A Sweet Burden

Zhou Dekai insisted on asking him to stay, but Mu Bai knew better. How could he not see that the two were stuck together like glue, wishing they could merge into one? What would he stay for?

After Mu Bai returned to the Spirit Taming Sect, he spent his days toiling for the sect in the Pill Hall's Alchemy Chamber. Not only was he worn out and miserable by the end of each day, but once he returned to his cave abode, he had to seize every moment to cultivate. Then there were the dwindling soul crystals in his Soul Bag, and the Three-Legged Crow Cauldron still sitting there with its mouth open, clamoring to be fed. Troubles truly came flooding in all at once. As the saying went, poverty shortened a man's ambitions, and a lean horse grew a shaggy coat.

"Pills... soul crystals... what am I going to do?"

He had already used over half his soul crystals, and Mu Bai had no choice but to worry about them again. He really could go without food, but not without soul crystals. After turning it over and over in his mind, he considered what he owned that might be worth selling. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he remembered a treasure: the white wolf hide coat he had worn across half of Eastern Ridge!

"That's right, third-tier white wolf hide. Surely it should be worth several hundred, even a thousand soul crystals..."

With a source of soul crystals in sight, Mu Bai leaped up in delight, almost as though he could already see a glittering spread before him.

The white wolf hide coat was still at the Qing Mao Residence. Hopefully, those women had not pocketed it and sold it off! After all, they were even more crazed by poverty than Mu Bai.

Mu Bai immediately hurried toward the Qing Mao Residence, feeling somewhat apprehensive. There were hundreds of mouths clamoring to be fed, after all. If they were truly driven mad by poverty, selling his one and only white wolf hide coat would be perfectly normal.

Hurrying into the Qing Mao Residence, he saw the two little ones, Qing Ping and Qing Dai, basking in the sun together. Third Madam also greeted Mu Bai with a smile.

"Have you found some free time today, husband?"

"Yes, I had nothing to do, so I came over for a visit..."

After some time, Mu Bai had grown accustomed to these women calling him husband, so long as those burly men did not call him father.

Mu Bai was very fond of Qing Ping and Qing Dai. Though he had come in a hurry, he had not forgotten to fold a pair of Paper Kites for them. Once placed in the little ones' hands, the Paper Kites came to life, carrying a wisp of Mu Bai's consciousness, just as the clan elder had once lodged his own consciousness in that Wooden Puppet to keep Mu Bai company.

"Third Madam, is anyone staying in the room where I spent the night last time?"

"No. Naturally, we've kept the room you stayed in just as it was, husband."

"That's good, then. Third Madam, look after Qing Ping and Qing Dai here. I'll go inside and rest a little."

Mu Bai reached out and pinched the two little ones' tender cheeks, then walked toward the room with a smile. Once through the door, he found that it had indeed been cleaned until not a speck of dust remained, its windows bright and its furnishings spotless. His white wolf hide coat lay neatly folded at the head of the bed.

"Ah, it looks like I misjudged you..."

Seeing how clean and tidy Qing Mao's women had kept his room, Mu Bai felt warmth well up in his heart.

"Elder Qing Mao, you really had blessings without the life to enjoy them. But this humble fellow-no, this exalted fellow-really can't enjoy them either. Mainly because that isn't to my taste..."

Mu Bai now had a Soul Bag of his own. He put his precious white wolf hide coat inside it, muttering all the while.

"But don't worry. No matter how poor I become, I'll find a way to look after these... two hundred and sixty-seven people of yours!"

Mu Bai's brows knitted as he felt the enormous pressure.

"If your spirit lives on beneath the earth, bless your sons, and your grandsons too, so they have fewer children. Fewer would really be best..."

With the white wolf hide coat retrieved, nothing in the room belonged to him anymore, so Mu Bai did not linger. He opened the door, only to find seven or eight women waiting outside.

"I say, aunties, could you stop appearing and disappearing like ghosts all the time? You gave me quite a fright!"

Mu Bai was still worrying about soul crystals. Caught off guard, how could he withstand the silent scare these seven or eight women gave him?

"Don't fret, husband. We heard from Xi Bazì that money has been very tight for you lately. We go to Spirit Command City to earn a little living ourselves, and we've managed to save some soul crystals, more or less. Just take them to tide you over..."

"Did I hear that right? The sun really has risen in the west..."

Mutter though he might, their words warmed Mu Bai's heart as he heard them. Looking again at the elderly woman before him, well into her eighties or nineties, and Third Madam holding a baby in her arms, he could not stop his eyes from reddening. He truly felt some of the warmth of family.

"No need. How could a grown man use women's soul crystals? Just take good care of yourselves. Life isn't easy for any of you aunties."

"Husband, we don't like hearing that. Since we're one family, we ought to share the same boat and weather these hard times together. How can you speak as though we're outsiders? Don't look down on us women, either."

Mu Bai listened, absorbed. What fine words: to share the same boat and weather hard times together. They truly warmed him to the depths of his heart, lifting his spirits and encouraging him.

"Don't worry, First Madam. I'm not that helpless yet. Besides, I've come through even harder experiences. I know what I'm doing, so rest assured."

"You're right, husband. We've made it through even harder times. Now that we have you holding up the sky for us widows and orphans, what do we have to fear?" First Madam reached out to stop Mu Bai, tugging his sleeve and refusing to let him leave. "We've all discussed it. We'll pool what we have to tide you over first. Once you've established yourself in the Spirit Taming Sect, we can enjoy the good life along with you."

Smiling, First Madam pulled Mu Bai over to sit in the pavilion by the flower beds. Without a word, the women took Embroidered Soul Crystal Bags from their robes one after another. With smiling tugs, they spilled piles of soul crystals onto the stone table. The larger piles held over a hundred, and even the smaller ones held dozens. These were all savings the women had accumulated over a long time.

Mu Bai loved money, but these six or seven glittering piles of soul crystals on the stone table felt especially heavy to him. Only affection could weigh more than soul crystals.

"I have some here too." The wrinkles on First Madam's face unfurled, revealing a proud expression. She took out her soul crystal bag and tipped it onto the stone table, bringing several hundred soul crystals into view. "I don't spend much in my daily life. Keeping them is no use. Putting them to use for you is what's right, husband..."

"First Madam, you've even brought out your coffin money."

Holding Qing Ping, Third Madam teased her with a chuckle.

"I still intend to live a few more years." First Madam gave Third Madam a sidelong glare in feigned anger. "Once things improve, I could even sleep in a crystal coffin, couldn't I?"

When she mentioned the crystal coffin, First Madam looked pleased with herself, her eyes shining, setting everyone laughing.

Seeing so many glittering things on the table, little Qing Ping raised his voice and cried out, reaching with both hands to grab them. Third Madam slapped his little hands to stop him. "Such a little money grubber already! What will you be like when you grow up?"

Qing Ping was unhappy at having his hands slapped and being told to stop, and burst into loud wails. Qing Dai sucked on her little hand and giggled, laughing at him.

"Take all these soul crystals back." Holding back the myriad feelings surging within him, Mu Bai spoke earnestly. "I'm not trying to distance myself from you. It's mainly that I still have a way. If things really get difficult, it won't be too late to tell you then."

Mu Bai firmly refused to accept the soul crystals before him. First Madam also knew that once a man became concerned about saving face, nothing anyone said would work. If they kept insisting, they would only embarrass him and make him lose face.

"Husband, when our husband Qing Mao was alive, he was skilled at making talismans. Although his passing came without any warning, he did leave us some talismans. Take these two Jade Talismans with you. Once you use them, even ordinary elders won't be able to do anything to you. You'll have another means of saving your life."

Oh, so Qing Mao could make talismans! No wonder he had lived in such splendor, able to support such a large family with a lavish hand.

Paper talismans were common, but Jade Talismans were hard to come by. Mu Bai took them and examined them carefully. A small sword was carved into each white jade tablet, vivid and lifelike. Sensing their imposing aura, Mu Bai believed that once activated with soul power, the Sword Qi they released would be far beyond his current ability to withstand.

"Come to think of it, I really do need one or two ways to save my life. But I believe in one principle: in the end, your own strength has to speak for you. I can't rely on Elder Qing Mao's lingering might to protect me for my whole life, can I?"

"Well said, husband. You have ambition. We believe in you!"

"Just you watch. There will be soul crystals, and there will be strength too. With me here, I guarantee you'll have good lives!"

Mu Bai spoke solemnly. Though his face had yet to shed its boyishness, he already possessed a man's boldness and spirit.

"We believe you, husband. You can definitely do it!"

The seven or eight women all nodded in agreement, strengthening Mu Bai's resolve to keep his promise.

Not daring to stay any longer, Mu Bai held back the warmth in his heart and the moisture in his eyes, and headed straight out of the residence.

"Mu Bai, act as a man should, and hold up a sky for these women and children!"

Mu Bai let out a long breath, feeling as though the burden on his shoulders had grown a little heavier. When he felt it with his heart, it was a burden with a little sweetness to it, one he was willing to bear.