Chapter Text
Wen Ning made his way out of the hut rather sluggish, still lost in thought of his own misery and sorrow. Thankfully, the resentful energy that he emitted made him somewhat resistant to the flames. He moved his arms in a way that would extinguish the fire caught in his hands and sleeves and extinguished they became. Wen Ning was down to his last step out of the hut when he hears a loud thud, like something hitting wood, maybe even someone. He turns around to find anything wooden in the hut and takes notice of a medicine cabinet. He rushes back and opens it, eyeing a small child curled up in a fetal position. She had put a wet linen over her mouth, a smart choice for a young girl. She must be clever, this one. Wen Ning runs out to take the child away from the fire and deep into the forest where the air was clearer and better.
When he decided that they were far enough, he collects giant leaves and builds a makeshift bed for the child. He lays her on her back and checks for breathing. Luckily despite the mild burns across her arm, the child did not have much trouble breathing. He could see though that she was still in extreme pain. He looks around for anything to soothe her pain and finds some herbs that could be of help. He was not as skilled as his sister in the medicinal arts, but she made sure he knew his herbs.
Throughout the night, Wen Ning watched the child earnestly. Fierce corpses didn’t need sleep so he could go on with watching her without really having repercussions on his own well-being. When morning came, he notices the red patches on her skin. It was a rather simple case for him to solve. It was likely that this child continuously ingested contaminated water and developed the rashes on her skin. It wasn’t transmissible either. If only the people heated the water they drank, then cases such as these would be less likely to happen. It was not difficult for him to think of which herbs to use to help her cure them but first he would have to find them. He could not leave the girl alone in the woods so he carries her with him.
Wen Ning walks tirelessly for hours with the sleeping child cradled in his arms. He walks through trees and shrub, even spotting a beehive and driving away wild animals, until he reaches a creek. The herb he was looking for usually grew near shallow waters and he immediately eyes them. Wen Ning feels relief wash over him. The girl still has not woken up but her breathing has evened out. She would wake up in a few hours. These herbs would certainly help her.
He crouches down and picks up the herb, with his hands wrapped in a leaf. He could not have her catching an infection because of his rotten skin so he had to use leaves as to not make any contact with the herbs. He then lays them in a banana leaf, carefully grinding them with a rock and then spreading the grinned herbs across the red patches on the girl’s skin.
He stays still for a bit, carefully watching over the girl, driving away wild animals who spotted them. Otherwise, he’d find himself staring again. It had been long since he has seen a living human. The girl seemed to be no more than seven years old, her hair kept in messy twin braids. She was skinny all over too. She probably did not eat much in that makeshift hut.
‘Food...!’
Wen Ning enters a momentary panic. He was a fierce corpse so he did not need to worry about eating but the girl would certainly be hungry when she wakes up. He should not have driven the wild boar away earlier. He looks around for anything she could eat. Berries could help but they weren’t really what you would call a meal for someone. He could also take some honeycombs, but the girl might get stung and he was not having that.
Wen Ning’s eyes reaches the creek where he took the herbs earlier and his eyes sparkle as an idea hits him. He walks up to the creek and just as he thought, a school of fishes swam through the current. Ah, but he could not just grab them with his hands. He stands there for a moment lost in thought on how he could catch the fish. If only he had a net, if only he could weave a net; but all those seem too unlikely and would take him days to finish. The girl would wake up soon, so he had to have fish ready in case.
Wen Ning started walking around in circles. It was a habit he developed when he was still alive. When he was deep in thought, he would go around in circles around their manor until he finally collects his thoughts. As he strolled along the riverbank lost in thought, he steps over a fallen bamboo stalk promptly breaking it with his strength.
‘Wait...! That’s it...!’
Wen Ning starts going over the bamboo trees for the one that was lean and sturdy. He breaks off the bamboo stalk, making a crunching sound enough to scare the birds away but not quite to wake the girl up, thankfully. He walks back and stands next to the creek, getting into position to pin down a fish or two with his bamboo stick. It was rather blunt but with the agility and strength of a fierce corpse, it proved to be quite easy. Within an hour, he had already caught around five fish.
Just when he was just about satisfied with his haul, the girl finally wakes up and screams in fear at his sight. She immediately retreats behind a tree, slowly peaking at Wen Ning, as if trying to discern if he was friend or foe.
Wen Ning was thrown into a panic yet again. It did not occur to him that the girl would be terrified. He looked like a monster after all. No, he was a monster, but he still needed to treat her burns and rashes. He also caught all these fish for her. It would all go to waste if she left now.
A bamboo stick full of fish in hand, Wen Ning tries to win her side, “Wait! I’m not going to try and hurt you...!”
Of course, he could not easily persuade anyone that he is harmless. He is a fierce corpse and it is only natural for the living to run from fierce corpses but in his heart, he really did want to help the girl. Wen Ning takes a step forward. The girl, in turn, takes a step backward and then attempts to flee but before she could turn around, she notices something falling from her arm.
“Ah...! Please don’t touch your burns! It hasn’t fully healed yet and touching it could make it worse! I will dress them again... so please don’t run!”
The girl looks at him curiously this time. He was expressionless. It was a given. He was a fierce corpse after all but somehow, she could hear the worry in his voice as he warned her. It was very strange too, she thought, that he could talk. From the stories she heard, fierce corpses only make howl-like sounds, like wild feral animals but his voice was rather soft and mild. It almost made her trust him. Almost. He was still a fierce corpse, but she really did not have anyone to rely on so this seemed better than nothing.
“Did you put these?” She asked, gesturing at the herbs spread across her skin.
“I did. They will help you heal faster so please don’t remove them.”
“'Right. But you have to answer my questions.”
“Alright.”
Huh? The girl finds herself somewhat confused. This fierce corpse was definitely weird, not to mention, a complete pushover. He could probably break her neck with a flick of his finger but here he was just listening to her demands. It was favorable on her end but a part of her just found it way too strange and unbelievable. Maybe, there was a catch here. She should not simply let her guard down. For now, she should try to learn more about her situation. If worse comes to worst, she could always run.
“You saved me, right?”
“I couldn’t rescue anyone else. I came too late for them.” Wen Ning looks down, almost dejected, averting her gaze in shame.
“I ain’t even asking about them. Why’d you save me anyway?”
“Di-- didn’t you need saving?”
“Course I did but ain’t it strange for a fierce corpse to help us common folk, let alone anyone?”
“I guess so.”
“What kinda answer is that? Ain’t you fierce corpses terrifying and ruthless?”
“Ah...! I used to be but my master helped me regain consciousness.”
“Ohh, so you got a master. I guess I oughtta thank him too.”
“He is... Not with us anymore.”
“Oh, my bad.”
“No, it is alright. Fierce corpses cannot feel anything, so it does not affect me.”
She felt somewhat puzzled at his words. There was a hint of sadness in his tone as he explained that he could not harbor emotions. Did he not notice? Was she reading too much into the matter? She wanted to tell him but it wasn’t her style to pry on others’ business, whether they were the living or the dead. She did not want to get into a quarrel with a fierce corpse too. After all, a girl’s got to do what she can to survive.
“If you say so.”
“If you don’t mind, could you move closer? I will dress your wound and place herbs and then we can cook this fish so you can eat.”
The girl minded. She was walking towards a fierce corpse. 'Course she minded! But she dare not say a thing and simply walked slowly, cautiously, towards the spot where she woke up in. Wen Ning watches her walk and notices that her teeth were shy of two, which wasn’t unusual for a child her age but what caught his attention were her eyes, seemingly lacking in pupils at a glance, clear and white like the clouds in the sky.
“Ca- Can you see?!” He asks, instinctively.
“Huh? You’re really a strange one! 'Course, I can see. How’d I know you’re a fierce corpse if I can’t see?”
“Ahh...! Right, I’m sorry.”
“You... For a fierce corpse, you’re a total pushover.”
“I’ve been told that many times over.”
Wen Ning has not been called a pushover for quite some time. The last time he heard his sister call him one was when he was still alive. She had always been strict with him and pushed Wen Ning to strive for better heights. She had stopped calling him one though when he returned as a fierce corpse. Come to think of it, she never scolded them when they lived in the burial mounds. She acted much gentler, but she did make sure to tell Wei Wuxian off for his very unhealthy endeavors. Before he could continue daydreaming about the past, the girl steals his attention away.
“Don’t you sound so proud about it...! You’re a fierce corpse! You’re gotta be scary, ‘ta eat children who misbehave!”
“Is that what you’ve been told? Don’t worry. I don’t eat children.”
“That ain’t convincing at all.” She teased but Wen Ning, unfortunately, could not catch on to her joke.
“I really don’t...! Please believe me...!”
The girl almost laughs, if not for the pain she felt in her chest before letting out a giggle.
“Ahh...!!! Please don’t try to move around the area that was burned for the time being. Your wounds are still fresh. It will hurt a lot.”
“Yes, I noticed.”
The girl finally reaches the stack of banana leaves piled together and sits, waiting for Wen Ning to move too he could dress her wounds but he remained unmoving.
“Hey!”
“Yes...?”
“Didn’t you say you were gonna help me with these?” She says, eyes pointing at her burned arm.
“Ma— May I? Aren’t you still afraid that I would eat you? Even if the stories are not true, I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”
“I was just kiddin’ around. I just teased you a little, so please.
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Wen Ning started to approach her again. He put the stick of fish down into another leaf and started crushing some new herbs with a stone. After he grinned them, he scooped the herbs up with a small leaf, careful as ever so his decaying flesh would not come in contact with the herbs. He applied them to her burned arm and she watched him in silence until she got finally bored.
“Hey?”
“Yes?”
“How do you know which herbs work?”
“I was a pharmacist when I was alive.”
“A what now?”
“Kind of like a doctor.”
“So, you were a doctor. You should have just said so. It would’ve been nice you came to our village then, don’t you think?”
“Yes, it would have.”
She really found this fierce corpse completely, utterly, and unspeakably strange. A fierce corpse as a doctor?! Being nice enough to say that he would have helped her village when he was still alive?! They were nothing like the stories she heard of fierce corpses before. Then again, he was the first corpse she had ever met. Perhaps, the people who told her stories about fierce corpses have never seen one before. After all, common folk usually die before they could tell the stories of their encounter with the unknown. The girl decides on what she would do next. if she was going to trust this fierce corpse doctor, she might as well know his name.
“You got a name?”
“That is,” Wen Ning hesitates for a moment. He could not just share his name with the girl. It would cause such a commotion if she found out who he really was. Even among the common folk, surely stories about the Ghost General, Wen Ning, would float around.
“You don’t gotta tell me, you know.” He almost felt bad for making her say that, so he decides on another name.
“Qionglin San— Sanren.” Ahh...! He screams internally at his choice for names. Hopefully, Wei Gongzi would forgive him for borrowing his mother’s name.
“That’s way too long! I have to come up with a nickname!”
“A nickname? I wouldn’t mind so it is alright. How about you? What’s your name?”
“I don’t know. I’ve just been called MeiMei by everyone. Just call me that too.”
“That doesn’t sound good. We have to pick a name.”
“I don’t got one so you have to think of one then.”
“Me? Are you sure?”
“You’re the one going on about me getting a name.”
“Alright. Would you give me some time to think?”
“Fine but only until you finish putting the herbs. Otherwise, let’s call it quits and stick with MeiMei.”
“But I am almost finished...!”
“Better hurry up then.”
The girl watched as Wen Ning’s brows furrowed with every drop of herb into her burned skin. She would’ve totally gotten a kick out of this. His face is just so funny but given the incident earlier, she found the will not to. Once she was all healed up though, she promises herself that her fun would begin.
“A-Qíng.”
“A-Qìng...?”
“No, it is A-Qíng not A-Qìng.”
“A-Qìng.”
“We are going to work on it.”
“I’m really tryin’, you know!”
“I know. I know. Do you like it?”
“It ain’t bad sounding. It’s okay, I guess.”
‘A-Qìng. Or A-Qíng or whatever..?!’ The girl tried to repeat the words in her mind. He was going to nitpick on her for pronouncing it anyway so she wasn’t going to say it again. Despite that though, she felt her heart swell up as she thought of her name.
Her parents never named her. It wasn’t strange for the common folk to do either. Children were weak and got sick easily and she was no exception. Not naming them made it easier for the parents to feel less grief towards children who die so young. So for her, who they initially thought was blind and unfortunately caught the epidemic, a name was not bestowed. She tried to act aloof in front of this Qionglin Sanren, she really oughtta think of a nickname for him, but in reality, her named delighted her quite a lot.
“I’m glad you like it.”
“I said it ain’t bad, not that I like it! How’d you even come up with that?”
“It was my sister’s name.”
“Your sister?! That’s no fun! And here I thought it was nice!”
“So you did like it?”
“Ahh—!! You tricked me into saying that, didn’t you? Maybe fierce corpses are treacherous like they say!”
“I didn’t mean for it to happen. I swear or my last name isn’t— Sanren.” Wen Ning tries to hide his hesitation from using his new surname.
Luckily for him, A-Qing’s stomach started growling before she could even form a rebuttal. She was probably too hungry to notice him hesitate.
“Fine, fine. I’ll believe you after you roast me some fish.”
“Alright, I’m glad to hear that.”
Wen Ning could finally take a breather, having narrowly escaped with his true identity. He set up some branches and lights up a fire to roast the fish. Once they've been cooked, A-Qing chomps down like there is no tomorrow. She hasn’t eaten anything in days. There really wasn’t much food in the hut so these was already a feast in her eyes. When she was down to the last fish, she looks at Wen Ning. He has not taken a single bite and she felt kind of bad, eating everything.
“Ain’t you eating?”
“Fierce corpses don’t need food to survive.”
“Ohh. Do you fierce corpses ever do anything?”
“Nothing in particular.”
“That sounds boring.”
“I suppose so. But I already feel full just watching you eat.”
“That kinda cheesy motherly talk ain’t going to work on me! Besides, it doesn’t suit you too.”
“Oh, sorry.”
“Why do you keep saying sorry all the time? You oughtta stop that. It ain’t nice sounding.”
“Sor— I understand.”
“And...”
“And?”
“Since I’ve been imposing on you, I oughtta thank you. So, thank you Lin Ge ge.”
“I’m glad to be of help, A-Qing.”
“Don’t get any ideas in your head! Qionglin Sanren is just way too long so—!” A-Qing looks away bashfully. If she could slap some sense into her face right now, she would but that would only make things too obvious.
From the corner of her eyes, she could have sworn she saw him smile for a moment.
“I won’t get any ideas. I understand.” He says as she looks at him, trying to catch a glimpse of a smile that wasn’t there. Perhaps, her eyes are playing tricks on her. Perhaps, he really could not smile but with the way he spoke, he might as well have.
Or perhaps, she really did see Wen Ning's lips curl up for a moment.