HCAW 165

Chapter 165: Side Story – Wind and Thunder in the Nine Provinces (3)

They hurriedly purchased Xiao Jiao from the fishmonger, who was so astonished at hearing the nine-tentacled creature speak that his jaw nearly dropped.

The moment Xiao Jiao was freed from the net, she tightly clung to Fang Jingyu’s sleeve, refusing to let go. Chu Kuang mocked, “Great Immortal, aren’t you too weak? A mere fishing net managed to trap you!”

Xiao Jiao spat disdainfully at him, “Who do you think got you two safely ashore? If I hadn’t exhausted my immortal powers to push you ashore, you’d both be ocean mud by now!”

“With all your powers and ability to speak human language, why didn’t you just politely ask the fishmonger to let you go?” Fang Jingyu wondered.

Xiao Jiao rolled her seven little eyes in exasperation. “You think the Nine Provinces is our own backyard? Here, any bird, insect, or fish that speaks human language would immediately be considered a monster. Had I talked, I’d have been sliced into sashimi by now!”

The tiny nine-tentacled creature crawled onto Fang Jingyu’s arm, stretching comfortably. “Besides, there’s a powerful deity here suppressing me—I can’t even use my powers. It’s terribly stifling!”

The two immediately looked back at the red-robed Daoist behind them. Fang Jingyu asked, “I suppose this powerful deity is the ‘Stove Lord’ you mentioned earlier, Daoist?”

The red-robed Daoist smiled and nodded warmly. “Indeed. The Nine Provinces fall under the Stove Lord’s domain—also known as the Fourth Star Lord of the Wenchang Palace. Ordinary monsters cannot run wild here. You two are travelers from overseas, yes? You don’t seem like locals.” Fang Jingyu and Chu Kuang realized they’d been seen through, so they obediently nodded. The Daoist gazed at Xiao Jiao, his golden eyes gleaming with interest. “So, this is the famed ‘Great Immortal Yonghe’.”

Xiao Jiao became wary at this. The Daoist continued with a gentle smile, “In the Nine Provinces, we have another legend about ‘Yonghe.’ Have you heard it?”

They spoke as they strolled along the bustling streets. The red-robed Daoist calmly explained, “The Classic of the Central Mountains records: ‘There is a beast shaped like an ape, with red eyes, a red beak, and a yellow body, named Yonghe; its appearance heralds great calamity.’ Here, Yonghe is considered a monstrous creature said to plunge nations into chaos if it ever appears.”

Xiao Jiao spat indignantly, “Bah! Nonsense!”

The Daoist stopped abruptly, smiling warmly at the small nine-tentacled creature perched on Fang Jingyu’s arm. “It seems the Great Immortal is quite familiar with this legend. I wonder—is this mere hearsay, or have you experienced it personally?”

Xiao Jiao guiltily averted its gaze. “Long ago, I did live in the Nine Provinces…and yes, these stories do refer to me…”

“But your appearance doesn’t match the description the Daoist gave,” Chu Kuang said, puzzled.

“These legends have been twisted over hundreds of years!” Xiao Jiao protested. “Anyway, I was indeed a monster from the Nine Provinces, ostracized and unhappy here, so I left to wander the sea. That’s how you two came to know me.”

Becoming increasingly irritated, it continued angrily, “What nonsense about causing calamity! All lies fabricated by the people of the Nine Provinces! They forced me out, giving me nowhere to stay, so I had no choice but to flee into the ocean.” After finishing, it looked pitifully at the two, softly asking, “Everyone here hated me…do you despise me too?”

Fang Jingyu gently stroked its head with a finger. “How could we despise you? You’re the auspicious Great Immortal of Penglai. You’ll always be our Great Immortal—our Xiao Jiao.”

Xiao Jiao blushed, quickly hiding in his sleeve, leaving only a tiny eye peeking shyly outward.

They soon boarded a boat, sailing toward Tiantan Mountain where Wuwei Temple was located. Tiantan Mountain was shrouded in mist, like an ink painting come alive.

After disembarking, they climbed the stone steps behind the red-robed Daoist. A gentle breeze suddenly obscured their vision. When it cleared, the Daoist had vanished, leaving only an enormous red serpent slithering leisurely up the steps.

Realizing the red-robed Daoist’s true form, they quickly followed. Upon entering the temple gate, they saw Yiqing leaning casually against a pillar, smiling warmly.

“You two are back.”

They nodded blankly, feeling as though caught in a dream. Yet after witnessing so many strange occurrences in the Nine Provinces, they were no longer too surprised.

“You’ve wandered the Nine Provinces for some time now,” Yiqing continued. “How do you find this place?” The giant red serpent slithered affectionately toward him, coiling lovingly around his shoulder.

“Great!” Chu Kuang blurted out. Fond of novelty and food, he had already fallen deeply in love with this place, unwilling to return.

Fang Jingyu frowned slightly. “Daoist Yiqing, did you know from the beginning that we’re not from the Nine Provinces?”

Yiqing smiled faintly. “In this place, there’s nothing beyond my knowledge.” He continued, “The Nine Provinces still have many fascinating sites worth exploring, but given their vastness, you’ll need considerable travel funds.”

At this, Chu Kuang put on a dramatically mournful expression. Yiqing chuckled softly and added, “However, if you’re willing to help me draw some talismans, I can provide you with the necessary funds.”

Since this was Yiqing’s initial request anyway, neither had any objection. After days of carefree wandering, it was indeed time for them to start planning more seriously for their future.

Half a day later, they set up a wooden table in the temple, preparing ink and paper, and began tracing from the book Yiqing had previously given them.

Due to his boneless condition, Fang Jingyu’s hand shook while holding the brush, his talismans resembling messy scribbles. Chu Kuang mercilessly mocked him:

“Chicken scratches! Chicken scratches!”

Fang Jingyu’s face darkened, crumpling the talisman in frustration. Suddenly, he yanked Chu Kuang close, sealing his mocking mouth with a fierce kiss.

Chu Kuang was startled, mumbling incoherently and struggling, pounding on Fang Jingyu’s chest. After the disorienting kiss ended, Chu Kuang shouted angrily, “What are you doing? Possessed by a demon? Biting people in broad daylight!”

Fang Jingyu calmly replied, “Your mouth runs too much—I needed something to shut you up.” Chu Kuang, teeth clenched, chased after him furiously, determined to return the favor by biting his lips off.

After their tussle, they finally settled back to work. Chu Kuang’s handwriting was elegant, vigorous as dragons and serpents; each stroke powerful and beautiful. Yet after drawing only a few talismans, he grew lazy, nodding off beside the table. Fang Jingyu nudged him gently, “Brother Minsheng, wake up. We still have to earn our travel money.”

Yawning sleepily, Chu Kuang reluctantly sat up, picked up a talisman paper, and examined it closely. Then he remarked, “Come to think of it, these don’t seem like ordinary talismans to me.”

Fang Jingyu frowned, puzzled. Chu Kuang traced the characters lightly with his fingertip, saying, “Look at the shape of these lines, winding and intricate—rather like the ancient texts I saw back in Penglai.”

“Isn’t it normal for talismans to contain ancient script?” Fang Jingyu questioned.

Chu Kuang narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “Silly brother, someone could sell you and you’d count their coins for them! I suspect…what this Daoist asked us to draw isn’t just ordinary talismans—he likely has another intention.”

As he finished speaking, a soft chuckle suddenly came from nearby:

“You’re right. These indeed aren’t ordinary talismans.”

Both jumped in surprise, turning hurriedly. In the corner, unknown to them, Yiqing now sat comfortably in a round-backed chair. This person appeared and disappeared mysteriously, always speaking cryptically.

Yiqing folded his fingers together calmly. “To speak plainly, these are pages from the ‘Heavenly Book.’”

“‘Heavenly Book’?” Fang Jingyu furrowed his brow. He recalled hearing that term from Bai Huan Guard, whose library contained mysterious bone fragments inscribed with ancient writings recording events throughout history. They later learned these were inscriptions left by Emperor Bai and Tianfu Guard after passing through Taoyuan Stone Gates.

Yiqing seemed to read their thoughts, smiling slightly. “The ‘Heavenly Book’ I speak of is likely very different from the one you’ve encountered.” He gazed upward at the sky, sighing softly, “Do you believe that the world itself is an enormous Heavenly Book, each page forming an entire world? Our world is merely a single page within it.”

Chu Kuang immediately thought of Taoyuan Stone Gate, recalling that passing through it allowed entry to countless different worlds—Tianfu Guard himself was proof. Yiqing’s metaphor resonated, so both nodded slowly.

“My duty is to help complete this Heavenly Book. But this task is too extensive to accomplish alone, so I requested your assistance.”

“Could it be that you’re actually…the Stove Lord?”

Faced with Fang Jingyu’s cautious question, Yiqing simply smiled and nodded. Astonished, the pair stared at the young Daoist, finally understanding the clarity radiating from him—they had been dealing with a genuine immortal all along! Yiqing continued, “If you don’t believe me, perhaps I can demonstrate the Heavenly Book’s capabilities to you.”

The young Daoist stood, approached the table, picked up one of the talismans they’d drawn, and burned it in an incense burner. Smoke curled upwards, gradually forming vivid shapes resembling ink paintings. They watched in astonishment as these smoky strokes drifted and intertwined, slowly weaving countless indistinct worlds before their eyes.

“Go now—explore the many worlds of the Heavenly Book.” Smiling, Yiqing snapped his fingers. Instantly, their bodies lifted from the ground, thrown into an invisible void, rapidly plunging into the swirling ink smoke.

After an unknown length of time spent falling through endlessly shifting black lines, the chaotic smoke suddenly exploded into sparks like fireworks. Chu Kuang tumbled from the sky, landing heavily onto solid ground.

Struggling up clumsily, Chu Kuang realized he stood atop a city wall, pale-colored stone stretching far into the distance, snow drifting like flower petals, an icy chill instantly soaking through him. Shivering, he felt as though he had returned to the Guixi of old.

Looking around urgently, Chu Kuang saw no trace of Fang Jingyu. Below, soldiers chipped away at ice, while others cleared snow. Could this truly be Guixi? Chu Kuang stood uncertainly, stumbling forward a few steps. If Yiqing spoke the truth, the burned talisman indeed was a page of the “Heavenly Book,” transporting them to another world, much like passing through Taoyuan Stone Gate.

While deep in thought, a startled voice sounded from behind him:

“Who…are you?”

Chu Kuang turned abruptly, equally stunned by the sight before him. Standing there was a youthful figure, graceful yet somewhat inexperienced, with ink-black hair and one eye crimson as blood. He wore a pitch-black cloak embroidered with swan goose patterns, holding a silver mask in one hand.

It was Tianfu Guard—a young, newly appointed Tianfu Guard. Chu Kuang felt as if struck by lightning from a clear sky. His lips trembled slightly, finally managing to softly call out:

“…Master?”