Chapter 696: Chapter 696
“Outside Changjing there is a mountain, several hundred li wide, called Mount Beiqin. I live on the far side of it, and since I was a child, I’ve often heard of a Snake Immortal in the mountain renowned for benevolence and virtue, who protects the mountain folk. But there is also a hidden divine physician in the mountain, known to the world as Doctor Cai, whose fame is even greater. Sir, have you heard of him?”0
The middle-aged scholar picked up the small gourd at his waist and took a swig of wine.0
On the river there was only a light breeze. The spring air was pleasant, and with the warmth of wine in his body, the feeling could not have been more comfortable.0
“How could I not have heard of Doctor Cai?” the young scholar replied readily. “His medical skills are extraordinary. He once traveled to Hezhou to quell a plague caused by demons, and to Jingzhou to cure a great pestilence. He practiced medicine everywhere, and his work, Doctor Cai’s Medical Canon, was promoted by the Imperial Academy and has since been revered by physicians across the land as a medical scripture. Even now, famous doctors in many regions are still studying it diligently, benefiting endlessly from it. A couple of years ago, I even heard that Doctor Cai’s virtue was so great that after his death, he was made a Palace Lord in the underworld, holding the highest authority like a king in the realm of the dead.”0
“Haha, sir, you truly are a man fond of such tales,” the middle-aged man said with a smile. “And what of the Snake Immortal of Mount Beiqin, have you heard of him?”0
“I’ve heard little of that Immortal,” the young scholar said, “but I have come across something from another source: in the late previous dynasty and early in the founding of the current one, when the founding emperor was establishing his rule, he was aided by an immortal named Daoist Fuyang. Someone once saw that immortal walking alongside a giant serpent. This was recorded in a miscellany written by Lord Fu of Anqing. But I’ve never heard any other accounts of it.”0
“Well, in our region we do have such a tale. I wonder if that Lord Fu of Anqing got his story from us.”0
“And what is the story of this Snake Immortal?” the young scholar asked.0
“Have you heard that the Snake Immortal and Doctor Cai were old friends of many years, with a deep bond between them?”0
“No, I’ve not heard that.”0
“They say that after Doctor Cai went into seclusion in Mount Beiqin, he often went deep into the mountain to gather herbs. But the mountain was full of snakes, tigers, leopards, demons, and ghosts. The Snake Immortal admired Doctor Cai’s virtue and secretly protected him. Later, when Doctor Cai was writing Doctor Cai’s Medical Canon, his techniques were so advanced that they drew the jealousy of Heaven, and the book was beset with endless misfortunes, taking decades without completion. Only under the Snake Immortal’s protection was he finally able to finish the work.”0
The middle-aged man smiled and paused, then raised a finger toward the young scholar. “And so, in the entire Medical Canon, there is not a single prescription that uses snake gall. Doctor Cai even wrote in the book that although snake gall has medicinal uses, its harms outweigh its benefits, and he advised people never to use it, recommending other herbs instead.”0
“If you don’t believe me, you can look up Doctor Cai’s Medical Canon yourself, you’ll see whether it’s true or not.” The middle-aged man spoke with complete confidence.0
“If so, then this truly is a fine tale of the world. If it spreads, it could well be passed down for hundreds of years,” the young scholar said, his eyes sparkling.0
Little Jiang Han was still crawling about inside the cabin.0
The Daoist sat cross-legged, smiling as he listened to their conversation. Looking at the young scholar’s expression, that bright-eyed delight at strange and marvelous tales, he was reminded of a certain scholar he had once met by the Liujiang River.0
This young scholar’s love for stories of gods, ghosts, demons, and wondrous things was exactly the same as that earlier scholar’s.0
So that scholar from back then was now known as Lord Fu…0
Just then, the two began speaking about this very Lord Fu.0
“Sir, do you also enjoy reading Lord Fu’s works?”0
“I admire him above all others. I am on my way to Xuzhou now, in fact, intending to visit Lord Fu in Anqing and hear from his own lips the tales of gods, demons, and spirits he has encountered. I imagine it would be endlessly fascinating.” The young scholar’s face shone with unconcealed yearning and respect. “In his lifetime, Lord Fu must have witnessed countless strange events. Any ordinary man in his place would probably have perished long ago.”0
“Indeed! In these chaotic times, demons and spirits abound. If you wish to see such things for yourself, it’s not impossible, but who has the courage?”0
“Sir, I must toast you.”0
“You are too kind, Mr. Ling.”0
“I live outside Mount Beiqin and have heard many stories from Changjing. Whether they are true or not, I cannot say. Let us drink together, and I will tell you slowly.”0
The middle-aged man suddenly remembered that there was another gentleman in the cabin, and turned his head. “Ah! Sir, do you drink?”0
“I do not,” the Daoist replied.0
“After listening for so long, are you in the mood to join the talk now?”0
The Daoist thought for a moment, then picked up little Jiang Han from inside the cabin and came to sit at the bow with the two of them. He placed Jiang Han on his lap and saluted each of them in turn.0
“This child is quite pretty, sir. Could she be a new disciple you’ve taken in somewhere?”0
“She’ll still need to be tested before I can say.”0
“A boy or a girl? Such fair, delicate cheeks. You’ve looked after her well.”0
“It was fate, she came to me on the river.”0
“Oh!” Both men’s expressions grew solemn, and a natural respect arose in them.0
“Please, continue your stories,” the Daoist said. “I too am very interested in what you’ve been speaking of. Having traveled the world for many years, I’ve gathered a few tales of my own. I wouldn’t want to listen for free, perhaps I can pick some rare and curious ones to share with you both.”0
“That would be best…”0
The middle-aged scholar and the young scholar both laughed heartily.0
When the laughter faded, the middle-aged man took another swig of wine and told them about a demon-hunter he had heard of when living at the foot of Mount Beiqin. The young scholar, in turn, spoke of the Dragon King of the seas off Yangzhou. The Daoist responded with a tale of how, to the south of Pingzhou, divine light had shot into the sky from a great mountain, thunder roared, and a giant had walked among the clouds.0
The middle-aged man then spoke of how, after Prime Minister Yu’s death, his spirit rode a crane away. The young scholar told of the wind fox of Yuzhou, and the Daoist, in turn, recounted the sealing of Mount Tianzhu.0
And so they went, each taking turns, hardly pausing at all. All were deeply satisfied.0
Even the small boat, which was going against the current, seemed somehow to move more lightly, as if buoyed by their cheerful mood.0
Yet the Daoist felt a quiet emotion in his heart.0
Round and round the stories went, and he realized that eight or nine out of every ten were tales left behind by himself and Lady Calico.1
Without knowing it, he and Lady Calico had already become part of the folklore of the rivers and lakes, not just in the teahouses and wine shops, but even here, upon the great river, amid the boundless wind, people spoke of their past deeds.0
Later, when the young scholar mentioned the wind fox of Yuzhou, the middle-aged man, now tipsy, began talking of rumors from the north. From strange events involving gods, demons, and spirits, their conversation drifted to major events of the mortal realm: from the chaos of the late previous dynasty, to allusions to the present day, to the emperor and the national preceptor, to the turmoil of the court.0
Many affairs of ancient and modern times all boiled down into laughter and casual talk.0
Several more days passed. The covered boat stopped where the Yin River met the Liujiang River, arriving a day earlier than expected.0
The boatman, who had been rather displeased at not picking up another passenger or two along the way, finally broke into a smile after receiving their payment.0
The middle-aged scholar, who had come alone to take up a post in the area, disembarked there and went by land to his new station. The Daoist and the young scholar found another covered boat that often plied the Liujiang River and headed upstream against the current.0
Going upstream was never as easy as going downstream. The fare was also a bit higher.0
But Anqing and Lingbo were already near the edge of Xuzhou, so it wasn’t long before the young scholar reached his stop.0
“To share a boat is no small fate,” the scholar said, bowing to him. “And to have had such a lively conversation with you, sir, whose broad learning I deeply admire, it has truly been a happy matter.”0
“To meet you has likewise been our good fortune.”0
The young scholar had been about to disembark, but then looked back at the Daoist and invited him, “After our pleasant talk along the way, I’ve learned that you also seem quite familiar with Lord Fu of Anqing, and likely take some interest in him. If you have no urgent matters, why not get off here with me and visit Lord Fu together?”0
He paused, fearing the Daoist might decline, and added, “The scenery of Anqing is often celebrated in poetry and prose, famed far and wide. I hear you are one who travels the world; after visiting Lord Fu, you could join me in enjoying the sights of Anqing. And next spring will bring the Great Liujiang Gathering, held once every five years right there in Anqing. It’s a rare spectacle in the jianghu. Though times are troubled and warriors abound, all will come to Anqing to contend for supremacy. If you’re not in a hurry to leave, you could stay to witness it before going on your way.”0
The Great Liujiang Gathering…0
The Daoist narrowed his eyes.0
Memories rose, not of the last one, but of the one twenty years ago, in that ink-wash rain and the sea of blooming umbrellas.0
Hero Shu, as the head of the Thunderstrike Sword Sect and acknowledged in the jianghu as the Thunderstrike Swordmaster, was almost certain to attend. But he wondered, had another old acquaintance found the life she once yearned for, and would she come?0
As for other friends from those days…0
Even the West Mountain Sect’s head from back then was, in all likelihood, now long buried.0
The months’ chill and warmth grinded away a person’s years…0
“…” The Daoist still shook his head and said, “I’ve traveled the world and been to Anqing before. This time, I should head home, so I won’t linger. You’d best go on your own.”1
“Oh?” The young scholar’s curiosity was piqued. “So you’ve been to Anqing?”0
“Then have you ever visited Lord Fu?”0
“I have met him once.”0
“Oh? And when was that?”0
“If you can meet Lord Fu of Anqing, you may ask him yourself.” Song You clasped his hands in a bow. “I wish you success. If you see him, please give him my regards.”1
“Ah… I’ll be sure to remember…”0
With a sigh, the young scholar returned the bow, then stepped ashore alone at the ferry landing.0
The boatman pushed off hard from the bank, and the vessel returned to the middle of the river.0
Glancing first at the scholar on shore and then at the Daoist on board, the boatman said, “Sir, taking the water route to Nianping is the best choice. If you went by land… well, the mountains are high, the court is far, the grass is thick, and the bandits are many. Besides the bandits, there are monsters and demons. It’s a hard road indeed.”0
“Are there still so many bandits?”0
“Not a single one fewer.”0
“And the soldiers don’t do anything?”0
“Who even remembers the name of the general in charge here? Folks say he hoards his troops and no longer obeys the court, and that many of the bandits are connected to him.”0
“These are troubled times, and life only gets harder,” the boatman said as he pushed hard against the current. Then he asked, “Sir, instead of staying in a temple to cultivate, you’re traveling everywhere with two little girls. Even if you’re not afraid of danger, aren’t you afraid of tiring them out?”0
“They do get tired…”0
The Daoist took little Jiang Han’s hand, smiled at the boatman, and lowered his gaze to look at her.0
“But how can one truly cultivate if one only stays in the mountains?”0
Cultivation was not some causeless wind. Quite the opposite, it was the fruit borne of walking the mortal world and witnessing its myriad affairs. If one stayed only in the mountains, it was very difficult to bear the true fruit of cultivation.0 Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on NovєlFіre.net