Chapter 5 : A Resolve Formed
5: A Resolve Formed
The sun set in the west. It was dinnertime. Curling smoke rose from every household. Willows swayed in the air. The evening glow illuminated every field and cottage, forming a peaceful, leisurely rural scene.
Fu Peibai returned from catching fish with her companions in the village. She carried a basket full of her catch, unable to contain her joy. She hummed a little tune her mother had taught her as she walked along the small path home.
When she returned to her family's small courtyard, she saw her mother rolling up her sleeves and wielding a spatula to cook. Her father was practicing swordplay nearby. Her little brother clapped his hands and cheered, laughing happily.
Soon, her father, mother, and little brother all saw her return. They turned to look at her together, warm smiles on each of their faces.
"A-Pei."
"A-Pei."
"Big sister!"
Fu Peibai smiled in response. She set down the fish basket and wanted to walk to her family's side. But in an instant, the smiles on the faces of the three people who had just been beaming with joy froze. Thin lines of blood appeared at their throats. Blood instantly gushed forth, and they fell to the ground.
Fu Jiaxu was closest to Fu Peibai. After his small body fell to the ground, he stretched out an arm toward her. His expression was pained. His little mouth trembled. "Big... big sister, big sister..."
Fu Peibai's feet felt as if they were filled with lead. She couldn't move. She felt her heart being torn apart, but she could only cry helplessly and scream.
"Dad! Mom! Jiaxu!"
A nightmare. An endless nightmare...
Fu Peibai startled awake. Her heart pounded like thunder. The herb storage room was pitch black. She touched her face and found her hand wet with tears.
She stared blankly into the void, breathing heavily. It took a while before she calmed down. She felt a warm current in her chest. She reached in and pulled out an oval jade pendant. Held in her hand, the jade was actually warmer than her palm at this moment.
She brought the jade pendant closer and examined it before her eyes. Her nostrils flared slightly as she caught some kind of scent. She brought it even closer and inhaled lightly. A faint fragrance drifted from the tip of her nose. She thought this scent seemed familiar. She concentrated and thought for a good while before remembering that she had smelled this same scent when that white robed woman pulled her out of the cellar.
This fragrance was very faint. It was different from any scent Fu Peibai had ever smelled before. It wasn't the smell of flowers, nor the smell of herbs. It was a light, pleasant scent.
She inhaled twice more, then tucked the jade pendant back into her chest. When she closed her eyes again, though her sleep was still not peaceful, at least she didn't have any more nightmares. She drifted in shallow sleep until the sun rose the next day.
She slept until the sun was high in the sky. After waking, she estimated the time and quickly scrambled to her feet. Sleeping this late at someone else's house was surely improper. But when she came out of the herb storage room, she saw Old Man Wen sleeping soundly on the grass mat in the main room, snoring like thunder. She didn't want to disturb him.
Though her body ached all over, her spirits were much better than yesterday. She looked around. There was nothing to eat in the courtyard. She drew water from the well to wash her face, then went to the street. She used the few copper coins she had begged for yesterday to buy several white flour steamed buns. When she returned to the small courtyard, Old Man Wen had already woken up. He was standing in the yard stretching.
Hearing movement, Old Man Wen turned around. When he saw Fu Peibai with her face washed clean, he paused and said, "Miss Fu is actually quite pretty. It's just that her face is a little tanned from the sun."
Fu Peibai pursed her lips and didn't respond. She handed the steamed buns to Old Man Wen.
Old Man Fu and Madam Fu had both been exceptionally good looking. In his youth, Old Man Fu had sword-like brows and star bright eyes, handsome and extraordinary. Madam Fu had been gentle in appearance, with brows and eyes as tender and quiet as a woman from the Jiangnan region.
However, of the two Fu siblings, the older sister had taken after her father's looks. Her features had more of a man's heroic quality. The younger brother had taken after his mother's looks, with delicate and refined brows and eyes.
Old Man Wen could see that Fu Peibai didn't want to talk about this, so he didn't bring it up again. He accepted the steamed buns and began eating. After finishing, he drew water from the well and asked, "What are Miss Fu's plans from here? Are you planning to settle down in Xingyang City, or will you go to some other town?"
Fu Peibai set down her water bowl and answered seriously, "I'm only staying in Xingyang City temporarily. In the sixth month, I need to go to Jinyun Mountain in Jiangnan to participate in the Heavenly Pole Sect's entrance examination. During this time, I'll be imposing on you, Uncle Wen."
"You're welcome, you're welcome. Just stay as long as you need. But... how do you plan to participate in the Heavenly Pole Sect's entrance examination as a woman?"
Fu Peibai looked confused. What did being a woman have to do with it?
"The Heavenly Pole Sect only accepts male disciples. Didn't you know?"
Fu Peibai shook her head. She thought of the two women, one in black and one in white. "But I've seen people from the Heavenly Pole Sect. There were women among them."
The old man thought for a moment before saying, "You must be talking about the Peak Master of Chaoquan Peak and her personal attendant. Do you know who they are?"
Fu Peibai shook her head again.
"The Peak Master of Chaoquan Peak is called Lu Yanran. She is the daughter of the Heavenly Pole Sect's master, Lu Wencheng. She had excellent natural aptitude from childhood, a martial arts prodigy. Though she is a woman, she surpassed the men. That's why they made an exception and trained her to become one of the four Peak Masters."
Fu Peibai didn't care about any of this. She just wanted to enter the sect and learn martial arts. "Then I'll disguise myself as a man to participate in the examination."
Old Man Wen shook his head repeatedly. "That won't do, that won't do. If you're discovered, it's a serious crime. At best, you'll be expelled from the mountain gate. At worst, they'll cripple your muscles and bones, and you'll never be able to learn martial arts for the rest of your life."
"I say, if you insist on learning martial arts, you don't have to fixate on the Heavenly Pole Sect. Sure, it's the greatest sect in the world, and everyone flocks to it. But naturally, the examination is much more brutal. There are countless martial arts sects in the world. Plenty of them are willing to accept female disciples. You could choose another one."
Fu Peibai's expression darkened. It was hard to tell what she was thinking. She listened to Old Man Wen's advice. Suddenly, she thought back to that day in the stable. The white robed woman had looked down at her like an immortal. Her beautiful face had been completely placid. Her voice had been light and pleasant, yet the words she spoke were cold and merciless. Just when Fu Peibai had thought herself hopeless and without any chance, that person had tossed her a jade pendant, giving her hope once more. Thinking of this, she raised her head. Her gaze was exceptionally determined. "I want to go to the Heavenly Pole Sect."
Old Man Wen was speechless. After a while, he said, "Why is this young lady so stubborn?"
"Look at you. Learning martial arts as a woman is one thing. In these turbulent times, learning some skills to protect yourself is fine. But why must you take such a risk with the Heavenly Pole Sect? The Heavenly Pole Sect's entrance examination has three full rounds. The people who participate are already extraordinary in skill. You have no foundation at all. Learning some crude moves at the last minute won't be enough. Even if you pass the entrance examination, you'll have to live in fear every day hiding your identity. Then there are martial arts assessments at every stage. If you don't pass, you'll still be expelled from the mountain. So why bother?" Old Man Wen finished this string of words in one breath, then hurriedly drank a big mouthful of water to catch his breath. He felt his words were reasonable and earnest. Surely they would persuade this young lady.
But Fu Peibai still replied with a determined expression, "I must go to the Heavenly Pole Sect."
Old Man Wen rubbed his forehead helplessly.
Fu Peibai stood up and rummaged through the pile of firewood in the corner. After finding a thin, long withered branch, she stood in the courtyard. She closed her eyes and exhaled, recalling the mnemonics her father had taught her when she was young.
Shift your weight smoothly. Plant your feet firmly. Sink your breath to your dantian. The sword extends while the body remains still. Move with the flow. The body moves but the form does not scatter...
Old Man Wen silently watched the tall, thin young woman in the courtyard wave the withered branch tirelessly. Her expression was serious and focused. He wavered. After a long while, he let out a long sigh. "Miss Fu, since you're determined to go to the Heavenly Pole Sect, Old Man won't try to dissuade you anymore. Old Man can help you disguise yourself as a man so you won't be easily discovered."
Fu Peibai's movements stopped. She walked over in a few quick steps, her eyes full of expectation. "Uncle Wen, how?"
Old Man Wen examined her carefully from top to bottom and said, "Your appearance already closely resembles a man. You don't need much additional disguise. But as you grow older, your voice will inevitably raise suspicion. And then there's your..." As he spoke, Old Man Wen's gaze fell on Fu Peibai's slightly rising chest.
"Uncle Wen, please speak freely."
"It's just that as you grow older, your chest will naturally develop, and that also needs to be hidden. Then there's the matter of a woman's monthly courses."
A worried look came over Fu Peibai's face. "Then does Uncle Wen have any way to conceal these feminine characteristics?"
"There is a way, but once you use it, it cannot be reversed. Are you certain you've thought this through? For a young lady like you, how will you marry in the future?"
Marry? Fu Peibai paused for a moment. She had never thought about this. Her only purpose for still living in this world was to personally avenge her family. Once her wish was fulfilled, she would find a quiet place to live out the rest of her life. Marriage and such was not in her considerations.
So she shook her head, indicating it didn't matter.
Old Man Wen sighed lightly again. He could only explain the method. "I can prepare a medicinal primer. After taking it, your voice will maintain its current androgynous quality, and your chest will stop developing. But to be safe, after disguising yourself as a man, you'll still need to bind your chest tightly with cloth. As for your monthly courses, they'll stop in the month you take the medicine. For the first month, take one packet daily. After that, you only need to take it once a month. Take it for a full year, and your courses will stop completely. However, your body will be somewhat damaged. Therefore, you cannot learn martial arts of a hot nature. It would conflict with the cold energy in your body and cause extreme suffering. Remember this, remember this well."
After finishing, Old Man Wen looked steadily at Fu Peibai. His tone was heavy. "One last thing. Once you make this choice, you will never be able to bear your own children in this lifetime. You must think this through clearly."
Fu Peibai nodded without the slightest hesitation. "I've thought it through, Uncle Wen. No regrets in this life."
"Very well, very well. Come inside with me."
The two entered the room. Old Man Wen took paper and brush and wrote out a long list of herb names, then handed it to Fu Peibai.
"Go to Deji Hall in the city according to this list and identify each of these herbs one by one. Once you know them all, go to Zhangming Mountain, fifteen li east of the city, to gather them. Pick plenty of each kind."
Fu Peibai accepted the list and was about to turn and leave when Old Man Wen stopped her. "Hey, hey, hey. Don't go today. Walking there and back will take at least half a day. Get up early tomorrow and go then."
Fu Peibai looked at the sky. He was right. She tucked the medicine list into her chest and returned to the small courtyard to resume practicing with her branch.
Old Man Wen leaned against the wall, watching her practice martial arts while chatting idly. "I can see that although your movements are unfamiliar, your body is agile. You have some foundation. Did you learn martial arts when you were young?"
Fu Peibai slowed her movements and replied, "When I was eight, I followed my father and learned for a while. Then I got lazy and didn't practice enough, so I stopped."
"Your bone structure is good. You're actually suited for martial arts. It's just that you've already missed the best age for beginning training. But diligence can make up for clumsiness. You're mature for your age and have a resilient nature. Old Man believes you will surely succeed in your learning."
Fu Peibai stopped her movements. She turned and cupped her fist in a formal salute. She looked the part, already showing traces of someone from the martial world.
"Thank you, Uncle Wen."