Yan Yun stared at Zu Ri, unable to believe her eyes. Just what was she doing here? And… why was she crying? Through her entire childhood, she had never seen Zu Ri cry. It was the knowledge she’d grown up with. Shadows did not cry, did not laugh, did not show emotion. She had tried, over and over, to break past that wall within Zu Ri, desperate to gain a friend, but she had never truly succeeded.
It took Yan Yun a moment to snap out of her thoughts, as she walked closer. Her eyes noted the blade lying on the ground, the garb Zu Ri wore was not meant for a house maid, she had been here to kill. But for now, that thought returned to the back of her head as she simply crouched in front of the girl, grasping her shoulders.
“I’m here Zu Ri,” Yan Yun said. “What’s wrong?”
The words only seem to further enhance the woman’s sobs, as Zu Ri broke down further in her arms.
“Breathe. Remember your training, and calm yourself,” Yan Yun said, gently brushing Zu Ri’s hair. It took a minute, an eternity from her view for anything to have bothered Zu Ri to such a degree, but she did calm down eventually.
“I’m sorry… for the unsightly display,” Zu Ri said at last, her eyes red as she sat upright, pulling herself away from Yan Yun’s touch.
Yan Yun gave a nod. She did not know what to say to her, what to ask. Was she supposed to be angry? Happy? Sad? She could guess at what had transpired here, and her heart could not decide what it felt.
“I assume it was my grandfather’s order,” Yan Yun said.
Zu Ri gave a nod. “Master… your grandfather noticed the divine tree. I was tasked with assassinating Lu Jie to obtain it from him. He gave me a poison, a spirit poison that eroded away the spirit and dantian to do it. He is trying to get the Alchemy hall to destroy this place, but decided the risk of waiting was too much.”
The expressions within the room darkened, and she heard Lu Jie curse quietly under his breath.
“What changed your mind?” Yan Yun asked. She knew it to be true. Had Zu Ri wanted, Lu Jie would’ve been dead. No one here had the ability to break through a Shadow’s veil.
“I… I saw you and I just- I thought you had been deceived, brought here by trickery and lies. A ruse spun by an incomprehensible demon wearing human skin. But then I saw you and… you seemed happy,” Zu Ri spoke, each word carefully picked, like she was holding something back.
“I came here of my own accord. No one tricked me, no one besides my own grandfather,” Yan Yun said, her heart aching at the words, but she knew them to be true, no matter how much it pained her to say them.
She glanced at Lu Jie, noting the sliver of blood flowing from his neck. Zhang stood like a specter, his hand gripping his spear tightly. She was afraid that had Lu Jie not been here, Zu Ri would’ve already been a speared corpse under his wrath.
“Is there a cure for this poison?” Yan Yun asked.
“Elder Yan has it. No one else does. It is a poison he had specially created,” Zu Ri replied, before the tears broke free again.
“I’m sorry, mistress. I don’t deserve to be here, neither do I deserve this kindness. Everything I have done, while believing I had been helping you, has caused you immense pain. I know I’m not worthy of your forgiveness,” Zu Ri said.
“I’m not your mistress anymore, Zu Ri,” Yan Yun said, wiping a tear off her face. “You aren’t a Shadow anymore either.”
Zu Ri looked at her with a lost expression.
“I know that they name you when you become a Shadow. A new identity, one meant to serve. But that’s not who you are. So, if you remember who you were before, then tell me.”
“I…” Zu Ri trailed off for a moment, as if the words were distant, pained. “Hou Qiu,” she said quietly. “That was the name my mother gave me.”
Yan Yun nodded.
“Truthfully, I cannot say if I will ever be able to forgive the Shadow Zu Ri. You were the tool my grandfather had used to keep me bound, under his surveillance and control. No matter how much I know that it was not your own choice, it is hard to love the chains that tie you down,” Yan Yun said.
Zu Ri nodded, feeling almost relieved, like she had hoped to hear this. Hoped to have been hated.
“I will atone. Anything you say, I will do. My life is yours to use,” Zu Ri said.
“You’re still talking as Zu Ri,” Yan Yun said. “Perhaps Zu Ri could’ve atoned that way, but I do not wish to get anything from Zu Ri. No, today, right now, I’m talking to Hou Qiu.”
The girl’s eyes widened, as if she did not truly understand the words.
“Zu Ri could never be my friend. She was a Shadow, a servant. But what about Hou Qiu? Will she… be my friend?”
Yan Yun watched the girl’s face twist. Like she had been stabbed. Yan Yun knew this kindness hurt her more than any punishment she could have given. Her forgiveness hurt her more than any torture. She was used to torture, used to pain. This, though. She was not used to this. And it ached the girl that had lived underneath the shadow all these years.
“I… I can try,” Hou Qiu said.
Yan Yun gave her a smile. “Thank you. That’s all I ask for.”
A moment later, Yan Yun slowly extended her hand around the other girl, taking her in an embrace. She let her heart settle, and she pushed the emotion that had finally made its way forth at the end.
Her grandfather would have to answer her for what he had done.
***
A few hours passed after my supposed assassination attempt. I still had the poison to worry about, but for the moment I felt fine and had let Yan Yun sort things out with Zu Ri- or I suppose it was Hou Qiu now.
Now I sat in Granny Lang’s shop half naked as she took a look at me. Her hand inspected my neck and wound, as she went about squinting at me.
“There’s definitely something there,” she said, her Qi flowing through me. “Can’t tell what it’s doing or how bad it is though. How do ya feel?”
“Same as before, no real difference,” I said, shrugging. “Maybe I’m immune to poisons now because Gu is the deadliest one there is?”
The granny hummed. “It could be,” she said, and I was surprised at her words. Was I really immune then?
“For now, just don’t run around wildly, and if something changes, let me know,” she said, smacking my back harder than she had to as I got up, putting my clothes back on. “You think I should be worried?”
“If you want to start now,” Granny Lang said, taking a puff from her smoking pipe. “I would’ve begun with your first tribulation in your place.”
I smiled at her words, despite her gruff nature she knew what to say to cheer me up.
“Thanks,” I told the old woman as she shooed me away.
Walking out of her house, I noticed Yan Yun standing outside.
“How’s Zu Ri- err Hou Qiu I mean,” I asked.
“Sleeping. I put her to rest. Breaking the Oath took a toll on her. Zhang is standing guard outside the chamber to make sure she can’t escape.”
“That guy…” I trailed off, knowing full well that nothing I or anyone said would change his mind. He was likely blaming himself for letting Zu Ri slip through.
“Lu Jie… I have a favor to ask,” Yan Yun said.
I looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “What is it?”
“I want to go talk to my grandfather,” Yan Yun said.
“Are you sure? I don’t think he’ll give you a warm welcome,” I replied.
“I know, but I still need to talk to him at least once. To tell him how wrong he is, and give him a chance to change,” Yan Yun said.
I frowned. “I don’t like it, I don’t think you should go. He could capture you and… as you are right now there’s nothing you could do to resist.”
“Then let me ask him to come somewhere both of us can meet. Because… if things go like this, we will be fighting a war with the sect. He has clearly made you an enemy and- despite everything, I don’t want for that to happen,” Yan Yun said.
I frowned, her words made sense but my gut still told me no. There was no talking to a man so twisted he would keep his own granddaughter on a leash and use her as a trophy.
“I’m not doing this blindly. I… I want to show him, show what you’re building. And for that, I need your help. I need you to help me like you helped Zhang. Maybe once he can finally see with his eyes and know the truth, he will understand.”
I looked at Yan Yun, her eyes and the plea they contained, before giving a reluctant nod.
“I’ll help, but there is not much to teach. You simply need to pick a Path again,” I said, looking at Yan Yun. “You should know this better than me.”
Yan Yun glanced down, clenching her fists. “I do- I do but… I just don’t know what I stand for anymore.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” I said. “You don’t know who you’re going to be, but no answer is final. Our Paths change along with us, as we grow and walk further upon them,” I said.
“But…”
“You’re scared. And that’s okay. It’s okay to be scared. But Paths… they aren’t permanent. Think honestly, to yourself, what you want to do. Why you would want power. And whatever comes to mind, truthfully follow it. That is enough.”
Yan Yun looked down, before she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. I sensed the Chi stir around her, around this village, as something began to shift.
“My Path… the reason I cultivate… is to help my friends,” Yan Yun said.
A breeze blew past us, and she opened her eyes, a sad smile on her face. “It didn’t work.”
“Oh, but it did work,” I said, pointing up into the skies.
Yan Yun’s eyes widened as she noticed the tree of unity hanging above in the skies, its brilliant luster illuminating the evening brightly.
A swirling gust blew around breaking a single leaf of light from the tree as it twirled through the air before touching Yan Yun’s chest and mingling with her spirit.
A gentle light began to glow from her, as sparks crackled around her.
Yan Yun looked down at herself, before she regarded the tree and bowed deeply. The light faded soon, and I regarded Yan Yun, feeling the girl I’d first met in the sect now standing before me once again. With a kinder, more gentle aura, but not any less intense.
“Welcome back,” I said.
Yan Yun laughed as she hugged me, tears in her eyes. “It’s good to be back.”