Chapter 26: The Forest Trail

"Th-th-th-there's s-s-s-some poop!"

"I'm not blind! Stop getting so close to it, or are you planning to eat it? I know you're not that dumb!"

"Gouwazi, shut up! There are people ahead on the road."

"Okay, okay, whatever you say, Li Shixiong."

It didn't take long before Lü Zhuangyuan saw a group of people emerging from the forest path.

At the sight of these people, Lü Zhuangyuan sharply inhaled. No wonder his younger son had just claimed to have seen ghosts; their appearance was truly frightening.

Among them was a gaunt, black-and-white-faced man, a white-haired woman, a hunchbacked man with bowed legs carried on someone's back, and even a person with a face completely covered in hair.

Lü Zhuangyuan had traveled far and wide over the years and considered himself well-versed in the world, but even he was startled by the sight.

"Dad, I'm scared!" Lü Xiucai cowered behind his father, trying to make himself as small as possible.

"You're scared? You think I'm not?" Lü Zhuangyuan cursed his youngest son internally. If not for the fact that there was a handsome Daoist among them, along with a few relatively normal-looking Daoist disciples, he might have already turned tail and run.

With trembling hands, Lü Zhuangyuan clasped his hands together and bowed towards Li Huowang. "Excuse me, Daoist Master. Are... these your subdued spirits?"

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

"Old man, what did you just say?! Who are you calling a spirit, huh? You looking for trouble?"

Before things could escalate, Lü Zhuangyuan saw the handsome Daoist raise his hand to silence the snarling, black-and-white-faced "spirit." Lü's suspicions only deepened.

"Elder," Li Huowang asked calmly, "may I trouble you to tell me, where does this road lead?"

"To Wuli Gang! Just up ahead—five miles! Not far at all! Ha ha ha..."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Lü Zhuangyuan discreetly prodded the horse's flank with his pipe. The startled horse neighed and bolted down the forest trail, dragging the cart behind it.

"My horse! My horse! Quick, follow it!" Lü Zhuangyuan shouted as he and his party made a show of chasing after the fleeing animal.

They ran as fast as they could and soon left the eerie group far behind.

An hour later, after seeing his youngest son nearly throw up from exhaustion, Lü Zhuangyuan finally let out a whistle to signal the horse to stop.

When the group caught up to the cart, the first thing Lü did was check on the horse, brushing its mane and whispering soothing words. In their troupe, the horse was the most valuable member—far more so than any human.

By now, dusk was falling, and the forest was growing dark.

"Dear heavens, what in the world were those things? Scared me half to death," Lü Juren said, still panting heavily.

Lü Zhuangyuan gave him a kick. "The sun's setting! Go gather some firewood!"

By the roadside, the warm glow of a campfire soon illuminated the group. The heat softened their coarse, grainy mantou, and the simple meal brought some comfort to their shaken nerves.

"Look at you lot! A bunch of cowards! What's so scary about running into some weird stuff on the road? It happens. The key is to stay calm in situations like that!" Lü Zhuangyuan lectured the group as he puffed on his pipe.

"Dad, maybe they weren't ghosts or spirits. They looked a lot like regular people. That young Daoist even called you 'elder.'"

Hearing his daughter-in-law's words, Lü Zhuangyuan took another long drag from his water pipe and waved dismissively.

"Doesn't matter what they are. The important thing is not to get involved. You lot remember this well: if you want to live a long life on the road, the best thing you can do is avoid trouble whenever you can."

This was Lü Zhuangyuan's philosophy for survival, one that had served him well over the years. He fully intended to pass it on to his sons so they could keep the troupe going after he was gone.

Handing the water pipe to one of his nephews, Lü turned to look at his granddaughter. She lay nestled in her mother's arms, gnawing on a small piece of mantou with her newly sprouted baby teeth. The sight filled his heart with joy.

He walked over to the cart, opened a round ceramic jar, and pulled out a salted duck egg. Peeling off part of the shell, he exposed the golden, oily yolk and held it up to the child's mouth. "Come on, little one. Suck on this—nice and tasty!"

Watching her eagerly suck on the yolk, Lü Zhuangyuan's eyes crinkled with delight.

Though he had wished for a grandson, this granddaughter of his was still the apple of his eye.

Seeing an opportunity, Luo Juanhua quickly spoke up. "Father, look at Cuir! She's getting so big. Don't you think it's time we got her some proper clothes? She's been wearing these old costumes, and they're too loose."

As soon as money was mentioned, Lü Zhuangyuan's cheerful expression turned sour, his wrinkles deepening.

Just as he was about to refuse, his gaze fell on the ill-fitting costume draped over his granddaughter. His heart softened.

After a moment of silent deliberation, he took a few sharp puffs of his pipe, then walked over to the cart and opened a long, padlocked chest.

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

"Don't go to the town shops—they're too expensive. Wait until we get to Wuli Gang and ask around for someone who weaves fabric at home. Buy a few feet from them—it'll be cheaper. Ask several people, too, and buy from whoever's cheapest.

"And get cotton, not hemp. Hemp's too rough for a child's skin."

"I understand!" Luo Juanhua beamed as she accepted the coins. She'd been expecting just enough for hemp, so getting cotton money felt like a windfall.

Clothing for a child didn't take much fabric, so she might even have some coins left over.

After his granddaughter had finished the yolk, Lü Zhuangyuan handed out the egg white to the adults. Though everyone got just a tiny bite, it was enough to savor a rare, salty treat.

Night had fallen by the time they finished eating. With nothing else to do, they listened to Lü Zhuangyuan tell a few old tales before settling down to sleep.

That night, Lü Juren took the first watch. Though he was exhausted from the day's journey, he forced himself to stay awake, carefully tending the fire.

"Son, go to sleep. I'll take over the watch," Lü Zhuangyuan said, sitting down beside him and lighting his pipe again.

"Dad, I'm not tired. You should get some rest."

"Quit arguing and go to bed. I'm old and don't need much sleep."

As the two quietly bickered by the fire, Lü Zhuangyuan suddenly clamped a hand over his son's mouth and pointed towards the dark forest.

"Did you hear that?"

"...Hee-hee-hee..."

A shrill, high-pitched laugh echoed from their right.

Father and son instinctively turned to look, but all they saw was darkness.

"Hee-hee-hee... Tell me, do I look more like a person or a god?"

The trees began to sway rhythmically, their rustling leaves sounding like whispers in the night.