Mo Li was carefully investigating the source of that strange feeling when he suddenly heard someone calling his name from the shore.
The lakeshore was large, but it was unlikely that an ordinary person would call Mo Li’s name out over the empty water.
The black fish immediately swam back.
Sure enough, Meng Qi was standing on the shore, draped in a messy piece of cloth, seemingly holding another one in his hand.
Mo Li transformed back into human form in waist-deep water and asked in surprise, “Why did you return so quickly?”
“The wind blew it over,” Meng Qi replied with a smile. “It might be some merchant’s goods blown away by the wind.”
The cloth had been bleached by the rain, and it seemed like the whole piece had been torn apart by the wind.
“There are some clothes on the trees, but they’re all shredded.”
Half a sleeve, a piece of torn cloth – these were the larger fragments, while the smaller pieces were already scattered who knows where.
“Use this to cover yourself for now, and we’ll search more thoroughly when we get ashore.”
Mo Li had intended to mention something in the lake, but since he hadn’t found anything, he kept silent.
While wrapping the cloth around Mo Li, Meng Qi joked, “It’s said that people in Tianzhu dress like this.”
“Only women do,” Mo Li shot him a glance and reached out to tug the cloth.
Meng Qi took the opportunity to dodge, exchanging four or five grappling moves before pretending to lose and letting Mo Li push him aside. He found it odd that he had been found out so easily.
“How does the doctor know about Tianzhu women’s attire?”
During his time as the national teacher, Meng Qi had seen envoys from various small countries around Chu, including those from Tianzhu. He had even learned Sanskrit, but it was strange for Mo Li to know this. Typically, the books one could find wouldn’t cover the customs of Tianzhu, nor would Buddhist texts.
Mo Li wrapped the cloth around his chest and abdomen and said, “I read it in the books when I stayed in the Taijing Palace.”
“Weren’t you at that time—”
Searching local records for traces of dragon veins?
“I was worried that if there weren’t any in Huaxia’s nine provinces, I’d have to search outside,” Mo Li replied.
Dragon veins don’t symbolize the fate of the country; they are born naturally. If Huaxia has mountains, then there would naturally be some outside as well.
According to historical records, regions as far as the Western Regions, Persia, and Da Qin (Rome) all had towering mountains. Beyond Kunlun lay more mountains, and though Tianzhu wasn’t far from Tubo, one couldn’t directly reach it because there was a long, tall mountain range in between.
“And then there’s the Nanzhao area in the southwest, also mountainous. Although you said you’ve been there once and didn’t see any dragon veins, we could go deeper, cross the snow mountains…”
Mo Li’s voice abruptly stopped. Meng Qi, engrossed, urged him, “Why did you stop?”
Mo Li gazed at him expressionlessly, “We still have a lot to do.”
“The Xiliang people aren’t an issue, and we’ll soon resolve the poppy situation. There will come a day when the world’s turmoil temporarily settles. Until the spiritual veins are exhausted, we have endless time,” Meng Qi said, growing more uncertain as Mo Li’s expression didn’t match his words, so he stopped.
“We need to return to Pingzhou.”
To Pingzhou’s Zhushan County, to meet Mr. Qin.
Meng Qi’s mind worked quickly, and he instantly understood, becoming awkward as well.
He rubbed his nose and decided to stay silent.
In fact, Meng Qi had considered going to Zhushan County many times, mainly because its magistrate, Xue Ting, had passed the Chu Dynasty’s imperial exams and served as a Chu official, so he was likely to have heard many rumors about “National Teacher Meng” and would hold a particular “bias” against him. Qin Lu, being about the same age as himself, would probably have opinions about him leading his apprentice astray.
Every time Meng Qi thought about it, he broke out in a cold sweat, almost suggesting Mo Li bring back a sand rat instead.
One way or another, at least they’d have “met.”
“A teacher is like a father, so I must report it,” Mo Li continued.
“…”
Meng Qi suddenly imagined Mo Li holding a sand rat, telling Qin Lu that he was about to marry.
No, no, that wouldn’t work.
Mo Li glanced at him and said, “My teacher doesn’t care whether the person I marry is male or female; he mainly thinks I won’t marry a person, but a fish.”
“Huh?” Meng Qi was stunned.
Mo Li covered his face with his hand and said, “That’s my fault. When my teacher saw me, he assumed that if the dragon vein didn’t manifest, I’d turn into a fish or…something else from the water, like shrimp or crabs.”
Meng Qi was confused. So, should he pretend to be a fish?
——It has to be a fish. Anything else, like shrimp or crabs, would be embarrassing.
Wait, does this mean, as a fish demon, my “advanced age” of eighty is no longer an issue?!
Who said demons had to transform into their original form to prove they were demons? Not aging was the biggest advantage!
One problem solved!
Meng Qi’s spirit lifted. Using unconventional tactics, there was no unsolvable problem in the world! It’s all about creating an advantage and neutralizing the disadvantages. Using the strategies from his years of planning wars, he was sure he could succeed.
Mo Li beside him: “…”
The sand rat, unaware of the situation, was showing off. Never mind, they decided to first find a populated place and change into normal clothes before discussing anything further.
The two walked along the lakeshore.
After about ten miles, looking at the still vast lake, Meng Qi compared it to the map in his mind and stopped, saying, “This is Pengze.”
There are only five large lakes in the Central Plains: Yunmengze, Pengze, Zhenze, Hongze, and Jiaohu. Hongze is located further north in Qi’s territory. Pengze happens to be southeast of Jingzhou, while the others are either farther south, farther east, or too far away.
“Pengze covers a vast area, let’s figure out the direction before heading towards Luning County.”
After Meng Qi finished speaking, he changed his appearance, making himself look about forty years old. He now had a calm and composed demeanor, with a few streaks of gray in his sideburns and fine lines at the corners of his eyes. Despite his disheveled state, there was no trace of defeat. Anyone they met, particularly merchants who had traveled far and wide, would likely treat him with respect, suspecting he held some official rank or belonged to a prominent family.
The aura one cultivates from living well influences the body, and a poor scholar certainly wouldn’t appear this way.
Preparing to “deceive” others, National Teacher Meng turned to beckon Mo Li to change his appearance as well.
The population in the south was denser than in the north, with villages closer together. As long as one didn’t live deep in the mountains, buying goods or seeing a doctor was easier than in the north. After some thought, Mo Li also changed his appearance, since being too young might make the sick unwilling to trust him.
“Ah Li looks good like this.” Meng Qi was intrigued. He had expected Mo Li to still look like a reclusive scholar, only older, but instead, he emerged as an elegant and free-spirited gentleman.
His brows and eyes were still the same, but now his gaze and demeanor carried an air of ease and detachment, as if all that was missing was a cup of wine for him to lightly sing a tune.
This was quite a drastic change.
Previously, he had been a gentleman of virtue, a recluse indifferent to fame and fortune. How did he suddenly become a carefree and worldly poet who had seen through the pleasures and pains of life, money, and desire?
“…”
In truth, Mo Li’s forty-year-old appearance was modeled after Xue Ting. Though Magistrate Xue had aged now, ten years ago in Zhushan County, he had charmed many young ladies just reaching adulthood. Xue lived freely and knew how to enjoy life. Even in a poor place like Zhushan, he still managed to appreciate fine tea, wine, music, and painting better than Qin Lu ever could.
The people of Zhushan County, unaware of what noble elegance or scholarly charm meant, simply felt that Xue Ting seemed like an immortal.
In other words, immortals probably looked like this.
As for Mo Li, he had secretly imitated Xue Ting’s gestures and mannerisms when he left the magistrate’s office as a child.
When he changed just now, he instinctively used them.
Mo Li noticed the amazement in Meng Qi’s eyes and felt a mix of emotions.
If only he had known this day would come…
He wouldn’t have learned it!
***
The faint fire struggled to stay alight, as the damp wood was difficult to ignite.
The carter Lao Qi wrapped his arms around himself, shivering from the cold.
It had originally been the peak of summer, so they had all been wearing light clothes. Now, soaked through, it was nearly impossible to dry them by the fire, and the cold wind kept blowing in gusts.
Just two days ago, it had been so hot it felt like people were being roasted, and several members of this merchant caravan had collapsed from the heat while on the road.
The caravan couldn’t afford to delay its journey for a few carters, so those who fainted were left behind. New men were hired from the city to take their place. Lao Qi, due to his age and experience, had been recommended to the caravan by the middleman from the carriage company. But as soon as they left the city, they encountered this rare storm.
Lao Qi fared slightly better, as he knew this was the legendary “Dragon King’s water.” People caught in the open countryside had a better chance of surviving by seeking high ground, as there was less risk of being crushed by collapsing houses or hit by debris blown by the wind.
However, Lao Qi had only ever witnessed such a fierce “Dragon King’s water” a few times in his life.
And never had it been as terrifying as today.
Tree crowns had been completely stripped away by the wind, trunks snapped, and at the height of the storm, it had sounded as if countless evil spirits were wailing in unison, like the gates of hell had been flung open.
Fortunately, Lao Qi and another old carter had found a wind-sheltered spot behind a small hill by the lake, preserving the caravan’s goods. Though the outer layers were badly soaked, the wagons and goods hadn’t been blown away.
Some people had sprained their ankles or been scratched by branches, but none were seriously injured.
After the storm passed, the water pooling at the base of the hill had turned into a muddy river.
People could barely swim across it, but the wagons couldn’t pass.
And there was no way anyone dared to wade into that water.
Just as everyone was growing desperate, two disheveled individuals in tattered clothing approached from outside.
What they were wearing couldn’t even be called clothing—it was just scraps of cloth they had picked up. They claimed they had been caught in the storm while on a boat on the lake. In order to survive, they had stripped off their heavy clothes to swim to shore, barely escaping with their lives.
Thanks to their strong swimming skills, the people in the caravan clicked their tongues in amazement.
The rain had been so heavy that it hurt when it hit their skin, and a waterspout had appeared on the lake. It was nothing short of a miracle that these two hadn’t been dragged to the bottom of the lake by the Dragon King along with their boat.
What they said didn’t matter much, as their appearance alone made it clear they weren’t ordinary people.
They were obviously not bandits either, so the caravan had nothing to fear.
“Lao Qi, what are you staring at?” Another carter rubbed his hands together, puzzled.
“Nothing.”
Lao Qi quickly looked away and shrank further into the shadows.
After years on the road, Lao Qi had picked up a few tricks. In these times, with bandits everywhere, making a living and staying alive wasn’t easy. His fighting skills weren’t impressive, but his keen eye was. From what he could tell, those two were definitely suspicious!
First, their clothes—if the wind and branches had torn their fabric, why didn’t they have a single scratch on them? How strange!
Second, they didn’t look like people who were short on money, and they clearly had excellent martial skills. While others struggled through the mud, they moved with ease, as if walking on solid ground.
Their lightfoot skills were extraordinary, and judging by their bearing, they likely came from a prestigious martial sect.
——People who had to carefully watch others’ moods and act cautiously would never have such a composed demeanor. Only direct disciples of major sects or those from long-established families like the Golden Phoenix Villa could behave so casually.
If they were here, there had to be something big going on.
No wonder they dared to swim to the lakeshore and wade through the floodwaters.
Lao Qi grumbled to himself as he huddled against the wind. The breeze that came after the rain was chilling to the bone.
“Achoo!”
Someone in the caravan sneezed repeatedly, and the overseer frowned.
This was bad news. Judging by the situation outside, the county town was likely flooded as well. If the road was impassable and people in the caravan started falling ill, they would be in a dire situation with no way out.
The carters and the rest of the caravan were well aware of the stakes, and they were filled with unease.
After a great disaster, a great epidemic often follows, and this storm was certainly disastrous enough.
Mo Li was just about to offer help to the caravan members who had sprained their ankles or been injured, but he noticed something strange. It seemed as though everyone was avoiding the floodwater. Apart from the carter Lao Qi, the others looked at him and Meng Qi with expressions of sympathy and hesitation, as if there was something they weren’t saying.
Mo Li exchanged a glance with Meng Qi and was about to ask when he suddenly noticed movement in the distance. It looked like someone was rowing a fishing boat towards them.
The caravan members were overjoyed and immediately started shouting for help.
As the boat drew closer, however, they grew tense again, fearing that it might be water bandits.
The newcomers were dressed like fishermen. From afar, they spotted the crowd huddled at the base of the hill and, upon seeing the wagons and goods, they grinned. After some haggling with the caravan leader, they offered to ferry the goods on their boat.
The caravan leader hesitated, unsure whether they could trust the fishermen. What if they were taken to a bandit village? That would mean the end for them.
He turned his back to consult with the older members of the caravan, but the fisherman’s sharp ears caught his muttering and he grew angry.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about! Our Lingyao Village is famous in these parts, how could we be bandits?”
“Lingyao Village?”
Lao Qi’s loud voice echoed, and there was an unmistakable joy in his eyes.
Mo Li hadn’t been paying attention initially, but the others’ reactions piqued his interest.
It seemed that the caravan leader had also heard of Lingyao Village. His hesitation lessened, though he still wasn’t certain if the fisherman was truly from that village.
“Who doesn’t know that our village produced a living immortal? If it weren’t for Immortal Peng, the people around here would’ve fallen into the realm of hungry ghosts. That storm vanishing so suddenly just now was probably also thanks to our Immortal Peng. He told us to come out and save those who were stranded. We’re acting out of kindness, and you treat us like villains!”
The fisherman shouted indignantly. Meng Qi snickered and said, “If it’s out of kindness, then why are you asking for money?”
The fisherman faltered at this, scratching his head awkwardly. “How can anyone survive without money? We’re all poor folks, and it’s not easy to make a living.”
His reasoning was sound, so Meng Qi said no more.
Lao Qi threw a discreet glance at Meng Qi, which Mo Li noticed.
“That man—”
“He seems to know some basic martial arts, but he doesn’t have a violent aura like a bandit scout. He looks simple but has sharp eyes, and when he observed us, he was spot on in where he looked. He likely noticed that we’re skilled in martial arts. He doesn’t fit in with the rest of the caravan, so he was probably hired from outside. It reminds me of some old acquaintances.”
“You mean?”
“Fengxing Pavilion,” Meng Qi whispered.
Fengxing Pavilion gathered intelligence from various sources, not only from the martial world but also from the trade markets.
Mo Li glanced over at Lao Qi. Even the most skilled people wouldn’t have expected them to ride the winds and end up in Pengze. However, what the fisherman had mentioned about Immortal Peng piqued his interest.
The concept of the six paths of reincarnation was a Buddhist belief. The fisherman spoke of Immortal Peng and the realm of hungry ghosts…
“Wait, this is Pengze?” Mo Li suddenly recalled something. Decades ago, when Qin Lu had wandered to this area, he had discovered a strange disease in the Pengze region of Yangzhou.
Those afflicted had swollen bellies like drums, withered limbs, and sallow complexions.
In some villages, everyone—men, women, young, and old—was ill, and the sight was unbearably tragic. Only a few survived without falling ill.
As a result, rumors spread that hungry ghosts had descended to plague the people.
“I might know who this Immortal Peng is,” Mo Li said, his face turning pale. “He’s a doctor who, years ago, helped my teacher treat the people here.”
Meng Qi was taken aback. He had initially assumed that Immortal Peng was just another con artist from the countryside. Seeing Mo Li’s troubled expression, he quickly asked, “Ah Li, what’s wrong? Were you injured by the storm…”
“I’m fine,” Mo Li steadied himself and said softly, “There’s a strange disease here. People who come into contact with water in the wild are at risk of contracting it, except for internal martial arts experts. You and I are not ordinary, and our spiritual energy serves as ‘inner power,’ so we won’t get sick. It’s just… unsettling to know.”
Once you realize there’s something wrong with the water, even if you won’t get sick, you’ll want to quickly fetch some well water, heat it up, and soak in it to cleanse yourself.
“My teacher was highly skilled in martial arts, so the evil didn’t affect him. It took a long time for him to realize that the problem lay in the water.”
“What kind of evil is it?” Meng Qi looked at the water in shock.
He had never heard of a disease that could infect someone just from touching water, unless it was a plague spread by some magical artifact like in folktales.
“I don’t know. It’s invisible. Even the keen eyes of a top martial artist can’t detect it, but it’s there in the water. Ancient records only vaguely mention it. It was Doctor Peng who first suspected that the source of the evil was in the water. My teacher concocted a special ointment for people to apply before working in the fields or entering the water, which helped mitigate the terrifying spread of the disease in the village.”
Author’s note:
Meng Qi: Ah Li looks so good.
Mo Li: Feeling conflicted, hesitating to speak.
Meng Qi: Huh? This is Xue Ting’s style?!
Xue Ting, who was once glanced at by National Teacher Meng, only to be remembered for his martial arts: … Even dragon veins can go blind; only dragon veins see other dragon veins clearly.
—
Lao Qi: Being highly skilled in martial arts really means having nothing to fear, huh.
Mo Li: ???
Mo Li: Wait, there’s something in the water.
—
This disease is schistosomiasis. When the larvae emerge from snails, they burrow into the skin of humans and animals, triggering an immune response that causes rashes. A rash is a sign that something is wrong—it’s a warning that you’ve encountered the disease.
In this story, since there’s internal martial arts, the setting is that experts are immune. Not only does it fail to penetrate, but if it does, it’s deadly. So they won’t get sick.
In ancient times, it was hard to discover the cause of the disease, especially since it was a chronic illness with no cure. That’s why all sorts of strange explanations surrounded the disease.
