Chapter 4
Mr. Mu never imagined the spirit stones he’d given away would turn to dust before anyone even touched them. His mouth twitched, his face turning pale. Not a cultivator himself, he’d only seen Ah Heng place his hand on the stones—and they’d crumbled to ash.
He hadn’t witnessed Ah Heng absorbing the spiritual energy, but he’d seen his own stones reduced to dust. Wiping sweat from his brow, he stammered, “Perhaps… perhaps they’d been stored too long in that jade box?”
It must have expired—how else could a translucent stone turn into a pile of grayish-white dust? Master Mu was utterly embarrassed, but Ah Heng felt even more awkward.
Ah Heng knew he had absorbed the spiritual energy, yet he currently lacked the means to compensate Master Mu for this low-grade spirit stone.
Spirit stones contained vast amounts of spiritual energy. Cultivators used them for cultivation and as currency for transactions. Spirit stones were the currency of the cultivation world, and the one Mr. Mu had produced was merely the most common type.
Yet for ordinary mortals, possessing even a single spirit stone was an extraordinary feat.
Ah Heng opened his mouth, then finally said, “I’m sorry, I will compensate you for this spirit stone.” Even knowing Mr. Mu was unaware of the true reason for the stone’s damage, Ah Heng didn’t want to deceive him.
Mr. Mu’s eyes darted, and he immediately understood Ah Heng’s meaning. He waved his hand generously: “No need, no need. This was meant to be a gift for you, Ah Heng.”
Ah Heng replied, “I’m sorry, but I don’t wish to be a guard.” Ah Heng had a vague feeling that becoming a guard at Apricot Blossom Pavilion might lead to trouble. He made up an excuse: “I have no memory at all now. I don’t know if I have any enemies. It wouldn’t be good if Apricot Blossom Pavilion got involved.”
Mr. Mu’s expression turned subtle. True—Ah Heng was in such a pitiful state, he might genuinely have enemies. But they’d eaten the meal and spent the spirit stones; they couldn’t walk away empty-handed. The accountant’s face darkened too. This beggar was truly ungrateful, refusing the offered favor only to face the consequences. (Literal: to refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit).
Ah Heng glanced at the pair and spoke calmly once more: “Though I cannot serve as Xinghua Pavilion’s guard, should the pavilion ever need my aid, seek me at the small temple. I shall lend my full support… And as for that tiger at the entrance—consider it payment for today’s wine and spirit stones. What do you say, Boss Mu?”
Master Mu and the accountant exchanged glances, their minds already calculating. The apricot tree was destroyed, but it was just a tree. Once the venerable elders of the Wuji Immortal Sect returned, they could simply ask them to conjure another one. Trading this feast and a spirit stone for a tiger seemed a bit of a loss, but Ah Heng had already pledged his aid. It didn’t seem like a bad deal after all.
“Very well. Brother Ah Heng is a dragon among men, a man of his word. Today we’ve forged a bond of goodwill. Should the Apricot Blossom Pavilion ever need aid, we humbly request your noble assistance.” Master Mu raised his cup once more. Only then did Ah Heng lift his teacup to clink it against his.
Standing on the second floor of the Apricot Blossom Pavilion, Master Mu watched the trio of beggars depart. He sighed. “I can’t fathom it…”
The accountant sighed too. “Ah Heng seems steady-minded, not like some deranged fool. How did he end up begging?”
Master Mu replied, “He’s likely a cultivator too. But cultivation depends on fate. Maybe he hit a wall he couldn’t overcome. Getting his promise today feels better than hiring some simple-minded thug.”
The accountant suggested, “If Yu Tong comes causing trouble, we’ll call Ah Heng for help beforehand.” Mr. Mu replied, “That’s the only option.”
Mr. Mu and his crew weren’t narrow-minded, but that didn’t mean others shared their perspective. Now, Old Wen and Er Gouzi flanked Ah Heng on either side, hurling insults at him.
左边老温头摇头晃脑：“你是不是傻哟多好的机会啊，要是你答应了木老板，以后就不要要饭了啊。你啊，天生的乞丐命……”
Old Wen on the left shook his head and swayed his body: “Are you stupid? What a great opportunity! If you’d agreed to Mr. Mu’s offer, you wouldn’t have to beg anymore. You’re just born to be a beggar…”
Li ErGou on the right side belched: “Exactly! The food at Apricot Blossom Pavilion is so delicious! If you became a guard there, you could save us some leftovers every day. Then Old Wen and I wouldn’t go hungry. You fool ah!”
Old Wen on the left kept nagging: “What a huge tiger! If you sold it, think of all the good food we could buy!” Old Wen still grieved over that tiger. Trading one tiger for just one meal… his heart… ached terribly.
Er Gou, holding a bag of packed delicacies on the right, chimed in: “But hey, it wasn’t all bad. I’ve never eaten so much good food in my life. Ah Heng, I’m sticking with you from now on!”
Ah Heng smiled at the old man and the youngster: “Did you enjoy the food?”
Old Wen and Er Gou nodded in unison: “Delicious! Absolutely delicious!”
Ah Heng said: “I really admire the two of you.”
Er Gou asked, “What exactly do you admire about us?”
Ah Heng leaned slowly on his cane: “I admire how you remember the food but forget the beating. If I recall correctly, you both got hurt, yet you still have such big appetites…”
“Ouch, Ah Heng! My chest hurts! I can’t walk anymore!” Er Gou slumped onto Ah Heng.
Old Wen also grabbed Ah Heng’s arm: “Ah Heng, my arm hurts! Ah… it hurts so bad, I don’t want to walk anymore… Ouch, ai you…”
Ah Heng sighed helplessly: “You two…” Having witnessed Ah Heng’s strength in dragging the tiger, Er Gou and Old Wen felt they now had someone to rely on.
After a hearty meal, they even packed leftovers for the night. Er Gouzi shut the dilapidated temple door and warmed himself by the fire. The flames danced across his freckled face, turning it rosy. “What a thrilling day! Beat up Sanhu this morning, feasted at Xinghua Lou at noon… Hehehe…”
Ah Heng gripped his beggar’s staff in one hand while poking the embers with a stick in the other. Today he’d absorbed the spiritual energy from a spirit stone. Though outwardly unchanged, he could feel that faint energy spreading through his body.
How to describe this sensation? If forced to put it into words, it was like hunger—his entire body was clamoring for the nourishment of spiritual energy.
Sometimes it was just that strange. Going hungry for a long time was bearable, but once you tasted even a little sweetness, you could no longer endure hardship. That was exactly how Ah Heng felt now. He needed spiritual energy, but… he was just a beggar now. Where would he ever get a chance to obtain spirit stones?
Ah Heng racked his brain but couldn’t think of a way to get spirit stones. It seemed this matter couldn’t be rushed.
He stared at the ceiling, the stars visible through the gaps. These past days, he had discovered how different he was from others. From the moment he crawled out of the earth until now, he hadn’t felt the slightest bit sleepy. He didn’t want to eat the same food as Old Wen and the others either. Perhaps, fundamentally, he was different from them.
Ah Heng stared at the ceiling. He watched a rat dart swiftly across the rafters, every hair on its fur visible to him. He rolled over and closed his eyes. Sleep, ba, he thought that even if he was different, he didn’t want others to notice his peculiarity.
But Ah Heng opened his eyes again shortly after. Er Gouzi was grunting in his sleep, seeming restless. Ah Heng touched his forehead—Er Gou was feverish.
Of course he is since he’d been badly injured that day. Though he’d eaten a good meal, his wounds hadn’t been treated promptly. Ah Heng felt terribly guilty. He’d intended to go into the woods to find herbs, but encountering the tiger had made him forget. There was no time to waste. Ah Heng decided to go find some fever-reducing herbs right now.
Ah Heng rustled quietly as he rose and stepped out the temple door.
Old Wen’s voice called from behind him, “Ah Heng ah, where are you off to?”
Leaning on his beggar’s staff, his hand resting on the broken cart propping open the door, Ah Heng replied slowly, “Er Gou has a fever. I’m going to find some herbs.”
Old Wen sighed. “It’s late at night. It’s dangerous out there. Don’t go. I’ll go instead… I’m too old to sleep anyway.”
Old Wen staggered to his feet. Ah Heng insisted sternly, “But you said it’s dangerous outside. I should go instead.”
Old Wen waved dismissively at his own head. “Look at me—I’m practically buried in dirt. What’s an old geezer like me got to fear?”
In the end, Old Wen couldn’t persuade Ah Heng otherwise. He fished a stub of white candle from the palm of a battered deity statue and dug out a tattered lantern. His hands trembling, Old Wen lit the candle, then used a twig to lift the bamboo lantern, its sides pierced with several holes.
Muttering prayers, Old Wen chanted: “Divine protection, may Ah Heng find the herbs safely. May he journey without harm, may his path be smooth…”
Ah Heng carried the broken basket on his back, watching Old Wen kneel before the deity with such devotion that an indescribable feeling welled up inside him. His heart felt as though stuffed with damp cotton. The grime on Old Wen’s face seemed to have grown even thicker. As Ah Heng stepped out of the dilapidated temple, he thought: If only he could find some medicinal herbs, even one more day of life for Old Wen would be worth it.
Not far from the temple, Ah Heng extinguished the candle in his lantern. This candle must have been something Old Wen had treasured for a long time; the white wax had turned blackish-gray. Ah Heng’s eyes could see in the dark, so there was no need to waste it. Why hadn’t he refused Old Wen’s kindness? It was to give Old Wen peace of mind.
Mortals always feel less fearful when a light shines in the darkness.
Moonlight filtered through the treetops, yet the night forest always concealed endless dangers.
Ah Heng stepped on the tail of a venomous snake scrambling to escape. The snake whipped its head back and struck at Ah Heng’s ankle. Unfortunately for the venomous fangs, they failed to pierce Ah Heng’s skin and instead snapped off against his tough hide.
Venomous Snake: tat…
Ah Heng quickly released his foot and apologized, “Sorry ah, didn’t see you.”
The poor snake left behind two curved fangs and fled without looking back.
Ah Heng bent down, searching through the forest. To his surprise, he actually found several herbs effective for reducing fever. He carefully shook the dirt off the herbs and placed them into the basket on his back.
“Not in a hurry—! Not yet—!” The cry of an unidentified bird pierced the already unsettled forest. An ordinary person hearing this call would surely be scared stiff.
The bird was known as an omen bird, sensitive to the scent of blood. Its appearance always heralded ill fortune.
Ah Heng knew nothing of omen birds. He looked up at the dense canopy and murmured, “This bird offers comfort, urging us to take our time.” Unnoticed, he had wandered far. It was time to return.
Ah Heng hoisted his backpack and took a few steps when the surroundings suddenly fell silent—even the chirping of insects and birds vanished.
“Huuu—” A beastly roar erupted from the woods behind him. Ah Heng gripped his begging staff tightly and whipped his head around, only to see a pair of blood-red eyes suddenly appear beneath a tree less than three meters away. Below those crimson eyes, the beast’s snow-white fangs glistened with blood. Those gleaming teeth resembled two curved blades!
Author has something to say:
Unlucky Bird: Bad luck—bad luck—bad luck—
Wen Heng: Not in a hurry—not in a hurry—not in a hurry—
Wen Bao: Get the hell out of my way, all of you.
Third Brother here to bare his teeth first… Hmm, right, reveal teeth… not face…
![Flying Dust [Fei Chen]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/9k.png "Flying Dust [Fei Chen]")