Chapter 14

The young Daoist had already prepared a whole set of words to respond to the straw-shoed youth's question of "who is it," but to his surprise, the courtyard gate opened quickly, and it was evident that the youth from the narrow alley had directly skipped that part.

Niping Alley was one of the narrowest and most cramped alleys in the small town. The young Daoist's two-wheeled wooden cart could not be left outside to block the road. Fortunately, although Chen Ping'an looked thin and frail, he actually had considerable strength. He helped the young Daoist push the rather heavy cart into the courtyard without much effort. Throughout the process, the youth did not say a word, which made the young Daoist feel somewhat awkward after closing the door. It was like someone had the audacity to borrow money, and the host treated him with good tea, good wine, and good meat, but if the guest had any conscience left, it would be even harder to bring up the request.

The young Daoist, thinking it was already embarrassing, decided to be straightforward. He lifted the cotton cover on the cart, revealing a black-clad girl lying on her side, curled up. Her tilted veil, though askew, still stubbornly covered her face. For some reason, as soon as the thin cover was lifted, a strong smell of blood hit Chen Ping'an. Only then did he notice that her black clothes were stained with blood. Chen Ping'an didn't understand how such a small cover could completely mask such a strong odor. The youth took a few steps back and asked, "Daoist, what are you going to do?"

The young Daoist said, "Save her! She is seriously injured, and no one in the town is willing to help her. It's not their fault for minding their own business. After much thought, I believe you might be an exception."

Chen Ping'an, hitting the nail on the head, asked, "How did she get injured?"

The young Daoist, without a hint of embarrassment, said, "When I was pushing the cart past the archway, I saw this young woman from out of town saying she wanted to make a rubbing of the 'Qi Chong Dou Niu' plaque. She brought a rubbing bag, brushes, and other tools, and climbed up with a few quick steps. As for making a rubbing, it's a kind of imitation work, something scholars do when they have nothing better to do. I can't explain it clearly, but anyway, after she climbed up, she sat on a beam, bending over, which made me very nervous. I had to stop and occasionally remind her to be careful. Who would have thought that she got so engrossed that she suddenly fell to the ground with a thud. You know, the ground near the archway is as hard as the bluestone slabs on Fulu Street. This time, she must have injured her internal organs and intestines. As a Daoist, I must be compassionate and can't just leave her, right? On the way here, every household refused to let her in because of the blood on her, thinking it was inauspicious after the New Year. I understand their feelings, so I had no choice but to come to you. To be blunt, if even you refuse to help, I'm not a god who can save her from the brink of death. I can only wait for her to take her last breath and then find a place to bury her, put up a marker, and be done with it."

The young Daoist deliberately spoke very quickly and unclearly, clearly trying to confuse the youth and get through the situation. The hardest part is always the beginning. Once it starts, things can be handled step by step. There's always a way out, and things will eventually turn for the better.

Chen Ping'an's eyes were complex. He looked at the hopeful young Daoist and then at the lifeless black-clad girl. After a moment of internal struggle, he nodded and said, "How do we save her?"

The young Daoist immediately brightened up, "Great! With your words, Chen Ping'an, we're halfway there. Don't be fooled by her injuries; it's not as bad as you think... Of course, everything I said is true. There are many mysterious factors involved, such as her strong will to live, and some family secrets that protect her vital organs and dantian. Also, our town is a very special place with many strange things. Eating or capturing them can be very beneficial."

The young Daoist suddenly realized he had revealed too much and chuckled dryly, "You probably don't understand, right?"

The youth seriously said, "I don't understand, but I remember most of it."

The young Daoist asked tentatively, "So, when you heard the knock at the door, you knew it was me, the fortune-teller, right?"

Chen Ping'an hesitated and said, "Yes."

The young Daoist asked curiously, "You have a good memory? How good?"

The youth glanced at the nearly lifeless black-clad girl, and the young Daoist smiled and explained, "She is in a very mysterious state and cannot move her body. It's best to wait a moment."

Chen Ping'an was skeptical, "I find it easier to remember things I see than things I hear."

The young Daoist asked, "For example?"

Chen Ping'an thought for a moment, "Like the 'jump-knife' technique of Master Yao, the kiln head at our dragon kiln. He is the best among all the old masters in the town. I actually remembered all the details after watching him once, but..."

The young Daoist smiled and continued, "But your hands and feet can't keep up, right?"

Chen Ping'an's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously.

The young Daoist smiled in understanding, "Have you ever thought about what makes Master Yao's technique truly remarkable?"

Chen Ping'an's face darkened, "I couldn't figure it out before. Later, Liu Xianyang told me that Master Yao said to achieve the best in the 'jump-knife' technique, one must have a steady mind, not just steady hands. After hearing that, I understood a bit. I was too eager, and the more eager I was, the more my hands would fumble, and the more mistakes I would make. When I saw my mistakes clearly, I would get even more anxious, and so I was always the worst at shaping the clay at the dragon kiln."

The young Daoist said calmly, "There's an old saying: 'The teacher leads you to the door, but cultivation is up to the individual.' But if the teacher doesn't even try to lead you, how can you cultivate?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head, "I'm clumsy. I can't compare to Liu Xianyang, and even among the apprentices, I'm the worst. It's not surprising that Master Yao doesn't like me."

The young Daoist suddenly smiled, "Chen Ping'an, do you know how hard it is to understand 'a steady mind'? It's not easy to grasp, so don't undervalue yourself."

Chen Ping'an still shook his head, "It's like catching fish in a stream. I stand in water that's not even knee-deep, bend over, and catch a fish. That's catching. Some people, who are good swimmers, dive into deep pits, hold their breath for a long time, and catch a fish. That's also catching. Both are catching fish, Daoist, but they are different, right?"

The young Daoist laughed heartily, neither confirming nor denying, and then said, "We can save her now."

Chen Ping'an stood there, and the young Daoist was also taken aback, "What are you waiting for? Carry the girl to the bed inside!"

Chen Ping'an didn't move, "Then what?"

The young Daoist said matter-of-factly, "Of course, we need to change her into clean clothes first, then go to the pharmacy to get some herbs to replenish her qi and essence. At that point, I'll need to take over and show my skills."

Chen Ping'an asked with a serious face, "Will she beat me up when she wakes up?"

The young Daoist said firmly, "No! You are her savior. How could there be such an ungrateful person in the world?!"

Chen Ping'an remained silent.

The young Daoist coughed, his confidence waning, "Probably not, right?"

Chen Ping'an sighed and asked tentatively, "There's a girl next door named Zhi Gui. Can she do these things?"

The young Daoist said helplessly, "No, that's the problem."

Chen Ping'an didn't insist and squatted on the ground, scratching his head.

The young Daoist suddenly asked, "Is there anything you want to ask? I might not be able to answer everything, but I'll try to answer what I can."

Chen Ping'an sighed, stood up, and said, "Let's save her first."

The young Daoist beamed, "Good!"

He quietly waved his sleeve, suppressing a flying sword that was about to move.

Chen Ping'an carried the girl into the house and gently placed her on a wooden bed with a mattress. The wooden bed, which had collapsed under Liu Xianyang's weight, had just been repaired, with a bench placed under it for support.

The young Daoist followed and looked around the sparsely furnished room.

The young Daoist slapped his head, went out to get paper and a pen, and prepared a prescription for the youth to get the herbs.

When he returned, he shook his head, deliberately avoiding looking at the wooden bed, thinking that this poor youth was bound to get into trouble.

The youth, who had been sitting on the edge of the bed, had already removed the girl's veil, revealing a pale face covered in blood.

The so-called "bleeding from the seven orifices" was probably what he was seeing.

The youth quickly stood up, took a stool from the table, placed it by the bed, and then ran to a corner where a small wooden rack held pots, bowls, and other kitchen utensils. Next to the rack was a small water tank covered with a wooden board to keep out flies. The tank was filled with water from the well in Apricot Flower Alley. The youth took a wooden basin and a gourd dipper, squatted by the tank, scooped water from the earthen jar, and quickly poured it into the basin. He then placed a clean cotton cloth on the edge of the basin, carried it to the bed, and began to wipe the blood from the girl's face.

The young Daoist turned his head and raised a piece of paper, "There's a small pharmacy on Fulu Street. Take this prescription to get the herbs."

The youth asked in confusion, "Didn't Daoist say earlier—"

The young Daoist looked puzzled, blinked, and said, "Yes, I did say to be careful when getting the herbs, not to be too conspicuous, to avoid causing a stir and damaging the girl's reputation."

Chen Ping'an said, "Oh," and while washing the cloth, asked, "Does Daoist have money for the herbs?"

The young Daoist became nervous, "You don't?"

Chen Ping'an placed the basin on the table and gently placed a golden copper coin, which he had taken from somewhere, on the table, "Daoist, I'll trade this with you for ordinary copper coins. How we do it is up to you."

The young Daoist thought for a moment, "The copper coin on the table is enough to buy the herbs on the prescription. I'll go get the money for you."

Soon, the Daoist returned with a bag of ordinary copper coins and a few pieces of silver, which he handed to Chen Ping'an.

Chen Ping'an instructed, "I'll pour out this water later. Daoist doesn't need to help. The neighbor, Song Jixin, likes new things. It wouldn't be good if he saw."

The young Daoist said solemnly, "Chen Ping'an, don't you have any questions?"

Chen Ping'an stood there, roughly estimated the weight of the copper coins and silver, and carefully put them away. He gestured for them to talk outside. After stepping out, the straw-shoed youth looked up and slowly said, "I know you are not ordinary people. Master Yao once said when he was drunk that our town is unusual, everything is strange, and everyone is strange, but he couldn't explain why. I don't understand it either. This time, Gu Can said that the storyteller could pour a whole vat of water from an ordinary large white bowl. Gu Can is annoying, but I know he didn't lie about this. It's like..."

The youth paused and continued, "It's like today, a very tall woman in this alley tapped my forehead with her finger and patted my chest with her palm. She said I would die soon, and I know she was telling the truth."

The young Daoist's face turned serious.

Chen Ping'an finally said, "Daoist said that the talismans you wrote, when burned, could bring good luck to my parents. I actually believe you. So when Daoist came to me and asked me to save her, I didn't say anything, but I hope Daoist will agree to one thing. If you agree, I'll do whatever you ask. If you don't, I'll get the herbs, help you boil them, and then ask you to leave."

The Daoist asked, "What is it? Tell me."

The youth, who had always seemed calm and experienced, was now somewhat nervous, and answered, "My parents died when I was very young. I remember many things from my childhood, but their faces are always blurry. Later, I survived on the goodwill of the neighbors. Once, I overheard someone say I was born on the fifth day of the fifth month, which they implied was not a lucky day. A neighbor was even more direct..."

The youth kept circling around the topic, paused, and finally got to the point, lowered his head, and said in a low voice, "After helping Daoist save her, if, I mean if, I die suddenly, can Daoist help me in my next life, to be reborn as my parents' child again?"

The young Daoist was silent.

Chen Ping'an smiled and scratched his head, "If not, it's fine. Indeed, such a thing doesn't exist. I'm asking too much of Daoist."

The Daoist smiled bitterly, "What about the girl?"

Chen Ping'an suddenly turned around, his back to the Daoist, raised his fist, and joked, "She's so beautiful. Not saving her would be foolish!"

The young Daoist watched the straw-shoed youth, who pretended to be relaxed, as he pushed the door and left.

The youth walking in Niping Alley seemed to remember someone and suddenly burst into tears.

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