Chapter 57: Kingfisher Feather Art Hairpin
【1】
Doctor stared at the bronze artifacts illuminated under museum lights, their eerie glow accentuated by the glass display cases. His expression was filled with confusion.
Truth be told, he couldn't understand why he was wasting a perfectly good day off at the museum. But after glancing at the enthusiastic young Tang Yuan, Doctor resignedly wiped his face and continued patiently examining the ancient artifacts whose purposes remained unknown to him.
Being a weekend, the museum was far from its usual tranquility. Numerous parents had brought their children to visit. Although the energetic youngsters tried their best to contain their excitement, the museum had lost its customary silence, filled instead with hushed whispers and cheerful laughter.
After wandering through the bronze exhibition hall for a while, Doctor felt completely defeated by the unfamiliar inscriptions and mysterious bronze objects. He might as well be illiterate despite all his years of education. Straightening up with a sigh, he scanned the area only to discover that young Tang Yuan had disappeared in the blink of an eye. Following the crowd, he moved to the next exhibition hall.
This particular hall featured a special "Ten Miles of Wedding Dowry" exhibition, showcasing curated jewelry and accessories of ancient women from the museum's collection. While Doctor had even less interest in these items, they were at least more visually appealing than the bronze artifacts. He leisurely admired the displays, taking photos with his phone whenever something caught his eye. He had already confirmed that photography was permitted as long as flash wasn't used. Many visitors shared his approach, some even using professional-looking DSLR cameras.
Although people claimed to visit museums to experience Chinese culture and learn about ancient history, most merely skimmed through the exhibits. This made the young woman in the blue dress particularly conspicuous - she had been standing motionless before one display case for an unusually long time. As Doctor approached her side, he noticed she was fixated on a blue-green gold hairpin.
The hairpin was crafted in the shape of a bird's nest, with pearls inlaid for the head and eyes. The body portion displayed a mesmerizing blue-green hue. The material creating this color remained mysterious, shimmering with an ethereal blue glow under the lights. As viewers moved, the color shifted from cerulean to navy blue, almost as if it were a living creature.
Though no connoisseur of jewelry, Doctor found himself instantly captivated by the hairpin. Like the young woman, he stopped in his tracks before its display case.
The plaque inside the glass case read: Tang Dynasty Bird-shaped Kingfisher Feather Art Hairpin.
Kingfisher Feather Art? The term felt vaguely familiar to Doctor. Just as he was about to search for it on his phone, he felt two taps on his shoulder.
"How come you didn't look for me after arriving?" asked a deliberately hushed voice carrying a note of surprise.
Turning around, Doctor found himself facing a middle-aged gentleman in his forties. The man possessed sharply defined features and wore gold-rimmed glasses perched on his prominent nose bridge. Several wrinkles etched across his forehead only enhanced his scholarly demeanor. Leaning on a walking stick, he appeared to have some difficulty with mobility."Ah! It's you!" The Doctor froze for a moment before remembering this middle-aged man was the kind soul who had specially returned the runaway Tang Yuan late at night. At that time, they hadn't even exchanged a few words of proper thanks before the man was dragged away by his companion. Running into him now, the Doctor was pleasantly surprised, pondering how to express his gratitude—at the very least, he should treat this man to a meal. But before he could speak, the blue-dressed woman beside him, who had been staring intently at the Kingfisher Feather Art hairpin, also turned and greeted the man: "Hello, Curator."
Huh? Curator? This middle-aged man was actually the museum's curator? The Doctor immediately felt a surge of respect. As someone with poor grades in liberal arts, to him, a museum curator represented the pinnacle of cultured individuals—utterly unattainable! Just as he wanted to chat more, he noticed the curator's eyes behind his glasses looking at him strangely.
"Your girlfriend?" the Curator asked in surprise. The blue-dressed woman was taken aback and quickly waved her hands. "We don't know each other."
"Oh, oh!" The Curator coughed lightly in embarrassment.
The Doctor also felt quite awkward. He turned to examine the blue-dressed woman beside him. She appeared to be just over twenty years old, with fair skin and delicate features, lovely and refined. However, there was a two-centimeter red mark near her right eye that at first glance looked like a scratch from something, but the Doctor immediately recognized it wasn't an injury.
"This is a birthmark," the blue-dressed woman explained with a smile, clearly accustomed to such gazes. Her features were exquisite, and her smile was particularly elegant and graceful, yet the birthmark at the corner of her eye was strikingly out of place, marring her beauty and evoking a sense of pity.
"Um... I'm a doctor. Would you like me to recommend our hospital's cosmetic dermatology department?" the Doctor suggested out of professional habit. With medical technology having advanced to such an extent, not just a birthmark but even a complete face change was possible.
The blue-dressed woman touched the red mark at her eye corner and politely declined with a smile, "Thank you, but I don't wish to remove this birthmark." Clearly not wanting to dwell on the topic, she glanced at the Kingfisher Feather Art hairpin in the display case, then at the Curator, and finally mustered the courage to ask, "Curator, is this Kingfisher Feather Art hairpin truly from the Tang Dynasty? Although its style is dignified and majestic, fitting Tang aesthetics, Kingfisher Feather Art usually only lasts about a hundred years, right? And the colors of this hairpin are so vibrant—could it possibly be from the Ming or Qing Dynasties, or even a more recent imitation of Tang-style artifacts? After all, replicating antiques has been popular in every era..."
Clearly, this question had been on her mind for a while, and once spoken, her words tumbled out rapidly, her expression excited.
The Curator waved his hand, signaling them to follow him out of the exhibition hall to chat. Though the Doctor felt his earlier suggestion about cosmetic surgery was impolite, he was too curious about the blue-dressed woman's question to leave, so he stepped out after them."The art of Kingfisher Feather Art can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, when it was called Yu Po, a technique of inlaying insect wings onto gold and silver." Later, as the Yupo craft evolved and became more specialized, the technique specifically involving inlaying kingfisher feathers came to be known as Kingfisher Feather Art." The Curator explained in such detail primarily to accommodate the Doctor, who might not understand. "Most of the surviving Kingfisher Feather Art accessories today date back to the Ming and Qing dynasties, as earlier pieces have largely not been preserved. Moreover, the Kingfisher Feather Art pieces on display have undergone restoration, such as re-coloring or re-inlaying the feathers."
"I see." The woman in the blue dress seemed somewhat wistful upon hearing this, clearly assuming the Kingfisher Feather Art hairpin in the display case had also been restored.
"But this Kingfisher Feather Art hairpin hasn't been refurbished." The Curator's tone was filled with pride as he adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose and chuckled. "This hairpin is displayed alone precisely because it was found in this condition when excavated. Since its discovery, countless scholars have questioned its age and origin, but after carbon-14 dating, no one has raised further doubts."
"Carbon-14 dating?" The Doctor, encountering an unfamiliar term, inquired studiously.
"It's a dating method that uses the half-life of carbon-14 to determine the age of an object. For any carbon-containing material, by measuring the remaining radioactive carbon-14 content, we can estimate its age. This method can date organic materials, and both the pearls and the Kingfisher Feather Art on this hairpin have been confirmed to be from the Tang Dynasty. It has even been more precisely dated, possibly to the late Tang period." The Curator patiently explained, and his calm, detailed account attracted a crowd of children.
"Grandpa, if Kingfisher Feather Art is so beautiful, why isn't it made anymore?" A little girl raised her hand to ask. She had just visited the Ten-Mile Dowry exhibition hall and had taken a particular liking to that Kingfisher Feather Art hairpin, even tugging at her mother's hand and fussing, saying she wanted one too. But her mother had firmly refused, explaining it was impossible to buy, leaving the girl feeling disheartened.
"Because Kingfisher Feather Art requires the feathers of kingfishers. To make one hairpin, we'd have to kill such beautiful little birds—isn't that cruel?" The Curator was even more patient with children, softening his tone considerably.
The little girl scrunched up her dumpling-like face, tilted her head, and thought hard for a moment before mumbling, "If it's just the feathers, can't we just clip them like we shear sheep every once in a while?"
"Because all kingfishers in the kingfisher family are highly sensitive. When they come into contact with humans, they become extremely stressed, refuse to eat, and may even fly around frantically and injure themselves, let alone be kept in captivity or bred. They are beautiful wild animals that cannot be domesticated, unlike cattle or sheep." This time, it wasn't the Curator who spoke, but the woman in the blue dress. Her gaze was distant, as if imagining something or reminiscing about something."I see..." The little girl puffed out her cheeks, somewhat unconvinced but unable to articulate why. Noticing this, the Curator began explaining patiently: "As recorded in 'Huainanzi', Qin Shi Huang coveted the rhinoceros horns, elephant tusks, kingfisher feathers, and pearls of the Baiyue region, thus dispatching 500,000 troops to conquer it. But does anyone know what these four treasures actually refer to?"
"Rhino horns! Elephant tusks!"
"I know about jadeite - that green jade! Mommy really wants some, she even argued with Daddy about it last time!"
"What are pearls? Are they like regular pearls?"
The surrounding children immediately chimed in with answers while their parents stood by smiling. This museum regularly held various lecture activities, and on weekends there were many volunteers ready to teach children about history, which was why parents enjoyed bringing their children here.
"You're correct about the rhino horns, elephant tusks and pearls. Actually, all four treasures came from animals! In ancient times, the term 'jadeite' referred to kingfishers. Kingfishers possess both green and jade colors, hence the name. It wasn't until the Ming Dynasty when Burmese jade entered China that the term came to mean what it does today, because the jade shared similar colors with kingfishers." The Curator, quite comfortable with this teaching format, stroked his cane while continuing, "So what ancient texts called 'pearls and kingfishers' refers to ornaments like that Kingfisher Feather Art hairpin over there, adorned with pearls and kingfisher feathers. Such hairpins in ancient times could only be afforded by imperial consorts and princesses because they were extremely rare and precious. More luxurious than modern diamond rings - not something money alone could buy."
"During the Tang Dynasty, extravagance was celebrated. Starting with Princess Anle, there was even a trend of woven skirts. Know what those are? Commonly called 'hundred-bird skirts', they weren't made with bird Plumage for head ornaments, but used for entire skirts - the luxury was simply unbelievable."
The children's eyes widened in amazement. If a single Kingfisher Feather Art hairpin was so beautiful, imagine an entire dress!
"Then came the Song Dynasty, when Emperor Taizu of Song put a stop to such decadent practices. When Zhao Kuangyin saw his daughter wearing clothes adorned with kingfisher feathers, he persuaded her against it and issued an edict banning the use of kingfisher feathers. Even Emperor Huizong of Song, the emperor who lost the Song empire due to the Flower and Stone Convoy, reaffirmed this ban during his reign."
"Emperor Huizong probably didn't dislike luxury per se," interjected a woman in a blue dress, "but rather he enjoyed painting birds and couldn't bear to see them harmed for their feathers." Her expression then turned somber: "But bans are just bans - people still secretly hunted kingfishers for Kingfisher Feather Art."
"By the Southern Song period, Emperor Gaozong took the lead by destroying over six hundred kingfisher feathers tribute from Jiaozhi, and established the 'crime of wearing gold-destroyed clothing', which applied to Kingfisher Feather Art as well. Those who didn't destroy their gold-adorned or kingfisher feather clothing faced two years of exile if discovered. However, during the Ming and Qing dynasties, with commercial prosperity and the sprouting of capitalism, the bans could no longer control these luxury items, and Kingfisher Feather Art flourished for a time.""However, the number of kingfishers is limited, and due to prolonged human hunting, they have become increasingly scarce. Yet market demand kept growing, so artisans later began replacing kingfisher feathers with blue silk or glass. By the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China era, enamel firing techniques had completely replaced Kingfisher Feather Art. Today, with kingfishers being nationally protected animals, this craft has entirely become history."
The Curator summarized the development of Kingfisher Feather Art in just a few sentences, his expression growing complex. No one wants to see craftsmanship passed down for thousands of years disappear. But times change, and not everything can endure forever - this is precisely the fascination and significance of archaeology.
"Grandpa, did the kingfishers not want to be caught because of their feathers?" The little girl blinked her bright eyes, looking up to ask.
"Yes, of course the kingfishers didn't want that," the Curator answered gently.
"But what about pearls? Don't clams not want to be killed for the pearls in their bellies? And the cows, sheep, and pigs we eat - don't they want to live too?" the little girl asked innocently.
"Well..." The Curator was stumped. This was touching on philosophical questions, even Buddhist concepts - how could he explain this clearly to a child?
"And plants? Trees growing happily get chopped down and carved! They probably don't want that either! What about stones? I read that stones change too - maybe they grow very slowly. Who knows if stones are alive? They probably don't want to be stepped on or broken apart either!" The little girl became a walking encyclopedia of "whys," her seemingly naive but deeply unsettling questions leaving everyone speechless. Her mother looked embarrassed, clearly familiar with her daughter's devastating questioning power but still unsure how to handle the situation.
"Little sister, you can buy kingfisher hairpins on Taobao - there are lots of varieties!" Hearing a familiar voice, the Doctor looked closer and realized it was Tang Yuan, who had appeared out of nowhere. With this single remark, Tang Yuan immediately diverted the little girl's attention. Her mother understandingly took out her phone - naturally, most kingfisher hairpins on Taobao were imitations, some costing just a few dozen yuan with free shipping to the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai area, perfectly sufficient to satisfy a child. Besides, the little girl wasn't really seeking answers - she just wanted a shiny accessory. Who cared if it was made from real kingfisher feathers? The ultimate solution for dealing with females of all ages was shopping, whether they were eight or eighty.
The Doctor sighed in admiration - this twelve-year-old Tang Yuan already knew how to make girls happy. What would he be like when he grew up?
Soon the parents began exchanging Taobao shopping tips, the Curator was called away by others, and the woman in the blue dress returned to the exhibition hall to look at the kingfisher hairpin again. But the Doctor had no desire to see it anymore.
The thought that such beautiful accessories were created by depriving beautiful creatures of their lives made him deeply uncomfortable.
"Don't tell me you've been swayed by that little girl's words?" Tang Yuan glanced at his expression and curled his lip. "By her logic, not only couldn't you eat meat - you couldn't even eat vegetables! Are you going to starve to death to avoid killing living things?" The Doctor shuddered and quickly shook his head. As a food lover, he certainly couldn't give up delicious food."Domesticated plants and livestock are cultivated by humans. If they weren't intended for consumption or use, they wouldn't exist in the first place." Tang Yuan spoke with conviction. "Wild animals, on the other hand, cannot be domesticated and are scarce in number. To maintain ecological balance and environmental stability, we shouldn't hunt them indiscriminately. Besides, if peacock meat truly tasted better than chicken, peacocks wouldn't be displayed in zoos today—they'd be raised on farms. Have faith in the culinary culture our great nation has developed over thousands of years." The Doctor listened in silent exasperation, choosing not to debate whether the boy was right, though he had to admit a 12-year-old had somehow persuaded him.
"Let's go! Next is the Blades and Shadows exhibition hall—all weapons! You'll love it, Uncle!" Tang Yuan tugged at the Doctor's sleeve, energetically dragging him toward the next gallery. Not far away, the Curator watched the pair depart and grumbled at Lu Zigang, "Look what you did—why rush me over here? I barely got to speak with the kid!"
Lu Zigang thought to himself that he couldn't risk letting the Curator chat longer with the Doctor. A few more sentences might have led the Curator to inadvertently reveal details about the Boss. Though the Hengwu incense had erased the Doctor's memories of the Boss, the recollections of those connected to him were merely blurred, not wholly eliminated. What if a stray clue sparked remembrance?
"I've finished inspecting everything. Aside from that Yuan dynasty blue-and-white porcelain, there's another antique with serious issues," Lu Zigang said seriously, changing the subject. He'd come to the museum at the Curator's request to check for anomalies among the artifacts. Conducting the survey during busy hours was intentional—strong yang energy made it easier to detect traces of yin energy. Many antiques retained lingering spirits to some degree, but while some were harmless, others demanded attention. "The blue-and-white piece isn't too problematic with you around, but the other one..."
"Which one?" The Curator immediately dropped his complaints, his expression turning grave. After the previous incident with the Celadon Figurine, though aware of the pitfalls of superstition, he periodically invited Lu Zigang for inspections.
"The Tang dynasty kingfisher feather hairpin shaped like a sparrow, in the Decade of Bridal Dowries exhibition hall."
【2】
After 5 p.m., the museum's daytime bustle gradually subsided into tranquility. Cleaning staff swiftly tidied each exhibition hall, and as visitor numbers dwindled, the brilliant lights dimmed one by one. Eventually, even the central air conditioning whirred to a halt, plunging the space into utter silence.
"Tch, those human brats were so noisy today. Absolutely unbearable," a eerie voice rasped abruptly, shattering the quiet with its complaint.
"Oh come now, it's not the first time. Why aren't you used to it by now? Though I will say, the humans visiting us in recent years have been much younger. No more endless streams of elderly gentlemen—now we get to refresh our eyes with handsome youths and adorable boys!" a lively voice chirped playfully.
"But I detest those metal boxes they carry. Some never remember to turn off that blinding flash! At this rate, my old eyes will go blind in a few years!" an aged voice lamented with a sigh."Tch, didn't you notice there was something odd about one young man today?"
"Which one? That bespectacled fellow wandering around aimlessly while muttering complaints? He couldn't even read my name - is the character '簋' really that difficult? How illiterate!"
"Oh... that character reads as 'guǐ'..."
"My goodness, I just learned that too..."
"..."
"Tsk, not that one."
"Then was it the girl in the blue dress? The one with the birthmark at the corner of her right eye? Just another brainless fan captivated by Qing Yu's beauty, nothing particularly noteworthy."
"There was a young man carrying strange jade artifacts. He definitely noticed our uniqueness, especially staring at Qing Yu several times."
"Even if he noticed something, so what? What could he possibly do to us? We're all national-level cultural relics!"
Tonight's museum after-hours remained as restless as usual.
At the center of these discussions was Qing Yu, the name of that Tang dynasty kingfisher feather hairpin shaped like a sparrow. It lay quietly on black velvet, its pearl-made eyes fixedly gazing beyond the glass case, as if piercing through the suffocating darkness to see distant memories.
【3】
Year 866 AD.
It was a young kingfisher, like its siblings, recently driven out of the warm nest by their mother and no longer allowed to return.
They had reached adulthood and must now fend for themselves.
The siblings flew off in different directions. It drifted aimlessly for a while before finally settling beside a small stream. Perching steadily, it used its beak to preen its Plumage. Having just reached maturity, its feathers were far less beautiful and dense than its mother's, but after shedding its unsightly down, the kingfisher-blue and lilac-white feathers had fully grown in. It rather liked them and would often remember to groom itself.
After spending quite some time tidying its feathers, the little kingfisher looked down from the branch, satisfied to see a beautiful young kingfisher reflected in the river's surface.
Once it had admired itself enough, its gaze gradually shifted to the riverbank.
It couldn't fly any farther. It had already noticed unnaturally broken vegetation and scattered footprints—signs of human activity nearby. Tilting its head on the branch, the little kingfisher recalled its mother's warnings, which had emphasized how terrifying humans were. Because humans couldn't grow feathers themselves, they envied the birds' beautiful Plumage, capturing and killing them to pluck their feathers and adorn their heads. How cruel!
Its father had long ago died at human hands, and its mother had been captured and transported to the capital, only escaping after immense hardship. By then, she had already strayed far from their homeland, never to return. Discovering she was carrying their siblings, she had no choice but to settle in a nearby grove. The little kingfisher had never visited the warm, beautiful homeland described by its mother. It was born in the heat of summer, and now autumn had arrived, the weather noticeably colder. When driving them from the nest, their mother had urged them to build their own nests quickly. But first, they needed to fill their bellies.
Observing its surroundings and finding no signs of humans about, the little kingfisher perched calmly on a riverside branch, intently watching the ripples on the water's surface.
Its mother had taught them how to catch small fish, demonstrating repeatedly by swiftly diving into the water, accurately snatching fish or shrimp beneath the surface, and elegantly soaring back up. The little kingfisher had attempted this several times but with limited success—catching prey two or three times out of ten attempts was considered good.
Now, venturing out alone to make its way in the world, it had to improve its success rate. Otherwise, it would waste energy and need to catch even more small fish to recover. Staring at the water, the little kingfisher pondered gravely. Kingfishers possessed vision unmatched by other species, easily seeing underwater fish and shrimp through the surface. Naturally, it had inherited this keen eyesight, but experience had taught it that the view from above the water differed from reality. It didn't understand why this was—it only needed to learn the patterns.The sparkling stream murmured as it flowed through the woods. On a riverside branch, a little kingfisher stood as still as a sculpture. Under the sunlight, its emerald Plumage shimmered with dazzling, brilliant colors, like a pearl among sand grains—impossible to conceal and inevitably eye-catching, making one instinctively want to cup it in their hands and claim it as their own.
The little kingfisher had long heard the soft, muffled footsteps behind it. Instead of flying away in haste, it held its ground, determined to teach the intruder a lesson.
Truthfully, it didn’t find humans particularly frightening.
It had seen humans trespassing into the woods before and had even ventured beyond the forest to catch distant glimpses of human settlements from afar.
Humans lacked sharp teeth, robust physiques, or wings for flight. With only two legs, they ran slowly and stumbled easily. Devoid of any means of self-defense, they dwelled in large nests built of wood and stone—utterly fragile. It couldn’t fathom why its mother was so afraid of humans!
Watch this!
A wooden stick whistled through the air as it swung down. The little kingfisher abruptly took flight, evading the ill-intentioned strike. Instead of fleeing immediately, it retaliated, slashing fiercely at the attacker with its sharp claws.
A direct hit!
See? Humans are truly weak! A mere scratch drew blood! Their skin, unprotected by fur or feathers, was pitifully tender and vulnerable.
Proud of itself, the little kingfisher flew to a high branch nearby and looked down.
But that single glance froze it in place.
Its keen eyesight clearly revealed what lay beneath the wooden stick it had assumed was aimed at itself—a dead black snake, its body still twitching faintly. Judging by the distance, had that human not struck the snake with the stick, the kingfisher would have surely perished in the serpent’s jaws! That human had saved it! And what had it done in return? It had clawed the human’s face! Had its claws strayed slightly to the side, the human would have lost an eye… Overwhelmed with regret and guilt, the little kingfisher fluttered its wings restlessly, uncertain of what to do.
The human in the blue dress looked up, clutching her right cheek as if checking if the kingfisher was unharmed. Then, she picked up the black snake and left. Staring at the patch of blood on the grass, the little kingfisher finally spread its wings and followed.
【4】
Xianyi Temple.
“How on earth did Lu Qiao get that scar on her face? With such a mark, how will she ever marry?”
“Exactly! When asked, she only says it was an accident. Do you think her troublesome mistress might have struck her?”
“Tsk, I wouldn’t be surprised. That fake nun is capable of anything!”
Standing under the corridor, Lu Qiao overheard the temple matrons gossiping. She knew that no matter what she said or did at this moment, it would be futile. People always preferred to hear what they wanted to hear; even if they didn’t, they’d twist others’ words to fit their desired narrative. So, even if she tried to explain, they wouldn’t believe her. In such situations, it was better to avoid them altogether.She held the teacup in one hand while the other unconsciously touched the red mark near her right eye. She couldn't quite recall what had been going through her mind that day in the woods when she spotted that little kingfisher. Instantly captivated by its dazzling emerald plumage, she had grabbed a wooden stick and swung at the black snake beside it without a second thought. The startled bird's defensive reaction was only natural—it was her own lack of foresight and preparation that was to blame. After the initial shock and anger subsided, she had no choice but to accept the outcome.
Despite applying medicine immediately, the wound had inevitably left a scar after scabbing over. Claiming she didn't care would be a lie—every woman treasures her appearance. Yet as a maid, being more beautiful than her mistress would have been a curse. Indeed, after her face was marred, life had become considerably easier. Her young mistress had grown much more tolerant, no longer finding excuses to torment her out of suspicion that she might be involved with the mistress's lover. In truth, she felt quite sorry for her mistress.
Her mistress, surnamed Yu and named Youwei, had been a renowned talented beauty in Chang'an from a young age. She later became the concubine of the top scholar Li Yi. While this seemed an enviable life, she was divorced just three months after marriage due to Li Yi's noble-born wife, Pei Shi. Forced to seek refuge, she became a Taoist nun at a temple near the Qujiang River, adopting the religious name Yu Xuanji.
Although Li Yi donated a substantial sum to the Xianyi Temple, nearly funding its complete renovation and securing her mistress's future, it couldn't erase the fact that she had been abandoned. Initially, her mistress longed endlessly for Li Yi, composing countless poignant poems she could never send him. She would cast these verses into the stream, letting her sorrows flow away with the water. The stream meandered past the Xianyi Temple into the Qujiang River, carrying the poems downstream and attracting numerous literati who came seeking their source. After her heart was shattered by Li Yi, her mistress seemed transformed—becoming unrestrained and mingling freely with many men, which only heightened her fame.
Lu Qiao waited quietly for several matrons to pass before emerging from the corridor with the tea tray. Crossing the temple courtyard, she arrived at Yu Xuanji's residence, the Mysteries Study. The moment she pushed the door open, a teacup shattered at her feet.
"What took you so long? Off seducing men again? Can't you stay put even with that ruined face?" Yu Xuanji demanded sharply. Dressed in stark black Taoist robes, her long hair was meticulously pinned up with a wooden hairpin, accentuating her bare-faced, cold elegance that seemed both untouchable and compelling enough to make one kneel at her feet.
Lu Qiao offered no defense, knowing her mistress merely needed to vent. Any response would only invite more scolding and whipping. Previously, her mistress had tempered her punishments to protect her reputation. But since arriving at the Xianyi Temple, she seemed a different person—the bruises beneath Lu Qiao's clothes had become a constant reality."Why aren't you speaking? Tell me! Did you deliberately scar your face? Brother Wei even specifically asked if I was the one who whipped you! You restless little vixen! I never should have bought you back out of pity back then!" As Yu Xuanji spoke, she picked up the horsetail whisk nearby and struck out. Lu Qiao lowered her eyes, her body flinching from the pain, yet inwardly relieved that her mistress wasn't too angry today—otherwise, she would have brought out the whip. Perhaps it was Lu Qiao's silent, passive resistance that left Yu Xuanji feeling unsatisfied, for she stopped after a few strikes and irritably pushed a box on the table, pulling out a key she kept on her person. "Go put these pearls away."
Lu Qiao took the box, knowing it must be a gift from some admirer of her mistress. Judging by her mistress's expression, she estimated the size and number of pearls in the box, guessing they weren't quite to her mistress's liking. She stood up, bowed, then crossed the hall to the most hidden storeroom of the Mysteries Study. Using the key she had just received, she unlocked the storeroom door.
Inside were stored various treasures, mostly luxurious robes and accessories. Some were her mistress's dowry, some were gifts from Li Yi, and others were from numerous admirers after she came to the Xianyi Temple. Yet her mistress never wore them, usually dressing in simple Daoist robes with a wooden hairpin. Others might think her mistress was content being a Daoist nun, but Lu Qiao knew that although these treasures were seldom used, they never gathered dust. Her mistress often cleaned them personally and rarely allowed Lu Qiao to touch or arrange them.
After dutifully placing the box on a shelf, Lu Qiao quickly exited, locked the door, and returned to the hall without delay, handing the key back to Yu Xuanji. Yu Xuanji rubbed the bronze key in her hand, a faint, mocking smile curling her crimson lips. "All the things in that room can't compare to that woman's single set of Kingfisher Feather Art jewelry." Lu Qiao listened silently, knowing her mistress's resentment still lay with Li Yi's wife, Pei Shi. If Li Yi's wife hadn't been from the Pei family—one of the four great clans of Guanzhong—her mistress wouldn't have ended up in a temple, becoming a Daoist nun who "wonders where to send her endless letters."
But Kingfisher Feather Art... it was a luxury only nobles could use, not something money alone could buy... Lu Qiao thought of that dazzling little kingfisher in the sunlight and deeply bowed her head. She didn't know why a kingfisher, found only in the Nanyue region, had appeared in the nearby woods. If not for the scars on her face, she might have thought it was all her imagination.
"If you like something, you must grasp it firmly in your hands," Yu Xuanji vowed bitterly. The first man she had ever loved in her life belonged to someone else. She had gritted her teeth and entered his household as a concubine, yet what she wanted still wasn't hers. When she was about to be expelled, she asked for a set of Kingfisher Feather Art jewelry of her own, only to be coldly refused and told she wasn't qualified to wear it!
What a joke! She, Yu Xuanji, would definitely make a set of Kingfisher Feather Art jewelry that belonged to her alone! Lu Qiao shrank her head, minimizing her presence.The day passed as slowly as usual. In the evening, after arranging for the maids to deliver hot water to the young lady, Lu Qiao returned to her side chamber. The thin walls could hardly block the cheerful laughter of the man and woman next door, and a trace of helplessness finally appeared on Lu Qiao's expressionless face. After lighting the oil lamp, she quietly began tidying her bed to prepare for sleep.
Just as she was about to extinguish the lamp, she suddenly sensed something and glanced toward the loosely shut window, catching a glimpse of a faint blue hue under the moonlight.
A little kingfisher stood motionless on a branch outside the window, tilting its head and staring at her.
[5]
The little kingfisher thought the servant it had recently acquired was truly excellent. Every day, she prepared food and clean water for it. The small fish were meticulously cleaned, with innards and scales removed, and cut into bite-sized pieces that it could swallow in one go—the taste was indescribably delightful. As the weather turned colder, on chilly nights, it could nestle in the warmth of a heated room, without even having to build its own nest! The little kingfisher was very satisfied, though it also felt somewhat uneasy. It had originally flown over to check on this human out of guilt after seeing the black snake's corpse, but instead, it ended up being pampered and cared for.
Surely, she must be captivated by my graceful presence? The little kingfisher stood before the bronze mirror, intoxicated by its increasingly vibrant plumage.
Perhaps due to the recent improvement in diet and the absence of exposure to the elements and hunger, its plumage had become far more resplendent than its mother's. After all, its mother had to fend for herself while also caring for several fledglings—how could that compare to its current comfort?
"Qing Yu? Qing Yu?"
A gentle voice called softly. The little kingfisher knew this was the name its servant had given it. "Cui" meant kingfisher, and "Qing Yu" meant blue feathers. Though it didn't fully grasp the meaning, after hearing it repeatedly, it recognized the sounds as its call. It looked at the hand extended toward it, thought for a moment, then tilted its head and rubbed against the warm palm, eliciting a contented laugh.
Alright, then it would be called Qing Yu. It sounded like a pleasant name.
It quite liked the smile on its servant's face. The red mark at the corner of her eye grew on it more and more—this was the imprint it had left on its servant, so it would never mistake her for someone else! After all, humans looked so peculiar; it couldn't tell them apart! And those brown-black eyes—when she gazed at it with full attention, it could see two tiny reflections of itself in those clear pupils. It was wonderfully magical and brought it great joy. Hmm! It would strive to become even more beautiful, so its servant would never look at other birds again!
"Kingfisher Jade—Kingfisher Jade—" Qing Yu chirped happily. This was the call of the kingfisher clan, one of the reasons they were named "Feicui" (kingfisher jade).
"Shh—" The palm stroking it grew tense.
Qing Yu reluctantly softened its voice, though it didn't understand why its servant disliked it making noise indoors. Fluttering its wings a few times, Qing Yu darted out through the crack in the window left open for it. It only stayed here to sleep at night; during the day, it still needed to frolic in the forest.Moreover, it had its own little concerns. It had never experienced winter here, nor had its mother, but based on the temperature changes, it instinctively sensed that this place would be much harsher than the warm southern lands its mother had described. If it could find its mother and siblings, perhaps its servant could settle the whole family comfortably. After all, its servant's room was so spacious—just leaving them a spot on the beams would be more than enough! The more Qing Yu thought about it, the happier it became, singing freely among the trees and calling out to its family in familiar tones. There had been no news for days, so today it would fly a little farther.
After many overcast and foggy days, the sun finally made a rare appearance in the sky. Qing Yu spread its wings, darting through the gaps in the leaves like a sprite. The clear weather provided unobstructed visibility, but the more it flew, the more it felt something was amiss in the forest. There were numerous trampled and broken plants, and some areas were covered with footprints, indicating that more than one or two humans had been walking through the woods, even deep within. Though the sunlight felt warm on its body, an uneasy thought began to rise in Qing Yu’s heart.
The silent forest seemed to hide a monster, sending chills down its spine.
Finally, it perched on a tree branch and remained motionless for a long while. Not far away, scattered among the grass, were several clusters of kingfisher-blue feathers, mixed with traces of long-dried blood that had turned brown.
A long, long time later, a piercing cry echoed through the woods.
【6】
“That young lady seems quite cheerful today, and her temper isn’t as unpredictable. Did her sweetheart manage to soothe her?”
“What are you talking about! I heard she hired someone to catch a few small birds. Not to keep them, but to pluck their feathers. Tsk tsk, how cruel! I was the one who had to clean up the bird carcasses. To do such a thing in a Taoist temple—it’s a sin…”
“Why pluck their feathers for no reason?”
“They say it’s for making that jewelry called Kingfisher Feather Art. I caught a glimpse once—those feathers were truly beautiful, a vivid kingfisher-blue, with some soft ones in a lavender hue. They must look absolutely stunning when paired together.”
Standing under the corridor, Lu Qiao overheard this. Thinking of Qing Yu, who had flown out early in the morning and hadn’t returned, she couldn’t hold back any longer. She stepped forward anxiously and asked, “Madam, could you tell me more about it?”
The two old women, who loved to gossip, were delighted to have someone eager to listen and eagerly took turns chattering, though they offered little useful detail. The more Lu Qiao listened, the more frantic she became, itching to confront her young lady directly. She shouldn’t have been so careless—Qing Yu was never meant to be a captive creature, and now that it had grown accustomed to her kindness, it likely wouldn’t be wary around other humans. And with that beautiful Plumage of its, it was a case of “guilty of possessing a treasure”... The more Lu Qiao thought about it, the more terrified she felt. She hastily bid farewell to the gossiping women and rushed into the Mysteries Study to confront her young lady. Just as she reached the door, she overheard her young lady inside, entertaining a jeweler, their conversation faintly drifting out.
“…What do you mean? These feathers aren’t enough for even one hairpin? Are they not up to the standard for Kingfisher Feather Art? But the color and texture look so similar!” That was her young lady’s voice, frantic with frustration."This feather is indeed taken from a kingfisher. Though it's unclear why kingfishers appear in this region, the rarity of Kingfisher Feather Art isn't solely due to the scarcity of kingfishers, but also because capturing them without damaging the feathers is extremely difficult," the jeweler sighed with emotion. "Kingfishers are naturally small in size. While there are feathers of other colors in the world, the most precious azure hard feathers only come from ten on each wing and eight on the tail. The lavender soft feathers are only usable from the down around the neck. If the capture method is rough, causing the kingfisher to struggle and lose feathers, the usable ones become even fewer."
"...Then can these feathers be used for anything at all?"
"Not exactly. Since hairpins are worn in buns, they require high-quality kingfisher feathers, which must be made from several intact ones. Of course, for a relatively small Kingfisher Feather Art hairpin, we could still select suitable feathers from these. As for other damaged feathers, they can still be inlaid along dress hems as decorations. Since they won't be examined closely, the effect would still be quite pleasing."
The room fell into silence, clearly indicating Yu Xuanji was hesitating over her decision.
This delay sapped Lu Qiao's courage to confront her mistress. Biting her lower lip, she analyzed the information from the overheard conversation. It seemed the young lady had captured more than one kingfisher. Qing Yu was so clever—she surely wouldn't be caught! Wringing her fingers, Lu Qiao hesitated before deciding to check her room again. Tiptoeing back to her side chamber, she found the small fish she'd prepared for Qing Yu still on the windowsill, untouched by any bird but now swarming with ants after sitting too long.
"Qing Yu? Qing Yu?" Lu Qiao finally whispered anxiously. The sun was setting, and the night wind had picked up. Normally, Qing Yu would have returned long ago.
Lu Qiao had never truly cherished anything in her life. Whether handsome men or glittering jewels, such things were like moonbeams in water for a humble maid like her—visible but unattainable. That's why she couldn't comprehend why the young lady would become obsessive over mere preferences.
But since raising Qing Yu and taking responsibility for that tiny life, she finally understood what it meant to cherish something. Fondness was the desire to possess, an irresistible longing, a constant preoccupation.
She dared not imagine if Qing Yu were captured...
Lu Qiao's voice began trembling. Fortunately, after a few calls, a small blue figure dashed in and buried itself in her embrace.
Her pounding heart settled back into place as she clutched the little kingfisher. After the relief of reunion faded, Lu Qiao began worrying about what to do. Given the young lady's near-fanatic obsession with Kingfisher Feather Art jewelry, keeping Qing Yu was impossible. But how could she make the bird understand she must fly far away and never return? Perhaps she could find an excuse to travel distant in few days, bringing Qing Yu along to release her elsewhere?
But... winter was approaching. Could this little creature survive on its own? Feeling Qing Yu's restless shifting in her palms, Lu Qiao was pondering how to soothe the bird when the door creaked open.
Her young lady glided into the room, chuckling with smug satisfaction: "As expected of my good Lu Qiao, you know exactly what I fancy."
Lu Qiao shuddered. Just as she tried to release Qing Yu out the window, a loud slam echoed—someone had bolted it shut from outside.
Qing Yu lay dying in the cage, weakened purely by starvation.
The prison confining her was woven from linen ropes, dense and sturdy yet gentle enough not to injure her wings during collisions. She knew death approached, after which her feathers would be plucked by that vile human female to adorn her hair as decoration! Had the human not attempted to tame her, she might have been plucked alive already.
But how could she cling to such humiliating survival? She knew her mother and siblings had all been killed by that human female!
Damnation! How she regretted ignoring her mother's warnings. Humans were truly terrifying. Yet... not all humans were monstrous.Qing Yu struggled to open its eyes, peering through the gaps in the hemp rope. Weakly, it watched the despicable human female whipping its servant—all because the servant had tried to set it free. The force of the lash and the blood it drew made Qing Yu feel dizzy. No! If this continued, its servant would be beaten to death!
"You wretched maid! You know I adore Kingfisher Feather Art, yet you hid the kingfisher instead of handing it over. Speak! What vile intentions are you hiding?"
...What? How could it understand human language now?
"Speak! Are you still clinging to my Wei Lang? Planning to raise that kingfisher and craft your own kingfisher feather jewelry to seduce him?"
"Miss, no... it's not that... Please release Qing Yu! It's a living creature—how can you bear to..."
"Because I like it! It's just a bird. Since it doesn't know its place, turning it into jewelry would be fitting. Its Plumage is even more exquisite than any I've acquired. The artisan said it's enough for a top-tier kingfisher feather hairpin. Don't worry—it will live on forever as that hairpin."
"Miss... I beg you, spare Qing Yu..."
"You dare prioritize a bird over me? What use are you to me now!"
The sounds of whipping and pleading intertwined until the pleas gradually faded into silence.
Qing Yu mustered every ounce of strength, barely enough to twitch its wings. It lacked the power to save its servant, let alone break free from its cage.
Humans were terrifying. For trivial reasons, they could harm other living beings and mercilessly slaughter their own kind.
"Like"—truly the cruelest word in the world.
As if those two syllables provided the perfect excuse for any atrocity...
Hiding behind "liking," they committed endless cruelties...
How it hated this... If only it hadn't been tempted by the warmth of that palm, if only fear of losing its mother and siblings hadn't driven it back seeking comfort, perhaps its servant would still be alive.
How it hated... Unaware, Qing Yu's dark eyes gradually deepened with the crimson hue of resentment.
【Such pure, sweet hatred...】 Qing Yu didn't know where the voice originated—the human female outside the cage clearly hadn't heard it, busy directing servants to remove Lu Qiao's lifeless, whipped body.
【Some express liking through possession. Others through sacrifice.】 Yes... its servant's affection had been sacrificial... But the hatred remained...
【Do you desire vengeance?】
Yes... Qing Yu seethed inwardly. It would have revenge! For its mother and siblings! For its servant!
【Even if your soul becomes trapped? Even if you transform into a cursed evil entity? Even if those you wish to meet can never touch you again?】 Yes! Qing Yu answered without hesitation. What more could it possibly hope for now?
【Excellent. The contract is sealed.】
8
In the deep night museum, even the chattiest antiques fell silent.
The cold, inorganic glow of display case lights cast an eerie luminescence, making the kingfisher feather hairpin upon black velvet appear unnaturally vivid and alluring.Qing Yu, as usual, silently gazed at its reflection cast upon the display case glass—a hauntingly fragmented beauty.
It recalled the young woman who had stood here silently from dawn until closing time today. Its servant still adored it as before, even though its form had changed.
Back then, after its death, it had been crafted into a Kingfisher Feather Art hairpin.
This hairpin became Yu Xuanji’s new favorite, but the Kingfisher Feather Art hairpin, infused with all its resentment, would cause anyone who wore it to be disliked by everyone.
Soon, Yu Xuanji was abandoned by all her lovers, becoming universally despised. Her misdeeds were reported, and Lu Qiao’s body was unearthed beneath the wisteria in the backyard of the Mysteries Study. With both witnesses and material evidence present, even the prefect who had once admired her showed no mercy.
Yu Xuanji was quickly sentenced to death, with execution scheduled for autumn.
Its vengeance was finally achieved, but the curse on the Kingfisher Feather Art hairpin remained unbroken. Every subsequent owner of the hairpin was disliked by all and met a tragic end. Eventually, it was buried as a grave offering by its last owner.
In the pitch-dark underground, it pleaded with an unknown devil for a thousand years until it finally saw its servant again.
[Regretting it? Won’t you beg me to return to her side?]
No need. After all, it would only bring her misfortune.
No matter how much it missed the warmth of her palm, it absolutely must not.
It loved her, deeply, but there was no need for her to know.
[How dull.]
The cold light above flickered twice and suddenly went out.
9
After spending the entire day yesterday touring the museum with young Tang Yuan, the Doctor also bought some museum souvenirs and books. Today, after work, he took some time to tidy his bookshelf, planning to make space for these new items.
Then, behind a medical dictionary, he found a shuttlecock made of beautiful feathers. The shuttlecock featured both emerald blue and vibrant red hues, and unlike cheaply dyed feathers, it was entirely comparable in quality to the Kingfisher Feather Art hairpin they had seen at the museum—so striking it captivated the eye and made one want to cradle it in their hands. Yet, it had been wastefully made into a shuttlecock, the kind meant for kicking...
How strange—when had he acquired these feathers? The lab animals at the medical school were usually white mice or rabbits; when had there been birds? Moreover, the ancient coin attached to the shuttlecock seemed quite aged...
Before the Doctor could properly recollect, young Tang Yuan rushed in clutching a newspaper. The Doctor quickly put the shuttlecock back, afraid that if Tang Yuan saw it, he would insist on playing with it and it would meet a tragic fate.
"Uncle! That Kingfisher Feather Art hairpin we saw at the museum yesterday has been stolen!" Tang Yuan exclaimed, stirring up excitement as if delighting in the chaos. (A welcome sight indeed~)
"Huh?" The Doctor took the newspaper in surprise and found that the reporter hadn’t uncovered many details. It simply stated that although the museum was closed on Monday, the security guard discovered the hairpin missing as soon as he started his shift. Strangely, the glass case showed no signs of damage, and the alarm hadn’t been triggered, so the police suspected an inside job.
"Uncle, do you think this is the work of some phantom thief like Kaito Kid?" Tang Yuan, having recently watched anime, was full of wild ideas."Nonsense." The doctor dismissed the matter as ordinary news, completely unconcerned.
"Ah, in that case, it's fortunate we visited the museum yesterday—otherwise we would have missed that Kingfisher Feather Art hairpin!" Tang Yuan paused, recalling how the Little White Snake had kept a respectful distance from the hairpin yesterday, which now struck him as peculiar. "Uncle, you took so many photos of antiques yesterday—did you capture that Kingfisher Feather Art hairpin?"
"No, I didn't." The doctor frowned, remembering how he felt upon learning how the Kingfisher Feather Art hairpin was made, and shoved the dictionary in his hand back onto the bookshelf.
It seemed... as if he had once kept a small kingfisher-blue bird himself... (San Qing...)
But there were no birdcages, perches, or bird food at home—it must have been... an illusion... (Hang in there, Doctor! Remember quickly!)
(End of Chapter)
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