The Mysterious Girl

Jia’s face looks exhausted, he barely slept last night. And, when he got into the tavern Zihan started making fun of him at a crack of dawn.

He was also dragged into a dispute and things didn’t please him.

“Can you stay away from me? As you might want to know I wanted to live longer.” his reddened face was seen all over for Zihan to look at.

He was again tested by the brat, inviting him to come to the brothel tonight as the young master had already discovered the popular area that he was looking for.

“Ha? You are so red that your face might burst any second. Come on! Just accompany me.” He stared at the flustered poor man pointed a finger and with a wide malicious smile take advantage of the groggy lad.

“I want Jia-Gege’s company, you could just watch me flirt with a courtesan and learn from it. Who knows, might as well someday you’ll get addicted and secretly visits the brothel to finally experience the pleasures of life.” Unrestrained he laugh heartily at the disturbed man.

Jia staring straight at the young master quickly turn away to cast aside their usual useless talks, but Zihan didn’t let him slip and grab Jia’s forearm making the man stubbornly face this annoying young master.

“At least say yes for once; you are a man yourself. Don’t you want a cute little lady to hug you? or come with me just for a night? You know it is a need for a man to release-.” Jia didn’t let him finish his sentence; he was tired of listening to it all over again. It makes him want to puke.

“Can you stop, I’m not interested in your urging. If the young master would love to go, then he must go alone; this servant has no time for anything.” leaving exactly what Jia makes it clear that he will never go. The man quickly paces away from the young pervert. He heard Zihan sigh disappointingly and beg for the last time.

“What the heck! So shameless.” Jia says to himself rolling his eyes.

He was busy cleaning and bussing to the main hall when Zihan drag him out just for the sake of accompanying him to the brothel he badly wanted. This made Jia’s face contorted with rage.

The tavern was always popular for people to stop by or hang out; the people’s merry laughter and the smell of fine wine and delicious delicacies keeps Jia distracted from everything; the man occupies himself with no one.

“Hey! Did you all know the rumors?” the man was heard in the corner where Jia was currently cleaning one of the tables.

“What rumors?” the man’s companion eager to hear the gossip didn’t take a time or two to respond.

“That popular shop who sells weird pieces of jewelry was nowhere to be seen this morning, some witnesses said that they were probably those witches who plan on reigning again. PUAHH!! disgusting bastard.” the man was thrilled by the gossip that his left leg moves unconsciously on its own.

“Oh, I have heard that the owner of that shop got caught, wearing a weird cloak… hahaha... he denied the accusations but still he was imprisoned. Unfortunately, the old fart escaped, and that bitch was being punished instead. His company was at his peak of excitement that he almost spills the wine on his cup.

Whilst, it sounds entertaining for them; Jia on the other hand didn’t find it funny. He knew who the lady they were talking about was, it was the girl he bumped into; he remembered that horrified and helpless look on the poor miss’s gaze.

Jia furrow his eyebrows, he wanted to scold those men for calling the girl a bitch and the rumors and punishment make his heart wary. If he only knew where to find her or if he had time, he might try convincing the people to let her go.

“Deeds without the basis on something cannot be a result of someone’s guilt.” Jia exhaled heavily as he went on to complete his task without minding the gossip anymore.

Things pass and go as the time runs from dawn to dusk. The lad was already done with the cleaning and preparation for tomorrow. Chen-Xu assigned him to take off the tavern since his Shixiong was busy with his upcoming wedding.

All was well as Jia was closing the front door and ready fort to go home. He was reminded by Zihan but the brat has nowhere to be seen and so Jia thinks the young master go alone as he advises.

While walking on the same street, where the breeze of the soothing wind calms Jia’s exhausted body; he didn’t forget to buy a “mantou’ for his sister it was a ritual for him. Seeing the bright girl's smile soften Jia.

The man was dazing that he was suddenly startled by the shouts in the corner.

“AHHH S... SPARE ME... S…PARE ME, MY LORD… DON’T… DON'T KILL M... ME... WATCH TAKE… TAKE ME AWAY… TAKE ME… AHHH” someone helplessly howls begging for its own life.

The man notices people murmur and circling some certain spot. He strode past the mass.

He was frozen on the spot; his heart went cold

The girl got half of her face badly beaten.

She was also heavily tortured, some of the blood was glued on her purplish skin. Her head was severely smashed and was very disturbing to look at. And there’s a burnt on her neck same as he saw yesterday. Those eyes didn’t fail to make him stare deeper.

“HEL…HELP M...ME… I… I HAVE… HAVE A SISTER…I..... I AM... I... I... I AM… NOT A WITCH… IT… IT IS NOT ME….” She desperately crawled to the dirty ground looking at the crowd who can save her from her demise.

The man from one of the groups suddenly kick her and stepped on her head. Her face was pressed on the ground making her shriek with agonizing pain from her already wounded figure.

“That’s what you get from fooling us and for killing my dog. Compared to what I lose, your sister, your master, and you bitch must be killed in exchange for everything. You lowly witch don’t even deserve to live!!!! You have no right to live” every word that this man utters was an equivalent stomp the lad was hit on the head.

“I…. WAHHHH I … IT HURTS… I... I AM… AM… I... AM. A HU... HUMAN… I... AM” the woman was losing her mind because of the pain. Her hoarse voice for help reaches through the people but no one and not even a soul would help her. Some laugh at her; others cuss and snare making them disgusted by her.

“NO ONE IN THIS CITY WOULD HELP YOU... DIE IN AGONY” the man takes his whip ready to hit the poor woman but was interrupted.

Jia received the blow head-on and then yanked the whip, making the man lose touch. His face stiffens then became angry in a flash.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!! DON’T YOU KNOW THE MEANING OF PROTECTING A WITCH.” he faces Jia full of rage.

The lad was calm he didn’t care about the roaring gossip around. The woman carefully looks at him, her hands placed on her head protecting the great degree of wounds.

“And who are you to punish her?” Jia asks the man with a hint of anger, hands turning into a fist.

“Do you even have proof on every heavy accusation that she did it!” gritting his teeth while confronting the man out of his wits.

The man hesitated but stubbornly replied “I... I don’t have but clearly, she’s a witch, and if she wanted to kill someone; a curse can do’’ consistently fighting back at Jia.

“I have known her for long enough. She’s an old- friend of mine and whatever rumors it will be I can prove was not real.” the increasing murmur rises once more. Jia didn’t even know the woman too but because of her horrible plead for death he got carried away. This must also be the only way to help her out just like what he planned.

The arrogant man tsk and said “have known her? Perhaps you are one of her kind and that curse clan as well? Aren’t you letting yourself open to us because you can’t help to save your dying comrade?” then the man laughs greedily.

“The more I look at it, the more I can say that you are much of a witch yourself. Haven’t you said worthless accusations and blame? Is that how you use your useless mouth? give me the proof and I shall give you mine. this is a deal between me and all the accusers. Show me, instead won’t you?” menacingly looking at the man he continued.

“And so, we equate same measures enough to prove the blame by deed. If you can’t, you better scram, or I’ll do the same thing to you as to how my friend suffered from the blame she did not cause.’’ Jia’s eyes were blazing with fury, making the arrogant man flinch at his expressions and shrink back but threaten him.

“You won’t get away with this. I will prove it and will bring you down as well” he pointed a finger at Jia and spits in front of them then walks away from the crowd.

Jia also drives away the people surrounding them and then crouched down to help the woman.

Everyone was intently looking at the two clad. He didn’t know what he was doing at all. His hand was shaking, it was his first time siding up for someone who he didn’t know. He was aware of how big-time he messed up from the man’s intention to bring him down in the future.

He held the wounded woman carefully walking down the street separating them from the people who might want to hurt her. Suddenly, the woman burst into tears even forcibly biting her lips not to make a sound but the heaviness and pain were all mixed upturned her emotional and helplessness.

Jia felt sorry for her, he was reminded of the time of his youth, living in the streets, beaten badly by a group of drunk men. Desperately steals food for her sister to eat, and collects scraps of leftover food for him. He was also tortured and accused of touching a noble damsel when all they were interested in was to beat him to death in front of his ill sister. His hands clench into fists, and his knuckles turn white from such painful memories.

He wanted to ask the woman but now is not the time for it. So, he let the poor soul cry.

He decided to stop by some isolated place away from the watchful eye.

And when they reached the spot, he helps her sit up comfortably. Take off his outer clothes and then gave them to her. He slit some spare robes on him plastering the woman’s wound gingerly.

The woman kept on crying; the rim of her eyes was red, and tears continues to roll down her cheek as she bites her already bloody lips to keep her voice from getting out. She was shaken to the core.

Jia don’t know what to do he needed to tend to the woman's wounds but he must make sure the woman relaxed first from the trauma she faced. Without hesitating Jia embraces the woman carefully.

“It wasn’t your fault. I believed you” He reassured the woman and comforted her.

The woman hugs him back disregarding the stinging pain in her wounds. She already had enough injury inflicted on her. And the mere touch of the skin by a man who saves her was like a cure from what she had gone through at the hands of the abusive people.

She was still crying while hugging Jia like she was holding into a lifeline. Jia knew how terrible it was for a poor woman.

After long hours of her weeping, her eyes were swollen and her voice was hoarse she was relaxed a little and so, Jia makes sure to tend to the wounds quickly, checking on the remains on her bare arms. And now that it was all carefully bandage, he was relieved the injury didn’t get worse.

Jia sits beside her and tenderly spoke, “have you calmed down now?” his eyes are focused on the poor lady.

“I… thank...thank you my lord” the woman replied. She was reluctant at first but take up her courage to speak.

“It is fine you don’t owe me anything at all. I just wanted to help." He remarks

“I dare ask my lord’s name I wanted to remember you for saving me from my death,” the woman asked him with an expectant face.

“The name’s Jia. It’s An Jia.’’ he replied. “what about you” Jia added out of curiosity.

“I am Jing Jing my lord, I am sorry to trouble you from before. The man won’t stop now that he knows I was saved by you.” the woman answered with anticipation.

“It is fine, the decision to help you is up to me. You shouldn’t call me my lord. Jia was enough.” He smiles at her then continued “I will fetch some water for you to clean up and for you to drink. Is it okay if I leave you for a while?” the woman slightly nods at him.

He then stood up and went his way to the river to take a bucket full of water and strode back from where the lady was.

But just like a blink of an eye, he no longer sees any presence. No trace of blood and no trace of her. His outer robes were lying neatly from where she sat.

Jia searched for her, turning from left to right, checking every bush and tree around him but to no avail failed. He went back to take his robes assuming that she had run away.

He takes his robes to the ground and notices something falling from them.

With a calculated look Jia picks it up and upon closer look found a black leaf. So unique that he stares for it a little longer.

It was rarest he had ever seen, the open ovate outline painted with a pale jet black shade was enchanting.

There was something engraved on it. But he couldn’t tell since it was a foreign word.

“What is this thing? Is it a gift or a token of gratitude? I have never seen something like this” he thought.

He decided to hide it for now and turns to have a last look at his surroundings and where the woman sit down. He prayed for her safety and for wounds to heal faster.

“Take care Jing Jing’ he whispers as a blow of gentle wind passes through him fluttering his hair in the vast.