Chapter 158 Mulberry Field "You just want to mess with me, don't you?!"...
Mizhou benefits from both mountains and sea, situated at the junction of mountain ranges and plains. The hills within its borders are undulating and continuous, sloping from northwest to southeast, like a giant turtle bowing its head to drink from the sea, creating a magnificent and ever-changing landscape.
At that moment, laughter echoed from the terraced fields on the gentle slope. Several children were chasing and playing among the lush mulberry and hemp fields. A barefoot, shirtless boy jumped up and accidentally bumped into a wall of flesh.
The force of the impact was actually negligible, but this wall of flesh seemed extremely flimsy, like a sickly person who would collapse at the slightest touch. Its hunched figure staggered and fell to the ground, unable to maintain its balance.
"Oh dear," the boy exclaimed softly, immediately rushing forward to help him up. "Where did you come from? I didn't even see you."
"It's alright..." Before the person on the ground could finish speaking, a woman suddenly darted out from behind the tree and grabbed the child's shirt by the chest.
"Chen Ying!" Lu Bing, who had fallen to the ground, immediately stopped her from shoving him.
Chen Ying had no choice but to give up, letting go of the child and coldly scolding him, "Get out of the way."
Although she was extremely beautiful, her expression was very unfriendly, which frightened the child so much that he shrank back and ran back to his friends.
Chen Ying turned around, glaring at Lu Bing with displeasure, and said, "What, are you afraid I'll crush him?!"
Lu Bing gritted his teeth, looking extremely strained. He tried his best to sit up, his arms trembling as he supported himself on the brown soil beneath him. This simple act of support seemed to exhaust him.
Chen Ying waited for him for a while until she saw beads of sweat sliding down his temples. Then she calmed her expression, took half a step forward, and reached out her hand to Lu Bing, letting it hang in mid-air, as if she wanted to help him.
However, Lu Bing was stubborn and refused to ask her for help no matter what.
Chen Ying looked at him with her eyes lowered: "Don't be stubborn."
Lu Bing tensed his back, his lips were pressed into a thin line, his nostrils flared as he breathed heavily, fine sweat beaded on his forehead, and his cheeks were slightly flushed from the exertion. He managed to adjust his sitting position to a squatting position, finally supporting his limp body with both his hands and feet.
Chen Ying stared at his stubborn expression, trying her best to maintain her balance.
Lu Bing took a deep breath. His limbs, which had been sore and weak from lying in bed for months, were strong. If he could stand up on his own the first time, he could stand up the second time, the third time...
He slowly stood up, but his body felt as heavy as a stone, pressing down on his legs, which seemed to have atrophied muscles, almost breaking them.
It was too heavy. Lu Bing's jaw clenched so tightly that his cheeks ached, and his jawline showed a hard outline.
Seeing Lu Bing struggling so hard that his face was red and he was covered in sweat, Chen Ying patiently refrained from urging him. She was afraid that if she urged him too much, Lu Bing would collapse back to the ground, trembling.
Through his arduous efforts, Lu Bing managed to lift his hands off the ground, his legs trembling uncontrollably.
His bent knees trembled under the heavy pressure. He mobilized his thin leg muscles, and the process of straightening them from bent to straight felt like an hour.
Sweat dripped from his thin chin onto his clothes, soaking them into deep stains. His heavy breathing seemed to have a hoarse ending. He had finally managed to avoid failure.
The spine straightened vertebra by vertebra, making a faint creaking sound.
When he finally stood up completely, Chen Ying realized for the first time how tall Lu Bing was. Although he had lost a lot of weight due to loss of appetite, he was naturally good-looking. His outstretched frame gave him broad shoulders and a narrow waist, making his proportions impeccable.
Chen Ying tilted her head slightly, looked at the sweat-drenched face, and smiled.
"I told you I could help you stand up."
Lu Bing's breathing trembled slightly, and his eyes felt hot, as if something was about to burst out.
In his haste, he was about to take a step when his knee, which he couldn't lift, suddenly buckled, and he fell forward.
As expected, Chen Ying spread her arms, wrapped them around Lu Bing's waist, and caught him.
“Don’t rush, Young Master Lu,” she said, “we’ll take it slow.”
Lu Bing was breathing unevenly, and he couldn't stand steadily for a moment, so he had to put all his strength on Chen Ying.
Chen Ying didn't let go, maintaining an embracing posture, supporting him to stand firm: "Don't rush, Lu Bing, rest for a while."
Lu Bing rested his chin on Chen Ying's shoulder, panting as he closed his eyes, trying to suppress his turbulent emotions.
The sun was only high in the sky, but the heat was already intense. Chen Ying, supporting Lu Bing as he stood up again, also broke out in a thin layer of sweat.
The cicadas chirped one after another, and sunlight filtered through the layers of mulberry leaves, casting a sliver of light on the corner of her upturned eyes. Chen Ying reminded her, "I'm going to let go now."
Even standing still was difficult, and this time Lu Bing dared not make any rash moves: "Why did you bring me here?"
Chen Ying blurted out, "Because I want to eat mulberries."
"Does Shanzhou not have mulberries? Why would she travel all the way to Mizhou?" Lu Bing knew with his toes that she wasn't really craving the mulberries.
"It is said that since ancient times, Qi silk and Lu silk have been the most famous, and Qi and Lu mulberries are of course the most delicious."
Every early summer, the branches of the mulberry grove are covered with newly ripe mulberries, some green, some red, and some fully ripe purple, so purple they are almost black, hanging heavily on the branches.
As she spoke, Chen Yingzhen reached out and hooked a branch, picked a plump, dark purple mulberry, and popped it into her mouth.
It's very sweet.
She squinted, then picked a mulberry leaf and carefully began to pick the mulberries.
Lu Bing asked, "Where did Acong go?"
The rotten mulberries stained her fingertips purple-red, but Chen Ying didn't care and said, "There's a deep ravine over there; he went to take a bath."
"..." Lu Bing was too lazy to listen to her nonsense.
"Why are you so concerned about Acong?" Chen Ying turned around and smiled. "Are you afraid I'll send him to commit murder and arson?"
"Haven't you killed enough people yet?" These two wicked rats are in cahoots; they're sure to do something bad whenever the Iron Mask leaves.
“That’s right, I can’t even count them all. Why don’t you count them for me from now on?” Chen Ying picked a plump mulberry leaf, presented it to Lu Bing, and put on a vicious face. “And that little brat who bumped into you just now, I should have just killed him.”
Lu Bing glanced at the mulberry fruit indifferently, then turned his head away: "Take it away."
"Didn't you say you'd listen to me from now on? Who's listening to whom here?" Chen Ying sneered. "What, now's not the time for you to beg me. I spared those stinky Taoist priests' lives. From now on, you'll eat whatever I tell you to eat. Don't try to act tough with me."
Lu Bing finally managed to suppress his rising anger and slowly raised a heavy arm.
As a result, the mulberry leaf was like a weight, almost breaking his hand.
Lu Bing couldn't catch it, and even if he did, he couldn't lift it. The mulberries fell heavily, scattering all over the ground.
Chen Ying felt he was doing it on purpose, yet she also felt he wasn't. Her face flushed and paled in turns, and she snapped at him, "Are you a piece of trash?!"
Lu Bing blurted out, "Wasn't it you who crippled me?!"
Chen Ying, who was perfectly fine at first, suddenly became furious because of his words: "Lu Bing, don't be so stubborn!"
Lu Bing had never been one to submit to anyone. Except for that one time when he begged her, he had never backed down: "You just want to torment me, don't you?!"
Chen Ying really wanted to slap him, but she was afraid of not being able to control the force and might accidentally hurt him. She was caught in a dilemma, unable to hit him or scold him. Chen Ying was no longer as adept at disciplining Lu Bing as before, and she was extremely frustrated.
She turned to leave, but then, unable to swallow her anger, she turned back to slap the person.
As a result, the stubborn girl remained unmoved and stubbornly resisted her.
Chen Ying's raised hand froze in mid-air. She was furious at Lu Bing's stubborn and defiant look. He couldn't even catch a handful of mulberries, let alone take a slap from her. Chen Ying could only say harshly, "Do you want me to slap you?"
Lu Bing cursed inwardly: I'm not a bastard.
He and Chen Ying were sworn enemies; how could they possibly get along?
Lu Bing could never do what she wanted, and Chen Ying would often be so angry with him that she would be furious. She just couldn't understand how a stray dog that had fallen into her hands and was at her mercy could develop such wolfish nature.
But if Lu Bing is a spineless coward who can't withstand torture, and lacks that toughness to oppose her, she'll probably find it meaningless.
Chen Ying's eyes darted around, and a mischievous idea popped into her head: "You pick it up for me."
Lu Bing straightened his back with great difficulty, displaying a resolute determination that would rather break than bend.
Chen Ying wanted to bend him.
"You refuse, huh?" She heard the cheerful laughter of several children not far away and turned to walk towards them.
Lu Bingtai knew what evil scheme this ruthless woman was plotting: "I'll pick it up."
Chen Ying stopped and smiled; she didn't believe Lu Bing wouldn't back down.
She was very pleased with herself. She turned around and stood a few steps away, watching Lu Bing bend over with great difficulty. The action of squatting down was no easier than standing up.
Lu Bing gritted his teeth, his undershirt soaked with sweat, and his trembling legs and knees made it impossible for him to squat down. Lu Bing lost his balance and fell to the ground.
He gasped for breath, his legs aching terribly. Lu Bingqiang endured it without uttering a sound, and raised his equally heavy arms to pick up the mulberries scattered all over the ground.
“I’ll teach you to argue with me.” Chen Ying walked over and stomped the mulberry into the soil. “You can’t win an argument, so you’re just asking for trouble.”
Lu Bing stared at the toes of the shoes in front of him without saying a word.
Chen Ying squatted down: "Didn't you want to know why we traveled all the way to Mizhou?"
Lu Bing looked up and met her gaze.
Chen Ying said, "Mizhou is connected to the sea, and if we go further ahead, we'll reach Langya Port. Young Master Lu, I hope you can come with me to send Acong and the others back."
"What?" Lu Bing asked, confused. "Where should we send it?"
“There is a secret realm above the East Sea, which is A-Cong’s hometown,” Chen Ying said. “Otherwise, what do you think I’m going through all this trouble for?”
"you……"
"Let me tell you something else. Do you know what kind of person your friend Zhou Yaren is?"
Who could he be? He was nothing more than one of the many palace musicians.
But Chen Ying said, "He was originally like Acong and the others, an undead living in that secret realm of the sea. Have you ever heard of the undead?"
That's utter nonsense. Ya-ren is a living, breathing person; how could she possibly be the same as those water ghosts in human skin around her?
"Sigh." Chen Ying sighed. "You've always wanted to know, but now that I'm telling you, you don't believe me. Officer Lu, do you really know nothing, not even about your so-called friend? But this is a long story. Would you like to hear it?"
Lu Bing wanted to hear her fabricate a story: "Go ahead."
Chen Ying paused for a moment, then asked, "Young Master Lu, have you ever heard this saying?"
"What did you say?"
"The secrets of heaven and earth were inexplicably broken, and disaster arose from the moment when Fuxi drew a single stroke."
Lu Bing rarely delved into these matters, mainly because he wasn't interested, and therefore didn't think about it: "What does this have to do with what you're trying to say?"
"Do you know what kind of secret this inexplicably broken secret of heaven and earth really refers to?" Chen Ying didn't keep them in suspense and revealed the answer in one sentence: "The secret realm of the sea."
What ancient legends are they talking about?
Lu Bing was suddenly stunned, and with an extremely long reaction time, he connected the dots.
What did that poisonous woman just say? "The refined are immortals?" "Ah Cong and his group of water ghosts are also immortals. Their purpose in heading to Mizhou is to reach the secret realm of the sea?"
Chen Ying said softly, "This matter probably dates back to the pre-Qin period, when Fuxi drew the trigrams..."
The wind stirs up heat waves, blowing across the fields of mulberry and hemp, forming rolling green waves.
Suddenly, a clear, tinkling sound came from outside the layers of mulberry trees, one after another, drifting leisurely through the mulberry fields, interrupting what Chen Ying was about to say.
"Polishing the mirror...polishing the mirror until it's worn out..."
It turns out that it was a rattle used by craftsmen to attract customers when they went from street to street. It was made of several iron sheets stacked together and made a clanging sound when shaken, like a bell or a chime, and was called a "jinggui" (惊闺).
Chen Ying suddenly fell silent, as the noise had caught her attention. She walked towards the slightly higher mulberry ridge, but the mulberry trees were tall and the leaves were lush and green. Apart from a few farmers working in the hemp fields, she did not see the mirror polisher who was shaking iron.
However, Chen Ying quickly lowered her guard. This place was far away in Mizhou, thousands of miles away from Beiqu. How could she possibly run into the mirrorsmith who polished the mirror for Sun Xiuniang?
The mirror polisher appeared and disappeared among the terraced fields, carrying a heavy load on his shoulders. He looked towards a village not far away, grabbed a towel from around his neck, and wiped his sweaty face haphazardly.
His throat was parched from the heat, and after shouting a couple of times, he refused to shout anymore. His mouth was dry, so he grabbed a handful of mulberries that were brought to his throat to moisten it. He said to the person walking in front of him, "I'm telling you, why don't you go back to your hometown in this hot weather and come all the way to Mizhou to look for the Fuxi Bagua?"
The man wore a worn-out Taoist robe, carried a simple sword on his back, wrapped it twice with coarse cloth, and wore a simple green straw hat made of mulberry leaves on his head to shield himself from the sun, covering most of his face.
“The body of the Northern Qu Tai is broken, the river tomb has been dug up, and I, a poor Taoist priest, have failed in my duty to guard it. I have no face to go back.” The one with the green hair said, “You complain about the distance and the heat, so why did you insist on coming along?”
“I’ve traveled all over the country, it’s all the same to me, Chun Chun has come along and broadened my horizons.” The mirror polisher quickened his pace to catch up with him, “Why don’t you tell me about the story of Fuxi drawing the trigrams?”
"In ancient times, when Fuxi ruled the world, he looked up to observe the celestial phenomena, looked down to observe the patterns of the earth, observed the markings of birds and beasts, and studied the suitability of the land. He drew inspiration from his own body and from all things around him, and thus he created the Eight Trigrams..."
The mirror grinder interrupted, "Don't show off your knowledge, I know all of this."
"Xi Huang was of the Feng clan, and on one hand, he drew the trigrams by listening to the wind," the green-hatted Taoist priest said, then suddenly remembered, "Do you know that blind monk in Chang'an who could tell things by listening to the wind?"
The mirror polisher paused, gave a slightly stiff "Oh," and then commented, "This man is very dishonest."
The green-hatted Taoist priest turned around: "What makes you say that?"
“He always liked to eavesdrop. Everyone needs privacy these days, but he managed to steal everything. I really dislike this kind of snooping scoundrel, so I gave him a couple of warnings.”
The green-hatted Taoist priest was shocked: "No, you call this eavesdropping?"
"Ah, that's right. He can overhear private conversations from two miles away. If I ever run into him again, I'll make sure he's deaf and blind, completely lost."
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