The night was dark and quiet as the two young men veered their small wagon off the main road onto a small, hidden dirt path. They had to go slow, as it was hard to see ahead of them even with the light spells they\u2019d cast.<\/p>\n
The deeper into the forest they went, the more demonic aura they could sense. A little boar sitting on the coffin would squeak to let them know if they were on the right track.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis baby boar is so cute,\u201d said Jianjin. \u201cOur senior sisters would love it if I brought it back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know it\u2019s a demon beast, right?\u201d said Jianshi.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou said it yourself that spirit-devouring beasts are harmless to humans,\u201d said Jianjin. \u201cBesides, it\u2019s just a baby\u2014ow! It bit me!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen stop disturbing it,\u201d said Jianshi.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow\u2019s your new hairstyle working out for you, bro?\u201d said Jianjin, blowing on his bitten hand. \u201cCan you even see with your hair covering half your face?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels pretty good,\u201d said Jianshi, absently adjusting his gauntlets and belts that had extra buckles added to them.<\/p>\n
\u201cAh, so you’re going for the dark, broody image, huh,\u201d said Jianjin. \u201cI wonder what style I should go for.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow about a fist-fighting style like Qiulan Shijie*?\u201d said Jianshi. \u201cHmm, if you like big flashy moves, Xiaomei Shijie\u2019s \u2018Meteorite Sword Technique\u2019 might suit you.\u201d<\/p>\n
*Shijie = senior sister<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t possess Qiulan Shijie\u2019s thick biceps or Xiaomei Shijie’s gorgeous beard,\u201d said Jianjin. \u201cBesides, I think I\u2019d prefer a darker style like Shizun. Riding into battle on a black mare wielding the \u2018Heaven-Defying Sword\u2019\u2014how cool is that? I also want one\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt starts from a hundred silver coins to get your sword customised,\u201d said Jianshi, dashing his brother\u2019s dreams. \u201cAnd even with that, it\u2019ll take at least five years of infusing your aura into it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShizun\u2019s already got us the best starting spirit swords. I\u2019m sure I can name my sword in no time,\u201d said Jianjin, patting the sword at his waist.<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing how inconsistent you are in your practising, it\u2019ll take you ten years for the sword to fully develop.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt won\u2019t take that long! I did my calculations\u2014Shizun named her sword in her early twenties. I won\u2019t be that far behind!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShizun was already fighting alongside General Ye at our age while we\u2019re still making rookie mistakes in our investigations.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI formed a spirit core at ten,\u201d said Jianjin. \u201cEven if it\u2019s due to sheer dumb luck, it\u2019s got to count for something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf you worked half as hard as Shizun does, then maybe you\u2019ve got a chance.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHm, there\u2019s also the easy way of inheriting a spirit sword from someone else,\u201d said Jianjin. \u201cDi Shibo got Ashfire that way, isn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell, if you looked at who he inherited it from, I\u2019d say we\u2019re way luckier,\u201d said Jianshi.<\/p>\n \u201cTrue, that,\u201d said Jianjin.<\/p>\n \u201cBwee!\u201d squeaked the little boar behind them.<\/p>\n \u201cHm? There\u2019s something up ahead,\u201d said Jianshi, following the eerily glowing spirit stones along the path and pulling the wagon to a stop.<\/p>\n They hopped off and examined the small hut that stood at the end of the dirt road.<\/p>\n When they looked a little closer, they saw the walls were smudged in soot and black strips of cloth hung from the rafters. An altar nestled within, filled with lit incense and oil lamps. Offerings of fruit and wine were piled atop and the ground was covered in half-burnt joss paper. There was a kneel cushion and a set of moon blocks.<\/p>\n “Ohh, you can even get your fortune told?” said Jianjin, reaching for the moon blocks on the altar, but stopped himself just before he picked them up. “Ah, right, don’t touch random stuff without examining it first!”<\/p>\n “You’re finally learning,” sighed Jianshi. He looked around and found that this place was arranged like a shrine with the aesthetics of a tomb.<\/p>\n A light breeze stirred the joss papers on the floor and amidst the glow of the lamps, it looked pretty inviting…to otherworld guests.<\/p>\n \u201cWhoever\u2019s being worshipped this far out is really lucky to get so many offerings,\u201d said Jianjin, looking at the bottles of fine wine. \u201cLet’s see who this lucky fella is…\u201d<\/p>\n He read off the tablet on the altar:<\/p>\n “Guyue Peak Lord, Tianzhu-Jun*. *Hermit Moon Peak Lord, Lord Divine Retribution<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cUh, seems like this shrine\u2019s to keep \u2018him\u2019 well-fed below so he wouldn\u2019t come back to the living\u2026souls be at rest, be at rest,\u201d Jianjin said a quick prayer in case.<\/p>\n \u201cThis should be the landmark Di Shibo mentioned,\u201d said Jianshi, waving at his brother to go back to the wagon. \u201cThe entrance to Zhuiyue Cave should be just ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n They drove the wagon around the shrine and went a little further until they reached a clearing in front of a rocky cave.<\/p>\n They could hear voices and chatter surrounding them.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy aren\u2019t they turning around?\u201d, \u201cDidn\u2019t they see the shrine? Aren\u2019t they scared of ghosts?\u201d, \u201cCall the administrator!\u201d were among some of the chatter they heard.<\/p>\n \u201cAh-Jin, watch over senior Xie,\u201d said Jianshi as he disembarked the wagon and saw a dozen pairs of eyes gleaming in the darkness.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d said Jianjin staying close to the coffin with the squealing boar safely in his arms.<\/p>\n \u201cAdministrator Lan is here!\u201d came a wave of whispers, as a young woman walked out of the shadows.<\/p>\n \u201cOh shut up, you lot. Cangshi is with them so they must be here for a reason,\u201d she said, hushing the voices behind her.<\/p>\n The little boar squeaked excitedly and hopped out of Jianjin\u2019s arms to nip at her ankles. The young lady wore white robes and had an erhu strapped to her back. She looked and sounded completely human.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are disciples of the Border Mountains Sect, here on the orders of the Fallen Leaves Valley Lord,\u201d said Jianshi, clasping his hands in greeting.<\/p>\n \u201cValley Lord Di sent you?\u201d asked the young lady as the little boar ran circles around her legs.<\/p>\n \u201cYes, ma’am,\u201d said Jianshi. \u201cDi Shibo has ordered us to escort our senior Xie to the Zhuiyue Cave and keep him safe until further instructions.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhere is this senior Xie?\u201d<\/p>\n Jianshi and Jianjin turned to the coffin on the wagon.<\/p>\n \u201c…\u201d went everyone.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, Di Shibo has a letter for administrator Lan,\u201d said Jianshi, handing her a letter.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019d be me,\u201d said the young lady, taking the letter to read.<\/p>\n \u201cCome with me,\u201d she said, beckoning them to follow her into a dark cave. They could hear footsteps and chattering following close behind them\u2014probably the demons who were watching them earlier. The little boar was squeaking and oinking as if chatting with the demons behind them.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t mind them, they\u2019re just a bunch of busybodies,\u201d said the young lady as she led them to what seemed like the end of the cave.<\/p>\n \u201cOpen up,\u201d she yelled to whoever was on the other side. The rock wall moved away. Lights and sounds greeted them at the end of a short tunnel. This wasn\u2019t some dank cave\u2014it was a lively little town filled with shops and people, no, demons.<\/p>\n \u201cWelcome to Zhuiyue Cave,\u201d said the young lady, bringing them to the guardhouse to register their details.<\/p>\n \u201cHuman cultivators? Are they your friends?\u201d said the two cow-headed guards. They handed out entry forms for Jianshi and Jianjin to fill out.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t know that demons are bureaucratic,\u201d whispered Jianjin to his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re senior Diao\u2014young miss\u2019s disciples,\u201d said the young lady to the guards.<\/p>\n \u201cOh my, young mistress Suiyu’s disciples?\u201d said the guards, suddenly warming up to them. \u201cWelcome, welcome!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMiss, did you know our Shizun?\u201d asked Jianshi.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re Jianshi and Jianjin, disciples of the Mad Tiger Peak, aren\u2019t you?\u201d said the young lady.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you are\u2026?\u201d asked Jianshi.<\/p>\n \u201cAh right, I forgot to introduce myself,\u201d said the young lady. \u201cI\u2019m Lan Yinqiao, administrator of the Zhuiyue Cave and out-of-town disciple of Cloudrest Peak.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEhhh? Cloudrest Peak\u2019s disciple?\u201d said Jianjin.<\/p>\n \u201cHahaha, you must be the noisy younger brother, Jianjin. You\u2019re both exactly as senior Diao says in her letters,\u201d said Lan Yinqiao.<\/p>\n \u201cShould we open the coffin to check?\u201d asked one of the guards.<\/p>\n \u201cThe instructions are to only open the coffin after delivering it to the young master\u2019s quarters,\u201d said Lan Yinqiao. \u201cGo tell the captain to meet us there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d said one of the guards, rushing off to find the guard captain.<\/p>\n Lan Yinqiao called a few more guards over to escort the wagon to a manor at the end of the street. The street was filled with shops and hawkers, surrounded by houses and some strange constructs.<\/p>\n The air was strangely fresh for a cave; there was even a little underground waterfall where the inhabitants drew their water.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a pretty cool place,\u201d said Jianjin as he gawked at the bright lanterns and lively hawkers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s one of the few places we set up for the demon-kind refugees. Most of them came from the north,\u201d said Lan Yinqiao, leading them into a manor.<\/p>\n \u201cAdministrator Lan,\u201d greeted some of the servants working at the manor. “We’ve prepared the rooms for the guests.”<\/p>\n \u201cCaptain Heigou will be here shortly,\u201d informed Lan Yinqiao.<\/p>\n \u201cI have so many questions I don\u2019t know where to start,\u201d said Jianjin to his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t run your mouth off,\u201d warned Jianshi. \u201cLet\u2019s just wait for senior Xie to wake up so we can ask him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, good idea!\u201d whispered Jianjin.<\/p>\n A large hulking dog-headed man walked into the room, nodding at Lan Yinqiao.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll leave them in your hands now, captain,\u201d said Lan Yinqiao, leaving the room to three men, a baby boar, and a coffin.<\/p>\n \u201cEh? She\u2019s leaving us?\u201d said Jianjin.<\/p>\n \u201cSo you\u2019re young miss\u2019s disciples?\u201d said Heigou*, who looked every bit like his name.<\/p>\n Heigou=Black Dog<\/em><\/p>\n Jianshi slapped Jianjin\u2019s arm to remind him of his manners.<\/p>\n \u201cChen Jianshi of the Border Mountain Sect\u2019s Mad Tiger Peak,\u201d said Jianshi, introducing himself.<\/p>\n \u201cChen Jianjin, likewise,\u201d said Jianjin, dipping his head in greeting.<\/p>\n Heigou gave a hearty laugh and wrapped their hands in his and shook them.<\/p>\n \u201cWow, his hands are so big and warm,\u201d whispered Jianjin.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d never thought I get to see little mistress Suiyu have her own disciples with my own eyes. Make yourselves at home. I\u2019ll keep you safe while you\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm, I think we should get Senior Xie out of the coffin,\u201d said Jianshi.<\/p>\n Heigou raised a brow at the coffin and everyone went \u2018…\u2019 again.<\/p>\n They took a good hour to untie the cables and unfasten the seals. Di Mie did a very thorough job of wrapping the coffin in layers of protection and hiding spells. When they opened the coffin, revealing a sleeping Xie Li within, Heigou raised a brow.<\/p>\n “Oh. So this is your ‘Senior Xie’,” said Heigou.<\/p>\n \u201cShould we wait for him to wake up first or\u2026?\u201d wondered Jianjin.<\/p>\n \u201cAllow me,\u201d said Heigou with a big fond smile on his face. He carefully carried Xie Li and placed him onto a large, soft bed.<\/p>\n After a while, Xie Li stirred and woke to the sight of a big black dog staring at him.<\/p>\n \u201cHm? Heigou, you\u2019re here?\u201d mumbled Xie Li, pushing himself to sit up. He rubbed his eyes and looked around the room.<\/p>\n The little boar hopped onto the bed, squeaking at Xie Li.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, you are here too,\u201d said Xie Li.<\/p>\n \u201cCangshi seems to like you quite a bit,\u201d said Heigou.<\/p>\n \u201cSo your name is Cangshi?\u201d said Xie Li, stroking the boar\u2019s head.<\/p>\n \u201cShall I fetch physician Hong?\u201d asked Heigou.<\/p>\n \u201cPhysician Hong is here too?\u201d said Xie Li.<\/p>\n \u201cYep. The young master asked us to come here once he received his mission to Bainiao Lake City.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see,\u201d said Xie Li. \u201cIt\u2019s fine, you don\u2019t have to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYoung master Mie\u2019er has requested for me to be your personal guard,\u201d said Heigou, kneeling by the bed to be at Xie Li\u2019s height. \u201cHow would you like to be addressed?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou can just call me Xie Li.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs you wish, mister Xie Li.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLooks like Mie\u2019er has been pretty thorough.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBeing thorough is something the young master learned from you,\u201d smiled Heigou.<\/p>\n \u201cEhh? You know each other?\u201d blurted out Jianjin. \u201cDoes everyone know everything here except us?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYoung mistress Suiyu\u2014your Shizun didn\u2019t tell you?\u201d said Heigou.<\/p>\n \u201cTell us what?\u201d said Jianjin.<\/p>\n Heigou turned to Xie Li and said, \u201cSince the young master sent them here, he must know that the busybodies outside can\u2019t keep secrets. Do we need to keep quiet about young master\u2019s identity?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet me handle it,\u201d said Xie Li.<\/p>\n \u201cCertainly,\u201d said Heigou. \u201cI shall be standing guard outside if you need me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI really want to know what\u2019s going on, why everyone here calls Di Shibo ‘young master’, and why our sect is working with demons,\u201d said Jianjin.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you have your Shizun\u2019s permission?\u201d said Xie Li.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re disciples of Mad Tiger Peak,\u201d grinned Jianjin. \u201cPermission is just a guideline.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStop causing trouble, Ah-Jin,\u201d scolded Jianshi. He dragged Jianjin over and knelt by Xie Li\u2019s bed. \u201cSenior Xie, my useless brother couldn\u2019t use his spirit aura since we left the bandit cave. Please help him if you can.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHm?\u201d said Xie Li, tilting his head. \u201cThe side effects shouldn\u2019t have lasted more than a few days.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cBut\u2026I still can\u2019t muster any spirit aura\u2026\u201d said Jianjin.<\/p>\n \u201cShow me your leg,\u201d said Xie Li.<\/p>\n Jianjin quickly stood up and rolled up his trouser leg, showing an unblemished calf.<\/p>\n \u201cLooks clear,\u201d said Xie Li, after a quick examination. \u201cDid Suiyu or Mie’er say anything about this?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThey both said that I\u2019ll figure it out by myself,\u201d said Jianjin.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re right,\u201d said Xie Li. \u201cThis isn\u2019t something we can help you with.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy? If it\u2019s sealed, isn\u2019t there a way to unseal my spirit aura?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a seal you created yourself,\u201d said Xie Li.<\/p>\n \u201cHow? Why would I do that to myself?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHmm,\u201d said Xie Li, searching for a way to explain. \u201cSay you fell and broke your leg. Normally, you should be able to walk once your leg recovers, but somehow due to the shock of breaking your leg, your body forgot how to.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI see,\u201d said Jianshi. \u201cSo Ah-Jin really has to get over it by himself\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan you please give me a hint at least?\u201d said Jianjin.<\/p>\n \u201cYou could try starting from the beginning,\u201d said Xie Li.<\/p>\n \u201cLike, start by practising my fundamentals?\u201d said Jianjin, feeling a spark of hope.<\/p>\n Xie Li shrugged, noncommittally.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Senior Xie!\u201d said Jianjin, grateful for the advice.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to ask\u2026\u201d hesitated Xie Li.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease ask us anything,\u201d said Jianjin.<\/p>\n \u201cYour spirit cores,\u201d said Xie Li. \u201cHow did you cultivate them?\u201d<\/p>\n Jianjin turned to his brother and said, \u201cShizun advised us not to tell this to anyone. \u201cBut I want Senior Xie\u2019s opinion on this. You all right with that, bro?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGo ahead,\u201d said Jianshi, giving him a nod. \u201cI want to hear his opinion too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an accident how we became cultivators,\u201d said Jianjin. \u201cWhen we were young, we got sick from the plague. Our neighbour had stolen some medicine for his parents but it was too late for them, so he gave it to us. Since we were going to die anyway, we took the gamble and ate it. We managed to recover but there were some side effects…\u201d<\/p>\n Jianshi took over and continued.<\/p>\n \u201cWe developed spirit cores but we couldn\u2019t control it. Di Shibo happened to pass by and saved us from aura deviation. After that, he brought us to the Border Mountains Sect.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan you describe the medicine?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a single pill in a medicine bottle\u2014here, I kept the bottle with me,\u201d said Jianshi, taking it out from his pouch.<\/p>\n \u201cHmm,\u201d said Xie Li, taking the bottle from him and turning it in his hand.<\/p>\n \u201cDoes Senior Xie recognise this?\u201d asked Jianshi.<\/p>\n \u201cYour Shizun is right. You two should not talk to anyone else about this,\u201d said Xie Li.<\/p>\n \u201cIs it because our neighbour might have stolen the medicine from someone powerful?\u201d said Jianjin.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d said Jianshi. \u201cWe\u2019ve thought about that before. Maybe the owner of this bottle is still looking for it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think you need to worry about that,\u201d said Xie Li.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy not? Was the medicine not worth much after all?\u201d said Jianjin.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was an elixir,\u201d said Xie Li.<\/p>\n \u201c…\u201d went the two boys.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?!\u201d said Jianjin.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s the spirit-core elixir rumoured to be sold in the black markets?\u201d said Jianshi.<\/p>\n “The one they say is rumoured to be made with the gallbladders of cultivators?\u201d said Jianjin, paling at the thought.<\/p>\n The two boys shuddered.<\/p>\n \u201cIt must’ve been worth a fortune,\u201d said Jianjin.<\/p>\n \u201cWhoever\u2019s lost it must want it back. I think we’re doomed,\u201d said Jianshi.<\/p>\n “Bro, can’t you be optimistic for once?” said Jianjin. “It’s been years. Whoever lost this shouldn\u2019t be able to find us!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour Shizun knows about it. Stay with her and she\u2019ll keep you safe,\u201d said Xie Li, humming.<\/p>\n \u201cIt seems like more and more people want our lives,\u201d whispered Jianjin. \u201cBro, do we need to go into hiding?\u201d<\/p>\n Jianshi ignored Jianjin.<\/p>\n \u201cSenior Xie, how did you know it\u2019s an elixir?\u201d asked Jianshi. \u201cWas it the symptoms we described?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat, and the bottle confirms it,\u201d said Xie Li.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t seem that special,\u201d said Jianjin, leaning over to peer at the bottle that was now in Xie Li\u2019s hand. \u201cI\u2019ve seen many bottles similar to this one in our medicine room back at the Fallen Leaves Valley.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat would happen if someone else found out we took an elixir? Would we be expelled from the Border Mountains Sect?\u201d asked Jianshi.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u201dm sure your Shizun and Lingfeng both already know about this when they brought you to the Border Mountains,\u201d said Xie Li.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a relief to hear,\u201d said Jianshi.<\/p>\n \u201cAnyway, whoever the poor soul was, I\u2019m sorry for eating your spirit core. If it’s any consolation, I don’t remember the taste of it at all,\u201d said Jianjin, offering up a prayer.<\/p>\n “It was spicy,” whispered Jianshi, joining him in the prayer.<\/p>\n Xie Li huffed and reached out, patting both their heads.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all in the past, what\u2019s done is done. No one will blame you.\u201d<\/p>\n Jianjin\u2019s eyes lit up as Xie Li gave him a head pat.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m keeping this bottle,\u201d said Xie Li.<\/p>\n \u201cIf Senior Xie wants the bottle, please take it,\u201d said Jianshi.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you so much, Senior Xie! I feel refreshed now that I have some answers,\u201d said Jianjin, eager to go to his room to work on getting his spirit aura back. \u201cWe shall leave you to your rest!\u201d<\/p>\n Jianshi looked back before he left, and at that moment, he saw Xie Li holding the bottle with a very cold expression.<\/p>\n As they left, Heigou invited himself back into the room.<\/p>\n \u201cMister Xie Li,\u201d said Heigou. \u201cI couldn\u2019t help but overhear a little. Show me the bottle, please.\u201d<\/p>\n Xie Li showed Heigou the bottle, who sighed as he recognised it.<\/p>\n \u201cSo these two children took the elixir you made?\u201d said Heigou.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m pretty sure after seeing this,\u201d said Xie Li, looking at the bottle.<\/p>\n \u201cNo wonder young mistress Suiyu took them in as her disciples,\u201d said Heigou. \u201cShe must\u2019ve known from the moment she met them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMie\u2019er must suspect it as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Heigou brewed a fresh pot of tea and poured Xie Li a cup.<\/p>\n \u201cYou haven\u2019t told him what happened that day?\u201d<\/p>\n Xie Li shook his head.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe that\u2019s for the better,\u201d said Heigou. \u201cLet\u2019s not think about such matters anymore. Here, a toast to you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s the occasion?\u201d said Xie Li, tilting his head.<\/p>\n \u201cNothing much,\u201d grinned Heigou. \u201cIt\u2019s just good to see you again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh, sure,\u201d said Xie Li, picking up his cup and accepting Heigou\u2019s toast.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll bring physician Hong to visit you tomorrow. He\u2019ll be glad to see you too after such a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n Xie Li put down the cup.<\/p>\n \u201cCan I not see him?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, I\u2019ll tell him not to scold you this time,\u201d chuckled Heigou.<\/p>\n Xie Li walked to the window and opened it, studying his surroundings.<\/p>\n \u201cMister Xie Li, please stop planning your escape\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHm?\u201d said Xie Li, noticing the pond outside his second-floor window.<\/p>\n \u201cOh?\u201d said Heigou, looking at the window with him and realising what he was talking about. \u201cSeems like the young master brought the moon in here for you.\u201d<\/p>\n Xie Li looked up and saw the moonlight coming in from a series of small sky holes in the rock of the cave. He sat on the chair by the window and gazed at the pond, entranced by the shimmering moon on the water. Cangshi hopped onto his lap and nuzzled his hand.<\/p>\n Heigou sneaked out of the room and came back with a hand mirror a while later.<\/p>\n He quietly placed the tea set on the small table in front of Xie Li and refilled the cups with hot tea.<\/p>\n \u201cHmm,\u201d said Heigou, and shifted the things around a little.<\/p>\n And added a small bowl of dried fruit.<\/p>\n For his final touch, he added a sprig of plum blossoms next to the teapot.<\/p>\n Satisfied with the image he was seeing, he stepped back and took out a hand mirror, pointing it at Xie Li and whispering a code to activate the enchantment.<\/p>\n *<\/p>\n Di Mie was sleeping when he felt an amulet being activated. He rubbed his eyes and went to the dressing table in his room, taking the amulet from his sash and hanging it over the mirror.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it, administrator Lan\u2014huh?\u201d<\/p>\n He saw Heigou\u2019s big face in the mirror, mouthing the words: \u201cNo need to thank me.\u201d<\/p>\n Heigou\u2019s face left the mirror and Di Mie saw the wistful image of Xie Li gazing out the window, absently stroking a baby boar in his lap.<\/p>\n \u201cThat sprig of plum blossom\u2019s a bit too much,\u201d said Di Mie.<\/p>\n The fond smile on his face said otherwise.<\/p>\n Cangshi \u82cd\u8c55 Heigou \u9ed1\u72d7 Lan Yinqiao \u84dd\u97f3\u5de7
\nThe war is fought; the prophecies be done.
\nThe gates are closed; spirits dispersed.
\nSouls be at rest.”<\/p>\n
\n
\nTranslator\u2019s Notes<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n(pronounced like \u2018Chahng She) which means \u2018Azure Boar\u2019. The cute little boar\u2019s name is pretty straightforward!<\/p>\n
\n(pronounced ‘hey go’) It directly translates to ‘black dog’.<\/p>\n
\n(pronounced \u2018Lahn Yeen Chi-ow\u2019) Lan is a surname meaning \u2018Blue\u2019, Yin means sound\/tone and qiao means \u2018good\/skilful\u2019. Probably a musician\u2019s name because she\u2019s from Cloudrest Peak (the Peak of the Bards) She\u2019s called an out-of-town disciple because she stays outside the Border Mountains HQ.<\/p>\n