Looking at the six taels of silver, Li Huowang didn't bother to refuse and slipped them into his chest—he really did need the money right now.
"Well then, Little Daoist Master, take your time eating. We'll go get ready. We'll continue our journey tomorrow."
Having eaten and drunk their fill, the members of the Lv Family were sleepy and went to catch up on sleep. After all, they hadn't slept at all the previous night.
Once the Lv Family left, Li Huowang was the only one left in the house. He looked at the roast chicken in front of him, which was bigger than his own head. After a moment's thought, he asked a nearby servant, "Do you have anything I can use to pack this up?"
Not long after, Li Huowang emerged from Wuli Gang leading a donkey that was pulling a flatbed cart loaded with sacks of grain.
Six taels of silver wasn't much, so he had to use it sparingly. It wasn't enough for a horse, but it was enough to buy an old donkey. With this, at least they wouldn't have to carry their provisions on their backs.
When Li Huowang got back, he saw that the others were still huddled in a pile of rice straw in the fields. They hadn't entered the village, obviously afraid their strange appearances would frighten the locals.
As he walked over, Li Huowang saw them roasting dried sweet potatoes over a fire.
Li Huowang reached into the cart and pulled out a fragrant roast chicken. "Eat this instead."
After eating dry rations for so many days, no one could hold back at the sight of the roast chicken. They all rushed over excitedly.
With more than a dozen people sharing one chicken, each person didn't get much, but every bite was cherished. They even carefully crunched the bones into fragments and swallowed them.
"Senior Brother Li, where did this chicken come from? And the donkey cart—where did you go last night?" Bai Lingmiao asked, holding the chicken neck in both hands.
Li Huowang sat on the straw pile with his eyes closed and briefly described what had happened.
When Bai Lingmiao learned that Li Huowang had nearly died to get these things, she put down the chicken neck. She listened for his voice and crawled over to his side, her expression full of heartache.
"Senior Brother Li, I'm sorry. We're just useless burdens dragging you down. If it weren't for us, you wouldn't have to risk your life like this."
Li Huowang opened his eyes and looked at the girl before him, her own eyes covered with a strip of blue cloth. "It has nothing to do with you. Since that thing could show up at the Hu Family's Ancestral Temple, it must have been watching us for a while. Even if last night hadn't happened, we would have run into it sooner or later."
"And besides…" Li Huowang paused, remembering the time he had completely fallen into Huan Jue back at Qingfeng Daoist Temple. "Besides, you never know who'll end up being the burden in the future."
After a moment of thought, Li Huowang looked at the girl again and reached out to take her hand.
Bai Lingmiao shyly pulled back, but then quickly stopped herself.
A moment later, however, Li Huowang had another thought. Lying on the straw pile, he closed his eyes, averted his gaze, and slowly let go of the hand he was holding.
Yet, the instant he loosened his grip, her soft hands quickly reached out and held on to his tightly.
After a good night's rest, the two groups with their different goals set off again. Their next destination was Jianye Town, which would be Li Huowang's first time entering a major settlement in this world.
"Little Daoist Master, Wuli Gang isn't far from Jianye Town. At our pace, we should get there in about four or five days," Top Scholar Lv reported to Li Huowang.
Li Huowang turned to look at Zhao Wu, who was being carried by the Fool. "So, you're almost home. Are you happy?"
Zhao Wu had previously mentioned that his home was in Jianye. After spending these days together, Li Huowang had come to know him a bit. He felt Zhao Wu was very sharp, but his potential was unrealized because of his physical disability and his illiteracy.
"Zhao Wu, seeing as we're almost at your place, what do you say? You have to treat us brothers to a meal at a wine house, right?" Gouwa teased from the side.
However, Zhao Wu's reaction surprised everyone. A bitter smile appeared on his face. "I'm a cripple. What's the point of going home? I can't lift or carry anything. I'll just be another mouth to feed."
His words cast a pall over the group, striking a chord with all the Medicinal Guides.
Except for Li Huowang, everyone who had been in the ingredient storeroom had something wrong with them. Even if they returned to their old lives, they would still be the freaks that people feared or despised. Escaping the fear of death at Qingfeng Daoist Temple was a wonderful thing, but returning to an environment of contempt and hostility was nothing to celebrate.
Sensing the somber mood, Li Huowang turned to Zhao Wu. "Who says you're useless? Since we have some time on our hands, I'll teach you Alchemy. Memorize as much as you can. When you get home, you can work as a traveling doctor. At least you won't starve."
Zhao Wu was stunned for a moment. Then, his face lit up with excitement, his eyes burning with intense desire. "Senior Brother Li, I don't want to learn Alchemy. Can you teach me how to read?"
"Why learn to read? If you learn a few more Pill Recipes, you can have a livelihood practicing medicine when you get back. Isn't that better?" Li Huowang couldn't quite understand the locals' priorities. It wasn't that literacy was useless—of course it was useful. But it took years to learn. Teaching an illiterate man who couldn't even write his own name was a massive undertaking that would take a long time.
"It's fine! It doesn't matter if I don't learn much. I'll learn as much as I can."
Although Li Huowang didn't understand Zhao Wu's hunger for knowledge, if he wanted to learn, Li Huowang was certainly willing to teach.
"Fool, put Zhao Wu on the donkey cart. I'm going to teach him to read."
Since Zhao Wu knew nothing, Li Huowang could only start with the basics, teaching simple characters like 'wood,' 'mouth,' and 'person'.
As he was teaching, Li Huowang noticed it had become very quiet. He looked up and saw that everyone, including the Lv Family, was listening with rapt attention. Not only were they listening intently, but their faces also showed a look of reverence, as if Li Huowang were performing some sacred ritual.
"Hehehe, um, Little Daoist Master…"
Grinning, Top Scholar Lv approached, carrying two strips of cured pork in one hand while dragging his youngest son with the other.
Just as Li Huowang was waiting for him to speak, dust was kicked up on the forest path behind them.
Before long, a horse stopped in front of them, and a chubby young boy jumped down.
Top Scholar Lv clearly knew him from Wuli Gang and quickly bowed with cupped fists. "Oho, Young Master Hu! Not so fast. Where are you off to?"
"I'm not going anywhere! I'm joining you to perform in the opera! That way, I can listen to it every day!"
The boy, Young Master Hu, was bouncing with excitement. His voice was still high and childish, despite his sturdy build.
"Oh, come now, don't joke like that. Hurry back home before you make your grandfather worry."
"Don't worry, I'll pay to listen!" he declared, shoving a golden Longevity Lock into Top Scholar Lv's hand.
Top Scholar Lv's face was a mask of conflict as he held the gold, torn about what to do.
But soon, someone rode up on a horse from behind, saving him from his dilemma.
"Dad! Don't grab me! I'm not going back! I want to perform in the opera!"
SMACK! A loud slap landed across Young Master Hu's face, making everyone jump. The boy's cheek swelled up instantly.
"You want to be an actor?! How dare you become an actor! Do you have any idea how debased that is?! It's the lowest of the low! If you dare disgrace the Hu Family by becoming an actor, I'll beat you to death!"
The man snatched the Longevity Lock from Top Scholar Lv's hand, slung his son onto one of the horses, and rode away in a cloud of dust.
After they left, Li Huowang turned back to Top Scholar Lv, waiting for him to finish what he had been about to say.
Top Scholar Lv stood there awkwardly, still gripping the two strips of cured pork. He opened and closed his mouth several times as if to say something, but no sound came out. For the first time, the usually smooth-talking old man looked as helpless as a child.
In the end, he said nothing at all. He just forced a smile, nodded at Li Huowang, and dragged his son toward the cart, his back now even more hunched than before.