Chapter 52 — The Talisman Painter Who Guards the Village

Days of Waiting

Five days after the private meeting with Tạ Vân Khê, Diệp Sương returned to the daily routine of an inner sect disciple - participating in practice sessions, helping with work at the sect's library, and being on duty at Cảnh Linh Đài and Thanh Việt like the old days - trying to keep as calm an appearance as possible, even though every moment inside was as tense as a string.

On the third morning after returning, while practicing drawing talismans in the common yard, Diệp Sương caught sight of Húc Bá Nguyên observing the classroom with his usual cold expression. This time, when their eyes met, he did not immediately turn away, but held her gaze a moment longer, making the back of her neck prickle.

"He's looking at me," Diệp Sương whispered to Âu Bội Nhi standing next to her.

"He always looks at everyone like that," Âu Bội Nhi replied, trying to reassure, but her voice could not hide the worry.

*

At noon, while on the way to the library, Diệp Sương happened to meet Sect Master Thư Khải Dương passing through the hallway, followed by a few upper class inner sect disciples. This was the first time since returning that he had the opportunity to come face to face with the sect leader.

Thư Khải Dương stopped walking for a moment when he saw it, his face still maintained the familiar calmness, but his eyes, when passing over it, had an unpredictable nuance - not quite cold, not quite friendly, but like he was considering something in his mind.

"You're back," he said, his voice deep but distant. "I heard that you have accomplished a lot of achievements on the border."

"I just did my best, Grand Master," Diệp Sương replied, bowing her head respectfully and trying to keep her voice calm.

Thư Khải Dương nodded, was silent for a moment as if he was about to say something more, but in the end he just smiled slightly and continued walking with his entourage, leaving Diệp Sương standing silently in the middle of the hallway, not sure how to interpret that short meeting.

*

That afternoon, at the sect's library, Diệp Sương took advantage of her free time to search for more information about the history of the protective battlefield around Vân Tiêu Peak, hoping to find some clues that could link with what was discovered at Tiêu Sa Pass. Most of the records related to the geological survey work around the foot of the mountain from more than ten years ago, just as Tất Bá Kỳ wrote, only a short note remains: transferred to central archives.

She sat quietly for a moment in front of that empty drawer, her fingers lightly brushing over the thick layer of dust, feeling like she was touching a deliberately created void, a hole in the collective memory of the entire sect that no one bothered to pay attention to until someone really needed to find it.

"Found anything?" A voice rang out behind him, causing him to turn around in surprise.

It was Tất Bá Kỳ, standing there with a tense expression, glancing around before stepping closer, lowering his voice. "I heard you're back," he said. "Be careful, this library is not a safe place to discuss sensitive matters. There are ears I'm not sure whose they belong to."

"Thank you for reminding me," Diệp Sương replied, quickly closing the drawer. "Did you find out anything else?"

"Nothing new," Tất Bá Kỳ said, his voice low. "But I feel that someone is closely monitoring every move around this matter. You should present it soon, as soon as possible, before they can erase all remaining traces."

*

That evening, Tạ Vân Khê sent someone to tell Diệp Sương and Thanh Việt to meet privately again, still in the small house behind the medicinal garden.

"I found an opportunity," she said as soon as they both sat down, her voice a bit more hurried than usual. "In three days, there will be a regular meeting of the council of elders, reviewing reports from the border guard areas. I have asked for an additional presentation slot, in the name of a more detailed report on the Tiêu Sa Pass situation."

"So that will be our chance to present all the evidence?" Diệp Sương asked, her heart beating fast.

"That's right," Tạ Vân Khê replied. "But I must say first, this will be a meeting with the full council present, including Elder Húc and the Grand Master. Once you have presented, there will be no turning back, and each person's reaction to what you have to say will tell me much of what I need to know."

*

Diệp Sương nodded, a mixture of determination and fear rising in her heart. "I'm mentally prepared," she said, although her voice was still a bit shaky.

"I believe you," Tạ Vân Khê said, her eyes softening. "But I also want you to prepare for the worst possibility. If there really is someone on the council involved in this, they will not sit idly by and let you expose the truth easily. They can counterattack, in any way possible, even in ways you cannot foresee."

Thanh Việt squeezed Diệp Sương's hand under the table, a silent gesture of reassurance. “We'll be careful,” he said.

*

On the way back to the room, Diệp Sương and Thanh Việt passed by the small garden where the disciples often gathered to rest at night. They saw Wei Bá Tuân standing there with a few close friends, chatting about something in a whisper. They stopped as soon as they saw the two people coming.

"What's up?" Diệp Sương asked softly, feeling the unusual silence.

"Nothing," Wei Bá Tuân replied, his voice curt, different from his usual provocation, then turned away with his friends, not even glancing back once.

"That's really strange," Thanh Việt commented. "He no longer has that overbearing look like before." Diệp Sương nodded, a new sense of insecurity arose, although it was impossible to clearly determine where it originated. Something is changing in the sect's atmosphere, an underlying tension that everyone feels but no one dares to say it out loud, like the sky before a big storm, when the wind has not yet blown but the pressure is already weighing heavily on each breath.

*

Two days before the meeting, Diệp Sương spent the entire evening rewriting everything that needed to be presented, arranging the documents in the most logical order, trying to express herself objectively, without inference, just presenting the truth as she had witnessed it with her own eyes.

She read and re-read the manuscript to Thanh Việt, editing every word, trying to remove any personal emotions that could make the presentation unconvincing before the council.

"You're ready," Thanh Việt said, after listening to the final draft, his voice full of pride. "This is a coherent presentation, enough to convince anyone who still maintains a fair mind."

"I hope so," Diệp Sương replied, folded the paper, and put it carefully in the chest along with the original package of documents.

That night, he slept restlessly, constantly dreaming of rotten wooden stakes standing in the middle of the barren land, seeing Húc Bá Nguyên's face flickering in the darkness, and somewhere, an unknown figure was quietly watching from afar, waiting for the opportunity to strike.

*

The next morning, when she woke up, Diệp Sương saw Âu Bội Nhi already sitting at the edge of her bed, her face unusually worried.

"You screamed something in your sleep," Âu Bội Nhi said, her voice full of concern. "I heard from the next room, ran over and saw you still sleeping soundly, sweat drenching your forehead."

"It's just a nightmare," Diệp Sương replied, sitting up, rubbing her face to try to dispel the remaining heavy feeling. "Nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?" Âu Bội Nhi asked, not completely convinced. "The meeting is two days away. Do you need any help from me? Even if it's just to sit next to you and review the presentation."

Diệp Sương smiled, took her friend's hand, her heart warmed at that sincere concern. “Having you here has been a big help,” she said. "Just knowing I'm not alone makes me feel much more stable."

Âu Bội Nhi hugged her tightly for a moment, then stood up, trying to use a cheerful voice to dispel the heavy air remaining from the dream. "Let's go have breakfast," she said. "If you're hungry, your mind is more likely to wander, I always say that."

Diệp Sương chuckled softly, feeling a little relieved at her friend's constant optimism, even though in her heart, she knew clearly that the remaining two days before the meeting would pass more slowly and more heavily than any waiting period she had ever experienced.

The two walked out of the room, joining the stream of disciples pouring into the communal house for breakfast. The usual bustling laughter and chatter echoed throughout the sect's courtyard as if nothing unusual was silently forming behind that peaceful shell. Diệp Sương looked around, trying to capture this familiar image - the curved tiled roofs, the ancient trees, the faces of fellow students who had become familiar over the years - as if a part of her, even though she didn't want to admit it, had a hunch that these peaceful days might soon be gone.