Chapter 20
In March, as the chill of early spring fades, hibernating animals and dormant plants quietly awaken.
Ai Yi, carrying the basket she had just woven a few days ago, listened to Alena tell her what she needed to buy and then went to Chengdu alone.
Wudu is a remote place, nestled against mountains and beside water, where trees and flowers grow luxuriantly. It also has a wide variety of rare medicinal herbs.
Aiyi was already fourteen. Girls from the mountains grow up quickly, and before long, she was as tall as Alena's waist. Thinking that they were almost out of needles, thread, and cloth for sewing clothes, as well as coarse salt and other ingredients, she instructed Aiyi to go to Chengdu to buy supplies for the next few months.
Ai readily agreed. Whenever there was a job that allowed her to go out and have fun, she would always talk about it to Alena, eager to go in place of her junior brothers and sisters.
Alena never refused, after all, if she always kept a grown-up girl by her side, how would she find a suitable husband in the future?
Ai took the horse from Alena's hands, stroked its face, and fed it some hay. The horse happily wagged its tail and rubbed its face against her palm.
"Be careful on the road and come back soon," Alena repeated.
"I know, I know! Alena, you say it so many times every day. No wonder that Tang Clan brother always secretly slips me the silver jewelry and runs away whenever he comes to see you."
She mounted the horse and made a funny face.
"She's as nagging as an old woman!"
Seeing Alena roll up her sleeves and about to twist her ear, she tightened her legs around the horse's belly, flicked the reins, and the horse obediently galloped away.
"You brat! Come back and see how I deal with you!"
Chengdu was indeed bustling with activity.
A constant stream of chivalrous heroes, endless carriages, and martial arts practitioners exchanging blows. She dismounted as soon as she reached the entrance to Guangdu Town, her eyes sparkling as she watched the diverse crowd pass by, as if she had witnessed something extraordinary.
The horse nuzzled her back, and she snapped out of her reverie, stroking its face: "There's plenty of space here, so don't wander off. Just go graze by the inn and wait for me. I'll be right back after I've finished exploring!"
Ai took a step forward, her eyes darting around, and approached the bustling town of Guangdu. Her purple dress was embroidered with Miao ethnic patterns, and the silver ornaments on her bare feet rustled. She looked around at the crowds and merchants, like a little fairy who had fallen to earth.
Although Ai Yi loved to play, she didn't forget her responsibilities. She went to a shop and bought some pure-colored embroidery thread, and also looked at the weapons made by the blacksmith. On the way, she went to a general store to have her flute repaired, and while carrying her basket, she counted the items inside, checking them one by one.
'Bang—' Walking with his head down, he bumped into something round and bulky.
She took a few steps back, quickly adjusted her posture, and used both hands to protect the basket to prevent the contents from falling out. She immediately raised her eyebrows to look at the person she had bumped into, ignoring the pain in her stomach.
The person in front of me was dressed in white, with gold patterns embroidered on the cuffs and hem. The collar was high, seemingly to cover his face. His jet-black hair was tied up in a ponytail with a gold crown, swaying behind him.
The boy looked at her, then at what Ai was holding. Meeting her obsequious smile, he said politely:
"Miss, I'm so sorry, I didn't notice you and bumped into you. Are you alright?"
Seeing how polite others were, Ai Yi's mischievous thoughts resurfaced. She frowned slightly, bit her lower lip, and squatted down, hugging her basket tightly.
"Ouch! It hurts so much... My stomach hurts... Ouch..."
This trick never failed her; she always used it to fool the young man from the Tang Clan who secretly came to see Alena. This way, he would immediately go to Alena instead of bothering her to deliver things to her.
The boy was taken aback and tried to help her up, but she stepped back and nimbly dodged him. Then she squatted down and secretly observed the expression on his face while pretending to be in pain.
"Young lady, did you hurt yourself? Chengdu is a big city, there should be a clinic here. Why don't I take you to see one?"
Ai Yi suddenly opened her eyes, sizing up the boy's thin frame, but his clothes were so luxurious—could he be a wealthy young master from some family in the Central Plains? She thought it would be bad if he noticed and things escalated. She immediately stood up, her face contorted with worry, and said:
"No need, no need. I just didn't look up and noticed someone was there. There's no need to go to the clinic. I'll just go back and rest!"
He slung his basket over his shoulder and strode out of town, his silver ornaments jingling. The white-clad youth took a folding fan from his waist and smiled slightly.
"What a... stupid girl."
Ai ran out of town, rubbed her flushed face, and looked around for her little red horse. The colt, which was munching on grass, saw the little girl in purple running out and rushed over to her, burying itself in her arms.
"Alright, alright, it's only been half a day. We even ran into an annoying guy... How irritating! Let's go back."
Ai didn't notice the contents of her backpack. She straightened the saddle, mounted the horse, covered the basket with a cloth to prevent the contents from falling out, and rode away.
On the way back, she yawned groggily. She'd spent the whole day on the road, in this desolate wilderness with no one to cook a picnic. Even the birds had returned to their nests to rest. She rubbed her eyes and continued her journey back the way she came.
Just as Ai was about to fall asleep from the jolting, the horse's sudden stop jolted her awake. She gripped the reins, shook her head, patted the colt's neck, and looked down the road, as if she had spotted some movement in the grass.
She took the flute from her waist and held it tightly in her hand. She dismounted and crept over step by step.
From a distance of about ten feet, she shouted into the dark haystack, "Hey! Come out!"
The sound echoed through the tall trees, much like a mountain echo. The haystack stirred again, and Ai swallowed nervously, gripping the 'Ten Thousand Ghosts' tightly, as she moved toward the haystack.
Ai's legs were trembling. But she wasn't afraid. If this little girl, who loved practicing martial arts with the Snake King and enjoyed scaring people, were frightened by something like this and the sect members heard about it, wouldn't she lose face?
But that's different. How do you know if it's a person or a ghost in the darkness?
She reached out with trembling hands and slowly used the tip of her flute to pry open the pile of grass. The flute, infused with her inner energy, shone with a faint light, but it was enough for Ai Yi to see the man's appearance.
A girl.
Her clothes were tattered, as if she had fallen from a great height, scraping her skin. Many parts of her body were cut, but the bleeding had stopped, and scabs had formed. A strong, fishy smell filled the air, making Ai Yi want to vomit.
She reached out and touched the girl's nose, but it was blocked, and she could actually hear a faint breath! Ai calmly withdrew her hand, and the little red horse, seeing her standing there in a daze, trotted over to her side.
Ai stared at the girl for a few seconds, then slowly spoke:
"Chichi, tell me, should I save her or not?"
Horses, of course, cannot speak, and Ai's intuition compels her to choose the latter.
Back in the territory of the Five Immortals Sect, Alena, who had been waiting at the door of the treehouse with a lantern, saw Ai Yi leading the horse back. Before she could even relax, she was pulled up by the person on horseback.
"Ai, who is she?"
Ai didn't say anything, but lowered her head and handed the basket in her hand to Alena, then led the horse towards her house.
She didn't know how much time had passed before Liang Siqing woke up groggily from her sleep. She saw the bamboo roof above her head and felt her head being hurt by the hard pillow. She frowned, and her dry lips tore open as soon as she parted them.
She only shifted her body slightly, but the scabbed wound stung like salt being rubbed in. She couldn't cry out, and could only silently shed tears.
'Creak—' The door to the house was gently pushed open, and with the sound of ornaments moving in the air, she turned her head with difficulty to look at the person walking in through the door.
The little girl carried a porcelain bowl and wore a short purple skirt that revealed her fair legs. Her black hair was tied back with silver ornaments, and her bare feet were also adorned with silver anklets that made a crisp sound with every step.
The little girl had a clean, ethereal face. Her dark eyes held the stars within them, and when she blinked, it was like a butterfly fluttering its wings, dancing in the light.
Liang Siqing thought, what a beautiful face that was.
Ai walked to the bedside, touched her forehead, and examined her wound. Although it was bandaged and treated, her wound was still infected and she had a persistent high fever. Although Ai was a disciple of the Five Poisons Sect, she did not practice medical arts, and in her anxiety, she had no choice but to ask Alena for help.
Upon seeing the little girl on the bed, Alena immediately refused Ai's request.
"Why!"
Ai looked at her in surprise, ran up to her, and stared into her eyes.
"You told me that saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda. Now that I've found someone in need of help, you won't save them. Are you just paying lip service without any real commitment?!"
Alena walked up to Liang Siqing and grabbed her arm. It was covered in scars, like a sword that hadn't been properly polished after forging, rusted black.
"Look at this fabric! How could an ordinary family wear such expensive silk? She is clearly from the Central Plains of the Tang Dynasty, and has connections with the Tang court. How can we save her?!"
Ai was stunned and speechless, taken aback by Alena's words.
"Besides, you just picked up an unidentified person on the road and brought him to the sect. If the other disciples see this, what will they say? The emperor of the Central Plains has been eyeing the Nanzhao region for so long, yet he still hasn't made a move. Have you ever thought about why? The Tianyi Sect is still committing evil deeds, and the village is in danger at any time. Have you ever considered the sisters in the sect?"
Alena let go of Liang Siqing's hand, turned around, and walked to Ai Yi. Seeing her silent, head bowed, hands clenched into fists, Alena sighed, knelt down, and hugged her.
“Aiyi, you’ve grown up. You’re no longer a willful little child. I entrusted you with the care of your mother, and I must shoulder that responsibility. What will I say if something happens to you?”
Ai Yi's petite body suddenly twitched, and she slowly covered her face with her hands, her soft sobs turning into loud wailing.
"Waaaaah... Waaaaaah!!!..."
She was terrified. Although Alena had always been strict with her, she was also quite indulgent. Like a good mother treating her daughter, she was strict yet infinitely lenient.
The next day, Ai Yi woke up to find Liang Siqing had been treated and placed in her room.
Yes, that's how much Alena indulges her.
Ai touched Liang Siqing's forehead and, finding that her fever had subsided, placed the medicine on the table. She then held Liang Siqing's head, helped her sit up, picked up a pillow to support her back, turned around, scooped up a spoonful of the medicine which was inexplicably steaming, blew on it, and fed it to her.
Liang Siqing opened her mouth blankly and drank the bitter medicine.
She had just swallowed a mouthful when she frowned, turned her head away, pursed her lips, and called out in a hoarse voice:
"What the hell is this? It's so bitter, is it going to kill me?!"
Ai took it back and smelled it herself, but didn't find anything strange about it.
"Medicine, you won't get better if you don't take it. It's a bit bitter, but it's good for healing wounds."
"I don't want it! I wouldn't drink this stuff even if you fed it to a dog!"
"And what kind of place is this? It's damp and humid, like a fishpond! And this pillow, this bed, how dare they let me stay in such a shabby place!"
Ai Yi's mind went blank as she stared at the angry person. After a moment of stunned silence, she calmed herself down, put the spoon down, and quietly snapped her fingers with one hand.
Two cobras, one yellow and one green, emerged from behind Ai Yi, their bright red tongues flicking out. Their cold bodies crawled over Ai Yi's legs and up to Liang Siqing's bed.
"Ahhhhhh!!!! Help me!! Ahh ...
The Miao people working outside the house stopped what they were doing when they heard the commotion and looked at each other in bewilderment.
Ai saw that although she was in a lot of pain, she desperately shrank into the corner to avoid the two snakes. The fear in her eyes was obvious. She reached out and touched Xiao Huang's head, which made Liang Siqing's eyes tingle with fear.
"What are you trying to do?! Don't let them come any closer!"
Ai raised the bowl in her hand.
"Want a drink or not?"
Liang Siqing shook her head desperately.
Xiaoqing and Xiaohuang moved forward a little more.
"Ah!!! I'll drink it, I'll drink it right now!! Get this beast out of here!!"
Ai Yi put the item back beside her, stroked Xiao Qing's head, and frowned as she looked at Liang Siqing.
“They are my friends, my partners, not animals.”
Ai Yi stood up, and Xiao Qing and Xiao Huang followed her to the door. She stopped and looked at Liang Siqing.
The latter's face turned deathly pale, and his eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost.
Ai laughed self-deprecatingly, opened the door, and went out.
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