Chapter Twenty-Three: The Wilderness of Guangmo, Part Four
"I need your help with something. Please have a seat."
After saying that, Meng Xi left Ming Jin alone in the main hall. This was her home, and given her fast pace, Ming Jin caught up with Meng Xi without even noticing.
Upon arriving at this place, Mingjin worried that there might be more than just the two of them here, and that their movements would be restricted. So he didn't dare to sit down, but instead paced around the hall, taking in the scenery of this secluded courtyard in the woods.
Meng Xi's courtyard has two floors. The first floor is the main hall where she is currently, with two side rooms on each side. The upstairs is probably where people live, but that's just a guess. Ming Jin, standing in the courtyard, can only see a row of tightly closed windows. The tables, chairs, doors, and windows are all the same color of wood, probably designed by the same master, giving them a unified aesthetic.
The houses here are all built of stone, cool to the touch, and produce only a dull thud when viewed. The white stone walls on the inner side of the courtyard have turned gray over time, but they are still relatively clean, with no cobwebs or anything like that visible in the corners. When Mingjin walked over, he also made a good look at the surroundings. Due to sun and rain, as well as vegetation climbing the rocks, the outer walls look dark green. Because of this, the house is hidden in the woods and hardly arouses any suspicion.
Mingjin's eyes darted around, when suddenly a gust of wind picked up outside, and her ears caught the sound of water.
Walking along the corridor from the main hall to the back, you'll see a pond directly connected to a narrow square pavilion behind the main hall. The pavilion is long and narrow, with several large potted plants of varying heights on both sides, but they haven't bloomed yet, and Mingjin can't recognize them. Seeing these plants freely stretching their branches, it's clear the owner hasn't pruned them. In the middle of the pavilion is a chair and a square table. The water in the pond is a deep green, with many withered lotus leaves and roots from last year standing in the center, and dried lotus pods from previous years still lying around. Mingjin stands sideways beside the pavilion, looking over; three empty black lotus pods float on the water's edge.
"What are you looking at?"
Meng Xi emerged from the house at some point, carrying a fur coat. Seeing Ming Jin craning her neck to look outside, she couldn't help but find it amusing. Having lived here for so long, she wondered what other amusement Ming Jin might have.
“You live so close to the water,” Mingjin said, turning back to see Mengxi return. “When it gets hotter, there will definitely be little bugs flying out. We used to build a small pond with stones to raise fish, but we didn’t catch many fish. When it got hot, we were bitten by mosquitoes as soon as we entered the yard. Although my mother was reluctant, she still demolished the pond after a year.”
“I just love water,” Meng Xi replied with a smile. “The wind blowing on the water, the rain hitting the water, the sound of the water all bring me peace of mind. Besides, there’s no such thing as having it all in this world. I have ways to deal with those little bugs, so this little trouble won’t spoil my enjoyment of the water at all. Tian Guang, I need your help.”
"Please, go ahead and speak."
"This is a wool coat I recently sewed. Could you take it back for me to give to my baby? Even though it's past the New Year, I can still wear it for a while before it gets too hot."
Mingjin didn't handle the large garment, which was pieced together from several furs, with care, and almost dropped it. The furs were all a similar brown color, and although the lighting in the room was poor, the soft hue was still visible. It felt very smooth to the touch, and upon close inspection, no signs of mending could be seen.
“It’s really beautiful,” Mingjin said.
“This is for you,” Ming Jin said, still examining the woolen garment. Hearing Meng Xi speak, she turned her gaze to him and saw Meng Xi rummaging through the pouch at her waist before pulling out a piece of woolen fabric. “I hunted a red fox for someone, but the family only wanted some fox meat as a medicinal ingredient and refused the fur, worried it would cause problems. I don’t like fox fur, but the color is nice, so here you go. Find a good tailor, and maybe he can make a fur collar for you.”
"I'm just helping you deliver an item to Yu Cheng, there's no need for such a generous gift."
Mingjin didn't dare to reach out and take it, but Mengxi didn't listen to her either, and threw it directly into Mingjin's arms from several steps away, where it got mixed up with the coat.
For a moment, Mingjin panicked and shook his clothes, finally managing to shake a fur pelt onto the ground.
Meng Xi was adamant and wouldn't tolerate being refused. Besides, she was skilled at hunting, so a fox fur probably wouldn't bother her much. Ming Jin was about to thank her subordinate when, looking up again, Meng Xi was nowhere to be found. Ming Jin realized it wasn't appropriate to make a scene, so she quickly put both items away and looked around for a figure. Then she heard the creak of a wooden door opening and closing. Meng Xi returned, carrying a teacup in her left hand and a teapot in her right.
"Why are you standing? Sit down."
The two sat down in the main hall across a small square table, facing the courtyard.
Pushing open the main gate, the first thing you see is a stone-paved path in the center of the courtyard. On either side of the path grows a large, bushy loquat tree, its canopy reaching over a story. Sitting in the study on the second floor, when the wind blows, you can hear the soft, waxy green leaves tapping against the window frame. It's not yet time for flowers and fruit; when Jin takes the teacup from Meng Xi, all he can see is a vast expanse of green.
"The loquat tree is growing really well, the leaves are all shiny, and it looks quite old. Did you plant it yourself?"
"It was a gift from two old friends when I first moved here. They said that plants are good for you. Once they bear fruit, you can reach out from the second-floor window and pick the fruit to satisfy your hunger."
"What was delivered back then was probably saplings, so you've been staying here for quite a while now."
Ming Jin accepted the cup of tea with both hands. The teacup was white and pure, containing a slightly bitter brew. Her gaze shifted slightly, noticing the cup Meng Xi was holding. That cup was cloudy, and there were signs of it being knocked over or spilled around the rim.
"Is it old?" After hearing Mingjin's words, Mengxi quickly looked around the house. "It's been several decades. Those two trees were just saplings at first. I didn't take care of the trees much. We couldn't eat all the fruit. Every time they grew fruit, they would fall to the ground."
"You've lived here for decades?" Mingjin remembered that Mengsheng said that she and her daughter had always lived in a village, but she hadn't noticed any villages nearby when she came.
“Let me think,” Meng Xi said. Living here, she rarely thought about the past of this place. Today, Ming Jin suddenly asked her about it, because she had never calculated it carefully. She could only quickly search through her memories of the past from the past decades. “I started cultivating with my master when I was about fifteen years old, and moved here four years later. It has indeed been several decades.”
"Yu Cheng said that you got married in Huicheng when you were young."
“Yes,” Meng Xi suddenly understood what she was talking about. “This is my residence. I only go back to Huicheng occasionally. After the divorce, my master didn’t have any reason to persuade me, so I just moved here and don’t go back unless necessary. At that time, I hadn’t left Huicheng yet, but I was just a cultivator belonging to Huicheng, working for my master and receiving money, and I didn’t live there. Later, when I had more money, I left completely.”
"But didn't you raise Yucheng in a village together?"
“Yes, we lived there during that time,” Meng Xi took a sip of tea and nodded slightly, clearly very satisfied with the tea. “I couldn’t live in the forest with my child. There were people in the village who could help me take care of the child, someone to play with him, and it was easier for me to sell the game I hunted.”
"Yu Cheng got married in Huicheng and recently had a child. Did you know that?" Ming Jin asked cautiously.
“I know,” Meng Xi said, taking a sip of tea. “That’s why I asked you to deliver the congratulatory gift to her on my behalf.”
"Aren't you going back to see for yourself? You haven't met that child yet. His name is Ji'er. He's grown up a bit now, and you can see that he looks a lot like Yu Cheng, and also like you."
“It’s quite a distance to go back,” Meng Xi waved for Ming Jin to put down the cup, preparing to refill her tea. “I don’t like children either. You don’t need to worry that the child will feel uncomfortable. I’ve been with her for over ten years, and she knows my personality very well. Although she’s sad that her biological mother isn’t by her side, she’s better off without me. As for the child, although she’s related to me by blood, I’m not someone who acts based on blood ties.”
“So that’s how it is,” Mingjin said, savoring the story for a moment before taking a sip of tea. “Your idea is quite peculiar.”
"I'll take that as a compliment, but I don't deserve any praise. I've just been doing whatever I wanted and a lot of strange things."
“We are all cultivators,” Ming Jin said, clearly in a compliment, “If we didn’t have some unusual ideas, how could we have come together on this path?”
“Alright, we’re all weirdos,” Meng Xi chuckled, clinking her teacup against Ming Jin’s. “When I was your age, I attracted a lot of resentment in Huicheng. If you’re bored, go ask around Huicheng. Even if some people still remember me, it’s because of my arrogant and unruly behavior back then—nothing good ever came of it. But they couldn’t do anything about it; I was the sect leader’s disciple. How come we keep talking about Huicheng? Let’s call it a day. There’s no point in listening to me ramble on about those trivial matters. You must have something else to do at the Qunlin Gathering today, right?”
“Indeed,” Ming Jin replied, reminded by Meng Xi. She remembered why she had come today, and since she wasn’t interested in prying into other people’s private affairs, she would listen if she wanted, but not if she didn’t. So she decisively put down the tea she had half-finished and got up to take her leave. “I will definitely deliver your kind words. I have some private matters to ask of Zhui Lian and Zhu Lian today, so I will take my leave now.”
"Dawn."
Mingjin placed the cup on the table, said goodbye to Mengxi, and turned to leave. Unexpectedly, Mengxi called out to her from behind, so she stopped and turned to look at Mengxi.
Meng Xi walked lightly to Ming Jin's side, gently placing her right hand on Ming Jin's forehead, then stroking down her wrist to her cheek. Meng Xi's hand was large, almost covering half of Ming Jin's face, and it was covered in calluses, giving Ming Jin's face a slightly prickly feeling when she touched it.
“Following after evil spirits all day can be exhausting. When this book bears fruit, I’ll send you some. Don’t be shy, I can’t possibly eat it all by myself.”
Ming Jin didn't immediately understand what Meng Xi's action meant, but considering that she was Hong Junyu's prized student and that Dao Xin had instructed her to keep her distance from those skilled medical cultivators to avoid causing trouble, she stepped back slightly.
"There's nothing wrong with doing some strange things."
Ming Jin didn't react to this sentence. Meng Xi put her hand down and said with a smile, "Alright, go back now. They're waiting for you. I should go out too. I can't stay out of tea for too long."
"Yes, then this junior will take his leave."
Meng Xi smiled and saw her to the door, telling Ming Jin that she could return to Qunlinhui by following the path in front of the door. After walking a few steps outside the gate and looking back, it was difficult to distinguish the building with the naked eye. Ming Jin thought about her own situation and didn't linger, quickly retracing her steps back to Boss Jiang's tea stall.
At the tea stall, although Boss Jiang was busy and barely had time to rest, he immediately noticed Ming Jin. Holding a tea canister in his hand, he said to her, "They're here, still in the same spot. Go and see them; they seem to have something urgent to discuss with you."
Although she didn't know when, Mingjin still rushed over, only to find no sign of the usual stall. Approaching, she turned from running to walking, and upon closer inspection, she saw three people huddled together on the ground, their usual energy and spirit gone. Mingjin's mood became confused and hesitant, and she didn't ask, "What's wrong with you?"
"Tian Guang, please do us a favor."
First, Cao Xiu stood up and grabbed Ming Jin's arm with both hands, startling Ming Jin. However, Cao Xiu seemed to have returned to her original state, looking anxious but unable to speak. It was Zhui Lian who came up to talk to her.
"What's wrong? I'll definitely help if I can." Mingjin sensed their anxiety, but she was completely confused.
Cao Xiu grabbed Ming Jin's arm, and Ming Jin's fingers caught some of the sleeves that were fluttering in the air. They seemed to have been left unattended, as some thin, hard lumps were stuck to them. After removing her hand, Ming Jin looked down and discovered that her hands were covered in black powder.
"Don't rush," Zhui Lian said, pulling the three of them to sit down together. "Let's talk after we sit down."
“It’s like this,” Zhu Lian belatedly realized her own anxiety. Fortunately, Zhu Lian remained calm and helped her recover as well. “After the beginning of spring, we traveled around. A few days ago, Sister Cao Xiu went to look for an old friend of hers, but she couldn’t find her anywhere and didn’t find any clues she had left behind. Sister Cao Xiu had no choice but to ask us to help her look for her. The two of us helped her search for a while, and after searching around, we returned to the old friend’s residence and found that she hadn’t disappeared, but was trapped in an external formation in the same spot.”
"Array formation? A cultivator's array formation?" Ming Jin's thoughts were drawn by Zhu Lian's anxious words. Recalling the array formations he knew, it seemed that none of them would trap spirits.
“We don’t recognize it either,” Zhu Lian said helplessly. “That formation activates intermittently. Once it activates, it bursts out with scorching heat, and a whole mountain nearby, which was barren of soil and grass, becomes scorching hot. We can’t stay there for long.”
"Have you asked the spirits and monsters in the vicinity?" Ming Jin pondered.
“Spirits also claim territory, and Sister Caoxiu’s friend is the only spirritant in that area,” Zhuilian replied.
“Sister Cao Xiu heard her friend’s voice from outside and knew she was trapped inside and almost dried out. Now the magic array has calmed down, and we’ve searched the outer perimeter but haven’t been able to find a way to rescue her. Her friend wasn’t in good condition, but now that the array has stopped, she can finally catch her breath.” Zhu Lian held Cao Xiu’s hand and added a long explanation, to which Cao Xiu nodded in agreement.
"How did you get trapped inside?" Mingjin asked after listening carefully. "Are you trapped inside the formation and unable to get out, or is it because the formation itself continuously generates heat, causing the magic to dissipate and preventing your body from leaving independently?"
"I don't know." Cao Xiu and Zhu Lian shook their heads together.
"Does Boss Jiang know about this?" Mingjin asked Zhuilian.
“We haven’t told him yet,” Zhui Lian shook her head. “We had no choice but to come back and ask for help, but all the people we know are spirits and monsters, and they are all made of plants and trees. I’m afraid they can’t withstand the heat of that magic array. Since today is the Gathering of the Forest, we came to ask you for help.”
Overwhelmed with anxiety, Cao Xiu's face turned extremely pale, and she suddenly fainted. Zhui Lian and Zhu Lian each helped Cao Xiu up, using the magic between spirits to maintain her human form.
"Please, please save her. I will be grateful to you for the rest of my life."
Cao Xiu reached out and grabbed Ming Jin's arm with both hands. Her face was wrinkled with sorrow, and tears and sweat welled up on it.
"Don't worry, no matter what kind of magic array it is, as a cultivator I won't stand idly by. We're friends too, I won't leave you here heartbroken and in tears." Ming Jin held Cao Xiu's hand with one hand and wiped the water droplets from her face with the other.
The healing spell granted Cao Xiu extra power, allowing her to speak again. However, due to her constant travel and overwork, even with the external magic, she couldn't sustain it for long, and upon hearing Ming Jin's words, she nearly fainted.
"Sister Caoxiu is too weak; her magic is about to break down and she can no longer maintain her incarnation," Zhulian said.
"You two stay here and take care of Cao Xiu. There's no time to lose, point me in the right direction, I'll go check out that magic array first."
“I’ll take you there. That place is hard to find even for us, and telling you will only confuse you more,” Zhui Lian said first, pulling Ming Jin’s arm, then turning to look at Zhu Lian and Cao Xiu. “Zhu Lian, you take care of Sister Cao Xiu first. We’ll come back immediately if we find anything.”
“That magic circle looks very, very strange. You must be careful.” Zhu Lian also wanted to go over, but Cao Xiu suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed beside her. “I will take good care of Sister Cao Xiu. I will come to find you when she is a little better.”
"Let's go then." Mingjin and Zhuilian exchanged a glance.
"good."
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