Chương 55: Chapter 53

I'm sitting on the steps of the courtyard, with the sun's rays caressing my face and the gentle late-morning breeze playing with my hair, while at my feet, the warm stone contrasts with the coolness of the shade. But as I enjoy the moment, I watch in silence as the Nei Wei load the last trunks onto the same carts that brought us to the city of Xi'an almost two years ago.

Each of their movements is precise, almost choreographed, as if they knew that this act has something of a ritual, of closure, and, if one looks closely, one might almost say of impatience on their part. And the reason the Nei Wei have finished loading the carts is because yesterday we said goodbye to the last maids. Some cried, others simply bowed in silence before leaving, though they all thanked us for the opportunity we gave them. But now only we remain.

And I watch as Lianhua approaches the last cart with Xia to carry the final item they'll load, my chair, while, as so many times in the last few days, I gaze at Xia in her maid's uniform, the very one I didn't even know existed until just a few days ago and yet seems tailor-made for her. The ivory fabric embroidered in light blue enhances her sweet features, while the high bun Lianhua has tied for her gives her an almost unreal air of loveliness.

She is beautiful and so cute that I can't help but smile, despite everything. When we announced our decision, Xia and I expected some kind of reaction, but instead, Lianhua simply asked for a moment and returned with the uniform perfectly folded, as if she had known from the start that this would happen. And when I asked her how she already had one ready for Xia, her answer was as terse as it was blunt when she told me there were only two ways Ling Xia could stay in the Imperial Palace.

The first, as my maid, and the other, that she could convince Guifei Xiang and the Emperor to adopt her as an Imperial Daughter. And that the latter wasn't going to happen. And I had no arguments to refute her, but even so, her level of foresight is sometimes terrifying. If she were a man, and therefore my butler, she'd have to be named Alfred or Jarvis just for that.

"Wen", I hear my mother's familiar voice say, pulling me out of my thoughts. I look up and see her approaching with Lingxi walking a few steps behind. She's wearing a simple dress by her standards, which tells me she's fully prepared for the trip.

"Are you sure you haven't forgotten anything?" she asks, stopping beside me.

"If I've forgotten something", I reply with a half-smile.

"It must be so insignificant that neither I nor Lianhua have even thought of it." My mother nods slowly in agreement, then turns toward the courtyard, where her eyes follow the movements of the Nei Wei as they carefully finish securing my wheelchair to one of the carts. Lianhua gives them a few instructions before returning to us, accompanied by Xia.

"Everything is ready, Zhāohuán Wen", she tells us with a bow, while Xia follows her lead.

"Then we'd better not delay our departure any longer", my mother murmurs.

"Wouldn't it be better to let Zǒngguǎn Li Mingzhi know before we leave?" I ask, tilting my head. My mother snorts softly, as if amused by what I've just said.

"He's been notified for days", she replies dismissively.

"I'm sure he has people watching the gates, and as soon as the last cart crosses the city gates, you can be sure his servants will start moving his things back to the palace. He's probably already got them ready to do it as quickly as possible." I let out a soft laugh at hearing my mother give such an accurate description of what she thinks is going to happen, after which I reach out my arms toward Lianhua.

"Carry me", I say simply. Lianhua picks me up with her usual ease, as if carrying me were the most natural thing in the world, and settles me in her arms. I look at my mother and say "I'm ready." She nods without saying another word and begins to walk, setting the pace toward the carriage, the same one we took on the journey here to this city, so vast that it still feels unreal to me, with an interior more befitting a ballroom than a mode of transportation.

The Nei Wei help us climb aboard efficiently, and once we're on board, Nei Baihu gives the order to depart. The Nei Wei open the gates of the Celestial Lotus Palace with a solemn creak, and the procession begins to move toward the central square while Xia sits silently beside me. I look out the window at the square as the procession turns toward Xi'An's main street in silence, which soon stretches out before us, as familiar as it is foreign, since I haven't left the palace in months.

And I soon realize how the aftermath of the Celestial Fragment fiasco has changed the city, though the changes aren't all that noticeable unless you look specifically for them. The guards patrol in larger groups, more rigid and tense. Moreover, people avoid them, even when they step aside to let us pass.

As for the people, when we arrived in the city almost two years ago, they would stop and watch us while commenting on the spectacle, but now they simply glance at us quickly and slip away into the side streets as if they don't want to be involved in anything that happens. And so, as we make our way through the city, I feel that while our arrival seemed almost like a triumphant entry, our departure is beginning to feel like a sad and defeated exit.

So I look at Xia beside me, and I see that she, like me, is staring out the window with a sad expression, so I put my arm around her shoulders and gently pull her toward me.

"Everything will be okay", I whisper, though I'm not sure if I'm saying it for her, for me, or for those staying behind in the city. Together and in silence, we watch as the streets of Xi'an fade away behind us as we approach the city gates when, for a moment and already near the gates, I see a familiar masked figure in an alleyway who briefly watches the procession before turning away and disappearing into its shadows, which makes me sigh and pray that the future of the city of Xi'an isn't too bleak.

The gentle rattle of the carriage echoes in my ears as the wheels crunch on the gravel of the imperial road and the horses' hooves keep a steady rhythm that blends with the whisper of the wind filtering through the silk curtains. I look at Xia, who is sitting on one of the beds, her back resting against the padded cushions as she sits in the lotus position. Her eyes are closed, her breathing steady, and her forehead beaded with sweat.

Her maid's uniform clings slightly to her body from the moisture, but she doesn't flinch as she remains completely focused on what I have asked of her. Beside me, my mother holds a document in her hands, but her attention seems more on me than on the contents of the paper as she listens to me.

"I'm teaching her to do the same thing I did when I first started cultivating", I explain as I answer her question about what I'm teaching Xia, keeping my voice low so as not to distract her.

"If it turns out she does the same as I did, great. And if not, at least I'll be able to compare myself to someone else who's done the same thing I did." Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. My mother nods slowly as she hands the document to Lingxi and folds her hands in her lap.

"That seems reasonable", she murmurs softly as well.

"But even though I told her not to, I'm sure Lianhua has already told you that once you finish tempering your body, this method won't be of any use to you anymore." I nod with a wry smile at her words, as the document I translated, detailing the complete path of cultivation in the Earthly Realm, comes to mind.

"Yes, she told me that. But I've also discovered something curious", I say as I turn my head toward Lianhua, who is sitting by one of the curtains, waiting patiently.

"Please tell her yourself." Lianhua blinks, as if she hadn't expected me to bring her into the conversation so suddenly, but she leans slightly in my direction.

"As you commanded, Zhāohuán Wen", she tells me in her usual controlled tone.

"Guifei Xiang, when Zhāohuán asked me to check how many mental hands I could form, I began increasing them immediately. Upon reaching five, which wasn't particularly difficult, since I had managed to form four during my own body tempering, I encountered a barrier. I couldn't form any more, no matter how hard I tried." My mother frowns slightly as she asks "Five, and not a single one more?"

"No, Guifei", Lianhua replies.

"I tried multiple different methods and approaches, but there was no way." After Lianhua speaks, I take the floor again, turning toward my mother.

"I can form seven. And I'm pretty sure that once I finish tempering the bones, I'll be able to add one more", I tell her with all the confidence I can muster.

"And I'm sure it won't end there. And since it seems that for some reason tempering the body is the only stage where these mental hands can form, even if they don't seem to have any immediate use, I'd rather not waste this opportunity since it costs me nothing but time." My mother watches me in silence for a few heartbeats, then nods with a smile.

"If you're so determined, I have no objection", she finally says to me.

"The path of cultivation is a personal choice. But..." She turns to Xia, who remains completely still, but with a visibly tense face and small beads of sweat running down her temples, and asks me "Will Xia be okay? It seems like she's having a hard time with what you've asked of her." I smile slightly as I tell her "Yes, she'll be fine. In fact, I also plan to do that same exercise several times during the trip. What she's doing isn't simply holding onto the specks of Qi.

She's trying to keep holding onto them while her physical body moves with the carriage." My mother raises an eyebrow as she listens to me, so I try to explain myself better.

"That creates a pull, a resistance", I tell her, trying to explain.

"It forces your mind to hold onto them more tightly and refine your control over them. Sitting still and keeping them steady is easy. But dragging them along with your physical body requires more effort." My mother lets out a sigh, after which she says to me "It's your idea, so I won't interfere. But if you overdo it, I'll make you take a few days off."

"All right", I reply with a satisfied smile.

"That seems fair to me." She nods and turns to Lingxi, who returns the document she had handed her earlier and goes back to reading, so I take that moment to turn to Lianhua.

"Sit me next to Xia", I say in a low voice. Lianhua nods without a word and silently slides over to seat me near Xia, after which I settle more comfortably among the cushions, close my eyes, and let the murmur of the carriage fade away. Soon, the physical world fades away, and all that remains is the ethereal whisper of Qi floating in the air. I open my inner senses and see them, tiny points of light flickering gently around me, like fireflies flitting about.

I make out three of them that are static, steady, and not moving in the slightest; I quickly surmise that these are the ones Xia is grasping in her exercise, so I ignore them and focus on the rest. One by one, I catch the specks as I get used to the strain of having to drag them along with the movement of my physical body. As I increase the number of specks, the mental pressure begins to be felt, as if an invisible part of me were pulling on strings that cannot be let go. The last one arrives with a clearer effort.

Seven specks of Qi float around me, held by my mental hands, moving alongside my physical body as if they formed a small entourage that faithfully follows me. I smile to myself, without opening my eyes. I don't know if this will be of any use in the future, but since it's clear that if I don't do it now I'll never be able to do it again, it's an opportunity I don't intend to miss.

The rhythmic rattling of the carriage has kept me lost in my thoughts for the past hour, but I'm soon startled when a village suddenly appears, with gray-tiled houses and bamboo fences, surrounded by small rice paddies.

"What village is this?" I whisper, leaning toward Lianhua.

"I don't remember passing through here on our way to Xi'an."

"You don't remember because you were asleep", she replies in a low voice, barely turning her head.

"It was after the whole business with the Yao clan. This place is just on the other side of the Mist Marsh." The name brings back a flood of memories, and, without meaning to, an idea begins to take shape in my mind, but I don't get to flesh it out because the carriage stops with a slight squeak and the door opens, after which the Nei Baihu peeks inside the carriage.

"Guifei Xiang", she announces with a bow.

"We've been lucky. The Yao clan is about to set out with a caravan to cross the swamp. Would you like us to stop and wait for the next caravan, or should we join them?" It takes my mother only a moment to make up her mind, and she says firmly "We're not stopping. Have the entourage join the caravan immediately. We'll rest once we're on the other side."

"Understood", replies Nei Baihu, closing the door before beginning to issue orders to the rest of the entourage, after which the carriage sets off again. I look out the window once more and watch as we cross the town's main street, passing stalls selling fresh vegetables and artisans who look up as our escorts pass by. On the opposite edge of the village, dozens of carts, mules loaded to the brim, and groups of people on foot carrying the typical bamboo baskets are waiting.

Soon, another group joins them, perfectly uniformed with a symbol I think I recognize as the symbol of the Yao clan. As soon as they arrive, the newcomers quickly disperse among those present and begin shouting orders.

"Stay together and don't split up!" shouts a captain, raising a banner.

"Always follow those carrying this symbol! If anyone gets ahead or falls behind, the Yao clan will not be held responsible!" Through the window, I see the merchants nodding, as if they already knew the speech by heart, though here and there are some who look visibly nervous. After the final orders, the Yao form a cordon around the entire caravan, and the final command is heard "Forward!" Our carriage glides along with the rest until, suddenly, it seems to bump into a wall of gray cotton.

The fog rises so thickly that I'd say you could cut it with a knife. Xia, sitting next to me, suddenly takes my hand and squeezes it tightly. I'm startled by the fog's sudden appearance, but I notice that everyone else except Xia and me is calm, as if they already knew what was going to happen, so I calm down, though I would have appreciated it if someone had warned me.

"Don't worry", I tell Xia to reassure her, though my voice cracks slightly, after which I turn to my mother and ask.

"Is the path completely safe?" She tilts her head calmly as she tells me "The Yao clan has lived off this for generations. Only fools who ignore their instructions get lost in the swamp." Her composure rubs off on me enough to make me manage a tense smile, so I look outside again, but visibility has dropped to just a couple of meters. I can barely make out the silhouettes of our escort from Nei Wei, who have pressed so close to the carriage that they're almost brushing against the wood.

The silence is as thick as the fog, with the few sounds that can be heard completely muffled by it. After a while of gazing at that misty void, boredom settles over me, so a wild impulse takes hold of me, and before I can reconsider what might be a bad idea, I close my eyes and begin to sense the Qi. What I see almost makes me gasp.

Neutral Qi is practically nonexistent here, and the atmosphere is saturated with Nature, Yin, Yang, and Water Qi, but what startled me most is the presence of two unknown types of Qi that I've never seen before, and they're actually the most prevalent. I try to grab one of those new specks, but as I expected, it slips through my mental hands just like all types of elemental Qi. I give up with a sigh and open my eyes.

Everything is still just as monotonous, so I turn to Xia, who is watching me with raised eyebrows, though without saying anything about what I just did.

"Do you want to play Tiàoyuè to pass the time while we get out of here?" I suggest, raising our joined hand.

"Sure", she replies, visibly relieved by the distraction. I signal to Lianhua to bring out a board and the pieces, and soon we start playing a few games, which my mother soon joins, so we take turns entertaining ourselves as we cross the misty Mist Marsh. Time slips away between rounds and rounds, until a golden flash suddenly filters through the window and makes us squint. Outside, the fog disperses like a falling curtain, revealing hills covered in bamboo glistening in the afternoon sun.

"We made it", Xia exclaims, seeming to gaze at the sunlight almost gratefully. I nod, feeling a weight lift from my chest. I look ahead through the window and see the Yao clan's banners already being folded away, the voices returning to a routine tone, and the carts scattering along the solid road.

I lean back again, letting the real breeze, without mist or oppressive humidity, come in through the window, while I think that perhaps I hadn't missed that much by having been asleep during the first crossing, and that now that we're about to reach the village where the Yao clan has its residence, all that remains is to see whether my plan is possible or not.