Early in the morning, the five Tanzang men woke and glanced at the mountain lake, only to find that the people from yesterday were gone.
"The mountain lake isn't far from here; it's just ahead," U-ri pointed out, walking a few steps ahead.
"Where did those people go?" Michio muttered, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"Why are you curious about them?" Abrafo scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. "Whether they live or die, that's not our problem. Our biggest issue now is whether we'll have enough food to sustain us before we continue our journey."
"I agree with some of what Abrafo said," Yul stated, his voice calm.
Abrafo turned to look at Yul, a frown creasing his brow. "Are you still angry about what I said last night?" he asked, his tone genuinely concerned. "If you're still angry, just tell me."
"I'm not," Yul replied simply.
"If you're not, then why do you only agree with half of what I said?" Abrafo pressed. "When those people drew their swords against us yesterday, it seemed you protected Hajime more than anyone else, so… what changed your mind?"
"If you didn't mention what happened in the past, I wouldn't have remembered it," Yul explained, a faint shrug. "For me, it's a small issue. There's nothing important for me to remember."
"Then why do you only agree with half of what I say?" Abrafo persisted.
"The part about having enough food to last a few more days, that I agreed with," Yul clarified. "I don't agree on the part that we shouldn't worry about other people's safety."
"So, are you really going to risk your life and the lives of our people for a stranger?" Abrafo challenged, his voice rising.
"I didn't say that," Yul countered.
"But you're thinking about it," Abrafo stated, reading him.
"If we can help people avoid dying, then we should do what we can to help them," Yul said, his gaze distant, "and maybe one day when we are in trouble, someone might do the same for us."
Hajime turned to face Yul and Abrafo, a conflicted expression on his face. "I agree with Abrafo," he said, his voice hesitant. "I hate to say it, but I'd rather live to see the end than die trying to save someone else that isn't one of you."
Michio shook his head vehemently. "No… you and Abrafo shouldn't think like that. If we see someone dying in front of us, we need to help them. Buddha taught us to love all creations, from the smallest ant to the largest elephant. Saving lives should not be discriminated against because of gender, social status, or if the person is good or evil. Love your neighbor as yourself and treat others as yourself; this is the law of nature."
U-ri, walking a few steps ahead, stopped abruptly. The other four, engrossed in their argument, weren't paying attention and bumped into his back.
"What's the matter?" Michio asked, rubbing his nose.
U-ri pointed to the mountain lake not far away. "Look over there. Is someone drowning?" he said, his voice tinged with surprise. "I wonder if they're the people we met yesterday?"
Abrafo smiled, a slight sense of pride in his heart, as he saw the woman struggling to drag the man out of the mountain lake. He folded his arms across his chest. "I won't help." He looked down at the scene, unmoved.
Michio shook his head, a determined glint in his eye, and rushed down the small cliff. U-ri turned around to the others. "Let's go and see why the brother and sister threw themselves into the mountain lake."
Michio quickly reached the water's edge and grabbed Baishui's arm. "Miss, let me help you," he offered, turning to Jiāo. "Uh… you're not Lady Kexin."
"I am not," Jiāo confirmed, her voice urgent. "Please help me pull him up!"
Michio effortlessly picked up Baishui, carried him to one of the flat boulders, and gently laid him down.
Hajime looked at Baishui, a vague sense of familiarity tugging at his memory. "What happened to him?" he asked.
"He drowned," Jiāo stated, her voice tight with worry.
Hajime's eyes widened in shock. "Drowned? Michio, you're not supposed to put him on that boulder! Put him down on the ground!"
"But the ground isn't clean," Jiāo protested, frowning.
"It's a little dirty, but his life will be saved," Hajime countered, his voice sharp. "Which do you choose?"
Michio immediately grabbed Baishui and lowered him to the ground. Hajime quickly knelt, straddling Baishui, and began performing CPR. After the first set of thirty chest compressions, he tilted Baishui's head back and gave him two breaths.
"Hey, you can't violate him like that!" Jiāo exclaimed, her eyes wide.
Abrafo glanced at Yul, a smirk on his face. "Are you going to stop your husband from kissing that man?"
"I don't even know what he's doing," Yul replied calmly, his eyes fixed on Hajime. "I can't interfere by stopping what he's doing. Let's watch it first."
After Hajime completed three full sets of thirty compressions and two breaths, Baishui began to cough, a sputtering, choking sound.
Jiāo quickly pushed Hajime aside, rushed over, and hugged Baishui tightly. "I'm glad you're not dead!" she cried, tears streaming down her face.
Baishui chuckled weakly. "I'm not dead yet. The old man won't let me die." He gently pushed Jiāo away and looked at the five people standing beside him. He slowly stood up, a small smile gracing his lips as he looked at Hajime. "It's you… I finally saw you in person."
Hajime looked at Baishui strangely, a puzzled frown on his face. "Do we know each other?" he asked. "I don't believe I've seen you before."
"We met yesterday," Baishui insisted, his gaze intense. "I've never seen anyone look so much like me. White hair, white eyelashes, white skin."
"You must still be hallucinating," Hajime said, shaking his head. "You look nothing like me."
Baishui looked at Jiāo, his expression bewildered. "Jiāo, do I look like him?" Jiāo shook her head. "How could it be?" Baishui hurried back to the mountain lake, desperate to see his reflection.
Abrafo sneered, a sarcastic note in his voice. "Hey, you don't look like Hajime at all. You don't have to kill yourself for just that simple reason. You're pretty good-looking yourself, so don't lose hope."
Baishui looked down at his own reflection in the water and found that he no longer had white hair or horns. His face fell in a deep frown. "Did the old man really turn me into a mortal to prove his point?" He gritted his teeth. "I won't let the old man succeed."
Jiāo stood beside Baishui, her concern evident. "Ninth Prince, are you really going to jump back into the magic realm?"
Baishui turned around and saw the five people standing behind him, staring intently. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Don't call me prince again."
"Then what should I call you?" Jiāo asked, equally hushed.
"Baishui…" he replied.
"Huh… Well… I don't think I can do it," Jiāo mumbled, shaking her head.
"The old man took away my divine power and turned me into a mortal just to prove his point," Baishui explained, his voice urgent. "You are the only one of us who can still use your power, so don't let other people know who we are. Call me Baishui, and if they ask, just say that we are classmates who like to take long journeys together."
"If we were both men, it would be okay to say it," Jiāo argued, a slight blush on her cheeks, "but we're not. I'd rather be your maid."
"Okay!" Baishui had no choice but to quickly agree to Jiāo's suggestion.
The more Baishui talked with Jiāo in private, the more he noticed the five people still staring at them, their suspicion growing.
"Hey, are you two done talking?" Abrafo shouted, impatient.
"It's decided!" Baishui whispered to Jiāo, his voice firm. "If they ask, we will be master and servant. I will speak for you; don't say anything that's not necessary, because when you say too much, you always leak secrets." He then waved to Abrafo. "We're coming!" Baishui and Jiāo walked back to the five Tanzang men.
"So, where did you two come from?" Yul asked, his expression curious.
Baishui looked at Yul with a charming smile. "Where are you from?" he countered playfully.
"We are from Tanzang," U-ri proudly stated.
"Welcome to Green Mountain," Baishui said, his smile widening.
"You sound like you know the mountain well," Michio observed, a thoughtful look on his face.
"You've slept in my lord's cabin for two days," Jiāo interjected, a touch of rebuke in her tone, "you should show more appreciation towards him."
"So, this is your house?" U-ri asked, surprised.
"Yes, we were out for a two-month journey," Baishui explained. "As soon as we got back and saw you were still there, we decided to stay in one of the caves." He pointed at the mountain behind the cabin and then looked at Hajime. "We met by the lake yesterday."
"I saw you, but I thought it was a mirage," Hajime admitted, his eyes still studying Baishui.
"Since this is your home, we can live in one of the caves," Yul offered, trying to be accommodating. "We need a place to rest and heal our wounds before we continue our journey."
"You go ahead and stay inside," Baishui said, waving a dismissive hand. "What kind of host would I be if I kicked you out of my cabin as soon as I returned?" He smiled warmly at the men standing in front of him. "Although this is a small log cabin, I believe it will suit all of us."
Hajime rushed to Baishui's side and murmured, "Who was buried in the woods?"
Jiāo laughed, a light, tinkling sound. "There are no corpses buried there. The master was afraid that someone would steal from the cabin when we went out, so he buried pots, pans, and other things there."
"So that's not a grave?" Abrafo asked, his eyes wide with surprise.
Jiāo shook her head. "In that so-called grave, there are medicines that can heal your wounds." She smiled. "You go; I'll get our bags."
"Do you need help?" Michio offered.
Jiāo shook her head. "I can handle it. There are not many."
Baishui smiled at Jiāo. "I forgot to take my bag when I came up. Please make sure."
"I understand," Jiāo replied, already starting to walk away.
"Why did you decide to build a house here?" Hajime asked Baishui, his curiosity piqued. "Is it far away from the people in the village?"
"I like this mountain," Baishui said simply. "It's nice and quiet."
Hajime looked intently at Baishui. "You are very strange; unlike other human beings I have met. I cannot see your source of life."
Baishui returned Hajime's gaze with a knowing smile. "Aren't we very similar? I can't see your source of life either. The dark source of life in this body does not belong to you." He leaned in, his smile turning mischievous. "If you don't expose me, I won't expose you."
Hajime scoffed, a skeptical look on his face. "Are you threatening me?"
"No," Baishui replied, his smile widening. "I'm just blackmailing you."