Distress (I)
He Shu couldn't help but squint his eyes, watching the figure getting closer and closer, and his face gradually became clearer.
Looks so familiar, this pale face, this thin figure, isn't it...
"Sir, are you uncomfortable squatting here?"
Before He Shu could react, the man had already walked up to him, looked up at him who was squatting between the railings and asked in a friendly voice.
"No...no...I'm fine..."
He Shu still maintained his original posture, but subconsciously grabbed the railing with both hands. His eyes were wide open, and he looked a little silly in a daze.
"The stone carvings at Qingxiao Temple are indeed exquisite."
The man looked in the direction where He Shu's hand was clenched, then he smiled suddenly and leaned forward apologetically.
"Sorry to bother you, sir."
"Um...it's okay, I just disturbed you for a little while. I just finished watching and wanted to leave."
He Shu cleared his throat awkwardly, then stood up pretending to be nonchalant. He patted the dusty hem of his clothes that had just been dragged on the ground, curled his lips quietly, and turned his face away embarrassedly.
He recognized the person in front of him as the frail scholar whom he had just met in the small house halfway up the mountain, who was suspected to be an author.
His eyes wandered, and he couldn't help but complain in his heart:
The young master of the Li family is really a rich and idle man. I saw him painting in his study at noon, but not long after, he ran to the Taoist temple on the mountain.
"Is this your first time at Qingxiao Temple?"
Young Master Li was quite familiar with the place. He walked up the steps to He Shu and introduced himself:
"My name is Li Qingshan. I just reached the age of twenty in early summer and do not yet have a courtesy name. I am from Chaisang City in Shuzhou and currently reside in Luzhu Mountain. May I know what your address is, sir?"
"crane……"
He Shu subconsciously wanted to spit out those two words, but his tongue suddenly stopped.
He was the incarnation of a white crane, so he was called He. He was Lady Xi's third personal attendant, so he was called Shu. He had no real name, either in the human world or in the immortal world.
If other cranes became this servant, they would also be called He Shu. These two words are not exclusive to him, so naturally they cannot be considered his name.
A sense of melancholy suddenly welled up in his heart, but he quickly suppressed it.
What should he be called?
He Shu lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously twisting the corners of his clothes. A gentle breeze blew by, bringing the fragrance of the cypress seeds in the temple and ruffling the loose hair on his forehead.
He remembered Heqi had mentioned to him that Madam Xi had named her "Zhu Wuyou," which meant "free from worries" in the human world and should be a good name. But for a moment, he was at a loss as to how to name himself.
"He..."
He Shu didn't respond for a long time, but Li Qingshan suddenly spoke, probably wanting to interrupt the silence.
"Brother He, can I call you that from now on? If you don't mind, you can..."
"Wuming, my name is He Wuming."
He Shu suddenly raised his head and looked at Li Qingshan, with a hint of uncertainty in his eyes.
Since I don’t have a name, I’ll just call myself Wuming for now. Next time I see Madam Xi, I’ll ask her to help me choose one.
"Ah... He Wuming..."
When Li Qingshan heard the name, he was slightly startled, then he lowered his eyelids to hide the trace of inquiry in his eyes.
Nameless... Nameless...
His gaze lingered on He Shu's face for a moment, and he thought to himself:
The name didn't sound like it carried any family heritage, nor did it carry any hopes of fame and fortune. But upon closer inspection, it did have a certain depth to it, and didn't seem like something an ordinary family would choose.
"What's wrong with that name?"
He Shu was not very familiar with the names of ordinary people. Seeing Li Qingshan's reaction, he pinched his sleeves uncomfortably, applying a little force with his knuckles.
"Nothing, I just think Brother He's name is very special."
Li Qingshan smiled and said in a gentle tone,
"The word 'nameless' evokes the Taoist concept of 'the great way is nameless'. I believe the person who gave Brother He this name must be a great person, and he must have extraordinary expectations for him."
He Shu nodded, not quite understanding what he heard, and could only respond vaguely. However, Li Qingshan's favorable comment on the name he had just casually picked out flashed through his mind, and he secretly rejoiced.
He Wuming... Even a cultured scholar like that said it was very special, so this name must be good.
He raised the corners of his lips, somewhat smugly.
I'll just use this name from now on to avoid bothering Madam Xi. She's very busy and I'm not as close to her as I am to Heqi.
"By the way, Brother He is not from Chaisang City, right? The surname He is not common here."
"Um... yes, my home is far, far away."
He Shu came back to his senses and spoke softly, his eyes involuntarily looking into the distance, as if penetrating layers of clouds and mist, looking at a place that was beyond the reach of mortals.
"Is it very far? ... Brother He, it must have been hard for you to come all the way here."
Li Qingshan did not ask any further questions. The two of them talked as they walked, and soon they stepped into the Sanqing Temple together.
The hall was quiet and peaceful, and the two of them also became quiet.
He Shu held his breath and crossed the high threshold, as if he had stepped into another world.
The murmured prayers of mortals merged into a vague hum, carrying with it the rich, worldly aroma of cypress, which was completely different from the cool and ethereal air he was familiar with.
He subconsciously tensed his body, and when he looked up again, he saw three huge statues standing there, their golden lacquer emitting an almost blinding light under the illumination of countless candles.
They lowered their eyebrows, and their gazes seemed to penetrate the swirling smoke and fall precisely on themselves with a look of scrutiny.
He Shu felt a little nervous and even a little uncomfortable.
Li Qingshan beside him walked to the side to get the incense with ease. He followed with small steps. The three incense sticks were slightly hot at his fingertips, and the flames from the candle wicks gently licked the incense tips.
Green smoke curled up, and he followed suit, holding the incense in both hands to the height of his eyebrows, letting the curling smoke weave a hazy curtain in front of his eyes.
"Whose idols are these?"
He Shu followed Li Qingshan around the futon clockwise. Looking at the tall statue in front of him, he couldn't resist his curiosity and asked in a low voice.
"Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, Daode Tianzun."
Li Qingshan turned his head and replied close to He Shu's ear.
A warm breath swept over him, carrying with it a bitter medicinal aroma, which reminded him of the scent of the young lady from the Li family whom he had met by chance in the bookstore yesterday.
It seems that the young masters and young ladies of the Li family are not in good health.
He Shu subconsciously shrank his neck, and the tips of his ears felt a little itchy, but he didn't care much. His mind was all focused on the statue, which was completely different from his real appearance.
"It's nothing like it."
He muttered softly, and Li Qingshan was close enough to hear it clearly.
"Not like?"
"Yeah, they didn't..."
He Shu said as he knelt down.
Before his forehead touched the cold blue bricks, he suddenly caught a glimpse of the pilgrim's blaming eyes beside him, so he quickly stopped talking and swallowed the second half of the sentence "You have such a long beard".
He imitated Li Qingshan, clumsily closing his eyes, resting his forehead on the ground, and praying quietly, but muttering in his heart:
Are mortals worshipping the statues before them or the gods in their hearts?
Only when the three incense sticks in his hand were finally firmly inserted into the incense burner did He Shu breathe a sigh of relief and relax.
Finally done, it seems that mortals have a lot of rules.
He complained in his heart, but still walked lightly when he left the temple.
"Brother He, what are your plans next?"
"……No."
He Shu hesitated for a moment and did not tell this mortal whom he had just met what he was going to do.
He did not discover anything during his walk just now. At least he could be sure that the mountain god was no longer in this Taoist temple, and there was no trace of him left. He could not even sense any trace of him having lived here.
However, the spiritual energy in Luzhu Mountain is still abundant, probably because the mountain god has not left too far.
"If Brother He is free, I can show you around."
"Are you familiar with this place?"
Li Qingshan nodded.
"I was weak when I was young, and was fortunate enough to be admitted to Qingxiao Monastery and practice for a few years, so I am very familiar with this place."
"Familiar... Then do you know where Taoist Xuantongzi lives?"
When He Shu heard the news, he changed his mind and decided to find an opportunity to obtain the mountain god's personal belongings and use magic to find his whereabouts. Perhaps he could complete the task in less than half a day.
Li Qingshan was surprised by this question and turned to look at He Shu in surprise.
"Master's residence?"
"Master? Your master is Xuan Tongzi!"
Hearing this, He Shu's eyes lit up instantly.
Xuan Tongzi's disciple!
This was a godsend, and all the spells for finding and tracking objects were thrown out the window. Only one thought remained in his mind:
Catch the man in front of you, ask him about the whereabouts of his master, and successfully complete the mission.
When he thought of this, all caution and disguise disappeared. Without much thought, he blurted out:
"Then you must know where he went."
The urgency in He Shu's voice was fully exposed, and he obviously did not notice Li Qingshan's abnormality.
He was overjoyed when he heard the news. He excitedly grabbed the sleeve of the person next to him and stared into the other person's eyes, with anticipation in his eyes that seemed about to overflow.
"Wandering?"
"Yeah, wandering. I just met a little Taoist priest who told me that your master has gone wandering somewhere..."
"You are his apprentice, so you must know where he went. Tell me quickly, I have something important to discuss with him."
Li Qingshan didn't expect He Shu to have such a big reaction, but the wandering he mentioned really made him a little confused.
The master just went to Dingyun Temple on the next hill to visit an old friend, so how can it be called a wandering trip?
Could it be that he had suddenly decided to go somewhere else? Or perhaps he was too lazy and just gave the young Taoist priests in the temple a casual excuse? After all, the master was always spontaneous.
"Maybe I...know?"
Li Qingshan was a little uncertain for a moment.
He Shu became even more anxious when he heard this ambiguous answer. How could he let the clue he had finally grasped slip away?
Without saying a word, he grabbed Li Qingshan's wrist and dragged him towards a secluded pavilion that he had just passed by not long ago.
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