Chapter 15 Vajra Pestle
Chapter 015 Demon-Subduing Pestle
"If the manor becomes too large, the martial world becomes too small; if the martial world becomes too close, the manor becomes too far away..."
As night fell, Wang Sumo lay in the hammock, repeating the words He Lin had told her during the day. Who would have thought that these words came from the old master of Qingyun Manor, and that he was speaking so frankly to a free-range chicken?
Wang Sumo suddenly remembered the first time she met the old man.
The old man was extremely anxious because he couldn't find his Vajra Pestle.
The torrential rain was filled with hurried passersby, who were easily soaked. When an old man tugged at your sleeve and asked if you had seen his vajra, no one was willing to stop.
The old man, wearing a straw raincoat, squatted helplessly in the corner against the wall, like a child who had done something wrong, at a loss for what to do.
She happened to have parked her carriage under the eaves of a nearby large house to take shelter from the rain.
From afar, I saw the old man asking everyone he met in the torrential rain for help, then tugging at their sleeves, trying to get assistance, and finally crouching down slowly in a corner, his head in his hands…
She stepped forward, holding an umbrella, and asked loudly amidst the noisy rain, "Grandpa, what are you looking for?"
The old man looked at her blankly, "What...what am I looking for?"
She paused slightly, as if she had guessed something.
Suddenly, anxiety appeared in the old man's eyes. "That's right, how could I forget? What am I looking for? What am I looking for..."
Later on, he was almost constantly talking to himself in a panic.
She seemed to suddenly understand everything.
In the pouring rain, the old man was filled with self-reproach and sadness. His clothes were soaked through, and he looked disheveled and flustered. She held an umbrella and pulled him to sit down on the dry steps beside her, smiling as she said, "Grandpa, don't worry, it's still raining. Let's think about it slowly, and we'll remember what we're looking for in a little while."
Old Qu, who had been somewhat flustered, looked at her calm and gentle expression and suddenly became peaceful as well, for reasons unknown.
She slowly closed her umbrella, gently flicked it aside, and said casually, as if speaking in everyday conversation, "I also need to think about where I'm going to drive the carriage later. Old man, let's think about it together."
Old Qu was initially a bit confused, but when he saw her eyes slightly raised and her smile turn into crescent moons, he also smiled憨厚ly.
Before the rain stops and the sun shines, there is always a considerable amount of time to wait.
"Young lady, what are you going to do all by yourself in such a big carriage?" the old man asked.
She pulled out the book "The Tale of Delicacies" from her pocket, half seriously and half jokingly, and said, "Look, this book 'The Tale of Delicacies' was left to me by my father. It records dozens of rare spices. I'm going to drive that big carriage all over the world to find those dozens of rare spices."
"Ha! To travel the world, girl, you certainly have big ambitions!"
She laughed, "Yes, that's why it would take a big carriage to fit them all."
The old man laughed heartily in the torrential rain.
It was as if all the gloom from before had been swept away by laughter...
That was the first time she met the old man.
That was also the most disheveled she had ever seen the old man.
Later, she and the old man traveled together. The old man would help her drive, wash vegetables, and do some temporary chores. He would also complain, get angry, and refuse to help. When the old man's headache returned and he couldn't remember things, she would gently comfort him, patiently telling him each time, "You are the Cloud-Piercing Mountain-Splitting Hand, Master Guan. We will travel together in the Eight Treasures Pavilion to find the seasonings in 'The Tale of Delicacies'. You have a headache and will temporarily forget things from before. It's okay. I've left your Vajra Pestle with you. Take it and you'll remember slowly."
Old Qu looked at her with a puzzled expression.
She said gently, "Wang Sumo, Su as in 'Fu Su' and Mo as in 'bi Mo'. You can call me 'Master' or 'Girl'."
Old Qu asked in surprise, "Girl?"
She frowned and hissed softly, "Be fiercer~"
He tried to adjust his tone: "Girl!"
She clapped her hands, "This is more like it."
Even Lao Qu was confused, "What is the Eight Treasures Pavilion?"
She spread her hands, "This is it! The mobile, transforming carriage, kitchen, and dining cart. Press here and it will fold up into a large wooden box with a 'whoosh'."
Seeing that Lao Qu was about to reach out, she stopped him, "No, no! You pressed it last time, and we haven't even had time to put the pot away yet. See that over there? There's a huge dent. We even had to go back to Xuanji Sect to get it repaired. They said that if we keep denting it, it can't be repaired. We can't dent it anymore."
She was serious.
Fortunately, the design of the Eight Treasures Pavilion included a contingency plan!
Old Qu was clearly frightened and quickly stopped.
"Where is my Vajra Pestle?" Old Qu thought to himself.
She pulled the necklace from her neck; she had once thought that the Vajra Pestle that Old Qu had been longing for would be a very large weapon.
I later found out it was only the size of a tiny finger joint.
But he was very keen on acquiring treasures.
Old Qu told her to keep it safe, as it was a very, very important key.
Oh, a key that looks like a vajra.
But Lao Qu never told her what kind of lock the key opened.
"The world is a dangerous place, and possessing a treasure is a crime. Girl, it's better that you don't know!" These were Lao Qu's exact words.
"Possessing a treasure is a crime"—these four words were told to her by both Yu Daozi and Lao Qu.
That all happened a long time ago...
But since she started traveling with the old man, the carriage got stuck in the mud less often. Even when she dozed off, the old man would drive the carriage for her. She would search for dried fruit for the old man, and since he knew she liked crucian carp, he would "catch" a lot of them every time.
Look, there are even a few fish that came out with her as pets!
In short, putting aside his thoughts, Wang Sumo yawned slightly.
To be honest, the hammocks at Qingyun Manor are really comfortable, more comfortable than a bed. She wants to lie in the hammock tonight.
When we're about to leave, we can ask Master Huo for that hammock as payment!
She's actually a bit of a light sleeper when she's traveling.
But the bed can't be moved, but the hammock can be moved—this trip to Qingyun Mountain Villa was worthwhile!
In the sweltering heat of July, the wind on Qingyun Mountain at night carried a chill. Wang Sumo wrapped himself up a little tighter in the blanket and swayed slightly.
Ah, this feels so good...
*
The next morning, I was awakened by the chirping of bluebirds in the mountains.
Amidst the chirping of the bluebird, He Lin's voice also rang out, "Miss Wang, Miss Wang~"
"What's wrong, He Qingque?" Wang Sumo opened the window.
She lived on the second floor, and He Lin couldn't come up directly, so he called for her from the courtyard; she opened the window and saw him shouting at the top of his lungs in the courtyard.
He Qingque froze, (⊙o⊙)…
Wang Sumo yawned and rested her chin on her hand, "Does Qingyun Manor have morning exercises to warm up their voices?"
He Lin finally realized that the "He Qingque" that someone had been referring to indirectly was him!
He Lin was already used to it and warmly invited, "Miss Wang, would you like to go up the mountain for breakfast?"
So, waking her up so sincerely was an invitation to have breakfast? Wang Sumo sighed softly, "Qingyun Manor even provides breakfast?"
He Lin: -_-||
He Lin, exasperated, explained, "Isn't this Miss Wang's first time visiting Qingyun Manor? There's a pavilion called Qingyun Pavilion on the summit of Qingyun Mountain. Having breakfast there offers a panoramic view of the misty mountains, a truly unique sight in Qingyun Mountain. The weather is fine this morning, so you should definitely see the misty mountains; it would be a shame to miss it! I specifically asked Senior Brother Yunting to help prepare breakfast."
Oh, it was He Qingque who used her personal connections.
Favors owed must be repaid with favors.
He Qingque genuinely wanted her to visit Qingyun Pavilion, so he took on the favor himself.
He's actually a really nice person~
Wang Sumo was touched for a moment, but the feeling didn't last more than fifteen minutes, because the road to the top of the mountain was really too difficult to climb. Wang Sumo was panting, "You didn't say that eating breakfast was so difficult."
He Lin scratched his head awkwardly, "I didn't expect your legs to be so bad..."
Wang Sumo was annoyed. "Why are my legs so bad? Is it because Qingyun Mountain is too steep?"
The Everlasting Gentleman's Sword, a single strike pierces the azure clouds.
The storyteller has definitely never been to Qingyun Mountain...
"How about I carry you up the mountain?" He Lin said apologetically.
Wang Sumo was exasperated. What, was it absolutely necessary to climb this mountain?
Wang Sumo sighed, "My legs aren't good..."
He Lin: -_-||
Wang Sumo said sincerely, "Why don't we eat here?"
...
Breakfast at Qingyun Pavilion is eaten while sitting in the Qingyun Pavilion atop Qingyun Peak, overlooking the misty clouds and mountains halfway up the mountain.
Right now, they are eating while sitting amidst the clouds and mist.
"I must say, it's really quite special!" He Lin was in a good mood. Although he had gone up to the top of the mountain to get breakfast and then came down, having breakfast amidst the clouds and mist was a wonderful experience, and one he had never had before.
"I always thought Qingyun Pavilion was the best spot, but I never expected that the scenery halfway up the mountain would be so different." He Qingque was genuinely happy.
Hmm, it's pretty good.
You can even reach out and grab the misty mountains right next to you while you're eating...
She had never had this kind of experience before.
No need next time!
Wang Sumo took a bite, and the sugar inside the steamed bun was so sweet it almost made her nauseous!
However, she knew that ordinary families rarely had access to such sweet candy; most of it was maltose, and even that was very precious. Even at Qingyun Manor, this kind of candy wasn't something easily obtained.
It's He Qingque's secret stash...
He Qingque was genuinely sharing with her what he considered to be the best things in Qingyun Manor.
Wang Sumo asked, resting her chin on her hand, "Hey, why do you like eating steamed buns with white sugar so much?"
He Lin chuckled憨厚ly, “I was picked up by the Master when he came down the mountain. It happened when I was very young, so I don’t remember much. The Master said I got separated from my family and was crying. He held me, and I said I wanted to eat a white sugar bun. He gave me one, and I ate it in big bites. Suddenly, I stopped crying. I don’t remember anything from before, but I remember this is my favorite flavor! Anyway, I’m happy whenever I eat it!”
After finishing his meal, He Lin put his hands behind his head and leaned against a tree trunk, gazing contentedly down the mountain—but in reality, the mountain was shrouded in mist and clouds, and he couldn't see anything at all.
That's how it is with eating; the other person's emotions and tastes can affect you.
Wang Sumo suddenly seemed to have a craving for sweets.
Sweet, crispy, and the kind that can be pulled into strands~
After stuffing the last bite of the sugar-coated steamed bun into his mouth, Bai Sumo clapped his hands with satisfaction and asked with a smile, "He Qingque, have you ever tried candied ginkgo nuts?"
[Author's Note]
I originally wanted to make candied sweet potatoes, but then I realized I didn't have any. So, I'll make candied ginkgo nuts instead! [Thumbs up]
————
There's a weekend red envelope in this chapter too! We'll send them all out tomorrow at noon! [shy]
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