Volume Three: Dream of Three Lifetimes Beneath the Moon - Fragrant Softness in His Arms, a Bond for Half a Lifetime

After slipping out of Lady Rui's little tower, Xing Yan hurriedly crept away and made straight for the flower bed beside the courtyard wall. No one was there. In the chilly moonlight, only four or five low shrubs stood around a few bare ornamental rocks. In the corner nearest the whitewashed wall lay a small pool, filled with autumn water.

The water felt decidedly cold against his hands, but Xing Yan had no time to worry about that. He hastily scooped it up to wash the crooked smears of plant ash from his face. As he scrubbed, he wondered:

From Lady Rui's tone, had she already realized I was that uninvited thief? Otherwise, why would she suddenly mention matching poems?

At this thought, the boy felt rather annoyed with himself.

Where exactly did I let the horse's hoof show?

...Right. Thinking it over, it must have been that startled cry-I forgot to disguise my voice. Still, it really was strange. It felt exactly as though someone had kicked me then... Ha, working alone does make me a little nervous. If Ju Ying were here, I'd probably be a good deal braver!

Hmm... What did Lady Rui mean by that last poem, anyway? Her voice sounded so desolate and sorrowful... Well, that's hardly surprising. After seeing Hu Shi'an's cold-hearted face tonight, Sister Rui must have been terribly upset... Oh, never mind. That shameless scoundrel has already been driven off by my fists and feet. Lady Rui won't have to be fooled by him again! That settles the matter. After a few days' rest, Sister Rui should gradually feel better! Ha!

In the end, Xing Yan was only a boy of sixteen. However clever he might be, he could not see so deeply into the intricacies of human feelings and worldly affairs. To him, there was little in this world worth worrying over for long.

He shook his head, flinging the droplets from his face.

Ha! I gave that shameless scoundrel a proper scare just now. He probably won't dare come making trouble at the Flower Moon House again for the rest of his life! What a delight, what a delight!

The very thought filled Xing Yan with satisfaction.

While these thoughts ran through his mind, his hands did not stop. Before long, he had washed the ash from his face, carefully tossed the black forehead cloth into a secluded corner of the flower bed, and taken his original silk kerchief from his robe to tie up his hair again.

After this transformation, not a trace of banditry remained in his appearance.

Only when his clothes were in order did Xing Yan feel at ease. Straightening his collar and clearing his throat, he stepped out from the shadow of the rocks beside the pool and began strolling grandly around the courtyard. In those few moments, the outlandish mountain brigand had transformed back into the guard on duty, protecting the Flower Moon House and keeping its inhabitants safe!

His spirits lifted, the boy noticed that the formerly gloomy courtyard seemed much brighter now. Looking up, he saw that the moon, once hidden behind a veil of clouds, had emerged from their drifting heaps again, generously spilling its cool radiance over the land of Raozhou. The boy wandering through the courtyard seemed to have been brushed with a faint layer of silver light as well.

Unfortunately, this peaceful scene did not last long. Before the thoroughly pleased boy had taken more than a few steps, a startled "Ow!" suddenly burst from his mouth-

This time, Xing Yan was certain that someone had just struck him on the head!

Quick-witted as he was, he spun around almost as soon as the cry left his lips and swept his gaze over his surroundings. Moonlight fell silently upon the little autumn courtyard, which stood utterly empty, without so much as half a human shadow!

Oh, misery! Have I run into another demon?

His heart had only just settled when this strange incident threw him into alarm once more. As the saying went, once bitten by a snake, one feared a well rope for ten years. The wretched ordeal he and old Daoist Qinghe had suffered while subduing the Bench Demon at the Zhu Residence remained vivid in his mind, leaving him with lingering dread!

Leaving aside the boy's fright, that blow had, of course, been delivered by Miss Ling Yier. For some reason, this little girl-the oriole lurking behind the mantis-had still not left. Maintaining the hand seal for Water Without a Trace, she had remained invisible as she followed Xing Yan.

Seeing the boy swaggering about so smugly after his act of "chivalry," as though no one else existed, Ling Yier had felt an involuntary surge of annoyance and could not resist giving his head another knock!

Alas, Xing Yan was truly innocent of that charge. With Ling Yier concealed by her invisibility spell, how could he possibly act as though anyone else were present?

That casual knock from the willful girl left Xing Yan standing there in fear and distress.

Well, that settles it! My luck must really be rotten this year. There's every chance I've met another demon tonight!

Thinking back now, the kick he had received in Lady Rui's room could not have been his imagination. Nor had Hu Shi'an merely been putting on a show when he seemed to keep taking blows after Xing Yan had stopped hitting him.

Run? That was Xing Yan's first reaction.

No. He immediately rejected it.

This demon moves without a shadow and flits about unpredictably. With only these two legs my parents gave me, I'll never outrun it.

...Hmm. Considering what this demon has done tonight, perhaps... Yes, that's what I'll do!

After his several adventures, Xing Yan had indeed grown quick-witted. His thoughts raced, and he immediately devised a plan. Young blood ran hot, however, and made him somewhat recklessly bold: having just driven off the human scourge Hu Shi'an, he now insisted on capturing this "demon" too!

Alas, this blunt sword I just acquired doesn't seem to be ordinary iron, yet it hasn't stirred at all! Perhaps it isn't much of a treasure after all.

Remembering the tales of marvels he had read, in which precious swords gave warning at a demon's approach, Xing Yan could not help feeling a little resentful.

Never mind all that. I'd better put everything into this demon-catching trick. Success or failure hangs on this one attempt!

Keeping his expression unchanged, Xing Yan took a few more seemingly casual steps along the garden path, then suddenly began talking to himself.

"Hee! Come to think of it, Lady Rui really is quite a beauty! Such smooth skin and tender flesh... Tsk, tsk! Perhaps I should go back and..."

Though he left the sentence unfinished, he gave every impression of a boy stirred by springtime desire, practically drooling with longing...

At the end, perhaps because his tongue had grown too loose-or perhaps because it was what he truly thought-the boy, whose heart was actually lodged in his throat, unwittingly added:

"Heh! Lady Rui is far gentler and lovelier than that little girl who came pestering me the other day!"

The lucky youth had no idea that this final, thoughtless remark would prove to be the crucial stroke of inspiration.

His earlier words had already filled Ling Yier with fury. That last sentence merely poured oil onto the fire!

Hidden in empty air, the girl suddenly darted forward, intent on giving this foul-mouthed, frivolous brat another knock-

"Hmph! Just as I thought!"

The boy's keen senses suddenly caught the faint stir of air behind him. In the blink of an eye, Xing Yan spun like lightning, flinging his arms wide. Like halberds, like pincers, they clamped tightly around the "demon" who could conceal her form!

"Where do you think you're going!"

With a low shout, the boy forced the "demon" locked in his embrace down onto the grass beside the flower bed!

"Ah!"

A startled cry rang beside his ear.

"You wicked demon, how dare you cry as though you've been wronged! Have a taste of my Great Splendor Dao Power!"

Though his pounce had succeeded, the boy dared not relax for an instant. Still mindful of the elm Bench Demon's ferocity, he hurriedly followed the method he had comprehended on Horseshoe Mountain and summoned the Great Splendor Dao Power within him with all his might. Since that night, this power had dwindled to a gossamer thread, but a little was better than nothing. Now was just the time to use it against a demon!

"No matter how ugly you are, I'm not afraid..."

Xing Yan kept muttering encouragement to himself. He thought it best to prepare himself as thoroughly as possible. If the demon proved hideously ugly, he did not want to release his grip in shock, undo all his efforts, and give it a chance to harm him instead.

Ha! This Great Splendor Dao Power truly was extraordinary! No sooner had he invoked it than Xing Yan, with his head resolutely turned aside, saw the demon pinned beneath him gradually reveal her true form in the moonlight...

In truth, the maiden Ling Yier, newly of hairpin age, had been so mortified and furious by this sudden assault that she had completely forgotten to maintain the invisibility incantation of Water Without a Trace!

At this moment, Xing Yan was tense beyond measure. Forcing himself to turn his gaze toward the "demon" beneath him, he let out a startled cry the instant their eyes met:

"Ah! Why is it you?!"

Beneath the clear moonlight, within the boy's tight embrace, a luminous, lovely face flushed with shyness quietly surfaced...

As the verse went:

Moonlit water, traceless, bathed the little tower,

Quiet fingers touched an icy cup.

A few words painted a graceful silhouette,

Washing every sorrow away.

Urging him to take a beauty aboard an orchid boat,

He turned and held her, their smiles paired,

Gathering lotus fragrance over every limb...

Perhaps the sight before him differed too greatly from the blue-faced, fang-mouthed "demon" he had imagined. At the first glimpse of the girl's sweet, lovely face in his arms, Xing Yan froze on the spot. Dumbfounded, he even forgot to let go-his arms remained locked firmly around Ling Yier's soft body!

The girl in his embrace, meanwhile, was overwhelmed with embarrassment and alarm. This headstrong little Ling Yier had always been accustomed to commanding others and receiving a hundred answers to a single call; she feared neither heaven nor earth. Yet now, pinned beneath this rash boy, she had entirely forgotten how to scold him. Her face burned crimson, and she could not utter a word.

Worse still, when she regained her wits and understood their mortifying position, she tried hard to struggle free of this scamp's grip-only to discover that, inexplicably, all her strength had deserted her. She was normally quite strong, but now her whole body felt weak and limp, unable to muster even the slightest force!

Thus, the briefly petrified boy held warm, fragrant jade in his arms, while the sweet-faced, flustered girl could only remain obediently beneath him, letting his warm breath fall upon her tender cheeks. In that silent autumn night, the young pair lay motionless in this supremely awkward position upon the withered grass strewn with fallen leaves...

Fortunately, it did not take long for the boy to recover and realize how embarrassing their present situation was. The moment it occurred to him, Xing Yan hastily released his arms and sprang to his feet.

In his confusion, he glanced again at the girl, who was still lying curled on her back upon the ground.

Oh, misery! Why does it have to be her again? Who would have thought she knew an invisibility spell!

Xing Yan was both startled and amazed.

Whatever the circumstances, however, he had been the one to tackle her. At this thought, Xing Yan hurriedly bent forward and reached toward Ling Yier, intending to help her up from where she still lay languidly on the ground.

To his utter surprise, before his hand had reached halfway, the girl who looked almost asleep sprang up and hurried several steps away.

Though Ling Yier normally acted without restraint, her heart now thumped wildly, as though a little deer were leaping about inside her chest. When she saw the boy reach toward her again, a wave of confusion and panic swept over her. From somewhere came a sudden burst of strength, and she leaped up from the ground and darted aside.

It was nearly the middle of the night now. Not a voice could be heard anywhere, and the few lights that had shone in the buildings had all gone out. A night breeze swept past, rustling the fallen leaves across the ground.

The chill autumn breeze finally brought Xing Yan fully back to his senses. Recalling everything that had just happened, he could not help inwardly lamenting:

Bad luck, bad luck! Truly, enemies meet on the narrowest road! Why did I have to run into her again?!

Judging by their previous encounters, he expected that, after such an offense, the girl would only become more relentless and refuse to let him off.

At this thought, Xing Yan could not help smiling ruefully. Still, he adopted his most sincere tone and apologized to the girl keeping her distance nearby.

"I'm truly sorry. I really didn't realize it was you just now, so... Did I hurt you anywhere when I was pressing you down? Does anything ache?"

He truly had lifted the very kettle that refused to boil! At these words, Ling Yier grew even more mortified and merely lowered her head, fingering her sash in silence.

How could this sixteen-year-old boy understand a maiden's thoughts? Seeing the usually obstinate girl remain so utterly silent this time, he found it very strange.

The longer she stayed that way, the more uneasy Xing Yan became...

Hmm? Right! Xing Yan seemed suddenly to remember something. Isn't this troublesome girl the granddaughter of that old gentleman, the Lord of the Clouds?

Remembering that he was on fairly good terms with her grandfather, Xing Yan immediately perked up. Putting on a shamelessly ingratiating expression, he hurried to claim a connection with the girl before him.

"Ah! Now I remember. So you're the granddaughter of that venerable and highly esteemed Lord of the Clouds? Tsk, tsk, I've heard your illustrious name for ages! Er..."

At this point, Xing Yan remembered that he had actually forgotten to ask the Lord of the Clouds his granddaughter's name. Clearing his throat, he hurried to cover his mistake.

"Ahem! No wonder the old gentleman keeps praising you to me. He says his dear granddaughter is clever, quick-witted, and very pretty too! Seeing you today, you're clearly genuine through and through, the real article. I certainly must have admired you for a long time..."

"What nonsense!"

Ling Yier had finally recovered somewhat. Hearing the boy try so hard to cheer her up, only to tie his words into knots, she could not resist answering.

"What do you mean, 'the real article'? Why not add 'fair dealing for young and old' while you're at it! You make me sound like merchandise. Grandfather doesn't care a bit for his poor granddaughter... Why would he ever praise my looks!"

"Hehe! You're quite right to scold me, miss. A poor comparison, a poor comparison!"

Seeing the difficult girl finally answer him, Xing Yan breathed a great sigh of relief and hurried to climb the pole she had offered.

"Ha! I'm a fool who doesn't know how to speak. How could I compare a lovely girl like you, a blossom of jade with precious petals, to ordinary merchandise? But you must believe me: your grandfather really did say you were pretty! Ask him when you go home if you don't believe me..."

The boy was indeed a clever little fellow. To cheer the girl up and keep her from blaming him, he poured out fine words like a rising tide, sparing none. In any case, he was not afraid of her asking her grandfather. Even if she did, how could the Lord of the Clouds contradict him and tell his own granddaughter she was not pretty?

Having exhausted his compliments, Xing Yan stole a glance at the girl in the clear moonlight. A faint, radiant smile rested on her face. At once, his heart settled.

Hehe... Looking closely, she really is very pretty!

In the moonlight, Ling Yier stood tall and graceful, her figure delicately proportioned and beautifully curved. The pure lunar radiance shone upon her softly contoured face, making her all the more luminous and captivating, a beauty beyond compare.

If Ju Ying was an immortal blossom in a secluded valley, then Ling Yier was a lotus greeting the morning sun.

After staring blankly for a moment, Xing Yan recalled what had happened earlier and could not help praising her.

"You truly are worthy of being the Lord of the Clouds' granddaughter, miss, to wield such a wondrous invisibility spell! I'm so impressed I could prostrate myself before you!"

This praise was entirely sincere, rising from the depths of his heart.

Although he had helped old Daoist Qinghe perform many rites, this was the first time Xing Yan had witnessed such a mysterious spell with his own eyes. Naturally, he found it extraordinary.

"Opened your eyes, did it?"

Ling Yier found it amusing to see this scamp suddenly become so respectful, and she teased him.

"But however brilliant my invisibility spell might be, it still can't defeat our great hero Zhang's..."

She abruptly stopped there. The mortifying scene from earlier had returned to Ling Yier's mind, and the blush that had already faded once again flared across her cheeks.

"Hehe, hehe..."

Xing Yan understood, but could hardly answer. He could only stand there chuckling foolishly. Thinking back, his conduct had indeed been extremely improper toward a young lady.

"By the way, there's something I'd like to explain to you."

"What is it?" Seeing him become so solemn, Ling Yier was rather surprised.

"Since you're the Lord of the Clouds' granddaughter, I suppose the Divine Snow Jade Flute I have should rightfully belong to you? I really didn't know that before, and it caused quite a few misunderstandings between us. I'm terribly sorry, and I hope you'll forgive me!"

"Hmph! So now you know who was being unreasonable?"

Though the words sounded reproachful, they carried a deep sense of grievance.

"Ha! It was all because I didn't know the full story. How about this? Wait here a little, and I'll go fetch the flute from my room and return it to you. Then it'll be back with its rightful owner."

Xing Yan had spent his days and nights with the Divine Snow Jade Flute lately, and the thought of parting with it so suddenly filled him with reluctance. Yet despite his long experience of the bustling streets, he remained a simple country boy at heart. Nurtured by the honest, kindly ways of mountain folk, he firmly believed that one must never take what was not rightfully one's own. Now that the flute had met its original owner, he ought to return the jade intact.

"..."

Strangely, while the one returning the flute was so ready to do so, its original owner somehow began to hesitate.

Seeing Ling Yier lightly bite her lip without replying, Xing Yan felt rather bewildered.

Hasn't she gone to all this trouble because she wanted her Jade Flute back? Why won't she answer now? Does she not believe me?

Xing Yan was just about to dispel her doubts when Ling Yier said softly:

"It's so late now, and this breeze feels rather chilly. I'd better go home and rest tonight..."

"Hm? Then when should I return your flute?" Apparently, Xing Yan had made up his mind to give it back.

"..."

Who would have thought that this glib-tongued boy, so unconstrained in his behavior, could be so earnest and literal-minded?

"Well, there's no hurry... All right. To show how sincere you are about returning it, bring the Divine Snow Flute next time and deliver it to me in person!"

"No problem! Only... I don't know where your residence is."

"It's easy to find. My home is near Poyang Lake. Just play a tune beside the lake as you did last time. Once I hear it, I'll come out to find you!"

As the verse went:

Dream of Three Lifetimes Beneath the Moon fell into his arms; fragrant softness in his hands bound half a lifetime's fate.