Phoenix Rise: XieRong

The Old lady’s place wasn’t much, as to be expected from someone who lived in a forest full of poison.

The old poison master lived in a small wooden hut with a small fence around it. There was a patch of poisonous plants to in one corner of the fence which XieRong knew, if someone touched carelessly, would give them a painful death and if they somehow did take the plants unscathed by the poison, then the poison lady would kill them.

That lady loved her plants and poison much more than she has cared for any other human.

XieRong knocked on the door.

"Master, I’ve brought lunch!"

"Behind you," a raspy voice said, from behind her.

XieRong felt as if snakes and spiders had crawled all over her back.

She turned to face the Old poison master.

"This disciple greets master,"she said, bowing at the waist.

"Finally made the escape, I see," Duqi noted, eying XieRong’s bag and sister.

"You don’t look surprised that mother didn’t make it," XieRong said emotionlessly, handing over the rabbits.

"Because I knew she wouldn’t. She refused my help to remove the poison in her, instead she told me to help you."

"Mother said her condition was untreatable," XieRong said, wondering why her mother would lie to her in the letter.

"Oh, it was. I can only cure physical sicknesses, child. The sickness of the mind is beyond me. Your mother was betrayed by the two people she held most dear, one betrayed her because of his greed and the other because of her jealousy. She lost all faith in humans, that’s why she left to a place they couldn’t follow."

Duqi took the rabbits from XieRong’s hand.

"I will tell you this as your master, you could have done nothing to change your mother’s mind. She was a stubborn one and I admire her decision to let you find your path in life. Now take your sister to the stream and wash up. I’ll cook the rabbits."

XieRong couldn’t understand her mother’s decision nor her master’s words completely. Maybe she was too young or maybe she didn’t know any better. She couldn’t understand why her mother would leave her when she loved her mother so much that she would give up everything for her.

’Maybe, someday I’ll understand mother,’ XieRong thought as she took her clothes and sister to the small stream by the hut.

"Go wash up with Bai Yueliang. I’ll wash up after," XieRong said, handing her sister her clothes as she stood watch.

"Don’t take more than ten minutes," she instructed, as she sat on a rock nearby.

XieRong was itching to get inside with her sister.

She hadn’t not noticed her mother’s blood crusted on her arms and clothes, the soil from the graveyard beneath her fingers as she had quickly buried back the corpse of the woman she would no longer require. She felt bile rising up her mouth but quickly tampered it down, steeling her heart.

’All the sacrifices mother has made, I will not let them go to waste.’

"Jie, I’m done."

XieRong looked up at her little sister.

Her sister was a little beauty like mother, with lustrous brown eyes, dark brown hair and plump red lips, and with the white fawn right next to her she looked like a little fairy out of a picture.

"Come, I’ll leave you and Bai Yueliang with the old lady. Let her have a look at both your injuries."

After XieRong returned to the stream, she started to scrub all the grime off of her. She scrubbed as if she were scrubbing her past way with all the grime, as if she were scrubbing away the boy called Fa Chun.

’No more hiding,’ she thought as she donned female clothes. She looked at the bandages she used to wrap her nonexistent breasts with just to feel more secure.

’This time, I’ll use you to bind my wounds.’

XieRong washed her old clothes thinking of her identity as Fa Chun.

’The next time I wear boy clothes it will be as XieRong, not Fa Chun.’

XieRong felt her stomach grumble as she approached the mouth watering scent coming from inside the hut.

"Master, I’m back," XieRong greeted, sitting down next to her sister.

Bai Yueliang was happily munching on some grass and vegetables.

Her master didn’t say anything and handed her a plate.

XieRong hadn’t realised how hungry she’d been.

She’d had some of the dried meat and fruits on her way but perhaps the strain on her physical and mental wellbeing had been more than she’d anticipated.

"Master, how are their wounds?" XieRong asked, in a hushed voice as she went help her master with the dishes.

"Your skills have improved, child. There wasn’t much more that I could do for them that you hadn’t already done."

"Mother said that FeiHong’s fingers could be healed."

"They can be, but only after she starts cultivating."

"So, when will you remove the poison from us master?"

"The treatment takes five days to be completed. Before I start you’ll have to get me some 100 year old ginseng from the capital. The hour of the horse (11AM – 1PM) is nearing it’s end. Leave with this, the ginseng shouldn’t cost more than what is in it. Return tomorrow by the hour of Dragon (7AM – 9AM). The forest is dangerous at night, even for you."

The old lady handed XieRong around seventy five taels of silver in a small plum coloured pouch.

"I have enough to buy some ginseng, master."

XieRong refused to accept the money, especially from the old master.

"I know you do, you proud brat, but you’ll need all the money you can save. Give me the rest of the pheasants and rabbits in exchange, then that would be considered payment. Leave your sister with me. She will be safe here."

XieRong hugged her master.

"Thank you, master!"

"Let go of me!"

The old lady said hitting XieRong’s back lightly. XieRong knew her master did it only to keep her reputation as a sullen old lady, but let her go anyway.

"FeiHong, hand me the small bag which I told you keep in your spatial ring."

XieRong removed some of her mother’s jewellery and kept in her own bag, returning the small bag to her sister.

"FeiHong, Jie is leaving. I’ll come back tomorrow. Help master with the chores and start learning medicine."

"Jie, I can’t come?"

"No, I want you and Bai Yueliang to rest. When I come back we can start getting cured together, okay?"

"Okay. Return safely."

Handing the pheasants and rabbits over to her master, XieRong left the small hut.