Chapter 110: Mount Wutai

At the end of the woodland lay a river, its waters flowing gently, with fish and shrimp occasionally swimming beneath the surface. Though venturing into unknown depths could be perilous due to unseen creatures lurking below, this river was crystal clear, revealing the bottom, making it safe enough to bathe in.

After many days of relentless travel, exhaustion weighed heavily on him, and a faint odor of sweat clung to his body. Zhou Yi grinned broadly, hastily beginning to remove his shirt. Halfway through, he paused, reconsidered, and put it back on, then took a deep breath and leapt back to the roadside.

Fugege, seeing Zhou Yi return empty-handed, was puzzled. “If the wild game in the mountains is too hard to catch, it’s no big deal to skip a meal.”

Zhou Yi chuckled. “It’s not that there’s no game. Come with me.” Saying this, he took Fugege’s hand and headed towards the small river.

“Gege, where are you two going?” Xiaocui called out from behind, balancing on her toes.

“Xiaocui, wait here. We’ll be back soon,” Zhou Yi replied. Then, realizing his impulsiveness, he hesitated. It was reckless for a grown man to take Fugege to bathe, as rumors could tarnish her reputation.

Zhou Yi was not usually rash; perhaps the fact that Fugege had been bathing openly the first time they met had eased his reservations by the second encounter.

“Well, Xiaocui, you come along too,” he called back.

Vuhua, watching the three depart, suspected Zhou Yi was up to some mischief and followed. Upon reaching the riverbank, the others finally understood Zhou Yi’s plan.

“Master Zhou and Master Vuhua are here; how can my Gege bathe?” Xiaocui pouted.

Zhou Yi laughed softly and said, “The sun has just set; the water won’t be too cold. I’ll catch some food; if you need anything, just call me.”

Turning to Vuhua, he challenged, “You bald monk, let’s have a contest: who can catch more wild game in an hour wins. How about betting a meal?”

Suddenly remembering Vuhua’s monastic vows—though he drank wine, he would never kill living creatures—Zhou Yi sighed and shook his head. “Ah! It’s no fun being with you monks. I’m off.”

“Since Master Zhou wishes to compete, then only live capture is allowed—no harm to the animals,” Vuhua replied.

Zhou Yi glanced at him up and down and couldn’t help but tease, “Sometimes I wonder if you’re really a monk. You’ve broken all eight Buddhist precepts, haven’t you?”

“Amitabha, when did this humble monk break any precepts?” Vuhua lowered his gaze.

“First, you threatened to kill me but didn’t—that’s a lie. Last time we met, I offered you wine, and you drank it. Now you’re driven by rivalry—I think your Buddha heart is unstable. Maybe you should leave the monastery. I can find you a nice girl to marry and have children.”

Vuhua bowed his head and began chanting scriptures.

Zhou Yi had meant to provoke him with those words. Seeing no response, he chuckled and swiftly went off to catch some game.

Fugege removed her clothes and entered the water. She had blisters on her feet from earlier, and when they soaked, the pain was sharp, causing her to cry out.

Hearing her scream, Zhou Yi immediately turned back. Upon arriving at the riverbank, he saw Fugege blowing on her sore feet, wearing only her undergarment. Realizing his mistake, he turned his head and dared not look.

As he stepped on a dry branch, it snapped loudly.

Fugege glanced toward the sound and caught sight of Zhou Yi’s retreating figure. Though inwardly cursing him as “vulgar,” she felt no real blame, for her heart was already his.

After a while, Fugege finished bathing. The aroma of roasting meat drifted nearby. Starving, she dressed quickly and hurried to Zhou Yi’s side, watching the rabbit meat sizzling over the fire.

“Wait a moment; it’ll be ready soon,” Zhou Yi smiled gently at her before turning back to focus on the cooking.

“If I could really marry a hunter, that wouldn’t be so bad—getting to eat your roasted game every day,” Fugege murmured softly.

Zhou Yi, sharp-eared, caught her words clearly but said nothing, instead handing her the cooked rabbit meat. “It’s ready. I’ll go wash up now.”

Fugege caught only the phrase “it’s ready,” quickly took the meat, and bit into the leg. But the meat was scorching hot, and she spat it out, crying out in pain.

She tore off a piece and offered it to Xunfeng, who lay nearby. Though Xunfeng usually didn’t eat cooked food, this time, fed by Fugege, he sniffed and accepted it. Yet, when she tried to feed him more, he refused.

Zhou Yi finished bathing and came ashore. Xiaocui had already eaten and fallen asleep, while Vuhua sat nearby, meditating and cultivating his qi.

Fugege brushed Xunfeng’s fur and smiled faintly upon seeing Zhou Yi return.

“Missing home?” Zhou Yi asked, sitting beside her.

“Where is my home now?” Fugege sighed, then, remembering Xunfeng, asked, “What kind of creature is Xunfeng? I’ve never seen anything like him before.”

Zhou Yi added two dry branches to the fire and began telling Fugege Xunfeng’s story. Intrigued, Fugege bombarded him with questions, which he answered patiently. They talked late into the night, with Fugege yawning repeatedly.

“You rest a while; I won’t sleep. Don’t worry,” Zhou Yi said.

Fugege smiled and nodded, resting her head against his chest and falling into a deep sleep.

Seeing her asleep, Zhou Yi draped his cloak over her and shifted into a comfortable position, gazing at the star-studded sky.

Reflecting on the events of the past year, he felt a flood of emotions. He wondered where the flying corpse was now and who had stolen the three weapons from the palace. With three of the eight weapons collected and now adding the Thunderquake weapon, that made four.

He thought of the family where Zhou Dajiang had reincarnated; the child should soon emerge from infancy. The child couldn’t speak yet, so the family might not notice anything unusual. If the child grew older, who knew what could happen? Resolving to settle matters at Mount Wutai, he vowed to return to Dunhua City to check on the child.

He also wondered about his family; a month had passed since he left, and he missed home. What about Wu Qian? Was she thinking of him now?

Looking down at Fugege sleeping in his arms, he felt a pang of guilt toward Wu Qian, who waited patiently at home. Then he reassured himself that since he regarded Fugege only as a sister, it didn’t betray Wu Qian. This thought lifted his spirits.

His mind also wandered to Baozi and Mu Chen—had they escaped the Miao tribe’s pursuit?

Fugege snuggled closer, a smile playing at her lips.

The night passed silently. At dawn, they resumed their journey. At this pace, it would take more than ten days to reach Mount Wutai.

Zhou Yi carried Fugege on his back, while Vuhua bore Xiaocui and flew onward. Both girls were slight, under a hundred pounds each, so carrying them was effortless. After a day’s rapid travel, the four arrived at Mount Wutai.

From here on, they could no longer carry the girls up the mountain. Though unseen people might not mind, if anyone did, it could sully the reputation of the monks at Mount Wutai and tarnish the girls’ honor.

“Senior Brother Vuhua, you’re back!” the gatekeeper, a young novice, greeted with a smile.

Vuhua returned the smile. “Junior Brother, gather all the monks on the mountain and tell them the murderer who killed Zhang Zuozheng has been captured.”

Turning to Zhou Yi, Vuhua said, “Master Zhou, come with me to see our abbot.”