Peach Blossom Debt Chapter 29

I pulled out a chair to sit down, then I heard Heng Wen speaking in a low voice, "I've never seen you taking the rules of heaven so seriously, were your eyes opened by Tian Shu and Nan Ming's incident?"

I hollowly laughed. "That's about it." I stood up and approached the bed. "Right, fortunately today you sent us the Lingzhi, thank you, thank you."

Heng Wen languidly said, "It's fine, just remember you owe me a drink. In fact I wanted to know… what else can you do in the future after having had returned this so-called debt to Tian Shu."

"Of course I'll be following my instructions; what Jade Emperor orders me to do and Ming Ge arranged for me to do, I will do."

Come to think of it, these days there had been no news from Ming Ge, it's utterly weird.

Heng Wen scooted over on the bed, closer to the wall, and I lied down in the empty s.p.a.ce.

Suddenly I remembered, "Right, isn't Nan Ming still in the fox's cave. The fox won't leave here, Nan Ming must be starving in there, seeing as I've helped Mu Ruoyan already, why not extend more kindness, let the fox release him and stage a reunion between him and Mu Ruoyan."

Heng Wen issued a low laugh beside me.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing, I just think what you said is amusing."

After the day had dawned, I went to Mu Ruoyan's room to sit there again so as to soothe the innkeeper's fright.

A servant found us a chess set, and Heng Wen sat with me to spend the time. The fox crouched on the seat beside Heng Wen, the servants glanced back and forth at him.

This immortal lord had played chess with Heng Wen for thousands of years and had never won against him. As per usual, today was yet another depressing defeat for me.

The considerate innkeeper had the servants deliver lunch to us, consisting of five side dishes, a jug of wine, along with a basin of hot soup. The servant lowered the basin onto the table then opened the lid. The moment that the piping hot steam wafted out into the air, through the misty haze, there were some movements from the bed.

This immortal lord was chewing on a piece of fried tofu, staring blankly at Mu Ruoyan who was propping himself to sit up and directing his bewildered gaze over here.

The innkeeper, who was personally pouring the wine for Heng Wen and this immortal lord, paused with hands still holding the wine jug. You must know that Mu Ruoyan had laid paralysed in bed for so long that when the innkeeper saw him sitting up on his own, it was as if he was witnessing the ascension of Lady Chang'e to the moon with his own eyes, he was moved to the point of shaking from top to toe. His body shook for but a moment, after which he plopped down with a clatter, kneeling to me. "Daoist is truly a living deity! Daoist is truly a living deity!"

I smoothed my beard with a slight smile, smiling to the innkeeper then to Mu Ruoyan. I was about to speak but then I felt the fried tofu was still held in my mouth, so after calmly swallowing I smiled again, beginning with telling the innkeeper, "It is as easy as lifting a finger, no need for courtesy." Then asking Mu Ruoyan on the bed amiably, "Sir, is your body feeling better now?"

Mu Ruoyan's eyes fixed onto me, his face still had a dazed expression. The innkeeper said, "Sir, you have fallen unconscious from your illness, thankfully there is this Daoist and his miraculous medicine. How is sir's body feeling right now?"

The haziness in Mu Ruoyan's face gradually dissipated, his mind seems to have become clearer, he sat up straighter, and his face now carried a bit of self-derision and exhaustion before he schooled his expression and lifted open his blanket. Jinluo Lingzhi healed him enough, he could actually stand up in one try. He took his outer robe from a servant to then drape it on his own body. Finally, he turned his eyes to me again, "Hope you could excuse my state of undress. It seems that it was thanks to Daoist that this lowly one was saved."

I rose and put my palms together as a greeting. "It was just a remedy this poor cleric had learnt during my time wandering, if it helped recover benefactor's body then it is all good."

"Myself is a mere scholar, there is nothing on me that can be used to show my grat.i.tude. May Daoist accept my salute to replace thanks for the time being."

When his knees bent, I was stunned. Mu Ruoyan wants to kneel to me? He, someone who didn't want to live, is bending his knee for the one who saved his life, is this not laughable?

As my mind thought that, my legs already brought me to a forward stride and my hands were out before I knew it to halt Mu Ruoyan from finishing his bow.

A clear clatter of a wine cup sounded from the table. I let go of him and drew back, then putting together my hands again in prayer. "Benefactor, the ceremony you performed is too respectful. This poor cleric does not dare to accept it, does not dare."

"If Daoist will not accept my salute, then please accept my bow." He bowed deeply with hands clasped. Left without other choices I could only follow by clasping my hands together and bowing deeply.

"This favour of Daoist to me will be repaid promptly at another day to the utmost of my capabilities. Lowly one is surnamed Yan, named Mu, may I ask for celestial monk's name?"

Tian Shu is still as formidable even after becoming human ah, he had just gotten out of his state of unawares moments ago and soon after he was making up a fake name without batting an eyelid.

I put my palms together again. "Benefactor is exaggerating, I am truly undeserving. This poor cleric's t.i.tle is Guang Yunzi, others call me monk Guang Yun.

Long story short, we exchanged another show of courtesy before I said, "Benefactor's body had just had a slight improvement, you still need to rest a few more days to recuperate. Do not let yourself be in the cold, it's still better to rest peacefully in bed these days."

"Many thanks, Daoist." He glanced at the table and said, "This lowly one had disturbed the monk and another's meal, I am terribly sorry."

I forced a smile, clearly it was us who were bringing food into his room and ate here but he still spoke of it in such a polite manner.

Heng Wen who had his back to the bed the entire time turned his head halfway and smiled at Mu Ruoyan. "The young lord spoke politely, it was us who disturbed you."

Like he was getting a basin of ice-cold water poured on his head while standing at the peak of the coldest mountain, Mu Ruoyan was frozen stiff within a fraction of a second.

His face deathly pale and his eyes bewildered.

Heng Wen nonchalantly stood up. "Looks like the lord still recognises this lowly one."

The innkeeper looked back and forth, they joyously exclaimed, "So it turned out that both gentlemen knew each other, no wonder Daoist took the trouble to treat this young lord. Hahaha, turns out you have a history together. To b.u.mp into each other at our inn, you truly have fate with each other." And he laughed again.

This monk over here wishes to be an 'unacquainted party', so I kept my original position.

"You…" Mu Ruoyan hoa.r.s.ely spoke, eyes still on Heng Wen.

"To meet again by chance here can truly be said to be fate between us. The young lord had gotten a new lease on life after falling seriously ill, just like being reborn into a new life. The various matters of the past… since it cannot be undone, you might as well treat it as something of your past lifetime, you should forget it and live well from now on."

Heng Wen cupped his hands together and said to the innkeeper, "We will trouble you again to move the dishes downstairs, the Daoist and I should partake the meals in the hall and let the young lord have his quiet rest."

The innkeeper repeatedly said yes then the servants put away the dishes with deft movements. The fox slowly moved from his perch to jump down from the chair and scampered into Heng Wen's embrace.

"Do you want to stay here, or go down to eat with me?" He asked hushedly beside me.

Mu Ruoyan's glimmering eyes swept over, completely unlike the him from a few minutes ago. I feel my scalp tingling. I clasped my hands again and said to Mu Ruoyan, "Benefactor. Please calmly rest, poor cleric will now take my leave." I followed behind Heng Wen out of the door. In that snap of a second when I turned around I happened to catch sight of Mu Ruoyan's chilly eyes.