Waiting for her inner breath to recover, Yan Hui was bored every day.
As for why she was bored during the day....
Because every night Yan Hui would have a weird nightmare. She could see an enormous moon and a snow-covered mountain. The heavens and earth were tightly bound by a spell. There was also an indistinct yet strangely familiar figure.
Every night, she would have this dream. Sometimes, even when she'd thought that she had clearly seen the face of the person in the dream, when she woke it was like a gust of wind blew it away. Everything was gone. All that was left was a fuzzy outline that she couldn't wrap her mind around.
Could it be that something in the village was tainted? It found her and brought dreams?
Even so, why was she the one laying on the ground being killed?
She couldn't figure it out.
Ever since arriving at this village, Yan Hui discovered that there were a lot of matters she couldn't figure out.
Everyday she tried hard to investigate the crippled man, but every time she tried to leave A'Fu's side, she would always be stopped by him without a word or move.
Yan Hui knew he wasn't a snake demon but something else. It was inevitable she would be a little more wary; she didn't want to let out that she had discovered something. She had also been beaten at her own game, so now she was waiting to see what he wanted.
"Let's go."
She glanced at A'Fu who was standing in the courtyard with a hoe hoisted on his shoulder. She yawned, picked up the mantou [1] and water, and started walking toward him.
After a few days, A'Fu really seemed like a young peasant man who got married. Everyday, he went to the field to work. The only difference between him and others was that he brought her along.
"Grandmother, I'm leaving." A'Fu turned his head and called out to Old Lady Xiao. She weakly nodded her head.
Yan Hui also turned to look at Old Lady Xiao. In Yan Hui's eyes, she saw that the old lady's breath was slowly turning gray. Yan Hui couldn't be more familiar with that color. Every time something impure floated by, Yan Hui would see their entire body emit this color.
Old Lady Xiao's body aura was still very light. However, not long afterwards, the aura will slowly darken. Finally, it'll become the same black color as a ghost becoming a shadow. At that time, her life will end.
Yan Hui turned back around and stared at A'Fu's back. After being with him for a couple days, Yan Hui knew that A'Fu really cared for Old Lady Xiao. Yan Hui had no idea what matter had whetted his temper to be so silent and forbearing - but by thinking about it, she could have an inkling. In any case, it couldn't be a happy matter. And now A'Fu, who had endured a misfortune, would once again have to experience the pain of loss in his lifetime...
He was a mysterious guy and maybe had some ulterior motive toward her, but his life hadn't been easy. Yan Hui walked while thinking. She pondered on it and then deeply sighed.
A'Fu turned his head to look at her. Yan Hui lifted her head and met his gaze. Then she solemnly said: "Today's five mantou, you eat three. I'll eat two."
A'Fu: "..."
He avoided her gaze, seemingly dismissive: "Eat however much you want."
Yan Hui opened her mouth. She was about to tell A'Fu that for her, giving up a mantou was a very serious decision. However, just around the path's bend, she happened to glimpse a female figure standing by a far away field.
Yan Hui blankly stared. She paused. Unwittingly, an "Ah" slipped out of her mouth.
A'Fu's bright eyes focused and rapidly followed Yan Hui's line of sight.
In that direction, he only saw a woman wearing white silk clothes that seemed out of place in the countryside. She was standing in the middle of the road. There was a villager herding his cows, yet she didn't move. She stood still in the middle of the path, lifelessly staring off into the distance.
"Why is she..."
Yan Hui stared and walked toward her. A'Fu reached out to block her, yet he unexpectedly wasn't able to.
A'Fu creased his brows and followed after her.
Yan Hui jogged the entire way until she was in front of the woman. She stared and sized her up for a while: "Zhenren Qi Yun?" [2]
The female didn't respond. The older man off to the side cried out: "Hey, who cares about zhenren? Quickly let her pass. Let my cows pass."
Yan Hui returned to her senses. She pulled the woman a few steps off to the side. After the older man passed with his cows, Yan Hui carefully sized her up again.
But seeing her xian white clothes that should've been spotless, covered in dust from the countryside- the disparity gave the woman a dire feeling. Her expression was dull like she didn't hear or see anything. She only stupidly stared off into the distance. It wasn't clear what she was looking at.
Yan Hui saw this and frowned.
This Zhenren Qi Yun wasn't your ordinary cultivator. She was the lauded teacher and Zhenren of Qi Yun Monastery in Yun Tai Mountain. In the eyes of cultivators, she was as equally famous as Yan Hui's former shifu, Ling Xiao, of the Holy Mahayana Path.
Three months ago, after Zhenren Qi Yun went to a celestial meeting at Chen Xing Mountain, she disappeared. The entire Qi Yun Monastery, along with Chen Xing Mountain's people, searched everywhere, yet they never found a trace. At that time, some people guessed Zhenren Qi Yun may have been injured by demons.
Because of this, everyone in cultivating circles had keyed up until now. Who would've thought Zhenren Qi Yun would show up in this small mountain village....
"Zhenren?" Yan Hui called her, yet the female didn't even spare a look. "Zhenren, do you remember me? I'm Yan Hui from Chen Xing Mountain..."
"Idiot."
Yan Hui stared: "Hey..."
Zhenren Qi Yun's black pupils shifted. She looked at Yan Hui. Yan Hui lightly coughed twice: "Um.....Zhenren, I'm Chen Xing Mountain's Liang Xiao's disciple, Yan Hui. Although not anymore, but I..."
"Shameless."
The corner of Yan Hui's mouth twitched: "That's why I'm saying I'm no longer Chen Xing Mountain's....."
"Hopelessly stupid."
A vein in Yan Hui's forehead throbbed. Upon seeing this, A'Fu took a step forward in front of Yan Hui to block her. Yan Hui pulled at A'Fu's body: "Don't block me! I want to teach her how to treat people with courtesy!"
She hadn't finished when from further up the road, a male's voice called out: "A'Yun!"
Yan Hui looked over. Up the road, a man hurriedly limped over.
Yan Hui raised a brow. Very good, it unexpectedly was the lame man she met on the mountain.
When the lame man's shout ended, Zhenren Qi Yun reacted. She turned her head and faced the man who ran over. The man's gaze passed over A'Fu's face and then met Yan Hui's eyes. They lingered, yet he didn't say anything. He supported Zhenren Qin Yun: "A'Yun, why are you here?"
"You dropped your towel." Zhenren Qi Yun's voice was flat, giving a sluggish feeling. "I wanted to give it to you, but I got lost. The towel is also lost." She dipped her head: "I'm sorry."
The man seemed slightly touched. The corner of his mouth pulled into a smile, quietly consoling: "Don't worry. I'll take you home."
Done speaking, he didn't look at Yan Hui again. He led Zhenren Qi Yun back down the road.
Yan Hui didn't go to stop them. She only folded her arms, her left finger tapping against her right arm. Her eyes were contemplative.
The mentally confused-looking and stupid Zhenren Qi Yun and...possibly the snake demon...
If their relationship was really like what she saw, then Yan Hui suddenly understood why the snake demon would steal a family's secret heirloom treasure, why even though his tail was split into two, he wouldn't give up the treasure.
No matter how it was put, it was all because of love.
But the problem was, how did Zhenren Qi Yun become like this? Although she had only seen Zhenren Qi Yun a few times, Yan Hui knew Zhenren Qi Yun had a pure and noble disposition. Even if she became stupid, her personality shouldn't change to the point where every word was a criticism...
Also, was what made Zhenren Qi Yun stupid really the 100 year-old snake demon, which even Zhenren Qi Yun couldn't defeat?
Yan Hui couldn't believe that, even if she were to be beaten to death.
Yan Hui felt like the happenings in this small mountain village were becoming increasingly confusing.
But right now Yan Hui had an important question to ask A'Fu: "Why did you stop me from teaching her a lesson?"
A'Fu shot Yan Hui a glance: "I thought what she said was pretty accurate."
"..."
Although this boy was normally taciturn, when he unleashed his poisonous tongue, not a breath was spared. Yan Hui narrowed her eyes at A'Fu, then she slightly squinted her eyes more. She carefully stared into his eyes: "Little demon, do you know who that was just now?"
"Qi Yun Monastery. Zhenren Qi Yun."
"Oh, so you do know."
"Cultivators of the Mahayana Path, I've heard of them." A'Fu said that and hoisted the hoe while walking into the fields. "Don't dawdle. If we don't do work, then time will be wasted."
"Oh." Yan Hui blindly followed his steps. Then she turned her head to size him up: "Then do you know how Zhenren Qi Yun came to this village and how she became like this?"
A'Fu stopped. Yan Hui also stopped. The two people were face to face, gazes locked.
A'Fu's pretty eyes slightly narrowed: "Are you doubting me?"
Yan Hui arched a brow and laughed without a trace of threat. If A'Fu's lack of magic wasn't because of her Spirit Fire Technique, then the disappearance of his magic must have another reason.
"I didn't say that."
"It wasn't me." A'Fu harshly threw down those words with no further explanation. Then he turned around and continued.
Yan Hui slanted her mouth. She reached into the bag and pulled out a mantou to eat: "I was just asking. What a temper."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After eating dinner, Yan Hui felt like the room was stuffy, so she climbed onto the roof to look at the stars. However it was a full moon. The moon was so bright it dimmed the many stars. Looking at the bright moon on the horizon, Yan Hui remembered the unusually large moon in her dream. For a moment, Yan Hui felt like she was in an illusion. She felt like there was something pressing against her stomach, suffocating her until she couldn't breathe.
She sat up and rubbed her stomach. She was just thinking about returning to the room to sleep when she unexpectedly saw A'Fu walk out of the room backwards.
Yes, he was actually walking backwards, like something demented...
What's wrong with this demon...
Yan Hui's line of sight followed him. She saw him staggeringly leap into the woodshed and then exit with a bundle of firewood. Then he staggered out of the small courtyard. Although the entire chain of events seemed hard to do, A'Fu seemed at ease doing them. It was like he had done this before.
Yan Hui was curious. She jumped off the roof and followed A'Fu.
The moon was shining bright. It shone on A'Fu's solitary yet capable figure as he walked toward the lake. He walked until he reached a slightly spacious place with no vegetation. Then he put down the firewood. He pulled out some paper to feed the fire and concentrated on starting a fire.
In the split second the fire flared to life, Yan Hui saw A'Fu's face was covered in sweat and extremely pale.
What was he doing...why did it look like something heretical....
Yan Hui was really curious. It was unknown if A'Fu had heart palpitations or what, but he suddenly collapsed forward. The thin firewood that had just been lit went out.
It seemed like he didn't have the strength to get up. He curled up on the ground, jaw tightly clenched. It was exactly like he was suffering some inhuman pain.
What kind of pain would make a person who normally didn't react to pain suffer like this...
Yan Hui couldn't keep looking.
She walked up. "Hey." She crouched down and looked at A'Fu's face. Then she took the paper tinder in his hand. She originally planned to light the firewood for him, but she didn't think that when she touched his hand, A'Fu would suddenly seize her hand.
"Wha..."
Then Yan Hui only felt that her back hurt. She unexpectedly had been pushed down. Then her lips felt heat. This demon in the skin of a pretty boy took control of her mouth and bit her....
The author has something to say: That's right. Bit her ╮(╯▽╰)╭
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[1] Mantou
- a Chinese steamed bun
[2] Zhenren Qi Yun
- Qi Yun means riding clouds. "Zhenren" is a Daoist title. According to Wiki, Zhenren is above xian. I'm not sure how to translate this, so I left it as is. Some have said Daoist Master or Enlightened. Side note: The "Qi" in "Zhenren Qi Yun" is different from the "Qi" in "Qi Yun Monastery". Just in case you were wondering. The monastery is not named after her.