Jiang Ci regained consciousness and opened her eyes. As her gaze swept across the room, she realized there was something peculiar about it. The entire structure was built with unpolished cyan stone blocks, stacked in their natural shapes without any yellow mud filling the gaps.
Soft voices drifted in from outside the window. Jiang Ci put on her outer robe and walked to the window. She saw two young girls sitting in the corridor, working on their embroidery frames. One had an oval face, delicate and pretty, and seemed younger. The other had a longer face with willow-like eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes, appearing slightly older.
Jiang Ci gently tapped on the window frame. Both girls looked up, and the oval-faced one put down her embroidery frame, exclaiming excitedly, “She’s awake! I’ll go inform the Young Holy Maiden.”
The older girl stood up, saying, “I’ll go. Dan Xue, see if she’s hungry and prepare something for her to eat.” She then left the courtyard.
Dan Xue smiled at Jiang Ci and asked, “Would you like to come out for a walk, Miss?”
Jiang Ci eagerly agreed, “Yes, please.” As she approached the door, she noticed something strange about the doors of the Yue Luo clan. They seemed to be made of camphor wood, but unlike the inward-opening double-hinged doors of the Hua Dynasty, these were like movable fences that slid horizontally. Both the round wooden bars and the camphor wood panels were intricately carved with beautiful star and moon patterns.
Stepping out, Jiang Ci saw that she had been sleeping in a stone house built against a stone wall. The small courtyard outside was also enclosed by stacked cyan stones. The yard was covered in pristine white snow, with several winter plum trees in full bloom, their red blossoms a striking contrast against the snow.
Noticing that Dan Xue was only about fifteen or sixteen, even younger than herself, Jiang Ci didn’t underestimate her. She remembered An Hua from the Xiang Manor, who was younger but still a capable assistant to An Chen. With this in mind, she smiled and asked, “Where is this place? How long have I been asleep? And what should I call you, little sister?”
Dan Xue stood up. She wore a cyan-colored diagonal-lapel short jacket over a plain pleated long skirt. Her high bun was adorned with simple wooden ornaments. She moved gracefully to bring some food that looked like rice cakes from another stone house. Feeling hungry, Jiang Ci didn’t stand on ceremony and accepted the tray, quickly satisfying her appetite.
Dan Xue smiled and said, “Take your time, Miss. You’ve been asleep for two days. This is Shanhai Valley, in the Snow Plum Courtyard of the Clan Leader’s rear compound. You can call me Xiao Xue.”
After eating, Jiang Ci pretended to take a stroll around the courtyard. Hearing Dan Xue’s footsteps behind her, which seemed somewhat heavy and unlike someone with superior martial arts skills, she briefly considered the idea of overpowering her and escaping. However, as soon as the thought occurred to her, she tried to summon her inner energy only to find it completely gone, realizing it was the effect of the potion she had taken earlier. Feeling deflated, she silently cursed the Faceless Cat.
Returning to the corridor, she noticed several embroidered pieces on a three-legged wooden table. Picking one up for a closer look, she found the embroidery exquisite, capturing both form and spirit, with nimble and intricate needlework that surpassed even her senior sister’s skills. The style seemed familiar, and after some thought, she remembered seeing similar embroidery on screens, robes, and silk handkerchiefs in the Xiang Manor. She exclaimed in admiration, “Is this the world-renowned ‘Moon Embroidery’ of your Yue Luo clan? Did you make this?”
“Yes,” Dan Xue replied, picking up her embroidery frame and resuming her needlework. Jiang Ci, finding this fascinating, sat beside her to watch closely. Observing Dan Xue’s skillful technique, which flowed as smoothly as water down a stream, she praised, “Xiao Xue, you’re truly gifted and dexterous.”
Dan Xue smiled modestly, “I’m quite clumsy. Many in our clan embroider much better than I do. We have specialized embroidery masters who create the ‘Moon Embroidery’ tributes for the Hua and Huan countries every year. However…” Her needle slowed, and a look of sadness crossed her face.
“However, what?” Jiang Ci prompted.
Dan Xue paused for a moment before continuing softly, “To create the ‘Moon Embroidery’ tributes for your Hua Dynasty and the Huan Kingdom, they work until the early hours of the morning every day. This ‘Moon Embroidery’ is extremely taxing on the eyes, and after a few years, they often go blind. If you visit the rear compound of the Grand Commander in Mengze Valley, you’ll find many blind elderly embroidery masters who have retired there.”
“Why do they embroider until they go blind? Can’t they stop?” Jiang Ci asked.
A cold laugh interrupted them as the slightly older girl from earlier approached. Her face was filled with hatred as she snatched the embroidery from Jiang Ci’s hands and pushed her forcefully. “Stop? You make it sound so easy,” she said bitterly. “Your Hua Dynasty demands 3,000 embroidered pieces from us Yue Luo clan as annual tribute, and the Huan Kingdom demands the same. If we fail to meet the quota, our tribute envoys are subjected to palace punishment, and then your imperial court sends troops to plunder our food and burn our compounds. How can we stop? For these 6,000 pieces, our embroidery masters work day and night without rest. How can they not go blind?!”
Her anger grew as she continued, hands on her hips and lips trembling slightly, “Our Yue Luo girls are skilled and clever, but look at what we wear and use – the coarsest fabrics with the simplest embroidery. All our best embroidery masters are working themselves to death for you Hua people, like oxen and horses!”
Jiang Ci listened in shock, suddenly realizing that the casually luxurious bead curtains, embroidered screens, and layered drapes she had seen in the Xiang Manor were created with the blood and tears of these Yue Luo embroidery masters.
Seeing Jiang Ci crouched on the ground in a daze after being pushed, Dan Xue quickly helped her up, saying, “Miss, please don’t take offense. Sister Mei Ying is just straightforward; she doesn’t mean to target you personally.” Then she turned to Mei Ying and said, “Sister Ying, she’s a guest brought by the Young Holy Maiden and a friend of our Yue Luo clan. She’s different from those oppressive people from the Hua Dynasty. The Young Holy Maiden will be angry if she learns you’ve treated a guest this way.”
Mei Ying let out a soft snort, then smiled after a moment and said, “Xiao Xue, guess what? I almost saw the Sect Leader earlier.”
Dan Xue’s face lit up with excitement. She tossed aside her embroidery frame and exclaimed, “Really?! I must go see!” She started to run off.
Mei Ying quickly called after her, “Wait! You won’t be able to see the Sect Leader. Don’t waste your time.”
Dan Xue returned, disappointed. “Why not?”
“Since escorting the Young Clan Leader back yesterday, the Sect Leader has been in discussions with the Commanders from various compounds about the Young Clan Leader’s ascension. They’re all in Shanhai Hall now. How could you possibly get in? When I went to report to the Young Holy Maiden earlier, I could only leave a message with Brother Shui in the outer hall. Even the Young Holy Maiden didn’t come out. Brother Shui said it was chaotic inside. The Sect Leader displayed his divine might and killed the Fifth Commander.”
Dan Xue was shocked. “Why? What made the Sect Leader so angry?”
Mei Ying sighed, “You’re so clueless. The Clan Leader has been killed by the Hua people, and the Young Clan Leader is about to ascend. He will declare our Star Moon Sect as the holy religion and seek revenge for the Clan Leader. This means we’ll be at war with the Hua Dynasty. The Second and Fifth Commanders’ territories border the Hua Dynasty, so they’ll be the first to face the consequences if war breaks out. Naturally, they were not happy about it and argued with the Grand Commander. I heard from Brother Shui that the Fifth Commander seemed to disrespect the Sect Leader. The Sect Leader just looked at him coldly, and before anyone could blink, the Fifth Commander’s head was…” She made a slicing gesture across her neck.
Dan Xue clapped her hands, “Serves him right! The Fifth Commander has always been subservient, only knowing how to please the Hua thieves. To protect himself, he even gave away his sister and caused the deaths of countless clan members. He deserved to die! In my opinion, the Sect Leader should kill the Second Commander too.”
“The Second Commander is a coward who always goes with the flow. After seeing the Sect Leader kill the Fifth Commander, he immediately backed down and didn’t dare to make another sound. I heard they’ve decided to hold the ‘Sky Burial’ for the Clan Leader in five days. After the ‘Sky Burial’ will be the Young Clan Leader’s ascension ceremony. At that time, the Sect Leader will be officially titled ‘Divine Might Holy Sect Leader,’ and our Star Moon Sect will be recognized as the ‘Holy Sect.'”
Dan Xue’s expression grew increasingly excited. She clasped her hands to her chest and murmured, “I only pray that the Star and Moon God will protect our Yue Luo people from further oppression and enslavement. My brothers and sisters will no longer have to—” Her voice trailed off as tears streamed down her face.
Mei Ying embraced her, also showing a sorrowful expression. “Xiao Xue, we’re almost through the worst of it. The Sect Leader is the Moon God incarnate, come to save our people. If he weren’t the Moon God, how could he have killed Gu Xiang in just three moves? I heard from Brother Shui that on the night the Sect Leader avenged the Clan Leader by killing those Hua Dynasty villains, he flew across the Tongfeng River. If he weren’t the Moon God, how could he fly across such a wide river? The brothers from Shanhai Valley and Mengze Valley saw it. Now they’re all worshipping the Sect Leader as if he were the Moon God!”
Dan Xue leaned into Mei Ying’s embrace, sobbing, “I know the Sect Leader is the Moon God incarnate, come to save us. But why didn’t he descend two years earlier? Then my little brother wouldn’t have been sent to the Hua Dynasty, wouldn’t have had to become a catamite, wouldn’t have been tortured by that demon to the point where death seemed preferable—”
Jiang Ci listened in a daze. She didn’t fully understand the term “catamite,” having only heard it used as an insult during her wanderings through the jianghu and in marketplaces. Later, in the capital’s Xiang Manor and Lan Yue Tower, she had heard the term again. She only knew that those who did this were considered lowly men, looked down upon by others, seemingly similar to the vulgar insult “rabbit lord” used in the markets. But what exactly a “catamite” did and why they were so despised, she didn’t know.
Seeing Dan Xue so distraught, Jiang Ci understood that being a “catamite” must be extremely unpleasant. Unable to bear seeing others cry in pain, she placed her hand on Dan Xue’s right arm. “Don’t cry anymore. As long as your brother is still alive, there will come a day when you can bring him back.”
Mei Ying laughed coldly, “Bring him back?! You make it sound so easy. Her brother was sent to the tent of Bo Yunshan. Do you know who Bo Yunshan is? He’s one of the top butchers in your Hua Dynasty. Few catamites sent to his tent survive. Who knows what state her brother is in now? Even if the Sect Leader can establish a nation with our people and go to war with your Hua Dynasty to bring back these clan members, it can’t be accomplished in just a year or two. By then, whether her brother can—”
Hearing this, Dan Xue burst into even louder sobs, her cries filled with deep anguish. Jiang Ci, moved by the sound, couldn’t help wiping away a tear herself.
A cold snort echoed through the courtyard, causing the snow on the winter plum blossoms to fall. Dan Xue abruptly stopped crying, and both she and Mei Ying prostrated themselves on the ground. “Young Holy Maiden!”
A woman with a light veil covering her face entered the courtyard. “You may all withdraw,” she said, then turned and bowed, “Sect Leader, this is the place. I shall take my leave first.”
Wei Zhao entered with his hands behind his back. After everyone had left, he stood in the courtyard, gazing at the winter plum blossoms by the wall, saying nothing. From the corridor, Jiang Ci observed that his silhouette seemed even more solitary and desolate against the white snow and red plum blossoms.
After a long while, Wei Zhao turned and entered the stone house. Jiang Ci followed. He glanced at her, then reached for a fine brush on the table and handed it to Jiang Ci. “I’ll dictate, you write.”
Jiang Ci didn’t take it. “What do you want me to write?”
Wei Zhao showed some impatience. “Just write what I say. Why are you being so difficult?”
“I won’t write unless you tell me what it’s about first.”
Wei Zhao grew annoyed. Since returning to Yue Luo Mountain, no one had dared to defy him like this. Suppressing his anger, he said, “Write a poem. Listen carefully: ‘Closing the door towards the mountain path, serene harmony turns to clear light. The way ends with the east wind, spring lingers long by the southern stream.'”
Jiang Ci was secretly alarmed, remembering the poem Pei Yan had recited that day: “Ice and water do not harm each other, spring chases the fragrance along the flowing stream.” She had an idea of what was happening. Looking directly at Wei Zhao, she calmly said, “I won’t write it. I’ve said before since I can’t escape, I’ll stay by your side. But I absolutely won’t do anything for you, nor will I get involved in matters between you and him. If you force me, my only option is death.”
Wei Zhao’s hand shot out like lightning, gripping Jiang Ci’s throat. His words were icy and menacing: “You want to die? I’ll grant your wish!” As he gradually increased the pressure, Jiang Ci found it increasingly difficult to breathe and felt she was about to lose consciousness. Yet she continued to gaze calmly at Wei Zhao.
Wei Zhao felt uncomfortable under her steady gaze. This calm and open look, this final glance before death, reminded him intensely of his sister’s eyes just before she fell. He had only meant to intimidate Jiang Ci, and seeing her still unyielding, he slowly withdrew his right hand.
Jiang Ci clutched her throat, coughing violently. When she recovered, she mocked, “So the Divine Might Holy Sect Leader’s specialty is breaking promises and being fickle!”
Wei Zhao’s anger surprisingly subsided. “Fine, if you won’t write, I’ll just wait you out. When you write it, I’ll give you the antidote to restore your inner power.” He removed his mask, let out a long sigh, and fell back onto the stone bed. “I’ll give you some time to think it over.”
The night before, he had flown across the river and swiftly killed Gu Xiang, using all the true qi from his inner eight meridians to achieve the effect of a “Moon God descending” and shock people. While this method was effective in the short term, it was extremely damaging to his body, depleting his true qi excessively. Afterward, he killed the fleeing enemies, escorted the Young Clan Leader back to Shanhai Valley, summoned the various commanders for a meeting, and with one sword strike killed the Fifth Commander and over ten of his subordinates to stabilize the situation. He was utterly exhausted, and the human skin mask he had to wear constantly made him irritable. Seeing only Jiang Ci nearby, he simply took it off and lay on the stone bed to rest.
Jiang Ci heard his breathing become slow and steady, unsure if he was truly asleep or just pretending. She knew that someone with such profound inner power as Wei Zhao would maintain a high level of alertness even in sleep. With her inner power completely gone, she had no chance of catching him off guard. She pulled over a cotton quilt and gently covered him, then quietly walked out of the stone house and picked up the embroidery frame Dan Xue had dropped earlier to examine it closely.
Master Sister’s mother, Aunt Rou, was quite skilled in embroidery, and Master Sister had learned a thing or two from her. Naturally, Jiang Ci had some rudimentary knowledge as well. Upon closer inspection, she realized that this “Moon Embroidery” was indeed extremely difficult to create. Not only did it require invisible stitching, but also seamless color blending, even smooth textures, and the ability to capture both form and spirit. The stitching techniques seemed to number in the hundreds.
She thought about the Yue Luo clan and how many embroidery masters had gone blind and suffered oppression for the sake of this “Moon Embroidery.” In that excessively luxurious Xiang Manor, that person used these items for his handkerchiefs, the brocade bedding in his room, his brocade robes, and python robes. If he knew that every stitch on that handkerchief was made of blood and tears, would he still discard them so casually? And what about those “catamites”? What did that term mean? Why were people so contemptuous of them?
She let out a long sigh and gathered the scattered embroidery frames and pieces into a basket. Seeing snowflakes starting to fall again, she retreated under the corridor, feeling a bit cold, and carried the embroidery basket back into the stone house.
Wei Zhao was still lying on the stone bed. With nothing else to do and not daring to leave, Jiang Ci took a piece of plain silk, fixed it to an embroidery frame, and began to sketch out a pattern with a fine brush.
Wei Zhao, having relaxed, fell into a deep sleep until the face of that demon appeared in his dream, startling him awake. He sat up abruptly, frightening Jiang Ci, who was sitting in a chair intently sketching a pattern. She dropped the embroidery frame she was holding.
Wei Zhao looked at her for a moment, his face expressionless. “How long have I been asleep?”
Only then did Jiang Ci realize he had truly been sleeping. She thought for a moment and said, “About half an hour, I suppose.”
Wei Zhao got off the bed. “Have you thought it over?”
Jiang Ci picked up the embroidery frame and said flatly, “I’ll say it again, I won’t write it. Don’t try to force me.”
Wei Zhao was annoyed but felt helpless against her. He moved to Jiang Ci’s side and saw that she had sketched a pattern on the embroidery frame with very fine lines. After examining it for a moment, he frowned slightly. “What are you drawing?”
Jiang Ci blushed and put the embroidery frame behind her back, lowering her head without speaking.
Wei Zhao had never seen her look so shy before. In their previous interactions, they had either faced each other with anger or exchanged cold words. Curiosity piqued, he snatched the embroidery frame from her hand. After looking at it for a moment, he smirked, “You’re not much to look at, and your drawing is just as ugly. The flowers don’t look like flowers, and the birds don’t look like birds. They look more like big turtles.”
Jiang Ci’s face turned even redder. She stammered, “They’re not turtles.”
Wei Zhao laughed, “Tell me what you’ve drawn, and I’ll restore your inner power.”
Jiang Ci thought for a while. In the end, regaining her inner power was crucial. As long as she could use her lightness skill, there would always be a chance to escape. Besides, he wasn’t asking her to do anything that would harm others. So she pointed at the embroidery frame and said, “It’s chrysanthemums.”
Wei Zhao looked again and said disdainfully, “These few do look a bit like chrysanthemums, but this one—I still think it looks like a turtle. It’s quite different from the other chrysanthemums.”
Jiang Ci angrily said, “I told you it’s not a turtle, it’s—”
“It’s what?”
Jiang Ci lowered her head and said softly, “It’s… it’s a hairy crab.”
Wei Zhao was stunned. “Why are you embroidering a hairy crab?”
Jiang Ci looked up with a sweet smile. “Third Young Master, haven’t you heard the saying, ‘When chrysanthemums bloom and autumn winds blow high, facing the river and by the shore, feast on fat crabs’? Since I’m embroidering chrysanthemums, I naturally need to add a hairy crab to set the scene, and also to satisfy my craving.” She held out her hand. “Now that I’ve told Third Young Master, please give me the antidote to restore my inner power.”
Wei Zhao tossed down the embroidery frame and put on his mask. “What you took was merely a drug to make you sleep and temporarily lose your inner power. Now that you’re awake, your inner power will gradually recover in ten days.” His rigid fake face drew close to Jiang Ci. “I’ll give you more time to think. When you’re ready, write out that poem. Until you do, don’t even think about leaving this courtyard!”
Seeing him leave the room, Jiang Ci slowly crouched down, picked up the embroidery frame, and stroked the ambiguous hairy crab on the plain silk. She said softly, “You have many claws and many schemes, always walking sideways. Just be careful not to trip over yourself one day!”
She sat back in the chair, picked up the embroidery needle, and scratched her temple hair. Suddenly, she remembered the scene of mending clothes for Cui Liang in the West Garden that morning and felt a bit worried. “I wonder how Brother Cui is doing. He’s a good person. I hope he hasn’t been schemed against by that crab.”