TGCFNM -Chapter 293 Still Lost

Two hours later.

On a relatively wide clearing, everyone stopped, preparing to take a rest.

Zhang Dong was leading the horse to drink.

Cao Tong and Yan Sheng had gone ahead to scout the path.

After Xiao Hua had parked the two carriages, she turned around and saw their coroner Su Wuo poking the ground with a branch, while Master Wan stood beside him, poking Su Wuo’s branch with another branch.

Lord Chu looked ahead with a worried expression.

Uncle Wu seemed a bit dazed, as if trapped in some kind of strange loop, unable to get out for the moment.

Xiao Hua sighed deeply. There was no food left in the carriages, so she had to check if there were any wild fruits nearby—or maybe catch a wild chicken—otherwise, everyone would starve.

Uncle Wu took out the map again, confused. Although Lin Fu’s drawing skills were mediocre, the markings were very clear. So why did they still get lost?

“Sir, we might have run into a ‘ghost wall’,” Uncle Wu said seriously.

Chu Ling was stunned for a moment and looked at Ghost Scholar Bai Su and Cui Xi, Wangcai. “A ‘ghost wall’?”

Ghost Scholar shook his head firmly: “No ghosts.”

Wan Sanjin poked Su He in a daze. “What does a ghost wall even mean?”

Su He straightened his face. “It’s when a ghost builds a wall right in front of you so you can’t go forward. No matter how you try, you just can’t get out.”

Wan Sanjin tutted: “That ghost is dishonest.”

Su He went back to poking the ground with his branch.

“Should we burn some paper money for the ghost? Maybe it’ll agree to dismantle the wall?” Wan Sanjin asked, looking at Su He.

Su He was a little shocked and turned to him. “Or… you could try summoning it? Talk business with the ghost?”

Wan Sanjin shrank his neck. “No way! Ghosts have green faces and fangs, and they supposedly suck blood and snatch souls. Too scary.”

Bai Su couldn’t help but poke Wan Sanjin’s forehead again, though every time her hand passed right through him.

Wan Sanjin hesitated, touched his forehead, and then looked up at the sky. “Is it raining? So chilly…”

“You’ve gone mad with hunger,” Su He said, glaring at him.

Wan Sanjin touched his stomach, wanting to cry. “What were we thinking, leaving all the food behind?”

Chu Ling said helplessly, “A whole county’s worth of people… the food wouldn’t have been enough. If we hadn’t left it, they’d have starved. But now it’s our turn to starve halfway there.”

Wan Sanjin didn’t understand. “How did we get lost again? Is it Uncle Wu’s fault?”

Uncle Wu glared in protest. “How could it be my fault? I followed the path exactly. Who knew someone else had made so many new paths, messing with the line of sight?”

Chu Ling rested her cheek on her hand and sighed. “Who would have thought that the greatest magistrate of Da Zhou would be defeated by getting lost?”

Wan Sanjin also sighed. “Who would have thought that the greatest master strategist of Da Zhou would starve on the way to Ningzhou?”

Su He looked at the two of them and sighed as well. “Who would have thought that the greatest coroner of Da Zhou, who has dissected countless corpses and never met a ghost, would run into a ghost wall?”

Uncle Wu: These three are shameless!

Chu Ling suddenly lowered her head and looked at her stomach. “My stomach’s growling… grumble, grumble.”

Wan Sanjin and Su He instinctively looked at their own stomachs.

Chu Ling closed her eyes and prayed. “If Zhang Dong can find some food, that’s fine. If Xiao Hua can find some food, that’s fine. If Yan Sheng and Cao Tong can find some food, that’s fine. If not, may any passing gods and immortals grant us a meal.”

She was really going to starve!

The others immediately started imitating her, making gestures and praying to all the gods.

“Are you… hungry?”

Chu Ling suddenly opened her eyes. In a daze, under the sunlight, a Guanyin Bodhisattva was looking at her gently, a faint smile on her lips, her expression full of compassion.

“Sister Bodhisattva!” Chu Ling called out joyfully.

The woman smiled, covering her lips slightly, and said, “I’m not a Bodhisattva. I’m just a performer. My name is Fuxiang. Are you hungry?”

Wan Sanjin immediately nodded. “Sister Bodhisattva, we’re hungry! Really hungry! We gave all our food to the other villagers. There’s nothing left for us.”

Su He also put on a solemn expression. “Sister Bodhisattva, we’re all good people. You can check our merit records.”

Uncle Wu couldn’t help but pinch his forehead, then stood up and bowed lightly to the woman. “Forgive these children, Bodhisattva. They’re shameless like this, but they really did share all their food with others.”

Chu Ling also stood. “Sister Bodhisattva, did you get lost too?”

Fuxiang gave a wry smile. “Our family was passing through here performing. When our carriage stopped to water the horses, we ran into a young man named Zhang Dong. So I came ahead a little; my father and the others will be here soon to rest.”

Chu Ling nodded. “Sister Bodhisattva, do you have any food?”

“Yes.” Fuxiang smiled lightly, untied her bundle, and took out some dried food. She handed it over. “It’s just ordinary dried food, might be a little hard. Mix it with water; it’ll be easier to swallow.”

Chu Ling’s eyes lit up. She took it with both hands, thanking her.

At that moment, Xiao Hua returned, carrying two wild chickens and a bunch of wild fruits.

Chu Ling pointed to Fuxiang and introduced her. “This is Sister Bodhisattva.”

Xiao Hua happily bounced forward. “Sister Bodhisattva, you’re so beautiful! Here, have a wild chicken.”

Fuxiang smiled and waved to refuse, but then two pained cries rang out nearby. Soon, Cao Tong and Yan Sheng returned, looking miserable, and pitifully told them, “We almost didn’t make it back.”

Uncle Wu sighed deeply. “From now on, it’s better if everyone doesn’t go off separately.”

Xiao Hua stuffed the wild fruits she was carrying into Wan Sanjin’s hands, then looked at Fuxiang. “Sister Bodhisattva, you should stay and eat some wild chicken.” Then she turned to Chu Ling. “Sir, I’ll go to the river to pluck the chicken feathers.”

Chu Ling nodded. “Go ahead.”

Fuxiang looked on worriedly. “Isn’t this little girl too young?”

Wan Sanjin wiped the fruits on his clothes and said, “She’s not. Besides, our Xiao Hua is amazing. You can even hear it when she beats someone.”

“Hear it?” Fuxiang didn’t understand.

“The sound of bones breaking,” Su He explained.

Fuxiang: “…This group seems a little strange.”

Chu Ling pulled Fuxiang to sit down. “There are leaves here, clean. You can sit.”

Wan Sanjin handed over some wild fruits. “This is the first time in my life I’ve eaten wild fruits. They taste good—slightly sour, but edible.”

“First time in your life?” Fuxiang was a little stunned.

Wan Sanjin handed fruits to Chu Ling and Uncle Wu as well. “Sir, Uncle Wu, these fruits are delicious. Xiao Hua is amazing.”

“Sir!” Fuxiang was taken aback, looking at Chu Ling. “Little master, are you really a sir?”

“Yes, I’m a wandering county magistrate. I got lost on the way, just came out from Anma County. After curing the plague there, I’m planning to go to Ningzhou,” Chu Ling said carefully.

Fuxiang was so startled she immediately stood up, then suddenly knelt.

“This lowly girl did not know Your Honor, yet dared to sit and eat with you, even offering lowly food. Please forgive me, Your Honor!”

Chu Ling was confused. “Wait… what just happened?”