The young Daoist had already prepared a long speech to answer the grass-sandal-wearing boy’s question of “Who is it?” However, unexpectedly, the courtyard door opened quickly. Clearly, the boy of the humble alley skipped that step entirely.

Mud Jar Alley was one of the narrowest and most cramped alleys in the small town. The Daoist’s two-wheeled wooden cart couldn’t be left outside, blocking the road. Fortunately, Chen Ping’an, though appearing thin and frail, possessed considerable strength. He helped the young Daoist bring the rather heavy cart into the courtyard without much effort. Throughout the whole process, the boy said nothing, which made the young Daoist feel somewhat awkward after closing the door. It was like a person shamelessly going to someone’s door to borrow money, only to be treated with fine tea, wine, and meat. If the guest had even a shred of conscience left, he would find it increasingly difficult to open his mouth.

The young Daoist thought that since it was going to be awkward anyway, he might as well get it over with. He lifted the cotton blanket covering the cart, revealing a black-clad girl lying curled up on her side. A tilted but stubbornly perched bamboo hat still obscured her face. For some reason, as soon as the thin blanket was lifted, a strong smell of blood hit them. Chen Ping’an then noticed that her black clothes were faintly stained with blood. Chen Ping’an hadn’t expected that a small blanket could completely hide the strong scent. The boy only took a few steps back and asked, “Daoist Priest, what are you going to do?”

The young Daoist replied, “Saving someone! She’s seriously injured, and no one in town is willing to help her. I can’t blame them for only caring about their own affairs. So, after thinking it over, I thought you might be an exception.”

Chen Ping’an hit the nail on the head with his question, “How did she get injured?”

The Daoist said without blushing, “When I was pushing the cart past the Paifang Archway, I saw this young woman from out of town. She said she was going to make a rubbing of the ‘Aspiration Touching the Heavens’ plaque. She even had her rubbing tools, brushes, and so on, and she climbed right up. As for rubbing, well, it’s a copying kind of business, mostly something scholars do when they have too much time on their hands. I can’t really explain it in a short while. Anyway, after the young lady climbed up, she leaned over and sat on the crossbeam, which scared me. I had to stop and occasionally remind her to be careful. But who would have thought that she was still too engrossed in what she was doing? Suddenly, *thump*, she fell hard onto the ground. You know, the ground around the archway isn’t like your Mud Jar Alley, it’s as hard as the bluestone slabs of Fortune Street. So, well, she probably injured her internal organs. I’m a member of the clergy; I must be compassionate, right? I can’t just ignore her, can I? Along the way, every household disliked her blood-soaked body. It hasn’t been long since the New Year, so they thought it was bad luck and weren’t willing to carry her inside. I know it’s only human, so I had no other choice but to come here. To put it bluntly, if even you aren’t willing to take her in, I’m not some kind of deity who can bring people back from the brink of death. I can only wait for the young woman to take her last breath and then try my best to find a place, dig a pit, and set up a tombstone, and that’ll be that.”

The Daoist deliberately spoke very quickly, slurring his words, obviously trying to confuse the boy and muddle through. Everything was difficult at the beginning. As long as he got started, he could take it one step at a time. Heaven never blocked all paths; there was always light at the end of the tunnel.

Chen Ping’an looked at the young Daoist’s hopeful face with a complex expression, then glanced at the deathly pale black-clad girl. After a period of internal struggle, he nodded and asked, “How do I save her?”

The young Daoist’s face immediately lit up. “Alright! Just hearing those words from you, Chen Ping’an, is half the battle! Don’t be fooled by her terrible injuries, like the King of Hell has crossed out her name in the Book of Life. It’s not as exaggerated as you think… Of course, what I just said is also true. There are all sorts of mysteries involved. For example, this young lady’s will to live is extremely strong. Also, she seems to have some family techniques that can protect her vital organs, like her heart and inner chambers. And also, our small town is a very interesting place. There are a lot of strange things here. Eating them, or catching them, can be very beneficial.”

The young Daoist came to his senses, realizing that he had revealed many secrets, and said with a dry laugh, “Anyway, you wouldn’t understand, right?”

The boy said seriously, “I don’t understand, but I can remember most of it.”

The young Daoist tentatively asked, “So, when you heard the knock at the door, you knew it was me, this fortune-telling street vendor?”

Chen Ping’an hesitated for a moment, then said, “Yes.”

The young Daoist asked curiously, “Your memory is very good? How good?”

The boy looked at the dying black-clad girl. The young Daoist smiled and explained, “She’s in a very mysterious state right now and can’t be moved casually. It’s best to wait a moment.”

Chen Ping’an was skeptical. “I can remember what I see more easily than what I hear.”

The young Daoist pressed, “Give me an example?”

Chen Ping’an thought for a moment, “For example, Yao, the kiln master, his ‘dancing-blade’ technique is the best among all the old masters in town. I can actually remember all the details after seeing it once, but…”

The young Daoist smiled and picked up the topic, “But your hands and feet can’t keep up, right?”

Chen Ping’an’s eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously.

The young Daoist smiled knowingly. “Have you ever thought about what’s really great about Old Man Yao’s unique skill?”

Chen Ping’an’s expression darkened. “I couldn’t figure it out before. Later, Liu Xianyang told me that Old Man Yao said that to master the ‘dancing-blade’ technique, you must have a steady heart, not just steady hands. When I heard those words, I understood a little. I was too anxious before. The more anxious I was, the more chaotic my hands became. The more chaotic they became, the easier it was to make mistakes. Whenever I made a mistake, I could see clearly where I wasn’t doing it like Old Man Yao. I became even more anxious, so I was always the worst at the dragon kiln.”

The young Daoist said calmly, “There’s an old saying that the master leads you through the door, but the cultivation depends on the individual. But if the master never intended to lead you through the door, how can you cultivate?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head. “My hands and feet are clumsy. Not to mention comparing myself to Liu Xianyang, I can’t even compare to the average apprentice. It’s not strange that Old Man Yao looks down on me.”

The young Daoist suddenly laughed. “Chen Ping’an, do you know how difficult it is to understand the two words ‘steady heart’? It’s hard to understand. You shouldn’t underestimate yourself.”

Chen Ping’an still shook his head. “It’s like catching fish in a stream. I stand in the water that’s not even knee-deep, bend over, and catch a fish. That’s catching. Some people have good swimming skills and dive into deep pits, holding their breath for a long time to catch a fish. That’s also catching. It’s still catching a fish, Daoist Priest, but these two are different, right?”

The young Daoist laughed heartily, noncommittally, and suddenly said, “We can save her now.”

Chen Ping’an was stunned. The young Daoist was also stunned. “What are you daydreaming about? Carry the young lady into the house and put her on the bed!”

Chen Ping’an didn’t move. “Then what?”

The Daoist said matter-of-factly, “Of course, we’ll help the young lady change into a clean set of clothes first, and then go to the apothecary to get some tonics. At that time, I’ll need to step up and show off my skills.”

Chen Ping’an asked with a dark face, “Will I be beaten to death by the young lady when she wakes up?”

The young Daoist said decisively, “No! You’re her savior. How could there be such an ungrateful person in the world?!”

Chen Ping’an was silent.

The Daoist coughed, and his momentum plummeted. “Probably not, right?”

Chen Ping’an sighed and tentatively asked, “There’s a girl named Zhigui next door. Can she do these things?”

The young Daoist said helplessly, “No, that’s where the problem lies.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t insist. He squatted on the ground, scratching his head.

The young Daoist suddenly asked, “Don’t you have anything you want to ask? I may not be able to answer all your questions, but I’ll try to pick out some that I can. How’s that?”

Chen Ping’an sighed, got up, and said, “Save the person first.”

The young Daoist beamed. “Good!”

He secretly waved his sleeve, firmly suppressing a restless flying sword in its scabbard.

Chen Ping’an carried the girl into the house and gently placed her on the wooden plank bed with a quilt on it. The wooden plank bed that Liu Xianyang had collapsed by sitting on it had only been repaired recently. A stool was placed under the bed to support it.

The young Daoist followed behind him, crossing the threshold. He looked around. The walls were bare; it was truly a poor household.

The young Daoist slapped his forehead and went out to get paper and pen, preparing to write a prescription for the boy to get medicine.

After returning to the house, the young Daoist shook his head, deliberately not looking at the wooden plank bed, thinking that this poor boy was definitely in for trouble.

The boy, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, had already removed the black-clad girl’s bamboo hat, revealing a pale face covered in blood.

The so-called bleeding from all seven orifices probably referred to the scene before the boy’s eyes.

The boy quickly got up, first took a stool from the side of the table and placed it next to the bed. Then he hurried to a corner of the wall, where a small wooden frame was set up, neatly arranged with pots and pans. Next to the wooden frame, there was a small water tank covered with a wooden board to keep out mosquitoes and flies. The water tank was filled with well water drawn from the Iron Chain Well in Apricot Blossom Alley. The boy took a wooden basin and a gourd ladle, squatted next to the water tank, scooped clear water from the pottery tank into the basin, then placed a clean cotton cloth on the edge of the basin, carried it to the bedside, and began to wipe the blood off the young lady’s face.

The young Daoist turned around, holding up a piece of paper. “There’s a small apothecary on Fortune Street. Take this prescription and get the medicine.”

The boy asked doubtfully, “Didn’t Daoist Priest say earlier?”

The young Daoist looked confused, blinked, and said, “Oh yes, I told you to be careful when you get the medicine and not be too high-profile, so as not to cause a commotion and ruin the young lady’s reputation.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Oh,” washed the cotton cloth, and asked, “Does Daoist Priest have money to get the medicine?”

The young Daoist suddenly became nervous. “You don’t have any?”

Chen Ping’an placed the wooden basin on the table, gently pressed a golden coin, which he had taken from somewhere, onto the tabletop. “Daoist Priest, I’ll use this to exchange for ordinary copper coins. As for how to exchange them, Daoist Priest can decide.”

The young Daoist pondered for a moment. “The copper coin on the table is enough to buy the things on the prescription. I’ll go get you the money now.”

Soon, the Daoist returned with a bag of ordinary copper coins and a few small pieces of silver, handing them all to Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an instructed, “I’ll pour out the water in this basin later. Daoist Priest doesn’t need to help. Song Jixin, who lives next door, likes new things, so it’s not good for him to see it.”

The young Daoist solemnly said, “Chen Ping’an, don’t you have any questions you want to ask?”

Chen Ping’an stood in place, roughly weighing the copper coins and pieces of silver, keeping track of everything. He carefully put them away and signaled with his eyes to speak outside. After the two walked out of the threshold, the grass-sandal-wearing boy looked up and slowly said, “I know that you’re not ordinary people. Old Man Yao said a long time ago when he was drunk that our small town is unusual, that everything is strange, that everyone is strange. But what is strange, Old Man Yao couldn’t say. Of course, I understand even less. This time, Gu Can said that the storyteller can pour a large tank of water from an ordinary white bowl. Although Gu Can is quite annoying, I know he didn’t lie. It’s like…”

The boy paused, then continued, “It’s like today, a very tall woman flicked my forehead with her finger in this alley outside the door, patted my heart with her palm, and finally said that I would die soon. I know what she said is true.”

The young Daoist’s face was heavy.

Chen Ping’an finally said, “Daoist Priest said that the talisman you wrote, after burning, can bring good luck to my parents. I actually believe Daoist Priest. So, Daoist Priest came to my door and asked me to save someone. I didn’t say anything just now, but I hope Daoist Priest can promise me one thing. If you agree, then whatever Daoist Priest wants me to do next, I’ll do it. If Daoist Priest doesn’t agree, after I get the medicine and help Daoist Priest brew it, I’ll kick you out.”

The Daoist asked, “What’s the condition? Tell me.”

The boy, who always gave the impression of being calm and experienced, was actually a little apprehensive. He replied, “My parents died early. I was very young at the time. I don’t know why, but I remember a lot of things from when I was little, but my parents’ appearances are always blurry, not clear. Later, I ate from many families for a period of time and survived because of the neighbors. Once, I unintentionally overheard people saying that I was born on the fifth day of the fifth month. Judging from their tone, it shouldn’t be an auspicious day. Someone next door said it more directly and frankly…”

The boy had been going around in circles, stopped, and finally got straight to the point, lowered his head, and said in a muffled voice, “After helping Daoist Priest save the person, if, I mean if, if I suddenly die one day, can Daoist Priest help me reincarnate in my next life, and reincarnate as my parents’ child?”

The young Daoist was silent.

Chen Ping’an grinned, scratched his head, and said, “Never mind. Indeed, there’s no such thing in the world. I’m making things difficult for Daoist Priest.”

The Daoist said with a wry smile, “What about that young lady?”

Chen Ping’an suddenly turned around, facing away from the Daoist, raised his fist, and waved it. He joked for once, “She’s so pretty. It would be stupid not to save her!”

The young Daoist watched the grass-sandal-wearing boy, who was pretending to be relaxed and walking through the door, and leave.

The boy walking in Mud Jar Alley seemed to have thought of someone and suddenly burst into tears.