Wu Jin Zang. Pang Bei

king ascended to the throne, due to the vigorous recommendation of Han Xizai, Shi Xubai was summoned by the king again. But this hermit said he was a common person and dared not to make plans for the state. Shi Xubai got drunken and fell at the foot of the steps leading to the king’s hall. The king regarded him as a true hermit and granted him land and let him go back. By the time when the king ceded fourteen prefectures south of the Huaihe River and took the Yangtze River as the boundary between the northern state and his own state, Shi Xubai wrote the Rhapsody on Ceding River to deride it, “Boats and carriages are limited, traveling along islands leisurely; fish and turtles are ignorant, still swimming in the river happily.”

      The State of Song in the north had already had already stationed army on the north of the river. Businessmen and travelers were all forbidden from crossing the river. Blocked by hills, mountains and forests, I could not see the obstructed river, or any fish or turtle happily swimming now. However, the vapor of the river rose above the trees on the mountain, forming a stretch of slow-moving clouds and mists, which displayed a sort of exceptionally gloomy pale color, just like a row of surrendering banners.

      “When I had a study tour in the White Deer Cave of Kuanglu, I heard that Master Shi had already passed away…”

      It was said that Master Shi died after lying drunken for several days. Before he passed away, he had a bamboo rod placed inside his coffin. At his burial, people found something strange, but only saw the bamboo rod when the coffin was opened. People said that at that time there were two white cranes on his roof. Once Master Shi breathed his last, they saw three white cranes fly away.

      “Flying geese pass without leaving a trace, while people leave their names when they pass away. The story of Shi Xubai is not finished…”

      Gazing at the formation of flying geese crossing the sky, the priestess sighed faintly. Puzzled, I was speechless for the moment. While crying loudly, the formation of flying geese went far away slowly. But Shi Xubai, who had deserted the world, seemed hard to be deleted from people’s legends.

      When she turned to me again, I inquired tentatively again, “It was said that when the first king died Master Shi was also by the side of his death bed.”

      “The first king took pills of immortality in his later years, and died in the Purple Pole Palace. Shi Xubai was indeed by his death bed. Shi Xubai showed him a scroll of painting.”

      I peeped at the bag on my back, and was about to ask, when she stopped by raising a long finger.

      “It’s getting late. It was fortunate to pluck this twitch grass today.”

      The one in her hand was obviously a graceful jessamine herb, whose roots and leaves were both highly poisonous. But she said that it was a twitch grass. On the Qixia Mountain with luxuriant grass and woods, it was not difficult to find a twitch grass. I felt this priestess was very suspicious. Since she said that this poisonous grass was a twitch grass, how many things were creditable in her remarks just now? I didn’t want to point out her lie.

      “A nobleman’s mansion is deep like the sea, and a homeless person’ path is as long as the end of the world. I have to go down the mountain. You should also go away quickly and find a place to hide yourself.”

      “But you said that I should find that treasures.” I gazed directly at her eyes; I wanted to see how she would try to justify herself.

      “I just mentioned it…. If one is destined to suffer this disaster, I’m afraid it would be of no avail to hide. It would be better to go through the suffering.”

      A shadow blurred in her eyes. It seemed that she wanted to avoid my questioning, her moving sight returned to her own cuffs, where dark red fingernails were exposed. I suddenly felt that she seemed to have some witchcraft.

      “Heaven bless you, and give you a good lot!”

      Her sleeves waved. I stepped back at a loss, and then saw she held an ivory lot pot, in which there was a bunch of lots written with words.

      I looked at the lot pot surprised and bewildered. Since she knew my identity, I should not be timid. If this lot could indeed predict my fate, I would not be afraid of facing the fact with the worst surmise, even if the fate was shown by her witchcraft.

      I slightly closed my eyes and heard the clear sounds of aeolian bells, which made me broad-minded for the moment, feeling that I was praying and drawing a divination lot. I was praying silently for Father’s life. I condensed all the luck in the unseen world among my five fingers. I drew a lot from the pot and held it before my eyes.

      On the lot were no ordinary auspicious or ill words, but several lines of a poem, which I seemed to have read before

       All day long I looked vainly for spring signs

       My grass shoes raising clouds from the dust of all fields

       Returning home, I smilingly pick a plum-blossom and sniff it

      And lo! Here on the sprig is spring in its fullness.