The two passed the night as best they could in the ruined temple. At first light the following morning, they opened their eyes together.
Even He Tianjun, with all his abilities, had done about as much as he could to guide them this far. The road ahead would now be theirs to choose.
The campfire had gone out in the middle of the night. Ren Yijue kicked the remaining unburned logs into the pile of ashes so no one would trip over them. Then he raised his head and asked, “What does the Jade Beauty intend to do next?”
Originally they had come to ask Wei Wenfeng about clues concerning the Heavenly Demon. Instead, they had gained no answers but acquired a demon-slaying divine sword.
It could hardly be called a fruitless journey. Rather, they had gained so much that for the moment they scarcely knew what to do.
Qian Xuelang glanced lightly at Ren Yijue, as if wondering why he would ask something so obvious. Still, he replied, “Find the devoted fool. Save the Sword Venerable. Kill the Heavenly Demon.”
Truly… not one of those tasks would be easy, and they had hardly any leads for any of them.
“The Jade Beauty puts it very clearly,” Ren Yijue said with a bitter smile. “But far too simply. We can’t proceed that way. The world is vast, and finding someone will have to depend on fate. Yet without finding that person, we cannot destroy the Heavenly Demon. And beyond that, we don’t even know where the Heavenly Demon is.”
“Do you mean we should save the Sword Venerable first?” Qian Xuelang asked.
“If Mother could be awakened, I’d naturally be overjoyed. But the Jade Beauty cultivates the Emotionless Dao, not the arts of medicine. Slaying demons may be easy for you; curing illness and saving lives is another matter.” Ren Yijue looked helpless. “If Master and I haven’t succeeded in finding a cure for Mother, how could the Jade Beauty accomplish it just like that?”
Qian Xuelang frowned. “Then what do you propose?”
“I have a plan to accomplish two things at once.” Ren Yijue smiled slyly.
“Two things at once?”
“I’ve spent many years at Liuyanzhu. Apart from acquiring a reputation, I also collected some treasures for my mother’s sake. I don’t know whether they’ll work, but sooner or later I must take them home and try. Originally I feared being hunted down again, so I didn’t dare risk returning to a dangerous place. But with the Jade Beauty beside me now, I have nothing to fear.” Ren Yijue smiled. “And second, the Emotion Demon and Blood Demon are both under the Heavenly Demon’s command. How could the Desire Demon, who bears a similar title, know nothing about him?”
Since they had so few other leads, they might as well follow Ren Yijue’s arrangements.
Moreover, even if the Desire Demon knew nothing, the trip could still count as avenging Wei Wenfeng. It would not be entirely wasted.
Qian Xuelang nodded. “Very well.”
Ren Yijue added, “But before we return to Liuyanzhu, let’s first go down the mountain and tell the townspeople that they won’t have to endure those nightly cries anymore. Only Senior Wei won’t be there for them either.”
“Why do you say that as though Wei Wenfeng had died?” Qian Xuelang frowned slightly.
Ren Yijue fell silent, then gave a helpless smile. “How would the Jade Beauty prefer I put it? Shall I tell them Senior Wei suffered such a grievous wound to his heart that he will never again venture into the world?”
At times, Qian Xuelang found Ren Yijue’s acerbic remarks almost impossible to bear.
“Very well. Do as you please.”
Qian Xuelang let it pass, not knowing that Ren Yijue was privately breathing a long sigh of relief.
Sometimes Ren Yijue liked Qian Xuelang; at other times he was angry with him. He was forever tempted to tease the man, and after so much back-and-forth, his tongue inevitably slipped its leash.
If Qian Xuelang had magnanimously declared that there was nothing one could not say openly, or some similar principle, Ren Yijue would have been the unlucky one, obliged to rack his brains persuading the Jade Beauty to reconsider.
After all, the one who would have to talk to the townspeople was obviously Ren Yijue, not Qian Xuelang.
Was Wei Wenfeng’s private affair something you could simply tell everyone about?
Though the master and disciple had different temperaments, both possessed a formidable talent for making other people break out in cold sweats. Fortunately, beside the incomparable example of Immortal Lord He, the Jade Beauty seemed much more lovable.
They made their way down the mountain. More people were visible in the town now, and at least a few pedestrians were walking the streets. Ren Yijue went to the eatery they had visited earlier to explain matters.
An eatery saw plenty of customers coming and going, so news naturally spread quickly from there.
There were still few customers. Qian Xuelang sat down at a table. The assistant, absorbed in listening to the news, absentmindedly brought him tea and promptly hurried away.
Qian Xuelang drank a cup of tea and remembered Wei Wenfeng’s expression.
A night spent in quiet meditation had not resolved his confusion. In the past, the love Qian Xuelang had witnessed was usually tender, considerate and gentle as flowing water. What Wei Wenfeng had displayed that day was desire burning like fire, mingled with endless hatred and anger, threatening and frightening.
His master had used his immortal bones to forge a sword, giving little thought to what might happen after his death. Whatever Wei Wenfeng chose to do now, if it relieved even one ten-thousandth of his suffering, Master probably would not have minded.
That was why Qian Xuelang had felt uneasy, but had not insisted on taking He Tianjun away.
Yet he still could not understand.
What would any of it change?
Would Wei Wenfeng’s anger subside?
Would his hatred come to an end?
And what of… his feelings for Master?
Qian Xuelang thought and thought without finding an answer. Then someone sat beside him. Ren Yijue smiled and began ladling porridge into a bowl. “Bored, Jade Beauty?”
At some point a large basin of steaming porridge had appeared on the table, along with several side dishes, fish, meat and pickled foods. Nothing was lacking.
Qian Xuelang frowned slightly and was about to refuse, but Ren Yijue had already pushed the bowl before him, leaving no room to decline.
“The proprietor was so delighted to hear the good news that he insisted on treating us to this meal,” Ren Yijue said. “Surely the Jade Beauty won’t refuse his hospitality? That would only discourage a man trying to repay a kindness.”
Qian Xuelang turned to look. Sure enough, the proprietor was beaming and cupping his hands toward them in greeting. Something stirred in Qian Xuelang’s heart. It would be discourteous to refuse.
“I can’t win an argument with you.”
Qian Xuelang shook his head helplessly. He had just lifted a spoonful of rice porridge when a piece of pickled radish somehow appeared upon it. He paid no attention and ate them together.
The porridge was bland, but the radish was sour and spicy with a touch of sweetness, quite appetizing. Qian Xuelang had little interest in the pleasures of eating and barely noticed flavors, so he made no move to take any of the side dishes himself. Ren Yijue was consequently kept busy beside him, changing chopsticks and adding food to his bowl, afraid that Qian Xuelang was not tasting enough of it.
Watching from nearby, the assistant could not help chuckling inwardly. This immortal gentleman looks so dashing, like a noble young master accustomed to being waited on. Who would have guessed he could serve another person so expertly?
For neglecting his work, he immediately received a sharp rap on the head from the proprietor and hurried off to do his duties.
After finishing one bowl, Qian Xuelang refused to eat more. Ren Yijue did not insist. Instead he smiled. “Did the Jade Beauty like it? How does it compare to that bowl of wonton noodles we had before?”
“About the same,” Qian Xuelang said calmly.
How could they be the same? Plain congee and pickled vegetables were light and appetizing, while wonton noodles offered clear, flavorful broth.
If they were the same, merchants selling plain congee might as well advertise it as wonton noodles. The differences among their five flavors were as far apart as heaven and earth. They were nothing alike.
Ren Yijue sighed inwardly and said gently, “It seems the Jade Beauty still has many flavors of the mortal world left to taste.”
Qian Xuelang’s heart jolted. For a moment he almost thought Ren Yijue had read his thoughts. But when he looked up, Ren Yijue appeared unchanged. This deeply feeling man merely lowered his head and ate his porridge with great relish, as if tasting rare delicacies rather than a humble bowl of plain congee.
Unlike Qian Xuelang, Ren Yijue had an excellent appetite. After finishing all the side dishes, he ordered another plate of steamed buns and several flatbreads to take along as provisions.
The proprietor’s smile instantly began to twitch.
As they left, Ren Yijue tied his provisions bag shut and quietly complained to Qian Xuelang. “What a stingy proprietor. Those two silver ingots I gave him could have paid for ten tables full of food, never mind that we solved his problem. I’m not the one feeling the loss, yet he’s the one wincing at the expense.”
“He merely wanted to ingratiate himself with you, yet feared you might take advantage of his hospitality and stay to eat and drink without end. Those are ordinary worries of the human heart. Why deliberately torment him?” Qian Xuelang asked.
“No special reason. Perhaps I simply felt like it.” Ren Yijue chuckled softly. “When someone treats me well, I treat them a hundred or a thousand times better. But when someone is less kind, I’m tempted to let them taste a tiny bit of discomfort.”
And what good would it do if the proprietor tasted that discomfort?
It was neither an act of spiritual guidance nor a lesson. It would merely make the proprietor mildly unhappy. Would such a small unpleasant experience change his nature?
Perhaps it was because Ren Yijue was a good man that his teasing was always so gentle and harmless. Or perhaps he was simply bored and enjoyed playing tricks on people for his own amusement, without caring what came of it.
Qian Xuelang inevitably thought of Master again.
For eighteen days, the righteous qi upon the sword had protected Wei Wenfeng, and also the townspeople at the foot of the mountain. In the end it had protected Qian Xuelang himself.
Yet that same sword had nearly caused a disaster.
Ren Yijue’s teasing of the proprietor was an inconsequential joke. No one would suffer irreparable harm from such a small episode.
But what of Master’s “joke” upon Wei Wenfeng? Even if it was for all living beings, even if it was to eliminate the Heavenly Demon, what of Wei Wenfeng’s heartbreak? What of his despair?
Were those things he simply had to sacrifice?
Because Wei Wenfeng had willingly helped destroy the Heavenly Demon, must he surrender his life, his beloved, and all his feelings for the cause?
In the past, whenever He Tianjun offered guidance, Qian Xuelang quickly understood. But now he could not understand at all.
Shouldn’t loving someone mean loving the person before your eyes, the person you truly know, and then through that love learning to love all living beings? Just as he had appreciated the kindness of his master and parents and then offered guidance to Cui Shensi.
If Master had compassion for all living beings, why could he not have compassion for Wei Wenfeng?
“Why has the Jade Beauty gone so quiet?”
Ren Yijue suddenly leaned forward until their noses were almost touching. Qian Xuelang snapped back to himself, met Ren Yijue’s gaze, frowned, and retreated a step.
“What are you doing?”
Ren Yijue stepped back a few paces too, grinning. “You looked so deep in thought that you were about to turn into a stone statue. I came closer to make sure. If you’d really become a divine image, I’d have sent you to the temple to replace that half-bodied Bodhisattva, with three sticks of incense offered every morning and evening.”
“Then there would be no one to accompany you to Liuyanzhu.”
Ren Yijue looked astonished. “What’s happened? The Jade Beauty is actually playing along with my jokes today! No matter. If you’ve become a statue, you won’t be able to go to Liuyanzhu anyway. I’d be too ashamed to return home myself, so I’d become the caretaker of your shrine. How about that?”
“Nonsense.”
I knew I shouldn’t have responded, Qian Xuelang thought. Just as I expected, give this man an inch and he’ll take a mile.
“How is that nonsense?” Ren Yijue protested. “These are words from the bottom of my heart.”
Qian Xuelang raised his brows slightly. “Ren Yijue, haven’t you become rather more impertinent lately?”
“Well, you see, before this I wasn’t strong enough, so I had to rely on affection to stay close to the Jade Beauty. Naturally I had to lower myself and act meekly. I didn’t dare make you angry.”
To Qian Xuelang’s ears, Ren Yijue made him sound as though he had previously been some domineering, unreasonable villain.
“But things are different now. We’re companions who share the same ideals. Why should I still fear the Jade Beauty quietly slipping away?”
Ren Yijue walked backward as he spoke. The brilliant sun behind him crowned his figure with a golden halo. His eyes curved in a smile, and he looked every inch the handsome, refined young nobleman of the mortal world.
Wei Wenfeng and Master had been drawn into the entanglement of love through shared ideals. Yet Qian Xuelang and Ren Yijue, also sharing ideals, had found release from the difficulties of feeling. There was something faintly amusing about that coincidence.
Qian Xuelang’s worries briefly subsided, and he gave a faint smile.