A Pot of Turbid Wine Washes the Heart

Chapter 42: A Pot of Cloudy Wine, A Heart and Gut-Wrenching Affair

"Young master, would you like to board your donkey with us? We offer premium forage, free grooming, horseshoe maintenance, and professional massage techniques. We guarantee your mount will be so comfortable it'll hum with delight. It only costs one copper coin per hour. Hey? Don't walk away! We even have a beautiful little jenny..." At the roadside inn outside the city gate, the attendant was skillfully soliciting customers.

"You're still young; what are you thinking about jennies for? Keep moving." Tauxue refused to budge at the mention of the jenny, so Zi Bofeng hurriedly urged, "Once we reach Mengcheng Prefecture or Luo Qianshan's place, there will be free forage to eat, and you'll get to see tall, sturdy horses. Who knows, there might even be beautiful mares. Aren't mares prettier than jennies?"

Ginger is indeed spicier when old; Tauxue was swayed by the sweet talk and immediately dragged Zi Bofeng toward the city. Zi Bofeng could only grip the reins tightly to keep the beast from bolting.

With its intelligence increased, Tauxue's curiosity had grown rampant. Once inside the city, it was fascinated by everything, sniffing this and peering at that. After finally making it through the gate, the donkey was lured by the scent of Lotus Fragrance Steamed Buns. It stretched its neck to nudge the vendor's steamer, forcing Zi Bofeng to pay for a few buns—both meat and vegetable. He ate the meat ones himself and fed the vegetable ones to the donkey, drawing a crowd of onlookers.

Zi Bofeng took the opportunity to hide the Green Snake in his sleeve, feeding it a little as he ate. The Green Snake's appetite seemed different from a human's; after a few bites, it stopped, and Zi Bofeng quietly tucked it back into his book box.

After spending a quarter of an hour finishing breakfast, Zi Bofeng finally dragged his little donkey to the gates of Mengcheng Prefecture and asked the guards, "Where is Qianshan? I've come to find him!"

"Scholar." The soldiers at Mengcheng Prefecture all recognized Zi Bofeng by now. One of them stepped forward to help hold the donkey, putting on a fierce face to scold Tauxue, while another smiled and said, "General Luo did not come to the Prefecture today."

"He didn't?" Zi Bofeng paused. "Then where did he go?"

"If the General hasn't left the prefecture on a mission, he is likely at the military camp."

Zi Bofeng dragged Tauxue out of the East Gate and walked two miles before spotting the military camp. Watchtowers loomed high, with archers scanning the perimeter. From a great distance, they drew their bows at Zi Bofeng and shouted, "Who goes there? This is a restricted military zone; idlers keep out!"

Restricted? Zi Bofeng rolled his eyes. Right beside the camp gate stood a flag with the character for "Tea" fluttering in the wind, where an old man was sipping tea with great contentment.

"I'm here to see Luo Qianshan," Zi Bofeng shouted. "Tell him Zi Bofeng is here to see him!"

Before long, Luo Qianshan's young orderly came out to meet him. "Scholar, the General is currently drilling the troops. He has ordered me to bring you in."

Following the orderly into the camp, Zi Bofeng looked around with curiosity. Several sentries watched him with suspicion, their hands instinctively gripping the steel blades at their waists.

"Scholar, please don't look around; this is a restricted military area..." the orderly reminded him, but how could one simply not look when there was so much to see?

Zi Bofeng observed that the soldiers varied greatly in age. Some were as young as the orderly, while others were white-haired and ancient. He wondered if these men could still fight. Others were disheveled, sitting on benches, picking at their feet and gesturing wildly.

"What kind of restricted military zone is this..." Zi Bofeng gave the orderly a sidelong glance. The orderly quickly changed the subject with a grin. "Ah, is this little donkey obedient?"

"It's obedient enough... it's just too slow. The journey here wore me out," Zi Bofeng complained bitterly.

"That's just how donkeys are..." Now it was the orderly's turn to look helpless.

Hearing Zi Bofeng disparage him, Tauxue snorted in dissatisfaction and turned its head away.

"Look, the little guy is angry. You have to praise beasts more... what a good donkey," the orderly said, stroking the donkey's ears.

Zi Bofeng stood by the roadside for a while, watching Luo Qianshan on horseback, waving small flags to direct a group of relatively sturdy soldiers in a formation drill. It looked like a collective dance—circles one moment, squares the next. It was quite a sight, though Zi Bofeng, having never seen ancient battle formations, had no idea of their actual efficacy. When the performance reached a climax, he clapped and cheered.

Luo Qianshan, who was at a critical moment in the maneuver, nearly fell off his horse upon hearing the applause from the audience. He handed his flags to a deputy, rode over to the edge of the field with a sour expression, and looked down at Zi Bofeng. "What are you here for!"

"It was good, very good!" Zi Bofeng offered enthusiastic applause first. "Why stop? I was just enjoying it."

"Enjoying it, my foot!" Luo Qianshan felt the urge to draw his sword again. How has this guy survived this long?

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You all performed quite well. If you went to the plaza to put on a show, you'd surely make a fortune." Zi Bofeng spouted nonsense. Once Luo Qianshan dismounted, he told the orderly, "Go help me feed the donkey."

The orderly glanced at Luo Qianshan, and seeing no objection, led Tauxue away. Tauxue was perfectly well-behaved in the orderly's hands, staring straight ahead, which made Zi Bofeng grumble inwardly.

"You just left yesterday, why are you back?" Luo Qianshan asked seriously.

"It's about Feijianzi," Zi Bofeng frowned. "What are your plans?"

"Didn't I already tell you?" Luo Qianshan looked puzzled, clearly not understanding what Zi Bofeng was thinking.

"You really intend to assassinate Feijianzi?" Zi Bofeng was shocked.

"Whether or not to assassinate Feijianzi is not for me to decide," Luo Qianshan said in a low voice. "I am merely a soldier, and all I possess is force. Feijianzi threatens the Prefect, which I do not like, so I proposed the assassination to the Prefect. The Prefect did not approve, but he did not forbid it either, so I am simply making preparations. When to strike, or whether to strike at all, is for the Prefect to ponder. I need not think too much."

After speaking, Luo Qianshan noticed Zi Bofeng's haggard expression and said bluntly, "Bofeng, why do you seem more worried than the Prefect? Take my advice: you are but a village head. All you need to do is try your best to collect jade and pacify the villagers. If you truly cannot collect enough, the Prefect will surely find a way; he won't make things difficult for you."

Zi Bofeng gave a bitter smile. If only things were that simple. How could he tell Luo Qianshan that he not only possessed the unspeakable Monster Raising Art but also an unspeakable sense of indignation?

"I envy your mindset..." Zi Bofeng sighed. This was the greatest difference between him and Luo Qianshan. Luo Qianshan simply acted; he never considered the "why" or the "should," nor did he need to. It wasn't strange, though—he was a soldier. Throughout history, a soldier's duty had always been to obey. To carry out an order, they would cast life and death aside.

But compared to Luo Qianshan, he was not such a simple, direct person. He had too many things to consider, too many things to hesitate over.

"You're overthinking it," Luo Qianshan gave a cold laugh. "The Prefect has been in this position for years; hasn't he turned every danger into a blessing?"

"This time is different. This time, it's an immortal..." Zi Bofeng didn't know if he was talking about the Prefect or himself.

Compared to the Prefect, he was still too green. In terms of mental fortitude, he was far inferior, and that wasn't something that could be compensated for by the memories of two worlds.

"What's different? An immortal is just someone a bit more capable than an ordinary person," Luo Qianshan said. "As you said, if we really want to assassinate him, there are plenty of ways. When it comes to killing, this immortal isn't necessarily more skilled than I am."

Luo Qianshan said this with chilling murderous intent, but Zi Bofeng still shook his head. His situation was different from everyone else's.

"Besides, good people have their own protection. Months ago, when the Prefect was troubled by tax increases, didn't you, Zi Bofeng, jump out and make a scene, and it was solved?"

"Don't make me sound so pathetic. What do you mean 'make a scene'? I nearly worked myself to death," Zi Bofeng said helplessly.

"Well, in my eyes, it was just making a scene. I have no idea how you managed it, so perhaps problems that seem unsolvable to you are just a piece of cake to others," Luo Qianshan patted Zi Bofeng on the shoulder. "Do your own job and don't worry about other people's business."

Seeing Zi Bofeng lost in thought, Luo Qianshan asked, "Have you figured it out?"

"It's not that fast!" Zi Bofeng really wanted to "make a scene" now.

"I thought you were quite smart. Don't smart people think things through quickly?" Now it was Luo Qianshan's turn to be confused.

"But smart people are also prone to getting stuck in a rut..." As for the label of "smart person," Zi Bofeng accepted it with resignation. I always have to endure the various downsides of being smart. I am truly pitiful, sigh...

"I have a good way to deal with getting stuck in a rut." Luo Qianshan reached out and wrapped his arm around Zi Bofeng's shoulder—no, he practically clamped him in a headlock. "You've come at the right time. Our camp cook's culinary skills are peerless, definitely not inferior to Baimeng House. I quietly swiped a few bottles of fine liquor from the Prefect that were brought from the capital, and we have some incredibly potent Burning Knife Liquor. Today, you and I shall drink until we drop!"

"Wait, Burning Knife Liquor?" Zi Bofeng felt the pressure mounting. "I only know how to drink beer..."

"What kind of thing is beer? I'll have to taste it someday, but I only have strong spirits here!" Luo Qianshan dragged Zi Bofeng to their mess hall and shouted, "Lao Guan? Lao Guan?"

A veteran of forty or fifty years, dressed in soldier's garb with a greasy apron tied over it, rushed out from the back. He had a kind and benevolent face, and he bowed to Luo Qianshan, saying, "General, what would you like to eat?"

"Bring out a few selections of the good stuff I've been raising in the back," Luo Qianshan said. "Make the portions large; this fellow is a total glutton."

"Right away, sir, just a moment." The cook, known as Lao Guan, bowed again and turned to leave.

"First, bring out my prized liquor; let's have a few cups while we wait!" Luo Qianshan declared with heroic spirit.

Record of Raising Monsters