“We… we’re just munching on radishes…” Bai Shuo quickly picked up a small dish of radish strips and looked downcast. “No business today, so Mu Mu dug up a few radishes for us.” She sighed, patting her empty belly. “Nothing but vegetables day in and day out. Look at me, I’m practically starving.”
Hua Hong’s gaze lingered on Bai Shuo’s belly, softening her expression slightly. But she still clutched her hammer tightly, making it creak. “Did you see my chicken? One’s gone missing.”
Goodness, she’s got over a hundred chickens—how can she tell if one’s missing?
As Bai Shuo muttered inwardly, her legs trembled, and she quickly said, “Sister, this time, it really wasn’t me. It must’ve been Scholar Zhu from next door. When I came back earlier, I saw him with a big sack, his face covered in dust. I was wondering why he looked so disheveled. Turns out he stole your chicken!”
Hua Hong looked at Bai Shuo’s indignant expression, then raised her eyebrows at Fan Yue. “Is your master telling the truth?”
Fan Yue nodded solemnly. “Yes, I saw him too, with a big sack.”
“That deadbeat scholar! I’ll split him in two!” Everyone around knew Daoist Bai's disciple was honest, so Hua Hong immediately hefted her hammer and stormed off.
Once that mountainous figure had disappeared into the neighboring yard, Bai Shuo let out a long sigh, her belly round and full. “Oh, goodness, that nearly killed me… Hic… Hic…” She couldn’t even finish her sentence before she started hiccuping from the meat’s lingering taste. She’d eaten so quickly, she’d gotten the hiccups!
Fan Yue hurriedly handed her the peach blossom wine. “Master, take it easy—here, drink.”
Bai Shuo gulped down a large mouthful of wine, finally catching her breath. From next door came the sound of squawking chickens and yelling.
“Quick, shut the door before Big Iron Hua comes back for revenge!” Bai Shuo tore off her fake mustache, grabbed Fan Yue, and slipped into the cottage.
The moon rose over the treetops, and the world was peaceful once more. Bai Shuo took a hot bath, put on a clean long robe, and lay comfortably under the tree, gazing at the moon. Her obedient disciple was quietly peeling melon seeds beside her. In the moonlight, his profile looked serene, almost as if it had absorbed the essence of mountains and rivers. The soft down on his forehead was visible in the glow. Bai Shuo found herself holding her breath, momentarily entranced.
As a great demon, Bai Shuo had never taken a good look at him. He was always calling her “Master” and behaving so respectfully that she hadn’t noticed until now how striking his features were.
“Master?” The boy turned his head, seeing her staring at him with a dazed expression. He frowned, puzzled.
“Disciple, starting tomorrow, put a few smudges of dirt on your face before we set up the stall,” she ordered.
Fan Yue, looking confused, touched his face. “But… why?”
“You look too ugly. Don’t scare the ladies away. We need them for business.” If he grew any more handsome, those ladies might actually succeed in stealing him away!
Bai Shuo waved her hand dismissively, her face expressionless, lying through her teeth without a hint of shame.
“I have to protect your virtue. If one day you regain your memory, won’t you just smack me to death?” she muttered quietly to herself, feeling an inexplicable pang at the thought of him disappearing someday.
“Disciple, when will you be ready to graduate?” Bai Shuo suddenly asked, looking up at the moon.
Fan Yue’s expression changed. He turned to her with a panicked look. “Master, are you going to leave me?”
“No, no, it’s just a thought. You’ll grow up eventually. People grow up, and then they have to make their way in the world. You can’t stay by my side forever, right?”
“I won’t grow up,” Fan Yue said with a shy smile. “Master, I’ll stay with you. Wherever you are, that’s where I’ll be.”
The boy’s smile was so sincere, his gaze full of dependence, that Bai Shuo felt her heart blossom with joy. The clouds in her mind lifted, and she gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. “Good disciple, so filial! Tomorrow, when I earn some spirit pearls, I’ll take you to Yan Yang Restaurant for roast suckling pig!”
“Mm!” The boy nodded eagerly, his face beaming with excitement.
Under the moonlight, their shadows intertwined, creating a scene as warm as any in the mortal world.
Not far off, in a dim corner, the female demon poked the stern-faced Cang Shan beside her, pointing toward the courtyard.
“Hey, Cang Shan, do you think our hall master… might be a little… well… slow?” She knocked on her head for emphasis.
Cang Shan looked at the boy grinning foolishly in the yard, then stiffly turned his gaze away.
* * *
The next day, the same familiar street, the same familiar pair of master and disciple.
Bai Shuo had just directed Fan Yue to set up the stall, but before she could start calling out, a group of people appeared in front of her.
“Are you Daoist Bai?” the man in front asked, his voice deep. “Do you divine fate and fortune?”
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