Stubborn stones gather
Morning light slanted through the mica window, illuminating a corner of the wooden house.
Ling Zhan's gaze fell on Xuan Chenzi's bandaged leg, then slowly moved upwards, settling on his slick, worldly face. Her voice was calm and even, yet carried an undeniable, rock-like weight:
"My leg is healed. I'm going down the mountain to teach."
“Teach…teach?” The piece of jerky in Xuan Chenzi’s mouth choked in his throat. He suddenly widened his cloudy old eyes and poked his nose with his thin fingers. “Me? This humble Taoist? Teach…teach?”
He twitched at the corner of his mouth as if he had heard an absurd tale of the Three Pure Ones descending to earth to sell pancakes. "Heroine...heroine, please...please don't make fun of this old Taoist! I'm just...just a wandering hermit, I'm...uh...I'm just trying to comprehend the Dao of Heaven, and occasionally I help the world...I'm...I'm passable. But teaching...teaching and educating people? That's...that's misleading students, and it will be punished by Heaven!"
Ling Zhan didn't reply.
She simply picked up the half-whipped, fang-like arrow shaft, slightly bent her knuckles, and the tough wooden shaft instantly emitted a teeth-grinding "creak" as if it would break in her palm at any moment.
Xuan Chenzi shrank his neck, and a chill rushed from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
The wooden splinter, seemingly ready to burst at any moment, and Ling Zhan's eyes, calm yet colder than a deep pool, froze all his smooth-talking excuses in his throat. He had no doubt that if he uttered another "no," that arrow would precisely pierce his other good leg.
"Teach! This humble Taoist will teach you!"
The old Taoist priest's expression changed instantly. He pounded his withered chest with a loud thud, then grimaced in pain, his face contorting into a near-tragic display of "loyalty and courage." "Woman...heroine, rest assured! With my meager skills...teaching...teaching a few children to learn to read...that's...a piece of cake! Leave it to me! I will...I will certainly not fail your great kindness in saving my life and your kindness in helping me!"
He spoke passionately, but his eyes darted back and forth between the door and window behind Ling Zhan, clearly calculating his escape route after descending the mountain.
Ling Zhan saw right through his rat-like thoughts.
She put down the dangerous arrow shaft, picked up a thick wooden board, a charred twig, and a homemade charcoal pencil, and walked up to Xuan Chenzi.
"Bang!" The wooden board slammed onto the table, making the meaty-faced man jump. "Write."
“Write…write what?” Xuan Chenzi stared blankly at the smooth wooden board and the dark charcoal pencil.
“Name. Characters you know. Herbs you understand.” Ling Zhan said succinctly, “Write it all down.”
Xuan Chenzi sighed resignedly.
Muttering to himself, "A dragon stranded in shallow waters is mocked by shrimp... A tiger fallen into the plains... Sigh..."
Resigned to his fate, he picked up the charcoal pencil and began to scribble crookedly on the wooden board.
“Xuan…Chen…Zi…”
As he wrote, he muttered to himself, as if trying to embolden himself, “The Way… can… the Way… is… extraordinary… the Way… um… ginseng… notoginseng… angelica… astragalus…” When he wrote about astragalus, he even subconsciously drew a crooked grass leaf shape next to it.
Ling Zhan stood quietly to one side, his gaze sweeping across the wooden board like a scanner. The handwriting, though illegible, was clearly structured, indicating literacy. The names of the herbs were accurate, even including illustrations. Enough. It was a tough nut to crack, but it had substance; it was usable.
She stopped looking at the old man, turned around and walked to the pile of tools in the corner, and began to neatly organize her backpack.
I'm going down the mountain, taking this newly acquired "trouble" with me.
As Xuan Chenzi wrote, his eyes never left Ling Zhan's back, nor the remaining dried meat on the table.
His eyes darted around, and taking advantage of the moment Ling Zhan turned to tidy himself up, his withered claws shot out like lightning, swiftly grabbing the largest piece of jerky and stuffing it into the greasy sleeve pocket of his tattered Taoist robe. He thought his actions were completely undetectable.
"squeak!"
A sharp monkey cry rang out. Jinbao had somehow gotten up and was now squatting on the windowsill, its little paws wrapped around its arms, its fluffy head tilted to the side, its bright black eyes fixed on Xuan Chenzi's sleeve, its little face full of a serious expression that said, "This monkey is watching you."
Xuan Chenzi was caught red-handed!
His old face flushed crimson, as if his beard had been singed by fire. He hurriedly lowered his head, pretending to "write furiously" on the wooden board, muttering indistinctly, "...little...little monkey...just...just like your master...so...so clever..."
The crisp morning light from the mountaintop flowed into the room.
Ling Zhan methodically checked the tools, Xuan Chenzi was "diligently" writing on the table, Jin Bao was "dutifully" squatting on the windowsill, and Xue Ying and Yan Zhao curiously approached, their wet noses twitching as they carefully sniffed the complex smell on the old Taoist priest that was a mixture of herbs, dust, sweat, and... freshly stolen jerky.
A strange kind of "harmony," tinged with the omen of chaos, quietly took root in this pristine paradise atop the clouds.
The mountain wind carried the crisp scent of grass and trees. Ling Zhan stood at the edge of the platform, her gaze sweeping one last time over the stream she had personally tended, the thick, thorny fence, and the faint yet resilient pulse deep within the rock face. Jinbao perched on her shoulder, its bright black eyes brimming with affection. Xueying and Yanzhao seemed to sense something, rubbing uneasily against her ankles, emitting low, mournful whimpers.
"Hold on tight."
Ling Zhan's voice was deep as his gaze swept over the three little ones in turn. "The herb garden, the water vein, the pasture." His fingertips lingered briefly on Jinbao's fluffy head, a barely perceptible warmth passing between them. "Wolf cub, keep an eye on them. Monkey troop, wolf pack, don't cause any trouble."
Concise and to the point, fulfilling the responsibility entrusted to them.
Jinbao gently patted Ling Zhan's earlobe with its little paw, making two "squeak" sounds, as if making a promise.
It leaped off its shoulder, nudged Snow Shadow and Rock Claw with its head, and then looked up at Ling Zhan with unusually serious eyes.
Ling Zhan said no more and turned to walk towards Xuan Chenzi, who was leaning on a rough wooden stick, peering down the misty cliff, and muttering to himself, "Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable... so high... I'm doomed."
"I'm gone." He uttered those two words.
Xuan Chenzi shuddered, his face contorted in pain: "Heroine...heroine, are you...are you really going to get off here? My...my old legs...my old arms and legs..."
Ling Zhan didn't allow him to ramble on.
Secure one end of a sturdy palm rope to the gnarled roots of a tree on the platform, and throw the other end into the abyss.
He lifted Xuan Chenzi's weight with one hand, as if carrying a bundle, and stuffed the end of the rope into Xuan Chenzi's tightly clenched palm, his voice leaving no room for doubt: "Hold on tight. Close your eyes."
"Hey hey hey! Catch...catch!"
Xuan Chenzi was utterly terrified, his hands gripping the ropes tightly, his eyes shut, and the names of all sorts of gods and Buddhas pouring out of his mouth like popping beans.
Ling Zhan held the rope with one hand and steadied Xuan Chenzi with the other, then leaped down!
The wind howled, and the clouds instantly swallowed the two of them.
Xuan Chenzi's pig-like screams tore and echoed between the cliffs.
Relying on the terrain information obtained from the Zero Mark and his own powerful control, Ling Zhan descended rapidly between the steep cliffs like a nimble ape, precisely using protruding rocks and ancient vines for leverage. Xuan Chenzi, throughout, remained like a frightened quail, his eyes tightly shut, screaming and chanting Buddhist mantras.
When his feet finally touched the gravel on the riverbed at the bottom of the valley, Xuan Chenzi's legs went weak, and he collapsed like mud, panting heavily. His face was as white as paper, and a large patch of cold sweat soaked the back of his Taoist robe.
"rise."
Ling Zhansheng remained calm and pulled him up.
Downstream, the speed increases dramatically despite the rapids.
Spring is in full bloom on both sides of the river, with new green willow branches brushing the water and wildflowers dotting the riverbank.
Xuan Chenzi, having recovered his strength, reverted to his talkative nature, and followed along, leaning on his cane, pointing and commenting as he went:
"Oh my! Look, heroine! That cluster of purple flowers! Purple clover! It's a treasure that will fatten the livestock!"
"Eclipta prostrata by the water's edge... a type of eclipta prostrata! It clears heat, cools the blood, and stops bleeding!"
"Tsk tsk... Kaoshan Village... beautiful mountains and clear waters... good medicinal herbs everywhere..."
Ling Zhan glanced at it occasionally, but his pace did not slow down.
The lack of formal instruction meant she already knew all this, and Xuan Chenzi's rambling was more like background noise, confirming and reinforcing her understanding.
It was past noon when the familiar outline of Kaoshan Village came into view. The air was moist, filled with the scent of fresh earth and new life.
The village entrance looked completely different from when Ling Zhan last left.
The newly tilled fields are neatly arranged like a chessboard, and the tender leaves of the rice seedlings stretch out in the spring breeze, lush and vibrant with life.
The field ridges are straight and clean, and all weeds have been removed.
On the distant hillside, newly reclaimed terraced fields rise up like green steps.
Several men carrying hoes patrolled along the field ridges. Upon seeing Ling Zhan, they stopped at a distance, their eyes filled with awe and gratitude. They nodded awkwardly and spoke in hushed tones.
"Yes... Lady Ling is back!"
"Look at that! The irrigation ditch that Li Lizheng and everyone worked on is thriving with the rice seedlings!"
"In previous years at this time, it was never this neat and tidy..."
"Thanks to Li Lizheng and Lady Ling..."
The murmurs were not loud, but the heartfelt satisfaction and recognition of the new village head, Li Qingshan, were clearly audible.
Ling Zhan remained expressionless, his gaze sweeping across the fields before heading straight for his own small courtyard in the west of the village.
Even from a distance from the courtyard gate, one could hear the chaotic commotion inside, a cacophony of chickens and dogs running about, mixed with that familiar, exasperated yet helpless roar of Chen You:
"Ergou! Put down your hoe! That's my newly woven basket! It's not for digging earthworms!"
"Sanya! Don't pour water on the vegetable patch! The seedlings are just sprouting!"
"Oh, my little darlings! Calm down! I'm begging you!"
Pushing open the half-closed wooden gate, the scene inside the courtyard came into view.
The originally messy, reclaimed hillside has been divided into several crooked but loose vegetable plots.
A few rows of tender green vegetable seedlings stood sparsely, clearly indicating uneven sowing. Pebble and weeds were piled up to one side.
Shen Yan was surrounded by a group of children. His silk robe had the sleeves rolled up high, the hem stained with mud, his dazzling blond hair was disheveled, and a few strands of sweat clung to his forehead. He stood with one hand on his hip, futilely trying to stop a seven or eight-year-old boy, Er Gou, from digging at a newly woven, oddly shaped bamboo basket in the corner of the wall with a hoe. His face was a mixture of heartache and frustration.
"Dad! Look! My Miaomiao is drinking water!"
Sanya, with her hair in a high ponytail, held up a broken ceramic bowl and excitedly pointed to the vegetable patch that she had splashed, which was now soaking wet and crooked, her little face full of "seeking praise."
Shen Yan's lips twitched. She looked at the pitiful seedlings, then at Sanya's bright, sparkling eyes, and finally, unable to contain herself, wiped her face, forcing out a smile that looked worse than crying: "...Okay...okay...Sanya's great...next time...water less..."
I caught a glimpse of a figure at the door out of the corner of my eye.
"Ling Zhan?!" Shen Yan's eyes lit up instantly, as if he'd seen a savior, and his voice rose, "You're finally back!" He pushed the child aside, rushed over, pointed at the miserable state behind him and the energetic little rascal, his peach blossom eyes overflowing with accusation, "Look at this! These little devils! If we don't do something about it, they'll tear the house down! I..."
The complaining stopped.
The gaze fell on Xuan Chenzi behind Ling Zhan, who was leaning on a broken wooden stick, wearing a disheveled Taoist robe, peeking into the courtyard with a look of relief as if he had "found his people".
Shen Yan looked him up and down: a tattered Taoist robe, messy white hair, covered in mud and grass, bloodstains not wiped clean, one leg wrapped in a simple strip of cloth... he looked exactly like an old beggar fleeing famine.
"this…"
Shen Yan narrowed his peach blossom eyes, revealing the shrewdness and mischievousness of a street urchin. He drew out his words, exaggerating his surprise, "Oh! Madam Ling, where did you... bring back a... uh... venerable old immortal from which celestial mountain?"
The words "immortal demeanor" were emphasized heavily, with a hint of mockery in the eyes.
Upon hearing this, Xuan Chenzi was not annoyed at all; instead, his eyes lit up as if he had met a kindred spirit!
He straightened his emaciated chest, the movement causing him to wince in pain from his wound.
He tried to adopt an air of superiority, smoothed his messy goatee, cleared his hoarse voice, and imitated the intonation of a theatrical performance:
"Boundless Heavenly Venerable! I am Xuan Chenzi, a wandering Taoist priest, studying the mysteries of the world! Today, I am honored to be rescued by this chivalrous lady!"
He turned to Chen Yan, his sly gaze sweeping over the curious children gathered around him. "Young man, judging from your appearance, you have a full forehead, a square jaw, and extraordinary bone structure—a true dragon among men! But... your forehead is a little dark. Perhaps you've been... uh... overworking lately, exhausted by your young friend's antics? Hehe..."
The final "hehe" conveyed a sense of shared misfortune.
Shen Yan was first taken aback by the Jianghu slang, then heard "overworked" and "exhausted," and then saw Xuan Chenzi's "I understand you" expression.
It felt like I'd met a kindred spirit in an instant!
The frustration of being tormented by the child and the resentment towards Ling Zhan as a "hands-off manager" found an outlet!
"Oh my! Daoist Master! You are a master! Your eyes are truly discerning!"
Shen Yan's playful expression instantly turned into one of excitement, as if he had met a kindred spirit long ago. He grabbed Xuan Chenzi's uninjured hand and shook it violently. Xuan Chenzi gasped in pain but didn't care. "It's because I've been working too hard! Daoist, you don't know, these little devils are even more troublesome than the Black Tiger Gang in town! I've been their father, their mother, and their laborer all at once... Look at my hand!"
He held out his muddy, scratched hands to Xuan Chenzi, his face filled with grief and indignation. "From basket weaving! From being hit by a hoe! This life... is unbearable!"
Xuan Chenzi empathized deeply and nodded repeatedly, his heart aching: "I understand! I understand! Although I am a layman, I know how difficult it is to teach children! It is exhausting, mentally and physically draining! Young man, you... it's not easy! It's truly not easy!"
He patted Shen Yan's hand, a gesture of mutual respect between heroes.
The two instantly became close.
Shen Yan poured out his grievances, and Xuan Chenzi frequently echoed him, occasionally interjecting with anecdotes of his wanderings, such as "Back in the day, this humble Taoist was traveling the world," which amused Shen Yan into laughter. The courtyard, which had been in complete chaos moments before, now had an eerily "harmonious" atmosphere. The children surrounded the two adults who seemed to "appreciate each other," listening curiously to their mutual complaints and grievances.
Ling Zhan stared expressionlessly at the two people in front of him who seemed to have hit it off immediately: one a glib-tongued old swindler, and the other a lazy, good-for-nothing peacock.
She walked straight to the stone mill in the courtyard, picked up a water ladle, filled it with water, and drank it down her throat.
The cool sensation glided down my throat, washing away the dust and grime.
He put down the water ladle, his gaze swept over Shen Yanxuan Chenzi, who was slinging his arms around each other and talking animatedly, then over the children whose attention had been temporarily drawn to him, and finally settled on the crooked but tenacious tender green seedlings in the vegetable patch.
The village under the governance of Li Qingshan, the new village head, is teeming with life.
The old Taoist priest he picked up found himself to be "birds of a feather" with Shen Yan.
The child is still noisy, but seems... even more energetic?
She walked to the edge of the newly cleared vegetable patch, squatted down, and brushed her fingertips over a seedling that had been wilted by Sanya's watering.
With extremely natural movements, he gently gathered up the soil that had been washed away by the water around the roots of the seedling and compacted it.
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