Chapter 19

Flustered, Wei Xun put the Buddhist scripture with the note tucked inside back where it belonged at the courier station, then found a deserted corner of an attic to hide in.

He stared blankly at his hands, at a loss. He did not understand why he had to avoid her, much less where that frightened, timid feeling had come from.

When he had first rescued her from the tomb, its circumstances had been so uncanny, and an Exorcism Mask had covered her face. Afraid that curse-suppressing objects such as Steel Needles and Iron Nails might also have been driven into her body, he had carefully felt every inch of her muscles and bones to check, without the slightest embarrassment.

Now, for some reason, he suddenly could not bear to touch her at all.

He finally endured until it was fully dark, but still had nowhere to go. Remembering that his junior brother might have nothing to eat at the Lotus Flower Temple, he bought a Hu Flatbread on the street and took it over.

Seeing him distracted and utterly dejected, Thirteenth Son was mystified.

"What's wrong, senior brother?"

Wei Xun said gloomily, "Somehow, I'm a little afraid."

At those words, Thirteenth Son looked as though lightning had struck him, his face changing with alarm. Though Wei Xun was young, his talent was extraordinary and his understanding exceptional; even as a boy, he had already ranked among the finest martial artists in the world. In the little novice's eyes, his eldest senior brother had always been carefree and fearless. Even knowing that he had little time left to live, he had remained easygoing and openhearted. As for hardship, danger, powerful enemies, or sworn foes, the stronger they were, the more excited he became. Thirteenth Son had never seen him afraid of anything.

"There's actually an enemy even you can't handle?! Could it be that expert with the Horizontal Saber..."

Wei Xun shook his head and told the truth. "It isn't an enemy. I made her angry, and she told me to get lost. She left no room for argument."

Struck by lightning all over again, Thirteenth Son widened his eyes in disbelief. "Then hurry up and apologize! What's there to be afraid of?"

Wei Xun looked mournfully at the little novice. After thinking it over and over, he said quietly, "I don't know what to say."

Holding his flatbread, Thirteenth Son thought, I'm only twelve this year, and a monk at that. Senior brother certainly picked the right person to discuss this with.

Neither fellow disciple had ever encountered such a strange, thorny predicament. They stared at each other, then could only find an empty rooftop to sit on and discuss it over their flatbread.

Assuming Wei Xun had caused trouble with one of his usual pranks, Thirteenth Son complained, "Senior brother, you shouldn't have upset Ninth Lady. She's been very good to both of us. When you hid away a few days ago, she insisted on going to see you. She even cried when she saw how sick you were."

Wei Xun's heart gave a sudden leap, but he could not believe it. Stubbornly, he retorted, "She's a crybaby anyway. She cries when something stirs her feelings, and she cries when she finds a worm in a jujube."

Thirteenth Son frowned and said hesitantly, "I can't explain it properly, but that seemed different... Right, have you apologized for hurting her hand? Let's settle things one at a time."

Bewildered by this, Wei Xun demanded, "What nonsense are you spouting? When did I hurt her hand?!"

Thirteenth Son found this unbelievable. "Didn't you see the bruises, senior brother?"

Wei Xun frowned. "I didn't see anything."

"You were so ill you were unconscious. Ninth Lady reached out to feel your forehead, and you suddenly had an attack and clamped down hard on her wrist. Luckily, I managed to deflect the force in time, so you didn't damage her bones or tendons. You know how strong your fingers are. They left a black-and-blue claw print. It's just as well you didn't pull out your dagger and stab her in the chest, or that living pearl really would have become a dead one."

How could that be? How could that be? Wei Xun froze. His mind was full of the thought that this rotten child was talking nonsense and deserved a kick off the roof. Yet what surfaced in his memory was the way she had kept concealing her hand with her sleeve. Whether writing or shooting arrows, she had refused to expose her wrist. Suddenly, he understood everything. His blood surged, regret and vexation welled up, and his thoughts fell into utter chaos.

Seeing his shocked, confused expression, Thirteenth Son realized that he truly seemed not to have known. He knew Wei Xun detested being touched. It was manageable when he could consciously control himself, but once he lost awareness, someone was bound to be killed or injured. Had that caused this trouble?

The little novice said softly, "You should still find a way to apologize. Even if she told you to get lost, would you really dare wash your hands of everything and leave?"

Amid the turmoil, Wei Xun asked himself the same question. Did he dare?

When Yang Xingjian had found them, she had reestablished contact with her family, and he ought to have withdrawn then. But that frail scholar with his three tufts of rat whiskers had no ability to protect her at all. In such chaotic times, with someone as exceptional as she was, how many predators would eye her hungrily along the road? Surely she would attract a hundred, a thousand times more covetous attention than the White Snake Pearl atop the Many-Treasures Pagoda.

Even if he disposed of Bao Lang immediately, a second and third Bao Lang would come lusting after her. He could never kill them all. He had lifted her out of the coffin with his own hands, then expended so much internal energy and effort to bring her back to life. To throw her into a den of tigers and wolves now and walk away-he truly did not dare, nor could he bear it.

With a long sigh, Wei Xun said despondently, "She made herself perfectly clear. By rights, I shouldn't keep pestering her."

Thirteenth Son remembered what Chen Shigu had said while alive. Throughout their journey, Wei Xun had deliberately avoided the subject. Whenever he brought it up, his eldest senior brother either took to his heels or pretended not to hear. This time, it seemed they had to talk it through.

Thirteenth Son said solemnly, "When Master was alive, he said the elixir that could save your life was called the Phoenix Embryo, also known as the Living Pearl. Ninth Lady carries the emperor's blood and descends from the Noble Consort. She is a true Phoenix Embryo. Her name is Baozhu, 'precious pearl,' and you rescued her alive from the tomb, fulfilling 'Living Pearl' as well. The key to curing your illness lies with Ninth Lady. This is the destined cause and effect spoken of in Buddhist teachings. If you leave, what will you do about your fatal illness?"

How could Wei Xun not have thought of all this? He had simply been unwilling to dwell on it throughout their journey. Now that Thirteenth Son had laid it bare, his emotions churned even more fiercely, and he could not calm himself. He had suffered from an inborn cold affliction all his life, every attack bringing agony worse than death. After years of tomb-robbing and searching ancient graves, he had still failed to find that legendary elixir formula. Only when he reached the end of the road had he lost heart and decided to wash his hands of the trade, accept his fate, and await death. Who could have imagined that on his final venture, he would dig her out?

The Penglai Elixir was an elusive illusion; he did not even know whether it truly existed. This person, however, stood alive before him, able to cry and laugh. Even if she was medicine for his illness, a pearl that could save his life, how was he supposed to use her? Could he throw her into a cauldron, cook her, and eat her?

The two fellow disciples sat facing each other in silence beneath the moonlight. Remembering the hardships of the past years, both were overwhelmed by mingled emotions.

After a long while, Wei Xun instructed him softly, "Go back to the temple by yourself." Then he jumped down from the eaves. Thirteenth Son watched him walk with his head lowered and uneven steps, still heading toward the County Yamen.

Watching until Wei Xun's back disappeared, the novice thought, The scriptures say, "With no attachments, there is no fear." Is it because his heart has formed an attachment that someone who never knew fear has begun to feel afraid?

The County Yamen's inner residence was already completely dark. Only the gatekeeper on night duty had lit a drowsily flickering lantern.

Wei Xun extended his fingertips and gently pushed Baozhu's window. It had been latched from inside. Unwilling to give up, he circled the room several times and tried every window. Each was closed without the slightest gap.

Naturally, he still had a hundred ways to get inside, even climbing onto the roof and lifting the tiles, but none was permissible. She had closed the windows, which meant he was not allowed in. This room was therefore the most securely guarded place under heaven, and even he was helpless.

The last stretch of summer heat had passed, and the late-night wind already carried a chill. With no clamoring voices to interfere, the breeze brought the sound of copper bells from the Lotus Flower Temple's pagoda far away, faint and elusive, like ethereal music drifting from immortals.

Unable to advance or retreat, with nowhere to go, Wei Xun could only sit on the roof ridge hugging his knees in the wind, gazing from afar at that window closed against him. A bright, round moon hung overhead, its cleansing light revealing every tiny detail around him. Poets ancient and modern had likened the full moon to an icy mirror, a jade platter, or a round moon-toad. Yet now, no matter how he looked at that bright, round thing, it resembled a pearl. His mind drifted, filled with countless thoughts.

Suddenly, a slender tabby cat jumped onto the roof and limped over to sit on the ridge. Perhaps it had been injured fighting another cat: its fur was disheveled, and its left forepaw hung in the air, matching his bandaged left hand perfectly.

Seeing it in the same miserable state as himself, Wei Xun gave a bleak smile and asked, "Little cat, little cat, is no one willing to take you in either?"

The tabby gave him an aloof glance and made no reply.

A skinny cat and a skinny man sat far apart at opposite ends of the roof ridge, gazing together at the bright moon in silent stillness.

As usual, Yang Xingjian went to Baozhu's room first thing in the morning to pay his respects, only to find Wei Xun leaning against the wall outside her door, waiting. Yang Xingjian looked around uncertainly, but saw no one lying nearby. Looking back at Wei Xun, he noticed two dark circles beneath his eyes. Gone was his usual arrogant air of looking down on everything through sheer confidence in his talent. His eyes held nothing but dejection.

Yang Xingjian asked cautiously, "Where is the princess?"

Without even looking up at him, Wei Xun said lifelessly, "Doing her toilette."

A woman's toilette was a private matter. An unrelated man naturally had to wait outside to avoid impropriety. But Yang Xingjian knew this fellow had never respected that etiquette. Even when Baozhu was arranging her hair, he would brazenly slip inside and watch from beside her. Why had he suddenly acquired manners today? From his expression, he clearly had not chosen to wait outside of his own accord. Had he been thrown out?

Though he did not know the details, the sight of Wei Xun's anxious, dejected face made Yang Xingjian want to laugh, though he dared not. Suppressing it made his whiskers tremble. The two men stood on either side of the entrance like a pair of door gods, waiting helplessly.

Old Yang was only half right. Wei Xun had not been thrown out. That morning, he had tried the windows again and still found himself barred. He could only gather his courage and knock at the front door. Baozhu had not told him to get lost again, but had merely said very coldly that she was doing her toilette and ordered him to wait outside.

Those words had given Wei Xun tremendous hope, but without seeing her, he still did not know the outcome. It was as though a hundred claws were scratching at his heart, as though he sat on a bed of needles. Several times, he wanted to throw up his hands, wander to the ends of the earth, and reclaim his freedom. In the end, his legs refused to obey him or take a single step away.

By now, Yang Xingjian had become exceedingly patient about waiting for the girl to finish her toilette. With nothing else to do, Old Yang stroked his beard and pondered for a while, turning their relationship over in his mind. Reaching an understanding, he displayed an adult's knowing smile.

Then he suddenly remembered Fang Xie, his daughter who had died young. Had she lived to adulthood, she would have been about the princess's age now. Perhaps she too would have blushed and sulked over some sharp-edged young man. At that thought, Yang Xingjian's emotions rose and fell, and he was deeply moved.

After they had waited almost two hours, Baozhu finally said they could enter.

They went inside together. Wei Xun looked over anxiously and saw Baozhu seated upright on the couch, cool and distant, her bearing dignified and stately, with none of her former warmth. Such presence left no doubt that she was a noble daughter of the imperial house. For a moment, both Wei and Yang fell silent as cicadas in the cold, neither daring to speak first.

Wei Xun's gaze carefully swept her face, but he could find nothing particularly remarkable about the makeup she had spent those two hours applying. Before, she had always drawn curved willow-leaf brows, making her look gentle and approachable. Today, however, she had changed to Cloud-Brushing Brows, extending toward her temples with their ends slanting upward, lending her far more imposing authority. No wonder her toilette took so long. She must have kept checking which eyebrow shape made her look angrier.

With her so icy, and Yang Xingjian present as well, Wei Xun could not utter the apologies he had spent all night composing. Uneasily, he waited for her to speak first.

To his surprise, Baozhu never mentioned yesterday's dispute. Taking out the note that read "Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know," she said coldly and gravely, "I thought it over carefully last night. The tribute paper used in the palace is supplied by a designated Imperial Estate Workshop. Every batch must be as consistent in quality as possible, or the papermakers will be punished. But this hemp paper used by commoners, though made from much the same materials, comes from different workshops. The pulp is not bleached, and no ordinary buyer will hold anyone accountable. There are slight differences in color between batches, discernible only when compared directly with the original. Go and investigate in town. See whether anyone uses hemp paper from the same batch as this note."

She paused, then continued, "The reasoning is very simple. Why didn't Bao Lang think of it? Perhaps because he did not want the constables handling the matter to know what was written on the note. Once they saw it, the whole town would know."

Yang Xingjian praised her sincerely. "Your Highness's intelligence is no less than Prince Shao's."

Wei Xun reached for the note, deliberately trying to look at her hand. But she still had it wrapped tightly in her sleeve, without even a fingertip showing, so he could not tell how badly it was hurt.

An instant before he touched the note, Baozhu let go, allowing it to flutter through the air. His repeated, deliberate avoidance of her touch had wounded her pride, and now she refused even indirect contact. Her voice and manner were cold and distant. She was repaying him in his own coin. For the first time, Wei Xun had his own methods turned against him, and a single blow struck his vital point.

The note drifted slowly to the floor. Without a word, he picked it up and tucked it into his robe.

Seeing that he still did not move, Baozhu demanded sharply, "Why haven't you left yet?"

And so Wei Xun rose and went out with his eyes lowered.

Watching Wei Xun leave, Yang Xingjian secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever they had quarreled over, it seemed the princess still held all the power in this room. That arrogant brat was no match for her at all.

Wei Xun walked distractedly through the streets, his mind full of that piece of paper fluttering to the floor. He did not know whether this outcome was good or bad. Although Baozhu had not driven him away again and had given him a new task, she treated everything with cold, businesslike detachment, utterly unlike her former manner. A sound scolding would have been more straightforward. In that atmosphere, anything he said would have felt awkward.

As he wandered deep in thought, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind him. "What's happened to our eldest senior brother? You look like a dog that's lost its home."

He pretended not to hear and continued walking.

Huo Qilang hurried a few steps to catch up and teased him with a smile. "Are you about to die of your illness? Any valuable possessions to leave your junior disciple?"

Wei Xun gave her a sidelong look. "I have a meteoric-iron dagger that can slice gold and sever jade. Want it? Tell me where your skin itches, and I'll stick it in for you."

Huo Qi hastily waved her hands, looking frightened. "I wouldn't dare. I was only joking." She looked Wei Xun up and down, then added, "Your complexion looks quite good. Seems your luck has turned. Why are you so unhappy?"

Preoccupied as he was, Wei Xun had no patience for idle chatter. Frowning, he snapped, "Get lost."

With entertainment to be had, Huo Qi was hardly willing to leave. She babbled on, "Word on the road is that you've latched onto a powerful patron and struck it rich. I went to the Sun Family Inn to visit a few days ago, but you happened to be out. That lady on the donkey has such a wealthy, noble face! You know I studied bone-reading and physiognomy with Master for a few days. Those earlobes of hers-tsk, tsk! She has the features of a daughter of Dou Yi."

Dou Yi was a wealthy magnate of Chang'an City who had built his fortune from nothing. His assets were immense, he associated with powerful figures at court, and he owned estates and residences throughout the realm. People of the time used Dou Yi's wealth as a measure of riches vast enough to flood the heavens. Assuming Baozhu was some great merchant's beloved daughter, Huo Qilang's eyes shone with envy.

Her eldest senior brother had been born with an exceptional physique. Guided by a renowned master and initiated into martial training in childhood, he was a prodigy unrivaled in his age. Yet he had also been born with the face of one fated for a short life. Everyone in their school knew he suffered from an incurable cold affliction and probably would not live to twenty. No matter how gifted or accomplished he was, he was destined to die young. Who knew why Heaven had arranged things this way?

Yet examining Wei Xun closely today, she saw that despite his worried expression, the space between his brows glowed red, and his features seemed to show signs of peach-blossom romance entering his fate. Huo Qilang was puzzled. If he would not live to twenty, why grant him romance? Had his fate changed and his luck turned?

So she asked tentatively, "Have you found the Phoenix Embryo, senior brother?"

Wei Xun suddenly vanished from where he stood. In the next instant, he was right in Huo Qi's face, jabbing hard at the Cloud Gate Acupoint by her collarbone. Half her shoulder immediately became unbearably numb and sore, leaving her unable to move.

Wei Xun said ominously, "If you want to die before me, just say so."

Knowing she was no match for him, Huo Qi hastily surrendered. "Spare me, senior brother! I lost money gambling, and people were hounding me for payment. I couldn't stay in Chang'an, so I came out to look for ways to earn money. I heard you'd struck it rich, so I sought you out. Please take your junior disciple along!"

Huo Qilang was twenty-four, handsome, and fond of lively company. She spent her days lingering in pleasure's soft embrace, amid song, beauty, dogs, and horses, and was known in the martial world as the "Silk-and-Gauze Gentleman." She had a long-standing taste for gambling and drinking with courtesans, and loved both men and women, making her expenses enormous. The wound on her face had come from pursuing a young male Daoist under their second senior disciple, Xu Baozhen, the "Cave Truth Master." She had flirted until the poor fellow was ready to live, die, and abandon his vows for her. Xu Baozhen had flown into such a rage that he threw down his horsetail whisk, snatched up a sword, and slashed her face.

Wei Xun had never been interested in her sordid affairs. Their paths differed, but that gave him no particular quarrel with her. Since she had honestly confessed and begged for mercy, he stopped troubling her, gave a snort, and walked away.

Huo Qilang hurried after him, not daring to prattle further about the lady on the donkey. She was increasingly puzzled. Wei Da usually mocked Heaven's decrees and feared nothing. He was no stiff-necked fellow unable to take a joke. Why was he so difficult to talk to today?

Rash by nature and unable to settle her mind, she lagged behind her three senior fellow disciples in martial skill. Yet because her interests were broad rather than focused, she had learned many miscellaneous arts from Chen Shigu. Had she not behaved so outrageously and abandoned all restraint, she could long since have established a school of her own. Now, at the end of her resources, she hoped to follow Wei Xun and make a fortune to meet her urgent needs. Seeing his foul mood today, she did not dare ask directly about the stolen pearl.

Following Baozhu's orders, Wei Xun began discreetly investigating hemp paper from the same batch as the note. The paper on sale came in every variety: bark paper, hemp paper, bamboo paper, and straw paper. Ordinary people used whatever was cheap and handy, while countless others used scraps of old cloth or worn quilt covers to keep records and sketch patterns. Huo Qilang did not know what he was looking for, but she was adept at reading people's expressions and busied herself running back and forth to help.