Chapter 95: "...joy..." "happiness..."

"I'll leave it on the table for you~"

As soon as the words were out, Lu Yuan had already nimbly pulled open the door and slipped out.

Before leaving, he glanced back into the room once more, then carefully closed the door.

Tsk~

Still shy, huh~

After Lu Yuan left, the candied hawthorn stick lay quietly on the altar table.

And Gu Qingwan's figure, with a "whoosh" sound, directly vanished into that heavy large coffin, falling silent once more.

Lu Yuan pushed this little interlude to the back of his mind, humming a little tune as he headed straight for the dining hall.

Today's meal was quite good, pork stewed with vermicelli, glistening with oil and incredibly fragrant.

Full and satisfied, he loosened his belt a bit, patted his perfectly round belly, and ambled back towards the side hall contentedly.

"The great Northeast is my hometown~"

"The suona horn plays..."

The moment he stepped inside, he saw the old man hunched over the table, wholly absorbed in writing a talisman.

"Did you eat?"

Lu Yuan asked casually.

The old man didn't even look up, his voice coming from the tip of his brush.

"Ate long ago."

Lu Yuan let out an "oh" and didn't say more, walking directly towards Gu Qingwan's large coffin.

His gaze fell on the altar table.

The two candied hawthorn sticks were still lying there quietly, seemingly untouched.

Lu Yuan then glanced at the tightly sealed large coffin.

Hmm...

Did Gu Qingwan eat it or not?

He began to wonder, strolling casually over to the candied hawthorn sticks.

He picked up one of them and examined it for a few seconds.

Then, Lu Yuan put one of the candied hawthorn sticks into his mouth.

Immediately followed by a crisp sound of sugar coating shattering.

"Crunch!"

A crisp sound of sugar coating shattering.

And then...

"Blegh!!!"

Lu Yuan's features instantly twisted into a mask of agony. He grabbed a nearby blank piece of yellow paper and spat everything in his mouth onto it.

The old man, who had been concentrating on drawing the talisman, was startled by the commotion, turning his head with a face full of astonishment.

"Tsk!!!"

The old man's eyes widened, looking at Lu Yuan as if he were a lunatic.

"You really don't know when to stop eating, kid!"

"You dare to put something a ghost has eaten into your mouth?"

"Haven't I told you before? Offerings that have been 'enjoyed' by ghosts, their flavor completely changes!"

Lu Yuan didn't even bother to reply. He grabbed the teapot from the table and took a long, hard swig directly from the spout.

Only after much effort did he manage to wash away that indescribable sour and bitter taste filling his mouth.

He let out a long, relieved sigh before speaking:

"You did say that, but I just hadn't tried it myself, you know? Pure curiosity, wanted to experience it firsthand."

This candied hawthorn stick had indeed been "eaten" by Gu Qingwan.

Its flavor was no longer the sweet and sour of the mortal world, but a kind of astringent bitterness that seeped into the marrow.

But, good. Gu Qingwan ate the candied hawthorn after I left.

I thought she was angry and hadn't eaten it.

The old man gave him a strange look, picking up his talisman brush again.

"Curiosity?"

"When we used to go out on jobs together, to placate those evil spirits and restless souls, there were so many offerings laid out. Why didn't I see you curious enough to try tasting them back then?"

To this question, Lu Yuan answered with absolute confidence, and a trace of undisguised disdain.

"Nonsense!"

"Could I eat stuff those things have eaten?"

"Just thinking about it turns my stomach, I couldn't possibly put that in my mouth!"

This made the old man chuckle. He looked up, giving Lu Yuan a sidelong glance.

"Huh?"

"You don't mind if *she* ate it?"

Lu Yuan shook his head, his expression one of utter reasonableness.

"How could that be the same? We're all family, what's there to mind?"

Hearing this, the old man curled his lip, lowered his head, and went back to wrestling with the talisman in his hand, too lazy to deal with this ghost-besotted disciple any further.

Lu Yuan, meanwhile, carefully placed the two flavor-changed candied hawthorn sticks back in their spot. He turned around, his expression turning serious as he addressed the old man:

"The matter with Qingwan is definitely connected to that Commanding Ghosts Liu Family."

"The copper nails on that Malevolent Deity earlier are identical in technique to the Yansheng Coins pressed on the major acupoints all over her body."

The old man's hand, writing the talisman, paused almost imperceptibly.

Then, the flow of his brush resumed as usual.

"It's not important anymore."

"We can rely on faith power now to undo the techniques on her body. The rest, we can handle ourselves."

"As for revenge, how many years have passed? The person who inflicted those vicious techniques on her back then is probably long since turned to dust."

At this point, the old man slightly raised his head, glanced at Lu Yuan, and then continued:

"As for anything else, like the matter of placating her..."

"Anyway, I have to find them. When I find them, I'll naturally get to the bottom of it."

Hearing the old man's resolute tone, Lu Yuan couldn't help but be curious.

"Can you find them?"

The old man kept his head down, letting out a soft snort from his nose.

"Yes."

A single word, firm and decisive.

Lu Yuan asked no more. If the old man said he could, then he definitely could.

Presumably, Tan Jiji's corpse had been thoroughly interrogated by the old man using secret methods. What should have been asked, and what shouldn't have, had all been extracted.

When the old man takes action, he's worth two men!

Lu Yuan didn't disturb him further, turning back to the coffin.

He reached out a finger and gently tapped on the heavy coffin lid, lowering his voice as if sharing a little secret.

"You ate my candied hawthorn, so you can't be angry anymore, okay~"

"Let me see how the recovery of the evil curse on your head is coming along."

With that, Lu Yuan took a deep breath and used his shoulder to forcefully push against the heavy coffin lid.

"Screech—"

An ear-grating friction sound rang out. Gu Qingwan's coffin was pushed open a crack by Lu Yuan's sheer effort.

Heh~

The corner of Lu Yuan's mouth lifted.

Knew she wasn't really angry.

And she's surprisingly easy to coax~

He quickly leaned in, peering through the crack.

With just that one glance, Lu Yuan first froze.

Immediately after, he whipped his head around, his face alight with irrepressible, wild joy, and yelled at the top of his lungs:

"Old man! Old man!!"

"It's almost gone! The evil curse is almost gone! There's only a hair's breadth left!!"

This loud shout startled the utterly focused old man, making his whole body jolt. The talisman brush in his hand skewed, a cinnabar mark instantly ruining the entire talisman.

"I know!!"

The old man turned his head, grinding his teeth, his beard practically bristling with anger.

"Scared the hell out of me!"

With that, he angrily crumpled the ruined talisman in front of him into a ball and indignantly started a new one.

Lu Yuan, however, paid no mind to the old man's fury. He turned back and continued clinging to the coffin crack.

Checking over and over again, the delight on his face impossible to hide.

"Looking at this rate, it'll be gone in a day or two at most!!"

"Excellent! Once this evil curse disappears, we can change Qingwan into some nice clothes and start clearing those vicious techniques from her body!"

The old man didn't look back, just let out an "Mhm" in acknowledgment.

But Lu Yuan grew more and more excited as he spoke, pacing back and forth on the spot in agitation.

"Great! Just great!"

"And it's happening right at the time to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, to celebrate the New Year!!"

He suddenly clapped his hands and turned to look at the old man, his tone brooking no argument.

"I absolutely have to go to the market tomorrow!"

"I'm going down the mountain to pick out some New Year's clothes for Qingwan!"

At this point, Lu Yuan pointed at himself and then at the old man.

"We two need new clothes too!"

"Aunt Qin and Aunt Qiao'er donated so much incense money this year. It's no crime for us two to change into some decent new Taoist robes!"

The old man was getting a headache from all his chatter, waving a hand dismissively, too lazy to deal with this over-excited disciple.

"As you wish! As you wish!"

...

The next day, the sun was already high in the sky.

Lu Yuan stretched on the brick bed, his joints emitting a series of satisfying cracks.

After such a long time, this was definitely the most peaceful sleep he'd had.

Nine in the morning was precisely when the market down in Qixia Town was at its liveliest.

Lu Yuan tucked some money into his pocket and ambled leisurely down the mountain.

He wasn't wearing his conspicuous Taoist robes, but had changed into a half-new indigo blue cotton short jacket.

On his head was a furry, ear-flapped felt hat, and on his feet, thick-soled cotton shoes.

Dressed like this, blending into the crowd, he looked like a spirited and handsome young country lad.

The snow on the mountain path had been packed down solid by footprints coming and going. Under the warm winter sun, it looked like it was sprinkled with crushed diamonds.

On the bare tree branches by the roadside, some child had hung a few faded red cloth strips, fluttering in the mountain breeze, becoming the simplest "New Year's flavor" on this mountain.

In the air was the crisp scent of burning pine branches, mixed with the sweet fragrance of fried pastries and sugar-roasted chestnuts wafting from the distant market.

Lu Yuan took a deep breath. That warmth followed his nasal passages, smoothing its way all the way down to the bottom of his heart.

The market at the foot of the mountain was already a cacophony of voices.

These were all villagers from nearby. It was New Year's Eve today; if they didn't buy now, it would be too late.

Looking from afar, a sea of heads bobbed, and the shop banners of various stalls fluttered in the wind.

Two children bundled up like cotton balls were standing on tiptoe, hanging the last red paper-carp lantern on an old locust tree.

Beneath the lantern was pasted a square paper with the characters for "Surplus Year After Year."

An old man smoking a long-stemmed pipe squatted nearby, squinting, a smile playing on his lips.

The market wasn't large, but it had everything one needed.

Hawkers' cries, haggling voices, the playful laughter of children chasing each other, and the dull "thump, thump" of New Year's cake being pounded in the distance all blended into a pot of lively, earthly bustle.

The most classic were the little firecrackers the kids would unexpectedly toss out. The sudden "pop" always managed to startle someone.

The eye was filled with auspicious red.

Red spring couplets, red "fortune" characters, red lanterns, and the red velvet flowers on the heads of girls and young wives.

Lu Yuan first went and bought out the entire candied hawthorn stick stall. He stuck one in his own mouth, the sweet and sour flavor melting on his tongue, before starting on his real business.

His target was clear: he headed straight for the largest cloth and sundries stall at the eastern end of the market.

The stall owner was a brisk, capable woman in her forties. Behind her, on wooden racks, fabrics were displayed in dazzling array.

From sturdy homespun coarse cloth, crisp indanthrene cloth, to rare soft satin and brocade.

There was even a small roll of what was claimed to be "from the south" light purple fine cotton cloth.

Though not as fashionable as what was in Fengtian City, it was still quite good.

Lu Yuan looked carefully, rubbing the thickness of the fabrics between his fingers, closely examining the texture and whether the dye was even.

He first ruled out the bright reds and purples. Gu Qingwan's nature was clear and cold; they wouldn't suit her.

He also felt coarse cloth was too rough, afraid it would chafe her. Finally, his gaze settled on two bolts of cloth.

One was a rain-washed, sky-blue fine cotton cloth, its color elegant and soft, like the sky just after rain.

The other was a moon-white soft satin, shimmering with a pearl-like, warm luster, cool and smooth to the touch.

Lu Yuan pondered for a moment and still chose the moon-white soft satin.

"Auntie, how much for this bolt?"

After hearing the quoted price, Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow and let out a "Heh."

"Tsk!!"

"Auntie, I'm from Zhenlong Temple up on the mountain. Buying cloth to make... to make a New Year's dress for my junior sister. Don't give me an inflated price."

Hearing he was a young Taoist from Zhenlong Temple, the auntie's already warm smile gained an extra touch of respect.

Taking another look at Lu Yuan's handsome appearance, after a few more words, she readily knocked off the odd change.

In the end, she even gave him a small packet of matching fabric buttons and two strands of embroidery thread.

After picking for Gu Qingwan, Lu Yuan casually picked out some stain-resistant black cloth for himself and the old man.

Turning, he also gathered matching silk thread and buttons. Passing by an old granny's stall selling velvet flowers and hair ties, his steps halted.

He picked out the most plain and simple jade-colored hair ribbon, with only two rice-grain-sized white jade beads adorning the ends.

"This is good, plain and simple."

Lu Yuan tucked it into his chest pocket, satisfied.

The fabric was sent directly to the tailor shop in town. The shopkeeper was an old acquaintance; the temple's Taoist robes were all made by his family.

Handing over the material, the shopkeeper gave a thumbs-up and said:

"Don't worry, I'll have it ready before nightfall."

Seeing the shopkeeper's manner, Lu Yuan said with an amused look:

"Well, well~"

"Using foreign words now?"

The shopkeeper looked quite pleased with himself.

"Keeping up with the times~"

Then Lu Yuan went to buy other things. He squeezed to the cooked food stall and sliced half a catty of pig's head meat and bought a smoked chicken.

At the pastry shop, he weighed out half a catty of flaky pastries sprinkled with white sesame seeds.

A packet of amber-colored kitchen god candy, for the kitchen god offering.

Seeing someone selling frozen pears, their black skins hard as iron eggs, he bought a few. Back home, once "thawed" in cold water, they'd become clear, sweet, juice-bursting ice slush.

He went to buy new red candles to light tonight.

A stack of gold paper printed with the God of Wealth, several pairs of ready-written spring couplets and "fortune" characters.

In principle, one should write these oneself, but the old man was busy with talismans, and Lu Yuan's own handwriting was atrocious.

Passing the mountain goods stall, seeing some good-quality dried mushrooms and black fungus, he also wrapped up a packet of each. They'd make winter stews fragrant.

Finally, Lu Yuan stopped at a stall selling small items like combs and mirrors.

He picked up a palm-sized, hand-held brass mirror. Its edges were worn smooth, and the back was carved with a magpie-on-plum-blossom pattern.

Lu Yuan held it up to look at himself and nodded:

"Wrap this one up too."

Lu Yuan thought, when her eyes are healed and she can see herself, she'll need a mirror.

...

In the afternoon, Lu Yuan got hungry and ate a bowl of noodles with large meat slices nearby, then wandered around the market some more, playing a bit.

As the sun began to set in the west, Lu Yuan, with his bulging cloth bag slung over his shoulder, walked back up the mountain, heart full and satisfied.

Had to hurry back to make dumplings, or it really wouldn't be in time.

The setting sun cast a warm golden edge on the distant snow-capped mountains and the nearby villages.

Cooking smoke began to curl from the chimneys of every household. The aroma of food in the air grew even stronger.

Passing the village entrance, a few playing children recognized Lu Yuan and shouted at him:

"Young Taoist Master is back from the market!"

Lu Yuan smiled, pulling out a few extra pieces of kitchen god candy he'd bought on purpose from his pocket and handing them out. The children cheered and ran off.

Back on the mountain, pushing open the side hall door, a familiar scent of incense and warmth washed over him.

The old man was still at the table drawing talismans. Hearing the noise, he glanced up, then lowered his head again.

Seeing this, Lu Yuan couldn't help but say:

"Tsk!!"

"How many talismans are you trying to stockpile?!"

"It's been a full day and night!"

The old man didn't look up.

"None of your business!"

Lu Yuan curled his lip and stopped bothering the old man, walking straight over to Gu Qingwan's coffin instead.

He first set down his many packages, then carefully placed the hastily made moon-white soft satin new dress flat on the coffin lid.

Then, he took out the jade-colored hair ribbon and the brass hand mirror from his pocket.

He had just finished placing the items when he looked up. Gu Qingwan's figure had already silently materialized, floating in mid-air.

Still clad in that crimson red, those empty eyes quietly "looking" at him.

Lu Yuan gently placed the two items in his hands on the coffin lid, grinning.

"Take a look, do you like them?"

"This is the new dress I bought for you, the hair ribbon, and the mirror."

At this point, Lu Yuan suddenly realized that Gu Qingwan still couldn't see.

Coming back to his senses, Lu Yuan quickly corrected himself:

"You'll be able to see soon enou—"

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by an ethereal, halting voice.

Floating in mid-air, Gu Qingwan's red lips parted slightly.

"...Li..."

"ke..."

Uh...

Lu Yuan grinned, the warmth in his eyes almost overflowing.

"It's good that you like them."

"From now on, every time I go down the mountain, I'll bring you some new little things."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the old man, scooping up the talisman paper from the table in one motion.

"Alright, that's enough, stop drawing!"

"It's almost dark, hurry up, let's make dumplings!"

The old man didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, his voice drawn out.

"Make what?"

"The dining hall has them ready, pre-made."

Lu Yuan shook his head like a rattle-drum.

"How could that be the same?"

"The New Year's dumplings must be made by yourself and eaten by yourself, that's when they have the right flavor!"

"The key is, we still have to put coins inside them!"

Before the words had fully left his mouth, Lu Yuan, regardless of whether the old man was willing or not, grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him out.

"Perfect, the three of us together~ will~ make~ dump~lings~"

The old man, being forcibly dragged away, his face instantly turned as black as a pot.

"Damn it!"

"I've really lived long enough, making dumplings and celebrating the New Year with a female ghost..."

"To think I'd run into such a ghostly affair!"

...

Soon, a basin of kneaded dough and a basin of finely chopped, fragrant meat filling were carried into the warmly cozy side hall.

It's New Year's, after all; the dumplings have to be meat.

Meat represents "having," having food and drink, having surplus in the coming year.

Proper!

The altar table was completely cleared, becoming the trio's exclusive dumpling-making station.

Lu Yuan, young and strong, was responsible for rolling out the wrappers. The rolling pin in his hands flew up and down, producing a rhythmic series of "tap-tap" sounds.

Gu Qingwan lowered her eyes, her slender fingers picking up a wrapper, deftly filling it with meat.

From time to time, she would pinch a shiny small silver coin from the little dish beside her and secretly tuck it into a dumpling.

The dumplings she made were each plump-bellied and neatly crimped, like little ingots.

As for the old man, he grandly claimed the title of "supervisor."

He sat to the side, imposing as if on horseback, a jug of wine in his left hand, a piece of pig's head meat in his right, taking a sip now and then.

Then he would leisurely arrange the dumplings Gu Qingwan finished onto the bamboo trays, his expression one of pure contentment.

"Hey."

Lu Yuan, while rapidly rolling out wrappers, shot a sidelong glance at the old man:

"When we boil the dumplings later on New Year's Day, you have to eat fewer of the ones with coins, okay!"

The old man let out a comfortable wine burp and lifted an eyelid.

"Why?"

Lu Yuan immediately glared, his voice rising an octave.

"Nonsense!"

"You're how old already, and you don't go out to earn money."

"If you eat the coin in the New Year's dumpling, doesn't that mean next year will be full of places to spend money?"

"Getting sick costs money, drinking wine costs money, everything costs money!"

He grew more animated as he spoke, pointing at himself, then at Gu Qingwan.

"That money has to be left for the two of us to eat!"

"We're young. If we eat more coins, that means we'll make a lot of money next year!"

The old man gave another wine burp, pointing at Gu Qingwan, who was single-mindedly, intently, and quite adorably making dumplings.

"She seems to be over a hundred years old."

"I'll be under sixty-five after the New Year."

Lu Yuan: "..."

The three of them were in the midst of this bustling dumpling-making when, from outside the hall, a loud, resonant announcement suddenly pierced through the doors and windows, exploding in the quiet backyard.

"Celestial Master He Xun has arrived————!!!"

Inside the room, Lu Yuan and the old man both froze simultaneously, their faces full of question marks.

Who?

Why is he here?

This shouldn't be happening!

Isn't the Luotian Grand Offering beyond the Great Wall opening today?

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing deep astonishment in the other's eyes.

No time to think. They immediately put down what they were holding and flashed outside.

Just as they stepped out, they saw Celestial Master He Xun leading Song Yan and a group of others, marching in grandly.

Song Yan had sharp eyes. The moment he saw them, he immediately cupped his hands with a beaming smile.

"Greetings, Martial Uncle, Junior Brother..."

Celestial Master He Xun also gave the old man a slight cupped-hand salute, a gesture between peers.

Lu Yuan was still a bit dazed, quickly returning the salute.

The old man frowned, speaking first.

"Why did you run here?"

"Isn't today the opening of the Luotian Grand Offering in Fengtian City?"

Celestial Master He Xun waved a hand dismissively, his face full of disdain.

"The opening ceremony is all tedious formalities, a huge pain. I couldn't be bothered to stand there freezing."

These words left both Lu Yuan and the old man stunned.

Couldn't be bothered?

Lu Yuan knew perfectly well that this martial uncle was the one who cared most about pomp and face.

And the Luotian Grand Offering, especially attending as the head of Tianlong Temple, one of the Upper Three Gates—that was the top-tier display of face in the entire Taoist community beyond the Great Wall!

For him to skip such a grand occasion where he could show off?

Before Lu Yuan could figure it out, Celestial Master He Xun's gaze had already landed on the old man, his tone carrying a touch of emotion.

"How many years has it been since we spent New Year's together."

"Finally having this chance, let's us martial brothers celebrate the New Year together. Who knows when the next time will be."

The old man didn't say a word, just silently took another sip of wine.

Celestial Master He Xun's gaze then shifted to Lu Yuan. Seeing the white flour on his clothes and hands, he immediately brightened up.

Gathering his sleeves with great interest, he strode forward.

"Making dumplings?"

"Come on, I'll join you two."

Lu Yuan jolted, instantly snapping to attention. He quickly stepped forward to block the way.

"No, no, no, Martial Uncle!"

"No need, no need! There's a whole bunch in the dining hall. We're almost done here anyway!"

Hearing Lu Yuan's words, Celestial Master He Xun shook his head.

"Ah~~"

"You don't understand!"

"The New Year's dumplings have to be made by yourself, boiled by yourself, and you have to put coins inside. That's when they have the New Year flavor~"

Lu Yuan: "..."

Damn it!

He's using all my lines!!

With that, Celestial Master He Xun grinned cheekily again:

"Of course, us two old men should eat fewer coins."

"You and Song Yan should eat more!"

After saying this, he tried to bypass Lu Yuan and charge into the side hall.

Lu Yuan's soul was practically scared out of him. He whooshed back to block the doorway, standing firm, his words tumbling out incoherently.

"No... that... Martial Uncle, it's really no trouble for you. We've got it handled. You and Senior Brother should rest..."

As he spoke, he frantically shot meaningful looks at the old man beside him, his eyeballs practically twitching.

But the old man acted as if he were blind, just standing there, leisurely taking another swig of wine, even letting out a comfortable wine burp.

Lu Yuan: "????"

Celestial Master He Xun was growing impatient, frowning at Lu Yuan.

"Move aside, move aside!"

"We're all family here, rest what rest!!"

With that, he reached out to grab Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan was preparing to resist to the death when the old man's leisurely voice drifted to his ear.

"If he wants to make dumplings, let him make dumplings."

Lu Yuan: "???"

The next second, he was yanked aside by Celestial Master He Xun.

"Exactly!"

Celestial Master He Xun pushed open the side hall door triumphantly, still muttering.

"Making dumplings, what's the trouble..."

The door opened.

His words got stuck in his throat.

Celestial Master He Xun's smile froze on his face. His eyes stared fixedly into the hall, blinking, then blinking again, as if confirming whether he was seeing things.

Several seconds of dead silence passed.

BANG!!!

He slammed the hall door shut with all his might!

Celestial Master He Xun plastered himself against the door like a piece of sticking plaster, his back pressed against it, his face deathly pale, his calves visibly trembling.

Immediately after, a heart-rending, utterly un-"Celestial Master"-like, distorted shriek echoed throughout the entire back mountain of Zhenlong Temple.

"I... I F*CK!!!!!"

"What the hell have you!!! been keeping at home here!!!!!"