The moment Keekee's head hit the pillow, she was out cold, snoring deeply. After the day she’d had, it wasn’t surprising—her body and mind had been pushed to their limits. The fact that she could sleep without any pills or warm milk was a relief.
Martial Kim now had the living room to himself, which was ideal. No one would disturb his meditation, and more importantly, no one would see the faint glow radiating from his body as he assessed his spiritual powers.
My meridians are not damaged, yet I cannot access more than a third of my cultivation. Even my Inner Energy Art skills are at half strength. This explains why I felt so drained carrying the victim and Keekee for prolonged duration. My snow cultivation, higher level swordplay, and spiritual techniques are all out of reach... but why? Is there something in this world that is restricting me?
Eyes closed, breathing controlled, blocking any and all distraction to gather energy into his body, he would ‘inspect’ his internal meridians at a deeper lever to find the cause of this limitation. He would even try to ‘unlock’ or ‘force open’ the doors that closed on certain acupoints, to try and free his full strength.
No matter how hard he push at these spiritual doors, his influence passed through them – like the arms of a ghost. Curious.
That nameless pavilion did something to me. But what is it, I cannot fathom. Clearly not a problem I can simply sleep on and expect a conclusion in the morning... I do not think I can even sleep soundly tonight, not like Miss Keekee.
“Shameful, most shameful,” He muttered to himself and gave up meditating. He hopped to his feet and stretched his body, trying to take in his new surroundings of this cabin in the woods.
He wanted to test something and he waved a hand. The gesture alone was enough to coil the air around him, his inner energy guiding the flow of the breeze, and make some cloth on the couch move like branches in the wind or empty burger wrappers on the table flutter about as leaves.
Strange how I still have some power left in me. Perhaps, it is good fortune. I was able to rescue Miss Keekee when she needed help the most...But... I failed the lady in the mountain.
Thoughts of the strangling filled his mind, weighing his heart like iron. He covered the shame on his face with a hand and tried to shrug off the bitter emotions.
I cannot repeat my mistakes, no matter how weak I have become. So long as I live and breath, I must do everything I can to protect Miss Keekee, my friend in this strange new world.
The young master gave a heavy sigh and leaned against a counter top to balance himself. It was when he realized, just how run down the cabin was. Cobwebs staring from the corners, dried leaves loafing across the ground like ants, and dust as thick as human skin.
Seeing this, Martial Kim decided to do a little exercise. He used his inner energy to manipulate the flow of the breeze, drawing them in through the open windows, and run them through the cabin. Like a dance of a hundred brooms, they swept up the dirt and cobwebs in their hands and brushed the dust off of everything, before chucking it out the windows.
The cabin wasn’t perfectly clean, compared to a professional touch, but it looks 10 times more decent than his arrival. A clean and comfy place.
Hahahah. If my Master found out I was using my cultivation like a house keeper, he would surely lash out at me. Still, it is better than having a spider hanging over my head........................
“Fae Fae.”
The name of a ‘dead woman’ blurted out of his mouth. He couldn’t understand why, until he realized the empty and lonely feelings he had been shrugging off finally gripping his shoulder. A familiar face filled his mind, weighing his heart.
I wonder if she safely returned to her hometown with Inspector Lee.
Is she well fed? Did she take her medication? Does she have plans for her new future? Maybe, I should not have been so strict. Perhaps, I should have offered to visit her...
...No. I cannot be selfish. The world must continue to be oblivious of her existence, or else the past she is desperately fleeing from will turn their heads to her tracks like bloodhounds. After everything she has been through – life, death, love – she deserves a proper second life. She needs to forget about everything...
Fae Fae...how are you faring right now? Will you still remember me?
Ring ring ring ring. Ring ring ring ring.
A faint melody filled the silent cabin. Distant, faded, muffled. It felt far away, yet so close. Martial Kim thought he was hallucinating when the quiet returned, only to be interrupted by the melody once more. It kept going and going, ring ring, silence, ring ring, silence, like some kind of clockwork contraption.
What is that noise? Oh, it is coming from Miss Keekee's room. I wonder, if she playing an instrument to pass the night. Does she have a lot on her mind? She was so tired from everything, she was practically snoring when she touched the bed... I wonder.
Before Martial Kim could figure out his next move, the bedroom door open and--Bump.
"OOF!! Oh Kim! Sorry, didn't see you there...What's wrong? Wh-why are you covering your ears? Di-did I hit you by accident? Or--"
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RING RING RING RING! RING RING RING RING!
"...Oh crap, sorry let me answer this call! Sorry!"
Martial Kim watched in mixed astonishment and horror when Keekee executed the noise with a swipe of her finger on the familiar glowing device and put it to her ear. "What the hell, do you know what time it is!?"
"Er." Martial Kim tried to come up with an answer, "I was not the one who--"
"Oh not you," Keekee chirped, before glancing away with a sour look, "Can't this wait?...Uh huh...Yeah...Right..."
"I-I did not say anyth--"
Martial Kim stared as Keekee shuffled into the kitchen, almost absent minded. She kept talking...to the air. The young master was absolutely sure the cabin had no one else other than Keekee and himself. So it terrified him, as to what was going on.
C-can she speak to spirits? Or did some malevolent spirit possess her? Even if my cultivation was back to full power, I lack any means to exorcise a wild spirit without harming the body. I am no Taoist Priest! Wh-what should I do?
Meanwhile, Keekee continued on her conversation with...nothing, all the while grabbing a kettle from the kitchen to fill it up. "What? Are you serious? That's terrible!"
Twist. Fsssssssssssssssssssssssh.
Wait. Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Is that, actually water coming out of that metal hook? How? How did she produce it with a turn of her hand!?
Martial Kim watched in disbelief as clean water flowed effortlessly into the kettle Keekee was filling. With a simple twist of a knob, the water stopped; all done within the belly of the sink in the cabin—far from any river or water well.
Keekee, seemingly lost in her own world and talking to a ghost, suddenly gasped, "Relocate? We still got some scenes to do! If we move now, we have to reshoot everything! Auugh!”
“Miss Keekee who are you...” The young master’s words fell on deaf ears as Keekee was busy talking to the empty air and rummaging through the kitchen cabinets. Meanwhile, he decided to do an experiment to bide his time.
Twist Fsssssshhh. Twist off. Twist Fsssssshhh.
Is this some kind of magical well? To draw water without hefting a bucket to and from a well? I must have this for Moon Tavern! It would make cooking, cleaning, and washing three times faster!
That was when he noticed Keekee putting the kettle on the stove.
Ah. Perhaps I should be useful and get the fire going with some kindling. She seems busy to whoever she is speaking with to--
Twist. Whooooosh!
GOOD HEAVENS Now she can summon fire—without wood or flint!? Impossible!
Martial Kim froze as Keekee effortlessly ignited the stove with a twist of another knob. It didn’t take long before steam started to leak out of the kettle’s spout. Meanwhile, Martial Kim stared at the fire pit he spent hours in preparing earlier that day just...sitting there all charred and useless.
Fire and water at the command of fingertips. Glass with dancing images and music. Women baring skin as casually as breathing. And bicycles—bane of all horses…
Wh-what is wrong with this world!?
“Fiiiiiiine. I’ll think of something, Talk to you later.” Keekee groaned to herself. Without another word, she would then drop her glowing device on a table next to the stove. She then let out a sigh of frustration, as if she came out of an argument with 10 people. “Aaaaagh. So much work to do and it’s not even morning!...Oh Kim, is everything okay? Why are you staring?”
“...It...is nothing.”
“Ah, okay. Want some Chamomile?”
“You mean, Chrysanthemum tea.”
“Ah bless you.”
Wh-what was she blessing me for? Do not tell me, the spirit that was lingering around Miss Keekee is glued to me now. I-I do not feel different...right? Right!? Am I cursed!?
While waiting for the water to boil, the film assistant leaned against the kitchen counter and rubbed the back of her neck with frustration, “Sorry for waking you up like that. Work was calling me. Literally blew up my voice mail.”
“...I...do not understand.”
“You know, the film crew. They mentioned the places we usually film in are cordoned off by the police.”
“Cordoned...off?...Police? Um. Did something happen?”
“Yeah, the cops found a body. Around a trash heap or something.”
Martial Kim felt as if the ground had been yanked out from under him, like a poorly executed tablecloth trick. He staggered, catching himself against the corner of a table for support.
The trash heap. Could it be, the same woman I tried to save? How deplorable of me, to forget her death so quickly. I was blinded by the foreign leisure and convenience of this world. I am truly the worst.
"You okay, Kim?" Keekee asked with concern. "You look pale."
"...Did the constables capture the murderer?"
"Murderer? What are you talking about? The police reported: she hung herself."
"...She what?"
"Yeah. Remember when I said: there's a lot of people who go to the mountains to commit suicide. It's true, every year. Why, if I hadn’t run into you – you might have ended up like her.”
I wonder, are we even talking about the same victim? I have to be sure. Martial Kim then chanced to ask “These reports. Did they describe, how did the victim look like?"
"Ah. I think they posted a photo of her. One second." Keekee pulled up her glowing device and with only a few strokes of her finger and thumb, she displayed a hauntingly accurate portrait of the victim's identity. “Here.”
Such...a haunting resemblance. The same leopard skin clothing...
Martial Kim grind his teeth together as he felt the chill forming in his blood, “Miss Keekee, this woman. She didn’t commit suicide.”
“Huh? What do you mean Kim?”
“With my own eyes: I saw how she was killed.”
Keekee covered her gaping mouth, "R-really!? Th-then why did the police said otherwise!?"
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