Bai Ye named a myriad of new herbs to me as we passed them on our way, stopping every now and then to let me feel their texture, sniff their scent, and sometimes taste them. I recognized a few of those from books I had read before, though most I had never even heard of.
As I committed the new information to my memory, all our past trips where we shared moments like this rushed back to my mind, and I remembered how peaceful and fulfilled I had always felt every time, surrounded by the serenity of the woods and his patient guidance. It was a feeling that I hadn't experienced for a while, and I wondered if it was because my ventures into the wilderness were too long overdue, or because my recent obsession with swords had shadowed my true passion.
Maybe he was right. Maybe medicine was meant to be my path after all.
Time passed quickly in the maze of trees, and the afternoon heat was soon upon us. The shafts of golden light falling through the forest's canopy looked soft and beautiful, almost dreamy against the mist, but with the unseasonal temperature and humidity, I couldn't help thinking that we were walking inside a steamer basket. For once, I wished that the yin power from Twin Stars could be a little stronger, just to cool me off for the next few days.
Bai Ye noticed my slight frown. "There is a cave not far from here." He squeezed my hand in encouragement. "We can rest there until sunset."
I grimaced for the second time today. "I'm not that fragile!" I protested. "It's just some heat—"
Before I could finish my words, my belly protested against my protest with a growl.
Bai Ye laughed. "You are still a mortal, Qing-er. I won't judge you for what your body needs. There are lots of fruits and berries here that don't grow elsewhere, let's find you some while we're at it."
He tugged me forward. I swallowed my next disagreement, silently cursing my uncooperative belly, and followed.
~ ~
I had learned from a while back that caves tend to stay the same temperature year-round regardless of outside weather, because of how the water tunnels connect to the underground. But I hadn't felt the difference so dramatically before. Cool air chilled the sheen of sweat on my forehead the moment we stepped into the cave, and the further we walked inside, the cooler it became, as if we had just crossed the gate to a whole new world with a different climate.
"This cave runs deep, and it might get cold if you venture too close to its bottom," Bai Ye said and settled down near the entrance, setting out the fruits and berries he picked on the way. "There are a few other openings scattered over this peak. We can plan our route around them so that we get a place to take a break whenever it gets too hot."
That really wasn't necessary, but I had given up on arguing with him over it. "How many times have you been here in the past?" I asked instead. "You are quite familiar with this mountain range."
"I used to come every year," he said as he poured me a handful of berries that I didn't know the name of. "I tasted almost every type of herb and fruit in this area, so you can rest assured that everything I just picked is safe to eat and delicious."
That piqued my interest. "Were you trying to follow the footsteps of the Divine Farmer?" I asked. In the legends, the Divine Farmer had tasted every plant on earth before teaching it to our ancestors so that they could learn what to grow and harvest.
He smiled. "You seem to always think that I have much more selfless motives than I actually do, Qing-er. But no. I tasted them because … none of the medicine books I read had an answer to what I've been looking for all these years, and I hoped that I would be able to find something myself by trying. Unfortunately, it didn't work out as I wished."
An almost unnoticeable trace of the wistful sorrow that had been following him for days returned to his voice. I started at the change, and I suddenly had a feeling that whatever he was looking for must be related to Twin Stars. But he had already told me that he didn't want to revive its power …
I filled my mouth with a big bite of berries, trying to shift my attention. Twin Stars had nothing to do with us at the moment, I told myself. Its mysteries could wait, and so could any more of my suspicions about its past.
The sweet and tangy flavor of the berries filled my mouth, teasing my appetite. "These are amazing," I said and reached for more, leaving the unwanted thoughts behind. "How did you know which ones are good and which are poisonous?"
"I didn't … It took some time to find out."
My hands froze midair. "You've been poisoned by what you tried before?"
He cleared his throat somewhat embarrassedly. "It's almost guaranteed when you don't know any of the herbs you're trying. Especially for my first few trips, I ended up returning to Mount Hua with an upset stomach just about every time."
He had put it lightheartedly, but I knew those memories probably weren't pretty. "Was any of them … bad?" I asked.
"Not the poison themselves, but when I had to use my spiritual power to cleanse them out, I had attracted guardian beasts to me a handful of times. A full pack of them wasn't so easy to fight in my early days—"
He suddenly paused, his eyes snapping towards the cave entrance. I followed suit instinctively, though not understanding what was happening until I heard a rustling noise in the shrubs outside. We exchanged a quick glance and stood up, hands on our swords, and we stayed close together as we carefully walked back out into the humid forest.
Then I saw a small patch of fur moving beneath the tall grass by my feet.
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