Chapter 006: Enlightenment

The next morning, in a guest room at the relay station outside Silver Prefecture, Xuezhe removed Lianzi’s disguise and donned her own clothes. Her inner dress was a flowing white, with an outer robe of pale blue stiff-woven fabric, and a sheer goose-yellow scarf for a touch of color. Dressed in shades of yellow and green, with sleeves the color of fresh milk, a plain silk sash, and boots with subtle floral patterns, her attire was pure and ethereal, matching her simple hair ornaments: a jade pear blossom and two green jade hairpins. When she walked, she seemed like a goddess descended to the human world; seated quietly, she evoked the image of a nymph savoring tea.

Xuezhe opened the sachet at her waist and took out the lotus seed inside. With a gentle breath, she called Lianzi forth.

“At last, I’m out! I was nearly suffocated by dried flowers!” Lianzi darted around the room, throwing open every door and window for air.

Xuezhe had left Kunlun disguised as Lianzi, and so Lianzi had reverted to her original form and been hidden away in the sachet.

“You, after so many years of cultivation, and you’re already like this after less than a day!” Xuezhe scolded as she walked toward the door.

Seeing her about to leave, Lianzi hurried to stop her. “You mustn’t go out now. Even in simple clothes, your beauty is too striking. Here, let me conjure a scarf for you to wear!”

Lianzi produced a red gauze scarf. Xuezhe smiled softly. “You’re the child of the Red Lotus, but must everything be this color? I won’t wear a red scarf.”

“But this is Red Lotus Leaf Gauze. With it, even those skilled in magic can't see your true face. Try it!”

Moved by Lianzi’s sincerity, Xuezhe’s smile grew gentle. She took the scarf and stroked it lightly; at her touch, the red gauze turned white.

Lianzi was startled. “No, you mustn’t use magic here! What if the Celestial Master Qinglian discovers it?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve just received the Nine Command Pearls my senior brothers found for me. I doubt my mother can locate me now.”

“What?” Lianzi jumped for joy. “How did you get them? Did you reach Green Mysterious Valley and retrieve the pearls in such a short time?”

Xuezhe nodded, her heart filling with joy at the thought of her senior brothers. “They’re remarkable, naturally!”

“But where are they now?” Lianzi looked around, not seeing anyone.

“No need to look. Miss Qu delivered them. My senior brothers have other matters to attend to—we agreed on a meeting place. They’re likely waiting for me aboard the Yu family’s ship.”

“Ah? You mean Qu Ling’er? That explains why I sensed the scent of Lanhin Pavilion!”

Seeing Lianzi’s reaction, Xuezhe took her hand and led her out. “Do you hold a grudge against her? If so, save it until we reach Tianshan!”

“It’s not that! If she found you, it must be because of me. It seems the Celestial Master Qinglian set me up!”

Xuezhe stopped and, after a moment’s thought, led Lianzi to a secluded spot.

“So you mean my mother dissolved the contract between us?”

“Yes. Now I can no longer merge with you. Once I returned to my true form, Lanhin Pavilion was able to learn of you through me. The Celestial Master must have feared I’d follow you to Tianshan and made preparations. What are we to do?”

“Don’t worry. When the time comes, I’ll ask Master to renew the contract. For now, let’s go!” Xuezhe’s heart leapt with excitement: At last, I’m returning to Tianshan. I will escape these nightmares—Tianshan will be just as it once was! Lianzi is unharmed, everyone is safe, and Tianshan will be well!

“No, though you have the Nine Command Pearls, I can still be sensed by spirit butterflies. You’d better not travel with me!”

“Absolutely not!” Xuezhe refused. “Are you not mine anymore?”

“Of course I am. Lianzi lives and dies with you!”

“Then why not come with me? The journey to Tianshan is long and arduous. With your limited power, how will you manage? If trouble arises, wouldn’t I be missing a little companion?”

“But where is Qu Ling’er now? She won’t use this to learn about Tianshan, will she?”

“She’s already left—likely to the ship. After all, our names are known to her. Here, in the mortal world, there’s nothing for her to learn. And once on Tianshan, she’ll know nothing at all. Don’t fret!”

Over the Central Plains, high in the northern skies, Lan Shui was flying on his sword. A fresh breeze rose, blue light flashed, and in a blink, he’d vanished into the distance, impossible to trace. Tall and upright, he stood serenely on the blade; the wind did not touch him, nor did the mist cling. Only his pale blue robes fluttered gently, highlighting the cool indifference on his handsome face, as if all the world’s wonders and splendors could neither enter his eyes nor stir his heart.

Arriving at a small city in Tang Prefecture, Lan Shui saw a solemn and desolate city tower, its atmosphere heavy and oppressive, people trapped within and without, misery as far as the eye could see. Lush grass and scattered wildflowers could not dispel the gloom and suffocation. Refugees starved, their bodies weak, faces scarred by suffering, caked in dirt and mud. The sick lay powerless, their appearances frightening, bloodstained and frail. At one corner of the city, the ill lay huddled together; outside the walls, a group of disaster victims lingered on the grass, indistinguishable from afar.

The city gates were shut tight: the sick confined inside, the refugees left outside—a scene of bleak desolation.

Some thirty yards from the gates, refugees crowded every inch, even the weeds and wild trees sparse. There, Lan Shui found a hidden spot to land.

A chorus of desperate voices rose, drawing Lan Shui’s attention. He saw hundreds of ragged commoners pushing against a fence—a barrier set up by Tang Prefecture officers to keep the displaced at bay. Though flimsy and low, the fence was guarded by soldiers, making it impossible for the frail people to break through.

Amid the wailing and cries, the sound of hooves approached. The city gate and the checkpoint opened; a caravan moved slowly out. As the carriages passed the fence, many refugees surged forward, only to be blocked and threatened by soldiers brandishing blades, their fury barely contained. The crowd could only shout, “Don’t take them away! Please, we beg you!”

Such pleas echoed dozens of times, but no one in the caravan was moved; they continued on unhurriedly. Once past the fence, all checkpoints were closed again. Within the city, cold silence reigned—as if it were an empty city, uncared for.

Several sturdy refugees chased after the departing caravan. Curious, Lan Shui walked into the road to observe. The people, of course, could not catch up; they were soon left far behind.

Once the soldiers and carriages were gone, Lan Shui caught up to the handful of refugees.

“You there, wait!” he called.

They turned, gazing at him with blank, indifferent faces. “What is it? Are you calling us?”

“Yes,” Lan Shui replied, stepping forward. “May I ask why you were chasing those carriages?”

“You don’t look like a refugee, nor a local of Tang Prefecture. Who are you?”

“Just a traveler passing through,” Lan Shui replied calmly. “I happened to witness the scene and was curious.”

“In that case, there’s no harm in telling you. Our hometown was ravaged by disaster—no harvest, no help from the court. We had no choice but to come a long way seeking aid, but as you saw, they won’t let us in.”

“The officials here are especially cruel,” added another. “Not only do they ignore us, they’ve seized our gravely ill relatives and locked them inside the city. If they die, their bodies are dumped outside. So we wait here, hoping to at least retrieve the corpses.”

Hearing this, Lan Shui was puzzled. “If that’s so, why not search the wilderness? There’s no aid here, and you can’t catch the carriages. What’s the point?”

“There is a point! The Emperor is kind—every day, Princess Lianghua comes to give out porridge, and that’s how we survive. The sick in the city await the doctors she brings. Every day is misery; who knows how long it will last? Why doesn’t Heaven punish the old master of Tianshan and send us some miracle medicine?”

“If only the one in charge at Tianshan would show mercy and save us poor folk. If the snow lotus doesn’t come, the Empress Dowager won’t let them out. My poor child is only five years old!”

Lan Shui understood at last: the Empress Dowager Xue was using this to coerce the people and blame Tianshan, her true aim to obtain the Tianshan Snow Lotus.

“In that case, may the plague soon be cured. You should also try your luck at Liu’an, twenty li outside the city.”

“Liu’an?” one of them exclaimed. “Yes, Liu’an! How could I forget—there’s a wild stretch there outside the city. That’s where they must be dumping the bodies! Thank you, young master—”

Before he finished, Lan Shui had vanished, leaving the men bewildered.

“Which sect does that young master belong to? Such lightness of movement!”

“It didn’t look like mere martial arts—more like magic. He must be a cultivator!”

“Ah, no matter! We got the information we needed. Let’s hurry to Liu’an!”

“Yes, that’s what matters most!”