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墨書 Inktalez
Zhu Fei Er buried Zhu Fei Da's body, piling up a small mound over it. His expression showed little sorrow.
Perhaps what he had in life was merely companionship. Suddenly losing one would feel a bit strange.
"I never expected it, truly never expected that there could be such a loyal pig... It's so touching..." Crazy Taoist, with an oil-stained, somewhat darkened and stiff sleeve, wiped at the corner of his eye.
I thought to myself that Feng Daoist still had some humanity left; he wasn't completely devoid of emotion. But when I looked over, I noticed there was barely a hint of moisture in his eyes.
"What are your plans for the future?" I stepped forward and patted Zhu Fei Er on the shoulder as I asked.
Zhu Fei Er shook his head. "I don't know. Grandma enlightened my brother and me back then. Our mission and purpose were to guard her, but now that she's gone... I suddenly feel like something is missing..."
Crazy Taoist waved his hand dismissively. "So what if Old Witch is dead? Just stick with me from now on... Daoists value loyalty above all else..."
For a moment, Crazy Taoist seemed to stutter, glancing at Zhu Fei Er before finally adding the word "person."
Zhu Fei Er looked at Crazy Taoist with a hint of grievance. "But I want to be a monk..."
Crazy Taoist immediately exploded, his eyes wide as saucers, one hand on his hip and the other pointing at Zhu Fei Er. "You ignorant fool! Do you even know what you're talking about? Our Daoism is nothing compared to those Old Bald Donkeys! If you become a monk, you can't eat meat or drink alcohol, and you can't marry... Heh heh..."
Crazy Taoist put an arm around Zhu Fei Er's shoulders as he explained, "What's the point of living such a restrained life? So sticking with me is the right path. You should know how many people outside want to take me as their master, and I haven't agreed to any of them..."
Zhu Fei Er glanced at me, probably seeking my opinion.
I shrugged. "You decide for yourself..."
"Master, please accept your disciple's bow." Although Zhu Fei Er was somewhat awkward, he was respectful and bowed three times sincerely.
Feng Daoist laughed heartily and dramatically said, "My beloved disciple, please rise."
Then he mumbled, "The name Zhu Fei Er is too casual. I must give you a more impressive name..."
Feng Daoist clasped his hands behind his back and paced back and forth. Finally, he slapped his forehead and said, "You look so dazed; how about Mr. Ruo Yu?"
My eyes lit up, and I clapped my hands in approval. This Feng Daoist, though seemingly foolish, was quite decisive when it came to matters like this.
I then cupped my hands toward Zhu Fei Er and said, "I pay my respects to Ruo Yu Brother."
Ruo Yu bowed his head to Feng Daoist again, saying, "Thank you for the name, Master..."
Feng Daoist waved his hand dismissively. "No need for such formality. From now on, you are my disciple. If anyone bullies you outside, just report it in my name..."
He thumped his chest proudly. "Since you've become my disciple, we must have a proper meeting gift."
With a flourish, he pulled out a wooden box from his robe. "Though your appearance is merely skin-deep and I don't care much for looks, when you travel the world, you might encounter some narrow-minded people..."
Feng Daoist pointed at the box and said, "This is a treasure I obtained in my early years; it's called Qian Mian Huan Ying Sha."
Crazy Taoist opened the box and took out a nearly transparent veil as thin as a cicada's wing, then pressed it against Ruo Yu's face.
When I looked again, the pig-headed visage was gone, replaced by a round-faced and amiable appearance. His hair was tied up in a Taoist bun.
While he wasn't exactly a handsome man, he was certainly at my level of attractiveness.
Crazy Taoist raised an eyebrow at me and discreetly pulled Ruo Yu aside to whisper some instructions.
I naturally had no interest in eavesdropping. Once they finished their conversation, I took out some wine from my Qiankun Bag. "Since we have shared life and death as friends, and with the senior happily accepting a disciple like Ruo Yu Brother, I don't have any proper gifts to offer. This is my treasured wine. Consider it a tribute to the elder..."
Upon hearing about the wine, Crazy Taoist's eyes sparkled with excitement. In a swift motion, he snatched the bottle from my hands, pulled out the cork, and took a deep whiff. "What a fine wine! You really should have brought this out sooner..."
With that, he tilted his head back and began to drink greedily.
Taking advantage of our conversation, Ruo Yu slipped into the dense forest. When he returned, he was holding two large, plump rabbits.
As we roasted the rabbit meat, Feng Daoist drank to his heart's content and began to sing loudly. The tune seemed to be in a local dialect, rough and expansive, filled with a sense of vigor and boldness.
Ruo Yu and I gathered around the fire, watching Feng Daoist dance around joyfully.
Living life as freely as Feng Daoist does is no easy feat. Compared to those with ulterior motives, his innocent heart is indeed rare.
"Ling Feng, you’re quite the good fellow. How about we become sworn brothers?" Crazy Taoist suddenly popped up behind me, draping an arm over my shoulder with a surprising proposal.
I was taken aback; my first thought was about how Ruo Yu would address me if I became sworn brothers with Crazy Taoist.
I glanced at Ruo Yu. "Senior, I’m truly honored that you see me, Ling Feng, as a brother. However..."
Feng Daoist chimed in, clearly tipsy but making sense. "Pfft! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re really thinking. I considered you a close friend! Why are you acting like a worldly person? How dull! We each have our own identities—Ruo Yu is Ruo Yu, and I am me. Even if Ruo Yu and I were to become master and disciple, we remain independent individuals..."
His reasoning made sense to me. So I knelt down alongside Feng Daoist and looked up at the crescent moon as we swore an oath together. "Heaven above, earth below, with the bright moon as witness and the clear wind as witness. I, Ling Feng (Xu Mingzhe), today swear to become sworn brothers. In times of fortune or misfortune, we shall share together. If I break this oath, let this wine bottle be my punishment."
We both tilted our heads back and finished the wine in the bottle before tossing it onto the ground.
"Big Brother..." I called out, feeling a strange mix of emotions but also quite touched. Although Feng Daoist could easily be my grandfather in age, for someone like me, it was a form of comfort.
Feng Daoist patted my shoulder. "From now on, if you need anything, just give me a shout. I fear no blade or fire."
The words were simple and direct, and I suddenly felt a sense of being wrapped up, able to roam freely.
The night was cool as water, and I had no idea how much I had drunk. It was my first time getting completely wasted. Fortunately, Ruo Yu was there to watch over me; otherwise, with my and Feng Daoist's temperaments, it wouldn't have been impossible for a wolf to carry me away at night.
When I woke up the next day, my head throbbed painfully.
Rubbing my forehead, I only saw Ruo Yu. “Ruo Yu Brother, where's my elder brother?”
Ruo Yu raised the note in his hand. “Master had something to attend to and left first. He asked me to stay with you for a while.”
I took the note from him; the chaotic and unrestrained handwriting on the white paper was as carefree and elegant as Feng Daoist himself.
I couldn't help but shake my head. My elder brother came and went like a shadow, as fleeting as a gust of wind. He took in a good disciple but handed him over to me instead.
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