Chapter 50: Punishing Qin Niang

Xiu Niang came back from outside crying the whole way. She covered her face and plunged straight into the house.

Qiu Sheng hurried after her, anxious. “Xiu Niang, Xiu Niang, don’t be angry.”

Hua Qi quickly ran out of the kitchen and snapped at Qiu Sheng, “What did you do to Xiu Niang?”

“It wasn’t me,” Qiu Sheng said, feeling wronged. He complained, “Who else but Eldest Sister-in-law? Her mouth is like it’s stuffed with dung.”

“What happened to her?” Hua Qi frowned. “Weren’t you just going to her house to take a look? How did you end up arguing again?”

“How would I know?” Qiu Sheng was full of anger. “Xiu Niang and I had only said a few words when she went mad like a rabid dog, biting whoever she saw. She even said it was because of Xiu Niang that wild beasts ate her family’s chickens.”

“What does that have to do with Xiu Niang? I think her head was kicked by a donkey.”

Qiu Sheng normally did not mock people like this, so it was obvious he was truly furious.

This scene felt familiar, and in an instant, it made Hua Qi remember the young wife from the family where he had hidden seven hundred years ago.

That young wife had suffered endless grievances. Whenever anything went wrong in the family, her mother-in-law would always blame her, saying either that she had not done well or that she had invited disaster.

He was the one who had eaten the chickens. Since Qin Niang’s family had not properly apologized to Yun Shan and instead came to their door making trouble, Hua Qi naturally could not let Qin Niang off easily. What did any of that have to do with Xiu Niang?

Why were some people able to casually convict others? Did these people have any evidence? What were they relying on?

Back then, there had been no one to protect that young wife. Though he pitied her, he had been no thicker than a finger at the time, still a hundred years away from taking human form. In the end, he had not been able to help.

But now, he could help Xiu Niang.

Tonight, Qin Niang’s family could prepare to have their house torn apart!

The sharp look in Hua Qi’s eyes frightened Xiao Cong. He held his embroidery needle and shrank beside Yun Shan’s cradle, hiding himself as much as possible.

As soon as Qiu Sheng entered the room, Xiu Niang chased him back out. Worried, he leaned under the east room window and called inside, “Xiu Niang, don’t be angry anymore. We won’t go to her house again.”

Bang—

Xiu Niang pulled away the support rod, and the window slammed shut.

“Xiu Niang.” Qiu Sheng scratched his ears and cheeks, but no matter how he called, Xiu Niang would not open the window or the door. Qiu Sheng could only turn to Hua Qi for help. “Huaniang, help me coax Xiu Niang.”

“What coaxing?” Hua Qi took off his apron, sat down at the table, and lifted one leg to step on another stool.

Who on earth had ever seen a woman sit like that? Qiu Sheng could not bear to look and immediately turned his head away.

“When Xi Jue and Dou Ming come back later, we’ll go together and demand an explanation. I want to see how this matter can be blamed on Xiu Niang.” Hua Qi deliberately raised his voice so that Xiu Niang inside the room would hear. Back then, no one had helped that young wife, but he would help Xiu Niang. He would make that annoying eldest sister-in-law of hers never dare bully her again. Dou Ming had stolen the eggs yesterday, so he had to contribute his share too.

“Huh?” Qiu Sheng froze. He had asked Hua Qi to coax Xiu Niang, not go pick a fight.

He smiled awkwardly. “That, that isn’t really necessary, is it?” Both sides were family. If they started fighting over this, people would inevitably laugh at them. Besides, his eldest brother Xia Sheng was no match for Dou Ming at all. He was even afraid Dou Ming might beat Xia Sheng to death.

“What explanation?” Xiu Niang wiped her tears dry and walked out of the room.

When she saw Hua Qi’s bold sitting posture, Xiu Niang burst out laughing. “Look at you. Anyone who didn’t know better would think some female bandit had come down from the mountain.”

Hua Qi held a piece of flatbread in his hand, took a bite, swallowed it without chewing, and said seriously to Xiu Niang, “We won’t swallow this anger. I’ll go ask on your behalf. I want to see what kind of reasoning that woman can come up with.”

“I don’t need you to ask.” The corners of Xiu Niang’s mouth could not help turning upward.

She had been married for three years, and her husband’s family had looked down on her because her family were outsiders with no local people behind them. Her parents loved her, but they had never dared stand up for her. She had never expected that after taking in Hua Qi’s family, who were outsiders like her, her own family would become so firm and willing to back her up.

“Why not?” Hua Qi frowned and looked at Xiu Niang in confusion. “You’re just going to let people bully you like this?”

“She’s Eldest Sister-in-law, not some stranger. That person... if I really argued with her, I’d always be the one who got angry. She can say a few nasty words, but it won’t take a piece of flesh off me. At worst, I just won’t go over there anymore.” Xiu Niang looked toward Qiu Sheng and asked with a trace of pride, “I can refuse to go, right?”

That trace of pride had been given to her by Huaniang’s family. She had people backing her now.

“You can, you can, you can.” Qiu Sheng immediately agreed. If she did not want to go, then she would not go. He would not let Xiu Niang suffer that grievance.

Xiao Cong stuck his tongue out at Yun Shan. Even after Xiu Niang explained so much, he still did not understand. Since she already had people to back her up, why did Xiu Niang still have to suffer Qin Niang’s anger? Humans really were complicated.

Yun Shan stared at Xiao Cong, moved his little mouth, and blew a spit bubble. “Ah—ah—”

“Our sweet little Yun Shan must be hungry.” Xiu Niang lifted him out of the cradle. “Come, come, come, time to nurse.”

She loosened her clothes, and Xiao Cong and Hua Qi immediately turned their heads elsewhere.

Yun Shan pressed one little hand against Xiu Niang’s chest as he drank milk in big mouthfuls, his eyes rolling around as he looked everywhere.

In the other cradle, Chun Hua slowly opened her eyes, moved her head, then closed her eyes again and continued sleeping.

Dou Ming, Xi Jue, and Tuo Tuo had just entered the yard with their prey when Xiu Niang smiled brightly and called to them warmly, “Eat, eat.”

Huh. They had picked up eight eggs, so why was Xiu Niang this happy? Dou Ming thought to himself that if he had known earlier, he would have left the chickens for a few more days so Xiu Niang could be happy for a few more days.

They were in the middle of eating when Xiu Niang’s mother and Wan Niang came over in a hurry.

“You’re eating.” Xiu Niang’s mother asked with a smile, then shifted her gaze to Xiu Niang. Seeing that she looked happy, the worry in her heart immediately eased. Good child. She had figured it out herself.

“Mother, Eldest Sister-in-law, have you eaten?” Xiu Niang put down her chopsticks, ran into the main room, and carried out two stools. “Huaniang made flatbread this morning. It smells wonderful.”

Da Mao and Er Mao squeezed up beside Xiao Cong, craning their heads as they called, “Brother Xiao Cong.”

Xiao Cong pressed his lips into a smile and took the initiative to wrap a piece of flatbread for each of them.

“I’ve eaten. You all eat.” Xiu Niang’s mother took a stool and sat behind Xiu Niang.

She had heard both Xiu Niang and Wan Niang mention Xi Jue’s family before, but this was her first time meeting all of them.

In this family, the men were handsome and the woman was pretty. Their looks were top-notch for the village. The family was also full of boys, and all of them were good-looking. The eldest had thick brows and big eyes. Xiu Niang had said he was very strong and could go up the mountain to hunt wolves. The little boy in the red bellyband was fair and chubby, very lovable, though it was a little embarrassing that he wore a bellyband all day. As for the other boy, Wan Niang had said he knew how to embroider and had patience. He was only eight, but his embroidery skills were even better than Wan Niang’s.

If this family did not have some ability, how could they have built a house in Dongwang Village so quickly? And a blue-brick, tiled house at that.

Once they had a house, and the family lacked neither food nor drink, matchmakers would trample down their threshold in the future. Thinking of this, Xiu Niang’s mother asked, “How old is the eldest boy?”

Hua Qi looked left and right, not knowing who Xiu Niang’s mother meant by “the eldest boy.”

“Dou Ming? He’s fourteen,” Xiu Niang answered.

“Oh, fourteen already. In another year, he’ll be able to start looking at families.” Xiu Niang’s mother asked with a beaming smile, “What kind of girl do you want?” With this family’s conditions, he could choose any girl in the village.

“Huh?” Dou Ming, who had been named, looked completely baffled. He scratched his head, his face full of embarrassment. What, what kind of girl was he supposed to look for? He was a tiger who needed to cultivate in purity.

The other demons laughed in gleeful schadenfreude. Tuo Tuo even laughed out loud. His unrestrained manner made Dou Ming’s teeth itch. With his free left hand, Dou Ming grabbed the skyward braid on Tuo Tuo’s head. “What are you laughing at?”

Tuo Tuo was not afraid of him. Holding his head, he kept laughing. “They’re finding you a wife.”

“Hehehe.” Hearing someone laugh, Yun Shan, who knew nothing in his cradle, also joined in merrily.

“Even Yun Shan agrees,” Xi Jue said, rarely making a joke.

Dou Ming’s face flushed red, and he muttered, “I, I don’t want a wife.”

“I think you can have one.” Hua Qi suppressed a laugh. “Auntie, if there are any good girls, remember to keep them for our Dou Ming.”

“You all...” Dou Ming was clumsy with words and did not know what to say, so he could only lower his head and bury himself in his food.

“Look, he’s even shy.” Xiu Niang’s mother laughed. “What boy doesn’t want a wife? In another two years, he’ll understand.”

“Look how well Qiu Sheng and Xiu Niang live. The young couple is harmonious and happy, and they discuss whatever comes up and do things together.” Xiu Niang’s mother said, “Even when there are things that don’t go your way, you endure a little for each other and give way a little. In the blink of an eye, a lifetime passes.”

“I heard about what happened this morning.” Xiu Niang’s mother advised, “Xiu Niang, listen to your mother. Whatever other people say is their own business. You and Qiu Sheng living your days well—that is what belongs to you two. If outsiders say things like that again, just bear with it. As long as Qiu Sheng treats you well, you don’t need to take anything else to heart.”

“It’s not like we don’t know how much Qiu Sheng dotes on Xiu Niang,” Wan Niang said with a smile, teasing Xiu Niang. “She’s secretly pleased in her heart.”

Xiu Niang smiled shyly. Qiu Sheng seized the moment and said, “If I don’t dote on my own wife, who would I dote on?”

Xiu Niang lowered her head, her face turning even redder with shyness. This man’s skin was getting thicker and thicker now. Saying such things in front of so many people—he really did not know how to be embarrassed.

Qiu Sheng finally relaxed. Xiu Niang had been thoroughly coaxed. Feeling delighted, he drank another bowl of porridge.

“What happened this morning?” Seeing that everyone’s attention was no longer on him, the redness on Dou Ming’s face slowly faded, and he began to get curious about what Xiu Niang’s mother had said.

Qiu Sheng glared at Dou Ming, leaving Dou Ming utterly confused.

“Uncle Qiu Sheng, why are you glaring at me?” Dou Ming asked innocently.

Qiu Sheng was helpless. The topic had already passed. What was wrong with this child, bringing up the pot that should not be mentioned?

“This morning, Qin Niang’s family’s chickens were eaten by wild beasts. Auntie Xiu Niang and Uncle Qiu Sheng went to her house to look, but Qin Niang said it was Auntie Xiu Niang’s fault and even scolded her until she cried.” Xiao Cong leaned close to Dou Ming’s ear and explained quietly. He did not believe it at all. With Xi Jue, Dou Ming, and Hua Qi here, how could there still be any other fierce beasts in the village? It had to have been the three of them.

“What right does she have to blame Xiu Niang?” Dou Ming suddenly stood up. This was clearly something he and Hua Qi had done. “We’ll go argue with her.” Dou Ming looked toward Hua Qi. He was the stupidest, so if they were going to reason with someone, Hua Qi definitely had to do the talking.

“Oh dear.” Xiu Niang hurriedly stopped him. “What arguing? I didn’t take it to heart. Dou Ming, hurry and eat. Once you’ve eaten, you’ll have to go build the house.” Yet the smile on her face could not be hidden no matter what.

Xiu Niang’s mother thought to herself that the more she looked at this eldest boy, the more likable he seemed.

“The Reunion Festival is in five days. How are you celebrating this year? Will the two of you eat at home, or will you go to your mother-in-law’s house?” Wan Niang asked Xiu Niang. “Have you bought mooncakes?”

“If Eldest Sister-in-law hadn’t mentioned it, I would have forgotten.” Xiu Niang said, “We haven’t bought any mooncakes yet.”

Wan Niang smiled. “That’s perfect. When you go to town, call me along. I’ll hitch a ride on your family’s ox cart and share some of your good fortune too.”

“This year, we’ll just eat at home by ourselves,” Qiu Sheng said. He could not bear to let Xiu Niang be blamed for no reason again. In any case, his parents had his elder brother and sister-in-law, and he and Xiu Niang only needed to close their door and live their own days well.

“What is the Reunion Festival?” Hua Qi asked.

“Li City doesn’t celebrate the Reunion Festival?” Xiu Niang was surprised. “I thought it was celebrated everywhere.”

“We don’t celebrate it where we’re from.” The Daoists on the mountain only celebrated the New Year. Only during those few days of the New Year would Ling Yin allow the younger disciples to wake up late and skip morning and evening lessons.

“The Reunion Festival is when the whole family gathers together. You eat mooncakes, admire the moon, and eat pomegranates. Some families also light flower lanterns.” Xiu Niang explained it to them. She had calculated it already. In the afternoon, Qiu Sheng had to deliver a table to a client’s family, and the money he earned would be just enough to buy mooncakes. “This afternoon, then. This afternoon, let’s go to town and buy mooncakes. Mother, Sister-in-law, don’t leave later. Eat here at home, and after we eat, we’ll go stroll around town together.” Ever since giving birth, she had not gone to town yet.

“No need to eat here. Wan Niang and I will go back in a while. Your father and your eldest brother are still at home.” Xiu Niang’s mother immediately refused. “Neither of them can cook. If Wan Niang and I don’t go back, they’ll definitely go hungry.”

“Have Da Mao and Er Mao call Father and Eldest Brother over.” Xiu Niang said, “Everyone can eat here. Mother, I’ll make red-braised pork today.”

Xiu Niang’s mother knew that the meat in Xiu Niang’s home had all been hunted by Xi Jue’s family. They could not eat other people’s things for nothing. “Mother won’t eat red-braised pork. You eat more. Raising a child is hard. Are you getting enough sleep at night?”

“I am.” Xiu Niang knew her mother must be too embarrassed to eat meat. She acted spoiled toward Hua Qi. “Huaniang, my mother’s family wants to eat some of your family’s meat. Are you willing?” She just wanted to be willful for once. Anyway, anyway, Hua Qi had always been very good to her.

“Eat, eat.” Hua Qi did not care. “Eat as much as you want.” Humans had such small appetites. Even if they ate with all their might, they could not eat much.

Xiu Niang’s mother was happy in her heart. Xi Jue’s family truly got along with Xiu Niang sincerely. The last time Xiu Niang returned to her maiden home, she had carried back a big chunk of meat and specially said that Hua Qi had told her to bring a big piece back. As for what happened this morning, the moment Dou Ming heard about it, he immediately wanted to stand up for Xiu Niang. This neighborly relationship really was like family.

Still, she had to caution Xiu Niang. “You, you’re only bullying Huaniang because she’s easy to talk to. Do you think hunting is that easy for them?”

Just now, while Tuo Tuo had not been paying attention, Dou Ming had sneakily swiped the egg in front of him. Under the table, he quietly peeled it and swallowed it in one bite. Who asked the ginseng spirit to tease him?

After Tuo Tuo finished listening about the Reunion Festival, he reached for the egg on the table, but no matter how he groped around, he could not find it. He lowered his head and looked. Beside his bowl, it was empty. Where was there any egg? Angrily, he asked, “Where’s my egg? Who ate my egg?”

Da Mao whispered, “It was Brother Dou Ming.”

“Give me back my egg!” Tuo Tuo jumped up, his fleshy palm slapping Dou Ming on the back as he shouted angrily, “Why did you eat my egg? We agreed one each. Why did you snatch my egg and eat it?”

Dou Ming jumped away. “You weren’t eating it, so I helped you eat it.”

“I don’t need you to help me eat it!” Tuo Tuo pouted and sat back on the stool. Turning around, he held Yun Shan’s little hand and complained, “Dou Ming stole my egg and ate it.”

Yun Shan opened his toothless little mouth and smiled at Tuo Tuo.

“Tuo Tuo.” Shuanzi clung to the gate, sticking his head in as he called.

Tuo Tuo let go of Yun Shan’s little hand and trotted over. “Shuanzi, were you calling me?”

Shuanzi pulled him under the tree outside the yard. “I helped you yesterday, so you have to give me honey water.”

“Yun Shan wasn’t playing house with your little brother at all.” Tuo Tuo was still angry about this. Yesterday, they had not argued it out clearly. With a serious expression, he said, “They’re both boys.”

“I know.” Shuanzi said, “But if I didn’t say that, how could I help you beat Er Gou? I was just making things up.”

As long as Shuanzi admitted he had made it up, Tuo Tuo was satisfied. He said, “Then wait for me. I’ll go get honey for you now.”

He ran into the kitchen and carried out the jar of honey. Da Mao and Er Mao had seen this jar yesterday and knew there was honey inside. The two boys chased after Tuo Tuo and ran out of the yard with him.

Tuo Tuo held a spoon while the three boys in front of him opened their mouths wide, waiting for Tuo Tuo to feed them.

Qin Niang and Qiu Sheng’s mother passed by with baskets on their arms. Seeing Shuanzi eating Tuo Tuo’s food, Qin Niang cursed in a strange, sarcastic tone, “Little wretch. So greedy you could die. Now you’ll hit people for a bite of food. What will happen when you grow up?”

Her scolding was not quiet. It was loud enough for everyone inside Qiu Sheng’s yard to hear.

“Vicious old woman,” Shuanzi cursed back, not to be outdone.

“What’s wrong with your mouth, child? Why is it so nasty?” Qin Niang stopped walking and glared unhappily at Shuanzi.

“The old woman’s mouth is the nasty one,” Shuanzi replied.

“She really is living backward the older she gets,” Xiu Niang’s mother said quietly in the yard. “Why curse someone else’s child for no reason?”

Dou Ming still wanted to go argue with her. He had just stood up when Hua Qi asked lightly, “Where are you going?”

“Sit down.” Xiao Cong pulled Dou Ming back down and whispered, “Xiu Niang said there’s no need to reason with them.”

The water buffalo finished eating grass and wandered back from the little road. Hearing Qin Niang blocking the entrance to its own yard and shouting abuse, the water buffalo let out a dissatisfied “moo—” Its cry was urgent and sharp.

“Aiya!” Qin Niang was startled by the sudden sound. She clutched her chest, and when she saw it was only a beast, she immediately opened her mouth to curse.

The water buffalo was not afraid of her. Its left front hoof scraped at the ground, looking as if it were ready to charge.

Now Qin Niang knew fear. If she were really gored by a bull, even if she did not die, she would be seriously injured. She hurriedly shouted toward the yard, “Qiu Sheng, Qiu Sheng, hurry and control your family’s ox!”

Qiu Sheng put down his chopsticks and quickly ran outside. That morning had been so hurried and chaotic that he had not had time to look after things at home. If he had not heard the ox bellowing, he would not even have known the family’s ox was missing.

“Go home.” When this ox went mad, Qiu Sheng did not dare go forward either. Seeing that the ox was about to charge, Qiu Sheng shouted anxiously, “Dou Ming!”

The water buffalo stiffened, lowered its raised hoof, and passed slowly by Qin Niang with its head down, as if nothing had happened.

Hearing the commotion, Dou Ming ran out of the yard and grabbed the ox horn in one hand. His eyes narrowed slightly, and there was threat in his voice. “You’re not listening?”

The water buffalo fawningly rubbed its face against Dou Ming’s thigh and gave a sycophantic cry. “Moo~” Who said I wasn’t listening? I’m clearly very obedient.

“Go. Back.” Dou Ming grabbed the ox horn and dragged the ox into the yard. The water buffalo followed obediently, and even after Dou Ming shut it into the cowshed, it kept calling in that same fawning tone. “Moo~”

Hua Qi glanced at the water buffalo with disdain. This ox simply had no backbone!

After all this, Qin Niang finally settled down.

Qiu Sheng looked at the old woman in front of him and called, “Mother.”

Qiu Sheng’s mother gave a “Mm.” Seeing the yard full of people and even the in-laws present, she only asked, “This is the ox your family bought? It looks rather fierce.”

“It has a bad temper, but it still listens fairly well,” Qiu Sheng replied.

“Your eldest sister-in-law and I are going up the mountain to the Daoist temple to pray, so we’ll go first.” Qiu Sheng’s mother did not say much and pulled Qin Niang away quickly.

Going up the mountain to the Daoist temple to pray? All the spirits looked toward the gate. Tuo Tuo quickly fed Shuanzi, Da Mao, and Er Mao each a mouthful of honey, carried the jar back into the yard, and called, “Dou Ming, Xiao Cong, let’s go up the mountain to play.”

“I’m going too.” Hua Qi held Yun Shan and followed.

“I’ll go too...” Xi Jue had just stood up when Hua Qi immediately said, “You stay home and build the house.”

“I...” Xi Jue was about to argue, but before he could say a second word, he was the only demon left in the yard. Even Chuyi had brought the little lamb along.

“Eh? Why did they all go up the mountain?” Xiu Niang stood up, looked at the prey under the tree, then turned to look at Xi Jue. “Who, who’s chopping the meat?”

Xi Jue paused. After a moment of silence, he opened his mouth helplessly. “I am.”

Hua Qi led the way, and the demons took a small path thick with grass and trees. As soon as they reached the edge of the mountain, they immediately set up a barrier, changed into their true forms, and raced wildly through the forest.

Hua Qi coiled around Yun Shan. It was the Little Temple Master’s first time shuttling through the mountain so quickly. He ate his little hand and watched the branches and leaves flash overhead, his eyes widening in wonder.

“In a while, we’ll turn into Daoist boys from the temple. If Qin Niang and the others come to pray, we’ll say, we’ll say...” Hua Qi got stuck and asked Xiao Cong beside him, “When humans come to draw fortune sticks, what do the young disciples in a Daoist temple usually say?”

Xiao Cong shook his head. When humans came up the mountain, they usually hid. There had been a very few times when they gathered not far from Yunling Temple to watch the excitement, but he could not remember a single thing the young disciples had said.

“Just tell them directly that they’re the ones at fault and tell her to reflect on herself,” Dou Ming said bluntly.

“That definitely isn’t it.” Tuo Tuo emerged from the soil with a flower bud on his head. “Ling Yin always speaks in vague and hazy ways. He makes demons understand and yet not understand, so they have to comprehend it for themselves.” Back then, he had transformed because he listened to Ling Yin preach the scriptures. He had listened for a full eighty years before finally comprehending a sliver of truth, receiving an opportunity, and taking human form. “Just give them a few hints.”

“What hints?” Dou Ming asked.

Xiao Cong thought for a moment and replied, “A boy.”

“A dispute of tongues,” Hua Qi added.

Tuo Tuo said, “Two matters.”

Dou Ming opened his mouth. “Xiu Niang didn’t eat the chickens.”

“You still call that a hint?” Hua Qi’s snake tail had already lifted high, ready to smack the little tiger on the head. Suddenly remembering that Yun Shan was still on his tail, he immediately lowered it gently and snapped, “Xiu Niang said eating eggs supplements the brain. You’ve eaten them for so many days, so why do you still not have even the slightest bit of brains?”

Dou Ming carried Xiao Cong on his back and moved away from Hua Qi, saying aggrievedly, “How is it not a hint? What if she can’t figure it out?”

Xiao Cong whispered, “Dou Ming, stop talking. Don’t provoke Hua Qi again.”

By the time the spirits finished discussing their script, they had just reached the mountainside.

“Tuo Tuo!” Hua Qi had changed into a Daoist wearing a blue cloth robe. He could not bear it any longer. “Which Daoist on this mountain have you ever seen wearing bright red clothes? Are you afraid we won’t be exposed?”

Under the pressure of Hua Qi’s glare, Tuo Tuo transformed while muttering quietly, “What’s so good-looking about blue cloth clothes? Bright red still looks better.”

Since they had come to Yunling Temple, Hua Qi thought that Yun Shan was still the master of a temple after all. Holding Yun Shan, he stood outside the main hall and kowtowed to the statues one by one, asking the statues to bless Yun Shan and let him grow up safely. He did not dare enter the hall itself, only praying outside. Then he held Yun Shan and said softly, “Ling Yin is your master after all. Let’s go offer him a stick of incense. The main hall enshrines the spirit tablets of the past temple masters of Yunling Temple. In the future, you’ll have to set one up for Ling Yin too.”

Although Hua Qi hated Ling Yin, he still clearly understood what should and should not be done. Holding Yun Shan in one hand and three incense sticks in the other, he bowed devoutly three times toward the rear mountain secret grounds and murmured softly, “Yun Shan has come to offer you incense. The little human cub is doing quite well. He can eat and sleep, and he’s grown a good deal fatter. You may rest easy.”

“They’re here, they’re here.” Xiao Cong, who had been keeping watch, ran in through the gate. Hua Qi handed Yun Shan to him, and Xiao Cong immediately held Yun Shan and ran toward the mountaintop.

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