Heaven's Golden Finger - Chapter 31: Chapter 31

Memory of eyes left behind
Candles burn through the night
Brush strokes pause at a ghost of a scent
Drifting upon the bitter wind
Moonlight reflects on the frost
Tent flaps dance in the breeze
Pale face shines, long sleeves float
Back in a distant night
Ah, too long ago
Ah, never to be forgotten
Yearning for arms entwined
Yearning for warmth
Will they meet again?
Snow falls on the mountainside
Freezes all below
Flute plays soft in the distant clouds
A swiftly fading song
Shirong finished singing, knowing he'd failed to do the song justice. He could manage beautiful high notes, but never the rich elegance the original singer had possessed. Jing Lei had been classically trained in Beijing Opera and his voice could soar like a Metropolitan House's soprano or a Beijing Opera's female lead.
Opening his eyes, not even realizing he'd closed them, Shirong looked down at his Shixiong nervously. He didn't know anything about music in this world. Like Shun Shixiong, his life here had been spent in the seclusion of Leifeng Sect. The music of that other, future, life might not fit here.
To his shock, there was a soft look in Shun Shixiong's eyes. "You... you liked it?"
"It's quite lovely. I think, possibly, you're straining on some of the notes, though?"
"Oh, I was. I can hit them, but not the way Jing Lei could." A moment of panic struck. "Can you?" What if the song were too hard for his Shixiong. He'd blithely assumed Shun could do it because he was certain Shun could do practically anything he set his mind to.
A slight smile. "I think I can. I'll have to practice. But, tell me, is there a story to that song? There's something familiar about it."
"It's about a wandering swordsman exiled from his lover." Shirong remembered how the internet had exploded with theories and fan-videos. "The writer refused to say why or whether they ever meet again." There'd been those who thought it a ghost story where the lover's spirit came to say goodbye. Others thought it was the lover who was the ghost, or that he was dying.
"I see." Shun Shixiong's voice had a reflective note but whatever he was thinking remained unsaid. "Well, I think I can sing it. Let's start with the melody. It sounds complicated and I have to get it right."
Without hesitation, Shirong began singing again.
It took hours for Shun Shixiong practice. Hours he insisted Shirong use for his own cultivation. "There's more qi in our spiritual space than you'll find out in the open. No sense wasting the chance to improve yourself."
Shirong couldn't argue with the logic. He'd been far too lazy before he'd experienced that future life. His adopted father pampered him, making him feel special and wanted and important. He'd been none of those things and earned very little of the chances life kept dropping in his lap.
So while Shun Shixiong practiced the song, growing more and more certain of himself with every repetition, Shirong meditated. At first he sat nearby, so he could correct his Shixiong's mistakes. But as those mistakes ceased and all Shun Shixiong had to do was strengthen his voice and practice control, Shirong moved to their lake.
The water was warm and comfortable and the koi tolerant of his presence. They nosed him a few times at first, as if hoping he had food, then wandered off when they realized he didn't. Shirong took a moment to wonder just how they'd gotten into this place and decided it might hurt his head trying to understand.
Instead he focused the qi in this place through his body. It felt like a stream of warm water flowing through him, reminding him of his other life's school days and learning the cycle of water and plants. The water was Shun Shixiong's contribution to their spiritual space, softening the earth, feeding the tree and rising into the heavens. He'd no doubt it could rain here, but that'd require him to develop his own Movement. He was nowhere near ready, despite having two Attributes.
No, the main thing was to focus on his foundation. He'd only one element supporting his Attributes and that had to be made stronger before he attempted anything further. He let his mind drift down further into his Self and found Shun Shixiong's song already there.
Images flickered, forming around him until he felt as if he sat inside one of the dozens of fan videos for that song. A tent, dark except for a single candle flickering above a young man with a familiar face. Shun Shixiong? But, no. This man was a bit taller, a bit heavier-set, and a thin scar crossed his cheek. He was dressed in Leifeng Sect robes, a gorgeous cloak shimmering over his shoulders.
This wasn't one of the fan videos, or even a memory of one. Shirong was certain he'd remember that face. Was certain he'd remember the near empty tent with its one dim candle. And absolutely certain he'd remember the cloak of glittering white scales.
The man raised his face and for a moment Shirong was afraid he'd been spotted. What would he do if he was? This man looked like a seasoned warrior. Shirong had no hope of protecting himself if the man took offense at his presence.
Except the man was looking straight through Shirong. Turning, Shirong saw the tent flaps lift and open, as if someone were entering. Except no one was there. A faint mist glittered momentarily and a voice spoke incoherently. Whatever it said seemed to galvanize the man, sending him to his feet and towards the entrance. He cried out, stepped through the opening.
"MASTER! YOU LIED TO ME!"
The voice wailed inside Shirong's head, echoing painfully back and forth with intense sorrow. A sense of loss and betrayal filled the air, leaving Shirong stunned and broken-hearted. He cried out in turn, wanting to help and not knowing how.
A hand grasped Shirong's shoulder. Shook him lightly. Arms wrapped him tight and drew him out of the water. "Shun Shixiong?" he gasped. "Sorry. I'm sorry."
"No. It's my fault." Shun Shixiong actually sounded guilty.
"Not your fault. I'm the one who makes trouble."
To his surprise, Shun Shixiong patted his head. Made him look him in the eyes. "I want you to improve yourself. I don't want you to rush into it. You're already ahead of yourself and I expected you to use this place's qi to cultivate."
"I need to do better."
"Yes. And you will. But don't force yourself." Shun Shixiong pulled him out of the water, shooing the curious koi out of his way as they went. "What happened?"
"I let your singing distract me. The story from the song... started happening around me." This wasn't the time to explain videos or fandom. Neither mattered at the moment because Shirong was absolutely certain he'd never seen anything like what he'd just experienced in a video before.
Shun Shixiong helped him sit beside the tree, making him lean there. "Tell me what you saw?"
Hesitantly, trying to remember every detail, Shirong did so.
Once Shirong had finished talking, Shun Shixiong frowned. "He looked like me but was scarred? And had a scale cloak?"
"Yes. I'd never seen him before, though." Suddenly Shirong had a thought. "Maybe he was...." No. That couldn't be.
"He was whom?"
"Your father?" Shirong offered the possibility in a small and uncertain voice. No matter how calm Shun Shixiong could be under most circumstances, there were two things that could send him into a temper. One was Shirong's misbehavior, of course. The other was his father and the general belief that Xu Sheng had betrayed his master, his Shidi and his sect by marrying the Demon King.
To Shirong's relief, Shun Shixiong's expression showed no anger, just thoughtful agreement. "Master Quan told me father was injured protecting my mother from demon hunters. And she gave him a cloak made from her shed skin when they married."
There was no way the song Shirong had taught his Shixiong was about Xu Shen and Xing Baishe. He still asked, "I never knew the details of what happened. Did he get sent to the north?"
"Not the north, no. His master sent him to Kunlun Tian, to serve the Mother and Father of All."
Now that Shirong remembered from his training. Kunlun Tian was a double-peaked mountain at the center of what had once been the Tsai Empire. Its Gods were the children of the Gods who created the universe. It was grim, dangerous and practically uninhabitable. "That sounds like he was being punished. Why?"
A bleak expression crossed Shun Shixiong's face, one that made Shirong yearn to grab him and hug him tight. "Because he saved my mother from demon hunters."
"But why would that be a problem? I mean, there are demons all over the place. Like Liang Xie Rao and his son."
It took Shun Shixiong a few minutes to answer. "You know, I've wondered that myself. Master Quan never had an answer. And I never dared ask Sect Master Qiong. To be honest, I've always tried to avoid his attention."
No blame at all to him for doing so. Shirong wouldn't have wanted to be noticed by the man who'd imprisoned his mother in ice or banished his father. And that man was their Sect Master. It must have been awful, growing up under Master Qiong's eyes, constantly afraid one's demonic side would break free.
"We should find out," Shirong said suddenly and saw fear in Shun Shixiong's eyes for the first time. "Even if it hurts, isn't it better? We meant to find the Revered Predecessor to learn what his prophecy really means. Maybe we also need to know what happened in the past."
A sudden shy smile. "You know, you aren't always a fool, Shirong Shidi. And in this, I think you're right." Shun Shixiong sighed. Took a deep breath. "But first we have to escape General Ishalan."
Reminded of theirsituation, Shirong agreed. He'd a feeling General Ishalan wasn't going to beeasy to fool, no matter how beautifully Shun Shixiong sang, nor how prettily hebatted his eyelashes.