Green Mountain-Chapter 729 - 583: The Road of Mortal Dust, Etched in the Marks of the Boat

Outside the performance stall under the Tianqiao, crowds were packed layer upon layer.

Bai Li stood among the crowd, tiptoeing, wanting to see the center of the stage clearly. But she wasn't very tall and there were tall men ahead of her, so she couldn't see well even when tiptoeing.

She turned to Chen Ji, righteously saying, "Carry me."

Chen Ji bent down with a smile, lifting her onto his back, allowing her a clearer view.

Bai Li stared attentionly at the scene, a man in his thirties, dressed in short attire, his face rough red from years of exposure to the elements.

The man held a narrow-finned flying knife in his hand, the blade flashing cold under the setting sun.

At the other end of the stage stood a huge wooden target board, a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl tied to it, with a red ribbon in her hair, her face taut, motionless.

The man stepped back five paces, flicked his wrist, and the flying knife was released. Bai Li watched the flying knife tensely, her right hand extended towards it, ready to rescue the girl should the man miss.

A thud!

The knife landed next to the girl's ear, pinning into the target, the tail of the knife vibrating incessantly.

The crowd erupted in amazement.

The man stepped back three more paces, took out a second knife.

This knife grazed past the girl's other ear, pinning three inches above her shoulder, the girl didn't blink.

The third knife, fourth knife, fifth knife... ninth knife.

Every knife flew close to her body, yet not harming the girl at all. The knives seemed to have eyes, circling around her slender figure. The nine knives neatly pinned around the girl, framing her entirely.

The crowd exploded.

"Good!"

"Amazing!"

"Do it again!"

The man clasped his fists towards the crowd, grinned showing white teeth, "Ladies and gentlemen, aunts and grannies, brothers and sisters, my apologies for the unsophistication. I am surnamed Zhou, the second in line, been traveling from south to north since childhood, today is my first time in this esteemed place. Newly arrived, unfamiliar with everything, counting on everyone's patronage here…"

He spoke while deeply bowing, bending his waist close to his knees.

Once he straightened up, he continued, "Just now this trick is called 'Nine Stars Surrounding the Moon', a family heirloom of the Zhou family. My father taught me back then, saying this craft has been passed down for four generations, over a hundred years, now it's the fifth generation with me."

He pointed to the girl with the red ribbon, "This is my daughter, followed me traveling for six years, six years ago she was only seven, yet dared to stand there and let me throw knives. You are all worldly people, knowing this trade isn't easy. I, Zhou Laoer, have no other skills but these few flying knife tricks, earning a living with them along the way, living on open trade meals."

He picked up the broken copper gong on the ground, inside scattered some copper coins, "Today, Zhou Laoer doesn't want rewards, just a word of praise from everyone. Your word of praise is worth more than receiving a hundred copper coins. Later, if I, Zhou Laoer, travel elsewhere and mention the Tianqiao of the Imperial Capital, I will say, the men and women of the Imperial Capital's Tianqiao, they are like this…"

Saying so, he held up a thumbs-up.

The audience roared with laughter.

"However," the man's tone shifted, voice slowing, "if everyone truly thinks my skill is quite decent and wants to reward with some money, I won't refuse. Why? Because that's the rule. In Jianghu, the most important thing is 'patronage'. You patronize me, I put in effort for you, we owe each other nothing. If you don't patronize, that's rightfully so, I, Zhou Laoer, will say no more, but I still have one more trick, which is blindfolded knife throwing, my daughter will be there tied up, as long as rewards are given sufficiently, I will perform this trick for everyone!"

After saying, he immediately gave a signal to his apprentice, the young apprentice promptly carried the copper gong around, the audience tossed copper coins into the gong making a dinging sound.

The man pulled the knives out of the wooden board, then pretended to take out a piece of black cloth, slowly blindfolding himself, the audience became even more excited, throwing money eagerly.

Bai Li simply tossed a silver ingot, the silver hit the gong with a clanging sound, startling the audience to turn their heads, wanting to see who the wealthy patron was.

Those who joined the hustle outside the Imperial Music Bureau yesterday immediately recognized Chen Ji and Bai Li, whispering, "It's Marquis Wu Xiang and Princess Bai Li…"

"Carrying the Princess on his back, which noble would willingly carry a lady…"

Bai Li felt a bit embarrassed wanting to jump off, but Chen Ji stopped her, saying softly, "It's okay."

Being watched by everyone didn't make him feel embarrassed either, he simply urged the man with a smile, "Are your eyes covered yet, hurry up and perform your trick."

But the man, taking forever to blindfold, unbelievably took thirty minutes without doing it right, causing the audience to leave one after another, he then took off the black cloth and started performing 'Nine Stars Surrounding the Moon' again.

Bai Li was dumbfounded, "Why isn't he performing the blindfolded knife throwing?"

Chen Ji laughed explaining, "That's his own daughter, how could he bear to blindfold and throw at her? There are many fake performers at Tianqiao who talk without acting, just tricking those new to the city for fairs or exams."

Bai Li pouted, seeing the apprentice carrying the copper gong approaching again, she swiftly grabbed and retrieved the silver ingot she tossed, "Run!"

This time Chen Ji was the one dumbfounded, Bai Li saw him not moving, hurriedly tapped his shoulder, "Run quickly!"

Before the man throwing knives could react, Chen Ji took off carrying Bai Li, weaving through the bustling crowd, drawing curious looks from the passerby.

Under the setting sun, the two seemed to have found a gateway to the past, as long as chanting the years they could run back to smoke-filled Anxi Street, back to that simple Taiping Medical Hall.

Standing at the door of the Medical Hall and shouting 'I'm back', stepping across the threshold, those they wished to see would still be inside.

Chen Ji ran for two miles before gradually stopping.

He leaned against the narrow alley way, slightly catching his breath, Bai Li jumped off, stood shoulder to shoulder with him, then they both burst into laughter.

The sun sank a little further, the light in the alley growing lighter and thinner.

The laughter gradually subsided, Bai Li stood under the shadow of the eaves, bowing her head saying, "I still remember the days when you were injured, everyone took you to Baiyi Lane, deliberately carrying you in front of the songstress to embarrass you; everyone went to make cement together, getting all muddy and black every day, getting scolded by master when returning home; sitting on a bull cart together to Lu Hun Manor, buying particularly sour oranges; when we were chased by the Liu Family's soldiers, you carried me as we escaped…"

Chen Ji's breathing calmed down.

Bai Li suddenly said, "Chen Ji, thank you."

Chen Ji smiled lightly: "No need to thank me."

Bai Li also smiled lightly: "It's nothing."

At this moment, a faint scent of incense smoke wafted over from afar. Bai Li looked up and saw the Chongnan City God Temple quietly sitting in the distance, as if fate had destined them to come here, reminding her not to forget certain things.

Bai Li looked at Chen Ji: "Chen Ji, I'm going to the City God Temple."

Chen Ji was somewhat puzzled, but still agreed: "Alright."

Bai Li walked towards the City God Temple. Chen Ji was about to follow when Bai Li turned back and said: "Chen Ji, I want to go alone."

Chen Ji hesitated for a moment and still agreed: "Alright."

...

...

As the twilight entirely slipped behind the city walls, Bai Li walked alone into the City God Temple. Before entering, she noticed a wooden sign at the door that read: "The place where Taoist Ancestor Chao Yunzi conferred Li Changge."

She continued walking inside, only to see a large Qing Niu lying beside a bronze incense burner, inhaling wisps of incense smoke. The thin blue smoke from the burning incense didn't have a chance to rise before it was sucked into its nostrils like a waterfall.

By this time, the believers had all returned home at sunset, leaving only a young Taoist sitting on the stone steps under the eaves, with a book in his left hand and furiously scratching his head with his right, muttering to himself:

"Who controls the clouds on paper? It's a celestial script, yet it writes confusion.

Foolish lovers, foolish lovers, cruelly breaking one's heart.

Clearly an act of reunion, yet those 'parting' words are written like pearls.

Is it fate, is it destiny, is it catastrophe?

In the City God Temple, asking the Taoist Ancestor, for it is the road of worldly affairs, engraved in the marks of the boat."

The young Taoist lamented: "Wasn't this just rescued from the Imperial Music Bureau? How can the celestial script give such a verdict... Hey, miss, the City God Temple is closed, come back tomorrow if you wish to divine."

Bai Li smiled slightly: "When does the City God Temple close? Daoist Master Zhang Li, are you running the temple as a business?"

Daoist Master Zhang Li, using the dim light of the temple, examined Bai Li: "Oh, I've seen you before, at... where was it?"

Bai Li softly replied: "At Lu Hun Manor."

Zhang Li suddenly stood up: "Princess Bai Li, where's that kid Chen Ji? Why isn't he with you?"

Bai Li smiled: "He's waiting for me outside the City God Temple. I'm just here to ask a few divinations, you don't have to mind me, Daoist Master."

Zhang Li stepped aside from the hall door: "Well then, you may ask your divination, I'll go have a word with Chen Ji."

Bai Li lifted the hem of her Daoist robe and stepped into the hall, taking a divination cup from the offering case, and knelt on the cushion before the statue of The Three Pure Ones. Holding the divination cup in her hands, she whispered: "Faithful follower Bai Li, I seek to ask The Three Pure Ones, does Chen Ji know the whereabouts of my mother, Wen Yunmo?"

After speaking, she tossed the divination cup before her, one yin and one yang.

Chen Ji knows.

Bai Li tossed three times in succession, each time one yin and one yang.

She whispered again: "Faithful follower Bai Li, I seek to ask The Three Pure Ones, is my mother still alive?"

After speaking, she placed the divination cup before her, both yin.

Deceased.

Bai Li tossed nine times continuously, each time both yin.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she retrieved the divination cup from the ground and threw it out again: "Is it related to Chen Ji?"

The divination cup landed on the ground with a clear sound, one yin and one yang.

Related.

Bai Li's eyelashes trembled lightly, and she spoke in a dry voice: "Was it Chen Ji who killed her?"

After speaking, she tossed the divination cup before her, one yin and one yang. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Yes.

Bai Li didn't want to believe it. This time, she threw it ninety-nine times in a row, each time one yin and one yang.

She raised her head to look at the statue of The Three Pure Ones, uncertain if it was the light or an illusion, seeing two of them with indifferent expressions and one with a compassionate gaze.

Bai Li pressed her forehead to the floor in the hall, reluctant to rise for a long time.

Until the time between 9 to 11 PM, Zhang Li came in to urge: "Miss, this poor Taoist also needs to sleep..."

Bai Li got up and apologized, walking alone towards the exit of the City God Temple. Just before she walked out, she rubbed her cheeks before stepping over the threshold.

Chen Ji stepped forward, curious, and asked: "Why did it take so long?"

Bai Li smiled: "Nothing, I accidentally fell asleep."

Chen Ji scrutinized her expression, then asked: "Where do you want to go tomorrow?"

Bai Li thought for a moment: "The places we walked through today, let's walk through them again."