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Watching the monk and the Scholar being escorted away by the Constables, Xie Xuan stood beside Xing Ruyi and said, "Xie Xuan wants to tell you a story!"
"Oh?" Xing Ruyi looked up, appearing not very interested.
The fox approached Xing Ruyi, gazing at her profile with a gentle smile, "There's still time; why not listen?"
Xie Xuan's story began on a gloomy, rainy afternoon!
At that time, he was still the young master of the Xie Family, yet to travel to the capital for the imperial examination. In his spare time, he wandered around and conducted some business. A few days prior, he received a message from his Brother via carrier pigeon that their Mother was gravely ill and urged him to return quickly. Xie Xuan did not dare delay; he immediately packed his belongings, taking only some simple clothes and Silver Coins. He also purchased a renowned steed said to be from Ferghana from a nearby horse trader and hurried on his way.
Halfway through his journey, a sudden downpour began, accompanied by rumbling thunder. The rain poured down as if it were being dumped from above, quickly blurring his vision. The horse was startled and threw him off its back before fleeing without a trace. Struggling to get up from the ground, he wiped the rainwater from his face and painstakingly trudged along the path he remembered.
When the heavy rain finally subsided, he realized that he had unknowingly strayed from the main road and ended up on a Mountain Path. The path was flanked by dense trees, but the blue stones underfoot showed signs of frequent use, so he felt reassured and continued walking forward.
After walking for an hour or two, Xie Xuan suddenly sensed something was amiss. A strange feeling sent an unusual chill down his spine. His clothes were already soaked from the rain, and now with this chill creeping in, even a sturdy man like him couldn't help but shiver and sneeze several times in succession.
"What exactly did you feel?" As an attentive listener, Xing Ruyi knew when to interject; otherwise, the storyteller might lose motivation to continue.
"In those one or two hours of walking, I didn't hear any animal sounds at all. At first, I thought it was because of the thunderstorm that they had all hidden away. But by then, the rain had stopped. As the most common inhabitants of the forest, those birds and animals should have been bustling about to enjoy the rare freshness after the rain. However, I listened carefully for a long time and heard no signs of life in that forest except for my own voice."
"But just now you mentioned that path looks like it is frequently traveled by people. Perhaps the nearby Hunters have been too diligent in their hunting, leaving little wildlife in the forest."
"Hunters only hunt useful game—those whose fur can be sold, whose meat can be eaten, or whose feathers can be admired. Yet even if these hunters work hard, they cannot possibly wipe out all living creatures in an entire forest, right? There must be some unknown birds or insects left behind? But it was too quiet around me—so quiet that it felt as if that forest was dead."
Xie Xuan spoke while gazing into the distance; his eyes seemed deep as if he had transcended time and space to return to that moment. A thin layer of water beads formed at his temples.
At that time, upon sensing something unusual, Xie Xuan's face turned pale as he stopped in his tracks. He looked around in confusion but saw nothing strange. Then he recalled what Xing Ruyi had just mentioned and wondered if hunters had indeed wiped out all living creatures in that forest.
Although he comforted himself in his heart, his mind remained restless. He anxiously continued along the mountain path. As he walked, that eerie feeling gradually faded away. Xie Xuan noticed a wooden hut built on a hillside not far ahead.
Such huts were common in rural areas and forests. Xie Xuan thought that perhaps this was the home of a Mountain Dweller or a Hunter. As the mountain path was difficult to navigate, the light had already dimmed. He saw that there were candles lit inside the hut; although the light was faint, it provided a special warmth in the midst of the forest. Xie Xuan understood that if he continued walking, he did not know how long it would take, and clearly, he had lost his way on the long mountain road. Without someone to guide him, he feared he would be wandering until dawn without finding his way out.
Thinking this, he cautiously approached the hut along the slope.
Above the front door of the hut, a simple wooden sign read "Jinse." The handwriting was elegant, as if penned by a young girl.
If it were an ordinary hut, Xie Xuan might have pushed the door open already. However, this particular one seemed to belong to a young girl. If it were a family home, it would be fine; but if it were for a single person, it might be inappropriate for a lone man and woman to meet. Just as he hesitated and paced back and forth, the door of the hut opened from within.
Xie Xuan instinctively lowered his head but heard a young boy ask him, "It is getting late; would you like to stay at my home for the night?"
Seeing that the person asking was not a girl, Xie Xuan awkwardly raised his head. Standing before him was a very handsome young boy, no more than twelve or thirteen years old.
Once inside, Xie Xuan asked the boy how he knew someone was standing outside and intending to seek shelter without knocking on the door.
The boy smiled slightly and looked Xie Xuan up and down. Although drenched by heavy rain and looking disheveled, his clothes were made of fine material; even the jade pendant at his waist was quite valuable.
"This mountain is called Gui Mountain," the boy said. "However, this name was given by my sister herself. Although this mountain has beautiful scenery and good water, it is rarely visited by people. Since I can remember, only my sister and I have lived here." The boy pointed to his ears and added, "It must be because we live here; both my sister and I have excellent hearing. When you approached our home, we already knew there was a guest."
Xie Xuan believed what the boy said. Through observation, he had noticed that people from remote areas often had better eyesight than those from urban areas and their hearing was also superior. The ears of rural people were more attuned than those in bustling cities because of fewer distracting noises in quiet countryside settings; in contrast, city dwellers were constantly bombarded by various sounds at night, which dulled their hearing over time.
As he pondered this, he heard the boy say, "My sister believes that anyone who can find their way to our home is destined to be here; they are all guests who have lost their way in the mountains and should be welcomed."
Upon hearing this, Xie Xuan's anxious heart eased slightly. At that moment, the door to the main room opened, and a warm yellow candlelight spilled out from within, illuminating the surrounding forest with a comforting glow.
Xie Xuan followed the young man into the door but couldn't help asking before the hostess appeared, "I saw the words 'Jinse' written outside. What does it mean? Is it the name of this cottage?"
"Sort of!" The young man smiled slightly and pointed to the Inner Chamber. "Jinse is also my sister's name. My name is Jin Yu. Oh, by the way, my sister is not at home right now; she has gone to visit another sister who lives quite far away. It just rained, so she will be back later. In the Inner Chamber, there are some clothes prepared for passing guests by my sister. They may not be as valuable as what you are wearing, but they are better than your wet clothes. Oh, and there is hot water available in the Inner Chamber. It might not be enough for a bath, but you can at least wash up a bit."
"Thank you! Having a dry outfit at this moment is already wonderful," Xie Xuan said repeatedly in gratitude. After feeling a bit embarrassed, he took off the jade pendant he was wearing and gifted it to Jin Yu. Once he received it, he entered the Inner Chamber.
From a distance, this cottage looked like an ordinary thatched house. However, upon entering, Xie Xuan realized that the layout was not as he had imagined; it was designed like a proper courtyard with a main house, a front hall, side halls, east and west wing rooms, and even guest rooms for temporary stays. In one corner of the courtyard, Xie Xuan also discovered a horse trough and hitching post.
Even the Inner Chamber was unexpectedly unique. From the outside, it seemed like just a room separated from the thatched house, but once inside, he found that it was actually a stone chamber. The furnishings were quite simple; for instance, the table was merely a piece of wood that was beautifully shaped without any signs of artificial carving.
On a nearby wooden rack hung several men's garments made of ordinary fabric with common styles. Xie Xuan examined them one by one and found that these clothes were not only clean and tidy but also appeared unworn based on their scent and stitching. He wasn't sure if this was due to few guests wandering into the mountains or if the hostess often made new clothes. He casually picked out a deep blue outer garment to try on and found that it fit him perfectly.
Xie Xuan did not linger long in the Inner Chamber. First of all, as the young man mentioned, there wasn't much hot water available—just enough for him to wipe down his body. Secondly, this was after all a woman's private space; although he didn't know if the hostess lived here, it felt inappropriate for him to stay too long as a single man.
As he exited the Inner Chamber, Xie Xuan did not see the young man from before; instead, he heard a series of clear sounds in his ears. Moments later, accompanied by the gentle sound of jingling ornaments and a faint fragrant breeze mixed with cool air, a girl in a green dress appeared before him.
Seeing Xie Xuan, the girl in green smiled slightly and walked gracefully towards him.
"Jinse greets you, sir!"
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