Chapter 8 - Perhaps it really was a tribulation of love (1/2)

I had no intention to flee from Liubo after I destroyed the Thousand-Lock Pagoda.

Even if I didn’t like this incarnation of Moxi’s very much, I couldn’t let him fall prey to other people. At the very least, I needed to protect him and his purity through this lifetime.

But the old fogies of Liubo didn’t know what to do with me. Neither could they lock me away nor could they defeat me. That night, they lost a mighty lot of hair in distress.

In the end, it was my Moxi who resolutely said: “Lock her behind my residence. I’ll personally keep an eye on her.”

While the crowd hemmed and hawed, I was the first to nod my head, drawing a glower from Moxi.

Once I thought of our living together in the same compound, I generously let go of any complaints I might have had.

Liubo was presently regarded as the Holy Land of the religious community. The Venerable Zhonghua was head of Liubo. By this logic, his residence must not be too shabby.

But by the time I was brought back to his residence, I was almost moved to tears.

A tranquil plum garden that was somewhat incongruent with Liubo emerged behind his majestic residence. It wasn’t yet winter, but the forest was covered in snow. Here, red blossoms flowered brilliantly, carrying their fragrance for miles after miles. Everything had apparently been created from magic.

“These… these flowers…” My voice sounded slightly shaky.

Unauthorized individuals were prohibited from entering Zhonghua’s residence, so at this point, there were only the two of us. As he watched the garden filled with plum blossoms, his countenance greatly softened and he answered me in a much better mood: “It’s one of the very few things I like.”

I blinked back the mist in my eyes.

Moxi, Moxi, even though you had drunk Old Meng’s soup, you hadn’t forgotten this muted fragrance and the pureness of snow? You still remembered the quiet plum garden?

The garden was enclosed inside a force field Zhonghua had created to preserve the plum blossoms at their most beautiful on a winter day. Stepping into it was akin to stepping into his enchanted confinement.

I nevertheless gladly let him confine me.

Seeing me walk into his spell, Moxi wasted no words before indifferently turning around to leave. I gazed after his back while gently touching the snow-capped plums. I suddenly returned to a day long, long ago when the white-bearded priest had said to me to the knowing nods of his head: “Love trial.”

Perhaps it really was a tribulation of love.

A stone’s tribulation of love…

Time began to go by in utter ennui after several days of confinement. No matter how beautiful this scenery was, I became sick and tired of looking at it. I thought of asking Moxi to give me a few books so I could keep myself entertained, but I didn’t even get to see his shadow after several days of lurking by the force field’s boundary. I was awfully disappointed.

Day after day, I sprawled out by the force field’s boundary to trace circles and call

Moxi’s name. Of course, the name I called was ‘Zhonghua’.

In spite of my untiring effort, he never once appeared.

But when I finally quit calling him, it only took him a few days to show up.

At that time, I was learning the ancient art of steeping tea using melted snow. Of course, I had no tea, so I cut down a plum bough and used the branch as firewood while cooking the flowers, trying to see whether that many blossoms would yield a pot of porridge.

While I was wondering whether I should cut down another bough, Zhonghua arrived with a forbidding expression on his face.

I waved to him beatifically.

He briskly strode over and glanced at the plum tree I had uprooted, asking: “Are you cooking plum blossoms?”

“Wouldn’t you say this is a lovely activity, Venerable?”

He scoffed: “Is burning the lyre and cooking the crane[7]something delightful in your eyes?”

“Well now,” I began in seriousness, “we still have to see what kind of wood the lyre was made from. Good wood will naturally result in fragrant grilled meat. That crane also can’t be too old. Otherwise, killing it wouldn’t be very kosher.”

He took a deep breath and only said after calming down: “You’re not allowed to touch any more of my plums.”

“No can do.” I shook my head with a sense of rightness. Seeing that his face was about to explode, I explained: “It’s boredom that killed your plums. If I weren’t so bored, I wouldn’t have paid attention to them. I stood there yelling by the force field’s wall for days on out but why didn’t you answer me?”

“What is it that you want?”

“Books. The latest ones. As well as melon seeds and green tea.”

“We don’t serve people here at Liubo,” he said while turning away.

“They must not have grown so easily, but I bet these many trees should be enough to last me a few days.”

The departing figure slightly paused.

When I woke up the next morning, a heap of books was lying on the ground.

I flipped these books open as I muffled my giggle. Moxi, Moxi, you are so adorably stuffy in this lifetime!

My days went by much better with these books as company. After all, I had spent so many wasteful days in the underworld, I might as well guard Moxi here in the company of red plums and white snow.

One fine day, I was suddenly in the mood for a walk. I took a book with me as I strolled under the shadows of the forest, taking in the plum fragrance all the while.

I startlingly felt as though I was returning to an existence from a time long past. I had lazily stayed at home all day. Then, Moxi came home from school. He pushed the door open, letting sunlight flood in, and softly called to me: “Sansheng.”

Enjoying the residual sound of this precious memory, I closed my eyes imagining the former Moxi right by my side. He matched my stride whenever I took a step, just enough so that I could have a place to lean on whenever I wished to.

I walked and paused, walked and paused, as if Moxi was there to follow my every step. I opened my eyes. Red plums were still standing proudly against the snow before my eyes, but when I looked back, I was startled to find Moxi really standing among the plums, watching me intently since Heaven knows when.

I smiled happily while swallowing back the word “Moxi” on the tip of my tongue in exchange for “Zhonghua.” Ignoring his barely perceptible frown, I cheerfully whirled my way to him with open arms.

He leaned to the side to avoid me. Instead of hugging empty air as I had thought, I felt myself hugging a small, violently trembling figure. I held this little thing out at arm’s length for a look and was quite surprised at my discovery: “Chang’an! What are you doing here?”