Records of the Lost Cases of Helaitang in the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 267: Star Raft Flickers and Dies
Ruan Youhai's story is vague and confusing, as bizarre as the legends of the Tang and Song dynasties.

Xiaocai was addicted to listening to it, and felt that it was a material with a rich classical flavor, so he asked, "Mr. Ruan, why did you abandon the Golden Elixir Path, study Confucianism again, and come to Nanjing Imperial College as a Jiaozhi official?"

"I have never given up my practice." Ruan Youhai replied, "There is no need to be shy about it. I have come here for another purpose."

"The Xianhe Sect spread from the Central Plains to Jiaozhi. It had been declining for a long time. The Zhenxian Temple on Luofu Mountain was in a state of disrepair. There was only Taoist Li in the temple. He looked old and decrepit, and did not look like a real person. However, he was knowledgeable and had a mysterious melancholy. He was definitely not a poor man who became a monk because he had no food or clothing."

"It was a long time later that I realized that Taoist Li was not a Taoist from Zhenxian Temple. He was probably just traveling here and staying here. I believe that the immortal pointed out that there must be a fate between me and Taoist Li. But I was also puzzled. Where did the Taoist from Zhenxian Temple go?"

"I lived a comfortable life in the Taoist temple. I got along well with Taoist Li as if he were my neighbor. I walked around Luofu Mountain every day. I found a whole cabinet of Xianhe Sect's classics in a side hall with dilapidated walls and tiles. I wandered around on sunny days and read on rainy days. After abandoning my studies, I gained freedom and peace."

I have asked myself countless times, did I enter Taoism just to relieve myself of my studies and family responsibilities? My heart has always firmly answered that I do not want my life to be like the withering and flourishing of plants and trees in four seasons, I only wish to be married and live forever. "

"But after the immortal master guided me into the Tao, he never appeared again. This inevitably makes me feel sad. How should I practice Taoism and seek immortality?"

"More than a year later, Taoist Li fell ill. Since there were only him and me in the temple, I stayed by his side when he was dying. The Taoist told me that he had met a powerful Taoist from Jiaozhi at the foot of Feishan Mountain in Yingtian Prefecture, Nanjing, Ming Dynasty. In order to find this Taoist, he sailed from Liujia Port in Ming Dynasty and traveled to Jiaozhi with great difficulty. He traveled all over Jiaozhi, but the Taoist's whereabouts were unknown. He had no choice but to wait in Zhenxian Temple, where the Taoist became a monk. He waited for decades. Now Taoist Li is about to pass away. The past few decades have been like a dream, and he has infinite regrets. He whispered two words, as if calling a person's name, but I didn't understand."

"The wonderful feeling of meeting the Immortal Master that day reappeared in my mind. It is true that our meeting is predestined. It is the Immortal Master who guided me. I am sure that the Taoist priest from Jiaozhi that Li Daoist is looking for is the Immortal Master."

"I thought of a possibility, and I couldn't help but feel ecstatic. The Xianhe Sect originated from the Central Plains. Taoist Li hasn't waited for the Immortal Master for decades, so the Immortal Master is probably still in the Ming Kingdom."

"I really wanted to rush to the Ming Dynasty without stopping, but although there were sea vessels traveling between Jiaozhi and the Ming Dynasty, the sailing schedule was uncertain and the sea journey was long. In the end, I concluded that it was most reliable to follow the tribute ship from Jiaozhi to the Ming Dynasty, so I returned home."

"The land accumulated by my family for generations is so vast that the river behind the house has been flowing for days without losing the land deeds. I spent a lot of money and campaigned, and easily obtained the qualification of being an official student of the Imperial Academy of the Ming Dynasty."

"When they heard that I had become a Taoist priest, many relatives, including uncles and brothers, and even strangers, thought I had lost my mind. When they heard that I had returned home, many people came to see me. When they heard that my family was going to take a big ship to the Middle Earth, they looked at each other and said that I was indeed crazy. After that, no one cared about me anymore, and I was left alone, because they didn't want to socialize with someone who was about to die."

"I was really lucky. In the spring of the following year, a tribute ship went to the Ming Dynasty to pay tribute. The immortal master protected me. After drifting on the sea for several months, the tribute ship arrived safely at the Liujia Port of the Ming Dynasty."

"I don't know much about the territory of the Ming Dynasty. I happened to see the records of Jiangning County in the Southern Prison Zunjing Pavilion. It said that flying mountains have never existed in ancient times. One day, they flew from the sky. There are also local elders who saw star rafts flickering and purple air coming from the east. When asked about it, they were all at a loss and could not explain."

"I asked around and found out that Feishan was quarried decades ago, and the stones were used to build the Jubao Terrace. I went to the Jubao Terrace in the rain a few days ago to pursue the aura left by the Immortal Master, but found nothing."

The above is Ruan Youhai’s own account, which roughly matches what Wang Heng and others saw at Jubaotai that day.

"Then, who harmed Brother Ruan?" Wang Heng asked curiously.

Ruan Youhai said upsetly: "It was really an unexpected disaster. The day before yesterday, Lao Chen and I sent the mountain folks back to the Li Mansion. I looked out the window of the guest room and saw the vast white water of the lake in the distance. Suddenly, there was a faint purple cloud. I followed the purple cloud and was hit by a club. I guess I must have recognized the wrong person." In Cuihua Village and the Li residence and the vicinity, except for the mountain folks and Lao Chen, Ruan Youhai did not know anyone else. Recognizing the wrong person was probably the only explanation.

Seeing Ruan Youhai closing his eyes to rest, Wang Heng said, "Brother Ruan, take a good rest. Let's go to the front to have some tea and come back to pick you up and take you back to the city tomorrow."

After saying this, Wang Heng said goodbye to Xiaocai and left the west wing.

It was raining heavily outside. The two of them had no rain gear, so they quickly walked a few steps and stood under the eaves in front of the courtyard living room to shelter from the rain.

This place is quite far from the west compartment, Xiaocai whispered: "Seventh brother, Master Ruan is talking nonsense, is he telling the truth?"

Wang Heng said without comment: "Just listen to it for now."

Xiaocai suddenly remembered something and said, "He didn't mention 'Reminiscences of Hexiang Tower'. That copy of 'Reminiscences of Hexiang Tower' was exactly what we found on the Treasure Platform."

Wang Heng sighed softly: "Insignificant people are always ignored."

The sound of rain was trickling, and the dark night was falling.

It was not yet time to light the lanterns, but the lanterns in the front yard were lit up one after another.

As the two were hesitating, they suddenly heard a stern voice from the east room, "You better understand what's going on. You've been drinking and getting confused every day, and sooner or later you'll get into trouble. There are too many people outside today, be careful not to be recognized, and you don't have to leave the yard."

Before he finished speaking, there were two loud bangs on the door, and a man walked out of the east room, holding an umbrella and heading towards the courtyard gate. From his back, he appeared to be a young man, and he was Mr. Zhao's apprentice.

Wang Heng and Xiaocai were startled and hid behind the doorpost under the eaves with bated breath. Fortunately, it was dark and rainy, and Mr. Zhao's apprentice was so angry that he didn't bother to look behind him.

The two of them watched Mr. Zhao's apprentice leave, and waited until the courtyard became quiet again before exchanging relieved glances. There was something wrong with these master and apprentice. From what the apprentice said, they didn't look like master and apprentice at all.

Xiaocai couldn't help feeling suspicious and was about to speak when Wang Heng made a gesture to cover his mouth, pulled Xiaocai and pointed outside the yard, and the two of them tiptoed away.

As soon as I stepped into the mountain dweller's study, I suddenly heard a familiar laugh, "The two princes are so hard to find."

The person who came towards him was Mr. Meng’s eldest son, Meng Dalang.