Fifth Day of the Fifth Month

The young Daoist priest had already prepared a whole string of words to answer the straw-sandaled youth's question of "Who are you?" Yet, unexpectedly, the Courtyard Gate opened almost at once. Clearly, the alley youth had skipped right over that part.

Mud Bottle Alley was one of the narrowest, most cramped lanes in town. The Taoist priest's two-wheeled wooden cart could not be left outside blocking the way. Fortunately, though Chen Ping'an looked skinny as a rake and seemingly without much strength, he was actually quite strong. He helped the young Daoist priest move the rather heavy cart into the courtyard without much effort. From beginning to end, the young man said nothing, which left the young Daoist priest feeling rather awkward after the door was shut. It was like shamelessly calling at someone's door to borrow money, only for the host to serve fine tea, good wine, and choice meat with great hospitality. Any guest with even a shred of conscience would find it harder and harder to speak.

Thinking that embarrassment was unavoidable either way, the young Daoist priest decided it was better to make a clean break of it. He lifted the cotton-padded cover draped over the cart, revealing a black-clothed girl lying curled on her side. Her Veiled Hat sat crookedly but did not fall, still stubbornly concealing its owner's face. For some reason, the moment that thin quilt was lifted, a bloody stench rushed out. Only then did Chen Ping'an notice that blood seemed to be seeping through her black clothes. He could not understand how such a small quilt had completely hidden that heavy smell. The young man merely backed away a few steps and asked, "Taoist priest, what are you doing?"

The young Daoist priest said, "Saving someone! She's badly wounded. No one in town is willing to save her. I can't blame them for each sweeping the snow before their own door, so after much thought, this Daoist figured you might be the exception."

Chen Ping'an struck straight at the heart of the matter. "How was she injured?"

Without blushing or missing a beat, the Taoist priest said, "When this Daoist was pushing the cart past Memorial Arch Tower just now, I saw this young woman from out of town say that she was going to make a Tablet Engraving of the 'Qi Chong Dou Niu' plaque. She had her rubbing kit, brushes, and such, then scampered right up there. As for Tablet Engraving... how should I put it? It's this sort of copying business. Generally speaking, it's what scholars do when they've had a Full Meal and have nothing better to do. This Daoist can't explain it clearly in a short while. Anyway, after the little girl climbed up, she lowered her head, bent over, and sat on the crossbeam. It made this Daoist's heart leap into his throat, so I had no choice but to stop and remind her to be careful from time to time. Who would have thought she would still become too absorbed? All of a sudden—smack—she fell solidly onto the ground. You know the ground around the memorial arch isn't like Mud Bottle Alley. It's about as hard as the Bluestone slabs of Fulu Street. Well, that did it. Her five viscera, six bowels, and intestines were probably all injured. This Daoist is a man of the cloth and must hold compassion in his heart. I couldn't possibly ignore her, could I? All along the way, every household disliked the blood all over her. The New Year had only just passed; they thought it terribly inauspicious. Who would be willing to carry her into their home? This Daoist knows that is only Human Nature, so with no other choice, I came to you. To put it bluntly, if even you refuse to take her in, this Daoist is no immortal who can pull someone back from Ghost Gate Pass. We can only wait for that young lady to breathe her last, then do our best to find a place, dig a pit, and set up a gravestone. That would be that."

The Taoist priest deliberately spoke very quickly, his words indistinct. Clearly, he intended to lead the young man in circles until he was muddled, then get past this hurdle first. Everything was difficult at the beginning. Once there was a start, he could take things one step at a time. There is always a way out; sooner or later, the dark willows would part and bright flowers bloom.

Chen Ping'an's expression was complicated. He looked at the hopeful young Daoist priest, then glanced at the black-clothed girl, who was steeped in Death Qi. After an intense struggle between heaven and man, he nodded. "How do we save her?"

The young Daoist priest immediately brightened. "All right! With those words from you, Chen Ping'an, we're halfway there. Don't be fooled by how frightening her injuries look. It may seem as if King Yama has crossed her name off the Book of Life and Death, but it's not as exaggerated as you think... Of course, every word this Daoist said before was true as well. There are all sorts of hidden mysteries involved. For instance, this young lady has an exceptionally powerful will to live. She also seems to possess certain family arts that can protect the vital Heart Aperture, Elixir Chamber, and so on. And then there's our town. It's quite an interesting place, with plenty of strange things. Eat them or catch them, and the benefits are immense."

The young Daoist priest came back to himself, realizing that he had revealed much too much of heaven's secrets. He gave an awkward laugh. "Anyway, you don't understand any of that, right?"

The young man said seriously, "I don't understand, but I can remember most of it."

The young Daoist priest asked tentatively, "So the moment you heard the voice knocking at your door, you knew it was this Daoist fortune teller who sets up a stall?"

Chen Ping'an hesitated before answering, "Yes."

The young Daoist priest asked curiously, "Your memory is that good? How good?"

The young man glanced at the black-clothed girl at Death's Door. The young Daoist priest explained with a smile, "She's currently in a rather mysterious state. Her body can't be moved carelessly. It's best to wait a little while."

Chen Ping'an was half-convinced, half-doubtful. "When I see things, I remember them more easily than when I hear people talk."

The young Daoist priest pressed, "Give me an example."

Chen Ping'an thought for a moment. "For example, Master Yao, the kiln master at our Dragon Kiln. His 'jumping-blade' technique is the best among all the old masters in town. I actually remembered every detail after watching it once, but..."

The young Daoist priest smiled and took over. "But your hands and feet could never keep up, right?"

Chen Ping'an's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously.

The young Daoist priest smiled knowingly. "Then have you ever considered where the true brilliance of Old Man Yao's secret skill lies?"

Chen Ping'an's face darkened. "I could never understand it before. Later, Liu Xianyang told me that Old Man Yao said if you wanted to master the jumping-blade craft, your heart had to be steady—not merely your hands. Once I heard that, I understood a little. Before, I was too anxious. The more anxious I was, the more chaotic my hands became. The more chaotic they became, the more likely I was to make mistakes. Whenever I made one, I could see everything clearly. I knew exactly where I had failed to imitate Old Man Yao. Then I became even more anxious. So when I shaped clay at the Dragon Kiln, I was always the worst."

The young Daoist priest said calmly, "There's an old saying: a master leads you through the door, but cultivation is up to the individual. But if the master never intended to lead you through that door, how could you cultivate at all?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "My hands and feet are clumsy. Forget comparing me to Liu Xianyang—even ordinary apprentices are better than me. It isn't strange that Old Man Yao looked down on me."

The young Daoist suddenly laughed. "Chen Ping'an, do you know how difficult it is to understand those two words, 'steady heart'? It is very hard to grasp. You must not belittle yourself."

Chen Ping'an still shook his head. "It's like catching fish in a stream. I stand where the water is less than knee-deep, bend over, and catch a fish—that is catching fish. Some people are good swimmers. They dive into a deep pool, hold their breath for a long time, and catch a fish—that is also catching fish. Both caught fish, Taoist priest, but those two things are different, aren't they?"

The young Daoist priest burst into laughter but gave no answer. Then he suddenly said, "We can save her now."

Chen Ping'an stood there blankly. The young Daoist priest was also stunned for a moment. "What are you standing around for? Carry that young lady into the room and put her on the bed!"

Chen Ping'an did not move an inch. "And then?"

The Taoist priest said as if it were Right and Proper, "Of course, first help the young lady change into clean clothes. Then go to the apothecary and get several medicinal ingredients to replenish her qi and nourish her essence. At that point, this Daoist will need to personally step forth and display his skills."

Chen Ping'an asked with a dark expression, "When she wakes up, will she beat me to death?"

The young Daoist priest declared firmly, "No! You are her life-saving benefactor. How could there be such an ungrateful person in this world?!"

Chen Ping'an said nothing.

The Taoist priest coughed, and his imposing air plummeted. "Probably not?"

Chen Ping'an sighed and asked tentatively, "There's a girl next door named Zhi Gui. Could we have her do these things?"

The young Daoist priest said helplessly, "No. That is precisely where the problem lies."

Chen Ping'an did not insist. He crouched on the ground and scratched his head with both hands.

The young Daoist priest suddenly asked, "Is there anything you want to ask? This Daoist may not be able to resolve every question you voice, but I'll do my best to choose some I can answer. How about it?"

Chen Ping'an sighed, rose to his feet, and said, "Save her first."

The young Daoist priest beamed. "Good!"

With a subtle flick of his sleeve, he firmly suppressed a restless flying sword within its sheath.

Chen Ping'an carried the girl into the room on his back and gently placed her on the wooden plank bed covered with bedding. The plank bed that Liu Xianyang had once crushed by sitting on it had only recently been repaired, with a stool propping it up underneath.

The young Daoist priest stepped over the threshold after him and looked around. The house had four bare walls. It was no more than that.

The young Daoist priest slapped his forehead and went outside to fetch paper and brush, preparing to write a prescription for the young man to fill.

After returning to the room, the young Daoist priest shook his head. Deliberately refusing to look toward the plank bed, he thought that this impoverished young man was certain to be in for more than he could swallow.

The young man sitting at the edge of the bed had removed the black-clothed girl's Veiled Hat, revealing a pale face covered in blood.

The so-called bleeding from all seven orifices was probably the sight before the young man's eyes.

The young man hurriedly got to his feet. He first took a stool from beside the table and placed it next to the bed, then quickly ran to a corner. There stood a small wooden rack holding pots, bowls, ladles, and basins in neat order. Beside it was a small water vat covered with a wooden board to keep out flies and mosquitoes. It was filled with well water drawn from Iron Lock Well in Apricot Blossom Alley. The young man took a wooden basin and a gourd ladle, crouched beside the vat, scooped clean water from the earthen jar into the basin, then draped a clean piece of cotton cloth over its edge. He carried it to the bed, set it on the stool, and began wiping the blood from the girl after removing her Veiled Hat.

The young Daoist turned his head and raised a sheet of paper. "There's a small apothecary on Fulu Street. Take this prescription there and get the medicine."

The young man asked doubtfully, "Didn't Taoist priest say earlier...?"

The young Daoist priest put on an innocent expression and blinked. "Yes. This Daoist said that when you get the medicine, you must be careful not to be too conspicuous and make a great stir, lest you damage the young lady's reputation."

Chen Ping'an gave an oh. As he washed the cotton cloth, he asked, "Does Taoist priest have money for the medicine?"

The young Daoist priest immediately grew nervous. "You don't?"

Chen Ping'an set the wooden basin on the table and gently pressed a golden copper coin, seemingly produced from nowhere, onto the Tabletop. "Taoist priest, I'll use this to exchange for ordinary copper coins. As for how we exchange it, Taoist priest can decide."

The young Daoist priest considered it for a moment. "That copper coin on the table is enough to buy everything on the prescription. This Daoist will fetch the money for you now."

Very quickly, the Taoist priest returned with a bag of ordinary copper coins and several pieces of Broken Silver, handing them all to Chen Ping'an at once.

Chen Ping'an reminded him, "I'll pour out this basin of water later. Taoist priest doesn't need to help. Song Jixin next door likes fresh and novel things. It wouldn't be good if he saw it."

The young Daoist priest said solemnly, "Chen Ping'an, don't you have any questions you want to ask?"

Chen Ping'an stood where he was. After roughly weighing the copper coins and Broken Silver and getting a clear sense of their value, he carefully put them away. He signaled with his eyes that they should speak outside. Once the two stepped over the threshold, the straw-sandaled youth raised his head and slowly said, "I know none of you are ordinary people. Old Man Yao said long ago, when he was drunk, that our town is unusual. Everywhere is strange, everyone is strange. But he couldn't say what exactly was strange about it, so of course I understood even less. This time, Gu Can spoke of that storyteller. An entirely ordinary big white bowl could pour out an entire vat of water. Gu Can is quite annoying, but I know he did not lie about this. It's like..."

The young man paused, then continued, "It's like a very tall woman in this alley outside the door today. She flicked my forehead once with her finger, struck my chest once with her palm, and finally said that I would die very soon. I know what she said was true."

The young Daoist priest's expression turned grave.

Chen Ping'an finally said, "Taoist priest said that the talisman paper you wrote, once burned, could bring good fortune to my father and mother. I actually believed Taoist priest. So when Taoist priest came to my door and asked me to save someone, I didn't say anything just now. But I hope Taoist priest will promise me one thing. If you agree, then no matter what Taoist priest asks me to do afterward, there will be no problem. If Taoist priest refuses, then after I fill the prescription and help Taoist priest brew the medicine, I will ask you to leave."

The Taoist priest asked, "What condition? Tell me."

The young man, who had always seemed so steady and mature, was unexpectedly a little uneasy. He answered, "My father and mother died early. I was very small then. I don't know why, but I remember many things from my childhood, except my father and mother's faces. They are always blurry, impossible to remember clearly. Later, I lived for a time on meals from a hundred households and survived only because of the neighbors. Once, I accidentally heard someone say that I was born on the Fifth Day of the Fifth Month. From their tone, it should not have been a particularly auspicious day. Someone next door put it more directly and plainly..."

The young man had been circling around the matter. He paused, then finally went straight to the point. Lowering his head, he said in a muffled voice, "After helping Taoist priest save her, if—just if—if I suddenly die one day, can Taoist priest help me reincarnate in my next life as my father and mother's child again?"

The young Daoist priest remained silent.

Chen Ping'an grinned and scratched his head. "Forget it if you can't. Really, how could there be such a thing in the world? I was making things difficult for Taoist priest."

The Taoist priest gave a bitter smile. "What about that young lady?"

Chen Ping'an suddenly turned around with his back to the Taoist priest, raised a fist, and gave it a wave. For once, he made a joke. "She's so pretty. Anyone who doesn't save her is a fool!"

The young Daoist priest watched the straw-sandaled youth, who was pretending to be at ease as he pushed open the door and left.

As the young man walked through Mud Bottle Alley, he seemed to remember someone, and tears suddenly streamed down his face.