Jealousy is hard to calm down
As autumn deepened, the weather in Liangshan Lake took on a chill. The brawl between Li Kui and Jiao Ting in the front mountain had been like a stone dropped into water; the ripples quickly subsided, but the underlying unrest within the stronghold, fueled by its large membership and differing ideologies, persisted.
The influence of Song Jiang's faction continued to grow. Many of the leaders he brought with him, such as Dai Zong, Li Kui, Zhang Shun, and Mu Hong, each secured a prominent position within the stronghold with their distinctive personalities or unique abilities. Song Jiang himself, with his superb social skills and reputation as a "timely rain," gradually gathered around him many previously neutral leaders.
The atmosphere in the Juyi Hall grew more delicate as a result. Chao Gai still held the top position, but decisions often required Song Jiang's input. Wu Yong, like a shrewd operator, maintained a precarious balance between Chao and Song.
Gongsun Sheng maintained a near-indifferent detachment. Aside from matters involving Daoist principles, celestial phenomena, or major decisions, he rarely expressed his opinions, spending his days immersed in his own quiet cultivation. But I sensed that he wasn't truly indifferent. Beneath that silence lay a deep understanding of Liangshan's future and a touch of indifference, a sense of powerlessness.
This oppressive feeling of impending disaster affected me, too. During my practice, I always felt uneasy. The thrill I felt that day when he taught me how to draw talismans, combined with the current gloomy atmosphere, made my mind even more confused.
That afternoon, I was forcing myself to meditate quietly when I heard a commotion outside the courtyard. It seemed as if quite a few people were approaching. Mixed in with it was Song Jiang's instantly recognizable voice, gentle yet undeniable.
I was surprised, so I held my breath and quietly walked to the window to look out.
I saw Song Jiang leading seven or eight people, standing not far from my courtyard. In addition to his usual brother Song Qing, his apprentices "Maotouxing" Kong Ming, and "Duhuoxing" Kong Liang, there was also the "miracle doctor" An Daoquan!
What are they doing here? I felt a sense of foreboding.
Sure enough, Song Jiang bowed towards my courtyard gate and said in a loud voice, "Is Miss Bu here? Song Jiang and Mr. An Daoquan have come to visit specially."
An Daoquan? He came to see me? I have no connection with him.
I hesitated for a moment, straightened my clothes, and walked out of the yard.
"Captain Song, Mr. An." I bowed, my gaze sweeping across the group before settling on An Daoquan. He was about forty years old, with a gaunt face and a sharp gaze, imbued with the scrutiny of a doctor.
"Miss Bu, there's no need to be so polite." Song Jiang smiled. "Mr. An is a skilled doctor. He's been treating the brothers in the stronghold lately and has done a great job. I've heard that Miss Bu is also well-versed in medicine, especially the 'healing with music' method, which is quite effective. I'm curious and have asked me to introduce her to him. I'd like to discuss this with her."
Music healing? When did I become proficient in this? It was just an accident, using "soul sound" to stimulate Li's mother's spirit, and using a specific frequency of music to help Gongsun Sheng expel the poison. This Song Jiang was clearly exaggerating on purpose, I wonder what his plan was.
An Daoquan stepped forward and bowed to me, saying, "Miss Bu, I have been practicing medicine for half my life and have some knowledge of prescriptions based on metal and stone medicines, but I have never heard that music can heal injuries and diseases, especially that it can expel a highly toxic substance like the Bone-Eroding Powder. It is truly incredible. I wonder if you could give me some advice so that I can broaden my horizons?" Although his tone was polite, his eyes were filled with obvious suspicion and inquiry, and there was even a hint of professional disapproval of "unorthodox methods."
I was unhappy. I was afraid that An Daoquan thought I was a witch trying to deceive people. Just as I was about to refuse, I caught a glimpse of Gongsun Sheng standing at the gate of his courtyard not far away, looking at me coldly.
He was indeed alarmed.
Seeing Gongsun Sheng, Song Jiang's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes narrowed slightly. An Daoquan and the others also felt the invisible pressure and became more reserved.
"Captain Song, Mr. An." I composed myself, my tone distant and polite. "I do have some knowledge of music, but the so-called 'healing with music' is a misnomer. It's just a coincidence, a chance discovery, not the true path. I dare not show off my skills in front of a genius like Mr. An. I am truly unworthy of discussing this matter."
I lowered my stance very low and made it clear that I refused.
Upon hearing this, An Daoquan frowned slightly, as if he wanted to say something.
Song Jiang, however, laughed first and said, "Miss Bu, you're too modest. Since it's inconvenient for you, we won't bother you any more." Even as he spoke, his eyes flicked to Gongsun Sheng, who was standing not far away, and his tone was full of meaning, "Mr. An is also eager to learn. If you have some free time in the future, you might as well talk to Mr. An more. It would also be a good thing for the stronghold."
After saying this, he bowed from a distance in the direction of Gongsun Sheng, and left with An Daoquan and everyone else, who looked unwilling.
I watched them depart, sneering inwardly. Song Jiang's move was far more than a simple introduction. He was testing my limits, testing Gongsun Sheng's reaction. Perhaps he was even trying to draw An Daoquan, the "miracle doctor," into his inner circle, further weakening Gongsun Sheng's transcendent, irreplaceable position within the stronghold.
I turned around and looked at Gongsun Sheng who was still standing at the gate of the courtyard.
His face was calm, but the storm in his eyes was more frightening than any anger. He didn't look at me, but only stared in the direction where Song Jiang and the others disappeared. After a long pause, he coldly uttered three words:
"I don't know what it means."
After saying that, he turned around and went back to the yard, closing the gate with a bang.
The sound of the door opening was like a hammer hitting my heart. I stood there, looking at the closed door, feeling an indescribable sense of grievance and bitterness.
He was angry. Was it because of Song Jiang's probing? Or was it because... that man, An Daoquan, approached me under the pretext of "discussing medical skills"?
Although his anger was not directed at me, the cold tone and the closed gate still made me feel a pang of pain.
For the next two days, Gongsun Sheng's courtyard remained locked, and even Qingsong was ordered not to be disturbed unless necessary. This was his way of expressing his displeasure and his isolation from the outside world.
I wanted to knock on the door several times, to explain to him, or even just to hear his voice, but when I reached the door, I lost my courage. I knew that his anger was not directed at me, but at the forces that constantly tried to upset the balance and drag him into worldly disputes, and... the possible covetousness that made him feel uncomfortable.
This silent cold war made my days feel like years. I couldn't concentrate on my meditation, and playing the pipa was boring. The entire Liangshan Mountain seemed shrouded in an invisible low pressure.
It was not until the evening of the third day that I could no longer hold back. I brewed a pot of calming tea, walked to the outside of his yard, hesitated for a long time, and then gently knocked on the door.
It was silent inside.
I was feeling disappointed and was about to leave when the door creaked open from the inside.
Gongsun Sheng stood inside the doorway, still dressed in his green robe, his expression calm, as if the previous few days of seclusion had never happened. However, his eyes were even deeper than before, like a bottomless, cold pond.
"Master..." I was holding the tea tray, feeling a little helpless.
His eyes fell on the tea tray in my hand. He paused for a moment and stepped aside: "Come in."
I was delighted and walked in quickly.
The courtyard remained tidy and quiet, as if all the chaos of the outside world had nothing to do with this place. I placed the tea tray on the stone table and poured him a cup of tea.
"Master, please have some tea." I said softly.
He took the teacup but didn't drink from it. He just held it in his hand, looked at me, and said slowly, "What happened that day has nothing to do with you."
Was he explaining his cold reception that day? My heart warmed, and I whispered, "I know. It was Chief Song Jiang and the others..."
"Human hearts are full of evil, and the struggle for fame and fortune has been like this since ancient times." He interrupted me, his tone tinged with boredom. "The fortunes of Liangshan have changed. This place... is not a place to stay for long."
I was shocked! What did he mean by that? Did he want to leave Liangshan?
"Master, you..."
He raised his eyes, and his gaze fell on my face again. This time, with an unprecedented complexity and seriousness: "Bu Luanyin, if I leave Liangshan, how will you... cope with it?"
He... he's asking for my choice?
I looked at him and answered firmly without any hesitation: "Wherever the Taoist priest is, there I will be."
This sentence almost exhausted all my courage and revealed all my feelings.
His fingers gripping the teacup tightened slightly, and in his deep eyes, there seemed to be raging waves surging past, but in the end, it returned to a deep calm.
"Remember what you said today." He said slowly and drank the slightly cold tea in the cup.
No promises, no further indications.
But I know that some things are no longer the same.
Jealousy stirs up a sea of waves, and it is hard to calm down. However, this storm caused by an outsider is like an invisible thread, entwining us even tighter.
The roots of love are quietly and deeply planted in silence.
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