by Jeannie Lin
“It’s not deep,” he said quietly.
Her eyes met his. They were gray, but not the color of cold metal. They held a hint of warmth as he regarded her now. Like a reflection of firelight on polished steel. He was caught unprepared, staring into the eyes of a woman who couldn’t be seduced. Who was wholly unimpressed with him. A woman who could slip past his defenses because for the past few years, she had been his defense.
“Mei Jian,” he said. Beautiful blade.
“You can’t—” she protested as his head lowered. Then her eyes widened with surprise when it appeared that he actually could. Lu Yan pressed his lips carefully against hers while she grew still. Lu Yan, endless seeker of mysteries, found out an enchanted sword could be a thing of breath and warmth and softness.
He also knew exactly what she was, how sharp and deadly she could be and respected that part of her. Perhaps that was why she permitted the kiss, even though she knew nothing of how to return it.
“Try kissing me back,” he suggested.
She blinked at him, uncertain. “I’ll hurt you.”
“I’ll risk it.”
He bent to her again as an errant wind picked up around them. Not the foul gale the demons had traveled on, but an unexpected autumn gust that stirred the leaves and lifted them into the air. A curtain of leaves formed around them, closing them off from the sunlight until there was darkness once more.
Lu Yan opened his eyes to find himself in bed back inside the inn. The world outside was quiet and the sun was early in its rise. Rubbing a hand over his eyes, he stood to find himself fully dressed as before. And his sword…
His sword was beside the bed, resting against the wall. Sheathed.
Another dream, he snorted. How disappointing.
He reached for the sword and freed it from the scabbard. The steel sang as it was released, the polished surface gleaming even in the dim light. A sliver of sunlight fell over the blade which made him pause. There was a scratch across the metal.
Lu Yan ran his thumb slowly over the mark. It was close to the hilt and not a dent another blade would have made. In any case, he would certainly remember parrying such a blow. This was a wound taken in his stead.
When he swallowed, there was the distinct taste of copper in his mouth. He touched his tongue to the side of his lip, running over the tiniest of cuts. Grinning, Lu Yan ran two fingers along the length of the smooth steel.
“Mei jian,” he murmured.
The blade grew warm beneath his fingertips.
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Author's Note
Lü Yán, courtesy name Lü Dòngbīn, was a legendary and semi-historical figure who is said to have been born during the Tang Dynasty in 796 A.D. and then lived two hundred and twenty years into the Song Dynasty. I opted to remove the additional accent marks on the vowels in his name in the main text as not all e-readers render them correctly.
Lu Yan is famous for his love of wine and women as well as, interestingly enough, attaining immortality. As a scholar, he was supposed to be particularly gifted, yet failed the imperial examinations twice. He never did pass. Instead of a life of civil service, Lu Yan went on various trials and adventures where he encountered beautiful women, demons, and other immortals.
According to legend, Lu Yan attained immortality but opted to stay on the earthly realm to help others achieve enlightenment. He is the leader of the Eight Immortals and sometimes known as the Sword Immortal or the Wine Immortal.
He is usually depicted with an enchanted sword capable of dispelling demons and evil spirits. Somewhere along the way, I was certain I read that Lu Yan’s sword was also able to transform into a beautiful woman. I can’t seem to find that reference anymore, but the idea stuck with me.
Will there be new adventures with Lu Yan and Jian? I absolutely hope so. I had a great time writing this story and would love to dream up more. Sign up for my newsletter to get updates on what’s coming up next. You can also follow me on social media on Twitter or Facebook.
Other Books by Jeannie Lin
The Lotus Palace Mystery series
The Lotus Palace - Book 1
The Jade Temptress - Book 2
The Liar’s Dice - novella
The Hidden Moon - Book 3
The Gunpowder Chronicles Series
Gunpowder Alchemy - Book 1
Clockwork Samurai - Book 2
The Rebellion Engines - Book 3
Tales from the Gunpowder Chronicles - anthology
Steampunk short stories:
The Warlord and the Nightingale
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Acknowledgments
For my first official foray into the wuxia fantasy genre, I have to acknowledge the Authors of Asian Novels group for answering my incessant questions. In particular, special thanks to John Kang, Ivor Lee and James Yu for all their help.
I also wouldn’t have been able to complete this story or get any writing done over the last year if not for the continued support and friendship of my pandemic writing squad: Shawntelle Madison, Amanda Berry, and Sela Carsen. Just keep swimming…
Tale of the Drunken Sword Copyright © 2021 by Jeannie Lin
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
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Cover design © Mulan Jiang
Digital Edition 1.0
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All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.