The Sorceress' Revolt - Ko Biji's Story - Part 3 Chapter 3 by Translations by Ainikki / Anime Blog Tracker

The Sorceress' Revolt - Ko Biji's Story - Part 3 Chapter 3

The Sorceress' Revolt Author: Toriumi Jinzō Translator: Ainikki the Archivist Ko Biji's Story Part Three: Ko Biji Chapter Three After about a month, Tanshi was able to stand and walk with the help of his pewter staff. This was the result of Ko Biji's careful nursing. He went out into the forest around the hut with Ko Biji under a crisp autumn blue sky. The mountain forest wore its brightest colors, and the peace all around made Hakūn-do Cave seem like nothing but a terrifying dream. Tanshi turned his sights on Mount Yunmeng, but it wasn't visible from here. Another peak blocked the mountain from his sight. En Kō must be the guardian of the Heavenly Book. He said that he would kill anyone who entered Hakūn-do Cave. Did someone else order him to do that? En Kō is... some kind of monster. An ancient monster. How old is he? He said that he struck down a servant of the First Emperor, thirteen hundred years ago... En Kō had called the Heavenly Book "Iwakagami." That was what he'd said. The First Emperor had heard rumors of the book and sent people to retrieve it. Hakūn-do Cave was a real place; Tanshi was still getting used to that idea. Ko Biji ran through the trees, carrying a long wooden stick. Her movements were smooth and precise; Tanshi found it difficult not to stare. Ko Biji's educated speech meant that she must have spent some time in the cities, but that was difficult to imagine as she ran hither and yon all over the mountain, clearly enjoying herself. She had a wealth of knowledge about the mountain's edible plants and medicines. I've never seen a person run like this... but the fox near Chō Kin's home moved like that, Tanshi thought. "Huh?" Wielding her wooden stick, Ko Biji chased a hare out of a bush. The stick flew from her hands and impaled the hare straight through. Tanshi stood there, stunned.*** One day, when Tanshi was able to walk freely without relying on a cane, the two went down to the valley to catch fish. The setting sun shone brightly behind the mountain, casting its edges in a golden glow. Ko Biji cooked their fish over a fire. Tanshi wasn't very used to eating fish, but he was getting used to the smell. Fish was good for his recovery, and he ate it without complaint. Tanshi rolled up the sleeves of his robe, went into the water, and stretched out his hands. The cool water felt good on overheated skin. When he felt movement about his hands, he pulled. "I caught one! It's... a carp!" Tanshi called out. Ko Biji heard him call out and rushed to the side of the river, half-hidden in the shadows of sunset. She was naked, running at top speed. "Ah!" Tanshi closed his eyes. He'd never seen Ko Biji naked before. He could hear her moving, but did not open his eyes. He couldn't stay blind forever. Tanshi opened his eyes and turned around in a circle. Ko Biji was nowhere to be found. "Where did she go?" When he turned around again, Ko Biji was waving at him from a bamboo grove. He couldn't see her clearly, but she was still at least half-naked. She laughed.*** The mystery surrounding Ko Biji haunted Tanshi's thoughts. His health was recovered, and he should be able to go down the mountain again, but Ko Biji never mentioned him leaving. Tanshi enjoyed many things about his current situation, but there were times when he became downhearted, since he was stuck and had made no progress on his quest. As the days passed, however, he gave himself over to enjoyment and peace, and was contented. In contrast, the happier Tanshi became, the more depressed Ko Biji seemed to be. She talked less, and only when she had to, and she spoke to him as she would a stranger. Tanshi was aware of these changes, but he did not understand them. This unnatural attitude between them could not last. Tanshi and Ko Biji had lived together in isolation on the mountain for over a month. If they weren't yet friends, they did at least share a sense of mutual respect. One night, the wind howled outside the hut, making the sea of trees around it rustle like waves on a perturbed sea. Tanshi and Ko Biji shared a meal in silence, warming themselves by the fire. The fire had burned down quite a bit, but neither of them moved to add more wood. Tanshi steeled himself and faced Ko Biji squarely. "Um..." He tried to say more, but nothing came out. "What is it?" Ko Biji asked. She smiled at him. It had been a few days since Tanshi had last seen Ko Biji smile. The sight gave him the courage to try again. "Don't take this the wrong way, but... who are you, really?" "What a question," Ko Biji said. "What do you mean?" "You're not a normal woman. You can see, even in total darkness." "I told you that I was born from a fox," Ko Biji said. "Be serious," Tanshi said. "Tell me the actual truth." "I did," Ko Biji said gravely. "You know a great deal about herbal medicine," Tanshi said. "Because I live in the mountains." "You can fight." "I must protect myself." "You know about Daoism." "Everyone knows a little about that." "Where did you train?" Ko Biji didn't answer. Her face went pale, and she regarded him with sad eyes. Tanshi was lost in questions, in mystery. "Ko Biji..." Still she said nothing. She tried to pacify him with silence and gestures, but now that his curiosity was fully awakened, he could not be deflected. "Ko Biji, please. Give me a real answer." His voice was stern and forbidding. "I am... a terrible person," Ko Biji said. "Terrible? You?" Tanshi looked at her, incredulous. "There's nothing terrible about you." Ko Biji looked at him with frustration in her gaze. "If you don't tell me, I'll never understand," Tanshi said, stern again. Ko Biji nodded to herself as if she'd just had a profound thought. "Please don't return to Yunmeng Mountain." This was a non sequitur. What did Yunmeng Mountain have to do with Ko Biji being a terrible person? "Do not go back to Hakūn-do Cave," Ko Biji said. Tanshi stared at her. He hadn't spoken to her about his intention to return to the cave. "I still don't understand. What does Hakūn-do Cave have to do with you? Nothing." "Something," Ko Biji said. "What?" "If you go back there, you'll die," Ko Biji said. "Are you staying here and keeping an eye on me so that I won't go?" No answer. "What does Hakūn-do Cave have to do with you?" "Tanshi, stop." She threw herself down onto the floor of woven rushes and lowered her head to avoid Tanshi's gaze. There was a silence: awkward, lengthy. Tanshi couldn't ignore or dismiss Ko Biji. Not easily. She'd saved him from the brink of death. In an attempt to calm himself, Tanshi retrieved more wood for the fire and watched it burn. In a voice barely heard, Tanshi said, "I am searching for the Heavenly Book, and the Way of Shattering Earth. I've seen it--it is carved into a rock inside the cave. I must have it. It's... my entire life's purpose is for that book." Ko Biji looked up at him. Her lower lip trembled, and her eyes glistened with unshed tears. "You will not return alive," she said. "Ko Biji." She was trembling. To her, Tanshi seemed like a proud and vainglorious child, impervious to reason. "I hear you," Tanshi said. "I'll be careful. I'll approach the cave from a different direction this time." "The rock bridge is the only way to the cave." She seemed familiar with the environs of Yunmeng Mountain. Perhaps she'd explored it like a wild fox, but now didn't seem like the right time to ask her about that. "Will you still go?" she asked. A tear fell down her cheek. "I will," Tanshi said without hesitation. "But I know what I'm doing this time. Please don't worry about me." He reached out to wipe her tears away. "Tanshi..." She pulled him into a tight hug. When she drew back a little, she looked him in the eyes and kissed him. Ko Biji was still a mystery, and Tanshi was resolved to return to Hakūn-do Cave. Nothing had changed, but love unexpressed would be a regret if Tanshi never returned. Tanshi placed his hand over Ko Biji's heart. She looked up at him briefly, then cast aside her garment, leaving her chest bare. Her skin was a dazzling white; Tanshi was enraptured by the sight of her, as he had been when she'd run naked through the woods. Ko Biji pulled him to her again, and he buried his face in her neck, then lower, losing himself in the warmth and softness of her breasts. He exhaled on a long sigh, making a sound he'd never made before. His hands moved to her back, skimming up and down until her arms wrapped around his waist. He mimicked her, right hand descending from the top of her shoulders to her bare hip. They rolled together, near the fire, as Tanshi sank into her, warm and wet and feeling like a secret revealed. They spoke, wordless, but communicating everything. "Tanshi..." "Ko Biji..." The fire burned hotter, brighter as the wind howled like the damned outside.

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