Chapter 18: 17, The Hundred-Beast Robe

17, The Hundred-Beast Robe

As the sky just began to darken, Old Man Yang called out to Shi Danzi and helped Zhou Chang out of the main hall.

Under the heavy, dark sky, in the narrow and cramped small courtyard, a square table was set up.

Half a salted chicken and a piece of cured sausage made up two cold dishes; a bowl of blood curd and a basin of tofu pudding topped with meat scraps formed two hot dishes; the four dishes were placed together on the square table.

To Zhou Chang, this spread of dishes was actually not considered abundant, but in the current times, it could truly be called extremely abundant.

Shi Danzi, who was supporting him, tried hard to maintain a calm expression, but the faint sounds of swallowing saliva repeatedly gave away this young boy.

"Haha, sit! Sit!" Yang Rui stood before the table rubbing his hands; he glanced at the four dishes on the table with a smile and invited Zhou Chang and Shi Danzi to take their seats.

When the old man's gaze swept over Shi Danzi's face, Zhou Chang distinctly noticed that Shi Danzi's expression suddenly tensed; maintaining a composed look on his face, he helped Zhou Chang sit down beside the table.

What was he pretending in front of his master?

Zhou Chang's eye twitched, and he shifted his gaze away from Shi Danzi.

"There is still a soup in the pot; I'll go bring it.

Your grandfather went to buy wine; he should be back by now." Yang Rui spoke a few words to Zhou Chang, then looked at Shi Danzi. "Disciple, go outside to meet your junior master uncle."

Shi Danzi said nothing, only nodded, stood up, and went out the door.

Yang Rui then turned and went into the woodshed.

In the blink of an eye, only Zhou Chang remained in the courtyard; he looked at the side room where Bai Xiue lived—Bai Xiue had not yet come out to show herself.

At this moment, Zhou Sanji carried a jar wrapped in a net of straw rope, walking in from the courtyard entrance passage behind Shi Danzi, while Yang Rui also brought out a basin of pickled vegetable and tofu soup from the woodshed.

The group took their seats according to guest and host status; Zhou Sanji stood up and was about to pour wine for everyone.

"Not everyone has arrived yet." At this, Zhou Chang cleared his throat and suddenly spoke.

Yang Rui, holding a wine cup, paused in surprise at the sound, looked around the square table at everyone present, and said, "Who else hasn't come?"

Zhou Sanji also paused, but he immediately realized what was meant, glared fiercely at Zhou Chang, and said, "Seeing someone good-looking, you've already set your sights on them? Beware that there is a knife above the character for lust!"

Zhou Chang lowered his eyelids and said nothing.

He certainly was not infatuated and had chosen Bai Xiue out of lust; only with Bai Xiue staying by his side could the robe in his thoughts be repaired.

"There really is someone who hasn't come?" Yang Rui's eyes showed surprise as he interjected.

"Yes, there is also a young lady from a wealthy family!

If she doesn't come, none of us should start eating!" Zhou Sanji spoke in a sarcastic tone, turning his face toward the direction of the side room, "I don't know what she's been doing hiding inside the room all day long!"

As the old man spoke, he put down the wine jar and walked toward the side room.

Yang Rui looked at Zhou Chang, then also turned his face to look at the side room door.

There was still someone living in his junior brother's courtyard, yet he had not even met them.

Moreover, from his junior brother's words, the person living here was a woman—where did a woman come from?

Everyone's gaze turned toward the door of the side room.

Under everyone's gaze, that door suddenly made a 'creak' sound and was slowly pushed open; Bai Xiue walked out from behind the door with her head lowered.

She wore a set of Zhou Chang's old clothes; the clothes were too large, which made her slender and weak figure stand out even more.

Bai Xiue timidly glanced at Zhou Sanji, who had stopped a few steps away, then lowered her head and bowed to him: "Old Master Zhou."

Zhou Sanji looked at the frail and delicate Bai Xiue; those sarcastic words already on his lips were immediately held back in his throat; he sighed, waved his hand, turned around, and walked back: "Let's eat."

Bai Xiue pressed her lips together and followed Zhou Sanji in small steps.

That square table, already surrounded by several people, was a place that required immense courage for her to approach.

Especially now that everyone's gaze was focused on her, she was even more at a loss; nearing the square table, she did not know where she should sit, her eyes were blank, and her mind was a complete void.

"Sit here."

At this moment, Zhou Chang jerked his chin toward the seat beside him, indicating that Bai Xiue should sit next to him.

Bai Xiue glanced at him shyly but did not move her feet—beside the young master of the Zhou family, a young boy was already seated.

"Junior master uncle." Zhou Chang smiled and called out to Shi Danzi, indicating with his eyes that he should move his seat.

Shi Danzi looked at the woman who looked as if she had walked out of a painting, then looked at Zhou Chang; his mouth opened slightly, and the feigned calmness on his face could no longer be maintained; with a look of confusion, he moved his seat to the side.

Zhou Chang looked at Bai Xiue again; Bai Xiue lowered her head obediently and sat down beside him.

She quietly sighed with relief in her heart, feeling as if she had broken through a difficult obstacle.

"Ah..." Zhou Sanji glared at Zhou Chang with some disdain, no longer paying attention to Zhou Chang's actions, then picked up the wine jar and was about to pour wine for Yang Rui. "Senior brother, come on, have a cup of Ergou Village wine.

Today, we still must thank you..."

"Wait a moment first." Yang Rui covered the rim of his cup with his hand, pointed toward Bai Xiue's side, and said, "This young lady, won't you introduce her to me, your senior brother?"

"Hey! What is there to introduce?

She will return to her own home in a few days; you won't see her again afterward; just treat her as a guest who suffered misfortune and took refuge in our house for a few days!" Zhou Sanji clearly did not wish to mention Bai Xiue much; he forcibly snatched Yang Rui's wine cup, filled it completely for the other person, and said, "Let's drink instead; weren't you already clamoring to drink wine?"

Seeing this, Yang Rui asked no more, lifted his wine cup, made a 'slurp' sound, finished the wine inside, and then let out a long sigh.

"Does Shi Danzi drink wine or not?"

"Wine is medicine; it can cure heart ailments; let him have a little."

"Alright!"

"A-Chang, you drink a few cups too!"

Zhou Sanji carried the wine jar around the square table, stopped beside Zhou Chang, picked up Zhou Chang's wine cup, and poured a cup of wine for him.

Now that the old man knew that alcohol had the effect of suppressing wild thoughts, he wanted his grandson to drink a bit more; after all, in his view, this wine was of great benefit to Zhou Chang.

Zhou Chang looked at the white wine on the table; the wine in the cup was clear as water, and the pungent smell of alcohol wafted around.

Yang Rui claimed wine was a good medicine that could cure heart ailments; Zhou Chang, as a modern person, was even more aware of the harms of alcohol; although alcohol could indeed numb a person temporarily, allowing them to escape reality and stay away from fear and worry, after waking from drunkenness, reality was still there; it would not be that the difficulties in reality were solved just because a few cups of wine were drunk.

Consuming this thing regularly brings a hundred harms and not a single benefit.

However, just at this moment, a slight stirring arose in Zhou Chang's heart.

He lowered his gaze to his right wrist; the red string upon it now emitted a wisp of crimson qi, fine as a wandering silk thread, which drilled into the wine cup before him. That wisp of crimson qi retracted into his wrist a moment later, and the red string on his wrist returned to its original state.

After this red string first drank its fill of the death qi from the Mass Grave, it brought Zhou Chang the "Nian Yi" from within the coffin, and since then had remained dormant.

Now, however, because of a single cup of wine, it showed signs of revival.

This time, did it need to absorb "wine qi" to accumulate strength, ultimately, just as last time, dragging forth a "relic" from the coffin before the tomb of Yinsheng Laomu?

Zhou Chang formed a slight guess in his heart.

"Come, open your mouth!" Zhou Sanji set down the wine jar, lifted the wine cup from the table, and pressed it to Zhou Chang's lips.

The wine in the cup had lost the scent of alcohol, leaving only a very faint mellow fragrance.

Zhou Chang opened his mouth, allowing the wine to be poured into it, sliding down his throat—he could no longer feel even a trace of wine flavor; indeed, the mellow fragrance that had previously circulated around his nostrils had now vanished completely.

This cup of wine, whose "wine qi" had been absorbed by the red thread on his wrist, had become as water.

"Another cup?" Zhou Sanji said, already pouring another cup of wine for Zhou Chang.

Zhou Chang had just nodded when that cup was brought to his lips. With a shift of thought, he suppressed the red thread's urge to probe into the cup and absorb the wine qi, opened his mouth, and drank the cup clean.

A heavy scent of alcohol filled his lips and teeth, with a faint mellow fragrance beneath.

This was truly a cup of wine!

The cup from which the wine qi had just been absorbed could only be called water!

The "Red Thread" this time simply needed to absorb wine qi to accumulate strength!

Zhou Chang felt certain. He watched as Zhou Sanji poured another cup of wine, placed it before himself, and said, "This cup of wine is for you to press the table. Grandpa will serve you some dishes in a moment."

Afterwards, Zhou Sanji, holding the wine jar, passed by Bai Xiue, who kept her head bowed.

The old man hesitated for a moment, then asked Bai Xiue, "Little girl, would you like to have a cup?"

Having said this, he patted his forehead and laughed, "Ah, I am old and muddled; do not blame me—how could I urge young ladies like you to drink? That is not good. Eat some dishes instead—"

Before he finished speaking, he saw Bai Xiue timidly pick up the large rice bowl before her and hold it out to him.

Her thin, pale wrist trembled slightly in mid-air, yet remained firm, not drawing back.

"Grandpa Zhou..." Bai Xiue spoke softly. Everyone present looked at her in surprise, and almost no one heard what she said afterward.

"You wish to drink a little?" Zhou Sanji looked at her and asked.

Bai Xiue nodded.

Zhou Sanji shook his head, lifted the wine jar, and poured a tiny amount of wine, shallow as the bottom of the bowl, for Bai Xiue. "A little wine for a little girl is no harm, but do not drink too much!"

"Hmm..." Bai Xiue held the large bowl, gently sniffed the wine at the bottom, then drank it in small sips until the bottom was empty. She extended the large bowl to Zhou Sanji once more. This time her voice was somewhat louder. "Grandpa Zhou, can I, can I stay at your house? Can I not leave...?"

She had almost summoned all her courage to say these words in one breath. She raised her face to look at Zhou Sanji, her eyes filled with a pleading expression.

"Not possible!" Zhou Sanji refused flatly. This time he did not pour wine for Bai Xiue again; he sealed the mouth of the wine jar with his hand, his expression serious. "You have been away from home for so long; do your family not miss you?

Moreover, my family's situation is not wealthy; we have no surplus grain to support you..."

Bai Xiue lowered her head, put down her hands, and said, "I am willing to go out and find work. I will earn money for you; I only ask that you let me have a place to stay."

"Ah..." Zhou Sanji looked at the expressions of the others at the table. His gaze finally met Zhou Chang's. He suddenly hardened his heart. "You are very pretty. At noon, when you and I were washing the dishes, I saw calluses on your hands, on your Hukou. You must be a diligent girl at home.

Previously, you also helped me greatly. Without you, perhaps Ah Chang and I would have perished there.

Based on these things, I would be delighted if you stayed. If you stay, Ah Chang and you will live under the same roof. With such proximity, sooner or later, you might become my granddaughter-in-law—I speak plainly, opening the skylight to speak bright words. Little girl, do not think I am offending you. I am an old rascal saying such things; please do not take offense.

But, ah! There is always a 'but'... You have been afflicted by those things I cannot speak of, little girl!

I dare not keep you!"

Bai Xiue's eyelashes trembled slightly; she remained silent and said nothing.

At this moment, Zhou Chang distinctly felt the recovery of the "Nian Si" in his brow accelerate sharply. Previously, when he stayed with Bai Xiue, it took half a moment to gain a single wisp of Nian Si. Now, after merely a few breaths, the Nian Si had grown by two or three wisps!

Zhou Chang could not help but turn his gaze toward Bai Xiue. Although she remained silent at that moment, he could sense the turmoil of emotion beneath her silence.

Was the surge of her emotions perhaps the cause of her own Nian Si increasing?

A certain thought flashed through Zhou Chang's mind.

He raised his eyes to look at Zhou Sanji, who had turned and walked away, and was about to speak when Bai Xiue raised her head first. Looking at Zhou Sanji's back, she said, "Grandpa Zhou, I have a way to make it unable to come out..."

Bai Xiue spoke weakly and timidly, naturally without any persuasiveness.

Zhou Sanji did not even turn back. He walked directly to his seat, poured a cup of wine for Yang Rui, and then said to Bai Xiue with a smile, "Do not think so much, little girl.

I have already entrusted someone to inquire about your home's location. I will send you back then."

"Exactly what must I do for you to let me stay?" Hearing this, Bai Xiue grew anxious, and her voice took on a crying tone.

Zhou Sanji said no more, raised his cup, and drank with Yang Rui.

Yang Rui lifted his wine cup, but looked at Bai Xiue and jerked his chin toward Zhou Chang. "Your Grandpa Zhou treasures his grandson above all else. If you can help Ah Chang, then he will surely be delighted to keep you here, treating you well with good food and drink, just as he does for me!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Zhou Sanji laughed in agreement, taking it as Yang Rui's jest, and also said to Bai Xiue with a smile, "We Enduan Gong have all heard of a magical artifact called the 'Hundred Beasts Robe'.

Legend says that wearing the Hundred Beasts Robe can ward off ghosts and spirits.

If you can sew a Hundred Beasts Robe for Ah Chang, so that those deluded thoughts no longer burrow into him, then you may stay here for as long as you wish!

I will absolutely say nothing!"

"Hundred Beasts Robe..."

A faint light appeared in Bai Xiue's eyes; she had clearly taken Zhou Sanji's jest to heart.

At this moment, Yang Rui tapped the table with his chopsticks and said to Bai Xiue with a smile, "Let me tell you, little girl—birds flying in the sky, fish swimming in the water, and beasts and insects on land can all be included in the 'Hundred Beasts'. The Hundred Beasts are easy to gather; the key is that the beasts are easy to obtain, but their skins are not so easy to get.

Skins of cats, rats, pigs, and dogs are easy to obtain and can be sewn with needle and thread. But the skins of flies, mosquitoes, and ants—how can ordinary needle and thread sew them together?

The difficulty of the Hundred Beasts Robe lies precisely in this single thread of needlework!

If you cannot solve this key problem, then put aside the idea of sewing the Hundred Beasts Robe as soon as possible."

Hearing Yang Rui's words, Zhou Chang felt a slight stir in his heart. He turned to look at Bai Xiue beside him and saw the light in the frail woman's eyes grow even brighter.

"How much time will you give me to sew this Hundred Beasts Robe? Grandpa Zhou." Bai Xiue raised her eyelids and gazed at Zhou Sanji.

Hearing this, Zhou Sanji looked at Bai Xiue in astonishment.

But seeing Bai Xiue insist, and having already made his declaration, he pondered for a moment and said, "Girl, we must agree first—you must sew at least one hundred kinds of animal skins onto this Hundred Beasts Robe, or it will not count!

If you agree to this condition, I will give you a month... or half a month, how about that?"

"I agree."