Chapter 7, Traveling Together.

At this moment, A Wu emerged from the water and happily laughed at Ke Yuequan, who was shouting and cursing from the shore: "You were the one who urged me to take a bath, so why are you scolding me now that I am bathing? Hahaha..."

Ke Yuequan and A Wu were sitting around the campfire.

Ah Wu squinted his eyes and mumbled an acknowledgment, indicating that he had heard, then turned around and went back to sleep

Before long, Ke Yuequan had tied up A Wu's hair. After examining it, Ke Yuequan smiled and said, "You look much more spirited now; finally, you resemble someone of substance."

Ah Wu, seeing Ke Yuequan's face filled with sorrow and on the verge of tears, couldn't help but feel anxious. However, unsure of how to comfort Ke Yuequan, he could only repeatedly say, "Don't cry, don't cry"

A Wu, seeing that Ke Yuequan had stopped crying, hurriedly said: "I really, really will take you back!"

Some villagers gather in groups of three to five to chat after finishing their meals, while others move their dining tables outside, having their meals at the entrance of their homes. Some are still busy cooking and preparing dishes.

After waking up, Ah Wu went to the village to beg. Ah Wu thought that if Ke Yuequan had not waited for anyone by noon, he would probably return to lie down. Therefore, he prepared food equivalent to two people's portions.

Ah, Ke Yuequan, lost in his own delight!

Ah Wu also wanted to see what it was like, so he ran to the creek and took a look. Upon observing, Ah Wu indeed felt that it was different from before

At the entrance of the village, there stands a stone tablet inscribed with the three large characters "Wuqiu Village"

Ke Yuequan saw A Wu making sarcastic remarks there, so he squatted down by the stream, grabbed a handful of mud, and threw it at A Wu. Caught off guard, A Wu was hit squarely with a loud slap, his face covered in mud, even his mouth was muddy.

Ah Wu looked at Ke Yuequan's still dripping hair and said: "Your hair is really beautiful, long and black, just like the flower dan on the stage, even more attractive than when it's tied in braids"

The delighted Ke Yuequan hurriedly turned around and saw it was A Wu

Ke Yuequan arrived at the small stream at the village entrance to freshen up briefly, and then retraced his steps back along the path he came from

Ah Wu, fearing that Ke Yuequan would continue to cry, hurriedly said: "Miss Ke, please don't cry. It's just a matter of going to Baimu Township to find your grandfather. No problem, I know the way. I will take you back, so please stop crying."

Startled, Ke Yuequan covered his face with both hands and exclaimed, "Rogue"

Both individuals were exhausted after a long day, and after a brief conversation, they both felt drowsy and went off to find a sheltered corner to sleep

Disappointed, Ke Yuequan lowered his head and shook it

Ah Wu replied weakly, "I know, I will wash it."

Impatient, Ke Yuequan kept asking how to get to Baimu Township. As long as Ke Yuequan did not cry, A Wu was willing to explain everything in detail, including which roads to take, what villages they would pass, and when they would cross certain mountains.

Ke Yuequan spread the clothes out on a large rock to dry, while he hummed a tune and washed himself in the stream.

It turned out that A Wu's long hair had already dried quite a bit while guarding Ke Yuequan, and the hair, which had never been combed, truly became "disheveled" after being blown by the wind

Ah Wu wiped the sweat from his face and said: "There is a stream a little ahead of the Moon Spring; let us rest by the stream for a while before continuing our journey"

Ah Wu handed over a bamboo tube and said: "There is some porridge inside, please have some."

Ah Wu squatted down in front of Ke Yuequan and helplessly said: "I am originally a rogue beggar"

As the sun gradually rose higher, approaching noon, Ke Yuequan still had not seen any trace of the ghostly-faced mad scholar.

Upon seeing the stream, the two could not help but quicken their pace. As they approached the stream, Ah Wu, disregarding that Ke Yuequan was a girl, began to undress while running.

The village ahead is called Wuqiu Village

The sun has not yet risen, and the mountain village remains filled with a chill.

Ke Yuequan pulled out the red string that she originally used to tie her hair and said to A Wu: "Come here, squat down, and I will help you tie it."

Although the two wore hats made of wild grass to shield themselves from the sun during the journey, the sun still caused them to sweat profusely

After asking for a long time, Ah Wu finally understood the reason why Ke Yuequan was crying; it turned out that he was reminiscing about his grandfather and wanted to go back to find him

Only after the last two people finished playing with the books did they stop

The little beggar A Wu proudly said to Ke Yuequan: "I didn't deceive you, did I"

At noon, the sun was scorching, and the two took a rest under the shade of a tree

The conical hats on the left and right sides have a white circle, while the conical hat in the center has a red circle

At first, Ah Wu dodged a few times while counterattacking, but later realized that he couldn't dodge much, so he stopped evading and engaged in a back-and-forth battle with Ke Yuequan

Ah Wu originally did not plan to take a shower, but since he couldn't get close to Ke Yuequan to talk and chat along the way, he had no choice but to agree to Ke Yuequan's request to take a good shower.

The two individuals walked along the outskirts of the village until they reached a secluded corner, where a dilapidated thatched cottage appeared before them; it was likely the very house that Ah Wu had mentioned.

The two sat by the campfire, eating and chatting casually about various topics

After about half a stick of incense, Ke Yuequan returned to the place agreed upon yesterday with the ghost-faced mad scholar.

Ah Wu did not know whether a long time had passed or just a moment

Fortunately, this journey is not too far, and the route is easy to recognize

At this moment, the sound of footsteps rustling behind Ke Yuequan could be heard

Ke Yuequan, unwilling to be outdone, casually grabbed some mud and threw a small stone back.

Ke Yuequan said bluntly: "You soaked all my clothes, just based on this."

On the second day, the sky was dimly lit.

The two engaged in a debate, and in the end, Ah Wu agreed to guard Ke Yuequan.

Meanwhile, Ah Wu sat with his back to the stream, listening to Ke Yuequan's nasal humming, his face flushed red, sitting upright and not daring to move an inch

Ke Yuequan looked at A Wu's embarrassed expression and, breaking into a smile, said: "Come on, let's make a pinky promise; only a little dog would lie."

With a startled jump, he dodged, but unfortunately, he was still a moment too late and ended up drenched with water.

Ah Wu let out a deep sigh of relief, stood up, and turned to see Ke Yuequan walking towards him, playing with her long, dark hair amidst the green shadows of the bamboo.

Ke Yuequan stood alone there, gazing at the end of the mountain path

Finally, with a splash, he took off his shorts and plunged into the stream

Ke Yuequan knew in his heart that the Ghost Face Mad Scholar would not be coming now. With the Ghost Face Mad Scholar unable to come, and not knowing the way back, he would not be able to see his grandfather again.

so that along the way, Ke Yuequan did not dare to get too close to A Wu

Ah Wu, frightened, began to cry again and hurriedly reached out to hook fingers with Ke Yuequan as a sign of assurance

After finishing his words, Ah Wu pulled Ke Yuequan to a shaded area under a tree

Originally, Ah Wu intended to take a nap, but he could not withstand Ke Yuequan's persistent persuasion and had no choice but to set off on the journey

Ke Yuequan looked at A Wu's disheveled appearance and laughed heartily, saying: "Rogue, do you now understand my prowess?"

Ke Yuequan curiously asked, "How do you know so clearly?"

At noon, Ah Wu noticed that Ke Yuequan had not yet returned, and fearing that something might have happened to him, he came to look for him

The next day, Ke Yuequan, who had something on his mind, woke up early, intending to go to the place he had previously agreed upon with the eccentric scholar to see if he had returned.

After walking for about half an hour, they discovered a tavern ahead. Ah Wu glanced at the sky and decided to beg for some food at the tavern, so as to avoid going hungry if they couldn't reach the next village before dark

Little did they know that the more Ah Wu comforted Ke Yuequan, the harder she cried

Ah Wu looked at Ke Yuequan and said, "Has your uncle not arrived yet? You haven't eaten anything this morning, have you?"

I just heard Ke Yuequan calling from behind: "Alright, you can turn back now"

Ah Wu hurriedly said: "Hey, you were the one who threw mud at me first"

Two individuals walked along the field path towards Wuqiu Village, guided by the torches in their hands

Do not stand here in the sun; let us go to the shade of the tree to eat while we wait

Ah Wu looked up and thought for a moment, saying: "Well... let's set off after noon."

Ah Wu poked his head out from the bamboo grove and retorted discontentedly, "Why should I be your guard?"

Ke Yuequan glanced at A Wu and said, "Why don't you tie up your hair, which is all messy like this?"

After finishing the hook, Ke Yuequan asked A Wu: "Are we setting off now? When will we arrive at the library?"

Ke Yuequan stepped out of the thatched house and couldn't help but wrap his clothes a little tighter around himself

Originally, this was just enough for A Wu to eat alone. Unexpectedly, upon encountering Ke Yuequan, A Wu tore one of the steamed buns in half, so that each of them could have one and a half steamed buns.

The smile on her face instantly froze

If he comes back to pick me up, I will come back to inform you

The three individuals were dressed predominantly in black clothing, and each wore a hat adorned with a black veil.

Ke Yuequan's face flushed slightly as she smiled and said, "I haven't washed my hair in a long time, and since it's still wet, I didn't tie it up."

The thought of my grandfather, Ke Yuequan, brings a lump to my throat, and my eyes immediately turn red, with tears swirling in my eye sockets

This is the steamed bun that A Wu bought with the money he received from begging, to serve as food for the journey

At this time, the morning mist in the mountains is faint, the cold dew glimmers, and the sound of birdsong surrounds the ears

Seeing that Ke Yuequan had not moved, Ah Wu stuffed a bamboo tube into Ke Yuequan's hand and said, "He might have something important to attend to and cannot leave for the moment, so don't worry."

Ke Yuequan hurriedly ate a little in the morning today and did not have lunch. At this moment, he was so hungry that his stomach was pressed against his back. However, it was already so late, where could he find something to eat? At this time, Ah Wu took out three steamed buns from the pouch at his waist.

The village roughly has around 20 households, and the orange glow of fire can be seen leaking from the doors and windows of each home

Moreover, you smell quite bad; you should take a proper shower later

It turned out that A Wu had not bathed for several days. Normally, it was not a big deal, but once he started to sweat, the smell became unbearable

The sun is too scorching now

When will it arrive? If all goes well, it can reach Baimu Township by tomorrow evening

Ah Wu did not respond and, taking advantage of Ke Yuequan's moment of distraction, suddenly splashed water with his hand, causing the stream to spray towards Ke Yuequan on the bank.

Ke Yuequan, feeling tired, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and said: "That works too"

As Ke Yuequan was tying up A Wu's hair, he couldn't help but laugh upon hearing A Wu "admit" that he was a rogue beggar

After walking for about a quarter of an hour, a small stream indeed appeared ahead. Clusters of green bamboo grew along the bank of the stream. In the gentle breeze, the bamboo trunks emitted a crisp clattering sound, while the bamboo leaves rustled and the stream water splashed, creating a refreshing sensation that enveloped the entire body.

As long as you are no longer crying, nothing else matters

At this moment, A Wu also went ashore to get dressed. After the commotion just now, Ke Yuequan's clothes were completely wet. If he didn't take them off to dry, they wouldn't be dry anytime soon. Moreover, seeing A Wu having so much fun playing in the water earlier, he also wanted to wash up. So he shouted to A Wu, who was hiding in the bamboo grove getting dressed: "Wait a moment, help me keep watch. I... I need to dry my clothes, and also, I want to wash up too. You act as the guard, and no peeking allowed!"

Under Ah Wu's persuasion, Ke Yuequan casually ate the porridge from the bamboo tube

Ah Wu brought Ke Yuequan to the front of the tavern and discovered that there were only three customers inside the establishment

However, the attire of those three guests is quite peculiar

Barely managing to fill the stomach

Ke Yuequan, with a tearful voice, asked A Wu, "Do you really know the way? Can you really take me back?"

Ah Wu replied, "A few months ago, I passed through here and begged here."

As the sun tilted slightly to the west, Ke Yuequan urged A Wu to set off

Ke Yuequan smiled and said, "Who told you to act like a rogue? If you hadn't acted like a rogue, I wouldn't have smashed you."

The mist dissipates, and the dew evaporates

The two people have been playing around here for too long, causing a significant delay in time

Ke Yuequan nodded to indicate his understanding

Ke Yuequan gently woke the still-sleeping A Wu and said: "A Wu, I am going to the mountain to see if my ghost uncle has returned."

As Ah Wu, who was laughing halfway, coughed incessantly, he hurriedly splashed water on his face and rinsed his mouth with water

Ke Yuequan and A Wu realized that it was getting late, so they hurriedly set off on their journey

The hair is messy, resembling that of a rogue beggar

Ah Wu and Ke Yuequan casually tidied up the thatched cottage, lit a fire pit, and spread some straw on the ground, considering the arrangement complete

There is an uninhabited house at the edge of the village; let us spend the night there tonight