Volume One, Chapter Ten: The Two Fat Men

After Feixue left, Hongkun hurriedly opened the letter from his uncle. The letter instructed him to organize a group to search down the mountain, specifying several possible destinations. He was also reminded, as the leader among the disciples, to calm his fellow students, cautioning them not to be overly anxious or to act inappropriately during the search. Uncle’s decision to send them down the mountain meant the situation was truly extraordinary. Their master and disciples shared a celestial bond—unless their master intentionally avoided being found, there was nowhere their uncle couldn’t locate him. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Hongkun quickly summoned his peers for a meeting; in the end, it was decided that the disciples bearing the “Hong” character would lead, splitting into six groups to descend the mountain. Yibing, of course, would follow closely behind Hongkun and Hongpeng.

Early the next morning, each group packed up and set off. Hongkun, accompanied by Hongpeng and Yibing, headed straight for Bianma Mountain, hundreds of miles away. Uncle’s letter had mentioned that Bianma Mountain would soon host a gathering of cultivators, and their mad master was likely to attend.

Since Hongkun and Hongpeng had dragged Yibing up the mountain, this was their first time venturing out together as brothers. Recalling the night they carried Yibing, both Hongkun and Hongpeng were filled with emotion. Fate, perhaps—sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t. Back then, they chased after this plump fellow; now, he chased after them, and they couldn’t shake him even if they tried.

“Senior brother, what’s for lunch?” Barely half an hour into the journey, Yibing’s stomach began to grumble.

“Eat, eat, eat! All you think about is food! Our master’s gone missing and you only care about eating!” Hongkun, already in a foul mood, seized the opportunity to vent.

Yibing fell silent at once, lowering his head and following gloomily.

Before long, the sun climbed high, the weather grew scorching, and Yibing—lagging behind—felt hungrier than ever. He rubbed his belly and scanned the surroundings. Suddenly, a dark shadow darted through the grass.

“Rab—” Yibing blurted out, then quickly covered his mouth in fright. Peeking ahead, he saw his two brothers focused on the road, paying him no mind. He hadn’t eaten rabbit in ages! Hesitating for a moment, his eyes lit up and he dashed after the shadow. In an instant, a meatball-like figure sped across the field. Up ahead, Hongkun and Hongpeng’s ears twitched—they seemed to recognize the familiar sound.

Yibing was no longer the same as before; he chased wind and sun with remarkable speed. Soon, he was behind a small black rabbit, and as it paused to wipe its brow, he grabbed it by the neck. The little black rabbit let out a sharp cry and fainted, baring its teeth.

“Heh heh… Now I’ll have plenty to eat…” beads of sweat dripped onto the rabbit’s face, but it didn’t react.

“Villain!” came a strange yet familiar voice from behind.

Yibing shuddered, releasing the rabbit at once. Unexpectedly, the black rabbit was merely feigning—midair, it twisted and vanished across the field. Yibing didn’t care; he turned quickly, but saw no one. He knew it was the lame little white rabbit scolding him. Whatever the case, it was his careless mistake that brought her harm. He opened his mouth to speak, but found nothing to say. Looking up, the desolate plain seemed to hold only him.

“Drat…” The grumbling of his stomach pulled him back to reality. Glancing about, he realized he had no idea where he was, and his brothers were nowhere in sight. Panic struck, and he hurried along, guessing the path for several miles, but still couldn’t find them. Perhaps he’d gone the wrong way; he turned back. So, east for a while, west for a while, back and forth—until nearing noon, lost and disoriented, a small town suddenly appeared before him. From afar, smoke curled and people bustled—a lively scene.

“Could this be Tianyi Town?” Yibing’s spirits lifted, and he hurried toward it. He remembered his brothers mentioning Tianyi Town as their first stop for a meal. He hadn’t even asked where they’d finally go—if they weren’t in Tianyi Town, he’d really be in trouble!

At the town’s entrance, Yibing was stunned. He’d expected a small settlement, visible at a glance. Yet here, traffic and crowds made it unexpectedly prosperous. Tea houses and taverns lined the streets, red bricks and green tiles echoed with constant hawking.

“This will be hard… Ah, the smell…” As he muttered, a delicious aroma wafted from a nearby bun shop.

“Should find my brothers first… but I’m so hungry… Still, finding them is more important… Maybe just a look…” Yibing’s mind battled itself, but his legs carried him inexorably toward the bun shop.

But before he could reach it, a cry sounded behind him. As he turned, a startled horse raced past. At that moment, a plump girl stepped out from a restaurant ahead, and the horse charged straight at her. She was terrified, dropping the flatbread she held in her mouth. The horse, equally frightened, saw this mountain-like girl and hesitated.

Without hesitation, Yibing leapt forward, grabbing the horse’s tail with his chubby hand. The horse, legs tucked to flee, suddenly sat down in shock—it never imagined encountering two fat people in one day!

“Wow…” Applause erupted from the surrounding townsfolk.

“…Ahem… Forgive me… Forgive me…” Yibing nodded awkwardly.

“Thank you…” the plump girl stared at Yibing, wide-eyed.

“You’re welcome… You’re wel—” Yibing, looking up, was dumbstruck.

Heavens! Such a hefty lass!

The startled horse lying on the ground couldn’t help but neigh, thinking, “So you’ve just noticed! Still holding onto me—lucky I wasn’t hurt!”

Yibing, who’d always considered himself fat, suddenly felt quite insignificant. The girl before him was his height, but nearly a third wider. The difference wasn’t much, but she seemed enormous. Her round face was a whole size larger than his, but fair and rosy, likely from all the extra oil.

“…You’re welcome…” Yibing finally recovered from his shock.

Meanwhile, a group rushed out from the restaurant, crowding around the plump girl before turning to thank Yibing.

“Thank you, brave sir, for saving my junior sister! We’re indebted to you!” The leader clasped Yibing’s hands gratefully.

“No need… No need… Just doing my duty…” Yibing spoke smoothly, but behind him came a familiar, contemptuous “hmph”—no doubt the little white rabbit again.

“I am Jin Guishan, disciple of Master Tai Miao. These are my fellow disciples, and this is my junior sister Zhao Lingyao,” the leader introduced himself.

“Oh! I’m Yibing—no, Mu Tianci, disciple of Master Hong,” Yibing hurried to introduce himself.

“Yibing?” The plump girl nearly laughed aloud.

“Junior sister! Mind your manners!” Jin Guishan scolded, though he too struggled not to laugh.

“It’s fine, all my brothers call me that!” Yibing didn’t mind; the aroma from the restaurant was too tempting.

“Gentlemen, your buns are ready!” the waiter announced.

“Brother Mu, you haven’t eaten yet? Join us!” Jin Guishan warmly invited.

“I really shouldn’t…” Yibing was nearly ready to rush inside.

“Nonsense! The buns here are delicious!” The plump girl eagerly recommended.

Unable to refuse, Yibing followed them in. Seeing the steaming buns on the table, he nearly drooled. Had he been with Hongkun and Hongpeng, half a basket would already be gone, but in front of strangers, he forced himself to sip tea first.

“Where are you from, Brother Mu?” Jin Guishan asked, placing a bun on Yibing’s plate. Noticing he carried no bundle, Jin presumed he was a local.

“I’m from Banyue Hill,” Yibing replied, eating slowly.

“Oh! You don’t even carry a bundle—I thought you were local!” Jin Guishan smiled.

“Ah!” Only then did Yibing remember all his money was in Hongpeng’s bundle—he was penniless. He quickly put down the half-eaten bun.

“What’s wrong, Brother Mu?”

“Well… I got separated from my brothers, and I don’t have a coin to my name… You see…” Yibing said, embarrassed.

“Oh, is that all! I’ll pay for you…” The plump girl waved, mouth full of bun.

“Yes! You just saved my junior sister, it’s the least we can do!” Jin Guishan was truly gracious.

With their invitations, Yibing no longer stood on ceremony. Young people, eating and chatting, soon grew lively. Jin Guishan and his fellows were also headed to the Bianma Mountain cultivation gathering, stopping here for a meal along the way. From his words, Yibing learned this wasn’t Tianyi Town but a place called Sanguo Town. Yibing explained he’d come down the mountain to find his master and had accidentally gotten separated from his brothers, carefully omitting the true reason. He merely said his master liked to wander, and there was some business back at the hill requiring his presence, so their uncle had sent them to search.

“We haven’t seen any Taoists with tied beards together, have we, brother?” The plump girl frowned, thinking hard.

“None at all! If we had, we’d certainly remember!” Jin Guishan looked around at his companions.

“Brother, he’s got no money—let’s take a detour and send him to Tianyi Town first, alright?” The plump girl spoke with oily lips.

“Huh? Oh, of course!” Jin Guishan hesitated. There was another purpose to their trip, but it wasn’t something to discuss with Yibing. Still, he couldn’t refuse, so he reluctantly agreed.

“Look at you! Eating like that—are you even a lady?” Jin Guishan glared at her. This junior sister was loyal and straightforward, but ate like a pig.

“Brother Jin, I…” At the table, Yibing learned he was a year older than the plump girl, but all the others were older still.

“It’s just a little detour, and we wanted to visit Tianyi Town anyway!” Jin Guishan, resigned, decided to be generous.

“These buns are delicious! You need a full belly for the road!” The plump girl happily gave Yibing a big bun.

Once he was full, Yibing set off with Jin Guishan and his group. If not for them, he’d have been truly lost. Jin Guishan’s party consisted of six—four brothers and two sisters, clearly childhood friends, teasing and laughing all the way. The plump girl stuck close to Yibing, questioning him about this and that, acting just like a tomboy. Her ample flesh shook constantly, nothing at all like Senior Sister Biyi, but Yibing found her easy to talk to. They debated endlessly—from those with legs to those without, from flying in the sky to swimming in water, from good food to bad, never pausing.

“Truly two of a kind!” Jin Guishan watched them, amused.

As dusk approached, a dilapidated temple appeared atop a nearby hill. Jin Guishan grew excited, urging his brothers onward, leaving Yibing and the plump girl far behind.

“Oh, senior brother, what’s the rush!” The plump girl panted, complaining.

“What is this place?” Yibing asked curiously.

“This is… where we’re staying tonight…” The plump girl remembered her brother’s warning and swallowed her words.

When they finally climbed the slope, Jin Guishan’s group was already busy preparing dinner—chopping wood, washing rice. Seeing the spring outside the temple, Yibing threw himself down and drank deeply.

“You’re hopeless! There’s a kettle here!” The plump girl handed him her water bottle.

“No need! Drinking like this is more satisfying!”

She pursed her lips, then knelt beside the spring and drank just like Yibing. He was dumbfounded.

“It really is satisfying!” She lifted her head, beaming.