Since her husband had been kidnapped, Wu Zhen had imagined many possible scenarios for his predicament. She had pictured him trapped in a dark cave by the rotting demon, with no food and not even a straw to sit on. Or perhaps tied to a pillar, enduring wind and rain, waiting for her to come with something to exchange for his freedom. She had imagined all sorts of pitiful situations, each making her heart ache more for her husband’s supposed suffering.
But she never expected that her husband might be doing… quite well?
Wu Zhen’s gaze moved from the light, soft green gauze curtains to the large, soft, brocade cushions on the floor. Her eyes then wandered from the small black agarwood table emitting a faint fragrance to other exquisite and luxurious furnishings in the room. She focused for a few moments on the steaming, delicious-looking dishes on a nearby table before finally returning her attention to the women surrounding her.
Such comfortable living quarters, seemingly good food, and several demon servants to attend to him—this looked far more pleasant than how she had spent the past few days.
Wu Zhen stroked her chin silently, smiling strangely. The servant women, transformed field mouse demons, looked at each other anxiously and advised her earnestly: “Madam, you’re with child. Even if you don’t consider yourself, please think of the baby.”
“Yes, yes, Madam. Since the master has brought you here, you should settle in well. The master controls everything here; you can’t escape. Please don’t try to run away anymore.”
Another woman, eyes full of pity, tentatively took her hand and said gently, “Don’t be afraid, Madam. The master brought you back and told us to take good care of you. It seems he cares about you. As servants, we don’t know what’s between you and the master, but since you’re here, you should make the best of it. Please don’t defy him; perhaps your days will be better in the future.”
If it weren’t for the fact that she was still in her own body, Wu Zhen would have thought she had entered some bizarre alternate reality. The demons’ words sounded strange to her ears.
Wu Zhen thought to herself that while she had been worried sick and rushing around trying to rescue her husband, he seemed to be living like a chaste wife sequestered in a golden house by some villain.
She licked her lips, her gaze slowly sweeping over the faces and bodies of the women before her, silencing them with her inscrutable look.
The field mouse demons didn’t know what was happening. The woman before them seemed to have suddenly changed. Previously, she had been cold as ice, unfriendly towards them, and had tried to escape several times, frightening them. But now, she was quiet and smiling beautifully, though it felt somewhat eerie.
Somehow, when the woman had been cold and aloof towards them earlier, they hadn’t found her particularly frightening. But now, as she surveyed them with that smile, cold sweat broke out on their backs. They felt a terrifying sense of encountering a natural predator and couldn’t help but tremble.
Having slightly revealed her power and frightened the women into trembling, Wu Zhen finally felt a bit better. Indeed, her own body was more useful.
“Where is your master now?” Wu Zhen tried asking. She thought the “master” these little demons referred to must be the rotting demon who had kidnapped her husband.
A woman replied, “The master went back there after bringing you here, Madam. He hasn’t come out since. Even if you want to see the master, we can’t help. No one dares to disturb him.”
Wu Zhen: “Oh.” She didn’t press the issue further with these small demons who were just following orders. She stood up and walked towards the door.
The servants wanted to stop her but didn’t dare. They trailed behind her like a string of large potatoes. As Wu Zhen stepped outside, she found herself in a small mountain estate surrounded by peaks, with lush greenery as far as the eye could see. There were more servants outside, all transformed demons without exception.
If not for these non-human servants, this place would have looked no different from the summer retreats built by Chang’an’s elite in the mountains. Moreover, it had been night when she was at Changxi Temple, but it was still daytime here, suggesting this place might exist in a separate realm.
Wu Zhen looked around. Behind her, a woman timidly said, “Madam, you mustn’t disturb the master. Please return to your room.” They all thought she was going to see the master and hurriedly tried to dissuade her.
Wu Zhen laughed, “The room is too stuffy. It’s better outside.” As she spoke, she noticed a small lake not far away, its banks full of pink and white lotus flowers, their fragrance wafting over.
The scenery was quite nice. After admiring it for a moment, Wu Zhen suddenly pointed to a platform beside the lotus pond and said to the women behind her, “Prepare a couch for me over there.”
The women were stunned by her words. Wu Zhen continued unhurriedly, “Find me a soft couch. I don’t like pear wood; the smell is unpleasant. Also, light some incense for me. Do you have any moonflower incense?”
A woman asked stupidly, “Moon… moonflower incense?”
Wu Zhen waved her hand dismissively, seeming very agreeable, “You don’t? Well, anything will do, as long as it’s a light fragrance. Also, prepare some food for me; I’m hungry. Oh, and no spicy or deep-fried food, it’s too greasy. Just bring me some steamed crystal dumplings, san hua jiao, golden milk pastries, silver snowballs, deer fish jerky, and the like. And bring three jars of good wine.”
At this point, Wu Zhen glanced at her belly, remembering she was pregnant, and reluctantly amended, “Never mind, one jar of good wine… will be enough.”
Her instructions left the women stunned. Seeing their expressions, Wu Zhen didn’t rush them. She thought for a moment and added, “Do you have anyone here who can sing and dance? Or play instruments? Call a few to entertain me.”
“Why are you standing there? Go on.” She raised an eyebrow and snapped her fingers.
A while later, Wu Zhen was comfortably seated on the white stone platform by the lotus pond. The servants had efficiently laid out soft cushions and rugs, placed a couch and tables, and arranged an array of food and drink. A voluptuous woman knelt beside her, pouring wine, while several tall, graceful figures danced to music in the distance. Their thin dresses fluttered in the mountain breeze like celestial beings, creating a beautiful scene against the background of music and lotus flowers.
Wu Zhen tasted the wine, finding it unlike any she had drunk before. She became even more cheerful, reclining on the soft cushions, sipping wine, and enjoying the song and dance. She sighed contentedly, picking up a chopstick to tap out the rhythm of the music. The demons’ performances were quite different from what she usually saw and heard in Chang’an, with some admirable aspects. When she returned, she could give some pointers to her acquainted ladies.
“Madam, would you like me to massage your legs?” a small demon exuding lotus fragrance asked with a smile.
Wu Zhen made an affirmative sound, accepting the attentive service. The lotus demon sat down and began massaging her legs. The wine-pouring demon also hurriedly raised the wine jug, saying softly, “Madam, let me refill your cup.”
Wu Zhen took a sip of wine, humming a few notes, and suddenly praised the demon playing the pipa, “This pipa playing is excellent.”
The demon stood up, bowed to her, and said, “Madam flatters me. I am a pipa demon.”
So that explained it; no wonder the playing was so good. Wu Zhen looked her over, somewhat tempted to take her back to Chang’an. She believed that with a bit of training, the demon could become a great master of the age.
The dancers were also truly impressive, no worse than the ladies from Chang’an’s Haichun and Wuyu dance troupes.
“Madam, I can sing too. Shall I sing a song for you?”
“Certainly, let me hear it.”
“Madam, I can also…”
Wu Zhen waved her hand, “One at a time.”
—
Mei Zhuyu’s vision went black, followed by a bout of dizziness. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he found himself in a very familiar place. He was surprised to realize it was his former residence at Changxi Temple.
Then he discovered his hands were tied behind his back. Mei Zhuyu sat up and with a burst of strength, easily broke the thick ropes. Ignoring the ropes, he walked towards the door with furrowed brows. The door was locked, but with another forceful push, it made a cracking sound, and half the door was torn open. Pushing the door leaf aside, Mei Zhuyu walked out, his expression unchanged.
Outside, the night was deep. It was indeed Changxi Temple. But how had his wife ended up at Changxi Temple, and why was she tied up? Mei Zhuyu wondered if something had happened, and thinking his wife might have suffered, he walked out with a grim expression.
He was very familiar with this place. Even in the dim surroundings with sparse lighting, he accurately avoided the uneven ground and the protruding, peeling stones of the old walls.
Two young Taoist priests came walking towards him. Seeing him emerge, they hurried over, but upon noticing Mei Zhuyu’s gloomy face and furrowed brows, they instinctively shrank back, shivering.
“Li-Little Uncle?”
Mei Zhuyu nodded to them and continued walking past.
Watching his tall, thin figure recede into the distance, one of the young Taoists asked stupidly, “The Ancestral Master said to tie up Little Uncle. Now that he’s broken free, should we tie him up again?”
The other young Taoist grimaced, “I don’t dare. The senior brothers said Little Uncle hits hard, even harder than the Ancestral Master.”
Mei Zhuyu, the Little Uncle known for his painful blows, made his way unimpeded to Master Siqing’s door, relying solely on his cold gaze and expression.
At this moment, Master Siqing and several white-bearded disciples were discussing Mei Zhuyu’s situation. Master Siqing’s loud voice could be heard from inside: “That person’s nonsense can’t be trusted. Let’s keep him confined for two days and then decide.”
One senior brother worriedly said, “What if what she said is true, and Junior Brother Guyu is really in danger? Shouldn’t we go check ourselves?”
Master Siqing laughed loudly and said, “What are you afraid of? Guyu is so capable, he won’t die easily. If we wait a couple of days and let him suffer a bit, won’t it make me look more heroic when I appear in his moment of crisis? Then…”
At that moment, the door opened with a creak, revealing Mei Zhuyu’s face. Master Siqing, in mid-sentence, found himself face to face with his young disciple’s expressionless visage. That all-too-familiar look instantly made the words of pride stick in Master Siqing’s throat.