WangXian Forever 5

Chapter 75 Discoveries

Wei Ying looked confused.

"But didn't you just say that Zai Shu Xia's familiar was a sparrow, and you said it was a wildcat? Which is true?"

"I can promise you, I saw a sparrow." Hongse replied, scowling at Yezi.

"And I can promise you that it was a wildcat." Yezi scowled back.

"So which is it?" Wei Ying stared at both of them.

Hongse was lost in thought. "Could it be...?" She said out loud.

"What?"

"If Xiao Mao can change shape, who's to say that A-Xia's familiar could not as well?" She beamed with the sudden realisation.

"Is that a common thing?" Wei Ying asked.

"Among your kind?" Yezi added, snarkily.

"Not at all." Hongse  replied, smoothly. "It might just be common with special people. I wouldn't expect you to know anything about that."

"And just what do you mean by that?" Yezi exclaimed.

"Nothing. As I said, you wouldn't know special if it came and slapped you in your face!"

Yezi jumped up and woukd have pounced if not for Zhitiao intervening and blocking her path.

"Stop it, both of you." Wei Ying also stood up. "I have other questions and I need your help. Please." He added when it looked like neither was going to back down.

Reluctantly, they returned to their seats.

Wei Ying pulled out the pouch from Li XiWang's sleeve.

They watched him curiously.

The ring was what his fingers found first and he extracted it from the shimmering cloth.

"Do you recognise this?" He showed it to both the Children of the Tree.

"No."

Their answer surprised him.

"Why not?"

"What do you mean, why not? Should we? Why?" Yezi asked, her tone hard.

"But I thought it was to do with the Tree of life, your Mother. And the inscription. It says Sisterhood forever. And that part's been scratched off."

"So what? Just because our tree happens to be our Mother, you think every tree is the same?" Yezi scoffed.

"Let me see." Hongse took the ring from his hand. "The sister part is right...but, that last part, it could mean seven."

"As in the number?" Wei Ying asked, now excited.

"The very same." She handed it back to him.

"Then could it be something to do with the seventh Dragon King? Tiaopi De Long?"

"It's hard to say, from just this. But the more you speak of these things, the more I feel as if I'm right. There is a temple dedicated to the moon goddess. It is the northern most place and the most difficult to get to. But I believe our answer lays there." Hongse stared at Wei Ying. "Please, if you trust me, let's go there before the next full moon."

Something in the way she said it, gave him goosebumps. He found himself nodding.

"My family, my Master especially, has an affinity with Chang'e. The moon is the fastest traveller in the night sky. She is the epitome of beauty, and love, but many people do not know of her other gifts." Hongse smiled kindly at Wei Ying.

"Please tell us more."

"There are many legends and myths about her. The most common one is to do with the elixir of life, but I am speaking about other things. Chang'e has the benevolence to bestow great gifts upon her worshippers. If you approach her with a clean heart, she may even show herself to you."

"Our Mother showed us some of her gifts." Zhitiao said.

She had remained silent all throughout their discussions, but out of the two sisters, Wei Ying thought she was far more sensitive than Yezi. In spite of her outward demeanour, and tough outer skin, Zhitiao let herself be open to subtleties, the things that were there but not obvious to those not in tune with their inner mind.

"What did she show you?" Wei Ying asked her.

She smiled at him before answering.

"One night, I was on watch. Our Mother spoke to me."

Yezi stared at her.

"You never said!"

"I...I didn't want you to feel left out." Zhitiao told her.

"But she spoke to you. That's important. What did she say?" Yezi asked her.

"It was a few days before the full moon. That night, there were fewer stars out too, but one of her branches lifted up. In the darkness, it looked like a hand, and then I could see it clearly pointing up at the sky. I looked around, hoping one of my sisters was close by, and I could show her, but I was completely alone. When she was sure I was looking up at Chang'e, she raised all of her branches and pointed to our fields. It was just before harvest time, and I saw...I saw all the crops grow. Not by much, but certainly enough to make me realise that they had a connection. Do you remember, we had a well?"

Yezi nodded, scooting closer to her sister.

"I would swear by my Mother, our Mother, she raised the waters so high, I could feel them without leaning in."

"But that well...it ran dry later."

"Right around the time A-Xia was locked away." Zhitiao finished. She watched Yezi's face. "Now do you believe me?"

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