The Second Encounter: Searching for the Fragrance Beyond the Dust

  When Taoyao woke up, the sun was already westward. He struggled to sit up and found himself still in the same place, with a figure standing in front of him, shaking and searching, who was none other than Teahouse's Tea Doctor.

  Seeing him wake up, Tea Doctor's frowning face slightly relaxed, saying: "I said the guest officer moved his arm a little, thinking he was going to wake up, and indeed it wasn't wrong."

  The peach blossoms were in full bloom, and the iron chains were scattered all over the ground. The streets were empty, with no one in sight. A large patch of blood stained the ground. He was still dazed and asked vaguely: "Where is the girl?"

  He asked the purple-robed girl, but Tea Doctor misunderstood and said: "Amitabha, your honor's merits are boundless! After you injured Zhou Gongzi, that group of thieves ran away like headless flies. The young girls took advantage of the opportunity to escape and should be safely home by now? Old Wang from next door personally witnessed the scene of you saving people — he said that Zhou Gongzi drew his sword to attack, but your honor released a purple sword light, cutting off his arm on the spot, and then used the sword light to cut through the chains, rescuing the young girls... Earlier, when telling the neighbors, they were all talking excitedly, even more lively than a storytelling session."

  "Are you... saying I hurt Zhou Tian Shuai? Are you certain?"

  The Tea Master sneered: "The little man was only reciting Buddhist scriptures in the inner room and didn't dare take a closer look."

  Tao Yao thought deeply, the more she thought about it, the stranger it seemed. "The common people closed their doors to avoid disaster, none of them saw the shadow of the purple-clothed girl clearly. She helped those in danger and punished the evil, and also saved my life, indeed a kind fairy! She entrusted her feelings through dreams, presumably she favors this heroic young man. Haha...". Previously worried that the dream lover was just an illusion, and afraid that she would be transformed into a demon, at this moment, the fragrance of the wind passed by, with a dignified air, the image of the person in mind was both beautiful and kind. Tao Yao was delighted, drunk with joy, her strength surged, dancing with abandon, even forgetting the pain in her right chest.

  The Tea Master looked around cautiously, took out three baked cakes and handed them to Tao Yuyan, saying: "Sir, please leave quickly, it's not a good idea to be at odds with the Zhou family. Just now, Zhao Baochang from the town informed each household that they should not get involved with you, lest they be held accountable by the authorities in the future. Seeing that you are awake, I, a junior, dare to come forward and offer two pieces of advice - a strong dragon does not fight a local snake, and it's best to leave as one of the thirty-six strategies."

  Tao Yao said: "I've been lying down for half a day, why haven't the government officials and bailiffs come to arrest me?"

  Tea Doctor said: "Even the tyrannical Zhou Gongzi has been stripped of his power, who dares to provoke you now? The Zhou family is now completely still, they must be intimidated by your presence, and the county officials are also watching the situation. You, sir, have an aura that surpasses all others, fearing nothing... but we common people..."

  The peach suddenly enlightened, nodded and said: "Understood, the neighbors are afraid of being implicated, I'll leave now." He stood up with a swing, asked Lu Kuan again, but he had already sneaked away. He smiled lightly, handed the baked cake back to Tea Doctor, turned around and walked into the city.

  The Tea Master slightly revealed a suspicious look and shouted: "You'd better leave the city, take some baked cakes as dry rations!"

  Tao Yanyan shook her head and smiled, "No need to. I haven't had enough fun yet, so I'll go to Zhou Gongzi's house to play for a while." He was a stubborn person who wouldn't let others off easily when he was in the right. If someone else tried to reason with him, even if they were at a disadvantage, he wouldn't get angry; but if they acted recklessly and bullied others, he would take advantage of them mercilessly. Tao Yanyan thought that she had been injured and Zhou Tianxiao's arm had been broken, so it was a fair deal; however, she had also been slapped in the face, and this score must be settled no matter what.

  He walked through the Xinghua Street and onto the South Bridge, where people who saw him were frightened and hastily avoided him. On the other side of the bridge was a bustling market, but Tao's bold advance sent men, women, old and young running for cover, and even shops and restaurants immediately closed their doors. It was as if a tiger had burst into a flock of sheep, or a hurricane had swept through, leaving behind only destruction and chaos.

  The news of Zhou Tian's severe injury had spread like wildfire throughout the city within half a day. Rumormongers exaggerated and women added fuel to the fire, describing Tao Xiaoxiao as a three-headed six-armed demon king. The common people had long been oppressed by the Zhou family and were both resentful and fearful. Suddenly hearing that the Zhou family had encountered their nemesis, they naturally regarded it as a sign of good fortune. Various scenes of shock and panic, with some people mocking and others exaggerating, not only showed reverence but also inadvertently created an aura for the young hero who had punished the strong and supported the weak.

  Peach blossoms were injured and weak, after passing the South Bridge, her legs felt soft. Unfortunately, there was no one around to ask for directions to the Zhou family's location. She struggled on to the riverbank, where a tall building stood before her with a sign that read "Taihefang". The pillars on either side of the entrance were engraved with a couplet: "Jade liquid and fine wine float in the sun and moon, golden basins and silver dice turn the universe upside down." At the bottom was inscribed "Written personally by Zhou Gong of Qingcheng". Downstairs, people were shouting and laughing, while upstairs, cups and plates clinked together. It was clearly a gambling den and tavern combined. The waiters were busy running around, all wearing the distinctive green clothes of the Zhou family servants.

  Tao Xiaoxiao nodded slightly, thinking to herself "This is Zhou Shangyi's business, I shouldn't interfere, it goes against the natural order." With that, she lifted her head high and strode confidently towards the entrance. The martial artists at the gambling den were about to block her way when they saw that she looked exactly like the legendary Demon Head, and hastily retreated in disarray.

  Tao Wanwan thought to herself, "Walking like this is too gentlemanly, I'll show them my heroic spirit!" She turned her body sideways and started walking with a crab-like gait. The gamblers retreated in disarray, their eyes wide with shock. Tao Wanwan stopped in front of the house, looked around, and suddenly shouted: "Hey! This morning, Zhou Tian Shuai owed me thirty slaps. Quickly call that good-for-nothing to come and receive his beating!"

  In an instant, the upstairs and downstairs were as silent as a cicada in winter. Suddenly, someone shouted "Take the money and run quickly", and immediately the gamblers rushed to grab their belongings and escape, while Zhou's men covered their heads and scurried away like mice. Tao Hua Hua let out a few cries of excitement and took advantage of the momentum to climb up to the second floor's luxurious seat. At this moment, all the citizens in the city were afraid of him, and the wine guests looked at him as if they had seen a plague god, shouting and screaming as they scattered like birds and beasts, even the dogs tucked their tails and ran away. Tao Hua Hua turned around a few times, and soon Taihe Lane was empty. He showed off his might, then sat down by the railing with some wine and dishes, enjoying the view while eating and drinking, and after getting full, he lay down in the middle of the gambling table, stretched out his limbs and fell fast asleep.

  She slept for more than half a day, and Tao Xiangxiang slowly woke up, looked around and found no one, smiled and said: "Zhou Shi father and son are timid like mice." She washed her face with clear water, felt a bit clearer in her head, and thought: "The common people are afraid of trouble, the merchants are afraid of disaster, they hide from me and it's understandable. The evil servants of the Zhou family also ran around like rats seeing a cat, they must have received orders from Zhou Shangyi not to offend me in any way. Hehe, I really didn't expect that Old Man Zhou would be so fearful of outsiders."

  It suddenly dawned on him that "they're not afraid of me, but the purple-robed fairy maiden! Zhou Tianxiao understood who had hurt him and why he didn't dare to provoke me - it was because he thought the fairy maiden was my companion."

  He thought of this, and the idea of finding the purple-clothed girl could no longer be suppressed. He muttered to himself: "Zhou Tianxiao slapped me in the face, I messed up his family's gambling den, it was a good deal. Continuing to blindly entangle is meaningless, finding the fairy is more important." Remembering Wang Banshan's words, he decided to believe that she existed, and so he left Taihefang, walking quickly through the streets and alleys until he reached the west of the city. He saw that the city gate was still open, fortunately it had not been closed yet.

  At this time, the sun had set halfway, and the dusk was just beginning to appear. Taoyan left the city and headed west on foot, without worrying about where he would stay for the night. After walking for about seven or eight miles, his injury recurred, and he coughed up blood and water from his mouth. He bent over and panted for a long time before getting up again, feeling dizzy and disoriented. Looking around, he saw that the forest shadows were dense and the rocks were steep and rugged, making it difficult to distinguish east, west, south, or north. He stretched out his foot to feel his way, taking one step and swaying three times, walking on flat terrain, but unexpectedly found himself gradually entering a dense thicket of trees.

  In the mountains and forests of Shu, there are many mists, and it is said that spirits and monsters often appear. Traveling merchants must travel in groups during the day, and at night, no one dares to venture out. The poet Li Bai lamented the evil spirits of Ba-Shu, saying "In the morning, avoid fierce tigers, in the evening, avoid long snakes, grinding teeth and sucking blood, as numerous as hemp". But Tao Yaoyao acts only on feeling, carefree and at ease, although she got lost on the road at night, she still plucked up her courage to grope forward.

  After a while, the clouds dispersed and the moon appeared. The dark forest was dappled with shadows. The leaves rustled, the branches swayed back and forth, as if they had come to life. Tao Yaoyao felt a chill on her back, hugged her elbows and shrugged her shoulders, thinking "They say there are many ghosts and monsters in the Sichuan mountains, what should I do if I encounter one?"

  Just as he was thinking, a shadow flickered at the edge of the mountain rock, and a white, round, plate-like thing appeared, with a mouth that seemed to be grinning. Taoyan was shocked and secretly cried out "Oh no! I've really encountered a ghost! Should I run for my life?" But it was pitch black all around, where could he escape to? He took a deep breath, steeled himself and slowly approached the white round monster, which was shaking with a terrifying expression.

  The cat's waist was bent, its back hunched, and it secretly gave itself a boost of confidence. "I'm doing the right thing, I'm walking the right path, I'm not afraid of ghosts knocking on my door at midnight. What about the yin and yang being different paths? Is it possible that it's not afraid of me? Never mind, those who take action first will be strong, while those who act later will suffer. Wait for this Taoist master to display his skills and drive away the evil spirits!" Picking up a stone, he used all his might to hurl it at the monster, hitting its face squarely. All that could be heard was a loud "waaah" cry, a mournful sound like the squealing of a pig being slaughtered.

  Taoyao burst into laughter and said, "Indeed, evil cannot defeat righteousness! Evil spirit, taste my 'Sole of the Foot Divine Skill' again!" She quickly jumped over the rocks and rushed up to kick her foot fiercely. The monster rolled around, suddenly shouting in a human voice: "Save me, save me! The fierce ghost is killing people!"

  Tao Yao took two steps back, her eyes fixed on the figure. A man was lying on the ground, his pants slipped down to his knees, and the moonlight illuminated his buttocks, making them gleam brightly in the darkness. The forest was quiet and still, but this strange scene was even more eerie than encountering a ghost. Tao Yao was on her guard, and she shouted: "Hey! Who are you?"

  That person heard the other party's question and calmed down a bit, saying: "You... you're not a ghost?"

  Tao Yao said: "I'm asking you, what's the point of taking off your pants and showing your butt in the wilderness?"

  That man slowly got up, tied his belt and said: "I have been suffering from indigestion, with food accumulating and blocking my intestines. So I was looking for a place to unblock it. I didn't mean to bump into you, elder brother, forgive me, forgive me."

  "Pulling shit is just pulling shit, this guy has a heavy scholarly air." At this point, he also made a fist to apologize. When asked for his name, the man was called Jiang Xianqin, and indeed he was a scholar. As they spoke, torches suddenly flashed in the forest, and six men wearing square scarves emerged. Together with Jiang Xianqin, they were all scholars from eastern Sichuan who had come to take the exam. Because they encountered rain on the way and delayed their journey, the scholars feared that they would miss the examination period, so they hurriedly crossed mountains and ridges to rush to the provincial city.

  Everyone saw that Jiang Xian was safe and sound, and they all let out a sigh of relief, exclaiming "A noble man's virtue is revered by heaven and earth" and other such phrases. Afterwards, they led Peach Blossom to the lodging place, where they saw several large and small green stones, with a fire burning brightly in the middle. The scholars gathered around the fire to rest, politely deferring to one another for a long time before finally sitting down in order of age. The elderly man in the center was named Dong Zhongzhong, who wore a blue silk hat, had a face like old tree bark, and sported a majestic goat-like beard that fluttered in the wind, giving off an air of scholarly dignity. When asked about Peach Blossom's surname, origin, and hometown, she replied briefly.

  There was a scholar named Jiang Wenqing who read Tao's name twice and said, "Respected brother travels alone at night in the desolate mountains, showing great courage. But why did you take a woman's name? If you fill in your name on the exam paper tomorrow, won't the examiner laugh when they see it? It would be better to change it."

  Tao Yao said with a straight face: "The name my mother gave me, I'd rather people laugh at it than change it."

  Jiang Wenqing pursed his lips and shook his head, pretending to poke at the firewood, humming in his nose: "The peach blossoms are delicate and beautiful, their splendor is dazzling... The young master returns home, it's suitable for his family..."

  This is a sentence from the Book of Songs, which means 'a beautiful girl like a peach blossom, just right to be someone's daughter-in-law'. Jiang Wenqing has a sharp tongue and has always had the habit of 'literati belittling each other'. Reciting these two lines of poetry was actually mocking Tao Niannian's name for being neither masculine nor feminine.

  But before Tao could get angry, Mr. Dong Zhi Zhong changed his face and said: "Brother Wen Qing reads the books of saints and sages, why does he speak with evil words, which is a shame to literature!"

  Jiang Wenqing lowered his head in shame and didn't dare to retort. Tao Yaoyao asked strangely, "How can the poem from Shi Jing be evil?"

  Dong Zhi Zhong glanced at him and said, "Apart from the Four Books, all other things are heretical and deviant! The Book of Songs is indeed the first of the Five Classics, but Zhu Xi once said that 'the so-called Feng in the Book of Songs refers to the songs and ballads sung by men and women in the alleys, each expressing their emotions.' When writing eight-legged essays, can one's mind be calm and focused on learning with those romantic words? What is literature for? The sage said 'virtuous people are easy to get along with', we scholars value our profession above all else, female charm is the most filthy and evil, absolutely cannot be tainted!"

  Many scholars nodded and praised the old gentleman's good conduct, deeply understanding the true meaning of "thinking without evil". Tao Xiangxiang leaned close to Jiang Xian's ear and whispered: "Is Mr. Dong's virtue as upright at home with his wife?"

  Jiang Xianqin didn't catch the sarcasm, and honestly replied: "Zhu Zhong Mr. has been diligent since childhood, determined not to take the imperial examination and never marry. After taking the exam more than 40 times without passing, he is still single."

  Tao nodded slightly, thinking to herself "The old man must have gone crazy from taking too many exams, it's actually kind of pitiful."

  Dong Zhizhong asked him again about his studies and which master he followed. Tao Xiaoxiao replied that he had never participated in the imperial examination, and as a child, he read "Tang Poetry" and "Song Ci" with his mother. As he grew older, he also studied the classics of Laozi, and touched on music, chess, calligraphy, painting, military books, and geography. Dong Zhizhong listened to Tao Xiaoxiao's nonsense and didn't bother with him again since he wasn't even a child prodigy. The other scholars also showed disdain on their faces. Jiang Wengong snorted, "What Tang Poetry and Song Ci? Only women in our hometown read such idle books. Your mother taught you extensively, but did she teach you 'Nü Er Jing' or 'Lie Nu Zhuan'?"

  Jiang Xianqin hastily pulled Jiang Wengong's sleeve, hinting not to offend others. However, Tao Wanwan looked down dejectedly, as if her secrets had been exposed. The crowd showed no restraint, shaking their heads and engaging in lofty discussions, while also opening up their damp foot wrappings to dry them. Suddenly, the stench and acidic smell filled the air, and the scholars were all equally affected. Tao Wanwan was so overwhelmed that she felt nauseous, her chest aching, and her head spinning, leaning against a tree stump and dozing off.

  Suddenly, the eastern horizon flashed with lightning, and a few muffled thunderclaps sounded. The rain poured down in torrents. Everyone scrambled to find shelter under a large tree, but unfortunately, the autumn rain seeped through the leaves, soaking everyone to the bone. Tao Yao's hair was drenched, but she felt somewhat refreshed and suggested that they quickly find a village to take refuge in, or else the heavy rain would be unbearable. The scholars all agreed. Jiang Xian led the way with his compass, indicating the direction. Everyone packed up their belongings and supported each other as they headed out of the mountain pass.

  After turning over two or three mountain passes, the lights in front flickered. As we approached, we saw that two tile-roofed houses were built beside the mountain. In front of the house was a bamboo fence, and behind it were mulberry trees swaying gently. A wooden sign hung from the eaves - "Dust-Free Pavilion", which looked very elegant and quiet. A warm fragrance wafted over, and the scholars' minds were filled with joy. Only Tao Yaoyao felt suspicious, thinking to herself: "In this desolate mountain wilderness, where there are no signs of human habitation either in front or behind, why is this house built so prominently?"

  Among the crowd was a man named Lu Chao, who pushed open the bamboo door first and shouted: "Is the master of the house disturbing? Students taking refuge from the rain to take an exam, I don't know if it's allowed?"

  As soon as the words fell, there was a "ding-dong" sound in the house, and a fragrance wafted to his face. The door creaked open, and he heard a soft voice: "Honorable guest, I didn't welcome you properly, please come in quickly." At the door stood a young woman with a slender figure, delicate waist, and beautiful features like Chang'e from a painting. She lowered her head, stretched out her hand, and politely ushered the guest into the house.

  As soon as everyone stepped across the threshold, they looked around. Their eyes were filled with jade carvings and gold decorations, carved beams and painted rafters, even the floor was made of green bamboo boards. The eight immortals' tables were arranged in the room, incense burners stood in the corners, and a wisp of blue smoke was rising. The scholars' gazes moved, and suddenly they stared blankly at the young woman. She wore a five-phoenix golden hairpin on her head, a light green silk skirt around her waist, and only wore a sleeveless jacket on top, revealing her smooth and delicate skin like condensed fat. As she walked with lotus steps, her slender body was revealed, and the two jade peaks slightly trembled. The various enchanting and seductive places could only be sensed, but were hard to express in words.

  Outside, the wind is bleak and the rain is cold, but inside, there is a beautiful sight to feast one's eyes on. The scholars are enchanted as if in a dream world, introducing themselves by name and origin. The young lady summons two white-clad boys, instructing them to set out stools and wipe down the tables, saying: "My humble abode is simple, I hope you gentlemen won't think it too rustic."

  Lu Chao made a bow and said: "I have disturbed your wife, please come out, master, so we can talk."

  The young woman's face turned red with shame, and she said: "My surname is Su, my humble name is Zhongyu. I was privately married to Yang Tongpan of Chengdu Prefecture in the past year. My husband is busy with official duties, and the first wife is jealous, so he built this 'Dust-Free Pavilion' for me to guard day and night. The judge comes every month, but not tonight."

  Many scholars nodded when they heard this, and Yang Tong's judgment became famous in Chengdu, and his reputation spread throughout the province. Jiang Xianqin whispered: "Nowadays, the social trend is like this, officials in the provincial capital do not take concubines, but are fond of hiding beauties in golden houses outside the city, commonly known as '****'. What this girl said is indeed true."

  "In books there are golden houses, in books there are jade maidens; the ancients were indeed not deceiving me."

  In a moment, the white-clad children brought dish after dish: old ginseng stewed whole goose, fresh bamboo shoots sautéed with golden carp, cherry duck tongue soup, chestnut-roasted chicken, crab roe buns, crystal shrimp and so on, as well as several seasonal fruits. The large and small plates filled the Eight Immortals table, but it was still cramped, so they moved a sandalwood table to join them, only then did they finish arranging the banquet. Su Zhongyu personally poured wine, holding the wine jug and laughing: "Honored guests have arrived, I have nothing worthy of respect, this village wine and wild vegetables will suffice as a token of welcome, please take your seats."

  The crowd of scholars were stunned, no one moved. Old Mr. Dong Zhi Zhong's face was solemn, he swung his sleeve and turned to walk out the door. Jiang Wenqing and others pulled him back, trying to persuade him with kind words. The old man glared and shouted "How can women be alone with male guests drinking wine?" "Men and women should not be intimate" and other such grand principles. Just as they were pulling him back, suddenly someone praised: "Good wine, good meat! Color, fragrance, and flavor are all perfect!"

  Everyone turned their heads to look, but saw that Tao had already sat down at the table, holding a cup in his left hand and chopsticks in his right, eating and drinking with gusto. Su Zhongyu exclaimed: "Young Master Tao is so free and easy, what a refreshing personality!"

  Her mouth was stuffed with fish, and she said vaguely: "Don't get too familiar, we're not relatives or friends. This meal is on me, I owe Miss Su, and I'll return the favor next time." After finishing speaking, she took a big bite, without looking sideways, thinking to herself: "This woman's appearance is beautiful, but unfortunately, she has a flirtatious attitude, artificial and pretentious. Compared to my purple-robed fairy, she's simply too common."

  A group of scholars huddled together, discussing in a low voice. Jiang Wengui wanted to stay, Dong Zhizhong wanted to leave, and the others were indecisive. At this moment, the door creaked outside, and a small girl with a basket on her back came in, looking like she was 11 or 12 years old, with a small braid on her head and mud spots all over her face. As soon as she entered the house, she shouted: "I am the granddaughter of Jialangzhong from Lingqian, I'm exhausted from picking herbs, can I rest my feet at your place?"

  Su Zhongyu's face sank, her eyebrows inverted, and she shouted: "Where did this wild girl come from? Get out!" The white-clothed boy rolled up his sleeves and roughly pushed the little girl. Tao Yaya quickly got up to stop him, saying: "Miss Su, aren't you known for being a good host? Why do you only like male guests? You're so fierce towards this little kid. If you're going to be so cruel, why don't you just drive us all out?"

  Su Zhongyu's face turned slightly red, and she feared that the scholars would leave. She signaled to the servant boy to retreat with a glance, and muttered: "A village girl is like a wild herb, how can she be mentioned in the same breath as a scholar?"

  Tao Yao didn't pay attention to her, helped the little girl put down her basket, pulled her to sit on a stool and asked: "Little sister, what's your name? Why are you alone in the mountain picking herbs?"

  The little girl said: "My name is Qiao Er. My family is poor, and if we don't pick herbs, we won't have food to eat." Seeing the table full of greasy food, she reached out and grabbed a chicken leg, and without hesitation, took a big bite.

  "Alright, food comes first! Filling our bellies is the most important thing. You and I have similar temperaments."

  "Of course, if there's meat and you don't eat it, you're a big fool!"

  The scholars were embarrassed and flustered, enduring hunger and cold only to be ridiculed by children. What kind of etiquette is this? Jiang Wengong grew anxious and said: "Now that there are two women inside the house, doesn't that count as 'female relatives present'? Master Kong, Confucius could keep his promise to Nanzi, why can't you?" The crowd chimed in, saying that the hostess's generosity was hard to refuse, and they shouldn't be stubborn. Dong Zhongzhong's stomach growled with hunger, and his moral principles couldn't overcome the fire of hunger inside him. After a moment of hesitation, he finally remained silent.

  The scholars took the opportunity to surround Mr. Dong and enter the seat, each other modestly yielding seats, and talked a lot of nonsense. Su Zhongyu was delighted and smiled, serving dishes and pouring wine back and forth. After a while, everyone sat down, said "have a meal", and simultaneously put down their chopsticks, just like the wind sweeping away the clouds, the food in the plates was already empty for more than half. The scholars were full of wine and rice, but still refused to leave their seats, holding their wine cups and chatting idly. Jiang Wengong praised that after all...

  "Sir, your questions are well-learned and your words are well-written."

  Jiang Wenqing flattered, "Mr. Zhong is a great talent in eastern Sichuan, with exceptional literary and moral character, a rarity in hundreds of years. Every governor who has come to Fuzhou and Wanxian has made it a point to visit Mr. Zhong as soon as they take office, seeking his advice on how to promote culture and education. At the end of every autumn, those students who have passed the imperial examination would come to thank their teacher, bringing with them plaques, silk banners, enough to fill three large rooms."

  Su Zhongyu opened her beautiful eyes, with a look of surprise and delight on her face, saying: "I have always regretted that I didn't read more books. In my life, I most admire the talented scholars who are well-read. Mr. Dong is refined in his inner nature and solid in his outer demeanor, with an extraordinary bearing, truly a renowned scholar and a brilliant talent. No wonder when I saw him for the first time, I felt a deep respect and admiration for him!"

  Dong Zhizhong was sixty years old, and for the first time he heard a woman mention the word "love" to him. He became excited, his nose turned red, and his eyes narrowed into two slits. Qiao'er sat close to Tao Yaya and saw this, not understanding, and quietly asked: "Tao Dage, what are they talking about?"

  Peach whispered to her ear: "It's all nonsense, you little kid, don't interfere." Suddenly realized, staring straight at Qiaoer, asked: "How did you know my surname is Peach?"

  "Look at you and I can tell. Your face is as rosy as a peach blossom, not only do you have the surname Tao (peach), but you're also about to experience good fortune with the ladies."

  The peach blossoms were in full bloom, and she was puzzled by the sudden surprise. She carefully examined her cleverness and suddenly felt that her eyes were shining brightly, rolling back and forth. Then she touched her own forehead, what peach blossoms?

  On the other side, Su Zhongyu was already getting along famously with the scholars, gradually bringing up topics like "talented men are sentimental" and "beautiful women are lonely". Jiang Wengeng and a few others, relying on their wine courage, took advantage of the opportunity to get close to her, rubbing shoulders and touching arms, making Su Zhongyu giggle nonstop. At the height of the romance, Jiang Wengeng stretched his waist lazily and said with relish: "Ah, common sayings are indeed good... 'When one is full and warm...'".

  Before the two words were out, Dong Zhizhong's face turned stern and he let out a "hmmph", slamming his hand on the table, overturning half a bowl of leftover soup. The scholars were shocked and stunned, bewildered. Su Zhongyu guessed that Dong Zhizhong was jealous, so she walked forward, grabbed his wrist, and said in a gentle voice: "Dong Lang, why are you angry? You scared me, my heart is racing, I don't believe it, touch it." She then flipped over his hand and pressed it to her chest. Dong Zhizhong had never experienced such bliss before, and on the spot, his eyes went wide, he foamed at the mouth, the top of his head opened a gap, and his three souls and seven spirits all flew away.

  Tao Yaoyao hastily covered Xiao Er's face with her hand, saying "It's not suitable for children to see this." Suddenly she felt dizzy and wanted to go outside to look at the rain, but her legs were soft and weak, unable to exert any strength.

  Qiao'er whispered, "The wine just now is called 'Entwining Silk Soft Tendon Dew'. After drinking six cups, one's mind becomes muddled and confused. Pretend to sleep and don't move." She took out a few leaves from her backpack and placed them under Taoyan's nose. Taoyan suddenly felt refreshed and clear-headed, the intoxication completely gone, even the pain in his chest had disappeared. He knew that Qiao'er was no ordinary person, so he followed her instructions and pretended to fall asleep on the table.

  Many talented scholars couldn't move their feet, but only indulged in merriment and foolishness, without a hint of caution. Su Zhongyu smiled and said: "If you drink my wine, you must also drink my tea; otherwise, you can't leave this door."

  In the old saying, "Wine is a matchmaker, and tea is a marriage broker." When men and women talk about 'drinking tea', it means getting married. After everyone had drunk the fine wine and heard these suggestive words, they immediately began to flatter each other. Su Zhongyu said: "The teahouse is narrow, only two people can sit opposite each other, Mr. Dong is a man of high moral character, let's go with him to sober up first." Dong Zhi Zhong glanced sideways, even more pleased than the champion scholar, and supported Su Zhongyu's shoulder, half-leaning and half-embracing, and went into the inner bedroom.

  The red candle had burned halfway, and Su Zhongyu returned to the main room. She saw that her eyes were dim, her face was flushed with spring, and her breathing still carried a gentle gasp. In a soft voice, she said: "After all, I'm an old man, and after two rounds, I surrendered. Alas, I'm not satisfied yet, who will come to take over?" The scholars were itching with frustration, drawing lots to decide the order, Jiang Xianqin was lucky enough to get the second place, and also hugged the beauty into the inner room "to drink tea and sober up".

  After going back and forth several times, the sky was already dimly lit. The scholars responded one by one at dawn, each with no return. In the end, only Tao Yao Yao was left lying on the table pretending to sleep, and Qiao Er still guarded her side. Su Zhongyu walked out, glared at Qiao Er with hatred, coldly laughed a few times, and floated out of the house.

  Qiao'er's face turned difficult to look at, she thought for a moment, and lowered her voice: "She challenged me, I'll just exchange a few moves with her. Tao Da Ge, you stay put and don't move rashly, or your life will be in danger." She pulled something out of her sleeve and stuffed it into Tao's hand, saying "This is for you, carry it with you to ward off evil spirits. The reason that woman was afraid of me just now was because of this thing."

  The tender peach blossom took a closer look, and the green jade plaque was shaped like a bamboo slip, heavy as gold, with the character "镇" engraved in the middle. He guessed it must be a treasure of the immortal family, and hastily said: "You gave it to me, how can you do it yourself? This thing can drive away evil spirits, you'd better keep it for its intended use."

  "Shut up, you annoying ghost! It's not like it's worth anything valuable. I'll just go back and ask Heavenly Master to re-carve one for me. If you keep being stubborn and disobedient, I'll stick a 'bad luck charm' on you and make you unlucky and miserable for the rest of your life! Hmph." Although she was scolding him, her voice was crisp and clear, like the tinkling of silver bells. She stomped her foot, twisted her waist, and flew out of the room.

  Peach blossom bud stuffed the token into her bosom, thinking of Xiao Duo's childish and innocent expression, as well as the "senior brother" she mentioned - if there is a senior brother, then there must be a sect, whose disciple is she? Suddenly remembering Dong Zhong and others, what kind of situation did they encounter? What is their current situation like? The young man was curious, couldn't help but think about it, forgot Xiao Duo's reminder, stood up and stretched his legs, and quietly moved towards the back.

  The main house is connected to the corridor, with several side houses on both sides. When the door was opened, everything inside was empty. Tao Xiaoxiao muttered, "Strange, a few big living people disappeared without a trace. Could it be that they were eaten by Su Zhongyu? Eating people without spitting out bones, what kind of monster is that woman?"

  In her heart, she was suspicious again, and then walked into the room to examine it carefully. She felt all around the walls and corners, but didn't even find any footprints of the scholars. Taoyan stood still in the middle of the room, holding her breath and thinking quietly. Suddenly, she heard a faint rustling sound, like rainwater sprinkling on sandy ground. Following the sound, she found a wooden frame standing in the corner of the wall, with several beautiful silk fabrics hanging from it. Underneath was placed a fine bamboo sieve, which when opened revealed a layer of mulberry leaves and silkworms inside, as well as a few moths laying eggs. The strange sound like rain was actually the rustling noise made by the silkworms eating the mulberry leaves.

  "Raising silkworms and weaving brocade, Su **** is diligent in her work as a woman, and has the demeanor of a good housewife." Suddenly, her smile froze, and she stared fixedly at the bamboo sieve, a look of terror creeping into her eyes.

  There were originally seven silkworms in the sieve, not more or less. Their white and plump bodies twisted back and forth, just like a scholar shaking his head. Taoyan's hair stood on end as she thought to herself, "Could it be that all the scholars have been transformed into insects?" She looked closely and saw that one of the silkworms had yellow skin with wrinkles, and was particularly ugly. On its head, it wore a small green object, about the size of a fingernail cover, with faintly visible corners - it was actually Dong Zhongshu's green silk scholar's hat!

  "Ah, the silkworm is also pretending to be a learned old man, what a fierce and evil magic!" Taohuayuan shouted. He flung his arm and flipped over the bamboo sieve. The silkworm immediately flew up and sprayed out white silk threads, which shot onto Taohuayuan's arm. The silk threads grew longer in the wind and wrapped around his body. He jumped and struggled to free himself but couldn't escape, and even his arms were tightly bound. In a panic, he cried out: "Qia'er little fairy, quickly save Big Brother Tao..." As soon as he opened his mouth, the white silk stuck to his upper and lower lips, sealing them shut. Now only his two legs could still move. Taohuayuan rushed out of the door and fled in a panic, dizzily running into the kitchen behind the house. The white silk quickly extended from his thighs to his ankles, and without warning, his toes kicked against his heels, causing him to fall forward with a thud.

  Compared to the main house, the kitchen was crude and chaotic, with wood chips scattered all over the floor and the walls smoked yellow-black. When Tao Yao fell down, her head was close to the slop bucket, and the sour smell rushed into her nose, so she quickly turned her head towards the wall. She saw a small hole at the base of the wall, probably used as a drain for wastewater. She didn't care about the dirtiness, leaned in close to the hole to breathe, and suddenly saw a woman in white standing in the empty space outside, who looked like Su Zhongyu but had a gloomy complexion, almost like two different people from just before.

  Su Zhongyu's eyes stared straight ahead, frozen for a long time, before suddenly breaking into a cold smile: "The granddaughter of Jia Langzhong, how much longer do you think you can hide? Come out now!"

  Across the empty space, only the sound of Xiao Er's laughter echoed: "I'm Sun Girl, the fake Langzhong! I have skills! Silkworm girl, let's play hide-and-seek." The voice drifted suddenly, sometimes far and sometimes near, without a fixed location.

  Su Zhongyu sneered, "A small obstacle-creating technique, daring to show off in front of me. Hmph, Red Locust, is the activation tube ready?" As soon as she finished speaking, a white-robed child ran out from the Dustless Pavilion, holding a bamboo tube and saying, "The Rootless Water has been loaded into the activation tube, please use it, Your Majesty!"

  The fire extinguisher is just water, an old device for preventing fires. The rootless water refers to rainwater that has not fallen to the ground, and after being catalyzed by a magic spell, it can dispel many illusions. Tao Yuyan had dabbled in various studies and had read several Daoist classics, so she had some knowledge of Daoist techniques. She thought to herself, "What's the use of such a small fire extinguisher? The rootless water can't spray more than three feet away, how can it break through the hidden body technique?"... Qiao'er called Su Zhongyu 'Cángròuzǐ' (Silkworm Maiden), it seems that was her real name.

  The silkworm girl took over the spray gun, her eyes gleaming with a wicked light, and she began to chant an incantation. Cui'er seemed very frightened, and pleaded in a sorrowful voice: "Good mother, merciful mother, please don't spray! You're so beautiful and lovely, how can you use such a fierce instrument?"

  "Stinky girl, you've ruined my good deed! It's too late to beg for mercy now!" With her true energy concentrated in her dantian, she pushed the cylinder rod, and a jet of water vapor shot into the air, rapidly spreading out in all directions. Tao Yaya saw this and secretly exclaimed, "Oh no, the water droplets are being held back by her true energy, dispersing without falling, and Xiao'er will reveal herself if even one drop sticks to her."

  At this time, Silkworm Maiden's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and she suddenly felt a foul smell assaulting her nostrils, as if it was coming from the mist. She was naturally clean and couldn't help but feel suspicious, and her true energy became disordered. The mist condensed into water droplets, "Whoosh" pouring down like a sudden rain shower. Silkworm Maiden sniffed at her drenched clothes, and a strong smell of urine wafted up, making her retch. In a stern voice, she said: "Red Locust, what kind of water did you use?"

  The young man in white was flustered, scratching his ears and cheeks, saying: "...... The jar with no roots water is right next to the toilet. The princess called out urgently, I...I was busy and confused, maybe I mistakenly put the root water into the toilet."

  The silkworm girl was furious and scolded: "You're pulling your mother's leg! What is this 'root water'? How dare you deceive me, I'll feed you to the ants when I turn around!" She raised her hand and gave him a slap on the ear, sending the locust flying into the air like stars.

  Qiao'er burst out laughing, "Hahaha, I told you so! You shouldn't have sprayed it, but you didn't listen. Now Xiangniangzi has become Chou Niangzi. Alas, not listening to Qiao'er's words, the trouble is right in front of your eyes."

  The silkworm girl's face turned iron-green, and she said sternly: "You stinky little girl, you're asking for death, don't blame me for being heartless when you become a ghost! Qing Die, bring the golden soul-collecting vase, I'll collect this dead girl's spirit!"

  The other little boy ran out at the sound, his footsteps pattering, holding a black thing in his arms, with a round hole on top, looking three-tenths like a wine jar and seven-tenths like a leather bag.

  "Hey, you've got it wrong! It's always been the gods who capture demons, never the other way around!"

  The silkworm girl sneered, "Qingying is a strange insect born from the spiritual energy of gold and silver, most skilled in refining the treasure that steals souls. The golden bottle hooks the soul and captures the spirit, let alone you, a little yellow-haired girl, even true immortals can't escape..." While speaking threateningly, she reached back to take her treasure. Unexpectedly, as soon as her right hand entered the round hole of the object, it was like being stabbed by ten thousand needles, and the silkworm girl let out a pained "ah yo" and jumped up in surprise. The skin bag "wuu wuu" shook loudly, and dozens of bees flew out densely.

  The red locust was beaten and felt wronged, seeing the green locust also made a mistake, he immediately scolded: "I told you to bring the soul-gathering treasure, but you brought a beehive instead. You dare to deceive the queen, wait for the centipede to eat you!"

  The green caterpillar said in a low voice, "I was just practicing my new form and I'm not good at speaking yet... um... the bottle... it's small and slippery... the queen called me when I was picking mulberry leaves and I accidentally dropped it... the bottle fell into the beehive." He hastily threw away the beehive, but coincidentally a horsefly flew by, and he flapped his hand to shoo it away, but ended up hitting the silkworm queen's buttocks instead. He apologized incoherently: "I... I'm the one who should die, Your Majesty... not you..."

  Two little demons were quarreling and fighting, while the Silkworm Maiden's clothes were torn to shreds. Her delicate body trembled in the wind, a truly pitiful sight. At this moment, she suppressed her shame and anger, opened her mouth and sprayed out her true energy, dispersing the horseflies and turning the two children around to see that on their backs were stuck yellow paper slips, each with the vermilion characters "bad timing" and "unlucky fate".

  "Ha! Not unexpected. You people are making mistakes left and right, it's no wonder you're having bad luck, you've fallen into Xiaoyao's trap!" She tore up the talismans, her face towards the dark forest, and slowly said: "Xiaoyao, you're a disciple of Emei Sect's Bu Chou Gate, aren't you? I underestimated you, my eyes are not as keen as they used to be."

  The green caterpillar looked at the scraps of paper and said, "I get it! When we pushed her out the door, she secretly stuck yellow paper on our backs... That's why we're unlucky. What a powerful spell! The Emei Not-Stinky Gate, where doesn't stink? I don't understand."

  "Big idiot! It's the Bu Chou Gate! The Emei Sect is the orthodox school of Xuanmen, which is divided into nine gates of Xuan techniques. The Bu Chou Gate can control the trend of fortune, from the luck of a country to the luck of an individual, all can be changed. We were just unlucky everywhere, it was that little girl who turned our luck around!"

  Qiao'er's magic was seen through, and she secretly felt a shock. She said, "Since you recognize me, why do you still dare to compete with me? Hurry up and escape with your lives! The Emei disciples will spare you!"

  The silkworm girl sneered, "Three years ago, I would have avoided the Emei disciples. But now that the Eastern Divine Path has allied with the Overseas Demon Emperor and invaded the Central Plains, the Emei Sect is on the verge of destruction. Who still fears you? Little girl, even if I exhaust my magical powers, I will capture you alive and flay you! " After finishing her words, she puffed out her cheeks, condensed her energy, and revealed the blue veins on her forehead. A white light flashed between her lips - that was the silkworm girl's inner elixir, which she had cultivated for many years. She deployed her protective treasure, apparently ready to fight to the death.

  As the inner elixir rose, a dark cloud rolled in, with flying sand and rocks, making an even more astonishing scene. The hair of the silkworm girl suddenly spread out, stretching in all directions like a giant net. Peach was extremely anxious, hoping that Qiao would escape quickly. However, several strands of hair touched Qiao's calf, pulling her down to the ground. The invisible illusion disappeared, and Qiao's body was exposed, being dragged towards the silkworm girl by the hair.

  Qiao'er struggled with all her might and shouted loudly: "Snow sister! Snow sister! If you don't take action, Qiao'er will turn into a silkworm baby!"

  In an instant, a sword light flashed in the forest, like a meteor streaking across the sky. Only to hear the sound of "crackling" like tearing silk, thousands of hair strands were cut off at once, and Caniangzi fell to the ground with a thud. The two boys were also exposed by the sword light, turning into a green cicada and a red grasshopper respectively, trembling and crawling away.

  At some unknown time, there was an additional person in the empty space. Only a purple shirt fluttered, a slender shadow swayed, beauty comparable to a heavenly fairy, pure and clean like a proud plum blossom, delicate jade fingers gently stretched out, reaching towards Xiao Er's body.

  Her lips were dry and her tongue was parched, with a heart that almost burst out of her chest. She couldn't speak a word, but in her heart she exclaimed "It's her! It's her! Her name actually has the character 'snow'!"