The Demon Sparrow

"Just tell me what happened," Lu Feng coaxed her. "After that, we'll make a plan together."

Lu Yan eyed him for a moment, then confessed, "Mother told me to stay hidden today. I sneaked into the women's courtyard and ate many snacks. Later, when the ceremony started, I went to the lake. Later two bullies were beating up a boy and trying to throw him into the lake. I thought it would cause trouble, so I told them to stop. One of them tried to throw me in the water. I punched him. He fell into the lake. Then I ran away."

She raised her fist and showed him. Her wrist really hurt, and her fingers were swollen.

Lu Feng turned her wrist over, and she winced.

"Did you hurt yourself?" he asked.

Lu Yan suddenly grinned, "I punched him really hard."

Lu Feng couldn't resist pinching her nose, "You don't even know how to punch. Look at the state of your poor hand. Let's take care of it before it gets worse."

Lu Yan opened her mouth to tell him she knew how to take care of it. But watching him examine her wrist and fingers, she kept quiet.

Lu Feng had his personal servant bring bruise paste and bandages. Carefully, he spread the cream over her skin, then bandaged her wrist so she couldn't move the joint. Then he did the same for her middle and ring fingers which seemed to have taken most of the impact.

When he was done, he stood up, and smiled down at her, "Go wash your face and fix your hair. I'll wait for you outside. We'll go together."

Lu Yan watched him walk to the door, lost in thought, feeling a small warmth in her heart.

Inside her mind, Echo sneered, 'Don't get your hopes too high.'

Lu Yan looked in the mirror. Her left eye was still dark. She ignored Echo completely, as if she hadn't heard a single word.

---

By the time Lu Feng and Lu Yan walked into the room together, it was almost evening and all the guests had left.

The room was packed. Their mother, father, brother Lu Lin, were all there. Even their aunt, and cousin Lu An were present.

As they bowed in greeting, their mother stepped closer, and, without warning, delivered a crisp slap to Lu Yan's face.

Lu Yan was stunned.

Echo began to laugh.

For a moment, no one spoke. Lu Yan raised her head, pressing her fingers to her stinging cheek.

In an even voice, her mother asked, "Alone with boys from other families. Wrestling and throwing people in the water. Do you know what you've done wrong?"

A wave of hatred rose inside Lu Yan and she glared up with tear-filled eyes.

She opened her mouth.

Before she could say a single word, her mother slapped her other cheek. The action was dispassionate, the woman's expression didn't change at all from her usual coldness.

In the same even tone, she continued, "Insolent, disobedient, and immoral. A month in the ancestral hall. The next time you disobey you'll be beaten with military sticks."

Lu Yan raised her head again.

The woman didn't even look at her. She simply walked past her and out of the room. Her father followed. Lu Lin glanced at her, his eyes filled with pity, as he followed.

Her aunt said snidely, "Trespassing everywhere. When will you learn you're not welcome."

Lu An said with satisfaction, "Everyone knows what happened. They're calling you a demon."

Lu Yan stood in the empty room for a moment, filled to the burst with her roiling emotions. Only the thought that Lu Feng was behind her, watching, kept her from letting tears of fury escape.

After a long moment, she turned around.

To her absolute astonishment, Lu Feng wasn't there. He was gone!

He had probably left with the rest of them.

Lu Yan suddenly laughed, remembering the words Echo had spoken not an hour before.

Echo too started laughing. As they laughed, the sounds merged, and it seemed like a single person was laughing.

That frightened Lu Yan. She immediately sobered up.

Echo didn't stop. She laughed and giggled, and murmured words.

Rigidly, Lu Yan walked alone to her courtyard.

---

One of her mother's maids was already waiting in her courtyard, ready to escort her to the ancestral hall and stand guard at the door.

Lu Yan looked at her, wanting to tear her face off.

Too bad all the maids around her mother had some martial arts training. Lu Yan had started fights before, only to get beaten up in a few simple moves.

Luizhu was waiting inside.

She stood up hurriedly when Lu Yan entered.

Lu Yan suddenly realized that it was the first time Luizhu hadn't followed her. Stunned by this realization, Lu Yan stood silently at the threshold.

Luizhu too was quiet, carefully examining Lu Yan's eyes. She didn't approach as she normally would have.

Then she asked, "Is it gone?"

Lu Yan felt a great coldness: it was a chill washing over her, ice sliding down her spine and freezing her insides.

"Is what gone?" she asked flatly.

Luizhu wordlessly gestured towards her eyes.

Lu Yan slammed the door shut with a loud bang. Luizhu jumped.

Ignoring Luizhu, who just stood in the middle of the room helplessly, Lu Yan donned a thick cloak.

Grabbing the latest scrolls sent over by her master, she rolled them up tightly and hid them in the inner seam of her cloak. She eyed the brushes and ink, but there was no way she could sneak those into the ancestral hall.

As she struggled with pushing the scrolls into the seam, Lu Yan felt a wave of helplessness and loneliness wash over her.

Turning her back so Luizhu couldn't see, she wiped her face quickly.

Without speaking another word and avoiding Luizhu's frightened and distant eyes, Lu Yan left the room.

Her mother's maid followed her wordlessly to the ancestral hall.

Lu Yan stepped into the dark cavernous room. The only light came from flickering candles on the altar.

Echo started screaming.

The large door closed behind her leaving her alone with the spirits of the dead.