Chapter 9
Ergouzi and Lao Wentou sprawled across the entire bed in a spread-eagle position, still savoring the memory of last night’s chicken soup rice.
“I’ve never tasted anything so delicious,” Er Gouzi sighed.
Old Wen Tou wasn’t as carefree as Er Gouzi. Everything he’d eaten at noon had come right back up, and he lamented bitterly: “Oh dear, getting old is tough. Finally I get to eat something rich, and I end up with diarrhea. What a waste, what a waste…”
Er Gouzi irresponsibly suggested, “No big deal, you could check if what came out is still edible…”
The room fell silent for a moment before Lao Wen Tou pinned Er Gouzi down and started smacking him repeatedly. But with his injured arm, the blows didn’t hurt much.
Er Gouzi rolled around on the bed laughing hysterically. Old Wen huffed and puffed, panting heavily: “You good-for-nothing brat, a dog’s mouth can’t spit out ivory.”
Ah Heng sat on the chair by the window, staring blankly at the red lanterns glowing on Xinghua Tower. Er Gouzi called out: “Ah Heng, aren’t you going to sleep?”
Ah Heng felt an inexpressible anxiety. “I just have this feeling that a great calamity is about to strike.” A voice inside him kept whispering—Hurry, hurry, get out of here. This place is about to face disaster.
Old Wen sighed. “Ah Heng, you’re always so gloomy and resentful. You’ll die young if you keep it up.” Ah Heng glanced at the dark pallor on Old Wen’s face. Being told he’d die young by a man practically ready for the grave… Well, he didn’t know how to respond.
Er Gouzi rolled over. “Exactly! Live for today, drink today’s wine! You’re always so gloomy—you’d be a sour-faced ghost when you die. Life needs to be carefree and open-minded, you know?”
Ah Heng took a deep breath. “I don’t need your comfort. You two should just shut up and go to sleep.”
But it didn’t help. Er Gou and Old Wen still whispered complaints about Ah Heng: “I think Ah Heng will eventually worry himself to death.” Old Wen sighed. “Ah Heng’s life is truly bitter. He finally stopped begging, yet he still overthinks everything day and night.”
Ah Heng didn’t want to talk to these two. He just leaned on his begging staff, feeling gloomy. Worried, truly worried.
Even though worry kept Ah Heng awake, the sun rose early as usual. Old Wen and Er Gouzi were out begging with their bags before dawn. As they put it, one must never forget one’s roots.
Mr. Mu pulled Ah Heng back, refusing to let him go out begging. Xinghua Pavilion didn’t need his begging bowl. As long as they could protect Xinghua Pavilion before Old Master Mu arrived, Ah Heng could retire with honor.
Mr. Mu and Ah Heng’s conversation wasn’t pleasant. Ah Heng was like a jinx, and his words made Mr. Mu particularly unhappy. For example: “Mr. Mu, you should transfer Xinghua Pavilion to someone else sooner rather than later. The Old Master Mu might not be able to protect Xinghua Tower.” Or, “The Old Master Mu might even meet his end here. You’d be better off handing Xinghua Tower over to Yu Tong without hesitation.”
Had Ah Heng not previously stopped Qin Shiwei and the others, Master Mu might have suspected Ah Heng was in cahoots with them. Seeing Master Mu’s obvious impatience, Ah Heng rubbed his temples in frustration: “Mr. Mu, please don’t take offense at my bluntness. Honest advice may be hard to swallow but ultimately beneficial. You…”
Mr. Mu waved him off. “Ah Heng, brave warrior, please stop. Wait for our Patriarch Mu to arrive. Should Yu Tong come knocking again, our Patriarch will certainly not back down. He is on the verge of breaking through to the Golden Core stage, becoming a mighty cultivator at that level. Even the Extreme Bliss Immortal Sect would have to give him some face.”
Ah Heng fell silent, the warning in his heart growing ever stronger. He feared neither Yu Tong nor Qin Shiwei. Truth be told, he could go anywhere alone. But now, with Old Wen and Er Gouzi here, he couldn’t abandon them and leave by himself.
Ah Heng sighed heavily, hoping only that Old Master Mu would hurry over so he could take Old Wen and Er Gouzi and make a run for it. But when Old Wen and the others returned, he got lectured by Old Wen again.
“Ah Heng, I always say a dog’s mouth can’t spit out ivory, and you’re just a jinx. Look at what you said! Look! Master Mu didn’t beat you only because he couldn’t beat you. Why can’t you just be more tactful?” Old Wen scolded him, frustrated.
Er Gouzi, chewing on a hard steamed bun, crouched beside Ah Heng: “Exactly! Even street fortune-tellers know how to sugarcoat things. With your mouth, you couldn’t even pull off being a charlatan. You really have no gift for words.”
Ah Heng looked innocent. “I’m just telling the truth.”
Old Wen and Er Gouzi shook their heads in unison. “Ah Heng… he’s going to be the death of himself with his own stupidity. That jinx in his mouth must have offended plenty of people.” Well, in a way, Old Wen and the others were onto something.
Their good days wouldn’t last long, though, because Old Master Mu was coming.
When Ah Heng was summoned by Master Mu to the private room on the second floor of Apricot Blossom Pavilion, he saw a woman in purple robes seated on a chair, her face veiled. She seemed shrouded in a layer of gauze, hazy and dreamlike, yet the eyes peeking out held an air of lofty arrogance.
Master Mu had been feeling like he was being roasted over a blazing fire these past few days. Seeing the Old Ancestor arrive lifted a huge weight off his heart. With the Old Matriarch present, he had no fear of Yu Tong seeking trouble. Originally, he hadn’t intended to introduce Ah Heng to her. But upon hearing that Ah Heng had single-handedly faced two Qi Cultivation disciples from the Extreme Bliss Immortal Sect, the Old Matriarch had insisted on meeting this legendary warrior of immense strength.
Ah Heng, however, clearly disappointed her. The Old Matriarch scrutinized him from head to toe, and Ah Heng felt as if every cell in his body had been read.
Ancestor Mu spoke, her voice as melodious as a nightingale: “So this is Ah Heng.” Pale and gaunt, he bore not a shred of the appearance one expected of a cultivator.
Ah Heng stared at Ancestor Mu for a few moments, somewhat taken aback. Frankly, he hadn’t expected the “Ancestor” mentioned by Mr. Mu to be a woman. It wasn’t that he looked down on women, but those typically referred to as “Ancestors” were usually men. Gender was only one source of his surprise. The second was… the dense black aura surrounding the Old Ancestor Mu’s face, as thick as that of Mr. Mu.
Ah Heng felt his mouth turning to crow’s feet again! Rubbing his temples, he pondered how to convey his meaning to the Old Ancestor. Then, true to his impulsive nature, he blurted out: “Ancestor, your time is nearly up.” He was certain he’d be thrown out of the Apricot Blossom Pavilion.
The Old Ancestor Mu scrutinized Ah Heng from head to toe before stating with dignified composure, “Mu Chuanfeng informed me you protected Xinghua Tower several days past. To express my gratitude, here are some spirit stones. Please accept them.”
Truthfully, the Old Ancestor Mu’s demeanor was hardly courteous. Yet considering her status as a female cultivator, this likely represented the lowest concession she could make. Female cultivators were scarce in the current cultivation world, and most needed to attach themselves to male cultivators to gain powerful strength.
Even so, female cultivators were in short supply. Most male cultivators still desired to find a partner to carry on their bloodline. Female cultivators thus carried a certain pride.
Ah Heng bowed his hands: “It was a trifling matter, hardly worth mentioning. But Ancestors…”
That sounded so out of place—calling a delicate young woman “Ancestor.” But Ah Heng was more troubled by the next sentence.
Steeling himself, Ah Heng spoke before Ancestor Mu: “Ancestor, you face a calamity involving death in the coming days. Please be cautious.”
Mu Ancestor’s beautiful eyes widened in fury, and before A Heng knew it, he was hurled out of the Apricot Blossom Pavilion. He tumbled several times before the entrance, still clutching his spirit stone pouch.
Mu Ancestor’s voice boomed across Xiaoyan Town: “You jinxed beggar! Stop spouting nonsense!”
Ah Heng scratched his head in frustration. “Honesty sure is hard these days.”
Old Wen Tou and Er Gouzi had just returned from begging when they spotted Ah Heng standing dumbstruck before Apricot Blossom Pavilion. The two beggars instantly grasped the situation.
“Come on, Ah Heng, you’ve done what you needed to do. Just don’t be such a jinx from now on. I’m telling you, going out like that will get you beaten. I don’t know how your elders raised you—so careless with your words.” Old Wen shook his head and grabbed Ah Heng’s sleeve. “Let’s go, let’s go. We’ve stocked up on food in that old temple these past few days. Let’s head back.”
Er Gouzi chimed in from the side: “Old Wen and I bet you’d get kicked out. See? You did. Watch your words from now on. These days, everyone likes to hear nice things. You go around saying people will die? That’s just bad luck. You’re worse than an unlucky bird.”
Ah Heng glanced at Old Wen. The mist on his face had only grown slightly denser. After a moment’s thought, Ah Heng spoke honestly, “Old Wen, if there’s anything you’d like to eat, just tell me.”
Old Wen immediately beamed. “Now that’s the way to talk! Even if Old Wen doesn’t eat a thing, just hearing that makes me happy.”
Ah Heng’s expression turned serious. “Don’t overthink it. Eat and drink what you should. You don’t have much time left.”
Old Wen’s face froze, and Er Gouzi froze too. Then, regaining his senses, Old Wen swung his begging stick at Ah Heng. “You should eat and drink what you should! You’re the one with little time left! You little brat! You’re rebelling!”
Er Gouzi pushed open the temple door and flopped lazily onto the straw, rolling around a few times. “Ah, we only had a few good days. Now we’re back here. Forget it. I guess I just wasn’t meant for that kind of life.”
Just as Ah Heng opened his mouth to protest, Old Wen stuffed a hard steamed bun into his mouth. Then, facing the tattered deity statue, he muttered, “Heavenly deity, Ah Heng’s foul mouth will bring trouble sooner or later. He meant no harm. Please, deity, do not hold it against him.”
Ah Heng bit into the hard steamed bun with a pout. He was telling the truth, after all. Why did everyone prefer sweet lies over harsh truths these days? Speaking honestly was bound to offend people.
The beggar trio spent another night in the dilapidated temple. Er Gouzi and Lao Wentou could sleep on soft beds or straw mats—those two seemed to sleep soundly anywhere. A-Heng’s alarm bells rang incessantly. In the dead of night, he slipped out of the dilapidated temple.
Sitting on a stone slab before the temple, A-Heng let the night breeze blow through him. That afternoon, he had truly seen thick mist swirling around the faces of Old Master Mu and Boss Mu. He had also glimpsed their gruesome deaths once more. Now, whenever he closed his eyes, all he saw were blood-soaked corpses. Sleep was impossible now, and a gnawing tension gripped his heart, as if something terrible was about to happen.
“BOOM!” A deafening explosion erupted from the center of Xiaoyan Town. Ah Heng whipped his head around to see flames shooting skyward from the location of Xinghua Tower.
“What the hell? What’s going on?” Old Wen and Er Gouzi were both jolted awake by the commotion. If even they were roused, imagine the residents of Xiao Yan Town. The once-quiet town began flickering with scattered lights.
But the moment they caught sight of the sky, the crowd immediately extinguished their lamps and huddled inside their rooms without a word.
![Flying Dust [Fei Chen]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/9k.png "Flying Dust [Fei Chen]")
