The Little Carpenter found his home. Before leaving, he had sworn to build a huge house for Zhou Ting, bigger and more spacious than the old Carefree Workshop, a grand place with three courtyards deep. Zhou Ting just looked at him tenderly and said, "Whatever you do, Mother supports you and will stay by your side." Hand in hand, the two of them headed toward Xiangyang to rely on Tian Rulie's friend, the one surnamed Guo.
Meanwhile, Shi Potian and his companions strolled along leisurely, following the grand road by the Yangtze River downstream for who knows how long.
Liu Xiaowan rarely saw the Yangtze River. Seeing the sparkling ripples in the river water, the golden sunlight dancing across the surface, waves rolling in one after another and retreating into the distance, and the magnificent sight of the irregular, surging billows, she was filled with immense curiosity. Like a joyful little girl, she clamored to stay for a while to fully appreciate the angry tides of the Yangtze.
Her father, Han Liyong, had rarely taken her out to play, and with her mother having passed away young, she had even less chance. Left entirely on her own within the grand Han household, she had matured early. She had truly rarely experienced the carefree nature of childhood; making every decision by herself, she had grown independent and mature too early, thereby losing her childlike innocence.
At this moment, looking at the boundless Yangtze River filled with cargo ships and fishing boats coming and going, the shouts of fishermen rising and falling in succession, and seabirds frequently skimming low across the water, with countless people strolling along the riverbank in a bustling and extraordinarily lively crowd, Liu Xiaowan said happily, "You guys go on ahead. I want to go down and fish for a few days. I'll leave after I get tired of eating grilled fish, hehe! This place feels like so much fun."
Gouge chuckled and said, "Alright then. What do you think, Brother Tian?"
Tian Rulie's title was the "Lone Wanderer of Ten Thousand Miles." Staying by the Yangtze River for a few days to live as a fisherman suited his temperament quite well. By nature, he was a lazy soul who had wandered across countless mountains and rivers, growing accustomed to the clouds rolling and unrolling. Sometimes, too lazy to find an inn, he would simply use the sky as a quilt, the earth as a bed, the clouds as blankets, and rocks as pillows. Of course, he didn't mind Xiaowan's proposal. He said, "Alright, then I'll go help you buy a fishing rod and bait."
"Bait? What is that?"
Tian Rulie once again revealed a look as if he were gazing at a fool, staring at Liu Xiaowan in shock. "Then how did you fish before?"
Liu Xiaowan replied blankly, "With a fish spear. One thrust down and I'd spear one. Though my shoes and socks always ended up soaking wet."
"Wan'er, promise me, don't make a fool of yourself. Fishing has to be done like a proper fisherman."
Gouge smiled gently and said, "Miss Liu, you plan to go into the water and catch fish here in the Yangtze? The water is very deep here."
Liu Xiaowan looked at Gouge, then back at the water's surface, and said with a sudden realization, "I know, you guys are afraid I can't swim, right? I can, don't worry! Big Sis here matured early; I know all about these things." With that, she rolled up her trouser legs and sleeves, and plunged headfirst into the water. Tian Rulie thought she had lost her mind and hurriedly rushed into the water to save her.
To his surprise, a moment later Liu Xiaowan popped up from the water, gurgling, and tossed two plump, fresh bass to Gouge. The bass tails struggled desperately, slippery as they were, but Gouge applied just a tiny bit of force, and the fish became as motionless as if they were clamped between two massive boulders.
Gouge casually picked up a nearby fish basket. Seeing that these three people clearly were not to be messed with, the fisherman didn't argue with him.
In just a short moment, the fish basket was packed full of fresh fish. As a result, Tian Rulie had been carried downstream by the current. Walking all the way up, he found Gouge and Liu Xiaowan catching fish to their hearts' content, and bitterly complained, "You've got to be kidding me, brothers. I went into the water to save someone, and you guys are just playing here? How childish! If outsiders saw this, they'd think we couldn't even afford to buy fish."
Gouge smiled and turned to look. Tian Rulie was drenched from head to toe, disheveled with his long hair hanging down to his waist, water droplets streaming down his clothes to the ground patter by patter, looking thoroughly wretched. Unable to help his amusement, Gouge said, "Brother Tian, you should dry your clothes first. Tonight I'll make grilled fish for you all."
Liu Xiaowan raised her head from the water once more, spat out a mouthful of water, and her pretty eyes lit up as she smiled, "Then I'm in for a treat! Brother Shi's cooking is renowned far and wide. Oh fish, oh fish, I'm sorry today; please come into Big Sis's little belly."
Gouge chuckled and said, "What you're saying is too profound. I never went to school, so I don't understand. I learned all my cooking from my mother. I'll go to the town ahead to buy some salt and seasonings; you guys catch some more seafood."
Liu Xiaowan flashed a sweet smile and said, "Okay! Go quickly and come back fast; I'm starving to death!"
Gouge covered the fish basket and turned to leave. At that moment, Tian Rulie was busy admiring the scenery and had no time to pay attention to Gouge's departure.
In the water, Liu Xiaowan's snow-white, delicate body rose and fell with the waves. Underneath her water-soaked garments, her graceful figure was faintly visible, especially her fair, tender shoulders, exquisite collarbones, and long swan-like neck. Because her clothes were drenched, a large portion of her proud, rounded cleavage was exposed, presenting a strikingly alluring sight. Tian Rulie was completely mesmerized standing nearby, and only snapped out of it after Liu Xiaowan angrily called out to him several times.
Liu Xiaowan asked doubtfully, "What's wrong with you? Did you have a stroke? Brother Shi went to buy seasonings, so please do us the honor of cleaning all these fish so they don't get tainted by anything dirty."
Tian Rulie hastily agreed and began sorting the bass and grass carp in the fish basket. Turning back, he glanced again at the busy Liu Xiaowan, only to see her joyfully chasing the fish in the water like a child, her slender, jade-like legs kicking rapidly. From his angle, the traces of Liu Xiaowan's years of persistent exercise were on full display. He swallowed a hard gulp, closed his eyes, and his mind was filled entirely with Liu Xiaowan's voluptuousness and her perky curves. He thought to himself that this young girl usually didn't show it, acting as bold and carefree as a man and maturing early. He had always treated her with the affection of a good buddy, but looking closely at her here in the water, she really had developed quite well.
Liu Xiaowan knew nothing of these tangled thoughts. She had simply been suppressed for too long, like a little girl who suddenly spotted a fascinating toy, and a surge of novelty had welled up within her. It was a rare occasion indeed where she could play without restraint. On a whim, she actually swam further away, heading off alone to explore some mysterious part of the water.
Tian Rulie gave a bitter laugh, wondering what was wrong with him that he was harboring improper thoughts about such a much younger girl.
He shook his head, built a campfire, and took off all his wet clothes to dry them by the heat.
On the other side, Gouge was walking around the town. He had already bought the seasonings and salt, but seized by a sudden playful impulse, he wandered aimlessly through the town. After all, the day was still young, and he was in no rush to return. Walking and stopping by turns, this was a rare occasion for him to wander alone again. For the past dozen years or so, that was how he had lived, but ever since he made these good friends, the number of times he was by himself had dropped to practically zero.
Gouge walked past a corner. There were hardly any people in this alley, just a dozen households or so. As it was nearly dinnertime, most families were cooking over fires, and thick black smoke billowed from the chimneys. He found it amusing to look at the piles of firewood stacked haphazardly at people's doorways. Walking further, he could see a poor woman cutting cloth and sewing silk to sell outside, men carrying large piles of things as they hurried past, and even someone carrying a wooden delivery bucket rushing off to deliver it to a host family. As he walked, he clicked his tongue in wonder, marveling that as expected of a slightly larger town, the air of everyday human life was truly rich.
Having taken charge of household chores since childhood—doing the laundry, chopping firewood, cooking meals, mending the house, and clearing weeds all by himself, keeping that little home neat and orderly—he was not the least bit unfamiliar with the domestic tasks performed by women; rather, he found them rather endearing.
As he was looking around in curiosity, a sweet, syrupy voice suddenly called out:
"Big Brother, I haven't eaten in a long time. Could you lend me some loose silver so I can fill my stomach first?"
Gouge followed the sound and saw a slender, graceful girl of fifteen or sixteen with a high ponytail. Her attire was quite bold: she wore only a tight-fitting crop top that failed to cover her fair, delicate shoulders, with the hem ending right at her navel, exposing her soft, slender waist. On her lower body, she wore only a short skirt that reached just above her knees, revealing a pair of snow-white, tender calves. She was barefoot on the ground, her little feet utterly adorable, and at that moment she was blinking her wide, watery eyes and looking at him with an expression of complete innocence.
"Little Sister, what's wrong?"
"Big Brother, I haven't eaten in days, and my tummy is completely empty," the little girl said aggrievedly.
Gouge chuckled and said, "Where are your elders? The money I had was just spent on seasonings; I don't have any left right now."
The little girl pouted and said, "Big Brother, but I'm hungry."
Gouge thought for a moment and said, "I have some friends down by the river grilling fish over there. I'll take you to them. They're all wonderful people and will surely share their food with you."
A flash of cunning crossed the depths of the little girl's eyes. She reached out with her small hand to tug at Gouge's lapel, intentionally acting weak and fragile as she said, "Big Brother, come with me, okay? My mother doesn't know how to cook. Since you bought seasonings, you must know how to cook, right? Come to my house and cook a meal, will you?"
Gouge shook his head and said, "My friends are waiting for me to go back. If she gets angry, she can be quite fierce."
The little girl's small face trembled, and she burst into tears with muffled sobs, crying most sorrowfully.
"Wuwuwu..."
Gouge looked at her with pity, sighed, and said, "Fine then, lead the way. I'll help your mother cook."
The little girl instantly stopped crying and smiled, happily grabbing Gouge's hand and pulling him deep into the alley.
As soon as Gouge stepped inside, two men emerged from the shadows. Exchanging a glance, they grinned hideously, "A fat sheep has arrived," and followed them in.
After winding through several turns, the little girl led Gouge into a pitch-black house. The moment he stepped inside, Gouge smelled a rotting odor and coughed a few times, choked by the dust. He felt puzzled in his heart: why were there so many cobwebs and dust here? It didn't look like a place where anyone lived.
The little girl pointed to a dark object on a chair and said, "That's my mother."
Gouge leaned in closer to take a good look, and jumped in fright. That was no person at all; it was clearly a dead rat, covered all over in black rat fur.
Just as Gouge turned his head to speak, the little girl had already slipped out, and suddenly the front door slammed shut and was bolted from the outside.
Gouge called out, "What's wrong, Little Sister? Aren't we going to your house to cook?"
A sinister voice spoke up, "You'd better worry about yourself first."
Suddenly, a grappling hook flew out from the darkness, heading straight for Gouge's eyes.
Employing the lightness skill "Silver Saddle Illuminating a White Horse" from the Taixuan Scripture, Gouge leaped forward, brushing past the hook, and instead of retreating, he charged straight into the darkness.
The man in the darkness was greatly startled, not expecting him to move with such speed. Another man beside him flicked his large sleeve, and six Bone-Piercing Nails came flying out.
Gouge rapidly spun around to dodge two of them, countered with a palm strike driven by inner force to deflect two more, and the remaining two went *pfft, pfft* into the wall and disappeared.
Gouge demanded, "Who are you people? What did you do to the little girl?"
"Boss, he still doesn't know he's been tricked. Truly stupidly adorable, hahaha!"
"Hey, who are you? What are you doing in the little girl's house? Are you here to help her cook too?"
"Boss, I reckon this guy probably has something wrong with his head."
The sinister voice sounded again, saying, "Then send him on his way. Hopefully he'll be smarter in his next life."
The man flicked his arm, and Gouge only heard the sound of flying needles tearing through the air. He hastily kicked off the ground and leaped into the air, barely managing to dodge them. Before Gouge could land—while still suspended mid-air—he heard the sound of a mechanism being triggered. A volley of arrows rained down as someone wielding a powerful crossbow shot arrows into the room. The window paper instantly shattered, and a barrage of flying arrows shot inside.
Gouge's body moved with his intent, and his heart moved with his body. His lightness skill had reached heights beyond human reach; with a light bound, he leaped several zhang into the air, practically using the flying arrows as stepping stones, walking eight steps consecutively in mid-air, and vaulted out the door in the direction of the arrows.
An outsider gasped, "It's the Eight Steps in the Air! It's the Eight Steps in the Air! Heavens, there actually is such miraculous lightness skill in this world."
While dodging, Gouge smiled gently and said, "That's right, that's right. How did you know?"
As soon as Gouge stepped outside, he saw more than a dozen men in black standing in a line. In the center, a person wearing a fang mask looked coldly at Gouge, a fierce light glaring from the eyeholes fixed upon him. Gouge felt thoroughly uncomfortable under that gaze and said, "Who are you people, and why have you come to kill me?"
The person wearing the fang mask said, "Someone paid good money for your life."
Gouge said in bewilderment, "Who? I haven't offended anyone. Could it be... could it be..."
Gouge suddenly remembered that there used to be a gang by the Yangtze River called the Iron Fork Gang, which had been personally wiped out by his Big Brother and Second Brother, and he himself had taken part. Could it be... could it be that these were all members of the Iron Fork Gang here for revenge?
Gouge said, "You... you couldn't be people from the Iron Fork Gang, could you? Oh dear, this really isn't my fault! This pair of hands of mine always causes trouble; they just beat people to death without me even meaning to, and I don't even know how it happened before the people from the Iron Fork Gang went down. When I asked Big Brother and Second Brother, they refused to tell me."
The fang mask wearer said, "What nonsense are you blabbering about? There are no good big brothers of yours here; I'll send you down to see them."
With a wave of his hand, more than a dozen men in black—some wielding sabers, some swords, others meteor hammers and Judge's Brushes—charged forward together.
Gouge turned pale with fright and cried, "Don't kill me! I don't want to kill you guys. If Axiu finds out, she'll think I'm a big bad guy!" Terrified, he turned tail and ran. The fang mask wearer let out a cold sneer, assuming he was merely scared. The dozen-plus men in black hurriedly gave chase.
Only when they pursued did they discover that Gouge vanished without a trace after just a few flickers. By the time they rounded the alley, they found he had long since fled.
Looking at the footprints, he was actually up in the sky.
The fang mask wearer raised his head and discovered that Gouge, in his panic and haste to find a way out, had actually flown up onto the eaves in a few steps and was running along the rooftops. Even he was left speechless. What kind of inner force was this, to leap onto a dozen-meter-high roof in a few light steps? Gritting his teeth, he cursed, "Was this guy a hawk in his past life? How does he fly so high?" Having no choice, he ordered the chase to continue, declaring that even to the ends of the earth, they had to kill him.
The pure and lovely little girl walked out, except she had now changed into a white martial arts uniform. Though petite in stature, wearing it made her look all the more heroic and spirited, carrying quite the air of a female heroine.
Sucking on a lollipop, she said, "My daddy hired you lot not to make fools of yourselves and lose face."
Using a chilling tone entirely unbefitting her age, such a little demoness made even the fang mask wearer break out in cold sweat upon hearing it. He thought to himself, what kind of monsters are these? Just as one hawk flew away, another demoness arrived. With no other choice—who told her background to be so powerful?—he could only forcibly suppress his anger and say respectfully,
"Spirit Maiden, this subordinate is incompetent. That person is truly... as you saw, his lightness skill is unmatched in all the world. I fear even if the Winged Bat Wang Yixiao were resurrected, he would be no better than this."
The Spirit Maiden smiled and said, "So you're saying you can't do it? Do you want me to repeat your words to my daddy?"
The man suddenly began to tremble all over, saying in terror, "This subordinate will personally lead men to capture him and dare not fail the Spirit Maiden's expectations."
The Spirit Maiden walked over with a smile, pulled out a dagger, gently scraped it along her arm, and gestured with it toward the man as she said, "If you still haven't completed the task, then I have no use for trash like you. Doesn't your Changle Help like playing that 'Open-Mouth Smile' game? Then I'll have people stuff a piece of bamboo into your mouth to guarantee you keep smiling from ear to ear."
Terrified, the man dropped straight to his knees, not daring to draw a full breath.
The Spirit Maiden walked over, slowly pacing around him with a smile, and said, "Oh right, your Changle Help has another fun thing called the 'Changle Heavenly Punishment.' They say they tie you to a stone pillar, give you neither food nor water, and while branding you with red-hot irons, they have hawks come every day to peck at your heart and lungs, hehe! Sounds like so much fun. Would you like to try it?"
The man stammered, "This subordinate... this subordinate is incompetent, Spirit Maiden. Next time... next time for sure!"
Suddenly, the Spirit Maiden reverted to that harmless, sweet smile and said, "Oh my, Big Brother, why are you so scared? I'm not going to eat you. If you have work to do, go ahead and do it. I'm going to go cook a meal for my mother; oh my, I haven't eaten in days, I'm starving to death!" With that, she walked away barefoot, skipping and hopping down the road.
The fang mask wearer didn't dare to stand up until a long time later, only to find his spine chilled and his entire body drenched in sweat—he could have wrung several pounds of sweat out of his clothes just by twisting them. Surviving this brush with death, he patted his chest in relief, lamenting that being caught between these ruthless figures made it truly hard to stay alive. If he ever got the chance, he would definitely run far away and completely leave this ghost of a place. Yet the people of this organization were everywhere; even if he fled to the ends of the earth, they would drag him back and subject him to capital punishment for desertion.
At the mere thought of those terrifying punishments like the Open-Mouth Smile and the Changle Heavenly Punishment, lingering fear gripped him. Last time, he had seen with his own eyes a colleague who, merely for failing a mission, had the flesh of his kneecaps brutally carved away—subjected to the patella punishment, leaving him with a lifelong disability that prevented him from walking.
Trembling with fright, once he calmed down, he began roaring and yelling at the men in black behind him, venting all the frustration he had received from the Spirit Maiden onto them. He cursed, "A bunch of useless trash, what do I need you for? If you make the Spirit Maiden unhappy, I'll chop you all up and throw you into the pigsty to feed the pigs! If you still can't catch the person the Spirit Maiden wants, all of you go commit suicide, you bunch of stupid pigs!"
He cursed for a full half-hour. Once he felt thoroughly refreshed and invigorated, he finally ordered them to resume tracking.
The men in black were filled with bitter hatred, yet dared not talk back to him. Once he too had left, they vented their spleen on the innocent residents of several nearby houses whose owners were away, storming in to smash and trash the place. They didn't even take valuable goods; they simply smashed everything in sight to vent their anger and let off steam, only then feeling a shred of satisfaction.
As for what the owners of the houses would think when they returned to find their homes reduced to ruins, that remained unknown. Perhaps they would still take out their keys and open the front door as usual? Just like Teacher Yu Qian, who opens his door even when his house is gone—do you understand the sense of ritual?