Chapter Eight: The Little People

Lu Liao-liao was an insignificant person and had never believed that someone so small could change the world. All a nobody possessed was powerlessness and compliance.

For nearly half a year, Wuya had not left the mountain. Lu Liao-liao studied with all his might, unaware that Wuya could only teach him what she was allowed; the sect’s secret teachings could not be passed on, not even the slightest. Of course, in Wuya’s view, at Lu Liao-liao's age, even if he wished to learn the Five Saints Sect’s secret arts, there would be no chance.

Over these six months, Lu Liao-liao continued to cook and do laundry, weed and water the medicinal fields, and Fang Gege no longer bullied her with malice. Their lives, little by little, became one of routine, of natural coexistence.

He concocted his first poison, “Zombie Powder.” Those who fell victim to it would lose all strength, their bodies paralyzed and immobile. The look in Lu Liao-liao’s eyes as she regarded Fang Gege began to change.

“How could such a foolish girl become the Saintess of Mount Hua, the future leader of the Five Venoms Sect? A brat so quick to bully the weak and fear the strong, yet she managed to torment herself into this state? Should I try it? Should I?” Lu Liao-liao agonized over the decision for a long time.

A plate of mountain mushroom smoked meat, a dish of stir-fried bamboo shoots, a bowl of wild green vegetable soup with a few drops of oil floating on the surface, all tempting and mouth-watering.

Lu Liao-liao ate calmly, drinking the soup and finishing a large bowl of yellow rice, but inside he was so tense he could hardly breathe.

The dishes were not poisoned, nor was the soup or the rice. The poison was on Fang Gege’s rice bowl; when serving her a second helping, Lu Liao-liao had quietly smeared it with the Zombie Powder.

Fang Gege noticed nothing, and after the meal, she sprawled carelessly on a bamboo chair, contentedly sipping her tea—another post-meal habit she had learned from Lu Liao-liao.

While Lu Liao-liao washed the bowls, she maliciously imagined Fang Gege succumbing to the poison and the sweet satisfaction of her own revenge.

Slowly, Lu Liao-liao realized she could not move. An unbearable itch spread across her body, and her face contorted into a strange smile.

She had no idea when she herself had been poisoned—not only with Zombie Powder, but with some extra ingredient as well. The pitiful Lu Liao-liao was sent yet again to Feng Yao.

The more Lu Liao-liao learned, the more cunning and subtle her methods of poisoning became: the doorframes, bamboo chairs, teacups—even the powder box where Fang Gege hid her silver. Inevitably, she became a frequent visitor to Feng Yao.

“Liao-liao, why put yourself through this? No matter what, Fang Gege is the Spirit Serpent Envoy of the Valley. If you could bring her down so easily, the Five Saints Sect’s name would be in ruins.” Feng Yao shook her head in exasperation.

“Heh! I just wanted an excuse to see you more often, Sister Feng Yao,” Lu Liao-liao replied shamelessly.

“If you came here walking instead of being carried, I might believe you,” Feng Yao said, helpless.

“Sister Wuya says I’ve made great progress. I’ve learned quite a bit about antidotes from you, too. One day, I’ll make sure that girl falls for my tricks,” Lu Liao-liao grumbled, still unconvinced.

Unwittingly, a year had passed for Lu Liao-liao. The days of pain and joy changed from the day Fang Gege was absent.

Lit incense on the table, scattered paper money in the courtyard, and the sudden appearance of a strange figure—all of it made Lu Liao-liao furious. Anyone would be angered by such a scene at home, especially when the only residents were two living teenagers. Who would come to pay respects to the dead here?

As angry as he was, Lu Liao-liao dared not confront the intruder.

The figure, wrapped from head to toe, turned to look at Lu Liao-liao, and he found himself unable to move.

For the figure had no face at all. Still, Lu Liao-liao noticed a deep sorrow in that faceless gaze.

He had no idea how much time passed before the figure vanished. Staring at the smoldering incense and the white paper money swirling in the wind, Lu Liao-liao felt a chill deep in his bones.

Lost in a daze, Lu Liao-liao saw, before the incense, the sudden ghostly appearance of a slender young woman. She stood motionless for a long while, making Lu Liao-liao almost believe he’d encountered a demon.

The girl turned, her beautiful face stern and commanding. “Did you see which way the mourner went?”

Lu Liao-liao did not dare reply; he only shook his head obediently.

It was a long time after the girl’s departure before Lu Liao-liao regained his senses. He smacked himself hard. “What a coward I’ve become! Frightened speechless by a girl who looks younger than me.”

Several days later, Lu Liao-liao recounted the incident to Wuya.

Wuya was silent for a long time; her expression darkened.

“Liao-liao, if you have the chance, leave the mountain. The Five Saints Sect may be on the verge of chaos.”

Whether or not the sect was thrown into turmoil was none of Lu Liao-liao’s concern; the problem was, could he actually leave? That wicked girl Fang Gege had fed him a poison parasite. Could he bear to leave, to part with her?

Looking uneasy, he asked, “The sect seems perfectly fine. Why would chaos break out?”

Wuya’s face grew heavy. “You don’t understand. Envoys from Nanzhao have arrived, wishing to make the Five Saints Sect their state religion. My father and the others support this, believing Nanzhao was founded by our Jiuli people, and our sect is the natural choice for the state religion. The Sect Leader and the Right Elder, however, feel that although our sect is based on the remote southwestern frontier, it is still a renowned sect of the Great Tang. Nanzhao is a minor tributary state; how could the proud sect of the Tang Empire subordinate itself to Nanzhao? The factions are deadlocked, and an internal conflict may erupt.”

“It’s the age-old debate: better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. What do you think, Sister?” Lu Liao-liao looked up at Wuya.

“I don’t like such complicated matters. I heard that the Jiedushi of Jiannan and the King of Nanzhao are at odds, and the governor of Yunnan exploits and oppresses the people there. Our tribesmen suffer greatly—it pains me just to think of it.” Wuya gazed wistfully into the distance.

Lu Liao-liao watched Wuya with deep concern. She had not said it outright, but instinctively, he would always side with her father.

“Civil strife always ends in bloodshed. You must be careful, Sister.”

Wuya shook her head. “As the Heavenly Spider Envoy, one of the Five Saints, there are things I cannot escape. As for you, with no means to protect yourself, you’d do well to flee if you can.”

Lu Liao-liao managed a bitter smile. “Who would care about a lowly medicine slave like me?”

Wuya glanced at him, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, then said nothing more.

When the nest is overturned, not one egg remains whole. Of course Lu Liao-liao understood, but he chose, consciously or not, to forget.

Unnoticed, the Mount Hua Festival drew near.

Fang Gege, from who knows where, procured a jar of wine and insisted that Lu Liao-liao celebrate with her.

Fang Gege could not hold her drink, and her behavior after drinking was terrible—truly terrible.

“Lu Liao-liao! In your eyes, the goddess-like Wuya will never be the Saintess of Mount Hua. Plain in figure and looks as I am, yet I’m the chosen Saintess. Whose eyes are blind, I wonder?”

“Senior Brother! After the festival, I’ll be of age. I’ll choose you as my groomsman. What do you say? Will you agree, hmm?”

Lu Liao-liao, seized by Fang Gege, was shaken dizzy.

“Huh? What’s this?” Fang Gege felt a hard lump on Lu Liao-liao’s chest.

Lu Liao-liao cursed inwardly. It was the pair of pills his father had left him before his demise—one yin, one yang—the only keepsakes he had brought from home, always kept safely close to his heart. He hadn’t expected the drunken Fang Gege to find them.

She squinted at the two tiny porcelain bottles, her face lighting up with a mischievous smile. “Little Dog Lu! What strange things have you concocted now? Haven’t you suffered enough from your own poisons? I’ve been around herbs and venomous creatures since childhood—do you think I’d fear your amateurish toxins? What a joke.”

Lu Liao-liao’s heart pounded in alarm. “You mustn’t take those pills!”

“If I mustn’t, then all the more reason to show you I can. Let’s see how you plan to bring me down.” With a peal of laughter, Fang Gege tipped out a pill and swallowed it.

Glancing at the other bottle, she grinned wickedly. “Don’t think you’ll get away. You have to take one too.”

Lu Liao-liao stared at the twin bottles with a look of utter resignation, saying nothing.

A few sips of wine later, Fang Gege’s cheeks flushed a vivid red. She unconsciously loosened her collar and murmured, “Strange, why is my body so hot? Aren’t you hot, Little Dog Lu?”

Catching a glimpse of her snow-white chest, Lu Liao-liao felt a burning heat in his lower abdomen and hurriedly averted his eyes.

Fang Gege pounced, clutching him tightly.

“Little Dog Lu, you must remember—you can only be mine. Not Wuya’s, not Sister Feng Yao’s. Do you understand?”

Lu Liao-liao, feeling faint, nodded instinctively.

“You must never leave me—never! Do you understand?” Fang Gege’s breath was warm against his face, nearly touching him.

As if compelled by some unseen force, Lu Liao-liao embraced her, murmuring, “I won’t leave. Never, ever.”

Their lips, tentative and awkward, met in a kiss. Like wildfire, passion flared, entwining their bodies so completely that heaven and earth seemed to dissolve to ash.

…

If this was a dream, Lu Liao-liao wished never to wake. If it was not, he wished it had never happened.

The dagger was not driven deep into his chest, but his heart ached as if torn apart. The blood did not flow in torrents, yet his body felt deathly cold.

Its wielder left Lu Liao-liao behind in hell and vanished. He lay there, unwilling even to move.

Would one die if the blood just kept flowing? So be it. At least in his dream, he had visited paradise, even if waking had brought him to hell. Perhaps in death, his heart would not hurt so much, nor feel so cold.

Lu Liao-liao lay as if dead until his senior brother, Su Lichen, arrived.

The smell of stale wine, the scent of passion, the metallic tang of blood—all the chaos in the room told Su Lichen exactly what had happened. His vision darkened, his heart turned to ice.

How could he not have foreseen this? Two teenagers, alone in a mountain valley—anything could happen.

Disaster had struck. Disaster!

Su Lichen’s mind buzzed with panic, utterly lost.

Looking at Lu Liao-liao sprawled like a dead fish, rage erupted uncontrollably.

“Lu Liao-liao! To think you call yourself a scholar, yet you’ve done such a vile, beastly thing!”

Lu Liao-liao’s face was expressionless.

“Brother Lichen, do you really think I have the power to force myself on Fang Gege? If you believe my crime unforgivable, then kill me.”