Chapter 18. Dong Ting
Dong Ting was bustling with noise and people. In just one night, figures from all trades across jianghu were gathered here; and after having proclaimed their t.i.tles among themselves, each started pursuing their own ulterior motives.
Zhou Zishu"s group, during their meal at two taverns, had already witnessed at least three fights breaking out before the day could end.
Zhou Zishu felt like this place was no better than a dog market, with people incessantly barking at each other and competing over some of the most trivial matters ever. He wondered how this "gathering of heroes" would turn out.
Deng Kuan and Gao Xiaolian took them to see Gao Chong first and foremost. There were only three factions who possessed the Realm"s Command: Shaolin was highly respected in the pugilist scene, with their strength being their raw power; and Monk Gu of Mount Chang Ming was elusive but greatly admired1, known for his martial art skills. The most socialized out of all of them was Sir Gao, as he had a wide circle of acquaintances spreading across many big sects, and therefore was the one with the biggest influence among the three.
He was actually not at all the type of hero with a pleasant appearance and graceful manners; at first glance he looked neither handsome nor wicked, but an old, short and stout man2 with gray temple hair. When he talked, there was an evident healthy spirit to him, and his laugh was especially loud and hearty.
One look at him and Zhou Zishu understood how he got his current status.
Each person had their own unique aura, and people would flock together, separating into groups based on this invisible element.
An example would be the type of people like Wen Kexing and Zhou Zishu: One looked like a sickly, staggering beggar and the other a silver-tongued, male-beauty-loving troublemaker. They weren"t that special at first glance, but someone with a sharp mind could easily sense the subtle distinctions to them once acquainted.
It was possible that both Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing could blend in a crowd without anyone noticing, but after all they weren"t that type, so naturally there was no reason for them to do such a thing. Furthermore, blending in would only turn them into unremarkable props.
But Zhou Zishu would raise his guards every time Wen Kexing got near; and during their first meeting Wen Kexing had warned Gu Xiang against provoking the other man.
It was a kind of instinct that helped one identify their peers.
This wasn"t a thing in Gao Chong"s case, however.
He could be on friendly terms with anyone, and people would overlook everything from his age to his status the moment they stood before him. Whether one was young or old, from righteous sects or was simply a knight-errant, he could always evoke a sense of familiarity in them, one which made them feel like they were of the same age and had actually experienced a part of life together.
Zhou Zishu and Wen Kexing involuntarily stopped their nonsensical blabbering to observe this infamous Sir Gao silently; only exchanging necessary small talks at random and with politeness.
Zhou Zishu couldn"t help but think, If only Tian Chuang had such a talent…
But there was only one Gao Chong in this whole world.
They arrived relatively early. A few days later, one by one came the big sects" representatives and Dong Ting Lake had very likely turned into a place for family reunion. Every day one would hear something along the line of: "Ah, You must be someone someone someone, I have heard a lot about you… Please don"t flatter me, of course, the Ghost Valley has been on their evil rampage for way too long, we will not stop before they are eradicated, it is natural that I will lend my strength, so that we can finally make a move in the name of justice and righteousness…"
During the past days, Zhou Zishu had to listen to them until his ears couldn"t bear it anymore. But when he was bored out of his mind, Wen Kexing was nowhere to be seen. It was a bit quiet without the other man"s rowdiness.
He was strolling along the street, wearing new robes provided by the Gao family. It was obvious this was a benefit from mingling with Cao Weining"s crowd, as he got to enjoy a pleasant stay at the Gao"s residence with delicious food and nice clothes to replace his ragged ensemble. It actually took a while for him to get used to the new clothes. He had worn rough materials for so long that the smooth fabric felt slippery and cold to the touch, just like a layer of mucus.
He shook his head in self-mockery at his sallow, skinny hands and sallow, skinny face. This Nail-ravaged body seemed incapable of handling the clothes currently hanging on its frame, not unlike a shaky skeleton struggling to prop up the fabrics. He himself could see the wretchedness in his appearance, and a random glance at the mirror was enough to warrant no further inspection. It was clear that even a dragon robe would not make one a Crown Prince.
Internally, he thought Wen Kexing was only mindlessly chasing after him. With the lack of those courtesans with their pretty handkerchiefs, beggars couldn"t be choosers; that was obviously why the man glued himself to him to ramble his ears off.
Wasn"t there a saying that "After three years in the army, even a sow will look like a G.o.ddess"? Zhou Zishu felt like Wen Kexing"s situation was no different, only he was interested in boars rather than sows.
Today he visited a tavern on his own. He chose a seat by the window and asked for some side dishes and a pot of yellow wine3, drinking it leisurely while sunbathing.
Wen Kexing saw the other man"s back the moment he walked in. It was unclear why he always got a very distinct feeling from looking at Zhou Zishu"s back, to the point that he could recognize it immediately in a crowd.
His back wasn"t always straightened; oftentimes it would lazily curve in a way that didn"t at all affect his elegance and gave the impression of an incredibly comfortable person. Wen Kexing found out there seemed to be not a single matter that could plague his mind, and one would feel unusually peaceful and comforted the moment they landed their eyes on him.
He couldn"t help but stop walking to stare blankly at Zhou Zishu"s relaxed figure. An emotion surged up within him—the emotion of nothingness.
It was as if the man"s att.i.tude was presented to mock all of those out there with worries heavy on their mind but had to pretend that they were the opposite.
Zhou Xu - soul like water lenses, body like willow4, he thought.
The world was boundless with so many paths and sceneries to behold and experience, so how could one completely disregard all of those and keep himself in complete desolation, with no worries on his mind?
He was definitely not indifferent—he had a variety of emotions, but they came and went in a blink of an eye, seemingly never existing in the first place.
Wen Kexing inhaled deeply and cast his eyes downwards. Soon enough, back on his face was an irritatingly cheerful expression as he walked over and sat down opposite Zhou Zishu. He took a cup without asking and s.n.a.t.c.hed the wine pot from Zhou Zishu"s hand, pouring one for himself and commented after a small sip: "Not too bad, this wine."
Zhou Zishu glanced at him languidly and spoke up, "Excuse me, can I have another pot? Put it on his tabs."
Wen Kexing stared back silently. Zhou Zishu gave him a soft smile, and to prove that he wasn"t a stingy person, he explained, "You still owed me three silver liangs, I"m just providing a chance for you to pay me back early without additional interest. That totally works in your favor, right?"
After a long while, Wen Kexing could only let out a "…Thanks."
"You"re welcome, Brother Wen." Zhou Zishu smiled back.
Wen Kexing had an unusually strong urge to tease him back, but at that moment, the tavern door behind Zhou Zishu opened and there were voices: "We will stay here for a meal for the time being. Then we can go see Brother Gao in the evening."
A somewhat familiar voice replied, "Of course, anything you say, uncle5."
As soon as that happened, Wen Kexing got to witness a highly entertaining scene: his former creditor—who minutes ago was completely sober while being helpful with his debt—suddenly swayed side to side and fell onto the table "drunkenly" with a crashing noise. His fingers were still gripping the wine cup and his face was glued to the table; he looked as if he wanted to stand up but couldn"t figure how to, all the while grumbling, "Not drunk… Can drink more…"
Wen Kexing and Gu Xiang followed Zhou Zishu and Zhang Chengling back when they were travelling together, but only Zhou Zishu noticed. Zhang Chengling at that time wasn"t in a positive state of mind, therefore he didn"t notice. He did meet Wen Kexing once at the shrine, but the man left no impression on him.
Zhou Zishu crashed on the table right when Zhang Chengling and Zhao Jing walked past, and they were completely clueless on their way to the upper floow.
The waiter brought them food and wine after the other two had disappeared upstairs. One glance and he asked worriedly, "Wasn"t this one really sober just a moment ago, how did he get drunk that quickly…"
Zhou Zishu sat up again with no problem before he could exclaim further and took the wine pot without even looking at the food.
The waiter was dumbstruck as Zhou Zishu waved his arm. "Didn"t I say that I wasn"t drunk and could drink more? I"m not the type to joke about that, you know."
The waiter was experienced enough to turned and walked away, albeit stiffly.
Wen Kexing laughed and asked with a low voice. "You scared of that kid?"
Zhou Zishu didn"t spare him a look. "Why would I be scared of him?"
"Then why did you hide?"
Zhou Zishu toyed with the peanuts and drank his wine in an unhurried manner, then answered vaguely, "Troubles. The moment he sees me he"ll go shifu this and shifu that; he"s clingy like a little girl."
Wen Kexing"s brows were raised. "Why did you save him back then? You even sold yourself for two qians5."
Zhou Zishu munched on the peanuts, then spoke after a good while, "He looked pitiful."
Wen Kexing fell silent after that. Suddenly, he took out a money pouch from his chest and counted the silvers carefully before pushing them forward. "Here are three liangs and two qians. The three liangs are for my debt, and I want to buy you with two qians. I promise I will care for you and let no one come after you."
Zhou Zishu looked down at the gleaming silver and took a sip of wine, seemingly enjoying himself. He pushed two liangs back. "This is enough for the wine today."
After mulling it over, he pushed the two qians back to its owner too. "I"m not selling myself to you."
Wen Kexing had a mysterious smile on his face. "Why is that?"
"You look annoying," Zhou Zishu answered bluntly.
Wen Kexing laughed as if it was an encouragement.
Everyone fully arrived at Dong Ting half a month later. Gao Chong requested that a large temple courtyard nearby was used as the gathering location. After another half a day, Abbot Ci Mu from Shaolin Temple came with some of his disciples to present the second Realm"s Command piece.
As expected, Monk Gu didn"t appear in person. He ordered an around twenty-year-old, respectable-looking disciple to come in his stead to present the last Command piece.
The night the three Command pieces were reunited, the Gao"s Manor was set on fire.
Footnotes.
1 The original idiom literally translates to "Divine dragon, the head of whom could be seen but never the tail".
2 The term for "old man" used here is 老人家, which is a more polite version.
3 A type of rice wine.
4 Water lenses (or duckweed) is an aquatic plant that floats, often used in poetry and literature as a metaphor for a carefree person. Willow tree has leaves that are thin, elongated and flexible; it is often used as a metaphor for resilience and adaptability.
5 The p.r.o.noun 伯父 is specifically used for the father"s older brother (叔父 is for younger brother)
6 A liang equals ten qians.