Three days later the greatly revered Qiu Tie Dan arrived at Jin city. As the current leader of the Wulin Alliance, his countless titles were all just as notable.
After he saw his nephew, he expressed his fury with the action he was widely known for, slamming his two iron galls against the wooden desk. Two large holes appeared on it’s surface right away. Meanwhile, his nephew Jian Xiong was suffering a pain worse than death every time he looked at his chest. He had cried so much that he could cry no more.
Three plum blossom flower like marks that were the size of three rice bowls were blossoming on his chest. Every morning he would cough up that same volume of blood when he woke up. It was the manifestation of the plum blossom Gu that Wan Mei had planted within him. After the 7th flower blossom on his skin, he would cough up seven bowls of blood in the morning. When that happens, even a god would not be able to save him.
Qiu Tie Dan moved closer to study the three flowers, lightly prodding it with his fingers, whilst a frown creased his forehead. “That witch only gave that to you? Did she make any other requests apart from asking to see me?”
“There was four of us. She had killed one of us already and planted this in the rest of us.” Jian Xiong pressed his lips together, “She didn’t make any requests except to see you. Her only condition was that apart from the three of us, you can’t take anyone else with you when you meet her.”
The frown on Qiu Tie Dan’s forehead deepened as he heard his nephew’s words. “Will she give us the antidote if I go and see her?” he wondered aloud as he twirled his iron gall in his hand.
“Yes. She wants to see you tomorrow, at the Yue Fei temple on the outskirts of the city. Said that as long as she can see you, she will give us the antidote.”
“The Yue Fei temple….” the housekeeper of the Jian manor muttered. ” The land is bare and open over there. You won’t be able to hide a single person there. It won’t be easy for you to prepare anything beforehand, Chief Qiu.”
“Then we won’t set any traps. I will go there alone and meet this witch!” Qiu Tie Dan quickly decided with a wave of his hand.
“But I feel that she wishes to harm you Chief. I think you should……” one of his subordinates suggested weakly.
“Good will always prevail over evil,” Tie Dan declared confidently cutting him off. “Who have I ever feared? You just wait! I will paint the Yue Fei Temple with that witch’s blood!”
Meanwhile, Fang Han was sat in front of her bronze mirror, trying to draw a flower with her makeup brush. But no matter what she did, the flower never came out right. In the end, she perused her lips and drew a simple red mark on her forehead. Afterwards, she patted a bit of her mother’s face powder on her cheeks but accidentally put too much on. It looked as if she had dropped into a barrel of powder, turning her into a White Impermanence[1].
“Xiao Gui[6], have a good thirteen birthday Xiao Gui!” She stuck out her tongue a few times at the mirror, wiped off the excess powder with her sleeve before leaving her room. Outside, the blistering midday sun was already high up in the sky. Her maidservants hurried over to hold a parasol over her head. “Miss Ying Ying are you going to the apothecary? It is a very hot day, you must be careful miss or you can get heat stroke.” The young lady’s formal name was Fang Han but she goes by the sobriquet Ying Ying[2]. Although her formal name was dull but her sobriquet was a close description of what she was truly like.
“I can carry the parasol myself, you may go back.” She took the parasol from her maidservant and gave her a gentle smile revealing two dimples on her oval shape. “I need to speak with my friend at the apothecary. I promise that I will be back before dusk.”
Business had always been slow at the apothecary. Not a single patron was in the apothecary when Ying Ying arrived , there was only her sister Fang there grinding the medicinal herbs. Noticing how focused she was at her work, Ying Ying decided to surprise her. She silently crept towards them and gave her a hard pat on the shoulder.
As expected it gave her sister Fang a fright. However after realising who it was she turned around and gently flicked her nose. “Oh it’s you! You almost scared me to death!”she gasped in a raspy voice.
“Sister Fang what’s wrong with your voice? Wasn’t it fine yesterday?” Ying Ying asked finding it a bit strange.
“I do not know. Perhaps it’s because I caught a cold yesterday so I lost my voice when I got up this morning,” she replied, coughing twice before picking up her mortar to go back to her work again. “Wait a moment whilst I finish grinding the medicine you need and you can take it back with you today.”
“Oh.” Ying Ying replied. She rested her face against one of her hands and started to draw circles with her right foot as she waited for her.
“You don’t seem very pleased young mistress, something on your mind?” Fang asked, giving her a glance.
“My mother forgot that it was my birthday,” Ying Ying answered with a sulk. A few beads of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose but it only made her look even prettier. “She only cares about her lover Gu. Soon after that scandal my Father was involved in, she immediately cut ties with him and moved back to her family home in the City of Jin. She and her fancy man are always together; she’s so heartless.”
“But do you believe that your father is a bad person? Is he as evil as they say he is?” Sister Fang questioned.
“My father is the most perfect person in the world!” Ying Ying defiantly raised her chin. “He would fan me through the summer nights to help me sleep. He would wake up at least 3 times during the night to make sure I have a blanket covering me. I don’t believe the nonsense they’re saying.”
Sister Fang gave her a knowing smile and did not voice her opinion.
“At least he won’t forget my birthday! This afternoon at 3 o’clock he’ll be there at the Yuefei temple waiting for me!” Ying Ying quickly added, jumping up and stamping her feet.
“Surely you’re not secretly visiting your Father again….”Sister Fang frowned.” Your mother will break your legs if she finds out.”
“I’ll come right back when I’ve seen him. How would my mother know if you don’t tell her?” Ying Ying grabbed her sleeve and swung it back and forth, “Remember, I spent the whole day speaking to you.”
Sister Fang let out a bitter laugh. The plum blossom make-up on her forehead reflected the sunlight, irresistibly beautiful. Ying Ying’s eyes brightened as she noticed her make-up. She continued to swing her sleeve and begged her to draw a similar one on her forehead as well. As she refused to give up, Sister Fang could only go to her room to find the small plum blossom drawing she made and carefully put it on Ying Ying’s forehead.
She seemed to remember something as she stuck it to her forehead. “Oh yes, if you see an old man when you visit the Yue Fei temple tell him the antidote has arrived,”vshe instructed.
Seeing the confusion across Ying Ying’s face, she lowered her head and hesitantly explained,” The old man’s son contracted a strange disease so he has been visiting the Yue Fei temple every day to pray for the speedy recovery of his son. Coincidentally some medicine that I have ordered arrived that could cure his son so when you see him, please inform him about that.”
“I just need to tell him that the antidote is here?” Ying Ying repeated whilst nodding her head.
Sister Fang mumbled her confirmation whilst lowering her head even further, not daring to look at her in the eyes.
“Then I’m going Sister Fang, remember what I said.” Ying Ying leaned down and gave her a mischievous smile her nose crinkled in the corners with happiness. Then she turned around and left, her thin frame slowly swallowed up by the golden sunshine. Only then Sister Fang felt all the energy drain from her. Slowly, she sank to her knees, placing a hand against her heart whilst murmuring, ” I hope she won’t hurt you Ying Ying. I hope that the words she forced me to say to you was simply for a joke. I hope….”
*****************************
Inside the inn, steam rose from a wooden bath. Wan Mei had stripped herself bare, preparing to enter her bath. A hand reached over to brush her long wet hair bit by bit when the bath water reached her shoulders. A pearl like water droplet rolled down her shoulder, like a crystal ball, not breaking nor shattering gently as it slid down.
“I can remember that your skin wasn’t this smooth when you first joined the Gate of Ghosts. In a blink of an eye, it’s already been three years,” Xiao San sighed. The past had leisurely rolled away like the water droplet. Wan Mei let out a sigh and grabbed his hand. “We will have a lot of time to spend together in the future. But only after we remove the Heart Devouring Gu from you.”
Xiao San replied by kissing her passionately on the lips. Before long, he joined her in the water and within the steam their behavior took an intimate turn, until they were ear to ear, cheek to cheek.
No-one knew Wan Mei’s body as well as Xiao San did. After all he was the one who taught her the art of lovemaking. He knew the area that would take her to climax; a little further in than the top section of his inserted middle finger. He knew how much pressure for her to enjoy it.
Her intimate parts were partially open, water had seeped in and Xiao San’s fingers were like fish in water wriggling within her, each stroke adding to her pleasure. Despite this, Wan Mei clung onto the senses she had left and leaned back, trying to dodge his advances. “I’ve read that….the Heart Devouring Gu can seriously damage your heart and lungs, you….”
“I’m fine. I can still embrace you which means I am still far from my deathbed,” Xiao San replied in a low voice before leaning down to suckle her nipple. Her right breast was more sensitive than her left breast so he must carefully circle the tip with his tongue. He knew this body so well, every inch, every part was so intimately known by him.
Very quickly, Wan Mei started to moan and pant, she flicked her hair back, covering Xiao San’s face. Now her legs were wide open, welcoming it’s intruder without any hindrance. Xiao San inserted a finger in her back hole pushing in and out at the same speed as his manhood. Wan Mei had lost all her senses by this point, her arms hung loosely around Xiao San’s neck, waves of water splashed out from the wooden tub. They were like two fish playing in water[3].
“Fang Ying Ying is only a child and I am not yet at a stage where I need a coffin. You don’t need to lose all your conscience,” Xiao San managed to croak out just as they reached the pinnacle of pleasure, the space between his brows finally tightening.
Meanwhile, Wan Mei could feel her pleasure emanating from every pore in her body, her body tightly clutching his shaft as a trickle of water dribbled down from where they were connected. Pleasure soared into the clouds and didn’t sink back down again for a very long time. But the emptiness after pleasure was unignorable, so much so that Wan Mei didn’t know what to say for a long time afterwards. “Conscience? You think I still have a conscience?” she sighed, finally breaking the silence.
Xioa San picked himself up, he was soaked from head to toe and in a sorry state. She watched as he slowly stumbled away, catching his sleeve against the corner of a table as he did so. A dark red patch under his sleeve caught her eye. Although it was still small and dark but his condition was an unpleasant shock to her.
“I won’t do anything to Fang Ying Ying,” she lied, biting her lower lip, “you don’t need to worry about that. As long as you leave now, you will be able to stop Fang Ge in the time to drink half a cup of tea.”
That made Xiao San turn around to look at her in the eyes, to confirm if she was lying or not. He decided to trust her and opened the door. “I hope you have some conscience left,” he uttered, this time without turning around, “That a tiny part of your heart is clean, that you will not hurt the innocent and weak.”
Wan Mei said nothing, a sole tear rolled down her cheek, as cold as the look in her eyes.
At 3pm sharp, Ying Ying arrives at the Yuefei temple, wafting her fan in the hot afternoon sun. Qiu Tiedan and the three Young Masters of Jin City was there even earlier than her. They couldn’t understand why a young girl like her would be here. Ying Ying gave Tiedan a bright toothy smile before passing him the message, “Uncle, you really are here. Sister Fang told me to tell you that the antidote is here.” Tiedan immediately stopped playing with his iron gals and gave her a long stare. The more he studied her, the more she seemed to resemble a witch.
“Where is the antidote?” he queried with a raised brow. “I have upheld my end of the promise by coming here alone. You had better keep your word also and bring me the antidote.”
Ying Ying felt herself cower under the look. Her long eyelashes fluttered anxiously but she could only explain, “The antidote has arrived. Sister Fang told me to tell you that.” With the sun behind her, the rest of her face was in shadow except for the lone plum blossom mark on her forehead which glowed so brightly that it seemed enchanted.
For a while, Qiu Tie Dan studied it carefully. He more he studied it, the more it resembled the plum blossom mark on his nephew’s chest. Suddenly it dawned on him. The iron gals started to turn in his hands again. “Which means you’re the antidote. I was so blind. As you’re here, then where is the one who set up this? Where is (s)he[4]?”
“How am I the antidote?” Ying Ying inquired, scratching her head in confusion, “And how did you know my….that he is coming?”
She wanted to say how did you know that my father was coming but her father was Fang Ge, the previous chief of the Alliance and now a traitor. A man that her mother forbade her from seeing. So she changed my father to him.
“She is coming? Which means she will show her face?” His eyes widened in anticipation and excitement. “How many are coming?”
“Of course he is coming alone. It’s not like I have several.”
“She will come and face me alone?” Qiu Tie Dan’s eyebrow raised a fraction. “Xiong’er, you three come here and take your antidote away. I will meet this arrogant rascal who dares to challenge me alone.”
After the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea[5], Qiu Tie Dan finally saw a grey figure hurriedly make their way over to the temple. It was Fang Ge, Fang Ge who was delayed by Xiao San for the time it took to drink half a cup of tea. He halted his steps when he saw Qiu Tie Dan, his grey robes swaying from his sudden stop. “Why are you here? Where is Ying Ying?”
But Qiu Tie Dan only let out a cold laugh in reply. Not even bothering to ask questions he raised his iron gals and attacked him, each move enough to be fatal if it struck it’s target. “Hero Fang of course I know that you’re powerful. But it’s not that easy to take my life!” he roared, clearly not bothering to clear any misunderstandings.
“I’m asking you, where is Ying Ying?” Fang Ge demanded still confused. After dodging three attacks, he finally drew his sword. Although it was an ordinary sword but in his hands, it seemed as if it could defeat anything. Qiu Tie Dan’s attitude started to wear on his patience and finally he decided to stop backing away. The reason was simple. Because the person in question was Ying Ying, his only daughter who had a serious heart condition.
Meanwhile in one of the rooms in the back courtyard of the Yue Fei temple, the three young Masters of the Jin city circled Ying Ying, studying her.
“I can hear some noise outside, I think they’ve started to fight, should we go outside and take a look?” one of them suggested.
“Weapons have no senses. If you’re not afraid dying you can take a look,” Zhou Xiong dismissed it with a wave of his hand. “I think it’s more important to cure the poison in us.”
That got the attention of the other two men and turned to surround her, trapping her between them.
“She’s the antidote? But how can she cure us?” one of them queried. Ying Ying’s patience had already worn thin, fed up of the hungry looks they gave her.
“I told you, I’m not the antidote! Are you ill? Hurry and let me go!”she cried, stamping her foot. But to them, the stamp only made her look more adorable, making them lust over her even more. Whether it was her clear smooth skin, her body that had not quite finished going through puberty, thin and inexperienced, or the freshness of a young girl’s scent, all of that made the three of them swallow lustfully.
“Perhaps we need to have intercourse with her. After that, we’ll be cured,” one of them finally proposed. The other two quickly nodded in agreement.
A shadow drifted past the window and silently landed outside it. A pair of seductive eyes peered through the tired paper windows. It was Wan Mei. Wan Mei who had arrived before them, waiting for them. Everything was going to plan. She held her breath as one of them reached over and grabbed Ying Ying’s shoulder.
Notes:
- White Impermanence: One of the mythological figures who is in charge of escorting the souls of the dead to the Underworld. The White Impermanence often pictured dressed in white with a tall hat bearing the words “Gaining Fortune with just one look” or “Getting luck with just one look”. He carries a fan in one hand and a fish shaped shackle or wooden sign in the other hand. He has a duo called the Black Impermanence and both are the subordinate of the Supreme Judge of the Underworld. He is usually depicted as the friendlier and more approachable one out of the duo. There are several stories about his background. Some say that he and the Black Impermanence knew each other and were either constables or military soldiers before becoming deities. Others claim they have nothing to do with each other but became deities because of the good deeds they did.
- Ying Ying: This phrase means clear, pure and graceful.
- Two fish playing in water: This is a common phrase usually used to describe the sexual relationship of a couple, like fish in water, it’s natural and comfortable.
- He/She: This kind of misunderstanding is common in chinese as the word of he and she or him and her is the same phonetically. You won’t be able to distinguish the two just by hearing it, it must be put into context.
- Time it takes to drink half a cup of tea: This usually means about 5 minutes, as it takes about 10 minutes or the time to burn two incense sticks to drink one cup of tea.
- Xiao Gui: Little ghost/little rascal
Productive Procrastination 