Chapter 156 – Have We Met Before?
When Xie Lun claimed that he had gathered enough information from people-watching at the breakfast stall, we took a walk along the river, and I explained to him the geology of the area around us. He didn't tell me what kind of spiritual power fluctuation he was here to investigate, so I could only describe everything as detailed as possible. But somehow, I couldn't shake off the feeling that he wasn't paying as much attention as he should be, and I wondered if I was focusing on the wrong aspects of the matter.
"Do you still have any family and friends in this village?" Xie Lun asked at last when I ran out of topics.
"Not really." I shook my head. "Plagues hit this area quite often. The one that took my parents' lives five years ago wiped off over half of the village. No one I was close to survived." I paused, contemplating the reason behind his question. "If you need more up-to-date information, we can ask any villager. People here are quite friendly—"
"Elder?" a voice came from behind us, interrupting our conversation.
Our steps halted. Xie Lun and I glanced around, and when we realized that there was no one else walking on this path, we turned back. A woman in her late twenties was staring at us—at Xie Lun, to be more exact—her face filled with disbelief and an almost ecstatic delight. Before we could ask what she was calling us for, she suddenly dropped to her knees. "Elder!" she cried. "You've finally come back to us! I prayed to the heavens every day for a chance to express my gratitude to you in person … My wishes have come true!"
Such a sudden and humble show of respect caught us off guard. Xie Lun looked at me confusedly, and I gave him an equally confused look back. I didn't recognize this woman … and how could she have seen Xie Lun before? Our village was too far from Mount Hua, almost impossible to reach without a flying sword.
"Have we met before?" Xie Lun asked as I helped the woman get back to her feet.
The woman was so excited that she had broken into tears. "I don't expect you to remember me …" she sobbed, "but I will never forget that I owe you my life." Under our even more confused glare, she took out a handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to us with a slight blush on her face. "I embroidered the pattern on your cuffs onto all my handkerchiefs and carried it with me every day … as a token of remembrance and gratitude. But I never thought I'd be able to see you again in my lifetime!"
Xie Lun and I exchanged a look, and our eyes landed on the handkerchief. A silver cloud pattern just like the one on our robes was indeed embroidered at the center of it. This time, Xie Lun studied the woman more carefully. "You said I've saved your life?"
"And my whole family's lives … and many more in this village," the woman said. Seeing that Xie Lun still didn't remember what she was referring to, she continued, "It was a long time ago … twelve years by now, in fact. I was still a maiden back then, and that fever spreading through our village almost killed off my whole family. But thanks to you, we've all recovered, and I—" she blushed a little again, "—even though I'm now married with my own family, I will never forget the man who saved us all …"
What the woman said suddenly made my heart skip a bit. "Twelve years ago?" I blurted. "He—"
"Twelve years ago, I was still a boy." Xie Lun smiled. "I don't look that old to you, do I? I'm very sorry to disappoint you, mistress … but I am not the person who saved your family."
The woman shook her head firmly. "They said you are an immortal. Immortals don't age, how could you have been a boy?"
"I'm not an immortal," Xie Lun explained helplessly. "Though I am a cultivator indeed. This pattern that you recognized me with—" he pointed at her handkerchief, "—is an insignia of my sect, but I'm not the only one that can wear it. Many of my fellow disciples have it too."
He gestured at me. When the woman saw the same embroidery on my hem, her mouth opened wide. "But how could it not be you?" She stared at Xie Lun. "It's been a long time, and I might not remember your face as clearly as I used to, but I couldn't forget how—" She bit her lips as if a little embarrassed. "…Who else in this world can look as handsome as you do?"
Xie Lun blinked, clearly surprised by the woman's straightforward speech. He sighed and continued to explain how he couldn't have been the person she thought he was, but I was no longer listening. I lowered my head, staring at the silver cloud pattern on my robe.
Like Xie Lun said, this was indeed the insignia of Mount Hua, but the exact patterns used by each hall varied slightly. Different arrangements of the clouds, different directions of the sun rays … What the woman showed us on her handkerchief was the exact same design as the one on Xie Lun's robe and mine. A design that was only allowed to be used by the three halls dating back to the founding of Mount Hua—the Gatekeeper's, Teng Yuan's, and Bai Ye's.
Out of all the men at these three halls, who else looked as young as Xie Lun, with the knowledge to save the sick and an appearance worthy of such praises?
My heart was beating so violently that I could feel it pounding against my throat. Twelve years ago … I was six. The deadly fever that swept through our village and almost claimed this woman's life … had almost claimed mine as well.
The traveling medicine man that saved me back then … was Bai Ye?
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