Chapter 130: A Twist of Fate

The two men had created the smoke to draw the Miao people away, knowing that the scent of the mugwort smoke clashed with the herbal seeds in the Miao's sachets; inhaling both together would induce a deep sleep.

Seeing the mugwort smoke again, the old Miao woman cursed and charged directly toward the pair. They dared not linger any longer; once the thick smoke rose, they had already fled.

Meanwhile, Baozi watched as the old woman and her followers departed, leaving only two Miao men and Dongnuo behind. Baozi wanted to approach Dongnuo, but he was at a loss for what to say. As he hesitated, Zhou Yi and Mu Chen returned.

Seeing Baozi still standing in the same spot, Zhou Yi couldn't help but kick him in the backside. "If you don't go now, the old hag will be back, and you won't get another chance!"

"But I don't know what to say!" Baozi frowned.

Zhou Yi was growing anxious. He had spent so much time preparing just to buy Baozi this brief window of opportunity, only for the lad to lose his nerve. He thought about leaving a written message, but none of them had a pen. In his desperation, Zhou Yi pulled a match from his pocket, lit it, and blew it out before it could burn down. He took out a banknote and, using the charred match, wrote: "At the first hour of the night, head ten miles east and come alone." These simple eleven characters took an entire box of matches to scrawl.

He shoved the banknote into Baozi’s hand and urged, "Go quickly! If you don't go now, the old hag really will return!"

Baozi pondered for a moment, his face hardening with resolve. He folded the banknote, clutched it tightly, and ran toward Dongnuo.

Before Baozi reached her, Dongnuo noticed him. Her brow furrowed; she had no fondness for him.

"Why are you here?" Dongnuo asked, her voice devoid of emotion.

Baozi’s mouth twitched, unable to utter a word. Seeing this, Dongnuo spoke coldly again, "If you have nothing to say, get lost. If my grandmother returns, you won't stand a chance of survival."

As Dongnuo turned to leave, Baozi bit his lip and blurted out, "I do have something! This is for you!" He held out the banknote, taking two steps toward her. Dongnuo looked at the bill, confused as to why this foolish boy would give her money when she lacked for nothing, and she made no move to take it.

The two remained at a stalemate until the old woman returned. Seeing Baozi and Dongnuo standing face-to-face, she grew furious. "Little thief! You dare show your face here!"

Seeing the old woman, Baozi dared not hesitate. Ignoring whether Dongnuo agreed or not, he shoved the banknote into her hand and turned to run. The old woman did not pursue him. Once she stopped, she asked Dongnuo, "What did that little thief say to you just now?"

Dongnuo shook her head slightly, remaining silent, and tucked the banknote into her bodice.

Baozi returned to his friends with a foolish grin. "Brother Yi, I gave it to her! I gave it to her!"

Seeing Baozi’s lack of dignity, Mu Chen poured cold water on his excitement. "So you gave it to her, big deal! What are you grinning about?" The two began to bicker.

To make a long story short, by the end of the evening, the three of them waited at the agreed-upon location. As luck would have it, ten miles east of the mass grave, there was a field of columbines. The purple flowers were in full bloom, and a gentle breeze filled the air with their fragrance.

Looking up, the three stars had reached the zenith; the hour of the boar was approaching. Zhou Yi and Mu Chen tactfully stepped away, leaving the time to Baozi.

Time passed slowly in anxious anticipation. It was a quarter past the hour of the boar, and there was still no sign of Dongnuo. Baozi kept looking toward the west, standing on his tiptoes to see further.

By the second quarter, Baozi began picking the beautiful columbines scattered across the field. By the third quarter, he had gathered a large armful. He took off his outer garment to wrap the flowers, inhaling their scent and grinning to himself.

As the fourth quarter approached, Baozi’s heart sank. He knew Dongnuo would not come. Overcome with frustration, he threw the bundle of flowers to the ground and stomped on them wildly. Soon, the once-vibrant blossoms were ruined.

He lay back on the ground, his heart heavy. Before long, he sat up, shook the dirt from his garment, put it back on, and stared toward the west once more. Loving someone is a bitter trial, much like Baozi’s plight—knowing full well she would not come, yet waiting in agony for a sliver of hope he knew was impossible.

The night slipped away, and the horizon began to pale. Baozi hung his head and walked to Zhou Yi. "Brother Yi, she didn't come!" his heart full of grievance.

Zhou Yi patted him on the shoulder, consoling him. "If she didn't come, she didn't come. Come back to Dunhua with me, and I’ll find you two wives—no, I’ll find you as many as you want!"

Baozi wanted to say, "I only want her!" but he could not bring himself to say it.

Meanwhile, after finishing dinner, Dongnuo remembered the banknote Baozi had given her. Upon opening it, she found the handwriting was blurry but legible. At the start of the hour of the boar, she remembered the message and smiled. She set off toward the east. Ten miles was a short distance to travel using spiritual energy, and she arrived at a patch of woods—but there was no sign of Baozi.

She took out the banknote again to look at it by moonlight. The writing was faint but still identifiable. Thinking Baozi had been playing a trick on her, she crumpled the note and tore it to shreds in her hands, vowing to herself that the next time they met, she would teach this impetuous fool a lesson.

As it turned out, the note said "ten miles east," but distance and direction are rarely precise. A slight deviation at the starting point results in a significant error ten miles away, so it was only natural they did not meet.

By then, Zhou Yi and his companions had already begun their return to Dunhua. Baozi was deeply dejected, so they did not travel using spiritual energy, taking three days to reach the city.

Upon arriving home, Fu Gege and Xiao Cui rushed to greet them. Although they had been apart for less than a month, Fu Gege could not help but fuss over Zhou Yi. Xunfeng leaped from Xiao Cui’s arms and pounced on Zhou Yi, licking his face until it was covered in slobber. Seeing this, Baozi was reminded of Dongnuo, and he secretly resolved that the next time they met, he would demand a clear answer.

"Amitabha, Master Zhou has returned. This humble monk will take his leave," Jiechen said with a respectful bow upon seeing them.

Zhou Yi returned the gesture. "Thank you for your hard work this past month, Master Jiechen. Has Zuo Zhi been here?" Knowing that everyone was safe, he realized that even if the creature had come, it had gained no advantage, but he asked nonetheless.

"That wicked creature came twice, but I drove it away both times. It hasn't appeared for half a month," Jiechen said with a smile.

Zhou Yi nodded. "Master Jiechen, you cannot leave yet. We shall wait for it to return, and then we will ensure it never leaves, once and for all."