The Company

Chapter 64: Nine-Perfection Knot

【One】

Having been outright rejected in his request to leave West Yong together, the Doctor resorted to pestering the young general to take him to see those who remained in West Yong. Though the young general’s face was full of reluctance, he agreed—truly a case of a stern exterior hiding a warm heart.

Pleased with this assessment, the Doctor brought up the older and younger pair from their earlier chase during their conversation. "What? That child is actually the last emperor of the Southern Song? Now that you mention it, I do have some impression—the young Song ruler ended up being carried on his minister’s back as they leaped into the sea to die for their country." Recalling what he had learned in history class, the Doctor sighed. How old was that child? In modern times, he’d still be a troublemaking elementary school student, maybe even falling into West Lake while trying to catch fish. Yet this young Song ruler had to bear the weight of national and familial hatred, ultimately drowning himself for his country.

The young general glanced at him sideways and felt compelled to advise, "They won’t leave. Don’t waste your effort visiting them. Zhao Bing is too frightened to even consider stepping out of West Yong. And as for Lu Xiufu, stubbornly guarding his emperor, how could he possibly leave alone?"

The Doctor immediately abandoned his idea of "child abduction." "Moreover, even if he were to leave with you, how could Zhao Bing ever adapt to this world a thousand years later? And for Lu Xiufu, the Song Dynasty he fought so desperately to protect has long since turned to dust. Only Zhao Bing before him remains his final anchor." The young general spoke calmly, as if truly discussing someone else’s affairs.

But as the Doctor listened, he sensed the young general was subtly alluding to himself.

Yes, the outside world could no longer be simply described as changing with each passing day—it was a complete upheaval! He didn’t believe an ancient person could accept such transformations, especially since the Qin Empire had long become history, and everyone the young general had known had turned to dust. Although the young general hadn’t said it, the Doctor could guess he had likely died in defeat. Besides, by the third year of Qin Er Shi’s reign, the collapse of the Qin Dynasty was irreversible; there should be nothing left in this world for the young general to cling to...

What if everyone in West Yong was unwilling to leave like this? The Doctor anxiously wrung his hands. He didn’t want to stay in West Yong—who knew when the next newcomer would arrive? What if he had to wait another two thousand years? By then, wouldn’t he emerge into an interstellar era? Huh? That actually sounded intriguing...

No, no, no! How could he waver? Two thousand years were out of the question—he couldn’t endure even two years! No, two years weren’t realistic either! Two days would be pushing it! He had to go to work tomorrow! That internship opportunity was hard-won!

The Doctor thumped his forehead, trying to knock out these impractical thoughts.

Following the young general toward the scattered lights in the distance, he couldn’t help looking up at the schools of fish swimming leisurely overhead. He couldn’t tell whether they were freshwater or saltwater fish. Occasionally, enormous shadows swept past above, adding a layer of eeriness—initially, the Doctor worried these fish might swim down and eat him, but after surveying his surroundings, he decided he should be more concerned about them falling and crushing him to death.In the distance, the flickering lights appeared to be from a town, yet due to the poor lighting here, only vague outlines were visible. However, these outlines didn’t resemble the layered shapes of skyscrapers as he knew them; instead, they were tall and sharp, as if telegraph poles had been thrust into rows of low-rise buildings—utterly bizarre.

No matter how bizarre, he had no other choice. The Doctor sighed silently and continued walking. After just a few steps, he noticed the texture beneath his feet growing increasingly strange—it didn’t feel flat. Unable to resist, the Doctor lowered his head for a closer look and was instantly struck speechless with shock.

What he was stepping on wasn’t gravel as he had assumed, but countless copper coins!

Wu Zhu, Kaiyuan Tongbao, Qianyuan Tongbao, Tianxi Tongbao, Longxing Yuanbao, Chunyou Yuanbao, Huangsong Yuanbao… The Doctor couldn’t help picking them up along the way to identify them. Some coins were brand new, others bore rust stains; some were strung together, while others lay scattered all over the ground...

“Where did all these copper coins come from…?”

“There’s more than just fish underwater.” The young general, long accustomed to such sights, offered no further explanation.

Though the Doctor knew little about history, he could vaguely recognize that these coins spanned various dynasties. Upon closer inspection, he even spotted a few one-yuan coins with chrysanthemums on the back.

Truly keeping up with the times...

The further he walked, the more copper coins piled up, mingled with porcelain and gold-silver vessels, but the Doctor paid them no mind.

Because as he drew closer, he realized the flickering lights didn’t come from buildings, but from ships!

These ships weren’t floating on water or lying overturned—they stood upright amidst the heaps of coins. What he had mistaken for telegraph poles were actually their masts.

“Is this… West Yong?” the Doctor asked, awestruck.

“Yes, this is West Yong.” The young general’s voice relaxed noticeably, clearly deeply attached to his long-time home. Following the young general as they weaved between the ships, the Doctor couldn’t help but marvel.

The ships weren’t neatly arranged but haphazardly stacked. Not all were lit—some hulls were shattered, while others remained intact, their sails still half-hoisted on the masts. The vessels varied in design, yet all unmistakably reflected ancient Chinese shipbuilding styles: some had flat bottoms and narrow, elongated hulls; others featured pointed bases, broad tops, and upturned prows and sterns; some had sharp bows, slender bodies, wide upper decks, and narrow bottoms; some prows resembled bird beaks, others were adorned with tiger heads; some extended dozens of oars from both sides like a centipede’s countless legs; others boasted three-story decks with towering stems and sterns...

The sheer variety of ships dazzled the Doctor. He also noticed that those equipped with cannons showed significant hull damage—likely warships. These battleships were ravaged by artillery fire, some even split in two.

“Oh! A newcomer?” Just as the Doctor’s eyes struggled to take it all in, an exuberant voice rang out from above.

Looking up, he saw a bluish-gray figure swinging down from a nearby ship’s railing via a rope, sleeves fluttering, landing with effortless grace.This was a young man around twenty years old, with fair skin and handsome features. His spirited, vibrant eyes were particularly unforgettable, and the brilliant smile on his face was so infectious it made one want to smile along.

"This is Wang Zian." The young general gave a brief introduction and tried to lead the Doctor further inside. The Doctor felt the name was somewhat familiar, but before he could ponder it, he was stopped.

"Ah, newcomer, can you recite poetry?" The young man named Wang Zian stretched out his arm, blocking the Doctor's path. His bright, shining eyes gazed at the Doctor like an adorable puppy, making it impossible to resist.

"Recite poetry?" The Doctor was momentarily stunned before realizing what was being asked. "I... probably know a little..." "Then recite something! Anything will do!" Wang Zian clapped his hands excitedly.

Seeing that the Doctor couldn't avoid this, the young general had no interest in staying to listen to useless poetry. He tilted his chin and said, "Zian, since you have nothing better to do, show the newcomer around West Yong." Without waiting for the Doctor's hesitant response, he headed deeper into West Yong.

The Doctor felt like crying. He had just started to get somewhat familiar with the young general, and now he was being handed off to someone else? "Ah, I love showing newcomers around!" Wang Zian rubbed his hands together excitedly, raising his right index finger in front of his eyes. "One poem I haven't heard before in exchange for one answer to your question."

The Doctor wondered how he could possibly know what this person had or hadn't heard. But he found out immediately - when he started with "Moonlight before my bed," Wang Zian instantly continued "Seems like frost on the ground." When he began "Over countless peaks the birds cease their flight," it was met with "On all the trails, no trace of human life."

After exhausting every line of poetry he could recall, the Doctor squatted on the ground holding his head. He realized he hadn't touched poetry collections since the college entrance exams, and recalling this much was already his limit. Some poems he could only remember one or two famous lines, yet Wang Zian could promptly continue them all.

"Ah! I remember another one! 'The sunset clouds mingle with a lone duck in flight, The autumn river shares the color of the vast sky'..." This was the only line the Doctor could recall, completely blanking on what came before or after.

Upon hearing this, Wang Zian became exhilarated, clapping and exclaiming: "Ah! You remember what I wrote! I can't let you recite for nothing! Okay, you may ask one question!"

The Doctor looked up in shock. The line he had recited was probably the most famous one from "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng"... Wang Zian, Wang Bo whose courtesy name was Zian?

The person before him was actually Wang Bo, the foremost of the Four Great Poets of the Early Tang! Oh, so Wang Bo also drowned...

"Oh? So I'm actually quite famous? That old scholar Lu Xiufu's eyes lit up when he saw me too, and he transcribed many later poems for me." Wang Zian paced back and forth gleefully, chattering away without waiting for the Doctor's question as he launched into a lengthy self-introduction.It turned out he truly was that Wang Bo, Wang Zi'an, who had displayed extraordinary intelligence and poetic talent since childhood, which allowed him to rise swiftly through the ranks. However, his youthful arrogance, pride in his abilities, and reckless behavior had offended many. His famous work, "Preface to the Tengwang Pavilion," was composed at a banquet celebrating the pavilion's completion. The host, Governor Yan, had already arranged for someone to write a congratulatory piece to promote his son-in-law, but Wang Zi'an unexpectedly stole the show by taking up the brush on the spot. With lines like "The sunset clouds fly with a solitary duck; The autumn river shares the same color with the vast sky," he not only made the Tengwang Pavilion famous but also secured his own legacy for eternity.

Later, Wang Zi'an went to serve as a military advisor in Guozhou, but for unknown reasons, he offended someone and was falsely accused of murder, leading to his arrest. If not for a general amnesty that happened to occur, he might have lost his head. Because of this incident, his father, who had held a high official position, was demoted to a county magistrate in Jiaozhi. Wang Zi'an crossed the sea to visit his father, but on the return journey, he encountered a storm, drowned, and died. He was only twenty-six that year.

When he awoke again, he was already in West Yong.

At first, Wang Zi'an had considered leaving West Yong and made many attempts, shamelessly pestering almost everyone there for answers, but all efforts proved futile.

In West Yong, time does not pass. By the time the next newcomer arrived, a hundred years had already gone by in the outside world. Wang Zi'an's family had long since passed away, and he felt a deep sorrow, realizing that leaving West Yong would be meaningless. Moreover, with his inherently straightforward and blunt nature, he had unintentionally offended many people before, but in West Yong, there were no such worries. The relationships here were simple, and most people were free from desires, allowing Wang Zi'an to live without burdens. Over time, he gradually let go of his desire to return home and settled peacefully in West Yong.

Home? Where did he even have a home left?

As Lu Xiufu had once recited to him from a poem: "Wherever the heart finds peace, that is home." "Alright, you may ask your question now." Wang Zi'an crossed his arms and tucked them into his sleeves, looking utterly confident. The doctor glanced around, thought for a moment, and raised his hand to ask, "I... want to know who is in West Yong." "...You look so honest, but you're actually quite cunning!" Wang Zi'an exclaimed, feeling deceived—this question was brilliantly posed!

But he had already boasted about answering, and the newcomer's query didn't break any rules; it was, after all, just one question.

Wang Zi'an sighed and obediently began to show the newcomer around West Yong. "In West Yong, there are far more women than men—too many girls who drowned themselves," Wang Zi'an lamented with a sigh. "Huh? Then why have I only seen men since I arrived?" The doctor hadn't meant to interrupt, but Wang Zi'an spoke so slowly, with pauses that made him feel compelled to say something. "What's with the questions? I only agreed to answer one!" Wang Zi'an grumbled a bit but kindly replied to the doctor's query anyway, "As for the ladies, of course, they keep to themselves. I rarely get to see them."He spoke while pointing at the distant shipwrecks one by one, recounting their stories as if listing family treasures: "The lady residing on that mengchong warship bears the surname Sun, and they say her husband's family name was Liu. Their marriage was originally an alliance between two nations, but they soon parted due to escalating tensions between the states, giving rise to the saying about 'losing the lady and depleting the troops.' Eventually, upon hearing of her husband's death from illness in the military camp, she threw herself into the river."

Wait... why does this plot sound so much like Sun Shangxiang and Liu Bei? The Doctor wanted to ask but remembered he currently had no right to pose questions, forcing him to swallow the inquiry at the tip of his tongue.

"The farther ship equipped with cannons is called 'Hengyang.' The beauty living there was once an imperial consort! They say she enjoyed unparalleled favor, but when the capital fell, the Empress Dowager had her pushed down a well." Wang Zian sighed deeply, lamenting the unpredictability of worldly affairs.

This plot... why does it sound like Consort Zhen and Emperor Guangxu? The Doctor swallowed hard again. "Further still, there's a small vessel called 'Shiluo Cangshan Boat.' The elder sister living there has a fiery temperament."

"They say she was once a renowned courtesan who dominated the scene in her region. Later, she entrusted herself to the wrong man who nearly sold her to others. In the end, she furiously embraced her treasure chest and leaped into the river."

Huh? Did Du Shiniang actually exist? She wasn't just a fictional creation?

Wang Zian deliberately avoided naming names while introducing each ship's occupant, precisely to wait for the Doctor to succumb to curiosity and ask questions, thereby exchanging for poetry.

The Doctor listened while guessing, managing to identify some stories but not forcing those he couldn't decipher. He noticed that the ships Wang Zian pointed out weren't necessarily the largest, but they were invariably the cleanest and most orderly. Some vessels even had silk decorations hanging—clearly meticulously arranged. Indeed, the dwellings of ladies stood apart.

He also observed a massive five-story pleasure boat not far away. Though unlit, its railings were adorned with silk flowers, and through the faint light, strings of shell-made curtains could be glimpsed inside the cabin—undoubtedly the residence of a woman of significant status. Yet, whether intentional or not, Wang Zian meticulously detailed every other ship while completely ignoring this five-story giant.

Was this specifically waiting for his second question? The Doctor grew increasingly frustrated as he listened. The golden age of classical Chinese poetry was the Tang and Song dynasties. Lu Xiufu must have transcribed all he could remember for Wang Zian. Not being an arts student himself, how could he possibly recall so many Tang and Song poems?

Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing... Suddenly inspiration struck the Doctor. He cleared his throat and recited: "North country scene, a hundred leagues locked in ice, a thousand leagues of whirling snow..."

After finishing the entire "Spring in a Garden of Qin·Snow," the final line—"All are past and gone! For truly great men, look to this age alone!"—made Wang Zian clap and cheer in admiration.

Wang Zian silently repeated the last verse several times, fearing he might forget it. He pulled out a brush, ink, and notebook from his robe, swiftly recording the lines with Dragon-like flourishes.

The Doctor noticed Wang Zian's brush had a jade shaft and dark-purple bristles—clearly an extraordinary item. After admiring his handwritten transcription for a long while, Wang Zian finally looked up with a smile and asked, "You want to know who lives on that five-towered warship, don't you?"The doctor nodded. Had it been ten minutes earlier, he might have hesitated to ask such an inconsequential question, but now he was unafraid—his mind was filled with so many of Chairman Mao's poems!

"Ah, I never met the former owner of that five-masted ship either. By the time I arrived in West Yong, she had already departed. They say she was a peerless beauty who captivated the entire realm!" Wang Zian's expression grew wistful. "Legend tells she endured humiliation after being offered as tribute to an enemy king, whose obsession with her led him to neglect state affairs until his kingdom fell. Yet when she returned to her homeland, she was branded a harbinger of ruin and ultimately drowned in a lake."

Wait... wasn't this the story of Xi Shi, foremost of the Four Great Beauties?

The doctor didn't press further, realizing Wang Zian's loneliness had made him effusive. Even without prompting, the man would keep talking.

Sure enough, after a brief pause, Wang Zian rambled on: "You've guessed who it is, haven't you? Madam Shi didn't actually stay long in West Yong. The decorations aboard that five-masted ship were later added by her admirers—sisters who now use it as their gathering place."

Oh, so it's a private club. No wonder. "Newcomer, are you wondering how Madam Shi left West Yong?" Wang Zian grinned at the doctor. The doctor suppressed his irritation, noticing Wang Zian deliberately withholding the answer, and had no choice but to recite "Changsha - Spring in a Pleasure Garden" under the man's intense gaze.

When he reached the lines "Pointing out the landscape, we write impassioned words, counting the marquises of those days as muck," Wang Zian grew so excited he repeatedly clapped his hands, then swiftly transcribed the poem with his purple-haired brush.

"Such verses! Such grandeur! No ordinary mind could have composed this! Could it be...?" Wang Zian deliberately trailed off, gazing expectantly at the doctor.

"You may ask questions too. We could exchange one for one." The doctor discreetly wiped sweat from his brow, suddenly realizing he couldn't recite every one of Chairman Mao's poems—he owed his memory of these two to his Chinese teacher...

"You cunning rascal!" Wang Zian laughed, pointing at him with the brush tip.

Despite his complaint, he eagerly continued the gossip: "Who else would specially retrieve Madam Shi from West Yong but Tao Zhugong! They say he not only took her away but also departed with numerous treasures..."

Tao Zhugong? Fan Li? Did Fan Li begin his legendary wealth accumulation here in West Yong? The doctor's eyes widened in astonishment.

Perhaps his reaction pleased the storyteller, for the finally-audienced Wang Zian launched into an endless narrative. "'The heavenly mandate descended as a dark bird, giving birth to the Shang.' The Shang dynasty's totem was the bird, and since Shang revered the color white, the pure white heron was considered sacred by its people. Legend says this Vibrating Heron Pavilion originally belonged to the Shang people. After the Zhou overthrew the Shang dynasty, the Shang nobles were stripped of their territories. Without land to cultivate..."Without farming, they lost their means of livelihood and could only sustain themselves through long-distance trade. Over time, this evolved into a fixed profession, and these remnants of the Shang Dynasty came to be known as "merchants." For a long period, merchants were also regarded as unproductive, merely profiting from price differences, making it the lowest and most despised occupation.

The Vibrating Heron Pavilion is an extradimensional space carried by the Shang people to store goods, initially containing treasures that could not be easily revealed.

According to the rules of West Yong Village, the Vibrating Heron Pavilion requires two people to leave together—essentially a supervisory system of the Shang people, mandating that both must enter and exit simultaneously to retrieve treasures. It is said that when only one descendant of the Shang people remained, the Vibrating Heron Pavilion could no longer be opened.

Later, for unknown reasons, one of the Vibrating Heron Pavilions sank to the bottom of a body of water. Some destined individuals who drowned then entered this wondrous world, gradually giving rise to West Yong Village.

The Doctor listened while pondering—were the people of West Yong Village truly dead or not? Could it be said they had fallen into a temporal rift, and that leaving this place would unravel everything?

"It's been a long time since the Vibrating Heron Pavilion at the entrance of West Yong Village disappeared, so we haven't had any newcomers here for ages." Wang Zian gazed intently at the Doctor, deeply curious about this newcomer who had appeared alongside the pavilion.

"Well, let me first tell you the story of 'Pointing out the Landscape'..." the Doctor quickly changed the subject. Could he admit that the Vibrating Heron Pavilion was just a model pavilion he'd casually taken from an antique shop? No one would believe him anyway!

As they walked and talked, their conversation flowed smoothly. Seeing that the Doctor genuinely had limited knowledge to share, Wang Zian stopped exchanging questions for poetic lines. After hearing the tale of "Pointing out the Landscape," he generously took the Doctor on a tour of West Yong. This time, he didn't point at various ships to mystify the Doctor with guessing games but directly led him door-to-door for visits.

At first, the Doctor found it novel, but many residents of West Yong politely declined upon hearing he was seeking companions to leave with. After numerous rejections, despair gradually crept into the Doctor's heart.

West Yong indeed had many people, but as the young general and Wang Zian had said, if anyone wished to leave, they would have done so long ago. How could they have lingered here, wasting their years?

Wang Zian had anticipated this outcome all along and accompanied the Doctor with a constant smile, showing no mockery at his increasingly despondent expression. Yet he offered little comfort, knowing words would be futile. It was as if he saw his own past self in the Doctor—the version of him who had just arrived in West Yong Village, believing it would be simple to leave, only to struggle for so long that he eventually gave up.

Unaware of Wang Zian's complex gaze behind him, the Doctor approached a lit battleship and looked up. He recognized it as a warship from the combat scars on its hull and even dark crimson bloodstains. The bulwarks were made of ox hide, with crossbow windows and arrow slits faintly emitting light.

"This is a Seahawk Battleship—low at the bow and high at the stern, large in front and small behind, shaped like a seahawk. There are floating boards below the gunwales on both sides, resembling seahawk wings. Even in raging storms, this ship never capsizes..." Noticing the Doctor examining the battleship, Wang Zian habitually began explaining, though his voice was softer than before.

Just then, an aged sigh came from the Seahawk Battleship: "The road ahead is long and winding—I will search high and low." The Doctor froze, silently repeating the line twice before staring at Wang Zian in shock. This poetry, combined with West Yong Village's unique method of entry... Could the person on this Seahawk Battleship be the venerable Qu Yuan, who embraced a stone and drowned himself in the Miluo River? Wang Zian nodded, his expression tinged with caution. After all, he was utterly helpless when it came to elders around his father's age.The Doctor couldn't imagine Old Master Qu Yuan agreeing to leave West Yong with him, so he didn't even bother visiting. Instead, standing silently beneath the Seahawk Battleship with his hands respectfully at his sides, he paid silent tribute to the reverence of zongzi for quite some time. Only then, amid Old Master Qu Yuan's recitation of "I cannot change my heart to follow vulgar customs, thus I shall endure sorrow and end in poverty," did he slowly depart.

After walking a short distance, the Doctor spotted a Black Warship with its sail completely covered in written characters. As he drew closer, he could see they were lines of poetry.

"Ten steps, one man slain; a thousand miles, never tarrying." "Laughing aloud, I leave the house; how could someone like me be among the common weeds?" "When life is good, one must enjoy it fully; never let the golden cup sit empty beneath the moon." "There will be times when the long wind breaks the waves; I'll set my cloud-white sail and cross the sea."

The Doctor read each line aloud, and with every verse, Wang Zian's face revealed a look of intoxicated delight. Without needing to ask, the Doctor knew exactly who resided on this ship. However, judging by the thunderous snoring coming from the Black Warship, the Poet Immortal Li Bai was likely in a deep slumber. Wang Zian, who was fervently passionate about poetry, admired Li Bai immensely and immediately began chattering incessantly to the Doctor with gossip. Chronologically speaking, Li Bai was actually Wang Zian's junior. Back when Li Bai, drunk on the river, fell into the water while trying to catch the moon, he ended up in West Yong. But because he had consumed so much alcohol, he remained in a perpetual state of semi-conscious drunkenness, lying in the Vibrating Heron Pavilion for a long time until the young general kindly carried him and settled him in this Black Warship.

Initially, Wang Zian had also assumed he was just a drunkard and paid him little attention. It wasn't until Lu Xiufu arrived and silently transcribed Li Bai's poems for Wang Zian that he realized what a divine talent the seemingly wasted uncle on the Black Warship truly was. The poems on the sail were later written by Wang Zian himself. He had hoped the Poet Immortal would wake up and compose more timeless masterpieces, but Li Bai was seldom sober, spending most of his time lost in dreams.

The Doctor stood outside the Black Warship for a long while, gazing up at the character-covered sail, his mind flashing back to the verses that had tormented him with memorization and dictation in middle and high school. He decided it was best to express his admiration silently within his heart...

The Doctor followed Wang Zian to visit many more residents of West Yong. Aside from those with whom communication was impossible, everyone who heard the Doctor's proposal refused to leave West Yong. The Doctor grew increasingly disheartened. Though time didn't pass here, it certainly did in the real world! He had an early shift tomorrow, and even being a minute late would earn him a scolding from the Director!

"What's wrong? Shall we continue?" Wang Zian noticed the Doctor had stopped walking and asked with a warm smile. "Tired? Or should I find you a ship to settle in? Let's start with a small one—easier to manage. There's a Flying Warship up ahead that's still in good condition. You can make do with it for now, and when you have time, find one you like and fix it up slowly."

The Doctor surveyed the mist-shrouded West Yong Village. Schools of fish swam leisurely overhead, ships of varying heights stood in orderly rows, and scattered lights twinkled among them. It should have been a breathtaking scene, yet it evoked a sense of desolation and bleakness.

Apart from the sounds of his own breathing and heartbeat, the surroundings were engulfed in deathly silence.

This place didn't feel like a village inhabited by the living, but more like a tomb burying countless souls.The doctor took a deep breath and smiled wryly, "I'd better return to the Vibrating Heron Pavilion first to take another look. There might be some discoveries. Could you please show me the way back, Brother Wang?"

"Why bother with such formalities? I'll take you there right now! It's been a long time since I last saw the Vibrating Heron Pavilion anyway—let's see what's changed!" Wang Zian said enthusiastically, figuring he had nothing better to do.

The two turned around and headed out of West Yong Village.

As they passed by a Yu Huang Warship, the doctor noticed a faint, armored figure in the cabin and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Is that the general over there?"

"Exactly." Wang Zian glanced over and, having grown accustomed to explaining things to the doctor, casually provided the figure's background. "That general is Wang Li, the direct grandson of the famous Qin dynasty general Wang Jian. He was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Wucheng and held the rank of Senior General. He was defeated and captured by Xiang Yu at the Battle of Julu. There are no subsequent records of him in history; in reality, he drowned himself by jumping into the Zhang River."

The doctor was taken aback, noticing the young general covered in bloodstains—clear evidence of having endured a fierce battle...

"Actually, the Battle of Julu, where Xiang Yu famously 'burned his boats' and made his name, probably had some exaggerations. The Qin dynasty was already on the verge of collapse, with morale in the army wavering. And after Wang Li witnessed Fusu's suicide and Meng Tian being forced to take his own life, how could he still wholeheartedly serve Qin Er Shi?" Wang Zian, who hadn't gossiped with anyone in a long time, lowered his voice, afraid that Wang Li might overhear.

There was no helping it—West Yong Village was just too quiet.

Though Wang Zian had only spoken a few words, he vividly depicted the bloodshed on the battlefield and in the court. The doctor silently glanced at the armored figure, faintly sensing the heavy burden he carried.

Even after all these years, even here in West Yong, he had not laid it down. "Ahem, actually, there's more to the story about this Vibrating Heron Pavilion!" Wang Zian, noticing movement from the figure in the warship cabin, guiltily changed the subject and pulled the doctor's arm toward the Vibrating Heron Pavilion. "Huh? What story?" The doctor's mind was still filled with Qin dynasty history and didn't immediately grasp what Wang Zian was referring to.

"That Little Ming King Han Lin'er we just visited—his father, Han Shantong, was the leader of the White Lotus Sect. Before he drowned in the Guabu River, he and his mother fled to Hangzhou and lived there for a time. It's said that there was another Vibrating Heron Pavilion on West Lake back then." "There was one later too, but it collapsed long ago. The current one is a rebuilt pavilion on the lake." The doctor recalled this, remembering that the Boss had mentioned it before.

"During Han Lin'er's time, the Vibrating Heron Pavilion was called the Life Release Pavilion. Many people would release not only fish, snakes, and turtles but also antique artifacts. Sometimes, even people were released there. A few lucky ones did make it to West Yong back then, but they all left together over time." Wang Zian said with a smile, "Actually, the villagers in West Yong aren't just humans! Some artifacts have been here since the time of the Shang people, before they disappeared. It's said they have the ability to break through West Yong's constraints and leave via the Vibrating Heron Pavilion on the water's surface, but they can only move around the shores of West Lake."

The doctor suddenly felt a bit speechless. There were always rumors about hotels by West Lake being haunted—could it all be pranks by these antiques?"Heh heh, isn't it quite interesting? There's more to it! 'Pavilion' signifies stopping - a place along the road where people gather and pause.

Pavilions are originally meant for people to gather and wait for meetings. It's said that the Vibrating Heron Pavilion was also used by the Shang people as a tool to summon their clansmen. Legend has it that beneath the Vibrating Heron Pavilion, one can encounter the person they wish to see. Many long-separated people would arrange to meet there. It can even transcend the boundaries between yin and yang..."

That's going a bit too far! Seeing Wang Zian's story becoming increasingly unbelievable, the Doctor couldn't help but shake his head with a smile. He had been half-convinced about the story of the Life Release Pavilion, but this one was even more exaggerated. This Brother Wang seemed like a reliable person, so why was he starting to talk nonsense?

"It's true! Don't you not believe it! They say that Madam Shi originally waited beneath the Vibrating Heron Pavilion for Tao Zhugong to come take her away..." Wang Zian became endlessly talkative when sharing gossip.

The Doctor listened casually as background noise, stepping on copper coins beneath his feet, sometimes firmly, sometimes unsteadily, as he walked toward the Vibrating Heron Pavilion.

Could one really meet the person they wanted to see beneath the Vibrating Heron Pavilion? So who did he want to see now...

"Look, after turning past this bridge boat, you'll see the Vibrating Heron Pavilion directly..." Wang Zian took the lead around the bridge boat, but then said in confusion, "Huh? There's actually someone beneath the Vibrating Heron Pavilion? Who is that?"

The Doctor stopped walking and raised his head.

The first thing he saw in the dim light was that striking and familiar crimson Dragon Pattern...

【Two】

In the cabin of the Yu Huang Warship, Wang Li stood silently before the table, his eyes fixed on the brocade pouch placed thereon.

This was the brocade pouch given to him by the young minister when he set out to campaign against the Wei state. He had given the silk scroll inside containing the plan to flood Daliang City to his father, but kept this pouch. Later, during a casual conversation with the young minister, he learned that this pouch was no ordinary object either.

This Damask Brocade Pouch was woven from pure mulberry silk, its surface showing overlapping mountain-shaped diagonal patterns, named "damask" because it "appears like ice crystal patterns when viewed from afar." Damask has patterned and plain varieties - "plain weave with patterns is called qi, while that shining like a mirror surface with floral designs is called ling." The Damask Brocade Pouch in his hand was woven from multi-colored damask brocade using varied twill weaves. It's said that this kind of damask brocade pouch woven according to special arrangement rules could not only prevent the loss of items inside but could also serve as a protective talisman, safeguarding the wearer.

Perhaps his survival - neither dying in battle amid chaotic troops nor drowning when falling into the Zhang River, eventually arriving at West Yong - was all due to the protective effects of carrying this Damask Brocade Pouch with him.

Wang Li had been in West Yong for so long that he knew many things Wang Zian was unaware of.

West Yong wasn't a place anyone could come to either. Since ancient times, countless people had drowned in rivers, lakes, and seas, yet West Yong Village wasn't overcrowded - this alone proved the point.

After long observation, he discovered that everyone who could come to West Yong possessed treasures. For example, the Damask Brocade Pouch he carried, the three-inch purple brush Wang Zian never parted with, the jade wine pot in Li Bai's hand, Du Shiniang's treasure chest...

Perhaps the Vibrating Heron Pavilion was the Shang people's treasure hiding place, itself having the function of autonomously collecting treasures. And people like them were merely accessories to those treasures.

But what caught Wang Li's attention now wasn't the Damask Brocade Pouch itself, but a knot tied on the pouch. This was a Nine-Perfection Knot.The world is obsessed with tying the Ten-Perfection Knot. The Ten-Perfection Knot evolved from the Double Coin Knot, which is also called the Golden Coin Knot. When tied, it resembles two connected copper coins, symbolizing "good things come in pairs.Since money flows like spring water, the word for "coin" is homophonic with "spring", which sounds like "complete". Hence, some people call the Double Coin Knot the "Double-Completion Knot." The Ten-Perfection Knot is an auspicious knot formed by tying five Double-Completion Knots together.

Yet the young minister preferred tying the Nine-Perfection Knot. He once said that few things in life are perfect, and nine is the largest single-digit number, carrying the meaning of "lasting long and enduring.""

Because the Nine-Perfection Knot has one less knot than the Ten-Perfection Knot, the tying technique changes, resulting in a unique pattern. To this day, Wang Li has only seen that young minister use it. And the newcomer who just arrived in West Yong wears a Nine-Perfection Knot tied to the Longevity Lock around his neck—identical to the one on the Damask Brocade Pouch in Wang Li's possession, down to the detail of the larger coin pattern on the far left.

The light in West Yong Village was dim, so Wang Li specially returned to the cabin, lit a lamp, and examined the Damask Brocade Pouch under the light. Sure enough, it confirmed his suspicion.

Wang Li clenched the Damask Brocade Pouch in his hand.

The Nine-Perfection Knot on the newcomer didn’t look newly tied, but it couldn’t be more than thirty years old. Could it be… Is A Luo still alive?

Outside the cabin, Wang Zian’s murmuring voice could be heard, likely speaking with the newcomer. Wang Li reflexively turned, intending to step out and inquire about the Longevity Lock. But after taking just one step, he froze.

Even if he asked and learned that A Luo was still alive, what face would he have to meet him?

Back when they parted in Shangjun, A Luo had solemnly entrusted the Great Prince’s safety to him, yet he had failed…

The image of Fusu lying in a pool of blood, eyes closed, surfaced in his mind. Wang Li nearly gritted his teeth to dust.

No, that wasn’t the point now. Hadn’t A Luo been buried alive in the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang? How could he possibly still be alive?

By now, the conversation outside the cabin had grown faint, heading toward the Vibrating Heron Pavilion. Wang Li snapped back to reality, tucked the Damask Brocade Pouch into his robe, and stepped out of the cabin, following them.

The path from West Yong Village to the Vibrating Heron Pavilion wasn’t far, but Wang Li’s heart was tangled and uneasy, his steps hesitant. He moved slowly. After all, since the newcomer had come to West Yong, he wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. Wang Li had plenty of time to ask about the Longevity Lock.

Memories from the Qin era had long been sealed away in the depths of his heart, but the sight of that Nine-Perfection Knot had instantly reopened them. The green-robed youth causing an uproar in the Half-Step Hall, the young minister debating eloquently in the Gaoquan Palace, the solitary armored knight in the Shangjun military camp…

Images of A Luo flashed before Wang Li’s eyes, vivid as if they had happened yesterday.

Stumbling around the Bridge Boat, Wang Li looked up and saw a flash of white light in the Vibrating Heron Pavilion not far away. A figure he remembered deeply gradually vanished within the glow.

Was that… A Luo? How was it possible!

Wang Li wanted to call out, but his voice caught in his throat, unable to form a single word. "Huh? General Wang, what are you doing here?" Wang Zian, who had been heading back, noticed him only after who knows how long.Li stood dazedly by the Bridge Boat. "Were you looking for that newcomer? Someone specifically came to West Yong to pick him up! Really, I never expected anyone else besides Madam Shi to personally come fetch someone from West Yong!"

Wang Zian marveled, unable to suppress a twinge of envy. But upon second thought, that was someone else's destiny - what did it have to do with him? It was more important to return to West Yong and transcribe the two poems he'd obtained today for appreciation.

Just then, Wang Li, who had been silent all this time, placed a hand on his shoulder and asked seriously, "Is there anyone else in West Yong Village who wants to leave? I want to go too."

"Ah? What?" Wang Zian stared in astonishment. What had provoked this? "What about you? Do you want to leave West Yong? Let's go right now." "Wait... General Wang! Don't be impulsive! Hey! Let go!"

【Three】

The Doctor blinked, gazing at the familiar interior of the Dumb Shop, unable to collect his thoughts for quite some time. Just now... what had he remembered? The Vibrating Heron Pavilion? West Yong Village?

Lu Zigang was holding a book scroll, hesitating about how to explain the entire situation to the Doctor, when he saw the latter close his eyes for a long moment before suddenly opening them, rising to his feet, and striding toward the door of the Dumb Shop without even acknowledging him. By the time Lu Zigang reacted, the Doctor had long since left the Dumb Shop.

Was this... had he remembered something?

Lu Zigang stared blankly for a moment before letting out a bitter laugh.

Perhaps it was better that he remembered. Although sometimes forgetting might be easier, memories were a person's most precious treasure. He had truly been wrong.

The Doctor couldn't determine whether the experiences at West Yong Village, along with the previous zoetrope incident, were his memories or his delusions. But the walls in his home had been remodeled! The Dumb Shop really existed! And he had met the Boss just last night!

He didn't believe so many coincidences could occur.

In the illusion of the Black Jade Orb, the Boss had pulled him along in West Yong until they stood on a specific floor tile in the Vibrating Heron Pavilion. He had specifically observed that unlike the other tiles featuring only a single heron, the tile beneath their feet was carved with two herons spreading their wings in flight.

After a flash of white light, they appeared beside the Mid-Lake Pavilion of West Lake, standing on that very tile, though it was badly deteriorated and had cracked into several pieces. The Boss explained that the current Mid-Lake Pavilion was built upon the site where the collapsed Vibrating Heron Pavilion once stood, or more accurately, shifted two meters to the side. The original foundation of the Vibrating Heron Pavilion remained unmoved.

Perhaps all of this was his imagination, and that floor tile too.

If he could find that floor tile beside the Mid-Lake Pavilion, then all of this would be... First, find that tile!

Just then, the sun finally rose, though the winter sunlight always seemed weak and feeble. The shores of West Lake were sparsely populated due to the cold weather. The Doctor bought a boat ticket at the dock on the western side of Bai Causeway and boarded a rowboat heading to the Mid-Lake Island. According to the staff, due to visitor flow restrictions, the painted pleasure boats no longer went to the Mid-Lake Pavilion - one had to row there themselves.

The surface of West Lake was vast and misty, shrouded in haze. In the distance, Leifeng Pagoda and Xizhao Mountain stood in elegant, muted colors, like an ink wash painting. The Doctor had no time to appreciate the scenery; as soon as the boat docked, he jumped ashore and headed straight for the Mid-Lake Pavilion.However, he did not see the familiar floor tiles in the remembered location.

The area had transformed into a lush green lawn, as if the entire island had been renovated and refurbished. So, was all of this just a product of his imagination?

The doctor stared blankly for a long moment before pulling out his phone to search for news. He discovered that the lake island had been closed for several months a few years ago for renovations based on the Qing dynasty's "West Lake Palace Map." For example, the rooftop of the "Great Void Point" pavilion had been rotated ninety degrees, returning it to its original east-west orientation, aligning with Emperor Qianlong's ancient "Two Insects" stele. Some relics, such as broken floor tiles and railings, had been collected into the museum's storage room, awaiting restoration before being displayed.

So... it still couldn't be confirmed? Was everything truly just his delusion?

The doctor slumped onto the steps of the lakeside pavilion, clutching his head in frustration.

What should he do next? Return to the Dumb Shop to press the young shopkeeper for answers? But he'd surely give himself away after just a few sentences! He actually knew nothing! The other would definitely brush him off, and he wouldn't even be able to distinguish truth from lies in whatever was said...

For now... he should just calm down first...

Burying his head in his knees, the doctor silently zoned out.

There were already few tourists visiting West Lake in the morning, and even fewer at the lakeside pavilion where visitor numbers were restricted and access required a small boat.

Having stayed up all night, the doctor listened to the sound of West Lake's water lapping against the shore as if bewitched, gradually growing drowsy. After an uncertain amount of time, amidst the rhythmic water sounds, footsteps approached.

Though perfectly ordinary footsteps, they felt inexplicably familiar, making his heartbeat quicken uncontrollably. "Legend says beneath the Vibrating Heron Pavilion, one can encounter those they wish to see. Many long-separated people arrange to meet there..." Wang Zian's voice suddenly echoed in his ears, causing the doctor to shudder involuntarily.

Could one truly meet desired people beneath the Vibrating Heron Pavilion? Taking a deep breath, the doctor abruptly raised his head.

(End of Chapter)