Work Text:
The afternoon sun still hovers the forest when Scholar Qiu reaches a campsite. There, a few people are setting up for the night. On one side, there’s a merchant and his pregnant wife. On the other side, setting up a big tent, is a teacher and her two students. The man smiles, lodging with people serves his purpose.
Scholar Qiu quickly ties up his hammock, then proceeds to build a fire. Once he’s done, he invites everyone to join him for melon seeds and a night of storytelling. Once everyone is seated, he introduces himself and, as he’s done many times, tells them about his research. He’s working on a memoir about the God of the West which will be based on the stories, legends, and anecdotes his followers share about him.
Throughout his pilgrimage of Qi Ying’s domain, Scholar Qiu has had the pleasure to meet all kinds of worshippers. As such, he’s collected many stories. He’s done exploring the Eastern and the Southern sides of the West’s territory. Now, he’s looking forward to the West of the West. This is bound to be good. After all, among followers, Westerners are known to be the strangest of the bunch.
“Wanna see my scar?”, the merchant perks up instantly.
Without waiting for an answer, he rolls up his sleeve to show off the scar on his elbow.
“I got this baby nine years ago, during the Mid-Autumn festival. I can’t bend that arm all the way anymore, but I got to meet Qi Ying Himself when he descended to criticize the play I was in!”
The teacher and her two students come closer to admire the remnants of Qi Ying’s visit.
“He’s been West blessed!”
“Amazing!”
“What character were you playing?”
“My cousin has a similar story!”
While they discuss, Scholar Qiu sets up his brush, flips through his notes, then adds a mark in the tally section. While he waits, amused, for the excitement to die down, he locks eyes with the youth dressed in red. He hadn’t reacted to the story. Maybe he’d seen many of the same injuries before? Once it’s quiet again, Scholar Qiu asks if they have any other stories.
“About Qi Ying specifically?”
Scholar Qiu observes the teacher whispering with her students. Having reached a decision, a smile erupts on their faces.
“Young Scholar, you’re in luck!”, the teacher announces, “We don’t confide with just anyone.”
The male student leans forward and gestures toward his teacher.
“Sun Laoshi is a member of the renowned Meihua Scrolls. My shijie and I are her newest intiates.”
Hearing this, Scholar Qiu’s interest is piqued. He’s heard of this book club before! Finally, likeminded intellectuals to have proper discussions with.
“I see. Then, you must know of more obscure stories”, Scholar Qiu states before prompting, “Which literary work would you say ranks as the most influential?”
The club members exchange a look among themselves before answering.
“Have you ever heard of ‘Love Amongst Plum Blossoms’?”
Scholar Qiu’s shoulders drop as his head falls back. Everything he’s learned about those books has been against his better judgement.
As per the author’s audacious claim, the first installment of ‘Love Amongst Plum Blossoms’ focuses on the real story of Qi Ying’s mortal life. A bold as brass epic of adventures, combats, and a love between martial brothers doomed from the start. The book had sold like hot cakes throughout the West. Nothing had captivated Westerners’ collective imagination quite like it before. Then, the second installment came out. Following Qi Ying’s ascension, the story now focused on his daily life in Heaven and on the slow ridge growing between every reader’s favorite pair. It would be no exaggeration to say the West’s heart broke at the end when… Well, it wouldn’t do to spoil the ending… Anyway.
During that time, it had seemed like everyone who could read was talking about ‘Love Amongst Plum Blossoms’, and even more so those who couldn’t! Yet, no one could discern how accurate the tale was. Except Scholar Qiu. He’s adamant that he can dispute the veracity of this highly addictive pile of cringe and shameless melodrama. That was even his plan for his original thesis! But in the end, he had to decide otherwise; he’s a sensible intellectual after all. And most crucially:
“The first two books are impossible to find”, Scholar Qiu states.
“Not when you know where to look, young Scholar”, Sun Laoshi says ominously.
He narrows his eyes as he readies himself to write.
“Laoshi, are you referring to an underground library?”
“A most exclusive one. To get their hands on them, one must make their way to Ghost City.”
“You can’t be serious”, Scholar Qiu disputes, “Who would be crazy enough to risk their life for a book.”
The club members smile proudly while the couple makes their admiration quite audible.
“Y-you’ve all been!? Why? It's just a work of fiction.”
“It is not!”, the male student retorts, “The auth-”
“Don’t give me that. I know what that Kite Ascending Clean Across guy, or whatever his pen name is, says about his work. There’s no way that tale is true!”
“I had my doubts at first”, Sun Laoshi starts in a patient tone, “But, young Scholar, the truth cannot be ignored once you examine the evidence.”
“Evidence? Unless you have facts, that’s no more than a theory.”
“Well, do you know of the play that came out around the same time as the second book?”, the male student asks.
“Oh, we saw that one!”, the merchant’s wife exclaims, “A good book adaptation. But on opening night, we were on edge all throughout, anticipating Qi Ying’s appearance. However, he never showed…”
“Exactly”, the student continues, “Every theatergoer knows of an author or an actor that has been critiqued by Qi Ying. But Love Amongst Plum Blossoms, the play? Not a single crew member was harmed. Isn’t that intriguing?”
Scholar Qiu must admit that he can’t recall any incidents surrounding that play. Even more so, the only hearsay he had managed to gather was that everyone who had worked on it had woken up with a gold bar under their pillow. Any sane Qi Ying devotee would agree that an eel is lurking under the rocks there.
“It is an intriguing tale”, Scholar Qiu concedes, “However, there is no way to discern the truth from what has been exaggerated.”
At once, the student produces a gold bar from his bag.
“I worked on that set. I was one of the Shixiong understudies. You know, just in case... I keep it on me as a good luck charm now”, he explains excitedly.
“Young Scholar”, Sun Laoshi says, a smile at the corner of her lips, “To us, it indicates there’s something about ‘Love Amongst Plum Blossoms’ that rings true to Qi Ying. You of all people would understand why people go the extra mile for their beloved works of literature.”
Scholar Qiu pouts at the comparison to his own situation.
“Alright, so your love of these books is so great that you traveled to the infamous city of ghosts...”, he recaps. That’s certainly on par with the average Qi Ying worshipper, “How was the city?”
“It’s different each time, we never know exactly what to expect”, the female student says.
“Y-you’ve been... more than once?”, Scholar Qiu stumbles over his words while the club members nod in confirmation.
“We first visited five years ago. In those days, stalls openly sold copies. However, this time, we had to gamble for the third installment at the Lord of the City’s establishment. The odds of getting the book in the ghost realm are as bad as in the mortal realm ever since...”
The student gets quiet. Scholar Qiu prompts her to continue.
“Ever since the Lord of the City got a new right-hand man”, she whispers, “An imposing ghost hiding behind a horned mask. He’s the one that put an end to the distribution of LAPB’s.”
“What a hater!”, the merchant exclaims as his wife nods along.
“I swear the author knows about him!”, the male student interjects, “In the third book, he introduced the Crescent. He’s a sort of bounty hunter character working for a Mob boss.”
“I suppose it’s similar enough, but it sounds more like a coincidence”, Scholar Qiu states, “What’s his role in the book? Hunt down Qi Ying?”
“He's the new love interest!”, the female student interjects passionately.
“What!”, Scholar Qiu exclaims, “But what about-”.
Everyone falls silent.
“Following the end of the second book, maybe the author tried something else”, the wife suggests.
“That’s precisely what I mean when I say this story isn’t historically accurate”, Scholar Qiu disputes, “If the author can mix known myths with his own creations, then in turn, certain parts have definitely been exaggerated. ‘Love Amongst Plum Blossoms’ can’t be a true story.”
“Who knows? Maybe Qi Ying really got over his shixiong and found someone else”, the female student says.
“Or maybe they’re the same person, and Qi Ying’s true love can take many forms”, the merchant suggests.
Everyone shares a laugh at the preposterous idea.
“Real or not”, the male student says, “I love this story.”
“Me too! Enough to travel East every summer”, the female student says while making eye contact with Scholar Qiu.
“Why? The author doesn't release a new book every year.”
“To get the updates from last year’s transformative works. And with the release of the third book, there's new stories to discover. I swear the foe-to-leman stories write themselves with these two.”
“I’m not into the love triangle either, but Ghost City’s really eating up that trope.”, the male student adds.
“And they pop up like weeds, it’s impossible for the Right-hand man to stop them all. I’m sure it drives him nuts to see his fictional counterpart falling in love with Qi Yin everywhere.”
“The Crescent falls in love with Qi Ying?”, Scholar Qiu questions.
“It was kind of predictable towards the middle”, the wife interjects, “It certainly adds tension to the story, but I’m still team YinQuan.”
“You’ve read it too!?”, Scholar Qiu asks, incredulous, “How? It’s impossible to find.”
“My husband’s got ways.”
Scholar Qiu can’t believe it; he’s travelled for weeks, not a clue on where to find these books for himself. But the first group of Westerners he meets? They’ve all read them!
“You all talk about Ghost City with great familiarity, I’m impressed. After all, isn’t it still a dangerous and hard to reach travel destination?”
Sun Laoshi clears her throat, “It’s easy for me to guide my students because...”
Sensing there’s more to that story; Scholar Qiu leans forward.
“I see ghosts.”
The cackling of the fire becomes prominent. The students fall into a solemn silence while the couple and Scholar Qiu stare, confused. He’s skeptical, but curious to see where this goes.
“How can you tell?”, the wife asks, “Don’t some of the ghosts look like people?”
“Even then, they have this subdued glow emanating from them.”
The wife hums in acknowledgement, “How did you acquire this ability? From your studies?”
“Actually, it all started with my mama”, Sun Laoshi starts, “One day, when she was pregnant with me, she got a strong craving for congee. Luckily, the town’s scrap collector was cooking some, the smell was so enticing that she made up her mind to go ask him for a bowl. When she approached him, she saw that his bamboo hat was broken. Mama immediately went back home to fetch her supplies. After she fixed it for him, he offered her a bowl. That first bite of congee made her see sounds and taste colors for three days. When mama came back to, I was in her arms with eyes that had seen a lifetime.”
“So, that food poisoning made you able to see ghosts?”, Scholar Qiu questions.
Sun Laoshi nods.
“Our town’s scrap collector usually keeps to himself when he visits. But even so, he occasionally comes by to greet us. He’s a beautiful man, but dressed in simple Taoist robes, he doesn’t stand out much. However, mama believes he’s a God. And I know she’s right because I can see his aura.”
“Maybe he’s a special type of ghost?”, the merchant wonders, “I’ve never heard of any God with powers like that.”
The youth in red who had remained silent until now suddenly speaks up, “Where is that person now?”
“Oh, I couldn’t say”, Sun Laoshi says, “Last time I saw him, I was setting out to our annual visit to Ghost City. He wished me a safe travel. Mama remarked he looked as youthful as the day she fir-.”
The youth stands at once and, without another word, walks into the forest. Everyone remains silent for a moment.
“Your colleague just left”, the merchant observes.
“He’s not… We thought he was with you”, the female student states.
“Well, I didn’t want to say...”, Sun Laoshi starts, “But something was off with that guy.”
“Are you saying he was a ghost?”, the merchant chuckles nervously as he takes a sip of wine.
“Who knows what he wanted…”
“Probably wants that same godly power.”
“Maybe he’s after the beauty in the hat.”
Again, Scholar Qiu waits until everyone’s laughter quiets down.
“Do any of you have any other stories?”
“Hold your horses, young Scholar”, Sun Laoshi urges him, “There’s more to that story. So, we’ve established that I can see ghosts.”
“Our town worships both the Gods of the Southwest and the West, but my parents have always favored Qi Ying because of his gift.”
“Why do you think it’s from him?”
“Whether it’s punches or gold, he’s generous to his worshippers.”
Everyone erupts in quiet murmurs of agreements.
“Therefore, I got a job in his temple.”
“What would you do?”, Scholar Qiu asks.
“Mostly I swept the stairs. So many times, I thought I was working at the Southwest temple… but there were times I got to warn the head cultivator about Ghosts tresspassing! He kept us safe, he was very strong, and West blessed thrice!”
While everyone fawns over the achievement, Scholar Qiu updates his tally.
“This is a story I've never told anyone. It was the year of my seventeenth birthday. During the Mid-Autumn festival, I saw a ghost-like person enter the tem-”
“Wait, what do you mean ghost-like?”, Scholar Qiu interrupts.
“He had this sort of glow, not quite like ghosts. It’s hard to describe, but having seen both, I can tell them apart. It was-”
CRACK!
The loud crunching of branches suddenly interrupts her. Then, a young man tumbles out of the woods. The group silently watches him get up, start fixing his bamboo hat, and dust the dirt off his robes. When he finally looks up, he’s met with the stare of a shell-shocked audience...
“Oh. Hello”, the man greets them with a soft smile, “Might I join you for the night?”
Everyone nods, stunned.
“Thanks!”, he chirps as he sits by the fire.
Looking around, his gaze falls on Sun Laoshi, “Xiao Sun! Good to see you. Are your travels going as planned?”
“Everything is going well; I was telling a story from when I worked at Qi Ying’s temple.”
“Ah, then don’t mind me. Carry on with your story, you all looked quite enthralled earlier.”
The man takes out a bun from his sleeve and munches on it while leaning back, content to let them get back to their conversation.
“Right… where were we?”
“A ghost-like man arrived”, Scholar Qiu repeats.
“Yes… The ghost man,” Sun Laoshi mumbles, quite distracted. “Oh, right. He snuck into the temple, all quiet. I hid very well so he wouldn’t see me. But I saw him! After he finished praying, he pulled out a lantern!”
“What for?”, the male student asks.
“It was the Mid-Autumn festival”, the female student says, “What arelanterns for?”
“No, I know that. But surely not to offer it!?”
“What else could it be for?”, the wife says.
“I’ve never heard of ghosts making offerings to Gods.”, the new arrival comments, “Is that even possible?”
“What happened next?”, asks Scholar Qiu. “Did you see their face?”
“Of course, but I can’t really remember what he looked like... It’s been years.”
“And then? What did the ghost do?”
“Here’s the thing. It wasn’t a ghost; his glow was different. The same as the man who offered congee to my mama...”
Everyone side eyes the man happily eating his bun.
“That means te person sneaking about to offer a lantern to Qi Ying was a God! And what God would go through all that?”
While everyone gasps in surprise, Scholar Qiu sighs. While he had been entranced by the tale, he can't help but feel like Sun Laoshi’s conclusion hinges on a lot of speculation…
“Well, this was fun. And it has helped me in my research. Thank you all for joining me and providing your entertaining stories. I can’t stay up late, I’m heading North tomorrow, another follower told me about a fountain in his hometown. Apparently, couples jump in for Qi Ying’s blessing.”
“Oh, I read something like that in one of the transformative works we brought back”, the female student says.
“Is it any good?”
When Scholar Qiu and the students finish talking, the man, who may be a God, approaches him.
“I'm also heading North. Might I join you?”
“Of course”, Scholar Qiu agrees. After all, surely a guy like that must have interesting anecdotes about his life to tell.
After everyone wishes him good luck on his memoir and a safe travel once more, Scholar Qiu retires for the night into his hammock. As he swings, he thinks back on Sun Laoshi’s tale. Could it even be true? Ah well, if it teaches him anything, stories don’t have to be true to be entertaining.
Scholar Qiu takes out a night pearl from his pocket and a few of the booklets the students had gifted him. Apparently Shixiong is a tree in this one? His research can wait for a moment while he indulges in a bit of transformative work.