Song Huiya led the little beggar through a maze of narrow alleys until they reached an abandoned house on the city's edge.
The courtyard fence had collapsed long ago, now overgrown with waist-high weeds. Spider webs draped across the rotting beams, and someone had stripped even the windows from their frames. The place looked as desolate as the ruined temple outside the city walls.
Song Huiya found a corner and sank down against the wall. "Boil the medicine," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "There's a stove and water in the yard."
The moment the words left her mouth, her strength gave out completely. She closed her eyes and said nothing more.
When Song Huiya woke again, the dilapidated house was still the same drafty ruin.
But the unruly little beggar hadn't run off this time. She crouched in the middle of the open space, tending a small fire and muttering under her breath. Her hands worked frantically, fanning the smoke away from Song Huiya's direction.
The firewood was damp, sending up billowing clouds of white smoke that made the air thick and choking.
The bitter scent of medicinal herbs filled every corner of the cold, crumbling space—a smell so strong that even the wind whistling through the broken walls couldn't disperse it.
Song Huiya coughed softly. The little beggar froze, then glanced up at her. Seeing Song Huiya drenched in sweat and breathing hard, she quickly shifted position, fanning the thickening smoke toward the door instead.
"I didn't mean to smoke you out, lady!" she said defensively. "I've never boiled medicine before in my life. I'm being very careful with the fire!"
Song Huiya covered her nose and mouth with her sleeve, leaning heavily on her sword. "Is that so?" she said with mild amusement. "How pitiful for you."
The little beggar had never sounded more sincere. "Yes! I'm miserable! I've never had a lucky day in my entire life!"
Song Huiya sat quietly against the wall, her mind churning with thoughts. Everything felt empty and unreal. She clutched her sword tighter, as if it were the only solid thing left in the world.
The little beggar finally tired of standing. She plopped down on the ground and pulled out a chipped wooden bowl from behind her back. She started to hand it over directly, then thought better of it and wiped the rim with her sleeve. "Will you use my bowl?"
"Yes. Thank you," Song Huiya said simply.
"Thank you?" The little beggar blinked in surprise. "That's... unusually polite."
She mumbled something under her breath as she poured the medicine into the bowl and handed it over. When Song Huiya tilted her head back to drink, the beggar said with mock seriousness, "I put poison in it, you know."
Song Huiya glanced at her and ignored the comment. She drank the bitter liquid in several large gulps and handed the bowl back.
The little beggar snorted with disappointment. She turned away with exaggerated swagger and flopped down onto a pile of dried grass across from Song Huiya. Folding her arms behind her head and crossing one leg over the other, she let out a long, dramatic sigh.
Song Huiya didn't know how much time had passed. After a good rest, she felt considerably better. The silence felt strange without the little beggar's constant chatter. She broke it first. "Are you holding a grudge because I scolded you earlier?"
The little beggar pulled out two stalks of grass and began weaving them together in her hands. "I wouldn't dare hold a grudge," she said halfheartedly. "What's the big deal about being scolded? I've been getting yelled at since I could walk."
That meant yes, she was holding a grudge.
Song Huiya considered this for a moment, then asked suddenly, "Little Sparrow, if one day a mob came after you, shouting that they wanted you dead, and you'd already killed many people and carried countless grudges on your back—would you be afraid?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Song Huiya regretted them. She must be seriously ill to ask such a question.
But the little beggar answered without hesitation. "Why should I be afraid of them? They should be afraid of me!"
Song Huiya smiled despite herself. The bitter taste of medicine in her mouth seemed to fade a little.
"How old are you?"
The little beggar's arms were getting tired from holding them up. She rolled onto her side. "Maybe nine. Or maybe just seven. I'd have to ask the mother who gave birth to me."
Song Huiya was quiet for a while. "Do you want to learn to be better?"
"What does that mean?" The little beggar's head shot up eagerly. "Will you teach me martial arts?"
Song Huiya laughed softly. "I'd teach you principles first."
"What's in it for me?" The beggar's enthusiasm died instantly. "If there's no money in it, I'm not interested. Give me enough silver, and I'll be the kindest, most reasonable person in the world—just like that Sect Master Xie."
Song Huiya closed her eyes. "Forget it. Pretend I said nothing."
"Wait! Don't give up on me!" The little beggar lay on the ground, propping her chin in her hands to look at Song Huiya. She smiled hopefully. "I used to think I was a bad person, but since I saved you, maybe I'm actually good. Lady, I did save your life, didn't I?"
Song Huiya's response was ruthless. "You didn't really save me. You just chose not to kill me. Then you happened to meet someone more vicious than yourself. You must be regretting it now."
The little beggar's face fell. She grabbed a handful of hay and pulled it over her head, turning her back to Song Huiya. "I'm going to sleep now. My life is so miserable that sleep is the only thing that keeps me from starving. And if I ever get sick and die, no one will even boil medicine for me."
She grumbled a few more resentful words, and when Song Huiya didn't respond, she actually fell asleep.
The next morning, the little beggar woke before dawn to the hoarse calls of street vendors.
She rarely slept in the city—she was always afraid of being woken in the middle of the night. The empty houses that could shelter from rain were never safe places for her to stay.
If it was just another refugee who found her, the worst outcome would be getting chased away. But if the city patrol caught her, she'd be lucky to escape with just a beating.
The little beggar rubbed her eyes and looked across the room. Song Huiya was watching her. She couldn't tell if the woman had just woken up or had been sitting there all night.
The beggar perked up and said conspiratorially, "Hero, are you hungry? Should I buy you something to eat?"
"I am hungry," Song Huiya said calmly, "but I have no money. I used my last coin yesterday to pay you back for that steamed bun."
The little beggar smiled awkwardly. "Then... should I go beg for food? You just sit here. I'll see if anyone's feeling generous today. Or maybe you're lucky enough that heaven will drop some money on us."
She patted the dust off her clothes and stood up, gathering the scattered hay with her feet. Then Song Huiya said pointedly, "But I don't like eating other people's charity."
The little beggar spun around, her expression incredulous. She stared at Song Huiya for a long moment, confirming she wasn't joking. "Then should I break into an inn and steal you a whole table of fancy dishes?" she asked sarcastically.
Song Huiya shook her head as if reaching a serious decision. "I don't like eating other people's leftovers."
The little beggar's patience snapped. With a stiff smile, she asked, "Then what do you want to eat, hero?"
Song Huiya smiled pleasantly. "Steamed buns with white porridge. And an egg, if possible."
The little beggar was about to explode and call her insane, but Song Huiya pointed at her and said simply, "Go earn money."
"Me?" The little beggar nearly jumped. Her nostrils flared as she shouted, "If I could earn money, I wouldn't be living on the streets as a beggar!"
Song Huiya remained calm. "That can't be true. Think about it. Run errands, deliver letters, find people, gather herbs. There must be something you can do."
The little beggar asked reflexively, "Anything that makes money?"
Song Huiya saw through her plan immediately. "Were you thinking of helping the people in the city find Song Huiya?" she asked mildly.
The little beggar hesitated, momentarily thinking Song Huiya might sacrifice herself for the greater good. Her voice dropped. "Could I actually find her?"
Song Huiya's smile was bright and dangerous. "Before you find her, your head might roll across the floor first."
The little beggar said nothing.
Her expression shifted through a dozen emotions. She gritted her teeth and laughed dryly, still struggling. "Hero, you're joking, right?"
"I rarely joke." Song Huiya's expression grew serious. "Have you heard the saying? Evil people will be punished by evil. Unfortunately, I'm one of them."
She stood with the help of her sword and walked over to the little beggar. Looking down at her, she said, "Or you could help me with something. I won't shortchange you—I'll pay you double the going rate."
The little beggar exploded. "Who are you trying to fool? You just said you have no money!"
Song Huiya said matter-of-factly, "I can go get some."
"Get some?" The little beggar's breath came fast. She laughed bitterly. "You mean rob someone, don't you? You wouldn't let me rob anyone yesterday!"
Song Huiya said calmly, "That's my concern. It has nothing to do with you."
The little beggar felt like she'd experienced every kind of human cruelty, but she'd never met anyone this outrageous.
Song Huiya wanting to teach her, to make her better—it was more unbearable than being bullied. An indescribable panic rose in her chest, leaving her lost and disoriented.
"You want to lecture me?" The little beggar's head spun with ugly curses and vicious words, but some instinctive fear held her back. In the end, she just shouted, "I don't need it!"
Song Huiya looked at her steadily until the girl's face paled and her lips trembled. Only when she turned to leave did Song Huiya speak. "Didn't you say that if you had money, you'd be kinder than Xie Zhongchu? I'm willing to give you that chance. Why don't you need it?"
The little beggar said nothing.
Song Huiya stopped looking at her and walked to the door. "I've already spoken with the owner of Sun's Pharmacy in the north district. You can work there as an apprentice. If you don't do well, he can discipline you. If you do well, he'll pay you wages."
Sunlight streamed through the doorway, falling across the little beggar's feet. She stared at her red, swollen toes peeking through the holes in her shoes, lost in thought.
Song Huiya's voice became distant and blurred in her ears.
"I know you've had a hard life, Little Sparrow. Everyone has their own path to walk. This may be the only time our paths cross. Whether you take this road or not—that's your choice."
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