Leaning back, hands holding tight to her ankles for balance, Pia thought it over.
From their first meeting, it'd been obvious that Buzhi had a devil-may-care attitude, a love for finery, an unnaturally charming appearance, and a tendency to antagonize. Now, if she added in his resistance to poison…It all pointed in the same direction.
Her eyes flicked back to his face, and she watched the light dance across his features. He'd removed his silver crownpiece, letting his varying braids fall loose about his shoulders. They framed his face, making it appear more angular and striking in the dim lighting.
Bluntly, she asked, "Are you from the demon realm?
In the light, his grinning teeth seemed just a touch too sharp.
"Now, do you really think Ruwe would trust you with a demon, Pia?"
Cocking her head to the side, she considered it.
"I don't think he cares much for judging people by where they're from," she said, recalling Master Ruwe's teachings. "The focus was always on what people do or did."
He fired back, pressing her on that line.
"You say that, but what have I done to make you think I was a demon? Are you not casting me into a category based on your perceptions? I'd add, perceptions you've had only days to gather."
Stung by that, Pia looked away, ashamed. "I…yes, I suppose I am. I'm sorry."
Jumping to the conclusion she had was no different than how she'd been treated as an orphan in Dwelling. People had judged her based on circumstances over which she had no control. How was she any different now? The guilt had her avoiding his eyes.
"I took no offense. Though I might caution you about asking that question to others, Demons, as you know, aren't well received. Being called a demon could be taken as a grave insult by others," he said, and his words were kind when they could have been harsh.
A strong wind blew through the canyon, and their fire wavered, flames leaping wildly against the onslaught. Embers sparked and sprayed like natural fireworks, lighting up the canyon in whites and oranges. Pia shivered and added another log to the fire. Dampness in the air seeped through the clothes, leaving them almost feeling wet on the surface.
He hadn't answered her question, and as she stoked the fire, that unanswered question batted at her mind. She wanted to ask again, but it felt wrong now as if she was being judgmental.
"I am," he admitted after so long that she'd nearly abandoned hope.
He affirmed her suspicions so casually that it took her a moment to register them. She tried to reconcile what she knew of demons versus what she knew of Liu Buzhi so far. Images of bloodthirsty demons with hearts as black as tar, heartbroken demons cast from the heaven realm for falling in low with a mortal, and furious demons treated unjustly seeking their vengeance against heaven spun through her mind. None of them matched Buzhi. Only the vaguest of characteristics, which made her wonder if he'd played them up, hinting at her to guess? Ruwe had told her that demons often intermingled with demons in the cities. Had he been preparing her to partner with Buzhi?
Buzhi sprawled out on his side beside the fire with an exaggerated yawn, head coming near to Pia. Propping himself up on an elbow, he closed his eyes.
"If you are from the demon realm…" Pia said, trying to think through the logical conclusion that revelation offered. "Is Lan Tiao from he—?"
"Ah, the natural deduction," he teased, cutting off her question.
He cracked open one eye, tilting his head to meet her gaze. "That one, you'll have to ask Lan Tiao yourself."
His eyes closed, and his breathing evened out quickly, leaving Pia alone and brimming with more questions than ever.
Behind her, she heard the horses splashing through the stream, looking for grass along its trail. Grabbing the leftover wood, she built a box structure and then settled down, hoping for a night free of terror. The crackling of the fire lulled her into sleep, the light a beacon against the shadows of the night.
All around her were clouds. They were fluffy and soft, like the fur of a rabbit or a soft cat. Her brow wrinkled at the feeling. Clouds were full of water; how could she touch them?
Rising to her feet, she looked around. The sky greeted her from all angles. It was bright, like midday, but she saw no visible sun. Turning round and round, she looked in every direction, but only clouds and a blue sky met her eyes. She walked, then ran, yet the cloud stayed beneath her. Nothing changed. Panic took hold of her, and she ran forward, determined to find a way to escape and get somewhere other than here. Nothing changed.
Panting, she collapsed onto the ground, trembling with anxiety. Was she in the Abyss? Looking at the clouds and sky, she didn't think so. The Abyss was dark and cold, chaotic and empty. This...she didn't know what it was.
Crawling to the edge of the cloud, she peered down, wondering if there was anything down there—more clouds and sky. No land in sight. Leaning further, she craned her neck, looking for something that might make sense. How did she get here? Where was here? Was there anything else there?
A blow hit her in the back, shoving her from the cloud, and she spiraled downward, her heart seizing in terror in the freefall. The last thing she saw was a woman dressed all in red, a long braid dangling as she looked down, and her piercingly blue eyes staring after Pia. The wind tore at her, seeming to push her faster and faster, and she screamed.
"Pia!" Buzhi called loudly, shaking her shoulders.
She woke, gasping for air, feeling her throat still raw from her scream. Wildly, she looked around, hands grasping both sides, feeling for something tangible, something real. She sagged in relief when her hands rolled over sandy dirt and splinters of wood. The scent of smoky firewood curled into her nose, grounding her back in reality.
Buzhi leaned over her, face twisted in concern. His braids dangled over his shoulders, and she shuddered, rolling to her side. It reminded her too much of that woman in red. She hugged her arms to her chest, pressing her face against the ground. The grit of the dirt bit into her cheek, reassuringly solid.
His hand rested on her back, patting it comfortingly.
"Bad dream?" he asked kindly.
Voice raspy from her scream, she said, "Disturbing dream."
A piece of dried meat appeared in front of her eyes.
"Eat something. It's never good to let bad dreams linger on an empty stomach."
Sitting up, she took it from him, nibbling on it despite not feeling very hungry. At the top of the canyon, she could see the traces of morning light, but tucked within the canyon, all was still dark and shadowed.
Buzhi remained crouched near her while she ate. Slowly, the dream's grip faded, and her tense shoulders unclenched.
"Have you always had bad dreams at night?" he asked.
The expression he had on his face was thoughtful, his eyes wandering her face.
"No. A few spells throughout my life. As much as anyone else," she said.
She stretched her legs out and leaned over them, grabbing her feet. Stretching her neck and back before the start of the day.
"Lately, I've been having more," she admitted when her face was pressed to her legs, and he couldn't see her expression.
He hummed in the back of his throat at that hand, giving her back one last comforting rub.
"We'll have to fix that. The closer we get to Guihai, the worse they might get."
She rolled up her sleeping mat and tied it closed.
"Why's that?" she asked as she broke up their fire ring, making sure to stomp out any remaining embers.
"Souls are restless there. They try to reach the living world in any way they can. Dreams are often the easiest for them to infiltrate."
That made her shudder harder, and she eagerly went to groom Tudou, needing the reassurance his presence gave her. She was grateful that Buzhi gave her distance as they prepped their horses that morning. They split a few buns and strips of meat from the bag and then mounted, riding down the canyon.
While her body still sagged with exhaustion from nights of broken sleep, a weight had slid from her shoulders after the previous night's conversation. Her eyes wandered to Buzhi, riding in front of her, and it occurred to her that it could've gone very badly.
Poisoning him was a stupid risk she'd taken. Her own brazenness made her feel ashamed. What if he'd taken offense? All alone with a demon…That thought made her feel worse, and she shook her head free of those thoughts. Instead, they turned to Ruwe and Mow, Lan Tiao, and Liu Buzhi's past. Her thoughts churned as they continued their traveling east.
It was a relief that the stream trickled the length of the canyon, allowing them to stop and refill their waterskins and let the horses drink their fill. After a few hours passed, Buzhi led them out of the canyon up a dirt path.
It was such a relief to see trees again. She breathed in the moist air, rich with loam and pine. They rode the mountain forest path, and seeing the footing change from brown to a deep red color amazed her. The trees grew close together and spanned the length of the trail on both sides. Dead pine needles and tree leaves littered the forest bed.
Flying squirrels came out on the tree branches to watch them ride by. Birds, too, seemed curious, perching on many of the trees, heads cocking side to side. Pia looked amongst the treetops but saw no crows. Part of her wished to see them, but she was glad she didn't after the previous night's conversation. It'd make her uneasy to imagine each crow as one of Mow's spies.
As the path grew narrowed, it crooked around trees, and soon, her attention was focused on bending Tudou around the trees, avoiding knocking her knees against their stubby trunks. Her eyes grew heavy as they rode, the profound peace of the forest soaking into her. It made her nostalgic for Divine Ascent, though the scents of this forest weren't the same. A heaviness lay in this forest, a wildness that Divine Ascent lacked. It felt as if the forest was secretive and quiet, and she and Buzhi were disturbing the serenity, waking the forest with curiosity. Her head dropped onto her chest as she dozed off.
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Buzhi looked back, seeing her drooping forward towards Tudou's neck. He sighed and looked back ahead, only feeling the slightest bit of guilt.
The path widened as the trees fell further back, leaving room for open meadows and valleys to unfold along the route. Pia roused as the path headed uphill, the jarring sensation of falling backward startling her. It felt so similar to her dream that it took her a moment to register Tudou beneath her. Her hands sank into his thick mane, clutching it like a lifeline, as her eyes blinked the sleep away.
Buzhi held Shuai back, letting Tudou pull level with him.
"Feel a bit better?" he asked.
She didn't. Despite the bit of rest she'd gotten, her head and eyes felt heavier than ever.
"A bit," she lied, not wanting to worry him.
"We'll camp soon. I want to reach the edge of the valley first."
She nodded, and they fell into companionable silence once more.
When they left the forest, Pia understood what he'd meant by 'edge of the valley.' As far as she could see, the land stretched out, flat and bright with green spring grass. It reminded her vaguely of the field outside of Caihe, though this was on a much grander scale.
They camped on the edge that night, using the trees as a buffer against the wind that blew eagerly across the valley.
Buzhi reclined in his sleeping cocoon while Pia cooked two large rabbits over the fire. The fat sizzled and spit as it fell into the fire, splashing her hands as she turned the tree branch turned spit.
"Buzhi," she asked, wondering if trying her luck twice within a day was smart.
"Hmm?"
"I've read that demons use a different kind of spiritual force. What's it like?"
Instead of answering, he flicked a rune at her, and it landed on the ground beside her. It glowed red, yet the lines of the rune were black. Curious, she leaned down, looking it over.
"All the lines are backward?" she asked, tracing the air above the rune, hesitant to touch it.
He hummed again, leg idly rocking himself in the cocoon.
Experimenting, she copied the lines with fire yi and laid it beside Buzhi's. When she tried to activate it, it only poured smoke.
"It's more than that, I guess," she said, deflated.
It felt silly that she'd thought it'd be that simple.
"Demon magic is si energy. Some can manage it, but it's harder than life energy."
She turned the spit, watching the rabbit's skin brown over the fire.
"How does someone learn to channel dead energy? Is it spirit-based?"
"Ah, excellent conclusion. Some do channel spirit energy. Shamans and seers dip into the spirit realm. Some Sages and Diviners can cultivate death energy or malice."
"Malice?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at him.
His hand bobbed in the air as if waving that away.
"Malice is cheating. Not to mention the negative effect it has on a person. It takes considerable effort to purge the effects malice leaves on a soul."
It was her turn to hum as she returned to her task, turning the spit. The idea of using malice as power was alarming. After her outburst meeting Mow, she worked diligently to control her emotions. Anger, her oldest friend, always simmered away in her heart, but she'd learned to build cages and prisons against it, only allowing the thinnest threads to escape.
That day, her outburst scared her. It'd been overwhelming and out of control. The out-of-control feeling was especially difficult to handle.
"Buzhi," she asked again.
"Pia," he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice.
It made her lips twitch up despite the heavy question on the tip of her tongue.
"About Master Ruwe…" she said nervously. She licked her lips, suddenly feeling very dry. "How long ago did he lose his wife?"
"Twenty years ago."
Twenty years! She was stunned. Martial artists tended to age gracefully, living well beyond the average span of mortals, but… she'd thought he was much closer to her age than not.
"Just how old is he?" she muttered, thinking of Lei, who was her age.
"He's still young. Only just shy of fifty, I'd say," Buzhi said.
Pia's eyes narrowed at that. They said demons could live for thousands of years…
"How old are you?" she asked, curiosity compelling her forward.
He gasped.
"Don't you know you're never supposed to ask a lady her age?"
Despite herself, she laughed.
"You're no lady," she told him.
"How d'ya know?" he teased. "Demons are excellent at disguise."
That brought her up short. Could he be? She looked back at him. He'd shifted to the edge of his sleeping cocoon, his face peering over the side.
She scanned his face, trying to imagine him as a woman.
"No," she said decidedly, shaking her head and returning to the fire. "Definitely not."
He chuckled and resumed his swinging.
The sun cast its long spindling fingers across the valley, and night draped over them, just on the fringes.
While they picked at the rabbits, steam pouring from every tear of meat, Pia snuck a glance at Buzhi. If he noticed, he gave no sign.
Finally, she plucked up courage and asked.
"Why did Master Ruwe never tell me about his wife? Or his distrust in Mow?"
Busy licking the juices off his fingers, Buzhi took his time in answering.
"I'd say he didn't want you caught up in it. Plus," he added, pointing his rabbit at her pointedly, "the loss of a loved one isn't an easy topic to bring up. Hopefully, you never find that out, but it's often inevitable."
Those words brought back a memory of her and her Master on the Lunar New Year when Haojie and Yijun had left Cangzhi. He's said something similar. The loss of a special person left a wound that never healed. She frowned, looking down at the half-eaten rabbit she held. The pain that Qian Hong's death had caused her felt like a lifetime ago. Would she have understood if she'd lost her parents when she was older?
"Have you lost a lot of people?" she asked.
He took a big bite of his rabbit, chewing it for a long time. He washed it down with a drink from his waterskin and took a deep breath, puffing his cheeks.
"Like I said, it's inevitable."
The solemnity in Buzhi's tone stalled the rest of her questions, and they finished their meal in silence.
That night, the dreams plagued her as usual. A figure, always out of reach, ran away from her. Strange, misshapen figures swarmed her on all sides. Hands pulled at her hair and clothes, and voices shrieked in her ears, though the words were indecipherable. When she woke, it took almost the remainder of the night to fall back asleep, and those dreams, too, were harried.
Their ride across the valley was non-eventful. The landscape before them looked flat, but she quickly realized that streams cut through much of the land, forcing them to jump or wade across to get to the other side. Some sections of the ground were deceptive. Long expanses of green turned out to be cut sharply by the water that had cut deep banks into the sides of the land.
It was not as vast as it seemed, and by the end of the second day, they had left the valley on a plain dirt road.
"We're on the Eastern Siji and Western Guihai main road now," he explained, pointing in each direction. "From here, traveling can be quicker. This path stays straight and level for many li."
The path was riddled with puddles, and she remembered his words about Siji's spring rains. From the back of her saddle, she unrolled a thick coat and put it on over her robes. Buzhi nodded approvingly.
"If you're good at buffers, use one for Tudou and yourself. The rains will be relentless when they come."
As if his words were the permission they'd sought, the clouds soon opened and poured rain from the heavens. They cantered on, and though the coat and buffers helped, soon both were soaked through and miserable.
Buzhi led them to a small lodging house on the Siji side. The couple that ran it were initially suspicious of them, but a handful of dol quickly changed their opinions. The stable they had was small but dry and clean. Cold, hungry, and tired, Pia was grateful that Buzhi didn't pull a disappearing act on her again and instead took care of Shuai.
When they finished caring for their mounts, they laid extra wards on their tack to deter any thieves before taking refuge from the rain in the lodging house. The man served them hot stew, fresh bread, and a milky drink that reminded Pia of Cloud Silk. It wasn't as sweet or spicy but held a fierce heat that made her cough. Whatever alcohol they added was potent.
Buzhi grinned around his spoon, but hunger kept him shoveling food into his mouth rather than teasing her. After their meal, she was excited to take a bath for the first time in what felt like ages. Buzhi remained behind to talk to the man while she bathed. In the morning, she left a handful of dol behind for the woman, who had kindly washed her robes overnight.
When they were back on the road, Pia couldn't help but ask the question plaguing her, especially under the torrent of rain.
"Besides learning how to appreciate being wet, cold, and miserable, how exactly does this help me 'Forge the Heart' of my sword? Honestly, I thought we'd be interacting more with people." Rain slicked off the horses' shoulders, adding to the slop taking over the ground. Mud splatters lined the horses' legs, coating them in thick mud that resisted the constant deluge of rain.
"We've only just started!" Buzhi said cheerily—much too cheerily for the weather, Pia thought darkly. "There'll be plenty of time to mingle and fight your way to glory."
Tudou bobbed his head, letting out a wide yawning snort, perfectly displaying how she felt about that.
It was easier to travel the level road, and they ate up distance, switching between cantering, trotting, and walking as the horses and road conditions allowed. Neither of them looked forward to sleeping outside in the old and wet, and Shuai and Tudou seemed to feel the same. Both horses strutted with energy, even after a full day of work.
When the road split in three, Buzhi led them left, pointing out a weather-beaten sign that read, "Guichen."
"We'll be entering Guihai just before the town. People are alright, but keep an eye on your belongings," he warned.
"Thieves?" she asked.
"Very poor," and his tone was solemn.
The first hint they were nearing the town was a smattering of wooden fencing propped up along the road. Deep wagon wheels cut through the mud, and Pia and Buzhi were forced to ride the very far edges of the road to avoid the thick ruts.
Broken fencing made a jagged arrow for them to follow to Guichen. Her heart sank as she took in the approaching town. It was grey and dreary, and it was easy to tell that it wasn't because of the rain. Smoke poured from the homes, adding to the dismal appearance.
Guichen was enclosed by a 'wall' that was in similar disrepair to the fence that lined the path to the town. The road they were riding led straight through the middle, through a gate that had long since fallen apart, leaving only a crooked mainframe.
Tiny buildings crammed the edges of the road, tucked close to one another, leaving little room for streets or alleys. If Pia had to guess, each side of the road contained about twenty buildings, likely homes.
They followed the path through town to a larger building near the exit gate. Buzhi dismounted and tossed the reins to Pia.
"Just wait while I check with the owner," he said, strolling inside the building.
As she sat there, the feeling of being watched prickled her neck. Looking around revealed no one in sight, not even a dog.
Squelching sounds came from behind her, and she turned to see two small faces peeking around the side of the building. Wide eyes watched her from too thin faces. It twisted her heart again.
She smiled warmly, waving at the two. Two audible gasps sounded, and then the faces were gone. Sighing, her hand lowered.
"They'll rent us a room," Buzhi stated, ducking back out of the building.
When he took Shuai's reins back, Pia dismounted. They led their horses to a lean-to behind the building. It wasn't much, but it would allow the horses to dry. Pia spent a long while scrubbing the mud off of Tudou's legs with clumps of straw. Buzhi took their tack, and Pia watched as he warded them with a complicated series of runes.
"What is that?" she asked, not recognizing any of it.
"It'll keep them from being stolen, but it won't cause any harm."
Recalling those two thin faces, she breathed a sigh of relief.
It was dim and dingy in the lodging house, but the fire roaring in the fireplace was warm, and the pot of soup on the stove smelled delicious.
The main room was a single-story house, with the kitchen set in the back and tables for sitting near the door. There were two doorways on opposite sides of the house. It seemed likely that one was the owner's bedroom and the other was a rented room.
In the kitchen corner of the room, a woman stirred the pot, giving them curious glances as she did. When she saw Pia looking, her gaze yanked back to the pot. The woman ladled the soup into two bowls and carried it to them.
"Thanks," Pia said as she set them down, and she smiled at the woman.
Shyly, the woman gave her one in return, bowing her head and gesturing for them to eat. The soup was thin, mostly broth with strings of vegetables, but the noodles were fat and spongy. While they ate, a man came in the front door, nodded his head at them, and then went directly to the woman.
Pia watched them, confused by their strange interaction. Their hands scurried wildly as they made odd gestures as if conversing without words.
Under the table, she bumped Buzhi's knee, flicking her eyes at the couple and questioning him. Rather than responding, he pressed his finger to his lips and shook his head. Sighing, she let it go.
When their meal was finished, Pia and Buzhi took turns changing into clothes the woman lent them, hanging their own to dry during the night. They separated the sleeping mats to either side of the warming box and laid down, burrowing under the blankets. Spring or not, the rain had chilled them to the bone.
Now that they were alone, she hoped he'd answer her questions.
"What kind of language was that?" she whispered.
"It has no name. It's something they've come up with."
Puzzled, she asked, “Why?"
The silence stretched between them, heavy and thick. A shiver rolled up her back, and Pia clutched the blanket closer to her.
"They have no tongues," he said finally.
Appalled, she stared mutely at him, her heartbeat thudding painfully against her ribs.