Ten Thousand Books, But Only One You

19 Slough Off The Cicada's Golden Shell (Part 2)

Chapter 19: Slough Off The Cicada's Golden Shell (Part 2)

The chirping of birds and singing of cicadas greeted me as I regained my senses. My eyes shot open upon hearing a rustling sound nearby. Scattered sunlight gleaming through the trees overhead fell softly on the forest floor. I found myself slumped against the entrance of the carriage, and the fire which I had lit the night before was now a pile of grey ashes and spent charcoal. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I rose to my feet and wandered around the overturned carriage in search of Fu Wanxi's absent figure.

"You're awake?" Fu Wanxi appeared from behind a tree and trod over with a sheathed sword in her hand. Her clothes had also been stained with dirt. "I just took a quick survey of the area. I didn't see anyone else around here. The slope is too slippery for us to climb back up to get to the main road but I found a river further down. If we walk along the river, I reckon that we'll be able to find our way to Fanzhou City."

Yawning, I stretched out my limbs before climbing back into the carriage to haul out our belongings. My body still felt numb from the bone-chilling roller coaster ride last night but my spirits had brightened.

"Sounds good." I opened our bags and tossed out unnecessary items, only keeping valuables, food and water. "We'll have to leave behind most of our luggage and take only the important things. There's still quite a distance to walk so we'll have to travel light."

Fu Wanxi gazed intently at me as her expression hardened. A second later, she recovered to break out into a warm smile and nodded her head once in agreement. "Un, let's do that."

Seeing her squat down immediately to sort through her belongings without protesting, my smile faltered and I pursed my lips. Scratching the back of my head, I could not help but feel that Fu Wanxi's behaviour was slightly different than usual. Apart from the streaks of grey ash on her cheeks and forehead, her appearance was still the same. Perhaps after going through a life-and-death situation, she was finally starting to mature?

"Which way is the stream?" I asked when we were ready to set off.

"It's that way," Fu Wanxi replied, extending her arm in a particular direction. However, she stayed put and did not appear to be in a haste to leave. Bending over the extinguished fire, she dabbed her hands in the ash before rubbing it on her arms, legs and face, leaving sooty marks over her pale and flawless complexion. Advancing towards me, she rubbed the ash on my hands before smearing it on my face as well.

"You're so pretty, but since we're in the wilderness our makeup shall be dirt and ashes," she said with a vague smile before turning around on her heels haughtily. "Let's go now!'

I treaded lightly after her, amazed at her survival skills which were only unveiling themselves now. It had crossed my mind previously to make ourselves look unattractive and common-looking but the plan actually slipped my mind at the crucial moment. In my mind, I gave Fu Wanxi a thumbs-up.

When we reached the riverside, we found ourselves at a three-way crossroad. We could go left, go right, or cross the river. Reserving my comments, I followed Fu Wanxi unquestioningly and with full confidence that she would lead us to our destined destination—the Kingdom of Da Jin. After walking non-stop for half a day, we took a short break under a tattered pavilion near the river.

"Are you sure we're walking in the right direction?" I played my role as the clueless 'maidservant' tagging along with her master, passing Fu Wanxi a piece of unleavened flatbread. "Why does it feel like we are moving further and further away from Fanzhou City. Even the trees look different now."

"Of course, you can trust me." She bit into the bread and pulled a small piece apart with her teeth. "When we reach a waterfall, we'll cross the river then take a shortcut through the woods."