CH 34

Chapter 34: Xue Fang

“Have you two reconciled?” The old woman saw them sitting far away from each other without speaking a word during breakfast.

Jiang Ling occupied herself with the food in front of her while He Xi sipped her porridge with her usual elegance.

“He Xi, what’s this?” The old woman knitted her eyebrows, gesturing to a spot between her neck and clavicle, “Why is there a red mark?”

He Xi rubbed her collar bone, glanced at Jiang Ling, then said with a smile, “Seems like I was bitten by a bug when I went out yesterday. The bump appeared yesterday. It itches a little bit.”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling ducked her head even more.

“So inattentive. Does it still itch? I have some ointment in my room I can go grab for you.” The old woman warm-heartedly tugged on He Xi, making to bring her over to her room.

“Pa—” Jiang Ling quickly dropped the bowl in her hands and stood up, “I’m going outside to catch the bugs!”

“No need for all this fuss.” The old man could not hold back anymore, “It’s just a bug bite, not a snakebite. Sit down and drink your porridge.”

Jiang Ling could only sit down obediently and drink her porridge.

“Girls, in a bit, go to the left-hand plot and harvest the sweet potatoes. Tomorrow you can sell them at the market.” The old man was a realist. Now that he had two young people living in his home, he would most assuredly put them to use.

Jiang Ling had grown up on Minghe Mountain and was accustomed to this kind of manual labor, but she had not expected He Xi, who looked quite well-to-do, to likewise be an old hand.

Jiang Ling carried a basket on her back, dusting the dirt off the potatoes He Xi collected and placing them inside. Little by little, they gathered two baskets full.

He Xi did not have any intentions of talking, but Jiang Ling could not help but want to chat with her, “Oh…He Xi, why are you so fair?”

The Xiyu people that Jiang Ling knew were all like Shangguan Qing and cared for their appearance. Their skin was a pretty wheat color, not as white as He Xi. And He Xi, having lived so long in the desert, was actually luminescently pale. She felt injustice on Shangguan Qing’s behalf.

“Born with it.” If Shangguan Qing heard her say this, she would definitely start a fight.

“…”

He Xi put her hoe down then walked up and knelt beside Jiang Ling, grabbing all of the sweet potatoes with swift movements and tossing them into the basket carried on her back.

“You’re also very fair.” He Xi carefully observed Jiang Ling.

“Flattery.” Jiang Ling lifted her sleeve and put it up beside He Xi’s. Understanding her intention, He Xi also lifted her sleeve, and the two of them compared. As it happened, Jiang Ling was actually more tan than He Xi. Jiang Ling lamented the heavens’ injustice even more.

Their arms brushed each other’s. Jiang Ling felt that He Xi was standing too close, the atmosphere a little off. Embarrassed, she retracted her arm and picked up the basket, walking in front of He Xi.

The two of them headed back under the setting sun.

Jiang Ling put down her basket and grabbed a trowel, digging a small pit in the courtyard. She put a bundle of kindling in the pit and lit a fire. He Xi was confused.

“Roasted sweet potatoes.” Seeing that the firewood was burning well enough, she dropped the sweet potatoes into the fire and covered it, “They’ll be ready in a while.”

“Did you used to do these things with your shixiong?” He Xi said meaningfully.

“Yup, we would catch wild game on the mountain all the time.” Jiang Ling reminisced, “But it only tasted special when we sprinkled your Xiyu spices on it.”

“What kind of relationship did you have with your shixiong?”

“A shixiong-shimei relationship.” Jiang Ling scrunched her brows together. He Xi was asking her about her relationship with her shixiong today. Even though she just about believed that He Xi did not kill her shixiong, she should not be this persistent in her questioning, “Today, you…” Halfway through her sentence, Jiang Ling realized He Xi’s intent. She blushed, “Not that kind of relationship…”

Jiang Ling rambled, afraid He Xi would misunderstand something, at the same time feeling that her explanation seemed to admit to her and He Xi having some kind of relationship. She was already even with He Xi, so they did not have any kind of connection.

“Cumin.” He Xi said out of the blue.

“What?”

“The spice you mentioned before. If you like it, we can buy some at the market tomorrow.” A smile was hanging off He Xi’s lips.

“Little Jiang[1], you’re cooking sweet potatoes?” Smelling the potatoes, the old man came outside, “I haven’t eaten them in ages, since I was little. Honey, come outside.”

The four of them sat in the courtyard, eating Jiang Ling’s sweet potatoes. The old couple said, “It’s like we really have two more children. Much more lively.”

“Sir, Madam,[2] if you like them, I will roast sweet potatoes for you every day.”

He Xi’s eyes glimmered. This was something that she had never experienced. Although she viewed Luo Zhu as her own father, the closest they had gotten would be a master-disciple relationship. She had never known this familial feeling, something that Jiang Ling had made her readily experience. She even felt that, if she should spend her life here secluded from the world and relieved of her enminities, that would not be unacceptable. But, one must always wake from a beautiful dream.

The next day, they walked the horse with two sacks on its back toward the market. Because of their uncommon color, He Xi easily hid her eyes to avoid undue attention.

“Poor horse. It could bring its rider over one thousand li[3], but now it’s become a pack donkey.” Jiang Ling stroked the horse’s mane sympathetically, “From now on we’ll call you Little Donkey.”

Little Donkey whinied, disagreeing with Jiang Ling’s words, “You agreed. Now, we’ll call you Little Donkey.” Jiang Ling was cheerful.

He Xi could not hold back her smile, “You think it looks happy, do you?”

“I think it looks very happy.”

…

The sweet potatoes sold for some good money. Jiang Ling had also brought her own carvings along to exchange, but none of the vendors liked them, so she left disappointed. He Xi bought her a bag of cummin. After they finished everything, they went back with the horse.

Before they even entered the oasis, they sensed a dangerous atmosphere.

Footprints were all over the road, letting them know that several people had arrived at the oasis.

The two of them hid behind a tuft of grass beside the old couple’s home. Immediately, they saw that the house was surrounded by Manichaen mounts. The old couple were standing in front of their home facing the leader of the party: Guardian King Wu Ji, “I’ve heard that you are harboring two women?”

“Harboring? They’re my own grandchildren!” The old man said fearlessly.

“Old man, I’d advise you to be a little more sensible.” A follower pointed his blade at the old man, swearing.

“They’re our granddaughters that’ve home to visit us.” The old woman stepped forward, “You…ai!”

The old woman had not yet finished speaking before she was snatched away, a sword at her neck.

“You!” The old man’s eyes were filled with anger. He said menacingly, “Release her.”

“Old man, if you keep lying, your wife will die!” He raised his blade.

…

“They’ve gone too far!” Jiang Ling could not restrain herself and had to be held back by He Xi.

“If you go out now, you’re just playing right into their hands.”

“Then what should we do?”

“They won’t kill anyone. Let’s just wait and see.” Wu Ji was not an indiscriminate killer.

…

The follower’s actions infuriated the old man, “As I’ve said, they’re my granddaughters.”

In an instant, the follower’s blade was sent flying, landing in the sand dune several zhang away. Everyone was startled, having not seen clearly what had happened. All they could see was that that old man’s hand was already on the follower’s chest, and with a burst of qi, the follower was also sent flying, whacking against a row of fences. His face twisted in pain, writhing on the ground and clutching his chest.

The old woman was free. She walked to the old man.

Jiang Ling and He Xi were both shocked by how much the old man had hidden from them.

Wu Ji’s expression was strained. Seeing that the old man was skilled, he seemed to have recalled something from the past. He cupped his hands politely, “May I be so bold as to ask for this senior’s name[4]?”

“Humph. Do you deserve to hear it?” The old man put his hands behind his back, standing up straight, “Call your leader over.”

Wu Ji seemed to have guessed the old man’s identity and became reverent in speech, “Senior, the leader has just gone to meet the Holy Father. He was poisoned by traitorous followers. This junior is present here to arrest them.”

“…” After many years of living in seclusion, he had heard of his old friend’s passing, “That was not our granddaughters’ doing. You should leave.” He made to bring the old woman back inside.

“Senior!” Wu Ji had things he further wanted to say, but he was afraid that he would make the old man displeased, and could only leave in a huff.

The two of them watched the disciples leave before going back inside. The old couple were already sitting there, waiting for them.

“Did you poison Azar?” The old man said flatly.

The two of them shook their heads simultaneously. The old man let out a sigh of relief, “If you two had truly poisoned Azar, I would never have let you off.”

Jiang Ling did not know the relationship the old man had with the Manichaens, “Then for the Manichean leader who’d drink people’s blood out of some strange affliction, being poisoned to death by his own people is his just dessert.”

“Jiang Ling.” He Xi tugged on Jiang Ling’s hand, indicating for her to say nothing more.

“Oh?” The old man was even more taciturn, “Do you have evidence?”

“I…” Jiang Ling had only heard someone’s explanation of the notice’s contents, “They said on the notice that they poisoned Shahai Village and took the sick people left behind to the demon so he could drink their blood.”

The old man did not comment.

“Jiang Ling is the evidence.” He Xi said, “I rescued Jiang Ling from Zhu Li that day.” He Xi could roughly guess what would have happened to Jiang Ling if she had not taken her from A Lu. Jiang Ling had been muddled by illness and thus unaware of what had occured. Hearing of it now, Jiang Ling was touched.

“You mean that Zhu Li did it?” The old man had some impression of Zhu Li. He had been one of the youths traveling alongside Azar back in the day who had not liked people from the central plains with a relationship with Azar that could be considered respectful. The other had been quite good, learning the written and spoken Han language with zeal.

He Xi bowed, “Forgive this junior’s transgression. Senior, if you may, would you inform this junior of your name.”

“Just an alias from Jianghu.” The old man stroked his beard, “Xue Fang.”

“Xue Fang!” The two of them called simultaneously.

Jiang Ling knelt, “This disciple greets senior-shishu.” Who would have known that the old man was Lu Yi-shizun’s long lost shidi, living here in seclusion.

“So you are the disciple of Lu-shixiong’s disciple. You really are a granddaughter.” The old man joyfully rushed to help Jiang Ling up.

He Xi was glad that Jiang Ling and Xue Fang had this kind of connection. She had once heard Luo Zhu mention that the leader had a good friend named Xue Fang from the central plains, who was like an old friend upon their first meeting. They even exchanged martial arts knowledge. Perhaps there was hope for Jiang Ling’s hand.

“Senior, I’m wondering if you’ve heard of the Soul-Locking Needle.” He Xi placed her hopes on Xue Fang.