I heard my master's voice, faint as the moonlight, "Xiao Xiang, why aren't the lamps lit?"
I took a few steps toward the door, but something tripped me up, and I stumbled forward a few steps. My master reached out and helped me.
I looked up and could vaguely make out his face.
The master said, "Let's go out."
I looked back at Zi Mo; she seemed to be asleep and was not moving.
Stepping out of the house, I wrung out my clothes. "Master."
The master stopped and looked down at me. The orchids in the yard were as vibrant as snow. "Hmm?"
I closed my eyes and steeled my resolve. "This Zi Mo is a foreigner. Diviners in the East must be castrated and cannot get married."
My master looked at me calmly, pursed his lips and said gently, "You seem to be very familiar with the customs of the East."
I said, “Yes. I’ve been making money in the palace for so long, I know all the tricks of the trade. I’ve heard that although fortune tellers are incredibly powerful, they need to cultivate for a long time to become truly powerful, so it’s not auspicious. Moreover, fortune tellers have to observe the stars every day, so they are very likely to be struck by lightning.”
The master didn't answer, but turned around and looked at me.
I whispered, "All of this... was told to me by Lou Xiyue."
The master seemed to smile, and asked, "What herbs are you gathering here?"
I said, "I've picked them all. Lou Xiyue's third uncle was poisoned by wolfsbane, so I came to the East to pick snow plums."
The master's brow furrowed slightly, and he said, "There is no cure for wolfsbane."
I asked in surprise, "How could that be? Your notes mention snow plum and bloodstone grass, and that needles can cure wolf poison."
My heart tightened. "And...you seem to...you probably...can...help someone else cure this poison."
The master said, "The notes are wrong. There's no cure for wolfsbane. Xiao Xiang, are you sure he was poisoned by wolfsbane?"
I was taken aback. “The symptoms are similar to those recorded in your notes. There is no poisonous blood on the body.”
The master calmly said, "There is a poison called Black Needle, which has symptoms very similar to those of Wolfsbane. If you are poisoned by Black Needle, it feels like there are needles pricking your brain. Applying Snow Plum and Bloodstone Grass can cure the poison. If you are poisoned by Wolfsbane, the poison invades the brain, and your mind may become confused. I still don't know how to cure it."
I said, "Master, do you know An Chen?"
My master looked at me, his eyes calm. "I know."
The night was overwhelming, darkening the scene before me in large swaths.
The darkness of the night is so thick that it cannot be dispelled.
I lowered my head and remained so for a long time before saying, "So you lied to me."
The master said, "Xiao Xiang, there are many things I can't remember."
I asked him, "Do you remember Zi Mo?"
He hesitated slightly, then said, "I remember some."
I asked, "Why can't you remember so many things?"
The master said, "I've been poisoned by wolfsbane."
I was shocked. "How could this be?"
The master said calmly, "It's getting late, go and rest early."
As my master was about to step to the side, I called out to him, "Master."
He didn't turn around. "Xiao Xiang, let's talk about it tomorrow."
I walked up to him, looked up into his eyes, grinned at him, and said, "I didn't tell you before, did I? When An Chen asked me what my name was, I told him it was Qi Xiang, um, the fragrance of a fragrant beauty."
I've always regretted that the banana I mentioned during my self-introduction wasn't elegant enough, which is why An Chen didn't remember it well.
Now I finally have a chance to start over. I want to change my positioning and enhance my image.
The master was silent for a moment, then chuckled softly, "Yes. I know."
I gazed at the palace lanterns hanging from the eaves of the main hall, casting a faint, dim yellow glow. I said, "I named myself this. When I was little, I liked to go to temples or Guanyin altars to freeload, so I inexplicably developed a fondness for burning incense. That's why I'm called Qi Xiang."
I paused for a moment, then added, "This name is quite easy to remember. If you accidentally forget it, it can evoke memories, like sesame oil, sausage, or something sensual, and you can think of me."
The master said, "Xiao Xiang, I've got it."
I said, "Oh, that's good."
I thought for a moment, then asked him again, "Master, do you remember a girl who sewed clothes for you and embroidered her own name on them?"
The master pondered for a moment, then said, "I don't remember."
I thank God: wolfsbane is truly a wonderful thing.
After my master left, I squatted down beside Yunlan and gently touched the petals, tracing their veins. Suddenly, a figure jumped down and landed in front of me. Lou Xiyue looked down at me with a half-smile, "I've been observing you from up there for a long time. Seeing your sweetheart, you don't even want to eat?"
I nodded. "I won't eat."
Lou Xiyue asked, "What are you doing?"
I said, "Didn't you see? I'm crouching in the corner."
He leaned closer, amused. "And then?"