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f o u r
☽✧☾
Li Chen returned to the study carrying two simple, steaming bowls – one filled with fragrant rice, the other with stir-fried vegetables. He also carried the ornate lacquered box. He set them all on the low table near Lu Hua's cushion nest.
Lu Hua, smelling food, scrambled up immediately. Her eyes went straight to the fancy box. "Ooh, what's this? Looks fancy!" Before Li Chen could explain, she flipped the lid open. Inside were delicate pastries, glazed meats, and intricately carved fruits – a world away from his simple vegetables. She snatched a small, flaky pastry shaped like a flower and popped it whole into her mouth.
Her eyes widened. "Sweet!" She swallowed, then immediately picked up the bowl of Li Chen's stir-fry. She took a big bite. "Oh! Salty Veggies!"
Li Chen watched her raid both food sources indiscriminately. He simply picked up his scroll again and sat back on his cushion, returning to his reading as she demolished the feast.
(Below, in a sunny academy courtyard)
Bai Yuling sat gracefully on a stone bench, surrounded by a cluster of giggling friends. The young male disciple approached, bowing deeply. "Bai Yuling, I delivered the food box to Master Li Chen as you requested."
Bai Yuling's delicate face lit up with a hopeful smile. "He accepted it? Did he... say anything?"
"He simply said 'My thanks to Disciple Bai'." the disciple reported.
Before Bai Yuling could process this small victory, her friends erupted.
"Oooh, Yuling! He accepted it!"
"He must have noticed your feelings now!"
"Maybe he'll finally invite you to Frost Peak for tea!"
Bai Yuling blushed fiercely, waving a hand at them. "Hush! It was merely a gesture of respect for our Master!" But the pleased smile remained on her lips. Perhaps this time...
(Back on Frost Peak)
Lu Hua leaned back with a satisfied groan, patting her stomach. Both the ornate box and Li Chen's bowl were empty. A loud, completely unladylike burp escaped her. "Ahhh. Much better. Thanks, Li Chen." She flopped back onto her cushions.
Li Chen lowered his scroll slightly. His silver eyes studied her, calm and assessing. "When are you going home?" he stated. "Where is your village? Your family? Once you have rested, I can arrange escort."
Lu Hua froze mid-stretch. The easy contentment vanished. She slowly sat up, meeting his gaze. The playful energy was gone, replaced by a sudden, stark seriousness she rarely showed. "Li Chen," she said quietly, her voice firm. "I... I can't go back. Not like that. I'm not from here. Not from this... place. This world." She gestured vaguely around, encompassing the mountains, the academy, the flying swords – everything. "I fell into a lake in my world... and woke up in yours."
Li Chen's expression didn't change, but the intensity in his eyes sharpened. He opened his mouth, perhaps to demand clarification, perhaps to question.
*Fwoosh!*
A small, brilliant white orb of light, like a captured star, zipped silently through the open balcony door. It hovered directly in front of Li Chen's face, pulsing gently. A clear, resonant voice, sounding like multiple voices speaking as one, emanated from it: "Li Chen. The Conclave convenes. Fourth Peak. Now."
Li Chen's gaze snapped from Lu Hua to the orb. A flicker of something – annoyance? duty? – crossed his features. He stood abruptly. The orb winked out of existence.
He looked down at Lu Hua, who was staring wide-eyed at where the orb had been. "That orb was cool," she breathed, momentarily distracted.
"Remain here," Li Chen commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument. It was the sternest tone she'd heard from him yet. "Do not leave these rooms. Do not touch anything. Do not wander." His gaze swept over her, ensuring she understood the gravity. "I will return."
Without another word, he turned. His robes barely stirred as he walked swiftly out of the study and towards the balcony. Lu Hua heard no sound of footsteps or flight. She was alone again.
★
The air atop the Fourth Peak crackled with tension, colder than the mountain wind. Li Chen materialized silently onto the smooth stone platform. Three figures awaited him near a low stone table etched with star charts.
Two were elders: Master Wei, his beard long and white as snow, eyes like chips of obsidian; and Master Lan, her face a map of wrinkles but her posture unbent, radiating calm authority. The third was Jiang Feng, a Master like Li Chen, his dark hair tied back sharply, his expression grim. They were the Conclave.
"Li Chen," Master Wei's voice rasped. "Bad news. Demons surge from the Black Marsh. They razed two villages near the borderlands. No survivors."
Master Lan nodded, her voice softer but no less grave. "We dispatched a squad of senior disciples. Strong cultivators. Led by Disciple Ren." She paused, the silence heavy. "They vanished three days ago."
Master Wei fixed his ancient eyes on Li Chen. "You have the keenest senses among us, Li Chen. The sharpest blade. Find out what happened to our disciples. Stop it before it reaches the lowlands." It wasn't a request. It was an order from the Conclave.
Li Chen met the elder's gaze, his silver eyes unreadable. He gave a single, curt nod. "Understood."
Back on Frost Peak, Lu Hua was slowly losing her mind. An hour trapped in Li Chen's austere rooms felt like a year. She'd counted the stones in the wall, tried and failed to meditate like she'd seen him do, and even attempted shadow boxing. Boredom gnawed at her.
Driven by sheer restlessness, she crept out onto the balcony. The view was stunning, but her eyes caught movement below. A flash of orange and black stripes, shimmering wings fluttering. The Cloud Lynx! It was batting playfully at a floating seed pod in the garden.
"Floofy!" Lu Hua whispered, a grin spreading. Li Chen had said not to leave the room, but... he wasn't here. And the garden was basically attached!
Ignoring the command, she darted down the stone steps leading from the balcony to the garden. The Cloud Lynx chirruped happily as she approached. Lu Hua knelt, laughing as the creature nudged her hand, purring like a tiny engine. She scratched its furry chin, forgetting her boredom completely. "Yeah, you missed me, didn't you?"
Meanwhile, a young male disciple, burdened by a tall stack of scrolls, trudged up the path to Li Chen's residence. "Master Li Chen?" he called out politely at the entrance. Silence. He called again. Nothing. Assuming the Master was deep in meditation or absent, and needing to deliver the scrolls, he carefully pushed open the main door and stepped inside.
He headed towards the study, the usual path taking him past the garden. As he rounded a corner of fragrant flowering shrubs, he stopped dead.
A girl. Tall, with striking features unlike any he'd seen – smooth skin, large cat eyes, a cascade of dark hair secured with an elegant wooden pin. She wore simple robes, but her aura was different. Ethereal. Was she a visiting spirit? An elf from the Western Woods? He gaped, the scrolls forgotten in his arms.
He didn't see Li Chen materialize silently behind him. A cool hand settled firmly on the disciple's shoulder.
The disciple jumped a foot in the air, whirling around. "M-Master Li Chen! Forgive me! I called, but there was no answer, I only meant to deliver the scrolls..." He babbled, gesturing wildly towards the study, then his eyes flickered back to the oblivious girl playing with the Cloud Lynx. "Master... who... who is she?"
Li Chen's silver eyes held the disciple's, his expression utterly impassive. "That," he stated, his voice flat and final, "is none of your concern, Disciple." He released the disciple's shoulder. "Place the scrolls on the table in the study. Then leave. Immediately."
The disciple swallowed hard, bowing repeatedly. "Yes, Master! At once, Master!" He scurried towards the study, casting one last wide-eyed glance at the strange, beautiful girl laughing in the garden before vanishing inside.
Li Chen watched him go, then turned his gaze to Lu Hua. She was still completely absorbed in the Cloud Lynx, blissfully unaware of the brief, tense encounter that had just sealed her existence as Frost Peak's biggest, most forbidden mystery.
★
A few hours later, back in the quiet study, Lu Hua finally looked down at herself. She held out the sleeves of the dove-gray robe, which swallowed her hands completely, and frowned. The shoulders slumped, the hem pooled around her feet. "Dude," she complained, turning to Li Chen who was tidying scrolls. "Seriously? These are way too big. Like, comically big. I'm swimming in this."
Li Chen didn't look up. "It is mine," he stated simply.
"You required garments. Mine were available."
"But... don't you have, like... smaller ones? Maybe stuff from when you were younger? Or... disciple spares?"
"No," Li Chen replied, his tone final. He finished arranging the scrolls.
He turned to face her, his expression serious. "I must depart. A mission. It will take approximately one month."
Lu Hua's eyes widened. "A month? Where? What kind of mission?" A spark of excitement lit her face. "Can I come? I mean, I'm bored stiff here, and maybe I can help? Carry stuff? Be lookout?"
"No," Li Chen said, the word leaving no room for argument. "It is dangerous. You will remain here, but not alone." He paused, choosing his words. "I will arrange for you to stay with an old friend. While I am away. Safer."
Lu Hua's shoulders slumped. "Oh. Okay. Fine." She pouted slightly, pulling the oversized sleeves over her hands like mittens. "Guess I get babysat by your friend."
Meanwhile, down in the bustling academy refectory, the young male disciple who had delivered the scrolls pushed food around his plate. His mind wasn't on the meal. It was fixed on the image burned into his memory: the tall girl with the dark, braided hair and the striking eyes, laughing with the Cloud Lynx in Master Li Chen's private garden. Who was she?
"Hey, Wen Chao!" A friend nudged him hard, jolting him from his daze. "You've been zoning out since you got back from Frost Peak delivery. What crawled into your brain and died?"
Wen Chao jumped, his chopsticks clattering against his bowl. "Huh? What? Nothing!" he stammered, his cheeks instantly flushing crimson. He quickly cleared his throat, trying to look nonchalant. "Just... tired. Thinking about meridians."
His friends exchanged knowing smirks. "Meridians?" one scoffed. "Looked more like you were thinking about a girl."
"Yeah!" another chimed in, leaning closer. "Spill! Who is she? Did you see someone special up on the frosty peak? One of the rare cleaning sprites?"
"Maybe Master Li Chen secretly keeps a beautiful spirit hidden away!" another teased.
Wen Chao's face burned hotter. "No! Don't be ridiculous!" he protested, his voice rising slightly with panic. "There's no girl! I didn't see anyone special! Just... delivering scrolls! Now eat!" He shoved a large bite of rice into his mouth, desperately avoiding their amused stares. Inside, his heart pounded. He had seen her. And Master Li Chen's icy word "None of your concern"– echoed in his ears, making him pout. But the mystery of the girl in the Frost Peak garden was now firmly lodged in his mind.
The next morning, before the sun properly lit the peaks, Li Chen and Lu Hua left Frost Peak. They traveled swiftly – not by sword, but with a speed that made the wind whistle past Lu Hua's ears, leaving her clinging to his sleeve. Soon, they arrived in a peaceful valley filled with tall, rustling bamboo. Hidden among the green stalks was a small, neat house made of dark wood.
As they approached the door, it slid open. A woman stood there. She looked kind but strong, with warm brown eyes and streaks of grey in her dark hair pulled into a simple bun. She wore practical, earth-toned robes.
"Li Chen," the woman said, her voice calm like a stream. A small smile touched her lips.
"Mei Lin," Li Chen replied, giving a respectful nod.
Mei Lin's gaze shifted to Lu Hua, who was busy staring wide-eyed at a colorful butterfly fluttering near the bamboo. "And this is?"
Li Chen stepped closer to Mei Lin, lowering his voice slightly. "This is Lu Hua. Please watch over her while I'm gone. She is... unique. Finds things boring easily. Complains a lot." He said the last word with a hint of dry emphasis.
Lu Hua finally noticed them talking about her and grinned, waving. "Hi!"
Li Chen turned back to Lu Hua. "Stay with Mei Lin. Listen to her." He paused, then added simply, "I go now."
"Bye!" Lu Hua called out, a playful glint in her eye. "Bye, Handsome Man!"
Li Chen didn't react, already turning away. Mei Lin, however, raised one eyebrow sharply, looking from Lu Hua's cheerful face to Li Chen's retreating back. She said nothing as he vanished silently into the bamboo forest.
Mei Lin turned her full attention to Lu Hua. "Come inside, child," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "Let's get you settled."
Inside, the house was cozy and smelled faintly of herbs. Mei Lin led Lu Hua to a small room. It had a simple bed with thick quilts, a small window looking out at the bamboo, and a wooden chest. "This will be yours," Mei Lin said.
Lu Hua looked around. "Oh! Looks really comfy! Thanks!" She dropped her backpack and flopped onto the bed experimentally. "Nice."
Mei Lin watched her, her eyes lingering on the dove-gray robe Lu Hua wore. She frowned slightly, stepping closer. "Lu Hua... that robe you're wearing..."
Lu Hua looked down at the oversized sleeves. "Yeah? What about it? It's way too big, right? Li Chen said it was his. He didn't have anything smaller." She sighed dramatically, holding out her arms so the sleeves dangled.
Mei Lin reached out and lightly touched the fabric near the collar, her expression thoughtful and slightly surprised. "Yes... yes, it is his." She paused, studying Lu Hua for a moment longer, then seemed to shake off her thoughts. "Well, you can't wander around looking like you're lost in a tent. I have several robes I made that were never used. They should fit you much better. I'll fetch them."
Lu Hua's face lit up. "Really? Awesome! Thank you, Auntie Mei!" Finally, clothes that might actually stay on!