Beside the official road not far from Meizhuang, a crude thatched shed stood. Because of the cold weather, only an old man and a youth were standing by the stove inside. Gu Qingyun slowed her horse to a walk and approached.
“Old Uncle, can I feed my horse here?”
“Yes, guest, you can. I've specially prepared wild grass; the trough fee is ten wen.”
Gu Qingyun nodded, dismounted, and helped Old Lady Zhang down with one arm.
“All right. Bring us two bowls of hot noodles and a few steamed buns as well. Tell me how much it costs, and I'll pay all together.”
“Right away, guest, please wait a moment.”
The old man replied with a beaming smile, while the busy youth shrewdly took the reins from Gu Qingyun's hand and deftly led the horse to a nearby shed.
Gu Qingyun found a nearby table and helped Old Lady Zhang sit down.
“Grandma, are you tired from riding the horse?”
Old Lady Zhang thumped her thighs a few times, her face brimming with smiles.
“Doesn't feel bad at all. It's my first time riding a horse, and I actually quite like it.”
The old man soon brought over a pot of tea. Gu Qingyun poured a cup for Old Lady Zhang and one for herself. Savoring the tea, she casually surveyed the straw shed with some curiosity.
“Old Uncle, why are you still working out here in such cold weather? The boy just now was your grandson, wasn't he? He's quite a handsome lad.”
Hearing someone praise his grandson, the old man seemed to open the floodgates of conversation.
“My grandson is filial and kindhearted. No matter who it is, as long as it's within his power, he'll lend a helping hand. The child is exceptionally gifted in his studies, but our family is of modest means. Still, not wanting to waste his talent, we gritted our teeth and sent him to a private school. He didn't let us down, either—at such a young age, he's already a Tongsheng.
“I just hope my grandson can bring glory to our family and change our fortunes.”
Gu Qingyun looked at the slender youth. He carried a calm and steady demeanor unbefitting his age, and every gesture exuded an air distinctly different from ordinary folk.
His clear eyes especially stood out, distinct in their black and white like dark pearls. Even while standing in the shed feeding the horse, his entire presence remained serene.
Tsk, tsk. A benevolent soul of nine lifetimes, and this lifetime was his tenth. No need to ask how Gu Qingyun knew—the blinding golden light of merit behind the lad was something anyone with profound cultivation could see at a glance.
Such people were exceedingly rare, appearing perhaps once every several centuries. In every incarnation, he had accumulated virtue and performed good deeds without incurring bad karma. The golden light of merit behind him naturally possessed righteous qi, suppressing evil and yin entities.
Yet this was not without disadvantages. The tenth lifetime was by no means easy to pass; the pure Yang qi of a ten-lifetime benevolent soul was a supreme tonic for evil entities. Whether he could achieve great perfection depended entirely on the severity of the trials Heaven had in store for him.
Gu Qingyun turned her head away with a faint sense of pity. Achieving great perfection across ten lifetimes would be difficult.
When her gaze shifted to the stove behind the old man, her eyes narrowed slightly.
The old man had turned around, picked up a pitch-black stick as thick as a wrist, and stirred the hearth fire a few times. Once the flames flared brighter, he pulled the stick out and tossed it aside casually.
Watching this, Gu Qingyun felt a pang of heartache. What a reckless waste of a heavenly gift!
Gu Qingyun remained somewhat distracted even after the noodles and steamed buns were served at their table.
After finishing their meal, under Old Lady Zhang's puzzled gaze, Gu Qingyun walked over to the stove and pointed at the pitch-black stick.
“Old Uncle, could you sell this blackened stick to me?”
Surprised, the old man picked up the stick and handed it to her.
“You mean this? I have a smaller one at home. This fire poker is quite handy; no matter how much you burn it, it never gets damaged. My grandson picked it up behind the mountain. If you want it, you can just have it.”
Gu Qingyun silently took the stick. The old man was generous, but she could not accept it for nothing. Shielding her actions behind her boot, she bent down and retrieved a rasp from her spiritual artifact space.
Right before their eyes, she sliced off a three-finger-long piece from the lightning-struck wood, polished it down into a small sword, carved a Breath-Concealing Talisman onto it, and handed it to the youth, who had walked over at some point.
“Take this. Tie it with a red string and wear it on your person. Do not take it off, no matter what. It will keep you safe.”
The youth looked intently at Gu Qingyun, then accepted it with both hands.
“Thank you.” Unsure if it was merely his imagination, holding the wooden sword made his heart feel much calmer and more settled, as if something within his body had been locked in place.
Gu Qingyun watched as the golden light enveloping him was locked inside his body. His aura instantly became ordinary, making him appear like any regular youth. From now on, whether evil entities or demons, none would be able to see the golden light of merit upon him.
She handed the other four small swords to the old man.
“Uncle, I won't take your things for free. Give each of your family members one of these four small swords to carry with them. Don't take them off.”
The old man knew this wood could never be cut no matter how hard they chopped. Seeing Gu Qingyun effortlessly slice off a piece, he realized she was no ordinary person. He hurriedly took them with both hands and thanked her profusely.
“Thank you, young lady! This old man will be sure to wear it properly.”
Gu Qingyun gave a small laugh.
“This is what you deserve. Good causes yield good fruit.”
Picking up the remaining lightning-struck wood, she prepared to leave with Old Lady Zhang. Before departing, she added a few more words:
“Old Uncle, don't use the piece of wood at home as a fire poker anymore. Hang it in your grandson's room; it will be of great use.”
With that, she placed a tael of silver on the table, mounted the horse outside the shed, and galloped off with Old Lady Zhang.
Behind them, the youth gripped the small wooden sword in his hand, watching her receding figure.
“Grandpa, let's head back early today. Looking at the sky, darkness might fall earlier today.”
The old man looked up at the sky, then toward the direction Gu Qingyun had gone.
“I wonder where that young lady and her grandmother are heading. They must arrive before dark. The New Year is coming up, and there are many more bandits robbing travelers at night.”
The youth sighed helplessly.
“Grandpa, stop worrying unnecessarily. Anyone can see that young lady is an expert. We couldn't even cut that wooden stick with a cleaver, yet she carved out small wooden swords using just a rasp. That's not something an ordinary person could do.” Even if the carving was a bit ugly.
...
“Qingyun, what is that piece of wood useful for? You looked so happy.”
“Mm, this wood is lightning-struck wood, perfect for crafting magical artifacts. That youth earlier is prone to attracting powerful evil entities and demons. Meeting him was fate, so I carved a few wooden swords for his protection.”
If this youth truly attained great perfection across ten lifetimes, perhaps she, as a fated benefactor, might also obtain some fortune from it. But there was no need to trouble her grandmother with such matters.
As dark clouds gathered thicker across the horizon, the brown horse seemed to sense its master's urgency, galloping faster and faster.
Gu Qingyun lowered her head and said softly:
“Grandma, wrap the cloak tightly around yourself. A heavy downpour might start soon.”
Old Lady Zhang looked up and noticed the dense gathering of clouds as well. She said anxiously:
“What do we do? If it rains this hard, we probably won't make it in time.”
“It's fine, Grandma. I have inner strength, so the rain won't touch me. Don't worry.” With a straight face, taking advantage of Old Lady Zhang's ignorance, Gu Qingyun let lies roll off her tongue with ease.
Fortunately, although the sky darkened swiftly, the raindrops held off. Before night fell, Gu Qingyun and Old Lady Zhang finally arrived at Yangtao County.
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