A white cloth was draped over the sign of the household, only lifted partly as a wind passed by, exposing the gold lettering hidden beneath it, the Hsu's. White papers were taped over the gate doors, sealing in the horrors that had happened, while signalling the world of the tragedy.
YueQin reached out and ripped the seals to pieces, littering the already covered ground with more funeral papers. Pushing the doors open, she stepped inside.
The remains had been long removed, leaving behind only streaks of death, shadows of horror painted with blood. PingZe trailed behind her, studying the surroundings with hardened eyes. Death didn't shake him, having witnessed it in many battles over the centuries. But a massacre of civilians always left a foul taste in his mouth, no matter if the people deserved death or not. These deaths had no honour, only suffering.
A light scent of incense greeted them as they walked up the stone steps leading to the main hall. In the darkness, a single incense-stick still burned, a dot of simmering light. It had almost burned out, having been lit only an hour or two before the two had arrived. YueQin looked over at PingZe, hesitating over the doorframe. Only after he gave her an affirming nod did she release the tension in her shoulders.
A sticky pool of blood was left where Hsu LiChen had kneeled and died. Bloodied footsteps disturbed the otherwise clean surface. Turning her eyes away from the marks of murder, she stepped inside, trailing the walls of the hall. Broken pieces of Hsu nameplates crunched under her steps. In the silence, each step seemed to echo and multiply, each crunch sounded deafening.
Stopping before the altar table, Wei LiXue's nameplate came to view. It stood proudly in the middle of the altar that once belonged to a long line of Hsu descendants. The simple wooden piece had perfectly crafted letters carved upon the surface. It wasn't the most expensive, or the most beautiful piece to honour the dead, but it was made with care.
YueQin let her fingers trail over the letters. The edges felt coarse under her fingertips. The curves and harsh lines embedded themselves in her mind, body and soul. The final proof that her sister was no longer there. The simmering light ceased, the incense-stick no longer burned. The last of YueQin's hopes died with it, drowning everything in the darkness. Her hand fell back on her side, a heavy reminder that she was still alive. A monster, but still alive.
"You did well." PingZe's voice seemed distant, suffocated by the fog within her mind. YueQin could feel her head nod in agreement.
The nameplate wasn't done by her. Someone else had paid respect to her sister.
"Will you take it with you?"
Another nod as YueQin lifted her arms and took hold of the plate. She followed PingZe through the many corridors, across the abandoned yards, the nameplate tightly clutched against her chest. PingZe stopped before the well. He threw a worried look YueQin's way. She looked calm, collected, void of any emotion. Her knuckles had turned white from squeezing the nameplate in her hands.
"Stay here, I'll go down and search for them," PingZe said as he tossed a final glance her way. She gave him a weak nod, but her eyes weren't focused.
YueQin watched as PingZe climbed down the well. A moment later, he yelled up, his voice echoing against the cold wet stone, "The bodies are not here!"
The voice pierced through the fog like a blinding arrow, clearing out her thoughts. YueQin's feet pulled her forward, toward the well, and with a shaky breath, she dared to peer down into the depths. She could barely see PingZe at the bottom. A flame talisman danced around him in the air.
"What do you mean they are not there?"
She moved out of the way as PingZe jumped up and climbed out. "It reeks of death, that's for sure, but there is nothing down there. Someone else has removed the bodies."
--
It was after nightfall when the two arrived back at the inn in Tiang'an.
"Is he ok?" YueQin whispered as ZhiYi pulled the room door close behind him before he guided the two down the inn stairs.
In the faint light within the room, they had seen a glimpse of the state MingYu was in. He sat in a lotus position on the bed, his eyes were closed, droplets of sweat trailed down his face, his entire body twitched, but he held his posture.
"He is still alive," ZhiYi answered curtly as he stepped out into the night air and raised his face, letting the hazy moonlight wash over him. He let out a melancholy sigh as if with one single exhale, all pent-up worry could be pushed out at once, freeing his mind.
"The bodies have been removed from the well, brother," PingZe said after ZhiYi seemed to have calmed down and turned his slanted eyes over the two.
"Have you checked the Wei household?"
"You think they have been brought back there?" PingZe said with surprise. A tight smile appeared over ZhiYi's lips.
"Their bodies have been decaying for a while now, there is no use for them anymore, not even as walking corpses. We should head over there first thing in the morning."
"You should stay with brother MingYu," PingZe said as he took hold of YueQin. "We will check it out by ourselves."
"Are you sure, PingZe? It's better to have a backup."
"Don't worry, we can handle it," PingZe said with a knowing grin. ZhiYi seemed visibly relieved as he clasped PingZe over the shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Streaks of gold cut through the black sky, fading the dark with the sun's amber glow as PingZe and YueQin stopped before the white walls that separated the Wei house from the world.
A sweet, tangy scent wafted over them, taking both of them by surprise. It was the fragrance of incense. It had been burned out long ago, but they could still smell it, drifting in the still air.
No one knew YueQin's parents had passed, and no one ever crossed the area to care to visit either. She hurried inside, with PingZe fast behind her, and both halted at the little front yard. The white funeral cloth was strung along the walls and over the doors. On the ground, a copper plate was left, with piles of ash over it. Someone had burned offerings for the dead.
As they stepped into the little eating area, the tables and chairs were neatly arranged against the wall. Two nameplates were set up, one for Wei Zhang and the other for Wei BiYu. Candles and fresh fruits were placed in front of them with an incensory in the middle. The aromatic scent of incense had come from here.
"But how-" YueQin's voice broke as she tried to understand who had cared enough to set up a funeral altar for her family, the joke across Tiang'an and Tingzhu.
PingZe had moved closer to inspect the nameplates, then frowning he turned to YueQin. "These are made with the same handwriting as the one in the Hsu household. You didn't make these?"
YueQin only shook her head. As they step out the back, pure white flower petals were sprinkled across the graves of the two old Wei's. A third grave was built next to the other two, covered in fresh pink petals of the cherry blossom tree. The names engraved on the tombstone spelt, Wei LiXue and unborn child.
"The soil is fresh on this one, it hasn't been many days since this was built," PingZe said as he inspected the grave.
"Can you give me a moment?" YueQin whispered.
"We will wait for you by the gates of Tiang'an. We should leave as soon as possible," PingZe said before he disappeared from her side.
YueQin stood still. The three graves were right there in front of her, yet they seemed so far away. A weight pulled at her shoulders and she wanted to curl up beside their graves and stay with her family until the sun ceased to rise and the moon never lit up again. Was she a coward for fearing death? To continue living when there was nothing to live for?
"Am I weak?" YueQin whispered as she knelt next to Wei LiXue's grave and brushed over the tombstone with her palm. "Will you be lonely on the other side?"
A faint flutter of wings passed by her ear, and a white butterfly landed on her hand. It flapped its wings gently, brushing against her skin, but didn't take flight.
"LiXue?" YueQin's throat dried up as she brought her hand over, careful not to scare the butterfly away. The tips of the white wings were tinted the same colour as the cherry blossom petals before her.
The butterfly flew off her hand, fluttering before her, briefly landing on her cheek. It was a soft kiss from the dead before it took off over the stone walls and disappeared, taking away YueQin's sense of loss with it.
YueQin smiled as the tears now flowed freely down her cheeks, watering the soft soil beneath her feet. Living was worse than death, but she wouldn't give up, not after what she had to go through.