The wind and rain howled outside. I slept deeply until the middle of the night, and when I woke, she was still nowhere to be found. My disappointment was beyond words. Unable to return to sleep, I draped her robe over my shoulders, rose to light a lamp, and sat by the table, resting my chin in my hand as my thoughts wandered. In truth, my sleep schedule had been completely overturned today; it was still early, barely the start of the second watch. She had only been gone for... three hours.
A-Wan had been keeping watch on the veranda outside, seemingly watching the rain. Hearing movement and seeing the light, she knocked softly on the door. I invited her in, and she asked with a gentle smile, "How are you feeling, Miss? Is there anything you would like to eat or drink? If you are bored, I can fetch some books or trinkets. Miss Zhu is not yet asleep either; perhaps I could invite her to sit and chat?"
Thinking of what had happened before I slept, my face flushed hot. I didn't dare face Fifth Sister just yet, nor did I want to. My heart was full of only her, and I had no interest in idle chatter with anyone else. Thus, I smiled and patted the brocade stool beside me. "There are tea and snacks in the room already. You needn't trouble yourself, Sister A-Wan. Why not sit and talk with me for a while?"
A-Wan gave a respectful, graceful bow before seating herself properly. I rested my chin in my hand, gazing at her with a smile and praising her beauty. A-Wan bashfully demurred, returning the compliments, and I asked, "When did you first meet Qingming? A beauty of your grace and character isn't someone one encounters by chance."
A-Wan seemed to have expected this question and laid out the entire story.
When I first met Wei Qingming in the library, I thought she had changed over the years. I had believed she possessed great pity and compassion for the demon race, even going so far as to strike out at Xu Xingze for his cruelty toward them. I feared that years of overwhelming power had turned her into one of those cold, callous people. But what A-Wan told me was the complete opposite truth.
Beauty does not always bring blessings. Since she was young, A-Wan had been bought by a wealthy merchant who used secret methods and spiritual medicines to force her into a human form prematurely, turning her into a forbidden plaything for his household. A-Wan was proud by nature, and resentment festered within her. Her true form was that of a spider; in her grief and rage, her demonic blood naturally manifested a lethal toxicity. She gradually gained the merchant's trust while slowly refining her poisonous body. Every day, she would drop a trace of venom into the well. Ten years passed, and finally, in a single day, she killed all fifty-odd members of the household, masters and servants alike. However, one wicked servant who had been out shopping escaped and reported her. The matter caused a massive stir in the capital, and she was soon captured by the investigators of Yingzhao Temple.
In the Imperial Prison, A-Wan endured every form of torture. She believed she would die in her cell long before her execution date. One day, the interrogation suddenly stopped. In the distance, the heavy doors at the end of the hall swung open, letting in a sliver of dim light that brought tears to A-Wan’s eyes, which had been blinded by darkness for days. Through the blur of tears, a refined, slender, and elegant official approached. A pair of pale, delicate fingers—clearly belonging to someone of high status—placed a celadon vial of medicine before her without a sound.
Wei Qingming said to her, "You have spirit, and you have talent. If you do not wish to die, submit to me."
A-Wan lifted her head with a proud, cold sneer. "Just another lecher. Submit? I would rather die."
"The world is full of women like you," Wei Qingming said. "If you learn the necessary skills, you can save them."
Her words were cold and airy, seemingly devoid of sincerity or any real guarantee. A-Wan thought it over. She was going to die anyway; if she could truly save even one innocent life, perhaps her death would be worth more.
She gave a sharp nod. Her iron chains rattled as she shifted, showing the official her mangled hands—hands where scabs had formed and been torn away repeatedly until they were a ruin. Her gesture meant: *I cannot even hold your medicine.* Wei Qingming patiently picked up the bottle, elegantly removed the stopper, and, without much tenderness, tilted A-Wan's chin up to pour the entire vial down her throat. A-Wan swallowed it all, thinking triumphantly that even if she died, at least she had made an official serve her for once.
The medicine took effect immediately. A-Wan bit down on her tattered sleeve in agony, whimpering and howling. Wei Qingming didn't look back or care; she simply tossed the empty bottle aside and left.
The next day, the prison doors opened wide. She was tossed into the sunlight like a rag. Two men in black immediately hoisted her up and took her to a secret location. Within three months, she had to learn the entire lower-level intelligence operations of Yingzhao Temple. Wei Qingming selected compatible mental cultivation methods and martial techniques for her, focusing on poisoned hidden weapons. Her final test was to assassinate a district magistrate—a man who was also eccentric and cruel, known for humiliating his wives and concubines. A-Wan killed him, but she suffered a mental break. In a fit of panic and extreme rage, she grabbed a kitchen knife and hacked at the corpse dozens of times until the steel blade curled and she could hack no more, only mash the remains into a pulp.
A-Wan screamed and wailed, her face covered in tears and snot. Had she been left to vent like that all night, she surely would have suffered a cultivation deviation. A hand with little warmth lightly gripped her wrist. Wei Qingming’s voice was cold yet tranquil as she said softly, "Power should not be abused."
On A-Wan’s neck, her family crest flared with heat. The burning pain actually cleared her mind. Stunned, she looked at the blurred mess on the ground and let the knife fall. It was strange; though it was a manifestation of her shackles and the will of authority, she found a peace in that official’s emotionless words that allowed her long-adrift heart to finally settle.
For over three years, Wei Qingming was not in the capital. A-Wan remained among the ordinary investigators of Yingzhao Temple, traveling across the fourteen provinces. Though she didn't always spend her time punishing evil and rewarding good, she felt she was finally living as a human with a modicum of dignity. She was content. When the Tianshan Assembly approached, Wei Qingming sent a letter summoning her to the sect. Under the guise of a maid, she could even draw a monthly salary from the Wujing Sect.
No wonder A-Wan acted with the refinement of a high-born household; I hadn't expected such a tragic and convoluted past. I wept as I listened, offering her words of comfort. However, I still felt a pang of disappointment. I had assumed A-Wan had been by her side all these years and might know something of her whereabouts. It turned out that for those three years, Wei Qingming had seemingly vanished from the face of the earth, and even A-Wan didn't know where she had gone.
A-Wan smiled. "It was only after joining the sect, when I heard the Master mention your name and identity, that I understood why she saved me."
"Why?"
"Because... my original name was A-Zhi."
I froze at her words. A-Wan hurriedly explained, "My appearance and personality are worlds apart from yours, Miss. I would never dare to compare myself to you. The first thing the Master did upon meeting me was change my name..."
I laughed. "What does that matter? It only proves the fate between me and Sister. From now on, we shall be like real sisters!" I was hardly so petty, and I knew full well that Wei Qingming was not the type of person to indulge in the vulgarity of using a substitute to pine for a lost love.
A-Wan finally relaxed and gave a playful smile. "Thinking of it that way, my life wasn't saved by the Master after all. It was all thanks to you, Miss!"
We chatted and laughed for an hour, playing dice and drinking. Finally, we heard a slight movement in the courtyard. Hong Lu opened the door and said something, but the words were muffled by the wind and rain. A-Wan rose, smiled, and took her leave.
My heart began to throb with nervous excitement again. I quickly smoothed my hair and ran to the mirror to see if my face still looked sickly. I heard Wei Qingming’s heavy strides approaching. Before she could push the door open, I pulled it wide and threw myself into her arms.
"I'm dirty..." she said with a faint smile, stepping back slightly. Seeing me draped in the robe she had discarded earlier—the hem trailing long on the floor—she gave a tender, affectionate smile.
She went to the adjacent room to bathe. I saw that the outer robe she was wearing had been changed just to see me; it was dry and clean, untouched by the torrential rain. The set she had worn out must have been covered in blood, and the scent of iron still clung to her. I asked anxiously, "Are you hurt?"
"No." The corner of her mouth quirked up, showing a rare flash of competitiveness. "On the ground, I fear no one. But my horsemanship is still not quite a match for Yan Mingqiu."
I laughed. "An Envoy should be strategizing within a command tent. Those who use their minds rule others; those who use their strength are ruled. Why compare yourself to a brute!"
She smiled and hurried into the next room to wash and change. My mind was elsewhere; I couldn't even sit down. I simply stood there, breathing in the scent of her robe. Our scents had already begun to blur together, becoming indistinguishable.
When she first arrived, she carried the lingering aura of battle and slaughter. But when she pushed the door open again, she had returned to her usual gentle and elegant self. Her semi-dry hair was loosely pinned with a hairpin, looking as fresh and soft as the radiance of a full moon. Seeing me standing dazed in the room, she smiled and guided me to sit, squeezing my hand. "Are you better? Does your head still ache?"
I had taken my medicine and slept plenty, so I was fine. But seeing her, my mind was filled with things it shouldn't be. I flushed and coughed. She took it as a confirmation of my discomfort and said with concern, "Let me massage your head, A-Zhi." She gently half-embraced me and led me to the mirror, unbinding my long hair. She combed through it carefully for a while before using her slender fingers to knead and press.
My head hung lower and lower. She must have seen my tears in the mirror, for she hurriedly knelt before me, apologizing repeatedly. "I'm sorry. I just finished some heavy work and didn't know my own strength. Did I hurt you?"
"Not at all," I smiled. "The pressure was perfect. And... it doesn't hurt anymore. I just feel... you are too good to me. I can hardly... bear it."
Only then did her expression relax into a smile. She looked as if she wanted to praise me with honeyed words but found herself at a loss for them. Perhaps the more sincere one is, the harder it is to speak pretty, practiced phrases. In the end, she only whispered lingeringly, "You have many years ahead to get used to it."
She busied herself in the room, changing the incense and brewing fresh tea. I finally lost my patience. With a red face, I coughed. "Aren't we going to sleep? You... aren't you tired after coming back from your business?"
"Mhm." She narrowed her eyes and smiled at me. Suddenly, there was a hint of something dangerous in her gaze that made me shrink back. But when I looked again, she was as calm and clear as ever. It made me feel a bit frustrated. How could she... how could she truly have no worldly... thoughts?
In the end, I was the one who couldn't hold back. I claimed I was exhausted and climbed into bed first, pulling the covers over my head in a fit of pique. I heard the soft rustle of her undressing, like the sound of falling powder-snow, and the slight creak of the clothes rack. Her warmth and scent were right beside my ear now, separated only by a layer of quilt. I was itching to crawl out but couldn't bring myself to lose face. Then, I heard her tap twice on the quilt—a polite knock asking for surrender. I giggled and threw the thin quilt aside, coming face-to-face with her instantly.
She had removed her hairpin. Her long hair, as smooth and soft as night mist, flowed together with mine. Usually, in her male attire, her lines were sharp and clean—all straight edges that made her seem exceptionally refined and elegant. No ordinary man or woman possessed such grace. Now, seeing only soft, lingering curves, her handsome features seemed even more striking, almost breathtakingly dashing.
I didn't want to say anything more to her, nor did I want to do anything else. I lowered my eyes, gazing dazedly at her thin lips. She leaned in, and we kissed, tenderly and deeply.
Master Wei truly was skilled at everything. Even with kissing, by the second time, she was already proficient. The rhythm was entirely under her control—teasing one moment, pressing the next. Just as I thought she would advance, she retreated; when I pursued, I found myself caught in an ambush. After the kiss, a sigh of satisfaction finally echoed in my mind, though I grumbled, "You've truly fought until your eyes turned red—you're even using military strategy for this?"
She smiled, the skin beneath her eyes crinkling softly. she simply stared at me with a burning, meaningful gaze, saying nothing.
I felt a bit afraid of what she might do next, yet also afraid she might do nothing at all. I tried my best to find something to say. "Just now... what was the emergency? Did you go to a battlefield?"
"Mhm." She spread her arm, letting me lie in the crook of it. "A small disturbance. Easily settled."
As she spoke, she kissed my brow. I nervously took her hand, mindlessly playing with her fingers as I chatted about idle things. After a long while without a response, I looked up. Master Wei’s eyes were closed, her breathing steady and rhythmic. She had actually fallen asleep...
I was stunned for a moment, feeling a mix of annoyance, helplessness, and deep heartache. I hesitated for a long time over whether to wake her, even leaning in to give her lip a tiny nip, but she didn't stir. In the end, I couldn't bear to disturb her. I hugged her slender back and, listening to the pitter-patter of the rain outside, closed my eyes and fell into a happy sleep.
