Chapter Ten: The Mysterious Distinguished Guest

The apprentice in the pharmacy, accustomed to such scenes, prepared the medicine and fed it to July after it had been concocted. He smiled, saying, “Trying to master the Elder’s Invincible Body again?” Autumn Leaf, however, did not reply; she merely nodded slightly and went inside to look for medicinal wine. The apprentice glanced at the seriously wounded July and chuckled to himself, “Sister July, once you wake, you won’t bring this up again. We’ve had no fewer than a hundred like you delivered here with such injuries. You needn’t worry about being laughed at.” Though he spoke thus, his face could not suppress a smile.

When July regained consciousness, hunger gnawed at her so intensely she thought she might die. Without caring for the pain wracking her body, she staggered and stumbled towards the kitchen. The pharmacy’s apprentices had long since returned to their beds, the outside world enveloped in darkness, and she didn’t encounter any patrolling disciples. By the time she burst into the kitchen, she had swollen her eyes and scraped the skin from her face.

Had it been any other disciple, they would have been distraught over marring their appearance. July, however, had never cared for her looks, always thinking herself plain compared to her lovely sisters. She simply dabbed the blood from her face with a handkerchief and set about cooking, but her hunger was so urgent she couldn’t wait for the food to be done; she grabbed a carrot and gnawed at it raw.

As the meal was nearly ready, someone entered. Seeing it was the kitchen mistress, July hastily called a greeting. The mistress noticed July’s scraped face, swollen eyes, and soiled, torn clothes, and scolded her, “July, what are you doing! It’s only been three days and you’re already out of bed. If you were hungry, you should have told me—I’d have brought you something.”

“I eat a lot; I didn’t want to trouble you carrying food back and forth,” July replied, her mouth full as ever, a manner her senior was long used to. “Why are you up, Sister?”

“Master has a guest and asked me to prepare some food to take over.”

July quickly said there were dishes ready, and once the rice was cooked, it could be brought along.

“That’s not right, you don’t have enough for yourself. I’ll make something else,” the mistress protested, though it was a formality. July insisted, and her senior eventually agreed.

“Sister, I’ll take the wine and dishes over now.”

When the rice was done, July set aside two large bowls in a bamboo basket before settling down to finally eat her fill.

By the time she was done, more than half an hour had passed, and her senior had not returned for the rice. She reheated the now-cold rice and, once it was ready, carried it over herself.

But as she approached the study, she heard unfamiliar voices from within. She was about to knock when someone suddenly seized her from behind. Smelling the familiar scent of wine, she realized it was Autumn Leaf and didn’t resist. Turning her head, she saw Autumn Leaf pressing a finger to her lips, signaling silence, before pulling July upstairs. From the dark stairway beside the study, they crouched low, eavesdropping.

July had never imagined herself doing such a thing, but after spending time with Autumn Leaf, her courage had grown. Seeing the usually detached Elder Autumn Leaf act so uncharacteristically, July couldn’t help but lend her ear to the conversation inside.

Within, Zheng Feixian’s tone was unusually courteous, tinged with evident respect. The recipient was a woman, her voice gentle yet clear, composed without arrogance, as though she and Zheng Feixian were intimate acquaintances. After listening a while, July realized the guest was a scholar devoted to researching historical texts, addressed by her master as Lady Li. Just as the conversation touched upon the Soul Sect’s hidden treasure, Zheng Feixian gave a sudden, deliberate cough.

Autumn Leaf grabbed July and fled at once. Not until they had run a good distance did she explain that their master had forbidden them from listening further, and if they stayed, they would be punished. July, however, felt no fear; she had expected their master would discover their eavesdropping, and the cough was a clear signal. It was the first time in all her years at Feixian Sect that she had done something so bold, yet her master was not truly angry nor did he scold them. This only deepened her sense of Zheng Feixian’s kindness toward his disciples and her gratitude for his care.

Thinking this, July asked again about the guest’s identity. Autumn Leaf replied, “She is very close to Master, once a noble of Zheng, but later became obsessed with traveling, exploring ancient sites, and similar pursuits. Just pretend you didn’t know she was here, and under no circumstances mention her to anyone.”

“Why?” July was baffled. If she was Master’s good friend, why the need for secrecy?

“This distinguished guest knows many of the world’s secrets. Imagine how many people would seek her out for answers—and that’s just the start. Think of how many treasure-hunters and greedy fools would mean her harm! If her whereabouts were revealed, it could bring her grave danger.”

Only then did July nod in understanding. “Don’t worry, Elder. I won’t tell a soul.” Then she pleaded, “Please teach me again how to train my body to withstand blows!”

Autumn Leaf eyed the eager July in surprise. In the past, many had sought to learn such skills, but after taking a single blow, none asked again. One who survived such torment and still brimmed with enthusiasm was truly rare.

“Very well.” Autumn Leaf was not one for many words. She had only pulled July along to eavesdrop so she wouldn’t blunder into the guest’s presence, and had needed to instruct her to keep silent. Now, seeing July’s resolve undiminished, she uttered one word—“Good”—and with a swift palm strike to July’s abdomen, sent her flying like a severed kite. As before, she caught her mid-flight and carried her to the pharmacy.

The Feixian Sect apprentice, woken abruptly by Autumn Leaf, was dragged out of bed, protesting in vain, “Elder, please, let me walk! I haven’t even put on my outer robe…” She was whisked away, surprised to see July again. “Why, it’s July! I’ve never seen anyone take a second blow from the Elder before…”

The apprentice complained, but Autumn Leaf paid her no heed and left. The apprentice had never seen anyone dare take a second strike, but Autumn Leaf once had. Yet even then, after the second blow, none had the courage for a third. The first strike used only pure yang force, its power controlled so as not to be fatal. July, with her gifted resilient body, suffered heavy injury but recovered without much agony. The second strike, however, combined fierce yang force, insidious yin force, shattering energy, and a lingering spiral force that damaged the meridians, increasing pain and preventing rapid healing. The yin force deepened internal injuries, further delaying recovery, and the threefold combination ensured that the direct harm from the yang force would not heal for some time.

This suffering would torment July for at least a month. In the past, those bold enough to endure a second blow never had the nerve to attempt a third after such torment.

Autumn Leaf, clad in a long robe, wandered to the lakeside railing. Overhead, a crescent moon shed its quiet, cold light, reflected in the lake, seeming both on the surface and hidden beneath. Raising her flat wine flask to the moon, she drank deeply until it was empty. Suddenly, she toppled backward toward the lake, but caught herself on the railing, her body stretched steadily over the water.

A delicate hand dipped into the lake, as if to cradle the crescent moon. Ripples spread; the lunar reflection twisted and warped, no longer a true moon. Suddenly, she stood upright, sleeves billowing, and with weightless grace, danced atop the water, her robe swirling. Where her feet touched, not a ripple disturbed the surface. Her figure danced with sudden speed then slowed, and when she stopped, she stood as if on air, sleeves falling gently at her sides, her brows shadowed by a profound loneliness as she stared at the moon in the water.

Meanwhile, the apprentice tending July in the pharmacy came running, calling out in distress. Autumn Leaf vaulted over the railing and asked for news. The apprentice pointed urgently into the distance. “July! She woke, rushed out without a thought, and nothing I said could stop her. I couldn’t keep up! The path is stained with blood from her internal wounds—please, Elder, go after her quickly!”

Before she finished, Autumn Leaf was gone, swift as the wind, her mind full of questions.

Following the trail of blood, she finally slowed as she reached the kitchen, pausing by the door to peer inside.

There was July, disheveled, stuffing carrots and vegetables into her mouth with desperate ferocity. Blood from her internal injuries stained the white carrots, but she didn’t care, only focused on eating with all her might.

“What’s happened to you?”