Lady, Where Is Your Home?

Qin Xuan fished the man out of the water. Wringing out his drenched clothes, the man cast him an ill-tempered glare. Yet seeing that the youth before him was refined, handsome, and truly holding a book in hand, he held back from using any coarse words. Still, running into such a thing first thing upon taking the boat out in the morning was bound to sour anyone's mood. "Young Master, if you want to read, stay home instead of running about. Especially on the water—the inland rivers haven't been peaceful lately. Monsters like nothing more than tender-fleshed scholars like you. Mind you don't get caught, steamed, and eaten up." His words inevitably carried a hint of complaint. Qin Xuan gave a faint smile and suddenly asked, "Brother, I met a lady just now. At first, we gazed at each other in silence and all was well, but as soon as I took out a book related to her to read, she chased me away. Do you know why?" "What kind of book?" "Well... a romance tale of the jianghu." The man laughed heartily. "Why else? You were too presumptuous!" The oar-rowing boatman started to say something more, when his vision suddenly blurred—and the young master before him had vanished once again! "Ouch—!" Stepping backward in shock, he tumbled right back into the water. When he clambered back onto the boat, he found a small piece of silver lying on the deck. "Young Master... Young Master..." He called out twice toward the silver, then chuckled at himself. It wasn't as if the silver had turned into a spirit; that youth was clearly a person of the Immortal Way. *** Qin Xuan walked through the city. The morning sun was just rising, and the streets were gradually livening up. He had originally hoped to inquire with the female immortal about the whereabouts of the rest of Spring Letters, Autumn Post, but it seemed there was no need to mention it again. If this romantic novella had indeed been written by her, it was surely done on a sudden whim, which was why she hid it away so deeply, not wanting anyone to discover it. Bringing it out right to her face had an effect akin to Old Pine droning on about the things Qin Xuan had muttered to the pine tree. Qin Xuan patted his head. In the near future, it would not be wise to disturb her false home again. If he wanted to win her favor and take the female sword immortal as his master, it would likely be exceedingly difficult. The bookshops in the city had always enjoyed brisk business, and there were quite a few along the way back to Yuansong Temple. Once the idea took hold, he couldn't stop. He went into one shop after another, and while he saw many splendid titles, none were what he was looking for. It was not until he entered the seventh shop, an establishment called Chunniang Zhai, that things were finally a bit different. He didn't find the book, but he ran into someone familiar. Just as Qin Xuan stepped in, the other was walking out; coming and going, they came face-to-face and looked at each other. In his memory, the place they had met last time was a bookshop named Jigu Zhai, kept by an eccentric old shopkeeper. Back then, the young woman had likewise been dressed in plain white robes, holding a stack of ancient books against her chest. With curved, dark brows and clear eyes like spring pools, she carried a scholarly air about her, resembling a well-bred daughter of a noble house, her pretty face tinged with a touch of bashfulness. Yet when she spoke, she was surprisingly bold. Qin Xuan looked at the maiden before him; except for a few more strands of black hair falling over her forehead, she was entirely unchanged. "Lady Bai, we meet again." Bai Ran kept a sense of distance and offered a polite smile. "Young Master Qin, rise and fall are common occurrences in the mortal world. Are you fretting again?" Those had been Qin Xuan's words back then, and she was now teasing him with them. "Indeed. So I came here to find some reading material to unwind." "You should go to the bookshop three li to the east. The shopkeeper here is a down-and-out scholar utterly disillusioned with the Great Yan Dynasty. He mostly collects works of impassioned tragedy and heroic feats; there is none of the romantic frivolity you seek." "Lady Bai, prejudice in the human heart is like a mountain. I read the Spring and Autumn annals." Bai Ran shook her head. "Even a petty mortal girl like me has heard of Young Master Qin's fame in the city. The Breeze and Moon Little Sword Immortal of Yuansong Temple, nurturing and refining sword arts through the Way of Breeze and Moon—pioneering an unprecedented path unseen throughout antiquity and today." Qin Xuan was speechless. A few drunken words from a crane had turned into gospel truth in the streets. What was there left to explain? He looked at Bai Ran, curiosity stirring within him. "What book is the lady searching for? Are you interested in 'Spring and Autumn'?" He placed a bit of emphasis on the words "Spring and Autumn." Bai Ran's expression did not change; she merely pursed her lips in a smile. "Young Master Qin, we are hardly acquainted. Inquiring into a young maiden's preferences at whim is rather inappropriate. "Still, hearing some of the commandery folks say you are a chivalrous hero, I imagine you are not one to fuss over petty conventions." She pulled a volume from the stack of ancient books in her arms. Turning it so the back faced him, she handed it over. Qin Xuan asked, "A gift for me? Why?" "This stack of books cost me nothing; the shopkeeper gave them all away, as his shop closes for good today. I am simply passing this one along to you, lest Young Master Qin block my path again just like last time." Hearing the jest in her tone, Qin Xuan turned the book over to the front cover. It bore the title: Spring Brewing, Autumn Inebriation. As expected, it had "Spring and Autumn." "'Spring-brewed peach blossom buried in an ancient jar; waking from autumn drunkenness, oblivious to the years.' Many thanks. This is a fine book." Qin Xuan recited a spontaneous couplet, hoping to draw Bai Ran into conversation and probe her further, but contrary to his expectations, Bai Ran simply turned around and walked out. Staring at the Spring Brewing, Autumn Inebriation in his hand, Qin Xuan recalled the Spring Flowers, Autumn Harvest from last time. Toward the white-clad back, Qin Xuan called out, "Lady Bai, may I ask where your home is?" "By the river, there is a grove of peach blossoms with seven households inside, separated by two pine trees. The third house is my home." With those words, she turned into an alley and was gone. Qin Xuan savored Bai Ran's words, turning over their deeper meaning in his mind. Just then, footsteps approached from the side. Turning his head, he saw a down-and-out scholar clad in a tattered scholar's robe, appearing to be in his forties, though his scruffy stubble made him look older. "Young Master, if you fancy that maiden, you ought to chase after her." The down-and-out scholar had a book tucked under his arm and held a small porcelain jar in his hand, exuding the aroma of wine. Taking a sip of wine, he added, "Though even if you chased after her, you wouldn't stand a chance. Her words just now were obviously brushing you off. How could anyone ever count all the villages along the river that have peach blossom groves?" Qin Xuan looked back at the plaque hanging above the lintel: "Chunniang Zhai." This down-and-out scholar was clearly the shopkeeper here. "A man of impassioned tragedy?" "Hardly. Just wishful thinking." Recalling Bai Ran's words, Qin Xuan asked again, "Is what that lady said true? Is Shopkeeper truly deeply disappointed in the Great Yan Dynasty?" "Indeed." The scholar said, "That is why Master Cai was right. Writing poetry and composing essays cannot save Great Yan. He refused to remain the Emperor's Teacher, abandoned his official ranks, and went off to cultivate immortality and seek the Dao." Having finally found an uncommon listener, he continued, "I have read many ancient texts; even the grand dynasties across the Nine Provinces have withered before. The Great Yan Dynasty grew from the territory of a single commandery into the greatest dynasty in the Eastern Ascendant Continent, standing for over eight thousand nine hundred years. Yet now it is decayed and treading the path of fallen dynasties." "How can you tell?" "The Divine Way across the commandery is rotting. For instance, I have seen many Green Sprout Gods fail to drive away ghosts and crop pests, doing nothing but enjoying incense in village shrines." The scholar shook his head. "The collapse of a dynasty is not to be pitied. It is just that once turmoil erupts, the common folk suffer." Qin Xuan agreed with his words. "Why doesn't Shopkeeper follow Master Cai's example?" The scholar gave a bitter smile. "Of course I have tried. I endured hardships and visited famous mountains time and again, but true methods to seek immortality and pursue the Dao are truly hard to come by." A spark of interest unexpectedly arose in Qin Xuan. Thus, from his hundred-treasure pouch, he retrieved a foundational Qi Refining manual of the Renmao Sect and casually handed it over: "Go and learn." "Huh?!" Looking at the Lesser Source Wood Guiding Art in his hands, the scholar was astonished. He suddenly realized something and slapped his thigh hard. "I thought that lady was only joking earlier—you truly are the Bree... the sword immortal!" "I am not. Just an ordinary Qi Refiner." Qin Xuan said casually, "The maiden just now passed along the book you gifted her to me, so consider this a return gift. I hope you can surpass those do-nothing Green Sprout Gods." With those words, he headed toward Yuansong Temple. The down-and-out scholar gazed at his departing figure, stunned for a long while, unable to believe all this had happened so suddenly. When he finally came to his senses, he hurriedly offered three deep bows from afar...