Chapter 23 : Sharing a Carriage
23: Sharing a Carriage
Lu Qingwan's eyes brimmed with tears. "Why can't I go? I'm going!"
The commotion grew louder, drawing Lu Wencheng over. Seeing his young daughter crying so pitifully, his heart ached, but in front of so many people, he still had to maintain his dignity. He said sternly, "So many people are watching! Carrying on like this, what kind of behavior is this?"
Lu Qingwan stopped crying, though the corners of her eyes remained red. She tugged at Lu Wencheng's sleeve and pleaded, "Father, I want to go too. Let me come with all of you. You and my sister are both leaving. I don't want to stay on the mountain alone."
"No. This trip is not for pleasure. There is serious business to attend to. If you follow Yanran to the northwest, she won't be able to spare attention to look after you. What if something happens?"
Lu Wencheng's voice was unusually firm. Lu Qingwan could only settle for second best. "Then let me go with you to Red Feather Villa. After that, I'll come back."
Lu Wencheng fell silent, recalling the letter from He Yangyao that tactfully suggested Lu Qingwan should stay put in the sect and not come to trample his Golden Phoenix Red Feather Birds anymore.
The Golden Phoenix Red Feather Bird was the family crest of Red Feather Villa. The He family had raised these birds for generations, regarding them as auspicious symbols. This tradition had continued for over a hundred years, and the back mountain of the villa was the habitat for these birds, with over a hundred of them. But ever since Lu Qingwan visited a few years ago, the number of Golden Phoenix Red Feather Birds in the villa had dropped by a full ten percent. The reason was that she had accidentally wandered into the forbidden area of the back mountain, saw these divine birds, and was so delighted that she drew her bow and shot down more than a dozen of them. When He Yangyao saw the ground covered with bird corpses, his vision went dark and he nearly fainted. Since then, he had never allowed Lu Qingwan to set foot in Red Feather Villa again.
Recalling this past incident, Lu Wencheng refused outright. "No. Stay in the sect and wait for my return."
Lu Qingwan bit her lower lip, her face filled with unwillingness. She knew that although her father doted on her endlessly, he would not yield without limits. So she could only say resentfully, "If I can't go, then I can't go. It's not that big a deal!"
Fu Peibai had just let out a breath of relief when she heard Lu Qingwan's voice again, hesitant yet wanting to speak.
"You, you have to miss me! Don't forget about me. Also, remember to bring me a gift when you come back!" After saying this, Lu Qingwan didn't wait for Fu Peibai's reply before pushing through the crowd and running off.
The crowd fell silent. Fu Peibai swallowed hard, her entire body stiff.
Lu Wencheng patted her shoulder with deep significance. The force wasn't great, but it carried considerable weight. Then, without saying a word, he walked toward his own carriage.
Cold sweat broke out on Fu Peibai's back. She had thought Lu Wencheng would fly into a rage. As her mind wandered chaotically, she heard a cool voice beside her.
"Reluctant to part?"
She started and came back to her senses, meeting Lu Yanran's calm, unrippled eyes.
"How could I be? No."
"Can you ride a horse?"
Fu Peibai shook her head.
Lu Yanran fell silent for a moment, then boarded the carriage first and gestured with her hand.
Fu Peibai didn't understand the meaning. A-Fu chuckled softly and gave her a push on the back. "Hurry up and get in. You don't know how to ride a horse, are you planning to walk there? The Peak Master is granting you special permission to sit in the carriage."
Fu Peibai was somewhat surprised. She looked down at her clothes. Though relatively clean, she still felt out of place with this exquisite carriage.
A-Fu pushed her again, urging, "Hurry up. It's time to depart."
She could only lift the carriage curtain and climb inside.
Though the carriage compartment wasn't large, it was more than spacious enough for two people. Lu Yanran was currently sitting with a book in her hands, her gaze focused intently on the pages.
Fu Peibai didn't dare make a sound to disturb her. She sat near the carriage door, straightened her back, and looked straight ahead.
With a "giddy up," the carriage began to move slowly. Outside, the sound of horse hooves rang out in waves. Inside, there was only silence.
As Fu Peibai sat there, her mind began to wander. Her back gradually curved, and she leaned against the carriage wall. A faint fragrance reached her nose. Before she knew it, her eyelids drooped, and she fell asleep.
She didn't know how much time had passed when the carriage beneath her jolted violently, waking Fu Peibai with a start. Her face was dazed. "What, what happened?"
Lu Yanran had also been dozing. Only when she heard Fu Peibai's voice did she open her eyes. "Nothing. The road is just bumpy."
Fu Peibai made a sound of acknowledgment. Most of her drowsiness had faded. She lifted the curtain to see how far they'd traveled, poking her head out slightly. She saw A-Fu atop a tall horse, looking remarkably dashing and heroic.
"Sister A-Fu, where are we now?"
"We haven't left Heavenly Pole Sect territory yet. We won't make it today. Tonight we'll stay in Weizhou. If we push hard tomorrow, we should arrive before dark."
She lowered the curtain and sat back properly, but sleep had abandoned her. Not knowing what to do with herself, her gaze wandered here and there before finally landing on Lu Yanran's face.
At this moment, Lu Yanran had closed her eyes again. One hand rested on the small table beside her, propping up her cheek as she rested.
Fu Peibai summoned her courage and slowly let her gaze roam from the woman's smooth forehead to her eyes. Though those glass-like pupils were now closed, her long lashes stood out, thick and curled. Further down was a straight, elegant nose, and below that, red, delicate lips.
Her gaze fixed on that patch of redness and didn't move away for a long time, until Lu Yanran suddenly opened her eyes.
"What are you looking at?"
She quickly withdrew her gaze and straightened her back. "To answer the Peak Master, nothing!"
Lu Yanran said nothing more. Fu Peibai naturally didn't dare look in that direction again. But staying in this cramped space made her inexplicably nervous, so she lifted the curtain and sat outside next to the carriage driver.
Though called a driver, this man was tall and sturdy with a resolute face. His simple black robes gave him an extraordinary presence.
After settling in, Fu Peibai tried to make conversation. "Big brother, what should I call you?"
The man focused on holding the reins, his voice indifferent. "Xing Guang."
"My name is Fu Peibai."
The man didn't respond. Fu Peibai felt rebuffed and decided this person was like a male version of the Peak Master, equally sparing with words and cold as ice. So she stopped trying to talk and boredly watched the scenery outside.
The caravan traveled for over an hour before stopping beside a lush green meadow.
Lu Wencheng, at the front, shouted to the group to rest on the spot and depart in half an hour.
The guards of the entire caravan dismounted one after another, sat on the grass, and ate their dry rations. Some ran toward the distant woods to relieve themselves.
Fu Peibai had also thought about resting on the grass for a while. But after jumping down from the carriage and turning her head, she saw A-Fu, Xing Guang, and the guards in their two rows all standing straight and still, not moving at all. Needless to say, Lu Yanran was sitting calmly inside the carriage.
She quietly withdrew her forward-stepping leg and sat back down beside Xing Guang. Just as she was about to fish out the dry bread from her bundle, a voice came from inside the carriage. "Everyone disperse and rest as you see fit."
The guards received the order and walked toward the grass.
Fu Peibai saw that A-Fu and Xing Guang still hadn't moved, so she quietly called toward the carriage, "Peak Master, may I go over?"
"Mm."
As soon as the words fell, Fu Peibai jumped down from the carriage and jogged toward the grass. Actually, she didn't really want to rest on the grass at this moment. Rather, she had caught a glimpse earlier of a patch of dark red where the grassland met the forest.
When she returned to the side of the carriage, her hands were no longer empty. Instead, she used her clothing as a pouch to carry a large handful of red, unfamiliar berries.
Fu Peibai grabbed a bunch and handed them to A-Fu, smiling. "Sister A-Fu, try these. They're Sacred Fire Fruits. Very sweet. My hometown is full of these. I didn't expect to find them here too."
A-Fu took them with both hands, looking curiously at this fruit she had never seen before. She didn't mind that they were wild, took out a handkerchief to wipe them, and popped one into her mouth to chew. The fruit was full of flavor and rich with juice. "They really are delicious!"
The smile on Fu Peibai's face grew wider. She grabbed another bunch for Xing Guang. "Brother Xing, you try some too."
Xing Guang didn't refuse. He accepted them and gave a stiff thanks. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
Finally, Fu Peibai carefully selected the best bunch, keeping three or four for herself, and offered the chosen ones into the carriage curtain. "Peak Master, would you like to try some?"
For a long time, there was no movement in the carriage. Fu Peibai thought Lu Yanran disdained these wild fruits from the roadside that might not be clean. Just as she was about to withdraw her hand, her fingertips touched a patch of cool skin, and the fruit in her hand was taken away entirely.
She paused for a moment, withdrew her hand, and began gnawing on a fruit. In her heart, she was somewhat looking forward to Lu Yanran's evaluation of these wild fruits. But until the caravan set off again, no sound came from the carriage.
The caravan drove without stopping all afternoon, arriving at Weizhou City as dusk fell. Since there were so many people on this trip, Lu Wencheng had long ago booked the largest inn in the city.
The guards and servants all stayed on the first floor, while the second and third floors were reserved for the various Peak Masters and Lu Wencheng. Fu Peibai had bad luck. The room assigned to her was right next to the stables. Even without opening the window, a strong smell of horse manure wafted through the room. Several guards shared her predicament, all staying in this same room.
After hastily eating dinner, she returned to the room. She didn't compete with the other guards for the bed. Instead, she made herself a sleeping spot on the floor in the farthest corner, wrapped herself up tightly, and said she was going to sleep first.
The reason she rested so early was that she planned to get up in the middle of the night to practice martial arts. Though she had descended the mountain now, her training couldn't fall behind.
After lying down for a while, she fell asleep and rested peacefully for some time. Then came the usual nightmares. When she woke up drenched in sweat, the sound of the night watchman rang out from the street outside. "Gong strikes to notify. Close doors and windows well. Beware of fire."
She carefully put on her shoes and socks, draped her outer robe over her shoulders, and pushed open the door amidst a chorus of snores.
After leaving the inn, she walked toward the forest behind it. This was a spot she had deliberately scouted during the day. It was sparsely populated. Late at night, there would surely be no one to disturb her practice.
Thinking this, she ventured deeper into the woods. But in the originally quiet forest, two low murmuring voices suddenly appeared. Her feet paused. She lifted her leg and walked toward the source of the sound.
After walking a short while, through dappled tree shadows, she saw what seemed to be two figures ahead. Judging by their silhouettes, they appeared to be two women. And the figure on the right looked particularly familiar. She looked carefully. It seemed somewhat like the Peak Master?
What would the Peak Master be doing here in the middle of the night? Fu Peibai rubbed her eyes. When she looked again, there were no figures at all, only the mingled shadows of tree leaves under the moonlight.
Her heart felt a bit unsettled. Though she didn't believe in ghosts or gods, seeing two figures one moment and having them vanish into thin air the next, in the dead of night, was bound to make anyone uneasy. Still, she steeled herself and walked over. After circling the area and confirming no one was there, she could only attribute what she'd just seen to her eyes playing tricks on her. Then, methodically, she began to practice her forms.