Chapter Seventy-Five: Qiu the Half-Immortal (Extra Chapter for Reaching One Hundred Red Votes)

Update Time: July 5, 2013

In the range of Lian Yue’s gaze, Yuwen Lingxi easily hunted a rabbit and two birds. After carefully preparing them, he roasted them over the fire. As Lian Yue ate the delicious food, she remained anxious, wondering whether their conspicuous barbecue might attract wild beasts. She glanced at An Ming, who was methodically dissecting the meat nearby, and mourned silently for any animals drawn by the scent. With this person around, their ultimate fate would likely be in his stomach.

Lian Yue quickly finished her meal and took the water flask handed to her by Yuwen Lingxi, drinking a few sips. The fatigue from the morning vanished instantly. She then passed the flask back to Yuwen Lingxi—a lucky find in the forest, which she immediately recognized as her own. She couldn’t help but marvel at its durability.

Far off, Forty-Seven drooped his eyes, feeling bitter as he gnawed on a piece of fruit and feebly cried out, “That’s my water flask…”

Yuwen Lingxi took the flask, extinguished the fire, and looked at Lian Yue, now refreshed. “Now that you’ve eaten, let’s go!” he said, waiting for her to tug at his sleeve before moving.

Yuwen Lingxi wanted her to rest well, but since he had decided to seize this opportunity to spend more time together, it was best to shake off the rescue party trailing behind first. If Thirteen and Forty-Seven had managed to come down, then the cliff could hardly pose a challenge for the Yue family.

In He Luo Prefecture, Bluestone Lane, Qiu Yifei was in a panic, cornered in an alley by a group of panting soldiers. He desperately measured the height of the wall behind him and, realizing resistance was futile, dropped to his knees with a thud.

Raising his somewhat bloated face, he pleaded pitifully to the fierce soldiers, “Officers, please spare me! I’ve mended my ways; what more do you want from me?”

The leading soldier, gasping for air and eyeing the kneeling Qiu Bansian with annoyance, cursed inwardly. How could this fat fellow run so fast? He was supposed to invite him politely, yet now he was exhausted.

Once he caught his breath, he scolded the still-kneeling Qiu Bansian, “Why did you run, huh? Do you think we’re going to eat you? Look at you, so greasy…”

Qiu Yifei protested silently, tears in his heart. Did he want to be this fat? Back in the day, he was a handsome young man, and girls blushed when he passed by. The ladies in the brothels always rushed over to him; even when he had no money, they were happy to be with him.

Now, when he walked the streets, people avoided him because of his bulk. Even the brothel girls in He Luo Prefecture wouldn’t give him a glance unless he flashed some silver first. He’d heard the brothel owner was recently sealed off—what a relief.

Life was unpredictable; who could have foreseen such hardship? Try starving for half a year and see if you don’t eat more than me and grow even fatter. These thoughts he could only rage about internally, for the soldiers before him were no soft touches.

“Captain Wang, seems this one has a record,” another soldier managed to say between gasps.

The leader recalled Qiu Bansian’s pleas and asked, “Speak, what have you done?”

“Nothing, really…” Qiu Yifei, known as Qiu Bansian, was adept at reading faces. Just from a few words, he steadied himself, guessing the soldiers weren’t here for old offenses. If so, admitting anything would be foolish.

Captain Wang wasn’t interested in investigating this trickster’s past now. The chase had cost them enough time, and the magistrate and young master were waiting at the yamen. “Take him back!” he ordered, having forgotten the instructions to “invite” Qiu Yifei, and treated him like any common criminal.

Seeing two soldiers approach, Qiu Yifei stood up obediently and offered his hands. Captain Wang, seeing his compliance, waved away the binding, “No need to tie him, just keep an eye so he doesn’t run again.”

“Officer, I won’t run this time!” Qiu Yifei hurried to assure them, rubbing his hands together and forcing a fawning smile. “Captain Wang, you know I just set up a fortune-telling stall to make ends meet. I don’t dare do anything bad. Can you tell me why you’re bringing me in this time?”

He painfully took a piece of silver from his pocket and shoved it into Captain Wang’s hand. “Thank you, officers, for your trouble today. Please take this for a treat—it’s my way of showing respect.”

Captain Wang glanced sidelong at Qiu Yifei’s sycophantic face, ignored the silver, and tossed out, “The magistrate wants your help. Let’s move!” before heading out of the alley.

Qiu Yifei was relieved it wasn’t trouble from his past. Though puzzled as to why the magistrate needed help from a trickster like him, as long as it wasn’t about old offenses, he didn’t mind. He slipped the silver to the soldier on his left and followed along cheerfully. He wouldn’t dare take it back; otherwise, his fortune-telling stall would be in for a lively time.

Not far from the alley entrance, a man watched Qiu Yifei’s arrest through the door crack, then shut it tightly and walked inside. Of course, it was the herbalist who had recommended Qiu Bansian.

Qiu Yifei’s chase and capture stirred up the whole Bluestone Lane. An older woman asked the crowd, “Hey, what did Qiu Bansian do to get arrested?”

Someone replied, “I don’t know, but with his mouth, I always said he’d get in trouble sooner or later.”

Another chimed in, “Exactly! He can talk the dead into living. If he can talk his way out at the yamen, I’ll be impressed.”

“He’s not shackled or bound, doesn’t look like he’s being arrested,” someone finally said a fair word, only to be drowned out by the crowd’s spittle.

“If he wasn’t being arrested, why did he run?”

“If not an arrest, are they inviting him? So many soldiers just out for a stroll?”

“…”

“Disperse, disperse, everyone go home!” called the soldier who had just pocketed Qiu Yifei’s silver, kindly explaining, “He’s not being arrested, just helping out.”

“See, I was right!” The previously besieged speaker straightened up, proudly boasting to the crowd.

“Unbelievable—it really is an invitation!”

“What skills does Qiu Bansian have to get invited by the magistrate? Definitely not for anything good!”

“This is boring! Let’s go, the rice is boiling at home!”

Qiu Yifei didn’t care about the gossip. So what if he earned a bit more than them? Bunch of country bumpkins! He remembered to thank the soldier who spoke up for him.

Before reaching the yamen gate, Qiu Bansian, following Captain Wang, spotted Qin Che and Qin Shilei standing in the distance—both men he recognized.

Captain Wang trotted over, “Magistrate, the man has been brought!”

Qin Shilei looked at Qiu Bansian and asked, “You are Qiu Bansian?”

Qiu Yifei dropped to his knees. “Yes, Magistrate, I am Qiu Bansian, my name is Qiu Yifei.”

“Rise. We’ve invited you to help with something today.”

Qiu Yifei, halfway up, heard this and knelt again. “Magistrate, please command me! If it’s within my ability, I’ll do it at any cost; if not, I’ll find a way to make it happen.”

Qin Shilei was pleased with his attitude and signaled Captain Wang to help him up, then asked, “I hear you’ve been down that cliff thirty li west of the city.”

With a thud, Qiu Yifei knelt for the third time—not voluntarily, but out of fright at Qin Shilei’s words.

Qin Shilei, seeing him kneel again instead of answering, sighed, “Why do you keep kneeling? Am I so terrifying?”

Qiu Yifei, sweating with fear, stammered, “No… no… it’s just that seeing you, sir, I’m too excited… please don’t blame me…”