Ji Bochang and Ji Ba had been watching Chen Xun's expression with unease. For some reason, seeing his reaction made them breathe a sigh of relief.
"Yes, with something so strange happening, I tossed and turned last night. I couldn't sleep a wink."
Ji Bochang sighed.
Chen Xun smiled. "Could the government offices be haunted?"
Ji Ba's heart immediately trembled with fear. He had said the same thing last night, and the Town Lord had been rather angry.
With Chen Xun saying this, he might well anger the Town Lord again.
Yet Ji Bochang's next words and attitude left Ji Ba utterly dumbfounded.
"Immortals do exist in this world. Though their whereabouts are elusive, and mortals of flesh and blood like us rarely get to see one, they certainly exist. Since there are Immortals, it's only natural for ghosts to exist too. Today, I'll invite a Taoist to perform some rites at the offices. Ah."
Ji Bochang spoke helplessly.
Ji Ba had expected Ji Bochang to be angry. Little did he know that, for some inexplicable reason, Ji Bochang found it difficult to feel angry with Chen Xun, even subconsciously.
Chen Xun nodded, indicating that this approach would work.
Ji Bochang continued, "It's just that my conscience troubles me. Those three prisoners had committed offenses, but none deserved death. Now they've died in the Yamen's prison. Ah."
Chen Xun smiled without saying anything.
Seeing this, Ji Bochang rose. "Then we'll leave it at that. I came to see you today simply to have someone to talk to, to find a little comfort. Chen Xun, I've already forbidden anyone from speaking of this matter. Don't spread word of it either."
Chen Xun nodded. "All right."
Then Chen Xun escorted Ji Bochang and Ji Ba outside the courtyard and quietly watched them disappear into the distance.
How could Chen Xun fail to realize that Ji Bochang and Ji Ba had not truly come looking for someone to talk to? They had come to sound him out.
To put it plainly, both men had harbored suspicions about him.
But it had been no more than a sliver of suspicion. After all, in Ji Bochang's and Ji Ba's eyes, he was merely an ordinary townsman. He could not have done such a thing-or rather, he could not possibly have been capable of it.
Without a doubt, this case would remain an unsolved mystery for a long time to come.
"Brother Chen, who came just now?"
Li Yuan emerged from the house and asked curiously.
Chen Xun turned around and smiled. "No one in particular."
"Oh." Li Yuan nodded obediently.
At lunch.
Chen Xun suddenly said, "Grandpa Li, I'll be leaving Little River Town this afternoon. You won't need to prepare dinner for me."
Li Yuan's chopsticks froze as she reached for some food, then she silently continued.
Old Li, however, looked up at Chen Xun in astonishment, his eyes full of the question: So suddenly?
Old Li said anxiously, "Chen Xun, why don't you stay a few more days?"
Chen Xun said, "No, I'd be causing you too much trouble."
Old Li's eyes widened. "Nonsense! What trouble could there possibly be?"
Chen Xun shook his head and smiled. "Grandpa Li, there's no need to persuade me to stay. I've already made up my mind."
For Chen Xun, every spell of lucidity after three years of madness was precious and hard-won. He did not want to waste it. He only wanted to travel and see what he could while his mind was clear.
During his madness, Chen Xun truly became rootless duckweed, drifting wherever the currents carried him.
Besides, he would probably descend into madness again before long, and that really would cause trouble for Old Li's household.
Old Li's lips moved, and he said quietly, "Then... all right."
In truth, Old Li hated to see him go. During their time together, he had long since come to regard Chen Xun as part of the family.
Li Yuan silently ate her rice and said softly, "Brother Chen, what time will you leave this afternoon? Grandpa and I will see you off."
Chen Xun smiled faintly. "Sometime between one and three."
"All right."
The rest of lunch was rather subdued, without their usual cheerful chatter and laughter.
Yet none of this stirred much within Chen Xun.
Over the years, he had already experienced countless partings, including those of life and death.
Soon, the appointed hour arrived.
With Old Li and Li Yuan seeing him off, Chen Xun walked all the way out of Little River Town.
Chen Xun turned around, looked at Old Li and Li Yuan, and smiled. "Grandpa Li, Yuan-Yuan, this is far enough."
Chen Xun carried a bundle on his back. Inside were clothes Li Yuan had bought especially to fit him. Unable to prevail against her insistence, he had no choice but to take them.
Old Li tapped his pipe and sighed. "Chen Xun, take care of yourself out there. Your Grandpa Li doesn't have much worth offering, but here's a bag of flatbreads. Take them to eat on the road."
As he spoke, he untied the cloth bag at his waist and held it out to Chen Xun.
Something flickered in Chen Xun's eyes. He accepted the bag and hefted it, then said, "Grandpa Li, this bag of flatbreads is a little heavy... are there really only flatbreads inside?"
Old Li froze and began to stammer.
Chen Xun smiled, opened the cloth bag, and took out a money pouch.
It was precisely the money from selling the Black Tiger that Chen Xun had given Old Li that day.
Chen Xun offered it back to Old Li and said helplessly, "It really isn't much money. Grandpa Li, please don't refuse it again."
When Old Li would not take it, Chen Xun pressed it into his hand and could only say, "Just consider it money you're keeping for me. That should be all right, shouldn't it?"
Seeing that Old Li still wanted to hand the money pouch back,
Chen Xun startled, turned around, and walked away at a brisk pace.
Old Li's feet immediately stopped. Watching Chen Xun's retreating back, he tightened his grip on the money pouch and smiled bitterly.
Li Yuan, who had remained silent all this time, saw Chen Xun leave without another word, and her vision instantly blurred. She took a few steps forward and called loudly, "Brother Chen, may fair winds carry you all the way!"
The retreating figure raised a hand and waved, growing ever more distant.
Soon, he vanished among the hills and fields brimming with spring.
Old Li and Li Yuan stood outside the town for a long while before turning and slowly walking back.
Old Li turned to look at his downcast granddaughter and sighed. "Yuan-Yuan, Grandpa realized long ago that your Brother Chen might not be an ordinary person."
Li Yuan paused, then silently nodded. How could she not have noticed it too?
It had been one thing when Brother Chen was mad, but after he returned to normal, his appearance and bearing, his speech and behavior-all surpassed those of ordinary people by far.
Even setting everything else aside, his composure before the Town Lord, neither servile nor arrogant, was beyond what an ordinary person could manage.
After returning home, Old Li opened the money pouch in front of Li Yuan.
When he saw the money inside, he froze on the spot.
Curious, Li Yuan leaned closer too. The next instant, her eyes widened, and she covered her little mouth in shock.
Gold, gold coins... the entire pouch was full of gold coins!
Looking closely, there were about a hundred of them!
Old Li came to his senses and blinked his strained eyes, then put away the money pouch and hurried outside!
By the time Old Li reached the outskirts of town, panting for breath, Chen Xun was nowhere to be seen in the vast expanse of heaven and earth.
Exhausted, Old Li sank onto the ground. After a while, tears welled in his aged eyes. Clutching the money pouch, he murmured,
"Good boy, it wasn't worth that... your Grandpa Li can't accept these hundred gold coins."
Chen Xun's departure seemed to stir scarcely a ripple in Little River Town. Perhaps only after some time had passed would people notice that the scholar named Chen Xun was gone...
Before you continue