Chapter 23: The Path of Peach Blossoms Upon My Return

When Zhuang Lin and Liu Hongyu returned, the four people sitting nearby all stood up. Although they had not followed the two, their gazes had been fixed on them the entire time. They had seen the pair stop mid-walk, exchange a few words, and then witnessed Liu Hongyu kowtowing repeatedly to Zhuang Lin before the two walked back together.

The group watched with astonishment as the young master Liu, who was now following obediently behind Zhuang Lin, had a forehead reddened from the kowtowing. They could not fathom what had transpired. Perhaps Tao Yuanming thought he had guessed a portion of it. He recalled the scene from the previous evening when Liu Hongyu had kowtowed to him, and in that light, the situation seemed to make sense.

"Master Zian, is... is everything all right now?" Tao Yuanming hurried over to Zhuang Lin’s side and whispered. The latter nodded slightly.

"Master Yuanliang, rest assured. Young Master Liu has agreed to return with us."

"Oh, that is good, that is very good indeed!" Tao Yuanming let out a long sigh of relief, finally able to set his worries aside.

Although Zhuang Lin was responding to Tao Yuanming, he did not lower his voice, so the other three and even Liu Hongyu trailing behind could hear him clearly. The Li brothers and Fu Zeyang also breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that the young master showed no signs of distress, they felt even more at ease.

"By the way, I hope you will return and inform Master Zhao that we are afraid we cannot attend the midday banquet. We regret failing to honor his kindness and hope to make amends for this rudeness should we have the opportunity in the future."

"Master Zian, you are leaving now?"

Zhuang Lin spoke truthfully. "We departed in haste and cannot stay here for long. Li brothers, go quickly and fetch Master Mu and the others!"

The Li brothers responded with a prompt "Yes" and trotted off. In truth, they did not need to go into the city to find them, as Master Mu and Tang Bin were already heading toward the outskirts. After all, the plan had been to rendezvous outside the city, at which point the issue with Young Master Liu would either be properly resolved or—at the very least—resolved.

By the time Master Mu and the others arrived at the Wuling river port with the Li brothers, Zhuang Lin and Fu Zeyang, accompanied by Tao Yuanming, had already used some jewelry to purchase a small boat. Zhuang Lin had negotiated the price and paid the former owner, while Fu Zeyang had already spotted the group approaching from afar.

"Over here! Master Tingwen, Brother Tang—over here!"

Fu Zeyang’s booming voice rang out, standing out even in the relatively noisy environment of the wharf, startling several bystanders who turned to look in surprise. However, Fu Zeyang felt no embarrassment; he merely continued waving at Master Mu’s group, who had already noticed them.

The former boat owner rubbed his ringing ears and bowed to the others with a smile. "Then our transaction is settled. I shall take my leave. If you gentlemen need a boat again, you can find me at the wharf; you can find me at the second pier from the east. I still have other boats!"

"Understood, many thanks!" Zhuang Lin returned the bow, while Fu Zeyang continued to watch the distance.

Tao Yuanming, standing to the side, looked at the man and remarked with a hint of disdain, "Very well, do not be greedy now that you have gained the upper hand. Off you go!"

"Uh, yes, yes, yes!" The boatman replied with a grin, fidgeting with the jewelry in his hand as he walked away.

It was a hairpin shaped like an elegant peacock, inlaid with gold and silver—silver-bodied with gold plating. To an ordinary person, it was not merely exquisite craftsmanship; it was a work of divine artistry. After admiring it, the boatman glanced around before carefully tucking it into his robe, fearing it might be deformed, and he dared not walk too quickly.

Tao Yuanming let out a low snort. Even a man like him, who could be indifferent to many things, knew that the boatman had walked away with a massive bargain.

Such fine gold and silver work was far too valuable to trade for a small boat like that.

Master Mu Chen and the others approached, passing by the departing boatman. The latter, knowing they were with the buyers and in a great mood, even bowed to them as they walked past.

The old master walked in front, while the Li brothers and Tang Bin, who had gone to fetch them, each carried a sack. Yu Jingxuan, a newfound friend of Zhuang Lin’s from the day before, had also come along.

When the old master and Tang Bin saw Zhuang Lin and Liu Hongyu standing together—the latter looking so quiet—they were delighted. Once they drew near, they could not help but ask, "Master Zhuang, is it settled?"

Zhuang Lin nodded, while Liu Hongyu offered an embarrassed smile, understanding that the elder was referring to his situation.

"Hurry and move the supplies onto the boat!" "Right away!"

Tao Yuanming shook his head helplessly from the side, while Yu Jingxuan stepped forward and could not help but ask, "Brother Zhuang, are you truly leaving? Why the rush? Master Zhao has already prepared a banquet at home. Would it not be heartless to leave without attending? To depart without even informing him personally is hardly the conduct of a gentleman."

Zhuang Lin could only say helplessly, "It is truly not our desire, but we have no choice. We have urgent matters that require our immediate departure. Please, convey our apologies and farewells to Master Zhao on our behalf!"

With that, Zhuang Lin bowed to the two, then stepped onto the small boat from the wharf pier, as the others had already boarded.

"Gentlemen, may we meet again if fate allows!"

The others, having settled their belongings on the boat, also stood up and bowed to the two on the wharf.

"May we meet again!" "Take care, Master Yuanliang!"

Seeing the urgency of Zhuang Lin and his companions, the two on the wharf exchanged a glance and could only sigh as they returned the bow.

"Take care, Master Zian, Master Tingwen!" "Brother Zhuang, when you return to Wuling next time, you must come find me—"

"Certainly, certainly!"

At that moment, Fu Zeyang pushed off with the boat pole against the stone steps. With a skillful shove, the small boat drifted away across the ripples, and Tang Bin began to row.

In the bustling Wuling port, filled with ships of all sizes, such a small fishing boat was naturally inconspicuous. Yet, to those on board, this moment might well become an eternal memory.

Except for those focused on rowing, everyone else stared back at the wharf and the port. They could see Tao Yuanming and Yu Jingxuan standing there, watching the boat leave, and they could see the busyness inside and outside the harbor.

Had Liu Hongyu not been on board, making some things inconvenient to discuss, Master Mu and the others would certainly have expressed their amazement. Who would have thought they would truly arrive in ancient times and have an encounter with the ancients, and with Tao Yuanming himself?

"We haven't returned yet, though." Zhuang Lin’s remark suddenly tightened the hearts of those who had just been lost in deep contemplation.

That was true—they hadn't returned yet!

If the spacetime passage had already closed, they would be doomed, trapped in the ancient world forever!

"Hurry, row faster!" Master Mu urged urgently, and Fu Zeyang hurried to Tang Bin’s side.

"Brother Tang, let me do it; I have more strength!"

Tang Bin sensibly handed the oar to Fu Zeyang. With a change of "crew," the speed of the small boat became wilder.

At Wuling Port, having watched the boat disappear into the distance, Tao Yuanming and Yu Jingxuan stood for a long time before exchanging a look, both faces showing a sense of helplessness.

"As for Master Zhao..." "I shall go and explain it, Master Tao."

"I trouble you, Brother Tao!"

Yu Jingxuan breathed a sigh of relief, though he could not help but follow Tao Yuanming’s gaze back toward the river. By now, however, the boat was no longer visible.

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The current of the Wuling River flowed in the same direction the boat was traveling, making the journey smooth. The boat moved across the waterway at a speed far exceeding its peers for half a day, winding through many places as the sun gradually began to slant toward the west.

The people on the boat were now most worried about two things: first, whether the spacetime passage had closed, and second, whether they had taken the wrong path in these complex waterways. Even Zhuang Lin began to grow nervous, as the sun was sinking lower and lower in the west.

The most relaxed person on the boat was Liu Hongyu. Immersed in the joy that his path to immortality had finally become clear, he sat at the front of the boat, admiring the scenery along the way.

The number of ships visible grew fewer and fewer. Gradually, no other vessels could be seen, and the sounds of apes, birds, and various animals from the forests on both sides grew more frequent.

"Hmm?"

The eldest of the Li brothers, who was rowing, gave a sudden low cry. Feeling a sharp increase in resistance against the boat, he immediately realized the situation.

"The direction of the current has changed!"

While the others were still pondering the significance of this, Zhuang Lin reacted instantly. "We are on the right path; this is the way!"

Once these words were spoken, the others understood. Indeed, the stretch of waterway leading to the "Peach Blossom Spring" flowed in the opposite direction to the Wuling waters!

Zhuang Lin stood in the middle of the boat, gazing at the nearby water. He vaguely noticed a subtle change in the water's color where they had just passed—an angle formed by the collision of two currents. The ripples in the wider area also appeared chaotic, as if a large vessel had just passed through, stirring the surface.

"Second brother, I have no strength left. You take over for me!"

"Coming!"

The rowers switched again, and the people on the boat grew excited, even Liu Hongyu included.

About another hour passed. The resistance of the current became significantly stronger, and Fu Zeyang was now the one rowing. Looking ahead, they could actually see a fog forming in the distance.

Zhuang Lin bent down and reached out with his hand, scooping several peach blossoms from the upstream water. A smile finally appeared on his face.

"Brother Fu, toward the fog, follow the markers left by Master Yuanliang!"

"Understood, I know!"

Fu Zeyang replied with excitement. The moment they saw the peach blossoms in Zhuang Lin’s hand, everyone knew they were going home!

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Outside the city of Wuling, by a remote riverbank, a large macaque was hiding in an old locust tree, peering toward the distance of a nearby path. On a branch next to the macaque, several bundles of clothing were wedged.

The macaque’s nose twitched from time to time, and occasionally it looked toward a spot not far below, where two bamboo rafts had been simply hidden by someone.

"Hiss... hiss..."

The macaque sniffed the lingering scent again, its ghostly, terrifying face wearing a deeply human expression, as if filled with anticipation...