Enduring the Winter

Six.

Even after finding out Gui Yan’s identity, it did not impact the course of their travels. Ren Dong only harbored tacit approval for Gui Yan’s actions both in the past and in the present.

Ren Dong gradually began to realize that every time Gui Yan suddenly requested to change their route, the people chasing after her would appear on the paths that they were originally going to take. She thought, If not for Gui Yan who has been helping me in this way by changing our route, I would have been dead by now.

The farther they walked south, the less people chased after them. Ren Dong estimated that there were about three more days to go until they would reach the main camp of the Shaman Sect.

This morning, Gui Yan woke up Ren Dong early and said, “Let’s go look at the peach trees.”

Ren Dong had already gotten used to these types of actions from Gui Yan. She immediately packed their belongings, thinking that they would be hiding from the killers again. She didn’t think that this time, Gui Yan would really bring her along to look at the peach blossoms.

He brought Ren Dong along as they ambled along the bypath that was full of peach trees, as he contentedly smiled. He called Ren Dong over to stand underneath a tree. With a light touch, the tree’s pink petals  seemed to sprinkle everywhere, as they all fluttered about and drifted onto Ren Dong’s body.

Rather unaccustomed to this, Ren Dong patted the flowers on her body off. She was used to blood coating her entire body, and she wasn’t used to such elegant things.

“Little flowery flower! Let me dance and sing for you.” Gui Yan stood three steps away and broke off a peach blossom branch. He held it in his hands as he danced while he sang, “Peaches, oh peaches, oh peaches, oh peaches, oh peaches, how gentle, oh gentle oh gentle oh gentle…” [1]

The out of place song coupled with the out of place dance made Ren Dong smile instinctively.

“Wifey, do you think I’m beautiful?” Gui Yan inserted the flower branch into his hair, and ran over eagerly to show it off. The springtime sunshine made the enchanting peach blossoms glitter, and it also enhanced Gui Yan’s smiling face. Ren Dong watched him with a small smile of her own, and helped him reorder his hair.

“Absolutely stunning.”

When these words were said, Gui Yan wasn’t the only one who blanked; even Ren Dong blanked. But while Ren Dong blanked, Gui Yan immediately presented a huge smile, “Ah hahaha! Of course this nobleman is the only one of my kind. I am very stunning!” As for Ren Dong, she continued to repeat two words in her head:

Oh no…

When faced with such beautiful things… slowly, she was unable to reject them.

In the evening, they stepped into Shaman Sect territory. The moment they stepped over the boundary, someone conveyed to Ren Dong that the Sect Leader was critically ill and told her to go at full speed over. She immediately began to rush back.

On the second day after they reached the Shaman Sect, there wasn’t any time to rest. The Sect Leader immediately called for Gui Yan and asked him to come to him.

In another bamboo building, Ren Dong watched the scene below her from a corner, unwilling to leave.

Only two days later did Gui Yan strut out, as he smiled, “There’s only this much to the Reborn Turtledoves poison.If my body had been stronger back then, I could hold out a little longer, and completely get rid of it.” He patted Ren Dong’s shoulder and said, “Wifey, from today on, you are mine. Come with me.” When he finished, he walked towards the Shaman Sect border with her.

Ren Dong followed behind him and walked a few steps. She hadn’t adapted to the situation yet, when she suddenly heard the voice of the Left Protector [2], “Divine doctor, please wait a moment.”

Gui Yan pulled Ren Dong’s hand towards him and did not let go. “Isn’t the poison gone? As long as you eat that medicine for two to three days afterwards, it will completely heal.”

“I am not speaking about that. Divine doctor, you must know that Ren Dong is someone of our Shaman Sect. She grew up in the Shaman Sect, and the Sect Leader has something to tell her.”

Gui Yan pouted, and unwillingly let go of Ren Dong’s hand. He watched as Ren Dong walked into that black bamboo building and suddenly loudly began to yell, “Little flowery flower wifey, don’t be afraid! If they do anything to you, I have the ability to poison the entire Shaman Sect!”

The face of the Left Protector, who had just stepped into the door, went black, and he angrily shot a glare at Ren Dong. Ren Dong looked down, and gazed fixedly at the ground as they walked up to the second floor. However, in her heart she was secretly laughing.

[1] This is partly a pun on Peach Demon because the characters for peach and gentleness are the same as the words for peach and demon respectively.

[2] A 护法神 is a protector deity that guards Buddha’s law. In ancient Chinese texts, the rhetoric phrase “左右护法” (Left, Right Protectors of the Law) appeared, and this gradually evolved into two different people: Left Protector and Right Protector who were given different jobs that they accomplished for their leaders. Most of the time they were bodyguards and probably enforcers of laws as can be seen by their title.