Chapter Text
The rains which were once elicited by the spring weather, had finally come to a halt about three days earlier. Though the mild weather was over— there was still signs of it once being present all over the palace and its structure; The roof was still glistening with a smooth reflection beneath the afternoon sun. The black and carefully carved tiles still harboured its wet, glossy shine over its usual darkness, bringing out the original colour immensely. Water still remained at a large— forming around the end of the roof and dripping off of the curves— leaving a shallow pool on the ground level of what was clearly rainwater. It tainted the tone pathway of the palace— but there was a beauty in it all as fallen petals now floated through the surface of the stream— making their way onto the pavement. The capital was beautiful in a way that was undeniable— especially in this season of the spring. Maomao had always deemed such a beauty suspicious.
It was this sort of glamour that covered up the crueler actions— At this time, too many people beared a practiced smile whilst they dreamed fondly about plotting their partners deaths— Too many noble families exchanged with each other, bearing gifts that were ‘accidentally’ laced with a substance that required a poison taster like her at all times— Or the fact that too many medical issued workers began to disappear by mystery after making the simple mistake of treating the wrong patient.
If she had learnt anything from her current occupation, it was the matter of beauty, and how it should be a caution— She had discovered long ago that it often tended to serve as a warning sign— A warning for those who watched closely, that after beauty; something less attractive tended to pay a visit. With intent that is harmful. The feeling that was stirring in her gut now; was an emotion that per experience, she had gotten to know and rely on quite intimately. Though at times akin to this— she was aware it was out of her control until it truly spiraled. She had always been the one to deal with the after-effects of her higher-ups messes.
Upon the wooden veranda Maomao sat on, indulging in her surroundings of greenery, her legs were crossed beneath the usual cloak that she wore— Throughout all of this; she carefully grounded and minimized the dried roots below her into a powder. The bowel rested between the two of her knees, letting out and radiating a scent so sharp, she could make out the feeling of something bitter beneath it. How promising.
“Maomao.” She did not bother to look up and address the person now standing in front of her. She was sure they were of no importance, and she had very little energy to deal with their shit, so her reply was curt and devoid of emotion—“No.” The voice hesitated. “I have yet to ask anything of you…”
“Whatever it is that you want of me; My reply is going to be one of rejection.” The palace servant sighed heavily at her firm rejection —But she was certain that such a reaction was expected from an individual like her— so Maomao continued to ignore them as she directed her focus on grinding down her herbs.
“I was ordered that if you were to act in such a way— I would have to inform you; this is not a request— t’s an order. A summon that is Imperial.” At that her hand stopped short of its previous movements –How unfortunate for her– After all, the act of an Imperial Summon was never recognised to involve anything pleasant—Yet her presence was now officialy mandatory.
If this situation was to go in her favour— it most likely meant that this calling was simply due to the fact that a noble accidentally had poisoned themselves, and sought out her help. And if this situation wasn’t— it was probably due to the action of a noble intentionally poisoning another. Either way she was certain that paperwork was bound to follow... “Fine.” She replied with a sigh, as she gave into the higher-up’s impulsive and entitled whims. “Take me to them.” At her verbal submission; the servant’s demeanour shifted into something visible which she presumed was calm and relaxed— Most likely because her agreement guaranteed his head stayed on his neck. Maomao followed close behind as they made their way out— both mentally prepared to face and deal with the second-hand shit of the nobles.
…
The audience chamber today was suspiciously quieter than what she was familiar with. The afternoon sunlight was still prominent as it peaked out slightly through filtered layers of silk based screens, which were painted with traditional and floral patterns— Elegant as always. She picked up a distinct smell, one she recognised that was sourced from a lit candle, and a touch of incense which drifted slowly through the air. She could tell that it was a harmless scent; harbouring no ill intentions behind it such as poisons. What a shame. At the far end of the room— facing her were several court officials. Their usual glamour could not hide their tense body language— and their powdered faces only made them appear even more fearful than what should have been normal. Amongst the crowd of faces, she met the eyes on one that was much too familiar for her preference— It was none other than Jinshi. Or rather the man who had once been Jinshi.
But this man still bore his previous face, the one that she had once grown fond of (though she would never admit so.) Time may have altered many aspects of him –yet to her growing irritation– his beauty had not been one of them. She was filled with regret for even attending this stupid meeting, it leaked through her heart, making her feel horrible. Jinshi spoke up first. “Maomao.” He said with the tone he knew drew others in, as his usual charming smile began to form on his face. Ew— She hated this already. Despite her obvious disdain— it was a serious offense not to respond to the greeting of some with a higher status. She addressed him with a slightly mocking bow; “Your excellency.”
“Ah please, spare me your sarcasm.” He countered back. “You manage to make my title sound more like an insult when it comes out of your mouth.”
“My apologies, it was not intended to come off that way.”
“There’s no point in lying when we are both aware it absolutely was.” The officials formed around the two of them began to exchange glances filled with discomfort at the clear banter occuring. But Jinshi’s expression remained amused— It was clear that he was enjoying himself, but Maomao could not resonate with that, as she looked up at him with an emotion that was best defined as annoyance. There were some things that not even time could truly change.
After a second— his expression shifted into one of seriousness— the humor now gone and replaced with something else. He waved his hands to motion to the servant closest to her, who passed on the scroll they held before her— “Read.” At that order she opened the scroll; taking note of the report written inside with a font that was clearly shaken. The report itself was brief —but in a way that was too brief for her liking— As if they lacked proper specifics in regards to the situation.
Written down on the paper were names of provinces, in sections were death counts, symptoms and titles of the several villages which were being affected with the said symptoms, which varied from across each different region. Accompanied by all of this information was a pointer— Most victims of this were all experiencing similar symptoms that began to form a pattern. I often started off with simple confusion and a minor fever as discoloration began to form on the skin— But in the end most died within the time frame of a week. Maomao’s forever forming frown grew even deeper by the second. At the rate things were going, she was bound to develop wrinkles despite the rest of her appearance being youthful despite being much older than she appeared— damn her round and childlike face.
The descriptions only managed to continue; the blacking of veins began to pop up, with a side of eventual delirium that began to shift into something violent, and terrors formed at night that were described in a very harsh manner. What particularly stood out to her was that in a few cases— some victims had reported the claim of seeing figures standing outside of their homes. Shortly after saying such, their deaths had followed. By the time she had reached the bottom of the report, and skimmed her eyes to re-read it allover again— the room had formed a complete and almost deathly silence... “So, in regards to this all…” She spoke up, breaking the quiet. “What is the conclusion that the court has reached?" It didn’t take too long for one of the officials to eventually speak up— “A curse.” Of course they had. Maomao withheld the urge to roll her eyes. “Are you certain it’s not just a complicated disease?”
“No. Like I said earlier; a curse.”
“Posion?”
“A curse.”
“Contaminated water?”
“A curse.”
“The lack of proper sanitation and cleanliness.”
“A curse.”
“...” Maomao sighed as she closed up the scroll in a manner so abrupt— it caused the official to flinch. But it was now clear to her, that her stubborn tendencies were now rivaled in the face of court. The official she had previously been opposing verbally now stared at her with offence— but Jinshi in comparison had seemed entertained by this all occuring. Again. It was clear by his casual expressions that he was not surprised by this conclusion. Unfortunately for her pride, he still managed to maintain his usual confidence. “What makes you so certain of this?” She questioned. At that, the official appeared to hesitate, it only lasted for a very short moment, yet as he spoke again, his voice was now much lower— as if he were almost scared. “The witnesses’ and their descriptions, had directly reported to have seen him.” As soon as he referenced this nameless man, the room appeared to mutually cool significantly. A higher-up openly shivered as the sentence dropped. Even the nosy servants seemed to avoid each other’s eyes.
For the first time since she had engaged in this conversation— she could say with full certainty that the feeling of unease was genuine and undeniable as it passed throughout the room. She could’ve sworn that chills ran down some spines. But she did not share the sentiment. “So, enlighten me I beg. Who exactly is this supposed ‘he,’” Maomao broke off the collective silence with her question. The official, along with the majority of people in the room— stared at her with reciprocated confusion. “Have you not heard?”
“Clearly not.” At that the man looked shocked, several others around them appeared just as equally surprised by that. Eventually, after a long moment of fearful silence, a single servant dared to lean forward and utter out the words that no one else seemed to be able to say— “The King of Curses.” More silence followed afterwards.
From the outside, Maomao began to observe with care as a breeze started to stir, it entered through the open window which was barely held together by the lace curtains, as the stream of wind hit onto the chimes some servants had hung on the roof earlier— And somewhere from what she assumed was beyond the palace walls; the sound of bell rang out. “The one who is called Sukuna Ryomen.” From what Maomao could decipher, was that this name clearly carried a heavy weight on the tongues which spoke it. She did not feel any particular fear, yet she would be a fool not to recognize the clear chill radiating off those around her— even the individuals with a significant amount of power and an endless stream of protection still appeared quite rattled.
They spoke as if recounting the name from legends and forms of folktales clearly surrounding this mysterious figure. She knew that such stories were quick to pass around between provinces like a fire which had gone wild. Tales spread of the monster with four arms, something akin to a giant amongst the average man, he was a calamity that seemed to show whenever a form of disaster stuck— leaving behind a trail that was immensely more gruesome. Battlefields, famines, massacres. From what the servant recounted, entire generations had grown up hearing nightmare-fuel tales about this monster; it was something close to a bed-time story that was intended to scare young children into submission. Maomao took all of this alarming information with care and a professional stance.
After a couple minutes of fear-induced silence and contemplation coming from her— she asked; “So… has anyone examined the water, or–” The groan that formed in the room, filled up the entire atmosphere with a sense of disappointment, it was palpable and collective. Maomao gave them a wicked grin in conclusion.
…
By the time the evening arrived— the assignment was given to her by both title and recognition. She now had the main control of the investigation, serving as an apothecary and director of it all; Though it was considered an honor by most, to Maomao though; it felt more like the responsibility was dumped onto her, in a sloppy and impulsive manner, meaning most likely that she was perceived as a final resort. Several provinces, located far away from her current placement, had already begun to request for her assistance, and by law she was required to attend to them and their needs.
The nearest village was located deep within the moutains— the travel there itself was estimated to take over a week at minimum. And the court —being assholes like always— had come to the collective decision, without her input or knowledge, that she would be expected to depart and make way by sunrise. Maomao’s natural instincts had her moving and spending up her remaining time during daylight to pack up. The items she threw into her baggage were items mostly related to medical needs— such as bandages, herbs, antidotes and several forms of poison. Any individual like her, was aware that they were unable to recognize exactly when poison might come in need of usage— So in a preparation, induced mostly by resentment against the unknown, she always came prepared beforehand, in case it was necessary.
A fog of dusk had now settled across the capital, nearing the night. She climbed up onto a balcony that was tall and viable enough for her to be able to look over the city— having an opportunity to cherish it a final time, as she had a feeling she would be away from her now-home for a while. Thousands of candles were light, with many other forms of life flickering below from places considered as homes. The capital with its many lights opposing against the ever forming darkness of the night— almost resembled a sea of stars. Maomao found it remarkably just as beautiful as it was suspicious— but that was no different from its norm. After a few minutes of silence, she could make out the sound of footsteps approaching from behind of her.
Jinshi approached her, appearing out of thin air whilst bearing two cups of tea in his hands. Maomao accepted the one he offered, not because she truly wanted it, but rather because refusing it would prolong this inevitable conversation, and that was not something she wanted— though she made no movements to consume the drink that was now in her hands. “You are worried.” He stated it as if it weren’t a question— he had learnt to pick up on the emotions she did not choose to show in a way that was almost impressive, it became an instinct after the excessive amount of time they spent together —Maomao saw it as more troublesome than something that brought her to awe... She did not turn to face him as she spoke— rather she stared across the city, taking a short moment to observe the movement and life of it all before speaking— “The symptoms of this current outbreak are undeniably strange.”
“Stranger than your usual I assume.” In response she let out a short nod, not making it any longer than it should. And for a simple moment neither of them spoke— they simply watched closely to the ground below them— Jinshi began to hum along to the hymns that they could pick up on, that came from a temple not too far below, Maomao picked up on smoke from incense offerings that lingered in the air from the temple, she could recognize the scent of slight cherry blossoms that had been added from the trees nearby. It was nice.
Eventually Jinshi was the first one to cave in, just like before— and broke the silence with his voice. “There are reports from a while back.” That finally caught her full attention, she turned her gaze towards him, glancing and taking note of each and every one of his movements. She watched as he pulled out yet another scroll. This time it was much smaller and clearly older— she came to the conclusion by the fact that the corners were crinkled and the once intended white shade was closer to a light yellow. He spoke up— making a remark as she began to unroll it; “These cases had occurred from over sixty years.”
As she read through, she took note of the fact that the symptoms were identical to the previous ones— The list consisted of the usual things; Fever, hallucinations, veins popping up in a shade of black, entire villages were lost to such. No explanation to it was ever discovered— that particular part had caught Maomao’s interest instantly, causing her to sharpen in response. This development of information was certainly troubling. In her experience, most things had the tendency to change— diseases, poisons, and even people eventually evolved— yet as if to contradict her prior beliefs, these symptoms had remained unchanged throughout the time-frame of a decade. It was almost as though something had been waiting that while, for someone to catch on— It stayed both dormant and patient throughout then. She stopped herself from reading it all again, she closed the scroll along with her lack of self control. “Rest assured, I will investigate.”
“Oh trust me, I already know.” Jinishi responded— though his eyes were no longer on her, they now were focused towards the sunrise that was now slowly fading to darkness. His voice grew lower as he spoke again. “There is something else you must know.” Of course there was. “There are records that stated to see Sukuna lurking near almost each outbreak.” Maomao could do nothing other than blink in response to that— his statement spoken seconds ago, still rang in the air. The trajectory and wording was shaped into something much more cunning than intended. The King of Curses. She thought back on it again, it was so odd and compelled deep thoughts within her. He was a figure who was present sixty years back and yet is still roaming around now— A figure who managed to appear whenever disaster seemed to follow.
A coincidence? Perhaps— but perhaps not. Her mind was rushing with conspiracies and ideas, Jinishi clearly recognised it at work, he paused before asking; “What are your thoughts on this?” For a second Maomao took deep consideration to his question and just as much of deep thoughts on the answer she would give— eventually she just chose to shrug. “I think the higher-ups are too busy wasting their time monitoring the giant, four-armed monster so much that nobody really bothered checking the wells.” In response— for a brief moment Jinshi simply huffed out a laugh.
For that simple moment, it felt much deeper for the two of them. Whilst they sat near, neither of them chose to focus on the current unease that began to settle within the capital. Nor the distant mountain provinces where the villagers had begun to fall ill so very concerningly. Nor the ancient thing that stirred quietly beneath it all–waiting– as if it had been waiting for centuries before them. At that moment they both pretended everything was fine—like it used to be. And somewhere from beyond the horizon— a figure walked on a road, a road that was older than the kingdoms themself. The King of Curses stopped in his path, turning his head to gaze at the same mountain tops— As though he had sensed the same thing too.