Abandoned Woman Busy Farming

Chapter 2560 - 2561: Farther East of Fusang

When Bai Ruozhu read the poem, she felt a sense of familiarity. After thinking it over, she remembered that it was written by Weng Zhuang for a monk from Fusang. Could this painting be in Fusang?

This time and space was unlike any dynasty in her memory, but for some reason, some things seemed to overlap.

"Is this the painting from the earliest abbot of Zhaoti Temple?" Bai Ruozhu asked.

"No, he obtained it by chance. It dates back much further. Many years ago, a monk from Fusang went to Zhongyuan and returned with this painting, a gift from a friend. This painting is related to the Buddha, which is why it ended up at Zhaoti Temple. Since it is not a scripture, it was not kept in the Scripture Pavilion and thus preserved the original."

Master Puru spoke with some regret, considering that the fire in the Scripture Pavilion had burned many scriptures.

Bai Ruozhu pondered, thinking that if it was indeed long ago, perhaps it was during the Tang Dynasty.

Suddenly, she felt heat rising within her body, and it seemed that there was some situation in the Space. She hurriedly scanned it with her consciousness and was shocked to see that Master Pudeng’s golden body was emitting golden light!

The golden body, left behind at his passing, had already gained spirit; what could be the reason for the golden light at this moment?

Bai Ruozhu immediately thought that something might have happened to Luan Xin and urgently said to Master Puru, "I just remembered that I forgot to take the medicine off the stove back at the Posthouse, I need to go now before the hard-prepared medicinal materials get wasted. I must take my leave first, master, I will come back later."

With that, she left like a gust of wind. Master Puru watched her go, shaking his head with a smile, looking at her retreating figure with affectionate eyes, like looking at his own daughter who hasn’t grown up yet.

Bai Ruozhu exited Zhaoti Temple and ran to Luan Xin’s house without using a horse carriage, relying solely on her qinggong to get there fast. By the time she arrived, she was already covered in fragrant sweat.

"Luan Xin, are you alright?" She flipped over the wall and jumped into Luan Xin’s yard. Luan Xin was sweeping fallen leaves, and the sudden arrival of someone startled him.

Bai Ruozhu noticed his expression and thought to herself that it looked a bit like a child.

"I’m fine. Why have you suddenly come?" Luan Xin asked in confusion, "Did you hear something?"

Seeing that he was unharmed, Bai Ruozhu checked his pulse to ensure his body was alright before saying, "I was talking to Master Puru at Zhaoti Temple when for some reason your golden body started radiating light. I thought it had developed a spirit and was warning me of your danger, so I hurried over."

"Why would my golden body suddenly emit golden light?" Luan Xin was clearly puzzled by it, too.

"Let me show you." Bai Ruozhu made a gesture to retrieve the golden body, but Luan Xin quickly pressed her arm down.

"Don’t take it out. The emergence of the golden body would surely attract attention from many parties, which could endanger you," Luan Xin said. "If it’s not something wrong with me, perhaps it was something near you at the time that elicited a reaction from it."

Bai Ruozhu suddenly recalled the painting, "At the time, Master Puru was showing me an old painting, one given many years ago by a Zhongyuan poet to a monk from Fusang, with a poem inscribed on it."

"What poem?" Luan Xin asked eagerly, as if recalling something.

"Fusang already lies in the ethereal, my home is even further east of Fusang. Who will accompany Master on this journey? A boat of bright moon and a sail of wind." Bai Ruozhu recited the poem from memory, having read it once more, she had committed it completely to memory.

Luan Xin was silent for a long time, deep in thought. Bai Ruozhu noticing his melancholy expression, decided not to disturb him and quietly waited on the side.

After a long while, Luan Xin finally spoke softly, "East of Fusang, it seems my hometown is there."

Suddenly his tone and demeanor became like that of an old man filled with vicissitudes, devoid of the childish spirit he had found earlier.

Clearly, having discovered his hometown should have been a good thing, right?

"You go ahead and focus on your own matters, let’s set this aside for now," Luan Xin suddenly said to Bai Ruozhu, then retreated into his room, the door slamming shut—a clear sign he wanted to be alone.

Bai Ruozhu climbed back over the wall to leave Canghe’s home, feeling a bit unsettled herself.

Just thinking it through carefully, she understood Luan Xin’s emotions.

In life, he wished for his remains to return to his homeland, possibly spent his whole life longing for his native land, like someone who doesn’t know where they come from or truly belong.

So in his passing, he wished for his remains to be buried in the earth of his homeland.

But now, being alive once more, he is no longer Pu Deng; he’s the now seven-year-old novice monk, Luan Xin. Meeting Bai Ruozhu, he gestured that there was no need to seek his hometown. He couldn’t cling to the past and maybe it’s best to let it go, especially without any promising clues.

But now with this lead, east of Fusang, he has found a direction. Certainly, it must matter to him, but so what if it does? He is now Luan Xin. Should he pursue finding his homeland or relatives?

Luan Xin himself couldn’t decide, so how could Bai Ruozhu make that decision for him?

Returning to the post station, Bai Ruozhu shared her findings with Jiang Yichun. Jiang Yichun was intrigued, "East of Fusang, that should be out at sea east of Fusang, right?"

In Bai Ruozhu’s mind, a vivid image appeared, and she said to Jiang Yichun, "Do you think there’s an island east on the sea, like the Merfolk Island, but inhabited by a group of winged... birdmen?"

She thought for a bit before coming up with such a term. After Master Pudeng’s death, his golden body revealed wings. Perhaps his homeland was indeed populated with people like him.

"We don’t know much about the oceans; perhaps there’s truly an island of birdmen," Jiang Yichun said, filled with a longing to explore. If he could survive, he’d definitely want to see it.

"First, let’s search for Merfolk Island. I thought about it, and if we can’t find Diao Bin and Ning Yu within a month, we could set out for Merfolk Island." Bai Ruozhu quickly glanced at Jiang Yichun, time pressed on, and it was uncertain if Merfolk Island could indeed be found.

"That probably won’t be easy. Duannian said he has no idea in which direction it lies, and Merfolk Island is surrounded by a barrier. If they refuse entry, we might not even perceive the island," Jiang Yichun sighed softly.

"What if a powerful Yin Yang Master assists us, collaborating with an Array Master?" Bai Ruozhu suggested.

Jiang Yichun looked up at her, "Are you referring to the Astrologer?"

"Considering how the Yin Yang Rain was known by him, I think we don’t need to hide it from him. Yet, I don’t know if he’ll be willing to help. Being the Patriarch, he also wishes to find Ning Yu, but it might not be timely to leave Fusang now. It’d be great if we could find Ning Yu and the others within a month," Bai Ruozhu said, sighing.

At that moment, Jianqi reported from outside, "Master, Master Astrologer has arrived for a visit, accompanied by a masked Yin Yang Master."

Instantly, Bai Ruozhu felt a surge of joy, "Is it the one who helped us at Gangshan?"