“He Xin, the broth is still hot. Make sure not to drop it when bringing it to that person, alright?”
The deafening clatter of pots and pans blasted the maiden’s ears as an elderly woman pressed a hickory basket into her hands. He Xin eagerly bobbed her head as she repeatedly promised the smiling elder, and departed from the kitchen with swift, bubbly steps. The basket was clutched to her chest by a pair of thin but strong arms, and she began the tedious march through the tall mountain grass.
She wasn’t a proper disciple of the Morning Star Sect, hence she couldn’t step on the pathway made of cobbled stone just a few meters to her right. Instead, He Xin was to trek through the rugged, winding mountain path that circled three peaks until she arrived before a small quarters secluded in the underside of the mountain.
The entire round trip cost half a day, and the broth and the meal was bound to cool into a cold, chunky mess by the time she arrived.
But it didn’t seem to matter for anyone, as the items she were delivering had to be cooked once more before it was fit for consumption. They were mostly dried and processed foods, and allowed He Xin to avoid any punishment for delivering things late.
That she served a kind and generous Young Miss was… most certainly the proper reason why she still had two legs and arms…
She had once heard of a servant girl who failed to deliver meals on time, and her irate master drew a sharp sword to cut off her limbs…
He Xin shook the dangerous thought from her mind, and dedicated herself thoroughly in assessing the terrain below her feet. Her agile reflexes quickly spotted the easiest path along the mountains, and by the time the sun had finished rising to display its noon afterglow, she had reached her destination.
Hidden deep within the bellows of a profound and massive forest was a small wooden cottage. The vast sea of trees opened to reveal a circular clearing in which the modest yet reliable structure stood beside a small pond. A series of fences woven from a thin metal and bound by twine encircled the clearing, warding the cottage and pond from outside interference.
He Xin lowered the basket onto the ground, and crouched to collect a set of wooden clappers besides her feet. Then, taking a deep breath, the fair maiden smashed the heavy blocks of wood with all of her might.
“Young Miss! He Xin is here!”
The faint squeal of wood smashing on wood accompanied by an etude of a young maiden caused numerous birds to soar into the air in fright, and the surface of the pond to ripple with mild discomfort. A few breaths after He Xin had declared her presence, the door of the wooden cottage opened to reveal a maiden adorned in a pale violet gown, her countenance veiled underneath a scraggly mess of hair.
“Oh… He Xin, you’re here? What time is it?”
Xu Lingxin rubbed at her bleary eyes, and strode to open the gates with a monstrous yawn. He Xin puffed her cheeks and dashed towards the cooking shed stationed at the right of the cottage, and left behind an annoyed shout.
“It’s an hour past noon – Young Miss, did you really have to leave overnight congee stewing over in the pot!?”
The young maiden stamped her feet in frustration, and dragged a large iron pot from the cooking shed. Her hands grasping onto a shovel, He Xin dug out a small grave to bury the molded congee, and began the unscrupulous task of cleaning.
Xu Lingxin could only watch with a rueful and apologetic smile, and placed both hands on the maiden’s shoulders.
“Your Young Miss couldn’t get much sleep last night, ah,” a powerful yawn struck across the clearing, knocking a defenseless bird from the sky.
“Lingxue was in pain the entire night, and her screaming kept me up…”
Xu Lingxin pinched her fingers towards an adjacent branch, and a thin gust of air slashed from her inner sleeve to sever the twig. The branch along with its luscious berries and raven perched on top were mercilessly dragged along the air until it rested firmly in Xu Lingxin’s hand. The raven watched with blazing eyes as the fair, celestial hand plucked at its treasure, and the heart burned as the delicious berry perished in the delicate mouth…
“Say, He Xin, shall we have roasted raven for dinner? Granny’s recipe from a week ago was delicious – I still remember the taste.”
The raven immediately froze and pretended to have perished in shock. The young maiden paused at her scrubbing to furrow her brows.
“Young Miss, Granny Liu’s recipe can’t be used that often – the spices won’t be in stock for a few weeks,” He Xin rubbed at her chin and clucked her tongue in annoyance.
“However… we can keep the raven? Once it fattens a bit more, then He Xin can roast it when its tender and juicy!”
The traumatized raven heaved a sigh in relief, but soon squawked in terror. The beady, crimson eyes whirled in dread as the celestial hand clasped around its body and shoved it into a wooden cage, and its heart sunk to the tip of its tail.
Caw!
It was dead, it was so dead!
Jun Mo… why did it have to be a raven in a culture that preferred raven dishes? The ravenous people here didn’t eat crow, so why couldn’t it be a crow?
The incessant shrieks and pleas from the small creature were ignored by both servant and cultivator, and He Xin beamed as she finally polished and dried the now cleaned iron pot. She hauled the massive cauldron onto the brisk fire Xu Lingxin had started with a flick of her finger, and after fetching a few pails of water, she broke into the hickory basket.
First, she had to crumble the vegetable block and allow it to reconstitute in the boiling water, then proceed with the spices and meat…
“He Xin, I’ll come back after checking on Lingxue.”
Xu Lingxin caressed the young maiden’s head and pushed open the cottage door. She took a light breath to appreciate the plain but harmonious arrangement of decorations that He Xin had tirelessly worked to perfect. The celestial maiden shook her head to calm her thoughts, and lightly rapped her knuckles against a secluded door.
“Lingxue, are you awake?”
Xu Lingxin called, but received little answer. The female cultivator waited for a few breaths, then pushed the door open and strode into the room. The sight before her pained her heart, and she shakily formed a wry smile on her countenance.
“Lingxue, have some lunch,” she consoled.
“He Xin managed to bring a good cut of beef. We can enjoy a good broth, and take a walk. Good?”
The young girl parted her lips, but little sound escaped from her throat. The dim lighting of the room, coupled with the gaunt expression on her countenance formed a disheartening image, and Xu Lingxin ultimately sighed before forcefully dragging An Fei out of the cottage.
“Always staring at the wall, surrounded in such darkness. Do you think that you’re a Yin Ghost? Ah?” the female cultivator scowled and patted down on An Fei’s wrinkled dress.
“Look at this dust – cough – can’t you just see it floating around everywhere? Alright, alright, go wash your face and brighten up – and come back before He Xin is finished, or you won’t get any!”
Xu Lingxin harrumphed and pushed the young girl towards the pond, and returned to the wooden cottage to stand besides He Xin who had infused her mind into the delicate task of cooking. When the recollection of the stinging of dust flying underneath her nose struck her mind, the female cultivator groaned under her breath and marched into An Fei’s room, a peacock feather in hand.
“This muddle-headed young girl! She can drag herself outside to wash and clean, so why is her clothes so dusty!?”
Her body slumped besides the surface of the pond, the young girl stared into the impassable depths of the still water with vacant eyes. She raised her fingertips to graze at the water’s surface, and the cracked scarlet irises deeply reflected the frail, flickering waves spreading across the surface.
