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CHAPTER 10: Stung
"But I've heard wild spirit bees are fiercely territorial. If they decide someone's an intruder, they'll sting them with their stingers!" Chu Li waved three fingers anxiously at Qi Ying. "Just three stings could knock out someone at my level of cultivation. I wouldn't dare go anywhere near their hive."
"I'd never send you in to provoke a swarm head-on." Qi Ying waved her hands quickly to clarify. "Wild spirit bees are extremely sensitive to changes in their environment. Every few months, the whole colony relocates its hive. If you're lucky enough to find one they've already abandoned, you'd get all the beeswax without ever having to deal with the bees themselves!"
The rear mountains lay wrapped in mist, almost dreamlike.
Following Qi Ying's advice, Chu Li folded several spirit paper cranes from oiled paper and sent them out to search for wild hives.
After about an hour, one of the cranes finally located a hive, with no sign of bees swarming anywhere nearby.
Spirit bees tended to head out foraging during overcast weather, so Chu Li had no way of knowing for certain whether the hive had truly been abandoned, or if the bees simply hadn't returned yet.
She sent the crane out once more, following it to the location to investigate properly.
The moment it sensed the target nearby, the crane began glowing faintly.
Chu Li reached out and pinched its tail feathers still, then crouched behind a nearby thicket to observe from hiding.
Several yards away, a bell-shaped, brownish hive hung suspended from a large tree, nearly blending into the tangle of surrounding branches at first glance.
Chu Li watched the hive for a solid twenty minutes without spotting the slightest sign of any bee returning to it.
This was almost certainly an abandoned hive.
Still, just to be safe, Chu Li cast a few protective spells on herself, shielding the vital points at her head and neck.
Once she felt sufficiently prepared, she crept quietly toward the base of the tree, sweeping a branch around the hive to make absolutely sure no bees were lurking anywhere nearby.
Only then did she let her guard down, casting a spell to pry the hive free from the tree and catching it steadily in her arms.
The hive was surprisingly heavy, its interior gleaming a rich gold.
Spirit bees didn't typically abandon a hive this fresh without good reason, but whatever the case, it seemed she'd stumbled onto quite the windfall.
Chu Li felt a rush of excitement.
Beeswax rendered from a hive like this would surely make first-rate candles, and wax-dripping with candles this good would practically double the effect for half the effort.
Pleased with herself, she gave the prized find in her arms a satisfied weigh, and just as she went to tuck it into her storage bracelet, a streak of gold shot out from inside the hive without warning.
...Wasn't this supposed to be an abandoned hive?
Why was there a lone spirit bee lying in wait inside it?
Chu Li didn't waste time thinking it over. She turned and ran.
The bee was unusually large, and utterly convinced she was its enemy. Even flying unsteadily, apparently injured, it kept charging after her without hesitation.
In the middle of her frantic sprint, Chu Li failed to dodge in time and felt a sharp jolt of pain in her shoulder.
She didn't dare stop for even a second, tearing onward for a good distance further.
The injured bee never caught up to her again.
By the time Chu Li came back to her senses, she was doubled over with her hands braced on her knees, gasping for breath, a large welt already swelling up on her left shoulder, painful enough that the slightest touch made her wince.
Fortunately, Qi Ying had given her an emergency antidote pill beforehand, more than enough to handle a sting of this severity.
Chu Li tilted her head back and swallowed the pill, then hurried off the rear mountain to seek out Qi Ying's help.
Along the way, the clouds thickened and darkened overhead, a cold wind picking up suddenly. Chu Li pulled her gauze robe close and hurried along, too focused on the path ahead to notice someone approaching. She accidentally knocked over a basket someone was carrying.
The cloth covering the basket slipped open at one corner, and a round porcelain jar rolled loose, coming to a stop right at Chu Li's feet.
She bent down instinctively to pick up the wooden case, only to hiss sharply at the fresh sting of pain from her injured left shoulder.
In that split second, the stranger snatched the wooden case up off the ground with startling force, not even bothering to look up as he warned her sharply, "Don't touch my things!"
Perhaps because of the weather, the man wore a hooded cloak, the hood pulled low enough to hide most of his face.
Chu Li couldn't make out his expression at all, only sensed the unmistakable hostility in his tone.
She exhaled a quiet puff of white breath through her nose and turned to walk away, but out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of his face beneath the hood, and something about his profile looked oddly similar to Jin Lan's partner.
Curious, she turned to look more closely in his direction, only to see him wrap the cloak protectively around the basket and hurry off, his steps slightly unsteady.
"Ow, ow, ow!"
The moment the ice-cold medicinal powder touched her shoulder, Chu Li couldn't help sucking in a sharp breath.
Qi Ying shook the small vial in her hand. "This is for the pain. Give it the time it takes for an incense stick to burn down, and your shoulder will feel completely numb, like it's frozen solid. You won't feel a thing after that, I promise."
Chu Li's cheeks twitched with each throb of pain, half-wishing she'd already lost feeling in the area entirely. "Didn't you already neutralize the poison? Why does it still hurt this much?"
"That's just how spirit bee stings work. Even once the toxin in your body's been neutralized, the surface effects linger on the skin for a while afterward." Qi Ying offered some reassurance. "At least you got the hive you needed out of it. That has to count for something, doesn't it?"
Chu Li was quiet for a moment before giving a small "Mm" in agreement.
She couldn't deny it. The trip had genuinely paid off.
A hive that size would give her enough beeswax for several candles, and combined with what Qi Ying had already promised her, it would more than cover her wax-dripping needs for the next three months.
Still, glancing sideways at her stung shoulder, though the swelling had gone down, a large, unmistakable red mark remained, and her sheer gauze robe did nothing whatsoever to conceal it.
Chu Li rubbed her temple, troubled. "None of these robes in the sect offer any real coverage, either thin gauze over the shoulders or bare shoulders entirely. There's no hiding a mark like this. Knowing my partner's temperament, if he sees this, he's bound to ask endless questions."
"That's what you're worried about?" Qi Ying's eyes curved into two crescents as she laughed. "No need to fret over that. I happen to have a spare set of clothes that would cover your shoulder just fine."
Qi Ying returned with a robe of pale artemisia green with wide sleeves, paired with a white cross-collar inner garment. "I brought this with me when I first joined the sect. It's rather plain, I'll admit. If you don't mind, why not try it on?"
The fabric carried a natural, slightly rumpled texture, something like linen, though it felt unexpectedly soft to the touch, almost as if it breathed against the skin when worn.
Chu Li studied herself in the mirror. The woman reflected there had her hair pulled loosely into a bun at the back of her neck, the pale artemisia green calling to mind the first days of spring, the robe's flowing sleeves and hem swaying gently with every movement, giving her an unmistakably relaxed, unhurried air.
Qi Ying circled Chu Li once, admiring the effect with a small click of her tongue. "This robe might as well have been tailored for you specifically! I've never seen anyone wear this color and cut so naturally well."
Chu Li glanced down at the robe, a little embarrassed. "You're too kind."
"There's no one else here. I mean it sincerely." Qi Ying clapped her hands together. "I've decided, this robe is yours now."
Chu Li grew a little anxious at Qi Ying's generosity. "You've already given me so much. I can't possibly accept everything you offer. Once my shoulder's fully healed, I'll return it to you."
"Return it? Why are you being so formal with me?" Qi Ying patted her own chest. "I never even get the chance to wear it. What a waste, letting it sit at the bottom of a chest. Besides, on me, it probably wouldn't look nearly this fresh and elegant. It was clearly meant for you. No more arguing about it."
Unable to resist Qi Ying's generosity any longer, Chu Li thanked her profusely before finally taking her leave, dressed head to toe in her new robe.
On the way back to her quarters, dark clouds rolled in overhead, the air growing thick and humid.
Yet Chu Li felt remarkably comfortable, as if she were wearing her own personal air conditioner.
The more she thought about it, the more she suspected this robe was far from as plain as Qi Ying had claimed. Just as she was savoring the thought, the sky decided not to cooperate, and a light rain began to fall.
Kicking herself for forgetting her paper umbrella before leaving, Chu Li simply quickened her pace, hurrying through the rain instead.
Through the misty haze, a slender, familiar silhouette appeared in the distance: Little Lian.
He was looking around anxiously, both hands clutching her paper umbrella, seemingly unaware he was standing directly in the rain himself.
"Little Lian?" Chu Li called out. "What are you doing out here?"
Through the heavy curtain of rain, he turned toward her voice, his expression dazed, as though he hadn't quite recognized her at first. It took a long moment before he finally spoke, hesitant. "...Sister?"
Chu Li jogged over to him, plucked the umbrella from his hands, and opened it above his head. "You don't know your way around the sect at all. Why didn't you just wait for me indoors?"
"I saw it was about to rain, and you hadn't taken an umbrella with you, Sister. I was worried you'd get caught in it..." Little Lian lowered his eyes, raindrops clinging to his hair sliding slowly down the bridge of his nose, making it look as though he were crying.
Torn between frustration and tenderness, Chu Li said, "If I hadn't called out to you, were you just going to keep standing out here in the rain looking for me?"
"You were gone for so long, Sister. I thought something important must have held you up." He picked absently at his own fingertips, his gaze fixed on the tips of his shoes, refusing to meet her eyes at all. "How was I supposed to know you'd gone off to get yourself a new robe? I almost didn't recognize you."
Hearing the wounded resentment in his voice, Chu Li couldn't help reaching out to ruffle his hair, using her sleeve to wipe the rain from his face as well.
She glanced down at her new robe, lifting the hem slightly and giving it a small sway. "One of the sisters here gave me this robe. Do you think it looks nice?"
"It looks nice." He glanced up at her, cheeks faintly pink. "...Nicer than the last one."
Pleased, Chu Li took his hand and gave his arm an affectionate little shake. "I actually went all the way to the rear mountains and found a huge beehive. I'll show you once we're back."
Little Lian gave a subdued little hum in response.
Chu Li looped her arm through his and started back toward their quarters, but they'd barely taken a few steps before running headlong into an unwelcome face.
Jin Lan stood tapping her jade flute against her shoulder, her gaze sweeping over Chu Li with obvious disdain. "Look at you, all wrapped up like that. I nearly mistook you for some country bumpkin visiting from another sect."
Behind her, the partner holding her umbrella lowered his head the moment he spotted Chu Li, his expression skittish, as though he'd done something he shouldn't have.
With the rain falling steadily around them, Chu Li's only real concern was keeping Little Lian from catching a chill, and she had no patience left to deal with Jin Lan. She simply took his hand and tried to sidestep around her.
Jin Lan blocked their path with her flute instead. "Not even a greeting when you see me? What, feeling too proud of yourself for that now?"
She shot Chu Li a sideways glance, then turned her attention pointedly to Little Lian instead. "Tell me, little partner, is your owner hiding herself under all that fabric because she's afraid of being outshone by me?"
Chu Li pulled Little Lian behind her protectively and swept Jin Lan's flute aside with her free hand. "This isn't some formal sect ceremony. What business is it of yours how I dress? As long as I'm not breaking any sect rules, I'll wear whatever I please, and I certainly don't need your opinion on it in front of my own partner."
"Rumpled fabric, a dull, forgettable color, an utterly plain cut." Jin Lan looked Chu Li up and down with obvious contempt. "Only someone like you would actually wear something this shabby."
Before Chu Li could respond, she heard Little Lian mutter under his breath, "...Sister would look better than you no matter what she wore."
Jin Lan caught the remark immediately, jabbing her flute in his direction. "You little brat, what exactly are you mumbling over there?"
"Sister, she's so scary..." Little Lian shrank behind Chu Li, gripping her hand tightly.
"Just ignore her." Chu Li soothed him first, then turned back to Jin Lan, unhurried. "Have you gone through life without ever wearing more than a handful of decent fabrics? Is that why you don't know how comfortable good linen actually feels?"
Jin Lan seemed to have been struck exactly where it hurt, her eyes twitching before she shifted into an even more condescending pose. "I imagine you've been wearing rough outer-disciple robes for so long, your skin's been worn coarse by cheap fabric, and now you're standing here singing the praises of linen to me? I wouldn't want a single garment made from that trash, not even if you offered me a hundred of them for free!"
"...So mean. No wonder no one wants to give her nice clothes," Little Lian muttered again, quietly, from behind Chu Li.
Jin Lan's face went rigid with fury, her voice sharp as flame. "You little brat, don't think just because your owner's protecting you that you can run your mouth however you like in front of me!"
"If you say I'm a brat, does that make it true?" Little Lian tugged gently at Chu Li's sleeve, stubbornly holding his ground against Jin Lan. "You're not my sister. Why would I listen to anything you say?"
Jin Lan stormed out from beneath her umbrella in a fury, swinging her jade flute down toward him. "You little brat, don't refuse the toast just to end up drinking the punishment wine instead!"
Chu Li pulled Little Lian close and spun them both in a sharp half-circle through the rain.
Watching the treetops nearby bend and sway under the wind's growing force, she raised her paper umbrella in front of them at just the right moment, spiritual energy already gathering between her fingers, fully prepared.
Jin Lan's strike missed entirely, and just as she turned to swing at Little Lian a second time, a sudden gust of wind, thick with moisture, slammed directly into her instead, sending her feet sliding out from under her.
Once the wind died down, Chu Li calmly set her umbrella upright again and took in the scene before her.
Jin Lan had gone sprawling face-first into the mud, her gauze robe now caked in dirt and plastered messily over her head. Furious, she scrambled to straighten her robe while barking at the partner beside her, "What are you standing there for? Help me up already!"
The partner fumbled to drape his outer robe over her shoulders, trying to cover the mud and disarray, only for her to swat it off him and onto the ground, snapping, "Who wants to wear your filthy robe!"
When Jin Lan finally turned back around, her expression was thoroughly ugly. She glared at Chu Li, her words dripping venom. "This is the second time you've defied me. I won't let this go so easily."
"Might want to fix your hair first," Chu Li tossed back offhandedly, before leading Little Lian away from the scene entirely.
By the time they finally made it back to their quarters, Chu Li noticed the basket of fruit on the table sat perfectly arranged, all twelve pieces still there, not a single one missing.
"Didn't you eat breakfast at all before you left this morning?" she asked, glancing over at Little Lian, who was busy drying his damp hair with a silk cloth, genuinely surprised.
"It's only been one morning. I won't starve to death over that." He said it defiantly, though his stomach betrayed him with a loud, unmistakable growl.
"You're still upset with me, aren't you." Chu Li shook her head, resigned.
Once lunch was ready, she watched to make sure Little Lian had swallowed the last bite of rabbit meat before finally allowing herself to retreat to the inner chamber, satisfied.
The rain had stopped by then, though the sky remained heavy and overcast.
By the dim light filtering through the window, Chu Li pulled her new robe down off her shoulder to check on the wound underneath.
Just as Qi Ying had promised, once the pain-relieving powder had taken effect, the spot where the wild spirit bee had stung her no longer hurt at all, only a cold, numb patch of skin remaining.
But the palm-sized red mark left behind looked alarmingly like the aftermath of cupping therapy, and if it hadn't been for the robe Qi Ying had given her to cover it, even she could hardly stand to look at it herself.
Guessing the sting would need another day or two to heal fully, Chu Li decided the best approach was simply not to think about it, and moved to pull the robe back up over her shoulder.
It was only when her gaze happened to catch the bronze mirror that she realized someone else had entered the room behind her.
"...You scared me." Chu Li pressed a hand to her chest, still a little shaken, and shot Little Lian a mildly reproachful look. "You walk so quietly, I didn't even hear you come in."
The boy said nothing, his gaze traveling slowly down to fix on the wound on her shoulder, lingering there for a long moment without moving away.
His brow furrowed slightly, his expression turning grave, less like someone studying an injury and more like someone carefully inspecting something that belonged to him.
Chu Li pushed down the faint, uneasy feeling stirring in her chest and pulled her gaze away, self-consciously tugging the robe back up over her shoulder as casually as she could manage.
"I can overlook you leaving me alone in the room and disappearing for most of the day, Sister." Little Lian lifted his eyes, a faint shadow settling over them. "But how did you manage to hurt yourself while I wasn't there to stop it?"
【Author's Note】
【Bonus scene】
Chu Li trips on a step—
Ji Wuyan: Someone! Tear down that step immediately!
Chu Li gets bitten by a fish while playing in the water—
Ji Wuyan: Someone! Stew that fish for dinner immediately!
Chu Li wakes up one morning with a sore back and weak legs—
Ji Wuyan: I'm sorry, Sister, but for the sake of your own happiness, I'm afraid I have to keep it around.
Chu Li: ......
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Translator's Notes for Curious Readers 🤍
敬酒不吃吃罚酒 ("refuse the toast and you'll drink the punishment wine instead"): A common Chinese idiom meaning roughly "you had the chance to cooperate the easy way, and now you'll get the hard way instead." Jin Lan uses it here as a threat before attacking.
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