Chapter 29: The Wolf

Li Chaosheng supported Butcher Fan and continued forward. They soon arrived at Butcher Fan’s village. He knocked on the door of the local rural doctor next door. When the rural doctor saw it was Old Fan, he hurriedly asked what had happened. Old Fan told the story. The rural doctor pulled down Old Fan’s trousers and saw a chunk of flesh missing from Old Fan’s buttocks, torn away by a wolf, fresh blood staining the trousers.

Luckily the bite was not large. If it had been larger, it would have been fatal. The rural doctor took out his special herbal medicine, first stopped Old Fan’s bleeding, wrapped it with cloth, and told Old Fan to go back to bed and return in the morning to change the dressing. If he did not develop a high fever that night, his life could be saved. If he developed a fever, even the gods would have trouble saving him.

Of course the rural doctor’s medical skill was limited. If this were modern times, after stopping the bleeding one would give a tetanus shot, a rabies shot, and some penicillin to assist. That would likely prevent wound infection. But primitive medical care in ancient times basically depended on an individual to hang on.

Li Chaosheng helped Old Fan back home. There was no one else in the house at this late hour, so Li Chaosheng decided to stay the night. First, to care for Old Fan and keep him from dying on the bed. Second, the city gate was closed at this hour, so he could not enter the city anyway.

The night passed quietly. The next morning, Old Fan, relying on his stubborn vitality, pulled through. Miraculously he did not have a fever, and the next day he looked quite spirited. Seeing Old Fan like that, Li Chaosheng breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately he survived. Otherwise Wang Er really wouldn’t be able to spend those secret savings on him. More importantly, would Sister-in-law think Wang Er had cursed his father-in-law, causing the father-in-law to be bitten by a wolf and die?

If she really thought that way, Wang Er’s life would be ruined. Given Sister-in-law’s temper, she might even beat Wang Er on the spot. He really worried for Brother Er sometimes.

Old Fan was clearly improving. The rural doctor changed the dressing. Neighbor Mrs. Wang heard that Old Fan was injured, so early in the morning she cooked porridge and brought steamed buns to visit him. Li Chaosheng tagged along and got a breakfast. In conversation the rural doctor said Mrs. Wang had been widowed for many years, and Old Fan’s wife had also died long ago. The old man and woman were quite close. If they did not worry about their children’s feelings, they might well find happiness again.

Li Chaosheng listened to the gossip, then went into the yard. Thinking of yesterday’s events, he took out the white ledger hidden at his chest. The brush inside it was some kind of treasure. Whenever he took it out, it was always loaded with ink, ready to write at once.

Recalling Butcher Fan’s account from yesterday, which matched very closely with an article in his mind, Li Chaosheng took the brush and wrote the title “The Wolf” on the first page of the white booklet.

He then began writing the main text: A butcher returns late, the basket’s meat is gone, only bones remain. On the road he meets two wolves traveling in tandem, a long way. The butcher is afraid and tries to frighten them with his knife, but it does not work. He throws them bones. One wolf takes the bone and stops, but the other follows. He throws again. The rear wolf stops while the front wolf comes forward. The bones are exhausted, yet the two wolves still run together as before…

Li Chaosheng wrote with crooked brush strokes and recorded an old classic, The Wolf by Pu Songling, though he made some adjustments. For example, the line about frightening them with a knife was not in the original. And the opening phrase saying the basket’s meat was gone was also not accurate. The original said the yoke’s meat was gone. But Butcher Fan did not have a carrying yoke, only a basket, so he changed it to basket. Writing should stay close to reality, to create an authentic atmosphere for the reader as much as possible.

When Li Chaosheng was nearly finished, it was time to end. He wrote: The front wolf feigns sleep to lure the enemy. Wolves are cunning. Perhaps they are close to being demons. I could not kill them for fear they would harm others!

Li Chaosheng also changed the ending. In the original both wolves were killed, but here they ran away, and Li Chaosheng recorded that truthfully.

After he finished recording, the white booklet suddenly shone with a burst of white light, and then a line of characters appeared: Vivid and interesting, valuable for its truth, recorded!

Once the characters appeared, the first page of the white booklet displayed a short story entitled “The Wolf.”

After the book’s record finished, another line appeared on the white booklet: I can answer you one question.

Seeing this, Li Chaosheng blinked. It really could answer a question. Fine. Since that was so, he would ask a simple question.

Li Chaosheng took the brush and wrote on the white booklet: How can one obtain immortality?

The characters vanished after he wrote them. The white booklet only displayed text it approved, such as that first story “The Wolf.”

After a long while, three characters appeared on the white booklet: I don’t know.

What? It could only answer one question and it actually gave the answer “I do not know”? Was this meant to mock him?

Li Chaosheng’s face darkened. Then three more characters appeared on the white booklet: Change the question.

Li Chaosheng gritted his teeth and wrote: How can one be invincible under heaven?

The white booklet paused for a moment, then again displayed a few characters: Not sure. You may change the question again.

Li Chaosheng was furious. He picked up the brush and wrote: I want to tear you up!

The white booklet paused again, then displayed a sentence: Are you asking a normal question? This ledger operates on the principle of equivalent exchange. You give me a short story and you may ask me a grand question. If I can’t answer it, I will say that I do not know!

“Oh ho, still think you can be stubborn?”

Li Chaosheng’s short temper flared. He reached out to tear the ledger, but after thinking he put his hand down. After all it was a treasure exchanged from the Killing Scripture, it would be a shame to destroy it. He would keep it. Maybe he could use it sometime.

Li Chaosheng planned to say goodbye to Butcher Fan and leave. Butcher Fan then asked Li Chaosheng to help hire a cart. He wanted to go to his son-in-law’s house in the city to recuperate. A big man like him staying here would be a burden on Mrs. Wang. When he was well he would return. Li Chaosheng found the village’s mule cart and took Butcher Fan into the city.

But just as they were on the road, a wooden bird suddenly flew down from the sky and landed directly in Li Chaosheng’s hand. Li Chaosheng caught the wooden bird and froze. Was this not a wooden bird of the Nightwardens?

He took a bamboo tube from the wooden kite’s beak and opened it. Inside was written: There is a task. Come quickly to the City God Temple!

Li Chaosheng put the bamboo tube back into the wooden bird’s beak. The wooden bird flapped its wings and disappeared. Li Chaosheng jumped down from the cart, told Old Fan he had to attend to something urgent and would not accompany him further. He gave the money to the driver, had the driver take Old Fan to his destination, and then went on a detour to the City God Temple.

When he arrived at the City God Temple, the old temple keeper and Young Master Zhou, whom he had met before, were both there. Li Chaosheng cupped his hands and said, “Brother Zhu, Young Master Zhou, what is the task?”

Young Master Zhou returned the courtesy and said, “We are all colleagues. No need for formalities. Call me Zhou Bo.”

Li Chaosheng nodded and looked at the old temple keeper. The old temple keeper then said, “This time we have summoned you two because there is a task that needs us to handle.”

“What task?”

Li Chaosheng asked curiously. The old temple keeper said, “Exterminate demons!”

“Exterminate demons? Could it be Wolf-Head Mountain?” Zhou Bo asked.

The old temple keeper nodded and said, “That’s right. According to reports, Wolf-Head Mountain has wolf-demons causing trouble. Today, near Wolf-Head Mountain, seven people have been attacked by wolf-demons and died unnatural deaths. When found, only tufts of hair and blood-soaked clothes remained. The higher-ups ordered us to immediately exterminate the demons to protect the borders and secure the people.”

Hearing this, Li Chaosheng recalled the two wolves from yesterday. It seemed these two fellows were not committing crimes for the first time!