Beyond Our Fathoming

By the time Yi Shuyuan emerged from the City God Temple, more than two hours had passed.

When he arrived, two Day Patrol Officers had been waiting at the temple gates. When he left, Xiang Changqing, the City God of Yuanjiang County, escorted him out in person. The two talked as they walked, continuing all the way to the gates.

"That will do, Elder Xiang. Please don't trouble yourself to see me any farther. My thanks to everyone in Yuanjiang County for clearing up my doubts and helping me devise a plan today. I am deeply grateful!"

Yi Shuyuan offered his sincere thanks, cupping his hands and bowing to Xiang Changqing. The latter did not dare neglect the courtesy and promptly returned his bow.

"You are too kind, Mr. Yi. Should anything arise, you may come here to find me at any time!"

"Certainly! Then I shall take my leave for today!"

With that, Yi Shuyuan lowered his hands and gradually walked away under the old City God Xiang Changqing's gaze.

Watching Yi Shuyuan's figure disappear down the street, Xiang Changqing frowned slightly, then slowly relaxed his brow. This man truly was a mystery.

Even at the end, Xiang Changqing had never managed to ask why Yi Shuyuan had come to the Yi family to become this particular Yi Shuyuan. Perhaps there really was some deeper purpose. If the man would not speak of it, it was best not to raise the matter rashly.

With that thought, Xiang Changqing glanced toward Broad South Mountain. After some consideration, he decided to visit Huang Hongchuan that evening. Only after settling on this did he turn back toward the temple, though before stepping through its gates, he looked up at the Drunken Guest Pavilion.

By now, the sun was well up, and the street outside the City God Temple was bustling. More worshippers had also begun to fill the temple.

In a private room at the Drunken Guest Pavilion, last night's food and wine had long since been cleared away, and someone had carried the hungover friend to an inn. Some light porridge and dishes had been added to the table, however, because Chu Hang was still there.

Chu Hang had waited for more than two hours, nearly exhausting his patience, when he actually saw Yi Shuyuan emerge from the temple. After watching him bid farewell to an old man, Chu Hang found his attention drawn instinctively to that elder, wondering who he might be.

Unexpectedly, the old man suddenly looked up toward him. Startled and guilty, Chu Hang hastily crouched below the window. When he raised his head again, the man was already gone.

After considerable hesitation, Chu Hang paid his bill and returned to the City God Temple. He bought another three sticks of incense and entered with the other worshippers. This time, he watched the other visitors closely while also frequently studying the statues in the various halls, a certain suspicion forming in his mind.

At last, Chu Hang returned to the City God Hall. Upon entering, he instinctively looked up at the City God's statue. He felt as though an electric current had passed through him, a tingling sensation shooting from his heels straight to the crown of his head.

Naturally, Chu Hang had not seen the old man's features clearly, but his attire and bearing bore an uncanny resemblance to the City God's statue. The only thing missing had been that conspicuous gauze-winged crown.

Chu Hang swallowed, bowed repeatedly to the City God's statue with heartfelt sincerity, then planted his incense and immediately left. The shock this discovery had dealt him was simply too great.

There was far more to that Mr. Yi than merely being able to see Ghosts and Gods!

At the same time, excitement rose in Chu Hang's heart. Had he finally encountered an expert with genuine abilities?

At a roadside wonton stall, Yi Shuyuan ate a steamed bun with wonton broth while watching Chu Hang pass by. Judging by the way Chu Hang kept rising onto his toes to peer ahead, he probably thought Yi Shuyuan was somewhere in that direction.

Yi Shuyuan smiled freely, with no intention whatsoever of calling out to Chu Hang. In Wu Minggao's assessment, this fellow was an absolute problem child.

Swallowing the bun in his mouth, Yi Shuyuan took a sip of wonton broth, then gazed at the clear soup without a single wonton in it and sank into thought. Steam rose little by little like drifting smoke. Faintly, the reflection on the soup's surface seemed to shift with his thoughts, growing hazy and confused.

"Phew..."

Yi Shuyuan blew on the steam, sending ripples across the clear broth, then brought it to his lips for another sip and smacked his lips, tasting it.

"Sir, could you add a little more salt to this broth?"

The man running the stall glanced toward Yi Shuyuan and pretended not to hear. Yi Shuyuan did not mind and said nothing more. He finished his bun and broth, left his money, and departed.

As the stallholder collected the single copper coin from the table, he muttered to himself.

"You get all sorts. Buys one bun, asks for a bowl of broth, then complains it's bland."

Up ahead, Yi Shuyuan acted as though he had heard nothing and strode toward the County Office. As he walked, a smile suddenly appeared on his face again. Had his skin grown thicker, or had entering the Immortal Dao changed his outlook? Perhaps a little of both!

Perhaps because Wawa's situation, troublesome though it was, at least showed some promise now, Yi Shuyuan was clearly in good spirits. A faint smile remained on his face as he headed back.

While he was walking down the street, a vendor's cry caught his attention.

"Fans for sale! Fans for sale! Round fans, folding fans, palm-leaf fans! The weather will turn hot before long! Come take a look, everyone passing by!"

Fans?

Something stirred in Yi Shuyuan's heart, and he approached the roadside vendor. Seeing a customer coming, the vendor greeted him enthusiastically.

"Ah, young master, have a look at these fans! We have fine folding fans here. Look at this one: red sourwood ribs, a leaf of specially made Xuan Paper, and calligraphy and painting by a famous master. Absolutely the first choice for scholars and gentlemen of refinement!"

Yi Shuyuan picked up the fan, sniffed it, and slowly opened it. Its workmanship was passable, but the claim about a famous master's calligraphy and painting was plainly an exaggeration. At best, the writing was reasonably neat and the painting reasonably presentable.

"Er, take a look at this one instead. Sturdy bamboo ribs and a lacquered paper leaf. Solid, simple, and elegant!"

The vendor's descriptions were vivid and assured.

Yi Shuyuan picked up the fan, turned it over in his hands to examine it, then opened it. A few black scraps actually fell from its pitch-black paper leaf, and white flecks appeared amid the black.

The vendor hurriedly picked up a fan without a paper leaf.

"This one is made of overlapping fragrant wooden slats. Exquisite workmanship, with a lingering fragrance in every breeze! Perfect for yourself or as a gift for a talented lady you admire! Oh, and if it's a gift for a beauty, you might also look at these round fans!"

This fan had no paper leaf, consisting entirely of thin wooden slats. It was quite compact, too, but its fragrance smelled more like face powder.

"Young master, has any of them caught your fancy?"

Yi Shuyuan set down the little folding fan and shook his head. He thought all these fans were decent, yet all seemed to lack something.

"I haven't seen one I wish to buy yet."

"Well, what sort of fan would you like, sir? I could find one for you next time!"

Yi Shuyuan half closed his eyes, a glimmer flickering within them. As he pondered, the vague outline of a fan took shape in his mind, but he could not describe it. He could only shake his head again.

"I can't put it into words..."

"Well..."

The vendor was at a loss for words. He had wasted so much breath. Had this plainly dressed man not possessed such an extraordinary bearing, he certainly would not have shown him a pleasant face.

Yi Shuyuan also knew he had wasted the man's time, so he picked up the first fan and asked.

"How much is this one?"

The stallholder immediately smiled.

"You have a fine eye, sir. I can tell you're a gentleman who knows and appreciates fans. This red sourwood fan is just two hundred copper coins."

Before the stallholder had even finished, Yi Shuyuan had already put the fan down.

"I still think the weather is rather cool and unsuitable for using a fan. Please forgive me!"

Yi Shuyuan apologized, turned, and left. What a joke. Ten or twenty copper coins, and I could just about buy one to support him. But two hundred? Forget it. It wasn't what I wanted anyway.

As he walked away, the fan seller's smile froze on his face. It did not have to be two hundred! He could have bargained-

As the sky darkened and thin streaks of sunset lingered, a visitor arrived outside the Mountain God Temple on Broad South Mountain whom Huang Hongchuan had never expected. He immediately manifested and strode out of the temple.

"City God Xiang?"

The figure outside was none other than the City God of Yuanjiang County. Strictly speaking, slightly less than half of Broad South Mountain lay within Yuanjiang County, but these two great Earth Deities each tended to their own affairs. Even their subordinate spirits and mountain creatures might not meet once in a hundred years, let alone pay a personal visit.

At that moment, the City God was cupping his hands toward Huang Hongchuan while also surveying the damaged Mountain God Temple. Not only was there a great hole in its roof, but half the statue had been scorched black by a lightning strike. This Mountain God took his divine office far too lightly.

"Elder Huang! Your Mountain God Temple seems to have suffered a terrible calamity!"

Hearing the faintly teasing note in the City God's words, Huang Hongchuan sighed.

"Ah, it's a long story. Please, come inside!"

After returning the greeting, Huang Hongchuan invited Xiang Changqing in. His Mountain God Temple had never been as imposing as the City God Temple, and now it looked entirely like a ruined shrine. Neither of them truly cared about that, however. They had barely entered when Xiang Changqing spoke.

"Do you know why I have come, Elder Huang?"

By now, Huang Hongchuan had roughly guessed the reason.

"Mr. Yi must have visited you, City God Xiang?"

The old City God nodded.

"Indeed. Mr. Yi discussed the matter of that mountain stone's rebirth with me. But that is not what I wish to speak of. May I ask whether you know the true origins of this expert of the Immortal Dao?"

Huang Hongchuan smiled.

"An expert he certainly is. As for his origins, how could you not know, Lord City God? Mr. Yi's parents' graves are still on the mountain. He belongs to the Yi family of West River Village."

"Heh!"

Huang Hongchuan frowned.

"Why do you laugh, City God Xiang?"

The old City God smiled and shook his head.

"I thought you knew Mr. Yi's origins. It turns out you don't know either."

"What do you mean?"

Huang Hongchuan immediately questioned him, while the old City God looked out at the mountain scenery beyond the temple.

"There is no mortal named Yi Shuyuan in West River Village. He doesn't even exist in the Book of Life and Death!"

Huang Hongchuan's eyes widened at once, his face full of disbelief. Yet when he recalled everything about Yi Shuyuan, none of it seemed false. For a moment, his thoughts fell into confusion.

"But he doesn't even know some of the fundamentals of the Immortal Dao..."

The old City God looked at Huang Hongchuan.

"Does he truly not know? While Mr. Yi cultivated quietly in the Library of the Yuanjiang County Office, he drew upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and the radiance of the sun and moon throughout our county town. If I hadn't known he was there, I would have thought some great demon had arrived!"

"Mr. Yi displayed extraordinary qualities the moment he entered the Dao. Perhaps he possesses some innate marvel. Speaking with him, one can feel the sincerity of his heart."

Only now did Huang Hongchuan begin to grasp what he had missed. He looked at Xiang Changqing, whose face was equally grave.

"And I dare say that Mr. Yi's heart rests in nature and his aspirations lie in carefree freedom. He is undoubtedly an upright cultivator who possesses the Dao!"

"Of course!"

Having interacted with Yi Shuyuan, they could naturally discern something from his manner and speech. There could be no mistake that he was an upright cultivator. The City God had come seeking answers, however, only to find his doubts deepening. The two discussed the matter at length, touching upon such things as the memories of West River Village's people and ghosts.

At that moment, a possibility suddenly occurred to Huang Hongchuan. His heart jolted, and a sensation like an electric current made him tremble slightly. He looked at the City God, who was frowning in thought.

"City God Xiang, tell me... could it be that Mr. Yi truly is Yi Sheng's son and Yi Baokang's elder brother? That he was a man of West River Village all along?"

"Absolutely impossible. I might be wrong, but could the Book of Life and Death..."

The City God's words stopped abruptly. He seemed to understand what the Mountain God meant. He looked at the strange expression on Huang Hongchuan's face, and the latter nodded slightly.

"If... if the Book of Life and Death cannot contain him..."

"Yi Shuyuan once said that his aspirations lay in the Mortal World, his heart carefree. He also said his madness was like a dream, like an illusion, and the time before and after that dream seemed like a lifetime. When he sought entry into the Dao, heaven came to bar his way. Or perhaps he had already been within the Immortal Dao all along..."

Recalling his various encounters with Yi Shuyuan, Huang Hongchuan murmured these words.

"Was he roaming at play through the Mortal World? Or did he forget everything in a dream? Or was it..."

The old City God's imagination also ran wild at that moment.

The two gods remained silent for a long time.

"Ah, let's not dwell on it! Let's go look at that mountain stone. With your eye as a God of the Netherworld, see whether it has any hope at all."

Huang Hongchuan spoke with some wistfulness. No amount of further speculation would bring the two of them an answer.

The City God nodded and followed the Mountain God to the stream, his feelings tangled and tinged with excitement.

When the two gods reached the stream and watched its trickling waters fall upon the mountain stone, City God Xiang examined it for a long time before finally sighing in wonder.

"This ink's form does not disperse, nor does its color fade. Without a vast, boundless resonance, it could never endure. It lies beyond our fathoming!"

The City God was speaking of the ink on the stone, not Wawa's vitality, for that needed no further comment. In such a short time, tiny glimmers of spiritual light, almost too fine to see, had actually begun to emerge within the ink's resonance on the stone bathed by the spring water.

Huang Hongchuan smiled, no longer as troubled as before.

"Isn't it a good thing for heaven and earth to have one more upright expert of such unfathomable wonders?"

Understanding dawned on Xiang Changqing, and he looked at Huang Hongchuan.

"One remark from you has awakened this dreamer, Elder Huang. Indeed, the flourishing of the righteous path is a blessing for all living beings. Why dig down to the roots and invite someone's displeasure?"