Pearl Light

Part 5

8

On the way back, the moon was round and bright. I tried to make conversation.

I mentioned that I had earned forty wen selling chickens today, but I saw an old beggar with festering sores by the roadside.

So, I gave the beggar twenty wen.

Because his body was covered in sores, which he had to show to others, it was really pitiful.

"That was a conman; the sores on his body are painted with dye. You've been tricked again."

"How do you know?"

As a cultivator, Xie Wu Chen had a discerning eye, so if he said it was a trick, it must be.

But he didn't bother to explain to me.

"It's okay, as long as he's not sick, otherwise it would be very painful."

Having been sick myself, I just hope others don't fall ill; it's an unpleasant experience.

I didn't mention that I gave the money also because the beggar reminded me of myself.

Showing his wounds to beg for money.

Just like how I jumped around, trying to get Xie Wu Chen to stay with me.

There didn't seem to be much difference.

Hearing me say this, Xie Wu Chen was just momentarily stunned before he threw out a:

"Fool."

I had heard countless insults from Xie Wu Chen, but none hurt as much as this one.

I stayed silent and walked even slower.

Xie Wu Chen didn't notice that I hadn't followed, or perhaps he did notice but was eager to get rid of me.

By the time I reached the village entrance, crying all the while, it was already very late.

There was no one on the road, only Da Huang wagging his tail and running towards me from the field ridge.

From that day on, I understood.

I didn't want Xie Wu Chen anymore.

No matter how good he was, I didn't want him anymore.

9

Shen Tong Guang, however, placed his fingers on my lips, stopping me:

"Wrong. He didn't succeed in his tribulation. He deceived the heavenly Dao, and the Dao deceived him in return."

I was getting sleepy, rubbing my eyes, not bothering to delve into what failing the tribulation meant.

"So, Shen Tong Guang, how have you been these years?"

Shen Tong Guang didn't answer me, just patted my back gently.

Sleepiness overwhelmed me, and I clung to the hem of his clothes.

He didn't talk about his own past but told me a story instead.

There was a cat that had cultivated for many years and grew nine tails.

It went to its master to request a title, hoping to become a cat deity.

The master said it had committed misdeeds in the past, and it couldn't use the divine powers of its nine tails for itself. Instead, it had to grant wishes to mortals. Only when someone was willing to save it, could it achieve Dao.

The first mortal wished for immortality, the second wished for wealth... Eight wishes were granted, leaving the cat with only one tail.

I thought seriously:

"Why didn't anyone wish for the cat deity's own wish to come true, to let it become a deity?"

Shen Tong Guang paused, his smile deepening.

In the end, he encountered a child who was like a pearl [1]. The child did not want gold, silver, or treasures, nor did she desire immortality. She said, "I wish for you, the cat deity, to become an immortal."

I must have been too drowsy.

I seemed to see beastly patterns, like those of the cat deity, appear on Shen Tong Guang's beautiful face.

He propped his chin with one hand and pointed at my heart with his sharp claw:

"I am like the cat deity, fulfilling people's wishes in exchange for a sincere heart to eat.

"Little Zhen Zhu, I'm so hungry."

10

During Shen Tong Guang's stay at my house, it was as if he performed magic.

Every morning when I woke up, the firewood outside was chopped, the chickens and ducks were fed, and the house was spotlessly clean.

Even Da Huang was given a bath, and its fur became sleek and shiny.

Shen Tong Guang knew that many people in Li Family Village had shown me kindness.

So, whenever he saw anyone needing help, he would lend a hand.

"Oh, now this is a real man," Aunt Zhao said, clutching her handkerchief and laughing, "Zhen Zhu, you are truly blessed."

Shen Tong Guang even had time to make an account book for me.

He taught me how to use it, but even after explaining twice, I still didn't fully understand.

"Zhen Zhu, do you understand?"

I didn't understand, but I didn't want to be called a fool anymore:

"...Yes."

Shen Tong Guang saw through my thoughts and patted my head:

"In the future, when you sell things, I will keep the accounts for you.

"It's okay if you don't understand. I'll teach you slowly, and you can learn at your own pace."

During the day, he put away that bewitching demeanor, no longer resembling a fox but more like a serious scholar from an academy.

"Don't tire yourself out. I will chop the firewood, and feeding the chickens is also a dirty job."

"It's not tiring; it's just a matter of a spell." Shen Tong Guang propped his chin with his hand, his long, narrow eyes squinting like a fox. "Does Zhen Zhu have any other wishes? Do you want to go sell things together? If anyone bullies you, I'll deal with them."

I thought for a moment and shook my head.

Actually, I wanted Shen Tong Guang to go with me to sell eggs, but I was afraid he might find it embarrassing.

Shen Tong Guang was very kind; even if he didn't want to, he wouldn't refuse.

I didn't want to trouble him.

"Then let's go to the market to buy some fabric and make Zhen Zhu a new outfit."

Footnote:

[1] The Chinese word for pearl (珍珠) is the same as the FL's name, Zhen Zhu (珍珠).