Chapter 33: True Man Qi Hai Li

The Yamen Runners stripped Liu Liu Ershou of his official robes, then skillfully pinned him to the ground.

Two veteran Yamen Runners fetched the intimidation rods, raised them high, and brought them down on Liu Liu Ershou's buttocks!

In an instant, the courtroom filled with the crack of wood against flesh, and Liu Liu Ershou's wails echoed continuously!

The dull thud of the rod striking flesh was clearly audible.

The intimidation rods were made of thick, hard bamboo, with several copper rings bound to their surfaces, ensuring that every strike left a deep red mark on his flesh.

Liu Liu Ershou watched with wide eyes as the rod was raised high, then fell heavily upon his buttocks.

With a loud "Crack!", accompanied by Liu Liu Ershou's agonized scream, the pain seemed ready to tear him apart.

His face twisted in agony, tears filled his eyes, and his hands clenched tightly.

He felt as though his buttocks were being burned by fire; waves of searing pain traveled from his flesh into his bones, nearly causing him to faint.

He wanted to struggle, wanted to beg for mercy, but he knew it would be useless.

He could only grit his teeth, endure this endless torment, and hope for it all to end soon.

At first glance, the veteran Yamen Runners struck with ruthless indifference, every blow landing on the flesh, but in reality, they acted with great care and hidden skill.

These two intimidation rods were hollow; they produced a loud sound when struck, yet caused far less pain than solid rods.

Such hollow rods were used specifically on certain individuals; as long as one could afford to bribe the Yamen Runners, one would be served by these hollow rods.

The Yamen Runners were quite loyal to Liu Liu Ershou, automatically bringing out the hollow rods; they struck exactly twenty times, no more and no less.

Although not as painful as solid rods and not enough to tear the skin and expose the flesh, a few strikes inevitably left bruises on Lord Lord Murong.

However, he also understood that this was merely the veteran Yamen Runner's act of loyalty; in truth, it could not cause mortal injury.

Liu Liu Ershou watched with wide eyes as the rod came down, feeling only a scorching pain in his buttocks, as if they were about to catch fire.

The pain seemed ready to strip away all his reason and dignity; Liu Liu Ershou could not help but cry out loudly in agony, tears and snot streaming down his face, looking utterly wretched.

A collective gasp rose from the courtroom, as if everyone felt pity for the pain Liu Liu Ershou was enduring.

As soon as the beating ended, Liu Liu Ershou was immediately carried out by the Yamen Runners to have medicine applied.

Trembling, Liu Liu Ershou was carried out of the courtroom, tears streaming uncontrollably, his heart filled with both humiliation and anger.

Although this beating did not endanger his life, enduring such humiliation made him deeply distressed.

As a County Assistant, to suffer such disgrace filled him with unprecedented frustration and helplessness.

He wished he could immediately take revenge, to reclaim the dignity and power he had lost.

But he also knew clearly that now was not the time to vent his emotions; he needed to think calmly about how to turn the tables.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu did not beat Xia Duo; instead, he removed him from his post as Brigade Commander and had him imprisoned in the county jail, awaiting sentencing.

"Shangmu County... now lacks even a County Assistant. Does my lord Jiang have a plan to address this?" Lord Lord Murong asked.

"My lord Lord Murong... you have indeed asked the right question." After a moment of thought, Jiang Jiang Mingyu returned to his desk, picked up his brush, and wrote a memorial on the spot.

He first detailed the entire sequence of events, then advised the Emperor to swiftly dispatch a County Magistrate to assume office in Shangmu County.

After finishing the memorial, Jiang Jiang Mingyu read it once, nodded with satisfaction; the memorial was concise and appropriate, surely capable of resolving the current difficulty smoothly.

Just as Jiang Jiang Mingyu was writing with vigorous strokes, Lord Lord Murong's voice sounded again: "I wonder, my lord Jiang, what purpose brings you beyond the pass this time?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu looked up; Lord Lord Murong's face was filled with inquisitive expression. He smiled slightly and set down his brush.

"By imperial decree to investigate a case."

"Investigate a case!" Lord Lord Murong smiled shyly and said, "I thought... the Emperor had sent you to find me."

"No, it is to investigate the cause of the late Emperor's passing..."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu continued, "We intend to travel to Snowball Mountain to seek out the local Immortal and inquire about a medicinal prescription."

"Snowball Mountain? An Immortal?" After pondering for a moment, Lord Lord Murong spoke: "Could it be... the True Man Qi Hai Li?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu was stunned, then overjoyed: "Exactly! Does my lord Lord Murong... happen to know the True Man?"

Lord Lord Murong smiled and shook his head, replying: "There is only one Immortal on Snowball Mountain; I have only heard of him and never seen him. But I wonder... how does my lord Jiang intend to seek an audience with the True Man? Is there anyone to guide the way?"

"That need not be a concern." Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled in return.

"Imperial Physician Li Li Xuanren is a disciple of the True Man; he will naturally guide us up the mountain to pay our respects to the True Man, so there is no need to worry about anything."

"In that case, I need not worry; I wish my lord Jiang a safe journey and success in all matters." Lord Lord Murong said softly.

In the afternoon, after bidding farewell to Jiang Jiang Mingyu, Lord Lord Murong left Shangmu County and returned to the Yin Si Tribe on his own.

The three of Jiang Jiang Mingyu spent another night in the county yamen; early the next morning, they set off directly up the mountain. After walking half a day on the mountain path, they finally arrived at the mountain gate of the Taoist temple where the True Man Qi Hai Li resided at noon.

Beyond the mountain gate, a stone staircase stretching endlessly awaited them!

The stone steps were exceptionally steep, with uneven heights; reaching the summit would not be easy.

Li Li Xuanren recalled, "I remember when I studied medicine here, I had to sweep these stone steps every morning. I even counted them; there were exactly one hundred and eighty-eight steps!"

The three began to climb. Although the steps were not as high as a ladder, they remained steep; every ten or so steps, they had to stop to catch their breath.

The sun hung high, heat rising in waves; soon, the three were drenched in sweat.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu looked upward; the stone steps stretched for dozens of zhang, and the end was still not in sight.

He silently clenched his fists; climbing such a long staircase was truly no easy task.

Li Li Xuanren's face turned pale, his hands constantly clutching his chest, as if he could barely endure it.

Seeing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu could not help but sigh in his heart.

"These stone steps are truly too long; climbing the mountain on foot like this will likely exhaust us to death," Jiang Jiang Mingyu muttered quietly.

But the moment he thought of meeting the True Man, a determined light flashed in his eyes.

The three progressed intermittently, alternating between resting and climbing, step by step moving upward.

Even Tu Tu Kesiluo, whose physical constitution was excellent, now had his chest and back completely soaked.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu and Li Li Xuanren felt as though their limbs were filled with lead, unbearably heavy.

Li Li Xuanren, upon seeing a sliver of sky at the end of the staircase, secretly rejoiced in his heart: "After climbing just twenty more steps, we will reach the main gate of the Taoist temple."

"Finally... we're almost there!" Jiang Jiang Mingyu let out a long sigh, looked at the scenery before him, and smiled leisurely.

The destination is now in sight; this long climb was truly worth it. The True Person is right before our eyes; the goal of this journey is now within reach!

After climbing the stone steps, the three finally arrived before the main gate of the Taoist temple, but the gate was tightly shut.

Li Li Xuanren pounded the heavy bronze door knocker with fist after fist, attempting to attract the attention of those inside.

However, after a moment passed, the gate remained locked tight.

"Is anyone there!" Li Li Xuanren shouted loudly, "Master, it's Li Xuanren, I'm back, open the door quickly!"

Yet there was no response from within.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu wondered if perhaps True Person Qi Hai Li was intentionally living in seclusion and refusing to see them.

This gate surely would not open easily.

Seeing the gate remain unopened for so long, anxiety appeared on Li Li Xuanren's face.

He pounded the door knocker several times in succession, making the bronze bells clang loudly, but the person inside still did not appear.

"The True Person must intentionally refuse to see outsiders," Jiang Jiang Mingyu sighed, "It seems our journey will inevitably end in failure."

Li Li Xuanren turned his head, his eyes full of reluctance: "We have endured thousands of hardships to climb this mountain; how can we return without success?"

Speaking thus, he struck the door again with a fist; this blow made the bronze door ring with a loud crash, as if even the stone walls were trembling.

"Master!!!" he shouted loudly, "I have come to visit you, Master, by order of the Emperor and the Imperial Envoy; if you do not open the door, we will surely provoke the wrath of Heaven!"

After quite some time, the gate finally opened, and a young, beautiful woman, standing gracefully, poked her head out from inside!

"Senior Brother!" the woman called out happily!

"You... who are you?" Li Li Xuanren could not immediately recognize who she was. The woman seemed somewhat different from the image in his memory, leaving him momentarily puzzled.

The woman: "Don't you recognize me? It's me, 'Seven Five'!"

She was Li Li Xuanren's junior sister, "Han Tian," with the nickname "Seven Five."

When Li Li Xuanren descended the mountain that year, she was only ten years old; now she was nearly seventeen, so it was no wonder Li Li Xuanren could not recognize her.

"Oh... so it is Seven Five!" Li Li Xuanren said with sudden realization: "Indeed, a girl changes greatly as she grows; she has changed so much I can't recognize her!"

Li Li Xuanren carefully examined the young maiden before him; she was no longer the little Seven Five of those days, but had grown into a beautiful and charming young woman.

Seven Five's face was like snow, her gaze gentle, her nose straight, her lips slightly upturned, surely making every man unable to look away.

Her crimson small mouth, as gorgeous as a flower, made every man dream of her night and day.

In her pair of bright eyes, many playful little thoughts seemed hidden, as if countless shy little secrets were also stored within.

She wore a white robe that wrapped her graceful curves; the fabric was fine and silky, shimmering with a faint glow under the sunlight.

She seemed ready to spread her wings and fly high at any moment, making one inevitably recall the feather-robed fairies of the fairyland.

No wonder he could not connect her at first with that little girl from his memory; the changes of time were truly too great.

"Wow... I didn't expect Imperial Physician Li to have such a beautiful junior sister..." Tuke Tuke Siluo, standing nearby, was instantly stunned by Seven Five's beauty!

Tuke Tuke Siluo looked at Seven Five's crystal-clear eyes and her luscious red lips; his heart could not help but flutter.

Still a bachelor, he was overjoyed, his heart racing like a little deer; he felt there was nothing else in the world, completely lost in her appearance.

Infinite joy surged in his heart; as if he had seen the most beautiful fairy in the human world, how could he not be captivated?

In an instant, he had already imagined in his mind how many children he and Seven Five would have and what their names would be; he thought secretly that if he could marry such a beauty, he would surely be so happy every day that he would forget himself; truly, it was something he could not ask for enough!

"This person is..."

Seeing Tuke Tuke Siluo's fixed gaze, Seven Five's cheeks also turned red with shame as she asked.

"This is the Imperial Envoy, Lord Jiang!" Li Li Xuanren introduced to Seven Five.

"This is the Palace Guard with the sword, Lord Tu," then he turned aside and pointed at Tuke Tuke Siluo to introduce him.

"Lord Tu, can you pay attention to your image? Can you wipe your drool? You are being too exaggerated!" Seeing the expression on Tuke Tuke Siluo's face as if he wanted to swallow Seven Five in one bite, she shook her head and said.

After Li Li Xuanren finished introducing Jiang Jiang Mingyu and Tuke Tuke Siluo, he asked Seven Five again: "Is the Master here?"

Seven Five: "The Master is here; she is busy in the alchemy room..." Upon finishing her words, Seven Five welcomed the three of them into the Taoist temple.

The three followed Seven Five's steps, passing through the corridor, the front courtyard, and the central courtyard, finally arriving at Daosanqingdian.

The structure of the temple was magnificent; long corridors stretched continuously, embracing courtyard after courtyard, permeated with a strong scent of alchemical medicines.

Li Li Xuanren, using the excuse of first seeking permission from the Master, asked Jiang Jiang Mingyu and Tuke Tuke Siluo to wait here, then turned and led Seven Five toward the rear hall.

After some time passed, and still seeing no sign of Li Li Xuanren and Seven Five returning, Jiang Jiang Mingyu, having nothing to do, walked around the temple with Tuke Tuke Siluo to look about.

The two passed through one red door after another, arriving at courtyard after courtyard.

Each courtyard was filled with rare flowers and exotic plants; lotuses bloomed in the ponds, willow branches brushed lightly, and a gentle breeze blew, very pleasant.

As the two wandered about, they arrived before a small house with a large chimney.

The small house was not large, yet it was entirely exquisite; the lintel and window frames were painted with colorful patterns of flowers and birds.

From inside the house came the sound of 'crackle and pop' from time to time; it seemed someone was busy with something.

"I was wondering... why there was a smell of boiling medicine; turns out it comes from here."

After Tuke Tuke Siluo finished speaking, he curiously approached the small house, wanting to see what was happening.

He saw that before the stove inside the small house, a nine-year-old girl was squatting, watching the fire; her face was covered in soot, and her whole body was dirty.

The girl wore two thick braids; her face was full of dust, yet her large eyes were black and bright, appearing very spirited.

"Who comes? How do you appear here?" the little girl shouted loudly.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu found the little girl's mature speech very interesting.

So he replied: "My surname is Jiang, my given name is Jiang Mingyu; I am the Imperial Envoy, sent by imperial decree to investigate a case; I have visited your temple and wish to meet True Person Qi Hai Li."

"Imperial Envoy? Investigating a case here?" The little girl frowned at them and said again: "Please wait a moment..." Upon finishing her words, she immediately left the small house and dashed away toward the back mountain.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu looked closely; although this little girl was not of marriageable age, she was very intelligent, and a shrewd light shone in her pair of large eyes.

Seeing her suddenly run away, he did not know whether she went to report to True Person Qi Hai Li or to fetch people to drive them away.

Tu Tu Kesiluo was also somewhat puzzled: "That little girl ran off in a flash; could she have gone to fetch people to drive us away?"

"You, do not speculate rashly," Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled. "She went to seek an audience with True Person Qi Hai Li. Since we have already introduced ourselves, we surely will not be driven out."

Hearing this, Tu Tu Kesiluo also thought it made sense and stopped guessing wildly.

The two stood waiting outside the small hut; in a short while, Qi Wu arrived at the hut's entrance with Li Li Xuanren.

"Lord Jiang... so you were here, no wonder I could not find you!" Li Li Xuanren said anxiously: "Truly sorry, we could not find our Master herself!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu looked confused: "What? True Person Qi Hai Li is not at the Taoist temple?"

"We just searched half the mountain and still could not find Master..." Qi Wu continued: "Before, I even saw her inside the alchemy hall; how in the blink of an eye... she vanished!"

"She is not here either...?" After Li Li Xuanren paced anxiously around inside the small hut, he muttered: "Truly strange... where exactly has Master herself gone?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu recalled the little girl watching the fire by the stove earlier and suggested: "Just now, a little girl was squatting by the stove watching the fire; how about... fetching her to ask?"

"A little girl!" Li Li Xuanren and Qi Wu exclaimed in surprise simultaneously.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu nodded and said, "Yes, that little girl, about nine years old." While speaking, he used his right hand to gesture the girl's height.

"Oh my, that is our Master, True Person Qi Hai Li!"

Li Li Xuanren slapped his forehead, finally realizing the truth.

Li Li Xuanren then asked: "Then where has she herself run off to?"

"She ran over there..." Tu Tu Kesiluo said, pointing toward the back mountain.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu frowned tightly, truly unable to comprehend: "Why... is your Master in the form of a little girl?"

Li Li Xuanren explained: "When my Master was nine, she accidentally ate my Grandmaster's Rejuvenation Pill, and since then, she has never grown another inch!"

"Age-Locking!!!???"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu was utterly astonished.

Li Li Xuanren nodded and replied: "Yes, only her appearance has not changed; her mind continues to grow with age."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu finally understood and asked: "Then may I ask... True Person Qi Hai Li, what is your honorable age?"

"Eighty-seven!" The voice of the little girl from just now came from the hut's doorway.

At this moment, she had changed into a black Taoist robe as dark as ink; the fabric was smooth and soft, with several auspicious clouds embroidered on the lapels, deep and mysterious.

She wore a Lord Murong Jade Hair Crown, adorned with several lively white feathers.

In her hand, she held a plain feather whisk; several bronze bells hung from the whisk, chiming as she walked.

At this moment, True Person Qi Hai Li radiated an unfathomable, mystical aura from between her brows; her bright eyes sparkled with spirit, seeming to harbor many secrets.

She walked with vigorous grace; her large, clear eyes seemed to the very bottom, appearing extremely shrewd.

A faint scent of medicine emanated from her, as if she might at any moment transform into an immortal and vanish.

Her every gesture and movement was divine and spirited, causing one to instinctively stand in awe, as if she might at any moment cast a profound spell.

True Person Qi Hai Li seemed entirely enveloped in a layer of Taoist immortal aura; compared to the disheveled little girl from just now, she was utterly transformed, like two different people!

Jiang Jiang Mingyu fixed his gaze on her, finding it truly difficult to connect this fairy-like young girl before him with the dusty-faced little girl by the stove just now.

Were it not for her voice, Jiang Jiang Mingyu would have firmly believed this was another person entirely.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu stared at her without blinking, feeling that this polarized transformation was simply too astonishing.

Seeing Jiang Jiang Mingyu's bewildered expression, Qi Wu stepped forward and whispered in his ear: "Master rarely appears in such a Taoist immortal guise; she must deeply respect Lord Jiang!"

Li Li Xuanren also leaned close to Jiang Jiang Mingyu's ear and said timidly: "Master dressing this way is truly a rare sight. Given her temperament, she would usually be too lazy to bother dressing up so specially."

Hearing this, Jiang Jiang Mingyu secretly rejoiced in his heart.

That the True Person held him in such deep respect was truly cause for gratitude.

Knowing that today he would surely be able to converse freely with the True Person and clearly state the purpose of this journey, how wonderful that would be!