Chapter 89 The Thief with Brocade Face
Being a runaway slave is something you can't tell anyone, of course.
Except Hongche.
Shanlai bowed respectfully, explained his purpose, and said a brief farewell.
"All loving unions arise from causes and conditions. Unions inevitably end in separation; impermanence makes it difficult to endure..."
It does have some merit; it means that all those years of listening to Buddhist scriptures weren't for nothing.
Five years.
Time flies like water, passing in the blink of an eye.
It's hard not to feel a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, mixed feelings).
However, Hirotsugu simply smiled.
When Shan came begging to become his disciple, he smiled just like that.
This person's temperament is very clear to him; he is a truly detached person.
Therefore, there is really no need to express your sorrow in front of him.
Shanlai didn't stand on ceremony with him and directly asked to borrow someone.
One is enough; they must be skilled in martial arts and preferably also knowledgeable in worldly affairs.
With over a thousand monks at Huguo Temple, finding such a person would certainly not be difficult.
Minghai, 27 years old, is called Uncle-Master by Guan Shanlai. They have exchanged a few words before and are considered old acquaintances.
Very appropriate.
There's not much more to say then.
Start from the back of the mountain, go around the west mountain, and then head south.
Shanlai has already made a decision about his future.
First, I'll go back to Pingcheng to pay respects at the graves, and then I'll go find someone.
She didn't know where Chu Qingdai had gone, but she was determined to find her, no matter where she was.
She still owes her a debt of gratitude.
Find her and apologize to her.
She may not forgive her.
But it doesn't matter, she's still young, and she has plenty of time to do all sorts of things.
Hongche certainly didn't intend to give it to her.
They have already transcended to the point of being ruthless.
Shanlai harbored some resentment because she was not yet cultivated enough and was still troubled by worldly emotions.
After all, he had called her "Master" for so many years, and he had always been responsive to her requests, even though he did the same for others. He never said a word of refusal, but he had indeed helped her, and she couldn't help but feel grateful.
Hongche is eighty-two years old this year and is still in good spirits, but...
Eighty-two years old...
I wasn't planning to say anything more, but I did anyway.
"I will definitely come back within five years and see you again."
Xishan is a great place to enjoy the scenery in summer. The mountains are layered with greenery, deep and beautiful, and cool and pleasant. The only downside is that the cicadas are too loud and keep chirping noisily, disturbing the peace and quiet.
But it did not disturb Shanlai's peace.
Shanlai was lost in thought, completely absorbed in his thoughts.
She recalled an autumn morning six years ago, a cold and somber day, when she stepped off the carriage and stood on the land of Hindustan for the first time. At that time, she never imagined it would end like this.
Shanlai left Hinduism without experiencing any setbacks.
She wasn't worried.
She believed in Liu Shen's abilities.
When no one is around, Minghai addresses Shanlai as his senior uncle; if they are questioned, the two become master and servant.
Minghai was driving the carriage, and Shanlai didn't sit inside. Instead, he sat next to Minghai. Although they sat together, they didn't talk unless there was something to say. Only Shanlai would occasionally talk to himself while looking at the picture.
"Danzhou, Heshan, Kaizhou, and then, Biqing..."
Minghai suddenly said, "I am from Heshan. I live at Ping'an Ferry. When I was a child, I often caught shrimp and picked water chestnuts in the river."
Shanlai also recalled his childhood, "Back then, I used to pick water chestnuts, catch fish and shrimp in the river in front of my house, and even cut water caltrops..."
Minghai didn't respond, remaining silent for a while before speaking again: "There are always many boats on the river, even more at night than during the day, so many that they can't all fit. The river is full of lanterns, illuminating the water with a kaleidoscope of colors. There are many people on the boats, and everywhere there are people playing the pipa and singing songs, 'yi yi ya ya'... I fell asleep to the sound of women's songs every day, until that year when the great flood swallowed my house... Many people died, and my mother was also lost in the flood..."
Shanlai understood and asked him, "Do you want to go back and take a look?"
Minghai did not respond.
But Shanlai still stopped the carriage at Ping'an Ferry.
For several days in a row, Minghai was nowhere to be seen, and Shanlai did not look for him either. She chartered a boat and spent her days sitting on the bow of the boat admiring the scenery. She often received lotus flowers and lotus pods, as well as fruits and sachets from the girls in her arms.
The girls always laughed boldly and brightly, and Shanlai couldn't help but laugh along every time he saw them.
It rained that day, and the roads were wet and slippery, so Minghai didn't go out. Shanlai then invited him to go to an inn by the water. The two ordered food and sat in the shed watching the rain.
Shanlai was gazing absently at a wet rose when she suddenly heard someone call her name. Startled, she looked around but couldn't find that familiar face, and felt a little down.
I've lost count of how many times this has happened.
She let out a soft breath and started talking to Minghai beside her, asking him about the results of his trip these past few days.
Minghai didn't answer her, but turned to ask the waiter for wine.
He drank three glasses of wine in a row.
Seeing this, Shanlai stopped talking and turned his head to look at the flowers in the rain.
After an unknown amount of time, Minghai suddenly spoke, saying the most he had ever said since Shanzi met him.
"I was away for twenty years. When I came back, everything had changed, and I couldn't find anything. Only the shop under the stone bridge was still there. I went over to ask, but it wasn't anyone I knew. I followed the directions he gave me and finally found him. I remember he was only seven years older than me, just thirty-four this year, but his face was sallow and loose, like tree bark, and his eyes were almost blind. He didn't recognize me. I told him who I was, and after listening, he thought for a long time, shook his head, and said he didn't remember... I didn't give up and told him about several things from the past. Finally, he remembered me... Then he took my hand and cried. His son said his eyesight was bad and told him not to cry. He asked me how I had been all these years, but I couldn't say it. So he talked about himself and about the people we both knew... I only listened for a short while before I hurriedly stood up and said goodbye to him..."
"When you don't know, you want to know, but once you know... it's better not to know..."
Shanlai listened in silence, then sighed and said, "Life is fleeting, like grass in autumn. Some people disappear without a trace. If we are lucky enough to meet again, who knows what they will be like?"
As dusk settled, both remained immersed in sorrow. The rain stopped, a light mist rose over the lake, and fishing lights appeared in the distance. A painted boat appeared out of nowhere, its bright lights illuminating a large area of the lake. Several small boats were scattered around, also shimmering with light.
Shanlai suggested that the two of them hire a boat to go deeper into the area to listen to the commotion, but Minghai refused, saying that monks should not be close to noise and sensual pleasures. Shanlai simply said, "Didn't you listen to it every night when you were a child?"
Minghai then fell silent.
The boat that Shanlai hired was old and had a rustic feel compared to other boats. The boat owners were a father and daughter; the father was rowing the boat, and the daughter was holding a pipa.
The night was cold, but the girl was dressed lightly and kept shivering. Shanlai thought she might be very cold, but when she saw Shanlai, she quickly put on a smile. Her high cheekbones were covered with thick powder, and under the pale yellow light, she looked not beautiful, but rather frightening.
The girl asked what song she wanted to hear, her gestures and movements quite bold. Shanlai realized her identity, but instead of contempt, he felt a deep sense of sorrow. If it weren't for the Liu family back then, where would he be now? What would he be doing? He suddenly thought of Liansi, wondering what he was doing at this moment.
Seeing that Shanlai didn't speak, the girl chose a song she was good at and sang it. Shanlai couldn't hear it; he could only hear the sound of waves and oars.
I don't know how much time passed, but the bright moon illuminated the mist, giving it a pale milky color. The singing on the distant painted boats ceased, and the world became quiet.
Suddenly, a series of pig-like screams erupted. What started as one scream quickly spread to many others. Shanlai hurriedly went out of the cabin to check and found that all the boats had caught fire. A huge fireball was burning on the water, and there was a faint smell of burning in the air. It turned out that the pleasure boat had caught fire, and the surrounding boats had also been affected...
Chaos broke out on the water.
Seeing that something was wrong, the father and daughter helped each other jump into the water and swam away, ignoring Shan Lai's calls.
Minghai was sleeping so soundly that he couldn't be woken up no matter how much he was shaken. Helpless, Shanlai scooped up a handful of river water and splashed it over his head.
Minghai was jolted awake and suddenly snapped out of his daze, but he was still out of it.
Shanlai said urgently, "Something must have happened outside. The situation is urgent. The master has abandoned ship and fled. We must leave quickly too!"
Only then did Minghai hear the cries for help outside, and his face immediately turned deathly pale.
Shan Lai, in his haste, pushed him again: "Aren't you leaving yet!"
Minghai finally regained consciousness and immediately jumped into the water.
Shanlai, however, remained motionless.
She can't swim, she never has.
When Minghai turned around and couldn't see her, he was so frightened that he almost lost his life. He quickly swam back and called for his martial uncle.
"Uncle-Master, why aren't we leaving?"
"I can't swim..."
Minghai said angrily, "You should have told me sooner! I would have kept you in check!"
"It's too far from the shore here! You should go quickly, don't let me drag you down with you! If I'm alright, we'll meet at the inn tomorrow. If I don't survive, take my things and go back... Go now!"
Minghai didn't want to leave.
"If something happens, how am I supposed to explain it? We might as well die together!"
Shanlai wanted to persuade her again, but the sound of clashing weapons approached. She dared not make a sound and hurriedly pulled Minghai onto the boat. The two retreated into the cabin, and Minghai instinctively used his body to shield Shanlai.
The outside was dangerous, so Shanlai dared not argue anymore, and the two of them huddled in the cabin, not daring to move.
The smell was fishy and salty, and Shan thought it might be the smell of blood, so she hugged her hands and feet even tighter and dared not move.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but she actually fell asleep in a state of extreme tension.
She slept restlessly, her dreams filled with the light of fire, the cries of women and children, and the gnarled branches of withered trees like bones under a pitch-black sky… Suddenly, she was back in a neat courtyard, beneath a tree of red blossoms, a child's voice, filled with laughter, calling out again and again, "Mother, Mother…"
The night finally passed, and the dawn illuminated the water's surface. A cold wind swirled a misty haze, and everywhere lay abandoned boats, charred pieces of wood, and corpses, all white and pale from being submerged, making their hair appear even blacker...
This was the scene that greeted Shan Lai when she was dragged out of the cabin. She couldn't help but vomit, leaning over the side of the ship, until all she could hear was a buzzing sound in her ears.
Suddenly, a pair of boots stopped in front of his face, black leather with pink soles, above which was a crimson robe, a sword, a leather belt, and armor, and then a handsome face, young, yet imposing, probably because his eyebrows were pressed too low...
The newcomer looked Shanlai up and down, then ordered his men to lift him up. Shanlai had been chilled all night, and his head was heavy. He couldn't hold on, and after swaying a couple of times, he suddenly slumped to one side, looking half-dead.
Minghai, who was also under the control of the two men, shouted upon seeing this, "Sir, we are a law-abiding family!"
The newcomer ignored him, reached out and grabbed Shan Lai by the neck, immobilizing him before scrutinizing him closely again, and asked, "Who are you? Where did you come from?"
Shanlai couldn't utter a sound, but Minghai said anxiously from the side, "This is my young master. We came from the capital and are returning home."
The newcomer glared at him and said, "Did I ask you?"
Before he could finish speaking, a pair of hands covered Minghai's mouth, covering it quite tightly.
There was still a thin trail of saliva from vomiting around Shan Lai's mouth, glistening faintly in the morning light.
She still couldn't speak.
The newcomer's eyes widened, and he shouted, "Take him away!"
When Shan Lai came ashore, she was more sober and turned to the person who was carrying her, asking, "May I ask, what are we doing here?"
No one answered her.
They stood still for a while, and then the man from before came over with someone else, pointed at Shan Lai's face and asked, "Is that so?"
"It looks like it, but it doesn't; I'm not entirely sure..."
The man cursed loudly and kicked the man twice with all his might, knocking him to the ground where he lay groaning.
Shan frowned and asked again, "What are you doing?" His voice was dry and hoarse.
The man before him remained expressionless and said coldly, "You cloaked thief, I advise you to confess as soon as possible to avoid suffering!"
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