Jin Se

Chapter 25

For regular mortals, drifting through life year after year like so much flotsam and jetsam, time would inexorably wash away even the deepest pains, the most ardent bonds. Legend had it that down below, in the Yellow Springs, there was a river of oblivion whose waters would make one forget who they were and from whence they came; but in truth, the river of oblivion was in the mortal realm, known by another name as "time."

Ten years sundered, two lost wanderers; when two returned, both were strangers.

Shi Wuduan had thought that all that remained of Bai Li in his memories was his name; he'd thought he'd long forgotten what he looked like, whether he was plump or slender, tall or short. But all those forgotten things, in the instant he set eyes on that person, wakened once more - dredging up the echoes of those bygone days of carefree joy, that little fox who liked disguising as a little girl to trick humans, who smiled like a flower in bloom ....

They were like a garden sealed within his memories... a garden he could only long for, dream about, and cherish from afar; a garden he could never return to.

Shi Wuduan froze momentarily before he quietly laughed self-mockingly, wasn't Little Li-zi gone already? He'd seen him stabbed through the chest and dissolved by that black mist with his own two eyes.

Thus he said, "You know, I think we have quite a lot in common. Not only do you closely resemble a childhood friend of mine, you even have similar interests as I do."

But the other person was still holding the rabbit cage, staring at him in stupor. He somewhat dazedly, but extremely rudely, reached out a hand, his fingers lightly skimming the faint dimple on his left cheek. He asked quietly, "Are you.... Wuduan?"

His voice was somewhat hoarse, as if it'd been caught in his throat; his words were almost inaudible. Yet even so, Shi Wuduan heard him. Shi Wuduan lurched, took half a step back, and carefully examined him. Suddenly, his eyes widened, he abruptly raised his hand and grabbed Bai Li's shoulder. Caught off guard, Bai Li was pushed back half a step by the force.

"Fucking hell, you're not dead!" Shi Wuduan unthinkingly mimicked Meng Zhongyong's speech patterns, "I'd thought ... I'd' thought...."

Bai Li didn't know what to say. He felt like there was something swelling in his chest. He lightly laid a hand over Shi Wuduan's, which was still clutching the collar of his robe. Bai Li lowered his head; his devastatingly enthralling eyes became concealed by shadow.

Then, Shi Wuduan noticed that Bai Li seemed to have laughed. He laughed, so very very softly, like a weary traveler, battered down by wind, rain, hail, and snow, whose heart was nearly frozen numb, that had looked up and found that warm, small cottage they'd set out from.

But he was too overcome by excitement to make sense of Bai Li's minute expressions.

As Shi Wuduan was bumped into by one of the many market-goers, he somewhat awkwardly retracted his hand and said, "Come, let's find a quieter place to talk."

He was just about to turn and go, when he remembered something and pointed at the cage in Bai Li's hand, "Sorry to be rude but, even though it's a bit dumb, it did used to be raised by me, would you mind letting me have it?"

"I know," Bai Li said. His voice was still a bit shaky, almost as if he was unused to it. He coughed lightly and opened the cage, taking the rabbit out, "He has the scent of Jiulu Mountain, I could feel it."