097 The Hermitage of Nothingness

Chen Yage hesitated. She lingered outside the room, thinking of Dujuan’s innocent, lively face, and at last she decided to go in. She knocked, then pushed open the vermilion carved door and stepped inside.

Yuzhen started in surprise. Seeing that it was Chen Yage, she looked even more astonished.

“So late,” she said. “What brings you here, miss?”

Chen Yage faltered for a long while before edging closer and lowering her head.

“Master,” she said, “my younger sister has a fever that will not break. Please, save her. I will repay your kindness someday, no matter what it takes.”

A troubled look crossed Yuzhen’s face. Then, as if she had suddenly thought of something wonderful, she handed the medicine in her hand to Chen Yage.

“Take this bowl to your sister. It should do the trick.”

“But he...” Chen Yage said, pointing toward the person on the bed.

“I can always brew more,” Yuzhen replied. “Go and save your sister first. He’s already past the danger. A little delay in taking his medicine won’t matter.”

She pushed the bowl into Chen Yage’s hands. Chen Yage no longer refused. Holding the dark, steaming decoction, she looked at Yuzhen with deep gratitude.

Then Yuzhen suddenly stood up, and the white-clad man on the bed came into view.

Or rather, into Chen Yage’s heart.

It was not the first time such a scene had unfolded. The last time had been in the apothecary, with Li Bai lying on the bed and Du Fu blocking her view. This time, it was Yuzhen standing in the way.

Chen Yage nearly spilled the bowl in her hands. Fortunately, Yuzhen reacted quickly and took it from her, or another precious bowl of life-saving medicine would have been wasted.

“Miss, what’s wrong?” Yuzhen asked in concern. She had noticed Chen Yage staring fixedly at Li Bai on the bed. “Do you know him?”

Chen Yage nodded. She took Li Bai’s hand tightly and called out, “Big Brother Bai. Big Brother Bai, what happened to you? Open your eyes and look at me. It’s me, Yage. Big Brother Bai...”

“He only just came out of a fever,” Yuzhen said. “He’ll wake tomorrow. Miss, let him rest in peace for now, and take this medicine to save your sister.”

Chen Yage nodded gratefully. She carried the medicine away and had Dujuan drink it. An hour later, Dujuan’s fever gradually began to subside. Chen Yage then returned to Li Bai’s room, while Du Fu stayed behind to care for Dujuan.

Chen Yage sat by Li Bai’s bedside the entire night.

The next day, when Li Bai awoke and saw Chen Yage asleep against the side of the bed, he was overwhelmed with emotion. Yet he could not bear to disturb her sweet dream, so he lay still and gazed quietly at her sleeping face. As he looked, a smile of quiet happiness touched his lips.

Seeing a tear slip down her cheek, he could not help himself and gently brushed it away.

Chen Yage stirred and woke at his touch. When she saw Li Bai awake, her joy was beyond words. She threw herself into his arms, and the two of them held each other tightly, neither willing to let go, as if they might do so forever.

At that moment, Yuzhen suddenly entered with a bowl of medicine in her hands. She stood just outside the door, her expression somewhat downcast. Chen Yage hurriedly sat up from Li Bai’s embrace.

With a faint smile, Yuzhen came in.

“You’re awake.”

She set the tray down on the table and handed the medicine to Li Bai. Li Bai drank it in one swallow.

“Thank you,” he said sincerely.

Yuzhen replied, “A monk should cherish compassion. Besides, to save one life is greater than building a seven-story pagoda. You and I were fated to meet, which is why I was able to save you. You still need to recuperate, so rest well.”

After Yuzhen left the room, Chen Yage immediately grasped Li Bai’s hand and asked, “Big Brother Bai, how did you end up here?”

Li Bai said, “That day, when you went looking for your friend, I fainted behind you. By the time I came to, you were already gone. I asked everyone I met on the streets, one by one, and only later did I learn that you had been taken away. So I rushed all the way here to Mount Zhongnan. But I never saw any sign of you on the road. I thought you had gone up the mountain, so I climbed it too. Later I fainted, and that was when Yuzhen rescued me.”

“Yuzhen?” Chen Yage frowned. So that really was the princess? And Princess Yuzhen was indeed a princess’s title. She didn’t seem like a bad person at all, and she had none of the haughtiness one might expect from royalty. Thinking of this, Chen Yage felt far more at ease.

“Yes,” Li Bai said. “Her monastic name is Yuzhen. But how did you come here?”

“It’s a long story,” Chen Yage replied. “Big Brother Bai, you rest first. I’m going to check on Dujuan. She was hurt, and Huanhuan was taken by the soldiers. I don’t know how the two of them came to be here. Once Dujuan wakes, we’ll know everything.”

Chen Yage left Li Bai’s room. Just as she was about to go see Dujuan, a hand suddenly pulled her aside. She was about to cry out when another hand covered her mouth.

“It’s me.”

It was Du Fu. Chen Yage pried away his hand.

“You—”

She had barely managed to say the single word when Du Fu covered her mouth again.

“Don’t speak,” he whispered mysteriously. “Come inside first.”

He dragged Chen Yage into Li Bai’s room. She shook off his hand.

“What are you doing?”

Du Fu made a gesture for silence.

“The soldiers are outside. Keep your voice down.”

“What about Dujuan?” Chen Yage thought of Dujuan alone in the other room, injured and vulnerable, and could not help worrying.

“Don’t worry. I’ve hidden her,” Du Fu said with a heavy sigh, his face full of anxiety. “I just don’t know whether those soldiers will come in and search the rooms.”

“They won’t,” Chen Yage said firmly. “They don’t have the courage.”

“What do you mean?” Du Fu and Li Bai asked at once.

“This is Princess Yuzhen’s retreat, the Void Nunnery. Unless Princess Yuzhen gives the word, who would dare come in and search it?”

“But we don’t know Princess Yuzhen,” Du Fu said worriedly. “Why would she help us? It would already be our good fortune if she did not mistake us for assassins.”

Li Bai turned his gaze toward Chen Yage, his face full of uncertainty.

“You’re saying she is Princess Yuzhen?”

Chen Yage nodded.

“Who else would dare use a princess’s own name as a monastic name? Besides, commoners are not allowed to share a name with royalty.”

Li Bai’s expression changed at once.

Chen Yage quickly soothed him. “Big Brother Bai, there’s no need to worry. I don’t think the princess is a bad person. Otherwise she would never have saved you, much less sheltered the three of us. Since that’s the case, let’s just pretend we don’t know who she is. Once you and Dujuan are feeling better, we’ll leave the mountain at once.”

“It’s a good plan, but...”

“No buts,” Chen Yage cut in. “No matter what, we have to get through this. As long as we stand together, we’ll make it. Right now, the most important thing is for you and Dujuan to recover as quickly as possible. And Huanhuan—how is he now, I wonder? And Qingmei, how can we get word to her?”