Man Slaughters the Buddha, Part Two
On the sleeping streets, only the window of the Qu Family Medical Clinic in the corner still let in a faint light, which shone on the wet street after the rain.
An elderly woman with a full head of white hair was wrapped in a blanket, her eyes half-open and half-closed, her hand resting on Nana's wrist.
"What is your relationship with this girl?" the old man asked, glancing at the wound peeking out from Nana's sleeve.
Xiang Wu paused for a moment, then replied, "I am her friend."
"Then please excuse us for now, young hero." The old man looked at Xiang Wu and said, "This old woman wants to undress the young girl and check her wounds."
"You'er," the old woman called out towards the inner room.
"Hey!" a sweet, lively voice replied.
"Fetch this young hero a basin of water and let him wash his face."
A young woman straightened her clothes and came out from the inner room. She lifted the curtain of the passageway and said to Xiang Wu, "Young hero, this way please."
"Thank you for your trouble, Grandma." Xiang Wu clasped his hands together and bowed to the old woman.
~
The narrow passage only allows one person to pass at a time.
“My name is Qu You,” the girl said as she walked ahead. “My grandmother, Qu Peng, is treating you. Don’t worry, my grandmother is the best female doctor within a ten-mile radius.”
"Thank you for your hard work."
Qu You waved his hand and said, "May I ask how you should address me, young hero?"
"Little one," Xiang Wu said, but then swallowed his words and said, "Miss Qu You can just call me Xiang Wu."
"Xiang Wu? What a unique name, like a monk's Dharma name."
Xiang Wu followed Qu You and stepped out of the narrow passage, where the surroundings suddenly opened up.
Pointing to the well in the courtyard, Qu You said, "Young hero, please fetch some well water. I'll go inside and bring you hot water."
"Thank you for your help, Miss Qu You."
“Young hero, you have found a good place to stay,” Qu You said as he walked toward the small house. “My mother-in-law’s clinic does not allow family members to stay.”
Qu You turned her head and said with a smile, "You can stay, but you can't."
"Miss Lin and I are not in that kind of relationship," Xiang Wu explained, touching the loose silver in his purse.
Fortunately, he had managed to swindle some money from Yu Lie, otherwise he wouldn't even have been able to afford Miss Lin's consultation fee. As Xiang Wu thought about this, memories flooded back.
~
When Xiang Wu woke up, Lin Zhenna was lying on his chest. Yu Lie was not far from them, his head down and his eyes wide open.
"Miss Lin," Xiang Wu called out hoarsely, "you saved me again."
Only endless silence answered him.
Xiang Wu placed his hand on her back and felt the rhythmic rise and fall of her body, then breathed a sigh of relief.
With each movement, Xiang Wu's bones crackled and popped, as if his entire body had been disassembled and reassembled.
With Nana on his back, Xiang Wu said to himself, "Hang in there, Nana."
~
Like a handkerchief that has been wrung out and washed, water droplets drip from between the fingers back into the basin.
"You're quite handsome," Qu You said, looking at Xiang Wu who had just washed his face. "You're too thin; you'd look better if you gained some weight."
"Miss Qu is joking, I'm already quite fat." Xiang Wu touched his face and suddenly felt a little unfamiliar.
Qu You chuckled and said, "Young hero, how are the girls supposed to live like this?"
Xiang Wu looked at the person reflected in the basin, and it was no longer the person he remembered.
"Alright, let's go back." Qu You walked past Xiang Wu, patted him on the back, and said with a smile, "Straighten your back, it'll be better."
Xiang Wu straightened his back, looked at Qu You who was walking towards the passage with his arms crossed, and quickly followed.
~
Looking at Nana from afar, perhaps it was just my imagination, but her expression seemed to have softened considerably.
"The medicine has been applied to the girl." Qu Peng sighed, "This old woman hasn't seen a girl suffer such cruel torture in many years."
Xiang instinctively wanted to clasp his hands together, but halfway through, he changed it to cupping his fists and said sincerely, "Thank you, Grandma."
“The wounds on the skin can be healed with the help of ointment and time,” Qu Peng added charcoal to the brazier. “I can’t do anything about the young lady’s damaged sword heart. Tomorrow morning, young hero, please take the young lady back to your sect.”
"Kenshin?"
Qu You asked, "What is sword heart?"
Qu Peng asked in confusion, "Young hero, are you perhaps not a martial artist?"
"I am ashamed, I have only been practicing martial arts for less than a month at most," Xiang Wu said with embarrassment.
"The true energy within the human body is a balance of yin and yang, complementing each other. In martial arts circles, men are mostly yang-dominant and women are yin-dominant." Qu Peng looked at Xiang Wu with a mixture of belief and doubt, slightly clenching her fists to form two spheres, and continued:
"The yin and yang are like the fruit on a tree, and the sword heart is the root of the tree. If the sword heart is damaged, the person will also be ruined."
"Can it be repaired?"
"We have no choice but to take the girl back to her own sect. The elders there know their sect's martial arts inside and out, so perhaps there's still a chance to restore her." Qu Peng looked at Xiang Wu and asked, "Do you know your friend's sect?"
“I know, but,” Xiang Wu said with a troubled expression, “does Grandma know about the Misty Rain Pavilion?”
“Never heard of it.” Qu Peng placed his hand above the charcoal fire and said, “It seems to be a little-known sect. Did she tell you where the sect is located?”
"I was not informed."
“That’s difficult,” Qu Peng said. “The longer it drags on, the more dangerous it will be for the little girl.”
Xiang Wu stared at his hands, momentarily at a loss.
“I heard there’s a place called ‘Unforgettable Pavilion’ in the west of the city, where they can answer any question,” Qu You said.
"really?"
"Perhaps it's worth a try. Do you have any money left, young hero?"
Xiang Wu nodded.
"They don't accept money," Qu You interrupted the two. "You'll only know what they want when you get there."
"That's fine then." Qu Peng said thoughtfully, "Young hero, if you don't mind, you can rest here in this hall tonight, and try your luck at 'Unforgettable Pavilion' at dawn."
"Thank you, Grandma." Xiang Wu bowed and looked at Lin Zhenna lying on the bed from afar.
~
Xiang Wu got up very early. The snow that had fallen overnight was still smooth and untouched by footsteps on the streets. It felt soft and fluffy underfoot, though slightly cold.
Following Qu You's side, Xiang Wu walked with uneven steps.
"Isn't it impressive?" Qu You followed Xiang Wu's gaze to the imposing restaurant by the roadside and said, "It's owned by the Chen family of Wenqu City."
“Both of them.” She sighed, “Nothing is better than being born into a good family. If I were born into the Chen family, I could be singing poetry and drinking wine all day and night.”
"It's just ahead." Qu You pointed to the path between the two restaurants and said, "I won't accompany you inside, young hero."
It's more accurate to call it a narrow passage than a narrow alley. The towering restaurants on either side make it appear even more cramped.
The restaurant completely blocked the sunlight from the alley, and a clear line was drawn at the entrance.
Xiang Wu looked at the secluded path, nodded, and stepped sideways across the boundary.
"Young hero," Qu You suddenly called out from behind Xiang Wu.
Xiang Wu turned his body with difficulty and looked at Qu You standing in the morning sun.
“If you can’t accept their request,” Qu You said carefully, her right hand clasped over her left, placed in front of her waist. “Just say you’re really hungry and want to ask for a bowl of noodles.”
Xiang hesitated for a second, then nodded as if he understood.
~
The snow melted into water, dripping down the eaves onto Xiang Wu's shoulders.
Although it was a bit cramped, it didn't take too long to reach the end.
The elephants that had waded through the darkness were immediately struck by the bright light. At the end of the restaurant, a square and spacious entrance opened in the wall, leading to a clean and spacious front hall. The bright firelight illuminated the intricately carved birds on the walls, making them appear lifelike.
A red paper was nailed to the wall directly opposite the entrance, with two columns of text reading: "One-time only, free of charge." In the front hall, some simple square tables and benches were set up, and in the center, two old men wearing strange blue masks were intently playing chess.
Xiang Wu stared at the red paper. For some reason, looking at the restrained strokes of the characters gave him a sense of familiarity, and he felt much more at ease.
Hearing the sound at the entrance, the white-haired old man turned his head, his deep pupils looking at Xiang Wu through the exaggerated eye holes of his mask. The mask appeared to be smiling from the side, but was unusually serious from the front.
Xiang Wu smiled awkwardly and nodded subconsciously. Their gazes didn't linger long; they immediately returned to the chess game on the table.
Pei Jiangxi ran up to him with a towel, wiping the snow water from his shoulderless face, and asked eagerly, "Would you like something to eat, young hero?"
Xiang Wu felt a sense of peace and familiarity from the voice, which pulled him back from his daze.
Focusing his gaze on the girl in front of him, Xiang Wuqing cleared his throat and said, "I have some things I want to ask you."
Pei Jiangxi naturally made way for Xiang Wu and asked, "Has the young hero been here before?"
Xiang Wu shook his head.
Leading Xiang Wu to a table in the corner and sitting down, Pei Jiangxi said, "Then why don't you have a bowl of hot ginger tea first, and think about your questions before you ask them?"
"This place must be hard to find."
“Although it’s in the most conspicuous place, the passage through the narrow crevice is indeed unexpected,” Xiang Wu replied.
"Does the young hero prefer sweets or spicy food?" Pei Jiangxi asked abruptly.
Xiang Wu thought for a moment and said, "I still prefer something sweeter."
“Then the food upstairs is just right for you.” Pei Jiangxi, who was serving ginger tea not far away, pointed to the roof.
"The building we're in is called 'Changfeng Pavilion,' which specializes in sweet dishes." Seeing Xiang Wu's puzzled expression, Pei Jiangxi added, "The building next door is called 'Xihe Building,' which specializes in spicy dishes. Both belong to the young master of the Chen family from Wenchang."
Xiang Wu suddenly realized: "I've heard about that before."
Pei Jiangxi brought the ginger tea to Xiang Wu and said, "Young hero, you can try it when you go out later. It tastes pretty good."
Xiang Wu nodded and took a sip of ginger tea. The warmth immediately spread from his mouth, down his throat, and throughout his body.
Pei Jiangxi sat opposite him.
"How much do you know about the Unforgettable Pavilion, young hero?" Pei Jiangxi asked with some curiosity.
Xiang Wu hesitated for a moment before replying, "I can answer anything. I do not accept money."
“It’s half true and half false. We know a lot, but not everything.” Pei Jiangxi nodded thoughtfully and said, “However, it’s true that we don’t accept money. In exchange, the person who raises the question will receive information or a commission in return.”
What can I do for you?
“It’s not for us.” Pei Jiangxi said calmly, resting her chin on her hand as she looked intently into Xiang Wu’s eyes and smiled as she said, “It’s for myself.”
Perhaps it was the ginger tea, but Xiang Wu's earlobes felt slightly warm. He avoided the girl's frank gaze, looked at the flickering lamplight in the ginger tea in the bowl, composed himself, and said, "I have two questions, is that alright?"
"Can."
Even without looking at Pei Jiangxi, Xiang Wu seemed to be able to sense the warm smile in his words.
“Perhaps there are three,” Xiang Wu said.
“It’s alright,” Pei Jiangxi said earnestly. “Of course, if you have any difficulties, you can also entrust them to us. We will find suitable people to solve them.”
Xiang Wushu drank the tea in his bowl with a sense of satisfaction.
“However, this is not a place for amusement. Young hero, you should think carefully before asking.” Pei Jiangxi glanced at the screen and whispered a reminder, “If you ask three questions but can’t do anything about them, they will take away something precious from you.”
~
Meanwhile, on the top floor of Changfeng Pavilion, a familiar figure leaned against the railing, coldly surveying the gradually bustling Wuling City below.
The Changfeng Pavilion was relatively quiet in the morning, with only a few guests scattered around on the top floor.
A series of heavy footsteps came from the stairs, and a burly man walked quickly to the side of the thin man under everyone's gaze.
“Brother Xiang,” the burly man said in a low voice, “that guy Ma Youyuan sent invitations to all the brothers in the gang. He sent them to all the ones we know well.”
The man withdrew his gaze and turned his face. Although he now had long hair and a beard, this man was undoubtedly Xiang Yu.
Xiangyu poured the man a cup of tea and said slowly, "Xiongzhen, sit down and have some tea."
Mu Xiongzhen raised his teacup, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.
“With the elder election imminent, he’s trying to use Chief Ma’s influence to create a situation where you, brother, are isolated.” Mu Xiongzhen sat down on the bench, slammed his teacup back on the table, and said, “This will definitely shake the choices of those neutral parties, and the already stalemate will become even more uncertain.”
“Weddings are joyous occasions,” Xiangyu said as he poured tea for Mu Xiongzhen. “Inviting a group of brothers is not inappropriate.”
Mu Xiongzhen looked at Xiang Yu, sighed in exasperation at his lack of ambition, and waved his hand vehemently, saying, "Anyway, I'm not going."
Xiangyu just smiled and looked at his friend, who had a rugged appearance but a meticulous mind, and said, "Look, it's snowing again. A good snow promises a good harvest, so we're sure to have a good harvest next year."
The two of them looked out of the building together.
Outside the building, the white snow drifted down gently. The steam rising from the teacup meandered upwards in countless wisps.
The crowd merged into the street below, people carrying loads on shoulder poles, baskets on their backs, and holding umbrellas, walking and crisscrossing in the snowflakes. In an inconspicuous spot, a limping man and a petite girl walked side by side, silently becoming part of the flow of people.
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