When daybreak came, Mingyun woke up and carried her luggage. Her makeshift linen bag contained two spare Taoist monk uniforms, a spare pair of indigo Tai Chi shoes, and a set of wooden hygiene utensils such as a comb, toothbrush, etc. She also held the pouch full of bean cakes in her hands. Her grinning face made the other disciples sadder.
At the entrance of the dilapidated temple, Mingyun bid her junior brothers farewell. She also waved her hands towards the master and the Elders. "I will be back in a week!" She shouted to them and hurried down the mountain.
"Take care, Senior Sister!"
"Don't forget your promises!"
The nine youths shouted back.
"Alright." Mingyun let out a beaming smile and started walking.
The people waited until Mingyun disappeared from their sight before dispersing.
"Don't forget your punishments!" The elder in charge of bestowing punishments looked at the rascals in the corner and reminded them.
The youths lined up and went back to their rooms to start their three days of closed-door cultivation.
On the main study of the head abbot, an elder came in and saw the Master's face very solemn while holding a broken copper mirror. If Mingyun was here, she would have recognized it immediately, as it was the same mirror the Ancestor held on that fateful night.
"Master, are Mingyun's matters worrying you?" the elder, holding a small, exquisite velvet box with an envelope full of fragrance, asked. The head abbot immediately put down the broken copper mirror inside the wooden chest.
"She is very smart and responsible. I'm sure she'll have no problem at all," the head abbot replied.
"Yes, although she causes trouble. She's very conscientious in doing tasks." The elder agreed and suddenly remembered why he came here today. He handed the box to the head abbot and said, "Those tall western guys in suits came today and delivered it. They said it was for the Mingyun."
The Abbot opened the box and was silent. His eyes were fixed on the golden card, phone, cash, and identification card with Mingyun's name. He rubbed his brows in speechlessness. "I forgot that the outside world is different from our temple."
The elder also understood his worries and suggested, "Do you need one of us to fetch her?"
"No need, however, do you know how to use this? I recalled the villagers on the east side holding one alike and calling it a phone." The Abbot fiddled with the gadget in concentration and asked.
The elder also inspected the object and was at a loss: "I'm afraid I don't."
Both the old men sighed and went out to ask the people in the temple. Unfortunately, those rascals were banned from taking a step outside their rooms; otherwise, they would fight and clamor to operate the phone.
Meanwhile, Mingyun happily munched on the bean cakes from time to time. Her form created an afterimage as she speedily completed the hike down from the top. Her two lovely eyes squinted as she savored the sweet aftertaste. She counted the cakes left and closed the pouch, enduring the temptation to eat one more. There is still a week before she can refill.
She whistled a tune and walked forward until she reached the foot of the mountain. She saw a dirt road and stood by, waiting for the carts to pass by.
After waiting for a while, a horse pulling a cart stopped in front of her. The old man eyed her Shaolin monk suit in surprise. "Young lady, are you filming here?" He looked over her shoulders and was disappointed after finding no one.
"Uncle, what is filming? Eh, can you let me ride your cart all the way to the capital?" Her eyebrows scrunched up, looking like a young deer lost in thought before regaining her bright eyes.
"All the way to the capital? The young lady really knows how to joke around. The distance of this road from the capital is hundreds of miles away! My horse will be dead by then!" the uncle laughed and scoffed. He looked at her as if he were looking at a fool.
"Uncle, how many miles are there in one li? Mingyun asked in confusion.
"Did you not go to school? How can you not know something kids know?" The uncle asked in bewilderment.
"Everyone knows it. How come I never heard it from Master and the others?" She touched her chin and tried to recall Master's teachings, but no related information came up.
The uncle's head had grown dizzy from talking to her, and he replied, "There are more than three li in one mile. Going to the capital is about more than three hundred li."
"Three hundred li! I feel like going back." Mingyun was frustrated. She sat by the roadside and looked at the scorching sun. Feeling a bit thirsty, she unscrewed the lid of her goatskin water bag and took a sip.
The uncle eyed her again and the rest of her linen bags and frowned. "Are you living in a temple? Your clothes and things are so out of date."
Mingyun nodded. "I lived at the temple on top of the mountain with Master and the others." Her eyes filled with warmth as she mentioned her Master.
"There's a temple on the top? How come I didn't hear it? Even the hikers didn't mention seeing a temple." The uncle replied, unsure what to believe.
"Uncle, have you never heard of Abbot Cheng? He is my master who taught me martial arts." Her face was so sincere that the uncle choked on the words he was going to say.
"Young lady should go home. There is no car passing by here; only tourists on foot go here. The main road is still a few miles away." The uncle pulled his horse and resumed pulling the cart.
However, the horse suddenly bent his knees and refused to get up. It seemed exhausted from the journey to the nearby village. The uncle originally went to sell his produce to the neighboring village and was on his way home. The noon hour was approaching, and his wife was waiting for him at home for lunch. He sighed and sat down on his cart.
"Uncle, what's the matter?" Mingyun tied the water bag on her waist again and asked after seeing his forlorn expression.
"My Horse can't pull the cart anymore. I need to wait for another peddler." The uncle replied and gave the horse water.
"It's just a small problem. Let me pull the cart for you, Uncle. In exchange, you'll tell me how to get to the capital." Mingyun grinned and rearranged her things smoothly.
The uncle didn't take her words quite seriously as he looked at her stature and slender arms without any muscles. "I'll tell you how to get to the capital. You don't need to help me pull the cart."
"That's not good; Master told me to repay favors," Mingyun refuted.
Her righteous words made the uncle laugh. "You may not be educated, but your morals and filial piety are worth praising. It's just how are you going to help me?" He wanted to humor her, especially when she patted her chest and showed her non-existent biceps.
"I'll pull the cart!" Mingyun pulled the reins, buckling the horse.
"No! We can't leave the horse or it will run off." The uncle grabbed the ropes binding the horse from Mingyun.
"I'm not leaving it. I'll just place the horse inside the cart." She smiled and lifted the horse without any effort and placed it inside the cart. The horse neighed and rubbed its nose at her hands as if to thank her.
The uncle suffered a fright and took a step back in caution. "How did you do it? That was several hundred catties!"
"My Master let us put weights around when exercising, so my strength is really good!" She proudly proclaimed.
"What kind of fairy temple is it? Our neighbor's Xiao Hei studied under a martial teacher, and he isn't even stronger than you." Somehow his excitement overcame his fear, and he began asking questions, wanting to visit the temple himself.
Then she began to describe the road leading to the temple, which made the uncle listen attentively.
"Uncle, it's nearing lunch. I'll need to look for fruits." Mingyun's stomach began to protest.
"Come to our house; my wife is cooking for lunch." The uncle kindly invited and forgot his predicament.
"Which direction is your house, Uncle?" Mingyun's eyes were bright at his words. No one will refuse free food!
The uncle pointed in a certain direction.
Mingyun climbed the tree nearby and squinted her eyes. Her vision penetrated the foliage and stones, and soon after she arrived at a village. The smoke rose from the courtyards of several houses. Mingyun knew the uncle was telling the truth. She leaped down and tied her things securely to the cart. "Uncle, get on!"
The uncle was still in a daze when she jumped on the tree, which was several meters high. "Alright!" He unconsciously sat inside the cart.
"Uncle, hang on tightly!" Mingyun took a deep breath and ran fast, leaving dust on the road.
A scream escaped the uncle's mouth as he held on for dear life. The horse, also scared of falling, neighed loudly and hugged his owner.
In the midst of running, an obstacle blocked their path ahead. The owner and horse sweated profusely. Judging from their speed, if they hit the rocks ahead, the cart would be smashed to smithereens.
"Young lady, slow down!" The uncle quickly said.
Mingyun knew his concern and increased her speed, contrary to his orders.
The Uncle cried at her actions, and so did his horse. The two had one thing on their minds when the rocks were one meter ahead. They're dead!
However, Mingyun jumped forward and kicked the solid boulders to pieces. The huge rock formations became pebbles, crushing everywhere. The two worried for their lives opened their mouths in shock and looked at Mingyun's uninjured foot. They both wanted to exclaim in their hearts, "Immortal!"