A Sudden Rain in the Mountains

Word of the Yuanjiang County yamen redressing a ghost's grievances late at night soon spread throughout the county town.

After this affair, Magistrate Lin's reputation as an upright lord of justice rang loud throughout the county, but Yi Shuyuan also became an extraordinary figure known to many. Countless people cursed that wicked merchant and sighed all the more over He Xin's fate.

Although the yamen had passed sentence, it could not carry it out immediately. A punishment as grave as execution lay beyond the authority not only of the little Yuanjiang County yamen, but even of the Moon Province Prefect. The case had to be submitted to the Ministry of Justice for a ruling, then confirmed by the Court of Judicial Review. Only after receiving its written authorization could the Yuanjiang County yamen execute Jia Yuntong by cutting him in half at the waist.

Especially since the case also involved an official, the Imperial Inspectorate might need to intervene.

To prevent a long night from breeding more nightmares, Magistrate Lin had already ordered men to depart that very night and submit the case at a gallop. He had also written a letter to a court official in Heaven-Bearing Prefecture who had passed the imperial examinations in the same year as him.

But with an imperial official involved, even if everything went smoothly, it would take at least two months to receive authorization from the Court of Judicial Review. Such complicated matters were too remote for most people, and even Yi Shuyuan had little grasp of them.

Several days passed, and Yuanjiang County remained as peaceful as ever. Yi Shuyuan, however, had not been idle. He had even made a special trip to Du Family Village on official business, but Du Fang said He Xin had not appeared again.

Yi Shuyuan felt that since Jia Yuntong had yet to be executed, He Xin should not have found rest either. She had merely stopped showing herself. It was an intuition.

The weather grew warmer and warmer during this period. Perhaps because of this, fewer people were out and about in the county town than before. Many had begun plowing their fields and turning the soil as the busy farming season gradually arrived.

On his day off, Yi Shuyuan rose early and went to Tongxin Pavilion.

As soon as the proprietor saw Yi Shuyuan arrive, he hurriedly greeted him politely.

"Mr. Yi, you're here! What would you like to eat? The wontons out back are freshly wrapped, and the buns are steaming too!"

Yi Shuyuan set a bamboo flask on the counter and said with a smile,

"Thank you, proprietor. Some rice wine-just fill this up-and a few pieces of rice cake. A small packet will do."

"Certainly. Please wait a moment."

Yi Shuyuan nodded and swept his gaze over the dining room. Some people eating wontons or noodles actually put down their chopsticks and cupped their hands in greeting when they saw him look their way. Whether he knew them or not, Yi Shuyuan returned a slight clasp of his hands or a nod.

"Mr. Yi, it's ready. Twenty-three copper coins altogether."

Yi Shuyuan took four large coins and three small ones from his purse and placed them on the counter. After exchanging a few courtesies with the proprietor, he picked up the bamboo flask and packet of cakes and left.

West River Village was busy with farming as well, and since he had the day off, Yi Shuyuan thought of going into the mountains. After the events of that night, he had become increasingly curious about ghosts and gods. Today, he finally decided to set out and see whether he could meet the Broad South Mountain God again!

Previously, Yi Shuyuan had always approached Broad South Mountain through West River Village. This time, he did not intend to visit the village, so naturally there was a shorter route. He could head straight out from the northwest side of the county town.

With Yi Shuyuan's current walking speed, getting there on foot and climbing the mountain was naturally no trouble.

The green in the mountains was deepening now. Many trees that had stood bare through winter had begun to bud. Although occasional late-spring chills still came, a few impatient flowers in the mountains seemed to have bloomed already, and now and then a splash of red appeared among the hills.

After walking along the mountain paths for a while, Yi Shuyuan stood at a mountain pass, trying to find his bearings. The mountain god's temple on Broad South Mountain seemed to lie farther west.

Just then, Yi Shuyuan suddenly noticed the light around him dimming. He looked around, then frowned and raised his head, inwardly lamenting his luck. From the look of things, it was going to rain!

Thinking back, it had been quite some time since the last rain. In fact, hardly any rain had fallen since Yi Shuyuan woke up in this world, leaving him rather inclined to overlook the possibility.

Yi Shuyuan held the cakes in his left hand and the bamboo flask of wine in his right. He had brought no rain gear at all.

Rain was the last thing anyone wanted when traveling in the mountains. At his present location, Yi Shuyuan could neither advance nor retreat easily. His destination was still far away, and the county town was no short run back either. If the rain began while he was descending the mountain, it would be even more dangerous.

"Ah, you couldn't rain earlier or later-you had to start the moment I came into the mountains!"

Yi Shuyuan sighed. What else could he do? He would keep going for now, find somewhere to shelter if necessary, and, at worst, get drenched like a chicken dropped in soup.

The weather changed in a blink. A moment ago, the sun had been blazing overhead; now dark clouds covered the sky. Yi Shuyuan quickened his steps considerably, even breaking into a jog on relatively level ground.

To be honest, though, the gentle breeze brushing his cheeks gave him a peculiar sense of comfort, as though every pore in his body had opened. Perhaps a stroll in the rain would be rather pleasant too?

Yi Shuyuan smiled. Since he was already here, he might as well take things as they came.

After walking for a little over a quarter of an hour, with the sky looking increasingly ominous and a substantial rainstorm brewing, Yi Shuyuan discovered something that left him unsure whether to laugh or cry: several other people were hurrying along a mountain path some distance to his left.

They seemed utterly exhausted, moving even more slowly than Yi Shuyuan's ordinary walking pace.

Yi Shuyuan thought they were three scholars. From a distance, one clearly wore a scholar's robe with a horizontal band. He could not make out the details of the other two, but they were probably wearing straight-cut scholar's robes of one sort or another. With their pale blue and white clothing and scholar's headcloths, they were most likely students who had come together for an outing in the mountains.

Yi Shuyuan strode along as though flying, his provisions in hand, while those three panted for breath. The contrast made him reflect that they were the genuine article: scholars "without even the strength to truss a chicken."

Still, Yi Shuyuan had no interest in striking up an acquaintance and continued pressing forward without stopping.

But although Yi Shuyuan did not intend to approach the three, once they spotted him, they instinctively headed in his direction.

Whoosh, whoosh.

Before the rain had fully begun, the wind already carried the scent of moisture. Only a few breaths later, the first fine drizzle fell from the sky, twisting with the mountain wind to strike Yi Shuyuan's body and face, bringing the damp, earthy smell of soil.

Oh no, it's already raining!

Yi Shuyuan grew somewhat anxious. A drizzle like this would not immediately soak him, but it was no solution to remain out in it. Besides, a hazy veil of mist was beginning to form in the mountains, which was not good news either.

Though the mist was not thick, it still affected visibility. Beyond a rock wall ahead stood an enormous ancient pine. Its trunk was hidden by the wall, but its vast, umbrella-like crown extended out to one side.

Yi Shuyuan's spirits lifted. Though sheltering beneath a large tree in the rain was best avoided, the season had not even reached the Awakening of Insects yet, and this sort of soft drizzle was unlikely to bring thunder. He should be able to take temporary shelter there.

Yi Shuyuan moved faster and faster, much to the misery of the three men who had turned onto his path some distance behind. They could barely keep up, and with mist rising in the mountains, his distant figure was already fading in and out of view. They seemed about to lose their way.

There was no time to maintain their dignity. In their anxiety, all three called out at once.

"Good sir!" "Good sir ahead, please wait!"

"Please wait, good sir!"

Yi Shuyuan heard their anxious calls and looked back. Without realizing it, he had left them quite some distance behind. Amid the rugged mountain path and trees growing along its sides, they were almost disappearing into the mist. He called back to them.

"You three, keep coming this way! There's an ancient pine ahead where we can shelter from the rain. I'll wait here, so please hurry over!"

"All right, we're coming!" "Thank you, good sir!"

The three men behind him were delighted and hurried onward with renewed energy. Sure enough, the man ahead did not leave, but waited for them there.

Once they drew close enough for him to be sure they would not lose him, Yi Shuyuan hurried onward without waiting for them to reach his side. His clothes were already growing damp, after all.

"I'll be just ahead. Hurry along!"

After calling this out, Yi Shuyuan strode forward. He soon passed the rock wall and turned inward, only to pause in surprise.

There was actually a tea shelter beneath the ancient pine. Delight immediately appeared on his face, and he hurried toward it, but his steps soon slowed.

Did many travelers pass through a place like this? Why would there be a tea shelter here?

A spirit? A monster? The mountain god? Or really just a tea shelter?

While Yi Shuyuan stood hesitating in a daze, the three scholars behind him finally rounded the rock wall after all their hurried scrambling.

"Good sir, we finally caught up with you!"

As soon as these words were spoken, one of the three noticed the tea shelter, and delight spread across his face.

"Oh, there's a tea shelter here!" "There really is!"

"So there is! Haha, we've found somewhere to shelter!"

"Come on, come on! Let's hurry over!"

The three hurried toward it, but halfway there, they noticed Yi Shuyuan had not moved, and their own steps involuntarily slowed.

"Good sir, why aren't you going to the tea shelter?" "Yes, could it be..."

The three scholars were no fools, and they immediately sensed something amiss. Caught in a sudden rain in these wild, deserted mountains, they had come upon a tea shelter appearing out of swirling mist. It was indeed rather eerie.

And so a comical scene unfolded: four people stood in two groups a dozen or so paces outside the tea shelter, letting the drizzle fall on them, yet not daring to enter and escape the rain.

Heat billowed from the stove inside the shelter. The rising steam mingled with the surrounding mist, lending the scene an unreal quality.

An old man seemed to have just finished working at the stove. Carrying a kettle, he slowly walked outward, then turned his head and caught sight of the four people outside. He set the kettle beside the counter and asked in puzzlement,

"Honored guests, it's raining in the mountains. Why not come into the tea shelter for a while?"

After repeated hesitation, Yi Shuyuan finally steeled himself and walked forward. If this really was some powerful, uncanny evil creature, it could simply pounce on them. Why bother with all this fuss? At worst, he would refuse to drink the tea.

Showing fear at a time like this was unwise. Yi Shuyuan did not think turning around and fleeing was the best course.

Seeing Yi Shuyuan move, the three scholars hesitated briefly, then followed him into the tea shelter. Not long after the four entered, the rain outside intensified with a rushing patter.

Yi Shuyuan merely stood inside holding his things, examining every part of the shelter and keeping his attention on the old man throughout. The three scholars followed his example, not daring to sit either, and edged over to exchange courtesies.

"Thank you for showing us the way just now, good sir. May we ask who you..."

"There's no hurry for introductions."

Yi Shuyuan waved a hand and spoke quietly. He did not know whether there were any taboos involved, but in any case, he did not wish to disclose his name, address, or other particulars at a time like this. Hearing his serious tone, the three dared say no more and merely watched the old man warily.

Meanwhile, Yi Shuyuan quickly checked his bundle. Only the cloth had caught the drizzle; the cakes inside were fine.

Seeing their reactions, the old man smiled and shook his head, then carried the kettle toward the nearest table.

"I set up this tea shelter to offer travelers a little convenience from time to time. I mean no harm. If you four do not mind, try some Pine Mist Tea I prepared myself, and drive the chill from your bodies."

Pine Mist Tea... A flash of insight suddenly stirred within Yi Shuyuan. He slowly raised his head. Beyond the shelter's eaves, the ancient pine stood tall beneath its spreading canopy of green.

At that moment, Yi Shuyuan felt as though the spirit in his eyes had wandered outside his body. In a trance, the tea shelter around him seemed like shadow and mist. All he saw that possessed true substance was the towering ancient pine, along with wafts of tea fragrance that refreshed the heart and soul.

This tea shelter was conjured! Only the ancient pine was keeping off the rain! But the tea was real, and beneficial rather than harmful!

Yi Shuyuan did not know how he had seen through it. Taking this together with all his earlier experiences, he knew only that his mind was clear at this moment. Perhaps he, Yi Shuyuan, was not entirely an ordinary person either!