Volume One, Chapter Thirteen: Radish, Radish

Just after setting down his chopsticks, Yibing suddenly remembered his senior brothers and his face drooped again. “I’m going out for a walk…” he mumbled, then turned and headed straight for the inn’s backyard without looking back. The chubby girl opened her mouth, but in the end said nothing.

The backyard was quite spacious. Besides a rockery and a fish pond, the innkeeper had also set aside a small vegetable patch in the corner. Seeing the big, long radishes in the garden reminded Yibing of Miss Hanyu. If not for her today, they might have met with disaster. It was all his own gluttony to blame, causing that beautiful girl to end up with a crippled leg!

“Do you like radishes, sir? Want me to pull a couple for you?” The innkeeper happened to be picking vegetables and saw Yibing staring blankly at the radishes.

“No… Oh, yes, I do!” Yibing suddenly remembered he didn’t have a penny to his name, and quickly added, “Actually, never mind, sir…”

“Boss, can we pick them ourselves? We’ll pay for the veggies when we check out!” At some point, the chubby girl had already appeared behind him.

“Of course! Help yourselves, as you like!”

Yibing nodded gratefully at the chubby girl, thinking she really was loyal. The two of them picked through the patch and finally pulled up the largest radishes. The innkeeper expected Yibing to put them in the basket to be taken to the kitchen, but instead he carried them to the well and began washing them himself. The chubby girl was puzzled but held back her questions.

“What are you doing?” the innkeeper asked with a laugh.

“Oh, I’m keeping them for the road!” Yibing replied, scrubbing the radishes carefully without looking up.

That evening, Yibing retired to his room early. Before sleeping, he wrapped up the largest radish and placed it on the windowsill. Looking around, he muttered to himself, “It’s my fault you got hurt. I’m really sorry. If you hadn’t helped yesterday, it would have been a disaster. This radish is for you—to thank you for yesterday. I hope you’ll accept it… You should be able to hear me…” Seeing no response, Yibing scratched his head. Who knew if Hanyu could hear him, or if calling her would only make her angrier.

At dawn, Yibing immediately checked the windowsill—the radish was still there. He sighed, unsure if Hanyu hadn’t heard him, or simply wanted nothing to do with his gesture.

After a simple breakfast, Jin Guishan led everyone on their way. Thankfully, the chubby girl had given him a bundle, or he’d have nowhere to put those radishes. Knowing Yibing was anxious, they hardly stopped along the way. Only when the sun was high did Jin Guishan tell them to rest in a bamboo grove.

A small stream flowed through the grove, its murmuring water like the gentle notes of a zither, soothing their hearts. Sitting at the edge of the forest, eating dry rations and drinking from the stream, watching birds and clouds drift by, everyone’s faces gradually relaxed and grew content.

“It would be wonderful to become an immortal…” the chubby girl sighed wistfully. Yibing glanced at her, thinking, “An immortal this fat?!”

That night, with no village or inn in sight, they stayed at a farmhouse. The host was warm, but there was only one room, so they all had to squeeze in and sleep in their clothes. Despite the crowd, Yibing still managed to secretly place a radish on the windowsill, wishing Hanyu would accept his token of gratitude.

Sleeping was uncomfortable, so everyone rose early. The radish remained untouched. The morning air was chilly but especially fresh. Since they’d paid, the farmer had prepared breakfast for them. After eating, they set off again. Though spirits were still low, the mood wasn’t as heavy as the day before. With laughter and chatter, dusk soon fell. In the glow of sunset, a small temple appeared faintly on a hillside. Without a word, everyone headed up the slope.

The temple was empty and thick with dust, but not dilapidated—statues were intact, furniture all in place, as if simply abandoned long ago. Perhaps the monk had gone wandering, or had tired of the temple and returned to secular life. In any case, they had no choice but to spend the night here. Luckily, the temple was small but well-equipped, with a master’s room and guest quarters so they could sleep separately.

That night, Yibing once again placed a radish on the window, muttering a few words when no one was around before collapsing onto the kang and falling asleep. It had been days since he’d slept on a kang and everyone slumbered deeply. But just after midnight, a faint rustling woke Yibing from his dreams. He looked up to see the shadow of a woman slip past the window.

“Hanyu?” Yibing’s heart leapt and he sprang off the kang to give chase.

In the moonlight, the woman floated toward the woods behind the temple. Yibing hurried after her, but as soon as he entered the forest, he ran smack into something soft and yielding.

“Oh! Sir, you’re rather hasty, aren’t you? Hee hee…” Looking up, he saw it was the lead demoness from yesterday, clutching her chest and feigning coyness.

“You… I didn’t… I didn’t mean to…” Luckily it was dark in the wood, or she would have seen his face burning red.

“Intentional or not, only you know…” she teased.

“I really didn’t mean to!” Yibing protested loudly.

“Oh… You hurt my chest and now you scold me so loudly… Boo hoo…” The demoness began to cry pitifully.

“Hey, don’t cry… It’s my fault, all right? I’m sorry, really!” Yibing waved his hands helplessly.

“Hee hee, so you do care about me after all…” The demoness instantly broke into a delighted smile.

“You’re tricking me!” Yibing flared up and reached for her waistband.

“Hey, hey! Why are you untying my sash again? Every time you do, you hurt me! After all I’ve suffered, can’t I tease you a little?” she retreated hastily.

“You…” In the moonlight, Yibing saw her face was pale and she seemed very weak. “Are you… all right?”

“Hmph! You want to know how I got here?” she said, leaning against a tree.

“My home is nearby…” she continued, pointing toward the temple. “There used to be a great monk there. I wanted to deliver him from his mortal coil, but he got so scared he ran off in the night. Tonight, I saw lights and thought he’d come back secretly for me! Hee hee… Cough, cough…”

“You…” Yibing said with distaste.

“You’re thinking, ‘What a wicked creature!’ right? Hmph, you righteous sects have your own cultivation, but we have to rely on unorthodox methods just to survive, or else we’d be doomed! The world has no mercy for the likes of us!” Her eyes blazed with resentment.

“…That’s not what I meant…” Yibing was momentarily speechless.

“Oh?” The demoness paused, then caught his meaning and sneered, “You hurt me, body and heart. Maybe you should give me some of your energy!” She moved as if to pounce.

“Hey!” Yibing nearly jumped in fright.

“Cough… You’d be better off eating me…” She swayed and nearly fell, managing only a bitter smile.

“…And your two sisters?” Yibing asked, his face burning.

“Oh, you’re still thinking about them? Cough… They saw how badly I was hurt and, afraid I’d drain their energy, ran off long ago… Cough… Really, sisters in name only…”

“Oh…” The fickleness of the world made Yibing’s heart ache.

“But the radish you gave me was delicious!” At some point, the demoness produced a big white radish.

“Hey!” It was the very radish Yibing had left for Hanyu on the windowsill.

“What’s the problem? After hurting me so badly, can’t I even eat your radish?”

“No… it’s not that…”

“Wasn’t it for me?” she asked, feigning ignorance.

“…Not really… actually, yes…” Yibing stammered.

“I thought so… Hee hee… Cough…” The demoness grinned, taking a big bite of the radish.

Yibing could only smile helplessly.

“I have to go back… Cough… Want to visit my home?” The demoness was clearly struggling to stand.

“…No, I’d better not. Will you be all right?” Yibing asked, genuinely concerned.

“Very well… Then I’ll be on my way…” The demoness gave a sad smile, took two steps, then turned back: “Farewell forever. Remember, my name is Meiniang…” She knew she was so badly injured she might not survive the night.

“Wait…” Yibing suddenly stepped forward.

“Yes?” Meiniang stopped immediately.

“Don’t be a demon anymore!”

“Don’t be a demon?” Seeing the sincerity in Yibing’s eyes, Meiniang nodded hard. “All right, I promise! Not that I’ll have much choice…” she thought to herself.

“…”

“What is it?”

“Here…” Yibing took a pill from his pocket—the very Xuanhuang Golden Elixir that Daoist Xifeng had given him in secret through Feixue.

“What’s this?” Meiniang looked suspicious.

“Take it…” Yibing nodded and pressed the pill into her hand.

“…All right…” Meiniang was silent for a long time, then forced a bitter smile. “Little fatty, what’s your name?”

“My name is Mu Tianci. My brothers all call me Yibing,” he replied, a bit embarrassed.

“Yibing, is it…” Meiniang swallowed the pill in one gulp.

“I’ll be going now… Until we meet again…” Yibing turned and ran out of the woods before he’d finished speaking. If Hanyu came for the radish and found it gone, their grudge would only deepen!

Back at the temple, it was already the third watch. Seeing the others still asleep, Yibing quickly placed another big radish on the windowsill before quietly crawling back into bed, but sleep eluded him. In the woods, he’d half-expected Hanyu to appear, but there was no sign of her. Thinking of Meiniang’s injuries, he grew more anxious for Hanyu—perhaps she too was badly hurt. The radish had sat untouched for two days; maybe it wasn’t that she didn’t want it, but that she couldn’t come for it. He considered reciting a spell to summon her, but if she was unharmed, it would only make her hate him more. Tossing and turning, Yibing didn’t sleep a wink till dawn.

On the road the next day, the chubby girl could tell Yibing was preoccupied, but didn’t pry—she just talked to him from time to time. Yibing answered absent-mindedly, his mind full of Hanyu limping away. Near noon, Jin Guishan finally told everyone to rest under a large locust tree. Normally Yibing would perk up at mealtime, but today he barely touched his rations before sinking into a daze beneath the tree.

“Brother Mu, Brother Mu, you…” the chubby girl finally couldn’t help but ask.

“Hm?” Yibing had just turned his head when he saw a little black rabbit dart past.

“Sister Zhao, I forgot something…” Before he finished speaking, Yibing shot off in a cloud of dust. His voice drifted back from afar: “Brother Jin, you all go on ahead, I’ll catch up with you…”

“Brother Mu…” The chubby girl started after him, but Jin Guishan held her back. “Let him go! He’ll catch up. He must have something on his mind he can’t share.” Last night, Jin hadn’t seen Yibing leave, but he’d seen him return dejectedly—clearly, Yibing had something weighing on him.