In certain corners of her mind, Wei Zhiruo felt the pressing need of sorting out most of her plans before she was to set forth on this particular journey into the North Woods. Her trial was due in a couple days. It was not a easy deal, nothing short of being at a disadvantage when you are clearly unaware of what is going to be served and put forth in the plates – and so, with all the trepidations of any young blood, and more so with the urging of her friends in the meadow, the Dormouse Li Shuishui, his human wife Grandmother Martha and the very old and particular Master Treasure Hunting Mouse; with all that pulsating urgency to arm herself, she was to garner all the knowledge that could be garnered in a fortnights time, and tools that could be imaginatively thought of as a need in those closed off brainstorming sessions were to be prepared. In summary, Wei Zhiruo was to arm herself to her teeth before she was let down by her concerned company.

It was all in good and cheery spirit, and now she was left with a couple more days before she set for the trial grounds.

At this point of time, she was very much unaware of the influences that had already penetrated the Inheritance trial, leaving only some impressions and guesses. She had an inkling that what the rest of the people here claimed to be the Inheritance of 'the Seven Cloud Palace' was by no means any longer attached to that very allegiance – there was certain chance of it having been heavily invaded by the Palace Temple of a Buddhist Treasure.

The artifact of which she understood very little of still, was likely to have achieved having done that. So, in such consternation she let go of any heavy influences on her feelings or any particular disadvantages of venturing onwards. There really was nothing she could do to get out of this current situation without risking many other innocent lives. And she abhorred any connection of herself with that cowardly act. She wasn't troubled by the unexpected way everything was leading on as if a hand was guiding her to urgently go in this muddling way. Her eyes shrank each time she thought of those leading strings - as if this particular person knew her so well that he could devise each of her choices with an unexpected sort of accuracy. And anyone she could be friends with such open heart was by any chance of an open heart. She could bet, then that the force majeure was a necessity. 

Her not knowing the details of the plan was but a short reflection of a past she wasn't still aware of.

Wei Zhiruo pondered on, her pulsing head leaning against the cotton filled pillows in Grandfather Li Shuishui’s house. She had been spending the past fourteen days indulging in the instructions of Master Treasure Hunting Mouse. With his guidance, she had been struggling over the runes and many artifacts which could be found in his treasure trove. She got many advices on how to start on her journey learning the seals and runes that she found on the sheepskin scroll. Since Master of the Seven Cloud Palace was a master of Runes and Artifacts she was to expect it coming in the inheritance trial for sure.

If it doesn't come by any chance it meant, she was right. She was in some places other than the Seven Cloud Palace for an unknown inheritance.

But still, any preparation that she could do was to be done. She had been bending over thick pages of ancient scrawling letters. She had almost forgotten to eat and rest in all that reading that she had done the past fourteen days. She would have most likely starved if not for the constant admonishments from Martha, or her ever ready servings of piping hot pies and cakes and breads of all assortments sent through the hands of Grandfather ShuiShui.

This was the first night she had ever laid herself properly over a flat surface and desired to be asleep. Having flitted through most of the books in Grandfather Treasure Mouses collection – not many related to her trials or the history of Pinglai realm, or even seals and Runes, but they had been very lucid and interestingly worded works that talked of many other miscellaneous subjects. With her keen interest over that particular section of knowledge she had spent most of the fortnight over miscellaneous subjects rather than over runes. 

If she had more time, she would have wanted to savor their flavor and dwell over the matter a little slowly, enjoying the experience but since the bell of doom was constantly ringing over her head she could only try to come back and ask for some more titles from this collection– if she did accomplish owning the space, then the matter of meeting Master Treasure Hunting Mouse and enjoying his amazing collection of book was but a matter of one’s own convenience. Though Wei Zhiruo personally didn't want any hands over other peoples dwelling places. Without being asked over, she was going to hand over the ownership of this place to the Treasure Hunting Mouse. 

With that, all kindness showered over her would have an outlet. She wouldn't feel particularly bad on going off on her own, or leaving these gentle souls. 

Wei Zhiruo dwelt upon the obsidian ring she had been gifted.

Surprisingly, only this afternoon, with her newly discovered gift of the monocles, she found some very ingeniously etched carvings over the grim looking black Obsidian stone. In fact, she even felt that the strange connection she had felt between itself and her own self – as if an ancient charm of blood calling, that linked to blood related people, faded away in torrents as uncapacious feelings went and smothered her remaining trust on the White Lady’s intention. She had really meant her no good. Or she didn't meant any good to the Chosen one. 

‘Strange.’ Wei Zhiruo pondered. ‘As if the statements about the long wait had been but some set of lies – if not her, then the one that had been divined by them. They don’t trust their Chosen saviors and want them under their own control – or rather, the person in question is so greatly beneficial to their quest that they cannot leave her be on her own devices.”

From here, she was left with two choices. One of completely ignoring this suspicious article till she became confident of her abilities regarding the Runes. Or, venturing either way. And she was going to choose the latter without much thought. Any moment in the future was as ever, as surrounded in haze and miss-happenings as this moment. She might not be better in control. As such, this moment was as much good to go as any other. So, she was going to have a glimpse at the memories stored in the obsidian and sort out the traces of the soul enchantments inside it.

‘But, was this soul really her mother-in-name’s?' What if a strange dead monk wanted to take away her soul and try to replace it through this fake favor? She can only use the blood curse than, hopefully it might work since the people down here are in particular, unaware of her kinds.’

Thinking of this, Wei Zhiruo raised her torso, postured her legs in a numbing Lotus style meditating state and then taking the ring in between her two fingers she bit at her thumb to bleed into the stone.

If a monk was to bleed so very presumptuously at a suspicious Artifact of which he knew for certain the chances of being ill-favored or attacked, he would be nothing short of being insane or seeking death. But for Wei Zhiruo, using the blood as the medium to peer through the memories rather than her own consciousness was the greatest safety she could amount in her current state. 

A Blood-kin could trust her blood even while betting for life. It was no surprise, her waywardness, it was a wisdom left through hard earned life-lessons of her ancestors.

*

“What are these?”

“Concentric knots. Weren’t you all so fussing about me being gone to faraway places and never finding my way home, here’s an ultimate medicine for all your doubts for now. With this even when our heads are all grey and our hands so weary of touch, and then all lost to handful of loess – we can start a new love story in our next life. You might not lose me.”

“Oh! Look at who is being so arrogant here. As if, this princess needed you to assure her of that. Do you dare attempt an escape from my hands? Master Houyu, Uh, huh?”

“You aren’t tying it, then? So unfortunate, and I even thought of taking it to the great temple for consecration.”

“What are you doing going away like that, come back! At least complete your proposition, will you? Hey! Where are you taking the threads, I didn’t say I will not accept your gift did I? I will gladly respond to your begging – of course when you all are on your knees and stuff. Where are you going? Come back, come here! Wei Houyu!”

In the all to familiar old compounds of the Wei Jia, a small inconspicuous looking blob of shadowy mist, looked on as the two young figures chased each other. Her surrounding was a pale shade of misty grey but the spectacles stored, the images unfolding were pristinely preserved in the most vibrant of colors. 

It was the time of the spring and the courtyard was flowering with myriads of blossoms, pink and white and several other strikingly gorgeous hues of red. The leaves were tender and fresh, budding still and the petals all too softened in their tones. On the stone pavements there could be seen the several layers of their falling petals, all so mixed up and beautiful in their scattered death that when the sweeping maid finally came to collect it all inside a basket and strung it all away to be thrown with the rest of the waste, the pavements were left quite pityingly bare. 

But the shadow had little moment to mourn the petals, as she found herself in a new scene. There were no towering cornices, no slanting roof with shining blue tiles, no arching hallways or passages. It was no longer the earlier stone paved courtyard fluttering with all the remains of the spring’s virulence. Here was more like a boudoir of a lady, with the postered bed hung down with brocaded curtains shaded a red color, and many beautifully engravings and embroideries showcased in their hanging places, intricately fixed upholsteries, telling of their master’s flair and good taste. But now, it all looked too morose, too malevolent in its saddening gloomy darkness.

The beauty, who had just a while back cheerfully chased after her lover so mirthfully innocent and unaware, had now fallen down on her knees and her hair were in such disarray that the viewer could be left in no doubt of her hearts distress.

The beauty leaned over in front of the looking mirror, her elbows hurtlingly splayed over the dressing table pushing away her many caskets with their little trinkets and jewels, toppling them all over the floor in great confusion. There were heart rending sobs echoing in the chamber, as the candle wick fluttered in the thundering roar of downpour outside. The raging of the heavens, the crying of the woman and the silence of that unpitying night was very strikingly different from the past memories of playful spring. Wei Zhiruo was anointed to the fact, that she had skipped many years into the future, perhaps many seasons still from the spring to the one drenched in rain and somber sultriness.

Soon a footstep reached the beauty weeping over her fate. She stilled in her anticipation, but for quite a while there was no face to that sound; the lady let go her anticipations, the brightened light in her eyes flickered away. There was a sudden animation in the chamber as the curtains raised by the windows letting in a particularly dastardly looking gust of wind which happened to reach out and hush the last of the dying candles. The face of that peering beauty drenched with sweat and tears was soon to descend into the same kind of anguished darkness, as her heart had descended in the most torturous of her partings. But Wei Zhiruo could only glance at her distress but herself wasn't capable of understanding the myriads of conflicting emotions fixed over that aghast face.  

“Jiang Feilan.”

There was no answer to that call.

The weeping body had settled down in a languid sob, descending down into a sleepy sort of disownment, as if that sleep will remove the past and once again bring her the lost calm of her dearest heart, or her heavily fluttering eyelashes will ward away the visitor who came with no good news to stay his steps at the doorway and not to venture in.

The lady called Jiang Feilan didn’t respond, but her taut body stood up from the floor, and started to straighten her apparel. However much she had been distraught, however slowly she set on her attempt to look calm and well-kept. She tried for quite a while to settle her long hair in an order, but the length of it, and the extent to which it had been compromised, made its wearier still entangled in an unfortunate cause; soon she completely let go of that venture and started collecting the small rings and necklaces inside the wooden casket. That came of easily, but the shadows of that figure so bending down from her earlier grace made it all so unconventionally horrifying. The disgrace of that fallen beauty, made even Wei Zhiruo not know how to swallow that bitter feeling she felt in her throat. But in the meantime, there was the constant jingling of trinkets falling down on the wooden surface. One, two, three of them all rolling and piling in the heap. And there was no other voice to be heard.

The man who stood outside the chamber barged in with great courage and fell down on his knees with a thump. The sound of it was so alarming that the lady forgot to hold the necklace she was extending her arms toward and let go of the casket. It once more fell in the same pitiful disarray as it had in its earlier state before any recovery.

The man stilled the weary hands who had reached out for another of the bracelets, forcefully stilling any protest from the weak, haggard hands, and gazed deeply into the stoned eyes. He peered so passionately and deeply that he appeared to be searching for something precious with the same hope as a child holds when he turns to his parent to show them his treasures, but equally mortified at the discovery of the absence of them, those precious figure. Revolted, so gutted was he to find none of that light that he often saw in them, in so much anguish was apparent over his face that it could only be garnered through his sudden letting go of the hands and falling down prostrate over the lap of the lady – very much like a fallen warrior on his last expedition. In the chamber that had just seen the heart wrenching crying of the fair lady, there was another equally distorted cry of disbelief. Or rather a lament of loss.

At length when the sobs echoed with thirsting hope for light, finding none in reach and melting into a glass of distorted shape, those very haggard and weak limbs reached out and leaving all hesitations rocked the figure in her lap, as if giving solace to that lost child who had no hope of ever reuniting with the most precious treasure of his life. But there still was no light in those eyes, that were now fluttering with emotions.

“What have they done? What have they done – What should I do Jiang Feilan, tell me please! What should I do to get it all back as before?”

“Wei Houyu, they might have made you betray me. You can tell however much of your failings, but my heart will never accept this turn of events, forgive me. I cannot. When you were made to step in those chambers, I lost the right to keep you wholly to myself. I failed you. I confess I am a jealous woman and I had made it very clear since the first day -” The woman at length spoke in her broken voice, and once again rescinded in her laments, closing her eyes tightly. But her hands hadn’t stopped caressing the hair of her lover, or her rocking solace.

“There’s no hope?”

“None.”

“Then, I will bless you and still love you as much you have done over the years and still more, deeper than ever before. There is no ending to that, I expect, my Lan’er?”

“No, I will love you still, as much as my heart can bear this anguish and hurt. No, there might be no day when that emotion ebbs off my churning heart. You be at peace.”

“I will. And then I will respect you as ever before, and much more like the figure of a blessed deity. Let me embrace you for the last time in this human avatar. Let me drink of these lips for the last time that I embrace you till the morning light fills this chamber, and I die into ashes here only to be reborn as a stone for the morrows. I ask you for the last favor of you. All the lingering and pangs for the earlier warmth can’t make me come back to you or look straight into your eyes again, but in this darkness where I cannot see your pain or look into eyes...let me embrace you for the last time. The last time I have embraced you as my lover, Jiang Feilan. From now the others will see nothing but my respect to you, all morphed from my deepest love. Believe me and allow me, will you?”

“I might, Wei Houyu. I know I ask too much of you.”

“No! it was never your fault! How can that be. Even though we cannot have our own children, there are many surnamed Wei in this place. This happened because I was too incapable of supporting my own decisions. There were too many heads that can rule over me and you and dictate our fates. And I should have seen this coming. But I will not hurt you, asking you to accept all this pain and smile like a virtuous wife. Don’t expect me to ever lay such claim on you. I married you as my lover not my wife to serve my failings.”

“Wei Houyu.”

“Yes.”

“Wei Houyu, please tell me that this was but a very long, all too real nightmare…and I am still not awake. Call my name, please, if you do, reassure me of that. Call my name.”

There was no response to that request and soon, the grey shadow of Wei Zhiruo moved with the shifting scenes of the long memory. There was no light or that chamber anymore. Just like at the beginning, Wei Zhiruo stood flabbergasted on her feet inside a strange kitchen compound, the day looking humid and hot. There was even some figure carrying a pail of water, sprinkling it over the stone pavements around the porch, as if by doing it they were trying to lift the curse of the fire demon. The sudden burst of sizzling once the water touched the stone produced a strange cooling effect, as it were this steam that wafted out which, indeed, was the cooling agent needed for the moment.

There was also the voice of a maid, fussing over the newest addition to master Houyu’s Western Courtyard, grumbling in a droll to stress upon her convictions. Her stout back leaned over the wet pile of cutleries, cleaning of the suds and removing the traces of waste in a bucket and ducking in another before placing it over a huge tray to dry in the sun. Then there was another one who was bent over some piles of rice in bamboo baskets, cleaning the ill chanced traces of any stones or husks or anything that shouldn’t appear in the eyes of the master. She, in her turn, chirped with equal amount of enthusiasm at the birth of the eldest lady, Wei Cuihua from the barren Mistress Jiang – remarking at the huge blessing it has been.

“Do you believe it though? Master had been absent for whole year and Lady says she was to give birth to Master Houyu’s own? How that holds, gods only know. The inner courtyards are never too full of such news!”

“Keep down your voice! Hush, what are you talking with such a loud voice! Do you want your head chopped of, or do you want me to go along with you on that netherworld journey; if not so be quiet for me. And Jiang mama already said master was back for some while without informing the main house or elders – who can tell what the actual truth about the matter is! For all we know it actually is Mistress Jiang’s own.”

“Yes, yes. Either way she has born the eldest daughter of the clan, the rightful legitimate daughter!”

“So, you say.”

“But I heard the Old Mistress herself fell down and had a miscarriage? There was not much fuss about that, if you ask me.”

“Poor lady, she had suffered through so much! Wasn’t everyone calling her names and of having no shame for being with a child when the old master was so old and had been away for so long – I even heard a maid of hers say that she used to drink the rooster’s blood in the early of the dawn; would you believe the righteous wife of Wei house was claimed to have witch bloodline?”

“This matters to none of us, here. Our days are not long enough to get over these piles of dishes or the shelling and cleansings of all those vegetables to get pricked up about our masters’ matters. What you say?”

“Oh! you not interested my old maid, then so be it – I was telling you only to lift your spirits my darling, I heard you were all so sad upon Old Mistress’s being brought to the elder’s council, ya know. Right for you that it all turns for the better – now that the child’s gone there’s no blemish on our old, lovely mistress, is there?”

“There was none to speak of since the beginning, I say! All some hogwash the fifth mistress of the branch family is telling about to get our mistress under the knife – no doubt upon that. Or else, I heard a similar case in my village too. The old mother Wang was all too aged, almost past her fifties when she birthed the youngest son of the family and no one said a bad word for it – it was all too natural. Everybody went to see that small child, so small he was you won’t believe. Apart from the uncommon sight of his length, no one found a tail or ears sticking out from untoward places, altogether a pretty human child!”

“Okay, hush girl, I take your word than. I won't speak badly of your past mistress. Let it be so. Oh! see here comes, Mama Su. What is she holding, I can’t tell.”

“A dead Rooster.”

“For Old Mistress?”

“More likely, for the confined lady Jiang.”

This was the end of the conversation and the scene. The scene descended into swirling motions and brought the strange haze of Wei Zhiruo figure through many years. She counted them to be as many as ten autumns and springs. She looked through the traces of changing time in the foliage’s, in the unexpected growths of weeds in the stones pavements which were then rushed to be cleaned and dug out. Or the changes in the sultry wind one after the other, as the years passed slowly rolling down like a fine stone under the temperance of brooks water. From the angled edges piercing through hands to softened and glistening stones to pebbles so rounded and carved – the courtyards were like that too in its refinement through the ages. But the most remarkable thing was that though Wei Zhiruo could hear some snippets of information for general gossiping’s of some maid, she never chanced upon the same face twice. As if the walls had swallowed those working in the chambers. Slowly, there was no longer anyone gossiping.

Then came the tenth autumn and there was much fuss in the whole Weijia. There was no saving of the conundrum as the heir had been born. The next heir, doubtlessly, with no legitimate sons in place, was to be the Concubine Mengs son Wei Yize. The preparations of the Hundred days banquet was nothing short of concubine Zhang’s welcome in the Wei house a few years ago. With such fanfare that it was but a little short of becoming the legitimate wife’s wedding, one could easily imagine the new celebration. There was great din about the whole affair and the courtyards were buzzing with merry and bewildered blessings from all corners. As if this event had breathed a new life in the old walls of Wei House, even the usual nervous faces of the servants and never straying figures of maids in their files; there could be spotted in all that discipline and fine order a trace of haphazard cheerfulness for the birth of the new master. It was quite a jolly day, Wei Zhiruo surmised.

‘The first born. Definitely, the first child of master Wei Houyu.’

Wei Zhiruo had a doubt about the birth of the lady Wei Cuihua being not so much from her mother Jiang but from the Old Mistress. It definitely raised the position of her so called sister to an aunt. When it came to her, she was quite sure there was not much coincidence between one giving birth or one being unable to. And there was pretty obvious motives. 'But Witch? There was a witch clan in this Mortal realm?'

Wei Zhiruo looked through the small recollections in form of flitting, hurried preparations. She saw the seasons changing, the ginkgo turning yellow, shedding its leaves, bursting with newer paler buds and then once more spreading into lush greens. There were many such autumns, and many shedding of the Ginkgo leaves in the courtyard before the main chamber, where the ancestors’ name tablets were resting since a while back.

The birth of the first child might have opened the floodgate to a nervous celebration in the compounds, as soon enough there were several births lined up. After the birth of the second lady Wei Ziya by Mistress Jiang (Wei Zhiruo didn’t doubt that this was a case of adoption as well) Lady Zhang had born the second son of the Wei’s main family.

Then a daughter was born to Concubine Zhang named Wei Lina in the Full moon banquet, a daughter titled Wei YingLuo to Concubine Li, a daughter and a son – a pair of dragon and phoenix twins to Concubine Zhou, though unfortunately the sickly twin daughter couldn’t survive till her fourth week.

The birth of all of them was not far away in time. The children could be seen adding color to the dead air of the Wei house with their cries and stifled sobs. This went on when finally, the fourth son Wei Huoshang was born to a slave brought from outside, positioned later as Concubine Shen.

There were several banquets held, with many hurried figures rushing to make up the grandest of the banquets, rushing about the main hall, down its stone stairs and hurrying past with their baskets of things to be placed in right order and right place. There were many guests coming and going, many congratulatory voices resounding.

But in all that Wei Zhiruo never found the fair lady, with almond eyes so melancholic in their depth that one might weep in the greatest sympathy for them but with only a glance at that countenance, which bore itself like a sturdy pine. She had affected her the most in her innocence. The figure of that handsome and stalwart figure who had sobbed like a lost child was also missing. It was perplexing as the memories seemed to be of the Wei House, but no masters or mistress could be easily spotted. Only filing, marching steps of well fitted inner courtyard maids of Western Compounds, or rushing and chasing servants after small and naughty sprite like children of the Eastern Compound.

Wei Zhiruo only glimpsed the billowing cloak of master Wei or her grandfather only once and that too on the occasion of a banquet surrounded from all sides – the only banquet he had actually presided in, the firstborn son of the family.

Wei Zhiruo was all the clearer about her doubts that all these recollections and memories by any far stretch of imagination had nothing to the boudoir confined Lady Jiang, but a small recollection of many souls who had passed inside the Wei jia. How they had died was quite an interesting perusal.

It could have several answers – like there already existed a creature akin to that chaos frog in the compounds who enjoyed a good bite into these servants; that is if the lizard was to be Wei Cuihua who was only fifteen this year. 'Interesting. It brought to question why then there was all this charade of peace and quiet going on. The sacrifices were real. Then there must have been earlier ones than the one of Wei Cuihua’s. Who could it be but her fathers’ sisters? Not one or two, but there must be one in her grandfathers generation as well. Did the elites of the town know of these peculiar disappearances? Most likely, yes. Then where should she put the atrocities committed against a whole clan without any protest? What kind of benefit could shut these mouths from an uprising?'

It was a year later when actually Wei Zhiruo glimpsed a slight mention of missing personage in the family.

This time she wasn’t in the old and weary main compounds courtyard, but inside a quint looking serene chamber of a lady. The great details that had been put in making it so comfortable looking and peaceable could be seen but at a glance. It was all a shade of warm yellows, and beige curtains, and brocaded pieces of embroidery hanging on the walls, or the screens mounted with decoration of splashed lotuses in ink dispersed at intervals to give more corners for the occupants to muse about - all in yellowish tints of comfortableness.

Lady Jiang was now on her knees in front of an old lady, equally devastated in their pale, whitened faces as their opened hair and unpainted faces streaming down with water. Holding the shoulders of that aged visage of his mother was the hands of now matured figure of master Houyu.

“Your sister, your sisters all are gone Yu’er. My lovely Feng’er, my lovely Ruo’er where did you go leaving your white-haired mother!” These words seemed to have been repeated so severely that it didn't invite any new look from the other two companions of the lady.

There was no reply, but a comforting embrace from the Lady Jiang over the wrinkled hands. She too had started to weep over the parting, or more likely over the devastated effect of that parting over the old woman’s almost breathless figure.

“Has the Master come back with their bodies, yet. Have my daughters returned?”

“Forgive me Mother dearest.” Master Wei Houyu seemed to take a large amount of courage to say what he was to tell. “There was nothing left of both of them. The bandits had forced them off cliffs and it looks like they were pushed…pushed to die on their own to save their innocence.”

“Oh heavens!”

The cry was joined by another bout of weeping, while the old woman rubbed the disheveled hair of the lady Jiang who had placed her head over her laps, looking patiently through the screen of her watered eyes at the one weeping besides her own self.

“Is Wei Ziya alright? Is she asleep, now? If not bring her to me, call her to spend time with me. Looking at her face I might feel much better. Her mother left so suddenly, I can’t say whether it’s a blessing for her or a curse. She will now really never get a chance to know her in her life – and now there isn’t even a choice left! What cruel fate, my little bird!”

“I will tell the maid to bring her to you mother. But please, don’t weep for long, have patience for the sake of Ziya. She would want you with her, you know how attached she is to you. I have already sent for Hua’er, she might already be on the way from my mother’s house. She will be here soon for the funeral. She will be devastated with your looks as of now, please pick yourself up now. Your two little granddaughters cherish you so much! For their sake mother don’t give up. What will we do without you?” The beseeching voice of Jiang rang in soft murmurs.

“My lovely daughters!”

There were many consoling embraces in that chamber, many kisses on the foreheads and the two couples cheered the old lady’s heart and kept her busy with their presence till the night was long and the candle wicks had all but died out in their long journey. Only then, when the innocent girl lying over the lap of the old lady had fallen in deep sleep, and the old lady was silent in her sobbing tremors, the steadfast figure of Jiang mama arranged the sleeping place for the two grandmother and granddaughters as the lady won’t let go of her hold on the tiny girls asleep on her bosom even when on her bed. The clasp over the soft flesh of the toddler was quite like of a weeping child’s hold over her mothers consoling and safeguarding hands. Strange in its incomprehensibility, but the weaknesses of human often put them in all the more, stranger roles. Here the child was the floating wood for that drowning woman who had just lost her daughter.

All this Wei Zhiruo glimpsed and then found herself outside the dark and gloomy mists of memory.

It was fifth autumn in the life of Wei Yize, the heir of the Wei clan. His figure could be spotted running in the courtyards being chased with much distress by his servants. These giggles and childish mirth were far removed from the weeping’s of the Mistress Wei that no one would have thought it was only the next day after the mourning started, after the respect was paid to both the maidens, their bodies lost to the world in some marshes down the mountain creaks.  

The memories were halted on that sad note.

*

There was a somber air in the procession that was going. There were many bent down heads in grief, white clothes could be seen fluttering all around. A Funeral. Whose? Yes, it was the main wife of Master Houyu’s. Master Houyu was so grief-stricken that he had taken to bed, and can’t even join in the last farewell. Forget him, even the old mistress was absent. No one could actually tell who was organizing the ongoing funeral. Or so the murmurs floated in the air, gloomily sticking to the skin as if the autumns dreadful stench had penetrated the ghastly remnants of October chills.  

The lady Jiang has passed away.

Unexpectedly, it wasn’t even three years past the last death of Master Wei’s two daughters. 

The servants could be seen crying all over for Jiang's unexpected death. The gloomy memories ebbed in a strange simmering way. And Wei Zhiruo stood facing the strangely shaped statue of a cat monster with glazed ruby eyes in the place of its large pupils.

No, not a statue, but rather a live carving. It was licking its paws and observing her each movement. Wei Zhiruo stilled and nonchalantly gazed at this new apparition. She couldn’t make out anything of the memories or the current place in which she stood.

It looked like a library. And a cat stood over a cushion – a cat made of metal with ruby eyes.

“Don’t mind me. You can take it as a farewell since we cannot meet again, before you take of that trial.”

“And you might be? This places Artifact spirit?” Wei Zhiruo asked nonchalantly, as if she couldn't see the scanning eyes of the stone creature.

“Yes. If you might have a word for me. This Temple palace was crafted by my master.”

There was no follow up to that, Wei Zhiruo walked a little forward and stood just a little away from the carved cat who was now taking a very tired looking yawn. It followed this, with licking his paw and grooming his face.

“You know those spirits that dwell in this hall?”

“Yes.”

“And the Lady in White?”

“Her too, yes, unfortunately. Can't do without knowing. All business' you might as well know.”

“And the oracles?”

“Hmm.”

“And the remnants of other space – more specifically, inheritances left by other owners?”

“If by other inheritances you mean, the Seven Cloud Palace, yes, I know. It was absorbed into these bounds due to my own initiative.”

“Can you remove it now – that space?”

“No, it is very much the part of me now as my tail.”

With this it proudly flicked its tail, and looked on with its penetrating and curious gaze at Wei Zhiruo.

Wei Zhiruo couldn’t help but sigh.

“But you might help me once I succeed in becoming your master? I want that specific inheritance place behind the first door to be removed from you.”

“Though I want to ask you why you would want to do that, but – I never promise things.”

“But if you liked it better, you might?”

“I might, yes. If it pleases my fancy at the time.”

“Why did you want me to be shown these memories?”

“Not my intention – there was a soul in here, which would have attached to you and guided you in the right spirit, a good deal according to him. It thought you were a Wei family member and wanted to earn your allegiance through showing you some past glimpses of the bad, bad Wei jia, meow– a very well known, monk as I remember. But since you have caught my eyes, I changed places with him. I doubt you would mind such discrepancy.”

“He is not here anymore. Dead I believe?”

“Dead.”

“Oh, and then you won’t mind helping me know why you want me to become your owner.”

“A Blood-kin is always a good choice as a good master. Though I feel you are not from this part of the world.”

“I though no one knew Blood clan in this world.” Wei Zhiruo bent down and squatted to the level of the cat, peering into its red and curiously gleaming eyes.

“My master’s lover happened to be a Blood-kin, from Aiwen clan. Before I came to this universe, I was under her services. She had sealed many old monsters in my boundary walls – and many noble souls on the verge of dissipating were also put here by her. But now, these humans have really fouled the air in here. Meow doesn’t like the smell.”

“Aiwen clan, Mistress Seirre Cleout? Only she is known for venturing into the deepest part of the Netherworlds and Forbidden lands in her realm. But she knew a Buddhist monk?”

“Buddhist monk? Why would that be – my master was an ancient clan of Noble linage – they might be similar to Buddhist monks, but they were completely different teachings. But you might also know it if you can know the past history of the Emeld Realm, you do right, since you know my mistress?”   

“I can only recall the Death clan, who has such virtues. But weren't they all cut off by the Gods and Demons?”

“Hmm. My master was a very reputable member of that very clan. But these monks who got their hands over my parts have done but only atrocities all over the various worlds. I am ashamed even to recall. Meow has fallen to this devastated state now! But since you are a Blood-clan, I would like to only choose you. Let these filthy creatures not ruin my lands so filthily anymore, it has been millenniums since I breathed clearly, I can’t even remember how it feels like to be not so tainted by Karmic retributions anymore. Filthy mongrels.”

“Okay, you ask a lot of me, you know?"

"Not something impossible. Or are you sick?"

"No, I may be not sick but I don't want to let out my identity outside."

"Oh, this might be a little difficult." The cat stilled its stretching body, and looked into the eyes of Wei Zhiruo.

"Nothing impossible for a servant of Mistress Seirre, I believe. Or are you on the verge of dissipating?"

"Ha! Touché. You can ask me for anything then, I might help you once you are successful."

"Deal." 

“You can go out now. Goodbye, till we meet again. Meow hopes it will be soon.”

"Soon."