"Ahh, my head," hissing through my teeth, I sat upright as the world around me seemed to spin. Ugh, I think I'm going to puke.
"Easy there," Master said as he patted my back. Handing me a chamber pot, he warned, "Don't throw up on yourself.
The only well is a few miles from here."
Cradling the pot, I was glad to find it empty and unused as I felt the acidic bile slowly reach the back of my throat. "Ugh… and yet, you've decided to banish me to this place, Master."
"Hehe," Master laughed as he patted my back a little harder than last time. Standing up, he stretched out his arms. "Think less of this as a punishment, and more so of, uh… a learning experience!
This will be the start of your new and improved path of greatness!"
Yeah, right, old man.
"Anyways, now that we have that out of the way, we can start what we came here for, hehe."
---
"Master, when you said that we'd start correcting my foundation, this isn't what I had in mind."
"Shhh! Close your eyes.
Mediation is very beneficial for both your body and mind."
"Erm, but it's boring…" We've been sitting outside for a few hours now! Shifting in my seat, my butt started to grow numb and cold from the stone floor.
Especially after that trippy experience Master put me through, this wasn't helping at all.
"Heh, we all have to do things that we don't like to do, dear disciple."
Pursing my lips at Master, my mind still couldn't believe that this was the slobbish Master I met a year prior. Since when did Master gain the wisdom of a sage?
Strange, truly strange, ah.
"Enough talk.
You should take this time to evaluate yourself and find balance within yourself."
Easier said than done. I don't even know where to start on such a thing!
After a few more minutes ticked by, Master let out a huge yawn. "Whelp! I'm done for the day," Master sighed as he stood up and stretched out his limbs.
"Finally…" Any longer, and my legs will surely turn to jelly.
However, before I could stand up, Master placed his hand on my shoulder. "For you, not yet."
Eh? What do you mean not yet?!
Are you saying that I have to stay here until I find my 'inner balance?'
"You seem to have a lot of unresolved thoughts right now. And although as your teacher, I can guide you through the basics, these things must be fixed by yourself."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Hehe, take it any way you want."
So much for being a guide.
"It's only going to be a few hours. This master will even bring you something good to eat."
"Herm." This just seems like Master is bored and hungry after playing the role of a wise master.
"Alrighty, see you at dinner." Master hollered as he began to walk away. "Oh, and if you try to get out of this, I'll extend your time here."
F*ck.
Well, there goes my escape plan. All of that time writing those teleportation talismans went to waste, ah.
Hehe, have fun~!"
Silently cursing Master, I watched as he happily skipped away. That crazy old man…
Ahh, what am I even supposed to do?
Falling onto my back, I watched the afternoon clouds slowly float on by as they broke up into tiny pieces.
"Balance, huh?"
Where do I even begin in such a thing? Closing my eyes, I blocked the warm sunlight with my arm as I tried to focus like Master instructed me to.
As the torrent waves sloshed around in my mind, they started to come to equilibrium; the tide began to pull me in.
And just like before, I had no choice but to be dragged into those dark waters.
---
"...Hey, are you going to get off me?" An annoyed voice asked as a hand pushed against my head.
"Emmm, five more minutes," I smiled as I tried to fight the power of the hand pushing me away. "I haven't rested enough yet."
"Tch," the voice scoffed, followed by a flick to my head. "If you keep on pretending to sleep, we're going to miss the grand opening of that restaurant of yours."
Snapping my eyes open, I immediately got up. How could I forget!?
Xian Mei Restaurant's grand opening is today! The head chef, Chef Mao, was once offered a position in the Imperial Palace. However, due to his belief that good food isn't only for the royals, he rejected the offer.
And instead of getting mad, the emperor bestowed a storefront for Chef Mao to serve his food to the public.
Ahh, what a good man.
And now that special restaurant was finally opening!
"Hey, are you going to keep daydreaming, or are we going to get in line to eat?" Another flick to my head pulled me back to reality. The young girl in yellow beside me made another attempt to push me off. "Oi, does it kill you to not cling to me or something?
My arm is growing numb from your heavy head!"
"Eheh, yes
I worked so hard to catch you, so naturally, I won't let you run away!" Sticking out my tongue at the girl, I heard a scoff come out of her mouth.
"So childish! I can't believe you're a week older than me.
Also, you cheated in that bet!
How can you say that you managed to catch me, huh? If anything, I was the one who managed to capture you first, Little Crow!"
"Hehe, true! I do have the scars to prove it. However, it's not about who won the battle, instead who won the war~!
Also, as your senior, I have the exclusive right to bully you, eheh~!"
"Argh, whatever," Little Fox harrumphed as she puffed her cheeks out in a pout. "Are you coming along? I can see the line already forming from here."
"Coming, coming, Little Fox!"
---
Seasons have passed since those innocent days of youth; however, the city remains the same from the view above. Dangling my feet over the edge, I leaned back on the pagoda titles.
I remember when I was younger, Little Fox showed me this place. I remember so terrified of falling over the edge; however, now…
It doesn't really matter now.
"I'm going to miss this place…" Taking a swig from the wine gourd, I cringed at the intense burn that followed as the flowery wine burned down my throat. I wouldn't say I liked to drink wine, but at least it was an easy distraction.
"Little Crow, what are you doing up here?"
Looking up to the source of the call, Little Fox leaned over the pagoda railing. "I was trying to find you all over the place.
Heh, to think that I would find you here of all places."
"Em, yeah... "
"So," sitting next to me, Little Fox asked, "why the sudden change?"
"I just wanted to see why you liked to sit here so much… Look over the city that we played in since we were kids, and just…
Sigh, I don't know…
Words aren't enough to explain my thoughts right now. My mind is too busy… Too much noise.
At least here, it's quiet."
"Well, that wine is certainly not helping," Little Fox remarked as she tried to reach over me to grab the bottle. "But if you're drinking your problems away, might as well share some."
Pulling the bottle out of her reach, I tried not to spill its precious contents. "It's not for kids."
"Puah! Not for kids?
Speak for yourself, you're fourteen years old, and I'm only a week younger than you. I don't think you qualify to call yourself an adult."
"Heh, seniors get to bully their juniors, simple as that. Plus," gulping down the rest of the wine, I showed her the empty bottle. "There's no more to give."
"Tch! You!" Laughing, I avoided Little Fox's attempt to punch my arm.
"You gotta be faster than that~." My words were starting to become slurred as my head started to ache. The effects sure are quick and effective.
"I'm going to miss these moments with you, Little Fox."
Little Fox stopped messing around, and she laid down the tiles beside me as we looked up at the starry night sky. "Why are you acting as if we're never going to see each other? You're not going to be leaving for that long, are you?"
"... I don't know."
"Hmm, I see."
As we laid in silence, our feet dangled over the edge as we admired the sky above.
"Little Fox."
"Em? What is it?"
"Did you know that in some Buddist scriptures, they say that when you meet your soulmate, you're not giddy like those plays depict it as?"
"Hah, how do you know about that?"
"Haha, I had to copy my fair share of scriptures whenever I tried to sneak out of my classes or played pranks on my sister."
"Em, and you'd think such teachings would stick. It looks like all of that work was for nothing."
"Not necessarily, but yes.
Those scriptures did not deter me in the slightest."
"I could tell. So, if your soulmate isn't the one who makes your heart beat rapidly, then who is?"
"They say that it's the one that when you meet, your heart is completely calm. Something about your heartbeats being in sync with one another."
"Heh, well, that is quite anti-climatic; I can see why plays don't want to use that teaching. There's no drama to it."
"Ehm.
Little Fox, I-"
"Wan Sheng!"
The two of us looked over at the newcomer. It was a young man dressed in dark green scholarly robes. If my memory is correct, it was Li Cong, a rising scholar in the imperial court.
As well as Little Fox's fiance.
"Wan Sheng, what are you doing over there?! It's dangerous!"
"Hah, I've done this a million times in the past, and I have yet to fall," Little Fox remarked.
"But!-"
"If you wish for me to go back with you, come and get me then," Little Fox teased.
Li Cong hesitated for the briefest of seconds before he started to climb over the railing haphazardly.
Looking over at Little Fox, she looked annoyed, but I could tell that she was secretly happy. The tips of her ears and neck grew red as Li Cong cautiously tried to come over to her. She knows that Li Cong is a complete wimp. However, he would do anything to protect her from harm.
In that sense, I envy her for having someone who would do that for her.
When Li Cong was at least halfway over to us, Little Fox made up the distance as she walked over to him with a small smile. "Brother Li, you were so brave."
"S-stop that, Wan Sheng…"
Turning away from the happy couple, I overlooked the shining city one last time as the dawn peeked through the inky night.
"I'm going to leave you two lovebirds." Standing up, I felt my mind become clear as I inhaled the cold air. "Wouldn't want to ruin the moment."
"Oh, wait, Little Crow," Little Fox called after me. "You wanted to say something?"
"Eh? Did I?
I'm so forgetful; I must've forgotten, haha. If I ever remember, I'll tell you the next time we meet."
"Oh, alright." Little Fox nodded. "Next time then."
Bidding my final farewell, I started my journey down the numerous stairs of the pagoda. When each step, the words that failed to escape my mouth sloshed around my muddled mind.
You know Wan Sheng, when I first met you, my mind and heart were at complete ease for the first time in a long time.
It wasn't the giddy feeling that we've read or heard about in fairy tales; instead, it was a serene feeling. The same feeling that those ancient scriptures spoke about.
For the first time in my lifetime, I felt complete. Like I had found the other half of my broken soul.
However, such words are useless now.
You'll eventually forget me, and I will forget everything.