No Fate

Fang Xi touched his face, heaving a sigh of relief. He thanked Hui Dao again and again. "Thank you, True Person Xie, thank you! I feel so much better!"

Yu Lü leaned in for a closer look, while Zhang Sheng was greatly astonished. Clinging to Hui Dao, he asked, "True Person, could this bronze mirror be some immortal family treasure? It sent out a beam of light with one shine—I've only seen such things in strange tales and storybooks!"

Bitterness filled Hui Dao's heart. He sighed. "This is a treasure left behind by my grandmaster, imbued with his dharma power. Each use means one less use remaining. If it were not for Young Master Fang, I would not have been willing to use it!"

Fang Xi was broad-minded and bore no grudges. Though he had suffered from the talisman water twice, he was deeply grateful now that he had been cured. Hearing this, he immediately understood. "Thank you, True Person, for your generous help. I did not bring much money today, so I will donate another ten taels as a small token of my appreciation. There will be further offerings and donations in the future."

As he spoke, he took out a silver ingot weighing ten taels, its underside white, fine, and deeply stamped.

This was no small sum. Even for the Fang Family, a junior member who had not yet started a family only received twenty or thirty taels a year. The young Daoist boy hurriedly accepted it, an obvious smile appearing on his face.

Su Ziji glanced at Hui Dao and noticed that this old Daoist, who seemed so fond of money, did not even cast his gaze toward the silver being held by the young Daoist boy. Seeing everyone's solemn expressions as well, Su Ziji suddenly understood: although this Daoist had slipped up earlier, Mount Tong Temple had earned its fame because it truly possessed some real skill.

Hui Dao seemed to sense something and looked toward Su Ziji. Recalling what had happened earlier, a strange glint entered his eyes. Then he smiled and said, "Gentlemen, please come inside for tea."

A young attendant had already been fanning the brazier and brewing tea beneath the corridor. He led them inside, and before long, a tea caddy was brought in.

"This is Seven-Gift Spring. It cannot be called the finest, but it will do to stir the mood," Hui Dao said, pouring tea for everyone. Its fragrance gradually spread through the room. As they tasted it, they found it indeed fresh, fragrant, and refreshing.

After taking a few sips, Zhang Sheng could no longer hold himself back. "True Person, we greatly admire these arts. Can one learn the immortal path?"

What young man did not seek immortals and admire the Dao? The moment those words were spoken, everyone straightened up and pricked their ears to listen.

Hui Dao heard this and swept his gaze across them. A flicker passed through his eyes, only to vanish in an instant. With a bitter smile, he said, "Seek immortals and admire the Dao? I wanted that too. Otherwise, I would not have become a Daoist."

"The world says that arts are easy to obtain while the Great Dao is hard to seek. Yet even these arts are difficult to gain. Most come with the hardships of the Three Flaws and Three Deprivations. And even if you grit your teeth and accept those flaws and deprivations, you will only trade them for superficial tricks. It is difficult to achieve anything in a lifetime, much less attain the Great Dao."

"You are all young masters with great futures ahead of you. Perhaps you may even become honored men in the future. But would you be willing to have neither money nor power, and suffer the many pains of widowhood, bachelorhood, orphanhood, loneliness, and disability?"

"If you are willing, this poor Daoist would not begrudge opening a side gate for you."

He spoke seriously and sincerely. Hearing him, everyone tensed, their hearts drawing tight. Zhang Sheng was the first to shake his head. "A lifetime without power or wealth might be bearable, but to cut off my Lineage and leave no descendants? Better forget it."

Zheng Yingci set down his teacup. "Seeking immortals and admiring the Dao are mostly misty and illusory. Wealth and rank are not bad things. Even if one desires immortality, seeking it through the great path of establishing oneself among the people and building one's endeavors is the straighter road. I have no fate with these arts."

Su Ziji held his cup and merely smiled without speaking. Only Fang Xi touched his face again, somewhat tempted. But when he thought of his family's property and his pretty fiancée, he smacked his lips and swallowed the words back down.

"Establishing oneself among the people and building one's endeavors is indeed a great path, with great Merit." Hearing Zheng Yingci speak so, and seeing everyone's reactions, Hui Dao did not grow angry. He merely smiled. "But where there is an official road, there are naturally narrow paths as well. Narrow paths can also lead to hidden and subtle places. As they say, Heaven gave birth to all paths, and each has its use!"

"Come, please drink your tea. When tea is slightly cool, it has a flavor all its own. Once it grows colder, it will no longer taste good."

Thus everyone drank their tea. Now that it was slightly cool, it carried a secluded fragrance and truly had a distinctive flavor. Su Ziji, who had raised his guard the moment he arrived at Mount Tong Temple, keenly noticed that Hui Dao was merely curious about him and bore no ill will.

Could the Mount Tong Temple Daoist who wished to harm me be someone else?

That is possible too. A Daoist temple surely does not have only one Daoist.

But then he thought, Hui Dao is the abbot of Mount Tong Temple. Could he truly know nothing?

Because of this suspicion, when they departed, the temple master seemed to want to grow closer to Su Ziji, but Su Ziji gave him no such chance.

"Young Master Fang, there is something this poor Daoist wishes to remind you of," Hui Dao suddenly said. Fang Xi halted mid-step and turned back to look at him.

"When you return this time, you must not be frivolous and reckless again. This poor Daoist will soon be traveling the clouds..." Hui Dao did not finish the rest, but his meaning was already crystal clear.

If you cause such trouble again, you may not be able to find me.

Fang Xi's face immediately fell. "I understand!"

After offering thanks a thousand times over, he finally left together with the others.

Outside, a fine rain veiled everything in mist. Su Ziji steadied himself. Whether the matter of someone trying to harm him was connected to Hui Dao or not, soldiers would come and he would block them with generals; water would come and he would dam it with earth. Whatever came, he would face it!

But Hui Dao said he would soon leave the temple to travel the clouds. What is he planning to do?

"Brother Su, the rain is growing heavier. If we head to the county town now, even with an ox cart, we will surely catch a chill. Why not come to my home and wait out the rain?" Seeing that Su Ziji intended to return to town with Yu Lü, Fang Xi hurriedly invited him. Though they were all from Linhua County, Fang Xi and Zheng Yingci did not live in the county town.

The Fang and Zheng families were both great clans of the county. By coincidence, they were also both households from the same village, Three-Autumn Ferry. As the chaos of the age gradually subsided, Three-Autumn Ferry's location on a vital route allowed it to prosper little by little, until it became a town.

Both the Fang and Zheng families had scholars who changed the standing of their households. Their branches divided but their ancestral line did not, and they became two locally renowned surnames. It was said that together, they occupied half the town.

Su Ziji had heard something of this as well. He knew Fang Xi was being hospitable, but the Fang Family was a household of officials and gentry, with strict rules. Moreover, Fang Xi had only just recovered from his illness; today should be a time for the family to speak privately together. Why should Su Ziji rush over and make himself unwelcome?

Even if he wished to make connections with a household of officials and gentry, he should suppress that thought for now. Thus, he politely declined. "Brother Fang, perhaps another day. It is already growing dark."

"It is precisely because it is getting late that you should stay the night. Spring rain is terribly cold. If you catch a chill, it could become a serious matter."

In ancient times, people feared wind-chill like a tiger, for there was no special medicine. Once pneumonia set in, there was no cure.

Yu Lü looked at the sky. Though it was still afternoon, fine rain had begun to fall, threaded with delicate snowflakes, while the cold wind howled fiercely. He said, "Cousin is right. We should stay the night."

Zhang Sheng also shouted, "Brother Su, you are always thinking about studying. The Fang Family has quite a number of books in its collection. It would be good to go read them. Come on!"

"If you want to read, my home truly has books. My father put in no small effort to gather three thousand volumes," Fang Xi immediately said. "Once we get home, we can read by candlelight through the night."

Seeing their sincerity, Su Ziji's heart stirred. He had few books to begin with, and the Fang Family had books—perhaps he could gain something from them. After offering a slight token refusal, he agreed.