Red.
Xiaomeng's sight was filled with red. The sky was blood red, and so was the small stream of water she was standing on. The water sloshing against her legs was more viscous than any water she knew.
Her legs rose and fell in a constant rhythm as she walked in the stream. Soon a few more footsteps joined from behind. She tried to look back, but her body was not in her control. The stream got wider and wider until it formed into a small river. She still continued walking, her legs still only submerged till her ankles even in the deep waters.
How was she walking on the water? She didn't know. Her mind was like a prisoner in the prison of her body. The end of the large river came into sight. It was the top of a waterfall where the red water poured down from. Her legs carried her toward the edge, and her eyes stared at the sight below, where there was no end to be seen. The footsteps behind her also got closer and closer.
Finally, her head looked back, only for her body to be suddenly pushed down toward the emptiness below. Her eyes stared at the culprits. The ones who had pushed her were the masked people she had killed at the village. Their smiles stretched till their ears, unlike a human. How? Her thoughts froze on that single word.
She fell down for a long time. The fall, which seemed endless, finally had an ending. A red surface was spread out wherever her eyes reached. It was like a world made up of only water. But the water was red. Even as her mind screamed, her eyes continued to stare down until she hit the red surface.
Xiaomeng woke up with a start. Her clothes were beaded with sweat, as were her beddings. The rays of morning light illuminated the room after streaming through the open window. Removing the thin cloth covering her, she took a few steps and stood beside the water jar. As the water soothed her parched throat, her mind also relaxed a bit, though a little headache still persisted.
She noticed the small bowl placed on the table beside her bed. A white sheet of paper fluttered underneath it. Moving the bowl, she picked up the slip and read it. The handwriting was a little crooked, as if the writer was not so experienced in writing. The words written inside easily conveyed the inexperienced writer's identity:
This is your favorite rice porridge. Eat it before it gets cold.
Xiaomeng folded the piece of paper and placed it below the large white pillow at the head of the bed. She took the bowl and removed the plate from the top. The steam which should have come out was absent. She brought the spoon forward and filled it with the porridge. As she ate, a single drop of tear slid down her face, which she did not pay attention to. What did Aunt add to this? My nostrils are all burning.
Hurriedly finishing the porridge, Xiaomeng drank several mouthfuls of water, finally calming her itching nose and throat. She looked around the neat room and, finding nothing of interest, decided to venture out.
Walking a few steps, she opened the door to the room. Then she again closed it and turned back toward the bed. Maybe she was still asleep, seeing such bizarre events in daytime. The door suddenly burst open behind her, and several hands reached for her. Xiaomeng tried to escape, but to no avail. She was caught, gagged, and tied to a small wooden pole by the women wearing the clothes of the sect, the symbol of a hammer on their sleeves identifying them as members of the Sixth Peak.
The group hurriedly carried the kidnapped person to the open courtyard. As the group of 'kidnappers' reached for the swords at their waist, Tian Yao appeared at the entrance of the courtyard. She saw the teary eyes of Xiaomeng and raised her hands to the side. "You can't go out without breakfast."
Although the Senior Sisters from the Sixth Peak were greater in number, even they did not have full confidence in facing Tian Yao head-on. They could only reluctantly let Xiaomeng down and remove her bindings and gag. Getting freed, Xiaomeng rushed and hid behind Tian Yao. She opened her mouth to shout at them, and something familiar entered her mouth. Her face scrunched up, and tears started to flow down her cheeks.
"I will bring more of the medicinal brew since you like it so much," Tian Yao said, observing the now licked-clean spoon from Xiaomeng's mouth. At some point, a steaming bowl similar to yesterday's had appeared in her hands. Already experiencing that her resistance was futile, Xiaomeng could only quickly gulp down the bitter brew in her mouth, just like a baby chicken being force feed.
As the bowl was emptied, Xiaomeng's eyes started to shine as they expectantly looked at her feeder. Tian Yao waved her hand, sending the white porcelain bowl and spoon back into her storage ring. Then she brought her hand to the storage ring again, and a few skewers appeared in her hand.
A fragrant smell invaded the whole courtyard as Xiaomeng's mouth started to water. Lightly wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth, she took one skewer from Tian Yao's hand. One bite, and the bitter taste had completely disappeared from her mouth. The juicy and smooth texture of the meat was heavenly. She hurriedly took more and more bites, finishing the skewer in no time. She then took the remaining two skewers from Tian Yao's hand and stuffed her mouth with them. Even after eating all that, she still felt hungry, but good things were supposed to last only for a short time.
"Do you want more?" Tian Yao simply asked. Xiaomeng nodded her head without a second thought.
Tian Yao once again brought her hand to her storage ring, but this time, instead of a few skewers, a bowl as large as a bathtub appeared beside her, completely filled with the meat from before. "How did you get it?" Xiaomeng exclaimed, her eyes focused on the treat before her.
"The three-tusked boar had very hard meat, so it was hard to cook it properly. Luckily, there was lightning raining down on the back mountains yesterday. I was able to get the meat properly cooked under it." There was a hint of pride in Tian Yao's normally emotionless voice.
Xiaomeng was speechless. Should she applaud this girl for using heavenly thunder to fry meat, or shout at her for nearly getting herself killed? Thinking would only bring her more headache. So, she stopped her head and moved her hands, quickly devouring the meat. Now she understood why she felt a sweet, salty, and spicy taste at the same time. It must be the heavenly thunder's doing.
Tian Yao looked at the handful of girls standing and gawking at the meat. She waved her hand, and a few skewers floated from the tub and hovered in front of them. "You can have a taste if you want."
Although the girls wanted to decline, their bodies disobeyed their minds and hands moved toward the skewers. That morning the people in the small courtyard experienced what real heavenly taste felt like. With her stomach full and belly bulging out a bit, Xiaomeng asked the Senior Sisters, "Why were you trying to kidnap me?"
The merry atmosphere quieted down. The oldest disciple of the group finally replied, "Something has happened to Lingling. She doesn't come out of her room or allow anyone inside. We tried all kinds of methods, but to no avail."
Xiaomeng's brows furrowed. "When did this start? And what has that even got to do with me?" Don't slander her name, she was a nice sleeping princess for a whole three years.
"Two weeks ago, the Peak Master went to the back mountains with the Third Elder. From that time on, Lingling has closed herself in her room. She only opens the door to take food inside with her hand and doesn't show her face. We thought maybe you could talk to her," another girl replied in a depressed voice.
"Wait," Xiaomeng looked at the group. "What are the Third and Sixth Elders even doing in the back mountains?"
The eyes of all the Senior Sisters lit up. "The Third Elder would set up arrays around the whole mountain range and try to catch the Heavenly Lightning during Senior Sister Lan Xue's tribulation, and our Peak Master would use those caught strands of lightning to forge a new weapon." The eldest Senior Sister was not able to control the excitement in her voice.
Xiaomeng seriously began to contemplate any valid methods to run away from this place, or else even her bones would not be left behind after her death. But for now, she had a more pressing matter to attend to. She should go and take a look at what had happened to Lingling. Still, kidnapping someone was never an option. She would tattle about these scary Senior Sisters to Senior Sister Lan after this was over.
Washing her hands and mouth in the small stream flowing with clear water in the courtyard, Xiaomeng went toward the Senior Sisters. They all took out their swords, which started to float in the air. Wasn't this too much effort just to bring a small person like her? "Would you like to come?" she asked Tian Yao, who had put away the dirty tub and skewers.
Tian Yao shook her head. "Just come back on time for dinner." She went back to the small room she had been using for the past three years.
Xiaomeng gave Tian Yao one last look. Although she felt something was off about her the whole time, she was not able to put a finger on it. Gently placing her foot on the hard metal surface, she boarded the sword behind the eldest Senior Sister. In no time, all the swords were airborne, rushing toward their predetermined destination.
Tian Yao observed the swords disappear toward the Sixth Peak. The wooden door was gently pushed open, and she entered her room. Her spiritual sense spread throughout the, observing every nook and cranny. Not finding anything amiss, she let out a soft yet strained sigh. Right then, as if a dam had burst forth, the robes on her back started to turn red.
Lightly shrugging her shoulder, the outer robes fell down. The smell of burnt skin instantly filled the room. Tian Yao's back was completely charred, a few streaks of lightning jumping over the dead skin as if playing. Three small holes forming a triangle were burrowed just below her shoulder blades. Sitting down, she quickly took out a few pills and ate them. She folded her hands and started to actively dissolve the pills in her stomach, their medicinal efficacy spreading throughout her body.
As her back started to heal, the blue, white, and red strands of lightning would again destroy the restored flesh. This process of mending and destroying continued as the intensity of the lightning gradually reduced. Even under such immense pain, Tian Yao did not let out even a muffled sound. While this was happening, Xiaomeng's retinue had reached the Sixth Peak.
"You cannot be Xiaomeng," Lingling's shout came from her room.
"I really am Xiaomeng," Xiaomeng shouted back in an equally loud voice.
Lingling's voice came from behind the closed door. "Xiaomeng was unconscious for three years. How come she is suddenly awake now?"
Xiaomeng herself wanted the answer to this question. Why does every time she wakes up, something absurd continue to happen around her? "I just woke up yesterday. You can ask your Senior Sisters."
"Yes, she is telling the truth."
"We just brought her here this morning."
The Senior Sisters also chimed in to support Xiaomeng's authenticity. Moved a little by their efforts, Lingling said, "If you really are Xiaomeng, then tell me what food we first shared. Only the real Xiaomeng knows this."
Xiaomeng was stumped. She didn't even remember the breakfast she ate two days ago; how would she remember something from several months ago? Why would this silly girl have so much confidence in her memory? Just because she was an alchemist did not mean she had to remember everything like the back of her hand. But under the dozens of eyes directed at her, saying she didn't remember would be the end of her. Her brain used all the energy she had gotten from breakfast and operated at its top speed.
As the gazes bore down, Xiaomeng felt more and more helpless. Finally, taking a chance, she said the sweets Lingling had once said she liked the most. "It was Tanghulu."
There was silence from the other end. The gazes of all the Senior Sisters became stern. Xiaomeng could only cower under their scrutiny as an invisible pressure began to envelop her. A soft voice broke the tense stalemate.
"Xiaomeng, is it really you?"
"Yes, it's really me." Xiaomeng shouted at the top of her lungs. She just wanted to escape from within this group of fanatic and lunatic Lingling admirers.
The sound of gears turning came from the door, and it was slightly opened. "Only you can come in, no one else," Lingling's voice came from close behind the opened door.
Xiaomeng glanced at the Senior Sisters, who nodded at this, and was about to enter inside when something was shoved into her hand and she was pushed inside. Regaining her lost balance from the push, Xiaomeng took in the room. Her mouth went slack. The inside was even larger than Tian Yao's room. Carved wooden and molded metal figures of mythical beasts, both big and small, lined one whole side of the room. They were neatly arranged on shelves carved through the pink wall.
And let's not talk about the paintings. Did a heavenly painter come here or what? The wall opposite the mythical figures was painted with pictures of ancient legends. And the wall directly opposite the door she had entered from was just a big glass through which the light openly invaded. And in the middle of this lavishness sat a bed big enough for nearly ten, but it was occupied by only one person with a thick blanket pulled over her head, trembling inside.
Xiaomeng walked closer to the giant bed on which Lingling hid herself. As her steps neared, the trembling under the blanket also grew more. Xiaomeng placed the paper wrapping in her hand on the bed. There was something soft in it, but she didn't have time to look.
"Don't come near." Lingling's meek voice came from under the blanket. Xiaomeng's extended hand paused in the air. So, should she stop or continue? Since she was already beside the person of everyone's concern, she decided to get this over with quickly. Her right hand quickly grabbed the fluffy blanket and pulled hard. "People are worried about you. Stop causing trouble for them."
"No, don't look." Lingling's urgent voice came from inside. Xiaomeng did not stop and was finally about to pull the loosely held blanket away when something rose and poked her eyes. "Ahh!" She let go of the blanket and fell on the bed. Her eye was in a little pain, and through it she got a sudden idea. She lightly covered both her eyes with her hands and, rolling left and right, started to cry like a person in immense pain.
"I am really sorry. Xiaomeng, let me see what happened," Lingling's apologetic voice came from beside her. Xiaomeng removed her hands with a smile on her face. As soon as the current Lingling came into her sight, she yelped loudly in surprise. Realizing that she had been seen, Lingling also shouted in alarm. Hearing the two girls scream simultaneously, the Senior Sisters standing outside banged on the door. "Is everything okay, Lingling? Just tell us, we will teach that brat a lesson for you."
"Yes, yes. Tell us. We will properly take care of her."