Chapter Thirty-Eight: Butterfly Spirit Villa

A snowy night. The Great Thousand Zen Temple.

Drowsy and drifting in and out of sleep while slumped over a coffee table, Hua Sheng woke up upon hearing voices in the reception hall. Looking toward the hall, he saw that in addition to Master Ruokong and the guest-attendant monk, a young novice was also present.

"Buxu! It’s you!" Hua Sheng instantly perked up and greeted the novice.

The little monk Buxu smiled and replied, "We meet again, Patron, not even a full day later!"

Hua Sheng said apologetically, "I am truly sorry; I must trouble you to lead the way tonight."

Buxu picked up a saddle from the floor and said, "The Abbot arranged it. I haven't been out in a long time anyway. I’ll accompany you for a walk tonight."

The saddle was nearly as tall as Buxu and looked incredibly heavy. Feeling guilty, Hua Sheng quickly said, "How can you carry something so heavy, little one? Let me do it. Where is the horse? I’ll move it over."

"It’s fine, it’s fine! It’s very light!"

Buxu carried the saddle as effortlessly as if it were a blanket. He strode to the clearing outside the hall and set it down on the snowy ground.

Hua Sheng woke up Mieying, who was nearby, and they stepped outside. However, beyond the white expanse of snow, there was no horse to be seen.

Mieying rubbed her eyes and asked, "Are we going by horse? Where is it?"

Hua Sheng looked at Master Ruokong, puzzled. The Master only smiled, remaining silent, and gestured toward Buxu.

They watched as Buxu crouched down, indifferent to the biting cold, and crawled into the center of the saddle, hoisting the heavy weight onto his back.

"What?" Hua Sheng exclaimed in shock. "Stop joking. What is the child doing? Don't tell me he wants us to ride on his back?"

Just then, Buxu tilted his head upward, and in an instant, he transformed into a magnificent white stallion without a single stray hair.

The horse stood over two meters tall, its coat shimmering like white jade. With its hooves pawing the ground and its long mane flowing, it was a truly handsome sight.

Mieying’s sleepiness vanished instantly. She jumped up and shouted, "Wow! What a handsome, tall horse! Is this little monk a horse spirit?"

Master Ruokong said, "To call Buxu a mere horse spirit would be to underestimate him. You should call him the Little Dragon Horse."

"The Little Dragon Horse? He is a dragon?"

Master Ruokong nodded. "Buxu was originally the thirteenth prince of the North Sea Dragon King, Ao Run. But the child was born with an inner fire too intense to control, and he caused trouble in his father’s realm, even wounding his own three brothers. The North Sea Dragon King, in a fit of rage, entrusted the Third Prince of the West Sea—the Eight-Legged Heavenly Dragon Horse—to plead with the Sandalwood Merit Buddha, hoping the Master could discipline him and tame the young dragon's heart. Thus, the Master sent him to the Great Thousand Zen Temple to study Buddhism under me."

Hua Sheng sighed in amazement, "So he really is a genuine Little White Dragon Horse!"

Master Ruokong continued, "Lu Dongbin and Tianjizi have only just left. To avoid the surveillance of the Immortal Arts Bureau, it is best to ride this White Dragon Horse to reach the Butterfly Spirit Villa safely."

"Yes, yes!" Mieying nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling. She was so taken with the White Dragon Horse that she kept stroking its pristine white mane.

Hua Sheng, having never ridden such a divine steed, was filled with excitement.

The guest-attendant monk led them to the temple gate and, after ensuring the path was clear, opened the heavy doors fully.

Outside, the snow fell heavily. Master Ruokong held an umbrella for them and said, "Lu Dongbin will surely not expect you to leave the temple so soon after them. You may rest assured."

After thanking the Master and the monk, Hua Sheng used the mounting block to swing onto the horse's back, then pulled Mieying up behind him. Mieying wrapped her arms around Hua Sheng’s waist and sat firmly behind him.

Sitting high up, Hua Sheng noticed that the Master's paper umbrella was tattered, riddled with tiny holes. He asked, "Abbot, why is your umbrella so full of holes? Why not replace it with a better one?"

Ruokong replied, "How is it not good? With this umbrella, even on a snowy night like this, one can look up and gaze at the stars."

He then reached out to pat the Little White Dragon Horse’s head, saying, "Flying in the air is too likely to expose your tracks, Buxu. Do not use your flight arts. It is not far; try to gallop close to the ground, and you will reach the villa in no time."

The White Dragon Horse nodded in response.

Only then did Master Ruokong wave at Hua Sheng and Mieying. "Patron, I shall await your return to stay for another hundred days when you have the time."

Hua Sheng smiled wryly. "If I am expelled from the Academy of Mystic Arts, your temple might be the only place in Saint Pingning willing to take me in."

Ruokong laughed. "That would be wonderful. When you return, I might even consider installing Wi-Fi in the temple for you!"

The White Dragon Horse let out a dragon’s cry in the snow, kicked off, and leaped through the temple gate.

The Hour of the Ox had passed.

Snow danced like falling jade flowers, and as far as the eye could see, the mountains were draped in silver and jade. Under the moonlight, the snow-white horse galloped like a dragon through the windy, snowy forest, carrying the two of them.

Despite the path winding through dark, dense woods where one could barely see their own hand, the white horse moved as if on flat ground, galloping at high speed without even catching its breath.

Sitting on the horse's back, Hua Sheng felt no jolts despite the uneven terrain; it felt more like riding a roller coaster on a well-laid track.

Behind him, Mieying held his waist tightly, resting her face against his back. Even though the surroundings were bitterly cold, Hua Sheng could feel the warmth from her face, a heat that seeped into his heart.

***

Just as Ruokong had said, the Little White Dragon galloped for a short while before emerging from the dense forest onto a relatively flat mountain path.

After traveling a bit further, they spotted a bamboo grove halfway up the mountain, within which stood a beautiful, elegant villa, built much like a scholarly academy.

As they approached, the White Dragon Horse slowed its pace.

Mieying pointed happily. "We’re here! That’s my brother’s villa!"

Above the main gate hung a plaque inscribed with four golden characters: "Butterfly Spirit Liang Manor."

The horse came to a stop. Hua Sheng dismounted and helped Mieying down.

Once on the ground, Mieying hugged the horse’s neck, reluctant to let go. "Thirteenth Prince, Little White Dragon! I never imagined you were so amazing! Master Ruokong calls you Buxu; you truly live up to the name!"

The horse seemed fond of her as well, rubbing its face against her.

Hua Sheng patted its back. "Thank you for the hard work tonight, Buxu!"

After delivering them safely, the White Dragon Horse trotted away. Once at a distance, it leaped into the air, transforming into a small, pure white dragon. With a soft cry, it soared into the sky and vanished.

Once Buxu was gone, Hua Sheng turned toward the gate, but Mieying stopped him with a hand.

She whispered, "The fewer people who know our current identities, the better. It is best not to be seen by the manor’s servants; otherwise, news might leak. Even if we don't mind being pursued, we must not implicate my brother’s family."

Hua Sheng agreed, asking, "Then how do we get in?"

"Climb the wall!" Mieying replied without hesitation.

Hua Sheng blinked. "But your shoulder injury..."

"The injury is fine. It’s just..." Mieying trailed off.

"Just what?"

"It’s just that as Nezha’s goddaughter, having to climb a low wall by hand feels a bit embarrassing if someone finds out..."

"You’re still worried about that?"

Hua Sheng found it curious that she focused on such trivialities. "You’ve already invited trouble by following me tonight. Is this really something to worry about?"

"That’s different." Mieying found a gap in the wall and climbed up with a kick.

Hua Sheng, agile himself, followed. He quickly scaled the wall, sat on the ledge, and pulled Mieying up beside him.

Hua Sheng asked, "Tell me, do you regret this?"

Mieying pursed her lips, looked at him, and said, "Later... perhaps I will."

Hua Sheng sighed. "If you return to the Academy now, there should be no problem."

Mieying smiled. "If one lives an entire life without doing anything they might regret, wouldn't they regret that even more when they grow old?"

"What kind of strange logic is that?"

"My logic!"

"By that token, shouldn't everyone just go out and do things they'll regret?"

"I think if you don't pursue something that makes you happy simply because you fear regret, wouldn't life be incredibly dull?"

"That may be true, but the price could be very high..."

Mieying laughed. "When I was born into this world, I didn't even have a physical body. What else is there for me to lose?"

Hua Sheng felt a jolt. She was right. He had heard Xuanwen say that Mieying’s original body was severely disabled, and the Fire Wheel Heavenly King had crafted her a new body from lotus roots. Moreover, strictly speaking, that original broken body belonged to the ninth sister; the other eight sisters were merely guests residing within it. So, as the seventh sister, saying she had no body was the truth.

"So I just want to see this world properly, and see the person I like..." Mieying paused. "Or things, I suppose."

With that, she jumped down into the courtyard. Hua Sheng followed. Just as he was about to speak, Mieying held a finger to her lips, signaling silence.

Clearly familiar with the Liang Manor, she led the way through the shadows to a bedroom at the back.

Hua Sheng felt uneasy about sneaking into someone’s home. "Are you sure you’re close to the owners? We look like burglars. If a servant casts a Profound-Level spell and we can’t defend ourselves with immortal arts, we might be goners!"

Mieying replied impatiently, "That’s why we have to be careful!"

"That doesn't exactly instill confidence."

***

"Stop asking. I felt close to them, but the more you ask, the less sure I feel. Now I'm starting to worry too."

"How does me asking change anything?"

"Shut up!"

Just as they were bickering, a man’s voice echoed from within the bedroom.

"Who is outside?"

Hua Sheng nearly had a heart attack. Mieying reacted faster, immediately calling out, "Brother Liang, Brother Liang! It’s me, Mieying!"

A light flickered on, footsteps approached, and a man’s silhouette appeared against the paper window.

A man in his thirties, looking like a scholar, opened the door. He was startled to see Mieying. "Sister Mieying, why are you here? Why didn't you have the servants bring you in?"

As he prepared to call for help, Mieying quickly covered his mouth. "Brother Liang, no! No one can know I’m here!"

The man asked, shocked, "What has happened so late at night?"

Mieying pulled Hua Sheng inside, closed the door, and said, "Brother Liang, you must help me today!"

From the inner room, a woman’s voice called out, "Brother Shanbo, who is outside?"

The man turned and said, "It is Mieying, daughter of the Miemeng clan."

The woman replied, "Why has Sister Mieying come? Wait a moment, sister, I will throw on a robe and come out."

Hua Sheng asked, "Wait! You call him Brother Liang, and she calls him Shanbo. Is his name Liang Shanbo? Is the Butterfly Spirit Liang Shanbo?"

"You know him too?" Mieying tilted her head.

"Liang Shanbo is famous! He’s the Romeo of China!" Hua Sheng exclaimed.

Liang Shanbo laughed. "What kind of thing is a Romeo? A fictional character. My wife and I were truly risking our lives back then!"

"So does that mean the one inside is..."

Just then, a graceful woman emerged. Hua Sheng saw she was a decade older than Mieying. Even without makeup, her elegance was unforgettable—a true beauty.

Liang Shanbo said to her, "It’s snowing outside, the hall is cold. Yingtai, please make some hot tea for our guests."

"Wow! It’s really Zhu Yingtai! Zhu..."

Hua Sheng was about to exclaim, but suddenly found the woman very familiar, though he couldn't recall where he had seen her.

The woman looked at Hua Sheng and gasped, "Ah! It’s you!"

Hua Sheng was stunned. "Wait! You recognize me?"

Zhu Yingtai covered her mouth with her sleeve and laughed. "Yes! At the Liyuan Market, I had a stall there! I sold honey, remember?"

Hua Sheng suddenly recalled the shopkeeper he and Weiyu had bought honey from. He remembered the couplets on the left and right of the stall, and the plaque on the shop...

"Butterfly Dance!" Hua Sheng and Zhu Yingtai said in unison.

Zhu Yingtai laughed and told Liang Shanbo, "Brother Shanbo, after the market closed that night, Old Yue told me he had given this young man and the girl with him a piece of the night's moonlight."

She turned to Hua Sheng and asked, "Long time no see! By the way, where is the girl who was with you?"

Hearing Weiyu’s name, a thousand thoughts raced through Hua Sheng’s mind. Before he could speak, Mieying stepped forward, shouting, "That... that’s history! I’m the lead actress now!"

Zhu Yingtai covered her mouth in shock. "As expected of the daughter of the Miemeng clan, did you just cut in?"

Mieying waved her hands. "It wasn't forced at all; it’s what everyone wanted!"

Zhu Yingtai turned back to Liang Shanbo. "Brother Shanbo, look at these children; they change the page faster than a book. No, more like those mobile phones people use—they don't even need to turn the page, they just swipe right past."

"No, there’s a reason for this..." Hua Sheng tried to explain.

Mieying glared at him. "Enough! Shut up and go play somewhere else!"

Hua Sheng fell silent.

"This..." Liang Shanbo, sensing the awkwardness, tried to smooth things over. "Yingtai, don't listen to Old Yue's nonsense. He’s getting old; he sees any man and woman and wants to pair them up. Look how uncomfortable you’ve made them."

Zhu Yingtai stuck out her tongue and stopped. She set out tea cups on the table and poured hot tea for Hua Sheng and Mieying.