True wisdom reveals itself not in grand gestures, but in quiet moments of doubt. It is in questioning our own nature that we discover our truest path.
—Master Song Lin, Scholar of the Jade Path
A guard rushed past the carriage, his armor clinking with each hurried step. "Stay inside! It’s safer here," he barked, not even sparing a glance back.
Xiulan’s eyes narrowed. Something felt off. The strangers didn’t move like bandits. Their postures slumped with exhaustion, not aggression. Faces gaunt and clothes tattered, they looked more like beggars than threats.
"Miss Xiulan, please stay inside," Mei Chen pleaded, clutching Zhang Wei’s arm.
Xiulan shook her head. "Hold on to little brother and keep him safe." She met Mei Chen’s worried gaze, conveying a silent promise. "I’ll handle this."
Mei Chen hesitated but nodded, pulling Zhang Wei closer. "Be careful."
Xiulan stepped out of the carriage, the cool air biting against her skin. She moved toward the front, each step calculated and steady. The guards shouted, dragging some of the ragged men to the ground, treating them like animals.
"What’s going on here?" Xiulan’s voice cut through the commotion.
The guards froze, eyes wide with shock. The ragged men dropped to their knees, foreheads pressed to the dirt. "Mercy, noble lady," they begged in unison.
The lead guard straightened, his face a mask of irritation. "Miss Lin, please return to the carriage. We’ll deal with them quickly."
Xiulan’s gaze hardened. "What is your name to command a daughter of the Lin Family’s main house?"
Silence stretched as the guard’s confidence faltered. He swallowed hard but said nothing.
"Release them," Xiulan ordered, her tone brooking no argument.
The guards hesitated before obeying, letting go of the men who scrambled to join their companions in kowtowing.
"Explain yourselves," Xiulan demanded, eyes scanning the desperate faces in front of her.
One man lifted his head slightly. "May I speak, noble lady?"
"Granted," Xiulan replied, crossing her arms.
The man raised his head slightly, revealing deep-set eyes and weathered skin. "We’re woodsmen from the eastern forests near Lin Manor, noble lady. Three days past, our landclaim caught fire."
"A fire?" Xiulan studied the group more carefully now. Soot still stained their clothes and skin.
"Yes, my lady. The landlord showed no mercy. Evicted us straight away." The man’s voice cracked. "We haven’t eaten proper since then."
Another woodsman coughed, drawing Xiulan’s attention to his bandaged arm. Burns peeked out from beneath the dirty wrappings.
"Why not head to Blackmere City?" Xiulan frowned. "It’s not far."
The spokesman gestured to his companions. "Three of us suffered burns in the fire. We’ve only managed this distance in three days, and the city..." He trailed off, shaking his head.
"Has no one stopped to help you?" Xiulan glanced down the road. It was empty except for her group, but merchant caravans and official carriages would be passing regularly on the route.
"They either mistake us for bandits or..." The man’s shoulders slumped. "Most folk don’t want to dirty their hands with beggars."
Xiulan accepted the bowl. A quick test with her needle confirmed it was safe, not that she thought Zhang Wei would poison her or there was much of a risk at this point, but building the habit would be good.
The dumplings tasted good—perfectly spiced pork wrapped in soft folds. She glanced at Zhang Wei, who stuffed two dumplings into his mouth at once.
It didn’t take long for her to finish her meal.
"Mei Chen." Xiulan set down her empty bowl. "I need you to speak with the woodsmen."
Mei Chen blinked. "Miss?"
"Find out about their landclaim, their landlord—anything they’ll share." Xiulan adjusted her sitting position on the carriage step. "They might tell you more than they’d tell me."
"But Miss Xiulan, shouldn’t you—"
"They won’t speak freely to a noble." Xiulan smiled at her maid’s confusion. "You’re closer to their station. They’ll trust you more."
Understanding dawned on Mei Chen’s face. "I’ll take care of it, miss." She nodded and headed toward the group of men.
"Why do you want to know about them, Sister?" Zhang Wei licked dumpling sauce from his fingers.
"The magistrate should have helped them already." Xiulan frowned at the makeshift camp. "Aid for displaced citizens is law, not charity. Something doesn’t add up."
"You’re so smart, Sister!" Zhang Wei bounced in his seat. "You helped these people and now you’re going to find out what really happened!"
Xiulan reached out and tousled Zhang Wei’s hair. He ducked away with a playful squeal.
"Maybe we’ll learn something useful." She massaged her temple as a wave of dizziness washed over her. "Though I need to rest now. The day has been long."
"Are you okay?" Zhang Wei straightened up, concern etched across his face.
"Just tired. I’ll retire to my tent." Xiulan stood carefully, steadying herself against the carriage. "Stay with the guards, okay?"
He nodded, but she could feel his eyes on her back as she walked off.
The interior of her tent provided blessed quiet. Xiulan sank onto the portable bed, staring up at the canvas ceiling. The fabric rippled softly in the evening breeze.
A strange disconnect settled over her. The old Xiulan would have ignored the woodcutters and would have cowered before the guard’s authority. Yet here she was, questioning everything, helping strangers, and taking charge.
Zhang Wei and Mei Chen seemed to accept the changes without question. They followed her lead, trusted her judgment. But were these actions truly her own? As Li Mei, she had played Phoenix Kingdom Chronicles cautiously, rarely taking risks. Even in the game world, she had stayed in her comfort zone.
Yet these decisive actions felt right. Natural. As if Xiulan had always wanted to act this way but couldn’t break free from her constraints. Was she simply enabling Xiulan’s true nature to emerge?
Li Mei or Lin Xiulan?
The thought struck like lightning.
The line between them blurred more each day.
Her identity stretched thin between two lives, two sets of memories, two different souls. She pressed her palms against her eyes.
The question echoed through her mind, impossible to answer: Which one was she?