026 Frightening

"Th...th...th...there's shit!"

"I'm not blind. Back off! Are you trying to gobble it up? You're dumb, but not that dumb, are you?"

"Dogwa, zip it. There are folks on the road."

"Hehe, got it, Brother Li."

Before long, Scholar Lü spotted the figures emerging from the woods.

The moment he laid eyes on them, he gasped in sheer horror. No wonder his youngest son had claimed there were ghosts. They were a terrifying sight!

There was a scrawny man with splotches of black and white on his face, a white - haired woman, a peculiar bow - legged man slung over someone's back, and even a man with a hirsute face.

Scholar Lü, a well - traveled man who had seen his fair share of things in life, was still chilled to the bone by what he witnessed.

"Dad, I'm scared," his son murmured, cowering backward, trying his best to shrink his body behind his father.

"Are you joking? Do you think I'm not scared?" Scholar Lü cursed his youngest son inwardly. If it weren't for the handsome Taoist priest and a few normal - looking young Taoist boys in the group, he would have turned tail and run long ago.

Scholar Lü bowed shakily to Li Huowang. "Pardon me, Taoist priest. Are these all the spirits and demons you've subdued?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he was met with a barrage of hostile glares.

"Old man, what are you blabbing about! Looking for a thrashing, huh? Who are you calling spirits and demons?"

Scholar Lü watched as the handsome Taoist priest waved his hand, silencing the aggressive black - and - white - faced man. This only deepened his suspicion.

"Sir, may I ask where this road leads?"

"Five - mile Hill! It's just up ahead. Not far, not far. Hehe."

As soon as the words were out, Scholar Lü secretly prodded the horse's rump with his tobacco pipe. The horse neighed and galloped off along the forest path, pulling the carriage with it.

"Hey! My horse! My horse! Hurry up and follow." Scholar Lü and the others feigned anxiety and chased after the horse.

They sprinted like the wind and soon left those "things" in the dust.

They ran for about an hour. When he saw his youngest son heaving from exhaustion, Scholar Lü whistled to halt the horse.

Once they stopped, he ignored his son and rushed to check on the horse pulling the carriage. In this opera troupe, the horse was more precious than the people.

By then, the sky was slowly darkening, and evening was fast approaching.

"My dear! What on earth were those things? They scared the living daylights out of me," gasped Scholar Lü's eldest son, drenched in sweat.

Scholar Lü gave him a swift kick. "Can't you see it's getting dark? Go scrounge for some firewood in the woods!"

Beside the forest path, a warm fire crackled to life. The roasted and softened whole - grain buns were passed around, and the sweet aroma of the food soothed their terrified souls.

"Look at you all, scared witless. When traveling, it's par for the course to run into something strange. The more these situations arise, the calmer you should stay. Let me tell you," Scholar Lü lectured the others.

"Dad, maybe they weren't spirits and demons. I think they looked quite human, and that young Taoist priest even addressed you as sir," said his daughter - in - law.

Hearing this, Scholar Lü shook his water gourd.

"Whatever they are, steer clear of them. Mark my words. When traveling, if you want to live a long life, avoid getting mixed up in some things if you can."

This was Scholar Lü's life creed. And thanks to it, he had managed to live to such an old age.

He also intended to pass this wisdom on to his two sons because when he grew too old, they would have to take over the opera troupe and travel around for performances.

He passed the water gourd to his nephew and then looked at his granddaughter nestled in his daughter - in - law's arms.

Watching her gnaw on a small piece of bun with her brand - new baby teeth, Scholar Lü's heart melted with affection.

He turned around, fished out a salted duck egg from a round jar on the carriage, carefully made a tiny hole, and then brought the oily egg yolk to his granddaughter's mouth. "Come on,囡囡, suck this. It's delicious."

Seeing his granddaughter suckling eagerly, Scholar Lü's eyes crinkled into slits with a wide smile.

Although it was a pity she wasn't a grandson, there was an indescribable affection for grandchildren. He adored this little granddaughter to bits.

Sensing an opportune moment, Luo Juanhua quickly piped up, "Dad, look, Cui'er is growing up. Shouldn't she have some proper clothes? It's not right to keep dressing her in opera costumes."

As soon as his daughter - in - law brought up money, Scholar Lü's smiling face vanished in an instant, and his features scrunched up like a prune.

He was about to refuse, but when he saw the loose - fitting opera costume on his little granddaughter, his heart softened.

He puffed on his tobacco pipe a few times, his face creasing even more. Then he walked to the carriage, took out a long copper lock to open the box.

After rummaging around inside for a while, he counted out fifty copper coins.

"Don't buy cloth in the town. It's overpriced. When we reach Five - mile Hill in a couple of days, ask around which women weave cloth and buy a few feet from them. Remember to shop around and find the cheapest deal."

"Also, remember to buy cotton cloth, not linen. Xiu'er has delicate skin, and linen would make her itch."

"I got it," Luo Juanhua said, beaming as she took the copper coins. She had thought it would be a stroke of luck to get money for linen, but unexpectedly, the old tightwad had loosened his purse strings this time.

Since the child was small, not much cloth was needed to make clothes, and she might even be able to squirrel away a little for herself.

After seeing his granddaughter finish the egg yolk, Scholar Lü divided the remaining egg white among the adults.

Although each person got only a tiny bit, they were still over the moon to taste a hint of salt. It was a rare treat for them.

Night had fully fallen. After dinner, there was nothing else to do. After listening to a few old tales that Scholar Lü had picked up somewhere, they were about to turn in.

It was Scholar Lü's eldest son's turn to keep watch during the first half of the night. He was dead on his feet after a long day of walking, but he forced himself to stay awake, staring intently at the fire to prevent it from going out.

"Son, go to sleep. I'll keep an eye on it," Scholar Lü sat down beside his son and started puffing on his tobacco pipe again.

Scholar Lü's eldest son yawned and said, "Dad, I'm not sleepy. You go to sleep."

"Stop being stubborn and go to sleep right now. I, an old man, don't need much shut - eye."

Just as they were bickering in front of the campfire, Scholar Lü suddenly clamped his hand over his son's mouth and pointed to the pitch - black forest in the distance.

"Hehe~" A shrill, thin woman's laughter suddenly pierced the silence on their right.

Scholar Lü and his son instinctively looked over, but all they could see was inky blackness.

"Hehehe~ Tell me, do I look like a human or a god?" The dark forest began to sway, as if something was on the verge of emerging.

Scholar Lü broke out in a cold sweat. As a seasoned traveler, he knew that something was seeking an oral blessing from him.

This couldn't be answered haphazardly. If he got it wrong, it might spell disaster for the whole family.

But the burning question now was, what in the world in the forest was asking for the blessing?

The forest swayed rhythmically in the night, making a strange, rustling sound.