After returning from the bamboo forest, my spirits were very low, as if Iâd discovered a disappointing secret. But I couldnât figure out where I was in the wrong. This sensation⌠âŚwas as if a fish bone was lodged in my throat, neither going up nor down, giving my entire body an unspeakably uncomfortable feeling.
The house was empty and deserted.
Fang Hua hadnât returned yet⌠âŚ
With a small exhale, I went to the kitchen and soaked some cold rice in water. My head was bowed as I waved my sleeves, docilely taking care of my dinner.
After I ate my fill, my stomach felt even worse and my heart was completely empty. All I wanted was to find some work to do.
Weâd long split enough logs for the firewood.
Weâd collected enough water, too.
I could only prop up my chin with my hand and space out in the courtyard.
Fang Hua always had a magnanimous expression when he reproached me, saying I slept too much, or that I was too lazy, or that other people had filial sons while he was stuck raising a self-professed Elder.
Actually, even if I got out of bed before dawn to roll up my sleeves and get to work, Iâd discover the kitchen fire was already lit, the clean clothes were hung up to dry, and everything was already done within the house.
I knew he wanted to spare me from doing such heavy work.
Yifu was a good person, even if he always thought one way and acted another.
Still, I wanted to stay with him for the rest of my life.
The sky gradually grew darker.
I inclined my head towards the door.
But Fang Hua still hadnât returned.
Some stems of medicinal herbs had already ripened, and many flowers had bloomed, but they didnât smell as fragrant as they usually did⌠âŚit looked like things here were much lonelier with one less person.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh⌠âŚ
Annoyed.
I dragged over a broom and ran towards the study. I kicked open the door andâ
âI grew blank-faced.
This was what they called a mess. Many books were missing from the racks, some tumbled on the floor, across the desk, with a big chunk of space taken up by paper⌠âŚ
Ah, a rare event.
I couldnât even tell yifu had this level of carefree-ness. Was he trying to compose a poem or do a drawing?
Even though the paper was held in place by an inkstone, the wind outside the window blew against its surface, lifting up a few sheets and make it tremble three times, creating a burst of rustling.
AÂ brush laid quietly on its side, the ink on its tip half-drying.
I went to take a closer look and saw a completed painting. There were mountains and water, and a unique male youth in the middle of playing the qin[1] with a teardrop-shaped mole beneath his eye that caught my attention. His red robes made an extremely tasteful scene.
Between the land of cloudy mountains and rivers, a moon hung high in the skies.
One could just make out the outline of a figure on the opposite shore of the river.
However, there was only a faint sketch of that personâs face, and the easy flowing brush stopped here, without a way to continue.
I hesitated for a moment, but was too afraid to touch. Instead, I collected the scattered books in my arms and gave them a glance, preparing to arrange them all in categories.
In the middle of brushing my sleeves aside⌠âŚ
A length of tough silken cloth floated out to land on the desk, like water flowing gently as it tumbled towards the ground.
The sudden excitement I felt made me curious.
Logically speaking, secrets were hidden in books: if not love poems or popular songs, then secret martial arts manuals.
I bent forwards and scooped the cloth up in my hands.
Glancing out the door, I saw that yifu still hadnât returned yet.
I shook open the cloth, scattering dust everywhere, before spreading it out across my palms.
The lighting was a bit dim⌠âŚ
I couldnât see very clearly, but felt that everything was densely packed together. There were very delicate, fine characters written neatly on the work.
I hadnât been able to find the flint for half a day, so I had no way to light any of the lamps. Still holding up the object, I walked straight to the window and saw the thin warmth of moonlight. Fortunately, it shone right upon my piece of silk.
âThe Fang Hua Shou (Beast) is a primarily male animal with a peaceful disposition. It prefers to live alone and its figure is not much different from a mortalâs. It is skilled in growing unusual, treasured medicinal herbs. Initially nameless, its flowers (hua) gave rise to Hua (or splendor) and the ancient name Fang Hua Beast.â
Ah⌠âŚ
Fang Hua Beast?
Wasnât this talking about yifu?
I narrowed my eyes and leaned against the wall, raising my sleeves as I lifted the length of silk closer to the light to continue reading.
âThe Fang Hua Beast is taciturn and often has still and silent expressions. Its white skin resembles that of a woman, and it exudes an unusually sweet scent all year round. Beneath its eyes and eyebrows is a cinnabar mole, and the color of its teardrop-shaped mark pales according to youth. Upon reaching blackish-red, dim red, or pitch-black, the Fang Hua Beast will flee. After fleeing it turns into a sea, then transforms into a piece of dead wood called Fang Hua Wood. This is considered the Fang Hua Beastâs soul, and it is capable of dispelling tens of thousands of poisons on Earth. If one buries the wood in the dirt, and feeds it a mixture of crushed medicinal herbs mixed with dew touched by the first rays of the morning sun, one month later the dead wood will be as red as fire, with the disposition of jade.
Two months later, the wood will grow four branches, and its color will fade. Three months later, the wood will develop the five senses of a human adult, where upon the wood will turn soft and supple, white without compare. Four months later, the root of the wood will break, and the Fang Hua Beast will be born. If the Beast grows to be ten months old, use true loveâs blood to wash it daily so its soul can continue to exist. This will help the young Beast recall its memories from a previous incarnation.
A young newborn Beast does not know human language and eats flower nectar as well as a small amount of medicinal herbs. But he grows very quickly, and in half a year will appear no different from a young child. His language skills will become fluid and smooth, and he will become exceedingly intelligent. Afterwards, its every ten days will be equivalent to a cycle of one year in human terms as it continues to mature.
Fang Hua Beasts are animals who possess pure feelings. If adult Beasts can maintain a heart of clarity in the world of mortals, they can extend their longevity and cultivate to become Immortals. Those who are moved by sentiment[2] end up as grassy weeds, withering year by year, bathing in a sea of fire until they return to the cycle of reincarnation. If they are injured by sentiment, its every ten days will be equivalent to a cycle of one year in human terms, and it will sink into the cycle of reincarnation, turning back into dead wood. If they are heavily injured by sentiment, the color of the wood will turn black, and act as a strong toxic agent for poisons.â
Fang Hua have an exceedingly unrivaled beauty resembling that of a womanâs that is difficult to find in the world. As an animal that possesses a sentimental disposition, they will be tied down by the threads of sentiment all their lives. Those who cannot escape the bonds of sentiment are robbed of their lives and die young, leaving the numbers who manage to attain Right Fruit[3] fewer and fewer.â
Ah⌠âŚ
So it was like this⌠âŚI clutched my head. This wasnât written like vernacular speech.
I canât understand it⌠âŚ
Again I clutched at my head. This wasnât a secret martial arts manual, nor did it resemble a love poem or similar things.
It was a pity I didnât usually put in much effort studying, so my literacy rate was too low.
I sucked in a deep breath and prepared to fold it carefully so I could put it back in its original place. But suddenly a voice came in from the window.
âWhat are you doing?â
The voice was neither high or low, nor fast or slow, but possessed a level of severity Iâd never heard before.