Chapter 982: Niuxin Village

Chapter 982: Niuxin Village

Hearing Gouwa utter such words, the schoolteacher gasped, scalding his tongue; he sucked in a sharp breath of air and glared at the boy in fury.

"You, you, you! Preposterous! How dare you insult the sages so! Do you even know what a high-ranking official a Prime Minister is? You dare to claim such a post?"

"Do you know how much learning is required for such an office? You, a fool who cannot even recite the Three Character Classic, how dare you speak like this!"

Gouwa, however, looked entirely unimpressed. "What of it? If a fool can be an emperor, then I can certainly be a Prime Minister."

Just as Gouwa was arguing with the teacher, a gaunt woman walked past the edge of the village, looking utterly haggard.

She carried a basket, a lotus root protruding from beneath a cloth cover. Upon spotting the crowd at the village entrance, she quickened her pace, hurrying into the village.

She walked so swiftly she nearly collided with three monkey-children coming the other way.

The monkey-children brought back by Yang Xiaohai looked much better now; though they still retained some simian mannerisms, they appeared quite human—for instance, the three were currently bowing to the woman.

Seeing this, Zhao Wu lowered his voice and said to the others, "Have you heard? They say these newcomers all suffered from the same affliction as Brother Li, but they recovered, which is why they were sent here."

Zhao Wu’s words opened the floodgates, and the others under the tree began to gossip about the new arrivals in Niuxin Village.

These people were strange; they avoided contact with the villagers, lived reclusive lives, and were occasionally seen laughing aloud to themselves while walking.

Swatting away a monkey-child’s hand as it reached for the braised pork in his bowl, Gouwa asked with surprise, "Brother Li’s illness can actually be cured? Nonsense. I’ve never seen Brother Li’s condition improve."

"No, wait—you’re just the accountant, where are you getting your news? Don't tell me Chun Xiaoman of the White Lotus Sect is writing you letters?"

At the mention of Chun Xiaoman, Zhao Wu’s face darkened. "Mind your own business. Why are you so nosy?"

"Heh-heh-heh." Seeing he had provoked the other, Gouwa hugged his bowl and let out a mischievous laugh.

Just as Zhao Wu prepared to retort, a carriage slowly rolled down the only road leading out of the village.

The carriage was decrepit, pulled by an old horse. A closer look revealed it to be the Lu Troupe’s carriage, and the one driving was none other than Scholar Lu.

"Where are you off to, Scholar?"

"Heh, where else? To the capital for the imperial examinations, of course."

"Go on, stop talking nonsense." Gouwa defended his old friend. "Ever since he came back, he’s been holed up at home—not studying, not farming, not practicing. Who knows what’s wrong with him."

"I asked him how his hands and feet grew back, and he wouldn't say."

"Is he possessed? Should we find a shaman to take a look?"

As they spoke, Scholar Lu arrived under the tree. Gouwa called out, "Scholar, where are you really going?"

Only then did Gouwa notice the Lu Troupe’s prop chests on the carriage, along with Xiu'er and his mad father, Lu Zhuangyuan. "Good heavens, the whole family is here. Are you moving away?"

Gouwa laughed as he spoke, but then a thought struck him, and his expression turned to alarm. "You aren't actually leaving Niuxin Village, are you?"

Scholar Lu smiled silently, then shook his head. "It’s nothing. I’m taking Xiu'er and my father out for a change of scenery, and to look for my missing nephew, Lu Tongsheng."

"Bah, how long will that take alone? If you’re looking for someone, go find Sister Bai. She’s the leader of the White Lotus Sect now; the whole sect answers to her."

Hearing this, Scholar Lu recalled Bai Lingmiao—sometimes frail, sometimes mad—and then the man-eating evil spirits he had seen who worshipped the White Lotus. The light in his eyes dimmed.

"No need. She has changed, and the White Lotus Sect has changed. I don't understand it, and I don't want to. I have already written to my master; what comes next is no longer my concern."

With that, Scholar Lu ignored the others' calls, pulling the carriage toward the path leading out of the village. As the horse’s hooves clattered, Niuxin Village gradually vanished from sight.

"Deceiving the sovereign... like a small boat on the Yangtze, tossed by wind and wave, wind and wave... never to return..." The mad Lu Zhuangyuan leaned against a prop chest, giggling as he sang broken snatches of opera.

"Father, you were right. We are just low-class actors; the world's great troubles are none of our concern."

"Since the Dharma Sect is gone and the debt for Brother and Sister-in-law has been paid, we only need to worry about our own family now."

"Whatever the Emperor, whatever the White Lotus Sect—it has nothing to do with the Lu Troupe. We will live our lives honestly."

"Don't worry, Father. Since Tongsheng wasn't found back then, he must be lost, not dead. We will find him."

"Once we find him, I’ll teach him to act, and we’ll rebuild the Lu Troupe. We’ll save money slowly—not by gifts from others, but by our own hands!"

"And when we have enough, we’ll buy our own theater. Father, wouldn't that be nice?"

Scholar Lu turned to look at his father, only to find him still leaning there, unresponsive.

Xiu'er stood up and took a handkerchief, carefully wiping the drool from her grandfather’s chin.

"Good. It’s settled then. Finally, it’s my turn to be in charge." Scholar Lu quickened his pace, pulling the carriage forward.

The sound of hooves began to mingle with new footsteps—the familiar sound of cotton-soled shoes.

"Scholar, have you forgotten you have a wife? Do you intend to just walk away and leave me behind?" A resentful female voice rang out from behind.

Scholar Lu did not turn back. "The Lu Troupe is gone. The land we divided is yours. With that land, you can live on in Niuxin Village."

"I am not a good man. I haven't been home much all these years. Besides, I bought you with money, but I burned your indenture long ago. You are free."

"Scholar! But I am your wife!"

"I am a White Donkey. I swore an oath to the Unborn Mother that I would never marry. If I break my word, the Unborn Mother will not spare me."

Scholar Lu squeezed his eyes shut, his expression pained. "Go back. You are still young; find someone else. An acting troupe is no place for a woman. I cannot let you follow me. I cannot let you suffer the hardships my sister-in-law endured."