Wu She was also a great expert—how could he not see that Dan Ying’s body was restrained? After groping around his ribs for a while, he extracted a half-foot-long wooden spike and held it in his hand, sighing: “What kind of people has this little bastard encountered? Such vicious methods were used on him. One wooden spike controlling your five internal organs, and your skin, flesh, bones, and blood—if the technique were even slightly off, you wouldn’t be alive. No need to ask—this was done by that old scoundrel Ding Yanping, right?”
Although Dan Ying’s hands and feet could now barely move, that needle had drained his vital energy, leaving his whole body weak and powerless. Gou’er placed Dan Ying on a stretcher and had two other junior brothers carry him. He himself pulled out shackles from behind his waist and with a snap locked Dan Ying to the stretcher. While organizing the iron chains, he said to the ashamed and speechless Dan Ying: “The Marquis said the jade pendant is gone, so be it—it’s a source of trouble. Having it stolen is a blessing, not a curse. You must bring Dan Ying back to me. That bastard cares too much about face and suffers for it. After sending off Ding Yanping, he’ll probably disappear without a trace. Even if you have to bind him, bind him and bring him back. How about that? The Marquis treats you wonderfully beyond words. Lady Daya specifically entreated my master to bring you back safely.”
“Don’t know which of your nerves went wrong—carrying that old scoundrel for several hundred li, only to be knocked down by him and left as a scapegoat. A master like that isn’t worth keeping. Look at my master—ever since I became his disciple, it’s been nothing but blessings. What a difference!”
Wu She’s old face became even more kindly as he listened. Looking at the tearful Dan Ying, he said to his disciples: “You see, the jianghu is treacherous. Little Ying’s skills are quite good—if his master wanted to subdue him fairly and squarely, he wouldn’t have much confidence. Add in sentiment and it’s different. Sentiment is something that harms people. So you must be cautious and take this as a warning. My disciples must remember: life comes first. Never entrust your own life to others’ control—not even your master.”
Several disciples bowed together in acknowledgment, then prepared to carry Dan Ying away. Wu She walked at the very front. After a few steps, he saw two eunuchs standing under a tree. Their age was indiscernible—they looked fifty, but also thirty. They stood there and saluted Wu She.
“Teacher, your days now truly surpass those of the immortals—touring mountains and waters, teaching some junior brothers on the side. It’s truly enviable. I hear you can do as you please at Yushan?”
Wu She laughed heartily. Over this past year, the old fellow had become more and more like a man—except for lacking a beard, he possessed every bit of masculine bearing and demeanor. He said to the eunuchs under the tree: “I won’t reveal your identities. Your place has too many rules. At Yushan, this old man just takes money and nobody manages me. I’m preparing to teach a few disciples to see me off in death—naturally the days pass pleasantly. If you want to chase Ding Yanping, you must hurry. That old thing definitely left himself a way out. If you’re late, you won’t catch him. This old man doesn’t care about the jade pendant matter—Marquis Yun only asked me to bring this boy back.”
Dan Ying struggled to raise the arm that wasn’t locked, pointing at the grass. The two eunuchs cupped their hands to Wu She and chased after, trampling the withered yellow grass…
A pigeon landed in front of the dovecote. Old Qian removed the note from the pigeon’s leg, glanced at it, and hurriedly walked toward the back courtyard. Hearing footsteps, Daya opened the window again to look out. Seeing it was the steward, she was about to close the window listlessly.
Old Qian said with a smile: “Young lady, Dan Ying has been found by Master Wu She and is on his way home. You can rest easy now. This old servant said long ago there’s nothing the Marquis can’t accomplish.”
Daya could hear the steward teasing her. Though shy, she still couldn’t help crying tears of joy. Xinyue had the steward inform the Marquis of the news while she herself embraced Daya, gently sighing: “They say marry a rooster, follow the rooster; marry a dog, follow the dog; marry a monkey and run all over the mountain. Isn’t your husband-to-be exactly a monkey? From now on, you’ll have your share of suffering, my poor sister. When will it ever end?”
Yun Ye was drawing turtles on paper—sheet after sheet. The steward didn’t understand why the Marquis only drew one per page when there was so much blank space left—such a waste.
Of course he didn’t know that each turtle Yun Ye drew had a name. For instance, this turtle with a bump on its head was named Li Er. That plump one—wasn’t that Zhangsun Wuji? This one with shiny black eyes—wasn’t that Li Xiaogong? The Great Tang’s atmosphere was poor—why was everyone filled with endless pursuit of immortality? Since they liked longevity, they might as well all become turtles—those things lived a long time.
As long as Dan Ying was safe, this matter could be considered perfectly concluded. Whether the jade tablet was taken by Ding Yanping or fell into someone else’s hands had nothing to do with him. Even if there were someone wise enough to decipher the lines on the jade tablet, Yun Ye didn’t believe those he’d added and those he’d removed could also work. Anyway, they were all seeking death—die early, reincarnate early. Once enough people died, perhaps no one would covet the White Jade Capital anymore.
When Dan Ying returned, he couldn’t give him a pleasant face. Acting must be thorough—couldn’t let anything slip at the curtain call. He’d intensify Dan Ying’s sense of guilt a bit, lest this kid recklessly cause trouble without restraint. He should rein in his character—otherwise, how would Daya’s future days be livable?
Hitching up Wang Cai, he headed to the academy. Today he’d made an appointment with Li Tai and Hypatia to complete a great project together. This project was only interesting if he personally completed it—if he left it to others, it wouldn’t be fun.
The wheels crushed fallen leaves as they traveled briskly. Wang Cai kept wanting to run like that day, but Yun Ye wouldn’t allow it. He continuously bothered Wang Cai’s rear to make it slow down—he had to pick up Hypatia and couldn’t run like a madman.
Every time he saw Hypatia, Yun Ye wanted to lick his lips—his mouth and tongue terribly dry. Persian robes were fine things—just cut three holes in a sack and slip it on, how nice it looked. But this woman insisted on tying a belt around her waist. The Great Tang had little cotton cloth and it was expensive. Hypatia didn’t like cotton cloth, let alone hemp cloth. Now this woman’s favorite was Shu brocade, saying it felt slippery and very comfortable against her body. But Shu brocade had a problem—it generated static electricity and liked to cling tightly to the body. In an era without anti-static laundry detergent, one could imagine how attractive Hypatia’s exquisitely shapely figure would be to those beasts at the academy.
Hypatia actually enjoyed this feeling of being the center of attention. She never knew to cover her ample hips even a little. Teacher Li Gang had reprimanded her countless times, finally warning Hypatia that if she dared to be willful again, he would revoke her right to attend classes. After her appeal proved ineffective, Hypatia had no choice but to reluctantly ask Xinyue to help her sew Great Tang garments.
Today was good—she was dressed quite properly. A chest band covered her deep cleavage, but through the thin silk shirt, two small protrusions were still clearly discernible.
“Teacher Hypatia, couldn’t you wear a couple more layers of clothing? Today is freezing cold—be careful not to catch a chill. Taking care of yourself is the best policy.”
Hypatia pointed to the fur coat her little maid held and said proudly: “You Tang people really can’t endure cold. In my homeland, one robe is enough for us to pass the winter.”
“Nonsense! That’s clearly having nothing to wear, so you can only cry out while enduring the cold, insisting you’re not afraid of it. I’ve seen people who aren’t afraid of cold—they huddle in a big pile to spend the night, then all freeze to death by morning.”
“I’ve seen the Great Tang’s prosperity, but I don’t believe your country has no poor people.”
“Of course not. Look at the Yun family estate—who’s freezing? They all say their homes are too hot and they’re not used to it.”
“Dear Perpetual Marquis, what you’re describing is an isolated case that can’t represent a country. Do you think I’m a fool from Rome?”
“Teacher Hypatia, if your garments were worn by a Great Tang woman, that woman’s fate would be tragic. Being stuffed into a pig cage and submerged in a pond would be her only destiny.”
“More nonsense! When I stayed at Yanlai Tower, I saw those beautiful ladies. Their dress and hairstyles made me envious. I have a beautiful body—why shouldn’t I display it to win everyone’s admiration?”
Yun Ye was left speechless. Comparing herself with prostitutes who sold their flesh—this woman really had no standards. Forget it, as long as Li Gang could tolerate it, he’d consider it a new benefit for the academy.
A large area in the library had already been cleared. Colorful domino tiles could fill half the great hall. Today was the day for final perfection. Originally he’d invited Teacher Li Gang and the others to come observe together, but the stubborn old gentleman considered this a game and left with a flick of his sleeves, believing that Yun Ye, Hypatia, and Li Tai were not attending to proper business.
Regardless of what the old gentlemen thought, the three of them—Yun Ye, Li Tai, and Hypatia—were having a wonderful time. The squirrel in the cage had begun running. The rope on the rotating shaft continuously wound around the main axle. The thin cord kept tightening. A bamboo tube was pulled to tilt. A gleaming iron ball rolled down and struck a small wooden board. The other end of the board tilted up, and a sharp dagger tied to it cut through the thin cord. A first domino tile tied to the thin cord happened to fall onto a small boat docked in the water trough, striking down the mechanism on the boat. The small boat slowly began to move, sailing toward the opposite side.
The three of them lay on the floor, staring at the boat without blinking. The boat traveled straight, its long protruding mast striking a domino tile on the shore. Amid the three people’s cheers, the domino tiles fell one after another—crossing over mountains, traversing plains, spanning streams, passing through tunnels, emitting tinkling sounds. One struck down another with great rhythm.
When the last domino tile fell, Hypatia wanted to embrace both of them, but was sternly warned by the two—they wouldn’t allow this woman to have physical contact with them.
Hypatia irritably tossed aside the domino tile in her hand, clapped her hands and said: “This game actually makes great sense. In an interconnected system, a very small initial energy can produce a series of chain reactions. This principle applies to politics, military affairs, and life. Why are those rigid old gentlemen unwilling to see such a principle?”