Old Helmsman, Are You Afraid?

Zhang Laifu hurried to explain to Old Helmsman. "Senior, I went down the mountain and into the city, then headed straight to buy tobacco leaves. But before I could buy any, those two spotted me. I ran back for my life, and they chased me the whole way. I ran all the way home, and they followed me right inside..."

"Stop right there!" Old Helmsman worked his jaw from side to side, revealing a mouthful of snow-white teeth. "Laifu, you said you ran back from the city with them chasing you.

"They're both Craftsmen. If they'd really wanted to catch you, how could they have failed? How could you possibly have made it home?"

He hadn't expected that.

One question had exposed the flaw in his story.

Zhang Laifu had to give him a reasonable explanation. "I knew the roads better than they did."

Old Helmsman shook his head. "Knowing the roads wouldn't be enough. The gap between you and them isn't small."

Zhang Laifu tried again. "They wanted me alive, so they didn't kill me."

Old Helmsman seized Zhang Laifu's arm. "With their abilities, alive or dead, they could have had you any way they wanted!"

"Tell me the truth, Laifu!"

Zhang Laifu trembled all over. The dreadful chill that had vanished earlier suddenly returned.

That old ghost was using Yin Qi again!

"Laifu, tell the truth!" Old Helmsman's grip tightened.

Zhang Laifu didn't know how to explain. Then he spotted something on the ground.

Beside Xiaozhuzi's corpse lay a pipe with a small pouch hanging from it.

The pouch was for tobacco leaves. Zhang Laifu had seen one like it with He Yunxi.

"Senior, there are tobacco leaves!"

Old Helmsman's face lit up. "Where?"

Zhang Laifu handed him the tobacco pouch. Old Helmsman felt it for a long while, then held it to his ear and listened. "This doesn't sound like... quite enough."

From those movements, Zhang Laifu confirmed two things.

Old Helmsman couldn't sense size. He didn't know how big the tobacco pouch was.

Old Helmsman couldn't sense weight. He judged the amount of tobacco by sound.

Only his hearing seemed relatively normal now. That was probably thanks to the Alarm Clock.

"Senior, if there isn't enough tobacco, I'll go buy more right away." Zhang Laifu was about to leave, but Old Helmsman stopped him again.

"No rush, Laifu. Let me see whether this tobacco will work first. Come with me!

"And listen, someone came looking for you today. He searched the front and back courtyards and kept calling your name. No telling whether he wanted to find you or your corpse."

Looking for me?

That must have been He Shengjun, the Lin Family guard.

Old Helmsman dragged Zhang Laifu toward the Ancestral Hall. As they passed the main house, he tripped over the Waterwheel. It rattled loudly, and he fell flat on the ground.

"This damned thing. Why leave it right outside the door? Damned thing..." Old Helmsman got up and raised a foot to kick the Waterwheel, but left his leg hanging in the air.

He didn't seem to dare.

This probably wasn't the first time the Waterwheel had tripped him. Last night, Zhang Laifu had heard the Waterwheel before encountering Old Helmsman. That meant he had tripped over it then, too.

Zhang Laifu stepped forward. "Senior, I'll move this damned cart so it stops tripping you."

"You can move it?" Old Helmsman's eyes gleamed. He badly wanted the Waterwheel out of the way.

"I think so!" Zhang Laifu lifted the handles and dragged the Waterwheel away from the main house's doorway.

Old Helmsman heard the Waterwheel moving and looked delighted. "Push it farther. The farther, the better. Take it to the front courtyard—better yet, push it right out of the house."

Zhang Laifu pushed the cart to the middle of the courtyard, then called back, "Senior, the wheels won't turn anymore."

"It won't move?" Old Helmsman looked anxious. "See if something's jammed!"

If he was so worried, why didn't he come check it himself?

With hearing that sharp, couldn't he tell what was wrong with the wheels?

"Senior, I think the axle's broken." The axle wasn't broken, but Zhang Laifu stopped pushing and left the cart in the middle of the courtyard.

Old Helmsman looked disappointed. "Put your back into it. See if you can carry this cart out?"

Zhang Laifu made a show of trying twice. "It's too heavy. I can't lift it!"

Old Helmsman sighed. "Forget it. Leave the cart. Come with me."

As long as Zhang Laifu was in this courtyard, Old Helmsman could sense him wherever he was.

Yet this cart had managed to trip Old Helmsman twice.

When Zhang Laifu said the cart was broken, Old Helmsman believed him.

Apparently, Old Helmsman couldn't sense this cart.

And he was afraid of this Waterwheel.

Zhang Laifu followed Old Helmsman into the Ancestral Hall. Old Helmsman placed the two men's Craft Essence on the altar table.

He took the white Top Hat from inside his coat and set it on the table, then held the tobacco pouch and pondered it for a long while.

Zhang Laifu asked, "Senior, are you supposed to pour the tobacco in?"

"I don't dare pour it out! If this tobacco turns out to be earth, the Bowl will open."

"Wouldn't that be good?"

"Once it opens, it won't stop, and this little bit of tobacco won't be enough..." Old Helmsman waved the pouch beside the Top Hat for a long while. The Top Hat moved, but its reaction was faint.

"Are tobacco leaves even the right thing to use?" Old Helmsman was beginning to doubt it, too.

Zhang Laifu asked, "Should we try something else?"

"Laifu, you've had a long day. Go get something to eat. I made you dinner and left it in the room where you sleep in the west side courtyard."

"Mm!" Zhang Laifu was about to head to the western side courtyard when Old Helmsman called him back.

"Laifu, I made you some tiger-skin peppers. They're spicy. Eat them while they're hot, every last bite. Once they cool, they won't work."

"What won't work?"

"You've caught a chill. Only the peppers I made will cure you. Otherwise, you'll freeze to death tonight."

The tiger-skin peppers were meant to dispel the Yin Qi.

Zhang Laifu agreed and was about to eat when Old Helmsman spoke again. "I've got the tobacco pouch. Where are the money pouches?"

"Money pouches?" Zhang Laifu didn't understand at first.

Old Helmsman laughed. "Silly boy, you think you can pull that trick on me? Both those bandits had money pouches full of Silver Dollars. I heard them clinking!"

That old ghost really loved money.

Zhang Laifu handed Old Helmsman Old Yu's and Xiaozhuzi's money pouches.

Old Helmsman shook the pouches, listened to the Silver Dollars clink, and nodded in satisfaction. "Silly boy, you're young. Don't be so greedy."

"I hate it when people get greedy for my money. You'll get what's owed to you. Keep the two Silver Dollars I gave you to buy tobacco today. Now go eat."

Zhang Laifu went to the west side courtyard. The food was indeed ready.

If he didn't eat it, the yin energy Old Helmsman had put into him could kill him.

As for whether the food was poisoned, Zhang Laifu had no way of knowing. The only conclusion he could draw was that Old Helmsman probably wouldn't kill him before he succeeded in opening the Bowl.

To his surprise, Old Helmsman was a good cook. The tiger-skin peppers and vinegar-fried Chinese Cabbage were especially tasty.

After eating his fill, Zhang Laifu lay down to rest. He was exhausted from running all day, and within a dozen minutes, he fell asleep.

The next morning, a tremendous crash from the main courtyard jolted Zhang Laifu awake.

What was that?

Zhang Laifu had planned to go take a look at the main courtyard, but Old Helmsman suddenly pushed the door open and came in, stopping beside the bed.

"Laifu, time to get up."

"I'm already up," Zhang Laifu replied.

"Laifu, sorry to put you to the trouble again. I need you to make another trip to the city today."

Zhang Laifu didn't ask what he needed to do there. Instead, he asked, "Senior, can't you go into the city yourself?"

Old Helmsman sighed. "I find it strange, too. Why didn't the tobacco work?"

That answer had nothing to do with the question.

Old Helmsman couldn't hear what Zhang Laifu was saying. He was carrying on the conversation by guesswork.

"Laifu, go into the city and buy some fine Snuff. Don't buy too little—at least a pound. I know it's expensive. I'll give you the money!"

Old Helmsman took out ten Silver Dollars and a large handful of Copper Dollars and set them on the table.

Then he pulled a small drum from inside his coat and handed it to Zhang Laifu.

"Take this drum. If you run into a bad person, strike it at him once.

"Remember, only once. The drum will break after that. When you strike it, be sure you're looking straight at him. Whatever you do, don't strike it while looking at a mirror.

"Same rule as yesterday: you must be back before dark. Come back late, and you'll lose your life."

Old Helmsman left. Zhang Laifu followed him into the main courtyard and took a look. The Ancestral Hall's door panels had been smashed to pieces, its frame had fallen, and half a wall had collapsed. Broken bricks covered the ground.

"Laifu, stop wandering around. Go buy the Snuff!" Old Helmsman waved Zhang Laifu on. He was covered in dust, with red brick marks on his sleeves.

Had he knocked down half that wall?

What had happened to make him so furious?

He could knock down half a wall, but he couldn't move that Waterwheel?

His earlier guess had been right. Old Helmsman was afraid of the Waterwheel.

That Waterwheel could be useful!