Chapter 61: Lady Jīn |
[September 17, 2023]...
The cold wind howled as people milled about in front of a huge stone gate embedded directly into the valley. As they waited, some people were resting their minds with their eyes closed, while others were talking softly in groups of twos and threes.
“Cold?”
“What do you think?” Shěn Lí took off the fox fur coat Xíng Zhǐ put on her and returned it to him. “You can wear it yourself. I think the temperature is just right.”
Her words caught some attention. Those who came to Dàxuě mountain to do business had plenty of cultivation including domineering monsters and sect masters. Their bodies were naturally hundreds of times stronger than ordinary people, but the cold here wasn’t your normal cold. The wind and snow blew with mana and pierced to the bone. Even magic barriers couldn’t block it. To not use anything to protect against the cold was too conspicuous.
Xíng Zhǐ took the fox fur and draped it over himself nonchalantly, but Shěn Lí was getting impatient as she stared at the stone gate. “Didn’t you say the door would open once it got dark? The sun set ages ago; why are we all still stuck here?”
Xíng Zhǐ looked up at the sky. “The master. . . may have forgotten?”
As soon as he finished speaking, the torches in the gate lit and the doors slowly squeaked open inward. Beyond the doors of the gate were steps that reached up and up. Torches on both sides came to life on their own. The crowd walked in slowly.
Shěn Lí raised her brow at the mountain road that appeared to go on forever. “What’s the story behind the Golden Snake Demon of Dàxuě mountain? Why haven’t I heard of the demon before even though it’s so mighty?”
Shěn Lí was surprised. “Even older than you? Then it must be a demon from ancient times!”
The four little words froze Xíng Zhǐ in his tracks. He turned his head a little and frowned slightly as he stared at her back for a long time.
Shěn Lí suddenly got goosebumps up and down her body. She looked back to confirm he was staring at her. Yes, he was. Before she could ask if something was wrong, it suddenly hit her that she may have said something she shouldn’t have. . .
“Uh. . . ” Shěn Lí thought for a moment before consoling him. “I feel that no one can look as good as you at your age.” It was true. She was great at offending people with her words, but comforting them was new to her. Shěn Lí scratched her head. “I mean. . . at your age. . . if you don’t share how old you are. . . who would know?”
Upon seeing Xíng Zhǐ’s brow furrow deeper, Shěn Lí sighed. “I’m sorry. I said something inappropriate.” She was not suited to consoling!
“Do you mind?” Xíng Zhǐ asked after staring at her for a long time.
Shěn Lí hurriedly waved her hands. “I don’t mind! Of course, I don’t mind.” She raised her head up and met Xíng Zhǐ’s eyes. The smile she found there was vivid and bright like fire, and it made her heart quake and her heartbeat became disorderly.
Xíng Zhǐ stopped dwelling on the topic. “The mountain road is too long, and with your injury, it’s really not good for you to climb. I’ll carry you up.”
He stretched out his hand to Shěn Lí. She stared bewildered for a long time before finally coming back to her senses. She stumbled backwards a tiny step. “This, how can it work? I will walk up myself.”
As if expecting her to refuse, Xíng Zhǐ moved his hand forward a little farther. “Then I’ll pull you up.” Without waiting for her to shake her head no, he very naturally grabbed her hand and laid it in the palm of his.
Shěn Lí went from being distracted to being stunned. How was she going to pull her hand back? Their hands clasped together, palm to palm, was like an unbreakable spell. All she could do was stare at his back and follow behind him as he went up one step at a time. As his swaying hair brushed her cheeks, she was reminded of how much his behavior had changed.
How was she to draw a clear line between them if he kept acting this way?
The wind and snow were even worse at the top of the mountain. The crowd followed the trail of torches and entered a magnificent open atrium befitting a palace. Shěn Lí would have followed the tide of people, but Xíng Zhǐ squeezed her hand and pointed to a side path overgrown with wild weeds. He said, “Let’s go this way.”
Sure enough, Xíng Zhǐ knew what he was doing. They had only taken two steps when the scenery in front of them changed, and a shimmering lake appeared on the top of the ice and snow in the hall. In the center of the lake stood a beautiful building that looked like it came from ancient times, very still and unmoving. It was like something from a fantasy world, especially with the peach blossom tree beside it.
Plop, plop. Shěn Lí looked down to the source of the sound and saw a little girl struggling to crawl out from the ground. Once out, she stood tall and patted debris from her body. A tiny tail swished back and forth behind her. “Ahead is the master’s residence. No trespassing allowed!”
“I will have to trouble you to inform your master High God Xíng Zhǐ is here to pay a visit.”
The little girl gave him a hard stare before suddenly freezing up. Her eyes glowed blue and her voice changed. In a seductive tone she said, “Oh, what wind is this that brings High God Xíng Zhǐ here?”
The child’s change startled Shěn Lí and she went on guard. Xíng Zhǐ turned and reassured her, saying, “Don’t worry; it’s just a spirit technique; nothing more.”
“Aiya! High God actually brought a pretty girl along? Quickly come in, come in.” After saying that, the little girl waved her hand, and a glowing blue passage extended to the building.
Shěn Lí was surprised enough to ask, “This powerful Golden Snake demon is actually a woman?” The surroundings changed as soon as she stepped inside the passage and she was instantly transported to the center of the lake. It felt like the moment passed in the blink of an eye.
“Why can’t it be a woman?” A soft woman’s voice sounded in Shěn Lí’s ears. Startled, Shěn Lí turned her head to find a coquettish woman in a gorgeous red skirt holding a round fan standing close behind her. She was looking at Shěn Lí with a smile. “Your humble servant, Lady Jīn, at your service.”
Shěn Lí took a step back, not wanting to be so close to someone she just met. Lady Jīn smiled and drifted over to Xíng Zhǐ. “The girl High God brought is guarded.”
“Who would dare relax in front of Lady Jīn?” Xíng Zhǐ replied with a smile.
“High God is so bad. How could High God say such a thing about this humble servant? It’s cold out here. Let’s go and talk about things properly inside.”
Lady Jīn turned around and went inside. Xíng Zhǐ was about to follow behind, but Shěn Lí tugged at this hand. “Are there really no problems with this person?”
Xíng Zhǐ thought about the meaning behind Shěn Lí’s words then asked with a smile. “What kind of problem do you mean?”
Shěn Lí was serious. “Does she know spells that charm. . . ”
Xíng Zhǐ lowered his head and laughed a little, as if he couldn’t quite control his joy. He patted Shěn Lí’s head and said, “Don’t worry; I won’t be enchanted.” The words were too intimate and it made Shěn Lí blush. Xíng Zhǐ grabbed a few strands of Shěn Lí’s hair and twisted them around his finger as he whispered softly. “But. . . if she did, I’m afraid I’m the one who would have to worry. . . ”
Despite the lack of a wood brazier, the difference in temperature between the outside and the interior of the building was like night and day. Xíng Zhǐ took the fox fur out and asked the little servant girl to take it away. Lady Jīn was already seated at a table with game of chess. She beckoned Shěn Lí over saying, “Girl, will you accompany this humble servant in a game of chess?”
“I am sorry, but I do not wish to make a fool of myself with my meager chess skills.”
Lady Jīn pouted but didn’t insist. “That’s fine, that’s fine. High God, come.”
Xíng Zhǐ smiled but didn’t move so Lady Jīn finally put her chess piece down. “High God would not be here without a reason. Tell this humble one, what problem exists that even High God can not resolve and must come here for assistance.”
“Lady Jīn, is there a way to heal her?”
“The pretty girl is sick?” Lady Jīn looked Shěn Lí up and down as she slowly walked to Shěn Lí. “Well her complexion is sallow, probably from a recent serious injury. She is recovering well, so there shouldn’t be any issues. What does High God want cured?”
“She has not regained her magic abilities and her senses will disappear from time to time.”
“Oh, that is strange indeed.” Lady Jīn smiled. “Come girl, stretch out your hand and let this humble servant feel your pulse.”
Lady Jīn rolled up Shěn Lí’s sleeve and the hideous scar she saw on Shěn Lí’s wrist surprised her. “This. . . this must have hurt!” She grazed her fingers slightly over the wrinkled scars, but pulled back as soon as their skin touched. “Girl, your skin is very hot.”
Was her skin. . . hot?
She hadn’t noticed a change in Xíng Zhǐ’s expression even though they had a lot of contact recently. Her body was a little hotter than usual, but she didn’t think it was as hot as it was before. To think she was still hot enough to burn. . . then Xíng Zhǐ. . .
As Shěn Lí was thinking this, Lady Jīn condensed a ball of white energy in her hand and touched it to Shěn Lí’s wrist. “Foo. . . foo. There, now it won’t hurt anymore.” It was clear she was coaxing a child.
This witch. . . was teasing her!
The corner of Shěn Lí’s mouth twitched. “Thank you. It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Only then did Lady Jīn take Shěn Lí’s pulse seriously. Shěn Lí felt very fine air enter her body through her wrist. It meandered slowly through her body along her meridians. Working didn’t keep Lady Jīn from complaining. “High God, I haven’t seen you in so long, and somehow you’re even more useless than before, can’t even protect your own people. Your girl is hurt like this, and yet you’re not distressed at all. You’re just mean and heartless.”
Xíng Zhǐ lowered his head and didn’t say anything, but a smile was on his lips. Since Xíng Zhǐ was ignoring her, Lady Jin focused on Shěn Lí. “Girl, you must be unhappy following him. Why don’t you leave him and come under my house instead? I’m a woman too, so I would be much more considerate.”
Shěn Lí silently sweated. She suddenly understood the meaning behind Xíng Zhǐ’s whispered words from earlier. This Golden Snake demon was more interested in woman than men!
“Hm, so that’s how it is.” Lady Jīn muttered to herself suddenly.
Shěn Lí looked to Lady Jīn in question.
“Girl, you have a phoenix body. In my humble opinion, you must have formed it recently. It stands to reason that both your physical and spiritual powers will have improved greatly since. The problem is, something powerful in your body was incinerated and fused into your blood. So now this powerful thing is colliding with the original spiritual power inside you. Your qi is lost and your five senses are scattered because the two forces are clashing. The situation will only worsen with time, and eventually girl may even become a waste.
Shěn Lí’s heart darkened when she remembered the panic of losing all five senses that one day.
“The only way to properly be reborn with your new body is to have the two forces in your body merge and clear out your meridians.”
Shěn Lí’s eyes lit up. “Lady Jīn, is there a way? If Mistress is willing to help, I will repay you in the future.”
Lady Jīn covered her lips and smiled. “My house does have a way, but as for repayment. . . will girl agree to repay. . . with her body?”
“This. . . ” Shěn Lí choked, but Xíng Zhǐ was ready with a reply. “The stars in the outer heavens have been brighter than usual in recent years. If Lady Jīn is willing to cure Shěn Lí, then Xíng Zhǐ is willing to pluck a star for Lady Jīn in compensation.”
Lady Jīn’s eyes lit up. “Aiyo, aiyo, aiyo! Thousands of years ago High God refused this humble servant’s request for the stars from the Celestial realm, but now High God is willing to agree so easily?” She rolled her eyes. Her smile was wide enough to turn her them to crescent slits. “Please count it as my misunderstanding earlier. High God thinks so highly of this girl! Why not show it earlier? Otherwise this humble one wouldn’t have dared proposition her so openly.”
Shěn Lí looked askance at Xíng Zhǐ. She opened her mouth wanting to ask if the stars should be casually plucked like that? Would he be OK if he took one?
Xíng Zhǐ looked at Shěn Lí and shook his head with a smile. All her questions were swallowed up in that one glance. He didn’t let her ask, as if he was afraid of the accountability.
“A deal then. This humble one’s house is willing to help treat the girl’s illness. But it is getting late now, and you must be tired from climbing the mountain. Go to sleep and we’ll discuss this more tomorrow.” Lady Jīn took two steps back, as if something just occurred to her. She turned toward Shěn Lí and said, “I nearly forgot to mention, girl must receive treatment every day for nine days once we start. Miss any, and all our previous efforts will be wasted and girl may even die.”
Shěn Lí cupped her fists in salute. “I will have to inconvenience Lady Jīn.”
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