It was nearly noon by the time they reached Wangjia Village.
Xiao Chunhe was exhausted and overheated. He had stripped off layer after layer of clothing and was nearly about to walk into the village bare-chested when Yue Jingming reminded him, “Put your clothes on properly.”
“I’ll die of heat if I do.” Xiao Chunhe fanned himself furiously. “When I traveled before, I rode in a carriage, with maids and servants waiting on me. There would be ice inside the carriage and someone holding a parasol whenever I stepped outside. Following you means I have to walk everywhere on two legs, and I can’t even get a mouthful of ice water. What kind of life am I supposed to live from now on?”
Yue Jingming cooled the water with true qi and handed it to him. “Sunlight and walking are good for your health. If you lie in bed all day, your vital essence will only weaken further.”
“Fine.” Xiao Chunhe gulped down the rest of the water and returned the flask. “Since you’re being so considerate, I won’t divorce you. We’ll make do together.”
Yue Jingming had already learned to ignore such nonsense. Correcting him only encouraged him. “Put your clothes on. The village head is coming.”
Xiao Chunhe straightened his robes and flicked open his fan, instantly becoming an elegant young master in brocade once more.
“Daoist Master Su!” Wang Dawu, the village head of Wangjia Village, came forward enthusiastically. He was over sixty, dressed in coarse cloth, with white hair and beard but a vigorous bearing. “At last, you’re here! We’ve been waiting for you!”
Several young villagers followed him, all in short work clothes, curiously studying Yue Jingming and Xiao Chunhe.
Wang Dawu soon led them to the well. It was an ancient well, said to have existed since the Li Dynasty. In those days its water had been abundant, and villagers from several neighboring settlements came here to draw water. Legend claimed it never dried even during drought, so a scholar had once named it Wujin Spring.
“Strange thing is, the water started decreasing about ten years ago,” Wang Dawu said worriedly. “There was still barely enough to use, but this year’s drought came and suddenly the whole well dried up. The weather has been poor these past few years, and we can barely grow grain, while the court taxes keep getting heavier. Everyone in our village relies on this well. Since it dried up, we’ve tried every possible method and even sent people down, but there’s still no water…”
He looked at Yue Jingming and lowered his voice. “Daoist Master, could a demon be causing trouble?”
Standing at the well, Yue Jingming looked down. “Elder, you are worrying too much. There are no demons in this world.”
Xiao Chunhe’s eyes widened in astonishment. He silently asked with his expression, What?
Yue Jingming shook his head almost imperceptibly.
The old village head visibly relaxed. Several young men behind him exhaled in relief too. One muttered, “See? Even the Daoist Master says there’s no demon. I told you nobody has ever actually seen one…”
“But if there isn’t a demon, where did the water go?” the village head asked anxiously. “The whole village depends on this well. Summer is this hot. Even if we abandon the crops, people still need water to drink.”
“If you trust me, I can go down and look,” Yue Jingming said.
The village head immediately agreed and hurriedly told someone to fetch a rope.
Wujin Spring was extremely deep. Yue Jingming descended by rope until even his silhouette disappeared from Xiao Chunhe’s view. The village head asked, “Young Master, what is your relationship with this Daoist Master?”
“Don’t be startled when I tell you. I’m actually his Dao companion. We cultivate and live together.” Xiao Chunhe smiled. “In an ordinary household, I suppose you’d call me his husband.”
The old village head stared for a moment, then nodded repeatedly. “Oh… oh!”
“He’s thin-skinned and doesn’t like me talking about it, so pretend you never heard.” Xiao Chunhe opened his fan, bent over the well, and shouted, “Rongxi! Say something!”
“Here.” Yue Jingming’s voice came from the bottom.
About two incense sticks later, everyone heard a heavy crash below. The ground trembled slightly. Not long afterward, Yue Jingming climbed back out, mud staining his formerly spotless Daoist robes.
“Daoist Master, how is it?” the village head asked nervously.
“There is a spring opening deep beneath the well. Fallen rock blocked it. I have broken the obstruction apart,” Yue Jingming said. “Wait one night and the water should return.”
The village head was overjoyed. The young men thanked him repeatedly and began discussing collecting a fee from every household. Xiao Chunhe overheard and immediately asked, “How many households are in your village? How much will each family pay?”
A young man answered, “Around two hundred households. Four copper coins from each.”
Behind his back, Xiao Chunhe quickly calculated. Then he cleared his throat. “A rock that large can’t be broken by an ordinary man. My senior brother seldom accepts jobs like this. You should charge at least six copper coins per household. Aiya!”
Yue Jingming hauled him aside. “It was only a slight effort. No payment is necessary.”
Clinging to Yue Jingming’s shoulder, Xiao Chunhe protested, “If you don’t charge money, are you planning to live on the northwest wind?”
Yue Jingming turned and glared at him.
Xiao Chunhe clicked his tongue. “Do whatever you want. I’m not lending you a single copper coin.”
“My friend likes joking. Please pay him no mind.” Yue Jingming turned back to the village head. “If there is nothing else, we will leave.”
“Daoist Master, please stay!” The village head hurriedly stopped him. “You came all this way and solved such a terrible problem for us. At the very least, eat before you go!”
“Yes! I’ll tell someone to start cooking right now!” One young man immediately ran off.
Yue Jingming was about to refuse when Xiao Chunhe’s eyes lit up. “I’ve heard farm-raised mountain chicken makes excellent stew. Elder, do you have any here?”
The village head laughed. “Young Master has come to the right place! Wangjia Village has the best mountain chickens around. You must stay and try one.”
Xiao Chunhe slapped his folded fan into his palm. “Good! Then today wasn’t a wasted trip.”
The villagers were simple and hospitable. A chicken was quickly slaughtered and a feast prepared. The village head invited several respected elders to join them. Xiao Chunhe was extremely sociable and soon had everyone chatting merrily.
During the meal, the village head brought out homemade wine. Xiao Chunhe rolled up his sleeves, eager to drink freely, only for Yue Jingming to cover his bowl. “He cannot drink.”
Xiao Chunhe tried to seize it back. “Who said I can’t drink? Didn’t you hear Brother Wang say this Nü’er Hong was brewed by his own family? How could I refuse his kindness?”
Elio’s Notes: Nü’er Hong (女儿红), literally “Daughter Red,” is a traditional rice wine associated with Shaoxing customs. It is famously linked with wine stored for a daughter and opened on an important family occasion such as her marriage.
“You are taking medicine.” Yue Jingming’s expression darkened.
“…Right.” Xiao Chunhe touched his nose guiltily. “I forgot.”
The village head looked back and forth between them, then smiled knowingly. “Since Young Master Xiang cannot drink, Daoist Master Su drinking instead would amount to the same thing.”
Yue Jingming apologized. “Elder, my sect has rules forbidding alcohol.”
That ended the matter. The village head could only enthusiastically urge them to eat. During the meal, several elders told stories about Wujin Spring and lamented the poor harvest. Yue Jingming sat quietly and listened.
Xiao Chunhe picked up a chicken leg. With his chopsticks he deftly peeled away the skin, wrapped it around several refreshing mushrooms, and ate it in one bite. Then he soaked the perfectly stewed chicken meat in broth. After one bite, his eyes brightened, and he swallowed the entire drumstick. A moment later, a perfectly clean chicken bone slipped neatly from his mouth.
For an instant, Yue Jingming could almost imagine a large red fox eating chicken.
Noticing his stare, Xiao Chunhe selected the softest piece of meat near the wing and held it toward his lips. “This is the best part. I saved it especially for you.”
Every villager at the table turned to look.
“I’m finished. Eat it yourself.” Yue Jingming calmly pushed away the chicken wing and lifted his tea.
Noticing his discomfort, the village head laughed. “Come now, they’re Dao companions. Stop staring.”
One elderly man asked, “What’s a Dao companion?”
“Husband and wife!” The village head knew he was hard of hearing and shouted, “They’re husband and wife! Nothing strange about that!”
Yue Jingming nearly choked on his tea.
Smiling, Xiao Chunhe patted his back, sucked the meat from the chicken wing, and neatly spat several beautiful little bones onto the table.
The meal was lively. Before the table had even been cleared, rain suddenly began pouring down.
The villagers had waited for rain for far too long. Many immediately rushed toward the fields to inspect their crops. The village head was delighted. “Daoist Master truly is our village’s lucky star. We haven’t had rain all summer, yet the moment you arrive we get such a downpour. It’s getting late too. You two cannot possibly travel back to the county in this weather. Stay at my home tonight.”
Yue Jingming looked at the dark clouds and knew the storm would continue until midnight, so he agreed.
The rain grew heavier. The crops needed drainage, and the village head took his household to the fields, leaving Yue Jingming and Xiao Chunhe behind.
A simple fence surrounded the courtyard. Two pomegranate trees stood by the entrance, and a rocking chair sat in front of the main room. Full and comfortable, Xiao Chunhe reclined there fanning himself and listening to the rain. “When do you think these pomegranates will ripen?”
“After Start of Autumn,” Yue Jingming replied as he carefully sorted talismans at the table.
Rain splashed into puddles across the muddy ground and speckled Xiao Chunhe’s brocade robe. Watching the curtain of rain outside, he asked lazily, “Why did you tell them there were no demons?”
“There truly was no demon causing the well to dry. And telling ordinary villagers demons exist would only make everyone fearful. From then on, whenever something went wrong, they might blame demons for it.” Yue Jingming folded a talisman into a triangle and placed it beside the others. “Humans and demons walk different paths. An ordinary person might live an entire lifetime without meeting one demon. Why burden them with unnecessary fear?”
“Humans and demons walk different paths.” Xiao Chunhe tilted his head toward the rain, a mocking curve appearing at the corner of his mouth. “Indeed. Humans and demons should walk different paths.”
＊
Night came, yet the heavy rain did not stop.
The village head arrived carrying a quilt. “I’m sorry Daoist Master Su and Young Master Xiang have to squeeze into this little side room. The other room is leaking too badly for anyone to sleep there.”
“It is no trouble. Having somewhere to rest is already enough.” Yue Jingming accepted the quilt. “Elder, you should rest early.”
Only then did the village head leave.
The room was tiny, containing only one earthen bed and no other furniture. Yue Jingming spread the patched quilt across the bed. “You sleep here.”
Xiao Chunhe took off his outer robe and threw it onto the bed. “What about you?”
“I can meditate.” Yue Jingming walked toward the corner, intending to sit on the floor.
“Hey!” Xiao Chunhe hurriedly stopped him. “It’s pouring outside. Even the walls are leaking. The ground must be terribly damp. There’s a bed, so sleep here with me.”
“…No need.”
Xiao Chunhe looked knowingly at him. “We’re both men. You already said you don’t like men. Why be so guarded? Are you this careful around all your junior brothers?”
“Of course not,” Yue Jingming said, frowning. “But…”
“No buts.” Xiao Chunhe grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the bed. “I just enjoy joking with you. It isn’t as though I truly intend to make you my wife. Unless you’re actually afraid of a sickly weakling who doesn’t even have the strength to truss a chicken?”
Yue Jingming remembered how ferociously Xiao Chunhe had eaten chicken that afternoon and decided that description was questionable.
“We walked so far today. Don’t meditate.” Wearing only an inner robe, Xiao Chunhe lay down. “Cultivation is good, but you’re still human. Once in a while you should sleep properly and nourish your spirit.”
Outside, the rain thundered against the window lattice. A candle on the sill illuminated only half the bed. The faint scorched smell of wax mingled with the damp scent of the storm, making the room drowsily warm.
Yue Jingming removed his outer robe and lay down, leaving half an arm’s width between them.
Xiao Chunhe crossed his legs. “That chicken really was delicious. We should buy one from the village head before leaving.”
With his eyes closed, Yue Jingming said, “Fine.”
“Can you cook it?”
“…No.”
Xiao Chunhe looked astonished. “Then what do you usually eat?”
“Dry rations.”
“My poor wife. Traveling everywhere without even getting a hot meal.” Xiao Chunhe turned onto his side, resting his head on one arm as he studied Yue Jingming’s sleeping face in the candlelight. “Did you grow up beside your master? What about your family?”
“My parents were Master’s close friends. Not long after I was born, they were both killed by a demon. Master took me back to the sect and raised me.” Yue Jingming opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. “Master said the demon had already put me into its mouth. Had he arrived one breath later, I would have died.”
Xiao Chunhe looked both furious and distressed. “What damned demon could be so vicious?”
“A thousand-year-old fox demon,” Yue Jingming said. “Even Master could not defeat it. He could only escape with me.”
Xiao Chunhe froze. “Then did you come down the mountain to find that fox demon and avenge your parents?”
“When the time comes, I will naturally find it.” Yue Jingming’s gaze darkened. “The hatred for murdered parents cannot coexist under the same heaven.”
Xiao Chunhe gently took his hand. “Don’t be sad. When the time comes, I’ll help you kill it.”
Yue Jingming turned his head toward him. An extremely faint smile appeared on his face. “Then you need to recover first if you want to help.”
Something seemed to crash into Xiao Chunhe’s chest together with that faint smile. His heart jolted violently and immediately lost its rhythm.
Almost at the same instant, heart-carving, bone-eating pain spread from his ankle all the way into his chest. His expression remained normal. He still held Yue Jingming’s hand lightly. “Rongxi… are we friends now?”
The warm hand gently squeezed his in return.
“Mm.”
The candlelight trembled. After a long silence, Xiao Chunhe finally asked, “Didn’t you once say those whose Ways differ should not make common cause? You don’t dislike me anymore?”
Yue Jingming answered seriously, “You laugh and fool around on the surface, but you are not truly treacherous or cruel. During danger, you left that little fox behind to protect me. You have shown me kindness. Before… I judged you with prejudice. I apologize.”
Xiao Chunhe stared at him, dazed, then suddenly reached toward his face.
Yue Jingming’s back stiffened, yet he remained still. Xiao Chunhe’s fingers lightly wiped his jaw and withdrew immediately.
“There was a spot of mud,” Xiao Chunhe smiled. “Probably from the bottom of the well. It’s gone now.”
“Thank you.” Yue Jingming turned away. “It is late. Sleep.”
Xiao Chunhe released his hand, rose to extinguish the candle, and lay down again. “There’s thunder outside. I’m a little scared. Can I hold your hand while I sleep?”
The two lay neither close nor far apart. Xiao Chunhe remained motionless, breathing slowly as he tried to suppress the demon-gu’s pain. After a while, a long warm hand gently enclosed his icy fingers and passed him a small thread of true qi.
Xiao Chunhe’s nose suddenly stung.