not a coward. Even if you don’t need the help, the sun was setting. It’s better to start the fire earlier rather than later.” He didn’t get angry at the remark and just laughed it off, waving his hand dismissively, “Besides, this wicked stuff is an eyesore to me. The sooner they burn, the better I’ll feel.”

While the two of them bantered, I had gotten down from the horse, helping Lian’er with hitching the horse and looking around the courtyard. When I heard what Old Tie said, I looked over at the fire without thinking. It was then I noticed the few large objects among the messy pile of burning things. Though they were now engulfed in flames, the bloodstains on them were still visible as they burned.

“These are…” I took a sharp breath, a vague realization dawning on me. I looked over at Old Tie, and he nodded knowingly and said, “Mm, these are torture devices. This is the hideout of those bandits we’ve been searching for. Don’t be fooled by the unassuming exterior. There’s something far more sinister inside that house. These scoundrels didn’t just rob people; they took pleasure in torturing them to death. What a bunch of savages!”

Following Old Tie’s gaze, I looked at the nearby rammed earth house. The black, gaping doorway looked especially eerie. Just moments ago, I had thought about going inside to take a look, but now, a sense of dread began to creep in me.

I didn’t know what came over me—could it be that today’s bloodshed was affecting me more than I thought? I thought I wouldn’t care, but maybe I did after all.

Caught between unease and doubt, I felt someone pull at me. Before I could look away from the house, Lian’er had already dragged me to the fire. Still confused, I heard her laugh and say, “What’s the big deal? It brought us here, didn’t it? That’s what they call karma, right? Today’s fight was exhilarating. If not for these utterly wicked scoundrels, where else would I get a satisfying fight like that? What’s funny is that the ones who got away still thought they could sneak into the inn and get you. Don’t they know themselves?”

“Hah, easy to say now, but I haven’t forgotten how frantic you were when we wormed out of them that some of them had slipped away to the inn. Haha—” Old Tie chimed in at just the right moment, earning a fierce glare from her in return. As the girl’s laughter and Old Tie’s teasing filled the air, the inexplicable unease that had arisen gradually faded away. I smiled and allowed myself to relax. 

I spent the rest of the time around the fire, chatting with them and asking about the whole story. It turned out this bandit’s hideout was the place Old Tie and Lian’er had been looking for. Almost all the inhabitants were disciples of Jin Duyi. Unfortunately, they didn’t find the trusted nephew of Jin Duyi, whom they had once mentioned. Upon interrogation, they learned that he had stayed here for some time but had left in a hurry a few days ago after receiving some news, saying that he was heading to the capital to meet up with Jin Duyi for some business.

After getting all the information they needed, Old Tie dealt with the remaining bandits accordingly, killing those who deserved death and crippling the rest, leaving no one unpunished. He then waited for Lian’er to bring me over to join him. 

“The capital, huh… If the information was correct, this long journey wouldn’t have been in vain. In that case, there’s no reason to stay here any longer. Let’s not waste any more time. Should we start preparing for the return trip?” After sorting through my thoughts, I looked up from my contemplation and asked.  

“No need to worry about that. Everything’s been taken care of. This bandit’s hideout is well-stocked, so we can just take whatever we need. Anything that’s lacking, I’ve told Jadey to get it. Besides, hehe…” Old Tie grinned mysteriously as he got up and strode to the back. After a short while, he came back with a tall camel. “Look! They even left us this. Plus the horse Jadey bought, we’ve got enough mounts for the journey back.”

I was taken aback when I heard what he said. After a moment of stunned silence, I said in surprise, “Wait a minute, Old Tie, are you saying we’re setting off just the three of us with a camel and a horse? Isn’t that a bit…” I almost thought I got it wrong. The memories of the dangers we faced coming here were still fresh in my mind. How could Old Tie be so reckless?

“Don’t worry. There’s a reason for it.” The girl beside me chimed in at that moment, and she explained with a chuckle, “But to understand the reason, we have to start with another mistake Godfather made. Do you remember what he said when we passed the gate? He was so sure that the northern route through Hami was caught up in war, and we might not pass through it for three to five months. But when we interrogated those bandits, we found out that the northern route had been clear half a month ago. So, don’t you think he made us go through an unnecessary tough journey, hmm?”

Hearing Lian’er teasing, Old Tie’s face seemed to flush red and then white, though it was hard to tell with his dark complexion. He awkwardly stroked his short beard and said, “Well, these…these things are hard to predict. You can’t make guarantees. Back then, you’d both agreed, so how can that be my fault? Ahem… besides, it’s a good thing that we’re able to take that route on our way back, isn’t it? Better than crossing the desert again.”

Lian’er was being petty. It seemed this bit of teasing was she getting back at Old Tie for calling her frantic earlier. Seeing a commanding old hero unable to fight back after being mocked by his own goddaughter, I figured it wouldn’t be right to add insult to injury. So, I cleared my throat and changed the subject when I spoke again, “It doesn’t matter anymore as long as we can take the northern route. We’ve learned a lot on this journey, and since we’re ready, are we leaving right away?”

Even though the sun was already setting, it seemed more appealing to hit the road than to spend the night in this ghost town. As I thought about it, a wave of melancholy swept through me. Despite my reluctance to admit it, it did seem that I had been more of a burden on this journey. Especially after arriving here, I hadn’t helped much, nor did I play any part in their search. I simply waited until everything was settled and listened to what they had done, and now, we were heading back. It really was…

About that…. Zhu’er…” As I was quietly brooding over my frustrations, I heard Old Tie say, “How are you holding up? The northern route might be safer, but it can still be tough. How are you doing now? Can you handle the journey?”

“No problem!” I raised my head almost reflexively and responded, “I’m feeling much better. Besides, I think it might be because of the climate that I wasn’t feeling good. Rather than staying here, it’s better to leave.”

It would be one thing if I couldn’t help, but if I were to delay our return and cause any unwanted changes in the capital, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself. So, I said that with unwavering resolve, my tone firm and decisive. Perhaps because I rarely spoke in a tone like that, as soon as I said that, they cast curious glances at me.

Though they looked, Lian’er said nothing, while Old Tie seemed to ponder for a moment before speaking, “Hmm, let’s decide after tonight. You two stay here. I plan to head into town tonight and take care of this…” As he spoke, he stood up and walked over to the small wooden chest, giving it a pat. “This is the dirty money I found after Jadey left. Earlier, when we were asking around, we met a few victims of the bandits who gave us leads. Some of this might belong to them. I’ll go find out, and if it does, I’ll return it. Whatever’s left, I’ll give it out to the poor folk nearby. Consider doing a good deed.”

Old Tie was a man of action. As he said that, he had already picked up the wooden chest, untying the horse reins, and mounting it. “You two wait here,” he said, “I’ll be back by midnight, or at the latest, by dawn.” With that, he tugged on the reins and was about to leave.

“Hold on a second.” Suddenly recalling something, I called out to stop him.

The old man halted and looked up at me. Without thinking much, I hurried over in a few steps and looked up. “Old Tie, if you’re planning to give out the money, could you let me take a small portion to give to that young guide as a token of my gratitude?”

Honestly, I did feel a bit guilty toward him. After shedding blood, I just left with Lian’er without a word, leaving him to deal with the aftermath. I still remembered the shocked, frozen look on his face, and I felt a little guilty about that. I couldn’t think of a way to make up for it. Now that I saw what Old Tie wanted to do, this idea suddenly came to me. 

I saw nothing wrong with the idea, but when I said that, I felt eyes on my back. I turned around, puzzled. By the campfire, Lian’er wasn’t looking this way; she was focused on adding dry wood to the fire, her expression calm, with the usual hint of a smile at the corner of her lips. 

“Oh? Oh, that’s fair enough. That young man did save your life before and had been diligently taking care of us at the inn these past days. Perfectly reasonable.”

I didn’t notice anything wrong, so I turned back around at Old Tie’s words. Old Tie sat on his horse, stroking his beard with a smile, and said, “But, is just giving some money enough? Do you have anything else you want to say to him? I’ll do you one better. If you have something you want to say, just let me know. I’ll pass it along, wrapping things up for you.”

I hadn’t considered it before, but I felt I should say something at his reminder. I looked and thought for a moment, and I said, “All right then, it’s just a few words. Please tell him—‘We walk different paths, parting with regret; your kindness repaid, my gratitude remains.’” 

A sharp crack sounded behind me. When I turned around again, it was just Lian’er snapping a thick piece of dry wood, nonchalantly tossing it into the fire.

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Slopaw’s note:
Hey everyone, since I can’t guarantee regular updates, I’ve decided to post all the chapters I’ve translated so far. There won’t be any more early chapters on Patreon from now on. Thank you to everyone who has supported me before, it really means a lot!

The Witch Nichang– Chapter 92

Seek

That night, Lian’er didn’t sleep so well. She, who usually fell asleep as soon as she hit the pillow, was tossing and turning.

Of course, being aware of that meant that I wasn’t sleeping too well either.

Unable to sleep, I wanted to get up, put on my coat, and take a walk outside as I usually did, but considering that Lian’er was also having trouble sleeping, it was better not to make any more noise to disturb her, so I held myself back from doing that and lay quietly in bed, patiently waiting for Zhougong^[1] to come.

I heard her turn again in the dark, betraying a slight restlessness even in her sleep. 

Nothing really bothered Lian’er. Her being like this almost certainly had something to do with our conversation earlier. Was I… asking too much of her? 

I couldn’t stop myself from reflecting on this, questioning myself. 

Even since we started our journey to the west, her words and actions these days have made my hope grow so fast that it is almost on the verge of losing control.

The possessiveness, the affection, all these fill me with anticipation. I even wonder sometimes if I could be more proactive and bold, I might have already gotten what I have longed for.

If that were the case, why would I have to be hard on her and torment myself as I do now?

But I know I can’t do that, no.

Because I know my place in Lian’er’s heart, I know that if I were to confess my feelings to her directly, she would probably reciprocate it and when that happens, our relationship would enter a whole new phase, a relationship that I long for, yet I would be stuck in another kind of worry. I wouldn’t be able to know if she has the same feelings as I do, or if it is just some vague, muddled affection that is misled.

Is that precious love given to me from the heart? Would she, a free-spirited person, someday taste true love from someone else? Every time I think of this possibility, it fills me with dread. So no matter how much I want it, I can’t do that.

All I can do is sow the seed and give my all to nurture it, hoping that I could reap the fruit that I dream of in the end. But I can’t do the sprouting and growing for her, and whatever fruit it would bear lies in her hands. 

All things considered, what I seek is just to have no regrets. Even if it means being hard on her now.

With my eyes closed, I lost track of time. When sleep finally came, all kinds of thoughts were still running through my mind like a reel of film. And before drifting off… the last thing I thought in a haze was that I had to take care of my own issue…

Although it makes me happy that Lian’er seems to care, it is also… dangerous…

Starting tomorrow… starting tomorrow…

Those thoughts I had before falling asleep were imprinted in my mind, so the next day onwards, I made it a point to distance myself from a certain person. The gatherings of song and dance in the courtyard outside the west window every afternoon were as lively as always, but I never opened the window again to watch.

The young guide still came to visit me regularly with the excuse of bringing me fruits and nuts. As he meant no harm, it wasn’t appropriate to turn him down, and I also owed him once. So I still treated him the same when we chatted, just with more formality.

Sometimes formality meant distance. 

I had considered using this young man’s affection to my benefit. Perhaps it could spur… But I decided against it on second thought. Why involve an innocent third person between us? While Lian’er’s concern was reassuring, it would be too grave of a sin if things went too far and cost the young man’s life. Unfortunately, even though I was looking out for him, he seemed oblivious to the danger he was in. 

When the young man seemed to sense my rejection, he became more frequent with his visits. It was hard to deal with his persistence and enthusiasm.

Things would have been easier if only he was straightforward about his feelings, but he only showed care and concern every time he visited me. It left me puzzled at times, wondering if both Lian’er and I had gotten it wrong?

Be it confusion or a sticky situation to handle, seeing Lian’er always wore her displeasure on her face, I felt I couldn’t ignore it any longer. If he didn’t make his feelings clear, then I would do it for him. Even if it turned out to be a misunderstanding, just let me flatter myself once. That would soothe a sore, though it wasn’t mine but Lian’er’s. 

I rehearsed what I was going to say a few times and thought of every scenario. I felt ready. The next day, I sat in my room and waited for him to show up. Ever since I stopped watching the gatherings in the courtyard, he seemed to have stopped joining. Instead, he visited me every afternoon at the same time, a time when Lian’er and Old Tie weren’t around. Maybe he found this time convenient, and of course, it was also a convenient time to talk things out.

The sun was setting. As I was waiting, I heard pattering footsteps coming from outside. These footsteps were familiar to me. I was so focused on what to do next that I didn’t notice right away the urgency in the footsteps that differed from the usual. When he barged in without greeting, I knew something was wrong.

The door had no lock, but he was usually respectful. Even if the door was slightly ajar, he would knock first and wait for permission before coming in coyly. He wouldn’t be so impertinent. And the usual smiling face that appeared from behind the door was now covered with sweat and panic, making things seem serious.

“What’s wrong?” I stood up, immediately putting what I had been ready to say behind. 

“Miss… Miss.. huff huff… you need to leave!” He was panting, as if he had rushed here. Trying to talk in between breaths, he grabbed my arm and exclaimed, “You need to go, trou…huff…trouble’s coming!”

Even though he appeared panicked, I wasn’t affected by it. When you saw the other person was panicking, it calmed you down instead. I took a small step back to slip my hand out of his. Then I went to the table to pour a bowl of tea and said, “Easy, take a breath. What exactly happened?”

“No, no, there’s no time!” The guy took the tea bowl but didn’t drink it, plunking it down on the table beside him. Almost stomping his foot, he said anxiously, “You have to leave now. I don’t know what your friends have been up to these days. They’ve attracted a gang of bandits. They’ve learned about this place and now they’re at the foothills. I asked my friend to hold them off, but he can’t hold them off for long. They’ll be here soon. It’s too dangerous for you to stay here alone. There’s no time to waste!”

As he spoke, I could already hear the commotion coming from outside. It wasn’t the cheerful noises of the Uyghur, but a more malicious clamor that you knew they didn’t come in peace.

I nodded and said, “Oh.” It didn’t surprise me. Because it wasn’t something too surprising. 

The risk had always been there. If we were going to search for these bandits, there was no promise they wouldn’t do the same to us. Obviously, the locals had more ways to get information than outsiders. Although Lian’er and Old Tie had been going out early and coming back late, trying to stay as low as possible and the innkeeper was also a friend of a friend, no secrets could be kept forever.

I wasn’t worried since Old Tie and Lian’er were together. The ones to suffer would definitely be the other party. Even a three-year-old could figure out what they would do next when they learned about their enemies’ base after they lost, especially knowing that one of their people was indisposed. 

Even though I hadn’t discussed it with anyone, I was ready for this in the first two days after waking up. And I had since decided what to do when it came to this. 

“By the way, how many people are out there this time?” With my mind made, I asked as I walked to the bedside, rummaging calmly for something. This might seem misleading to the young guide for he beseeched, “Don’t bother packing your stuff at a time like this! About five notorious bandits around this region are here. They’re strong! Even the authorities can’t do anything with them! Miss, you must leave with me quickly, or it’ll be too late!” 

He was taking a huge risk to come to me. I gave him a smile as a token of gratitude but continued with what I was doing. After gathering my belongings, I returned to the table and sat down, placing my short sword beside my sword hand. Then, I carefully wrapped a red silk around my hands and secured my sleeves, preparing my wrist guards.

“Miss—miss, you…” Seeing what I was doing, the young man seemed to realize what I was going to do, looking tongue-tied and unsure. 

The clamor outside was getting closer.

Suddenly, I felt that this was actually a good time. The thought brought a smile to my face. Without stopping what I was doing, I spoke, “Hey, actually, do you have a crush on me?”

It wasn’t how I planned to bring it up. I had intended to be more subtle and considerate of his feelings, certainly not as blunt as this. It seemed like Lian’er had rubbed off on me seeing that I got right to the point the first thing that came out of my mouth. Thinking this way somehow cleared my conscience. 

“Uh? Well, I, I…” The poor guy was taken aback, but he seemed to be stronger than he looked. Despite the suddenness of the question and the tense situation, he just stuttered for a moment before he nodded and answered resolutely, “Yes, yes, I really like you, beautiful lady!”

The “beautiful” made me chuckle while I sighed to myself, thinking how fortunate he was. As a man, regardless of the outcome, at least he could openly express his affection for someone he likes without much worry. 

Despite the lamentation, I asked casually, “Why do you like me? If we talk about appearance, the young woman I’m with deserves that more, no?” It was something that perplexed me. 

“It’s, it’s different. You sing well, very well. You’re gentle with kids, kind-hearted. You’re very brave when you chased after the water in the desert. I… it’s not just about your appearance…” He stuttered, seemingly trying hard to describe an image of a beautiful person in his mind. Unfortunately, the image was too good. It didn’t sound like me. 

Meanwhile, the clamor filled with menace and rage was already at the door.

There was no time for more. I sighed as I stood up, holding the short sword in my hand and straightening up my clothes. Before I went, I changed the subject and said, “You still have time. Escape through the window. What happens next has nothing to do with you.”

“No!” Perhaps he was a courageous person, or maybe it was the boost of courage after his confession. The young man stood tall and exclaimed, “I, I’ll protect you!” As soon as he said that, the door was kicked open with a loud bang.

Ignoring the menacing bandits by the door, I turned to him and asked, “You said you like my personality?” After seeing him nod, nervous and confused, I said with a smile, “Well, that’s too bad. The woman that you see here isn’t what you think she is. Like now, do you know why she’s not leaving?”

Our enemies were coming this way, brandishing their weapons. It was obvious the young man couldn’t continue the conversion in a situation like this, so I told him straightaway, “Because she wants to prove herself with their blood!”

With that, I kicked the table, drew my sword, and as the group of bandits was separated by the table, I leaped forward.

Hiding before they reach this place might be a viable option, but it wasn’t what I sought. I was a companion of Lian Nichang, and a person who sought to flee when faced with danger had no right to stand by her side. I needed her trust, and to earn it, I had to prove myself, to prove that I wasn’t a burden but someone of use.

There were four people, two wielding swords, one with a hammer, and the last one bareknuckle. The bareknuckle one seemed to be stronger than the others. Old Tie had shown us some of Jin Duyi’s martial moves that he knew on the way, so I could see that he was Jin Duyi’s direct disciple, which meant Lian’er had stumbled upon the right path, and they got desperate.

The room was too small. It was hard to move around. I was outnumbered by four to one, and my body that hadn’t fully recovered still felt a little weak. So I need to end this quickly!

With that goal in mind, I focused my attacks on one of them while mostly evading the other three. You couldn’t go wrong with taking them down one by one. In just a short while, the two swordsmen had taken some hits on their arms and became so bloody that it was difficult for them to wield the swords. This time, I went in full force. They were big time bandits. There was no reason to hold back. 

The two swordsmen were no longer a threat, and the hammer wielder was slow, posing no great danger. There was only one left, also the strongest among the four.

I didn’t have much experience fighting with a bare knuckle opponent. The Dali Jingang on Yunu Peak left a strong impression on me, but this man was different from him, one was forceful, the other was elusive, dripping with dank cold. I studied his moves and looked for openings. We had exchanged over ten moves, but I still struggled to find an opening for a fatal blow.

Since my body hadn’t fully recovered, gradually, I began to feel a little breathless. Panic surged in me. I had to win this fight. I couldn’t afford any mistakes. With more force, I pressed forward, aiming my sword at his vitals. He grew flustered, his moves becoming erratic. In the heat of the fight, I saw an opening. With a swift strike, I went straight at a vital point on his shoulder.  

If this strike landed, I would have defeated him. However, in the heat of the moment, he evaded hastily, and my strike missed its mark. The sensation of metal piercing flesh transmitted through the sword to my hand, and crimson flowers blossomed before my eyes.

Panting, I watched as he limped to the ground. A stream of liquid gushed from his neck, winding into a red rivulet on the ground. My heart was pounding, yet not as quick as I had imagined. Sheathing my sword, I cast a slow glance at the remaining three, only to see their figures fleeing in haste.

It was the laws of nature in troubled times. I was just fitting in.

From then on, I was like her. 

“Hmph, those bastards run faster than rabbits when they flee.”

A hand rested on my shoulder, a familiar voice chuckling behind me, tinged with discontent and mockery. It was only then I realized the real reason they had fled in panic.

Turning around, I smiled at her and said, “See, I can handle it myself.”

“Mm.” The young woman nodded, holding the bag that I had packed on the bedside table earlier. She shook it and said with a smile, “Let’s go, there’s no need to stay here anymore. We’ve taken out their old lair.”

As she said that, it seemed like she was going to wrap her arm on my waist, but after a moment’s thought, she held my hand instead. The moment she held my hand, I heard her whisper, “I think I’ve understood something. I’ll tell you later.”

Startled, before I could think about it, she took me through the door. Looking at her back, I told myself not to think too much into it. I might get a laughable answer again, but my heart couldn’t help but soar with joy. 

Or it might be because we were locking our hands now. 

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[1] A regent of the early Zhou Dynasty, culturally also known as the God of dreams.

The Witch Nichang– Chapter 91

Think

It wasn’t long ago that Lian’er was telling me that the reason she wanted someone by her side wasn’t that she wanted someone to worry all day about how to protect her. But what she didn’t know was that most of the time, this person already had to give everything they had just to not be a burden to her. 

What was ironic was even when giving everything she had, the result often went against expectations.

I felt frustrated, even embarrassed. It wasn’t about my ego or anything. I once promised her to stand by her side, even in death. Saying that didn’t just mean having the determination to be with her even in death, but also the capability to stand by her side. If I burdened her or tied her down, holding her back from spreading her wings, then this promise is better left unspoken. 

She didn’t need a person of use to her, but I had to become someone of use to her. These two things weren’t contradictory. But I didn’t know how to explain this to her, and I reckoned she wouldn’t even listen.

Towards the end of that day, Lian’er ended up agreeing to go with Old Tie, but it seemed she was doing it out of spite more than anything. In the days that followed, she would go out early and come back late. When she came into the room, she always had a straight face. She barely spoke a few words before closing her eyes to meditate. Only when I tried to talk to her would she say one or two words in reply.

I thought she was angry with me and that she would soon get over it, but it had been a few days, and she didn’t seem to be getting over it. This never happened before apart from the time she one-sidedly had beef with me when she was a kid. I had to face the fact that I had really upset her. It left me at a loss because this was the first time that there was a conflict between her expectations of me and my expectations of her.

However, I couldn’t back down on matters of principle despite not having any other good way to face her. So, all I could think of now was to make peace with her and show her with time that I could stand by her, not someone who needed to live under her protection and hold her back from soaring high. 

So, even if I had to upset Lian’er for now, that was how it was. I could only hope that she would understand me soon and then would appreciate it.

Apart from this minor hiccup with Lian’er, it had been a few rather pleasant days. A couple of days ago, the wound on my head had been torturing me, but it had been getting better. With sufficient rest and hydration, the random nosebleeds had never occurred again. Old Tie and Lian’er would go out every day to gather information. When I was alone, the young guide would often visit me with some refreshing fruits and nuts and chat with me, so I didn’t feel lonely.

Unfortunately, Lian’er was still angry with me. Every night when she returned, she wouldn’t even touch the sweet fruits I left especially for her, and I could do nothing with her. 

Another thing I could do nothing about was the speed of my recovery. If possible, I wanted to get better quickly and join them since it was the main purpose of this journey. But it had been five days. Other than not feeling sick anymore, my body still felt weak, not having much strength in me. 

Despite feeling anxious about this, I didn’t want to rush things. Rushing always messed things up, so I could only meditate every day following a fixed routine, and I spent the rest of the time on two boring activities, zoning out and gazing out the window at the scenery. 

The tapestries and large pillows, the stained glass window and the grapevine, these might seem exotic to people from the Central Plains, but to me, they were nothing new. I got bored with them after some time. 

But I would always hear people singing and dancing every other day or so. It came from the courtyard outside the west window, the innkeeper’s personal courtyard. The Uyghurs were known for their singing and dancing. In the afternoons, when it wasn’t busy, I could always see a group of people get together or sit in the corridor or under the grape arbor, chatting and enjoying some fruits and dairy snacks they had prepared. When the mood struck, they would play the hand drum, the innkeeper would play some instrument and sing, and the others would join in and dance. The music had an upbeat and lively rhythm, filling the courtyard with joy. 

I found this unexpected event a little annoying at first, but as time went on and when the restlessness and boredom set in, I pushed open the windows and looked out. I began to find it delightful and interesting watching these people singing and dancing, being carefree. After that, I didn’t mind watching this play out every day.

As I did so for the next two days, I, the audience by the corner window, caught the attention of the group, not to mention there was a familiar face among the people entertaining themselves. The young guide, who claimed to be a friend of the innkeeper, was naturally among them. Even since he noticed me, he would bow at the window from a distance, extending a warm invite to me. Despite me pointing at my head injury and shaking my head to decline his offer every time, he never seemed discouraged and would extend the same warmth again the next time. 

Today marked the fifth day since arriving in this foreign land. I didn’t know how it was going out there, but my days continued to be monotonous and uneventful. As usual in the afternoon, the sounds of revelry and music came from beneath the grape arbor. The guide was also present. After the customary failed invitation, he didn’t seem disheartened. Instead, with the encouragement of others, he picked up the unique-looking Uyghur instrument and began playing and singing a song with an upbeat melody.

I couldn’t understand what he was singing as he was singing in Uyghur. At first, I listened by the window with a smile, but gradually, I started feeling something was off. Not only did the young man gaze at me as he was singing, but also those around him who were cheering him, despite their joviality, turned their attention to me and glanced at me from time to time. Besides their hospitable nature, the air seemed to emanate an ambiguous… affection. 

Sensing that, a thought crossed my mind. I looked again at the singing young man and thought of his recent enthusiasm and warmth. Suddenly, I felt the smile on my face froze.

But no matter what I thought, it was still a good-natured gesture, so I continued to listen without moving until it was over. Then I took the chance to close the window before the forced smile on my face faded.

With a sigh, I covered my face with my hands, kneading the stiff muscles. Just as I was about to gather my thoughts, I heard a bitter chuckle from the door.

“Lian’er?” Startled, I didn’t even have to turn around to know who it was just by her laughter. As expected, who else could the young woman leaning against the door be? She had been out and about these past few days. It was normal that she was grubby when she came back. Usually, I would have the bath ready for her, but she had obviously returned earlier today. My first thought was that I hadn’t prepared the water, so I said, “Just wait a moment, I’ll have someone heat some water and bring it over.” With that, I was about to go out. But as I reached the door, someone stopped me. 

Taken aback, I realized that the person in front of me seemed off, her stunning face tightly drawn, as if it had been cloaked in frost. Connecting it with the earlier bitter chuckle, a suspicion arose in my mind, but it wasn’t the time to point that out, so I pretended not to know and asked, “Lian’er, what’s the matter? Is there something you want to say?”

She first stared at me with widened eyes, as if a fire had ignited within her, and then, as if she had encountered a difficult problem, she tilted her head to the side, her brows furrowed, looking like she was thinking. After a moment of thought, she fixed her gaze back on me and asked, “Tell me, do you like that guide?”

I knew she was direct and spoke with no filter, but I didn’t expect her to be this direct that it startled me. For a moment, I didn’t know how to respond. If it were someone else asking, I would have firmly denied it, but coming from Lian’er, I wasn’t so sure… wasn’t sure what exactly she meant by “like.”

Did she mean it in a way most people associated with a hint of jealousy? Could I really take it that way? I didn’t want to raise my hopes, so I opted for the safest approach and said with a chuckle, “I don’t dislike him since he saved my life before.”

“Right.” She stayed still and said, her eyes burning into me, “He saved your life, carried you to safety, and even helped stop your bleeding. Now he sings for you every day in the courtyard. So, do you like him?”

I sighed, unable to keep talking around the topic under her intense gaze. I gave up on prodding her and spoke honestly, “Lian’er, like I’ve said before, there are many kinds of like. Yes, I don’t dislike him. If you ask if I like him, maybe a little, but that’s completely different from how I feel about you. There’s simply no comparison between the two.”

“Of course, they’re different.” But she followed up with, “I can see that he likes you. If you like him too, then it’s romantic. Of course, they’re different from how you feel about me!”

I never expected her to think this way, never. 

I stared at her, opened my mouth but utterly lost for words, just as my feelings now. 

Should I be panicking? Should I be flustered? Should I explain? Should I be angry? Or should I hold onto hope? With so many emotions swirling inside, my face was devoid of any expression. After a while, I lifted the corners of my lips into a faint smile, and said, “If it’s really romantic love, Lian’er, what would you do?”

Still frowning, she replied, “They say romantic feelings between a man and a woman are very common. If I were to like someone, I wouldn’t mind letting you know. So… so you, you just admit it. I hate it when people beat around the bush and keep things from me…” As she spoke, she seemed to get upset again, her voice trailing off.  

What was she upset about? I was too exhausted to guess. Her response slashed through my heart like a blade. Even though I was ready for it and it wasn’t fatal, merely leaving a shallow graze on the surface, when the dull ache started spreading, bringing with it a biting twinge, it was more excruciating than a straight-up stab.  

“Lian’er…” I couldn’t think anymore. What I did next wasn’t thought through. I closed in on her, almost out of instinct. Looking at the charming young woman before me, I reached out to brush her cheek. The warm and soft touch was comforting, and I said, smiling, “If you don’t mind, then neither do I, but it also means that from now on, things like this…” I looked down and pecked on her soft lips, ‘’or things like this…” Trailing upwards, I lightly bit on her right earlobe, “From now on, I’ll only accept these from him, and he alone has the right to it. Have you forgotten? You can only have this intimacy in the third kind of relationship.”

Looking at her eyes at such a close distance, I could see the changes in her eyes clearly. The expression in her eyes changed rapidly from confusion to astonishment and then swiftly to some kind of resolution. Perhaps she had never dwelled on things. Rather than navigating in the complex maze of thought, she was better at making quick gut responses.

“He doesn’t have that right!” At last. That was her gut response.

I secretly heaved a sigh of relief, a sense of pride in her emerging in me, soothing the dull ache of the shallow wound. This time, my smile was genuine, and I kept on, “Then, who has the right? Who has the right to do that?”

“No one does!” She answered unequivocally. “I like touching you, so no one else can! You can like someone else, but it cannot be more than you like me!” 

Assertive, domineering, possessive, dictatorial, willful as always.

“But Lian’er…” I reminded her, “We’re not a man and a woman. Doing things that only couples do, don’t you find it strange?”

I wanted to give her time to think it over, even wanted to indulge a little longer in that naive intimacy, but I couldn’t help but reveal it to her. At that moment, I really hoped she would blurt out something, yet I was also afraid of what she might blurt out.

“I…” What she said in the end was, “I, I’ll go kill that guy!”

A sigh. I couldn’t help but sigh, but after that, I couldn’t suppress a smile. It was always like this. Rather than cumbersome thinking, it was better to remove the source of the threat directly. As always, this was my Lian’er.

I grabbed the young woman who was about to act on what she said and hugged her waist, resting my head on her slender shoulder, stopping her from moving. I murmured, almost as if talking to myself, “Lian’er, don’t. Think, think harder. Trust me, trust me, you have to… trust me…”

Perhaps these words didn’t seem to make any sense, but they came right out of my heart at this moment. Think harder, Lian’er, think, really think, and then, trust me.

Only then I can see the future.

---

The Witch Nichang– Chapter 90

Feelings

I went out like a light when I lost consciousness. But coming back to consciousness was slow and torturing.

Feeling the sensations from the outside world, my five senses were coming back to me bit by bit, the soft fabric against my skin, the blurry shades of light, and the silence around me. The familiar sound of wind in the desert land was gone. The support below that carried me didn’t sway. The air I breathed still smelled of sun, dry and hot, with an extra hint of hemp, and another elusive scent. 

My throat felt swollen and sore but not as bad as the dizziness. Despite the intense dizziness, there was another sensation overshadowing it. 

There was warmth on my lips, touching lightly and then moving away, over and over again, like a fish pecking. This sensation took over all discomfort, becoming the most vivid feeling. 

As the warmth drew away once again, I smiled and opened my dry eyes. Light flooded in, the figure before my eyes turning from blur to clarity. Looking at her, I murmured, “Didn’t we agree not to do this… are…are you still thinking about that competition?”

She didn’t look surprised at all. She simply stood up and answered me earnestly, “I don’t have to listen to everything you say. Of course, I won’t take advantage of you while you’re out either.”

My head was still spinning, so I didn’t try to get up. I closed my eyes and opened them again, then my memory began to clear. 

“It seems like I fell…” I chuckled wryly, mixed with apology and guilt. 

“You fell and hit your head,” she affirmed with a nod, still looking at me with a straight face. 

I reached up to touch my forehead, and as expected, a bandage tightly wrapped around my head. A throbbing pain pulsed near my right temple. The moment of weightlessness that night seemed to linger in my body, as if it had happened just a second ago. But as I moved my dry eyes to look around, the interior that I saw deepened my wry smile, “It seems like… I’ve been out for a long time. Did I miss a lot?”

“You’ve been unconscious for more than two days. We’ve reached our destination and are now staying at an inn. The doctor had just left when you woke up.” Lian’er recounted calmly as she stood up and went to fetch a bowl of water at the table. “Have some tea. The doctor said you need to get plenty of rest and drink herbal tea. It’ll help with the nosebleeds.”

Looking at the person by the table, I got a feeling… that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. The way she spoke and acted seemed a little different from what I remembered, but I couldn’t tell what exactly was different. I blinked and gave up thinking about it because of the headache. 

When she approached with the bowl, I tried to sit up and take it from her, but before I could do that, I heard a loud knocking, like someone banging on the door. When I listened again, it was indeed what I had heard. Someone was banging on the door and shouting, “Jadey, I’m back! How’s Zhu’er? At least open the door and let me have a look!”

Lian’er and I frowned at the same time. I didn’t know why she did that, but for me, loud noises were a torture at the moment. My head felt like it was going to explode. I had to give up trying to get up and close my eyes. 

There was a little clack of something being set down, followed by the noise of the door unlocking and creaking open. Someone was speaking loudly as they strode over. I sensed a different warmth and presence nearing me, which made me turn my head and open my eyes amidst the headache, looking warily at the frisky man beside me. 

When he saw the alert in my eyes, his hand that was reaching for my forehead stopped. “Zhu’er, you’re awake? Uh, what’s going on? Why are you glaring at me like I’m a bad guy…” He awkwardly retracted his hand and turned to shout at Lian’er, “Hey, Jadey, what did the doctor say? Why does she seem a bit off? Can we trust the local doctor?”

“Who told you to make so much noise? The doctor said she needs to rest quietly. Quiet, do you not understand that? You deserve that glare.” Lian’er came to us slowly, answering nonchalantly, however, there was a hint of curiosity in her eyes as she looked at us, as if she was observing and thinking.

Surrounded by the stare of them both, I chucked awkwardly and greeted, “Old Tie… I just woke up, so I’m a bit confused. Please don’t mind…”

That seemed to relax the old man. He laughed, stroking his beard, and said, “No worries, as long as you’re awake. You’re good in every other way, but why does trouble always find you? That night, seeing you covered in blood and lying there had us scared to death. Oh, by the way…” He seemed to recall something and strode to the door, shouting out the door, “Hey, are you coming in? She’s awake now, you can come and see her.”

I didn’t know who he’s talking to, so I turned to Lian’er in confusion, only to see her expression darken, as if she wasn’t happy with what he did, but she didn’t say anything and didn’t stop him either, which made me even confused. 

Outside, there was the hasty pattering of footsteps, growing louder as they approached. Then, a face with some mixed-blood features appeared at the door, the thick brows and big eyes brimming with concern and excitement. As soon as he noticed my stare, the concern and excitement on his face turned into shyness. The young man took a few steps closer and stopped. He stuttered, “Um, es—esteemed friend, miss, thank God, you—you finally woke up. Are you okay? That’s great!”

My throbbing brain was working stiffly, and I finally remembered this person. I wanted to greet him but couldn’t remember his name. It wasn’t because I hit my head. It was that I didn’t pay much attention to the names of the two guides before, so I just smiled and nodded, not quite understanding why Old Tie had called him over. 

Even though I was confused, with two men standing in the room, I couldn’t continue lying down without qualms. So I looked at Lian’er and asked sincerely, “Lian’er, I want to have some water. Can you please help me up?” 

I said that because I felt weak and wanted Lian’er to help me get up. She responded readily enough, picking up the tea bowl she had put down and bringing it over, but instead of helping me up, she raised it to her lips and took a sip as I looked at her, puzzled.

And the next moment, everything went dark before my eyes, her face enlarging and her body closing in. As the softness melded against my lips, a cool stream flowed into my mouth. Overwhelming surprise seized my breath, my throat tensed up; I almost forgot how to swallow. Then I felt a pressure in my mouth, followed by her fingers pressing lightly on my neck. I heard the gulping sound from my throat, and I realized I had swallowed it.

I froze up like a statue until she got up, wiped her lips as if nothing had happened, and asked, “Want some more?” My almost rusted still brain slowly creaked back to life. I looked incredulously at her. Lian’er who was seemingly upset just moments ago now had a touch of a smile on her lips. Without time to think about the reason, I glanced at the other two people in the room, panicking.

Even if I had somewhat used to the random moments of intimacy over the past few days, how could… how could she do it in front of…

Blushing, I looked over, but the reactions of those two were unexpected.

The young guide’s reaction seemed relatively usual. He was at least a little embarrassed. But Old Tie, like Lian’er, acted as if it was nothing. Perhaps noticing my uneasy expression, as if something dawned on him, he tried to reassure me instead, “Hey, why are you blushing, girl? Jianghu people don’t care about formality! You know, these past few days, you couldn’t keep water down. It’s all thanks to Jadey forcing it down with qi. Otherwise, you would have died of dehydration already. You should thank her properly. Mm, since you two are like sisters, I guess there’s no need for thanks… now it seems like I’m being too formal…”

The old man kept rambling on, and in the end, his lecturing turned into him talking to himself. I heard it loud and clear. My embarrassment faded, but the feeling of aggravation grew heavier. I looked at the person beside me and whispered a thank you, but then I saw the smiling face drop, and with a huff, she said, “For what? The one you should be thanking the most is not me.” With that, she turned away, looking displeased once again.

I was bewildered. What is this all about?

After that, I pushed myself to sit up, listening to everyone who gathered in the room talking. During that time, Lian’er didn’t say much, leaving most of the explanation to the two men. Gradually, I began to understand what Lian’er meant earlier.

From what they said, the person I should be thanking for that night was actually the young guide. That night, because of the sudden vestige, I fell from the camel and lost consciousness right away. It was hard to tell if I was still alive. The older guide felt that it was a bad omen and believed that the odds were against us, so he got scared and wanted to run away with the camels. It was the young guide who had some semblance of integrity. He managed to keep two camels and stayed back, even clumsily trying to stop the bleeding from my head injury. Then he took me with him to hide in the shadows and waited. 

“Good lad! If he hadn’t stayed behind and helped stop your bleeding, it might have been too late when we returned.” At that, Old Tie patted the young lad with a shy smile commendably on the shoulder, then his tone changed, and he said indignantly, “I can’t believe that I was only half-right about people this time. That bastard who ran away alone, he’d better hope he’s lucky enough and not let me see him again, or I’ll give him hell!” 

At this, Lian’er, who had been quiet, suddenly let out a cold laugh, a hint of ruthlessness flashed across her eyes. The air in the room suddenly plunged. The young guide shivered and scratched his head, confused. I smiled, not wanting to stay on this topic any longer, and asked them to continue.

What happened next was obvious. Old Tie and Lian’er easily defeated the bandits, and in the process, saved the merchant caravan. They even unexpectedly got some useful information. Who knew when they came back with light hearts, they found that the caravan was missing, only drops of blood on the ground. Fortunately, the young guide emerged from his hiding spot with me in time, sparing them a heart attack.

Even so, according to the old man, they were quite startled. At that time, they found me with my eyes shut, my clothes stained with patches of red, and traces of blood on my mouth, nose, and forehead, looking like I was dying. After learning what had happened, he was worried sick, blaming himself for misjudging the old guide when hiring him. He was about to go after the runaway guide, but Lian’er and the young guide stopped him in time. They then took all that was left and joined the rescued merchant caravan. The caravan had just been robbed and was still in shock, so when their saviors came to them, they were more than happy to have us. Throughout the journey, they took good care of us and provided us with some basic medicines for injuries. Thanks to that, we could cross the Kuruk Tagh Mountains safely and reach our final destination—Turpan.

After listening to their story and looking around the room, I didn’t know what to say. The furnishings in the room were slightly different, but it didn’t feel like I was in a foreign land. I wanted to move towards the windows to take a look. I placed my hand on the edge of the bed, but my weak body refused to cooperate. I just slumped to the side a little, and Lian’er was immediately here to catch me.

“Zhu’er, take it easy. With your condition now, there’s nothing you can do except to rest.” It was Old Tie who spoke. Seeing my attempt to get up, he probably thought I was eager to get up, so he patted his chest and said, “Let Jadey stay with you and leave the rest to me! With that information, even if those guys are hiding underground, I can dig them out for sure!”

“Information?” I asked, perplexed. Then I remembered what they said earlier about the useful information they got when they defeated the bandits and saved the caravan that night. I glanced at the person beside me questioningly. Lian’er took the hint and explained in a serious tone, “It’s about Old Jin’s disciples. A couple of them got together and formed a bandit group, occupying a large area nearby. The other bandits couldn’t do anything about them, so they left to seek livelihood elsewhere, which led them right to us. Stepfather wants to take the opportunity to find out the gang’s hideout from them, and that’s how he found out Old Jin’s whereabouts.”

She explained that in a few sentences. I nodded to show that I understood. After pondering for a moment, I raised my head and said, “In that case, we should look at the bigger picture. Going alone might put you at a disadvantage. Lian’er, it’s better that you go with the old man. I’d be less worried when you guys are asking around.”

When I said that, before Lian’er could say anything, the old man at the table frowned and slammed the table, saying, “What nonsense! Are you looking down on me, girl? Even if Jin Duyi himself comes to me, let alone his disciples, I, Tie Feilong, will not be afraid at all!”

The slam was so loud that I felt a throb in my temple. I rubbed my eyes and said, smiling meekly, “Oh Sir, not at all, I’ve seen how good you are. How would I dare to look down on you? But as the saying goes, even a mighty dragon cannot crush a snake in its lair. This place is their territory. It’s hard to say that you won’t get ambushed when you’re asking around. I’m not afraid if they come directly at you. It’s the ambush that I’m afraid of. I just want to be safe to have Lian’er with you, so both of you can watch each other’s backs.”

Some things were best left unsaid. If Tie Feilong were to be ambushed, and given my current condition, Lian’er alone might not be able to hold out. That was the situation that I feared the most. 

However, even if I had thought of everything, there was no guarantee that he would understand or appreciate it. 

“Do you really want me to go with Stepfather?” The girl beside me arched her brows, her eyes wide and her face growing cold.

I knew it was bad when I saw that, but I couldn’t back down. I smiled and took her hand, speaking softly, “Lian’er, now that I’m awake, as you said, all I need is to rest. Old Tie needs you more than me. Otherwise, I’d be worried. Right now, we’re in the same boat. If one goes down, everyone goes down. We need to straighten our priorities, don’t you think?”

“But…” She hesitated for a moment, but still continued, annoyed, “You’re the one worries me most. Without anyone with you, what if something happens to you again!” She said that in all seriousness. The more serious she was, the more it gnawed at me and weighed on me. 

I clenched my teeth and forced a smile, saying, “You just go ahead. I’ll take care of myself. Besides… besides, I’m not alone here. The guide is still here, isn’t it? After what happened last time, we know that he’s reliable. Don’t worry.”

At that, the fourth person in the room chimed in. It seemed that the young man couldn’t catch up with us when we were talking fast. Now that he seemed to hear something he knew, he joined in enthusiastically, “Yes, I’ll take good care of her. The innkeeper is a good friend of mine, so you don’t have to worry!”

---

The Witch Nichang– Chapter 89

Go On

No matter what had happened, and how the future might be, we must go on with what we were doing. 

Lian’er stubbornly refused to agree to what I suggested. I knew there was no point in convincing her, so I put it aside for the time being, and we started on our way back before the sun rose. Thankfully, it was a smooth journey and went without a hitch. Even so, it was already dawn by the time we made it back and regrouped with the camel caravan that was waiting for us at the same place. The rising sun was unobstructed, reflecting the trepidation in their eyes.

When we took the filled water pouches and poured out the luscious water to share, the two guides dropped to their knees facing west, praying reverently while murmuring some kind of chant. They were thanking their God, but actually, they should have thanked the girl in front of them. 

God had hidden the water but not from the eyes of Rakshasa.

The water was a reassurance to the team. Holding the water pouch, Old Tie gulped down the content and let out a satisfied sigh. After a while, he furtively pulled me aside and told me that the older guide was indeed acting suspicious last night, but thankfully, he didn’t give him any chance to do anything. After that, he patted my back and complimented me that for someone who usually kept to herself, I sure had a keen eye for people. I smiled, neither agreeing or disagreeing. I didn’t want to tell him that I had never fully trusted him either. 

In times of crisis, my trust lay not in Tie Feilong himself but his pride and confidence. Now that I think of it, I’m just a coward who is always suspicious of others. 

I didn’t have to let anyone know what I was thinking. Since everyone was fine and everything turned out well, we could leave it at that. That day, the caravan took a detour and headed towards the dried-up lake. We arrived at dusk. This time, it was Lian’er and Old Tie who went down to fetch water. It took them about three to four trips to replenish the caravan’s water reserve. The empty water barrier on the camels was filled again. There was nothing more comforting than that in the desert. 

We rested by the lake that night. Lian’er and I were worn out from the previous trip, so we just crashed out. It was a silent night. However, when we left the next morning, Lian’er, seated on the camel, glanced back at the receding lake. Suddenly, she leaned close to my ear and whispered, “When we were fetching water yesterday, Old Tie was just waiting at the bottom of the hole. He didn’t enter the water cave.”

My ear felt ticklish. I had to lean back a little. I didn’t understand why she was bringing this up, so I smiled and said casually, “Yeah, the gap in the rocks was too small. Old Tie probably couldn’t squeeze through with his burly body.”

“So…” she added with a smug smile, “When we came out, I sealed the cave with rocks to make sure that even if someone goes down there in the future, they won’t see anything.”

I was confused. I asked, perplexed, “Why would you do that? What if someone’s looking for water?” But she rolled her eyes and huffed nonchalantly, not answering my question. 

At that time, I didn’t understand what she was doing, and later on, I couldn’t figure it out either. I didn’t actually try to figure it out because after that, just dealing with all the situations that happened every now and then along the way was exhausting enough. And the so-called situations were just certain… behaviors of Lian’er.

I didn’t know how that situational intimacy in the cave had affected her, but it did cause some changes in Lian’er behaviors afterward. The most noticeable one was her increasingly frequent…physical contact, even going as far as more intimate skin-to-skin contact.

I remembered she used to detest these contacts when we were young, probably feeling somewhat belittled by them. Now that she had gotten a taste of something different, she was so eager to “belittle” me. And this enthusiasm of hers was giving me a headache.

But I was somewhat relieved that although she wouldn’t agree to a certain request earlier, she wouldn’t insist on getting her way at my refusal. When I refused her attempt for the first time, I thought it would upset her, but surprisingly, it didn’t. Instead of getting upset, she tried all kinds of ways to… tease me. Although Lian’er didn’t really understand what teasing was. 

I didn’t know what she was thinking. Was she trying to divert her annoyance? Or was she just curious? Anyway, when she couldn’t get the “competition” she wanted, she started to become interested in other places. Oftentimes, as we jolted and swayed on the camel’s back, she would suddenly lean over and peck my cheek or my chin, sometimes even my nose, eye, or ear as if nothing happened.

If it was just that, it would be fine, but a lot of times, she would stick out a bit of her tongue and brush my face as she moved away, and that was something I couldn’t stand. So, from then on, every time she hugged me from behind, I had to be on my guard. It used to be a place where I could let down my guard, and now I had to constantly stay alert to not be surprised by her spontaneous actions while I wasn’t paying attention.

Sometimes, I felt like it was as if she had discovered an uncharted territory worth exploring. It didn’t matter where exactly she was exploring, what mattered was that it was fun. 

Sadly, as the subject of her exploration, I obviously lacked the effective way to deal with her antics. I was even secretly relieved that this explorer’s antics were limited to the area above my neck, and she knew to maintain some degree of decorum and only did that when we were alone. It was just that since we spent a lot of time on the top of the last camel, the time when we were alone seemed a bit too much. 

I had to admit, other than annoyance, I could sometimes taste the faint hint of sweetness and hope about this change. Lian’er didn’t mean any harm; I had no doubt about this. If the so-called “competition” was confounding, then the frequent probes and touches at least proved that she accepted, and even enjoyed this kind of intimacy. Acceptance and enjoyment, after all, offered more promise than rejection and aversion. 

I didn’t know if she had taken what I said that night to heart nor if she had thought about the answer. Lian’er had always been someone who liked to make her own decisions. She would ask if she couldn’t figure it out. Since I had given her the choice, all I had to do was wait. But who would have known while I was waiting, I would have to endure this torment. 

All I could do was gaze up at the sky in resignation. If this kept on, I wasn’t sure if her relentless curiosity would wane first, or if my depleting patience would wear thin first. Maybe the heavens had heard my wish because in two days, a solution presented itself.  Unfortunately, this solution had nothing to do with the anticipated relief. 

Heading north all the way, we finally made it through the desert, but the surroundings remained desolate, with masses of rocks and stretches of sand appearing alternatingly. Gradually, the rugged Kuruktag Mountains come into view. Over this sprawling mountain range lay ahead of us was the way out of this no man’s land, and further down the road was an easy ride leading directly to Turpan. However, in the days of traversing the mountains, my body was getting weaker and started to act up again. 

It was only after we left Dunhuang and started traversing through this harsh, arid desert that I realized that my body in this world had a tough time adapting to the weather. Other things I could handle, but the uncontrollable nosebleeds were a lot to handle. I thought it got better in Lop Nur, but now, it came back again unexpectedly. It was just a few drops at first, then it became more and more, until it reached a point where even when I pressed my hand against my nose, they would seep out between my fingers. 

I didn’t hide it from Lian’er this time. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. As this happened, her playful mood was gone, and every day, she would remind me to drink water and rest whenever she was free. Even so, my condition didn’t seem to get better. We only had so much water for each day. With the bleeding getting worse, I became weaker and weaker. 

Finally, Lian’er got worried. She badgered the guides to go without stopping. The guide, summoning his courage, tried to explain how it isn’t a good idea, but he almost got himself killed by her sword. Seeing the chaos unfold because of me, I couldn’t think of any other way but felt bad for him and tried to convince her otherwise. All I could do was hope that we would reach an inhabited area faster, where my condition could get better, just like it did in Lop Nur. 

Unfortunately, the more we tried to rush, the easier it was to get into trouble. 

Under the pressure of Lian’er and Old Tie, the two guides reluctantly braved themselves and pushed on without stopping. Traveling through the rugged mountains late at night was very dangerous because it was easier to get lost, slip, or even come across bandits. So, when the night wind carried the neighing of horses and the cries of people echoed from the distance, the guides’ faces were instantly drained of blood. 

They immediately stopped the caravan, urging us to dismount the camels, and kept motioning a silent gesture as they explained with their quivering voice that there must be a caravan being robbed ahead, and we needed to stay low tonight. It was a normal reaction because they had never gotten to know how strong the old man and the girl traveling with them were. 

Old Tie, of course, wasn’t afraid of troubles. He guffawed and exclaimed, “Haha! I’ve been bored for the past few days. It’s about time the heavens let me loosen these old bones of mine! Let’s see how strong the bandits are in the West compared to those from the Central Plains!” With a laugh, he darted towards the hillside like a soaring eagle.

But Lian’er didn’t follow after him. She glanced at me hesitantly and stayed seated. Robbing was something she did for a living, her expertise. How could I not understand her itch? So I wriggled out of her arms, smiling, nudged her, and said, “Chief Lian, Hero Lian, what are you waiting for? If you wait too long, there’s nothing left for you after Old Tie has loosened his bones.”

Indecision wasn’t Lian’er’s nature. With a little teasing, she shot me a glare, then thought for a moment, and said, “Fine, you stay put on the camel and don’t move. Drink water when you’re thirsty. I’ll be right back!” After seeing me give her a serious nod, she leaped off the camel and vanished into the night sky. 

I saw her off with a smile, then I turned to look at the guides whose face turned even paler and said affably, “Don’t worry. Even if there are thousands of soldiers on the other side, those two can still take the head of the general. They both are people who’ve made their name. The sword isn’t just for show, and of course, they won’t kill innocent people. Relax.” When I asked them to relax, I myself was relaxing. Looking at the crescent moon and listening to the clamor of cries and shouts coming from the other side, I was calm. All I had to do was wait for her return. 

But it was at that moment, I felt a slight itch on my nose and saw the crimson droplets on the back of my hand. It was already the fourth time that day. I had gotten used to it these days. Tilting my head back, I pressed one hand against the bleeding nostril, the other reaching for my water pouch at my waist. But the bleeding was heavier this time. As I tilted my head and pressed against it, the blood flowed back too quickly, and I choked on it, setting off a fit of uncontrollable coughing. As I fumbled, a sudden wave of dizziness hit me like a crashing wave against a shore. 

Shit… a flash of thought in a haze. Instinctively, I wanted to grab onto the camel saddle, but my hands couldn’t react fast enough. My body felt weightless for a moment, and then I heard the sound of my skull hitting the ground. 

That was the last sound I heard that night.

---

Slopaw’s note:
Hey, sorry for being away for so long. I’ve been busy with uni and work, leaving me little free time for TWN. I’ll keep translating it but the chapters will be slower. I can’t guarantee when the next chapter will be out. Thanks again to everyone who’s stuck with me and supported me on Kofi and Patreon. There are times when I feel like giving up on TWN, but whenever I see your nice comments about TWN and how much you enjoy it, it makes me wanna continue it. I still love TWN, which is why I’m still translating it whenever I have some spare time. Anyway, I just wanted to give you some updates about TWN, which I should have done earlier. Hope you have a nice day 🙂

The Witch Nichang– Chapter 88

Lips

Does she know what she’s doing right now? No, she doesn’t. 

Is this a kiss? No, it isn’t. 

It wasn’t her lips that touched my lips. The warm, soft, supple presence felt like a tongue, or maybe it was a tongue. It glided over my chapped lips again and again, her touch gentle as it moved and pressed. This was merely an act of moisturizing, out of care, unrelated to lust.

“Doesn’t hurt now, right?” she asked, her tongue still on my lips, her voice steady and her breath calm. 

So, the ruffled breath in the dark was mine, not hers. 

Enough of this intimacy that has nothing to do with intimacy. Enough of this unthinking teasing! Her hand was still caressing my back, her tongue gliding on my lips, and she was the one I loved, the one who took my heart!

I wanted to stop her, but as if something had been ignited in me, something that had been suppressed for a long time. Now it swelled fast in my heart, riding on the darkness. It swept away everything in its path, unstoppable. My spine spasmed straight, and I reached out and clasped my hand exactly on the back of her head. Irrepressibly, I pressed down, turning what seemed like a lick into an actual kiss. 

Eyes unable to see, ears unable to hear, vigilance and rationality gone, only a fire left burning in my chest, quenchable only by her. 

Thirsty, not my body, but my heart. 

Sealing lips, claiming the kiss, drawing it in, and reaching in. I tried my best to control myself. Even so, I wasn’t exactly gentle with it. How could a parched person sip and savor the water when they came across a spring? The only thing to do was to dive in and drink to their heart’s content!

A muffled grunt sounded in the dark the moment my lips clashed into her teeth, but shortly after, her breath was just as fast as mine. Perhaps this somewhat forceful advance had triggered her competitiveness, perhaps it was the sweet and salty taste of blood seeping from the cracks on my lips that had kindled her wild side. Anyway, the expected pushback or rejection didn’t happen. Instead, she came back with more force.   

Even though I knew it didn’t come from the same want as mine, I let myself indulge in it. This was a fight, a literal fight of lips and tongue. It was intense and unbridled from start to finish. The overtaking and overtaken, the domineering and domineered between lips, tongues, and teeth. My chin ached from being gripped, and the hand on the back of her head returned it by pressing down as hard as it hurt. The icy-cold water streaming down the wall trickled down my hair and my brows, but my body was still burning. I was slightly suffocated, and the world was spinning. Finally, a hard shove separated our entangled bodies, bringing everything to an abrupt halt. 

The only sound in the dark was the sound of Lian’er’s huffing, her breath heavy and ragged. I rubbed my right shoulder, which ached from the shove. Panting, I silently backed up a little on my hands and knees, putting some distance between us. Half-kneeling in the narrow space, I awaited the conversation that was bound to follow after she had caught her breath.

“Why…”

When her ragged breath had calmed down, she spoke with a hint of indignation in her tone. The first word she uttered left my heart hanging, but she then continued, “…why can you hold your breath longer than me?”

“…” What I heard didn’t seem to match what I was expecting. I slowly furrowed my brows, then responded with a dumbfounded face, “Huh?” 

This time, I heard her answer loud and clear. There was no mistaking it. “I was already out of breath. Why do you still look so chill? And you catch your breath faster than me. How is this possible? No way, I’m supposed to be better than you at breathing and qigong!” There was the sound of water splashing in the dark. She fumbled toward me and grabbed my hand, demanding, “I don’t believe it. Again!”

That “again” left me stunned. Suddenly, I was enveloped by a familiar presence, greeted by softness once again. 

However, this time, the fervor was gone. The unquenchable fire was smothered the moment I was pushed away. The burning desire died down. Fervor made you dauntless, but it never lasted. Rationality returned after a burst of passion, so all I could do was accept her in a baffled daze, but kept my lips pressed together. 

Naturally, she realized that, and after a few exploratory attempts, she backed up dejectedly, patted on my arm that she was holding, and grumbled, “What? Are you going to back out after getting me once? I don’t think so.”

What she said about “getting her” snapped me back to reality. Like an out-of-use machine, my brain sputtered back to life.

I let out a “ah” as if woken up from a dream, then I whipped my head to the side and feigned a few coughs, feeling the heat rising to my ears. Flustered, I covered my mouth and said, “Um—cough—Lian’er… let’s, uh, hold on a second, okay? How about we leave this pitch-black place first? We… we can talk about it once we get out of here… sounds good?”

In that moment when I was pushed away, I thought I was about to face some questioning, a trial I couldn’t avoid or lie in. Getting a verdict that would only send me plunging into the abyss. 

Who would have known that I would come through it in this strange way. 

Or perhaps, I was just clinging to life. 

Whether I had come through or clung to life, with no verdict in sight, I had to keep on struggling. The first thing was to leave this place, leave this narrow, dark cave that made people go out of their mind. This place made me experience a long-forgotten sense of being lost and out of control, and thus it was somewhat intimidating. Although there was nothing strange about this place, or everything… everything’s just… 

Fate makes its move, and everything just falls into place, pushing us forward into the unknown. 

Initially, Lian’er was unconvinced about my sloppy suggestion. She was still dwelling on losing out to me on holding her breath. It wasn’t until I used thirst and cold as a reason that she begrudgingly went with my suggestion. 

In the next few minutes, we straightened ourselves up and filled up our pouch and an empty water bag that we brought along with the flowing water from the wall. This subterranean water seeping out from the walls seemed to be the source of the small lake. The water gathered into a lake. It dried up and returned to the cave. It was unclear what had happened. Even though the water pooled around the source was shallow, it was sweet and clear. It quenched our thirst and cleaned us up, washing away the accumulated sand and dust from the past few days. We felt refreshed but also a lot colder.

Leaving the cave was a lot easier than entering the cave. Even though we were still moving in the dark, with Lian’er leading ahead, everything was fine. I didn’t even have to grope my way forward. I just had to hold her hand and follow her lead, staying low, ducking left and right, and climbing up one step at a time. 

Other than these simple exchanges, we weren’t talking. Behind the facade of focusing on walking was a constant stream of thoughts running in my mind, contemplating how to explain things once we got out of the cave. 

I had to give an explanation. If I kept putting it off, and she found out what it meant later, things weren’t going to end well given her temper. 

But how should I go about it? I couldn’t think of a good answer no matter how. 

I had wanted to get out of this deep, dark cave so badly earlier, but when I couldn’t come up with any explanation, I was hoping we were slower. Regardless of the pace, fast or slow, we eventually saw the sky again. 

Stars were scattered across the vast sky still. It had been just under two hours since Lian’er went into the cave, but it felt like a lifetime had passed.

In the cold night of dessert, my soaked body felt ice-cold as the wind picked up. It could be an exaggeration when I said I was cold in the cave, but now it couldn’t be more true. Looking at me, trembling and hugging myself, Lian’er just said one curt sentence, “No rush, let’s start a fire and dry our clothes first.” Then she drew her sword and went to chop some reeds and branches. I wanted to go with her and help but she stopped me and told me my only job was to channel my qi and warm myself up. But until the fire was built, I was in no mood to channel my qi and warm myself up whatsoever. 

Even so, the so-called “good” answer eluded me, or perhaps, there never was one to begin with. Sitting by the blazing fire, it warmed up my body, but not my restless heart. The burning branches were crackling. In the silent night, they sounded as if they were urging me. Staring at the burning branches for a while without blinking, I finally sighed in resignation, turned my head, and looked at her who stayed by my side. 

In the glow of the fire, Lian’er was looking at me. When I realized where her gaze lingered, I couldn’t help but purse my lips, smiled wryly, and said, “Still thinking about… what happened earlier?”

She nodded frankly, her eyes moving up, locking eyes with me, and then drifting down again. She didn’t even try to hide it. Her gaze felt tangible, making me feel uneasy. I reached my hand up to rub my nose and stopped halfway down to cover my mouth before clearing my throat, and continued, “Just now, in the cave… about what I did… do you find it… um… disgusting? Did it make you uncomfortable?”

Although it didn’t feel like it, I still needed to make sure. If she couldn’t accept it physically, then there was no point in discussing any further. 

“How could that be? Not at all.” Her answer was certain, so sure that it was comforting. But before I could be touched by her unwavering answer, she drew closer and pulled away the hand covering my mouth and said, “Although you’re acting a  little strange when doing that, it felt quite nice. But you can never be better than me. Let’s try it again?”

The campfire reflected in Lian’er’s eyes as she said that. The fire was flickering, and she was eager to try, almost like… a little wolf that had tasted blood. 

I wished I was wrong. Sighing to myself, I stopped her with my hand before she could come any closer. When my fingertips touched her soft and warm lips, my heart stirred.

Knowing that it wasn’t right, I quickly pulled myself together and looked into her eyes, and asked seriously, “Lian’er, do you know what that means?”

Stopped by me, she looked disappointed, leaning back a little lazily, and said casually, “What? Do you think I don’t know?”

“You… know?” The shock was profound. It almost made me jump, then on second thought, something didn’t feel right. I calmed myself and cautiously probed, “Then… what does it mean?”

“Oh, come on, you’re always like this, like you know everything, and I know nothing.” Lian’er gave me a disgruntled side-eye, then her lips suddenly curled into a smile, and she said, “Although I may not know a lot, I know that most people wouldn’t be so intimate with just anyone. If anyone else dares to touch even a finger of mine, I’d make them experience the most painful death. But you’re different. Since we’re the closest, we can do this. I just never thought to give it a try before.”

“Lian’er… ” I almost choked on my words. After thinking for a moment, I asked, “Where did you get this… idea?”

Perhaps she was happy to see my stunned face. Her smile was getting wider. She answered proudly, “When I first founded the stronghold, one of my people colluded with an outsider. When they got caught, they were doing that. Dong Sun said that was the most intimate thing in the world. You can only do that with your closest person. A person who does that to everyone has no shame. Plus she betrayed the stronghold and deserved to be killed, so I got rid of her. Well, there are things about me you don’t know, right? ”

Looking at the flickering flames, silently listening to her story, I understood her, but at the same time, I didn’t know what to say. When Lian’er noticed my silence after she finished, she nudged me and said, “What? Is she wrong?” It was then I raised my head, looked at her, conflicted, and said, “She’s right, but not entirely.”

She heard me but didn’t say anything, her eyes fixed on me, as if waiting for an explanation. I took a deep breath and said, holding nothing back, “Lian’er, there are many kinds of relationships in this world. You might not have understood when you were little, but you should know now, right? Master and disciple, parents and children, that’s family; Buddies and friends, that’s friendship. No matter how deep these relationships run, they don’t do that kind of thing. Only the third kind does.”

“The third kind?” She cocked her head, pondering for a moment before asking tentatively, “Other than family and friendship, there’s only one kind of relationship left, the relationship between a man and a woman, no?”

I no longer looked at her; I dared not look at her, so I turned my gaze to the fire and said in a low voice, “For me, other than family and friendship, there’s only one kind of relationship left, that’s love.”

“Love? You mean romantic love, right? What I’m saying and what you’re saying… ” The voice next to me was confused, “Is there a difference?”

Hearing her confusion, I pulled a weak smile, eyes still looking at the fire. The flames were dancing, bright and fluttery. They destroyed everything yet also purified everything. Staring at it, I said, “That’s something I cannot teach you. You have to find the answer to this question yourself. Until you find the answer, we cannot do that again.”

My voice was calm, but inside, I was nervous. Was this step too small or too big? No one could say for sure. I was forcibly given a shove by fate. Even if I was stumbling, I had to fumble my way forward. What lay ahead, whether it was a paradise or an abyss, wasn’t something I could decide.

In the midst of my melancholy, I heard Lian’er’s response next to my ear. Her voice was decisive, without a hint of hesitation, declaring, “No, I haven’t won yet.”

---

The Witch Nichang– Chapter 87

Darkness

Lian’er wouldn’t know what her prank meant to me. She wouldn’t know how mad it made me to use her own safety as a bait for the prank. 

When I heard the first sentence, for a moment, I felt a chill running through my body from head to toe, and beneath that chill, anger simmered. I didn’t want to say anything; I just wanted to get away, but as if it had all been anticipated, a pair of arms had stopped me from behind before I could move.  

Then I heard the second sentence. Strangely, most of my agitation that arose from the first sentence dissipated after hearing that. 

Perhaps it was because I understood why she did that. She just wanted to get her revenge. She had an extreme personality. She either didn’t care, or if she did, she would fuss over the smallest thing. I knew this part of her ever since she was a little kid. I knew she must have been bottling up her anger the few times I had been in danger. I just never expected it to come out like this.

I used to think she wouldn’t bother to do jokes and pranks. Before, she would only do such things to her enemies. It was like a cat toying with a mouse. Hidden behind her playful acts, there was always a deadly purpose. 

And could there be any other reason behind this prank than to express her resentment? Could her wanting me to know what it’s like to worry about her mean she cares about me as much as I care about her? Could it even be that… 

Maybe… I’m overthinking it again…

I shook my head with a wry smile. Yes, Lian’er’s idea of caring for each other referred only to each other’s safety. 

“You’re spacing out and shaking your head. What’s on your mind?” A curious voice sounded, just inches away. I was taken aback for a moment before realizing that the darkness wasn’t a problem for Lian’er. 

It was a little embarrassing to think that Lian’er had seen me panic since the beginning. 

It was just that I had been through an emotional rollercoaster earlier. This slight embarrassment was nothing compared to that. On the contrary, my once taut nerves, frayed from the constant torment, now seemed to snap or stop working. 

The darkness enveloped me. Being in it shut out my senses, and it allowed me to let loose. Now that my feelings ebbed, exhaustion washed over me. So as I relaxed and leaned into her, my mind stilled. There was only so much space, anyway. The arms behind my back didn’t seem to want to let up either. It was tiring to resist. 

Perhaps the success of her prank had put her in a great mood. Lian’er didn’t push any further. She held me like it was natural to her and even patted my back. I realized more and more that she seemed to enjoy being in control. Especially recently, she began to treat me the way I used to treat her when she was a kid. Such a realization left me at a loss as to what to do.

“Lian’er…”

After a moment of silence in the dark, I couldn’t help but say, “Don’t pull pranks like that ever again. It’s scary.”

Amid the gurgling of the water, she gave a non-committal response, but then added casually, “Then you have to promise not to try to be a hero in the future. Otherwise, it’s not fair that only you can scare me and I can’t.”

“That’s not trying to be a hero. I’m older than you…”

Perhaps the darkness allows us to let loose. Even though I knew that I shouldn’t bring this up, I couldn’t help myself. It was the first time I had ever mentioned that to her.

“So what if you’re older?” As expected, she wasn’t pleased about it, her voice rising a few notches. With her voice echoing in this small space, it gave off a sense of aggression. “Age or status, it’s all irrelevant. What’s the big deal about being born a few years earlier and following Master first? Hmph, you should know that in the end, it’s who’s stronger that matters.”

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I knew I had done the wrong thing. Hearing her reaction, I kept quiet, planning to steer the conversation away once she was done ranting. It was my fault. I knew that it was foolish to challenge her directly, especially since it was something she had always been sensitive about. It would become a problem if I triggered her competitiveness. 

Her hands moved even as she spoke. Perhaps it felt good to pat my back, and now she gave me a few more pats as she talked, but this time, her hand landed on the wrong place. Although her pats were light, they made me shiver. 

I thought I had the shivering under control, but Lian’er was perceptive. She stopped talking immediately and asked suspiciously, “What’s wrong?” As she asked, I could sense her head lowering, her breath closer. 

“Nothing.” I quickly deflected. Remembering that she could see in the dark, I even kept a straight face. 

There were a few spots on my back that were throbbing with pain, the same with my hands. I figured they were from my way down here earlier, bumping and scraping against the rocks. Either way, I didn’t want Lian’er to know because no matter what her reaction would be, it wasn’t something I would like to see. What I wanted even less was for her to add another entry to my “trying to be a hero” scorecard. 

I had also reflected on whether I had been too accommodating of her, but everything had become a habit. Lian’er had always been strong headed, but back then, I just felt like I was cajoling a stubborn child. From then until now, she had grown up. I was aware of it, but at the same time I wasn’t. Perhaps that was the source of her resentment. 

When you couldn’t see anything, it was easy to zone out. So after trying to deflect her question, I could barely keep a straight face for a moment before I lost myself in thought without knowing. That was why I was so shocked when I suddenly felt something moving under my clothes!

I let out a short, startled yelp, thinking that there was something in the water. Panicked, I was about to roll over. Who knew Lian’er held me tighter, and I heard her voice right next to my ear, saying impatiently, “Don’t move. Why are you shouting? Feeling guilty?” That was when I realized that “something” was nothing but her hand. 

I suddenly realized what was happening, but my heart refused to calm down. Anyone in my place would have found it hard to stay calm. A hand slipped under my clothes from the nape of my neck, sliding brazenly on my back, moving up and down. The wet, slippery sensation was undeniable. In a way, it was worse than an unknown creature crawling under my shirt.

“Lian’er, what are you doing? It’s… ticklish. Can you stop?” I couldn’t get away, so I tried to wriggle away from her in a futile attempt to resist. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, uh, maybe I wanted to cry. 

My face must be alternating between red and ashen. I just didn’t know if she could see it. Even if she could, I didn’t think she would care. “I didn’t know that you’re ticklish.” Sure enough, Lian’er replied casually, “If there’s anything you haven’t told me, I’ll find out for myself. You can’t hide it from me. Don’t move.”

The space was too small, and there was water all around. Being in her arms, I was pinned, unable to move. Hearing what she said, I really felt like crying. Had I put myself in this situation? 

I was panicking and also embarrassed, wondering if I should tell the truth, but the hand under my clothes suddenly pressed on somewhere around my shoulder blade, sending a sharp pain through my body as I tried to get away. I wasn’t ready for this. My body went stiff, and I let out a low grunt. At that moment, I stopped moving. 

When I stopped moving, Lian’er became gentle with her touch.

The space fell silent in the dark, back to the tranquility of only the sounds of gurgling water and breathing. There was no rustling of clothes as everything was wet. Lian’er’s hand glided silently under my clothes, like a slippery and boneless fish.

“Here.” After exploring for a while, her finger touched a spot on my spine, then moved swiftly and accurately to two other spots including the one on my shoulder blade and said, “Here and here. Something’s not right with these three spots. They feel warmer than the other places. They were fine when you were changing earlier. They’re new.”

“Um…” Since I failed to evade the question earlier, I found myself at her mercy. I hadn’t expected her to find out every single injury like this, so I had to admit, “I was in a hurry when I came down and bumped into something a few times… it’s just bruises, nothing serious.”

Lian’er made a non-committal “hm” sound at that, showing no particular emotion. Her hand, the one touching my back, continued to press gently, but suddenly, she grabbed my right arm with another hand. As she lifted my arm, the sleeve slid down naturally. She took a quick look and huffed, “Just as I thought… You’re not scared, are you? Do you want to break your arm again?”

I chuckled nervously and replied under my breath, “Of course not… It’s my right arm, not the left one that was injured before, and it’s just a little scrape. Nothing serious… ” As I spoke, feeling a little guilty, I wanted to pull my arm back. But her hand tightened around my wrist, so tight that it started to hurt. 

I was startled, then I realized that, at some point, her breathing had become heavier in the dark. 

“Lian…er?” I called her tentatively. Maybe because I called her, the pressure on my wrist eased a little, though she didn’t let go.

Her other hand, however, was stroking my back, seemingly unconsciously. When it brushed over my injuries, I felt a mix of pain and itchiness. 

“Why don’t you ever get it?” I couldn’t see her face, but when Lian’er’s voice came through the dark, it carried a trace of frustration, as if something was making her anxious. “Why can’t you act within your means? You were the one who taught me that. Why can’t you take your own advice? Rushing down here so recklessly. What if something happens? What are you going to do, huh?”

Faced with this sudden outburst, I opened my mouth but eventually chose to stay silent and didn’t offer any explanations that I had ready in my mind. 

As expected, she wasn’t waiting for me to explain. Lian’er understood even without me explaining. Her outburst was probably not about this, or more precisely, not just about this.

“You’re weak.” She continued on her own. As if trying to convey her feelings, she said, “You have your strong points and many admirable qualities, but you are still weak. You shouldn’t try to be a hero. Strong is strong, weak is weak. Getting it wrong can cost you your life. You just need to protect yourself. No one wants you to go around worrying about other people.”

“Lian’er, you’re not other people… ” I couldn’t help but protest about that. 

“But I want you to be with me, not to have you constantly worrying about how to protect me!”

Her tone suddenly became stern, and after that, she sighed and continued, her tone softening, “I’m Lian Nichang. I don’t need anyone’s protection, and you’re not under my command, but I keep seeing you trying to act tough. Just this morning, who told you to chase after the water? When you fell into the quicksand, why didn’t you answer my call? And when everyone has their own water, who are you saving yours for? And you haven’t taken a sip yourself until now!”

“I’ve… had some… ” Perhaps I was desperate to change the subject, I, for some reason, started to lie, “You just didn’t see… ”

When I was feeling guilty for blurting this out, Lian’er paused for a moment and then let out a soft laugh, her voice softening, “You did?”

The change in her tone set off an alarm bell in my head. That was the prelude to her fury. Before I could backtrack, she released my wrist, and my right arm was free, but my chin was gripped, my head fixed. A finger touched my parched lips.

“It’s drier than before… ” Her breath was close, tinged with amusement as she drawled, “Are you saying you’ve had water before? Hmm?”

What’s going on with her tonight? I couldn’t help but lament to myself. Is it something off with me or with Lian’er? She had been assertive at times in the past, but I had usually found ways to get around, at least I could tone her down a little. When have I been this helpless? Could it be the tight space and the darkness?

Realizing that I couldn’t remain passive, I shook my head, but I still couldn’t break the grip on my chin. I pursed my lips, made a pained expression, and pleaded, “Lian’er, stop, you’re hurting me.”

It did indeed hurt. No matter how gentle Lian’er was with her touch, when it brushed over those small cracks on my lips, it felt extremely uncomfortable. 

“Oh… ” Lian’er replied. I wasn’t sure if she had also noticed. Although the grip on my chin hadn’t relaxed much, the pressure of her fingertip on my lips was gone. 

Successful with the first step. Before I could think of the next step to appease her. In the dark, something softer approached.

Soft, smooth, and a familiar scent enveloped me. It glided deftly over my lips, pressing gently, and my dry lips were painted with warmth and moisture.

“Doesn’t hurt now, right?” she asked as her tongue met my lips. 

My eyes widened. It was pitch black in front of me, but my mind was blank white.

---

The Witch Nichang– Chapter 86

In the Cave

Sometimes, I don’t know what I am to her and what place I have in her heart. Perhaps I am both family and a friend to her, but there’s certainly no concept of seniority and the corresponding respect that usually comes with it. Even so, I thought I’d at least be some kind of a sister to her, but I have never thought that one day she would be ruffling my hair, smiling and treating me like a child. 

So how does Lian’er see me?

Her aggravatingly amusing behavior left me bewildered once more. Normally, I would have pondered over it, but this time, I didn’t have the luxury to do so. Growing up, I had always treated Lian’er with compassion and reason. If reason was on her side, there was basically nothing I could do about her. In the end, all I could do was watch her white figure slowly descending into the uncertain depths of the cave. 

Before that, I had fashioned a torch with dried branches and reeds found on the ground, lit it up, and gave it to her. Perhaps because it was small, it wasn’t good enough for her. She rolled her eyes and said she didn’t need it. I wasn’t in the mood to get around her, so I said seriously, “It’s not for you to light your way. If the torch goes out without any wind after you enter the cave, you must turn back immediately even if there’s nectar or holy well in front of you. Bear that in mind!”

It was something I had to warn her, for her safety, but at the same time, I was worried about how to explain it to her. To my surprise, Lian’er didn’t ask more questions after that. She just looked at the torch, then at me, and said, raising an eyebrow, “Where did you learn this from?” When she saw me nod, she smiled blithely and took the torch. Without saying anything more, she bent down and went into the cave. 

She descended into the cave without making a sound. Even a stone would have made some noise rolling down. There was only a small soft glow quietly illuminating the narrow walls around. Everywhere it passed, the darkness temporarily gave way and reunited as the light faded, and eventually, cut it off from my sight. 

As the thick veil of darkness sealed off everything around, I felt a sense of being engulfed. I patted my face and told myself to stay calm, then sat down crossed-leg amidst the reeds by the cave, counting seconds and watching them tick away. Waiting infinitely was a torture. 

As I counted in my mind, my hands were idly plucking at the dried reeds. The soft snap of each reed was the only sound aside from my breath. The surrounding was quiet, not even the sound of wind could be heard, no insects chirping in the grass. Save for the twinkling stars in the night sky, everything in the world seemed to have frozen in time. 

As the time passed, I lost track of my counting. I messed it up. Is it nine hundred and sixty-five or six hundred and ninety-five? Had it been ten minutes or fifteen minutes? I was cold and thirsty. I had spare clothes in my bag in case my clothes were torn, but the fur coat that was buried in the sand was my only coat. I hadn’t felt cold before while I was moving. Now that I had stopped, the chill began to seep into my bones. 

Sitting with my arms folded, a sudden wave of panic swept over me. It was only when I was alone in this vast world that I clearly realized that I was in the heart of the boundless desert. With the horizon out of sight, only panic was left in me. 

This world to me was nothing more than a vast desert. Initially, I was looking for an oasis to take shelter in, but without knowing, I had redefined the very notion of an oasis. 

Life goes on. When I heard the sudden news of Master’s passing, I was gutted, but the feeling faded eventually. If anything happened to Lian’er, I…

I kneaded my forehead, trying to stop myself from spiraling. It was just torturing myself to think about the worst case scenario at moments like this. It was best to keep those thoughts away. Exhaling, I stood up, wanted to move around to warm up my body. I didn’t dare to stray too far, just pacing back and forth near the cave entrance, keeping a close eye on any movement inside.

I touched my water pouch a few times, but I decided not to drink from it. If we could find water, there would be no rush. If we couldn’t find water, all the more reason not to rush. 

Compared to whether we can find water, what I was looking forward to now was to see Lian’er leap out of the cave, or at least heard some noise from her. But reality seemed to go against my hope. The more anxiously I waited, the more I didn’t hear anything. When my thoughts scrambled, I stopped counting the seconds. Even so, it must have been almost twenty minutes by now. 

Unable to sit still anymore, I returned to the sandstone wall and crouched down. Taking a deep breath, I shouted into the black hole, “Lian’er—” My voice echoed down. I listened closely, but there was no response, so I tried again, “Lian’er, don’t force it. If you couldn’t find it, come back up. It’s not like this is the only way. There’s no need to risk it!”

A moment after I shouted that, I finally heard the long-awaited response, or more precisely, some noise. But that nearly scared the soul out of me because it was faint but clearly a scream! It made me jump reflexively, but then I immediately crouched down again, lying prone at the edge of the entrance, shouting what happened into the cave at the top of my lungs. I remembered the last time I heard a sound like this was on that snowy night when I first met her. She was intimidated by Master when she let out a terror-filled shriek like this!

No matter how loudly I shouted, there was no response from inside. It felt as if something was lurking in the dark, waiting for prey to come close. 

When I didn’t receive a response, I turned around, anxiously grabbing a handful of dried reeds and hastily coiling them in my hand. Before I could make anything out of it, I threw them aside. Without any preparations, I turned and threw myself into the unknown darkness. 

If there was something that even Lian’er couldn’t handle, then any preparation would be useless. I might as well get buried in the pit with her!

Stepping into the dark with this determined thought, I didn’t care to be careful, almost half-falling down the cave. This erosional passage turned out to be narrower and steeper than I thought. The slope beneath my feet was akin to a slide with a rough surface, and the ceiling was less than half a meter from my head. Occasionally, there were one or two stalactites grazing my head and bumping my arms that were over my head. 

With one hand protecting my head, I fumbled with the other hand on the wall to keep my balance. I couldn’t avoid a few scratches and bruises in the pitch-black darkness, but it was nothing serious. Although the steep and narrow passage was treacherous, it was consistent. As I descended, the slope and width of the cave remained pretty much the same. There were occasionally a few winding turns, but I managed to stumble through them. 

With my nerves on edge, my sense of time grew hazy, so when the slope leveled out and my feet landed on the flat ground, I wasn’t sure how long it had taken me to get down here, let alone how deep I had fallen into the cave. 

The tilting feeling was gone, but the cave still felt narrow. In the dark, the only sound was my own labored breathing. The narrow passage made the sound feel stifled. I knelt on the ground and took out a flame stick to get some light but realized I couldn’t light it. It was because of the high humidity in the air that it wouldn’t light. I could even faintly hear the sound of water. 

But where was the water? More importantly, where was she? 

I couldn’t see, so I had to rely on my hands. Carefully, I felt my surroundings. As I suspected, it was a very cramped place. There was barely enough room to stand. I could touch every wall around me just by moving around a little. 

Stones. The walls were nothing but damp, slippery stones, and what’s more crucial was that, apart from the narrow passage behind me that had led me down, there seemed to be no other way out. This place felt like an enclosed space. 

If it weren’t for an object I felt on the ground, I might have thought I missed some fork on my way down. What I found on the ground was a short, slim dry object. Holding it in my hand, I could feel it was short and smelled burnt when I held it up to my nose. This should be… the remains of the torch I had given to Lian’er before she entered the cave. 

She had been here, but then what? She couldn’t have vanished into thin air, could she? 

Filled with confusion, I once again explored every inch of this space, leaving no stone unturned. This time, I finally felt a small horizontal gap near the edge of the furthest wall. It felt like a crevice, long but rather narrow, barely wide enough for a thin person to squeeze through while lying down. If that person was slightly bigger, there was a risk of getting stuck. But when I cocked my head toward this crevice, I could clearly hear the gurgling sound of water coming from inside. 

“Lian’er—”

Despite not knowing what was going on and with all my caution, I couldn’t help but call into the crevice, “Lian’er, are you in there? Can you hear me? Can you answer me?”

At first, there was no response, just the vibrations from my voice. Based on the resonance, it seemed like there was some space on the other side, perhaps even more spacious than where I was. After a couple more calls, I heard a brief faint sound. It was hard to discern, but it was definitely a human voice!

Who else could be here besides myself? My heart leaped with joy, and I was filled with hope. Without saying anything, I lay down and squeezed into the crevice with all my force. The crevice was as tight as I anticipated. I could feel my bones groaning with pain. I had to breathe in and out and relax my body as best as I could to squirm my way through little by little. When my hips had safely squeezed through the crevice, I flipped over and tumbled into the water. 

The water wasn’t deep, just a shallow pool. It wouldn’t go over my head even if I was lying flat on the ground. In my haste to get up, I forgot to gauge the space above me. So, I almost bumped my head on a stalactite hanging down from the ceiling before I could stand up straight.  

A soft, snorting sound came from the dark, sounding like… a laugh? 

“Lian’er?” I widened my eyes in confusion and looked in that direction, “Lian’er, is that you?”

There shouldn’t be anyone else here, and even if there were, in this pitch-black darkness, they couldn’t have seen that embarrassing scene just now, let alone laughed. 

I asked but received no answer. In the pitch-black space, there was only the sound of water and breathing. 

But it wasn’t just my breathing.

Collecting myself, I lowered my body and walked towards that direction hunching. The ceiling was getting lower. Before long, I had to crawl in the water on my knees and hands, but as I went on, the gurgling sound of water was getting louder. It was the sound of water streaming down and washing against the rock wall. It was the source of this pool of water. And also the source of the other set of breathing. 

As I slowly moved closer and reached out, I finally touched a warm presence. She was at the end of the water, half-leaning against the solid rock wall behind her. The gurgling stream flowed down next to her, like a kind of light shower. “Lian’er?” Uncertainly, I called her, but still no response, only the steady sound of her breathing. Since I couldn’t get an answer, I could only find out with my hands. 

Considering the limited height in this place, I could only crawl to her while taking care not to squash her. I reached out with caution. Her sword was sitting snugly on her right, undrawn. I flipped her wrist that was in the water. Her pulse was normal. Nothing was bent weirdly. Her waist and abdomen seemed unharmed. Even as I leaned in to sniff, apart from her familiar scent, there was no unusual smell like blood or anything of the sort. The more I examined, the greater my confusion. Carefully, I continued to feel upward, and when I cradled her face and felt around, I froze. 

I froze, not because of anything bad. The place my fingers brushed felt smooth, no signs of injury. It’s just…

It’s just… the corners of her lips. She was definitely smiling. 

A realization struck me, and I blinked, slowly letting go of her face. I frowned and said, “Lian’er, are you kidding me?” Even as I said that, I was still in disbelief. But the truth was the best answer. The person beneath me suddenly stirred. A splash, and I felt a tug on my back. 

In the dark, I couldn’t see her face, but I heard her cheerful voice, tinged with amusement saying, “What? Are you worried?” In that instant, I heaved a sigh of relief. But the moment I let out that sigh, a surge of anger rose. 

I wanted to pull away, but a pair of arms tightened on my back. There was no way I could get away. I scowled, and as I was about to speak, the amused voice continued, “Getting mad already? Hmph, now you know how it feels to worry about someone. Doesn’t feel good, huh?”

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The Witch Nichang– Chapter 85

Desert Night

Beneath the starry sky, a chiseled sand ridge spanned into the distance, disappearing into the endless night.

Walking through the desert, you could choose not to go in a straight path, but it was crucial to stay on the sand ridge, preferably the ridge of the tallest sand dune because only by standing on the highest point could you overlook the whole terrain and find your direction. 

I shared this little tip with Lian’er before we set off, and she nodded and said, “Mm, I thought so too.”

Lian’er wasn’t someone who would go along with others for the sake of it. If she said so, she genuinely thought so. For most people, knowledge came from experience, but for her, it seemed to come from her innate intuition, perhaps she was what they called a gifted person. I was used to it, so I just smiled and didn’t say much more. 

Old Tie had wanted to come with us. His neigong was powerful. Although his qinggong wasn’t as good as Lian’er’s, it wouldn’t necessarily be worse than mine. He didn’t insist in the end, probably because before we set off, I had whispered to him, “Please keep an eye on the caravan.”

Old Tie might be willing to risk his life waiting for us, but the same couldn’t be said for those guides. Besides, Lian’er had terrified them earlier. If anything happened, who knew if they would take the camels and flee? It’s always wise to be cautious, and I had always followed this principle almost instinctively.

After that, it was a night-long journey. 

For most people, climbing up the steep crests of sand dunes over and over was an incredibly strenuous task. Fortunately, it wasn’t so much of a challenge for the two of us. The qinggong I had put in hours to practice when I was young came in handy tonight. With all my effort, I managed to keep up with her. 

Lian’er and I sped through the desert in tandem. To be safe, we maintained a distance of about ten feet between us and only came closer to talk when we stopped to determine our direction. It was easy to lose your way in the desert, so we made these stops every so often. 

Without any navigation tools, our orientation relied solely on my limited knowledge. Fortunately, my past experiences were still fresh in my mind. The desert night sky was full of stars. It wasn’t difficult to find a reliable anchor point. Combined with the information I got from the guides, it wasn’t too difficult to make sound choices. 

As for Lian’er, she couldn’t explain the reasoning behind her choices, but when we cross-checked our choices, hers often aligned closely with mine. Even when there were discrepancies sometimes, they were minuscule. 

Whenever this happened, she would insist I listen to her, and as long as there wasn’t any major problem, I would go along with her. 

But as the saying goes, “a minor detail can make a world of difference.” Despite Lian’er’s confidence, no one could be sure they were absolutely right. 

“Lian’er, could you—cough—wait a moment?”

When we reached the end of yet another sinuous blade-like sand ridge, I tilted my head and let out a cough. I stopped after giving her a heads-up. Except for the brief pauses to reorient ourselves, we had been traversing the desert for more than four hours without stopping. Now, the moon hung high in the sky, and the night was deep, so I said, “Judging by the distance we’ve covered, we should be… close to our destination, right? We can’t just keep going ahead blindly.” After saying that, I gasped out a few muffled coughs. The night was cold in the desert. Even though my body was steaming and not feeling cold thanks to running through the desert, the cold air that I breathed in made my throat scratchy. 

“Yeah, you’re right.” Compared to my breathless self, the girl a few steps ahead was in an entirely different state. After answering me, she leaped to the ridge’s highest point in a few jumps and looked around before coming back down and said, “All I see around here is sand, nothing else, but there’s a taller sand dune not far away. We can head over there to get a better look.”

I was catching my breath, so I couldn’t respond right away. I just nodded after looking in the direction she was pointing. Then I straightened up my back and when I was about to say “let’s go,” she continued, “Before that, let’s take a break. Tired.”

Tired? I lifted my head in confusion, but I saw Lian’er had already sat down and was reaching for her water pouch at her waist. How could she be tired? She didn’t seem to be out of breath. Unless…

When I realized what she was doing, I smiled knowingly, walked over, and sat down beside her. 

Tired indeed. She wasn’t referring to herself when she said that. 

I chuckled, but Lian’er paid me no mind and started gulping down her water. After a few hearty swigs, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and held out her pouch in front of me, “Drink up.” Well, that was straightforward. 

We were sitting quite close to each other, and when she held out the water to me, it nearly touched my lips. I had to lean back slightly to see her eyes over the leather pouch. Then I shook my head and grinned, “It’s okay. I still have plenty left in mine.”

To prove my point, I gave the water pouch at my waist a little shake as I said that. It made a swishing sound that indicated it was still half full. To my surprise, Lian’er arched her brows at the sound, brought the pouch even closer, and quipped, “I know you have plenty left. You haven’t taken a single sip since the black wind started. Of course, you have plenty left. Do you plan on dying of thirst together with that pouch? Drink up!”

I didn’t expect her to be so observant. For a moment, I was speechless. I was a little happy that she was caring for me, so I didn’t turn down her offer and took the water pouch, my lips quietly curling. 

The freshwater, carried around for days, had lost its sweetness, but it was the most precious thing right now. I brought the pouch to my lips and took a small sip, wetting my lips. Then I pretended to swallow a few times before moving the pouch away and gave it back to her, smiling.

I wasn’t sure if Lian’er noticed. She didn’t say anything when she took the pouch back and just glanced at me, her expression seemingly changing, but in the end, she just said, “Let’s go and keep looking.” With that, she stood up, twisted the cap tight, and hung it at her waist before striding off. 

I felt a sense of relief and quickly got to my feet, following her as we continued our journey. 

We set off again after a short break. Our destination was the “taller sand dune” that Lian’er had mentioned. It stood further north, its slope as steep as if sliced by a knife. Especially when viewed from the base, the peak seemed to reach the sky. If anyone were to hike it, they might have to spiral up the slope, otherwise, it would be almost impossible to reach. 

Even for martial arts practitioners who know qinggong, this place will separate the good ones from the bad ones. The slope was too steep. As soon as you stepped on it, the sand would either dip or slide. It was difficult to get a solid footing. I had to walk in zigzag to make my way up, but it was less of a hassle for Lian’er. I watched as she leaped effortlessly up the steepest side of the sand dune. In a few leaps, she vanished over the top of the sand dune. 

Because of that, by the time I reached the top of the sand ridge, she had already been standing there for quite some time.

Looking at the girl who stood facing in one direction from afar, my heart sank for a moment. I walked silently to her side. Following her gaze, I saw something peculiar at the bottom of the sand dune.

It looked like a sunken pit, oval in shape, medium size. In the bright moonlight, it seemed dark and lifeless. Surrounded by the sun bleached sand, it formed a stark contrast. 

There were some black shapeless objects around the edge of the pit, scattered around in the sand. They seemed to be some sort of reeds. There was even a small poplar tree among the things that lay toppled around the pit’s edge. Looking down from here, everything lying peacefully beneath the starry sky, it seemed exceptionally desolate. 

Sometimes, what you fear the most becomes a reality. After a moment, I sighed and said, “If this is the small lake that the guide mentioned, it seems like we’ve wasted our time.”

“Not quite…”

Surprisingly, she shook her head and voiced her disagreement, “I can smell water here.”

After that, Lian’er stomped her foot and launched into the air. Like a shooting star streaking across the sky, she landed by the dark pit in the blink of an eye. I naturally followed her, and going down was far easier than coming up. In just a couple of leaps, I was on the ground. 

The pit was about a person deep. The ground around it was firmer than the path we came from, not as loose, even with some small rocks mixed in. I crouched down, grabbed a handful of sand, and rubbed it in my hand. Shaking my head, I said, “It’s dry.”

“Let’s try another spot,” said Lian’er in a low voice. As we moved towards the center, there were more rocks, and the sand was getting grittier. After a while, I crouched down again, cleared away a few small rocks, and grabbed the sand beneath, rubbing it in my hand once more. This time, it felt a little different. 

“It’s a bit damp… it might be worth a try,” I turned to Lian’er and said, afraid to get my hopes up too early, then I drew the short sword at my waist. Using it as a shovel, I started digging into the ground. 

Although the ground here felt a bit firmer than the other places, it was still mostly sand. It was easy to dig, and the further I dug, the wetter the sand was, and the color of the sand began to darken.

But it seemed like that was it even when I continued to dig. 

Just when I was wondering if I hadn’t dug deep enough, Lian’er pulled me up. “Okay,” Lian’er said. “Even if we manage to dig until we get water, what good would that bit of mucky water do? It won’t even make up for all your hard work. Let’s stop.”

“What should we do then?” I asked her, my brows furrowed. Lian’er shook her head, not answering, and started to stroll around. The dried-up lake wasn’t huge. As I followed behind her, I noticed she seemed to be looking for something. 

Perhaps because I believe in her keen intuition, I had my hopes up on what she said about smelling water, which was why I started digging earlier. When she stopped me and I saw her searching around, not giving up, I was willing to go along with her even though I didn’t know what she was looking for. We had come this far anyway, what worse could happen to stay for a little longer?

After sauntering about for a while, the girl’s eyes suddenly lit up under the moonlight, then I heard, “Over there!” There was joy in her voice. She took my hand and ran toward that direction. 

Over there was a cluster of dried reeds by the lake, lying flat against the sandstone wall that stood about waist-high. They looked no different from the surrounding reeds. I was dragged along, confused. I couldn’t see anything unusual when we got close, not until Lian’er reached out and parted the reeds that I noticed in the bright moonlight, there seemed to be something darker beneath the sprawling, bleached, dried reeds. 

Lian’er reached out and plucked one of them. “It’s green. It’s alive.”

Reminded by her words, I bent down and grabbed a handful of the sand, but when I held them in my hand, there wasn’t a single hint of dampness. “Strange…” Unconvinced, I parted the dense reeds myself and touched the sandstone wall behind to find that beneath a thin layer of sand was a hard rock, but when I parted it further, I leaped to my feet and took a step back.

“What’s wrong?” Lian’er was looking elsewhere, but she immediately came to me when she saw me back up, her hand poised to draw her sword. 

“No, nothing,” I answered as I smiled and shook my head, getting a grip of myself. I patted her hand which held the sword and bent over to part the dense reeds again. I gestured for her to come and take a look, “It’s just that it startled me a little to see a hole like this so suddenly.”

It was a dark hole at the bottom of the sandstone wall, almost flush to the ground. The opening was quite small, and it was covered by layers of fallen, dried reeds, so it wasn’t visible without clearing them away. 

Lian’er didn’t want to get through the reeds, so she drew her sword and cleared the obstructing reeds with a few swipes. Then, she bent over to take a look and said flatly, “This is the right spot. It’s the dampest here. There should be water underneath. I’ll go take a look.”

Lian’er was a decisive person. After saying that, she stood up and lifted her robe, about to jump. I panicked and grabbed her hand, saying, “Hold on, you said you want to go down there?” When she nodded, I held on to her tighter, afraid to let her go. With my other hand, I groped for a rock on the ground and tossed it into the tight hole, which was just wide enough to fit a person.

As the rock dropped into the hole, I could hear the rock rolling down the hole in the dark, falling deeper and deeper, until eventually, there was no sound to be heard.

“Do you still want to go down there?” I asked with a serious face. She nodded and said as if there was nothing wrong, “I’m not a rock. I could move around. There might be water down there. It’s the water that you were trying to find, digging three feet into the ground just now. You can’t be giving up now? Hmm?”

I had to admit, Lian’er had a valid point. 

After hesitating for a bit, I clenched my teeth and said as I stood up, “Then, I’ll go. You stay up here and wait for me.”

The circumstances left me with no choice. I had to do it. I didn’t know how deep the hole was going to be, and how dangerous it could be. Instead of waiting and being tortured by my imagination, I might as well go down and check it out myself. 

As soon as I said that, Lian’er let out a chuckle. She narrowed her eyes and glanced at me. “You going down? Tell me, how is it better? Is your qinggong better than me? Or are you stronger than me? No way on earth. Besides, it must be pitch-black inside. You wouldn’t be able to see a thing, would you?”

I couldn’t say anything to that, and for the first time in my life, I found myself utterly incapable of arguing against this child. 

Right, I forgot again. She wasn’t a child anymore. 

Perhaps she reveled in rendering me speechless. Toward the end, Lian’er reached out and ruffled my hair. She smiled and said, “You be good and stay here. Just wait for me to come back.”

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The Witch Nichang– Chapter 84

Standstill

When the night fell upon the desert, the sandstorm finally abated. 

The air grew still, and the moon looked cleansed, pieces of shining stones adorned around it. The sand haze was nowhere to be seen. 

It was exactly because of that the moonlight tonight was exceptionally bright, cascading from the sky, casting long shadows over us, playing out every movement of ours on the ground, which made me feel somewhat self-conscious when I was changing behind the camel. 

I was probably the only one who was bothered by it. A rustling sound came from behind me. Lian’er was also changing. Listening to her moving around unhesitatingly, I knew that she probably didn’t care about the shadows. 

She changed because she had been in the sand; I changed because… well, let’s just say all my clothes had been put to good use.

We returned to the group when the sandstorm was almost cleared. Lian’er had driven away the group that came to look for us and escorted me back alone. At that time, she was covered in sand, and I had nothing on but her robe. We were both a mess. She didn’t try to be subtle. As soon as we got back, she shooed the group of men away from the camel and pulled me behind the camel.

Although the sandstorm had died down a lot, I was worried she had gone overboard. Strangely, the others obeyed without much protest. Even the hot-tempered Old Tie didn’t say much and went along with it, smiling. He only seemed a little abashed when he glanced in my direction. 

Perhaps… he had caught a glimpse of me. With a touch of unease, I scratched my face. Though it was embarrassing, it didn’t bother me much. After all, I had my back turned to them, and he most likely just saw my back. I could think of it as having a sunbath on a beach at a seaside resort. 

I comforted myself with these thoughts as I changed, shivering and half-kneeling on the ground. Removing the sand from my body was quite a hassle. I thought I had shaken off most of it, but when the soft silk cloth touched my skin, I immediately felt a gritty sensation on my back. I had to take it off again, reaching behind to brush my back. 

Just then, I felt a warm touch on my back, and I flinched at the unexpected contact. A voice behind me said, “Don’t move.” So, I stayed still. 

It felt like a palm, soft, smooth, and dry, brushing back and forth on my back like a warm breeze, and then, it was gone. A voice said beside me, “Done.” With that word, a figure brushed past me and walked around the camel, going off without a backward glance. 

Ever since we escaped the quicksand, Lian’er had been in a foul mood. I pulled on my clothes and went after her. She didn’t go far, sitting against the other side of the resting camel, her elbow propping on the luggage next to her and her head resting on her hand, staring at the sky. There was no expression on her face, but there was a sense of… melancholy. 

“What’s wrong?” I moved closer and sat down next to her, cautiously breaking the silence. I received an ambiguous glance in response, and after throwing me that look, Lian’er pursed her lips, let out a nearly inaudible grunt, and gazed lazily back at the night sky without saying anything.

I was like talking to thin air. Forcing a smile, I looked down and scooped up a handful of sand, watching as the sand slipped through my fingers. She had truly grown up. It was becoming harder and harder to know and guess what she was thinking. Although this realization had crossed my mind before, this time, I felt it in my heart. 

If it weren’t for the inconvenient circumstances at that time, she might have actually acted on what she said. Curling up in her arms, I could feel that chilling intent flowing through her. I wasn’t sure if she would have attacked Old Tie, but those two guides would never have gotten out of it. 

Fortunately, Old Tie was quick on his feet. Sensing trouble, he pulled everyone back and walked away, and I used needing help with blocking me as an excuse to hold her back. This way, we managed to put her off. Then, Lian’er had been in a bad mood since, and I wasn’t sure what put her in that mood.

If I had to guess, the most possible reason seemed to be that they had seen my… erm… bare back when they came looking for us. Lian’er probably knew that better than me. She was facing in their direction at that time, and her eyesight was the best of us. 

But if I thought about it, it didn’t seem to make sense. Lian Nichang was no ordinary woman. Because of her unique childhood and our Master’s teachings, she had never cared about showing some skin, let alone it was another person’s. Even if she did mind, she would take her revenge. If she couldn’t do that, she wouldn’t hold a grudge for long. 

Could it be because of my reckless act of chasing after the water earlier? But that didn’t seem right either… Or maybe because I failed to retrieve the water? But that shouldn’t be something she’d sulk on… 

As I turned everything that happened in the past half-day over and over in my mind, I still couldn’t figure out what could be bothering this usually straightforward girl for so long. Could this be what they mean by “can’t see the forest for the trees?”

I sat by her side, second-guessing everything. Something just didn’t add up. In the end, I could even taste my own frustration. 

While we sat together in silence, not far off, there came the sound of commotion. There was a fire. Old Tie and the two guides had been sitting by the fire talking, probably discussing the way to deal with this turn of events, but for some reason, the discussion had grown heated, their voices getting louder, then it escalated into what sounded like an argument. 

The noise caught my attention, reminding me that I shouldn’t be only thinking about myself and should care about the situation we were in. I turned to look at Lian’er and saw that she was looking at me too. We got up almost at the same time and walked to them, one after another. 

As she approached with confidence, the two guides who were the loudest both seemed to shrink back, their voices noticeably softer. It seemed that her menacing tough talk had left a mark on them, and Lian’er shot a glare at them, apparently still holding a grudge. 

Afraid that it became too tense, I quickly stepped forward, inserting myself between them. I looked at Tie Feilong with an amiable smile and said, “Sir, what’s going on? You guys are so loud that I could hear your voices over there. Is there something you can’t agree on?”

Old Tie must have known that I was trying to defuse the situation. He grinned and promptly took over the conversation, changing the topic, and said as he stroked his beard, “Indeed, we have different opinions on the matter of water. Three brains can’t even come up with a good idea. So, as you can see, we started arguing.”

I had known that they would be worried about the water situation since it was the top priority at the moment. I didn’t join in the conversation earlier partly because of Lian’er and partly because I felt guilty. After all, I didn’t manage to retrieve the water and nearly did myself in instead. The little fresh water left in our pouches was all we had now. In the vast desert, it was an emergency. 

Naturally, the two guides were panicking about this situation. After discussing it together, they each proposed a solution. The older one suggested we doubled back to Daze Lake with the little water we had left. Doing so would undoubtedly make the three-day return journey excruciatingly difficult, having to endure the thirst, possibly even getting heatstroke, but it offered a higher chance of survival and was safer. 

The younger guide, however, had a different idea. He claimed that heading northeast for approximately a day would lead us to a small freshwater lake. The lake’s water was crisp and refreshing. With plants surrounding the lake, it was easy to spot in the vast desert, but it was slightly off the main route, so not a lot of people knew about it. If we made the detour and filled our pouches, our crisis would be averted, and also, spared ourselves the trouble of doubling back. 

“I guarantee, my friend!” The young man with facial features of a mixed-race emphasized while Old Tie was explaining, “My buddies and I dropped by there a little over a year ago. The deepest part of the lake then was over our heads. Even with the unpredictable weather in the desert, it must still be there. Why should we go through the trouble of going back again, letting all we had been through go to waste.”

When he said that, the old guide seemed furious. Exasperated, he grabbed him and started sputtering at him in the local dialect. The younger guide retorted without backing down. Even though I didn’t understand what they were saying, I knew what they were arguing about. Old Tie rubbed his hands helplessly, and eventually, shrugged with open palms, and said to me, resigned, “See, one wants to go back, the other wants to continue, and both of them make sense. I’m in a tough spot.”

Once I understood the whole situation, I began to feel conflicted as well. If we went with the old guide, we would most likely survive, but it would be extremely tough. The risks were high too, and all the effort we put in the past few days would be in vain. If we listened to the young man, venturing off the main route for a day, it would be great if we made it, but the risk of things going wrong, like not being able to find the lake or discover that the lake had dried up, was what worried me the most. 

After thinking it over, Old Tie and I fell silent, and the two guides stood their ground, the conversation coming into a standstill. Right then, a firm voice came from behind us. 

“What’s so difficult about this?”

Wheeling around in surprise, the one speaking was the girl I shielded behind me. Lian’er stepped forward with her hands behind her back. Seeing that we were all looking at her, she flashed a radiant smile as if she had forgotten her foul mood earlier and said with an arch brow, “Why are you all fussing over such a simple matter? Isn’t it just a matter of not being sure whether the lake was still there? It’s simple. If it takes a whole day to reach there on camelback, the round trip would take me about one night if I go alone at full speed. We can make the decision after I’ve checked it out. Easy peasy.”

The two guides looked bewildered at her words. They didn’t quite grasp what she meant, but Old Tie knew. His face brightened up, but after a bit of thought, frowned, and said, “No, no. Everywhere looks the same in the desert. You don’t know your way around. If you get lost, where can I find another daughter? No, no!”

“Then you don’t know me, father.” Lian’er didn’t get offended at his words but smiled and said, “I grew up on the peak of Mount Hua. Who knows how many times I’ve navigated through the dense forest. When did I ever get lost? Just think about today. Who found her faster than I did? Father, you shouldn’t underestimate me.”

The old man wasn’t giving in either. He waved his hand and said, “Hey, who would underestimate you, the Jade Rakshasa. It’s just that the forest is the forest, and the desert is the desert. They aren’t the same. So what if you found her? Can one mile and ten miles be the same?”

This time, the guides weren’t arguing, it was this father and daughter who started to argue, half-serious, half jokingly. Both refused to back down. I was used to seeing this, so I didn’t pay them much mind. While they were at it, I went to the guides and asked about the details, especially from the young man. I made a mental note of the information I got and made sure I had it all correct before returning to the bickering pair who seemed to be enjoying themselves and separated them. 

“Alright, alright, sir.” I stepped between them and said to Old Tie first, “Actually, there’s some truth to what Lian’er is saying. Instead of sitting and waiting, being indecisive, it might be better to make the most of this night and tackle the problem head-on.”

When she saw me taking her side, she suddenly perked up, as if she had forgotten what happened before. Grinning, she took my hand. Old Tie was unconvinced. He said as his eyes widened, “Zhu’er, are you seriously letting her go? You’ve always been the most protective of her, like she’s your baby. How come you’re not worried now? This is a desert. You won’t get her back if you lose her!”

Old Tie’s words, seemingly slipped out of him, made my ears warm. Thanks to the dark sky, probably no one had seen them flushed.

After getting a hold of myself and the heat had come down, I squeezed Lian’er’s hand and cleared my throat before saying seriously, “I won’t lose her. If she goes, I’ll go with her. We’ll get lost together if we are going to get lost.”

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