Chapter 59

The two brothers received the prescription from Gui Bu Gui, and the ingredients were not too obscure. However, it was too late to rush down the mountain now. The brothers dispatched their men to the pharmacies in the nearby towns to procure the necessary items. Gui Bu Gui had calculated the time for them; a round trip of half a month would be sufficient, and with the time needed to refine the potion, a month and a half would be more than enough.

After instructing them not to reveal the whereabouts of Wu Mian and Gui Bu Gui, the men of the Gui family gradually left the mountain. Just as Wu Mian was about to take out the Four Directions Scripture left by Xu Fu to study, he heard a childish voice cursing: "Old bastard! Get out here! I remember you, and if you don't let me down, this matter won't be over! When I get down, I'll peel your skin, extract your tendons, and use your skull as a cup to drink from!"

It was unexpected that after just half a day, the ginseng doll's drunkenness had worn off. Realizing he was tied up, the ginseng doll began to curse loudly. There was no need for the minions to inform Wu Mian and Gui Bu Gui; the two of them heard the curses and went over on their own.

They saw the ginseng doll hanging in mid-air, writhing continuously. The ropes binding him were so tight that he couldn't break free, which is why he started cursing. It was surprising that he could curse so loudly and clearly.

Gui Bu Gui looked at the hanging ginseng doll and smiled, shouting up at him, "After all you've said, do you really think I'll let you down?"

From the time the ginseng doll woke up until the sun set, his mouth didn't stop. He cursed non-stop, calling Wu Mian and Gui Bu Gui "old bastards." Despite his young age, his curses were endless and extremely vulgar, and it was unclear where he had learned them.

At first, the old man seemed unperturbed, smiling and teasing the ginseng doll. However, as the ginseng doll's curses became more vulgar, Gui Bu Gui couldn't sit still anymore. He jumped up and started cursing back at the hanging ginseng doll. The old man and the child, one above and one below, cursed each other back and forth. Wu Mian watched, finding the scene both amusing and absurd.

After about half an incense stick's time, Gui Bu Gui finally gave in. He clutched his chest, panting, and said, "Considering you won't live much longer, I, the old man, won't take it to heart. Curse away, and when you're done, we'll put you in the cauldron."

After saying this, the old man turned to his grandsons and disciples, shouting, "Gui Lai, Gui Qu! I can't stay here. Arrange another inner cave for us! You two watch this place carefully. If anything goes wrong, you'll be the ones to suffer."

After saying this, Gui Bu Gui glanced at Wu Mian, intending to take him along. However, Wu Mian had no intention of leaving. He remained in his seat, not minding the leftover food, and continued to drink alone. Unable to bear the ginseng doll's curses, Gui Bu Gui politely excused himself and left with the Gui brothers.

Seeing Gui Bu Gui leave, the ginseng doll, now alone with Wu Mian, lost his enthusiasm for cursing. After a moment of silence, perhaps realizing his fate, the ginseng doll let out a loud cry.

At this moment, Wu Mian got up from his seat and walked under the ginseng doll. He looked up, and his body began to sway back and forth, like a spinning top. His legs were firmly planted on the ground, and his body swayed in all directions, always just about to fall but never quite doing so.

Wu Mian said nothing, just swaying back and forth. The ginseng doll slowly stopped crying, his eyes wide as he watched the strange movements of the white-haired man. As he watched, the ginseng doll began to sway as well, starting with small movements that gradually grew larger.

Seeing the ginseng doll's actions, Wu Mian finally stopped. He tapped his lips, making a smiling face, and then turned and left.

As he came out, he saw Gui Lai and Gui Qu walking in. After finding out where Gui Bu Gui was, Wu Mian headed in that direction. After a few steps, he heard the Gui brothers inside the inner cave say, "He's still a child, even when tied up, he still has the heart to play." "He doesn't have much time left, let him be. But something feels off, doesn't it?"

Gui Lai looked up at the swaying ginseng doll, blinking, and said, "You're right, something feels off. Stop swaying and stay still. You're trying to get into the cave wall, aren't you?"

Before he could finish, he was stunned. As he spoke, the ginseng doll had swung almost to the top of the cave. Just as he was about to hit the ceiling, he suddenly shot up, and his entire body disappeared into the cave wall. The rope binding him also disappeared into the ceiling, as if nothing had happened.

The Gui brothers looked at each other, then almost simultaneously shouted and ran to the inner cave where Gui Bu Gui was. After seeing their master, they told him what had happened. Hearing this, the old man knew it was too late to do anything. Despite their meticulous planning, they had overlooked something, and the little ginseng doll had escaped.

Gui Lai, trying to be clever, said, "Master, is there a way to fix this? Should I find someone to buy another ten or eight jars of liquor, set up a few more tables, and maybe the little thing will forget and come again?"

"Spit!" Gui Bu Gui spat at his eldest disciple, "That's you! That little ginseng spirit won't be like you. Do you think a spirit would forget and come again just because of food?"

Gui Bu Gui, still in the middle of his scolding, suddenly remembered something and asked his disciples, "Right, where's Wu Mian? What was he doing when you went in?"

"When we went in, he was coming out of the inner cave," Gui Lai said.

"You went in, and he came out..." Gui Bu Gui narrowed his eyes, looked at the Gui brothers, and sighed, "Forget it, there's nothing we can do now. If he's gone, he's gone. It's just that you two and that little thing were not meant to be."

After saying this, Gui Bu Gui got up, intending to investigate the inner cave. He had only taken a few steps when he felt something trip him. His body leaned forward, and if not for his quick reflexes, he would have fallen hard.

Gui Bu Gui turned sharply and saw a pair of tender little hands on the ground where he had been standing. A childish voice said, "This is the first time!"

By the time the Gui brothers caught up, the little hands had already retreated into the ground. The old man sighed, looking at the spot where the hands had disappeared, and said to his grandsons and disciples, "Forget it, once that little thing is underground, there's no way to find it. Don't take it to heart..."

As Gui Bu Gui was about to leave the inner cave, his foot suddenly tightened, and his body was thrown forward. This time, his luck was bad, and he fell flat on his face.

When the Gui brothers helped the bloodied Gui Bu Gui up, they noticed that wild grass, more than half a foot tall, had grown around his feet. The grass had grown in all directions, intertwining and binding his feet, and he hadn't noticed at all.

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