Crimson Gold Coin

Chapter 4: Red Gold Coins

Hong Yi hesitated for a moment before stepping into the room. Although he desperately wanted the money, today's events were far too strange, and he had to be cautious: I do not covet beauty, I do not covet wealth; no demon or ghost can do anything to me.

Ding-dong, ding-dong. A row of shimmering little gold cakes was laid out on the table.

As soon as Hong Yi reached the courtyard, he noticed several fist-sized green flames floating up and down in a valley a few miles away, looking extremely eerie.

Woo-woo-woo! Woo-woo-woo!

"That's for certain. Let's go. It's truly difficult to find a tutor these days. It's rare to run into a sensible scholar like you. Although you're a bit young, you aren't afraid of ghosts or demons, which is rare. You're the one," the woman muttered to herself as she stood up.

"You don't believe me? I can pay the deposit in advance." The woman smiled, waved her hand, and swept it across the table.

"We're leaving now?" Hong Yi's eyes widened.

Bang!

After giving the old monk a few strings of incense money and eating a bowl of mushroom vegetarian noodles, he stayed in the side hall to rest. He lit a lamp, stoked the charcoal fire, and prepared for some night reading.

"I have to go back at daybreak. As for the rule that men and women should not touch, no one is watching anyway." The woman looked up at the sky, a hint of unexplainable majesty in her brow. She suddenly reached out, grabbed Hong Yi's arm, and with a single leap, they were directly outside the temple courtyard.

While walking, Hong Yi thought about the Four Treasures of the Study that the Duke of Xiaoli, Jing Yuxing, had sent him, pondering the gesture in his heart.

However, listening to the sounds, Hong Yi knew it was just the night owls in the mountains.

"Of course." The woman giggled again. "It's about sixty miles from here, but at your pace, you wouldn't make it by daybreak. I'll take you."

He was preparing for the imperial examinations and didn't want to suffer indignities in the Marquis's mansion, so he decided to stay in the West Mountain for a while, which would also allow him to guard his mother's grave.

"What is that!" The mountains were full of foxes, badgers, wolves, and wild beasts. Every winter, some nobles would come into the mountains to hunt.

"I don't possess the Taoist arts to drive away gods or control ghosts, nor do I have any strength in my hands. I don't know martial arts; I have no power to truss a chicken. If I encounter a ghost, I can only rely on my own vigorous spirit... I cannot show weakness. The moment I do, the opponent will encroach upon me. My thoughts must be firm and righteous."

"Snow paper from the Songzhu Pavilion? This is made through dozens of processes. A hundred sheets cost at least twenty taels of silver, equivalent to my half-year allowance. The purple stone inkstone is also a top-tier item; the stone is delicate and smooth, possessing a warmth that prevents the ink from freezing in winter. The musk ink is high-quality pine soot mixed with gold leaf and musk, hammered into shape. It writes with incredible fluidity, and the characters look spirited, carrying a refreshing fragrance. The brush is also excellent, made of pure fox hair. This set of Four Treasures of the Study is worth at least several hundred taels. This Duke of Xiaoli, Jing Yuxing, is truly generous. I've heard he respects scholars and is eager to help the needy, enjoying a great reputation in Yujing. But I suspect his ambitions are not small..."

"Young man, you are not old, yet you are a man of refined taste. Laughter rises from the green fire nest..."

After about two or three sticks of incense, Hong Yi suddenly felt them stop abruptly. He opened his eyes to see a pitch-black valley, with faint firelight in the center.

Staring at the rapeseed oil lamp flame, which was the size of a bean, Hong Yi prayed silently.

However, alchemist Taoists were able to smelt it. This red-colored gold, also known as "medicine gold," was an ingredient used by Taoists in refining lead and mercury to create golden elixirs.

Suddenly, he felt a bit poetic and recited aloud: "The century-old owl becomes a wood spirit, laughter rises from the green fire nest."

When dealing with demons and ghosts, Hong Yi firmly believed that one must first have a vigorous spirit.

"Oh? How do you know if I am a ghost or a demon?" The beauty under the lamp was a breathtaking sight.

This woman seems mysterious, but her mind lacks a bit of subtlety. She exposed her identity too easily. People from the imperial palace—she doesn't look like a palace maid—what is she doing in the West Mountain late at night? After this question flashed through his mind, Hong Yi said, "A gentleman loves wealth but acquires it through proper means. If you are offering ten taels of gold a month for a tutor, it shows that the student is not simple to teach. You should take your money back; I will find time to go and see."

"That's right, I am a ghost." The woman suddenly changed her expression. Her tone turned icy, and her face became sallow, as if she were about to pounce and eat someone at any moment.

Hong Yi flicked his fingers, widened his eyes, and glared fiercely at her.

Hearing the woman's words, Hong Yi looked up at the silhouette under the lamp. Sure enough, the woman had a shadow under the lamplight.

Hong Yi was shocked beyond measure! Cold sweat broke out all over his body. He hurriedly turned around and saw that in his room, under the lamp, stood a young girl dressed in pink, standing tall and graceful. She was about eighteen or nineteen years old, stunningly beautiful, with a beauty that was almost suffocating.

Deep in the mountains, several shrill howls echoed, sounding like wolves or foxes, mixed into the night wind, or perhaps they were night owls.

In the middle of the valley, a large bonfire was burning. Sitting around the bonfire were dozens of snow-white foxes.

The West Mountain was a large mountain outside Yujing, nearly a hundred miles in circumference. Although not majestic, it was densely forested with complex terrain and many peaks, featuring flowing springs, waterfalls, and rocky forests.

"That is merely the talk of those who read books to death. We scholars uphold great righteousness, understand the universe, know demons and ghosts, and reach the divine. This is the investigation of things."

Knowing that the other party was not a demon or ghost, Hong Yi's mind calmed down and became flexible again. The woman who had appeared so suddenly was looking at Hong Yi with a smile. The lamp flame popped.

"The Art of Shrinking the Earth?"

This temple, called Qiuyue Temple, was a dilapidated Buddhist site. It was guarded by only one ordinary old monk. Hong Yi stayed here every year, partly to guard his mother's grave and partly for the peace and quiet.

"Men and women should not touch. Besides, it's so late; you should come back during the day tomorrow." Hong Yi naturally tried his best to decline. In the deep mountains and an ancient temple at night, following a mysterious woman out was surely a misfortune rather than a blessing.

Hong Yi's mother's grave was in the West Mountain, standing alone. Because of his mother's status, she could not enter the Hong family's ancestral hall after her death.

These were usually bestowed upon civil and military officials by the Emperor or Empress, or to the concubines of the inner palace.

The north wind howled, making the four walls creak. Hong Yi witnessed a scene he would never forget for the rest of his life.

"Hee hee, hee hee. Young man, you are truly interesting."

"Ten taels of red gold a month?" Hong Yi was greatly shocked.

In the Great Gan Dynasty, the exchange rate between gold and silver was one to fifteen. Ten taels of red gold was one hundred and fifty taels of silver a month, which was a massive sum.

The purity of this gold is not ordinary. Only the imperial palace has such currency. After seeing the gold, Hong Yi was stunned. The color of these coins was red.

In the Marquis's mansion, Hong Yi only had a monthly allowance of four taels of silver. Don't look down on those four taels; one tael of silver exchanged for one thousand copper coins, and one copper coin could buy a large sesame pancake. One tael of silver was enough for a small family of three to live on for a month.

Deep mountains, ancient temples, north winds, the laughter of wolves and foxes—all of this was a terrifying scene.

Suddenly, a crisp, sweet voice came from behind him.

At dusk, Hong Yi arrived at the foot of the West Mountain. After cleaning his mother's grave and offering incense, he stayed in a small temple not far from the foot of the mountain.

Even someone like Jing Yuxing would send Hong Yi hundreds of taels worth of stationery for a single poem, which even a wealthy noblewoman like Hong Xuejiao would find surprising.

Hong Yi pinched his fingers to steady his mind.

"Hmm? What is that?"

"Are you a ghost or a demon?"

"What Art of Shrinking the Earth? This is merely the 'Ape-Leaping Body Technique' footwork."

"This temple gets more dilapidated every year. But the Great Gan Dynasty doesn't value Buddhist temples, preferring to build Taoist ones. It's no wonder." Looking at the desolate and ruined temple, Hong Yi felt a sense of relief and freshness compared to the Marquis's mansion.

Wrapping his clothes tighter, Hong Yi opened the door and walked into the courtyard.

However, Hong Yi felt no fear in his heart. Firstly, he believed he had never done anything to trouble his conscience, and secondly, he had read many tales of foxes and ghosts. In those stories, as long as a scholar's heart was righteous and fearless, ghosts and spirits could not get near him.

This type of red gold, minted into coins, was only found in the imperial palace.

As Hong Yi glared fiercely at the woman under the lamp, he bolstered his courage and strengthened his conviction.

Hong Yi tapped his own brow with his finger.

"It's very simple. Your clothes are thin, and the deep mountains are cold; a normal person could not endure this. Secondly, there are no households within ten miles. How could you, a lone woman, appear in an ancient temple late at night?"

As Hong Yi spoke, his feet suddenly felt a bit numb. Sure enough, he could feel the fragrant breath of the woman as she spoke; she was a living person.

Suddenly, the woman giggled and waved her hand. "I was just joking with you. I am not a ghost. Ghosts have no shadows under a lamp. Come here; you should be able to feel the life force in my body. Is there such a thing as a ghost with life force? If there were a ghost with life force, it wouldn't be called a ghost, but a Yang God Celestial in Taoism."

"Mother, if your spirit is in heaven, please bless me to pass the examination and restore your status."

These foxes were half-crouching and half-sitting, looking just like humans. In particular, they were each holding books, making strange, peculiar sounds as if they were chanting, just like children reading in a private school.

But Hong Yi had no heart to appreciate the beauty. Think about it: deep mountains, an ancient temple, and a woman appearing out of nowhere—she had to be either a ghost or a demon.

"Oh?" As the saying goes, "Gold is never perfectly pure, and man is never perfect." This meant that gold of absolute red color did not exist in the world.

"Oh? You seem to know a lot about demons and ghosts. Scholars are not supposed to talk about strange powers and chaotic spirits; you are not an ordinary scholar." A hint of doubt appeared in the woman's eyes as she looked at Hong Yi.

This leap was like shrinking the earth; it covered the distance of twenty ordinary steps. Hong Yi felt as if he were riding the clouds.

This woman runs faster than a horse. Hong Yi simply closed his eyes.

"In this life, I feel I have done nothing to trouble my conscience. Coming to the ancient temple to study is also to guard my mother's grave. Why have you come to find me? If you are a flirtatious female ghost looking for a scholar for a night of romance, then I tell you, you have found the wrong person. I, Hong Yi, have studied since childhood; although I am far from being upright or clever, I still hold onto my principles and integrity. You must leave at once."

"Hmm, you are not a demon or a ghost. Demons and ghosts are formed from formless thoughts; even if their power is deep and they can manifest, they are just cold masses and would not have the feeling of a flesh-and-blood body. You are not a demon or a ghost, yet you are not an ordinary person. You must be one of those sword immortals or chivalrous heroes living in seclusion in the mountains?"

A group of foxes, reading like humans! Suddenly, a shrill cry came from the deep mountains in the distance. A black shadow flew up amidst the ghost fires and vanished into the sky, reminiscent of an old demon emerging at night to consume human hearts. Most people would have been terrified at such a sight.

"These ghost fires are emitted from human skeletons; they are often seen in mass graves, so they aren't exactly supernatural." Facing the floating ghost fires, Hong Yi smiled and muttered to himself.

Hong Yi carried a bundle on his back, walking toward the West Mountain outside Yujing.

In the courtyard of the temple's side hall, weeds covered the ground, and withered grass was rolled up by the wind, creating a scene of desolation.

With the sound of the wind in his ears and the woman's voice, Hong Yi only saw large trees receding. He felt like a kite being flown by someone; his ears and mouth were filled with wind, and he couldn't even open his eyes.

Hong Yi saw at a glance that this was gold currency minted by the Great Gan Dynasty. Like the little cakes, they were called "gold cakes" by the common people and "gold coins" officially, with one coin weighing one tael.

"Hee hee, I came to the West Mountain today to visit relatives, but I didn't expect to meet such an interesting young man." The woman in red muttered to herself, "A scholar, hmm, not bad, not bad. It just so happens that some of the children among my relatives need to study. I want to hire you as a teacher to give them lessons. I wonder if you would go? The pay is ten taels of red gold a month."

Seven-tenths pure gold is cyan, eight-tenths is yellow, nine-tenths is purple, and ten-tenths pure gold is red.