mesbooks 055 Yang Jian
055 Yang Jian
Half the people in the market came to watch "people calling the cow 'father'".
The term "father" originated from the Qiang people's use of the word "father." Later, as the Qiang people migrated to the Han Dynasty and the ethnic groups assimilated, by the Han Dynasty, northerners were already calling their fathers "father."
Furthermore, due to the influence of players, almost everyone in this market knows the meaning of "father".
It is precisely because I knew that I was surprised.
Is a cow a father?
Regarding the concept of "destiny," both players and indigenous people have many speculations, most of which are related to "reincarnation."
The player called out "Dad" so earnestly and cried so heartbreakingly that even the ox shed tears, showing deep affection for its "cattle."
In a short time, most of the onlookers accepted the "father-son" relationship.
The ox-herder stammered, "You extraordinary beings have only been here for a little over a month, while I, this ox, have been here for over three years. How... how could I possibly be your father?"
The matter involves the mystery of reincarnation, and some people are curious about the details, asking the player, "Dude, don't cry yet, tell me, how did you tell at a glance that it was your father's?"
The player, around forty years old, was crying uncontrollably, looking quite disheveled.
Seeing the doubts of the ox-leader and the bystanders, he answered while crying. However, because he was crying so hard that his voice was weak, his answers were stuttering and difficult for people to understand.
It was as if his father, on his deathbed, had said that if they met again in the next life, he should clap his hands in acknowledgment. This morning, he felt uneasy until he saw this sick ox. For some reason, the ox looked exactly like his old father who used to lie in bed.
Overwhelmed with emotion, he rushed forward and cried out "Father!" Before he could even clap his hands, the ox licked his palm first.
Therefore, this ox must be the reincarnation of its deceased father.
At this point, the player released the ox, knelt down facing the ox-leader, and pleaded, "Please, give me a chance to fulfill my filial duty!"
He begged while kowtowing.
The ox-leader was speechless, unsure of what to say.
You may be fulfilling your filial duty, but judging from your attitude, if I agree, are you just going to take the ox and run away?
The oxherd wanted to refuse, but couldn't bring himself to say it. Yet, he was unwilling to agree.
His yellow ox was nothing special before. But ever since the appearance of the [strange man], it has acquired the title of [the unknown ox] and has become somewhat averse to eating fodder.
At first, the ignorant ox-herder didn't understand the meaning of "[unknown]". By the time he realized that his ox was actually a treasure, the ox had stopped eating grain and was getting thinner and thinner every day.
He cared for it day and night, but only fed it tender shoots and seedlings.
There was a wealthy man in the village who heard that he had a precious ox. He came to see it, but what he saw was an unknown sick ox. He asked him for the price.
The ox-leader was greedy and asked for ten gold pieces. The wealthy man offered five gold pieces, but the ox-leader refused to sell.
Later, the ox became so thin it was skin and bones, and it wouldn't even eat the young shoots. The oxherd went to the wealthy household again, but the wealthy household refused to give him even a single tael of gold, let alone five.
The ox-leader had no choice but to go to the market to sell it, thinking he could sell it for two or half a tael of gold. But as soon as someone asked about the price, he was begged to beg for his money.
With this kind of setup, not a single gold medal has been won?
The player kowtowed for a long time, but seeing that the ox-herder did not respond, he was overcome with grief and turned to hug the ox, weeping bitterly: "Father, your son is unfilial!"
Tears streamed down his face, a truly moving sight.
People around were talking about it. Some said that the player's "filial piety was boundless and his actions were commendable," and advised the ox-leader to fulfill his filial duty. Others said that the ox-leader had a hard time raising oxen and should at least receive some financial assistance.
After talking about it a lot, some people asked the player how much money he had.
The player searched through all the clothes and only managed to collect forty or fifty coins.
The cowherd looked embarrassed, and the situation immediately became tense.
Suddenly, a player said, "I don't have much money, but I can't bear to see people suffer. I'm willing to donate all the five coins I have to help the filial son fulfill his filial duties." After saying this, he took out more than ten coins and gave them to the ox-leader.
The oxherd instinctively took it.
Ten breaths later, another player handed over a few coins.
Then, the indigenous people stepped forward and praised the player for "being filial and of noble character," and then offered him money and gifts.
When the cattle were gathered and dispersed, the ox-leader received six thousand coins. Although it was not satisfactory, it was still better than letting someone else take the ox for free.
The player who cried bowed to thank everyone and led the cow away.
Even after the crowd dispersed, people continued to discuss the "filial piety" and "righteous act" of the day.
It's likely that in just a couple of days, the streets and alleys of Dongxiang will be filled with the beautiful story of "a filial son recognizing his deceased father and gathering his neighbors to perform a righteous act."
Li Yu rode his donkey, following behind the sick ox and the players. They walked and stopped frequently until dusk.
The player left the main road, leading his ox, and took only side paths. He walked until he reached a mass grave, where he finally turned back.
Tears and dust mingled, staining his face like scribbled symbols. In this desolate, chaotic burial ground, it appeared especially eerie and terrifying.
The player grinned and said, "Young man, don't follow me."
Eight men suddenly emerged from the nearby grass, some carrying short halberds, some wielding sharp knives, and some using ground-sweeping knives, and pounced on them.
Li Yu patted the [Green Donkey Paper]'s head, turning it into a fluttering piece of colored paper. The player's eyes lit up when he saw it.
Grasping the falling bronze spear, Li Yu twisted and swept it away, knocking away the short halberd and cleaving the sharp knife. He then lunged forward and kicked the man who had used the ground-sweeping knife, knocking him unconscious.
The others were startled, and their offensive immediately slowed down.
Li Yu sheathed his bronze spear, pointed his halberd out, and caught the fluttering colored paper.
"Hey, you're quite the expert." The leader waved to the seven men, "Brothers, stop fighting for now."
The seven men stopped fighting; some went to pick up the short halberds and sharp knives, while others went to check on the ground-sweeping knife-wielding men. The remaining men, swords still unsheathed, continued to point them at Li Yu.
One of them looked familiar; he was clearly the same person who had said at the market, "I am willing to donate all the five-zhu coins I have to help the filial son fulfill his filial duties."
"What are you doing following me, young man?" the leader of the players asked.
Holding the colored paper in his pocket, Li Yu declared, "I'm buying a cow."
"Buy a cow?" The player chuckled. "This is my deceased father reincarnated; how could I sell it to you?"
Li Yu shook his head: "Your tricks are nothing new, don't try to fool me."
There's no such thing as a "cow father and son".
This man rubbed salt on his hands and coaxed the cows to lick it. Whenever the cows licked the salt, their eyes would water.
The stories in "The New Book of Deception" about "a monk recognizing a cow as his mother" and in "The Scholars" about "the magistrate of Andong investigating a case of 'killing one's father for life'" both describe this kind of scam.
Not rare.
The player wasn't annoyed and smiled, asking, "How much are you offering?"
"One gold," Li Yu said.
"That won't do, he's my deceased father." The player shook his head. "You have to pay more."
"How much?"
"Ten gold coins, plus that colored paper that can turn into a donkey."
"I still want to ride the paper donkey, I can't add more."
"Can't add me?" The player's eyes hardened. "Then don't add me!"
Four players who were bending down to pick up short halberds and daggers suddenly pulled out a series of thick knots from the grass and pulled hard.
A huge "□"-shaped lasso tightened suddenly, centered on Li Yu.
The rope, studded with daggers, spikes, and caltrops, swept up loose soil and brushed past the tips of grass before attacking directly.
At the same time, seven or eight short halberds, accompanied by the whistling sound, were thrown at Li Yu one after another.
Li Yu rolled away, dodging most of the short halberds. Then he leaned forward, leaped up, and faced the side of the "□" rope.
The instant the man and the rope made contact, he braced himself with his spear and leaped out of the rope.
The lasso swept past, and Li Yu landed steadily, pressing down and lifting the spear tip to knock down several short halberds.
The leading player looked grim and was about to say something when Li Yu charged in with his spear.
"Attack together!"
After he finished speaking, he summoned the others to gather around, and Li Yu then pierced his throat with a spear.
The remaining men were either fierce, cowardly, begging for mercy, or unconscious, but Li Yu paid them all no heed. With a swift movement of his spear, he killed them all.
After everything was done, Li Yu began to examine the corpses.
It was something I did casually, but I never expected to gain anything from it.
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"Moonlight Scroll - Yang Jian"
[Rank] Yellow.
[Attribute] The moon shines brightly at midnight, illuminating the earth. Holding this scroll at that time will open the gate to time and space.
[Description] I offer you a fragrant ball, but why do you refuse it?
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"Not bad," Li Yu smiled with satisfaction.