Chapter 25

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“Sir…”

“Sir…”

The faint and ethereal female voice brushed past Lu Liangsheng’s ear like a cold wind. He stirred slightly but remained asleep. Before the young man woke up, the toad lying beside him opened one eye first.

“Such courage from a female ghost, daring to follow me all the way here!”

The graceful figure who had bowed from afar looked up upon hearing this and said. “Sir, forgive me, I merely—” before pausing. Her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly as she observed the short figure who had stood up.

“A toad can speak?”

Realizing her mistake, the female ghost who identified herself as Nie Honglian pointed towards the sleeping youth. “I am here to thank him…”

Toad Daoist: “…”

…This is quite embarrassing. Hmph, hmph… Just a female ghost, and I’m at a disadvantage.

Thinking this, the toad clasped his forelimbs behind its back, cleared its throat twice, and with a serious expression, said: “The youth is merely my disciple. If you seek him, it is naturally related to me.”

“I have come to express my gratitude for avenging my great grievance.” The female ghost, Honglian, with her brows as delicate as the dark green of jade, spoke in a gentle and melodious voice and then bowed to the young man.

Meanwhile, Lu Liangsheng, exhausted and in a semi-conscious state, vaguely heard the conversation. He turned over with a soft thud and heard a snapping sound followed by the murmur, “Evil disciple…” before abruptly stopping.

Annoyed, the youth waved his hand.

“Stop disturbing me… Call me again when it’s daylight.”

Honglian glanced at the still-sleeping youth and the toad beneath him with its tongue stuck out. She covered her mouth and let out a soft laugh, slowly rising to leave. However, after taking a few steps, she paused and sighed softly.

With no family left in the world… where should I go…

As the female ghost drifted past the easel, she suddenly stopped, noticing the painting of the long-sleeved figure and the inscription “Honglian” in the lower left corner. She gazed at the sleeping Lu Liangsheng for a long while, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

With a graceful flick of her long sleeves, she turned and slipped into the painting.

The once hazy portrait, with its delicate ink strokes, became more defined and vivid, appearing lifelike. As the wind blew and the flickering flames died out.

As the sky brightened, Lu Liangsheng got up from the ground and stretched lazily.

“Strange, it felt like someone was calling me last night…”

He twisted his neck, grabbed the still-sleeping Toad Daoist from the ground, and stuffed him into the bag. The eight people who had been sleeping around the extinguished campfire gradually woke up, and the once quiet clearing became noisy and bustling.

One person noticed the painting and called the others over. “This was painted by Liangsheng. The figure looks like someone we’ve seen before.”

“Indeed, it’s well-painted, almost like a real person.”

Lu Pan and Lu Qing walked over, their faces suddenly paling as they remembered the events of the previous night. They hesitated, unsure whether to tell their nephew, but when they saw the painting, they felt as though they were seeing a ghost.

Her beautiful eyes seemed to be staring intently at the two of them, scaring them into swallowing their words and changing their tone: “Well… the sun is up, we should probably get going.”

Lu Liangsheng poured water from a pouch to wash his face, then came over and put away the scroll, tying it securely before carrying it on his back.

“I was just about to suggest we get going.”

As for breakfast, it didn’t really matter. During this period of cultivating, his body was stronger than ordinary people, so he could naturally endure hunger. As for Lu Pan’s eight strong men, they could just nibble on some dry food and drink some cold water while on the road to get by.

With a full day ahead of them, it was enough time for the group to return to Lu Family Village. On the way, they passed by the mountain forest where they had camped before, and from a distance, they could still see the collapsed thatched hut on the mountainside. Even now, thinking back to that giant centipede still sent chills down their spines.

Without stopping, they hurried along, driving the pigs and lambs and pulling the donkey cart quickly out of the forest.

Outside the Lu Family Village, in the fields, the farmers and village women were busy with the autumn harvest, stacking up the fruits of their six months of labor. Although the millet was bountiful, their faces were filled with worry.

“I wonder if Lu Pan and the others have resolved the matter.”

“…Sigh, if they haven’t, we’ll have to share our harvest with the people from the northern village. Just thinking about it makes me feel uneasy.”

A man from another field came over, leaning on his hoe and kicking away a stone: “What if we don’t share? Can the officials put a knife to our throats?”

Lately, the village had been abuzz with talk about the lawsuit with the northern village. Whenever they had some free time, the villagers would gather to chat, venting their frustrations. As the three of them stood on the ridge between the fields, they vaguely heard the creaking sound of cartwheels turning.

Looking back, they saw three carts loaded to the brim with goods coming down the muddy road. The tall man named Lu Qing was running quickly ahead, waving his hands and shouting to the people in the fields on both sides.

“Stop working! Come back to the village and get your stuff——”

With that shout, the quiet mountain village exploded with excitement. More than thirty households swarmed toward the village entrance, even the elderly who had difficulty moving came, leaning on their walking sticks, eager to join the lively scene.

The most respected elder, Grandpa Lu, stood on the village’s stone mill, carefully waving the pearwood cane that Lu Liangsheng had given him. He instructed each household to send a representative to collect their share of cloth and grain, one by one.

He also relayed the decision made by the county yamen to the villagers. At first, everyone was reluctant and caused a commotion, but once Liangsheng stepped forward and explained the whole situation, their anger subsided.

“We used part of the five hundred taels to buy things, and whatever remains will be used to buy clothes, grain, and meat before the New Year. Next year, we can get a few pigs and sheep for each household to raise. Isn’t that better? Why worry over a little grain…”

After hearing this, although they were still a bit unwilling, the villagers eventually agreed to set aside a portion of their autumn harvest to be pooled together. When the people from North Village came, they would hand it over.

Of course, the fact that the Lu Family Village had purchased many good things was kept secret. Everyone understood the principle of not flaunting wealth. As for where the silver came from, it didn’t really matter. In the minds of the mountain folk, as long as you could get money, you were impressive.

During the days when things were being distributed, the Lu Family Village was as lively as New Year’s. The women, both older and younger, sat at their doorsteps, cutting cloth to make clothes for their families. Occasionally, the smell of cooked rice and meat wafted from some households, making the mouths of passing villagers water.

Of course, some families, unwilling to eat their portions, dried the meat in the wind and hung it on wooden beams above their stoves. When the craving got too strong, they would cut off a piece to enjoy.

Even Lu Erlai, who was usually disliked by the villagers, received some meat and even a tael of silver. Originally, Li Jinhua was against it, but she couldn’t resist Lu Liangsheng’s persuasion.

“He’s not well-liked, but he’s still part of the village, not an enemy. If we don’t give him anything, and he goes out and talks about it, it could stir up jealousy and cause trouble. That wouldn’t be good.”

Li Jinhua spat toward the outside of the courtyard, hands on her hips.

“Lucky Lu Erlai!”

Returning to the courtyard, he saw Lu Liangsheng carefully taking out the Four Treasures of the Study one by one, and his eyes went wide with surprise.

[TL_Note: Brush, Ink, Paper, and Inkstone]

“How much money did all this cost? Buying all these things that can’t even fill a belly, you’re just like your father, wasting money!”

Lu Laoshi, who was weaving a basket under the eaves, looked up at his wife and chuckled: “Why are you bringing me into this? I don’t waste money.”

“Not wasting? When Liangsheng came back, you gave away those three donkeys for nothing!”

“That was because Liangsheng told me to.”

Li Jinhua glared sharply at the doorway where Lu Liangsheng was standing. He turned to face them and laughed along with his father.

“Mom, we still have one old donkey, don’t we?”

‘Hee-haw, hee-haw!’ From under the cool shed, the curly-haired old donkey brayed loudly, spraying its breath as if to remind Li Jinhua of its presence.

“One of these days, you two are going to drive me to my grave!” The woman paused for a moment with her broom, then swept vigorously at the ground. A toad that had been lying there was suddenly flung into the air, startling Lu Xiaoxian, who screamed in fright. The speckled hen twisted its neck, spread its wings, and clucked as it rushed over.

“This old man… hasn’t provoked anyone, hasn’t provoked anyone…”

Once again, the toad and the hen resumed their battle, picking up right where they left off.

…

In Lu Liangsheng’s room, the Four Treasures of the Study were neatly arranged on the desk. He slowly unrolled the painting on the wall, revealing the portrait of a woman.

Books were piled up, a calligraphy brush rested on the inkstone, and the portrait of the beauty hung on the wall, finally giving the room a scholarly atmosphere.