Chapter 12: Warm Wine and Remaining Feelings
The sound of an armored bronze man seeing off a customer came from the back door of the antique shop.
Wei Ci asked, "Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?"
Cang Ming remembered the Ice Blade Sword and hurriedly took it off from his side and returned it to him: "Thank you, it's a really good sword, light yet heavy."
Wei Ci took the sword, walked up the steps, and pointed at the main gate with the tip. The two doors were magnificent and solemn. Wei Ci turned around and raised his hand and said, "General, please."
Cang Ming stepped into the hall, and saw waterfalls, flowing clouds, and towering ladders, as if entering a nine-story dream.
After closing time, the bronze figure stood against the wall, motionless. Waiters appeared from every corner, filing in, gathering and interweaving, then dispersing. For a moment, the crowds subsided, and tea and snacks were already set on the stone table.
Cang Ming took the cup of tea handed to him by Wei Ci, turned around and sat on the large bluestone by the water, and suddenly asked, "Are you a demon?"
Wei Ci's hand, pouring tea, paused mid-air. After a moment's silence, he forced a laugh and said, "Why can't it be a ghost?"
Cang Ming looked at his fair complexion and said seriously, "Not really. You're much prettier than a ghost." Thinking of those misshapen creatures under Tian Xinshu, she added, "Of course, you're prettier than monsters, too."
"Really?" He lowered his eyebrows, making his slightly narrow and upturned eyes even more unfathomable.
Cang Ming put down the teacup and sighed with relief, "It's great that you're a demon! You don't even know this. I was worried that you'd be gone in a few decades. I would visit your grave..."
Wei Ci was stunned and looked at her blankly: "Why are you worried?"
Cang Ming said: "Such a graceful and elegant figure, a heavenly figure, would be heartbreaking if it were to disappear in the blink of an eye."
Wei Ci still stared at her intently. Cang Ming stood up and strolled over to the antique cabinet, then casually changed the subject: "Did you steal all this by trickery?"
After Wei Ci walked to the counter, he took a black thing from the shelf and turned to hand it to Cang Ming.
Cang Ming took it and looked at it. It was a smoky pottery figure with a thick head and body on one side and feet bigger than the head.
Cang Ming played with it for a while and couldn't help asking, "Is this a boy or a girl?"
He was behind the counter, looking down at her. "This is an old lady who tells fortunes for people. She's known as Fortune Teller Li. She was born with the ability to see yin and yang, and later taught herself the Book of Changes."
Cang Ming nodded: "Fortune telling is good, it helps you to seek benefits and avoid harm, and you can also earn some pocket money."
He went on to say, "Old Lady Li had a life of virtuous deeds, but then fell into poverty, suffering a cycle of severe illness, misfortune, and separations. Later, she harbored resentment and became vicious and perverse, saying that good people never get good rewards."
Cang Ming raised his head and smiled slightly: "But if I don't do good things, maybe I will suffer more misfortune?"
Wei Ci also smiled softly: "You are right."
He took the humanoid doll away and placed a palm-sized pipa in her hand. "This is the Qianjing Pipa. Legend has it that it can produce the sounds of a thousand different instruments simultaneously. It was invented by a musician in a teahouse. It became famous in the capital and very popular."
Cang Ming gently plucked the strings of the pipa, and only a faint tinkling sound was heard.
He said: "After turning 40, the musician suddenly developed a strange disease that made his hands numb. Later he became destitute and lived on the streets, with no one caring about him."
Cang Ming said calmly: "Don't force what is not destined for you."
Undeterred, he said approvingly, "That's right. If it's not meant to be, don't force it."
Cang Ming returned the pipa to him and gave a forced smile: "Haha."
Wei Ci took out several more objects one by one and showed them to Cang Ming. Every time she hadn't seen enough, Wei Ci changed another one and put it in her hand. There was a mirror that could reflect ghosts, a shawl with dancing snakes and butterflies, and a pair of wooden boxes that could collect the fragrance of autumn osmanthus.
Cang Ming put down the disguise rouge in his hand, looked out the window and said, "It's getting late, I should go back to Xiyuan Sanfang."
Wei Ci then stood up and handed two things to Cang Ming: "Here are some things. I'd like you to take them back to those two good-for-nothings."
One is the Qianjing Pipa, the other is a few packets of plasters.
Cang Ming looked up at him in surprise: "Give it to those two fans... Give it to Xisheng and Wulu?"
"Well. Zou Chaoxian doesn't have a magic weapon, so give her a pipa." Wei Ci said lazily, "Yinlüxian has already refined a walking stick as a magic weapon, so give him some plasters."
Although it’s not a good idea to answer it, I really want to answer it.
Cang Ming wanted to say something but stopped himself, staring at the pile of things with his eyes.
Wei Ci seemed to see through her thoughts and said with a smile, "This thing will just gather dust in my shop. Why not turn it into something useful?"
Cang Ming took it shyly: "Thank you, I'll bring you two chickens next time."
"Don't forget, you still owe me a meal." Wei Ci crossed his arms and looked at her with his head tilted.
"Of course I will." Cang Ming felt a little embarrassed and said hurriedly, "Goodbye, see you later!"
"General." Wei Ci suddenly called out solemnly.
What a handsome voice. Cang Ming thought and agreed.
Wei Ci swung his hem back, knelt on one knee, and presented the Ice Blade Sword with both hands: "This sword should belong to you."
The scabbard was as white as snow, and the hilt was like an evening star. Cang Ming shook his head repeatedly: "I can't accept this, otherwise you can lend me a peach wood sword!" He then took his arm and said: "Little old friend, there is no need for such a big gift."
Wei Ci remained motionless, pushing the sword forward with both hands: "This sword originally belonged to you, and only in your hands can it become a divine sword."
Cang Ming took it involuntarily as if his soul had been taken away, and said, "Then I will return it to you when you need it."
Wei Ci stood up and smiled, his expression normal: "Is it easy to take? I'll take you back."
Cang Ming's hands were filled with a pile of things he had given him, which clattered and clanked like the shelves held by a hawker.
Too embarrassed to bother, she hurriedly said, "Sure, I can take it. Goodbye." She turned and ran, only stopping abruptly when she turned into an alley. Her heart was still beating wildly.
There are always a few wanderers drinking by themselves in the three squares of Xiyuan Garden. It doesn’t matter whether they are human or ghost.
When Cang Ming's figure, returning with a full load, appeared outside the door in the dimming night, Wu Lu gave the order: "Dinner is ready!"
Xunyan and Mixia came over carrying a screen and placed it in a corner of the hall, creating a quiet and elegant seat.
Wu Lu introduced: "This is a soundproof screen, it's enchanted."
Xisheng began to distribute bowls and chopsticks, and Cang Ming helped serve the dishes. For a moment, there was steam behind the screen, as if it were an ordinary home.
After the five of them sat down around the round table, Xunyan and Mixia happily helped everyone share the soup. The other three looked at each other, suddenly becoming quiet, not knowing what to say.
Cang Ming coughed dryly, then gracefully took the bowl of soup from Mi Xia's hand. He softly thanked her, "Thank you for your trouble." Then he turned to gaze at the moon outside the window. "The sky is cloudless and clear. Tomorrow will probably be a sunny day. What do you think?"
Wu Lu said, "You seem to be in a good mood. Did you make some money catching ghosts?"
Xisheng asked, "Are you going to sell the junk you brought back?"
Cang Ming was furious: "I wasn't trying to catch a ghost! That wasn't junk!"
Wu Lu said cleverly, "That must be some old stuff that Brother Huo collected and gave it to you to play with."
Cang Ming laughed and thought that this was correct, so he handed the two things to them and said that it was a kind gesture from Wei Ci.
"Oh my god!" Wu Lu exclaimed, "Thank you, Brother Huo, for the gift!"
Xisheng looked at him as if he were an idiot and said, "Let me correct you again, that person's surname is not Huo." Then he held the toy-like pipa in his hand and gently plucked it a few times.
Pipa seemed to have met a wise master, and a golden halo emanated from its body. It suddenly turned into its normal size, which scared Xisheng.
Cang Ming suggested enthusiastically: "Try playing a song!"
Xisheng skillfully raised her hand and began to play a mournful melody. Suddenly, the chorus of hundreds of instruments rose from the pipa strings, as if coming from an orchestra composed of the world's most outstanding musicians.
Wu Lu cheered loudly: "Great! After all, he is an immortal, it's not for nothing."
Even the brother and sister, who usually don't talk much, cheered and their smiles became even brighter.
Xisheng slowly withdrew his hand and raised his excited face: "With this, I can sing better!"
Cang Ming said: "Go, go..."
Xisheng put away the pipa, looked at her and said, "Although it was given by that old peddler, it's actually a gift from Cang Ming. With it, I can help you better."
Cang Ming said: "I should thank you for saving me. I didn't expect you to be so powerful. I thought, haha." He finished speaking and the atmosphere immediately fell silent.
Although Mixia didn't know the love-hate relationship between the three, she was keenly aware that the atmosphere was not good, so she said, "I'll go heat up a pot of wine. Miss Xi and Miss Cang have come from afar, won't the shopkeeper reminisce with them?"
Cang Ming interjected, "Not bad, not bad. We want to reminisce about the past."
Xisheng smiled bitterly and said, "I don't know where to begin."
Cang Ming waved his hand and said, "How about starting with the shopkeeper? Let's each drink a glass of wine, and then ask the person to the right a question about their experiences and circumstances over the past few years. If the person being asked has any difficulty, they can choose not to answer. How do you do that?"
The votes were called without a single vote, and it passed unanimously. Mixia then poured wine for the three immortals and fig and pear soup for herself and Xunyan.
Wu Lu raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp. Cang Ming slammed the table and shouted, "Good!"
Everyone looked at Wu Lu, waiting to hear what questions he would ask.
Wu Lu turned to Xun Yan on his right and asked affectionately, "How has my brother treated you over the years?"
Xunyan said strangely, "Of course the shopkeeper has nothing to say about us. We will never forget his kindness in taking us in."
Wu Lu said with satisfaction: "Tell me more about it."
Xun Yan described it vividly and emotionally: "The shopkeeper is a genius, proficient in business, diligent and hardworking, and has made a fortune..."
Xisheng said, "Okay, next one."
Xunyan drank a glass of wine and turned to Mixia on his right. Cang Ming smiled and said, "Is there anything else you want to ask between brother and sister?"
Xunyan said to Mixia, "Little sister, I don't have any skills. Do you blame me?"
Xisheng opened his eyes and looked at him doubtfully, while Wu Lu had an expectant expression on his face.
Mi Xia was stunned for a moment and shook her head: "Of course not. My family has fallen on hard times, and being able to survive is already a blessing."
Although he didn't know what they were talking about, Cang Ming replied, "Is it necessarily good to survive? Not necessarily."
Wu Lu snorted, "Here we go again. What is good and what is bad? Life is just like that."
Cang Ming retorted, "What you think is good is good. What you think is bad is bad."
Xisheng said calmly: "Yes, it's a pity that I don't know whether I am okay every day."
Mixia raised her cup and took a sip, then said with a smile, "Hey, are you guys playing dumb? It's my turn to ask Miss Xi."
Xisheng nodded, and Mixia asked, "Miss, do you like to eat strong flavors? In fact, I wanted to remind you from the beginning of the meal that the dish is pickled vegetables, not an appetizer..."
Xisheng stopped chewing, looked at the empty plate of pickles, and fell into deep thought.
Mixia asked again: "Young lady, why do you often enter into a state of meditation? What is your method of cultivation?"
Xisheng pondered for a while before suddenly coming to his senses: "What?"
"I'm asking you why you have no sense of taste and always feel lost." Wu Lu kindly reminded.
"Oh, that's an old problem." Xisheng waved his hand. "My father has been ill for more than ten years. My mother takes care of him herself, so I am always worried about him."
Cang Ming said hesitantly: "What if I go back to my hometown?"
Xisheng said: "My home is just a small deserted village."
Wu Lu asked sympathetically, "Could it be that for the past decade or so, you've been wavering between wandering and returning home, feeling depressed, unable to enjoy your food, and feeling lost?"
Xisheng nodded and said, "In the end, the Kaleidoscope took advantage of the opportunity and got entangled by that thing."
Cang Ming and Wu Lu both exclaimed.
Cang Ming asked, "Did they chase him away?"
Xisheng said, "He ran away, but he had a bit of a backlash."
The Kaleidoscope is a silent, invisible, and troublesome demon. Once it inhabits someone's heart, it will suddenly swell and wreak havoc, filling the body and limbs with dampness, sleepiness, dullness, irritability, and anger. It's like being trapped in a vast net, unable to escape and outsiders unable to enter.
Cang Ming thought sadly that Xisheng was wandering around to make a living, so if they had captured her for the bounty, it seemed understandable.
At this time, Xisheng turned to Cangming on his right: "If I say that I didn't want to arrest you at the beginning, would you believe it?"
Cang Ming was shocked: "You can read minds?"
Xisheng drank a glass of wine and said, "That was the question I asked."
"Then I will too..." Wu Lu hesitated and finally said nothing.
Cang Ming lowered his head and said, "I..."
Xisheng interrupted her: "It's been a long time, and there's no evidence. There's no need to answer. Please continue asking."
Cang Ming said, "Okay." He raised the wine glass and took a sip. The wine was soft in the mouth and had the aroma of osmanthus.
"I want to buy some osmanthus flowers and put them in the wine, but it doesn't feel like the days when I was young." Cang Ming recited slowly.
"Oh, ask me, ask me." Wu Lu stretched out his hand in front of her and waved it a few times.
Cang Ming turned his head to look at him, his eyes sharp, scanning up and down, and smiled grimly: "Humph. Zhong Wulu, let me ask you--"
"What?" Wu Lu shrank back nervously.
"Your inn—" A fierce light flashed in Cang Ming's pupils, "Why hasn't it closed down yet?"
"Tsk!" Wu Lu breathed a sigh of relief and drank two glasses of wine in a row. "People, ghosts, monsters and demons from all over the country all stop by my place to have a drink. When they're short of money, they tell me some inside information to pay the bill, and I'll sell it on."
Cang Ming chuckled, "I just said it."
Wu Lu said proudly: "If you want to ask anything else, just ask."
Sonam asked, "What is Nakano Hiou?"
Wu Lu said: "What are you doing? Are you jealous of others?"
"Forget it."
"Oh."
"By the way, what's the story behind that antique shop at the edge of the forest?" Cang Ming leaned back, sipping his wine, and asked, "Can you answer that?"
Wu Lu laughed and said, "What doesn't this intelligence station know?" Then he threw away his folding fan and started to describe the antique shop in vivid detail.
The nameless antique shop houses a collection of treasures from around the world, encompassing a myriad of wonders. Each piece within its collection possesses unique properties and is unparalleled in the world. Possessing a room filled with rare treasures is like overlooking the pilgrims who descend upon it; any single one of these mighty generals is enough to stir up half the underworld.
Some demons, needing to enhance their magical powers, come to this shop to rent magical tools at exorbitant prices. Others, carrying heirlooms, come to pawn them. When war breaks out in the underworld, all factions form alliances and scheme against each other, each hoping to win over the antique shop owner. Over time, this antique shop becomes the central dispatch center for the demonic world.
Cang Ming raised his hand and asked, "Well said, but why is it the Wuming Antique Shop?"
"He should be called Wuming." Xisheng seemed to have suddenly woken up from a deep sleep. "What did they talk about later? Renting magic weapons?"
Cang Ming gritted his teeth and asked, "Isn't it called... Cang Ming Antique Shop?"
“?” The whole audience was stunned.
In the evening, after the last few visitors had left, the gates of Xiyuan Sanfang were locked. Cang Ming had already finished her evening exercises in the courtyard. Wu Lu accused her of lifting her feet up a tree to stretch them, disregarding the tree's feelings. Cang Ming flew into a rage, arguing that she was controlling her legs with her own strength and had only been pretending to lean against the trunk. The two began arguing again.
Xunyan and Mixia were wiping the table and washing the dishes, chattering among themselves, trying to find matching bowls without any gaps.
Xisheng squatted silently in front of the rat hole in the yard, holding her erhu. When she heard the squeaking sound, she swung her erhu and smashed it, chasing a few big black rats all over the ground.
Today is also a day of chaos in Xiyuan Sanfang.
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