Martial World Full of Disguises

10: A New Life

Fu Peibai rarely had nightmares this night, but she still didn't sleep soundly. Since the disaster that befell her family, she seldom managed a peaceful sleep. Sometimes, she would wake up covered in cold sweat, even more exhausted than before she had slept.

Just like now. She had barely stirred awake when her temples began to throb. Her mouth was dry, her body so heavy it felt as though a thousand pound weight pressed down on it. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw three enormous heads looming over her. She bolted upright, her heart pounding furiously.

The three troublemakers smiled and asked, "Who are you?"

Fu Peibai turned her head and saw three half grown children, two boys and one girl, all around seven or eight years old. They were currently looking up at her with innocent young faces.

She exhaled and replied, "I'm the new servant."

The little girl asked sweetly, "Then what's your name?"

"Fu Peibai."

"Can we call you Brother A-Pei from now on?"

Facing three innocent faces, Fu Peibai couldn't bring herself to refuse. She could only stiffly nod her head.

One of the boys, who had red lips and white teeth, asked, "Then will you play with us, brother?"

Fu Peibai looked at the boy's tender face and thought of Fu Jiaxu. Her heart ached. Without thinking, she nodded.

This scene happened to be witnessed by the big man, who walked in with his hands behind his back. He raised his hand and swatted the boy's bottom. "Play, play, play. That's all you know. Have you read your books? Have you practiced your martial arts?"

Being scolded like this, the boy's large tears of grievance immediately fell.

The big man put his hands behind his back and scolded again. "What are you crying for? You're a boy. How can you go around crying all day like a little girl!"

The boy completely burst into loud wails. "I don't want to be a boy anymore! I want to be a girl!"

Fu Peibai looked at him and thought of her own younger brother. Her heart ached terribly. She said dryly, "Don't cry..."

The big man grew annoyed by the crying. He pulled three pieces of candy from his chest and handed them over. "Eat candy. One for each of you. No more crying. Go play outside."

This method worked. The boy indeed stopped crying. He wiped away his runny nose with one swipe. The three children held hands and cheerfully left the room.

"Here. Two sets of clothes I got on credit for you. Wear them in rotation. Looking at you, I figure you don't have any money. When your monthly wages are paid, just give it to me directly so I can pay the person back." As he spoke, the big man handed over two sets of clothes.

Fu Peibai accepted them. The clothes were made of soft cotton cloth, much better than the coarse hemp clothes she had worn before. After taking them, she said a soft thank you, then didn't move. Her dark eyes stared straight at the big man.

The big man felt uneasy under her pitch black gaze. "What are you looking at me for? Put them on."

"You go out first."

The big man was confused. "Why should I go out?"

"I'm changing clothes." Fu Peibai said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"So change. I won't bother you." After saying this, the big man suddenly realized. "Wait, you're embarrassed to change in front of me?"

Fu Peibai didn't make a sound.

"You can't be serious, kid. We're both men. What are you being shy about? I said you act like some innocent maiden, and now you're really playing the part?" The big man looked completely speechless.

Fu Peibai said seriously, "Anyway, please go out for a moment."

The big man scratched his head, turned around, and strode out. Before closing the door, he left behind one remark. "So much trouble."

Only after the room contained just Fu Peibai did she let down her guard. She nimbly changed into a complete set of clothes, then opened the door. The big man, who had been standing with his back to her outside, heard the sound and turned around. He looked her up and down. "Not bad. Much more spirited. Let's go. Time for your acupuncture."

Fu Peibai's eyes brightened. She quickly followed the big man to a thatched cottage. The walls and floor of this cottage were hung with dried herbs. Only one corner had a large cabinet with drawers placed against the wall, with a table in front of it. At this moment, Yun Ruoling was sitting on the inner side of the table, taking the pulse of an old man. She caught sight of them from the corner of her eye and looked up with a faint smile. "Wait a moment. Let me prepare some medicine for Uncle Yu first."

After saying this, Yun Ruoling turned around and took out herbs from various drawers in the medicine cabinet. She then picked up the mortar and pestle on the table and carefully ground them. She divided the mixture into three packets and handed them to the old man. Perhaps because the elderly man before her had poor hearing, she leaned close to his ear and instructed him loudly. "Uncle Yu, put this medicine in a pot and simmer it for a while. Once the color shows, it's ready. One packet per day. Did you hear clearly?"

"Heard clearly, heard clearly." The old man picked up the medicine and walked over with his hunched body trembling slightly.

Fu Peibai and the big man quickly stepped aside to let him pass.

"Come. Sit here." Yun Ruoling cleared away the miscellaneous items on the table as she spoke.

After Fu Peibai sat down, Yun Ruoling said, "Roll up your sleeve." Seeing the other's hesitation, she explained, "Don't worry. I won't take your pulse. But if you don't put your arm up here, how can I perform the acupuncture?"

Hearing this, Fu Peibai slowly rolled up her sleeve. She placed her arm on the table with great caution, as if ready to yank it back the moment the other dared to touch her wrist.

Yun Ruoling turned around and took out a cotton cloth package from the cabinet. She shook it open on the table. Inside the cloth were silver needles of various sizes, arranged in neat rows. The thickest one seemed about as thick as a leaf stem. The tip of each silver needle gleamed with light.

The big man looked at them and got goosebumps all over. He rubbed his arm and said, "Sister A-Ruo, how long will this take?"

"About half an hour."

"Alright then. You go ahead and treat him. I'll come back in half an hour." After saying this, he disappeared in a flash.

Was Fu Peibai afraid? Naturally, she was. Thinking about so many needles being inserted into her arm, not only was she afraid, she was extremely nervous.

Yun Ruoling could see her nervousness. To help her relax, she teased the big man. "Don't let Brother Meng's tall and sturdy appearance fool you. Actually, he's the most afraid of pain in this entire courtyard. And he's already past forty, yet he's still like a three year old child. He loves eating candy and always carries sweet fruits in his chest. If you ever get a craving some day, go ask him for some. He'll surely pull out a whole pile for you."

Fu Peibai thought of the scene that morning when the big man gave candy to the children. She had thought it was candy specially for children. It turned out it was his own. An image appeared in her mind of the big man's rough, bold face, followed immediately by a scene of him happily unwrapping candy paper and tossing a piece into his own mouth. The picture was truly jarring. She shook her head lightly and stopped her wandering thoughts.

By now, Yun Ruoling was almost ready. She first picked up the finest needle and tapped a spot above Fu Peibai's wrist. "First needle. Yangchi acupoint. It will hurt a little. Bear with it."

Fu Peibai nodded. She watched as that hair thin silver needle slowly pierced the surface of her skin, then continued deeper. Though there was some stinging pain, it was still within tolerable range.

After inserting the first needle, Yun Ruoling pinched the needle handle between two fingers and twisted it slightly. With this movement, Fu Peibai felt some warmth generated from her wrist, flowing through her entire arm.

After handling the first needle, Yun Ruoling took out a second one from the cotton cloth package. It was slightly thicker. She pointed to the Sanyangluo acupoint on Fu Peibai's forearm. "Second needle. Sanyangluo acupoints."

The silver needle entered the acupoint. Fu Peibai winced in pain and furrowed her brow. Yun Ruoling glanced up at her and slowed her movements slightly.

"Third needle. Quchi acupoint."

"Fourth needle. Binao acupoint."

"Fifth needle..."

"Sixth needle..."

"..."

"Twelfth needle. Jianyu acupoint."

By the time twelve needles were inserted, Fu Peibai's entire right arm was covered with silver needles of varying thicknesses from bottom to top. Her whole arm felt sore and numb, with a slight swelling pain.

Yun Ruoling instructed, "Relax your arm. Don't use force. Just maintain this position for now."

Fu Peibai didn't move a muscle. Her gaze was fixed on those silver needles.

After putting away the acupuncture kit, Yun Ruoling turned around and rummaged through the medicine cabinet. She then pulled out an oil paper packet and took out several fuzzy, small cylinders.

Fu Peibai asked curiously, "What is this?"

"Moxa cones made from mugwort. Combined with the acupuncture, the treatment is more effective."

Fu Peibai nodded. She watched as the cones were placed one by one on the various acupoints of her arm. White smoke slowly rose from their tips. Inside her arm, it felt as though air currents were flowing, sometimes ticklish, sometimes swollen.

Yun Ruoling lit the last moxa cone. "During the acupuncture treatment, your arm will feel some discomfort. The degree of soreness, numbness, pain, and swelling varies from person to person. It's all normal."

The scent of mugwort spread through the herb cottage. Fu Peibai lowered her eyes, lost in thought. Yun Ruoling looked at the thin youth before her and asked, "How did you come to the Heavenly Pole Sect? We haven't had any outsiders enter Chaoquan Peak for some time."

"I participated in the entrance examination."

The fact that she appeared here naturally meant that Fu Peibai hadn't passed the entrance examination. Yun Ruoling didn't want to bring up painful memories, so she changed the topic. "I heard A-Fu brought you over. She's someone close to our Peak Master. Just stay put on Chaoquan Peak. Our Peak Master may seem cold on the outside, but she's warm hearted and treats people well."

Fu Peibai thought of that white robed woman. After hesitating for a moment, she asked, "What kind of person is the Peak Master?"

Yun Ruoling smiled. "Our Peak Master, how should I put it... let me think..."

After thinking for a while, she asked Fu Peibai, "Have you ever seen the Peak Master?"

"Yes." Fu Peibai nodded. The first time, she had saved her life. The second time, she had given her hope. The third time, she had helped her again.

"Then first tell me, what was your first impression of the Peak Master?"

Fu Peibai furrowed her brows. Her expression was conflicted. Overall, her impression of the white robed woman was very complicated.

"She's very beautiful... like someone who came down from the heavens..." She spoke seriously, but Yun Ruoling let out a laugh.

Fu Peibai froze. "What is it?"

"Nothing. Everyone who has seen our Peak Master says that. Please continue."

"Cold as ice, making people feel they shouldn't approach."

"What else?"

"Very... kind. She has helped me many times."

Hearing this, the smile on Yun Ruoling's face grew even brighter. "That's right. Actually, our Peak Master is exactly as you described. Looking at her, her face is like frost, keeping strangers away, and she speaks very little. But in truth, her heart is kind. More than half of the people in this back mountain courtyard were originally displaced and homeless. The Peak Master couldn't bear it, so she brought them up the mountain and gave us a life with shelter from wind and rain, and enough food and warm clothing."

Fu Peibai remembered the face of the white robed woman looking down at her. Her beautiful features had been placid and unmoving, each word like an ice pick. Yet when she was full of despair, that person had given her the jade pendant that represented hope. Thinking of the jade pendant, Fu Peibai asked, "She once gave me a very unusual jade pendant. It could generate heat on its own. Do you know what material it's made of?"

A look of surprise appeared on Yun Ruoling's face. "You must be talking about the agarwood warm jade that the Peak Master never parts with. You say she gave the jade pendant to you?"

"Yes, but I've already returned it."

"That's good then." Yun Ruoling breathed a sigh of relief and explained. "That jade has quite a history. A few years ago, when the Peak Master was out traveling, she was ambushed by the Demonic Sect and suffered severe injuries. It left her with this condition where her body becomes abnormally cold. Later, the master of Red Feather Villa gifted this rare agarwood warm jade to the Peak Master. Wearing it on her body can effectively suppress the cold energy. That's why, for the past two years, the jade has basically never left her side."

Fu Peibai had originally thought it was just a relatively precious piece of jade. Now it seemed to carry even greater weight. For a moment, her emotions were complicated. She didn't know how to repay this debt of gratitude.

"Alright. In a little while, we can remove the needles. Just sit a bit longer."