Twenty-seven: Fan Zhang's Chicken and Millet - Part Three
After handing the map over to Fu Nai, Ming Jin went back to Lu Ying's house and slept until he woke up again.
I missed lunch again. I feel a bit better now, but I'm still weak. It's another ordeal. But it's past lunchtime, and there's no food at the canteen. I wanted to cook something myself, but I found that this house is old and unused, with no food stored, so there's nothing to cook.
Ming Jin now prefers this old house. The house down the mountain was originally built by the brothers Ming Dong and Ming Liang, and later Ming Shiyu moved in. After the two brothers passed away, Ming Shiyu lived alone, and after marrying Shao Zhu, they lived there together, and later Ming Jin joined them. After the two brothers passed away, Lu Ying lived there for a while. After Lu Ying died, Ming Jin lived alone, and also lived with Zhu Zhenyun for a period of time. After Zhu Zhenyun married Fu Nai, Ming Jin lived alone again for a while, and then Pang Ming left.
Standing in the courtyard, Mingjin suddenly felt that there were far too many people coming and going from these rooms. In an instant, she realized that she herself didn't really want to live here.
It was Yu Hongxian who discovered that Mingjin had moved.
Because he hadn't seen them around during the day and hadn't heard Yan Junyou mention anything important, Yu Hong decided to go to the Ming family's house to check on them after dinner while taking the children out for a walk. It was late in the day, and the sky was still quite bright, so Yu Hong easily noticed an empty space in the courtyard. Upon entering the study, he found many shelves also empty, covered in dust from days of neglect.
"Sister Tianguang, what are you doing?" Yan Zao couldn't see anything else, but she noticed Ming Jin standing among several piles of papers, staring blankly at a single piece of paper. "I haven't seen you in so long."
“Sister Yahe,” Mingjin quickly looked up upon hearing Yanzao’s voice, only then realizing that she seemed to have answered someone’s knocking earlier. “I didn’t even notice you were here.”
"Sister, are you tidying up the house?"
Yan Wei looked at the several bundles that had already been packed, but the bundles were not large, and she wondered what to do with them.
“I’ve been living up in the mountains for the past few days, and I’m always running out of things. So I’m bringing some things with me.”
Mingjin put the notebook on top and put it away, preparing to go out and pour some tea, but Yu Hong said they had just eaten.
“In that case,” Yu Hong said, though he was reluctant for Ming Jin to leave, but thinking about what had happened recently, he felt that changing places was a good thing. “Those things still need to be packed, I’ll help you take them up the mountain.”
“No need for that,” Mingjin said, somewhat surprised. “I didn’t plan to bring everything over; I just wanted to see what I needed and bring it with me. The study here is full of Yuanbei’s things, and I’ve been putting it off, so I’m only getting around to packing now.”
Yu Hong asked, "Have you eaten dinner tonight?"
"Not yet. I'll take these bundles up first, then go to Uncle Miao's for dinner."
As they were talking, Yan Zao ran over and hugged Ming Jin's leg, watching Yu Hong and Ming Jin talk.
"Is there a lot of stuff?" Yu Hong went over to take a look and saw that there were only three or four items. So he said, "We just finished eating, and Zimou hasn't come back yet. Let me go upstairs with you."
"Okay, okay," Yan Zao said with a smile.
Yan Wei was originally observing the items on the cabinet when she heard that she could go up the mountain. She was very excited and came over, ready to go with them.
A few people took some things and went up the mountain.
However, aside from Yu Hong going up the mountain or visiting Yan Junyou at the academy, Ming Jin was rarely seen afterward. The reason was that Ming Jin found moving things too boring, so he always delayed going to get them, and he himself didn't even know when he was missing anything. Furthermore, because he was preparing to draw several important ghosts that appeared in Wu Rang's memories, Ming Jin spent most of his time in his study, accompanied by his paintings, except for ghost hunting and martial arts practice, and rarely came out.
So when Meng Xi came again, no one answered the door when she knocked, which was very strange. Yan Zao, who was playing nearby, knew immediately that they didn't know Ming Jin had moved, so she quickly came out to relieve her worries: "Sister Ming has gone to live in the mountains."
"Up in the mountain?"
Meng Xi thanked Yan Zao, left a message for Ming Jin, and went to the town's tavern for a drink. When Ming Jin returned from hunting ghosts and came back to town, Meng Xi had already finished one jar of wine, and was carrying another jar back to the inn to take a nap. He had just woken up when he heard Ming Jin knocking on the door.
"Come in quickly," Meng Xi said, just as she was about to invite Ming Jin in, when she suddenly felt that her stomach was empty. So she turned around and said, "I'm a little hungry. We still have some wine. Let's find a place to eat."
The two chatted while eating until the meal ended, at which point Mingjin told Mengxi that he had something to give her.
The things were still at her home in town. Meng Xi realized she had to make another detour. She regretted not staying at Ming Jin's house after drinking; she would have saved her money. Ming Jin welcomed her and then pulled a small wooden box from the trunk, inside which was an accessory.
What is this?
Upon receiving it, Meng Xi's expression suddenly calmed down.
This is a jade ornament that is quite old, carved with soft foliage. The craftsman's skill is superb, and there is not a single flaw in any part of it. The outer surface has a soft luster, indicating that it was not made recently, but rather has been in the hands of a predecessor for a long time.
"How did it end up here with you?" Meng Xi asked.
“Elder Hong has passed away,” Ming Jin said, and Meng Xi’s expression changed slightly, but there was nothing noteworthy to say. “But Elder Hong didn’t announce it to the public. I went to help out, and the elder left me some magical artifacts as souvenirs. Yu Cheng said this was meant for Sect Leader Su, but Sect Leader Su said he gave it to me as a thank-you gift. When I first met Elder Hong, I saw him carrying this with him, and I thought it shouldn’t be a thank-you gift left to a junior member of a maternal family.”
"Sect Leader Su has learned to use his brain. He kept sending me letters, but I didn't listen and thought he had given up. I didn't expect him to have his sights set on you," Meng Xi looked at it for a while, then put the item back in the box without any lingering feelings. "This is the token of the sect leader of Huicheng. Your Kongyun Mountain should have one too, right? This is Elder Hong's. I saw him wearing it before. He only gave you this one?"
"There are other things, but they include spirit stones of various sizes, pieces of grass and rope for making magical artifacts. There is this box."
"At least they know a little about manners."
“Senior Meng, please take this back,” Ming Jin said with difficulty as Meng Sheng placed the box on the table. “Elder Hong left a list specifying who his things were to be distributed to, although I have never seen it. But seeing how insistent Sect Leader Su is, it must have been Elder Hong’s dying wish.”
But Meng Xi stared at the box for a while without saying a word.
"What was the issue of metal-related techniques that you mentioned during dinner?"
Seeing Meng Xi's solemn expression, Ming Jin quickly changed the subject. She had just learned why Su Huan had given her a large wooden box of magical artifact materials; she had been puzzled when she saw that it required Meng Sheng and Shen Bai to deliver it. It was truly a difficult task being passed on to her.
“Golden Arts,” Meng Xi said, no longer needing to deal with that hot potato after hearing Ming Jin mention it. “I’ve recently been practicing Elder Chen’s Golden Arts and have gained some insights. I’d like to talk to her about it. But there’s a barrier on your mountain, so outsiders can’t just go in.”
"You've learned it?" Mingjin asked in surprise.
“It’s written so clearly, how can I not learn it?” Meng Xi continued, surprised. “I don’t have to patrol according to the rules, I’m just an idle person, how can I let go of such a new thing?”
Hearing Meng Xi say this, Ming Jin had no reason to delay. Because she hadn't cleaned the house for a while, she didn't know where she had put the token for bringing outsiders up the mountain. She searched for it on the table for a while, and then walked up the mountain with Meng Xi, wanting to talk to Chen Duan before he rested.
"You've learned to use magic," Mingjin finally spoke after a moment of silence on the road, "or you can use it freely to exorcise evil spirits?"
"What kind of magic do you learn if you can't exorcise evil spirits?" Meng Xi shook her head and said.
Mingjin didn't want to talk anymore.
Fortunately, when the two reached the academy gate, Mingjin chatted with the cultivator on duty and learned that Chen Duan had just left the academy to return to the mountain. Since the use of magic was forbidden near Kongyun Mountain, the two ran up the mountain and happened to meet Chen Duan and Yu Qiao at the gate.
Chen Duan and Meng Xi were talking inside the house about things that Yu Qiao couldn't keep up with and Ming Jin couldn't understand. The two of them moved a stool to the doorway and chatted idly, burning herbs to scare away small insects.
“I went to see Yuanyi,” Yu Qiao said, picking up a small wooden tray from the side. “Her breathing has returned to normal. Was it the medicine this doctor prescribed for Yuanyi?”
"Yes, I went yesterday. I'll go check again tomorrow," Mingjin said, shaking the grass branch in his hand. "Why did you all go to the academy?"
"My master and I have been deciphering the array diagrams left behind by Yuan Bei. When those two elders left, we also gave them a copy. This afternoon, Elder Ban suddenly came over to talk about arrays and just left. I wanted to invite him to the mountain, but my master and I don't know where we put our tokens, so we could only talk at the academy. After we finished talking, Elder Ban rushed back before the appointed time."
What progress has been made?
"The process is quite complicated," Yu Qiao said. "It mainly relies on experience in analyzing the formation's trajectory. We've already ruled out several unlikely formations. We've also ruled out a few on our side and are preparing to increase our efforts on the remaining points."
"That means..."
"Perhaps we will find Yishan soon."
The two of them suddenly fell silent.
"What do we do then?" Yu Qiao suddenly asked.
"attack?"
"Really?"
“Uncertain. That’s their stronghold; who knows how many more demons at Feng Wu’s level are still there,” Ming Jin said.
"And there's Zhe Gui, and Gao Lang, we haven't even fought them yet," Yu Qiao murmured. "Could it be that after finding Yi Shan, they'll send cultivators in to check things out?"
“It’s up to the sect leader to decide,” Mingjin said. “I haven’t seen Uncle Tingran for a few days.”
Where is Elder Mu?
“Although he still looks the same as usual, he hasn’t been to town for a meal or a drink in a long time,” Mingjin thought, “and he’s watching my cultivation like before.”
“It seems the sect leader is planning to take a hard line,” Yu Qiao said. “And Shihe is no longer here; he must have gone to contact Juxia and Huicheng.”
What will happen there?
"Haven't you seen it before?"
"I didn't?" Mingjin asked in surprise.
“In that ghost’s memory,” Yu Qiao said confidently, “how can that not count?”
“The evil spirit is there, and it’s definitely not the same as us going there,” Mingjin paused. “I’m always a little worried. In Wu Rang’s memory, I don’t know how Gao Lang found out, but Yuan Bei was discovered as soon as he arrived near the lake, even while he was still in the woods. We’re eliminating possibilities bit by bit now. Even if we find Yishan, will Yishan be waiting for us there?”
“They can’t have run away, can they?” Yu Qiao waved her hand and shook off the ashes. “Isn’t Youran City the first place that Gao Lang and his evil spirits established?”
“It’s really intriguing,” Mingjin and Yuqiao said, quickly standing up as they heard a chair being pushed back inside. “What is the evil spirit doing now?”
"In that case, I shall take my leave now," Meng Xi said politely.
“Senior Meng,” Ming Jin quickly spoke up after Chen Duan and Meng Xi finished speaking, “Yuan Yi, the girl who asked you to treat her before, she hasn’t been feeling well lately and can’t take her medicine very well. If you have time, could you save it for tomorrow and go see her again?”
"Counting the days, it really is in the next few days." Hearing Mingjin mention it, Mengxi finally remembered this matter.
“Senior Meng,” Yu Qiao said, mimicking Ming Jin, “this junior thanks you for the prescription you gave Yuan Yi. Master Ji said that Yuan Yi slept better after taking the medicine.”
“That’s just a prescription for relieving fever and pain,” Chen Duan said, staying in the room because of his leg problems. Yu Qiao saw Meng Xi and Ming Jin out. “As long as she’s taking it well, that’s fine. I’ll go check on her tomorrow.”
The next day, when they went up the mountain, Mingjin accompanied Mengxi. While getting breakfast for Jizhen and Mengxi at Hegengtang, they noticed Huang Jing and Zhou Wei sitting under a shelf by the door, looking up at the sky. Upon closer inspection, they saw they looked extremely tired.
"What's wrong with you? Have you eaten?"
"I've already eaten," Huang Jing said, waving the untouched bun in her hand. "I've been working overtime all day, and I'm so hungry I can't eat anymore."
"And you?"
Zhou Wei was feeling a little better, but there was only half a bun left in his hand: "Alin's mother fell ill, and her brother's family just had a new baby. She went back to help, leaving me to take care of the child alone. On top of that, there's what's going on on the mountain. I'm about to faint."
"Where is Xiang'er?"
“I can’t do it, I’ll leave her to my mother,” Zhou Wei said with a worried look. “This girl is really something else. She can’t speak clearly, and she can’t walk properly, but she can make a fuss all day long. My mother has never raised a daughter before, and she loved Xiang’er so much when she was born. Let her take her. I still have to buy wine for Shihe. I used to laugh at him for it.”
"Bring the kids along for a drink," Huang Jing said with a smile.
"Tian Guang, give me some free time in a few days." The person next to her, who was holding a blade of grass, immediately threw it at Huang Jing after hearing her say that.
"What's wrong?"
"Let's go sweep my master's grave together."
"You haven't gone yet?" Ming Jin and Huang Jing were both very surprised. "It's been so long."
“I have already prayed to my master at home, please forgive me for delaying for a few days,” Zhou Wei said with his hands clasped together. “The main reason is that I was too busy on the mountain, and then Ah Lin went home, so I couldn’t bring the child up the mountain. Besides, I haven’t had any free time yet, so I had to postpone it. It rained a few days ago, and I guess the grass has grown quite tall. Please help me out.”
"If we delay any longer, it will be the Double Ninth Festival."
"No, no."
Despite her confident promises, Deng Lin's mother was not in good condition and did not return for several days later than expected. Zhou Xiang, who had been playing at her grandmother's house for a few days, realized what was happening and became unhappy, crying incessantly. She would only calm down when Zhou Wei held her, but would start crying again as soon as they were separated by a few steps.
So, on the day they agreed, Zhou Wei watched Zhou Xiang working on the inkstone and pen by the ground and said helplessly to Ming Jin, who came to pick up the things, "There's nothing I can do, my mother can't touch the cat."
“Then I’ll go,” Mingjin said, looking at the farm tools. “You can go and kowtow on the Double Ninth Festival.”
"I'll kowtow to you first."
"quick."
The two turned to look, thinking it was Zhou Xiang speaking, but it turned out to be the mournful cry of the plucked inkstone leaping up.
During Qingming Festival and the anniversary of Xiang Wan's death, Ming Jin and Yan Junyou both came to the mountain and casually pulled up some weeds around Xiang Wan's grave. But it was just a casual gesture; now, as they prepared to do it more carefully, they were truly amazed by the vitality of the wild grass. If there were any magical powers, these ubiquitous grass seeds would surely be the most powerful.
After pulling out the weeds, Mingjin piled up the weeds that had been scattered by the rain at the grave site, and finally wiped the tombstone clean.
There was something on the tombstone, and Mingjin only wanted to wipe away the dust, but she didn't expect to encounter this obstacle. She had no choice but to get up and go find some water. Before she could even let go of the towel in her hand, a stream of water suddenly fell onto the towel in her hand.
Looking up, it's a water hyacinth.
Look again at the figure leaning against the tombstone.
"It's like you don't know me at all."
Dao Xin turned the gourd around and took a sip.
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