STORY Wordless Puzzle 100

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-11-01
Features: Before meeting that person, I hadn't eaten for three days, my chest almosting against my back. I was wearing a large piece of clothing stolen from a dead person on the roadside, my hair tied on top of my head in a bun, thick layers of dust stuck to my face. I knew how ragged I looked and deliberately disguised myself as a young Taoist acolyte who had gotten separated from his master. I shivered and shrank in front of a snack stall for a long time until the vendor shouted at me to leave. Finally, I took the courage to grab a steamed bun quickly when he opened the steamer.
The vendor grabbed my collar and cursed at me, raising his other hand as if it were about to strike my head. At that moment, a clean Taoist robe flashed past my eye. I immediately shouted, "Master, Master! I've finally found you! My disciple has suffered so much in searching for you. Come quickly and save me!"
As I called out, I tried my best to turn my dark face toward him. The young Taoist with a bamboo crown and plain robe also looked back at me.
Shuangyangzi, as he introduced himself when explaining to the vendor, was the name I recorded. But I couldn’t call him Shuangyangzi, Shuangyangzi. I had to address him respectfully as Master because I still had something to ask of him.
He was very young, with a calm and proud expression. After hearing my request, his slender fingers extended from the wide sleeves and waved.
He hesitated and said, "I can’t take you in. Here, take some broken silver and find your own way."
Then he turned to leave. I clutched the broken silver and followed him step by step. He walked faster and faster, but I had grown up running in the mountains and forests since childhood. I never got out of breath while running and talking.
"Master, my fate is very pitiful, truly pitiful," I said. "My name is Lan Xiaoying. Do you know this surname? It’s a Miao surname. My father was Miao, of course, and my mother was from the Central Plains. We were living well in the Miao region, but when the war broke out, we couldn’t stay there anymore and had to flee to the Central Plains. On the way, my mother fell ill and passed away. Soon after, my father also passed away. Master, Master, please listen to me. I’m truly pitiful. Now I have no one to rely on, no one to take care of me—no, no, I can take care of others. I’m very good at taking care of people. I can take care of your meals and daily needs, really. I’m a girl."
He stopped slowly and looked me up and down. "You’re a Miao girl?"
I nodded frantically, staring at him with pitiful eyes.
He asked again, "Did your father teach you any dark arts?"
I was confused. "Master, what do you mean by dark arts?"
He added, "For example, making poison or planting charms."
I lied, "A little."
He pondered for a moment and said, "If I let you go, what if you’re forced by livelihood to harm others with dark arts? That would be my fault. You’ll stay with me."
I was overjoyed and grabbed his Taoist robe, calling, "Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!" When I let go, I noticed several dark fingerprints on the clean fabric.
From then on, I began to follow my master. He walked the streets every day, reading fortunes, telling palm readings, and examining feng shui. I stood beside him, holding his sword, compass, and other belongings. He spoke to the clients about very profound things, making their faces change from green to white, then red again, alternating between joy and sorrow. Some even rushed to ask him for help.
Whether it was girls living in huts or ladies secluded in their homes, they tried every way to sneak a peek at him because he was a young and handsome Taoist. For this, they had to curry favor with me, the troublesome little shadow. They shyly handed me silk handkerchiefs embroidered with poems or characters, and the daughters of wealthy families smiled and slipped a piece of broken silver into my palm, urging me to make sure they were taken care of.
I held those fragrant handkerchiefs, one after another, full of love I couldn’t understand. None of the words looked like love, but I knew it was there. Under the light, I placed them on the candle, and they turned to ash and smoke. I held the power of life and death over these hopeless thoughts.
One day, my master took me to the streets again. He stopped in front of a vermilion-painted gate and sang a Taoist aria. The steward came out from the side door, driving him away with annoyance. My master didn’t get angry. He calmly said, "There’s a faint aura of evil in your house. There must be a demon who has entered and is causing trouble. It will be proven within three days." With that, he took me and continued walking.
"Go, calm and composed," I whispered to my master, "Is there really a demon going to harm this family?"
My master waved his hand with a mysterious air. "The secrets of the heavens cannot be revealed."
Thus, the three-day deadline became my obsession. Day and night, I couldn’t help but look at the grand house, but it was peaceful and showed no signs of danger. Meanwhile, my master began to stay shut in his room at the inn, teaching me chess with a sense of certainty.
On the third night, I couldn’t sleep and got out of bed to find my master. His door was slightly ajar, and when I pushed it, it opened silently. It was past midnight, and the room was empty. The moonlight shone through the window.
I sat in my master’s seat, picked up the cup he had used, and brought it to my lips. Suddenly, a light voice came from behind, "What are you doing?"
Turning around, I saw my master standing at the door. He closed the door, locked it, walked over, and placed a small cloth bag in bed.
I quickly put down the cup and jumped up, grabbing my master’s sleeve. "Master, Master, did anything happen to that family?"
He brushed me away, straightened his sleeves, and said, "It’s three o’clock in the middle of the night. Why are you making a fuss?"
I pouted. "Master, you didn’t sleep either?"
His expression changed, but he quickly calmed down. "I’ll go get something. The matter is settled now. Go to sleep." He waved his hand, sending me away.
I reluctantly turned and left. On the corridor, I heard a clear, crisp sound of breaking glass in the quiet night. I knew my master had thrown the cup I had just used out the window.
When it was just light, the inn began to buzz. Someone downstairs shouted urgently to find my master. I went downstairs and saw it was the steward who had driven us away three days ago. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction as I led him upstairs. My master sat in the room, robe and, and the steward bowed deeply.
"I beg the Taoist for your help," he said, his voice trembling and sorrowful. "I was blind not to recognize the Taoist. I have offended you, and I beg for your forgiveness."
Then, the steward recounted the sudden changes in his home. "Since dawn, the servants found that all the chickens in the yard were standing on their feathers and died. The fine wine in the cellar turned sour, and money was missing from the warehouse. My lord was shocked and frightened by this, fell seriously ill, and couldn’t recover."
My master sat motionless, pondering, first sending the steward away to prepare incense, paper flags, and other necessities, then turned to me.
"The poison my lord was poisoned with, do you have an antidote?" My master didn’t raise his eyelids and guessed it was me who had tampered with it. He didn’t blame me but reached out his hand. I obediently handed him a small paper packet.
That day, my master wielded a sword, his hair loose, setting up an altar to perform a ritual. Amidst swirling incense, flashing swordlight, and flying paper talismans, he exorcised the evil spirit and captured it. The family was grateful and offered generous rewards. I hid behind my master, giggling. He scolded me with a glance and turned back to chat with the family.
Like this, we traveled from place to place, entering one household after another. The heavy silver in the bag became too burdensome, so we exchanged it for light silver notes tucked in the sleeves.
I always dressed as a Taoist acolyte, but I had more jewelry. My master gave me one piece after another, frowning as he examined my too-large robes.
"From now on, dress nicely," he said.