Zhang Tianshi watched me grin foolishly.
He waved his hands in front of my eyes, confused, but I didn't react.
Thinking I had gone mad from grief, he shook my shoulder hard and shouted, "What's wrong with you! What's wrong with you!"
Only then did I snap back to reality, seeing Zhang Tianshi holding me.
I looked at him suspiciously and asked, "What are you doing?"
Seeing that I had sobered up, Zhang Tianshi released his grip and comforted me, "You don't need to be too sad. This young brother can still be saved."
I nodded slightly, believing his words.
Zhang Tianshi, seeing how close Ah Li and I were, couldn't help but become curious. "What's your relationship with this young brother?"
I thought for a moment and replied, "Ah Li and I are good friends. He's helped me a lot."
Zhang Tianshi smiled slightly and naturally asked, "Do you like him?"
I was stunned by his sudden question. My previously sorrowful face instantly flushed red. Flustered, I explained, "Ah!!! He, he, he, he's my good friend. I, I, I, how could I possibly have such thoughts."
No matter how much I denied it, I couldn't hide it from his experienced eyes. He could tell that a person's liking for another was impossible to conceal. From my hesitant expression, he had already gotten the answer he wanted. Even though we had only known each other for a short time, and had only met a few times, there were always busybodies in both the human world and other realms. Zhang Tianshi couldn't help but laugh again. "Hahaha, why so nervous? I was just asking casually, I didn't mean anything else."
I breathed a sigh of relief, wondering why he would ask that. But I didn't voice my thoughts, merely smiling and nodding in agreement. Zhang Tianshi then asked with further curiosity, "Were you just thinking about some wonderful scene just now?"
He had guessed that too. Caught with my thoughts exposed, I hurriedly shook my head and denied it. "No, no." He gave me a doubtful look but chose to believe me. "Hahaha, it's okay to think about it. Alright, it's getting late, go to sleep." I nodded repeatedly, afraid he would ask anything else. Zhang Tianshi turned to the side and leaned against a large tree to sleep. I also leaned against a tree and slowly drifted off. In the cool night, the moonlight was sparse. The surroundings were eerily quiet, yet it didn't disturb the people sleeping on the ground.
As dawn broke and the roosters crowed, the sun rose from the east. I heard faint chirping sounds near my ear. I opened my eyes slightly and saw Zhang Tianshi stretching his muscles under the large tree. Seeing me awake, he said, "You're awake." "The sky brightened so quickly," I mumbled, rubbing my eyes, still a bit groggy. "Yes, it's a day in the blink of an eye. Pack up, let's head down the mountain." "Okay." He walked over to me, picked up Ah Li, and started walking down the mountain. I followed closely behind him.
After descending the mountain and reaching the roadside, we saw a swift horse standing by the road, leisurely grazing. He said to me, "This horse is mine. I'll lend it to you now." "Thank you, Tianshi." He placed Ah Li on the horse, patted its body, and whispered a few words into its ear. Then he turned back to me and said, "This horse is called Qianliju. I've told him about your situation. He will take you to Qiancaofeng." I hesitated for a long time before saying to him, "Tianshi, um, I, I don't know how to ride a horse." He smiled and encouraged me, "This place is different from the human world. As long as you trust yourself, the horse will feel your confidence and carry you on your way." He then instructed me further, "After Physician Luo has successfully treated Ah Li, bring him to me in Nanhai City. I will be waiting for you in Nanhai City." "Okay, Tianshi, we'll be back as soon as possible." "Good."
Following his instructions, I obediently got on the horse. He whispered into its ear, "You've worked hard. After you've taken them there, you can come back to me." The horse seemed to understand his words, whinnying and prancing its four legs, then galloping away like a bolt of lightning down the road. Zhang Tianshi watched our receding figures, waving goodbye. He shouted, "Be careful on your journey!" I also waved back at him in a flustered manner. Seeing us depart, he felt relieved. Then, he transformed into a small bird and flew towards Nanhai City. I silently recited his words in my heart, "Come find me in Nanhai City. As long as you trust yourself, you can connect with the horse." A sense of conviction filled me, with Ah Li on one side and Zhang Tianshi on the other. I became bolder, holding the reins, and it felt as if I understood the horse. The horse was familiar with the route; without any direction from me, it knew where to go. Before nightfall, it carried us to a riverside and stopped, seemingly indicating that we should rest here. Understanding its intention, I carefully helped Ah Li off the horse. Seeing his purple lips and weak breathing, I worried he might suddenly leave me, so I gently whispered in his ear, "Ah Li, hold on, we're almost there." Ah Li's faint breaths reached my ears. I sat by the river holding him, my heart filled with worry. Despite this, I still believed I could save Ah Li and reach Qiancaofeng. I watched the setting sun and told him about the beautiful scenery. "Ah Li, do you know where we are? We're by a river, it's very quiet here, and there are no houses nearby. Unlike Wanshu Mountain, it's as warm as spring. The setting sun on the horizon is as rosy as your happy smile. You want to see this beautiful scenery too, right?" I looked at him, anticipating his answer. However, he couldn't give me any answer. I could only rest my head on his forehead and feel his thoughts, knowing that he also longed to see all this. As night fell, the surroundings became even quieter. I built a fire by the small river. The burning wood in the fire crackled. Suddenly, the wind picked up, blowing my messy hair and Ah Li's slightly fluttering sleeves. Suddenly, two black needles flew out from the darkness and shot towards me. Then, two snow needles flew out from the side, blocking the black needles. With the wind, a dark figure swiftly emerged, coming behind me and suddenly raising a sharp sword. At that moment, two more snow needles flew from elsewhere, deflecting the sword. I turned around and saw the masked man. Without thinking, I blurted out, "Is that Big Hero Brother?" He paused, awkwardly raised his sword, and forced a calm demeanor. "The person you speak of, I don't know him. Robbery!" I smiled and looked at him, "Stop joking, I know it's you." He laughed sheepishly and teased, "I'm so well-covered, yet you saw through me. You really understand me." "Perhaps only you would come to a place like this." "Hahaha, you know that too. You truly are my confidant." I looked up into the woods and asked, "Is there, is there someone else here?" "Yes, there is someone else here." He looked into the woods and called out, "Which esteemed guest is here? Come out and join us!" Then, a melodious flute sound echoed. Following it, a swarm of butterflies with shimmering ice points fluttered from the woods. The ice butterflies formed a butterfly bridge. A man in white, standing on the butterfly bridge, slowly approached. Big Hero Brother looked on with novelty, curious about who this person was. "Young master, you seem to be a skilled flutist. Your ice butterflies are truly beautiful. Could you give me one or two?" He thought such rare items should fetch a good price. The person who arrived was none other than Young Master Ouyang, Ouyang Mingyue, whom I had met at Wanshu Mountain before. "Young Master Ouyang, why are you here too?" "I was just passing by and happened to see you and Young Master Ah Li. Is this gentleman also someone you know?" "Yes, he is called Big Hero Brother. He is a friend from Beishendu." Ouyang Mingyue introduced himself to Big Hero Brother. "I am Ouyang Mingyue. May I ask, sir, why you were fighting just now?" Big Hero Brother laughed sheepishly. "Hahaha, that. I knew it was Muye, so I was deliberately teasing her. Look, I'm using mud in my hand." Saying this, he took out a bag of black soil from his embrace and opened it for us to see. With the misunderstanding cleared, Ouyang Mingyue did not trouble him. He smiled slightly, "Young Master Da Xia is truly a person who loves to joke." "Hahaha, I knew I'd be misunderstood. But it's good that I'm not a real bad guy." Big Hero Brother looked at Ah Li in my arms, his face pale, and asked curiously, "What's wrong with him?" I sighed slightly and told him what had happened. "Ah Li, to save me, he was injured by the Wanxue Spider." "Wanxue Spider? You really went to Wanshu Mountain?" I nodded. He regretted it, "I knew it was dangerous there. It's my fault for not stopping you." I shook my head and comforted him, "How can it be your fault? If anyone is to blame, it's me. If he hadn't accompanied me, this wouldn't have happened." "Blame me instead. You are a young lady, you shouldn't bear such a heavy responsibility." "Blame me, it's my fault." Ouyang Mingyue, watching us blame each other, felt helpless. He interjected, "No one needs to be blamed. It was fated that Young Master Ah Li would have this tribulation. Since it has already happened, let's think about how to save him." I said, "We met Zhang Tianshi, and he told me to take Ah Li to Qiancaofeng to find Physician Luo, saying he had a way to save Ah Li." "Physician Luo? I have indeed heard of his fame. However, he is a man of eccentric temperament, sometimes happy, sometimes angry. He is not an easy person to deal with." "No matter how easy or difficult he is to deal with, I have to go and see. I can't just watch Ah Li suffer and do nothing." Big Hero Brother looked at my determined eyes, which bore a resemblance to his own. Moved by my courage, he said, "I knew you were a person of deep loyalty and righteousness. Ah Li would be very happy if he knew everything you did for him." I lowered my head, looking at Ah Li, and smiled slightly. I reached out and stroked his cheek, murmuring to myself, "He's done a lot for me too. But it would be great if he could really get better." Ouyang Mingyue slowly walked to my side, took Ah Li's hand, and felt his pulse. After a moment of silence, he said, "It seems your friend has already contained the poison for him. Now, all you need to do is go to Physician Luo and ask him to detoxify Young Master Ah Li." "Yes, I believe Ah Li will be fine soon." He nodded slightly and said, "Miss Muye, I cannot stay here for long. I must hurry back. Please take care of yourself." "Okay, you go back." "Young Master Da Xia, we'll meet again." "Until we meet again." With that, he began to play his flute again. The butterflies scattered in the woods, hearing the flute, gracefully flew in from all directions, forming a cloud of butterflies. He leaped onto the butterfly cloud, and the butterflies carried him towards Wanshu Mountain. Big Hero Brother watched with envy, muttering to himself, "I really wish I had such great ability." I asked Big Hero Brother, "Big Hero Brother, are you leaving?" Big Hero Brother looked at me in surprise, his eyes full of confusion. "What will you do if I leave?" "I can go to Qiancaofeng myself. The horse will take us there." "Can you really do it yourself?" He frowned slightly, full of worry. "I can." Seeing my determination, he was relieved and said, "Alright then, I'll accompany you until morning. I'll leave after daybreak." Saying this, he sat down next to me. Then, he slowly took out the things he had recently robbed from his embrace. First, he took out a small bag and dangled it in front of me, saying, "See? This is all I've robbed these past few days." I squinted at him suspiciously. "You didn't use force on anyone, did you?" He generously replied, "No, they did it willingly." Then, he took out a small snake made of gold and showed it to me. "Look, so rich, a small snake made of gold." I took the small snake and placed it in my palm, looked at it, and exclaimed in surprise, "It really is. It's quite exquisitely made. Where did you get it?" "Robbed it on the road. That passerby was a rich merchant from Beishendu. He recognized me, so he gave me this little snake." "You are truly lucky." "Indeed." As he spoke, he took out a plum blossom made of jade from his embrace and handed it to me. "Look, this is a plum blossom carved from white jade, worth thousands of gold!" I took the jade plum blossom and examined it carefully, then frowned and asked, "How many people did you rob?" "Not many, just a few. But it's really lucky. Ever since I met you that day, I've encountered several wealthy people afterward, and that's how I got so many good things." I chuckled inwardly, thinking those people were too unlucky. However, I still felt such behavior was inappropriate. "Robbery is always wrong. I think these things are enough for you to spend. You should buy a house and land and live a leisurely life." He nodded and said, "You're right, but I don't rob for myself." "Then who is it for?" "For the children in the village." This was the first time I had heard him say this, and I became instantly curious. "You do all this for the children?" "Yes. When I was young, I traveled the world and passed through many villages. The people in those villages were simple and kind. They would always offer the best food to guests first. Yet, they themselves had never tasted pastries or desserts. So, I vowed that I would make sure all the children in every village could eat desserts and pastries." I never expected that the person I had disdained had such a grand ambition. His heart held a great benevolence that was beyond my reach. Even though desserts were a small matter, only children who had tasted sugar knew what sweetness was. I looked at him. At this moment, in my heart, his image had transformed from a contemptible figure to a great one. My eyes were filled with admiration, but I still felt that robbery was not the right way. "I didn't expect you to be such a benevolent person, but robbery is always wrong. Helping others without using your own abilities is nothing to be proud of." He stared at me blankly, then looked down at his hands, muttering to himself, "Using my own abilities?" "Yes, that is earning money through your own labor. Helping others with your own hands, these are all actions worthy of pride and praise." He looked at me as if he half-understood and said, "Oh, I understand. I plan to only rob richer people from now on. That way, I can earn a lot of money faster." "Hahaha," I couldn't help but burst into laughter. "You still haven't understood my meaning, but one day you will." "Yes, perhaps one day." He looked up at the pitch-black sky, then felt the evening breeze blowing from the woods. He said to me, "It's late, go to sleep quickly. We still have to travel tomorrow." I nodded slightly. Seeing that it was inconvenient for me, he put away his things and then voluntarily pulled my head over to lean on his shoulder. I looked up in surprise. He explained, "It's inconvenient for you to sleep while holding Ah Li, so you can borrow my shoulder." "Then how will you sleep?" "I usually sleep sitting up." "Is this really okay?" "Trust me, it's okay." With that, he pulled my head over to lean on his shoulder again. My heart suddenly warmed, and I no longer refused him, falling asleep like this.