Chapter 59: Miss Ruyi

"Mistress Ruyi, you are truly blessed!"

"Once you become a divine attendant, you will ascend to the heavens alongside the goddess in the future. Mistress Ruyi, you will practically be a fairy!"

"Ah... It was said the divine attendants were to be chosen in Ginkgo Village, so how did an outsider reap the benefit? Why didn't the village chief choose me?"

"Pui! Why don't you fetch a basin of water and take a look at your own reflection? The goddess wouldn't even deign to glance at you..."

A crowd of village women chattered away as they surrounded Cheng Ruyi. Standing before the only bronze mirror in Ginkgo Village, they clumsily helped him dress and style his hair, pinning several bright red velvet flowers bought from the city right into his locks.

Looking at his own reflection in the mirror, Cheng Ruyi was left between laughter and tears... Right, he wasn't even called Cheng Ruyi anymore.

Cheng Ruyi, a heavily oppressed maid who had fled from her master's household, found herself with nowhere else to turn. Fortunately rescued by the villagers of Ginkgo Village, out of gratitude...

He had volunteered to go to the new settlement of Penglai to serve the goddess.

Although this "Mistress Ruyi" himself felt that this backstory was both cliché and full of holes, to the villagers who were like ants on a hot pan, he was sweet rain falling from the heavens.

...

Climbing onto the donkey cart, "Mistress Ruyi" nodded one by one to bid farewell to the villagers. The elderly village chief said earnestly, "Mistress Ruyi... once you arrive at the new settlement, you must serve the goddess well."

"My old woman is also a divine attendant, from the sixth house at the east end of the village! Remember to bring her my regards, Miss!"

"My sister is also..." "My daughter..."

The crowd once again began to offer instructions all at once. Cheng Ruyi could only smile and nod. Seeing this, the village chief stopped them, saying, "Alright, alright, shut your mouths, all of you! Don't miss the auspicious hour... Zhuangzi! Hurry up and send her off!"

The man driving the donkey cart acknowledged the order, and the cart wheels rolled forward into the distance. Cheng Ruyi looked at the villagers waving at him from the village entrance, letting out a helpless sigh, yet he felt a surge of reassurance in his heart.

Since the villagers could not recognize that he was a man, surely the "goddess" wouldn't be able to either!

Along the way, Cheng Ruyi earnestly pondered countermeasures, completely shutting out the sound of the cart wheels and the scenery on both sides of the road from his thoughts.

He had imagined countless "true faces" of the new settlement of Penglai, knowing full well that this would be no pleasant assignment... When facing the unknown, people always felt fear, and Cheng Ruyi was no exception.

He thought for a long time, until his mind became tangled, and only then did he raise his head slightly to catch his breath, only to find that the man driving the cart was staring blankly right at him.

"Ahem, kind sir..." Cheng Ruyi took a light breath and said softly, "Why are you... looking at this humble servant like that?"

Only then did the man snap out of his daze, scratching the back of his head in deep embarrassment as he stammered, "Forgive me... I truly have never seen a woman as beautiful as you. Please don't blame me..."

Cheng Ruyi pulled his headscarf down a little lower, let his gaze sweep across, and leaned in deliberately to test the waters. "Does big brother truly think this humble servant is pretty?"

Gazing at the ethereal and spirited "beautiful maiden" before him, the man's face flushed crimson instantly. He nodded repeatedly, but then, as if recalling something, he panicked and immediately averted his gaze.

The man shook his head vigorously. "No, no... If Silver-coin were to find out that I praised another woman for being pretty, she would beat me to death for sure!"

"Right, Mistress Ruyi! When you go to the new settlement and see Silver-coin, could you hand this over to her?"

With that, the man fished a roll of linen cloth from the inner pocket of his tunic. Opening it up, he revealed a pristine, pure silver hairpin glistening white.

Cheng Ruyi suppressed a smile, lowered his gaze, and gently took the hairpin. He had originally intended to test just how convincing his disguise was, never expecting to run into someone so simple-hearted and burdened with a tale of his own.

He heard the man continue, "Silver-coin! She is my unwed bride! Just tell her this was given by her Big Brother Gao Zhuang! Silver-coin is tender-hearted and kind; once you get there, look her up, and she can take better care of you..."

Cheng Ruyi held the hairpin, turning it over to inspect it. The head of the hairpin was fan-shaped, bearing a striking resemblance to the ginkgo leaves that carpeted the mountain paths. Although the shaft was plain and unadorned, it felt smooth to the touch and radiated a bright, silvery sheen, making it simple yet lovely.

Mentioning the maiden named "Silver-coin" filled the man with joyful bliss, yet a fleeting moment later, a hint of desolation crept into his tone. "But she is a divine attendant now, adorned in gold and silver; she probably looks down on trinkets like this anymore... Otherwise, she wouldn't have gone this whole time without coming back to see me..."

Cheng Ruyi carefully tucked the hairpin away into his sleeve and offered comforting words in response, "As you said yourself, big brother, she is a kind person, so she surely wouldn't act like that."

"Not at all... And it's not just Silver-coin. Not a single woman who goes to become a divine attendant has ever returned home... Well, I suppose once they've become immortals, how could they still remember such a poor family and a poor sweetheart..."

Hearing these words, a flicker of surprise instantly crossed the depths of Cheng Ruyi's eyes. Steadying his mind, he reached out to detain the man and asked softly, "Big brother, you mentioned that none of the women who went have ever come back? Could it be that their movements are restricted... Does the new settlement forbid them from returning home to visit?"

The man had still been wallowing in sorrow, but upon hearing this, he immediately refuted, "No, no, it's not that! It's that they themselves aren't willing to come back! The goddess said from the very beginning that they could return home whenever they pleased... It's just that they're living in luxury up there and don't care to come back!"

A heavy sinking feeling gripped Cheng Ruyi's heart.

It seemed they had all overlooked a crucial point previously... Once someone entered this new settlement of Penglai, could they truly ever leave? And were those "divine attendants" really living in luxury and unwilling to return home, just as the villagers believed...

Cheng Ruyi drew in a sharp breath of cold air, but not far ahead lay the familiar scenery from his memories.

Last time, it was right here that he had his shrimp-lines picked out once more by someone other than Yan Kuang.

Things had reached this point; there was only a way forward, with no turning back.

...

Relying on drifting hair to determine the wind direction, Yan Kuang led the group as they wound their way through the forest. They cleared away all undergrowth along their path, yet after searching for a long time, they failed to find the human bones from the other day.

wrapped in his heavy cloak, remarked, "Old Yan, if we keep wandering around like this, we're all going to come down with rheumatism!"

The secretary chimed in from the side, "My Lord, it's only been a day, surely it won't come to that..."

"Shut your mouth!" Shen Nian snapped. "Are you the official or am I the official?"

The secretary dared not retort, and Liang Zhanying said helplessly, "Lord Shen, the direction in this forest is hard to distinguish; it's only natural that searching takes some time. Set your mind at ease."

Upon hearing Liang Zhanying speak, Shen Nian's attitude softened instantly, and he agreed repeatedly. Then, as if remembering something, he turned to Liang Zhanying and said, "Xuelang, you mentioned those were the skeletons of Boyuntian's disciples, but this official recalls that Boyuntian's master, Dai Ge—what was his name—his martial arts were exceptionally formidable! Moreover, Boyuntian placed righteousness above all else, and every single disciple was as close as brothers from the same mother. The interior of the mountain manor was rugged and virtually impregnable like an iron barrel; how could it have suffered such a catastrophe?"

"An open spear is easy to dodge, but a hidden arrow is hard to guard against. No matter how high one's martial arts, one still fears being plotted against in secret... No matter how united or strictly guarded they are, once a traitor appears from within and a crack forms, everything spirals out of control," Liang Zhanying said coldly, casting an ambiguous glance at Yan Kuang as she spoke.

Hearing this, Yan Kuang's searching gaze paused for a fraction of a second, and he opened his mouth as if to speak, but stopped.

Shen Nian had no idea what riddles this martial arts brother and sister duo were playing at, and merely nodded in agreement. "That makes sense too... Huh? What is this? Why does it feel so chilly..."

With that, Shen Nian stopped casually and lifted the hem of his robe.

"Xue... Xue..."

Liang Zhanying froze upon hearing this. Yan Kuang also frowned involuntarily. Everyone knew of Shen Nian's affection for Liang Zhanying, but to address her with such intimacy in broad daylight was truly improper.

Yan Kuang turned away in indignation, just about to discipline Shen Nian on behalf of his junior sister, only to see the man's face turn deathly pale and completely motionless. Everyone present was staring fixedly at his official boots—

A venomous snake was slithering up and coiling around them.

"Hiss, hiss," the snake darted its forked tongue out, shifting its body upward by another two inches.

Shen Nian was already frightened out of his wits, casting a pleading look toward Yan Kuang, Liang Zhanying, and the others.

The snake possessed a triangular head, its body patterned with interlocking grayish-black markings, bearing a striking resemblance to the common gray-furred civet cats kept by wealthy households.

Yan Kuang observed it for a moment and stated, "This snake is venomous. Everyone step back."

The bailiffs froze in unison and instinctively retreated. The secretary also carefully shuffled his feet away from Shen Nian. Only Liang Zhanying spoke in a low voice to Yan Kuang, "What do you plan to do?"

Before her voice had even faded, Yan Kuang's hand gripped the hilt of his sword. With a resounding clang, a flash of cold light swept past for an instant, severing the snake's head!

Shen Nian nearly lost his footing, stumbling back two steps as he frantically kicked his leg to shake off the snake's carcass.

The headless body was still writhing and struggling on its own, while the snake's head, which had fallen not far away, had its jaws agape. Its venom fangs spat droplets of poison as it hissed angrily.

Yan Kuang drove his sword downward, pinning the snake's head directly into the soil. With a twist of his wrist, he buried the head entirely underground before drawing his sword back into its scabbard.

"A single one isn't much trouble."

Yan Kuang said in a deep voice, "But snakes are social creatures."

Hearing this, the crowd panicked slightly. Seeing their alarm, Liang Zhanying immediately shouted, "Everyone remain calm! Running around blindly will cause you to get lost here. Stick with Lord Shen and us, and nothing will go wrong!"

With that, Liang Zhanying snatched up the long spear from her back and slammed the butt heavily against the ground, producing a ringing chime from the weapon.

Having recovered his composure somewhat, Shen Nian also drew his sword and shouted, "Who dares retreat? This official will dock their monthly stipend!" Immediately afterward, he shuffled over to Yan Kuang's side and murmured, "Old Yan... What do we do now? Should we... just head back the way we came?"

"We didn't encounter any venomous snakes last time, which means we chose the right path then." Yan Kuang raised a hand to point toward the left. "We came from the rear, and there are snakes ahead. Judging by the wind shifts over the past two days, we should go this way."

"Alright," Liang Zhanying acknowledged. Seeing that the others still harbored hesitation, she was the first to brandish her spear and take the lead.

Seeing Liang Zhanying move out, Shen Nian hurried to follow right behind her. The secretary and the bailiffs had no choice but to bite the bullet and tag along. They had only walked a short stretch of peaceful ground when someone in the rear cried out again.

"Tiger! Tiger!"

A bailiff hollered in absolute panic, running wildly as he crashed headfirst straight into Shen Nian's embrace, continually stammering, "Tiger...!"

The hearts of the crowd, which had just begun to settle, were instantly jerked back into suspense by that single word "tiger"!

The bailiffs frantically drew their sabers to stand on guard, and Shen Nian tightened his grip on his own blade. However, Liang Zhanying declared, "Impossible, that ferocious tiger was already slain by Lord Yan!"

Yan Kuang remained completely composed, stating firmly, "It is definitively dead."

Shen Nian gripped his sword tighter, muttering, "Well... perhaps it's that tiger's... relative...!"

"Tigers have always been solitary creatures."

Seeing that the group still seemed doubtful, Yan Kuang added, "Haven't you ever heard the saying that two tigers cannot share a single mountain?"

At these words, everyone exchanged glances, finding the logic sound... Liang Zhanying also quickly chimed in to support him. "I can vouch for it as well! Who was the one who shouted about a tiger just now?"

The panicked bailiff nervously stepped forward, trembling as he pointed toward a nearby patch of bushes. "It, it's a tiger..."

Upon hearing this, Liang Zhanying instantly leveled her spear and delivered a fierce thrust straight into the foliage!

Her silver spear whistled through the air, sending severed leaves fluttering down, yet the bushes remained completely undisturbed. Yan Kuang stepped forward, using his scabbard to push aside the weeds, and finally understood what the bailiff had meant.

Yan Kuang turned back to look at the bailiff. "Do you have a speech impediment?"

Shen Nian was the first to react. He hurried over to take a look, sized up the bailiff, and exclaimed, "Ah! It's this lad! He's tongue-tied! What tiger? It's bones! Bones!"

Scattered and half-buried human bones lay half-hidden among the weeds. Stepping forward, the group pushed them aside one by one, once again discovering the familiar righteousness-inscribed tokens amidst the remains.