This evening, they hurried along the road, their pace swift and tireless, though they knew not how long they had been journeying. As the night approached its deepest hour, both Jian Yumei and his sister were feeling weary.
"Brother, are you fatigued?" Lin Li inquired.
"Yes, sister. We've been traveling through the night. If there's a place nearby where we can rest, it would be prudent to do so. I doubt anyone would pursue us," Jian Yumei replied.
At that moment, they spotted a small temple up ahead. "Sister, look. There's a small temple ahead. We could rest there," Jian Yumei suggested.
"Very well, brother. Let us rest there before continuing our journey," Lin Li agreed.
Upon reaching the temple's entrance, they dismounted their horses.
Tying their horses to a tree on the hill behind the temple, Jian Yumei recalled his master's teachings. It was a common practice in the martial world. Jian Yumei had learned that tying the horses at the front of the temple would make them easily visible, whereas at the back, in the woods, they would be less likely to be discovered.
Except by someone exceptionally skilled, which was unlikely to happen.
Now, with the waning moon hanging in the sky, the temple's entrance was lined with willow trees. Jian Yumei recalled a verse: "By the riverside, willows sway in the breeze under the lingering moonlight." However, it seemed strange there was no river, no boats, no wine – only an abundance of willow trees.
Approaching the temple gate, Jian Yumei extended his hand to push it open. As his hand neared, the gate creaked open on its own.
Jian Yumei found this peculiar. His hand hadn't touched the gate yet.
Undoubtedly, the gate had opened by itself, not by his hand.
Glancing back at Lin Li, Jian Yumei subtly gestured for her to stay put. Understanding his signal, Lin Li remained in place. Her hand slowly reached into her bag, where Jian Yumei knew she kept her gun.
Then, Jian Yumei cautiously stepped inside.
The interior was covered in dust, indicating it had been quite some time since anyone had been there. Yet, why had the door opened for him?
He pondered this mystery, when suddenly, Jian Yumei became aware of something behind him, watching him intently.
Turning around, Jian Yumei heard a creak as the temple gate slammed shut once more.
In the ensuing darkness, a fragrant aroma filled the air, overwhelming him with delight.
"What scent is this?" Jian Yumei wondered.
"Plum blossoms – the fragrance of plum blossoms!" Jian Yumei realized.
But it was the end of summer. How could there be the scent of plum blossoms?
Jian Yumei was filled with a sense of wonder.
At that moment, a soft voice sounded, gentle and melodious. "Returning from one's homeland, one should be familiar with its affairs. When leaning against the window tomorrow, will the cold plum blossom?"
Jian Yumei was shaken to his core. In his mind, a long-forgotten memory resurfaced. It was in an ancient desert, surrounded by yellow earth and sand, yet within the city walls flowed water and springs. At the heart of the city stood a grand palace, and in one corner of that palace bloomed beautiful plum blossoms.
Jian Yumei recalled being the master of that place. But where was it? A voice in his mind reminded him: that place was called Western Xia.
He saw himself there, alongside a woman, admiring the plum blossoms in full bloom. It was winter, and both were clad in fur garments, yet her unparalleled beauty remained undiminished.
"Returning from one's homeland, one should be familiar with its affairs. When leaning against the window tomorrow, will the cold plum blossom?" The woman recited the verse with him.
Jian Yumei vividly remembered the woman's childhood spent in a grand palace, where her Han Chinese mother's favorite plum blossoms adorned the grounds. Her father, captivated by her mother's beauty, filled his palace with plum blossoms from her mother's homeland.
Upon learning this, Jian Yumei ordered the plum blossoms to be planted in his desert palace, so he could share the experience of admiring them with her.
However, the voice that now echoed sent shivers down Jian Yumei's spine. It overlapped with his memories and dreams, reminding him that this story had unfolded a thousand years ago.
Jian Yumei dared not turn around, fearing what he might see – fearing it might shatter his perception of reality, blurring the lines between a thousand years past and the present.
Especially with the waning moon hanging high in the sky.
In Jian Yumei's mind, he recalled the grand tomb illuminated by moonlight – a sight he had witnessed for the first time tonight, so vividly before him.
It was nestled in the mountains, devoid of soil or any adornments, merely a solitary peak.
Jian Yumei vividly remembered crying as he sealed the tomb, tears flowing freely. It was he who sealed the tomb – a tomb that was a mountain.
Yet, as the many craftsmen withdrew, Jian Yumei witnessed soldiers arriving, bows drawn and arrows nocked. In a downpour of steel, the craftsmen fell.
Jian Yumei knew clearly that the mountain was within the Helan Mountains. Then, leading those soldiers out, Jian Yumei vividly remembered that the path out was filled with mysteries. They had to find many places with secret signs, walking the correct path to escape.
"My lord, many of the markings here will vanish in a hundred years. No one will find this place again! Even if they unwittingly stumble upon it, they won't find their way out, for I have devised a trap. This will be a desolate land, a ghostly realm! Those people just now will guard the tomb of the beloved Consort Zi'er for eternity!" Beside him was a man named Youyan, the national tutor of his Western Xia Kingdom.
At that time, under the waning moon, the mountain tomb was incredibly lonely in the moonlight. Thinking of his beloved consort lying silently inside, tears streamed down his face. Yet, at this moment, upon hearing the recitation of the plum blossom poem, Jian Yumei was shaken to his core. He turned his head.
There, Jian Yumei saw the girl sleeping in the ancient tomb, now standing before him. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she gazed at Jian Yumei, as if she had many words to say but couldn't utter them. Jian Yumei felt a pang of heartache, as if he were suffocating.
He cried out in anguish!
At that moment, Linli's voice came from outside, "Brother, brother!" Then Linli's footsteps quickly approached.
The girl was startled, looking at Jian Yumei with eyes full of reluctance, yet she suddenly flew away.
Jian Yumei couldn't forget the gaze she gave him before leaving, as if conveying ancient myths, as if telling him that despite a thousand years passing, he must find her again.
Then, Jian Yumei saw everything before him changing. In an instant, he realized he was standing on a hillside, devoid of plum blossom fragrance, without willow trees or a mountain temple.
Only the cold, lingering moon watched over him from above.
Jian Yumei and Linli stared at each other. At that moment, Jian Yumei noticed something on a nearby tree branch.