Jin Se Chapter 2

The magnolia alba outside the window has wilted, a single wind blowing past can cause them to fall all over turning the ground white.

The Taoist master stands by the small window frame, through the half-open window he can look outside. In the middle of the courtyard lies a giant constellation table, taking up to half of the s.p.a.ce. At the moment it is early dawn, the sunlight shining down making the tiny lights on the constellation table dim. Only by concentrating your eyes can you see the intricate lines on top, tangling each other. Occasionally a flower falls down and quickly wilts like it was drained dry by the table.

His little sole student Shi Wuduan is sitting by the constellation table, the hem of his pants drawn a little high, revealing his ankle - this year Shi Wuduan turns ten years old, he seems to have started to grow, anything he eats seemingly only serve to elongate his bones incessantly, his body starting to show the lankiness of teenagers. On his outer jacket lies a few bird feathers, a single golden thread is wrapped around his hand, his two fingers moving like flying; he is deftly weaving a 'maiden ribbon'.

This maiden ribbon is what little girls from wealthy families who had not matured wear; most of them are made from silk thread, weaved in between can be a few things like pearl and jewel. In the Daqian years, most little girls braid their hair rather than putting them in a bun like the adults. The maiden ribbon, about two to three inches-wide, can be tied along the little girl's braid; there are a few with a golden bell attached at the tail, which will sound when they walk.

Shi Wuduan is still young, no one has yet to teach him, at most he could see that among the students of Kure master the few younger shimei will tie those, but he can already figure out how to make it without any guidance, which is enough to see this guy is talented in these perverted things.

Until the Taoist master took a closer look, he grows so angry his beard raises - the golden thread and the bird feathers that this precious student was playing around with, he all recognizes.

The golden thread is the Duxing (*) thread used to layer the constellation table when Jiulu mountain has its annual celebration. It looks like a golden thread, but when you have it your hand it feels extremely soft, cool as water, very malleable, and holy weapons cannot slice through it. It is the product from the golden silkworm living in snowy mountaintop of Jiulu mountain; every year, only a few hundred grams can be harvested. That is still fine; since this thing will not get ruined, Xuan sect still has some in stock.

(*) means to lead the stars

But these bird feathers are incredible shiny, under the sunlight they look like they are covered by a sheen of lapis lazuli, the refracted light truly like rainbows. If a common person without cultivation stares at it for seconds long they would feel dizzy, and even their state of mind can be sucked in by these colours.

The more the Taoist master looks at it the more it becomes familiar. He briskly walks to the outer s.p.a.ce, pushes the curtain aside and feels his blood boiling in waves - he only sees the green jade magical sparrow that he has kept as a pet since time unknown has been shaved clean since who knows when. This bird that is said to be the most beautiful in the world sees him walk in, seems to be startled, raising its bare b.u.t.t that has no remaining hair left, chirped twice before turning away, like it has no face to see his owner.

The green jade magical sparrow, according to legend, is grown by the G.o.ds on the Jiutian lake, there are barely any on our world. They are only seen at the north-most regions, using snow lotus herbs as food, snow water as drink, never tasting any worldly fruits or insects. This one has long been the Taoist master's dearest darling.

The Taoist master stares at the bald magical sparrow for a while, so angry that his limbs start to shake. He picks up his ruler, slamming the door open: "Shi Wuduan!"

This troublemaking student grows scared, instinctively hiding the golden thread and the bird feather into his sleeves, guiltily says: "Hehe, shifu."

When Bitan master arrived, he sees his sect leader shixiong is carrying out the Xuan sect traditional performance - using his ruler to chase after Shi Wuduan who is jumping and sliding all around the courtyard.

Shi Wuduan's sleeves are drawn up, hiding something that both his hands hold closely to, while he simultaneously shrinks his neck to run away with his head covered and yells: "Shifu, shifu let me explain, second shixiong said I need to prepare wedding presents to marry my wifey, and the presents have to be something of quality, ow, hurt hurt hurt ... Without wedding present this student is going to be single forever, ow! Don't hit my head, I'm gonna be hit dumb! My b.u.t.t has lots of flesh, if you want to hit hit my b.u.t.t ..."

Bitan dry-coughs once outside the steps: "Sect leader shixiong."

Only then does the Taoist master realize his presence; he immediately lets go of his ruler, reluctantly suppresses the anger on his face, smooths out wrinkles on his clothes, clears his throat, and caresses his beard. Only then he a.s.sumes his leisurely appearance, like he has never rushed anything ever, and asks: "Bitan shidi, did you come here for something?"

Bitan is the Taoist master's shidi, under the sect leader, he is in charge of the daily ch.o.r.es of Xuan sect and is the easiest to talk to. Shi Wuduan's eyes are sharp; he dashes behind Bitan, brushes away the non-existent dust on himself, smiling broadly to get into Bitan's good grace, that appearance only lacking waving his head and wagging his tails: "Bitan shishu, you came."

Bitan sees the evidence lying in Shi Wuduan's bosom, then uses his knuckles to knock his forehead: "Why cause trouble again?"

Shi Wuduan, having found his protector, ruffles his hair and giggles without care. This gets the Taoist to glare aggressively at him: "Little monster, I'll deal with you at night - Bitan let's head inside to talk."

Seems like I got pardoned.

Shi Wuduan sighs in relief, rubs the areas on his head and thigh that were scratched by the ruler, and feels like Bitan shishu is really a live Buddha to deliver him from pain.

He quickly jumps on the nearby giant tree, humming and finishing weaving the rest of that maiden ribbon, then proudly brings it against the light to look at his finished product, really feeling like this is so G.o.d-tier that it literally cannot be any better - little children all like shiny things, Shi Wuduan at the moment still does not have better taste, completely oblivious that this jeweled thing is enough shine to blind a dog's eyes.

Then he jumps down from the giant tree, taking advantage that Bitan is keeping the Taoist master busy, goes down his familiar paths past the guardhouse, running straight into Cangyun valley and dashing straight for Hualian cave belonging to the holy fox spirit monarch, presses the qi down to his center and shouts loudly: "Bai Li! Xiao Li Zi (*)! Quickly come out! Quickly come out!"

(*) an endearment of Bai Li's name

Her eyelids jerking once, Bai Ziyi silently thinks: why this unlucky kid again.

But the moment she lowers her head, she discovers that on her child's face, who rarely talks nor smiles, is a shadow of a smile, and he is about to stand up after he heard the call. Bai Ziyi cannot stop herself from frowning and calls him back: "Wait first, I have something I have to tell you."

"I am not well-versed in astrology and mathematics at all, but a look at that little boy's face is enough to know he is not a person with a smooth and well-off life path, I'm afraid his future is rife with troubles. I only roughly calculate, but I cannot tell his previous life and karma, maybe he would even die young ..."

Bai Li lifts his head to look at her. At the moment his features are that of a young adult, but the coldness in his eyes can make the thousand-year-old spirit monarch pause for a beat. Only seconds after does she hear Bai Li softly speak: "Mother, what do you want to say?"

His voice still carries the softness of a boy who has not changed his voice, his speech is slow like he is asking for affections, but his expressions show none of such thing. Bai Ziyi sighs: "The karma that you owe him, if there is an opportunity, just pay him back, do not tangle with him too much, human and spirit, eventually are ..."

Bai Li lets out a short laugh, and speaks, his voice still soft: "This son can avoid."

Then the Bai Li in front of her turns around and changes into the appearance of a young lady, still with the same features but just the change in clothing is enough to soften them, making others hard to detect any peculiarity, then walks out.

The remaining words still trapped in her throat, Bai Ziyi sighs after a long while, haizz truly there is no way.

Bai Li immediately sees Shi Wuduan jumping back and forth once he steps outside, like there are nails under his feet making him unable to rest. One of his hands is hidden behind his back, his smile bright like flowers, while his other hand waves at him: "Xiao Li Zi come here quickly, I have something for you."

Bai Li let him pull him over, asks: "What?"

Shi Wuduan says: "Close your eyes."

Bai Li looks at him, then obediently closes his eyes like a real likeable young lady. Shi Wuduan sneaks a look at him, seeing his really long eyelashes that slightly vibrate, his porcelain features not yet all mature, still a little childlike, truly there is no spot that is not pretty. Shi Wuduan then proudly thinks to himself, oh wow, I really married the most beautiful wifey in the world.

He circled around Bai Li, still anxiously tells him: "You cannot open your eyes and sneak okay."

Bai Li makes an affirmative noise, the corners of his mouth raising by two inches.

Shi Wuduan's two hands have practiced manipulating the constellation table, extremely deft, while talking, he has quickly untied Bai Li's long hair down one of his shoulders. He ties that bejeweled thing on, then takes a step back and says: "Okay now."

Bai Li can open his eyes for only an instant before having to close them because of the shine of that green jade sparrow feather. He pulls on his hair to check it out, then does not know whether to laugh or cry since he has turned from a normal 'young lady' to a 'young lady with glaring lights'. But Shi Wuduan close by still holds his hands together, fawningly asks: "Hi hi, I made it myself, is it pretty?"

Bai Li feels his heart move, and nods: "Pretty."

After that Shi Wuduan grows even more manic, runs around him for rounds, rambling: "Right, right, it was I that made it, that stupid bird belong to shifu got shaved clean by me, he even beats me with that ruler for it - that simple bird basically got nothing good apart from its beautiful feathers, it only knows to chirps loudly all day, and it still gets doted on like nothing else, ugh!"

Bai Li immediately asks: "Did you get beaten again?"

Shi Wuduan devilishly raises his pinkie, proudly nods: "No matter, I am not afraid. This little master knows Jinzhongzhao Tiebushan (*), shifu's ruler on my body is like ... is like a breath of wind, doesn't hurt at all, doesn't hurt at ..."

(*) a type of Kungfu that hardens your skin

He has not finished before Bai Li reaches out to hold his finger, so the rest of Shi Wuduan's words fall straight back to his stomach. He feels Bai Li's hand is so soft, his happiness explodes at once, like nothing can be greater, and stupidly smiles at him: "Go, let's go to Duayue slope over there, I'll climb trees to pick fruits for you to eat."

Cangyun valley has mountain has water has beauty, Shi Wuduan really feels like this is the blessed lands, feeling so giddy that he forgot everything. Until the sun falls to the west that he remembers when he comes back a beating is unavoidable, so he reluctantly says goodbye to Bai Li.

Right at that moment, from the sky sounds a strange bird noise. When the two of them look up, they see a huge, bald bird descend from high above to land straight on Shi Wuduan's shoulder, its eyes like black beans spotting the shiny maiden ribbon on Bai Li's hair. It then aggressively pecks on Shi Wuduan's head twice like to let off its anger - this is the green jade magical sparrow belonging to the Taoist master.

Shi Wuduan covers his head with one hand and uses the other to grab onto it. The green jade magical sparrow manages to avoid it, arrogantly stretches one of its legs out, then turning its head away, not looking at him like it is still mad.

Bound on its leg are a letter and a small pack of luggage. Shi Wuduan is startled for a moment and bends down to open it. Skimming through it, his face shows a hint of surprise.

Bai Li cannot resist asking: "What is it?"

Shi Wuduan rubs his head: "Shifu orders me to go to the Eastern seas to find Jianghua Sanren, he says I need to pick up something, and also says I cannot delay, today I will not need to come back but rushes on the way immediately, all the necessary utilities are packed in the bag ... Huh? How strange, why didn't he say anything this morning?"