Jiu Xian woke up and clutched his head, a familiar dull headache struck his head. Even after sleeping like a log, his body felt heavy.
I'm late!
He quickly took a bath, packed his belongings and headed for the main hall.
"Morning, Jiu Xian." At the entrance Yao Qing stood waiting with a pouch tied to her waist.
"Morning... what's with the pouch?"
"What?" She blinked innocently. "You weren't planning to leave your friend out of this adventure, were you?" her green eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Yao Qing, I'm not going on a picnic. There will be real danger. I don't want my friend throwing herself into harm for something that might just be a wild goose chase."
"Mm-hmm~ so let me get this straight." She clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward. "We are friends. And friends don't want their friends to be in danger, right?"
"Yes, you are right."
"Then by that logic, I can't let you go alone either." She pointed at him triumphantly. "I don't want my friend walking into danger by himself."
"B—but—"
"No buts!" Her voice wavered, the playfulness fading. "I already let one friend leave to chase immortality. I'm not letting another one go alone" Her gaze dropped. "And now... I don't even have a reason to stay here. I want to see what this 'immortality' is—the thing that makes people leave everything behind."
She knew her request was unreasonable, but she didn't know how much longer she could survive in this place, where everything reminded her of them.
Tears gathered in the corner of her eyes.
Jiu Xian sighed softly. "...Alright, let's go then."
He held out his hand. She grabbed it, breaking into a bright laughter, as if her previous display was an act.
But Jiu Xian knew better. Her tears were real, and her smiles were the act, hiding her pain.
Just like his smile hid his pain.
Without further delay, the two set off toward the forest at the base of the hill where the Immortal Witch's cabin was said to be.
As they walked through the forest, something felt off. It was near afternoon when they first noticed the signs.
Carcasses of deer and wild boars lay scattered through the woods. Deep claw marks scored the earth, and flesh had been torn away in brutal bites. The ground still smelled faintly of blood.
"A large predator," Yao Qing whispered.
"A tiger," Jiu Xian agreed.
Moving cautiously, they tracked the signs until they found the beast's resting place — a patch of flattened grass beneath a rocky outcrop. There, they set their ambush.
...
Whoosh
The arrow tore through the air and struck the tiger's eye.
"Now!" Jiu Xian and Yao Qing shouted together, charging forward with daggers drawn.
The tiger roared, twisting in fury, but the ambush had thrown it off its footing.
Yao Qing darted to the side, her blade flashing.
Slash!
Blood sprayed as her strike cut across the other eye.
The beast lashed out blindly, claws tearing through the air where she had stood a breath ago.
Jiu Xian didn't hesitate.
With both hands gripping his dagger, he stepped in and poured every ounce of strength into a downward swing at the beast's neck.
SWISH!
The blade bit deep. Bones cracked.
The tiger's roar died into a gurgle as its massive body collapsed, head rolling across the leaves.
The forest fell into silence.
Jiu Xian stared at his hands.
That… felt easier than it should have. Earlier that tree and now this beast…
'Even without initiation… the Golden Sun method has strengthened my body,' it finally dawned on him.
A smile tugged on his lips.
But before he could celebrate, Yao Qing threw her arms around him.
"We did it! Jiu Xian — we killed it!"
"Haha! Yes we did… But if you squeeze any tighter, I might join it."
She froze, then quickly stepped back, face turning red.
Jiu Xian felt a faint sense of loss, the heavenly sensation of her pressing onto him would sure reply in his mind rent free.
No! What am I even thinking? Think about Mei'ren.
"L-let's keep moving," she cleared her throat. "The sun's setting. If we don't reach the cabin soon, the forest will belong to the hunters of the night."
Jiu Xian nodded. "Right."
Now the tiger lay behind them, and the sun was already sinking toward the horizon.
Together, they moved on, leaving the fallen beast behind.
They climbed the mountain trail as quickly as they could, breath growing ragged, legs burning. To move faster, they even discarded a few nonessential items from their pouch.
One landmark after another appeared, just as Baibai had described — the split boulder, the twisted pine, the stream shaped like a crescent.
Before darkness could fully claim the sky, they reached the hilltop.
"Look, Jiu Xian! There!" Yao Qing pointed.
A small wooden cabin stood alone near the edge of the clearing. Its roof was worn, its chimney built from rough stone bricks. A thin ribbon of smoke curled upward into the fading light.
Someone was home.
"Let's go," Jiu Xian said, a genuine smile appearing on his face for the first time in days. He knew, the chances of this being a bust or leading him on another wild chase were high.
'…to believe is to be a fool. If being a fool is what it takes to find the herbs, then I'd gladly be a fool'
He held Yao Qing's hand tightly, and together they hurried toward the cabin.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
"HELLOOO?" Yao Qing called after they had knocked several times with no response.
Only the wind answered.
Then—
Creak...
The wooden door opened a narrow gap.
A figure stood within the shadows.
A black hood hid most of their face, and loose robes hung like dark mist around a thin frame. The voice that emerged was low and rasping.
"Hmm... And who might you two be?"
Jiu Xian felt a chill crawl up his spine.
"Are you the Immortal Witch?" Yao Qing asked. "Baibai told us we might find you here"
The hooded figure chuckled.
"Witch...? Is that what they call me now?"
The laugh turned into a faint cough "Let me tell you, children I'm no witch. And certainly, no immortal."
The voice weakened toward the end, like a candle about to go out.
A silence followed.
"Well," the person said at last, stepping aside. "It's nearly dark. And I doubt you have anywhere else to go. Come in. Stay the night."
Jiu Xian and Yao Qing exchanged a glance.
The journey here had been smooth… well except the tiger, but with the person's claim of not being the Immortal Witch, they were sure this journey was a wild goose chase.
Jiu Xian smiled bitterly.
'In the end… it seems I really am a fool.'