Round and round

After Naraku disappeared, Xu Zhiqiu breathed a sigh of relief. She turned to look at the cave on the slope, but in the end, she did not go over to investigate. She turned and left.

Back home, she set down her basket and went to find Kohaku.

Kohaku had already woken up. Faced with Kikyo's guilt, she maturely reassured her that she should not blame herself. Since she had chosen to kill demons, getting hurt was inevitable.

Although Kohaku said that, a faint sorrow still lingered on Kikyo's face.

Xu Zhiqiu looked at them and hesitated for a moment before walking over. "Kikyo."

"Qiu." Kikyo noticed Xu Zhiqiu's arrival.

Xu Zhiqiu walked over, sat beside them, and ruffled Kohaku's hair. Her expression was serious as she said, "I went to the cave to check on Onigumo just now."

Hearing the gravity in her voice, Kikyo looked worried. "What happened?"

"The cave was burned down," Xu Zhiqiu said succinctly.

"Burned down?"

"Yes. There was quite a lot of dry firewood in the cave. It might have caught fire on its own, but I smelled a strong scent of blood and demons inside. It didn't seem like Onigumo had simply burned himself to death."

"So demons did it?" Kohaku joined the conversation.

Xu Zhiqiu's hand stilled. She looked at Kikyo, whose expression was equally serious, and fell silent for a moment before saying, "Onigumo couldn't have provoked any demons. They probably approached him first, and he made a deal with them."

She paused, then continued, "When I came out, I also saw someone wearing a Baboon Skin. He said he was born from Onigumo merging with those demons. His name is Naraku."

"Naraku?" Kikyo murmured. She glanced at Xu Zhiqiu. "You weren't hurt, were you?"

Xu Zhiqiu waved a hand. "No. My Jade Blade scared him off, but I'm worried he'll come back."

Onigumo had once said he wanted the Shikon Jewel, and those demons wanted it too. Now it all seemed to make sense.

Xu Zhiqiu did not need to spell it out. Kikyo already understood.

Now Kikyo's spiritual power had weakened, and demons were watching like tigers eyeing their prey. Even with Xu Zhiqiu and Inuyasha here, they could protect her for a time, but not forever. Besides, there were all those innocent villagers.

Kikyo sank into thought.

Xu Zhiqiu lowered her hand and looked at Kohaku with pity in her eyes.

Noticing Xu Zhiqiu's gaze, Kohaku gave her a determined look, signaling that she should not worry.

Xu Zhiqiu smiled and patted her shoulder. "I'll make rabbit soup today to help you both regain your strength. I'll go back and prepare the rabbit first."

"All right!" Kohaku smiled too.

That evening, the four of them gathered around the hearth to eat stewed rabbit. After Xu Zhiqiu's skillful preparation, its gamey smell had faded, and the meat was silky and tender.

The four soon finished the entire pot of meat. The atmosphere was warm, yet tinged with worry over the difficulties ahead.

The night air was slightly cool.

Wearing a white underrobe with a homemade outer garment draped over her shoulders, Xu Zhiqiu walked barefoot out of the house and sat on the wooden railing in front of the veranda. She admired the star-spangled night sky, and the sight of the bright moon brought Li Bai's verse to mind.

People today cannot see the moon of ancient times, yet today's moon once shone upon the ancients.

Were her family also gazing at the moon and missing her?

Xu Zhiqiu clasped the jade on her wrist and leaned against a round wooden post, one knee drawn up and her chin resting on her hand. A trace of sorrow crept into her gaze, but she quickly concealed it. The watery sheen in her eyes lingered for a long time.

Eventually, there were too many mosquitoes buzzing constantly around her. Xu Zhiqiu lost the mood to dwell on her longing, went inside, and shut the door tightly.

So annoying! Why did even this fictional world have damned mosquitoes!

Once she went inside, the Mōmō Bee hidden among the mosquitoes immediately left.

Xu Zhiqiu closed the door and collapsed onto her soft, comfortable bed, looking as though she had narrowly escaped death. Why had Naraku's Mōmō Bee appeared here?

Sure, it was a little dark, but with that loud buzzing and a body more than ten times the size of a mosquito, she couldn't have mistaken it even if she were blind, could she?

Mōmō Bees were highly venomous. Was Naraku trying to kill her with one? But why hadn't it attacked instead of flying around nearby?

The only possibility was that it was watching her.

"Aah!"

Xu Zhiqiu wailed again and clawed at her hair. How was she supposed to deal with what came next? She couldn't stay beside Kikyo twenty-four hours a day, or eavesdrop when they arranged to meet, could she?

Thinking about it made her head hurt, and she even lost a strand of hair. Pained by the loss, she decided to stop thinking about it. After all, she still had no way out of her own predicament.

She settled down to sleep properly instead of staying up late.

Meanwhile, on a tree outside Kaede's Village, moonlight shone down, making the silvery-white Baboon Skin stand out starkly against the brown trunk.

Several Mōmō Bees flew back and buzzed around him.

"Oh? Heh."

He extended his slender fingers and flicked them lightly. The Mōmō Bees left of their own accord.

Naraku stood on the tree trunk, deep in thought. A pulsing came from his heart, and he pressed a hand to his chest. Onigumo's heart was clamoring again. Did you like that woman so much? Too bad she doesn't like you. Why indulge in such one-sided affection?

He raised his head and swept his gaze toward the house where Xu Zhiqiu lived, his lips curving slightly.

Qiu, who are you thinking of?

What Xu Zhiqiu feared most still came to pass.

"Qiu, I'm going to give the Shikon Jewel to Inuyasha and let him become a true human," Kikyo said when she came to find Xu Zhiqiu, joy brightening her face.

Perhaps love had distracted the priestess who had once devoted herself wholeheartedly to killing demons and protecting everyone. It was not that her spiritual power had weakened, but that Kikyo no longer had the heart to concern herself with such things. She wanted an ordinary, peaceful life.

Xu Zhiqiu's feelings were tangled, but she felt powerless. She did her best to offer a gentle smile. "What about Inuyasha? How does he feel about it?"

"He agreed to my suggestion," Kikyo answered. Thinking of Inuyasha, the corners of her lips lifted.

Her happiness was plain to see. Xu Zhiqiu pressed her lips together and looked up at the distant sky, blue streaked with white. "Without the Shikon Jewel, you may become an ordinary woman. Kikyo, are you sure you want to do this?"

Kikyo tightened her grip on her bow and arrows and fell silent for a moment. Then she looked toward the horizon, determination in her eyes. "I'm sure." Rather than endlessly fighting demons that coveted the Shikon Jewel, she wanted to end this life sooner and stay with the one she loved, living a little more ordinarily.

"All right. You have my blessing."

"Qiu, thank you."

"It's nothing." Xu Zhiqiu smiled and watched Kikyo leave.

After Kikyo left, someone emerged from the woods. Draped in a Baboon Skin, he stood beside Xu Zhiqiu and followed her gaze toward the distant sky and the village below, all utterly unremarkable.

He withdrew his gaze and glanced at Xu Zhiqiu, who sat on the grass lost in some unknown thought. "Kikyo's spiritual power has weakened. She didn't even notice I was here. So she really has been punished by the Shikon Jewel for her childish passions. Heh."