The Lotus and the Flame Volume 3 Life Among the Clouds

First Steps Are Always The Hardest

Qing. My name is Qing. Qing. A pretty name that rings like a silver bell. Qing. Now, what do I do?

After she napped and ate a hearty meal, she decided to take a walk and look at things with new eyes. Although she knew that Cloud Recesses had been rebuilt exactly as it had been before the burning, it still did not strike a chord yet. Occasionally she felt a little tickle of familiarity, but it was gone as quickly as it came, leaving her with a small feeling of frustration. She was still wearing her veiled hat, no need to alert others that Wen Qing was among them. Until they solved her riddle, she was still a remnant of a despicable clan that had caused the death of thousands.

Qing found herself standing outside of the Lecture Hall and finally, something struck her. She knew she had stood on the lawn many years ago, preparing to go inside the building. That was all, a brief little second. She waited for a while. Nothing...

...Until she started to walk away and then the voice of Yenay, ladened with menace and fierce courage, low and deep, reached out over the years and she heard her say,

"You will speak to Lady Lan with respect, or you will lose your voice box!"

She whirled around and once again the grounds were empty. A chill ran down her spine for she knew her first spontaneous memory had come to her. It was the voice of a Lan Sect Guardian, not the quiet Yenay that she now knew. And Lady Lan could have only been the one person in the world that would instill that protective fury in Yenay's voice; Qinyang.

She headed for the Minshi as fast as she could go.

She entered the hallway after being announced, removing her veiled hat, and there sat Lan Zhan and Lan XiChen. Without any preamble, she looked at them, her back straight and her eyes suddenly black and intense. Her hands were balled and vibrating from a surge of adrenaline so strong she could barely contain it.

"I have been to Cloud Recesses before, haven't I?"

They looked at each other and Lan XiChen asked, 'What happened?"

She sat down across from them, demanding full eye contact.

"I was crossing the lawn at the lecture Hall and I heard Yenay speak. Yet she was not there. She was angry, no, furious with a killing lust I have never heard from her. And she was speaking to someone. She said, "You will speak to Lady Lan with respect or you will lose your voice box."

"Did something happen there that I witnessed?"

Lan Zhan was so surprised he could not keep his own smile of recollection to himself.

"It did! Why was I there? I know she was protecting Qinyang, wasn't she? Tell me why I was here?"

Lan XiChen spoke gently. "You came with your Cousin Wen Chao and he had vilified the Sect Master and Cloud Recesses, almost succeeding in causing an altercation. You were the lone voice of moderation in the Wen delegation. He left and accosted Qinyang on the lawn and Yenay spoke those very words to him as she held a sword towards him. He was lucky to live that day. You and Wen Ning stayed as students for a while. Qing, you have had your first spontaneous memory."

"And she and Qinyang ended up taking me in. That is amazing, is it not?" She sighed a deep sound of relief. "It was just such a surprise, I had to run here and tell you. I am sorry for my intrusion. "

They laughed and he said, "Come anytime. We are here for you. But you must not forget to rest tonight. This is hard work for you and you must stay strong and healthy."

She turned to Lan Zhan. "I feel that speaking to Wei Ying will do us both good. If you want to arrange it, I will be grateful. I will not press him. I will accept whatever he is willing to share."