Chapter 152 — Unfilial
劍問蒼天 · Page 4 of 6
Lu Xueling passed along the covered corridor and stepped onto the winding little path of smooth pebbles that led through the bamboo grove, twisting deeper and deeper, until she came to the refined hut built of bamboo. From outside it looked plain and unadorned; its outer walls of bamboo, weathered by who knew how many years of wind and rain, now bore faint traces of age. On either side of the hut was a small window, through which could be glimpsed the still figure of Master Shuijing seated within.
Lu Xueling came to the door, which was likewise made of bamboo and stood ajar. Somehow she felt a little nervous; drawing a deep breath, she said, "Master, it is Xueqi. Did you send for me?"
Master Shuijing's voice came from within, flat and without feeling. "Yes. Come in."
Lu Xueling steadied herself and pushed the door open. The furnishings inside were very simple—table, chairs, tea things; by the window stood another desk with paper, inkstone, brush, and ink. Master Shuijing had never been one for luxury. She was sitting at the desk by the window now, silently gazing at the bamboo grove outside.
Lu Xueling came up behind her, looked at her master's back, and said softly, "Master."
Master Shuijing turned slowly and looked at Lu Xueling, but Lu Xueling seemed unwilling to meet her master's eyes and lowered her head. Neither spoke, and for a moment the room's air grew awkward. In truth, neither Master Shuijing nor Lu Xueling was much given to talk, and such scenes had occurred before when they were alone together. Yet somehow, today, there seemed to be a strange new unfamiliarity between master and disciple, putting a greater distance between them than ever before.
After a while, Master Shuijing broke the silence. "Your journey to the southwest—did it go smoothly?" she asked, her voice flat.
Lu Xueling nodded. "Well enough. The beast demons ran wild all along the way, but we avoided them as best we could. In the end we found a Demonic Cult disciple who had gone mad, and through him we found Vipers' Valley, and saw..."
Her voice suddenly stopped. A plainly visible anguish crossed her face, and even her body seemed to tremble slightly. Master Shuijing watched her, a flicker of light in her eyes, as though pondering something. After a moment she looked at Lu Xueling and said, "Did you see him?"
Lu Xueling started and looked at Master Shuijing. Her master's gaze was calm, yet it seemed to see straight into the depths of her heart. Lu Xueling's expression shifted, and she said softly, "Master, what—what are you saying?"
Master Shuijing said coldly, "I am speaking of Zhang Qingyue—the very Mingli who is now of the Banished King Sect!"
Her voice was not loud, but to Lu Xueling it was like a thunderclap at her ear. She jerked up her head, face ashen, yet Master Shuijing, standing before her, still fixed her bright eyes straight upon hers. Lu Xueling's lips parted slightly and closed again, pressed tightly together. She said not a word.
Silence descended once more.
How long it lasted, no one could say. At last Master Shuijing's face slowly relaxed, and into the look she bent upon Lu Xueling there gradually crept a measure of pity and heartache.
"Qi'er, how long will you go on deceiving me?" Master Shuijing said slowly, watching Lu Xueling.
Lu Xueling's hand clenched into a fist, the white skin of her knuckles going pale with the force of it—clearly she was deeply agitated at this moment. She looked at the master who had raised her from childhood, and a mist of tears gradually welled in her eyes, but in the end she held it back. Biting her lip, she slowly knelt down before Master Shuijing.
"It is your disciple's fault. I have failed your teachings." Her voice grew softer and softer, and her slender back seemed to tremble faintly.