Watching as the girl quietly made her way through the temple, Mo Yuan continued his mantra which his disciples were meditating to. He had no intention of stopping her this time, because he had already ascertained that she was no threat even though he had yet to discover how she was breaching his barrier or what she actually wanted.
Her face rose up with a smile as her small fingers lightly traced the etched designs on the pillars as if she had never actually seen a pillar before. The wonder and innocence in her eyes was actually rather endearing, because she seemed a little awestruck, so he left her alone as he continued the lesson.
He knew she could hear him, because now and then, her head would turn in his direction to listen, only to once again lose herself to the temples inner hall. She moved with the grace of a swan, her feet barely touching the stone cobbled floors while admiring the paintings on the walls, the study desks, the chandelier and even the shadows cast by the candlelight.
But his voice momentarily faltered at the frown etched across her brow when she stopped to lightly run a finger over the Buddha statue to his left.
"Buddha?" her soft voice called behind her which was where he was sitting.
Not answering nor correcting her, Mo Yuan continued the mantra. He still had another hour before his disciples completed their assisted meditation and he really did want to finish.
"Why do you have a statue of yourself in your temple?" she asked frowning at the little gold statue in confusion.
Near bursting with laughter, Mo Yuan squeezed his eyes shut while his voice continued the words he was no longer paying attention to because she was now on her knees staring at the statue with her bunched fists squeezed tightly over her mouth. Her eyes were wide and he could see she was deeply lost in thought at her own question. Only the next one, had the mantra coming to an abrupt halt.
"Is this Heaven?" she whispered, her large eyes filled with wonder and reverence at the sudden epiphany. "This must be Heaven because the angels are here." she said turning to point at his disciples who were maintaining their meditative state even without the mantra and to Mo Yuans surprise, it seemed as if she could actually see them, but for some reason, she couldn't see him. And even more surprising, was his disciples could not see or hear her.
She had noticed the white robed men when she entered. She couldn't see their faces or even their actually forms, but she could make out the white of their robes as if in a thick fog that had yet to lift. In fact, the entire temple was shrouded in mist. It wasn't scary because that soft voice kept the atmosphere calm and peaceful, only she had yet to actually see Buddha himself which she was kind of hoping she wouldn't.
She felt safe when he was just a voice. A gentle kind voice that seemed to be compassionate towards her plight and was allowing her into his safe haven even if it was just for a short time. And to her mind, his voice was also healing. She felt no pain in his temple unlike her other life. Not even her fresh bruises and open wounds were a hindrance, it felt as if she were floating in that soft fog surrounded by his gentle voice and healing her wounded soul.
Only the thought of seeing his face was frightening. In her mind, she had already determined, that if she couldn't see him, then he couldn't see her. And if he couldn't see her, then he wouldn't know she was a slave because slaves were not treated well. If she saw his face, the protective bubble she felt in that temple would shatter, so she tried her very best not to look at the podium, while sneaking glances anyway just to satisfy her need for him to remain invisible.
And there was one other reason why she didn't want to see his face. Buddha was a revered high deity, one that no one in her world was worthy enough to see. It was what her masters had screamed at her when they had reached their house before beating her. Her master had said, that no slaves could enter Buddhas house even though Daoshi said she could. For her, a nothing little slave to look upon the face of such a giant personage, was a sacrilege worthy of a painful death.
Her mind was conflicted. Because her masters had forbidden her from entering Buddhas abode and that included the steps. But Daoshi said she could and Buddha had not chased her away, and nor had he berated her much less beaten her. So she really didn't know what to think and the way her small shoulders shuddered at the prospect of another beating, had Mo Yuan giving up on the lesson. It was obvious the girl needed something but had not yet made it known. And he wouldn't know until he sat her down to talk.
Sighing, he rose to his feet and slowly made his way towards her. He needed to put a few things straight and though he didn't want to frighten her, he did need to ask a few more questions. If she was going to continue visiting his temple, he really wanted to know why she was there more than where she had come from. So leaving his disciples to continue the lesson without him, he raised a privacy barrier around the both of them.
"Follow me Ye Yu." he said softly before turning towards the main entrance. "Just follow the sound of my footsteps.: he added waiting for her to rise to her feet.
Once again her feet were bare and the same white slip barely kept her decent which saddened him, because he had an inkling as to what she actually was. But he continue to say nothing as he led her out of the temple and onto a path that led to a private garden. A place he loved to relax in while also ensuring they would not be interrupted.
The moon was directly above them, so it was the middle of the night which seemed to be her calling time which was fine with him. He liked the night, he always had, because it meant the time was his own, a time of day where work was put to the back of his mind so his own thoughts could take flight.
Only the way the girl squatted down on the ground before yet another statue of Buddha rather than sitting on one of the three benches had him also lowering himself to the ground beside her. Under the moonlight, her pale complexion and large doe like eyes, reminded him of a lost child who wanted answers, but was too fearful to ask. Or rather, not really knowing what to ask, because confusion, fearfulness and a even a little hope.
"Ye Yu... I am not Buddha. I am a Daoshi and a teacher of Buddhism." he explained gently and as simply as he could. "This is not Heaven, but a private temple and school for young men."
Turning her head towards the voice, her eyes scanned her surroundings for him in understanding but not yet acceptance.
"Then.... if you are Daoshi, why am I here?" she questioned as the confusion rose. Daoshi from her home temple had said she was welcome in Buddhas home, so she had assumed that statement had given her access to said home via her dreams But if he wasn't Buddha, and this was a temple for young men, then why had she come to this temple? She might have been a simple girl with no worldly experience, but this made no sense.
"You don't know why you're here?" Mo Yuan asked incredulously and with a rise of his brows while watching as the confusion quickly began to turn to discomfort. In fact, she was close to crying.
"I thought Buddha invited me here......" she whispered as the tears slipped off her lashes in disappointment. It was obvious this Daoshi didn't want her there, because he didn't sound all that happy with her, she could hear it in the tone of his voice.
Realizing his tone of voice had upset her, Mo Yuans eyes sadly softened at the way her hands rose to cover her face and her body to crumble at what she was deeming to be rejection. Her small hand had reached out to touch the Buddha statue only to quickly snatch it back as if burnt for daring to touch him let alone intrude on his sacred temple for men.
"I didn't mean to cause trouble. I just wanted to come and see your home, because the other Daoshi said I could. I won't bother you ag......" she almost got out, before the gentleness she had come to trust, forced her head up to swivel around for him.
Never had he seen such a fragile and defeated being in his life. She looked so dejected and pitiful and his heart broke for her misery. It was obvious to him that she had somehow been given an avenue of escape from whatever had caused the fresh bruising to her face and wounds to her hands and arms. But for her to think he was rejecting her presence only endeared him to her plight, so he gently forced her mind off her misery and onto himself.
"Ye Yu. You are welcome here. I am not asking you to leave." he replied in the softest tone he had ever conjured, one that almost sounded musical to her ears.
"I can stay?" she asked in a small quivering voice filled with hope and desire that his words were actually true.
"You can stay." he smiled softly even though he knew she couldn't see him.
"Thankyou...." she smiled through the tears and giving him a glimpse of the loveliness he had seen before, one he didn't think shone through often enough. "I don't know when I will come back though...." she added and trailing off unsure what else to say to him, because now his voice sounded happy she was there.
"By what means are you coming here?" he asked immediately jumping on her statement and hoping to gain some answers without making her cry again. If she was using a form of magic he was unaware of, he had to know about it.
She fell silent for a moment to think on how best to answer him. She really had no idea how she got there, and nor was she aware she was dreaming. In fact, the visit felt as real to her as waking life but as for his question, it confused her. She just found herself there as if it were an ordinary occurrence. Even his lack of a face seem natural so his question stumped her.
"I don't know. I just came here." she replied truthfully before lowering her eyes to stare at the statue again.
Watching as her eyes lowered sadly, Mo Yuan gained a little more from her. It was obvious she had wanted to meet Buddha, because her eyes remained staring at the little gold statue sadly, though she also seemed content to be talking to him regardless.
"And where did you come from?" he asked and forcing her head up again to look around for him.
"I come from......." she trailed off thinking hard. She had no memories of her parents or any family so she knew of no place that she could call home. She'd had so many owners and from so many different places that none of them could be considered home either. As for her new owners, she had even less of an idea because no one told her what town or city she was in anyway. She was merely there to serve, not gain knowledge which she could use against them, so once again her head lowered.
"I don't know where I'm from." she replied honestly.
No name of her own. No place to call home and consistently beaten. It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was which only endeared him to her more. He'd had many experiences with the slaves of the Mortal world and had done what he could to help as many as he could, because it was becoming apparent that this was where she was from. She was far too weak to be an Immortal, and even if she was, slavery was absolutely forbidden.
Though how she was able to traverse the high realms in apparition form without the aide of magic was a mystery he planned on solving. And he couldn't do that by chasing her away.
"It's no matter my dear. You are, as your own Daoshi has stated, welcome in the homes of Buddha including this one. So take your ease here, you are safe and I will always be available should you wish to talk to me." he replied gently and this time smiling with her when her face rose up with sparkling eyes filled with happiness.
Her eyes were her most beautiful of features. Highly expressive, honest and innocent. So wholesome and gentle of nature, the kind of person he honestly didn't realize the Mortal Realm was even capable of producing much less a slave with a heart as pure as hers. Yet despite the sadness that edged every smile, there was also forgiveness. A quality so rare in one so young, Mo Yuan knew he would be looking forward to her visits just as much as she was.
"Then I will come often. I like it here." she turned her head to smile straight at him.
For a brief moment, he thought she could actually see him. Only the moment his hand raised to lightly brush away the tears, then once again, his hand passed straight through her.
Saddened that he couldn't offer her physical comfort, Mo Yuans hand lowered helplessly as she lay her head on Buddhas knees to rest. She looked so small and so exhausted, that he remained quiet, just watching as her eyes closed while one hand rested on the statue as if seeking only the comfort of the Buddhas safety that had brought her to him.
And so he remained watching over her as sleep took her, until eventually she disappeared again and leaving behind nothing of her presence, not even a scent to say she had even been there.