Twenty-four: Flowing Water Like Emerald Green - Part Four
“There’s something else,” Mingjin put down his chopsticks and asked, “You said yesterday that you got lost in the forest and were led out by a spirit. What did that spirit look like?”
“He was thin and tall, no, I should say thin and long,” Pang Ming recalled his strange encounter yesterday after hearing Ming Jin’s words. “He took human form and looked like a man, but he was extremely thin, about the same size as Zhang’er from the Shihe family, but a whole torso taller than me. He was also wrapped in a tattered cloth, and his skin was a lighter shade of earth than a tree trunk. When I was in a hurry in the forest, I didn’t recognize him at first glance. But when he spoke, I was startled.”
Ming Jin had initially assumed that the spirits who had guided Pang Ming were Zhu Lian and Cao Xiu, who had arrived later. Now, hearing this description, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. It was understandable; otherwise, after she came out of the cave yesterday, the two of them would have at least come to talk to her.
"He initially wanted to send me away, saying I had trespassed into his woods. I told him someone was in danger and I was there to save them, so he reluctantly showed me the way, saying he didn't want to meddle and that if someone died, they could at least become fertilizer for their trees. He had climbed up to the crevice above the cave with me, but when the cultivators from Juxia arrived, he tried to run away. However, because of his strange shape, he couldn't outrun the cultivators and was caught and questioned. They tortured him for a while before letting him go. I went to look for him in the woods when I came back this morning, but unfortunately, I couldn't find him."
"What did you ask him?" Mingjin asked curiously.
"First, we asked him if he set up the formation. He snapped at us, and we didn't understand what he meant. Then he said that spirits don't know how to use fire magic and would get burned," Pang Ming said, pulling out a scroll from his pouch. Inside was a brief record of their questions. "Then we asked him if he had ever seen the person who set up the formation, since he's always been in the area. He just said he hadn't seen him and didn't know. He was also very angry, saying he never expected outsiders to trespass on his territory. By the way, I first made him testify for you, saying that you didn't intentionally damage that mountain."
"Has he seen any other spirits or monsters around there?" Mingjin quickly scanned the text on the scroll but couldn't find what he was looking for. "I went there to save the original form of a spirit. If he didn't know about humans or evil spirits, he should have known if any spirits or monsters were near him, right? I went there with a spirit or monster, didn't he notice?"
“Perhaps our cultivation was not high enough, and we didn’t notice,” Ming Jin’s words also stumped Pang Ming. “Unfortunately, we didn’t expect that there were spirits involved at the time, and we let him go without getting any information. I’ll go back and see if I can run into him again.”
"When you were in that area, did any other spirits or monsters approach?" Ming Jin asked after finishing the last bite of his meal.
"I didn't notice; everyone was busy with matters of evil spirits. Evil spirits are more important than monsters."
“Yeah, forget it, don’t think about them anymore. You’ve been working so hard, go back and rest for a while,” Mingjin put the empty bowls and plates back into the food box and handed it out. “I’ll find out the truth myself after I leave.”
"You're still in good spirits after being locked up for a day, that puts my mind at ease," Pang Ming straightened up. "Senior Sister said that Elder Du hit you with a ruler, and she thought you were upset and feeling bitter."
“My master asked me to sweep the ancestral hall, but I was so tired that I slept soundly,” Mingjin said, then suddenly looked up at the distant horizon. “Perhaps it was the protection of the heavenly elders that granted me this peaceful sleep.”
"What about your injury?" Pang Ming smiled helplessly, but after hearing Ming Jin's words, he felt sleepy and, suppressing a yawn, asked, "Does it still hurt?"
"It still hurt a little when I went to sleep last night, but I don't feel anything when I woke up this morning," Mingjin said, touching the spot where he had been hit. "Master didn't hit me hard; he only hit me twice and that was it."
“I was hit by Master more than twenty times before, and it hurt for a long time,” she said, recalling the beating. At first, she gritted her teeth slightly because she remembered the days she spent lying on the bed, but when she remembered that it was because she had caused trouble, she suddenly felt a little guilty. “I still have the medicine that my senior sister gave me when I was beaten last time. You should apply some tonight, it will help you heal faster. That ruler was probably a magic weapon left by the elder. It can leave marks on the skin for a long time, and there might even be internal injuries.”
"You managed to inflict internal injuries on me after just a couple of slaps? I'll go back and check on you tonight," Mingjin chuckled. "You should go back soon; your eyelids were practically drooping when you came. Go back and get some sleep; we can talk about the rest when you're awake. It's still early; have you eaten?"
“I’ve already eaten,” Pang Ming said, tidying up the box, worried that something might have been left unsealed. “I ate outside with the cultivators from Juxia. Their food included a plum sauce that was especially delicious with the vegetables. Since it’s a street food, it’s not on the menu for customers. But I asked for the location, so we can try it together another day.”
"Great, I've never heard of it before."
After saying that, Pang Ming stretched out his right hand in front of Ming Jin. Before she could ask what he was doing, a magnolia flower suddenly grew out of Pang Ming's palm, which surprised and delighted Ming Jin. More importantly, she didn't know how he had done it.
"While strolling through the woods, I found a magnolia flower that had just bloomed. Luckily, no one was around, so I brought it back," Pang Ming said, tucking the flower behind Ming Jin's ear, "to add a touch of brightness to this room full of wood."
"Then I'll have to find a bottle to enshrine it in."
“Alright, whatever makes you happy,” Pang Ming smiled at Ming Jin. “I’m going back now.”
"good."
An afternoon spent washing and cleaning flew by. Her stomach was empty again, and Mingjin finally looked up at the sky outside. The work was finished, but it wasn't time to leave yet. She rinsed the utensils clean, put them back, and sat down on the meditation cushion to meditate.
Not long after she sat down and closed her eyes, the two doors of the ancestral hall were pushed open with a clang, and a figure jumped in: "Senior sister, Master sent me to let you out."
"Go easy on me. If you knock the door off, you'll be the one coming in to reflect on your actions."
Although Gao Dai didn't respond, the experience of being locked up by Du Gewen with Chu Ying last time was not pleasant, so he quickly obeyed and gently pulled the door back: "Master is still lecturing at the academy and can't come over for the time being. This year's disciples include two who are particularly smart and the rest who are particularly stupid. They have exhausted Master and Elder Yan and said they must take a year off next year."
"You go first, I need to go see the sect leader first."
“Oh right,” Gao Dai said as the two reached the fork in the path outside the ancestral hall. “Senior sister, I’ll go first. I have to go on night patrol tonight. I’ve arranged to meet Tian Qu at the foot of the mountain.”
"Just the two of you together?" Mingjin asked.
"Yes. These are all places I usually go, so there's no need to worry too much."
"Will Tianqu complete his training this year?"
Mingjin had no recollection of her youngest junior brother. The year Tianqu joined the sect, Mingjin had already gone to cultivate with Mu Ning; she hadn't spent much time on the mountain. Thinking back, she suddenly realized that she had been away from the sect for quite some time.
“It will probably be next year,” Gao Dai said, unconcerned about Ming Jin’s lack of knowledge. He was about to go out and hunt ghosts on his own, and he could understand the intensity of Ming Jin’s ghost hunting work back then. “He was injured when he went out to hunt ghosts last year. It wasn’t serious, but it took more than three months to fully recover, so his master told him not to rush.”
"Then you should all be careful on your journey." Mingjin felt a little strange that it was suddenly his turn to say these words.
"Don't worry, senior sister. I'm off."
The sect leader's residence is in front of the ancestral hall. There is no one stationed here, but the guardian beasts near the four gates are genuine magical artifacts left by the predecessors, which can transform into living beasts when they encounter villains. In the past, Ming Jin would come here through the side gate and walk along the porch to Pei Xuanzhen's office.
Normally she would just knock on the door, but today she didn't know if Pei Xuanzhen had returned, and since she had come to apologize, she cleverly turned around and knocked on Fu Nai's door, which wasn't completely closed.
"Shihe".
The room was quiet, incense was burning, and Fu Nai was dozing off, leaning against the armchair.
Mingjin quietly walked over and patted him on the shoulder: "Shihe, Shihe. Fu Shihe, wake up."
"Zhang'er, be quiet. I'll sleep for a while and then I'll play with you."
Whether it was Mingjin's patting of his shoulder or something else, Fu Nai remembered something. Before he was fully awake, he started mumbling in his sleep.
Seeing this, Ming Jin had no choice but to use his trump card.
Mimicking Chen Du's tone, Ming Jin straightened up next to Fu Nai and said, "Master is calling you."
"What!"
Startled awake, Fu Nai fell off his chair, hitting his head on the armrest. He looked around, rubbing his head. When he saw Ming Jin, he sighed and sat up straight. "Tian Guang, don't play these kinds of jokes on me. Ouch, my chest is pounding so fast, I feel like my life is going to jump out of my body."
Mingjin sat down in a chair against the wall and asked, "Why are you so tired?"
Hearing this, Fu Nai's initial energy, which had been jolted awake, gradually faded. Leaning back in his chair and holding onto the chair, he spoke wearily, "I don't know what Master Chen is busy with today. Although he called Senior Sister Yu back to help, Tianhua still won't be back until dark. Once or twice is fine, but after a while, Zhang'er starts crying and shouting for his mother, 'Looking for his mother, looking for his mother!' He can't be at peace without seeing his mother. Last night, Tianhua was so busy that he didn't come back until bedtime. I was so disturbed by Zhang'er's crying that I was dizzy and confused. I was soothing the child in my sleep, and when I woke up this morning, my eyes looked like I hadn't slept all night."
“No wonder, Yuanbei and I were wondering why the dogs that used to roam around your house were now all coming to our house.”
“Humans are worse than dogs,” Fu Nai said, glancing at the sky outside as the incense on the table had burned out. “What time is it?”
"He Gengtang has already prepared the meal."
“I went back too. The old lady who helps take care of Zhang’er also had to go home to cook dinner,” Fu Nai said as he tidied the table. “Master came back this afternoon. I only slept for fifteen minutes, and no one woke me up. I guess Master didn’t go out.”
"What was the sect leader's expression like when he returned?" Mingjin asked.
“As usual,” Fu Nai thought for a moment, “Don’t worry. If you really cause a big disaster, Master will take the ruler to the ancestral hall to discipline you. You’ve seen how angry Master was because of what happened with Senior Brother Lu. No matter how much trouble you cause, it won’t reach that level. I won’t say any more. This matter is best left unsaid. Just keep it in mind. I’ll take you inside.”
Fu Nai's office and the sect leader's study were separated by a corridor, while Chen Du's office was directly opposite Fu Nai's. The two of them could not hear any movement inside when they stood outside the door.
"Master, Tian Guang requests an audience."
Silence followed.
"Master."
Fu Nai, puzzled, knocked on the door frame.
"Master, your disciple has come in."
The two stood sideways facing each other, looking in two directions inside the house, but neither saw Pei Xuanzhen.
"Master went out?" A chill ran down Fu Nai's spine. "Master won't see me..."
Before Fu Nai could finish speaking, a ray of white light flew through the wall and transformed into a golden oriole in front of Fu Nai and Ming Jin: "Shi He, it's getting late, you should go down the mountain. Tian Yi won't be back until noon tomorrow."
"Yes, disciple understands."
"Tian Guang, come to the backyard."
As soon as he finished speaking, the oriole disappeared.
However, the last sentence was spoken in an unfriendly tone, and Ming Jin couldn't help but click his tongue slightly.
"Take care." After patting Mingjin on the shoulder, Fu Nai jogged off and quickly disappeared from sight.
Pei Xuanzhen had his own residence on the mountain, where he was neighbors with Du Rong and the other two. However, due to various matters, he spent almost every day there. The nearest place to rest was a square courtyard behind the sect leader's residence. This place was originally for receiving guests, but later, as the buildings on the mountain were expanded and the living room was moved to the front, others rarely came to disturb the sect leader when he was resting. So, this courtyard became Pei Xuanzhen's own place to rest.
The courtyard was long and narrow, with three large houses built against the wall on one side and trees of varying heights planted on the other side. There was a small domed pavilion in the middle of the trees. When Ming Jin pushed open the door, Pei Xuanzhen was sitting in the pavilion drinking tea and playing chess.
"You've been released?" Pei Xuanzhen only glanced at her when she came in, then turned back to his chessboard.
“Yes,” Mingjin stood at the bottom of the steps outside the pavilion. “This disciple has been reckless and has caused trouble for the sect leader and elders.”
"You got beaten up?"
"yes."
Does it hurt?
Not knowing how to answer, Ming Jin remained silent for a while. During this time, Pei Xuanzhen placed a piece, and the clear sound lingered in the courtyard.
“I’ll let the punishment go for now,” Pei Xuanzhen said, picking up the teapot to pour himself some tea. “Everyone makes mistakes, so that’s not the most important thing. Everything depends on your future performance. Understand?”
"Disciple understands."
"Alright, go back. Close the gate."
After the luggage was removed, Mingjin carefully closed the courtyard gate, trying not to make a sound. However, the gate was old and dilapidated. Although it looked quite grand, when it was finally closed, it suddenly made a "chirp" sound, startling a few birds nearby into flying away.
After everything was settled, Mingjin, unsure how long Chen Duan would give her instructions, decided to first go to He Geng Tang to find something to eat to fill her stomach.
Unexpectedly, no one was eating inside.
“Tianguang is back,” Miao Sheng said, popping his head out from behind a curtain as he heard footsteps. He called for them to come and serve the rice. “It’s really strange tonight, only you two siblings came. Where did everyone else go?”
A large bowl was half-filled with thin noodles, and after adding soup and side dishes, it was almost full: "I haven't seen that girl Chong'er these past two days, nor have I seen Elder Ji. Did they go out to cultivate? They haven't come here to get dry food either."
The noodles were still too hot, so Mingjin chatted with Miaosheng while waiting for their meal.
"Perhaps she's busy with something and can't get away for the time being, or maybe she's been craving food from town these past few days. I haven't seen her either. We haven't received any messages, so it must be nothing serious."
“That’s true,” Miao Sheng said, quickly retreating back into the kitchen as the water in the pot boiled. “Eat quickly, or it will clump together and lose its flavor.”
Two days felt like an eternity. Mingjin finally sat down and enjoyed a meal. She ate with great relish, so much so that she could clearly feel her stomach filling up.
No one came over during this time, which Mingjin found a little strange. But now that it was getting dark, she quickly cleared away the dishes and got up. She remembered Chen Duan's instructions and wondered if she should also be punished. She thought she could only do her own thing in peace after quickly apologizing for all her grievances.
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