Chapter 5

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“Father, you bought me the brush and ink, but what about our donkey?”

“Your mother said to buy an old donkey… it’ll have to do.”

Outside the city, Lu Liangsheng followed his father through the livestock market. Lu Laoshi felt the mouth of a donkey sticking through the bars to check its teeth. This was a mule and donkey market on the outskirts of Fushui County, where most of the animals for sale were inferior horses, donkeys, and mules. Cows were rarely seen because the government had strict regulations against private transactions of farm cattle.

Nearby, a vendor who had just finished bargaining turned and smiled at Lu Laoshi. “Brother, this donkey you’re examining is a bit old. It’s good for pulling a mill but can’t pull a cart more than twenty miles. Why not look at these over here? They’re all two years old.”

Lu Laoshi looked at the fences the vendor was pointing to. The animals there were strong and well-muscled, at first glance, they were good animals for tilling the fields or pulling carts.

He hesitated, then shook his head. “I still prefer the old donkey. How much is it?”

“Fifty copper coins, but you can’t give it back. If you don’t buy it, I’ll have to slaughter it and sell the meat tonight.”

“Fifty copper coins…”

Lu Laoshi hesitated a little. He touched the cloth pouch sewn into his clothing and looked at the donkey sticking its head through the bars. The old donkey had loose, dull fur and several scars from whips on the right side of his back. It looked very thin and almost on the verge of collapsing, its cloudy eyes looking up at Lu Laoshi, who was negotiating with the vendor, and it even stuck out its tongue to lick his cuffs.

“Well… I’ll take this one then.”

Ultimately, Lu Laoshi couldn’t bear it. He gritted his teeth, counted out fifty copper coins, and paid the vendor. He patted the donkey’s head and led it out. Turning to Lu Liangsheng with a bitter smile, he said: “Our family is completely broke. Let’s go home, and make sure not to tell your mother we spent fifty copper coins on this old donkey.”

“Understood, I won’t say a word.”

The young man nodded and glanced at the old donkey following behind his father, its hooves clopping on the ground. He furrowed his brows slightly and thought, “In the Emerald Heart Dream Nourishment, I think there’s a technique called Return to Spring Art. I wonder if it works on animals. I’ll check when we get home.”

With these thoughts in mind, father and son returned to the marketplace, but the market had already dispersed. The place was littered with debris, and the muddy road from the previous day’s rain made it difficult to walk. Most of the people from their village had sold their goods, purchased their household essentials like firewood, rice, oil, and salt, and gathered together to wait for Lu Laoshi and his son to return so they could all head back to the village.

These past two days had opened Lu Liangsheng’s eyes to the vast and different world outside. For a young man who had never ventured beyond his village, it was quite an eye-opening experience, and it left him with a new sense of perspective and knowledge.

One small regret he had, though, was not being able to see the theater troupe hired by Landlord Chen. Along the way, he heard his father and a few villagers talk about how beautiful the opera was, and how stunning the lead actress was.

“…When we were leaving the city, I asked around. The opera troupe performing for Landlord Chen was famous in the He Valley Prefecture area. The leading actress, from the Li family troupe, is only sixteen years old. They say her voice is so enchanting it could steal your very soul… This time, they performed a new play, specially prepared for Landlord Chen, called… what was it called, something like Asking Longevity.”

“Never mind the opera singer. Today, while I was in the city buying cloth for my wife, I heard some rumors about unrest in the northwest. Could there be a war coming?”

“What does that have to do with people like us? As long as the government doesn’t raise our taxes, that’s already a blessing from heaven.”

The creaking of cartwheels echoed as the group of villagers returned home, boasting about everything they had seen and heard in the city. When they got back, they would be eager to share their stories with their wives and children, showing off their newfound “knowledge”.

As the sun set in the west, the clouds were ablaze with crimson, and the mountains were draped in a glowing veil of clouds.

Lu Liangsheng listened to the chatter of these men as they rambled on during the journey. Sitting on the donkey cart, he gazed off into the distance, where the outline of their village appeared, thin plumes of smoke curled up from the chimneys.

After they entered the village, the goods were divided among the people. Lu Laoshi led the old donkey, and Liangsheng carried the brush and ink. As they approached the gate of their fenced yard, they could already hear a loud argument between Li Jinhua and someone else.

“You stole our chickens and now you’re trying to steal the last one! Do you believe I won’t beat you to death with a stick right here and now?!”

“I was just standing outside your gate for a bit! How can you accuse me of stealing? If you dare hit me, I’ll lie down right here and let you deal with the mess!”

“Trying to bully me just because my husband’s out of town, huh? Fine! Let’s see if you’re really going to lie down—”

“If you try to act arrogant, I’ll make sure the whole village hears! If you accuse others falsely and dare to hit me, I’ll go sue to the officials!”

Standing at the entrance of the courtyard, the father and son both recognized the person arguing with Li Jinhua. It was Lu Erlai, though no one remembered his full name anymore. He was from the same village and even shared the same surname, so they were distantly related. However, he was notorious in the village for being a loafer. He had long developed a habit of idling around, often loitering outside other people’s homes, sometimes even harassing women. Years ago, he had a wife, but she couldn’t take it anymore and ran away with someone else. After that, he became even lazier, and when alone with women, he sometimes acted inappropriately. As a result, he had been beaten up several times.

[TL_Note: Erlai isn’t his real name, it’s more like a nickname for a loafer/rat/bastard]

Even someone as mild-mannered as Lu Laoshi had an angry look on his face. Noticing someone behind him, Lu Erlai quickly shifted to the side. Lu Laoshi walked straight into the courtyard and took the stick from his wife’s hand, causing Erlai to flinch.

“Lu Laoshi! What do you think you’re doing?! I didn’t steal your chicken. It’s just that your wife got lonely while you were out and went out to find a man. We’re cousins, after all, so I was just watching out for you…”

Lu Laoshi raised the stick at him: “Get out of here!”

Li Jinhua, fierce as ever, picked up a rock from the ground and hurled it at Erlai. He dodged and stepped back, taunting them: “Haha… That’s all you’re capable of. You probably ate your own chicken and are just trying to pin it on me to get a free one…”

Just as he was speaking, he sensed someone rushing toward him. When he glanced to the side, Lu Liangsheng had already raised his foot and kicked him.

With a loud thud, Erlai felt a sharp pain in his side and stumbled to the ground.

“If you don’t leave, I’ll beat you to death!” Lu Laoshi shouted as he ran toward him.

Terrified, Erlai scrambled to his feet, covered in dust and dirt. Pointing at the father and son standing at the courtyard entrance, he spat out a couple of threats and then fled in a panic.

Though the immediate conflict was over, losing a chicken for no reason left Li Jinhua sitting under the eaves, sobbing. Lu Laoshi sat beside her, gently rubbing her back to soothe her. “If It’s gone, it’s gone. We’ll buy another one next time. Look, our donkey has come back too…”

After watching his parents for a while, Lu Liangsheng greeted his younger sister and asked her to help comfort their mother. Then, he turned and left. Erlai’s home was in the northern part of the village. It was two small thatched houses, with mud walls that had several holes in them, making it possible to see inside. The door was loose and crooked, sagging to one side.

Lu Erlai probably didn’t come back. There was no one inside the house when Lu Liangsheng entered. The interior was sparse, with nothing much except a stove, a wooden bed, and a wooden table missing a leg.

“Hmm?”

As he scanned the surroundings, Lu Liangsheng suddenly made a sound of confusion when he reached the stove. Squatting down, he noticed something strange. In the ashes near the stove, he picked up a few feathers and a couple of bones.

“And he said he didn’t steal…”

Clutching the few chicken feathers in his hand, he stood up and left. Not far off, he spotted Lu Erlai from a distance, swaggering along the narrow path between the fields, humming a tune. As he passed by a few women washing clothes by the river, he whistled at them, provoking one of them to curse loudly at him.

“Hmph.” Lu Liangsheng glanced at Lu Erlai from a distance, then looked down at the chicken feathers in his hand. He walked back home, where his mother had already calmed down. Although her eyes were still a bit red, she and Lu Laoshi were busy clearing space near the woodpile to build a small shelter. Xiaoxian was helping them, her face covered in sweat. She glanced up and saw her older brother heading straight to his room, her head tilting in confusion.

In the room.

Lu Liangsheng took out the books Southern Waters Collection of Lost Arts and Emerald Heart Dream Nourishment and spread them across the bed. He flipped through the pages one by one, the soft rustling of paper filling the room until he stopped on a passage. A section with slightly faded characters reflected in the young man’s eyes.

“… In Huai River, a man once roasted several small birds. The next day, his entire body grew feathers, unbearably itchy. Even after pulling them out, they continued to regrow, persisting for several days before subsiding… This technique is called ‘Feather Plucking Art’. Performed at the hour of the pig, facing south under the moon…”

[TL_Note: Hour of the Pig is 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM]

“This Southern Waters Collection of Lost Arts contains all sorts of strange and weird punishments and there are also vicious ways to kill people. Although Erlai is certainly detestable, it’s not to the point of deserving death… this one will do.”

With a decision made, he memorized the method. After dinner, when his parents and sister had fallen asleep, Lu Liangsheng glanced at the moon before stepping outside, carrying the chicken feathers with him.

A cold wind swept through the desolate mountain village late at night. A few dog barks echoed from nearby courtyards, and a few coughs rang out, but most people had already retired after a long day of labor. Silently, Lu Liangsheng walked through the darkness, watching the sky and estimating the time. Soon, he arrived outside the grass-roofed hut he’d visited before.

Through the cobweb-covered window, Lu Erlai’s loud snores could be heard clearly.

Outside the window, Lu Liangsheng approached and bowed toward the bright moon, quietly chanting a few words under his breath. He then placed the chicken feathers near the window and gently blew on them.

The feathers wobbled and floated upwards, riding the soft breeze and slipping through the window.

Inside, the lazy scoundrel slept soundly on his wooden bed. One chicken feather drifted down onto his face, causing him to twitch and scratch himself in his sleep. He muttered something and rolled over, continuing to sleep deeply.

Satisfied, Lu Liangsheng watched for a moment before turning and heading home. When he returned home, he felt slightly dizzy, but he didn’t give it much thought and soon drifted into a deep sleep.

The next morning.

Lu Liangsheng woke up feeling weak and a bit feverish as if he had caught a cold. His body felt drained, and his head was heavy. While washing up, he suddenly heard an uproar outside.

Xiaoxian rushed inside, her face flushed with excitement. Panting, she pointed outside, trying to catch her breath. “Brother… you have to come see! That Lu Erlai from yesterday… hehe… hahaha—”

As she spoke, she couldn’t help but laugh first. In the kitchen, Li Jinhua came out and asked, “What’s so funny? Hurry up and tell me.”

“He… he…”

The little girl tried her best to stifle her laughter, taking a moment to compose herself before continuing, “He’s covered in chicken feathers all over his body!”

“Serves him right!” Li Jinhua swore, wiping her wet hands and rushing out with her daughter. She was eager to see the unlucky fellow in his miserable state.

“It really worked.”

Lu Liangsheng wiped his face, feeling much more awake. “The things Master taught me really are effective… What should I do to repay him?”

Exiting the courtyard, he followed his mother and sister to the center of the village. The noise and commotion grew louder, filled with laughter and chaos.

“Ahhhh—”

In the midst of the gathered crowd, Lu Erlai was rolling on the ground in terror, letting out heart-wrenching screams. Pale yellow chicken feathers were growing out of his skin all over his body. The itching was unbearable as he desperately tried to scratch and pull at them. He managed to rip off a few clumps, tearing the skin in the process, and leaving him covered in blood.

But soon, the plucked feathers began to regrow.

“Help me… someone help me… it itches so much… so itchy…”

He pleaded desperately, tearing at himself while kneeling on the ground and looking around at the villagers who were watching the scene unfold. No one paid him any attention.

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