81.3

The frustration and misery of being left alone disappeared. She now believed Lin Haoqing's last words to her were true, she would indeed find where she wanted to go and what she should do...

It was a sunny day, and Aji was walking along the creek wondering what fish to catch, when she suddenly heard a woman crying up ahead. Aji rushed over. A mother holding a child was crying her heart out by the water.

"What's wrong?" Aji asked. The child's mother did not answer her. Aji looked down and saw the child was cold all over and his skin was unnatural blue. She pressed her fingers on the child's wrist and discovered that he had a double pulse. A child with spiritual power...

"He's poisoned... he's poisoned…" cried the mother.

"This water is all poisonous!"

Aji looked at the stream that she had also been drinking from day after day, but yet she was fine. She could feel the child's pulse growing weaker by the minute, and she frowned. She could not use her demon power to help him because of his double pulse, and Lin Haoqing had told her to never reveal her spiritual power. She was the only one in the world who had both, so she must keep it a secret...

But...

Could she just watch the child die?

The child twitched a couple of times, his tiny body looking even more helpless in the arms of his mother. Aji did not hesitate again and poured spiritual power into him. In a short while, the child's convulsions stopped, and his breathing gradually stabilized. Although the black and blue cast did not fade completely, he slowly opened his eyes.

"The eyes are open!" The mother broke into tears and looked at the child, stroking his face again and again.

"It's okay, you are okay, mama is here, mama is here." Aji took two steps back and smiled, feeling the mother's joy.

After nightfall, Aji followed the mother and her son to a small temple where they were temporarily sheltered. The mother called herself Liang Li, and the child was called Liang Xiaoan. They had escaped from their hometown.

"Xiaoan's father is gone..." Liang Li looked at the sleeping child and spoke while wiping away tears.

"When Xiaoan was born, the doctor said he had a double pulse. His father and I took him and fled overnight to keep him from being forced into the four quarters…"

The campfire illuminated her, showing a face full of fatigue. Aji looked at her and spaced out. Her mind flashed a series of images -- a couple fleeing in haste with their child...

"Xiaoan's father was caught by the imperial soldiers in the early years and killed. I took Xiaoan and hid in the mountains, hoping everyday that the Grand Master would die and the court would fall, so we could come out of our hiding. Finally the northern border rebelled, but unexpectedly, the princess in the capital poisoned the rivers. I told him not to drink the water in the stream. We collected dew every morning and saved water when it rained, but it wasn't enough. He was too thirsty and drank from the stream while I wasn't watching..."

Liang Li wiped away some more tears.

"I would rather he drink my blood than this poison..."

Aji listened and felt truly disgusted by the princess.

"How could that princess be this cruel and heartless?" Liang Li shook her head.

"Whatever the princess wants to do, we can only accept it as our own misfortune. I want to take the child to the north. It's full of snow and ice over there, at least he will get some clean water."

Aji nodded and said, "Sister Liang, don't be sad. Tomorrow morning I will help you collect the dew."

Liang Li looked at her and said with gratitude, "Thank you so much for today..."

"No, sister Liang, promise me that you will leave tomorrow and forget about me. Don't ever remember this."

Liang Li nodded. "I know, everyone has their own difficulties. You saved my child, I definitely do not want to cause you any trouble. But if you are also hiding from something, why don't you go north with us?"

Aji waved her hand, "No thanks, I have other things to do."

On the next day, Aji went up the stream after parting ways with the mother and son. She had promised Lin Haoqing she would not go to the north or the capital, plus the princess and the Lord of the North were probably too high and mighty for her to touch, so she might as well do something within her power. For example, find the source of this stream and figure out a way to cleanse it of the poison.