Yumi Xun stuck the large stick between the hoops of the bamboo-woven basket, lifting it up by the middle before resting it on his shoulder. Discomforting, it made his shoulders feel sore and heavy, but he needed to bring back the new harvest for his family. He trudged along the trail, it was lined with pebbles that were marked using paint. “Góa lán kah kîaⁿ bē khì!” (‘I am too tired to walk.’) That didn’t convince him to sit down and take a rest. The reward was enough to keep him going, caramelized corn, popped ‘till it’s sweet and crunchy!
His mouth watered at the thought, he could already imagine himself eating a whole bag! He must wait, or they cannot get this delectable treat ready. “Meụ̄̀x c̄hạn khid keī̀yw kạb mạn mạn mị̀ dị̂ lew r̂āy thī̀ nī̀.” (‘When I think about it, it isn’t too bad out here.’) The whistle of the wind, as if a flute was being played by a skilled musician. The rustle of the leaves, they were going along with it because this whole field was an orchestra directed by a conductor. And his footsteps, making a soft sound whenever it landed against the dirt, except just louder in this silence. He could hear his breaths , low and shallow, it didn’t match with his but that is merely because he focused too much on his breathing.
“Ah-Xun!” An elderly woman called, waving her hand and smiling through saggy skin from time. “Mạn ca t̂xng ng̀āy kẁā thī̀ ca dảnein kār thuk xỳāng d̂wy khwām ch̀wyh̄elụ̄x.” (‘It must be easier to carry everything with the help.’) Yumi Xun only laughed it off, proud of his hard-work. Granny is going blind, he wants to tend to her before her life ticks. “K̄hêāpị k̄ĥāng nı mạn yĕn chā!” (‘Come inside, it’s cold!’)
She took her white cane from the side of the bench, easing up carefully and tapping along the door before opening it. She tootled over to the rocking chair, smiling as she heard the peeling of husks and corn ears being dumped into the pot. Her grandson was already growing so fast, and he’s made friends. Her daughter was also growing up and living a comfortable life. In the meantime, Yumi Xun was preparing everything. He kept the corn silks in a small pouch made of thin fabric, they had medicinal uses and had a lulling aroma when used in tea.
Besides for his own desires, he needed to get everything else done. Candied cherry tomatoes, dried strawberries, daan go, and honeycomb! It was just around the right season and time, he didn’t want to irritate the bees, he was always told to smoke them so they don’t bite. But, it felt wrong as it was the same as stealing. Yumi Xun rang the bell, it made a little ‘ding’ sound, it was when he was going out. He took a tray with him and headed out the door, they made an ideal home for the bees in a certain area. It always let out smoke around the fence to paralyze the bees and keep them it. Did it count as kidnapping even if they were happy there?
Yumi Xun pushed through the gate using his waist, taking a sturdy stick and standing below the tree. He liked to imagine that whenever he took some honey, the bees buzz in response.
They would go, “chı̀ næ̀nxn khuṇ s̄āmārt̄h mī bāng xỳāng! Pheīyng bạnthụk s̄̀wn thī̀ h̄elụ̄x pheụ̄̀x h̄ı̂ reā s̄āmārt̄h s̄r̂āng h̄ım̀ dị̂!” (‘yes, of course you can have some! Just save the rest so we can rebuild it!”) He raised his head, starting to poke through the gigantic farm, the creatures would land on his arm, their heads almost ‘nodding’ and their arms waving, “xỳā lụ̄m māk keinpi” (remember, not too much!)
He hummed to show he agreed and took what he needed, a chunk though not enough to destroy the work. He dropped it into the tray and tossed the stick far away, landing on the floor with little to no noise. “K̄hx k̄hxbkhuṇ!” (Thank you!)
Yumi Xun broke off a little piece, popping it into his mouth. It was so sweet, sweeter than he had tasted before, the sticky-honey dripping onto his tongue. He wished he could take more and knowing very well he couldn’t, got his hopes down to just drown in this delicacy.
————-
A junior cultivator hastily shoved the wooden door to the slide, the locks fastened as the door shut securely. The only noise was little footsteps tapping against the surface. As soon as he entered the room, all eyes faced him and so he uneasily crouched to his seat.
“Niao Cheng.” The laoshi* called- his voice thundering through the dimly lit room.“Nín de jīngshén gēnyuán fēicháng yáoyuǎn, dànshì wǒmen jiēshòu nín, nín zài dì yī tiān jiù lái chen?” ( “Your spiritual roots were incredibly far away, yet we accepted you and you come late on the very first day?”)
Others would snicker to them self at this, finding this a joke until they were given a glare, quickly averting their gazes from the late student. They unrolled the scroll, revealing different handwritings of calligraphy but all still incredibly neat, the strokes weren’t too thin or thick, practically perfect except for the fact that the writer must have a bit of an unsteady hand.
Chi Jian was one of the students sitting next to Niao You, he was probably the only one who didn’t giggle at the entrance. “Chengdi, nín de shēngyù bù huì nàme hǎo, nín xūyào xǐng lái.” (. “Chengdi, your reputation isn’t going to be that great, you need to wake up.”)
“Chi Jian, xiao jiahou, xiao jiahou-cóng jìshù shàng jiǎng zhè bùshì wǒ de cuò.” ( “Chi Jian, I know, I know- it’s not my fault technically.” )
“Nà shì shuí de c-” (“Then whom’s faul-”)
Elder Dan ambled through the crowd, he seemed languid yet as he slammed the fan onto the table, he was definitely not. Though, he still remained in a poised posture, keeping to his strict yet calm manner. “Fùzhì jīng wén shí bùyào shuōhuà.”(“Do not talk when copying your scriptures.” ) Once Niao Cheng burned a hole directly into the floor, his reaction almost as if a scolded puppy, Senior Dan walked away back to his stand and sat down. “Wǒmen de Yongshi yīnggāi yǐ fúcóng ér wénmíng, bù cúnzài'shībài'zhège cí, dàn wǒ kàn dào zhège huāngmiù de xì ma?” (“Our sect of Yongshi is supposed to be known for its obedience and no existence of the word ‘failure’ yet I see this ridiculous play?” )
The others were silent and continued to trace line over line, right to left with the paint. However, Niao Cheng enjoys at least something more vibrant than this plain scene. He folded the paper, first in half before tucking the side triangles in, opening it and doing the same. He held it by the edge with two fingers before flinging it as though it were a frisbee. Others looked up, distracted by the movement before their expressions were clear that they were impressed and surprised. The paper boat drifted through the air, ‘ on a sea with drops of rain pushing it lightly.’
“Niao Cheng!”
The origami dropped to the floor; seeming to be stunned from the roar. “Ah… zhangl-”
He wasn’t taking any of this nonsense, pointing towards the door, his hand shaking furiously. “Líkāi!” (“Leave!” ) Niao Cheng wasn’t truly affected by that and so he rushed out, giving a laugh as he did. “Hǎo de! Wǒ yǒu táotuō de cáinéng!”(“Alright! I’m talented at escaping!” ) He slid down the smooth terracotta, giving a wave towards his fellow disciples.
Believing he was triumph, he then bumped straight into something tall, a pillar? Though it didn’t exactly hurt as much as he thought. Niao Cheng raised his head as he rubbed the back of it, stumbling back a bit to see who it was.
“Shàoyé Cheng.”( “Young Master Cheng.” ) A sonorous voice spoke, his face showing worry. “Nǐ zài nǎlǐ shòushāngle? Nǐ bù yìng gāi pǎobù; ér nín de jiàopài zhèngzài wánshàn juqi*, nín jiāng chídào.”( “Are you hurt anywhere? You shouldn’t run; and your sect is refining juqi* you’ll be late.” )
The source came from a young man, the sewing on his robes determined that he was from a wealthy clan. He had a black cloth covering his eyes and jade bracelets on each wrist, incredibly wealthy. Yet, they seemed to weigh a ton or so considering his arms were pretty thin. “Heh!” Niao Cheng circled around the; senior? He was definitely a bit older yet not enough to have a full on rank. “Nà nǐ shì shuí? Wǒ zhǐshì xiǎng hūxī xīnxiān kōngqì.” (“And who are you? I just wanted to get some fresh air.”)
There was a moment of silence before an answer was given. “ Wǒ jiào Luo Jiaoshi, jíshǐ rúcǐ.”(“I am Luo Jiaoshi, and even so.” ) Niao Cheng wasn’t sure if this guy was watching him or not due to the blindfold. “Rúguǒ bùzài xuéxiào xùnliàn, nǐ de qì jiù huì jiǎnruò.” (“Your diantian* will weaken if you don’t train in school.”) He flinched and turned to face Niao Cheng’s direction. “Nín de jīngshén gēnyuán shènzhì hái bù cúnzài, zhè shì yīgè wèntí, nín rúhé cáinéng zài bù hào jìn línghún de qíngkuàng xià jìnxíng gēngzhòng.” (“Your spiritual roots aren’t even there, it’s a question how you can cultivate without your soul burning out.” )
“Hao...” (“Well…”) Niao Cheng crossed his arms as he turned his head in defiance.“Wǒ hái zài zhèlǐ, bùshì ma? Lìngwài, zhǐyào kàn yīxià, wǒ jiù kěyǐ shōují qíle!” ( “I’m still here, aren’t I? Plus, just look at this, I can gather Qi just fine!”)
He once again took out an origami boat- folded beforehand already and threw it into the air. This time, it didn’t stay as high up yet still swished around in the imaginary ocean.
Luo Jiaoshi did not say anything until he wrapped his hand around Niao Cheng’s wrist. “Nà shì nǐ yǒuxiàn de jīngshén néngliàng wéiyī kěyǐ zuò de, bùshì ma?” (“That's the only thing you can do with your limited spiritual energy, isn’t it?”)
Niao Cheng pulled away, suddenly getting into a stance, his fingers brushing against the hilt of his dao.* “Bùshì! Nín zěnme zhīdào de? Zhèngmíng, zhèngmíng!``he narrowed his eyes at the man, now frightened out of his wits and offense was his natural defense. ( “It’s not! How do you know anything about it? Prove it, prove it!”)
“Bù xūyào dǎjià.”( “No need for fighting.”) Luo Jiaoshi flicked his wrist outwards as he stepped towards Niao Cheng, who was frozen in his spot as he tried to shake his head.
(“Tā yīdìng huì zhǎnshǒu wǒ!”) [ (‘He’ll behead me surely!’) ]
The elder shook his head with a sigh, a small smile. “Wǒ bù huì shānghài nǐ, wǒ zhǐ xiǎng ràng nǐ tīng. Rúguǒ nín bùjǐn néng hànwèi zìjǐ, hái néng cóng qìxū de yǐnshí zhōng xiāotuì, nà nín jiāng hòuhuǐ bù qù shàngkè.”(“I will not hurt you, I just want you to listen. If you cannot not only defend yourself but also pass out from undernourishment of qi, you’ll truly regret not going to class.”) He genuinely seemed to care despite them just meeting, and being strangers. “Wǒ huì shānchú zhòuyǔ, dàn nǐ bìxū huí dào jiàoshì, shì ma?” (“I’ll remove the spell but you must return to class, yes?”)
“Mhm!” Niao Cheng spoke, his voice being muffled though it was clear enough on what he said.
Luo Jiaoshi tapped Niao Cheng’s shoulder, who stood still for a second and turned back towards the stairway, defeated. As he was about to step in, his hand on the latch, he whirled and stuck out his tongue at Luo Jiaoshi, bursting into a sprint and into the town of Houhoi, earning a head shake.
(‘Tā bù zhuī wǒ ma? Nà hǎo ba.*’) [ (‘Is he not going to chase me? Oh well.’) ]
Niao Cheng skipped through the path, he was known for not having any reputation anyways.
“Tanghulu* Tanghulu! Jiàgé piányí, zhǐyǒu 9 wen!*” (“Tanghulu* Tanghulu! Cheap prices, only 9 wen!*”) A merchant called, and it indeed was cheap. He was selling such a delicious treat for only 9 wen, that's an incredible deal!
Niao Cheng looked at what he had and they all were shining; and his mouth was watering at the sight. “Wǒ huì ná zǒu nǐ de quánbù gǔpiào!” (“I’ll take your whole stock!”)
The merchant grinned, he didn’t seem surprised and nodded. “Hé wǎngcháng yīyàng, shàoyé Cheng? Zhècì wǒ jiāng miǎnfèi zèngsòng gěi nín!” ( “Same as always, Young Master Cheng? I’ll give it to ya’ for free this time!”)
“Waah!” The boy could practically feel his tail wagging. He stopped for a moment, his head tilting, this man knew him? “A! Nín shì wǒ jiāxiāng de lǚxíng màijiā! Wǒ gǎn kěndìng, nín de tiānshī mìjiàn*yīrújìwǎng de hǎo, zhāng lǎo!” (“Ah! You’re the traveling seller from my hometown! I’m sure your candied sweets* are as good as always, elder!”)
He placed the treasure cove in a bamboo basket, weaved by him as it was a hobby since childhood. Niao You pulled one lychee off the skewer, it was crunchy at first until it melted, a delicate delight. Then, a harsh, ear-splitting shout ripped through the air, ruining his moment. “Yao!* Yao! Yáo! Zhèn shàng yǒuyī chǎng yáomíng héngchōngzhízhuàng! Yǎngài!” ( “Demon!* Demon! Demon! There’s a Demon running rampage in town! Take cover!”
(“Ní shǎo……shuí zàihū nín de yúchǔn wèntí! Fánrén!”) [ (‘You little… who cares about your stupid problem! Annoying!’) ]
There was a stomp, and the sound of creaking wood along with townspeople speeding into their house as if their life depended on it, which it did. Niao Cheng continued to nibble on his sweet before placing the basket on the floor, a disgusting odor filled the air. And there stood, a yaoguai indeed, it resembled a giant shaved bear, that fell into a sewer and then was reborn in the previous corpse except in huge form enough to swallow a child whole. It snarled, baring canines, that had moss stuck between it, how unpleasant. Niao Cheng spotted that some were staring out their windows at this boy who dared to confront such a creature. Abruptly, rain started to fall, each drop seeping through the cracks in the roofs of houses, the Sun was still out though making the atmosphere not as miserable.
He stretched, surprised that the demons still didn’t attack him. She still has a mind, doesn’t she? “A-Mi, kǔnbǎng wǎng yīdìng shānghàile nǐ, duì ma? Zhōnggēng zhě wàngle shìfàng nǐ zhēn lìng rén ěxīn.” (“A-Mi, the binding net must have hurt you, right? How sickening that the cultivator had forgotten to release you.” ) The bear shrunk at the mention of ‘A-Mi,’ now small enough to be a cub. The only sound besides the rain was a soft whine and then morphing into the faint cry of a child. How pitiful. Niao You swaddled his arms around the cub, emclapsing her warmly and gently to ensure it wouldn’t cause her to run away. “Xiǎo A Mi, nǐ de jīngshén bù huì zài yóudàngle, nǐ xiànzài kěyǐ hé māmā ānmiánle.” (“Little A-Mi, your spirit won’t roam anymore, you can sleep in peace with Mama now.”) The boy pressed two fingers against her forehead, the devil ceased to exist, fading away as if dust in the wind.
(“Zhèn mín yīnggāi zài yīgè xiǎoshí zuǒyòu de shíjiān nèi xǐng lái, zhè yìwèizhe wǒ yīnggāi zài chùfā tāmen de jìyì zhīqián líkāi zhèlǐ. Rúguǒ xǐng lái shí tāmen shǒuxiān kàn dào de shì wǒ, tāmen jiāng nénggòu zhīdào fāshēngle shénme. Máfan.”) [ (‘The townspeople should wake up in an hour or so, meaning I should get out of here before I trigger their memory. If the first thing they see is me when they wake up, they’ll be able to know what happened. What a hassle.’) ]
Comments (0)
See all