“Does your directionally challenged mind only remember the way through food?” he asked, his voice devoid of inflection.
Xue Xian nodded. “Yes. Walk more and talk less. It’s almost dawn. Next is a braised pork shop and a restaurant called Baishun. Once we pass those, we’re there!”
Jiang Shining rolled his eyes.
As annoying as Xue Xian was, he’d pointed out the quickest way there. Sure enough, after passing by the restaurant, Jiang Shining caught sight of the ferry crossing cloaked in mist and snow in the distance. Its flag fluttered in the wind, and a few passenger boats were docked by the shore.
Jiang Shining tucked his hands into his sleeves and held them up to cover the paper doll peeking from his clothes. Huddled like that, he walked windward toward the area east of the crossing.
“Wise One, can you sit still and stop moving? If the wind blows you away, I’m not going to retrieve you,” grumbled Jiang Shining.
Xue Xian turned to study the street beside them. After several glances, he clicked his tongue. “I feel like someone is following us.”
Jiang Shining stopped and turned in a circle, surveying his surroundings. “I don’t see anyone suspicious,” he said. “Maybe you’re seeing things from all the snowflakes blowing into your eyes.”
“Maybe,” muttered Xue Xian. He pulled back and forced himself to settle down. If someone was really following them, they’d hear their footsteps crunching in the snow. It didn’t make sense that they’d heard nothing. He must have been overthinking it…
Under Xue Xian’s guidance, Jiang Shining quickly arrived at a secluded compound in the neighborhood. Well, calling it a compound was being generous. From the outside, the yard appeared so small that it resembled a chicken coop. The gates were more of a single, weathered door, with mold creeping into the corners due to humidity. No one had bothered tending to it. Clearly, the household here wasn’t too well off.
“Give it a knock,” said Xue Xian.
Everything Jiang Shining did was full of restraint—even knocking on a door.
Three soft and gentle sounds later, Xue Xian gritted his teeth and said, “Those brothers won’t hear your mosquito taps. One of them is deaf in one ear. Let yourself loose and pound away.”
Resigned, Jiang Shining knocked more forcefully, though he muttered “Sorry, sorry” the whole time.
After a long while, the crunch of footsteps came from inside the courtyard. Perhaps the snow was hindering them, because the steps sounded oddly…unsteady?
“How old are these brothers?” Jiang Shining couldn’t help but ask.
“Oh, the younger brother is about eight or nine, and the elder is around sixteen or seventeen,” Xue Xian replied.
“What? You’re getting a child to tell your fortune?”
Before Jiang Shining could recover, the old wooden door swung inward. A youthful yell came from within the compound.
“Thief! Get lost!”
There was the sound of a loud splash as a large basin of water was hurled at Jiang Shining, drenching him from head to toe before he could react.
Jiang Shining’s body was made of paper. Once soaked, he shuddered and his entire body crumpled to the ground. Tucked in his clothes, Xue Xian fared no better. He landed with a plop on the damp ground, thoroughly drenched. The golden marble he’d been holding rolled away, coming to a halt before the door.
The person inside tossed aside the basin with a crash. After a moment of hesitation, they snatched up the golden marble by the door and tried to close it.
Just as Xue Xian, plastered to the ground, was about to explode in rage and start cursing, a warm hand descended from above and plucked him off the ground.
The familiar scent of medicine, bitter and astringent, hung about that hand. Xue Xian broke out sneezing straight away. With his soggy head drooping and impossible to hold up, he roared, “Bald donkey! Did I dig up your ancestors’ grave or disturb your tomb? Why are you so obsessed with capturing me?! Aren’t you tired after chasing me halfway across the damn country? Huh?!”
“Thank you for your concern. I’m not tired,” Xuanmin said, sounding both cold and indifferent.
Xue Xian saw red as he imagined hacking up blood. He wanted to dunk Xuanmin’s head into the river!
It really was none other than Xuanmin standing next to door of this chicken-coop-like courtyard. While holding the soaking wet paper Xue Xian in one hand, Xuanmin plucked the equally soggy paper Jiang Shining from the ground, then unceremoniously pushed open the door. Striding into the courtyard, he quickly caught the fleeing little thief.
“Don’t covet what isn’t yours,” he said calmly, looking down at whom he’d grabbed. “Return the marble.”
Xuanmin was tall; the thief barely reached his waist, cutting the perfect image of a gangly monkey. He seemed around eight or nine. Hanging by the collar, he flailed around in his panic but couldn’t hit Xuanmin at all.
“Help! Robbery! Ahhhh, let go!” the young boy cried, desperate.
A thief screaming “thief” with such brazenness was certainly a first. Xue Xian had to admire his audacity.
Unfortunately for you, kid, this guy is an under-socialized freak who doesn’t discriminate between gender and age, completely unlike your average monk, Xue Xian thought.
Xuanmin dangled the thief while pulling a talisman from his robe. “Silence,” he said as he slapped it to the crown of the boy’s head.
The vigorous yelling came to an abrupt stop, and the thief’s face slowly flushed crimson from strain as he was forcibly silenced.
Xue Xian pressed a damp hand to his mouth, feeling a tiny bit sorry for the child. Unfortunately, thanks to the soaked, structureless paper forming his body, his hand ended up stuck where he’d pressed it. If he ripped it away, he’d probably lose either a hand or a mouth—dreadful either way.
At that moment, Xuanmin happened to glance over and see Xue Xian locked in that unflattering pose. Speechless, Xue Xian squeezed his eyes shut. A lifetime of reputation, ruined in an instant.
Someone should bring a rope to hang that bald donkey. Then no one will know about this shameful appearance of mine.
Xuanmin returned his attention to the boy he was holding. “Your hands.”
The talisman on the thief’s forehead twitched, and with a defeated look, he extended both hands.
When Xuanmin took the golden marble from the boy, his face flushed from red to a deep scarlet, either from shame or anger, the color crawling all the way down to his neck. Even the rims of his eyes reddened. Yet his expression remained as obstinate as ever, as if he were saying, Beat me to death if you dare!
It really did make fulfilling his request tempting.