Chapter 16 — Deep in the Old Temple a Young Girl Hides
The Herdsman of the Wasteland · Page 3 of 3
The Blind Elder was an old hand of the jianghu, and Shen Mu believed his words without a doubt. Whatever the Blind Elder taught him, he said; surely nothing could go wrong.
Having finished his prayer, Shen Mu sat down on the stone steps, took off the iron shoes on his feet, and unfastened the iron weights bound to his shins, breathing in and out, circulating his breath, recovering his strength.
The whole way he had run across the river wearing iron shoes and iron weights on his legs; the shoes and the weights had been reforged for him by the mute blacksmith, heavier and more cumbersome than the last pair.
Suddenly, from the temple behind him, came a girl's light laugh, crisp as could be: "You do talk funnily. Very well, then — I won't eat you."
Shen Mu spun around. On the Buddha's palm — since when? — sat a little girl, eleven or twelve like himself, her hair in three braids: two finer ones hanging before her chest, one thick one behind her back. She was swinging her little feet and looking at him with a grin.
The girl's feet swung and swung, and the gold rings at her ankles knocked together, chiming, and it seemed to make her laughter bright as early-spring sunlight.
Shen Mu scrambled up. "This fairy sister..."
"Fairy sister? Where's this fairy sister from?"
The girl jumped down from the Buddha's hand, laughing happily, showing two little fangs. "My name is Xian Qing'er. I live nearby, and I've never seen any fairy sister. What's your name?"
Seeing her laugh so brightly, and that she did not seem the sort to be a villain, Shen Mu let out a breath. "My name is Shen Mu. It means 'the cowherd boy of the Qin family.' I used to have an ox. The grannies and grandpas in the village always made me herd it."
Xian Qing'er walked behind the old temple's door and pulled open the other leaf, sizing him up from head to toe, then glanced behind him. Suddenly she burst out giggling. "Where's your ox, then?"
Shen Mu hesitated. "The ox turned into a woman. Now there's no ox."
Xian Qing'er was flummoxed, then delighted. "There are fun things like that in the world? How did it turn? Can you turn?"
Shen Mu shook his head. "Not very well yet. My granny can."
Xian Qing'er looked a little disappointed. "And here I thought you could. What other fun things do you have? Come in quickly and tell me!"
Shen Mu lifted a foot, about to step into the old temple — when suddenly his gaze passed over Xian Qing'er, and he saw, behind the image of the Buddha in that ruined shrine, a few white bones showing. His heart lurched; his foot hung in the air and did not come down. He hesitated. "Blind Grandpa says that to burn incense in a temple, you must first bow to the Buddha inside. I didn't bring any incense. I'd better not go in."
"Come in!" Xian Qing'er said sweetly.
Shen Mu blinked, drew back his hovering foot, and smiled more guilelessly than the Lame Elder. "I'd still better not go in. You come out, and I'll tell you some fun things."
Xian Qing'er's eyes flickered; her white teeth bit her red lip; she tittered. "I know some shy, naughty little things that only boys and girls can play at. Come in, and I'll teach you."
Her breath was like orchid and musk, her voice full of beguilement. A moment ago she had been fresh and bright as spring; now she was rather alluring, rather lovely.
Shen Mu's face went red. He hemmed and hawed: "Since childhood I have been weak in the kidneys..."
"Come in!" A thunderous roar came from the little girl's mouth.