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墨書 Inktalez
The next morning, just as dawn broke and the Morning Star was still visible in the eastern sky, I took Liu Er and Fo Zhang back to Liu Er's home. From a distance, I instructed Fo Zhang to scout for any news.
To my surprise, Buddha Sound, that fat little rat, had returned last night as well. I put it to work as a scout too. After not seeing Buddha Sound for a few days, its fur had become even shinier, slick and glossy as if it had been styled with mousse. Its small eyes shamelessly lingered on Liu Er for quite some time.
Once we confirmed it was safe, I led Liu Er into the house. The man and woman we encountered last night didn’t seem like good people; they likely had some connections and probably wouldn’t want to lower themselves to hiding in the mountains and getting bitten by mosquitoes.
The house was in complete disarray, with no place to set foot. Liu Er's grandfather's body still hung on the wall, his face twisted in a grimace.
With tears streaming down her face, Liu Er bowed three times before the old man. She bowed so hard that after the third time, her fair and smooth forehead showed signs of bleeding.
I pulled Liu Er up by her arm and comforted her, saying, “Liu Er, if your grandfather has a spirit, he wouldn’t want to see you so heartbroken.”
Liu Er nodded, but I could see tears dripping onto the floor.
“Liu Er, look around for anything important we can take with us; it’ll give us something to remember,” I said while keeping a vigilant eye on our surroundings.
In the midst of what looked like a garbage dump of a home, Liu Er found a bundle and a dark square box to hold close to her chest.
“Don’t you want anything else?” I asked seriously while holding up my torch.
Liu Er thought for a moment before shaking her head. Her eyes were drawn toward the direction of the room.
The raging fire quickly engulfed the wooden house. Thick smoke billowed upward into the sky like a giant gray-black dragon winding its way through the trees and drifting far away.
I knew that once the fire started, it would surely alert that man and woman. So after igniting the flames slightly, I urged, “Liu Er, let’s gather your grandfather’s ashes first; otherwise, if we wait any longer, those bad people will come.”
Liu Er gazed at what was once her home—though dilapidated, it had been warm—now reduced to ashes in an instant. With tears falling, she crouched down and scooped up some ashes into the square box she had prepared earlier. She then held it close with great care.
From afar, Fo Zhang made an urgent sound. I thought to myself that this was bad; I hadn’t expected those two to arrive so quickly. I quickly grabbed Liu Er's hand and darted into the dense forest.
Once inside the woods, I felt as agile as a dragon swimming through the sea. Pulling Liu Er along with quick turns and twists, we hurried back to the cave where we had hidden last night.
Liu Er huddled in a corner with the box of ashes, silently crying; it was enough to make anyone’s heart ache. I cursed under my breath and pounded my fist heavily against the stone wall in frustration.
“Liu Er, what do you plan to do from here?” I asked gently, afraid of touching on her sorrowful thoughts. But ironically enough, I ended up stepping on my own foot.
Liu Er burst into tears at that moment; her voice choked with emotion made me fear she might faint from holding her breath too long. I wished I could slap myself twice for not knowing when to keep quiet—was it really that hard?
I was afraid that Liu Er's cries would attract the enemy, so I hurriedly covered her mouth and said, "Good sister, please don't cry. If you do, just follow your Ling Feng. Although he is currently broke, I promise he won't let my sister go hungry in the future."
Seeing my comical attempt to dig into my pockets, Liu Er surprisingly managed to smile through her tears. It was an instinctive action on my part; I hadn't even realized I was wearing a monk's robe.
If my little sister could stop crying because of my awkwardness, then it was worth it for me as her brother.
I gently patted Liu Er's head and comforted her, "Since you are now my sister, your grandfather's revenge is also mine. We will avenge him together."
Liu Er's eyes were round and glistening with tears as she looked at me and said, " Ling Feng, you are truly a good person."
It was the first time someone—especially a pretty girl—had called me a good person. I felt a surge of happiness inside me, and even years later, I still believed I was a good person, one who had nothing to be ashamed of.
While I was happy, I knew that if we were to seek revenge, we first needed to clarify the identity and motives of our enemies. I thought for a moment and asked, "Liu Er, besides the Guan Shu who collects goods in town, did your grandfather have any other close acquaintances?"
Liu Er pondered for a long time before shaking her head. "No. Usually, my grandfather and I stay in the mountains and don’t contact anyone."
"Alright then. We'll go to town and find that Guan Shu; he must know something," I said in a serious tone.
Liu Er nodded in agreement. " Ling Feng, wherever you go, I will follow."
The town was only slightly larger than a village, with a straight main road lined with shops on either side. We stopped in front of a dilapidated building.
"This is Guan Shu's shop?" I asked, pointing at the rundown place. It hardly looked like a shop; the door was ajar and there wasn't even a sign.
Liu Er nodded confidently. " Ling Feng, I've been here often; it can't be wrong."
With that, Liu Er pushed open the door and called out into the back room, "Guan Grandpa! Guan Grandpa! I'm here!"
Inside the room was dark and musty. I covered my nose and stood behind Liu Er. After a while, there was some movement from within, followed by a hoarse voice replying, "Oh! Liu Er has come! What treasure has your grandfather sent this time?"
A moment later, an energetic old man emerged from the back room. Upon seeing that Liu Er was not accompanied by her grandfather but by me—a young lad—he froze in place for a moment before pulling Liu Er behind him protectively.
"Liu Er, tell Guan Grandpa—is he bullying you?" Old Man Guan pointed at me as he asked.
Liu Er could only wipe her tears silently without responding. Perhaps it was rare for her to see someone familiar that reminded her of her tragically deceased grandfather; she felt overwhelmed with emotion.
Seeing this, Old Man Guan assumed I was some kind of rogue and immediately grabbed a nearby stick without hesitation and swung it towards me.
A common saying goes, "An expert reveals their skill with just one move."
Old Man Guan, despite his age, could still discern the strength and technique behind the swing of the shoulder pole. It was not something an ordinary person could possess; he must be a trained practitioner.
I quickly employed my evasive footwork and stepped back a few paces, narrowly avoiding Old Man Guan's strike. I waved my hands and said, "Old man, you misunderstand! I haven't bullied Liu Er."
Then I called out to Liu Er, "Liu Er, quickly explain to Grandpa!"
Liu Er wiped away her tears and tugged at Old Man Guan's sleeve, choking back her sobs. "Guan Grandpa, please don't hit my brother. He's a good person. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be able to see me."
As we exchanged a few more moves, I couldn't help but admire Old Man Guan for his stamina; he showed no signs of fatigue or flushed cheeks.
Old Man Guan seemed to sense something was off and anxiously asked Liu Er, "Where is your grandfather?"
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