Chapter 14 Liu Hua Zhao: "May you be safe and well, and grow up to be independent..."
The waves crashed and pounded, their murmur echoing melancholically across the sea at night.
Dim light enveloped the cramped space, falling on people and casting swaying shadows behind them.
A fair-skinned young man stood in front of the door of one of the rooms on the ship, his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings warily, his hand resting on the long sword at his waist, as if he might draw it at any moment.
A muffled sound came from inside the door, mixed with sobs and suppressed groans. Faintly, one could hear a person repeating in a gentle voice, "It'll be soon...it'll be soon. Don't be afraid."
The young woman's heart clenched, and she began pacing anxiously. Cultivators are more sensitive to the smell of blood than ordinary people, and she detected an unusually strong scent of blood. The hem of her dark, fitted outfit fluttered with her movements, like the trembling tail feathers of a magpie.
The more anxious you are, the more easily you get distracted and try to recall that person's voice, that conversation that has been repeated countless times in your memory.
"Although I can keep calling you Xiao Wu, you still need a name for outsiders. Don't hesitate, just choose a name you like."
“...Let’s call it ‘Chasing the Moon’.”
"Good. The moon is associated with yin, and in many places it is linked to women, and the moon goddess has been a symbol of protecting women since ancient times. You have chosen a good name, Zhu Yue."
May you be safe and well, and grow into an independent young man.
The rustling sound of someone turning pages in the soft lamplight still echoed in Wu Zhuyue's ears. Lost in thought, the gentle voice in her mind seemed unreal, like a wisp of illusory moonlight. At that moment, a cry rang out from inside. The boy pushed open the door, then closed it behind him, locking it tightly. The cabin lurched violently from the large waves, sending a chill down her spine.
But she was perfectly safe.
Wu Zhuyue walked to the woman in white who was standing on the edge of the bed, holding a child. Though called white, the clothes were no longer pristine; they were stained with blood. Large patches of bright red blood soaked the soft fabric, outlining the flowing cloud patterns on it.
So dazzling, yet it seemed like a thread symbolizing life, holding the pale and delicate woman back to the world, preventing her from vanishing like snowflakes in the midst of fleeting glory.
The woman looked down to examine the child in her arms. After crying, the child quieted down and curiously blinked as it touched the moon-white mask on her face.
Wu Zhuyue carefully walked around and saw Si Liuhua lower her dark eyes, their light shimmering, which, along with her relaxed brows, gave her a gentle expression on her plain face. After confirming that the baby girl in her arms was unharmed, Si Liuhua gently handed her to the weak woman on the bed, and a faint spiritual energy from her fingertips was transmitted through her to replenish the vital energy lost during childbirth.
She was always a person who loved cleanliness, but at this moment she was not in a hurry to clean the blood off her clothes. Instead, she took the woman's hand and placed a pill in her palm. Wu Zhuyue couldn't take her eyes off her. The dim light was suddenly dazzling, and she could see an almost pitying look on Si Liuhua's face. The half of her face hidden under the mask looked gentle and holy at this moment, and the way she had held the baby earlier was like a lonely shepherd holding her beloved lamb—that wet, slimy, fragile creature.
"Xiao Wu, let's go out and get her some food." Si Liuhua sat in a chair and spoke quietly with the woman for a while before getting up and leaving the room with Wu Zhuyue. The corridor outside the room was equally narrow, with damp old stains crawling on the walls and emitting a strange smell.
Si Liuhua used a cleansing spell to remove the bloodstains from her body. The two went up to the deck, which was filled with women, huddled together. Some were wrapped in thick cloths, while others had no warm clothes and could only huddle together, or drink strong liquor to get through the cold sea night. The surging sea swallowed endless suffering, pushing the ship forward into the vast darkness along with the howling cold wind. Si Liuhua sighed and found a spot near the edge of the ship with Wu Zhuyue, where they sat cross-legged. She took out some dry rations from her bosom and slowly began to roast them with her spiritual power. Many people on the ship were starving, and her food was limited, so she could only share with those who needed it most. Therefore, the roasting could not be rushed, lest the smell make the people on the ship worry.
Wu Zhuyue nestled close to her. Her early-stage Qi Refining cultivation wasn't enough to withstand the cold; she could only rely on her own clothes and Si Liuhua's warmth. The other person wasn't warm either, but that was enough; at least it gave her peace of mind.
The two remained silent. Wu Zhuyue gazed at the boundless sea, her brow furrowing at the strong smell of the sea. Bright moonlight streamed into her arms, and she would idly hold it in her hands, letting the pale color fill her palms like water.
A man sat heavily next to Si Liuhua, rummaged in his bag, pulled out a sweet potato, and nudged the thin woman with his shoulder, who had her head bowed and eyes closed.
The rather large sweet potato slowly swelled in her hand, its skin showing slight charring marks. As if afraid the aroma would dissipate, the woman quickly shoved the sweet potato into his arms. With the scalding hot sweet potato in his embrace, Si Liuhua opened his eyes and calmly asked in a low voice, "Fellow Daoist, what is the meaning of this?"
"Oh! You're a cultivator too? You haven't abstained from grains yet, have you? Seeing how pale you are, I thought you were going to faint from hunger." The burly female cultivator touched the bridge of her nose, her voice sounding quite cheerful. "How can what you have in your hand be enough for a cultivator? This sweet potato is very sweet, have a taste."
As she spoke, she reached into her pocket again, intending to slip one to Wu Zhuyue as well.
Si Liuhua shook her head, smiled, and made some space for her so that the sweet potato could be successfully delivered to Wu Zhuyue.
“Fellow Daoist is truly kind-hearted. However, this ship seems to have been specially provided by the imperial court for border people to escape from. Why did you mix in with this group of refugees? Could it be for the purpose of providing relief?”
“No, that’s not it.” The female cultivator hesitated for a moment, looked up and examined the two women. Feeling that they didn’t seem like bad people, she continued, “I was being chased and had no choice but to disguise myself among the fleeing people in order to return to the sect.”
"May I ask where you learned your teacher?"
"It's not very famous, just a small sect in the Second Domain, called the Broken Water Sect. If you're curious, you can come with me to take a look," the female cultivator said with a smile. "Meeting is fate, after all."
Si Liuhua nodded, raised her hand to tuck the strands of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes behind her ear, and said in a calm and steady voice, "Fellow Daoist, please leave your coordinates. I will come to visit you after I confirm that the ship has arrived safely."
"So you've come here to escort refugees on behalf of the imperial court," the female cultivator said, transmitting her sect's coordinates to her with her spiritual power. "It's rare to see cultivators who care so much about the mortal world these days. This boat is a bit crowded, but men aren't allowed on board, which saves us a lot of trouble. I'll use my spiritual power later to hopefully provide them with some warmth."
Where there are men, there will be trouble; it has always been so—after all, they are a bunch of creatures that are even less reasonable than livestock.
“Fellow Daoist is very kind-hearted.” Si Liuhua nodded. “I will take this child down to rest. She has relatives waiting for her in the cabin below. I will take my leave now.”
After speaking, Wu Zhuyue also bid farewell to the female cultivator. The two went down from the deck to the cabin and headed towards the room they had just been in. Inside, the two had settled down, and the baby girl was fast asleep in her mother's arms. Si Liuhua went over and handed the woman some sweet potatoes and some warmed dry food, and gave her some water to drink. Wu Zhuyue rested her chin on her hand, gazing at the sleeping child. Looking up, she could see the mother's face, though tired, radiating happiness.
I wonder what my mother did back then. Would she have held me like this and whispered sweet nothings to comfort me?
As she pondered, she glanced at Si Liuhua beside her. The woman's moon-white mask was bathed in a soft, honey-colored light, her eyes like deep wells, their warmth and coldness unreadable, their emotions ambiguous and unclear.
"Fine, why can't a teacher for a day be a mother for life?" Si Liuhua had no preference for titles, so Wu Zhuyue took the initiative to call her Master.
I am now someone who has a master protecting me.
I wonder what those people who were taken away that day are doing now...
"Let's go, Xiao Wu."
Wu Zhuyue nodded and left the room with Si Liuhua. Before closing the door, she turned back and saw the woman and child touching foreheads, the air filled with happiness. She felt a pang of sadness and her eyes welled up with tears.
The person next to her seemed to notice that she was feeling sentimental, and reached out to take her hand. The warmth of the hand gradually calmed Wu Zhuyue down.
“Let’s go rest too,” Si Liuhua said softly. The two walked slowly to the other side of the cabin.
On the Four Spirits Peak, the main hall was brightly lit, showing no signs of closing. Cicadas chirped incessantly, and the hot evening breeze carried annoying smog.
"Is this matter resolved?" Yi Xiaohan leaned back in his chair, raising his hand to brush away the remaining ice crystals on his clothes. "But Ruan Luoying, you're quite quick-witted, managing to finish announcing the outcome before Yan Xueya could even do anything about it."
Ruan Luoying shrugged, glanced at the white-robed female cultivator with an icy expression, and said helplessly, "If you hadn't held her off for a couple of moves, there probably wouldn't have been a result today."
Lin Fenghua's matter was overshadowed by Ruan Luoying's claim that the other party had slandered their fellow disciple. In addition, rumors had been circulating recently, and Ruan Luoying, who enjoyed inquiring about sect gossip, had also heard about some of the sordid things this inner disciple had done. With all this added, the other party naturally had nothing to say.
Moreover, all her disciples knew that Ruan Luoying was extremely protective of her own. Although she was strict with her only direct disciple, Tang Huairou, anyone who wanted to harm this disciple had to get past her master, Cangling Zhenjun, first.
The elder leading the group was a bit difficult to deal with; it seemed as if he planned to turn the sect into chaos while the sect leader was away.
Ruan Luoying did not punish Lin Fenghua any further, not because she didn't want to, but because the man surnamed Yi could no longer control the man surnamed Yan, who kicked everyone out of the room like vegetables.
Alright, afterwards I just told the sect leader to be careful so that those disciples who went on missions wouldn't be targeted as soon as they returned.
“Chi Yueying, you should also take care of the students registered under your name.” Ruan Luoying rubbed her temples. “Even though the economy is bad these days, we can’t let scoundrels run rampant.”
Chi Yueying closed her eyes and did not answer her. Ruan Luoying knew that this person generally did not take action, but if she did, it would definitely be a ruthless purge. Lin Fenghua had not yet crossed this person's intolerable boundary, otherwise she had no doubt that the other party would have directly caused bloodshed in the hall earlier.
Why are all her good colleagues so strange, especially Yan Xueya, who hasn't said a word yet...?
"What did the sect leader go to do?" Before Yan Xueya could speak, someone else asked.
Before anyone else could answer, Yi Xiaohan interrupted, "Seeing you in seclusion, you're truly oblivious to everything around you. The situation has been deteriorating lately, and the friction between the three races has begun again. It's probably only a matter of time before it escalates back to what it was before... Chi Yueying, why are you covering my mouth! Alright, I'll answer the question first—a few days ago, several sects in the Human Realm were brutally massacred, alarming cultivators from all sides who went to investigate. The sect leader also participated and sensed the residual spiritual energy of that person, concluding that she was responsible for all of this..."
"That person?"
"Yan Xueya, have you gone mad from your seclusion? Or is her name just that terrifying?"
As he said this, Yi Xiaohan gently tugged at his clothes, almost imperceptibly concealing the hideous scar that ran across his entire body and snaked down to his collarbone.
"That Sword Master Liuhua—Si Liuhua!"
A note from the author:
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*Some inappropriate wording has been corrected.
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