Wang Lan Biyu sat in the room she was settled in beside her master with her eyes closed lightly, her expression at ease as she lightly sways. Her beautiful fingers glided across the guqin making it sing for her without reserve, she could feel the notes echo around her as if she was surrounded by the world her music created. Lan Biyu is recognized as a cold beauty, but right now her expression was relaxed and almost serene-looking as she plays for herself. The light and slow guqin sang and wrap its arms around her shoulders forcing her to sway lightly in tune with it, the light from below her faintly shimmered. Scales that resemble lotus petals are carried by the wind created by her spiritual energy and gently float past her waist as if caressing her body.
Lan Biyu tilts her head when the scales drift up till they kiss her cheek and slowly form the shape of a larger and more powerful white snake that slithers around her neck. The snake continues to wrap around her body like another layer of skin but Lan Biyu remains unaffected by its weight, her hands never stopping playing. Her snake lightly flicks its tongue out at its master whose eyes remained closed as she plays this sad melody, it knew its master was mourning. "Chi, do you blame your master for letting your siblings take those lightning strikes for me?" The albino snake stares deep into her eyes reflecting their simple yet clear and sincere sapphire eyes to show its emotions.
Lan Biyu and Chi continue to stare at each other blankly, each reflects one another's faces like mirrors without a soul. One more empty than the other, her snake tips its head and lightly rests near her cheek rubbing its smooth head against her pale white skin. Lan Biyu felt a pang of bitterness in her heart, she raises a hand to gently pet Chi's head. "You are a stupid snake, what do you know of affection?" In retaliation, it was a bit rougher with its love causing Lan Biyu to feel a bit stuffy inside, her heart sunk painfully as the cold body made contact with her pale cheeks.
Her left and right shoulders felt light without the extra weight that use to hang on her shoulder and would sleepily use her as a pillow, the weight that relied on her, was no longer there. "Mm, you are just a snake....just a snake..." Her voice trembles, in fact, one did not know if she was still talking to her snake. Or perhaps, if she was talking to herself with the way her eyes cloud up like she was caught in a dream her words spoken to no one but air. The door to her room was closed, but if one looked carefully a crack allows the faintest shade of white to be seen, the robe was simple and plain but the fabric was rich and smooth.
The robe did not move as if frozen in place, not even Lan Biyu noticed this presence outside her room that did nothing but listen to her playing and lamenting. Ling Da Chuanli was frozen in place with an unreadable expression, his handsome face was chilling to look at and his lips were shaped into a thin line. He was neither frowning nor smiling with frosty eyes that could rival Lan Biyu's own. If the always gentle and smiling senior was seen like this, it would surely make his junior sisters cry and his junior brothers kowtow without knowing what they had done wrong. Da Chuanli's hand was suspended in the air stuck in place, the young man purses his lips and his hand fell.
Wordlessly turning from the door in the corner of his eye that peeks through the crack he pretends not to see the beautiful girl facing the window with a lost and nostalgic expression that was unlike her. He tightens his fist and pretends to see nothing. His master was wrong. But he, he too was wrong. Lan Biyu did not need help to solve her emotional problems, she needed something neither he nor his master could give her. He could never give her what she needed, as her senior brother he could only do so much. The distance between them was wider than a valley, each step they had taken together from young disciples till now had only managed to close the gap by two steps. Nothing more. She despised him, she had told him this and from the look in her eyes, he knew the girl was not lying. He could NEVER be that person she needed... His left foot stops midstep, his eyes show conflict momentarily.
But if even his master could not soften the girl's heart...who could? He recalls his master's words long before he had first met the pretty but cold girl. "-....She is a child who although can return kindness, she had never been on the receiving end of said kindness herself until now. I hope that maybe you can show her what it is to be kind without being suspicious and wary." Da Chuanli became lost in his thoughts, and before he could stop himself again he turns around to walk back towards her room. "-junior sister Wang are you well? Are you hungry?"
"-I've brought your favorite lotus root soup with tofu, you should have some while it is still warm. You are still recovering after all." Fuqing stood outside Lan Biyu's door with a light smile while speaking to the person inside. His expression was gentle and caring, although she kept him standing there he still spoke to her and tried to coax the girl out patiently. "Junior sister doesn't know but there is a large garden with bamboo trees that resemble a forest here. They say that if you manage to find your way through the maze of bamboo trees there is a mystical lake that houses a tablet sunken at the bottom. The tale goes like this,"
He shyly but happily continued to speak to the door, not minding her silent treatment one bit. Da Chuanli hid behind a pillar with a strange look in his eyes, he closes his eyes and sighs to himself. "-Once upon a time, there was once a woman who belonged to the Wen sect who was as gentle as a flower and as beautiful as a goddess. Back then, there was no Golden Cloud sect, but a sect called Wèijí ruled these lands instead. This Wèijí sect was fierce and despised anything fancy or frivolous, they considered those with only beauty and weaker than them trash and waste. Even if someone who resembled a goddess like the young lady from the Wen sect was in front of them if she could not stand up tall and proud like them and emit overbearing strength they were discarded as useless."
"Their leader especially hated women or men who indulged in luxury while being useless and using money as a replacement for true power. He was a man that many admired and women adored yet they could not come close to being his match as all offers were declined without batting an eye. That is, until one day a young lady of the Wen clan had gotten lost during a banquet in the bamboo forest. This young lady was the daughter of the prestigious sect leader and was the pearl in the palm of his hand, she was treated well by everyone and loved by all. Even without much talent in cultivation, she made up for it with her courage and generosity. Her fearless heart and loving personality had already captured a long list of suitors' hearts, at a young age she had been engaged to a talented youth under her father's command. Her senior brother willingly gave her his everything and also loved the young lady without reserve."
Fuqing blushed and clears his throat with a small laugh while glancing at the door a bit embarrassed. "The young lady of the Wen sect knew she could not be as powerful as her father so she accepted the engagement for the future of the Wen sect. The young woman had decided to roam the bamboo forest lost in thought while admiring the nature around her with a gentle but distant smile. The Wèijí sect leader had just finished toasting to his fellow brothers and sisters in the hall and also went to take a breather in the bamboo forest. It was said although the young leader was cold and hard-hearted he was lonely, and during his time alone he would wander the bamboo forest with a lost expression as if lamenting his life."
"The bamboo forest was considered his personal haven, no one but he was allowed to wander in and no one dared to go against his order. As the sect leader strolled through his miniature forest he was stunned to see a young woman standing at the center of his forest looking down at the pond with a beautiful yet sorrowful smile. The sect leader who was used to seeing all kinds of beauty fell in love with the sad smile of the young Wen lady whose fate was to become a vase for her sect. Isn't it an interesting thing? The powerful sect leader actually fell in love with the type of person he despised." Fuqing laughed a bit wanting to humor Lan Biyu, however, he was still given no response. But knowing Lan Biyu was listening even if she wasn't answering he continued on as stories were the one thing that always managed to grab her attention when they were young. Even if she was indifferent to most things, sad tales always grabbed her attention for some reason. "-He had fallen for her grim smile and the soft yet mourning eyes that seemed to never be able to hold not a negative emotion for long. And indeed this was true as the young woman quickly looks up and saw the young leader losing her sad smile. Stunned as she was, the lady recognized the man and hurriedly apologized."
"-She was afraid he would punish her for trespassing yet, the young leader for the first time in a long while smiled at her gently making the young lady's heartbeat quicken. She had seen the young leader before, but he was always cold and cruel-looking. He never smiled ever during banquets or when young ladies did their best to entertain him and enter his eyes. But when he did, the young lady of the Wen sect sadly fell in love with his gentle smile. The two would meet up secretly in the bamboo forest and their love for each other is cultivated without the world outside knowing. So when the time came for the young lady to leave she was reluctant and so was he, so, the young sect leader proposed an engagement between the two sects. Although I'm sure there's more to it than this, don't you also think the sect leader moved too fast?" Fuqing once more tried to get her to answer, just as he thought there would be nothing a soft knock from inside made his eyes brighten. He hurriedly took a sip of water before continuing the tale.
"The young lady was happy to see her lover offer this engagement and her smile became shy and happy, yet her father and her senior brother were shocked and displeased. Not just them, but everyone in the Wen and Wèijí sect frowned at once and argued with each other during this time. The Wen sect was unwilling to part with their gentle and loving sister, and the Wèijí sect was angry and upset for their leader chose such a weak woman as a partner. The tension between the two only became worse and the two lovers were forcefully torn apart by her father and senior brother. Helpless, the young lady of the Wen sect could not fight her own people or harm them so she could only be pulled away by her furious and jealous senior brother."
"Seeing his lover treated so roughly the young leader threatened the Wen sect to let her choose for herself or else he would call for war between the two sects. Although his brothers were reluctant, seeing their young leader was truly in love they stood by his orders and also demanded they give their leader's woman back. The young lady of the Wen sect was forced to choose between her lover and her family. Isn't this a big plot hole? Did she love the young sect leader enough to actually debate choosing between them? Ones sect is everything, don't you agree junior sister?" He himself really didn't understand the woman's debacle much to Da Chuanli's amusement. But Da Chuanli did, weren't all emotional types like this? When a person was showered with love they would think love is everything and overlook the important things. What a foolish story, he thought to himself. Fuqing, not knowing he had more than one person as his audience went on with the story. "-Although afraid of breaking either of their hearts, the young lady of the Wen sect took a long look at her lover and smiled sadly. It was the same sad and mourning smile he had seen the first time he laid eyes on her. The eyes that would show she had no choice, she was weak and she knew this, yet she pretended to be strong in front of herself and others for the sake of her loved ones."
"So, in front of everyone's eyes, before anyone could stop her, the young lady of the Wen sect took her own life. Chaos ensured and the two sects went to war as neither side could endure the pain in their hearts from losing the lady of the Wen set. Years go by and neither side showed they were going to lose, that is until the young leader of the Wèijí sect finally started becoming weary and numb. He said to himself, 'All this fighting and death..all of this suffering, none of it would bring her back.' Seeing the Wèijí sect was started to lose its morale the senior brother of the young lady stood in front of the young leader of the Wèijís' and saw the cold man weeping bitter tears at the pond. Seeing the man who could so brutally murder people with a wave of his hand on his knees in front of a pond the senior brother was furious and humiliated. He said to him, 'Get up! Although I despise you with all my heart, my junior sister would never forgive me for cutting a man while he down! You, stand and fight, like a man! Is that not what your sect treasures most?! Strength above all?!' The tired and worn-out sect leader gave him a bitter and mocking smile."
"-' And your sect is any better? For the sake of tightening the reigns within your clan, you were willing to force a woman to marry a man she did not love? How is that any different from my clan that longs for power? We are the same, seeking power but with different means. At least I, am honest and say what I think without hiding or taking others for profit.'" Da Chuanli found himself admitting a bit that the sect leader was probably the only somewhat sensible one in this ridiculous story. "-This, of course, caused the senior brother to become even angrier, and without saying anymore his sword pierced the sect leader who smiled until the bitter end. His last words were those towards his long-dead lover, 'My love...I understand...I understand now....' Mournful, the last remainders of the Wèijí sect drove the Wen sect out of their lands and built a tablet in honor of their leader who died for love and his lover who died because of love."
Fuqing glances at the door that still did not open for him even after his long tale, Da Chuanli ponders to himself quietly while Fuqing sighed to himself and said softly. "Junior sister, this tale although sad, they say at night when the moon is full like on the day the two lovers met. The two lovers who were pleased to find each other in heaven again decided to help people find their loved ones as well and cast a spell upon the tablet. Anyone who looked upon the reflection of the water will not see the moon but the face of the person they would share the rest of their life with. But that is only if said person is worthy enough to find their way to the center. It's a harmless enchantment but very popular among the people in the Golden Cloud sect."
He pauses before asking the real question of telling this long and taxing tale. "If Junior sister wants then I would not mind taking Junior sister if she is curious about this legend?" Speaking for so long, Da Chuanli wondered if the young man would be thirsty or tired. But in the face of love, there seemed to be no limit to his energy as he kept trying to coax Lan Biyu to go out only to be met with more silence. After half an hour of standing with the now cold soup in his hands Fuqing finally reluctantly gave up. He waited a bit more before hesitantly saying "Then if junior sister needs anything or is hungry, you can call for me." He walked down the hall back towards the dining hall with a cloud pouring over his head, seeming in a disappointed mood.