Elixir of Immortality

Chapter 14

We arrived at the temple, full of spirit travellers. It wasn't very big, though, there was a large golden Buddha statue at the far end. We didn't have enough time to pay our respects, but I sent a silent prayer.

"What are we exactly looking for?" Abahai asked, looking around. There wasn't much to explore, it was just one main room. "You know, maybe there's a secret room or something—"

"Or there's a hallway hidden in plain sight," Ushi tutted in Cantonese, pointing at a narrow corridor hidden with the peeling wallpaper. We blinked at her as she grinned.

"You're quite bright," Xiong commented and she took a deep bow. "I don't understand why you're being sent to America for failing grades."

"I believe there's an English term that goes, 'There's street-smarts and book-smarts.' I'm street-smart, duh," Ushi stated as we strode over to the corridor. We went inside, seeing old copies of Chinese art such as Along the River During the Qingming Festival by Zhang Zeduan or The Night Entertainments of Han Xizai by Gu Hongzhong. "It smells like old paper in here."

"Ushi, have some respect, we're in a temple," Abahai reprimanded, but I knew he was having some fun skipping school. It never occurred to me that I wasn't worried about missing school. We suddenly arrived at the end of the hallway and met with a slender bookshelf.

"It's a dead end," I frowned.

"You guys really need to watch more American movies," Xiong snorted, searching every nook and cranny of the shelf until his fingers landed on one book. "Yǐncáng de shū, meaning 'Hidden Book' in English. Oh, and look, its author is named Hou Yi." He pressed down on the book and rumbles shook through the ground.

The ground below us made a click! noise and we jumped back as a hatch unlocked. "This is so crazy!" I exclaimed as Abahai bent down, pulling it wide open. The hatch led to a spiral staircase.

"We can skip that, I'll teleport us," Xiong offered and Abahai huffed in jealousy. We held onto Xiong and he slipped his hand around my waist. A blush crept up to my cheeks, Abahai avoided eye contact, and Ushi shot me a smug look.

A searing light flashed in front of our eyes and we were no longer in the hallway, but rather in some kind of library. There were rows of books and a few tables with cushions on the floor.

"This place looks super old," Ushi scrunched up her nose, crossing her arms. "Why would Hou Yi hide the spare Elixir of Immortality in here? There's nothing special about this place."

"Maybe that's the point?" I suggested, rolling my eyes. "Let's get to work. Xiong, Abahai, you guys take the left of the library. Ushi and I will search the right," I instructed and Abahai left before I could get another word in. Xiong followed shortly after.

Once we were alone, Ushi leaned over to me. "What happened between you and Abahai? He is—excuse my words—pissed and looks like he wants to rip off Xiong Lee's head," she hissed.

We started to walk towards a row of books. "It's my fault, last night, Abahai questioned my trust in Xiong. I got angry and snapped at him. It's really bad, I just got him to reconnect with me, but now he's even more distant."

I traced my thumb along the index of the books, scanning for something useful or that looked like it could store an elixir. "That boy works himself too hard," I sighed, rubbing my eyes. "He doesn't trust Xiong."

"Because he's jealous, Abahai probably likes you," Ushi shrugged and I froze. I came to the same possibility once, but I ignored that thought for a while. "I mean, it's obvious. I just assumed you didn't like him back."

"I do like him, but not in that way," I replied, annoyed. At least, I think so. This was not the time to be listening to my heart or get jumbled up with mixed feelings. "Hey, what's that?"

I pointed to a large book on a small wooden table. "Xiong, Abahai, come here!" I shouted as we raced over. Xiong and Abahai rushed into the same aisle as us, crowding near me. It was titled Shàng suŏ de bǎozàng, which was 'Locked Treasure' in translation, written by Hou Yi.

"This must be it," Ushi exclaimed happily, but her broad smile disappeared. We noticed a lock with a circular keyhole on the book's cover. So that's the locked part of the title. "Can we break it?"

Xiong looked shocked. "And risk breaking the elixir? No way!"

"Wait, the keyhole is circular," Abahai noticed like how I did. Great minds think alike, Māmā always said. He looked at my jade necklace and gestured for it. I slipped it over, handing it to him. Abahai entered the jade into the keyhole at a certain angle and twisted it.

A loud click! sound echoed through the hollow library.

"How is that for American films?" Abahai grinned cheekily, tossing me back my jade necklace. It held the key to Hou Yi's heart, Bàba told me. I tugged back on my necklace as Xiong opened the book.

It was hollow, but a vial rested inside the book. It was a glass vial with a white substance inside. "Looks like milk, do you think I can take it like a shot?" Ushi asked out of the blue.

"Ushi!" I gasped, but I was holding back giggles.

Abahai laughed. "You sound like my step-sister, Ushi."

"Guys, we found the Elixir of Immortality, and you're cracking jokes about it looking like milk? Or if it can be taken as an alcoholic shot?" Xiong demanded, looking slightly ticked.

I cleared my throat. "Uhm, of course, we're going to be serious. Right, Ushi?"

"Mhm."

Xiong slipped the vial into the back of his pocket and smiled, nodding. "We did it though. Thanks to Xiran's jade necklace, which was our key, we can hand the elixir over to Chang'e."

Ushi gasped loudly. So much for being serious. "Wait, Chang'e? The actual goddess?"

"I've been in contact with Chang'e before I visited Hēi'àn De Mìmì. After we give it to the goddess, she'll take the elixir again and float to the Heavens to find Hou Yi." Xiong looked proud.

"Wait, what?" I blurted, puzzled. I looked at the three and grabbed Xiong's arm. "Excuse us, but we need to talk—in private." Before Ushi or Abahai could agree, I yanked Xiong away to a dark corner.

I narrowed my eyes. "You never said anything about going to the moon."

"Well, that's where Chang'e lives, no?" Xiong said casually. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed. How could he act so naturally? "It was always the plan, Xiran. Why? What's the matter?"

"Why does Chang'e need to drink the elixir again?" I demanded, feeling heated.

"So she can float back up to the Heavens. She's stuck on the moon, but not if we give Chang'e the Elixir of Immortality. I know, it sounds odd—an immortal drinking the elixir again, but it'll work."

I tried to pick a fight. "Oh, and how do you plan on going to the moon?"

"There's the mortal moon and the mythical moon," Xiong said simply. "Pick your poison, Xiran Shen."