Chapter 202
Chapter 202
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>Translator: Ryuma
>Chapter: 202
>Chapter Title: Zhuangzi
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On a muddy yellow dirt path, Li Huowang and his group, who had returned to their normal appearances, continued on their way.
Several days had passed since they escaped from the town.
Exhaustion showed on everyone's faces. There was no helping it—poor food and ragged clothes were bound to lead to this.
When they reached a slightly flatter spot, Li Huowang wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.
"Let's rest for a bit."
As soon as he said it, everyone collapsed to the ground, sprawling out in all directions and gasping for breath.
Bai Lingmiao carefully took out the last piece of yellow pancake from her bosom. She broke off half and put it back before offering the other half to Li Huowang.
"Senior Brother Li, here, eat."
Li Huowang glanced at her and reached out to pinch her stomach directly. It was flat.
This gesture made Bai Lingmiao feel utterly mortified, yet she couldn't bear to refuse.
"Don't ration it out. I know you have a big appetite. Eat what you need and don't go hungry. I'll figure out the rest."
"I'm really not hungry. You eat it."
Bai Lingmiao pushed the pancake toward him again.
This time, Li Huowang didn't bother taking it. He unfolded the map again, searching for ways to replenish their food.
They were running low on both food and supplies. They needed to restock quickly.
He had considered raiding those bandits, but the thought of their ties to the thief-soldiers made Li Huowang drop the idea.
It was impossible to tell for sure whether these bandits were outposts for that woman.
They had barely shaken them off before. It wasn't worth drawing the thief-soldiers back down for a bit of food.
"Rob ordinary civilians?"
Li Huowang rejected the notion immediately. He would absolutely not commit the same bestial acts as his master.
He was Li Huowang. He was not Danyangzi.
No robbing bandits, no bullying commoners—but they still needed enough coin and grain to get by. This was proving tricky.
Just then, Gouwa sidled over from the side with a cheeky grin and reached for the pancake in Bai Lingmiao's hand, only for her to swat it away.
"Senior Sister Bai, give it here. Senior Brother Li isn't hungry, but I am."
"No way. This is all the food we've got left. Eat your own!"
"Mine ran out ages ago."
"Then starve. A few days without grub won't kill you."
Dejected, Gouwa slipped a hand into his baggy clothes and scratched at his ribs.
He turned to eye the others nearby.
But this time, no one had anything left to eat—not even the ever-understanding Yang kid shared with him.
Gradually, his gaze shifted to the women they had rescued from the bandit lair.
"Should've ditched these dames from the start. They don't lift a finger, just burn through our rations. Dead weight, all of 'em."
Gouwa's words filled the women's faces with terror as they huddled together, helpless and at a loss.
"Are you even a man? All this yapping!" Chun Xiaoman snapped, unable to stand it.
"But it's true, ain't it? Am I wrong?"
"Don't... don't leave me behind! I'm useful! I know where there's grain—not far. I can take y'all to borrow some."
Her words drew everyone's eyes to the cluster of women.
The speaker was a big-mouthed woman. To have been worth snatching by bandits, she clearly had more going for her than just her mouth.
Seeing all eyes on her, the woman bashfully lowered her head.
"Is it true? Can we really get food?"
Li Huowang walked over and stood before her, asking.
He suddenly realized he'd been stuck in a rut. With these Hou Shu locals to guide them, who needed a map?
"Yeah, there's a village nearby. My fourth aunt works the fields there. I can go borrow some."
Li Huowang checked the map in his hand again and found no marking for it.
"Heh, there are too many of these little hamlets and stockades. How could an old man like me mark them all?" Jin Shanxun shuffled over, explaining awkwardly.
"Brother, if you don't know, just say you don't know. Why put on airs? How much time have you wasted for this young Daoist?"
Lv Zhuangyuan's teasing made the old man's face flush red.
"Big brother, I'm not pulling your leg. Do you know how many such places there are across all of Hou Shu—"
"Enough. No time for banter. Let's go see for ourselves first. Take us to your fourth aunt's place."
Li Huowang's word was final, rousing everyone from their rest.
The group promptly followed the big-mouthed woman toward a distant rocky mountain.
When they reached the base of the barren stone mountain, she didn't stop and led the others straight up the isolated slope.
There was a path at first, but soon enough it vanished entirely—they needed hands and feet alike to clamber up.
Several times, Li Huowang suspected the woman was leading them on. This godforsaken spot looked nothing like a place with a village.
Yet after straining with all their might, the vista atop the peak revealed a true paradise.
It was a flat-topped mountain, and sure enough, there was a village up top.
More crucially, he spotted vast swaths of green fields—a rare sight in the impoverished lands of Hou Shu.
"What nutjob with a full belly built a village up here? Wore me out." Gouwa griped, rubbing his aching legs.
"I reckon it's to dodge the taxes, corvée, or maybe conscription. One of those, anyway."
"Sigh, put like that, the common folk really have it rough. So many burdens to bear."
"Do the officials in Hou Shu squeeze folks this hard, driving 'em up into the hills? Our officials ain't like that. Farmers hand over just half their harvest come autumn, and they're exempt from corvée to boot."
Comparing themselves to those worse off gave Lv Zhuangyuan a cheap hit of satisfaction.
As they chatted, Li Huowang had already gotten directions to the woman's fourth aunt from her and headed deeper in.
It truly seemed idyllic here. Every house was neat and bright.
The outside world hadn't tainted the place one bit. It was like a genuine utopia.
"Senior Brother Li, our village was a lot like this. Smaller, sure, but full of good folk."
The sight stirred memories in Bai Lingmiao, bringing a joyful glow to her face.
"Once we're settled, living out our days in a place like this with everyone... that doesn't sound half bad," Li Huowang mused to himself.
His keen senses picked up voices from within the houses.
A big bunch of outsiders tromping into the village was bound to draw notice.
But as the big-mouthed woman named her fourth aunt precisely, the wariness on their faces eased.
Just when it seemed things were turning for the better, the family refused to even open the door upon hearing distant kin had come to borrow grain.
The big-mouthed woman stood trembling before the tightly shut gate plastered with door gods, staring fearfully at the others.
Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. Sobbing, she said: "I really didn't know... don't leave me, I got nowhere else to go."
Irritation and unease settled on the faces of the others standing there. Without food, they'd be down to eating northwest wind.
(End of chapter)