They walked a long while through the tunnel, until the path suddenly narrowed. “We’re here,” Lin Xiao said. With that, he moved past the others, felt along the wall for a moment, opened a doorway, and led the group out.
Once Qin Yao reached the surface, she looked around and found a small, secluded residence, utterly silent, with no idea where exactly they were. Several servants were already waiting in the courtyard; they showed no surprise at the sight of Lin Xiao and the others, as if long accustomed to standing ready at any hour.
Lin Xiao led the master and disciple into the main room, which was very warm, fully furnished and equipped.
After sitting down and drinking several mouthfuls of the hot tea served by a servant, Qin Yao finally felt the chill that had settled deep in her bones begin to ease.
Seeing the color return to Qin Yao’s face, Lin Xiao turned to Qing Xuzi. “Master Qing Xuzi, perhaps you could tell me where you’ve hidden Senior Brother. This place is unlike any other — it should count as secure and well-concealed. I think it best if I bring him here sooner rather than later.”
Qing Xuzi pondered for a moment. He and Lin Xiao were now in the same boat, and continued suspicion and guardedness would only make things worse — better to set aside old grievances early and join forces with Lin Xiao to face their common enemy. So he said, “He’s currently hidden away by Yuan Jue. If you mean to go fetch A’Han, I’ll need to write a letter in my own hand for Yuan Jue — otherwise he would never hand A’Han over to anyone else.”
Lin Xiao, ever decisive, immediately had a servant bring paper and brush, then turned to Qin Yao. “We’ve been busy half the night, and dawn is nearly here. You and Master Qing Xuzi should get some proper rest in a while — I’ll handle the rest once I return.”
Qin Yao murmured in agreement and let Lin Xiao lead her into the inner chamber nearby. The room held a bed and a couch, modest in size, but fragrant and warm.
Lin Xiao stood before the bed, helped Qin Yao out of her fur cloak, and eased her down to sit beside it. “I’ll have the servants prepare some hot water for you — take a bath and get a good sleep. Don’t think about anything, don’t be afraid of anything. I’ll handle everything.”
Watching him — how, from the moment all this had unfolded until now, he hadn’t spoken a single unnecessary word, hadn’t shown the slightest intention of stepping back, but had simply taken every burden onto his own shoulders, with such resolve and capability — Qin Yao felt her eyes grow hot.
Part of her wanted to go with him, but she also knew that dealing with Consort Yi would take more than her and her master’s Daoist arts alone. There was simply too much for Lin Xiao to plan on this trip — bringing her along would only be a distraction, and besides, many of the people and matters involved weren’t suitable for her to get caught up in. Rather than do something pointless, she’d do better to follow his arrangements. So she nodded obediently, rested her head against his shoulder, and said softly, “I’ll take good care of myself. I’m only worried you’re too tired — not sleeping all night, and having to rush back and forth on top of it. I’m afraid your body won’t be able to hold up.”
Lin Xiao bent down and kissed her cheek, comforting her. “Consort Yi is no easy opponent, and now is not the time to rest. We need to race against her for every minute. Things won’t stay deadlocked for long — a victor will be decided soon. Good Yao Yao, just be patient and wait for word from me. Once the dust has settled, I’ll make it up to you properly.”
Reluctant to let him go, Qin Yao held onto his waist for a moment longer, saying glumly, “I’ll be here in the hideout, ready at any time, anyway. Since Consort Yi has that sort of skilled practitioner by her side, who knows — there might come a time when you need Master and me after all.”
Seeing her hold him so tightly, her words carrying a childlike, clinging affection, Lin Xiao couldn’t help but feel a wave of reluctance himself. Fearing that if he lingered any longer he’d lose himself in this tender moment, he forced himself to stand. “I’ll head off now. Good Yao Yao, get some sleep. If there’s anything where you and Master Qing Xuzi are needed, I’ll come back for you both.”
Not daring to delay him from his urgent business, Qin Yao quickly rose as well to see him out.
Noticing she wasn’t wearing a heavy cloak, Lin Xiao had her stop at the threshold of the inner chamber, and called in the maidservant waiting outside for news to come attend to Qin Yao’s washing and dressing.
Out in the outer room, he took the letter Qing Xuzi handed him, instructed a servant to lead Qing Xuzi to a side chamber to rest, and without delaying even a moment, set off back to Chang’an to arrange the next steps.
Qin Yao stood quietly in the room, listening to the sound of Lin Xiao’s hurried footsteps fading away, a hollow feeling settling in her chest. Ever since she and Lin Xiao had come to know each other, whenever they faced an outside threat, they had always advanced and retreated together — this was the very first time circumstances had forced them apart, even temporarily.
Just as she was lost in thought, a few maidservants brought in a steaming late-night meal and said to Qin Yao, “My lady, it’s nearly dawn, and you must be hungry by now. Why not have some porridge to settle your stomach before you bathe?”
Following the maid’s words, Qin Yao glanced at the green rice porridge and the several exquisitely made pastries on the tray, puzzled that despite her stomach being plainly empty, she felt not the slightest hunger. It seemed to have been like this for her these past few days — her appetite wasn’t exactly poor, yet she simply never thought to eat. As for sleep, she’d been sleeping more soundly than ever before; once she drifted off, nothing short of a great commotion could wake her easily. Truthfully, it bore some resemblance to the symptoms of an ordinary cold.
Still, she knew that no matter how poor her appetite, she couldn’t simply indulge her own whims, so she sat down at the table, had the maids set down the bowl of porridge, and forced herself to finish a bowl. Remembering her master, she also instructed the maids not to forget to send a late-night meal to Qing Xuzi as well.
The maid said, “It’s already been sent — the master is eating his now.”
Only then did Qin Yao fall silent, slowly chewing through a piece of pastry as though it were wax. Once warmth had fully spread through her body, she rose and went to the washroom to bathe.
By the time she lay down in bed, even with her mind full of troubles, she fell asleep the moment her head touched the pillow. This sleep carried her into utter oblivion, and she had no idea how long it lasted, until the maid called her several times before she finally, drowsily, opened her eyes.
“What is it?” Her body felt utterly exhausted, but with Lin Xiao on her mind, she jolted upright at once.
“The young master just brought an abbot and a young Daoist priest here a moment ago. He wanted to come in and see you, my lady, but when he heard you were sleeping so soundly, he didn’t want to disturb your rest, so he didn’t come in, and left again with a few guards,” the maid said with a smile.
Qin Yao felt a pang of loss — so Lin Xiao had already come back, and she hadn’t even gotten to see him. She wasn’t usually such a heavy sleeper; why hadn’t she heard a single sound just now?
Just as she was lost in thought, Senior Brother’s voice came from the outer room, sounding rather excited. “Master, I had some noodles that the abbot cooked for me himself — they were so good, no worse than what you’d get at a restaurant outside!”
Hearing Senior Brother’s voice, a wave of sourness rose in Qin Yao’s heart, and she could no longer stay still. She threw off the covers, dressed, hastily washed up, and went out to the outer room.
A’Han, who was in the middle of speaking happily, happened to spot Qin Yao coming out from the inner room, and his face immediately broke into a wide smile. He ran over to her. “A’Yao! The young master said you’d be waiting for me here too — he really wasn’t lying!”