The matter ended with Yu Qing making a concession. The people on both sides who found it awkward to help and felt troubled by it breathed a sigh of relief. Tie Miaoqing quickly asked Sun Ping to prepare spiritual rice for Yu Qing. Naturally she also wanted to pair it with some other food to reward him.
When the food was ready, the sky had already shown a faint fish belly white.
Although it was prepared for Yu Qing, since it had been made, it was impossible to let their own people stand by swallowing saliva. They boiled five sacks of spiritual rice at once.
The group gathered around the campfire to enjoy it. Yu Qing, holding his bowl and wolfing it down, kept urging Chong’er beside him. “Chong’er, eat more, eat more. Look how thin you are. This is good stuff. You must eat your fill. Brother Xu, you eat more too.”
They had not prepared any for Xu Fei and Chong’er originally, but Yu Qing insisted on pulling the two to eat. Sun Ping and the others could not say much.
With a large pot of spiritual rice, Yu Qing could not finish it all in his stomach and did not want Cheng Shanping and the others to eat and take more. Anyway it was not his money now. He kept urging the master and servant not to be polite.
Chong’er nodded repeatedly, with a satisfied smile on his lips and full of gratitude in his heart. He discovered that Young Master Shi Heng was truly kind and did not treat him as a servant at all.
He now listened to Yu Qing very well. Yu Qing told him to eat freely, and after urging several times he indeed did so.
Xu Fei was more sensible, somewhat reading the room. He restrained his usual big appetite, ate a small bowl and put it down. Spiritual rice was expensive, and he feared upsetting those people opposite. When Yu Qing urged him to eat more, he said he had already eaten a meal earlier and was full, showing great grace.
After eating and drinking to satisfaction, Yu Qing sat cross-legged on the spot to meditate and recover. The group helped guard him.
There was no choice. The Miaoqing Hall group now had to rely on him. Besides he had consumed a lot of energy resisting the smoke all night, and the depletion was indeed great.
The captured fire cricket seemed tired from the struggle too. It no longer banged violently. It probably realised that way it could not escape. It only occasionally called a few times, making strange di di sounds, loud and clear.
When the sun rose high, Yu Qing, full of energy again, finally ended his practice and stood up.
He still had to rush for the exam and did not want to waste long time here. He also wanted to end this matter early. He took the initiative to enter the cave again to act.
However the wood left in the cave was not enough. Yu Qing asked them to cut another tree and bring it in.
Yet this time it seemed not so smooth. One whole day passed with no reaction. One night passed and still no reaction.
When dawn came the next day again, Yu Qing, who had burned all the cut wood, came out covered in smoke. Tie Miaoqing and the others greeted him, but their full expectations fell empty. What Yu Qing took out was an empty iron canister.
He also gave an explanation. The fire cricket had not come out again.
Tie Miaoqing comforted him with a couple of words. Yu Qing waved his hand, did not accept it, and asked back, “Are fire crickets group living?”
Tie Miaoqing hesitated. “I do not know. Records about fire crickets are very few, just a fragment of text, with no content on this aspect.”
Yu Qing looked around at the few people. “Then in the places you searched before, have you seen more than two?”
The few shook their heads. Tie Miaoqing said, “No.”
Yu Qing said, “That means no one has seen fire crickets living in groups?”
The few roughly understood what he meant. Zhu Shangbiao asked, “You want to change location and try?”
Yu Qing said, “Here we only saw one. We have already caught one and waited a day without seeing a second appear. There is no need to continue spending time gambling on unknown matters. Better to spend this time on the road and go search in places we know have them.”
It made sense. No one opposed. They immediately packed up and set off, heading to another underground cave they had discovered fire crickets in before.
On the way, when passing near Linyuan Pavilion, Cheng Shanping greeted Tie Miaoqing. “Boss lady, earlier I accidentally spilled the salt. When cooking food later without salt it will not taste right. You go ahead first. I will go to Linyuan Pavilion to get some and catch up with you later.”
Tie Miaoqing instructed him to be careful.
After threading through the complex terrain for about half an hour, Cheng Shanping, rejoining the team, caught up with everyone.
It took a small half day to find the entrance of the previous cave where fire crickets had been discovered.
Yu Qing could not come up with any new tricks. Naturally he followed the old method, first cutting trees.
The odd jobs did not need him to do. Tie Miaoqing’s side was very proactive.
Once everything was arranged, the Miaoqing Hall group withdrew from the passage again and stood guard at the cave entrance for another long wait.
The moon hung like a hook, especially bright and clear.
The gently undulating thin mist slowly descended, enveloping the earth in haze. The uneven mountain ridges under the moon and in the mist looked like the black spine of a sleeping giant dragon.
In front of a steep cliff there were large patches of scattered rocks, toppled or damaged stone sheep, stone horses, and many broken stone figures. Their sizes were all abnormally large. Using huge to describe them was not excessive. Inside the cliff wall several huge skeletons were embedded, already petrified with the cliff into one, as if imprisoned within the stone wall.
From time to time faint glowing firelight drifted sparsely from the giant skeletons, the ghostly flames dim.
A group of people in black night clothes sat cross-legged under the steep cliff to rest and adjust. Most had various items beside them: shovels, picks, rope claws, and also weapons like knives and swords on them.
A middle-aged man, also their leader, stood on a stone statue appreciating the moonlight. He had a short beard, and his wax-yellow complexion did not show in the night.
The night was quiet, disturbed only by insect chirps.
A burly man with a full face of stubble flashed over, landing lightly under the leader’s stone statue. He raised his head, cupped his hands, and said, “Master Cui, we intercepted a little demon outside. He says he is from Linyuan Pavilion in the ancient tomb area, entrusted by one of your old friends to come see you.”
Master Cui was named Cui You, a steward of Jianyuan Zhai in Youjiao Port. This time he came for the Youya mission as well.
Hearing this statement, Cui You standing on the stone statue had his eyes flash urgently. He said in a deep voice, “Bring the person over immediately.”
“Yes.” The stubbly burly man left quickly.
Before long, he indeed brought a little demon, slim and thin, with two moustaches, looking a bit like an old scholar.
After confirming Cui You’s identity, the little demon paid respects. “Hu Tiandi from Linyuan Pavilion greets Mr Cui.”
Cui You flashed down to stand before him, smiled and cupped his hands, giving the little demon full face. “Brother Hu, what did my friend say?”
Hu Tiandi shook his head and said, “He did not say much. He said the wound medicine you asked him to prepare for you is ready. Your injury cannot be delayed, and he has urgent matters so cannot come personally. Knowing I have friends here who can inquire about your whereabouts, he entrusted me to urgently deliver it to you, Mr Cui.” With that he took out a porcelain bottle from his bosom and offered it.
The burly stubbly man beside, named Wu Kuang, looked at Cui You in surprise, not knowing when this one got injured.
Cui You took the porcelain bottle, pulled out the stopper, brought it to his nose to sniff, his eyes flickered strangely for a moment, then smiled. “Indeed good medicine.” He put away the medicine, then took out a one-thousand-tael silver note and offered it. “Thank you, Brother Hu. This is a small token. Please do not mind it.”
The little demon Hu Tiandi had run this long leg, naturally already benefited. Cui You insisted on giving more, so he did not refuse.
After giving the benefit, he sent the guest off.
After Wu Kuang returned from seeing the guest off, just as he wanted to ask when Cui You got injured, Cui You already impatiently ordered, “Wake everyone up. Set off immediately tonight!”
Wu Kuang froze and asked, “Where to?”
Cui You smiled, “Linyuan Pavilion!”
“Uh…” Wu Kuang was stunned. He looked back at the direction the little demon Hu Tiandi left. They had already brought the message from there, yet they still wanted to run over. What did it mean? He did not understand, but knew there must be a reason, so he obeyed and quickly woke everyone.
Once people and items were ready, they rushed swiftly in the vast night.
Climbing mountains and crossing ridges, almost without stopping all the way, until the sky faintly brightened. The group finally arrived near Linyuan Pavilion.
Cui You, surveying the surrounding terrain, locked his gaze on the highest mountain peak around Linyuan Pavilion. He waved his hand and led the people there again.
The group raced to the mountaintop. Cui You examined the site again, fixed on a large rock. On that large rock was placed a fist-sized stone. He immediately flew over and landed on the large rock, staring at the small stone on the large rock below his feet. The small stone had a simple arrow pattern drawn on it.
He stepped to adjust direction, looked briefly along the arrow’s point, then waved to call Wu Kuang over. He pointed to the small stone pressing on the large stone, then to the arrow pattern. “Go in that direction. Along the way make everyone keep their eyes wide open and watch for this kind of left-behind road marker.”
Wu Kuang felt shocked and doubtful inside. Someone had left road markers for this side. What situation? He could not hold back and probed, “Steward, our main task this time is to catch fire crickets. It is not worth wasting time on unrelated matters. What are you doing?”
Cui You said, “Do not ask more. Let everyone endure a bit more hardship. By then you will naturally know.”
Wu Kuang had to obey. He called everyone over, pointed at the arrow marker, arranged the tracking method and direction, then the group set off quickly again.
In the morning light, dew on branches about to drip, crystal clear.
Tie Miaoqing’s bamboo hat was covered with fine water droplets. Approaching dawn she had been pacing at the cave entrance waiting. Others tried to persuade but could not stop her. They could understand her mood.
Just as a crystal water drop dripped from the brim, she suddenly stopped her steps, turned sharply, facing the pitch-black cave entrance.
The sudden halt of her small steps also made Sun Ping and the others look over one after another. Seeing this they all stood up, went to the cave entrance and listened carefully. Sure enough, the familiar clanging sound came again.
When Yu Qing’s figure appeared, everyone’s gaze fixed on the clanging canister in his hand. Having experience, they all understood what this meant.
“Boss lady, allow me to regulate my breath and rest a while first before heading to the next place.”
Yu Qing handed over the vibrating metal canister, removed the towel covering his mouth and nose, lightly tossed down the words as if it was nothing major. He deliberately put on an air, calm and composed, went away. He greeted Xu Fei and Chong’er then found a place to sit.
Confirming another fire cricket had been captured in the canister in hand, Tie Miaoqing was overjoyed. Looking back at Yu Qing’s appearance, she immediately said to Sun Ping, “Cook the spiritual rice!”
“Ei.” Sun Ping also joyfully agreed, quickly turned and instructed her husband, “Go prepare it fast.”
“Got it.” Zhu Shangbiao went excitedly.
Seeing these people’s looks, it was clear the matter succeeded again. Chong’er felt the shared honour surge in his heart once more. His eyes shone brightly. He could not help whispering in Xu Fei’s ear, “Young master, Young Master Shi Heng is so amazing!”