Sword of Coming

Chapter 14: Inauspicious Birth

The taoist was well prepared to answer the question, “Who is it?” To his surprise, the door of the yard opened quickly. The boy in this shabby alley had skipped that part of the process.

Muddyrun was one of the narrowest and most cramped alleys in the town. The taoist’s cart was wide enough to block the road. Fortunately, Chen Pingan, although scrawny, was pretty strong. He helped the taoist push the rather heavy cart into the yard, not exerting much effort. The whole time, the boy did not say anything. The taoist felt more and more uncomfortable.

He was like someone who had come to borrow money, and the host treated him to a nice meal. Anyone with even a sliver of a conscience would find it more difficult to ask.

The taoist lifted up the blanket that covered the cart, revealing a black-clothed girl lying on her side, curled up. The hat was crooked, but the fabric dangling down from it still covered her face. The moment the blanket was lifted, the stench of blood flooded his nose. Chen Pingan noticed the girl in black, blood seeping through her clothes. He wondered how a blanket could cover up the putrid stench.

He took a step back and asked, “Taoist, what is this?”

The taoist said, “I need to save her! She is seriously injured and no one in the town is willing to save her. They just want to keep to themselves. I thought you might be the exception.”

Chen Pingan went straight to the point and asked, “How did she get hurt?”

The taoist recited the following with a placid expression, “I was pushing a cart past the archway and saw this foreign woman. She said she was going to trace the calligraphy of the plaque “A sword rages, clashes.” She had a bag and, you know, calligraphy stuff. She climbed up the archway. How she was going to trace it, eh, how should I put it, you put a piece of paper on, um, this taoist can’t really explain properly. Anyways, once the girl climbed up to the archway, she sat on one of the beams and began working. This really scared me, and I reminded her to be careful over and over again. However, in the end, she lost focus for a moment and, then, snap, she fell to the ground. The ground by the archway is not as hard as the ground in Muddyrun, but it’s still pretty hard, um, like the slabs in Blessed Street. She was badly injured. You know how it is, as a monk, I must show compassion. How can I not do something? Every household hated her for being covered in blood. No one wanted to take her in. That is just human nature, kay, so, I was left with no other choice but to come to you. To put it bluntly, if even you are not willing to take her in, this girl will die. I am no immortal and cannot pull her from the depths of hell. I’ll find a nice resting place, dig a hole, and erect a grave.”

The taoist spoke at breakneck speed, his words unclear. He wanted to run circles around the boy with his words, lest he reveals any flaws in the story he made up on the spot. All he needed was a starting point for the story. After that, he could create a messy story seamlessly with somewhat logical transitions.

Chen Pingan glanced at the taoist with a complicated gaze and then looked at the black-clothed girl. After much contemplation, he finally nodded. “How do we save her?”

The taoist beamed. “All right! Chen Pingan, by agreeing, we’re already one foot out the door. Don’t be scared by her serious wounds that look like the king of hell personally came to reap her life. It’s really not that bad… Uhum, of course, everything I said before was true too. It’s just there are a lot of heavenly secrets about. For example, this girl’s desire to live is frighteningly strong. She also knows some techniques to protect her vitals… there is also this small town, an interesting place. Lots of strange things. Catching and eating them will help her a lot.”

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The taoist paused. He realized he just revealed a lot of secrets. He flashed a dry smile. “Um, you didn’t understand any of that, right?”

The boy said solemnly, “Don’t understand, but will remember.”

The taoist asked tentatively, “Eh, when you heard the knock on the door, you knew it was me, the taoist who set up a stall?”

Chen Pingan hesitated for a moment and said, “Yes.”

 The taoist asked, “Do you have a good memory? How good?”

The boy glanced at the dying black-clothed girl and then at the taoist.

The taoist explained to Chen Pingan with a smile, “She’s in a rather strange, mystical condition right now. She can’t move her body right now. Better to wait for a bit.”

Chen Pingan was skeptical. “I remember things that I see better than those that I hear.”

“For example?”

Chen Pingan thought for a bit and said, “For example, pottery, Master Yao and his ‘switchblade’ art, the best potter in the town. I remember everything that I read about it.”

The taoist smiled and asked, “But your hands and feet can’t keep up, correct?”

Chen Pingan’s eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously.

The taoist revealed a knowing smile. “Then, have you thought about the key behind Yao’s masterful pottery skills?”

Chen Pingan flinched. “I thought about it. Liu Xianyang told me that Yao said the essence of switchblade art is having a steady heart, not just steady hands. When I heard those words, I kind of understood. I was too anxious before. The more anxious I am, the more clumsy my hands become, and the worse my technique becomes. Every time I make a mistake, I become even more anxious. That’s why I am no good at pottery.”

The taoist said lightly, “A master with no intention teaching. How can you practice?”

Chen Pingan shook his head. “I’m clumsy. Compared to Liu Xianyang, I am no one. It really isn’t surprising that Yao hated me, not strange at all.”

The taoist suddenly smiled. “Chen Pingan, do you know how difficult it is to comprehend the words ‘steady mind’? So hard to understand, don’t belittle yourself.”

Chen Pingan shook his head again. “It’s like catching fish. I stand in the water below my knees, bend over, and catch a fish. That’s called catching fish. But some people are good with the water and go deeper in the water, hold their breath, swim, and then catch the fish. That’s also called catching fish. Taoist, but the two things are fundamentally different, right?”

The taoist let out a hearty laugh, not answering. Then, he suddenly said, “Let’s save her.”

Chen Pingan froze. The taoist yelled, “What’s the hold-up? Carry the girl to your room!”

Chen Pingan did not move. “Then what?”

The taoist said with sweeping conviction, “First, help the girl change into clean clothes. Then, go to the pharmacy to grab a few herbs and nourish her qi and vitality. After that, this taoist will personally act and show off his skills.”

Chen Pingan furrowed his brow. “When the girl wakes up, will I be beaten to death by her?”

The taoist yelled, “No! You are her savior. What kind of person is that ungrateful?”

Chen Pingan remained silent.

The taoist coughed and lost his momentum. “Eh, well, she probably won’t?”

Chen Pingan sighed and asked, “There is a girl named Zhi Gui next door. How about we let her take care of it.”

The taoist said, at a loss, “No can do. This problem needs to stay between us, stay here.”

Chen Pingan did not insist, He just scratched his head with both his hands.

The taoist suddenly asked, “Anything you want to ask? Just ask. I may not be able to answer all your questions, but I can still pick out a few to answer, how about it?”

Chen Pingan sighed, got up, and said, “Let’s save her first.”

The taoist beamed. “Good!”

He flicked his sleeves. A frightening pressure emerged and suppressed the flying sword that was about to fly out of its scabbard.

Chen Pingan carried the girl and walked from the yard into his house. He placed her gently on the blanket that lay on the wooden bed. The bed that Liu Xianyang broke had just been repaired not too long ago. 

The taoist followed behind him, stepped through the door, and looked around. The house had four walls. That was it.

The taoist patted his head, went to get some pen and paper, preparing to make a prescription for the boy to take.

Upon his return, the taoist shook his head and did not dare to look at the bed. To bear all the consequences, the karma…

Chen Pingan sat on the edge of the bed and took off the hat of the black-clothed girl. It revealed a pale face covered in blood.

Her face was bleeding all over. Chen Pingan got up, took the stool near the table, and put it by the bed. Then, he ran to the corner where a small wooden stand was. Pots and pans were neatly placed on the stand. Next to the stand, there was a pot of water covered in wood to block the mosquitoes and flies. The pot was filled with water from the Ironchain Well in Apricot Lane. He took a wooden basin and a spoon. He sat beside the pot and began pouring the clean water in the pot into the wooden basin. Then, he put a clean cotton cloth by the edge of the basin before bringing it to the bedside and placing it on the stool. He began to wipe the blood off the girl.

The taoist turned his head and raised up a piece of paper. “There is a small herb shop in Blessed Street. You can use this prescription to get the herbs.”

The boy was still skeptical. “Didn’t taoist say that before?”

The taoist, confused, blinked. “Ah yes, I mean be careful when you get the herbs. Don’t cause a ruckus in the town. It’ll ruin the girl’s reputation.”

Chen Pingain grumbled, while washing the cotton cloth. “Does taoist have any money for the herbs?”

The taoist suddenly became nervous. “You don’t have any?”

Chen Pingan put the wooden basin on the table and took out a golden copper coin. He pressed it on the table. “Taoist, I’ll exchange this with you for ordinary copper coins. As for how much this special copper coin is worth, that’s up to you to decide.”

The taoist thought for a bit. “This copper coin is enough to buy all the things in the prescription. I will go and get some money for you.”

Soon, the taoist came back with a bag of ordinary copper and a few pieces of silver. He handed it all over to Chen Pingan.

Chen Pingan said,”Taoist does not need to help. Also, Song Jixin, who lives next door, likes new things. Him seeing this wouldn’t be good.”

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The taoist said solemnly, “Chen Pingan, don’t you have any questions you want to ask me?”

Chen Pingan stood still and weighed the copper and silver. He then put them away and signaled with eyes that they should go out to the yard to speak. When the two walked out of the house, he raised his head and said slowly, “I know everyone here is no ordinary person. Yao said this once when he was drunk. Our town is very strange, strange places, strange people. However, what exactly was strange, Yao could not say. Gu Can said that the storyteller with an ordinary white bowl could pour out an endless amount of water. Although Gu Can is annoying, he is not the type to lie about this. Also…”

The boy paused for a moment and then continued, “Today, a woman flicked my forehead and touched my heart. She told me that I am going to die soon. I know, everything she said, was the truth.”

The taoist’s expression turned grave.

Chen Pingan finally said, “Taoist said that burning the talisman paper would bring good fortune to my forefathers. I believe it, so when taoist came to the door and asked me to save someone, I did not say a word until now. I just hope that taoist can promise me one thing. If taoist does not agree, I will bring back the ingredients and help taoist concoct the medicine. Then, I will have to ask you to leave.”

The taoist asked, “What is it? Speak.” 

The boy, who always seemed steady and unruffled, started to tremble slightly. “My parents died when I was very young. I don’t know why, but I remember a lot of things when I was young, but… my parents’ faces are always blurry. I can’t remember them clearly. I survived by living with the neighbors. One time, I heard someone say that I was born on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Judging by their tone, it seems to be an inauspicious day. My neighbor told me the same thing, just more bluntly…”

The boy kept avoiding the subject before finally getting to the point. He lowered his head and said, “Once I am done helping taoist save the person, if, I mean if, if I one day die, can taoist help me so that I can be born with my parents when I reincarnate?”

The taoist remained silent. 

Chen Pingan forced a smile and scratched his head. “Um, if you can’t, forget I asked. I mean, how can something like that be possible, ha.“

The taoist let out a bitter smile. “What about the girl?”

Chen Pingan turned around and then suddenly turned his back to the Taoist. He clenched his fist and, in an unprecedented moment, cracked a joke. “She’s so pretty. I’d be a fool not to save her!”

The taoist watched as the boy who pretended to be fine push open the gate and walk away.

Chen Pingan walked in Muddyrun, as if remembering someone. 

The boy suddenly burst into tears.