Shuzhou

Qin Shi pushed open the door and entered, placing the porridge and pastries gently on the wooden table. The room was so quiet that he could sense the shallow breaths, like soft feathers brushing his cheek. He walked closer to the couch; Ming Yue, in deep sleep, had shed all her thorns, as peaceful as an infant, yet her hands and feet were pale and cold.

The flavor of Wen Yan's yearning tea had faded nearly two months ago. Since she first encountered it, Ming Yue had never gone so long without it, and Qin Shi almost believed she was testing her limits. Catching sight of her suddenly furrowed brow, he bent over and covered her with the thin quilt.

After some thought, Qin Shi turned his palm upward, and a glass lamp slowly appeared. A gentle green glow spread from the transparent wick. Soon, Ming Yue's brows relaxed, and a touch of color returned to her cheeks. He left the lamp by her bedside and withdrew.

Ming Yue awoke in the middle of the night, surprised to find her limbs no longer numb with cold. She turned her head and saw the soul lamp beside her bed. So, that was why she felt better—its presence soothed her spirit. Ming Yue chuckled softly, and upon rising, noticed the porridge and pastries on the table.

Approaching, she found them cold, but she sat and ate them anyway. It wasn’t so much that Qin Shi’s gesture moved her deeply; rather, she simply wanted to live well now. As for being touched, Ming Yue paused—since waking from that long nightmare, she hadn’t felt such emotions again. Even in the Illusion of Canglan, watching story after story, she could only sigh, and once she turned away, she moved forward, never lingering in the past.

Early the next morning, Ming Yue tidied herself up, left a note on the stone table in the courtyard, and dragged Qin Shi along the route they had taken the day before, down to the main city at the foot of the mountain. It was still early; few people were on the streets, so they stopped at a nearby place for breakfast.

“Boss, one bowl of plain porridge, please.”

“Alright!” The man, over forty, tossed his sweat towel onto his shoulder and quickly brought a bowl, then asked, “And you, young man? Anything for you?”

“The same, please.”

“You got it!”

As the boss brought Qin Shi his porridge, Ming Yue pointed with her bamboo chopsticks toward the direction of the Gentlemen’s Hall and asked, “Big brother, do you know the Gentlemen’s Hall over there?”

“Are you from somewhere else, miss?”

Ming Yue nodded, and the boss continued, “No wonder you ask! Who in Shu Prefecture doesn’t know the Gentlemen’s Hall? Life here only improved in the past two years. Before Que State swallowed Ancient Shu, it was tough. Back then, it was the Gentlemen’s Hall that came down at the start of each month to help us, so folks could just barely get by! And then there are the martial gatherings every few years, letting the people taste some sweetness. Without the Gentlemen’s Hall, who would want to come to this godforsaken place? Everyone wishes they could send their own children there!”

“So that’s it. The Gentlemen’s Hall truly is the backbone of the righteous martial world!” Ming Yue curved her lips, smiling brightly in agreement.

“Heh, it has to be.” Ming Yue bit her bamboo chopsticks and asked again, “Big brother, do you know the current master of the Hall?”

“A figure like that, how could a commoner like me know much, aside from a few meetings and rumors.”

“Rumors?”

The boss grew interested, sat down, and said, “Four years ago, Shu Prefecture welcomed a stunning beauty, ah, just thinking about it makes my heart itch. I’ve never seen anyone more beautiful. And the way she dressed…”

Ming Yue’s brows tightened—four years ago again? Four years ago Jun Xiao met his ‘beloved wife,’ four years ago Jun Yi left the mansion, even the beauty arrived four years ago. What kind of auspicious day was that? The boss fell silent, and Ming Yue looked up to see his honest face blushing as he scratched his head.

“Miss, are you displeased with my crude words?”

Ming Yue’s voice was hoarse; after a moment, she waved her hand and smiled, “Not at all, big brother. I just arrived in Shu, know nothing yet, and I’m happy you’re willing to tell me. Please, go on.”

“Heh, glad to hear it. Speaking of the beauty, four years ago was when Que State began attacking Ancient Shu. In those chaotic days, having such a beauty was rare—everyone flocked to catch a glimpse. She stayed at the best inn in town for a while. Rumor has it, the master of the Gentlemen’s Hall was seen entering her room, and after that, the beauty started wearing plain white instead of those striking red dresses. We all guessed—was she his lover? Or did she come because she admired him? Sadly, she left not long after, and the rumors faded over time.”

“She left? Never returned?” Ming Yue’s eyes widened. If the beauty only passed by, it was hardly useful!

The boss nodded, “I haven’t seen her since. If you want to see her, go to the Ancient Painting Studio in the south of town—they have her portrait. Besides the master of the Gentlemen’s Hall, the beauty was closest to the owner of the Ancient Painting Studio.”

“Thank you, big brother.” Ming Yue put down her bowl and chopsticks and rose, letting Qin Shi pay.

After they left, Ming Yue hadn’t asked for the exact location of the studio, but generally headed south. Qin Shi asked, “Are you planning to go?”

“I don’t know,” Ming Yue shook her head. “I thought the beauty might be Jun Xiao’s wife, but the boss said she was never seen again. If she was his wife, the timing fits, but could it be that she never entered the Gentlemen’s Hall afterward? If not, it doesn’t help much.”

“Won’t it be clear at first sight?”

“How so? Isn’t she already deceased?”

Qin Shi’s expression grew serious. “Even if she’s gone, if Jun Xiao truly loved her, he wouldn’t erase all traces proving her existence. The best way to recall someone is through their portrait. Since the Ancient Painting Studio has her portrait, comparing them should reveal the truth.”

Ming Yue furrowed her brows, thought for a while, and agreed, “Alright, let’s go see.” She then grabbed a passerby to ask for directions. Even so, it took her a long time to find the place, for the Ancient Painting Studio was hidden behind a row of tall houses, its only access a nondescript alley.

Yet, all her irritation vanished once she stepped inside. Everything before her was like a landscape painting, serene and elegant. A babbling stream twisted through artificial rocks, encircling a house on the water. Several white egrets stood in the water, occasionally lowering their heads to splash. Nearby were sparse bamboo and pale chrysanthemums; not far behind, across the stream, stretched a sea of white flowers, and beyond that, towering green mountains.

They crossed the bamboo bridge and stopped before the house. Suddenly, Ming Yue didn’t know what to do. She could deal with ordinary folk, joke with young masters like Jun Yi, even spar with Jun Xiao, but faced with true scholars, she knew she couldn’t manage. She always felt her manners were laughable among them, nothing she said seemed proper…

After a long pause, Ming Yue nudged Qin Shi, “You go.”

Qin Shi’s expression remained calm. He stepped forward, knocked, and said lightly, “Is anyone there? Guests have arrived.”

Ming Yue tugged at Qin Shi’s sleeve from behind, muttering, “That’s too rude!”

Qin Shi glanced back, and just then, the bamboo door was opened.

“Where are the guests?” A young man in blue robes appeared before them, hair loose, slender, not particularly handsome, but his gaze was astonishingly bright.

Qin Shi replied, “Here.”

The man sized up Qin Shi, then leaned to sweep his gaze over Ming Yue hiding behind him, then turned and walked inside. “Come in. What are you looking for?”

Inside, Ming Yue still clutched her clothes, awkward and uncertain. In just a few steps, she nearly stumbled, but fortunately Qin Shi was there to shield her.

“My humble abode has little to offer, please forgive me,” the man said as he sat and lifted his tea, eyes lowered.

Qin Shi’s brows twitched, but he remained steady, “We heard there is a portrait here of a woman who appeared in Shu Prefecture four years ago.”