Leaving Town, Seeking the Dragon

At dawn the next day.

For once, Fang Shu had not cultivated through the night. Instead, he lay in his own bed and rested peacefully for half the night.

When he stretched lazily and got up at his leisure, he heard sounds coming from outside the courtyard. It seemed several people were talking.

Pushing open the door, he saw his second uncle, the talisman master Li Yuan, Old Madam Jiao from next door, and Li Hou'er squatting off to one side.

As the four ate breakfast, they stared toward the side room where Dou Sufu lived and muttered among themselves. "Today really is strange. It's almost noon, so why hasn't Sister Dou opened her door yet? When I went out to buy food earlier, plenty of the neighbors were asking about her too."

Talisman master Li Yuan muttered as he slurped down a bowl of soy milk, then smacked his lips with a frown. "Too bland, too bland. It's miles behind Sister Dou's cooking."

"Yo, Brother Fang, you're awake."

Seeing him, Li Hou'er immediately greeted him warmly and casually tossed him a fried dough cake.

Fang Shu did not stand on ceremony. Catching it, he squatted at the doorway too, basking in the sun as he slowly gnawed on it.

He had actually met the people in the courtyard long ago. Last night, he had even specially invited everyone from the mixed courtyard over for the banquet, so they were not strangers to one another.

After acknowledging Fang Shu, the group continued eating breakfast and chatting idly.

His second uncle, Yu Le, savored his food as he said, "It is indeed strange. At last night's feast, Sister Dou was the first to leave.

"She said she had to come back and prepare for the next day's business. No matter what