A Maiden's Strange Voyage

There was no one else who looked after them. Both their parents were dead, having died in an epidemic a couple years back. And the same could have been said for them given how stunned they look. They were lost, unsure of what happened. With only neighbors looking out for them.

The house had been dusty, and coming out here took some time. They lived outside of the city, and this was a town close to it. Since they barely took half an hour before reaching here on foot. A place where the poor stayed as only the rich could have afforded to live inside the city. Even those who worked at night.

It was close enough to be considered a safe spot, but far from it too. She looked at the two children once more, where both of them looked at them in some wariness. But approached Feiyu. Feiyu had waited for them to come to her, knowing as though nothing else will have been useful. That the best thing she could do was simply wait for them to come to her. Not entirely wrong, as they were alone here. They didn"t have anyone they could consider counting on.

She held out a couple of necessities. And a bag of coins. The elder child— a girl— eyes lit up in hope. She could hope to find work, but she was far too young and it will mean leaving only her brother here. She had few means to do anything. And Feiyu knew better than to think that children didn"t know their surroundings, it was often far from the truth. They did know, the same way that Xiaoyan knew that nothing changed unless he did it. That it was up to him to not have his family starve.

"Thank you." Before they ran inside.

Dianyu was still confused, mostly due to how she didn"t know what they were here for. This seemed like a normal house.

And Feiyu brought her further away from the house but still allowed them to see it at the very least.

"We"re here because the village mentioned spotting a ghost." Which she knew for lack of better word, will have been creepy. On the way here, Feiyu told her that there were informants about such things. Even as she kept herself from talking about their job.

Like the last time, her first encounter with them had told her everything she needed to know. Even as she understood little. But with her parasol on hand, she was more willing to come here. "Ghosts are largely created through those who have prayed to fate and asked to linger."

While those that did not go back to the cycle of reincarnation. They still agreed that it existed, and how it was possible to be born with defects. The idea of sins and having the debt paid in future lives, to her it made no sense. To some, she knew that it was fair. That it was saving for the future, where their future life will have it easier.

But she never understood why nothing couldn"t be done in this life. It just made no sense. People could break from their fate, yet so many bought the idea that it was best not to. To pay back the debts of their past lives, and hope for the future. To not commit so that they will not sin. How will they know, how can they even guess?

"And only fate allows that I presume." It made sense, giving just how it wanted the world to follow it. Instead of letting certain things go where it merely changed because there was a difference, he looked upon them as a disobedience. And if he couldn"t control, why not simply use others who were loyal and faithful to him?

"It"s his way of rewarding those who follow his teachings." To allow them to rectify things without any sort of cost or pain. They were invisible, but on a deeper level it not only worked for the better but made things so much easier. No one will know they exist and leaving them free to do as they wished.

"Do they know a thing or two about other"s fates?"

"They do. Fate tells them everything about how it should have gone, and how they must set things right." Feiyu seemed happy to answer them. As though she expected her to have arrived at such an answer. That they must have known, and been asked to let things be how they were.

"Then, people break with fate often." Even as there were few like them. She could guess there was something more.

"Think of it this way. It is a balance. Every decision has a fair bit of luck before it, but not everything is simply luck. There is also our own perception, and thoughts which pushes us to make that choice." And that it was both which brought anyone anywhere. No one could simply rely on one or the other, and as such fate could be changed and broken.

"Fates are difficult to avoid, although it is whether we shorten or lengthen the journey key. Fates can change, but only at a couple of turning points in their life." The rest of it only made minor changes, but the fate was still the same. Then what was she to be precise? Where did she fit into this system? Why was fate against her and them?

"Strayers like us are made through changing our decision at major points." And as such change the way her fate was to go. The marriage when she made the choice to leave, it was to do something. But she was curious, where did Qingshuang fit into this? If anything, Feiyu had offered her at the end of the day. But she knew that it had always on some level came back to him. No one else will have been willing to really

It was something that she didn"t understand or even comprehend, to say the least. She had taken it then because she didn"t have many options. And Feiyu helped her, on account of Qingshuang at least on some level. She had never thought about it until now. As it never seemed to have been brought up hence she never really made the guess.

"Thinking about something?"

Before they did notice something there. Something that should not have been seen. She gripped her umbrella even tighter, as much as they that it appeared. They were close enough to see it but far away that no one will have noticed. In an instant, the girl came forward. Happy to see her mother regardless of whatever form she took.

It was almost disconcerting. A child who accepted this, it wasn"t hard. She simply had to believe that it was so and it will be the same way. Because the girl hoped that she was alive, and to face up to reality meant that she will have no one. Feiyu kept to the side, continuing to observe rather than anything else. Not wanting to intervene.

Dianyu followed, knowing that Feiyu did know what she was doing. That she had to know because Dianyu was barely even capable of defending herself, and that she needed to explain to her everything. Everything that was supposed to happen here. Everything that she needed to know.

"Watch, don"t follow." She nodded as Feiyu went out in that instant. Even as she was certain she knew it, but her first time was something that she didn"t notice. She didn"t think just how hard it will have been. Just how she will have been expected to do this. She didn"t know any better. As Feiyu went there, still without her pipa.

As the mother remained in the embrace with her elder child. Even as the boy joined them later. Clear that they knew what had happened. They accepted it, they were willing to let things be. That was a choice, one which had been certain. "I"ll be back later. I have things I need to do." Did she notice Feiyu? It went

For a moment, that seemed like a possibility. Even as Feiyu went to take her now small pipa. It was something that had been a trick. Against fate, there were plenty of spirits who found themselves stuck bowing to the whims of ghosts and thus making them more so. For most of her life, she didn"t believe that it existed. Until it did and that was how Feiyu managed to lug around her instrument despite it will have been heavy.

Even as she remained hidden. But it was clear that it had been Feiyu, at least from the side that she was planning something. Like before where she was supposed to until she was dragged into it. When the woman approached her, she was far from ready. And why Feiyu preferred to have her observe the situation as it was now instead.

She was curious, excited even to see how this will have gone. She could understand more that she was not in fear of her life. And that Feiyu had not intended for her to be involved at all.

She disappeared, not looking at Feiyu. She had no idea where she went. The girl kept a tighter hand on her umbrella, looking around. Feiyu took the chance to come closer, knowing that it was better to do so. Until Feiyu reached her did she loosen it? Even then she was not fully able to do much in such a situation.

"We"ve lost her." Even as she looked around for someone in sight. Guess that they were missed after all. Although it meant that they had lost her. Since she was nowhere in sight and nowhere neat them at the end of the day.

"We"ll have to come back tomorrow. As we have little information about her whereabouts or her targets."

Ghosts could travel pretty fast, as they were not limited by anything. The only thing was that they could only step into places they had once tread before. Not anywhere else. She didn"t know how it worked, neither was she even keen to know how. She didn"t wish to die to learn something like this. She nodded.

"Did it have anything to do with Qingshuang?"

"A bit. He liked you enough that he didn"t want to make you miserable. After the marriage, it will have been impossible for you to continue seeing him." No matter who he was, her family will not allow it. It will bring the question to her name, and why she went so close with him.

"And if I wanted to leave." She had mentioned it many times, even as she never really had any solid plans. Despite having saved up quite a lot, but because she didn"t have a map she kept on putting it back. And he had listened, offering her some advice. And some places to avoid. It didn"t matter now that she was here.

"He wanted me to take you, he has been in your position. I liked you too, I know what it is like to have my hands tied so well. He isn"t one, he hasn"t reached a turning point yet." For Feiyu, it was to enter the palace and become a part of the harem. For her, it was to marry Yuntong.

"He left his home, didn"t he?"

"It was that or his father will have dragged him to Kaifeng." Even as it was suggesting more. "We met somewhere in Luoyang, not before. I haven"t even seen him before I left."

"Although how this turned out is a little surprising." Given that they ended up traveling together, and becoming master and apprentice.

"I"m still sorry that I didn"t get to show you anything."

"It"s fine, what to do if I fail is very important too." She gave her a master a smile. She was a little disappointed, but nothing specific.

"You won"t be going anywhere alone for quite a while." Given that she had barely begun learning the basics.

"Guess we"ll have to head back and I"ll teach you for the day." She sighed, hoping that she could do something for the mission.