Bab 2: Ji Yuan leaves
After washing the dishes, the little monk decided to take a shower. She grabbed her small backpack, which contained another set of monk robes identical to the one she was currently wearing.
"I'm going to take a shower, Master." She said as she hurriedly ran away with her clothes to wash them properly in a wooden basin.
"Master, you should wash too, and wash the clothes gently." The diligent little monk advised Jiyuan.
Jiyuan smiled and took the little wolf pup to give it a bath. When they came out, the pup was wet and looked a bit messy.
Softly wrapped the pup in a towel and started rubbing it all over to dry its fur. After making sure it was dry, she held the pup with one arm and took her own clothes outside to hang them up.
"Little White, don't move around. You can't go in until your fur dries."
Patting the little pup's head, Softly went back to wash Jiyuan's monk robes. Then she came back outside to accompany Little White and let it air dry.
Jiyuan came out wearing slippers and sat down, hugging Softly in his arms and covering her with his own outer robe.
"You won't feel cold, Master, you should wear it. Don't catch a cold."
Softly held his hand and didn't want the robe to be placed on her, insisting that he wears it.
"Master, holding Little White will keep you warm." Softly explained patiently.
After some thought, the little monk finally agreed, but she snuggled closer to Jiyuan, wrapping her arms around his slender waist.
"Then Softly will keep Master warm." She said, and nuzzled against his chest, enjoying the faint fragrance of orchids that emanated from him.
"Oh, Master smells so nice~" As always, Softly loved being in her Master's arms, feeling embraced by him.
But unfortunately, her Master's health wasn't great, and Softly felt worried. As she grew older, she rarely let him hold her like this anymore.
"Master, when are you leaving? Can you stay with Softly a little longer? Do you really have to go? Can you not leave Softly? I don't want you to go." Softly said softly, burying her head in his chest, her usually soft and cheerful voice now filled with a choked sense of loss.
Jiyuan looked down at the little one in his arms, his eyes showing a hint of sadness.
He also... didn't want to leave.
If possible, he would want to stay with Softly forever, living their peaceful life on the mountain.
Jiyuan gently stroked the little one's bare head, looking up at the starry night sky.
"Softly, you're a big girl now, and you can't always depend on Master. Birds have to leave the nest to learn to fly, and Softly, I want you to remember all the life lessons I've taught you, including medicine and martial arts. When I come back, I'll check your progress."
The little one's face nuzzled against Jiyuan's body a few times, and he knew that his little one was crying.
"Yes, Softly... I won't neglect my studies. I'll be very diligent." Softly replied in a subdued voice, trying to be brave despite her tears.
"Good... Softly is the best." Jiyuan smiled gently, and the cool breeze of March brought a hint of freshness without feeling too cold or hot.
Under the dark night sky, with a crescent moon hanging, the stars twinkling around them, the two of them sat on the balcony, with Little White lying nearby, looking a bit sleepy. The atmosphere in the room was warm and quiet.
***
For the past two days, news about the two monks had spread through the village. The villagers knew that there were two handsome monks, one older and one younger, living in their village. Many young girls couldn't resist stealing glances at them from a distance, but they didn't dare approach them.
After all, the village had never seen such good-looking men before, even though they were monks. Their charm was undeniable, but the villagers kept their distance out of respect.
Softly and Jiyuan lived carefree for two or three days, and she almost forgot that Jiyuan had to leave.
Although Jiyuan smiled and looked happy on the surface, the sadness and reluctance in his eyes became more apparent as time passed.
On the third night, after telling Softly a bedtime story and watching her fall asleep with her cheeks flushed, Jiyuan sat by the bed, staring at her peacefully sleeping face. After a long while, he let out a soft sigh.
His fingers gently caressed her little face, and Jiyuan's eyes grew darker, filled with emotions he kept hidden.
He clenched his fist for a moment, then released it, leaving a crescent-shaped mark on his palm.
"Softly, wait for Master to come find you."
He got up and wrote a letter at the table, placing it by Softly's pillow. He then leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.
"Ah-ah..." Little White tugged at Jiyuan's monk robes, sensing that he was leaving, and whined restlessly.
"Don't worry, Little White. I accidentally lost my Master. He's gone, ah-ah... I need to find him." Softly wiped her tears with the back of her hand and started to pack her small backpack. She didn't want to go find her dad; she wanted her Master back. Ah-ah... Master didn't want her anymore. She must be a bad kid.
"Ah-ah..." Little White called out anxiously and then ran to the bed, trying to climb up.
Softly, with a red and tear-stained face, noticed something on the bed that she hadn't seen before, a beautiful wooden box, probably belonging to her Master.
She put down her backpack, climbed onto the bed, and opened the box. It was definitely her Master's box.
She immediately felt relieved. Her Master must have left it for her.
Softly crawled back to the edge of the bed, her face still wet with tears. She looked at the small wooden box and reached out to pick it up.
Little White whined softly, feeling its owner's sadness and confusion. It nudged her leg with its head, trying to comfort her.
Softly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and opened the box.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone