Tie Niu's call for help
The sound of horse hooves suddenly stopped outside the temple, and then there was the sound of "dong dong dong" like a drum hitting the door, accompanied by Li Kui's rough roar: "Mr. Gongsun! Open the door! I, Tie Niu, have something urgent to do!"
Qingsong was so frightened that his face turned pale and he looked at Gongsun Sheng at a loss.
Gongsun Sheng frowned slightly, obviously unhappy with Li Kui's sudden interruption, but he still nodded to Qingsong.
Qingsong hurried to open the door.
As the door opened, a dark, imposing man, like an iron tower, rushed in. It was none other than Li Kui, the Black Whirlwind. He was sweating profusely, his clothes stained with dust, and his face was filled with a rare look of panic. He also had two axes tucked into his waist.
"Mr. Gongsun! I finally found you!" Li Kui's eyes lit up when he saw Gongsun Sheng. He rushed forward a few steps and bowed his head.
Gongsun Sheng waved his whisk, and a gentle energy supported him. "Brother Li Kui, there's no need to be so polite. Why are you so panicked?"
Li Kui said anxiously, "Sir, it's my mother! My mother... she went to the mountains to collect firewood a few days ago and accidentally fell into a ravine and hit her head. Now she is unconscious and can't eat or drink! I asked several doctors nearby, but they were helpless. They said that she had a fundamental injury. I'm afraid... I'm afraid..."
When he said this, his tiger eyes flushed red and his voice choked with sobs: "I heard that you have profound Taoist skills and can bring the dead back to life. I beg you to have mercy and save my mother! If you are willing to save her, I, Tie Niu, will work like a slave for the rest of my life to repay you!"
As he said this, he was about to kneel down again.
I stood by, a clear understanding forming in my mind. Something had happened to Li Kui's mother. In the original novel, Li Kui took his mother to the mountains to enjoy a comfortable life, only to have her killed by a tiger, a lifelong pain for Li Kui. Apparently, due to a butterfly effect brought on by me or Gongsun Sheng, events had gone awry. Li's mother hadn't perished at the hands of the tiger, but was instead critically injured and dying.
Gongsun Sheng supported Li Kui and said thoughtfully, "Brother Li Kui, what I have learned is the art of exorcising demons and calling the wind and rain. I am not an expert in medicine. I am afraid it will be difficult..."
"Sir!" Li Kui suddenly interrupted him, his tone filled with desperate pleading, "I know you are not an ordinary person! You must have a way! Please! For the sake of my filial piety, go and take a look! Even... even if it's just to take a look, so that my mother can rest in peace..."
His words were sincere and heartfelt. Anyone who saw it would be moved to see such a rough and rude man reveal such a vulnerable and helpless side for his mother.
I noticed Gongsun Sheng's eyes shift slightly. Although he was aloof from worldly matters, he wasn't stone-hearted, especially when faced with such a filial piety.
My mind raced. This was an opportunity! A chance to both help Li Kui (a man I had a soft spot for, a man of integrity and righteousness), and further demonstrate my worth to Gongsun Sheng!
I stepped forward and whispered, "Master, Brother Li Kui's filial piety is evident to all. Although I'm not versed in medicine, perhaps I could... try to soothe Madam Li's spirit with music. Perhaps it could be of some benefit?"
I again proposed using music as an intervention. Mother Li had suffered a head injury and was in a coma, a trauma to her spirit. Since my "soul sound" could impact the spirit, theoretically, using it in the opposite direction might also have a soothing or stimulating effect. Of course, this was just speculation, and the risks were significant.
But it's worth a try.
Gongsun Sheng looked at me, his eyes scrutinizing: "Are you sure?"
"I'm not entirely sure," I answered honestly, "but Madam Li's condition is critical. One more method might give us a glimmer of hope. I'm willing to give it my all."
Li Kui finally noticed me. He looked at me puzzledly, then at Gongsun Sheng: "Sir, this girl is..."
"This is Miss Bu. She's quite accomplished in music and may be able to help." Gongsun Sheng briefly introduced her and then made a decision. "In that case, I will accompany you. Bu Luanyin, you come too."
"Thank you, sir! Thank you, Miss Bu!" Li Kui was overjoyed and bowed repeatedly.
Without further ado, we packed up and followed Li Kui down the mountain. Li Kui had come on horseback, but he gave his horse to Gongsun Sheng, while he and I hurried along behind. He was so anxious, his pace was so fast that I had to practically trot to keep up, and soon I was panting.
Seeing this, Gongsun Sheng reined in his horse and said to Li Kui, "Miss Bu is slow and is wasting time. Let her ride with me."
Li Kui naturally had no objection.
I was stunned for a moment, looking at the majestic horse and Gongsun Sheng, sitting upright on it in a flowing Taoist robe, and my cheeks felt hot. Riding together? This...
"Why aren't you coming up yet?" Gongsun Sheng said in a calm tone, as if he was talking about something very natural.
I knew this was not the time to be shy, so I gritted my teeth and, with the help of Li Kui, climbed onto the horse's back somewhat clumsily and sat in front of Gongsun Sheng.
The horses broke into a gallop, the wind whistling in my ears. I was practically half-leaning in his arms, clearly feeling the steady heartbeat and warmth of his chest, as well as that familiar, refreshing scent, like the cool, pine-needle air of a spring. This scent gradually calmed my racing heartbeat, replaced by an indescribable sense of security.
He controlled the reins with one hand, and his arm inevitably wrapped around my side, but he maintained just the right distance, without overstepping the line.
I stood frozen, not daring to move, yet my heart was pounding like a deer. This was the most intimate contact I'd had with him since I'd traveled through time.
"Calm down." His cold voice came from behind him. "You need to concentrate fully when you are about to act."
He was reminding me not to be disturbed by distracting thoughts.
I took a deep breath, tried to clear my mind of all the beautiful thoughts, and focused on what I was about to face.
Li Kui's home was in a remote village at the foot of Yiling Mountain. We rode at full speed and arrived in the evening.
The low thatched hut was filled with the scent of herbs and a hint of decay. Li Kui's mother lay on the earthen kang, her eyes closed, her face sallow, her breath so weak it was almost imperceptible. A simple wooden plank held her injured leg in place, and the cloth wrapped around her forehead was still stained with dark red blood.
The situation is worse than imagined.
Gongsun Sheng stepped forward, stretched out two fingers and placed them on Li's mother's wrist pulse. He closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment, then lifted her eyelids and took a look, his brows furrowed tighter and tighter.
"How is it, sir?" Li Kui asked nervously.
"Your mother suffered a severe head injury. There may be blood clots inside her skull, which may be pressing on her spirit and causing her coma. Furthermore, she is old and her energy and blood are weakened..." Gongsun Sheng shook his head. "Normally, no medicine can save her."
Upon hearing this, Li Kui's face turned pale instantly, his burly body swayed, and he almost couldn't stand steadily.
"Master," I looked at Gongsun Sheng, "let me try."
Gongsun Sheng glanced at me, nodded, and said to Li Kui, "Move aside and don't disturb Miss Bu."
Li Kui quickly stepped aside and looked at me eagerly.
I walked over to the kang, sat cross-legged, and placed the pipa across my knees. I didn't start playing immediately, but instead closed my eyes and chanted the Heart Purification Mantra, trying to calm my chaotic mind.
Then, I recalled the peaceful, tranquil, and harmonious artistic conception of "Tao Yin" that Gongsun Sheng demonstrated, and I tried to integrate this concept into my piano music. I no longer pursued the impact of "soul sound", but instead tried to play melodies that could nourish and soothe the soul.
My fingers fell lightly on the strings.
This time, I didn't play any passionate or complex music, but simply improvised and repeatedly plucked a few extremely simple, ethereal notes. The tones were low and soft, like a clear spring flowing through the mountains, like a mother's gentle lullaby, with a soothing power.
I put aside all distracting thoughts and had only one pure thought in my mind - to comfort and awaken.
The sound of the piano flowed slowly in the small thatched cottage, like invisible ripples, gently spreading out.
Strangely, as I played, Mother Li's slightly furrowed brow seemed to relax a little, and her breathing, which had been so weak that it was almost cut off, seemed to become a little stronger.
It works!
My heart moved, but I didn't dare to be distracted in the slightest and continued to maintain this ethereal and soothing mood.
The song ended, and I slowly stopped, sweat already beading on my forehead. This kind of reversed musical application also consumes a huge amount of mental energy.
The house was silent.
Li Kui held his breath nervously and looked at his mother lying on the kang.
After about an incense stick of time, under the expectant gaze of everyone, Li's mother's eyelids trembled very slightly, and an almost inaudible moan came from her throat!
"Mom!" Li Kui was surprised and happy, and rushed to the kang.
Although Mother Li didn't wake up immediately, this subtle reaction was undoubtedly an excellent sign! It showed that my music had indeed had a positive impact on her soul!
Gongsun Sheng stepped forward to investigate again. After a moment, he said to Li Kui, "Your mother's spirit is somewhat stable, and she's not yet dead. I have a 'Heart Protection Pill' that can help keep her alive. Find some herbs that can invigorate the blood and dissolve blood stasis. If you treat her carefully, there might be a turn for the better."
He took out a jade bottle, poured out a fragrant pill, and fed it to Li's mother.
Li Kui was moved to tears and was about to bow again, but was stopped by Gongsun Sheng.
"Miss Bu has suffered considerable damage. She needs to return home to recuperate as soon as possible." Gongsun Sheng looked at me with a subtle hint of approval in his eyes. "Brother Li Kui, please take good care of your mother. If anything happens, please come find me again."
Li Kui thanked us profusely and sent us out of the village.
On the way back, we rode together again. The night was deep, the stars and moon were dim, and only the sound of horse hooves echoed on the silent mountain road.
I leaned against Gongsun Sheng, fatigue coming over me like a tide, and the overdraft of my mental strength made me drowsy.
"Today... you did a good job."
In a trance, I seemed to hear his low voice coming from above my head. It was very soft, but it clearly penetrated into my ears.
I tried to look up to see his expression, but my eyelids were too heavy to resist, and my consciousness eventually sank into darkness. Just before I completely lost consciousness, I felt a warm hand gently support my slumping shoulder, helping me to lean more steadily.
In the darkness, there seemed to be a very faint warmth, different from the past, quietly seeping into the heart of Tao above the clouds.
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