novelapdf Chapter 81 Miscellaneous Matters
Chapter 81 Miscellaneous Matters
Within the heavenly realm, the pool's waters are still and windless.
Song Quyou sat cross-legged under an ancient pine tree by the pool, his robes fluttering, and the Qi in his body slowly flowed into the flying sword underwater through the hand seals on his hands.
The flying sword embryo swayed comfortably on the bottom of the water, creating one fine ripple after another.
Until a buzzing sound rang out and light flowed, Song Quyou gathered his Qi, stood up, and ended the cultivation.
The lark squatted by the pool, examining the flying sword prototype.
"It's much brighter now, and the sword no longer has that hazy, dusty look."
"This is thanks to the vibrant life within the Pot Heaven and the crystal-clear water. In just a few days, the flying sword has undergone changes."
According to the White Ape's Notebook, it would take at least several months to reach this stage.
As soon as he finished speaking, Song Quyou saw the yellow paper figure that Yun Que had cut out and handed the talisman brush that had miraculously produced ink from thin air at his waist to Yun Que.
"Take this talisman pen and practice 'Paper Cutting Soldiers.' I'll gather the materials for the altar for you after I go out later."
……
The evening glow obscures the setting sun, and twilight descends upon the courtyard and woods.
The blue bricks in the courtyard were dimly yellow, as if they were plated with a layer of warm gold.
Song Quyou pushed open the door and the first thing he saw was a small, golden figure at the bottom of the steps.
It lay still, and when it heard the sound, its ears perked up instantly, and its tail swept across the ground with a rustling sound, but it remained seated and motionless, only looking at him with its wet eyes.
"Have you been staying here the whole time?"
Song Quyou walked down the steps and bent down to pat the yellow dog's head.
Its tail immediately wagged happily, and it made a soft "humming" sound.
Beside the stone table, Su Tang, holding Hei Tan, turned around upon hearing this and said, "That's right, I've been coaxing him with pastries for half a day, but he just drools and won't eat. You dog, you've really chosen your master."
"She's probably new here and a little shy."
Song Quyou bent down, picked up the puppy, and carried it to the stone table, placing it on the ground: "Senior Sister, try feeding it again."
Su Tang broke off a piece of pastry and handed it over. The yellow dog looked at the pastry, then looked back at Song Quyou, letting out a soft whimper. Its body trembled slightly, but it stubbornly refused to move.
"Eat."
After Song Quyou spoke, the yellow dog glanced at the pastries, then poked the ground with its head, signaling Su Tang to put them on the ground.
Su Tang smiled faintly and shook her head. After putting it on the ground, the yellow dog gently opened its mouth to bite.
After putting it in its mouth, it ate very quickly, swallowing it in a few bites. It then licked the crumbs off the ground with a lingering sense of satisfaction, raised its head, and looked at Song Quyou with its big, watery eyes.
Su Tang found it amusing and broke off another piece, tossing it over. This time, the yellow dog was more decisive, but it still glanced at Song Quyou first, and only opened its mouth to catch it after getting a signal.
"This dog is truly intelligent and understanding."
Su Tang reached out to touch the fluffy head.
The yellow dog, who was eating pastries, shrank back slightly, but did not dodge or flinch. It just tensed up a bit and let Su Tang pet it.
Black Charcoal lay in Su Tang's arms, squinting at the yellow dog for a long time, then suddenly jumped down, paced around the yellow dog, and held its tail high.
俄而
The charcoal-colored creature opened its blood-red maw, ready to bite down.
Su Tang glanced at the black charcoal, gently closed her blood-red maw, and stuck out her barbed tongue to lick her golden fur.
"Junior brother, does this dog have a name?"
Song Quyou was taken aback, looked down at the small golden thing at his feet, and shook his head, saying:
"It hasn't been taken yet."
"Let's pick one then. We can't keep barking like a yellow dog."
Song Quyou squatted down and looked at the little dog sitting upright like a pine tree. Its eyes, reflecting the afterglow of the sunset, had a faint amber color, clean and bright, without a speck of dust.
He pondered for a moment.
"Let's call him Big Yellow. It's easy to pronounce and quite fitting."
Upon hearing this, Su Tang frowned and looked at Song Quyou with disdain, pursing her lips.
"Who names a spirit dog 'Big Yellow'? Every stray dog on the street has that name. You really know how to save trouble."
Just then, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a Taoist priest in a wide robe and long sleeves walked in, carrying a long sword with dragon and tiger patterns. It was none other than the eldest disciple, Wang Xuan.
"It's great to come up with a name. I'm the best at naming things. I was the one who came up with Heitan's name back then."
At this point, Su Tang snorted and retorted, "If I hadn't gone into seclusion for a few days back then, Hei Tan wouldn't have been enlightened yet, so why would he recognize this name?"
Wang Xuan ignored Su Tang's slander, casually sat down on the stone bench, placed his long sword across his lap, and said loudly:
"How about calling it 'Yellow Earth'? Look at this little dog, its fur is all yellow, just like the yellow earth on the edge of a field, how fitting."
Su Tang hugged the black charcoal in her arms tighter and said with dissatisfaction, "It would be better to call it Big Yellow."
……
While Wang Xuan and Su Tang were arguing, Song Quyou squatted down, stroking the fluffy yellow dog, and tentatively called out, "Big Yellow."
"Woof."
……
Every time Song Quyou called out, the yellow dog would respond with a strong bark.
They were tireless, energetic, and enjoyed doing it immensely.
Now there's no need to argue anymore.
……
After the overall situation was settled.
Wang Xuan took out eight fire pearls from his bosom and pushed them towards Song Quyou:
"Yang Danzi, he caused your family to be destroyed back then. As your senior brother, I destroyed his former self for you. Junior brother, keep this magic artifact for protection."
"Did Senior Brother encounter Yang Danzi?"
After exchanging words, the two learned the reason.
"Junior brother, could you lend me the 'Taixu Shengxia Hedao Dan' for a look?"
Song Quyou took out a jade box and pushed it in front of Wang Xuan: "Senior brother, take it and take a look."
Wang Xuan opened the jade box, took out the solitary bamboo slip, and examined it carefully for a while:
"It's a pity that this pill formula is missing many of the medicine names and the exact temperature for refining the pill. But it doesn't matter. It will be worth a lot of money if sold to someone who knows how to refine pills."
After placing the bamboo slips back into the jade box, Wang Xuan asked Song Quyou, "Junior Brother, do you trust Senior Brother?"
"We are fellow disciples. Junior brother was able to join the Shenxiao Sect entirely because of senior brother's life-saving grace. Why don't you believe me?"
"In that case, could you please handle this pill formula, senior brother? You'll surely be satisfied with the treasures you receive in return."
"I'll listen to my senior brother."
With that, Wang Xuan picked up his sword, stood up, packed the jade box, and was about to leave. "I'm going to exchange for treasures, but the guy I found is very troublesome. I might not hear from him for almost a month. Don't worry, my senior brother won't run away."
Song Quyou shook his head and smiled faintly: "Senior brother, please don't tease me. Junior brother would not think that way."
……
After Wang Xuan left, the courtyard was quiet for a moment.
Su Tang rested her chin on her hand, looked at the dog lying on the ground, and sighed, "Now it really is a big yellow dog."
Black Charcoal lay sprawled on the table like a cat pancake, its paws flailing about as it grumbled, "Big Yellow, fine, it sounds like my little brother."
Song Quyou sat on a stone bench and laid out the eight fire pearls in a row.
The bead is dark red all over, and the toad and fire python patterns carved on the surface are very archaic and the carving is rough.
Song Quyou channeled his vital energy into the eight fire pearls, which shone a crimson hue in the courtyard at dusk.
But it only lit up.
As the Qi continuously flowed into the fire pearl, the fire python patterns that the toad was spitting out suddenly lit up, moving around as if they had come to life. Strangely, the fire pearl did not emit a single spark.
Su Tang looked at the beads on the table and sighed softly, "The spiritual energy of these eight fire beads has been exhausted and they need to be nurtured again, otherwise they cannot be activated."
Song Quyou stopped channeling Qi, and the eight fire pearls dimmed again.
Su Tang picked up one with her delicate hand and examined it closely in the twilight. The toad pattern on it seemed to have a faint shimmering light flowing around it in the afterglow, but it remained hidden.
"Like the flying sword technique, it requires daily nurturing over a period of time and cannot be rushed."
……
"By the way, Senior Sister, have you seen Miss Jing come out from home recently?"
Mentioning Miss Jing, Su Tang's eyes immediately turned strange as she looked Song Quyou up and down, saying:
"If you don't mention it, I'll feel embarrassed to say it. After burning incense at the eight temples that day, although I left late, I returned to the mansion early, while you two didn't come back until dark. Could it be that, as you said, you found someone's father's scales and that he was too heartbroken to come out?"
In my opinion, you really hurt that girl's feelings, which is why she hasn't spoken to you for over a month..."
As Su Tang spoke, she shook her head, looking at Song Quyou with a meaningful gaze.
Song Quyou shook his head and sighed softly, not replying, but instead taking out a translucent bead from his bosom and tossing it to Su Tang, saying:
"A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. This bead can repel water. Senior sister should go and take a look, lest the neighborly relationship become strained."
As soon as he finished speaking, Song Quyou put away the fire pearl and got up to leave.
"Since the beads repel water, why don't you go and check them, Junior Brother?"
"Junior brother has other important business to attend to. Go out and buy some sandalwood paper and an incense burner to use as a ritual altar."
After saying that, he went out and left in a hurry.
Watching Song Quyou leave, followed closely by his little tail, Su Tang held the water-repelling bead in her hand and helplessly got up to walk towards the backyard.
……
The sunset had faded, and Song Quyou entered the city through the north gate. There were still some refined gentlemen gathered by the city gate, sketching the two majestic door gods by the dim light.
As lanterns gradually illuminated the long street, their warm yellow glow spread across the bluestone slabs, casting shadows of pedestrians heading to the night market that appeared to grow longer and shorter.
Song Quyou walked down the street, followed by that little yellow creature. Its four short legs moved swiftly, yet it always lagged behind by half a step, neither overtaking nor falling behind. When Song Quyou stopped, it stopped too; when Song Quyou lifted a foot, it followed, in perfect harmony.
The paper shop sells writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, incense, candles, and other miscellaneous items.
Song Quyou went inside. The paper shop was small, with shelves on all four walls displaying various kinds of Xuan paper, ink sticks, and inkstones. A faint scent of pine soot and ink wafted in the air.
The shopkeeper was an old man with a white beard, who was dozing off on the counter, snoring softly, with a little drool hanging from the corner of his mouth.
Song Quyou gently knocked on the counter.
The paper shop owner wearily raised his head, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and seeing that it was a customer who wanted to buy something, he quickly put on a smile.
"What would you like, Taoist priest?"
"Five reams of sandalwood paper, and a small, simple incense burner."
The shopkeeper responded, turned around and went to the back of the shelf. After searching for a while, he brought out a stack of light blue papers, placed them on the counter, and then took out a golden bronze incense burner the size of two fists from under the counter. It had simple cloud patterns on it.
"Five reams of sandalwood paper for thirty taels of silver, one incense burner for five taels of silver, totaling thirty-five taels of silver, the Taoist priest counted."
Upon hearing the price, Song Quyou raised an eyebrow, reached out and rubbed the edge of the paper. The paper was soft and tough, of uniform thickness, and faintly exuded a sandalwood fragrance.
"Shopkeeper, this price is a bit too high."
The old shopkeeper patiently explained, "Taoist priest, you may not know this, but this sandalwood paper originally cost three taels of silver per ream. However, ever since Mr. Wu painted two door gods at the city gate last night, it has attracted countless literati and scholars to copy it."
These people won't use coarse paper; they insist on using only good and expensive paper. Now, a ream of Qingtan paper has risen to six taels of silver, and even then, the supply can't meet the demand.
The paper I gave the Taoist priest was freshly stocked by my son. If he had arrived a little earlier, our shop wouldn't have had a single piece of sandalwood paper left.
Song Quyou shook his head and smiled faintly, taking out a few silver ingots from his pocket and looking at the weary old shopkeeper, he said:
"Good business is a good thing; this is a real windfall."
I've also heard that your shop is an old establishment in Qiantang. Have you ever heard of Yunwen Xuan Paper?
Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper paused slightly, stroking his beard, took a breath, and looked Song Quyou up and down.
"Since the Taoist priest has mentioned the Cloud Pattern Mystic Paper, he is no ordinary person. It's a pity that our shop doesn't have this paper..."
However, I do know where to find them; whether they're for sale or not depends on the owner's wishes.
"Please enlighten me, shopkeeper."
"In Tingyu Lane in the east of the city, there is a family with a jujube tree planted in front of their door."
The owner of that house is surnamed Xu. His ancestors were papermakers in the imperial court, and his descendants enjoy collecting rare paper patterns. "If you, Daoist, want cloud-patterned Xuan paper, you might as well try your luck."
Song Quyou bowed in thanks, put away the sandalwood paper and incense burner, and turned to leave the shop.
……
Tingyu Alley in the east of the city is hidden between two bustling streets, and the entrance is so narrow that only one person can pass through at a time.
There was another, wider entrance to the alley, but to get to that entrance, one would have to go around in a big circle. After weighing the options, Song Quyou chose to squeeze in through this entrance.
Song Quyou squeezed into the narrow alley, the walls on both sides were mottled, and dark moss filled the crevices of the stones in the low-lying areas.
Walking a dozen steps further in, the alley gradually widens, and the facades of one household appear one after another, all with gray tiles, wooden doors, and low lintels.
The fifth household was the family that lived by the jujube tree.
An old jujube tree leans against the corner of the wall, its branches gnarled and twisted like iron. The door is ajar, and dim light leaks out from the crack.
Song Quyou knocked on the door knocker three times, his voice dull and short.
The light from the crack in the door flickered, and footsteps approached from afar, neither hurried nor slow.
With a creak, the wooden door was pulled open halfway from the inside, and a middle-aged man leaned out, his face thin and his cheekbones slightly raised.
He looked Song Quyou up and down: "What brings you here, Daoist Master?"
Song Quyou cupped his hands and said, "Are you Mr. Xu? I heard that your household has cloud-patterned black paper, so I have taken the liberty of coming here to purchase a few sheets."
The man's brow twitched slightly, neither denying nor admitting it. He simply opened the door a little wider and stepped aside to make way for him: "Come in and talk."
The courtyard was small, paved with blue bricks, and swept clean.
A lamp hung under the eaves of the main house, its flame, no bigger than a soybean, swaying slightly in the night breeze, illuminating several pots of half-dead orchids in front of the steps.
The man ushered Song Quyou into the main room, which was simply furnished with an eight-immortal table, four round-backed chairs, and an old antique shelf. The shelf did not display porcelain or bronzeware, but only stacks of neatly arranged rolls of paper.
Without exchanging pleasantries, Mr. Xu went straight to the point and asked, "What does the Daoist priest need the cloud-patterned Xuan paper for?"
"I need that paper to draw a special talisman."
Mr. Xu stared at Song Quyou for a moment, then suddenly smiled:
"The cloud-patterned black paper is a royal item used by the imperial court and is usually kept in the Imperial Ancestral Temple for ancestral worship. In the past, if a commoner were to hoard it, he would be beheaded."
Song Quyou smiled faintly: "I know how precious this paper is. Please sell me some, sir. I'm willing to pay any price."
"The most expensive Ming cotton paper on the market costs one tael of gold per sheet, while this cloud-patterned Xuan paper costs one hundred taels of gold per sheet. Would you be willing, Daoist Master?"