Hearing her words, Li Huowang gently held his wound and slowly walked into Jingxin's house. Then, he slowly leaned against the wall before sliding down and sitting on the floor.
"So even you guys aren't able to get rid of Dan Yangzi?" Li Huowang asked.
"Of course we can. We will just need to kill you," replied Jingxin.
Hearing this, Li Huowang began to laugh. "Haha, to think that even the Abbess could crack a joke like this."
"I'm not joking with you. Dan Yangzi is deeply rooted within your body—you are a part of his Three Corpses. It will require extreme precision to remove your Master while still keeping you alive; both of you are just way too tangled up, to the point that you can already be considered as half Dan Yangzi. This was also why I did not just remove the Black Taisui from your stomach. Presently, that Black Taisui is both Dan Yangzi and you at the same time," explained Jingxin.
Li Huowang had requested the Benevolent Nunnery's help to get rid of Dan Yangzi, but it ended in failure. Even with Li Huowang co-operating with all the nuns, all they had managed to do was inflict an injury on Dan Yangzi and chase him away. The root of the problem was still there.
Li Huowang huddled in the dark with his back against the cold wall, staring blankly at the mossy tiles of the temple roof outside.
"You can't blame us for this. I had no idea that your Master was only half dead. The Benevolent Nunnery excels in dealing with the spirits, but those rule-breaking bald donkeys from the Righteous Monastery are much better when it comes to dealing in matters of the physical flesh," said Jingxin.
"Abbess, don't worry; I don't blame you. How much longer do I have until I completely turn into Dan Yangzi?" Li Huowang was not disappointed by the failure.
"With your current situation, you should have two more months," Abbess Jingxin said as she walked into the darkness and gently rocked a bamboo cradle while revealing a lovely smile as she looked at the shriveled old man within.
"Oh..." Li Huowang trailed off.
"So, what do you plan to do?" asked Jingxin.
"I will need you to wait before I can give you an answer to that question. Abbess, may I borrow something from you?" asked Li Huowang.
Then, the dark room turned silent.
After a long time, Li Huowang took a deep breath as his face contorted from discomfort. He suddenly opened his eyes and saw that the darkness around him had been replaced with the color white. He was back inside a hospital.
He inspected his surroundings and saw that this time it was a normal hospital rather than a mental hospital; it seemed that his injury hadn't healed within the hallucination.
He shifted his gaze downward and saw his mother, Sun Xiaoqin, sleeping by his bed as she sat on a little stool.
In Li Huowang's eyes, his mother was someone who loved cleanliness; however, her hair was now very oily, almost as if she hadn't washed it in a very long time.
Li Huowang wanted to reach out to her, but realized that all four of his limbs had been tied down and restricted. He had no choice but to gently wake her up. "Mom, it's me, Huowang."
Soon, Sun Xiaoqin opened her eyes. When she realized that her son was calling out to her with a normal expression, she hugged him tightly. "Son, you are awake!"
A period of silence followed. After making sure that his mother wasn't that agitated, he asked, "Mom, where's dad?"
"Your father is out earning money. Our finances aren't looking good and we have a lot of debt," replied Sun Xiaoqin.
However, immediately after she said this, her heart fell. She cupped Li Huowang's face as she said in a heartbroken tone, "Huowang, I don't blame you. After all, this is not something you wanted to do. It's all that ailment's fault! That damned ailment! Why was my son the one who got afflicted with it when there are so many other people out there?" 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺
"Mom, can you release one of my hands? I want to stretch a bit," asked Li Huowang.
When she saw that her son was speaking normally, she stopped hesitating and she smiled once more. "Alright, it's good to stretch every once in a while. You've been restrained for so long that your body might just go to waste at this rate."
When his right hand was freed, Li Huowang smiled at his mother. "Thanks mom."
After saying that, he reached into his hospital gown and took out a heavy prayer bead—it was made from gold. Then, Li Huowang placed it in Sun Xiaoqin's hands as she tried to process what it was.
"Mom, go and exchange that for some money. Pay off our family's debt. Then, if there's money leftover, go and buy back our house. I still like this place," said Li Huowang.
Sun Xiaoqin held the heavy golden prayer bead and was confused. "What's going on? Son, where did you get this much gold? Did you go out and take it while I was asleep?"
Li Huowang shook his head as he took off the jade pendant from his neck before placing it in Sun Xiaoqin's hands as well. "Mom, take this as well. It will fetch a good price. Even if this is a hallucination, I don't want to see you suffer."
When she heard this, Sun Xiaoqin threw down both the golden bead and jade pendant before holding his shoulders and shaking them vigorously as tears streamed down her face. "Son, wake up! I am your mother! This is not a hallucination! It really isn't!"
Li Huowang wiped her tears with his hand and smiled plainly. "You are right, Mom. This is not a hallucination. I was just messing with you."
When Li Huowang reassured her, Sun Xiaoqin started growing excited; she did a little dance and placed both of her palms together as she praised the Buddha.
She took her phone out excitedly and wanted to let Li Huowang talk to his father who was at work.
On the other hand, while she was calling Li Huowang's father, Li Huowang secretly plucked out a red button from her shirt and placed it inside his hospital gown.
Maybe it had been because Li Huowang had willingly entered the hallucination this time, but it ended quite quickly. His white-haired father hadn't even had the chance to talk to him through the video call when everything around him turned dark once more. He was back in the dark room.
When he returned, he saw Abbess Jingxin standing silently while holding onto the golden prayer beads.
Then, Li Huowang raised his hands. His breathing was rapid and his thoughts were jumbled up. He gritted his teeth and touched his chest, and then, his arms froze.
There was nothing there.
Li Huowang laughed when he was faced with this expected scenario. "Hehe, I knew it. How could that side be real? To think that I would believe the words of the people inside the hallucination. I must be crazy."
Li Huowang's laughter gradually came to a stop. What he had just found out could not be considered good news—the final hopes in his heart had just disappeared.
He took a deep breath and gently spoke to himself, "Mom, I hope I didn't end up scaring you. I'm sorry, but please tie my hands up again. I don't want to hurt you."
Then, the room fell silent.
"Since that side is fake, who were you talking to just now?" Abbess Jingxin broke the silence after she had quietly observed him for a while.
Li Huowang raised his head and stared at the nun in the dark. "I was just talking to myself. Can't I do that?"
"What do you plan to do?" asked Jingxin.
Hearing this, Li Huowang took a deep breath, his eyes getting filled with killing intent. "I want Dan Yangzi to die!"
Chapter 111 - Method
Li Huowang sat on the ground with an expression filled with hesitation and struggle. After staying still and pondering for a long time, he finally picked up the brush and began to write on the paper in front of him.
However, he had to take long pauses after every few characters. One reason for this was that he was not used to writing with a brush. But more importantly, Li Huowang had already started to forget how to write a lot of the common characters.
Li Huowang understood what this meant—he was slowly becoming more like Dan Yangzi.
After writing a long passage, Li Huowang ended his letter in large words—Li Huowang's final work.
After he finished this, he dried the paper and handed it to the plump nun beside him. "If my fellow disciples come looking for me, please pass this letter to the tall one among them. He can read."
Next, he passed the sacred text, the gourd containing the lifespan pills, and the bronze bell to her. "Please pass these three items to them as well. They know how to use the gourd and bell. As for this sacred text, it can be a memento for them."
Miao Yu[1] glanced at the three items, then looked at the Profound Records hanging from Li Huowang's waist. "How about that?"
Li Huowang placed his hand on the bamboo slip that had brought him endless agony, and then shook his head. "I'm not passing this to them. This thing is ominous, and I wouldn't feel good about leaving it behind to them. It's better for it to go with me."
After he had sorted everything out, Li Huowang turned to look at Jingxin, "Abbess, everything is prepared."
Abbess Jingxin nodded and started walking toward the depths of the Benevolent Nunnery. The loose skin on her body hung low like a skirt as it was dragged along the ground.
She walked ahead, while Li Huowang followed behind her while clutching his abdomen. They remained silent as they continued walking.
They walked through the 'swamp' of rotten food, then went past a few more dilapidated temples. Soon, a short, black pagoda appeared before them.
When she saw that pagoda, Jingxin finally spoke up, "You really want to do this?"
Li Huowang nodded. "What you said earlier reminded me. Actually, the thing that I have always wanted was complete eradication of Dan Yangzi. As for whether or not I would survive..."
Li Huowang chuckled softly before continuing, "...thinking back, I never really cared about my own life."
Li Huowang pressed on his abdominal injury, exhaustion plastered across his face. "Abbess, truthfully speaking, after going through so much, I am already very tired. I don't want to see my mom suffer, nor do I want to constantly endure the feeling of Dan Yangzi slowly taking over my body. All I really, truly want is to rest."
As he had expected, fear did not blossom in his heart when he thought of his imminent death. On the contrary, he felt somewhat relieved, "Ah, I am so worn out."
Hearing all this, Abbess Jingxin nodded and brought him toward the pagoda. "Alright, as you wish."
"Thank you, Abbess. Of all the people I have met in this world, you can be considered to be the only good person," said Li Huowang.
"I am a nun, so it's natural for me to be compassionate," said Jingxin humbly.
"Abbess, since you're a Buddhist disciple, can I ask you a question?" asked Li Huowang.
"Ah? What is it?"
"Do you believe that in this world people become ghosts after they die?" asked Li Huowang.
"You're about to die shortly. In your opinion, would it be better to become a ghost, or to dissipate completely?" countered Jingxin.
"I feel that living as a human is already tiring enough. We should rest after death and stop causing trouble." Li Huowang replied very calmly.
Hearing this, Jingxin tilted her head slightly and looked at Li Huowang with her sunken eyes. "Are you sure that you have no attachments left? Is there nothing within this mortal world that would cause you to show some reluctance?"
Li Huowang's expression froze as he thought of many things. "I do. But now, me being with them would only bring them harm."
Hearing this, Abbess Jingxin did not say anything else, and continued walking toward the black tower.
As they approached, Li Huowang heard a rustling sound; it was akin to leaves rubbing against one another.
He looked toward the direction of the sounds, and finally managed to identify their source—cockroaches. There were countless black bugs squished together inside the tower.
Jingxin did not stop, and directly brought Li Huowang into the pile of cockroaches. It was very unpleasant to have cockroaches climbing all over one's body. However, right now, Li Huowang did not mind all this; after all, he was determined to meet his death. Thus, he could only push aside the crawling bugs to keep up.
After walking through the cockroach pile for around half an incense stick worth of time, Li Huowang's vision cleared up and what he saw shocked him.
Gray rats of varying sizes were entangled with one another, forming large rat clusters that moved around and nestled against each other, eventually forming a huge mountain composed entirely of rats. The rats in the mountain were staring directly at Li Huowang with their red eyes of varying sizes.
Within the quivering rat mountain was a hole; it was almost as if it was meant for someone to enter.
"Is this it?" asked Li Huowang as he took a deep breath and walked toward the hole within the rat mountain.
When Li Huowang was just a few steps away, he paused and turned toward Abbess Jingxin. "Abbess, are you certain that after I die, you will be able to get rid of Dan Yangzi?"
His own life was insignificant; what mattered the most was making that wretched being suffer for eternity.
Only when he received an affirmation from Jingxin did Li Huowang relax and start walking toward the rat hole once again.
In the final moments before his death, the figures of both Yang Na and Bai Lingmiao flashed through Li Huowang's mind, gradually merging with each other.
Farewell to this damned place!
Li Huowang thought as he was about to walk into the hole.
However, at that moment, Abbess Jingxin's voice rang behind him, "Since you aren't afraid of death, then I can recommend one more option. If that still doesn't work out, then it won't be too late for you to choose death after that."
Li Huowang turned back in astonishment. "There's another method?"
Hope was re-ignited in his previously hopeless heart upon hearing Abbess Jingxin's words.
In response, Jingxin nodded and pointed at the Profound Records at his waist. "Seek help from the original owners of that thing."
"Them? Abbess, I've never asked you about this thing previously, but where did this ominous object that requires sacrifices of flesh even come from?" Li Huowang looked at the red bamboo slip in astonishment.
"Ao Jing Sect." Abbess Jingxin replied with an extremely unfamiliar name.
"Originally, they were two separate sects—the Ao Sect and Jing Sect. Later on, they somehow ended up merged. The Profound Records in your possession come from them," continued Jingxin.
"Ao Jing Sect?" Li Huowang mumbled to himself. He had known about Buddhism and Taoism, but it was the first time he had heard about Ao Jing Sect.
"Do they have methods to separate Dan Yangzi from my body?" asked Li Huowang.
"You can look for them and find out. If there is still anyone in this world who can resolve your peculiar situation, it can only be them, people who are even stranger than you. Of course, even if they really are able to help you, you may not be able to escape them. But since you aren't even afraid of death, you shouldn't be afraid of that either," said Jingxin.
At that moment, Abbess Jingxin used one of her fingers to slice through some of her loose skin, cutting off a piece of skin. Then, she quickly used her blackened fingernail to trace out a few characters onto the piece of skin using Women's Script.
After she finished writing on it, she walked over to Li Huowang and placed the piece of skin in his hand. "Bring this to them; that way, they won't do anything to you as soon as they see you. If even they can't help you, then you can always return here to die peacefully."
Li Huowang rubbed the piece of skin in his hand gently. He was still filled with disbelief. There was suddenly a glimmer of hope even though he had already been prepared to die.
"Thank you, Abbess Jingxin! If Dan Yangzi's matter can really be resolved, then I will repay your kindness in future!" Li Huowang grabbed onto this last trace of hope to live, and walked through the pile of cockroaches and toward the outside. "Abbess, it's a deal! If they aren't able to get rid of Dan Yangzi, then I'll return here in two months for you to kill me."
Shortly after Li Huowang left, a fat nun stepped out from within the rat mountain and came up to Jingxin. "Abbess, why did you decide to help this young Strayed One like that? You even used your Flesh Book[2] like that. That is a huge favor. In the first place, we aren't even on good terms with Ao Jing Sect to begin with."
Abbess Jingxin looked toward the direction that Li Huowang had gone with a complex expression. After a long time, she spoke slowly, "Earlier, this kid held my face and called me 'mom'. He really resembles Yu'er from his younger days, both in his actions and in his way of speaking."
Chapter 112 - On The Way
"The sacred text, the bronze bell, and the gourd," Li Huowang checked off the items that he had given to the nun for safekeeping. Since he was going to find the Ao Jing Sect, he had a feeling that these objects and the farewell letter may end up being useful on the journey, and shouldn't be left here.
Even now, Li Huowang still felt like all of this was a dream. There was actually a method of possibly getting rid of Dan Yangzi, albeit, the possibility was very small.
Just as he was about to take his items and leave, Li Huowang noticed some changes to his belongings.
"That's a... tooth mark?" Li Huowang touched a corner of the sacred text and then glanced doubtfully at Miao Yu[1].
In response, the fat nun who had been stuffing herself until now suddenly looked guiltily toward the ceiling.
"Venerable Miao Yu, you even gnawed on this and left a tooth mark? Do you happen to know what this sacred text is? Truthfully, if you can help me figure it out, then I'll have to thank you."
"No, it definitely wasn't me. In fact, there was already a tooth mark on it to begin with. The Benevolent Nunnery has helped you so much, so don't go around falsely accusing good people," defended Miao Yu weakly.
As he listened to Miao Yu's clumsy lies, Li Huowang just helplessly shook his head.
He picked up the gourd and shook it, only to find that it was actually empty—the last remaining lifespan pill was missing. Li Huowang once again looked at the fat nun.
Currently, she had her head buried in her food and was eating heartily.
Strangely, even though he had been stolen from, Li Huowang did not feel the slightest bit surprised about it. He should have already anticipated this outcome back when he entrusted his belongings to these greedy nuns for the sake of safekeeping.
With a resigned look, Li Huowang carried the three items and walked over before patting the folds of skin on the plump nun's body. "If fate wills it, see you again, Venerable Miao Yu."
Then, he turned and began to walk toward the entrance. However, just as he was about to leave, he turned to look back at the nun behind him.
Meanwhile, Miao Yu was peeking at him as he turned around, but then quickly buried her head in the food once again. When she saw Li Huowang approach her, she took the initiative to speak. "That thing was indeed eaten by me. The taste wasn't all that great. If you want to, then go ahead and complain about me to the Abbess!"
When he saw her pretend like she didn't care, Li Huowang could only chuckle. "I am not that petty. I came back to ask you about something. Have you heard of the Ao Jing Sect?"
Miao Yu looked puzzled as she continued to chew on the food bolus in her mouth. "Didn't I tell you that Ao Jing Sect's Cross Temple is located on the large mountain to the west? I even told you exactly where to go to find them, so can't you look for them yourself?"
Li Huowang shook his head. "I'm not here to ask about its location. I want to know about what the Ao Jing Sect is like. What kind of background do they have? What sort of people are their members?"
Hearing this, the rotund Miao Yu frowned, her facial features scrunching up like a bun. "You even have the Profound Records on you, yet you don't know what they are like? If I had to describe them, then they are basically a bunch of freaks."
"Freaks? Are they even stranger than you guys? Hahaha..." Li Huowang couldn't help himself and burst out laughing.
Miao Yu looked displeased. "I'm not joking! That bunch is very strange. You've used the Profound Records, so you should know a little bit about how their cultivation methods function. They don't meditate or recite chants, and neither do they cultivate like others. Instead, they torment themselves, claiming that it pleases their Sacrificial[2] God."
"Sacrificial God? Isn't it Ba-Hui? Does that thing have two names?" Li Huowang was rather surprised at the unexpectedly different name.
"Who cares what they are called. In any case, the people of that sect like to wear big hats and robes so that they can cover up the injuries on their bodies. Last time, I even saw one of them who did not have any skin left. Even though Abbess has given you a Flesh Book, it's not guaranteed that they will respect it. So, be careful when you deal with them. After all, there have been some grievances between them and us in the past," said Miao Yu.
Li Huowang had only been asking random questions, but he actually managed to receive some details, and so he continued, "What sort of grievances?"
"It was all because of the Abbess' son. Those of the Ao Jing sect like to capture Strayed Ones for who knows what reason. In any case, by the time we finally managed to retrieve him, the Abbess' son had gone completely crazy," explained Miao Yu.
At that moment, Miao Yu paused and looked Li Huowang up and down before clicking her tongue in pity. "Tsk, tsk, I nearly forgot that you are also a Strayed One. It's going to be very dangerous for you."
"Sister, do you think I want to place myself in danger? I don't have much of a choice here..." Li Huowang sighed regretfully, then turned around before walking out of the Benevolent Nunnery's entrance.
After Li Huowang left, Miao Yu continued to sit there as she scarfed down her food while muttering to herself, "When he had been writing his farewell letter, I saw that he seemed determined to meet his death. How come that changed so quickly, and now he's in such a rush to look for the Ao Jing Sect? Did one of you end up tugging on his heartstrings?"
"I can't be bothered to tug on the heartstrings of a Strayed One. Don't drive yourself crazy. I reckon that this change should be from Abbess Jingxin's intervention," a voice rang out in Miao Yu's head.
"Oh~ I see," replied Miao Yu. Meanwhile, various voices rose and fell inside Miao Yu's head.
——————————————
Currently, Lu Zhuangyuan's face was swollen as he led the Lu Family Troupe on the road. They looked disheveled and ragged in appearance, and all of them had an ugly expression on their face.
Lu Zhuangyuan's daughter-in-law who was on the carriage was even more distraught as she tightly embraced her daughter and cried bitterly while leaning against a wooden box.
At that moment, a lit tobacco pipe was forcefully swung through the air in an arc.
"Cry! All you know how to do is to cry! How many days of crying has it been? You were the ones who didn't follow my instructions to rub ash on your faces! And now, all my silver has been plundered by those damned soldiers! Am I crying? What's the matter? Is your purity more important than my silver, huh?" shouted Lu Zhuangyuan.
"Dad, I'm begging you, please stop!" Lu Juren's eyes reddened. His sullen face was an indication of his pent-up anger.
When Lu Zhuangyuan saw his son looking like that, he sighed deeply. "Don't worry, they didn't manage to take all the money. I may not be good for much, but I can still hide some money. Those soldiers found only two spots; there are at least three others that they didn't find," Lu Zhuangyuan said as he took out a copper key and opened the large wooden crate on the carriage.
His callused hands rummaged through the luggage for a while, and then he retrieved several pieces of silver of varying sizes from inside a hidden compartment. He picked out a broken piece of silver that was slightly larger than a soybean, and reluctantly passed it to his daughter-in-law.
"Our Lu family hasn't treated you well. Take this, and buy whatever you want when we get to the market," said Lu Zhuangyuan.
Luo Juanhua had previously been sobbing as though she had been wronged. However, once she touched the piece of silver, her face instantly lit up and she carefully tucked it into her small purse. "I won't be using this; I'm saving it for Cui'er's[3] dowry."
Lu Zhuangyuan just watched all this in silence. Every time she felt wronged, she would put on an act to extort him like this. At this point, he had grown accustomed to this.
Chapter 113 - Unexpected Meeting
Once he confirmed that his daughter-in-law had stopped crying, Lu Zhaoyuan turned back to look at his terrified-looking younger son who was trailing behind the carriage.
"Son, how are you? Not too scared, I hope?" Lu Zhuangyuan asked as he tried giving a reassuring smile, but could only manage a sickly grimace. "Don't be afraid, ok? Those smelly soldiers are just paper tigers. If they were truly capable, then they would be sent to battle."
However, even though Lu Zhuangyuan tried to comfort him, Lu Xiucai's expression did not improve. It was almost as if the plundering soldiers were right in front of him, and threatening him with knives placed on his throat.
"Dad... why are we crossing the border? Shouldn't we go home first?" asked Lu Xiucai.
Lu Zhuangyuan lit up his tobacco pipe and started to smoke it, the white smoke released by it puffing up and covering his eyes. "I've been thinking that these aren't ordinary times; the world is going to enter a period of utter chaos. And so, we're heading out there to find a place to hide for a while."
"Dad, our emperor lost the war, so does that mean we are going to be slaves to another nation?" asked Lu Xiucai.
Immediately, Lu Zhuangyuan knocked his tobacco pipe onto Lu Xiucai's head causing the sparks to scatter around.
"Does the identity of the emperor affect us in the slightest? Is that really what you should be thinking about?" asked Lu Zhuangyuan. However, when he saw Lu Xiucai's aggrieved expression as he massaged his head, Lu Zhuangyuan sighed softly and continued to instruct patiently. "There are so many defeated soldiers, so it's likely that there will be a change in the regime. There's likely going to be even more chaos after such huge militaristic movements, so we're heading out to lay low for now. It doesn't matter if our money is stolen. As long as we are safe and alive, we can go anywhere."
"But... I've never been to the kingdom of Si Qi. Dad... I'm a little scared..." muttered Lu Xiucai.
Lu Zhuangyuan was frustrated upon seeing his younger son being so cowardly. "What's there to be afraid of! Don't the people from the kingdom of Si Qi also have two eyes and one nose, just like us? Can they grow extra features? At most, the kingdom of Si Qi has some more lakes and rivers than us."
At this point, Lu Juren who had been quietly listening in joined the conversation, "Dad, we aren't too familiar with this place... I also think it's better to stay in our hometown. It might not be as severe as you said."
"You're still taking this disaster too lightly! Your father has eaten more salt than you've eaten rice. Do you think I could be wrong?" Lu Zhuangyuan continued to explain. "Don't worry; I've got it all figured out. Back when the Taoist was looking at his map, I took several glances. They were going to the Liang Kingdom. The journey is quite long, but we'll definitely be safe as long as we stick by his side. Wherever he goes, that's where we will follow. He can go on his journey, and we can just host our own play. Nobody will dare to disturb us. Once the emperor is changed, and this disaster has blown over, we will return. Don't you think it's a sound plan?"
"We aren't even related to him; will he let us follow him?" Lu Juren asked, feeling embarrassed.
"Ah~ do you still not see why I gave away that jar of salted duck eggs back then?" Lu Zhuangyuan continued, "Remember what the Taoist said when he crossed the border? We'll meet again if fate allows! It doesn't matter if he was just being polite. Since those were his words, we just need to be humble and pretend to be miserable. With the relationship of that jar of duck eggs, could he bear to drive us away?"
When he saw the look of understanding on his son's face, Lu Zhuangyuan felt rather pleased with himself. "Hehe, the older, the wiser. Learn more from me in the future."
"Dad, I got it. Since we're performers, it doesn't matter where we go. Perhaps the people in the other regions will like our performance even more, and thus we can make more money," said Lu Juren.
The atmosphere improved considerably after Lu Zhuangyuan explained the situation; everyone began to look forward to a brighter future.
The carriage continued on its way, where they suddenly saw several rolling black balls up ahead. Only when they got closer, did Lu Zhuangyuan find out that those rolling black balls were a group of a dozen fat nuns who were traveling with their carriages.
There were six carriages in total, and the wheels left deep marks on the ground, suggesting that they were transporting something heavy.
"These nuns are really smelly. Dad, let's move faster," said Luo Juanhua as she furrowed her brows and took out a handkerchief to cover her daughter's nose.
"What nonsense? Don't you see that even the people from the kingdom of Si Qi are following these nuns? We'll follow them as well," said Lu Zhuangyuan as he looked at the other travelers beside the fat nuns. His wealth of experience told him that there must be a reason behind all these people from the kingdom of Si Qi to be enduring the smell and traveling alongside these nuns.
"But... this smell is too..." Luo Juanhua frowned and muttered under her breath.
Less than an hour later, Lu Zhuangyuan saw that the nuns had stopped and begun to eat their dry rations with big mouthfuls.
Seeing this, Lu Zhuangyuan and his family started to eat as well. After spending some more time with them, the smell was quite a bit more bearable.
While they were eating, Lu Zhuangyuan suddenly stood up. He looked rather excited as he walked toward a man amongst the travelers.
The man was wearing a black-veiled bamboo hat. He seemed to have some difficulty with his legs as he was leaning on an old horse while eating.
When Lu Zhuangyuan approached, the man also seemed to recognize him. "Troupe Leader Lu, what are you doing here?"
Lu Zhuangyuan's eyes lit up upon hearing the familiar voice. "Ah, so it really is you. You're that Taoist's..."
However, before he could finish his sentence, the man removed his black-veiled hat and revealed himself to be Zhao Wu.
Unexpectedly meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land made both parties feel especially close.
After they finished exchanging pleasantries, Lu Zhuangyuan learned that Zhao Wu was searching for Li Huowang, immediately causing his old face to break into a broad smile.
"Your legs aren't in great shape, and it's dangerous to travel alone. I'll accompany you to find him; it's on the way anyway," offered Lu Zhuangyuan. That Taoist would owe him a favor once he delivered this person to him; it would be rather difficult for him to reject them after that. Also, this person was that Taoist's junior, and may have some supernatural abilities as well. That would mean that he would get another bodyguard for his journey.
Lu Zhuangyuan enthusiastically brought Zhao Wu back to the Lu Family Troupe and introduced them once again. He even had his daughter-in-law get off the carriage to make room for him to be seated.
At that moment, their lively conversation was interrupted by Lu Xiucai. "Zhao Wu, didn't you go back home earlier? Then why did you come out again?"
Those words made the smile on Zhao Wu's face gradually vanish, breaking apart this harmonious scene.
Just as it seemed like he was going to reveal some strong emotions, he managed to control himself before these outsiders. "It's nothing much. Some things... happened at home."
Lu Zhuangyuan sensed that the atmosphere had taken a strange turn, and immediately used his tobacco pipe to knock his younger son's head. "Who asked you to talk so much! I taught you for so many years, but still haven't learned anything, have you? What Zhao Wu? Is that what you should be calling him? To you, it's Master Zhao!"
When he saw the teary-eyed Lu Xiucai, Zhao Wu quickly stepped in to mediate, "Troupe Leader Lu, there's no need for this. Calling me Zhao Wu is fine."
Just at that moment, a gust of wind blew across, causing everyone to close their eyes.
When they opened their eyes again, everyone was stunned. The curtains covering the nuns' carriages had been blown open, revealing a shimmering white sea.
Lu Zhuangyuan's eyes were wide with shock. "My goodness! So much silver!"
Chapter 114 - Cavalry
Silver. Several carts full of silver.
Lu Zhuangyuan had known that the carriages were transporting something heavy when he saw those deep marks left by their wheels, but he could never have thought that the carts were all filled with silver!
How much silver is there in those carts? Just give me a portion of it, and I will be able to open several theaters.
Soon, the curtains, blown off by the wind, fell back down; even so, Lu Zhuangyuan was still staring wide-eyed.
Meanwhile, the nuns noticed the strange looks they had attracted, but they were too lazy to care about all that; they just continued to sit on the floor like measuring weights as they ate.
"Stop staring; hurry up and finish eating. Once we're done, we'll start to move again. There's so much silver here, and it's bound to lead to some trouble," instructed Lu Zhuangyuan.
When they heard him, the Lu Family Troupe formed a half-circle with their two carriages and began to eat. Of course, their treatment of Zhao Wu, their distinguished guest, was quite good; there were more than enough white steamed buns and duck eggs to go around, even though Zhao Wu declined.
Just as they were eating, a vile stench filled the air. A relatively thin nun had somehow ended up next to them, salivating as she eyed the salted duck egg in Zhao Wu's hand.
"How much for this egg?" asked the nun.
"Can nuns eat—" said Lu Xiucai before he was interrupted by a smack of the tobacco pipe.
"Is Master joking? It's just a few eggs, here, take them," said Lu Zhuangyuan as he reached his hand into the jar and pulled out two salted duck eggs before passing them across.
Meanwhile, the nun looked rather guilty as she glanced at her companions near the carriage. She reached out to grab a duck egg before directly stuffing it into her mouth without even bothering to peel it.
"I'll pay," she said as she threw a few smelly copper coins onto the carriage. Then, the fat nun closed her eyes in enjoyment as she felt the rich yolk burst out in her mouth.
The two duck eggs offered by Lu Zhuangyuan weren't quite enough with her huge appetite, so she reached her chubby hand directly into the jar of salted duck eggs, thoroughly enjoying herself as she ate one egg with every mouthful. It was almost as if she was not eating eggs, but just grapes.
When he saw this, a question popped up in Zhao Wu's mind.
Isn't it too salty the way this nun is eating them?
Tatata~
At that moment, the clattering sound of horse hooves suddenly rang out in the air, causing everyone to look across. A cavalry had appeared in the distance!
"The soldiers are here! Run!!" shouted someone.
As soon as this shout rang out, the other travelers also stood up, carried their luggage, and then ran to hide within the forest around them.
Lu Zhuangyuan wanted to run as well, but he was tied down by his horse-drawn carriages.
When the cavalry finally arrived before them, only the Lu Family Troupe and those nuns were left in the area.
Seeing the situation, Lu Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth, then smiled at Zhao Wu and supported him to the front. "Master Zhao, I have known for a long time that since you have such a powerful senior, then your own abilities must be great too. There's no need to conceal them any longer."
"I... I... I'm not..."
However, before he could explain himself, the black-armored cavalry dashed up to them, causing him to eat a mouthful of sand.
The stamping sound of the hoofbeats combined with the collision of their weapons; this group was not just any ordinary cavalry, but an elite unit. Zhao Wu caught sight of a large military banner that was being carried by them—it was marked with a large Si word.
"Stop!" At that moment, a deep shout caused everyone to tremble.
To everyone's surprise, the cavalry actually came to a sudden stop.
They stood there in a row, like a black city wall. The warmth from the horses' nostrils caused the moisture in the air to condense into a white fog. In a sense, they were rather remarkable—they could move like the wind, and were also able to stay still like pine trees.
Zhao Wu's eyes widened with surprise when he saw an officer amongst the cavalry with four blades on his back forcefully step on his horse's back and leap before the nuns who were a dozen meters away while leaving two deep craters on the ground.
"Sisters from the Benevolent Nunnery, there's an emergency at the border! The military is in urgent need of funds. We will requisition this silver, and issue a certificate of debt[1] which you can exchange back at the Ministry of Revenue."
His voice was loud enough for everyone to hear him clearly.
"Dad, what's happening? Is there a war at Si Qi as well?" asked Lu Xiucai, his voice trembling.
"My ancestors! Will it kill you to stay quiet?" Lu Zhuangyuan whispered and covered his mouth. He had curled his body up and hidden himself behind the carriage, to avoid drawing the attention of these soldiers.
However, You Zixiong was focused completely on the fat nuns, essentially ignoring the troupe's existence. When he saw that the nuns just continued to sit around and eat heartily while completely ignoring him, his brows furrowed together.
"Didn't you hear what I said?!" He exclaimed, while grabbing the hilt of the sword adorned with black tassels hanging from his waist.
Killing intent filled the air in an instant, almost as though this place had become the center of a life-and-death battlefield. This aura also infected the cavalry around them; their bodies heated up and their eyes became bloodshot. Even their horses started to raise their hooves.
"We refuse. We don't want to go so far," said several nuns simultaneously. "Make a move if you dare. But think carefully before you do so."
This refusal immediately intensified the tension. Some of the mounted soldiers were already nocking arrows onto their bows.
Just when Lu Zhuangyuan was ready to flee with his family on the horse carriages, the murderous aura in the air suddenly vanished.
Then, with a serious expression, You Zixiong grabbed the sword adorned with black tassels and threw it across. "This is You Zixiong's sword! Take this sword with you and collect your silver back at the Ministry! They will return what we owe and more!"
You Zixiong burned with anger as he watched the black-clothed nuns gather around with greedy looks on their faces as they used their dirty and chubby hands to handle his weapon. But he also understood that the current situation in the kingdom of Si Qi was unstable, and that he couldn't afford to make more enemies, especially out of these nuns before him.
"Blackpeak Cavalry! Follow my orders! Distribute the silver evenly and carry it on the horses! We must reach Kun City in three days!" shouted You Zixiong.
"We receive your orders!" All the soldiers in the cavalry responded in unison and dismounted from their horses before rushing to the carts. They swiftly unloaded the silver in an orderly manner.
As the sound of the horse hooves gradually faded into the distance, Lu Zhuangyuan and the others seemed to wake up from their dream, each of them panting and sweating profusely, almost as though they had just taken a hot shower.
"Dad, I... I peed my pants," said Lu Xiucai.
"Rascal! Aren't you embarrassed?! No sense of shame! Go and quickly change your pants!" shouted Lu Zhuangyuan.
Although he spoke to his son with great confidence, earlier Lu Zhuangyuan's own legs had also turned weak with fear.
"Aiya, looks like Si Qi is going to be in a mess as well. No, this place is too dangerous. I need to find that Taoist as soon as possible and follow him to leave this damned place," muttered Lu Zhuangyuan.