Seven Unfortunate Lifetimes Chapter 12 (1/2)

Chapter 12

There’s a big snowy mountain behind the Shengling sect. The top is covered in snow all year round. Shengling sect has a manor on top of the mountain called Fengxueshan (wind snowy mountain) manor. No one lives in the manor. It’s only used for martial arts purposes.

s.h.i.+fu said that since he’s teaching me martial arts, we’ll do it at the manor. He said that the air there is better for practicing. But climbing a mountain is already a challenge for me. I tried for half a month, but there isn’t a time in which I reached the top. Often when I reached halfway, I would just sit onto the snow and won’t get up. s.h.i.+fu will then squeeze my face; I’ll just look at him blankly. Finally, it’s always s.h.i.+fu, who’ll piggyback me back down the mountain.

One time s.h.i.+fu was really angry. He pinched me really hard and said: “You are doing this on purpose, aren’t you?! Is this training you or training me, ah?! Today, I’ll not piggyback you. If you can go down the mountain, then go down. If you can’t go down, then you can continue to sit here!”

After saying that, he left. I obediently sat there, from noon till evening. I then watched the moon climbed onto the mountain.

I was hungry and my legs were numb. The moon turned from one to two then to three and finally, it shook brightly. I closed my eyes, wanting to sleep. Just as I was about to lie down someone picked me up.

“Fool!”

While cursing, that person cleaned the snow on my back.

I sniffed. It’s the smell of s.h.i.+fu, warm and clean like the first ray of suns.h.i.+ne.

I subconsciously clung to his shoulder in a warm hug. My head rubbed on his neck.

“s.h.i.+fu, really cold.”

“If it’s cold, don’t you know how to stand up and walk?!”

“Before I was too tired to walk, then I was too hungry to walk and then s.h.i.+fu said I have to sit…”

s.h.i.+fu was silent for a long time. Finally, he laughed: “You’ve become so obedient now.”

“I know that s.h.i.+fu will come back to me.”

I faintly closed my eyes.

“Can we not train like this anymore?”

I didn’t hear if s.h.i.+fu answered or not.

A bit later, I heard many voices. I heard a hoa.r.s.e voice said: “Shaozhu, you…you were too reckless this time. You abandoned a five- six year old baby girl at a mountain. Getting a cold is nothing, but if she gets eaten by a beast…”

“Isn’t she lying here safe and sound? What are grumbling about? Just do your treatment!”

“I mean, if she gets sick or injured, aren’t you the one who’ll be the most uncomfortable…”

“Who is uncomfortable?! Go, go, I don’t want your treatment anymore, too talkaktive!”

When I woke up again, I was lying on s.h.i.+fu’s bed. s.h.i.+fu was sitting with a lifeless face next o me. Seeing that I’ve woken, he pressed his hand on my forehead. He was silent for a long time and then took his hand back. He turned his head and said: “Really…really useless! Lying in bed for three days just because of a little cold. Hmpf…”

I still didn’t understand what he meant, but since s.h.i.+fu is unhappy, it must be because of something I did wrong. I grabbed s.h.i.+fu’s hand, afraid that he’ll turn away and leave like that day.

“s.h.i.+fu, I’m sorry.”

“What do you know……”

He didn’t finish speaking, gritted his teeth and turned his head again to not look at me.

“Your body is too weak. After you get better, learn some basic martial arts first with the others. Later, if you can climb the mountain on your own, then we’ll go practice there.”

After saying that, he shook his hand. I still hold his hand tightly, not letting go. s.h.i.+fu got a little angry: “Why are you grabbing my hand?”

“s.h.i.+fu, don’t throw me away. Don’t let me be alone, cold and hungry.”

His expression turned strange. His mouth moved, but after a while did he say something: “Alright, I’ll not let you be alone again.”

He paused, turned unwillingly around to pinch my face: “Don’t you dare to put that pathetic look again. Don’t you dare to sell that shameful act again.”

s.h.i.+fu’s pinch was too hard. Tears dripped down from pain. I was really frustrated. I don’t know what I did wrong to let s.h.i.+fu get so angry.

“s.h.i.+fu…”

The hand grabbing me loosened. s.h.i.+fu seemed really tired and muttered to himself: “If you were like this in the netherworld and in heaven…I wouldn’t have the heart to whip you.”

He kicked the bed in extreme frustration, gritted his teeth and said: “But! But…when I could just bully you……..you must be acting, you are acting, aren’t you?!”

After that day, I was really afraid that s.h.i.+fu will leave me again on the mountain. So I trained really hard with the people of Shengling sect. Learning what s.h.i.+fu called “basic martial arts”. I can finally climb the mountain when I was eight.

After that, I and s.h.i.+fu settled down on the Fengxueshan manor. He didn’t teach me anything else. He just gave me a sword and told me some formulas, I couldn’t even memorize.

s.h.i.+fu resented me for being stupid; while he comforted himself by saying that I was still young. But in a blink of eye five years have pa.s.sed. I’m thirteen and s.h.i.+fu is sixteen. He patted my shoulder and finally admitted: “Drinking too much soup of oblivion has let you become stupid…”

I couldn’t make out from the tone of his voice if he’s happy or unhappy, while saying those words. But he always says things I don’t understand. I’m used to it.

Today is the day to go down the mountain, to Shengling sect, to take food. I heard something I’m really puzzled about. I didn’t have the nerve to ask then, but now it’s only s.h.i.+fu and me. I asked heartily: “s.h.i.+fu, are we harmoniously cultivating1 together?

At that moment s.h.i.+fu was drinking tea. Hearing my question, he spouted his tea. He raised his head and looked at me. His ears were inexplicable red.

“Where did you hear that?”

“Today when we went to pack things to eat, there were a bunch of people together, saying that the reason we two always stay at the manor, is because we’re harmoniously cultivating every day, every night, without pause and without rest.”

s.h.i.+fu’s mouth moved. He repeated the eight words “every day, every night, without pause, without rest” twice. He pressed his hand on his forehead a rubbed it.

“There’s enough spiritual power at the top of this mountain. We’re just doing an ordinary cultivation. No, you’re too stupid to practice cultivation. I’m the only one absorbing the spiritual power, filling my body.”

“This isn’t right, ah…”

I felt pity, scratched my head and said: “s.h.i.+fu, I heard them say that, that “harmonious cultivation” is a really good method to improve one’s power. It’s like no other; simple, convenient and the effect is really good. Should we give it a try?”

s.h.i.+fu put his cup lightly on the table. While walking out he said: “This method isn’t suited for us. I’ve got something to do down the mountain. You go memorize the things I’ve taught you two months ago.”

“O.”

Later I heard that the people of the sect were severely beaten that day…

That day I also met a demon. I can see some things that ordinary people can’t see. After thinking about it, it began after I learned the things s.h.i.+fu taughts me.

Originally I didn’t think that the things s.h.i.+fu taught was useful. But today, I think that they’re pretty useful, because marching into the manor’s backyard with a panicked face, is a big ginseng demon. He was standing next the hens, s.h.i.+vering in the backyard. A naturally fragrant pot of soup appeared in my mind. I stared at him, while my mouth filled with saliva.

I pulled the sword that can kill demons. That pretty ginseng suddenly went on his knees. Kneeling, he walked to me. He knocked his head three times on the floor: “Good girl, good girl, good girl! Help me!”

Those three cheers “good girl”made me feel good. It wouldn’t make a difference if I wait a little before making ginseng soup. I pulled him up and asked: “What’s the matter?”

Ginseng demon wiped his tears and sobbed: “I…I’m being hunted down by people.”

This demon shouldn’t know that I can see his true ident.i.ty.

I nodded my head. My mind was thinking that if there are good things, I need to wait till s.h.i.+fu came back before stewing it to eat. So I answered: “Then you come in and hide for a while. My s.h.i.+fu has great ability. After he came back, he’ll surely help you.”

In the midnight, s.h.i.+fu came back. I didn’t have a chance to explain the situation to him. The moment he entered the hall, he frowned and asked me: “What did you bring here?”

I was about to speak, when the ginseng demon with a face full of grievance came out. He bowed to s.h.i.+fu and said: “I’m Nanpei2. Today I’m sorry to disturb you. I didn’t have a choice…”

He didn’t finish speaking. s.h.i.+fu raised an eyebrow, sneered, walked to me and pinched my face.

“Nanpei? You really know how to bring people here, ah.”

s.h.i.+fu pinching my cheeks has become a habit now. I didn’t resist, followed his strength and leaned to his ear: “s.h.i.+fu, ginseng essence, is very nouris.h.i.+ng.”

I said these words a little too loud. The ginseng demon instantly looked scared, took few mouthfuls of air and sat on the floor.

“You…you…are not a good girl…”

He desperately looked at us.

s.h.i.+fu raised an eyebrow, rubbed my head and said: “Well, it’s rare that you’re smart for once, but…”

He glanced at the ginseng demon, curled his lips and said: “Eating vegetation of a thousand years will harm the yin side. You and I are not ordinary people. It’s better to let him go.”

I was shocked, pulled at s.h.i.+fu’s sleeves and said: “The hens in the yard grew too old…they’re all old.”

“So we can kill the chicken and eat it.”

“But! But…!”

I was not willing, but I couldn’t find a reason to rebuke s.h.i.+fu. I scratched my head and looked full of resentment at s.h.i.+fu. s.h.i.+fu didn’t look at me. He glanced at the ginseng demon and said: “Go back to where you came from. Otherwise, if this girl eats you, I wouldn’t care.”