Volume Two: A Turbulent Autumn Chapter 105: The Skirt Torn, A Blow to the Head

After being put through the wringer by the prefect, it was already getting late. The two of them were still dressed in thin, flower-patterned gauze skirts—the sort worn by courtesans.

Yang Chengzi carried Chen San on his back as they made their way to Greenbriar Tower. Along the road, passersby pointed and whispered. Yang Chengzi paid them no mind, though nearly everyone cast them strange looks, and some were laughing so hard they could scarcely close their mouths.

“Is it really that funny? So I’m wearing a woman’s skirt. Is there any need to laugh like that?” Yang Chengzi wondered inwardly.

Before he knew it, they had arrived back at Greenbriar Tower.

He went upstairs and knocked. Chen Xin opened the door, but the moment she saw Yang Chengzi, she blushed furiously and hurriedly turned her head away.

Yang Chengzi was baffled. “It’s only a gauze skirt. Do you really have to laugh so hard?”

Chang Yugang had just risen from bed. When she turned around and saw Yang Chengzi and Chen San, she too burst into helpless laughter.

“The people on the street probably weren’t laughing at you,” Chen Xin said shyly. She grabbed the clothes from the bed and draped them over Chen San. “They were probably laughing at Chen San.”

“What’s so funny about Chen San? He’s only got one extra flower. It’s not as if you’ve never seen one before.”

“You may have seen the flower on his clothes, but you’ve never seen the one on his backside. Hahahaha!”

The moment Chang Yugang finished speaking, she clutched her stomach and collapsed onto the bed, laughing.

“His backside?”

Chen Xin looked mortified. “Chen San’s skirt tore, and half his bottom is exposed. And you’ve been carrying him around like that…”

Yang Chengzi lifted the cloth and took a look.

“This… My fault, my fault. I didn’t notice at the time. No wonder everyone was laughing so hard. Let’s get him onto the bed first. He’s awfully heavy after being carried around.”

Once Chen San had been laid down, Chen Xin asked, “What happened to him? Why hasn’t he woken up? Was he injured while fighting the demon?”

“He wasn’t exactly injured. The bewitching demon had him under its control, and I struck him a little too hard. He’s fine. His pulse is steady and his breathing is smooth. He should wake up after getting some rest.”

Hearing this, Chen Xin finally relaxed. She tucked the blankets around Chen San, then went shopping with Chang Yugang.

The reason was simple. While covering him up, Chen Xin had noticed the corners of several banknotes peeking out from Chen San’s robes. She pulled them out and found a total of eight hundred taels of silver. Chang Yugang’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.

The two women exchanged a glance and took two hundred taels for themselves, leaving the rest for Yang Chengzi. He had little interest in money and told them to put the remaining notes back. After all, Chen San had spent so long flaunting his charms. If they took everything from him, he might go mad.

Taking Yang Chengzi’s advice, and lest Chen San wake up and be unable to bear the shock, the two women stuffed the remaining six hundred taels back into his robes.

Silver might disappear quickly enough when spent, but two hundred taels was still a great deal of money. They bought all sorts of odds and ends and still had nearly a hundred and eighty taels left.

They passed several clothing shops, yet neither girl went inside. They had disguised themselves as scholars to avoid trouble, after all. But with so much money left, they knew the miserly Chen San would demand it back once they returned.

In the end, they went into a shop and bought several beautiful flower-patterned skirts. Once every last coin had been spent, both girls felt refreshed and cheerful. Carrying their assortment of purchases, they headed back.

Yang Chengzi was exhausted. He closed his eyes and quietly gathered his spirit. Even when he knew the two girls had returned, he said nothing. The girls, meanwhile, happily took out the flowered skirts and began trying them on.

“We’re going to try on our skirts, so don’t you dare peek. If I catch you, don’t blame me for plucking this flower. Once the deed is done, I’ll have my father go to Mount Mao and arrange a marriage between us.”

“Go ahead and try them on. I’m not interested in that sort of thing.”

Yang Chengzi was speechless. Though those were his words, he wondered inwardly: Is this girl really the daughter of a noble household? Why does she act like a bandit? Every day, all she thinks about is how to do something or other to me. As a proper young lady, shouldn’t she be thinking about music, strategy games, calligraphy, and painting instead?

“Hmph. I knew you wouldn’t have the courage.”

The two girls began undressing and trying on the skirts. Yang Chengzi was an upright gentleman, and he had grown up in a monastery. Peeking was out of the question. Silently reciting the Mind-Calming Incantation, he continued to restore his energy and spirit.

“Daoist Priest, now that the matter of the bewitching demon has been settled, may I ask when you will help me?”

Wen Liangsheng’s voice rang out within his spiritual consciousness. Yang Chengzi had not forgotten him.

“There’s no need to hurry. The time has not yet come. You and we are bound by a karmic connection. You have already planted the cause, and I will not deny you its fruit.”

“This humble scholar thanks you in advance, Daoist Priest. Then must I remain here?”

“It makes no difference. Stay here for the time being.”

“Mother, I want milk. I’m hungry, Mother. I want milk.”

Yang Chengzi started in surprise. Then came two sharp, miserable cries.

Smack! Smack!

Two resounding slaps rang out.

“Waaah! Waaah! Mother, I want milk!”

There was nothing unusual about a baby asking for milk, but Yang Chengzi stared in disbelief. That voice belonged to Chen San.

Chen San wanted milk. Chen San had awakened!

But who, exactly, was he asking to feed him?

“I’m going to cut him to pieces! Where’s my sword? Where’s my sword?”

Yang Chengzi hurriedly shoved the Clearheaven Sword beside him beneath the blankets. Chang Yugang, one shoulder bare and clutching a flowered skirt over her chest, rushed toward Yang Chengzi’s bed.

The lively sparkle that had filled her eyes was gone. In its place was a murderous glare, blazing with fury and promising not only death but dismemberment afterward.

“No, no, Chen San! What milk? Have you grown tired of living?”

Yang Chengzi grabbed Chang Yugang and pulled her away from the bed, lest she find the Clearheaven Sword and actually hack Chen San to pieces.

What was wrong with this fool? Had he lived long enough and decided he no longer wanted to?

“Let go of me! I’m going to kill him!”

“Milk… I want milk. I’m hungry, Mother. I want milk.”

“Chen San, what are you doing? I’m not your mother! Help!”

Yang Chengzi turned around and saw that Chen Xin was also using a skirt to cover her chest. With her other hand, she was pushing Chen San’s head back, trying to keep him away from her.

But Chen San was tall and strong. Chen Xin could not hold him back for long. Just as his face was about to press against her chest, Yang Chengzi darted forward and seized him.

Frowning, he pulled Chen San’s gauze skirt up to his waist, then bound him tightly. With his hands and feet tied behind him, Chen San looked like an overturned crab. Yang Chengzi tossed him onto the bed.

Chen Xin and Chang Yugang hurriedly dressed themselves. The two girls glared furiously at Chen San. Chang Yugang, in particular, was trembling with rage. If they had not failed to locate the Clearheaven Sword, Chen San would already have been a dead man beneath its blade.

“Milk… I’m hungry. Mother, I want milk.”

Ever since Chen San had woken up, those were the only words he had spoken: he wanted milk.

Yang Chengzi stared at his vacant, foolish expression and rubbed his chin.

“Did he damage his brain when he fell?”

Chen Xin also sensed that something was wrong. Chen San was certainly lustful, but he had never been so shameless as to molest both of them in public. And he was crying so pitifully that it did not seem like an act.

Could he really be hungry? But why was he asking for milk?

“That can’t be right. He shouldn’t be acting this foolish. Could he have lost his soul? Wan’er, has Chen San lost his soul? Why is he like this?”

“He hasn’t lost his soul. His three spiritual souls are tethered to his soul foundation by the tail of the Three-Tailed Spirit Fox. How could they have gone missing? I also lost consciousness for a while when we slew the bewitching demon. I don’t know what happened during that time. Perhaps he became like this then.”

Yang Chengzi panicked. He had actually forgotten about that.

Chen San’s soul could not possibly have been lost. Yang Chengzi himself had also blacked out for a while. Could he really have struck Chen San hard enough to damage his mind?

“Don’t pretend to be stupid! I won’t fall for that act! Where’s the Clearheaven Sword? Don’t stop me. I’m going to chop off his hands!”

Still furious, Chang Yugang began searching for the sword again.

“Stop it. He hasn’t even seen anything. Why are you arguing with a fool?”

“A fool? How does he look like a fool? He—”

Before she could finish, Chang Yugang noticed that Chen San was chewing something. Half of a banknote was still sticking out of his mouth.

“He ate the banknotes? Hurry, get them out!”

Yang Chengzi quickly pried open Chen San’s mouth and pulled out several damp, crumpled notes. He tossed them onto the table.

“There’s definitely something wrong with him. Go out and find a physician. See whether he damaged his head during the fight.”

When Chen Xin realized that he was not pretending, she grew anxious as well. She took Chang Yugang by the hand.

“Sister, Sister, let’s hurry and find a physician. Something really seems to be wrong with him.”

Chang Yugang was only half-convinced. Chen San certainly looked like a fool, but he had swallowed his most treasured banknotes. That left her uncertain.

“Don’t panic. Don’t panic. There are plenty of physicians in this town. We’ll find several good ones and have them examine him. Perhaps it’s nothing.”

The two girls took the damp banknotes from the table and left. Yang Chengzi continued staring at Chen San with a deep frown.

“They’ve gone now. If you’re pretending, stop it. I’ll think of a way to smooth things over for you. But if you keep this up, I won’t care whether you live or die.”

“Hungry… Milk. I want milk.”

Once again, it was the same sentence.

Yang Chengzi had no choice but to wait for the physicians to arrive. First, however, he had to bind Chen San properly. If a physician saw him in his current state, wouldn’t they report it to the authorities and claim that they had abducted a young woman?

Yang Chengzi changed into a long robe as well, then tied Chen San up again and covered him with the blanket. As he did so, he pondered all the possibilities.