Chapter 170
I was curious about what had happened, but if it was enough to make Jinseong angry, it could not be anything trivial. Left standing there awkwardly, I opened the door and stepped inside.
The room had been cleaned so thoroughly that not a speck of dust remained. Every piece of furniture had been arranged with precise care, and a pleasant fragrance lingered in the air.
An Yixing teapot and a full tea set waited on the table. Even at a glance, they looked like the sort of expensive pieces Grandfather would use.
I discreetly opened the tea caddy and inhaled its aroma, then widened my eyes as I examined the leaves.
Is this Phoenix Dancong? They serve tea this expensive to guests?
It cost more than a hundred taels of silver per catty, yet Wudang brought it out without hesitation. Their finances must have been far healthier than I had imagined.
I closed the caddy in admiration and turned, only to notice a vase beside the bed.
A plum branch covered in modest buds had been placed inside. It seemed even Daoists enjoyed the approach of spring.
Flowers in a Taoist monastery. That’s unexpected.
Smiling, I slowly approached the bed. I could not remember the last time I had looked at flowers without anything weighing on my mind.
Next spring, I’d like to drink tea and admire the blossoms with Grandfather again. That was nice.
I thought I might have a cup while waiting for Jinseong and began looking for a brazier. Then I sensed someone loitering outside the guest quarters.
It was not Jinseong.
Who was it?
“Would you like to come in?”
The moment I called out, the person strode inside as though he had been waiting for permission.
I searched my memory at the sight of his familiar face and realized he was one of the third-generation disciples who had once confronted me.
He was the swordsman who had taken one of my poison bombs head-on when I fled the Central Plains Bank.
He must have suffered quite a bit from the poison. My first concern was whether he still held a grudge against me.
What was his name again? Song... Song something?
Contrary to my fears, he smiled brightly and cupped his hands in greeting.
“Greetings, Miss Tang. I am Songhwa, a third-generation disciple of Wudang. It is a pleasure to see you again.”
“Hello, Daoist Songhwa.”
“Are the guest quarters to your liking?”
“Very much. They’re wonderful. Thank you for allowing me to stay.”
“Oh, no. We are the ones grateful that you accepted the invitation. To be honest, I did not think you would come.”
Songhwa waved both hands, then leaned closer and added in a whisper,
“As you already know, our elder Jinseong is somewhat... prone to being misunderstood. I thought you might refuse because of that.”
“What? Ahaha. Are you speaking ill of Daoist Jinseong?”
“Speaking ill of him? What a dangerous accusation. I am merely stating facts. When I first met him, I wondered what sort of wooden bird—no, what sort of wooden man he was. Of course, after spending time with him, I learned that was not the case.”
“That still sounds like speaking ill of him.”
“Please hear me out, Miss Tang. I entered Wudang when I was eighteen, and he was fourteen at the time. Do you know what he did to establish discipline among us?”
“Please sit while you tell me. Sit down.”
Reassured by his friendliness, I smiled back and guided Songhwa into a chair.
Fortunately, he did not seem to harbor any resentment toward me.
As though trying to put me at ease, Songhwa rambled on about the days when he had first met Jinseong. Only much later did he appear to realize what he had been saying. His eyes turned uneasy as he hastily added,
“Please keep this secret from him. In any case, he is not a bad person. He simply does not know how to deal with people.”
“I know. Daoist Jinseong is a good man.”
Songhwa’s face lit up at my answer.
Looking as though he had accomplished some great task, he sprang from his seat and lifted the vase containing the plum branch.
“Isn’t it lovely?”
“Yes, it is.”
When I nodded, he lowered his voice with a grave expression.
“Miss Tang, this plum tree is tied to an ancient legend.”
“A legend?”
“Yes. It is said that the Taoist deity Great Emperor Zhenwu planted it with his own hands.”
And they had simply snapped off a branch and put it in a vase?
I found that rather alarming, but I saw no reason to object. I merely stared at him, urging him to continue.
“Long ago, Great Emperor Zhenwu sat beneath a betel-nut palm to rest. A plum tree stood across from him in full bloom, and its flowers were so beautiful that he reached for them without thinking. He broke off a branch, but then!”
“And then?”
“Alas! Every blossom scattered into the wind. At that moment, Great Emperor Zhenwu realized that when one attempts to seize the things of this world by force, their beauty fades.”
“I see.”
“So he took the branch in his hand and planted it in the betel-nut palm before returning to his cultivation. He declared that if he attained the Way, flowers would bloom upon the broken branch, but if he failed, it would wither away. And just as he said, the moment he attained enlightenment, the shriveled branch burst into bloom and bore fruit. A broken branch came back to life and produced fruit. Is that not remarkable?”
Was that not simply a successful graft?
He had created a new variety of fruit.
It did not seem grand enough to become a legend, but Songhwa was such a gifted storyteller that I found it rather entertaining.
“That is an interesting story. Does the tree still exist?”
“Of course. Every autumn, it bears plump, vermilion fruit called langmei. Miss Tang, would you consider staying until autumn? It grows only on Mount Wudang, and I would very much like you to taste it.”
“Haha. I’d like to try it if I ever have the opportunity.”
“Why not plant a plum branch in the betel-nut palm yourself while you are here? You never know. Perhaps your branch will survive and bear fruit as well.”
“Am I allowed to do that?”
“Of course. The tree is in the inner compound. Once elder Jinseong returns, you should ask him to take you there.”
I had little interest in the tree itself, but the offer to let me inside the inner compound was tempting. Resting my chin on one hand, I smiled and asked,
“Daoist Songhwa, were you a professional storyteller before entering Wudang?”
“What? Hahaha, no. I was merely the son of an unremarkable schoolteacher. Still, I am pleased that you think so highly of my modest gift for words.”
“You were born to tell stories.”
“I hear that often. Elder Jinseong dislikes it, though. He says I talk too much and make too much noise.”
Scratching his head, Songhwa glanced outside.
“Elder Jinseong is taking rather a long time... Would you care for something to eat? Shall I bring some tea snacks?”
“I would appreciate that.”
“Please wait a moment. I will return shortly.”
Songhwa rose with an amiable smile and left the room.
*****
When Songhwa finally returned, he carried two enormous trays.
He had piled them so high with refreshments that I could have eaten alone for a week and still had some left.
“D-Daoist Songhwa? Isn’t this a little too much?”
“I did not know what you would like, so I brought some of everything... Have I overdone it?”
“Ahaha. Thank you for your generosity. I’ll have just a little.”
I forced a smile and reached toward the trays.
At that moment, whispers drifted over the wall.
“You see? I told you young ladies prefer sweets. She reached for the honeyed one.”
“Hmm. I thought she would prefer something tart.”
“She is still too young to appreciate tea properly. Rice cakes would be better. They do not interfere with the flavor.”
“Rice cakes do nothing but clog your throat. Stop showing your age.”
...I no longer wanted any.
I drew my hand back and offered a polite excuse.
“Still, it feels strange eating alone. I’ll wait until Daoist Jinseong returns and share them with him. Thank you, Daoist Songhwa.”
At my courteous refusal, the whispering voices gradually grew quieter.
“Oh dear. Did she hear us?”
“It seems she did. Songhwa apparently noticed nothing, but that young lady’s senses are sharper than those boys of the Song generation.”
“Jinseong is coming. Let us go, Brother.”
“Yes. In that case, I will cover the refreshments so they do not dry out.”
Songhwa cheerfully draped a plain cloth over the trays.
As he did, Jinseong entered the guest quarters in a fresh set of clothes.
He must have washed, because the ends of his hair were still damp. It was my first time seeing him without his Daoist cap, and I stared at him with open curiosity.
He looks much better with his hair down.
“Did you manage to resolve the urgent matter?”
“Yes. I apologize for keeping you waiting so long.”
“It’s fine. Daoist Songhwa told me all sorts of interesting stories.”
Jinseong turned a frosty gaze on Songhwa.
Songhwa flinched and began waving his hands, sweat pouring down his face.
“Now, now, I am nothing like Senior Brother Songgwang. I only told her about the langmei, elder Jinseong.”
“...The langmei?”
“Miss Tang would like to plant a plum branch in the betel-nut palm as well. You should take her to the inner compound.”
Jinseong considered the suggestion for a moment before slowly nodding.
“That would be fine. But I believe I should first show her around the outer compound.”
I quickly joined in.
“Daoist Jinseong, may I use the training grounds too? The rear garden of the guest quarters is a little too small for throwing concealed weapons.”
“Of course. There is a training ground for guests in the outer compound. Would you like to go there now?”
“Yes, please.”
I answered at once and hurried after Jinseong.
The guest training ground was not far from the quarters.
A laugh escaped me when I saw the flawless blue-steel stone paving.
It was so immaculate that it almost made me forget all the miserable days I had spent rolling across dirt, forest floors, and fields of grass.
“You may use this training ground. You are currently the only martial artist among the guests in the outer compound, so you should be able to train without disturbance.”
“This is wonderful. Thank you, Daoist Jinseong.”
Wow. How long had it been since I last used such a luxurious training ground?
I could hurl concealed weapons into the paving without leaving so much as a scratch.
Excitement entered my voice.
“May I try it now?”
“Certainly. Then I will return in one double-hour.”
“Oh, don’t leave. Since we’re already here, keep me company. I haven’t had anyone to spar with lately, and my body is getting stiff.”
When I caught Jinseong before he could excuse himself, he blinked at me with an odd expression. Then he slowly answered,
“Very well. I will fetch a wooden sword.”
“What? Daoist Jinseong, what exactly do you take me for?”
A wooden sword?
That was insulting.
I frowned at the obvious implication that I was far beneath him. Jinseong hesitated and shifted his gaze.
“But you may be injured...”
“No. Draw your real sword. I’m not as easy to handle as I was before. I haven’t spent all this time playing around.”
I bared my teeth and slipped a hand into my sleeve.
“Let’s have a match, Daoist Jinseong.”