Chapter 434 Simplicity is the Best
Huang Xuan, who had changed back into her worn-out red coat, stood on tiptoe in front of the wooden cabinet. She opened the top shelf and put back the long, narrow inkstick wrapped in a gray cloth.
Calmly turning around, she glanced at Huang Feihong, the father of the expressionless Taoist robe-wearing young man, who was warmly receiving guests at the table.
The three of them had just returned from Xunyang Tower without saying goodbye.
They returned to the small courtyard at the end of the dilapidated alley. It was old and run-down, with several families living in cramped quarters. You could hear a fart all over the place. The empty flowerbed was filled with farm produce, providing a rare touch of vibrant greenery. Under the eaves, an empty swallow's nest swayed precariously in the corner. They wondered if any travelers would return south next spring.
Huang Xuan silently passed the table, went out to the kitchen, squatted by the stove with her knees drawn up, patiently started a fire, and brewed a pot of tea.
After stepping into the courtyard, Huang Feihong breathed a sigh of relief. The man's broad shoulders relaxed a bit. He led Lu Ya to the only table in the humble house and invited him to sit down.
The bearded man turned around, went to the well, drew a bucket of cool well water, and washed his face.
He found a gray-black handkerchief he had brought back from the Xunyang Grottoes construction site yesterday, which he had hung around his neck. He wet it with well water, wrung it out, and carried the damp cloth back to the table. He bent down to wipe it, grinning as he said:
"What is your surname, Daoist Master?"
"My surname is Lu, and my given name is Ya." Lu Ya looked at the father and daughter who had entered the room and were working together seamlessly, dividing the tasks of entertaining guests. He hesitated for a moment and said, "You can also call me by my Daoist name, Yuan Ya Zi."
"What duck?" Huang Feihong was taken aback: "Round... duck?"
"..." Lu Ya.
“Father, Yuan is the generational name, and the middle one is usually a common name. Taoist priests of the Three Pure Ones all take their names this way.”
Lu Ya, with his expressionless face, raised an eyebrow slightly and turned to look. It was the little girl in the red jacket. Her short legs were running back into the house to find tea leaves and teaware. After giving a brief explanation, the little girl hugged the tea canister and ran back out the door.
From the kitchen outside the door, you can hear the sound of water about to boil.
"I see, that's interesting." Huang Feihong exclaimed, slapping his forehead.
“Round Duck, if I become a Taoist priest, will I also call myself that, with the Taoist name… Yuan Hongzi? Haha, that’s interesting. If it’s Xiao Xuan, I’ll call her Yuan Xuanzi. That sounds pretty nice.”
Lu Ya glanced towards the kitchen and, surprisingly patiently, explained:
"Almost, but it also depends on seniority. On Maoshan, Longhu, and Gezaoshan, one must be of the same generation as me to use the character 'Yuan' at the beginning. However, because my master lived to be a hundred years old, my seniority is slightly higher... Chong Han Tong Yuan Yun, Gao Hong Ding Da Luo, San Shan Yu Xing Zhen... According to the bloodline generation of the Three Mountains, the latest generation of disciples of the Three Mountains of Talismans are the Yun and Gao generations. When they meet me, they must respectfully bow to the Yuan generation. This Yuan generation... is definitely not bad."
It was rare for Lu Ya to speak so much in one breath. He took a slight breath, and even in front of the shrewd and calculating little princess, he had never spoken so long, not even mentioning Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang... He even added a sentence without making a sound:
"Yuan Xuanzi's voice is indeed beautiful."
Huang Feihong muttered, "Why are there so many rules?"
Lu Ya, who had been watching the man's expression closely, nodded.
"The Shangqing Taoist lineage where I belong has a history of thousands of years, with a long history and profound cultural heritage. It is not comparable to some small Taoist temples that deceive pilgrims. You can rest assured, Mr. Huang."
Huang Feihong suddenly raised his hand and patted his shoulder heavily, speaking in a serious tone:
"Since there are so many rules, if Xiaoxuan is called Yuanxuanzi, then it seems I can't call her Yuanhongzi or Yuanfeizi. What is your master's generation name? I need to be a generation ahead of you."
Lu Ya: "...??"
Just as a stoic Taoist priest at the table was struggling to suppress the twitching of his eyelids, Huang Xuan was squatting in front of the stove in the kitchen, quietly waiting for hot water.
She could hear her father and Taoist Master Lu talking over the door from the other side of the house, and she kept glancing back at the kitchen door.
The courtyard was rather small, and it was still afternoon. The aunts and uncles next door had all gone out to sell their wares and do chores, so there weren't many people around. Huang Feihong had a loud voice, and Huang Xuan could hear their conversation clearly from the kitchen.
Father's voice sounded normal, still as carefree as ever, but as the three of them slipped back and entered the house, Huang Xuan happened to see that Father, who was walking at the very back, looked somewhat dejected and glanced back at the magnificent new house at the end of the alley with a complicated look in his eyes.
But not long ago, in the Narcissus private room at Xunyang Tower, when she told him that she would hand over the house deed and leave immediately, her father was only stunned for a moment and asked if they had affected their benefactor. After seeing her nod, he took out the house deed that he had been sleeping in his arms all night, carried her on his back, and climbed out the window and left.
Seeing her father looking back at the door, Huang Xuan wanted to find the right words to comfort him, but to her surprise, her father turned around, patted her head, smiled and started to comfort her instead.
In the kitchen stove, the flames emitted an orange glow, which shone on a small face that looked dazed.
A wisp of smoke and heat from the stove hit her face. The little girl in the red jacket grabbed her sleeves and covered her mouth and nose, but her clear, dark eyes were fixed on the dancing flames in the stove. The smoke made her eyes sting and wet. She lowered her head and rubbed them. She squatted in front of the stove with her knees drawn up to her chest for an unknown amount of time before the kettle started to bounce. Only then did she come back to her senses and immediately get up.
A moment later, Huang Xuan carefully carried a kettle of hot water back into the house.
Huang Feihong, who was chatting with someone he knew well, stepped forward, took the kettle, and poured tea directly into his rough, calloused hands without fear of the heat.
Lu Ya leaned back slightly and looked down at the thin stream of water in front of him, which was emitting hot steam.
"Come, Master Lu, I was just joking. I hope I didn't mean to offend your master. You said Xiaoxuan and I could never become Taoist priests, right? Master, don't be so serious. Haha, have some tea."
Huang Xuan nodded in agreement and whispered, "Thank you for your help, Taoist priest."
Lu Ya hesitated for a moment, but under the warm hospitality of the Huang family father and daughter, he accepted the teacup and took a sip.
The private room was overlooking the river, with a steep cliff below the window, more than three stories high, but the three of them managed to slip out successfully... Anyway, Lu Ya's actions at that time were no different from the flying and wall-climbing scenes in chivalrous novels, which broadened the horizons of the Huang family father and daughter.
Huang Feihong, in particular, seemed to have figured something out; his old face flushed red, and he looked somewhat embarrassed.
"Master Lu is truly skilled. I was just being modest and yielding to Mr. Huang. I'm so embarrassed. Please have a cup of tea with you, Master Lu."
Hearing the respectful tone of the bearded man in front of him, and the admiring gaze of the little girl in the red coat who had been watching him closely, Lu Ya, who was usually calm and indifferent to worldly affairs, couldn't help but feel a little secretly pleased.
Immediately chant "Boundless Heavenly Venerable who saves all beings" in your heart to calm the turmoil in your mind.
But just then, Huang Feihong, sitting across the table, suddenly pulled something out from under the table and solemnly handed it to him:
"It seems that Master Lu's Taoist hat fell to the ground by accident last time. I found it in the alley and have been wanting to return it. Please keep it safe, Master. I hope it hasn't delayed Master Lu's business."
"..."
Lu Ya, with tea in his mouth, coughed twice upon hearing this, then quickly reached out and put away the Taoist crown on the table. He waved his hand expressionlessly, as if nothing had happened.
"It's nothing."
The three chatted for a while longer. This time, they became acquainted through a fight. The Huang family father and daughter became familiar with Lu Ya, and their attitudes were no longer as wary as before.
Huang Feihong glanced at the grand and impressive mansion not far away and said with a bitter face:
“We ran away halfway through this trip and offended them. They say women hold grudges, and I don’t know… I don’t know if Landlord Chen will come to take back the house and kick Xiaoxuan and me out. I hope it won’t involve the neighbors.”
Compared to Huang Feihong, Huang Xuan's expression remained completely calm, even somewhat dazed. She gazed at the sky outside the window and whispered:
"No, that lady is not like that. She would not do such a thing. In fact, the new house will be kept intact and ready for us to return at any time. The only condition is that our benefactor is still up there."
Huang Feihong was taken aback.
Huang Xuan suddenly turned her head and asked:
"Does Master Lu know that benefactor?"
Lu Ya glanced at her and said, "Mm."
He thought Huang Xuan would press him about the details of what he had reminded her of earlier, but to his surprise, the little girl in the red coat simply lowered her head, silently took out a crumpled little wallet from her bosom, and handed it over.
"Master, could you do me another favor? Could you return it to our benefactor?" she asked earnestly.
Lu Ya wanted to ask, but seeing the hopeful look in her eyes, he shut his mouth, nodded slightly, and put away his small purse.
"I will return to you and help you repay the debt."
Huang Xuan smiled.
Like a tiny plum blossom that blooms briefly in the dead of winter.
Lu Ya glanced at her again, because in the few days since he discovered and followed Huang Xuan, he hadn't seen her smile much.
He seems to be someone who doesn't smile much, just like his master. Oh, and... him too.
Lu Ya thought to himself.
...
As evening approached, the sun began to set in the west.
Deep within the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, outside a study, Ouyang Rong, who had just finished a meeting and stepped out, looked curiously at Lu Ya, who was blocking the way in the gallery in front of him.
"She asked you to pay it back?" He glanced down at the small wallet in his hand.
It was the wallet he had given to the little girl in the red coat to buy red leaves last time, and Lu Ya was handing it back to him now.
He thought for a moment and asked:
"Was it Master Lu who helped you with today's events?"
Lu Ya shook his head: "No, I was just saying something and didn't urge her. The rest was her and her father's own choice. I didn't expect that girl to be so decisive."
Xie Lingjiang, who was standing next to him, noticed that the senior brother simply nodded slightly, said nothing more, thanked him, and left calmly, walking at the front.
She followed behind, somewhat curious: "Isn't Senior Brother going to meet her family?"
Ouyang Rong shook his head: "It's better not to see him than to see him."
Xie Lingjiang seemed to understand, but not quite.
Ouyang Rong hesitated for a moment, then added:
"Actually, I've already seen it."
"When will it happen?" Xie Lingjiang asked, puzzled. Her senior brother had been with her all day and hadn't left.
Ouyang Rong sighed, "It's not just seeing one family or one household, it's seeing thousands upon thousands of households."
Xie Lingjiang frowned slightly. After a moment, she suddenly recalled the words her senior brother had said in public at Xunyang Tower at noon. A thoughtful look appeared in her eyes:
"What Senior Brother means is... Huang Xuan's family is not an isolated case. There are thousands of families like them in Xingzifang. Huang Xuan's family is just relatively representative."
"Senior Brother, you think that as the Chief Secretary of Jiangzhou, you should really care about every household, right? If you're going to help, you should help from there, from a broader perspective. That's true righteousness, not... not like Pei Shisan Niang and the others, using small favors to win people's hearts?"
Ouyang Rong weighed the recovered wallet in his hand and found that not a single coin was missing. He carefully put it into his pocket, glanced at his junior sister, didn't answer, and turned to look at the silent Lu Ya, suddenly asking:
"Is Master Lu very familiar with her family?"
Lu Ya nodded: "It's alright, we just met recently."
Ouyang Rong didn't ask any further questions, and said softly:
"If Master Lu has some free time these days, he can go and visit Yangshang more often, just in case. Although Madam Pei doesn't seem like a clueless person, there might be some irresponsible people under her."
"OK."
Lu Ya responded simply, glanced at Ouyang Rong, and suddenly felt that what he and Huang Xuan said was somewhat similar; the two were indeed alike.
Ouyang Rong was unaware of the comparison in Lu Ya's heart. The three chatted briefly for a while, then Lu Ya took his leave. Xie Lingjiang personally escorted Ouyang Rong to the door, stood gracefully watching his carriage disappear into the distance, before leisurely returning to her secluded chambers in the Prince's mansion.
The carriage carrying Ouyang Rong slowly drove back to his residence in Huaiye Lane.
He was alone in the private room, finally free, so he leaned back, closed his eyes, and entered the Merit Pagoda.
When the blessing bell rang in the afternoon, he didn't rush to check it. With his junior sister by his side, he patiently and tirelessly escorted her back to the Prince's residence. However, halfway there, he was pulled away by his uncle and eldest son to the study to discuss the latest developments in the court from Luoyang. He didn't have time to check the new blessing bell for the time being.
However, the Blessing Bell continued to vibrate. Based on Ouyang Rong's experience, if the new blessings did not disappear instantly, they would exist for a considerable period of time. Hmm, this thing is really a vibrator, so he has been dragging it out until now.
At this moment, Ouyang Rong entered the tower and reached out to touch the Blessing Bell.
A message came to mind:
Three thousand merits can be exchanged for blessings.
Ouyang Rong let go, his face full of curiosity, ready to exchange. However, when he turned his head and saw the cyan-gold characters above the small wooden fish, and clearly saw the remaining merits, his face turned pained again.
Merit: 3,878
"Is it going to cost another three thousand...?"
Recently, he has been studying the Shangqing secret art of divine invocation day and night. He is currently at a critical point, involving the hidden knowledge of red and black talismans... which has consumed a lot of merit points, leaving him with less than two thousand merit points at one point.
These past two days have been quite fruitful.
Well, first I gained a lot of merit from the junior sister who gave me experience points, and then I did some good deeds by helping the little girl in the red coat.
In addition, the deafening public speech at Xunyang Tower not long ago, which still has a lingering effect, has resulted in some merit points being credited to my account... which can be considered an unexpected surge.
Only then did he barely reach 3,900 merits, which was extremely difficult to increase.
Anyway, ever since he left Dragon City, he hasn't accumulated more than 10,000 merits and has always been short of funds...
Ouyang Rong stared sternly at the trembling bronze bell shrouded in purple mist:
"Speaking of which, have you been keeping an eye on the merits of the little wooden fish, making sure you've just accumulated enough? Every time I'm close to it, you come and harvest my blessings, just like harvesting leeks. You're just trying to prevent me from having any surplus, aren't you? I'm going to work for you now."
After grumbling for a bit, he sighed helplessly, then closed his eyes and focused his mind.
The line of cyan-gold characters transformed into a shimmering golden carp phantom, leaping through the air like a fish leaping over the dragon gate, before finally crashing heavily into the ancient bronze bell with a clang.
Above the sea of clouds, the sound of bells resounded throughout the four directions, making the space even more vast and desolate, and it was unknown how far it had traveled to.
The dense purple aura surrounding the bell vanished without a trace, and the ancient pagoda returned to silence.
Above the small wooden fish, only eight hundred merits remained.
Ouyang Rong muttered to himself, then his mind drifted away from the Pagoda of Merit.
He looked around; the carriage was empty, with only the bumpy ride. Outside the window, the bustling city was still alive with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares.
Everything was as usual, and it was unclear what exactly this blessing had affected.
Ouyang Rong rubbed his face and muttered to himself:
"Speaking of which, this trigger time was right after I rejected Pei Shisan Niang and the others, and left Xunyang Tower to return... Could it be related to Xingzifang and that group of Yangzhou merchants?"
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(End of this chapter)
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