Volume One, Chapter Ten: The Two Fat Men

After Feixue left, Hongkun hurriedly opened his uncle's letter. The letter instructed him to organize a group to go down the mountain and search, specifying several possible locations. It also reminded him, as the leader among the disciples, to calm everyone and prevent rash actions during the search. Uncle’s order to descend the mountain surely meant something serious had happened. Among master and disciples, there was a mystical connection—unless the master deliberately hid, uncle could always find him. Hongkun sensed the gravity of the situation and immediately summoned his peers for a meeting. They decided to split into six groups, led by disciples of the Hong generation. Yibing, of course, would follow closely behind Hongkun and Hongpeng.

Early the next morning, each group prepared and set off down the mountain without delay. Hongkun, accompanied by Hongpeng and Yibing, headed straight for Bianma Mountain, hundreds of miles away. Uncle’s letter mentioned that a cultivation conference was soon to be held there, and their eccentric master was likely to attend.

It was the first time the three brothers had traveled together since Hongkun and Hongpeng dragged Yibing up the mountain. Remembering that night when they carried Yibing, both Hongkun and Hongpeng felt a surge of emotion. Fate, perhaps, or perhaps not. Back then, they chased the chubby boy; now, he chased them, impossible to shake off.

“Senior brother, what’s for lunch?” Barely half an hour into their journey, Yibing’s stomach was already rumbling loudly.

“Eat, eat, eat! That’s all you think about! We can’t even find Master, and you’re still only worried about food!” Hongkun, already in a foul mood, seized the chance to vent.

Yibing fell silent, head down, shadowed face, trailing behind.

Soon the sun was high, and the day grew hotter. Yibing, lagging far behind, grew even hungrier, rubbing his belly and scanning the fields. Suddenly, a dark shape darted through the grass.

“Rabbit…” Yibing blurted, quickly covering his mouth in fright. He glanced up—his two senior brothers were focused on the road, oblivious to his actions. He hadn’t tasted rabbit in ages! After a moment’s hesitation, his eyes shone as he chased after the shadow. In an instant, a round meatball streaked across the fields. Hongkun and Hongpeng, walking ahead, both twitched their ears, as if hearing a familiar sound.

Yibing was no longer the boy he used to be—his speed was astonishing, like chasing wind and sun! In no time, he was upon the little black rabbit, which was wiping sweat off its brow. With a swift grab, Yibing caught it by the neck. The rabbit shrieked and promptly fainted, baring its teeth.

“Heh… finally something to eat…” Yibing’s sweat dripped onto the rabbit’s face, but it showed no reaction.

“Villain!” Suddenly, a strange yet familiar voice sounded behind him.

Yibing shuddered, letting the rabbit slip from his grasp. Who would have thought the rabbit was only feigning unconsciousness—it flipped mid-air and vanished into the fields. Yibing didn’t bother chasing; he turned around but saw no one. He realized it was the limping white rabbit scolding him. However, his careless mistake had indeed caused her much harm. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but words failed him. Looking up, he saw only desolate wilderness—he seemed utterly alone.

“Damn…” The rumbling of his stomach pulled him back to reality. Looking around, he found himself lost, and his senior brothers were nowhere in sight. Panic set in; he guessed the direction and hurried along for several miles, but still saw no trace of them. Perhaps he’d gone the wrong way; he turned back, searching east and west, back and forth, until midday approached and he was utterly lost. Suddenly, a small town appeared before him. In the distance, smoke curled from chimneys and crowds bustled—it looked lively.

“Could this be Tianyi Town?” Excited, Yibing rushed toward the town. He remembered his brothers mentioning Tianyi Town as their first stop. He hadn’t asked where their final destination was, but if he failed to find them here, he’d really be in trouble!

At the entrance, Yibing was stunned. He’d expected a small town, easy to see at a glance. Instead, it was bustling, full of traffic and people. Tea shops and taverns lined the streets, their brick and tile buildings alive with shouts and sales.

“This will be hard… Such a delicious smell…” As he muttered to himself, Yibing caught a tantalizing aroma—it drifted from a nearby bun shop.

“Find the senior brothers first… But I’m so hungry… Finding them is more important… But maybe I can just take a look…” His mind wrestled, but his legs carried him inexorably toward the bun shop.

Before he reached it, cries sounded behind him. Just as he turned, a frightened horse raced past. At that moment, a chubby girl stepped out of a restaurant ahead, and the horse charged straight toward her. She was terrified, dropping the chicken leg she held in her mouth. The horse was even more startled—the sight of such a large girl was overwhelming!

Without hesitation, Yibing leapt forward and grabbed the horse’s tail with his plump hand. The horse, ready to flee, instantly collapsed in surprise. Never in its wildest dreams did it expect to encounter two fatties!

“Wow…” Applause erupted around them.

“…Ahem… Sorry for the spectacle…” Yibing nodded awkwardly.

“Thank you…” The chubby girl stared at Yibing, wide-eyed.

“You’re welcome… Not at all…” As Yibing looked up, he froze.

Heavens! Such a huge girl!

The frightened horse lying on the ground neighed, thinking, “You only just noticed! And still pulling me—lucky I wasn’t hurt!”

Yibing, who had always considered himself fat, suddenly felt tiny. The girl in front of him was about his height, but wider by nearly a third. It wasn’t so much the measurements as the impression—she seemed vast. Her round face was larger than his, but fair and rosy, probably thanks to more oils.

“…You’re welcome…” Yibing finally recovered from his shock.

Meanwhile, a group rushed out of the restaurant, checking on the chubby girl before crowding around Yibing with gratitude.

“Thank you, hero, for saving my junior sister! We owe you!” The young man leading them clasped Yibing’s hands in thanks.

“No need… No need… Just doing what's right…” Yibing replied smoothly, but then a familiar, scornful “hmph” sounded behind him—no doubt the white rabbit again.

“I am Jin Guishan, disciple of Master Tai Miao. These are my fellow disciples, and this is my junior sister Zhao Lingyao!” The young man quickly introduced himself.

“Oh! I’m Yibing—no, Mu Tianci, disciple of Master Hongmeng!” Yibing, not wanting to be rude, quickly stated his name.

“Yibing?” The chubby girl nearly burst out laughing.

“Sister! Don’t be rude!” Jin Guishan scolded, though he himself struggled not to laugh.

“It’s fine, all my fellow disciples call me that!” Yibing barely noticed, overwhelmed by the restaurant's tempting aromas.

“Sir, your buns are ready!” The restaurant boy called out.

“Brother Mu, you haven’t eaten yet? Why not join us!” Jin Guishan warmly invited.

“I really shouldn’t…” Yibing almost rushed inside.

“What’s wrong with that? The buns here are delicious!” The chubby girl encouraged him.

Unable to refuse, Yibing reluctantly followed them in. Seeing the steaming buns on the table, his mouth watered. If he were with Hongkun and Hongpeng, he would have devoured half a tray already. Among strangers, he restrained himself, sipping tea first.

“Where are you from, Brother Mu?” Jin Guishan asked, placing a bun on Yibing’s plate. Seeing Yibing empty-handed, he figured he must be local.

“I’m from Banyue Hill!” Yibing replied, slowly eating the bun.

“Oh! Since you carry nothing, I thought you were local!” Jin Guishan joked.

“Oh!” Yibing remembered that all his money was in Hongpeng’s bundle—he himself was penniless. He quickly put down the half-eaten bun.

“What’s wrong, Brother Mu?”

“I… I lost my way with my senior brothers, and I have no money on me… you see…” Yibing said awkwardly.

“Oh, that’s nothing! I’ll pay…” The chubby girl waved her hand, stuffing a bun in her mouth.

“Yes, yes! You just saved my junior sister—let us show our gratitude!” Jin Guishan spoke with genuine warmth.

Since they insisted, Yibing no longer held back. They were all young, and soon the atmosphere was lively, chatting as they ate. Jin Guishan and his group, it turned out, were on their way to the Bianma Mountain cultivation conference, stopping here for a meal. From their conversation, Yibing learned this was not Tianyi Town, but a place called Sanguo Town. Yibing explained he was searching for his master, who liked to travel, and that his uncle had sent them to find him due to some matters in the Hill. He never mentioned the real reason.

“We haven’t seen any Taoists with their beards tied together, have we, senior brother?” The chubby girl frowned, thinking hard.

“No, we haven’t! If we had, we’d surely remember!” Jin Guishan glanced around at his fellows.

“Brother, he’s got no money—let’s take a detour and send him to Tianyi Town first?” The chubby girl spoke, grease glistening on her lips.

“Ah? Oh, of course!” Jin Guishan hesitated. They actually had another purpose for their journey, but couldn’t share it with Yibing. Still, he couldn’t refuse, so he reluctantly agreed.

“Look at you! Such eating! Hardly like a lady!” Jin Guishan glared at the chubby girl. She was loyal and straightforward, but her appetite rivaled a pig’s.

“Brother Jin, I…” Yibing had already learned from the conversation that except for being a year older than the chubby girl, everyone else was older than him.

“It’s just a little detour, and we wanted to visit Tianyi Town anyway!” Jin Guishan finally relented, embracing the idea.

“These buns are delicious! You need strength for the road!” The chubby girl happily gave Yibing another big bun.

After satisfying his hunger, Yibing set off with Jin Guishan’s group. Luckily, he’d met them—otherwise, he’d have been lost. Jin Guishan’s party numbered six: four senior brothers, two junior sisters. Clearly, they’d grown up together, joking and laughing along the way, their camaraderie evident. The chubby girl stuck close to Yibing, peppering him with questions, her energy like a tomboy, her plump flesh quivering with every step—a far cry from Senior Sister Biyi. Yet Yibing found her easy to talk to; the two chatted endlessly, from legs to no legs, from flying in the sky to swimming in water, arguing about what tasted best and worst.

“Truly two of a kind!” Jin Guishan thought, amused by their exchange.

As dusk fell, a dilapidated nunnery appeared atop a nearby hill. Jin Guishan grew excited and led his group straight up, leaving Yibing and the chubby girl behind.

“Hey, senior brother, what’s the rush!” The chubby girl complained, panting.

“What is this place?” Yibing asked, curious.

“This is… where we’re resting tonight…” The chubby girl recalled her brother’s warning and swallowed her words.

By the time the two climbed the slope, Jin Guishan and his group were busy cooking—some chopping wood, others washing rice. Seeing the spring outside the nunnery, Yibing threw himself down and drank deeply.

“You really are something! There’s a kettle here!” The chubby girl handed him hers.

“No need! Drinking like this is more satisfying!”

She pursed her lips and knelt by the spring, drinking just like Yibing. He was surprised.

“It really is refreshing!” she said, smiling brightly as she lifted her head.