Chapter 4: Dormancy

  The slanting sun sets, the trees and grasses in the mountains are more eye-catching, the cold mountain wind and the fallen leaves all over the ground show the bleakness of winter.

  Bing Zhen Dao Ren and Shou Zong descended the mountain for five days and returned to the Taoist temple. With a spirited and refreshed appearance, Bing Zhen Dao Ren carried a small bundle into the scripture storage room. Shou Zong arranged the gifts from the disciples at the foot of the mountain, including oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, incense sticks, and cloth, and politely sent off the two porters. He watched as they disappeared around the bend in the middle of the mountain before returning to the temple.

  The rice porridge in the backyard kitchen is already cooked, and several simple dishes made from stone ear, bamboo shoots, and cured meat are steaming hot in a woven bamboo steamer.

  Cheng Zong nodded in satisfaction, washed his hands and took out a large bowl and two small cups. He filled each with some food and sent it to Shifu with a tray. After putting down the tray, Cheng Zong bid farewell to Shifu and strolled into the backyard pavilion, only to find it empty. He thought for a moment, then walked through the yard and out of the side door. Just a few steps later, he heard the familiar sound of his younger brother knocking on the bamboo clapper.

  Near the stone wall of the backyard, there was a sheepfold made of pine wood, stone boards and thatch. Xiao Chengyuan tapped on the bamboo clapper with one hand and evenly sprinkled coarse salt into the feeding trough with the other. At this time every day, the twenty or so sheep that had been grazing in the mountains all day would rush back to the sheepfold at the sound of the bamboo clapper.

  "Big Brother is back!" Cheng Yuan exclaimed excitedly, throwing down the short wooden stick and running out of the bamboo fence, clapping his small hands as he ran towards Cheng Zong.

  "I've brought you a new cotton-padded jacket, and also two pairs of shoes made by Old Lady Liu from Huanggu Town. How has Wu's body been these past few days?"

  Cheng Yuan briefly reported a few sentences, pointing to the tall silver ginkgo tree over 100 meters west, similar to a Chinese parasol: "These two days are sunny, Wu Da Ge likes to stay there in the afternoon, he says the scenery is good."

  Cheng Zong was extremely familiar with the big mountain, knowing that under the hundred-year-old silver ginkgo tree there was a flat area of about ten square meters. Behind this flat area, more than thirty meters away, was a red stone wall, below which was a natural cave five meters deep and one meter wide. A clear spring flowed out from the cave, flowing to the precipice in front of the silver ginkgo tree, where it poured down. After rain, a rainbow could often be seen. On fine days, sitting under the silver ginkgo tree allowed one to look out over the rolling mountains and the village at the foot of the mountain, basking in the gentle breeze, listening to the sound of running water and the rustling of bamboo, making it an ideal spot for taking in the view.

  Cheng Zong nodded secretly, slightly surprised at Wu Ming's recovery speed: "He can walk to the tree over there by himself?"

  "Yes! The day before yesterday, when I came back from grazing sheep, Wu Da Ge was already able to walk here by himself. He asked me if he could go over there, and I said yes, but warned him to be careful because snakes might come out. He said that snakes don't come out in winter, so he wasn't afraid, and walked over with his cane. These two days, he's learned how to decoct medicine and change dressings. He says nothing can make him let me do it myself. After finishing breakfast and drinking the medicinal soup, he tells me one sentence and then heads off in that direction, staying until sunset before coming back." Zheng Yuan told his Shifu everything without hiding anything.

  "Has he talked to you a lot these past few days?" Cheng Zong asked in a low voice, his eyes fixed on Wu Ming who was slowly walking back with the help of his cane.

  "During the day, there's nothing much to do, but at night we chat more. Wu Da Ge is really strange, he can't even tell apart Guangxu years and Republic of China years. He foolishly counts on his fingers using the solar calendar, haha! By the way, Shixiong, Wu Da Ge also knows about big steamships. He said that if you go east all the way, it's the ocean, and the ocean is even bigger than the land. There are huge ships on the sea that can hold tens of thousands of tons of things. I asked him how big a ship that can hold ten thousand tons would be? He said it could hold tens of thousands of big cattle. I didn't believe him, so he just smiled and said I'll see it in the future. He also told me that most big steamships nowadays burn coal and are propelled by some kind of steam engine. Shixiong, what is a steam engine?" Pure and innocent Cheng Yuan looked curiously at his older brother.

  "Steam engine? I don't know either. Alright! It's getting late, let's finish work and have dinner, we'll talk about the rest later." Cheng Zong felt a bit embarrassed.

  Cheng Yuan responded with a sound, seeing the sheep that had eaten their fill and were bloated one after another returning from the mountain, once again picking up the short wooden stick to strike the bamboo clapper, urging the sheep to enter the enclosure.

  In the slanting sunlight, Wu Ming walked slowly along the winding mountain path. Cheng Zong's heart suddenly surged with complex emotions that were hard to put into words as he quietly watched him. His younger brother's words made Cheng Zong feel puzzled about what he had learned about Wu Ming over the past few days.

  This time down the mountain, Cheng Zong heard a lot of things. Wu Ming didn't lie, except for not knowing why his name was called Wu Ming instead of Wu Shan'erzi. He was indeed framed by Chen Jiyao, the town head of Huanggu Town, and Chen Zhongkang, the second young master of the Chen family who returned from abroad, on charges of colluding with bandits and was imprisoned in the county prison. The reason was that Wu Shan'er's mother had sneaked into the Chen family's mansion for some unknown reason on the day of the market half a month ago and was beaten by the Chen family's servants and thrown out onto the street.

  Wu Shan's mother wailed loudly in the contempt of hundreds of villagers, leaving the town with disheveled hair and stumbling. Not far away, she was knocked down by a horse-drawn carriage driven by Chen's steward and died on the spot with a broken head. The village elder who came to the fair with Wu Shan's mother wrapped the body in a grass mat, hired an ox cart to pull it back to Wu's village, and buried it hastily with the help of several villagers the next day.

  On the evening of the day when the deceased was buried, Wu Shan's son, who had been honest and obedient since childhood, unexpectedly took up a hatchet and left Wujiacun alone. At midnight, he sneaked into the town, climbed over the wall and entered the Chen family's compound, and made his way to the front of Chen Zhen's bedroom, where he was discovered by the night patrol guards. In the ensuing fight, Wu Shan's son went berserk and slashed at three strong and skilled guards with his hatchet, but was eventually subdued due to being outnumbered.

  That night, the disturbance was very loud, and several men from neighboring families came out to help. Mrs. Chen and Chen Ershao, who had returned home for the holidays, were extremely angry and immediately ordered the servants to kill Wu Shan's son. Later, however, Mr. Chen, the town mayor, showed mercy and issued a strict order to stop the crowd. After dawn, he ordered the servants to take Wu Shan's son directly to the county government to be punished.

  As for how Wu Shan's son was later framed with the crime of being a bandit and how he came to be called Wu Ming, no one knows the reason. It seems that even Shi Shu, who knew the inside story, didn't say anything.

  There's something suspicious, Cheng Zong still doesn't understand why after meeting Chen Zhenzhang alone, he stopped going to Wujiacun to ask about Wushan'er's life experience. Instead, he held a Buddhist ceremony for Chen Zhenzhang's family in the town, then saw patients for two days, and brought back gifts from his followers before returning to the mountain.

  During his stay in Huanggu Town, Chengzong met Chen Zhenzhang and his two wives, as well as the tall and imposing younger brother of the first wife, Wang Guanjia. The only one he didn't see was the second young master of the Chen family who had returned from abroad, and it was said that he had already rushed back to Nanchang to take up his post.

  Despite this, Cheng Zong still knew a lot about the Chen family and knew that there was another young master in the Chen family named Chen Bo'an. Six years ago, he ran to Guangzhou to attend the Huangpu Military Academy and died on the battlefield during the Northern Expedition of Wuchang.

  Chen Fu's second young master, Chen Zhongkang, returned from studying in the East last year and met a noble person in Shanghai who valued him highly. He has been working in Shanghai ever since. It is said that this time he was recommended by an old comrade of the Nationalist Party and transferred to Nanchang for work, with a not-too-low official position.

  Cheng Zong found that the whole thing had many unsolved mysteries. According to the private discussions of the old people in the town: Wu Shan's son's mother was called Wu Juan, who was very beautiful and sensible when she was young, but for some reason, at the age of 16, she became pregnant with Wu Shan's son without getting married, and until her death, no one knew who the wild man was that made her pregnant.

  For twenty-four years, Wu Shan's mother had been treated with disdain by the villagers, but she still managed to raise her son with great difficulty. She sold their only five mu of paddy fields and borrowed money from relatives to pay for her son's medical treatment and education in a private school. For many years, she worked hard every day, getting up early and going to bed late, tending to the land and raising pigs. Half a year ago, she had finally paid off all her debts. No one knew what connection Wu Shan's mother had with the Chen family or why she suddenly went to their house, only to be beaten out of it. However, one thing was certain: the Chen family's steward did indeed drive his horse carriage into Wu Shan's mother, killing her, and yet he took no responsibility for it and has not made any statement about it to this day.

  Cheng Zong really wanted to get to the bottom of this matter, but the villagers didn't understand what was going on. There were many unreliable rumors circulating in secret, and some people said that Wu Shan's son had been half-witted since childhood, with a tall and strong body, but not much use for his brain. As for this, it seemed that Master Shu, who knew something about the situation, didn't say anything, and Cheng Zong also didn't dare to ask further questions.

  At this time, Cheng Zong saw Wu Ming walking towards him in the sunset, wearing an old long gown with a suspended left arm, tall and even-paced.

  What made Cheng Zong secretly surprised was that Wu Ming, who was getting closer and closer with the help of his crutches, looked very different from ordinary villagers. He didn't have the slightest hint of rustic humility, his thin face was calm and composed, his nose was straight, his eyebrows were long, and his eyes were clear. The whole person seemed to be elegant and refined. No matter how Cheng Zong looked at him, he couldn't match the man in front of him with the fugitive who had sneaked into the Chen family's courtyard with a machete and killed six people.

  "Just back?" Wu Ming stopped two steps in front of Cheng Zong, beads of sweat appeared on his broad forehead, and a hint of a smile hung at the corners of his tightly closed mouth.

  Cheng Zong pointed at Wu Ming's injured arm and head: "How have you been feeling these past two days?"

  "It's much better, the wounds on my arm and head are a bit itchy, all five fingers can move, and the wound on my head is fine too." Wu Ming wanted to say thank you, but felt that a light and casual "thank you" was meaningless, so he could only bury his gratitude in his heart.

  Cheng Zong nodded and looked towards the tall silver ginkgo tree under the distant stone wall: "Do you like that place?"

  He turned back and took a look: "The spring water there is clear and sweet, the forest is wide and the green bamboo is surrounded. Sitting under an ancient tree, thousands of mountains and rivers are all in sight. Before, I didn't pay attention to the mountains and waters around me, but after taking a closer look, I feel that I have neglected many good things."

  Cheng Zong gazed at Wu Ming in surprise, seeing the sincere smile on Wu Ming's face, and couldn't help but smile too: "Sir, your words are elegant and refined, your mind is broad and open, I suppose you must have read a lot of books?"

  Wu Ming was stunned for a moment, and soon smiled at Cheng Zong: "I can barely recognize characters, but I heard from Master Cheng Yuan that Master Cheng Zong could recite the 'Tao Te Ching' at the age of five, started learning the 'Hundred Herb Classic' at six, and began practicing martial arts at seven. Compared to you, I am far behind."

  "This kid Cheng Yuan."

  Cheng Zong felt a bit embarrassed, and he went forward to support Wu Ming with his arm, walking back and forth together. As they walked, he asked with concern: "Your injury hasn't healed yet, especially your hand, the bone hasn't fully recovered, you can't move around too much."

  "Thank you!"

  From then on, Cheng Zong and Wu Ming's conversations gradually increased.

  He never opposed Cheng Zong, Cheng Yuan and Wu Ming being together, nor did he interfere with Cheng Zong giving Wu Ming various books and old newspapers to learn to read. On the contrary, he rarely instructed Cheng Zong:

  "Wu Jia Xiaozi's life is pitiful, from childhood to adulthood he had no relatives or friends. It's said that after being beaten and driven away by the village men when he begged them to teach him martial arts, he hid in his family's backyard mountain and messed around every day, stubbornly persisting for over a decade. This determination is indeed rare. When you have time, pass on a set of health-preserving techniques to help him recover from his injuries as soon as possible, and also to dispel the evil energy from his body."

  As the saying goes, "A hundred days for a bone injury to heal." Three months have passed in the blink of an eye, and Wu Ming's injuries have already healed. He spent the Lower Yuan Festival, Winter Solstice, New Year's Eve, and the Spring Festival with Cheng Zong and Cheng Yuan, and they are getting more and more used to each other's presence. Wu Ming still doesn't talk much like when he first arrived, but there is always a faint smile on his face.

  What left a deep impression on Master Chengzong and his fellow disciples was that Wu Ming had a strong desire for knowledge and an astonishing learning ability. He seemed to have endless questions, and unknowingly learned many things, including calligraphy, the interpretation of Taoist classics such as the "Tao Te Ching", Taoist history, Taoist rituals, and more. He also mastered Taoist health exercises, and during his labor, he would often ask about the local history and current situation of Shangrao and surrounding areas.

  What Master Cheng and his brothers didn't know was that Wu Ming, who appeared calm and gentle on the surface, was actually filled with anxiety and uncertainty in his heart. Every day for three months, Wu Ming spent his days amidst a multitude of emotions and unease, tirelessly seeking knowledge while also thinking deeply about his future.

  Under Chengzong's careful guidance and meticulous teaching, Wu Ming made rapid progress in all aspects, mastering the techniques of Qigong and breathing exercises. In the past few days, when Chengzong pointed out his mistakes, he found that Wu Ming, who had persisted in standing still for over an hour every night, was becoming more stable in his posture, with a stronger foundation under his feet. Moreover, his originally crooked and twisted handwriting had also become much better.

  Although Cheng Zong was amazed by Wu Ming's incredible insight and perseverance, he could see that the clever Wu Ming indeed had "not read many books" as he said, his handwriting was not good enough to be seen, it took nearly two months to get started, and only in the third month did he have a slight spiritual appearance, barely entering the realm of Master Cheng Zhen.

  Every day, when hearing Chengzong's report, the honest Daoist also felt unexpected. Someone like Wu Ming, who started formal learning and practice at the age of 24, made such rapid progress that it was hard to find anyone else in the entire sect who could match him. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he had a superhuman gift. This gave the experienced Daoist an unbelievable feeling, although he already knew Wu Ming's background and felt deeply sympathetic towards this young man with a gentle and polite appearance.

  For some reason, after learning about Wu Ming's latest cultivation progress, the honest Daoist Zheng Zhen instructed Cheng Zong: "Except for calligraphy and ordinary medical skills, don't teach him anything else. Stop at this point, and from now on, it will depend on his own destiny."

  Cheng Zong respectfully replied, but he was very puzzled in his heart. In the past three months, the relationship between him and Wu Ming had undergone a subtle change. Wu Ming's kindness, tolerance, humility, diligence, and unique charm that naturally overflowed from every gesture had been fully recognized and accepted by Cheng Zong. The smile on Cheng Zong's face was more frequent than ever before, and he unknowingly treated Wu Ming as his own brother, just like his younger brother Cheng Yuan did.

  Days passed one by one, and when Wu Ming was seriously considering his future, another important Taoist festival, the Lantern Festival, was about to arrive.

  The tenth day of the first month has just passed, and Master Chengzong and Master Chengyuan have begun to busy themselves with preparations for the Lantern Festival. They sweep and clean the Taoist temple and mountain gate, wipe down ritual objects, and hang colorful flags and banners inside and outside the front and central halls. Additional lanterns, candle holders, and cushions are set up to accommodate the throngs of devotees who will come to burn incense and worship on this day.

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