Chapter Thirteen: History Illuminates Reality!
Page (1/3)
Even Liu Hongyu knew that the things he had just said directly to Master Zhuang were somewhat inappropriate, but he simply could not hold himself back.
The excitement he had suppressed for so long had reached its climax.
Although Liu Hongyu had always firmly believed that he was the Chosen One, he had never felt it as strongly as he did at this very moment!
In the courtyard, Zhuang Lin gazed at Liu Hongyu outside the door, his fists clenched toward the heavens in excitement. He then turned back to look at Tao Yuanming, who was already sleeping soundly, his thoughts impossible to put into words.
The master of the household came over to Zhuang Lin as well and asked in a hesitant whisper,
“Master Zhuang... the man lying inside... he isn’t really Tao Yuanming, is he?”
Zhuang Lin turned his head and glanced at the man. The broad-shouldered, straightforward fellow now wore an expression of utter complexity: part unease, part anticipation, and, above all, deep uncertainty.
“I took a look at some of his clothing and personal belongings just now... They don’t seem quite right. They really don’t...”
The man did not continue. Saying more would risk violating the rules, but Zhuang Lin understood what he meant: the things did not resemble props prepared by the production crew.
Zhuang Lin turned back and took another long look at the man sleeping on the bed. Then he nodded at the man beside him.
“I feel the same... Perhaps, perhaps...”
Zhuang Lin did not finish, and the man did not press him. They were both intelligent people; everything was understood without being spoken.
Besides, the inconsistency of his accent was itself enough to indicate that something was wrong.
Of course, another reason was that Liu Hongyu had returned just then. The first thing he said upon entering was directed at the two men:
“Master, Brother Zhou, I want to stay and look after Mr. Yuanliang... Sister-in-law, let me help you tidy up!”
As he spoke, Liu Hongyu had already hurried over to the table and begun helping the woman of the house clear away the bowls and chopsticks.
The man quickly came over with a smile.
“Put those down, put them down. How could we let a guest clean up? Young Master Liu, you needn’t trouble yourself. Since an honored guest is resting in our home, it is only right that we take care of him...”
“Oh, Brother Zhou, don’t stand on ceremony! Master, I’m not going to the schoolhouse this afternoon!”
Zhuang Lin helplessly shook his head. Leaving behind only the words, “As you please,” he departed first.
He was not worried that anything would go wrong here. Given the tacit understanding among the people of the valley, everything should already have been arranged while they were eating.
* * *
Toward evening, Tao Yuanming rubbed his eyes and woke from his sleep. He smacked his lips, feeling neither dryness in his mouth nor bitterness on his tongue.
What excellent wine! It was smooth and delicious, yet potent—and even after waking, he felt none of the usual discomfort.
Tao Yuanming felt warmth spread through his entire body.
“Oh, Mr. Yuanliang, you’re awake?”
The sound of the door opening and the man’s voice came from the entrance. He seemed to have arrived merely to check on him, and when he saw Tao Yuanming awake, a smile appeared on his face.
Tao Yuanming felt somewhat embarrassed and hurriedly sat up.
“My tolerance for wine is usually passable. I never expected to make a fool of myself today. Thank you for taking care of me. By the way, where is Master Zi’an?”
Liu Hongyu heard the commotion and immediately ran over, answering with delight before anyone else could.
“Master went back to the schoolhouse after the meal. I stayed here to look after you!”
“Oh, oh! Thank you, thank you!”
Sitting on the bed, Tao Yuanming clasped his hands in gratitude. Then, perhaps feeling that the gesture was too informal, he lifted the quilt and prepared to get out of bed.
Liu Hongyu dashed forward in a single stride, took the boots from the side, and crouched down before the bewildered Tao Yuanming.
“Mr. Yuanliang, let me put your boots on for you!”
Tao Yuanming was certainly my reclusive immortal master. Since I crossed through time and arrived in the ancient world, he appeared in the Hidden Immortal Valley—also known as Peach Blossom Spring. I must seize this opportunity!
“This... That won’t do, that won’t do!”
Tao Yuanming was so startled that he practically snatched the boots away and hurriedly pulled them on himself.
To be honest, it was impossible for Tao Yuanming not to notice Young Master Liu’s unusually short hair. Moreover, the young man had been attentive from the very beginning, so they had already grown relatively familiar.
But this was far too attentive!
Liu Hongyu also knew he must not go too far. If he caused his master to dislike him, all would be lost. Thus, he respectfully stood to one side.
The scene left the man of the Zhou household scratching his head. Tao Yuanming, having put on his boots, felt awkward as well, though he had more or less figured things out.
From what he had learned at the dinner table, Young Master Liu seemed to be another outsider who had suffered a loss of memory and could no longer recall his past. Perhaps that was why he was excessively enthusiastic toward him.
Page (1/3)
Page (2/3)
Just then, the person who would rescue them from the awkward silence arrived at exactly the right moment. An old man was calling from the entrance to the Zhou family courtyard.
“Young Brother Zhou... Has that honored guest from outside awakened? As promised, my family is hosting tonight’s dinner! Good wine and fine dishes are all prepared and waiting—”
Several people emerged from the house. At the courtyard gate stood not only the old man but also a number of villagers who had come to look at this visitor from beyond the valley.
Some valley residents who had never seen a real outsider before were whispering among themselves.
Curiosity showed on every face, along with the warmth of hosts eager to welcome a guest.
“All right, all right. But we still have to see whether our honored guest agrees! In my opinion, he could just keep eating and lodging at my house!”
The man from the Zhou household said this as he walked over, immediately provoking displeasure from the old man.
“What are you talking about? It was settled long ago that I would host the honored guest tonight. Honored guest, please, come with me! Tell us about the world beyond the valley!”
The old man walked into the courtyard, leaned on his cane, and bowed to Tao Yuanming.
Tao Yuanming hurried forward, supporting the old man by the hand before returning the bow with a formal salute.
“You flatter me, Elder. How could I refuse such a generous invitation?”
Liu Hongyu came forward as well. He was determined to follow along—when it came to shameless persistence, he had to see it through!
The old man could only smile at him too.
“Oh, Young Master Liu is here as well. Excellent, excellent. I was unable to host you last time; why not come along with us tonight?”
“Ah, thank you, Elder!”
Liu Hongyu accepted at once, his face bright with delight.
“By the way, we are but rustic folk, and I fear we might neglect our honored guest. I have already sent my grandson to the schoolhouse to invite Master Zi’an to join us. What do you think, honored guest?”
Tao Yuanming could not have been more pleased.
“Excellent. I shall leave everything to the host’s arrangements!”
As they spoke, the visiting guest and his host left the courtyard. The crowd parted slightly, though its enthusiasm did not diminish.
Someone immediately called out,
“Then may the honored guest come to my house tomorrow?”
“My house works too! We have no shortage of good wine and fine meat!”
Someone else rose onto his toes and craned his neck as he shouted,
“He can come to my house to rest tonight—”
The old man who had invited Tao Yuanming waved his cane threateningly.
“Go on, go on! Since dinner is at my house, how could I fail to offer him lodging for the night? Honored guest, this way, please!”
It was truly impossible to refuse such warmth.
The villagers’ enthusiasm was almost more than Tao Yuanming could handle, yet he was deeply moved and could only agree repeatedly.
Even after they reached the old man’s home, nearby villagers lingered around instead of leaving. Several simply joined the dinner, bringing their own wine and dishes.
Tao Yuanming did not breathe a sigh of relief until he saw Zhuang Lin arriving with the schoolchildren.
* * *
One day, two days, three days...
For several days in a row, Tao Yuanming was invited to the homes of people from every corner of the valley. Each household brought out its finest dishes to entertain him, and no feast was complete without excellent wine.
The people of the valley had gradually come to understand Tao Yuanming’s temperament, while Tao Yuanming believed he had likewise figured out many things about them.
In truth, by the second day, the atmosphere had genuinely become one of a host entertaining an honored guest.
Perhaps the title of “guest” had added to the effect. Perhaps the suspicions in many people’s hearts had grown stronger. Whatever the reason, everyone treated Tao Yuanming with extraordinary warmth.
As he became accustomed to the valley, Tao Yuanming also grew more relaxed. He no longer felt constrained and spent the following days in a particularly carefree mood.
He also discovered that although not every resident could read and write, many of them spoke with uncommon refinement.
Some people, with Master Zhuang as their representative, would reveal traces of extraordinary learning in the most casual remarks, living up to the claim that they had inherited the wisdom of a hundred schools of thought.
Of course, whether intentionally or not, Zhuang Lin and the others avoided the subject of the schoolhouse library.
Liu Hongyu could never see through those books, but they feared that Tao Yuanming, an ancient scholar of great stature, might notice some flaw or inconsistency. Even if Tao Yuanming was still young, they could not afford to take that risk.
* * *
On the fifth evening, a bonfire was lit in a grain-drying yard. Tables had been arranged nearby, and at least several dozen people had gathered to drink and make merry. Those present were all residents of some standing within the valley, and they spent the evening discussing everything under the sun with Tao Yuanming.
Page (2/3)
Page (3/3)
Below, the atmosphere was cheerful; above, the stars glittered across the sky. It was a scene of undeniable beauty.
But every feast must come to an end. Tao Yuanming knew that, in the end, he was not one of the valley’s people. He still had great ambitions, and there were people beyond the valley whom he cared about.
Two days earlier, Tao Yuanming had already hinted that he intended to leave.
Naturally, everyone had tried to persuade him to stay. Under their earnest entreaties, Tao Yuanming had remained for two additional days.
But one could yield once or twice—never indefinitely.
That night, Tao Yuanming raised his cup and bade everyone farewell one by one, making it clear that his decision to leave was final.
* * *
After Tao Yuanming once again drank himself into a stupor and was escorted to Old Master Mu’s home for the night, everyone who had attended the feast gathered around the bonfire.
Even those who had appeared drunk earlier seemed to sober up all at once.
Tao Yuanming had gone to rest at Old Master Mu’s house, and the attentive Liu Hongyu had naturally gone with him. With Old Master Mu keeping watch as well, there was no longer any need for the others to conceal their thoughts.
By the bonfire, everyone remained silent for a while, as though allowing the flames to burn the scent of alcohol from their bodies.
After a long silence, someone finally spoke. It was the sturdy man from the Zhou household, the one who had first invited the guest to lunch. The moment he opened his mouth, he voiced the question shared by everyone.
“Do you think he might really be Tao Yuanming?”
Every person turned toward the man from the Zhou household. After a long moment, a woman added,
“He definitely isn’t an actor... And over the past few days, the fog outside several of the surrounding mountains has been incredibly dense. Anyone who went out would lose their way... Let alone contact the monitoring station or the production crew...”
There were many clever people in the valley, and not a single fool could have been among those gathered here.
An old man turned toward Zhuang Lin.
“Master Zhuang, what do you say?”
Zhuang Lin drew a deep breath and looked up at the star-filled sky. Since no one else dared speak aloud what they all feared, he would say it himself—after all, he was the one with experience in crossing over.
“The theory of traveling through time and space may truly exist. Over these past few days, we have learned exactly where he came from. If we were to say he is not Tao Yuanming, perhaps no one would believe us...”
In truth, everyone had already reached the same conclusion without saying so. That was why their warmth toward Tao Yuanming had come from the heart. They all wanted him to stay a few more days, and they all wanted a chance to behold the bearing of a great scholar from antiquity.
Once the final veil was lifted, everyone began sighing and exclaiming.
“So the place described in *The Peach Blossom Spring* is actually our Hidden Immortal Valley? It was a record of a real journey!”
“That explains it. No wonder so many people throughout history searched for Peach Blossom Spring and never found it...”
“Exactly... How could they have known that Peach Blossom Spring was actually in the modern world, a thousand years in the future? How could they ever have found it?”
“Alas, then Tao Yuanming came here by some twist of fate—and later managed to return?”
“He must have. Otherwise, how could *The Peach Blossom Spring* have been passed down to later generations?”
“What a pity. Tao must have tried several times afterward to find Peach Blossom Spring again, but was never able to return...”
“Alas!”
“What a tragedy!”
The past had stepped into the present. Along with their shock, everyone felt an indescribable emotion, and their sighs came one after another.
“But if I remember correctly, *The Peach Blossom Spring* was written by Tao in his later years, wasn’t it? Why is he so young?”
“That’s simple enough. He traveled there when he was young, then wrote about it in his later years, after reflecting on the experience!”
Another round of sighs passed through the group. One person could even recite the entire text from memory, and they discussed how so many people had searched for Peach Blossom Spring in vain.
That further confirmed that Tao had written it in his later years. Yet the legend of Peach Blossom Spring must have arisen before the text itself was written; otherwise, the account could not have mentioned people searching for it.
After a long while, someone suddenly asked,
“Do you think that if we left with Master Five Willows, we might be able to reach ancient times too?”
The moment he said this, everyone turned to stare at him, leaving him bewildered.
“Why are you all looking at me? Isn’t it quite possible?”
Zhuang Lin pulled a wry face. Anyone able to sit here had, at the very least, spent some time frantically studying history.
“What do you think this is—the glorious High Tang? This is the era of the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties! You really want to go?”
“Brrr...”
The speaker shuddered. Never mind, never mind. The elegance of the ancients was best left for the ancients to enjoy.
Page (3/3)