Jin Se

Chapter 2

The magnolia alba outside the window has wilted, a single wind blowing past can cause them to fall all over turning the ground white.

The Taoist master stands by the small window frame, through the half-open window he can look outside. In the middle of the courtyard lies a giant constellation table, taking up to half of the space. At the moment it is early dawn, the sunlight shining down making the tiny lights on the constellation table dim. Only by concentrating your eyes can you see the intricate lines on top, tangling each other. Occasionally a flower falls down and quickly wilts like it was drained dry by the table.

His little sole student Shi Wuduan is sitting by the constellation table, the hem of his pants drawn a little high, revealing his ankle - this year Shi Wuduan turns ten years old, he seems to have started to grow, anything he eats seemingly only serve to elongate his bones incessantly, his body starting to show the lankiness of teenagers. On his outer jacket lies a few bird feathers, a single golden thread is wrapped around his hand, his two fingers moving like flying; he is deftly weaving a 'maiden ribbon'.

This maiden ribbon is what little girls from wealthy families who had not matured wear; most of them are made from silk thread, weaved in between can be a few things like pearl and jewel. In the Daqian years, most little girls braid their hair rather than putting them in a bun like the adults. The maiden ribbon, about two to three inches-wide, can be tied along the little girl's braid; there are a few with a golden bell attached at the tail, which will sound when they walk.

Shi Wuduan is still young, no one has yet to teach him, at most he could see that among the students of Kure master the few younger shimei will tie those, but he can already figure out how to make it without any guidance, which is enough to see this guy is talented in these perverted things.

Until the Taoist master took a closer look, he grows so angry his beard raises - the golden thread and the bird feathers that this precious student was playing around with, he all recognizes.

The golden thread is the Duxing (*) thread used to layer the constellation table when Jiulu mountain has its annual celebration. It looks like a golden thread, but when you have it your hand it feels extremely soft, cool as water, very malleable, and holy weapons cannot slice through it. It is the product from the golden silkworm living in snowy mountaintop of Jiulu mountain; every year, only a few hundred grams can be harvested. That is still fine; since this thing will not get ruined, Xuan sect still has some in stock.

(*) means to lead the stars

But these bird feathers are incredible shiny, under the sunlight they look like they are covered by a sheen of lapis lazuli, the refracted light truly like rainbows. If a common person without cultivation stares at it for seconds long they would feel dizzy, and even their state of mind can be sucked in by these colours.

The more the Taoist master looks at it the more it becomes familiar. He briskly walks to the outer space, pushes the curtain aside and feels his blood boiling in waves - he only sees the green jade magical sparrow that he has kept as a pet since time unknown has been shaved clean since who knows when. This bird that is said to be the most beautiful in the world sees him walk in, seems to be startled, raising its bare butt that has no remaining hair left, chirped twice before turning away, like it has no face to see his owner.

The green jade magical sparrow, according to legend, is grown by the gods on the Jiutian lake, there are barely any on our world. They are only seen at the north-most regions, using snow lotus herbs as food, snow water as drink, never tasting any worldly fruits or insects. This one has long been the Taoist master's dearest darling.

The Taoist master stares at the bald magical sparrow for a while, so angry that his limbs start to shake. He picks up his ruler, slamming the door open: "Shi Wuduan!"