The Mother

The group of scholar friends stood upon the road leading out of Peace Town, the very spot where countless farewells between families and friends had unfolded. A heavy silence, far thicker than any spoken words, settled around them. This wasn't just another farewell; it was a poignant echo, a bittersweet understanding that this separation might be permanent. The air hung heavy with unspoken sadness, a silent promise to remember each other, even as the distance between them stretched further with every passing year.

Wu Wangwei handed Lee Dachin a coat. "Here, I heard that Cloud City is colder during winter." Lee Dachin took the coat, a grateful smile on his face. "Here are some dry beefs for you during the trip." He handed Lee Dachin a sack.

"Thank you," Lee Dachin said. "If you come to Cloud City, you will have a place to stay."

"It wouldn't be the same without you," Chan Changchao said, a touch of melancholy in his voice. He handed Lee Dachin a pillow and a small box of paintbrushes. "Think about us when you put your head on this pillow and when you use these customized brushes."

"Thank you. I will never forget you guys," Lee Dachin promised, his eyes welling up.

"After the funeral, I will visit you," Guo Longtong promised, wiping a tear from his own eye.

The hunters had already bid farewell, but the scholars were still saying goodbye, prolonging the inevitable.

"Baiyu, do you want to stay one more day to say goodbye?" Zhao Renshu shouted, impatient.

"Traveling by sea is faster," Guo Baiyu called back. "You be careful. Let's go, Dachin."

Chan Changchao and Wu Wangwei embraced Lee Dachin tightly, a silent farewell.

Fang Yaoting grimaced, hearing Guo Baiyu's words. "Really?" he muttered under his breath.

"Just hang in there," Zhao Renshu whispered to him, a knowing look.

"We'd better walk over, unless they don't stop talking," Huang Hongse sighed, exasperated but understanding.

"Ping'an and Renshu, you know that Waterfall City always welcomes you," Lim Peizhi said, stepping forward. "Take care."

"Take care," Ping'an replied, her voice soft.

"As hunters, we will cross paths again. Take care," Huang Yueliang added.

Lim Peizhi and the Huang sisters walked toward the group of scholars, offering their own goodbyes.

Guo Baiyu and Lee Dachin bid farewell to Lim Peizhi and the Huang sisters. They walked back to the horse carriage.

Guo Baiyu jumped onto the carriage, and Fang Yaoting helped Lee Dachin onto the carriage, a subtle gesture of care. Inside the carriage, Guo Baiyu and Ping'an sat on one side. Lee Dachin sat on the other side.

Ping'an leaned her head on Guo Baiyu's right shoulder. "Let me borrow your shoulder," she murmured, closing her eyes, still feeling the effects of her injury and the medicine.

"I will tell you when we stop," Guo Baiyu promised, stroking her hair.

"Is she okay?" Lee Dachin asked Guo Baiyu, concerned.

"She is drowsy because of pain medication," Guo Baiyu explained.

Lee Dachin looked at Ping'an, then Guo Baiyu. He asked, "Do you regret it?"

"If I chose differently, I would regret it," Guo Baiyu replied, his voice calm and firm. "To achieve today's goal, this was not a smooth road. It was full of heartache and tears. We don't know if we will meet again next lifetime, so why don't we make the best of it while we still can."

"I admire your courage," Lee Dachin said, a newfound respect in his voice.

"Everyone has courage," Guo Baiyu countered gently. "This is just a matter of taking the first step. If we put our feet in the right position and stand firm, we can overcome any obstacles that hinder our progress. There is nothing wrong with loving another person or dedicating yourself to that person wholeheartedly. If you delete the word 'gender,' you will see two people who love each other."

Ping'an murmured in her sleep, "Love is love, nothing more."

Guo Baiyu kissed her on her forehead, a soft smile on his face. "You heard her."

Two hours after going up the mountain, Zhao Renshu saw a pale lady standing by the side of the road. Zhao Renshu noticed her eyes fixed on them, a strange, vacant stare. Zhao Renshu slowed down the horse carriage.

"What is it?" Fang Yaoting asked, looking at Zhao Renshu's sudden stop.

Zhao Renshu raised his head towards the pale woman. Fang Yaoting followed Zhao Renshu's eyes. He saw a lady standing silently on the side of the road.

"She might hitchhike," Fang Yaoting suggested.

"Look carefully," Zhao Renshu warned. "There is no shadow. Give me your left hand." Fang Yaoting stretched out his left hand. Zhao Renshu tied a red string around Fang Yaoting's wrist, a protective charm. "Baiyu, tie the red string to Dachin."

Lee Dachin handed Guo Baiyu the pillow Chan Changchao gave him, and Guo Baiyu fixed the pillow comfortably under Ping'an's head. Guo Baiyu stretched out his hand and tied a red rope around Lee Dachin's left wrist.

"No matter what, don't untie it," Guo Baiyu instructed gravely. He opened the door's drape and then peeked out.

The carriage stopped in front of the pale lady. The lady then turned and ran towards the forest, moving with an unnatural swiftness.

"Yaoting, you stay here with them," Guo Baiyu ordered.

Zhao Renshu and Guo Baiyu immediately chased after the pale-faced lady while Fang Yaoting guarded the carriage, his sword drawn.

"She disappeared!" Zhao Renshu exclaimed, losing sight of her.

The two men then heard the woman's voice, a soft whisper. "This way."

They turned around and saw the lady walking a few feet in front of them, beckoning. They chased the lady deeper into the forest. They came to an empty place and saw the pale lady hanging silently on a tree branch, a ghostly presence.

"Restless spirit," Guo Baiyu shook his head, recognizing the apparition.

"Since she decided to commit suicide, what worries does she still have?" Zhao Renshu mused, confused by the lingering spirit.

"This way," the Woman's voice whispered again, drawing them further.

Guo Baiyu turned around and walked around the tree, following the faint whisper. He saw a neatly wrapped blanket behind the tree. He picked up a stick and carefully turned the blanket over. A sleeping baby's face appeared. He touched the baby's forehead, feeling that it was very hot with fever. He gently removed the blanket, worried that the baby might get heatstroke. He checked the baby, and other than the baby's face being bitten by mosquitoes, he appeared to be fine. He carefully picked up the baby boy. When he got up, the pale woman appeared again. She gave he a faint, grateful smile and then disappeared, her spirit finally at peace.

"Baiyu, what are you doing there?" Zhao Renshu shouted from where the ghostly figure had hung. "Come and help me put down this corpse!" Guo Baiyu walked out from behind the tree, holding the baby wrapped in the blanket. "What are you holding?" Zhao Renshu cut the rope, then held onto the end of the rope and jumped up onto the branch, while the pale woman's lifeless body fell to the ground below.

Guo Baiyu gently turned the baby around, revealing its face. Zhao Renshu's eyes widened in surprise, then excitement. He jumped down from the branch of the tree, landing lightly on both feet, and rushed towards Guo Baiyu.

"A baby! Is the baby...?" Zhao Renshu asked, barely containing his excitement.

"He is still alive, but he seems to have a fever," Guo Baiyu confirmed, his voice soft.

"So, this is why the spirit was restless," Zhao Renshu realized. He walked to the corpse on the ground. He took out a knife and cut the rope from her neck. He then summoned a fire talisman and placed it directly on the chest of the dead woman, incinerating her body and truly setting her spirit free. He sighed. "Rest in peace."

"Suicide is not a way out," Guo Baiyu stated, his voice somber.

"You were thinking about it once, so was Ping'an," Zhao Renshu retorted, looking at his brother. "Poor lady, she will have to commit suicide hanging herself five hundred times a day until her actual life span expires." He turned to Guo Baiyu, a thoughtful expression on his face. "What are we going to do with this baby?"

"You know... as long as we are with Ping'an, she will never conceive," Guo Baiyu murmured, his gaze fixed on the baby.

"You are considering raising this child," Zhao Renshu said, giving Guo Baiyu an awkward expression, clearly surprised by the suggestion.

"Why not?" Guo Baiyu asked simply.

"Do you know how?" Zhao Renshu pressed, skeptical.

"We must all start somewhere," Guo Baiyu replied, a hint of a smile. "Do you think Master Zhao knew how to raise children when he picked you up from those bushes?"

"Bastard," Zhao Renshu grunted, but a small smile played on his lips.

The two men, one holding a baby, walked back towards the main road and the waiting carriage.