A Threat to Deal with

Qingqing jumped up, bringing her fist down on the wooden tabletop so heavily the scruffy red cat sleeping under the table started awake and sprinted out of the kitchen, frightened.

"Insolent man," she said sharply. "Who does he think he is, imposing himself on us and making us uncomfortable? It's not like we're giving anyone trouble. Nosy, interfering stupid monk."

She clenched her fist. "Don't worry, Sister. No matter how powerful he is, surely you and I together would be a match for him. We just need to find a reason to lure him to the mountains, where we can attack him without anyone knowing. His body will be floating in the lake if we only plan carefully enough."

Suzhen sighed. She put down the knife she had been using to scrape a piece of ginger with. "No."

Qingqing fell silent, startled. "Sister," she said slowly. "This man is clearly a threat. Why do you hesitate about getting him out of the way? You didn't hesitate with that terrapin spirit."

"This is different. The terrapin spirit was a danger to Xuxian as well as a threat to me. But this monk, he desires to keep Xuxian safe. As I do. Only, he thinks that he needs to keep Xuxian safe from me."

Qingqing scowled. "You're still not making any sense."

"Qingqing. Those stories he told Xuxian. They are real, aren't they?"

Reluctantly Qingqing nodded. "Some spirits, those without any morals, they go so far as to eat human organs to help preserve their human form. But those are the demons, of course," she said quickly. "I don't associate with them. A nasty habit, eating humans, I always thought."

Suzhen's eyes narrowed. "I thought you were always threatening Xiaohu with eating him?"

Qingqing brushed it aside dismissively. "Ah, that? As if I would bother eating him when there are so many other better things to eat. I'm just scaring him, you should know that, Sister."

"And sucking their life-essence?"

Qingqing shrugged. "Cultivating is a bore, and I've often thought of resorting to that," she admitted frankly, "but then, the average human doesn't have that much life essence anyway. If you really wanted one worth something it would have to be from some exceptional human. Like that monk," she added, with a glint in her eye.

Suzhen frowned at her. "So you haven't done that before?"

Qingqing met her gaze directly. "Never. Don't you believe me, Sister?"

"If those stories are true, then I cannot help but understand why he is so intent on removing me from Xuxian's side. His motivation is sincere, if he is misinformed. And if I were to kill him, simply because he is a threat to me, wouldn't that only prove what he believes of me?"

"Who cares?" Qingqing replied shortly. "If no one were to know, what would it matter?"

"I have had enough with no one knowing," Suzhen said abruptly. "Having Xuxian not know what I really am is already becoming a curse to me each day. I keep wondering if I should just tell him the truth, and be done with it, instead of living in this torture everyday. If only I had been honest with him at the beginning, instead of listening to your advice."

"Then you might not even be where you are now with your precious man," snapped Qingqing. "Didn't you say he was afraid, and listened in horror to the monk's stories? Doesn't that show all the more how right I was? Don't be a fool, Sister. If you tell him now you are only falling into the monk's trap. You will lose him."

She got up and stalked out of the kitchen. Suzhen watched her go without trying to make her stay. Her resolution was still firm. As much as she feared and disliked Fahai, there was something about his sincerity and uprightness which she could not help but respect, as it--ironically--reflected the virtues she valued. Also, the more horrific tales she heard of spirits turned cruel and evil, the more she was determined to prove to Fahai that not all spirits were like that.

But how to deal with him, then?

She shook her head and picked up the knife again.

"Niangzi!"

Xuxian's voice ringing out clear and light-hearted in the air started her from her moody thoughts. She came out of the kitchen eagerly. "You're back already!"

Xuxian was running up the path, but he stopped short when he saw her appear at the doorway of the kitchen.

Hurling his bundle carelessly into the house, he came up the steps in a bound and caught her in his arms. Suzhen clung to him as he gave her a squeeze and stroked her hair playfully.

"My darling," was all he said, but he dropped a kiss on her cheek as he tucked a stray wisp of hair back behind her ear, and she was happy.

"Granny Hong invited us to come over for dinner," he said in her ear. "Yuanzheng caught some partridges today and she's roasting them. Come on, don't bother with cooking dinner today. You deserve a rest, anyway. We'll bring the wine Madame Liang gave us, that will be our contribution."

He let go of her hand to smile at her, and darted into the kitchen to fetch the jar of wine.

"Fetch your cloak, Susu," he called over his shoulder. "Don't catch cold outside."

She was left standing on the steps, suddenly frozen. The warmth of his embrace seemed to suddenly evaporate in the crisp air.

Suzhen drew a deep breath. So she would be seeing the monk again over another meal. This time, however, she swore silently to herself, it would be different. She was tired of sitting there quietly, paralyzed by fear, barely able to look at him, waiting to hear what Xuxian would say with her stomach knotted in terror. She would put on a good act for the monk to see. She would show him how well she had settled into the village, how comfortable Granny Hong and Yuanzheng were with her, and make him doubt himself.

"I'll meet you at the gate then," she called out, and went more slowly into the house to fetch her cloak.