The girl remained unaffected, but the young Taoist couldn't help laughing out loud.
Realizing the atmosphere was a bit off, he quickly changed the subject. "The tender leaves of the Dragon Scale Elm from Green Water Pond, also known locally as Three Spring Willows, were harvested too late by seven or eight days. And this packet of Dragon Flying Grass, commonly called Girl's Waist, was ground into powder too carelessly. The Yi Hua paper from Yang's shop is even worse. It's supposed to be three liang, but it's short by one qian!"
The young Taoist rattled off a long list of complaints, almost as if he had a personal grudge against the Yang family's pharmacy. He finally concluded with a surprising twist, saying, "The shopkeeper's conscience must have been eaten by a dog, but these herbs are still enough to make a healing decoction. Of course, this is mainly thanks to Miss Ning Yao's strong constitution and has little to do with the Yang family pharmacy."
The young Taoist slapped his forehead, spreading a blank piece of paper. As he began to write, he instructed, "I almost forgot. I'll write a decoction prescription for you. This is a meticulous task, Chen Ping'an, you can't be careless. This prescription not only heals wounds but also strengthens the foundation. It's like a military strategy to maintain a stronghold, nourishing through battle. The good thing is that it's mild and won't harm anyone, although it takes a bit longer. More herbs mean more silver spent. Whether to boil the herbs quickly or slowly, and the exact timing, it's all written down. Over the next ten days, Chen Ping'an, you'll have to work hard. After all, men are meant to bear burdens. If you shirk responsibility, the girl might look down on you…"
The young Taoist's voice trailed off as he shook his head slightly at the phrase "bear burdens."
The prescription was only half a page, but the instructions for decoction filled two pages, written in neat, standard script.
Chen Ping'an asked anxiously, "Taoist, aren't you going to oversee this? Such a matter of life and death, wouldn't it be more reliable if you kept an eye on it personally?"
The young Taoist replied helplessly, "I have to leave town soon. My sect in the Southern Stream country is holding a ceremony, and I want to see it with my own eyes."
Chen Ping'an was even more distressed. "Taoist, but I can't read!"
The young Taoist was taken aback, then laughed. "No worries, Miss Ning can read. You can ask her about it before decocting."
The girl nodded.
Chen Ping'an wanted to say more, but the young Taoist suddenly remembered something. He took out a small green jade seal from his sleeve, breathed on the seal face, and then pressed it heavily on the paper, lifting it with satisfaction. He handed the three pages to Chen Ping'an, "Keep these well. Books in this town are mostly privately owned and not easy to buy. If you want to learn to read, you can start with this prescription."
The young Taoist smiled at the girl. "A single leaf drifting across the sea, life always finds a way. Miss Ning Yao, until we meet again?"
The black-clad girl solemnly replied, "Daoist Lu, until we meet again! I won't say thank you now, but if you ever need my help, you can send a flying sword letter to Hanging Mountain. Just remember to sign 'Lu Chen,' or the mountain may not let the flying sword in."
The mention of Hanging Mountain clearly surprised the young Taoist. He hesitated to ask more, but she slightly shook her head, and he understood, deciding not to probe further. Some things were better left unsaid for the boy inside.
The young Taoist was the first to leave the room, pulling the boy's arm. "Chen Ping'an, I have some final words for you."
Chen Ping'an put the package on the bed, telling the girl it was new clothes.
The two went to the yard, and the young Taoist asked in a low voice, "With your memory, you must have recognized the characters on the first prescription. So 'not recognizing words' isn't the real reason you want me to stay."
Chen Ping'an replied, "With your abilities, you must know the reason."
The young Taoist laughed, "You think you're doomed, so you're worried no one will take care of the girl?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Since I opened the door, I have to see it through."
The young Taoist stood by the cart, his fingers together, quietly gesturing. The white-sheathed sword, containing two characters of sword energy from Scholar Qi Jingchun, silently flew into the house. The girl must have agreed to this, not wanting to frighten Chen Ping'an. After thinking for a while, the young Taoist tapped his lotus crown with a finger as he pondered. Finally, he said, "Before coming here, a senior brother told me that doing things requires reason, and being a person needs to be humane… Given that, it wouldn't be right for me to be too rigid. People have their destinies, but since my sect's teachings differ from ordinary Daoist sects… Meeting is fate, and this is a good fate. The divination tube and 108 sticks cannot be given to you, the karma is too entangled. As for the private seal, it's too heavy for you. If the town loses its restrictions, everything will be exposed, and I'd be harming you. Alas, should I give you some silver? That seems too crude…"
Chen Ping'an interrupted, "Daoist Lu, giving money is quite elegant, not crude at all!"
The young Taoist laughed. "You understood the value of the first two items but didn't ask for them. Why not?"
The boy slowly said, "I saw a big white bowl that can hold a large jar of water, a Taoist who can make talismans for the dead, a strange injured girl, and a bag of twenty-eight gold coins. If it was before meeting those two strangers, I would have avoided everyone. Today, I wouldn't have opened the door."
The young Taoist leaned against the cart, speaking in a heavy tone, "The foreign woman pointed at your brow, a despicable act to forcibly open your aperture, known in martial arts as 'pointing.' The method varies in quality and intent, like hammering your weak gate with an iron tool. The door opens, but the foundation is damaged. Imagine bad weather in the future; the opener has left, but you, the resident, suffer."
Chen Ping'an hesitated, "I can endure hardship."
Seeing the boy who seemed to be not joking, the young Taoist was amused, "That was her first attack. If your body was strong, you'd live to thirty or forty. The palm strike to your chest was the fatal blow, ruining your essence and cutting off your path to longevity… You had a slim chance, benefiting from the great upheaval here. Like a river full of dragons and shrimp, the lucky ones gain much, but even the least fortunate can catch small fish or shrimp."
Chen Ping'an stood quietly, without any sign of panic or pretense.
The young Taoist neither praised nor criticized, sighing softly, "Chen Ping'an, being so indifferent to life and death at a young age is not good. Do you think living is best, but if fate denies it, death is a chance for reunion?"
Chen Ping'an did not deny it.
The young Taoist suddenly scolded, "Have you thought, if you meet your parents in the afterlife, how will they feel seeing you?"
He grew angrier, poking the boy's head, trying to make him understand. "In ghost stories, White Impermanence wears a tall white hat, and when collecting souls, the dead see 'You are here too' written on it! When your parents see you, will they be happy and ask, 'Son, you are here too?' Will they rest easy to reincarnate? Do you think many people have the fortune to be family or spouses life after life? I tell you plainly, forget it! Even supreme sect leaders can't do it, let alone you, a penniless boy?"
In his stern rebuke, the young Taoist was extremely serious.
The boy was bewildered.
For the first time since he became aware, the boy felt true fear, his hands and feet cold.
He squatted, holding his head, not scratching this time.
Looking at the small figure, the young Taoist sighed, "Forget it. I owe you for saving someone. I planned to avoid repayment, but now I must repay fully. Remember three things. First, when Miss Ning is better, take her to the southern stream to find a father and daughter named Ruan. Remember, take her with you, or it won't work. Even if you must beg, become their apprentice, whether digging wells or forging swords. This will repay her kindness without you feeling guilty."
"Second, after the fifth day of the fifth month, go to the stream under the bridge often, whether collecting stones or catching fish. Go when you feel troubled, and more so when you feel a call. Your luck may bring rewards, but if not, accept your fate."
The young Taoist pushed the cart, seeing the boy still squatting but facing him. "Get up and help!"
The boy got up, helping to push, asking curiously, "You said three things?"
The young Taoist snorted, "Think for yourself!"
The boy was puzzled.
The Taoist gave more advice.
"Keep those coins safe."
"Stay home more."
"Smile more. Your face isn't
handsome; don't scowl for others."
Nagging like an elder.
Leaving the yard, the boy offered to push the cart out of Mud Bottle Alley, and the young Taoist agreed.
Walking ahead and behind in the alley, the Taoist finally said, "As I see it, your parents' early deaths weren't your fault."
He paused, almost out of the alley, then said softly, "More so, your hardships come from them."
The boy was silent.
The Taoist insisted the boy not see him off, pushing the cart alone to the east gate.
Looking back, the boy still stood at the alley's end, waving energetically, smiling brightly.
Not at all like someone who's supposed to die soon.