Chapter 19: Entering The Guan, Entering The Guan
After leaving Shao Wei Guan.
Second Uncle Yu Le led Fang Shu around the marketplace for a long time, passing by the gates of many dojos.
Some were grand, some luxurious, some cramped, but he did not lead Fang Shu inside any of them, merely looking from afar and shaking his head without a word.
Finally, Second Uncle Yu Le clapped his hands, having made up his mind.
But instead of heading deeper into the marketplace or to a certain dojo, he reluctantly bought three jin of dried fruit on the street after careful selection, then led Fang Shu back to the paper workshop with a cheerful smile.
Next door to the paper house, neighbor Dou Su Fu had already gone out to sell milk and would not return at noon; the door was tightly shut.
But another neighbor had just returned home to rest and was frying tofu to eat, the aroma of oil wafting through the air.
Seeing the uncle and nephew approaching, he hurriedly picked up the pot lid to cover the tofu inside, looking as if he feared they would mooch off him.
Only when Second Uncle Yu Le cheerfully produced the three jin of dried fruit and offered it with a fawning smile did he relax.
The neighbor tugged at his mustache, letting out a big sigh of relief, and teased:
“Well now! You, Yu Lao Er, change your tune the moment your nephew visits—actually bothering to butter me up.
This is your nephew?”
“Greetings, Uncle Li Yuan.” Fang Shu hurriedly bowed.
This neighbor was named Li Yuan; as Second Uncle had explained, he was a talisman master.
He knew a Clean Clothes Talisman. Though he lived in the paper workshop and dressed shabbily, that was due to his stingy nature and unwillingness to spend on food or lodging. In truth, he and his son belonged to the second tier of marketplace households.
After some pleasantries with neighbor Li Yuan, Second Uncle Yu Le eyed the fried tofu with great envy.
But neighbor Li Yuan was a sly one; he would rather let the tofu overcook under the lid than share it with the uncle and nephew.
This behavior made Fang Shu’s heart drum with unease.
He suspected that when they asked for help later, the man would feign deafness and ignorance, claiming no knowledge.
But when Second Uncle pulled out the note and respectfully handed it to Old Talisman Master Li Yuan, the old talisman master was momentarily stunned, then slapped his thigh:
“Oh! So that’s what it was, all that creepy buildup—just asking me to put in a word for your nephew to be accepted by the Dojo Master of Du Gu Guan.”
He muttered under his breath: “Damn it! I thought you wanted to borrow money from me.”
These words were said too casually, leaving Fang Shu slightly stunned and causing surprise to flicker across Second Uncle Yu Le’s face.
The two exchanged uneasy glances; even Second Uncle Yu Le worried that this old fellow might seem to agree but actually refuse, toying with them.
Instead, Old Talisman Master Li Yuan immediately turned, went back into the house to fetch a stack of yellow paper, grabbed a bowl, and reluctantly scooped the overcooked tofu chunks from the pot into it.
“Take this stack of Clean Clothes Talismans to the Dojo Master of Du Gu Guan. What needs to be said is written on the first sheet of yellow paper.
Take this bowl of tofu to that boy Li Hou Er; tell him to come home for a meal when he has time. Next time there will definitely be meat.”
Old Talisman Master Li Yuan gave his instructions, then waved them off, signaling the uncle and nephew not to block the way and to leave quickly.
Fang Shu, holding the stack of Clean Clothes Talismans and a bowl of charred tofu, was still dazed for the moment.
He glanced at the topmost talisman paper and saw a single sentence written there:
“The nephew of my brother is like a brother to my son Li Hou Er; I hope the Dojo Master of Du Gu Guan will test and accept him!
Li Yuan bows his head.”
This simple endorsement carried more weight than many flowery compositions. For instance, it far surpassed the pile of flattery Second Uncle Yu Le had written overnight to pull strings.
Seeing Fang Shu staring fixedly,
the old talisman master snapped his chopsticks out, rapped Fang Shu on the back of the hand, and warned vigilantly: “Kid, don’t steal my son’s tofu.”
Fang Shu could only smile wryly at this.
“Thank you, Uncle Li.” He immediately made a sincere bow to the old talisman master before him.
Second Uncle Yu Le, standing beside him, also came to his senses and bowed gratefully and emotionally alongside Fang Shu.
Both sighed inwardly: “Distant kin are not as good as close neighbors!”
By the time the uncle and nephew looked up, Old Talisman Master Li Yuan was humming a little tune, carrying the frying pan straight into the paper house to eat his tofu.
He looked utterly content, shaking his head and intoning: “Salty pickled vegetables and fried tofu—the emperor himself couldn’t match me.”
Next.
The uncle and nephew left the paper workshop without pause and hurried straight to the residence of the so-called Dojo Master of Du Gu Guan.
The dojo he ran was also located deep in the marketplace, named Du Gu Guan.
Its location was about the same as Shao Wei Guan, quite close and not remote; though not lavish, it had an air of venerable age, evidently a long-established business.
This trip to seek apprenticeship went smoothly from start to finish.
They did not even have to wait long under the sun; they simply found Li Hou Er first, and under his guidance, met the Dojo Master of Du Gu Guan face-to-face.
The Dojo Master of Du Gu Guan was an old woman with wrinkled skin and white hair, a bald forehead, and fierce eyes—not at all a kindly person.
At first glance, she made Fang Shu’s heart palpitate slightly. But such an appearance undoubtedly suggested she had real skills and was no ordinary person.
Moreover, the old woman of Du Gu Guan merely glanced at the note on the Clean Clothes Talisman, nodded, accepted the spirit stones, and took Fang Shu in.
She squinted and instructed: “Child, your qi and blood are deficient. Avoid nurturing magic tools for now, take more Essence Nourishing Pills, and first recuperate your body in the dojo.
Once recovered, we will start counting your cultivation days in the dojo.”
Note that three or two spirit stones only covered three months of learning the dao in the dojo for Fang Shu.
These words from the old woman effectively extended his time, instantly filling the already strapped uncle and nephew with a sense of belonging toward Du Gu Guan.
………………
Meanwhile, that day.
Yin Xiao Jian excitedly joined Shao Wei Guan.
But that very day, the dojo’s elders stripped him naked for an assessment, then ordered him to clean the toilet bare-bodied.
By the time he finally finished cleaning the toilet, night had fallen, and dinner time at Shao Wei Guan had long passed.
With no talisman money on him, Yin Xiao Jian had to go hungry, leaving the dojo alone to run to his aunt’s house.
When he finally knocked on the door with great difficulty, he was not greeted with kind concern.
His aunt had white fur sprouting on her face and blood at her mouth, apparently cultivating some magic in the room.
Seeing Yin Xiao Jian, as if her magic was not yet complete, she eyed him greedily, staring fixedly as if she might devour him on the spot.
This sight terrified Yin Xiao Jian, his legs trembling; he wanted to flee but did not know where to go.
“Good nephew.” Fortunately, his aunt forced out words in a shrill voice:
“Why return at night?
Your aunt went to great trouble to send you to learn the dao—you mustn’t waste it…”
Hearing this, grievance welled up in Yin Xiao Jian.
No longer fearing his aunt, he rushed forward, hugged her, and began sobbing with snot and tears:
“Aunt! I want to quit the dojo…”
The woman surnamed Yin was interrupted; recovering, she narrowed her eyes, stroked her eldest nephew in her arms, and tried to soothe him.
But out of Yin Xiao Jian’s sight, her expression was twisted with disgust and mockery.
………………
At the same time.
Old Daoist Lu, who had come ashore with them, after selling blood for money, ran to the opportunity talisman spot, drawing a hundred at a time, a thousand the next—eyes bloodshot.
He got quite a few opportunities, but all minor ones like “draw once more” or “Blood Coupon”—nothing like the major opportunity he craved.
When Old Daoist Lu came to his senses, he was penniless, not a single coin left in his pocket.
But he dared not sell more blood, fearing he would drain himself to death and be unable to draw more opportunity talismans.
So the fellow starved fiercely on the streets for days, and fearing being driven out of town at night, he steeled himself and entered the largest brothel in the marketplace, planning to live off his assets and be a proper craftsman!
There in the brothel, someone had arrived before him, waiting.
It was his shipmate—Tian Tian Quan.
The two met and could only look at each other in silence.
Besides.
In the paper workshop, Su Qin Gao, who had resolved to marry in.
No sooner had this woman crossed the threshold than her wedding had not even been held—her fiancé dropped dead at dusk.
Now it was just her and her widower-to-be father-in-law, staring at each other in one room.
At this point.
Of the five who came ashore from the same boat—Fang Shu, Yin Xiao Jian, Old Daoist Lu, Tian Tian Quan, Su Qin Gao—all had entered a dojo (widower）), each with their own path ahead.
Extra update—seeking monthly tickets!
