“It smells horrible here…” Susu said, wincing and wrinkling her nose.
The foul stench of Longyan was in the air and most definitely in the sky, despite how blue it seemed when she first arrived. “That’s not the city, that’s the people. And they smell alive!”
“Rotting more than anything,” Susu whispered.
“What was that? Xing asked.
“What was what?” Susu asked.
Xing eyed Susu through her veil, but couldn’t see if she was smiling under there. She wasn’t but she tried her best to not inhale the foul stench of Longyan as it wafts around her.
At least the rickety ride through the forest was coming to an end. This meant, that not only would Susu finally be able to rest in a real bed, but the child would have a better form of warmth instead of just blankets.
The streets of Longyan were filled with people and vendors alike, selling produce, craft, textiles, and anything worth buying.
A man walked by, waving hawthorn candy. He smiled at Susu the moment he saw her eyes. “TWO HAWTHORN CANDIES FOR ONE COPPER COIN!” He bellowed.
“CARO FISH FRESH FROM LONGYAN RIVER!”
“NOODLES...COLD OR HOT.”
The other side of the street, the builds were littered with banners at the front, trying their best to attract patrons.
Susu ignored the banners as she had no inclination to spend time in an expensive Tavern. A simple one would due, but know Xing’s appetite for women, she might not be able to have such simplicity.
As Chief Zixin steered the cart through the streets, they made a series of turns, which finally took them to one of the smaller bridges located in the southern section of Longyan.
The sound of giggling children running around the street was like sweet music to Susu’s ears. It made her think of the little one she held in her hand and how happy she would sound whilst she did the same.
Susu nestled the child in her arms and then smiled unconsciously as she saw the child smiling, which made her heart jump with excitement. ”Don’t worry little one, you’ll have your fill before you know it!” Susu said.
“I think here’s a good spot. Least crowded of all places.” Zixin said calmly.
“Thank you, Senior,” Xing said with a bow. “You’ve been a benevolent host. I do hope to meet you again…and soon!”
“Thank You Chief Zixin,” Susu said with a curt bow.
Zhu Zixin smiled at both of them and cupped his fists in response. “It’s hard to meet such pleasant company in these times. Please take care of yourself and I hope your parents can help you name your child.”
A ray of light penetrates Susu’s veil, striking her in the eye. She held her hand up to block the sun, then sidestepped to her left, hiding behind Xing ensuring no one could see the baby.
Zhu Zixin eyed her suspiciously for a second but ignored it. Susu’s lips were drawn to a line, afraid the Old Escort Chief might’ve seen her skin colour through her garments.
Susu had been extra cautious, ensuring no one man or woman from Zhu Zixin’s camp could see, despite their urgings and yearnings. That had nothing to do with her, and by Xing’s instruction, he’d told them how prickly she could get.
Eventually, they stopped asking, but only to the words of Zhu Zixin, which she was thankful for, but right now, she could see the curiosity in his eyes but hope that was all there was in them.
“I know I’ve delayed your journey with our pace, but let me toast to you in front of the Ping’an Shrine.” Zhu Zixin said.
“The Ping’an Shrine?” Susu asked confused.
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“Yes, it’s a shrine located on the outskirts of the city.”
Zhu Zixin’s gentle eyes made Susu feel suspicious, but she ground her teeth from behind her veil and nodded. “Chief Zixin, thank you for the invitation, but I’m afraid Qiu-Ge’s parents have been expecting us for over ten days now. If we don’t show up soon, they’ll fear the worst and with us walking with their Granddaughter in hand. I truly don’t want to upset my mother-in-law anymore because of our tardiness.”
“Show me some face eh Fei’er,” Zixin said with a wrinkled smile. “I’m inviting you to the Ping’an Shrine because it’s a Kunlun Monastery Shrine. I hope to have the Bodhidharma Monks bless the child.”
“I think that’s a good idea!” Xing bellowed, to Susu’s frustration. “A blessing from a Bodhidharma Monk would be welcomed!”
Susu laughed shyly and eyed Xing with venom, she moved her veil from her face, then tilted her head into a smile. “A blessing from Bodhidharma is always good. Thank you, Chief Zhu.”
“Don’t thank me yet, save that for when we meet at The Ping’an Shrine.”
Xing clunked his back in the wagon as if he were about to sleep. Susu slapped his thigh, to wake him up. “We’re leaving!”
Susu jumped off the wagon on the side of the wagon, baby in hand. The moment her feet hit the ground, she felt the wandering eyes of passers-by and vendors alike eyeing her confused and bemused. Their eyes all said one thing.
“Is that a baby in her arms?”
“How could she just jump off the wagon with a child!”
Susu, however, could care less about their opinions. In her mind, this little girl was hers, and she’ll do what was needed, jumping or falling.
Xing followed behind, waving his goodbyes. Susu didn’t of course, her hands were occupied.
Susu and Xing crossed many bridges, passing people and children alike. The bubbling city was noisy as it could be.
The child was awake luckily and was fed earlier. The challenge they currently faced was finding more milk, because the trip out of the city, and to their master was another five days walk, this time, they could use their Qinggong, which probably would lessen the time it took to reach him.
The uoni plums were the first to go, after ten days. Susu nor Xing was sure if they used the right amount when par celling them out for the child, but they hope so.
The versen seed was in abundance when she first bought it, but now, she had a palm-full. I have to make them last the remainder of the trip She thought, or lose the little love I accrued these last couple of days.
After walking through the city for a few hours. Susu finally stopped at one of the bridges. It was on a higher plane and overshot the majority of the city.
The splashing sound of water resonated in the surrounding area, but mostly below her and Xing.
A surgeon beluga fish, zig-zagged in the mossy crystalline water below as if they were on their way to perform some form of mischief.
Children and adults alike tossed bread at different intervals on the river bed. The beluga’s snapped up the bread, leaving ripples of water on top of the water’s surface. It was like watching raindrops hit the water, without the rainfall.
“Beautiful isn’t it,” Xing said.
“I can’t dent that,” Susu said. The sun in the background was slowly receding into dusk, spraying what little light it had left across Longyan.
The hundreds of roofs, peaked out from the ground, fighting for the little essence of the sun, making the skyline seem a bit jaded. The splashing water did however add a tranquil ambience to the scene that Susu observed.
She propped the baby up, allowing her to see the scene as well, not caring if people saw her skin.
Luckily, this side of Longyan wasn’t as busy, making that decision easy to make.
The child tried to grab the sun with her small fingers and giggled as she did so, which made Susu smile.
Once the baby finally got tired of trying to grab the sun and failing, she finally yawned, making Susu nestle her back into her arms, and then she turned to Xing in a fit of anger.
“Why did you agree to meet with Chief Zhu Zixin?”
“What do you mean why? He’s an Elder within the Jianghu…I have to show him proper etiquette.”
“You care about-face now? We’re trying to get to the Master’s but you wanna dally because he ‘wants’ to pay us some respect.”
“I’m not dallying. We can’t be disrespectful to an Elder such as Zhu Zixin…our master would lose face!”
“What face?” Susu snapped. “We’re using fake names, or have you forgotten already?”
Xing’s face betrayed his thoughts, it was like candlelight sparked a flame in his mind and he nodded. “I did forget actually!”
“What?!?” Susu huffed. “He knows our real names!?”
“No!” Xing said firmly, “He does not, I simply forgot we were using fake names!”
Susu sighed, palming her cheek, feeling the coldness of her hands and warmed up by rubbing them across her neck.
A ripple of goosebumps ran down her back, then she rolled her neck. Her cane hat crumpled, with the veil making a shuffling noise. “Let’s just go straight to the Kaihua Library and meet with Master. I’m starting to get paranoid.”
“I thought you were fine.”
“I was, but ever since we reached Longyan, I feel as though we’re being watched.”
“I see you’ve felt the eyes as well.”
“Why didn’t you say anything.”
“…because ever since we picked up the child you’ve been on edge Su’er. I’m worried about you more than her. I know we haven’t made a decision on what we’d do with her yet, but she’s changed you and less than twenty days.”
“What do you mean we haven’t decided what to do with her yet? You plan to sell her to a whore house…slavery even?”
“That’s not what I meant Su’er!” Xing barked.
The moment Xing turned to Susu, she was already floating in the air, skipping from one rooftop to another, using her Qinggong.
She didn’t look back at Xing. Why would she? Xing had a knack for making sly japes. He also had a knack for saying the wrong things at the wrong time! like agreeing to meet with Zhu Zixin at the Ping’an Shrine! Susu scoffed.