Chapter 216 — The Thatched Hut

Golden light spread across the eastern clouds, pushing the edges of darkness as it rapidly swept over the distant foothills, little villages, and stretches of forest wilderness, shining upon the small temple ahead. 

The old donkey curled out its tongue, sweeping dew-laden blades of grass into its mouth as it chewed noisily and let out a snorting bray, turning its head toward the temple entrance. 

Morning light spilled through the doorway. The bonfire inside had long burned out, leaving only faint wisps of smoke drifting upward. Within the sunlight, a figure passed by. Lu Liangsheng carried out two book racks and fastened them to either side of the donkey’s rump. 

Behind him, the Toad Daoist waddled out in his flower-patterned robe and stepped into the sunlight. Feeling the warmth upon his face, he stretched lazily. 

“Huaaah…” 

After a long yawn, he smacked his lips, walked beneath the book rack, climbed up the rope, and settled into the small compartment. 

“So we’re finally heading back now? Staying outside for so long, even your master has started feeling uncomfortable…” 

The toad spoke while wrapping one end of the rope around his waist and tying it securely. “…To think that someone like your master, who once roamed across mountains and peaks, would end up liking life cooped up in a tiny place.” 

“Master is just missing Lu Family Village.” 

Having packed up their belongings, Lu Liangsheng turned back with a smile. Straightening the reins, he mounted the donkey and guided it southeastward, returning toward Qixia Mountain. 

Having traveled this road twice already, the old donkey was mostly familiar with the way. Even without guidance from Lu Liangsheng, it happily trotted along, nibbling at roadside grass as it went. Descending from the foothills, the autumn sunlight grew brighter. Upon the great road leading toward the capital, travelers and merchants hurried to and fro. Mixed among them were many people carrying bundles on their backs, dragging along their elders and children alike. Some drove donkey carts, some pushed wheelbarrows, some carried chickens and ducks, bringing along every valuable possession their families could take as they slowly streamed southward. 

Unlike the atmosphere across the riverbank, this side would soon become a battlefield. 

Seeking fortune and avoiding disaster was human nature. Ever since the village heads spread word throughout the surrounding towns and villages that war was approaching, the common folk had begun dispersing one after another. Over this period of time, it had erupted into a massive migration. 

Amid the noisy clamor, Lu Liangsheng dismounted from the donkey and pulled the reins as he squeezed through the crowd. Around him, footsteps and shouts blended together. The entire road was packed with fleeing refugees heading south. 

“Hurry and go! Take everything from your homes that you can carry! Don’t leave anything for the Sui army! They kill without blinking an eye. Maybe tomorrow they’ll march south. Once they cross the river, your families could all be slaughtered! They truly won’t spare even the chickens and dogs!” 

A yamen runner dressed in official attire rode on horseback through the surging sea of people, shouting himself hoarse. Yet compared to the countless overlapping voices around him, his cries still seemed insignificant. 

A woman carrying a bamboo basket on her back — filled with the grain her family had stored away — stumbled frantically through the pushing crowd, her eyes searching everywhere for something. Beside her was a bare-chested man, likely her husband. 

“Shitou! Little Shitou! Answer your mother!” 

The woman cried out as she grabbed passersby to question them. Her husband was doing the same on the other side, his face full of anxiety, his eyes reddened. 

“Shitou, where are you?! If you hear your father’s voice, answer me!” 

As he squeezed several zhang through the crowd, Lu Liangsheng quietly drew away a torn scrap of the child’s clothing from the woman’s hand and used a small tracking spell. More than ten zhang away by the roadside, he found the crying child and returned him to the couple’s arms. 

The endless tide of people stretched on without limit. Such a scene once again reminded him of the flood of refugees he had witnessed back in Heliang Prefecture. Fortunately, this was the inner territory of Southern Chen, and the autumn harvest had already passed. The common folk still had some grain left to survive on, so it would not descend into the same tragedy that had occurred in Heliang Prefecture. 

Passing by the capital, Tianzhi, the city had already entered martial lockdown. From time to time, cavalry thundered past through the streets. Upon seeing someone dressed like a scholar, such as Lu Liangsheng, they would also come over to interrogate him for a while. 

“It seems by next spring, the great war will be close at hand.” 

Looking toward the distant city walls, Lu Liangsheng had no intention of entering the city. He tugged the old donkey’s reins and turned southward again. By the time he returned to Qixia Mountain, it was already evening. 

The mountains were quiet. 

As he passed beneath Xiaoquan Mountain, he heard one or two cries of a fox. 

Raising his head beneath the vast star-filled sky, he saw atop the cliffside a crouching fox silhouette gazing toward the direction of Lu Family Village. 

“Wait for me by the roadside.” 

Lu Liangsheng patted the donkey’s head. With a single movement, his figure flashed away, afterimages darting through the forests and across the mountains. In only a few bounds, he had already reached the mountaintop. 

Crossing past a great moss-covered boulder, he saw Yanzhi, transformed into a fox, sitting beneath the stars and moon, gazing at the village below the mountain where lights had begun to glow. 

Hearing footsteps approaching from behind, her fluffy red tail began to sway. 

In the next instant, she rose and transformed into a beautiful woman. Lowering herself in greeting, she gave a graceful salute. 

“Yanzhi greets Mister.” 

“There’s no need for such courtesy. I only heard your cries and came to take a look.” 

Lu Liangsheng looked at her, walked over to stand at the side, and also gazed toward the mountain village in the distance. “If you miss the child, then go see him. There’s no need to be so restrained.” 

“This one fears disturbing Mister’s parents.” The red fox had her own concerns. 

Previously, when she and her husband Zhang Liancheng had fallen in love, it had caused no small amount of trouble for Zhang Dongming and his wife. Moreover, as a demon, she could also harm the health of mortals. 

Roughly understanding what she was thinking, Lu Liangsheng smiled and waved his hand. “There’s no need to worry. I still have a Rakshasa ghost, Honglian, by my side, and she has never harmed my parents. As long as you restrain your demonic aura, nothing will happen.” 

“Yanzhi thanks Mister for his kindness.” 

Yanzhi thought for a moment, but still shook her head. Stepping back to one side, she bowed toward the scholar. “Mingyue has already been taken in by Mister, and this concubine can cultivate and recover from her injuries so close to Mingyue. I am already endlessly grateful and dare not ask for too much.” 

“Suit yourself then. In any case, I’ve already permitted you to visit the child.” 

After saying this, Lu Liangsheng did not continue the conversation. Turning around, his figure blurred after only a few steps and vanished into the forest ahead. 

Returning to the foot of the mountain, Honglian had somehow appeared crouching by the roadside, picking up stones and tossing them around absentmindedly. Seeing the young master return, she immediately broke into a delighted smile and, reassured, slipped back into the painting. 

Naturally, the scholar could tell what little thoughts were hidden in her heart. Smiling, he grabbed the reins and led the old donkey back toward the village. 

And then… 

The reins slipped from his hand. 

Even the old donkey froze in place before hurriedly running toward where the donkey shed used to stand, searching for the place where it slept. 

The fenced courtyard was gone. 

The house under construction had only a few walls still standing. Everywhere were chopped timber, bricks, dirt, and scattered stones. Not far away, Yuwen Tuo, Li Sui’an, and Qu Yuanfeng were squeezed together asleep atop a straw mat, their legs tangled together. Their faces were filthy with dirt. One of them smacked his lips and rubbed at his nose in his sleep before continuing to slumber soundly, completely unaware that someone was watching them. 

“These three little fellows really aren’t afraid of catching a cold.” 

He saw neither his parents nor his younger sister nearby, so they had likely gone to stay at a relative’s house for the night. Lu Liangsheng sighed softly and formed a hand seal, casting a warming spell over the three youths sleeping on the straw mat so they would not catch a chill. 

Unable to find its old sleeping place, the old donkey lowered its head in grievance and walked back over, stretching out its mouth to tug at its master’s sleeve. 

Inside the compartment beneath the book rack, the little door creaked open. 

The Toad Daoist folded his arms, equally stunned. Tilting his head toward his disciple, he asked: “Where is your master supposed to sleep tonight?” 

“There’s a place to sleep.” 

Lu Liangsheng thought for a moment, snapped his fingers, and turned to leave. The old donkey knowingly followed behind him as they made their way up Qixia Mountain west of the village. Following the mountain path he had walked countless times before, they arrived beneath the old tree. 

“Two years ago, I even told Old Sun that once I stopped being an official, I’d build a hut here someday. Never thought it would come true this quickly.” 

Speaking with a somewhat self-mocking smile, Lu Liangsheng removed the book racks and tossed the Veiled-Moon Sword to the side. Shaking out his sleeves, he used the [Five Elements Dao Arts].

At once, rumbling sounds arose throughout the mountain. 

The dense forest swayed noisily. Amid a series of snapping sounds, broken branches, and withered yellow grasses flew densely through the air. 

Thick wooden pillars slammed into the ground. The rocks beneath split open, wrapping around and securing the pillars into four corners. Then, thinner branches surged forward, weaving themselves around the corner posts to form wooden walls. Leaves and foliage still clung to them, flourishing into growth to serve as the roof, while other branches tightly sealed every crack and gap. Bushes and slender vines stretched outward along the walls, encircling the place into a fenced courtyard. In the distance, several relatively flat stones descended and transformed into stone stools and a stone table. 

Within moments, beside the old pine and his teacher’s grave, a thatched hut had taken shape. With his foundation in painting, combined with the control over vegetation and stone granted by the Five Elements Dao Arts, creating such a house was effortless for Lu Liangsheng. 

He tapped a finger lightly against the tightly woven wall of grass and branches. The interwoven foliage rustled and shifted aside, revealing a doorway large enough for people to enter and leave freely. 

Stepping inside, he casually tossed the book racks onto the ground. Withered vines and branches extended from the walls, weaving themselves into a soft couch and a writing desk. Hanging the painting scroll upon the wall, he slowly lowered it, revealing Honglian. 

Books were stacked atop the desk, alongside inkstone, ink, and brushes. 

Once again, it became a study fragrant with the scent of ink. 

“Master, what do you think?” 

Lu Liangsheng lit a candle, illuminating the surroundings. 

Over there, the small compartment door beneath the book rack creaked open. The Toad Daoist yawned, carrying the black-patterned gourd on his back and a smoking pipe hanging from his waist. Sleepily hugging his bedding, eyelids drooping, he staggered out drowsily, climbed onto the soft couch, pulled the little blanket over himself, stretched his limbs comfortably, and curled deeper inside. 

Huu… huu… 

A moment later, he was already snoring soundly. 

After traveling continuously for several days, Lu Liangsheng was likewise exhausted beyond measure. Sleepiness washed over him, and beside his master, he simply made do and fell into a deep slumber.