During the summer when flowers bloomed, Wei Linxia would pick many flowers, placing them in vases or making garlands to hang on doors and windows. Now, the withered flowers trembled in the wind. She pulled out the key that only she and Tai Qing possessed and opened the door. Dust had settled on the table, indicating Tai Qing hadn’t cleaned for a long time. “This lazy fellow,” she muttered, grabbing a feather duster to wipe away the dust. Always hating dust, she decided to open the window, but the motion startled her.
Outside stood a man whose age was hard to pinpoint, seemingly around the same age as the King of Huo. Startled, they stared at each other like two ghosts.
“May I ask, immortal lady, is this your house?” the man, older than her, quickly regained his composure.
Feeling cold, Wei Linxia wore the cotton clothes and skirt she used in the Taoist temple. The man’s question arose from her attire.
“No, it belongs to the temple. I just occasionally come to clean,” she answered, trying to gauge his identity. His gray-white attire suggested a modest background, yet his face and eyes showed no sorrow. Even in a casual stance, he appeared imposing.
This type of person, Wei Linxia quickly matched him – a hidden master, likely with a painful past.
“Immortal lady?” The man frowned at the young Taoist nun inside, wondering if she was stunned by never having descended the mountain or seen a man before.
“Ah? What can I do for you?” Wei Linxia snapped back to attention.
“Young immortal lady, might I borrow this house?” he asked, seeming apprehensive. “Don’t worry, I’ll pay the temple’s oil money.”
Wei Linxia shook her head. “This house hasn’t been inhabited for a long time. Tai Qing and I discovered and tidied it up. If you want to stay, you can, but there’s only one bedding, no stove, and it’ll likely be cold at night. There’s a small town down the mountain where you could find a warmer inn.”
The man relaxed and softly laughed, “As long as the immortal lady permits me to stay here.”
Since he was determined, Wei Linxia said nothing more. She retrieved a key from her sachet’s hidden compartment and placed it on the table. “Here’s the key. When you leave, put it under the flower pot at the door. We’ll collect it.”
Wei Linxia stepped out of the wooden house, slightly nodding to the man as she passed. Strangely, she wasn’t afraid of him; perhaps he didn’t look particularly menacing. The man called after her again.
“May I know the immortal lady’s name?” he asked, seeming somewhat dazed.
Wei Linxia shook her head and ran off, lifting her skirt.
New Year’s Eve ended early, with only Wei Linxia and her mother keeping watch. As the Grand Tutor, her father had to accompany the King of Huo in the palace, and Wei Fengzhi had to follow Xi Zhaoting. They would usually have dinner at dusk and enter the palace, where officials sometimes had to stay until early morning for banquets. Thus, the family typically only reunited on the evening of the first day of the New Year. This year, the thirteenth prince, Xi Linxuan, from the distant capital, was an additional guest.
The gifts for Xi Linxuan had already been sent from the capital but were not generous. He was uninterested and had the eunuchs divide them to be given away.
During the watch night, Madam Wei brought Xi Linxuan and Wei Linxia to listen to the firecrackers and watch the fireworks. It felt somewhat desolate. Wei Linxia secretly observed Xi Linxuan, searching for signs of loneliness, but found none. He wore his usual indifferent expression. Wei Linxia felt dizzy from the meridian diagram and tired from accompanying Xi Linxuan up the mountain.
Before the bell of Lengxi Temple rang in the new year, Wei Linxia fell asleep in Madam Wei’s arms. A maid soon rushed in to announce that the Empress Dowager and the Queen had bestowed auspicious cakes. Madam Wei placed a pillow under her daughter and hurried out.
Although several maids were present, Xi Linxuan could not help but look at the sleeping Wei Linxia by the candlelight. For the New Year, Madam Wei had made her a festive reddish-brown dress embroidered with silver lotus flowers, along with two rarely worn hairpins. This made her appear more lively, resembling a girl about to turn thirteen.
“Yin Lingquan, Yang Lingquan…” Wei Linxia muttered a few names and paused, frowning before continuing: “Baili, Jieshi…”
“Still reciting lessons even in her dreams, what a fool,” Xi Linxuan thought.
Suddenly, firecrackers exploded outside like thunder, startling Wei Linxia awake. Momentarily confused, she blinked as she met Xi Linxuan’s gaze. He felt a sudden discomfort.
“Where’s my mother?” Wei Linxia asked, still lying on her side.
“A reward came from the palace, and Madam Wei went to receive it,” Xi Linxuan replied.
Wei Linxia responded with an “oh” and closed her eyes to sleep again.
Xi Linxuan wondered if Wei Linxia could be sleepwalking, as it seemed strange for such a well-behaved young lady to fall asleep so easily.
After the New Year, Huo City returned to calm. Xi Linxuan, accompanied by the Wei siblings, went up the mountain. Although more than a month had passed, Huo was still cold, and the trees along the mountain path remained bare. There were many crow’s nests, and as Wei Linxia counted them, she suddenly heard horse hooves approaching. Turning back, she saw several figures and quickly lowered the curtain. The horse hooves came closer and knocked on the carriage board. It was Yan Junzhu, who had just returned from the palace to the Wei residence. Hearing they were out, she came to join them. After greeting Wei Linxia, Yan Junzhu quickly ran to the front to talk to Wei Fengzhi.
Upon reaching the mountain, they sat quietly talking with Master Xu Zhen until Yan Junzhu and Tai Qing started arguing and ran outside. Wei Fengzhi moved a rocking chair to sit by the door, wrapped in thick fox fur, watching the commotion.
Master Xu Zhen noticed that Wei Linxia had memorized all the acupoints and decided to let her watch how to give Xi Linxuan acupuncture.
“Master Xu Zhen, this…
There are boundaries between men and women. “How can I go in?” Wei Linxia asked. Xi Linxuan, sitting behind the screen, felt uncomfortable after hearing Master Xu Zhen’s words.
“Oh, right. You wait outside, and I’ll come to guide you later,” Master Xu Zhen said, holding a black box and moving around the screen.
Wei Linxia stood outside, wondering if Master Xu Zhen could cure Xi Linxuan. After some time, Master Xu Zhen emerged and asked Wei Linxia to follow her to her room. She opened a tall cabinet, revealing a black cloth covering something. Master Xu Zhen pulled down the cloth, and Wei Linxia involuntarily gasped and turned away, blushing.
“Child, why are you blushing? This is just a wax figure used to practice mysterious needles,” Master Xu Zhen laughed.
Wei Linxia then looked at the wax figure, which, although lifelike, was not distinguishable as male or female due to the absence of all the body’s organs. Master Xu Zhen provided her with a silver needle to practice finding acupoints.
Wei Linxia had always been fascinated by martial arts books about miraculous doctors, dreaming of becoming a fairy-like healer in a mountain cottage. She practiced enthusiastically, using up half of her silver needles by the time Master Xu Zhen returned from checking on Xi Linxuan.
Master Xu Zhen provided guidance and observed silently, her calm demeanor reflecting her experiences. Wei Linxia, lost in her dream of being a “mysterious needle female doctor,” remained unaware of her gaze.
