“Yan Lingyu, those are my friends! How could you treat them like this!” Ran Gusheng watched helplessly as Danqing offered no resistance, being grabbed by the collar and hauled out like a chick by the burly guards. This time, however, he showed no trace of his usual timidity upon seeing Yan Lingyu, instead stiffening his neck and protesting loudly.
Yan Lingyu glanced at him, his face expressionless. “You brought outsiders to sneak into the General’s Manor. Do you treat the safety of the manor as a joke, or do you think the General’s Manor is like an open market, where anyone can come and go as they please?”
“You…” Ran Gusheng choked back a torrent of words. He wanted to say that he believed those two meant no harm, that they seemed trustworthy, that he wanted to contribute so Yan Lingyu would no longer suffer from the Nightmare Affliction. He wanted to say so much, but in the end, none of it came out.
As for the two who were thrown out, they once again endured the scrutinizing gazes of the idlers at the tea stall. “Hahaha.” This time, there was no sympathy. What Bi Xiao received was a series of mocking laughs at their overestimation of themselves.
“Brother, you’re too funny. How did you even get into the General’s Manor just now? We didn’t see a thing. Hmm, is your back alright? A man’s back needs to be well protected, you know, hahaha.” One of the idlers approached Bi Xiao, patting his shoulder while laughing and teasing.
Danqing once again witnessed the thickness of Bi Xiao’s skin. “Thank you for your concern, brother. As for the strength of my back, only the beauty by my side would know. I wouldn’t tell just anyone.”
Two sedan chairs stopped in front of the General’s Manor, and the bearers lifted the curtains. A cascade of black hair flowed like a waterfall as Fu Yun bent and stepped out. Neither Danqing nor Bi Xiao noticed the arrival of Fu Yun and Qianzhi. Bi Xiao was still chatting animatedly with the idler, their conversation ranging far and wide, shoulders pressed together as they talked happily. Fu Yun already knew that Bi Xiao had lured Danqing near the General’s Manor, which aligned with his own purpose for coming here.
The bearers carried the sedan chairs away. The steward of the General’s Manor, having received word, came out to greet Fu Yun. Fu Yun did not move; his gaze lingered on Danqing, whose face and clothes were covered in dust. Bi Xiao had only brought Danqing down the mountain for half a day, yet the two looked as though they had rolled around in the streets. It seemed Bi Xiao had not succeeded in entering the General’s Manor and had instead caused Danqing to suffer.
Seeing Fu Yun’s gaze fixed on the two, his expression dark, the steward couldn’t quite grasp Fu Yun’s thoughts and said, “Does the Abbot know those two? Just now, the gatekeepers reported that these two were using the Abbot’s name, empty-handed, claiming they could cure all illnesses. The gatekeepers chased them away several times, but they remained stubborn and lingered here.”
Fu Yun watched for a long moment before saying, “Danqing, bring your senior brother Bi Xiao over.”
The street was bustling with noise, yet Fu Yun’s voice rang clearly in their ears. Danqing turned around, stunned. Fu Yun was dressed in casual attire, with Qianzhi following behind, carrying a medicine chest and smiling gently at Danqing and Bi Xiao. Danqing lowered his head in embarrassment. They must not have arrived long ago and probably hadn’t seen anything. Bi Xiao, with his thick skin—or perhaps simply unconcerned with face—calmly took Danqing’s hand and walked over as if nothing had happened.
Bi Xiao stood around 1.8 meters tall, while Danqing was short and small. Being dragged along by Bi Xiao, Danqing practically stumbled forward, causing Fu Yun’s expression to darken further. Bi Xiao released Danqing’s hand and clasped his hands in salute. “Uncle Fu Yun.”
Fu Yun snorted, ignoring Bi Xiao. He crouched down, took out a silk handkerchief from his sleeve, and carefully wiped the dust from Danqing’s face. After brushing the dirt off her clothes, he picked her up and said to the steward, “Please lead the way.”
Thus… Yan Lingyu once again encountered Danqing and Bi Xiao.
Ran Gusheng was overjoyed. He ran over and grasped Danqing’s hand. “We meet again.” Danqing nodded solemnly and said, “It’s fate.” Bi Xiao couldn’t help but chuckle.
Seeing how familiar Ran Gusheng seemed with Danqing, the old general’s wife thought for a moment but couldn’t recall ever meeting Danqing. She asked, “Whose child are you? You look so delicate and lovely. How did you come to know Gusheng?”
Fu Yun stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting. “Danqing is my personal disciple. As for how they met… I suppose it was when my junior apprentice Bi Xiao brought Danqing along to play and they sneaked into the General’s Manor. It was my failure in discipline. Bi Xiao, Danqing, come over and apologize to the old madam and the old general.”
So Fu Yun had known all along. Danqing felt like crying but had no tears. It wasn’t shame over sneaking into the General’s Manor and bringing disgrace to Zhiwei Guan, but rather the absurdity of being watched in the palm of the Buddha’s hand without even realizing it. Danqing generously admitted her mistake, and Bi Xiao also generously admitted his, though he still held to his own viewpoint.
“I saw black mist shrouding the General’s Manor. The mist wasn’t widespread—it lingered in just one small area, as if someone had cast an unknown curse. I also heard that the young master of your household hadn’t slept for days and was restless all day long. So, an hour ago, I came to visit openly, but I was stopped by the gatekeepers. My curiosity got the better of me, so I took a detour… Of course, after seeing the young master, my suspicions were confirmed.”
“According to what you say, Daoist, my grandson…” The old general’s gaze sharpened as he stared intently at Bi Xiao.
“With me and my master’s uncle here, from tonight onward, the young master will no longer suffer from insomnia. However, there are some matters that will require the old general’s attention. We can treat the symptoms, but not the root cause.” Bi Xiao readily agreed. Hearing that his grandson would no longer suffer, the old general relaxed and pondered Bi Xiao’s words more carefully.
Fu Yun had originally been invited by the old general’s wife to treat Yan Lingyu. The old general dismissed the maids in the room and stepped back to allow Fu Yun and Qianzhi to approach Yan Lingyu for treatment. Qianzhi unfolded a needle case, revealing silver needles of varying sizes lying neatly inside. Fu Yun had Yan Lingyu lie flat on the bed, relax, and close his eyes. He took out a fine needle, heated it with a burning moxa stick to raise its temperature, and inserted it into Baihui, Zusanli, and Neiguan. Then, he took a section of moxa stick about the length of a finger joint, placed it over the needle handle, and lit it from the bottom.
Ran Gusheng seemed mesmerized. Whether the old general and his wife were too concerned about their only grandson or simply thought Ran Gusheng was too naive, the room now held not only the patient Yan Lingyu but also two lively children. To ensure Fu Yun wouldn’t be disturbed while applying the needles, Danqing blocked Ran Gusheng’s view, covering his mouth with one hand to prevent him from accidentally exclaiming when he snapped out of it, while placing the other hand to her lips in a gesture for silence. Ran Gusheng nodded foolishly and covered his own mouth. The two of them tiptoed out of the room.
The garden in Yan Lingyu’s courtyard was somewhat larger than the one in the courtyard they had just dropped into after scaling the wall. The flowers, plants, and trees were meticulously tended by the gardener, with withered old branches sprouting new green shoots. Near the windowsill of Yan Lingyu’s room, mosquito-repelling grass was planted. A stream of flowing water was channeled through the garden, winding past oddly shaped lake stones, where a few koi fish swam.
After crossing the rainbow bridge and entering the rockery, Ran Gusheng finally lowered the hand he had been using to cover his mouth. “Whew, why didn’t you cover your mouth? Weren’t you afraid of making noise?” Ran Gusheng took a deep breath, only then realizing how fresh the air was. Recalling that Danqing hadn’t covered her mouth while sneaking away, he couldn’t help feeling a bit displeased.
“Because I can control my mouth and avoid making unnecessary sounds.”
Ran Gusheng thought for a moment. “Fair enough.”
Both of them were ordinary mortals in Bi Xiao’s words, unable to see or know that shortly after Fu Yun inserted the needles and infused True Qi into Yan Lingyu’s acupoints, the Black Mist lingering above Yan Lingyu’s house churned and writhed before descending into a nearby flowerbed. The plants within gradually lost their vitality as the Black Mist roiled, causing the budding new life of early spring to wither and die prematurely.
The hazy, indistinct Black Mist, with its wispy, ethereal interior resembling egg whites, enveloped something like a gray egg yolk. Like a woman carrying a child for ten months, the thing inside gradually took shape. By the time a black cat emerged after absorbing the Black Mist, all plants and trees within a ten-foot radius had withered without exception.
Danqing witnessed Ran Gusheng’s childhood joys, such as scooping up a few of the captive fish. After playing a few rounds, she heard a cat’s meow. “Ran Gusheng, do you keep cats here too?”
“No, probably just a stray cat looking for food.” Ran Gusheng shook his head. The old general strictly forbade Yan Lingyu and him from indulging in frivolous pastimes. Yan Lingyu was exceptionally gifted, praised by many, and his grandfather, the old general, held high hopes for him. Ran Gusheng, however, was of average talent and lived under someone else’s roof. He was content just not being disliked. Occasionally sneaking away to play with a couple of koi fish when no one was around was his greatest joy, let alone imitating wealthy families by keeping a Liaoge bird for amusement or raising a cat to watch its playful antics with cat-tail grass.
“Let’s go take a look.” Danqing loved watching cats but had no intention of keeping one. Her philosophy was simple: taking care of herself was enough. She would bask in the sun and laze around like a cat… but catching mice? Wasn’t that a dog’s job?
A black cat slowly approached the two of them, showing no fear of strangers. It held its head high, as if it were a noble aristocrat. The sun was setting in the west, and Night was about to fall, marking the end of another day. The cat’s pupils changed with the sunset, its dark green irises growing increasingly bright and lively. Under the moonlight of Night, the cat seemed to shed its ferocity, and based on appearance alone, one would instinctively assume it was a well-behaved cat.
“Ah, the flowers and plants have all withered. Uncle Wang is going to get scolded.” Ran Gusheng’s first glance fell upon the neatly tended plants that had now withered. He thought of Uncle Wang, who was responsible for tending the plants in the estate, and how the housekeeper would deduct his monthly wages. He felt deeply sympathetic toward him.
“It’s part of his duty. This job may not offer much extra income, but it should be quite leisurely.” Danqing was indifferent, too busy watching the cat. However, when the black cat tried to approach her, brushing past her leg to walk behind her, Danqing instinctively took a step back. Yet her eyes sparkled with longing as she gazed at the black cat.
Ran Gusheng didn’t understand the interaction between Danqing and the black cat. They had been out for some time now, and he wanted to go back to check on Yan Lingyu. “Danqing, let’s go back and see how Yan Lingyu is doing.”
“Alright.” Danqing reluctantly glanced at the black cat one more time before following Ran Gusheng away, missing the moment when the black cat’s pupils turned an eerie, piercing green upon hearing Ran Gusheng call Danqing’s name.
Danqing and Ran Gusheng returned to the door of Yan Lingyu’s room, where Bi Lian, the maid attending to Yan Lingyu’s daily needs, informed them that the young master had already fallen asleep. All was well. That night, Fu Yun and the others stayed over at the General’s Manor.