Chapter 33
Zhao Jia said he would drink until they were drunk, but as darkness fell, Li Zhi and Zhang He drove their carriage back to the Ji residence.
The two were clear-headed and showed no signs of alcohol. Each carrying a roast chicken, they got off the carriage and headed straight for Pei Xuanji's courtyard.
Walking down the street, Zhang He nervously said to Li Zhi, "Do you think Xiao Pei will get angry with us too? It's really a misunderstanding. That bastard Zhao Jia is spouting nonsense and saying all sorts of sour things."
“I think Master Pei is magnanimous and won’t let it affect others,” Li Zhi said.
“Xiao Pei is indeed a very good person. Despite his good background, he has always worked hard since joining the sect and never bullies others,” Zhang He sighed.
The two had long legs, and as they talked, they arrived at the gate of Pei Xuanji's courtyard.
Li Zhi hid to the side, while Zhang He took a deep breath and knocked on the door, saying, "Is Xiao Pei asleep? Old Zhang brought you some roast chicken. I heard it's a famous dish from Jiangbei Prefecture. It's fresh out of the oven and piping hot. Would you like to try some?"
After saying that, he leaned forward, wanting to press his ear against the door to listen carefully to what was happening inside.
Before he could even put his ear to the door, Pei Xuanji had already opened it. Zhang He lost his balance and cried out, almost falling into the yard with the roast chicken in his arms.
"What are you doing?" Pei Xuanji asked Zhang He, her eyes swollen like peaches, sword in hand, drenched in sweat as if she had been pulled out of the water.
Zhang He stood there awkwardly, not daring to look at her, and held the roast chicken in front of her, saying, "Would you like some?"
Pei Xuanji snatched the roast chicken away and turned to walk into the house.
Zhang He stood on tiptoe, watching Pei Xuanji's retreating figure, and hesitated before saying, "Little Pei, let me ask a servant to bring you some water. You can tidy up first and eat by yourself, okay?"
Pei Xuanji gave a vague "hmm".
Fearing that he might disturb her again, Zhang He tiptoed and winked at Li Zhi, who was standing to the side, before closing the courtyard gate behind him.
The two walked to the side, and Zhang He asked softly, "Are you not angry anymore?"
Li Zhi: "I am still angry, but I'm not angry at you or me."
Zhang He relaxed and ordered his servants to bring water to Pei Xuanji's courtyard.
Li Zhi waved the roast chicken in his hand and gestured to him, "I'm going back now."
Zhang He waved to him.
Li Zhi then carried the legendary Jiangbei Prefecture delicacy back to his small courtyard.
As soon as the courtyard gate was opened, a group of foxes rushed towards them, shouting, "I heard it! A famous dish from Jiangbei Prefecture!"
She reached out to grab the roast chicken in his hand.
Li Zhi raised his eyebrows, held the roast chicken high, and said, "No rush, I brought the whole chicken back especially for you. Go inside and sit down first."
There is no fox in the world that can resist roast chicken!
Baozhu sat obediently at the table, waiting for Li Zhi to take out the cutlery and divide the roast chicken.
When it came time to divide the food, Li Zhi took a golden, juicy chicken leg and stuffed it into Baozhu's wide-open mouth.
"How is it?" Li Zhi asked Baozhu with a smile.
She was eating and had no time to answer Li Zhi. Baozhu chewed heartily and happily closed her eyes.
Li Zhi patted the fox's head and laughed, "Slow down, it's all yours."
He sat to the side watching Baozhu devour her food, and then, seemingly unintentionally, recounted the argument between Pei Xuanji and Zhao Jia that day.
Baozhu listened intently with a chicken leg in her mouth, and after a long while, she came to a conclusion: "That Zhao guy is no good. Regardless of whether Master Pei is male or female, since he can be a Master, he is the same as you."
She slowed her eating and said to Li Zhi with emotion, "You don't know, Master Pei cried so much when he came back, his eyes were so big from crying."
Baozhu extended one hand and gave it a loose squeeze.
Li Zhi was amused by her.
After Baozhu finished eating, she finally remembered something and jumped around Li Zhi, saying, "Didn't you say you had a gift for me?"
Li Zhi said mysteriously, "You will know tomorrow."
Not to mention how the extremely curious fox spirit couldn't sleep that night, tossing and turning.
Li Zhi slept until dawn, went out for a while, and brought back a brand new trunk.
Baozhu stared at the chest for a long time, but couldn't see any difference between it and the kind that ordinary scholars carried on their journeys.
Li Zhi opened it and said to Baozhu, "Go in and try it."
The fox hesitated for a moment before stepping in with its front paw.
A soft padding was placed inside the box.
She curled up completely inside.
Li Zhi closed the trunk and asked from outside, "How is it?"
“It’s not stuffy inside at all, and you can see clearly outside,” Baozhu replied.
“I asked Master Zhang to put many magic arrays on the box. He boasted to me that unless Ji Ren was interested in it, no master in Jiangbei Prefecture could see through the demon inside the box,” Li Zhi explained. “You must be feeling cooped up in the house for a long time. If you don’t mind, I can carry you around for a walk to cheer you up.”
Baozhu was naturally delighted and cheered from inside the box.
"Take me out tomorrow!"
Li Zhi was taken aback upon hearing this, recalling what Zhao Jia had said to him and Zhang He at the banquet.
"It was the prefect's idea. A few days ago, the imperial court sent an imperial envoy to Jiangbei to inspect the situation. After the envoy returned, he said some things that were not good for the emperor. So the prefect came to our leader and told us brothers to be vigilant. We need to find out whether the drought in Jiangbei is a natural disaster or the work of demons."
"Since Chief Commander Ji has just taken office, there's no reason for him to leave things to others. He immediately took on the task. Li Zhi, there are many things to do in Jiangbei Prefecture right now. Even though you've only just started, there's no time to train you much. You should learn while you work."
Since you are familiar with Zhang He, it would be best if he could mentor you and help you become independent as soon as possible. For now, the two of you, along with Pei Xuanji, will go out of the city to inspect the area. Starting tomorrow, you will each be assigned your responsibilities and begin your duties.”
He told Baozhu this, and said tactfully, "I'm afraid it won't work tomorrow."
Baozhu didn't respond and immediately refused to come out of the box, shouting, "Didn't you say that no one can see through it? The three of you are patrolling together, and there's no one else around. Why can't I go?"
The trunk rattled loudly in anger. Li Zhi was both annoyed and amused, and had no choice but to reluctantly agree to Baozhu's request.
The next day, Baozhu got up early and, without waiting for Li Zhi to serve her, nimbly slipped into the trunk, only peeking out with her head to look at Li Zhi, urging him from time to time, "Hurry up."
Helpless, Li Zhi packed his things, then carried the trunk on his back and went out to meet Zhang He and Pei Xuanji.
As soon as Li Zhi appeared carrying the trunk, Zhang He's eyes widened. Because Pei Xuanji was present, he couldn't say anything, so he could only stare blankly into Li Zhi's eyes to convey his surprise.
Pei Xuanji, however, had somehow regained her normal appearance, though she still looked grim and ready to go to war.
Master Pei was seething with anger and paid no attention to the subtle sparring between Zhang He and Li Zhi. The three of them, each with their own thoughts, went to the yamen to meet up. They were then led to the areas they were responsible for patrolling and, taking advantage of the fact that it was not yet the hottest time of the day, hurried toward their destination.
When Zhao Jia received the mission, he specifically instructed: "Jiangbei Prefecture has been quite unsettled lately, so you'd better be careful. In addition, the terrain of the nearby villages is complicated, making it inconvenient to ride horses. You will have to patrol on foot."
After saying that, he looked Pei Xuanji up and down with his eyes, and said with a forced smile, "There are some hardships to endure during the inspection. Are you all okay with that?"
Fearing that Pei Xuanji would turn against Zhao Jia on the spot, Zhang He quickly put on a grin and said, "How could a Heavenly Master not be able to endure this little bit of hardship? Brother Zhao, we'll be leaving now."
Without waiting for Zhao Jia's reply, he grabbed Pei Xuanji's sleeve and walked out.
The three walked down the street. Pei Xuanji pouted, looking indignant, but ultimately said nothing.
Zhang He's attention was focused on Pei Xuanji's expression, while Li Zhi naturally fell to the back.
The pearl in the box, barely breathing, said to Li Zhi, "If I were Master Pei, I would give up being a master just to beat that damned Zhao Jia up."
Li Zhi replied softly, "It truly is a precious pearl."
Considering that the three of them were not locals of Jiangbei Prefecture, Zhao Jia assigned them a village that was not far from the city. After leaving the city, they walked five miles north to reach the village.
However, the road out of the city is no longer as easy as it was a few days ago.
It is unknown what kind of evaluation the imperial envoy who returned to the capital made of Jiangbei Prefecture. After the news came from the capital, the prefect dispatched a large number of soldiers to guard the city gate.
Many people were also crowding at the city gate with anxious expressions, seemingly wanting to leave the city.
With so many people and in such hot weather, cries of someone fainting could be heard from time to time, causing the three celestial masters to frown.
Li Zhi and his two companions struggled through the crowds trying to leave the city, arrived at the city gate, and took out the tokens from the Strange People's Temple.
While the soldiers were conducting their inspection, Zhang He asked, "Brother, why are there so many people here?"
In front of the Taoist master, the soldier finally showed a good expression and forced a smile, saying, "Naturally, it's because I have relatives outside the city."
"So, are we not allowed to enter or leave now?"
"Hmm." The soldier pursed his dry lips. "I received the order this morning. I'm just a lowly soldier, I don't know the specifics."
The three looked at each other, not wanting to discuss it in front of these people, so they had no choice but to leave the city under the resentful gazes of the people behind them.
Once outside the city, the situation became even more dire.
The people, teetering on the brink of collapse, gazed expectantly at the city gate, like withered trees.
"Let us in, gentlemen."
"Please have mercy."
They hadn't eaten for who knows how long, and they didn't even have the strength to speak. From a distance, they sounded like a swarm of mosquitoes flying by.
Li Zhi and his two companions walked out of the city, facing such gazes.
Outside the city gates, there were twice as many soldiers as inside the city. They held sharp weapons, with the tips of their blades pointing outwards, deterring anyone who wanted to break through the checkpoints and enter the city.
The ground was covered in dark patches, emanating a strong smell of blood, making it too painful to contemplate what had happened there.
Because of the reputation of the Temple of Strange People, the three of them were escorted by soldiers for a long distance until they could no longer see the crowd of people gathered at the city gate, at which point the soldiers turned back.
After thanking the soldiers, they set off on their journey to their destination.
That was a place called Koizumi Village.
As shown on the map, this small village is located right next to a large river beside Jiangbei Prefecture.
“If it’s the work of demons or ghosts, it’s possible that it’s related to water,” Zhang He agreed, looking at the map.
“I suppose my colleagues who went out on inspections all came to places like this, places that have been near water before,” Pei Xuanji said.
Li Zhi, lagging behind, heard Baozhu in the box say, "There must be a water demon that has swallowed all the water in Jiangbei Prefecture."
“That makes sense,” Li Zhi agreed.
The road to Xiaoquan Village was only five li away, but as the sun rose higher, all three of them began to feel a bit tired.
The ground beneath their feet was cracked in patches, and the large tracts of trees that once lined the roadside had been stripped of their bark and were now withered and dead.
As far as the eye could see, there was not a trace of green; everything was yellowish-brown.
In the heat, everything was distorted.
There were no chirping insects, no cries of wild animals; all was quiet, the world seemed to have come to a standstill, with only the ever-shining sun overhead.
Walking like this, even if it's only five miles, would be a huge drain on them.
Zhang He took out the Heart-Cleansing Mantra from his satchel and handed it to the two people behind him.
Li Zhi and Pei Xuanji reached out and took the talisman. As it burned, their spirits lifted, and the unease that had been lingering in their hearts vanished.
"Be careful, demons and ghosts are no longer the most terrifying things." Zhang He took the lead, pulled out his peach wood sword, and carefully examined everything around him.
Seeing this, Pei Xuanji also took out her bladeless sword, stepped forward and said, "Senior, I'll go first, you cut off the tail, and let Li Zhi walk in the middle."
Zhang He naturally agreed, and together with Pei Xuanji, they sandwiched the newly initiated Li Zhi in the middle.
Thinking of the group of people inside and outside the city gate who were almost no different from wild beasts, Zhang He felt uneasy.
What would a person do if they were extremely hungry or thirsty?
Exorcists are good at subduing demons and monsters, but they are not good at dealing with their own kind.
As Zhang He, who was walking at the back, looked around nervously, he suddenly noticed that there was a small crack in the box that Li Zhi was carrying.
A pair of bright, sparkling eyes were looking at me curiously from within.
Zhang He felt a chill run down his spine. He took a step forward and slammed his hand on Li Zhi's trunk.
"Ouch." A faint sound came from inside the box.
Pei Xuanji, who was walking at the front, turned around abruptly with her sword in hand and shouted, "Who?!"
Zhang He pretended to lose his footing and cried out in a high-pitched voice.
"It's nothing, I just accidentally missed a step," he said awkwardly.
Pei Xuanji glanced at him with disdain, put down her sword with a sigh of relief, and turned back to look ahead.
Li Zhi turned around and whispered to Zhang He, "I'm sorry."
Zhang He shook his head, stepped forward, and said weakly to the one in the box, "Be careful, don't do anything reckless, or Xiao Pei will see you."
Baozhu, mimicking Zhang He, replied in a weak voice, "I just want to see when you will finally find out."
You have to concentrate to hear her voice.
Zhang He and Li Zhi both pricked up their ears and listened carefully.
"When will you finally realize that someone is following you?"
The fox spirit's soft, gentle voice drifted into their ears, instantly sending chills down their spines.
They immediately turned around and looked back at the road they had come from.
They were walking through a forest that had lost all signs of life, as the leaves had fallen and the forest was full of bare saplings, with almost nowhere to hide.
Upon closer inspection, however, it appeared that there was an extremely thin person hiding behind a tree, spying on the three celestial masters.
Zhang He immediately threw out two talismans from his hand, which flew towards the location of those villains.
The talisman traveled swiftly and fiercely, knocking down withered old trees one by one. Seeing that things were not going well, the scoundrels who had been watching them rolled on the ground and tried to escape towards Koizumi Village.
Where are you going?
Once she realized what was happening, Pei Xuanji also threw out a few talismans.
Unlike Zhang He's spell, which was straightforward, her spell whizzed through the air, deftly sticking to the two people who were running wildly.
A gasp was heard in the distance, and two small, thin people tripped and fell to the ground, unable to move.
Zhang He and Pei Xuanji quickly chased after them.
Li Zhi fell behind again and whispered to Baozhu, "Don't be naughty."
"Hehe, I already reminded you!" Baozhu's voice sounded extremely cheerful.
Li Zhi was about to say something more when he heard Zhang He shout from the front: "You little thief, give me back your Grandpa Zhang's wallet!"
He was taken aback, then quickly stepped forward.
Two little beggars lay on the ground, one panicked, the other angry.
The one who was furious was the ugliest, with a long scar on his face; he was the one who had stolen Zhang He's money pouch in the city earlier.
The little beggars looked to be only about ten years old, but their expressions were no longer those of children. Even when the Taoist priest pressed them to the ground with talismans, they just pursed their lips and stared at them without saying a word.
Pei Xuanji looked at the scarred beggar strangely and said, "You little rascal, you're really strange. Have we offended you somewhere? Why are you stealing our money pouches and secretly following us? We're not from Jiangbei Prefecture. We only arrived in the city a dozen days ago. We don't know what's wrong with you."
Upon hearing this, the little beggar raised his head and shouted fiercely at them, "But you are Taoist priests, and Taoist priests deserve to die! Die, all of you!"
Pei Xuanji had never seen a mortal child hate the Celestial Master so much, and she was stunned for a moment, not knowing how to refute him.
Even Zhang He, who had been a disciple for nearly twenty years, had never seen many strange people who hated the Celestial Master.
Enraged, he stepped forward to grab the little beggar, but his hand hovered in the air for a long time without finding a place to strike. Helpless, he could only step on the little beggar's shoulder and shouted angrily, "You think the Taoist priests deserve to die? If you have the ability, then come and kill us! Why did you steal my wallet? Give it back to me!"
The little beggar's remaining words were choked back. In his short life, he had never seen such a bizarre Taoist priest. He was suddenly at a loss for words, not knowing where to begin his tirade.
He stopped cursing and instead bit Zhang He's foot, which was on his shoulder.
"Ouch!" Zhang He was startled and quickly moved his foot away. "Why is it biting my foot? Is this a dog in disguise?"
Just as he was about to engage the immobile beggar in a fierce battle, Li Zhi spoke up to remind him, "Master Zhang, there's no need to say more. There's a magic array on your money pouch."
Upon hearing Li Zhi's words, the little beggar finally showed fear on his face. He exchanged a glance with his companion and suddenly became obedient.
"Master Zhang, I'm willing to return your money pouch to you. Please let me go, okay?" the scarred little beggar said politely.
Zhang He sneered, exchanged a glance with Li Zhi, and said, "I know, I've hidden my money bag in your lair. You're just pretending to be nice and not want me to go there."
Even after these words were spoken, the little beggar's expression remained unchanged.
“It’s in Xiaoquan Village.” Li Zhi looked into the eyes of the scarred little beggar and analyzed with his companion, “He’s following us only because we happened to be on this road and happened to be heading to Xiaoquan Village.”
"It seems that no matter what, there will be some gains today."
Zhang He smiled, and ignoring the little beggars' violent struggles, he picked them up from behind, one in each hand.
Carrying their two spoils, the three quickly arrived at Koizumi Village.
This small village was similar to every one they had ever seen, with the same big tree at the entrance, the winding roads through the village, and the large farmland near the village.
The village was completely empty; there wasn't a single person in sight.
The three celestial masters briefly toured the village and discovered the only unique feature of Xiaoquan Village.
A wide riverbed that is very close to the village and has dried up completely.
The three walked to a high point in the village and looked out at the dry riverbed.
The two little beggars also strangely quieted down.
"Will a river like this also disappear completely?" Zhang He murmured to himself.
Li Zhi, who was standing next to him, suddenly felt a lightness on his shoulder.
"I'm going out to take a look. Don't worry about me. I'll be back before we return to the city." Baozhu's voice whispered into his ears.
Baozhu jumped down from the box and walked towards a place very close to the river.
The melodious and poignant singing kept coming from there.
As she got closer, she suddenly felt a chill under her feet.
Baozhu looked down and realized that she had already stepped into the water.
When I looked up again, everything around me had changed.
A wide, calm river, shimmering with tiny, jewel-like sparkles under the warm sunlight, flows quietly before the pearl.
A beautiful woman sat by the river, her small, fair feet touching the water's surface absentmindedly as she sang a melancholy love song to herself.
"I have a deep longing for you, Ji Lang, and wish to grow old together with you..."
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