Arriving at the reception, Song Yehai found Chen Qingxuan speaking amiably Old Wang over a plate of sunflower seeds.
"Grandmaster Song, what can I help you with?" asked Old Wang.
"I just want to ask about this place," said Song Yehai. "Xingyu said this was the place he stayed with one of my disciple ten years ago. Were you the owner then?"
"No, I took over two years ago," replied Old Wang. "The previous owners left this place to hide from debt collectors, who often came here and gave me quite a hard time. But thanks to Qingxuan's White Jade Rabbits, I was able to use the jade to make them go away for good."
Song Yehai turned to Chen Qingxuan. "Those White Jade Rabbits were from your sect?"
Chen Qingxuan nodded. "Yes. It's a bit shameful to say, but my sect has been farming them."
Song Yehai's brows furrowed slightly. "Farming them? How many?"
"At least a hundred, I guess. All of them were kept in cages that are too small for them and constantly force fed foods that have gone rotten, so that they'd keep shitting white jade, and their meat can be cooked for us to eat and increase our spiritual powers. The rabbits are losing their fur, biting the cages to the point they lose their entire front teeth, and constantly shaking and moving like crazy."
Song Yehai listened without showing any expression.
"I couldn't stand it," Chen Qingxuan continued. "These rabbits are holy beasts with great powers. They shouldn't be treated like this, so I started bringing them here. So far I've only brought about twenty rabbits. Old Wang has built hutches in the backyards of this inn and gave them a much better place to live."
"You then suggested this inn be called the White Bunny Inn," recounted Old Wang jovially. "Which I objected because of how lame it sounds."
"Who is in charge of the White Jade Rabbits in your sect?" asked Song Yehai.
"It used to be my master Chen Shu," said Chen Qingxuan. "But after he passed away the job got taken over by the Water Division Leader Huang Kai."
"How long has your sect been farming the rabbits?"
"It wasn't always farming. When master was in charge, he only looked after five rabbits. After Huang Kai took over, he proposed breeding them, saying it's for the benefit of the sect, and the sect leader approved."
"Sect Leader Hua Yuan?"
Chen Qingxuan nodded.
Song Yehai appeared to be introspecting as Old Wang and Chen Qingxuan waited for him to potentially ask the next question. Old Wang munched on a few more seeds while Chen Qingxuan took a sip of tea.
"I'm going back to my room now," Song Yehai stood up and went up the stairs.
"Do you think the Moon Dragon Grandmaster's going to go to your sect and pick a fight with your sect's Water Division Leader?" speculated Old Wang.
"I hope he does," said Chen Qingxuan. "That way, we have a better chance of saving all the rabbits."
Entering the room, Song Yehai noticed Wu Xingyu seated cross-legged on the bed with his eyes closed and hands on his knees. A white vial stood in front of him. After a few seconds his eyes sprung open, snapping out of his meditation. Seizing the vial, he held it front of his mouth as he spewed a single crimson stream, filling it up to the neck.
"Xingyu?" Song Yehai walked up to Wu Xingyu, patting his back and handing him handkerchief. "Have you purged the venom out of your body?"
"Yes, it's in here," Wu Xingyu held up the vial as he took the handkerchief to clean the residue staining his lower lip. "But my spiritual powers have been sapped and it'll take the whole day to recover. We'll have to delay our trip to the Desert of No Return to tomorrow."
Song Yehai agreed to the new arrangement.
Wu Xingyu placed the vial in his sleeves and stood up from the bed. "Let's go out for a bit."
They walked out of the inn and into the busiest places of the village. The street markets was bustling with life with consumers passing from stand to stand and vendors eagerly marketing their products as "top-quality", "one-of-a-kind" and "just imported" among other advertising catchphrases. Food and produce were kept on one side, and everything else was on the other side. At the very end, a group of rambunctious children played with spinning tops, pinwheels, slingshots and small firecrackers. Nearby adults had to repeatedly remind them to be careful and not to knock down anything as they cheerfully ran about with their toys.
Song Yehai and Wu Xingyu walked cautiously, passing the crowds with minimal contact until it was too densely flocked and there was no room to squeeze through. As they waited, an excited vendor called out to them. "Gentlemen, come check out these!"
The table he oversaw displayed an array of fine white jades made into jewelries, ornaments and utensils. "Do take a look! You can find all sorts of jade here!"
"This stand used to sell toys," recalled Wu Xingyu. "I think I bought Wu Yi some paper pinwheels here."
"All authentic jade of the finest quality you can find! Brings fortune and blessings to your wives and children! All great prices that you won't be able to find anywhere else!"
Song Yehai picked up a jade comb from the table.
"Sir, you have a good eye!" praised the shopkeeper. "This comb will be perfect for you and your wife! It's very gentle on the hair!"
Wu Xingyu thought, "He's more interested in using it for gua sha than for combing hairs."
Song Yehai bought three combs.
The next stand they stopped at was where Wu Xingyu remembered buying sweets for Wu Yi. It has now expanded to also sell fresh fruits and vegetables. He skimmed over the confectionaries with some nostalgia.
"Do you want some?" asked Song Yehai.
Wu Xingyu shook his head. "No. Let's go," he grasped Song Yehai's hand and pulled him towards the end of the street and away from the children before letting go. Song Yehai's hand remained solid still throughout the entire exchange but his blood inside was rushing.
They arrived at a stone bridge arching over a large, built-in pond that covered a vast expanse of land. Lotuses and lily pads lined the bricked edges where reeds could not root their way in. The crystal clean waters shimmered under the sunlight and rippled lightly from the cooling breezes that rustled the leaves. Thin wisps of clouds streaked the sky in feathery and brushstroke patterns. Wu Xingyu breathed in the fresh, scented air as he marvelled the contours and colours of this picturesque panorama before him.
"This place is beautiful, isn't it?"
"Mn," Song Yehai nodded in agreement.
Together they strolled leisurely across the bridge. Wu Xingyu stopped halfway when he caught a pair of butterflies fluttering closely together over the waters. "That's odd."
"What is it?"
"Look, there's butterflies."
Song Yehai eyed at the pair Wu Xingyu gestured at. "What's odd about it?"
"Shouldn't it be dragonflies that fly near waters?"
"The wild flowers on the other side are in bloom. They grow not very far from this pond. Perhaps that's why there's butterflies here."
"Oh, I see."
In the blink of an eye one of the butterflies was snatched away by a dragonfly that whizzed across the water surface. It seized its prey by the wing, settled upon a dry reed and promptly killed the frantically fidgety butterfly it caught before it began to chew down its meal. The other butterfly scoured the vicinities in solitude for its lost mate to no avail.
"Let's go," Wu Xingyu made a quick speed across the bridge. Song Yehai tailed him closely from behind.
Arriving on the other side they stood before a narrow dirt pathway. Vibrant lilies of varying shades, white, yellow, pink and orange, painted the viridescent grasslands into a vivid and eye-catching scene. More butterflies of different shapes and sizes, fluttering from bud to bud, enhanced the view like the extra touch necessary for an artistic masterpiece. Walking down the pathway they came across a forest peach trees bearing much of the blossom but little to none of the fruit. Birds perched around, nipping and pecking at the buds for a sip of sweet nectar while creating a litter of leaves, petals and feathers to blanket the trees' roots.
"Where I grew up there were a lot of peach trees as well. There were also lychees and longans. I could never tell the difference when I was a kid, and the adults loved to tease me about it," as Wu Xingyu spoke, a petal fell and was caught in his hair.
Song Yehai discreetly picked it out and fiddled with it in his palm. "I still can't."
Wu Xingyu glanced at Song Yehai with a lighthearted look. "We also had other fruits like mandarins, apples and grapes growing around, but one of the elders always preferred to grow peaches. He once literally planted so many trees people started getting allergies and had to cut them down. There was enough firewood to last three years at least."
The petal fell out of Song Yehai's hand. "Sounds like all the woodcutters got a free holiday."
"We also had so many peaches that it was the only thing we could eat or they would've all gone to waste."
Though Song Yehai did not talk as much as Wu Xingyu did, it was the most he had said in a while. Their conversation flowed naturally, like an idle river of meaningless yet brightening words about their pasts, anecdotes, interests and personal tastes. Every little thing enlightened each other something new, compelling them to chat more and more with each other. Hours passed and it seemed that they still had a lot to share, but it was well past noon and they needed lunch.
Re-crossing the bridge, a pair of mandarin ducks floated by right beneath them. Wu Xingyu stopped and watched them jump out of the water and onto land. They shook the water off their tails and pecked affectionately at each other before waddling off.
"Xingyu?" called Song Yehai. "Xingyu!"
"Coming."
They sat inside a less crowded noodle shop. Song Yehai ordered a bowl of noodles for himself while Wu Xingyu simply picked a bowl of chopped fruits at the end of the menu. The waiter looked at him curiously before leaving to the kitchens just as Wu Xingyu brought out a box he had been carrying on himself and opened the lid.
"More fruits?" said Song Yehai as he caught a glimpse inside.
"Yeah, I can only eat these kinds of fruits at the moment," sighed Wu Xingyu, picking up a piece, skinned and diced, with his chopsticks. "Anything other food will have a negative effect on the Fire Viper venom that's still in my body."
"You haven't ejected all the venom out of your body?"
"Not yet. There's still a very faint amount I couldn't completely get out. It'll take more time than I had anticipated."
Song Yehai took Wu Xingyu's hand and pressed his fingers on his wrist. "Are you using your energy to suppress the venom's symptoms?"
Wu Xingyu slowly retracted his hand from Song Yehai's grip. "Yes, for the time being."
Song Yehai's eyes dropped. Wu Xingyu quickly changed the subject. "So about the Desert of No Return, it's going to be a long trip from here but there's a shortcut we can take that'll get us there in less three days."
The waiter arrived with Song Yehai's bowl of noodles.
"But this shortcut is under the Demon Lord's scrutiny," continued Wu Xingyu. "Specifically, one of his subordinates, whom I unfortunately know very little about. I just know that he lured people into the desert and they never got out. Eventually the Desert of No Return got its name and nobody dared venture in it for as long as the Killing Immortals Sect exists."
"He sounds someone we should meet," said Song Yehai bluntly as he picked up his chopsticks.
"I want to see if I can get more information about him first."
The sound of a brawl drew their attention. Song Yehai and Wu Xingyu looked out to see a crowd heckling a woman to the ground.
The interior of the establishment had a unique and intricate design with the four walls, ceiling, floor, door and windows all sporting a different colour. Square dining tables, each with four chairs, surrounded an elevated platform at the centre. Stairs led to balconies that lined along the four walls where spectators enjoyed an upper view of the performances taking place on the platform.
The dancer was stripped to her inner garments and beaten bloody by unsatisfied viewers. Only when she was sobbing and begging was she mockingly tipped. But just as she was about to pick up the coins that were flocked ruthlessly on her, her fingers were brutally stomped on.
Chen Qingxuan stopped the man who had trampled on her hand and, with a single punch, sent him flying straight to the door. He tried to cover the dancer with a robe but she was too busy picking up the coins and the robe fell off her shoulders.
"Young lady, I'll help you," Chen Qingxuan kneeled down when he was pushed aside and fell onto the floor below the platform. The audience erupted into laughter.
"Who is that idiot?" someone asked aloud. "He tried to play hero but got pushed away by the lady."
"Ha, ha! Should've minded his own business!"
Chen Qingxuan stared at the girl in disbelief. "Why did you…?"
"Because she needs money, not pity," answered Song Yehai firmly.
"For money, she'd even give up her worth and dignity?"
"To her, there's something else much more valuable," Wu Xingyu reached down and pulled Chen Qingxuan back onto his feet. "Compassion without wisdom can cause her more harm than what those men did to her."
"I just wanted to help her," mumbled Chen Qingxuan a little sadly.
Song Yehai looked up at a painting of seven people, all female, on one of the walls. Each wore a different coloured dress. The smallest one was dressed in bright yellow with sunflowers in her hair but she was only a very charming toddler. She was being cuddled by the little girl in purple from behind, who was only a few inches taller and just as endearing. The one in green had spider earrings and white web patterns laced on her bodice and skirt. She looked every bit as untamed and unruly as the Green Spider Lady.
The woman in red wore a snake like a bracelet around her wrist. Her crimson lips had a reflective sheen that added to their seductive power, and her phoenix eyes with red shadows stared ahead passionately. She was both a fiery fairy and a malicious temptress that allured and frightened viewers at the same time.
"These must be the founders of this establishment," surmised Song Yehai.
"Could Meng Qi be related with the Three Ghosts?" asked Wu Xingyu suddenly.
Song Yehai looked at Wu Xingyu in surprise. "Why would you ask that?"
"Look at this one," Wu Xingyu pointed at the woman dressed in sky blue with crystal adornments. She carried an icy expression but her face was undeniably a splitting image of Meng Qi.