Chapter 49: An Ordinary Breakfast

Chapter 49: An Ordinary Breakfast

The dawn began to bleed through the temple’s eastern windows. The birds greeted the sun with a chorus that felt too peaceful for a place bracing for war. The cultists had begun to wander in the temple, cleaning the various rooms. Some prepared food, while others worshipped the lady.

Yi Jyuhan walked alongside a man who wasn’t here before.

The man was wearing a casual white robe with a yellow tunic alongside black stripes. He had blue eyes, too bright. His blonde hair, loose and unbound.

The man’s lips were curled in a casual smile. The cultist who passed by their path nodded at both of them.

One of the cultists stopped to greet them. "Jim Hermit, it’s been a while. May the Lady bless you." Both of them nodded. Jim’s smile never wavered.

"And you, brother." The cultist left them and hurried on. Then Yi Jyuhan fanned himself and yawned slowly.

"Things have been worse in a... not interesting way." Yi Jyuhan spoke, his eyes locking onto Jim’s.

"Things don’t get worse in an interesting way." Jim Hermit chuckled. In response, Yi Jyuhan only sighed without any trace of humour.

His eyes left Jim, and he began. "You are early but not that idiot."

Upon hearing that, Jim scratched the back of his head. He knew who Yi Jyuhan meant by the term ’idiot.’ "He is not a morning bird after all, haha."

Yi Jyuhan put his hand on his forehead. "There are few people who aren’t morning birds either."

"Alisa isn’t, but Lovenia is... Oh, to remember—where are they?"

"..."

"What happened to you?"

Yi Jyuhan squinted his eyes. He didn’t say anything. Jim waited for his response, but the silence stretched, eternal, as if Yi Jyuhan had decided not to answer. But Jim forced him to answer.

"Tell me. Your face is pale... Did something happen to them?" Jim’s voice lost its lightness. He waited impatiently.

Yi Jyuhan put his hands inside his robe, trying not to answer. "Alisa might know this." He opened the main door to the Lady’s worship hall.

Many cultists were sitting there, clasping their hands. They chanted her honourable name, together with the prayer. The statue was silent, but the silence didn’t mean absence here.

Jim entered the hall after him and pressed his palms together, nodding at her statue. His heart was pounding, anxious because Yi Jyuhan refused to answer at all.

Then Yi Jyuhan said, "I’ll be waiting for you in room ten. You’ll find other people there." With that, he left the hall, leaving Jim wondering.

He quietly left the place too, only to find Yi Jyuhan walking toward the room while writing something. Then he quickly pushed the letter inside the room and walked away. Jim observed his movement, and then Yi Jyuhan disappeared into an alley.

Then, after a few seconds, he entered the room.

Inside, Mo Fei and Zhuo were still sleeping alongside Xin Yi and Hao Yu. Meanwhile, Lin was awake and noticed the letter and opened it. She read the words carefully, her face unreadable, then she folded the letter into a square and mutilated it. Jian Yue turned towards the door, seeing a stranger.

Lin broke the silence first. "You must be Jim Hermit." Jim nodded, and she raised her hand, gesturing to him to sit.

"I thought Lovenia would be waiting here too. Have you seen her before?"

Jian Yue opened his mouth to speak, but Lin cut him off. "She is outside the city. She has to go somewhere for her reasons; she will be back in a few weeks." Jian Yue snapped his head towards her. His brows furrowed in confusion.

"Is that so? Hmm, that’s pretty unusual for her."

"Anyway, you must be the royal guard too."

"Yes, I am." Jim sat down slowly, his eyes still scanning the room. "Weeks, huh? That’s unlikely, but she must have her good reasons." He repeated the thought.

Lin didn’t blink. "It was an inconvenience that you had to come here suddenly." She changed the topic.

Jian Yue looked away. His throat tightened, but he remained silent.

From the corner, Mo Fei stirred with a groan. His one eye opened slowly. He sat up, his hand reaching for his head. When the morning confusion washed over. He saw Jim. "Who’s this blonde?" he asked, his voice rough.

Jim turned to face him. "Jim Hermit. Royal guard of the Lady’s temple. And you?"

"I forgot my name just now." He groaned, hitting his head slightly. Jim opened his mouth, his eyes darting in awkwardness.

"Mo Fei." He finally answered in a tired tone.

Jim let out a nervous laugh, a genuine one this time. "Uhehe, sleep can make people... Slightly mad, eh?"

Lin’s expression didn’t change. "You’re here for the battle, right? The Cursed Womb. Yi Jyuhan should have told you."

Jim nodded, his smile fading. "He did. But not everything. He will explain that after the other royal guard comes."

***

Meanwhile, Yi Jyuhan entered Alisa’s room. She was already awake, sitting near the doorway. She ducked her head towards him. Yi Jyuhan forced a smile, fanning himself. "Alisa," he called out. "Jim is here, so I just wanted to ask for a favour."

Alisa looked and waited for him to continue.

"Do not tell him yet. I can’t afford low performance in this battle." With that, he left the room. Alisa looked outside again, sitting quietly.

Her gaze watched the different creatures, birds, morning insects, beetles etc. Finally, she stood up and walked toward the blanket, changing it. Her eyes lay on the other blanket, which smelt like lavender. She should burn it; that was what people did. The belongings of the dead, right? Yet she couldn’t.

If there were no place for memories to rest, then they would wander more.

Then at the door of the temple. Another man entered, wearing a classic brown robe. He had brown hair and blue eyes, not too long nor too short. His face was calm but filled with a hint of anxiety. His eyes darted around, trying to find someone.

From the corridor, Yi Jyuhan walked in. He found the man looking around. "You are late." Yi Jyuhan waved his fan at the man, calling him. "Riyoshi."

Riyoshi bowed his head gently. "The eastern border needed reinforcement. I came as fast as I could." His low measured echoed in the silence.

Yi Jyuhan studied his expression and then walked past him. "Come with me."

They moved through the corridor. The morning light slanted through the windows, painting stripes across the floor and walls.

Riyoshi walked alongside. "How much do you know?" He asked.

"Things are hot enough to worry about but cold enough to not retreat." He snapped his fan shut. "There are only four royal guards left. Xue Lan had killed one, then another one. We have an advantage in numbers. As we have outsiders on our side too."

Riyoshi’s brows furrowed. "Outsiders? Ascenders?"

"They had survived, pretty much. One of them had chosen the creator’s authority."

Upon hearing that, Riyoshi stopped walking. "What do you mean?!" His blue eyes widened. "There is no God or angels. He’ll go mad within months or even less."

"He had completed his first descent. He seems almost fine. For now."

"He might have a God’s blessing. But that’s absurd. Why would other Gods do this?"

"Not really blessed but something else. Which I can’t name yet."

Back in the room, Mo Fei sat against the wall, his hand absently touching the mask at his side. He had been staring at his ribbon for the past few minutes.

"Can I ask this to Serpent?" He closed his eyes and thought about it. The realm was there, waiting at the edge of his thoughts. "Divine Serpent."

"Great master," its voice echoed in his mind, coiled in the dark behind his eyelids. "You called me."

Yes. About the ’Mimick’?

A brief pause, then slowly. "The Mimick does not copy. It is not solidly related to mimicking. But you can deceive others. Your appearance will determine your steps."

Mo Fei opened his eyes. He chuckled slightly to himself. "That didn’t help at all."

Lin glanced at him, hearing his muttering. "You are more than just slightly mad."

He smacked both of his hands on his legs. "I’m not even slightly mad!" Lin rolled her eyes at his words, leaving Mo Fei still wondering. Then he shot a look at her and said, "Lin, I want to fight you. A sparring match."

Lin looked at him, surprised by the sudden request. She snorted and said, "What? It’s morning time, and you haven’t even had tea yet."

"After that, then." Mo Fei muttered.

Just after that, Yi Jyuhan opened the door. He entered with Riyoshi. He paused, eyes scanning everyone’s faces, and then he noticed Jim’s casual face. ’So Lin handled that well, huh?’

Behind them, three cultists entered. Their hands were holding different dishes. One’s hands held cups on a plate filled with weak tea. Another one held congee and various vegetables. Then the third one was holding a pot with rice. They quietly put them around the table one by one.

Yi Jyuhan and Riyoshi sat down. All of their faces looked at both of them.

"Another new face." Mo Fei whispered.

"For you," Yi Jyuhan answered.

Then the cultists bring them tea to drink. Mo Fei took the tea, anticipating the bitter taste. Lin simply refused the tea as she always did.

Zhuo was still asleep; his wounds had healed. The kids were asleep too.

Yi Jyuhan coughed at Lin. She nodded and reached out for Zhuo to wake him up.

After a few minutes. Everyone settled, sitting around the table. Jim picked at his rice, pushing the grains from one side to the other. Mo Fei sipped the tea and then put the cup down. He looked at the kids. They stirred, slowly waking up.

Zhuo’s eyes were half closed. He was eating slowly. Jian Yue in the corner also ate, but his movements were quick, slowing down every few minutes.

Lin broke the silence. "The plan is ready, so how much time is left?" Yi Jyuhan, Jim, and Riyoshi looked at her.

Yi Jyuhan chewed the rice and swallowed. Then after a few seconds, he spoke. "I have already decided; now next is to witness our fate. Lin, you are our escape, so do not fail. Alisa will guard Mo Fei, and my two royal guards, with Jian Yue and Zhuo, will hold the Curator’s royal guards. We won’t take unnecessary risks, destroy the womb, and escape the very next second." He spun the rice in his bowl. "We may lose people, but we can hope for the best."

All of them nodded, continuing to eat their meal. Xin Yi and Hao Yu crawled toward Mo Fei. Their heads rested on his lap, mumbling in a drowsy state.

Mo Fei glanced at them before taking two bowls and putting rice within. He added the root vegetables and leaves of napa cabbage and put them near them.

Both kids yawned, rubbing their eyes. They looked at the food but didn’t eat. Jim looked at the kids and said, "I was wondering who these kids are... They seem lost."

Yi Jyuhan’s voice followed next. "They were the offerings for the Cursed Womb; fortunately, they were saved." Jim’s heart sank at his words. He looked at the kids again and saw they seemed lost in their thoughts.

"Why are they not eating?" He asked.

Mo Fei put the spinach in his mouth and said in a blabbering tone. "Why don’t you ask them?"

The kids tilted their heads up. Hao Yu spoke first. "I need water," then Xin Yi followed. "To wash our faces. I’m feeling sleepy."

Jian Yue stood up. "I’ll get it."

Yi Jyuhan waved his hand and gestured to him to sit again. "Don’t stand when you are eating. I’ll call others."

Time flew, and they finished eating.

Zhuo, however, was still dazed. Jian Yue turned toward Mo Fei and began, "You said you want to fight Lin, right?" Mo Fei’s eyes twinkled. He quickly turned his attention to him. "One day isn’t enough to learn Glaive."

"Then just enough things that let me survive."

Jian Yue’s lips twitched in a small smile at his words. After a small pause, he nodded and said, "You still have that will of the first day."

"But you don’t."

Jian Yue’s mouth remained open. The words died in his throat. He quietly stood up. "I’m going ahead." After hearing that, Mo Fei also stood up slowly, but just as he did, someone pulled his clothes. Both kids stared at him for longer. Mo Fei sighed. "Okay, you can follow this one."