Chapter 162: No One Knows the Outcome Until the Very End
Today, the sky was overcast, with no sunset in sight.
The Daoist sat cross-legged at the entrance of the thatched cottage with his eyes closed, quietly listening to the sound of the mountain wind sweeping through the air, the rustling of grass and trees, and the cicadas gradually being replaced by the sounds of insects and frogs.
The little girl curled up beside him, indifferent to the dirt and unbothered about staining her clothes. She was lying sideways on the ground, resembling a cat.
Heroine Wu leaned against the door frame, cradling her sword, occasionally opening her eyes to glance into the distance.
The yellow-maned horse was tied nearby, munching on grass.
As night fell completely, the sounds of calls from the mountains echoed, the wind rustled the grass, and occasionally, the commotion from wandering martial artists could be heard.
The night passed like this.
The next morning, Heroine Wu opened her eyes to find green mountains and white clouds before her, a picturesque scene. Turning her head, she saw her horse standing quietly. The Daoist still sat a few chi away beside her, but the little girl was nowhere to be seen, leaving behind only a small bowl filled with half a bowl of water.
That bowl was made of exquisite blue-and-white porcelain, of considerable value.
The Daoist used it to feed the cat, while he himself used a coarse bowl.At first, she thought the bowl was a gift from someone or obtained from the palace, but upon asking, she learned that he had specifically gone to the West Market to buy it for a full thousand qian.
“Why not buy two?”
“Because I didn’t have enough money.”
Heroine Wu had been puzzled at the time, but now she no longer found it strange. Noticing that the Daoist had opened his eyes, she asked, “Where’s your cat?”
“It went out.”
“Where to?”
“Not sure.”
“Recently, many jianghu martial artists have come rushing here upon hearing the news, searching the mountains like they’re picking up gold. Be careful, your cat’s good looks might catch their attention, and it might get taken away.”
“That’s unlikely,” the Daoist replied calmly. “Just call her, and she will return.” n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
“Then call her.”
“…”
Before the Daoist could speak, there was movement on the path.
A little girl dressed in a tricolor outfit slowly walked back, holding something in her hands. Looking around, she spotted the two people at the entrance of the cottage, and she immediately quickened her pace. She ran over until she stopped in front of the Daoist.
She stretched out her hand, opening her soft, white palm. She held a handful of wild pea pods, displaying them for the two to see.
“I found this again!”
This type of grass mostly grew low to the ground, blooming with small flowers and bearing fruit that resembled pods but was much smaller.
Once ripe, the pods became round and elongated; breaking one in half and extracting the seeds allowed you to blow through it, creating a sound.
Alternatively, you could simply take the seeds and blow through a bamboo tube for fun.
In certain regions of Yizhou, people refer to this blowable item as “jiaojiao,” a simple and vivid reduplicated term. Since this grass often grows near horse dung , it’s colloquially called horse dung jiaojiao.
In reality, it had no relation to horse dung.
Normally, without the presence of a heroine, Song You would play with these things alongside the calico cat. But today, with the heroine around, he handed them over to her.
The heroine leaned in to take a look, selecting some plump, long pods while discarding the rest.
Just like at the Pingzhou mountains, the little girl couldn’t bear to part with them. As soon as the heroine threw them away, she remained silent and immediately picked them up again. It wasn’t until the heroine explained that the flat, short ones hadn’t matured and wouldn’t make a sound when turned into jiaojiao—that even if they did, the sound would be too small—that she still clutched them stubbornly in her hands, refusing to throw them away.
Before long, a whistling sound emerged again beside her.
“Toot toot toot…”
After blowing for a while, the little girl seemed to remember something and turned to the Daoist, saying, “I saw a tiger last night, a very big tiger, and there were two of them.”
“Hmm?” Heroine Wu, just having stuffed the horse dung jiaojiao into her mouth, took it out again and turned to stare at her.
“Where?”
“Right over there.” The little girl pointed in a direction.
“Is it far?”
“Not far.”
“Exactly two?”
“Two, more than two is three.”
“Why didn’t I see it?”
“People are blind at night.”
“…”
“Is it the same as the tiger you saw before in Changjing?” the Daoist beside her asked.
“It’s the same.”
“Then the news must be true. That Sir Dou really escaped to Mount Beiqin, probably hoping to take advantage of the complex mountain paths to flee,” Heroine Wu said, raising an eyebrow. “These poor people in Changjing are still able to find him even with so many people coming and going all day.”
“Toot toot toot!”
The little girl continued to blow on the horse dung jiaojiao.
But as she blew, a slightly strange sound came out, and she turned her head to look at the grass nearby. The sound then returned to normal.
Heroine Wu also looked in that direction.
“Who is it?”
The grass fell silent for a moment before half a head poked out. It was a gaunt middle-aged man.
The man shifted his gaze, looking at the little girl, then at the yellow-maned horse, at the woman, and finally at the young Daoist, his eyes widening in surprise.
“Immortal master!”
The man immediately rushed out with a bundle.
“Shing!”
The heroine drew her long knife, frowning slightly as she turned her head, glancing sideways at the Daoist beside her.
“What did he say?”
“He called for me.”
“…” Heroine Wu's gaze shifted, and she retracted her long knife.
The middle-aged man stumbled toward them, navigating through the grass and thorns. In the height of summer, the vegetation was lush and stood taller than a person, blocking the view from less than ten chi away. The middle-aged man, however, paid no attention to the thorns and wooden spikes or to any snakes or insects that might be hiding in the grass, and he kept running in their direction.
Before long, he had pushed through the grass and arrived in front of them.
“Immortal master, save me!” The middle-aged man immediately knelt down, but the Daoist supported him.
This man was indeed Sir Dou, whom they had met at the Grand Commander's residence.
Heroine Wu also recognized him and shifted her gaze to the bundles that Master Dou was carrying, focusing particularly on two long boxes wrapped in oilcloth.
“Sir Dou, please rise.”
“Immortal master, save me! My life is in danger!”
“Why do you say that, sir?”
“I’ve been pursued and is in imminent danger…”
“Calm down.” The Daoist picked up a water pouch beside him and noticed Master Dou's cracked lips. He gently asked, “Would you like some water, sir?”
“Thank you, immortal master.”
Master Dou took the water pouch and tilted his head back to drink, careful not to spill a single drop.
Heroine Wu chuckled softly and stepped back a couple of paces while leaning against the doorway of the thatched hut, keeping an eye on them while also glancing into the distance.
“Since parting from the Grand Commander's residence, I thought I would never see you again. I came today seeking Doctor Cai, but unexpectedly found you instead. It must be fate.”
“It is my good fortune to meet you…”
“It is also my good fortune.”
“Thank you for the water, immortal master.”
“No need to be polite.” Song You took the water pouch, sealed it, and asked, “How did you end up here, sir?”
“It’s a long story…”
“No need to rush, take your time.” Song You simply sat down cross-legged, ready to listen attentively.
Sir Dou looked back, noticing the open view around them. Even distant wanderers could probably see this place, but seeing the immortal master beside him with his calm demeanor brought a sudden sense of peace to his heart, as if he had found a safe haven.
A flurry of thoughts crossed his mind, from the surprise and awe of seeing the immortal master emerge from a painting that day, to the immortal master's words and demeanor at the Grand Commander's residence, and even the final urging from Daoist Master Mu to leave quickly.
When he came to his senses, he found the Daoist smiling at him.
The heroine had turned her gaze elsewhere, seemingly watching for any approaching jianghu people. The incredibly cute little girl also stared at him, her eyes filled with curiosity and innocence.
They were all remarkably trustworthy individuals.
Sir Dou immediately resolved to speak up.
“My family possesses a treasured painting, passed down from a famous ancestor. However, due to lax family discipline, news leaked out among my descendants and attracted the covetous eyes of the jianghu people…”
He explained everything, and the Daoist listened intently.
Compared to what the Daoist had heard before, there were both similarities and differences. For instance, there was a righteous military official outside Changjing, which matched what they heard. The heroine had heard rumors that his wife was the one leaking secrets, while Sir Dou stated it was his unworthy descendants who let the information slip, suggesting a distortion of the truth in the jianghu tales.
“Mr. Mu, knew I possessed a rare treasure, but he harbored no greed; instead, he advised me to leave. However, with many jianghu wanderers gathering in Changjing, and most being aware of my presence there, I felt I could not stay within the city any longer.”
Master Dou shook his head repeatedly. “Fortunately, while at the Grand Commander's residence, I heard about Doctor Cai. He’s known for his divine medical skills and could likely help me disguise myself. Thus, I intended to leave Changjing under the cover of night and seek out Doctor Cai, hoping for his assistance.”
“Oh, so you came seeking Doctor Cai's help. I thought you intended to exploit the terrain of Mount Beiqin to escape from Changjing,” Heroine Wu said, glancing at him. “But you should know that Doctor Cai often travels around to practice medicine and is rarely at home.”
“I was just hoping to take a chance.”
“Doctor Cai indeed possesses the ability to help people change their appearances. I’ve also heard of someone like that—a well-known figure in the jianghu known as ‘Doctor Disguise.’ However, there’s a fundamental difference between them,” Heroine Wu said while glancing at the movements in the distance.
She said, “Doctor Disguise is a talented eccentric in the jianghu, famous for his ability to change people’s appearances. In contrast, Doctor Cai is a legitimate renowned doctor; although he has this skill, he is known purely for his exceptional medical expertise and broad knowledge in various fields, not for that ability.
“The difference between them is as great as that between clouds and earth. Doctor Cai, unlike Doctor Disguise, won't just do anything for money. Even if you are fortunate enough to find him today, he might not agree to help you.”
“I understand that Doctor Cai must have his principles,” Sir Dou replied, his voice trembling. “It’s just that, on one hand, I have no other options. And on the other, I’ve heard that Doctor Cai possesses divine medical skills and a kind heart. If I explain everything to him, he might be moved.”
Song You found this interesting.
In Sir Dou's words, “divine medical skills” seemed to have become a term to describe one’s character.
“However, even though I may not be fortunate enough to meet Doctor Cai, I have encountered you, immortal master. Indeed, no one knows the outcome until the very end,” Sir Dou continued, turning to Song You with a pleading look. “Please, immortal master, save my life.”
Song You didn’t ask what kind of treasure it was; he simply inquired,
“How can I save you?”
“I'm not one to fear death, but the Dou family has no successor left. I took on a disciple in my early years, intending to pass down my ancestor’s painting skills, but he died at the hands of jianghu wanderers while trying to protect me. If I die, my ancestor’s unique painting techniques will be lost,” Sir Dou said, nearly in tears.
“Please help me leave this place and find a quiet spot to hide away. After I pass down my teachings, I will gladly serve you, working as hard as an ox or a horse in return.”