Chapter 152 — Unfilial
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 3 of 6
Riding the clouds all the way, they returned from Jietian Peak to Xiaozhu Peak. After Master Shuijing landed, her face cold, she spoke to no one and walked straight into the halls of Xiaozhu Peak. The others stood respectfully in place, watching her go.
After Master Shuijing's figure had disappeared among those buildings, Lu Xueling stood motionless, her gaze lost, until Wen Pei patted her shoulder and roused her.
A trace of worry in her eyes, Wen Pei said softly, "Sister, what is it? You look like your soul's gone wandering—I called you several times and you never answered."
Lu Xueling started, then forced a faint smile. "Forgive me, Sister."
Wen Pei shook her head. "Forgive you for what? We are sisters—no need for such formality. By the way, I thought Master looked a little out of sorts. I'll go in and see how she is. You must be exhausted from the road; go and rest first."
Lu Xueling was silent a moment, then said softly, "I'm afraid Master is still angry with me."
Wen Pei looked at this, the most beautiful and outstanding of her fellow disciples, and suddenly felt that on her pale face—still lovely as ever—there was a little more weariness than in former days. Wen Pei sighed inwardly, put an arm around Lu Xueling's shoulders, and said gently, "Silly girl, don't let your thoughts run wild. You know as well as we do how Master has always treated you. It's nothing. I'll go and see."
Lu Xueling nodded silently. Wen Pei smiled, gave a few instructions to the other junior sisters, and was about to leave when a young girl stepped out from the doorway ahead—it was Xiao Shi, the girl from the day Ming Li had secretly stolen up Xiaozhu Peak. Too young and not yet skilled enough in cultivation, she had always stayed on Xiaozhu Peak; Master Shuijing, fond of her cleverness and charm, had kept her at her side.
Xiao Shi glanced this way and came quickly toward Wen Pei and Lu Xueling. Wen Pei said, "Oh?" and when Xiao Shi reached them, asked, "Xiao Shi, why have you come out? Master has only just returned—you should be attending her."
Xiao Shi nodded, glanced at Lu Xueling, and said, "Eldest Sister, Sisters—Master says I am to come and tell Sister Xueqi to go see her at the Quiet Bamboo Lodge."
Wen Pei was taken aback. She turned and looked at Lu Xueling. Lu Xueling's lips moved; a complex look flitted through her eyes, and then she said, "Very well, I'll go now." With that she walked straight ahead and soon vanished among the buildings of Xiaozhu Peak.
Watching Lu Xueling walk away into the distance, Wen Pei frowned and said to Xiao Shi, "Xiao Shi, did Master say anything else? Why did she call Xueqi to her?"
Xiao Shi shook her head. "No. After Master came back she stayed silent the whole time, and after a while she told me to come and call Sister Xueqi to see her."
Wen Pei said, "Oh," and for the moment could make no sense of it. She shook her head and said to the other Xiaozhu Peak female disciples, "Well, it seems there's nothing more for now. You may all go back and rest."
The young women assented and drifted away. Wen Pei took one last look in the direction Lu Xueling had gone, her heart heavy, stirred by feelings of every kind.
The Quiet Bamboo Lodge was a secluded spot among the halls and buildings of Xiaozhu Peak, close by the rear mountain and surrounded by green "tear bamboo." From time to time the mountain wind would pass, swaying the bamboo leaves gently, and give the heart a sense of peace. Master Shuijing had always loved to come here and be alone, and so the other disciples of Xiaozhu Peak knew the place well.