Another Life

Chapter 4

The doctor pronounced that Yu Lin needed to rest for at least a month in order to recover. In addition she would need occasional augmentation in meditation in order to help replenish the blow her spirit had taken.

Mo Yuan did this personally, out of the guilt he felt towards her father. As he released her, removing his hands from her back and the glow of the meditation transfer fading, she slumped backwards in a cross legged position towards him.

He motioned to Chang Shan to help him and his second disciple held her so he could extricate himself. Her eyes opened.

"Shifu?"

"Yes?"

"Can you stay here with me tonight again?"

A memory came to him of Seventeen huddled in her bed, calling out to him in her sleep. That seemed like a very long time ago. Something had changed in their relationship; something complicated and uneasy and it troubled him greatly.

He blinked, recalling himself. Both Yu Lin and Chang Shan were watching him, waiting for a response.

"Not tonight." He told Yu Lin. "You get good rest and I'll come check on you in the morning."

Yu Lin turned away disappointed. Chang Shan fussed over her somewhat like a mother would as Mo Yuan left the room. His first disciple Die Fung followed him.

"Shifu," He said as soon as they were out on the corridor. "I have something I want to say."

"What is it?"

"Although I wasn't there at the time but that Seventeen would attack Yu Lin so heavily for no reason, it's just not possible."

The same thought had crossed his mind several times but he was scared of being biased towards Seventeen. In the past he knew people had often commented about his partiality for his last disciple and had thought nothing of it. After all she was a girl and the Queen of Qing Qiu and from the moment she had grasped the Kunlun fan out of the sky, he knew that their fates were somehow linked. But now something had changed. He understood very keenly that thinking of someone day and night to the extent that he could barely close his eyes without seeing her pale, stricken face and tortured eyes was not ordinary.

He tried to make his voice as measured as possible. "Almost ten of the disciples say they saw the same thing. Are you saying they are all mistaken?"

"I don't know about that... but I know based on my knowledge of Seventeen's personality, she's definitely not that kind of person." Die Fung hesitated. "Shifu should speak to her."

"How can I speak to her if she's run away?"

"No doubt she's returned to her home in Qing Qiu, perhaps if Shifu goes there-"

Mo Yuan put up his hand to stop him. "Why should I go there? Is it the role of the Master to chase after the disciple?" The words came out sharper than he intended. If he was honest with himself it was merely because he had agonized over the same thought over and over again over the last few days. Die Fung didn't know this and merely thought he was being reprimanded. He immediately looked chastened.

"I apologize Shifu, I didn't mean to overstep." He bowed. "If Shifu doesn't have any other orders then I'll retire for the night."

Mo Yuan watched him go. The other disciples didn't know this but prior to this time Seventeen had never actually left without letting him know. Usually it was just in the form of a short note left on his table but it gave him some reassurance that she was coming back. But not this time.

But why should he go after her? Was she not the one who had abandoned him without so much as a word of explanation?

He had nursed his wounded pride for some time now. But as the weeks wore on, another thought presented itself.