Chapter 104

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

Shaowei had also studied medicine under Jiang Fu, but she had no desire to enter the Taiyi Shu.

The Taiyi Shu was inside the Imperial Palace; coming and going on errands would be severely restricted. Moreover, doctors could not participate in divine-shamanic sacrificial matters, and this did not align with the path Shaowei had planned; what she intended to do was remain within this Shen Ci.

Before entering the capital, these shamans all had to register their specialties on the Witchcraft List in advance; what shamans could do fell roughly into two categories: one, being proficient in Wu Medicine; two, being able to perform Divine Sacrifice, Exorcism, and possessing the capacity for Spirit Descent.

The former entered the Taiyi Shu and could advance step by step through medical skill.

The latter stayed to guard the Shen Ci; if they failed to show any exceptional quality for a long time, they could only be ordinary shamans until they grew old.

Furthermore, because the Daoist faith was now more valued, shamanic arts were suppressed; therefore, most of these newly arrived shamans were more willing to go serve in the Taiyi Shu rather than remain in this Shen Ci where it was very difficult to ever get ahead, since the vast majority of them were also well aware that they did not possess any so-called outstanding ability to communicate with Heaven and Earth, and staying would merely waste their years.

The two Wu Nu who shared a house with Shaowei were on the list of those selected for the Taiyi Shu.

Although the Two People were selected, they were still somewhat worried, because they were told they could not bring poisonous things into the palace; even though one of them's spider was actually non-venomous, the official in charge still shook his head and waved his hands repeatedly, indicating there was absolutely no room for accommodation: either leave the things behind, or both the person and the things stay behind.

The spider-raising Wu Nu had been connected with spiders since childhood; her name was Zhan Zhan.

The snake-raising one was named A Yan.

Zhan Zhan and A Yan tried to discuss with Shaowei, wanting to entrust the spider and the Black Snake to her care; the two were extremely earnest, and promised that if they could establish themselves in the Taiyi Shu in the future, they would absolutely not forget "Huali".

Zhan Zhan repeatedly guaranteed her spider was non-venomous, just large in size, actually timid and docile. A Yan guaranteed her snake carried only slight venom, and unless threatened, it would absolutely not easily harm anyone without her command; stepping back ten thousand paces, she would leave Antidote behind.

Seeing Shaowei not speak, the two assumed she was still afraid, after all the other party was the type who kept pretty little birds; the two were about to plead again when they finally heard the other party speak, solemnly: "If they don't behave, I won't be polite either."

Zhan Zhan hurriedly said: "Beating, scolding, punishing — all up to you!"

A Yan also nodded; a meek little shaman like this who just muddles through, even if she turned fierce, what kind of trouble could she possibly stir up?

And they had no other way out anyway; otherwise they could only release them, and who knew how many more days they would survive if that happened.

The Two People felt reluctant in their hearts, secretly deciding that this trip to the Taiyi Shu, they must make a name for themselves; if they gained status and reputation in the future, they could buy a house and settle in Chang'an, and then they could also give their house snake and house spider a place to stay.

The two Wu Nu who had no such surging fighting spirit when they first entered the capital, thus went to the Taiyi Shu with high morale.

And Shaowei, who remained in the Shen Ci to "muddle through", was also not as relaxed as they imagined.

Besides daily cleaning of the Shen Ci, Shaowei spent three consecutive days rehearsing sacrificial rituals and the Wu Nu Dance together with the other shamans.

Accompanied by Drum Sound, Shaowei wore shaman attire and the Divine-Demonic Mask, bells hung at her waist, holding Sacrificial Vessel in hand, positioned at the very rear of the formation, copying mechanically, learning the movements of those veteran shamans at the front, her hands and feet busy beyond disentanglement.

Yu Si Wu's stern Gaze swept over the newly arrived shamans one by one, finally landing on Shaowei.

She was the youngest one, named Huali; the Witchcraft List claimed "innate spiritual aura, as if heaven-sent".

Looking at those movements which, though nimble, were clearly improvised on the spot, a trace of disgust flashed in Yu Si Wu's eyes; she judged this woman was absolutely not someone who had practiced Wu Dance from childhood, neither was she someone who had sincerely served gods and spirits from childhood, so what Spirit Descent qualification could she speak of? Why would a deity favor a half-baked makeshift?

Not only did this woman lack Spirit Descent qualification, she had observed carefully: this batch of other newly arrived shamans likewise did not possess the aptitude for Spirit Descent.

Yu Si Wu's brows were heavy with gloom; she happened to see that Huali jumped a wrong movement, so she strode forward and swung the Bamboo Whip in her hand to strike.

Although Shaowei was busy jingling bells and copying mechanically, she also immediately jumped back nimbly, dodging that Bamboo Whip.

Yu Si Wu was both angry and shocked — she actually dared to dodge!

Four eyes met across the masks for an instant; Shaowei desperately suppressed the instinctive anger that surged up.

Yu Si Wu swung the whip again; this time Shaowei did not dodge, her forearm took the blow, and she lowered her eyes to conceal her unyielding expression.

The Drum Sound stopped, and the movements of all the shamans also stopped.

All around only Yu Si Wu's deep and severe admonishment was heard: "The Second Month Second Day Sacrificial Ceremony is imminent; following past custom, the Emperor will lead the Ministers to the Shen Ci in person to observe the Nuo Ritual and light the God Lamp! If you dare to slack off, and any mishap occurs then, rules and rites will not spare you lightly, and the deities in the Shrine will also mete out punishment!"

As Yu Si Wu spoke, her gaze swept over Shaowei and the similarly newly arrived group of shamans: "I don't care who recommended you; anyone who dares to ruin the Sacrificial Ceremony, I will definitely expel from the Shen Ci as early as possible, better than letting them desecrate the deities here, harming others and themselves!"

Everyone fearfully lowered their heads and answered "Yes".

Yu Si Wu held the whip and turned away, her face already iron-green.

The Wu Nu following her raised a hand to support one of her arms; after walking a distance, the Wu Nu then softly persuaded: "Master Si Wu, please quell your anger..."

Yu Si Wu pressed her pale thin lips tight, stopped, and said in a low voice: "Three years and another three years, how many more three years can we wait."

She was the Si Wu; her original duty was to attend at the side of the Great Wu God.

The Attendant Shaman has had no master to attend for many years; to speak of it is simply mockery.

She also knew that little shaman just now had no major fault, and was not worth her flying into such a rage; it was that her heart was overly anxious, seeing these new shamans so mediocre, only hating that she could not see the hope of the Shen Ci's former glory reviving.

Now the anger dissipated, leaving only a heart full of disappointment; Yu Si Wu, whose temples already showed a touch of gray, could not help but wonder: could this be the karmic retribution for the Previous Great Wu God assisting King Zhou in tyranny and losing propriety?

Or... is this a sign of the Great Qian National Fortune declining?

The drum music behind them sounded again; Yu Si Wu's mood was heavy; only after a long time did she manage to pull herself out of this negativity; she looked back toward the Divine Platform direction and coldly instructed the Wu Nu at her side: "You go watch; anyone who makes a mistake, no dinner tonight."

"Yes."

Among the victims of this order, Shaowei — who had already made a mistake — was obviously not spared.

Shaowei, unable to receive her meal, returned to the House, lit the Stove, and boiled ten Fresh Eggs for herself.

Shaowei sat Cross-legged before the Stove, waiting for the eggs to cook while recalling everything she had heard today.

Second Month Second Day, the Emperor and Ministers are coming to the Shen Ci to light the God Lamp...

Shaowei's Knees crossed, she pondered seriously, until the Ceramic Jar on the Stove emitted a gurgling rolling boil sound, and the sound of eggs knocking against each other as they jostled.

After waiting a while longer, Shaowei then lifted the jar lid, looking at a jar of cooked eggs, and that severe Wu Nu's voice ordering her not to eat dinner rang in her mind again.

Shaowei, whose expression was rather rebellious and unruly, snorted — she was going to eat.

She was starving, and with this rebellious heart, Shaowei ate with exceptional vigor; this one not yet swallowed, her hand already started peeling another.

Shaowei, having rebelliously finished all ten boiled eggs, cleaned up the eggshells, changed out of her jingling Clothing and Jewelry, bolted the Door from the inside, and then took Zhan Zhan and slipped out through the window, disappearing into the Night.

All the way to that haunted House Small Courtyard, Shaowei could already be called familiar with the route.

Climbing over the wall into the courtyard, he saw Mo Li digging hard at the earth.

Hearing the noise, Mo Li, who had only half his body exposed from the soil pit, raised his head and shouted: "Young Master!"

"Come out quickly!" Shaowei beckoned and called to him.

Mo Li obediently threw down the iron shovel and jumped up at once.

Shaowei took out the oil paper package hidden in her sleeve; before she had fully opened it, Mo Li's nose was already twitching rapidly, and he bent over to lean in.

Inside the oil paper package were several palm-sized crispy lard cakes, and Mo Li's eyes lit up.

After opening it, Shaowei handed it to him: "Here, for you."

Mo Li was overjoyed and reached out to take it, but seeing his hands were covered in dirt, he rubbed them hard on his body, yet they were still dirty, so he simply lowered his head and bit into one cake with his mouth, first putting it into his mouth, then ran off to wash his hands feeling relieved and happy.

After washing his hands, Mo Li squatted in front of the hall to eat the cake; a house slave came out and casually asked Shaowei: "Did you steal this cake from the shrine?"

He had stolen one too, so he recognized it.

"It wasn't stealing," Shaowei corrected as she walked closer. "I had to perform that Nuo dance and clean the divine platform, busy and exhausted all day, and they wouldn't even let me eat anything. Taking some for myself—how is that not reasonable?"

The house slave could only nod silently.

Mo Li ate the cake, and several yellow chicks ran over to peck at the crumbs under his feet.

Shaowei told the house slave about the various news she had recently gathered; the house slave said that after Zhu Zhi was removed from office, he was recuperating at home and had people seeking doctors everywhere.

Shaowei was still bothered that he hadn't died on the way back to the capital, and asked now: "He's lost an arm and no longer has the protection of his identity as Commander of the Brocade Guard—wouldn't he be easier to kill?"

The house slave said: "I went to check; the guards at his mansion are even stricter than before, as if he's very afraid of ghosts knocking on the door. Although the two of us working together could force our way in, we certainly couldn't escape cleanly. Killing Zhu Zhi is not the ultimate goal; Chi Yang is the real problem we need to deal with. If we exposed ourselves just to kill Zhu Zhi, the foundation you haven't yet firmly established in this Chang'an City would be ruined, and future actions would become even more difficult. I know you're anxious, but you can't be too hasty."

"I know," Shaowei said, squatting beside Mo Li and frowning in thought. "Naturally we can't just march in openly. Let me think of a more indirect, clever plan; I must get rid of him as soon as possible."

Her choice of words always had a strange, unadorned quality, yet was exceptionally precise. The house slave nodded: "Mm, understanding how to be indirect is indeed clever."

Mo Li finished the cake and continued digging the earth.

The house slave then said some news related to Chi Yang, scattered bits of everything, including that Chi Yang had recently been guiding the "Heavenly Mechanism" youths at Xian Tai Gong in practicing the Star Observation Method.

Whether useful or not, Shaowei noted down all this news.

Finally, Shaowei stood up and said seemingly carelessly: "By the way, Zhao Shu, I also want you to inquire about news from Lu Hou Fu in the capital."

"Lu Hou Fu?"

"Yes," Shaowei turned to look at him. "You've stolen from there too?"

"..." The house slave shook his head: "Whom in Lu Hou Fu do you want to inquire about?"

Shaowei looked into the courtyard, suddenly raised her foot and walked down the mud-built steps, saying as she went: "... Feng Zhu, the daughter of Lu Hou."

The house slave was stunned, seeing that figure afraid of being questioned, he ultimately didn't investigate further, only asking: "Do you want to abduct her?"

"Of course not!" Shaowei stopped, still not turning back, hurriedly lowering her voice: "I just want to know how she is doing... Remember, don't alarm her."

"Alright, that shouldn't be difficult," the house slave agreed readily. "I'll go inquire about it in the next few days."

Shaowei: "Mm, then I'll go back first."

The house slave reminded: "You haven't taken the things yet."

Shaowei came back to her senses. After a moment, the house slave brought out a basket of storable fried foods: "The dried meat hasn't had time to be dried yet; next time I'll definitely prepare more for you. Always being punished and not allowed to eat is also troublesome."

"It's not like I'm always punished!" Shaowei felt embarrassed and swore: "Don't worry about that. I'm still in hiding now; these miserable days won't last long."

"I know, you've only been gone a few days; this is normal," the house slave soothed her self-esteem, but feared triggering her old habit of rushing headlong, and said again: "Such matters cannot be rushed."

Shaowei, who had her own plans, couldn't get through to him on this point, so she simply said no more, just nodded perfunctorily, took the food basket, said goodbye to Mo Li, and left by climbing over the wall as before.

Passing by that grass bush, she faintly heard a rustling sound enter her ears. Shaowei casually took out a few fried pastries from the basket and threw them over, saying nothing, not stopping for a step, and silently ran into the depths of the night wind.

The night wind at the end of the month in Chang'an City still had the power to howl and rage, occasionally blowing the window lattice to clatter loudly.

Accompanied by the rattling of the window lattice, Zhu Zhi, who had taken medicine and gone to sleep early, suddenly woke from a nightmare. He sat up abruptly, drew the long knife by the bed, barefoot and with disheveled hair, and looked around the room roaring angrily.

"Come out! You demon who plays tricks with ghosts, why won't you show yourself again! Come on!"

He felt the scenery before his eyes contracting and expanding as if breathing; as if in the next moment, that ghostly girl would rush out from those contracting gaps with a knife.

He roared loudly, trying to shock that heart demon, and suddenly swung his knife at a screen embroidered with tigers, hacking the fierce tiger that was supposed to have the effect of guarding the house into pieces.

The guards standing outside the room heard the noise behind them and simply dared not push the door open to look; otherwise they would be hacked to death as well.

When the noise gradually subsided, the sky was already turning white. Coincidentally, a confidant of Zhu Zhi who had returned from afar arrived covered in dust, and the room door was finally opened.

The room was in complete disarray. Zhu Zhi sat by the bed with disheveled hair, raising his sinister eyes to look at the confidant paying his respects.

"Sir, that child has been found!"

Zhu Zhi's pupils suddenly contracted: "Found? That bastard?"

"Yes, Sir!" The confidant, having accomplished the task, answered with extra confidence: "Already on the way back to the capital!"

A sickly joy appeared on Zhu Zhi's face: "Good, finally found that bastard!"

He suddenly asked: "Where is my wet nurse?"

"According to the investigation, she should have died of illness."

"What a pity; I wasn't even able to support her in her old age and see her off at the end," Zhu Zhi sighed strangely, looking toward the direction behind the collapsed and shattered screen: "My wet nurse and I are already mother and son separated by heaven... But fortunately, this father and son can finally reunite."

He couldn't help but let out a low laugh, and then the laugh grew louder and louder, until he burst into loud laughter.

When he laughed himself tired, he fell backward, lying on his back on the bed continuing to laugh, as if he hadn't been so carefree for a long time.

The guards soon cleaned the room. When day broke, two doctors entered nervously carrying medicine boxes.

These two doctors had been forcibly detained by Zhu Zhi at his mansion, and were extremely afraid of his mad style of suddenly getting angry and drawing his knife. In order to end such dangerous days as soon as possible, on this day, the two of them plucked up their courage and presented a proposal to Zhu Zhi.