Since the request to tear down the Four Heroes Temple came from Zhou Qingyang, the only living member among those enshrined there, the matter was quite reasonable.
Though Bao Zhu and Shisan Lang felt it was a pity, they couldn’t find any grounds to object. Wei Xun climbed up to the beams to examine the structural stress points after removing tiles. Bao Zhu drew her ironwood whistle staff from their luggage. Before taking action, she looked at Zhou Qingyang once more.
“We’re really going to tear it down?”
The white-haired female Taoist took one last look at her former fellow disciples and said quietly: “Where lies the blessed land? Great dreams cook yellow millet, awakening to find the alchemy furnace empty; the pine peaks still remember youthful traces, green mountains bury heroes ancient and modern.” Having spoken, she waved her sleeve and stepped outside.
Bao Zhu began destroying the three remaining statues. These clay sculptures with peeling paint had long dried out and, having received no maintenance for years, crumbled into pieces with the slightest force. When she struck the red-clothed woman, a metallic “clang” sounded from within the clay, and a small, rust-spotted copper fish fell out.
Bao Zhu picked it up and discovered the copper fish was actually half of a fish tally. On the inside of the fish tally, besides the matching mortise and tenon joint, was inscribed “Roving General.” On the outside scales were carved two lines of extremely shallow small characters: “Those skilled in warfare achieve no glorious victories; those skilled in medicine gain no brilliant fame.”
Wei Xun jumped down from the beams and came over for a look, asking: “What does this mean?”
Bao Zhu couldn’t immediately recall the source of this saying and shook her head, saying: “With other characters privately carved on the fish tally, even if damaged, it can’t be used as a token for commanding troops.”
She thought to herself: Setting aside the first half of the saying, for a famous physician like Daoist Qingyang to disguise herself as a village witch and live humbly in the countryside, putting on supernatural acts to make patients follow medical advice while having no reputation at all—that was indeed quite strange.
The three of them thoroughly searched the shrine again but found nothing else. Valuable items that could be melted down for copper, like incense burners, had long been taken by the villagers.
After finding the stress points, Wei Xun drew his dagger and split most of the mortise and tenon joints between the beams. Then everyone evacuated the shrine.
Shisan Lang stretched his shoulders, shouted loudly, and rammed the wooden pillar askew with his head, then quickly ran out. The weight of the roof pressed down, dust and insects fell rustling, and the entire wooden structure creaked and groaned. Moments later, this ancient Four Heroes Temple crashed down with a thunderous roar, raising clouds of dust.
The first task Zhou Qingyang requested took less than half an hour to complete easily.
Wei Xun told his companions: “She’s planning to retire from the martial world and intends to head north, entering the Taihang Mountains via Hengzhou to live in seclusion. It happens to be on our route. Her second request is for us to travel together and give her a ride.”
Originally, everyone was reluctant to let an outsider join their group, since they’d have to keep Bao Zhu’s identity secret and constantly watch their words, unable to chat as freely as before.
But Bao Zhu reconsidered and felt that Daoist Qingyang was a rare extraordinary person, saying: “She’s Chen Shigu’s peer, so she must be a first-rate expert in the martial world. Having two masters traveling together should be safer and more secure.”
Hearing this, Wei Xun shook his head: “Master Uncle doesn’t know martial arts.”
Bao Zhu was stunned and asked incredulously: “How is that possible?”
Wei Xun explained: “She found practicing martial arts bitter and boring, taking time away from studying medicine, so she only cultivated internal energy for health and longevity—she knows nothing else.”
Yang Xingjian said disappointedly: “Then isn’t she just another burden with mobility issues? No wonder she needs to find traveling companions.”
Bao Zhu asked curiously: “Daoist Qingyang is Chen Shigu’s senior martial sister, but she looks about the same age as Third Lady. How old is she exactly?”
Wei Xun said: “Master wasn’t sure either, only saying she was born at least before the early Kaiyuan era—she’s an old monster.”
Bao Zhu and Yang Xingjian were greatly shocked. Counting on their fingers, Zhou Qingyang was at least ninety years old—twice Yang Xingjian’s age. They hadn’t expected that a legendary immortal with crane-white hair and childlike face would be right before their eyes. Yet not only did she lack an otherworldly demeanor, she was full of vulgar language.
The group continued their northward journey.
Zhou Qingyang rode backward on her large blue donkey, following unhurriedly behind the group. She didn’t hold the reins, letting her mount walk freely while she poured roasted ginkgo nuts from a gourd and leisurely peeled and ate them.
Before long, the blue donkey trotted up beside Bao Zhu’s female donkey, braying and rubbing against her flirtatiously.
Zhou Qingyang raised her hand and gave it a hard slap, and the donkey and rider fell back behind the group again.
Bao Zhu had raised many fine horses in the palace and had seen animal courtship behavior. She knew about “love unseen leads to scratching one’s head in hesitation” and didn’t mind. The female donkey remained aloof and paid no attention. Bao Zhu looked back with a smile and said: “Master Lushan doesn’t fancy you.”
When they set out from Chang’an, Bao Zhu had been conscious of her status and absolutely unwilling to ride such an inferior mount. Only after hearing that it had served as a key witness in the Guanyin Nu case and achieved great merit did Bao Zhu change her previous disdain. She named it “Master Lushan,” joking that it had been ennobled for its achievements as a reward.
Donkeys are naturally stubborn. They hadn’t gone a mile before the blue donkey quietly approached again. Zhou Qingyang pulled the reins and demanded: “Golden Elixir, do you want to be renamed Donkey Meat Cake or Stewed Rice Ball?”
Though the blue donkey was scolded by its master and didn’t dare get too close, it remained persistent, occasionally braying to express its passionate affection.
After finishing her ginkgo nuts, Zhou Qingyang threw the empty shells at Wei Xun, sneering: “You’re not even as good as a donkey.”
Wei Xun, holding his reins, turned around and walked backward while asking ominously: “Master Uncle, guess whether Old Chen taught us to respect teachers and value the Way when he was alive?”
Zhou Qingyang looked contemptuous: “Oh, the little sick cat has barely caught his breath and is already getting uppity. Still thinking of betraying teachers and destroying ancestors by hitting Master Uncle?”
Wei Xun smiled cunningly: “Your old bones probably can’t take a beating. But I’m a thief—if Master Uncle loses her prosthetic leg someday, she’ll have to be called One-Legged Daoist.”
He walked backward as fast as walking forward without delaying their journey. The old woman and young man bantered back and forth, neither giving ground.
Bao Zhu thought that Daoist Qingyang was nearly a hundred years old and an elder, and wanted to lecture Wei Xun about benevolence, filial piety, and righteousness. But suddenly remembering that she had just killed her uncle’s entire family in Luoyang, she seemed to lack standing to lecture others.
So she took out the half fish tally found in the Four Heroes Temple and handed it to Zhou Qingyang, saying: “This fell from the red-clothed woman’s statue. Would the Daoist like to keep it as a memento?”
Zhou Qingyang took it and examined both sides, then casually tossed it back to Bao Zhu: “Worthless—I don’t want it.”
But Yang Xingjian took official tokens very seriously. Taking it from Bao Zhu for a look, he exclaimed: “Roving General is a fifth-rank military散 official—this is no ordinary fish tally!” After thinking briefly, he added puzzledly: “But our dynasty has never had female court officials, let alone female generals.”
Yang Xingjian’s heart stirred, and he said to Zhou Qingyang: “Immortal Master, if you’re retiring to the mountains because your talents aren’t recognized and ambitions unfulfilled, why not come with us to Youzhou? Though I can’t reveal my master’s identity now, he recognizes talent and thirsts for capable people. He would certainly treat you with courtesy and recommend you to high positions. Even if not as Grand Imperial Preceptor, becoming a ranked imperial physician would bring fame and honor…”
Before he could finish, Zhou Qingyang burst into laughter full of disdain: “Imperial physician? Those are the most incompetent quacks in the world, worse than rural shamans practicing folk medicine. Good medicine tastes bitter but benefits the illness; honest words sound harsh but benefit conduct. People of status won’t listen to honest advice, so naturally they can’t tolerate truly effective prescriptions. To protect themselves, mediocre doctors only dare prescribe tonics—not seeking merit but avoiding mistakes. When they drag patients to death, investigations find prescriptions full of ginseng, lingzhi, and heavenly treasures—no fault can be found anyway.”
This left Bao Zhu and Yang Xingjian speechless. They couldn’t help thinking of the “princess’s death” mystery—despite an imperial medical team’s treatment, the princess still ended up buried alive in suspended animation.
Zhou Qingyang’s words both scorned incompetent doctors and contained implied mockery of court politics. She raised her riding crop and made a feint at Wei Xun while sternly warning: “Wildcat, don’t get involved with the powerful! When rabbits die, hunting dogs are cooked; when birds are gone, bows are stored away—hounds never have good endings. Chen Shigu forbade you from learning to read for good reason.”
With her rich experience, she had long seen that this father and daughter pair had extraordinary bearing and were definitely not ordinary commoners. Though she had previously advised Wei Xun to bravely reveal his feelings, she didn’t want him to repeat past mistakes and sink into trouble, so she spoke this warning.
Hearing “when rabbits die, hunting dogs are cooked; when birds are gone, bows are stored away,” Bao Zhu felt very uncomfortable. Zhou Qingyang’s mouth seemed to have cultivated into a spirit over a hundred years—she spoke crude village curses fluently and could eloquently denounce these dirty tactics that those in power least wanted to acknowledge.
This time Wei Xun unusually didn’t retort and silently led his donkey forward. Bao Zhu couldn’t see his expression and felt somewhat uneasy. She leaned over and poked him, emphasizing seriously: “You’re not a hunting dog.”
Wei Xun turned back with a smile: “Of course not—I’m a lynx.” But his smile lacked its usual carefree quality.
Bao Zhu suddenly realized that though they had always headed for Youzhou as their destination, they had never discussed life after reaching Youzhou. She had naturally assumed Wei Xun would continue accompanying and protecting her. But what did he think?
Seeing she had suppressed the young rascal’s arrogance, Zhou Qingyang was quite pleased and laughed: “Why so quiet? Master Uncle still appreciates your earlier rebellious appearance.”
Bao Zhu immediately became annoyed. Holding the nameless fish tally and examining it back and forth, after pondering a moment, she suddenly asked: “Did Zhuming die from ‘when rabbits die, hunting dogs are cooked; when birds are gone, bows are stored away’?”
At these words, Zhou Qingyang’s expression instantly changed dramatically as she shouted sternly: “What did you say?!”
Looking at her expression, Bao Zhu understood she had probably guessed correctly.
“The ‘Erya Dictionary of Heaven’ says: Spring is Qingyang, summer is Zhuming, autumn is Baicang, winter is Xuanying. Among the statues, you ranked first, wearing blue-green robes, named Qingyang; Chen Shigu ranked last, winter corresponds to dark colors, with the Taoist name Xuanying; then the second-ranked woman in vermillion martial attire would naturally be Zhuming, and the third person should be Baicang.”
This time it was Zhou Qingyang’s turn to fall silent. The Four Heroes Temple had been destroyed, and she had thought she would never again hear these four parallel Taoist names in this lifetime. In an instant, past events stirred up like entering the realm of dreams.
Shisan Lang laughed and called out: “Jiu Niang is the smartest!”
Wei Xun, feeling proud of Bao Zhu’s protective instincts, turned to retort: “Why isn’t Master Uncle speaking up? I quite appreciate your manner of relying on age and playing teacher.”
After a long while, Zhou Qingyang came back to her senses. Having decided to sever worldly attachments and retire from the martial world, no longer pursuing the elusive dream of a “blessed land,” she only wavered briefly before recovering her composure.
Looking at this pair of vigorous young people before her, Zhou Qingyang felt refreshed and spirited, with a unique emotion welling up in her heart.
She feigned anger and half-seriously threatened Wei Xun: “Rebellious disciple speaking wildly—don’t you want the formula for ‘Phoenix Embryo’?!”
This inadvertent remark was like a fatal killing move, striking a vital point. Wei Xun’s triumphant smile immediately froze on his face.
Bao Zhu asked puzzledly: “What Phoenix Embryo?”
Zhou Qingyang answered: “The life-saving elixir for this little rascal is called ‘Phoenix Embryo’ or ‘Living Pearl.’ Only if he properly helps Master Uncle complete two tasks will I tell him the formula.”
With things having reached this point, there was no chance to intervene. Wei Xun stiffly turned his head, pretending he hadn’t heard anything, leading his donkey forward like a marionette with unusually unnatural steps.
Bao Zhu clearly heard Shisan Lang behind them nervously swallow saliva. When she looked back, the little monk appeared panicked, with his bald head facing forward and lowered, not daring to meet her eyes.
The two martial brothers obviously knew the pill’s name all along.
“Oh, so it’s Phoenix Embryo,” Bao Zhu said with a darkened expression, meaningfully repeating the words.
Author’s Note: “Master Lushan” is a humorous name for donkeys, derived from the Southern Dynasty work “Nine Bestowments upon Master Lushan” by Yuan Shu, a comedic piece, probably because in medieval Chinese pronunciation “lu” (庐) and “lu” (驴, donkey) sounded very similar.
Congratulations to the Princess’s donkey for being the first to receive a noble title.