“Oh, um… Master, why are you here?” Mei Qing’s face turned as red as blood, stammering for a while before finally managing to speak, facing Zhang Shisan and Hou Shen in the courtyard.
Zhang Shisan had spoiled the intimate moment between the couple inside the room. Fortunately, cultivators possess many wondrous techniques, making dressing and tidying up extremely convenient. Within moments, Mei Qing and Bi Zhen were already fully dressed and stepped out.
They saw Zhang Shisan and Hou Shen standing in the courtyard. Hou Shen had the sense to keep a respectful distance near the entrance, his eyes darting around as if admiring the scenery elsewhere. Zhang Shisan, on the other hand, sat cross-legged on a stone platform beside the door, casually holding a gourd of wine in one hand and a few dried fish in the other, swaying his head while drinking merrily.
Hearing Mei Qing’s question, Zhang Shisan tossed the dried fish into his mouth, took another swig of wine, and then wiped his mouth before replying, “Sigh, my clumsy apprentice, I’ve always taught you to apply what you learn, but you never listen. You’re asking how we found you? You two lovebirds didn’t even cast a soundproofing talisman or something. Everyone within eight miles could hear what you were up to. If it weren’t for your master rushing over to cover things up, the entire village wouldn’t have been able to sleep last night…”
Zhang Shisan continued to chatter on, while Mei Qing nearly collapsed onto the ground, his face turning as red as a monkey’s bottom. He quickly interrupted, stammering, “Ah, right! Master, you haven’t met her yet—this is Zhen’er.” He turned to Bi Zhen and said, “Zhen’er, this is my newly sworn master.”
Bi Zhen had already resumed her usual appearance, wearing a light green dress that made her look even more graceful and elegant. Upon hearing Mei Qing’s words, she tilted her head and looked at Zhang Shisan for a moment before frowning and asking Mei Qing, “How come you’ve taken such an old rascal as your master?”
Zhang Shisan was just lifting his gourd to take another sip when he heard Bi Zhen’s remark. The wine immediately went down the wrong way, and he began coughing violently.
Seeing this, Mei Qing hurried forward to pat his master’s back, fussing over him and putting on a show of dutiful service while respectfully saying, “Master, Zhen’er is innocent and straightforward, speaking without thinking. Please forgive her.”
Zhang Shisan coughed for quite a while, nearly choking to death. After hearing Mei Qing’s explanation, he choked again and struggled to catch his breath for a long time. With narrowed eyes, he looked at Bi Zhen and suddenly burst into laughter. “Good apprentice’s wife! Indeed worthy of my foolish apprentice.”
Then, casting a sidelong glance at Mei Qing, he added, “Innocent and straightforward, speaking without thinking—was that a description or a compliment? Are you praising your wife or criticizing me? What should I forgive? Although she speaks without restraint, her heart is better than yours. Unlike you, a naughty boy pretending to be simple-minded, but actually scheming and devious inside.”
“Yes, yes, Master’s view of his apprentice is indeed spot-on. But since you think your apprentice’s wife is so good, don’t you think you should give her a little something for this first meeting?” As he spoke, Mei Qing made a hand gesture indicating counting money.
“What… kind of technique is that?” Zhang Shisan blinked his small eyes, awkwardly imitating Mei Qing’s gesture with his bony fingers and asking, “Dao Tian Jue? Lie Yan? Qing Xiao? Apprentice, I’m not trying to scold you, but when cultivating the Dao, the most important thing is precision. The technique you just performed was vague and incorrect—completely wrong…”
“Mas-ter!” Mei Qing gritted his teeth, clearly annoyed, and said, “I’m not showing a technique! I’m saying that since my wife is here, shouldn’t you give her a gift for the first meeting? Don’t try to give her that broken inkstone again. She’s a lady from a noble family, and she’s seen many fine things. Ordinary stuff won’t impress her…”
Seeing Mei Qing so directly demanding a gift from Zhang Shisan, Hou Shen couldn’t bear to watch anymore. Pretending not to see, he simply raised his head to look at the sky. Bi Zhen was also very embarrassed and quietly poked Mei Qing from behind, urging him to stop.
At first, Zhang Shisan was stunned by Mei Qing’s blunt request, then shook his head with a bitter smile. “Sigh, what misfortune for my sect! How did I end up with such a disrespectful apprentice who only cares about gifts and not people? But as for your wife, whether she’s a lady or not aside, she’s definitely from a noble family. Just look at what she’s wearing—Ghost Face Flower, Tian Luo Robe, the hairpin on her head, the bracelet on her wrist. None of these are easy to obtain. I suspect your wife might have quite a background.”
Mei Qing still looked unhappy, but Bi Zhen had already stepped forward, embarrassed, saying, “Master, don’t listen to him. I don’t need any gifts.”
“Why not?” Mei Qing pulled Bi Zhen aside and whispered, “I didn’t get anything good when I became his apprentice. If I don’t get something now, I’ll never have another chance.”
Bi Zhen poked him and said, “Since I’ve taken a master, I should respect him regardless. How can I ask for gifts in front of him?”
“Alright, alright,” Zhang Shisan said with a wry face, “This girl calling me Master is already ten thousand times better than you, you rascal. Yes, yes, she really suits my heart. Today, I guess I’ll have to spend a little.”
So saying, he closed his eyes and pulled out a small jade vial from his robe, gritting his teeth as he extended it toward Bi Zhen. “Here! Take it!”
Mei Qing was delighted to see his usually stingy master finally giving something. He immediately opened his eyes wide to see the small vial made entirely of crystal, crystal clear, with a tiny red fruit inside, no bigger than a fingernail, bright red and tempting.
“What is this? A hawthorn? Or a cherry?” Mei Qing, unfamiliar with it, asked curiously.
Bi Zhen quickly bowed to Zhang Shisan and said, “Master, I don’t like cherries. You can keep it for your wine!”
“Don’t, don’t,” Mei Qing hurriedly grabbed the vial from Zhang Shisan’s hand, saying, “Gifts from elders should not be declined. We can keep it for a midnight snack or something.”
“Get lost!” With a “plop,” Mei Qing’s head was hit again from behind as Zhang Shisan said, “You fool! You don’t even recognize such a treasure, and you want to eat it as a snack? You’re really asking for it to be wasted!”
After speaking, Zhang Shisan placed the vial in front of him, looked at it carefully for a while, then sighed deeply and turned to Bi Zhen. “Actually, this item is most suitable for you. If my eyes aren’t deceiving me, the disguise you used before was the Ghost Face Flower, right?”
“You could tell that?” Bi Zhen’s eyes widened. “Yes, it was the Ghost Face Flower. I heard that no one can recognize you when you use it for disguise.”
“That’s true,” Zhang Shisan nodded. “But that Ghost Face Flower must be refined before use. I once helped in its refinement, so naturally I could tell.”
“Oh, uh, Master, what brings you here?” Mei Qing’s face turned as red as blood, stammering as he addressed Zhang Shisan and Hou Shen in the courtyard.
Zhang Shisan’s sudden arrival interrupted the intimate moment between the couple. Fortunately, as cultivators, they had handy spells that made dressing and tidying up quick and easy. In no time, Mei Qing and Bi Zhen emerged, fully dressed and composed.
Zhang Shisan and Hou Shen stood in the courtyard. Hou Shen had tactfully positioned himself by the gate, his eyes wandering as if admiring the scenery. Zhang Shisan, on the other hand, sat cross-legged on a stone platform by the door, casually holding a gourd of wine in one hand and a few dried fish in the other, swaying his head as he enjoyed his drink.
Hearing Mei Qing’s question, Zhang Shisan popped a small fish into his mouth, took a swig of wine, and then wiped his mouth before replying, “Ah, my foolish disciple, I’ve always taught you to apply what you learn, but you never listen. You ask how we found you? You two didn’t even think to cast a soundproofing spell. Your commotion could be heard from miles away. If I hadn’t come to cover for you, the whole village would’ve been kept awake last night…”
As Zhang Shisan rambled on, Mei Qing nearly collapsed in embarrassment, his face turning as red as a monkey’s backside. He quickly interjected, stammering, “Ah, yes, Master, you haven’t met her yet. This is Zhen’er.” He then turned to Bi Zhen and said, “Zhen’er, this is my new master.”
Bi Zhen, now back to her usual appearance, wore a light green dress that accentuated her grace. She tilted her head, scrutinizing Zhang Shisan for a moment before frowning at Mei Qing and saying, “How could you take such an unrefined old man as your master?”
Zhang Shisan, who was in the middle of taking a sip from his gourd, choked on his wine upon hearing Bi Zhen’s remark and began coughing violently.
Seeing this, Mei Qing rushed over to pat his master’s back, putting on a show of filial devotion while saying respectfully, “Master, Zhen’er is innocent and straightforward. She speaks without thinking. Please forgive her.”
Zhang Shisan coughed for a while, nearly choking to death. After catching his breath, he squinted at Bi Zhen and suddenly burst into laughter, saying, “Good daughter-in-law, you’re a perfect match for my silly disciple.”
Then, with a sideways glance at Mei Qing, he added, “What do you mean by ‘innocent and straightforward’? Are you praising your wife or agreeing that she’s right to insult her master? What’s there to forgive? Your wife may speak her mind, but she’s far sharper than you. Unlike you, who pretends to be simple but is actually full of mischief.”
“Yes, yes, Master, your judgment is always spot on. But since you think so highly of your daughter-in-law, shouldn’t you offer her a little something for this first meeting?” As he spoke, Mei Qing made a gesture suggesting money.
“What… what kind of technique is that?” Zhang Shisan blinked, mimicking Mei Qing’s gesture with his dry fingers. “Is it the Sky Treading Technique? Flaming Palm? Clear Sky? Disciple, I must say, when practicing Daoist arts, precision is crucial. The hand seal you just made was all wrong…”
“Master!” Mei Qing gritted his teeth and said bluntly, “I wasn’t making a hand seal! I’m saying that since your daughter-in-law is here, you should give her a gift! Don’t try to pass off that old inkstone again. My wife comes from a distinguished family and has seen plenty of fine things. Ordinary items won’t impress her…”
Seeing Mei Qing so brazenly demand a gift from Zhang Shisan, even Hou Shen couldn’t bear to watch. He averted his gaze, looking up at the sky as if he hadn’t noticed anything. Bi Zhen, deeply embarrassed, secretly nudged Mei Qing from behind, signaling him to stop.
Zhang Shisan was momentarily stunned by Mei Qing’s audacity but then shook his head with a wry smile. “Ah, what misfortune has befallen my sect that I’ve taken on such a disrespectful disciple who values material things over his master. But your wife, whether she’s from a distinguished family or not, is certainly no ordinary person. Look at what she’s wearing—the Ghost Face Flower, the Heavenly Robe, the hairpin, the bracelet—none of these are easy to come by. I suspect your wife has quite the background.”
Mei Qing still looked indignant, but Bi Zhen stepped forward and said shyly, “Master, please don’t mind him. I don’t need anything.”
“Why not?” Mei Qing pulled Bi Zhen aside and whispered, “When I became his disciple, he didn’t give me anything good. If we don’t take advantage now, we’ll never get another chance.”
Bi Zhen poked Mei Qing and said, “Since you’ve taken him as your master, you should respect him. It’s not proper to ask for gifts like this.”
“Alright, alright,” Zhang Shisan said with a pained expression. “Just hearing her call me ‘Master’ makes her ten times better than you. Very well, this girl has won my favor. Today, I’ll have to part with something precious.”
With that, he closed his eyes, reached into his robe, and pulled out a small jade bottle. Clenching his teeth, he handed it to Bi Zhen and said, “Here, take it!”
Seeing his usually stingy master actually part with something valuable, Mei Qing was overjoyed. He leaned in to take a closer look and saw that the small bottle was made of pure crystal, transparent and exquisite. Inside was a tiny red fruit, no larger than a fingernail, vibrant and tempting.
“What’s this? A crabapple? Or a cherry?” Mei Qing asked, unable to identify it.
Bi Zhen quickly bowed to Zhang Shisan and said, “Master, I don’t really like cherries. You should keep it for your wine.”
“No, no,” Mei Qing said, reaching for the bottle. “When an elder offers a gift, it’s impolite to refuse. We’ll keep it for a midnight snack or something.”
“Get lost!” With a sharp smack, Mei Qing’s head was struck again. Zhang Shisan scolded, “You fool, you don’t even recognize a treasure and want to eat it as a snack? You’re such a wastrel!”
Then, Zhang Shisan held the jade bottle up to his eyes, examining it carefully. After a long sigh, he turned to Bi Zhen and said, “Actually, this is most suitable for you. If my eyes don’t deceive me, you used the Ghost Face Flower when you disguised yourself as that street performer, didn’t you?”
“You could tell?” Bi Zhen’s eyes widened. “Yes, it was the Ghost Face Flower. I heard that once it’s used for disguise, no one can see through it.”
“That’s true,” Zhang Shisan nodded. “But that Ghost Face Flower had to be refined before it could be used. I had a hand in refining it back in the day, so of course I could recognize it.”
He then turned to Mei Qing and said, “At the time, you kept saying that the street performer was suspicious, but I told you otherwise. You must’ve been quite unconvinced, weren’t you?”
Mei Qing chuckled. Bi Zhen had disguised herself to follow their group, and after the incident, she disappeared, which naturally made her seem suspicious. He had even deduced the case in front of Hou Shen, who was deeply impressed. Little did he know he was completely off the mark. Thinking back now, it was rather amusing.
Zhang Shisan’s ability to determine that Bi Zhen, disguised as the street performer, had nothing to do with the death of Sweet Girl was clearly due to his recognition of the Ghost Face Flower.
“Since you have the Ghost Face Flower, you must know about the One Flower, Three Fruits, right? This bottle contains the Qiong Fruit. So, do you still want it?” Zhang Shisan chuckled.
“What?” Bi Zhen gasped upon hearing the name “Qiong Fruit.” She covered her mouth with her hand, her beautiful eyes fixed on the tiny red fruit. After a moment, she regained her composure and bowed deeply to Zhang Shisan, saying, “Thank you, Master, for your generosity.” She then carefully took the bottle, cradling it in her hands and admiring it with delight.
“One Flower, Three Fruits? Qiong Fruit? What’s that?” Mei Qing leaned in to take a closer look but couldn’t make sense of it. He had never heard of these terms and was completely baffled.
“Hehe, I’m not telling you,” Bi Zhen wrinkled her nose, quickly stashing the bottle away. She then happily jumped up and down, repeatedly thanking Zhang Shisan, “Thank you, Master, thank you!”
“You girl,” Zhang Shisan laughed softly. After a moment of thought, he said, “Girl, even though you’re my disciple’s wife, calling me ‘Master’ feels a bit off. Judging by your background, you’re likely not from an ordinary family, and I wouldn’t dare claim you as my disciple. But I’ve been around the cultivation world for some time and might have a few tricks I can teach you. How about I take you on as a nominal disciple? What do you think?”
“Yes, yes!” Bi Zhen cheered. “Master, it’s settled! If he ever dares to bully me, you’ll have to stand up for me!”
“Sigh,” Mei Qing shook his head and sighed. “Just a moment ago, she was calling you an old scoundrel, and now a single fruit has won her over. Truly, women and small-minded people are the hardest to deal with.”
“Master!” Bi Zhen pouted, standing beside Zhang Shisan and pointing at Mei Qing. “He’s bullying me! Master, you saw it, right? Help me teach him a lesson!”
“Alright!” Zhang Shisan bristled with anger, pointing at Mei Qing. “How dare you bully my disciple! I’ll beat you half to death! If I don’t make you crawl from now on, I’ve wasted all these years practicing my talismans!”
“What?!” Bi Zhen was shocked and quickly tugged at Zhang Shisan’s sleeve. “Master, please go easy on him. What if you really hurt him?”
“…”
Mei Qing chuckled. At the time, he had found Bi Zhen suspicious when she disguised herself and followed them, and then she disappeared after the case occurred. He had even deduced the case in front of Hou Shen, who was greatly impressed. But it turned out to be completely off track. Thinking back now, it was rather amusing.
Zhang Shisan’s certainty that Bi Zhen, disguised as the magician, had nothing to do with Tian Niu’s death was obviously because he recognized the Ghost Face Flower.
“Now that you have the Ghost Face Flower, you must know about the one flower and three fruits, right? The vial contains one of them—the Qiong Fruit. Well, do you still want it?” Zhang Shisan grinned.
“Ahh?” At the mention of the Qiong Fruit, Bi Zhen gasped in surprise, then covered her mouth with her hand, her beautiful eyes fixed on the small red fruit. After a while, she finally regained her composure and hurriedly bowed deeply to Zhang Shisan, saying, “Thank you, Master, for your kindness,” before carefully taking the vial and holding it in her hands, admiring it endlessly.
“One flower and three fruits? Qiong Fruit? What are those?” Mei Qing leaned over to look for a long time but couldn’t figure it out. He had never heard of the terms “one flower and three fruits” or “Qiong Fruit” before, so naturally, he was completely confused.
“Hehe, I won’t tell you,” Bi Zhen wrinkled her nose, quickly putting the vial away and happily laughing, hopping up and down while repeatedly thanking Zhang Shisan, “Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!”
“You little girl,” Zhang Shisan chuckled, then hesitated before saying, “Although you’re my apprentice’s wife, calling me Master feels a bit inappropriate. Looking at your background, you’re definitely not from an ordinary family, so I won’t try to claim you. But I’ve been around the cultivation world for some years and have a few little tricks I can teach you. I’d like to formally take you as a disciple. What do you think?”
“Great! Great!” Bi Zhen clapped her hands joyfully. “Master! Master! From now on, that’s decided! If he dares to bully me, you have to help me!”
“Sigh,” Mei Qing shook his head and sighed, “Just now she was calling me an old rascal, and now she’s bought over with a single fruit! It’s true indeed—women and small-minded people are hard to deal with.”
“Master!” Bi Zhen angrily stood beside Zhang Shisan, pointing at Mei Qing and saying, “He’s bullying me! Master, you saw it! Help me beat him up!”
“Fine!” Zhang Shisan’s hair bristled with anger as he pointed at Mei Qing and shouted, “Dare to bully my disciple! I’ll make you crawl from now on! If I can’t make you walk on all fours, I’ve wasted all these years of talisman practice!”
“Ahh?!” Bi Zhen was shocked and quickly shook Zhang Shisan’s arm, saying, “Master, please go easy on him! What if you really hurt him?”
“…”.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage