Disclaimer: I know next to nothing about Chinese medicine. All information was gleaned from a surface google search and Chinese dramas, and some is just made up, although I try to avoid that where possible.
His arms burned and sweat trickled down the side of his face. He was becoming light-headed, and it took all of his energy to remain upright.
"You're fourteen now, no longer a child, and yet you still can't control your voice!" Shifu sneered at him from her spot beside him. She sat cross legged, watching him carefully.
"All of this blood going to your head... breathe, Jingyi!"
Lan Jingyi shakily struggled to remain balanced on one hand, the other holding a brush and writing the last line of the rules.
A stroke down, a hook... with a brush stroke, he finished the final word, and swiftly placed his brush down to indicate his completion.
The senior on duty was Lan Zhengyi, who gracefully picked up his paper and checked that the rules were written to his standards. It was fortunate that it was not Lan Qiren overseeing the day's punishments, otherwise he would have surely been made to rewrite that last bit of scribble.
Lan Zhengyi's quick eyes scanned the messy script, and he looked down at the still hand-standing boy, the corners of his lips quirked up slightly.
"Remember to control your speaking volume in the future, Jingyi. You are dismissed." Lan Zhengyi said.
Lan Jingyi folded in on himself, knees falling to the ground with a thump, and knelt in exhaustion.
"Don't stand up too quickly." Shifu said beside him. He nodded imperceptibly, wiping the sweat dripping down his chin and readjusting his forehead ribbon.
oOo
He was sprawled spread-eagled in the fields, rabbits crawling all over him, and trying not to think about the aching in his shoulders. He was thankful that there were no planned night-hunts in the foreseeable future, as far as he was aware.
"Well done! You lasted four months this time before a punishment!" Shifu seemed entirely too gleeful about his punishment.
"I couldn't help it, I really wanted to give Sizhui that rock!"
"You still believe in those happy rocks?" Shifu said with an arched eyebrow. But for some reason, she looked inordinately pleased.
"Well, no... but I thought it'd cheer him up..."
The day before, there had been a training accident which Lan Sizhui blamed himself for. Lan Sizhui was one of the top students in their sword class, so it was unheard of that he had accidents. However, it was Lan Jingyi who had a moment of distraction during a practice duel. Lan Sizhui's sword had nicked Lan Jingyi's wrist. Lan Jingyi had assured his friend that it was merely a scrape and that, as a trained physician, it was nothing.
His friend did not believe his reassurances though, and still felt guilty.
Such a silly sentiment. If it were anyone's fault, it was Lan Jingyi's, for being distracted by Shifu's unexpected appearance in his periphery.
Shifu had scolded him for being distracted, but then apologised for the surprise appearance.
She never explained why she suddenly turned up at his training.
A comfortable silence encompassed master and apprentice.
"... Do you think we could stop a rabbits' movement with needles? That way, if they're injured we could treat them more easily." Lan Jingyi said, eyeing a white rabbit that was lying lazily in the sun, eyes closed.
"Should I be concerned that you want to stick needles in these defenceless creatures?" Shifu joked.
"Defenceless? Didn't you see that one bite my finger?"
"You were trying to force feed it."
"..."
"But to answer your question, yes, acupuncture can be applied to them. In fact, that was how I practiced some of my needling techniques when I was younger."
"Really?" Lan Jingyi asked. Shifu rarely spoke about her past. Any story-telling was anecdotes related to diagnostics and medical treatments, so little fragments of information like this always piqued his curiosity.
However, Lan Jingyi never pushed for information, unwilling to cause discomfort. After all, he did not want to remind a ghost that they were no longer living.
Mind still on animal treatment, he said, "hmm... I wonder if you can also take their pulses? Or look at their tongues..." that would be difficult. How would you make them open their mouths without biting your fingers?
"Jingyi, who are you talking to?" Lan Sizhui was suddenly beside him, as though he appeared from thin air, and sat down beside him.
"Um... this rabbit." Lan Jingyi sat up, avoiding his friend's eyes. Shifu sighed; she always said it was obvious when he lied.
He hugged one of the rabbits against his chest, and held out a hand. "Um, here's what I wanted to give you earlier."
Lan Sizhui's eyes brightened when he saw the shiny white rock. "Thank you, Jingyi. I was feeling guilty for your injury, but Hanguang-jun helped me reflect. I'm fine now." He took the rock anyway, and smiled nostalgically.
"Did Hanguang-jun finish teaching you Inquiry?"
Lan Sizhui placed the rock carefully in his sleeve. Picking up another rabbit, he patted its head thoughtfully. "I learned the final phrases today, and Hanguang-jun said I could try it out tonight."
"Can I come to watch? I'm supposed to be learning that after I'm done with Clarity and Rest." Lan Jingyi had never seen Inquiry in action, and was curious how the spirits communicated through the guqin.
Lan Sizhui smiled at his friend, "I thought you were scared of ghosts?"
Shifu snorted next to them.
"Well, Hanguang-jun would be there, so there's nothing to be afraid of!" His known fear of ghosts was the reason why Instructor Ming decided to delay his lessons on Inquiry.
Letting the rabbit down so that it could hop away, Lan Sizhui said, "I'll have to ask, but I think you could come. Hanguang-jun likes you."
He was doubtful. "Really? How can you tell? Did he tell you?"
A small laugh, and a shoulder shrug. "I can just tell."
Shifu looked at his friend fondly. Lan Jingyi often got the impression that his teacher liked his friend more than him. He had never received a look like that from her.
He was not jealous. His friend was smart, disciplined, quiet, well-mannered... he was very likeable.
In fact, if Shifu did not like his friend, he would have disowned her a long time ago.
oOo
That night, with Lan Wangji leading the way, the two juniors left the Cloud Recesses' barriers.
Shifu was safely ensconced in a Spirit-Trapping Pouch to avoid being drawn towards the call of Inquiry and potentially liberated. She could still hear and speak from the pouch.
There was no moon, and Lan Jingyi and Lan Sizhui each carried a lantern, the light bobbing up and down with their steps. Just outside of Caiyi Town, out of range of any dwellings, there was a grassy field with barely any trees. Lan Sizhui sat down on the grass, placing the lantern on the ground next to him.
Lan Sizhui prepared his guqin in his lap, while Lan Wangji and Lan Jingyi remained standing beside him. Some tendrils of white mist drifted around them.
Around the fields, Lan Jingyi could see a few pale figures floating around. They did not seem bothered by the sudden appearance of three living beings. He hoped Lan Sizhui would be able to call them.
With a nod from Lan Wangji, Lan Sizhui focused, and began Inquiry.
Immediately, one of the glowing spirits three zhang away disappeared and reappeared in front of the trio. Lan Jingyi jumped involuntarily, the lantern swaying and casting moving shadows. He smiled uneasily at the two other Lans when they looked at him oddly.
It appeared to be a female who had died in her thirties, with a narrow face and wearing white robes. Her hair hung long and loose, reaching her hips.
The sight would have frightened Lan Jingyi out of his wits in the past. Now, he still had to remind himself that Hanguang-jun was there and that he was safe.
Lan Sizhui plucked a few notes on his guqin, and the ghost replied with its name, "Mu Hua". The instant the ghost spoke, the twang of the guqin strings echoed through the still night.
Lan Jingyi did not understand what the twangs meant, it was just noise to him.
With another question plucked on the guqin, the ghost replied in words, and the guqin sounded. It was fascinating to watch.
Lan Sizhui interpreted the ghost's guqin answers, and Lan Wangji would nod or correct his interpretations. His jaw dropped as the session continued. Lan Wangji's grasp of the qin language was astounding; his interpretation was word for word what the ghost said. The man was really amazing!
"I wish to eat twenty seven dumplings," the ghost was saying. Lan Jingyi choked and looked at the ghost in shock. That was its dying wish? The ghost suddenly stiffened, and he had to quickly avoid eye contact when its head snapped around towards him.
He tried to keep his eyes on his friend, and ignored Lan Wangji's eyes on him.
Four successful Inquiries later, Lan Sizhui beamed up at Lan Wangji.
"Mn."
Lan Sizhui was pleased with that response. For some reason.
Really, the man should have said, 'that was excellent, Sizhui!'
And then Lan Sizhui would respond, 'thank you Hanguang-jun! It was all thanks to your teaching.'
'No, it is all down to your own efforts.' Lan Wangji would respond, patting the boy's head and smiling proudly.
Well, maybe not the smiling part.
It was like none of their instructors knew how to positively encourage their students. Even he would not have known about that style of teaching if his mother had not taught him in his youth.
As Lan Sizhui packed away his guqin, Lan Jingyi unobtrusively opened his Spirit-Trapping Pouch. A wisp of white smoke poured out of the pouch, taking the form of Shifu standing beside him.
She beamed at Lan Sizhui.
See, that's how Lan Wangji should have responded! He looked at the other man, who was staring at him again. Now that their had eyes locked, he felt like he had to say something.
"Um... Hanguang-jun. That last ghost could be liberated because it only wanted its son to know the circumstances of its death, and did not seek vengeance against its mother-in-law. However, that mother-in-law killed her own daughter-in-law! Where's the justice?"
"Good question!" Shifu approved of his line of thought.
"That is beyond our duties. We leave it for the authorities." Lan Wangji said, and began making his way back to Cloud Recesses. The others followed.
It left a sour taste in his mouth, but it went to show that that was simply how the world worked.
oOo
"Mother, I found some ginger!"
"Voice, Jingyi!" Lan Ju and Shifu said simultaneously.
"Sorry!" He stressed softly.
His mother was leading him through the mountains of Cloud Recesses to collect herbs, plants and various ingredients used in the physician's ward. They were walking off the mountain paths into parts of the mountain Lan Jingyi had never been before, so he was extremely excited.
"Jingyi, these leaves are good for balancing excess yang energy," Shifu pointed to a small plant at the foot of a tree. Lan Jingyi went ahead and picked some of the leaves to put into his basket. In addition to exploring new areas of the Cloud Recesses, this was also a good opportunity to converse with Shifu openly.
As they continued to forage for more material, Lan Jingyi said, "Shifu, what did the guqin sound like when Sizhui was playing Inquiry? Did it sound like words?"
"No, it did not. It was surreal. I heard the sound of the guqin with my ears, but in my mind, I understood the words, as though the ideas just appeared."
"So you weren't able to tell which sounds were which words?"
Shifu had her chin in her hand, thinking as she said, "I am not trained in any musical field, and could not differentiate any of the guqin notes."
"The notes of Inquiry just sounded like random guqin notes to me as well," Lan Jingyi offered. Figuring that he would be learning the piece eventually anyway, he had joined Lan Sizhui and Lan Wangji on further practice sessions after that first one. In each one, he futilely tried to discern the meanings from the notes.
"There must be a link between the spiritual energy of the cultivator, the guqin and the thoughts... Jingyi! Don't pick those mushrooms!"
His hands froze above a large fungus, and he looked at Shifu confusedly, "aren't these the ones that are good for the liver?"
"No! Those would kill a patient within days!"
He cowered at Shifu's words. A lot of the fungi looked so similar!
Shifu sighed, and pointed at the fungus he was holding. "See here...?"
His mother, basket full already, had approached them with interest, so Lan Jingyi passed on Shifu's words to her as well.
It was not the first time Lan Jingyi wondered about Shifu's immense medical knowledge. Sometimes it appeared that she knew a lot more than his mother about the healing arts, and his mother was a Head Physician! It would seem that he was destined (or was he doomed?) to be Shifu's apprentice for many years to come.
"Pay attention! The next time we come with your mother to pick herbs, you will be taste testing the fungi you believe to be safe..."
He was doomed!
oOo
Lan Jingyi would be the first to admit that he was not the most academically inclined disciple at the Cloud Recesses. He sat in the Library Pavilion, surrounded by scrolls and struggling to study for the upcoming exam.
"Think about how you organise all of those pills you make. Your scrolls, notes and knowledge require the same level of organisation for ease of access," Wen Qing said wisely, watching her apprentice trying to study.
"How are they organised? I just put the pills where you tell me to..." Lan Jingyi had to scribble out a character he wrote wrong. "Are you sure you can't just tell me what to write in the exam?"
Wen Qing cocked an unimpressed eyebrow, and Lan Jingyi sulked.
"It's hard doing an exam while Teacher Lan is sitting at the front staring at us! I feel like he's looking into my soul..."
"Jingyi!" Lan Sizhui entered the library with Lan Wangji. Lan Jingyi scurried to stand and greet his senior.
"Mn." Lan Wangji acknowledged his greeting, and continued to the shelves of scrolls.
"Jingyi, who were you talking to?" Lan Sizhui looked around the library.
"Umm... myself... it helps to study,"
Lan Sizhui gave him a peculiar look, sitting down at the desk beside his. He said, "I don't think that method of study works very well, if your previous work is any indication."
"Sizhui, you have to help me!" Lan Jingyi said despondently.
"Jingyi, voice!" Shifu scolded.
Quickly looking around to make sure Lan Jingyi had not attracted any attention, Lan Sizhui said, "of course I'll help you." He eyed all of the paper and scrolls on Jingyi's table. "First, let's get all of this sorted out."
"I told you so!" Shifu said smugly.
"If you know where the information is, it'll be easier to look for it while you're studying." Lan Sizhui said as he helped his friend organise his notes. They then began to question each other on the exam material.
They decided that they had studied enough when Lan Jingyi finally remembered that, among other things, the progenitor of the Wen Sect was Wen Mao, NOT Wen Chao.
"Wen Chao was a despicable bastard..." Shifu's unexpected input, though enlightening, was not useful for the exams at all.
Lan Sizhui looked at him proudly. "Jingyi, I think you'll do well this time!"
"Do you think so?" He asked hopefully.
"Of course I do! You just need to stop worrying about the exam supervisor watching you... here, hold onto this when you're feeling anxious!"
Lan Jingyi grinned from ear to ear when he saw the white rock placed on his palm. He fisted the rock, and said confidently, "thanks, Sizhui!"
oOo
Lan Jingyi walked into the exam with confidence, and he walked out of the exam with confidence. There had been a moment when he felt Lan Qiren's eyes on him and began to sweat profusely, but then he had palmed the smooth stone to ease his worries.
Even better, although Shifu was adamant not to help him cheat, she continued with her enlightening but non-useful bits of information, which greatly relaxed him.
"I knew you could do it!" Lan Sizhui said joyfully when he saw his friend's expression.
"Thanks to you, Sizhui!" He replied. Then, more dejectedly, "I have to begin the Inquiry lessons now."
Instructor Ming determined that Lan Jingyi had somewhat mastered Clarity and Rest, and that he could move on to Inquiry. Seeing as Lan Jingyi was behind the learning schedule for Inquiry, he was to begin straight away.
"You've heard me play it a lot of times, so you already have a head start in the lesson!" Lan Sizhui said encouragingly.
So, Lan Jingyi entered the main Music Hall alone. He eyed the talismans lining the door and windows. As this was the place where Inquiry was practiced, it would not do to have unwanted spirits entering while a student practiced.
Lan Jingyi knew that Shifu was curious about these classes, but did not want to risk entering the Music Hall. Not even in a spiritual pouch.
He expected to see Instructor Ming sitting at the front dais, with his guqin in his lap as usual.
However, sitting in his place was Lan Wangji.
"Hanguang-jun?!" Lan Jingyi exclaimed loudly.
The man's eyebrow furrowed. He gestured for Lan Jingyi to enter the Hall properly.
Lan Jingyi entered with trepidation, closing the door behind him. Surely he would be punished for raising his voice at the Second Jade of Lan.
With his head bowed, Lan Wangji was looking at something in his hands. He then pulled out some talismans, and threw them at the door.
Lan Jingyi spun around to see what the talismans were for. 'Silence' he recognised.
"You are alone?" The man asked.
"Yes."
Lan Wangji's amber eyes stayed on him for a moment longer. "You can see ghosts."
Lan Jingyi's mouth went dry. How...?
Notes: 1 zhang (丈)= approx 3.5 metres