Chapter Twenty-Five: Harmony

Ignoring the calls to stay, I walked to the street and found a vendor. Just as I grasped the heavy candied hawthorns in my hand, I reached for my empty waist pouch and realized the serious problem.

I hadn't brought my money pouch!

What a disaster. I must have been in too much of a hurry when I got up and left it under my pillow.

"Never mind, boss, I won't take it," I said, just as I was about to hand the candied hawthorns back.

Suddenly, a voice came from beside me, "I'll pay for the young lady. How much is it?" I turned to see Senior Brother Luoxi smiling at me, handing a few copper coins to the vendor.

"Senior Brother, why did you come out?"

"This city of Luoyang is so big, I was worried this little road-idiot might get lost and not find her way back," he said nonchalantly.

"Senior Brother, I've only walked less than ten steps from the inn. Buying candied hawthorns isn't like buying glue; eating them won't glue up my brain," I said, sticking out my tongue and taking a bite, crunching on the sugar coating.

He looked at me with some amusement. "Why are you eating it like that? Just eating the sugar will only make you sick of it. You need to take a bite of both the sugar and the fruit. The sweet and sour together will tantalize your taste buds."

This sounded familiar. Yes, Yier and Senior Brother Luoxi are siblings after all. Even the things they say and the principles they uphold are not too different.

Maybe Yier really has some unspeakable difficulties, or perhaps Senior Brother Luoxi knows about it too?

I turned my head uneasily and replied absentmindedly, "I'm using sweetness to relieve the bitterness inside."

"What kind of bitterness do you have in your heart?" he asked, more curious.

"Isn't it because... never mind, you wouldn't believe it anyway." Realizing I had almost let something slip, I ended the topic vaguely.

He sighed, speaking earnestly, "Actually, Qingyue, although you are not a disciple under Master Que Han, you are considered a disciple of Qiong Yun. When you see Aunt Linglu, you should use respectful titles. You call me Senior Brother but call Aunt Linglu 'sister.' It might make people think too much."

She was the one who started calling me "Little Sister Qingyue" first. If I change it now, she might not be happy. Moreover, could all this trouble really be solved with just a change in how I address her? I'd believe a rabbit's eyes could turn green before I believe that.

"If it were really that simple, I'd be burning incense and praying."

"Hmm? Could it be that you've offended Aunt Linglu in other ways?" He's still so naive.

I gave him a helpless look. "Yes, yes, I've offended Sister Linglu in many ways. I'm staying away from her to avoid her seeking retribution later."

"There's no such thing."

Alright, communication is completely ineffective.

How does Linglu manage to make everyone believe she's gentle and harmless? Could it be that my eyes and heart are biased, seeing all the suspicious points in her alone?

Calm down.

Calmness is victory.

I took a deep breath, gave Senior Brother Luoxi a bitter smile, and pulled his arm as I started walking back.

"Hey, Qingyue, you..." he stuttered.

"What do you mean 'you'? My appetite's up. Let's go back to eat." Half pulling and half dragging, I brought him to the entrance of the Drunken Forest Tavern and let go.

Seeing Linglu and Da Xian, I forced myself to eat for a while. After getting about seventy percent full, I fled back to my room.

Frustrated, I sprawled on the bed and began to carefully analyze the events of the past few days: first, getting drunk in Luoyang and being captured by the Xinghuo Hall people; then, Yier mentioning the frequent strange cases in Luoyang, her efforts to escape, leading me into a trap and getting severely injured. Next, the Moon Shadow Sect chasing us to the cave, with Yier taking the Moon Shadow Sect elder back to the Xinghuo Hall, and her reminder to leave Qiong Yun.

But from Yier's words, it was clear that she called Da Xian to rescue me, so this trap couldn't have been set by her. It seemed more like something done by the person who has always wanted to force me out of Qiong Yun. Could it be that Linglu had been in contact with the Xinghuo Hall people all along, and had them follow me when I went to Qingfeng Drunken to drink, taking action when I was too drunk to resist?

That doesn't make sense. She's been with Da Xian the whole time and didn't have the opportunity.

I nodded thoughtfully and picked a piece of pastry from the bag by the bed, tossing it into my mouth. Muttering to myself, I said, "It seems there are still many doubts about this matter that need careful consideration."

The window creaked open a crack, and a melodious tune drifted through the winding path into the room, sounding very pleasant.

Curious, I put on a robe and walked to the backyard. I saw the moonlight shining on a man in white, leaning against a tree. The white of his clothes was dappled with the shadows of leaves, and the melodious tune was coming from the leaf he held.

"Da Xian, why are you still up so late?" I asked tentatively.

The man in white under the tree turned to look at me, and in the moonlight, I could barely make out his features, slightly obscured by shadows, but still remarkably pristine.

He waved at me. "I'm in a rather good mood tonight. Tell me, did you bring the flute I gave you?"

I nodded affirmatively and replied, "Of course, Da Xian. I always carry the things you give me with me, never leaving them behind for a moment." As I spoke, I took out the white jade flute from my robe.

He shook his head lightly and sighed, "You're not holding the flute correctly." He moved behind me, adjusting my fingers from their haphazard grasp to the correct positions.

Sure enough, it was easier to hold this way.

Da Xian looked at me encouragingly. "Now, place it properly and give it a try?"

Holding the flute, I felt quite unsure, like a rotten strawberry fermenting, unpleasant. But seeing Da Xian's sincere and trusting eyes, I gave it a shot.

As I played for a while, I suddenly realized it didn't sound so bad. Unlike in the cave when I struggled to even produce a sound, it was getting more natural, smoother. This heavenly melody seemed to flow effortlessly. I even started to enjoy the tune I was playing. Wait a minute, this doesn't seem like it's coming from me.

I looked up to see Da Xian holding a light blue xiao, standing quietly next to me, playing. When he saw me stop, he put the xiao down and asked, "Why did you stop?"

I seriously suspected Da Xian was asking knowingly.

"Um, Da Xian, your playing is like the call of a phoenix, lingering and beautiful. My flute skills are still at the beginner level. How can I dare to play alongside you?" I turned away embarrassed, clutching the flute to my chest to hide my shame.

"No worries." He flicked his sleeve and slowly walked to my side, reaching out to my hair. He explained, "There's a leaf stuck there." He showed me the leaf in his hand with a slight smile, then lowered his sleeve. "Qingyue, I hope that in the future, you can use this white jade flute to play a duet with my cold jade xiao. Do you understand the meaning?"

I shook my head.

"Ah!" Just as Da Xian was about to speak, a piercing scream suddenly shattered the tranquility of the night.

The sound came from upstairs.