El Qi es fácil de transmitir

Capítulo 88

“No, your mother is not in the capital. She is in a very, very far place, where towering trees grow everywhere, and there is no human presence. Poisonous snakes and ferocious beasts roam all over the place…” Master Jia said quietly.

"Then why do we need to go to the capital? Why don't we just go find Mother?" Nizi asked, puzzled.

Master Jia picked up the wine bowl, tilted his head back, and gulped it down. He wiped his mouth and said, "Some things in life need to be settled. After that, I can take Nizi and fly away, hiding my identity in the world of martial arts, and never set foot in officialdom again."

Nizi stared blankly at her master, completely baffled by his words.

Master Jia sat alone at the table, gazing at Ni Zi, who was fast asleep on the bed, cuddling the large black cat. A sudden wave of emotion washed over him. He was the murderer of the child's mother; how long could he keep this a secret? As the years passed, he would grow old, and once Ni Zi mastered her "Innate Qi Gong," few in the martial world would be her match. What if, when the truth came out, they turned against each other...?

Master Jia sighed, his gaze returning to the skull on the "Ghost Pot." Only by handing this item over to the Director could he and Nizi finally escape the shackles of officialdom; otherwise, no matter where they hid in the Central Plains, they would be found. Six years ago, after the Geda Prophecy was resolved, he hid atop Jade Pillar Peak, hoping to break free from control, but was easily found by the organization. The world was vast, yet there was nowhere to truly escape it. Therefore, his condition at the time was that they could help find the "Wind Queen's Tomb," retrieve the "Ghost Pot," and hand it over to the Director; in return, Jia Shiming would gain his freedom and have no further connection with the organization. Now, the "Ghost Pot" was truly in his hands, but at this crucial moment, a sense of unease crept into his heart.

Master Jia stood up, lightly leaped, and retrieved a small, grayish-white bone bottle from a hidden crevice in the bark roof. The bottle was engraved with a swastika symbol; it was the same bottle of Bon religion's "Returning Soul Water" that Elder Anxi had given him at Putuo Temple on Xieshan Mountain in Poyang Lake, Jiangxi. The Master Jia placed the bone bottle on the table. The "Returning Soul Water" and the "Ghost Pot" would be his bargaining chips for escaping and determining whether he and Nizi could safely retire from the martial world.

"Mother..." the girl mumbled in her sleep.

Master Jia sighed, his thoughtful gaze returning to the table. These two inconspicuous things might one day leave a strange mark on the course of Chinese history. Although he was not the instigator, he would ultimately be involved. Whether it would bring misfortune or fortune, only heaven knew…

Master Jia picked up the wine jar, filled the bowl, and, facing the head of "Feng Hou," the prime minister of the Yellow Emperor five thousand years ago, he held up a bottle of aged Fenjiu and said with a wry smile, "Brother Feng, time flies, and life is like a river... The Tao Te Ching says, 'Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs; the sage is ruthless, treating the people like straw dogs. Between heaven and earth, it is like a bellows: empty yet inexhaustible, moving yet ever-producing. Too much talk leads to exhaustion; better to remain centered.' Now, this humble Taoist intends to retire to the mountains with my daughter, so I can only ask you, brother, to come out of the mountains..." With that, he drank it all in one gulp.

The morning sun is already shining outside the window; the rain has stopped and the sky is clear. It's time to set off.

Master Jia stood up, opened an old wooden box in the corner of the room, and took out a set of floral clothes and cloth shoes he had bought for Nizi at the Yuxiang market. He gently placed them beside Nizi's pillow. Then he took out a canvas travel bag from the box, carefully wrapped the skull and bone bottle on the table with a cloth, and put them inside. He also picked out two sets of clothes to change into. Finally, he found a stack of RMB hidden in a compartment of the box, about ten thousand yuan, and packed it all in. After leaving Hedong this time, he and Nizi would never come back.

After getting up, Nizi happily changed into her new clothes and shoes, and carefully washed her face, not wanting to be dirty when she saw her mother in the future. Remembering the small stone box she had found in the secret chamber's niche, Nizi took it out and put it in the pocket of her new clothes.

Before leaving, Master Jia set the house on fire. He held Ni Zi's hand and stood outside, watching the small wooden house burn fiercely. He thought to himself that from now on, he must be careful with every step he takes and not leave any trace.

The warm sunlight shone on Jade Pillar Peak. Nizi, carrying "Little Cui'er," followed Master Jia down the mountain, heading straight for the capital.

Early morning sunlight streamed into the county government guesthouse room. Master Xufeng yawned, slowly waking up. He glanced at his watch; it was already past seven. He quickly jumped out of bed. Last night, he had braved the rain to sneak into the detention center and finally found Master Jia Shiming, the former abbot of Baiyun Temple, retrieving the Quanzhen School's martial arts manual, "Essentials of Innate Qi Cultivation." This trip out of Beijing had finally been a successful mission, and he was in exceptionally high spirits.

While having breakfast, Master Xufeng said to the Hakka woman, "Senior, I must take my leave now. If you ever have the opportunity to visit the capital in the future, please be sure to come and visit Baiyun Temple."

The Hakka woman nodded and said, "We also need to leave here. First, we'll go to that farmhouse near Puji Temple and then inquire more about Momo's situation."

Master Xufeng pondered for a moment, then decided to tell her some clues. He said, "Yesterday, I went to the county hospital with Section Chief Chu from the county public security bureau. There was a strange woman in the ward, nicknamed 'Old Nun of Emei,' who was said to have been injured by Master Jia Shiming, the former abbot of Baiyun Temple. Youliang once told me that it was this Master Jia who abducted the girl in Tongguan, and then disappeared without a trace..."

"Oh, then if we find Master Jia, we might be able to find Mo Mo." The Hakka nanny's eyes lit up as she pondered.

"That's what I think too. Master Jia should know where Nizi is staying," Master Xufeng affirmed.

"Where was that woman injured by Master Jia?" the Hakka old woman asked thoughtfully.

“I understand what you mean, Senior Granny. It’s easy to find Master Jia. He’s currently being held in the county police station’s detention center,” Master Xufeng said with a slight smile.

"Detention center?" The Hakka woman looked surprised.

“He was detained for assaulting someone,” Master Xufeng replied.

“I’ll go find him now,” the Hakka woman said resolutely as she stood up.

At the service desk, Master Xufeng made a phone call to Section Chief Chu of the County Bureau.

"Old Xu, that cultivator Jia Shiming you asked about escaped from the detention center last night," Section Chief Chu said indignantly on the phone.

Master Xufeng was not surprised. It would be surprising if Master Jia knew that Nizi was still alive and hadn't escaped from prison.

"Where did he injure that fat woman?" Master Xufeng asked.

“He originally cultivated at the summit of Jade Pillar Peak,” Section Chief Chu replied.

Master Xufeng hung up the phone and said to the Hakka woman standing next to him, "Master Jia escaped from prison last night."

The Hakka woman was greatly disappointed upon hearing this.

“However, he injured that woman on the summit of Jade Pillar Peak of Five Old Peaks. Master Jia cultivated there before, so it’s very likely that Nizi’s hiding place is also on the summit of Jade Pillar Peak,” Master Xufeng speculated.

"Yes, in that case, after Nizi left that farmhouse yesterday morning, she probably went directly to Jade Pillar Peak," the Hakka nanny nodded.

Master Xufeng cupped his hands in farewell to the Hakka woman and said, “Senior, Master Jia suddenly escaped from prison last night. If he goes to Jade Pillar Peak, he probably won’t stay long, since he is a fugitive with a criminal record. You must hurry and get to Jade Pillar Peak before he moves away. I will settle the bill here.”

The Hakka woman nodded gratefully and said, "Then, thank you, old woman. We'll meet again someday." After saying that, she led Shen Caihua and Xiong Dahai back to their room to pack their things quickly, then hurriedly left the guesthouse and headed east straight for Wulao Peak.

Chapter 136

Inside a ward at Yongji County People's Hospital, the "Emei Old Nun" was trimming and combing her eyebrows in front of a mirror. Her eyebrows were unusually long and dark, with occasional silver hairs that seemed to float like ethereal beings—truly a sign of extreme lewdness. An ancient saying goes: "Eyebrows represent temperament, eyes represent the heart. Thick eyebrows indicate a volatile temper; murky eyebrows indicate confused thoughts; sparse eyebrows indicate a lack of achievement; connected eyebrows indicate a narrow-minded person; short eyebrows indicate financial ruin; broken eyebrows indicate a cold and unfeeling person; tiger-like eyebrows indicate a wild and reckless nature; ghost-like eyebrows indicate a beastly heart; and dark eyebrows with silver hairs indicate extreme lewdness."

She was nearing forty, of average appearance, but proud of her naturally striking, lewd eyebrows, hence the nickname "Old Nun of Emei." Despite her unattractive features, her skills in bed were exceptional; many high-ranking officials in the capital had fallen under her spell, unable to extricate themselves. Two days ago, she made a long-distance call from the hospital to the capital, found a high-ranking official, and tearfully told him that she had been bullied and seriously injured at Wulaofeng in Hedong, Shanxi, and hoped he could come to Hedong to avenge her.

"Old Ni, you have to trust the local government and the public security organs. They will bring the villains to justice. I'm too busy with work here and really can't spare the time..." the leader said on the phone, trying to make excuses.

"Waaah..." Old Ni wailed, appealing to his emotions, "Commander, have you forgotten the promises you made to me in bed? Waaah..."

"Alright, alright, your martial arts skills are not weak, how could you be so frail and get injured?" the commander muttered impatiently.

“It’s ‘innate qigong’…” the old nun said, feeling extremely aggrieved.

"What! 'Innate Qi Gong'?" the leader exclaimed in surprise.

“That’s right,” the old nun sobbed.

"Who is that person?" the commander asked nervously.

“He said his name is Jia Shiming,” the old nun replied.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then the leader asked, "Where is that person now?"

"Yongji County Public Security Bureau Detention Center," the old nun replied.

"Okay, I'll arrange it." The commander hung up the phone.

The "Emei Old Nun" was overjoyed upon hearing this. Haha, once the leader arrives in Yongji, won't those local officials be terrified? Jia Shiming, Jia Shiming, this grudge will be avenged! You just wait and see…

As the "Emei Old Nun" was pondering this, the on-duty nurse called out loudly in the corridor, "Bed 14, someone's here to see you."

Old Ni hurriedly looked up. Someone pushed open the door to the ward and entered. The first person he saw was a small, dwarf old man with an unusually large head, fair complexion, and chubby little hands. He wore a dark blue Zhongshan suit and shiny black rocket-print leather shoes, spotless. Behind him followed a tall, thin old man in black, with a youthful face and white hair, wearing sunglasses and a faint smile.

"Are you Ms. Ni?" the little dwarf asked the "Old Nun of Emei".

Old Ni looked at the two men indifferently, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Well, what do you want with me?"

The little dwarf's sharp gaze quickly swept over the old nun's entire body, then he solemnly introduced himself, saying, "My name is Song Diweng, and this is Daoist Fei Ziyun. The commander sent us to find you first. We heard that Ms. Ni was injured by Jia Shiming's 'Innate Qi Gong'?"

"Commander, he didn't come?" Old Ni asked, greatly disappointed.

Song Diweng did not answer her directly, but said coldly, "Ms. Ni, I am asking you a question."

"Oh, what's with all this 'Ms. Ni' stuff? It sounds so foreign. The leader always calls me 'Old Nun of Emei,' so you can call me that too." The old nun chuckled, her voice quite lewd.

Song Diweng frowned and said, "Alright, 'Old Nun of Emei,' I ask you, when, where, and why were you injured by Jia Shiming? Is Jia Shiming in the detention center of Yongji County Public Security Bureau?"

Old Ni's face suddenly darkened, and she sneered, "If the commander doesn't come, how would I know who you are? Why should I tell you, you little dwarf?"

With a sharp "smack," Song Diweng's chubby little hand slapped the "Old Nun of Emei" hard across the face, and he said angrily, "Even the Chief has always treated me with utmost respect. Who do you think you are, daring to insult me like this..."

The "Emei old nun" touched her burning cheeks and was stunned.

The "Emei Old Nun" was used to bossing men around, so it was simply unimaginable that a small, dwarf, disabled old man would dare to slap her like that. The old nun flew into a rage, grabbing her crutches from beside the bed to get down, shouting angrily, "Fine, you dare hit me? I'm going to call the commander right now..."

Song Diweng stretched out his two small hands and grabbed the two wooden canes. With two "cracks," the canes broke in two. The old nun lost her balance and lay back down on the sickbed.

The "Emei Old Nun" stared in astonishment at the broken crutch on the ground, too frightened to utter a word. The little dwarf's strength was unheard of; even Jia Shiming himself might not be a match for him.

“You haven’t answered my question yet,” Song Diweng said calmly, his eyes fixed intently on the old nun.

"There's a small wooden house on the top of Jade Pillar Peak. It used to be mine, but that bully Jia Shiming robbed it of it and beat me, a woman, like this. He's been detained and is being held in the county public security bureau's detention center." The old nun didn't dare to be presumptuous anymore and hurriedly answered.

“‘Old nun of Emei,’ if you dare to mention the leader in front of outsiders, you should know what the consequences will be…” After saying this viciously, Song Diweng turned around and left the ward. Master Fei gave the old nun a pitying smile and followed her away.

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, the "Old Nun of Emei" began to sob softly to herself.

After making inquiries, Song Diweng and Fei Daozhang arrived at the county detention center located in the elm grove outside the city and went straight into the guard room.

"Comrade, we are relatives of Jia Shiming, and we have come all this way to visit him," Master Fei said politely to the guard on duty.

"Jia Shiming? That guy escaped from prison last night..." the guard blurted out irritably, then realized he'd let something slip. He looked at the two men warily, especially the little dwarf, before frowning and asking, "Do you have visitation passes from the bureau's security division?"

Master Fei smiled apologetically and replied respectfully, "We came straight here after getting off the bus and haven't had a chance to go to the station yet. Comrade, you just said that Jia Shiming escaped from prison last night?"

The guard suddenly turned serious and said, "Did I say that? I didn't say anything."

Song Diweng chuckled and said, "You didn't say it, maybe we misheard."

“That’s right.” The guard’s expression softened.

“Then we’ll go to the county bureau to complete the formalities first,” Song Diweng said, turning and leaving.

Stepping outside, Master Fei said with a puzzled look, "Master, that guard doesn't seem to be lying."

Song Diweng nodded and said, "Of course not. Jia Shiming must have escaped last night. The specific reason is still unclear. We can only go to the small wooden house on the top of Jade Pillar Peak to take a look."

"Yes, Master," Master Fei nodded.

So the two of them headed straight for the Five Old Men Peak without stopping.

On Jade Pillar Peak, Hakka Granny, Shen Caihua, and Xiong Dahai stood quietly on the summit, silently gazing at the small wooden house that had been burned to ashes but still emitted wisps of smoke...

“She’s here… Mo Mo was here before,” Shen Caihua murmured.

"Alas, we're late again..." the Hakka woman sighed.

"Young master, since you've smelled her, let's hurry and chase after her," Xiong Dahai said considerately, seeing Chen Caihua's distressed expression.

Just then, the Hakka woman suddenly exclaimed alertly, "Someone's coming!"

At the summit of Jade Pillar Peak, two people suddenly appeared: the little dwarf Song Diweng and Daoist Fei.

"So it was you here!" Master Fei exclaimed in surprise as he spotted Xiao Caihua and the Hakka nanny with his one eye.

"Ziyun, is this the old woman who was acquainted with the monk Liaokong?" Song Diweng had already guessed it in his heart.

“Master, yes, it’s them,” Master Fei nodded, pointing at Chen Caihua and saying angrily, “You little brat, where did you take my brother Ling?”

Upon seeing Master Fei for the first time, Shen Caihua recalled that night in Hukou when he had desperately pinched his inner thigh. He glared at him and replied, "Brother Ling is dead."

"Dead? You little brat, trying to extort money from me..." Master Fei glanced at Song Diweng. With his master here, he no longer needed to fear that old witch.

"I am Song Diweng. May I ask your honorable name?" Song Diweng stepped forward, cupped his hands, and asked the old woman in a loud voice.

The Hakka woman sized up the little dwarf and thought to herself that this man had an unusual appearance and was also Master Fei's master, so he must be no ordinary person in the martial arts world. So she nodded politely and replied, "I am an old woman from Nanzhuang, Miaoli, Taiwan."

“Oh, so you’re from Taiwan. My apologies. I heard that the Hakka nanny once cured my disciple Ziyun of the ‘worm gu’. I am extremely grateful, but I don’t know why the gu in Ziyun’s body has not been completely removed. I would like to ask the Hakka nanny to lend a helping hand again, what do you say?” Song Diweng said politely.

The Hakka old woman said in surprise, "Your apprentice Caihua has already forced out all the larvae of the worm-like creatures for him?"

"Perhaps the child's skills are still shallow and he has not completely eradicated evil. I would be grateful if you, sir, could personally intervene." Old Man Song was extremely sincere in his request.

The Hakka woman looked at Master Fei with a puzzled expression.