After bidding farewell to Snake King, Tang Li once again set out on the path of the homeless.
She planned to head to the town first to gather some information.
The egg was extremely vigilant, asking her cautiously, "Are you going to kill people again?"
"Don't you think they deserve to die?" Tang Li looked at it, her gaze extremely cold.
"If I guess correctly, you intend to use yourself as bait. Those people destroyed Xiaozhu Village and, worried that some might have slipped through the net, they're bound to leave one or two people behind to keep watch. The road you're taking right now is the only path from Xiaozhu Village to the town. You want to lure them out and kill them all together," the egg analyzed quickly, propping up its chin.
Tang Li remained silent, which was as good as tacit consent.
The egg exploded: "Do you know how many residents are in that town? They used to call you Dr. Tang so warmly, bringing you herbs, linen, fruits, and vegetables. If a fight breaks out in town, how many innocent people will be caught in the crossfire? What if they use innocent people as hostages?"
Tang Li stopped in her tracks, leaning against a tree to ponder for a moment before saying, "I have my own ways."
"You better hope you do."
"You're noisy."
The egg shot her a dissatisfied look and obediently shut its mouth.
When they reached the town, everything the egg had feared had already happened.
The human and the egg stood at the entrance of the street. The entire street was littered with bones and drenched in blood, every single corpse mutilated beyond recognition.
Tang Li's eyes widened in a daze.
A month ago, everyone had still been doing fine.
How could this be...
Master Li, who made fireworks for her. Granny Tang, who taught her how to make candied haws. Aunt Liu from the tailor's shop, who gave her new clothes. Butcher Wang, who always saved a pig's leg for her. Scholar Jin, who debated philosophy with her over tea. Little Fu, who aspired to become a doctor just like her. The young couple who had invited her to their April wedding...
And many, many others. Every time they met, they would cheerfully greet her as Dr. Tang.
With bloodshot eyes and rubbery legs, Tang Li walked over to the nearest corpse. She couldn't tell who it was; the body was too severely destroyed, its internal organs gouged out, its brain split in two. The brain matter and viscera were missing.
Like a walking corpse, she checked every single body. Without exception, they had all died in the exact same way.
She tilted her head back toward the sky, biting her lip hard to hold back the tears welling in her eyes. After a long while, she finally moved, gathering the corpses together one by one.
Tang Li sat quietly before the roaring fire, her soul seeming to have left her body.
Concerned about her state, the egg softly asked, "Are you alright?"
There was no response.
After a long time, Tang Li murmured in a hoarse voice, "I want to go home..."
The egg was left speechless. It gently inched closer to her, adding another piece of shell to the eggshell pendant she wore.
Two days later, Tang Li left the small town and headed toward the nearest Azure Dragon City.
With blue skies and clear waters, she traveled south by boat.
The Old Boatman punted the boat, looking at the fine weather with a benign smile. "Young people should be a bit more spirited. You mustn't let such a wonderful spring scenery go to waste."
He spoke with a hidden meaning.
Tang Li had not spoken for a long time. Her voice was hoarse as she replied, "Spring returns every year, but people are never the same."
"That's why you should look around more on behalf of those who are no longer here," the Old Boatman said cheerfully.
Tang Li remained silent.
The Old Boatman laughed heartily amidst the mountains and rivers, continuing a moment later, "You should smile more, let them know you're living well, so they can rest at ease."
"How about this? Since you are my sixty-sixth guest, this old man will tell you a story for free. If you find it amusing, you can leave a tip."
Tang Li didn't answer, and the Old Boatman went on on his own:
"Back then, there was a immensely wealthy family in Azure Dragon City with the surname Fu. The head of the family had a son in his old age, and named his youngest son Fu Ankang, hoping he would live a happy and peaceful life for the rest of his days. The family spoiled and doted on the son in every possible way, wishing they could pluck the stars and moon from the sky and give them to him."
"Gradually, the son grew up and became well-versed in drinking, gambling, and whoring. The wealthy father thought of finding his son a wife to keep him in check. After getting married, the son, who never learned anything good, picked up a new vicious habit: beating his wife."
"Later on, the family fortune was squandered away by the son, and the father died of anger brought on by creditors coming for money. The son suddenly saw the light, sought help from his father's former friends, received some relief, and started a small business with his wife. The young couple lived a happy and harmonious life, and within two years they had a daughter. Since the daughter had a small flower-shaped birthmark on her wrist, her nickname was given as Hong Hua."
The Old Boatman sighed softly and asked Tang Li with a smile, "Is this story good?"
"And then?" Tang Li frowned slightly, answering the question with a question.
The Old Boatman smiled. "It would be wonderful if this were the end of the story."
"Later on, his daughter disappeared. He clearly remembered holding his daughter's hand tightly while visiting the temple fair, but how she actually vanished, he could no longer remember."
"Because of this, his wife lost her mind. While washing clothes by the river, she fell in and perished."
"After Fu Ankang finished his wife's funeral, hearing that a war was being fought in Central Prefecture, he no longer wanted to live. Figuring that even if he died, he should die in a way that brought glory to his ancestors, he joined the army."
"Relying on that fearless drive of his, he went from a common soldier to a centurion, and then to a thousand-man commander. In the great battle at Wugui Peak, for the sake of his brothers, he brandished the two sabers in his hands until their blades curled, finally carving out a bloody path. After the war ended, the general made an exception and promoted him to be his personal deputy."
"Things had just started to look up when the general received orders from above to attack the territory of Yunzhou. The battle was lost, the general was gone, and all his brothers were gone. He was carried back to Azure Dragon City by the river current."
"After that, there was no more 'after that.' He died in that river."
"Talking has made me a bit thirsty. What do you think of this story?" He put down his punting pole, sat at the bow of the boat, picked up a wine flask nearby, and began to drink.
Tang Li shook her head. "His name wasn't chosen well."
The Old Boatman nodded in agreement and laughed heartily: "Fu Ankang, Fu Ankang—no fortune, no peace, and no health."
"Life is impermanent and unpredictable, yet that is simply how life is. The wealthy father never expected that his expectations for his son would become a self-fulfilling prophecy."
"Living in this world for these fleeting few years, no one can predict what will happen the next second. Everything is nothing more than a fleeting dream. The most important thing is to cherish the present. If you can, then take a look at this magnificent landscape and the bustling mortal world on behalf of those who are no longer here."
"You are quite open-minded, sir," Tang Li said indifferently. "Then what if it were your own friends and family who suffered an unprovoked disaster? What would you do, sir?"
"Then naturally, wrongs would be avenged, and grudges settled," he replied, sucking on the spout of the flask.
"What if the murderer is someone you cannot defeat?"
"How could that be? The fury of an ordinary man stains the ground with blood five steps away; there is no lord who does not fear that."
Tang Li smiled faintly. "Fu Ankang's ending wasn't too bad either. At least he went home."
Hearing this, the Old Boatman turned back to look at her, feeling a sudden emptiness in his heart. He laughed, stood up, punted the boat onward, and sang aloud with unbridled emotion amidst the mountains and waters.