Chapter 4 - Moxi, may peace follow you in life (1/2)

Moxi hasted home in the evening.

I was leaning against the divan as I gave him a glance and continued to read my book. He stood in the doorway for a moment before cautiously coming in. He sat down on the edge of the divan, deliberated, and then said, “I heard soldiers came today.”

“Yes.”

“Sansheng…”

I threw the book to the side, sat up, and looked him square in the eyes. “What do you want to ask me?”

He opened his mouth but did not manage any word.

“It was I who beat those soldiers off,” I told him. “Shi Qianqian was also chased away by me.”

He looked at me for a moment, and then actually smiled a rather helpless smile.

I raised an eyebrow and said, “What? So you want to marry the general’s daughter? Oh, I was wrong then; I’ve ruined your marriage. If it makes you this sad, I’ll go look and bring her back. She seems smitten with you.” I walked out the moment I finished speaking.

He pulled me back, his face slightly blushing. “Sansheng, you know that wasn’t what I meant. I’m actually very happy that you… that you would be so jealous because of me. It’s just that…”

“It’s just what?”

“The soldiers said that you’re a demon. They intend to invite the Imperial Reverend here to exorcise evil tomorrow.”

“The Imperial Reverend?” I recalled seeing that stern face yesterday in the alley.

Moxi frowningly nodded. “Sansheng, do you need to hide?”

“Hide?” I asked quizzically. “Why should I hide? I’m not a demon.” But seeing Moxi’s worried expression, I suddenly understood. “Moxi, have you always thought of me as a demon? Do you want me to hide because you’re afraid that the Imperial Reverend would uncover my ‘demonic’ identity?”

Moxi frowned.

I nodded my head and muttered to myself: “I guess it’s to be expected. I’ve lived with you for so many years yet my appearance hasn’t changed a whit. When I wanted fire, I would make fire; when I wanted wind, I would make wind. It makes sense that you would think of me as a demon. Right now, you must be afraid of me?”

After listening to my words, a sudden change came over Moxi’s face: a rare trace of anger. “Why should I be afraid of you?! So what if you’re a demon? I only know that my Sansheng has never harmed me. I’m not a heartless person. I know exactly how each person in this world treats me! Not to mention, you’re not an evil demon at all, and even if you are, I’ve already loved you and will love you for the rest of my life!”

The word ‘love’ made me happy inside. My mouth could not help curling into a smile.

Moxi had always been mild-tempered. Needless to say, he was especially gentle toward me. I rarely saw him so riled up that I found his present display rather strange. “Then what are you afraid of?”

His face stiffened. My laying bare his thoughts had slightly discomfited him. He was silent for a moment, and then he sighed. “Sansheng, I’m afraid you’ll be harassed.”

I was amused after I heard him. “Do you remember Fatty Wang’s backyard?”

He glanced at me: “Not even a blade of grass was left.”

I nodded in satisfaction. “It’s fine to be bullied as long as I can bully them back. Your wife can swallow anything except for abuse. You have nothing to worry about.”

Cheered up by my quip, Moxi did not say anything more.

In the evening when we went to wash up, I saw a small hole in his sleeve. I asked in surprise, “What happened?”

Moxi hid his sleeve away. “It’s nothing. I just had a quarrel with some soldiers today and my shirt got caught on their armor, that’s all.”

I reached my hand out: “Give the robe to me. I’ll help you patch it up.”

Under the candlelight, I patched the hole stitch by stitch. Moxi sat next to me, tilting his head to watch me help him mend his clothes. A smile lingered on his lips as though he found bliss in this little thing.

“All done.” I handed him the robe. Seeing the contentment on his face, I out of nowhere asked him, “Is the current emperor a good ruler?”

Moxi received his robe and replied, “He is a very wise sovereign.”

I nodded. “Then that great general who holds all the military power in his hands – is he also a good general?”

Moxi frowned. “If we speak of commanding troops in combat, he is undoubtedly talented. However, we do not need his kind of blood-thirst to keep the country in peace.”

I nodded again. “If he is rid of, will the people’s livelihood be better?”

“Without the general’s control, the emperor will be able to freely pass down reforms, and the people’s livelihood will naturally improve.” Moxi looked at me strangely. “Sansheng, when have you become interested in these things?”

“If there’s a way to get rid of the general for the sake of the people, will you be happy?”

Moxi’s eyes lit up, but he instantly lowered his gaze to hide that glimmer in his eyes.

“Of course I would be happy.”

I nodded again. “It’s getting late. You have things to do tomorrow, go to bed.”

After the candle went out in Moxi’s room, I remained sitting in bed, eyes wide open looking out to the moonlight beyond the windowpanes.

Why would Moxi quarrel with other people for no reason? I strung along everything that had happened today and came to understand. He must’ve heard someone calling me a demon, and when he next heard the Imperial Reverend would be coming here tomorrow to ‘exorcise’ me, he momentarily could not hold back his temper and engaged in a confrontation with the others.

Moxi had always been a tolerant person, and he hadn’t been an official for long. Despite favoring him, the emperor didn’t even bestow on him an estate.

Apparently, Moxi was in a very difficult position at court.

By sparring with the people from the general’s household today, I had pushed Moxi into the storm.

It was true I wasn’t anything like other people. Tomorrow when the Imperial Reverend arrived, if he were to say things such as “darkness lurks in thee” or “thou art not a life-form of this world”, then Moxi could just kiss his ideals and struggles goodbye…

No matter what I chose to do, I must not implicate him.

I thought of the gleam in Moxi’s eyes when he spoke of his ideals. I used an invisible spell and went into Moxi’s room. “It was you who gave me my three lives,” I said as I watched his sleeping face, “so it hardly matters if I must use my life to help you intercept your tribulation. And since I am your wife in this existence, I’ll have to offer my full support for whatever it is my husband wants.”

I sat by his bedside, leaned over, and softly placed a kiss on his lips. “Moxi, may peace follow you in life.”

Early next morning, a decree urgently summoned Moxi into the palace. He repeatedly reminded me before leaving that if the Imperial Reverend were to come, I must stick it out until he came back. I readily promised him.

Shortly after he left, a priest glowing with sublime aura came to the house. This Imperial Reverend looked very young from all outer appearances.

“You are bold to actually dare come to the capital after killing Abbot Kongchen.”

The first thing the Imperial Reverend said to me was this. I dazed out for a good long while before I remembered the Abbot Kongchen he spoke of was the monk who had tried to hunt me down throughout those nine years. “That’s not true. He died of old age; it didn’t have anything to do with me. I’m not a demon, and I can’t kill people.”

The Imperial Reverend scoffed. “Darkness lurks in thee. If you’re not a demon, then tell me, what are you?”