Chapter 200: Dust Before Us

Things on Du Shiyi's side were temporarily stabilized.

But it wouldn't fool him for too long; they had to leave as soon as possible.

The situation in Jizhou was becoming increasingly delicate, and they all felt the urgency brought about by the mobilization of troops.

Small fry like them dared not clash head-on; for the nobles, crushing them was as simple as pressing an ant.

Running away first is the best policy!

Head of the Troupe Song and the members of the opera troupe discussed it overnight and made their decision.

He found another opportunity to speak with Miao Niangzi, and they agreed on a time to take Yao Shanmi away.

Yao Zhai did not have many savings now; Miao Niangzi made the call to distribute all the remaining Money Vouchers and grain.

The appointed day arrived.

Miao Niangzi was still lying on her sickbed; her spirit was very poor by now, yet her eyes were full of vitality.

Before dawn, she called her daughter over to repeat the instructions she had been giving her over the past few days.

Yao Shanmi's eyes were swollen from crying, and she could not speak.

Miao Niangzi stroked her daughter's hair; she actually had many more things she wanted to say, but looking at the time, it was too late.

She called out toward the window, "Dong Yun."

A manservant entered from outside.

He used to work by Yao Shiqi's side. He had suffered a disaster when he was young and was nearly beaten to death; it was Yao Shiqi and Miao Niangzi who saved him.

He had been left with a chronic illness from being beaten in his youth, and he had recently been beaten by Du Ba again; although he had been recuperating for many days, his complexion was not very good.

However, Dong Yun gathered his spirits at this moment and said to Miao Niangzi, "Rest assured, I will take the young lady out!"

He had suffered hardships in his youth and later entered the Yao residence, which to him was pure luxury. Now was the time for him to repay the kindness!

Before leaving, Dong Yun kowtowed to Miao Niangzi.

Taking advantage of the time before the patrol team came by, the manservant Dong Yun took Yao Shanmi and quietly left the house where they had lived for three years.

With two people missing from the small residence, it felt even more desolate.

There was still one servant woman by Miao Niangzi's side.

The servant woman was wiping away tears, but she still had to make noise in the Kitchen and the front courtyard so that people outside would know the people in this house were still as they usually were. Miao Niangzi lay on the bed. The window in the room was open, and she looked outside, seeing only a very small patch of the courtyard view.

In her heart, she only hoped her daughter could reach Xinzhou safely; as long as she reached Xinzhou City, everything would be guaranteed!

Her husband, Yao Shiqi, had indeed purchased quite a lot of medicinal herbs in the mountains in the South, and when the chaotic times broke out, the boats were already halfway there.

Because of the plague, the boats could not move, and Yao Shiqi could not hold on either, but he dragged his sick body to arrange everything.

The medicinal herbs were now hidden in a certain place. Although they had not left the South, they were already quite far north; if an army were to pass by in the winter, it would be relatively easy to transport the herbs. Miao Niangzi had only received the news at the beginning of this year. During the flight from the chaos, it was not easy for the messenger to find them. Fortunately, the letter was delivered. It was a letter written by Yao Shiqi before he died.

Regarding the medicinal herbs, Yao Shiqi said that if someone from the Yao Family came to pick them up, they should give the information about the herbs to the Yao Clan.

But if no one from the Yao Family came to pick them up, Miao Niangzi should make the decision herself; as long as she could exchange them for benefits that would allow the mother and daughter to find a place to settle down in the chaotic times, that would suffice. Miao Niangzi was already ill at that time, and she did not trust the She Family, so she had kept the news of the herbs hidden.

Coupled with the successive reports about the movements in Xinzhou, she had more ideas.

What made her reach the final decision was the information left behind by the Bai Family when they fled.

She could not be sure if the information left by the Bai Family was true or false; she had never seen the Xinzhou Times, but she could guess a thing or two from the subsequent reactions of the powerful and wealthy in Jizhou. The common people were easy to fool, but the well-informed upper-class elites were the most accurate reflection of the news.

If the She Family hadn't strengthened the defenses of Jizhou, even more people would have run away.

Regardless of what happens in the future, at the current stage, the only place that can truly provide effective treatment for the Evil Plague is likely Xinzhou.

Miao Niangzi did not know Wen Gu, but she knew Pei Jun of the noble Pei Family.

Compared to the Du Family, Pei Jun was more trustworthy.

The things that Yao Shiqi and the servants of Yao Zhai had risked their lives to protect could not be wasted!

She dared not tell anyone else about the news of the medicinal herbs.

She could not afford the cost of hiring a merchant caravan and guards, so she could only join forces with Head of the Troupe Song.

She could not walk out of Jizhou; her long-term illness had left her exhausted, but as long as she could send her daughter to Xinzhou City, everything was worth it! Miao Niangzi looked out the window, lost in thought.

As the sun rose and the sunlight shone in, if one looked closely, one could see tiny specks of dust moving.

She thought of the past.

Yao Shiqi was acquainted with Head of the Troupe Song, and he would invite the members of the opera troupe into the residence to read books, and often find Head of the Troupe Song to have a few drinks together.

In the eyes of many wealthy families and great clans, the itinerant performers who made a living by performing were as lowly as dust.

She did not quite understand at the time why Yao Shiqi had such an alternative attitude toward the itinerant performers.

Yao Shiqi said at the time:

"What is dust like? Perhaps it is all sorts of things; they are just too tiny and easily looked down upon, not that they lack weight." "Dust is everywhere."

That day was also a fine day just like today.

Yao Shiqi opened the window.

When a beam of intense sunlight shone in.

The presence of those tiny particles was magnified in that instant!

They jumped and tumbled, and some even flashed with light, as brilliant as gold.

"From them, one can see the flow of the breath of heaven and earth."

Miao Niangzi remembered the line Yao Shiqi often recited:

"The wild horses, the dust, the living things blowing against each other with their breath."

On the other side, the opera troupe was also up early in the morning preparing to run away.

Head of the Troupe Song had his own selfish motives.

There was a selfish motive mixed in with the repayment of kindness.

He did not utter a single word about this selfish motive, only secretly thinking about giving it one more try.

The members of the opera troupe each made their preparations.

The youth, Shitou, buried a chest in a corner of the courtyard, placing inside the things he could not take with him. Little toys, books, and calligraphy practice sheets—he did not want to give them to others, and perhaps one day he could return here to dig them up. Qian Quezi sighed repeatedly. He also had a collection of books, picked up during these chaotic times; if left outside, they would only be burned as firewood by others.

After three years of saving, he had managed to accumulate a private library.

Before the chaotic times, these were all sold at high prices in bookstores! Some books could not even be bought in shops, existing only in the libraries of scholarly families. But now, they needed to lighten their load and could only leave the books behind.

"These are all books of the sages, meant to be read from childhood to old age! Every time you read them, you will have different insights!"

As Qian Quezi spoke, he raised his voice and said to the youth, Shitou, outside: "Shitou, you must read more books in the future too!"

Shitou was busy burying the chest and replied upon hearing this: "Aye! I know!"

Qian Quezi placed the books neatly in a corner, and at this moment, Headman Song walked over.

The closer it got to the operation, the less able Headman Song was to sit still.

He had made up his mind to give it one last try, but he was also afraid of failing again.

Headman Song had experienced that kind of powerlessness. Du Ba's words still had an influence on him.

He asked Qian Quezi: "Do you think... a person's fate is already destined? This life, the next life, the life after that—are we just destined to be lowly? People with lowly fates dream of changing their destiny, but can meager offerings really buy a life of glory and wealth in the next?"

Sincerity of heart?

The noble ones have sincere hearts too!

Doing good deeds?

It is hard enough just to stay alive; where would one find the strength to help others?

The noble ones do often give out porridge and food.

The more Headman Song thought, the more conflicted he became.

Qian Quezi glanced at him and said: "If the path of fate were set at birth, then why would the noble ones pray to gods and Buddhas?"

"The number of the Great Expansion is fifty, and its use is forty-nine. Even the Heavenly Dao does not speak in absolutes; is he, Du Ba, more powerful than the Heavenly Dao?"

Qian Quezi finished packing his things and stood up: "If you don't do it, how will you know if you can't break through?"

No longer wasting words, they packed their bags and left quietly before dawn.

In the crude room, on a table built from broken bricks and stones, the deity statue carved by Qian Quezi was placed there.

As time passed, the sunlight from outside shone in through the dilapidated window, illuminating the deity statue.

On the statue, which had no carved face, there was already a thin layer of dust.

Two Buddhist beads were placed to the side, though it was unknown how long they had been there.

The servant Dong Yun, along with the little girl of the Yao Family, met the members of the opera troupe at the agreed-upon location. Avoiding those on patrol, they walked together toward the pre-planned route. Yao Shanmi was the youngest, so everyone took care of her.

Sometimes, before the servant Dong Yun could even speak, Headman Song had already taken care of it, letting her sit on the donkey's back.

Once they were far from the residential area, entered the mountain, and stepped onto that remote and narrow mountain path, the group began to chat in low voices.

Yao Shanmi felt embarrassed about sitting on the donkey's back the whole time, so she looked at Qian Quezi.

Qian Quezi waved his hand and said: "Don't look at me because I have a lame leg; we've traveled north and south, and our bodies are in good shape!"

Yao Shanmi then looked at Lao Wang. This old grandfather was the oldest.

Lao Wang also waved his hand and said: "Old Wang here still has decent legs. Shitou, come over; there's nothing to do on the road, so I'll teach you some more things."

Before they left, they had traded their remaining wealth for medicinal herbs. Lao Wang prepared several types of medicine that could drive away wild beasts and Plague Ghosts; the effect was not as good as professional Exorcism medicine, but as long as it was useful, that was enough. The smell was foul, but they had let the donkey get used to it over the past few days, so it hadn't brayed or kicked wildly.

Don't look at them as if they aren't professional at anything; they know quite a bit, all practiced for the sake of survival.

The mountain was large, and this mountain path was difficult to walk. With the group consisting of the old, weak, sick, and disabled, the party moved very slowly and had not left the mountain by nightfall. They found a small cave in the mountain to spend the night.

Headman Song ate his dry rations in large mouthfuls.

After finishing a piece of flatbread, Qian Quezi took another from his cloth bag, broke it, and gave half to the woman with a scar on her face beside him: "Eat more; you'll have strength once you're full!" Lao Wang stood up and changed positions, blocking Shitou's view of them: "The adults are discussing matters; you go inside and sleep, don't keep wanting to look out!" There were sounds of wild beasts in the mountains, but they did not approach, perhaps because those medicinal herbs had taken effect.

The next day was still a fine day.

The youth, Shitou, got up early and was about to help carry things when Headman Song avoided him and said: "You go lead the donkey and put Yao Xiaoniangzi on its back. The path ahead is not easy to walk either, so be careful." The youth, Shitou, looked at the mountain road ahead. The remaining mountain path should not be long now. He looked at the others in the group.

Qian Quezi was exceptionally energetic today, and the others were much the same; perhaps after resting for a night, their strength had recovered, and their speed increased.

Before long, they arrived at an extremely dangerous place, one that was also very easy to get lost in.

The people of the opera troupe began to discuss:

"Is this the place?"

"The terrain is indeed dangerous; it is easy to defend and hard to attack."

Shitou asked: "What place is this?"

Qian Quezi said: "In the past, if those who trafficked in private salt encountered pursuing troops, they would flee here."

Headman Song warned: "Everyone be careful not to slip! Shitou, hold the donkey well, watch the road under your feet, and don't look elsewhere!" The slope over there looked relatively gentle, and weeds and shrubs obscured the view, but there could be deep pits underneath; if one fell in, it would be hard to get out.

When the opera troupe went to take jobs and perform, they had quietly inquired about the details from the locals. Of course, they had given many benefits, but the information they received was worth it. They continued forward smoothly and were about to exit the valley. Seeing that the road out of the valley was right ahead, they stopped walking.

Headman Song, who had been leading the way, turned back, bypassed Shitou, and went to stand with the others in the rear.

Shitou led the donkey and looked over in confusion.

Headman Song said: "Once we exit the valley, the terrain is relatively flat. A group of hunting troops passed through a while ago, and the prey has been hunted clean. There shouldn't be any fierce beasts, so traveling through the night is possible." He said: "Shitou, after exiting the valley, you and Yao Xiaoniangzi ride the donkey and leave. You can recognize directions at night, so speed up your travel. I've already told you where to go; you know!" Shitou realized something was wrong: "... You all?"

Headman Song raised his hands, his sleeves sliding down to reveal the spots on his arms.

The youth, Shitou, opened his eyes wide, as if he had lost focus in that instant.

He looked at the others, his voice trembling: "Uncle Qian, Aunt Dou Xiang, Grandpa Wang..."

Everyone was the same.

The Evil Spot appearing on their arms was all too familiar to those living in these chaotic times.

The youth's vision became blurred.

He wanted to say something, but his throat felt blocked, and he could not make a sound at all.

Yao Shanmi, on the donkey's back, had by now slid to the ground and was running toward the servant Dong Yun, reaching out to pull him.

Dong Yun stepped back to avoid him. This also revealed the mottled marks beneath his sleeves.

Miao Niangzi thought his recovery was still acceptable, but in reality, he had been forcing himself to hold on. If he hadn't voluntarily infected himself with Evil Poison, he wouldn't have been able to finish this stretch of the mountain path. Dong Yun said in a deep voice, "Yao Xiaoniangzi! Do you still remember what your mother said?"

Yao Shanmi nodded through her tears.

Dong Yun looked at the Linglong Ball and the stone-carved dragonfly tied to her waist, and urged her again, "You must remember!"

Dong Yun said to her, "I am going to see your father. Is there anything you want me to tell him?"

Yao Shanmi sobbed uncontrollably, "I miss him very much!"

Dong Yun nodded, "Good, I will certainly deliver the message. May you also be well!"

Nearby, Headman Song was also giving his final instructions.

Their bodies could not possibly make it out of the valley; although they had anticipated this situation beforehand, only after actually walking it did they know how difficult it was.

Du Shiyi was still watching them.

Once out of the valley, the terrain ahead was flat; as long as the route was confirmed, the cavalry would be able to catch up quickly.

There was only one donkey, and they were all old, weak, sick, or disabled; they could not run fast at all.

It would be better to stay behind to cover their retreat.

They had collected tainted blood in advance, estimated the time, and voluntarily infected themselves with Evil Poison.

Having protected Shitou and Yao Shanmi through the difficult mountain path, their own journey was also nearing its end.

Headman Song said to Shitou, "Once you are out of here, you can tell others openly and honestly that your surname is Du!"

The youth Shitou cried out, "Father!"

Headman Song's eyes were slightly red, but no tears flowed out. Since being infected with Evil Poison, the rich emotions belonging to a human had already begun to fade.

He said to Shitou, "Your name is Du Zhong, the 'Zhong' for weight!"

Even the smallest speck of dust has weight!

Headman Song said to him almost word for word, "Take good care of Yao Xiaoniangzi, and live together until you reach Xinzhou City!"

Headman Song then looked to the side, "Go and say a few last words to your Uncle Qian and the others."

The youth Shitou moved his feet mechanically, walking toward Qian Quezi and the others.

Qian Quezi voluntarily stepped back to keep his distance; the expression on his face was also very faint, and it was clear he seemed to want to smile at Shitou, but he could no longer do so. Qian Quezi said, "When you become successful in the future, find a burial plot with good feng shui and set up a few tombstones for us. Remember, my real name is Xiang Qian; carve this name! He looked at the person beside him and said, "Write me together with your Aunt Dou Xiang, you know?"

The woman with a scar on her face beside him held Qian Quezi's hand.

Who wasn't a good citizen before?

If one could live well, who would want to live that bitter life of being looked down upon by others?

At the end of life, being able to meet these people was already enough to be content.

After the woman and Lao Wang spoke with the youth Shitou for a while, Qian Quezi added, "I can count as half a master to you; let me protect you one last time. Do not let us down!" They were all gradually losing their human emotions, and at this moment, they were shockingly calm.

Thinking of the She Family's style of conduct, Headman Song added, "Shitou, when you reach a new place, you can change your name if necessary. Safety is paramount!" He looked at the sky and urged, "Go! Don't look back!"

Shitou gritted his teeth and held back his voice; he placed Yao Shanmi on the donkey's back, knelt down to kowtow to the group, and only then led the donkey to continue bumping forward, finishing the last stretch of the path out of the valley. The mountain path extended outward, where it was wide and the terrain was relatively flat.

Upon leaving the valley, the youth Shitou wanted to turn around and take one last look, but remembering his father's last words, he paused and climbed onto the donkey's back. Headman Song and the others stood there, watching them leave.

Watching that side, the thin, small youth was carrying the young girl, riding a donkey, and heading forward.

Against the backdrop of the mountains and the wilderness, they appeared so tiny, like dust blown out of the valley by the wind.

Humble, weak, and insignificant.

Just as Du Ba said, among the masses, they were humble, ordinary dust on the ground.

Headman Song did not know if he could change his son's fate this time; this was all he could do.

Watching the two children ride the donkey into the distance until their figures could no longer be seen, they returned along the mountain path until they reached the dangerous place they had mentioned before. There were many forks, hidden caves, and cliffs there. The group worked together to clear the tracks along the road and then created some interference and misdirection.

The pursuers sent by Du Shiyi must all be elite men; they would delay them as long as they could and exhaust them as much as possible. Once the route Shitou and the others took to escape was confirmed, Du Shiyi would soon send cavalry to chase after them from other roads.

What they were doing now was to ensure the route Shitou and the others took would be discovered later.

They would create more obstacles in the dangerous places. Even they themselves could be utilized!

The sun gradually moved westward.

Before completely losing their sanity, they tied long ropes to their bodies and fastened the other ends to nearby tree trunks.

This was to prevent them from chasing out of the valley following the scent after turning into Plague Ghosts. At the same time, they used the ropes to restrain themselves here to block the incoming pursuers.

The insect-like spots on their bodies became increasingly obvious, and their faces were changing, gradually departing from the realm of humans.

Qian Quezi was slightly more clear-headed than the others.

He looked at himself, then looked at the few people beside him.

They were like evil ghosts bound here to block the road.

He wanted to smile, but his mouth only twitched slightly; his expression was already beyond his control.

He wanted to say something, but could not.

He clenched his fists. His fingernails had already mutated, and he could not control his strength; his palms were slightly broken, and his blood had already changed color.

A little viscous blood flowed out, a brownish color, as if carrying Evil Qi.

His vision was already changing, and the colorful world was beginning to fade.

Before long, he would completely become a monster without sorrow, joy, or fear.

He would surely be loathed by God and Buddha, right?

It didn't matter anymore.

He thought of Shitou again, thinking of that thin, weak back that had left.

Dust, indeed.

So what if it is dust?!

When the aura of the Kunpeng spreading its wings blows over, a vast amount of dust will be stirred up.

The vast majority of dust will fall once again, such as these few of them.

But, there will still be a very small number that shine in the sun.

They are too minuscule, their light barely visible, yet they can still ride the air currents and continue to fly upward.

Qian Quezi prayed that they would not fall, that they would keep leaping up and soar into the clouds!

Even if it is only an inconspicuous speck of dust, if it can ride this great momentum and experience this stroke of fortune, it would be like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate, rising to great heights! What would a tiny speck of dust transform into?

Pity, he would not be able to see it.

The remaining consciousness of Qian Quezi was thinking not of death or the next life, but of that soaring speck of dust.

Feeling his vision slowly fading, he tilted his head, wanting to look at the sky one more time.

But as his gaze turned toward the mountain wall, a fiery light flashed within his eyes, which had been rapidly losing emotion and turning deathly still!

The setting sun's rays crossed the strange mountain peaks and shone upon the mountain wall, casting a massive bird-shaped shadow.

It looked like a sparrowhawk soaring high with wings spread.

Qian Quezi tilted his head, staring blankly at the giant, wondrous sight on the mountain wall.

The evening glow set the scene, the setting sun like fire.

The mountain wind whistled past.

Throughout the year, the angle of the sun's rays is always changing; only for a few days, at a specific hour, and in the right weather, would such a clear light-shadow image be projected. In the past, the salt smugglers would not pass through here near evening, so no one could see it, and no one knew of it.

Perhaps only that poet from a hundred years ago was fortunate enough to have seen it once.

Qian Quezi did not know these things; he could not even feel what he was thinking at this moment.

There was no expression on his face, and having already lost most of his emotions, tears with a faint warmth now slid from his eye sockets. It was like a prayer without hope that had finally received a response.

His remaining consciousness seemed to return to three years ago, when he was in the library of Yao Shiqi, opening a book.

【If there is water ahead, carry the green banner. If there is dust ahead, carry the crying kite.】

What does the Crying Kite Palace mean?

War, power.