Text [01] White Egret Flies
Medicine King Valley is located in a remote area far from the country, truly a secluded paradise. Ten miles of bamboo forests with shimmering blue waves, winding streams, a gentle valley breeze, and lush reeds abound. In any such idyllic paradise, there must be a handsome, otherworldly figure, like a banished immortal. The one paired with Medicine King Valley is called Zhou Sangong.
Zhou San Gong was like an immortal being, so immortal that no one could say how old he had lived. Three years ago, when I visited Medicine King Valley, he stroked his beard and looked at me with a kind expression, perfectly matching the image of the local earth god in my mind, leaving me utterly astonished. At that time, Zhou San Gong's hair, beard, and eyebrows were already white—a whiteness so profound it seemed as if the stars had shifted completely. I once frantically searched his head, turning it tangled and fiddling with his hair, trying to find a single black strand. In the end, I anxiously turned a tuft of my own hair white, but still couldn't find a single black hair of his. It can only be said that time flies, leaving behind only the red cherries and the white hair of Zhou San Gong.
Being completely white has two advantages. First, the current Third Master looks exactly the same as he did three years ago, with not a single white hair more. This is the reason why the Third Master is considered a banished immortal; his appearance has remained unchanged. Second, on snowy days, the Third Master in his white robes often looks like a snowman to me. Occasionally, when I pass by, I can't resist breaking off a twig and sticking it on his head.
Many people say that the myth of Medicine King Valley originated from my master, but I disagree. The Three Masters demonstrated through their own actions that one could live to be a hundred years old and instantly become a demon in Medicine King Valley.
In my heart, San Gong is like a snow-white immortal, with eyebrows and hair as white as snow, clothes whiter than snow, lonely as snow, and detached from the world. To keep him from being so lonely, when my master was concocting medicine, I, who am always kind and generous, would find a stool to sit beside San Gong. San Gong would kindly recount those very long and distant stories to me.
The Three Dukes said: Long, long ago, Medicine King Valley was a place with small bridges, flowing water, and houses. Birds flew in the sky, the evening breeze was gentle, and girls washed clothes and sang softly.
I asked the three officials: "Then why are there no birds flying over the mountains and no human traces on the paths?"
The three officials replied: "The stars and constellations shift, the stars and constellations shift."
The Third Master also said: Back then, there was a young lady wearing a blue and white turban, who would always pass by my window.
I asked the Third Master: And then that young lady married someone else?
The three officials replied: "The stars and constellations shift, the stars and constellations shift."
After that, I would usually close my eyes and fall asleep when the three masters told stories.
In the span of three years, I pieced together the history of Medicine King Valley from the changing times of the Three Dukes. Medicine King Valley was originally a simple, honest village, with blue skies, white clouds, fragrant grass, and wisps of smoke rising from chimneys. The young men and women of the village farmed and wove, their hair tied up and eyebrows painted. But time passed, and the villagers gradually grew old. The young woman who once wore a blue-and-white headscarf and passed by the Three Dukes' window now had fine lines around her eyes. The population dwindled, the village declined, and only the Three Dukes remained, guarding a house beside the bamboo grove, living a lonely and agonizing life.
Long, long afterward, a young master arrived. This young master tended his garden with small flowers and grasses, spending his days picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, gazing leisurely at the southern mountains. Overnight, thousands of pear trees burst into bloom. Many people came drawn by his fame. At first, they were mostly young women. Zhou Sangong once again saw many young ladies wearing blue and white brocade headscarves, as well as red and yellow floral headscarves, and some without headscarves at all. Unlike the usual "passing by the window," this time they "waited patiently by the window, waiting and waiting, until the flowers bloomed and faded, turning into spring mud." Later, many more people of all kinds joined in. With so many people coming and going, a piece of the village was accidentally trampled down. This nascent form of a pure land emerged.
As you tread on it, it becomes increasingly concave, thus forming a valley.
This young master who has transformed mountains and rivers and caused the world to change is none other than my master.
My master, Xia Jingnan, the master of Medicine King Valley, is a highly accomplished man. He is even more skilled than Hua Tuo, more like Guanyin, and a renowned physician in the martial arts world. In the past, I would discuss the past and present with the Three Masters, reminiscing about the great figures over wine. If there was anything I didn't understand, I would ask the Three Masters for guidance, because they had lived longer than me and their knowledge spanned thousands of years.
I asked the Three Dukes: Zhuge Kongming is truly an extraordinary man. Was his wife so beautiful that she bewitched the country?
The three officials replied: "Life is unpredictable, life is unpredictable."
I asked the Three Dukes again: Li Shimin's crown prince Li Chengqian has a son, but I heard that he is homosexual and that a man with homosexual tendencies can still marry and have children normally.
The three officials replied: "Life is unpredictable, life is unpredictable."
I asked the Third Master: "Third Master, do you know that Master has someone he loves?"
The Third Master looked up at me, sighed deeply, and said, "I don't know."
The reason I say my master is a great man is evident from the reaction of the Three Dukes. He would say "Life is unpredictable" to other charismatic figures, but only when it came to my master did the Three Dukes finally tell the truth.
Medicine King Valley is vast. Before Lou Xiyue entered the valley, I was the only woman there; even after he entered, the situation didn't improve significantly. However, his arrival did enhance the reputation of everyone in Medicine King Valley somewhat.
I am very interested in Lou Xiyue. Among the prominent figures in Li Kingdom, the Lou family of Jiangnan has three members. Lou Yufeng, the leader of the Jade Luo Sect, is famous in the martial arts world for his Lou family swordsmanship. More than ten years ago, he retired from the martial arts world and turned to managing the Lou family business. Now, the family has become one of the top merchants in Jiangnan.
Lady Qinghua, Lou Yufeng's wife, dressed in a hazy blue gown and carrying a melodious jade flute, captivated countless chivalrous heroes who fell at her feet. This golden couple, deeply in love, had one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, and many more children.
Among them, the Seventh Young Master was the most pleasing to the eye, embodying the spirit of heaven and earth and the essence of the sun and moon. Legend has it that he perfectly portrayed his father's dashing charm and his mother's captivating beauty. The Seventh Young Master was most adept at using his peach blossom bamboo fan to win the hearts of women. When a woman's heart was stirred, he would "step on the flowing clouds with his sleeve" and disappear, deeply understanding the art of being both close and distant, half-concealed and half-revealed.
Of course, rumors are just rumors. Having met Lou Xiyue, I think he is indeed dashing, but not as dashing as someone else.
I led Lou Xiyue on a stroll through the valley. "Xiyue, this is the flower and herb garden of my Medicine King Valley. Some common medicinal herbs are planted here. I will tell you about their medicinal properties one by one in the future."
Lou Xiyue walked around and looked at the plants, pointing to a purple-stemmed grass. "The veins of this grass are tinged with blood. At first glance, they do look somewhat like human veins."
"This is purple-stemmed grass, which can counteract cold poison. After the first ingestion, it will cause short-term mental confusion and make one prone to dreaming, and the dreams will be extremely beautiful, mostly reflecting the deepest desires buried in one's heart. Therefore, this grass is both a poison and an antidote. If one becomes immersed in the dream and refuses to wake up, it will take one's life." The sky was somewhat overcast, and the reeds in the distance rippled like a sea of clouds. I seemed to hear my heart stir, and I murmured, "Purple-stemmed grass is also called Fireworks Intoxication."
Lou Xiyue casually remarked, "Fireworks Intoxication, what a beautiful name. I only wish for us to be entangled in this tender moment, and let the moonlight remain hazy forever."
Lou Xiyue's poem has stirred up all my hazy, yearning girlish feelings. I exclaimed, "Tsk tsk, Xiyue, you truly are a veteran of the world of romance, these couplets come so easily to you."
Lou Xiyue, "..."
After a moment, he said modestly, "Master, you flatter me."
After circling around, it was nearly dusk. I was hungry, so I said to Lou Xiyue, "For dinner tonight, I'd like to have chicken stewed with wild mushrooms."
Lou Xiyue looked up at me, and said hesitantly, "Master, there are actually no chickens in Medicine King Valley."
I asked in surprise, "But I clearly ate yam and chicken soup the day you entered the valley."
Lou Xiyue lowered her head and said, "I asked Nan Yan to buy it outside the valley."
Nan Yan was Lou Xiyue's servant, and Lou Xiyue was a typical example of a wealthy young master of his time. He lived a life of luxury, with everything done for him. When Lou Xiyue came to Medicine King Valley to become his apprentice, Nan Yan carried a bundle in his left hand containing Lou Xiyue's brocade robes, and on his right shoulder was a brocade box containing auspicious jade and a collection of gold and silver jewels. He also carried a warm jade flute from Huaiyin and a wooden zither in his arms. I couldn't help but sigh in amazement and lament: Lou Xiyue, a generation that has fallen apart.
Although Medicine King Valley is home to many exotic flowers and rare herbs, strangely enough, livestock struggle to survive there; insects, fish, birds, and beasts are scarce. When I first arrived in Medicine King Valley, I was unfamiliar with the local customs. I often went out of the valley to the market and brought back ducklings, chicks, birds, and kittens to raise, but within a few days, these animals would either foam at the mouth, convulse, or die of despondency. After witnessing the suffering of so many lives, I was heartbroken and filled with compassion. I felt as lonely as snow, and I looked at my master with tears in my eyes. My master turned and went back into the house. Seven days later, I discovered a lively little fish in the valley's pond.
The master wrote a prescription for me, saying, "Xiao Xiang, mix these herbs into the fish food, and the fish will not die."
I knew it; my master is omnipotent.
Before Lou Xiyue entered the valley, I had not tasted meat for twenty-three days. On the first day he entered the valley, I experienced the joy of rain after a long drought, and once again gave high praise to my decision to take on such a disciple.
I frowned and sighed into the wind, "west Yue, I've been pondering that resurrection pill lately, and I'm quite exhausted. So I'd like to have some chicken soup to replenish my energy."
Lou Xiyue said with difficulty, "Master, leaving the valley will take some time, and it's already getting late. If Nan Yan goes now, she probably won't be back until tomorrow."
I rested my chin on my hand and murmured, "I once heard a saying, 'Seven doors on the tower, sleeves held as flowing clouds.' Xiyue, are you skilled in light-body techniques?"
"Clatter—" Lou Xiyue's fan fell to the ground.