Over the past few days, Shi Xuan had made inquiries throughout Chuzhou City. Apart from learning that there was a rather famous monk temple on Tongxuan Mountain, he had only found out that the mountain held many wild beasts. People often spoke of travelers getting lost in the mountains and being devoured by beasts. As for what kinds of beasts there were, the reports he gathered were a mixed bag: some said wolf packs, some wild dogs, some tigers, and some even claimed there was a monster with two heads and fangs standing thick as a forest in its mouth.
At that moment, Shi Xuan heard the scholar mention Tongxuan Mountain. With the thought that something was better than nothing, he stood nearby, observing the scholar and listening to his muttering.
Ding Mingde pondered for a moment. Seeing as he had already begun drooling at the sight of the cold steamed bun, he said to it, "Once I reach Tongxuan Mountain tomorrow, there'll be food. For now, I'll eat half. Mm, I'll save the other half for the road tomorrow. Tomorrow there'll be chicken, duck, fish, and meat. Tomorrow there'll be chicken, duck, fish, and meat. Ding Mingde, hold on!"
He picked up the bun and carefully split it in two. Taking one half, he closed his eyes and slowly put it into his mouth, murmuring, "This is chicken. This is chicken." He took a bite, found it cold and hard as iron, and hurriedly changed his words. "This is ribs. This is ribs..."
Though the cold bun was hard and unpalatable, Ding Mingde still finished it in two or three bites. He stared wistfully at the remaining half for quite some time, torn with indecision. Only when he saw the waiter returning did he grit his teeth, squeeze his eyes shut, swiftly wrap it in oiled paper, then shake his head and recite, "When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility upon this man, it must first torment his will, weary his muscles and bones, and starve his body and flesh, starve his body and flesh, starve his body and flesh... Once I get to the communal sleeping quarters, I'll rest at once."
The waiter came over with the travel permit. "Sir, your travel permit. Please follow me to the communal sleeping quarters."
After considering it, Shi Xuan stepped forward and interjected, "Brother, judging by your attire, you seem to be a scholar traveling abroad in pursuit of learning as well. May I ask your honored surname and given name?" Shi Xuan had come to gather information. Afraid that this somewhat pedantic-looking scholar might dislike Daoist priests and their kind, he disguised himself as a traveling scholar and came over to exchange pleasantries. As for his Daoist robe, because the Son of Heaven revered Daoism, many scholars and literary men liked to wear Daoist robes in their daily lives.
Ding Mingde saw that Shi Xuan wore a Daoist robe, yet carried himself with unusual elegance. At a glance, he was clearly a well-read man, and Ding Mingde immediately took a liking to him. Though he remembered his cousin's warning not to speak with strangers, he still answered cautiously, "My surname is Ding, my given name Mingde. I have not yet entered the academy and have no courtesy name. May I ask your honored surname? Are you also a scholar traveling abroad?" He intended to exchange a few casual words before taking his leave for the communal sleeping quarters. His cousin had been right: when traveling abroad, one had to be cautious in all things. He had suffered quite a few losses before.
"My surname is Shi, and my given name is Xuan. My courtesy name is Zi Ang. I am from Yecheng. After becoming a Xiucai Scholar, I came to this southern land where literary culture flourishes to travel and study. Just now, I saw that Brother Ding possessed a refined air. You are clearly a talented man steeped in books, so I could not restrain myself from coming over to make your acquaintance." Shi Xuan casually made up a famous northern city and borrowed an ancient man's courtesy name for himself. In any case, he was not afraid that this scholar would investigate. After today, they would likely never meet again.
Upon hearing that Shi Xuan had become a Xiucai Scholar at such a young age, Ding Mingde plainly showed a mixture of admiration and inferiority. Then Shi Xuan's flattering words secretly delighted him. "You flatter me, you flatter me. I have studied for more than ten years. Though I have always thought highly of myself, when I last took the Tong Sheng Exam, I still fell just short. Unlike Brother Shi, who became a Xiucai Scholar at such a young age, you are the truly great talent."
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Shi Xuan invited Ding Mingde to dinner. The moment Ding Mingde heard the word "dinner," he felt as though he could hear his stomach rumbling. Words of refusal rose to his lips several times, only to be swallowed back down by his hungry stomach. His original intention of chatting briefly before returning to the communal sleeping quarters was forgotten without a trace, while his cousin's warning not to associate with strangers was flung beyond the ninth heaven.
Seeing that Ding Mingde had no intention of refusing, Shi Xuan had the waiter lead them to an empty table in a secluded corner. He ordered several dishes of lavish fish and meat. Just as he was about to chat with Ding Mingde and draw out some information, he suddenly felt someone staring at him with a vicious gaze. An ordinary gaze alone would not have alerted even a martial arts master, but Shi Xuan's senses as a daoist priest were far keener than ordinary people could imagine. Thus, he immediately noticed that the gaze came from a man in a conical hat who had entered the inn after Ding Mingde.
Though Shi Xuan had discovered someone watching in their direction and inwardly raised his guard, his expression remained unchanged as he casually chatted with Ding Mingde about scholarly matters. Shi Xuan had lived in an age of exploding knowledge in his previous life and possessed some understanding of ancient learning. In this society resembling ancient China, saying a few simple things posed no problem. Naturally, if they discussed the subject in depth, he would certainly reveal his shortcomings. Therefore, Shi Xuan skillfully guided the conversation, speaking little and asking more, allowing Ding Mingde to talk freely. Though Shi Xuan's knowledge of classical texts was not deep, he could still tell that Ding Mingde studied far too rigidly. No wonder he had yet to become a Xiucai Scholar.
After chatting for a while, the waiter began bringing up the dishes one after another. Seeing that Ding Mingde's eyes looked ready to fly into the food, Shi Xuan smiled and invited him to eat.
At first, Ding Mingde still cared about his image, taking only small portions at a time and chewing slowly. But after tasting food he had not enjoyed for so long, before long he began stuffing down mouthful after mouthful, the corners of his lips covered in grease.
Seizing the opportunity, Shi Xuan asked as if mentioning it casually, "May I ask what brings Brother Ding to Chuzhou City?"
It took Ding Mingde a while to realize Shi Xuan was asking him. Gnawing on a chicken leg, he answered indistinctly, "Brother Zi'ang, you don't know this, but I come from a small rural place on the border between Chuzhou and Mingzhou. My family was poor from childhood, and my parents both passed away several years ago. Only a few meager plots of farmland remain at home, hardly enough to support my studies." After swallowing several mouthfuls of meat, he continued, "Moreover, since I have not entered the academy, I cannot be exempted from corvee labor. Life has been very difficult, and I often have to rely on relatives for assistance. Some time ago, after my cousin returned from Chuzhou City, he came to find me in the middle of the night. He said that a large landowner in a village on Tongxuan Mountain wanted to hire a Tutor for his daughters, to teach them some basic learning. Because it is up in the mountains and the teaching is for women, scholars with official qualifications are unwilling to go. My cousin happened to know that family's Head Steward, so he recommended me. The Head Steward said that as long as I was not one of those shallowly learned people, I would surely be accepted."
At this point, Ding Mingde set down his chopsticks and said animatedly, "The Sage said, 'In teaching, there should be no distinction of kind.' Besides, I would only be teaching women the basic principles of conducting themselves in the world. I quite approve of that. And after becoming a Tutor, aside from teaching every afternoon, I can arrange the rest of my time as I please. Ha ha, food every day and free time to study—when the Tong Sheng Exam comes a year and a half from now, I'll have a great chance of passing it."
Shi Xuan nodded in agreement. "With Brother Ding's talents, if you need not toil day and night over food and can study in peace, your achievements will surely be beyond measure. May I ask which village Brother Ding is going to? I happen to be visiting Tongxuan Mountain tomorrow, so I could accompany you there along the way."
"My cousin said it is called Shuanghu Village. The place is very remote and difficult to find, but tomorrow the Head Steward will wait for me at Yuhua Pavilion, not far into the mountain, and then lead me there. If Brother Zi'ang is in the mood for sightseeing, you can come have a look at this village as well. I hear it is a place with the air of a paradise beyond the world." After this short time together, Ding Mingde had already regarded Shi Xuan as a close friend and began addressing him by his courtesy name.
Despite all his days of inquiries, Shi Xuan truly had never heard of Shuanghu Village. Since he was searching for traces of the Daoist Sect, he could not overlook such remote places amid famous mountains and great rivers. He readily said, "That suits me perfectly. Brother Ding truly is my kindred spirit, knowing that I love visiting famous mountains, especially places with the air of a paradise beyond the world. But why is your cousin not accompanying you?"
"My cousin is a traveling merchant and spends all year rushing about outside. He did not come with me this time, but he said he would finish his business soon and then come to Tongxuan Mountain to meet up with me." Ding Mingde appeared deeply grateful to his cousin.
Shi Xuan smiled. "I heard earlier that this is Brother Ding's first time traveling abroad. Who would have thought that on your first journey, you would venture forth alone with a solitary sword? You truly have the bearing of us scholars traveling a thousand li with swords at our sides in pursuit of learning."
"Not at all, not at all. This sword of mine is merely for show. It is actually made of wood, only meant to frighten off petty villains on the road." Ding Mingde was quite proud of his method. "Still, after traveling all this way, I finally understand the countless hardships of being away from home. Fortunately, I have turned peril into safety every time."
Shi Xuan questioned Ding Mingde in detail about the various dangers and hardships he had encountered along the road. According to Ding Mingde, this time he had truly been blessed by Heaven. For instance, after he was drugged unconscious at a black inn, the shopkeeper and attendants unexpectedly fell into internal conflict and all perished together. Or when someone came to strike up a conversation in hopes of tricking him out of his money, their scheme somehow exposed itself, and they were caught red-handed by constables. Or when he encountered river bandits, their boat struck a reef and sank. Through all such incidents, Ding Mingde had reached Chuzhou City without suffering harm despite many frights.
Though Ding Mingde believed his lucky star shone brightly over him, Shi Xuan did not see it that way. Once was coincidence; twice or three times meant there was a problem. However, he only had Ding Mingde's side of the story and could not deduce what the issue was. He could only secretly heighten his vigilance. Tomorrow's journey with Ding Mingde to Tongxuan Mountain could not be taken lightly.
Shi Xuan probed a few more times and found that Ding Mingde knew virtually nothing about Shuanghu Village, responding with a shake of his head to every question. As for Tongxuan Mountain, he knew even less than Shi Xuan did. Only then did Shi Xuan stop and say, "Brother Ding, we hit it off at first sight. Why not stay in my courtyard tonight? There are still two vacant side rooms there."
Ding Mingde already regarded Shi Xuan as a friend. He immediately smiled and said, "Respectfully, I shall accept rather than decline. Tonight, I can stay up by candlelight and talk through the night with Brother Zi'ang. Nothing could be more delightful."
Before you continue