Records of the Lost Cases of Helaitang in the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 266: Disappearing Day

Xiaocai's questions were like a string of cannonballs, stumping the second son of Chen. He looked embarrassed and said in annoyance, "I failed the exam these years, so I was confined to study hard and turned a deaf ear to what was happening at home. When I talk about my father's past, I am really at a loss."

Wang Heng's mind was buzzing with all kinds of possibilities. He subconsciously paced back and forth in the study and said, "After thinking about it, there should be two people who know something. One is Master Chen and the other is Madam Chen. The elder brother is like a father and the elder sister-in-law is like a mother. They know something about the cause. If we want to get to the bottom of the truth, we have to ask Brother Chen to get Master Chen to talk. Otherwise, the opportunity will pass in a flash and the hint left by Monk Guangheng before his death will eventually be lost and there will be no possibility of exploring it."

Xiaocai said with a smile, "Second Master, you don't have to tell Master Chen that my seventh brother and I are still investigating the case. The older people are used to the tricks of the government office. They think three steps ahead before taking one step. This is not a bad thing, but it just doesn't get things done."

The second young master Chen smiled knowingly. He himself couldn't stand those officials who were just sitting in their positions doing nothing. Occasionally, he would express his opinions. Master Chen would scold him for being superficial, saying that it was no wonder he failed the exam.

Wang Heng collected the scroll of Hunting at Niu Shou Mountain copied by Chen Er.

They agreed to split up into two groups and exchange information at the evening banquet. Chen Er went to the front to talk to Master Chen, while Wang Heng and Xiaocai prepared to go to Mr. Zhao's yard to see Ruan Youhai.

I don't know when the mist started to rise outside the pavilion, and in the blink of an eye, raindrops began to fall heavily. The flowers and plants in the courtyard, which had been neglected and were listless due to the heat, absorbed enough water and their branches and leaves gradually stretched out.

Ruan Youhai was placed in the west wing of Mr. Zhao's courtyard. The courtyard was bare, but the advantage was that he could see everything at a glance. He could see from afar that the door of the west wing was closed.

Xiaocai knocked on the door a few times, and someone in the room answered, "Come in."

The door was ajar. I pushed it open with a creak and saw Ruan Youhai lying on a sleeping mat, looking very energetic.

"Brother Ruan is well." Wang Heng bowed.

Ruan Youhai said happily: "Thank you both for sending me to Li's house. The medicine was very effective. I am basically fine today, which is also a pleasant surprise. The doctor said it was an external injury. I have to lie down for one more day today, and they will send me away tomorrow."

Seeing that only Ruan Youhai was in the room, Xiaocai asked, "Where is Old Chen? How can you, a patient, stay alone without anyone to take care of you?"

Ruan Youhai smiled and said, "I'm fine now. The Li family is holding a birthday party. Let Old Chen go out to see the fun and get some money. It won't bore him."

Although Ruan Youhai is a Taoist priest, he is very understanding of human nature.

Xiaocai stopped at the south window and saw an old man with gray hair and beard staggering in from the courtyard gate. He had a ruddy face and a very majestic figure. He staggered towards the east room and looked like a drunk. He couldn't help but ask, "There's an old man who got drunk and entered the east room. Isn't this the courtyard of Mr. Zhao, the miracle doctor? Are there other people living there?"

Ruan Youhai looked up and saw the old man's back. He said, "That's Mr. Zhao. I had a fever yesterday and felt dizzy. I was in a trance and saw an old doctor who was about this size. I heard from Lao Chen that there was no one else in the yard except Mr. Zhao and his apprentice. They don't need servants and do everything themselves." "Oh, you can't judge a person by appearance." Xiaocai had long believed that Mr. Zhao, who was worshipped by the Li Mansion, was a master. I imagined that he would have three long beards and a fairy-like appearance. Unexpectedly, he was a drunkard: "Don't talk about Mr. Zhao. His apprentice alone is very skilled."

Xiaocai's words reminded Wang Heng. He observed Ruan Youhai and said solemnly, "Brother Ruan, you are in good spirits today. Why don't you tell us about your intentions as a Taoist priest, posing as a student of Jiaozhi, and traveling thousands of miles to Nanjing Yingtianfu? And why did you suffer a serious injury and fall down at the foot of Jubao Mountain?"

After that, he added: "It's also for your safety."

Wang Heng looked solemn and steady, which made him very trustworthy. Ruan Youhai pondered for a long time and said, "My brother is my benefactor, and I can tell you everything. I know that my brother suspects that I, the foreign barbarians, will do something that is detrimental to the court, but these have nothing to do with the court and the people. They only concern a secret of my Xianhe Sect. Please don't spread it to the public."

Ruan Youhai said: "My family is a big family in Jiaozhi. Generations have studied Confucianism and taken up official posts. If nothing unexpected happens, I will spend my life following this path."

"On a spring day when I was fifteen, I went to Luofu Mountain with my friends after school. We were tired and went to ask for water. Suddenly, it started to rain heavily. I was anxious to find a place to take shelter. I looked up and saw a red wall in the distance. There was a Taoist temple standing halfway up the mountain, so I ran over quickly."

"As soon as I entered the mountain gate, I saw two cranes coming in, circling and dancing, and they seemed to be very friendly to me."

"Just as I was surprised, a Taoist descended from the sky. He was wearing black robes with wide sleeves and had an air of immortality. Words cannot describe him. Two words emerged in my mind: immortal."

"The immortal stroked my head and sighed: 'Crane, Crane.' Then he looked up to the sky and shouted: 'Eternal life, eternal life.'"

"I felt like I couldn't move at all, I was surrounded by clouds and mist, and in a moment the immortal disappeared without a trace."

"I was awakened from a dream. There was no crane. All I could see were two rocks that looked like cranes, lifelike."

"The Taoist temple was old and desolate, and there was silence all around. I pushed open the door of the side hall and saw an old Taoist brewing tea and drinking it alone. I chatted with him for a few words and then I learned that this was the Zhenxian Temple of Luofu Mountain, the Taoist temple of the Jiaozhi Xianhe Sect, and that the old Taoist was Li Daoren from the Ming Dynasty in the Central Plains."

"I walked out of the Zhenxian Temple in a daze, and ran into my spring outing companion. He said in tears that he and his family's servants had been looking for me all night and all day, and that the Zhenxian Temple had been searched three times. If they couldn't find me, my father would put me in jail."

"I was stunned. I had only been in the temple for a cup of tea, so how could I have disappeared for a whole day?"

"After returning home, I gradually became tired of studying in the cram school. In the middle of the night, there was always a voice calling me, "He'er, Changsheng."

"I was eager to comprehend the secret of immortality, so I informed my parents and went to the Zhenxian Temple in Luofu Mountain to become a Taoist monk."