Dragon Boat Festival Special: Yu Mo, Zongzi, and Fish (Part 1)
When Yan Dan opened her eyes, the cabin was still pitch black, with the sound of water splashing against the gunwale. She lifted the curtain and peeked out, only to see Yu Mo standing at the bow, his hands behind his back, the silvery moonlight shimmering on his sleeves. He heard a sound behind him, glanced back, and asked in a flat tone, "You're awake?"
This was the first year she had known Yu Mo. In her heart, the Mountain Lord was still the Mountain Lord. And the Mountain Lord in her heart was equivalent to a tyrant who ruled over a mountain in the mortal world. Unfortunately, she was just a commoner, powerless and without influence, and could only submit. Fortunately, these two Mountain Lords did not look particularly rat-faced or sleazy, which made it a little easier for her to yield to evil forces.
"What a wonderful dream you had, didn't you?" Yu Mo lifted his shirt, slowly sat down, and crossed his long legs. "You were laughing so smugly in your dream that I couldn't fall asleep even if I wanted to."
Despite the gentle night breeze, Yan Dan felt a chill in her heart. She had a wonderful dream, an extraordinary dream. In her dream, Zi Lin served her tea and water, initially arrogant but later becoming obsequious, almost bowing and scraping; Yu Mo gently peeled an apple for her, and she could arrogantly complain that the apple should be peeled into the shape of a rabbit.
"Actually... it wasn't a good dream, I just dreamt about apples... lots and lots of apples." Yan Dan stammered, making up a story. Yu Mo gave her a "keep going" look, and she broke out in a cold sweat. "Mountain Lord, have you ever had a time when you really wanted to eat an apple but didn't know how to peel it, and ended up just staring at a pile of bright red apples?"
"No."
“If the mountain lord wants to eat apples, someone will naturally pick the best ones, peel them, cut them into small pieces, and bring them over. But I don’t know how to peel apples, so I can only watch helplessly.”
Yu Mo nodded, his tone flat: "So, you were laughing so smugly in your dream just because you could see them but couldn't have them?" Yan Dan felt a cold sweat trickle down her back and quickly replied, "Because I love apples the most. Seeing so many at once naturally made me smug, but then I suddenly remembered I don't know how to peel an apple, and then... I woke up." She thought bitterly, once she said those words, she never wanted to eat an apple again in her life.
Yu Mo smiled gently.
In an instant, the moon became whiter, the wind clearer, the river water turned emerald green, and peach blossoms piled high on the branches.
Yan Dan immediately seized the opportunity to praise, "Mountain Lord, you look so beautiful when you smile." The last time she praised Zi Lin like that, Zi Lin didn't give her a cold shoulder for at least a month.
"Is that so?" Yu Mo suddenly leaned closer, his clothes still carrying a faint lotus fragrance. His fingers lightly brushed through her black hair, his dark, deep eyes fixed on hers. Yan Dan's heart skipped a beat. Yu Mo abruptly stood up, brushed past her, and entered the cabin.
Yan Dan suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. Looking back, she saw the curtain hanging outside the cabin swaying in the river breeze, like a white banner summoning souls.
The next day, Yan Dan finally understood the saying, "If you tell one lie, you need a hundred lies to cover it up." As soon as they arrived at the market in Nandu City, Yu Mo bought five catties of apples. The woman selling apples, seeing his appearance, immediately stuffed several large, red ones into her basket. Yan Dan, carrying a basket of apples, truly had no way to express her bitterness.
When she saw Yu Mo clumsily peeling an apple as if he were filled with deep hatred, the bitterness in her heart was even worse than bitter herbs. She wondered what she would tell Bai Ling if the Mountain Lord cut off his own finger. Back when they left Yelan Mountain, Bai Ling had spent a whole hour just listing what Yu Mo liked to eat, what couldn't be put on the table, and what color and material of his robes he usually wore. If she found out that the Mountain Lord had a scar on his finger when they returned, wouldn't she nag her to death?
Just as I was feeling anxious, Yu Mo suddenly said, "A year ago, I was reduced to my original form here."
Yan Dan, with her sharp eyes, noticed that his fingers were pointing towards the blade, and quickly stepped forward to grab his wrist: "Mountain Lord, your fingers... don't point them at the blade."
Yu Mo glanced at her indifferently.
"If the mountain owner wants to eat an apple, I'll peel it for him."
Yu Mo finally looked at her properly: "Didn't you say last night that you didn't know how to peel an apple?"
"...I didn't know how before, but I learned it after meeting the Mountain Lord, but I still don't remember it in my dreams."
Yu Mo didn't say anything more, simply handing her the half-peeled, already deformed apple and wiping his fingers with a handkerchief. Yan Dan could only peel one apple after another, cut them into small pieces, put them on a plate, stick thin bamboo skewers on them, and hand them to Yu Mo: "Mountain Lord, you just said that you came to this Southern Capital City a year ago..."
Yu Mo said without any hesitation, "At that time, I was brought back to my original form, and it took me almost half a year to recover."
Yan Dan was troubled. Should she praise the other person's extraordinary talent? But it was difficult to gauge the right degree. If she went too far, she knew she might not be able to transform from a lotus flower into human form even in fifty years. As she was lost in thought, Yu Mo suddenly gently grasped her fingers. His voice was deep and pleasant: "Be careful with your hands."
Yan Dan's hand trembled, and the knife slipped from her hand, sticking straight into the deck. She stammered, "Mountain Lord..." Originally, Yu Mo always went out alone, only taking Bai Ling with him a few times. But she had this opportunity soon after arriving in Yelan Mountain. Given the situation, she couldn't help but suspect that Yu Mo might have developed feelings for her.
"What?" He released his grip, appearing nonchalant and indifferent.
Yan Dan thought for a moment, then decided she still didn't have the courage to ask. Suddenly, the boat lurched, and she lost her balance, bumping her head on Yu Mo's shoulder. She quickly stepped back three paces. Yu Mo turned and lifted the curtain, revealing the stern stuck in the bend of the river, a vibrant peach blossom branch leaning diagonally over the boat. He stood at the stern, tapped the shore with the pole, and the boat loosened, slowly moving away from the bank.
Yu Mo noticed the vibrant peach blossom branch, reached out and plucked it, petals fluttering down and clinging to him. He then turned back and handed it to Yan Dan. She took the branch, thinking that a peach blossom as a gift of spring was quite fitting, and smiled slightly, saying, "Thank you."
The small boat left the shore and rowed towards the center of the lake. Yan Dan turned her head and saw a small boat not far away, its gunwales broken apart, with swords and knives thrusting upwards from the water. The two people on board looked to be in great danger. She couldn't help but say, "Mountain Lord, may I go and help those two? It's unfair for them to fight against so many against one another."
She had made up her mind that if Yu Mo disagreed, she would just pretend she hadn't seen it. But to her surprise, Yu Mo jumped into the water cleanly and decisively without saying a word, leaving only a small splash on the surface.
"..." She just said "whether she can help or not," so why did Yu Mo jump in? Yan Dan had no choice but to row the boat over and reach out to the small boat: "Come on board, or you'll fall into the water." Now that she was closer, she could see the two people's faces clearly. The woman was beautiful and the man was handsome; they were a perfect match.
The woman grasped her hand and jumped onto the boat. Yan Dan immediately sensed a demonic aura emanating from her; she was also a flower spirit. The man also stepped onto the deck, causing the boat to dip slightly, demonstrating his considerable skill. Yan Dan suddenly recalled her time spent in Nandu City, where she had heard of two renowned noblemen, Pei Luo and Qin Tuo. Pei Luo was the son of the Prime Minister; she had even seen him once from afar, surrounded by beautiful women, looking quite carefree. Looking at their clasped hands, Yan Dan thought, "Only two or three years have passed, and this Pei young master has already changed his ways?"
As she pondered, a gaunt man dressed in a water jacket, his hands and feet bound, was suddenly thrown onto the boat, causing it to rock violently and nearly capsize. Yan Dan crouched down to examine the man, then looked at the corpses floating on the water. Each person had a vibrant peach blossom petal embedded in their forehead, the slowly seeping blood staining the petals even more vividly. Yan Dan sighed. This was all Yu Mo's doing; committing such a grave act of murder, wasn't he afraid of divine retribution?
With a splash, Yu Mo stepped aboard the boat, dripping wet. The flower fairy girl exclaimed in surprise, "Yu Mo?"
Huh, they actually know each other? Yan Dan's gaze was intense as she watched Yu Mo silently lift the curtain and enter the cabin.
Yu Mo has a history of refusing to help those in distress, so why would he suddenly become kind? Besides, his sorcery is mostly flamboyant, involving storms and dragons descending from the abyss, never something as elegant and delicate as a gentle rain of peach blossoms. Clearly, there must be something fishy going on.
She looked at the beautiful flower fairy girl, then at Pei Luo, and slowly sighed: Yu Mo was all alone, but his beloved already had someone else in her heart. The word "love" in this world could be deadly. Then again, she had heard Bai Ling say that Yu Mo liked tall, charming, obedient, and gentle women, and this flower fairy girl was exactly that. Someone like her, who always made him angry but he couldn't vent his anger on, with a wicked temperament, two-faced, and utterly unobedient, not to mention gentle—gentleness was completely foreign to her. How could Yu Mo possibly like her? ...Wait, why was she doing such a cruel self-analysis?
Yan Dan bent down, took out a dagger from her sleeve, and cut open the strips of cloth binding the assassin. She said in a kind voice, "Our mountain lord has a bad temper. I'm sorry you were frightened. Why don't you come in and have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up?"
Pei Luo said softly, "Mountain Lord?"
Seeing the flower fairy's expression change slightly, Yan Dan guessed that the young master Pei was unaware that the person beside him was a demon. She immediately smiled innocently, "What mountain lord? I was talking about my young master." She turned her head to look at her and asked, "Miss, did I just say my young master?" The other party could only nod silently. Yan Dan then looked down at the assassin, pointed the gleaming dagger in her hand at him, and slowly asked, "Then tell me, did I just say the words 'mountain lord'?" The assassin immediately shook his head vigorously.
Yan Dan smiled slightly and said softly, "Young master, you misheard."
Pei Luo could only remain silent.
Yan Dan looked at the assassin with great pleasure. This man was flexible and adaptable, which suited her taste perfectly.
As they spoke, Yu Mo had already changed his clothes, lifted the boat curtain and hooked it on a hook, and said in a clear voice, "Please come in and have a seat for a while. I apologize for any shortcomings in my hospitality."
Yan Dan patted the assassin's shoulder lightly and smiled, "Do you know why my young master spared your life just now? Think carefully before you speak, understand?"
The assassin raised his head, met Yu Mo's gaze, and immediately began to tremble uncontrollably. Yan Dan understood perfectly; even the bravest mortal would be frightened upon suddenly seeing Yu Mo, whose eyes would turn red: "You're trembling so badly, do you want me to help you inside?"
However, Young Master Pei's interrogation skills were truly lacking. He didn't even resort to torture. He tried to use both kindness and severity on such a desperate outlaw, so it's no wonder the assassin couldn't understand him.
Yan Dan pouted slightly, wanting to speak several times, but was forced back by a look from Yu Mo.
Suddenly, the assassin shouted, "So what if I die? I'm not afraid at all!" If he hadn't been acupunctured, his chest-thumping would have made him seem even more audacious. Yan Dan was delighted, clapping her hands lightly a few times and praising, "You have guts! You have backbone! That's how you should be—unyielding to the death, that's the true nature of a man!" She put down her teacup, slowly leaned closer, and smiled, "You must have that same spirit when we're interrogating you later."
Yu Mo rested his chin on his hand, looking at her without saying a word.
Seeing that he didn't seem angry, Yan Dan turned around, pulled out a kitchen knife, waved it in front of the assassin, and gently patted him with her other hand: "Indeed, the flesh of a martial artist is more solid, resilient, and chewy."
The assassin remained calm and laughed loudly, "You little girl are so delicate and frail, I'm afraid you don't even know how to use a knife, do you?"
Yan Dan immediately feigned surprise: "How did you know? My young master always says that I'm terrible at slashing. I could kill someone with one strike, but I can make hundreds of cuts and still not kill them." Sure enough, she saw the other person's face turn slightly pale and change color drastically.
"Don't be afraid, it'll only hurt a few more times and then it'll be fine. I have some very good wound medicine here, I'll apply it to you later, I guarantee your life will be safe." She turned to look at Yu Mo and asked softly, "Young Master, how about dumplings for lunch today? There's dumpling filling ready here." Even if they hadn't encountered these things, they would have eaten dumplings anyway. The menu Bai Ling had given her was too complicated, she figured even the imperial cuisine in the palace wasn't much different, so she naturally changed it all, and Yu Mo didn't say anything.
Yu Mo rested his chin on his hand and said with a smile, "Alright, but I wonder if there will be anything to eat tomorrow?"
Yan Dan smiled slightly: "Of course there is. This person is so strong, it would take ten days or half a month to cut him all off. Young master, I often hear people say that the flesh on the thigh is the toughest and most solid. How about we cut a strip off the thigh first?" After saying that, she held the blade against the other person's thigh.
Pei Luo reached out and pinched the assassin's chin: "This is to prevent him from biting his tongue and committing suicide."
Yan Dan raised the cleaver, but before she could even make a cut, she saw the man's eyes roll back and he faint. She felt both regret and pity. She had originally wanted to put on a perfect act, but the man had fainted before she even started. She could only raise the cleaver to show the other three people: "I haven't even cut him yet, and he's already passed out."
It was almost lunchtime, so she simply laid out the cutting board to chop meat and knead dough. After a moment, the assassin slowly opened his eyes, looking at her blankly. She smiled sweetly at him: "You're awake? I'll wrap the dumplings right away, they'll be ready to cook soon. How many do you usually eat?" The man's eyes rolled back, and he fainted again. Yan Dan looked at the chopped pork and muttered to herself, "Overthinking really does kill you."
She rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair wrists, and began to wrap the pork, cabbage, and green bean filling into dumpling wrappers. She then boiled a pot of water, thinking the man should be waking up soon, and approached him with a cleaver. When the assassin opened his eyes again, he saw Yan Dan looking at him apologetically, speaking to him gently, "I've checked, and it seems we don't have enough filling... Don't worry, I'll cut here, and then the wound medicine will be applied; you definitely won't die."
This time, the man managed to stay upright and not faint. He kept groaning, but couldn't speak. Pei Luo raised his hand and straightened his chin, putting it back in place.
"I'll talk, I'll tell you everything! Please, please stop cutting me!" the assassin cried out in terror as soon as he could speak.
Seeing him looking like he wanted to tell everyone about the chickens he raised and all the trivial matters of his ancestors, Yan Dan could only feel exasperated: "You used to be so bold and principled, how come now... A real man should just endure this pain, why do you have to beg others like this? Don't worry, I'll cut it lightly."
Before she could finish speaking, the assassin blurted out who had hired the killer and which money lender had paid for it. Yan Dan dejectedly retreated to the edge of the boiling pot of water to cook dumplings.
After Young Master Pei finished asking his questions, they prepared to leave. The beautiful flower fairy girl gently grasped Yan Dan's hand, instantly filling Yan Dan with a sense of pride: their flower fairy clan truly produced beauties, regardless of gender, mortals, or demons.
Yan Dan asked quietly, "What is Yu Mo's true form?" Although she knew that Zi Lin's true form was a mountain tortoise, she still did not know what Yu Mo was.
The flower fairy looked at Yu Mo, then at the water. Yan Dan suddenly realized: No wonder Bai Ling had repeatedly warned her not to serve the fish; this was the reason.
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