Chapter 322: Chapter 318: Strange Person _1
Little Douzi agreed and hurriedly ran down the mountain.

The villagers poked their heads out to glance at Yingbao, cheerfully greeting, “Young Master, starting work so early.”

Yingbao nodded at them and returned to the Taoist temple.

The village was gradually growing prosperous now, and the vitality of the villagers had increased.

Even Cui Lan and little Douzi had put on weight.

People from the military station ten miles away had visited a few times, but they didn’t come to cause trouble, they would always discuss matters with Master in his room.

Originally Yingbao wanted to listen to what they were discussing, but she was stopped by her eldest senior brother, who wouldn’t allow her to approach Master’s room.

As a result, Yingbao developed some suspicions and would avoid them whenever she saw these people coming to visit.

The second senior brother, like her, was not allowed to approach, so every time this happened, he would take his little junior sister to explore the ‘melting hole’.

In the evening, Little Douzi and his grandfather brought Yingbao several large pottery pots, each of which could be used for bathing.

These pottery pots were not expensive, costing only around twenty or thirty coins each.

Yingbao paid the money, and, ignoring the questioning of her second senior brother, she cleaned them all and said she would use them to hold things.

The next day, when Master and the two senior brothers were not around, Yingbao quickly filled them with water and placed them in a secluded area of the yard, then waited for them to freeze.

And, sure enough, in just half a day, all the water in these large pots had frozen.

But the trouble was that she couldn’t get the ice out of the pots.

After pondering for a while, she came up with a solution.

She went to the kitchen to boil a pot of hot water, placing the pots with ice over the steaming hot water to warm for a while. Once the ice at the bottom of the pot melted, she could easily topple out the chunks of ice.

Once the ice was out, Yingbao didn’t rush to take it into her cave dwelling. Instead, she let it freeze again outside for a while before bringing it into her dwelling.

For the next month, Yingbao continually collected ice using this method, always doing so secretly when her senior brothers and Master were not around.

By December, more and more people were coming to buy the religious candles and water from the Taoist temple. Seeing that his small disciple was busy, Master Zhou Wuchang discussed with the village Head, asking them to select two young boys to help manage the sales.

However, the earnings from Shiquan Cave were still the responsibility of the three villages, and the money they earned was divided amongst themselves.

Yingbao didn’t interfere with these matters. She wrote a letter to her family and sister Wen, assuring them of her safety and enclosing with it a large package filled with crystal-clear stalactites.

She had asked Master to mail these letters and packages, so she didn’t worry about it herself.

As the New Year approached, it snowed for the second time in the area.

The flurrying large snowflakes quickly covered the earlier accumulated snow that hadn’t yet melted.

Yingbao sat alone on the warm kang bed, looking through the window at the people who braved the snow to worship.

The majority of them were the poor from nearby areas; some came asking for wealth, some came seeking medical help, and some came seeking a son.

Master Zhou Wuchang usually saw the ones who sought medical help but occasionally, when there was a female patient, he would call Yingbao to help.

Lately, Yingbao had seen several female patients, but most of them did not come for illnesses. Surprisingly, they were asking how to give birth to sons.

Whenever she met these women, Yingbao would call the second senior brother to perform a Sacrificial Dance for them.

Zhang Min was initially unwilling, but after being fixed under the deathly gaze of his younger sister, he had to reluctantly dance a few steps to please them.

Time passed quickly amidst such trivialities.

Before they knew it, it was already June of the following year.

By this time, Stone Spring Mountain had become a renowned spiritual site in the nearby regions.

A marketplace had gradually formed at the foot of the mountain. Wu Yi and the villagers built several houses and a couple of thatched sheds on the barren land at the foot of the mountain.

The houses provided rest for people, essentially becoming temporary inns. Under the thatched sheds, tea and spring water from Shiquan were sold.

Other villagers came and built a few houses and erected several grass huts, not selling tea, but selling foods like large cakes, steamed buns, and pickled vegetables.

Seeing this, some out-of-towners quietly brought their baskets over to sell their own things, and those with shrewd minds also sold sachets and handkerchiefs embroidered with the nine heavenly beauties.

The two peony plants in the cave, after being watered often by Yingbao with water from Pupil Spring, continued to bud and bloom, getting people to fully believe that these flowering trees were two divine trees.

Young masters and ladies from the aristocratic families in Prefecture City paid a heavy price for one or two peony flowers to take home, to flaunt and boast about for a long time.

As a result, the villagers of Jujube Tree Village and the other two villages quickly became wealthy, and some even secretly invited their relatives to set up a stall at the foot of the mountain.

Just when Yingbao thought she would have to stay here a bit longer, her master, Zhou Wuchang, told his disciples that he was going to take them back to Qinchuan County.

Yingbao was thrilled and immediately packed her things to prepare to go home.

Five days later, the master and his disciples rented two horse-drawn carriages and began heading south along the official road.

They arrived at a canal wharf, and the group boarded a large ship.

Upon boarding the ship, Yingbao instantly sensed that something was amiss.

A young man was being subtly protected by more than a dozen neatly-dressed and robust youths.

This man was magnificent and had a bright, handsome face. At first glance, he appeared to be a young master from a noble family.

It seemed Master Zhou Wuchang recognized this man, as he nodded at him, but didn’t step forward to speak to him.

Yingbao, feeling apprehensive, quietly asked her second senior brother after entering the cabin, “Do you recognize that man?”

Zhang Min shook his head. “I don’t recognize him. Why do you ask?”

“Nothing in particular, just curious who he is and why the master recognizes him,” Yingbao evaded.

Zhang Min laughed. “Our master knows so many people, there’s nothing to be surprised about.”

Yingbao ceased speaking, focusing on arranging her luggage.

That night, Yingbao lay on her small bed, feigning sleep, first went to the grotto to tidy up the crops, then began contemplating the identity of the man on deck.

He clearly didn’t want to reveal his identity, so he didn’t converse with the master on the deck. But later that night, he actually went to the master’s cabin, even letting a few people guard outside, an obvious abnormality.

For two days, the ship moved ahead. During the day, the man seldom loitered on deck, but at night, he would visit the master’s cabin again, seemingly discussing something.

Yingbao was puzzled but couldn’t ask her master or elder senior brother, so she could only observe covertly.

On the third day, the group disembarked at a wharf.

Yingbao watched them leave, asking her elder senior brother, “Elder Brother, what is this place called?”

Zhou Hao said, “This is Chengzhou territory.”

Yingbao blinked. The name Chengzhou sounded familiar to her.

A light bulb suddenly went off in her head.

Chengzhou, wasn’t that the territory of the Vassal King who would rebel?

Could the man be the Cheng king? Or the son of the Cheng king?

No wonder they were acting suspiciously all the way.

The vassal king is not allowed to leave his territory without imperial edict, otherwise, he is considered suspicious.

If this man really is the Cheng king or son of the Cheng king, then what is master conspiring with him?

On this thought, a chill ran down Yingbao’s spine.

The Cheng king is the younger brother of the late emperor, while the master is the late emperor’s youngest uncle, also the current emperor’s uncle.

If the master were also involved in the vassal king’s rebellion, wouldn’t her family be doomed with him?

No, no! She couldn’t let the master get involved with the Cheng king.