The disciples that left Wangshou Academy that morning bore the weight of duty on their shoulders—each of them, except for one fidgeting girl who lagged far behind the group. She was among those selected to descend the mountain and help fend off the demons terrorizing the villages below.
Surprisingly, that girl wasn't Zhao Wenli. Although Wenli would have done anything to remain on the mountain, she certainly didn't want to be seen as a coward. She'd worked hard—sweated through cold nights and exhausting lectures—to become one of the best psychologists in both London and China. Just because she found herself in a different world now didn't mean she had any intention of giving up.
If I could brave my medical board exams, then this should be nothing, she thought.
Still, she was surprised. The girl trembling behind her looked more terrified than she felt. Wenli paused, letting her catch up.
"Are you okay?" she asked as the girl finally reached her.
"I—I guess so…" the girl stammered, her voice quivering.
Wenli almost rolled her eyes. Great. She's trying to scare me with her fear.
"You shouldn't be scared. You're going to end up scaring me too," Wenli muttered dryly.
"You're scared too?" the girl asked, eyes wide. She looked genuinely surprised—like Wenli was some kind of fearless goddess descended from the sea.
Wenli didn't know what to make of that look. So, instead of responding, she asked, "What's your name?"
"I'm XiMei. Peng XiMei."
"I'm Zhao Wenli. Let's get along, okay?"
XiMei beamed, seemingly eager to say more, but was interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. A handsome figure stepped forward with calm authority.
"Descending the mountain will take us at least a day and maybe half of the next," he said, as though lecturing a classroom. "We'll stop on the way to assess the situation and gather information. That should give us a clearer picture of what we're dealing with."
Zhao Wenli couldn't help but smirk at his tone. A proper teacher, she thought.
"Teacher LuPeng," she addressed him, "shouldn't we eat first? We'll need strength to fight the unknown."
LuPeng was visibly surprised when she called him "teacher." If anything, it was he who should have been addressing her with reverence. After all, wielding a Blue Phoenix was nearly on par with the legendary Purple Phoenix. People still whispered about the girl who disappeared years ago, walking away from power and prestige, leaving only rumors behind.
Still, he didn't question her polite—if unnecessary—address.
"Fair point," he replied. "Let's head down. None of us are skilled enough in sword-flying yet, and the horses might slow us down. But let's do our best."
With that, he moved toward the horses that had been provided for them. How Zhao Wenli and XiMei knew the horses were prepared for them, they had no idea—and they weren't about to ask either. It was better not to sound foolish.
As expected, they reached the foot of the mountain by the following evening. The village was buzzing with activity. Food vendors lined the streets, shouting over one another, trying to attract customers. Despite the approaching darkness, the town was lively.
"Just like a Chinese night market," Wenli muttered under her breath.
Her companions gave her puzzled looks, but she didn't bother to explain. She'd made the mistake of using English once before—with her maid Hualia—and explaining foreign terms was more trouble than it was worth. Let them wonder.
XiMei furrowed her brows. "I thought these people were under demonic threat. They seem pretty cheerful for folks with death knocking on their door."
Wenli nodded in agreement. "You'd never guess demons were lurking nearby, looking at this."
"You're both right," LuPeng added. "But we must remember—this will be our first battle with demons. And we can't back out now."
"Wise words, Teacher LuPeng," Wenli said, teasing slightly.
They headed to a nearby inn to find lodging.
"Three rooms, please," LuPeng said, reaching into his lapel for his coin pouch.
The young innkeeper gave them an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, young master and mistresses. We only have one room left."
LuPeng sighed and put the pouch away. He turned to the girls. One look was enough—they understood.
Wenli didn't particularly mind sharing a room. She needed rest, food, and somewhere quiet to meditate and practice. What did concern her, though, was the way XiMei clung to her arm like a scared child.
They tried two more inns. At one, drunk men hovered around the women, leering openly, apparently unaware—or uncaring—that they were cultivators in uniform. From what Wenli gathered during their journey, it was rare for disciples of Wangshou Academy to descend the mountain; usually, it was the masters who traveled down, their garments distinct from the students'.
At the final inn, they found luck: three available rooms.
LuPeng paid, and a young woman—perhaps three or four years older than XiMei—led them down a narrow hall to their shared suite. It wasn't ideal. The room was divided into three equal sections, with one shared reading table, three teacups, and a kettle. But it would do.
"Better than nothing," Wenli muttered, exhaling deeply.
"But—"
"No buts, XiMei," Wenli interrupted with a sigh. "We're too tired to go searching again. Let's just settle for this."
"I'll go order some food," LuPeng offered, heading for the door.
"That's unwise, Teacher LuPeng," Wenli snapped, making him pause mid-step.
"Oh? How so?"
"Let's eat downstairs," XiMei said, grinning mischievously. "We don't want to miss the gossip."
LuPeng chuckled softly in understanding. "Alright then. I'll head to the male bathhouse. You two should use the ladies' before dinner."
Since the room didn't have a bathtub—it barely had space as it was—they would use the public bathhouses. It wasn't unfamiliar territory for any of them.
And they would try to eat and be strong in other to fight what was ahead.
Wenli had always wanted to really go back. But two things were keeping her from not doing otherwise.
1. Her comatose body in her world. That she must protect.
2. She needs power. And being strong and powerful was the only thing she needed.
For the sake of everything that would bring me back, let's bear with it. She thought. Then, she followed them out of their room, downstairs to have dinner with those that would lead them to the demons they were looking for.