Little Pink Starfish

On How to Control Medicinal Men

Yu Xiaoxiao brought Jiang Zhuojun down the cliff. Tian Xingzi, glancing at the outer robe draped on Yu Xiaoxiao, tugged on Xiao Wei’s sleeve and said, “You’re her guard—why didn’t you think to give the princess a coat?”

Xiao Wei had already noticed the robe on their princess. He shot a look at the old Taoist but said nothing. He had wanted to give her a coat in the cave, but she refused. Besides, his own robe was currently wrapped around Gu Xinglang. What was he supposed to do—give her his undershirt?

The old Taoist bristled under that look. None of them ever treat me seriously!

“Princess,” Xiao Wei called.

Yu Xiaoxiao jogged over. Jiang Zhuojun was about Gu Xinglang’s size, so his robe looked huge on her—like a child wearing adult clothes. “Xiao Gu’s still not awake,” Yu Xiaoxiao said as she squatted down in front of Xiao Wei, patting Gu Xinglang’s cheek. Thanks to Xiao Wei shielding him from the cold with inner force, Gu Xinglang’s face was warm to the touch.

“What do we do now?” Xiao Wei asked.

Yu Xiaoxiao knew what he meant but didn’t answer immediately.

“The imperial physicians already checked him,” Xiao Wei said softly. “They all said his body’s fine. But why does he keep falling into these deep sleeps?”

“I don’t know either,” Yu Xiaoxiao frowned. “Looks like I’ll have to take Xiao Gu everywhere looking for doctors.”

The palace physicians were already the best in Fengtian, and the princess herself was highly skilled in medicine. If none of them could find the problem, where else could they go? Once, Yongsheng Temple might’ve been an option—but now? That’d be like throwing him to the wolves. And the princess would never allow it.

“Let’s head back,” Yu Xiaoxiao said and reached to pick up Gu Xinglang.

Xiao Wei stood up with Gu Xinglang in his arms. “I’ll carry the prince, Princess.”

Ergouzi had just put his coat back on and walked over. “Princess, is the prince consort okay?”

“He’s fine,” Yu Xiaoxiao said, shaking her head.

“Let’s go,” Tian Xingzi said, heading toward the blazing Bodhi Temple.

While Yu Xiaoxiao and Xiao Wei spoke, Jiang Zhuojun lingered in the distance. When the old Taoist walked ahead, he finally approached Yu Xiaoxiao.

“Xiao Jiang, let’s go,” she said.

Xiao Wei glanced at Jiang Zhuojun but said nothing as he walked on ahead with Gu Xinglang.

At the mountain gate, the ex-pirate bosses stood watching the temple, now engulfed in flames and smoke.

“Oh my god,” the First Boss muttered. “The whole place just caught fire like that?”

The Second Boss, face stiff with frost, said, “It’s Heaven’s doing. Can’t blame us.”

“No monks are trying to escape,” First Boss whispered. “Are they doing that ‘live with the temple, die with the temple’ stuff?”

No one spoke. None of them understood what was going on in those monks’ heads.

The Second Boss stomped to warm his feet and muttered, “The princess and prince haven’t come out yet.”

“That fire won’t kill them,” First Boss said confidently. “Let’s wait a little longer.”

As Yu Xiaoxiao walked along, she suddenly remembered something and turned to Jiang Zhuojun, who was walking just behind her. “Weren’t there four boys who came with you? Where are they?”

“They’re dead,” Jiang Zhuojun replied calmly.

Yu Xiaoxiao stopped in her tracks. “Dead?”

“They were fed to the medicinal men by this temple’s people,” he said, gesturing for her to keep walking as he spoke quietly.

Yu Xiaoxiao fell silent.

Jiang Zhuojun sighed heavily.

“They…” Yu Xiaoxiao finally spoke again after his sigh. “They didn’t turn into medicinal men?”

“I don’t know,” Jiang Zhuojun said. “The bell in the stone chamber was too loud. I wasn’t conscious for long.”

Yu Xiaoxiao asked, “Why did the monks ring that bell? Some sort of punishment?”

“I’ve never heard of a punishment like that,” Jiang Zhuojun said.

Yu Xiaoxiao recalled the large bell frame. It had looked like an automatic mechanism—definitely not something installed on a whim.

“Watch out,” Jiang Zhuojun suddenly pulled her aside, saving her from a collapsing, fire-scorched tile.

“Maybe the medicinal men are controlled by sound.” Just as Jiang Zhuojun was about to let go of her hand, Yu Xiaoxiao grabbed his in return, eyes bright. “Otherwise, why put a big bell in the stone chamber?”

Jiang Zhuojun recalled the sluggish medicinal men. When his four kin were thrown among them, there had been no bell ringing. That might mean…

“They’re mindless,” Yu Xiaoxiao mused, half to herself, half to him. “If you condition them to associate a certain sound with action, it’d be simple to control them.”
Zombies were the same way—mindless, following the scent of human flesh. If smell was the trigger for zombies, then for these medicinal men, maybe it was sound.

Jiang Zhuojun found her logic reasonable and was just about to say so when Yu Xiaoxiao let go of his hand and sprinted ahead. As her grip vanished, it felt like a piece of his heart went missing too.

“Xiao Wei,” Yu Xiaoxiao called out as she caught up to him. “Next time, let’s catch a few medicinal men.”

Before Xiao Wei could respond, the old Taoist tripped and fell flat on his face.

“Whoa, Taoist!” Ergouzi ran up to help.

The old Taoist waved him off and got up himself, looking at Yu Xiaoxiao. “What did you just say?”

“Catch a few medicinal men,” she repeated.

“What for?” he asked.

“Experiments,” Yu Xiaoxiao replied seriously.

Xiao Wei nodded. “Alright.”

The old Taoist: What do you even know? And you’re just saying okay?!

“Daozhang,” Yu Xiaoxiao asked, “Aside from Bodhi Temple, are there any other temples affiliated with Yongsheng Temple?”

He shook his head. “No more.”

“None?” Yu Xiaoxiao looked disappointed.

The old Taoist warned, “Princess, those medicinal men aren’t toys.”

Yu Xiaoxiao, Xiao Wei, and even Ergouzi all rolled their eyes at him. Who the heck thinks of using medicinal men as toys? How dumb do you have to be?

“The National Preceptor’s Huguo Temple won’t have any,” Yu Xiaoxiao said to Xiao Wei. “Wuhuan probably doesn’t either. We haven’t been to the Qinglong, Baihu, or Xuanwu kingdoms—maybe they have them?”