7 - Floating Lanterns, Autumn Moon

Chapter 7: The book Floating Lanterns, Autumn Moon

It was dark when the boat arrived back at the Garden. The boatman skilfully moored the boat to the side of the small jetty and helped me out. The night was still with the fresh scent of earth and grass. Loud chirping of crickets resounded around me, seeming to be welcoming me back. I peeled off the thick winter cloak wrapped around me and an additional layer of outerwear. As soon as my feet landed on dry ground, I darted down the stone path that led from the lake to the Garden, careful not to slip on the uneven wet ground. At this late hour, everyone should be at the residence. Even if Han Dong had already retired for the night, I planned to disturb his rest so I could share my findings with him.

From a distance, I could see an orange glow spilling out from the front of the house. Wu-momo was sitting at the side of the main hall, embroidering a piece of clothing with intense concentration. She did not notice me entering through the door and creeping up beside her.

"I've returned."

Wu-momo whipped her head around to look at me with startled eyes. Upon seeing me, her face quickly broke out into an excited smile. "Xiaoyu, you're back!"

"You're not asleep yet? Are the others still awake?" I searched around the empty hall, hearing only the sound of crickets coming from the Garden outside.

"I was waiting for you. Xiao Dong said that you are returning today," she said as she took my cloak and bag. "When night fell and you were not back yet, I started to worry that something had happened to you!"

"Nothing bad happened to me when I was in the book," I said with a reassuring smile, "but I met someone like your Young Master. If it really is Ji Kai, then something did happen to him."

"Really?" Wu-momo gasped, blood draining from her face. "Did something bad happen to him?"

I shook my head quickly. "He's fine, but things are a little complicated. Is Han Dong still awake?"

"Yes, he's in the study waiting for you to return. I'll take you there."

Barely a few steps out from the main hall into the corridor, Wu-momo suddenly halted and turned back to question me anxiously. "Do you think that the person you met is really Young Master?"

"Maybe?" I said doubtfully before forcing a smile. My rational brain tried to process everything that had happened, but there were many gaps in whatever logical scenarios I attempted to conjure. Maybe everything would be easier if I just plug all these holes with fictional logic. "Has such a thing happened before—to Ji Kai or another Librarian?"

"Librarians getting stuck in books are very rare," she said and leaned her head toward me, voice lowering into a soft whisper. "But it usually happens to apprentices."

"Apprentices? You mean like Han Dong, Pan Yi and the rest?"

"No, they are just assistants. I'm talking about real apprentices training to become librarians. In the past, when the Ji family's main library was not hidden from the world, the skill of Librarians could be learnt by people who become students of the Master here. It used to be rather festive here, but now all the rooms are empty."

I inclined my head. "Are there no more apprentices here?"

"A few generations ago, when the then-Master Ji hid the main library because of a serial arsonist, he sent all the apprentices to the branch libraries. But I'm not sure if the Ji family still accepts apprentices today in the branch libraries because I don't have the chance to visit the outside world anymore."

Wu-momo stared down at the ground with a forlorn expression but feeling my gaze upon her, she turned to me with a smile. "But it's all a thing of the past now," she said before walking down the corridor towards the study room.

I stifled a yawn and followed her with a sigh. It was going to be a long night ahead.

Wu-momo announced my arrival at the doorway and warned us against staying up too late. Han Dong got up from behind the table with papers and books scattered all over and came over. Taking my bag from her, he called for me to take a seat at the table.

Hearing all the fuss, Pan Yi—who was sleeping with his head on the table—sat up groggily while stretching out his neck. "Is Xiaoyu back?"

"Yes, sleepyhead," I responded with the corner of my lip quirked up. I studied the writings scrawled on the papers before me and tensed. I had broken one of Han Dong's rules and these assistant librarians somehow knew about it.

Laughing nervously, I fidgeted with a pen stolen from the table. "In my defence, I wouldn't have been able to investigate if I didn't interact with the book characters!"

"Don't worry about it," Pan Yi reached across the table to organise the notes. "You helped us to find Young Master so Han-dage won't hold it against you."

"That's right, Miss Yuhan was placed in a difficult position as well," Han Dong said as he opened my bag to fish the book out. "But that does not mean that the plot did not deviate from the unintentional interference."

"You mean that the Mo Yue I met in the book is really Ji Kai?" Joy surged through my heart as I celebrated my success inwardly, but it was short-lived as my mind quickly plunged into confusion. "Wait, you know that I met a Ji Kai lookalike? How?"

"We have another copy of the book here, so we were monitoring the storyline while you were having your adventure," Pan Yi explained with amusement directed at me. "We noticed that it was changing—which meant that you had some encounter with the main characters that was so significant that it impacted the story."

"More obviously, you appeared as a character in the book when you approached Mo Yue, and you even called him by the name 'Ji Kai'." Han Dong interjected wearily and flipped through the book. "Have a look at what happened when you interfered in the fight at the inn."

My tired eyes scanned across the pages, picking up my occasional appearances. But not everything that happened between Mo Yue and me was described in the book. The book mostly narrated the story from Bai Zhen's point of view.

"So what's the next step? Do I go back into the book and look for Mo Yue, and then make him drink the magical tea so that he can regain his memories?"

Pan Yi opened his mouth to say something but he drew back with a sigh.

"What is it?" I peered curiously at him, increasingly baffled. "What is with that troubled expression? Don't tell me that Mo Yue, he—is gone?"

Han Dong stayed silent as he took the book and flipped its pages again. Stopping somewhere in the middle of the book, he placed it down in front of me with a disquieting calmness that unnerved me.

I pored over the strings of sentences carefully this time, forcing my brain to stay awake and absorb the new information which caused my stomach to plummet. In this part of the book, Bai Zhen had gone to visit Mo Yue at Jinghe Palace to request his assistance. However, he was turned away by the guards at the gate after being told in secret that Mo Yue had been poisoned with the Cold Poison that would gradually cause his inner organs to freeze and stop working. To save his friend, Bai Zhen put a pause to his revenge and searched all over jianghu for a physician who could detoxify the Cold Poison to no avail.

I jerked my head up from the book and gasped for air. "Ji Kai—is he going to die?"

"No, of course not. We won't let him die."

"We have an antidote?"

"No," said Han Dong, "but we do know someone who can detoxify all kinds of poisons."

"Who is it?"

Pan Yi slid another book toward me with a comforting smile plastered on his face. "You will find out after reading this book."

I glanced down at the book cover which informed me that it was another story set in the ancient world. Floating Lanterns, Autumn Moon by Su Luo. I flipped open the cover and searched for the date of publication. 2007. So it was published about 7 years ago. I turned the book over and read the blurb but it did not mention anything about a character who could cure poisons. It only told me that this was another wuxia novel.

"Why are the both of you acting so secretive? Would it hurt to reveal everything at once?" I shot a glare at Pan Yi first before extending it to Han Dong.

Pan Yi rubbed his hands together and chuckled. "This book is a 'stable' book which has been cleared by the Librarian a few years ago. Whenever we require medical assistance, we will turn to Jin Mu who is a genius doctor and a poison expert. Jin Mu is a supporting character in the book, but tomorrow when you enter this book to search for him, you'll find that the plot has long ended. Long story short, you will get to see what happens to book characters when the story has finished."

***

Have you ever wondered what happened to book characters after the epilogue? Did the protagonists truly live happily ever after? Or if the villain died, would another villain spring up again to create havoc in the protagonist's life?

What happened when book characters ceased to serve their purpose when the story had ended? Would they and the book universe vanish into nothingness? Or would they simply carry on with their lives as we did in reality?

In Floating Lanterns, Autumn Moon, the main protagonist, Luo Lanying, was the young miss from an official's family in the capital of the fictional Kingdom of Chuyan. One day, her whole family was unjustly arrested and executed under the Emperor's orders. By a stroke of luck and with the help of her maternal uncle, Luo Lanying managed to escape from the massacre and sought refuge with a secret organisation in jianghu under the leadership of a young man, Cen Yuan. As how stories with romantic elements went, Cen Yuan was the male protagonist with a mysterious background and hidden identity as a member of the royal family of the rival Kingdom of Qi. He took Luo Lanying under his pupilage and taught her martial arts, literature and politics.

One day, when Luo Lanying was out on a mission, she got injured and was rescued by our supporting character, Jin Mu. Jin Mu was not just a mere physician, he was actually a prince of the Kingdom of Chuyan. As how second male leads are usually portrayed, Jin Mu was the tender and caring support that always stayed by Lanying's side. He even helped her to complete her missions and even supported her relationship with Cen Yuan, which took a long time to develop. Ultimately, he watched—by the sidelines—as his beloved got married to another person. To overcome his heartache, he gave up his royal title and privileges and lived as a wandering physician in jianghu.

Readers of the book would not know what happened to Jin Mu after that as he did not appear in the last chapter or the epilogue. However, readers of this story would.

Far away from the bustling capital of the Kingdom of Qi (which had overthrown the Kingdom of Chuyan at the end of the book) was a small and peaceful water town. Stone mountains, decorated with trees and sparse vegetation, stood silently in the distant background, exuding a sense of calmness and tranquility. A wide turquoise river ran through the centre of the town, branching out into smaller rivers and gentle streams. Ancient-looking houses of different shapes and sizes lined both sides of the river, with steps leading down towards the water. Sturdy grey bridges arched peacefully over the busy river, with wooden boats orderly moving in both directions—some ferrying passengers and others carrying trading goods.

I crouched down on the sampan, watching the boatman (a local from the town) propel the boat forward with a long wooden stick with ease. My legs were aching from having to balance on the unsteady boat, but the boatman was a master at his job. We went under another stone bridge, bumped against another passenger boat and passed by several locals selling seafood, vegetables and wild game meat from their sampans. Finally, we inched closer and closer to the side of the river. Shakily, I clambered out of the boat and climbed hands-first onto the steps leading up to the riverbank.

"Thank you." I gave a quick bow to the boatman, who nodded wordlessly as he headed off to ferry another passenger.

Turning around, the first thing I saw was a long queue snaking out of a building. A wooden plaque hanging over the front doors said: Medical Hall. After deliberating for a moment, I headed straight to the open doors. But before I could set foot into the building, a teenage boy who looked like a worker at the medical hall stuck his arm out in front of me.

"Get in line if you want to see the physician!"

I froze but recovered quickly. "I'm here to see the renowned Jin Mu-xiansheng. I'm not here to—"

"If you want to see him, then you have to get in line," the boy repeated with irritation. "Can't you see that everyone else is queuing? If it is not an emergency, you have to follow the rules."

The corner of my lips twitched with slight annoyance at his tone but I listed my head and peered at the line of patients. Some of them threw tired and judgmental looks at me as they watched us. Sighing, I walked to the end of the queue, my face flushed with embarrassment. Although I was not a patient, Ji Kai was. If only he could see, right now, the lengths that I had gone for him.

"Don't worry, the line moves pretty quickly. There are many skilled physicians in there," said a middle-aged woman in front of me. The little girl at her side, whose hand she was holding, coughed weakly.

"Has your daughter fallen ill?" I responded with a question, feeling slightly awkward that she must have thought I was trying to cut in line.

She dipped her head and dropped a hand onto the girl's shoulder accompanied with a small sigh. "My daughter has been coughing the past few days and it hasn't gotten better. I heard that this medical hall charges affordably so I am bringing her to see the physician today. Are you here for a consultation too?"

I smiled sympathetically at her. "No, I'm here to see Jin Mu-xiansheng to ask him for a favour to help my friend."

"Is your friend ill?" She asked, in a concerned voice.

"Oh, he has been… poisoned?" I said, in a weird tone.

I knew that it was strange because the woman's eyes widened in shock and she opened her mouth to say something but only incoherent noises came out.

She collected herself and finally managed to spit out a word. "Poi-poisoned?"

I nodded as a sheepish grin appeared on my face.

"That's an emergency! You need to see the physician right now!" Her volume suddenly increased as she became more alarmed and more anxious than I was. The people in the queue around us turned around with interest to see what was happening.

"No, it's all right." I shook my head. "My friend can wait. It's a poison with a slow effect so I think he can still hang on for some time."

The woman looked at me with a face full of uncertainty and panic, but seeing my unnatural calmness she did not seem to dare to probe further about my friend's illness. Smiling, I looked from her, down to her daughter, and smiled even brighter. The little girl shrunk away and hid behind her mother.

"From the way you dress, you don't seem like you're from around our town. Did you specially come from afar to seek the renowned Miracle Doctor Jin Mu?"

I glanced down at the dress I was wearing. It was a female outfit that Wu-momo had specially tailored and embroidered for me. Based on the choice of fabric and embroidery design, I would look like a well-bred young lady from a reputable family in the city.

"Yes, Jin Mu is a mutual friend and is my friend's personal physician," I said in a low voice. "But my friend's sickness suddenly flared up again. That's why I'm here."

"Your friend must be someone of a high status to know the great physician Jin Mu personally," said the woman, mimicking my quiet whisper. But I could sense some envy and unbelief from her tone.

Shrugging, I opened my mouth to refute but was interrupted when her daughter tugged on her dress. The woman's attention finally turned away from me as she tended to her daughter's needs.

I took out the book Floating Lanterns, Autumn Moon from my bag and continued reading from where I left off. Although I had no need to know the story, it was a good way to kill time.

From what Han Dong and Pan Yi mentioned, Ji Kai had entered this universe in the past for a mission and befriended Jin Mu. Since then, he would enlist the help of Jin Mu whenever he encountered any injuries or health issues. Perhaps, this was what Ji Kai meant when he always claimed that he was on medical leave from school.

***

In the time that I took to read five chapters, the queue had moved significantly and I was first in line. There was a counter right at the entrance of the medical hall.

"What are you seeing the physician for today?" The receptionist asked mechanically, her gaze slipping over me.

"I need to see Jin Mu-xiansheng."

Hearing that, she raised an eyebrow and exhaled. "The Master is busy now. If you don't mind, we have other skilled physicians here with exceptional medical skills."

"I only want to see Jin Mu," I rejoined in an insistent tone. "I need him to treat my friend who has been poisoned. I heard that he would have the antidote."

"Is the patient here?"

"No, his family sent me here to fetch the doctor. I think Jin Mu would know about this special arrangement that he has with our Young Master."

The receptionist's head snapped up as she placed her brush down on the tabletop. "And who is your family's Young Master?"

I blinked, realising that I had misspoke earlier but I decided to go with the flow. "Oh, his name is Ji Kai."

Her face contorted but her eyes flashed with recognition. She turned to another worker at the medical hall and whispered something I could not hear.

"Please follow me," said the girl, who looked about 15 to 16 years old, with a smile plastered on her face.

Inviting me with an outstretched hand, she guided me to a passageway behind the main hall where patients were in consultation with the attending doctors. The smell of herbs and Chinese medicine which permeated the air grew stronger and stronger as we walked down the hallway, past the kitchen. Crinkling my nose, I took in small breaths. I liked the smell of Chinese herbs, but the combination of all sorts of concoctions and charcoal smoke felt suffocating.

Turning toward me, a chuckle escaped her lips. "It's because there are many bowls of medicine being boiled at any one time in there."

I gritted my teeth and waved a hand in front of my face. "It's fine. It's just the smoke."

"Are you here on behalf of Ji-gongzi?" Her curious eyes settled on me.

"Yes." I held her gaze. "You seem to be familiar with him?"

"He comes by every now and then to visit the Master. Sometimes they play chess together and sometimes they have conversations over tea." The girl averted her eyes and dipped her head, abashedly. "Ji-gongzi is very polite and kind to us as well. He would bring us some snacks from his hometown."

"Is that so—very polite and kind?" I laughed unintentionally, and felt a little guilty right after. What did I say? To others, Ji Kai had always maintained such an impression. That was why people were often mesmerised and captivated by him. It looked like this girl was one of Ji Kai's fangirls.

Realising that my gaze was still on her, she lifted her head and inhaled sharply as if mustering up all her courage. "May—may I ask what your relationship is with Ji-gongzi?"

A hundred possible answers swarmed my mischievous mind but I settled on the simplest and most boring answer. "Just his friend."

She tipped forward with renewed optimism and peered up at me with an even wider grin. "Then, does he—does he have a family yet?"

I gave her an impish smile and responded with a question instead. "Are you interested in him?"

Immediately, the girl reddened and shook her head profusely. "No-no. I wouldn't dare to dream of it. But," she giggled as she spoke, "he has got many of the girls working here swooning over him."

"The last time Ji-gongzi visited, Ruan-jie—one of the Master's students—actually confessed her feelings to him," she added in a hushed whisper, "but of course it wasn't successful."

"Ji Kai has indeed broken many hearts and will have his broken one day because of retribution," I mused. Seeing the girl's slightly aghast expression, I started to feel bad for what I had just said.

"What is your name?" I asked, quickly changing the topic.

"Hua Ling. What's yours?"

"You can call me Xiaoyu."

We turned a corner and continued down a separate hallway. The smell of medicinal herbs lessened but still lingered in the air. After passing by many rooms and hearing from Hua Ling about the types of snacks and sweets that Ji Kai had brought on his visits, we finally reached Mu Jin's courtyard. Seating me down in the main hall, Hua Ling ran off to get a cup of tea for me.

"Xiaoyu, may I ask why you are here today instead of Ji-gongzi?" Hua Ling asked belatedly. "Has he fallen ill?"

I picked up the tea cup and took a whiff of the flowery scent. Chrysanthemum tea. "Yes, that's why I hope to see Jin Mu soon. If I have to, I'll abduct him and take him back to treat Ji Kai."

"Abduct—" Hua Ling started to say but was interrupted by a low and clear voice coming from a figure standing at the door.

"Who wants to abduct me?"

***