Chapter 40

Old Home, Familiar Faces

Sitting on the horse, Shi Mei observed as Bai She galloped furiously for half a day before slowing down. They had long left the official road and entered a mountainous area.

"You lived in the mountains as a child?" Shi Mei asked curiously, gazing at the dense forest around them.

"Yes," Bai She nodded, "I learned martial arts here. It's a very secluded place."

"You lived here?" Shi Mei's curiosity grew, "How did you manage food and shelter? Did you hunt and farm yourself?"

"Initially, my master and Lady Huo took care of everything. I just focused on my training," Bai She explained, turning his horse's head towards a hillside path.

"You've known Lady Huo since then?" Shi Mei thought to herself, which explained why Bai She held her in such high regard.

"Does your master still live in the mountains? Isn't it inconvenient?" Shi Mei pondered aloud, wondering if his life resembled those of reclusive sages often depicted in tales.

Bai She responded with a nonchalant smile, "It doesn't matter anymore. He has passed away."

Sensing Shi Mei's discomfort, Bai She chuckled, "It's alright, death is inevitable. He lived a long life."

Curiosity piqued, Shi Mei wondered about Bai She's master. What kind of person was he, and did he have an eccentric personality? Naturally, she was even more curious about Bai She's parents. There's a saying that sons resemble their mothers, so his mother must have been exceptionally beautiful!

As they reached the top of the hill, Shi Mei looked down to see a secluded house nestled in the dense forest below. It seemed quite ancient, with overgrown vegetation spilling from the courtyard, blending into the surrounding woods.

Turning to Bai She, Shi Mei asked, "Have you not visited here for a long time?"

"Yes," Bai She nodded, "It's been several years."

"Why didn't you come to visit your master?"

"They're all dead, he won't see me even if I'm here."

"Then why bring me to see him?"

……

Shimei's casual remark left Baisha speechless, a rare occurrence.

Usually adept at handling any situation, Baisha found himself at a loss for words due to Shimei's unexpected question, his slightly dazed expression making Shimei laugh.

After a brief silence, Baisha gently patted the horse’s backside and began descending the mountain.

As the horse made its way downhill, Shimei’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.

Baisha watched her with a sense of helplessness, resembling a cat that had just gotten away with mischief. The horse stopped on the faintly visible stone path at the entrance of the residence.

Unlike usual, Baisha didn't help Shimei down from the horse together. Instead, he dismounted first and then walked up to her, extending his hand to let her jump down on her own.

Shimei felt a bit awkward, as if she were about to leap into Baisha’s arms.

The two exchanged glances, one astride the horse and the other standing below. Shi Mei, gripping the saddle, slid downwards, prompting Bai She, somewhat resignedly, to catch and lift her down. He then asked her, "Do you dislike me, or are you just naturally obstinate, preferring to do things your way?"

Shi Mei was taken aback, looking up at him.

After setting Shi Mei down, Bai She fetched a bundle from the horse that she hadn’t noticed earlier and led her inside, saying, “Qin Dai says your indifference means you're actually interested in me. I don’t quite understand.”

Shi Mei's face flushed red. How could Bai She be so blunt? How was she supposed to respond to that?

Bai She, having spoken his mind, didn’t wait for Shi Mei’s reply. Instead, he began to clear away the cobwebs and overgrown weeds from the gate, revealing a locked door.

Bai She paused for a moment, realizing he had forgotten the keys, and glanced towards the side walls of the courtyard, only to be momentarily stunned.

Shi Mei chuckled and said, “Let me try.” She took a hairpin from her hair, studied the lock, then deftly inserted the pin and jiggled it a few times.

She listened carefully to the sounds within the lock mechanism and with a soft "click", the lock opened.

Shi Mei pulled out the lock and looked at Bai She with a gaze that seemed to say — Impressive, right?

Bai She appeared somewhat surprised and asked her, “Where did you learn that skill?”

Shi Mei reattached her hairpin, recounting, “As a child, my father would lock me in a room as punishment. Initially, the maids who doted on me would secretly unlock the door to let me out. But once my father discovered this, he started locking the door from the inside and exiting through the window, keeping the only key to the small window lock.”

Bai She frowned slightly.

“Later, the son of one of the maids, who was a locksmith, taught me how to pick locks while we played,” Shi Mei explained. She hung the lock on one of the door rings and pushed the door open.

Bai She, holding her back, urged her to follow him. He led the way into the courtyard, clearing the overgrown grass and tapping the ground with his knife.

“What are you doing?”

“In deep forests and mountains, it’s common to encounter snakes,” Bai She responded, reaching out to grab Shi Mei’s hand, inadvertently grasping her wrist.

Shi Mei’s cheeks flushed, but she didn’t pull away.

Leading her inside, Bai She queried, “Why didn’t your father dote on you?”

Shi Mei smiled, deflecting, “Fu Ying isn’t so bad, why don’t you like her?”

Bai She paused, momentarily lost in thought.

Shi Mei, with a hint of melancholy in her voice, softly added, “Likes and dislikes... there’s no reason to them.”

Bai She gently nodded, choosing not to probe further.

The pair walked through the yard to a house at the back, its black tiles and white walls exuding an ancient charm, though marred by years of neglect. Cobwebs adorned the windows, and the paper screens were torn in several places.

Bai She pointed to a small room in the west wing, “I used to live there.”

“Really?” Shi Mei, intrigued, hurried over. Finding the door unlocked, she pushed it open to peek inside.

The creaking of the wooden door stirred up dust, causing her to cough. Eager to explore yet cautious, recalling how cleaning an old house had led her to this place, Shi Mei covered her mouth and nose, wary of triggering another sneeze that might send her back to her previous life.

Bai She initially followed but became distracted by a well nearby. He peered into its depths, then glanced at the bucket beside it, tapping his chin thoughtfully without a word.

“Hey.” Shi Mei emerged, holding a small wooden sword, and asked Bai She, “Did you use this for practice when you were young?”

Coming back to his senses, Baisha shook his head and said, “Oh... that belongs to Xu Xian.”

"Xu Xian?" Shimei was surprised, "Have you known each other since childhood?" She asked, then recalled Xu Xian mentioning they had known each other for a long time.

"Wait... Xu Xian knows martial arts?" Shimei found it hard to imagine that such a sickly scholar could be skilled in combat.

"He doesn't look very formidable at first glance," Baisha laughed, "But remember, never offend someone like him."

"That's truly deceiving appearances," Shimei mused, puzzled, "But why would he be a scholar and a court painter?"

"Because being a court painter satisfies his three loves," Baisha led Shimei back to the front hall.

"Which three?" Shimei asked with a smile.

"Fine paper, fine brushes, and plenty of beauties," Baisha replied with a laugh.

Shimei wrinkled her nose, realizing Xu Xian wasn’t as straightforward as she thought. They chatted casually, and Shimei sensed something was off with Baisha as they wandered through the entire courtyard.

Finally, in the back garden, Baisha paused and stared at the back door.

"Bai She," Shi Mei gently tugged at his sleeve, asking, "What's wrong?"

After a moment, Bai She lowered his voice, whispering in Shi Mei's ear, "It seems like someone..."

Shi Mei shivered, feeling the hairs on her body stand on end.

By now, the sky had almost darkened, and in the dense forest, the oddly shaped branches all around seemed particularly eerie.

Clinging to Bai She, Shi Mei asked, "Didn’t you say this place has been abandoned for a long time? It doesn’t seem like anyone's been here."

"So, it's a ghost?" Bai She said casually, expressionless. "My master did like to play pranks."

Shi Mei broke into a cold sweat, her eyes widening in alarm, "Don't scare me!"

Seeing Shi Mei's fright, Bai She couldn't help but laugh. "Don’t worry, there's no one here now... but someone was here before."

"Was it just a hunter passing by, or someone we know?" Shi Mei looked around, wondering how Bai She had determined that someone had been there.

"It's nearly impossible to just pass by. The surrounding woods are filled with mechanisms and formations set by my master. Anyone who enters by mistake would just be led back out, never making it inside," Baisha explained, squatting down to pick a leaf and handed it to Shimei. "Look what’s on it!"

Shimei took the leaf and inspected it closely, noticing black spots on the surface…

"Blood?!" Shimei exclaimed in shock. Indeed, it looked like drops of blood on the leaf, and as she crouched down, she saw a trail of them.

"It leads that way."

They followed the bloodstains on the leaves forward.

The trail ended at the back door of the courtyard. As Shimei opened the door and stepped outside, she felt the ground give way beneath her foot...

"Ah!" Shimei screamed as Baisha quickly pulled her back, revealing that a stone slab she had stepped on at the doorway had sunk, forming a pit.

"Who would be so malicious as to dig a pit right at the entrance?!" Shimei wondered, baffled.

Baisha used his knife to pry open the broken slate, revealing a shallow hole underneath.

"Someone buried something here," Baisha surmised, handing his knife to Shimei behind him as he prepared to dig deeper into the hole to see what was buried.

Bent over to watch, Shimei reached out to take the knife. However, Baisha’s knife was quite heavy, and she stumbled forward, nearly falling.

Baisha, busy digging, felt a rush of movement beside him and instinctively reached out to catch it – indeed, it was Shimei, falling forward with the knife in hand.

Shimei, startled but safe in Baisha's catch, smiled awkwardly at him in embarrassment.

Baisha shook his head, about to help her up, when Shimei suddenly exclaimed.

"What is it?"

"Over there!" Shimei suddenly pointed towards a small cluster of bushes, "There's something in there."

Shimei was still in Baisha's arms, and from that angle, she had a clear view.

Baisha parted the bushes with his knife... and there it was, a small black box, half-buried in the mud. He went over to unearth the box, intending to open it.

"Wait!" Shimei quickly intervened, "We shouldn’t just open it like that. What if there’s something tricky inside? After all, if someone wanted to hide it, it should have been buried deeper in the ground."

Baisha waved his hand, indicating it was safe, and pointed to the bushes next to the box. "It was indeed buried, but the growing tree brought some of it to the surface. Do you know why this pit was dug?" He asked, pointing to the pit Shimei had stepped into.

Shimei thought for a moment and then clapped her hands, "It's a diversion! If someone found it, they would definitely dig this pit, not look under the bushes!"

Baisha nodded, then carefully opened the box, which was made of dense, heavy wood. Such wood is resistant to insects and water, making it ideal for hiding things.

Shimei was nervous, but when Baisha opened the box, there were no traps like poison needles or gas. Inside was empty, save for a scroll of sheepskin.

Baisha took out the sheepskin scroll and unrolled it to reveal a drawing…

"Huh?" Shimei leaned in for a closer look, feeling a sense of familiarity.

Baisha concluded that the sheepskin was likely a map, but couldn’t make out the specific location. Hearing Shimei's surprise, he asked, "Do you recognize it?"

"It looks familiar…" Shimei scratched her head, "I think I’ve seen it somewhere before, but I can't remember where."

"No worries," Baisha said as he packed the items, handing the sheepskin to Shimei, "Take your time to remember. We’re staying here for the night anyway."

"Here?" Shimei was slightly concerned, being in a remote area, alone with a man.

"It's already dark," Baisha said as he pulled Shimei inside and closed the door, "It's too dangerous to travel through the mountains at night."

After entering, he helped Shimei prepare a room, asking her, "Which room would you like?"

Shimei glanced at the row of dark rooms and the ominously swaying trees outside, feeling apprehensive about sleeping alone at night.

Baisha went to fetch water from the well, reminding her, "Don’t forget to sprinkle some realgar at the door later."

"What's that for?" Shimei followed, curious about what Baisha had brought in his bundle. She noticed a delicately crafted small box, likely containing food.

"It's to keep away snakes and rats. And remember to call me if you hear any strange noises at night."

The mention of "snakes and rats" already sent shivers down Shimei's spine. "What kind of strange noises?"

"I told you, my master enjoys playing tricks…"

"You’re really trying to scare me, aren’t you?" Shimei looked at Baisha somewhat displeased.

Baisha, fetching water from the well, replied confidently as he turned back, "Yes, I am."

“……”

"If you're scared, you can stay in the same room as me."

Shimei glanced away as Baisha carried the water to the kitchen. Hearing the rustling of tree branches in the distant forest, she quickly followed him, calling out, "Wait for me."

Baisha entered the kitchen to pour the water and lit the stove.

Shimei sniffed the salt in the jar on the table, "It does seem like someone has been here recently."

"...It was Lao Kuan."

Baisha took a while to respond.

"You mean Auntie Huo's brother... the deceased Qiao Lao Kuan?"

Baisha nodded, "He dug that pit before. The bushes nearby are called Bai Gui, known to ward off evil; he planted them. He dug that hole to hide something, making it hard for others to find, but I would have noticed if I had thought about it for a while."

"So, the item was hidden by him for you?" Shimei frowned, "That means he was here before his death, but why were there bloodstains?"

"Perhaps... he didn’t actually die in the Duan family’s forbidden land. It could all just be a plot."

Shimei immediately understood, "Someone used his body as a decoy to link you and the Jade Buddha together?"

"The matter seems complicated, and this sheepskin scroll is probably the key," Baisha looked at Shimei, "Think hard, see if you can remember anything."

"Okay!" Shimei nodded earnestly, starting to ponder. She hadn't seen this sheepskin before, but the pattern on it felt strangely familiar.

After a while, the water boiled. Baisha took a steamer basket from the cupboard, cleaned it with hot water, then placed the small boxes from his bundle into the basket, opening the lids to reveal an assortment of delicate pastries.

"Pastries?" Shimei blinked, then suddenly her eyes widened as she looked at Baisha, "I remember now!"