Chapter 67: Bundle

Chapter 67 The Parcel

No matter what had transpired before, death erased all traces, and with Li Zhi's demise, the entire affair finally drew to a close.

Though they had faced grave peril, the rewards reaped were equally substantial.

First, Li Huowang came to understand the sinister motives of the monks at Zhengde Temple: "The Heart Essence is born of the Great Beginning, taking form and substance, yet lacking a true body; thus it is called Heart Essence, the origin of substance before a body is formed."

These were the words Li Zhi had spoken to him before his death, revealing that in the eyes of this world's people, Li Huowang was an exceedingly rare Heart Essence.

Li Huowang was no scholar of ancient texts, but relying on hazy memories from his school days, he managed to grasp the general meaning.

According to this explanation, the Great Beginning was the primordial substance from which all matter was forged, while the Heart Essence was that which existed even before the Great Beginning.

He had managed to translate the words, yet the meaning only plunged Li Huowang deeper into bewilderment.

"I am clearly a human being, an ordinary man of flesh and blood. How could I possibly be the origin of substance before a body is formed? It makes absolutely no sense."

Such profoundly mystical concepts could never be associated with a living, breathing person.

If something had not even taken material form, how could it possibly be a living creature, capable of thought and movement?

Confronted with this puzzle, Li Huowang pondered endlessly but found no answer.

Yet no matter how he reasoned, the actions of Danyangzi, Abbot Xinhui, and Li Zhi had shown him exactly how the cultivators of this world thought.

"Forget what the Heart Essence truly is; right now, I'm like the flesh of Tang Seng, with everyone wanting to take a bite," Li Huowang muttered self-deprecatingly as he walked.

He had now completely lost all trust in the people of this world; every word spoken by anyone could be a lie, every interaction a potential deception.

It bred a deep suspicion that every single person he encountered in this world harbored an ulterior motive.

Nevertheless, life had to go on, and troubles had to be swallowed one bite at a time.

At the very least, Li Zhi's words should be true, for a dying man speaks with kindness.

The man was still counting on him to burn paper offerings during the Qingming Festival; lying about this would bring him no benefit whatsoever.

Besides, he had no other choice right now.

"Hey! Wait up!!"

Hearing the shout, Li Huowang and the others turned to see an honest-looking man clutching something, chasing after them from behind.

"Where are you folks heading? Where's that shaman from my hometown? The couple who were traveling with you," the panting man asked.

Li Huowang naturally could not admit to killing him, so he replied, "He had some business to attend to, so he and his wife left ahead of us."

The man did not doubt Li Huowang; instead, he thrust a heavy parcel into his arms.

"Oh, I see. Well, this parcel was left in his room; he forgot to take it when he left. Could you deliver it to him? Much obliged."

Li Huowang remembered the color of this parcel; when they first met, Li Zhi had been carrying it on his back.

Before Li Huowang could say another word, the man turned and walked away after handing over the item.

Back on the bumpy dirt road, Li Huowang stared at the parcel in his arms with a complex expression.

There was no way to return this to Li Zhi now, for he was dead.

At that moment, a sudden thought burst into Li Huowang's mind.

"Could I find something of value inside Li Zhi's bag?"

With that thought, Li Huowang wasted no time and immediately untied the cloth bundle.

There was nothing particularly eye-catching inside; everything was quite old and worn.

First was a pale, dusty drum skin, which looked like a spare for his shamanic rituals.

Li Huowang grabbed it and tossed it to the roadside; shamanism left a foul impression on him, and the sight of the thing felt deeply inauspicious.

"Hey, don't throw it away! It's a fine piece of leather; it might come in handy for something someday," Bai Lingmiao said, scooping it up in both hands.

"Come in handy for what? Sewing patches?" Li Huowang realized that when it came to certain things, Bai Lingmiao was far more frugal than he was.

"We're completely broke now, so every little bit saved counts."

Watching her carefully place it on the donkey cart, Li Huowang shook his head and continued rummaging through the parcel.

Next, he pulled out a half-string of copper coins; judging by the mix of new and old patinas, Li Zhi must have been saving this half-string for a long time.

Lifting it and weighing it in his palm, Li Huowang let out a soft sigh.

He had no idea what Li Zhi had been saving up for, but it was certain that he had put a great deal of effort into it.

"Use it to buy grain," Li Huowang said, tossing the coins into Bai Lingmiao's arms.

Bai Lingmiao, who had been worrying about their finances, instantly beamed at the sight of the copper coins.

But her smile quickly turned to worry. "Senior Brother, we need to find a way to earn a living. These coins won't last us long."

"Earn a living? What do you plan to do? Put on opera performances like Lu Zhuangyuan and his troupe?" Li Huowang asked as he kept digging through the parcel.

Bai Lingmiao immediately shook her head like a rattling drum. "My father would beat me to death if he knew I was performing in operas. I meant some other honest trade."

Li Huowang reached in and pulled out a round jade pendant strung on a cord, placing it in her hand.

"Don't worry about money. Once we find a prosperous place and sell this, we'll have everything we need."

"I have some too, I have some too," Gouwa said, pulling a stack of red envelopes from his bosom and handing them over.

Li Huowang glanced at him in surprise. "These are the red envelopes Danyangzi gave to his deceased disciples, aren't they? When did you steal them?"

"I grabbed them when I was leaving Qingfeng Temple. I saw nobody else taking them, so, hehe, I just helped myself," Gouwa said, his voice laced with cunning and pride.

Just then, Li Huowang's hand paused; he had felt something round and bulging inside the parcel.

Pulling it out, he was surprised to find a gourd about the size of two palms.

"It looks a bit like a gourd for holding pills. Do shamans also refine elixirs?" Li Huowang mused silently as he examined the object.

He raised the gourd and gave it a couple of shakes, but nothing poured out.

Just as Li Huowang closed one eye and leaned in to peer into the mouth of the gourd, wondering what was inside, the upper half suddenly split open.

The tiny mouth of the gourd instantly tore wide to reveal rows of backward-hooking white teeth, lunging fiercely toward Li Huowang's face.

With a sickening crunch, Li Huowang barely managed to recoil in time; had he been a fraction slower, half the skin of his face would have been ripped away.

Still shaken, Li Huowang stared at the gourd in his hand, which had already returned to its original form.

The thing was actually a living creature; if Li Zhi had used it to store something, then whatever was inside must be incredibly precious. What on earth was in there?

As if in response, the bell at Li Huowang's waist gave a faint tremor.

"Wait here for a moment," Li Huowang said, prompted by a sudden impulse, before turning and walking into the woods.

Deep within the dense forest, the bell chimed, and soon the Wandering Lord was summoned forth.

"What is inside this thing?" Li Huowang asked, holding up the gourd to the Wandering Lord before him.

"Jiaoren"

Li Huowang stared at the gourd in his hand in sheer disbelief. "What? Are you absolutely certain that what's stored inside is lifespan!?"

(End of Chapter)