Chapter 4: Chapter 4

It was actually Hongshi who reacted first. "The poison in him is resentment?"

He was looking at Shu Cailing, who nodded. "Could you check for me, Shige? Shifu said you're the best at detecting evil energy."

Hongshi hummed and took his sword from his waist. Immediately Xu Boyan stepped forward, alarmed, but what felt like a spring breeze prevented him from moving at all.  He tapped the wooden blade against He Zhecheng's left leg— a touch so careful it barely shifted the layers of fabric draped over it.

Upon contact, He Zhecheng jolted hard, knocking back against his wheelchair and almost toppling himself backwards. A hoarse, primal shout died abruptly in his mouth as his jaw clenched from sheer agony, his tightly shut eyes squeezing out tears. Hissing and heaving, He Zhecheng was still for a moment before the pain abated enough he could slowly rock himself forward, arm around his knees, fingers twitching and rubbing hard against the top of his thighs as if to counteract the sensation emanating from lower down his leg. The vulnerability in his expression, simultaneously too tight and too slack made Shu Cailing's heart clench— it reminded him of his own childhood, though he hadn't felt quite this level of pain.

He Zhecheng slowly lowered his body, torso now pressed flush against his thighs. In what sounded more like a heavy exhale, he said, “What… was that for…”

“I tapped you more lightly than Cailing did,” Hongshi said. “This is what it should feel like.”

He Zhecheng flinched as that sword swung towards his upper arm, but when it landed, he barely registered the touch. Hongshi continued, “You’d still feel it because the resentment is coursing through your body. But you can feel the difference.”

Silence fell, stilling the air in the room. The leap from a chronic illness due to poison to 'resentment had taken roots in your bones' was quite large, so Shu Cailing gave them a moment to process it. 

"Is there… is there something you can do, then?" Xu Boyan spoke up after a while. There was a waver in his voice that tugged at Shu Cailing's emotions.

“I know about resentment and negative energies, but my knowledge is limited to exorcistic measures,” Hongshi said. “Unless what you want is for me to cut off his legs, I can’t solve this problem.”

Xu Boyan didn't reply.

Unable to stay still any longer, Shu Cailing took out some medicinal pills and handed it over. “I'm sorry we don't have a direct solution for you. This should help with the pain, but don’t eat it too frequently, save it for the really terrible times.”

It was a batch made by Bai Mingyuan and contained a lot of rare ingredients, and Shu Cailing wasn't entirely sure he could make more himself. It wasn't something he would pull out so easily. But his shifu had always taught him that if he hoarded medicine and waited for a 'worthy patient', he could be on his deathbed and still refuse to expend that panacea. Hongshi seemed like he wanted to protest, but Shu Cailing glared at him. Xu Boyan, however, still caught their silent exchange.

"Ah, I can't possibly accept this…"

"Medicine is only valuable when taken by people who need them," Shu Cailing insisted. "He-xiong would have use for it."

Xu Boyan looked conflicted, but Shu Cailing put it on the table in front of He Zhecheng with a look that almost dared Xu Boyan to take it away.

Shaking his head, Hongshi relented. Instead, he turned to He Zhecheng.

"Since it is resentment…" Pulling out several things from his bag, Hongshi laid them all out before lifting his chin to gesture at him. “See if any of them helps you. We’ll take the offered ten silver taels for it.”

He Zhecheng already looked like he was struggling to stay awake from exhaustion. He seemed to have lost his vitality, and didn’t even make a quip as he obeyed.

Each of them looked unassuming, but they all radiated a certain aura. The items seemed like trinkets, too: a golden scale, a small twig with blooming peach blossoms, a safety lock charm, a white jade Bai Ze token, and a sword shaped wooden charm. A question was already on the tip of Shu Cailing's tongue but he swallowed it back— there would be time later. 

But He Zhecheng made his decision in no time. As soon as Hongshi took out the golden scale, his eyes were fixated on it, not straying a single inch.

“You’re drawn to that? Interesting.” But Hongshi did as he said he would and gave the item to him. “That’s a qilin scale with especially pure energy."

"You're really fine with parting with it?" He Zhecheng eyed him warily, but immediately grasped the scale with surprising intensity.

"I have no use for it."

That might be true, but Shu Cailing wanted to give his shige a clap on the back for such a domineering performance. Bai Mingyuan was an ancient divine beast, and to Shu Cailing's knowledge, often received gifts from new yaoguai. After all, his power protected the island, which in turn ensured their peace. It didn't surprise Shu Cailing that his shige would have a qilin scale that he deemed useless— he was more wondering what happened to that qilin.

He Zhecheng was yawning now, though he looked more settled now that he had that scale. Xu Boyan turned to the two of them.

"I'm sorry too there's not much I can do," Shu Cailing said. "But we're looking for my shifu, and once we find him, I promise you I'll ask for help in this. For the time being, I think traditional methods of dispersing evil energy should work to a degree. In addition, keep the light exercise, and eat nourishing foods on time. He might not have the appetite for it, but he expends a lot of energy everyday."

Xu Boyan gave them a deep, thankful bow. "Thank you very much, Doctor, Tao-xiongtai. This… I can't just repay you with only ten silver taels. You are going to travel, correct? May I offer my help, then?"

"Help?"

"I myself travel rather frequently with Zhecheng, and I can offer you a carriage with drivers and handle lodging if you're heading elsewhere within the prefecture. And of course, you don't need to worry about lodging today, I will take care of it."

Shu Cailing brightened up. He didn't like to deal with this kind of hassle, so if anyone else volunteered, it would be all for the better. "All right then! We'll talk about it more later; let's get back so He-xiong could get some rest."

 

____

 

They returned to the inn, and the innkeeper gave the two of them a wary look. When Xu Boyan came in, He Zhecheng in tow, he handled it though.

"These gentlemen are my guests," he said. "Please prepare a good room for them."

"Ah, understood."

And just like that, Shu Cailing and Hongshi got a room. It was a spacious one with view to a garden with lush trees, their golden leaves glowing under the afternoon sun. As he peered out, Hongshi put down his belongings and settled down on one of the beds, contemplative.

Shu Cailing turned around, having suddenly recalled his questions. "Oh right, Shige. Where did that qilin scale come from? Was there a qilin once at the island?"

Hongshi looked up. “Hmm? Oh. It was a long time ago. Over a thousand years by now, I reckon.”

“What were they like?”

“I don’t remember that well. He seemed to have been Dad’s acquaintance, and didn’t really live on the island per se.”

That was rather disappointing. Shu Cailing sat down on one of the nearby chairs, poking at the vase holding an orchid, and asked, “What about the other trinkets? Who made them?”

“I made the sword charm,” Hongshi replied. “Dad preserved the peach branch. I think the safety lock was made by Kunwang. The—”

A knock on the door cut Hongshi off, and he clammed up. Seeing that his shige wasn’t about to continue talking, Shu Cailing stood up and went to check.

It was a man in his thirties whom he saw lingering behind them earlier in the day. Assuming that he was a servant of either Xu Boyan or He Zhecheng, he asked, "Is something the matter?"

"Master Xu would like to ask you to meet him downstairs," the man said.

"Ah, all right!"

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After glancing back at Hongshi and receiving only a raised brow, Shu Cailing shrugged and went to follow the man. And they didn't go far. Down the stairs and round two corners, there was a nook hidden behind a partition, and the man gestured at him to walk in. When he did, he saw that the small space only housed a table and two chairs, with Xu Boyan occupying one of them.

“Junyao,” he greeted with a smile as Shu Cailing sat down on the other one. As he did, Xu Boyan placed two scrolls in front of him, gesturing as he spoke. “I’ve brought what you’d asked for. This map has all of the official roads across the country. This one is for Xu prefecture. Let me know if you’re planning to go elsewhere, I will get them ready for you.

"And this is the ten silver taels." He placed a big, lumpy pouch that was made with harder cotton fabric. "I went ahead and added some coins in for you; most everyday expenses would cost you only several coins, so you should exchange your taels at the banks later. I also put in a rough price list inside, so you have a better idea of how much things cost. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask."

Shu Cailing couldn't help but marvel at his meticulousness, which already surpassed the thoroughness of everyone back home. "Xu-xiong, don't you find it strange that Shige and I don't know any of this?"

Xu Boyan smiled. "The two of you entered an inn with knife cash and tried to sell 20 years-old ginseng to pay for your stay; how could I not find it strange? But with how you and Tao-xiongtai are, I am more inclined to believe you're disciples of a secluded immortal." He laughed lightly. "Your identities are sensitive, I understand that more than anyone. Junyao, I will tell you this. Ask for payment for your services, even if it is just food or lodging. This is especially true the more valuable things are. It will save you grief in the future, and would make your patients' family feel more settled. Amassing gratitude is not a bad thing, but you may end up with problems if what you gather are life debts instead. Those who are grateful to you will naturally continue to offer support; the rest, if you don't mind my unsolicited advice, should just be settled bygones."

With widening eyes, Shu Cailing nodded repeatedly in understanding, jotting down mental notes of his words. “Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind Xu-xiong.”

“It’s nothing,” Xu Boyan waved off. “I myself have to thank you for your diagnosis, and Tao-xiongtai for allowing Zhecheng to have that scale.”

Xu Boyan’s words had prompted Shu Cailing to view the scale, and the various gifts given by the coming yaoguai, in a new light. That the yaoguai gave Bai Mingyuan gifts made sense, but he never considered why his shifu would accept them, even though he would simply store them at random for Shu Cailing to find and play with. Perhaps a qilin scale really was useless to both him and Hongshi, but he accepted them to convey that there was no need to feel as though this was charity. It was an exchange.

Perhaps that was the reason why his shige priced the qilin scale like that, too. Ten taels was the price at which he was willing to part with the pearls, an item which He Zhecheng and Xu Boyan advised him to price higher. Like that, he was conveying that though the qilin scale was valuable, it wasn’t so ‘precious’.

Shu Cailing couldn’t help but feel elated— he was learning a lot today.

“If you don’t mind me asking, you and He-xiong seem very close,” he said as he looked up, hands gathering the money pouch and maps to put away. “Are you cousins?”

The way Xu Boyan laughed seemed to say that he had heard this question a lot. “We’re not. But we've been friends for twelve years, and I sincerely hope that counts for something. That aside, Zhecheng and I may not be available for dinnertime today, so when you feel hungry, feel free to head out or order some food to be brought up to your room. And, one last thing. He Jian, if you’d please come in."

The man who showed him the way entered and stood straight, ready for orders. Shu Cailing peered with curiosity. He Jian, huh. He seemed unassuming enough, and while he shared a surname with He Zhecheng, there was no resemblance in their features. He Jian looked back with a nod, and Shu Cailing nodded back, though he wasn’t sure what that was for.

"If you need anything, go look for him. If he can't help you directly, he knows where to find me."

“Understood. Thanks, Xu-xiong!”

With everything in hand, Shu Cailing returned to his room, closing the door behind him with care. Hongshi looked up from where he was sitting by the window, reading a piece of paper.

"Are you rereading Shifu's letter, Shige?"

"What did Xu Boyan talk to you about?"

"Nothing much," Shu Cailing said, putting the money pouch on the table. He sat down on the other chair before opening the map of the country, spreading the thin hide scroll across his lap. "He told me to ask for compensation for medical treatment, just so people don't feel indebted to me. And he got me the maps I asked for."

Hongshi pushed the pouch over, gesturing with his head as if to say that he already carried money, before beckoning for Shu Cailing to put the map on the table. 

"Their identities aren't simple," he said as he flattened the map with his hands, his gaze scanning its contents. "They have four people following them, three of which are martial artists. The fourth should be a normal servant."

"Huh? Why would they have martial artists following them? They're not in danger, are they?"

Hongshi sighed. "I forgot you were raised on the island. Those people should be their guards. Most people would not travel with guards unless they have the means and a reason to be targeted. Did you notice how quickly the innkeeper acquiesced to Xu Boyan's words?"

Now that Shu Cailing thought about it, it really only took a sentence from Xu Boyan before the innkeeper got them this room— before mentions of payments or even a confirmation, it was done.

"Couldn't it just have been because he and the innkeeper know each other well? He did say he traveled a lot."

"You and the cooks at home know each other well, but if you come in and ask them to make twelve dishes for a banquet out of nowhere without explaining why, would they do it without question? What about if Dad asks them to do so?"

"...Aaah."

Back in the island the yaoguai were all from different backgrounds, but ultimately everyone reverted to a life without money or class upon arrival. Hongshi had heard some reminisce about the days they were the most favored concubine or a prime minister, but at the end of the day they would still be expected to help out around the island. They would still brew their own wines to trade for fresh sea catches, or offer to share portions of various snowflake cakes in exchange for the ingredients. With such an environment it was hard to tell who used to be who, so the matter of upbringing and background rarely crossed Shu Cailing's mind. The real differentiation he lived by was who were called 'grandpa', 'uncle' or 'gege'.

The sole exceptions to this were Bai Mingyuan and Hongshi. But even then, at most they could tell the kitchen to cook something and it’d be done without another word. They never asked for items. Shu Cailing’s wardrobe was a mixture of birthday gifts and robes traded for a dozen jars of Hongshi’s best wines, which the jiaoren promptly used to get so drunk that morning saw them beached like whales.

Seeing his reaction like this, Hongshi sighed. "Our meeting and everything that transpired so far can be called fate, but I won't allow them to drag us into anything political. We should part ways as soon as possible. It’s unlikely that our destination is theirs, in any case."

Our meeting can be called fate… Shu Cailing chuckled. "Shige, you sounded like Shifu there for a bit."

Almost immediately, his expression turned to one of that long-suffering. "I was raised by him for so long. It's an unfortunate side-effect."

Bai Mingyuan was always easygoing and took things as they come, and said that everything that transpired had its reasons. Not necessarily heaven's will, but a collection of actions and decisions made by hundreds and thousands of individuals, all reverberating across the divine lands— as such, the fact that two people could meet by chance at a certain place at a certain time, he would see it as fate.

Hongshi's annoyed expression faded. "But we really do need to find him as soon as possible."

"Is it because he said he might not come back?"

"Despite being the way he is, in matters like these, Dad has something almost like… clairvoyance,” he said. Shu Cailing peered at him curiously— mentions of Bai Mingyuan’s full set of powers were rare. People only talked of his knowledge of all creatures, and Shu Cailing was only privy to his medical skills. Hongshi didn’t seem to notice his gaze, though. Looking at his sword, he continued, “He knows everything about every creature, so he was generally accurate when assessing risks and threats. If he dares mention something like that, then he’s most likely certain of his death. Otherwise, he never would’ve said a word about it.”

"Do you have any idea where he might've gone?"

Hongshi turned away, lips drawn thin as his gaze grew bitter. "I don't."

In this world, this pair of father and son had been each other’s oldest companion. Due to their status on the island, and perhaps also their ages, most inhabitants didn’t dare be too casual with them, and in turn the two maintained some distance to keep the others’ comfort. Shu Cailing was a recent addition that changed this status quo somewhat, but Bai Mingyuan and Hongshi had been living together for centuries upon centuries.

They only had each other.

The admission probably was a shameful one for Hongshi to make.

"Shige, Shifu probably withheld information because he didn't want to worry you, not that you're inattentive or missed something," Shu Cailing comforted. "Since he chose to withheld that, maybe we can try and guess based on his habits or way of thinking? Do you think he might've gone to someone he knows around here? Somewhere significant, maybe?"

"...You sound like him sometimes," Hongshi muttered. "Someone or someplace…"

He turned to the map, leaning over with renewed intensity. First his finger traced a circle around four corners of the map— one over the East Sea, and three others on the blank margins at the edges corresponding to the other three directions. Immersed in thought, it was a while before his finger finally moved again, this time tracing a path from a specific mountain up to the north. It seemed like the map didn’t have the answers, or information, he wanted though. After another moment, he looked up.

“Cailing, I’ll have to bother you to ask Xu Boyan for a bigger map of the region. In the meantime… We’ll be heading to the East Sea Palace.”