Chapter 83: Dreaming nine times of the lord for ten nights in the pavilion (IIX)

The overcast skies darkened the dawn as if it were dusk, causing the originally not too clear mind to be even more weary; Li Shiyi had yet to wake, and A Luo had left early; A Yin sat by the dining table, and across from her, Song Shijiu bit into a xiaolongbao. A Yin watched her with a tilted head, and, seeing her cheeks full and bulging, her almond blossom-like glossy eyes followed the chewing motions in blinking, couldn't help but say, "Today we're about to ascend Mount Jinyun, do you know the details?"

Song Shijiu raised her head to look at her.

"I'd guess, you're a yaoguai," A Yin said, her arms folded on the table, and saw Song Shijiu's slightly rising eyes were guarded yet crystal clear, her pupils both large and black, even more like the A Huang who guarded the courtyard of the neighbouring residence.

Song Shijiu blinked twice, the space between her brows furrowing lightly; the knitting of her brows hadn't left wrinkles, only the left and right halves rising like earthworms like a pair of ox nestled ox-horns.

Almost;^[1] A Yin self-assuredly nodded, and, fearing that Song Shijiu would be annoyed, added, "A supernatural being isn't bad either; if you're some fox or cat or rabbit or something, in the winter, you'll return to your true appearance, and more or less can be placed in the bosom to be kept nice and warm."

Song Shijiu bit into her dumpling, and pondered it for a moment, then asked her, "And what if it's a pig?"

"A pig yao saking a form, could it turn into an appearance as small as you?" A Yin rolled her eyes, and said, "It would just turn into Tu Laoyao."

Song Shijiu laughed quietly, and swallowed down the last bite of dumpling skin, her hand propping up her head, what she was thinking unknown. A Yin was bored of sitting across from her, and searched her guts and belly to think of some gossip, then sat upright and swayed her chin towards her. "Have you payed attention? A Tao left, and A Luo's umbrella's also disappeared; tell me, what trick does this have?"

Song Shijiu tilted her head. "Haven't you become candid with A Luo towards each other? You ought to ask her."

A Yin lowered her voice, disapproving. "At the end of the day you're inexperienced; sincerity is admittedly important, but the matter of romance, if all the matters are pulled aprt and crushed by speech, then no appeal will remain; occasionally, you also have to guess at the intention."

"Is that so?" Song Shijiu looked thoughtful.

A Yin, seeing enlightenment was about to dawn on her, struck while the iron was hot, and put forward, "That's to say, you have some thoughts you don't speak to Shiyi about, you ought to only tell me; we'll discuss it, and perhaps there'll be a solution."

Song Shijiu nodded, and lowered her face, the shdows of her lashes trembling; then she raised her gaze, and asked, "Then, say, how ought I to be to be able to be the one on top?"

The sound of light, unhurried footsteps stopped at the corner of the stairs; within the shadow, Li Shiyi pressed her lips together, her gaze sweeping downwards. Yet she saw A Yin startle, and only after blinking a couple times did she understand Song Shijiu's implication; she raised her neck and drew a cool breath, gazing steadily at Song Shijiu. "You unexpectedly have this sort of ambition."

Only at this afterthought did Song Shijiu become embarrassed, and she pressed her peach blossom pink lips, yet still obstinately nodded.

A Yin raised the chopsticks clutched in her hand, as if she were raising a thumb of commendation; not even she herself had thought of this matter of "on the top"; seeing Song Shijiu's expression, it seemed as if she'd schemed for quite a while. She clicked her tongue, raising her brows as she swept her gaze across Song Shijiu's calm, charming face, and after a short while, leaned sideways, resting her arm on the back of the chair, the apprehensions in her mind pinched between her brows. Then, dread came suddenly; perhaps they'd raised Jiu-daren badly; what if…she was originally meant to be the one on top?

Thinking to this point, she didn't dare to speak, and only laughed to herself, bringing the topic to a halt. "I don't know.

Only after peeling melon seeds for a while did Li Shiyi come down from upstairs; A Yin, because of the conversation from just then, carefully cast a glance at her; she didn't know whether or not she'd guessed incorrectly, but she often felt that the cold-faced Shiyi-jie was much more delicate now, a vague haltingness within her motions, a cool gentleness overflowing in those pauses. She heard Li Shiyi lean on the back of the chair, lowering her head to speak a couple soft phrases with Song Shijiu; in the not too well lit room, the outline of the two's exchange was folded even more touchingly; she propped up her face and watched, and for a moment, it was both sentimental and frustrated.

Like two creeping vines that were originally tangled together each had their own trunks, and looking at each other would grow even better, climb even higher, no longer leaning unsteadily from side to side as in the past, who couldn't support the other? But occasionally, they would still think of some days of being windswept and battered by the rain, and wouldn't remember if it was the East wind or the South wind, nor would they remember if it was a drizzle or a heavy rain, only remembering that they'd exerted themselves to adhere to their heart's sentiments.

Naturally, this didn't have any relationship with love, but with the world's sincerity, there wasn't necessarily only one type of harmonious couple. She organised the abruptly rising turmoil and chaos, and only then had the time to calmly smooth the past.

The afternoon finally acquiesced to let loose some sunshine to shine in, giving the dead tree in the courtyard a layer of gold lacquer; Li Shiyi, Song Shijiu, and A Luo waited in the courtyard, waiting on A Yin, who hadn't finished packing. The sound of creaking and groaning wood planks came, and the woman wearing low heels once more headed upstairs to swap for a pair of leather shoes; Li Shiyi's gaze drew back from the languid Song Shijiu, and fell onto A Luo, whose head was lowered as she arranged the paper umbrella.

It was a very unfamiliar umbrella, made of average and unremarkable wood-coloured oilpaper, yet the frame seemed to be carved, dark hardwood, and the fragrance of tung oil rose from it. A Luo heard Li Shiyi's gradual and distinct footsteps, yet she didn't raise her head, saying delicately, "It's called Ti Deng."^[2]

Ti Deng was her ritual tool; it had already been a great many years since she'd used it; now that she didn't have her umbrella, she'd dispatched someone to bring it.

She opened Ti Deng, raising a piece of blossoming shadow; the sunlight fell through the semitranslucent umbrella, enveloping her face in shadows; she lowered her lashes, tossing Ti Deng lightly upwards, her index finger lifting slightly against the bottom of the frame, and the umbrella slowly revolved, like a perfect yet old-fashioned full moon. A faint yet firm killing intent spread from the surface of the revolving umbrella, and Li Shiyi raised her head, and saw A Luo raise her hand to withdraw the umbrella, and it once more stood like a typical shade-providing device.

"I don't know if it's that these past two months I've regathered my spirit, or because you were at my side, but my spiritual perception has awakened more by the day, and the effect of the spirit binding command on my body has actually decreased a great deal." Her own magic was no longer subjected to the Taishan seat and Sijiucheng's residence's restrictions; when A Luo had been applying hot water to A Yin for her illness, she'd somewhat realised it, and had had someone bring Ti Deng just to test it out; she hadn't thought that she could actually be able to exert a little bit.^[3]

"Ti Deng was also given to me as a gift by you," A Luo said, smiling wanly yet gently. "And I didn't know whether, ascending the mountain today, it would rain."

Yet Li Shiyi didn't continue this topic, only suddenly saying, "I heard that you gave an order in Taishan's seat for it to rain for a full twenty-two days."

That day, A Luo and A Tao's conversation, only Li Shiyi's keen sense of hearing had been able to hear clearly, and it was only lately, frequently flipping through the Taishan seat's records, that she'd become aware that A Luo had left behind that umbrella, its name You Xing,^[4] which was one of the most valuable treasures of the Taishan seat, with the ability to assemble hun spirits and produce po souls. A Luo had been punished with eighty lashes of the Spirit Drinking Whip, and the whip had caused a fragile spirit to emerge; in order to mend her spirit, she'd brought You Xing along. But now, she'd left You Xing with A Tao, and, only carrying the umbrella for seven days, A Tao would be able to save her spirit from damage, and in the future, have an adult form, no longer needing to cultivate for the duration of a thousand years.

A Tao had followed with her to serve, and naturally knew of You Xing's ability; as for the twenty-two days of rainfall, it was Futi-daren covering up her favour. Graciously allowing her to carry the umbrella for seven days as a pretext, she permitted her to have two months and eight days of memories, letting her remember the disgraceful pain and throbbing of applying medicine.

A Luo lowered her gaze, her pretty profile like that of a common wealthy young lady; she originally ought to have been more firm, but she'd suddenly had a sort of sense that could be called sympathy; at that time, gazing at A Tao, her heart had repeatedly inquired, that day when she herself had loved A Yin but A Yin hadn't loved her back, why did her honour not allow her to glance back, and she'd been duty-bound to reject the marriage?

It had been because of memory, of being worthy. Remembering her own wholly devoted, undisturbed love; being worthy of the future not necessarily having lonely courage once more. Because of this, she'd thought of the rose myrtle girl who hadn't grown beneath the eaves for long; perhaps she also wanted to remember.

She didn't speak; Li Shiyi's limpid autumn voice sounded from the side. "And what if she isn't willing to use it?"

A Luo paused, her thumb sliding against the frame of the umbrella, her gaze looking towards A Yin, who, wrapped in an overcoat, was coming out of the door. A Yin's pale, fair hands, letting out a breath and rubbing them a couple times, smiling tenderly as she walked towards her.

A Luo said quietly, "Then forget it, that's fine as well."

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Translator's notes:

[1]: 八九不离十 (bajiu buli shi), literally "eight and nine aren't apart from ten", figuratively meaning that something is nearly there or just about.

[2]: 提灯 (ti deng), literally "Rising Light".

[3]: 一招半式 (yizhao banshi), refering to a small degree of martial action.

[4]: 游星 (you xing), literally "Roaming Star".