QingYu: A Wuxia Tale (Going Through Reediting)

Home

(Dayu's POV)

I entered the dark quiet cabin. I didn't try to light up a candle, I am accustomed to the dark. I am a night creature after all. A shadow is visible and invisible in the dark.

Sure with my footing I walked to the raised bed and sat on the edge. This will be the fifth night that I will sleep alone. The Captain is not here but every night I swear I can feel his presence in the cabin. Like the walls are permeated with his essence.

This whole cabin is him. His reading scrolls are here. His armoire, his clothes, his boots, his pen, his blanket, his bed. All his intimate possessions are here. The Captain is here.

I slowly lay my body sideways into the bed. I slept in his bed every night. I don't want to think or admit anything but if I will be honest for a second I think I can understand what I am feeling. So I will time myself.

I feel comfortable sleeping in his bed because it makes me feel like he is here with me.

There, that was more than a second. I say to my mind that we will not mention it ever again.

"Can't you spare the Captain..."

Mei's slip echoed in my head. Can I spare his life? But I made a promise. A promise to spill all the blood of the man who destroyed my mother and ruined my life.

General Wang's blood will be the payment for it. And his blood runs in his children's body, those blood should flow too. That is the promise I made.

I close my eyes. Willing my heart to calm down. I can't have doubts. I don't need to second guess myself. Thinking on my feet kept me alive. Making split second decisions and sticking with them is my specialty.

And I already made my mind. I will show no mercy with any person connected to General Wang. That includes his only son.

I will seduce that secret, that unknown variable, that hitch to my plans, out of the Captain. Then I will use that information to form a solid plan to get rid of all my enemies.

To finally avenge my family. To finally have peace.

But for tonight. I will sleep on the Captain's bed, be comforted with his smell surrounding me.

Tonight. He is not my enemy.

I fell asleep.

(Qing's POV)

I smiled when I saw the lights from the military base. From where my horse is standing I can see the small figures of the sentry guards standing patienty on their post and the roaming patrol guards.

I am home.

I sought the place where my cabin stood. I wonder if Dayu is inside. Did he remembered to lock the door? Is he safe?

He better be or Mei will be in big trouble.

I urge my horse to move. I rode all day yesterday, rest a bit and rode all afternoon and night just to get back home to the base.

I fulfilled my promise and much more. I came home one and a half day early than my seven days promise.

I could have stayed more at SiChuan but I am not comfortable there and I don't think that I will learn more besides all the information I got two days ago when I found that border.

I decided to go home instead.

When I saw the big gate of the base I dismounted from my horse and a small side door of the gate opened and a lowly soldier approach me.

"Captain, welcome home," the soldier said before he took the horse's rein from my hand.

"Tell the stable boys to give him water and food and brush him down. Tomorrow, he should be the first one they should wash." I ordered referring to the care of my horse.

I strode inside the base. It will be three more hours before the first croak of the rooster. Everyone on the base, aside from the those assigned on night duty, are probably deeply asleep on their beds.

I hope Dayu is sleeping in the cabin. If he is not on his pallet when I got there, I will be forced to wake this whole camp just to find him.

So he better be there...

I stopped in front of my cabin door. I slowly open the door, frown when it is not locked. Well, Dayu will be in big trouble now. Who told him to leave the cabin unlocked?!

I entered the cabin and close the door. The darkness of the room doesn't bother me, I can see just fine from the lights coming from the torches that slips from the window.

I immediately look down, Dayu's pallet is empty.

I felt my blood rushing to my brain. Where is he? Why is he not on his bed? Where could he...

I was about to turn to leave the cabin again when I stopped. I focused my gaze on the raised bed and the lump on top of it.

There, sleeping with his mouth open, his arms raised in total abandon, is Dayu.

I released a breath. He's safe. He's here. Everything is fine.

I did made the turn to lock the cabin door. Silently laughing at my own foolishness.

I shook my head and started unlacing my travel clothes. I went to the bathing station at the corner of the room to splash some water on my face and wet a cloth to wipe my body. Refreshed, I change to my sleeping tunic and pants.

I walked to the bed and sat on the edge, smiling at it's occupant. The pillow is not even under Dayu's head. Like he just plop to the bed and went straight to sleep.

I pick a strand of his loosely bound hair. "Are you really tired that you forgot to lock the door? You will feel my displeasure for disobeying me tomorrow. I told you before I left, always lock the door if you leave or if you are going to sleep. You disobedient boy,"

Dayu moaned then roll to lie sideways closer to the wall. Leaving a big space available for me to lie down next to him.

So I did. I am tired. I rode madly just to come home to this bed so I will sleep on it.

It is my bed. Dayu is the intruder.

I lie down and put the pillow under my head. Then I turn sideways to face Dayu. I stretch my arm and gently lifted his head to put it on my arm. There, now Dayu has a pillow, problem solved.

I close my eyes and fall asleep.

(Dayu's POV)

He's home.

I can feel his even breathing behind me. He's asleep already. He must be tired. I slighty move my head to feel his arm under it.

I stifled a gasp when he moved closer to me and snake his other arm around my lower chest.

I released my breath when he got back to his even sleeping deep breathing. For a while I stared at the wall in front of me, my mind blank. Then my eyes got heavy and I close them.

I fell asleep again.