By the lakeside, in a teahouse.
Suddenly, a sharp crack rang out as a gavel struck the table heavily, startling birds into flight and fish into the depths. The calm surface of the lake rippled in response, layers of waves expanding outward.
“That day in the Jian estate, what a breathtaking scene it was! Master Jian stood before the crowd, talking and laughing freely, but who could have guessed that in the blink of an eye, he would transform into a green-faced, fanged monster shrouded in black Qi! The crowd was scared out of their wits, but at that critical moment, a long whistle pierced the clouds. Young Hero Pei arrived through the air; with just a few swift moves, he slashed that terrifying monster beneath his sword!”
A guest below whispered to a tablemate, “Who is this Young Hero Pei?”
“You actually do not know Young Hero Pei? He is the most popular protagonist in storybooks these days.” The tablemate looked surprised and gestured toward the south. “Have you heard of the Xuanyun Sect, about a day’s journey from here? It is a prestigious sect of sword cultivators. Young Hero Pei is the designated next Sect Master of Xuanyun.”
“So it is him, Pei Chuan of the Xuanyun Sect. Then, of course, I know of him.”
The storyteller did not wait for them to finish, continuing loudly: “But though the monster died, the evil Qi did not dissipate! The people present felt a gust of foul wind hit their faces, and one after another, they collapsed unconscious. At that moment, look at the sky! The weather changed abruptly, gales howled, and from within the clouds, a figure drifted down gracefully!”
On the second floor, in a private room.
“Guests, your Tea-Scented Chicken is here!” The waiter pushed open the door and placed a pot in the center of the dining table; the sound of bubbling could still be heard within. He lifted the lid, and steam wrapped in a rich meat aroma rushed toward them.
Xie Yuan picked up his chopsticks and glanced at Pei Chuan beside him. “Look, they are talking about you.”
Pei Chuan did not respond, quietly lifting his teacup. He stared down at the tea leaves floating and sinking in the cup, as if the commotion downstairs had nothing to do with him.
Shen Zhuo, however, was full of interest. He leaned toward the window, watching the storyteller perform with high spirits, listening intently. The storyteller’s voice rang out again:
“The one who arrived was a white-clad fairy, her robes fluttering in the wind like a soaring swan. It turns out she was originally a celestial maiden from the heavens, trapped in the estate by Master Jian’s trickery and sealed of her immortal power. Today, with the monster executed, the seal was broken, the fairy was freed, and she came specifically to find her benefactor.”
“And what a sight it was! Seeing Young Hero Pei’s features as sharp as a sword and his heroic bearing, the fairy’s heart was instantly moved. When Young Hero Pei looked up and saw the fairy, he too found her exceptionally pure and beautiful, unlike any commoner. However, he held the responsibility of the Xuanyun Sect Master on his shoulders and the safety of all living beings; how could he dare to indulge in romantic feelings? Even if his heart stirred, he could only force the feeling down.”
“The fairy intended to meet her benefactor, but the young hero ruthlessly disappointed her heart. What will become of this celestial-mortal romance? Find out in the next installment!”
The gavel struck again, and the teacup in Pei Chuan’s hand was crushed. He said coldly, “Nonsense.”
Below, the storyteller bowed for tips. The hall was filled with cheers, and copper coins and silver bits clinked as they fell into the tray. No one knew that the protagonist of the story they were enjoying was sitting right upstairs.
Xie Yuan burst out laughing, his white jade fan swaying cheerfully. “Why be angry, Pei Qingtian? The storyteller is praising you as brilliant and divine, and you even gained a celestial romance for free. Is that not wonderful?”
Shen Zhuo withdrew his gaze from the storyteller and looked at the pot of Tea-Scented Chicken on the table. “Senior Brother, folk stories are three parts truth and seven parts fiction, meant only for entertainment. Do not take them seriously.”
Pei Chuan said nothing, placing the porcelain shards on the table and taking a new cup to pour tea. Xie Yuan, never one to pass up a chance to stir the pot, fanned himself harder. “On that day, the only woman present was Miss Song. Could the prototype for the fairy be,”
Pei Chuan shot him a cold look, successfully making Xie Yuan swallow the rest of his teasing, though the smile on his face became even more obvious.
Song Yan, sitting on the other side of Pei Chuan, smiled and said, “Master Xie, please show some mercy and do not make fun of me as well.”
The table was not small. Shen Zhuo stood up, used the serving chopsticks to probe the pot, and picked up a piece of chicken drumstick meat stewed to tenderness. The chicken was so tender and the skin so glossy that as soon as it left the pot, most of the meat slipped off the bone. In the end, he only picked up a bare bone.
He looked around, then simply took a soup spoon, scooped up the whole piece of drumstick meat, and placed it into the bowl of the sightless Song Yan. “Miss Song, try this. Brother Pei and I love the Tea-Scented Chicken here the most.”
“Thank you, Young Hero Shen.”
Xie Yuan stretched out his long arm and also put a piece of chicken in his bowl. “Fellow Daoist Shen, why do you call him Brother Pei one moment and Senior Brother the next?”
Shen Zhuo froze; he truly had not noticed. This shop was in the town at the foot of the Xuanyun Sect mountain, and it was the place he and Pei Chuan had frequented most in their past lives. Out of habit from his previous life, the words “Brother Pei” had slipped out naturally.
“Xiao Zhuo can call me whatever he wants,” Pei Chuan snapped before Shen Zhuo could find an excuse. “As for you, why are you still here?”
Xie Yuan took another bite of chicken. “What do you mean, why am I still here?”
Pei Chuan frowned. “We are almost at the borders of the Xuanyun Sect. Do you not have your own affairs to attend to?”
“Of course I do. I need to find my master,” Xie Yuan said frankly after swallowing. “The only lead I have now is that jade pendant, so naturally, I must follow Miss Song.”
“The resentment on the jade pendant has not been cleared. It is safer for Miss Song to stay at Xuanyun for now so we can deal with any abnormalities,” Pei Chuan said, his brow still furrowed. “Do you intend to stay at the Xuanyun Sect as well?”
Xie Yuan finished his bite and put down his chopsticks. “It is not out of the question.”
“Not out of the question?” Pei Chuan’s frown deepened. “The Xuanyun Sect is a place of quiet cultivation; we do not accept outside guests for long stays.”
Xie Yuan acted as if he had not heard, leaning back in his chair instead. “Senior Brother, you are mistaken. How can I be considered an outside guest?”
“You are not a member of my Xuanyun Sect. By what right do you call me Senior Brother?”
Xie Yuan: “I am following Xiao Zhuo’s lead.”
Crack! A second teacup was crushed in Pei Chuan’s hand. “Sophistry.”
Shen Zhuo was buried in his food, eating happily. He only looked up from his bowl and glanced at the two bickering men when he heard his name. He truly did not understand why these two could not agree on anything. Forget it, he could not stop them anyway. The chicken tasted right; it was better to eat a few more bites.
“Do not be angry, Senior Brother, I am joking,” Xie Yuan said lightly, waving his fan. “A few days ago, I sent a formal visiting request to the Xuanyun Sect. Your Sect Master has already replied and agreed.”
With that, he pulled a plain stationery from his sleeve and placed it on the table. The paper bore the cloud-pattern seal of the Xuanyun Sect. Pei Chuan did not open the letter, but seeing that his master had already agreed, he could not say more.
He could only sting him with words: “Why do you not return to your own home? The Xuanyun Sect is poor and simple; I fear Master Xie will not be used to living there.”
“Ai, what does simple matter? When I was younger, I stayed in the wild with my master; how could I dislike a place of cultivation like Xuanyun?” Xie Yuan accepted the jab with a smile. “Besides, my home is far away in Wangyou Valley. Once out of the valley, unless I return to seclusion, I cannot go back.”
“Hmph,” Pei Chuan snorted. “Having no home to go back to, how truly pitiful.”
Xie Yuan followed up immediately: “Is it not? Fortunately, I have all the senior and junior brothers of the Xuanyun Sect to care for me.”
Pei Chuan could not be bothered to deal with him anymore, lest he keep going. He turned to Shen Zhuo and instructed, “You take Miss Song back to the Xuanyun Sect first. There have been strange occurrences in the town lately; I will go investigate and return after they are resolved.”
Shen Zhuo agreed. “Rest assured, Senior Brother. We will return safely. Please be careful yourself.”
Song Yan also spoke softly, “Brother Pei, be cautious in all things.”
Pei Chuan “hmm” in response, looking at Song Yan’s eyes, where the black Qi had faded but the void remained. “It is still a day’s journey to the Xuanyun Sect. It will be hard on Miss Song. If there is any inconvenience once you are in the sect, just tell Xiao Zhuo; there is no need for politeness.”
“Alright, Brother Pei, do not worry about me.” Song Yan paused slightly before asking, “However, I still have one thing to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
“That day in the Jian estate, Brother Pei said the culprit behind the massacre was someone else,” Song Yan turned toward Pei Chuan’s voice. “When does Brother Pei plan to tell me who the true killer is?”
Since that day, Pei Chuan had not mentioned the matter again, only using it as a reason to invite Song Yan to stay at Xuanyun so they could keep the jade pendant under their watch. But he had never revealed the killer. Even now.
Pei Chuan tapped his finger on the table and said only, “The time is not yet right. When the timing is ripe, I will tell you.”
Song Yan was unwilling to let it go and pressed, “When is the timing considered ripe?”
Pei Chuan thought for a moment. “At least until the resentment on the jade pendant is no longer so heavy.”
“But if the resentment never dissipates, will Brother Pei never tell me for the rest of my life?”
“Heaven has its own arrangements,” Pei Chuan shook his head. “But it cannot be told by me.”
Song Yan fell silent, bowing her head and taking small bites of the chicken in her bowl. Shen Zhuo took the serving chopsticks, asked her a few questions in a low voice, and added some more food for her.
After putting down his chopsticks, he looked at the now silent Pei Chuan, his heart full of doubts. Pei Chuan was not a timid person, nor was he one to play mysterious games. If he was being so secretive, just who was the killer? And why could he not speak?
Pei Chuan met his gaze, lifted his chopsticks, and said calmly, “Keep eating.”
The storyteller downstairs struck the gavel again, beginning another story of romantic entanglements. The tale of scholars and beauties drew constant cheers from the guests below.
Shen Zhuo looked out the window, where he could see the gurgling river outside the teahouse. The sunlight hit the ripples, creating ten thousand points of broken gold, so bright one could hardly keep their eyes open. A small boat with a black canopy rowed slowly past. The boatwoman sang a soft tune, her voice rippling out with the water.
Crossing this river and going deeper into the mountains would lead to the layered peaks shrouded in mist, where the Xuanyun Sect was located. Shen Zhuo withdrew his gaze, his fingers unconsciously tightening around his chopsticks.
He thought to himself, it has indeed been a long time since I last returned.