Chapter 35: I Am Ruan Shiyin's Boyfriend

The cool September breeze ruffled the hem of Li Xuan’s black suit jacket. He carried a pot of herbal medicine, freshly decocted at the local shop, back to his rented room and poured two bowls, serving them to Liu Zhuobin and Di Zhiheng.

The two young men looked much better.

Di Zhiheng clutched his bowl, moved by the gesture. Had it not been for that first lesson half a month ago, when Teacher Li drew a dagger and threatened them with the chilling demeanor of a gangster, he might well have been pushing up daisies by now.

He asked with concern, "Teacher, we managed to escape, but Gao Hanqiang and Charlie are still inside. Will they be all right?"

The four boys had come from the same school; they knew each other well and were privy to one another's backgrounds.

Desire is a complicated thing...

And then there was...

Di Zhiheng’s heart sank into deeper worry. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Teacher, could you pass a message to Gao Hanqiang and Charlie? Tell them to watch out for that wicked woman, Li Xisi! The reason we broke the school rule of being back in the dormitory by 11:00 p.m. was because she sabotaged us, locking the iron gate before we could get in. I’m afraid she might target Gao Hanqiang next..."

Li Xuan gave a brief nod of acknowledgment. He took the two empty bowls to the kitchen to rinse them.

Liu Zhuobin lowered his voice and said to Di Zhiheng, "Di, Teacher Li is the first person I’ve ever met who truly deserves the title of 'teacher.' He’s been so good to us; we have to find a way to be of some help."

"Staying here safely is the biggest help we can provide."

Li Xuan returned after washing the bowls and, having overheard Liu Zhuobin, chuckled. "Have you ever watched horror movies? When facing demons and ghosts, the greatest advantage you can have is not being saddled with dead weight!"

Although it was already 2002, the market was still flooded with horror films featuring zombies and female ghosts. Liu Zhuobin and Di Zhiheng had certainly seen their fair share. They were left speechless; when they thought about it, they really were like the disposable side characters in those movies—the ones who only ever caused trouble for the protagonist.

Not helping, it seemed, was the greatest help of all.

...

That afternoon, after school, Fang Xiaoyi invited him to meet via text.

They didn't go to the Lanzhou noodle shop this time, opting instead for a coffee shop where they sat in a quiet corner. Fang Xiaoyi wore a plain, long-sleeved sweater, her hair still in a simple ponytail, glasses perched on her face. She wore no makeup, just a touch of lip balm.

She pushed a slip of paper with an address on it toward Li Xuan. Pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose with a forefinger, she said, "With Principal Song’s help, we’ve found her. But the poor woman has dementia; communicating is a struggle. She gives answers that have nothing to do with the questions, and I fear she won’t be of any help..."

Li Xuan was silent for a moment. He picked up the slip of paper with his left hand and drained his coffee in one gulp with his right.

"Take me to see her."

Beyond the core cultivation methods, the *Dharma of the Eastern Peak Earth Deity* focused heavily on the cycles of life and death, the rewarding of good, and the punishment of evil—matters largely tied to the world of the living. The *Fengdu Dharma*, meanwhile, leaned toward the containment of demons, ghosts, and judicial oversight.

Since the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak had bestowed upon him numerous Taoist scriptures, and with the cultivation of his first strand of spiritual power, Li Xuan’s mind had become significantly clearer and more agile.

The moment Fang Xiaoyi mentioned the dementia, Li Xuan had begun searching through the various techniques in the Eastern Peak scriptures. Beyond cultivation exercises, there were methods for talismans, summoning generals, conducting investigations, and unique arts like the "Formation of the Five Prisons," the "Eastern Peak Universal Canopy Seal," and the "Ten Generals' Shackling and Interrogation Art."

There was one talisman technique he might be able to try.

Fang Xiaoyi had a small Mazda, and she drove Li Xuan to their destination.

It was a relatively underdeveloped neighborhood in Causeway Bay. After parking in a nearby shopping mall lot, Fang Xiaoyi led Li Xuan into the area on foot.

There was no other choice. If they parked inside, the car would likely be stolen—or some local thugs would deflate the tires, forcing the owner to buy air from them just to get the car moving again.

The streets were chaotic, filled with scattered street vendors, bare-chested youths with dragon and phoenix tattoos, and police officers busy writing tickets.

Fang Xiaoyi sighed. "It’s actually much better here now. You should have seen it a dozen years ago—gangs of all sizes were fighting and killing in these streets every day. It was terrifying; normal people wouldn't dare step out at night."

Li Xuan couldn't help but think of the *Young and Dangerous* films from the eighties and nineties. They had been such a massive craze in the Mainland, corrupting so many young people. Those who were still free and out in the world were just "fake fans," he mused—the true die-hards were all inside, "sewing machines" in prison.

The two wound their way into the alleyways between several apartment blocks. Tangled electrical wires hung haphazardly, laundry was strung out to dry, and someone even dumped a basin of dirty water directly from an upper window.

Fang Xiaoyi climbed a rusted iron staircase and knocked on a dilapidated wooden door. "Auntie, I’ve come to see you again..."

The door creaked open.

A stooped old woman appeared, dressed in old-fashioned grey cloth. Her hair was a tangled mess of grey and white, and her eyes were cloudy, likely clouded by cataracts.

She struggled to recognize Fang Xiaoyi. "Who are you..."

Fang Xiaoyi leaned in close. "It’s me, Fang Xiaoyi... I saw you just yesterday. I’m a teacher from the Nalan Mude School, remember?"

The old woman rubbed her cheek with a rough hand, looking lost. "Middle school... has my daughter gone on holiday? She said she’d come visit me when she was on break, and she was going to bring a boyfriend."

Fang Xiaoyi smiled. "Your daughter is very busy, so I’ve come to see you first."

The old woman murmured, "Oh, oh," and shuffled inside. "I’ve cooked some food; come in and eat."

Fang Xiaoyi glanced at Li Xuan, whispering, "This is Ruan Shiyin’s mother. She’s over seventy now, suffers from dementia, and is terribly forgetful. She forgets the first half of a sentence by the time she reaches the second. All these years, she’s only survived because of the neighbors and the social welfare community."

They stepped into the room.

The air was thick with the heavy scent of old age, with a faint, sharp tang of urine. The old woman seemed to dislike the sun, as she had covered the glass windows with newspapers. Still, there were gaps, leaving the room dim but bright enough to make out the shapes of things.

In an environment like this, it was no wonder her eyesight had failed.

No sooner had they sat down than the old woman brought out two bowls and placed them on the table. The wrinkles on her face blossomed like a chrysanthemum as she smiled. "Eat. I was saving this for Ah Yin, but since she isn't here, you two eat."

Fang Xiaoyi glanced into the bowl and nearly gagged. It contained thin, watery porridge and some blackened sweet potato leaves. Because it had been sitting for so long, the porridge had congealed into lumps, and the vegetables had rotted, emitting a faint, sour stench.

She stole a glance at Li Xuan, only to find him perfectly composed, his face expressionless.

Li Xuan got straight to the point. "Auntie, Ruan Shiyin is very busy at school, but she’s been thinking of you. We were hoping to find a time to bring you to see her. When would you be free?"

The old woman picked up a dirty rag to wipe the discharge from her eyes, her face lighting up with joy. "Ah Yin is coming to pick me up? Oh, good! She still remembers me! But last time she said a boyfriend would come in a car to get me."

She walked over to Li Xuan and examined him closely, nodding. "Ah Yin is so capable, finding a young boyfriend like you. I’m free, I’m always free. Are we leaving now?"