When Rong Chen Zi awoke it was already evening — in winter, dusk descends upon the world early. He opened his eyes. He Bang was still fast asleep on the couch. Her hand pressed against her chest without thinking, brow tightly knitted, as though even in dreams she could still feel the piercing ache. Rong Chen Zi feared the pressure of her hand on the heart, and gently moved that small hand to her side. Seeing that her lips had dried and cracked, he dissolved a Clarity-and-Turbidity Talisman — the moment the talisman entered the water it vanished without a trace, leaving the water all the more clear and bright. Rong Chen Zi took up a small wooden ladle and scooped a little of the talisman-water to moisten her lips.
About a quarter of an hour later, Ye Tian came in — she dispensed with pleasantries even with Rong Chen Zi: “Senior Brother, go have your meal. I’ll keep watch.”
Rong Chen Zi nodded, and also reminded her: “If she falls into a nightmare again or becomes unsettled in her sleep, first calm her soul and spirit, then give her a sip of the Clarity-and-Turbidity Talisman water in the cup.”
Ye Tian nodded and took the porcelain cup. On account of that wretched three-eyed serpent, everyone had been worn ragged of late, and Rong Chen Zi had grown especially gaunt. Her voice was full of concern: “Senior Brother — perhaps the life-borrowing… could be put off a few days? You’ve grown this thin…”
Rong Chen Zi shook his head: “We must act before the Underworld takes notice. A demon of a thousand years — the Underworld will have someone assigned to collect its soul. Though Lingxia Mountain has a protective formation, I fear it will not hold for long.”
Knowing it was futile, Ye Tian still could not help urging once more: “But borrowing a life goes against the heavens’ natural order. You’ve always said the bond between you two is severed — so why must you carry out this forbidden act for her sake?”
Rong Chen Zi raised his hand to cut her off, his voice carrying a quiet sigh: “There may be much that is complicated between us, but she came here today to slay the serpent and uphold the Dao. Setting aside any personal ties — could I, as a fellow cultivator, truly stand by and watch someone die?”
Ye Tian had her own thoughts on the matter: “Very well — I’ll say nothing more about it. In any case, practitioners of inner cultivation are rarely seen these days. If Senior Brother keeps her around with an eye toward dealing with the Calling Serpents in the future, I’ll hold my tongue. I only worry that Senior Brother… still has lingering feelings.”
Rong Chen Zi was momentarily taken aback, then replied with equanimity: “That time of folly and error has passed. Guided back to my own Dao by the direction of the immortals, how could I allow myself to become entangled in the red dust once more?”
Only then did Ye Tian’s expression ease: “She’s here — go have your meal.”
Rong Chen Zi went to the dining hall. He had been away from the monastery for some time, and he was unsure how the disciples had been keeping up with their studies. He and Qingxuan and Qingsu had both been absent from the monastery; all affairs had been managed by Qingzhen during that time. Qingzhen now stood in attendance beside Rong Chen Zi. The young Daoist disciples, all fearing their master might lose his temper, were eating in perfect silence.
Rong Chen Zi tapped his chopsticks against his bowl: “Sit.”
Qingzhen hurriedly took a seat at the lower end and did not dare to so much as breathe too loudly. Rong Chen Zi upheld the rule of silence at mealtimes and ate with his head bowed. Qingzhen dared not violate his master’s instruction and anxiously ate a few bites as well. After the meal, Qingxuan assembled all the disciples in the Patriarchs’ Hall, and Rong Chen Zi began to inquire about the monastery’s affairs. Qingzhen stood properly at attention, and whatever Rong Chen Zi asked, he answered carefully and thoroughly, down to the smallest detail.
Rong Chen Zi then proceeded to examine the disciples on their sutras and techniques.
By the time all this was done, an hour had passed, and He Bang had woken from her sleep. Opening her eyes, she found only Ye Tian watching beside the couch. Ye Tian was still poring over the Life-Borrowing Technique and, when she saw He Bang had woken, treated it as though she had seen nothing — even letting out a cold little snort. He Bang felt her stomach. She was normally someone who could not bear to go hungry, and yet an entire day and night had now passed without a single bite of food. Hearing her stomach growl and rumble, Ye Tian relished the situation: “After the heart restoration, you may only consume liquid food for ten days. And you may only eat to three-tenths full.”
“What?” He Bang’s face finally broke into an expression of genuine anguish. “Wuwuwuwu… I want roasted duck, I want lamb leg…”
The sound of wailing echoed throughout the inner chamber. Ye Tian listened with complete satisfaction: “Serves you right!”
Rong Chen Zi came in carrying half a bowl of plain congee, just in time to hear He Bang crying her heart out. He furrowed his thick brows: “What has happened?”
Ye Tian let out a cold snort and gave no answer. He Bang caught sight of the half bowl of plain congee in his hand and cried even more heartbrokenly.
Rong Chen Zi sat down at the edge of the couch and scooped up a spoonful to feed her: “Don’t cry — I’ll add more sugar.” He Bang’s tears kept flowing. After crying for some time she finally managed: “I want something savory!”
Rong Chen Zi was silent for a moment, then called out to Qingxuan outside the room: “Bring another half bowl of plain congee — add a little salt.”
“Wuu…” He Bang wept as though her heart would break. Ye Tian’s fury was beyond all endurance, and she burst out: “You’re only being given a bit of congee — is this really worth all this?!”
He Bang was having none of it: “I’m not eating congee — I won’t eat it! I want lotus root powder dumplings, I want spring onion braised sea cucumber, I want spotted dove and mushroom soup, wuwuwuwuwu…”
Rong Chen Zi could not help but sigh. After a long moment, he pierced his wrist and let a few drops of blood fall into the congee. His blood carried no trace of any bloody scent — the vivid red color bloomed outward through the plain congee, and half a bowl of congee transformed into a shimmering peach-blossom pink. Ye Tian immediately cast a bleeding-stop spell for him: “Senior Brother!” Rong Chen Zi shook his head to signal that nothing more need be said. He leaned forward and brought the congee to He Bang’s face, scooping a spoonful to feed her. He Bang looked at him once, then obediently opened her soft pink lips and drank, sip by sip. The fragrance was so rich and concentrated — gazing at Rong Chen Zi through the wisps of rising steam, she suddenly broke into a grin. That smile was as radiant as the morning sun rising through rosy clouds, as dazzling as a lotus blossom emerging from clear waters. Rong Chen Zi’s gaze held fast.
Ye Tian was so furious she was beside herself, and let out a cold snort: “All that high-minded talk and righteous principle — men are all the same!”
She slammed the door and left. Rong Chen Zi was left red-faced with embarrassment and sat in silence for a while — but continued nonetheless to feed He Bang her congee. He Bang had thick skin and couldn’t have cared less, eating her congee while prodding at Rong Chen Zi with her little foot. Rong Chen Zi reached out to push it away, and without warning his hand met with that delicate, warm, and slender foot. His heartbeat suddenly quickened. He decided simply to pay it no more mind, and stuffed the remaining half bowl of congee into her mouth spoonful by spoonful.
That afternoon, Rong Chen Zi and Ye Tian fell into dispute over whose life should be borrowed. Borrowing a life ran contrary to the heavenly principle — it was like a candle that could only be lit from one end, whereas life-borrowing set it burning from both ends at once. Though both lives would be sustained, it would without question also hasten the rate at which both burned away. Naturally Rong Chen Zi wished to borrow from his own lifespan. Equally naturally, Ye Tian could not agree to this. The two of them argued until they were at an impasse, and Ye Tian was crying with anxiety. He Bang had been listening for some time when at last she could restrain herself no longer: “Um — does it absolutely have to be borrowed from you two?” Rong Chen Zi and Ye Tian both looked over at her. She rolled her eyes. Despite being rather hopeless in many respects, she could do arithmetic: “The Calling Serpent has consumed more than a few Daoist cultivators — couldn’t you simply catch one and use it to borrow the life? The three-eyed serpent has the bloodline of an ancient divine beast. One alone can sustain life for a very, very long time — even halved, it could still sustain life for a very long time. And the two of you together haven’t even lived a hundred years between you…”
Rong Chen Zi and Ye Tian exchanged a glance — without another word, both immediately turned and strode out. After walking for some while, Ye Tian suddenly burst out laughing, doubling forward with laughter. The corner of Rong Chen Zi’s lips curved upward, and he too broke into a small smile.
The three-eyed serpent had been born of a celestial calamity — its lifespan was not recorded in the Register of Life and Death. Borrowing its life would not even require defying the heavenly Dao. It was like the difference between seizing someone else’s property, which is unlawful, and taking an ownerless thing, which no one would question.
Rong Chen Zi sent Qingsu to find Zhuang Shaoqin and retrieve a three-eyed serpent that had just hatched. He himself still needed to rest for the night to build up enough spiritual energy to perform the life-borrowing ritual for He Bang. His room and He Bang’s were separated by only a single wall, and with matters weighing on his heart, his talk of “building up enough energy” amounted to nothing — he could not settle himself to sleep. After only a quarter of an hour, he would make his way to the inner chamber to check on He Bang. He Bang grew so tired of being checked on: “Zhiguan, stop running back and forth — can’t you just sleep here?”
Rong Chen Zi was uncertain in his heart. He Bang raised her hand and swore an oath: “If I move around recklessly, then let me only ever have congee to drink from now on!” This was a serious vow. Only then was Rong Chen Zi persuaded, and he climbed onto the couch, lying down beside He Bang with his clothes still on. He Bang closed her eyes. As it turned out, this sleep was remarkably sound and sweet. Rong Chen Zi saw that she was indeed being well-behaved, and found his own heart eased. He closed his eyes and slept as well.
Deep in the night, snow began to fall outside — the first snowfall of winter. Qingxuan brought over a thick cotton quilt, but finding Rong Chen Zi’s couch perfectly neat and undisturbed with no sign of anyone having slept in it, he stepped into the inner chamber and found Rong Chen Zi and He Bang lying shoulder to shoulder. He Bang’s pink face rested upon Rong Chen Zi’s broad shoulder, her black hair fanning across his chest in loose strands, tangled yet tender as unspoken feeling. Qingxuan carefully gathered the quilt in his arms, tiptoed out of the inner chamber, and carried it back the way he had come — Master was nestled beside a warm and fragrant beauty, sleeping peacefully. What need was there for any quilt…
When dawn gradually brightened the sky, Ye Tian came carrying He Bang’s congee. In the dimly lit inner chamber, the faint lamplight fell upon the two sleeping neck to neck on the couch. Unexpectedly, she recalled those many years ago — after Master had passed away, she had cried herself to sleep every night, and Rong Chen Zi had accompanied her through those nights in just this same quiet, warm way. Yet so many years later, the old person still remembered what had come before — but what had come before had long since turned to drifting smoke.